bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Indigenous Peoples and Water Justice in a Globalizing World
Authors: Jackson Sue
Published: September 2016

Indigenous peoples confront challenges that constrain their ability to bargain for secure and remunerative livelihoods based on water and to participate in decisions that govern water allocation, use, and management. Water governance systems at all scales have failed to provide sufficient recognition, respect, and autonomy for indigenous laws, values, aspirations, and water-use practices and continue to discriminate against indigenous norms. Describing the water injustices experienced by indigenous communities, this essay charts the means by which indigenous peoples assert their water rights and interests in water governance. It provides a globalized account of water justice by analyzing the character of justice claims articulated by the emergent indigenous water-justice movement using Nancy Fraser’s multidimensional formulation of justice. Indigenous articulations of justice and demands for redistribution, recognition, and representation call for equal weight to be given to the socioeconomic, cultural, and political causes of water injustice and strategies for change.
Aesthetics and Philosophy of Art
Authors: Lopes Dominic McIver
Published: September 2016

This article focuses on aesthetics and the philosophy of art as branches of so-called analytic philosophy. It begins with a historical overview of aesthetics and the philosophy of art before turning to a discussion of how the philosophy of art bears upon human culture. It then considers the methods used in attacking problems in aesthetics and the philosophy of art by highlighting the distinctions between pure and applied philosophy, between internal and external perspectives on aesthetic and artistic phenomena, and between first-order and second-order methods. It also examines how aesthetics and the philosophy of art are affected as the arts evolve and as empirical studies of aesthetic and artistic phenomena become well established in the social and behavioural sciences as well as the humanities.
Linguistic and Philosophical Methodology
Authors: Ludlow Peter
Published: September 2016

This article explores the use of philosophical methodology in linguistics and the role of linguistic methodology in philosophy. More specifically, it considers the borrowing of prima facie philosophical methodologies by linguistics and vice versa, gives some examples of this methodological borrowing, clarifies what the aim of it has been, and makes the case for the fruitfulness of these efforts. It also discusses the role of appeals to semantics in metaphysics, epistemology, and the philosophy of language, and examines whether the prima facie distinction between linguistic and philosophical methodology holds up in any interesting sense. Finally, it suggests that methodology in linguistics and in particular the semantics of natural language is intimately intertwined with methodology in numerous areas of philosophy.
Method in Analytic Metaphysics
Authors: Nolan Daniel
Published: September 2016

This article focuses on the main methods used in analytic metaphysics. It first considers five important sources of constraints on metaphysical theorizing: linguistic and conceptual analysis, consulting intuitions, employing the findings of science, respecting folk opinion, and applying theoretical virtues in metaphysical theory choice such as preferring simpler theories, or preferring more explanatory theories. It then examines the role of formal methods in metaphysics as well as the role of metaphysical communities, traditions, and the place of the history of metaphysics in contemporary work. It also discusses the issue of whether metaphysics should be seen as an enterprise that will yield knowledge of metaphysical matters or whether it should have more modest epistemic goals. Finally, it explores the question of how much of metaphysics is a priori.
Transcendental Arguments
Authors: Pereboom Derk
Published: September 2016

This article explores Immanuel Kant’s transcendental argument in philosophy. According to Kant, a transcendental argument begins with a compelling first premise about our thought, experience, knowledge, or practice, and then reasons to a conclusion that is a substantive and unobvious presupposition and necessary condition of the truth of this premise, or as he sometimes puts it, of the possibility of this premise’s being true. Transcendental arguments are typically directed against skepticism of some kind. For example, Kant’s Transcendental Deduction targets Humean skepticism about the applicability of a priori metaphysical concepts, and his Refutation of Idealism takes aim at skepticism about an external world. The article first considers the nature of transcendental arguments before analysing a number of specific transcendental arguments, including Kant’s Transcendental Deduction and Refutation of Idealism. It also discusses contemporary arguments, such as those forwarded by P. F. Strawson and and Christine Korsgaard, together with their problems and prospects.
Neuroscience
Authors: Roskies Adina L.
Published: September 2016

This article examines whether, and in what ways, neuroscience can illuminate those questions associated with neurophilosophy. It begins by discussing the relation between philosophy and neuroscience, in particular how they can each influence each other. It then considers how neuroscience can illuminate philosophical questions about mind, including metaphysical questions about the relation of mind and brain, questions about the nature of mental representation and content, consciousness, and even moral theory. It also looks at some of the most prevalent techniques employed by neuroscience for investigating brain structure and function; how neuroscience provides potential counterexamples to philosophical claims, by showing how brains work and suggests new interpretations of data; and the influence of neuroscience on philosophy in the area of normativity. The article concludes by examining attempts to use neuroscience to inform philosophical argument about free will.
Physics and Method
Authors: Ruetsche Laura
Published: September 2016

This article deals with the methodologies used in philosophy of physics. It begins by considering some methodological inclinations at large in the community of philosophers of physics in order to convey some sense of the plethora of methodologies, self-conscious and otherwise, to be found at the interfaces of philosophy, mathematics, and physics. It then describes and defends a methodological inclination to understand and pursue the project of interpreting physical theories in a way that runs counter to a methodological disposition prevalent among philosophers of physics. This disposition is toward “Naturalism”: the view that the only respectable metaphysics is the metaphysics that makes the best sense of our best physics.
History of Ideas
Authors: Beiser Frederick
Published: September 2016

