bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Nursing theory and concept development: a theoretical model of clinical nurses’ intentions to stay in their current positions
Authors: Cowden Tracy L. , Cummings Greta G.
Published: January 2012

Cowden T.L. & Cummings G.G. (2012) Nursing theory and concept development: a theoretical model of clinical nurses’ intentions to stay in their current positions. Journal of Advanced Nursing68(7), 1646–1657.

Aim.  We describe a theoretical model of staff nurses’ intentions to stay in their current positions.

Background.  The global nursing shortage and high nursing turnover rate demand evidence‐based retention strategies. Inconsistent study outcomes indicate a need for testable theoretical models of intent to stay that build on previously published models, are reflective of current empirical research and identify causal relationships between model concepts.

Data Sources.  Two systematic reviews of electronic databases of English language published articles between 1985–2011.

Discussion.  This complex, testable model expands on previous models and includes nurses’ affective and cognitive responses to work and their effects on nurses’ intent to stay. The concepts of desire to stay, job satisfaction, joy at work, and moral distress are included in the model to capture the emotional response of nurses to their work environments. The influence of leadership is integrated within the model.

Implications for nursing.  A causal understanding of clinical nurses’ intent to stay and the effects of leadership on the development of that intention will facilitate the development of effective retention strategies internationally. Testing theoretical models is necessary to confirm previous research outcomes and to identify plausible sequences of the development of behavioral intentions.

Conclusion.  Increased understanding of the causal influences on nurses’ intent to stay should lead to strategies that may result in higher retention rates and numbers of nurses willing to work in the health sector.
What mothers know, and want to know, about the complications of general anaesthesia
Authors: JACKSON G. N. B. , ROBINSON P. N. , LUCAS D. N. , NATARAJAN A. , GOUGH K. , WOOLNOUGH M. , YENTIS S. M.
Published: January 2012

Background

Informed consent should be sought when performing anaesthesia on pregnant patients. There is no standard for consent for general anaesthesia on the delivery suite. This study was designed to assess post‐partum women's awareness of the complications of general anaesthesia and the level of risk at which they felt these risks should be discussed.

Methods

One hundred and fifty parturients from two London hospitals who had undergone uncomplicated vaginal deliveries were asked on the first post‐partum day about their knowledge of the potential complications of general anaesthesia for obstetrics. They were also asked about the level of risk at which they would wish to be informed before consenting to a general anaesthetic procedure.

Results

The knowledge of the risks of general anaesthesia among the parturients was poor, with awareness, allergy, nausea and vomiting being known by over 50%. Knowledge of difficult intubation and its consequences, dental damage, malignant hyperpyrexia and suxamethonium apnoea was known by less than 30% of the respondents. The level of risk at which mothers felt they should be informed was variable, with 50% wishing to know all risks up to 1 : 1000, and 19% wishing to know risks of greater than 1 : 1,000,000. All known risks were wished by nearly 30% of those questioned.

Conclusions

Anaesthetists must be flexible when providing information to mothers about general anaesthesia and should provide more information to mothers if they wish it.
FURTHER EVIDENCE ON REAL INTEREST RATE EQUALIZATION: PANEL INFORMATION, NON‐LINEARITIES AND STRUCTURAL CHANGES
Authors: Tsong Ching‐Chuan , Lee Cheng‐Feng
Published: January 2012

Previous studies applying traditional unit root tests generally have difficulty providing widespread evidence supporting the real interest rate parity hypothesis (RIPH). This paper aims to analyse the empirical fulfilment of RIPH for 17 OECD countries by employing many recently developed unit root tests. Power of the tests is raised by taking different approaches, such as using cross‐sectional information, accounting for non‐linear adjustment towards the equilibrium and allowing for structural changes. The combined results of the tests using panel information show that broad evidence in favour of RIPH prevails for 13 of the 17 countries. By contrast, univariate tests fail to make widespread rejections of the unit‐root hypothesis. Our evidence reveals a high degree of market integration for developed countries, and the effect of monetary policies as a stabilization tool might be limited at least in the long run.
Outcome of smoking cessation counselling of HIV‐positive persons by HIV care physicians
Authors: Huber M , Ledergerber B , Sauter R , Young J , Fehr J , Cusini A , Battegay M , Calmy A , Orasch C , Nicca D , Bernasconi E , Jaccard R , Held L , Weber R ,   Swiss HIV Cohort Study Group
Published: January 2012

Objectives

Smoking is the most prevalent modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular diseases among HIV‐positive persons. We assessed the effect on smoking cessation of training HIV care physicians in counselling.

Methods

The Swiss HIV Cohort Study (SHCS) is a multicentre prospective observational database. Our single‐centre intervention at the Zurich centre included a half day of standardized training for physicians in counselling and in the pharmacotherapy of smokers, and a physicians' checklist for semi‐annual documentation of their counselling. Smoking status was then compared between participants at the Zurich centre and other institutions. We used marginal logistic regression models with exchangeable correlation structure and robust standard errors to estimate the odds of smoking cessation and relapse.

