bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Medical memorials of the Heroic Age of Antarctic exploration
Authors: Guly Henry , Sullivan Peter , Pearn John
Published: June 2014

The Heroic Age of Antarctic exploration spanned the period from 1895 to 1922. Medical men who took part in the expeditions of that period made significant contributions to the expeditions in medical treatment of expedition members, geographical discovery and science and, as a result of such contributions, many had geographical features named after them. A recent paper listed five doctors from the Heroic Age who were so honoured. We now add biographical précises of a further 17 personnel, including two medical students who have geographical features named after them.
Stefan Jellinek (1871–1968): The only professor of electro-pathology
Authors: Jellinek EH
Published: June 2014

The exploding use of electricity in homes and industry in the second half of the 19th century was accompanied by many injuries and fatalities from electric currents. Their study by my father was the serendipitous outcome of his early work on possible blood pressure changes from electric currents in a career that started in internal medicine. It became his limited field of electro-pathology which embraced first aid, the care of the injured, histopathology and accident prevention. He was an enthusiastic teacher and collector of specimens, from tree trunks struck by lightning down to the microscopy of accidental and experimental electric lesions.
Self-Leadership in a Chinese Context
Authors: Ho Jessie , Nesbit Paul L.
Published: June 2014

To investigate whether the theory of self-leadership could be applicable in a non-Western context, this study examined the relationship between self-leadership behaviors with supervisor performance rating, objective work performance, and job satisfaction in nine Chinese organizations. In addition, we examined whether job autonomy would influence the relationship between self-leadership behaviors and these work outcomes. We used a sample of 407 supervisor–subordinate dyads from a wide variety of organizations located in the People’s Republic of China and Hong Kong. Results showed a positive relationship between subordinates’ self-leadership behaviors to supervisor performance rating, and to job satisfaction, even when controlling for the personality trait of conscientiousness. However, self-leadership was not significantly related to objective job performance. In addition, job autonomy moderated the relationships between self-leadership behaviors and work outcomes of performance rating, objective work performance, and job satisfaction. These findings suggested that the associations between self-leadership and work outcomes found in Western-based studies could be extended to the Chinese organizational settings included in this study.
Enterocolic Lymphocytic Phlebitis as a Newly Recognized Manifestation of IgG4-Related Disease
Authors: Laco Jan , Örhalmi Július , Bártová Jolana , Zimandlová Dana
Published: June 2014

Herein we present a case of a 65-year-old woman with enterocolic lymphocytic phlebitis (ELP) who presented with anemic syndrome and in whom severe stenosis of the right flexure of large bowel was detected. The microscopic examination revealed fibrosis of the submucosa and lymphoplasmacytic phlebitis of small veins and venules, whereas arteries were spared. There were 110 IgG4-positive and 160 IgG-positive plasma cells in 1 high-power field, respectively, with corresponding IgG4/IgG ratio of 0.69. The IgG4 serum level was 2.42 g/L. According to the currently proposed criteria, this ELP case is the first that may be diagnosed as definite IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD). Although based on the sole case description, taken together with a recent review and a case report, we presume that a subset of ELPs is a manifestation of IgG4-RD.
Effects of an Oral Nitric Oxide Supplement on Functional Capacity and Blood Pressure in Adults With Prehypertension
Authors: Biswas Olivia S. , Gonzalez Viviana R. , Schwarz Ernst R.
Published: June 2014

Nitric oxide (NO) is an integral molecule especially important in the regulation of the cardiovascular system. Literature indicates that the number of studies continues to grow with regard to the effects of NO on cardiovascular disease and hypertension. “Prehypertension” is the clinical stage leading to hypertension. Diet and lifestyle modifications are the only treatment options for prehypertension. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of oral NO supplementation on blood pressure in patients with clinical prehypertension. This pilot phase study evaluated the effect of an orally disintegrating lozenge that generates NO in the oral cavity on blood pressure, functional capacity, and quality of life. Thirty patients with clinical prehypertension were recruited and enrolled in either the NO treatment or the placebo group over a 30-day period in an outpatient setting. Nitric oxide supplementation resulted in a significant decrease in resting blood pressure (138 ± 12 mm Hg in systole and 84 ± 5 mm Hg in diastole at baseline vs 126 ± 12 mm Hg in systole and 78 ± 4 mm Hg in diastole at follow-up, P < .001, vs baseline) and a significant increase in the achieved walking distance in the standard 6-minute walk test (596 ± 214 meters at baseline vs 650 ± 197 meters at follow-up, P < .005 vs baseline). Using a standardized questionnaire to assess quality of life, patients receiving NO supplementation showed improvement in the Physical Component Summary Score (PCS) and Mental Component Summary Score (MCS). Nitric oxide supplementation appears to lower blood pressure in patients with prehypertension and might be beneficial as a routine supplementation for cardiovascular protection.
Masculinity and Mayhem
Authors: Bantjes Jason , Nieuwoudt Johan
Published: June 2014

