bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Do Structural Holes and Network Connectivity Really Affect Entrepreneurial Performance?
Authors: Aarstad Jarle
Published: September 2012

Research shows that structural holes and network connectivity are associated with entrepreneurial performance. Yet the explanatory variables will tend to be correlated, and multicollinearity may skew the results. The use of instrumental variables can nevertheless generate reliable estimates. The methodology can also identify possible reverse causal orders. Here a network of rural entrepreneurs building their own hydroelectric micro-power plants is studied. The use of instrumental variables shows that structural holes and network connectivity have strong and additive effects on performance, and with a particular focus on rural entrepreneurs in developing countries, the findings’ implications are discussed.
Development of latex agglutination test for rapid detection of antibodies against Bovine herpesvirus 1 and Bovine herpesvirus 5 in cattle
Authors: Fan Qiang , Yao Lan , Ding Ming , Wang Dan-Jing , Chen Huan-Chun , Liu Zheng-Fei
Published: September 2012

A latex agglutination test (LAT) based on sensitized polystyrene beads with inactivated Bovine herpesvirus 1 (BHV-1) particles was developed to detect serum antibodies against BHV-1 and Bovine herpesvirus 5 (BHV-5). Compared with a virus neutralization test using 252 serum samples, the sensitivity and specificity were 94.7% and 97.5%, respectively. Finally, 512 clinical serum samples from 3 major cattle-breeding provinces were monitored, and the overall positive rate was 34.57% (95% confidence interval: 30.45–38.69%). The results suggest that LAT has the potential to be a rapid method for the diagnosis of BHV-1 and BHV-5 infection in cattle herds.
Early Gamma-Band Activity During Interference Predicts Working Memory Distractibility in ADHD
Authors: Prehn-Kristensen Alexander , Wiesner Christian D. , Baving Lioba
Published: September 2012

Objectives: Patients with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) display deficits in working memory (WM) and enhanced distractibility. Methods: Evoked gamma-band response (GBR) occurs already 50ms after stimulus onset and is modulated by attention. 16 boys with ADHD and 20 healthy controls (10-14 years) completed a WM task with distraction. Results: Occipitally evoked 40Hz-GBR was higher during distraction in ADHD than controls. GBR correlated negatively with interference control. Conclusion: These data suggest that ADHD patients are disturbed by interference on an early level of perception.
Classroom-Level Positive Behavior Supports in Schools Implementing SW-PBIS
Authors: Reinke Wendy M. , Herman Keith C. , Stormont Melissa
Published: September 2012

This study evaluated the use of classroom-level behavior management strategies that align with School-Wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (SW-PBIS). Direct observations of universal classroom management strategies were conducted across 33 elementary classrooms in elementary schools implementing SW-PBIS with high fidelity. Findings indicate that classrooms had posted positively stated classroom rules at high rates, whereas teacher use of specific praise and the ratio of positive to negative interactions were less than optimal. Furthermore, classroom teachers with higher rates of general praise were found to report being more efficacious with regard to classroom management. In turn, teachers in classrooms with higher rates of disruptive behavior reported feeling less efficacious. In addition, teachers with lower rates of positive to negative interaction, who used higher rates of harsh reprimands and had higher rates of disruptions, reported higher levels of emotional exhaustion. Implications for developing supports to assist teachers struggling with universal classroom management strategies are described.
Gender Differences in Reading Skill and Problem Behavior in Elementary School
Authors: McIntosh Kent , Reinke Wendy M. , Kelm Joanna L. , Sadler Carol A.
Published: September 2012

The purpose of this study was to explore interactions among reading skill, problem behavior, and gender across elementary school. A 6-year, longitudinal study ( N = 473) was conducted to identify the relations among these variables and change in relations from kindergarten to Grade 5. Students’ reading skills and levels of problem behavior were examined. Mixed model analyses of variance indicated no differences in reading skill by gender, but a significant gender interaction for problem behavior. Correlations by grade level showed weak, negative correlations between reading and behavior for female students and statistically significant, negative correlations for male students. Results did not support the need to differentiate reading instruction by gender but suggest that multimethod assessment of problem behavior would be beneficial for all students.
Cloudy With a Chance of Sarcasm or Sunny With High Expectations
Authors: Holloman Hal , Yates Peggy H.
Published: September 2012

What’s the forecast in your classroom? Are you forecasting cloudy with a chance of sarcasm or sunny with high expectations? A teacher’s Language of Practice holds the key to creating a climate of mutual respect in our schools. This article will explore the power and promise of “teacher language,” and how it can be used to promote respect and build positive relationships. We present the Best Practice Language (BPL) framework with its 11 word categories to assist educators in determining whether their professional Language of Practice is forecasting respect to others. This BPL framework is a foundation to strengthen Positive Behavior Intervention and Support efforts, and gives educators a practical method to transform their Language of Practice into BPL for promoting respectful schools.
Socioeconomic inequalities in dental services utilisation in a Norwegian county: The third Nord-Trøndelag Health Survey
Authors: Vikum Eirik , Krokstad Steinar , Holst Dorthe , Westin Steinar
Published: September 2012

