bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Nonadherence and Contributing Factors among Ambulatory Patients with Antidiabetic Medications in Adama Referral Hospital
Authors: Gelaw Belayneh Kefale , Mohammed Abdela , Tegegne Gobezie Temesgen , Defersha Amsalu Degu , Fromsa Muluneh , Tadesse Esayas , Gunasekaran Thrumurgan , Ahmed Mustefa
Published: December 2014

The objective of this study was to determine the magnitude of nonadherence and its contributing factors among diabetic patients attending the diabetic clinic in Adama Hospital.Methods.This descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out among patients with diabetes mellitus attending the diabetes mellitus clinic of Adama Referral Hospital. Every other patient was selected and data regarding their medication adherence was collected using a structured interview. Data analysis was carried out using SPSS-16.Result.The response rate from this study was 98.3%. A total of 270 patients were interviewed; 51.5% were males. A total of 68.1% of the patients included in the study were married. 14% were younger than 40 years, and 50% were between 40 and 60 years. 21.8% of the participants ascribed their nonadherence to forgetting to take their medications. Patients with duration of diabetes≤5 years (82.07%) were more compliant to their medication than those with>5 years (60.8%), which was found to be statistically significant(P=0.003). Insulin, 47%, and glibenclamide plus metformin, 43.7%, were the most commonly prescribed mono- and combination therapies, respectively. Common comorbid conditions include hypertension, 148 (54.82%), and visual impairment, 89 (32.96%). The proportion of male patients adherent to their antidiabetic medications was found to be lower than 69.78% compared to the female patients (74.81%), but the difference was not statistically significant(P>0.05).Conclusion.Most diabetic patients are currently being managed with the most effective available drugs. However the result from this study indicates that the desired blood sugar level could not be controlled and maintained adequately. This was because of poor adherence to the prescribed drug regimen and poor knowledge and practice of successful self-management.
Bilateral Obturator Hernia Diagnosed by Computed Tomography: A Case Report with Review of the Literature
Authors: Khaladkar Sanjay M. , Kamal Anubhav , Garg Sahil , Kamal Vigyat
Published: December 2014

Obturator hernia is a rare form of abdominal hernia and a diagnostic challenge. It is commonly seen in elderly thin females. Its diagnosis is often delayed with resultant increased morbidity and mortality due to bowel ischemia/gangrene. It is mistakenly diagnosed as femoral or inguinal hernia on USG. Computed tomography is diagnostic and is a valuable tool for preoperative diagnosis. This report presents a case of 70-year-old thin female presenting with intestinal obstruction due to left sided obstructed obturator hernia. USG showed small bowel obstruction and an obstructed left sided femoral hernia. CT scan of abdomen and pelvis with inguinal and upper thigh region disclosed left sided obturator hernia. It also detected clinically occult right sided obturator hernia. Early diagnosis and surgical treatment contribute greatly in reducing the morbidity and mortality rate.
BeTrust: A Dynamic Trust Model Based on Bayesian Inference and Tsallis Entropy for Medical Sensor Networks
Authors: Gao Yan , Liu Wenfen
Published: December 2014

With the rapid development and application of medical sensor networks, the security has become a big challenge to be resolved. Trust mechanism as a method of “soft security” has been proposed to guarantee the network security. Trust models to compute the trustworthiness of single node and each path are constructed, respectively, in this paper. For the trust relationship between nodes, trust value in every interval is quantified based on Bayesian inference. A node estimates the parameters of prior distribution by using the collected recommendation information and obtains the posterior distribution combined with direct interactions. Further, the weights of trust values are allocated through using the ordered weighted vector twice and overall trust degree is represented. With the associated properties of Tsallis entropy, the definition of path Tsallis entropy is put forward, which can comprehensively measure the uncertainty of each path. Then a method to calculate the credibility of each path is derived. The simulation results show that the proposed models can correctly reflect the dynamic of node behavior, quickly identify the malicious attacks, and effectively avoid such path containing low-trust nodes so as to enhance the robustness.
Clinical Response and Transfusion Reactions of Sheep Subjected to Single Homologous Blood Transfusion
Authors: Sousa Rejane Santos , Minervino Antonio Humberto Hamad , Araújo Carolina Akiko Sato Cabral , Rodrigues Frederico Augusto Mazzocca Lopes , Oliveira Francisco Leonardo Costa , Mori Clara Satsuki , Zaminhan Janaina Larissa Rodrigues , Moreira Thiago Rocha , Sousa Isadora Karolina Freitas , Ortolani Enrico Lippi , Barrêto Júnior Raimundo Alves
Published: December 2014

Studies in relation to blood conservation and responses to transfusion are scarce for ruminants. We evaluated the clinical manifestations of sheep that received a single homologous transfusion of whole blood, focusing on transfusion reactions. Eighteen adult sheep were subjected to a single phlebotomy to withdraw 40% of the total blood volume, which was placed into CPDA-1 bags and then divided into G0, animals that received fresh blood, and G15 and G35, animals that received blood stored for 15 or 35 days, respectively. Clinical observations were recorded throughout the transfusion, whereas heart rate, respiratory rate, and rectal temperature were assessed at the following times: 24 hours after phlebotomy and before transfusion; 30 minutes, six, twelve, 24, 48, 72, and 96 hours and eight and 16 days after transfusion. All groups presented transfusion reactions, among which hyperthermia was the most frequent (50% of animals). Tachycardia occurred most frequently in the G35 animals (50% of them). During transfusion G35 animals presented more clinical manifestation(P<0.05). Transfusion of fresh or stored total blood improved the blood volume, but transfusion reactions occurred, demonstrating that a single transfusion of fresh or stored blood can cause inflammatory and febrile nonhemolytic transfusion reactions in sheep.
Publication Bias in Meta-Analysis: Confidence Intervals for Rosenthal’s Fail-Safe Number
Authors: Fragkos Konstantinos C. , Tsagris Michail , Frangos Christos C.
Published: December 2014

