bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A therapeutic option in nutcracker syndrome and ovarian vein insufficiency
Authors: Bekou V , Zollikofer C , Nieuwkamp N , Von Weymarn A , Duewell S , Traber J
Published: April 2013

Objectives: The nutcracker syndrome (NS) may lead to insufficient perirenal collaterals as well as incompetence of the left ovarian vein with consecutive ovarian vein insufficiency.

Methods: A female patient with NS and severe genital varicosis was treated with dilation of the renal vein and coiling of a left perirenal collateral vein feeding an insufficient left ovarian vein (LOV) with pelvic vein varicosity.

Results: In re-evaluation 18 month later with left renal vein (LRV) and LOV phlebography, a widely patent LRV was found. The embolized LRV to LOV collateral was occluded. However, left hypogastric phlebography showed incompetent branches of the left hypogastric vein feeding the genital varicose veins. These were successfully embolized with coils and the genital varicosity decreased on follow-up.

Conclusions: In our patient a combined therapeutic approach with balloon dilation of the NS and embolization of the genital varicose veins by left hypogastric vein coil was performed.
Aspirin and recurrent venous thromboembolism
Authors: Prandoni P , Noventa F , Milan M
Published: April 2013

While there is conclusive evidence that aspirin plays a role in reducing the risk of clinically relevant venous thromboembolism (VTE) arising in a number of surgical and non-surgical situations at risk, little is known of the potential of aspirin for the long/term prevention of recurrent VTE. In two recent multicentre, double-blind studies (WARFASA and ASPIRE), the efficacy and safety of a low dose of aspirin (100 mg per day) were assessed in patients with unprovoked VTE who had completed an initial period of conventional treatment with vitamin K antagonists. The two studies used identical aspirin regimens and had similar enrolment criteria and outcome measures. When data from these two trials were pooled, there was a 32% reduction in the rate of recurrence of VTE (hazard ratio [HR], 0.68; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.51–0.90) and a 34% reduction in the rate of major vascular events (HR, 0.66; 95% CI, 0.51–0.86). Moreover, these benefits were achieved with a low risk of bleeding. As patients with previous symptomatic atherosclerosis were not enrolled in these two studies, whether these results apply also to this category of patients is uncertain. We recently had the opportunity to review the clinical charts of 1919 consecutive patients presented with a first episode of VTE, which was either unprovoked or triggered by transient risk factors, and were followed up for an average period of four years after discontinuing anticoagulation. The rate of recurrent VTE in the 256 patients with a history of symptomatic atherosclerosis who had been given 80–160 mg of aspirin once daily (17.2%) did not differ from that (19.9%) observed in those without atherosclerosis who were left without any antithrombotic treatments. The implication of this observation is that whenever patients with symptomatic atherosclerosis are deemed to require long-term protection against recurrent VTE, they are unlikely to benefit from (resuming) aspirin. Conversely, aspirin in low doses offers an appealing, safe and highly cost-effective option for the long-term prevention of recurrent events in patients with unprovoked VTE who are free from symptomatic atherosclerotic lesions.
The European burden of primary varicose veins
Authors: Moore H M , Lane T R A , Thapar A , Franklin I J , Davies A H
Published: April 2013

Background:

The treatment of varicose veins has been demonstrated to improve quality of life, alleviate symptoms of depression and treat the complications of venous disease. This study aims to show the studies which contain information regarding the prevalence and distribution of venous disease. Then using the population and prevalence data for venous disease, and considering the cost of treating varicose veins, this study aims to analyse the treatment of varicose veins and assess whether there is a disparity between European countries.

Methods:

Relevant papers regarding the prevalence or incidence of venous disease were identified through searches of PubMed (1966 to October 2010). The search terms ‘prevalence OR incidence’ AND ‘varicose veins or venous disease’ were used. Population data, prevalence data and the number of varicose vein procedures performed in each country was obtained for 2010.

Results:

Four studies were included. From calculated values comparing the predicted and actual number of patients requiring treatment for venous disease, the UK, Finland and Sweden are potentially not treating all patients with C2 disease. In contrast to this, all other European countries represented are treating more patients, suggesting that they may be treating additional patients. There was up to a four-fold difference in the numbers of procedures per million population that were performed for varicose veins in different European countries.

Conclusion:

There is a marked disparity across Europe between the predicted number of patients with varicose veins requiring treatment and the actual care given. The factors influencing this need more detailed investigation.
Cost-effectiveness analysis: role and implications
Authors: Marsden G , Wonderling D
Published: April 2013

Background:

Cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) is often misperceived to be a cost-cutting exercise. The intention of CEA is not to identify and implement cheap technologies, but rather those which offer maximum health gain, subject to available funds. Such analysis is crucial for decision making in health care, as tight budget constraints mean spending in one area of healthcare displaces spending elsewhere. Therefore in order to achieve the greatest health gain for the overall population, treatments must be selected which provide the greatest health gain within the available funds.

