bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Parameter estimation of nonlinear growth models in forestry
Authors: Fekedulegn Desta , Mac Siurtain Mairitin , Colbert Jim
Published: October 2014

Partial derivatives of the negative exponential, monomolecular, Mitcherlich, Gompertz, logistic, Chapman-Richards, von Bertalanffy, Weibull and the Richardâs nonlinear growth models are presented. The application of these partial derivatives in estimating the model parameters is illustrated. The parameters are estimated using the Marquardt iterative method of nonlinear regression relating top height to age of Norway spruce (Picea abies L.) from the Bowmont Norway Spruce Thinning Experiment. Formulas that provide good initial values of the parameters are specified. Clear definitions of the parameters of the nonlinear models in the context of the system being modelled are found to be critically important in the process of parameter estimation.
Variation in knot size of Pinus sylvestris in two initial spacing trials
Authors: Moberg Lennart
Published: October 2014

The objective of this study was to investigate the variation in internal knot size of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) stems sampled from mature permanent plots, and for which the silvicultural history was known. It was based on a sample of mature trees removed from two different spacing trials representing a moderate and high site index. Knot size was measured with non-destructive methods using a CT-scanner and digital image analysis. Initial spacing varied between 0.75 and 3 m on the high site-index trial and between 1.5 and 2.5 m on the moderate site-index trial. Wider initial spacing on the high site index resulted in larger knots near the base of the stem. However, due to successive thinnings which gradually equalised stand density among plots, the difference between most plots was less further up in the stems. The effect of silvicultural regime was much more limited on the lower site index. Within-stand differentiation resulted in a variation of tree diameter (DBH); larger trees had significantly larger knots. Furthermore, knots were larger towards south than towards north in both trials. These results illustrated that, by using non-destructive measurements on trees sampled from permanent research plots, it was possible to simultaneously study the variation of internal knot size at stand (such as site and silviculture effects), within-stand (such as relative tree size) and within-tree levels (such as height and azimuth). However, lack of replication prevented valid statistical inference as to stand-level effects.
Optimizing thinnings and rotation of Scots pine and Norway spruce mixtures
Authors: Vettenranta Jouni , Miina Jari
Published: October 2014

The study describes a simulation-optimization system which uses spatial models for diameter and height growth, crown ratio and tree mortality for Scots pine and Norway spruce mixtures. The optimal one- and two-thinning regimes of six initial stands with varing species composition were solved by using nonlinear optimization. The soil expectation value (SEV) at 3% interest rate was used as a management objective. The regimes are determined by taking into account the stand basal areas before the thinnings, the removal percentages for small, medium-sized and large pines and spruces, and the stand basal area before the final felling. The greatest SEV (8900 FIM haâ1) was attained with the initial stand where the proportion of pines was 65% of the number of the stems. In the two-thinning regime, the first thinning was conducted at the age of 39 years when the stand basal area was 37 m2 haâ1 and the dominant height was about 15 m. After the thinning, the basal area was 27 m2 haâ1. Spruces were thinned from below, but both small and large pines were removed. The second thinning was 8 years later and much heavier: the stand basal area was decreased from 35 m2 haâ1 to 18 m2 haâ1 by removing both small and large pines and spruces. When the optimal two-thinning regime was compared to the regime presented by Forest Centre Tapio, the loss of SEV was about 30% (6070 FIM haâ1) in the case of thinnings from below, and about 20% (7250 FIM haâ1) in the case of thinnings from above.
A new forest floor corer for rapid sampling, minimal disturbance and adequate precision
Authors: Nalder Ian , Wein Ross
Published: October 2014

We describe an effective and inexpensive device for sampling forest floors. It is based on a rechargeable, battery-powered drill that drives a sharpened steel coring tube. The corer is simple to fabricate, is lightweight (3.5 kg) and can be used easily by one person to obtain intact, natural volume cores of the forest floor. It has been used extensively to obtain samples in 114 boreal forest stands of western Canada. We found that coefficients of variation were typically 30% for forest floor organic matter and bulk density, and tended to be higher in Pinus banksiana stands than in Picea glauca and Populus tremuloides. Ten samples per stand gave adequate precision for a study of forest floor dynamics and autocorrelation did not appear to be a problem with five-metre sampling intervals. In addition to sampling forest floors, the corer has proven suitable for sampling moss and lichen layers and mineral soil down to about 20 cm. A similar powered system can also be used for increment boring of trees.
Open-top chamber fumigation system for exposure of field grown Pinus sylvestris to elevated carbon dioxide and ozone concentration
Authors: Palomäki Virpi , Hassinen Alpo , Lemettinen Matti , Oksanen Timo , Helmisaari Heljä-Sisko , Holopainen Jarmo , Kellomäki Seppo , Holopainen Toini
Published: October 2014

An open-top chamber fumigation system was built in a young Scots pine stand to study the effects of realistic elevated ozone (O3) and carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations and their combination on trees in natural conditions. Doubled CO2 concentration compared to present ambient concentration, and O3 concentration between 40 ppb and 70 ppb in the first study year (1994) and doubled O3 concentration in years 1995 and 1996 were the target concentrations in the chambers. The O3 concentration in the chambers was successfully maintained close to the target concentration and differences between chambers were small. The mean CO2 concentration in the CO2 treatment was ca. 100 ppm below the target, but was maintained at this level throughout the growing season. Two degrees higher mean air temperature and slightly lower light intensity compared to open air were measured in the chambers. The operation of the fumigation system was satisfactory during the three study years and repeatability of the gas treatments can be regarded good in this low cost exposure system.
Nursery factors influencing containerized Pinus pinaster seedlings’ initial growth
Authors: Fraysse Jean , Crémière Loïc
Published: October 2014

