bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
When His Ship Comes Home: The Stress of The Australian Seafarer's Partner
Authors: Foster Diane , Cacioppe Ron
Published: September 2013

This article explores the stress that the wives of Australian Merchant Navy men experience as a result of the seafarer's lifestyle. The article first describes the difficulties that the wife and family experience due to the long absence of the seafarer. An exploratory survey was conducted in which 52 partners of seafarers answered questions regarding the stress they and their family experience. In addition, data were collected on their work patterns, the effect of the lifestyle on their marriage and sexual relations.

While the sample obtained in this study was small, it did reveal several interesting problems associated with the seafaring family life. Eighty‐three per cent (83%) of seafarer's wives found it stressful before and after their husband was due to return home. In their roles as mothers, they also felt their children experienced considerable stress because of the seafarer's absence. Many women felt that the seafaring life caused difficulties in their marriage and 25 % of the wives believed that their husbands had or were having sexual relations outside their marriage. The results of this study offer a preliminary profile into some of the difficulties families experience as a result of the seafaring life.
“Do We Have A Customer?” — A Team Approach To Intake
Authors: Gray Bryan M. , Perry Ronald J.
Published: September 2013

This article examines some of the ambiguities surrounding requests for assistance in the voluntary sector. The authors have developed a team approach at the ‘intake’ stage for clients whose requests often demand a well‐thought‐out response in order, as Haley suggests we must, “to start well”. Some of the literature about ‘beginning with families’ is examined, and the complex issues of ‘engaging’ and ‘joining’ are discussed. It is suggested that not every ‘shopper’ is necessarily a ‘customer’ for our wares, but that they are almost certainly shopping for something.

‘Emergency’ and ‘crisis’ calls are distinguished, and different responses to each are indicated. Finally, the procedures used are described, within the context of this particular voluntary agency, so that readers may distinguish what could be applicable in different contexts.
The Go‐Between — Strategic Therapy with Teenagers in Separated Families*
Authors: Nicholson Susan
Published: September 2013

The adolescent's experience of divorce needs to be understood within a developmental and systemic framework. Problematic or symptomatic behaviour in teenagers from separated families often reflects on the family's difficulty in managing the transition to a new and different family organisation. The type of problem or symptom presented is shaped partly by the developmental characteristics of the adolescent period, as well as being indicative of unresolved problems within the broader family system. Problem resolution can often require the involvement of both separated parents and their children in a conjoint interview, in which case a strategic family therapy approach can be particularly useful. A strategic approach offers the therapist clear guidelines regarding the focus and process of the interview, and assists the therapist to be in charge whilst remaining neutral in the sense of not allying more with one side or another. Case illustrations are included of a strategic approach with teenagers and their separated families.
The Importance of Sibling Relationships in Separated Families
Authors: Waters Brent
Published: September 2013

There is emerging substantial evidence that sibling relationships exert a powerful facilitating influence on the development of children. Siblings can provide mutual support and nurturance, role models and family structure. Children from divorcing families have to deal with a major restructuring of the family and multiple losses, but their parents are often unable to provide the support and structure the children need. Sibling bonds may meet some of these needs and reassure children of the ultimate survival of a family life. The literature is briefly reviewed and two sibships are described.
Family Court Mediation: New Zealand Practices and Perspectives
Authors: Davidson G. P.
Published: September 2013

Family separation is increasingly being dealt with by counsellors trained in the skills of mediation, along with skills of counselling and therapy. Other professionals also offer mediation services. In New Zealand, special provisions exist in the Family Court system to minimise the trauma for families by using mediation services, with the special opportunity for a couple to enter a Mediation Conference chaired by a Family Court Judge. It is argued that mediation is different from counselling and therapy, but that mediation requires many of the skills of counselling. This has particular consequences for training and for multidisciplinary teamwork.
Transcultural Therapy with Aboriginal Families: Working with the Belief System*
Authors: Slattery Geraldine
Published: September 2013

A framework for conducting transcultural therapy with families is considered. This emphasises the importance of developing cultural sensitivity, competence, and the role of cultural consultants. The paper then applies this framework to Aboriginal families. The author explores the indigenous belief system about health and healing, demonstrating the importance of body, land and spirit to the Aboriginal people. Continuity and change in belief and health practices are then traced from the traditional setting to the mission or reserve and urban setting. A case study demonstrates how to work with this belief system and provides practical recommendations for family therapists. On a broader level the paper demonstrates the compatibility of systemic thinking to the Aboriginal world view and draws from the literature of transcultural psychiatry, geography, medical anthropology and family therapy.
The Way we Were — and Will Be
Authors: McCarthy Wendy
Published: September 2013

When extremists, both feminists and anti‐feminists, perpetrate the myth that equality means death to the family, women such as myself have a hard time working out what our real options are — and indeed what our real feelings are.

