bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Translation and Language Power Relations in Heterolingual Anthologies of Literature
Authors: Lee Tong King
Published: January 2013

This paper proposes a few models that describe the translational relationship among competing languages in a plurilingual society, using the heterolingual literary anthology as the material context for discussion. It argues that the heterolingual literary anthology is a powerful instrument with which we can gauge the power relations among various languages in a plurilingual society. In the making of such an anthology, translation is a central mechanism through which languages engage one another in symmetric or asymmetric exchanges.
Specifically, translation constructs, moderates and negotiates language power relations by affording or depriving languages and their literatures of certain discursive properties, among which ‘visibility’ and ‘voice’ are prominent. A language is accorded visibility when it appears in an anthology, either as the source or the target language or both; it assumes a voice of its own when it translates other languages, as opposed to being translated by another language.
The translational perspective thus throws light on the ideological constitution of an anthology by revealing the asymmetricities at work, enabling us to hypothesize on the state of language power relations in a plurilingual society, both synchronically and diachronically.

Résumé

Cet article propose quelques modeles qui decrivent la relation traductive entre des langues en concurrence dans une societe multilingue, en utilisant l’anthologie litteraire heterolingue comme contexte de discussion materiel. Il soutient que l’anthologie litteraire heterolingue est un instrument puissant avec lequel nous pouvons mesurer les relations de pouvoir entre differentes langues dans une societe multilingue. En realisant une telle anthologie, la traduction est un mecanisme central par lequel des langues s’engagent dans des echanges symetriques et asymetriques.

En particulier, la traduction construit, modere et negocie les relations de pouvoir linguistiques en donnant a des langues et a leurs litteratures ou en les privant de certaines proprietes discursives, dont les principales sont la ‘visibilite’ et la ‘voix’. Une visibilite est donnee a une langue quand celle-ci apparait dans une anthologie, soit comme langue source, soit comme langue cible, soit les deux ; elle adopte une voix qui lui est propre quand elle traduit d’autres langues, par opposition au fait d’etre traduite dans une autre langue.

Par consequent, la perspective traductive eclaire la constitution ideologique d’une anthologie en revelant les asymetries en jeu, en nous permettant de former des hypotheses sur l’etat des relations de pouvoir linguistiques dans une societe multilingue, de facon tant synchronique que diachronique.
Exploring Cultural Transmission and Translation Strategies in the Perspective of Functionalist Approaches: A case study of the two English versions of Hongloumeng
Authors: Yuefang Wang
Published: January 2013

This paper attempts to apply the functionalist approaches to a comparative study of the two English versions of Hongloumeng in terms of the translation of culture-specific items. The author tries to explore the important role the translation skopos and translation brief play in the choice of translation strategies and offers some comments on the legitimacy of these strategies employed.

The analysis of the translation of culture-specific items is conducted in the following five subcultures: ecology, material culture, social culture, religious culture and linguistic culture.

Through both a qualitative analysis and quantitative data in which 190 samples covering five cultural categories are collected randomly from the first 80 chapters, the research reveals that the two translators of Hongloumeng employ different strategies in most cases, namely, the Yangs mostly adopt foreignization in order to introduce the Chinese cultural heritage, while Hawkes employs domestication with a purpose of reaching out to the target reader.

Résumé

Cet article cherche a appliquer les approches fonctionnalistes a une etude comparative des deux versions anglaises de Hongloumeng pour ce qui concerne la traduction d’elements specifiques a la culture. L’ auteure cherche a explorer le role important que le skopos et le briefing de la traduction jouent dans le choix des strategies traductionnelles et enonce certains commentaires sur la legitimite de ces strategies utilisees.

L’ analyse de la traduction d’elements specifiques a la culture est menee dans les cinq souscultures suivantes : ecologie, culture materielle, culture sociale, culture religieuse et culture linguistique.

Grace a une analyse qualitative et a des donnees quantitatives dans lesquelles 190 echantillons couvrant cinq categories culturelles sont tires au hasard des 80 premiers chapitres, la recherche revele que les deux traducteurs de Hongloumeng emploient des strategies differentes dans la plupart des cas : les Yang adoptent le plus souvent une etrangeisation pour presenter l’heritage culturel chinois alors que Hawkes a recours a une domestication pour etablir un contact avec le lecteur cible.
The reference-tracking system of Tlapanec
Authors: Wichmann Søren
Published: January 2013

This paper presents data on the Azoyú Tlapanec reference tracking system. The system is analyzed according to a procedure where default rules for how the system works are formulated and deviations are interpreted as being licensed by different levels of grammar organization along the lines of the local-global parameter proposed by Comrie (1989). The system is compared to its closest common typological congeners, obviation and switch-reference. Although it bears more resemblances to obviation, the system is neither clearly one of switch-reference, nor, indeed, of obviation.
Investigating the mechanisms of pattern replication in language convergence
Authors: Matras Yaron , Sakel Jeanette
Published: January 2013

