bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Launching a new middle donor programme and making it work
Authors: Armson Meriel , McKenzie Angharad
Published: December 2012

In 2009, WaterAid identified an opportunity. The opportunity was to create a middle donor programme with the objective of raising a significantly higher net contribution from existing supporters who fell between the mass Direct Marketing programme and the bespoke Major Donor programme. This paper provides a step by step guide to anyone considering launching or redefining their organisation's approach to middle donors. It describes the creation of the business case, development and implementation of an operational plan and, most importantly, provides top tips based on the lessons WaterAid learned as we put theory into practice.

Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Effects of nanoparticles on the flame retardancy of the ammonium sulphamate‐dipentaerythritol flame‐retardant system in polyamide 6
Authors: Dahiya J. B. , Kandola B. K. , Sitpalan A , Horrocks A. R.
Published: December 2012

This paper extends the work of Lewin et al., which showed that high levels of flame retardancy could be conferred on polyamide 6 (PA6) in the presence of small concentrations of ammonium sulphamate (AS) and dipentaerythritol (DP). PA6 samples were compounded with similarly low concentrations (2.5%w/w AS and 1%w/w DP) with or without nanoclays and fumed silica present at 1 and 2%w/w levels. Compounded samples were characterized by X‐ray diffraction, thermal analysis (differential thermal analysis/thermogravimetric analysis) and Fourier transform infrared. Flammability properties were measured by UL‐94, limiting oxygen index (LOI) and cone calorimetry test methods. All PA6 blended samples with or without nanoparticles were found to be V‐2 rated which differed from the results reported by Lewin et al. for similar samples where V‐0 ratings were obtained for clay‐free samples. LOI increases promoted by the inclusion of AS and DP alone were slightly reduced following the addition of all nanoparticles with the functionalized clays showing the largest effect. Introduction of silica, however, had the smallest effect in reducing LOI. Cone calorimetric results showed that while the presence of AS and DP raise peak heat release rate values with respect to PA6, addition of nanoparticles reduced values to below that for pure PA6. These reductions are dependent on nanoparticle concentration although differences between them, within experimental error, are very similar. While smoke generation is little affected by addition of AS and DP, the presence of nanoparticles promotes a slight increase. Results were interpreted in terms of previously published mechanisms for PA6‐AS‐DP thermal degradation and nanoparticle‐polymer interactions. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
First‐trimester uterine artery Doppler velocimetry in the prediction of birth weight in a low‐risk population
Authors: Sarmiento Andres , Casasbuenas Alexandra , Rodriguez Nadiezhda , Angarita Ana M. , Sarmiento Piedad , Sepulveda Waldo
Published: December 2012

Objective

To study the relationship between first‐trimester uterine artery (UtA) Doppler velocimetry and birth weight in an unselected, low‐risk obstetric population.

Methods

This is a prospective study of 415 low‐risk pregnant women who underwent a first‐trimester ultrasound evaluation between 11 and 13 weeks of gestation. Blood flow velocimetry waveforms from both UtAs were obtained and the pulsatility index (PI) measured and recorded. Clinical records were reviewed for pregnancy outcomes. Birth weight was expressed as z‐scores, and the Spearman correlation coefficient (ρ) was used to calculate the relationship between the mean, delta, and lowest UtA PI values and birth weight.

Results

There was no correlation between the mean and delta UtA PI values and birth weight. However, a significant correlation between the lowest UtA PI value and birth weight (ρ = −0.121; p = 0.013) was noted.

Conclusions

Our study found a clinically significant correlation between the lowest UtA PI value and birth weight in an unselected, low‐risk pregnant population. Because fetal growth is a multifactorial process in which placentation is only one of the factors involved, the use of a single parameter such as Doppler velocimetry remote from the delivery to predict birth weight in a low‐risk population seems to be less useful than in the high‐risk population. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Circulating cell‐free fetal DNA for the detection of RHD status and sex using reflex fetal identifiers
Authors: Moise K. J. , Boring N. H. , O'Shaughnessy R. , Simpson L. L. , Wolfe H. M. , Baxter J. K. , Polzin W. , Eddleman K. A. , Hassan S. S. , Skupski D. , McLennan G. , Paladino T. , Oeth P. , Bombard A.
Published: December 2012

Objective

To determine the sensitivity and specificity of circulating cell‐free fetal DNA in determining the fetal RHD status and fetal sex.

Methods

Maternal blood was collected in each trimester of pregnancy from RhD negative nonalloimmunized women. Whole blood was centrifuged, separated into plasma and buffy coat, and frozen at –80°C. DNA analysis was conducted via allele‐specific primer extensions for exons 4, 5, and 7 of the RHD gene and for a 37‐base pair insertion in exon 4 (RHD pseudogene; psi) three Y‐chromosome sequences (SRY, DBY, and TTY2), and an extraction control (TGIFL‐like X/Y). RhD serotyping on cord blood and gender assessment of the newborns were entered into a Web‐based database.

Results

One hundred twenty women were enrolled. The median gestational age at the first venipuncture was 12.4 (range: 10.6–13.9) weeks with 120 samples drawn; 118 samples were drawn at 17.6 (16–20.9) weeks; and 113 samples at 28.7 (27.9–33.9) weeks. Overall accuracy for RHD was 99.1%, 99.1%, and 98.1% for each trimester and was 99.1%, 99.1%, and 100% for fetal sex determination.