Results

Between April 2000 and December 2010, 11 056 SHCS participants had 121 238 semi‐annual visits and 64 118 person‐years of follow‐up. The prevalence of smoking decreased from 60 to 43%. During the intervention at the Zurich centre from November 2007 to December 2009, 1689 participants in this centre had 6068 cohort visits. These participants were more likely to stop smoking [odds ratio (OR) 1.23; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.07–1.42; P = 0.004] and had fewer relapses (OR 0.75; 95% CI 0.61–0.92; P = 0.007) than participants at other SHCS institutions. The effect of the intervention was stronger than the calendar time effect (OR 1.19 vs. 1.04 per year, respectively). Middle‐aged participants, injecting drug users, and participants with psychiatric problems or with higher alcohol consumption were less likely to stop smoking, whereas persons with a prior cardiovascular event were more likely to stop smoking.

Conclusions

An institution‐wide training programme for HIV care physicians in smoking cessation counselling led to increased smoking cessation and fewer relapses.
HIV, HEV and cirrhosis: evidence of a possible link from eastern Spain
Authors: Jardi R , Crespo M , Homs M , van den Eynde E , Girones R , Rodriguez‐Manzano J , Caballero A , Buti M , Esteban R , Rodriguez‐Frias F
Published: January 2012

Objectives

The aim of the study was to assess the seroprevalence of hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection in an HIV‐infected population, as determined by HEV immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies (anti‐HEV).

Methods

The design of the study was cross‐sectional. Serum anti‐HEV IgG was determined by enzyme immunoassay in 238 HIV‐infected patients consecutively attending our out‐patient clinic between April and May 2011. In HEV‐seropositive patients, HEV RNA was analysed by nested reverse transcriptase–polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR). Associations between anti‐HEV and liver cirrhosis, route of HIV infection, hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) serological markers, age, sex and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels were examined by univariate and multivariate analysis.

Results

One hundred and forty patients (59%) had chronic liver disease (99% were HBV‐ and/or HCV‐coinfected). Liver cirrhosis was detected in 44 individuals (19%). Two hundred and twelve patients (89%) were on antiretroviral treatment; the median CD4 T‐cell count was 483 cells/μL [interquartile range (IQR) 313–662 cells/μL] and the HIV viral load was < 25 HIV‐1 RNA copies/mL. Overall, 22 patients (9%) were anti‐HEV positive. Liver cirrhosis was the only factor independently associated with the presence of anti‐HEV, which was documented in 23% of patients with cirrhosis and 6% of patients without cirrhosis (P = 0.002; odds ratio 5.77). HEV RNA was detected in three seropositive patients (14%), two of whom had liver cirrhosis.

Conclusions

Our findings show a high prevalence of anti‐HEV in HIV‐infected patients, strongly associated with liver cirrhosis. Chronic HEV infection was detected in a significant number of HEV‐seropositive patients. Further research is needed to ascertain whether cirrhosis is a predisposing factor for HEV infection and to assess the role of chronic HEV infection in the pathogeneses of cirrhosis in this population.
Rendering Istanbul's Periodic Bazaars Invisible: Reflections on Urban Transformation and Contested Space
Authors: ÖZ ÖZLEM , EDER MINE
Published: January 2012

This is a study of Istanbul's periodic bazaars and an attempt to place them in the context of contestation over urban space, urban poverty and informality. The periodic bazaars in the city are either disappearing or being moved to the outskirts. These trends reflect and reproduce spatial unevenness in the city, manifesting new forms of social exclusion and polarization. The city's increasingly commodified urban space has become an arena of social and economic contestation. We address these questions by focusing on the story of the relocation of one of Istanbul's most popular periodic bazaars, the Tuesday bazaar in Kadıköy. Our analysis reveals that the relocation and reorganization of bazaars in Istanbul in the 2000s have largely been driven by rising real‐estate prices in the city: land has simply become too precious a commodity to be left to the bazaaris. Furthermore, in the context of a pervasive neoliberal discourse on urban renewal and modernization that promotes the notion of a hygienic city, the bazaaris, it seems, have become the new undesirables of the urban landscape, leaving them under double siege from the commodification of public land and from spatially defined social exclusion.

Cette étude s'intéresse aux marchés de quartier d'Istanbul en les replaçant dans le cadre d'une contestation sur l'espace urbain, la pauvreté urbaine et la sphère informelle. Les marchés de quartier sont soit en voie de disparition, soit transférés en périphéries. Ces tendances traduisent et reproduisent l'inégalité spatiale dans la ville, en exposant de nouvelles formes d'exclusion et de polarisation sociales. L'espace urbain, de plus en plus marchandisé, est devenu une arène de contestation sociale et économique. Ces questions sont traitées à travers la relocalisation de l'un des marchés les plus populaires d'Istanbul, le marché du mardi de Kadıköy. L'analyse révèle que la relocalisation et la réorganisation des marchés d'Istanbul dans les années 2000 résultent largement de l'accroissement des prix de l'immobilier urbain: le foncier est devenu un bien trop précieux pour être laissé aux marchés de quartier. En outre, compte tenu du discours néolibéral généralisé sur la rénovation urbaine et la modernisation qui met en avant la notion de ville hygiénique, les marchés sont apparemment devenus les nouveaux indésirables dans le paysage urbain, et abandonnés aux attaques de la marchandisation des terrains publics, d'une part, et d'une exclusion sociale selon des critères spatiaux, d'autre part.
Trans‐Local Communities in the Age of Transnationalism: Bosnians in Diaspora
Authors: Halilovich Hariz
Published: January 2012