The replication of concrete formal-structural material (morpho-phonological forms with attached meanings) from one language in another is universally understood to instantiate grammatical and lexical ‘borrowing’ (we follow mainstream usage here and attach no value judgement to the word ‘borrowing’ itself, which is obviously just a metaphor). More controversial is the interpretation of contact-induced structural change that does not involve such replication of forms, but is manifested rather through shift in meaning, distribution, or organisation of inherited material, inspired by an external model. Such changes are sometimes referred to as ‘convergent developments’, and are often typical of linguistic areas. We explore the position of language convergence of this kind in the overall context of contact-induced change. Taking into consideration recent work on language convergence in the context of grammaticalisation theory (Heine & Kuteva 2005), we address the mechanism that is involved when language-internal resources are employed to replicate an external model. We attempt to trace this mechanism to its roots at the level of the organisation of communicative discourse in multilingual settings.
Patron and Patriot: Dinshah J. Irani and the Revival of Indo-Iranian Culture
Authors: Marashi Afshin
Published: January 2013

This article examines the life and work of Dinshah Irani, a prominent Parsi scholar, lawyer and philanthropist who was a key intellectual intermediary between the Parsi community of Bombay and the intellectual community of Iranian nationalists during the 1920s and 1930s. The article details the role played by Irani in patronizing the publication of Zoroastrian-themed printed works in Bombay that were intended for export to the reading market in Iran. By focusing on the life and work of Dinshah Irani, the article details the important role the Parsi community of Bombay played in the revival of Iranian antiquity during the early twentieth century. The article also highlights the transnational cultural and intellectual history of Iranian nationalism during the Reza Shah period.
The role of the Ramanujan conjecture in analytic number theory
Authors: Blomer Valentin , Brumley Farrell
Published: January 2013

We discuss progress towards the Ramanujan conjecture for the group

G
L

n

\mathrm {GL}_n

and its relation to various other topics in analytic number theory.
Predicting protein β-sheet contacts using a maximum entropy-based correlated mutation measure
Authors: Burkoff Nikolas S. , Várnai Csilla , Wild David L.
Published: January 2013

Motivation: The problem of ab initio protein folding is one of the most difficult in modern computational biology. The prediction of residue contacts within a protein provides a more tractable immediate step. Recently introduced maximum entropy-based correlated mutation measures (CMMs), such as direct information, have been successful in predicting residue contacts. However, most correlated mutation studies focus on proteins that have large good-quality multiple sequence alignments (MSA) because the power of correlated mutation analysis falls as the size of the MSA decreases. However, even with small autogenerated MSAs, maximum entropy-based CMMs contain information. To make use of this information, in this article, we focus not on general residue contacts but contacts between residues in β-sheets. The strong constraints and prior knowledge associated with β-contacts are ideally suited for prediction using a method that incorporates an often noisy CMM.

Results: Using contrastive divergence, a statistical machine learning technique, we have calculated a maximum entropy-based CMM. We have integrated this measure with a new probabilistic model for β-contact prediction, which is used to predict both residue- and strand-level contacts. Using our model on a standard non-redundant dataset, we significantly outperform a 2D recurrent neural network architecture, achieving a 5% improvement in true positives at the 5% false-positive rate at the residue level. At the strand level, our approach is competitive with the state-of-the-art single methods achieving precision of 61.0% and recall of 55.4%, while not requiring residue solvent accessibility as an input.

Availability:  http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/systemsbiology/research/software/

Contact:  D.L.Wild@warwick.ac.uk

Supplementary information:  Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Is age structure a relevant criterion for the health of fish stocks?
Authors: Brunel Thomas , Piet GerJan J.
Published: January 2013

Brunel, T., and Piet, G. J. 2013. Is age structure a relevant criterion for the health of fish stocks? – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 70: 270–283. The age and size structure of exploited fish stocks is one of the criteria for Good Environmental Status of commercial fish. However, two underlying assumptions to this criterion remain to be tested: first, that a well-balanced age structure is indeed indicative of a “healthier” stock, and second, that managers can exert a control on the age structure, independently from the regulation of stock abundance. This study investigates these questions using simulations from a population model in which recruitment is based on egg production, which is more sensitive to age structure variations than the traditionally used spawning stock biomass (SSB) and that was parameterized to represent the population dynamics of North Sea cod, plaice, and herring. Our results show that (i) the age structure is highly dependent on the selection pattern, as well as on the level of fishing mortality; (ii) the selection pattern determines the ability of fish stocks to withstand, and recover from, external perturbation; and (iii) the selection pattern determines the output of the fishery providing the management option to balance stable but relatively low yields vs strongly fluctuating high yields. Therefore, we propose to make the selection pattern, for which clear management targets can be set, a policy goal instead of the age structure that is currently in place.
Cow's Milk Allergy, Asthma, and Pediatric IBD
Authors: Virta Lauri J. , Ashorn Merja , Kolho Kaija‐Leena
Published: January 2013

