bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The adiabatic phase mixing and heating of electrons in Buneman turbulence
Authors: Che H. , Drake J. F. , Swisdak M. , Goldstein M. L.
Published: June 2013

The nonlinear development of the strong Buneman instability and the associated fast electron heating in thin current layers with Ωe/ωpe<1 is explored. Phase mixing of the electrons in wave potential troughs and a rapid increase in temperature are observed during the saturation of the instability. We show that the motion of trapped electrons can be described using a Hamiltonian formalism in the adiabatic approximation. The process of separatrix crossing as electrons are trapped and de-trapped is irreversible and guarantees that the resulting electron energy gain is a true heating process.
Reciprocal constructions in Mian
Authors: Fedden Sebastian
Published: June 2013

Despite the ongoing interest in reciprocal situations, which form a central part of our social, intellectual, and moral lives, and the linguistic encoding of such situations in different languages, studies of reciprocals in Papuan languages remain underrepresented in the reciprocal literature. The Trans New Guinea languages Mian, Amele, and Hua have a reciprocal construction in which the reciprocal subevents are expressed by individual transitive verbs plus an existential verb expressing that the reciprocal action is done together. Mian goes one step further and fuses this construction into a single verb with a reciprocal suffix -sese. The present paper is an in-depth analysis of the morphology, syntax, and semantics of reciprocal constructions in Mian, including a comparison with Amele, and an analysis of the diachronic development of the Mian reciprocal, whose origin presumably lies in a biclausal description in which the reciprocal subevents are spelled out separately and sequentially.
Ergative case attrition in Central Indo-Aryan
Authors: Phillips Maxwell
Published: June 2013

Differential case marking is often determined on the basis of inherent semantic properties associated with core arguments of the verb. This frequently results in a hierarchical split in which certain types of NPs are more or less likely to be case marked when in the role of agent/patient. The Referential Hierarchy (RH) (see Silverstein 1976; Comrie 1981) models this phenomenon in terms of the markedness of agent vs. patient roles, based on the semantic parameters of animacy/definiteness. Yet recent studies have raised doubts as to the constistency of the RH in predicting split-ergative marking (e.g. Filimonova 2005; Bickel 2008). This paper explores an Indo-Aryan dialect with an NP-split in ergative marking that appears to contradict the RH: Kherwada Wagdi. It examines the possible historical scenarios that could result in a reverse NP-split, suggesting that such historical transitions tend to follow a non-linear course and are frequently left incomplete.
Argument-focus and predicate-focus structure in Ancient Greek
Authors: Celano Giuseppe G.A.
Published: June 2013

In this article, Ancient Greek is shown to allow two word orders, Focus-Verb and Verb-Focus, independently of whether the verb is in focus or in the presupposition. Relying on the behavior of postpositives and Lambrecht’s Principle of Accent Projection, I argue that such word orders are integrated into prosodic constituents where the main sentence accent falls to either the left (Focus-Verb) or the right (Verb-Focus) of the verb. Such an alternation is suggested to be due to a binary iconic contrast whereby the more prominent the focus is, the earlier it is placed.
The border as pain and remedy: commemorating the Polish – Ukrainian conflict of 1918-1919 in Lviv and Przemyśl
Authors: Zhurzhenko Tatiana
Published: June 2013

The fight for Lwów/Lviv in 1918 was the first military conflict in the difficult twentieth-century history of Polish–Ukrainian relations. In the inter-war period, an impressive military memorial, the Eaglets Cemetery, was constructed in Lwów to honor the young defenders of the city. A monument to the Eaglets was also erected in the neighboring Przemyśl. In inter-war Poland, the Ukrainians, who had lost their cause for state independence, created their own cult of national heroes, the Sich Riflemen. Their graves in Lwów and Przemyśl, as well as in many smaller towns, became sites of public commemoration and national mobilization. This article traces the emergence, the development and the post-World War II decay of both competing memorial cults, focusing on their revival and political uses after 1989. It examines the trans-border aspects of memory politics in Lviv and Przemyśl and analyses the role of war memorials in (re-)establishing the link between ethnic communities and their homelands.
A disputed land: Italy, the military inter-allied commission and the plebiscite of Sopron
Authors: Vagnini Alessandro
Published: June 2013

