bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Postoperative nomogram to predict cancer‐specific survival after radical nephroureterectomy in patients with localised and/or locally advanced upper tract urothelial carcinoma without metastasis
Authors: Seisen Thomas , Colin Pierre , Hupertan Vincent , Yates David R. , Xylinas Evanguelos , Nison Laurent , Cussenot Olivier , Neuzillet Yann , Bensalah Karim , Novara Giacomo , Montorsi Francesco , Zigeuner Richard , Remzi Mesut , Shariat Shahrokh F. , Rouprêt Morgan
Published: January 2014

Objective

To propose and validate a nomogram to predict cancer‐specific survival (CSS) after radical nephroureterectomy (RNU) in patients with pT1–3/N0–x upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC).

Patients and Methods

The international and the French national collaborative groups on UTUC pooled data from 3387 patients treated with RNU. Only 2233 chemotherapy naïve pT1–3/N0–x patients were included in the present study. The population was randomly split into the development cohort (1563) and the external validation cohort (670). To build the nomogram, logistic regressions were used for univariable and multivariable analyses. Different models were generated. The most accurate model was assessed using Harrell's concordance index and decision curve analysis (DCA). Internal validation was then performed by bootstrapping. Finally, the nomogram was calibrated and externally validated in the external dataset.

Results

Of the 1563 patients in the nomogram development cohort, 309 (19.7%) died during follow‐up from UTUC. The actuarial CSS probability at 5 years was 75.7% (95% confidence interval [CI] 73.2–78.6%). DCA revealed that the use of the best model was associated with benefit gains relative to prediction of CSS. The optimised nomogram included only six variables associated with CSS in multivariable analysis: age (P < 0.001), pT stage (P < 0.001), grade (P < 0.02), location (P < 0.001), architecture (P < 0.001) and lymphovascular invasion (P < 0.001). The accuracy of the nomogram was 0.81 (95% CI, 0.78–0.85). Limitations included the retrospective study design and the lack of a central pathological review.

Conclusion

An accurate postoperative nomogram was developed to predict CSS after RNU only in locally and/or locally advanced UTUC without metastasis, where the decision for adjuvant treatment is controversial but crucial for the oncological outcome.
Detection of the index tumour and tumour volume in prostate cancer using T2‐weighted and diffusion‐weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) alone
Authors: Rud Erik , Klotz Dagmar , Rennesund Kristin , Baco Eduard , Berge Viktor , Lien Diep , Svindland Aud , Lundeby Eskild , Berg Rolf E. , Eri Lars M. , Eggesbø Heidi B.
Published: January 2014

Objective

To examine the performance of T2‐weighted (T2W) and diffusion‐weighted (DW) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for detecting the index tumour in patients with prostate cancer and to examine the agreement between MRI and histology when assessing tumour volume (TV) and overall tumour burden.

Patients and Methods

The study included 199 consecutive patients with biopsy confirmed prostate cancer randomised to MRI before radical prostatectomy from December 2009 to July 2012. MRI‐detected tumours (MRTs) were ranked from 1 to 3 according to decreasing volume and were compared with histologically detected tumours (HTs) ranked from 1 to 3, with HT 1 = index tumour. Whole‐mount section histology was used as a reference standard. The TVs of true‐positive MRTs (MRTVs 1–3) were compared with the TVs found by histology (HTVs 1–3). All tumours were registered on a 30‐sector map and by classifying each sector as positive/negative, the rate of true‐positive and ‐negative sectors was calculated.

Results

The detection rate for the HT 1 (index tumour) was 92%; HT 2, 45%; and HT 3, 37%. The MRTV 1–3 vs the HTV 1–3 were 2.8 mL vs 4.0 mL (index tumour, P < 0.001), 1.0 mL vs 0.9 mL (tumour 2, P = 0.413), and 0.6 mL vs 0.5 mL (tumour 3, P = 0.492). The rate of true‐positive and ‐negative sectors was 50% and 88%, κ = 0.39.

Conclusion

A combination of T2W and DW MRI detects the index tumour in 92% of cases, although MRI underestimates both TV and tumour burden compared with histology.
Diagnostic value of biparametric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as an adjunct to prostate‐specific antigen (PSA)‐based detection of prostate cancer in men without prior biopsies
Authors: Rais‐Bahrami Soroush , Siddiqui M. Minhaj , Vourganti Srinivas , Turkbey Baris , Rastinehad Ardeshir R. , Stamatakis Lambros , Truong Hong , Walton‐Diaz Annerleim , Hoang Anthony N. , Nix Jeffrey W. , Merino Maria J. , Wood Bradford J. , Simon Richard M. , Choyke Peter L. , Pinto Peter A.
Published: January 2014

Objectives

To determine the diagnostic yield of analysing biparametric (T2‐ and diffusion‐weighted) magnetic resonance imaging (B‐MRI) for prostate cancer detection compared with standard digital rectal examination (DRE) and prostate‐specific antigen (PSA)‐based screening.

Patients and Methods

Review of patients who were enrolled in a trial to undergo multiparametric‐prostate (MP)‐MRI and MR/ultrasound fusion‐guided prostate biopsy at our institution identified 143 men who underwent MP‐MRI in addition to standard DRE and PSA‐based prostate cancer screening before any prostate biopsy. Patient demographics, DRE staging, PSA level, PSA density (PSAD), and B‐MRI findings were assessed for association with prostate cancer detection on biopsy.