Today, Bosnians represent one of the newly emerging and the most widely dispersed diasporic communities from the Balkans. There are large communities of Bosnians living in almost every European country, as well as throughout North America and Australia. Most were displaced during the 1992–1995 Bosnian war, in which 2.2 million people were forced to leave their homes, 1.6 million of whom looked for refuge abroad. In contrast with, and in response to, the enforced displacement, many members of the Bosnian diaspora have retained strong family and other “informal” social ties with both Bosnians in other countries and those still living in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH, or Bosnia). Such ties – focused on preservation of cultural memory and performance of distinct local identities – form the basis of the global network of the Bosnian diaspora and its link with the original home (land). In this paper, I briefly outline the links and networks that constitute diaspora, and then go on to explore the extent to which recent scholarly literature is able to “capture” the uniqueness and complexity of the Bosnian diasporic communities in Australia, the United States (U.S.) and Europe. Finally, I attempt to define the concept of “trans‐localism” and how it is (per)formed, and suggest that the predominantly “transnational” conceptual framework within the migration studies needs to be expanded to include “trans‐local” diasporic identity formation among displaced Bosnians and similar diaspora groups.
Predicting the retention of first‐time donors using an extended Theory of Planned Behavior
Authors: Masser Barbara M. , Bednall Timothy C. , White Katherine M. , Terry Deborah
Published: January 2012

BACKGROUND: Donor retention is vital to blood collection agencies. Past research has highlighted the importance of early career behavior for long‐term donor retention, yet research investigating the determinants of early donor behavior is scarce. Using an extended Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), this study sought to identify the predictors of first‐time blood donors' early career retention.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: First‐time donors (n = 256) completed three surveys on blood donation. The standard TPB predictors and self‐identity as a donor were assessed 3 weeks (Time 1) and at 4 months (Time 2) after an initial donation. Path analyses examined the utility of the extended TPB to predict redonation at 4 and 8 months after initial donation.

RESULTS: The extended TPB provided a good fit to the data. Post‐Time 1 and 2 behavior was consistently predicted by intention to redonate. Further, intention was predicted by attitudes, perceived control, and self‐identity (Times 1 and 2). Donors' intentions to redonate at Time 1 were the strongest predictor of intention to donate at Time 2, while donors' behavior at Time 1 strengthened self‐identity as a blood donor at Time 2.

CONCLUSION: An extended TPB framework proved efficacious in revealing the determinants of first‐time donor retention in an initial 8‐month period. The results suggest that collection agencies should intervene to bolster donors' attitudes, perceived control, and identity as a donor during this crucial post–first donation period.
Is fresh‐frozen plasma clinically effective? An update of a systematic review of randomized controlled trials (CME)
Authors: Yang Lucy , Stanworth Simon , Hopewell Sally , Doree Carolyn , Murphy Mike
Published: January 2012

BACKGROUND: The clinical use of frozen plasma (FP) continues to increase, both in prophylactic and in therapeutic settings. In 2004, a systematic review of all published randomized controlled trials (RCTs) revealed a lack of evidence that supported the efficacy of FP use. This is an update that includes all new RCTs published since the original review.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Trials involving transfusion of FP up to July 2011 were identified from searches of MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, The Cochrane Library, and the UKBTS/SRI Transfusion Evidence Library. Methodologic quality was assessed. The primary outcome measure was the effect of FP on survival.

RESULTS: Twenty‐one new trials were eligible for inclusion. These covered prophylactic and therapeutic FP use in liver disease, in cardiac surgery, for warfarin anticoagulation reversal, for thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura treatment, for plasmapheresis, and in other settings, including burns, shock, and head injury. The largest number of recent RCTs were conducted in cardiac surgery; meta‐analysis showed no significant difference for FP use for the outcome of 24‐hours postoperative blood loss (weighted mean difference, −35.24 mL; 95% confidence interval, −84.16 to 13.68 mL). Overall, there was no significant benefit for FP use across all the clinical conditions. Only two of the 21 trials fulfilled all the criteria for quality assessment.

CONCLUSION: Combined with the 2004 review, 80 RCTs have investigated FP with no consistent evidence of significant benefit for prophylactic and therapeutic use across a range of indications evaluated. There has been little improvement in the overall methodologic quality of RCTs conducted in the past few years.
Sialylation‐independent mechanism involved in the amelioration of murine immune thrombocytopenia using intravenous gammaglobulin
Authors: Leontyev Danila , Katsman Yulia , Ma Xue‐Zhong , Miescher Sylvia , Käsermann Fabian , Branch Donald R.
Published: January 2012

BACKGROUND: Sialylation of the N‐linked glycan on asparagine‐297 within the Fc region of intravenous gammaglobulins (IVIgs) was shown to be necessary for efficacy of IVIg in the amelioration of experimental inflammatory arthritis. To test the role for Fc sialylation of IVIg in immune modulating therapies beyond the K/BxN arthritis model, we examined the efficacy of sialylated compared to nonsialylated IVIg for the ability to attenuate immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) in a mouse model that approximates the clinical setting of human ITP.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: We used a published, passive anti‐platelet (PLT) dose‐escalation mouse model of ITP that approximates clinical ITP. PLT counts were followed over time before and after IVIg treatment. IVIg from two different manufacturers was used to prepare untreated and neuraminidase‐treated IVIg. Sambucus nigra agglutinin (SNA) affinity chromatography was used to obtain sialic acid–enriched and ‐depleted IVIg. Sialic acid content was determined using Western blot, enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay, and high‐performance liquid chromatography.