The relevance of CEA in health care systems is explained, using varicose vein treatment in the UK NHS as an example. Treatment for varicose veins is often not commissioned to at a local level, most likely because it is misperceived to be a cosmetic problem. However, this view does not take into account the impact of quality of life. CEA balances costs against a quantitative measure of health related quality of life, and could therefore be used to determine whether it is cost-effective to provide varicose vein treatment. The current literature on the cost-effectiveness of varicose vein treatment is reviewed, and an overview of cost-effectiveness principles is provided. Concepts such as economic modelling, incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs), net monetary benefit (NMB) and sensitivity analysis are explained, using examples relevant to varicose veins where appropriate.

Conclusion:

This article explains how, far from cutting costs and sacrificing patient health, CEA provides a useful tool to maximise the health of the population in the face of ever tightening budget constraints. CEA could be used to compare the cost-effectiveness of the various treatment options for varicose veins, and efficiencies realised.
Stenting for chronic venous obstructions a new era
Authors: De Graaf R , Arnoldussen C , Wittens C H A
Published: April 2013

Chronic iliocaval venous obstructions have been treated by means of bypass surgery until endovascular treatment emerged as a valuable alternative. With the introduction of new imaging modalities, recanalization techniques and novel stent design the endovascular approach gained even more popularity and surpassed surgery as the primary treatment option. Still, lessons learned from our and others' experience launches a new era in which we should decide on some unsolved issues. Foremost, reproducible imaging techniques should help to define treatment indication. Second, further research is needed to establish the optimal stent design, but also advice on stenting techniques. Finally, if and when arteriovenous fistulas should be used to support early patency is still unclear. This manuscript addresses some of these technical considerations, pitfalls and complications to advice on materials and methods to optimize the quality of your treatment.
Diagnosis of venous disease with duplex ultrasound
Authors: Malgor R D , Labropoulos N
Published: April 2013

The advent of duplex ultrasound (DU) has changed vascular practice over the years. Venous anatomy, valve function and obstruction can be evaluated in real time using DU. It is a low cost, portable, non-invasive, safe and operator-friendly device that can be used for diagnosis, treatment guidance and follow-up. This paper defines the patterns, location and characteristics of venous reflux and also provides insightful information on acute and chronic venous obstruction.
Indications for stenting during thrombolysis
Authors: Bækgaard N , Broholm R , Just S
Published: April 2013

The most important vein segment to thrombolyse after deep venous thrombosis (DVT) is the outflow tract meaning the iliofemoral vein. Iliofemoral DVT is defined as DVT in the iliac vein and the common femoral vein. Spontaneous recanalization is less than 50%, particularly on the left side. The compression from adjacent structures, predominantly on the left side is known as the iliac vein compression syndrome. Therefore, it is essential that supplementary endovenous procedures have to be performed in case of persistent obstructive lesions following catheter-directed thrombolysis. Insertion of a stent in this position is the treatment of choice facilitating the venous flow into an unobstructed outflow tract either from the femoral vein or the deep femoral vein or both. The stent, made of stainless steel or nitinol, has to be self-expandable and flexible with radial force to overcome the challenges in this low-pressure system. The characteristics of the anatomy with external compression and often a curved vein segment with diameter difference make stent placement necessary. Ballooning alone has no place in this area. The proportion of inserted stents varies in the published materials with catheter-directed thrombolysis of iliofemoral deep venous thrombosis.
Which treatments are cost-effective in the management of varicose veins?
Authors: Gohel M
Published: April 2013

In the current economic climate, the cost-effectiveness of health-care interventions is under great scrutiny. In this article, the evidence for cost-effectiveness of treatments for varicose veins is summarized. The majority of studies evaluating treatments for varicose veins have not assessed health economic outcomes, but have focused on clinical and anatomical measures. The cost-effectiveness of treating varicose veins (compared with conservative management) was demonstrated in the REACTIV trial. Other in-trial economic analyses suggested that endovenous interventions are likely to be cost-effective and a decision tree analysis demonstrated that the greatest cost-effectiveness may be present for procedures performed under local or tumescent anaesthesia in the office or outpatient setting. However, the treatment modality that offers the greatest cost-effectiveness remains unclear. In conclusion, endovenous treatment performed in the outpatient setting under local anaesthesia is likely to be the most cost-effective treatment strategy for varicose veins. Better quality health economic analyses are needed to refine this conclusion.
Patterns of short saphenous vein incompetence
Authors: Qureshi M I , Lane T R A , Moore H M , Franklin I J , Davies A H
Published: April 2013

