bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Surface layer‐preserving photodynamic therapy (SPPDT) in a subcutaneous mouse model of lung cancer
Authors: Kawakubo Masayoshi , Eguchi Keisuke , Arai Tsunenori , Kobayashi Koichi , Hamblin Michael R.
Published: June 2012

Background and Objectives

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) may be a less invasive treatment for lung cancer. Our newly developed surface layer‐preserving PDT (SPPDT) technique enables us to irradiate deep tumor while preserving the overlying tissue. The aim of this basic study was to verify that the SPPDT technique might be applied to lung cancer.

Study Design/Materials and Methods

PDT with talaporfin sodium was performed using a pulsed laser with different pulse dose rates (PDRs, 2.5–20.0 mJ/cm2/pulse) in a mouse model of subcutaneous tumor. To mimic the tracheal wall structure and a thoracic tumor in the tracheobronchus, we also made a mouse model in which a piece of swine cartilage was placed between the dermis and the tumor, and PDT was carried out 2 weeks after implantation. In both experiments, the tissue samples were collected 48 hours after PDT and evaluated microscopically.

Results

SPPDT using a high‐PDR laser damaged the underlying tissue but left the superficial tissue intact in the mouse subcutaneous tumor model. In SPPDT, a higher PDR produced a thicker layer of intact superficial tissue than a lower PDR, while a lower PDR produced a deeper layer of damaged tissue than a higher PDR. SPPDT was also able to preserve the superficial tissue and to damage the tumor tissue beneath the cartilage implant.

Conclusion

SPPDT was able to damage tumor beneath the superficial normal tissue layer, which included tracheal cartilage in the mouse model. The thickness control of SPPDT was provided by controlling laser pulse intensity. SPPDT is a new technology, whose future potential is unknown. The initial clinical application of this technology could be endoscopic treatment (e.g., palliative therapy of thoracic malignancies via bronchoscopy). Lasers Surg. Med. 44: 500–507, 2012. © Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
1H NMR assignment of oligomeric grafts of maleic anhydride‐grafted polyolefin
Authors: Miyauchi Koji , Saito Kyoichi
Published: June 2012

The 1 H NMR assignment of oligomeric grafts of maleic anhydride (MA)‐grafted polyolefin (PO), MA‐g‐PO hereafter, was experimentally demonstrated for the first time using NMR spectroscopy. 13 C DEPT, 1 H‐1 H DQF‐COSY, and 1 H T2‐edited spectroscopy of MA‐g‐PO proved that peaks of the intermediate methine protons of succinic anhydride oligomeric grafts, which are nearly tetrameric, are observed at 2.5–3.5 ppm and show broadening. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The polyol pathway in the bovine oviduct
Authors: Larose Jessica , Laflamme Julie , Côté Isabelle , Lapointe Jérôme , Frenette Gilles , Sullivan Robert , Bilodeau Jean‐François
Published: June 2012

The oviducts likely provide optimized micro‐environments for the final maturation of gametes, fertilization, and early embryo development. Hexoses, including glucose, fructose, and sorbitol, are involved in these critical reproductive events. Monosaccharide production is controlled, in part, by the polyol pathway and requires two enzymes: an aldose reductase (AR) that reduces glucose into sorbitol, followed by its oxidation into fructose by sorbitol dehydrogenase (SDH). We analyzed the expression of AR and SDH in the isthmus and ampulla of the bovine oviduct at the proliferative, mid‐luteal, and late‐luteal phases of the estrous cycle by quantitative PCR and immunoblots. Immunochemistry and an assay of SDH activity were also performed. The quantity of hexoses in whole sections of isthmus and ampulla were determined by liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. In sum, AR expression was restricted to the isthmus, while SDH was mostly expressed in the isthmic–ampullary junction and the ampulla, specifically concentrated in the luminal epithelium of the oviduct. The estrous cycle had no impact on protein expression of AR and SDH. Instead, the levels of AR and SDH expression were associated with higher ratios of sorbitol to fructose in the isthmus (1.6) than in the ampulla (4.1; P = 0.005). These results are discussed in light of physiological events occurring in the oviduct. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 79: 603–612, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The Experience of Care at Nurse‐Led Rheumatology Clinics
Authors: Bala Sidona‐Valentina , Samuelson Karin , Hagell Peter , Svensson Björn , Fridlund Bengt , Hesselgard Karin
Published: June 2012

Objective

To describe how people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) experience the care provided by Swedish nurse‐led rheumatology outpatient clinics.

Methods

Eighteen adult people with a diagnosis of RA who had had at least three documented contact sessions with a nurse‐led clinic were interviewed. The interviews were analysed with qualitative content analysis.

Results

Care was expressed in three categories: social environment, professional approach and value‐adding measures. A social environment including a warm encounter, a familial atmosphere and pleasant premises was desired and contributed to a positive experience of care. The nurses' professional approach was experienced as empathy, knowledge and skill, as well as support. The care was described as person centred and competent, as it was based on the individual's unique experience of his/her disease and needs. The nurses' specialist knowledge of rheumatology and rheumatology care was highly valued. The offered care represented added value for the participants, instilling security, trust, hope and confidence. It was perceived as facilitating daily life and creating positive emotions. The nurse‐led clinics were reported to be easily accessible and provided continuity of the care. These features were presented as fundamental guarantees for health care safety.