We describe an incident of disruptive behavior which occurred in a boys’ school in South Africa, and the context in which it occurred. The incident of mayhem is deconstructed in order to illuminate what it reveals about the performance of masculinity in the school. Descriptions are offered of practices and rituals which show how gender is performed within an elite boys’ school and how this incident illuminates the gender regime of the institution. The discussion highlights the contradictory and contested nature of performances of masculinity within the school.
Surrogate-assisted optimisation design of composite riser
Authors: Wang Chunguang , Shankar Krishna , Ashraf Muhammad A , Morozov Evgeny V , Ray Tapabrata
Published: June 2014

The risers made out of advanced composite materials would be significantly lighter than their metallic counterparts. In addition, they would also offer better fatigue and corrosion resistance. Their use can lead to increased production capacities, reduced operational costs of existing offshore platforms and the possibility of extraction of oil and gas from greater depths. The use of advanced composite materials also offers the possibility of tailoring composite riser’s design to meet specific load requirements. In the first phase of this research, the optimisation of the parameters of the composite tubing was attempted through a process of parametric analysis, manual inspection and selection. In the current paper, the optimisation of the composite riser for minimum weight is accomplished through implementation of a more rigorous mathematical optimisation technique. A population-based surrogate-assisted evolutionary algorithm is employed to identify the optimum design. The objective is to achieve the design with minimum structural weight while satisfying critical load cases, both local and global. The approach and the results of the design optimisation of the composite riser are presented. The optimal design results are verified using finite element analysis under local and global design requirements and compared with different design methods.
Treatment of Agoraphobia in a Pregnant Woman
Authors: Cullinan Colleen C. , Gaynor Scott T.
Published: June 2014

A combination of exposure therapy techniques and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) strategies were used to treat a 23-year-old pregnant female who was housebound due to symptoms of agoraphobia. The client in this case study had not left her family home in 10 months when she sought treatment for her anxiety. The client was successfully treated over a year, such that she was able to receive prenatal care at an obstetrician’s office and to deliver her infant at a hospital. Neither the client nor her fetus suffered any complications due to treatment. Post-treatment and 1-year follow-up data indicated that the client continued to show significant functional improvements following the birth of her child. Recommendations for integrating ACT strategies into exposure therapy for severe agoraphobia and for anxious pregnant women are provided.
New concepts concerning prostate cancer screening
Authors: Fillmore Rebecca A , Kojima Chinatsu , Johnson Chevaun , Kolcun Georgina , Dangott Lawrence J , Zimmer Warren E
Published: June 2014

Prostate Cancer (CaP) is rapidly becoming a worldwide health issue. While CaP mortality has decreased in recent years, coincident with the widespread use of Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) screening, it remains the most common solid tumor in men and is the second leading cause of cancer death in the United States. The frequency of CaP is growing not only in western cultures, but also its incidence is dramatically increasing in eastern nations. Recently, examination of data from long-term trials and follow up has cast a shadow on the effectiveness of employing PSA as a primary screening tool for CaP. In this review, we not only summarize opinions from this examination and synthesize recommendations from several groups that suggest strategies for utilizing PSA as a tool, but also call for research into biomarkers for CaP diagnosis and disease progression. We also describe our recent work that identified a smooth muscle contractile protein in prostate epithelia, namely smooth muscle gamma actin, and indicate the potential for this molecule as a new unique footprint and as a CaP marker.
Understanding the influence of journalists and politicians on content: A cross-longitudinal analysis of Chilean political news coverage
Authors: Mellado Claudia , Rafter Kevin
Published: June 2014

By means of a cross-longitudinal quantitative content analysis of the Chilean national press, this article analyses the changes in reporting styles and the framing of politics in news coverage between 2006 and 2011, exploring whether the features of political reporting found in studies of Western countries are evident in the case of Chile. According to the data, while politicians trigger the majority of political news stories, political coverage originates significantly more from events than from statements or issues. Likewise, although framing politics as a game is a dominant and significant characteristic of the Chilean press, there is a systematic increase in the public policy frame. The results also indicate low levels of interventionism in covering political news, showing the practice of journalism where politicians have a strong influence on news content. The research allows for discussion on how politicians are adapting to the needs of the media and presents a deeper understanding of the characteristics that define political journalism in new democracies.
Public diplomacy in a networked society: The Chinese government–NGO coalition network on acquired immune deficiency syndrome prevention
Authors: Yang Aimei , Taylor Maureen
Published: June 2014

In the era of globalization, the line between domestic and international communication is becoming increasingly blurred. Public diplomacy communication is one such case. Public diplomacy has evolved from a focus on mass media to communication efforts to build transnational communication networks of relationships with respected international non-governmental organizations. This article explores how the Chinese government communicated with and collaborated with transnational human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome international non-governmental organizations. The findings of a network analysis of Chinese-international non-governmental organizations public diplomacy suggest that the Chinese government is strategically communicating with international organizations to help address a domestic issue. Additionally, the findings of a content analysis of international media coverage of China’s management of the human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome issue suggest that more positive frames are occurring in the news. China is now viewed as making progress in its handling of the health crisis.
Early Mathematics Skills From Prekindergarten to First Grade
Authors: Ryoo Ji Hoon , Molfese Victoria J. , Heaton Ruth , Zhou Xin , Brown E. Todd , Prokasky Amanda , Davis Erika
Published: June 2014