Conclusions

Fetal RHD genotyping and sex can be very accurately determined in all three trimesters using circulating cell‐free fetal DNA in the maternal circulation. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The structure of DesR from Streptomyces venezuelae, a β‐glucosidase involved in macrolide activation
Authors: Zmudka Matthew W. , Thoden James B. , Holden Hazel M.
Published: December 2012

Antibiotics have, indeed, altered the course of human history as is evidenced by the increase in human life expectancy since the 1940s. Many of these natural compounds are produced by bacteria that, by necessity, must have efficient self‐resistance mechanisms. The methymycin/pikromycin producing species Streptomyces venezuelae, for example, utilizes β‐glucosylation of its macrolide products to neutralize their effects within the confines of the cell. Once released into the environment, these compounds are activated by the removal of the glucose moiety. In S. venezuelae, the enzyme responsible for removal of the sugar from the parent compound is encoded by the desR gene and referred to as DesR. It is a secreted enzyme containing 828 amino acid residues, and it is known to be a retaining glycosidase. Here, we describe the structure of the DesR/D‐glucose complex determined to 1.4‐Å resolution. The overall architecture of the enzyme can be envisioned in terms of three regions: a catalytic core and two auxiliary domains. The catalytic core harbors the binding platform for the glucose ligand. The first auxiliary domain adopts a “PA14 fold,” whereas the second auxiliary domain contains an immunoglobulin‐like fold. Asp 273 and Glu 578 are in the proper orientation to function as the catalytic base and proton donor, respectively, required for catalysis. The overall fold of the core region places DesR into the GH3 glycoside hydrolase family of enzymes. Comparison of the DesR structure with the β‐glucosidase from Kluyveromyces marxianus shows that their PA14 domains assume remarkably different orientations.
Effect of crowding by Ficolls on OmpA and OmpT refolding and membrane insertion
Authors: Ye Cui , Chai Qian , Zhong Meng , Wei Yinan
Published: December 2012

Folding of outer membrane proteins (OMPs) has been studied extensively in vitro. However, most of these studies have been conducted in dilute buffer solution, which is different from the crowded environment in the cell periplasm, where the folding and membrane insertion of OMPs actually occur. Using OmpA and OmpT as model proteins and Ficoll 70 as the crowding agent, here we investigated the effect of the macromolecular crowding condition on OMP membrane insertion. We found that the presence of Ficoll 70 significantly slowed down the rate of membrane insertion of OmpA while had little effect on those of OmpT. To investigate if the soluble domain of OmpA slowed down membrane insertion in the presence of the crowding agent, we created a truncated OmpA construct that contains only the transmembrane domain (OmpA171). In the absence of crowding agent, OmpA171 refolded at a similar rate as OmpA, although with decreased efficiency. However, under the crowding condition, OmpA171 refolded significantly faster than OmpA. Our results suggest that the periplasmic domain slows down the rate, while improves the efficiency, of OmpA folding and membrane insertion under the crowding condition. Such an effect was not obvious when refolding was studied in buffer solution in the absence of crowding.
Linkers in the structural biology of protein–protein interactions
Authors: Reddy Chichili Vishnu Priyanka , Kumar Veerendra , Sivaraman J.
Published: December 2012

Linkers or spacers are short amino acid sequences created in nature to separate multiple domains in a single protein. Most of them are rigid and function to prohibit unwanted interactions between the discrete domains. However, Gly‐rich linkers are flexible, connecting various domains in a single protein without interfering with the function of each domain. The advent of recombinant DNA technology made it possible to fuse two interacting partners with the introduction of artificial linkers. Often, independent proteins may not exist as stable or structured proteins until they interact with their binding partner, following which they gain stability and the essential structural elements. Gly‐rich linkers have been proven useful for these types of unstable interactions, particularly where the interaction is weak and transient, by creating a covalent link between the proteins to form a stable protein–protein complex. Gly‐rich linkers are also employed to form stable covalently linked dimers, and to connect two independent domains that create a ligand‐binding site or recognition sequence. The lengths of linkers vary from 2 to 31 amino acids, optimized for each condition so that the linker does not impose any constraints on the conformation or interactions of the linked partners. Various structures of covalently linked protein complexes have been described using X‐ray crystallography, nuclear magnetic resonance and cryo‐electron microscopy techniques. In this review, we evaluate several structural studies where linkers have been used to improve protein quality, to produce stable protein–protein complexes, and to obtain protein dimers.
Analyzing the electronic structure of molecules using continuous symmetry measures
Authors: Alemany Pere
Published: December 2012

The introduction of symmetry‐related arguments in scientific theories since its early development has led to an apparent paradox: highly symmetric models are routinely being applied to situations where this symmetry is not present (or only present in an approximate way). In this article, the formalism of continuous symmetry measures is presented as a solution to this situation, making a special emphasis on its application to problems related to quantum chemistry. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Robotic‐assisted pancreatic resection: a report of 47 cases
Authors: Zhan Qian , Deng Xia‐Xing , Han Bo , Liu Qin , Shen Bai‐Yong , Peng Cheng‐Hong , Li Hong‐Wei
Published: December 2012

Background

There are few reports of robot‐assisted pancreatic surgery. Our purpose was to report our surgical and clinical experiences and outcomes of 47 cases of robot‐assisted pancreatic resection to show that minimally invasive pancreatic surgery is both feasible and effective.