Some choose to opt out of families; some choose to make a lot of money pursuing their own careers; some choose to travel the country lecturing women that they don't need equal rights, just husbands to support them. But the underlying reality is no different for the most committed feminists and the most vocal defenders of the traditional family.
Predicting Assault by Juvenile Psychiatric Patients
Authors: Kelk Norman , Cintio Bronwyn
Published: September 2013

This paper reports a post hoc study of the symptoms reported on admission of day and in‐patient children, who subsequently proved to be violent to staff or other patients in a child and adolescent psychiatric hospital setting. Patients who were likely to be violent were easily identifiable from the data reported at the first interview. The early identification of such patients was thought to be of importance for their subsequent management, and for the maintenance of a safe environment within the hospital setting.
The Unmotivated, Unhappy and Unemployed. A Developmental Approach to the Individual Adult
Authors: Sanders Catherine
Published: September 2013

Adult clients who present with depression, lack of motivation and inability to work can challenge therapists' ability to be influential.

Demands by the wider system can lead the worker, into behaving in ways that perpetuate, rather than interrupt, these patterns and push the client further into poverty and despair.

An approach to dealing with such difficulties is described and various theoretical explanations offered to explain its success. A case study elaborates its application.
Separation Crises in Over‐Attached Families
Authors: Quadrio Carolyn , Levy Florence
Published: September 2013

Families are described as “over‐attached” whose members respond anxiously to the otherwise normal unfolding of separation‐individuation processes and in the absence of past traumatic separations. It is observed that “anxious attachment” occurs with over‐availability just as with under‐availability of attachment figures and that attachment is an intra‐familial process as well as a dyadic one.

A reformulation of Bowlby's attachment theory is required in order to encompass this systemic perspective, and to allow also for the integration of intrapsychic and extrapsychic process. Bowlby's control systems model need not stand in opposition to either systemic or psychoanalytic thinking.
Risky Business
Authors: Bryce Quentin
Published: September 2013

The author outlines the role and responsibilities of the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission, then considers the ethics and responsibilities of the family therapist, with particular reference to the Rights of children.
Marital Therapy My Way — Creating a Workable Reality
Authors: Churven Peter
Published: September 2013

This paper is one of a series in which experienced therapists were invited to outline their approach to marital therapy — Editor.
Health Differences Between Married Men and Women: The Contribution of Sex‐Role Stereotyping
Authors: Hafner R. Julian
Published: September 2013

Compared with married men, married women are nearly twice as likely to suffer from psychiatric disorder, although they have only half the annual mortality rate until about age 75, and their life expectancy is nearly 7 years greater. It is argued that sex‐role stereotyping contributes substantially to these major health differences between men and women. Some contemporary social and psychological factors that reinforce sex‐role stereotyping are discussed, together with some proposals for countering these.
Back and Forth and Beyond
Authors: Andersen Tom
Published: September 2013

The Journal invited Tom Andersen, author of major pioneering work on the reflecting team, and his colleagues, to offer comment on The Reflecting Team Process in Training. We thought such a north‐south dialogue was in keeping with the spirit of reflecting teams, and the team members in Melbourne and Tromsø agree — Editor.
Outcome Evaluation of Therapeutic Effectiveness
Authors: Nicholson Susan
Published: September 2013

Evaluation need not be a boring exercise, carried out under sufferance simply to please the demands of administration. Nor need it be so complicated that a research officer is required to undertake it. This article reports on an evaluation of therapeutic outcomes conducted by the Manly Warringah Adolescent Service. Apart from offering general evidence of therapeutic effectiveness, an evaluation of this kind has the potential for answering some of the more interesting questions posed by clinicians. It was discovered, for example, that there was a significant, positive association between the therapist's assessment of problem resolution at termination of therapy, and client's independent assessment made three months later. Support was also found for the practice of involving the family in therapy, with such an approach offering favourable results in fewer sessions and carrying with it the additional benefits of improved family relationships.
Tailing in Love with Ideas': An interview with Luigi Boscolo
Authors: Cornwell Max
Published: September 2013

Luigi Boscolo, psychiatrist and analyst, is one of the original Milan Associates whose practice, teaching and writing have had such a profound effect on the field of family therapy. Co‐author of several important and innovative papers, of Paradox and Counterparadox and of Milan Systemic Family Therapy: Conversations in Theory and Practice, he is co‐founder of Centro Milanese di Terapia della Famiglia. This interview was made very late one evening during his second visit to Australia, in July 1988.
Man who Catch Fly with Chopstick Accomplish Anything: Film in Therapy ‐ the Sequel
Authors: Christie Mimi , McGrath Mary
Published: September 2013

In the case that follows, the film The Karate Kid was used to help an eleven year old boy and his family distinguish between aggression and assertion and learn about the related issues of discipline, obedience, control and balance. The film provided a therapeutic metaphor which bypassed the restraints operating within the family system. Presented here is an outline of the steps in therapy including pre‐session information gathering and hypothesis formulation, an analysis of restraints in the family using the cybernetic model, and a description of how these were interwoven with the metaphor of the film to create a powerful therapeutic intervention.
A Review of Brief, Child‐Oriented Family Therapy Outcome Research: Descriptive Reports and Single Group Studies
Authors: Smyrnios Kosmas X. , Kirkby Robert J.
Published: September 2013