The significance of short saphenous vein (SSV) reflux is an under-explored territory in chronic venous disease (CVD). We have examined the origin and significance of SSV reflux in primary and secondary CVD. While the natural history of SSV incompetence remains uncertain, its prevalence has been shown to approximate 3.5%, rising with progressing clinical venous insufficiency, and bears an association with lateral malleolar venous ulceration. The most common pattern of reflux extends throughout the SSV Patterns of incompetence in recurrent disease are highly variable, but SSV reflux may itself pose a risk for recurrence, in part due to the complex anatomy of the saphenopopliteal system. Further studies are required to delineate the impact of SSV reflux in secondary venous disease and deep venous incompetence.
In vivo effects of foam sclerotherapy on coagulation
Authors: Shadid N H , Van Der Velden S K , Van Oerle R , Cate H Ten , Sommer A , Nelemans P
Published: April 2013

Objective:

The aim of this study was to evaluate whether foam sclerotherapy (FS) induces changes in CAT (calibrated automated thrombinography) and other coagulation parameters which could indicate an increased risk of thrombotic events.

Methods:

Blood samples from eight patients treated with FS were taken before treatment and 30 minutes, one and four hours and one week after treatment. CAT parameters (ETPln, Peakln, Lag time 1), thrombin antithrombin complexes (TAT), d-dimers, fibrinogen, Von Willebrand (vWf Ag) factor and platelet-derived microparticles (MIPAs) were measured.

Results:

Significant changes over time for Peakln, fibrinogen, d-dimers, vWfAg and TAT complexes were observed. CAT parameters decreased over time, except for Lag time 1. D-dimers and TAT complexes increased and fibrinogen, vWf Ag, MIPA's decreased during the first hours.

Conclusion:

The findings in this study support the hypothesis that FS initiate coagulation pathways, but there is no evidence that this activation results in an increased thrombosis risk.
Retained laser fibre: insights and management
Authors: Lekich C , Hannah P
Published: April 2013

Objectives:

To describe a case of retained endovenous laser fibre. To review the literature and Food and Drug Administration device failure reports. To suggest protocols for avoiding this complication and a method of removal.

Methods:

A case of retained fibre removal is described. Fibre removal techniques in vivo and ex vivo in a bovine model on the laboratory bench are presented.

Results:

Successful in vivo and ex vivo fibre removal was performed using duplex ultrasound scan guided phlebectomy techniques. Unexplained measured fibre-length discrepancies due to misleading manufacturer's packaging was discovered.

Conclusions:

Simple ultrasound-guided micro-phlebectomy techniques can be used to remove retained laser fibres in the office environment. Laser fibre length measurements before and after treatment are recommended. Some preventive guidelines are described to avoid, or at least diagnose immediately, this complication, such as the ‘Laser Eclipse Sign’.
Why political ontology must be experimentalized: On eco-show homes as devices of participation
Authors: Marres Noortje
Published: April 2013

This article contributes to debates about the ontological turn and its implications for democracy by proposing an experimental understanding of political ontology. It discusses why the shift from epistemology to ontology in science and technology studies has proved inconclusive for the study of politics and democracy: the politics of non-humans has been assumed to operate on a different level from that of politics and democracy understood as institutional and public forms. I distinguish between three different understandings of political ontology: theoretical, empirical and experimental. Each of these implies a different approach to the problem that non-humans pose for democracy. Theoretical ontology proposes to solve it by conceptual means, while empirical ontology renders it manageable by assuming a problematic analytic separation between constituting and constituted ontologies. This article makes the case for the third approach, experimental ontology, by analysing an empirical site, that of the eco-show home. In this setting, material entities are deliberately invested with moral and political capacities. As such, eco-show homes help to clarify two main features of experimental political ontology: (1) ontological work is here not so much relocated from theory to empirical practice but distributed among relevant actors and registers and (2) normative variability does not just pertain to the enactment of things but can be conceived of as internal to political objects. From these two features of experimental ontology, something follows for democracy as an ontological problem. This problem does not dissolve in empirical settings, but these settings make possible its articulation by experimental means.
The persistence of ‘normal’ catchment management despite the participatory turn: Exploring the power effects of competing frames of reference
Authors: Cook Brian R , Kesby Mike , Fazey Ioan , Spray Chris
Published: April 2013

Presented as a panacea for the problems of environmental management, ‘participation’ conceals competing frames of meaning. ‘Ladders of participation’ explain insufficiently why public engagement is often limited to consultation, even within so-called higher level partnerships. To explain how participation is shaped to produce more or less symmetric exchanges in processes of deliberation, this article distinguishes between (1) discourses/practices, (2) frames and (3) power effects. This article’s empirical focus is the experience of participatory catchment organisations and their central but under-researched role in integrated catchment management. In addition to an analysis of policy statements and other relevant documents, this article draws on qualitative interview and participant-observation data gathered in an international participatory knowledge exchange that we facilitated among four participatory catchment organisations (and various other agencies). Results suggest that while statements about legislation promise symmetric engagements, the mechanics of legislation frame participation as asymmetric consultation. In their own arenas, participatory catchment organisations deploy participation within a framework of grassroots democracy, but when they engage in partnership with government, participation is reshaped by at least four competing frames: (1) representative democracy, which admits, yet captures, the public’s voice; (2) professionalisation, which can exclude framings that facilitate more symmetric engagement; (3) statutory requirements, which hybridise participatory catchment organisations to deliver government agendas and (4) evidence-based decision-making, which tends to maintain knowledge hierarchies. Nevertheless, participatory catchment organisations proved capable of reflecting on their capture. We thus conclude that the co-production of science and society, and the power effects of framing, must become explicit topics of discussion in processes of environmental policy deliberation for participation to result in more symmetric forms of public engagement.
Attenuation of erythrocytic actylcholinesterase by antidepressants
Authors: Tariq Shafiq Ahmad , Khan Haroon , Muhammad Naveed
Published: April 2013

