bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The like economy: Social buttons and the data-intensive web
Authors: Gerlitz Carolin , Helmond Anne
Published: February 2013

The paper examines Facebook’s ambition to extend into the entire web by focusing on social buttons and developing a medium-specific platform critique. It contextualises the rise of buttons and counters as metrics for user engagement and links them to different web economies. Facebook’s Like buttons enable multiple data flows between various actors, contributing to a simultaneous de- and re-centralisation of the web. They allow the instant transformation of user engagement into numbers on button counters, which can be traded and multiplied but also function as tracking devices. The increasing presence of buttons and associated social plugins on the web creates new forms of connectivity between websites, introducing an alternative fabric of the web. Contrary to Facebook’s claim to promote a more social experience of the web, this paper explores the implementation and technical infrastructure of such buttons to conceptualise them as part of a so-called ‘Like economy’.
Reinventing an authentic ‘ethnic’ politics: Ideology and organizational change in Koreatown and Field’s Corner
Authors: Chung Angie Y. , Bloemraad Irene , Tejada-Peña Karen Ivette
Published: February 2013

Based on Koreatown in Los Angeles and the Vietnamese Field’s Corner in Boston, our aim is to understand how transnational relationships with countries of origin and settlement among the second generation affect local contestations over political legitimacy and community projects. Despite historical parallels between these two communities, the evolution of ethnic politics among the second generation has taken divergent paths – one based on accommodating the political status quo and the other operating against it. The successful efforts of Korean American leaders in broadening traditional notions of an ‘authentic’ ethnic politics hinged on their ability to create an alternative imagined community that was spiritually linked to events in their parents’ homeland and was unfettered by dependency on US government funding. In contrast, the second generation Vietnamese leadership lacked the real or imagined transnational linkages and non-governmental funding sources it needed to re-imagine and re-articulate political projects considered progressive and authentically ‘Vietnamese’.
The role of oxidative stress in renal injury induced in rats by losartan exposure during lactation
Authors: Marin Evelyn Cristina Santana , Francescato Heloísa Della Coletta , Costa Roberto Silva , da Silva Cleonice Giovanini Alves , Coimbra Terezila Machado
Published: February 2013

Introduction:

Rats exposed to angiotensin II (AII) receptor antagonists during lactation present progressive disturbances in renal development that lead to progressive alterations in renal function and structure. This study evaluates the role of oxidative stress in the renal changes induced by exposure to losartan, a type 1 AII receptor antagonist, in rats during lactation.

Materials and methods:

Male Wistar pups were divided into: Control, pups of dams that received 2% sucrose solution; Control-tempol, pups of dams that received tempol (0.34 g/l), a superoxide dismutase mimetic compound; Losartan, pups of dams that received losartan (100 mg/kg/day), and Losartan-tempol, pups of dams that received losartan and tempol. Losartan and/or tempol were administered during lactation. Blood and urine samples were collected at 21 or 60 days, and the kidneys were removed.

Results:

Losartan-treated pups exhibited disturbances in renal function and structure that persisted into adulthood. Tempol treatment reduced oxidative stress and attenuated the changes induced by losartan in the glomerular filtration rate, desmin expression at the glomerular edge, vimentin in tubular cells, as well as apoptosis and inflammatory infiltration in the renal cortex.

Conclusion:

Oxidative stress contributes at least in part to the renal injury observed in pups exposed to losartan during lactation.
Cardiovascular effects of angiotensin A: A novel peptide of the renin–angiotensin system
Authors: Coutinho Danielle CO , Foureaux Giselle , Rodrigues Keyla DL , Salles Rodrigo LA , Moraes Patrícia L , Murça Tatiane M , De Maria Marilda LA , Gomes Enéas RM , Santos Robson AS , Guatimosim Sílvia , Ferreira Anderson J
Published: February 2013

Introduction:

Angiotensin (Ang) A was first identified in human plasma and it differs from Ang II in Ala1 instead of Asp1. Here, we hypothesized that the actions of this peptide might explain, at least partially, the limited effects of AT1R antagonists in certain cardiovascular diseases.

Materials and methods:

The effects of Ang A and Ang II on blood pressure (BP) and heart function were compared. Importantly, participation of AT1R in these effects was evaluated. Furthermore, the effects of these two peptides on ischemia/reperfusion arrhythmias and involvement of calcium in these effects were investigated.

Results:

Administration of increasing doses of these peptides caused elevations in BP at comparable magnitude. AT1R blockade completely abolished these effects. The actions of these peptides in cardiac function were quite similar although the effects of Ang A were only partially blocked by losartan. Interestingly, Ang II elicited an increase in the duration of ischemia/reperfusion arrhythmias while Ang A had no effect on cardiac rhythm during reperfusion. In accordance, differently to Ang II, Ang A did not induce any significant effect on calcium transient during baseline and ischemic stress conditions.