The present review concerned outcome research in brief child‐oriented family therapy. Eleven investigations in the categories of descriptive reports and single group studies were critically reviewed. Although most investigators claimed that brief family therapy was effective these claims must be judged in terms of the quality of the research. All studies were vulnerable to criticism according to the methodological criteria used in the present review. As might be expected with studies in these categories, problem areas included: lack of control procedures, statistical analysis, confounding of the therapeutic variables, baseline and outcome measurement techniques, and follow‐up procedures. The findings supported previous reports that carefully‐designed studies of psychotherapy with children and families were rare. Without such valid investigations the possible value of brief child‐orientated family therapy cannot be ascertained.
When Twos are Really Threes: The Triangular Dance in Couple Conflict
Authors: James Kerrie
Published: September 2013

In counselling couples therapists frequently observe a pattern of interaction in which one person wants greater intimacy and closeness, whereas the other wants increased distance. This paper examines the distancer‐pursuer pattern and its relationship to the triangulation of children, grandparents, in‐laws or friends. In therapy, interventions target the distancer‐pursuer pattern and problematic triangles. Therapy is based on an understanding of the evolution of the pattern in relation to gender, the initial context of the relationship and “life‐time” and “situational” positions.
The Value of Premarital Education
Authors: Senediak Christine
Published: September 2013

Premarital education programs have been designed with the aim of helping prospective spouses examine and evaluate their relationship prior to marriage. It is widely considered as preventative skills training and assumes that exposing couples to the skills to improve their relationship will help them deal with interpersonal difficulties as they arise. Skills commonly included in the programs involve communication, negotiation, problem‐solving and decision making. There are a number of problems identified with the current status of premarital education programs including the atheoretical nature of most programs, the lack of specific goals in the program format, and poor evaluation procedures which are used to examine effectiveness. Overall it is concluded that although the concept of preparation for marriage is a good one, the current value of these programs is limited. A personal account of one premarital education program is also provided.
The Aboriginal People: Literary Perspectives
Authors: Slattery Geraldine
Published: September 2013

There continues to be a worrying lack of material about family therapy with Aborigines, despite the massive difficulties experienced by Aboriginal people. A notable exception has been from Geraldine Slattery, whose original paper Transcultural Therapy with Aboriginal Families: Working with the Belief System was published by the Journal in 1987.

Here Geraldine reviews two recent publications by University of Queensland Press, which has a long record of publishing about our Aboriginal citizens. While these books are not specifically focused on family therapy, their central relevance will be obvious. — Editor.
A Re‐Introduction to Family Therapy Clarification of Three Schools
Authors: Hayes Heather
Published: September 2013

Family therapy is not easily understood, especially by the beginner therapist. This is not surprising given the confusing overlap between the various models and proliferation of new and often unexplained concepts and terms. This article serves to reverse this trend by presenting an overview of family therapy that can be understood by the novice. It clarifies the assumptions, terms, methods and goals of the main three schools of thought, namely structural, strategic and systemic. The similarities and differences between these schools are discussed and a summary table has been inserted for comparison purposes. A glossary has been included to assist the reader in defining commonly used terms and concepts.
Adelaide Conversations: echoes that resound
Authors: Stagoll Brian
Published: September 2013

Family therapy and Social Justice are vast words that condense (and obscure) many ideas, theories and practices. Family therapy in this country has been shaped by larger Australian conversations and movements around Social Justice, but the relations between Family Therapy and Social Justice are not simple. Looking back over ten years since our last Conference in Adelaide, I recall some personal and political experiences connecting Family Therapy and Social Justice, and go on to argue how newer post‐modernist and feminist currents might enrich the links, and “keep the conversation going”.
The “Zen Lady” An interview with Insoo Kim Berg
Authors: Hayes Heather
Published: September 2013

In May this year, Insoo Kim Berg was a visiting professor at Southern Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service in Adelaide. Heather Hayes spoke with Insoo about her work at the Brief Family Therapy Center, Milwaukee, where she is a co‐director.
Outside Expert Knowledge; An interview with Michael White
Authors: Wood Andrew
Published: September 2013

Michael White is an internationally renowned family therapist from Dulwich Centre in South Australia. In this interview, Michael discusses his ideas and experiences covering a wide range of topics including the re‐authoring process, changing roles of therapists and persons in therapy, the reflecting team, training, and the future of family therapy.
Raising the Stakes in Child‐at‐Risk Cases Eliciting and Maintaining Parents' Motivation
Authors: MacKinnon Laurie , James Kerrie
Published: September 2013

This paper, the third in a series concerned with family therapy in cases involving children at risk of abuse, describes an approach to maximising parents' interest and commitment to therapy. After overviewing the difficulties faced by therapists in working with parents who are notorious for their ‘resistance’, we provide guidelines for minimising the negative consequences of notification and for constructing therapeutic leverage in order to elicit and maintain parents' motivation throughout the course of therapy.
Anxiety Disorders and Family Therapy
Authors: Hafner R. Julian
Published: September 2013

The role of family therapy in anxiety disorders is controversial. Empirical data exist only in relation to agoraphobia and obsessive compulsive disorders. Experienced clinicians, generally working with complex cases, regard marital and family conflict as central to many cases, which require a family approach for optimal therapy. In contrast, research workers generally regard marital and family factors as irrelevant to treatment. This is because complex cases are usually excluded from empirical research. This leaves mainly uncomplicated cases without significant family conflicts, for which a family approach is rarely necessary. Techniques for treating anxiety disorders in a marital/family setting are outlined.
Becoming the Family Archivist
Authors: Crago Hugh
Published: September 2013

