bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Familial Himalayan P Wave and Left Ventricular Hypertrabeculation/Noncompaction
Authors: Stöllberger Claudia , Avanzini Marion , Siostrzonek Peter , Kühn Peter , Winkler Walther‐Benedikt , Finsterer Josef
Published: April 2014

Background

“Himalayan P waves,” are reported in congenital heart disease and cardiomyopathies.

Methods

We report a family with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, Himalayan P waves, extensive focal right atrial wall thickening and left ventricular hypertrabeculation/noncompaction (LVHT).

Results

The father received a pacemaker and underwent heart transplantation because of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. His daughters showed Himalayan P waves and right atrial wall thickening. LVHT was diagnosed in sister A at age 23 years and developed in sister B between 42 and 46 years. In sister A the heart rate continuously declined. She refused implantation of a pacemaker and died with 49 years. Sister B, suffers from bradycardia.

Conclusions

Himalayan P waves are due to focal right atrial wall thickening, may be familially and associated with LVHT.
Phenol Formaldehyde Revisited—Novolac Resins for the Treatment of Degraded Archaeological Wood
Authors: Christensen M. , Hansen F. K. , Kutzke H.
Published: April 2014

Archaeological wood is usually severely degraded. The Norwegian Viking Age Oseberg find exemplifies problems arising due to past conservation treatments and the need for new types of preservatives. Phenol formaldehyde (PF) has been investigated as a consolidant for alum‐treated wood. X‐ray tomography has revealed that it is possible to obtain a porous structure inside the wood, ensuring ethical acceptability by allowing re‐treatment. In order to understand the curing mechanics, the kinetics of the initial condensation reaction were elucidated at room temperature. It was found that a second‐order reaction using both phenol and formaldehyde concentrations is the most probable mechanism.
DeVillar, Robert A et al ed (2013) Transforming educationPeter Lang (New York & Bern) isbn 978‐1‐4331‐2037‐4 280 pp £25 (paper & e‐book; boards £96) http://www.peterlang.com/download/datasheet/77946/datasheet_312038.pdf
Authors: Laborda Jesús García
Published: April 2014

This book looks at how key areas of education are currently being revised all over the world—thus leading the reader to understand the new paradigms of the early 21st century. It is a welcome volume that is a must for those genuinely interested in observing how education evolves internationally. If the content of this book could be relevant to you, I recommend that you arrange to borrow a copy for a while in order to decide.

Jesús García Laborda
Erstad, Ola (2013) Digital learning livesPeter Lang (New York & Bern) isbn 978‐1‐4331‐1163‐1 280 pp € 30.75 (paper and e‐book) http://www.peterlang.com/index.cfm?event=cmp.ccc.seitenstruktur.detailseiten&seitentyp=produkt&pk=78334&cid=448
Authors: Liu Gi‐Zen
Published: April 2014

Digital learning lives aims to describe a set of practices in school education and beyond that are well developed and based on digital technology. With rich examples from our digital lives, the author shows that digital natives should be able to go beyond spaces and places with which they are familiar. People closely interested in broadening the scope of digital learning and creativity should think of buying this.

Gi‐Zen Liu
Goodfellow, Robin & Lea, Mary R ed (2013) Literacy in the digital universityRoutledge (New York & London) isbn 978‐0‐415‐53797‐1 213 pp £24.99 http://www.routledge.com/books/details/9780415537971/
Authors: Cannell Pete
Published: April 2014

This book brings together practice and theory from the interface between academic and digital literacy, learning and teaching, and learning technologies. It argues for the importance of digital literacy at the heart of approaches to learning and teaching in the modern university. It is highly recommended for teachers, educational developers, practitioners in learning technology, and policy makers in higher education. Indeed, if this book's content is likely to be relevant to you, I recommend you buy a copy for yourself.

Pete Cannell
DSE‐FRET: A new anticancer drug screening assay for DNA binding proteins
Authors: Miyagi Toru , Shiotani Bunsyo , Miyoshi Ryuya , Yamamoto Takuya , Oka Takanori , Umezawa Kazuo , Ochiya Takahiro , Takano Mikihisa , Tahara Hidetoshi
Published: April 2014

Nuclear factor‐κB (NF‐κB) is a key regulator of cancer progression and the inflammatory effects of disease. To identify inhibitors of DNA binding to NF‐κB, we developed a new homogeneous method for detection of sequence‐specific DNA‐binding proteins. This method, which we refer to as DSE‐FRET, is based on two phenomena: protein‐dependent blocking of spontaneous DNA strand exchange (DSE) between partially double‐stranded DNA probes, and fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET). If a probe labeled with a fluorophore and quencher is mixed with a non‐labeled probe in the absence of a target protein, strand exchange occurs between the probes and results in fluorescence elevation. In contrast, blocking of strand exchange by a target protein results in lower fluorescence intensity. Recombinant human NF‐κB (p50) suppressed the fluorescence elevation of a specific probe in a concentration‐dependent manner, but had no effect on a non‐specific probe. Competitors bearing a NF‐κB binding site restored fluorescence, and the degree of restoration was inversely correlated with the number of nucleotide substitutions within the NF‐κB binding site of the competitor. Evaluation of two NF‐κB inhibitors, Evans Blue and dehydroxymethylepoxyquinomicin ([−]‐DHMEQ), was carried out using p50 and p52 (another form of NF‐κB), and IC50 values were obtained. The DSE‐FRET technique also detected the differential effect of (−)‐DHMEQ on p50 and p52 inhibition. These data indicate that DSE‐FRET can be used for high throughput screening of anticancer drugs targeted to DNA‐binding proteins.
Food groups and weight gain in Japanese men
Authors: Ibe Y. , Takahashi Y. , Sone H.
Published: April 2014

