bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evidence in chronic fatigue syndrome for severity‐dependent upregulation of prefrontal myelination that is independent of anxiety and depression
Authors: Barnden Leighton R. , Crouch Benjamin , Kwiatek Richard , Burnet Richard , Del Fante Peter
Published: February 2015

White matter (WM) involvement in chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) was assessed using voxel‐based regressions of brain MRI against CFS severity scores and CFS duration in 25 subjects with CFS and 25 normal controls (NCs). As well as voxel‐based morphometry, a novel voxel‐based quantitative analysis of T1‐ and T2‐weighted spin‐echo (T1w and T2w) MRI signal level was performed. Severity scores included the Bell CFS disability scale and scores based on the 10 most common CFS symptoms. Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) depression and anxiety scores were included as nuisance covariates. By relaxing the threshold for cluster formation, we showed that the T1w signal is elevated with increasing CFS severity in the ventrolateral thalamus, internal capsule and prefrontal WM. Earlier reports of WM volume losses and neuroinflammation in the midbrain, together with the upregulated prefrontal myelination suggested here, are consistent with the midbrain changes being associated with impaired nerve conduction which stimulates a plastic response on the cortical side of the thalamic relay in the same circuits. The T2w signal versus CFS duration and comparison of T2w signal in the CFS group with the NC group revealed changes in the right middle temporal lobe WM, where impaired communication can affect cognitive function. Adjustment for depression markedly strengthened cluster statistics and increased cluster size in both T1w severity regressions, but adjustment for anxiety less so. Thus, depression and anxiety are statistical confounders here, meaning that they contribute variance to the T1w signal in prefrontal WM but this does not correlate with the co‐located variance from CFS severity. MRI regressions with depression itself only detected associations with WM volume, also located in prefrontal WM. We propose that impaired reciprocal brain–body and brain–brain communication through the midbrain provokes peripheral and central responses which contribute to CFS symptoms. Although anxiety, depression and CFS may share biological features, the present evidence indicates that CFS is a distinct disorder. © 2015 The Authors. NMR in Biomedicine published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Imaging of prolonged BOLD response in the somatosensory cortex of the rat
Authors: Sonnay Sarah , Just Nathalie , Duarte João M. N. , Gruetter Rolf
Published: February 2015

Blood oxygenation level‐dependent (BOLD) functional MRI is a widely employed methodology in experimental and clinical neuroscience, although its nature is not fully understood. To gain insights into BOLD mechanisms and take advantage of the new functional methods, it is of interest to investigate prolonged paradigms of activation suitable for long experimental protocols and to observe any long‐term modifications induced by these functional challenges. While different types of sustained stimulation paradigm have been explored in human studies, the BOLD response is typically limited to a few minutes in animal models, due to fatigue, anesthesia effects and physiological instability. In the present study, the rat forepaw was electrically stimulated for 2 h, which resulted in a prolonged and localized cortical BOLD response over that period. The stimulation paradigm, including an inter‐stimulus interval (ISI) of 10 s, that is 25% of the total time, was applied at constant or variable frequency over 2 h. The steady‐state level of the BOLD response was reached after 15–20 min of stimulation and was maintained until the end of the stimulation. On average, no substantial loss in activated volume was observed at the end of the stimulation, but less variability in the fraction of remaining activated volume and higher steady‐state BOLD amplitude were observed when stimulation frequency was varied between 2 and 3 Hz every 5 min. We conclude that the combination of ISI and variable stimulus frequency reproducibly results in robust, prolonged and localized BOLD activation. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
κ‐Phase Formation in Fe–Mn–Al–C Austenitic Steels
Authors: Song Wenwen , Zhang Wei , von Appen Jörg , Dronskowski Richard , Bleck Wolfgang
Published: February 2015

In the present work, a combined approach of ab initio theoretical calculations and in situ synchrotron X‐ray diffraction is used to investigate the κ‐phase formation in Fe–Mn–Al–C austenitic steels. In order to understand the driving forces for short‐ and long‐range ordering in the Fe–Mn–Al–C steels, a fully systematic approach is used for DFT calculations. A weak Al–Al as well as a strong Al–C repulsion in austenite matrix is established which both gradually decrease with increasing interatomic distance. An exception is the Al–C–Al configuration that also exists identically in κ‐phases. It is found that, in an austenite matrix with Al contents exceeding 25%, the ordered κ‐phase has a higher thermodynamic stability than the disordered κ‐phase. The synchrotron X‐ray diffraction results further reveal that the long‐range ordered κ‐phase already starts precipitating from the austenitic matrix within the first 15 min during aging at 600 °C in Fe‐30Mn‐8Al‐1.2C austenitic steel. The lattice misfit between the ordered κ‐phase and the austenite matrix expands upon aging time. Up to 9 h aging, however, the lattice misfit still maintains being very small (less than 2%) which leads to an effective coherent precipitation hardening in the material.
In vitro starch digestibility and quality attributes of gluten free ‘tagliatelle’ prepared with teff flour and increasing levels of a new developed bean cultivar
Authors: Giuberti Gianluca , Gallo Antonio , Fiorentini Lucia , Fortunati Paola , Masoero Francesco
Published: February 2015

