bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
OP78 The Role of Social Relationships in Understanding Healthful Dietary Behaviours: Evidence from People Aged 50 and over in the Epic-Norfolk Cohort
Authors: Conklin A , Forouhi N , Wareham N , Monsivais P
Published: September 2013

Background

Social relationships are an integral aspect of a person’s social environment that may offer protection against chronic conditions and may facilitate recovery from disease. Social relationships have also been linked to dietary behaviour which may be an important pathway through which social circumstances impact health. Yet, questions remain about which aspects of social ties most influence healthful dietary behaviours among women and men and to what extent different types of social ties interact to produce a combined influence.

Methods

Using prospective data from adults (≥50 years) in the European Prospective Investigation of Cancer-Norfolk (EPIC-Norfolk) study, multivariable linear regression analysis was used to examine sex-specific associations between structural social ties (marital status, living arrangement, friend contact, family contact) and a dietary score for variety of fruits (ranging between 0–11) or vegetables (0–26). Separate interaction models tested whether overall effects of marital status changed by living arrangement or by friend contact, and of living arrangement by friend contact. All analyses adjusted for known confounders (energy intake, age, education and, where appropriate, sex).

Results

Negative associations of non-partnered or lone-living persons and fruit variety were stronger in men than women, compared with those who were partnered or in shared-living. Women and men differed in the negative association of widowhood with vegetable variety (women: Beta = −0.79,p< 0.001; men: Beta = −2.17,p< 0.001), as well as in the relationship between lone-living and vegetable variety (women: Beta = −0.66,p< 0.001; men: Beta = −1.46,p< 0.001). Decreasing friend contact was negatively associated with variety of fruits and vegetables in a graded trend for women but was stronger in men. Family contact appeared to have no association with vegetable variety in men while variety scores in women were initially positive but decreasing with decreasing contact. Results were most striking in revealing the combined influence of two types of social ties in relation to variety when looking at both sexes together. For example, the negative association of lone-living with vegetable variety was significantly different (p= 0.007) between infrequent friend contact (Beta = −1.62;p< 0.001) and frequent contact (Beta = −0.80;p< 0.001).

Conclusion

Variety scores of men were more influenced than those of women by marital status, living arrangement or friend contact. Interactions between two social ties were striking, revealing the combined influences on healthful dietary behaviours. Results highlight the importance of considering living arrangement and frequency of social contact when assessing whether widowed or single older adults are at risk of lower fruit and vegetable variety.
OP08 Using Linked Administrative Data and Multilevel Modelling to Identify Targets for Interventions to Tackle Health Disparities
Authors: Jorm L R , Randall D A , Falster M O , Leyland A H
Published: September 2013

Background

Linked administrative data for whole populations, combined with multilevel modelling methods, offers a powerful approach to identifying targets for tackling health disparities. Two studies will be presented, examining disparities between Australian Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people, in very different outcomes: (i) revascularisation and mortality after acute myocardial infarction (AMI); and (ii) rates of serious road traffic injury.

Methods

Both studies used whole-of-population hospital inpatient data for the state of New South Wales, Australia, linked with mortality data. For Study (i), hazard ratios for revascularisation following AMI were estimated using multilevel Cox regression and ORs for 30- and 365-day post-admission mortality were estimated using multilevel logistic regression. For Study (ii), adjusted rate ratios were estimated using multilevel Poisson regression models.

Results

Study (i) found that Aboriginal patients had a revascularisation rate 37% lower than non-Aboriginal patients of the same age, sex, year of admission and AMI type (adjusted hazard ratio [AHR] 0.63 [95% CI 0.57, 0.70]). This disparity was no longer significant after adjusting for hospital of admission, comorbidities, substance use and private health insurance (AHR 0.96 [0.87, 1.07]). After adjusting for age, sex, year and hospital, Aboriginal patients had a similar 30-day mortality risk to non-Aboriginal patients (AOR 1.07 [0.83, 1.37]) but a higher risk of dying within 365‐days (AOR 1.34 [1.10, 1.63]). Study (ii) found that, overall, Aboriginal people had higher rates of road transport injuries (incidence rate ratio [IRR] 1.18 [95% CI 1.09, 1.28]). However, there was no significant difference when geographic clustering was taken into account (1.00 [0.96-1.04]). This effect was further influenced by mode of transport for the injury, with Aboriginal people having higher rates of pedestrian (IRR 1.96 [1.75, 2.19]) and lower rates of motorcycle (IRR 0.64 [0.59, 0.70]) injuries in all almost all local areas, while there was no systematic pattern across geographic areas for small vehicle injuries (IRR 1.01 [0.94, 1.08]).

Conclusion

Use of linked administrative data and multilevel modelling permitted quantification of the contributions of personal, geographic and health system factors to health disparities, and thereby of the potential contributions of primary prevention, primary care, and hospital care to tackling these. It is essential that geography is taken into account in studies of health disparities, especially in countries with significant differences in the distribution of disadvantaged populations, and in the provision of health services, between urban and rural areas.
OP85 Fruit and Vegetable Consumption and Mortality: A Cox Regression Analysis
Authors: Oyebode O , Gordon-Dseagu V , Walker A , Mindell J
Published: September 2013

Background

Following World Health Organisation recommendations, the UK government promotes a daily intake of at least five portions of fruit and vegetables.