The author describes some of the ways in which conventional amateur family histories fail to portray the emotional realities of family life. Recent trends in biography and autobiography are explored briefly, and the possibility of a family history informed by systemic as well as psychoanalytic insights is considered. The author's own work, A Family in Time, attempts such a history. The author outlines his sources of information, both documentary and oral, and the special challenges posed by their interpretation. The decisions governing the ordering and selection of data for publication are explored, the author's aim being to present the facts in such a way that a systemic conception of family process over time will be implicit in the material. Implications for the author, for the family itself, and for therapists working with intergenerational process are briefly considered.
Responsiveness of the Child Health Questionnaire‐Parent Form in adolescents with non‐specific chronic pain or fatigue
Authors: Westendorp T. , Verbunt J.A. , Remerie S.C. , Smeets R.J.E.M.
Published: September 2013

Background

The Child Health Questionnaire (CHQ) is a widely used instrument for measuring health‐related quality of life covering both the physical and psychosocial domain. This study examined the responsiveness of the Dutch CHQ 50‐item Parent Form (PF50) in a sample of adolescents with chronic non‐specific pain and/or fatigue.

Method

Five different methods were used to calculate the responsiveness for the physical (PhS) and psychosocial (PsS) subscale of the CHQ‐50: standardized response mean (SRM), pooled effect sizes (ESs), standard error of measurement of agreement (SEMagreement), minimal detectable change (MDC) and the area under the receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve. For data analysis, the population was divided into two groups based on the parent's global perceived effect of treatment: a changed group (A) and an unchanged group (B).

Results

The responsiveness analyses were performed including 92 adolescents (88.0% girls; mean age 16.4 years). The SRMs are 2.89 and 1.01 for the PhS and PsS, respectively. Large ESs are found for group A (PhS = 3.30; PsS = 1.16). The method used for calculating SEMagreement results in a score of PhS = 18.92 and PsS = 11.39. The MDCs of PhS and PsS are 52.45 and 31.57, respectively. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) for PhS = 0.79 and for PsS = 0.64, and the corresponding optimal cut‐off points are 21.1 and 7.0.

Conclusion

Using the methods SRM, ES and AUC, the responsiveness of the CHQ‐PF50 in adolescents with non‐specific chronic pain or fatigue treated in a rehabilitation clinic is adequate for the physical scale and moderate for the psychosocial scale.
Pain and somatic symptoms are sequelae of sexual assault: Results of a prospective longitudinal study
Authors: Ulirsch J.C. , Ballina L.E. , Soward A.C. , Rossi C. , Hauda W. , Holbrook D. , Wheeler R. , Foley K.A. , Batts J. , Collette R. , Goodman E. , McLean S.A.
Published: September 2013

Background

Cross‐sectional studies have shown that chronic musculoskeletal pain and somatic symptoms are frequently reported by sexual assault (SA) survivors; however, prospective studies examining pain and somatic symptoms in the months after SA have not been performed.

Methods

Women SA survivors 18 years of age or older who presented for care within 48 h of SA were recruited. Pain in eight body regions (head and face, neck, breast, arms, abdomen, back, genital and pelvic, and legs) and 21 common somatic symptoms (e.g., headache, nausea, insomnia, persistent fatigue) were assessed (0–10 numeric rating scale in each body region) at the time of presentation, 1‐week, 6‐week and 3‐month interview. Post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms were assessed at the 6‐week and 3‐month interview.

Results

Clinically significant new or worsening pain (CSNWP) symptoms were common among study participants 6 weeks after SA [43/74, 58% (95% CI, 47–69%)] and 3 months after SA [40/67, 60% (95% CI, 48–71%)] and generally occurred in regions not experiencing trauma. Women SA survivors also experienced an increased burden of many common somatic symptoms: 8/21 (38%) and 11/21 (52%) common somatic symptoms showed a significant increase in severity 6 weeks and 3 months after SA, respectively. Correlations between PTSD, CSNWP and somatic symptoms were only low to moderate, suggesting that these outcomes are distinct.

Conclusions

New and/or clinically worsening pain and somatic symptoms, lasting at least 3 months, are sequelae of SA. Further studies investigating pain and somatic symptoms after SA are needed.
How Rhetorical Theories of Genre Address Common Core Writing Standards
Authors: Collin Ross
Published: September 2013

This article begins with a review of the forms of writing promoted in the Common Core State Standards. Across content areas, Common Core encourages teachers to attune students' writing to rhetorical concerns of audience, purpose, task, and disciplinary thinking. To address these concerns, teachers might take a rhetorical approach to the study of genres. In this view, genres are seen as resources writers use to build and act in particular situations. That is, genres help writers shape their writing to fit particular audiences, purposes, tasks, and forms of disciplinary thought. This article explains the rhetorical approach to genre studies by describing how particular genres (e.g. lab reports) are used by people to negotiate particular situations (e.g. labs in chemistry classes). Examples are offered throughout the article of how genre studies can be carried out in classrooms.
Antibacterial property expressed by a novel calcium phosphate glass
Authors: Liu Lela , Pushalkar Smruti , Saxena Deepak , LeGeros Racquel Z. , Zhang Yu
Published: September 2013