Gluten free ‘tagliatelle’ were prepared with teff flour and increasing levels (0, 20 and 40%, w/w; indicating control, T20 and T40, respectively) of a new developed white‐seeded low phytic acid and lectin free (ws+lpa+lf) common bean flour. On a dry matter (DM) basis, total starch decreased (p < 0.05) from 72.2 to 65.1 and 60.2%, while protein and dietary fibre increased (p < 0.05) from 9.9 to 13.3% and 16.5% and from 8.5 to 11.8% and 15.7% for control, T20 and T40, respectively. The chemical score of protein increased (p < 0.05) from 46 for control to 65 for T40. The colour was influenced (p < 0.05) by bean inclusion, whereas no difference was reported for texture properties. The ws+lpa+lf bean inclusion increased (p < 0.05) the resistant starch content (from 6.6% DM for control to 18.6% DM for T40) while decreased from 60 for control to 39 for T40 (p < 0.05) the in vitro glycaemic index. The partial replacement of teff flour with bean flour can favourably be used in gluten free pasta formulation.
Mechanical, thermal, and antioxidant properties of composite films prepared from durum wheat starch and lignin
Authors: Espinoza Acosta José Luis , Torres Chávez Patricia Isabel , Ramírez‐Wong Benjamín , Bello‐Pérez Luis Arturo , Vega Ríos Alejandro , Carvajal Millán Elizabeth , Plascencia Jatomea Maribel , Ledesma Osuna Ana I.
Published: February 2015

Lignin conveys several important and useful characteristics to starch films depending on the lignin MW, extraction procedure, and lignin botanical source. In this study, lignin was obtained from durum wheat straw through the organosolv process, followed by fractionation according to solubility in alcohol. The alcohol‐soluble lignin (ASL) was then used to prepare starch–ASL films. The mechanical properties, thermal stability, water solubility, color, and antioxidant activity of the resulting films were evaluated, and the starch–ASL films were also analyzed by means of SEM and attenuated total reflection infrared spectroscopy (ATR‐IR). A procedure, to incorporate ASL, was developed and used to produce homogenous surfaces in starch–ASL films; agglomerations or undissolved particles of lignin were not observed in the starch matrix at microscopic level. ASL promoted significant decrease of the tensile strength (TS) and elastic modulus (EM), but an increase of elongation at break (EB) in films. Thermal analysis of the starch–ASL films showed high resistance to thermal degradation, due to the incorporation of ASL. In addition, the starch–ASL films exhibited antioxidant activity (2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl [DPPH]), which increased with increasing ASL content.
Aerodynamic load control in horizontal axis wind turbines with combined aeroelastic tailoring and trailing‐edge flaps
Authors: Ng Bing Feng , Palacios Rafael , Kerrigan Eric C. , Graham J. Michael R. , Hesse Henrik
Published: February 2015

This paper presents an aeroservoelastic modeling approach to investigate dynamic load alleviation in large wind turbines with composite blades and trailing‐edge aerodynamic surfaces. The tower and rotating blades are modeled using geometrically non‐linear composite beams and linearized about reference rotating conditions with potentially arbitrarily large structural displacements. The aerodynamics of the rotor are represented using a linearized unsteady vortex lattice method, and the resulting aeroelastic system is written in a state‐space description that is both convenient for model reductions and control design. A linear model of a single blade is then used to design an
regulator, capable of providing load reductions of up to 13% in closed loop on the full wind turbine non‐linear aeroelastic model. When combined with passive load alleviation through aeroelastic tailoring, dynamic loads can be further reduced to 35%. While the separate use of active flap controls and passive mechanisms for load alleviation has been well‐studied, an integrated approach involving the two mechanisms has yet to be fully explored and is the focus of this paper. Finally, the possibility of exploiting torsional stiffness for active load alleviation on turbine blades is also considered. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Leukemia blast cell identification
Authors: Rizzati Frida , Buldini Barbara , Basso Giuseppe
Published: February 2015

Acute leukemia is a heterogeneous group of disorders, characterized by different laboratory and prognostic features. An adequate diagnosis of acute leukemia, based on the identification of a leukemic cell population and the hematopoietic lineage assessment, is the first goal toward defining correct risk stratification of patients and tailoring specific therapies to patients. Diagnosis of acute leukemia underwent an important change since the 1970s when the only available diagnostic tools were cytomorphology and cytochemistry. Nowadays, the development of modern techniques and their combined use in a multimodal approach lead to a better identification and sub‐classification of acute leukemia. Thus, blast identification in acute leukemia required a comprehensive global approach, by combining cytomorphology, cytochemistry, multiparameter flow cytometry (MFC), cytogenetic, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and molecular genetic methods. At least, new sequencing technologies, such as gene expression profiling (GEP) and whole‐genome sequencing, DNA methylation arrays, and comparative genomic hybridization array, could represent the new frontiers in the characterization of genetic heterogeneity in acute leukemia. WIREs Data Mining Knowl Discov 2015, 5:74–85. doi: 10.1002/widm.1146

Conflict of interest: The authors have declared no conflicts of interest for this article.