In the fall of 1918, after over four years of war, the cohesion of Austria-Hungary collapsed. In the aftermath of the Great War, Burgenland (Western Hungary) was part of a pattern of complex territorial issues, though it was actually the smallest disputed territory between Hungary and her successor states. The region became a disputed land after the Allied Supreme Council recommended the transfer of most of it to Austria. The internal crisis in Budapest, the Habsburg restoration attempts and the activities of many militia on the ground led to an extremely dangerous situation. Diplomatic and direct military involvement of the Powers eventually resolved the issue with an agreement providing for a plebiscite on the fate of Sopron and the other smaller towns of the region. At least until 1921 Western Hungary represented an element of destabilization in Europe, while its partition was a significant event in the evolution of relations between the two new states of Hungary and Austria, and a testing ground for European diplomacy. The purpose of this article is to highlight the role of Italy in these complex events and to elucidate the contribution of its military in the formulation of clearer political strategy.
Valuing the talk of young people: are we nearly there yet?
Authors: O'Boyle Aisling
Published: June 2013

This paper examines the reasons why young people's talk about themselves and their educational experiences do not seem to be valued in public discourse about education. Drawing on a national dataset of student focus groups, it illustrates how students talk about themselves in educational
contexts in a way that is entirely different and more complex than how they are conceptualised by an adult audience and symbolic elites. It demonstrates, contrary to dominant adult perceptions, the critical, communicative and creative use of language offered by young people when asked about
their educational experiences, and highlights the potential innovation being missed by not listening.
DMEAS: DNA methylation entropy analysis software
Authors: He Jianlin , Sun Xinxi , Shao Xiaojian , Liang Liji , Xie Hehuang
Published: June 2013

Summary: DMEAS is the first user-friendly tool dedicated to analyze the distribution of DNA methylation patterns for the quantification of epigenetic heterogeneity. It supports the analysis of both locus-specific and genome-wide bisulfite sequencing data. DMEAS progressively scans the mapping results of bisulfite sequencing reads to extract DNA methylation patterns for contiguous CpG dinucleotides. It determines the DNA methylation level and calculates methylation entropy for genomic segments to enable the quantitative assessment of DNA methylation variations observed in cell populations.

Availability and implementation: DMEAS program, user guide and all the testing data are freely available from http://sourceforge.net/projects/dmeas/files/

Contact:  davidxie@vt.edu

Supplementary Information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Joint network and node selection for pathway-based genomic data analysis
Authors: Zhe Shandian , Naqvi Syed A. Z. , Yang Yifan , Qi Yuan
Published: June 2013

Motivation: By capturing various biochemical interactions, biological pathways provide insight into underlying biological processes. Given high-dimensional microarray or RNA-sequencing data, a critical challenge is how to integrate them with rich information from pathway databases to jointly select relevant pathways and genes for phenotype prediction or disease prognosis. Addressing this challenge can help us deepen biological understanding of phenotypes and diseases from a systems perspective.

Results: In this article, we propose a novel sparse Bayesian model for joint network and node selection. This model integrates information from networks (e.g. pathways) and nodes (e.g. genes) by a hybrid of conditional and generative components. For the conditional component, we propose a sparse prior based on graph Laplacian matrices, each of which encodes detailed correlation structures between network nodes. For the generative component, we use a spike and slab prior over network nodes. The integration of these two components, coupled with efficient variational inference, enables the selection of networks as well as correlated network nodes in the selected networks.

Simulation results demonstrate improved predictive performance and selection accuracy of our method over alternative methods. Based on three expression datasets for cancer study and the KEGG pathway database, we selected relevant genes and pathways, many of which are supported by biological literature. In addition to pathway analysis, our method is expected to have a wide range of applications in selecting relevant groups of correlated high-dimensional biomarkers.

Availability: The code can be downloaded at www.cs.purdue.edu/homes/szhe/software.html.

