bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Coffee intake and the risk of colorectal adenoma: The colorectal adenoma study in Tokyo
Authors: Budhathoki Sanjeev , Iwasaki Motoki , Yamaji Taiki , Sasazuki Shizuka , Tsugane Shoichiro
Published: December 2014

Coffee is a commonly consumed beverage which contains several potential anticarcinogenic and chemopreventive compounds, and has been hypothesized to have protective effects in colorectal neoplasia. However, the limited available data on coffee consumption in relation to colorectal adenoma (CRA), a precursor lesion to most colorectal cancers, remain largely inconsistent. In this study, we evaluated the association of coffee intake with the risk of CRA in a middle‐aged Japanese population. Study subjects were selected from examinees who underwent total colonoscopy as part of a cancer screening program and responded to self‐administered dietary and lifestyle questionnaires. A total of 738 patients with adenoma and 697 controls were included in the study. Coffee intake was assessed with a food frequency questionnaire, and divided into quartiles based on the distribution among controls. Unconditional logistic regression models were used to estimate odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) of CRA, with adjustment for potential confounding factors. High coffee consumption was associated with a reduced risk of CRA, with a multivariate‐adjusted OR for the highest versus lowest quartile of coffee intake of 0.67 (95% CI = 0.48–0.93; ptrend = 0.02). The inverse association of coffee intake was limited to proximal (OR = 0.64; 95%CI = 0.44–0.95; ptrend = 0.04) and distal colon adenoma (OR = 0.62; 95%CI = 0.39–0.99; ptrend = 0.06), and appeared to be more evident with small (OR = 0.68; 95%CI = 0.49–0.96; ptrend = 0.04) and single adenomas (OR = 0.65; 95%CI = 0.44–0.95; ptrend = 0.02). Green tea intake was not found to be associated with CRA risk. This study provides support for the protective effect of coffee drinking on colon adenomas, a precursor of colon cancer.
Interrelations that foster learning: An investigation of two correlational studies
Authors: Phan Huy P.
Published: December 2014

The theoretical tenets of academic engagement, as outlined by Schaufeli and colleagues, have received limited attention. There is credence to indicate that Schaufeli et al.'s conceptualization has educational implications. Extending this avenue of inquiry, we report two longitudinal studies that explore the motivation‐related attributes of engagement within the framework of self‐efficacy. A number of research questions were developed for examination—for example, does enactive learning experience influence academic achievement, via students' engrossment (i.e. absorption) of a subject matter? Does students' sense of resilience and persistence (i.e. vigor) heighten their self‐efficacy beliefs for academic learning? For the two studies (Study 1: 311 Year 11 students; Study 2: 249 Year 12 students), utilizing different cohorts, we measured these constructs at multiple time points. Existing Likert‐scale inventories were administered repeatedly, and data collected were analysed using causal modeling procedures. MPlus7.2 yielded a number of key findings—for example: (a) the positive impact of Time 1 enactive learning experience on Time 2 absorption and vigor, (b) the positive impact of Time absorption on Time 3 self‐efficacy, (c) the positive impact of Time 2 absorption on Time 4 achievement and (d) the positive impact of Time 1 self‐efficacy on Time 2 absorption and vigor.
Islet inflammation in human type 1 diabetes mellitus
Authors: Morgan Noel G. , Leete Pia , Foulis Alan K. , Richardson Sarah J.
Published: December 2014

Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is caused by the selective deletion of pancreatic β‐cells in response to an assault mounted within the pancreas by infiltrating immune cells. However, this apparently clear and focussed annunciation conceals a stark reality in which the cellular and molecular events leading to β‐cell loss remain poorly understood in humans. This reflects the difficulty of studying these processes in living individuals and the fact that, using pathological specimens, islet inflammation has been analysed in fewer than 200 recent‐onset cases of T1DM worldwide, over the past century. Nevertheless, insights have been gained and the composition of the islet infiltrate is being disclosed. This is shown to be primarily lymphocytic in nature, with populations of both CD8+ and CD4+ T cells displaying an autoreactivity against specific islet antigenic peptides. The T cells are often accompanied by influent CD20+ B cells, although new data imply that the proportions of these individual cell types vary and that patients fall into at least two distinct categories having either a hyper‐immune (CD20Hi) or a pauci‐immune (CD20Lo) phenotype. The overall rate of β‐cell decline appears to correlate with these two phenotypes such that hyper‐immune patients lose β‐cells more quickly and tend to develop disease at an earlier age than those with the pauci‐immune profile. In this article, we review the evidence which underpins our current understanding of the aetiology of T1DM and highlight both the established features as well as areas of on‐going ambiguity and debate. © 2014 IUBMB Life, 66(11):723–734, 2014
Poly(ethylene glycol)‐or silicone‐modified hyaluronan for contact lens wetting agent applications
Authors: Paterson Stefan M. , Liu Lina , Brook Michael A. , Sheardown Heather
Published: December 2014