Methods

We used Cox regression to estimate hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals for an association between fruit and vegetable consumption and all-cause, cancer and cardiovascular (CVD) mortality, adjusting for age, sex, BMI and social class in data from 85,347 adult participants in the Health Survey for England 2001-2008.

Results

Fruit and vegetable consumption had a substantial protective effect for all-cause mortality (adjusted HR for 6-<7 portions 0·64 (95% CI 0·54–0·76)), stronger when deaths within a year of baseline were excluded (HR 0·57 (0·45–0·72) or when fully-adjusting for physical activity (0·48 (0·36–0·66). Consumption was significantly associated with reduced cancer (HR for 5- < 7 portions 0·78 (0·63–0·96) and CVD mortality, with increasing benefits being seen up to more than seven daily portions of fruit and vegetables for CVD (0·69 (0·53–0·89)). Consuming up to three to four portions of fruit daily and up to 3 + portions of vegetables a day was associated with decreased mortality. Vegetables had a greater effect than fruit (HR for 2- < 3 portions 0·82 (0·74–0·91) and 0·91 (0·83–0·99) respectively).

Conclusion

There is no threshold for the association between fruit and vegetable consumption and CVD survival up to a total of seven portions daily. Maximal benefit was conferred by six daily portions for all deaths and five portions for cancer. Vegetables have greater benefit than fruit.
OP87 Urban-Rural Differences in Adolescent Eating Behaviour: A Multilevel Cross-Sectional Study of 15 year Olds in Scotland
Authors: Levin K A
Published: September 2013

Background

Improving the diet of the Scottish population has been a government focus in recent years. Adolescent eating behaviour in Scotland has improved over time, while socioeconomic inequalities in eating behaviours have persisted with no significant change. Population health is known to vary between geographies, therefore alongside trends and socioeconomic inequalities in eating behaviour, urban-rural differences should also be monitored. The aim of this study is to describe urban-rural differences in eating behaviour among 15-year olds living in Scotland in 2010.

Methods

Data from the 2010 Scotland Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children survey were modelled using multilevel linear modelling for fruit, vegetables, sweets, crisps and chips consumption frequency outcome variables, and multilevel logistic modelling for eating behaviour outcomes: dieting, family meals, food poverty and breakfast consumption. Geographic differences in a combined ‘healthy eating score’ were also analysed.

Results

Adolescents living in remote rural Scotland have the highest consumption frequency of vegetables (on average consumed on 6.68 days a week) and the lowest consumption frequency of sweets and crisps (on 4.27 and 3.02 days a week respectively). However, it is not the 4 Cities, but the geography described by the classification ‘other urban areas’ (large towns of between 10,000 and 125,000 residents) that has the poorest diet. Categorical family affluence was significantly associated with vegetables and chips consumptions and the healthy eating score. Area-level deprivation (SIMD score) and rurality were independently associated with consumption frequencies for all but fruit consumption. Socioeconomic inequalities in fruit consumption were particularly great in accessible and remote rural areas, and significantly greater than those in urban areas. Thus, those living in the most deprived areas of remote rural Scotland (SIMD score = 48.87) consumed fruit on approximately 1 day less a week than those living in 4 Cities of equivalent deprivation. However, among the most affluent (SIMD = 3.03), Remote Rural residents ate fruit on average on 0.6 days more than their urban counterparts. Sharing a family meal, dieting behaviour, food poverty and breakfast consumption did not differ by rurality. Variance at the school level was significant for fruit and vegetable consumption frequencies and for irregular breakfast consumption.

Conclusion

Young people from rural areas have a healthier diet than those living in urban areas. The eating behaviours examined did not explain these differences. Socioeconomic inequalities in fruit consumption were greater in rural areas. Future research should investigate why urban-rural differences in consumption frequencies exist.
OP89 Challenges in Managing Multimorbid Patients: A Meta-Ethnography of the GPS Perspective
Authors: Sinnott C , Hugh S Mc , Browne J , Bradley C P
Published: September 2013

Background

Multimorbidity refers to the co-existence of two or more long-term conditions in an individual patient, and is the norm amongst patients attending primary care for chronic disease management. Qualitative research shows that GP’s experience challenges in the management of patients with multimorbidity, which are not experienced in the management of single chronic diseases. However, it is unclear how the challenges revealed by individual studies relate to each other and the overall problem of managing multimorbidity. The aim of this study was to establish the overarching challenges faced by GPs in the management of multimorbid patients, by systematically reviewing and synthesising the published literature in this field.

Methods

A systematic literature search and synthesis was performed using the meta-ethnographic approach described by Noblit and Hare. This 7 step model involves a process of comparison and cross-interpretation between studies but allows the context of the primary data to be preserved.

Results

The initial search yielded 1805 potential papers. Following screening, 10 papers were included in the review. Four overarching concepts emerged from these papers: 1) Organisation & Fragmentation of Health Care, 2) Conflict with evidence based medicine 3) Delivering patient centred care 4) Challenges in Shared Decision Making. Subthemes developed within the core concepts, and many cases of contradictory opinions were seen. By translating individual studies to the key concepts higher order interpretations were developed and a ‘line of argument’ was drawn. The line of argument pointed to GP’s sense of isolation in decision making for patients with multimorbidity.

