bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Is patient outcome compromised during the initial experience with robot‐assisted radical cystectomy? Results of 164 consecutive cases
Authors: Hayn Matthew H. , Hellenthal Nicholas J. , Seixas‐Mikelus Stéfanie A. , Mansour Ahmed M. , Stegemann Andrew , Hussain Abid , Guru Khurshid A.
Published: December 2010

Study Type – Therapy (case series)

Level of Evidence 4

What’s known on the subject? and What does the study add?

There is suggestion in the literature that patient outcomes are linked to surgeon volume and/or experience. This has become particularly relevant in the examination of robot‐ assisted radical prostatectomy in the treatment of men with localized prostate cancer, where some have advocated a "minimum" number of cases necessary to become proficient.

The current study demonstrates that, in the treatment of locally advanced bladder cancer, sequential robot‐assisted radical cystectomy case number was not associated with an increased incidence of complications, blood loss, positive surgical margins, or survival in a single high‐volume institution.

OBJECTIVE

• Robot‐assisted radical cystectomy (RARC) remains controversial in terms of oncologic outcomes, especially during the initial experience. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of initial experience of robotic cystectomy programs on oncologic outcomes and overall survival.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

• Utilizing a prospectively maintained, single institution robotic cystectomy database, we identified 164 consecutive patients who underwent RARC since November 2005.

• After stratification by age group, gender, pathologic T stage, lymph node status, surgical margin status, and sequential case number; we used chi‐squared analyses to correlate sequential case number to operative time, surgical blood loss, lymph node yield, and surgical margin status.

• We also addressed the relationship between complications and sequential case number. We then utilized Cox proportional hazard modeling and Kaplan‐Meier survival analyses to correlate variables to overall mortality.

RESULTS

• Sequential case number was not significantly associated with increased incidence of complications, surgical blood loss, or positive surgical margins (P= 0.780, P= 0.548, P= 0.545). Case number was, however, significantly associated with shorter operative time and mean number of lymph nodes retrieved (P < 0.001, P < 0.001).

• Sequential case number was not significantly associated with survival; however, tumour stage, the presence of lymph node metastases, and positive surgical margins were significantly associated with death.

• Although being the largest of its kind, this was a small study with short follow‐up when compared to open cystectomy series.

CONCLUSION

• Initial experience with RARC did not affect the incidence of positive surgical margins, operative/postoperative complications, or overall survival in a single‐institution series.
Rehabilitating Johann Adam Möhler's Sacramental Insights
Authors: CARDITA ÂNGELO
Published: December 2010

The sacramental and liturgical propositions of the German theologian Johann Adam Möhler (1796–1838) have been neglected in theological inquiries thus far. This article attempts to rehabilitate them. Having established a particular perspective on the reading of Möhler's liturgical and sacramental insights, we present each dimension of them separately in order to arrive at a ‘dialectical’ sacramental model. This rereading is an intrinsic possibility stemming from Möhler's theological works themselves. In addition, it is also possible to rehabilitate these insights in interplay with some contemporary developments in liturgical and sacramental theology. In his symbolical understanding, Möhler anticipates the Realsymbol of Karl Rahner, and his understanding of the actual presence of the person and sacrifice of Christ in the Eucharist anticipates Odo Casel's Kultmysterium. Therefore, the rehabilitation of Möhler's sacramental insights exhibits its full meaning as the anticipation of a more accurate notion of Symbol.
The meaning of the experiences of persons with chronic pain in their encounters with the health service
Authors: Hansson Karin Säll , Fridlund Bengt , Brunt David , Hansson Bo , Rask Mikael
Published: December 2010

Scand J Caring Sci; 2011; 25; 444–450
 
The meaning of the experiences of persons with chronic pain in their encounters with the health service

Chronic pain causes great suffering for those affected and treating it is one of the most common assignments in the health service. The aim of the study was to investigate the meaning of the experiences of persons with chronic pain in their encounters with health service staff. The study had a descriptive design with a phenomenological approach based on the perspective of caring science. Interviews were carried out with eight patients. The study showed that patients experienced a positive approach and that the staff had understood the serious nature of the situation. A positive approach can communicate hope and help to strengthen the patient. It is important to ask the patient about how he/she experiences his/her situation and thus gain an insight into this person’s lifeworld. Participation entailed being active oneself and calling attention to one’s needs and wishes for treatment. The study also showed that a negative approach by the staff played a prominent part in their experiences and appeared to be engraved in their memories. A negative approach is felt as being insulting and belittling. Patients with chronic pain felt that they were discredited and that their experience of their situation was called into question. They had to fight to get care and had to suggest treatments and examinations. There were also patients who had neither been asked about their pain experience nor had the opportunity to assess their pain with an assessment scale. Some of the phases in Travelbee’s relationship model could be seen in several of the encounters but not all. The participants did not always feel that the manner of the nursing staff was empathetic or sympathetic, which led to greater suffering.
The meaning of reconciliation: women’s stories about their experience of reconciliation with suffering from grief
Authors: Gustafsson Lena‐Karin , Wiklund‐Gustin Lena , Lindström Unni Å.
Published: December 2010

Scand J Caring Sci; 2011; 25; 525–532
 
The meaning of reconciliation: women’s stories about their experience of reconciliation with suffering from grief

Introduction:  Grief can be seen as a form of suffering. In this study grief was not only defined as loss, but as the process of inner suffering caused of some kinds of loss. We must recognise the importance of increased understanding for patient reconciliation with grief to expand earlier formulated knowledge about health and suffering. The aim of this study was to illuminate the meaning of reconciliation among women suffering from grief.