Maritime pine (Pinus pinaster) containerized seedlings were raised outdoors at different fertilizer regimes, sowing date or culture duration to assess nursery factors influencing first year growth in the field. Seedling biomass, and N, P and K content before outplanting were affected by these different factors but the one year field growth was more related to N concentration than with morphological traits. The results are discussed in view to improve the plant stock quality in nursery.
Will climate change affect the optimal choice of Pinus sylvestris provenances?
Authors: Persson Bengt
Published: October 2014

Provenance experiments with Pinus sylvestris (L.) were evaluated in Sweden north of latitude 60Â°N. Survival and yield were determined as functions of temperature sum of the site and latitudinal origin of the provenance. Altitudinal origin was of negligible importance. The effects of latitudinal transfer were influenced by temperature sum at the growing site. At the harshest situated sites southward transfer longer than 3Â° was optimal for survival and yield, whereas transfer effects in a mild climate were weak. Climatic warming would reduce demands of hardiness. However, moderate differences in productivity are expected between formerly optimal seed sources and the ones adapted to changed climatic conditions. Since mortality usually was low in plantations older than 20 years or higher than 2 m, established stands are expected to be robust against adverse effects of climate change.
Intravenous Leiomyomatosis with Intracardiac Extension: Echocardiographic Study and Literature Review
Authors: Li Rongjuan , Shen Yanguang , Sun Yan , Zhang Chuanchen , Yang Ya , Yang Jiao , Su Ruijuan , Jiang Bo
Published: October 2014

Uterine leiomyomatosis is a common disease in women; however, intravenous leiomyomatosis with intracaval and intracardiac tumor extension is rare. We sought to analyze the clinical and echocardiographic features of intracardiac leiomyomatosis.

From January 2003 through July 2012, 7 women (age range, 24–59 yr) underwent surgical resection of histopathologically diagnosed intracardiac leiomyomas at our hospital. Most of the patients had histories of hysterectomy or uterine leiomyoma. We retrospectively analyzed their preoperative echocardiograms. We found that the tumors had no stalks, did not adhere to the wall of the right side of the heart, were highly mobile, and moved back and forth in the right atrium near the tricuspid orifice. All tumors originated from the inferior vena cava and had borders well demarcated from that structure's wall. Most of the masses extended into the inferior vena cava and right atrium through the right internal and common iliac veins. Computed tomograms revealed pelvic tumors and contiguous filling defects in 6 patients.

When echocardiograms reveal a right-sided cardiac mass that originates from the inferior vena cava, particularly in women who have a history of hysterectomy or uterine leiomyoma, intracardiac leiomyomatosis should be suspected. If the mass has no stalk and freely moves within the inferior vena cava and right-sided cardiac chambers without attachment to the endothelial surface or endocardium, intracardiac leiomyomatosis should be diagnosed. We discuss our findings and briefly review the relevant medical literature.
Effect of Revascularization of Chronic Total Occlusion on Tandem Stenoses in a “Donor” Artery
Authors: Sachdeva Rajesh
Published: October 2014

The presence, severity, and extent of ischemia predict the outcome of coronary artery disease. Indeed the extent of myocardial ischemia and viability determines the value of revascularization in coronary stenosis after acute myocardial infarction. In multivessel coronary artery disease, noninvasive methods for the evaluation of ischemia are often inadequate to guide percutaneous coronary intervention. It is a common misperception that revascularization might not benefit a myocardial segment in the chronic total occlusion distribution when that segment is supplied by well-developed collateral vessels, because severe ischemia is unlikely to be present under these circumstances.

An 82-year-old man presented with acute coronary syndrome, tandem stenoses in a “donor” artery, and a chronic total occlusion of the right coronary artery. We present a rationale for using fractional flow reserve to determine the existence of ischemia and to aid in deciding the best approach to the treatment of that ischemia.
Sustainable Consumption Corridors: Concept, Objections, and Responses
Authors: Di Giulio Antonietta , Fuchs Doris
Published: October 2014

In this paper, we explore whether the idea of “sustainable consumption corridors”, derived from concepts of a good life, can be a good starting point to define criteria of sustainable consumption. Such corridors would be defined by minimum standards, allowing every individual
to live a good life, and maximum standards, ensuring a limit on every individual's use of natural and social resources in order to guarantee access to a sufficient level of resources (in terms of quantity and quality) for others in the present and in the future. We first present the idea,
as it resulted from the process of integration within the focal topic From Knowledge to Action – New Paths towards Sustainable Consumption. We then outline potential objections to the idea. Such objections are the pluralists' objection, the liberalists' argument or the argument
of lacking acceptance. We show that there is no argument strong enough to utterly turn down the idea. We end by drawing conclusions with regard to future research and to possible strategies of implementation.
Gajusz Waleriusz Maksymus czyli historia moralizująca,jej losy w dawnych epokach oraz polski przekład IV 1-15
Authors: Lewandowski Ignacy
Published: October 2014

