bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Systematic Comparison of ENSO Teleconnection Patterns between Models and Observations
Authors: Yang Xiaosong , DelSole Timothy
Published: July 2011

This paper applies a new field significance test to establish the existence and consistency of ENSO teleconnection patterns across models and observations. An ENSO teleconnection pattern is defined as a field of regression coefficients between an index of the tropical Pacific sea surface temperature and a field of variables such as surface air temperature or precipitation. The test is applied to boreal winter and summer in six continents using observations and hindcasts from the Development of a European Multimodel Ensemble System for Seasonal-to-Interannual Prediction (DEMETER) and the ENSEMBLE-based predictions of climate changes and their impacts (ENSEMBLES) projects. This comparison represents one of the most comprehensive and up-to-date assessments of the extent to which ENSO teleconnection patterns exist and can be reproduced by coupled models.

Statistically significant ENSO teleconnection patterns are detected in both observations and models and in all continents and in both winter and summer seasons, except in two cases: 1) Europe (both seasons and variables), and 2) North America (both variables in boreal summer). Despite many ENSO teleconnection patterns being significant, however, the patterns do not necessarily agree between observations and models. The degree of agreement between models and observations is characterized as “robust,” “moderate,” or “low.” Only Australia and South America are found to have robust agreement between ENSO teleconnection patterns, and then only for limited seasons and variables. Although many of our conclusions regarding teleconnection patterns conform to previous studies, there are exceptions, including the fact that the teleconnection for boreal winter precipitation is generally accepted to exist in Africa but in fact has only low agreement with model simulations, while that in Asia is not widely recognized to exist but is found to be significant and in moderate agreement with model teleconnections.
Do Climate Models Capture the Tropical Influences on North Pacific Sea Surface Temperature Variability?
Authors: Lienert Fabian , Fyfe John C. , Merryfield William J.
Published: July 2011

This study evaluates the ability of global climate models to reproduce observed tropical influences on North Pacific Ocean sea surface temperature variability. In an ensemble of climate models, the study finds that the simulated North Pacific response to El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) forcing is systematically delayed relative to the observed response because of winter and spring mixed layers in the North Pacific that are too deep and air–sea feedbacks that are too weak. Model biases in mixed layer depth and air–sea feedbacks are also associated with a model mean ENSO-related signal in the North Pacific whose amplitude is overestimated by about 30%. The study also shows that simulated North Pacific variability has more power at lower frequencies than is observed because of model errors originating in the tropics and extratropics. Implications of these results for predictions on seasonal, decadal, and longer time scales are discussed.
Energy Flux and Dissipation in Luzon Strait: Two Tales of Two Ridges
Authors: Alford Matthew H. , MacKinnon Jennifer A. , Nash Jonathan D. , Simmons Harper , Pickering Andy , Klymak Jody M. , Pinkel Robert , Sun Oliver , Rainville Luc , Musgrave Ruth , Beitzel Tamara , Fu Ke-Hsien , Lu Chung-Wei
Published: July 2011

Internal tide generation, propagation, and dissipation are investigated in Luzon Strait, a system of two quasi-parallel ridges situated between Taiwan and the Philippines. Two profiling moorings deployed for about 20 days and a set of nineteen 36-h lowered ADCP–CTD time series stations allowed separate measurement of diurnal and semidiurnal internal tide signals. Measurements were concentrated on a northern line, where the ridge spacing was approximately equal to the mode-1 wavelength for semidiurnal motions, and a southern line, where the spacing was approximately two-thirds that. The authors contrast the two sites to emphasize the potential importance of resonance between generation sites. Throughout Luzon Strait, baroclinic energy, energy fluxes, and turbulent dissipation were some of the strongest ever measured. Peak-to-peak baroclinic velocity and vertical displacements often exceeded 2 m s−1 and 300 m, respectively. Energy fluxes exceeding 60 kW m−1 were measured at spring tide at the western end of the southern line. On the northern line, where the western ridge generates appreciable eastward-moving signals, net energy flux between the ridges was much smaller, exhibiting a nearly standing wave pattern. Overturns tens to hundreds of meters high were observed at almost all stations. Associated dissipation was elevated in the bottom 500–1000 m but was strongest by far atop the western ridge on the northern line, where >500-m overturns resulted in dissipation exceeding 2 × 10−6 W kg−1 (implying diapycnal diffusivity Kρ > 0.2 m2 s−1). Integrated dissipation at this location is comparable to conversion and flux divergence terms in the energy budget. The authors speculate that resonance between the two ridges may partly explain the energetic motions and heightened dissipation.
Verification of a Multimodel Storm Surge Ensemble around New York City and Long Island for the Cool Season
Authors: Di Liberto Tom , Colle Brian A. , Georgas Nickitas , Blumberg Alan F. , Taylor Arthur A.
Published: July 2011

