bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Fetal heart rate variability during pregnancy, obtained from non‐invasive electrocardiogram recordings
Authors: van Laar Judith O.E.H. , Warmerdam Guy J.J. , Verdurmen Kim M.J. , Vullings Rik , Peters Chris H.L. , Houterman Saskia , Wijn Pieter F.F. , Andriessen Peter , van Pul Carola , Guid Oei S.
Published: October 2013

Objective

Non‐invasive spectral analysis of fetal heart rate variability is a promising new field of fetal monitoring. To validate this method properly, we studied the relationship between gestational age and the influence of fetal rest–activity state on spectral estimates of fetal heart rate variability.

Design

Prospective longitudinal study.

Setting

Tertiary care teaching hospital.

Population

Forty healthy women with an uneventful singleton pregnancy.

Methods

Non‐invasive fetal electrocardiogram measurements via the maternal abdomen were performed at regular intervals between 14 and 40 weeks of gestation and processed to detect beat‐to‐beat fetal heart rate. Simultaneous ultrasound recordings were performed to assess fetal rest–activity state.

Main outcome measures

Absolute and normalized power of fetal heart rate variability in the low (0.04–0.15 Hz) and high (0.4–1.5 Hz) frequency band were obtained, using Fourier Transform.

Results

14% of all measurements and 3% of the total amount of abdominal data (330 segments) was usable for spectral analysis. During 21–30 weeks of gestation, a significant increase in absolute low and high frequency power was observed. During the active state near term, absolute and normalized low frequency power were significantly higher and normalized high frequency power was significantly lower compared with the quiet state.

Conclusions

The observed increase in absolute spectral estimates in preterm fetuses was probably due to increased sympathetic and parasympathetic modulation and might be a sign of autonomic development. Further improvements in signal processing are needed before this new method of fetal monitoring can be introduced in clinical practice.
The Use of Neutron Analysis Techniques for Detecting The Concentration And Distribution of Chloride Ions in Archaeological Iron
Authors: Watkinson D. , Rimmer M. , Kasztovszky Z. , Kis Z. , Maróti B. , Szentmiklósi L.
Published: October 2013

Chloride (Cl) ions diffuse into iron objects during burial and drive corrosion after excavation. Located under corrosion layers, Cl is inaccessible to many analytical techniques. Neutron analysis offers non‐destructive avenues for determining Cl content and distribution in objects. A pilot study used prompt gamma activation analysis (PGAA) and prompt gamma activation imaging (PGAI) to analyse the bulk concentration and longitudinal distribution of Cl in archaeological iron objects. This correlated with the object corrosion rate measured by oxygen consumption, and compared well with Cl measurement using a specific ion meter. High‐Cl areas were linked with visible damage to the corrosion layers and attack of the iron core. Neutron techniques have significant advantages in the analysis of archaeological metals, including penetration depth and low detection limits.
Beyond the Visible: Combined Neutron and X‐ray Imaging of an Altar Stone from the Former Augustinian Church in Fribourg, Switzerland
Authors: Mannes D. , Benoît C. , Heinzelmann D. , Lehmann E.
Published: October 2013

An altar table from the former Augustinian church in Fribourg (Switzerland) was studied by means of neutron and X‐ray imaging to investigate the embedded reliquary. The neutron transmission images showed that the sepulcrum contained three objects showing high contrast and high attenuation. As the particles were almost invisible in the X‐ray image, it was assumed that they were organic material. Comparative measurements on reference samples of materials possibly contained in such a reliquary (bone, teeth, leather, incense and parchment) suggest that the particles are bone fragments. Besides an assessment of the content, the results from the neutron investigation allowed a proposal of the probable geometry (i.e., shape and dimensions) of the sepulcrum.
Trace Element Analysis in Provenancing Roman Glass‐Making
Authors: Brems D. , Degryse P.
Published: October 2013

In this study, the use of trace elements as a provenance indicator for Roman natron glass is evaluated. Suitable glass‐making sand raw materials are analysed for their trace elemental composition and compared to glass from known production centres. It is shown that the combined use of Nd isotopic and trace element analysis can be efficient for the provenancing of Roman glass. Trace elements associated with (de)colourants of glass are only present in small concentrations in glass‐making sands. Background levels introduced to the glass by the sand raw material are defined and a lower threshold for the concentrations influenced by recycling is determined.
Explaining Government Turnover inAsian Democracies
Authors: Huang Min‐Hua , Whang Taehee , Tan Alexander C.
Published: October 2013

What explains the Japanese experience of one‐party‐dominated democracy over the past five decades? More generally, and looking acrossAsian democracies, what explains variations in the degree of political volatility? We propose a theory of government turnover rate that not only explains political rigidity inJapan and the experience of precarious democracy inThailand and thePhilippines, but also explains changes of government in otherAsian democracies. Political volatility, defined as the rate of government turnover, ranges from very low, as seen in one‐party‐dominated democracies, to very high, as seen in troubled democracies that regularly suffer democratic breakdowns. With our theory, we argue that three major factors contribute interactively to political volatility: executive type, distributive power, and social cleavage. Through a comparative analysis of allAsian democracies, we conclude that the mechanisms resulting in political volatility can be generalized in a unifying theoretical framework.
Development of ciliary bands in larvae of the living isocrinid sea lily Metacrinus rotundus
Authors: Amemiya Shonan , Hibino Taku , Nakano Hiroaki , Yamaguchi Masaaki , Kuraishi Ritsu , Kiyomoto Masato
Published: October 2013