Based on Facta et dicta memorabilia by Valerius Maximus, the author discusses a type of moralising history in the ancient times and selected examples of its fates in Antiquity, the Middle Ages, Renaissance and Baroque periods in Europe,Poland in particular. The quoted translations of excerpts from Book IV indicate the need to effect a Polish translation of the text.
Rola patriarchatu rabinicznego w późnym antyku
Authors: Ciecieląg Jerzy
Published: October 2014

The text focuses on the significant role of rabbinical patriarchate in Late Antiquity, in particular in the 4th and in the early 5th century. It discusses the main prerogatives of the patriarch, its legal and ideological foundations. Also, it addresses the relationships between the patriarchate and the Jewish population of Palestine and the Diaspora.
“V+向”结构的词汇化与介词并入
Authors: 罗 耀华 , 贺 黎
Published: October 2014

提要

本文着重分析了“V+向”类结构的词汇化，并从介词并入角度进行了跨语言的比较。“向”经历了由动转介的语法化过程，介词“向”萌芽于两汉，到魏晋南北朝完成介词化，到唐五代时期，“向”的介词功能最终确定并且稳固下来，完成了向介词演变的漫长的语法化道路。通过介词并入，“V+向”结构也经历了词汇化过程，互信息值计算和语感调查的结果都表明“V+向”词汇化程度比较高，是典型的介词并入现象。“V+向”类结构融合度的高低，与三个因素有关，即“V”、“向”、“O”的类型及其互动有关，“V”对“向”、“O”具有选择性，“O”对“V”具有反作用。根据介词并入相关理论对其他语言的考察表明，介词并入在其他语言中也存在。汉语的“V+向”结构中的“向”通过介词并入，“向”并入动词，在原来的空位留下一个语迹。这是形式上的并入，也是句法-语义上的并入。介词“向”并入，是词汇化的手段之一，其前提是“向”的语法化的完成。
Comparison of dualizing complexes
Authors: Zhong Changlong
Published: October 2014

We prove that there is a map from Bloch's cycle complex to Kato's
complex of Milnor K-theory, which induces a quasi-isomorphism from
cycle complex mod pr
to Moser's complex of
logarithmic de Rham–Witt sheaves. Next we show that the truncation
of Bloch's cycle complex at -3 is quasi-isomorphic to Spiess'
dualizing complex. In the end, we prove that a weak form of the Gersten conjecture implies that Sato's dualizing complex is quasi-isomorphic to Bloch's complex.
A new method of choosing primitive elements for Brezing–Weng families of pairing-friendly elliptic curves
Authors: Yoon Kisoon
Published: October 2014

In this paper we present a new method of choosing primitive elements for Brezing–Weng families of pairing-friendly elliptic curves with small rho-values, and we improve on previously known best rho-values of families [J. Cryptology 23 (2010), 224–280], [Lecture Notes in Comput. Sci. 5209, Springer (2008), 126–135]
for the embedding degrees

k
=
16

$k=16$

, 22, 28, 40 and 46. We consider elements of the form

(
a
+
b

-
D

)

ζ
k

$(a+b\sqrt{-D})\zeta _k$

for rational numbers a, b and a square-free positive integer D, where

ζ
k

$\zeta _k$

is a primitive k-th root of unity. We also investigate the conditions for an element of the proposed form to be suitable for our construction. Our construction uses fixed discriminants.
Bridging the Gap: A Reticulo-Propriospinal Detour Bypassing an Incomplete Spinal Cord Injury
Authors: Filli Linard , Engmann Anne Katrin , Zörner Björn , Weinmann Oliver , Moraitis Timoleon , Gullo Miriam , Kasper Hansjörg , Schneider Regula , Schwab Martin E.
Published: October 2014

Anatomically incomplete spinal cord injuries are often followed by considerable functional recovery in patients and animal models, largely because of processes of neuronal plasticity. In contrast to the corticospinal system, where sprouting of fibers and rearrangements of circuits in response to lesions have been well studied, structural adaptations within descending brainstem pathways and intraspinal networks are poorly investigated, despite the recognized physiological significance of these systems across species. In the present study, spontaneous neuroanatomical plasticity of severed bulbospinal systems and propriospinal neurons was investigated following unilateral C4 spinal hemisection in adult rats. Injection of retrograde tracer into the ipsilesional segments C3-C4 revealed a specific increase in the projection from the ipsilesional gigantocellular reticular nucleus in response to the injury. Substantial regenerative fiber sprouting of reticulospinal axons above the injury site was demonstrated by anterograde tracing. Regrowing reticulospinal fibers exhibited excitatory, vGLUT2-positive varicosities, indicating their synaptic integration into spinal networks. Reticulospinal fibers formed close appositions onto descending, double-midline crossing C3-C4 propriospinal neurons, which crossed the lesion site in the intact half of the spinal cord and recrossed to the denervated cervical hemicord below the injury. These propriospinal projections around the lesion were significantly enhanced after injury. Our results suggest that severed reticulospinal fibers, which are part of the phylogenetically oldest motor command system, spontaneously arborize and form contacts onto a plastic propriospinal relay, thereby bypassing the lesion. These rearrangements were accompanied by substantial locomotor recovery, implying a potential physiological relevance of the detour in restoration of motor function after spinal injury.
PKA Reduces the Rat and Human KCa3.1 Current, CaM Binding, and Ca2+Signaling, Which Requires Ser332/334 in the CaM-Binding C Terminus
Authors: Wong Raymond , Schlichter Lyanne C.
Published: October 2014