Contact:  alanqi@purdue.edu
Effect of Hemorrhage and Hypotension on Transcranial Motor-evoked Potentials in Swine
Authors: Lieberman Jeremy A. , Feiner John , Lyon Russ , Rollins Mark D.
Published: June 2013

Background:

Transcranial motor-evoked potentials (TcMEPs) monitor spinal cord motor tract integrity. Using a swine model, the authors studied the effects of vasodilatory hypotension, hemorrhage, and various resuscitation efforts on TcMEP responses.

Methods:

Twelve pigs were anesthetized with constant infusions of propofol, ketamine, and fentanyl. Animals were incrementally hemorrhaged, until bilateral tibialis anterior TcMEP amplitude decreased to less than 40% of baseline or until 50% of the blood volume was removed. Mean arterial pressure (MAP), cardiac output (CO), and oxygen delivery (DO2) were examined. Resuscitation with phenylephrine, epinephrine, and colloid were evaluated. In seven animals, vasodilatory hypotension was examined. Paired comparisons and multivariate analysis were performed.

Results:

Hemorrhage significantly reduced (as a percentage of baseline, mean ± SD) TcMEPs (left, 33 ± 29%; right, 26 ± 21%), MAP (60 ± 17%), CO (49 ± 12%), and DO2 (43 ± 13%), P value less than 0.001 for all. Vasodilation reduced MAP comparably, but TcMEPs, CO, and DO2, were not significantly lowered. After hemorrhage, restoration of MAP with phenylephrine did not improve TcMEPs, CO, or DO2, but similar restoration of MAP with epinephrine restored (to percentage of baseline) TcMEPs (59 ± 40%), and significantly increased CO (81 ± 17%) and DO2 (72 ± 19%) compared with both hemorrhage and phenylephrine, P value less than 0.05 for all. Resuscitation with colloid did not improve TcMEPs. Multivariate analysis revealed that changes in TcMEPs were more closely associated with changes in CO and DO2 as compared with MAP.

Conclusions:

Hypotension from hemorrhage, but not vasodilation, is associated with a decrease in TcMEP amplitude. After hemorrhage, restoration of TcMEPs with epinephrine but not phenylephrine indicates that CO and DO2 affect TcMEPs more than MAP. Monitoring CO may be beneficial in major spine surgery when using TcMEP monitoring.
Real-time Closed-loop Control in a Rodent Model of Medically Induced Coma Using Burst Suppression
Authors: Ching ShiNung , Liberman Max Y. , Chemali Jessica J. , Westover M. Brandon , Kenny Jonathan D. , Solt Ken , Purdon Patrick L. , Brown Emery N.
Published: June 2013

Background:

A medically induced coma is an anesthetic state of profound brain inactivation created to treat status epilepticus and to provide cerebral protection after traumatic brain injuries. The authors hypothesized that a closed-loop anesthetic delivery system could automatically and precisely control the electroencephalogram state of burst suppression and efficiently maintain a medically induced coma.

Methods:

In six rats, the authors implemented a closed-loop anesthetic delivery system for propofol consisting of: a computer-controlled pump infusion, a two-compartment pharmacokinetics model defining propofol’s electroencephalogram effects, the burst-suppression probability algorithm to compute in real time from the electroencephalogram the brain’s burst-suppression state, an online parameter-estimation procedure and a proportional-integral controller. In the control experiment each rat was randomly assigned to one of the six burst-suppression probability target trajectories constructed by permuting the burst-suppression probability levels of 0.4, 0.65, and 0.9 with linear transitions between levels.

Results:

In each animal the controller maintained approximately 60 min of tight, real-time control of burst suppression by tracking each burst-suppression probability target level for 15 min and two between-level transitions for 5–10 min. The posterior probability that the closed-loop anesthetic delivery system was reliable across all levels was 0.94 (95% CI, 0.77–1.00; n = 18) and that the system was accurate across all levels was 1.00 (95% CI, 0.84–1.00; n = 18).