This article is a defense of the history of ideas as traditionally understood. The history of ideas, as originally conceived, attempted to be both historical and philosophical. Its historical dimension consisted in placing ideas in their historical context and understanding the intentions behind the author; its philosophical dimension consisted in criticism, the internal critique of an author according to his own aims. Modern intellectual or philosophical history has separated these two components. There is the analytical history of philosophy which aims to be primarily critical or philosophical (viz., the approach advocated by Strawson and Bennet), and the historical Cambridge school which aims to be chiefly historical (viz., Skinner and Tully). The article argues that the history of philosophy is best pursued by joining the philosophical and historical approaches; it attempts to show how the attempt to pursue history without philosophy, or philosophy without history, breaks down and suffers from inevitable shortcomings.
Methods in the Philosophy of Literature and Film
Authors: Currie Gregory
Published: September 2016

This article discusses methods in the philosophy of literature and film (PLF). It begins by providing some background on PLF and how it differs from those philosophically influenced projects for understanding and interpreting literature and film most often undertaken by film and literary scholars. It then reviews the history of the study of literature and film before considering how particular filmic or literary works might function as evidence for, or as things to be explained by, general claims offered within PLF. It examines the claim that literary and filmic works may themselves be sources of philosophical ideas and, sometimes, contributions to philosophy itself. It then describes Darwinian approaches to PLF. Finally, it considers the role of empirical evidence in assessing claims about the value of literature as a source of knowledge.
Philosophy and Psychology
Authors: Antony Louise , Rey Georges
Published: September 2016

Philosophy and psychology have always been inseparable, particularly with regard to issues of methodology. The chapter begins with a brief history of the a priori and introspectivist traditions of both, and of the various forms of behaviorism that were a reaction to them. It then turns to the “computational” and “functionalist” approaches to the mind that grew out of the development of the computer and especially the linguistic work of Noam Chomsky. These blossomed into the research program of “cognitive science” that combines work in linguistics, psychology, neuroscience, biology, and computer science to empirically address questions about the nature and architecture of the mind, and issues in semantics, epistemology, and moral psychology. the chapter concludes by briefly discussing two important cases concerning the nature of consciousness, its supposed “unity,” and various forms of self-blindness, which raise surprising empirical questions about our introspective access to our mental states.
The Pragmatic Method
Authors: Jackman Henry
Published: September 2016

This article examines the pragmatic method and its application in solving philosophical problems. While classical pragmatism quickly became identified with the theory of truth that dominated critical discussions of it, both of its founders, Charles Sanders Peirce and William James, understood pragmatism essentially as a method. The article begins with an overview of pragmatism and the “Pragmatic Maxim”. In particular, it compares Peirce’s conceptions of pragmatism with James’s view that the pragmatic method would allow us to resolve many disputes in philosophy, and argues that their differences undermine any purely ‘Peircian’ reading of James’s Pragmatic Maxim. It then examines the advantages and drawbacks of three other readings of James’s maxim: the “activist” reading, the “subjectivist” reading, and the “practical” reading.
Boundary Spanning in Higher Education
Authors: McMinn Jamie G.
Published: September 2016

The decision to become an administrator in higher education is one that faculty members may consider. There are many factors that influence this decision, and it is important to understand the benefits and costs to one’s teaching, scholarship, and personal life while pursuing administrative paths. This chapter addresses some of these factors, combining personal experience and the experiences shared by colleagues, while also reviewing the literature on academic administration and offering personal reflections on why a faculty member would consider making the transition to administration. Higher education administration is not for everyone, but with careful consideration of one’s goals and values, it can be a rewarding endeavor.
Metaontology
Authors: Turner Jason
Published: September 2016

Metaontologyis the study of ontology, asking what exactly it is that so-called ontologists are doing when they do ontology. Contemporary debates harken back to one between Quine and Carnap; this article begins by surveying their debate and outlining how various contemporary authors line up with the positions they staked out. The remainder of the article focuses on a contemporary, neo-Carnapian metaontological position inspired by considerations frommetasemantics, or the study of how words get their meanings. The contemporary position insists that any decent theory of how words get their meanings will have the result that many contemporary ontological debates are, in some important sense, without substance. After outlining the position, the article considers several ways a contemporary ontologist might resist this neo-Carnapian position.
John Aubrey’s and Life-Writing
Authors: Bennett Kate
Published: September 2016

John Aubrey constructed an intimate and nonthreatening biographical persona, which allowed him to collect sensitive material about people in a politically turbulent period. He preserved documents and facts, but also anecdotes and “sayings,” as records of the human voice and the reputations of biographical subjects. He developed an expectation that comprehensive and factual biographical reference works were necessary, and that biography could be an aspect of social or historical knowledge. He wrote the lives of women and of those who were not privileged, rejecting the exemplary tradition and writing sympathetically about ordinary people. When writing the life of Hobbes, he disagreed with his collaborator, Dryden, about the nature of biography, which Dryden saw as a neoclassical rhetorical art, requiring the suppression of ignominious or inelegant facts and creation of a pantheon of eminence. Aubrey created a new form, fame for disillusioned times, with modern values and a respect for fact.
Jesuits and Africa
Authors: Mkenda Festo
Published: September 2016