The 2011 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study shows average mathematics scores of U.S. fourth graders are lower than children in many Asian countries. There are questions about differences in mathematics skills at younger ages. This study examines differences in score growth for High-, Average-, and Low-performing children in two U.S. states and one city in China. The samples are not representative of site populations and are different in socioeconomic status (SES). Test of Early Mathematics Ability–3 (TEMA-3; Ginsburg & Baroody, 2003) scores were obtained at four time points from the longitudinal samples. Children in Shanghai had higher scores than children in Kentucky and Nebraska; the majority of children in Shanghai scored in the High group, whereas most children in Kentucky and Nebraska were in the Average group. The best fitting growth models were nonlinear and the growth patterns varied across samples. More research is needed to understand how classroom instruction, home environments, parenting, and SES impact growth of TEMA-3 scores.
STEM High School Communities
Authors: Tofel-Grehl Colby , Callahan Carolyn M.
Published: June 2014

Using observations and interviews, the researchers explore the experiences and perspectives of students, teachers, and administrators at six specialized high schools with a focus on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) as they pertain to the practices and structures affecting student outcomes. Four themes were found to be common across schools: a culture of intellectualism and inclusion, a valuation on research, the role of inquiry, and the importance of personal responsibility and independent learning for students. Nuanced differences were noted across sites, notably the difference in student-reported levels of stress; however, substantial differences in student experiences based on STEM school model type were not observed.
Updated Benchmarks for Projecting Fixed and Variable Components of Hotel Financial Performance
Authors: Rushmore Stephen , O’Neill John W.
Published: June 2014

An analysis of financial ratios for 601 hotels finds that room revenue, rather than occupancy, is the strongest driver of both departmental expenses and revenues for food, beverage, and other income. The study, which provides updated benchmarks for projecting fixed and variable components of hotel financial performance, finds that hotels generally became more efficient during the study period, 2001 to 2012, with the result that the fixed portion of many expenses declined. These lower fixed expenses appear to be reflected in lower capitalization rates for hotels because expenses are a factor in the risk level of an investment. While hoteliers may wish to use this regression methodology to develop their own analysis, the benchmarks presented are in many cases substantially different from past findings. As examples, the analysis found fixed departmental expense percentages as follows: rooms, 36 percent; food and beverage, 29 percent; and other income, 25 percent. Surprisingly, certain undistributed operating expenses that were considered to be largely fixed also have a substantial variable aspect. Thus, just 33 percent of administrative and general costs were fixed for this sample, as were 29 percent of marketing costs and 33 percent of utilities expenses.
System and Patient Barriers to Care among People Living with HIV/AIDS in Houston/Harris County, Texas
Authors: Mgbere Osaro , Khuwaja Salma , Bell Tanvir K. , Rodriguez-Barradas Maria C. , Arafat Raouf , Essien Ekere James , Singh Mamta , Aguilar Jonathan , Roland Eric
Published: June 2014

In the United States, a considerable number of people diagnosed with HIV are not receiving HIV medical care due to some barriers. Using data from the Medical Monitoring Project survey of HIV medical care providers in Houston/Harris County, Texas, we assessed the HIV medical care providers’ perspectives of the system and patient barriers to HIV care experienced by people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). The study findings indicate that of the 14 HIV care barriers identified, only 1 system barrier and 7 patient barriers were considered of significant ( P ≤ .05) importance, with the proportion of HIV medical care providers’ agreement to these barriers ranging from 73.9% (cost of health care) to 100% (lack of social support systems and drug abuse problems). Providers’ perception of important system and patient barriers varied significantly ( P ≤ .05) by profession, race/ethnicity, and years of experience in HIV care. To improve access to and for consistent engagement in HIV care, effective intervention programs are needed to address the barriers identified especially in the context of the new health care delivery system.
Against the Odds
Authors: Whitney Ella C. , Jones Kelsey , Baker Anthony L.
Published: June 2014

The occurrence of an ectopic pregnancy that implants within the peritoneal cavity is a rare, life-threatening event. Poor maternal and fetal outcome, especially in pregnancies within the range considered to be viable, is the norm, with most abdominal ectopic pregnancies being terminated early in gestation. We present a case study in which the abdominal pregnancy was detected in the second trimester by sonography and confirmed by magnetic resonance imaging, both of which are considered essential diagnostic tools to provide optimal outcome for maternal and fetal well-being.
Differential efficiency in exogenous DNA acquisition among closely related Salmonella strains: implications in bacterial speciation
Authors: Bao Hong-Xia , Tang Le , Yu Lu , Wang Xu-Yao , Li Yang , Deng Xia , Li Yong-Guo , Li Ang , Zhu Da-Ling , Johnston Randal N , Liu Gui-Rong , Feng Ye , Liu Shu-Lin
Published: June 2014

Background

Acquisition of exogenous genetic material is a key event in bacterial speciation. It seems reasonable to assume that recombination of the incoming DNA into genome would be more efficient with higher levels of relatedness between the DNA donor and recipient. If so, bacterial speciation would be a smooth process, leading to a continuous spectrum of genomic divergence of bacteria, which, however, is not the case as shown by recent findings. The goal of this study was todetermine if DNA transfer efficiency is correlated with the levels of sequence identity.