Methods

The medical records of 47 patients who underwent robot‐assisted pancreatic resections for adenocarcinoma, cystic tumours or other pancreatic diseases at our institution by a single surgical team from March 2010 to December 2011 were retrospectively analysed.

Results

There were 32 females and 15 males with a mean age of 48.7 ± 15.4 years, of whom 13 patients had pathologically diagnosed malignancies, 25 had cystic tumours or chronic pancreatitis, three had solid pseudopapillary tumours of pancreas, and six had other lesions. Sixteen patients underwent pancreatoduodenectomy, 16 distal pancreatectomies (nine of which had spleen resections), 10 middle pancreatectomies, four Beger's procedure, and one had enucleation of a pancreatic lesion. The mean surgical time was 299.2 ± 133.5 (range 70–540) min and mean blood loss was 431.8 ± 309.0 (range 50–1100) ml. Nine patients required a blood transfusion (mean transfusion volume 597.2 ± 543.3 ml). There were no conversions to laparotomy. The mean hospital stay was 29.4 ± 9.1 (range 8–41) days. Pancreatic fistula occurred in 20 cases, anastomotic bleeding in three patients and anastomotic leakage in one patient. Two patients, one who received a PD and one who received a distal pancreatectomy, required a second surgery. All other complications were resolved with conservative management. Surgical margins were negative in all cases, with a postoperative histopathological diagnosis of malignancy. Eleven of the 13 patients with malignancies were alive and well without recurrence at the time of publication, while two patients died.

Conclusions

Our series of 47 robot‐assisted pancreatic resections adds further evidence that this technique is feasible and effective. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Interval observer with near optimal adaptation dynamics. Application to the estimation of lipid quota in microalgae
Authors: Mairet Francis , Moisan Marcelo , Bernard Olivier
Published: December 2012

In this paper, the design of an interval observer with an adaptive dynamical gain is presented. The observer is formulated in the framework of robust state estimation of uncertain dynamical systems, where an interval that encloses the unknown state variables is provided. For a specific type of interval observer design, an optimal gain could provide the narrowest interval. Because this gain depends on the (unknown) state, it can however not be determined, and only intervals for this optimal gain can be estimated. Here, we propose a strategy to track, with a high gain observer, the optimal gain together with the computation of its derivative. The observer performance is first illustrated with the simple case of an uncertain bioreactor model. Then, we propose the real case of the estimation of microalgal oil in the framework of biofuel production. The proposed observer design, when applied to experimental data of Isochrysis affinis galbana, appears to be a suitable robust estimation technique. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Early stages during localized corrosion of AA2024 TEM specimens in chloride environment
Authors: Malladi S. R. K. , Xu Q. , Tichelaar F. D. , Zandbergen H. W. , Hannour F. , Mol J. M. C. , Terryn H.
Published: December 2012

Localized corrosion in AA2024‐T3 specimens was investigated by ex situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM) studies to determine an experimental window for real in situ TEM corrosion studies. In the as‐prepared specimens, intermetallic phases leading to local galvanic couples were classified based on the size and composition. The corrosion behavior of the TEM specimens was investigated in two kinds of corrosive environments, 1 M NaCl and oxygen bubbled through aqueous HCl of pH = 3. In the specimens exposed to a NaCl environment for a duration of 30 min, remnant copper‐rich particles as a result of de‐alloying were observed and energy filtered TEM (EFTEM) oxygen maps revealed the pitting of the oxide film at grain boundaries. In addition, severe deposition of NaCl crystals on the specimen surface was detected, making NaCl environment unsuitable for in situ TEM studies. Exposure to oxygen bubbled through aqueous HCl for durations of 20, 40, and 60 min gave insights into different stages of localized corrosion in this alloy. EFTEM elemental maps confirmed that the remnants formed during the de‐alloying were Cu rich, whereas most of the corroded regions had oxygen‐rich corrosion products. The corrosion behavior of the AA2024‐T3TEM samples showed to be in agreement with corrosion of bulk material reported in the literature. Thus, oxygen bubbled through aqueous HCl is considered a suitable environment for carrying out in situ corrosion experiments in the TEM. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Nonparametric regression of state occupation, entry, exit, and waiting times with multistate right‐censored data
Authors: Mostajabi Farida , Datta Somnath
Published: December 2012

We construct nonparametric regression estimators of a number of temporal functions in a multistate system based on a continuous univariate baseline covariate. These estimators include state occupation probabilities, state entry, exit, and waiting (sojourn) time distribution functions of a general progressive (e.g., acyclic) multistate model. We subject the data to right censoring, and the censoring mechanism is explainable by observable covariates that could be time dependent. The resulting estimators are valid even if the multistate process is non‐Markov. We study the performance of the estimators in two simulation settings. We establish large sample consistency of these estimators. We illustrate our estimators using a data set on bone marrow transplant recipients. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Integration-Free Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Model Genetic and Neural Developmental Features of Down Syndrome Etiology
Authors: Briggs James A. , Sun Jane , Shepherd Jill , Ovchinnikov Dmitry A. , Chung Tung-Liang , Nayler Sam P. , Kao Li-Pin , Morrow Carl A. , Thakar Nilay Y. , Soo Set-Yen , Peura Teija , Grimmond Sean , Wolvetang Ernst J.
Published: December 2012

