bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Prenatal Diagnosis and Postnatal Ultrasound Findings of Cloacal Anomaly: A Case Report
Authors: Rios Lívia Teresa Moreira , Araujo Júnior Edward , Nardozza Luciano Marcondes Machado , Caetano Ana Carolina Rabachini , Moron Antonio Fernandes , Martins Marília da Glória
Published: October 2012

Cloacal malformation is an extremely rare fetal pathological condition that presents as a variety of defects. It predominantly affects females, with prevalence of 1 in 50,000 births. Prenatal ultrasonography on a 20-year-old caucasian woman (G4P1A2) at 33 weeks of pregnancy showed the fetus having a large cystic mass in the lower abdomen with a single septum, bilateral hydronephrosis, ambiguous genitalia, and a single umbilical artery. The pregnancy developed accentuated oligohydramnios, and presence of a fetal brain-sparing effect was diagnosed using arterial Doppler velocimetry. The newborn showed abdominal distension, ambiguous genitalia, and rectal atresia, with a single perineal opening. Pelvic ultrasound done on the first day after delivery revealed the presence of a large retrovesical septated cystic mass of dense content in the fetal abdomen, and bilateral hydronephrosis. Hysterotomy was performed, and 70 mL of dense liquid was drained through an abdominal colostomy. The infant died on the 27th day of life as a result of infectious complications. Prenatal diagnosing of female urogenital anomalies is usually difficult because of their rarity, different types of manifestation, and lack of characteristic ultrasound signs. Presence of a septated cyst with dense content in the fetal abdomen confirms the finding of hydrometrocolpos, thus raising clinical suspicion of a cloacal anomaly.
Extreme Achalasia Presenting as Anorexia Nervosa
Authors: Goldsmith P. J. , Decadt B.
Published: October 2012

Background. Achalasia may lead to cachexia if not diagnosed in an early stage. Surgery in cachectic patients is hazardous and complications may result in a protracted recovery or even death. Different treatment options have been described. In this paper, we report a stepwise surgical laparoscopic approach which appears to be safe and effective.Methods. Over a one-year period, a patient with a body mass index (BMI) below 17 being treated for anorexia nervosa was referred with dysphagia. Because of the extreme cachexia, a laparoscopic feeding jejunostomy (LFJ) was fashioned to enable long-term home enteral feeding. The patient underwent a laparoscopic Heller myotomy (LHM) when the BMI was normal.Results. The patient recovered well following this stepwise approach.Conclusion. Patients with advanced achalasia usually present with extreme weight loss. In this small group of patients, a period of home enteral nutrition (HEN) via a laparoscopically placed feeding jejunostomy allows weight gain prior to safe definitive surgery.
Observational Assessment of Nonlocal Heat Flux Feedback in the North Atlantic by GEFA
Authors: Wen Na , Liu Zhengyu , Liu Qinyu
Published: October 2012

Most previous studies have proven the local negative heat flux feedback (the surface heat flux response to SST anomalies) in the midlatitude areas. However, it is uncertain whether a nonlocal heat flux feedback can be observed. In this paper, the generalized equilibrium feedback assessment (GEFA) method is employed to examine the full surface turbulent heat flux response to SST in the North Atlantic Ocean using NCEP–NCAR reanalysis data. The results not only confirm the dominant local negative feedback, but also indicate a robust nonlocal positive feedback of the Gulf Stream Extension (GSE) SST to the downstream heat flux in the subpolar region. This nonlocal feedback presents a strong seasonality, with response magnitudes of in winter and in summer. Further study indicates that the nonlocal effect is initiated by the adjustments of the downstream surface wind to the GSE SST anomalies.
Constant strain rate testing of a G10 laminate composite through optimized Kolsky bar pulse-shaping techniques
Authors: Nishida Erik E , Foster John T , Briseno Peter E
Published: October 2012

Pulse-shaping techniques have been used for many years now in Kolsky bar testing of brittle materials. The use of pulse shapers allow the experimentalist to conduct high strain rate tests on brittle materials while ensuring that the sample will achieve a state of dynamic stress equilibrium before it fails, as well as to achieve a constant strain rate loading state for a large portion of the test. The process of choosing the appropriate pulse-shaper system has typically been one of trail-and-error, sometimes requiring many experimental trails to achieve optimal results. Advances in analytic modeling of Kolsky bar tests now make it possible, in an a priori fashion, to design a pulse-shaper system to produce a known constant strain rate experiment. This article describes the approach of coupling these analytic models to an optimization technique to quickly find a pulse-shaper system that will produce an experiment at a known constant strain rate. Experiments were conducted and the model predictions compared to resulting strain rate histories for a G10 material. Stress–strain curves for G10 are presented at three different strain rates in both the in-plane and out-of-plane loading configurations with respect to the laminate plys. The G10 material is not found to be rate sensitive in either its strength or failure properties.
Measuring Stakeholder Participation in Evaluation
Authors: Daigneault Pierre-Marc , Jacob Steve , Tremblay Joël
Published: October 2012