Results

To compare the relative efficiency of exogenous DNA acquisition among closely related bacteria, we carried out phage-mediated transduction and plasmid-mediated transformation in representative Salmonella strains with different levels of relatedness. We found that the efficiency was remarkably variable even among genetically almost identical bacteria. Although there was a general tendency that more closely related DNA donor-recipient pairs had higher transduction efficiency, transformation efficiency exhibited over a thousand times difference among the closely related Salmonella strains.

Conclusion

DNA acquisition efficiency is greatly variable among bacteria that have as high as over 99% identical genetic background, suggesting that bacterial speciation involves highly complex processes affected not only by whether beneficial exogenous DNA may exist in the environment but also the “readiness” of the bacteria to accept it.
Morphology and composition controlled synthesis of flower-like silver nanostructures
Authors: Zhou Ning , Li Dongsheng , Yang Deren
Published: June 2014

Flower-like silver nanostructures with controlled morphology and composition were prepared through wet-chemical synthesis. The reaction rate is simply manipulated by the amount of catalyzing agent ammonia added which is the key point to determine the ratio of hexagonal close-packed (HCP) to face-centered cubic (FCC) phase in silver nanostructures. The existence of formic acid that is the oxidation product of aldehyde group is demonstrated to play a crucial role in achieving the metastable HCP crystal structures by replacing ionic surfactants with polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP). Utilizing flower-like silver nanostructures as surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrates, Raman signal of Rhodamine 6G, or 4-aminothiophenol with concentration as low as 10−7 M was detected. Moreover, it is demonstrated that phase composition has no direct relation to the SERS enhancing factor which is mainly determined by the amount of hot spots.
Worst-case-based robust beamforming for wireless cooperative networks
Authors: Zhang Li , Chen Haihua , He Ming
Published: June 2014

It is known that distributed beamforming techniques can improve the performance of relay networks by using channel state information (CSI). In practical applications, there exist unavoidably estimation errors of the CSI, which results in outage of quality of service (QoS) or overconsumption of transmit power. In this paper, we propose two worst-case-based distributed beamforming techniques that are robust to the channel estimation errors. In the worst-case-based approaches, the worst case in a set that includes the actual case is optimized. Therefore, the performance of the actual case can be guaranteed. In our first approach, the maximal total relay transmit power in the set is minimized subject to the QoS constraint. This distributed beamforming problem can be approximately solved using second-order cone programming (SOCP). In our second method, the worst QoS in the set is maximized subject to the constraints of individual relay transmit powers. It is shown that the resultant problem can be approximately formulated as a quasi-convex problem and can be solved by using a bisection search method. Simulation results show that the proposed beamforming techniques are robust to the CSI errors and there is no outage of QoS or power in the proposed methods.
Peripheral Administration of Morphine Attenuates Postincisional Pain by Regulating Macrophage Polarization through COX-2-Dependent Pathway
Authors: Godai Kohei , Hasegawa-Moriyama Maiko , Kurimoto Tae , Saito Takayuki , Yamada Tomotsugu , Sato Takahiro , Kojima Masayasu , Kanmura Yuichi
Published: June 2014

Background:

Macrophage infiltration to inflammatory sites promotes wound repair and may be involved in pain hypersensitivity after surgical incision. We recently reported that the development of hyperalgesia during chronic inflammation is regulated by macrophage polarity, often referred to as proinflammatory (M1) or anti-inflammatory (M2) macrophages. Although opioids such as morphine are known to alter the inflammatory milieu of incisional wounds through interactions with immunocytes, the macrophage-mediated effects of morphine on the development of postincisional pain have not been well investigated. In this study, we examined how morphine alters pain hypersensitivity through phenotypic shifts in local macrophages during the course of incision-induced inflammation.

Results:

Local administration of morphine in the early phase, but not in the late phase alleviated mechanical hyperalgesia, and this effect was reversed by clodronate-induced peripheral depletion of local macrophages. At the morphine-injected incisional sites, the number of pro-inflammatory F4/80+iNOS+M1 macrophages was decreased during the course of pain development whereas increased infiltration of wound healing F4/80+CD206+M2 macrophages was observed during the early phase. Morphine increased the gene expression of endogenous opioid, proenkephalin, and decreased the pronociceptive cytokine, interleukin-1β. Heme oxygenase (HO)-1 promotes the differentiation of macrophages to the M2 phenotype. An inhibitor of HO-1, tin protoporphyrin reversed morphine-induced analgesic effects and the changes in macrophage phenotype. However, local expression levels of HO-1 were not altered by morphine. Conversely, cyclooxygenase (COX)-2, primarily produced from peripheral macrophages in acute inflammation states, was up-regulated in the early phase at morphine-injected sites. In addition, the analgesic effects and a phenotype switching of infiltrated macrophages by morphine was reversed by local administration of a COX inhibitor, indomethacin.