Down syndrome (DS) is the most frequent cause of human congenital mental retardation. Cognitive deficits in DS result from perturbations of normal cellular processes both during development and in adult tissues, but the mechanisms underlying DS etiology remain poorly understood. To assess the ability of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) to model DS phenotypes, as a prototypical complex human disease, we generated bona fide DS and wild-type (WT) nonviral iPSCs by episomal reprogramming. DS iPSCs selectively overexpressed chromosome 21 genes, consistent with gene dosage, which was associated with deregulation of thousands of genes throughout the genome. DS and WT iPSCs were neurally converted at >95% efficiency and had remarkably similar lineage potency, differentiation kinetics, proliferation, and axon extension at early time points. However, at later time points DS cultures showed a twofold bias toward glial lineages. Moreover, DS neural cultures were up to two times more sensitive to oxidative stress-induced apoptosis, and this could be prevented by the antioxidant N-acetylcysteine. Our results reveal a striking complexity in the genetic alterations caused by trisomy 21 that are likely to underlie DS developmental phenotypes, and indicate a central role for defective early glial development in establishing developmental defects in DS brains. Furthermore, oxidative stress sensitivity is likely to contribute to the accelerated neurodegeneration seen in DS, and we provide proof of concept for screening corrective therapeutics using DS iPSCs and their derivatives. Nonviral DS iPSCs can therefore model features of complex human disease in vitro and provide a renewable and ethically unencumbered discovery platform.
Reinigung von Vakuumbauteilen für UHV‐ und UCV‐Anwendungen
Authors: Posth Oliver , Wunderlich Heiko , Flämmich Michael , Bergner Ute
Published: December 2012

Hochreine Vakuumkomponenten und ‐baugruppen bilden die Grundlage für eine Reihe moderner Hochtechnologieanwendungen z. B. in der Halbleiterindustrie, an Teilchenbeschleunigern und in der Oberflächenanalytik. Für diese Anwendungen sind insbesondere auf den Bauteiloberflächen anhaftende Partikel und die Oberflächendesorption von Wasser und organischen Verbindungen kritisch, da sie die sensiblen Prozesse im Ultrahochvakuum (UHV) und Ultra‐Clean‐Vacuum (UCV) empfindlich stören können.

In diesem Beitrag werden einige etablierte Reinigungs‐ und Oberflächenbehandlungsmethoden im Hinblick auf ihre Wirkung zur Reduzierung der Partikelkontamination und Ausgasung von Wasser und organischen Verbindungen von Edelstahloberflächen diskutiert. Dabei wird verdeutlicht, dass die erzielte Reinheit stark von den Behandlungsschritten während der Oberflächenbearbeitung und anschließenden Reinigung abhängt und diese entsprechend der spezifischen Anforderungen des späteren Einsatzgebietes geeignet gewählt werden müssen.
Axion-mediated dark matter and Higgs diphoton signal
Authors: Lee Hyun Min , Park Myeonghun , Park Wan-II
Published: December 2012

Abstract

We consider axion-mediated dark matter models motivated by Fermi gamma ray line at 130 GeV, where an axion-like scalar couples to a singlet Dirac fermion dark matter (DM) so its anomaly interactions with electroweak gauge bosons allow the DM to annihilate into monochromatic photon(s). In these models, extra vector-like leptons generate the necessary anomaly interactions for the axion and can also modify the Higgs-to-diphoton rate by their Yukawa couplings to the SM Higgs boson. We can distinguish models by the branching fraction of the DM annihilation into a photon pair, favoring the model with a triplet fermion. From the condition that the lighter charged extra lepton must be heavier than dark matter for no tree-level DM annihilations, we also show that the ratio of Higgs-to-diphoton rate to the SM value is constrained by vacuum stability to 1.4 (1.5) for the cutoff scale of 10 (1) TeV.
Alternate attractors in the population dynamics of a tree‐killing bark beetle
Authors: Martinson Sharon J. , Ylioja Tiina , Sullivan Brian T. , Billings Ronald F. , Ayres Matthew P.
Published: December 2012