Hyaluronan (HA) is a hydrophilic biopolymer that has been explored as a wetting agent in contact lens applications. In this study, HA was modified with siloxy or polyethylene glycol moieties using click chemistry to make it more soluble in monomer solutions used to synthesize model contact lens materials; unmodified HA was not soluble in the same monomer solutions. The water contents of the silicone hydrogels were not increased by the presence of modified HA, nor was there a decrease in the surface contact angle. However, modified HA did lead to a reduction in lysozyme adsorption in some cases. The leaching rate of HA modified with polyethylene glycol from a 78:22 DMA:TRIS(OH) hydrogel was significantly slower than for unmodified HA. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 103A: 2602–2610, 2015.
COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGY AND CIVIL SOCIETY: OPPORTUNITIES FOR GROWTH IN EGYPT AND LEBANON
Authors: Amer Mona M. , El‐Sayeh Salma , Fayad Yasmine , Khoury Brigitte
Published: December 2014

Western theories and products, focused mostly on the individual level of analysis, inform psychology in Egypt and Lebanon. Psychologists in these nations have not yet played a significant role in addressing systemic community priorities, such as poverty and politically motivated violence. In the absence of community psychology, a vibrant network of civil society organizations has emerged to address urgent national concerns. We discuss and critique three types of civil society efforts that intersect with community psychology values and practice: community development, refugee services, and human rights advocacy. The emerging specialization of community psychology can address limitations of these fields and provide an alternative psychological perspective to community practice. This article examines how Egyptian and Lebanese community psychologies may transpire, including the roles community psychologists can play, values that may be integrated in this work, and considerations for formalizing training programs.
COMMUNITY‐BASED PARTICIPATORY RESEARCH AS A CRITICAL ENACTMENT OF COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGY
Authors: Lazarus Sandy , Bulbulia Samed , Taliep Naiema , Naidoo Anthony V.
Published: December 2014

South Africa's history of colonization, expressed particularly through the violent system of apartheid, calls for participatory approaches to research and practice that aim to decolonize knowledge construction, transform modes of community engagement, and address dominant power relations. This article reflects on how these challenges are addressed in the Spiritual Capacity and Religious Assets for Transforming Community Health through mobilising Males for Peace and Safety project in a low‐income community in the Western Cape, South Africa. This analysis focuses on some of the possibilities and challenges relating to using community‐based participatory research as a community engagement strategy for the purposes of enacting critical community psychology in an African context.
REFLEXIVITY AS ENACTMENT OF CRITICAL COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGIES: DILEMMAS OF VOICE AND POSITIONALITY IN A MULTI‐COUNTRY PHOTOVOICE STUDY
Authors: Suffla Shahnaaz , Seedat Mohamed , Bawa Umesh
Published: December 2014

The performance of critical community psychologies is always contextual, intersubjective, embodied, and politicized in nature. In this article, we draw from the epistemological standpoint that researcher and participant subjectivities are fully implicated in the (co)‐construction of knowledge and should therefore be documented and made retrievable. Through the lens of reflexivity, and drawing from an African‐centered Photovoice project on youth representations of safety, we surface the tensions, contestations, instabilities, power variances, constraints and inventiveness in our research to expose voice and positionality dilemmas inherent in the enactment of critical community psychologies. We also seek to record context‐sensitive practice to encapsulate how this particular innovative project operates in real‐world settings. We argue that reflexivity is central to participatory forms of knowledge construction and consciousness raising directed at transformation, and rendered all the more significant in research contexts characterized by difference, inequality, and marginality.
THE REVOLUTION, NEW EGYPT, AND PSYCHOLOGICAL SENSE OF COMMUNITY
Authors: Carrillo Amy M. , Welsh Elena , Zaki Nour
Published: December 2014

We examine the relationship between psychological sense of community (PSOC) after the 25th of January Egyptian revolution and personal attitude, personal involvement, family influence, and friend involvement in civic activities as reported by a group of self‐selected Egyptian college students (N = 100). From April to May 2011, data were collected using a web‐based survey designed specifically for the study and the Sense of Community Index 2. We hypothesized that the student's (a) personal attitude, (b) personal involvement, (c) family influence, and (d) friend involvement would relate to level of PSOC at a specific point in time. To test our hypotheses, a multiple regression was employed to examine the relationship between the predictor variables and PSOC, with age, sex, household size, and religious activity included as covariates. The findings revealed a positive relationship between sense of community and family influence. Specifically, students who reported more family influence in civic activities also reported higher levels of PSOC. By way of conclusion, we discuss study limitations and opportunities for future research.
The Politics of Psycholinguistics
Authors: Cohen‐Cole Jamie
Published: December 2014

This article narrates the history of the interdisciplinary field of psycholinguistics from its modern organization in the 1950s to its application and influence in the field of reading instruction. Beginning as a combination of structural linguistics, behaviorist psychology, and information theory, the field was revolutionized by the collaboration of the psychologist George Miller and the linguist Noam Chomsky. This transformation was, at root, the adoption of the view that humans should be best understood as creative users of language and the rejection of behaviorist or machine models. Under their influence the field came to treat humans as creative, nonmechanical learners and users of language who, like scientists, hypothesize in order to understand and even perceive the world. This vision of language as a nondeterministic process shaped the field of reading instruction by providing the central model to advocates of the whole‐language pedagogical method.
Serum sodium and survival benefit of liver transplantation
Authors: Sharma Pratima , Schaubel Douglas E. , Goodrich Nathan P. , Merion Robert M.
Published: December 2014