The current study was aimed to scrutinize acetylcholinesterase (AchE) inhibitory profile of two antidepressants, diazepam and phenobarbitone. The experimental designed was based on Michaelis–Menten parameters (apparent Michaelis constant (aKm) and apparent maximum velocity (aVm)) that estimate inhibition (%) as well as the type of inhibition (mechanism). The results showed marked inhibition of AchE by diazepam and the values of aKm and aVm were 65.5% and 52.63%, respectively. These values suggested a competitive type of antagonism for diazepam. Similar trend of antagonism was shown by phenobarbitone when it was subjected to the challenge of AchE with aKm and aVm values of 51.99% and 71.80%, respectively. It is concluded that diazepam and phenobarbitone exhibited prominent AchE attenuation apart from their well-established antidepressant activity, which could be more useful in related diseased conditions.
Nursing Theory and the Clinical Gaze
Authors: Dunlap Ruby K.
Published: April 2013

The purpose of this column is to describe the experience of teaching nursing theory in Uganda, Africa. The author is a nurse educator from the United States, who with support of a Fulbright grant was a visiting lecturer at Uganda Christian University in Mukono, Uganda. The students were two cohorts of Ugandan graduate nursing students. The account is presented as a case study in exploring the nature, justification, and utility of theory for nurses internationally. Teaching and discussion strategies are described as well as the philosophical and theoretical frameworks for analyzing and defending the building and use of theory in nursing. A convergence of evidence leads to a recognition of implicit theory as constituting the nurse’s clinical gaze.
Nursing Leadership and Health Policy
Authors: Clarke Pamela N. , Swider Susan , Bigley Mary Beth
Published: April 2013

National public health policy influencing the entire population is particularly exciting when nurses serve as key players informing the process. The leaders in this dialogue participated in the process by sharing their disciplinary knowledge and experience. They were selected to work with bureaucrats to design healthcare for the future. This dialogue among two nurse leaders demonstrates a path to top leadership in the United States. Swider and Bigley here share their stories of how they moved beyond clinical practice to involvement in their communities and the nation. Through public health and policy initiatives, both nurse leaders have helped shape healthcare to provide better patient-centered care at all levels. This dialogue not only shares their successes, but also sets the stage for others in nursing to use policy to transform healthcare for the future.
Cultivating a Spirit of Inquiry using a Nursing Leading-Following Model
Authors: Bournes Debra A.
Published: April 2013

Healthcare systems have cocreated an environment in which the vast majority of nurses in staff positions have not been expected to lead for quality healthcare services. Both the nature of their work and the busyness of their schedules have prevented staff nurses from being available to generate ideas and to lead innovations in patient care and quality work environments. The purpose of this paper is to illuminate how a nursing leading-following model emanating from Parse’s humanbecoming theory guided the enrichment of the context and practice of nursing in a large academic health science center by helping leaders to cultivate nurses’ capacity to lead research projects that address patient-centered care and quality of work-life. Nurses’ participation in an annual nursing research challenge is highlighted to demonstrate what happens when nurses in formal leadership positions focus on cultivating the capacity to lead and the spirit of inquiry among all nurses.
Paterson and Zderad’s Humanistic Theory
Authors: Silva Tahseen Nizam
Published: April 2013

This column represents the integration of a reflected nursing experience, an organizing theoretical framework, and the illumination from selected literature. The genesis of this work came with an invitation to recall a treasured story of caring in nursing practice. The story is situated within the nursing theoretical framework of Paterson and Zderad’s humanistic work. Relevant selections from the literature provide thematic insights into the meaning of caring as lived in nursing practice.
Nursing Theory
Authors: Karnick Paula M.
Published: April 2013

It is curious that emerging professional nurses have a limited understanding of nursing theory, not surprising, since many nursing programs have eliminated nursing theory from their curriculum. While reviewing Silva’s article for this column, there are noteworthy elements to consider.
Canadian Geopolitics in Post-Coup Honduras
Authors: Gordon Todd , Webber Jeffery R.
Published: April 2013