The purpose of the present paper is to assess the efficacy of confidence intervals for Rosenthal’s fail-safe number. Although Rosenthal’s estimator is highly used by researchers, its statistical properties are largely unexplored. First of all, we developed statistical theory which allowed us to produce confidence intervals for Rosenthal’s fail-safe number. This was produced by discerning whether the number of studies analysed in a meta-analysis is fixed or random. Each case produces different variance estimators. For a given number of studies and a given distribution, we provided five variance estimators. Confidence intervals are examined with a normal approximation and a nonparametric bootstrap. The accuracy of the different confidence interval estimates was then tested by methods of simulation under different distributional assumptions. The half normal distribution variance estimator has the best probability coverage. Finally, we provide a table of lower confidence intervals for Rosenthal’s estimator.
Effect of Liquid Phase Additions on Microstructure and Thermal Properties in Copper and Copper-Diamond Composites
Authors: Rape A. , Liu X. , Kulkarni A. , Singh J.
Published: December 2014

This study details a new approach to creating copper-diamond composite materials for thermal management applications by using a two-phase (solid-liquid) approach in powder metallurgy using Field Assisted Sintering Technology (FAST). Silver-copper alloyed powder at eutectic compositions was used as a nonreactive liquid phase while Cu5Si was used as a reactive liquid phase. Microstructure results are reported favorably comparing the additions of a small amount of liquid phase to pure solid state sintering. Additionally, EDX results indicate that the liquid phase material fills gaps at the interface of the matrix and diamond particle resulting in improved microstructure and density. Thermal conductivity results show that liquid phase additions improve the thermal conductivity of composites compared to composites without any liquid phase, but Si additions cause a severe drop in baseline conductivity.
Experimental Investigation and Multiobjective Optimization of Turning Duplex Stainless Steels
Authors: Koyee Rastee D. , Heisel Uwe , Schmauder Siegfried , Eisseler Rocco
Published: December 2014

This paper addresses experimental investigations of turning EN 1.4462 and EN 1.4410 duplex stainless steel grades with multilayer coated carbide inserts. Single-point wet and dry longitudinal turning tests of cylindrical bars are conducted; cutting forces, effective cutting powers, and tool wear are measured. The parametric influences of cutting speed, feed rate, and process conditions on the cutting performances such as resultant cutting force, specific effective cutting power, and flank wear are analyzed and proper conclusions are drawn. Nature-inspired metaheuristic bat algorithm is employed to handle the multiobjective optimization of the conflicting performances. Finally, the optimum cutting condition for each process condition can be selected from calculated Pareto optimal fronts by the user according to the planning requirements.
Myasthenia Gravis following Low-Osmolality Iodinated Contrast Media
Authors: Bonanni Luca , Dalla Vestra Michele , Zancanaro Andrea , Presotto Fabio
Published: December 2014

We describe the case of 79-year-old man admitted to our general hospital for a 6-week history of progressive dysphagia to solids and liquids associated with weight loss. To reach a diagnosis a total body CT scan with low-osmolality iodinate contrast agent was performed. Two hours later the patient developed an acute respiratory failure requiring orotracheal intubation and mechanical ventilation. The laboratory and neurological tests allow formulating the diagnosis of myasthenia gravis. In literature, other three case reports have associated myasthenic crisis with exposure to low-osmolality contrast media. This suggests being careful in administering low-osmolality contrast media in myasthenic patients.
Existence of Random Attractors for a Class of Second‐Order Lattice Dynamical Systems with Brownian Motions
Authors: Wang Yamin , Huang Ziqiao , Alsaadi Fuad E. , Lauria Stanislao , Liu Yurong
Published: December 2014

This paper is concerned with the random attractors for a class of second‐order stochastic lattice dynamical systems. We first prove the uniqueness and existence of the solutions of second‐order stochastic lattice dynamical systems in the space . Then, by proving the asymptotic compactness of the random dynamical systems, we establish the existence of the global random attractor. The system under consideration is quite general, and many existing results can be regarded as the special case of our results.
Quantification of Circulating miRNAs by Droplet Digital PCR: Comparison of EvaGreen- and TaqMan-Based Chemistries
Authors: Miotto Elena , Saccenti Elena , Lupini Laura , Callegari Elisa , Negrini Massimo , Ferracin Manuela
Published: December 2014

Droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) has been successfully used with TaqMan assays to assess gene expression through the quantification of mRNA and miRNA. Recently, a new ddPCR system that can also run DNA-binding dye-based assays has been developed but it has not yet been tested for miRNA. We tested and compared the feasibility of quantifying miRNA with the new QX200 Droplet Digital PCR system when used with EvaGreen dye– and TaqMan probe–based assays. RNA from plasma and serum of 28 patients with cancer and healthy persons was reverse-transcribed and quantified for two circulating miRNAs and one added exogenous miRNA, with both EvaGreen dye–based miRCURY LNA miRNA assays and TaqMan assays. Amplification and detection of target miRNAs were performed on the QX200 ddPCR system. Conditions required to run miRCURY LNA miRNA assays were optimized. The EvaGreen-based assay was precise, reproducible over a range of concentrations of four orders of magnitude, and sensitive, detecting a target miRNA at levels down to 1 copy/μL. When this assay was compared with TaqMan assays, high concordance was obtained for two endogenous miRNAs in serum and plasma (Pearson r > 0.90). EvaGreen dye–based and TaqMan probe–based assays can be equally used with the ddPCR system to quantify circulating miRNAs in human plasma and serum. This study establishes the basis for using EvaGreen dye–based assays on a ddPCR system for quantifying circulating miRNA biomarkers and potentially other low-abundance RNA biomarkers in human biofluids.

See all the articles in this CEBP Focus section, “Biomarkers, Biospecimens, and New Technologies in Molecular Epidemiology.”

Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 23(12); 2638–42. ©2014 AACR.
Establishment of the Cancer Prevention Study II Nutrition Cohort Colorectal Tissue Repository
Authors: Campbell Peter T. , Deka Anusila , Briggs Peter , Cicek Mine , Farris Alton B. , Gaudet Mia M. , Jacobs Eric J. , Newton Christina C. , Patel Alpa V. , Teras Lauren R. , Thibodeau Stephen N. , Tillmans Lori , Gapstur Susan M.
Published: December 2014

Background: To better understand colorectal cancer etiology and prognosis, archived surgical tissues were collected from Cancer Prevention Study II (CPS-II) Nutrition Cohort participants who were diagnosed with colorectal cancer. Herein, the methodology for this collection is described to help inform other efforts to collect tissues.

Methods: The main components to accruing tissue were: (i) obtaining consent from participants or next-of-kin; (ii) contacting hospitals to request materials; and (iii) pathology review and laboratory processing.

Results: In CPS-II, we identified 3,643 participants diagnosed with colorectal cancer between 1992/1993 and 2009. Of these, tissue could not be sought from cases verified through state cancer registry linkage (N = 1,622), because of insufficient information on tissue location. We sought tissue from the 2,021 cases verified using medical records, and received tissue from 882. When hospitals were contacted within 10 years of diagnosis, we received 87% of tissue materials; beyond that 10-year mark, we received 32%. Compared with the 2,761 colorectal cancer cases without tissue, the 882 cases with tissue were more likely to be alive, diagnosed more recently during follow-up, and had less-advanced staged disease. Cases with and without tissues were similar with respect to age at diagnosis, smoking, body mass index, physical activity, and other epidemiologic factors.

Conclusions: Some of the most important elements in forming a tissue repository included having the cases' hospital contact and surgical accession information as well as contacting patients/next-of-kin and hospitals within 10 years of surgery.

Impact: This tissue repository will serve as an important resource for colorectal cancer studies.

See all the articles in this CEBP Focus section, “Biomarkers, Biospecimens, and New Technologies in Molecular Epidemiology.”

Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 23(12); 2694–702. ©2014 AACR.
DNA from Nails for Genetic Analyses in Large-Scale Epidemiologic Studies
Authors: Hogervorst Janneke G.F. , Godschalk Roger W.L. , van den Brandt Piet A. , Weijenberg Matty P. , Verhage Bas A.J. , Jonkers Leonie , Goessens Joy , Simons Colinda C.J.M. , Vermeesch Joris R. , van Schooten Frederik J. , Schouten Leo J.
Published: December 2014

Background: Nails contain genomic DNA that can be used for genetic analyses, which is attractive for large epidemiologic studies that have collected or are planning to collect nail clippings. Study participants will more readily participate in a study when asked to provide nail samples than when asked to provide a blood sample. In addition, nails are easy and cheap to obtain and store compared with other tissues.

Methods: We describe our findings on toenail DNA in terms of yield, quality, genotyping a limited set of SNPs with the Sequenom MassARRAY iPLEX platform and high-density genotyping with the Illumina HumanCytoSNP_FFPE-12 DNA array (>262,000 markers). We discuss our findings together with other studies on nail DNA and we compare nails and other frequently used tissue samples as DNA sources.

Results: Although nail DNA is considerably degraded, genotyping a limited set of SNPs with the Sequenom MassARRAY iPLEX platform (average sample call rate, 97.1%) and high-density genotyping with the Illumina HumanCytoSNP_FFPE chip (average sample call rate, 93.8%) were successful.

Conclusions: Nails are a suitable source of DNA for genotyping in large-scale epidemiologic studies, provided that methods are used that are suitable or optimized for degraded DNA. For genotyping through (next generation) sequencing where DNA degradation is less of an issue, nails may be an even more attractive DNA source, because it surpasses other sources in terms of ease and costs of obtaining and storing the samples.

Impact: It is worthwhile to consider nails as a source of DNA for genotyping in large-scale epidemiologic studies.

See all the articles in this CEBP Focus section, “Biomarkers, Biospecimens, and New Technologies in Molecular Epidemiology.”

Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 23(12); 2703–12. ©2014 AACR.
Measurement of Telomere Length: A New Assay Using QuantiGene Chemistry on a Luminex Platform
Authors: Kibriya Muhammad G. , Jasmine Farzana , Roy Shantanu , Ahsan Habibul , Pierce Brandon
Published: December 2014

Background: Telomeres are tandem repeats of sequences present at the end of the chromosomes that maintain chromosomal integrity. After repeated cell division, telomeres shorten to a critical level, triggering replicative senescence or apoptosis, which is a key determinant of cellular aging. Short telomeres also contribute to genome instability and are a hallmark of many cancers. There are several methods for estimating telomere length (TL) from extracted DNA samples. Southern blot is accurate but requires a large quantity of DNA and is expensive. qPCR is cost-effective and requires a small quantity of DNA and is therefore widely used for large-scale epidemiologic studies; however, it typically requires triplicates. We describe a novel multiplexed probe-based non-PCR method for TL measurement.

Methods: A small amount of DNA (∼50 ng) is hybridized to telomere repeat sequence–specific probes (T) and a reference single gene probes (R). T and R signals are detected from a single reaction well containing the same input DNA. Branching DNA technology is used to amplify the signal, which is detected by Luminex technology.

Results: The intra- and interassay CV (∼3% and ∼5%, respectively) shows the precision of the new assay and the measurements from single well correlated well with traditional single-plex qPCR run in triplicate (r = 0.7 to 0.8). The assay was also validated in an independent set of samples using Southern blot (r = 0.74).

Conclusion: We describe a novel assay for TL assessment using the Luminex platform.

Impact: This may offer an alternative cost-efficient way to study TL in extracted DNA samples.

See all the articles in this CEBP Focus section, “Biomarkers, Biospecimens, and New Technologies in Molecular Epidemiology.”

Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 23(12); 2667–72. ©2014 AACR.
Tumor Intrinsic Subtype Is Reflected in Cancer-Adjacent Tissue
Authors: Casbas-Hernandez Patricia , Sun Xuezheng , Roman-Perez Erick , D'Arcy Monica , Sandhu Rupninder , Hishida Asahi , McNaughton Kirk K. , Yang Xiaohong R. , Makowski Liza , Sherman Mark E. , Figueroa Jonine D. , Troester Melissa A.
Published: December 2014

Introduction: Overall survival of early-stage breast cancer patients is similar for those who undergo breast-conserving therapy (BCT) and mastectomy; however, 10% to 15% of women undergoing BCT suffer ipsilateral breast tumor recurrence. The risk of recurrence may vary with breast cancer subtype. Understanding the gene expression of the cancer-adjacent tissue and the stromal response to specific tumor subtypes is important for developing clinical strategies to reduce recurrence risk.

Methods: We utilized two independent datasets to study gene expression data in cancer-adjacent tissue from invasive breast cancer patients. Complementary in vitro cocultures were used to study cell–cell communication between fibroblasts and specific breast cancer subtypes.

Results: Our results suggest that intrinsic tumor subtypes are reflected in histologically normal cancer-adjacent tissue. Gene expression of cancer-adjacent tissues shows that triple-negative (Claudin-low or basal-like) tumors exhibit increased expression of genes involved in inflammation and immune response. Although such changes could reflect distinct immune populations present in the microenvironment, altered immune response gene expression was also observed in cocultures in the absence of immune cell infiltrates, emphasizing that these inflammatory mediators are secreted by breast-specific cells. In addition, although triple-negative breast cancers are associated with upregulated immune response genes, luminal breast cancers are more commonly associated with estrogen-response pathways in adjacent tissues.

Conclusions: Specific characteristics of breast cancers are reflected in the surrounding histologically normal tissue. This commonality between tumor and cancer-adjacent tissue may underlie second primaries and local recurrences.

Impact: Biomarkers derived from cancer-adjacent tissue may be helpful in defining personalized surgical strategies or in predicting recurrence risk. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 24(2); 406–14. ©2014 AACR.
The Rise of HPV-Positive Oropharyngeal Cancers in the United States
Authors: Fakhry Carole , Cohen Ezra
Published: December 2014

This perspective highlights a study that reports an increasing proportion of human papillomavirus–positive oropharyngeal cancer among blacks in recent calendar periods. The results are discussed in the context of other studies which evaluated racial differences in the distribution of human papillomavirus–positive oropharyngeal cancer and survival. Cancer Prev Res; 8(1); 9–11. ©2014 AACR.

See related article by Zandberg et al., p. 12
How Can You Mend a Broken Brain? - Neurorestorative Approaches to Stroke Recovery
Authors: Corbett Dale , Nguemeni Carine , Gomez-Smith Mariana
Published: December 2014

Background: Stroke is a devastating disorder that strikes approximately 15 million people worldwide. While most patients survive stroke, many are left with lifelong impairments, thereby making stroke the leading cause of permanent neurological disability. Despite this, there are a few options for treatment of acute stroke. Restoration of blood flow using clot-dissolving drugs has produced impressive benefits in some patients. However, for these drugs to be effective, they must be given soon after stroke onset and relatively only a few stroke patients reach hospital within this time. Side effects of these compounds further limit their use. Summary: Enhancing the brain's endogenous capacity for reorganization and self-repair offers the most promise for victims of stroke. Indeed, many stroke patients show considerable spontaneous functional improvement. Findings in the last 15 years suggest that stroke and related injury create a cerebral milieu similar to that of early brain development, a period characterized by rapid neuronal growth and neuroplasticity. A variety of interventions (e.g., stem cells, delivery of growth factors) are currently being explored in order to enhance neuroplasticity and reorganizational processes that are important for recovery of function. An emerging concept is that combinational or ‘cocktail' therapies are more effective than single interventions in improving stroke recovery. Among these, one of the most promising therapies is enriched rehabilitation, a combination of environmental enrichment and task-specific therapy (e.g., reach training). Key Messages: Neurorestorative approaches to brain reorganization and repair are providing new insights into how neural circuits respond to injury and how this knowledge can be used for optimizing stroke rehabilitation practice.
Prevalence of Potential Retrograde Embolization Pathways in the Proximal Descending Aorta in Stroke Patients and Controls
Authors: Wehrum Thomas , Kams Miriam , Strecker Christoph , Dragonu Iulius , Günther Felix , Geibel Annette , Drexl Johann , Hennemuth Anja , Schumacher Martin , Jung Bernd , Harloff Andreas
Published: December 2014

