bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Diagnostic Cardiac Angiography
Authors: Lapeyre III André C.
Published: May 2013

This chapter focuses on the basics of cardiac angiography, especially those aspects most pertinent to cardiology board examinations. It is important to remember that angiograms are 2-dimensional projections of 3-dimensional structures. Therefore, structures need to be visualized with at least 2 orthogonal views to avoid missing important information because of overlapping structures, eccentric or ribbonlike lesions, foreshortening, curvature, or fracture. Additionally, the heart, coronary arteries, and descending aorta lie obliquely in the chest with much variability among patients. The “best” view or angle to see any given structure must be determined for each patient. Therefore, generalizations about the best view are always approximations and not absolutes.
Principles of Myocardial Revascularization in Interventional Cardiology
Authors: Murphy Joseph G. , Barsness Gregory W. , Gulati Rajiv
Published: May 2013

This chapter reviews the principles of interventional cardiology, as they pertain to general cardiology practice including the indications for percutaneous coronary intervention, risk stratification of percutaneous coronary intervention patients, and management of complications associated with percutaneous coronary intervention.
Invasive Hemodynamics
Authors: Nishimura Rick A.
Published: May 2013

This chapter reviews the hemodynamic components of cardiac output, pressure, and resistance in relation to the treatment of intracardiac shunts, stenotic valvular lesions, and regurgitant valvular lesions. The Fick, indicator dilutor, and Doppler flow velocity methods are included in the discussion of cardiac output.
Atlas of Hemodynamic Tracings,
Authors: Nishimura Rick A.
Published: May 2013

This chapter presents images and descriptions of various types of hemodynamic tracings. Arterial pulses, right heart catheterization, constrictive pericarditis, restrictive cardiomyopathy, apex impulses in disease, pulmonary capillary wedge pressure, pericardial tamponade, coarctation of the aorta, pacemaker syndrome, true aortic valve gradient, valvular disease, hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy, Brockenbrough sign, catheter artifacts, and intra-aortic balloon counterpulsation are reviewed.
Endomyocardial Biopsy
Authors: Murphy Joseph G. , Frantz Robert P. , Cooper Leslie T.
Published: May 2013

Endomyocardial biopsy is indicated in selected patients with suspected myocardial disease in which the diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic information likely to be obtained outweighs the patient risks associated with the procedure. A caveat with regard to recommendation for endomyocardial biopsy is that there is no randomized, controlled trial on the utility of endomyocardial biopsy in myocardial disease and, thus, recommendations are based on expert clinical opinion.
Oral cyclophosphamide in recurrent ovarian cancer
Authors: Handolias Despina , Quinn Michael , Foo Serene , Mileshkin Linda , Grant Peter , Dutu Gaelle , Rischin Danny
Published: May 2013

Aims

Cyclophosphamide was widely used as a single agent prior to the advent of platinum‐based regimens for epithelial ovarian cancer, and, in combination with platinum, prior to the adoption of platinum and paclitaxel as standard first‐line therapy. As cyclophosphamide currently has no defined role in ovarian cancer we aimed to assess its activity in women with recurrent disease.

Methods

A retrospective review was conducted of patients from three centers in Melbourne, Australia who had received oral cyclophosphamide treatment for recurrent ovarian cancer. The primary end‐point was response rate to oral cyclophosphamide (150 mg p.o. day 1–14) based on Gynecologic Cancer InterGroup (GCIG) CA125 and/or Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) criteria. Secondary end‐points included overall and progression‐free survival and toxicity.

Results

In all, 26 patients were identified and 23 patients were evaluable for response. The median number of prior chemotherapy regimens was three (range 1–6). The response rate to oral cyclophosphamide was 44% with 10 of the 23 patients achieving a partial response (PR) based on GCIG (CA125) criteria. The median number of cycles received was three (range 1–16). Cyclophosphamide showed activity both in patients with platinum‐sensitive (seven of 13 PR) and resistant or refractory disease (three of 10 PR). There was no grade 3 or 4 toxicity but two patients ceased cyclophosphamide due to less severe non‐hematological toxicity.

Conclusion

Single agent oral cyclophosphamide is active and well tolerated in recurrent ovarian cancer. Further investigation of oral cyclophosphamide in patients with platinum‐sensitive and platinum‐resistant disease is warranted.
Early clinical predictors of a severely abnormal amplitude‐integrated electroencephalogram at 48 hours in cooled neonates
Authors: Horn Alan R , Swingler George H , Myer Landon , Linley Lucy L , Chandrasekaran Manigandan , Robertson Nicola J
Published: May 2013

Aim

There is a need to identify infants with hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy who have a poor outcome despite therapeutic hypothermia. A severely abnormal amplitude‐integrated electroencephalogram at 48 h predicts death or disability. Our aim was to determine whether clinical assessment at age 3–5 h predicts a severely abnormal amplitude‐integrated electroencephalogram at 48 h or death in cooled infants.

Methods

Forty‐one cooled infants, ≥36 weeks' gestation, with moderate‐to‐severe hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy, were prospectively enrolled. Infants who were moribund, had congenital conditions associated with encephalopathy or had severe cardio‐respiratory instability were excluded. The predictive abilities of the Thompson encephalopathy score and individual signs at age 3–5 h were assessed.