Jesuits have commanded scholarly attention in recent years, with Jesuit studies almost becoming an independent academic discipline. However, their involvement in Africa remains largely unstudied, even though they were in parts of the continent for close to two centuries. Moreover, after their restoration in 1814, the Jesuits played a significant role in the evangelization of Africa. This essay is an overview of Jesuit presence in Africa over the centuries. While it gives more prominence to the historical missions of the pre-suppression period in Congo, Angola, Mozambique, and Ethiopia, it also covers more recent presence in Madagascar, southern Africa and Egypt, and concludes with a brief analysis of the state of the Society of Jesus in Africa today. The essay underscores the challenge of locating Jesuit records related to Africa and the importance of understanding early missionary efforts on the African continent for the benefit of similar efforts in our time.
Neural Correlates of Wakefulness, Sleep, and General Anesthesia
Authors: Pal Dinesh , Silverstein Brian H. , Lee Heonsoo , Mashour George A.
Published: September 2016

Background

Significant advances have been made in our understanding of subcortical processes related to anesthetic- and sleep-induced unconsciousness, but the associated changes in cortical connectivity and cortical neurochemistry have yet to be fully clarified.

Methods

Male Sprague–Dawley rats were instrumented for simultaneous measurement of cortical acetylcholine and electroencephalographic indices of corticocortical connectivity—coherence and symbolic transfer entropy—before, during, and after general anesthesia (propofol, n = 11; sevoflurane, n = 13). In another group of rats (n = 7), these electroencephalographic indices were analyzed during wakefulness, slow wave sleep (SWS), and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep.

Results

Compared to wakefulness, anesthetic-induced unconsciousness was characterized by a significant decrease in cortical acetylcholine that recovered to preanesthesia levels during recovery wakefulness. Corticocortical coherence and frontal–parietal symbolic transfer entropy in high γ band (85 to 155 Hz) were decreased during anesthetic-induced unconsciousness and returned to preanesthesia levels during recovery wakefulness. Sleep-wake states showed a state-dependent change in coherence and transfer entropy in high γ bandwidth, which correlated with behavioral arousal: high during wakefulness, low during SWS, and lowest during REM sleep. By contrast, frontal–parietal θ connectivity during sleep-wake states was not correlated with behavioral arousal but showed an association with well-established changes in cortical acetylcholine: high during wakefulness and REM sleep and low during SWS.

Conclusions

Corticocortical coherence and frontal–parietal connectivity in high γ bandwidth correlates with behavioral arousal and is not mediated by cholinergic mechanisms, while θ connectivity correlates with cortical acetylcholine levels.
Perioperative Aspirin for Prevention of Venous Thromboembolism
Authors: Eikelboom John W. , Kearon Clive , Guyatt Gordon , Sessler Daniel I. , Yusuf Salim , Cook Deborah , Douketis James , Patel Ameen , Kurz Andrea , Allard Rene , Jones Philip M. , Dennis Rodolfo J. , Painter Thomas W. , Bergese Sergio D. , Leslie Kate , Wijeysundera Duminda N. , Balasubramanian Kumar , Duceppe Emmanuelle , Miller Scott , Diedericks Johan , Devereaux P. J.
Published: September 2016

Background

The PeriOperative ISchemia Evaluation-2 (POISE-2) trial compared aspirin with placebo after noncardiac surgery.

Methods

The authors randomly assigned 10,010 patients undergoing noncardiac surgery to receive 200 mg aspirin or placebo 2 to 4 h before surgery and then 100 mg aspirin daily or placebo daily for up to 30 days after surgery. Herein, the authors report the effect of aspirin on venous thromboembolism (VTE), including deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism, as well as an updated pooled analysis of randomized trials of antiplatelet therapy for VTE prevention in noncardiac surgery patients.

Results

Six thousand five hundred forty-eight patients (65.4%) received anticoagulant prophylaxis. VTE occurred in 53 patients (1.1%) allocated to aspirin and in 60 patients (1.2%) allocated to placebo (hazard ratio, 0.89; 95% CI, 0.61 to 1.28). Major or life-threatening bleeding occurred in 312 patients (6.3%) allocated to aspirin and in 256 patients (5.1%) allocated to placebo (hazard ratio, 1.22; 95% CI, 1.04 to 1.44). Concomitant use of anticoagulant prophylaxis did not modify the effect of aspirin on VTE or bleeding. Pooled analysis of the POISE-2 and Pulmonary Embolism Prevention trials demonstrated that symptomatic VTE occurred in 173 (1.3%) of 13,724 patients allocated to aspirin and in 246 (1.8%) of 13,730 patients allocated to placebo (odds ratio, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.56 to 0.89; heterogeneity P = 0.27; I2 = 17%); the impact of aspirin was very similar in those who did and did not receive pharmacologic prophylaxis. Pooled estimates for symptomatic VTE were similar to the pooled estimates for any deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism from the POISE-2 trial, Pulmonary Embolism Prevention trial, and the Antiplatelet Trialists’ Collaboration meta-analysis.