Conclusion

The experiences emphasized the need for a holistic approach to care. In this process, the organization of care and the role and skills of the nurse should be focused on the individual's needs and perspectives. The social environment, professional approach and value‐adding measures are particularly relevant for optimal care at nurse‐led rheumatology outpatient clinics. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Using modified state surface approach to select parameter values in the Barcelona basic model
Authors: Zhang Xiong , Xiao Ming
Published: June 2012

The Barcelona basic model (BBM) successfully explained many key features of unsaturated soils and received extensive acceptance. It is also one of the few elastoplastic constitutive models for unsaturated soils that have been implemented within finite element codes and applied to the analysis of real boundary value problems. The BBM was proposed in incremental forms according to theories of soil plasticity in which individual aspects of the isotropic virgin behavior are controlled by multiple parameters, whereas at the same time, a single parameter controls more than one aspect of soil behavior. Although a variety of methods have been recently developed for calibrating model parameters for elastoplastic soil models, at present, there are no well‐established, simple, and objective methods for selecting parameter values in the BBM from laboratory tests. This has been one of the major obstacles to the dissemination of this constitutive model beyond the research context.

This article presents an optimization approach especially developed for simple and objective identification of material parameters in the BBM. This is achieved by combining a modified state surface approach, recently proposed to model the elastoplastic behavior of unsaturated soils under isotropic stress conditions, with the Newton or quasi‐Newton method to simultaneously determine the five parameters governing isotropic virgin behavior in the BBM. The comparison between results using the proposed method and an existing method for the same laboratory tests was discussed from which the simplicity and objectivity of the proposed method were evaluated. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A Cut‐marked and Fractured Mesolithic Human Bone from Kent's Cavern, Devon, UK
Authors: Schulting R. J. , Bello S. M. , Chandler B. , Higham T. F.G.
Published: June 2012

An isolated adult human ulna fragment recovered from the ‘black mould’ layer of Kent's Cavern by William Pengelly in 1866 exhibits a series of stone tool cut marks. The specimen has been directly AMS 14C‐dated to 7314–7075 cal bc (OxA‐20588: 8185 ± 38 bp) and may be from the same individual as a maxilla fragment dated to the same period. The cut marks are located on the olecranon process, in a position indicative of dismemberment, whereas the fracture characteristics of the bone furthermore suggest peri‐mortem breakage, typical of butchery for the extraction of marrow. We here present and discuss the specimen and consider both ritual mortuary treatment and anthropophagy as possible explanations. Although it is difficult to interpret a single element in isolation, the latter scenario seems to be better supported and is not without parallel in prehistoric Europe, as indicated by a review of the available literature. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Precise synthesis of end‐functionalized thermosensitive poly(vinyl ether)s by living cationic polymerization
Authors: Shimomoto Hiroaki , Kanaoka Shokyoku , Aoshima Sadahito
Published: June 2012

A series of poly(2‐methoxyethyl vinyl ether)s with narrow molecular weight distributions and with perfectly defined end groups of varying hydrophobicities was successfully synthesized by base‐assisting living cationic polymerization. The end group was shown to greatly affect the temperature‐induced phase separation behavior of aqueous solutions (lower critical solution temperature‐type phase separation) or organic solutions (upper critical solution temperature‐type phase separation) of the polymers. The cloud points were also influenced largely by the molecular weight and concentration of the polymer. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2012
Synthesis and characterization of six‐arm star polystyrene‐block‐poly (3‐hexylthiophene) copolymer by combination of atom transfer radical polymerization and click reaction
Authors: Han Dehui , Tong Xia , Zhao Yue
Published: June 2012

A novel six‐arm star block copolymer comprising polystyrene (PS) linked to the center and π‐conjugated poly (3‐hexylthiophene) (P3HT) was successfully synthesized using a combination of atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) and click reaction. First, star‐shaped PS with six arms was prepared via ATRP of styrene with the discotic six‐functional initiator, 2,3,6,7,10,11‐hexakis(2‐bromoisobutyryloxy)triphenylene. Next, the terminal bromides of the star‐shaped PS were substituted with azide groups. Afterward, the six‐arm star block copolymer PS‐b‐P3HT was prepared using the click coupling reaction of azide‐terminated star‐shaped PS with alkynyl‐terminated P3HT. Various techniques including 1H NMR, Fourier‐transform infrared and size‐exclusion chromatography were applied to characterize the chemical structures of the intermediates and the target block copolymers. Their thermal behaviors and optical properties were investigated using differential scanning calorimetry and UV–vis spectroscopy. Moreover, atomic force microscopy (AFM) was utilized to observe the morphology of the star block copolymer films. In comparison with two linear diblock copolymer counterparts, AFM results reveal the effect of the star block copolymer architecture on the microphase separation‐induced morphology in thin films. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2012
Healthcare utilization of bereaved relatives of patients who died from cancer. A national population‐based study
Authors: Guldin Mai‐Britt , Jensen Anders Bonde , Zachariae Robert , Vedsted Peter
Published: June 2012

Objective

Bereavement is likely to result in an increased healthcare utilization. However, little is known about the impact of bereavement on an entire healthcare system, and there is no knowledge of what bereavement requires in terms of healthcare planning. Improved knowledge of patterns of healthcare utilization during bereavement may help optimize targeted support. The objective of this study was to describe patterns of healthcare utilization before and after spousal bereavement because of cancer.