The Ca2+-dependent K+channel, KCa3.1 (KCNN4/IK/SK4), is widely expressed and contributes to cell functions that include volume regulation, migration, membrane potential, and excitability. KCa3.1 is now considered a therapeutic target for several diseases, including CNS disorders involving microglial activation; thus, we need to understand how KCa3.1 function is regulated. KCa3.1 gating and trafficking require calmodulin binding to the two ends of the CaM-binding domain (CaMBD), which also contains three conserved sites for Ser/Thr kinases. Although cAMP protein kinase (PKA) signaling is important in many cells that use KCa3.1, reports of channel regulation by PKA are inconsistent. We first compared regulation by PKA of native rat KCa3.1 channels in microglia (and the microglia cell line, MLS-9) with human KCa3.1 expressed in HEK293 cells. In all three cells, PKA activation with Sp-8-Br-cAMPS decreased the current, and this was prevented by the PKA inhibitor, PKI14–22. Inhibiting PKA with Rp-8-Br-cAMPS increased the current in microglia. Mutating the single PKA site (S334A) in human KCa3.1 abolished the PKA-dependent regulation. CaM-affinity chromatography showed that CaM binding to KCa3.1 was decreased by PKA-dependent phosphorylation of S334, and this regulation was absent in the S334A mutant. Single-channel analysis showed that PKA decreased the open probability in wild-type but not S334A mutant channels. The same decrease in current for native and wild-type expressed KCa3.1 channels (but not S334A) occurred when PKA was activated through the adenosine A2a receptor. Finally, by decreasing the KCa3.1 current, PKA activation reduced Ca2+-release-activated Ca2+entry following activation of metabotropic purinergic receptors in microglia.
Fast But Fleeting: Adaptive Motor Learning Processes Associated with Aging and Cognitive Decline
Authors: Trewartha Kevin M. , Garcia Angeles , Wolpert Daniel M. , Flanagan J. Randall
Published: October 2014

Motor learning has been shown to depend on multiple interacting learning processes. For example, learning to adapt when moving grasped objects with novel dynamics involves a fast process that adapts and decays quickly—and that has been linked to explicit memory—and a slower process that adapts and decays more gradually. Each process is characterized by a learning rate that controls how strongly motor memory is updated based on experienced errors and a retention factor determining the movement-to-movement decay in motor memory. Here we examined whether fast and slow motor learning processes involved in learning novel dynamics differ between younger and older adults. In addition, we investigated how age-related decline in explicit memory performance influences learning and retention parameters. Although the groups adapted equally well, they did so with markedly different underlying processes. Whereas the groups had similar fast processes, they had different slow processes. Specifically, the older adults exhibited decreased retention in their slow process compared with younger adults. Within the older group, who exhibited considerable variation in explicit memory performance, we found that poor explicit memory was associated with reduced retention in the fast process, as well as the slow process. These findings suggest that explicit memory resources are a determining factor in impairments in the both the fast and slow processes for motor learning but that aging effects on the slow process are independent of explicit memory declines.
Altered Activity in the Central Medial Thalamus Precedes Changes in the Neocortex during Transitions into Both Sleep and Propofol Anesthesia
Authors: Baker Rowan , Gent Thomas C. , Yang Qianzi , Parker Susan , Vyssotski Alexei L. , Wisden William , Brickley Stephen G. , Franks Nicholas P.
Published: October 2014

How general anesthetics cause loss of consciousness is unknown. Some evidence points toward effects on the neocortex causing “top-down” inhibition, whereas other findings suggest that these drugs act via subcortical mechanisms, possibly selectively stimulating networks promoting natural sleep. To determine whether some neuronal circuits are affected before others, we used Morlet wavelet analysis to obtain high temporal resolution in the time-varying power spectra of local field potentials recorded simultaneously in discrete brain regions at natural sleep onset and during anesthetic-induced loss of righting reflex in rats. Although we observed changes in the local field potentials that were anesthetic-specific, there were some common changes in high-frequency (20–40 Hz) oscillations (reductions in frequency and increases in power) that could be detected at, or before, sleep onset and anesthetic-induced loss of righting reflex. For propofol and natural sleep, these changes occur first in the thalamus before changes could be detected in the neocortex. With dexmedetomidine, the changes occurred simultaneously in the thalamus and neocortex. In addition, the phase relationships between the low-frequency (1–4 Hz) oscillations in thalamic nuclei and neocortical areas are essentially the same for natural sleep and following dexmedetomidine administration, but a sudden change in phase, attributable to an effect in the central medial thalamus, occurs at the point of dexmedetomidine loss of righting reflex. Our data are consistent with the central medial thalamus acting as a key hub through which general anesthesia and natural sleep are initiated.
Sensory Gain Outperforms Efficient Readout Mechanisms in Predicting Attention-Related Improvements in Behavior
Authors: Itthipuripat Sirawaj , Ester Edward F. , Deering Sean , Serences John T.
Published: October 2014