Among the most striking changes in ecosystems are those that happen abruptly and resist return to the original condition (i.e., regime shifts). This frequently involves conspicuous changes in the abundance of one species (e.g., an oubreaking pest or keystone species). Alternate attractors in population dynamics could explain switches between low and high levels of abundance, and could underlie some cases of regime shifts in ecosystems; this longstanding theoretical possibility has been difficult to test in nature. We compared the ability of an alternate attractors model versus two competing models to explain population fluctuations in the tree‐killing bark beetle, Dendroctonus frontalis. Frequency distributions of abundance were distinctly bimodal, a prediction of the alternate attractors model, strongly indicating the lack of a single, noisy equilibrium. Time series abundance data refuted the existence of strong delayed density‐dependence or nonlinearities, as required by the endogenous cycles model. The model of alternate attractors was further supported by the existence of positive density‐dependence at intermediate beetle abundances. Experimental manipulations show that interactions with competitors and shared enemies could create a locally stable equilibrium in small populations of D. frontalis. High variation among regions and years in the abundance of predators and competitors could permit switches between alternate states. Dendroctonus frontalis now provides the strongest case that we know of for alternate attractors in natural population dynamics. The accompanying demographic instability appears to underlie spatially extensive outbreaks that have lasting impacts on forest ecosystems. Understanding feedbacks in populations with alternate attractors can help to identify thresholds underlying regime shifts, and potentially manage them to avoid undesirable impacts.
Genetic characterisation of a porcine bocavirus detected in domestic pigs in Uganda
Authors: Blomström Anne-Lie , Ståhl Karl , Okurut Ademun Rose , Masembe Charles , Berg Mikael
Published: December 2012

Porcine bocaviruses (PoBoVs) are small linear ssDNA viruses belonging to the genus bocavirus in the family Parvoviridae. The genome encodes four proteins—the non-structural protein 1 (NS1), the NP1 protein (unknown function) and the two structural proteins VP1 and VP2. In recent years, a number of different highly divergent PoBoV species have been discovered. PoBoVs have been shown to be present in pig populations in Europe, Asia and in the United States of America. In this study, we present the first data of the presence of PoBoV in Africa, specifically in Uganda. A PCR targeting a PoBoV species that have previously been detected in both Sweden and China was used to screen 95 serum samples from domestic pigs in Uganda. Two pigs were found to be positive for this specific PoBoV and the complete coding region was amplified from one of these samples. The amino acid sequence comparison of all these proteins showed a high identity (98–99 %) to the published Chinese sequences (strains: H18 and SX) belonging to the same PoBoV species. The same was true for the Swedish sequences from the same species. To the other PoBoV species the divergence was higher and only a 28–43 % protein sequence identity was seen comparing the different proteins.
Oblique Rotaton in Canonical Correlation Analysis Reformulated as Maximizing the Generalized Coefficient of Determination
Authors: Satomura Hironori , Adachi Kohei
Published: December 2012

To facilitate the interpretation of canonical correlation analysis (CCA) solutions, procedures have been proposed in which CCA solutions are orthogonally rotated to a simple structure. In this paper, we consider oblique rotation for CCA to provide solutions that are much easier to interpret, though only orthogonal rotation is allowed in the existing formulations of CCA. Our task is thus to reformulate CCA so that its solutions have the freedom of oblique rotation. Such a task can be achieved using Yanai’s (Jpn. J. Behaviormetrics 1:46–54, 1974; J. Jpn. Stat. Soc. 11:43–53, 1981) generalized coefficient of determination for the objective function to be maximized in CCA. The resulting solutions are proved to include the existing orthogonal ones as special cases and to be rotated obliquely without affecting the objective function value, where ten Berge’s (Psychometrika 48:519–523, 1983) theorems on suborthonormal matrices are used. A real data example demonstrates that the proposed oblique rotation can provide simple, easily interpreted CCA solutions.
Reducing jasmonic acid levels causes ein2 mutants to become ethylene responsive
Authors: Kim Joonyup , Patterson Sara E. , Binder Brad M.
Published: December 2012

It has previously been shown that jasmonic acid affects the ethylene signaling pathway. EIN2 is a central component of ethylene signaling that is downstream of the receptors. EIN2 has previously been shown to be required for ethylene responses. We found that reducing jasmonic acid levels, either mutationally or chemically, caused ein2 ethylene‐insensitive mutants to become ethylene responsive. This effect was not seen with the ethylene‐insensitive etr1‐1 mutants that affect receptor function. Based upon these results, we propose a model where jasmonic acid is inhibiting ethylene signal transduction down‐stream of the ethylene receptors. This may involve an EIN2‐independent pathway.
Increasing Accountability to Drive Improvement
Authors: Abbott John G.
Published: December 2012

Governments need to be more strategic in their approach to healthcare and ensure greater accountability for the performance of their health systems. They can start by agreeing on a pan-Canadian vision for the health of Canadians and the services to be provided, accompanied by explicit policy goals, evidence-based performance targets, and more transparent public reporting.
HQCA: Building a Credible, Transparent, and Independent Healthcare Quality and Safety Organization in Alberta
Authors: Cowell John , Harvie Margot
Published: December 2012

In the early 2000s, the Alberta government established the roots of what is now the Health Quality Council of Alberta. Ultimately, the Health Quality Council of Alberta's goal is to provide the information it gathers, particularly from the voice of Albertans to healthcare system leaders, in a way that informs their strategic decision making to enable tangible changes that can improve health service quality and patient safety.
Depression and risk factors for depression among mothers of sick infants in Kumasi, Ghana
Authors: Gold Katherine J. , Spangenberg Kathryn , Wobil Priscilla , Schwenk Thomas L.
Published: December 2012

Objective

To describe the prevalence of and risk factors for depression in a high‐risk population of mothers of ill newborns in Ghana.