Methods

A nationwide population‐based case‐control study of 6659 bereaved spouses and 66,590 age‐matched and gender‐matched controls was conducted using data from Danish national registers covering 2 years pre loss to 2 years post loss. Data were obtained on use of services from general practice, psychiatrists, psychologists, hospitals, and consumption of psychotropic medicines.

Results

Bereaved relatives' healthcare utilization and use of medicine increased and peaked around the time of their loss. The rise in healthcare utilization was observable before the loss and during the first years after the loss. A rise was seen in particular in the length of stay at hospitals and in medicine consumption.

Conclusion

Spousal bereavement because of cancer appears to influence healthcare utilization months before the loss and years after the loss. Specific patterns of health care utilization suggest how different periods during the bereavement trajectory generate different needs. This study creates a basis for further research of the patterns of healthcare utilization during bereavement and healthcare planning in palliative care and the adjustment to spousal loss. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Characterization and Processing Relevance of Food Particulate Materials
Authors: Ortega‐Rivas Enrique
Published: June 2012

The food industry is one of the largest commercial enterprises in the world today representing important contributions of the gross national product of many countries. Numerous raw materials and products in this industry are in powdered or particulate form, and their optimum characterization, for processing purposes rely heavily in a deep knowledge of particle technology. Characterization and processing aspects of unit operations involving granular solids of particular relevance to the food industry are discussed in this article. Theoretical considerations, operating principles, and applications in characterization and processing of different food particulates are reviewed. The food industry should make more efficient use of its many processes involving powders and particulates in order to provide high quality products. In this sense, future competitiveness may be critically dependent on knowledge originated by research activities in particle technology applied to food materials.
Effects of Grape Seed Polyphenols on Oxidative Damage in Liver Tissue of Acutely and Chronically Exercised Rats
Authors: Belviranlı Muaz , Gökbel Hakkı , Okudan Nilsel , Büyükbaş Sadık
Published: June 2012

The objective of the present study was to investigate the effects of grape seed extract (GSE) supplementation on oxidative stress and antioxidant defense markers in liver tissue of acutely and chronically exercised rats. Rats were randomly assigned to six groups: Control (C), Control Chronic Exercise (CE), Control Acute Exercise (AE), GSE‐supplemented Control (GC), GSE‐supplemented Chronic Exercise(GCE) and GSE‐supplemented Acute Exercise (GAE). Rats in the chronic exercise groups were subjected to a six‐week treadmill running and in the acute exercise groups performed an exhaustive running. Rats in the GSE supplemented groups received GSE (100 mg.kg−1.day−1) in drinking water for 6 weeks. Liver tissues of the rats were taken for the analysis of malondialdehyde (MDA), nitric oxide (NO) levels and total antioxidant activity (AOA) and xanthine oxidase (XO) activities. MDA levels decreased with GSE supplementation in control groups but increased in acute and chronic exercise groups compared to their non‐supplemented control. NO levels increased with GSE supplementation. XO activities were higher in AE group compared to the CE group. AOA decreased with GSE supplementation. In conclusion, while acute exercise triggers oxidative stress, chronic exercise has protective role against oxidative stress. GSE has a limited antioxidant effect on exercise‐induced oxidative stress in liver tissue. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
HOW PROXIMITY OF LAND USE AFFECTS STREAM FISH AND HABITAT
Authors: Stanfield L. W. , Kilgour B. W.
Published: June 2012

This study quantified the unique variation in stream fish and habitat and a land use disturbance index (LDI) at a variety of spatial scales: catchment, eight riparian polygons that varied in width and length (e.g. 50 m to all upstream reaches), upstream polygons of 1.6 and 3.2 km and the residual upland area of each site watershed not accounted for by each polygon. The analyses confirmed a hockey stick‐shaped relationship between the fish community and the LDI, with sensitive species only present below an LDI of 11. The largest variation for most metrics was explained by the largest polygons, suggesting that local riparian conditions were not as important predictors of stream condition. LDI in upland areas, where zero‐order streams occur, was also an important predictor of fish biomass and taxa richness. Contrary to expected, additive models with both catchment and riparian corridors provided minimal increases in predictive power, and no improvement in model performance occurred when data sets were stratified into sites below the LDI threshold. Finally, there was considerable covariation in the template and stressor predictor variables that made it difficult to quantify the unique variation in biological and physical responses accounted for by land use. That the 1600‐m proximal polygon provided the best predictor of the fish community and temperature is supportive of there being some proximal effects of land use. Overall, our findings suggest that stream management must consider processes that occur in the entire upstream catchment and the entire riparian corridor, including the headwaters for success. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Stochastic methodology for prognostics under continuously varying environmental profiles
Authors: Bian Linkan , Gebraeel Nagi
Published: June 2012