Identifying subjects at high risk of weight gain according to consumption of food groups is important for individualizing nutritional education, but prospective studies of this issue have been few. We determined whether intake of specific food groups could predict future weight gain. We evaluated data from health checkups on 1236 Japanese men aged 28 to 87 years in 2005 and 2006. Dietary intake was assessed by a 24‐h dietary recall at baseline. Weight change was measured after 1 year. Weight increased in 44.7% (n = 553) of participants. Multivariate regression analysis involving many food groups showed a significant association between sugar intake and weight gain after adjustment for age, body mass index (BMI), total energy intake, alcohol, smoking and regular physical exercise (β = 0.22, P = 0.04). The effect of intake of ‘fats and oils’ was significant when adjusted for age and BMI, however, it became insignificant after adjustment for age, BMI and total energy intake. Intake of sugar, which was evaluated as a food group, was predictive of subsequent weight gain among Japanese men, even after adjustment for many confounders. This corroborates the evidence so far concerning the links between sugar intake and weight gain. Further long‐term research is required to give robust recommendation to the public.
Frequency of Class I and II HLA alleles in patients with lung cancer according to chemotherapy response and 5‐year survival
Authors: Araz Omer , Ucar Elif Yilmazel , Meral Mehmet , Yalcin Aslıhan , Acemoglu Hamit , Dogan Hasan , Karaman Adem , Aydin Yener , Gorguner Metin , Akgun Metin
Published: April 2014

Introduction

Lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer death in the world, and the most common type is non‐small‐cell lung cancer (NSCLC). At present, surgical resection, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy are the main treatments for patients with NSCLC, but unfortunately outcome remains unsatisfactory.

Objectives

This study aimed to determine whether Class I and II histocompatibility leukocyte antigen (HLA) alleles are related with response to chemotherapy and survival of lung cancer.

Methods

A total of 65 NSCLC patients (56 men and 9 women, mean age 58.4 ± 11 years) were included in the study. Patient groups were compared with a control group of 88 unrelated healthy kidney or bone marrow donors in order to clearly identify susceptible and protective HLA alleles in lung cancer. Target lesions and tumor response were assessed using the Response Evaluation Criteria for Solid Tumors (RECIST) guidelines. Results were classified into two groups: complete–partial response and stable–progressive disease.

Results

We found that expression of HLA‐A32, HLA‐B41, HLA‐B57, HLA‐DRB1*13, and HLA‐DQ5 were more frequent in the complete and partial response groups to chemotherapy than in the control group. The frequency of HLA‐A11, HLA‐A29, HLA‐BW6, HLA‐CW3, HLA‐DR1*1, and HLA‐DRB1*3 were determined to be higher in the stable and progressive disease groups taking chemotherapy than in the control group. Additionally, expressions of HLA‐A2 and HLA‐B49 were statistically related with 5‐year survival.

Conclusion

Our results suggested that expressions of HLA‐BW6 and HLA‐DRB1*13 alleles may be predictable markers for response to chemotherapy in lung cancer patients.
Biomedicine, Public Health, and Citizenship in the Advent of Antiretrovirals in Botswana
Authors: Chabrol Fanny
Published: April 2014

Often celebrated as a model of development in Africa, Botswana nonetheless endured a severe HIV epidemic. This article describes the singularity of the Botswana experience in facing AIDS and creating the widest possible access to antiretroviral medications for its citizens. Through exploration of different sets of actors and the construction of their ethics of treatment, it is possible to examine how free and universal access was created within the national antiretroviral program. This article underscores the importance of the site and the local dynamics in the advent of an ethics of access to treatment for Botswana citizens. At the intersection of national citizenship, pharmaceutical philanthropy, and biomedical collaborations, Botswana is an exemplary case (one of the first and unique in its kind) of global health programs for access to drugs in which patients' rights are tied to science and pharmaceutical development. As such it also bears some limitations and concerns over its sustainability.
Best practice when using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire with extremely preterm children: are two informants better than one?
Authors: Treyvaud Karli
Published: April 2014

This commentary is on the original article by Johnson et al. on pages 453–459 of this issue.
Impact of injection speed and volume on perceived pain during subcutaneous injections into the abdomen and thigh: a single‐centre, randomized controlled trial
Authors: Heise T. , Nosek L. , Dellweg S. , Zijlstra E. , Præstmark K. A. , Kildegaard J. , Nielsen G. , Sparre T.
Published: April 2014

Aim

The aim of this study was to assess pain associated with subcutaneous injection into the abdomen and thigh of different combinations of injection speeds and volumes.

Methods

The study was a single‐centre, one‐visit, double‐blinded, randomized controlled trial in 82 adults with type 1 or type 2 diabetes receiving daily injections of insulin or glucagon‐like peptide‐1 (GLP‐1) agonists. Participants received 17 subcutaneous injections (12 in abdomen, 5 in thigh) of saline at different injection speeds (150, 300 and 450 µl/s), with different volumes (400, 800, 1200 and 1600 µl), and two needle insertions without any injection. Pain was evaluated on a 100‐mm visual analogue scale (VAS) (0 mm no pain, 100 mm worst pain) and on a yes/no scale for pain acceptability.