Conclusions:

Local administration of morphine alleviated the development of postincisional pain, possibly by altering macrophage polarity at the incisional sites. A morphine-induced shift in macrophage phenotype may be mediated by a COX-2-dependent mechanism. Therefore, μ-opioid receptor signaling in macrophages may be a potential therapeutic target during the early phase of postincisional pain development.
Validation of the self-reported hearing questions in the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing against the Whispered Voice Test
Authors: Kenny Gibson William , Cronin Hilary , Kenny Rose Anne , Setti Annalisa
Published: June 2014

Background

Self report questions are often used in population studies to assess sensory efficacy and decline. These questions differ in their validity in assessing sensory impairment depending on the wording of the question and the characteristics of the population. We tested the validity of the self-report questions on hearing efficacy (self reported hearing, ability in following a conversation, use of a telephone and use of hearing aids) used in The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA).

Methods

We tested sensitivity and specificity, positive and negative predictive values of each question against the Whispered Voice Test, a relatively easy to administer and cost effective alternative to the standard audiometric test.

Results

In this population the question ‘Is your hearing (with or without a hearing appliance)/ Excellent/Very Good/Good/Fair/Poor?’ showed the best diagnostic value in relation to the other questions (sensitivity 55.56% and specificity 94.67%). The question ‘Can you use a normal telephone?’ was deemed ineffective because of a very poor sensitivity (5.56%) and was proposed for exclusion from subsequent waves of TILDA.

Conclusions

We showed that this validity check was useful to select the questions that most effectively assess hearing deficits and provided crucial information for the subsequent waves. We argue that longitudinal studies using self-reports of sensory efficacy would benefit from a similar check.
Doppler ultrasound findings correlate with tissue vascularity and inflammation in surgical pathology specimens from patients with small intestinal Crohn’s disease
Authors: Sasaki Tomohiko , Kunisaki Reiko , Kinoshita Hiroto , Kimura Hideaki , Kodera Teruaki , Nozawa Akinori , Hanzawa Akiho , Shibata Naomi , Yonezawa Hiromi , Miyajima Eiji , Morita Satoshi , Fujii Shoichi , Numata Kazushi , Tanaka Katsuaki , Tanaka Masanori , Maeda Shin
Published: June 2014

Background

Crohn’s disease (CD) is routinely evaluated using clinical symptoms, laboratory variables, and the CD activity index (CDAI). However, clinical parameters are often nonspecific and do not precisely reflect the actual activity of CD small-intestinal lesions. The purposes of this prospective study were to compare color Doppler ultrasound (US) findings with histological findings from surgically resected specimens and confirm the hypothesis that color Doppler US can distinguish tissue inflammation and fibrosis.

Methods

Among 1764 consecutive patients who underwent color Doppler US examinations, 10 patients with CD (12 small-intestinal CD lesions) who underwent US examinations before elective small-intestine resection were evaluated in the present study. Areas of thickened intestinal walls were evaluated in terms of blood flow using color Doppler US imaging. The blood flow was semiquantitatively classified as “hyper-flow” and “hypo-flow” according to the Limberg score. Resected lesions were macroscopically and histopathologically processed. Inflammatory cell infiltration, fibrosis and vascularity were evaluated by myeloperoxidase (granulocytes), CD163 (macrophages), CD79a (B cells), CD3 (T cells), Masson’s trichrome (fibrosis), and factor VIII staining (vascular walls). All histopathological images were entered into virtual slide equipment and quantified using a quantitative microscopy integrated system (TissueMorph™).

Results

There were no significant differences in disease features or laboratory findings between “hypo-flow” lesions (n = 4) and “hyper-flow” lesions (n = 8). Histopathologically, “hyper-flow” lesions showed significantly greater bowel wall vascularity (factor VIII) (p = 0.047) and inflammatory cell infiltration, including CD163 macrophages (p = 0.008), CD3 T cells, and CD79a B cells (p = 0.043), than did “hypo-flow” lesions. There was no apparent association between the blood flow and CDAI.