Conclusions

Aspirin in the POISE-2 trial did not reduce VTE, but two thirds of patients received anticoagulant prophylaxis, there were few VTE events, and results were consistent with a wide range of aspirin effects. A pooled analysis of the randomized trials demonstrates evidence for the efficacy of aspirin for VTE prevention in hospitalized surgical patients.
Multiple Organ Dysfunction Score Is Superior to the Obstetric-Specific Sepsis in Obstetrics Score in Predicting Mortality in Septic Obstetric Patients
Authors: Aarvold Alice B. R. , Ryan Helen M. , Magee Laura A. , von Dadelszen Peter , Fjell Chris , Walley Keith R.
Published: September 2016

Objectives:

Mortality prediction scores have been used for a long time in ICUs; however, numerous studies have shown that they over-predict mortality in the obstetric population. With sepsis remaining a major cause of obstetric mortality, we aimed to look at five mortality prediction scores (one obstetric-based and four general) in the septic obstetric population and compare them to a nonobstetric septic control group.

Subject and Design:

Women in the age group of 16–50 years with an admission diagnosis or suspicion of sepsis were included. In a multicenter obstetric population (n = 797), these included all pregnant and postpartum patients up to 6 weeks postpartum. An age- and gender-matched control nonobstetric population was drawn from a single-center general critical care population (n = 2,461). Sepsis in Obstetric Score, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II, Simplified Acute Physiology Score II, Sequential Organ Failure Assessment, and Multiple Organ Dysfunction Scores were all applied to patients meeting inclusion criteria in both cohorts, and their area under the receiver-operator characteristic curves was calculated to find the most accurate predictor.

Measurements and Main Results:

A total of 146 septic patients were found for the obstetric cohort and 299 patients for the nonobstetric control cohort. The Sepsis in Obstetric Score, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II, Simplified Acute Physiology Score II, Sequential Organ Failure Assessment, and Multiple Organ Dysfunction Scores gave area under the receiver-operator characteristic curves of 0.67, 0.68, 0.72, 0.79, and 0.84 in the obstetric cohort, respectively, and 0.64, 0.72, 0.61, 0.78, and 0.74 in the nonobstetric cohort, respectively. The Sepsis in Obstetric Score performed similarly to all the other scores with the exception of the Multiple Organ Dysfunction Score, which was significantly better (p < 0.05).

Conclusion:

The Sepsis in Obstetric Score, designed specifically for sepsis in obstetric populations, was not better than general severity of illness scoring systems. Furthermore, the Sepsis in Obstetric Score performance was no different in an obstetric sepsis population compared to a nonobstetric sepsis population. The Multiple Organ Dysfunction Score is a simple organ-based score, and this result supports the use of organ-based outcome predictors in ICU even in an obstetric sepsis population.
Methemoglobinemia Caused by Portable Dialysis in the Critically Ill
Authors: Medarov Boris I. , Pahwa Suneet , Reed Stephanie , Blinkhorn Richard , Rane Neha , Judson Marc A.
Published: September 2016

Objective:

To evaluate the root cause of a series of methemoglobinemia cases in a medical ICU.

Results:

We report a sentinel case of methemoglobinemia that was associated with dialysis sessions using a portable dialysis unit in our hospital. This led to the identification of four additional patients who developed methemoglobinemia while undergoing portable dialysis. We determined that these episodes were caused by inadequate clearance of chloramine from the tap water used for portable dialysis. Introduction of larger capacity carbon filters into the portable dialysis systems resulted in no further cases of methemoglobinemia at our institution.

Conclusions:

Clinicians should be aware of municipal tap water as a potential cause of methemoglobinemia and monitor for excessive levels of oxidants in dialysis water sources. The capacity of the hemodialysis equipment to clear chloramine can vary as a function of external factors. Using a reliable test method to identify chloramines in the water prior to entering the hemodialysis equipment is essential.
Beneficial in-vitro effects of interleukin-2, interleukin-12, and their combination on functional and receptor characteristics of natural killer cells in metastatic melanoma patients with normal serum lactate dehydrogenase levels
Authors: Mirjačić Martinović Katarina M. , Babović Nada Lj. , Džodić Radan R. , Jurišić Vladimir B. , Ninković Aleksandra Z. , Konjević Gordana M.
Published: September 2016