Embryos and larvae of an isocrinid sea lily, Metacrinus rotundus, are described by scanning electron microscopy. Around hatching (35 h after fertilization), the outer surface of the gastrula becomes ubiquitously covered with short cilia. At 40 h, the hatched swimming embryo develops a cilia‐free zone of ectoderm on the ventral side. By 3 days, the very early dipleurula larva develops a cilia‐free zone ventrally, densely ciliated regions laterally, and a sparsely ciliated region dorsally. At this stage, the posterior and anterior ciliary bands first appear: the former runs along a low ridge separating the densely from the sparsely ciliated epidermal regions, while the latter is visible, at first discontinuously, along the boundary between the densely ciliated lateral regions and the cilia‐free ventral zone. In the late dipleurula larva (5 days after fertilization), the anterior and posterior loops of ciliary bands are well defined. The transition from the dipleurula to the semidoliolaria larva occurs at 6 days as the posterior loop becomes rearranged to form incompletely circumferential ciliary bands. The larva becomes competent to settle at this stage. The arrangement of the ciliary bands on the semidoliolaria is maintained during the second week of development, while the larva retains its competence to settle. The larval ciliary patterns described here are compared with those of stalkless crinoids and eleutherozoan echinoderms. The closest morphological similarities are between M. rotundus and the basal eleutherozoan class Asteroidea.
e‐Leadership in higher education: The fifth “age” of educational technology research
Authors: Jameson Jill
Published: October 2013

A discussion of the relative lack of research into e‐leadership in educational technology in education is followed by an outline of selected prior literature in the field. The paper proposes that, as part of a natural evolution of educational technology research, considerably more attention needs to be focused on research and development in e‐leadership. Building on selected prior literature, an updated framework of principles for effective “e‐leadership” of educational technology is proposed, with specific reference to higher education, building on selected insights derived from e‐leadership literature and on the author's experience of 30 years of professional practice, scholarship and research into educational technologies and leadership in education. The paper proposes the development of a new fifth “age” of educational technology research in which it is argued that more critical, selective, strategic e‐leadership approaches to the adoption and use of educational technology need to be progressed through research, development and training as the field matures.
Distributed leadership and digital collaborative learning: A synergistic relationship?
Authors: Harris Alma , Jones Michelle , Baba Suria
Published: October 2013

This paper explores the synergy between distributed leadership and digital collaborative learning. It argues that distributed leadership offers an important theoretical lens for understanding and explaining how digital collaboration is best supported and led. Drawing upon evidence from two online educational platforms, the paper explores the challenges of leading and facilitating digital collaborative learning. The paper concludes that distributed leadership is integral to effective digital collaboration and is an important determinant of productive collaboration in a virtual environment.
Leveraging informal leadership in higher education institutions: A case of diffusion of emerging technologies in a southern context
Authors: Ng'ambi Dick , Bozalek Vivienne
Published: October 2013

In the last decade, emerging technologies and transformative practices have diffused into higher education social systems in ways that formal leadership styles are increasingly stretched to both keep abreast of and to manage. While many scholars have argued for the importance of the role of leadership styles in shaping the strategic direction of institutions, there is a paucity of research on the role that informal leaders, and more particularly opinion leaders and change agents, can play in enabling wide‐scale adoption of innovations in higher education institutions. This paper focuses on the ways in which leadership in higher education can best extend their influence to accelerate the diffusion of transformational educational practices using emerging technologies by leveraging informal leaders. To illustrate how this could be achieved, we report on a study of 22 public higher education institutions in South Africa involving 259 participants who responded to an online survey. The survey focused on the uses of emerging technologies to transform the teaching and learning practices and the nature of institutional support such initiatives received. The findings reveal that for emerging technologies to be diffused in institutional social systems, more transformative and less transactional leadership is required. The paper proposes a model for accelerating the diffusion of emerging technologies in higher education institutions and concludes that leveraging informal leadership is particularly critical in accelerating the uptake of emerging technologies practices.
Bowen, William G (2013) Higher education in the digital agePrinceton University Press (Princeton & Oxford) isbn 978‐0‐691‐15930‐0 172 pp £18.95 http://press.princeton.edu/titles/10053.html
Authors: Stewart Bonnie
Published: October 2013

Less an exploration of massive open online courses (moocs) and their strengths and weaknesses than an explanation of their cost‐cutting appeal to senior administrators, this book effectively introduces and outlines the arguments that hold sway in higher education today. Even if it is likely to be relevant to you, I advise that you will probably find only parts of it of interest or use.

Bonnie Stewart
Leone, Sabrina (2013) Characterisation of a personal learning environment as a lifelong learning toolSpringer (Berlin) isbn 978‐1‐4614‐6274‐3 102 pp e‐book £35.99 (paper £44.99) http://www.springer.com/education+%26+language/learning+%26+instruction/book/978‐1‐4614‐6273‐6
Authors: Smyth Robyn
Published: October 2013

Leone's little book is a highly academic exposition of Moodle 2.0, the personal learning environment (ple), and of its potential to improve learner‐learner interaction, co‐creation, and sharing of both the formal and the informal knowledge needed for modern learners to be highly engaged. It could be worth borrowing if you are dedicated to innovation in online learning and/or want to know the theory behind the software.