Background: Retrograde diastolic blood flow in the proximal descending aorta (DAo) connecting complex plaques (≥4 mm thick) with brain-supplying supra-aortic arteries may constitute a source of stroke. Yet, data only from high-risk populations (cryptogenic stroke patients with aortic atheroma ≥3 mm) regarding the prevalence of this potential stroke mechanism are available. We aimed to quantify the frequency of this mechanism in unselected patients with cryptogenic stroke after routine diagnostics and controls without a history of stroke. Methods: 88 patients (67 stroke patients, 21 cardiac controls) were prospectively included. 3D T1-weighted bright blood MRI of the aorta was applied for the detection of complex DAo atheroma. ECG-triggered and navigator-gated 4D flow MRI allowed measuring time-resolved 3D blood flow in vivo. Potential retrograde embolization pathways were defined as the co-occurrence of complex plaques and retrograde blood flow in the DAo reaching the outlet of (a) the left subclavian artery, (b) the left common carotid artery, or/and (c) the brachiocephalic trunk. The frequency of these pathways was analyzed by importing 2D plaque images into 3D blood flow visualization software. Results: Complex DAo plaques were more frequent in stroke patients (44 in 31/67 patients (46.3%) vs. 5 in 4/21 controls (19.1%); p = 0.039), especially in older patients (29/46 (63.04%) patients ≥60 years of age with 41 plaques vs. 2/21 (9.14%) patients <60 years of age with 3 plaques; p < 0.001). Contrary to our assumption, retrograde diastolic blood flow at the DAo occurred in every patient irrespective of the existence of plaques with a similar extent in both groups (26 ± 14 vs. 32 ± 18 mm; p = 0.114). Therefore, only the higher prevalence of complex DAo plaques in stroke patients resulted in a three times higher frequency of potential retrograde embolization pathways compared to controls (22/67 (32.8%) vs. 2/21 (9.5%) controls; p = 0.048). Conclusions: This study revealed that retrograde flow in the descending aorta is a common phenomenon not only in stroke patients. The existence of potential retrograde embolization pathways depends mainly on the occurrence of complex plaques in the area 0 to ∼30 mm behind the outlet of the left subclavian artery, which is exposed to flow reversal. In conclusion, we have shown that the frequency of potential retrograde embolization pathways was significantly higher in stroke patients suggesting that this mechanism may play a role in retrograde brain embolism.
Neuroendoscopic Assessment of Choroid Plexus Coagulation to Release Ventricular Catheter: Note on the Seldinger Technique
Authors: Nishikuni Koshiro , Freitas Luiz R.M. , Oliveira Matheus F. , Leme Ricardo J.A.
Published: December 2014

Shunting is fundamental in neurosurgical practice and a large number of patients experience shunt dysfunction throughout life. The Seldinger technique seems to be a valuable tool in the management of dysfunctions and consists of coagulating the choroid plexus before shunt removal. We report the unique case of a neuroendoscopic view of choroid plexus coagulation by the Seldinger technique in a 7-year-old child with shunt dysfunction submitted to endoscopic third ventriculostomy and previous shunt removal. We reinforce the security and efficacy of the Seldinger technique with a direct neuroendoscopic view of the coagulation process.
Anosognosia and Anosodiaphoria in Mild Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer's Disease
Authors: Lindau Maria , Bjork Randall
Published: December 2014

Aims: To evaluate the occurrence of anosognosia (lack of awareness) and anosodiaphoria (insouciance) in mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) and to evaluate the influence of a worsening of dementia on these phenomena. Methods: A self-evaluation scale was used assessing degrees of anosognosia and anosodiaphoria; furthermore, a neuropsychological assessment and statistical analyses with nonparametric tests which could cope with data on an ordinal scale level and small samples were employed. Results: Cognitive ability was lower in AD (n = 9) than in MCI patients (n = 12), but AD patients self-rated lower cognitive disabilities, which is interpreted as one relative sign of anosognosia in AD. Awareness of the reasons for cognitive problems was also lower in AD, which is considered as another sign of anosognosia. The main pattern in MCI found that the higher the awareness, the lower the cognitive ability. In AD low awareness paralleled low cognitive functioning. Anosodiaphoria was present in AD but not in MCI. Conclusion: According to the literature anosognosia and anosodiaphoria seem to increase with progression of dementia from MCI as a result of right hemispheric alterations.
Quality of Life in Peritoneal Carcinomatosis: A Prospective Study in Patients Undergoing Cytoreductive Surgery and Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy (HIPEC)
Authors: Albertsmeier Markus , Hauer Alexandra , Niess Hanno , Werner Jens , Graeb Christian , Angele Martin K.
Published: December 2014