Results

Injection speed had no impact on injection pain (p = 0.833). Injection of larger volumes caused significantly more pain [VAS least square mean differences 1600 vs. 400 µl, 7·2 mm (95% confidence interval – CI; 4.6–9.7; p < 0.0001); 1600 vs. 800 µl, 7.2 mm (4.4–10.0; p < 0.0001); 1200 vs. 400 µl, 3.5 mm (0.4–6.6; p = 0.025) and 1200 vs. 800 µl, 3.6 mm (0.4–6.7; p = 0.027)]. Significantly more pain occurred in the thigh versus the abdomen [9.0 mm (6.7–11.3; p < 0.0001)].

Conclusions

Injection speed had no effect on injection pain, whereas higher injection volumes caused more pain. The results of this study may be of value for guiding patients to use the appropriate injection site and technique to reduce their injection pain. Furthermore, these findings may have important implications for the development of new injection devices and drug formulations for clinical practice.
Development of the gregarious ectoparasitoid Nasonia vitripennis using five species of necrophagous flies as hosts and at various developmental temperatures
Authors: Rivers David B. , Losinger Michael
Published: April 2014

The utility of five species of necrophagous flies (Diptera) as pupal hosts for Nasonia vitripennis (Walker) (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) was examined by comparing incidences of parasitism, fecundity, and several features of wasp development at three rearing temperatures. Species differences in host suitability were evident in all life history features examined, with the highest incidences of parasitism, largest clutches and adult body sizes, and shortest periods of development occurring when the sarcophagid Sarcophaga bullata Parker served as hosts, regardless of temperature in which the wasps developed. Puparia of the calliphorids Lucilia illustris Meigen, Phormia regina Meigen, and Protophormia terraenovae Robineau‐Desvoidy were also accepted as hosts by the female parasitoids, albeit not equally so, and each yielded large, female‐biased broods. By contrast, pupae of the calliphorid Chrysomya rufifacies (Macquart) were not well suited to serve as an oviposition site or support the development of N. vitripennis. When successful parasitism did occur on any host species, duration of parasitoid development increased, adult body sizes were truncated, male‐biased sex ratios were produced, and mortality from egg hatch to adult emergence elevated with increasing rearing temperature. Unlike with the four other fly species, C. rufifacies did not yield any adult parasitoids when the rearing temperature was 35 °C. The results argue that developmental data determined for this wasp derived from a single host species is not sufficient for applying to all scenarios in which wasp development is necessary to estimate a postmortem interval or periods of insect activity.
PORT (Programme of Recognition and Therapy): the first Polish recognition and treatment programme for patients with an at‐risk mental state
Authors: Kotlicka‐Antczak Magdalena , Pawełczyk Tomasz , Rabe‐Jabłońska Jolanta , Pawełczyk Agnieszka
Published: April 2014

Aim

To present the activities of the first early intervention centre in Poland and the Programme of Recognition and Therapy (PORT) run by the centre.

Methods

An overview of the admission process, diagnostic procedures and therapeutic interventions offered to individuals with an at‐risk mental state.

Results

The PORT programme, developed in 2010, included 81 individuals, aged 15–29 years so far. The diagnostic procedures consists of evaluation of symptoms with the use of the Comprehensive Assessment of At‐Risk Mental State (CAARMS), assessment of premorbid and current personality traits and the evaluation of cognitive functions. Therapeutic interventions include cognitive behavioural therapy, diet supplementation with omega‐3 fatty acids and pharmacological treatment. Overall rate of conversion into psychosis within the years 2010–2103 was 18.5%. The programme has also been a source of research in the field of early psychosis.

Conclusions

The PORT programme enables young people with an ARMS an easy access to the specialized service offering treatment tailored to their specific needs.
Patterns of climate‐induced density shifts of species: poleward shifts faster in northern boreal birds than in southern birds
Authors: Virkkala Raimo , Lehikoinen Aleksi
Published: April 2014

Climate change has been shown to cause poleward range shifts of species. These shifts are typically demonstrated using presence–absence data, which can mask the potential changes in the abundance of species. Moreover, changes in the mean centre of weighted density of species are seldom examined, and comparisons between these two methods are even rarer. Here, we studied the change in the mean weighted latitude of density (MWLD) of 94 bird species inFinland, northernEurope, using data covering a north–south gradient of over 1000 km from the 1970s to the 2010s. TheMWLDshifted northward on average 1.26 km yr−1, and this shift was significantly stronger in northern species compared to southern species. These shifts can be related to climate warming during the study period, because the annual temperature had increased more in northernFinland (by 1.7 °C) than in southernFinland (by 1.4 °C), although direct causal links cannot be shown. Density shifts of species distributed over the whole country did not differ from shifts in species situated on the edge of the species range in southern and northern species. This means that density shifts occur both in the core and on the edge of species distribution. The species‐specific comparison ofMWLDvalues with corresponding changes in the mean weighted latitude using presence–absence atlas data (MWL) revealed that theMWLDmoved more slowly than theMWLin the atlas data in the southern species examined, but more rapidly in the northern species. Our findings highlight that population densities are also moving rapidly towards the poles and the use of presence–absence data can mask the shift of population densities. We encourage use of abundance data in studies considering the effects of climate change on biodiversity.
Development and psychometric evaluation of a novel tool for assessing patient perception and preference for haemophilia treatment (HaemoPREF)
Authors: Teal S. , Brohan E. , Hettema Y. , Humphrey L. , Willgoss T. , Hudgens S. , Westfeld M. , Cappelleri J. C.
Published: April 2014