Robyn Smyth
TLR3 and MDA5 signalling, although not expression, is impaired in asthmatic epithelial cells in response to rhinovirus infection.
Authors: Parsons K. S. , Hsu A. C. , Wark P. A. B.
Published: October 2013

Background

Rhinoviruses (RV) are the most common acute triggers of asthma, and airway epithelial cells are the primary site of infection. Asthmatic bronchial epithelial cells (BECs) have been found to have impaired innate immune responses to RV. RV entry and replication is recognized by pathogen recognition receptors (PRRs), specifically toll‐like receptor (TLR)3 and the RNA helicases; retinoic acid‐inducible gene I (RIG‐I) and melanoma differentiation‐associated gene 5 (MDA5).

Objective

Our aim was to assess the relative importance of these PRRs in primary bronchial epithelial cells (pBEC) from healthy controls and asthmatics following RV infection and determine whether deficient innate immune responses in asthmatic pBECs were due to abnormal signalling via these PRRs.

Methods

The expression patterns and roles of TLR3 and MDA5 were investigated using siRNA knock‐down, with subsequent RV1B infection in pBECs from each patient group. We also used BX795, a specific inhibitor of TBK1 and IKKi.

Results

Asthmatic pBECs had significantly reduced release of IL‐6, CXCL‐8 and IFN‐λ in response to RV1B infection compared with healthy pBECs. In healthy pBECs, siMDA5, siTLR3 and BX795 all reduced release of IL‐6, CXCL‐10 and IFN‐λ to infection. In contrast, in asthmatic pBECs where responses were already reduced, there was no further reduction in IL‐6 and IFN‐λ, although there was in CXCL‐10.

Conclusion and Clinical Relevance

Impaired antiviral responses in asthmatic pBECs are not due to deficient expression of PRRs; MDA5 and TLR3, but an inability to later activate types I and III interferon immune responses to RV infection, potentially increasing susceptibility to the effects of RV infection.
Germline mutations and genotype–phenotype correlations in patients with apparently sporadic pheochromocytoma/paraganglioma in Korea
Authors: Kim J.H. , Seong M.‐W. , Lee K.E. , Choi H.J. , Ku E.J. , Bae J.H. , Park S.S. , Choi S.H. , Kim S.W. , Shin CS , Kim S.Y.
Published: October 2013

The aim of our study was to assess the frequency of germline mutations and develop the genetic testing strategy in patients with apparently sporadic pheochromocytoma/paraganglioma (PPGL) in Korea. We included 53 patients diagnosed with non‐syndromic PPGL without a family history of PPGLs in three referral centers from 2004 to 2011. Succinate dehydrogenase complex B (SDHB), SDHD, Von Hippel–Lindau (VHL), and rearranged during transfection (RET) genes were examined by direct sequencing and multiple ligation‐dependent probe amplification. The study patients were composed of 26 men and 27 women, and mean age was 50.1 ± 13.5 years. The frequency of germline mutations was 13.2% (7/53): RET (n = 2), VHL (n = 1), SDHB (n = 2), and SDHD (n = 2). Six of seven mutation carriers were diagnosed before the age of 50. One of two patients harboring an SDHB mutation had malignant PPGLs. One patient with multifocal head and neck paraganglioma (PGL) and pheochromocytoma (PHEO) carried a SDHD mutation. The carriers of germline mutations in patients with apparently sporadic PPGL were 13.2% in our study. We recommend genetic testing in patients below 50 years and SDHD genetic testing in patients with multifocal PPGLs. In malignant PPGLs, SDHB genetic testing may be performed.
Getting published well requires fulfilling editors' and reviewers' needs and desires
Authors: Schoenwolf Gary C.
Published: October 2013

Publication in international scientific journals provides an unparalleled opportunity for authors to showcase their work. Where authors publish affects how the community values the work. This value directly determines the impact of the work on the field—papers must be read and cited to advance the field, and because the scientific literature is vast, only a subset of the literature is widely read and cited. Moreover, the value placed on the work also affects the authors' scientific reputation and career advancement. Consequently, it is essential that manuscripts receive the recognition they deserve by being published in one of the “best” journals that the scientific findings allow. Several factors determine where a paper is published: how well the topic of the paper fits the scope of the journal, the quality of the study and the manuscript describing it, the advance the paper makes in its field, the importance of the advance, and the extent to which the paper impacts the broader community of science. As scientists, we assume that our papers will be assessed objectively using only well defined scientific standards, but editors and reviewers also view papers subjectively, having biases of what defines a high‐quality publication based on Western standards. Therefore, scientists trained in other parts of the world can be significantly disadvantaged in getting their papers published in the best journals. Here, I present concrete suggestions for improving the perception of a paper in the reader's minds, increasing the likelihood that it will get published well.
Increased soluble CD36 is linked to advanced steatosis in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease
Authors: García‐Monzón Carmelo , Lo Iacono Oreste , Crespo Javier , Romero‐Gómez Manuel , García‐Samaniego Javier , Fernández‐Bermejo Miguel , Domínguez‐Díez Agustín , Rodríguez de Cía Javier , Sáez Alicia , Porrero José Luís , Vargas‐Castrillón Javier , Chávez‐Jiménez Enrique , Soto‐Fernández Susana , Díaz Ainhoa , Gallego‐Durán Rocío , Madejón Antonio , Miquilena‐Colina María Eugenia
Published: October 2013

Background

Soluble CD36 (sCD36) clusters with insulin resistance, but no evidence exists on its relationship with hepatic fat content. We determined sCD36 to assess its link to steatosis in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients.