Background: Stakeholder participation is an important trend in the field of program evaluation. Although a few measurement instruments have been proposed, they either have not been empirically validated or do not cover the full content of the concept. Objectives: This study consists of a first empirical validation of a measurement instrument that fully covers the content of participation, namely the Participatory Evaluation Measurement Instrument (PEMI). It specifically examines (1) the intercoder reliability of scores derived by two research assistants on published evaluation cases; (2) the convergence between the scores of coders and those of key respondents (i.e., authors); and (3) the convergence between the authors’ scores on the PEMI and the Evaluation Involvement Scale (EIS). Sample: A purposive sample of 40 cases drawn from the evaluation literature was used to assess reliability. One author per case in this sample was then invited to participate in a survey; 25 fully usable questionnaires were received. Measures: Stakeholder participation was measured on nominal and ordinal scales. Cohen’s κ, the intraclass correlation coefficient, and Spearman’s ρ were used to assess reliability and convergence. Results: Reliability results ranged from fair to excellent. Convergence between coders’ and authors’ scores ranged from poor to good. Scores derived from the PEMI and the EIS were moderately associated. Conclusions: Evidence from this study is strong in the case of intercoder reliability and ranges from weak to strong in the case of convergent validation. Globally, this suggests that the PEMI can produce scores that are both reliable and valid.
Memory and Mathesis: For a Topological Approach to Psychology
Authors: Brown Steven D.
Published: October 2012

The ‘mathematical imaginary’ at work in psychology is central to the contingent history of the discipline, but is also responsible for considerable confusion and ambiguity around the ontological assumptions of psychological theories and models. Rather than reject the mathematical altogether, this article argues for an alternative form of mathematical description in psychology through the use of topology. Drawing on DeLanda’s topological account of the virtual, the relationship between psychology and ontology is progressively questioned in relation to memory. Henri Bergson’s conception of duration and the pure past is juxtaposed with the topological psychology of Kurt Lewin and its notion of life space as a manifold with n-dimensions. Using a diagrammatic strategy developed by Mullarkey, an actualist account of the virtual is used to hold these distinct bodies of work together. Psychological events may be given a ‘thick description’ through the identification of topological relations and invariants. The interplay between the actual entities that are afforded in experience can be seen to be virtualized as planes of irreality. A topological approach to psychology offers the opportunity of replacing the taxonomy of essences common to the discipline with a dynamic account of invariance through homeomorphism.
Hearing Things and Dancing Numbers: Embodying Transformation, Topology at Tate Modern
Authors: Henriques Julian
Published: October 2012

This paper reports on a weekend performance event at the Tate Modern that explored how the senses of sound and movement can be used to apprehend geometrical and topological shapes and mathematical concepts. The sound sculpture Knots and Donuts spatialized sound and sonified space. It attuned the ‘mind’s ear’ and the auditory imagination to conceive of a Borromean Knot and a torus within an immersive three-dimensional sound field. Through dance movement, the choreography of Ordinal 5 actualized the specific mathematical entity as understood in category theory. Both parts of the programme are considered as a performance as research experiment with an audience. Its aim was to understand how the sensory experience of the embodied mind might provide a basis of rationality in which meaning is not restricted to text and image, that is, an embodied topology.
Who is Responsible for the Disappearance of Social Classes?
Authors: Mercklé Pierre
Published: October 2012

Who made social classes disappear? This was the issue raised at a conference held on 12 October 2011 at the ENS Ulm by the CNRS “Economics & Sociology” research group. The conference was entitled: “Social Classes: Have They Been Dissolved by Socio-economists in Networks, Generations and the Income Hierarchy?”. But basically, it was about asking who had made social classes disappear from the traditional means of interpreting the social world in sociology and other social sciences.
Basilar Artery Thrombosis in a Child Treated With Intravenous Tissue Plasminogen Activator and Endovascular Mechanical Thrombectomy
Authors: Fink Jakob , Sonnenborg Laura , Larsen Line Lunde , Born Alfred Peter , Holtmannspötter Markus , Kondziella Daniel
Published: October 2012

Basilar artery occlusion in children is rare. It has a high mortality and morbidity if recanalization is not achieved before extensive brainstem infarction has occurred. An 11-year-old boy presented with a clinical and radiological “top-of-the-basilar” syndrome. Intravenous tissue plasminogen activator was administered, and the patient was immediately referred to the regional stroke center. Subsequent mechanical thrombectomy using a Solitaire stent (Solitaire FR stent; ev3, Irvine, CA, USA) resulted in clot removal and recanalization of the basilar artery 4 hours after stroke onset. The patient made a full clinical recovery. To the authors’ knowledge this is the first report on basilar artery occlusion in a child treated with “bridging” therapy, the combination of intravenous thrombolysis and endovascular thrombectomy. If the diagnosis can be made within the time window for intravenous thrombolysis (4.5 hours), the present case suggests that bridging therapy in pediatric basilar artery occlusion can be safe and effective.
Synergistic Effects of Low-Intensity Exercise Conditioning and β-Blockade on Cardiovascular and Autonomic Adaptation in Pre- and Postmenopausal Women With Hypertension
Authors: Goldie Catherine L. , Brown C. Ann , Hains Sylvia M. J. , Parlow Joel L. , Birtwhistle Richard
Published: October 2012

The effects of a 12-week low-intensity exercise conditioning program (walking) on blood pressure (BP), heart rate (HR), rate–pressure product (RPP), and cardiac autonomic function were measured in 40 sedentary women with hypertension. Women were assigned to either an exercise group ( n = 20) or a control group ( n = 20), matched for β-blockade treatment. They underwent testing at the beginning and at the end of the 12-week study period in three conditions: supine rest, standing, and low-intensity steady state exercise. The exercise group participated in a 12-week, low-intensity walking program, while the control group continued with usual sedentary activity. Compared with the control group, women in the exercise group showed reductions in systolic and diastolic BP and RPP (i.e., the estimated cardiac workload). β-Blockers increased baroreflex sensitivity and lowered BP and HR in all participants; however, those in the exercise group showed the effects of both treatments: a greater reduction in HR and RPP. The combination of exercise training and β-blockade produces cardiac and autonomic adaptations that are not observed with either treatment alone, suggesting that β-blockade enhances the conditioning effects of low-intensity exercise in women with hypertension.
Success in Blinding to Group Assignment With Sham-CPAP
Authors: Chasens Eileen R. , Drumheller Oliver J. , Strollo Patrick J.
Published: October 2012