Results

All infants with a Thompson score ≥16 at 3–5 h had a severely abnormal amplitude‐integrated electroencephalogram at 6 h and an abnormal short‐term outcome. At 48 h, 75% had a severely abnormal aEEG or died vs. 18% with a score <16 (p = 0.004). Multivariate analysis did not find a significant independent association with any of the individual signs.

Conclusion

The Thompson score could be useful to identify infants who will have a poor outcome despite cooling. A score ≥16 should be validated as a prespecified variable in prospective studies.
Vitamin E and changes in serum alanine aminotransferase levels in patients with non‐alcoholic steatohepatitis
Authors: Hoofnagle J. H. , Van Natta M. L. , Kleiner D. E. , Clark J. M. , Kowdley K. V. , Loomba R. , Neuschwander‐Tetri B. A. , Sanyal A. J. , Tonascia J. ,   the Non‐alcoholic Steatohepatitis Clinical Research Network (NASH CRN)
Published: May 2013

Background

Non‐alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is a common cause of serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) elevations and chronic liver disease, but it is unclear how well ALT elevations reflect the liver injury.

Aim

To assess how well changes in ALT elevations reflect improvements in liver histology in response to vitamin E therapy.

Methods

The vitamin E and placebo arms of the Pioglitazone vs. Vitamin E vs. Placebo in Non‐alcoholic Steatohepatitis (PIVENS) trial were reassessed for associations among changes in ALT levels, body weight and liver histology. An ALT response was defined as a decrease to ≤40 U/L and by ≥30% of baseline. Liver biopsies taken before and after treatment were scored for non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease activity (NAS) and fibrosis.

Results

ALT responses were more frequent among vitamin E (48%) than placebo (16%) recipients (P < 0.001). Among vitamin E recipients, ALT responses were associated with decreases in NAS (P < 0.001), but not fibrosis scores (P = 0.34), whereas among placebo recipients, ALT responses were associated with significant decreases in both (P < 0.05). Weight loss (≥2 kg) was also associated with ALT response (P < 0.001), improvements in NAS (P < 0.001) and fibrosis (P < 0.02), but vitamin E had an added effect both with and without weight loss. Weight gain (≥2 kg) was associated with lack of ALT response and worsening NAS and fibrosis scores in patients not on vitamin E.

Conclusions

Decrease of ALT levels to normal in patients with NASH is usually associated with improved histological activity. Management should stress the value of weight loss and strongly discourage weight gain. Vitamin E can improve both ALT levels and histology with and without weight loss. Clinical Trial Number: NCT00063622.
‘Offering something back to society?’ Learning disability, ethnicity and sporting legacy: hosting the Special Olympics GB Summer Games in Leicester, 2009
Authors: Williams John , Carter Neil
Published: May 2013

Accessible summary

This article is about research on hosting major sporting events involving people with learning disabilities.

It focuses on the Special Olympics Great Britain National Summer Games, which were held in Leicester in July 2009.

The 2009 Summer Games raised significant legacy issues concerning ethnicity, both for the hosts (the city of Leicester) and the governing body, Special Olympics Great Britain.

The event also provided important insights into wider attitudes towards people with learning disabilities held by the general public.

In 2009 the city of Leicester hosted the Special Olympics Great Britain National Summer Games. Around 2500 athletes with learning disabilities competed in 21 sports. This article argues that this sporting mega‐event had important potential legacy consequences for the hosts, the governing body – Special Olympics Great Britain (SOGB) – and also for wider attitudes towards people with learning disabilities. We are mainly concerned here with questions of ethnicity around Special Olympics Great Britain (SOGB) and the specific motivations for staging this event in the East Midlands. We argue that the hosts mobilised a set of quite unusual rhetorics and legacy aims in its appeal to local citizens, and that SOGB favoured Leicester because of the organisation's urgent need to modernise in terms of its urban reach, ethnicity and age profiles. We end by briefly assessing the evidence that SOGB achieved some of its goals and the extent to which the Leicester public embraced Special Olympics and athletes with learning disabilities.
Investigating the ‘bath salt’ panic: The rarity of synthetic cathinone use among students in the United States
Authors: Stogner John M. , Miller Bryan Lee
Published: May 2013

Introduction and Aims

Until recently, synthetic cathinones marketed as ‘bath salts’ were legally sold at convenience stores and online in the USA. Media reports initiated concerns of a growing ‘bath salt’ epidemic. Despite media attention and the recent legal action banning synthetic cathinones, little is known about its prevalence or users.

Design and Methods

A self‐report survey was administered to 2349 students in 40 randomly selected courses at a large university in the Southeastern United States. The resulting sample was 51.6% female, 68.9% white, 24.4% black, 2.8% Hispanic and 4.0% other races, with a mean age of 20.06 years and median family income of $75 000–99 999.