Materials and methods

Two hundred and twenty‐seven NAFLD, eighty‐seven CHC, and eighty‐five patients with histologically normal liver (NL) were studied. Steatosis was graded by Kleiner's histological scoring system. Serum sCD36 and hepatic CD36 expression was assessed by immunoassay and immunohistochemistry, respectively.

Results

In NAFLD, serum sCD36 levels were significantly higher in simple steatosis than in NL (361·4 ± 286·4 vs. 173·9 ± 137·4 pg/mL, respectively; P < 0·001), but not in steatohepatitis (229·6 ± 202·5 pg/mL; P = 0·153). In CHC, serum sCD36 levels were similar regardless of the absence (428·7 ± 260·3 pg/mL) or presence of steatosis (387·2 ± 283·6 pg/mL; P = 0·173). A progressive increase in serum sCD36 values was found in NAFLD depending on the histological grade of steatosis (P < 0·001), but not in CHC (P = 0·151). Serum sCD36 concentrations were independently associated with advanced steatosis in NAFLD when adjusted by demographic and anthropometric features [odds ratio (OR), 1·001; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1·000 to 1·002; P = 0·021] and by metabolic variables (OR, 1·002; 95% CI, 1·000 to 1·003; P = 0·001). Interestingly, a significant correlation was observed between hepatic CD36 and serum sCD36 (ρ = 0·499, P < 0·001).

Conclusions

Increased serum sCD36 is an independent factor associated with advanced steatosis in NAFLD.
Happiness, religion and economic transition
Authors: Florea Alin I. , Caudill Steven B.
Published: October 2013

In an important paper, Lelkes (2006) examines the impact of transition on happiness in Hungary using two Hungarian household survey datasets for the years 1992 and 1998. In particular, Lelkes examines the impact of religious behaviour on self‐reported well‐being. Using ordered logit models, Lelkes estimates and presents the marginal effect associated with membership in the highest ‘fully satisfied’ category, and finds that religious people have a consistently higher probability of being ‘fully satisfied’ than others. This effect is stable in the 1992 and 1998 samples. The goal of this article is to expand and extend Lelkes' earlier work in several ways. First, we use a different dataset. Second, we examine the effect of religious behaviour on well‐being after transition not only for Hungary, but also for Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia. Third, unlike Lelkes, we have access to information indicating whether respondents report being financially better off after transition. With a different dataset, additional country samples, and a measure of financial well‐being, we are able to confirm and extend Lelkes' finding that religious behaviour is associated with improved well‐being after transition in all countries we examine.
Emergent effects of ground beetles size diversity on the strength of prey suppression
Authors: ROUABAH ABDELHAK , LASSERRE‐JOULIN FRANÇOISE , AMIAUD BERNARD , PLANTUREUX SYLVAIN
Published: October 2013

Determining how multiple predators provide better prey suppression is a key step towards developing conservation biological control strategies. While numerous previous studies have demonstrated that diverse predator assemblages can be more effective in controlling pest populations, others have shown that it is the presence or absence of competitively superior species that is critical to pest biological control (i.e. selection effect).

The present study investigated how increasing ground beetle body size diversity increases prey suppression. A mesocosm experiment was conducted to compare invertebrate prey suppression between nine created ground beetle assemblages. Size diversity of these assemblages was manipulated according to three diversity levels: low, medium, and high diversity.

Partitioning of the diversity effects revealed that increasing the ground beetle size diversity had no effect on the strength of prey suppression. The absence of an effect of ground beetle size diversity may be because of the absence of resource partitioning among different‐sized ground beetles. The amount and range of prey consumed increased with increasing ground beetle body size. Thus, prey suppression was strongly strengthened by the presence of large ground beetles in the assemblages.

The present results suggest that for biological pest control, Agri‐managers should emphasise practices that promote the presence of large carabids. This is not only because promoting the presence of large carabids could be at least as effective as conserving a diverse ground beetle community, but also because large ground beetles are more vulnerable to environmental disturbances and to predation than ground beetles of the other size classes.
Predicting species distributions for conservation decisions
Authors: Guisan Antoine , Tingley Reid , Baumgartner John B. , Naujokaitis‐Lewis Ilona , Sutcliffe Patricia R. , Tulloch Ayesha I. T. , Regan Tracey J. , Brotons Lluis , McDonald‐Madden Eve , Mantyka‐Pringle Chrystal , Martin Tara G. , Rhodes Jonathan R. , Maggini Ramona , Setterfield Samantha A. , Elith Jane , Schwartz Mark W. , Wintle Brendan A. , Broennimann Olivier , Austin Mike , Ferrier Simon , Kearney Michael R. , Possingham Hugh P. , Buckley Yvonne M.
Published: October 2013