This study evaluated the success of sham-continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) as a placebo in a 4-week clinical trial of adults with sleep apnea. Participants ( n = 23) were previously undiagnosed for obstructive sleep apnea, had no one in their household on sleep apnea therapy, and were willing to be randomly assigned to either active or sham-CPAP. Before final debriefing, participants were asked to “guess” their group assignment. When questioned, 10 of the 23 participants (44%) were incorrect in their guess of group assignment; 2 of these participants stated that their guess was “random.” The active CPAP group’s average usage was significantly longer when compared to participants on the sham device (293 ± 117 min/day vs. 188 ± 110 min/day, p = .046). The results suggest that participants remained blinded to group assignment and that sham-CPAP is an appropriate placebo control device. Participants’ lower adherence to the sham device may be a potential problem that requires attention in the use of sham-CPAP as a placebo during clinical trials.
Pulse plated Zn transition layer in electroplating Zn–Ni coatings on magnesium alloys
Authors: Chang L M , Liu W , Duan X Y , Xu J Q
Published: October 2012

A novel process with an environmentally friendly Zn transition layer was used in electroplating a Zn–Ni coating onto an AZ31 magnesium alloy, and direct current (dc) and pulse current (pc) electroplated Zn coatings were compared. The surface morphology, microstructure and macroresidual stress of the specimens were investigated using scanning electron microscope and X-ray diffraction spectrometry. The electrochemical method was adopted for corrosion resistance evaluation. The SEM images indicated that the Zn transition layer was necessary in electroplating a Zn–Ni coating. For the same electroplating time, the application of the pc plating mode was superior to the dc mode when producing a low residual stress, smooth, compact, nonporous and more corrosion resistant Zn transition layer. Moreover, the grain size of the pc plated Zn transition layers was finer than that of the dc plated layers. Most importantly, an electrodeposited Zn–Ni alloy coating on a magnesium alloy could be obtained successfully using a pc plated Zn transition layer.
The feasibility of rapid baseline objective physical activity measurement in a natural experimental study of a commuting population
Authors: Yang Lin , Griffin Simon , Chapman Cheryl , Ogilvie David
Published: October 2012

Background

Studies of the effects of environmental interventions on physical activity should include valid measures of physical activity before and after the intervention. Baseline data collection can be difficult when the timetable for introduction of an intervention is outside researchers’ control. This paper reports and reflects on the practical issues, challenges and results of rapid baseline objective physical activity measurement using accelerometers distributed by post in a natural experimental study.

Methods

A sample of working adults enrolling for the Commuting and Health in Cambridge study and expressing willingness to wear an activity monitor was selected to undertake baseline accelerometer assessment. Each selected participant received a study pack by post containing the core study questionnaire and an accelerometer to wear for seven consecutive days, and was asked to return their accelerometer and completed questionnaire in person or by post using the prepaid special delivery envelope provided. If a pack was not returned within two weeks of issue, a reminder was sent to the participant. Each participant received up to five reminders by various methods including letter, email, telephone and letter sent by recorded delivery.

Results

95% of participants registering for the study were willing in principle to undertake accelerometer assessment. Using a pool of 221 accelerometers, we achieved a total of 714 issues of accelerometers to participants during a six month period. 116 (16%) participants declined to use the accelerometer after receiving it. Three accelerometers failed, 45 (6% of 714) were lost and many were returned with insufficient data recorded, resulted in 109 (15%) participants re-wearing their accelerometer for a second week of measurement. 550 (77%) participants completed data collection, 478 (87% of 550) to the required standard. A total of 694 reminders were issued to retrieve unreturned accelerometers. More than 90% of accelerometers were retrieved after a maximum of two reminders.

Conclusions

It is feasible to use accelerometers to collect baseline objective physical activity data by post from a large number of participants in a limited time period. However, a substantial pool of devices is required and researchers need to be prepared to make significant efforts to recover some of the devices.
The effect of a dietary supplement (N-oleyl-phosphatidyl-ethanolamine and epigallocatechin gallate) on dietary compliance and body fat loss in adults who are overweight: A double-blind, randomized control trial
Authors: Mangine Gerald T , Gonzalez Adam M , Wells Adam J , McCormack William P , Fragala Maren S , Stout Jeffrey R , Hoffman Jay R
Published: October 2012

Background

A dietary supplement containing a blend of 170 mg of N-oleyl-phosphatidylethanolamine (NOPE) and 100 mg of epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) has been shown to improve compliance to low caloric diets. Considering the cost of dietary ingredients, many manufacturers attempt to determine the lowest efficacious dose. Thus, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of 8-weeks of supplementation with a daily intake of 120 mg of NOPE and 105 mg of EGCG in conjunction with a low caloric diet and regular, moderate exercise on dietary compliance in healthy, overweight adults. An additional purpose was to examine the effect of this supplement/diet/exercise paradigm on changes in body composition, sensation of appetite, mood and severity of binge eating.