Hyponatremia is associated with elevated wait‐list mortality among end‐stage liver disease candidates for liver transplantation (LT). However, the effect of low serum sodium on the survival benefit of LT has not been examined. We sought to determine whether pretransplant hyponatremia is associated with an altered LT survival benefit. Data were obtained from the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients. The study population consisted of adults (age ≥ 18 years) placed on the waiting list for LT between January 1, 2005 and December 31, 2012 (n = 69,213). The effect of hyponatremia on the survival benefit was assessed via sequential stratification, an extension of Cox regression. Each transplant recipient was matched to appropriate candidates then active on the waiting list with the same Model for End‐Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score and in the same donation service area. The focus of the analysis was the interaction between the serum sodium and the MELD score with respect to the survival benefit of LT; this was defined as the covariate‐adjusted hazard ratio contrasting post‐LT mortality and pre‐LT mortality. The LT survival benefit increased significantly with decreasing serum sodium values when the MELD scores were >11. The survival benefit of LT was not affected by serum sodium for patients with MELD scores ≤ 11. In conclusion, the LT survival benefit (or lack thereof) is independent of serum sodium for patients with MELD scores ≤ 11. The increase in the survival benefit with decreasing serum sodium among patients with MELD scores > 11 is consistent with recently approved changes to the allocation system incorporating serum sodium. Liver Transpl 21:308–313, 2015. © 2015 AASLD.
Impact of Giving on Self and Impact of Self on Giving
Authors: Weisfeld‐Spolter Suri , Rippé Cindy B. , Gould Stephen
Published: December 2014

Recent research suggests that consumers are spending billions of dollars in interpersonal and self‐gifting and yet, there is limited research regarding the giver's role of self and how this influences the choice of gift. Because self is so intertwined in both types of giving, the research reported here explores if different dimensions of the malleable self will be activated in various gift‐giving contexts, depending upon the receiver and the occasion of the gift. Testing a conceptual model that for the first time combines both types of giving, this research uses three studies to explore how the gift‐giving context can act as a situational cue and make accessible a particular view of the self, namely the giver's gender identity and self‐construal to motivate choice of gift. Results suggest a new paradigm for considering consumer gift behavior and have theoretical and practical implications for advertising, selling, and other marketing contexts.
Revisiting Problem Gamblers’ Harsh Gaze on Casino Services: Applying Complexity Theory to Identify Exceptional Customers
Authors: Woodside Arch G. , Prentice Catherine , Larsen Anders
Published: December 2014

This study revisits the theory, data, and analysis in Prentice and Woodside (2013). The study here applies fuzzy‐set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) to customer service–evaluation data from seven mega casinos in the world's gambling capital—Macau. The study includes contrarian case analysis and offers complex algorithms of highly favorable customer outcomes—an alternative stance to theory and data analysis in comparison to the dominant logic of statistical analyses that Prentice and Woodside (2013) report. Contrary to their principal hypotheses, Prentice and Woodside (2013) report a negative main effect between problem gambling and casino service evaluations. The findings in the reanalysis here include more complex, nuanced views on the antecedent conditions relating to high problem‐gambling, immediate service evaluations, and desired customer behavior measures in casinos. Counter to the findings using symmetric testing via multiple regression analysis in Prentice and Woodside (2013), the present study, using asymmetric testing via fsQCA, recognizes the occurrence of causal asymmetry, and draws conclusions from different algorithms leading to high scores for favorable and unfavorable outcome conditions. The findings indicate that not all problem gamblers gaze on casino services harshly; the minority of problem gamblers who view casinos positively versus harshly may be the most valuable customers for the casinos—the casinos’ exceptional customers.
That Sounds Sweet: Using Cross‐Modal Correspondences to Communicate Gustatory Attributes
Authors: Knoeferle Klemens M. , Woods Andy , Käppler Florian , Spence Charles
Published: December 2014

Building on existing research into sound symbolism and cross‐modal correspondences, this article proposes that cross‐modal correspondences—systematic mappings between different sensory modalities—can be used to communicate nonmusical, low‐level sensory properties such as basic tastes through music. A series of three experiments demonstrates that cross‐modal correspondences enable people to systematically encode basic taste properties into parameters in musical space (Experiment 1), and that they are able to correctly decode basic taste information embedded in complex musical compositions (Experiments 2 and 3). The results also suggest some culture‐specificity to these mappings, given that decoding performance, while still above chance levels, was lower in Indian participants than in those from the United States (Experiment 3). Implications and potential applications of these findings are discussed.
Levodopa: Effect on cell death and the natural history of Parkinson's disease
Authors: Olanow C. Warren
Published: December 2014