Background/Aims: Cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemoperfusion (HIPEC) can improve survival in selected patients with peritoneal carcinomatosis, but bear a significant risk of perioperative morbidity. The aim of this study was to prospectively evaluate the quality of life (QoL) following cytoreduction and HIPEC. Methods: In this study including 40 patients (65% females) with different primary tumors, the EORTC QLQ-C30 questionnaire was applied prior to CS and HIPEC as well as 3, 9, and 18 months postoperatively. Results: Global health status was not impaired significantly following HIPEC. Scales and symptom scores that deteriorated 3 months postoperatively (p < 0.05), that is, physical, role, and social functions as well as fatigue, pain, dyspnea, insomnia, and diarrhea, all returned to preoperative values within 9 months. Conclusions: Following cytoreductive surgery and HIPEC, QoL returns to preoperative levels within 9 months. Selected patients that are likely to benefit oncologically from HIPEC should not be denied this option for fear of reduced postoperative QoL. i 2014 S. Karger AG, Basel
Paradoxical Muscle Sympathetic Reflex Activation in Human Heart Failure
Authors: Millar Philip J. , Murai Hisayoshi , Floras John S.
Published: December 2014

Background—

Muscle sympathetic activation in heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) has been attributed, on the basis of multiunit recordings, to attenuated inhibitory feedback from stretch-sensitive cardiopulmonary mechanoreceptors. However, such preparations integrate 2 populations of single units exhibiting directionally opposite firing when atrial pressure is perturbed. We tested the hypothesis that the proportion of single units firing paradoxically when filling pressure increases is augmented in HFrEF.

Methods and Results—

Muscle sympathetic nerve activity and estimated central venous pressure were recorded during nonhypotensive lower body negative pressure (LBNP; -10 mm Hg) and nonhypertensive positive pressure (LBPP; +10 mm Hg) in 11 treated HFrEF (left ventricular ejection fraction 25±6% [mean±standard deviation]) patients and 14 similarly aged controls. Single-unit muscle sympathetic nerve activity discharge was termed either anticipated, if firing frequency exhibited classic negative-feedback responses, or paradoxical. LBNP and LBPP had no heart rate, stroke volume, or blood pressure effects (
P
>0.05). Estimated central venous pressure decreased with LBNP (
P
<0.05), increased with LBPP (
P
<0.05), and was consistently higher in HFrEF (
P
<0.05). During LBNP, the ratio of single units with anticipated and paradoxical discharge was similar in HFrEF (18:7) and controls (27:5), whereas LBPP elicited paradoxical reflex excitation in a greater proportion of HFrEF single units (7:18 versus 24:6;
P
=0.0001). Consequently, LBPP increased mean single-unit firing frequency (
P
<0.05) and did not inhibit multiunit muscle sympathetic nerve activity of HFrEF subjects (
P
<0.05 versus controls). Firing of 12/18 HFrEF (but no control) single units increased during both LBPP and LBNP.

Conclusion—

These findings provide the first evidence in human HFrEF for an augmented excitatory cardiopulmonary–muscle sympathetic nerve activity reflex response to increased preload, incorporating 2 distinct single-unit populations with differing firing properties.
Amplitude Spectrum Area to Guide Defibrillation
Authors: Ristagno Giuseppe , Mauri Tommaso , Cesana Giancarlo , Li Yongqin , Finzi Andrea , Fumagalli Francesca , Rossi Gianpiera , Grieco Niccolò , Migliori Maurizio , Andreassi Aida , Latini Roberto , Fornari Carla , Pesenti Antonio
Published: December 2014

Background—

This study sought to validate the ability of amplitude spectrum area (AMSA) to predict defibrillation success and long-term survival in a large population of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests.

Methods and Results—

ECGs recorded by automated external defibrillators from different manufacturers were obtained from patients with cardiac arrests occurring in 8 city areas. A database, including 2447 defibrillations from 1050 patients, was used as the derivation group, and an additional database, including 1381 defibrillations from 567 patients, served as validation. A 2-second ECG window before defibrillation was analyzed, and AMSA was calculated. Univariable and multivariable regression analyses and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve were used for associations between AMSA and study end points: defibrillation success, sustained return of spontaneous circulation, and long-term survival. Among the 2447 defibrillations of the derivation database, 26.2% were successful. AMSA was significantly higher before a successful defibrillation than a failing one (13±5 versus 6.8±3.5 mV-Hz) and was an independent predictor of defibrillation success (odds ratio, 1.33; 95% confidence interval, 1.20–1.37) and sustained return of spontaneous circulation (odds ratio, 1.22; 95% confidence interval, 1.17–1.26). Area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for defibrillation success prediction was 0.86 (95% confidence interval, 0.85–0.88). AMSA was also significantly associated with long-term survival. The following AMSA thresholds were identified: 15.5 mV-Hz for defibrillation success and 6.5 mV-Hz for defibrillation failure. In the validation database, AMSA ≥15.5 mV-Hz had a positive predictive value of 84%, whereas AMSA ≤6.5 mV-Hz had a negative predictive value of 98%.

Conclusions—

In this large derivation-validation study, AMSA was validated as an accurate predictor of defibrillation success. AMSA also appeared as a predictor of long-term survival.
Body Mass Index and Stroke Risk Among Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus
Authors: Li Weiqin , Katzmarzyk Peter T. , Horswell Ronald , Zhang Yonggang , Zhao Wenhui , Wang Yujie , Johnson Jolene , Hu Gang
Published: December 2014

Background and Purpose—

Previous studies have evaluated the association of body mass index (BMI) with the risk of all-cause and cardiovascular disease mortality among diabetic patients, and results were controversial. No studies have focused on the association between BMI and stroke risk among diabetic patients. We aimed to examine the association of BMI with stroke risk among diabetic patients.