We present a stochastic modeling framework for sensor‐based degradation signals that predicts, in real time, the residual lifetime of individual components subjected to a time‐varying environment. We investigate the future environmental profile that is deterministic and evolves continuously. Unique to our model is the union of historical data with real‐time sensor‐based data to update the degradation model and the residual life distribution (RLD) of the component within a Bayesian framework. The performance of our model is evaluated on the basis of degradation signals from both numerical experiments and a case study using real bearing data. The results show that our approach accurately estimates the RLD by incorporating the environmental effects and utilizing the real‐time observations. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Statistical Analysis and Data Mining 6: 260–270, 2013
Shrinkage estimation in two‐stage adaptive designs with midtrial treatment selection
Authors: Carreras Máximo , Brannath Werner
Published: June 2012

We consider the problem of estimation in adaptive two‐stage designs with selection of a single treatment arm at an interim analysis. It is well known that the standard maximum‐likelihood estimator of the selected treatment is biased. We prove that selection bias of the maximum‐likelihood estimator is maximal when all treatment effects are equal and the most‐promising treatment is selected. Furthermore, we consider shrinkage estimation as a solution for the selection bias problem. We thereby extend previous work of Hwang on Lindley's estimator for single‐stage multi‐armed trials with four or more treatments and post‐trial treatment selection. Following Hwang's ideas, we show that a simple two‐stage version of Lindley's estimator has uniformly smaller Bayes risk than the maximum‐likelihood estimator when assuming an empirical Bayesian framework with independent normal priors for the group means. For designs that start with two or three treatment groups, we suggest using a two‐stage version of the common estimator of the best linear unbiased predicator of the corresponding random effects model. We show by an extensive simulation study that the shrinkage estimators perform well compared with maximum‐likelihood and previously suggested bias‐adjusted estimators in terms of selection bias and mean squared error. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Three‐dimensional ultrasound of pelvic floor: is there a correlation with delivery mode and persisting pelvic floor disorders 18–24 months after first delivery?
Authors: Falkert A. , Willmann A. , Endress E. , Meint P. , Seelbach‐Göbel B.
Published: June 2012

Objective

Three‐dimensional (3D) transperineal ultrasound has been shown to be a reliable and reproducible method for visualization of morphological changes in the female levator ani muscle. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between persisting pelvic floor disorders 18–24 months after first delivery, biometric measurements of the pelvic floor and mode of delivery.

Methods

In this prospective observational study, we recruited on their second day after delivery 130 primiparous women. All were Caucasian and their pregnancies had been singleton with cephalic presentation. 3D transperineal ultrasound was performed, with standardized settings, on the second day (results published previously) and 18–24 months after delivery. Volumes were obtained at rest and on Valsalva maneuver and biometric measurements of the levator hiatus were determined in the axial plane. Obstetric and constitutional parameters were obtained from our clinical files and, 18–24 months after the delivery, a standardized questionnaire was used to evaluate persisting pelvic floor disorders. Ultrasound measurements at 18–24 months were compared according to clinical symptoms of pelvic floor disorders and mode of delivery, including a subgroup analysis of vaginal (spontaneous vs operative vaginal) and Cesarean (primary i.e. elective vs secondary i.e. after onset of labor) delivery groups.

Results

Seventy‐seven (59%) women had complete follow‐up at 18–24 months. Biometric measurements showed a significantly larger hiatal area in the vaginal delivery group than in the Cesarean section group 2 years after delivery (P < 0.01), whereas subgroup analysis within the vaginal and Cesarean delivery groups did not show significant differences. Although there was no statistical correlation between delivery mode and persisting stress urinary incontinence, women with persisting stress urinary incontinence 2 years after delivery had a larger hiatal area than did women without this clinical symptom (P < 0.01). There were no significant differences in hiatal dimensions in women with bladder urgency or dyspareunia.

Conclusions

3D transperineal ultrasound, which is easily accessible, can provide useful information on morphological changes of the female pelvic floor. Women with a spontaneous or operative vaginal first delivery had a significantly larger hiatal area and axial distension than did women whose first delivery was by Cesarean section, even 2 years after delivery. Performing 3D ultrasound after the first delivery may help to identify women at high risk for persisting pelvic floor disorders.
Reproducibility of assessment of severity of pelvic endometriosis using transvaginal ultrasound
Authors: Holland T. K. , Hoo W. L. , Mavrelos D. , Saridogan E. , Cutner A. , Jurkovic D.
Published: June 2012

Objective

To examine the reproducibility of assessment of severity of pelvic endometriosis by transvaginal sonography (TVS).

Methods

This was a prospective observational study conducted from August 2006 to July 2009 in two academic departments of obstetrics and gynecology. Women with clinically suspected or proven pelvic endometriosis were invited to join the study. All patients included underwent TVS performed by two observers and a laparoscopic assessment of pelvic endometriosis. The ultrasound observers were blinded to each other's results. The reproducibility of TVS was examined by evaluation of interobserver agreement for the American Society of Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) score by Bland–Altman analysis and the stage and the diagnosis of deeply infiltrating endometriosis (DIE) by calculation of kappa coefficients. Agreement between the findings on TVS for each observer and those on laparoscopy was also evaluated.