Three real-time storm surge forecasting systems [the eight-member Stony Brook ensemble (SBSS), the Stevens Institute of Technology’s New York Harbor Observing and Prediction System (SIT-NYHOPS), and the NOAA Extratropical Storm Surge (NOAA-ET) model] are verified for 74 available days during the 2007–08 and 2008–09 cool seasons for five stations around the New York City–Long Island region. For the raw storm surge forecasts, the SIT-NYHOPS model has the lowest root-mean-square errors (RMSEs) on average, while the NOAA-ET has the largest RMSEs after hour 24 as a result of a relatively large negative surge bias. The SIT-NYHOPS and SBSS also have a slight negative surge bias after hour 24. Many of the underpredicted surges in the SBSS ensemble are associated with large waves at an offshore buoy, thus illustrating the potential importance of nearshore wave breaking (radiation stresses) on the surge predictions. A bias correction using the last 5 days of predictions (BC) removes most of the surge bias in the NOAA-ET model, with the NOAA-ET-BC having a similar level of accuracy as the SIT-NYHOPS-BC for positive surges. A multimodel surge ensemble (ENS-3) comprising the SBSS control member, SIT-NYHOPS, and NOAA-ET models has a better degree of deterministic accuracy than any individual member. Probabilistically, the ALL ensemble (eight SBSS members, SIT-NYHOPS, and NOAA-ET) is underdispersed and does not improve after applying a bias correction. The ENS-3 improves the Brier skill score (BSS) relative to the best deterministic member (SIT-NYHOPS), and the ENS-3 has a larger BSS and better reliability than the SBSS and ALL ensembles, thus illustrating the benefits of a multimodel storm surge ensemble.
“Capital of Despair”
Authors: Zhurzhenko Tatiana
Published: July 2011

The Great Famine of 1932—33, known in Ukraine as the Holodomor and silenced for decades by the Soviet regime, holds a special place in national memory. It was after the Orange Revolution that the Holodomor became the core of a new identity politics, which conceptualized the Ukrainian nation as a “postgenocide” community, a collective victim of the Communist regime. But the official interpretation of the Famine as a genocide met ambivalent responses in the regions. While formally complying with the official political line, the regional political elites in Eastern and Southern Ukraine often refused to accept the official interpretation of history and sabotaged orders coming from Kyiv. The present article focuses on the official commemoration of the seventy-fifth anniversary of the Holodomor in Kharkiv, the former capital of Soviet Ukraine and epicenter of the famine. The “memory wars” in Kharkiv during 2006 to 2009 have revealed more than just tensions between the center promoting a new national identity and a reluctant “Sovietized” region adhering to its political mentality and commemorative culture. In fact, the official narrative of the Holodomor as a genocide and the corresponding memory regime have been contested, renegotiated, and modified on the regional level, through the conflicts and the bargaining of the local political actors. The borderland identity of Kharkiv, its geographic proximity to Russia, added an international dimension to the local memory wars as the Holodomor issue became a stumbling block in Ukrainian-Russian relations.
Wartime Lies and Other Testimonies
Authors: Bartov Omer
Published: July 2011

This article analyzes events in the East Galician town of Buczacz during World War II on the basis of wartime and postwar accounts by the Jewish, Ukrainian, and Polish inhabitants of the town. The article argues that such testimonies should be treated as historical documents and that they are valuable in reconstructing the events of genocide and communal massacre during the German occupation of Eastern Europe both because they provide different insights into these events from those available in official documentation and because they “save” from oblivion events that cannot be found at all in other documents.
Discourse of Treason in Occupied Poland
Authors: Haska Agnieszka
Published: July 2011

During the Second World War, Polish underground organizations created a catalogue of behaviors that qualified as treason against the Polish nation. The rules covered everyday behaviors as well as boycotts of the press, cinema, theater, and the German language. These guidelines—appearing in both codified form and as articles and judgments printed in the underground press—constituted the discourse on treason in occupied Poland. The article presents this discourse, describing its main problems and modifications during the occupation period in an attempt to encompass all spheres of social, cultural, and economic life.
Cold roll bonding bond strengths: Review
Authors: Jamaati R , Toroghinejad M R
Published: July 2011

Cold roll bonding (CRB), a well established and widely used manufacturing process, is a solid state bonding process to join similar and dissimilar metals. The present work offers a review of the CRB process and effective parameters on bond strength of cold roll bonded materials. The effects of different amounts of reduction in thickness, annealing treatment, initial thickness, rolling speed, rolling direction, friction coefficient and presence of particles between strips on bond strength were evaluated. It was found that higher reduction in thickness and friction coefficient, lower initial thickness, rolling speed and amount of particles were the important factors involved in improving bond strength. In addition, annealing treatment before and/or after the CRB process increased bond strength, while the effect of prerolling annealing was more pronounced. Finally, it has been indicated that bond strength of cold roll bonded fcc materials is stronger than that of the bcc and hcp materials.
Wetting behaviour and interfacial microstructure of Sn–Ag–Zn solder alloys on nickel coated aluminium substrates
Authors: Satyanarayan  , Prabhu K N
Published: July 2011