Prophylactic use of treatment is important for good outcomes in haemophilia, yet adherence can be suboptimal. To better understand the relationship between treatment adherence and patients' beliefs about treatment there is a need to quantify patients' treatment attitudes. The aim of this study was to develop a brief, clinically relevant, patient‐reported outcome (PRO) to measure ease of use and patients' preference for haemophilia treatment. A 40‐item questionnaire was completed by male adults with haemophilia A from Austria, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK. Robust statistical methods for item evaluation including item‐level statistics, dimensionality analyses and input from clinical and outcomes experts were used to inform item reduction. Retained items were subjected to psychometric evaluation including exploratory factor analysis (EFA), known‐groups validity and internal consistency reliability. 273 patients completed the questionnaire. Of the 40 items, 28 items were flagged for possible deletion based on item‐level statistics, three of which were retained due to clinical relevance. Two items had acceptable statistical performance but were deleted based on low clinical relevance. A total of 13 items were retained. EFA produced a conceptually defined 5‐factor solution. The survey had acceptable known‐groups validity and internal consistency. Refinements were made to wording and scoring, and one new item was added to assess general ease of use, resulting in a 14‐item questionnaire – the HaemoPREF. Preliminary measurement properties of the HaemoPREF support the instrument to evaluate patient perception and preference for haemophilia treatment. Further psychometric evaluation is required to examine and confirm the measurement properties of the scale.
Bimodal peaks of liver stiffness in a case of drug‐induced liver injury
Authors: Kakisaka Keisuke , Kooka Yohei , Oikawa Takayoshi , Suzuki Akiko , Oikawa Kanta , Kuroda Hidekatsu , Kasai Kazuhiro , Takikawa Yasuhiro
Published: April 2014

A 69‐year‐old male complained of general fatigue and presented with elevation of liver enzymes without any cause of liver injury. We diagnosed him with hepatocellular drug‐induced liver injury (DILI). Liver stiffness, which was evaluated according to the shear wave velocity (SWV) using virtual touch tissue quantification, was serially observed during hospitalization. A fast SWV was noted on the date of admission, indicating a “hard” degree of liver stiffness. The SWV gradually decreased until the 20th hospital day. However, the patient's liver enzymes again became elevated on the 20th hospital day, and the SWV simultaneously increased in association with a rise in the total bilirubin level. The laboratory data for the second peak of the SWV indicated mixed‐type DILI; therefore, the patient's pathological state transitioned from the hepatocellular type to the mixed type. A liver biopsy performed before discharge revealed a state of recovery from acute inflammation without fibrotic changes. We conclude that the second peak of the SWV may be affected by the presence of intrahepatic cholestasis. We herein report the occurrence of bimodal peaks of liver stiffness in a patient with DILI. In such cases, each peak of liver stiffness may be the result of a different pathological mechanism, namely acute inflammation versus acute intrahepatic cholestasis. Although the detailed mechanisms underlying the development of liver stiffness due to intrahepatic cholestasis remain unclear, this case presented a limitation of virtual touch tissue quantification for evaluation of liver stiffness as fibrosis marker in the liver with intrahepatic cholestasis.
Potential impact of joint association of alanine aminotransferase and gamma‐glutamyltransferase on insulin resistance in Japan: The Toranomon Hospital Health Management Center Study 19 (TOPICS 19)
Authors: Arase Yasuji , Heianza Yoriko , Hara Shigeko , Ohmoto‐Sekine Yuki , Amakawa Kazuhisa , Tsuji Hiroshi , Ogawa Kyoko , Saito Kazumi , Kodama Satoru , Ikeda Kenji , Kumada Hiromitsu , Kobayashi Tetsuro , Sone Hirohito
Published: April 2014

Aim

To investigate the potential impact of joint association of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and γ‐glutamyltransferase (GGT) on insulin resistance and β‐cell dysfunction in healthy Japanese individuals with a normal range of liver enzymes.

Methods

This study included 1010 individuals (545 men and 465 women) aged 20–89 years who underwent an oral glucose tolerance test for health screening. Participants were divided into four groups on the basis of median values for ALT and GGT: (i) both ALT and GGT low (both‐low); (ii) ALT high and GGT low (ALT‐high); (iii) ALT low and GGT high (GGT‐high); and (iv) both ALT and GGT high (both‐high). Logistic regression analysis was used to investigate the relationship between liver enzyme and insulin dynamics, such as Homeostasis Model of Assessment – Insulin Resistance (HOMA‐IR) and insulinogenic index (IGI). The insulin resistance was defined when HOMA‐IR was 2.5 or more. IGI of less than 0.4 was considered to be decreased early‐phase insulin secretion.

Results

Mean values of HOMA‐IR in men was 1.5 in the both‐low group, 1.8 in ALT‐high, 1.8 in GGT‐high and 2.8 in both‐high. The mean HOMA‐IR in women was 1.3 in the both‐low group, 1.3 in ALT‐high, 1.6 in GGT‐high and 2.0 in both‐high. HOMA‐IR in the both‐high group was significantly higher than that in the both‐low group regardless of the difference of sex. Multivariate analysis showed that insulin resistance occurred when the patient had high liver enzymes.