Results

Thirty‐four patients were recruited to the study, and TVS was performed by two ultrasound observers. Of these patients, one did not undergo laparoscopy and was therefore excluded from the final analysis. No endometriosis was found in 12 (36.4%) patients. One patient (3%) had minimal disease, one (3%) had mild disease, five (15.2%) had moderate disease and 14 (42.4%) had severe disease. Interobserver agreement was very good for disease classification on TVS (Cohen's kappa, 0.931). Agreement between TVS and laparoscopy findings was also very good (Cohen's kappa, 0.955 and 0.966 for the two examiners). For ASRM score on TVS, the interobserver 95% limits of agreement were –16.6 to 12.7, with a mean difference of –1.9 (95% CI, –4.35 to 0.71).

Conclusion

TVS is a reproducible method for assessment of the severity of pelvic endometriosis and shows good agreement with findings on laparoscopy.
Magnetic resonance diffusion‐weighted imaging: reproducibility of regional apparent diffusion coefficients for the normal fetal brain
Authors: Boyer A. C. , Gonçalves L. F. , Lee W. , Shetty A. , Holman A. , Yeo L. , Romero R.
Published: June 2012

Objective

To evaluate the reproducibility of regional apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) measurements of the normal fetal brain in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy.

Methods

Fifty normal singleton fetuses from healthy pregnant women between 19 and 37 weeks' gestation were studied without sedation. Single‐shot diffusion‐weighted images of the fetal brain were obtained using a 1.5‐Tesla magnetic resonance scanner and a six‐channel body array coil. ADC maps were created using 0 and 1000 b‐values along three orthogonal directions. Two examiners independently measured ADC values in the cerebellar hemispheres (CH), pons, thalamus, basal ganglia (BG), centrum semiovale (CSO), and frontal (FWM), parietal (PWM), temporal (TWM) and occipital (OWM) white matter. Correlation between ADC values and menstrual age was assessed by linear regression analysis. The bias and agreement of ADC measurements were determined using Bland–Altman plots.

Results

ADC values either remained constant (BG, FWM, PWM, TWM, OWM, CSO) or decreased (CH, pons, thalamus) with advancing menstrual age. Mean intraobserver bias for ADC measurements was not significantly different from zero. Small interobserver differences in mean ADC measurements (i.e. a small mean bias) were detected for CH (1.26 ± 0.20 vs 1.20 ± 0.18 μm2/ms, P = 0.006), PWM (1.37 ± 0.29 vs 1.33 ± 0.26 μm2/ms, P = 0.02) and CSO (1.36 ± 0.29 vs 1.33 ± 0.28 μm2/ms, P < 0.0001). Measurement agreement was acceptable.

Conclusions

ADC measurements in normal unsedated fetuses in the second and third trimesters are reproducible except for small differences for PWM, CH and CSO between examiners.
Fetal growth profiles of macrosomic and non‐macrosomic infants of women with pregestational or gestational diabetes
Authors: Hammoud N. M. , Visser G. H. A. , Peters S. A. E. , Graatsma E. M. , Pistorius L. , de Valk H. W.
Published: June 2012

Objective

To assess fetal growth profiles in an unselected group of pregnant women with either Type‐1 diabetes (DM1), Type‐2 diabetes (DM2) or gestational diabetes (GDM), with emphasis on intergroup differences and development of disproportionate fetal growth and macrosomia.

Methods

Second‐ and third‐trimester longitudinal ultrasound measurements of fetal growth were made in 77 women with DM1, 68 women with DM2 and in 99 women with GDM. Altogether 897 ultrasound examinations were performed and 145 uncomplicated pregnancies with 843 ultrasound examinations were included as controls. Ultrasound data included head circumference (HC), abdominal circumference (AC), femur length (FL) and HC/AC ratio.

Results

The AC, but not HC and FL, evolved differently in diabetic pregnancies, with a smaller AC in early pregnancy and larger AC at term (significant for DM1 and DM2). The most striking differences were found for the HC/AC ratio, especially in DM1 pregnancies. HC/AC growth trajectories of both macrosomic and non‐macrosomic fetuses differed from that of the controls, and the HC/AC ratio at term was lower in all diabetic subgroups except in non‐macrosomic DM2 cases.

Conclusion

We found altered (disproportionate) fetal growth in macrosomic and non‐macrosomic fetuses of women with DM1, DM2 and GDM. This indicates that the abnormal intrauterine environment affects the majority of these infants. Growth profiles differed among these groups, the most prominent growth deviations being found in the fetuses of women with DM1. The latter was most probably caused by poor glucose control. In monitoring fetal growth in diabetic pregnancies the HC/AC ratio should be used to assess altered fetal growth. Copyright © 2012 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Use of ultrasound in the clinical evaluation of women following colpocleisis
Authors: Eisenberg V. H. , Alcalay M. , Steinberg M. , Weiner Z. , Schiff E. , Itskovitz‐Eldor J. , Lowenstein L.
Published: June 2012

Objective

To assess the role of transperineal ultrasound in the postoperative evaluation of patients undergoing colpocleisis.