We identified a total of 595 Finnish children born in 1994–2008 and diagnosed as having inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) by October 2010 from the National Reimbursement Register (based on certificates including the diagnostic criteria) to determine whether the presence of cow's milk allergy (CMA) or asthma is associated with the risk of contracting IBD (altogether 2380 matched controls). A diagnosis of CMA in infancy was associated with Crohn disease (odds ratio [OR] 1.92, confidence interval [CI] 1.09–3.36, P < 0.05) and ulcerative colitis (OR 1.71, CI 1.04–2.83, P < 0.05), but childhood asthma only with Crohn disease (OR 2.33, CI 1.41–3.86, P = 0.001). Thus, CMA in infants is a risk factor for contracting pediatric IBD and accordingly, asthma for Crohn disease.
Longimycelium tulufanense gen. nov., sp. nov., a filamentous actinomycete of the family

Pseudonocardiaceae
Authors: Xia Zhan-Feng , Guan Tong-Wei , Ruan Ji-Sheng , Huang Ying , Zhang Li-Li
Published: January 2013

A novel filamentous actinomycete strain, designated TRM 46004T, was isolated from sediment of Aiding Lake in Tulufan Basin (42° 64′ N 89° 26′ E), north-west China. The isolate was characterized using a polyphasic approach. The isolate formed abundant aerial mycelium with few branches and vegetative mycelium, occasionally twisted and coiled; spherical sporangia containing one to several spherical spores developed at the ends of short sporangiophores on aerial mycelium. The G+C content of the DNA was 65.2 mol%. The isolate contained meso-diaminopimelic acid as the diagnostic diamino acid and xylose, galactose and ribose as the major whole-cell sugars. The diagnostic phospholipids were phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylglycerol. The predominant menaquinones were MK-9(H4), MK-9(H6) and MK-9(H10). The major fatty acids were iso-C16 : 0 and anteiso-C17 : 0. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that strain TRM 46004T formed a distinct lineage within the family

Pseudonocardiaceae

and showed 91.7–96.1 % 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity with members of the family

Pseudonocardiaceae

. On the basis of the evidence from this polyphasic study, a novel genus and species, Longimycelium tulufanense gen. nov., sp. nov., are proposed. The type strain of Longimycelium tulufanense is TRM 46004T ( = CGMCC 4.5737T = NBRC 107726T).
Pontibacter ramchanderi sp. nov., isolated from hexachlorocyclohexane-contaminated pond sediment
Authors: Singh Amit Kumar , Garg Nidhi , Sangwan Naseer , Negi Vivek , Kumar Roshan , Vikram Surendra , Lal Rup
Published: January 2013

A Gram-stain-negative, motile, red pigmented, rod-shaped bacterium, designated strain LP43T, was isolated from hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH)-contaminated soil sediment (Lucknow, India). Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that the isolate formed a cluster with the genus

Pontibacter

in the phylum

Bacteroidetes

with sequence similarities ranging from 92.9 to 97.0 % with species of the genus

Pontibacter

. The DNA G+C content of strain LP43T was 59.1 mol%. The polar lipid profile of strain LP43T showed the presence of phosphatidylethanolamine, an unidentified aminophospholipid, unknown aminolipids and unknown polar lipids. Strain LP43T contained MK-7 as the predominant menaquinone and sym-homospermidine as the major polyamine. The major cellular fatty acids of strain LP43T were, iso-C15 : 0 (15.74 %), iso-C15 : 0 3-OH (7.57 %), iso-C17 : 0 3-OH (7.32 %), summed feature 4 (iso-C17 : 1 I/anteiso-C17 : 1 B) (31.22 %) and summed feature 8 (C18 : 1ω7c/ C18 : 1ω6c) (7.60 %). Based on the results of DNA–DNA hybridization and phenotypic and genotypic characteristics, strain LP43T represents a novel species of the genus

Pontibacter

, for which the name Pontibacter ramchanderi is proposed. The type strain is LP43T ( = CCM 8406T = MCC 2019T).
Microbacterium

saccharophilum sp. nov., isolated from a sucrose-refining factory
Authors: Ohta Yukari , Ito Tetsuya , Mori Kozue , Nishi Shinro , Shimane Yasuhiro , Mikuni Katsuhiko , Hatada Yuji
Published: January 2013

A Gram-stain-positive, non-motile, non-spore-forming, rod-shaped bacterium, designated strain K-1T, was isolated from soil at a sucrose refinery in Japan. The strain grew at 9–37 °C (optimum, 30 °C) and at pH 6–11 (optimum, pH 7.0). Phylogenetic analysis based on the full-length 16S rRNA gene sequence of strain K-1T revealed that it was a member of the genus

Microbacterium

. High 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities were found between strains K-1T and both

Microbacterium pumilum

NBRC 101279T (99.7 %) and

Microbacterium deminutum

NRRL B-24453T (99.5 %). However, the DNA–DNA hybridization values between strain K-1T and

M. pumilum

NBRC 101279T and

M. deminutum

NRRL B-24453T were only 12 % and 10 %, respectively. The DNA G+C content of strain K-1T was 73 mol%. The major fatty acids of strain K-1T were anteiso-C15 : 0 and anteiso-C17 : 0, and the major menaquinones were MK-12 and MK-13. The diamino acid in the cell-wall peptidoglycan was lysine. On the basis of these results, strain K-1T is considered to represent a novel species of the genus