Wetting behaviours of two lead free solders (Sn–2·625Ag–2·25Zn and Sn–1·75Ag–4·5Zn) on nickel coated aluminium substrates were investigated. Sn–2·625Ag–2·25Zn exhibited better wettability compared to Sn–1·75Ag–4·5Zn solder. Contact angles of the solders increased with increasing roughness of the substrate. The Young–Dupre equation was used to evaluate the work of adhesion of solder on the substrate. Sn–2·625Ag–2·25Zn solder exhibited higher work of adhesion than Sn–1·75Ag–4·5Zn. A thin continuous layer of Ni3Sn was detected at the interface between Sn–2·625Ag–2·25Zn solder and nickel coated Al substrate. Sn–1·75Ag–4·5Zn solder exhibited scallop intermetallic compounds (IMCs) growing into the solder field as well as a thin continuous IMC in some cases. Ni3Sn and Ni3Sn4 IMCs were observed at the interface of Sn–1·75Ag–4·5Zn solder and nickel coated Al.
Novel approaches to multiscale modelling in materials science
Authors: Elliott J A
Published: July 2011

Computational modelling techniques are now widely employed in materials science, due to recent advances in computing power and simulation methodologies, since they can enable rapid testing of theoretical predictions or understanding of complex experimental data at relatively low cost. However, many problems at the leading edge of materials science involve collective phenomena that occur over a range of time and length scales which are intrinsically difficult to capture in a single simulation. This review summarises some of the latest developments in multiscale modelling techniques over the past decade, as applied to selected problems in materials science and engineering, thereby motivating the reader to explore how such techniques might be applied in their own area of specialty. Methods for accelerating molecular dynamics by enhancement of kinetic barrier crossing, such as hyperdynamics and metadynamics, are discussed alongside mesoscale simulation techniques, such as dissipative particle dynamics or adaptive coarse graining, for enabling larger and longer simulations. The applications are mainly focused on simulations of microstructure and mechanical properties, and examples of surface diffusion in metals, radiation damage in ceramics, strengthening of nanocrystalline metals and alloys, crack propagation in brittle solids, polymer chain relaxation in nanocomposites and the control of nucleation in biomimetic materials are discussed.
Guidelines for establishment of correlations between mechanical properties and microstructure in Al–Si alloys
Authors: Silva F S , Chirita G , Costa N , Stefanescu I , Soares D
Published: July 2011

This paper reports an analysis of the accuracy and sensitivity of ultimate tensile strength and strain to failure to changes in microstructure constituents in Al–Si alloys ranging from 7 to 18%Si. The influence of amount of constituents, namely dendrites, eutectic, silicon particles and intermetallics as well as their geometrical features, namely secondary dendrite arm spacing, silicon eutectic thickness and intermetallics thickness on both ultimate tensile strength and strain to failure is evaluated. This study provides information that will be useful in the establishment of robust correlations between mechanical properties and metallurgical features, since they are highly dependent on their sensitivity and accuracy.
Laser gas assisted melting of preprepared alumina surface including TiC particles at surface
Authors: Yilbas B S , Akhtar S S , Karatas C
Published: July 2011

Laser gas assisted remelting of prepared alumina surface is carried out. In the prepreparation cycle, carbon film containing TiC particles of 50 μm thickness is formed at the alumina surface. Laser controlled melting is carried out on the preprepared alumina surface at high pressure nitrogen environment. The microstructural and morphological changes in the laser treated section are examined using optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The microhardness of the resulting surface is measured, and the residual stress developed in the surface is determined from the XRD technique. ABAQUS code is used to predict the temperature and stress fields in the laser treated region. It is found that a dense structure containing undissolved TiC particles is formed in the surface region of the laser treated layer. The nitride compounds of AlN and Al(C, N) are formed at the surface during the laser treatment process. The columnar structure is formed beneath the dense structure. The predictions of residual stress agree with the results obtained from the XRD technique.
The Voices of Good and Evil: What Is Enlightenment? Rereading Lu Xun's “Toward a Refutation of Malevolent Voices”
Authors: Hui Wang
Published: July 2011

Wang Hui's essay explaining “Toward a Refutation of Malevolent Voices,” Lu Xun's dense 1908 meditation on the cultural dilemmas China could no longer put off facing, is the first work to offer a comprehensive reading of this important text. Discussing the treatise in deep historical context, Wang begins by addressing the convoluted archaic language that Lu Xun chose for his writing, demonstrating that this choice represented the writer's protest against the calcification that he saw as having come to characterize all registers of Chinese written expression—the ordinary classical used for most writing as well as the vernacular—by the end of the nineteenth century. While the turn to the vernacular has generally been seen as the sine qua non of the expansion of popular knowledge in modern China, Wang Hui finds Lu Xun arguing that any abandonment of deeply rooted indigenous linguistic form would result in China merely pursuing an elite-driven rationality at the expense of allowing it to develop its own particular subjective agency.