Methods

Patients who underwent colpocleisis between July 2009 and January 2011 completed the Pelvic Floor Distress Inventory questionnaire (PFDI‐20) and underwent pelvic organ prolapse quantification (POP‐Q) examination and four‐dimensional (4D) transperineal ultrasound. Volumes were analyzed offline for assessment of pelvic organ descent, levator hiatal dimensions, levator avulsion trauma and the location of the colpocleisis scar.

Results

The study included 16 women, of mean ± SD age 75.7 ± 2.9 years, median body mass index 28 (range, 21–32) kg/m2 and median parity 2 (range, 0–5); one woman was nulliparous. Nine (56.2%) women were posthysterectomy. The median interval from surgery to ultrasound examination was 6.5 (range, 2–19) months. Most patients did not have symptoms of prolapse. The median Pelvic Organ Prolapse Distress Inventory (POPDI‐6) score was 37.5 (range, 0–75) and the median postoperative clinical POP‐Q stage was 1 (range, 0–2). Ultrasound demonstrated clear visualization in all patients. Ten had avulsion defects (six were bilateral). Ultrasound estimated greater prolapse descent for all compartments when compared with the clinical examination. However, this difference was significant for anterior and posterior descent, but not for apical descent. In two women urethral diverticulum was detected on ultrasound; it was neither symptomatic nor clinically apparent.

Conclusions

4D transperineal ultrasound seems to be a potentially effective tool for the evaluation of vaginal anatomic and functional changes following colpocleisis surgery. Future investigation of the association between ultrasound findings and patients' subjective symptoms in a larger cohort is warranted. Copyright © 2012 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Prediction of coarctation of the aorta in the second half of pregnancy
Authors: Gómez‐Montes E. , Herraiz I. , Mendoza A. , Escribano D. , Galindo A.
Published: June 2012

Objective

To determine which combination of cardiac parameters provides the best prediction of postnatal coarctation of the aorta (CoAo) in fetuses with cardiac asymmetry.

Methods

We selected all cases of disproportion of the ventricles and great vessels prenatally diagnosed between 2003 and 2010 at the Hospital Universitario ‘12 de Octubre’, Madrid, Spain. Only appropriate‐for‐gestational age liveborn fetuses with isolated cardiac asymmetry and with complete postnatal follow‐up were included in the study. Eighty‐five cases were retrieved and analyzed. Logistic regression analysis was used to select the best predictors of CoAo. Optimal cut‐offs for these parameters were identified and the corresponding likelihood ratios used to calculate the post‐test probability of CoAo in each fetus.

RESULTS

CoAo was confirmed in 41/85 neonates (48%). The parameters selected by logistic regression and their cut‐off values were: gestational age at diagnosis ≤ 28 weeks, Z‐score of diameter of the ascending aorta ≤ −1.5, pulmonary valve/aortic valve diameters ratio ≥ 1.6 and Z‐score of the aortic isthmus diameter in the three vessels and trachea view ≤ −2. We divided the study group into two subgroups: Group A, in whom the diagnosis was made at ≤ 28 weeks' gestation (80% CoAo (32/40)); and Group B, in whom the diagnosis was made at > 28 weeks (20% CoAo (9/45)). The mean post‐test probabilities of CoAo were higher in fetuses with CoAo than in normal fetuses in both subgroups (Group A, 82 vs 55%; P = 0.002 and Group B, 51 vs 20%; P < 0.001). In addition, a rate of growth of the aortic valve of ≤ 0.24 mm/week provided 80% sensitivity and 100% specificity for predicting CoAo in Group A.

Conclusions

We have derived a multiparametric scoring system, combining size‐based cardiac parameters and gestational age at diagnosis, which may improve the accuracy of fetal echocardiography for the stratification of the risk of CoAo. The objectivity and simplicity of its components may allow its implementation in fetal cardiology units.Copyright © 2012 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Scan statistics on graphs
Authors: Marchette David
Published: June 2012

Scan statistics are used in spatial statistics and image analysis to detect regions of unusual or anomalous activity. A scan statistic is a maximum (or minimum) of a local statistic—one computed on a local region of the data. This is sometimes called ‘moving window analysis’; in the Engineering literature. The idea is to ‘slide’ a window around the image (or map or whatever spatial structure the data have), compute a statistic within each window, and look for outliers—anomalously high (or low) statistics. We discuss extending this idea to graphs, in which case the local region is defined in terms of the connectivity of the graph—the neighborhoods of vertices. WIREs Comput Stat 2012 doi: 10.1002/wics.1217

This article is categorized under:

Data: Types and Structure > Graph and Network Data

Data: Types and Structure > Social Networks
Peptide and protein‐based nanotubes for nanobiotechnology
Authors: Petrov Anna , Audette Gerald F.
Published: June 2012