Species distribution models (SDMs) are increasingly proposed to support conservation decision making. However, evidence of SDMs supporting solutions for on‐ground conservation problems is still scarce in the scientific literature. Here, we show that successful examples exist but are still largely hidden in the grey literature, and thus less accessible for analysis and learning. Furthermore, the decision framework within which SDMs are used is rarely made explicit. Using case studies from biological invasions, identification of critical habitats, reserve selection and translocation of endangered species, we propose that SDMs may be tailored to suit a range of decision‐making contexts when used within a structured and transparent decision‐making process. To construct appropriate SDMs to more effectively guide conservation actions, modellers need to better understand the decision process, and decision makers need to provide feedback to modellers regarding the actual use of SDMs to support conservation decisions. This could be facilitated by individuals or institutions playing the role of ‘translators’ between modellers and decision makers. We encourage species distribution modellers to get involved in real decision‐making processes that will benefit from their technical input; this strategy has the potential to better bridge theory and practice, and contribute to improve both scientific knowledge and conservation outcomes.
Bats and birds increase crop yield in tropical agroforestry landscapes
Authors: Maas Bea , Clough Yann , Tscharntke Teja
Published: October 2013

Human welfare is significantly linked to ecosystem services such as the suppression of pest insects by birds and bats. However, effects of biocontrol services on tropical cash crop yield are still largely unknown. For the first time, we manipulated the access of birds and bats in an exclosure experiment (day, night and full exclosures compared to open controls in Indonesian cacao agroforestry) and quantified the arthropod communities, the fruit development and the final yield over a long time period (15 months). We found that bat and bird exclusion increased insect herbivore abundance, despite the concurrent release of mesopredators such as ants and spiders, and negatively affected fruit development, with final crop yield decreasing by 31% across local (shade cover) and landscape (distance to primary forest) gradients. Our results highlight the tremendous economic impact of common insectivorous birds and bats, which need to become an essential part of sustainable landscape management.
Insect photoperiodism: effects of temperature on the induction of insect diapause and diverse roles for the circadian system in the photoperiodic response
Authors: Saunders David S.
Published: October 2013

This review considers the effects of temperature on insect diapause induction and the photoperiodic response, and includes constant temperature, temperature cycles, pulses and steps in daily light–dark cycles, constant darkness and in constant light, all with reference to various circadian‐based “clock” models. Although it is a comparative survey, it concentrates on two species, the flesh fly Sarcophaga argyrostoma and its pupal parasite Nasonia vitripennis, which possess radically different photoperiodic mechanisms, although both are based upon the circadian system. Particular attention is given to the effects of daily thermoperiod in darkness and to low and high temperature pulses in conjunction with a daily light–dark cycle, treatments that suggest that S. argyrostoma “measures” night length with a “clock” of the external coincidence type. However, N. vitripennis responds to seasonal changes in photoperiod with an internal coincidence device involving both “dawn” and “dusk” oscillators. Other species may show properties of both external and internal coincidence. Although the precepts of external coincidence have been well formulated and supported experimentally, those for internal coincidence remain obscure.
Manual corneal thickness measurements of healthy equine eyes using a portable spectral‐domain optical coherence tomography device
Authors: Pirie C. G. , Alario A. F. , Barysauskas C. M , Gradil C. , Uricchio C. K.
Published: October 2013

Reasons for performing study

Corneal thickness measurements of the equine globe using spectral‐domain optical coherence tomography (SD‐OCT) have not been reported.

Objectives

To determine corneal thickness measurements and the intra‐ and interoperator reliability of a portableSD‐OCTdevice in equine eyes.

Study design

Prospective observational study.

Methods

Horses free of ocular disease were used for this study. Gentle manual restraint, in combination with detomidine hydrochloride and a head stand, were employed to ensure proper animal positioning. Corneal pachymetry measurements were obtained from both eyes of each animal 3 times by 2 operators in succession. A 6 mm corneal pachymetry protocol was performed using a portableSD‐OCTdevice. All measurements were obtained manually by one operator (C.G.P.) using the integrated calliper function. Measurements included epithelial thickness, stromal thickness,Descemet's membrane thickness and total corneal thickness. All recorded measurements were analysed to determine both intra‐ and interoperator reliability.

Results

Thirty horses with a mean age of 10.6 ± 6.4 years were examined. Mean epithelial, stromal,Descemet's membrane and total corneal thickness values obtained were, respectively, 174.7 ± 13.6, 599.2 ± 45.4, 38.4 ± 15.3 and 812.0 ± 44.1 μm for operator Aand 175.9 ± 12.9, 599.2 ± 44.9, 38.4 ± 15.0 and 812.9 ± 42.9 μm for operator B. A positive correlation was found betweenDescemet's membrane thickness and age, wherebyDescemet's membrane thickness increased by 2 μm/year (P<0.0001). The coefficients of variation for both operators were <4% for all measurements. Intraclass correlations ranged from 0.92 to 0.98.