Results

Only 25 (1.07%) of the students reported using synthetic cathinones at least once. Synthetic cathinone use was found to be more common among men (1.68% vs. 0.50% of women, P = 0.005), Hispanics (4.7%) and Native Americans (4.3% vs. 0.89% of whites and 0.72% of blacks, P = 0.002), and student athletes (4.0% vs. 0.90% of non‐athletes, P = 0.001), but in each of these groups, synthetic cathinones were used more rarely than marijuana (58.14%, P < 0.001), cocaine (9.08%, P < 0.001), Salvia divinorum (7.89%, P < 0.001), synthetic cannabinoids (14.28%, P < 0.001), methamphetamines (1.92%, P = 0.002), 3,4‐methylenedioxy‐N‐methylamphetamine (MDMA) (12.54%, P < 0.001) and several other drugs and pharmaceuticals.

Discussion and Conclusions

‘Bath salts’ have received a great deal of media attention in the USA, yet the prevalence of synthetic cathinone use among our sample was extremely rare. We suggest that the media attention focusing on synthetic cathinone use as a growing epidemic may be largely misplaced. [Stogner JM, & Miller BL. Investigating the ‘bath salt’ panic: The rarity of synthetic cathinone use among students in the USA. Drug Alcohol Rev 2013;32:545–549
Translocality: Concepts, Applications and Emerging Research Perspectives
Authors: Greiner Clemens , Sakdapolrak Patrick
Published: May 2013

The employment of translocality as a research perspective is currently gaining momentum. A growing number of scholars from different research traditions concerned with the dynamics of mobility, migration and socio‐spatial interconnectedness have developed conceptual approaches to the term. They usually build on insights from transnationalism while attempting to overcome some of the limitations of this long‐established research perspective. As such, translocality is used to describe socio‐spatial dynamics and processes of simultaneity and identity formation that transcend boundaries—including, but also extending beyond, those of nation states. In this review, we trace the emergence of the idea of translocality and summarise the characteristics that different authors associate with the term. We elucidate the underlying notions of mobility and place and sketch out fields of research where the concept has been employed. On the basis of our findings, we conclude by proposing key areas where a translocal approach has the potential to generate fruitful insights. © 2012 The Author. Geography Compass © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd
Oral Triptans and Nausea: Treatment Considerations in Migraine
Authors: Pierce Mark
Published: May 2013

Objective

The objective of this paper is to review evidence showing that migraine patients who are nauseated before using oral triptans tend to have a poor treatment response, as well as to establish a framework for further investigation of the association between response to oral medications and pretreatment nausea among migraineurs.

Synthesis and Conclusion

In patients with migraine, pretreatment nausea predicts a poor response to oral triptans. This finding may be inherent in the oral route of delivery of medication, as pretreatment nausea is associated with gastric stasis, which can impair absorption of oral medications and reduce therapeutic efficacy. In addition, oral triptans contribute to the development of nausea among migraine patients who are nausea free before they treat, perhaps because oral tablet use triggers or exacerbates nausea in the same manner as eating or drinking among patients who are nauseated or vulnerable to nausea. Importantly, these observations are derived from a small evidence base and post‐hoc analyses or, in the case of treatment‐emergent nausea, adverse event reports. Further assessment of the relationships between nausea and oral triptans is necessary before drawing firm conclusions. Should these observations be validated, the use of oral triptans in migraine attacks with nausea or in patients prone to nausea should be reevaluated. Novel routes of administration for triptans allow patients to receive the benefits of migraine‐specific therapy even when oral therapy is suboptimal.
Gastrointestinal Manifestations of Migraine: Meeting the Treatment Challenges
Authors: Silberstein Stephen
Published: May 2013

Nausea is a defining feature of episodic migraine. Migraine‐associated nausea can cause patients to delay or avoid taking oral medication. In April 2011, a round table of headache specialists and a gastroenterologist was convened to explore unmet needs in the treatment of migraine vis‐à‐vis gastrointestinal signs and symptoms. This supplement summarizes the proceedings of that roundtable meeting.
Post‐Traumatic Headaches in Civilians and Military Personnel: A Comparative, Clinical Review
Authors: Theeler Brett , Lucas Sylvia , Riechers Ronald G , Ruff Robert L
Published: May 2013

Post‐traumatic headache (PTH) is the most frequent symptom after traumatic brain injury (TBI). We review the epidemiology and characterization ofPTHin military and civilian settings.PTHappears to be more likely to develop following mildTBI(concussion) compared with moderate or severeTBI.PTHoften clinically resembles primary headache disorders, usually migraine. For migraine‐likePTH, individuals who had the most severe headache pain had the highest headache frequencies. Based on studies to date in both civilian and military settings, we recommend changes to the current definition ofPTH. Anxiety disorders such as post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are frequently associated withTBI, especially in military populations and in combat settings.PTSDcan complicate treatment ofPTHas a comorbid condition of post‐concussion syndrome.PTHshould not be treated as an isolated condition. Comorbid conditions such asPTSDand sleep disturbances also need to be treated. Double‐blind placebo‐controlled trials inPTHpopulation are necessary to see whether similar phenotypes in the primary headache disorders andPTHwill respond similarly to treatment. Until blinded treatment trials are completed, we suggest that, when possible,PTHbe treated as one would treat the primary headache disorder(s) that thePTHmost closely resembles.
Patients' expectations of osteopathic care: a qualitative study
Authors: Cross Vinette , Leach C. M. Janine , Fawkes Carol A. , Moore Ann P.
Published: May 2013

Background

Research has shown that patients' expectations of health care and health‐care practitioners are complex and may have a significant impact on outcomes of care. Little is known about the expectations of osteopathic patients.