The development of biologically relevant nanosystems such as biomolecular probes and sensors requires systems that effectively interface specific biochemical environments with abiotic architectures. The most widely studied nanomaterial, carbon nanotubes, has proven challenging in their adaptation for biomedical applications despite their numerous advantageous physical and electrochemical properties. On the other hand, development of bionanosystems through adaptation of existing biological systems has several advantages including their adaptability through modern recombinant DNA strategies. Indeed, the use of peptides, proteins and protein assemblies as nanotubes, scaffolds, and nanowires has shown much promise as a bottom‐up approach to the development of novel bionanosystems. We highlight several unique peptide and protein systems that generate protein nanotubes (PNTs) that are being explored for the development of biosensors, probes, bionanowires, and drug delivery systems. WIREs Nanomed Nanobiotechnol 2012, 4:575–585. doi: 10.1002/wnan.1180

This article is categorized under:

Nanotechnology Approaches to Biology > Nanoscale Systems in Biology

Biology-Inspired Nanomaterials > Peptide-Based Structures
Limits of detection in XRF spectroscopy
Authors: Kadachi Ahmed N. , Al‐Eshaikh Mohammad A.
Published: June 2012

The most important characteristic of analytical procedure is the limit of detection especially in the analyses of toxic substance in the environment. This concept is used in many fields that may contribute to various controversial definitions and practice for its determination. This work was motivated by the possible use of the X‐ray fluorescence (XRF) available detection system to detect the heavy toxic element present in some imported polyethylene and plastic goods and to verify their conformity with the European Union RoHS compliance. A review of the concept of limits of detection with its experimental determination for XRF spectroscopy was necessary to select the adequate practical calculation method. The results obtained show that the correct and practical approach to determine the limits of detection in XRF spectroscopy should be the calibration curve approach. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The Israeli Economy from the Foundation of the State through the 21st Century
Authors: Rivlin Paul
Published: June 2012

This book analyzes the development of the Israeli economy in its historical context. It shows how the ideology of the dominant group in the Zionist movement led to the development of agriculture, thus meeting the preconditions for successful industrialization. Remarkable, if uneven, growth has taken place, with increasing allocations for defense. Regional isolation led to the emphasis on high-quality exports for developed markets that has stimulated the technological base. Israel has benefited from mass immigration and increased access to foreign capital, factors that have transformed the economy. The book includes chapters on the development of the Jewish community in Palestine during the British Mandate; macroeconomic developments and economic policy; globalization and high technology; defense; the economics of the Arab minority; Israeli settlements and relations with the Palestinians; and the role of religion. It concludes with an examination of the socioeconomic divisions that have widened as the economy has grown.
Cultural Memory and Early Civilization
Authors: Assmann Jan
Published: June 2012

Now available to an English-speaking audience, this book presents a groundbreaking theoretical analysis of memory, identity and culture. It investigates how cultures remember, arguing that human memory exists and is communicated in two ways, namely inter-human interaction and in external systems of notation, such as writing, which can span generations. Dr Assmann defines two theoretical concepts of cultural memory, differentiating between the long-term memory of societies, which can span up to 3,000 years, and communicative memory, which is typically restricted to 80 to 100 years. He applies this theoretical framework to case studies of four specific cultures, illustrating the function contexts and specific achievements, including the state, international law, religion and science. Ultimately, his research demonstrates that memory is not simply a means of retaining information, but rather a force that can shape cultural identity and allow cultures to respond creatively to both daily challenges and catastrophic changes.
Essential Values-Based Practice
Authors: Fulford K. W. M. , Peile Ed , Carroll Heidi
Published: June 2012

This book will help clinicians acquire and develop the processes and skills of values-based practice. The aim of most patient-clinician consultations is to improve health outcomes. Often they succeed, and patients are satisfied and empowered. However, some consultations are unsatisfactory and result in failure to improve health outcomes and dissatisfaction on the part of patients, carers or clinicians. When consultations fail to achieve the desired results, the cause is not usually a failure of evidence-based practice. Today's clinicians are trained in evidence-based medicine, educated, updated and appraised. The most likely reason why things go wrong is a failure of values-based practice – not ascertaining the relevant values perspectives and acting on them in a coherent and purposeful manner. If you rehearse and practise the elements of values-based practice detailed in this book, you will find your consultations more personally rewarding and your patients are likely to derive more benefit.
Achieving Nuclear Ambitions
Authors: Hymans Jacques E. C.
Published: June 2012

Despite the global spread of nuclear hardware and knowledge, at least half of the nuclear weapons projects launched since 1970 have definitively failed, and even the successful projects have generally needed far more time than expected. To explain this puzzling slowdown in proliferation, Jacques E. C. Hymans focuses on the relations between politicians and scientific and technical workers in developing countries. By undermining the workers' spirit of professionalism, developing country rulers unintentionally thwart their own nuclear ambitions. Combining rich theoretical analysis, in-depth historical case studies of Iraq, China, Yugoslavia and Argentina and insightful analyses of current-day proliferant states, Achieving Nuclear Ambitions develops a powerful new perspective that effectively counters the widespread fears of a coming cascade of new nuclear powers.
India's Late, Late Industrial Revolution
Authors: Majumdar Sumit K.
Published: June 2012