Methods

Semi‐structured interviews were conducted with women who had a hospitalized newborn at a tertiary teaching hospital in Kumasi, Ghana. Surveys included information on maternal demographics, pregnancy and delivery, interpersonal violence, and social support. Postpartum depression was measured with the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ)‐9. Bivariable analysis was conducted using analysis of variance, χ2, and Fisher exact tests; multivariable analysis was performed using multinomial logistic regression.

Results

In total, 153 women completed the survey. Fifty (32.7%) had PHQ‐9 scores of 5–9, indicating mild depression; 42 (27.4%) had PHQ‐9 scores of 10–14, indicating moderate depression; and 15 (9.8%) had scores of 15 or higher, indicative of moderate/severe depression. History of interpersonal violence with current partner predicted depression.

Conclusion

Mothers of sick infants in Ghana are at high risk for symptoms of clinical depression. This is of critical importance because maternal depression affects infant health outcomes and may be particularly important for mothers of sick infants.
Fistula awareness among sisters of women with fistula
Authors: Zheng Alice X. , Harrington Alexander H. , Love Stephanie A. , Thélémaque Linda D. , Anderson Frank W.J.
Published: December 2012

Objective

To determine whether sisters of women with obstetric fistula (OF) were aware of their sisters’ condition, in order to inform the development of survey questions that adapt the sister‐based method to fistula rate estimation.

Methods

Twelve women with OF and 20 of their sisters were interviewed using semi‐structured questionnaires in rural Uganda in 2007. Topics included fistula awareness and perceptions of causality.

Results

Eleven women had vesicovaginal fistula and 1 had rectovaginal fistula. Three were primiparous at time of fistula occurrence; 6 had a parity of 6 or more. Nineteen sisters were aware their sister had OF; 12 became aware at the time of occurrence. The majority of participants (fistula patients and their sisters) associated OF with mistakes made by hospital personnel or problems during procedures.

Conclusion

Sisters were generally aware of OF within their family. Larger studies are needed to assess the validity and reliability of the sister‐based method in capturing fistula through household surveys. In the present study, there was a widespread perception among fistula patients and their sisters that fistula is caused by medical procedures. More research is needed to understand this perception, and program development efforts are required to improve patient perceptions of hospital care.
Cerebrospinal fluid Aβ42 is the best predictor of clinical progression in patients with subjective complaints
Authors: van Harten Argonde C. , Visser Pieter Jelle , Pijnenburg Yolande A.L. , Teunissen Charlotte E. , Blankenstein Marinus A. , Scheltens Philip , van der Flier Wiesje M.
Published: December 2012

Background

The need to recognize Alzheimer's disease (AD) as early as possible led us to evaluate the predictive value of amyloid β(1‐42) (Aβ42), total tau (tau), and phosphorylated tau (ptau) in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) for clinical progression in patients with subjective complaints.

Methods

We recruited nondemented patients with subjective complaints (i.e., criteria for mild cognitive impairment [MCI] not fulfilled) from our memory clinic. We assessed the predictive value of CSF Aβ42, tau, and ptau for clinical progression using Cox proportional hazards models adjusted for age, gender, and baseline findings on the Mini‐Mental State Examination (MMSE). Clinical progression was defined as progression to MCI or AD.

Results

We included 127 patients with subjective complaints (age 60 ± 10 years, 61 [48%] females, MMSE 29 ± 1). At baseline, Aβ42 and tau were abnormal in 20 patients (both 16%), and ptau in 32 patients (25%). Thirteen patients (10%) progressed to MCI (n = 11) or AD (n = 2). Aβ42 was the strongest predictor of progression to MCI or AD with an adjusted hazard ratio (HR) of 16.0 (3.8–66.4). The adjusted HR associated with tau was 2.8 (0.9–9.2) and with ptau 2.6 (0.8–8.2). Combinations of biomarkers had a lower predictive value than Aβ42 alone.

Conclusion

Low Aβ42 was the strongest predictor of clinical progression in patients with subjective complaints. These results are in line with the hypothesis that the cascade of pathologic events starts with deposition of Aβ42, whereas neuronal degeneration and hyperphosphorylation of tau are more downstream events, closer to clinical manifestation of AD.
The enemy hypothesis: correlates of gall morphology with parasitoid attack rates in two closely related rose cynipid galls
Authors: László Z. , Tóthmérész B.
Published: December 2012

We tested the enemy hypothesis for gall morphology on a model system comprising twoDiplolepisrose gall wasp species and their associated parasitoids. The enemy hypothesis predicts both that gall traits will influence parasitoid attack rates within species, and that galls with contrasting morphologies will support different parasitoid communities. This hypothesis is supported by studies at both intraspecific and broader taxonomic levels (i.e. between genera), but patterns remain to be explored in closely related species. Our aims were to explore the relationships between aspects of gall morphology (number of larval chambers, overall gall size and thickness of the gall wall) in each ofDiplolepis mayriandD. rosae, and to explore correlations between these traits and both the presence/absence (=incidence) and attack rates imposed by parasitoids. We found in both galls that chamber number is positively correlated with gall size. In galls ofD. mayri, parasitoid incidence was negatively correlated with thickness of the wall of the larval chamber, but there was no significant correlation between parasitoid attack rates and overall gall size. InD. rosaegalls, parasitoid incidence was positively correlated with chamber wall thickness, but parasitoid attack rates were negatively correlated with gall size, suggesting that selection may favour the induction of galls containing more larval chambers. These results confirm that gall extended phenotypes can significantly influence enemy attack rates, consistent with the ‘enemy hypothesis’. Further, differences in gall morphology between the twoDiplolepisspecies may underlie differences in their associated parasitoid communities – further research is required to test this hypothesis.
Management of an incidental malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumour in the parapharyngeal space
Authors: Mushi E , Winter S
Published: December 2012