Microbacterium

, for which the name

Microbacterium

saccharophilum sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is K-1T ( = NBRC 108778T = NCIMB 14782T).
Flavobacterium

cutihirudinis sp. nov., isolated from the skin of the medical leech Hirudo verbana
Authors: Glaeser S. P. , Galatis H. , Martin K. , Kämpfer P.
Published: January 2013

A Gram-staining-negative, non-endospore-forming, yellow-pigmented strain (E89T) was isolated from the skin of the medical leech Hirudo verbana obtained from a leech farm located in Biebertal, Germany. 16S rRNA gene sequencing analysis showed that the isolate was grouped in the genus

Flavobacterium

. Strain E89T was most closely related to

Flavobacterium chilense

LM-09-FpT (98.2 %),

Flavobacterium chungangense

CJ7T (98.1 %), and

Flavobacterium oncorhynchi

631-08T (98.1 %). 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities to all other species of the genus

Flavobacterium

were ≤97.4 %. A menaquinone of the type MK-6 was found to be the predominant respiratory quinone and the polar lipid profile consisted of the major compounds phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylserine, two unidentified aminolipids, one unknown phospholipid and two unknown lipids. The fatty acid profile was composed of iso-C15 : 0, C15 : 0, summed feature 3 (C16 : 1ω7c and/or iso-C15 : 0 2-OH) found in major amounts and several hydroxylated fatty acids in smaller amounts, among them iso-C15 : 0 3-OH and iso-C17 : 0 3-OH. All these data support the allocation of the isolate in the genus

Flavobacterium

. Physiological/biochemical characterization and DNA–DNA hybridizations with the type strains of the most closely related species allowed a clear phenotypic and genotypic differentiation of the strain. Based on these data, strain E89T represents a novel species of the genus

Flavobacterium

, for which the name

Flavobacterium

cutihirudinis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is E89T ( = DSM 25795T = LMG 26922T = CIP 110374T).
Acute Psychosis Induced by Bath Salts: A Case Report with Clinical and Forensic Implications
Authors: Stoica Mihaela V. , Felthous Alan R.
Published: January 2013

Abstract

Bath salts are new designer drugs with stimulant effects on the central nervous system. White or brown powder sold online and in mini‐marts under different brand names, bath salts can be used by injecting, snorting, smoking, or ingesting with food or drink. The case of a 30‐year‐old Caucasian male who developed acute psychosis within a few hours of injecting himself with bath salts is described. The patient was hospitalized with a complaint of hearing voices. The drug also induced in the patient a state of euphoria, increased energy level, along with decreased need for sleep and decreased appetite. The psychological effects of the bath salts subsided within a few hours of injection and his reality testing remained consistently intact over the next 3 days of hospitalization. This case brings to attention the fact that bath salts were legal throughout the United States until recently and is still not completely controlled. This report informs clinicians of harmful effects of bath salts, including severe agitation with possible rhabdomyolysis, psychosis, suicidal ideation, hypertension, tachycardia, and death.
Ozone Microbubble Treatment at Various Water Temperatures for the Removal of Residual Pesticides with Negligible Effects on the Physical Properties of Lettuce and Cherry Tomatoes
Authors: Ikeura H. , Kobayashi F. , Tamaki M.
Published: January 2013

In this study, the effects of ozone microbubbles (OMCB) treatment at various water temperatures on the removal of residual fenitrothion (FT) pesticides and on the physical properties of lettuce and cherry tomatoes was examined. The residual FT percentage in lettuce and cherry tomatoes was shown decreased by using higher water temperatures, particularly at 30 °C, resulting in a decrease within the range of 32% to 52%, after the 20‐min treatment. In addition, bubbling OMCB treatment did not alter the color and pulling strength of lettuce and cherry tomatoes. These results indicate that bubbling OMCB treatment at 30 °C is a highly effective method for the removal of FT residues in lettuce and cherry tomatoes, with relatively little effect on crop quality.

Practical Application: The bubbling OMCB has a potential of reducing the FT reduces on vegetables with no adverse effect on the sensory quality of vegetables.
Antilisterial Properties of Marinades during Refrigerated Storage and Microwave Oven Reheating against Post‐Cooking Inoculated Chicken Breast Meat
Authors: Fouladkhah Aliyar , Geornaras Ifigenia , Nychas George‐John , Sofos John N.
Published: January 2013

This study evaluated growth of Listeria monocytogenes inoculated on cooked chicken meat with different marinades and survival of the pathogen as affected by microwave oven reheating. During aerobic storage at 7 °C, on days 0, 1, 2, 4, and 7, samples were reheated by microwave oven (1100 W) for 45 or 90 s and analyzed microbiologically. L. monocytogenes counts on nonmarinated (control) samples increased (P < 0.05) from 2.7 ± 0.1 (day‐0) to 6.9 ± 0.1 (day‐7) log CFU/g during storage. Initial (day‐0) pathogen counts of marinated samples were <0.5 log CFU/g lower than those of the control, irrespective of marinating treatment. At 7 d of storage, pathogen levels on samples marinated with tomato juice were not different (P ≥ 0.05; 6.9 ± 0.1 log CFU/g) from those of the control, whereas for samples treated with the remaining marinades, pathogen counts were 0.7 (soy sauce) to 2.0 (lemon juice) log CFU/g lower (P < 0.05) than those of the control. Microwave oven reheating reduced L. monocytogenes counts by 1.9 to 4.1 (45 s) and >2.4 to 5.0 (90 s) log CFU/g. With similar trends across different marinates, the high levels of L. monocytogenes survivors found after microwave reheating, especially after storage for more than 2 d, indicate that length of storage and reheating time need to be considered for safe consumption of leftover cooked chicken.
Mechanical, Physical, Antioxidant, and Antimicrobial Properties of Gelatin Films Incorporated with Thymol for Potential Use as Nano Wound Dressing
Authors: Kavoosi Gholamreza , Dadfar Seyed Mohammad Mahdi , Purfard Amin Mohammadi
Published: January 2013