Conclusions:

These data suggest that the existence of alternative peptides of the renin–angiotensin system (RAS) might contribute to the limited effects of angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) in certain pathophysiological circumstances.
Finding a voice: A figured worlds approach to theorising young children’s identities
Authors: Barron Ian
Published: February 2013

This article explores some of the ways in which children’s ethnic identities have been conceptualised by sociocultural and critical race theory and the potential of the ‘figured worlds’ literature in helping to theorise the responses of young children to the cultural and educational worlds they encounter. Using some vignettes drawn from the author’s ethnographic study of the ethnic identities of a group of 3- and 4-year-old White British and British Pakistani children in a kindergarten in the north of England, the article explores the potential of a figured worlds analysis in understanding how the children respond to some of the experiences of the kindergarten and in understanding how they seek to make sense of their identities. The article concludes that while structural and cultural factors shaped the ways in which the children engaged or did not engage in the social and educational practices of the kindergarten and played a very significant part in how they viewed themselves and viewed others, the children were not silent observers of what the world offered or did not offer them. A dialogic self was evident that authored and tried to make sense of the world, but, in so doing, designated identities meant that only particular figured worlds were available to children for much of the time. It is argued that what a figured worlds reading offers is a means of seeking to uncover and theorise the complex ways in which young children experience and perform their identities and respond to the social and educational practices in particular contexts. This is seen as having value in providing a framework for early childhood academics and educators to work together to support children in exploring alternative figured identities that challenge, alleviate and transform the constraints that positional identities often seem to impose on them.
Wallet-Based Redistricting: Evidence for the Concentration of Wealth in Majority Party Districts
Authors: Kirkland Justin H.
Published: February 2013

This article examines the role of wealth in the redistricting process in state legislative contests. I argue that the decision by state redistricting mapmakers to pursue a “seatswing” or “protection” strategy involves more than just a choice between where to move partisan voters. Redistricting may also allow parties to consider wealth as an additional resource to be concentrated or dispersed across legislative districts. To test this wealth-based hypothesis, I examine state redistricting plans in California and North Carolina. Logistic regression analyses of census block group exchanges between state legislative districts reveal that income plays a significant role in redistricting decisions.
State-Level Measures of Institutional Budgetary Influence from the American State Administrators Project: 1964–98
Authors: Dometrius Nelson C. , Bowling Cynthia , Ferguson Margaret R. , Wright Deil S.
Published: February 2013

The American State Administrators Project is a half-century long research program surveying the attitudes and behavior of state agency leaders. The project has produced a voluminous number of publications and conference papers. At the same time it has also faced several difficulties in making its data more widely available to the scholarly community. This paper describes the Project, some of the data difficulties it has faced, and the portion of the data being distributed with this article.
Seat Belt Injuries of the Abdominal Aorta in Adults—Case Report and Literature Review
Authors: Freni Luca , Barbetta Iacopo , Mazzaccaro Daniela , Settembrini Alberto M. , Dallatana Raffaello , Tassinari Luca , Settembrini Piergiorgio G.
Published: February 2013

Blunt abdominal trauma with major vascular involvement is found to be rare. Although few series have been reported in the literature, the true incidence of blunt abdominal aortic injury is unknown. Different modalities of blunt trauma may occur among civilians with steering wheel and seat belt injury secondary to motor vehicle accident the most frequent. Mechanical forces produce variable patterns of injury; therefore, the onset of signs and symptoms can be different. Dissection and thrombosis of the abdominal aorta have been frequently described among seat-belted adult patients with major vascular involvement. The associated abdominal viscus and/or vertebral lesions must always be taken into account. Prompt diagnosis allows adequate surgical treatment. We present the case of a 66-year-old woman, restrained front passenger involved in a motor vehicle collision, who had small bowel transection, vertebral fractures, and aortic partial occlusion below inferior mesenteric artery with bilateral iliac artery involvement. Along with the case reported, the purpose of this study is to highlight and compare features and management of the previous cases described in the English literature.
The Hybrid Repair of a Penetrating Ulcer in a Patient With a Bovine Arch; Debranching Followed by Endovascular Stent Placement
Authors: Neragi-Miandoab Siyamek , Jakobleff William , Lipsitz Evan , Michler Robert E.
Published: February 2013

Aortic arch disease has conventionally been a subject for open surgical repair, which may require circulatory arrest, accompanied by a long perfusion and extended cross-clamp time. A 2-stage approach utilizing an elephant trunk procedure followed by a descending aortic replacement, or utilizing a frozen elephant trunk with endovascular extension is not well tolerated by multimorbid patients. On the other hand, the endovascular repair of an aortic arch disease is limited by aortic branching. Hybrid repair consists of revascularization of arch vessels followed by endovascular stenting.
Still On the Beaten Path
Authors: Dan Viorela , Iorgoveanu Aurora
Published: February 2013