Considering tumor-mediated suppression of natural killer (NK) cells, the aim of this study was to investigate the in-vitro effects of interleukin (IL)-2 and IL-12, as immunostimulatory cytokines, on the functional and receptor characteristics of NK cells and their subsets in healthy control (HC) and metastatic melanoma (MM) patients. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells of 27 HC and 35 MM patients were stimulated in vitro with IL-2, IL-12, and their combination for functional and phenotypic analysis. IL-2, IL-12, and primarily their combination, significantly induced NK cell activity, CD107a degranulation marker, and perforin expression in NK cells and their subsets in HC and MM patients. Furthermore, the combination of IL-2 and IL-12 was significantly more efficient than IL-12 alone in the augmentation of NK cell cytotoxicity and CD107a expression. Also, IL-2 and IL-12 reciprocally upregulated each other’s receptors, IL-2Rα and IL-12Rβ1/β2, on NK cells and their subsets in MM and HCs. In addition, the priming of NK cells with IL-2 before IL-12 treatment led to an increase in the expression of both IL-12 receptors. In contrast to IL-12, IL-2 increased activating NKG2D and DNAM-1, as well as inhibitory CD158a and CD158b KIRs. In addition, the cytokines investigated exerted a more potent effect on the increase in NK cell activity and the expression of various NK cell receptors in MM patients with normal lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) serum levels. Therefore, serum LDH could represent a predictor of response to cytokine immunotherapy in MM patients. The optimization of combined IL-2/IL-12 therapy is needed to enhance NK cell functions in MM patients stratified by their LDH levels.
Cisplatin and Cetuximab Treatment for Metastatic Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Systematic Review
Authors: Trodello Cameron , Pepper Jon-Paul , Wong Michael , Wysong Ashley
Published: September 2016

BACKGROUND

Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) is the second most common form of skin cancer and metastasizes in 2% to 5% of cases.

OBJECTIVE

Systematic evaluation of published cases of metastatic cSCC (mSCC) treated with cisplatin or cetuximab from 1989 to 2014.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A literature search was performed to identify cases of mSCC treated with cisplatin or cetuximab. Patient demographics, tumor characteristics, response rates, and disease-free survivals were extracted.

RESULTS

A total of 60 cases of mSCC treated with cisplatin and 9 cases treated with cetuximab reported in the literature from 1989 to 2014 were included in the analysis. Patients treated with cetuximab obtained a complete response of 67%, an overall response of 78%, and a median disease-free survival of 25 (range 3–48) months. Patients treated with cisplatin obtained a complete response of 22%, an overall response of 45%, and a median disease-free survival of 14.6 (range 3–112) months.

CONCLUSION

Head-to-head prospective clinical studies between cetuximab and cisplatin are needed to determine which is more efficacious. In addition, prospective tumor registries and randomized controlled trials should be developed in order to establish the ideal systemic regimen in cSCC.
A Critical Assessment of the Evidence for Low-Level Laser Therapy in the Treatment of Hair Loss
Authors: Gupta Aditya K. , Foley Kelly A.
Published: September 2016

BACKGROUND

Low-level laser therapy (LLLT) is currently in use to stimulate hair growth and is quickly gaining in popularity due to the ease of use and absence of side effects. In 2015 alone, the number of LLLT devices with the Food and Drug Administration clearance has doubled.

OBJECTIVE

To consolidate evidence and establish which data are still required for the widespread acceptance of LLLT for hair loss therapy.

METHODS AND MATERIALS

A thorough search of the PubMed database was conducted to obtain studies investigating LLLT for androgenetic alopecia in men and women.

RESULTS

Nine trials were identified for comb and helmet/cap devices, five of which were randomized controlled trials. Data comparison across LLLT trials and with traditional hair loss therapy (minoxidil, finasteride) was not straight forward because there was a lack of visual evidence, sample sizes were low, and there were large variations in study duration and efficacy measurements.

CONCLUSION

There are a number of unanswered questions about the optimum treatment regimen, including maintenance treatment and the long-term consequences of LLLT use. Moving forward, protocols should be standardized across trials. Moreover, it is recommended that future trials include visual evidence and trial duration be expanded to 12 months.
Antipsychotic Response Worsens With Postmenopausal Duration in Women With Schizophrenia
Authors: González-Rodríguez Alexandre , Catalán Rosa , Penadés Rafael , Ruiz Cortés Victoria , Torra Mercè , Seeman Mary V. , Bernardo Miquel
Published: September 2016

Background

The loss of estrogens in the menopause may lead to increased vulnerability for psychotic relapse, poor clinical outcome, and a need for increased antipsychotic dose. However, confounders such as cumulative estrogen exposure and time since menopause have been inadequately studied. Our aim was to investigate potential variables capable of influencing antipsychotic response in a sample of postmenopausal women with schizophrenia.

Methods

Sixty-four postmenopausal schizophrenic women were followed in a 12-week prospective treatment-by-clinical requirement study. Duration of reproductive years was considered an indirect measure of lifetime cumulative estrogens exposure. Psychopathological assessment included the following: Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale, Personal and Social Performance, and Clinical Global Impression-Schizophrenia Scale. Response was defined as a reduction of 30% or more of Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale total scores. Antipsychotic adherence was assessed by plasma level monitoring at 4 weeks. Regression analyses were performed to investigate the association between potential confounding factors and antipsychotic response.

Results

Forty-two participants (66%) were found to be antipsychotic responders. Time since menopause was significantly and negatively associated with overall antipsychotic response, explaining almost 42% of the variance of the model used. Smoking and cumulative estrogen exposures were associated with improvement in negative symptoms. Smoking and time since menopause were associated with improvement in excitement symptoms, and smoking was positively associated with improvement in depressive and cognitive symptoms.