The aim of this study was to determine the properties of gelatin films incorporated with thymol. Gelatin films were prepared from gelatin solutions (10% w/v) containing thymol (1, 2, 4, and 8% w/w), glycerol (25% w/w) as plasticizer, and glutaraldehyde (2% w/w) as cross‐linker. Cross‐likened films showed higher tensile strength, higher elongation at break, lower Young's modulus, lower water solubility, lower swelling, lower water uptake, and lower water vapor permeability. Incorporation of thymol caused a significant decrease in tensile strength, increase in elongation at break, decrease in Young's modulus, increase in water solubility, decrease in swelling and water uptake, and increase in water vapor permeability slightly. The films incorporated with thymol exhibited excellent antioxidant and antibacterial properties. The antibacterial activity of the films containing thymol was greatest against Staphylucoccus aureus followed by Bacillus subtilis followed by Escherichia coli and then by Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Thus, gelatin films‐containing thymol can be used as safe and effective source of natural antioxidant and antimicrobial agents with the purpose of evaluating their potential use as modern nano wound dressing.

Practical Application: This study clearly demonstrates the potential of gelatin films incorporated with thymol as natural antioxidant and antimicrobial nano film. Such antimicrobial films exhibited excellent mechanical, physical, and water activities and could be used as antibacterial nano wound dressing against wounds burn pathogens.
Minimum alveolar concentration (MAC) for sevoflurane and xenon at normothermia and hypothermia in newborn pigs
Authors: LIU X. , DINGLEY J. , ELSTAD M. , SCULL‐BROWN E. , STEEN P. A. , THORESEN M.
Published: January 2013

Background

Neuroprotection from therapeutic hypothermia increases when combined with the anaesthetic gas xenon in animal studies. A clinical feasibility study of the combined treatment has been successfully undertaken in asphyxiated human term newborns. It is unknown whether xenon alone would be sufficient for sedation during hypothermia eliminating or reducing the need for other sedative or analgesic infusions in ventilated sick infants. Minimum alveolar concentration (MAC) of xenon is unknown in any neonatal species.

Methods

Eight newborn pigs were anaesthetised with sevoflurane alone and then sevoflurane plus xenon at two temperatures. Pigs were randomised to start at either 38.5°C or 33.5°C. MAC for sevoflurane was determined using the claw clamp technique at the preset body temperature. For xenon MAC determination, a background of 0.5 MAC sevoflurane was used, and 60% xenon added to the gas mixture. The relationship between sevoflurane and xenon MAC is assumed to be additive.

Xenon concentrations were changed in 5% steps until a positive clamp reaction was noted. Pigs' temperature was changed to the second target, and two MAC determinations for sevoflurane and 0.5 MAC sevoflurane plus xenon were repeated.

Results

MAC for sevoflurane was 4.1% [95% confidence interval (CI): 3.65–4.50] at 38.5°C and 3.05% (CI: 2.63–3.48) at 33.5°C, a significant reduction. MAC for xenon was 120% at 38.5°C and 116% at 33.5°C, not different.

Conclusion

In newborn swine sevoflurane, MAC was temperature dependent, while xenon MAC was independent of temperature. There was large individual variability in xenon MAC, from 60% to 120%.
Unscheduled Return Visits to the Emergency Department: Consequences for Triage
Authors: Sauvin Gabrielle , Freund Yonathan , Saïdi Khaled , Riou Bruno , Hausfater Pierre
Published: January 2013

Objectives

The objective was to conduct a survey of unscheduled revisits (URs) to the emergency department (ED) within 8 days of a prior visit, to test the hypothesis that patients making these URs are disproportionately likely to suffer short‐term mortality or manifest a need for any admission to the hospital (adverse events [AEs]) at the time of the UR, compared to patients triaged at the same level who did not have an unscheduled ED revisit within 8 days.

Methods

This was a 1‐year retrospective study of patients with an UR to the ED of an urban, 1,600‐bed tertiary care center and teaching hospital. The criteria for inclusion as an UR were: 1) making an emergency visit to our adult ED during 2008, without being admitted to our hospital nor being transferred to another hospital; and 2) subsequently making an UR to the same ED within 8 days following the first one. Patients who were contacted by members of our staff and specifically asked to make return visits to our ED (such as those who returned for wound care follow‐up visits), and those who made more than five visits to our ED during 2008, were excluded. AEs were defined as death or hospitalization within 8 days of the second visit.