Conclusions

Manual corneal thickness measurement using a portableSD‐OCTdevice provides epithelial, stromal, Descemet's membrane and total corneal thickness measurements with clinically acceptable intra‐ and interoperator reliability in healthy equine eyes.
Galectin‐7, induced by cis‐urocanic acid and ultraviolet B irradiation, down‐modulates cytokine production by T lymphocytes
Authors: Yamaguchi Takashi , Hiromasa Kana , Kabashima‐Kubo Rieko , Yoshioka Manabu , Nakamura Motonobu
Published: October 2013

Urocanic acid (UCA) is an epidermal chromophore that undergoes trans to cis isomerization after UVB irradiation. cis‐UCA is a potent inhibitor of cutaneous acquired immunity. The aim of this study was to explore the genes, which are upregulated by cis‐UCA in normal human epidermal keratinocytes (NHEK) and investigated its role in vitro using human T‐lymphocyte cell line, Jurkat cells. DNA microarray analysis and real‐time PCR investigation revealed that cis‐UCA, not trans‐UCA, increased the expression of a gene encoding a β‐galactoside‐binding lectin, galectin‐7, LGALS7B. Immunohistochemical study demonstrated that galectin‐7 was highly expressed in the epidermis in the patients with actinic keratosis. Galectin‐7 administration upregulated apoptosis and inhibited the expression of interleukin‐2 (IL2) and interferon‐γ (IFNG) mRNA in Jurkat cells. Taken together, galectin‐7 may play important roles in downregulating the functions of T lymphocytes after UVB irradiation and can be developed into novel immunosuppressive therapies for inflammatory skin diseases.
Pliocene sand injectites from a submarine lobe fringe during hydrocarbon migration and salt diapirism: a seismic example from the Lower Congo Basin
Authors: Monnier D. , Imbert P. , Gay A. , Mourgues R. , Lopez M.
Published: October 2013

Large‐scale conical and saucer‐shaped sand injectites have been identified in the Upper Miocene sediments of the Lower Congo Basin. These structures are evidenced on the 3D high‐resolution seismic data at about 600 ms TWT (two‐way traveltime) beneath the seabed. The conical and saucer‐shaped anomalies range from 20 to 80 m in height, 50 to 300 m in diameter, and 10 to 20 ms TWT in thickness. They are located within a sedimentary interval of about 100 m in thickness and are aligned over 20 km in dip direction (NE‐SW), above the NW margin of an underlying Upper Miocene submarine fan. We have interpreted the conical and saucer‐shaped anomalies as upward‐emplaced sand injectites sourced from the Upper Miocene fan because of their discordant character, the postsedimentary uplifting of the sediments overlying the cones and saucer‐shaped bodies, the alignment with the lateral fringe of the Upper Miocene submarine fan, and the geological context. Sand injection dates from the Miocene–Pliocene transition (approximately 5.3 Ma). The prerequisite overpressure to the sand injection process may be due to the buoyancy effect of hydrocarbons accumulated in the margins of the fan. Additionally, overpressure could have been enhanced by the lateral transfer of fluids operating in the inclined margins of the lobe. The short duration of sand injection and the presence of many sandstone intrusions suggested that the process of injection was triggered by an event, likely due to a nearby fault displacement related to diapiric movements. This is the first time that sand injectites of seismic scale have been described from the Lower Congo Basin. The localized nature of these injectites has led to a change in the migration path of fluids through the sedimentary cover. Consequently, the sand intrusions are both evidence and vectors of fluid migration within the basin fill.
Using noninvasive hemoglobin measurements to estimate measured hemoglobin in a pediatric hemodialysis unit
Authors: Stavinoha Amanda , Modem Vinai , Quigley Raymond
Published: October 2013

Maintaining a dialysis patient's hemoglobin (Hgb) within a very narrow range can be challenging. Relying on Hgb measurements only once or twice a month can cause large fluctuations in their measurements. Utilizing the Hgb measurement from noninvasive modalities has been studied in adult populations. Our study focused on a pediatric hemodialysis population where blood volumes are much smaller to see if these measurements would adequately work for adjusting erythropoietin dosages. We reviewed our patients' data over a 6‐month time period and collected simultaneous measurements of Hgb performed in the laboratory, as well as the initial Crit‐Line measurement. We then analyzed the correlation of the two estimates of the patient's Hgb using linear regression as well as Bland‐Altman plot and ROCs. There were 407 simultaneous measurements of Hgb in our 32 pediatric hemodialysis patients during this time. Linear regression showed good correlation with an R value of 0.85 (P value < 0.0001). The Bland‐Altman plot showed excellent agreement between the two methods. The ROC analysis showed that the performance of the noninvasive Hgb measurement was very good at predicting low measurements. Predicting Hgb less than 10 g/dL had an area under the curve of 0.94. Predicting Hgb greater than 12 g/dL had an area under the curve of 0.91. There were 100 simultaneous measurements of hematocrit. The analysis revealed similar results as the hemoglobin. Noninvasive in‐line monitoring of Hgb can be a very useful way of assessing the patient's response to erythropoietin on a day‐to‐day time frame. Utilizing this methodology should help reduce the variability in the pediatric patients' Hgb measurements.
Vascular calcification in end‐stage renal disease
Authors: Jablonski Kristen L. , Chonchol Michel
Published: October 2013

