bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
‘It Could Be Us’: Recent Transformations in the Use of Community Service as a Punishment in Spain
Authors: Blay Ester
Published: March 2014

Community service orders, or work for the benefit of the community orders, were introduced in Spanish legislation with the 1995 Criminal Code. Its practical use was until recently scant, and has since 2008 exploded in numerical terms. After describing the legal framework and aims of this sanction, this paper focuses on recent developments in the use of this penalty and in implementation and supervision practices. It draws from analysis of Parliamentary debates, sentences passed by judges, official statistics and other official documents, and interviews with judges, public prosecutors, supervisors and senior civil servants responsible for implementation.
Judicial Rehabilitation in Germany — The Use of Criminal Records and the Removal of Recorded Convictions
Authors: Morgenstern Christine
Published: March 2014

This paper has two aims: First, it will explore the German legal system of central data collection on convicted offenders, the limited access to the data stored and the different modes of removing data. This exploration will be linked to the question of re-socialisation as a right of the offender and, more practically, to his ‘real life chances’ of finding a workplace as a decisive element of the re-integration process. Second, debates about judicial rehabilitation through the means of a formalized redemption ritual or ceremony (see Maruna, 2011) that acknowledges the desistance of ex-offenders will be examined in the German context.
Judicial Rehabilitation? A View from England
Authors: Padfield Nicky
Published: March 2014

Criminal records in England are maintained by the police, and there is no possibility of ‘judicial rehabilitation’, in the narrow sense of a judicial decision which authorizes the wiping clean of the record. However, the law is complex. The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, was designed, as the name suggests, to help in the rehabilitation of offenders by penalizing the unauthorized disclosure of their previous conviction(s) after a period without further conviction. An offender becomes rehabilitated and the conviction is ‘spent’. However, the public protection agenda of recent years has resulted in the expansion of numerous exceptions to this law. Many organizations have access to the data held by the police, and individuals can be asked to provide a criminal record certificate (to potential employers). This paper explores these exceptions, and some recent court decisions which seek to balance the conflicting human rights and interests apparent in this area. It concludes, perhaps optimistically, that it is possible to see the potential for judicial rehabilitation in a looser sense, and even for redemptive rituals (see Maruna and LeBel, 2003), in English courts. However, at this moment any likelihood of a formal process of judicial rehabilitation, in the sense of record erasure, seems inconceivable.
Conviction Records in Spain: Obstacles to Reintegration of Offenders?
Authors: Larrauri Elena
Published: March 2014

This paper argues that conviction records pose a serious obstacle for the reintegration of offenders, especially in the labor market. It argues that this reintegration will be different in countries where publicity of conviction records is freely available, where employers are required to carry out regular checks before hiring their employees, and where conviction records never get expunged. The first part of the paper presents the regulation of conviction records in Spain, regarding these three matters. The paper then moves on to offer some reflections on how the erasure of spent conviction records could be strengthened and how this might aid the desistance process.
Judicial Rehabilitation in the Netherlands: Balancing between Safety and Privacy
Authors: Boone Miranda
Published: March 2014

This paper is part of a special edition on Judicial Rehabilitation, a topic that derived from Maruna's work on rehabilitation and rehabilitation rituals. It addresses the possibility of such rituals in the Netherlands. It describes which data concerning criminal convictions can be stored, how long they may be preserved and which persons and organisations can get access to the criminal records. It also pays attention to the jobs and position for which a conduct certificate is needed and the conditions under which it can be issued. Conclusion of this analysis is that the stricter regulations concerning criminal records, the increase of jobs a conduct certificate is needed for and the stricter conditions under which it is issued, hinder the serious efforts that are made in prison and probation to reduce recidivism.
Judicial Rehabilitation and the ‘Clean Bill of Health’ in Criminal Justice
Authors: Maruna Shadd
Published: March 2014

Drawing on an important survey of European and Australian policies toward ‘judicial rehabilitation,’ this article makes the following arguments. First, the rehabilitation movement should return to the origins of the word ‘rehabilitation’ and focus at least as much on efforts to remove and relieve ex-prisoner stigma as on treatment and reform efforts. There will be no ‘rehabilitation revolution’ without this. Second, these efforts should involve active, not passive redemption. Rehabilitation processes that require almost a decade or more of ‘crime-free’ behaviour before forgiving an individual for his or her crimes are just and fair, but they miss the point of rehabilitation. Policies should encourage, support and facilitate good behaviour and not just reward it in retrospect. Third, rehabilitation should not just be done, but be ‘seen to be done,’ ideally in a ritualised format. This sends an important message to the individual and wider society. Finally, I argue that it may be better to forgive than forget past crimes. That is, rather than burying past crimes as if they never happened, states should instead acknowledge and formally recognise that people can change, that good people can do bad things, and that all individuals should be able to move on from past convictions.
Recalling Conditionally Released Prisoners in Austria
Authors: Bruckmüller Karin , Forstner Katrin
Published: March 2014