Aim: To assess the level of socioeconomic inequity in dental care utilisation in Norway and enable comparison with recent international comparative studies. Methods: We studied dental care utilisation among 17,136 men and 21,414 women in the third Nord-Trøndelag Health Survey (2006–08). Respondents aged 20 years and above were included in the study, and analyses were also performed within subgroups of age and gender (20–39, 40–59, and ≥60 years). Income-related horizontal inequity was estimated by means of concentration indices. Education-related inequity was estimated as relative risks. Results: We found consistent pro-rich income inequity among men and women of all ages. The level of income inequity was highest among men and women ≥60 years, and in this group the income gradient was steepest between the poorest and the middle quintiles. Pro-educated inequity was found exclusively among men and women ≥60 years. General attendance was high (77%). Conclusion: The overall level of income-related inequity in dental services utilisation was low compared to other European countries as reported in two recent international studies of socioeconomic inequalities in dental care utilisation. Pro-rich and pro-educated inequity is a public health challenge mainly in the older part of the population.
Social and diagnostic inequality in health
Authors: Bringedal Berit , Tufte Per Arne
Published: September 2012

Aims: Empirical studies of social inequalities in health commonly take the diagnosing of disease for granted. Social inequalities in health are seen as the result of social processes, yet the diagnosis itself is rarely considered to contribute to such inequality. We argue that the influence of sociocultural and cognitive bias in the diagnosing process follows a social pattern, such that certain diagnoses are disproportionally over- or underrepresented in different socioeconomic groups due to interpretive bias of underlying symptoms. Methods: Norwegian data on sick leave for diffuse musculoskeletal and diffuse psychiatric disease in 2006 were analysed to study the distribution of the two diagnoses in different status groups. Socioeconomic status was measured by years of education. Diagnoses and occupational codes were based on national registers; diagnoses in accordance with the International Classification of Primary Care second edition. We compared occupations in technical sectors to occupations in the health sector and the relative number of cases of sick leave controlled for years of education, gender, occupational sector, and diagnosis. Data were analysed by cross-tabulation, ratio of diffuse psychiatric/musculoskeletal diseases, and logistic regression. Results: The ratio of diffuse psychiatric/musculoskeletal diseases increases with education and decreases if the employee works in a technical job. Conclusion: The results challenge the traditional explanation that job features alone can explain the distribution of disease and suggest that a part of the persistent social inequality in health can be caused by the diagnosing process. In order to reach a better understanding of the processes behind the social inequalities in health, the diagnosing process itself should also be studied.
Researching religion: the iconographic elicitation method
Authors: Notermans Catrien , Kommers Heleen
Published: September 2012

This article aims at offering a contribution to context-related methods in anthropological fieldwork. The multidimensional realities of ethnographic fieldwork require much creativity in adapting research strategies to peculiar research contexts. This idea is illustrated with a description of a variant on the elicitation method as developed during research on Marian pilgrimage. Researchers studying religion come across specific problems such as peoples’ profound emotions and private suffering that may strongly inhibit communication with the researcher. The elicitation method as used in the project explicitly aimed at overcoming the problem of silence and outburst of tears among emotionally touched respondents, which seriously hampered initial interviews based on verbal stimuli. In contrast to this, emotional responses to the iconographic stimuli appeared to evoke stories revealing important religious meanings, whereas precisely this emotional dimension made it difficult for the people to express themselves when approached by the use of conventional interview techniques.
Fiscal crisis and creative destruction: Critical reflections on Schumpeter’s contemporary relevance
Authors: Smart Barry
Published: September 2012

Two matters addressed in the analyses of Joseph Schumpeter, namely fiscal crises to which modern ‘tax states’ are vulnerable and processes of ‘creative destruction’ intrinsic to modern capitalism, have grown steadily in significance since the mid-twentieth century. Schumpeter anticipated a continuing growth in demand for public services and forms of social provision and drew on aspects of Rudolf Goldscheid’s innovative designation of a critical new field of inquiry, ‘fiscal sociology’, to discuss fiscal limits to the state’s capacity to respond to needs and demands for social provision. The fiscal crisis symptoms identified by Schumpeter are argued to be bound up with much broader and more substantial underlying economic processes and tendencies exposed by Marx, in particular with social and economic costs arising from the necessity for continual rounds of ‘creative destruction’ which constitute an intrinsic feature of all phases in the development of the capitalist mode of production and have become even more prominent in ‘late’ globalized capitalism. The paper concludes by comparing Schumpeter’s unidirectional view of the state–capital relationship with views outlined by other social and economic analysts for whom the contradiction between capitalist economy and the public household or common good is paramount.
Audiencing James Turrell’s Skyspace: encounters between art and audience at Yorkshire Sculpture Park
Authors: Warren Saskia
Published: September 2012