This study discusses variations in the media coverage of the most prominent male and female EP candidates from Romania in the four weeks leading up to Election Day (May 8 to June 7, 2009). The verbal- and visual-framing analyses conducted focus on the visibility of these candidates, their viability (horse-race frame), and the balance between issue-related coverage (issue frame) and gendered coverage (trivialization frame). Our sample encompasses 249 news stories from the web sites of the most influential broadsheets and tabloids in Romania, namely, Cancan, Evenimentul Zilei, Gândul, and Libertatea. The results point toward a gender bias on the part of media. Whereas women dominated the tabloid outlets, men were featured prominently in the broadsheets. The trivialization and the issue frames appeared more often for female candidates, whereas the results for the horse-race frame were mixed. While factors other than gender (such as experience) might have influenced the coverage of these particular candidates, it is still too early to proclaim equal treatment in the media, especially since women were considered unable to deal with the issues they were linked to.
Therapeutic applications of melatonin
Authors: Kostoglou-Athanassiou Ifigenia
Published: February 2013

Melatonin is a methoxyindole synthesized within the pineal gland. The hormone is secreted during the night and appears to play multiple roles within the human organism. The hormone contributes to the regulation of biological rhythms, may induce sleep, has strong antioxidant action and appears to contribute to the protection of the organism from carcinogenesis and neurodegenerative disorders.

At a therapeutic level as well as in prevention, melatonin is used for the management of sleep disorders and jet lag, for the resynchronization of circadian rhythms in situations such as blindness and shift work, for its preventive action in the development of cancer, as additive therapy in cancer and as therapy for preventing the progression of Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative disorders.
Differences in patterns of high-risk human papillomavirus infection between urban and rural low-resource settings: cross-sectional findings from Mali
Authors: Schluterman Nicholas H , Sow Samba O , Traore Cheick B , Bakarou Kamate , Dembelé Rokiatou , Sacko Founé , Gravitt Patti E , Tracy J Kathleen
Published: February 2013

Background

The burden of cervical cancer is disproportionately high in low-resource settings. With limited implementation of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines on the horizon in the developing world, reliable data on the epidemiology of high-risk HPV (HR-HPV) infection in distinct geographic populations is essential to planners of vaccination programs. The purpose of this study was to determine whether urban patterns of HR-HPV occurrence can be generalized to rural areas of the same developing country, using data from Mali, West Africa, as an example.

Methods

Urban and rural women in Mali participated in a structured interview and clinician exam, with collection of cervical samples for HPV DNA testing, to determine HR-HPV prevalence and correlates of infection. Correlates were assessed using bivariate analysis and logistic regression.

Results

A total of 414 women (n=202 urban women; n=212 rural women) were recruited across both settings. The prevalence of HR-HPV infection in rural women was nearly twice that observed in urban women (23% v. 12%). Earlier age of sexual debut and fewer pregnancies were associated with HR-HPV infection among urban women, but not rural women. Twenty-six percent of urban women who had sexual intercourse by age 14 had an HR-HPV infection, compared to only 9% of those who had later sexual debut (p<0.01). Overall, age, income, and polygamy did not appear to have a relationship with HR-HPV infection.

Conclusions

Compared to urban women, rural women were significantly more likely to be infected with high-risk HPV. The patterns and risk factors of HR-HPV infection may be different between geographic areas, even within the same developing country. The high prevalence in both groups suggests that nearly all rural women and most urban women in Mali will be infected with HR-HPV during their lifetime, so the effects of risk factors may not be statistically apparent. To control HPV and cervical cancer in West Africa and the rest of the developing world, planners should prioritize vaccination in high-burden areas.
Synthesis of silica nanoparticles from Vietnamese rice husk by sol–gel method
Authors: Le Van Hai , Thuc Chi Nhan Ha , Thuc Huy Ha
Published: February 2013

Silica powder at nanoscale was obtained by heat treatment of Vietnamese rice husk following the sol–gel method. The rice husk ash (RHA) is synthesized using rice husk which was thermally treated at optimal condition at 600°C for 4 h. The silica from RHA was extracted using sodium hydroxide solution to produce a sodium silicate solution and then precipitated by adding H2SO4at pH = 4 in the mixture of water/butanol with cationic presence. In order to identify the optimal condition for producing the homogenous silica nanoparticles, the effects of surfactant surface coverage, aging temperature, and aging time were investigated. By analysis of X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy, the silica product obtained was amorphous and the uniformity of the nanosized sample was observed at an average size of 3 nm, and the BET result showed that the highest specific surface of the sample was about 340 m2/g. The results obtained in the mentioned method prove that the rice husk from agricultural wastes can be used for the production of silica nanoparticles.
A virus biosensor with single virus-particle sensitivity based on fluorescent vesicle labels and equilibrium fluctuation analysis
Authors: Bally Marta , Graule Moritz , Parra Francisco , Larson Göran , Höök Fredrik
Published: February 2013