The legal justification for the possibility to recall conditionally released is to motivate the offenders not to commit any further offences. This article discusses whether the practical implementation of recall might not sometimes prove counterproductive as regards this special preventative aspect. Additionally, the extraordinarily important role of the staff of the probation service in the support of the released offender outside prison is emphasized. The probation service also has a key role when it comes to deciding upon ordering recall.
Conditional Release in Belgium: How Reforms Have Impacted Recall
Authors: Bauwens Aline , Robert Luc , Snacken Sonja
Published: March 2014

Following the Dutroux case in 1996, the Belgian parole system was thoroughly reformed in 1998 and 2006. Decision-making was transferred from the Minister of Justice to multidisciplinary “Sentence Implementation Courts”, supervision and follow up of conditionally released prisoners was tightened and the proportion of recalls increased. Recall of conditional release hence results from the interaction between three main parties: the offender, the supervising probation officer (“justice assistant” in Belgium) and the Sentence Implementation Court who takes the final decision. This paper looks into the consequences of these reforms for two of these parties: the justice assistants, who struggle to keep their professional discretion in the decision to recall, and prisoners, who increasingly turn away from conditional release, thus avoiding recall to prison altogether.
‘Back Door Sentencing’ in Italy: Common Reasons and Main Consequences for the Recall of Prisoners
Authors: Gualazzi Alessandra , Mancuso Chiara , Mangiaracina Annalisa
Published: March 2014

Italian law only provides the general conditions for the institution of recall. It follows that significant discretionary powers are enjoyed by the surveillance judges (and in particular by the Surveillance Tribunal) who evaluate on a case-by-case basis whether the commission of another offence or the infringement of parole conditions demonstrate the offenders' negative attitude to reintegrate into society. However, especially with reference to the commission of serious crimes, the judges' discretionary assessment can result in a restrictive application of the law on recall with the consequence that parolees are returned to prison even when they commit minor violations.

The Italian penitentiary system is currently undergoing a serious crisis mainly caused by prison overcrowding. This article argues that reform of the system is thus urgently needed. Such reform should be aimed, among other objectives, at strengthening the role of the bodies which are involved in the different phases of recall (e.g. social services, prison staff, etc.), in order to assist and support judges in their difficult task of decision making in an area — such that of recall — full of social implication.
Recalling Conditionally Released Prisoners in Slovenia
Authors: Stubbs Katja Šugman , Ambrož Matjaž
Published: March 2014

While many EU countries are seeing an increase in the number of prisoners being recalled to prison from release on parole, Slovenia presents an exception: although the Slovenian system does legislate for revoking parole the measure is hardly ever used in practice. This article explores legal and practical aspects of parole revocation in Slovenia, the role of the judiciary, the attitudes to revocation of the parole shaped by Slovenia's legal culture, and possible reasons for the rarity of parole being revoked in Slovenian penal practice.
Inequality and Punitivism in Late Modern Societies: Scandinavian Exceptionalism Revisited
Authors: Barry Monica , Leonardsen Dag
Published: March 2014

In The Culture of Control, Garland (2001) suggests that whilst not inevitable, it is likely that late modern societies will experience increased punitivism. Certain critics have questioned to what extent Scandinavian countries should be included in that assumption, given their unique welfare systems and public/media reactions to crime, and this article comments on one in particular — Green (2008), in a comparison of child murder by children in England and Norway. We argue that punitivism is indeed increasing in Norway along the lines already identified in Anglo-American countries, albeit at the slower rate acknowledged by Green. However, the relevant benchmark for testing Garland's thesis is not only to compare between countries but also to look for changes within countries. We argue that there is a link between late modernity and increasing punitivism in Norway, that the main cause of the comparative ‘uniqueness’ of Norway is its low rates of inequality and that ‘cultural’ explanations, though relevant, are secondary.
Are Former Male Inmates Excluded from Social Life?
Authors: Tica Gabriel , Roth Maria
Published: March 2014

Based on Becker's conceptualization of deviance, the phenomena of labeling and stigmatization of people who commit antisocial acts will result in their social marginalization and exclusion, which may result in relapse into criminal behavior. By the means of qualitative research, this paper looks at different forms of social exclusion, as possible catalysts of male recidivism in Romania. Turning away from the perspective that the offender alone is responsible for the acts he committed and for his own rehabilitation, the authors demonstrate that social exclusion was experienced by recidivists in different ways, favouring the perpetration of antisocial acts. The identified spheres of social exclusion that mainly need to be targeted by social policies and social assistance are: employment, housing, family relationships and social networks.
What Works for Irregular Migrants in the Netherlands?
Authors: Boone Miranda , Kox Mieke
Published: March 2014