RESULTS: Results were the same using sialylated and desialylated (neuraminidase‐treated) IVIg from two different manufacturers. No differences were observed between sialic acid–enriched and ‐depleted IVIg compared to normal IVIg in their efficacy to alleviate ITP. Using quantitative reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction, no increase in the spleen FcγRIIB mRNA was detectable, but a pronounced increase of FcγRIIB mRNA in the marrow was seen after IVIg administration.

CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that IVIg ameliorates experimental ITP by a mechanism that is independent of sialylation either in the Fc or the Fab region of IVIg.
Cardiac autonomic dysfunction in anabolic steroid users
Authors: Maior A. S. , Carvalho A. R. , Marques‐Neto S. R. , Menezes P. , Soares P. P. , Nascimento J. H. M.
Published: January 2012

This study aimed to evaluate if androgenic‐anabolic steroids (AAS) abuse may induce cardiac autonomic dysfunction in recreational trained subjects. Twenty‐two men were volunteered for the study. The AAS group (n = 11) utilized AAS at mean dosage of 410 ± 78.6 mg/week. All of them were submitted to submaximal exercise testing using an Astrand–Rhyming protocol. Electrocardiogram (ECG) and respired gas analysis were monitored at rest, during, and post‐effort. Mean values of VO2, VCO2, and VE were higher in AAS group only at rest. The heart rate variability variables were calculated from ECG using MATLAB‐based algorithms. At rest, AAS group showed lower values of the standard deviation of R‐R intervals, the proportion of adjacent R‐R intervals differing by more than 50 ms (pNN50), the root mean square of successive differences (RMSSD), and the total, the low‐frequency (LF) and the high‐frequency (HF) spectral power, as compared to Control group. After submaximal exercise testing, pNN50, RMSSD, and HF were lower, and the LF/HF ratio was higher in AAS group when compared to control group. Thus, the use of supraphysiological doses of AAS seems to induce dysfunction in tonic cardiac autonomic regulation in recreational trained subjects.
Patient satisfaction and outcome using emergency care practitioners in New Zealand
Authors: Swain Andrew H , Al‐Salami Manar , Hoyle Sarah R , Larsen Peter D
Published: January 2012

Objective: A patient satisfaction survey was undertaken in the Kapiti District of the Wellington Region to ascertain patients' experience and opinions of New Zealand's first extended care paramedic (ECP) service before consideration is given to extending it to other locations within the region. Patient outcomes were also analysed for 1 week following ECP care.

Methods: One hundred patients, 50 attended by ECPs and 50 by standard emergency ambulance service paramedics, were interviewed by an independent assessor, either in person or by phone according to patient preference. The questionnaire was aimed at comparing the experience of both groups of patients, dividing them into those treated at home and those transferred to the ED. ED and general practice records were then reviewed to determine whether the ECP‐treated patients attended either facility within 7 days and why.

Results: Patients were very satisfied with their experience of both groups of paramedics but expressed a clear desire to be treated at home if possible. Of the 50 ECP‐treated patients, 11 were transferred directly to the ED. Only one clinical complication arose over the next 7 days in those treated in the community: a seizure in a patient with refractory epilepsy.

Conclusion: The avoidance of unnecessary transfers to hospital is beneficial to patients, the ambulance service and the ED. This study demonstrates that patients are very satisfied with their assessment and treatment by ECPs, endorsing the proposal that the scheme should be extended across the Wellington Region, and perhaps New Zealand.
Diagnosis and treatment of seminal vesicle cysts
Authors: He Qun , Yang Yong , Xia Ming
Published: January 2012

Aim:  To deepen the understanding of patients with seminal vesicle cysts for correct diagnosis and treatment.

Patients and Methods:  Five patients with seminal vesicle cysts were treated over the period January 1996–May 2010. Their symptoms, diagnostic results, treatment and outcomes were analysed retrospectively. The mean age of these patients at diagnosis was 35 years (range: 20–45). Symptoms included haematospermia in three patients, urinary frequency in three patients, perineal malaise in four patients, infertility in three patients, pain after ejaculation in three patients, scrotal pain in three patients and dysuria in one patient. Cysts were palpable in four patients on digital rectal examination. All patients underwent intravenous urography and cystoscopy. Some patients received ultrasonography, computed tomography (CT) scanning, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or vasovesiculography. The size of the masses ranged from 3.8 cm × 3 cm × 2.6 cmto approximately 9.6 cm × 5.2 cm × 5 cm. Final open surgery consisted of vesiculectomy in two patients and laparoscopic excision of a partial seminal vesical cyst in three patients.

Results:  The postoperative course was uneventful, except for one patient who complained of ureter pain. All patients were free of symptoms after open surgery.