Biosensors allowing for the rapid and sensitive detection of viral pathogens in environmental or clinical samples are urgently needed to prevent disease outbreaks and spreading. We present a bioanalytical assay for the detection of whole viral particles with single virus sensitivity. Specifically, we focus on the detection of human norovirus, a highly infectious virus causing gastroenteritis. In our assay configuration, virus-like particles are captured onto a supported lipid bilayer containing a virus-specific glycolipid and detected after recognition by a glycolipid-containing fluorescent vesicle. Read-out is performed after illumination of the vesicle labels by total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy. This allows for visualization of individual vesicles and for recording of their binding kinetics under equilibrium conditions (equilibrium fluctuation analysis), as demonstrated previously. In this work we extend the concept and demonstrate that this simple assay setup can be used as a bioanalytical assay for the detection of virus particles at a limit of detection of 16 fM. Furthermore, we demonstrate how the analysis of the single vesicle-virus-like particle interaction dynamics can contribute to increase the accuracy and sensitivity of the assay by discriminating specific from non-specific binding events. This method is suggested to be generally applicable, provided that these events display different interaction kinetics.
Outcome of deliveries in healthy but obese women: obesity and delivery outcome
Authors: Kaplan-Sturk Rebecka , Åkerud Helena , Volgsten Helena , Hellström-Westas Lena , Wiberg-Itzel Eva
Published: February 2013

Background

Obesity among fertile women is a global problem. 25% of pregnant Swedish women are overweight at admission to the antenatal clinic and 12% of them are considered as obese. Previous studies have shown an increased risk of delivery complications with an elevated maternal BMI. The aim of this study was to evaluate delivery outcomes in relation to maternal BMI on admission to the antenatal clinic.

A healthy group of 787 women with full-term pregnancies and spontaneous onset of labor were included in the study. Delivery outcome was assessed in relation to maternal BMI when attending the antenatal clinic.

Results

The results indicated that in deliveries where the maternal BMI was > 30 a high frequency of abnormal CTG trace during the last 30 minutes of labor was shown. A blood sample for evaluation of risk of fetal hypoxia was performed in only eight percent of these deliveries. A spontaneous vaginal delivery without intervention was noted in 85.7%, and 12% of neonates were delivered with an adverse fetal outcome compared to 2.8% in the group with a maternal BMI<30 (p<0.001).

Conclusion

These results indicate an increased risk at delivery for healthy, but obese women in labor. Furthermore, the delivery management may not always be optimal in these deliveries.
Establishment of a new representative model of human ovarian cancer in mice
Authors: Zhang Jianjun , Chen Xinlian , Shi Gang , Xie Xiaoyan , Liu Hongqian , Zhang Xuemei , Lai Yi , Zuo Yan , Chen Zhong , Liu Shanling , Wang He
Published: February 2013

Background

Intraperitoneal (i.p.) models that accurately mimic the feature behavior of human ovarian cancer are required to investigate the pathology and therapeutics of the disease. However, established i.p. models which are well-characterized and reliable are few. The purposes of this study are to establish a representative mice i.p. model of the disease and to analyze the consequent pathology.

Methods

Fresh tumor cells fiom the ascites of patient were injected into female NOD/SCID mice intraperitoneally. Histology, Cytogenetic, immunohistochemistry,tumor markers of CA125,AFP, CA-199 and CEA were used to analyze the model.

Results

The mice developed marked abdominal distention within 6 months after inoculated with tumor cells from a patient with epithelial ovarian carcinoma. The mice developed clinically evident intraperitoneal tumors and massive ascites containing numerous tumor cells in clumps. CA125 level in our model was high in both serum and ascites supernatants, while levels of other tumor markers, such as AFP, CA-199 and CEA, were normal. Cytogenetic analysis and immunohistochemical staining confirmed its characteristics resembling human epithelial ovarian tumor.

Conclusions

The model described in this paper accurately mimics the features of ovarian tumor, which may be useful for evaluation of new therapeutics.
BioBanking as the central tool for translational medicine CTM issue 2013
Authors: Marko‐Varga György
Published: February 2013

The impact of mapping the human proteome: Globally, the health care organizations are under resource and cost constrains due to the increasing number of patients that are due to a fast increase of the 65+ age group requiring extensive medical hospitalization and treatments. Hospitals worldwide strive to seek the best cure for patients, suffering from various diseases. A consequence of these global changes, of healthy populations in relation to patients forms the basis for the build of large and centralized biobank facilities, with strategies where the search for an understanding of diseases at a molecular level is at heart. The efforts made lies within large governmental resource allocations where patient centers are collecting samples from clinical study participants in order to try to discover universal expression patterns and molecular signatures of disease and disease stages. Most developments in this area are aimed towards the discovery, and understanding diagnosis implementations. By providing the right treatment alternatives for patients care, at the right time point i.e., at a given disease stage development becomes a major goal where pharmaceutical industry, academia and the health care sector joins forces in large clinical epidemiological, population‐, and disease based studies. This becomes a clear strategic link to the enhancement and prospects for personalized medicines and target directed diagnosis developments (Companion Diagnostics), which require coordinated efforts across a wide range of disciplines. Currently, companion diagnostics is at the core of the personalized medicine paradigm shift. It will identify patients who are most likely to benefit from a particular therapeutic product, as well as identify patients likely to be at increased risk for serious adverse reactions as a result of treatment with a particular therapeutic agent. It is predicted that more than half of all new drugs will require a companion diagnostic, which opens up for an endeavor for Proteomics research implementations.
Making sound decisions
Authors: Jensen S. A.
Published: February 2013