Conclusion:

The findings of this study establish the feasibility of using a closed-loop anesthetic delivery systems to achieve in real time reliable and accurate control of burst suppression in rodents and suggest a paradigm to precisely control medically induced coma in patients.
Assessment of Homology Templates and an Anesthetic Binding Site within the γ-Aminobutyric Acid Receptor
Authors: Bertaccini Edward J. , Yoluk Ozge , Lindahl Erik R. , Trudell James R.
Published: June 2013

Background:

Anesthetics mediate portions of their activity via modulation of the γ-aminobutyric acid receptor (GABAaR). Although its molecular structure remains unknown, significant progress has been made toward understanding its interactions with anesthetics via molecular modeling.

Methods:

The structure of the torpedo acetylcholine receptor (nAChRα), the structures of the α4 and β2 subunits of the human nAChR, the structures of the eukaryotic glutamate-gated chloride channel (GluCl), and the prokaryotic pH-sensing channels, from Gloeobacter violaceus and Erwinia chrysanthemi, were aligned with the SAlign and 3DMA algorithms. A multiple sequence alignment from these structures and those of the GABAaR was performed with ClustalW. The Modeler and Rosetta algorithms independently created three-dimensional constructs of the GABAaR from the GluCl template. The CDocker algorithm docked a congeneric series of propofol derivatives into the binding pocket and scored calculated binding affinities for correlation with known GABAaR potentiation EC50s.

Results:

Multiple structure alignments of templates revealed a clear consensus of residue locations relevant to anesthetic effects except for torpedo nAChR. Within the GABAaR models generated from GluCl, the residues notable for modulating anesthetic action within transmembrane segments 1, 2, and 3 converged on the intersubunit interface between α and β subunits. Docking scores of a propofol derivative series into this binding site showed strong linear correlation with GABAaR potentiation EC50.

Conclusion:

Consensus structural alignment based on homologous templates revealed an intersubunit anesthetic binding cavity within the transmembrane domain of the GABAaR, which showed a correlation of ligand docking scores with experimentally measured GABAaR potentiation.
Identification of Staphylococcus aureus from enriched nasal swabs within 24 h is improved with use of multiple culture media
Authors: Nadimpalli Maya , Heaney Christopher , Stewart Jill R.
Published: June 2013

Nasal carriage of Staphylococcus aureus is commonly evaluated via culture-based methods. We found that parallel use of two media, Baird-Parker and CHROMagar™ Staph aureus, increased detection of S. aureus from a healthy population by 29 %. We suggest use of both media for optimal identification of S. aureus from healthy cohorts.
RootNav: Navigating Images of Complex Root Architectures
Authors: Pound Michael P. , French Andrew P. , Atkinson Jonathan A. , Wells Darren M. , Bennett Malcolm J. , Pridmore Tony
Published: June 2013

We present a novel image analysis tool that allows the semiautomated quantification of complex root system architectures in a range of plant species grown and imaged in a variety of ways. The automatic component of RootNav takes a top-down approach, utilizing the powerful expectation maximization classification algorithm to examine regions of the input image, calculating the likelihood that given pixels correspond to roots. This information is used as the basis for an optimization approach to root detection and quantification, which effectively fits a root model to the image data. The resulting user experience is akin to defining routes on a motorist’s satellite navigation system: RootNav makes an initial optimized estimate of paths from the seed point to root apices, and the user is able to easily and intuitively refine the results using a visual approach. The proposed method is evaluated on winter wheat (Triticum aestivum) images (and demonstrated on Arabidopsis [Arabidopsis thaliana], Brassica napus, and rice [Oryza sativa]), and results are compared with manual analysis. Four exemplar traits are calculated and show clear illustrative differences between some of the wheat accessions. RootNav, however, provides the structural information needed to support extraction of a wider variety of biologically relevant measures. A separate viewer tool is provided to recover a rich set of architectural traits from RootNav’s core representation.
Food miles or carbon emissions? Exploring labelling preference for food transport footprint with a stated choice study
Authors: Caputo Vincenzina , Nayga Rodolfo M. , Scarpa Riccardo
Published: June 2013