This article investigates the under-addressed topic of audiencing in relation to art in landscape, considering the ways in which this study can enliven cultural geography. Exploring how issues of interpretation and reception have been approached in the past, it tailors mixed methods to trace audience practices using the case study of James Turrell’s Skyspace at Yorkshire Sculpture Park, England. Turrell’s site art is installed in a remodelled deershelter within the Bretton Estate, bringing together contemporary art, heritage and working landscape. This research contributes to recent debate on post-phenomenological work by representing multiple subjects’ engagements with site art. Vignettes of audiencing are presented that challenge authorial control and curatorial interpretation in specific ways pointing toward the open-endedness of the production and reception of cultural forms. Developing cultural geography’s engagement with art, the article challenges geographers to consider how the meaning of works and sites can be renegotiated according to the specialisms of others, and the social dimensions of audience experience. By showing how critical enquiry can become more democratized through the inclusion of different subjects, it reveals the important theoretical, methodological and empirical contributions the study of audiencing can make to the geographies of art.
Emergent Potential Communicative Behaviors in Adults With the Most Severe Intellectual Disabilities
Authors: Ogletree Billy T. , Bartholomew Patrick , Wagaman John C. , Genz Suzannah , Reisinger Katie
Published: September 2012

Partner-perceived communication behaviors are catalogued from four institutionalized adults with severe intellectual disabilities who are not intentional communicators. These behaviors have been observed in typically developing infants and are speculated to comprise the earliest end of a developmental continuum culminating in conventional communication. Clinical applications of findings are discussed.
Bootcamp, Brides, and BMI
Authors: Sukhan Tiara
Published: September 2012

This article explores the ways in which conceptions of hegemonic femininity are exploited and reinforced on Canadian weight-loss makeover programs The Last 10 Pounds Bootcamp (2007–) and Bulging Brides (2008–). These shows feature predominantly female participants whose prescribed diet and exercise regimes promote physical ideals that are bound up with notions of discipline, desirability, and belonging, while claiming the vicarious authority of contemporary health discourses on obesity. This article argues that despite Canada’s reputation as a “socially healthy” nation, the gendered depiction of body weight and size on The Last 10 Pounds Bootcamp and Bulging Brides provides a contradictory picture of the treatment of women’s bodies in Canadian society. The article then considers the implications of possible alternative readings of these transformation narratives, which suggest that multiculturalism may be a lens through which more traditional views of gendered national identity can be subverted.
Booms, Bailouts, and Blame
Authors: Palmer Anthony , Tanner Andrea
Published: September 2012

This study examines the framing of economic news in national television newscasts during the height of the economic crisis of 2008. Specifically, the authors examine the manner in which the broadcast media presented the question of who is responsible for causing and fixing the problem. Agents responsible for causing or solving the economic crisis include government, businesses, individuals, and foreign entities. Other variables studied include the volume and scope of economic news coverage and source attribution. A content analysis of 357 broadcast news transcripts revealed that corporations were most commonly presented as causing the economic news being reported while government was most commonly framed as able to provide a solution to the economic news being reported. Implications of these findings in the context of the media’s tapping into public outrage toward corporations are discussed.
Terminal myeloid differentiation in vivo is induced by FLT3 inhibition in FLT3/ITD AML
Authors: Sexauer Amy , Perl Alexander , Yang Xiaochuan , Borowitz Michael , Gocke Christopher , Rajkhowa Trivikram , Thiede Christian , Frattini Mark , Nybakken Grant E. , Pratz Keith , Karp Judith , Smith B. Douglas , Levis Mark
Published: September 2012

A hallmark of cancer is the disruption of differentiation within tumor cells. Internal tandem duplication mutations of the FLT3 kinase (FLT3/ITD) occur commonly in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and are associated with poor survival, leading to efforts to develop FLT3 kinase inhibitors. However, FLT3 inhibitors have thus far met with limited success, inducing only a clearance of peripheral blasts with minimal BM responses. Quizartinib is a novel potent and selective FLT3 inhibitor currently being studied in clinical trials. In 13 of 14 FLT3/ITD AML patients with normal karyotype treated with quizartinib, we observed terminal myeloid differentiation of BM blasts in association with a clinical differentiation syndrome. The single patient whose blasts failed to differentiate had a preexisting C/EBPα mutation and another developed a C/EBPα mutation at disease progression, suggesting a mechanism of resistance to FLT3 inhibition. In vitro, in primary blasts cocultured with human BM stroma, FLT3 inhibition with quizartinib induced cell-cycle arrest and differentiation rather than apoptosis. The present study is the first description of terminal differentiation of cancer cells in patients treated with a tyrosine kinase inhibitor. These data highlight the importance of the differentiation block in the patho-genesis of AML.
Recombinant human interleukin-7 (CYT107) promotes T-cell recovery after allogeneic stem cell transplantation
Authors: Perales Miguel-Angel , Goldberg Jenna D. , Yuan Jianda , Koehne Guenther , Lechner Lauren , Papadopoulos Esperanza B. , Young James W. , Jakubowski Ann A. , Zaidi Bushra , Gallardo Humilidad , Liu Cailian , Rasalan Teresa , Wolchok Jedd D. , Croughs Therese , Morre Michel , Devlin Sean M. , van den Brink Marcel R. M.
Published: September 2012