This review article considers the question of whether or not levodopa is toxic in Parkinson's disease (PD). l‐dopa is the most effective symptomatic treatment for PD and has provided benefit for millions of patients. However, there has been a longstanding concern that l‐dopa might be toxic and accelerate neuronal degeneration and clinical progression as a consequence of reactive oxygen species generated by the drug's oxidative metabolism. In vitro, l‐dopa can induce degeneration of dopaminergic neurons, but it is not clear that the effects of the drug on cultured dopamine neurons reflect what happens in the PD brain. In vivo, l‐dopa has not been demonstrated to have toxic effects on dopamine neurons in normal, dopamine‐lesioned, or oxidatively stressed animal models, but none of these models precisely replicates the PD condition. Clinical trials have tested the effect of l‐dopa on clinical progression and have not demonstrated any findings indicative of toxicity. However, the symptomatic and long‐duration effects of the drug could mask ongoing neuronal degeneration. Furthermore, l‐dopa induces a greater decline in imaging measures of dopaminergic function than placebo or dopamine agonists, consistent with toxicity. Pathological studies have not demonstrated evidence of accelerated loss of dopamine neurons, but prospective and properly controlled studies with stereological unbiased counting have not been performed. Thus, although there is no hard evidence to suggest that l‐dopa is toxic in PD patients, the issue has not been fully resolved. It is generally recommended that physicians continue to use l‐dopa, but in the lowest dose that provides satisfactory clinical control. © 2014 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society
Zero‐Hopf bifurcation in the FitzHugh–Nagumo system
Authors: Euzébio Rodrigo D. , Llibre Jaume , Vidal Claudio
Published: December 2014

We characterize the values of the parameters for which a zero‐Hopf equilibrium point takes place at the singular points, namely, O (the origin), P+, and P− in the FitzHugh–Nagumo system.

We find two two‐parameter families of the FitzHugh–Nagumo system for which the equilibrium point at the origin is a zero‐Hopf equilibrium. For these two families, we prove the existence of a periodic orbit bifurcating from the zero‐Hopf equilibrium point O.

We prove that there exist three two‐parameter families of the FitzHugh–Nagumo system for which the equilibrium point at P+ and at P− is a zero‐Hopf equilibrium point. For one of these families, we prove the existence of one, two, or three periodic orbits starting at P+ and P−. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Factors affecting time to maintenance dose in patients initiating warfarin
Authors: Finkelman Brian S. , French Benjamin , Bershaw Luanne , Kimmel Stephen E.
Published: December 2014

Purpose

Patients starting warfarin often experience lengthy dose‐titration periods, when they are at high risk for bleeding and thromboembolism. However, relatively little is known about why some patients take longer than others to reach maintenance dose. Thus, we sought to identify social, clinical, and genetic factors associated with prolonged time to maintenance dose (TTM).

Methods

We conducted a time‐to‐event analysis, using a prospective cohort of patients initiating warfarin (N = 390). Additionally, we examined whether changes in post‐initiation factors were associated with TTM. Finally, we performed a secondary analysis in a subcohort (N = 156) assessing the effect of adherence on TTM.

Results

No genetic or post‐initiation factors were significantly associated with TTM. However, previous use of warfarin [hazard ratio (HR) = 0.64; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.46, 0.88], current smoking status (HR = 0.61; 95%CI 0.39, 0.96), fewer than four doctor's visits in the previous year (HR = 0.63 vs 4–12 visits; 95%CI 0.46, 0.88), and worse general health status (HR = 0.63; 95%CI 0.47, 0.84) were significantly associated with longer TTM. Use of illegal injectable drugs (HR = 2.51; 95%CI 1.17, 5.39) was associated with shorter TTM. On secondary analysis, the HR for better adherence and TTM was 1.70 (95%CI 0.88, 3.27).

Conclusions

Time to maintenance dose was associated with pre‐existing behavioral factors, health care utilization, and health quality but not clinical comorbidities or genetic factors in patients initiating warfarin. Future studies are needed to determine whether warfarin patients with prolonged TTM would have better outcomes on alternative agents. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Intact stable isotope labeled plasma proteins from the SILAC‐labeled HepG2 secretome
Authors: Mangrum John B. , Martin Erika J. , Brophy Donald F. , Hawkridge Adam M.
Published: December 2014

The plasma proteome remains an attractive biospecimen for MS‐based biomarker discovery studies. The success of these efforts relies on the continued development of quantitative MS‐based proteomics approaches. Herein we report the use of the SILAC‐labeled HepG2 secretome as a source for stable isotope labeled plasma proteins for quantitative LC‐MS/MS measurements. The HepG2 liver cancer cell line secretes the major plasma proteins including serum albumin, apolipoproteins, protease inhibitors, coagulation factors, and transporters that represent some of the most abundant proteins in plasma. The SILAC‐labeled HepG2 secretome was collected, spiked into human plasma (1:1 total protein), and then processed for LC‐MS/MS analysis. A total of 62 and 56 plasma proteins were quantified (heavy:light (H/L) peptide pairs) from undepleted and depleted (serum albumin and IgG), respectively, with log2 H/L = ±6. Major plasma proteins quantified included albumin, apolipoproteins (e.g., APOA1, APOA2, APOA4, APOB, APOC3, APOE, APOH, and APOM), protease inhibitors (e.g., A2M and SERPINs), coagulation factors (e.g., Factor V, Factor X, fibrinogen), and transport proteins (e.g., TTR). The average log2 H/L values for shared plasma proteins in both undepleted and depleted plasma samples were 0.43 and 0.44, respectively. This work further expands the SILAC strategy into MS‐based biomarker discovery of clinical biospecimens.
Empirical Bayes estimation for the conditional extreme value model
Authors: Cheng Linyin , Gilleland Eric , Heaton Matthew J. , AghaKouchak Amir
Published: December 2014