Discussion

This systematic review and qualitative synthesis has generated a fuller understanding of the difficulties in managing multimorbidity than would be possible from a single study. It has generated novel findings, most strikingly that GPs feel professionally isolated when making decisions for multimorbid patients. Further research is required to explore the reasons for this in order to design interventions that may help GPs in this regard.
OP09 Prescribing of Nicotine Replacement Therapy in and Around Pregnancy in the UK – A Population Based Study using Primary Care Data
Authors: Dhalwani N N , Tata L J , Coleman T , Szatkowski L
Published: September 2013

Background

Smoking in pregnancy increases the risk of foetal and maternal problems; therefore reducing smoking in pregnancy is a public health priority. In 2005, licensing arrangements for nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) in the United Kingdom were broadened such that NRT could be prescribed to pregnant smokers. However, little is known about trends and uptake of NRT by pregnant women. We aimed to quantify annual trends of NRT uptake in and around pregnancy and variation in prescribing by maternal characteristics.

Methods

In The Health Improvement Network primary care database we identified all pregnancies from 2000 to 2010 in women aged 15–49 years and used READ codes to determine women’s smoking status. NRT prescriptions were identified in all women during three time periods: up to 9 months before conception, during pregnancy, and up to 9 months after delivery. Annual proportions of pregnancies where NRT was prescribed were calculated and variations by age and socio-economic deprivation were assessed using logistic regression.

Results

Women were classified as smokers in 19% of 227,552 pregnancies identified in 215,703 women. NRT was prescribed in 4,827 of all pregnancies which represented a prescribing prevalence of 9% of pregnancies in smokers and 2% of pregnancies overall. The rate of NRT prescribing was approximately 50% lower 9 months before and after pregnancy, compared to during pregnancy. There was a gradual increase in the annual rate of prescribing until 2005, after which the rate became stable. The rate of prescribing during pregnancy in smokers was higher in older age groups such that the rate in 30–35 years age group was 17% higher (95% CI 1.05, 1.31) and the rate in 15–20 year age group was 4% lower (0.85, 1.08) than the rate of prescribing in the 25–30 year age group. The rate of prescribing during pregnancy in smokers also increased with deprivation such that it was 34% (1.16, 1.54) higher in the most deprived group than in the least deprived group. Pregnant smokers with asthma and mental illness were 22% (1.11, 1.34) and (1.38, 1.58) more likely to receive a prescription for NRT respectively as compared to pregnant smokers without these comorbidities.

Conclusion

Uptake of NRT is higher during pregnancy compared to time periods outside pregnancy and is higher in smokers from older and more socio-economically deprived groups.
OP94 Bias in Consent to Health Data Linkage: Evidence from a UK Cross-Sectional Survey
Authors: Patterson L , Cruise S M , O’Reilly D
Published: September 2013

Background

The linkage of data from representative population surveys to routine administrative data sources is a powerful and efficient way of turning a cross-sectional study into a longitudinal one that obviates responder burden and bias, and simplifies issues of temporality. However, linkage depends on individual consent and while the factors influencing survey response are well described much less is known about factors influencing consent for record linkage. The aims of this study were to examine the demographic, socioeconomic, health and lifestyle factors associated with consent to linkage to personal medical records within wave 1 of Understanding Society. Wave 1 was conducted between January 2009 and December 2010 and had an overall household response rate of 57.6% and an individual response rate of 81.8% (all general population sample estimates).

Methods

All survey respondents were provided with an information leaflet about the linkage of health data and were asked to read and sign a consent form (main outcome). The analysis herein included individuals aged 16-74 years (n = 47,367). After removing proxy respondents and those with missing data the final dataset included 43,709 individuals. Univariate and multivariate multi-level logistic regression models were used to investigate demographic, socioeconomic, health and lifestyle factors associated with consent to linkage.

Results

Overall, 68.6% (30,003/43,709) of respondents agreed to data linkage. Consent to linkage was lower at older ages, but there was no variation according to sex; those who were married/divorced were slightly more likely to consent (Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) 1.13 [95% CI 1.06, 1.25]) as were those of white ethnicity (1.61 [1.52, 1.71]). Individuals with a limiting and long term illness had slightly higher consent rates (1.11 [1.06, 1.16]). Regional variation in consent emerged, with respondents from Scotland 17% more likely, than those from England, to consent to linkage (1.17 [1.07, 1.29]) with individuals from Northern Ireland 44% less likely to consent (0.56 [0.50, 0.63]).

Conclusion

There are important differences in the factors influencing response to an initial survey and subsequent consent to data linkage. An unexpected finding was the regional variation in consent rates, particularly the higher uptake in Scotland. More research is needed to understand if these variations reflect general mistrust, lack of understanding or factors related to interviewer perception.
OP96 Applying Missing Data Methods to Routine Data: A Prospective Population-Based Register of People with Diabetes
Authors: Read S H , Lewis S , Wild S
Published: September 2013

Background

Research using data from large population-based datasets is often hindered by the presence of non-trivial proportions of missing data. Numerous approaches for handling missing data are available, each of which make important assumptions regarding the mechanism by which the missing data occurred. Using a 2008 extract of the Scottish Care Information-Diabetes Collaboration (SCI-DC), a population-based register of patients with diabetes data, we compared the use of four methods for handling missing patient BMI data in a retrospective cohort study of the association between body mass index (BMI) at date of diagnosis of diabetes and all-cause mortality in patients with Type 2 diabetes.