This article is categorized under:

Application Areas > Health Care
Data visualization by nonlinear dimensionality reduction
Authors: Gisbrecht Andrej , Hammer Barbara
Published: February 2015

In this overview, commonly used dimensionality reduction techniques for data visualization and their properties are reviewed. Thereby, the focus lies on an intuitive understanding of the underlying mathematical principles rather than detailed algorithmic pipelines. Important mathematical properties of the technologies are summarized in the tabular form. The behavior of representative techniques is demonstrated for three benchmarks, followed by a short discussion on how to quantitatively evaluate these mappings. In addition, three currently active research topics are addressed: how to devise dimensionality reduction techniques for complex non‐vectorial data sets, how to easily shape dimensionality reduction techniques according to the users preferences, and how to device models that are suited for big data sets. WIREs Data Mining Knowl Discov 2015, 5:51–73. doi: 10.1002/widm.1147

This article is categorized under:

Technologies > Machine Learning

Technologies > Structure Discovery and Clustering

Technologies > Visualization
LaRh3Ga2 – Structure Determination from a Trilling
Authors: Seidel Stefan , Hoffmann Rolf‐Dieter , Pöttgen Rainer
Published: February 2015

The gallide LaRh3Ga2 was obtained by arc‐melting of the elements and subsequent annealing of the product button in a high‐frequency furnace. The sample was studied by powder X‐ray diffraction and the structure was refined from single crystal data of a trilling: ErRh3Si2 type (CaCu5 superstructure), Imma, a = 760.1(2), b = 975.6(3), c = 564.0(2) pm, wR = 0.0358 for 717 F2 values and 23 variables; domain ratio 0.36(1) / 0.28(1) / 0.35(1). The rhodium atoms build up Kagomé networks (281.8 and 282.2 pm Rh–Rh), which are condensed through the gallium atoms (249.6–251.0 pm Rh–Ga). The lanthanum atoms fill large voids left by the three‐dimensional [Rh3Ga2] network. They have coordination number 18 (6 Ga + 12 Rh) in form of a hexa‐capped hexagonal prism. The crystal chemical relationship with the aristotype CaCu5 is briefly discussed on the basis of a group‐subgroup scheme.
Survival After Surgical Drainage of Malignant Pericardial Effusion
Authors: Niclauss Lars , Montemurro Michael , Prêtre René
Published: February 2015

Objectives

Management of malignant pericardial effusion (PE) is complex. Cardiac surgeons are not necessarily familiar with or are challenged by the many underlying etiologies. Analyzing risk factors for mortality may help to estimate the benefit of surgery in high‐risk patients.

Methods

Patients undergoing a surgical pericardiotomy for malignant PE, between 2001 and 2011, were included. The influence of tumor type, disease extension, intra‐pericardial tumor infiltration on early mortality and long‐term survival as well as freedom from symptoms after drainage, and the use of sclerosing agents on PE recurrence rates was analyzed.

Results

PE drainage was performed on 46 patients 12 ± 30 months after tumor diagnosis. Malignant diseases were lung cancers (50 %), breast cancers (15 %), lymphoma and leukemia (13 %), cancers of the digestive tract (13 %), and others (9 %). 80 % of patients were symptomatic and symptom relief was achieved in 65 %. Nobody died during surgery. Recurrence rate was 4 %. Early in‐hospital mortality was 22 %. After 1 year, 29 % of patients were alive. Eleven patients (24 %) had a complete tumor regression. Metastatic spread (p < 0.001), pericardial infiltration (p = 0.02), and intra‐pericardial Bleomycin (p = 0.01) injection were associated with increased mortality. Hematological malignancies had a better prognosis for survival.

Conclusion

Surgical pericardiotomy is safe, associated with a low recurrence rate and symptom relief in the majority of dyspneic patients. Intra‐pericardial Bleomycin may reduce recurrent effusion but does not ameliorate survival. Long‐term survival rate was low with an increased mortality in cases of metastatic spreading, pericardial infiltration, and as the tumor of origin: breast cancers. Leukemic and lymphatic tumors have better prognosis.
Rufus H. Gouws, Ulrich Heid, Wolfgang Schweickard and Herbert Ernst Wiegand (eds.) 'Dictionaries. An International Encyclopedia of Lexicography. Supplementary Volume: Recent Developments with Focus on Electronic and Computational Lexicography'
Authors: Hartmann Reinhard
Published: February 2015

Rufus H. Gouws, Ulrich Heid, Wolfgang Schweickard and Herbert Ernst Wiegand (eds.) 'Dictionaries. An International Encyclopedia of Lexicography. Supplementary Volume: Recent Developments with Focus on Electronic and Computational Lexicography' (HSK Vol. 5.4). Berlin: De Gruyter Mouton, 2013. XIII + 1,579 pp. € 499, US $ 699 ISBN 978-3-11-023812-9
Expression of hippocampal serotonin receptors 5‐HT2C and 5‐HT5A in a rat model of diet‐induced obesity supplemented with tryptophan
Authors: Lopez‐Esparza Sarahi , Berumen Laura C. , Padilla Karla , Miledi Ricardo , García‐Alcocer Guadalupe
Published: February 2015