Methods

Fifty healthy, overweight (BMI > 25 m·kg2) men (15) and women (35) (SUP; n = 25; 32.7 ± 13.75 y; BMI = 33.4 ± 6.2; PLA; n = 25, 34.3 ± 12.7 years; BMI = 33.2 ± 6.8) were recruited for a double-blind, placebo controlled study. Each volunteer was randomly assigned to either the supplement (SUP; n = 25) or placebo group (PLA; n = 25). Based upon a self-reported 3-day dietary recall all volunteers were recommended a 500 kcal or 30% (maximum of 1000 kcal) reduction in caloric intake. Volunteers were also encouraged to exercise 30 minutes per day, three times per week.

Results

Subjects in SUP were significantly more compliant (x
2 = 3.86, p = 0.049) in maintaining a low caloric diet at week 4, but this was not able to be maintained through the 8-week study. In addition, a significant difference in mood, feelings of fatigue and confusion were noted between the groups at week 4, but again not maintained by week 8 where only feelings of tension were improved. No differences between groups (p > 0.05) were observed for body mass, body composition, feelings of hunger, and binge eating after eight weeks.

Conclusion

Supplementing with a combination of 120 mg of NOPE and 105 mg of EGCG does appear to enhance compliance to a low caloric diet and improve mood for 4 –weeks, but loses its effectiveness by week 8.
Lack of association between four SNPs in the SLC22A3-LPAL2-LPA gene cluster and coronary artery disease in a Chinese Han population: a case control study
Authors: Lv Xiaofei , Zhang Yuan , Rao Shaoqi , Liu Fengqiong , Zuo Xiaoyu , Su Dongfang , Wang Min , Xia Min , Guo Honghui , Feng Dan , Hong Changjiang , Li Dan , Ma Wenjun , Ouyang Ping , Li Xinrui , Feng Xiang , Yang Yan , Ling Wenhua , Qiu Jian
Published: October 2012

Background

Lipoprotein (a) (Lp [a]) is known being correlated with coronary artery disease (CAD). The SLC22A3-LPAL2-LPA gene cluster, relating with modulating the level of plasma Lp (a), has recently been reported to be associated with CAD in Caucasians. The purpose of this study was to verify whether this finding can be expanded to the Chinese Han population.

Methods and Results

Using a Chinese Han sample, which consisted of 1012 well-characterized CAD patients and 889 healthy controls, we tested the associations of four SNPs (rs2048327, rs3127599, rs7767084 and rs10755578) in the SLC22A3-LPAL2-LPA gene cluster, and their inferred haplotypes with the risk of CAD. Allelic, genotypic and haplotype association analyses all showed that the gene cluster was not associated with CAD in this Chinese Han sample.

Conclusions

We for the first time explored the association of the four SNPs in the SLC22A3-LPAL2-LPA gene cluster with CAD in a large Chinese Han sample. Nevertheless, this study did not reveal any significant evidence of this gene cluster to increase the risk of CAD in this population.
Orthogonal stability of functional equations with the fixed point alternative
Authors: Park Choonkil , Cho Yeol Je , Lee Jung Rye
Published: October 2012

In this paper, we investigate the orthogonal stability of functional equations in orthogonality modules over a unital Banach algebra. Using a fixed point method, we prove the Hyers-Ulam stability of the orthogonally Jensen additive functional equation

2
f

(

x
+
y

2

)

=
f
(
x
)
+
f
(
y
)
,

the orthogonally Jensen quadratic functional equation

2
f

(

x
+
y

2

)

+
2
f

(

x
−
y

2

)

=
f
(
x
)
+
f
(
y
)
,

the orthogonally cubic functional equation

f
(
2
x
+
y
)
+
f
(
2
x
−
y
)
=
2
f
(
x
+
y
)
+
2
f
(
x
−
y
)
+
12
f
(
x
)
,

and the orthogonally quartic functional equation

f
(
2
x
+
y
)
+
f
(
2
x
−
y
)
=
4
f
(
x
+
y
)
+
4
f
(
x
−
y
)
+
24
f
(
x
)
−
6
f
(
y
)

for all x, y with

x
⊥
y

, where ⊥ is the orthogonality in the sense of Rätz.

MSC:39B55, 47H10, 39B52, 46H25.
The Gammaretroviral p12 protein has multiple domains that function during the early stages of replication
Authors: Wight Darren J , Boucherit Virginie C , Nader Mirella , Allen David J , Taylor Ian A , Bishop Kate N
Published: October 2012

Background

The Moloney murine leukaemia virus (Mo-MLV) gag gene encodes three main structural proteins, matrix, capsid and nucleocapsid and a protein called p12. In addition to its role during the late stages of infection, p12 has an essential, but undefined, function during early post-entry events. As these stages of retroviral infection remain poorly understood, we set out to investigate the function of p12.

Results

Examination of the infectivity of Mo-MLV virus-like particles containing a mixture of wild type and mutant p12 revealed that the N- and C-terminal regions of p12 are sequentially acting domains, both required for p12 function, and that the N-terminal activity precedes the C-terminal activity in the viral life cycle. By creating a panel of p12 mutants in other gammaretroviruses, we showed that these domains are conserved in this retroviral genus. We also undertook a detailed mutational analysis of each domain, identifying residues essential for function. These data show that different regions of the N-terminal domain are necessary for infectivity in different gammaretroviruses, in stark contrast to the C-terminal domain where the same region is essential for all viruses. Moreover, chimeras between the p12 proteins of Mo-MLV and gibbon ape leukaemia virus revealed that the C-terminal domains are interchangeable whereas the N-terminal domains are not. Finally, we identified potential functions for each domain. We observed that particles with defects in the N-terminus of p12 were unable to abrogate restriction factors, implying that their cores were impaired. We further showed that defects in the C-terminal domain of p12 could be overcome by introducing a chromatin binding motif into the protein.