Methods

The appropriateness of selected missing data approaches were investigated by assessment of the likely missing data mechanism. Descriptive analyses and logistic regression were used to investigate whether there were differences in characteristics between people with BMI data available (n = 99,472) and those without BMI data available (n = 117,007). Complete case analysis (CCA), population-mean imputation, stochastic imputation and multiple imputation (MI) methods were applied to deal with missing data in the BMI variable. Cox proportional hazard model coefficients for the association between BMI and all-cause mortality were compared for each missing data method.

Results

There were 41,555 deaths among the diabetes cohort between 2001 and 2008. Patients with missing BMI were considerably more likely to have an earlier year of diagnosis (OR before 1995 vs. After 2004 60.29 [95% CI 57.23, 63.51]) and be ‘Never’ smokers (Never vs. Ever 1.08 [1.06, 1.10]). Depending on the missing data method used, a U- or J-shaped relationship between patient BMI and all-cause mortality was observed amongst patients with diabetes. Results from CCA and MI were largely dissimilar amongst patients with a BMI 20 to <25 kg/m2(CCA HR 1.25 [1.17, 1.33] vs. MI HR 1.01 [0.97, 1.06]). Similarly, MI attenuated the excess mortality observed amongst patients with a BMI of 40 to <45 kg/m2(CCA HR 1.35 [1.20, 1.52] vs. MI HR 1.09 [1.01, 1.18]).

Conclusion

Studies using routinely collected data are particularly susceptible to missing data. Initial analyses suggest that the choice of imputation method may strongly influence final model estimates and therefore a study’s conclusions. The selection of methods for handling missing data should be guided by careful preliminary analyses which investigate the most plausible mechanism of missingness.
A 4-year study of avian influenza virus prevalence and subtype diversity in ducks of Newfoundland, Canada
Authors: Huang Yanyan , Wille Michelle , Dobbin Ashley , Robertson Gregory J. , Ryan Pierre , Ojkic Davor , Whitney Hugh , Lang Andrew S.
Published: September 2013

The island of Newfoundland, Canada, is at the eastern edge of North America and has migratory bird connections with the continental mainland as well as across the North Atlantic Ocean. Here, we report a 4-year avian influenza virus (AIV) epidemiological study in ducks in the St. John’s region of Newfoundland. The overall prevalence of AIV detection in ducks during this study was 7.2%, with American Black Ducks contributing the vast majority of the collected samples and the AIV positives. The juvenile ducks showed a significantly higher AIV detection rate (10.6%) compared with adults (3.4%). Seasonally, AIV prevalence rates were higher in the autumn (8.4%), but positives were still detected in the winter (4.6%). Preliminary serology tests showed a high incidence of previous AIV infection (20/38, 52.6%). A total of 43 viruses were characterized for their HA–NA or HA subtypes, which revealed a large diversity of AIV subtypes and little recurrence of subtypes from year to year. Investigation of the movement patterns of ducks in this region showed that it is a largely non-migratory duck population, which may contribute to the observed pattern of high AIV subtype turnover. Phylogenetic analysis of 4 H1N1 and one H5N4 AIVs showed these viruses were highly similar to other low pathogenic AIV sequences from waterfowl in North America and assigned all gene segments into American-avian clades. Notably, the H1N1 viruses, which were identified in consecutive years, possessed homologous genomes. Such detection of homologous AIV genomes across years is rare, but indicates the role of the environmental reservoir in viral perpetuation.
SIMULATION OF SELF-ASSEMBLIES OF COLLOIDAL PARTICLES WITH DIFFERENT SIZES BY USING A LATTICE BOLTZMANN PSEUDO-SOLID MODEL
Authors: LIANG GONGYOU , ZENG ZHONG , CHEN YU , OHASHI HIROTADA , CHEN SHIYI
Published: September 2013

Lattice Boltzmann pseudo-solid model (LB-PSM) is a newly proposed method for the efficient simulation of colloidal particles' motion in single or multiphase fluids. In this study, it is applied to the study of self-assemblies of colloidal particles with two different sizes, partially immersed in a fluid layer on a substrate. Simulation results show that the separation of different particles can emerge as the ratio of particles radii increases. Also, the influence of the thickness of fluid layer on both the assembling process and the assembled structures is investigated.
A HIERARCHICAL FINITE ELEMENT METHOD FOR QUANTUM FIELD THEORY
Authors: KAR ARNAB , MOOLEKAMP FRED , RAJEEV S. G.
Published: September 2013

We study a model of scalar quantum field theory (QFT) in which spacetime is a discrete set of points obtained by repeatedly subdividing a triangle into three triangles at the centroid. By integrating out the field variable at the centroid we get a renormalized action on the original triangle. The exact renormalization map between the angles of the triangles is obtained as well. The map can be used to find the partition function in scalar field theories in a recursive manner. A fixed point of this map is the cotangent formula in Finite Element Method which is used to find the energy stored in fields on a plane due to a Laplacian.
HIGH INDUCTANCE COIL EMBEDDED ON MAGNETIC SENSOR CHIP FOR BIOMAGNETIC SIGNAL MEASUREMENTS
Authors: LYU HYUNJUNE , CHOI JUN RIM
Published: September 2013