Conclusions:  Seminal vesicle cysts are rare, but should be considered in men with haematospermia and otherwise inexplicable bladder irritation symptoms, perineal discomfort or other genitourinary complaints of unknown aetiology. Diagnosis consists of digital rectal examination, transrectal and abdominal ultrasonography, CT scanning and MRI. Laparoscopic excision of seminal vesical cysts produced excellent results.
Avian Composition Co‐varies with Floristic Composition and Soil Nutrient Concentration in Amazonian Upland Forests
Authors: Pomara Lars Y. , Ruokolainen Kalle , Tuomisto Hanna , Young Kenneth R.
Published: January 2012

Spatial heterogeneity in the plant species composition of tropical forests is expected to influence animal species abundance and composition because vegetation constitutes the primary habitat feature for forest animals. Floristic variation is tied to variation in soils, so edaphic properties should ultimately influence animal species composition as well. The study of covariation in floristic and faunistic turnover has been hindered by the difficulty of completing coordinated surveys in hyperdiverse tropical communities, but this can be overcome with the use of a few plant taxa that function as surrogates for general floristic turnover. We used avian and plant transect surveys and soil sampling in a western Amazonian upland (terra firme) forest landscape to test whether spatial variation in bird community composition is associated with floristic turnover and corresponding edaphic gradients. Partial Mantel tests and Non‐metric Multidimensional Scaling showed floristic distinctiveness between two forest types closely associated with differences in soil cation concentrations, and differences in both floristic composition and cation concentrations were further linked to compositional differences in avian species, independent of geographic distances among sites. Ten percent of bird species included in Indicator Species Analyses showed significant associations with one of the two forest types. The upland forest types that we sampled, each corresponding to a different geological formation, are intermediate relative to edaphically extreme environments in the region. Models of avian diversification should take into account this environmental heterogeneity, as should conservation planning approaches that aim to represent faunal diversity.

Abstract in Spanish is available in the online version of this article.
The history of the development of buprenorphine as an addiction therapeutic
Authors: Campbell Nancy D. , Lovell Anne M.
Published: January 2012

This paper traces the early 21st century success of the agonist–antagonist buprenorphine and the combination drug buprenorphine with naloxone within the broader quest to develop addiction therapeutics that began in the 1920s as the search for a nonaddictive analgesic. Drawing on archival research, document analysis, and interviews with contemporary actors, this paper situates the social organization of laboratory‐based and clinical research within the domestic and international confluence of several issues, including research ethics, drug regulation, public attitudes, tensions around definitions of drug addiction, and the evolving roles of the pharmaceutical industry. The fervor that drove the champions of buprenorphine must be understood in relation to (1) the material work of research and pharmaceutical manufacturing; (2) the symbolic role of buprenorphine as a solution to numerous problems with addiction treatment evident by the mid‐1970s; the destigmatization and individualization of addicts as patients; and (3) the complex configurations of public and private partnerships.
Genome and gene duplications and gene expression divergence: a view from plants
Authors: Wang Yupeng , Wang Xiyin , Paterson Andrew H
Published: January 2012

With many plant genomes sequenced, it is now clear that one distinguishing feature of angiosperm (flowering plant) genomes is their high frequency of whole‐genome duplication. Single‐gene duplication is also widespread in angiosperm genomes. Following various mechanisms of gene duplication, genes are often retained or lost in a biased manner, which has suggested recent models for gene family evolution, such as functional buffering and the gene balance hypothesis in addition to now‐classical models, including neofunctionalization and subfunctionalization. Evolutionary consequences of gene duplication, often studied through analyzing gene expression divergence, have enhanced understanding of the biological significance of different mechanisms of gene duplication.
A comparative study of ecological specialization estimators
Authors: Poisot Timothée , Canard Elsa , Mouquet Nicolas , Hochberg Michael E.
Published: January 2012

1. Ecological specialization is a unifying concept in the biological sciences. While there are reliable ways to characterize specificity at individual and community levels, the evaluation of population and species‐level measures is lacking. There is a need for such assessments given that populations and species are the relevant scales for most ecological and evolutionary processes.

2. Using examples of simulated and empirical data sets of bipartite networks representing a continuum of biological interactions, we evaluate six indices of specificity in terms of their robustness to incomplete sampling and information they extract from data.

3. Robustness differed between the measures and in their ability to differentiate specialists and generalists along a full continuum. On the empirical data sets, indices were less separated by their informativity than on the simulated data sets, which may be due to the heterogeneity of the former.

4. Based on these different evaluations for species‐level (or population‐level) specificity, we recommend the use of Resource range when no quantitative data are available and Paired Difference Index otherwise. These results will assist both applied and fundamental researchers in the characterization and interpretation of species specificity.
RNETLOGO: an R package for running and exploring individual‐based models implemented in NETLOGO
Authors: Thiele Jan C. , Kurth Winfried , Grimm Volker
Published: January 2012

1. NetLogo is a free software platform for implementing individual‐based and agent‐based models. However, NetLogo’s support of systematic design, performance and analysis of simulation experiments is limited. The statistics software R includes such support.

2. RNetLogo is an R package that links R and NetLogo: any NetLogo program can be controlled and run from R and model results can be transferred back to R for statistical analyses. RNetLogo includes 16 functions, which are explained and demonstrated in the user manual and tutorial. The design of RNetLogo was inspired by a similar link between Mathematica and NetLogo.