Conclusions

Based on these data, we propose a model for p12 function where the N-terminus of p12 interacts with, and stabilizes, the viral core, allowing the C-terminus of p12 to tether the preintegration complex to host chromatin during mitosis, facilitating integration.
Frontiers of parasitology research in the People's Republic of China: infection, diagnosis, protection and surveillance
Authors: Chen Jun-Hu , Wang Hen , Chen Jia-Xu , Bergquist Robert , Tanner Marcel , Utzinger Jürg , Zhou Xiao-Nong
Published: October 2012

Control and eventual elimination of human parasitic diseases in the People's Republic of China (P.R. China) requires novel approaches, particularly in the areas of diagnostics, mathematical modelling, monitoring, evaluation, surveillance and public health response. A comprehensive effort, involving the collaboration of 188 scientists (>85% from P.R. China) from 48 different institutions and universities (80% from P.R. China), covers this collection of 29 articles published in Parasites & Vectors. The research mainly stems from a research project entitled “Surveillance and diagnostic tools for major parasitic diseases in P.R. China” (grant no. 2008ZX10004-011) and highlights the frontiers of research in parasitology. The majority of articles in this thematic series deals with the most important parasitic diseases in P.R. China, emphasizing Schistosoma japonicum, Plasmodium vivax and Clonorchis sinensis plus some parasites of emerging importance such as Angiostrongylus cantonensis. Significant achievements have been made through the collaborative research programme in the following three fields: (i) development of strategies for the national control programme; (ii) updating the surveillance data of parasitic infections both in human and animals; and (iii) improvement of existing, and development of novel, diagnostic tools to detect parasitic infections. The progress is considerable and warrants broad validation efforts. Combined with the development of improved tools for diagnosis and surveillance, integrated and multi-pronged control strategies should now pave the way for elimination of parasitic diseases in P.R. China. Experiences and lessons learned can stimulate control and elimination efforts of parasitic diseases in other parts of the world.
Genetically engineered mouse models and human osteosarcoma
Authors: Ng Alvin JM , Mutsaers Anthony J , Baker Emma K , Walkley Carl R
Published: October 2012

Osteosarcoma is the most common form of bone cancer. Pivotal insight into the genes involved in human osteosarcoma has been provided by the study of rare familial cancer predisposition syndromes. Three kindreds stand out as predisposing to the development of osteosarcoma: Li-Fraumeni syndrome, familial retinoblastoma and RecQ helicase disorders, which include Rothmund-Thomson Syndrome in particular. These disorders have highlighted the important roles ofP53andRBrespectively, in the development of osteosarcoma. The association of OS withRECQL4mutations is apparent but the relevance of this to OS is uncertain as mutations inRECQL4are not found in sporadic OS. Application of the knowledge or mutations ofP53andRBin familial and sporadic OS has enabled the development of tractable, highly penetrant murine models of OS. These models share many of the cardinal features associated with human osteosarcoma including, importantly, a high incidence of spontaneous metastasis. The recent development of these models has been a significant advance for efforts to improve our understanding of the genetics of human OS and, more critically, to provide a high-throughput genetically modifiable platform for preclinical evaluation of new therapeutics.
Impaired cerebrovascular autoregulation in patients with severe sepsis and sepsis-associated delirium
Authors: Schramm Patrick , Klein Klaus Ulrich , Falkenberg Lena , Berres Manfred , Closhen Dorothea , Werhahn Konrad J , David Matthias , Werner Christian , Engelhard Kristin
Published: October 2012

Introduction

Sepsis-associated delirium (SAD) increases morbidity in septic patients and, therefore, factors contributing to SAD should be further characterized. One possible mechanism might be the impairment of cerebrovascular autoregulation (AR) by sepsis, leading to cerebral hypo- or hyperperfusion in these haemodynamically unstable patients. Therefore, the present study investigates the relationship between the incidence of SAD and the status of AR during sepsis.

Methods

Cerebral blood flow velocity was measured using transcranial Doppler sonography and was correlated with the invasive arterial blood pressure curve to calculate the index of AR Mx (Mx>0.3 indicates impaired AR). Mx was measured daily during the first 4 days of sepsis. Diagnosis of a SAD was performed using the confusion assessment method for ICU (CAM-ICU) and, furthermore the predominant brain electrical activity in electroencephalogram (EEG) both at day 4 after reduction of sedation to RASS >-2.

Results

30 critically ill adult patients with severe sepsis or septic shock (APACHE II 32 ± 6) were included. AR was impaired at day 1 in 60%, day 2 in 59%, day 3 in 41% and day 4 in 46% of patients; SAD detected by CAM-ICU was present in 76 % of patients. Impaired AR at day 1 was associated with the incidence of SAD at day 4 (p = 0.035).

Conclusions

AR is impaired in the great majority of patients with severe sepsis during the first two days. Impaired AR is associated with SAD, suggesting that dysfunction of AR is one of the trigger mechanisms contributing to the development of SAD.