For the purpose of biomagnetic measurements, a magnetic sensor chip is manufactured using a 0.18 μm complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor (CMOS) process. A high-inductance coil and an instrumentation amplifier (IA) are embedded on this chip. The embedded high-inductance coil sensor contains suitable sensitivity and bandwidth for biomagnetic measurements, and is designed via electromagnetic field simulation. A low-gm operational transconductance amplifier (OTA) is also implemented on the chip to reduce the transconductance value. The output signal sensitivity of the magnetic sensor chip is 3.25 fT/μV, and the output reference noise is [Formula: see text]. The instrumentation amplifier is designed to minimize the magnetic signal noise using current feedback and a band-pass filter (BPF) with a bandwidth between 0.5 kHz and 5 kHz. The common-mode rejection ratio (CMRR) is measured at 117.5 dB by the Multi-Project Chip test. The proposed magnetic sensor chip is designed such that the input reference noise is maintained below 0.87 μV.
MODELING FOR FORMATION OF CONDUCTING PATH IN Cu/SiO2/Pt MEMORY DEVICES: BASED ON SOFT BREAKDOWN MECHANISM
Authors: LUO J. M.
Published: September 2013

The forming process before resistive switching in Cu / SiO 2/ Pt memory devices, corresponding to the formation of conducting path, can be regarded as the dielectric soft breakdown. Based on the analysis of breakdown mechanism, a dynamic model combining the transition of Cu ions with the space-charge effect has been proposed, and demonstrates that the forming voltage depends on the thickness of oxide, the sweep rate of voltage and temperature. The predictions of the model are consistent with the experiment data reported in the literature and it is believed that the transition of Cu ions across the oxide and the accumulation of Cu ions at the SiO 2/ Pt interface could be responsible for the conductive path formation in Cu / SiO 2/ Pt memory devices.
FROM INFLATION TO DARK ENERGY THROUGH A DYNAMICAL Λ: AN ATTEMPT AT ALLEVIATING FUNDAMENTAL COSMIC PUZZLES
Authors: BASILAKOS SPYROS , LIMA JOSÉ ADEMIR SALES , SOLÀ JOAN
Published: September 2013

After decades of successful hot big-bang paradigm, cosmology still lacks a framework in which the early inflationary phase of the universe smoothly matches the radiation epoch and evolves to the present "quasi" de Sitter spacetime. No less intriguing is that the current value of the effective vacuum energy density is vastly smaller than the value that triggered inflation. In this paper, we propose a new class of cosmologies capable of overcoming, or highly alleviating, some of these acute cosmic puzzles. Powered by a decaying vacuum energy density, the spacetime emerges from a pure nonsingular de Sitter vacuum stage, "gracefully" exits from inflation to a radiation phase followed by dark matter and vacuum regimes, and, finally, evolves to a late-time de Sitter phase.
THERMODYNAMICS IN BLACK-HOLE/CFT CORRESPONDENCE
Authors: CHEN BIN , ZHANG JIA-JU
Published: September 2013

The area law of Bekenstein–Hawking entropy of the black hole suggests that the black hole should have a lower-dimensional holographic description. It has been found recently that a large class of rotating and charged black holes could be holographically described a two-dimensional (2D) conformal field theory (CFT). We show that the universal information of the dual CFT, including the central charges and the temperatures, is fully encoded in the thermodynamics laws of both outer and inner horizons. These laws, characterizing how the black hole responds under the perturbation, allows us to read different dual pictures with respect to different kinds of perturbations. The remarkable effectiveness of this thermodynamics method suggest that the inner horizon could play a key role in the study of holographic description of the black hole.
PROGRESS IN LABORATORY GRAVITATIONAL EXPERIMENTS IN HUST GROUP
Authors: LUO JUN , TU LIANG-CHENG , SHAO CHENG-GANG , HU ZHONG-KUN , YANG SHAN-QING , LI QING , TAN WEN-HAI
Published: September 2013

We briefly review recent progress of laboratory gravitational experiments conducted in our group, which include the determination of the gravitational constant G, the test of the gravitational inverse-square law, and the test of the Equivalence Principle.
NUMA (Non-Uniform Memory Access): An Overview
Authors: Lameter Christoph
Published: September 2013

NUMA (non-uniform memory access) is the phenomenon that memory at various points in the address space of a processor have different performance characteristics. At current processor speeds, the signal path length from the processor to memory plays a significant role. Increased signal path length not only increases latency to memory but also quickly becomes a throughput bottleneck if the signal path is shared by multiple processors. The performance differences to memory were noticeable first on large-scale systems where data paths were spanning motherboards or chassis. These systems required modified operating-system kernels with NUMA support that explicitly understood the topological properties of the system’s memory (such as the chassis in which a region of memory was located) in order to avoid excessively long signal path lengths. (Altix and UV, SGI’s large address space systems, are examples. The designers of these products had to modify the Linux kernel to support NUMA; in these machines, processors in multiple chassis are linked via a proprietary interconnect called NUMALINK.)
Prolactin regulates TRPV1, TRPA1, and TRPM8 in sensory neurons in a sex-dependent manner: Contribution of prolactin receptor to inflammatory pain
Authors: Patil Mayur J. , Ruparel Shivani B. , Henry Michael A. , Akopian Armen N.
Published: September 2013