Wang Hui also takes on perhaps the most controversial aspect of Lu Xun's essay—the defense of popular “superstition” against the attempts to suppress it by what he referred to as the “hypocritical gentry.” In Wang's analysis, Lu Xun's notion of “superstition” emerges as the fount of popular imagination, the only real bulwark against an emerging scientism that was essentially but the latest means of social control and that threatened to make impossible any alternatives to an agenda of “modernity” driven exclusively by Western models.
Kant's Kiss: Reflections on the Philosophy of Lifestyle
Authors: Clarke Eric O.
Published: July 2011

Widespread critical efforts to understand modernity rely upon the term lifestyle. Studying this use shows both scholars' ambiguous moral relation to the modern and, as important, their uneasy relation to morals and morality and a deep uncertainty about their nature. Historically, lifestyle, since its first appearances in Western social thought, served as a basis for expressed judgment of social forms and practices. Discursively, lifestyle within social thought both justified and sustained the normative conception of an ideal citizen. Taking up three motifs within this history—the links between morality and reason; the commonplace that associates lifestyle with queer acts and persons; and the conflation of character with identity—discloses both the problems of this discourse and the truths it exposes. Starting with a discussion of an important episode become trope in Kant's biography, we see that such categorical determinations belie the very concept of lifestyle and its use as a constitutive term. Its use plunges us into an error in which we wrongly confound dominant and proprietary demarcations of the relation between thinking and “experience.” Finally, this analysis reminds us that normative notions of the “human” cannot and do not capture the creative and generative elements of intelligence and experience that a critical reading of the association between “queer” and “lifestyle” affords.
Better City, Better Life
Authors: Connery Christopher
Published: July 2011

The 2010 Shanghai World Expo lasted from May 1 through October 31, 2010, and represented a tremendous mobilization of capital, human resources, and urban restructuring. It was in every respect a massive spectacle, giving its 70-plus million attendees (overwhelmingly from the PRC) a vision of contemporary and future Chinese and global urbanism, as well as signifying to the world, as the Beijing Olympics had done, China's massive presence in the global arena. Ideologically, its thematics of material and architectural innovation, sustainability, harmoniousness, urban order, cultural heritage, and the ubiquitous and all-inclusive virtue of “civilization” (wenming) provided a comprehensive vision of a new, urban-centered, globalized China. The particular erasures, contradictions, and inconsistencies in the Shanghai Expo's vision of futurity, as well as the nature of expo attendees' varied experiences of the spectacle, provide important insights not only into the nature of the party-state's ideological project and the citizenry's experience of that project, but also into some wider questions about the fate of the future in our current period.
Analysis of Kinetic Behavior of Protein Crystallization in Nanodroplets
Authors: Maeki Masatoshi , Yamaguchi Hiroshi , Yamashita Kenichi , Nakamura Hiroyuki , Miyazaki Masaya , Maeda Hideaki
Published: July 2011

This paper demonstrates the possibility of controlling nucleation and crystal growth behavior within a droplet formed in a microspace. The effects of droplet volume and shape were examined by using thaumatin as a model system. The droplet size and shape affected the number and size of the obtained protein crystals.
Reactivities of the N-Atom-inserted Ligands, NSC(NR2)S2− and SN=C(NR2)S2−, in Iridium(III) Complexes
Authors: Ariyoshi Keita , Suzuki Takayoshi , Mayer James M , Kojima Masaaki
Published: July 2011

Reactions of [Cp*Ir{NSC(NR2)S}] (Cp* = η5-C5Me5, R = Me or Et,) with alkyl halides (MeI or BnBr) in acetonitrile gave the N-alkylated products, [Cp*Ir{R′NSC(NR2)S}]+ (R′ = Me or Bn). These complexes readily reacted with PPh3 to give adducts. In contrast, [Cp*Ir{SN=C(NR2)S}] formed their PPh3 adducts, which gave thermally stable S-alkylated products by reactions with alkyl halides.
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidelines for early detection of ovarian cancer: the pivotal role of the clinical laboratory
Authors: Sturgeon Catharine M , Duffy Michael J , Walker Graeme
Published: July 2011

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has recently reviewed optimal means of early recognition and initial management of ovarian cancer, the leading cause of gynaecological death in the UK. The NICE guidelines state that general practitioners should measure serum CA125 in women presenting with persistent and continuous symptoms suggestive of ovarian cancer (e.g. abdominal distension, early satiety and loss of appetite or pelvic pain). If CA125 is ≥35 kU/L, the general practitioner should arrange an ultrasound scan of the abdomen and pelvis to enable calculation of the risk of malignancy score (RMI). Women with an RMI score of ≥250 should then be referred to a specialist multidisciplinary team. Successful implementation of these guidelines requires close liaison between primary care and laboratory medicine to ensure that CA125 is requested as a diagnostic aid only for women meeting the criteria stated in the guidelines. Preanalytical criteria must also be met and it is essential that both requestors and patients be aware of other possible causes of increases in CA125, as well as the fact that it is not raised in all patients with ovarian cancer. Guidance is being prepared to enable appropriate interpretation and implementation of the NICE guidelines. Continuous audit of the outcomes will also be essential to determine the effectiveness of this approach to early detection of ovarian cancer.
The influence of clinicopathological features on the predictive accuracy of conventional breast imaging in determining the extent of screen-detected high-grade pure ductal carcinoma in situ
Authors: Hayward L , Oeppen RS , Grima AV , Royle GT , Rubin CM , Cutress RI
Published: July 2011

INTRODUCTION

The extent of calcified ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) detected by screening mammography is a determinant for treatment with breast conserving surgery (BCS). However, DCIS may be uncalcified and almost a quarter of patients with DCIS treated initially by BCS either require a second operation or are found to have unexpected invasive disease following surgery. Identification of these cases might guide selective implementation of additional diagnostic procedures.