Delays in immune recovery after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) are associated with increased risks of infection and relapse. IL-7 has a central role in T-cell development and survival and enhances immune recovery in murine models of allo-HSCT. We performed a phase 1 trial of r-hIL-7 (CYT107) in recipients of T-cell depleted allo-HSCTs. Twelve patients were treated with escalating doses of r-hIL-7 administered weekly for 3 weeks. The study drug was well tolerated with only one patient developing acute skin GVHD. At baseline, patients were profoundly lymphopenic. CYT107 induced a doubling in CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. The main effect of IL-7 was an expansion of effector memory T cells, the predominant subset identified in our patients. There was no significant effect on CD4+CD25+FoxP3+ T cells, NK, or B cells. Importantly, we not only saw quantitative increases in T cells after a short course of IL-7 but also demonstrated an increase in functional T cells, including viral-specific T cells that recognize CMV. Enhanced TCR diversity was also observed after treatment. Our results indicate that r-hIL-7 can enhance immune recovery after a T cell–depleted allo-HSCT without causing significant GVHD or other serious toxicity (www.clinicaltrials.gov; NCT00684008).
An algorithm for chemical genomic profiling that minimizes batch effects: bucket evaluations
Authors: Shabtai Daniel , Giaever Guri , Nislow Corey
Published: September 2012

Background

Chemical genomics is an interdisciplinary field that combines small molecule perturbation with traditional genomics to understand gene function and to study the mode(s) of drug action. A benefit of chemical genomic screens is their breadth; each screen can capture the sensitivity of comprehensive collections of mutants or, in the case of mammalian cells, gene knock-downs, simultaneously. As with other large-scale experimental platforms, to compare and contrast such profiles, e.g. for clustering known compounds with uncharacterized compounds, a robust means to compare a large cohort of profiles is required. Existing methods for correlating different chemical profiles include diverse statistical discriminant analysis-based methods and specific gene filtering or normalization methods. Though powerful, none are ideal because they typically require one to define the disrupting effects, commonly known as batch effects, to detect true signal from experimental variation. These effects are not always known, and they can mask true biological differences. We present a method, Bucket Evaluations (BE) that surmounts many of these problems and is extensible to other datasets such as those obtained via gene expression profiling and which is platform independent.

Results

We designed an algorithm to analyse chemogenomic profiles to identify potential targets of known drugs and new chemical compounds. We used levelled rank comparisons to identify drugs/compounds with similar profiles that minimizes batch effects and avoids the requirement of pre-defining the disrupting effects. This algorithm was also tested on gene expression microarray data and high throughput sequencing chemogenomic screens and found the method is applicable to a variety of dataset types.

Conclusions

BE, along with various correlation methods on a collection of datasets proved to be highly accurate for locating similarity between experiments. BE is a non-parametric correlation approach, which is suitable for locating correlations in somewhat perturbed datasets such as chemical genomic profiles. We created software and a user interface for using BE, which is publically available.
A systematic review of symptom assessment scales in children with cancer
Authors: Dupuis L Lee , Ethier Marie-Chantal , Tomlinson Deborah , Hesser Tanya , Sung Lillian
Published: September 2012

Background

The objective was to describe symptom assessment scales that have been used in children with cancer.

Methods

We conducted electronic searches of OVID Medline and EMBASE in order to identify all symptom assessment scales that have been used in pediatric cancer. Two reviewers abstracted information from each identified study. Data collected included study demographics and information related to the instrument and children enrolled. We also collected information about the purpose of instrument administration and whether treatment was altered as a result of this information.

Results

Fourteen studies were identified which evaluated eight different symptom assessment scales. Eight studies used child self-report and all studies included children on active treatment for cancer although 4 studies also included children following completion of treatment. The most common purpose of instrument administration was to measure the prevalence of symptom burden (n = 8). None of the 14 studies used the scale to screen for symptoms and none changed patient management on the basis of identified symptoms.

Conclusions

We failed to identify any symptom assessment scales that were used as a symptom screening tool. There is a need to develop such a tool for use in children with cancer.
An urea, arginine and carnosine based cream (Ureadin Rx Db ISDIN) shows greater efficacy in the treatment of severe xerosis of the feet in Type 2 diabetic patients in comparison with glycerol-based emollient cream. A randomized, assessor-blinded, controlled trial
Authors: Federici Adalberto , Federici Giovanni , Milani Massimo
Published: September 2012

Background

Xerosis is a common skin disorder frequently observed in diabetic patients. An effective hydration of foot skin in diabetics is a relevant preventive strategy in order to maintain a healthy foot. Urea is considered an effective hydrating and emollient topical product. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy of topical urea 5% with arginine and carnosine (Ureadin Rx Db, ISDIN Spain) (UC) in comparison with glycerol-based emollient topical product (Dexeryl, Pierre Fabre) (EC), in Type 2 diabetic patients.

Methods

We assessed the effect of UC on skin hydration in a randomized, evaluator-blinded comparative study in 40 type II diabetic patients, aged 40–75 years, treated with UC or the comparator for 28 days with a twice-daily application. The principal outcomes were the Dryness Area Severity Index (DASI) Score and the Visual Analogue Score (VAS) for skin dryness evaluated at baseline and at the end of study period by an investigator unaware of treatment allocation.