On 28 June 2009 moderately left-of-centre Honduran president, Manuel ‘Mel’ Zelaya, was overthrown in a military coup d’etat. The coup was followed by the systematic repression of anti-coup activists and the eventual election of current president, Porfirio ‘Pepe’ Lobo, amid that repression and in the absence of constitutional democracy. While critical scholarship on the international dynamics of the Honduran coup has discussed evidence of US involvement, Canada also actively intervened politically. Canada’s intervention has been marked by the bold promotion of the interests of Canadian capital operating in Honduras, as part of a wider geopolitical concern of the Canadian state to reproduce a political environment in Latin America amenable to the interests of Canadian investors. Using interviews with Honduran activists organizing against the coup and Canadian capital, as well as Canadian government documents obtained through Access to Information, this article explores the political-economic strategies of Canada’s post-coup intervention in Honduras.
An entropy-based method to evaluate plane form error for precision assembly
Authors: Jin Xin , Zuo Fuchang , Zhang Tingyu , Zhang Zhijing , Chen Jianfeng , Ye Xin
Published: April 2013

The minimum zone method is currently a traditional means for evaluating form error. However, it cannot reveal the effects of form error on the scale of assembly accuracy. To address this deficiency, however, considering the propagation of geometric error in assembly process, this article proposed an entropy-based evaluation method for plane form error for precision mechanical system, which includes primary evaluation, convex hull search, top plane establishment, local entropy analysis and obtaining comprehensive evaluation index. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method can evaluate the plane form distribution error, which suggests the assemblability of parts, with the same form errors accurately and stably.
Workpiece height estimation in wire electrical discharge machining by using support vector regression
Authors: Dou Shang-Cheng , Xi Xue-Cheng , Zhao Wan-Sheng
Published: April 2013

The risk of wire breakage adversely affects the full potential of wire electrical discharge machining since the overall process efficiency is considerably deteriorated. Online estimation of workpiece height can avoid wire breakage effectively as the estimated height can provide a reference for setting machining parameters so as to improve the machining speed and stability. In this article, a discharge frequency monitoring system based on voltage waveforms of wire electrical discharge machining is developed, and support vector regression is used to build up a model for online estimation of workpiece heights in wire electrical discharge machining. Experimental results show that besides at stairs of a workpiece where the value of estimation errors can reach up to 6 mm due to the poor flushing condition in machining, the developed model can successfully estimate the workpiece height with an estimation error of less than 2 mm. Based on the estimated workpiece height, the discharge frequency can be controlled at an optimal value without the risk of wire breakage when cutting a workpiece with a variable height.
Geometric variation simulation and robust design for flexible cables and hoses
Authors: Hermansson Tomas , Carlson Johan S , Björkenstam Staffan , Söderberg Rikard
Published: April 2013

This article presents how to do stability analysis, variation simulation and tolerance envelopes for deformable cables and hoses. In this way, the well-established methods for analyzing and minimizing the propagation of geometric variation are extended from rigid and sheet metal assemblies to large deformations of slender parts. This extension is highly motivated, not at least, by the increased amount of cables and hoses in electrified and hybrid solutions in the automotive industry. To secure the geometric correctness of the analysis, we use a nonlinear rod approach in the implementation of a simulation model of flexible cables that accounts for large deformations and supports a wide range of common cable clip types, cable joints and branches. A selection of measures and visualizations that reflect the spatial effects of geometric variation in deformable cables is incorporated in established variation analysis techniques. In particular, the concept of tolerance envelopes for rigid parts has been extended to also handle system of slender parts such as cables and hoses. This article extends previous research on robust design and variation simulation to cables subject to large deformations and has been successfully applied on two typical industrial cases: a wiring harness attached with various types of clips to a static surrounding and a cooler hose subjected to a high-frequency sampled engine motion.
High deposition rate pulse gas metal arc welding for Al 5083 thick plate
Authors: Lee Ki-Bae , Kim Cheolhee , Kim Dae-Soon
Published: April 2013

The recent rapid advances in digital inverter-based welding power sources have allowed the realization of pulse gas metal arc welding, which can achieve stable metal transfer even at low welding current and thus reduce heat input to the base material. Moreover, a tandem-wire process using two electrodes can dramatically increase welding productivity. In such a process, two pulse power sources are synchronized and the interference between the adjacent welding arcs is minimized. In this study, high deposition rate pulse welding for Al 5083 alloy was implemented by using Al 5183 wire of three different diameters—1.6, 2.4, and 3.2 mm. Unlike the single-wire process, tandem-wire welding was only implemented using 1.6-mm-diameter wire. The bead shape, deposition rate, process windows, and stability were evaluated for each process. The results indicate that large wire diameters and the tandem process are preferable for high deposition rates, and the penetration depth is dependent on the welding current and speed. The tandem process achieves a remarkably high deposition rate, but spatter generation at high-current levels needs to be addressed.
Series expansion-based state transition matrix for relative motion on eccentric orbits
Authors: Li Yafei , Liu Xiangdong
Published: April 2013