Results

Men with detected prostate cancer tended to be older, with a higher PSA level, higher PSAD, and more screen‐positive lesions (SPL) on B‐MRI. B‐MRI performed well for the detection of prostate cancer with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.80 (compared with 0.66 and 0.74 for PSA level and PSAD, respectively). We derived combined PSA and MRI‐based formulas for detection of prostate cancer with optimised thresholds. (i) for PSA and B‐MRI: PSA level + 6 x (the number of SPL) > 14 and (ii) for PSAD and B‐MRI: 14 × (PSAD) + (the number of SPL) >4.25. AUC for equations 1 and 2 were 0.83 and 0.87 and overall accuracy of prostate cancer detection was 79% in both models.

Conclusions

The number of lesions positive on B‐MRI outperforms PSA alone in detection of prostate cancer. Furthermore, this imaging criteria coupled as an adjunct with PSA level and PSAD, provides even more accuracy in detecting clinically significant prostate cancer.
Peasant, Patriot, Environmentalist: Sustainable Development Discourse in Havana
Authors: GOLD MARINA
Published: January 2014

Private urban agricultural ventures, initially a spontaneous response to food shortages during the Special Period, soon became a state‐sponsored project, related to global notions of sustainability. This article explores the relationship between sustainability discourse and its local dimensions to reveal the role of sustainability in the reformulation of the Revolution. Urban gardeners engage with international discourses of sustainability and interact with the Cuban state's articulation of these discourses. While this process forces urban gardeners to adapt to the changing meanings of growing food, it also provides a different language through which gardeners define themselves, especially in the context of a changing relationship with the state.
Humid Pleistocene−Holocene transition and early Holocene in sub‐tropical northern Mexico and possible Gulf of California forcing
Authors: Roy Priyadarsi D. , Quiroz‐Jiménez Jesús D. , Chávez‐Lara Claudia M. , Sánchez‐Zavala Jose L. , Pérez‐Cruz Ligia L. , Sankar Gowrappan Muthu
Published: January 2014

A new geochemical record from the paaleolake Santiaguillo documents the hydrological variability of sub‐tropical northern Mexico over the last ∼14 cal. ka. Summer‐season runoff, lake water salinity and deposition of sediments by aeolian activity were reconstructed from concentrations of K, Ca and Zr/K in bulk sediments. More‐than‐average runoff during c. 12.3–9.3 cal. ka BP represented an interval of enhanced summer precipitation. Arid intervals of c. 14–12.3 cal. ka BP and c. 6–4.3 cal. ka BP were characterized by average and more‐than‐average aeolian activity. Comparison with proxy records of summer as well as winter precipitation from tropical and sub‐tropical North America and sea surface temperatures from the Atlantic and Pacific provides insight into the source of moisture and possible forcing. The wet Pleistocene−Holocene transition and early Holocene was contemporary with warmer conditions in the Gulf of California. We suggest that the Atlantic had minimal influence on the summer precipitation of the western part of sub‐tropical northern Mexico and that the source of moisture was dominantly Pacific.
Canadian Visa Officers and the Social Construction of “Real” Spousal Relationships
Authors: Satzewich Vic
Published: January 2014

Cet article examine l'existence d'un paradoxe de facilitation/contrôle dans le cadre des efforts gouvernementaux de contrôler la migration des époux. La littérature sur le jugement discrétionnaire et les fonctionnaires de proximité est utilisée pour analyser comment les agents canadiens des visas décident quelles relations de couples sont “vraies” ou “fausses”. Cet article démontre que les agents des visas utilisent plusieurs cadres de référence pour construire des modèles types de ce que sont les relations “normales” entre époux. Ces modèles types permettent aux agents des visas de construire des cas comme crédibles ou non crédibles, et ce processus établit les bases des décisions concernant l'exclusionetl'inclusion d'immigrants.

This paper questions whether there is a facilitation/enforcement paradox associated with state efforts to control spousal migration. The literature on discretion and street‐level bureaucrats is used to analyze how Canadian visa officers make decisions about which spousal relationships are “real” and which are “fake.” The paper shows that visa officers use various cultural frameworks to construct typifications of “normal” relationships. These typifications allow visa officers to construct cases as credible or not credible, and constitute simultaneous bases for decisions about immigrant exclusionandinclusion.
Effectively Maintaining Inequality in Toronto: Predicting Student Destinations in Ontario Universities
Authors: Davies Scott , Maldonado Vicky , Zarifa David
Published: January 2014

L'accès aux universités prestigieuses, les mieux classées et dotées de ressources, quoique peu étudié, représente une dimension additionnelle des inégalités en éducation au Canada. La théorie de l'inégalité maintenue efficacement (IME) soutient que les groupes favorisés vont dominer l'accès aux institutions les mieux classées peu importe le palier scolaire. Cet article teste cette hypothèse en utilisant les données uniques de milliers d’élèves du Conseil Scolaire Public de Toronto (TDSB) qui ont été suivis à partir de la neuvième année jusqu’à leur entrée dans un établissement postsecondaire. Ces données ont ensuite été associées aux données de classement des universités, de leur revenu, de leurs dépenses et de leurs fonds de dotation. Une série de modèles statistiques à niveaux multiples indique que l'entrée dans la hiérarchie universitaire ontarienne tend à refléter les inégalités dans l'accès général aux universités. Les femmes, les étudiants d'origine asiatique, et les étudiants issus des quartiers ayant des statuts socio‐économiques élevés sont plus susceptibles d'entrer dans les universités les mieux classées et dotées de ressources; tandis que les étudiants qui s'identifient comme Noirs et hommes, sont moins susceptibles d'entrer dans ces institutions. Les avantages du statut socio‐économique élevé et de l'origine asiatique sont seulement partiellement expliqués par les variables académiques comme variables médiatrices. Ceci suggère que le statut culturel joue un rôle dans l’élaboration du choix universitaire, alors que le sexe ainsi que les autres inégalités raciales sont dus en grande partie aux processus du parcours académique.