Vascular calcification is highly prevalent in end‐stage renal disease and independently predictive of future cardiovascular events and mortality. Calcification can occur in both the intimal and medial layers of vasculature, but medial calcification is the major form in end‐stage renal disease. Medial calcification increases large elastic artery stiffness and pulse‐pressure, promotes left ventricular hypertrophy, reduces perfusion of the coronary arteries, and ultimately promotes increased cardiovascular mortality via increased risk of myocardial infarction and heart failure. It results not from a passive deposition of calcium and phosphate due to increased circulating levels, but rather is an active cell‐mediated process involving vascular smooth muscle cell apoptosis and vesicle release, a shift in the balance of inhibitors and promoters of vascular calcification, and vascular smooth muscle cell differentiation from a contractile to osteochondrogenic phenotype. This phenotypic shift requires phosphate, as well as the uptake of phosphate by the sodium‐dependent phosphate cotransporter PiT‐1, which is upregulated by proinflammatory cytokines and the uremic milieu. Further research is needed to determine if targeting these processes can ultimately reduce vascular calcification in this high cardiovascular risk population.
Perihospitalization patterns of hemoglobin levels and erythropoiesis‐stimulating agent doses in US hemodialysis patients, 1998–2009
Authors: Foley Robert N. , Solid Craig A. , Lamb Kenneth
Published: October 2013

Anemia management in hemodialysis patients is of primary importance for clinicians and dialysis providers. Through a retrospective claims analysis, we studied prevalent US hemodialysis patients 1998–2009, and examined patterns of hemoglobin levels and erythropoiesis‐stimulating agent (ESA, epoetin [EPO], and darbepoetin [DPO] ) doses surrounding hospitalization events. Medicare outpatient claims were used to determine monthly ESA doses and associated hemoglobin levels. ESA dose trajectories were defined with repeated measures models incorporating an autoregressive covariance matrix that compared subsequent measurements with the index month of hospitalization, with variance component covariance matrices chosen for pair‐wise comparisons. Regarding prehospitalization hemoglobin levels, a biphasic pattern occurred in both the EPO (1998–2009, n = 161,242) and DPO (2004–2009, n = 4391) populations; levels rose from 1998 to 2004, fell thereafter in the EPO population, and fell after 2006 or 2007 in the DPO population. In the EPO population, the proportions of patients with hemoglobin less than 10 g/dL were 30.1% in 1998, 14.5% in 2004, and 28.3% in 2009; corresponding values for the DPO population were 21.0% in 2004 and 31.6% in 2009. While some degree of year‐to‐year variability occurred, EPO dose trends were less pronounced, with an apparent peak in 2004 followed by a modest decline; trends were similar for DPO. Trends in EPO dose trajectories did not completely parallel those for hemoglobin level; while EPO doses increased yearly up to 2004, doses stabilized, but did not materially decrease after 2004. No definite annual trends for DPO dose trajectories were apparent.
Selection of Lead‐Free Piezoelectric Ceramics
Authors: Vats Gaurav , Vaish Rahul
Published: October 2013

Lead‐free piezoelectric ceramics are extensively investigated for the alternatives of lead‐based piezoceramics. (K,Na)NbO3 (KNN), (Bi0.5Na0.5)TiO3 (BNT), and (Bi0.5K0.5)TiO3 (BKT)‐based ceramics are reported as promising piezoelectric material families. Several researchers have reported solid solution of these ceramics using various chemical and physical routes. In this study, we have rank these materials using multiple attribute decision making techniques. KNN‐LT‐LS and 0.7BNT‐0.2BKT‐0.1(Bi0.5Li0.5)TiO3 are found to be top rank in all the materials of respective families under study. We have also reported Pareto‐optimal (nondominated) lead‐free piezoelectric ceramics for d33 and Tc parameters.
Characterization of a new V gene replacement in the absence of activation‐induced cytidine deaminase and its contribution to human B‐cell receptor diversity
Authors: Ouled‐Haddou Hakim , Ghamlouch Hussein , Regnier Aline , Trudel Stephanie , Herent Didier , Lefranc Marie‐Paule , Marolleau Jean Pierre , Gubler Brigitte
Published: October 2013

In B cells, B‐cell receptor (BCR) immunoglobulin revision is a common route for modifying unwanted antibody specificities via a mechanism called VH replacement. This in vivo process, mostly affecting heavy‐chain rearrangement, involves the replacement of all or part of a previously rearranged IGHV gene with another germline IGHV gene located upstream. Two different mechanisms of IGHV replacement have been reported: type 1, involving the recombination activating genes complex and requiring a framework region 3 internal recombination signal; and type 2, involving an unidentified mechanism different from that of type 1. In the case of light‐chain loci, BCR immunoglobulin editing ensures that a second V‐J rearrangement occurs. This helps to maintain tolerance, by generating a novel BCR with a new antigenic specificity. We report that human B cells can, surprisingly, undergo type 2 replacement associated with κ light‐chain rearrangements. The de novo IGKV‐IGKJ products result from the partial replacement of a previously rearranged IGKV gene by a new germline IGKV gene, in‐frame and without deletion or addition of nucleotides. There are wrcy/rgyw motifs at the ‘IGKV donor–IGKV recipient chimera junction’ as described for type 2 IGHV replacement, but activation‐induced cytidine deaminase (AID) expression was not detected. This unusual mechanism of homologous recombination seems to be a variant of gene conversion‐like recombination, which does not require AID. The recombination phenomenon described here provides new insight into immunoglobulin locus recombination and BCR immunoglobulin repertoire diversity.
Front line nurses' experiences with deteriorating ward patients: a qualitative study
Authors: Chua W.L. , Mackey S. , Ng E.K.C. , Liaw S.Y.
Published: October 2013

Background

Nurses in the general ward are faced with patients who are at high risk of clinical deterioration. Having the key role in performing routine vital signs monitoring, non‐registered nurses such as enrolled nurses are the front line nurses who play a pivotal role in detecting and responding to the deteriorating ward patient.