Results

UC induced significantly greater hydration than EC with an 89% reduction in DASI score (from 1.6 to 0.2; p < 0.001) in comparison with baseline values. After 4 weeks, compared with the control group, DASI score in UC treated group was significantly lower (0.2 vs. 1.0; p = 0.048). VAS score (high values mean better hydration) significantly increased in both groups during treatment. VAS score at the end of treatment period was significantly higher in UC group in comparison with EC group (9.8 vs. 8.2; p = 0.05).

Conclusion

Application of urea 5%, arginine and carnosine cream increases skin hydration and alleviates the condition of skin dryness in Type 2 diabetic patients in comparison with a control glycerol-based emollient product. (Dutch Trials Register trial number 3328).
Design of a prostate cancer patient navigation intervention for a Veterans Affairs hospital
Authors: Nonzee Narissa J , McKoy June M , Rademaker Alfred W , Byer Peter , Luu Thanh Ha , Liu Dachao , Richey Elizabeth A , Samaras Athena T , Panucci Genna , Dong XinQi , Simon Melissa A
Published: September 2012

Background

Patient navigation programs have been launched nationwide in an attempt to reduce racial/ethnic and socio-demographic disparities in cancer care, but few have evaluated outcomes in the prostate cancer setting. The National Cancer Institute-funded Chicago Patient Navigation Research Program (C-PNRP) aims to implement and evaluate the efficacy of a patient navigation intervention for predominantly low-income minority patients with an abnormal prostate cancer screening test at a Veterans Affairs (VA) hospital in Chicago.

Methods/Design

From 2006 through 2010, C-PNRP implemented a quasi-experimental intervention whereby trained social worker and lay health navigators worked with veterans with an abnormal prostate screen to proactively identify and resolve personal and systems barriers to care. Men were enrolled at a VA urology clinic and were selected to receive navigated versus usual care based on clinic day. Patient navigators performed activities to facilitate timely follow-up such as appointment reminders, transportation coordination, cancer education, scheduling assistance, and social support as needed. Primary outcome measures included time (days) from abnormal screening to diagnosis and time from diagnosis to treatment initiation. Secondary outcomes included psychosocial and demographic predictors of non-compliance and patient satisfaction. Dates of screening, follow-up visits, and treatment were obtained through chart audit, and questionnaires were administered at baseline, after diagnosis, and after treatment initiation. At the VA, 546 patients were enrolled in the study (245 in the navigated arm, 245 in the records-based control arm, and 56 in a subsample of surveyed control subjects).

Discussion

Given increasing concerns about balancing better health outcomes with lower costs, careful examination of interventions aimed at reducing healthcare disparities attain critical importance. While analysis of the C-PNRP data is underway, the design of this patient navigation intervention will inform other patient navigation programs addressing strategies to improve prostate cancer outcomes among vulnerable populations.
A case of wedge resection of duodenum for massive gastrointestinal bleeding due to duodenal metastasis by renal cell carcinoma
Authors: Zhao Hongzhi , Han Keqiang , Li Jing , Liang Ping , Zuo Guohua , Zhang Yu , Li Hongyan
Published: September 2012

Background

Gastrointestinal bleeding due to duodenal metastasis from renal cell carcinoma is extremely rare. Several previous reports have shown that embolic therapy or pancreatoduodenectomy (radical surgical resection) could be effective in controlling this type of clinical complication. Management is entirely dependent on the general condition and concurrent metastases at other sites. Optimizing the therapeutic strategies thus deserves further discussion and exploration.

Methods

In this report, we describe a patient with severe co-morbidities who underwent successful palliative wedge resection of duodenum and direct duodenal wall defect repair without reconstruction of duodeno-jejunostomy for acute upper digestive tract hemorrhage caused by duodenal metastasis from renal clear cell carcinoma.

Results

The patient recovered uneventfully and did not experience rebleeding and frequent vomiting after surgery. Since then (1.5 years) he has had no evidence of rebleeding.

Conclusions

Gastrointestinal bleeding due to duodenal metastasis of RCC may benefit from emergent resection even in the presence of severe co-morbidities, and for palliative treatment.
Microplasma illumination enhancement of vertically aligned conducting ultrananocrystalline diamond nanorods
Authors: Sankaran Kamatchi Jothiramalingam , Kunuku Srinivasu , Lou Shiu-Cheng , Kurian Joji , Chen Huang-Chin , Lee Chi-Young , Tai Nyan-Hwa , Leou Keh-Chyang , Chen Chulung , Lin I-Nan
Published: September 2012

Vertically aligned conducting ultrananocrystalline diamond (UNCD) nanorods are fabricated using the reactive ion etching method incorporated with nanodiamond particles as mask. High electrical conductivity of 275 Ω·cm−1 is obtained for UNCD nanorods. The microplasma cavities using UNCD nanorods as cathode show enhanced plasma illumination characteristics of low threshold field of 0.21 V/μm with plasma current density of 7.06 mA/cm2 at an applied field of 0.35 V/μm. Such superior electrical properties of UNCD nanorods with high aspect ratio potentially make a significant impact on the diamond-based microplasma display technology.
Detection of nerve agent stimulants based on photoluminescent porous silicon interferometer
Authors: Kim Seongwoong , Cho Bomin , Sohn Honglae
Published: September 2012