A new estimation strategy for estimating the parameters of the Heffernan and Tawn conditional extreme value model is proposed. The technique makes use of empirical Bayes estimation for the conditional likelihood that otherwise does not have a simple closed‐form expression. The approach is tested on simulations from different types of extreme dependence (and independence) structures, as well as for two real data cases consisting of precipitation analysis conditional on extreme temperature in Boulder, Colorado, and Los Angeles, California, USA. The strategy generally has good coverage when informative priors are used for one of the parameters, except for the independence case where the coverage is low until the sample size reaches about 50. Results for the precipitation and temperature data are found to be consistent with the semi‐non‐parametric strategy. The presented model can be potentially applied in a wide variety of science fields, especially in earth, environment and climate sciences. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Dibenzosiloles and 12H‐Indololo[3,2‐d]naphtho[1,2‐b][1]siloles: Exploration of Organic Chromophores Exhibiting Efficient Solid‐State Fluorescence
Authors: Shimizu Masaki
Published: December 2014

The construction of a diorganosilylene bridge over a biaryl moiety at the 2,2′‐positions is a versatile strategy for fine‐tuning its HOMO–LUMO energy gap, which is closely linked to the electronic and optical properties of the compounds. Therefore, there is growing interest in the use of silicon‐bridged biaryl motifs as key cores of various types of advanced functional materials, such as light‐emitting, semiconducting, photovoltaic, and sensing materials. To accelerate the advances of materials based on silicon‐bridged biaryls, it is essential to create new classes of biaryls and explore their functions and properties. This Personal Account describes recent research on the development of organic chromophores based on functionalized dibenzosiloles and 12H‐indololo[3,2‐d]naphtho[1,2‐b][1]siloles as solid‐state emitters.

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Identification of essential steps in laser procedure for twin–twin transfusion syndrome using the Delphi methodology: SILICONE study
Authors: Peeters S. H. P. , Akkermans J. , Westra M. , Lopriore E. , Middeldorp J. M. , Klumper F. J. , Lewi L. , Devlieger R. , Deprest J. , Kontopoulos E. V. , Quintero R. , Chmait R. H. , Smoleniec J. S. , Otaño L. , Oepkes D.
Published: December 2014

Objective

To determine, by expert consensus, the essential substeps of fetoscopic laser surgery (FLS) for twin–twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS) that could be used to create an authority‐based curriculum for training in this procedure among fetal medicine specialists.

Methods

A Delphi survey was conducted among an international panel of experts (n = 98) in FLS. Experts rated the substeps of FLS on a five‐point Likert‐type scale to indicate whether they considered them to be essential, and were able to comment on each substep, using a dedicated online platform accessed by the invited tertiary care facilities that specialize in fetal therapy. Responses were returned to the panel until consensus was reached (Cronbach's α ≥ 0.80). All substeps that were rated  ≥ 4 by 80% of the experts were included in the evaluation instrument.

Results

After the first iteration of the Delphi procedure, a response rate of 74% (73/98) was reached, and in the second and third iterations response rates of 90% (66/73) and 81% (59/73) were reached, respectively. Among a total of 81 substeps rated in the first round, 21 substeps had to be re‐rated in the second round. Finally, from the initial list of substeps, 55 were agreed by experts to be essential. In the third round, the 18 categorized substeps were ranked in order of importance, with ‘coagulation of all anastomoses that cross the equator’ and ‘determination of fetoscope insertion site’ as the most important.

Conclusions

A total of 55 substeps of FLS for TTTS were defined by a panel of experts to be essential in the procedure. This list is the first authority‐based evidence to be used in the development of a final training model for future fetal surgeons. Copyright © 2014 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Reproducibility of first‐ and second‐trimester uterine artery pulsatility index measured by transvaginal and transabdominal ultrasound
Authors: Ferreira A. E. G. M. T. , Mauad Filho F. , Abreu P. S. G. , Mauad F. M. , Araujo Júnior E. , Martins W. P.
Published: December 2014

ABSTRACT

Objectives

To examine and compare the reproducibility of measurement of first‐ and second‐trimester uterine artery pulsatility index (UtA‐PI) using transabdominal (TAS) and transvaginal (TVS) ultrasound.

Methods

This was an observational study including women ≥ 18 years of age, with a singleton pregnancy, in the first trimester (between 11 + 0 and 13 + 6 weeks' gestation) or second trimester (between 20 and 26 weeks' gestation). UtA‐PI and angle of insonation were assessed by two observers (one with 15 and the other with 3 years of experience) using both TAS and TVS. The more experienced observer performed two scans alternated by the other observer. The acquisitions were completely independent and the observers were blinded to each other and to their own measurements. Reproducibility of the measurements by TVS and TAS was assessed using the concordance correlation coefficients (CCCs), intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) and limits of agreement (LoA).