Conclusion

Combining the two liver function markers would be effective for identifying individuals with insulin resistance.
Patients' valuation of the prescribing nurse in primary care: a discrete choice experiment
Authors: Gerard Karen , Tinelli Michela , Latter Sue , Smith Alesha , Blenkinsopp Alison
Published: April 2014

Background

Recently, primary care in the United Kingdom has undergone substantial changes in skill mix. Non‐medical prescribing was introduced to improve patient access to medicines, make better use of different health practitioners' skills and increase patient choice. There is little evidence about value‐based patient preferences for ‘prescribing nurse’ in a general practice setting.

Objective

To quantify value‐based patient preferences for the profession of prescriber and other factors that influence choice of consultation for managing a minor illness.

Design

Discrete choice experiment patient survey.

Setting and participants

Five general practices in England with non‐medical prescribing services, questionnaires completed by 451 patients.

Main outcome measure

Stated choice of consultation.

Main results

There was a strong general preference for consulting ‘own doctor’ for minor illness. However, a consultation with a nurse prescriber with positive patient‐focused attributes can be more acceptable to patients than a consultation provided by a doctor. Attributes ‘professional's attention to Patients' views’ and extent of ‘help offered’ were pivotal. Past experience influenced preference.

Discussion and conclusion

Respondents demonstrated valid preferences. Preferences for consulting a doctor remained strong, but many were happy to consult with a nurse if other aspects of the consultation were improved. Findings show who to consult is not the only valued factor in choice of consultation for minor illness. The ‘prescribing nurse’ role has potential to offer consultation styles that patients value. Within the study's limitations, these findings can inform delivery of primary care to enhance patient experience and substitute appropriate nurse prescribing consultations for medical prescribing consultations.
An assessment of the educational value of service‐learning community placements in residential aged care facilities
Authors: Wallace JP , Blinkhorn AS , Blinkhorn FA
Published: April 2014

Aims

The aim of this study was to determine whether dental hygiene students attending residential aged care facilities (RACFs) during a placement programme gained any knowledge about the oral care of elderly patients and the RACF environment.

Location

Aged Care Facilities on the Central Coast of New South Wales, Australia. Methodology: Final year dental hygiene students undertook a 12‐week placement, one day per week, in one of 17 residential aged care facilities on the NSW Central Coast. They were asked to complete pre‐placement and post‐placement questionnaires, which recorded their knowledge of medical, dental and environmental issues related to older people. The placement questionnaires used five point Likert scales, ranging from strongly agree to strongly disagree, pre‐ and post‐mean scores were produced for each question and P values calculated using a paired t‐test.

Results

Thirty‐three students attended the placement, 26 (79%) completed both the pre‐ and post‐placement questionnaires. Post‐placement mean scores as compared to pre‐placement mean scores showed significant improvement in student knowledge of medical (P < 0.05) and dental (P < 0.05) conditions specific to the older person and improvement in knowledge (P < 0.05) about the residential aged care facility environment.

Conclusion

The placement programme enhanced student knowledge across three subject categories; medical and dental conditions of the older person and the structure and services of the residential aged care environment.
Australian Employer Response to the Study‐Migration Pathway: The Quantitative Evidence 2007‐2011
Authors: Hawthorne Lesleyanne , To Anna
Published: April 2014

In recent years OECD countries have prioritized international students as a human capital resource. To assess their labour migration outcomes, this article defines Australian employment rates the year after graduation by two measures. Our first in‐depth case study (drawing on the Graduate Destination Survey) compares international students' work status to that of domestic students in 11 professions, from 2007 to 2011. Our second case study (based on the Immigration Department's Continuous Survey of Australia's Migrants) reports the employment rates achieved from 2009 to 2011 by international students who have secured skilled migrant status in Australia, compared with those of skilled category applicants selected off‐shore. Empirical analyses such as these are rare in the existing study‐migration literature, which is dominated by policy and qualitative perspectives. The findings are relevant to international students as well as policymakers, in a context where governments frame migration policy but employers maintain the power to offer/withhold work.
Beecher's Trilobite Bed
Authors: BRIGGS DEREK E. G. , EDGECOMBE GREGORY D.
Published: April 2014

Beecher's Trilobite Bed in the Upper Ordovician of New York State has yielded some of the most completely preserved trilobites. Abundant specimens of Triarthrus, and fewer of Cryptolithus, were buried in a single catastrophic influx of sediment, and the limbs and other features are preserved in pyrite. A recent re‐excavation of the bed provided an opportunity to investigate the controls on the pyritization of soft tissues, an extremely rare phenomenon. Larval and juvenile specimens are common in the Trilobite Bed, allowing the life histories of the trilobites to be pieced together. The nature of the transition from larva to adult was significant in determining the trilobites' chances of surviving the mass extinction at the end of the Ordovician.
Investigating the association between strategic and pathological gambling behaviors and substance use in youth: Could religious faith play a differential role?
Authors: Lee Grace P. , Ghandour Lilian A. , Takache Alaa H. , Martins Silvia S.
Published: April 2014

Objectives

This study investigated the link between gambling behaviors and the use of alcohol, drugs, and nonprescribed prescription medications, while exploring the moderating role of distinct religious faiths.