Access to highly ranked, prestigious, and well‐resourced universities represents an additional yet understudied dimension of educational inequality in Canada. The theory of effectively maintained inequality contends that advantaged groups will dominate access to the best‐positioned institutions within any credential tier. This paper tests this hypothesis using unique data on thousands of Toronto District School Board students that were tracked from Grade 9 to their entry in Ontario postsecondary institutions, and then linked to data on university rankings, incomes, expenditures, and endowments. A series of multilevel models shows that entry into Ontario's university hierarchy tends to mirror inequalities in general access to universities. Female, Asian‐origin, and students from higher socioeconomic neighborhoods are more likely to enter higher ranked and better resourced institutions, while students who self‐identify as black and male are less likely to enter such institutions. High socioeconomic status and Asian‐origin advantages are mediated only partly by academic variables, suggesting that status cultures play a role in shaping their university choices, while gender and other racial inequalities emerge largely through academic processes.
“This Is Not Your Practice Life”: lululemon and the Neoliberal Governance of Self
Authors: Lavrence Christine , Lozanski Kristin
Published: January 2014

Cet article s'intéresse à l’énorme réussite de lululemon athletica, et en particulier à la façon dont ses stratégies de marque s'approprient la pratique du yoga pour les intégrer à un modèle consumériste de discipline et de soin de soi. On arguera que la stratégie de marque de lululemon est liée à l'hyperindividualisme néolibéral ainsi qu'aux discours plus généraux de développement personnel qui définissent le bien‐être comme un accomplissement personnel et moral. Nous approfondissons la façon dont la stratégie de marque lululemon se reporte constamment à des concepts vagues, homogénéisateurs et extrême‐orientaux des spiritualités du Levant, qui instrumentalisent les pratiques yogiques et renforcent les idéologies occidentales en matière de santéisme, parallèlement à la performance personnelle, corporelle et commerciale. Nous arguons que lululemon intègre au consumérisme des discours de prise de pouvoir, illustrant la façon dont les discours de choix et de soin de soi renforcent le soi responsabilisé qui est au cœur même des sociétés néolibérales contemporaines.

This paper examines the enormous success of lululemon athletica and specifically how its branding practices appropriate yogic practice into a consumerist model of discipline and self‐care. lululemon branding is linked with neoliberal hyperindividualism and broader self‐help discourses that define health and wellness as a personal and moral achievement. We explore how lululemon branding consistently refers to vague, homogenizing, and orientalist concepts of Eastern spiritualities that instrumentalize yogic practices, and reinforce Western ideologies of healthism along with personal, bodily, and market performance. We argue that lululemon folds empowerment into consumerism: discourses of choice and self‐care reinforce the responsibilized self that is the core of contemporary neoliberal societies.
CARD11 blockade suppresses murine collagen-induced arthritis via inhibiting CARD11/Bcl10 assembly and T helper type 17 response
Authors: Wang H , Zhao J , Zhang H , Huang Y , Wang S , Tu Q , Yang N
Published: January 2014

The scaffold protein caspase recruitment domain-containing protein 11 (CARD11) is implicated in the regulation of inflammation and autoimmunity. The present study aimed to explore the role of CARD11 in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Mice with collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) were treated with either CARD11-targeted interfering RNA (CARD11 siRNA) or control siRNA by intraperitoneal injection every 3 days after CIA establishment. The clinical score of arthritis was recorded every other day. Synovial inflammation and cartilage erosion were evaluated by histology and microcomputed tomography (micro-CT). Serum anti-type II collagen (anti-CII) antibodies and cytokines were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The CARD11/Bcl10 formation and nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) activation was assessed by immunoprecipitation and immunoblotting, and the percentage of T helper type 17 (Th17) cells was determined by flow cytometry. Systemic administration of CARD11 siRNA significantly reduced the clinical score of CIA severity. As indicated by the histology, joint inflammation and destruction were attenuated by CARD11 siRNA treatment. Micro-CT demonstrated less severe joint destruction in CARD11 siRNA-treated mice than in control mice. CARD11 siRNA treatment resulted in inhibition of CARD11/Bcl10 formation and the subsequent NF-κB activation. In addition, treatment with CARD11 siRNA resulted in a pronounced decrease in proinflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6 and IL-17. Serum anti-CII antibody and the percentage of Th17 cells were also significantly reduced. CARD11 is involved in the pathogenesis of CIA by formation of the CARD11/Bcl10 complex and enhancement of the Th17 cell response. Targeting CARD11 provides a novel research direction in the development of therapeutic strategies for RA.
Impact of long‐acting octreotide in patients with early‐stage MEN1‐related duodeno‐pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours
Authors: Ramundo V. , Del Prete M. , Marotta V. , Marciello F. , Camera L. , Napolitano V. , De Luca L. , Circelli L. , Colantuoni V. , Di Sarno A. , Carratù A. C. , de Luca di Roseto C. , Colao A. , Faggiano A. ,   the Multidisciplinary Group for Neuroendocrine Tumors of Naples
Published: January 2014

Background

Somatostatin analogues (SSA) represent one of the main therapeutic option in patients affected with functioning well‐differentiated neuroendocrine tumours (NETs). There are no studies specifically focusing on NETs associated with Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia type 1 (MEN1).