This paper considers the formation dynamics with the target satellite in an elliptic orbit. A new state transition matrix for the linearized equations of relative motion is presented by series expansion and some mathematical transformations. The state transition matrix is applicable to any eccentricity elliptic reference orbit. Besides, the state transition matrix is just related to the trigonometric function of the true anomaly of the target satellite, so it is easy to calculate. With the state transition matrix, the contribution of three-order nonlinearity in the differential gravitational acceleration on the relative motion is estimated by a perturbation approach. Numerical simulations are included to evaluate the proposed methods.
Fault diagnosis and fault-tolerant control for sampled-data attitude control systems: an indirect approach
Authors: Shen Yi , Wang Zhenhua , Zhang Xiaolei
Published: April 2013

This article proposes an indirect approach for fault diagnosis and fault-tolerant control in the satellite attitude control system with sampled-data measurements. The proposed method is based on a discrete-time approximation model of the continuous attitude dynamics. By considering the fault term as an auxiliary state vector, an augmented plant is constructed. Then an observer is designed to simultaneously estimate the system state vector and the fault term. Specifically, the observer design problem is reformulated as a set of linear matrix inequalities and can be conveniently solved by standard linear matrix inequality tools. The fault-tolerant controller is easily derived using the fault diagnosis result and the H∞ index is adopted to analyze the fault-tolerant control performance. Finally, numerical simulation results are given to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.
In vitro tests of substitute lubricants for wear testing orthopaedic biomaterials
Authors: Scholes Susan C , Joyce Thomas J
Published: April 2013

Bovine serum is the lubricant recommended by several international standards for the wear testing of orthopaedic biomaterials; however, there are issues over its use due to batch variation, degradation, cost and safety. For these reasons, alternative lubricants were investigated. A 50-station Super-CTPOD (circularly translating pin-on-disc) wear test rig was used, which applied multidirectional motion to ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene test pins rubbing against cobalt chromium discs. Thirteen possible alternative lubricants were tested. The use of soy protein as a lubricant gave statistically higher wear, while soya oil, olive oil, Channel Island milk, whole milk, whey, wheatgerm oil, 11 mg/mL egg white, albumin/globulin mix and albumin/globulin/chondroitin sulphate mix all gave statistically lower wear than bovine serum. The lubricants giving the closest wear results to bovine serum were 20 and 40 mg/mL egg white solutions. A light absorbance assay found that these egg white solutions suffered from a high degradation rate that increased with increasing protein content. While egg white solutions offer the best alternative lubricant to bovine serum due to the wear volumes produced, cost-effectiveness and safety of handling, protein degradation will still occur, leading to the need for regular lubricant replacement. Of the lubricants tested in this study, none were found to be superior to bovine serum.
Impact on practice of a British Association for Sexual Health and HIV Sexually Transmitted Infections Foundation (STIF) course: an audit of the first four years in Ireland
Authors: Calamai A , Howard R , Kelly R , Lambert J
Published: April 2013

In order to investigate the overall impact of the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV (BASHH) Sexually Transmitted Infections Foundation (STIF) course taught in Ireland since 2007, attendees were sent two questionnaires to investigate the overall impact of the course, its effect on clinical practice and the need for further education. Response rate was 19.4%. The majority found the course beneficial and that it did cover their practice needs (96.4%), with 83.6% saying that their confidence and technique in sexual history taking had improved. There was a 3.7% increase in the provision of HIV testing from precourse levels, although only 80% did so routinely; a 12.7% increase in syphilis testing; a 5.4% increase in testing for Chlamydia and a 12.7% increase for gonorrhoea. Some confusion seems to persist in relation to sexually transmitted infection (STI) risk factors. The second questionnaire tested STI knowledge. Most respondents scored well (average 81 % correct answers); however, respondents who attended four years previously scored, on average, 7% worse than the others, suggesting the need for a periodic update in the area of STI education.
Do enhanced sexual health services meet the needs of men who have sex with men?
Authors: Dabrera G , Johnson S A , Bailey A C , Cassell J A
Published: April 2013

Enhanced Sexual Health Services (ESHS) have the potential to widen access to sexual health services for populations in England. This study aimed to identify what provision was commissioned in ESHS for men who have sex with men (MSM). We undertook a web-based survey of Primary Care Trust (PCT) commissioners in the southeast of England, exploring what sexual health services were commissioned for MSM and comparing them with published standards. Fourteen of 17 PCTs (82%) responded. All PCTs identified at least one genitourinary (GU) medicine clinic and 13 identified at least one ESHS commissioned for their population. However no single ESHS provided the full range of essential services for MSM. Testing for Chlamydia (84.6% PCTs) and for HIV (69.2% PCTs) were most commonly provided in ESHS, while only 46% and 62% of PCTs had an ESHS commissioned to provide gonorrhoea testing and hepatitis B/syphilis serology testing respectively. Under two-thirds reported training of staff in the sexual health needs of MSM. ESHS are not commissioned to provide the full range of essential sexual health services for MSM. This needs to be addressed by improving staff training in these services and strengthening care pathways between ESHS and GU medicine clinics.
Rethinking the Extraverted Sales Ideal
Authors: Grant Adam M.
Published: April 2013