Methods

In 2010, 570 students from the American University of Beirut completed a self‐reported, anonymous English questionnaire, which included lifetime gambling and past‐year substance use measures.

Results

Half (55%) were lifetime gamblers, of whom, 12% were probable pathological gamblers. About 60% were strategic gamblers. Lifetime gamblers were more than twice as likely as nongamblers to report past‐year illegal drug use and alcohol abuse. Probable pathological gamblers were also more than four times as likely as nongamblers to report nonmedical prescription drug use, illegal drug use, and alcohol abuse. Compared to nonstrategic gamblers, strategic gamblers had more than three times the odds of illegal drug and cigarette use. The link between alcohol abuse and gambling was stronger among Christians than Muslims. Conversely, Muslims were more likely to report the co‐occurrence of various gambling behaviors (lifetime, probable pathological, and strategic gambling) with both illegal drug use and cigarette use.

Conclusions

Gambling and substance use behaviors were strongly linked in this sample of youth from Lebanon, corroborating the evidence from North America. Particularly novel are the co‐occurrence of pathological gambling and nonmedical prescription drug use and the potential differential role of religion. (Am J Addict 2014;23:280–287)
Attachment security and problematic substance use in low‐income, suicidal, African American women
Authors: Massey Suena H. , Compton Michael T. , Kaslow Nadine J.
Published: April 2014

Background and Objectives

While secure attachment may buffer the effect of adverse early experiences on the development of behavioral problems in children, whether attachment security may provide resilience against problematic substance use in adulthood is less clear, and addressed by this study.

Methods

We examined relations between attachment security and problematic substance use in 356 African American women recruited for a suicide prevention/intervention study. Problematic substance use was defined as a positive screen on either the Brief Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test or the Drug Abuse Screening Test‐10. Attachment security was assessed using the Secure Subscale of the Relationship Scales Questionnaire. Associations between demographic and psychosocial variables (age, education, unemployment, homelessness, attachment security, past childhood maltreatment, current exposure to intimate partner violence, and depressive symptoms) and problematic substance use were determined using logistic regression analyses.

Results

Participants averaged 35.1 ± 10.0 years of age, and exhibited significant psychosocial challenges. More secure attachment was independently associated with a lower likelihood of problematic drug use (OR = .516, 95% CI (.343–.777), p ≤ .01); and the problematic use of either alcohol or drugs (OR = .563, 95% CI (.374–.849), p ≤ .01). Attachment security, along with childhood maltreatment, age, and homelessness, accounted for 25.5% of the variance in problematic substance use.

Discussion and Conclusions

Participants who reported greater attachment security were significantly less likely to engage in problematic substance use.

Scientific Significance

Future research should explore attachment security as a resilience factor against problematic substance use. (Am J Addict 2014;23:294–299)
In Vitro Biomechanical Comparison of 3.5 String of Pearl Plate Fixation to 3.5 Locking Compression Plate Fixation in a Canine Fracture Gap Model
Authors: Malenfant Renee‐Claire , Sod Gary A.
Published: April 2014

Objective

To compare the 3.5 string of pearls (SOP) plate with a 3.5 mm locking compression plate (LCP) using a fracture model in static loading and cyclic fatigue testing.

Study Design

In vitro biomechanical testing of paired tibias with a mid‐diaphyseal ostectomy, stabilized by 1 of 2 locking systems.

Sample Population

Cadaveric canine tibiae (n = 24 pairs).

Methods

Tibias were randomly divided into 4 equal groups: (1) 4‐point bending single cycle to failure, (2) 4‐point bending cyclic fatigue, (3) torsion single cycle to failure, and (4) torsion cyclic fatigue. Randomly assigned SOP and LCP bridged a 20 mm mid‐diaphyseal ostectomy. Mean test variables values for each method were compared using a paired t‐test within each group with significance set at P < .05.

Results

The SOP construct had significantly greater mean yield load, mean yield displacement, mean yield bending moment, mean composite rigidity and mean failure bending moment under static 4‐point bending to failure than the LCP construct. Mean number of cycles to failure under 4‐point bending was significantly greater for the SOP constructs but the mean number of cycles to failure in torsion was significantly greater for the LCP constructs. The LCP construct had significantly greater mean composite stiffness and significantly lesser mean displacement to yield and to failure in static torsion testing.

Conclusion

The SOP construct was superior under bending static and cycling testing but the LCP construct was superior in static and cycling torsion testing.
Ex Vivo Comparison of the Biomechanical Properties of Hand‐Sewn and Stapled Jejunoileal Anastomoses in Horses
Authors: Bracamonte José L. , Anderson Stacy L. , Hendrick Steven , Barber Spencer M. , Deutscher David , Sumner David
Published: April 2014

Objective

To compare bursting strength, construction time, and anastomotic dimensions of 4 jejunoileal anastomotic techniques.

Study Design

Experimental ex vivo study.

Animals

Adult horses (n = 12).

Methods

Jejunoileal anastomoses were constructed from harvested ileal and distal jejunal segments using a single‐layer Lembert technique (1HS), double‐layer simple continuous/Cushing technique (2HS), stapled side‐to‐side technique (SS), or stapled functional end‐to‐end technique (FEE). Anastomotic construction time was recorded. Bursting pressures (BP), bursting wall tension (BWT), percentage of mean anastomotic luminal diameter reduction, percentage of luminal diameter reduction relative to adjacent ileal and jejunal diameters and stomal length, were calculated.