We have developed a calcium phosphate glass (CPG) doped with Zn2+ or F− or combined Zn2+ and F− ions, which are naturally found in the human body and play a dual role in bone formation and antibacterial activity. Previously, we have demonstrated that this family of CPGs has superior osteoconductive and resorbable properties in vivo. This study aimed to investigate the antibacterial property of CPGs incorporating Zn2+ and/or F−. We used Streptococcus mutans as a model organism because it is one of the major human oral pathogens and an early colonizer, and it has been associated with several oral infections, such as dental caries, periodontitis, and peri‐implantitis. CPGs of 0.01 and 0.05 g were incubated with S. mutans for 0, 2, 4, and 6 h. Serial dilutions were plated in triplicate and colony forming units were determined. The antimicrobial effect of CPG incorporating Zn2+ or F− was greater than CPG incorporating both these ions. CPG without doping produced a moderate antimicrobial effect. This family of CPGs, previously shown to promote new bone formation in vivo, is demonstrated to have superior bactericidal properties. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 102B: 423–429, 2014.
Sensitivity of downward longwave surface radiation to moisture and cloud changes in a high‐elevation region
Authors: Naud Catherine M. , Chen Yonghua , Rangwala Imtiaz , Miller James R.
Published: September 2013

Several studies have suggested enhanced rates of warming in high‐elevation regions since the latter half of the twentieth century. One of the potential reasons why enhanced rates of warming might occur at high elevations is the nonlinear relationship between downward longwave radiation (DLR) and specific humidity (q). Using ground‐based observations at a high‐elevation site in southwestern Colorado and coincident satellite‐borne cloud retrievals, the sensitivity of DLR to changes in q and cloud properties is examined and quantified using a neural network method. It is also used to explore how the sensitivity of DLR to q (dDLR/dq) is affected by cloud properties. When binned by season, dDLR/dq is maximum in winter and minimum in summer for both clear and cloudy skies. However, the cloudy‐sky sensitivities are smaller, primarily because (1) for both clear and cloudy skies dDLR/dq is proportional to 1/q, for q > 0.5 g kg−1, and (2) the seasonal values of q are on average larger in the cloudy‐sky cases than in clear‐sky cases. For a given value of q, dDLR/dq is slightly reduced in the presence of clouds and this reduction increases as q increases. In addition, DLR is found to be more sensitive to changes in cloud fraction when cloud fraction is large. In the limit of overcast skies, DLR sensitivity to optical thickness decreases as clouds become more opaque. These results are based on only one high‐elevation site, so the conclusions here need to be tested at other high‐elevation locations.
Sources of organic aerosol investigated using organic compounds as tracers measured during CalNex in Bakersfield
Authors: Zhao Yunliang , Kreisberg Nathan M. , Worton David R. , Isaacman Gabriel , Gentner Drew R. , Chan Arthur W. H. , Weber Robin J. , Liu Shang , Day Douglas A. , Russell Lynn M. , Hering Susanne V. , Goldstein Allen H.
Published: September 2013

To investigate the major sources of summertime organic aerosol (OA) and provide insights into secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation, positive matrix factorization analysis was performed on a large set of organic species measured during the California at the Nexus of Air Quality and Climate Change (CalNex) campaign in Bakersfield, CA. Six OA source factors were identified, including one representing primary organic aerosol (POA); four different types of SOA representing local, regional, and nighttime production; and one representing a complex mixture of additional OA sources that were not further resolvable. POA accounted for an average of 15% of measured OA. The complex mixture of additional OA sources contributed an average of 13% of measured OA. The combined contribution of four types of SOA to measured OA averaged 72% and varied diurnally from 78% during the day to 66% at night. Both regional and local SOA were significant contributors to measured OA during the day, but regional SOA was the larger one, especially in the afternoon. Although contributions to SOA from oxidation of biogenic gas‐phase compounds were less constrained, they were evident and dominantly occurred at night. The formation of SOA is indicated to be mainly through gas‐to‐particle condensation of gas‐phase oxidation products during the day. Our results indicate that effective control measures to reduce summertime OA in Bakersfield should focus on reducing sources of gas‐phase organics that serve as SOA precursors during the day, and it is more effective to reduce SOA precursors at the regional scale in the afternoon.
Estimates of fluvial erosion on Titan from sinuosity of lake shorelines
Authors: Tewelde Yodit , Perron J. Taylor , Ford Peter , Miller Scott , Black Benjamin
Published: September 2013