Food intake regulation is a complex mechanism that involves endogenous substances and central nervous system structures like hypothalamus or even hippocampus. The neurotransmitter serotonin is distinguished as food intake mediator; within its multiples receptors, the 5‐HT2C type is characterized by its inhibitory appetite action but there is no information about 5‐HT5A receptors involvement in obesity disease. It is also unknown if there are any changes in the receptors expression in rats hippocampus with induced obesity during development through a high energy diet (HED) supplemented with tryptophan (W). To appreciate the receptors expression pattern in the hippocampus, obesity was induced to young Sprague Dawley rats through a HED and supplemented with W. Immunocytochemical and western blot techniques were used to study the receptor distribution and quantify the protein expression. The rats with HED diet developed obesity until week 13 of treatment. The 5‐HT2C receptor expression decreased in CA1, CA2, CA3 and DG of HED group; and also in CA2, CA3 and DG for HEDW group. The 5‐HT5A receptor expression only decreased in DG for HED group. Variations of the two serotonin receptors subtypes support their potential role in obesity.
Percutaneous Chevron Osteotomy in Treating Hallux Valgus: Hong Kong Experience and Mid-Term Results
Authors: Karry Lam Ka-Lee , Siu-Wah Kong , Yuen-Hon Chow
Published: February 2015

Background/Purpose

Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) has become popular in every specialty. Different distal metatarsal osteotomy methods using minimally invasive percutaneous approach with or without fixation have been proposed to treat mild to moderate degrees of hallux valgus.

Methods

From June 2010 to May 2012, we performed 23 percutaneous chevron osteotomies with screw fixation in 20 patients.

Results

At 18 months postoperatively, the mean hallux valgus angle (HVA) was corrected from 31.68° to 14.39°, mean intermetatarsal angle (IMA) from 13.77° to 7.98° and mean American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) score from 59.26 to 88.35. There were four cases of medial plication stitch impingement and four cases with screw impingement but no other complications such as joint stiffness, avascular necrosis of metatarsal head, union complication, wound infection or deep vein thrombosis.

Conclusion

The mid-term results are encouraging, indicating that this is an effective method in the treatment of mild to moderate hallux valgus with advantages of percutaneous technique. Further study with longer-term results and larger sample size is needed in order to compare with other percutaneous or open techniques.
A Systematic Review of the Efficacy of Community-based, Leisure/Social Activity Programmes for People with Traumatic Brain Injury
Authors: Tate Robyn , Wakim Donna , Genders Michelle
Published: February 2015

Background: Many people who have a severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) are not able to resume employment and consequently experience profound changes in their lifestyle. They have increased amounts of ’spare time’ yet often find it difficult to engage in meaningful activity. Leisure activities are one way in which meaningful activity can be increased.

Aims: This systematic review has two purposes: first, to identify and evaluate the efficacy of community-based interventions for leisure/social activity after TBI, and second to provide details on the types of intervention.

Method: Systematic searches were conducted of Medline, PsycINFO and PsycBITE to October 2014, as well as hand searches of two occupational therapy journals. Inclusion criteria were as follows: peer reviewed journal articles on adults with TBI who had participated in a trial evaluating a community-based intervention specifically targeting leisure/social activity. All research methodologies using primary studies that provided empirical, quantitative data were considered. Scientific quality of the studies was evaluated using the PEDro Scale for controlled trials and the Risk of Bias in N-of-1 Trials Scale for single-case designs.

Results: Two independent raters screened 196 abstracts, resulting in nine articles that met selection criteria. Data were then independently extracted by the raters. Four of the nine studies used a control condition in their research design (two randomised controlled trials, one controlled but non-randomised study, and one single-case experiment using a changing criterion design). Two of the studies conducted between-group analyses with significant treatment effects for mood and quality of life using active leisure programmes (Tai Chi Qigong and a combined programme of outdoor adventure experiences and goal setting respectively). Intervention programmes identified in the review were then grouped and described according to the approach or model used, including active leisure programmes, social peer mentoring, individual brokered leisure services and a therapeutic recreation model. Additional intervention models and approaches that did not result directly from the systematic review were also described because they provide information on the current approaches used in practice (Clubhouse model and leisure education programmes in the stroke population).

Conclusions: There is some evidence for the effectiveness of community-based interventions for leisure/social activity for people who have had a TBI to improve mood and quality of life. The conclusions of this review are that the interventions for this area need to be planned and specific, structured and goal-driven, intensive and conducted over a period of months.
Dynamic Decomposition of Motion in Essential and Parkinsonian Tremor
Authors: Rahimi Fariborz , Debicki Derek , Roberts-South Angela , Bee Carina , Bapat Priya , Jog Mandar
Published: February 2015