The ecological footprint of food transport can be communicated using carbon dioxide emissions (CO2label) or by providing information about both the length of time and the mileage travelled (food miles label). We use stated choice data to estimate conventional unobserved taste heterogeneity models and extend them to a specification that also addresses attribute nonattendance. The implied posterior distributions of the marginal willingness to pay values are compared graphically and are used in validation regressions. We find strong bimodality of taste distribution as the emerging feature, with different groups of subjects having low and high valuations for these labels. The best fitting model shows that CO2and food miles valuations are much correlated. CO2valuations can be high even for those respondents expressing low valuations for food miles. However, the reverse is not true. Taken together, the results suggest that consumers tend to value the CO2label at least as much and sometimes more than the food miles label.
Tourism sector in Panama: Regional economic impacts and the potential to benefit the poor
Authors: Klytchnikova Irina , Dorosh Paul
Published: June 2013

Tourism is one of Latin America's fastest growing industries, but the impact of tourism on the poor and the effects on developing regions are under debate. Many studies have evaluated the growth impacts of the tourism sector but few have analyzed the impact of tourism on the economy and poverty at the subnational level in developing countries. This paper presents the results of a top‐down assessment of the impact of tourism spending on growth and poverty at the regional level in Panama using a Social Accounting Matrix multiplier model. As revealed by this study, the tourism sector has large multiplier effects on the Panamanian economy — higher than the Panama Canal and almost twice as high as the textiles sector or Free Zone of Colon — and has the potential for significant benefits to the poor, but these benefits depend on where and how supply chains are structured and on the way tourists spend their money.
Mountain gorilla tourism generating wealth and peace in post‐conflict Rwanda
Authors: Maekawa Miko , Lanjouw Annette , Rutagarama Eugène , Sharp Douglas
Published: June 2013

Today only around 880 mountain gorillas (Gorilla beringei beringei) inhabit the Afromontane forests shared by Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). In this region, mountain gorillas serve as flagship species, attracting public support and international tourists as well as drawing attention to their habitat. This paper examines the prominent issues in mountain gorilla conservation and nature‐based tourism in Rwanda in a post‐conflict recovery context. Also analyzed are the critical issues of restoring and developing the capacities of institutions, improving the transboundary dialogue, and developing cooperation for the management of natural resources.
Abundance estimation with sightability data: aBayesian data augmentation approach
Authors: Fieberg John , Alexander Michael , Tse Scarlett , St. Clair Katie
Published: June 2013

Steinhorst & Samuel (Biometrics1989;45, 415–425) showed how logistic regression models, fit to detection data collected from radiocollared animals, can be used to estimate and adjust for visibility bias in wildlife population surveys. Population abundance is estimated using a modifiedHorvitz–Thompson (mHT) estimator in which counts of observed animal groups are divided by their estimated inclusion probabilities (determined by plot‐level sampling probabilities and detection probabilities estimated from radiocollared individuals). The sampling distribution of the mHTestimator is typically right‐skewed, and statistical inference relies on asymptotic theory that may not be appropriate with small samples.

We develop an alternative, Bayesian model‐based approach which we apply to data collected from moose (Alces alces) inMinnesota. We model detection probabilities as a function of visual obstruction, informed by data from 124 sightability trials involving radiocollared moose. These sightability data, along with counts of moose from a stratified random sample of aerial plots, are used to estimate moose abundance in 2006 and 2007 and the log rate of change between the 2 years.

Unlike traditional design‐based estimators, model‐based estimators require assumptions regarding stratum‐specific distributions of the detection covariates, the number of animal groups per plot and the number of animals per animal group. We demonstrate numerical and graphical methods for assessing the validity of these assumptions and compare two different models for the distribution of the number of animal groups per plot, a beta‐binomial model and a logistic‐tmodel.

Estimates of the log rate of change (95%CI) between 2006 and 2007 were −0·21 (−0·53, 0·12), −0·24 (−0·64, 0·16), and −0·25 (−0·64, 0·15) for the beta‐binomial model, logistic‐tmodel and mHTestimator, respectively. Plots of posterior‐predictive distributions and goodness‐of‐fit measures both suggest the beta‐binomial model provides a better fit to the data.