Prolactin (PRL) is a hormone produced in the anterior pituitary but also synthesized extrapituitary where it can influence diverse cellular processes, including inflammatory responses. Females experience greater pain in certain inflammatory conditions, but the contribution of the PRL system to sex-dependent inflammatory pain is unknown. We found that PRL regulates transient receptor potential (TRP) channels in a sex-dependent manner in sensory neurons. At >20 ng/ml, PRL sensitizes TRPV1 in female, but not male, neurons. This effect is mediated by PRL receptor (PRL-R). Likewise, TRPA1 and TRPM8 were sensitized by 100 ng/ml PRL only in female neurons. We showed that complete Freund adjuvant (CFA) upregulated PRL levels in the inflamed paw of both male and female rats, but levels were higher in females. In contrast, CFA did not change mRNA levels of long and short PRL-R in the dorsal root ganglion or spinal cord. Analysis of PRL and PRL-R knockout (KO) mice demonstrated that basal responses to cold stimuli were only altered in females, and with no significant effects on heat and mechanical responses in both sexes. CFA-induced heat and cold hyperalgesia were not changed in PRL and PRL-R KO compared with wild-type (WT) males, whereas significant reduction of heat and cold post-CFA hyperalgesia was detected in PRL and PRL-R KO females. Attenuation of CFA-induced mechanical allodynia was observed in both PRL and PRL-R KO females and males. Thermal hyperalgesia in PRL KO females was restored by administration of PRL into hindpaws. Overall, we demonstrate a sex-dependent regulation of peripheral inflammatory hyperalgesia by the PRL system.
In vivo magnetic resonance of hyperpolarized [13C1]pyruvate: metabolic dynamics in stimulated muscle
Authors: Leftin Avigdor , Degani Hadassa , Frydman Lucio
Published: September 2013

The metabolic status of muscle changes according to the energetic demands of the organism. Two key regulators of these changes include exercise and insulin, with exercise eliciting catabolic expenditure within seconds and insulin enabling anabolic energy investment over minutes to hours. This study explores the potential of time-resolved hyperpolarized dynamic13C spectroscopy to characterize the in vivo metabolic phenotype of muscle during functional and biochemical insulin-induced stimulation of muscle. Using [13C1]pyruvic acid as a tracer, we find that despite the different time scales of these forms of stimulation, increases in pyruvate label transport and consumption and concomitant increases in initial rates of the tracer metabolism to lactate were observed for both stimuli. By contrast, rates of tracer metabolism to labeled alanine increased incrementally for insulin but remained unchanged following exercise-like muscle stimulation. Kinetic analysis revealed that branching of the hyperpolarized [13C]pyruvate tracer between lactate and alanine provides significant tissue-specific biomarkers that distinguish between anabolic and catabolic fates in vivo according to the routing of metabolites between glycolytic and amino acid pathways.
Mapping colitis susceptibility in mouse models: distal chromosome 3 contains major loci related to Cdcs1
Authors: Buettner Manuela , Bleich André
Published: September 2013

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) summarizes a group of chronic intestinal disorders with Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis being most prominent. Though much effort is put into identification of causative factors, its etiology is still not understood. Risk factors for disease development include genetic predisposition and environmental triggers. Crucial for identification and analysis of relevant factors are mouse models. Experimental IBD in mice occurs spontaneously or is induced by chemicals, cell transfer, pathogens, or genetic mutation. These models were utilized for analyzing genetic contribution to disease and genotype-environmental interactions. In these studies, a variety of modifier loci were identified, thereby demonstrating the complexity of disease. A major contribution of distal chromosome 3 was independently replicated in several studies. The first colitogenic QTL in this region was detected using the IL-10-deficient mouse model and called cytokine deficiency-induced colitis susceptibility ( Cdcs) 1. This quantitative trait locus contains at least three subintervals with independent genetic factors. This locus or defined subintervals were replicated in at least seven studies, using models based on dysregulation of innate or adaptive immunity or pathogen control. In this review we illustrate the various models used for genetic mapping of susceptibility to experimental IBD and display Cdcs1-related loci as well as the mechanism of their contribution identified so far.
5′-YRNA fragments derived by processing of transcripts from specific YRNA genes and pseudogenes are abundant in human serum and plasma
Authors: Dhahbi Joseph M. , Spindler Stephen R. , Atamna Hani , Boffelli Dario , Mote Patricia , Martin David I. K.
Published: September 2013

Small noncoding RNAs carry out a variety of functions in eukaryotic cells, and in multiple species they can travel between cells, thus serving as signaling molecules. In mammals multiple small RNAs have been found to circulate in the blood, although in most cases the targets of these RNAs, and even their functions, are not well understood. YRNAs are small (84–112 nt) RNAs with poorly characterized functions, best known because they make up part of the Ro ribonucleoprotein autoantigens in connective tissue diseases. In surveying small RNAs present in the serum of healthy adult humans, we have found YRNA fragments of lengths 27 nt and 30–33 nt, derived from the 5′-ends of specific YRNAs and generated by cleavage within a predicted internal loop. Many of the YRNAs from which these fragments are derived were previously annotated only as pseudogenes, or predicted informatically. These 5′-YRNA fragments make up a large proportion of all small RNAs (including miRNAs) present in human serum. They are also present in plasma, are not present in exosomes or microvesicles, and circulate as part of a complex with a mass between 100 and 300 kDa. Mouse serum contains far fewer 5′-YRNA fragments, possibly reflecting the much greater copy number of YRNA genes and pseudogenes in humans. The function of the 5′-YRNA fragments is at present unknown, but the processing and secretion of specific YRNAs to produce 5′-end fragments that circulate in stable complexes are consistent with a signaling function.
Serum Levels of Asymmetric Dimethylarginine, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor, and Nitric Oxide Metabolite Levels in Preeclampsia Patients
Authors: Noorbakhsh Marjan , Kianpour Maryam , Nematbakhsh Mehdi
Published: September 2013