Background:

Parapharyngeal space tumours are uncommon and represent 0.5–1 per cent of all head and neck neoplasms; 20–30 per cent of these are malignant. Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumours are rare and mostly encountered in patients with neurofibromatosis type 1. Only four cases of parapharyngeal space tumours have been reported in the English language in patients without neurofibromatosis type 1.

Case report:

We report the case of a 64-year-old man with no stigmata of neurofibromatosis type 1, in whom a mass in the left pre-styloid region of the parapharyngeal space was an incidental finding following magnetic resonance imaging for investigation of cervical spine problems. The mass was consequently removed using a transcervical approach. A histological review revealed a low-grade malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumour.

Discussion:

We consider the pathophysiology of this highly malignant tumour as well as the challenging anatomy of the parapharyngeal space and the surgical and other therapeutic modalities utilised to treat this condition.
Intratympanic gentamicin treatment for unilateral Ménière's disease: long-term follow up of a proven regime
Authors: Wasson J , Upile N , Pfleiderer A
Published: December 2012

Objective:

To determine the long-term efficacy of a fixed-dose intratympanic gentamicin treatment regime in controlling unilateral Ménière's disease.

Methods:

Pfleiderer (1998) published two-year follow-up results for a series of 16 patients treated with a 4-day, 12-dose intratympanic gentamicin regime for unilateral Ménière's disease that was refractory to medical treatment. In 2010, a long-term telephone follow up (mean 17 years and 3 months) of this same cohort was conducted to determine long-term vertigo control. Of the 16 patients, 13 were eligible for the long-term follow up.

Results:

At 2 years' follow up, all 16 patients experienced substantial control of vertigo, with complete control achieved in 87 per cent of cases. At the long-term follow up, 9 of the 13 eligible patients were contactable, and all reported complete control of vertigo.

Conclusion:

Fixed-dose intratympanic gentamicin controlled symptomatic unilateral Ménière's disease in both the short and long term.
Unwitnessed lithium ion disc battery ingestion: case report and review of best practice management of an increasing clinical concern
Authors: Dawe N , Puvanendran M , Flood L
Published: December 2012

Objective:

To describe a case of unwitnessed lithium ion disc battery ingestion, with a review of radiology findings and current best practice management.

Case report:

A three-year-old girl presented following ingestion of a foreign body, which her four-year-old brother claimed was a one pound coin. The patient was managed non-urgently and transferred for specialist ENT assessment 6 hours following the initial ingestion, with no evidence of airway compromise. A corroded battery was removed from the level of the cricopharyngeus after 8 hours, with an associated circumferential mucosal burn.

Conclusion:

There is increasing concern regarding the acknowledged rising incidence of lithium ion disc battery ingestion. The lack of a high index of suspicion and the inability to recognise subtleties on imaging may lead to suboptimal management with a higher degree of unnecessary immediate and delayed morbidity. The recently published American Academy of Pediatrics Guidelines may guide the approach to managing battery ingestions.
Prevalence of preventable ear disorders in over 15 000 schoolchildren in northern India
Authors: Chadha S K , Sayal A , Malhotra V , Agarwal A K
Published: December 2012

Background:

There is a considerable scarcity of reliable population-based data on the prevalence of preventable ear disorders in developing countries. This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of preventable ear disorders in primary school children (aged 5 to 12 years) in northern India.

Method:

A pro forma questionnaire was used to screen 15 718 primary school children in New Delhi for ear disorders. Ear examinations were conducted using otoscopy and impedance audiometry.

Results:

Impacted cerumen was prevalent in 7.93 per cent of schoolchildren, 4.79 per cent suffered from chronic otitis media and 3.06 per cent suffered from otitis media with effusion. Acute otitis media was detected in 0.65 per cent and foreign bodies were found in 0.34 per cent of the children.

Conclusion:

Preventable ear diseases posed a significant health problem among children at primary school level. Regular screening of children during this stage would ensure that their school lives were not affected by hearing impairments or preventable ear disorders. Information gathered in this study will help in effective treatment prioritisation of ear disorders, planning and resource allocation.
Double J stent of frontal sinus outflow tract in revision frontal sinus surgery
Authors: Mansour H A K A
Published: December 2012

Objective:

Frontal sinus surgery continues to challenge even the most experienced endoscopic sinus surgeon. Revision frontal sinus surgery is even more challenging. The use of stents in frontal sinus surgery has long been described, as an attempt to decrease the incidence of synechiae and stenosis.