Methods—

We performed a prospective cohort study with 29 554 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to estimate the association of different levels of BMI with stroke risk.

Results—

During a mean follow-up period of 8.3 years, 2883 participants developed stroke (2821 ischemic and 109 hemorrhagic). The multivariable-adjusted (age, sex, race, smoking, income, and type of insurance) hazard ratios associated with different levels of BMI at baseline (18.5–24.9 [reference group], 25–29.9, 30–34.9, 35–39.9, and ≥40 kg/m
2
) were 1.00, 0.86, 0.83, 0.76, and 0.70 (
P
trend
<0.001) for total stroke, 1.00, 0.87, 0.85, 0.78, and 0.72 (
P
trend
<0.001) for ischemic stroke, and 1.00, 0.76, 0.72, 0.54, and 0.53 (
P
trend
=0.034) for hemorrhagic stroke, respectively. When we used an updated mean or the last visit value of BMI, the inverse association of BMI with stroke risk did not change. This inverse association was consistent among patients of different races, sex, ages, HbA1c levels, never and current smoking, and patients with and without using glucose-lowering, cholesterol-lowering, or antihypertensive agents.

Conclusions—

The present study demonstrates an inverse association between BMI and stroke risk among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.
On Climate Rent
Authors: Felli Romain
Published: December 2014

As environmental degradation becomes a growing concern, this article argues that the development of international law on climate change expresses the deep social contradictions between accumulation and reproduction under capitalism. These contradictions are translated into the creation of a form of public property over the right to emit greenhouse gases (and not the ‘privatisation’ of the atmosphere). This public property is unequally distributed amongst states in an imperialist manner. The distribution of these rights at the domestic level amounts to the distribution of rights to climate rent. Contrary to popular accounts of the ‘commodification’ of nature, I argue that emission rights are not ‘commodities’, and emissions trading and carbon markets are not ‘accumulation strategies’. These are merely depoliticised forms in which climate rent is extracted and circulates to preclude political debates about the goals of production.
‘Freedom of Discussion Inside the Party Is Absolutely Necessary’
Authors: Wilde Florian
Published: December 2014

Despite being ‘one of the most notable leaders of the German Communist movement’, Ernst Meyer (1887–1930) remains relatively unknown. Prior to the online publication of the author’s PhD dissertation – an extensive 666-page biography of Meyer – there existed beyond two short biographies – an informative political autobiography from Meyer’s wife Rosa Meyer-Leviné and an essay by Hermann Weber published in 1968 – and some recent texts from the author, no other publications dealing closely with his life and work. Of these, only Meyer-Leviné’s biography has been published in English.

Meyer played a major role in the left wing of the German labour movement, beginning in 1908 when he joined the German Social-Democratic Party (spd) until his death over twenty years later. A friend and collaborator of Rosa Luxemburg, he was also one of the founding and leading members of the International Group and its successor, the Spartacus League, in which the radical, anti-war wing of Social Democracy organised itself after the outbreak of World War i. He represented both of these groups as a delegate to the international conferences of anti-war socialists at Zimmerwald (1915) and Kienthal (1916). Elected to the kpd’s Zentrale at the party’s founding conference, Meyer remained a member of the leadership almost continuously in the years to come, occupying various leading positions. He also represented the party at the Second and Fourth World-Congresses of the Communist International (1920 and 1922).
Book review: Ceti medi senza futuro? Scritti, appunti sul lavoro e altro, written by Sergio Bologna Book review: Vita da freelance. I lavoratori della conoscenza e il loro futuro, written by Sergio Bologna and Dario Banfi Book review: Felici e sfruttati. Capitalismo digitale ed eclissi del lavoro, written by Carlo Formenti
Authors: Boffo Marco
Published: December 2014

This paper reviews the recent writing of Sergio Bologna and Carlo Formenti. These authors are proposed as post-workerist dissenters with respect to Hardt and Negri’s conceptualisation of contemporary capitalism. Therefore, while the latter has risen to prominence within Anglo-American academia astheradical (post-workerist) account of the political economy of the knowledge economy, the work of Bologna and Formenti is here presented as providing alternative accounts of contemporary capitalism and its dynamics. In doing so, this work challenges the Anglo-American reception of post-operaismo. However, these analyses are also assessed by showing the many similarities they share with Hardt and Negri’s account (not least with respect to the category of class composition). These similarities are argued to pose immanent limits, impeding this post-workerist dissent’s ability to carryoperaismobeyond Hardt and Negri.
Book review: Martha Rosler: The Bowery in Two Inadequate Descriptive Systems, written by Steve Edwards
Authors: Gogarty Larne Kate Abse
Published: December 2014

Steve Edwards’s book, Martha Rosler: The Bowery in Two Inadequate Descriptive Systems, is a close study of Rosler’s 1976 artwork. The book takes up the social and political coordinates of the work’s production, focusing on the San Diego Group of which Rosler was a member, New York City during the fiscal crisis, and the broader contribution Rosler makes to what Edwards calls ‘second-wave political modernism’. This review considers Edwards’s analyses of the work, and locates its importance within the discussion around Rosler, as well as the broader history of radical American art.
Bankers, Finance Capital and the French Revolutionary Terror (1791–94)
Authors: Heller Henry
Published: December 2014