Trial registration

clinicalTrials.gov ID NCT01029080
Age-related changes in expression and function of Toll-like receptors in human skin
Authors: Iram Nousheen , Mildner Michael , Prior Marion , Petzelbauer Peter , Fiala Christian , Hacker Stefan , Schöppl Alice , Tschachler Erwin , Elbe-Bürger Adelheid
Published: October 2012

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) initiate innate immune responses and direct subsequent adaptive immunity. They play a major role in cutaneous host defense against micro-organisms and in the pathophysiology of several inflammatory skin diseases. To understand the role of TLRs in the acquisition of immunological competence, we conducted a comprehensive study to evaluate TLR expression and function in the developing human skin before and after birth and compared it with adults. We found that prenatal skin already expresses the same spectrum of TLRs as adult skin. Strikingly, many TLRs were significantly higher expressed in prenatal (TLRs 1-5) and infant and child (TLRs 1 and 3) skin than in adult skin. Surprisingly, neither dendritic cell precursors in prenatal skin nor epidermal Langerhans cells and dermal dendritic cells in adult skin expressed TLRs 3 and 6, whereas the staining pattern and intensity of both TLRs in fetal basal keratinocytes was almost comparable to those of adults. Stimulation of primary human keratinocytes from fetal, neonatal and adult donors with selected TLR agonists revealed that the synthetic TLR3 ligand poly (I:C) specifically, mimicking viral double-stranded RNA, induced a significantly enhanced secretion of CXCL8/IL8, CXCL10/IP-10 and TNFα in fetal and neonatal keratinocytes compared with adult keratinocytes. This study demonstrates quantitative age-specific modifications in TLR expression and innate skin immune reactivity in response to TLR activation. Thus, antiviral innate immunity already in prenatal skin may contribute to protect the developing human body from viral infections in utero in a scenario where the adaptive immune system is not yet fully functional.
"Their only power was moral": The Injured Workers' Movement in Toronto, 1970–1985
Authors: Storey Robert
Published: October 2012

Dans les années 1960, les travailleurs blessés vivaient privément, dans l'intimité de leur foyer, la douleur et la souffrance de leurs blessures. Ils protestaient auprès de la Commission des accidents du travail (CAT) lorsqu'on leur refusait leurs réclamations, lorsque le montant de leur indemnité était en-deçà de celui auquel ils s'estimaient admissibles ou lorsqu'on réduisait leur prestation d'invalidité permanente ou y mettait fin. Mais il s'agissait dans l'immense majorité des cas d'actes de résistance individuels. La transformation de la résistance individuelle en une protestation collective à grande échelle s'est articulée sur la construction d'un mouvement social de la classe ouvrière, le noyau essentiel en étant la communauté immigrante d'origine italienne du Toronto de l'après-Deuxième Guerre mondiale. Un mouvement social racialisé et hautement genré, l'Injured Workers' Movement (IWM) a gagné en force dans les années 1970 et au début des années 1980 en réaction aux tentatives de la CAT, du gouvernement progressiste conservateur et des employeurs d'éliminer les pensions à vie pour les travailleurs ayant une incapacité permanente. Ce faisant, la CAT franchissait un pas décisif dans la transformation de l'indemnisation des accidents du travail de l'Ontario en un programme d'assistance sociale plutôt qu'en un programme d'assurance sociale fondé sur le travail. Durant ce moment historique, l'IWM a réussi, ne serait-ce que temporairement, à freiner les forces sociales, économiques et politiques grandissantes du néo-libéralisme.
Religion, Irreligion, and the Difference Place Makes: The Case of the Postwar Pacific Northwest
Authors: Block Tina
Published: October 2012

La Colombie-Britannique et l'État de Washington formaient ensemble la région la moins religieuse d'Amérique du Nord durant l'époque d'après-guerre. Les lettrés ont cherché en vain une explication démographique à ce sécularisme. Les données colligées d'une foule de documents imprimés, de sources quantitative et d'entrevues orales semblent indiquer que le sécularisme était un phénomène moins démographique que culturel, produit et entretenu dans les mythes, les récits et les présomptions de tous les jours quant à l'« authentique » Nord-Ouest Pacifique. Bien que le sécularisme ne fût ni stable ni essentiel, on en est vu à le considérer, durant les années qui ont suivi la Deuxième Guerre mondiale, comme une caractéristique typique, voire inévitable, du Nord-Ouest. Le sécularisme, avec la classe et le genre, a joué un rôle capital dans l'invention d'une identité régionale transfrontalière à nulle autre pareille.
"A solider in the service of his country": Dr. William Rees, Professional Identity, and the Toronto Temporary Asylum, 1819-1874
Authors: Terbenche Danielle
Published: October 2012

Le mandat du premier directeur médical du Toronto Lunatic Asylum, le médecin William Rees, de 1841 à 1845, a été marqué par des difficultés financières, un important conflit administratif et une blessure corporelle. Ces événements ont eu pour effet de dépeindre Rees comme un administrateur inepte. Ses contributions sociales audelà de son travail à l'asile sont moins connues. Un examen approfondi de Rees témoigne de la valeur de sa biographie en tant qu'étude du statut à l'égard des professions et des classes dans le Haut-Canada. Bien que les activités professionnelles antérieures à 1841 de Rees aient doré son blason, les difficultés de l'asile ont changé les choses et entraîné un déclin continu de son statut social après 1845.
The End of the Asylum (Town): Community responses to the depopulation and closure of the Saskatchewan Hospital, Weyburn
Authors: Dooley Chris
Published: October 2012