Results

We analyzed data from 97 women in the first trimester and 96 in the second trimester. The mean ± SD UtA‐PI was significantly higher when measured using TVS, compared with TAS, in both the first (1.60 ± 0.49 vs 1.52 ± 0.63, respectively; P = 0.03) and second (1.07 ± 0.33 vs 0.96 ± 0.32, respectively; P < 0.001) trimesters. The median angle of insonation was significantly lower when using TVS, compared with TAS, in both the first (8.0° (interquartile range (IQR), 2.5–16.3°) vs 12.5° (IQR, 2.5–20.0°), respectively; P = 0.04) and second (10.0° (IQR, 4.5–16.5°) vs 17.5° (IQR, 5.0–27.9°), respectively; P < 0.001) trimesters. Both ultrasound techniques had similar reproducibility: the intraobserver CCC ranged from 0.93 to 0.95 and the interobserver CCC ranged from 0.81 to 0.86; and the ICCs of both techniques were highly comparable (the intraobserver LoA was approximately ± 20–30% and the interobserver LoA was approximately ± 30–40%).

Conclusions

When measuring UtA‐PI, assessment by TVS provides higher values and better insonation angle compared with TAS. The reproducibility of the ultrasound methods in both first and second trimesters of pregnancy was comparable and should not be considered as good. Future studies examining technical improvements with the aim of increasing the reproducibility of this technique should be encouraged. Copyright © 2014 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Spatial overlap, proximity, and habitat use of individual wolves within the same packs
Authors: Benson John F. , Patterson Brent R.
Published: December 2014

Packs are the basic social and breeding groups of wolf (Canis spp.) populations and are often the sampling unit for wolf research. Researchers commonly assume, either explicitly or implicitly, that telemetry data from ≥1 individual wolf can be used to represent the space use, distribution, presence, and resource selection of the pack. We tested these critical assumptions using Global Positioning System telemetry by directly comparing home range size, probability of spatial overlap, seasonal proximity, and habitat use of individuals within wolf packs in central and northern Ontario, Canada, 2006–2010. Space use was similar and probability of overlap was high for wolves within packs for individual 95% home‐range contours. Variation was greater for 50% contours, indicating that individual wolves may use space differently within territories. Wolves within packs spent more time <100 m and <1 km from each other during winter ( = 66 and 75%, respectively) than during other seasons ( = 33 and 40%, respectively) supporting earlier findings that pack cohesion was highest during winter. Individuals within all packs exhibited differences in the use of specific resource variables when separated by >100 m. Use of habitat variables was more similar when we compared resource selection of individuals within packs using all locations (regardless of proximity), although we still detected differences within most packs. Our results suggest that telemetry data from individual wolves can be used to reliably estimate territories for packs, but that researchers should be cautious when making pack‐level inferences regarding finer scale space and habitat use within home ranges based on data from individual animals. © 2014 The Wildlife Society.
Outcomes and Complications of Ulnar Shortening Osteotomy: An Institutional Review
Authors: Rajgopal Raghav , Roth James , King Graham , Faber Ken , Grewal Ruby
Published: December 2014

Background

Ulnar impaction syndrome (UIS) is a common cause of ulnar wrist pain. Patients may be candidates for surgical intervention if nonoperative options are ineffective. At our institution, ulnar shortening osteotomy is the preferred procedure to manage this disorder. The purpose of this study was to present patient reported outcomes and complication rates of ulnar shortening osteotomy (USO) at mid-term follow-up.

Methods

A retrospective chart review of 72 patients (75 wrists) obtained from our institutional database was performed. At a mean 32 months postoperatively, telephone interviews ( n=53) were performed for all patients who were available for follow-up. The patient-rated wrist evaluation (PRWE), a validated outcome tool, was completed and complications were reviewed.

Results

Patient-rated outcomes were favorable; however, complications were frequent and included: delayed union (10/75, 13.3 %), nonunion (6/75, 8 %), and complex regional pain syndrome (5/75, 6.7 %). Ten patients (13.3 %) required revision surgery. Thirty-four patients (45.3 %) required hardware removal with 4/30 (11.4 %) of these patients experiencing refracture. Smokers (mean PRWE 67.1) and patients with workers' compensation claims (mean PRWE 64.9) reported higher residual pain and disability than their counterparts (mean PRWE 28.0; 25.2).

Conclusions

General outcome measures were favorable. Smokers and patients with workers' compensation claims experienced significantly poorer outcomes. However, the incidence of nonunion and delayed union was higher than most reports in the literature. Furthermore, we demonstrated a high refracture rate (11.4 %) following removal of hardware.
Friction characteristics of confined inflatable structures
Authors: Sosa Eduardo M. , Thompson Gregory J. , Barbero Ever J. , Ghosh Subhadeep , Peil Kevin L.
Published: December 2014