Background: Treatment options for essential (ET) and Parkinson disease (PD) tremor are suboptimal, with significant side effects. Botulinum toxin type A (BoNT A) is successfully used in management of various focal movement disorders but is not widely used for tremor. Method: This study examines complexity of wrist tremor in terms of involvement of its three anatomical degrees of freedom (DOF) in two common situations of rest and posture. The study examines tremor in 11 ET and 17 PD participants by kinematic decomposition of motion in 3-DOF. Results: Tremor decomposition showed the motion involved more than one DOF (<70% contribution in one DOF) in most ET (rest: 100%, posture: 64%) and PD (rest: 77%, posture: 77%) patients. Task variation resulted in change in both amplitude and composition in ET, but not in PD. Amplitude significantly increased from rest to posture in ET. Directional bias was observed at the wrist for ET (pronation), and PD (extension, ulnar deviation, pronation). Average agreement between clinical visual and kinematic selection of muscles was 55% across all subjects. Conclusion: This study shows the complexity of tremor and the difficulty in visual judgment of tremor, which may be key to the success of targeted focal treatments such as BoNT A.
Satisfaction With Economic and Social Rights and Quality of Life in a Post-Disaster Zone in China: Evidence From Earthquake-Prone Sichuan
Authors: Liang Ying
Published: February 2015

Objective

This study explored the influence of satisfaction with economic and social rights (ESR) on the quality of life (QOL) of people in post-disaster zones in Sichuan, China.

Methods

Data from a survey conducted in 2013 in the 5 hardest hit counties in the earthquake-prone area of Sichuan were used. QOL was measured by use of the brief version of the World Health Organization Quality of Life questionnaire (WHOQOL-BREF). Structural equation models were developed to determine the specific features of the influence of satisfaction with ESR on QOL.

Results

The mean values of both the WHOQOL-BREF scale and the ESR satisfaction scale were lower than the midpoint of the scales. Satisfaction with ESR had a significant effect on psychological health, social relationships, and environment, apart from physical health. Satisfaction with the right to food had the greatest effect on QOL, followed by the rights to education, work, health, social security, and housing.

Conclusions

Satisfaction with ESR had a significant positive influence on the QOL of people in a post-disaster zone, particularly satisfaction with the right to food. Policies on food and education guarantees and mental health intervention are highlighted. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2015;9:111-118)
Onset of natural convection in layered aquifers
Authors: Daniel Don , Riaz Amir , Tchelepi Hamdi A.
Published: February 2015

The stability of gravitationally unstable, transient boundary layers in heterogeneous saline aquifers is examined with respect to the onset of natural convection. Permeability is assumed to vary periodically across the thickness of the aquifer. We study the interaction between permeability variation and concentration perturbations within the boundary layer. We observe that the instability decreases with an increase in the permeability variance if the boundary layer thickness is large compared with the permeability wavelength. On the other hand, when the boundary layer thickness is smaller than the permeability wavelength, the behaviour of instability as a function of variance depends on the phase of permeability variation. Such behaviours are shown to result from the interaction of two modes of vorticity production related to the coupling of concentration and velocity perturbations with the magnitude and gradient of permeability variation, respectively. We show that these two modes of vorticity production, when coupled with the transient nature of the boundary layer, determine the evolutionary paths followed by the most amplified perturbations that trigger the onset of convection. When the permeability variance is large, we find that small changes in the permeability field can lead to large changes in the onset times for convection.
Assembling the dodo in early modern natural history
Authors: LAWRENCE NATALIE
Published: February 2015

This paper explores the assimilation of the flightless dodo into early modern natural history. The dodo was first described by Dutch sailors landing on Mauritius in 1598, and became extinct in the 1680s or 1690s. Despite this brief period of encounter, the bird was a popular subject in natural-history works and a range of other genres. The dodo will be used here as a counterexample to the historical narratives of taxonomic crisis and abrupt shifts in natural history caused by exotic creatures coming to Europe. Though this bird had a bizarre form, early modern naturalists integrated the dodo and other flightless birds through several levels of conceptual categorization, including the geographical, morphological and symbolic. Naturalists such as Charles L'Ecluse produced a set of typical descriptive tropes that helped make up the European dodo. These long-lived images were used for a variety of symbolic purposes, demonstrated by the depiction of the Dutch East India enterprise in Willem Piso's 1658 publication. The case of the dodo shows that, far from there being a dramatic shift away from emblematics in the seventeenth century, the implicit symbolic roles attributed to exotic beasts by naturalists constructing them from scant information and specimens remained integral to natural history.
StigmariaBrongniart: a new specimen from Duckmantian (Lower Pennsylvanian) Brymbo (Wrexham, North Wales) together with a review of known casts and how they were preserved
Authors: THOMAS BARRY A. , SEYFULLAH LEYLA J.
Published: February 2015

Stigmariais one of the iconic plant fossils of the Carboniferous and fragments of the narrower parts of the rhizomorph are found in most museum collections. However, very few almost entire specimens have been found and preserved. A new specimen ofStigmariafrom Brymbo, North Wales is described and compared with other preserved examples from Europe and North America. The Brymbo specimen shows a large portion of trunk still attached to the large stigmarian base, which is a rare find, and this specimen supports our ideas of how these impressively large casts were formed. Stigmarias were preserved by the deposition of minerals around them following a sediment inundation, which gave sufficient support while the tissues rotted and filled with sediments. Remnants of the outer tissues were compressed to form a thin surrounding coal layer.
Performance of a real-time PCR assay in routine bovine mastitis diagnostics compared with in-depth conventional culture
Authors: Hiitiö Heidi , Riva Rauna , Autio Tiina , Pohjanvirta Tarja , Holopainen Jani , Pyörälä Satu , Pelkonen Sinikka
Published: February 2015