Conclusions

In this study, active CD lesions were macroscopically visible in surgical specimens of patients with increased blood flow on preoperative color Doppler US imaging. Additionally, these CD lesions exhibited significantly greater vascularity and numbers of inflammatory leukocytes microscopically. Color Doppler US may predict tissue inflammation and fibrosis in small-intenstinal CD lesions.
Recent advances on biobutanol production
Authors: Visioli Luiz J , Enzweiler Heveline , Kuhn Raquel C , Schwaab Marcio , Mazutti Marcio A
Published: June 2014

Recent studies have shown that butanol is a potential gasoline replacement that can also be blended in significant quantities with conventional diesel fuel. However, biotechnological production of butanol has some challenges such as low butanol titer, high cost feedstocks and product inhibition. The present work reviewed the technical and economic feasibility of the main technologies available to produce biobutanol. The latest studies integrating continuous fermentation processes with efficient product recovery and the use of mathematical models as tools for process scale-up, optimization and control are presented.
Measuring quality of life of old type 2 diabetic patients in primary care in Portugal: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Prazeres Filipe , Figueiredo Daniela
Published: June 2014

Background

With the increasing prevalence of diabetes in patients aged over 75, the task of ensuring a good quality of life became even greater. This study aimed to evaluate quality of life of the very elderly (≥75 years) type 2 diabetic primary care patient, in an urban family practice setting.

Methods

A cross sectional study was conducted. Quality of life (QoL) was assessed with the Portuguese version of EASY-Care. Descriptive and inferential analyses were performed.

Results

Eighty three elderly type 2 diabetics were included in the study, with a mean age of 80.9 ± 4.3 years old. Most were women, widowed or married, with low educational levels, living with family members in urban areas and presented medium/low incomes. Participants were diagnosed with diabetes for 11.2 ± 10.1 years. Most of them were treated with oral antidiabetic agents, presented complications of diabetes and had good glycemic control. Despite that, excess weight, uncontrolled blood pressure and poor lipid management were noticed.

In general, the participants perceived a positive quality of life. The worst perceived domain was “mental health and well-being”. Within the sociodemographic variables, gender, monthly income, and living arrangements interfered the most with the quality of life domains. Studied clinical variables affected quality of life very modestly.

Conclusions

In an urban primary care setting, when treating very elderly type 2 diabetic patients, and despite good glycemic control, attention should be paid to the QoL of women, the low income diabetics, their living arrangements and thoroughly evaluate the mental health and well-being of these patients.
Measuring biomarkers of acute kidney injury during renal replacement therapy: wisdom or folly?
Authors: Ostermann Marlies , Forni Lui G
Published: June 2014

Early data are now appearing relating to the measurement of biomarkers of acute kidney injury during renal replacement therapy. These data go some way in describing the clearance of these molecules during renal support. Understanding the potential clearance, or otherwise, of these proteins may lead to directing our therapies in the future particularly with regard to cessation of renal support. We describe a recent study which has provided data that may aid in addressing this issue.
Genome-wide identification and functional analysis of Apobec-1-mediated C-to-U RNA editing in mouse small intestine and liver
Authors: Blanc Valerie , Park Eddie , Schaefer Sabine , Miller Melanie , Lin Yiing , Kennedy Susan , Billing Anja M , Hamidane Hisham Ben , Graumann Johannes , Mortazavi Ali , Nadeau Joseph H , Davidson Nicholas O
Published: June 2014

Background

RNA editing encompasses a post-transcriptional process in which the genomically templated sequence is enzymatically altered and introduces a modified base into the edited transcript. Mammalian C-to-U RNA editing represents a distinct subtype of base modification, whose prototype is intestinal apolipoprotein B mRNA, mediated by the catalytic deaminase Apobec-1. However, the genome-wide identification, tissue-specificity and functional implications of Apobec-1-mediated C-to-U RNA editing remain incompletely explored.

Results

Deep sequencing, data filtering and Sanger-sequence validation of intestinal and hepatic RNA from wild-type and Apobec-1-deficient mice revealed 56 novel editing sites in 54 intestinal mRNAs and 22 novel sites in 17 liver mRNAs, all within 3′ untranslated regions. Eleven of 17 liver RNAs shared editing sites with intestinal RNAs, while 6 sites are unique to liver. Changes in RNA editing lead to corresponding changes in intestinal mRNA and protein levels for 11 genes. Analysis of RNA editing in vivo following tissue-specific Apobec-1 adenoviral or transgenic Apobec-1 overexpression reveals that a subset of targets identified in wild-type mice are restored in Apobec-1-deficient mouse intestine and liver following Apobec-1 rescue. We find distinctive polysome profiles for several RNA editing targets and demonstrate novel exonic editing sites in nuclear preparations from intestine but not hepatic apolipoprotein B RNA. RNA editing is validated using cell-free extracts from wild-type but not Apobec-1-deficient mice, demonstrating that Apobec-1 is required.

Conclusions

These studies define selective, tissue-specific targets of Apobec-1-dependent RNA editing and show the functional consequences of editing are both transcript- and tissue-specific.
Parameter uncertainty and identifiability of a conceptual semi-distributed model to simulate hydrological processes in a small headwater catchment in Northwest China
Authors: Ouyang Shuai , Puhlmann Heike , Wang Shunli , von Wilpert Klaus , Sun Osbert Jianxin
Published: June 2014

Introduction

Conceptual hydrological models are useful tools to support catchment water management. However, the identifiability of parameters and structural uncertainties in conceptual rainfall-runoff modeling prove to be a difficult task. Here, we aim to evaluate the performance of a conceptual semi-distributed rainfall-runoff model, HBV-light, with emphasis on parameter identifiability, uncertainty, and model structural validity.