The availability of high-strength fabrics and progress in the development of large-scale inflatable technology made possible the creation of temporary and quickly deployable structures for protection of underground infrastructure. Inflatable structures are relatively lightweight and portable, and can maintain the required rigidity while in operation. These benefits have prompted the development of inflatable structures for use in confined spaces, such as tunnels and large-diameter pipes to act as barriers for containing flooding with minimal infrastructure modification. This work presents experimental results obtained from the evaluation of frictional characteristics of the fabric material that constitute the structural membrane of confined inflatable structures developed for protection of underground transportation tunnels and other large conduits. Friction tests at coupon level and slippage tests in a reduced-scale inflatable structure were performed in order to evaluate the frictional characteristics of Vectran webbings. Tests at coupon level were performed to determine the friction coefficient for different surface types and conditions. Tests with the reduced-scale inflatable structure contributed to the understanding of the friction characteristics at system level when subjected to different pressurization or depressurization sequences designed to induce slippage. Test results indicate that friction coefficient values at coupon level are about 29 percent higher than values derived from reduced-scale tests.
Severe maternal outcomes and their predictors among Pakistani women in the WHO Multicountry Survey on Maternal and Newborn Health
Authors: Mazhar Syeda B. , Batool Afshan , Emanuel Angela , Khan Arif T. , Bhutta Shireen
Published: December 2014

Objective

To determine the incidence of, and the demographic and obstetric factors associated with, severe maternal outcome (SMO) among women presenting at healthcare facilities in Pakistan.

Methods

A cross‐sectional study was conducted in 16 healthcare facilities across Pakistan that had been selected for the WHO Multicountry Survey on Maternal and Newborn health. The hospital records of women who delivered at a participating facility or were admitted with SMO (defined as maternal death or near miss) within 7 days of delivery/abortion were reviewed for a period of 2–3 months in 2011. The incidence of SMO, its associated demographic and obstetric characteristics, and the influence of various maternal health interventions were assessed.

Results

Among 13 175 included women, 132 (1.0%) had an SMO (94 [0.7%] near miss and 38 [0.3%] died). The maternal mortality ratio was 299 deaths per 100 000 live births. Major causes of SMO included postpartum hemorrhage (64 [48.5%] women), hypertensive disorders (34 [25.8%]), and ruptured uterus (9 [6.8]). Illiteracy, anemia, and several obstetric complications (e.g. eclampsia) were significant contributors.

Conclusion

Improving education, nutrition, and uniform implementation of obstetric care protocols are needed for better maternal and neonatal health in Pakistan.
On the Borders: Surgeons and their Activities in the Venetian State (1540–1640)
Authors: Bartolini Donatella
Published: December 2014

Through the biographies of a dynasty of practitioners who were active in some of the mountainous villages of the Venetian Terraferma the article brings to light unknown aspects of the professional world of surgeons. Their activities were profoundly influenced by the economic and geographic peculiarities of the territory where they lived and worked. Provincial towns and their territories offered professional opportunities both to licensed and to non-university trained practitioners. However, it was generally in small villages, especially those situated in border areas and part of the main commercial networks, that surgeons preferred to establish their practices, thus supplementing the medical services supplied by the town. Normally their knowledge was largely empirical and was transmitted from father to son. The apprenticeship-based training does not appear alternative to the academic education typical of learned practitioners: much evidence points to the existence of ‘scientific autodidacts’, self-taught practitioners who possessed and read medical texts or had attended academic courses, even if only in part. Practising surgery in this area was a highly mobile activity, stretching from the village to the neighbouring valleys, and even to areas outside the boundaries of the city and across the border of the Venetian state. Surgeons, furthermore, were able to transfer their skills and knowledge across a range of different occupations such as shoemakers, leather workers and tailors, a fact that confirms their close ties with the local artisan milieu.
Optimal vitamin D levels in Crohn's disease: a review
Authors: Raftery Tara , O'Sullivan Maria
Published: December 2014

Vitamin D deficiency is common among patients with Crohn's disease. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) is the best measure of an individual's vitamin D status and current cut-off ranges for sufficiency are debatable. Several factors contribute to vitamin D deficiency in Crohn's disease. These include inadequate exposure to sunlight, inadequate dietary intake, impaired conversion of vitamin D to its active metabolite, increased catabolism, increased excretion and genetic variants in vitamin D hydroxylation and transport. The effects of low 25(OH)D on outcomes other than bone health are understudied in Crohn's disease. The aim of the present review is to discuss the potential roles of vitamin D and the possible levels required to achieve them. Emerging evidence suggests that vitamin D may have roles in innate and adaptive immunity, in the immune-pathogenesis of Crohn's disease, prevention of Crohn's disease-related hospitalisations and surgery, in reducing disease severity and in colon cancer prevention. The present literature appears to suggest that 25(OH)D concentrations of ≥75 nmol/l may be required for non-skeletal effects; however, further research on optimal levels is required.
The burden and determinants of self-reported acute gastrointestinal illness in an Indigenous Batwa Pygmy population in southwestern Uganda
Authors: CLARK S. , BERRANG-FORD L. , LWASA S. , NAMANYA D. B. , EDGE V. L. ,   IHACC Research Team, HARPER S.
Published: December 2014