Methods:  A qualitative explorative design with a hermeneutic narrative approach was used to analyse and interpret the interviews. Caring theory about health, suffering and hermeneutical philosophy about understanding provided the point of departure for the analysis. The study was approved by an ethical research committee.

Results:  Findings reveal different plots that give light to the meaning of reconciliation in the different phases of analysis. In the women’s narratives the meaning of reconciliation is a process to a new way of seeing, but also to opening and transition from the experience of grief and suffering to the experience of health and wholeness.

Conclusions:  Reconciliation has a progressive form and the meaning of reconciliation cannot be seen as synonymous or homogenous but an understanding of reconciliation as a heterogenic synthesis of health and suffering. Understanding the reconciliation process will enable nurses to plan and provide professional care, based on caring science.
Herbert H. Jasper and the Basic Mechanisms of the Epilepsies
Authors: Avoli Massimo
Published: December 2010

Herbert H. Jasper dedicated his life to neuroscience and to epilepsy. He pioneered electroencephalography (EEG) as a tool for studying brain activity in relation to states of consciousness, learning, and epileptic discharge. He also used microelectrodes to record from single neurons and synapses, combined with studies of the underlying neurochemical mechanisms. For an expanded treatment of this topic see Jasper’s Basic Mechanisms of the Epilepsies, Fourth Edition (Noebels JL, Avoli M, Rogawski MA, Olsen RW, Delgado‐Escueta AV, eds) published by Oxford University Press (available on the National Library of Medicine Bookshelf [NCBI] at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books).
Why—and how—do we engage in basic epilepsy research?
Authors: Schwartzkroin Philip A.
Published: December 2010

Some have questioned whether research into basic mechanisms of the epilepsies can have a significant impact on the development of better treatments and cures for patients with epilepsy. In that context, it is helpful to develop clear expectations about what we can accomplish in the laboratory, and how to optimize our contributions. For an expanded treatment of this topic see Jasper’s Basic Mechanisms of the Epilepsies, Fourth Edition (Noebels JL, Avoli M, Rogawski MA, Olsen RW, Delgado‐Escueta AV, eds) published by Oxford University Press (available on the National Library of Medicine Bookshelf [NCBI] at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books).
Potassium channels (including KCNQ) and epilepsy
Authors: Cooper Edward C.
Published: December 2010

Potassium channels are integral to neuronal excitability. They set the resting membrane potential and shape depolarizations caused by excitatory synaptic inputs and action potentials. One potassium channel subgroup—alternatively called the KCNQ, Kv7, or M‐channels—has recently emerged as a viable target for antiepileptic drugs. For an expanded treatment of this topic see Jasper’s Basic Mechanisms of the Epilepsies, Fourth Edition (Noebels JL, Avoli M, Rogawski MA, Olsen RW, Delgado‐Escueta AV, eds) published by Oxford University Press (available on the National Library of Medicine Bookshelf [NCBI] at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books).
Voltage‐gated calcium channels in epilepsy
Authors: Cain Stuart M. , Snutch Terrance P.
Published: December 2010

Voltage‐gated calcium channels contribute to the control of excitability at both the cellular and neural network levels. Alterations in the expression or biophysical properties of specific subtypes of calcium channels can have pathophysiologic effects on the frequency and patterns of action potential firing and causally contribute to epileptic seizures. For an expanded treatment of this topic see Jasper’s Basic Mechanisms of the Epilepsies, Fourth Edition (Noebels JL, Avoli M, Rogawski MA, Olsen RW, Delgado‐Escueta AV, eds), published by Oxford University Press (available on the National Library of Medicine Bookshelf [NCBI] at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books).
GABAB receptors in absence epilepsy
Authors: Han Hua A. , Cortez Miguel A. , Carter Snead III O.
Published: December 2010

The γ‐aminobutyric acid (GABA)B receptor (GABABR) is a 7‐transmembrane G protein–coupled receptor for GABA, the major inhibitory neurotransmitter in brain. The pathophysiology of typical absence seizures with normal cognitive development and atypical absence seizures associated with severe impairment in cognition (Models of Seizures and Epilepsy, Elsevier Academic Press, San Diego, 2006) involves GABABR‐mediated neurotransmission and is circuitry dependent. For an expanded treatment of this topic see Jasper’s Basic Mechanisms of the Epilepsies, Fourth Edition (Noebels JL, Avoli M, Rogawski MA, Olsen RW, Delgado‐Escueta AC, eds) published by Oxford University Press (available on the National Library of Medicine Bookshelf [NCBI] at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books).
Programmed necrosis after status epilepticus
Authors: Niquet Jerome , Lopez‐Meraz Maria‐Leonor , Wasterlain Claude G.
Published: December 2010