Objectives

To explore osteopathic patients' expectations of private sector care.

Design

Focus groups and individual interviews with purposively selected patients; this was the qualitative phase of a mixed methods study, the final phase being a patient survey.

Setting and participants

A total of 34 adult patients currently attending for treatment at private osteopathic practices across the United Kingdom.

Intervention

Focus group discussions and individual interviews around expectations before, during and after osteopathic care.

Outcome measures

Thematic analysis of text data to identify topics raised by patients and to group these into broad themes.

Results

Many components of expectation were identified. A preliminary conceptual framework describing the way the therapeutic encounter is approached in osteopathy comprised five themes: individual agency, professional expertise, customer experience, therapeutic process and interpersonal relationship.

Discussion and Conclusion

The components of expectation identified in this phase of the study provided potential question topics for the survey questionnaire in the subsequent phase of the investigation. The model developed in this study may add a new perspective to existing evidence on expectations. Further research is recommended to test the findings both within private practice and the National Health Service.
Parties, Parliament and Pride's Purge: David Underdown as Political Historian
Authors: Peacey Jason
Published: May 2013

This piece reassesses the work of the late David Underdown, one of the most important historians of the early modern period of the last 50 years. In particular, it concentrates upon his work on political history, with specific reference to what is probably his most important book, Pride's Purge (1971). This book has had a profound effect on the historiography of the civil wars, and the aim of this article is not to question its overall narrative relating to the Independent faction, to the events surrounding the trial of Charles I, and to the broader Puritan revolution, but rather to assess Underdown's approach and methodology, and his treatment of sources. It discusses and critiques his prosopographical methodology, while at the same time arguing that scholars still have much to learn from the way in which Underdown analysed parliament and high politics, from the way in which he connected local and national aspects of the revolution and the disciplines of social and political history, and from his willingness to adopt a creative approach to the use of contemporary pamphlets and newspapers.
David Underdown and Cricket
Authors: Cust Richard
Published: May 2013

This article recalls some of the author's discussions with David Underdown about cricket. It then goes to review his book about the early development of the game, State of Play, setting it in the context of his work on early modern social history and his abiding concerns about the impact of money and gambling on cricket, and the dangers of the game losing touch with its local grass roots.
The role of the non‐collagenous matrix in tendon function
Authors: Thorpe Chavaunne T. , Birch Helen L. , Clegg Peter D. , Screen Hazel R.C.
Published: May 2013

Tendon consists of highly ordered type I collagen molecules that are grouped together to form subunits of increasing diameter. At each hierarchical level, the type I collagen is interspersed with a predominantly non‐collagenous matrix (NCM) (Connect. Tissue Res.,6, 1978, 11). Whilst many studies have investigated the structure, organization and function of the collagenous matrix within tendon, relatively few have studied the non‐collagenous components. However, there is a growing body of research suggesting theNCMplays an important role within tendon; adaptations to this matrix may confer the specific properties required by tendons with different functions. Furthermore, age‐related alterations to non‐collagenous proteins have been identified, which may affect tendon resistance to injury. This review focuses on theNCMwithin the tensional region of developing and mature tendon, discussing the current knowledge and identifying areas that require further study to fully understand structure–function relationships within tendon. This information will aid in the development of appropriate techniques for tendon injury prevention and treatment.
Neuronal regulation of tendon homoeostasis
Authors: Ackermann Paul W.
Published: May 2013

The regulation of tendon homoeostasis, including adaptation to loading, is still not fully understood. Accumulating data, however, demonstrates that in addition to afferent (sensory) functions, the nervous system, via efferent pathways which are associated with through specific neuronal mediators plays an active role in regulating pain, inflammation and tendon homeostasis. This neuronal regulation of intact‐, healing‐ and tendinopathic tendons has been shown to be mediated by three major groups of molecules including opioid, autonomic and excitatory glutamatergic neuroregulators. In intact healthy tendons the neuromediators are found in the surrounding structures: paratenon, endotenon and epitenon, whereas the proper tendon itself is practically devoid of neurovascular supply. This neuroanatomy reflects that normal tendon homoeostasis is regulated from the tendon surroundings. After injury and during tendon repair, however, there is extensive nerve ingrowth into the tendon proper, followed by a time‐dependent emergence of sensory, autonomic and glutamatergic mediators, which amplify and fine‐tune inflammation and regulate tendon regeneration. In tendinopathic condition, excessive and protracted presence of sensory and glutamatergic neuromediators has been identified, suggesting involvement in inflammatory, nociceptive and hypertrophic (degenerative) tissue responses. Under experimental and clinical conditions of impaired (e.g. diabetes) as well as excessive (e.g. tendinopathy) neuromediator release, dysfunctional tendon homoeostasis develops resulting in chronic pain and gradual degeneration. Thus there is a prospect that in the future pharmacotherapy and tissue engineering approaches targeting neuronal mediators and their receptors may prove to be effective therapies for painful, degenerative and traumatic tendon disorders.
Challenges in relating to mental health professionals: Perspectives of persons with severe mental illness
Authors: Ådnøy Eriksen Kristin , Arman Maria , Davidson Larry , Sundfør Bengt , Karlsson Bengt
Published: May 2013