Aim

To evaluate the efficacy of the long‐acting SSA octreotide in MEN1 patients with early‐stage duodeno‐pancreatic NETs.

Patients and Methods

Forty patients with MEN1 were retrospectively evaluated. Twenty patients with evidence of one or more MEN1‐related duodeno‐pancreatic NETs < 20 mm in size (age range 26–61 years) were treated with octreotide long‐acting octreotide (LAR) as first‐line therapy. Treatment duration ranged 12–75 months. At the baseline radiological evaluation, multiple duodeno‐pancreatic NETs (range 1–8, size 3–18 mm) were detected.

Results

An objective tumour response was observed in 10%, stable disease in 80% and progression of disease in 10% of cases. In six patients with abnormally increased CgA, gastrin and/or insulin serum concentrations, a significant clinical and hormonal response occurred in 100% of cases and was stable along the time.

Conclusions

Therapy with SSA is highly safe and effective in patients with early‐stage MEN1 duodeno‐pancreatic NETs, resulting in long‐time suppression of tumour and hormonal activity and 10% objective response. This suggests to early start therapy with SSA in patients with MEN1‐related NETs.
Associations between maternal level of education and occupational status with placental glucocorticoid regeneration and sensitivity
Authors: Räikkönen Katri , O'Reilly James R. , Pesonen Anu‐Katriina , Kajantie Eero , Villa Pia , Laivuori Hannele , Hämäläinen Esa , Seckl Jonathan R. , Reynolds Rebecca M.
Published: January 2014

Objectives

Low socio‐economic status (SES) is associated with increased disease risk in the involved and the next generation. The effects of low maternal SES on the offspring may be initiated prenatally. We hypothesized that fetoplacental glucocorticoid exposure might mediate the links. We examined associations between maternal level of education and occupational status (used as indices of SES) and placental expression of genes involved in glucocorticoid exposure and transfer between the mother and foetus.

Design and patients

Placental biopsies were obtained from 67 healthy women (age 32·2 ± 5·3 years) with singleton, term pregnancies without obstetric complications who participated in a prospective Prediction and Prevention of Preeclampsia (PREDO) study.

Measures

Level of education was self‐reported, and occupational status was extracted from hospital records. Relative glucocorticoid receptor (GR; NR3C1), mineralocorticoid receptor (MR; NR3C2) and 11‐beta‐hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (HSD11B1) and 2 (HSD11B2) mRNA levels were quantified by real‐time PCR.

Results

Placental GR and HSD11B1 expression increased with decreasing maternal education (unadjusted P‐values for linear trend = 0·04 and 0·02 and adjusted P‐values = 0·06 and 0·09, respectively). Mothers with primary/secondary education had 52·9% (95% CI, 6·2–99·6, P = 0·03, adjusted P = 0·05) and 79·6% (95% CI, 6·5–153·6, P = 0·03, adjusted P = 0·09) higher GR and HSD11B1 mRNA levels compared with mothers with tertiary education. There were no other significant associations.

Conclusions

Lower maternal level of education is associated with increased placental GR and HSD11B1 gene expression. This combination may regenerate active glucocorticoids in placenta and increase placental sensitivity to glucocorticoids, potentially leading to greater placental and foetal glucocorticoid exposure.
Suburban Residence of Black Caribbean and Black African Immigrants: A Test of the Spatial Assimilation Model
Authors: Argeros Grigoris
Published: January 2014

The present study investigates nativity status and place–of–birth differences in suburban residence among black ethnic groups. The main objective is to evaluate the extent to which the relationship between black immigrants’ individual–level socioeconomic status characteristics and suburban outcomes conforms to the tenets of the spatial assimilation model. Using micro–data from the 2006–2010 American Community Survey, we employed logistic regression models to determine the effects of the relevant predictors on suburban residence of whites and black ethnic groups. The results reveal that black immigrants’ suburban outcomes vary depending upon the racial/ethnic background and nativity status of the reference group. While both black Caribbean and African immigrants are less likely to reside in the suburbs than native–born white households, they are more likely to do so than native–born black Americans, even when controlling for differences in income, education, and homeownership. We also find black immigrants’ probability of suburban residence varies by English language proficiency and length of time spent in the United States in ways that contradict the tenets of the spatial assimilation model.
On Becoming “Too Belgian”: A Comparative Study of Ethnic Conformity Pressure through the City–as–Context Approach
Authors: Van Kerckem Klaartje , Van de Putte Bart , Stevens Peter
Published: January 2014