Discussion

Time since menopause was significantly negatively associated with antipsychotic response in postmenopausal schizophrenic women, suggesting a decline in antipsychotic response after menopause. The neurobiological basis for antipsychotic response may include a role for estrogen and nicotine receptors.
An Assessment of the Quality Oncology Practice Initiative: Lessons Learned From a Detailed Assessment of a Well-Established Profession-Based Performance Measurement Program
Authors: Barysauskas Constance M. , Dalby Carole K. , Catalano Paul J. , Jacobson Joseph O.
Published: September 2016

Background:

National performance measurement programs used to improve quality and/or accountability are prevalent. Professional society-based programs largely assess practice or provider performance. We tested the limitations of the Quality Oncology Practice Initiative (QOPI), a well-established program.

Methods:

We investigated the potential limitations of the QOPI limited sampling strategy and end-of-life (EOL) metrics through a retrospective review of all decedents meeting the QOPI eligibility criteria at a large three-site community oncology practice. Relative precision for each EOL metric was measured and simulated scenarios modeled via log-normal distributions were compared.

Results:

A total of 246 deaths were identified; only 14% of decedents were included in the QOPI limited sample. Important differences in relative precision between samples were evident. Chemotherapy administered at the EOL was 2.8 times greater among the full cohort compared to the sample.

Conclusion:

The limited sampling strategy demonstrated the lack of precision explained by sampling variability confounded in smaller sample sizes. Our analyses demonstrated that practices reporting the same metric may stem from very different underlying distributions, which limits the ability to understand complex practice patterns and improve care. These findings may be of significance to other performance measurement programs that utilize similar testing strategies.
Sonazoid-enhanced ultrasonography guidance improves the quality of pathological diagnosis in the biopsy of focal hepatic lesions
Authors: Eso Yuji , Takai Atsushi , Takeda Haruhiko , Matsumoto Tomonori , Lee Minami , Inuzuka Tadashi , Takahashi Ken , Ueda Yoshihide , Marusawa Hiroyuki , Seno Hiroshi
Published: September 2016

Background/aim

Contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (US) has improved the detection and characterization of focal hepatic lesions. Recently, the importance of obtaining high-quality samples in the biopsy of hepatic lesions has been increasing not only in the field of pathological diagnosis but also in molecular analysis for predicting the effectiveness of anticancer agents and molecular targeted drugs. We evaluated the utility of Sonazoid-enhanced ultrasonography (SEUS) in guiding percutaneous biopsy of focal hepatic lesions by comparing the results of histopathological diagnosis between B-mode US and SEUS guidance.

Methods and materials

This retrospective study examined 121 focal hepatic lesions in 108 patients (mean age: 63.8 years) referred for US-guided percutaneous biopsy. The technical success rate was defined as the percentage of the lesions diagnosed clearly at the initial biopsy.

Results

Among 121 lesions, 56 lesions were subjected to biopsy with B-mode US guidance whereas 65 were subjected to SEUS guidance. The technical success rate was significantly higher under SEUS guidance than under B-mode US guidance (92.3 vs. 76.8%, respectively, P<0.05). When biopsies were performed to diagnose or rule out malignancy in indeterminate lesions, the technical success rate was also significantly higher under SEUS guidance than under B-mode US guidance (100 vs. 73.9%, respectively, P<0.05). SEUS guidance resulted in a significantly higher rate of successful single-puncture attempts compared with B-mode US guidance (55.4 vs. 35.7%, respectively, P<0.05).

Conclusion

SEUS guidance is recommended for more accurate localization of suitable hepatic lesion biopsy areas as it increases conspicuity and differentiates viable areas from denaturalization or necrosis.
Image-Guided Resuscitation With Limited Transthoracic Echocardiogram in Pediatric Trauma Patients
Authors: Plant Valerie , Vanguri Poornima , Anand Rahul , Haynes Jeffrey , Aboutanos Michel , Ferrada Paula
Published: September 2016

Introduction

Limited transthoracic echocardiogram (LTTE) has been shown to be a useful tool in guiding resuscitation in adult trauma patients. Our hypothesis is that image-guided resuscitation in pediatric trauma patients with LTTE is feasible.

Methods

A retrospective chart review was performed on highest level pediatric trauma alerts (age 18 years or younger) at our level I trauma center during a 6-month period. Patients were divided into 2 groups as follows: those who had LTTE performed (LTTE group) and those who did not have LTTE performed (non-LTTE group).

Results

A total of 31 charts were reviewed; 4 patients were excluded because they died on arrival to the emergency department. Fourteen patients had LTTE performed (LTTE group); 13 patients did not have LTTE performed (non-LTTE group). There was no difference in mechanism of injury, age, injury severity score, weight, or intensive care unit admission between the groups. The LTTE group received significantly less intravenous fluid than the non-LTTE group (1.2 vs 2.3 L, P = 0.0013).Within the LTTE group, 8 patients had “full” inferior vena cava (IVC) and 6 patients had “empty” IVC. There was no difference in injury severity score between these subgroups (P = 0.1018). Less fluid was given in the group labeled with full IVC [1.1 L (0.8–1.2)] than the group with empty IVC [2.4 L (1.7–2.6)], P = 0.0005. Four of the 6 patients with “empty” IVC had a confirmed source of bleeding.