A previous analysis showed that mental health service users experienced profound loneliness, struggled to relate to other people, and were careful in considering what to share with health‐care professionals. Being recognized by professionals in relationships may contribute to recovery processes characterized by ‘connectedness’, ‘hope and optimism’, ‘identity’, ‘meaning’, and ‘empowerment’. This paper regards people as mainly seeking contact and meaning (relational perspective) and aims to describe service users' understanding of being in relationships with professionals, and how these relationships may limit or enhance recovery. Interpretative phenomenological analysis was used to analyze data from in‐depth interviews. Participants described three levels of connectedness with professionals: (i) being detached; (ii) being cautious; and (iii) being open and trusting. Level of connectedness seemed to be associated with opportunities for promoted recovery. Trusting relationships may strengthen identity, provide opportunities for meaning and hope, and contribute to opening new perspectives, and lessen significance of internal voices. Adopting a relational perspective may assist professionals in recognizing the service user as a person involved in making sense of life experiences and in the process of connecting to other people.
An Assessment Methodology for Domestic Systemically Important Banks in Australia
Authors: Brämer Patrick , Gischer Horst
Published: May 2013

This article serves as a response to the assessment methodology of the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision to identify systemically important banks. The official technique requires an extensive collection of bank data, which can hardly be accessed in full by the general public. By contrast, our article develops a practicable modification that utilises only readily available indicators and thus provides a helpful tool for banks' stakeholders and the public. For the period 2002–2011, we determine the domestic systemic importance of every licensed bank in Australia. Our quantitative results do not only uncover high levels of systemic impact of the four major banks, but their rising dominance during the Global Financial Crisis.
Household Preference and Financial Commitment to Flood Insurance in South‐East Queensland
Authors: Lo Alex Y.
Published: May 2013

Many Queenslanders who were affected by the severe flood events in 2011 failed to recover their losses. Arrangements for flood insurance are under federal reviews in response to mounting public pressure. Against this backdrop, a household survey was conducted to solicit residents' preferences. The majority of interviewed residents favoured optional purchase of flood insurance. Non‐insurance was associated with expectations of liberal assistance, indicating the possibility of ‘moral hazard’. Willingness to pay for flood insurance was related to social influence. The non‐insured households would spend more if they expected positive responses from people around. Attempts to reduce non‐insurance should address aspects of social influence.
Disasters as Crisis Triggers for Critical Junctures? The 1976 Guatemala Case
Authors: Gawronski Vincent T. , Olson Richard Stuart
Published: May 2013

This article focuses on the 1976 Guatemala earthquake disaster as a possible crisis trigger, in a relatively strict application of the critical juncture analytical approach. It expands to include the broader question of what conditions might cause disasters to trigger crises that open critical junctures for nation-states. The research concludes that the 1976 Guatemala disaster led to a high degree of community self-organizing and alliance-building across Guatemala, which the Guatemalan national security state at that time perceived as a fundamental crisis requiring a response. This reaction generated significant debate and policy conflict within the state; the resulting decision was massively repressive violence, with legacies that continue to this day. Another conclusion is that strictly applied, critical juncture analysis can untangle often very complicated disaster postimpact emergency, recovery, and reconstruction situations.
Giant Magnetoelectric Effect in Thin‐Film Composites
Authors: Jahns Robert , Piorra Andre , Lage Enno , Kirchhof Christine , Meyners Dirk , Gugat Jascha Lukas , Krantz Matthias , Gerken Martina , Knöchel Reinhard , Quandt Eckhard
Published: May 2013

Highly sensitive AC magnetic field sensors are presented using magnetoelectric composites consisting of magnetostrictive and piezoelectric phases. They are offering passive nature, high sensitivity, large effect enhancement at mechanical resonance, and large linear dynamic range. Thin‐film magnetoelectric 2‐2 composites benefit from perfect coupling between the piezoelectric and magnetostrictive phases and from the reduction in size which is essential for high spatial resolution. Their design uses AlN and a plate capacitor or PZT with interdigital electrodes and magnetostrictive amorphous FeCoSiB single layers or exchanged biased multilayers. At mechanical resonance and depending on the geometry, extremely high ME coefficients of up to 9.7 kV/cm Oe in air and up to 19 kV/cm Oe under vacuum were obtained. To avoid external DC magnetic bias fields, composites consisting of exchanged biased multilayers serving as the magnetostrictive component with a maximum magnetoelectric coefficient at zero magnetic bias field are employed. Furthermore, the anisotropic response of these exchanged biased composites can be utilized for three‐dimensional vector field sensing. Sensitivity and noise of the sensors revealed limits of detection as good as to 2.3 pT/Hz1/2 at mechanical resonance. Sensitivity between 0.1 and 1000 Hz outside resonance can be enhanced through frequency conversion using AC magnetic bias fields.
Powellite‐Rich Glass‐Ceramics: A Spectroscopic Study by EPR and Raman Spectroscopy
Authors: Taurines Tatiana , Neff Delphine , Boizot Bruno
Published: May 2013