While considerable research has shown that coethnic communities exercise pressure on their members to conform to certain normative patterns, there is little research that explains variability within coethnic groups regarding ethnic conformity pressure. Drawing on fieldwork and semistructured interviews with children and grandchildren of Turkish immigrants living in Ghent and five mining towns in Belgium, we explain differences in ethnic conformity pressure through a comparative examination of how macrostructural characteristics of cities shape community–level ethnic conformity pressure. We demonstrate that a city's migration history and social geography are related to the degree of social closure and normative consensus within an ethnic community, and that its ethnic heterogeneity and interethnic relations impact how much people depend on their coethnic community for social support. These in turn shape the internal sanctioning capacity of the community and its power to enforce normative patterns, especially of gender roles. The study shows that locality matters in the integration, assimilation, and acculturation of migrants, even disadvantaged ones who share the same national background.
Organizational Parochialism: “Placing” Interorganizational Network Ties
Authors: Levine Jeremy R.
Published: January 2014

Are interorganizational network ties “placeless” or “placed”? The study of organizations, particularly the study of interorganizational network ties, has reemerged in urban sociology, yet the urban literature on place and the organizations literatures on organizational network activity are not fully integrated. This article bridges these theories through an investigation of the social and spatial underpinnings of interorganizational network ties. Quantitative analysis of data from 152 interviews with nonprofit organizations serving youth across 12 contiguous neighborhoods in Boston reveals a propensity for organizations to share resources within the local neighborhood, controlling for proximity to other organizations, organizational characteristics, and various network properties. Qualitative data suggest a multilevel social process underlying the parochial network structure, illustrating the context for collaboration, restrictions on extra–local exchange, and incentives guiding a local focus. Based on this evidence, I propose a theory of organizational parochialism, extending research on organizations, networks, and urban social processes.
Toward Self‐Motivated, Cognitive, Continually Planning Agents
Authors: Liu Daphne , Schubert Lenhart
Published: January 2014

We present a flexible initial framework for defining self‐motivated, self‐aware agents in simulated worlds, planning continuously so as to maximize long‐term rewards. While such agents employ reasoned exploration of feasible sequences of actions and corresponding states, they also behave opportunistically and recover from failure, thanks to their continual plan updates and quest for rewards. Our framework allows for both specific and general (quantified) knowledge and for epistemic predicates such as knowing‐that and knowing‐whether. Because realistic agents have only partial knowledge of their world, the reasoning of the proposed agents uses a weakened closed‐world assumption; this has consequences for epistemic reasoning, in particular introspection. The planning operators allow for quantitative, gradual change and side effects such as the passage of time, changes in distances and rewards, and language production, using a uniform procedural attachment method. Question answering (involving introspection) and experimental runs are shown for our particular agentMEin a simple world, demonstrating the value of continual deliberate, reward‐driven planning. Though the primary merit of agents definable in our framework is that they combine all of the aforementioned features, they can also be configured as single or multiple goal‐seeking agents and as such perform comparably with some recent experimental agents.
Evolution of granuloma annulare to mid‐dermal elastolysis: report of a case and review of the literature
Authors: Lai Jonathan H.C. , Murray Scott J. , Walsh Noreen M.
Published: January 2014

A 55‐year‐old healthy Caucasian female, on no medication, was seen by a dermatologist because of a patchy, slightly indurated and violaceous eruption involving her neck and trunk. The clinical impression was of granuloma annulare (GA). Over a period of several months the violaceous lesions became atrophic with loss of colour and eventual wrinkling of lesional skin. Sequential skin biopsies were obtained, which revealed a spectrum of changes. Those from early violaceous lesional zones displayed perivascular lymphocytic infiltrates and interstitial granulomatous inflammation, characteristic of interstitial GA. Samples from atrophic lesional areas appeared normal on routine sections but an Orcein–Giemsa (OG) stain, prompted by the clinical history of atrophy, revealed absence of elastic fibers in the mid‐reticular dermis. The combined clinicopathologic findings pointed to development of mid‐dermal elastolysis (MDE) at involutional sites of GA. Owing to consideration of a cutaneous T‐cell lymphoma in the differential diagnosis, genotyping in search of T‐cell monoclonality was performed and yielded a negative result. Our case supports the existing but scant evidence in the literature that the rare, enigmatic condition termed MDE is an end‐result of inflammatory destruction of dermal elastic fibers. GA is one form of dermatitis capable of culminating in this entity, but others have also been implicated.
The Exhibit as Planned Versus the Exhibit as Experienced
Authors: Beghetto Ronald A.
Published: January 2014

Is it even possible to design museum exhibits that have an above average chance of engaging visitors in meaningful experiences? Museum‐based researchers and designers, working over the past several decades, have endeavored to address this and other questions. Recently, a promising Ideas‐People‐Objects (IPO) model of the visitor experience, subsequently elaborated on to include Physical (IPOP) has been used in the design and subsequent study of visitors' museum experiences. Here I briefly describe the model and introduce three papers featured in this issue of Curator: The Museum Journal that offer new insights and perspectives for understanding the theory behind the model, as well as features of the IPOP model that have been used in the design and interpretation of exhibitions, and a comparison of analytic techniques that produce results that can be used in IPOP‐related research.
Shaping a Richer Visitors' Experience: The IPO Interpretive Approach in a Canadian Museum
Authors: Léger Jean‐François
Published: January 2014