Conclusions

Limited transthoracic echocardiogram can limit the amount of unnecessary crystalloid resuscitation given to pediatric trauma patients who are not hypovolemic.
Outcomes following Peripheral Nerve Decompression with and without Associated Double Crush Syndrome: A Case Control Study
Authors: Wessel Lauren E. , Fufa Duretti T. , Canham R. Bruce , La Bore Adam , Boyer Martin I. , Calfee Ryan P.
Published: September 2016

Background:

Double crush syndrome, the association between proximal and distal nerve lesions, has been established. This investigation compares the outcomes of nerve surgery in patients with isolated peripheral compression versus those with double crush syndrome treated with peripheral nerve and cervical spine operations.

Methods:

This case-controlled study enrolled 80 patients: 40 underwent carpal or cubital tunnel surgery and cervical spine surgery (double crush group); and 40 controls, matched by age and sex, underwent only peripheral nerve decompression (peripheral nerve group). A minimum of 18 months was required after peripheral nerve and cervical spine surgery for office assessment (mean, 4.9 years and 6.0 years, respectively). Statistical analysis compared postoperative function and symptom severity questionnaires, physical examination, and patient-reported satisfaction between groups.

Results:

Patients in the double crush group reported significantly more disability and persistent symptoms on the QuickDASH questionnaire (29 versus 13) and Levine Katz symptom severity (2.0 versus 1.4) and functional status scales (1.9 versus 1.4). Double crush patients reported significantly lower satisfaction. The double crush group exhibited a greater frequency of persistent signs of nerve irritability and muscle weakness compared with the control group.

Conclusions:

At a minimum of 18 months after peripheral nerve surgery, patients with a history of cervical spine surgery are likely to have inferior patient-reported outcomes, persistent nerve dysfunction, and lower satisfaction after peripheral nerve release compared with patients following isolated peripheral nerve surgery. Double crush syndrome was associated with poorer outcome after peripheral nerve surgery despite treatment of cervical spine nerve compression.

CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE:

Therapeutic, III.
Silver-catalysed azide–alkyne cycloaddition (AgAAC): assessing the mechanism by density functional theory calculations
Authors: Banerji Biswadip , Chandrasekhar K. , Killi Sunil Kumar , Pramanik Sumit Kumar , Uttam Pal , Sen Sudeshna , Maiti Nakul Chandra
Published: September 2016

‘Click reactions’ are the copper catalysed dipolar cycloaddition reaction of azides and alkynes to incorporate nitrogens into a cyclic hydrocarbon scaffold forming a triazole ring. Owing to its efficiency and versatility, this reaction and the products, triazole-containing heterocycles, have immense importance in medicinal chemistry. Copper is the only known catalyst to carry out this reaction, the mechanism of which remains unclear. We report here that the ‘click reactions’ can also be catalysed by silver halides in non-aqueous medium. It constitutes an alternative to the well-known CuAAC click reaction. The yield of the reaction varies on the type of counter ion present in the silver salt. This reaction exhibits significant features, such as high regioselectivity, mild reaction conditions, easy availability of substrates and reasonably good yields. In this communication, the findings of a new catalyst along with the effect of solvent and counter ions will help to decipher the still obscure mechanism of this important reaction.
A computational study of cancer hyperthermia based on vascular magnetic nanoconstructs
Authors: Nabil Mahdi , Zunino Paolo
Published: September 2016

The application of hyperthermia to cancer treatment is studied using a novel model arising from the fundamental principles of flow, mass and heat transport in biological tissues. The model is defined at the scale of the tumour microenvironment and an advanced computational scheme called the
embedded multiscale method
is adopted to solve the governing equations. More precisely, this approach involves modelling capillaries as one-dimensional channels carrying flow, and special mathematical operators are used to model their interaction with the surrounding tissue. The proposed computational scheme is used to analyse hyperthermic treatment of cancer based on systemically injected vascular magnetic nanoconstructs carrying super-paramagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles. An alternating magnetic field is used to excite the nanoconstructs and generate localized heat within the tissue. The proposed model is particularly adequate for this application, since it has a unique capability of incorporating microvasculature configurations based on physiological data combined with coupled capillary flow, interstitial filtration and heat transfer. A virtual tumour model is initialized and the spatio-temporal distribution of nanoconstructs in the vascular network is analysed. In particular, for a reference iron oxide concentration, temperature maps of several different hypothesized treatments are generated in the virtual tumour model. The observations of the current study might in future guide the design of more efficient treatments for cancer hyperthermia.
Temporal regularity increases with repertoire complexity in the Australian pied butcherbird's song
Authors: Janney Eathan , Taylor Hollis , Scharff Constance , Rothenberg David , Parra Lucas C. , Tchernichovski Ofer
Published: September 2016