Titan has few impact craters, suggesting that its surface is geologically young. Titan's surface also has abundant landforms interpreted to be fluvial networks. Here we evaluate whether fluvial erosion has caused significant resurfacing by estimating the cumulative erosion around the margins of polar lakes. A scarcity of detailed topographic data makes it difficult to measure fluvial incision on Titan, but images of drowned fluvial features around the lake margins, where elevated levels of hydrocarbon liquids appear to have partly flooded fluvial valleys, offer a constraint on the topography. We mapped the shorelines of several lakes to obtain topographic contours that trace the fluvially dissected topography. We then used a numerical landscape evolution model to calibrate a relationship between contour sinuosity, which reflects the extent of fluvial valley incision, and cumulative erosion. We confirmed this relationship by analyzing a partially dissected surface adjacent to the Minnesota River, USA. Comparison of the mapped Titan contours with the sinuosity‐erosion relationship suggests that cumulative fluvial erosion around the margins of Titan's polar lakes, including Ligeia Mare, Kraken Mare, and Punga Mare in the north and Ontario Lacus in the south, ranges from 4% to 31% of the initial relief. Additional model simulations show that this amount of fluvial erosion does not render craters invisible at the resolution of currently available imagery, suggesting that fluvial erosion is not the only major resurfacing mechanism operating in Titan's polar regions.
Prevalence of multidrug‐resistant pseudomonas aeruginosa and carbapenem‐resistant enterobacteriaceae among specimens from hospitalized patients with pneumonia and bloodstream infections in the United States from 2000 to 2009
Authors: Zilberberg Marya D. , Shorr Andrew F.
Published: September 2013

BACKGROUND

Antimicrobial resistance complicates antibiotic selection. Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA), common in pneumonia and blood stream infections (BSIs), is frequently resistant to multiple antimicrobial classes. Carbapenem‐resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) have emerged as a pathogen of concern over the past decade.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the prevalence of CRE and multidrug‐resistant PA (MDR‐PA) in pneumonia and BSI hospitalizations.

DESIGN

Survey of data from a nationally representative sample of microbiology laboratories in 217 hospitals in the United States.

METHODS/SETTING

We examined Eurofins' The Surveillance Network database from 2000 to 2009 to explore the proportion of all PA in pneumonia and BSI that is MDR. We performed the same analysis for CRE as a proportion of Enterobacteriaceae. We defined MDR‐PA as any isolate resistant to ≥3 drug classes. Enterobacteriaceae were CRE if resistant to both a third generation cephalosporin and a carbapenem.

RESULTS

We identified 205,526 PA (187,343 pneumonia; 18,183 BSI) and 95,566 Enterobacteriaceae specimens (58,810 pneumonia; 36,756 BSI). The prevalence of MDR‐PA was ∼15‐fold higher than CRE in both infection types (pneumonia: 22.0% MDR‐PA vs 1.6% CRE; BSI: 14.7% MDR‐PA vs 1.1% CRE). There was a net rise in MDR‐PA as a proportion of all PA from 2000 to 2009 (BSI: 10.7%–13.5%; pneumonia: 19.2%–21.7%). The CRE phenotype emerged in 2002 in both infection types, peaking in 2008 at 3.6% in BSI and 5.3% in pneumonia, and stabilized thereafter.

CONCLUSIONS

Although CRE organisms have emerged as an important pathogen in BSI and pneumonia, MDR‐PA remains more prevalent in the United States. Journal of Hospital Medicine 2013;8:559–563. © 2013 Society of Hospital Medicine
Potential of computer‐aided diagnosis of high spectral and spatial resolution (HiSS) MRI in the classification of breast lesions
Authors: Bhooshan Neha , Giger Maryellen , Medved Milica , Li Hui , Wood Abbie , Yuan Yading , Lan Li , Marquez Angelica , Karczmar Greg , Newstead Gillian
Published: September 2013

Purpose

To compare the performance of computer‐aided diagnosis (CADx) analysis of precontrast high spectral and spatial resolution (HiSS) MRI to that of clinical dynamic contrast‐enhanced MRI (DCE‐MRI) in the diagnostic classification of breast lesions.

Materials and Methods

Thirty‐four malignant and seven benign lesions were scanned using two‐dimensional (2D) HiSS and clinical 4D DCE‐MRI protocols. Lesions were automatically segmented. Morphological features were calculated for HiSS, whereas both morphological and kinetic features were calculated for DCE‐MRI. After stepwise feature selection, Bayesian artificial neural networks merged selected features, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis evaluated the performance with leave‐one‐lesion‐out validation.

Results

AUC (area under the ROC curve) values of 0.92 ± 0.06 and 0.90 ± 0.05 were obtained using CADx on HiSS and DCE‐MRI, respectively, in the task of classifying benign and malignant lesions. While we failed to show that the higher HiSS performance was significantly better than DCE‐MRI, noninferiority testing confirmed that HiSS was not worse than DCE‐MRI.

Conclusion

CADx of HiSS (without contrast) performed similarly to CADx on clinical DCE‐MRI; thus, computerized analysis of HiSS may provide sufficient information for diagnostic classification. The results are clinically important for patients in whom contrast agent is contra‐indicated. Even in the limited acquisition mode of 2D single slice HiSS, by using quantitative image analysis to extract characteristics from the HiSS images, similar performance levels were obtained as compared with those from current clinical 4D DCE‐MRI. As HiSS acquisitions become possible in 3D, CADx methods can also be applied. Because HiSS and DCE‐MRI are based on different contrast mechanisms, the use of the two protocols in combination may increase diagnostic accuracy. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2014;39:59–67. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Cerebral arteriovenous malformation: Complex 3D hemodynamics and 3D blood flow alterations during staged embolization
Authors: Markl Michael , Wu Can , Hurley Michael C. , Ansari Sameer A. , Carroll Timothy J. , Rahme Rudy J. , Aoun Salah G. , Carr James , Batjer Hunt , Bendok Bernard R.
Published: September 2013