Recent data suggest that neuronal necrosis plays a prominent role in neuronal injury following status epilepticus (SE), even in the immature brain. We review the evidence that SE‐induced neuronal necrosis is an active form of death involving caspases and mitochondrial death factors. For an expanded treatment of this topic see Jasper’s Basic Mechanisms of the Epilepsies, Fourth Edition (Noebels JL, Avoli M, Rogawski MA, Olsen RW, Delgado‐Escueta AC, eds) published by Oxford University Press (available on the National Library of Medicine Bookshelf [NCBI] at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books).
Kainate and temporal lobe epilepsies: Three decades of progress
Authors: Ben‐Ari Yehezkel
Published: December 2010

Administration of kainic acid generates a syndrome of seizures and brain damage that mimics temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) and has provided many basic concepts of relevant to the epilepsies—mechanisms of cell death, failure of inhibition, sprouting and neosynapse formation, and how seizures begets seizures. In addition, kainatergic synapses are enriched on vulnerable neurons, a form of plasticity that stresses their unique physiologic roles. For an expanded treatment of this topic see Jasper’s Basic Mechanisms of the Epilepsies, Fourth Edition (Noebels JL, Avoli M, Rogawski MA, Olsen RW, Delgado‐Escueta AV, eds) published by Oxford University Press (available on the National Library of Medicine Bookshelf [NCBI] at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books).
Strategies for studying the epilepsy genome
Authors: Ferraro Thomas N. , Serratosa Jose M. , Pal Deb K. , Rouleau Guy A. , Buono Russell J.
Published: December 2010

Most human epilepsies are multifactorial, resulting from combined effects of genes and environment. The large number of genes whose variation and/or mutation influences the development and progression of epilepsy are only now beginning to be identified. Advanced methods of genetic analysis promise to facilitate understanding of pathogenesis and establishment of new effective treatments. For an expanded treatment of this topic see Jasper’s Basic Mechanisms of the Epilepsies, Fourth Edition (Noebels JL, Avoli M, Rogawski MA, Olsen RW, Delgado‐Escueta AV, eds) published by Oxford University Press (available on the National Library of Medicine Bookshelf [NCBI] at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books).
Gene defects in progressive myoclonus epilepsy
Authors: Serratosa José M. , Minassian Berge A. , Ganesh Subramaniam
Published: December 2010

Lafora disease (EPM2A and EPM2B genes); myoclonus epilepsy with ragged red fibers; or MERRF (mtDNA tRNA genes), and Dentatorubral‐pallidoluysian atrophy or DRPLA (ATN1 gene) are three severe forms of progressive myoclonus epilepsy. The corresponding gene defects have been identified and molecular diagnosis is now widely available. Recent advances in genetics and molecular biology offer promising venues toward the development of new therapies. For an expanded treatment of this topic see Jasper’s Basic Mechanisms of the Epilepsies, Fourth Edition (Noebels JL, Avoli M, Rogawski MA, Olsen RW, Delgado‐Escueta AV, eds) published by Oxford University Press (available on the National Library of Medicine Bookshelf [NCBI] at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books).
Plasticity of antiepileptic drug targets
Authors: Beck Heinz
Published: December 2010

Resistance to currently available antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) is a major problem in the treatment of temporal lobe epilepsy that affects approximately 30% of patients. Available evidence suggests that plasticity of AED targets, with a concomitantly decreased sensitivity to AEDs, coexists with other cellular mechanisms to cause drug refractoriness. For an expanded treatment of this topic see Jasper’s basic mechanisms of the epilepsies. 4th ed. (Noebels JL, Avoli M, Rogawski MA, Olsen RW, Delgado‐Escueta AV, eds) published by Oxford University Press (available on the National Library of Medicine Bookshelf [NCBI] at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books).
Clasificadores: “Living Off the Trash” and Raising Hogs at the Urban Margin
Authors: Moates A. Shiloh
Published: December 2010

Clasificadores are classifiers/sorters in Montevideo, Uruguay who make their living by gathering urban refuse, often by horse‐cart, from the city's metropolitan area and/or municipal refuse centers, and selling the recyclable or reusable materials to industries for a profit. The production and organizational strategies of clasificadores show dynamic adaptations in negotiating urban and peri‐urban landscapes. There exists a substantial number of clasificadores, referred to as clasificadores criadores de cerdos (CCdCs), who raise hogs in addition to their recycling efforts. CCdCs do not fit into the customary scheme of urban agriculture since they do not employ gardening, but rather harvest (aside from recyclable material for cash) organic refuse, which is fed to hogs. Additional twists to this distinctive group are that raising hogs in irregular settlements is illegal, and very little of the hog‐on‐the‐hoof they produce is consumed by the CCdCs themselves. Out‐of‐town hog farmers transport the CCdCs' bootleg, trash‐fed hogs to legitimate markets thereby closing the legal loop for their clandestine hog production. The development of such a highly specialized urban agricultural niche has evolved over several decades. In recent years clasificadores have turned to various forms of collective action, such as the creation of cooperatives and more recently a labor union, to contest municipal politics, such as the regularization of irregular settlements, and to resist encroaching “new‐poor” (displaced urban working‐class families) communities in the politically charged environment of the urban margin. These findings contribute to a larger comparative study of agricultural and livestock production strategies of two other populations at the urban margin, “new‐poor” community gardeners and Uruguay's first organic growers association, to better understand the effects of large‐scale political and economic forces on livelihoods at the urban margin looking particularly at the evolution of production strategies since Uruguay's economic crisis in 2002.
The Decline of Household Pig Farming in Rural Southwest China: Socioeconomic Obstacles and Policy Implications
Authors: Jian Li
Published: December 2010