Results

FEE had the shortest construction time. BP of 1HS and 2HS was significantly higher than FEE and SS (P < .001), which were not different from each other (P = .67). There were no significant differences in BP (P = .25) and BWT (P = .21) between 1HS and 2HS. Mean luminal diameter reduction was less for 1HS (25.1%) than for 2HS (34.8%), however, not statistically different (P = .12). Luminal diameter reduction relative to ileal diameter was significantly less for 1HS (15.2%) than for 2HS (28.47%; P = .012). Luminal diameter reduction relative to jejunal diameter was less for 1HS (32.4%) than 2HS (44.6%) but not statistically different; P = .07). Stomal length was significantly larger for SS (9.93 cm) than FEE (7.32 cm; P = .0002).

Conclusion

1HS and 2HS jejunoileal anastomosis are equal in strength; however, 1HS results in less relative luminal diameter reduction. SS and FEE have comparable strength but fail at significantly lower BPs than hand‐sewn jejunoileal anastomoses.
Playing with Trolleys: Intuitions About the Permissibility of Aggregation
Authors: Kelman Mark , Kreps Tamar Admati
Published: April 2014

We explore when experimental subjects think aggregation across persons—deciding that some parties should be worse off, so that others might gain more, compared to an alternative option—is permissible through subjects' responses to trolley problem vignettes. Two classic vignettes are: (1) whether to divert a runaway trolley on to a spur track, killing one, to save multiple potential victims on a main track, and (2) whether to push an overweight person off a bridge to block the trolley from hitting the potential victims. Subjects typically judge diverting in the first problem permissible and pushing in the second problem impermissible. We first show that respondents reject Taurek's claim that the number of victims is irrelevant. Our central novel finding is that the intuition to distinguish the two cases is weaker than the extensive literature emphasizing its significance has implied. Responses to the two problems often converge to a significant extent on the position that aggregation is impermissible because the intuition to divert is both more weakly held and more subject to revision than the intuition against pushing. We show this convergence when the problems are presented together. Moreover, while the strictures against pushing are typically seen as mandatory (and hold even when following the strictures disadvantages kin or more identified parties), the obligation to divert is rarely unqualifiedly mandatory, and even its permissibility is sensitive to potential harm to kin and identifiable people.
Urban Land‐Use Regulation: Are Homevoters Overtaking the Growth Machine?
Authors: Been Vicki , Madar Josiah , McDonnell Simon
Published: April 2014

The leading theory about urban land‐use regulation argues that city zoning officials are full partners in the business and real estate elite's “growth machine.” Suburban land‐use officials, in contrast, are thought to cater to the interests of the majority of their electorate—“homevoters.” A unique database regarding over 200,000 lots that the New York City Planning Commission considered for rezoning between 2002 and 2009 allows us to test various hypotheses suggested by these competing theories of land‐use regulation. Our analysis reveals that homevoters are more powerful in urban politics than scholars, policymakers, and judges have assumed.
Does the Law Matter? Win Rates and Law Reforms
Authors: Gliksberg David
Published: April 2014

The empirical legal study of tax law has developed greatly in recent years and has yielded many insights into the judiciary in particular and the legal system as a whole. This article continues this process by evaluating, through the prism of tax litigation and based on theories of analyzing judicial decision making, the effect of law reforms on win rates and whether win rates can help predict future law reforms. The analysis is based on a comprehensive database (census, not sample) of 1,330 tax decisions of the Israeli Supreme Court (ISC), divided into seven tax categories, and covering 60 years of tax jurisprudence since Israel's establishment (1948–2008). The data enabled us to find changes in win rates over time, among different tax categories, and in relation to several tax reforms. The detailed analysis found that law reforms have a significant effect on win rates and that win rates have a predictive ability for future law reform. These findings strengthen the legal model and the neo‐institutional theory and do not provide support for selection effect theory or the attitudinal model regarding their explanatory function in analyzing judicial decisions.
Feeding difficulties in children with food protein‐induced gastrointestinal allergies
Authors: Meyer Rosan , Rommel Nathalie , Van Oudenhove Lukas , Fleming Catharine , Dziubak Robert , Shah Neil
Published: April 2014

Background and Aim

There is paucity of data on the prevalence of feeding difficulties in Food Protein‐Induced Gastrointestinal Allergies (FPIGA) and their clinical characteristics. However, it is a commonly reported problem by clinicians. We set out to establish the occurrence of feeding difficulties in children with FPIGA, the association with gastrointestinal and extra‐intestinal symptoms and number of foods eliminated from the diet.

Methods

This retrospective observational analysis was performed in patients seen between 2002 and 2009 at Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital, Gastroenterology Department, London. Medical records where FPIGA was documented using the terms from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease and National Institute of Clinical Excellence and confirmed using an elimination diet, followed by a challenge were included. Feeding difficulties were assessed using a criteria previously used in healthy toddlers in the UK.

Results

Data from 437 children (203 female) were collected. Significantly more children with feeding difficulties presented with abdominal distention and bloating (P = 0.002), vomiting (P < 0.0001), weight loss (P < 0.0001), rectal bleeding (P = 0.025), and constipation (P < 0.0001). We also found that having extra‐intestinal manifestations were significantly (P < 0.0001) associated with the presence of feeding difficulties. Additionally, a significantly higher number of foods eliminated from the diet in the children with/without feeding difficulties (P = 0.028).