METHODS

A retrospective review of patients with a preoperative diagnosis of pure high-grade DCIS at the Southampton and Salisbury Breast Screening Unit over a ten-year period was carried out. Mammograms were reviewed independently by a consultant radiologist and additional factors including the Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS®) breast density score, DCIS extent and disease location within the breast recorded.

RESULTS

Unexpected invasive disease was found in 35 of 144 patients (24%). Within our unit the re-excision rate for all screen-detected DCIS is currently 23% but for patients included in this study with high-grade DCIS the re-excision rate was 39% (34/87). The extent of DCIS (p=0.008) and lack of expression of the oestrogen receptor (ER) predicted the requirement for re-excision in both univariate (p=0.004) and multivariate analysis (p=0.005).

CONCLUSIONS

High-grade DCIS may be focally uncalcified, leading to underestimation of disease extent, which might be related to ER status. Invasive foci associated with high-grade DCIS are often mammographically occult. Exploration of additional biomarkers and targeted use of further diagnostic techniques may improve the preoperative staging of DCIS.
Patients' misunderstanding of common orthopaedic terminology: the need for clarity
Authors: Bagley CHM , Hunter AR , Bacarese-Hamilton IA
Published: July 2011

INTRODUCTION

Patients' understanding of their medical problems is essential to allow them to make competent decisions, comply with treatment and enable recovery. We investigated Patients' understanding of orthopaedic terms to identify those words surgeons should make the most effort to explain.

METHODS

This questionnaire-based study recruited patients attending the orthopaedic clinics. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected using free text boxes for the Patients' written definitions and multiple choice questions (MCQs).

RESULTS

A total of 133 patients took part. Of these, 74% identified English as their first language. ‘Broken bone’ was correctly defined by 71% of respondents whereas ‘fractured bone’ was only correctly defined by 33%. ‘Sprain’ was correctly defined by 17% of respondents, with 29% being almost correct, 25% wrong and 29% unsure. In the MCQs, 51% of respondents answered correctly for ‘fracture’, 55% for ‘arthroscopy’, 46% for ‘meniscus’, 35% for ‘tendon’ and 23% for ‘ligament’. ‘Sprained’ caused confusion, with only 11% of patients answering correctly. Speaking English as a second language was a significant predictive factor for patients who had difficulty with definitions. There was no significant variation among different age groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Care should be taken by surgeons when using basic and common orthopaedic terminology in order to avoid misunderstanding. Educating patients in clinic is a routine part of practice.
Prophylaxis of venous thromboembolism in general surgery: guidelines differ and we still need local policies
Authors: Veeramootoo D , Harrower L , Saunders R , Robinson D , Campbell WB
Published: July 2011

INTRODUCTION

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) prophylaxis has become a major issue for surgeons both in the UK and worldwide. Sev-eral different sources of guidance on VTE prophylaxis are available but these differ in design and detail.

METHODS

Two similar audits were performed, one year apart, on the VTE prophylaxis prescribed for all general surgical inpatients during a single week (90 patients and 101 patients). Classification of patients into different risk groups and compliance in prescribing prophylaxis were examined using different international, national and local guidelines.

RESULTS

There were significant differences between the numbers of patients in high, moderate and low-risk groups according to the different guidelines. When groups were combined to indicate simply ‘at risk’ or ‘not at risk’ (in the manner of one of the guidelines), then differences were not significant. Our compliance improved from the first audit to the second. Patients at high risk received VTE prophylaxis according to guidance more consistently than those at low risk.

CONCLUSIONS

Differences in guidance on VTE prophylaxis can affect compliance significantly when auditing practice, depending on the choice of ‘gold standard’. National guidance does not remove the need for clear and detailed local policies. Making decisions about policies for lower-risk patients can be more difficult than for those at high risk.
Decisions to operate: the ASA grade 5 dilemma
Authors: Horwood J , Ratnam S , Maw A
Published: July 2011

INTRODUCTION

Deciding to operate on high risk patients suffering catastrophic surgical emergencies can be problematic. Patients are frequently classed as American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) grade 5 and, as a result, aggressive but potentially lifesaving intervention is withheld. The aim of our study was to review the short-term outcomes in patients who were classed as ASA grade 5 but subsequently underwent surgery despite this and to compare the ASA scoring model to other predictors of surgical outcome.

METHODS

All patients undergoing emergency surgery with an ASA grade of 5 were identified. Patient demographics, indications for surgery, intraoperative findings and outcomes were recorded. In addition to the ASA scores, retrospective Portsmouth Physiological and Operative Severity Score for the enUmeration of Mortality and morbidity (P POSSUM) and Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) scores were calculated and compared to the observed outcomes.