Results

During 2008, there were 946 patients with URs (2% of patients treated and released after the first ED visit), and 931 were analyzed (n = 15 missing values). Associated with the second visit, an AE was noted for 276 (30%) patients. Eight variables were significantly associated with AE: age ≥ 65 years, previously diagnosed cancer, previously diagnosed cardiac disease, previously diagnosed psychiatric disease, presence of a relative at the time of the UR, arrival with a letter from a general practitioner at the time of the UR, a higher level of severity assigned at triage for the UR than for the first ED visit, and having had blood sample analysis performed during the first visit. The median triage score for the UR was not significantly different from that group's median triage score for the first ED visit, whereas the proportion of admissions to the hospital (29%) or to the intensive care unit (ICU; 2%) was greater overall in the UR group than in the patients making their first ED visit.

Conclusions

The authors observed that 2% of patients had an UR. This UR population was at greater risk of AE at the time of their URs compared to their initial visits, but the median triage nurse score was not significantly different between the first visit and the UR. This suggests that the triage score should be systematically upgraded for UR patients.
Reducing Blood Culture Contamination in the Emergency Department: An Interrupted Time Series Quality Improvement Study
Authors: Self Wesley H. , Speroff Theodore , Grijalva Carlos G. , McNaughton Candace D. , Ashburn Jacki , Liu Dandan , Arbogast Patrick G. , Russ Stephan , Storrow Alan B. , Talbot Thomas R.
Published: January 2013

Objectives

Blood culture contamination is a common problem in the emergency department (ED) that leads to unnecessary patient morbidity and health care costs. The study objective was to develop and evaluate the effectiveness of a quality improvement (QI) intervention for reducing blood culture contamination in an ED.

Methods

The authors developed a QI intervention to reduce blood culture contamination in the ED and then evaluated its effectiveness in a prospective interrupted times series study. The QI intervention involved changing the technique of blood culture specimen collection from the traditional clean procedure to a new sterile procedure, with standardized use of sterile gloves and a new materials kit containing a 2% chlorhexidine skin antisepsis device, a sterile fenestrated drape, a sterile needle, and a procedural checklist. The intervention was implemented in a university‐affiliated ED and its effect on blood culture contamination evaluated by comparing the biweekly percentages of blood cultures contaminated during a 48‐week baseline period (clean technique) and 48‐week intervention period (sterile technique), using segmented regression analysis with adjustment for secular trends and first‐order autocorrelation. The goal was to achieve and maintain a contamination rate below 3%.

Results

During the baseline period, 321 of 7,389 (4.3%) cultures were contaminated, compared to 111 of 6,590 (1.7%) during the intervention period (p < 0.001). In the segmented regression model, the intervention was associated with an immediate 2.9% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.2% to 3.2%) absolute reduction in contamination. The contamination rate was maintained below 3% during each biweekly interval throughout the intervention period.

Conclusions

A QI assessment of ED blood culture contamination led to development of a targeted intervention to convert the process of blood culture collection from a clean to a fully sterile procedure. Implementation of this intervention led to an immediate and sustained reduction of contamination in an ED with a high baseline contamination rate.
Accumbal and pallidal dopamine, glutamate and GABA overflow during cocaine self‐administration and its extinction in rats
Authors: Wydra Karolina , Golembiowska Krystyna , Zaniewska Magdalena , Kamińska Katarzyna , Ferraro Luca , Fuxe Kjell , Filip Małgorzata
Published: January 2013

We investigated the changes in dopamine (DA), glutamate and γ‐aminobutyric acid (GABA) during cocaine self‐administration in rats implanted with guide cannulae into the nucleus accumbens and ventral pallidum. After stabilized cocaine self‐administration, separate groups of rats underwent extinction (10 days) procedure in which cocaine infusion was replaced by saline injections. With using a ‘yoked’ procedure, the effects of cocaine or its withdrawal on the level of neurotransmitters were evaluated by dual‐probe microdialysis. Repeated cocaine administration reduced basal glutamate levels in the nucleus accumbens and ventral pallidum, whereas it did not affect basal accumbal DA levels. Only rats that self‐administered cocaine had increased basal GABA overflow in both examined brain structures. Active or passive cocaine administration elevated extracellular accumbal DA, however, the extent of cocaine‐evoked DA level was significantly higher in rats that self‐administered cocaine while both groups of animals showed also an attenuation of GABA level in the nucleus accumbens. On day 10 of extinction training, rats previously given cocaine revealed decreases in the basal accumbal concentration of glutamate while the basal GABA levels were significantly enhanced as compared with baseline of saline‐yoked controls. Potassium depolarization delayed the reduction of the accumbal and pallidal extracellular glutamate levels in the active and passive cocaine groups. The present data indicate that changes in DA and GABA neurotransmission during maintenance phase mirror the motivational aspects of cocaine intake. Depending on acute (24 hours) or late (10 days) cocaine withdrawal, different neurotransmitter systems (i.e. glutamate or GABA) seem to be involved.
Child Development and Structural Variation in the Human Genome
Authors: Zhang Ying , Haraksingh Rajini , Grubert Fabian , Abyzov Alexej , Gerstein Mark , Weissman Sherman , Urban Alexander E.
Published: January 2013