Complex hemodynamics in cerebral arteriovenous malformations (AVM) are thought to play a key role in their pathophysiology. We applied 4D flow magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for the detailed evaluation of AVM function at baseline and to investigate the impact of staged embolization on AVM hemodynamics in a patient with a Spetzler‐Martin grade III AVM. The patient underwent three embolization procedures resulting in >50% nidal casting and obliteration of several arteriovenous fistulae. 4D flow MRI demonstrated highly complex 3D hemodynamics at baseline and revealed intricate arterial feeding, a large vascularized nidus with high variability in regional blood flow velocities, and clearly visible venous drainage with high flow velocities above 50 cm/s. 3D blood flow visualization and quantification during follow‐up illustrated the systemic impact of focal embolization on cerebral hemodynamics resulting in compaction of the AVM, redistribution of blood flow velocities, and altered peak flow velocities and blood flow in multiple vascular territories. 4D flow MRI may offer a useful noninvasive tool to help to identify subtleties and nuances of the quantitative hemodynamic alterations in AVM vascular architecture as a supplement to established imaging modalities. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2013;38:946–950. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Soluble IL‐2 receptor and beta‐2 microglobulin as possible serologic markers of neurologic disease in HTLV‐1 infection
Authors: Toledo‐Cornell Cristina , Santos Silvane , Orge Gloria , Glesby Marshall J. , Carvalho Edgar M.
Published: September 2013

The human T‐cell leukemia virus (HTLV‐1) is the causative agent of a variety of neurologic diseases, including HTLV‐1 Associated Myelopathy (HAM/TSP) and overactive bladder. Investigation of immune markers such as soluble interleukin‐2 receptor (sIL‐2R) and beta‐2 microglobulin (B2M) has shown some promising results in distinguishing patients with neurologic disease from those with carrier status. The objective of the present study was to determine if plasma levels of sIL‐2R and B2M are markers of neurologic disease in individuals infected with HTLV‐1. The present study was divided into two parts. A cross‐sectional study and a nested case control study. In the cross‐sectional study, HAM/TSP patients had higher plasma levels of B2M and sIL‐2R than patients with overactive bladder and HTLV‐1 carriers (P < 0.01 for all comparisons). For the nested case control study, the sIL‐2 receptor test was able to distinguish patients with HAM/TSP from patients in the combined group of carriers and patients with overactive bladder with a sensitivity of 75.8% and false positive rate of 25.4%. Plasma levels of these markers did not change with the development of HAM/TSP and overactive bladder in HTLV‐1 carrier patients. The present study has shown the importance of sIL‐2 receptor in helping identifying HAM/TSP. However, the levels of these makers did not change significantly with the development of neurologic disease. J. Med. Virol. 86:315–321, 2014. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Characterization of the NSP4 gene of group A human rotavirus G1P[8] strains circulating in Sapporo, Japan from 1987 to 2000
Authors: Tatsumi Masatoshi , Nagaoka Yoshinobu , Tsugawa Takeshi , Yoto Yuko , Hori Tsukasa , Tsutsumi Hiroyuki
Published: September 2013

The genetic diversity of the NSP4 gene of rotavirus G1P[8] strains obtained in Sapporo was analyzed, Japan from 1987 to 2000. Sixty‐four strains, which were distributed across the whole study period, were included. All G1P[8] NSP4 genes detected in this study belonged to genotype E1, which divided into at least three lineages. The Sapporo rotavirus G1P[8] isolates were found in each lineage. The mean estimated substitution rate was 1.40 × 10−3 nucleotide substitutions per site per year, which was comparable to that of the G1P[8] VP7 gene. Comparison of the deduced NSP4 amino acid sequences showed genetic diversity at the center of antigenic site II, but not in the enterotoxic domain. This report represents the first investigation of the genetic diversity and evolution of group A rotavirus NSP4 genes in Asia. J. Med. Virol. 86:354–359, 2014. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Comparison of two quantitative real‐time CMV‐PCR tests calibrated against the 1st WHO international standard for viral load monitoring of renal transplant patients
Authors: Mannonen Laura , Loginov Raisa , Helanterä Ilkka , Dumoulin Alexis , Vilchez Regis A. , Cobb Bryan , Hirsch Hans H. , Lautenschlager Irmeli
Published: September 2013