Reliable identification of the aetiological agent is crucial in mastitis diagnostics. Real-time PCR is a fast, automated tool for detecting the most common udder pathogens directly from milk. In this study aseptically taken quarter milk samples were analysed with a real-time PCR assay (Thermo Scientific PathoProof Mastitis Complete-12 Kit, Thermo Fisher Scientific Ltd.) and by semi-quantitative, in-depth bacteriological culture (BC). The aim of the study was to evaluate the diagnostic performance of the real-time PCR assay in routine use. A total of 294 quarter milk samples from routine mastitis cases were cultured in the national reference laboratory of Finland and examined with real-time PCR. With BC, 251 out of 294 (85·7%) of the milk samples had at least one colony on the plate and 38 samples were considered contaminated. In the PCR mastitis assay, DNA of target species was amplified in 244 samples out of 294 (83·0%). The most common bacterial species detected in the samples, irrespective of the diagnostic method, was the coagulase negative staphylococci (CNS) group (later referred as Staphylococcus spp.) followed by Staphylococcus aureus. Sensitivity (Se) and specificity (Sp) for the PCR assay to provide a positive Staph. aureus result was 97·0 and 95·8% compared with BC. For Staphylococcus spp., the corresponding figures were 86·7 and 75·4%. Our results imply that PCR performed well as a diagnostic tool to detect Staph. aureus but may be too nonspecific for Staphylococcus spp. in routine use with the current cut-off Ct value (37·0). Using PCR as the only microbiological method for mastitis diagnostics, clinical relevance of the results should be carefully considered before further decisions, for instance antimicrobial treatment, especially when minor pathogens with low amount of DNA have been detected. Introducing the concept of contaminated samples should also be considered.
Analysis of the passive damped oscillation of the guinea pig stapes
Authors: Yasui T , Ohashi M , Matsumoto N , Komune S
Published: February 2015

Objective:

To investigate the characteristic physical properties of the oscillating system in the intact middle ear using a high-speed camera.

Design:

We analysed the oscillation of the guinea pig stapes using a high-speed camera. The specimens were prepared so that the middle-ear structures were intact. Tones of various frequencies were delivered into the external auditory canal.

Results:

We found that the stapes showed a damped oscillation after the sound stimulation had stopped. The damped oscillation after the sound stimulation showed a specimen-specific frequency that was independent of the frequency of the stimulating sound. An injury to the bony labyrinth, which removed most of the mass from the oscillating system, attenuated the damped oscillation. Therefore, this damped oscillation is likely a passive motion, rather than a reverberation of the stimulating sound.

Conclusion:

Analysing the passive damped oscillation may reveal the characteristic physical properties of the oscillating system in the near-intact middle ear. Further refinement of this simple and straightforward system may enhance basic and clinical research on the middle ear in a more intuitive way.
Epidemiological study of cholesteatoma in Fukuoka City
Authors: Shibata S , Murakami K , Umeno Y , Komune S
Published: February 2015

Objective and design:

To investigate the pathogenesis of cholesteatoma, we planned to conduct a cohort study. As a first step, we conducted an epidemiological study in Fukuoka City, Japan to determine the incidence of cholesteatoma treated both with and without surgery. We also conducted a case–control study to investigate the pathogenesis of cholesteatoma.

Results:

The annual incidence of cholesteatoma, including cases treated without surgery, was 6.8–10.0 in a population of 100 000. The results of the case–control study suggested that a past history of otitis media and habitual sniffing caused by a patulous eustachian tube play a role in the pathogenesis of cholesteatoma.

Conclusions:

The annual incidence of cholesteatoma, including cases treated without surgery, was considered to not be high enough to perform a cohort study. The results of the case–control study suggest that otitis media and habitual sniffing due to a patulous eustachian tube, contribute to the onset of cholesteatoma.
Clinical study of transcanal closure of tympanic membrane perforations using a collagen sponge
Authors: Tamae A , Komune S
Published: February 2015

Materials and methods:

We used an artificial dermis (Terdermis®), which is an atero-collagen sponge covered with a sheet of silicon.

Patients:

Nineteen ears of 17 patients with perforation of the tympanic membrane under various conditions, including large and wet perforations, underwent operation using this collagen sponge.

Results:

The success rate of closure after the initial surgery was 8/19. The overall success rate of closure after initial and re-operation was 14/19. The success rate of closure was 12/14 for small-sized perforations, 1/4 for middle-sized perforations and 1/1 for a large-sized perforation. Middle- and large-sized perforations required multiple surgeries. The success rate of closure was 11/11 for dry perforations, 3/4 for perforations with light otorrhoea and 0/4 for perforations with extensive otorrhoea.

Conclusion:

This surgery is a low-cost and minimally invasive surgery and has a high closure rate. This surgery is effective on small-sized, dry perforations although it can also close middle- and large-sized dry perforations.
High-speed video analysis of acoustically oscillated guinea pig stapes
Authors: Ishizu K , Yasui T , Ohashi M , Matsumoto N , Komune S
Published: February 2015

Objective:

We investigated the ossicular movement in the near-intact middle ear in response to acoustic stimulation using a high-speed video camera and video analysis software program.