Background. Hypertensive disorder generally complicates 5–10 percent of all pregnancies. Angiogenic growth factors may be helpful for the diagnosis and prediction of preeclampsia. Therefore, in this study we attempted to determine the serum levels of asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and nitric oxide (NO) metabolite (nitrite) in preeclampsia patients and compared the levels with those obtained from normal pregnant women.Methods. Ninety pregnant women (19–33 years old) in two groups of preeclampsia and normal were considered during 2012. The levels of ADMA, VEGF, and nitrite were measured in maternal serum samples using ELISA kits.Results. Significant increase of VEGF and nitrite levels was observed in preeclampsia patients when compared with other groups (P<0.05). The serum level of ADMA demonstrated a similar increased trend in preeclampsia patients; however, the increase was not statistically significant (P=0.08).Conclusion. The findings reveal that the elevation of serum levels of VEGF and nitrite and possibly ADMA may be involved in the pathogenesis of preeclampsia.
Esophageal Plasmacytoma Diagnosed in a Patient Presenting with Cardiac Symptoms: A Novel Case
Authors: Rimmer Cheryl , Hazra Anup , Gulli Vito M. , Siderits Richard , Castaldi Mark , Zamir Zafar
Published: September 2013

Extramedullary plasmacytoma is the uncommon phenomenon of a plasma cell neoplasm occurring outside of the bone marrow. Primary plasmacytoma is a rare occurrence in the gastrointestinal tract and exceptional to originate in the esophagus. We present a novel case of a 62-year-old man who presented to our emergency department with chest pain. A cardiovascular workup was negative, and an endoscopy was subsequently performed. The endoscopy findings showed evidence of Grade IV esophagitis with ulcerations extending from 25 cm to 32 cm. Histopathological examination revealed marked acute and chronic inflammation, granulation tissue, and overlying necroinflammatory exudate. However, sheets of plasma cells, some with prominent nucleoli, were also seen. Immunohistochemically, the plasma cells expressed CD138 and MUM1 and were IgG kappa restricted. A bone marrow biopsy was performed which was negative for involvement. This is a novel case of esophageal plasmacytoma diagnosed on endoscopy in a patient presenting with acute chest pain.
Neurenteric Cysts Found on the Outer Membrane of a Subdural Haematoma
Authors: Takahashi Satoshi , Tanizaki Yoshio , Akaji Kazunori , Kano Tadashige , Mihara Ban , Masawa Nobuhide
Published: September 2013

We report on a patient initially diagnosed with a chronic subdural haematoma that was resistant to treatment. After the second burr hole craniostomy within a half month failed to resolve the subdural haematoma (SDH), we performed a craniotomy to identify the point of bleeding. Macroscopic evaluation showed that most of the outer membrane of the SDH was transparent; however, further examination revealed the presence of multiple white regions. Pathologic examination showed that the white regions were fluid filled and surrounded by columnar ciliated epithelial cells. These lesions were pathologically diagnosed as neurenteric cysts. To our knowledge, this is the first report on a patient with neurenteric cysts found on the outer membrane of a CSDH. We agree that a craniotomy is a treatment of last resort for recurrent CSDHs; however, sometimes this procedure can be very useful for identifying underlying causes of obstinate SDHs as well as for their treatment.
Growth of Polycrystalline In2S3 Thin Films by Chemical Bath Deposition Using Acetic Acid as a Complexing Agent for Solar Cell Application
Authors: Gopinath G. R. , Ramakrishna Reddy K. T.
Published: September 2013

In2S3 films have been successfully deposited on Corning glass substrates via chemical bath deposition (CBD) method using acetic acid as a novel complexing agent. The layers were grown by employing synthesis using indium sulphate and thioacetamide (TA) as precursors by varying TA concentration in the range of 0.1–0.5 M, keeping other deposition parameters constant. Energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDAX) revealed an increase of S/In ratio in the films with the increase of TA concentration in the solution. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis indicated a change in preferred orientation from (311) plane related to cubic structure to the (103) direction corresponding to the tetragonal crystal structure. The evaluated crystallite size varied in the range of 15–25 nm with the increase of TA concentration. Morphological analysis showed that the granular structure and the granular density decrease with the raise of TA concentration. The optical properties of the layers were also investigated using UV-Vis-NIR analysis, which indicated that all the In2S3 films had the optical transmittance >60% in the visible region, and the evaluated energy band varied in the range of 2.87–3.32 eV with the change of TA concentration. Further, a thin film heterojunction solar cell was fabricated using a novel absorber layer, SnS, with In2S3 as a buffer. The unoptimized SnS/In2S3/ZnO:Al solar cell showed a conversion efficiency of 0.6%.
Thromboangiitis Obliterans (Buerger’s Disease)—Current Practices
Authors: Vijayakumar Abhishek , Tiwari Rahul , Kumar Prabhuswamy Vinod
Published: September 2013