In many parts of China, farmers have long used pigs as a primary means to convert kitchen refuse and farm residues into meat for sale or consumption and manure for the fields. While pork counted for almost 66 percent of the meat consumed in China, small farmers raised more than 85 percent of China's hogs in the 1980s and the 1990s. Despite its value and importance, household pig farming is now declining rapidly. Although pork prices kept rising in 2008 and the government offered subsidies to stimulate swine production, the number of rural households that raised pigs dropped by 50 percent nationwide. In some poor regions, only about 35 percent of rural households still raised pigs. Why are so many farmers giving up pig farming? What specific help do farmers need? In this article, based on fieldwork in a rural village in Southwest China, I analyze five socioeconomic impediments to household pig farming. I also discuss the policy implications of this case study and highlight what policy makers and development agencies can do to help farmers revitalize their pigpens.
Testing a Moderated Mediational Model of Workgroup Incivility: The Roles of Organizational Trust and Group Regard
Authors: Miner‐Rubino Kathi , Reed Whitney D.
Published: December 2010

The purpose of this study was to examine organizational trust as a mediator of the relationship between workgroup incivility and work outcomes, and whether workgroup regard moderates this mediation. Participants included 90 (61% female, 79% White) employees of a property‐management company who completed measures of workgroup incivility, group regard, organizational trust, job satisfaction, turnover intention, and job burnout. The results showed that trust mediated the relationship between incivility and all 3 work outcomes, and that regard for the workgroup moderated this process. Employees with lower group regard reported less organizational trust when they experienced incivility within their workgroup; lower trust, in turn, related to lower job satisfaction, especially for those with low group regard. Implications for organizations are discussed.
α‐Lipoic acid suppresses the development of DNFB‐induced atopic dermatitis‐like symptoms in NC/Nga mice
Authors: Kim Gun‐Dong , Kim Tae‐Ho , Jang An‐Hee , Ahn Hyun‐Jong , Park Yong Seek , Park Cheung‐Seog
Published: December 2010

Abstract:  Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a common skin disease that has complex pathogenic mechanisms. Under specific pathogen‐free conditions, repeated epicutaneous treatment of 2‐4‐dinitrofluorobenzene (DNFB) evokes AD‐like clinical symptoms in NC/Nga mice. α‐Lipoic acid (α‐LA; 1, 2‐dithiolane‐3‐pentanoic acid) is a dietary component that is synthesized in bacteria, yeast, plants, and mammals. α‐LA and its reduced form, dihydrolipoic acid, are powerful antioxidants that have many physiological functions, including free radical scavenging of reactive oxygen species, generation of cellular antioxidants, chelation of metal ions, and inflammatory suppression. In this study, we investigated whether α‐LA suppresses AD‐like skin lesions induced by repeated DNFB application in NC/Nga mice. α‐LA significantly suppressed production of interferon (IFN)‐γ and interleukin (IL)‐4 by activated CD4+ T cells. We found that the oral administration of α‐LA reduced AD‐like clinical symptoms and inhibited increases of epidermal thickness in DNFB‐induced AD‐like skin lesions of NC/Nga mice. Furthermore, total serum IgE levels were dramatically reduced by topical α‐LA treatment. Our findings suggest that oral administration of α‐LA suppresses the development of AD in DNFB‐treated NC/Nga mice and reduces IFN‐γ and IL‐4 production from activated CD4+ T cells as well as total serum IgE levels.
Inhibition of Kinesin‐5, a Microtubule‐Based Motor Protein, As a Strategy for Enhancing Regeneration of Adult Axons
Authors: Lin Shen , Liu Mei , Son Young‐Jin , Timothy Himes Barry , Snow Diane M. , Yu Wenqian , Baas Peter W.
Published: December 2010

Developing neurons express a motor protein called kinesin‐5 (also called kif11 or Eg5) which acts as a ‘brake’ on the advance of the microtubule array during axonal growth. Pharmacological inhibition of kinesin‐5 causes the developing axon to grow at a faster rate, retract less and grow past cues that would otherwise cause it to turn. Here we demonstrate that kinesin‐5 is also expressed in adult neurons, albeit at lower levels than during development. We hypothesized that inhibiting kinesin‐5 might enable adult axons to regenerate better and to overcome repulsive molecules associated with injury. Using adult mouse dorsal root ganglion neurons, we found that anti‐kinesin‐5 drugs cause axons to grow faster and to cross with higher frequency onto inhibitory chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans. These effects may be due in part to changes in the efficiency of microtubule transport along the axonal shaft as well as enhanced microtubule entry into the distal tip of the axon. Effects observed with the drugs are further enhanced in some cases when they are used in combination with other treatments known to enhance axonal regeneration. Collectively, these results indicate that anti‐kinesin‐5 drugs may be a useful addition to the arsenal of tools used to treat nerve injury.
Varicella outbreak in Indian students in Magdeburg with detection of the African‐Indian VZV clade 5
Authors: Kolesnik Malgorzata , Sauerbrei Andreas , Franke Ingolf , König Wolfgang , Gollnick Harald , Bonnekoh Bernd
Published: December 2010