Jamais la tension entre l'hôpital psychiatrique d'État et sa communauté d'accueil n'est-elle aussi patente que durant la période de désinstitutionnalisation rapide, lorsque les collectivités, devant la fermeture de leurs établissements de soins de santé mentale, s'invitèrent dans le débat sur la configuration à donner au système de soins de santé mentale. S'inspirant du cas de l'hôpital Weyburn, en Saskatchewan, théâtre dans les années 1960 d'une des expériences les plus draconiennes de dépopulation institutionnelle rapide, le présent article se penche sur la façon dont le gouvernement de la Saskatchewan a géré le conflit entre les fonctions latentes d'institution communautaire, d'employeur et de moteur d'activité économique de l'hôpital psychiatrique à l'ancienne, d'une part, et sa fonction manifeste de lieu de soins rendue obsolète par le passage à des modèles communautaires de prestation de soins, d'autre part.
Il était une fois les activités physiques de Martine. De la transmission des pratiques corporelles bourgeoises dans un album illustré pour enfant depuis 1954
Authors: Vivier Christian , Renaud Jean-Nicolas , Guillain Jean-Yves
Published: October 2012

Illustrated children’s books contribute to the construction of the physical representations of young generations. Comics (1938) provided direct access to an idealized figure of American virility, but starting in 1954, young Francophone girls began to benefit from the publication of Martine , which presented a significantly more nuanced and even realistic form of identification. The same writer and illustrator produced the series for half a century. However, from Martine en voyage in 1954 to Martine – Princesses et chevaliers in 2004, the heroine evolved. Her physical practices also, along with their corresponding representations. This study develops a multidisciplinary tool for interpreting the adventures of Martine centred on her physical practices. Quantitative and qualitative analyses of the corpus of drawings from the series demonstrate the extent to which the illustrated book Martine is a complex medium creating an ongoing dialectic around the stereotypical and traditional image of the female gender versus a relatively avant-garde vision of a young girl in search of pioneering and liberating physical activities.
From Borderland to Bordered Land: Reaction in the Eastern Townships Press to the American Civil War and the Threat of Fenian Invasion
Authors: Little J. I.
Published: October 2012

La croyance populaire, ancrée dans l’étude classique par Robin Winks des relations entre le Canada et les États-Unis durant la guerre de Sécession, veut que tous les journaux ou presque de l’Amérique du Nord britannique aient été hostiles à la cause nordiste tout en dénonçant vivement l’esclavage. Mais Winks a fait abstraction de la presse des Cantons de l’Est, qui prenait fait et cause pour les nordistes. Le Stanstead Journal avait adopté une ligne particulièrement dure envers le Sud, tant et si bien que son propriétaire et rédacteur en chef, L. R. Robinson, né au Vermont, se sentit trahi lorsque les journaux de la Nouvelle-Angleterre voisine s’opposèrent à la reconduction du Traité de réciprocité et appuyèrent les envahisseurs féniens. On devine à la réponse de Robinson que les forces déclenchées par la guerre de Sécession rendirent plus tangible la « ligne imaginaire » entre la Nouvelle-Angleterre et les Cantons de l’Est avant même que la Confédération n’insuffle un nouveau sentiment de nationalisme au nord du 45 e parallèle.
Thermomechanical modelling of high power laser diode degradation
Authors: Anaya J. , Martin-Martin A. , Souto J. , Iñiguez P. , Jimenez J.
Published: October 2012

Catastrophic degradation of high power laser diodes is due to the generation of extended defects during the laser operation. The stress necessary for is induced by temperature gradients generated by local enhancement of the temperature due to non radiative recombination and subsequent laser self absorption. The thermal stresses induced by such temperature gradient are calculated using finite element methods, showing that the yield strength can be surpassed. The thermal conductivity of the laser structure is shown to play a relevant role in the process.
An easy approach to identify dislocation types in GaN films through selective chemical etching and atom force microscopy
Authors: Li Guoqiang , Yang Hui
Published: October 2012

Studies have revealed that different dislocation types have different influences on GaN device performance. Identification and discrimination of dislocation types in GaN films will be very helpful to understand the formation mechanism of each type of dislocation, and subsequently to work out corresponding methodologies to reduce each. In this work, two types of etched pits, inverted triangle and trapezoidal, were discovered in GaN films by AFM. Triangle ones were more quickly generated, and would transfer to the other with the increase in etching duration. Theoretical analysis from the viewpoint of strain energy of defects lets us to conclude that the former is from screw dislocation and the latter is formed by mixed dislocation. We consequently obtained the dislocation densities of each type, which agreed well with the XRD results. In summary, this work presents an easy but reliable approach to determine the type and corresponding density of dislocations in GaN.
Impact of the Al Mole Fraction in the Bulk- and Surface-State Induced Instability of AlGaN/GaN HEMTs
Authors: DasGupta S. , Sun M. , Armstrong A. , Kaplar R. , Marinella M. , Stanley J. , Smith M. , Atcitty S. , Palacios T.
Published: October 2012

Charge trapping and slow (10 s to > 1000 s) detrapping in AlGaN/GaN HEMTs designed for high breakdown voltage (> 1500 V) are studied to identify the impact of Al molefraction and passivation on trapping. Two different trapping components, TG1 (Ea = 0.62 eV) and TG2 (with negligible temperature dependence) in AlGaN dominate under gate bias stress in the off-state. Al0.15Ga0.85N shows much more vulnerability to trapping under gate stress in the absence of passivation than does AlGaN with a higher Al mole fraction. Under large drain bias, trapping is dominated by a much deeper trap TD. Detrapping under illumination by monochromatic light shows TD to have Ea ≈ 1.65 eV in Al0.26Ga0.74N and Ea ≈ 1.85 eV in Al0.15Ga0.85N. This is consistent with a transition from a deep state (Ec - 2.0 eV) in the AlGaN barrier to the 2DEG.
Sobrevivência e crescimento inicial de espécies arbóreas nativas do Cerrado em consórcio com mandioca
Authors: Martinotto Fernando , Martinotto Cristiano , Coelho Maria de Fatima Barbosa , Azevedo Rodrigo Aleixo Brito e , Albuquerque Maria Cristina de Figueiredo e
Published: October 2012