TheBayesian framework offers many inferential advantages, including the ability to incorporate prior information and perform exact inference with small samples. More importantly, the model‐based approach provides additional flexibility when designing and analysing multi‐year surveys (e.g. rotational sampling designs could be used to focus sampling effort in important areas, and random effects could be used to share information across years).
Enduring Powers of Attorney: Promoting attorneys' accountability as substitute decision makers
Authors: Tilse Cheryl , Wilson Jill , White Ben , Willmott Lindy , McCawley Anne‐Louise
Published: June 2013

Aim

The misuse and abuse of Enduring Powers of Attorney (EPAs) by attorneys, particularly in relation to financial decision‐making, is a growing concern. This paper explores the opportunities to enhance accountability of attorneys at the time of the execution of the document in Queensland.

Method

A four‐stage multi‐method design comprised a critical reference group; semi‐structured interviews with 32 principals or potential principals, attorneys and witnesses; two focus groups with service providers and a state‐wide survey of 76 principals, attorneys and witnesses.

Results

Across all methods and user groups, understanding the role and obligations of the attorney in an EPA was consistently identified as problematic.

Conclusions

Promoting accountability and understanding can be addressed by greater attention to the role of the attorney in the forms/ guidelines and in the structure and witnessing of the forms, increased direction about record keeping and access to appropriate advice and support.
Exhumations: The Search for the Dead and the Resurgence of the Uncanny in Contemporary Spain
Authors: Sime Jennifer
Published: June 2013

This essay examines the efforts in Spain that began in the year 2000 to recover and identify the bodies buried in mass graves from the Spanish Civil War (1936–1939) and the immediate postwar period, with a particular focus on the failed search to recover the remains of Federico García Lorca. The essay critically analyzes the public and academic discourse surrounding the exhumations, paying particular attention to the notion of the “recovery of memory” and how such recovery is understood to allow for both personal and national closure from trauma. As a counterpoint to the concept of recovery, this essay makes recourse to the uncanny in order to provide an alternative way of understanding the memories that surface in the context of exhumations and move beyond therapeutic discourse to open up a critical space for examining the place of the dead in contemporary Spain.
Overexpression of nucleolin and different expression sites both related to the prognosis of gastric cancer
Authors: Qiu Wensheng , Zhou Fang , Zhang Qian , Sun Xiaoxiao , Shi Xiaoli , Liang Ye , Wang Xiumei , Yue Lu
Published: June 2013

The aim of this study was to investigate the expression of nucleolin in tumorous tissues and corresponding non‐malignant tissues in gastric cancer (GC), and the correlation of different expression sites with clinicopathologic parameters and prognosis. Immunohistochemistry was used for detecting the expression levels of nucleolin in GC tissues and corresponding non‐malignant tissues from 124 gastrectomy specimens with stage I–III. Staining results were correlated with clinicopathologic features and survival. Both GC tissues and corresponding non‐malignant tissues showed nucleolar staining for nucleolin. Nucleolin expression was higher in GC tissues than in non‐malignant tissues. Among the 124 GCs, 85 (68.5%) were nucleolin‐high. No significant correlation between nucleolin expression and other clinicopathologic parameters was found. The Cox univariate analysis indicated that both cytoplasmic staining and nucleolar staining of nucleolin expression correlated with patients' prognosis (log‐rank, p < 0.0001; p = 0.0075, respectively). It was concluded in the study that nucleolin was overexpressed in GCs. A high level of nucleolar expression of nucleolin was an independent prognostic marker for better survival while high cytoplasmic staining was closely associated with worse prognosis for GC patients.
The relative importance of hormonal therapy and biological effective dose in optimizing prostate brachytherapy treatment outcomes
Authors: Stock Richard G. , Buckstein Michael , Liu Jerry T. , Stone Nelson N.
Published: June 2013

Objectives

To compare the relative importance of radiation dose escalation vs androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) in the definitive treatment of prostate adenocarcinoma.

Patients and Methods

In total, 2427 patients with prostate adenocarcinoma were treated with definitive brachytherapy or brachytherapy with external beam radiation with or without ADT.

Over the 20‐year period of the present study (median follow‐up of 78 months), patients were treated with a range of doses that were converted to the biological effective dose (BED) and/or ADT as the treatment paradigms were optimized.