Varicella has the highest contagiosity index of all viral diseases. We report an endemic outbreak of varicella among 4 Indian students in Magdeburg in November and December 2008. An initially severe course was observed in three of these patients with a negative vaccination status. Large vesicular skin lesions with a diameter of up to 8 mm were found in all patients. Molecular genetic tests revealed African/Indian clade 5 in 2 patients, although the European clades (i.e., clade 1 and 3) are the most common in Germany, accounting for 85 %. All patients recovered without any complications after administration of intravenous aciclovir at a dosage of 10 mg per kg body weight. Although isolated cases of varicella are not notifiable according to the German Protection against Infection Act, endemic outbreaks must be reported to the appropriate health surveillance authorities.
Placental programming of blood pressure in Indian children
Authors: Winder Nicola R , Krishnaveni Ghattu V , Hill Jacqueline C , Karat Chitra LS , Fall Caroline HD , Veena Sargoor R , Barker David JP
Published: December 2010

Aim:  To determine whether the size and shape of the placental surface predict blood pressure in childhood.

Methods:  We studied blood pressure in 471 nine‐year‐old Indian children whose placental length, breadth and weight were measured in a prospective birth cohort study.

Results:  In the daughters of short mothers (<median height), systolic blood pressure (SBP) rose as placental breadth increased (β = 0.69 mmHg/cm, p = 0.05) and as the ratio of placental surface area to birthweight increased (p = 0.0003). In the daughters of tall mothers, SBP rose as the difference between placental length and breadth increased (β = 1.40 mmHg/cm, p = 0.007), that is as the surface became more oval. Among boys, associations with placental size were only statistically significant after adjusting for current BMI and height. After adjustment, SBP rose as placental breadth, area and weight decreased (for breadth β = −0.68 mmHg/cm, p < 0.05 for all three measurements).

Conclusions:  The size and shape of the placental surface predict childhood blood pressure. Blood pressure may be programmed by variation in the normal processes of placentation: these include implantation, expansion of the chorionic surface in mid‐gestation and compensatory expansion of the chorionic surface in late gestation.
Clinical accuracy of anti‐tissue transglutaminase as screening test for celiac disease under 2 years
Authors: Panetta Fabio , Torre Giuliano , Colistro Franco , Ferretti Francesca , Daniele Antonella , Diamanti Antonella
Published: December 2010

Aim:  To investigate, in patients with suspected celiac disease (CD) younger than 2 years, the clinical value of anti‐tissue transglutaminase (tTG) in diagnostic work‐up of CD.

Methods:  Between June 2005 and June 2009, 169 patients aged <2 years, with symptoms suggestive of CD, were submitted to biopsy. CD diagnosis was based on the revised criteria of the European Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition.

Results:  Of the 169 patients enrolled, 155 were included: 108 of them showed mucosal atrophy and 47 negative histology. Sensitivity and specificity of tTG, at the cut‐off of 8 AU/mL, were 0.96 (CI 0.91–0.99) and 0.91 (CI 0.80–0.98), respectively, with likelihood ratio (LR) of 11.31; at the cut‐off of 16 AU/mL, they were 0.79 (CI 0.70–0.86) and 1.00, respectively (CI 0.92–1.00), with LR 4.50.

Conclusions:  In patients younger than 2 years, suspected for CD, tTG is very valuable in selecting for small intestinal biopsy.
Impact of magnetohydrodynamic turbulence on thermal wind balance in the Sun
Authors: Masada Youhei
Published: December 2010

The possible role of magnetorotational instability (MRI) and its driven magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) turbulence in the solar interior is studied on the basis of linear and non-linear theories coupled with physical parameters, assuming a solar rotation profile inverted from helioseismic observations and a standard model for the internal structure of the Sun. We find that the location of MRI is confined to the higher latitude tachocline and lower latitude near-surface shear layer. It is especially interesting that the MRI-active region around the tachocline closely overlaps with the area indicating a steep entropy rise, which is required from the thermal wind balance in the Sun. This suggests that the MRI-driven turbulence plays a crucial role in maintaining the thermal wind balance in the Sun via the exceptional turbulent heating and equatorward angular momentum transport. The warm pole existing around the tachocline might be a natural outcome of the turbulent activities energized by the MRI.
Preventive Antibiotics in Stroke Study: Rationale and Protocol for a Randomised Trial
Authors: Nederkoorn Paul J. , Westendorp Willeke F. , Hooijenga Imke J. , de Haan Rob J. , Dippel Diederik W. J. , Vermeij Frederique H. , Dijkgraaf Marcel G. W. , Prins Jan M. , Spanjaard Lodewijk , van de Beek Diederik
Published: December 2010

Rationale

Stroke is a leading cause of death worldwide. Fever after stroke is a strong predictor of a poor outcome. Infections occur in up to 40% of patients with stroke and have also been associated with poor outcomes. Preventive antibiotic therapy lowers the infection rates in patients after stroke, as shown in a recent meta-analysis of randomised studies. Phase III trials evaluating the effect of antibiotic prophylaxis on clinical outcomes in sufficient numbers of patients with stroke have, however, not been performed to date. Ceftriaxone, an off-patent medicine, is an antibiotic with a broad defence against the bacteria that cause the most common infections after stroke. Preventive antibiotic therapy with ceftriaxone may potentially reduce poor outcome after acute stroke and, therefore, a randomised clinical trial is warranted.

Aim

The aim of the present study is to investigate whether the preventive use of the antibiotic ceftriaxone improves functional outcome in patients with stroke.