Porous silicon (PSi) exhibiting dual optical properties, both Fabry-Pérot fringe and photolumincence, was developed and used as chemical sensors. PSi samples were prepared by an electrochemical etch of p-type silicon under the illumination of 300-W tungsten lamp during the etch process. The surface of PSi was characterized by cold field-emission scanning electron microscope. PSi samples exhibited a strong visible orange photoluminescence at 610 nm with an excitation wavelength of 460 nm as well as Fabry-Pérot fringe with a tungsten light source. Both reflectivity and photoluminescence were simultaneously measured under the exposure of organophosphate vapors. An increase of optical thickness and quenching photoluminescences under the exposure of various organophosphate vapors were observed.
Antibacterial therapeutics for the treatment of chytrid infection in amphibians: Columbus’s egg?
Authors: Muijsers Mariska , Martel An , Van Rooij Pascale , Baert Kris , Vercauteren Griet , Ducatelle Richard , De Backer Patrick , Vercammen Francis , Haesebrouck Freddy , Pasmans Frank
Published: September 2012

Background

The establishment of safe and effective protocols to treat chytridiomycosis in amphibians is urgently required. In this study, the usefulness of antibacterial agents to clear chytridiomycosis from infected amphibians was evaluated.

Results

Florfenicol, sulfamethoxazole, sulfadiazine and the combination of trimethoprim and sulfonamides were activein vitroagainst cultures of fiveBatrachochytrium dendrobatidisstrains containing sporangia and zoospores, with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of 0.5-1.0 μg/ml for florfenicol and 8.0 μg/ml for the sulfonamides. Trimethoprim was not capable of inhibiting growth but, combined with sulfonamides, reduced the time to visible growth inhibition by the sulfonamides. Growth inhibition ofB. dendrobatidiswas not observed after exposure to clindamycin, doxycycline, enrofloxacin, paromomycin, polymyxin E and tylosin. Cultures of sporangia and zoospores ofB. dendrobatidisstrains JEL423 and IA042 were killed completely after 14 days of exposure to 100 μg/ml florfenicol or 16 μg/ml trimethoprim combined with 80 μg/ml sulfadiazine. These concentrations were, however, not capable of efficiently killing zoospores within 4 days after exposure as assessed using flow cytometry. Florfenicol concentrations remained stable in a bathing solution during a ten day period. Exposure ofDiscoglossus scovazzitadpoles for ten days to 100 μg/ml but not to 10 μg florfenicol /ml water resulted in toxicity. In anin vivotrial, post metamorphicAlytes muletensis, experimentally inoculated withB. dendrobatidis,were treated topically with a solution containing 10 μg/ml of florfenicol during 14 days. Although a significant reduction of theB. dendrobatidisload was obtained, none of the treated animals cleared the infection.

Conclusions

We thus conclude that, despite marked antiB. dendrobatidisactivityin vitro, the florfenicol treatment used is not capable of eliminatingB. dendrobatidisinfections from amphibians.
Tamm-Horsfall protein facilitates catheter associated urinary tract infection
Authors: Raffi Hajamohideen S , Bates James M , Flournoy Dayl J , Kumar Satish
Published: September 2012

Background

Urinary catheters are associated, commonly with bacteriuria and frequently with urinary tract infection. Tamm-Horsfall Protein (THP) is urine's most abundant protein and is known to bind to uropathogenic bacteria. The role of THP in the pathogenesis of catheter associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI) is not clear. We examined the role of THP in facilitating bacterial binding to urinary catheters in vivo and in vitro.

Findings

Twenty one urinary catheters were obtained from 20 hospitalized patients. THP was eluted from the catheter surface and catheter segments were cultured. Additional studies were performed in vitro on unused silicone and latex catheters to determine the binding of THP, and the effect of THP on the binding of Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa), to the catheter surface.

On catheters obtained from patients, the THP deposition was significantly more on culture positive catheters than on culture negative catheters. In the in vitro studies, THP bound to both silicone and latex catheters, and THP enhanced the adherence of E. coli and P. aeruginosa to both types of catheters.

Conclusion

THP binds to urinary catheters and facilitates the binding of uropathogenic bacteria to catheters.
Streamline-based integration of time-lapse seismic and production data into petroleum reservoir models
Authors: Rey Alvaro , Bhark Eric , Gao Kai , Datta-Gupta Akhil , Gibson Richard
Published: September 2012