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) replication in organ transplant recipients is commonly diagnosed by quantitative PCR methods. However, there has been a poor inter‐laboratory correlation of viral load values due to the lack of an international reference standard. In a recent study, the COBAS® AmpliPrep/COBAS® TaqMan® (CAP/CTM) CMV test calibrated to the 1st WHO CMV standard, showed good reproducibility in CMV load values across multiple laboratories. Fifty‐seven follow‐up plasma specimens from 10 kidney transplant recipients with CMV replication were examined using the new quantitative CAP/CTM CMV test and the “in‐house” quantitative CMV real‐time PCR method, also calibrated against the 1st WHO CMV standard for their clinical applicability for monitoring CMV load in renal transplant patients. By CAP/CTM CMV test 49/57 specimens were CMV‐DNA positive compared to 44/57 by the “in‐house” PCR test. The “in‐house” PCR and CAP/CTM CMV test correlated well in monitoring individual kidney transplant patients. Conversion of the CMV‐DNA copies to IUs made the results of the “in‐house” PCR and CAP/CTM CMV test less uniform in analysis of the patient samples. In specimens of one patient, significant underquantification of CMV load with “in‐house” PCR emerged during follow‐up due to a point mutation in the “in‐house” PCR primer sequence. The CAP/CTM CMV test was found suitable for diagnosing and monitoring CMV replication in renal transplant patients. Multicenter studies are needed to provide more information of the commutability of the 1st WHO CMV standard and to define the clinical thresholds. J. Med. Virol. 86:576–584, 2014. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Isolation of cross‐reactive human monoclonal antibodies that prevent binding of human noroviruses to histo‐blood group antigens
Authors: Higo‐Moriguchi Kyoko , Shirato Haruko , Someya Yuichi , Kurosawa Yoshikazu , Takeda Naokazu , Taniguchi Koki
Published: September 2013

In order to identify the repertoire of antibodies generated on natural infection of norovirus (NoV) in humans, and to characterize the human monoclonal antibodies against NoV, three phage‐displayed antibody libraries originating from healthy person(s) were screened using purified virus‐like particles (VLPs) of strain Narita 104 (r104, genogroup II, genotype 4) or strain Chiba 407 (rCV, genogroup I, genotype 4) as antigens. On screening with r104, 62 clones were isolated. Among these antibodies, two clones, 12A11 and 12B10, showed intra‐genogroup cross‐reactivity to genotypes 1, 3–7, 12, and 14, and genotypes 1, 4, 6, and 7 of genogroup II, respectively. In addition, antibodies belonging to the same group were isolated from two different libraries. On screening with rCV, five clones were isolated, two of which were cross‐reactive. One, CV‐2F5, reacted to genotypes 1–4, and 8 of genogroup I, and the other, CV‐1A5, showed inter‐genogroup cross‐reactivity to all the VLPs employed in this study. The blocking activities of the monoclonal antibodies against the interaction of homotypic VLPs (VLPs used in the panning procedure) with histo‐blood group antigens were also assessed as an alternative to neutralization assay. Although the blocking activity of 12A11 was partially limited 12B10 prevented the binding of r104 to histo‐blood group antigens that had been reported to bind r104. The blocking activity of CV‐2F5 against the attachment of rCV to suitable histo‐blood group antigens was weak, but the blocking activity of CV‐1A5 was well recognized. Thus, 12B10 and CV‐1A5 were suggested to be cross‐reactive monoclonal antibodies with neutralizing activity. J. Med. Virol. 86:558–567, 2014. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Towards a high‐resolution climatography of seasonal precipitation over Israel
Authors: Rostkier‐Edelstein D. , Liu Y. , Wu W. , Kunin P. , Givati A. , Ge M.
Published: September 2013

This study demonstrates the capability of the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model with four‐dimensional data assimilation (WRF‐FDDA) to produce a high‐resolution climatography of seasonal precipitation over Israel and the surrounding areas. The system was used to dynamically downscale global Climate Forecast System (CFS) reanalysis with continuous assimilation of conventional and unconventional observations. Precipitation seasons (December‐January‐February) in 7 years, including two extreme dry and wet seasons observed in the past decades, were generated at 2‐km spatial resolution. Verification against rain‐gauge observations shows that the WRF‐FDDA system effectively reproduces the spatial and inter‐annual variability, as well as the timing, intensity, and length of wet and dry spells. The best agreement between model and observations was obtained at areas dominated by complex terrain, illustrating the benefit of the high‐resolution lower boundary forcing in the dynamical downscaling process. In contrast, some biases were observed over coastal‐flat terrain. The model was able to reproduce some of the extreme events, but exhibited limitations in the case of rare events. This specific discrepancy between the model and observations suggests that further fine tuning and different model configurations may be needed to correctly simulate extreme events. The use of an objective weather‐regimes verification procedure reveals the skill of the climatography for different types of extra‐tropical cyclones: while biases are larger at coastal‐flat areas under shallow‐cyclonic conditions, deep‐cyclonic conditions lead to more significant biases in complex terrain regions. The weather‐regimes dependent information may be used for further calibration of the downscaled precipitation.
Raman study of cation effect on sulfate vibration modes in solid state and in aqueous solutions
Authors: Ben Mabrouk Kawther , Kauffmann Thomas H. , Aroui Hassen , Fontana Marc D.
Published: September 2013

Raman spectra of potassium, sodium, and ammonium sulfates (K2SO4, Na2SO4, and (NH4)2SO4) are reported and analyzed. These sulfates have been investigated under two states: solid (anhydrous and hydrated) salts and aqueous solutions. The effects of monovalent ions (K+, Na+, and NH4+) and hydration on the position of Raman lines assigned to internal vibrations of sulfate anion SO42− are discussed. In solid salts, the line position of each Raman peak is shown to decrease with increasing radius of the cation. The main ν1 mode of sulfate molecule is particularly affected. It is emphasized that this sensitivity in solid sulfates vanishes in aqueous solutions. As a consequence, this mode can be probed by Raman spectroscopy as the main signature of SO42− to determine its concentration within a single calibration. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.