Spatial attention has been postulated to facilitate perceptual processing via several different mechanisms. For instance, attention can amplify neural responses in sensory areas (sensory gain), mediate neural variability (noise modulation), or alter the manner in which sensory signals are selectively read out by postsensory decision mechanisms (efficient readout). Even in the context of simple behavioral tasks, it is unclear how well each of these mechanisms can account for the relationship between attention-modulated changes in behavior and neural activity because few studies have systematically mapped changes between stimulus intensity, attentional focus, neural activity, and behavioral performance. Here, we used a combination of psychophysics, event-related potentials (ERPs), and quantitative modeling to explicitly link attention-related changes in perceptual sensitivity with changes in the ERP amplitudes recorded from human observers. Spatial attention led to a multiplicative increase in the amplitude of an early sensory ERP component (the P1, peaking ∼80–130 ms poststimulus) and in the amplitude of the late positive deflection component (peaking ∼230–330 ms poststimulus). A simple model based on signal detection theory demonstrates that these multiplicative gain changes were sufficient to account for attention-related improvements in perceptual sensitivity, without a need to invoke noise modulation. Moreover, combining the observed multiplicative gain with a postsensory readout mechanism resulted in a significantly poorer description of the observed behavioral data. We conclude that, at least in the context of relatively simple visual discrimination tasks, spatial attention modulates perceptual sensitivity primarily by modulating the gain of neural responses during early sensory processing
Hippocampal Dysregulation of Neurofibromin-Dependent Pathways Is Associated with Impaired Spatial Learning in Engrailed 2 Knock-Out Mice
Authors: Provenzano Giovanni , Pangrazzi Luca , Poli Andrea , Pernigo Mattia , Sgadò Paola , Genovesi Sacha , Zunino Giulia , Berardi Nicoletta , Casarosa Simona , Bozzi Yuri
Published: October 2014

Genome-wide association studies indicated the homeobox-containing transcription factor Engrailed-2 (En2) as a candidate gene for autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Accordingly,En2knock-out (En2−/−) mice show anatomical and behavioral “ASD-like” features, including decreased sociability and learning deficits. The molecular pathways underlying these deficits inEn2−/−mice are not known. Deficits in signaling pathways involving neurofibromin and extracellular-regulated kinase (ERK) have been associated with impaired learning. Here we investigated the neurofibromin-ERK cascade in the hippocampus of wild-type (WT) andEn2−/−mice before and after spatial learning testing. When compared with WT littermates,En2−/−mice showed impaired performance in the Morris water maze (MWM), which was accompanied by lower expression of the activity-dependent geneArc. Quantitative RT-PCR, immunoblotting, and immunohistochemistry experiments showed a marked downregulation of neurofibromin expression in the dentate gyrus of both naive and MWM-treatedEn2−/−mice. ERK phosphorylation, known to be induced in the presence of neurofibromin deficiency, was increased in the dentate gyrus ofEn2−/−mice after MWM. Treatment ofEn2−/−mice with lovastatin, an indirect inhibitor of ERK phosphorylation, markedly reduced ERK phosphorylation in the dentate gyrus, but was unable to rescue learning deficits in MWM-trained mutant mice. Further investigation is needed to unravel the complex molecular mechanisms linking dysregulation of neurofibromin-dependent pathways to spatial learning deficits in theEn2mouse model of ASD.
Free and total cortisol levels are useful prognostic markers in critically ill patients: a prospective observational study
Authors: Tarjányi Zita , Montskó Gergely , Kenyeres Péter , Márton Zsolt , Hágendorn Roland , Gulyás Erna , Nemes Orsolya , Bajnok László , L Kovács Gábor , Mezősi Emese
Published: October 2014

Objective

The role of cortisol in the prediction of mortality risk in critical illness is controversial in the literature. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prognostic value of cortisol concentrations in a mixed population of critically ill patients in medical emergencies.

Design

In this prospective, observational study, measurement of total (TC) and free cortisol (FC) levels was made in the serum samples of 69 critically ill patients (39 males and 30 females, median age of 74 years) at admission (0 h) and 6, 24, 48, and 96 h after admission.

Methods

Cortisol levels were determined using HPLC coupled high-resolution ESI-TOF mass spectrometry. The severity of disease was calculated by prognostic scores. Statistical analyses were performed using the SPSS 22.0 software.

Results

The range of TC varied between 49.9 and 8797.8 nmol/l, FC between 0.4 and 759.9 nmol/l. The levels of FC at 0, 6, 24, and 48 h and TC at 0, 6 h were significantly elevated in non-survivors and correlated with the predicted mortality. The prognostic value of these cortisol levels was comparable with the routinely used mortality scores. In predictive models, FC at 6, 24, and 48 h proved to be an independent determinant of mortality.

Conclusions

The predictive values of FC in the first 2 days after admission and TC within 6 h are comparable with the complex, routinely used mortality scores in evaluating the prognosis of critically ill patients. The cortisol response probably reflects the severity of disease.
Early pregnancy sex steroids and maternal risk of epithelial ovarian cancer
Authors: Schock Helena , Surcel Heljä-Marja , Zeleniuch-Jacquotte Anne , Grankvist Kjell , Lakso Hans-Åke , Fortner Renée Turzanski , Kaaks Rudolf , Pukkala Eero , Lehtinen Matti , Toniolo Paolo , Lundin Eva
Published: October 2014