Results

The results of a regional sensitivity analysis (RSA) show that most of the model parameters are highly sensitive when runoff signatures or combinations of different objective functions are used. Results based on the generalized likelihood uncertainty estimation (GLUE) method further show that most of the model parameters are well constrained, showing higher parameter identifiability and lower model uncertainty when runoff signatures or combined objective functions are used. Finally, the dynamic identifiability analysis (DYNIA) shows different types of parameter behavior and reveals that model parameters have a higher identifiability in periods where they play a crucial role in representing the predicted runoff.

Conclusions

The HBV-light model is generally able to simulate the runoff in the Pailugou catchment with an acceptable accuracy. Model parameter sensitivity is largely dependent upon the objective function used for the model evaluation in the sensitivity analysis. More frequent runoff observations would substantially increase the knowledge on the rainfall-runoff transformation in the catchment and, specifically, improve the distinction of fast surface-near runoff and interflow components in their contribution to the total catchment runoff. Our results highlight the importance of identifying the periods when intensive monitoring is critical for deriving parameter values of reduced uncertainty.
Black Collectivities: An Introduction
Authors: Copeland Huey , Beckwith Naomi
Published: June 2014

“Black Collectivities” selectively reproduces and expands on the proceedings of a conference held in Chicago in May 2013 that brought together an international roster of artists, art historians, cultural critics, and curators invested in the histories and futures of collaborative practice in Africa and its diasporas. In this article, conference organizers Huey Copeland and Naomi Beckwith introduce the aesthetic, conceptual, and political stakes animating the conference and the issue emerging from it with an eye toward both critiquing mainstream artistic discourses around collectivity and articulating the centrality of black cultural practices to them.
Bound to Appear: Art, Slavery, and the Site of Blackness in Multicultural America
Authors: Bobier Kim
Published: June 2014

In Bound to Appear Huey Copeland traces the late 1980s and early 1990s resurgence of aesthetic and intellectual endeavors that broached the transatlantic slave trade. Copeland’s inquiry rests on four installations from 1991 to 1993 by Renée Green, Glenn Ligon, Lorna Simpson, and Fred Wilson. Copeland cleverly mines the conceptual, generational, and contextual ties among these high-profile practitioners to assert that by evoking but refusing to visually portray enslaved black bodies in their installations, the artists redirected attention toward how this antebellum structure continues to inform viewers’ own contemporary experience. While shedding light on societal terms of enslavement and freedom, Bound to Appear offers a wide range of interdisciplinary perspectives and timely, if demanding, theoretical applications.
Collaborative Improvisation as Critical Pedagogy
Authors: Lewis George E.
Published: June 2014

From “Black Collectivities: A Conference,” held May 3–4, 2013, at Northwestern University’s Mary and Leigh Block Museum of Art, the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, and the University of Chicago’s Arts Incubator. This article discusses the work of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM) as an example of how collaboratives created by cultural practitioners of African descent have promulgated new perceptions, understandings, and forms of practice. From the context of experimental music, the article explores improvisation, concepts of phantasm and metaphor, and philosophical accounts of intentionality, social interaction, pedagogical listening, and ethics. It also describes the AACM as exemplifying a broader move by artist collectives from competition-based models of art making to more collaborative notions pursued in many segments of the African American community in ways that reflected and enacted larger societal institutional and political conceptions.
Select E2 enzymes differentially regulate parkin activation and mitophagy
Authors: Fiesel Fabienne C. , Moussaud-Lamodière Elisabeth L. , Ando Maya , Springer Wolfdieter
Published: June 2014

Loss-of-function mutations in the genes encoding PINK1 and Parkin are the most common causes of recessive Parkinson's disease (PD). Both together mediate the selective degradation of mitochondrial proteins and whole organelles via the proteasome and the autophagy/lysosome pathway (mitophagy). The mitochondrial kinase PINK1 activates and recruits the E3 ubiquitin (Ub) ligase Parkin to de-energized mitochondria. However, Parkin's cognate E2 co-enzymes in this Ub-dependent pathway have not been investigated. Here, we discovered in total four E2s that either positively or negatively regulate Parkin's activation, translocation and enzymatic functions during mitochondrial quality control. UBE2D family members and UBE2L3 redundantly charge the RING/HECT hybrid ligase Parkin with Ub, resulting in its initial activation and translocation to mitochondria. UBE2N however primarily operates through a different mechanism to mediate the proper clustering of mitochondria a prerequisite for degradation. Strikingly, in contrast to UBE2D, UBE2L3 and UBE2N, depletion of UBE2R1 results in enhanced Parkin translocation and clustering upon mitochondrial uncoupling. Our study uncovered redundant, cooperative or antagonistic functions of distinct E2 enzymes in the regulation of Parkin and mitophagy may suggest a putative role in PD pathogenesis.
Constraint induced movement therapy for stroke survivors in Jordon: a home-based model
Authors: Tariah Hashem Abu , Almalty Abdul-Majeed , Sbeih Ziad , Al-Oraibi Saleh
Published: June 2014

Aims:

This article describes a home-based study evaluating the effectiveness of modified constraint induced movement therapy (CIMT) in improving upper limb function in stroke survivors, and compares it with the clinical-based Neurodevelopmental Treatment (NDT) approach.