3. RNetLogo is a powerful tool for making individual‐based modelling more efficient and less ad hoc. It links two fast growing user communities and constitutes a new interface for integrating descriptive statistical analyses and individual‐based modelling.
Moral strangers or fellow travellers? Contemporary perspectives on offender rehabilitation
Authors: Ward Tony
Published: January 2012

This article is a response to the two previous articles in this issue (Polaschek, 2012, and McNeill, 2012), which make up the hot topic debate on offender rehabilitation.
Effects of a randomized maintenance intervention on adiposity and metabolic risk factors in overweight minority adolescents
Authors: Davis J. N. , Ventura E. E. , Tung A. , Munevar M. A. , Hasson R. E. , Byrd‐Williams C. , Vanni A. K. , Spruijt‐Metz D. , Weigensberg M. , Goran M. I.
Published: January 2012

Objective

The objective of this study was to assess the effects of a maintenance programme (monthly newsletters vs. monthly group classes and telephone behavioural sessions) on obesity and metabolic disease risk at 1 year in overweight minority adolescents.

Methods

After a 4‐month nutrition and strength training intervention, 53 overweight Latino and African–American adolescents (15.4 ± 1.1 years) were randomized into one of two maintenance groups for 8 months: monthly newsletters (n = 23) or group classes (n = 30; monthly classes + individualized behavioural telephone sessions). The following outcomes were measured at months 4 (immediately following the intense intervention) and 12: height, weight, blood pressure, body composition via BodPod™ (Life Measurement Instruments, Concord, CA, USA), lipids and glucose/insulin indices via frequently sampled intravenous glucose tolerance test.

Results

There were no significant group by time interactions for any of the health outcomes. There were significant time effects in several outcomes for both groups from months 4 to 12: bench press and leg press decreased by 5% and 14%, respectively (P = 0.004 & P = 0.01), fasting insulin and acute insulin response decreased by 26% and 16%, respectively (P < 0.001 & P = 0.046); while high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol and insulin sensitivity improved by 5% and 14% (P = 0.042 & P = 0.039).

Conclusions

Newsletters as opposed to group classes may suffice as follow‐up maintenance programmes to decrease type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular risk in overweight minority adolescents.
Multiscale Simulations of Heat Transfer and Fluid Flow Problems
Authors: He Ya-Ling , Tao Wen-Quan
Published: January 2012

The multiscale problems in the thermal and fluid science are classified into two categories: multiscale process and multiscale system. The meanings of the two categories are described. Examples are provided for multiscale process and multiscale system. In this paper, focus is put on the simulation of multiscale process. The numerical approaches for multiscale processes have two categories: one is the usage of a general governing equation and solving the entire flow field involving a variation of several orders in characteristic geometric scale. The other is the so-called “solving regionally and coupling at the interfaces.” In this approach, the processes at different length levels are simulated by different numerical methods and then information is exchanged at the interfaces between different regions. The key point is the establishment of the reconstruction operator, which transforms the data of few variables of macroscopic computation to a large amount of variables of microscale or mesoscale simulation. Six numerical examples of multiscale simulation are presented. Finally, some research needs are proposed.
Amplitude and Phasing of Trunk Motion is Critical for the Efficacy of Gait Training Aimed at Reducing Ambulatory Loads at the Knee
Authors: Mündermann Annegret , Mündermann Lars , Andriacchi Thomas P.
Published: January 2012

The purpose of this study was to determine the contribution of changes in amplitude and phasing of medio-lateral trunk sway to a change in the knee adduction moment when walking with increased medio-lateral trunk sway. Kinematic and kinetic data of walking trials with normal and with increased trunk sway were collected for 19 healthy volunteers using a standard motion analysis system. The relationship between the change in first peak knee adduction moment (ΔKAM) and change in trunk sway amplitude (ΔSA; difference between maximum contralateral trunk lean and maximum ipsilateral trunk lean) and phasing (SP; time of heel-strike relative to time of maximum contralateral and time of maximum ipsilateral trunk lean) was determined using nonlinear regression analysis. On average, subjects increased their SA by 9.7 ± 3.6 deg (P < 0.001) with an average SP of 98.8 ± 88.8 ms resulting in an average reduction in the first peak knee adduction moment of −55.2 ± 30.3% (P < 0.001). 64.3% of variability in change in peak knee adduction moment with the increased trunk sway condition was explained by both differences in SA and SP, and the relationship among these parameters was described by the regression equation ΔKAM = 27.220−4.128 · ΔSA-64.785 · cos(SP). Hence, not only the amplitude but also the phasing of trunk motion is critical. Not only lower limb movement but also lumbar and thoracic lateral flexion should be considered in the decision making process for an optimal intervention aimed at reducing the load on the medial compartment of the knee during walking. However, these promising findings originated from studies on healthy subjects and their relevance for gait training interventions in patients with presumably painful knee osteoarthritis remains to be determined.
Illusions Promote Mating Success in Great Bowerbirds
Authors: Kelley Laura A. , Endler John A.
Published: January 2012

Trick of the Eye of the Beholder

Male bowerbirds build elaborate bowers, or display areas, that consist of an avenue where the female stands and an arena where the male displays. Males decorate their arenas meticulously with stones, flowers, and found objects. Previous work has shown that these bowers induce forced perspective illusions in the observing females. Now
Kelley and Endler
(p.
335
; see the Perspective by

Anderson

) show that mating success is based on components of the illusion, rather than the physical nature of the bower. Thus, females choose their mates based on a visual illusion painstakingly constructed and maintained by the displaying male.
Skin Effector Memory T Cells Do Not Recirculate and Provide Immune Protection in Alemtuzumab-Treated CTCL Patients
Authors: Clark Rachael A. , Watanabe Rei , Teague Jessica E. , Schlapbach Christoph , Tawa Marianne C. , Adams Natalie , Dorosario Andrew A. , Chaney Keri S. , Cutler Corey S. , LeBoeuf Nicole R. , Carter Joi B. , Fisher David C. , Kupper Thomas S.
Published: January 2012