The 19th Annual 3D Seismic Symposium, jointly sponsored by the Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists and the Denver Geophysical Society, will be held 5 March 2013 at the Downtown Sheraton Hotel in Denver, Colorado. This is a new venue, chosen to provide additional seating and an expanded vendor area. The symposium, cochaired by David Scolman and Jim Thorson, will feature 12 presentations about resource plays using large-scale 3D seismic surveys. Case studies include Rocky Mountain projects in the Niobrara, Bakken, and Piceance, along with other analog plays from U.S. (Fayetteville, Marcellus, and Eagle Ford) and western Canadian basins.
Data Quality of Query Results with Generalized Selection Conditions
Authors: Dey Debabrata , Kumar Subodha
Published: February 2013

Information systems play a very important role in managerial decision making within modern organizations. While making different types of decisions (at operational, tactical, and strategic levels), managers are increasingly relying on information gleaned from various databases, data warehouses, and data streams feeding them. The quality of organizational decisions, therefore, often depends on the quality of the information derived from these databases and data streams, and a manager is able to make better use of the information if she also understands the quality level of that information. Previous research has examined how the quality level of a database query output can be estimated based on the quality level of the input data. In this research, we generalize this stream of research and allow a query to have general selection conditions involving multiple attributes with any combination of conjunction or disjunction of subconditions that may include functions of multiple attributes. Results of this research can easily be implemented in real-world decision contexts.
Computing the Nondominated Surface in Tri-Criterion Portfolio Selection
Authors: Hirschberger Markus , Steuer Ralph E. , Utz Sebastian , Wimmer Maximilian , Qi Yue
Published: February 2013

Computing the nondominated set of a multiple objective mathematical program has long been a topic in multiple criteria decision making. In this paper, motivated by the desire to extend Markowitz portfolio selection to an additional linear criterion (dividends, liquidity, sustainability, etc.), we demonstrate an exact method for computing the nondominated set of a tri-criterion program that is all linear except for the fact that one of its objectives is to minimize a convex quadratic function. With the nondominated set of the resulting quad-lin-lin program being a surface composed of curved platelets, a multiparametric algorithm is devised for computing the platelets so that they can be graphed precisely. In this way, graphs of the tri-criterion nondominated surface can be displayed so that, as in traditional portfolio selection, a most preferred portfolio can be selected while in full view of all other contenders for optimality. Finally, by giving an example for socially responsible investors, we demonstrate that our algorithm can outperform standard portfolio strategies for multicriterial decision makers.
Erythropoiesis-Stimulating Agent (ESA) Practice Patterns in Patients with Chemotherapy-Induced Anemia (CIA) Treated at Hospital Oncology Clinics
Authors: Reitan John F. , van Breda Arletta , Shreay Sanatan , Corey-Lisle Patricia K. , Cong Ze
Published: February 2013

Objectives

To characterize erythropoiesis-stimulating agent (ESA) usage initiated in hospital outpatient oncology centers that employ weekly (QW) and every-3-week (Q3W) ESA dosing regimens; describe the frequency of ESA dosing, transfusions, hemoglobin determinations, and anemia-related visits between these 2 regimens; and compare the rates at which inpatient ESA doses are administered on QW versus Q3W schedules.

Methods

This was a retrospective, observational record review evaluating ESA usage in 641 patients from 8 outpatient oncology clinics throughout the United States. Adult patients who initiated myelosuppressive chemotherapy for a documented solid tumor between August 1, 2007 and June 30, 2009 and received their first 3 consecutive outpatient ESA doses on a QW or Q3W schedule were eligible for study inclusion. During a single course of chemotherapy, ESA administrations were recorded as long as ESA therapy was continued on the initial regimen. ESA doses were captured until termination of ESA therapy, until 9 months had elapsed since the first ESA dose, until the patient was switched to another ESA regimen, or until death. ESA administration during inpatient admissions was also recorded.

Results

ESA utilization varied between the dosing groups, with fewer ESA doses administered per follow-up month in patients receiving Q3W versus QW ESA therapy (mean, 1 vs 2 doses). Compared to weekly administration, extended-dose ESA therapy also reduced the number of hemoglobin determinations and anemia-related visits without chemotherapy required per follow-up month. Neither the number of transfusions nor the number of packed red blood cell units administered per follow-up month differed between treatment groups. Compared to weekly ESA therapy, Q3W administration reduced costs associated with ESA prescribing and utilization.

Conclusion:

Extended-dose ESA therapy (Q3W dosing) may improve practice efficiency and may be associated with reduced frequencies of hemoglobin determinations and ESA doses required. Q3W dosing may also reduce inpatient ESA utilization by reducing the number of ESA doses required for previously maintained outpatients.
Analysis of Antithrombotic Therapy after Cardioembolic Stroke Due to Atrial Fibrillation or Flutter
Authors: Peterson Evan J. , Reaves Anne B. , Smith Jennifer L. , Oliphant Carrie S.
Published: February 2013

Background

Guidelines recommend that all patients with atrial fibrillation and a history of ischemic stroke should receive an anticoagulant. Prior analyses show that warfarin is underutilized in most populations.

Objective

To examine the use of antithrombotic and anticoagulant therapy in patients with atrial fibrillation or flutter during the index hospitalization for acute, ischemic stroke.