Methods:

In this pretest-post-test randomized study, 10 stroke survivors received home-based modified CIMT and eight stroke survivors received conventional NDT rehabilitation. The focus of the CIMT was on the hemiplegic hand, by which the less affected hand was restrained, with structured training for the more affected arm and hand. The intervention was executed two hours a day, seven days a week for two months, in the patients' normal day-care environment. Arm motor function outcomes were evaluated using the Wolf Motor Function Test as a primary outcome measure. The motor activity log, and the Fugl-Meyer Assessment were used as secondary outcome measures.

Findings:

Stroke survivors in the CIMT group showed a statistically significant improvement in all arm motor function outcomes. However, while numerically the improvement was better in the CIMT group, it failed to be significantly better than that seen in the NDT group.

Conclusions:

Home based CIMT conducted by caregivers with therapists' support is a promising approach for improving affected upper limb in stroke survivors. However, additional studies are needed to confirm these findings.
Community-based rehabilitation: why not in Iraq?
Authors: Hassin Ahmed
Published: June 2014

Introduction:

Community-based rehabilitation (CBR) has emerged and developed since the 1950s as a possible solution for socio-economic reintegration of people with disabilities. Government and non-government organizations are key players and have vital roles in policy making, planning, funding, managing and implementing CBR programmes.

Contents:

This article explores the role of government and non-government organizations and international agencies in community-based rehabilitation in Iraq. It examines the possibility of NGOs initiating and running (CBR) programmes for people with a disability regardless of Iraqi government commitment or participation.

Conclusions:

The research results show that implementation of CBR in Iraq is vital but not widely spread. Non-government organizations seem more active, committed and capable at the present time being to initiate, run and manage CBR programmes when compared with the government of Iraq.
Adult social care: a rise in complaints
Authors: Learner Sue , Nazarko Linda
Published: June 2014

The Care Quality Commission and Local Government Ombudsmen have announced plans to work together to tackle the rise in complaints about adult social care in England
Talking about alcohol and drugs in primaries
Authors: Francis-Pester Dawn
Published: June 2014

Raising the subject of drinking and substance abuse with children in key stage 1 and 2 might seem worrying but in high risk communities, it can play a vital role.
Found! A happy ending to the tablet dilemma
Authors: McKeown Sal
Published: June 2014

Designed for school use, LearnPads let you use Flash and Android content and tailor the environment for each year group. These teachers are making the most of them.
Your pupils will go far with map work skills
Authors: Mynard Steve
Published: June 2014

Do map reading skills have a place in the 21st Century? Of course they do! Follow these practical activities to build this key geographical skill, says Steve Mynard.
Jumping into the frame
Authors: Bosley Rachel , Bosley Mark
Published: June 2014

The second part of this series outlines how children can use computing to create PE warm-ups and even dance routines to enhance their enthusiasm for the subject
A fresh take on reading
Authors: Bullock Charlie
Published: June 2014

Whether you use animated shorts, adverts or film trailers, the moving image is an exciting way to engage your class with characters, plot and action.
Raiders and traders! Meeting the Vikings
Authors: McKeown Sal
Published: June 2014

One primary school has brought the Vikings to life for year 3 pupils using Cornerstone's ILPs based on ‘engage, develop, innovate and express’.
The Sociable Text of the “Troilus Frontispiece”: A Different Mode of Textuality
Authors: Carruthers Mary
Published: June 2014

Textuality can be considered as sets of social activities rather than as the individual consumption of a completed product. Drawing from concepts in medieval rhetoric, medieval textual practices particularly valued texts as productive of a social occasion, consisting not just of a passive audience and the performer of a completed work, but including as well the matters from which the author made his poem. I redefine the idea of “authorial intention” as a property of the artifact, which, on any given occasion, initiates a three-way interaction among the work acting through its varying styles, the materials from which the work is made and with which it continues in conversation, and the audience, conceived as active “judges” not as silent “recipients.” The “Troilus Frontispiece” painting, made around 1420 for Chaucer’s Troilus and Criseyde , is a visualization of this complex textuality, in which the upper zone figures represent the Matter of Troy (particularly through a visual pun on Aeneid 2.49), the author-figure represents not the historical Chaucer but the articulate poem inventing its own stories from the well-known Troy materials, and the audience shown as not only listening but actively commenting as the poem-figure speaks. Two pictures from Les douze dames de rhétorique (1465) are also discussed as visualizations of such “group textuality”: “Deduccion loable,” a figure of Invention planning how to proceed in her work; and “Glorieuse achevissance,” an ivory and gold statue who invites the audience into her picture to debate if she is “beautiful or ugly.”