Despite the widespread assumption that extraverts are the most productive salespeople, research has shown weak and conflicting relationships between extraversion and sales performance. In light of these puzzling results, I propose that the relationship between extraversion and sales performance is not linear but curvilinear: Ambiverts achieve greater sales productivity than extraverts or introverts do. Because they naturally engage in a flexible pattern of talking and listening, ambiverts are likely to express sufficient assertiveness and enthusiasm to persuade and close a sale but are more inclined to listen to customers’ interests and less vulnerable to appearing too excited or overconfident. A study of 340 outbound-call-center representatives supported the predicted inverted-U-shaped relationship between extraversion and sales revenue. This research presents a fresh perspective on the personality traits that facilitate successful influence and offers novel insights for people in choosing jobs and for organizations in hiring and training employees.
RETRACTED: A Common Discrete Resource for Visual Working Memory and Visual Search
Authors: Anderson David E. , Vogel Edward K. , Awh Edward
Published: April 2013

The following article has been retracted by the Editor and publishers of Psychological Science:

Anderson, D. E., Vogel, E. K., & Awh, E. (2013). A common discrete resource for visual working memory and visual search. Psychological Science, 24, 929–938. doi:10.1177/0956797612464380
Writing Horses into American Civil War History
Authors: Phillips Gervase
Published: April 2013

Anthropomorphism has generally been considered a fitter device for poets and writers of sentimental literature than for historians. Yet mankind has largely moved beyond the arrogant dismissal of our fellow creatures as soulless machines, a divine gift for us to exploit without thought for their suffering or pain. Historians might now recognize that their, conventionally, most anthropocentric of disciplines needs to understand those animals that have contributed so much to shaping our past, to think with them and credit them with a perspective. Here, taking up the challenge laid down by the historian of the South African War Sandra Swart, an examination of the methodological issues surrounding the ‘writing in’ of animals into military history will identify an established tradition of ‘subaltern studies’ within the historiography of war, which has prepared the ground intellectually for the inclusion of non-human animals. Following this, a consideration of the experiences of horses during the American Civil War, informed by both contemporary records and modern equine science, will then demonstrate both the possibility, and the desirability, of according due attention to ‘animal soldiers’ in the writing of military history.
Environmental Insecurity and Social Friction: Links in Rural Odisha
Authors: Panda Haribandhu , Panda Smita Mishra , Lund Ragnhild
Published: April 2013

An attempt is made in this article to explore and build knowledge on the close linkage between environmental insecurity and social friction in the context of rural Odisha, particularly in the wake of neo-liberalist policies. Environmental insecurity and social friction are intertwined with destabilization of natural-resource–based livelihood system, reflected in degradation of land, forests and water, in many cases causing irreversible damage to the ecosystem. What is significant to note is that loss of natural resource base for livelihood has led to unemployment, underemployment of people dependent on such resources, increasing morbidity, distress migration and social disharmony and conflicts at family and community levels. Furthermore, there is transformation of the local social environment with the emergence of an elite group in the form of company officials, contractors, journalists, traders and police/government officials who begin to encroach and control the future of the local communities. One major issue emerges from the research—need for a holistic approach to understand the process of environmental scarcity induced social friction in developing possible strategies, institutions and policies to achieve the desired development goals, transformation of stakeholders and their relationships in a given context.
Sexual Risk Taking in a Community Sample of International Backpackers Visiting Brisbane, Australia
Authors: Fischer Jane A. , Debattista Joseph , Rostami Soulmaz , Peet Anthony R. , Dean Judith A. , Allen Kate E. , Stewart Mary
Published: April 2013

We sought to examine correlations between international backpackers’ alcohol consumption and sexual behaviors and determine the prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoea in this population. A cross-sectional study design consisting of a convenience sample (N = 168) of non-treatment-seeking international backpackers visiting Brisbane, Australia was recruited. Participants were asked to self-complete a questionnaire on sexual behavior and to undertake a urine-based polymerase chain reaction test for C trachomatis and N gonorrhoea. Since arriving in Australia, 73.2% reported having had sex, with a median number of 2 different sex partners (range = 0-21). Most participants had consumed alcohol (53.7%) and used condoms (46.3%) the last time they had sex. In our sample, there was a 4.3% prevalence of C trachomatis and a 0% prevalence of N gonorrhoea. This study identified a variable pattern of risk among backpackers, with those spending longer periods in the country more likely to have sex with Australians.
Inequality of the Use of Skilled Birth Assistance Among Rural Women in Bangladesh
Authors: Kamal S. M. Mostafa , Hassan Che Hashim , Kabir M. A.
Published: April 2013