Acute gastrointestinal illness (AGI) is an important public health priority worldwide. Few studies have captured the burden of AGI in developing countries, and even fewer have focused on Indigenous populations. This study aimed to estimate the incidence and determinants of AGI within a Batwa Pygmy Indigenous population in southwestern Uganda. A retrospective cross-sectional survey was conducted in January 2013 via a census of 10 Batwa communities (n= 583 participants). The AGI case definition included any self-reported symptoms of diarrhoea or vomiting in the past 2 weeks. The 14-day prevalence of AGI was 6·17% [95% confidence interval (CI) 4·2–8·1], corresponding to an annual incidence rate of 1·66 (95% CI 1·1–2·2) episodes of AGI per person-year. AGI prevalence was greatest in children aged <3 years (11·3%). A multivariable mixed-effects logistic regression model controlling for clustering at the community level indicated that exposure to goats [odds ratio (OR) 2·6, 95% CI 1·0–6·8], being a child aged <3 years (OR 4·8, 95% CI 1·2–18·9), and being a child, adolescent or senior Batwa in the higher median of wealth (OR 7·0, 95% CI 3·9–9·2) were significantly associated with having AGI. This research represents the first Indigenous community-census level study of AGI in Uganda, and highlights the substantial burden of AGI within this population.
General Synod of the Church of England
Authors: Slack Stephen
Published: December 2014

The most significant business – legislative or otherwise – conducted at these three groups of sessions was without doubt that relating to the consecration of women to the episcopate. The report on the Synod's proceedings published in the January 2014 edition of this Journal recounted the Synod's decision in July 2013 to call for draft legislation to be introduced giving effect to one of the options which had been identified by the working group established by the House of Bishops in 2012, immediately following the defeat of the previous legislation.
Splitting of IVP bovine blastocyst affects morphology and gene expression of resulting demi-embryos during in vitro culture and in vivo elongation
Authors: Velasquez Alejandra E. , Castro Fidel O. , Veraguas Daniel , Cox Jose F. , Lara Evelyn , Briones Mario , Rodriguez-Alvarez Lleretny
Published: December 2014

Embryo splitting might be used to increase offspring yield and for molecular analysis of embryo competence. How splitting affects developmental potential of embryos is unknown. This research aimed to study the effect of bovine blastocyst splitting on morphological and gene expression homogeneity of demi-embryos and on embryo competence during elongation. Grade I bovine blastocyst produced in vitro were split into halves and distributed in nine groups (3 × 3 setting according to age and stage before splitting; age: days 7–9; stage: early, expanded and hatched blastocysts). Homogeneity and survival rate in vitro after splitting (12 h, days 10 and 13) and the effect of splitting on embryo development at elongation after embryo transfer (day 17) were assessed morphologically and by RT-qPCR. The genes analysed were OCT4, SOX2, NANOG, CDX2, TP1, TKDP1, EOMES, and BAX. Approximately 90% of split embryos had a well conserved defined inner cell mass (ICM), 70% of the halves had similar size with no differences in gene expression 12 h after splitting. Split embryos cultured further conserved normal and comparable morphology at day 10 of development; this situation changes at day 13 when embryo morphology and gene expression differed markedly among demi-embryos. Split and non-split blastocysts were transferred to recipient cows and were recovered at day 17. Fifty per cent of non-split embryos were larger than 100 mm (33% for split embryos). OCT4, SOX2, TP1 and EOMES levels were down-regulated in elongated embryos derived from split blastocysts. In conclusion, splitting day-8 blastocysts yields homogenous demi-embryos in terms of developmental capability and gene expression, but the initiation of the filamentous stage seems to be affected by the splitting.
Identification of IRF1 as critical dual regulator of Smac mimetic-induced apoptosis and inflammatory cytokine response
Authors: Eckhardt I , Weigert A , Fulda S
Published: December 2014

Smac (second mitochondria-derived activator of caspase) mimetics are considered as promising anticancer therapeutics and used to induce apoptosis by antagonizing inhibitor of apoptosis proteins, which are often abundantly expressed in cancer cells. Here, we identify interferon regulatory factor 1 (IRF1) as a novel critical regulator of Smac mimetic BV6-induced apoptosis and proinflammatory cytokine secretion with impact on the immune response. IRF1 knockdown rescues cells from BV6-induced apoptosis and attenuates BV6-stimulated upregulation of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNFα), indicating that IRF1 mediates BV6-triggered cell death, at least in part, by inducing TNFα. This notion is supported by data showing that exogenous supply of TNFα restores BV6-induced cell death in IRF-knockdown cells. Interestingly, IRF1 selectively controls the induction of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) target genes, as IRF1 depletion attenuates BV6-stimulated upregulation of TNFα and interleukin-8 (IL-8) but not p100 and RelB. Concomitant knockdown of IRF1 and p65 cooperate to inhibit BV6-induced cell death, implying a cooperative interaction of IRF1 and NF-κB. In addition, IRF1 silencing hampers TNFα induction by TNFα itself as an another prototypical NF-κB stimulus. Importantly, IRF1 depletion impedes BV6-stimulated secretion of additional proinflammatory cytokines such as granulocyte–macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), IL-8, IL-6 and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, and migration of primary monocytes to BV6-treated tumor cells. In conclusion, this identification of IRF1 as a dual regulator of BV6-induced apoptosis and inflammatory cytokine secretion provides novel insights into determinants of sensitivity towards Smac mimetic and possible implications of Smac mimetic treatment on tumor microenvironment and immune response.