Method:

This study included five patients who had previously undergone functional endoscopic sinus surgery but suffered recurrence of frontal sinusitis. Two had bilateral disease. Double J stents were used after endoscopic frontal sinusotomy. The stents were left in place for six months.

Results:

Four of the 5 patients (6 out of 7 sinuses) had a patent frontal outflow tract after 10 to 36 months’ follow up.

Conclusion:

Double J stents can be used as frontal sinus stents. They are well tolerated by patients, easily applied, and self-retaining with no need for sutures. The length of the stent can be altered according to the patient's anatomy and pathology.
True carcinosarcoma of the larynx
Authors: Zhang M , Zhao L-M , Li X-M , Zhou L , Lin L , Wang S-Y
Published: December 2012

Objective:

To explore the diagnosis and treatment of carcinosarcoma of the larynx.

Methods:

Clinical information, including presentation, pathology, treatment and outcome, was obtained from a review of patient charts.

Results:

Seven male patients were confirmed pathologically to have had carcinosarcoma between 2003 and 2009 in our hospital. All patients underwent surgery: four total laryngectomies, two vertical partial laryngectomies, and one supracricoid partial laryngectomy-cricohyoidopexy. The mean follow up was 40.6 months. At the time of writing, six patients were alive and being followed; two of these suffered regional metastasis to the cervical lymphatic nodes and underwent radical neck dissection. One patient died of multiple distant metastases 60 months post-operatively.

Conclusion:

Carcinosarcoma of the larynx describes a biphasic tumour showing both carcinomatous and sarcomatous differentiation. It is extraordinarily rare and prone to metastasise to the cervical lymph nodes. Complete surgical resection of laryngeal primary lesions with wide margins and suitable neck dissection of cervical nodes is reasonable therapy.
Biomolecular electrostatics and solvation: a computational perspective
Authors: Ren Pengyu , Chun Jaehun , Thomas Dennis G. , Schnieders Michael J. , Marucho Marcelo , Zhang Jiajing , Baker Nathan A.
Published: December 2012

An understanding of molecular interactions is essential for insight into biological systems at the molecular scale. Among the various components of molecular interactions, electrostatics are of special importance because of their long-range nature and their influence on polar or charged molecules, including water, aqueous ions, proteins, nucleic acids, carbohydrates, and membrane lipids. In particular, robust models of electrostatic interactions are essential for understanding the solvation properties of biomolecules and the effects of solvation upon biomolecular folding, binding, enzyme catalysis, and dynamics. Electrostatics, therefore, are of central importance to understanding biomolecular structure and modeling interactions within and among biological molecules. This review discusses the solvation of biomolecules with a computational biophysics view toward describing the phenomenon. While our main focus lies on the computational aspect of the models, we provide an overview of the basic elements of biomolecular solvation (e.g. solvent structure, polarization, ion binding, and non-polar behavior) in order to provide a background to understand the different types of solvation models.
XX.—On the Theory of Binary Fluid Mixtures
Authors: Pearson F. J. , Rushbrooke G. S.
Published: December 2012

A number of analogues to the simple fluid compressibility equation are deduced by considering fluctuations in a binary mixture; and their simplest expressions are found to be in terms of the binary mixture direct correlation functions. The accuracy of these results is tested with the aid of the appropriate extension of the approximate Born-Green theory, which facilitates the demonstration of consistency with the first three terms of the virial expansion. The problem of the evaluation of the corresponding radial distribution functions by means of X-ray or optical scattering is taken as far as the determination, in principle, of a concentration correlation function from observations of critical opalescence.
“Fatal attraction” syndrome: Not a good way to keep your man
Authors: Campbell Anne
Published: December 2012

Female behavior that is driven by ambivalent attachment is far from passive or withdrawn. As dramatised in the movie “Fatal Attraction,” such women's emotional hyper-reactivity is often expressed in violence, which is antithetical to securing investment from mates or peers. Single motherhood, rather than reflecting an avoidant strategy in which close relationships are devalued, is often the result of ecological conditions in which paternal investment is desired but unavailable.
Attachment styles within sexual relationships are strategic
Authors: Symons Douglas K. , Szielasko Alicia L.
Published: December 2012

Del Giudice's examination of sex differences in reproductive strategy within an attachment context is well taken. Sex has been studied as behavior within romantic relationships, but attachment styles should also be reflected in strategic behavior within relationships that are sexual. This seems particularly true within adolescence, and sex differences may be better reflected as differences in correlation patterns of process variables than as main effects models.
Learning grammatical gender: The use of rules by novice learners
Authors: PRESSON NORA , MacWHINNEY BRIAN , TOKOWICZ NATASHA
Published: December 2012

Two experiments successfully trained novices to categorize French nouns by grammatical gender, resulting in high levels of performance after delay. Training with a frequent exemplar and training with a more diverse exemplar set led to equivalent learning. However, providing explicit rules with correctness feedback led to better generalization and retention than did correctness feedback alone or feature focusing without explicit rule information. This suggests that, at least for some grammar tasks, explicit information about form–function mappings improves learning. Moreover, the advantage of rule instruction was robust to testing and training under time pressure. Thus, rule instruction may be helpful even when speeded performance is required, supporting the prediction that practice leads to proceduralization of declarative grammatical knowledge.