RESULTS

Nine patients (39%) survived to discharge. ASA grade was a poor predictor of outcome. P POSSUM and APACHE II scores correlated significantly with each other and with observed outcomes when predicting surgical mortality. The median stay for survivors in the intensive care unit was nine days.

CONCLUSIONS

In times of an ageing population, the number of patients suffering catastrophic surgical events will increase. Intervention, with little hope of a cure, a return to independent living or an acceptable quality of life, leads to unnecessary end-of-life suffering for patients and their relatives, and consumes sparse resources. The accuracy and reliability of ASA grade 5 as an outcome predictor has been questioned. P POSSUM and APACHE II scoring systems are significantly better predictors of outcome and should be used more frequently to aid surgical decision-making in high risk patients.
Pressure necrosis secondary to negative pressure dressing
Authors: Mulgrew S , Khoo A , Newton RM , Rajan R , Kumar K
Published: July 2011

Wound complications in patients with significant co-morbidities is common; however, in our patient the problem was compounded by the inappropriate placement of negative pressure dressing.
Germ cell tumour: late recurrence after 43 years
Authors: Mukhtar S , Beatty J , Agrawal S , Christmas TJ , Jameson C , Huddart RA
Published: July 2011

We report the late relapse of a patient following 43 years of surveillance of a germ cell tumour, thought to be a pure seminoma, having undergone yolk sac differentiation. The longest previous recorded time to relapse was 32 years (malignant teratoma with adenocarcinoma de-differentiation). This case report demonstrates a late relapse of a testicular germ cell tumour is possible whatever the initial stage. European Association of Urology guidelines state close and active follow-up is mandatory for at least five years’ surveillance due to the high and often late rate of relapse. Furthermore, they also suggest continuing follow-up although it is unclear as to how long this should last.
Pancreaticogastric fistula secondary to intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasia: a case report and review of the literature
Authors: Hall TC , Garcea G , Rajesh A , Dennison AR
Published: July 2011

Intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMNs) are benign cystic lesions of the pancreas with recognised premalignant potential. An occasional feature of IPMNs is fistula formation to surrounding organs. This report describes a case of a pancreaticogastric fistula from a main duct IPMN that produced the complete resolution of the patient’s symptoms.
Synchronous gastric and colonic metastases of invasive lobular breast carcinoma: case report and review of the literature
Authors: Critchley Adam Charles , Harvey James , Carr Michael , Iwuchukwu Obi
Published: July 2011

Breast cancer is the most common malignancy in women and the main cause of cancer death in the UK. Gastrointestinal (GI) tract metastasis and carcinomatosis from primary breast cancer are rare but breast cancer is the second most common primary malignancy to metastasise to the GI tract after malignant melanoma. The metastatic patterns of invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC) and invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) have been shown to differ considerably. Liver, lung and brain metastases are more common in IDC. Most series report a greater prediliction for lobular carcinoma to metastasise to the GI tract, gynaecological organs or peritoneum.

The presentation of GI metastasis due to breast cancer is typically vague and the clinical, radiological, endoscopic and histopathologic findings are often difficult to distinguish from primary gastric carcinoma. Such a patient is more likely to present to a luminal surgeon or gastroenterologist than a breast surgeon. Therefore a high index of clinical suspicion with early endoscopy in those with non-specific symptoms and a past history of breast cancer, particularly ILC, are recommended.

It is imperative to differentiate between metastatic breast cancer and primary gastric carcinoma as treatment strategies differ hugely. Therefore, correlation of endoscopic biopsy histology with the primary breast cancer histology is essential. Treatment modalities are limited to appropriate systemic therapy, which may have a palliative effect in up to 50%. Surgical intervention is nearly always limited to palliative bypass only. Prognosis is consistent with the median survival of all women with metastatic disease secondary to breast cancer.
Bilateral ischaemic optic neuropathy following laparoscopic proctocolectomy: a case report
Authors: Mizrahi H , Hugkulstone CE , Vyakarnam P , Parker MC
Published: July 2011

Introduction

Perioperative visual loss occurring during non-ocular surgery is a devastating event. Ischaemic optic neuropathy (ION) is a complication described following many procedures. We report the first case of ION occurring during laparoscopic proctocolectomy and discuss the aetiological factors.

Case History

A 58-year-old male presented with rectal bleeding and was diagnosed with an adenocarcinoma of the sigmoid colon. A very difficult laparoscopic sigmoidectomy and a low anterior resection of the rectum with an end colostomy were carried out. The technical difficulties were due to body habitus and the size and position of the tumour. The operation lasted over six hours. On the first day postoperatively, the patient complained of blurred vision. Examination showed that he had suffered bilateral ION.