Thromboangiitis obliterans (TAO) is a nonatherosclerotic, segmental inflammatory disease that most commonly affects the small and medium-sized arteries and veins in the upper and lower extremities. Cigarette smoking has been implicated as the main etiology of the disease. In eastern parts of the world TAO forms 40–60% of peripheral vascular diseases. Clinical features and angiographic finding are the basis of early diagnosis of TAO. Abstinence from smoking is the only definitive treatment to prevent disease progression. Medical management in form of aspirin, pentoxyfylline, cilostazol, and verapamil increase pain-free walking distance in intermittent claudication, but long term usage fails to prevent disease progression in patients who continue to smoke. Surgical treatment in form of revascularization, lumbar sympathectomy, omentopexy, and Ilizarov techniques help reduce pain and promote healing of trophic changes. Newer treatment modalities like spinal cord stimulation, prostacyclin, bosentan, VEGF, and stem cell therapy have shown promising results. Latest treatment options include peripheral mononuclear stem cell, and adipose tissue derived mononuclear stem cells have been shown to be effective in preventing disease progression, decrease major amputation rates, and improving quality of life.
Accuracy of Diagnostic Biopsy for Cutaneous Melanoma: Implications for Surgical Oncologists
Authors: Hieken Tina J. , Hernández-Irizarry Roberto , Boll Julia M. , Jones Coleman Jamie E.
Published: September 2013

Background and Objectives. While excisional biopsy is recommended to diagnose cutaneous melanoma, various biopsy techniques are used in practice. We undertook this study to identify how frequently final tumor stage and treatment recommendations changed from diagnostic biopsy to final histopathology after wide local excision (WLE).Methods. We compared the histopathology of the dermatopathologist-reviewed diagnostic biopsy and final WLE in 332 cutaneous melanoma patients.Results. Tumor sites were extremity (51%), trunk (33%), and head/neck (16%). Initial biopsy types were excisional (56%), punch (21%), shave (18%), and incisional (5%). Most diagnostic biopsies were margin positive regardless of technique, and 36% of patients had residual melanoma on WLE. T-stage changed in 8% of patients, of whom 59% were diagnosed by punch biopsy, 15% by incisional biopsy, 15% by shave biopsy, and 11% by excisional biopsy (P<0.0001). Treatment recommendations changed in 6%: 2% after excisional biopsy, 5% after shave biopsy, 18% after punch biopsy, and 18% after incisional biopsy (P<0.0001).Conclusions. Although most biopsy margins were positive, T-stage and treatment changed for only a minority of melanoma patients. Our data provide valuable information to inform patient discussion regarding the likelihood of a change in prognosis and the need for secondary procedures after WLE. These data support the superiority of dermatopathologist-reviewed excisional biopsy when feasible.
Postmastectomy Radiation Therapy: An Overview for the Practicing Surgeon
Authors: Jagsi Reshma
Published: September 2013

Locoregional control of breast cancer is the shared domain and responsibility of surgeons and radiation oncologists. Because surgeons are often the first providers to discuss locoregional control and recurrence risks with patients and because they serve in a key gatekeeping role as referring providers for radiation therapy, a sophisticated understanding of the evidence regarding radiotherapy in breast cancer management is essential for the practicing surgeon. This paper synthesizes the complex and evolving evidence regarding the role of radiation therapy after mastectomy. Although substantial evidence indicates that radiation therapy can reduce the risk of locoregional failure after mastectomy (with a relative reduction of risk of approximately two-thirds), debate persists regarding the specific subgroups who have sufficient risks of residual microscopic locoregional disease after mastectomy to warrant treatment with radiation. This paper reviews the evidence available to guide appropriate referral and patient decision making, with special attention to areas of controversy, including patients with limited nodal disease, those with large tumors but negative nodes, node-negative patients with high risk features, patients who have received systemic chemotherapy in the neoadjuvant setting, and patients who may wish to integrate radiation therapy with breast reconstruction surgery.
Ultrastructural Changes of Airway in Murine Models of Allergy and Diet-Induced Metabolic Syndrome
Authors: Leishangthem Geeta Devi , Mabalirajan Ulaganathan , Singh Vijay Pal , Agrawal Anurag , Ghosh Balaram , Dinda Amit Kumar
Published: September 2013

Studying ultrastructural changes could reveal novel pathophysiology of obese-asthmatic condition as existing concepts in asthma pathogenesis are based on the histological changes of the diseased airway. While asthma is defined in functional terms, the potential of electron microscopy (EM) in providing cellular and subcellular detail is underutilized. With this view, we have performed transmission EM in the lungs from allergic mice that show key features of asthma and high-fat- or high-fructose-fed mice that mimicked metabolic syndrome to illustrate the ultrastructural changes. The primary focus was epithelial injury and metaplasia, which are cardinal features of asthma and initiate airway remodeling. EM findings of the allergically inflamed mouse lungs correlate with known features of human asthma such as increased mitochondria in airway smooth muscle, platelet activation and subepithelial myofibroblasts. Interestingly, we found a clear and unambiguous evidence to suggest that ciliated cells can become goblet cells using immunoelectron microscopy. Additionally, we show for the first time the stressed mitochondria in the bronchial epithelia of high-fat- or high-fructose-fed mice even without allergen exposure. These results may stimulate interest in using EM in understanding novel pathological mechanisms for different subtypes of asthma including obese asthma.