Music maintains a characteristic balance between repetition and novelty. Here, we report a similar balance in singing performances of free-living Australian pied butcherbirds. Their songs include many phrase types. The more phrase types in a bird's repertoire, the more diverse the singing performance can be. However, without sufficient temporal organization, avian listeners may find diverse singing performances difficult to perceive and memorize. We tested for a correlation between the complexity of song repertoire and the temporal regularity of singing performance. We found that different phrase types often share motifs (notes or stereotyped groups of notes). These shared motifs reappeared in strikingly regular temporal intervals across different phrase types, over hundreds of phrases produced without interruption by each bird. We developed a statistical estimate to quantify the degree to which phrase transition structure is optimized for maximizing the regularity of shared motifs. We found that transition probabilities between phrase types tend to maximize regularity in the repetition of shared motifs, but only in birds of high repertoire complexity. Conversely, in birds of low repertoire complexity, shared motifs were produced with less regularity. The strong correlation between repertoire complexity and motif regularity suggests that birds possess a mechanism that regulates the temporal placement of shared motifs in a manner that takes repertoire complexity into account. We discuss alternative musical, mechanistic and ecological explanations to this effect.
Mathematical toy model inspired by the problem of the adaptive origins of the sexual orientation continuum
Authors: Skinner Brian
Published: September 2016

Same-sex sexual behaviour is ubiquitous in the animal kingdom, but its adaptive origins remain a prominent puzzle. Here, I suggest the possibility that same-sex sexual behaviour arises as a consequence of the competition between an evolutionary drive for a wide diversity in traits, which improves the adaptability of a population, and a drive for sexual dichotomization of traits, which promotes opposite-sex attraction and increases the rate of reproduction. This trade-off is explored via a simple mathematical ‘toy model’. The model exhibits a number of interesting features and suggests a simple mathematical form for describing the sexual orientation continuum.
A hybrid continuous-discrete method for stochastic reaction–diffusion processes
Authors: Lo Wing-Cheong , Zheng Likun , Nie Qing
Published: September 2016

Stochastic fluctuations in reaction–diffusion processes often have substantial effect on spatial and temporal dynamics of signal transductions in complex biological systems. One popular approach for simulating these processes is to divide the system into small spatial compartments assuming that molecules react only within the same compartment and jump between adjacent compartments driven by the diffusion. While the approach is convenient in terms of its implementation, its computational cost may become prohibitive when diffusive jumps occur significantly more frequently than reactions, as in the case of rapid diffusion. Here, we present a hybrid continuous-discrete method in which diffusion is simulated using continuous approximation while reactions are based on the Gillespie algorithm. Specifically, the diffusive jumps are approximated as continuous Gaussian random vectors with time-dependent means and covariances, allowing use of a large time step, even for rapid diffusion. By considering the correlation among diffusive jumps, the approximation is accurate for the second moment of the diffusion process. In addition, a criterion is obtained for identifying the region in which such diffusion approximation is required to enable adaptive calculations for better accuracy. Applications to a linear diffusion system and two nonlinear systems of morphogens demonstrate the effectiveness and benefits of the new hybrid method.
Sustainable self-healing at ultra-low temperatures in structural composites incorporating hollow vessels and heating elements
Authors: Wang Yongjing , Pham Duc Truong , Zhang Zhichun , Li Jinjun , Ji Chunqian , Liu Yanju , Leng Jinsong
Published: September 2016

Self-healing composites are able to restore their properties automatically. Impressive healing efficiencies can be achieved when conditions are favourable. On the other hand, healing might not be possible under adverse circumstances such as very low ambient temperature. Here, we report a structural composite able to maintain its temperature to provide a sustainable self-healing capability—similar to that in the natural world where some animals keep a constant body temperature to allow enzymes to stay active. The composite embeds three-dimensional hollow vessels with the purpose of delivering and releasing healing agents, and a porous conductive element to provide heat internally to defrost and promote healing reactions. A healing efficiency over 100% at around −60°C was obtained. The effects of the sheets on the interlaminar and tensile properties have been investigated experimentally. The proposed technique can be implemented in a majority of extrinsic self-healing composites to enable automatic recovery at ultra-low temperatures.
Maternal effects alter the severity of inbreeding depression in the offspring
Authors: Pilakouta Natalie , Smiseth Per T.
Published: September 2016

A maternal effect is a causal influence of the maternal phenotype on the offspring phenotype over and above any direct effects of genes. There is abundant evidence that maternal effects can have a major impact on offspring fitness. Yet, no previous study has investigated the potential role of maternal effects in influencing the severity of inbreeding depression in the offspring. Inbreeding depression is a reduction in the fitness of inbred offspring relative to outbred offspring. Here, we tested whether maternal effects due to body size alter the magnitude of inbreeding depression in the burying beetle
Nicrophorus vespilloides
. We found that inbreeding depression in larval survival was more severe for offspring of large females than offspring of small females. This might be due to differences in how small and large females invest in an inbred brood because of their different prospects for future breeding opportunities. To our knowledge, this is the first evidence for a causal effect of the maternal phenotype on the severity of inbreeding depression in the offspring. In natural populations that are subject to inbreeding, maternal effects may drive variation in inbreeding depression and therefore contribute to variation in the strength and direction of selection for inbreeding avoidance.