Structural variation of the human genome sequence is the insertion, deletion, or rearrangement of stretches of DNA sequence sized from around 1,000 to millions of base pairs. Over the past few years, structural variation has been shown to be far more common in human genomes than previously thought. Very little is currently known about the effects of structural variation on normal child development, but such effects could be of considerable significance. This review provides an overview of the phenomenon of structural variation in the human genome sequence, describing the novel genomics technologies that are revolutionizing the way structural variation is studied and giving examples of genomic structural variations that affect child development.
Integrating user perspectives into the development of a web‐based weight management intervention
Authors: Yardley L. , Williams S. , Bradbury K. , Garip G. , Renouf S. , Ware L. , Dorling H. , Smith E. , Little P.
Published: January 2013

The objective of this study was to adapt the design of our weight management intervention to the needs, expectations and capabilities of potential users. In study 1, we interviewed 25 people about their experiences of weight management. The findings of these interviews were combined with findings from existing theory and research in a process of ‘intervention planning’ that informed the design of the intervention. Study 2 comprised in‐depth think‐aloud studies with a further 16 people interested in using a web‐based intervention to manage their weight, in order to elicit reactions to the intervention techniques and materials. In study 1, overly intrusive and restrictive aspects of eating self‐regulation were commonly cited reasons for failure to maintain weight management long‐term. We therefore designed an intervention with a more flexible approach to autonomous self‐regulation. This approach was broadly welcomed in study 2, but there were indications that some participants might have difficulty effectively implementing self‐regulation techniques independently. A flexible and autonomous approach to changing eating habits is attractive to potential intervention users but may be difficult for some users to implement successfully.
Novel Infrastructure for Sepsis Biomarker Research in Critically Ill Neonates and Children
Authors: Juskewitch Justin E. , Enders Felicity T. , Abraham Roshini S. , Huskins W. Charles
Published: January 2013

Introduction

Sepsis biomarker research requires an infrastructure to identify septic patients efficiently and to collect and store specimens properly. We developed a novel infrastructure to study biomarkers of sepsis in children.

Methods

Patients in pediatric and neonatal intensive care units were enrolled prospectively; enrollment information was stored in a secure, remotely accessible database. Researchers were notified of electronic medical record (EMR) orders for blood cultures (a surrogate for a diagnostic evaluation of suspected sepsis) by a page triggered by the order. Staff confirmed patient enrollment and remotely submitted an EMR order for collection of study specimens simultaneous with the blood culture. Specimens were processed and stored by a mobile clinical research unit.

Results

Over 2 years, 2029 patients were admitted; 138 were enrolled. Staff received pages for 95% of blood cultures collected from enrolled patients. The median time between the blood culture order and collection was 34 minutes (range 9–241). Study specimens were collected simultaneously with 41 blood cultures. The median times between specimen collection and storage for flow cytometry and cytokine analysis were 33 minutes (range 0–82) and 52 minutes (range 28–98), respectively.

Conclusion

This novel infrastructure facilitated prompt, proper collection and storage of specimens for sepsis biomarker analysis. Clin Trans Sci 2012; Volume #: 1–5
Decontextualized Knowledge, Situated Politics: The New Scientific–Local Politics of Rice Genetic Resources in Thailand
Authors: Srang‐iam Witchuda
Published: January 2013

Recent practices of scientific–local knowledge interaction in Thailand surrounding rice genetic resources have led to a new phenomenon, which this article calls knowledge inclusion. This study explores several forms of knowledge inclusion —participatory science, localized science, scientized knowledge and hybridized knowledge— as new loci of political practices among government rice breeders, non‐governmental officials and farmers. Ethnographic studies are used to reveal that, through selectively incorporating elements of each other's knowledges, these scientific and local knowledge practitioners have drawn on the discourses of scientific–local knowledges to their political advantage. The ramifications of this new politics vary according to different political arenas in rice genetic resource management. Based on these findings, the article argues that recent practices of knowledge inclusion should not be obscured by the notion of situated knowledge, but should be understood as situated politics of decontextualized knowledge in genetic resource management. The argument reconceptualizes the new scientific–local politics as a synthesis between the power–knowledge relation and the power–structural context in which genetic resource management takes place.
Lung function changes in older people with metabolic syndrome and diabetes
Authors: Scarlata Simone , Fimognari Filippo Luca , Cesari Matteo , Giua Renato , Franco Alessandro , Pasqualetti Patrizio , Pastorelli Ruggero , Antonelli‐Incalzi Raffaele
Published: January 2013

Aim

Restrictive lung dysfunction (RLD; defined as reduced forced vital capacity [FVC] in the presence of normal forced expiratory volume in 1 s [FEV1]/FVC ratio) is highly prevalent in the elderly, and is associated with diabetes, metabolic syndrome (MetS) and abdominal obesity. The aim of this study was to assess the relative contribution of diabetes, MetS and abdominal obesity in characterizing RLD in the elderly.