The aim of this study was to better understand the incorporation of rare‐earth elements in glass‐ceramics of nuclear interest. We synthesized glass‐ceramics from glasses in the system SiO2–B2O3–Na2O–CaO–Al2O3–MoO3–Gd2O3 by various heat treatments. Gadolinium is used both as a spectroscopic probe and as a minor actinide surrogate. Glass‐ceramics contain only one crystalline phase in the bulk: powellite (CaMoO4). This phase can incorporate Gd3+ and Na+ ions by substitutions on the Ca site. We demonstrated that the charge compensation by Na+ favors the incorporation of rare‐earth elements. Moreover, the incorporated elements do not seem to be randomly distributed into the powellite structure.
Effect of Dopants on the Distribution of Aluminum and Oxygen Fluxes in Polycrystalline Alumina Under Oxygen Potential Gradients at High Temperatures
Authors: Matsudaira Tsuneaki , Wada Masashi , Kitaoka Satoshi
Published: May 2013

The oxygen permeability of Lu‐, Y‐, and Hf‐doped polycrystalline alumina wafers under steep oxygen potential gradients was evaluated at temperatures above 1773 K. Oxygen permeation occurred by the grain‐boundary (GB) diffusion of oxygen from the higher oxygen partial pressure (PO2) surface to the lower PO2 surface, and was coincident with GB diffusion of aluminum in the reverse direction. Lu‐ and Y‐doping both suppressed oxygen permeation to the same extent, owing to the decrease in oxygen mobility, but neither had any significant effect on aluminum mobility. Hf‐doping had the opposite effect. The fluxes of oxygen and aluminum at the inflow side in all wafers were significantly smaller than those at the outflow side, regardless of whether or not these dopants were added. Consequently, the intersection of the fluxes shifted to the lower PO2 side upon Lu‐ and Y‐doping, and to the higher PO2 side upon Hf‐doping. Furthermore, the effect of dopants on the mass transfer in scales formed by oxidation of FeCrAl‐based alloys at 1300–1500 K was analyzed through predictions of the flux distributions of oxygen and aluminum in the scales.
Dynamic Fracture Toughness of Piezoelectric Ceramics
Authors: Hao‐Sen Chen , Xia Yu , Ya‐Zhou Guo , Dai‐Ning Fang
Published: May 2013

Both dynamic and static three‐point bending fracture testings of 32 piezoelectric ceramic samples were performed in four different poling directions. A modified split Hopkinson pressure bar method with a polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF)‐based gauge was utilized for the dynamic experiments. The loading rate greatly influenced the fracture toughness in two ways: the dynamic fracture toughness values were much higher than those of the static fracture toughness, and unlike the static fracture toughness, the influence of poling direction on the dynamic fracture toughness was not obvious.
Inner strength as a mediator of the relationship between disease and self‐rated health among old people
Authors: Viglund Kerstin , Jonsén Elisabeth , Strandberg Gunilla , Lundman Berit , Nygren Björn
Published: May 2013

Aim

To explore inner strength as a mediator of the relationship between disease and self‐rated health among older people.

Background

Qualitative research has indicated that inner strength is an essential resource for an individual affected by disease. A hypothesis of inner strength as a mediator of the relationship between disease and self‐rated health was proposed. The theoretical framework of inner strength was based on the Model of Inner Strength.

Design

A cross‐sectional design was used.

Method

The sample included 6119 participants from Finland and Sweden, in the ages of 65, 70, 75 and 80 years. The GERDA‐Botnia questionnaire, which included the Inner Strength Scale and items related to diseases and self‐rated health, was sent out between October and December 2010. Structural equation modelling was used to test a hypothesized model.

Results

The result indicated that having a disease was associated with poorer self‐rated health and a lower degree of inner strength and a higher degree of inner strength was associated with better self‐rated health. The result supported the hypothesis by indicating that inner strength partially mediated the relationship between disease and self‐rated health.

Conclusion

This large cross‐sectional study with participants from 65 to 80 years of age from Finland and Sweden showed that inner strength can be a resource for older people affected by disease. Increasing inner strength in older people affected by disease may be one intervention to support experiences of health despite disease.
Genetic Interactions Reveal that Specific Defects of Chloroplast Translation are Associated with the Suppression of var2‐Mediated Leaf Variegation
Authors: Liu Xiayan , Zheng Mengdi , Wang Rui , Wang Ruijuan , An Lijun , Rodermel Steve R. , Yu Fei
Published: May 2013