This contribution provides an overview of the extent to which rehabilitation instruments and opportunities are accessible for irregular migrants who are serving a criminal sanction in the Netherlands. It shows that irregular migrants are largely excluded from criminal sanctions that have rehabilitation as a central aim and from rehabilitation opportunities that are provided during the implementation of criminal sanctions. These findings raise questions concerning the legal legitimacy of largely excluding irregular migrants from rehabilitation opportunities and the way in which irregular migrants prepare themselves for their return to society in practice.
Do Intervention Plans Meet Criteria for Effective Practice to Reduce Recidivism? How Probation Officers Forget about Social Capital and Basic Needs
Authors: Bosker Jacqueline , Witteman Cilia , Hermanns Jo
Published: March 2014

The increased use of instruments for assessing risks and needs in probation should lead to intervention plans that meet the criteria for effective practice. An analysis of 300 intervention plans from the Dutch probation service showed that the match between the assessed criminogenic needs and the goals and interventions in the intervention plan is fairly low. It was also found that the so-called risk principle is not fully applied by probation officers. In addition, personal goals that the offender values are often not taken fully into account. Finally, the intervention plans have a strong focus on improving human capital, while improving social capital and basic needs often is not part of the intervention plans, even if they were assessed as dynamic criminogenic needs.
Desistance by Design: Offenders' Reflections on Criminal Justice Theory, Policy and Practice
Authors: Barry Monica
Published: March 2014

This article highlights the views and advice of offenders in Scotland about what helps and hinders young people generally in the process of desistance, why interventions may or may not encourage desistance and what criminal justice and other agencies can do to alleviate the problems which may result in offending. The findings suggest that probation-style supervisory relationships with workers are still the key means to promote desistance but given the fact that offenders perceive desistance to be ‘by design’ rather than ‘by default’, there still needs to be a greater emphasis placed by criminal justice and wider agencies on the structural constraints to a legal, conventional and integrated lifestyle.
Integrating Environmental Considerations into Prisoner Risk Assessments
Authors: Tompson Lisa , Chainey Spencer
Published: March 2014

Reducing re-offending amongst ex-prisoners is of paramount importance for both penal and societal reasons. This paper advances an argument that the current prisoner risk assessment instruments used in the UK neglect to account for environmental determinants of re-offending. We frame this position within the growing literature on the ecology of recidivism, and use the principles of environmental criminology to stress the importance of the opportunities for crime that are present in an ex-prisoners' neighbourhood. We conclude by considering the implications for policy and discuss how these might conflict with the practical realities of managing ex-prisoners.
Changing Shape and Shifting Boundaries — The Media Portrayal of Probation in Ireland
Authors: Maguire Niamh , Carr Nicola
Published: March 2014

Literature on the media representation of probation highlights that probation as a ‘brand’ and concept is poorly understood and lacks public visibility. This has implications for its legitimacy and credibility. In this article we explore probation's visibility in one country, the Republic of Ireland, through a critical analysis of print media representations of probationover a 12-year period (2001 to 2012). While our study finds that the majority of the coverage of probation was either positive or neutral in tone, we note a recent shift towards a more negative tone that we argue is reflective of the changing shape of the penal-probation boundaries. These changes are linked to resourcing of the criminal justice system and have implications for the public perception of probation.
Electronic Monitoring in Belgium: A Penological Analysis of Current and Future Orientations
Authors: Beyens Kristel , Roosen Marijke
Published: March 2014

Electronic monitoring was introduced nationwide in Belgium in 2000 and has expanded ever since. Currently important changes are taking place, radically transforming its operation and nature. The aim of this article is to describe and critically discuss the current shift in EM discourses and practices in Belgium from a penological perspective. We start with a brief sketch of the historical evolution of EM, explaining the penal and political context in which EM emerged and was further established, what goals it was supposed to meet and how these goals and practices shifted. With the new regulations of 2012 and 2013, both the rationale and the technology of EM have further evolved. These recent evolutions will be illustrated and situated in a consideration of the wider transformation of punishment in the community.
Leadership and the Nigerian Economy
Authors: Dike Victor E.
Published: March 2014

The Nigerian economy is largely oil-based. Some people would rather say it is a mono-product economy. The economy has been in dire straits over the years, because of a combination of the neglect of education, especially technical and vocational education and science-based technology education, poor leadership and governance, corruption, as well as poor monetary and fiscal policies. All these have made a review of the poor investment in human capital development and infrastructure and institutions that drive the Nigerian economy and national development rather compelling. The political leaders have always raised the people’s hope by painting glowing pictures of their development plans and how they would stimulate the economy and improve the people’s living conditions. Thus, they swore that they would give priority attention to human capital development and national development, and empower the citizens, particularly the poorly educated, unskilled, and unemployed youths, with relevant human skills capital and entrepreneurial skills to enable them to contribute profoundly to national development. Yet the political leaders have, over the years, failed to adequately fund education and strengthen the infrastructure and institutions that would drive the economy and create employment for the teeming population. Both the new-breed politicians, like the old politicians before them, are promising to transform the nation into an industrialized society and the people cannot hold their expectations. The reality though is that Nigeria cannot become an industrialized society without investing abundantly in human capital development (education and health), leadership, and technological capabilities, which means investing in the future development of the nation.
Wear and electrochemical behaviour of Mg–Al intermetallic coating
Authors: Li Y.-G. , Wei Y.-H. , Hou L.-F. , Guo C.-L. , Han P.-J.
Published: March 2014