Design

We will conduct a multicentre prospective, randomised, open-label, blinded end point trial of standard care with preventive ceftriaxone treatment and compare it with standard care without preventive ceftriaxone.

Study

Adult patients with stroke (both ischaemic and haemorrhagic) and a score ≥1 on the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale will be included. The 3200 patients will be randomly assigned to two groups of 1600 patients. One group will receive standard care and ceftriaxone at a dose of 2 g, given every 24 h intravenously for four-days, and the other group will receive stroke-unit care without preventive antibiotic treatment.

Outcomes

The primary end point will be functional outcome at a three-month follow-up on the modified Rankin Scale, dichotomised as a favourable outcome (0–2) or an unfavourable outcome (3–6). Secondary outcome measures will be death rate at discharge and three-months, infection rate during hospital admission, length of hospital admission, volume of poststroke care, use of antibiotics during the three-month follow-up, functional outcome using the full ordinal scoring range of the modified Rankin Scale, quality-adjusted life years and costs.
NEOTECTONIC CONTROLS ON PETROLEUM ACCUMULATIONS, OFFSHORE CHINA
Authors: Gong Z.S. , Huang L.F. , Chen P.H.
Published: December 2010

Tectonic activity offshore China during the Late Miocene and Quaternary (“neotectonism”) generated unconformities, resulted in depocentre migration, created new faults and initiated earthquake activity. This episode of structural disturbance, which occurred during post‐rift thermal subsidence, modified pre‐existing hydrocarbon accumulations and formed new pools. Constructive effects of neotectonism occurred in the Bozhong Depression, Zhu #2 Depression and the Yinggehai Basin. These effects included the formation of new structural traps, migration routes and source kitchens. Destructive effects occurred in the Xihu Depression where oil/gas fields were partially breached by post‐trap peneplanation and faulting. There are pools with active gas leakage through neotectonic faults and this seems to suggest a dynamic balance between outboard leakage of gas and inboard migration of hydrocarbons.

This paper summarizes understanding of the past 15 years of offshore exploration in China which has primarily focused on Neogene reservoirs. Data used for this report include extensive coverage of conventional P‐wave and multi‐component 2D and 3D seismic data, drilling results and extensive geochemical and geological analyses.
HYDROCARBON POTENTIAL OF THE UPPER CRETACEOUS SUCCESSION AT WELL 16/U‐1, ONSHORE QAMAR BASIN, EASTERN YEMEN
Authors: Alaug A. S.
Published: December 2010

An Upper Cretaceous succession has been penetrated at onshore well 16/U‐1 in the Qamar Basin, eastern Republic of Yemen. The succession comprises the Mukalla and Dabut Formations which are composed of argillaceous carbonates and sandstones with coal layers, and TOC contents range up to 80%. The average TOC of the Mukalla Formation (24%) is higher than that of the Dabut Formation (1%). The Mukalla Formation has a Rock‐Eval Tmax of 439–454 °C and an HI of up to 374 mgHC/gTOC, pointing to kerogen Types II and III. The Dabut Formation mainly contains kerogen Type III with a Tmax of 427–456°C and HI of up to 152 mgHC/gTOC. Vitrinite reflectance values ranging between 0.3 and 1.0% and thermal alteration index values between 3 and 6 indicate thermal maturities sufficient for hydrocarbon generation.

Three palynofacies types were identified representing marine, fluvial‐deltaic and marginal‐marine environments during the deposition of the Mukalla and Dabut Formations in the late Santonian — early Maastrichtian.
The Politics of Carbon Leakage and the Fairness of Border Measures
Authors: Eckersley Robyn
Published: December 2010

The article critically examines domestic political concerns about the competitive disadvantages and possible carbon leakage arising from the introduction of domestic emission trading legislation and the fairness of applying carbon equalization measures at the border as a response to these concerns. I argue that the border adjustment measures proposed in the emissions trading bills that have been presented to Congress amount to an evasion of the U.S.'s leadership responsibilities under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). I also show how the “level commercial playing field” justification for border measures that has dominated U.S. domestic debates is narrow and lopsided because it focuses only on the competitive disadvantages and direct carbon leakage that may flow from climate regulation while ignoring general shifts in the production and consumption of emissions in the global economy, which have enabled the outsourcing of emission to developing countries. The UNFCC production-based method of emissions accounting enables Northern consumers to enjoy the benefit of cheaper imports from Southern producers and to attribute the emissions associated with this consumption to the South. I argue that it is possible to design fair border measures that address carbon leakage, are consistent with the leadership responsibilities of developed countries, do not penalize developing countries, and ensure that consumers take some responsibility for the emissions outsourced to developing countries.
Low‐level Laser Therapy Promotes Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor‐1 Expression in Endothelial and Nonendothelial Cells of Mice Gastrocnemius Exposed to Snake Venom
Authors: Dourado Doroty M. , Fávero Sílvio , Matias Rosemary , Carvalho Paulo de Tarso C. , da Cruz‐Höfling Maria Alice
Published: December 2010