Design:

We have designed a good visual access to the middle ear of the guinea pig by opening the ventral wall of the otic capsule, without injuring the sound-conducting structures, from the external auditory canal to the oval window. The high-speed video camera could record analysable ossicular motion up to 4000 frames per second.

Results:

The stapes showed reciprocal movement in the same frequency as the stimulating tone, and with an amplitude proportional to the stimulating sound intensity. Injury to the tympanic membrane attenuated the stapedial motion, which was recovered to that of the control level by patch repair of the perforation.

Conclusion:

Our experimental set-up was capable of evaluating the conductive hearing, regardless of the status of the animal's sensorineural hearing or even life. Such a video analysis may provide a powerful tool to investigate the physiology of the middle ear.
Cochlear implants for mumps deafness: two paediatric cases
Authors: Noda T , Kakazu Y , Komune S
Published: February 2015

Background:

Good outcomes have been reported regarding the use of cochlear implants for mumps deafness. The mumps virus induces meningitis and/or encephalitis, which can cause central nervous system damage resulting in retrolabyrinthine hearing loss, for which a cochlear implant would be less effective.

Cases:

We installed a cochlear implant in two patients with bilateral mumps deafness; one achieved a good result with the cochlear implant, but the other did not. We discuss two possible reasons for the different outcomes. Case 1 was a three-year-old girl with bilateral parotid swelling, vomiting and walking disorder. One year after cochlear implant insertion, speech perception did not develop despite of good pure tone thresholds. Case 2 was an eight-year-old girl with bilateral parotid swelling. A cochlear implant enabled her to improve hearing perception.

Conclusion:

Although cochlear implants have been reported to be helpful for mumps deafness, cases that involve central nervous system damage may not achieve good results.
Stability of the synaptic structure in the hippocampus of BALB/c mice with allergic rhinitis
Authors: Kubo K , Jinno S , Nariyama K , Komune S
Published: February 2015

Objective:

The aim of this study was to determine whether allergic rhinitis can induce structural changes in the synapse formation in the hippocampus of BALB/c mice immunocytochemically.

Methods:

Allergic rhinitis was induced in mice by two intra-peritoneal injections of ovalbumin administered with a one-week interval. After two weeks, the sensitised mice were challenged with an intra-nasal injection of ovalbumin for two weeks. To analyse the hippocampal synaptic structures, sections were immunostained with antibodies against glutamic acid decarboxylase 65 and glutamic acid decarboxylase 67 (for γ-aminobutyric acid-ergic terminals), synaptophysin (for glutamatergic and γ-aminobutyric acid-ergic terminals) and spinophilin (for dendritic spines). The number of nasal rubbing movements was significantly greater in the allergic rhinitis mice than in the control mice. However, the expression patterns of the four above-mentioned synaptic markers in the hippocampus showed no detectable difference between the allergic rhinitis and control mice.

Results and Conclusion:

These data indicate that the synaptic structure in the hippocampus might remain unaltered in allergic rhinitis patients.
Squamous cell carcinoma of the oropharynx: single-institution outcome analysis of patients treated with concurrent chemoradiotherapy
Authors: Yasumatsu R , Nakashima T , Komune S
Published: February 2015

Purpose:

The object of this study was to analyse our experience with the effects of concurrent chemoradiotherapy for oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma, the treatment results of this therapeutic strategy and a salvage treatment for recurrent oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma.

Methods:

Seventy-five patients with oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma were treated with chemoradiotherapy. The study included twenty-five of these patients who had recurrent oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma after chemoradiotherapy

Results:

The three-year actuarial survival rates for 75 patients by disease stage were as follows: stage II, 100 per cent; stage III, 71.1 per cent; stage IV, 51.7 per cent and overall, 58.2 per cent. The mean time of detection of recurrence was 6.2 months. The total salvage rates of recurrence were 21 per cent. The one and three-year tumour-free actuarial survival rates of those patients who received salvage treatment were 83 and 33 per cent.

Conclusions:

Surgical salvage was only feasible for early recurrent tumour. Close follow-up surveillance of early recurrence is essential after primary treatment of patients with chemoradiotherapy.
Well-differentiated liposarcoma arising in the parapharyngeal space: a case report and review of the literature
Authors: Kikuchi N , Nakashima T , Fukushima J , Nariyama K , Komune S
Published: February 2015

Background:

Liposarcomas rarely occur in the parapharyngeal space and only a few case reports exist. For curative therapy of liposarcoma, surgical excision remains the dominant modality. Although a wide surgical margin is important to prevent local recurrence, wide excision is often difficult in the head and neck region.

Case report:

We report a case of a 19-year-old female with a well-differentiated liposarcoma arising in the parapharyngeal space. We removed the tumour surgically utilising a cervical–parotid approach. The histological diagnosis was well-differentiated sclerosing liposarcoma. There is no recurrence after five years and nine months of follow up.