This study examines the inequality of the use of skilled delivery assistance by the rural women of Bangladesh using the 2007 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey data. Simple cross-tabulation and univariate and multivariate statistical analyses were employed in the study. Overall, 56.1% of the women received at least one antenatal care visit, whereas only 13.2% births were assisted by skilled personnel. Findings revealed apparent inequality in using skilled delivery assistance by socioeconomic strata. Birth order, women’s education, religion, wealth index, region and antenatal care are important determinants of seeking skilled assistance. To ensure safe motherhood initiative, government should pay special attention to reduce inequality in seeking skilled delivery assistance. A strong focus on community-based and regional interventions is important in order to increase the utilization of safe maternal health care services in rural Bangladesh.
Sentinel Surveillance of Soil-Transmitted Helminthiasis in Preschool-Aged and School-Aged Children in Selected Local Government Units in the Philippines
Authors: Belizario Vicente Y. , Totañes Francis Isidore G. , de Leon Winifreda U. , Ciro Raezelle Nadine T. , Lumampao Yvonne F.
Published: April 2013

This study was a follow-up to the baseline nationwide survey of soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections in preschool-aged children in the Philippines and in school-aged children in selected sentinel sites to assess the Integrated Helminth Control Program of the Department of Health. The objective of the study was to describe the current prevalence and intensity of STH infections in preschool-aged and school-aged children in 6 sentinel provinces and to compare these data with baseline findings. A cross-sectional study design was used to determine the prevalence and intensity of STH infections. Parasitological assessment involved the examination of stool samples by the Kato-Katz method. Although parasitological parameters in the 2 age groups at follow-up showed significant reductions from the baseline, these parameters remained high despite 3 years of mass drug administration (MDA). Efforts toward achieving high MDA coverage rates, provision of clean water, environmental sanitation, and promotion of hygiene practices must be prioritized.
Engaging General Practitioners in Public–Private Mix Tuberculosis DOTS Program in an Urban Area in Pakistan
Authors: Pethani Amin , Zafar Mubashir , Khan Adeel Ahmed , Rabbani Sana Unaib , Ahmed Sana , Fatmi Zafar
Published: April 2013

A public–private mix tuberculosis (TB) DOTS project was implemented to enhance coverage and collaboration between the public and private sectors, with an objective to increase case detection and to improve TB case management in a large urban area. General practitioners (GPs) were trained to provide DOTS services. Patients were diagnosed and treated as per national guidelines and outcomes were reported to national TB control program. Treatment and sputum microscopy were provided free of cost. A total of 94 GPs were trained. In all, 57.4% of trained GPs remained actively involved in the project. Overall treatment success rate of the patients enrolled with the project was 86.3% with 8.7% default patients. Experience suggests that a more stringent selection criteria need to be followed for inclusion of GPs in the program to improve the success of the program. A multifaceted context specific approach is needed while working with private health care providers.
A prospective study of sheep and goat abortion using real-time polymerase chain reaction and cut point estimation shows Coxiella burnetii and Chlamydophila abortus infection concurrently with other major pathogens
Authors: Hazlett Murray J. , McDowall Rebeccah , DeLay Josepha , Stalker Margaret , McEwen Beverly , van Dreumel Tony , Spinato Maria , Binnington Brian , Slavic Durda , Carman Susy , Cai Hugh Y.
Published: April 2013

From 2009 to 2011, 163 sheep and 96 goat abortion submissions were received at the Animal Health Laboratory, University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada, for gross and histologic examination, as well as real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing for Chlamydophila abortus and/or Coxiella burnetii. Additional testing included immunohistochemistry for Toxoplasma gondii and Chlamydophila spp., routine bacterial culture and selective culture for Campylobacter spp., examination of modified acid-fast–stained placenta smears, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay testing for Chlamydophila spp., and virus isolation. The final diagnosis made for each case by individual pathologists, based on gross and histologic lesions, as well as ancillary testing, was used as a standard to determine the significance of C. abortus and C. burnetii infection. Coxiella burnetii was identified by real-time PCR in 113 of 163 (69.0%) and 72 of 96 (75%) sheep and goat abortion submissions, respectively, but was considered to be significant in causing abortion in only 11 of 113 (10%) sheep and 15 out of 72 (21%) goat submissions that tested positive. Chlamydophila abortus was identified by real-time PCR in 42 of 162 (26%) and 54 of 92 (59%) sheep and goat submissions, respectively, but was considered the cause of the abortion in 16 of 42 (38%) sheep and 34 of 54 (63%) goat submissions that tested positive. Optimal sensitivity and specificity cut points for the real-time PCR copy number for C. abortus and C. burnetii were determined using the final pathology diagnosis as the reference test.