This article presents an interpretive planner's perspective on the relevance to his work of the Ideas/People/Objects (IPO) visitor experience typology formulated by Pekarik and Mogel (). The value of IPO in shaping the visitor experience for an exhibition on Haitian Vodou is illustrated in practice from the perspective of a number of interpretive and exhibition design tools, with a focus on how the theory was applied on the ground. The success of the model hinges on fusing what are traditionally perceived as distinct approaches to interpretation (intellectual, personal or aesthetic), thus enriching the visitor experience and increasing satisfaction. In conclusion, the success of the approach is evaluated in terms of visitor comments.
Chinese Family Groups' Museum Visit Motivations: A Comparative Study of Beijing and Vancouver
Authors: Ji Jiao , Anderson David , Wu Xinchun , Kang Changyun
Published: January 2014

This comparative study explored Chinese family groups' dominant visit motivations in science museums and aquariums in order to understand the perceptions of these audiences, who are an under‐represented cultural demographic in the literature. In this study, 503 Chinese participants—131 in the China Science and Technology Museum, Beijing; 127 in the Beijing Aquarium, Beijing; 136 in Science World British Columbia, Vancouver; and 109 in the Vancouver Aquarium, Vancouver—completed a Family Group Visit Motivation Questionnaire. The results report four dominant visit motivations for these Chinese family groups. Significant differences in a fifth motivation, social interaction, were detected in comparing the Beijing and Vancouver Chinese family samples. Also, Chinese family groups were more likely to perceive science museums to be settings that can satisfy their educational and personal interest needs, compared to aquariums. This study provides insights for science museums and aquarium practitioners to better understand this audience demographic.
Nation and National Museums, a Contested Relationship: An Analysis of U.S. National Museums in the Twenty‐first Century
Authors: Drengwitz Beatrice , Elbers Benjamin , Jahn Lisa Debora , Wrogemann Irmela
Published: January 2014

The motivation for this article arose from the wish to share our outside perspectives on how national museums in the U.S. mediate ideas of national identity. We are four students out of a larger group of 15 German students in Cultural Studies at Leuphana University of Lueneburg. We conducted empirical research on various national museums within the Smithsonian Institution and also on the soon‐to‐be‐opened National September 11 Memorial Museum in New York City. The objective of our research was to explore the role that American national museums play in a globalized world by investigating how such museums address changing national identities over time.
Double Jeopardy in the Echocardiography Laboratory: Coexistence of Two Distinct Cardiomyopathies?
Authors: Paterick Timothy E. , Tercius Alix J. , Agarwal Anushree , Treiber Shannon C. , Khandheria Bijoy K. , Tajik A. Jamil
Published: January 2014

Background

In our Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) Center, we identified 6 patients each with what appeared to be the occurrence of 2 rare diseases that prompted investigation for a common derivative.

Methods

We reviewed our database, searching for all patients with a diagnosis of HCM, amyloid heart disease and left ventricular noncompaction (LVNC).

Results

Using transthoracic echocardiography and magnetic resonance imaging, we identified 6 patients with apical hypertrabeculations and myocardium suggestive of LVNC; 4 of the patients had HCM and 2 of the patients had cardiac amyloidosis.

Conclusions

The significance of these possible concomitant cardiomyopathies is not presently well understood. We did not identify a common derivative when looking for a genetic link, but it is most likely hidden in the genetic substrate, yet to be identified.
Tethering of Tricuspid Valve Resulting from Aberrant Tendinous Cords Mimic Ebstein's Anomaly, Three‐Dimensional Echocardiography Approach
Authors: Hadeed Khaled , Hascoet Sebastien , Dulac Yves , Peyre Marianne , Acar Philippe
Published: January 2014

Mini‐Abstract

We report the case of a neonate presented with respiratory distress and severe cardiomegaly. Two‐dimensional echocardiography revealed tethering of tricuspid valve with severe regurgitation. We used real time three‐dimensional echocardiography to clarify the mechanism of this regurgitation.
Can timing of spawning explain the increase in egg size with female size in salmonid fish?
Authors: Louhi Pauliina , Robertsen Grethe , Fleming Ian A. , Einum Sigurd
Published: January 2014

A common observation is that egg size increases with maternal size within populations. Several hypotheses have been proposed to explain this phenomenon. Most recently, it was suggested that the optimal egg size depends on female size due to correlations between (i) breeding time and egg size selection and (ii) female size and breeding time, and as such, the positive egg size–maternal size relationship represents an adaptive strategy. Here, we test the second of these two premises in two salmonid species, Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) and coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch)for which we have detailed breeding and egg size data. The body size of spawning females decreased throughout the season in coho salmon, but not in Atlantic salmon. Furthermore, we did not find a direct correlation between egg size and breeding time, which would also be expected if this premise was correct. Accordingly, breeding date does not appear to be as important as other factors in shaping among female differences in egg size.
Transcranial direct current stimulation reduces the cost of performing a cognitive task on gait and postural control
Authors: Zhou Junhong , Hao Ying , Wang Ye , Jor'dan Azizah , Pascual‐Leone Alvaro , Zhang Jue , Fang Jing , Manor Brad
Published: January 2014