Discussion

Despite the growing numbers of laparoscopic operations, ION has rarely been described. The cases that were published involved laparoscopic prostatectomy and a prolonged steep Trendelenburg position. We postulate that the patient presented here had suffered both from a relative hypotension and from an acute rise in the intraorbital pressure due to patient position, both factors combining to cause a disruption to ocular perfusion resulting in ION with severe permanent visual damage.
Current Evidence of Best Practice in Whole-School Bullying Intervention and Its Potential to Inform Cyberbullying Interventions
Authors: Pearce Natasha , Cross Donna , Monks Helen , Waters Stacey , Falconer Sarah
Published: July 2011

In 2004, a set of validated guidelines for school bullying prevention and management was released by the Child Health Promotion Research Centre in Australia to guide schools' action to prevent and manage bullying behaviours. At this time little was known about cyber and other forms of covert bullying behaviours. These guidelines were updated in 2010 to include current research that provides a greater understanding of all forms of bullying behaviour. This article describes a summary of the current empirical evidence used to update these guidelines particularly related to relatively new and emergent forms of bullying, such as cyberbullying. Meta-analyses and reviews that assessed the effectiveness of school-based bullying interventions were examined to inform the relevance of the previously validated guidelines and to identify potential intervention strategies to reduce cyberbullying. This review confirmed the importance of a systematic whole-school approach to effectively prevent and manage all forms of bullying behaviours in schools (including cyberbullying) and the need to strengthen capacity supports to enable schools to put evidence into informed practice.
The Relationship Between Internet Addiction and Communication, Educational and Physical Problems of Adolescents in North Cyprus
Authors: Ozcinar Zehra
Published: July 2011

The Internet today, beyond being a source of information and communication, has become an ‘addiction’ for some people. The rate of Internet addiction is rapidly increasing in the world. The aim of this study was to examine the extent of Internet addiction among adolescents in North Cyprus. Eight hundred and fifty-one participants between the ages of 14 to 26 completed the Internet Use and Addiction questionnaire. Results indicated that 6.6% of the participants were addicted to the Internet. Younger high school students were found to have the highest rate of Internet addiction, followed by university students. Males were shown to have significantly higher rates of Internet addiction than females for all age groups. Academic, interpersonal and physical problems were all found to be associated with Internet addiction. The implications for guidance counsellors of this problem are discussed.
Septin roles in tumorigenesis
Authors: Connolly Diana , Abdesselam Ines , Verdier-Pinard Pascal , Montagna Cristina
Published: July 2011

Septins are a family of cytoskeleton related proteins consisting of 14 members that associate and interact with actin and tubulin. From yeast to humans, septins maintain a conserved role in cytokinesis and they are also involved in a variety of other cellular functions including chromosome segregation, DNA repair, migration and apoptosis. Tumorigenesis entails major alterations in these processes. A substantial body of literature reveals that septins are overexpressed, downregulated or generate chimeric proteins with MLL in a plethora of solid tumors and in hematological malignancies. Thus, members of this gene family are emerging as key players in tumorigenesis. The analysis of septins during cancer initiation and progression is challenged by the presence of many family members and by their potential to produce numerous isoforms. However, the development and application of advanced technologies is allowing for a more detailed analysis of septins during tumorigenesis. Specifically, such applications have led to the establishment and validation of SEPT9 as a biomarker for the early detection of colorectal cancer. This review summarizes the current knowledge on the role of septins in tumorigenesis, emphasizing their significance and supporting their use as potential biomarkers in various cancer types.
Characterization of Clean and Fouled Rail Track Ballast Subsurface Using Seismic Surface Survey Method: Model and Field Studies
Authors: Anbazhagan P. , Buddhima Indraratna , Amarajeevi G.
Published: July 2011

The efficiency of track foundation material gradually decreases due to insufficient lateral confinement, ballast fouling, and loss of shear strength of the subsurface soil under cyclic loading. This paper presents characterization of rail track subsurface to identify ballast fouling and subsurface layers shear wave velocity using seismic survey. Seismic surface wave method of multi-channel analysis of surface wave (MASW) has been carried out in the model track and field track for finding out shear wave velocity of the clean and fouled ballast and track subsurface. The shear wave velocity (SWV) of fouled ballast increases with increase in fouling percentage, and reaches a maximum value and then decreases. This character is similar to typical compaction curve of soil, which is used to define optimum and critical fouling percentage (OFP and CFP). Critical fouling percentage of 15 % is noticed for Coal fouled ballast and 25 % is noticed for clayey sand fouled ballast. Coal fouled ballast reaches the OFP and CFP before clayey sand fouled ballast. Fouling of ballast reduces voids in ballast and there by decreases the drainage. Combined plot of permeability and SWV with percentage of fouling shows that after critical fouling point drainage condition of fouled ballast goes below acceptable limit. Shear wave velocities are measured in the selected location in the Wollongong field track by carrying out similar seismic survey. In-situ samples were collected and degrees of fouling were measured. Field SWV values are more than that of the model track SWV values for the same degree of fouling, which might be due to sleeper’s confinement. This article also highlights the ballast gradation widely followed in different countries and presents the comparison of Indian ballast gradation with international gradation standards. Indian ballast contains a coarser particle size when compared to other countries. The upper limit of Indian gradation curve matches with lower limit of ballast gradation curves of America and Australia. The ballast gradation followed by Indian railways is poorly graded and more favorable for the drainage conditions. Indian ballast engineering needs extensive research to improve presents track conditions.
Numerical Simulations for the Efficiency Improvement of Hybrid Dye-microcrystalline Silicon pin-solar cells
Authors: Burdorf Sven , Bauer Gottfried H. , Brüggemann Rudolf
Published: July 2011