Well-established associations between reproductive characteristics and epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) support an involvement of sex steroid hormones in the etiology of EOC. Limited previous studies have evaluated circulating androgens and the risk of EOC, and estrogens and progesterone have been investigated in only one of the previous studies. Furthermore, there is little data on potential heterogeneity in the association between circulating hormones and EOC by histological subgroup. Therefore, we conducted a nested case–control study within the Finnish Maternity Cohort and the Northern Sweden Maternity Cohort to investigate the associations between circulating pre-diagnostic sex steroid concentrations and the histological subtypes of EOC. We identified 1052 EOC cases among cohort members diagnosed after recruitment (1975–2008) and before March 2011. Up to three controls were individually matched to each case (n=2694). Testosterone, androstenedione, 17-hydroxyprogesterone (17-OHP), progesterone, estradiol (E2), and sex hormone-binding globulin levels were measured in serum samples collected during the last pregnancy before EOC diagnosis. We used conditional logistic regression to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% CIs. Associations between hormones and EOC differed with respect to tumor histology and invasiveness. Sex steroid concentrations were not associated with invasive serous tumors; however, doubling of testosterone and 17-OHP concentration was associated with approximately 40% increased risk of borderline serous tumors. A doubling of androgen concentrations was associated with a 50% increased risk of mucinous tumors. The risk of endometrioid tumors increased with higher E2concentrations (OR: 1.89 (1.20–2.98)). This large prospective study in pregnant women supports a role of sex steroid hormones in the etiology of EOC arising in the ovaries.
Current Status of Vaccine Development for Group B Streptococcus
Authors: Puopolo Karen M.
Published: October 2014

The incidence of neonatal early-onset sepsis due to group B Streptococcus (GBS) has decreased with the use of intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis, but GBS infection remains a significant clinical concern. Early-onset disease still occurs among term infants born to women falsely screened GBS-negative, and premature infants still disproportionately suffer from both early-onset and late-onset GBS infection. In addition, there is no current strategy for preventing GBS disease among elderly and immunocompromised, nonpregnant adults. The development of GBS vaccines with efficacy across serotypes may address many of the clinical gaps left by GBS intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis. Multiple preclinical and human phase I studies have been completed demonstrating the safety and immunogenicity of candidate glycoconjugate GBS vaccines. Phase III vaccine trials are needed to determine the clinical efficacy of maternal and nonpregnant adult vaccination.
Immunization Issues in Preterm Infants: Pertussis, Influenza, and Rotavirus
Authors: Shah Shetal I.
Published: October 2014

The goal of this article was to familiarize readers with the role, data, and rationale for common immunizations used in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). We discuss the immunodeficiencies that render preterm infants more vulnerable to vaccine-preventable disease, the need to immunize adults against pertussis and influenza, and the role of live, attenuated vaccines in preterm infants. The underused role of rotavirus vaccination is discussed, and we provide strategies for dealing with parents who are vaccine hesitant and concerned about other contents of immunization preparations.
Four Models of Family Interests
Authors: Groll Daniel
Published: October 2014

In this article, I distinguish between 4 models for thinking about how to balance the interests of parents, families, and a sick child: (1) the oxygen mask model; (2) the wide interests model; (3) the family interests model; and (4) the direct model. The oxygen mask model – which takes its name from flight attendants' directives to parents to put on their own oxygen mask before putting on their child's – says that parents should consider their own interests only insofar as doing so is, ultimately, good for the sick child. The wide interests model suggests that in doing well by my child I am at the very same time doing well by myself. My interests can, and plausibly do, encompass the interests of others; they are, to that extent, wide. There is, then, no sharp separation between the interests of the sick child and the interests of other family members. In the family interests model, families themselves are seen as having interests that are neither identical to the sum, nor a simple function, of the interests of individual family members. The family has goals, values, and aspirations that are essentially corporate rather than individual. According to this model, these family interests can explain why sacrifices can sometimes be demanded of some family members for the sake of others in a medical setting. Finally, the direct model takes a simpler view of family members' interests; it claims that these interests matter simply on their own and should be taken into account in making treatment decisions for a sick child. This model openly considers the competing interests that parents and other family members often have when caring for a sick child, and advocates for weighing those interests when making decisions for and about the sick child. While there is room for all four models at the bedside, I argue that the direct model should be highlighted in clinical decision-making.
Why Families Matter
Authors: Lindemann Hilde
Published: October 2014

Serious illness puts pressure not only on individual family members but also on the family itself. The care of an acutely ill child requires the family to channel many of its resources toward a single member—an arrangement that can usually be sustained for a while but that cannot continue indefinitely while the other members do without. Illness disrupts ordinary familial functions and, if it is serious enough, threatens to break the family altogether. In this article, I argue that there are situations in which the threat to family integrity is so real and serious that the interests of parents or siblings or sometimes grandparents may override the interests of the pediatric patient.
Legal Applications of the “Best Interest of the Child” Standard: Judicial Rationalization or a Measure of Institutional Competence?
Authors: Carbone June
Published: October 2014

This article explores the use of the best interest standard in the context of third-party interventions in ongoing parent-child relationships. I start by examining the history of the best interest standard and show that it has had different meanings in different eras. I then address the nature of the family and the question of whether interests beyond those addressed in the child’s best interest standard are a legitimate part of family decision-making. I conclude that ongoing families are entitled to at least a measure of deference in their decisions about their children. Third-party interventions, such as those of doctors or judges, should require something more than simply a difference of opinion about where the child’s interests lie.
Frequency and foraging behavior of Apis mellifera in two melon hybrids in Juazeiro, state of Bahia, Brazil
Authors: KIILL LÚCIA H.P. , SIQUEIRA KÁTIA M.M. , MÁRCIA S. COELHO , SILVA TAMIRES A. , GAMA DIEGO R.S. , ARAÚJO DIEGO C.S. , PEREIRA NETO JOAQUIM
Published: October 2014