Conclusion:

The patient's age and the tumour site made it difficult for us to make a quantitative diagnosis before the operation. Well-differentiated liposarcoma rarely develop distant metastasis, but often recur locally. The benefit of adjuvant radiotherapy for well-differentiated liposarcoma is still not clear and careful and long-term follow up is necessary.
The use of common spaces in assisted living schemes for older persons: a comparison of somatic and dementia units
Authors: ANDERSSON MORGAN , PAULSSON JAN , MALMQVIST INGA , LINDAHL GÖRAN
Published: February 2015

This study explores how common spaces in assisted living schemes for older persons are used by the residents. Observation studies, group interviews with staff and individual interviews with residents, relatives, architects and key stakeholders in the context of Swedish elder-care were conducted. Common spaces are the major location for in-house social interaction on the units. The results show a higher presence on the dementia units, compared to the somatic units. No significant correlation was found between the residents' mobility limitations and their degree of presence in the common spaces. The results also suggest a contradiction between the staff's intentions to provide a social context and the capabilities of the residents. Although common spaces are not used much between meals, the residents stress their importance for social interaction, suggesting that common spaces have important qualitative aspects, rather than quantitative. The results also show that few of the residents used the common spaces together with their relatives. The increasing use of assistive technology creates a shortage of space, suggesting a conflict between the efforts to create a home-like environment and the use of assistive technology.
Race, Upper Canadian Constitutionalism and “British Justice”
Authors: Campbell Lyndsay
Published: February 2015

This article explores a puzzle in Canadian legal historiography: the meaning of “British justice” and its relationship to race. Scholars have noted the use of this term in the interwar years of the twentieth century, to object to demonstrations of racial bias in the legal system. The puzzle is why. From the mid-1850s onward, statutes aimed at circumscribing the rights and opportunities of aboriginal people multiplied. British Columbia passed anti-Chinese, anti-Japanese, and anti-Indian legislation. Saskatchewan prohibited Chinese and Japanese employers from hiring white women. At least some officials supposed that legislation targeting African Canadians would be permissible. In 1924, the TorontoTelegramcalled for a poll tax against Jews. It is clear that between 1880 and 1920 or thereabouts, federal and provincial law was deeply involved in creating and reifying legal categories that rested explicitly on physical distinctions perceived to exist among people, which were assumed to signal morally and legally relevant characteristics. Why, then, would anyone have thought that “British justice” should be a shield against racism?
Ebola, Liberia, and the “Cult of Bankable Projects”
Authors: Siegel Shefa
Published: February 2015

The first thing you notice is the darkness. Monrovia, Liberia's capital, is an hour from the airstrip, and other than the occasional dimly lit chop-hut serving rice and fish, the way into the city is obscure. One is almost tempted to idealize this perfect darkness and its accompanying quiet as pristine elemental beauty, rather than what it really is: the wreckage of a disaster whose depths, as Ryszard Kapuściński writes, “condemned some to death and transformed others into monsters.”
From Moral to Political Responsibility in a Globalized Age
Authors: Beardsworth Richard
Published: February 2015

Responsibility for the provision of global public goods is generally couched in moral terms: terms that, to one side of the important moral argument, signal the deficit of global collective action despite recent engagements in the normative concept of “sovereignty as responsibility.” In this context the article seeks greater emphasis, in morally informed reflection on world politics, on political responsibility. The argument is made in two steps. The article considers first the specificity of moral responsibility and the inextricability of moral and political interest in international relations. Having situated both with regard to the decision-making structures of national government, the article argues, second, for a normative reconfiguration of political duty in terms of task-efficacy, republican legitimacy, and political leadership. As a result, a badly needed marriage between national priorities and global threats and challenges is made possible.
‘One Health’ investigation: outbreak of human Salmonella Braenderup infections traced to a mail-order hatchery – United States, 2012–2013
Authors: NAKAO J. H. , PRINGLE J. , JONES R. W. , NIX B. E. , BORDERS J. , HESELTINE G. , GOMEZ T. M. , McCLUSKEY B. , RONEY C. S. , BRINSON D. , ERDMAN M. , McDANIEL A. , BEHRAVESH C. BARTON
Published: February 2015

Human salmonellosis linked to contact with live poultry is an increasing public health concern. In 2012, eight unrelated outbreaks of human salmonellosis linked to live poultry contact resulted in 517 illnesses. In July 2012, PulseNet, a national molecular surveillance network, reported a multistate cluster of a rare strain of Salmonella Braenderup infections which we investigated. We defined a case as infection with the outbreak strain, determined by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, with illness onset from 25 July 2012–27 February 2013. Ill persons and mail-order hatchery (MOH) owners were interviewed using standardized questionnaires. Traceback and environmental investigations were conducted. We identified 48 cases in 24 states. Twenty-six (81%) of 32 ill persons reported live poultry contact in the week before illness; case-patients named 12 different MOHs from eight states. The investigation identified hatchery D as the ultimate poultry source. Sampling at hatchery D yielded the outbreak strain. Hatchery D improved sanitation procedures and pest control; subsequent sampling failed to yield Salmonella. This outbreak highlights the interconnectedness of humans, animals, and the environment and the importance of industry knowledge and involvement in solving complex outbreaks. Preventing these infections requires a ‘One Health’ approach that leverages expertise in human, animal, and environmental health.