We have developed an efficient approach of petroleum reservoir model calibration that integrates 4D seismic surveys together with well-production data. The approach is particularly well-suited for the calibration of high-resolution reservoir properties (permeability) because the field-scale seismic data are areally dense, whereas the production data are effectively averaged over interwell spacing. The joint calibration procedure is performed using streamline-based sensitivities derived from finite-difference flow simulation. The inverted seismic data (i.e., changes in elastic impedance or fluid saturations) are distributed as a 3D high-resolution grid cell property. The sensitivities of the seismic and production surveillance data to perturbations in absolute permeability at individual grid cells are efficiently computed via semianalytical streamline techniques. We generalize previous formulations of streamline-based seismic inversion to incorporate realistic field situations such as changing boundary conditions due to infill drilling, pattern conversion, etc. A commercial finite-difference flow simulator is used for reservoir simulation and to generate the time-dependent velocity fields through which streamlines are traced and the sensitivity coefficients are computed. The commercial simulator allows us to incorporate detailed physical processes including compressibility and nonconvective forces, e.g., capillary pressure effects, while the streamline trajectories provide a rapid evaluation of the sensitivities. The efficacy of our proposed approach was tested with synthetic and field applications. The synthetic example was the Society of Petroleum Engineers benchmark Brugge field case. The field example involves waterflooding of a North Sea reservoir with multiple seismic surveys. In both cases, the advantages of incorporating the time-lapse variations were clearly demonstrated through improved estimation of the permeability heterogeneity, fluid saturation evolution, and swept and drained volumes. The value of the seismic data integration was in particular proven through the identification of the continuity in reservoir sands and barriers, and by the preservation of geologic realism in the calibrated model.
Anti-CXCR4 monoclonal antibody conjugated to ultrasmall superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles in an application of MR molecular imaging of pancreatic cancer cell lines
Authors: He Yonglan , Song Wei , Lei Jing , Li Zhuo , Cao Jian , Huang Shuai , Meng Jie , Xu Haiyan , Jin Zhengyu , Xue Huadan
Published: September 2012

Background

Chemokine receptor 4(CXCR4) plays an important role in the potential growth of pancreatic tumor and its ability to develop metastasis. Ultrasmall superparamagnetic iron oxide (USPIO) nanoparticles offer strong contrast-enhancing effect for MR imaging of pancreatic tissue.

Purpose

To establish a biomarker-targeted nanoparticulate contrast agent CXCR4-USPIO for pancreatic cancer cell MR imaging and to investigate the relationship between in vitro MR T2 enhancement ratio, ΔR2 values, and the cellular CXCR4 expression levels.

Material and Methods

The CXCR4 monoclonal antibody and bovine serum albumin (BSA) were bioconjugated with USPIO using carbodiimide. The T2 and T2* values of CXCR4-USPIO, BSA-USPIO, and USPIO were evaluated at the same iron concentration levels. After incubating four pancreatic cancer cell lines (AsPC-1, BxPC-3, CFPAC-1, PANC-1) with CXCR4-USPIO and BSA-USPIO, respectively, changes of T2 values were measured with a clinical 1.5-T MRI scanner. Western blot and immunofluorescence tests were applied to semi-quantitatively analyze the expression levels of CXCR4 in the four cell lines.

Results

MR imaging revealed a linear correlation between ΔR2 and ΔR2* values of CXCR4-USPIO nanoparticles and the iron concentrations. The T2 enhancement ratio and ΔR2 values of AsPC-1, BxPC-3, CFPAC-1, PANC-1 cell lines in the CXCR4-USPIO group exhibited strong correlation with the CXCR4 peptide relative grey values measured by western blot (r = 0.976, P = 0.024; r = 0.959, P = 0.041, respectively) and the mean fluorescence signal intensity detected by laser scanning confocal microscopy (r = 0.996, P = 0.004; r = 0.962, P = 0.038, respectively).

Conclusion

The targeted probe CXCR4-USPIO was created for MR molecular imaging of pancreatic cancer cell lines. The T2 enhancement ratio and ΔR2 values of CXCR4-USPIO nanoparticles could semi-quantitatively assess the cellular CXCR4 expression levels.
Fetal cerebral imaging – ultrasound vs. MRI: an update
Authors: Blondiaux Eléonore , Garel Catherine
Published: September 2012

The purpose of this article is to analyze the advantages and limitations of prenatal ultrasonography (US) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the evaluation of the fetal brain. These imaging modalities should not be seen as competitive but rather as complementary. There are wide variations in the world regarding screening policies, technology, skills, and legislation about termination of pregnancy, and these variations markedly impact on the way of using prenatal imaging. According to the contribution expected from each technique and to local working conditions, one should choose the most appropriate imaging modality on a case-by-case basis. The advantages and limitations of US and MRI in the setting of fetal brain imaging are displayed. Different anatomical regions (midline, ventricles, subependymal area, cerebral parenchyma, pericerebral space, posterior fossa) and pathological conditions are analyzed and illustrated in order to compare the respective contribution of each technique. An accurate prenatal diagnosis of cerebral abnormalities is of utmost importance for prenatal counseling.
Intranasal Fentanyl Spray: A Novel Dosage Form for the Treatment of Breakthrough Cancer Pain
Authors: Dietrich Eric , Gums John G
Published: September 2012

Objective:

To review the pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, clinical efficacy, adverse events, dosing, and administration of intranasal fentanyl spray in the treatment of breakthrough cancer pain (BTCP) in adults.