The study was carried out to verify if there are differences in foraging frequency and behavior of Apis mellifera in two melon hybrids (10:00 – ‘Yellow melon’ and Sancho -‘Piel de Sapo’) in the municipality of Juazeiro, state of Bahia, Brazil. The frequency, behavior of visitors and the floral resource foraged were registered from 5:00 am to 6:00 pm. There was a significant difference in the frequency of visits when comparing hydrids (F = 103.74, p <0.0001), floral type (F = 47.25, p <0.0001) and resource foraged (F = 239.14, p <0.0001). The flowers of Sancho were more attractive to A. mellifera when compared with hybrid 10:00, which may be correlated to the morphology and floral resources available. This could be solved with scaled planting, avoiding the overlapping of flowering of both types.
Políticas públicas culturais no Brasil: dos patrimônios materiais aos imateriais
Authors: Corá Maria Amelia Jundurian
Published: October 2014

Este artigo parte do entendimento de que as políticas públicas culturais do Estado brasileiro vêm ganhando destaque nos últimos anos. Nesse contexto, surgem questões como: o que o Estado legitima como "cultura nacional"? Como o patrimônio é entendido na perspectiva da política cultural? Elas têm sido necessárias para compreender a gestão de programas culturais voltados aos patrimônios. Assim, esta pesquisa busca realizar um levantamento histórico sobre as políticas públicas culturais voltadas para os patrimônios no Brasil, desde a criação do Iphan até a implantação do Programa Nacional do Patrimônio Imaterial (PNPI), em 2000, provocando uma mudança na compreensão dos patrimônios nacionais. A discussão se dá a partir da análise dos discursos de atores envolvidos na implementação da proteção dos bens imateriais, o que poderia ser ressaltado.
Perfil dos artigos sobre controle interno no setor público em periódicos nacionais e internacionais
Authors: Beuren Ilse Maria , Zonatto Vinícius Costa da Silva
Published: October 2014

Este estudo objetiva identificar o perfil de artigos sobre controle interno no setor público, publicados em periódicos nacionais e internacionais indexados na base de dados Scopus. Nos artigos publicados em periódicos nacionais e internacionais indexados na base de dados Scopus, disponíveis no Portal Capes-BR, na área de Social Sciences & Humanities, realizaram-se buscas pelo termo internal control in the public sector. Identificou-se um total de 133 artigos publicados entre os anos de 1983 a 2011 e observou-se que está havendo um aumento na produção científica sobre a temática analisada. Em contrapartida, não há uma literatura específica predominante utilizada nesta área. Os temas mais explorados são: a) auditoria, controle interno, gestão de riscos e governança; b) finanças públicas; c) políticas públicas; e d) desenvolvimento econômico.
Casca de soja em dietas para coelhos em crescimento
Authors: Klinger Ana Carolina Kohlrausch , Toledo Geni Salete Pinto de , Eggers Daniel Prois , Pretto Alexandra , Chimainski Michael , Silva Leila Picolli da
Published: October 2014

O presente trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar efeitos da inclusão de casca de soja em substituição ao feno de alfafa sobre o desempenho, características da carcaça e trato gastrointestinal e parâmetros bioquímicos de coelhos em fase de crescimento. Foram utilizados 30 coelhos da raça Nova Zelândia Branca, divididos igualmente em três tratamentos, compostos pela dieta experimental padrão (sem inclusão de casca de soja); e pelas dietas com 50% e 100% de substituição de alfafa por casca de soja nas respectivas rações experimentais. Concluiu-se que a casca de soja pode ser incluída em dietas para coelhos em crescimento, em substituição ao feno de alfafa em até 100% sem causar danos no desempenho nas características de carcaça e do trato gastrointestinal e parâmetros bioquímicos dos animais, durante a fase de crescimento. Porém, a utilização deste co-produto exige a necessidade de estudos mais aprofundados em virtude da escassez de dados.
Cultural adaptation to Brazil of the questionnaire Costs of caring for children with cancer
Authors: Pan Raquel , Marques Amanda Rossi , Santos Bruna Domingos dos , Jacob Eufemia , Santos Claudia Benedita dos , Nascimento Lucila Castanheira
Published: October 2014

OBJECTIVE: to present the cultural adaptation of the questionnaire Costs of caring for children with cancer, offering a valid and reliable tool to assess the economic repercussions of childhood cancer for Brazilian families.METHOD: it is a methodological research with a cross-sectional design. The methodological framework to validate the questionnaire was a combined process that included seven steps: translation to Portuguese; first translated consensus version; evaluation by Expert Committee; consensus on the Expert Committee version; back-translation; consensus of back-translated versions; semantic validation. The study was conducted in two phases: phase one was the translation and back-translations process, with five expert committee members. Phase two was the semantic validation, with 24 participants, who answered an instrument about their impressions of the questionnaire and suggested modifications.RESULTS: in phase one, items were included, excluded, and replaced to make the content equivalent and valid for use with Brazilian context. In phase two, the majority of the participants were mothers, who made suggestions about the relevance and clarity of the items in the questionnaire.CONCLUSIONS: the authors discussed these recommendations and made adaptations, turning the questionnaire into a valid and reliable tool for application.
Arterial Hypertension and other risk factors associated with cardiovascular diseases among adults
Authors: Radovanovic Cremilde Aparecida Trindade , Santos Lucimary Afonso dos , Carvalho Maria Dalva de Barros , Marcon Sonia Silva
Published: October 2014