Aims

(1) To explore the experience of enrolled nurses with deteriorating patients in pre‐cardiac arrest situations and (2) to identify strategies to enhance their role in caring for deteriorating ward patients.

Method

A qualitative study using critical incident technique was conducted. Fifteen enrolled nurses who had encountered deteriorating ward patients were interviewed. Data were analysed using content analysis.

Findings

Three themes emerged describing enrolled nurse's experience with deteriorating patients: recognizing deterioration, responding to deterioration and taking responsibility. Two themes, including educational development and modifying clinical processes, were strategies identified to enhance the ability of enrolled nurses in recognizing and managing deteriorating patients.

Conclusion

The study highlighted a need to enhance the ability of front line nurses in recognizing and responding to patient deterioration through nursing education and modifications of clinical processes.

Implications for Nursing and Health Policy

Nursing education could focus on increasing the awareness of the importance of performing complete vital signs monitoring and undertaking accurate interpretation of vital signs. Strategies to improve clinical processes could include the need for registered nurses to provide supervision of enrolled nurses in the interpretation of vital signs readings and share the responsibility of performing vital signs monitoring.
Searching for optimal integer solutions to set partitioning problems using column generation
Authors: Bredström D. , Jörnsten K. , Rönnqvist M. , Bouchard M.
Published: October 2013

In this paper, we describe a new approach to increase the possibility of finding integer feasible columns to a set partitioning problem (SPP) directly in solving the linear programming (LP) relaxation using column generation. Traditionally, column generation is aimed to solve the LP‐relaxation as quickly as possible without any concern for the integer properties of the columns formed. In our approach, we aim to generate columns forming an optimal integer solution while simultaneously solving the LP‐relaxation. Using this approach, we can improve the possibility of finding integer solutions by heuristics at each node in the branch‐and‐bound search. In addition, we improve the possibility of finding high‐quality integer solutions in cases where only the columns in the root node are used to solve the problem. The basis of our approach is a subgradient technique applied to a Lagrangian dual formulation of the SPP extended with an additional surrogate constraint. This extra constraint is not relaxed and is used to better control the subgradient evaluations and how the multiplier values are computed. The column generation is then directed, via the multipliers, to construct columns that form feasible integer solutions. Computational experiments show that we can generate optimal integer columns in a large set of well‐known test problems as compared to both standard and stabilized column generation, and simultaneously keep the number of columns smaller than standard column generation. This is also supported by tests on a case study with work‐shift generation.
The plantar fat pad and the diabetic foot – a review
Authors: Dalal Sunit , Widgerow Alan D , Evans Gregory RD
Published: October 2013

There has been much debate concerning the pathologic consequences of diabetes on the plantar fat pad and its subsequent association with the development of a foot ulcer. This review article documents two theories regarding pathophysiology in diabetic foot ulcer formation as they are related to the plantar fat pad and discusses current treatment options for this pathophysiological phenomenon. Traditionally, fat pad atrophy in diabetic patients was thought to result as an irregular arrangement of collagen fibrils within the septal walls as a result of glycation as well as diminishing adipocyte size due to thickened septal walls. Contrary to this traditional theory, a model depicting distal fat pad migration from under the metatarsal heads has been described in the diabetic patient. Such pad migration renders the metatarsal heads vulnerable to increased pressure, which, in turn, predisposes to foot ulceration. This migratory fat pad theory plays a significant role in approaches to the prevention of diabetic foot ulceration and subsequent amputation. Various methods of fat pad supplementation and claw toe management are impacted by the pathophysiological changes described and new avenues of therapy may be based on these changes.
A New and Reliable Method of Individual Ventricular Capture Identification during Biventricular Pacing Threshold Testing
Authors: YONG PATRICK , DUBY CHRISTIAN
Published: October 2013

Biventricular (BV) pacing for the treatment of heart failure is in clinical investigation. In the absence of independent outputs for separate pacing of each ventricle, a method is needed to determine the respective LV versus RV thresholds. A technique was developed and validated to distinguish BV capture from LV or RV capture from a multilead surface ECG. The QRS axes were determined at the time of implant by comparing multilead surface ECGs during BV, RV, and LV pacing in 63 patients (42 men, age 63 ± 12 years) who received pacemakers or ICDs capable of BV pacing. Differences between BV and LV, and between BV and BV axes were examined to determine which ECG leads best indicate a change from BV to univentricular capture. The axis shift from BV to RV pacing was positive while the axis shift from BV to LV pacing was negative. The morphology change associated with LV versus RV capture is best examined in the ECG lead that is perpendicular to the axis shift. A change from BV to LV capture was best identified as increasing positivity of the QRS in lead III, while a change from BV to RV capture was best recognized as increasing positivity of the QRS in lead I. When performing a BV pacing threshold test, mean QRS vector changes derived from standard ECG can be used to distinguish LV or RV capture from BV capture.