An erbium modified Mg17Al12 based coating was fabricated by hot press sintering on as extruded AZ61 Mg alloy. The Er modified coating was composed of Mg17Al12 and Al3Er phases. As a result of the presence of the dispersed Al3Er phase, the coating had a greater microhardness than Mg17Al12. Thermal effects of sintering at 400°C for 1 h caused no obvious deterioration in the wear resistance of the AZ61 Mg matrix. Electrochemical and wear resistance tests showed that the Er modified Mg17Al12 based coating had a lower corrosion current density and a lower friction coefficient than Mg17Al12, the AZ61 Mg matrix and a thermal diffusion coating (TDC). The superior wear resistance of the sintered coating resulted from the hard Al3Er phase. The corrosion resistance of the sintered coating was better than that of the TDC as a result of suppression of hydrogen evolution by the rare earth metal Er.
High performance alumina films prepared by direct current plus pulse anodisation
Authors: Zhao X.X. , Wei G.Y. , Meng X.F. , Zhang A.
Published: March 2014

Traditional anodic aluminium oxide (AAO) is usually fabricated by potentiostatic method at 0–5°C to inhibit the joule's heat enhanced dissolution in aluminium oxide for well ordered cell configuration. In this paper, AAO film was performed by direct current plus pulse (DCP) method in mixed acid (sulphuric acid–tartaric acid–oxalic acid) and Al2(SO4)3 electrolyte at room temperature. Effects of anodising voltages on anticorrosion, nanohardness and elastic modulus of 2024 aluminium alloy oxide films were investigated by electrochemical polarisation and nanoindentation. By means of DCP technique, the alumina films were fabricated by anodising 2024 Al under high potentials (E2) from 18 to 23 V and low potentials (E2) from 16 to 21 V. It was found that the anodised films fabricated under the voltage of 21–19 V could exhibit excellent performance. Meanwhile, the results showed that anticorrosion, nanohardness and Young's modulus were significantly affected by anodising voltages, which were attributed to the changes of anodised film density as well as the pore wall thickness according to the SEM analysis.
Surface modification by multilayered W/W2N coating
Authors: Upadhyay R. K. , Kumaraswamidhas L. A.
Published: March 2014

In the present work, multilayer physical vapour deposition (PVD) coating of W/W2N (tungsten/tungsten nitride) were deposited on vanadis 23 steel by unbalance reactive magnetron sputtering in a N2/Ar atmosphere. Microstructures, mechanical and fundamental properties of W/W2N coatings were examined. Pin on disc test was performed on Vanadis 23 steel at room temperature (RT) to elevated temperature (800°C) with the help of bearing steel (100Cr6) and alumina ball to investigate their friction and wear properties. Result shows that friction coefficient of 100Cr6 steel balls are higher than alumina (Al2O3) ball, when sliding against W/W2N coated Vanadis 23 steel. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) analyses were performed to obtain the microstructure and chemical composition of the material. Nanoindentation and scratch test was performed to evaluate the mechanical properties of thin film.
Donor hematopoiesis in mice following total lymphoid irradiation requires host T-regulatory cells for durable engraftment
Authors: Müller Antonia M. S. , Poyser Jessica , Küpper Natascha J. , Burnett Cassandra , Ko Rose M. , Kohrt Holbrook E.K. , Florek Mareike , Zhang Pei , Negrin Robert S. , Shizuru Judith A.
Published: March 2014

Key Points

After TLI, donor blood stem cells first engraft in irradiated marrow and gradually redistribute into unexposed sites. Long-term donor cell engraftment requires the presence of regulatory host cells that promote host stem-cell cycling.
Comorbidities in patients with COPD and pulmonary rehabilitation: do they matter?
Authors: Franssen Frits M.E. , Rochester Carolyn L.
Published: March 2014

It is now recognised that chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a heterogeneous disease with many systemic features. Cardiovascular, metabolic, musculoskeletal and psychological comorbidities contribute to the morbidity and mortality in all stages of the disease. The presence of comorbid conditions has important consequences for disease assessment and management. In addition to treatment of the structural and functional changes in the lungs, clinical programmes for COPD should also assess and manage patients’ comorbidities. Thus, there is an increasing need to understand the interaction between existing therapies and comorbidities. Pulmonary rehabilitation is an evidence-based intervention that has been shown to improve clinical outcomes in COPD. However, the impact of comorbidities on outcomes of pulmonary rehabilitation andvice versais only partially understood. To date, there is limited information on the need for adapting specific interventions in pulmonary rehabilitation to comorbidities or the potential adverse effects of pulmonary rehabilitation in these patients. This article addresses the currently available literature and suggests novel areas for research.
Tuberculosis
Authors: Horsburgh C. Robert
Published: March 2014