This proof‐of‐concept, double‐blind study was designed to determine the effects of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on the ‘cost’ of performing a secondary cognitive task on gait and postural control in healthy young adults. Twenty adults aged 22 ± 2 years completed two separate double‐blind visits in which gait and postural control were assessed immediately before and after a 20 min session of either real or sham tDCS (1.5 mA) targeting the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Gait speed and stride duration variability, along with standing postural sway speed and area, were recorded under normal conditions and while simultaneously performing a serial‐subtraction cognitive task. The dual task cost was calculated as the percent change in each outcome from normal to dual task conditions. tDCS was well tolerated by all subjects. Stimulation did not alter gait or postural control under normal conditions. As compared with sham stimulation, real tDCS led to increased gait speed (P = 0.006), as well as decreased standing postural sway speed (P = 0.01) and area (P = 0.01), when performing the serial‐subtraction task. Real tDCS also diminished (P < 0.01) the dual task cost on each of these outcomes. No effects of tDCS were observed for stride duration variability. A single session of tDCS targeting the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex improved the ability to adapt gait and postural control to a concurrent cognitive task and reduced the cost normally associated with such dual tasking. These results highlight the involvement of cortical brain networks in gait and postural control, and implicate the modulation of prefrontal cortical excitability as a potential therapeutic intervention.
Cardiac right‐to‐left shunt subtypes in Chinese patients with cryptogenic strokes: a multicenter case−control study
Authors: Xu W.‐H. , Xing Y.‐Q. , Yan Z.‐R. , Jiang J.‐D. , Gao S.
Published: January 2014

Background and purpose

Data on the possible association between cardiac right‐to‐left shunt (RLS) and cryptogenic stroke are lacking in Asians. RLS and its subtypes in Chinese cryptogenic stroke patients were investigated.

Methods

Patients (n = 153, mean age 42 ± 10 years, 81 male) with cryptogenic stroke from four medical centers in China and 135 healthy volunteers (mean age 34 ± 8 years, 54 male) were recruited. Contrast transcranial Doppler was used to assess the prevalence of RLS. A three‐level RLS categorization was applied as follows: none, 0 microbubbles (MBs); small, 1–25 MBs; and large, >25 MBs. RLS was considered latent if it occurred only after the Valsalva maneuver or permanent when it occurred also during normal respiration.

Results

Overall, RLS (P = 0.02), large RLS (P < 0.001) and permanent RLS (P = 0.02) were more frequently detected in patients with cryptogenic stroke than in healthy volunteers. The prevalences of small RLS and latent RLS in the two groups were similar (22% vs. 21% and 11% vs. 10%, respectively). The proportion of large RLSs amongst the subjects with RLS was much higher in the patient group than in healthy volunteers (45% vs. 18%, P < 0.001), whilst the proportion of permanent RLS was similar (72% vs. 64%, P = 0.11). Most large RLSs in the patient group (22/27, 81%) were permanent RLSs.

Conclusions

Cardiac RLS is associated with cryptogenic stroke in Chinese. However, the higher prevalence of overall RLS in the patient group was mainly due to the increased proportion of large RLSs. The results only support large RLSs as a pathological condition.
Differences in paracingulate connectivity associated with epileptiform discharges and uncontrolled seizures in genetic generalized epilepsy
Authors: Kay Benjamin P. , Holland Scott K. , Privitera Michael D. , Szaflarski Jerzy P.
Published: January 2014

Objective

Patients with genetic generalized epilepsy (GGE) frequently continue to have seizures despite appropriate clinical management. GGE is associated with changes in the resting‐state networks modulated by clinical factors such as duration of disease and response to treatment. However, the effect of generalized spike and wave discharges (GSWDs) and/or seizures on resting‐state functional connectivity (RSFC) is not well understood.

Methods

We investigated the effects of GSWD frequency (in GGE patients), GGE (patients vs. healthy controls), and seizures (uncontrolled vs. controlled) on RSFC using seed‐based voxel correlation in simultaneous electroencephalography (EEG) and resting‐state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) (EEG/fMRI) data from 72 GGE patients (23 with uncontrolled seizures) and 38 healthy controls. We used seeds in paracingulate cortex, thalamus, cerebellum, and posterior cingulate cortex to examine changes in cortical‐subcortical resting‐state networks and the default mode network (DMN). We excluded from analyses time points surrounding GSWDs to avoid possible contamination of the resting state.

Results

(1) Higher frequency of GSWDs was associated with an increase in seed‐based voxel correlation with cortical and subcortical brain regions associated with executive function, attention, and the DMN; (2) RSFC in patients with GGE, when compared to healthy controls, was increased between paracingulate cortex and anterior, but not posterior, thalamus; and (3) GGE patients with uncontrolled seizures exhibited decreased cerebellar RSFC.

Significance

Our findings in this large sample of patients with GGE (1) demonstrate an effect of interictal GSWDs on resting‐state networks, (2) provide evidence that different thalamic nuclei may be affected differently by GGE, and (3) suggest that cerebellum is a modulator of ictogenic circuits.
Thalamotemporal impairment in temporal lobe epilepsy: A combined MRI analysis of structure, integrity, and connectivity
Authors: Keller Simon S. , O'Muircheartaigh Jonathan , Traynor Catherine , Towgood Karren , Barker Gareth J. , Richardson Mark P.
Published: January 2014

Objective

Thalamic abnormality in temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) is well known from imaging studies, but evidence is lacking regarding connectivity profiles of the thalamus and their involvement in the disease process. We used a novel multisequence magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) protocol to elucidate the relationship between mesial temporal and thalamic pathology in TLE.