Data Sources:

Relevant published data were identified using PubMed from inception to April 2012 using the search terms fentanyl nasal spray, intranasal fentanyl, intranasal fentanyl cancer pain, and fentanyl pectin cancer pain. Only articles evaluating the use of intranasal fentanyl spray for cancer pain were selected.

Study Selection and Data Extraction:

All articles evaluating the pharmacokinetics of intranasal fentanyl or the clinical efficacy of intranasal fentanyl spray for the treatment of BTCP were considered; references of selected articles were manually reviewed to identify further articles. The manufacturer of intranasal fentanyl spray was also contacted to obtain information.

Data Synthesis:

Intranasal fentanyl spray gained Food and Drug Administration approval for the treatment of BTCP in adults with cancer receiving stable BACKGROUND opioid therapy for chronic pain. In doses ranging from 100 to 800 μg/spray, intranasal fentanyl spray was found to be more effective than placebo and more effective than oral morphine or oral fentanyl formulations in reducing pain for up to 15–45 minutes; onset of analgesia was also improved with intranasal fentanyl spray. The most commonly observed adverse events included nausea, vomiting, vertigo, and dizziness.

Conclusions:

For the treatment of BTCP, intranasal fentanyl spray offers improved onset of analgesia compared to other oral therapies; this improved onset of analgesia may closely mimic the typical time course of a BTCP episode. Nasal administration may overcome problems such as nausea, vomiting, or xerostomia that may complicate oral administration of analgesics. Potential disadvantages include uncertainty in treating more than 4 BTCP episodes per 24 hours and a higher cost compared to generically available oral opioid analgesics.
Pharmacokinetics and Monte Carlo Simulations of Doripenem in Patients with Febrile Neutropenia
Authors: Stein Gary E , Kulhanek Grace , Smith Curtis L , Kuti Joseph L , Nicolau David P , Scharmen Amy , Farnum Chris , Tran MaryAnn , Kalra Apoorv , Havlichek Daniel H
Published: September 2012

Background:

Doripenem is a group 2 carbapenem with enhanced in vitro activity against gram-negative bacteria including Pseudomonas aeruginosa. There is a paucity of pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic data on doripenem in patients with febrile neutropenia.

Objective:

To conduct a pharmacokinetic evaluation of 2 doses of doripenem in patients with febrile neutropenia and provide probability estimates of attaining effective drug exposure against common gram-negative pathogens.

Methods:

We obtained multiple blood samples from 12 adults with febrile neutropenia who were receiving either 500 mg or 1000 mg of intravenous doripenem over 4 hours every B hours. Following at least 2 doses, serum concentrations were measured in each subject at 1, 4, 6, and 8 hours after initiation of a dose by a validated high-performance liquid chromatography assay. The derived pharmacokinetic parameters from these serum levels were used to perform a 5000-patient Monte Carlo simulation against bacteria with minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of 0.008-64 mg/L to determine probability estimates of the time in which unbound drug concentrations remain above the MIC (fT>MIC).

Results:

The mean pharmacokinetic parameters in these patients were a volume of distribution of 43.9 L, an elimination rate constant of 0.37 h-1, a total clearance of 14.4 L/h, and an area under the concentration-time curve of 57.6 mg·h/L. An optimal probability of target attainment (40% fT>MIC) of 90% was obtained against bacteria with MICs ≤2 mg/L and ≤4 mg/L with 500-mg and 1000-mg doses, respectively. Adverse events associated with doripenem were not observed.

Conclusions:

The findings from this analysis of doripenem suggest that higher doses, as well as prolonged infusions, may be necessary to optimally treat selected gram-negative bacteria (eg, P. aeruginosa) in patients with febrile neutropenia.
Do Tax Havens Really Flourish?
Authors: Blanco Luisa R. , Rogers Cynthia L.
Published: September 2012

That tax haven policies contribute to favorable economic growth in tax haven countries is commonly accepted. Empirical investigations, however, do not substantiate this assertion and are subject to endogeneity bias. Using a sample of 155 countries from 1982 to 2003, we find that the standard tax haven variable is endogenous to the error term in a typical growth regression. We offer land area measures as valid instruments for tax haven status. Results based on two-stage least squares estimation with heteroskedastic standard errors and controls for initial conditions provide support for the claim that tax havens “flourish” compared with non-tax haven countries even when accounting for the self-selection of tax haven status.
Exchange-Rate Volatility and Industry Trade Between Japan and China
Authors: Bahmani-Oskooee Mohsen , Hegerty Scott W. , Xu Jia
Published: September 2012

Exchange-rate risk is often thought to reduce international trade flows, but numerous theoretical and empirical analyses have pointed toward positive as well as negative effects. This is particularly true when bilateral trade flows for individual industries are estimated. In this study, we extend the literature to the case of Japanese trade with China for 110 import industries and 95 export industries. Aggregate Japanese exports, but not imports, respond to real exchange rate volatility in the long run, while most individual export and import industries respond in the short run. Although many individual Japanese import industries are affected in the long run by risk, mostly negatively, this is even more the case for exporters. A larger proportion of Japanese export industries are affected by exchange rate uncertainty for most industry sectors. Manufacturing exports are particularly vulnerable to this risk, with a large share responding negatively to increased volatility.