Alemtuzumab depletes malignant T cells but spares skin resident effector memory T cells, treating L-CTCL without increased risk of infection.
Another Window of Opportunity
Authors: Hong David S.
Published: January 2012

Two recent studies show that antiangiogenic therapy may be beneficial in patients with ovarian cancer.
Failure of the Smallpox Vaccine To Develop a Skin Lesion in Vaccinia Virus-Naïve Individuals Is Related to Differences in Antibody Profiles before Vaccination, Not After
Authors: Tan Xiaolin , Chun Sookhee , Pablo Jozelyn , Felgner Philip , Liang Xiaowu , Davies D. Huw
Published: January 2012

Successful vaccination against smallpox with conventional vaccinia virus is usually determined by the development of a vesicular skin lesion at the site of vaccinia inoculation, called a “take.” Although previous vaccination is known to be associated with attenuation of the take, the immunology that underlies a no-take in vaccinia-naïve individuals is not well understood. We hypothesized that antibody profiling of individuals before and after receiving vaccinia virus would reveal differences between takes and no-takes that may help better explain the phenomenon. Using vaccinia virus proteome microarrays and recombinant protein enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs), we first examined the antibody response in vaccinia-naïve individuals that failed to take after receiving different doses of the replication-competent DryVax and Aventis Pasteur (APSV) smallpox vaccines. Most that received diluted vaccine failed to respond, although four no-takes receiving diluted vaccine and four receiving undiluted vaccine mounted an antibody response. Interestingly, their antibody profiles were not significantly different from those of controls that did show a take. However, we did find elevated antibody titers in no-takes prior to receiving DryVax that were significantly different from those of takes. Although the sample size studied was small, we conclude the failure to take in responders correlates with preexisting immunity of unknown etiology that may attenuate the skin reaction in a way similar to previous smallpox vaccination.
Effects of Decontamination, DNA Extraction, and Amplification Procedures on the Molecular Diagnosis of Mycobacterium ulcerans Disease (Buruli Ulcer)
Authors: Affolabi Dissou , Sanoussi N′Dira , Vandelannoote Koen , Odoun Mathieu , Faïhun Frank , Sopoh Ghislain , Anagonou Séverin , Portaels Françoise , Eddyani Miriam
Published: January 2012

We compared two DNA extraction methods (a semiautomated method using a Maxwell kit and a modified Boom method) and three amplification procedures (a single-step PCR, a nested PCR, and a real-time quantitative PCR) on 74 surgical tissue specimens from patients with clinically suspected Buruli ulcer. All of these procedures were compared before and after decontamination. We observed that, among the procedures tested, real-time PCR after the modified Boom extraction method or a single-run PCR assay after the Maxwell 16 extraction method, performed on nondecontaminated suspensions, are the best for the molecular diagnosis of
Mycobacterium ulcerans
disease.
Clostridium difficile Testing Algorithms Using Glutamate Dehydrogenase Antigen and C. difficile Toxin Enzyme Immunoassays with C. difficile Nucleic Acid Amplification Testing Increase Diagnostic Yield in a Tertiary Pediatric Population
Authors: Ota Kaede V. , McGowan Karin L.
Published: January 2012

We evaluated the performance of the rapid C. diff Quik Chek Complete's glutamate dehydrogenase antigen (GDH) and toxin A/B (CDT) tests in two algorithmic approaches for a tertiary pediatric population: algorithm 1 entailed initial testing with GDH/CDT followed by loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP), and algorithm 2 entailed GDH/CDT followed by cytotoxicity neutralization assay (CCNA) for adjudication of discrepant GDH-positive/CDT-negative results. A true positive (TP) was defined as positivity by CCNA or positivity by LAMP plus another test (GDH, CDT, or the Premier
C. difficile
toxin A and B enzyme immunoassay [P-EIA]). A total of 141 specimens from 141 patients yielded 27 TPs and 19% prevalence. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value were 56%, 100%, 100%, and 90% for P-EIA and 81%, 100%, 100%, and 96% for both algorithm 1 and algorithm 2. In summary, GDH-based algorithms detected
C. difficile
infections with superior sensitivity compared to P-EIA. The algorithms allowed immediate reporting of half of all TPs, but LAMP or CCNA was required to confirm the presence or absence of toxigenic
C. difficile
in GDH-positive/CDT-negative specimens.
Persistent Bloodstream Infection with Kocuria rhizophila Related to a Damaged Central Catheter
Authors: Moissenet Didier , Becker Karsten , Mérens Audrey , Ferroni Agnès , Dubern Béatrice , Vu-Thien Hoang
Published: January 2012

A case of persistent bloodstream infection with
Kocuria rhizophila
related to a damaged central venous catheter in a 3-year-old girl with Hirschsprung's disease is reported. The strain was identified as
K. rhizophila
by 16S rRNA gene sequencing and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization–time of flight mass spectrometry. Arbitrarily primed PCR analysis showed a clonal strain. The repeated septic episodes were resolved with the catheter repair.
Identification of Optimal Epitopes for Plasmodium falciparum Rapid Diagnostic Tests That Target Histidine-Rich Proteins 2 and 3
Authors: Lee Nelson , Gatton Michelle L. , Pelecanos Anita , Bubb Martin , Gonzalez Iveth , Bell David , Cheng Qin , McCarthy James S.
Published: January 2012

Rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) represent important tools to diagnose malaria infection. To improve understanding of the variable performance of RDTs that detect the major target in
Plasmodium falciparum
, namely, histidine-rich protein 2 (HRP2), and to inform the design of better tests, we undertook detailed mapping of the epitopes recognized by eight HRP-specific monoclonal antibodies (MAbs). To investigate the geographic skewing of this polymorphic protein, we analyzed the distribution of these epitopes in parasites from geographically diverse areas. To identify an ideal amino acid motif for a MAb to target in HRP2 and in the related protein HRP3, we used a purpose-designed script to perform bioinformatic analysis of 448 distinct gene sequences from
pfhrp2
and from 99 sequences from the closely related gene
pfhrp3
. The frequency and distribution of these motifs were also compared to the MAb epitopes. Heat stability testing of MAbs immobilized on nitrocellulose membranes was also performed. Results of these experiments enabled the identification of MAbs with the most desirable characteristics for inclusion in RDTs, including copy number and coverage of target epitopes, geographic skewing, heat stability, and match with the most abundant amino acid motifs identified. This study therefore informs the selection of MAbs to include in malaria RDTs as well as in the generation of improved MAbs that should improve the performance of HRP-detecting malaria RDTs.
Comparison of Three Assays for Detection of Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae in SurePath Pap Samples and the Role of Pre- and Postcytology Testing
Authors: Chernesky M. , Jang D. , Portillo E. , Smieja M. , Kapala J. , Doucette C. , Sumner J. , Ewert R. , MacRitchie C. , Gilchrist J.
Published: January 2012

Chlamydia trachomatis
and
Neisseria gonorrhoeae
are common causes of sexually transmitted infections, and there is interest in screening SurePath liquid-based Pap (L-Pap) samples with Aptima Combo 2 (AC2), Amplicor (AMP), and ProbeTec ET (PT) assays. SurePath L-Pap samples and a cervical swab (CS) were collected from 394 women attending health clinics in Hamilton and Toronto, ON, Canada. L-Pap samples were tested with the three assays prior to being processed for cytology, and the CS sample was tested with AC2. The prevalence of
C. trachomatis
was 8.9%, and that of
N. gonorrhoeae
was 1.5%. By using the positives from CS testing, as well as CS negatives corresponding to L-Pap samples that tested positive in 2 of 3 assays, the sensitivities of AC2, AMP, and PT for
C. trachomatis
in precytology samples were calculated to be 97.1% (34 of 35 positive samples were detected), 91.4% (32 of 35 were detected), and 77.1% (27 of 35 were detected), respectively. Six women were infected with
N. gonorrhoeae
. After cytology processing, the results of testing the remaining liquid in the L-Pap vial and the cell-enriched fraction for
C. trachomatis
by AC2 showed positive agreements of 98.9% (kappa [
k
], 0.93) and 98.7% (
k
, 0.92), respectively, with the results of testing precytology L-Pap samples. Although all testing showed high specificity, testing for
C. trachomatis
by AC2 was significantly more sensitive than testing by PT for SurePath samples (
P
= 0.02). Newer versions of AMP (Cobas 4800) and PT (Q

x

with XTR technology) need published evaluations for detecting
C. trachomatis
and
N. gonorrhoeae
in L-Pap samples.
C. trachomatis
testing can be performed with similar results on pre- and postcytology SurePath samples.
Multilocus Sequence Typing and Phylogenetic Analysis of Propionibacterium acnes
Authors: Kilian Mogens , Scholz Christian F. P. , Lomholt Hans B.
Published: January 2012

Propionibacterium acnesis a commensal of human skin but is also implicated in the pathogenesis of acne vulgaris, in biofilm-associated infections of medical devices and endophthalmitis, and in infections of bone and dental root canals. Recent studies associateP. acneswith prostate cancer. As the species includes evolutionary lineages with distinct association with health and disease, there is a need for a high-resolution typing scheme. Recently, two multilocus sequence typing (MLST) schemes were reported, one based on nine and one based on seven housekeeping genes. In the present study, the two schemes were compared with reference to a phylogenetic tree based on 78P. acnesgenomes and their gene contents. Further support for a basically clonal population structure ofP. acnesand a scenario of the global spread of epidemic clones ofP. acneswas obtained. Compared to the Belfast scheme, the Aarhus MLST scheme (http://pacnes.mlst.net/), which is based on nine genes, offers significantly enhanced resolution and phylogenetic inferences more concordant with analyses based on a comprehensive sampling of the entire genomes, their gene contents, and their putative pathogenic potential.
Sensing of RNA Viruses: a Review of Innate Immune Receptors Involved in Recognizing RNA Virus Invasion
Authors: Jensen Søren , Thomsen Allan Randrup
Published: January 2012

Our knowledge regarding the contribution of the innate immune system in recognizing and subsequently initiating a host response to an invasion of RNA virus has been rapidly growing over the last decade. Descriptions of the receptors involved and the molecular mechanisms they employ to sense viral pathogen-associated molecular patterns have emerged in great detail. This review presents an overview of our current knowledge regarding the receptors used to detect RNA virus invasion, the molecular structures these receptors sense, and the involved downstream signaling pathways.