In hybrid solar cells consisting of dye sensitizers incorporated in the i-layer of a microcrystalline silicon (μc-Si:H) pin solar cell the dye sensitizer molecules are embedded in the matrix and enhance the overall absorption of the dye-matrix system due to their high absorption coefficient in the spectral range interesting for photovoltaic applications. This contribution investigates the efficiency improvement of hybrid dye-μc-Si:H solar cells compared to pure μc-Si:H solar cells by simulation. The results indicate that, under optimum conditions, the efficiency can be improved by more than a factor of 1.2 compared to a pure μc-Si:H cell. The thickness reduction for the hybrid system can be as large as 50 % for the same efficiency. However, the efficiency improvement also depends on the amount of additionally induced defects in the matrix by the embedded dye molecules. Therefore, the simulations investigate the performance of the hybrid solar cell for different absorption enhancements and defect densities.
The Relationship of Alcohol Problems to the Risk for Unidirectional and Bidirectional Intimate Partner Violence Among a Sample of Blue-Collar Couples
Authors: Cunradi Carol B. , Ames Genevieve M. , Duke Michael
Published: July 2011

Understanding how each partner’s alcohol problems may contribute to the risk of male-to-female only, female-to-male only, or bidirectional partner violence is important for the prevention and treatment of these problems. Multinomial regression analysis was conducted using data from 848 blue-collar couples. Findings suggest that male alcohol problems are linked to male-to-female and bidirectional partner violence but not with female-to-male partner violence. Female alcohol problems do not appear to be related to any type of partner aggression. Each partner’s level of impulsivity was associated with bidirectional partner violence. Male impulsivity was associated with male-to-female violence, and female impulsivity was associated with female-to-male violence. Prevention of male alcohol problems and promotion of nonconfrontational conflict-solving techniques may help reduce partner aggression among couples in the general household population.
Children Placed in Out-of-Home Care: Risk Factors for Involvement With the Juvenile Justice System
Authors: Yampolskaya Svetlana , Armstrong Mary I. , McNeish Roxann
Published: July 2011

In previous research, child maltreatment has been associated with several negative outcomes, including delinquency. This study uses administrative data to examine risk factors, including the severity and chronicity of maltreatment, for juvenile justice involvement among children, ages 7 to 17, who were placed in out-of-home care in Florida (N = 13,212). The results of multivariate Cox regression analysis indicated that among specific types of maltreatment, sexual abuse was associated with the risk of faster placement only in a detention center. Additionally, findings from this study suggest that maltreatment chronicity but not maltreatment severity increases the chances of earlier involvement with the juvenile justice system among children who were placed in an out-of-home care. Implications of these findings are discussed.
Behind the Cycle of Violence, Beyond Abuse History: A Brief Report on the Association of Parental Attachment to Physical Child Abuse Potential
Authors: Rodriguez Christina M. , Tucker Meagan C.
Published: July 2011

Although the concept of a cycle of violence presumes that the transmission of violence is expressed directly across generations, the role of the overall quality of the parent–child relationship may ultimately be more influential in later parenting behavior. This study investigated whether mothers’ poorer attachment to their parents was associated with their current increased child abuse potential and dysfunctional disciplinary style independent of a personal history of child abuse. A sample of 73 at-risk mothers raising children with behavior problems reported on their parental attachment, abuse potential, dysfunctional parenting style, and personal abuse history. An at-risk sample, rather than a sample of identified abuse victims or perpetrators, was studied to better examine the potential continuity or discontinuity from history of abuse to current abuse risk, allowing consideration of those who may break the cycle versus those who potentially initiate abuse in the absence of a personal history. Findings indicate that poor attachment significantly predicted both dysfunctional parenting practices and elevated child abuse potential, controlling for personal child abuse history. Such results highlight the importance of the overall quality of the relationship between the parent and child in potentially shaping future abuse risk. Findings are discussed in terms of continuity or discontinuity in the cycle of violence and future directions for research on attachment in relation to the development of later child abuse risk.
Intimate Partner Violence: The Effect of Gender and Contextual Factors on Community Perceptions of Harm, and Suggested Victim and Criminal Justice Responses
Authors: Dennison Susan M. , Thompson Carleen M.
Published: July 2011

Using a vignette to depict physical violence by an intimate partner, a 2 (perpetrator gender) × 2 (participant gender) × 2 (frequency) × 2 (intent to cause harm) between subjects factorial design was used to examine under what circumstances individuals perceive: an incident should be illegal, the extent of harm, and appropriate victim and criminal justice responses. There were 868 participants from the Brisbane (Australia) community (48.5% males). The actions of male perpetrators were viewed more seriously and the victims were recommended to seek more forms of assistance when the perpetrator was male. There were few differences in perceptions of violence according to participant gender. The frequency of the violence affected the participant’s responses but the intentions of the perpetrator did not. Results are discussed in terms of stereotypes of intimate partner violence (IPV) and the implications for help-seeking behavior by victims.