Methods

This was cross‐sectional analysis of 192 consecutive, community‐dwelling persons (mean age 70.8 ± 8 years). The participants were grouped according to the number of MetS components (i.e. 0, 1, 2, 3 or 4) and the presence of diabetes. According to the Adult Treatment Panel‐III criteria, participants with three or four components were considered to be affected by MetS. Independent correlates of RLD and obstructive lung dysfunction (OLD; FEV1/FVC < 0.70) were assessed by logistic regression models.

Results

The mean age of the sample population was 70.8 years. FVC expressed as percent of the predicted value declined for an increasing number of MetS components (P < 0.0001), but diabetes did not account for further ventilatory decline. Consistently, MetS (OR 3.03, 95% CI 1.16–7.89) and abdominal obesity (OR 4.89, 95% CI 1.17–20.3), but not diabetes, were independently associated with RLD. OLD did not worsen for an increasing number of MetS components and was only related to age (OR 1.07, 95% CI 1.01–1.13) and smoking (OR 1.04, 95% CI 1.01–1.06).

Conclusions

MetS and abdominal obesity, two conditions of prediabetes, but not diabetes itself, are closely associated with RLD. These conditions might be implicated in the pathogenesis of the RLD, which is frequently observed in diabetic patients. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2013; 13: 894–900.
Comparative Evaluation of 29 Commercial Helicobacter pylori Serological Kits
Authors: Burucoa Christophe , Delchier Jean‐Charles , Courillon‐Mallet Anne , de Korwin Jean‐Dominique , Mégraud Francis , Zerbib Frank , Raymond Josette , Fauchère Jean‐Louis
Published: January 2013

Background

Serology is a noninvasive diagnostic method for the detection of Helicobacter pylori infection. Many commercial kits are now on the market. It is necessary to assess their performances to help the user to choose the most appropriate.

Material and Methods

The performances of 29 commercial serological tests detecting antibodies to Helicobacter pylori (17 enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay and 12 near‐patient tests) were evaluated using sera from 108 patients prospectively selected from gastroenterology departments of five French hospital centers. These patients were infected (45) or uninfected (47) by H. pylori, or had doubtful results (16), according to the gold standard (culture or histology plus rapid urease test or urea breath test). The tests were evaluated by determining the usual parameters of performance: sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and accuracy. Two analyzes were performed including or not the 16 patients with doubtful infection as uninfected or not analyzed.

Results

Depending on the type of analysis, four or two of the 17 enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay tests presented excellent results with the five performance parameters >90%. Calculation of the Youden index allowed to show significantly better performances for one of the 4. Performances of the 12 near‐patient tests were lower with accuracies <90% for all except one test.

Conclusion

These data should help the users to choose the kit the most appropriate to their goals.
Blood supply of the main bile duct from the caudate artery and medial subsegmental artery of the hepatic artery: Evaluation using images obtained during transcatheter arterial chemoembolization for hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Miyayama Shiro , Yamashiro Masashi , Hashimoto Masahiro , Hashimoto Nanako , Ikuno Masaya , Okumura Kenichiro , Yoshida Miki , Matsui Osamu
Published: January 2013

Aim

Main bile duct necrosis develops after transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) through the caudate artery (A1) and medial subsegmental artery (A4) of the hepatic artery in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma. The aim of this study was to evaluate the bile duct branch (BD branch) from A1 and A4.

Methods

We evaluated the origin and vascular territory of the BD branch in 11 patients who underwent selective A1 and/or A4 arteriography using arteriograms, cone‐beam computed tomography (CBCT) and CT obtained 1 week after TACE. Follow‐up CT and/or magnetic resonance imaging were also evaluated.

Results

The BD branch arose from the first branch (n = 4), the second branch (n = 1), and both the first and second branches (n = 1) of A1, and from the first branch of A4 (n = 5). It supplied the bilateral hepatic ducts and common hepatic duct (CHD) (n = 4), the right hepatic duct (RHD) and CHD (n = 2), RHD, CHD and common bile duct (n = 1), the left hepatic duct (LHD) and CHD (n = 2), and LHD alone (n = 2). Anastomosis between A1 or A4 and other branches was demonstrated in seven patients. Bile duct stricture developed in all nine patients 2–8 months after TACE of the BD branch and percutaneous transhepatic bile duct drainage and metallic stent placement was required in one because of jaundice.

Conclusion

The BD branch arises from the proximal portion of A1 and A4 and mainly supplies the hepatic ducts and CHD.
Humanism and Embodiment: Remarks on Cause and Effect
Authors: Babbitt Susan E.
Published: January 2013

I understand humanism to be the meta‐ethical view that there exist discoverable (nonmoral) truths about the human condition, that is, about what it means to be human. We might think that as long as I believe I am realizing my unique human potential, I cannot be reasonably contradicted. Yet when we consider systemic oppression, this is unlikely. Systemic oppression makes dehumanizing conditions and treatment seem reasonable. In this paper, I consider the nature of understanding—drawing in particular upon recent defenses of realism in the philosophy of science—and argue that humanism makes sense if we recognize more thoroughly the role of cause and effect in practical deliberation. By this I mean the cause‐and‐effect relation between mind and body and between minds, bodies, and the world. Three philosophical sources—Marxism, Buddhism and Christianity—show what this might mean, as I indicate in the second half of the paper.