Methods

Retrospective electronic medical record review of 200 patients treated at a tertiary care hospital with a primary ICD-9 code for ischemic stroke and a secondary ICD-9 code for atrial fibrillation or flutter. Exclusion criteria were active bleeding, pregnancy, age less than 18, pre-existing warfarin allergy, or dabigatran use.

Results

Fifty-two percent of patients received at least one dose of warfarin during the index hospitalization. There was no relationship between CHADS2 score and likelihood of receiving warfarin ( P > .05). There was no significant difference in adverse event rate in patients receiving warfarin compared to those receiving aspirin (3.8% vs 9.1%; P = .14), but the rate of hemorrhagic transformation was lower in patients receiving warfarin (1% vs 7%; P = .03). The composite of hemorrhagic stroke or hemorrhagic transformation was significantly lower in patients receiving bridging therapy (0% vs 11%; P = .03). Sixteen patients were readmitted for stroke within 3 months of discharge. Ten were readmitted for ischemic stroke, 3 for hemorrhagic stroke or hemorrhagic transformation, and 3 for systemic bleeding. Ten patients (62.5%) were receiving warfarin at readmission, but only one of these patients had a therapeutic INR.

Conclusions

Warfarin was underutilized as secondary stroke prophylaxis in these high-risk patients. Bridging therapy appeared to be safe and was not associated with an increase in adverse events.
Enhancing Pharmacy Practice Models through Pharmacists’ Privileging
Authors: Philip Benjamin , Weber Robert J.
Published: February 2013

Director's Forum is designed to guide pharmacy leaders in establishing patient-centered services in hospitals and health systems. This article focuses on the concept of granting clinical privileges to pharmacists (acute and ambulatory care) to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of medication use. As the practice models change in hospital pharmacy practice to require the pharmacist to enter into pharmacy board-approved consult agreements, institutional privileging of pharmacists will be necessary. The pharmacy director must understand the steps of the credentialing and privileging process and should apply the process where appropriate in the department. Through hospital medical staff actively supporting pharmacists’ privileging, the national Pharmacy Practice Model Initiative (PPMI) can meet its goals of integrating pharmacists as effective members of the patient care team with tangible accountability for achieving optimal drug therapy outcomes.
Prevalence and Nature of Medication Administration Errors in Health Care Settings: A Systematic Review of Direct Observational Evidence
Authors: Keers Richard N , Williams Steven D , Cooke Jonathan , Ashcroft Darren M
Published: February 2013

OBJECTIVE:

To systematically review empirical evidence on the prevalence and nature of medication administration errors (MAEs) in health care settings.

DATA SOURCES:

Ten electronic databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, International Pharmaceutical Abstracts, Scopus, Applied Social Sciences Index and Abstracts, PsycINFO, Cochrane Reviews and Trials, British Nursing Index, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, and Health Management Information Consortium) were searched (1985-May 2012).

STUDY SELECTION AND DATA EXTRACTION:

English-language publications reporting MAE data using the direct observation method were included, providing an error rate could be determined. Reference lists of all included articles were screened for additional studies.

DATA SYNTHESIS:

In all, 91 unique studies were included. The median error rate (interquartile range) was 19.6% (8.6–28.3%) of total opportunities for error including wrong-time errors and 8.0% (5.1–10.9%) without timing errors, when each dose could be considered only correct or incorrect. The median rate of error when more than 1 error could be counted per dose was 25.6% (20.8–41.7%) and 20.7% (9.7–30.3%), excluding wrong-time errors. A higher median MAE rate was observed for the intravenous route (53.3% excluding timing errors (IQR 26.6–57.9%)) compared to when all administration routes were studied (20.1%; 9.0–24.6%), where each dose could accumulate more than one error. Studies consistently reported wrong time, omission, and wrong dosage among the 3 most common MAE subtypes. Common medication groups associated with MAEs were those affecting nutrition and blood, gastrointestinal system, cardiovascular system, central nervous system, and antiinfectives. Medication administration error rates varied greatly as a product of differing medication error definitions, data collection methods, and settings of included studies. Although MAEs remained a common occurrence in health care settings throughout the time covered by this review, potential targets for intervention to minimize MAEs were identified.

CONCLUSIONS:

Future research should attend to the wide methodological inconsistencies between studies to gain a greater measure of comparability to help guide any forthcoming interventions.
Reinitiating Aspirin Therapy for Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Events in a Patient Post—Aspirin-Induced Upper Gastrointestinal Bleed: A Case Report and Review of Literature
Authors: Adly Gounathan , Plakogiannis Roda
Published: February 2013

OBJECTIVE:

To describe a case of continued aspirin use for primary prevention of a cardiovascular event in a patient post—aspirin-induced upper gastrointestinal (GI) bleed and evaluate published evidence to determine whether reinitiating aspirin therapy for this patient was appropriate.