There is a paradox at the heart of the Indian economy. Indian businessmen and traders are highly industrious and ingenious people, yet for many years Indian industry was sluggish and slow to develop. One of the major factors in this sluggish development was the command and control regime known as the License Raj. This regime has gradually been removed and, after two decades of reform, India is now awakening from its slumber and is experiencing a late, late industrial revolution. This important new book catalogues and explains this revolution through a combination of rigorous analysis and entertaining anecdotes about India's entrepreneurs, Indian firms' strategies and the changing role of government in Indian industry. This analysis shows that there is a strong case for a manufacturing focus so that India can replicate the success stories of Asian countries such as Japan, South Korea and China.
The State of the Poor
Authors: Eden Frederick Morton
Published: June 2012

Sir Frederick Morton Eden (1766–1809) was an English writer and a pioneer social researcher. Eden studied at Christ Church, Oxford, and subsequently worked in banking and insurance, inheriting a baronetcy from his father, who had been the governor of the American province of Maryland, in 1784. Arguing that poverty could not be tackled without knowing what it actually meant to be poor, this innovative three-volume work is an attempt to define what poverty meant in concrete terms. It is packed with data from across England, divided by county, and covering factors such as food prices, wages, diet and mortality rates. Volume 3 presents the second set of reports on living conditions of the poor in the various English counties, sorted alphabetically from Surrey to Yorkshire, and the Welsh counties. A study of Scotland's poor is included in an appendix.
Gilles Deleuze
Authors: May Todd
Published: June 2012

This book offers a readable and compelling introduction to the work of one of the twentieth century's most important and elusive thinkers. Other books have tried to explain Deleuze in general terms. Todd May organizes his book around a central question at the heart of Deleuze's philosophy: how might we live? The author then goes on to explain how Deleuze offers a view of the cosmos as a living thing that provides ways of conducting our lives that we may not have dreamed of. Through this approach the full range of Deleuze's philosophy is covered. Offering a lucid account of a highly technical philosophy, Todd May's introduction will be widely read amongst those in philosophy, political science, cultural studies and French studies.
Value and Virtue in a Godless Universe
Authors: Wielenberg Erik J.
Published: June 2012

Suppose there is no God. This might imply that human life is meaningless, that there are no moral obligations and hence people can do whatever they want, and that the notions of virtue and vice and good and evil have no place. Erik J. Wielenberg believes this view to be mistaken and in this book he explains why. He argues that even if God does not exist, human life can have meaning, we do have moral obligations, and virtue is possible. Naturally, the author sees virtue in a Godless universe as different from virtue in a Christian universe, and he develops naturalistic accounts of humility, charity, and hope. The moral landscape in a Godless universe is different from the moral landscape in a Christian universe, but it does indeed exist. Value and Virtue in a Godless Universe is a tour of some of the central landmarks of this under-explored territory.
Making Australian Foreign Policy
Authors: Gyngell Allan , Wesley Michael
Published: June 2012

Discusses the processes, institutions, actors and calculations involved in foreign policy making in Australia. Looks at the role of the government departments and intelligence organisations that support the government's policy-making, and the thinking of the people who make it, in more detail than ever before. It draws on an extensive survey of how Australian foreign affairs officials think about the world. This fully revised and updated edition includes four new chapters on Australia's security, prosperity, values and its place in the world. It includes two new case studies covering the negotiation of the US-Australia free trade agreement and Australia's regional mission to the Solomon Islands.
The State in Early Modern France
Authors: Collins James B.
Published: June 2012

This major new textbook addresses fundamental questions about the nature of the state in early modern Europe through an analysis of the most important continental state, France. Professor Collins abandons the traditional formulation of the absolute monarchy, and presents in its place a state that evolved to meet the needs of the French elites. Collins offers a detailed analysis of French society, to provide the broader context for the development of the French state. The model that emerges from his synthesis is one that relied more on persuasion and congruity of influence than on arbitrary authority, and Collins argues that fundamental changes in French society made the monarchical, ministerial state a dangerous anachronism by the 1750s, leading to political impasse by the second half of the eighteenth century. Collins offers a fundamental reinterpretation of the state relevant to historians and students of political thought.
Return to Essentials
Authors: Elton Geoffrey Rudolph
Published: June 2012

This volume contains the text of the three Cook Lectures, delivered by Sir Geoffrey Elton at the University of Michigan in April 1990, which reviewed various current doubts and queries concerning the writing of reasonably unbiased history. The lectures offer critical advice on how such unbiased history might be achieved, together with a general critical survey of 'fashionable' theories on the writing of history. The Cook Lectures appear in print for the first time. Also included in the volume are reprinted versions of Sir Geoffrey's two Cambridge inaugural lectures, as Professor of Constitutional History, and as Regius Professor of Modern History. These tried to dispel, respectively, what Sir Geoffrey sees as the anti-historical fantasies current in the 1960s (but by no means yet gone), and the artificial attempt to denigrate the history of one's native country.