This article reviews the published literature on tuberculosis from September 2012 to August 2013 and describes important advances in tuberculosis epidemiology, microbiology, pathology, clinical pharmacology, genetics, treatment and prevention.
Asthma in pregnancy: a hit for two
Authors: Murphy Vanessa E. , Schatz Michael
Published: March 2014

Asthma commonly occurs in pregnant females, and recent data have outlined the risks of adverse perinatal outcomes among this population. There is an increased risk of low birth weight and small for gestational age, particularly among females with moderate-to-severe asthma and exacerbations during pregnancy. There is also an increased risk of preterm birth, especially with oral steroid use, a small but statistically significant increased risk of congenital malformations, particularly of cleft lip with or without cleft palate, and an increased risk of neonatal hospitalisation and death. Active management may reduce these risks, possibly through reductions in exacerbations.

Additional reassuring data have been presented for asthma medication use, which support the benefits outweighing the risks of indicated asthma medication use in pregnancy. Viral infections are an important trigger of asthma exacerbations in pregnancy, and recent data provides possible immunological changes that may explain this. Poor medication adherence despite worsening asthma symptoms in pregnancy is a problem which continues to be demonstrated in the literature. Improving asthma control in pregnancy has the potential to improve not only the mother’s health but also that of her child.
First-line treatment of EGFR-mutated nonsmall cell lung cancer: critical review on study methodology
Authors: Sebastian Martin , Schmittel Alexander , Reck Martin
Published: March 2014

Recent advances in understanding the mechanisms of nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has led to the development of targeted treatments, including the reversible epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitors gefitinib and erlotinib, and the irreversible ErbB family blocker afatinib. Several important activating EGFR mutations have now been identified, which correlate strongly with response to treatment with these agents. Multiple randomised controlled trials have confirmed the association between the presence of activating EGFR mutations and objective response to gefitinib, erlotinib and afatinib, thus demonstrating their superiority over platinum-based chemotherapy as first-line treatment for NSCLC patients with EGFR mutation-positive tumours, and resulting in approval of these agents for use in this setting. It can be tempting to compare outcome data across multiple clinical trials and agents; however, substantial differences in methodology between studies, including investigatorversusindependent assessment and differences in patient eligibility, makes such comparisons fraught with difficulty. This critical review provides an overview of the evolution of the methodology used in eight phase III trials investigating first-line targeted treatment of NSCLC, identifies key differences in methodology and reporting, and critically assesses how these differences should be taken into account when interpreting the findings from such trials.
Pirfenidone: an update on clinical trial data and insights from everyday practice
Authors: Kreuter Michael
Published: March 2014

Pirfenidone is an orally active, small molecule that inhibits synthesis of profibrotic and inflammatory mediators. It was approved for the treatment of adults with mild-to-moderate idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis in the European Union based on the results of two pivotal phase III, double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled clinical trials (CAPACITY) demonstrating efficacy and safety, and supported by two Japanese clinical trials (SP2 and SP3). Currently, there is increasing interest in experience with pirfenidone in patients relating to the real-world setting.

Following the publication of the CAPACITY clinical studies, additional analyses have been conducted to provide further support for pirfenidone in clinical practice, including a modified per-protocol analysis of the CAPACITY study population. New data from the RECAP extension study also provided longer term data for pirfenidone and promising continuation rates with treatment. Pirfenidone is also being evaluated in specialist centre cohorts providing important information on real-world efficacy and safety. Increasing experience with pirfenidone in everyday clinical practice is helping to establish \expert guidance on the management of known adverse events, together with practical recommendations, to ensure adherence to treatment so that the possible longer term benefits of pirfenidone treatment in reducing lung function decline can be maximised.
Neglected evidence in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and the importance of early diagnosis and treatment
Authors: Cottin Vincent , Richeldi Luca
Published: March 2014

In idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), some facts or concepts based on substantial evidence, whilst implicit for learned subspecialists, have previously been neglected and/or not explicitly formulated or made accessible to a wider audience. IPF is strongly associated with cigarette smoking and is predominantly a disease of ageing. However, its cause(s) remain elusive and, thus, it is one of the most challenging diseases for the development of novel effective and safe therapies. With the approval of pirfenidone for patients with mild-to-moderate IPF, an earlier diagnosis of IPF is a prerequisite for earlier treatment and, potentially, improvement of the long-term clinical outcome of this progressive and ultimately fatal disease. An earlier diagnosis may be achieved in IPF by promoting thin-slice chest high-resolution computed tomography screening of interstitial lung disease as a “by-product” of large-scale lung cancer screening strategies in smokers, but other techniques, which have been neglected in the past, are now available. Lung auscultation and early identification of “velcro” crackles has been proposed as a key component of early diagnosis of IPF. An ongoing study is exploring correlations between lung sounds on auscultation obtained using electronic stethoscopes and high-resolution computed tomography patterns.
Some comparison theorems and their applications in Finsler geometry
Authors: Yin Songting , He Qun , Zheng Daxiao
Published: March 2014

By using arbitrary volume forms, we establish Laplacian comparison theorems for Finsler manifolds under certain curvature conditions. As applications, some volume comparison theorems and Mckean type eigenvalue estimates of Finsler manifolds are obtained. Moreover, we also generalize Calabi-Yau’s linear volume growth theorem, and Milnor’s results on curvature and the fundamental group to the Finsler setting.