Crotalinae snake venoms cause severe local myonecrosis and microvasculature failure at the bite site. We evaluated whether low‐level laser therapy (LLLT) could accelerate angiogenesis and myoregeneration in male Swiss mice injected with Bothrops moojeni venom through immunohistochemistry of the vascular endothelial growth factor receptor‐1 (VEGFR‐1). Envenomed gastrocnemius was either unirradiated (V) or irradiated with HeNe (VHN, 632.8 nm) or GaAs (VGA, 904 nm, 10000 Hz). Animals sacrificed at 3 and 12 h were irradiated once (4 J cm−2), at 24 h (twice) and at 3, 7, 21 days (4, 8, 22 times, respectively). At 3 days, LLLT increased angiogenesis (80%:HeNe vs 40%:GaAs), decreased neutrophils and increased proliferation of regenerating cells. However, after 21 days, myoregeneration observed in the VHN group appeared delayed compared with the V group. As LLLT improved revascularization, the suggestive delay in myoregeneration could be a dose‐response inhibitory effect caused by multiple irradiations in myogenesis. The immunodetection of VEGFR‐1 in neutrophils, macrophages, satellite cells, fibroblasts, Schwann cells and skeletal and smooth muscle fibers (not seen in saline‐controls) at only the acute stages of envenoming suggests a mediator role for VEGFR‐1 in local alterations. This is the first time that VEGFR‐1 expression, and its modulation by photostimulation, has been demonstrated in endothelial and nonendothelial cells of snake envenomed skeletal muscle.
Belonging and Longing: Armenian Youth and Diasporic Long‐Distance Nationalism in Contemporary Russia
Authors: Ziemer Ulrike
Published: December 2010

This paper examines the question of long‐distance nationalism and Armenian youth in contemporary Russia. It contributes to existing debates on diasporic cultural identities and shows that long‐distance nationalism is not simply an elite‐driven phenomenon, but involves complex cultural, political, and symbolic processes and practices. Drawing on data obtained during six months of ethnographic fieldwork amongst Armenian youth in the city of Krasnodar, Southern Russia, it will be shown that young Armenians exhibit aspects of diasporic long‐distance nationalism in different ways. While young Armenian men hold on to cultural traditions and practices that are formed in the past, female research participants have started to challenge them.
Effect of nitrate and nitrite on the selection of microorganisms in the denitrifying anaerobic methane oxidation process
Authors: Hu Shihu , Zeng Raymond J. , Keller Jurg , Lant Paul A. , Yuan Zhiguo
Published: December 2010

Two cultures were inoculated with sludges taken from a parent culture containing archaea distantly related to anaerobic methanotrophic archaea (ANME) and bacteria related to Candidatus Methylomirabilis oxyfera, both of which have previously been found in cultures performing denitrifying anaerobic methane oxidation process. The cultures were fed with nitrate and nitrite, respectively, along with methane. The nitrate‐fed culture, Culture B, showed a stable microbial community composition and denitrifying anaerobic methane oxidation activity. In contrast, the nitrite‐fed culture, Culture A, achieved a substantial increase in the nitrite consumption rate, from 1.1 to 7.3 mmol NO2‐‐N (g VSS)−1 day−1 in 90 days. Concurrent with this activity increase, the archaeal population in Culture A decreased with time, and became undetectable after 100 days, while bacteria related to M. oxyfera increasingly dominated the culture. This observation suggests that the bacteria related to M. oxyfera are more competitive for nitrite reduction compared with the archaea related to ANME. This study showed that nitrate or nitrite feeding has a significant impact on the ecology and activities of microorganisms in the denitrifying anaerobic methane oxidation process. This study also revealed that nitrite overloading may have a toxic effect on the bacteria related to M. oxyfera.
Robust Design for Fixture Layout in Multistation Assembly Systems Using Sequential Space Filling Methods
Authors: Huang Wenzhen , Kong Zhenyu , Chennamaraju Abishek
Published: December 2010

Fixture layout robust design of multistation manufacturing systems aims for an optimal design that enables the dimensional variation of a product insensitive to the variations of process variables in the manufacturing process. The robust design involves a high dimension and complex global optimization problem. Recent advances in stream of variation modeling techniques enable effective formulation of the optimization problem at the system level. However, there is a challenge of computation complexity in terms of searching optimal design parameters in a high dimension, nonconvex, and discontinuous design space. This makes many available algorithms ineffective or even invalid. In this paper, an alternative sequential space filling strategy is proposed, which adopts sampling approaches to search optimal designs. To improve computation efficiency, the search space is sequentially reduced to generate a series of subspaces, and a method is designed to ensure a complete coverage of these subspaces in the original feasible space. In order to validate the proposed method, a floor pan assembly from an automotive body assembly process is modeled, and then the fixture robust design is conducted with the developed methods. To show the effectiveness of the proposed method, genetic algorithm and sequential quadratic programming are also applied in the case study for comparison.
Ultrafast Laser Induced Structural Modification of Fused Silica—Part II: Spatially Resolved and Decomposed Raman Spectral Analysis
Authors: Vukelić Siniša , Kongsuwan Panjawat , Ryu Sunmin , Yao Y. Lawrence
Published: December 2010

Nonlinear absorption of femtosecond laser pulses enables the induction of structural changes in the interior of bulk transparent materials without affecting their surface. In the present study, femtosecond laser pulses were tightly focused within the interior of bulk fused silica specimen. Localized plasma was formed, initiating rearrangement of the random network structure. Cross sections of the induced features were examined via decomposition of spatially resolved Raman spectra and a new method for the quantitative characterization of the structure of amorphous fused silica was developed. The proposed method identifies the volume fraction distribution of ring structures within the continuous random network of the probed volume of the target material and changes of the distribution with laser process conditions. Effects of the different process conditions and the material response to different mechanisms of feature generation were discussed as well.
Optimal Energy Harvesting From Low-Frequency Bistate Force Loadings
Authors: Scruggs J. T. , Behrens S.
Published: December 2010