This article argues that popular revolution was closely tied to the establishment of capitalism. Contrary to the revisionist George V. Taylor’s view that the Revolution had nothing to do with the advance of capitalism because financial and productive capital were divided from one another, this article contends that the Revolution played a critical role in tying them together. Prior to the Revolution financiers began to make limited investments in wholesale trade, manufacturing and mining. But during the revolutionary crisis the sans-culottes pushed the Jacobins to create a national money and to curb speculation in order to foster production and exchange and reduce unemployment. With speculative activity blocked by popular resistance and state interference, bankers and other capitalists increasingly turned to productive investments and forged a link between financial and productive capital which proved crucial to further capitalist accumulation.
The Third Reich as Rogue Regime
Authors: Riley Dylan
Published: December 2014

What was the connection between the structure of the German economy in the 1930s and German aggression in World Warii? Adam Tooze’sWages of Destructionforcefully poses this issue, but fails to adequately resolve it. Instead, on this decisive question, his analysis oscillates uneasily between two equally unconvincing models: rational-choice theory and cultural determinism. This surprising explanatory failure derives from an inadequate theorisation of German imperialism as the expression of the combined and uneven development of the German economy and society in the late-nineteenth and early-twentieth centuries.
Algerian Women’s Būqālah Poetry: Oral Literature, Cultural Politics, and Anti-Colonial Resistance
Authors: Slyomovics Susan
Published: December 2014

Būqālah refers both to a ceramic pitcher as well as to poems ritually embedded in the traditional, favorite, divinatory pastime associated with women city dwellers of specific Algerian towns such as Blida, Cherchell, Tlemcen, Constantine, and Algiers. This essay considers the shift from orality to a written archive of French and Algerian collections of būqālah poems by focusing on analyses of Algerian Arabic oral literature as an expression of feminine cultural protest and resistance to the domination of language policies under French colonialism. What are the ways in which an intimate ritual—one linked to orality, the divinatory, women’s poesis, and the Algerian Arabic dialect—begins to carry political meanings during the War of Independence and in post-1962 independent Algeria? Contributing to the circulation and creation of new meanings, forms, and venues for būqālah poetry are Algerian radio and television broadcasts, Internet postings, and the publication of the 1962 French poem “Boqala” by Djamila Amrane.
Southern Counterpublics: The Poetics and Politics of South Lebanon’s Ruinscapes
Authors: Khayyat Yasmine
Published: December 2014

This article explores the commemorative poetics of Shuʿarāʾ al-Janūb, a group of South Lebanese poets who interpellated the classical Arabic tradition of ruin-gazing known as al-wūqūf ʿalā al-aṭlāl (stopping at the ruins) into their laments over Israel’s protracted occupation of South Lebanon (1978-2000) as well as their marginalized positioning within the nation’s literary landscape. I argue that Shuʿarāʾ al-Janūb can be seen as creating “counterpublics,” a new texture of memory expressive of an understudied swathe of Lebanon’s population that faced occupation and neglect on the literary, national and humanitarian front. Arḍ al-Janūb (the southern earth) stands in for the pre-Islamic ṭalal (ruined site), gripping the imaginative poetics of its memory practitioners who conceive of the land as a repository for their personal and collective memories of forced migration and war. Rather than the qaṣīdah’s amorous site of return, however, the ruined southern landscape is reconfigured as an impossible port of entry and unwelcoming host to war. South Lebanon’s recurring seasons and cycles of war and occupation place it in a blind spot of historical and cultural memory for the larger part of its occupation. By imbricating ruins and memory into their poetic meditations on the deformation of this once enchanted landscape they called home, Shuʿarāʾ al-Janūb attempt to reposition the South as not a liminal space in the nation’s cultural imaginary, but rather a deeply central one by calling into question issues of belonging, war and the art(ifice) of commemoration. By delving into this rural periphery, I examine its separate fate from the rest of the nation through its poetic landscapes of war. I argue that this new school of poetry entwines the performance of returning to and beholding ruined spaces with a critical and political form of witness. The sometimes spectral, sometimes enchanted and sometimes scarred poetic landscapes of Shuʿarāʾ al-Janūb suture together a discourse that galvanizes nature, memory, myth and pre-Islamic motifs into a counterpublic discourse that sits in uneasy tension with the historical context of war and occupation.
Extraordinary Exceptions at the International Criminal Court: The (New) Rules and Jurisprudence on Presence at Trial
Authors: Knottnerus Abel S.
Published: December 2014

After their election as President and Vice-President of Kenya, Uhuru Kenyatta and William Ruto asked to be excused from continuous presence during their trials at the icc. This request raised difficult questions for the Court’s Judges. First, can the accused be excused or is continuous presence a procedural requirement? Secondly, can an excusal be granted because the accused has to fulfil demanding functions as (Deputy-) Head of State or would this be a prohibited distinction on the basis of official capacity? Thirdly, under what circumstances would it be reasonable to excuse the accused? Do the daily tasks of a (Vice-) President justify an excusal? This article examines and criticizes how the Judges of the Trial Chamber(s) and subsequently of the Appeals Chamber have answered these questions. It concludes that the two Kenyan leaders have obtained extraordinary exceptions that cannot be reconciled with the relevant provisions of the Rome Statute.