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a sobrevivência e o crescimento inicial de seis espécies arbóreas do Cerrado em consórcio com mandioca (Manihot esculenta), com ou sem adubação fosfatada. Utilizou-se o delineamento experimental de blocos ao acaso, em arranjo fatorial 6x2x2, com quatro repetições. As variáveis consideradas foram as espécies: Anadenanthera colubrina var. cebil (angico-vermelho), Anacardium occidentale (caju), Dipteryx alata (cumbaru), Hymenaea stigonocarpa (jatobá), Hancornia speciosa (mangaba) e Sclerolobium paniculatum var. rubiginosum (taxi-branco), em monocultivo ou em consórcio com mandioca, com ou sem adubação fosfatada. Uma distância fixa de 3x3 m foi usada para as espécies arbóreas e de 1,00x0,60 m para a mandioca. Até a idade de 20 meses, as espécies arbóreas foram avaliadas quatro vezes quanto à altura e ao diâmetro do coleto. A produção de biomassa da mandioca foi avaliada aos 20 meses. A taxa média de sobrevivência das espécies arbóreas foi crescente na seguinte ordem: cumbaru (79%), taxi-branco (86%), jatobá (95%), mangaba (98%), angico (99%) e caju (100%). O taxi-branco apresentou maiores taxas de crescimento relativo em diâmetro e altura, enquanto jatobá e cumbaru apresentaram os menores valores. A adubação fosfatada favoreceu apenas ao taxi-branco. A produtividade de mandioca não foi afetada pelo consórcio. Caju, angico-vermelho e taxi-branco são as espécies mais indicadas para o consórcio com mandioca no Cerrado.
Silício no processo infeccioso de Phakopsora pachyrhizi em folíolos de plantas de soja
Authors: Cruz Maria Fernanda Antunes da , Silva Larisse de Freitas , Rodrigues Fabrício Ávila , Araujo João Marcos de , Barros Everaldo Gonçalves de
Published: October 2012

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o efeito do silício (Si) no processo infeccioso de Phakopsora pachyrhizi em folíolos de soja cultivada em solução nutritiva com ou sem Si. Observações realizadas sob microscópio de luz e microscópio eletrônico de varredura indicaram que, nos folíolos das plantas supridas com Si, as urédias foram menores e em menor número. Houve redução de 27, 23 e 60% no número de lesões, urédias fechadas e urédias abertas, respectivamente, nos folíolos das plantas com Si. Plantas de soja supridas com Si apresentam redução nos sintomas da ferrugem-asiática-da-soja.
Micro‐Chilled‐Mirror Hygrometer for Measuring Water Potential in Relatively Dry and Partially Frozen Soils
Authors: Watanabe Kunio , Takeuchi Megumi , Osada Yurie , Ibata Kazumasa
Published: October 2012

Estimating water potential in a relatively dry soil is fundamentally important, not only for predicting soil water flows in arid areas or during the evaporation process, but also for understanding soil freezing processes. A micro‐chilled‐mirror hygrometer (FINEDEW) that does not require a sampling chamber and has a rapid response time has recently been developed. The sensor head can be inserted into a soil sample. We confirmed that FINEDEW directly and quickly measures soil water potential in the range of less than −500 kPa in soil under near‐equilibrium conditions and in the range of less than −1000 kPa in soil under evaporation at room temperature. The FINEDEW hygrometer was also applied to frozen soil at temperatures between −20 and −0.5°C. At equilibrium, regardless of soil type and freezing–thawing processes, the measured potential corresponded to the calculated potential determined using the Clausius–Clapeyron equation. Soil water potential was found to require time to reach equilibrium after a temperature change. This is thought to be because ice in the soil pores required time to acquire a new equilibrium geometry.
Relationships Among Water Stable Aggregates and Organic Matter Fractions Under Conservation Management
Authors: Veum Kristen S. , Goyne Keith W. , Kremer Robert , Motavalli Peter P.
Published: October 2012

Soil organic carbon (SOC) plays an important role in soil aggregation, yet the exact nature of this relationship is not well understood. The objectives of this study were to (i) evaluate relationships among field‐moist and air‐dried macroaggregate stability (WSAFM and WSAAD, respectively), cold water‐extractable organic C from whole soil and the particulate, adsorbed and occluded (PAO) fraction, and associated soil properties, (ii) compare properties of the PAO fraction to those of whole soil, and (iii) evaluate the effects of conservation management practices, including grass vegetative filter strips (VFS), agroforestry VFS, and no‐till, plus landscape positions on these variables. Soil samples were collected in 2007 from an agroecosystem established on claypan soils located in Missouri. This study found that cold water‐extractable organic C and aggregate‐associated organic C were more highly correlated with WSAAD (r ≥ 0.74) than SOC, suggesting that these organic C fractions may play an important role in aggregate stability. In addition, less degraded water‐extractable organic C (as indicated by a greater C/N ratio) was preferentially concentrated in the PAO fraction (C/N = 10.6) relative to whole soil (C/N = 4.2). Further, macroaggregation and accumulation of less degraded organic C (in solid and water‐extracts) was enhanced under grass VFS and agroforestry VFS relative to no‐till. Overall, this study found that macroaggregate stability, cold water‐extractable organic C, and the PAO fraction served as effective early indicators of soil C change in the soil studied.