MSC: 53C60, 53B40.
Genome-wide association and genomic prediction for host response to porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus infection
Authors: Boddicker Nicholas J , Bjorkquist Angelica , Rowland Raymond RR , Lunney Joan K , Reecy James M , Dekkers Jack CM
Published: March 2014

Background

Host genetics has been shown to play a role in porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS), which is the most economically important disease in the swine industry. A region on Sus scrofa chromosome (SSC) 4 has been previously reported to have a strong association with serum viremia and weight gain in pigs experimentally infected with the PRRS virus (PRRSV). The objective here was to identify haplotypes associated with the favorable phenotype, investigate additional genomic regions associated with host response to PRRSV, and to determine the predictive ability of genomic estimated breeding values (GEBV) based on the SSC4 region and based on the rest of the genome. Phenotypic data and 60 K SNP genotypes from eight trials of ~200 pigs from different commercial crosses were used to address these objectives.

Results

Across the eight trials, heritability estimates were 0.44 and 0.29 for viral load (VL, area under the curve of log-transformed serum viremia from 0 to 21 days post infection) and weight gain to 42 days post infection (WG), respectively. Genomic regions associated with VL were identified on chromosomes 4, X, and 1. Genomic regions associated with WG were identified on chromosomes 4, 5, and 7. Apart from the SSC4 region, the regions associated with these two traits each explained less than 3% of the genetic variance. Due to the strong linkage disequilibrium in the SSC4 region, only 19 unique haplotypes were identified across all populations, of which four were associated with the favorable phenotype. Through cross-validation, accuracies of EBV based on the SSC4 region were high (0.55), while the rest of the genome had little predictive ability across populations (0.09).

Conclusions

Traits associated with response to PRRSV infection in growing pigs are largely controlled by genomic regions with relatively small effects, with the exception of SSC4. Accuracies of EBV based on the SSC4 region were high compared to the rest of the genome. These results show that selection for the SSC4 region could potentially reduce the effects of PRRS in growing pigs, ultimately reducing the economic impact of this disease.
Thoraco- abdominal impalement injury: a case report
Authors: Malla Gyanendra , Basnet Bibhusan , Vohra Rais , Herrforth Casey , Adhikari Shailesh , Bhandari Amit
Published: March 2014

Background

Impalement injury is an uncommon presentation in the emergency department (ED), and penetrating thoraco-abdominal injuries demand immediate life-saving measures and prompt care. Massive penetrating trauma by impalement in a pediatric case represents a particularly challenging presentation for emergency providers in non-trauma center settings.

Case presentation

We report a case of 10 year old male who presented in our ED with an alleged history of fall from an approximately 15 foot tall coconut tree, landing over an upright bamboo stake approximately 50 centimeter long, resulting in a trans-abdomino, trans-thoracic injury. In addition to prompt resuscitation and hospital transfer, assessment of damage to vital structures in conjunction with surgical specialty consultation was an immediate goal.

Conclusion

This article describes a case study of an impalement injury, relevant review of the available literature, and highlights the peculiar strategies required in the setting of a resource limited ED.
Significant social events and increasing use of life-sustaining treatment: trend analysis using extracorporeal membrane oxygenation as an example
Authors: Chen Yen-Yuan , Chen Likwang , Huang Tien-Shang , Ko Wen-Je , Chu Tzong-Shinn , Ni Yen-Hsuan , Chang Shan-Chwen
Published: March 2014

Background

Most studies have examined the outcomes of patients supported by extracorporeal membrane oxygenation as a life-sustaining treatment. It is unclear whether significant social events are associated with the use of life-sustaining treatment. This study aimed to compare the trend of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation use in Taiwan with that in the world, and to examine the influence of significant social events on the trend of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation use in Taiwan.

Methods

Taiwan’s extracorporeal membrane oxygenation uses from 2000 to 2009 were collected from National Health Insurance Research Dataset. The number of the worldwide extracorporeal membrane oxygenation cases was mainly estimated using Extracorporeal Life Support Registry Report International Summary July 2012. The trend of Taiwan’s crude annual incidence rate of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation use was compared with that of the rest of the world. Each trend of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation use was examined using joinpoint regression.