CASE SUMMARY:

A 65-year-old man had been taking chronic low-dose (81 mg/day) aspirin therapy since 2002 for primary prevention of a cardiovascular event. He developed an upper GI bleed with lowered hemoglobin (9 mg/dL) and hematocrit (26.3%) after concomitantly taking 2 doses of naproxen (220 mg each). An objective causality assessment with the Naranjo probability scale revealed a probable adverse reaction of an upper GI bleed associated with concomitant naproxen and aspirin use. No further naproxen was taken. Aspirin was discontinued and pantoprazole was started, with resolution of the bleeding. Aspirin was restarted 2.5 months after pantoprazole was initiated, and no further bleeding occurred.

DISCUSSION:

Upper GI bleeds associated with aspirin therapy are well described in the literature. The management of cardiovascular event prophylaxis after a GI bleed is often controversial; consensus in regard to the optimal method of management does not exist. We evaluated GI protection strategies for patients with a history of aspirin-induced GI bleeding requiring cardiovascular prophylaxis. We found that the benefit of aspirin for the primary prevention of cardiovascular events needs to be carefully balanced with the risks associated with its use. The current literature supports that the best approach to prevent recurrent aspirin-induced GI bleeding is to administer a proton pump inhibitor with aspirin therapy.

CONCLUSIONS:

The benefit of aspirin for primary prevention of cardiovascular events needs to be carefully balanced with the risks associated with its use. Based on the current literature, the best approach to preventing recurrent aspirin-induced GI bleeds is to administer a proton pump inhibitor concomitantly with aspirin therapy.
Multiphase Mo-Si-B alloys processed by directional solidification
Authors: Krüger Manja , Hasemann Georg , Bogomol Iurii , Loboda Petr I.
Published: February 2013

Multiphase Mo-Si-B alloys are potential candidates for applications in the aerospace and power generation industry due to their enhanced creep and oxidation resistance at ultra-high temperatures. It is documented that the microstructure and the resulting properties of Mo-based alloys are heavily influenced by their fabrication procedure. In this study we investigate different multiphase Mo-Si-B alloys processed by zone melting (ZM) starting from cold pressed elemental powders. Microstructural characterization of zone melted alloys based on SEM investigations shows elongated arrangements of phases parallel to the growing direction as well as homogeneously distributed phases in the cross-section for some of the alloys investigated. First compression creep tests were performed at about 1100°C. In comparison to the creep resistance of powder metallurgically (PM) processed alloys the behaviour of ZM materials was found to be substantially improved. Hence, targeted application temperatures of around 1200°C to 1300°C may become feasible. Furthermore, the oxidation behaviour was found to be influenced by the volume fraction of the Mo solid solution phase since the volatilization of the Mo solid solution phase leads to a mass loss of the compound.
Some Experiments on Sorption Behavior of Iodide ions into CSH Gel under the Condition Saturated with Saline Groundwater
Authors: Niibori Yuichi , Funabashi Taihei , Mimura Hitoshi
Published: February 2013

The main hydrate of cement is calcium silicate hydrate (CSH). Such a cement-based material is essential for constructing the geological disposal system of TRU radioactive wastes including I-129 in Japan. So far, the sorption behavior of iodine on CSH gel has been examined by using the CSH samples dried once. However, the Japan’s repository would be constructed under water table. Therefore, we must focus on also the interaction of altered cementitious material and iodine under the condition saturated with saline groundwater.

In this study, the sorption behavior of iodide ions into CSH gel, formed without dried processes, was examined in imitated saline groundwater. Ca/Si ratio was set to 0.4, 0.8, 1.2 and 1.6, and NaCl concentration of each sample also was set to 0.6 M, 0.06 M or 0.006 M. These samples were synthesized with CaO, SiO2 (fumed silica), and distilled water in a given combination of 20 ml/g in liquid/solid ratio. A NaI solution was added after curing the CSH gel (hereinafter referred to as the “Surface sorption sample”) for 7 days, setting the initial concentration of NaI to 0.5 mM in sample tube. The values of Eh and pH of each sample showed iodide ions as the chemical species of iodine in the sample tube. Furthermore, this study prepared the “Co-precipitation sample” of CSH gel with iodide ions. Here, the NaI solution was added before curing the CSH gel. For all samples, the contact time-period of the CSH gel with iodide ions was set to 7 days. After each contact time-period, each sample for analyses was separated into the solid and the liquid phases by 0.20 µm membrane filter. In the liquid phase, the concentrations of Ca, I, Si and Na ions in the liquid phase were measured by ICP-AES. Besides, the Raman spectra were obtained from the solid phases of the surface sorption sample and the co-precipitation sample without dried process.