Methods

For 23 patients with TLE and 23 healthy controls, we performed T1‐weighted (for analysis of tissue structure), diffusion tensor imaging (tissue connectivity), and T1 and T2 relaxation (tissue integrity) MRI across the whole brain. We used connectivity‐based segmentation to determine connectivity patterns of thalamus to ipsilateral cortical regions (occipital, parietal, prefrontal, postcentral, precentral, and temporal). We subsequently determined volumes, mean tractography streamlines, and mean T1 and T2 relaxometry values for each thalamic segment preferentially connecting to a given cortical region, and of the hippocampus and entorhinal cortex.

Results

As expected, patients had significant volume reduction and increased T2 relaxation time in ipsilateral hippocampus and entorhinal cortex. There was bilateral volume loss, mean streamline reduction, and T2 increase of the thalamic segment preferentially connected to temporal lobe, corresponding to anterior, dorsomedial, and pulvinar thalamic regions, with no evidence of significant change in any other thalamic segments. Left and right thalamotemporal segment volume and T2 were significantly correlated with volume and T2 of ipsilateral (epileptogenic), but not contralateral (nonepileptogenic), mesial temporal structures.

Significance

These convergent and robust data indicate that thalamic abnormality in TLE is restricted to the area of the thalamus that is preferentially connected to the epileptogenic temporal lobe. The degree of thalamic pathology is related to the extent of mesial temporal lobe damage in TLE.
A question of persistence: Langerhans cells and graft‐versus‐host disease
Authors: Collin Matthew , Jardine Laura
Published: January 2014

Langerhans cells (LCs) have been scrutinized many times in studies of the pathogenesis of graft‐versus‐host disease (GVHD). As migratory dendritic cells, LCs are capable of direct antigen presentation to cytotoxic T cells. Their self‐renewal capacity has led to speculation that persistent recipient LCs could provide a continuous source of host antigen to donor T cells infused during hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). In this issue of Experimental Dermatology, a new study examines at the relationship between recipient LCs and chronic GVHD.
Mast cells protect from skin tumor development and limit tumor growth during cutaneous de novo carcinogenesis in a Kit‐dependent mouse model
Authors: Siebenhaar Frank , Metz Martin , Maurer Marcus
Published: January 2014

Epidermal tumors belong to the most frequent type of neoplasms, and tumor‐associated accumulation of mast cells (MCs) has first been observed more than a century ago. Therefore, MCs have been implicated in tumor development and growth; however, the results regarding the role of MC in cutaneous de novo carcinogenesis are still controversially discussed. Here, we subjected MC‐deficient KitW/KitW−v mice to chemical skin carcinogenesis. Tumors were induced using the carcinogen 7,12‐dimethylbenz[a]‐anthracene and subsequent treatment with the tumor promoter 12‐tetradecanoyl‐phorbol‐13‐acetat. The treatment resulted in pronounced inflammatory cell infiltrates that were diminished in MC‐deficient animals. Unexpectedly, tumor development and growth was significantly increased in MC‐deficient KitW/KitW−v mice. The repair of their MC deficiency by local adoptive transfer of MCs normalized tumor incidence and growth. The recruitment of skin‐infiltrating immune cells, particularly of F4/80+ monocytes, Gr‐1+ granulocytes, B220+ B cells and CD8+ T lymphocytes, to sites of tumor development was, in part, also controlled by MCs. Recent evidence indicated the importance of local antitumor tissue immunity which prevents tumor development. These findings suggest a critical role for MCs in mediating these host antitumor immune responses in the skin.
Developing pathways for oral care in elders: evidence‐based interventions for dental caries prevention in dentate elders
Authors: Ghezzi Elisa M.
Published: January 2014

Background

Dental caries is becoming an ever‐growing challenge as the number of elders maintaining their teeth increases. There is a need for low‐cost, effective preventive interventions to retain natural teeth for elders.

Objective

The purpose of this article is to evaluate evidence based interventions for dentate elders, specifically the adjunct therapies of fluoride, chlorhexidine, xylitol, casein phosphopeptide‐amorphous calcium phosphate, ozone, and herbal liquorice.

Results

Fluoride interventions have demonstrated prevention and remineralization of dental caries in elders. Systematic reviews of the literature are unable to establish definitive conclusions regarding the effectiveness of other adjunct therapies in dental caries prevention.

Conclusions

Further research with elders requires improved study design with well designed multi‐center trials. Considerations for new strategies for research of the effectiveness of therapies to reduce dental caries include the development and evaluation of combinations of therapeutic interventions and dental caries management by risk assessment.
Cultural challenges to oral healthcare implementation in elders
Authors: Lo Edward C.M. , Tan Hai P.
Published: January 2014

For successful implementation of oral healthcare services for elders, there is a need to understand and respond to their oral health beliefs, perceived needs and preferred type of care services, all of which are shaped by their cultural beliefs and values. This poses challenges to oral healthcare providers, especially when serving a diverse elderly population with people coming from different cultural backgrounds. The general principles of oral healthcare provision and their adaptation to serve culturally diverse elderly populations are discussed. The oral health beliefs and behaviours of Chinese, an ethnic group that can be found in many countries across the world, are highlighted and used as examples. Chinese elders generally attach a higher value to the physical functions than to the appearance of their dentition and prefer to use traditional self‐care methods to deal with their oral health problems rather than to seek professional services. There is need to incorporate into the training of oral healthcare providers the competence to adapt their services to the beliefs and practices of culturally diverse elderly population groups in different settings.