Results

The measurement was the crude annual incidence rate of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation use. Each of the Taiwan’s crude annual incidence rates was much higher than the worldwide one in the same year. Both the trends of Taiwan’s and worldwide crude annual incidence rates have significantly increased since 2000. Joinpoint regression selected the model of the Taiwan’s trend with one joinpoint in 2006 as the best-fitted model, implying that the significant social events in 2006 were significantly associated with the trend change of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation use following 2006. In addition, significantly social events highlighted by the media are more likely to be associated with the increase of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation use than being fully covered by National Health Insurance.

Conclusions

Significant social events, such as a well-known person’s successful extracorporeal membrane oxygenation use highlighted by the mass media, are associated with the use of life-sustaining treatment such as extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.
Screening preschool children with toothache: validation of the Brazilian version of the Dental Discomfort Questionnaire
Authors: Daher Anelise , Versloot Judith , Leles Cláudio Rodrigues , Costa Luciane Rezende
Published: March 2014

Background

The Dental Discomfort Questionnaire (DDQ) is an observational instrument intended to measure dental discomfort and/or pain in children under 5 years of age. This study aimed to validate a previously cross-culturally adapted version of DDQ in a Brazilian children sample.

Methods

Participants included 263 children (58.6% boys, mean age 43.5 months) that underwent a dental examination to assess dental caries, and their parent that filled out the cross-culturally adapted DDQ on their behalf. Exploratory factor analysis (principal component analysis form) and psychometric tests were done to assess instrument’s dimensionality and reliability.

Results

Exploratory factor analysis revealed a multidimensional instrument with 3 domains: ‘eating and sleeping problems’ (Cronbach’s alpha 0.81), ‘earache problems’ (alpha 0.75), and ‘problems with brushing teeth’ (alpha 0.78). The assessment had excellent stability (weighted-kappa varying from 0.68 to 0.97). Based on the factor analysis, the model with all 7 items included only in the first domain (named DDQ-B) was further explored. The items and total median score of the DDQ-B were related to parent-reported toothache and the number of decayed teeth, demonstrating good construct and discriminant validities.

Conclusions

DDQ-B was proven a reliable pain assessment tool to screen this group of Brazilian children for caries-related toothache, with good psychometric properties.
Fabrication of TiN nanostructure as a hydrogen peroxide sensor by oblique angle deposition
Authors: Xie Zheng , Liu Xiangxuan , Wang Weipeng , Liu Can , Li Zhengcao , Zhang Zhengjun
Published: March 2014

Nanostructured titanium nitride (TiN) films with varying porosity were prepared by the oblique angle deposition technique (OAD). The porosity of films increases as the deposition angle becomes larger. The film obtained at an incident angle of 85° exhibits the best catalytic activity and sensitivity to hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). This could be attributed to its largest contact area with the electrolyte. An effective approach is thus proposed to fabricate TiN nanostructure as H2O2 sensor by OAD.
CdS quantum dot-sensitized solar cells based on nano-branched TiO2 arrays
Authors: Liu Chang , Li Yitan , Wei Lin , Wu Cuncun , Chen Yanxue , Mei Liangmo , Jiao Jun
Published: March 2014

Nano-branched rutile TiO2 nanorod arrays were grown on F:SnO2 conductive glass (FTO) by a facile, two-step wet chemical synthesis process at low temperature. The length of the nanobranches was tailored by controlling the growth time, after which CdS quantum dots were deposited on the nano-branched TiO2 arrays using the successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction method to make a photoanode for quantum dot-sensitized solar cells (QDSCs). The photovoltaic properties of the CdS-sensitized nano-branched TiO2 solar cells were studied systematically. A short-circuit current intensity of approximately 7 mA/cm2 and a light-to-electricity conversion efficiency of 0.95% were recorded for cells based on optimized nano-branched TiO2 arrays, indicating an increase of 138% compared to those based on unbranched TiO2 nanorod arrays. The improved performance is attributed to a markedly enlarged surface area provided by the nanobranches and better electron conductivity in the one-dimensional, well-aligned TiO2 nanorod trunks.
Learning a locomotor task: with or without errors?
Authors: Marchal–Crespo Laura , Schneider Jasmin , Jaeger Lukas , Riener Robert
Published: March 2014

Background

Robotic haptic guidance is the most commonly used robotic training strategy to reduce performance errors while training. However, research on motor learning has emphasized that errors are a fundamental neural signal that drive motor adaptation. Thus, researchers have proposed robotic therapy algorithms that amplify movement errors rather than decrease them. However, to date, no study has analyzed with precision which training strategy is the most appropriate to learn an especially simple task.