The results showed that the sorption of iodide ions into CSH gel strongly depends on the amount of water included in the CSH gel. Such a sorption behavior was confirmed in both co-precipitation samples and the surface sorption samples, even if the Ca/Si ratio is low. This means that iodide ions can be easily immobilized through the water-molecular of CSH gel. Besides, Na concentration did not so much affect the sorption behavior of iodide ions into CSH gel. In addition, the Raman spectra showed that the degree of polymerization of SiO4 tetrahedrons in CSH gel was unaffected with increasing Na ions concentration. These results suggest that the CSH gel saturated with groundwater would retard the migration of iodide ions, even if the groundwater includes salinity.
Copper Doped ZnO Thin Film for Ultraviolet Photodetector with Enhanced Photosensitivity
Authors: Rajan Akshta , Arora Kashima , Yadav Harish Kumar , Gupta Vinay , Tomar Monika
Published: February 2013

Ultraviolet photoconductivity in Copper doped ZnO (Cu:ZnO) thin films synthesized by sol-gel technique is investigated. Response characteristics of Pure ZnO thin film and Cu:ZnO thin film UV photodetector with 1.3 at. wt % Cu doping biased at 5 V for UV radiation of λ = 365 nm and intensity = 24 µwatt/cm2 has been studied. Cu:ZnO UV photodetector is found to exhibit a high photocoductive gain (K = 1.5×104) with fast recovery (T90% = 23s) in comparison to pure ZnO thin film based photodetector (K = 4.9×101 and T90% = 41s). Cu2+ ions have been substituted in ZnO lattice which has been confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman spectroscopy leading to lowering of dark current (Ioff ∼ 1.44 nA). Upon UV illumination, more electron hole pairs are generated in the photodetector due to the high porosity and roughness of the surface of the film which favours adsorption of more oxygen on the surface of the photodetector. The photogenerated holes recombined with the trapped electrons, increasing the concentration of photogenerated electrons in the conduction band enhancing the photocurrent (Ion ∼ 0.02 mA) of the Cu:ZnO photodetector.
Structural and Electro-Optical Properties of CdTe Films Used in CdTe/CdS Solar Cells Grown with Substrate Configuration
Authors: Moutinho Helio R. , Romero Manuel J. , Moseley John , Dhere Ramesh G. , Jiang Chun-Sheng , Jones Kim M. , Duenow Joel N. , Al-Jassim Mowafak M.
Published: February 2013

In this work, we study CdTe thin films used in CdTe/CdS solar cells with a substrate configuration, which allows for better control in forming the junction, and the possibility for using flexible non-transparent substrates. We studied the properties of CdTe films grown at 450° and 550°C, with and without a CuxTe layer, and before and after CdCl2 treatment. We analyzed the structural and electro-optical properties using electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD), cathodoluminescence (CL) and X-ray diffraction (XRD), and investigated how the film structure, stress, and defect structure changes with the different growth conditions.
The Science, Technology, and Implementation of TiAl Alloys in Commercial Aircraft Engines
Authors: Bewlay B. P. , Weimer M. , Kelly T. , Suzuki A. , Subramanian P.R.
Published: February 2013

The present article will describe the science and technology of titanium aluminide (TiAl) alloys and the engineering development of TiAl for commercial aircraft engine applications. The GEnxTM engine is the first commercial aircraft engine that is flying titanium aluminide (alloy 4822) blades and it represents a major advance in propulsion efficiency, realizing a 20% reduction in fuel consumption, a 50% reduction in noise, and an 80% reduction in NOx emissions compared with prior engines in its class. The GEnxTM uses the latest materials and design processes to reduce weight, improve performance, and reduce maintenance costs.

GE’s TiAl low-pressure turbine blade production status will be discussed along with the history of implementation. In 2006, GE began to explore near net shape casting as an alternative to the initial overstock conventional gravity casting plus machining approach. To date, more than 40,000 TiAl low-pressure turbine blades have been manufactured for the GEnxTM 1B (Boeing 787) and the GEnxTM 2B (Boeing 747-8) applications. The implementation of TiAl in other GE and non-GE engines will also be discussed.
Growth of 130 μm Thick Epitaxial KNbO3Film by Hydrothermal Method
Authors: Shiraishi T. , Einishi H. , Ishikawa M. , Hasegawa T. , Kurosawa M. , Funakubo H.
Published: February 2013

KNbO3thick films were deposited on (100)cSrRuO3//(100)SrTiO3substrates at 240 °C for 3 h by hydrothermal method. Film thickness increased linearly with increasing the deposition number of times and 130 μm thickness was achieved by the 6 time deposition. XRD analysis showed the growth of epitaxial orthorhombic films with the mixture orientation of (100), (010) and (001). Cross-sectional SEM observation showed that the 130 μm-thick film was dense and no obvious voids inside the film. In addition, the crystal structure change along film thickness direction was not detected from the cross-sectional Raman spectral observation.
Fructose-Enhanced Efficacy of Magnetic Nanoparticles against Antibiotic Resistant Biofilms
Authors: Durmus N. Gozde , Taylor Erik N. , Webster Thomas J.
Published: February 2013

The emergence of methicillin-resistantStaphylococcus aureus(MRSA) is a major cause of hospital-acquired infections (HAI). HAI affect approximately 1.7 million patients each year in the U.S., resulting in up to 100,000 excess deaths, which leads to an estimated cost of more than $35 billion per year. Hence, there is an urgent clinical need to develop new therapies to reduce infections, without resorting to the use of antibiotics for which bacteria are developing a resistance towards. In this study, we designed superparamagnetic iron-oxide nanoparticles (SPION) to treat antibiotic-resistant biofilms and showed that SPION efficacy increases when they are used in combination with fructose.