Conclusions

Clinical manifestations like vomiting, constipation, rectal bleeding, weight loss, and the presence of extra‐intestinal manifestations in addition to the number of foods avoided are in our FPIGA population linked to feeding difficulties.
Novel method of endoscopic ultrasound‐guided hepaticogastrostomy to prevent stent dysfunction
Authors: Ogura Takeshi , Kurisu Yoshitaka , Masuda Daisuke , Imoto Akira , Hayashi Michihiro , Malak Mohamed , Umegaki Eiji , Uchiyama Kazuhisa , Higuchi Kazuhide
Published: April 2014

Background and Study Aim

The present study assesses the feasibility as well as the technical and functional success rates of a novel endoscopic ultrasound‐guided hepaticogastrostomy (EUS‐HGS) technique called the locking stent method that uses end‐bare covered metallic stents (EBCMS).

Methods

Twenty consecutive patients who were histologically diagnosed with unresectable cancer complicated with obstructive jaundice underwent EUS‐HGS due to failed endoscopic biliary drainage or inaccessible papilla. We retrospectively collected clinical data for these patients including technical and functional success rates and complications.

Results

Seven were treated by EUS‐HGS (EUS‐HGS group), and 13 were treated using the locking stent EUS‐HGS method (LS group). Technical and functional success rates were 100% in both groups. Procedural duration did not significantly differ between the EUS‐HGS and LS groups (26.9 ± 9.0 versus 32.3 ± 11.1 min, P = 0.30). Two patients developed complications related to stent migration in the EUS‐HGS group. In contrast, although mild post‐procedural bile peritonitis required conservative treatment for a few days, none of the stents malfunctioned in the LS group.

Conclusion

Our method can safely and effectively prevent stent dysfunction, but validation in a prospective clinical trial is required.
Risk factors for covered metallic stent migration in patients with distal malignant biliary obstruction due to pancreatic cancer
Authors: Nakai Yousuke , Isayama Hiroyuki , Kogure Hirofumi , Hamada Tsuyoshi , Togawa Osamu , Ito Yukiko , Matsubara Saburo , Arizumi Toshihiko , Yagioka Hiroshi , Mizuno Suguru , Sasaki Takashi , Yamamoto Natsuyo , Hirano Kenji , Tada Minoru , Koike Kazuhiko
Published: April 2014

Background and Aim

Covered metallic stents (CMSs) were developed to overcome tumor ingrowth in uncovered metallic stents (UMSs) for malignant biliary obstruction, but superiority of CMSs over UMSs is still controversial due to the high migration rate in CMS. Therefore, we conducted this retrospective analysis to clarify risk factors for stent migration, including mechanical properties of CMSs.

Methods

Patients with unresectable pancreatic cancer, receiving CMS for distal malignant biliary obstruction in five tertiary care centers, were retrospectively studied. Univariate and multivariate analyses to identify prognostic factors for early (< 6 months) stent migration were performed using a proportional hazards model with death or stent occlusion without stent migration as a competing risk. Two mechanical properties were included in the analysis: axial force, the recovery force that leads to a CMS straightening, and radial force (RF), the expansion force against the stricture.

Results

Among 290 patients who received CMS placement for distal malignant biliary obstruction, stent migration rate was 15.2%. CMS migrated early (< 6 months) in 10.0% and distally in 11.7%, respectively. In the multivariate analysis, significant risk factors for early stent migration were chemotherapy (subdistribution hazard ratios [SHR] 4.46, P = 0.01), CMS with low RF (SHR 2.23, P = 0.03), and duodenal invasion (SHR 2.25, P = 0.02).

Conclusion

CMS with low RF, chemotherapy, and duodenal invasion were associated with CMS migration from our study.
A Process Perspective on Industrial Symbiosis
Authors: Boons Frank , Spekkink Wouter , Jiao Wenting
Published: April 2014

It has been long recognized in the conceptual literature that industrial symbiosis requires a perspective that focuses on long‐term evolution. This has not yet been matched by adopting an adequate process‐oriented research methodology. This article provides the underpinnings for such a methodology, presents a developed methodology, event sequence analysis, and shows its added value through a set of research questions and an empirical example. It shows how the process perspective leads to asking new research questions as well as the uncovering of new insights about the emergence, evolution, and dissolution of symbiotic relationships and the institutional capacity required to build such relationships.
Crony Capitalism: Rent Seeking, Institutions and Ideology
Authors: Aligica Paul Dragos , Tarko Vlad
Published: April 2014

This paper elaborates the notion of “crony capitalism” and advances an innovative approach to the analysis of the phenomenon in case, seen as a type of rent‐seeking society. The argument leads to a pioneering attempt to elaborate an original theory of crony capitalism as a sui generis system and with that end in view it combines three complementary perspectives: microeconomics (dealing with the basic economics of rent‐seeking), institutional or structural (dealing with the specific structures and configurations of institutions, policies and processes via which rent seeking gets materialized), and ideological (dealing with the ideas, rhetoric, beliefs, doctrines and other forms of legitimization and justification of the specific policies and institutions). The paper identifies significant functional differences between crony capitalism in high‐income and developing countries and advances a novel interpretation of the special nature of crony capitalism by focusing on the distinctive features of its ideological component.