Methods

In this study, the impact of robotic training strategies that amplify or reduce errors on muscle activation and motor learning of a simple locomotor task was investigated in twenty two healthy subjects. The experiment was conducted with the MAgnetic Resonance COmpatible Stepper (MARCOS) a special robotic device developed for investigations in the MR scanner. The robot moved the dominant leg passively and the subject was requested to actively synchronize the non-dominant leg to achieve an alternating stepping-like movement. Learning with four different training strategies that reduce or amplify errors was evaluated: (i) Haptic guidance: errors were eliminated by passively moving the limbs, (ii) No guidance: no robot disturbances were presented, (iii) Error amplification: existing errors were amplified with repulsive forces, (iv) Noise disturbance: errors were evoked intentionally with a randomly-varying force disturbance on top of the no guidance strategy. Additionally, the activation of four lower limb muscles was measured by the means of surface electromyography (EMG).

Results

Strategies that reduce or do not amplify errors limit muscle activation during training and result in poor learning gains. Adding random disturbing forces during training seems to increase attention, and therefore improve motor learning. Error amplification seems to be the most suitable strategy for initially less skilled subjects, perhaps because subjects could better detect their errors and correct them.

Conclusions

Error strategies have a great potential to evoke higher muscle activation and provoke better motor learning of simple tasks. Neuroimaging evaluation of brain regions involved in learning can provide valuable information on observed behavioral outcomes related to learning processes. The impacts of these strategies on neurological patients need further investigations.
Hungry bone syndrome and normalisation of renal phosphorus threshold after total parathyroidectomy for tertiary hyperparathyroidism in X-linked hypophosphataemia: a case report
Authors: Crowley Rachel K , Kilbane Mark , King Thomas FJ , Morrin Michelle , O’Keane Myra , McKenna Malachi J
Published: March 2014

Introduction

This is the first report of which the authors are aware to describe this c.2166delinsGG mutation in X-linked hypophosphataemia and to describe normalisation of renal threshold for phosphate excretion after parathyroidectomy for tertiary hyperparathyroidism in X-linked hypophosphataemia.

Case presentation

We present the case of a 34-year-old Caucasian woman with X-linked hypophosphataemia. She developed tertiary hyperparathyroidism with markedly high bone turnover requiring total parathyroidectomy and had prolonged requirement for intravenous calcium infusion after surgery. She had a novel mutation in her phosphate-regulating gene with homologies to endopeptidases on the X-chromosome and had an unusual degree of dependence on phosphate supplementation. Prior to operative intervention she had a trial of cinacalcet that improved bone turnover markers when used in isolation but which led to a paradoxical rise in parathyroid hormone levels when given with phosphate supplementation. After correction of hungry bone syndrome, the renal phosphorus threshold normalised as a manifestation of hypoparathyroid state despite marked elevation in level of fibroblast growth factor 23.

Conclusions

This case illustrates the risk of tertiary hyperparathyroidism as a complication of treatment for hypophosphataemia; it highlights the morbidity associated with hungry bone syndrome and provides novel insight into renal handling of phosphorus.
Treatment of progressive supranuclear palsy with autologous adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells: a case report
Authors: Choi Soo Won , Park Kwon Byong , Woo Sang Kyu , Kang Sung Keun , Ra Jeong Chan
Published: March 2014

Introduction

Progressive supranuclear palsy is a relentlessly progressive neurodegenerative disorder and is clinically characterized by parkinsonism. Adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells have recently demonstrated the possibility of treating neurological disorders. Therefore, autologous adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells transplantation can be an alternative method for treating progressive supranuclear palsy.

Case presentation

This study was approved by the Korea Food and Drug Administration through the Emergency Use Investigational New Drug Application. A 71-year-old Asian man from South Korea with progressive supranuclear palsy was treated with five intravenous infusions (each time 2×108 cells) and four intrathecal infusions (each time 5×107 cells) with autologous adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells expanded under good manufacturing practice conditions. Clinical examinations were performed immediately before treatment and throughout the six months of follow-up. The tests included: 1) Progressive Supranuclear Palsy Rating Scale; 2) Berg Balance Scale; 3) Korean Mini Mental State Examination; 4) Modified Barthel Index; 5) grip strength; 6) Box and Block Test; and 7) Nine-Hole Peg Test.

The Progressive Supranuclear Palsy Rating Scale results gradually decreased, and the clinical rating scale scores of the Berg Balance Scale, Korean Mini Mental State Examination, and Modified Barthel Index gradually increased. Grip strength was maintained. Performance in the Box and Block Test and Nine-Hole Peg Test improved after adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells treatment compared to baseline throughout the six months of follow-up. Except for the intermittent mild fever and transient elevated blood pressure, the treatment of our patient with progressive supranuclear palsy with autologous adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells showed no significant adverse events, and delayed the progression of neurological deficits by achieving functional improvement in the follow-up period.

Conclusions

These results are encouraging and hopeful for further studies in patients with progressive supranuclear palsy using autologous adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells as a safe and effective therapy. This case report is the first known study of adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells safely delaying the progression of progressive supranuclear palsy with functional improvement during the follow-up period.