This paper considers techniques for harvesting energy from vibratory loadings that can be characterized by low-frequency alternations between a minimum and maximum force magnitude. In such cases, it may be impossible to tune the harvester to resonate in the frequency band of the excitation due to constraints on the mass and transducer displacement. Here, we consider the case in which the harvester’s transient dynamics are characterized by a natural period, which is orders of magnitude below the fundamental period of the disturbance and which undergoes significant decay in between load alternations. In this case, the damped vibration of the harvester induced by each load alternation may be viewed as an isolated transient response. For such problems, we consider the optimization of generated power through the use of an active power-electronic drive to explicitly regulate transducer current according to an optimized feedback law. The analysis accounts for both mechanical and electrical losses in the harvester, as well as dissipation in the electronics. It also accounts for the static power necessary to operate the control intelligence and gate the drive transistors. We show that the optimal feedback law is, in general, a time-varying linear controller. Further, we show that following the leading edge of each load alternation, there is an optimal time horizon over which to operate the electronic conversion system beyond which the energy expended on static power exceeds the remaining energy recoverable from the dynamic response of the harvester. The analytical derivation of the controller is done generally and is shown to simplify to easily computable closed-form solutions in a number of simple cases. Analytical and simulation results are related to an experimental energy harvesting system involving a single degree-of-freedom electromagnetic transducer.
Design and Construction of IFMIF/EVEDA Lithium Test Loop
Authors: Kondo H. , Furukawa T. , Hirakawa Y. , Ida M. , Matsushita I. , Horiike H. , Kanemura T. , Sugiura H. , Yagi J. , Suzuki A. , Terai T. , Fukada S. , Nakamura H.
Published: December 2010

The International Fusion Materials Irradiation Facility (IFMIF) is a D+–Li neutron source aimed at producing an intense high energy neutron flux (2 MW/m2) for testing candidate fusion reactor materials. Under Broader Approach activities, Engineering Validation and Engineering Design Activities (EVEDAs) of IFMIF started on July 2007. Regarding the lithium (Li) target facility, design, construction, and tests of EVEDA Li test loop (ELTL) is a major Japanese activity. The detail design of the loop was started since early 2009. Construction of the loop was started at the middle of 2009, and completion is scheduled at the end of February 2011. This paper focuses on the design of the loop configuration and the major components. ELTL was designed to consist of two major Li loops, which are a main loop and a purification loop including an impurity monitoring loop. The main loop equips a target assembly which produces a high-speed free-surface Li flow to test the flow stability as the D+ beam target. The maximum flow rate of an electromagnetic pump in the main loop was set to 3000 l/min, so that flow velocity in the target assembly is 20 m/s at the maximum. Regarding the purification loop, a cold trap and two hot traps and impurity monitors are installed in order to purify and monitor impurities in Li. The configuration of these components in addition to the specification and configuration of the whole loop is presented.
Modeling and Analysis of Piezoelectric Energy Harvesting Beams Using the Dynamic Stiffness and Analytical Modal Analysis Methods
Authors: Bonello P. , Rafique S.
Published: December 2010

The modeling and analysis of base-excited piezoelectric energy harvesting beams have attracted many researchers with the aim of predicting the electrical output for a given base motion input. Despite this, it is only recently that an accurate model based on the analytical modal analysis method (AMAM) has been developed. Moreover, single-degree-of-freedom models are still being used despite the proven potential for significant error. One major disadvantage of the AMAM is that it is restricted to simple cantilevered uniform-section beams. This paper presents two alternative modeling techniques for energy harvesting beams and uses these techniques in a theoretical study of a bimorph. One of the methods is a novel application of the dynamic stiffness method (DSM) to the modeling of energy harvesting beams. This method is based on the exact solution of the wave equation and so obviates the need for modal transformation. The dynamic stiffness matrix of a uniform-section beam could be used in the modeling of beams with arbitrary boundary conditions or assemblies of beams of different cross sections. The other method is a much-needed reformulation of the AMAM that condenses the analysis to encompass all previously analyzed systems. The Euler–Bernoulli model with piezoelectric coupling is used and the external electrical load is represented by generic linear impedance. Simulations verify that, with a sufficient number of modes included, the AMAM result converges to the DSM result. A theoretical study of a bimorph investigates the effect of the impedance and quantifies the tuning range of the resonance frequencies under variable impedance. The neutralizing effect of a tuned harvester on the vibration at its base is investigated using the DSM. The findings suggest the potential of the novel concept of a variable capacitance adaptive vibration neutralizer that doubles as an adaptive energy harvester. The application of the DSM to more complex systems is illustrated. For the case studied, a significant increase in the power generated was achieved for a given working frequency through the application of a tip rotational restraint, the use of segmented electrodes, and a resized tip mass.
Being Glassy Without Being Hard to Solve
Authors: Ricci-Tersenghi Federico
Published: December 2010

The threshold for mathematical problems being easy or hard to solve can be extremely abrupt.