OBJECTIVE: to identify the prevalence of arterial hypertension and its association with cardiovascular risk factors among adults.METHOD: cross-sectional, population-based, descriptive study conducted with 408 adult individuals. Data were collected through a questionnaire and measurements of weight, height and waist circumference. Person's Chi-square and multiple logistic regression were used in the data analysis.RESULTS: 23.03% of the individuals reported hypertension with a higher prevalence among women. Odds Ratio indicated that smoking, body mass index, waist circumference, diabetes mellitus and dyslipidemia were positively associated with arterial hypertension.CONCLUSION: high self-reported hypertension and its association with other cardiovascular risk factors such as diabetes, obesity and dyslipidemia show the need for specific nursing interventions and the implementation of protocols focused on minimizing complications arising from hypertension, as well as to prevent the emergence of other cardiovascular diseases.
The meaning of pharmacological treatment for schizophrenic patients
Authors: Vedana Kelly Graziani Giacchero , Miasso Adriana Inocenti
Published: October 2014

OBJECTIVE: to understand the meaning of medication therapy for schizophrenic patients and formulate a theoretical model about the study phenomenon.METHOD: a qualitative approach was employed, using Symbolic Interactionism as the theoretical and Grounded Theory as the methodological framework. The research was developed between 2008 and 2010 at three community mental health services in the interior of the State of São Paulo - Brazil. Thirty-six patients and thirty-six family members were selected through theoretical sampling. The data were mainly collected through open interviews and observation and simultaneously analyzed through open, axial and selective coding.RESULTS: the meaning of the pharmacotherapy is centered on the phenomenon "Living with a help that bothers", which expresses the patients' ambivalence towards the medication and determines their decision making. The insight, access, limitations for self-administration of the drugs and interactions with family members and the health team influenced the patient's medication-related behavior.CONCLUSION: the theory presented in this study provides a comprehensive, contextualized, motivational and dynamic understanding of the relation the patient experiences and indicates potentials and barriers to follow the medication treatment.
Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: determinant factors for immediate survival after cardiopulmonary resuscitation
Authors: Morais Daniela Aparecida , Carvalho Daclé Vilma , Correa Allana dos Reis
Published: October 2014

OBJECTIVE: to analyze determinant factors for the immediate survival of persons who receive cardiopulmonary resuscitation from the advanced support units of the Mobile Emergency Medical Services (SAMU) of Belo Horizonte.METHOD: this is a retrospective, epidemiological study which analyzed 1,165 assistance forms, from the period 2008 - 2010. The collected data followed the Utstein style, being submitted to descriptive and analytical statistics with tests with levels of significance of 5%.RESULTS: the majority were male, the median age was 64 years, and the ambulance response time, nine minutes. Immediate survival was observed in 239 persons. An association was ascertained of this outcome with "cardiac arrest witnessed by persons trained in basic life support" (OR=3.49; p<0.05; CI 95%), "cardiac arrest witnessed by Mobile Emergency Medical Services teams" (OR=2.99; p<0.05; CI95%), "only the carry out of basic life support" (OR=0.142; p<0.05; CI95%), and "initial cardiac rhythm of asystole" (OR=0.33; p<0.05; CI 95%).CONCLUSION: early access to cardiopulmonary resuscitation was related to a favorable outcome, and the non-undertaking of advanced support, and asystole, were associated with worse outcomes. Basic and advanced life support techniques can alter survival in the event of cardiac arrest.
Beliefs related to adherence to oral antidiabetic treatment according to the Theory of Planned Behavior
Authors: Jannuzzi Fernanda Freire , Rodrigues Roberta Cunha Matheus , Cornélio Marilia Estevam , São-João Thaís Moreira , Gallani Maria Cecília Bueno Jayme
Published: October 2014

OBJECTIVE: to identify salient behavioral, normative, control and self-efficacy beliefs related to the behavior of adherence to oral antidiabetic agents, using the Theory of Planned Behavior.METHOD: cross-sectional, exploratory study with 17 diabetic patients in chronic use of oral antidiabetic medication and in outpatient follow-up. Individual interviews were recorded, transcribed and content-analyzed using pre-established categories.RESULTS: behavioral beliefs concerning advantages and disadvantages of adhering to medication emerged, such as the possibility of avoiding complications from diabetes, preventing or delaying the use of insulin, and a perception of side effects. The children of patients and physicians are seen as important social references who influence medication adherence. The factors that facilitate adherence include access to free-of-cost medication and taking medications associated with temporal markers. On the other hand, a complex therapeutic regimen was considered a factor that hinders adherence. Understanding how to use medication and forgetfulness impact the perception of patients regarding their ability to adhere to oral antidiabetic agents.CONCLUSION: medication adherence is a complex behavior permeated by behavioral, normative, control and self-efficacy beliefs that should be taken into account when assessing determinants of behavior.