Arabidopsis thaliana L. yellow variegated (var2) mutant is defective in a chloroplast FtsH family metalloprotease, AtFtsH2/VAR2, and displays an intriguing green and white leaf variegation. This unique var2‐mediated leaf variegation offers a simple yet powerful tool for dissecting the genetic regulation of chloroplast development. Here, we report the isolation and characterization of a new var2 suppressor gene, SUPPRESSOR OF VARIEGATION8 (SVR8), which encodes a putative chloroplast ribosomal large subunit protein, L24. Mutations in SVR8 suppress var2 leaf variegation at ambient temperature and partially suppress the cold‐induced chlorosis phenotype of var2. Loss of SVR8 causes unique chloroplast rRNA processing defects, particularly the 23S–4.5S dicistronic precursor. The recovery of the major abnormal processing site in svr8 23S–4.5S precursor indicate that it does not lie in the same position where SVR8/L24 binds on the ribosome. Surprisingly, we found that the loss of a chloroplast ribosomal small subunit protein, S21, results in aberrant chloroplast rRNA processing but not suppression of var2 variegation. These findings suggest that the disruption of specific aspects of chloroplast translation, rather than a general impairment in chloroplast translation, suppress var2 variegation and the existence of complex genetic interactions in chloroplast development.
Effect of hepatitis B virus infection on apoptosis of a human choriocarcinoma cell line in vitro
Authors: Bai Guiqin , Fu Fengping , Tang Yao , Wang Yueling
Published: May 2013

Aim

To investigate the effect and mechanism of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection on the human choriocarcinoma cell line, JEG‐3, in relation to apoptosis and intrauterine infection.

Material and Methods

HBV‐DNA serum was used to infect the choriocarcinoma cell line, JEG‐3, in vitro. Real‐time fluorescence quantitative PCR (RT‐PCR) was then employed to detect intracellular replication of HBV DNA. Cells were also stained with Annexin‐V and propidium iodide (PI) to identify the stages of apoptosis following infection. In addition, reverse transcription PCR was used to detect intracellular HBx mRNA levels, and Western blotting and immunohistochemistry were used to detect changes in the intracellular expression of HBxAg and phosphatidylinositol kinase 3 (PI3K). Flow cytometry was also used to detect the intracellular levels of phosphorylated AKT (pAKT).

Results

After JEG‐3 cells were infected with HBV in vitro, HBV DNA was detected. The percentage of cells in early and late stage apoptosis also decreased significantly. Expression of HBx mRNA and HBxAg were detected, and intracellular levels of PI3K and pAKT were observed to significantly increase.

Conclusion

HBV infected JEG‐3 cells in vitro, resulting in an inhibition of early and late stage apoptosis. In addition, the HBxAg/PI3K/pAKT pathway is a possible mechanism mediating this inhibition of apoptosis, and the infection of the placenta by HBV.
The effect of dietary protein levels on the expression of genes coding for four selected protein translation initiation factors in muscle tissue of Wujin pig
Authors: Liu L. Y. , Wang J. , Huang Y. , Pan H. B. , Zhang X. , Huang Z. X. , Zhao S. M. , Gao S. Z.
Published: May 2013

The objective of this study was to investigate the regulatory mechanism underlying the increased muscle protein accumulation in pigs while were fed a high protein diet. The eukaryotic initiation factors (eIFs) have been reported to involve in muscle protein synthesis. We investigated the mRNA and protein expression levels of eIF2B1, 4A1, 4B and 4E in Wujin pigs fed either a high protein (HP: 18%) or a low protein (LP: 14%) diet at 30, 60 or 100 kg body weight, based on real‐time PCR and western blotting analyses. Our results indicated that the expression levels of eIF2B1 mRNA and protein were increased by HP diet at all body weight. The HP diet showed higher mRNA and protein levels of eIF4B gene at 60 and 100 kg. The protein expression of eIF4E phosphorylation was increased by HP diet only at 30 kg. These data suggested that the HP diet promoted porcine muscle protein accumulation mainly by up‐regulating eIF2B1, 4B and 4E rather than 4A1 expression along the growth stages.
Ehrlichia canis infection in a dog with no history of travel outside the United Kingdom
Authors: Wilson H. E. , Mugford A. R. , Humm K. R. , Kellett‐Gregory L. M.
Published: May 2013

A two‐year‐old female neutered Tibetan terrier was referred following a one‐month history of lethargy, inappetence and pancytopenia, which had been poorly responsive to immunosuppressive and fluoroquinolone treatment. The dog was diagnosed with pure red cell aplasia and was found to be positive for Ehrlichia canis by both antibody titre measurement and polymerase chain reaction. The dog lived in London and had not travelled outside the UK. The dog was treated with doxycycline, prednisolone and ciclosporin, but died as a result of gastrointestinal tract haemorrhage. To the authors’ knowledge, this represents the first reported case of Ehrlichia canis in a dog in the UK with no previous travel history.
The first fossil Microsoroid fern (Palaeosorum ellipticum gen. et sp. nov.) from the middle Miocene of Yunnan, SW China
Authors: JACQUES Frédéric M. B. , SU Tao , ZHOU Zhe‐Kun
Published: May 2013

The microsoroid ferns make up a large group in the family Polypodiaceae, easily characterized by the combination of at least partly clathrate rhizome scales and anastomosing reticulate venation. The diversification of this clade is poorly known, both because of unresolved generic delimitations and the lack of fossil records. In this work, we describe the first microsoroid macrofossil: Palaeosorum ellipticum sp. nov. F. M. B. Jacques & Z. K. Zhou. The fossil specimen, represented by part and counterpart, was found in the middle Miocene sediment of the Dajie Formation in Ailsohan, central Yunnan, southwest China. Epiphytic ferns belonging to Drynaria are found in different locations in Yunnan during the Pliocene. The fossil described in this study deepens the occurrence of epiphytic ferns in Yunnan back to the middle Miocene. It demonstrates that forests with complex ecological relationships have existed in southwest China for more than 10 million years.
Rheological Properties of Kefir as Affected by Heat Treatment and Whey Protein Addition
Authors: Dimitreli G. , Gregoriou E.‐A. , Kalantzidis G. , Antoniou K.D.
Published: May 2013

The effects of heat treatment and whey protein addition on the fermentation time and the rheological properties of kefir determined using a pneumatic tube viscometer of novel design, were investigated. Kefir samples were prepared with and without the addition of whey protein concentrates (WPC) at varying concentrations, while heat treatment of the milk was made prior or after WPC addition (resulted to native or denatured whey proteins, respectively). Increasing WPC concentration resulted to increased lactic acid concentration and reduced fermentation time. The flow curves of the samples suggested that kefir behaves as a pseudoplastic fluid. The apparent viscosity of kefir samples was increased with increasing WPC concentration. However, the “state” of added whey proteins greatly affected the rheological properties of kefir. Particularly, denatured whey proteins resulted to higher consistency index values and thus apparent viscosity and lower flow behavior index values, when compared with native whey proteins.

Practical Applications

Kefir is a fermented beverage, which is reported of being beneficial to health. The large number of different microorganisms found in it and the variety of bioactive compounds produced during fermentation distinguishes it from other probiotic products. The study of the rheological properties of kefir as well as the factors that have an effect on them is of great scientific and commercial interest, because they can affect the quality of the final product and thus its acceptance by the consumers, the promotion of its standardization, and allow the correct selection of equipments like pumps and filling machines in the industry. The addition of whey protein concentrates (WPC) can enhance rheological properties of kefir and thus improve the quality of the final product. Furthermore, the “state” of the added whey proteins greatly affects the impact degree on the rheological behavior of kefir.
Mitford vs. Hemans: Resisting the “Omnipotence of Words” in Dramatic Romance and Romantic Drama
Authors: Beshero‐Bondar Elisa
Published: May 2013

Romance poetry, drama, and theatrical productions shared common elements in the early nineteenth century, reflecting a hybridization of genres characteristic of Romanticism. In both published and performed work, the verse romances, dramatic poems, and staged historical tragedies of Mary Russell Mitford and Felicia Hemans bear comparison in featuring silence and withdrawal in the parts of lead characters. Mitford's and Hemans's use of antitype characters to represent large‐scale national crises reflects their mutual grounding in German theater and drama, particularly that of Friedrich Schiller. Each poet has been associated with liberal idealism in representing corruptions of language as a sign of tyranny, and each poet develops characters who resist and evade the dictums of authority through silence. Nevertheless, Mitford's approach differs from Hemans's in the deployment of silent resistance to test problems with liberal idealism. Hemans emphasizes futility to alter a patriarchal script of destiny so that her resisting characters can only connect with audiences in a future time and cannot affect their own moment, while Mitford brings alternate possibilities within reach of her resisting characters in their time, leaving them to face a tentative future yet to be defined.
The population structure and recent colonization history ofOregon threespine stickleback determined using restriction‐site associatedDNA‐sequencing
Authors: Catchen Julian , Bassham Susan , Wilson Taylor , Currey Mark , O'Brien Conor , Yeates Quick , Cresko William A.
Published: May 2013

Understanding how genetic variation is partitioned across genomes within and among populations is a fundamental problem in ecological and evolutionary genetics. To address this problem, we studied the threespine stickleback fish, which has repeatedly undergone parallel phenotypic and genetic differentiation when oceanic fish have invaded freshwater habitats. While significant evolutionary genetic research has been performed using stickleback from geographic regions that have been deglaciated in the last 20 000 years, less research has focused on freshwater populations that predate the last glacial maximum. We performed restriction‐site associatedDNA‐sequencing (RAD‐seq) based population genomic analyses on stickleback from acrossOregon, which was not glaciated during the last maximum. We sampled stickleback from coastal, Willamette Basin and centralOregon sites, analysed their genetic diversity usingRAD‐seq, performedstructureanalyses, reconstructed their phylogeographic history and tested the hypothesis of recent stickleback introduction into centralOregon, where incidence of this species was only recently documented. Our results showed a clear phylogeographic break between coastal and inland populations, with oceanic populations exhibiting the lowest levels of divergence from one another. Willamette Basin and central Oregon populations formed a clade of closely related populations, a finding consistent with a recent introduction of stickleback into central Oregon. Finally, genome‐wide analysis of genetic diversity (π) and correlations of alleles within individuals in subpopulations (FIS) supported a role for introgressive hybridization in coastal populations and a recent expansion in central Oregon. Our results exhibit the power of next‐generation sequencing genomic approaches such asRAD‐seq to identify both historical population structure and recent colonization history.