Using univariate and multivariate analysis, the relative impact on the biochemical control and post‐treatment prostate biopsy results of BED vs ADT was determined.

Results

The 10‐year freedom from biochemical failure (FBF) was significantly affected by BED group: ≤150 Gy2 (64%), >150–200 Gy2 (88%), >200–220 Gy2 (89%) and >220 Gy2 (89.5%) (P < 0.001).

When stratified into dose groups, ADT improved FPF on multivariate analysis for the BED group (<150 Gy2, hazard ratio = 0.55; >150–200 Gy2, hazard ratio = 0.39) but not for the higher BED groups.

Among patients receiving ADT, a significant difference in 10‐year FBF was seen when stratifying BED into groups ≤150 Gy2 (78%) vs >150 Gy2 (87%) (P = 0.01).

On logistic regression, ADT had a significant impact on obtaining a negative biopsy (hazard ratio = 0.21) with BED <200 Gy2, although there was no difference with BED >200 Gy2.

Conclusions

When treated with brachytherapy with or without EBT, ADT improves FBF only in the setting of lower doses.

The benefit of ADT may be primarily as an enhancer of local control, explaining why high radiation doses can compensate for its absence.
Recurrence and complications after transperineal bulboprostatic anastomosis for posterior urethral strictures resulting from pelvic fracture: a retrospective study from a urethral referral centre
Authors: Fu Qiang , Zhang Jiong , Sa Ying‐Long , Jin San‐Bao , Xu Yue‐Min
Published: June 2013

Objective

To describe the complications of transperineal end‐to‐end anastomotic urethroplasty in patients with posterior urethral strictures resulting from pelvic fracture.

Materials and Methods

A total of 573 patients, who underwent bulboprostatic anastomosis for posterior urethral strictures, were enrolled in this study. Distraction defects were measured using retrograde urethrography combined with voiding cysto‐urethrography.

All patients underwent perineal excision and primary anastomotic urethroplasty. The urethroplasty was considered successful if the patient was free of stricture‐related obstruction and did not require any further intervention.

The degree of stress incontinence was assessed daily by pad testing.

The prevalence of pre‐ and postoperative sexual disorders was investigated using the International Index of Erectile Function‐5 questionnaire.

Results

Of 573 bulboprostatic anastomosis procedures performed, 504 (88%) were successful and 69 (12%) were not successful.

The mean (sd) maximum urinary flow rate, assessed by uroflowmetry 4 weeks after surgery, was 20.52 (5.1) mL/s.

Intraoperative rectal injury was repaired primarily in 28 cases. Recurrence of urethral strictures was observed in 10 (1.7%) patients during the first 6 months after surgery, and in 45 patients from 6 months to 1 year. All of these patients underwent re‐operation.

Twenty‐four (4.2%) patients had mild urge incontinence and 28 (4.9%) had mild stress incontinence.

Erectile dysfunction (ED) was present in two (<0.1%) patients before trauma and in 487 (85%) patients after trauma. There was no statistical difference between the incidences of preoperative and postoperative ED (85 vs 86%, P > 0.05).

Nine (1%) patients were found to have false passage between the posterior urethra and bladder neck.

Conclusion

The majority of complications associated with transperineal bulboprostatic anastomosis can be avoided as long as meticulous preoperative evaluation to define the anatomy and careful intra‐operative manipulation are ensured.
A synthesis of the push‐pull fatigue behaviour of plain and notched stainless steel specimens by using the specific heat loss
Authors: Meneghetti G. , Ricotta M. , Atzori B.
Published: June 2013

The energy dissipated to the surroundings as heat in a unit volume of material per cycle, Q, was recently proposed as fatigue damage index, and it was successfully applied to rationalise fatigue data obtained by carrying out stress‐controlled and strain‐controlled fatigue tests on AISI 304 L stainless steel plain and hole specimens. In this paper, it is shown that the Q parameter is independent on thermal and mechanical boundary conditions occurring during experiments. After that, additional stress‐controlled fatigue tests on plain and notched specimens characterised by smaller notch tip radii than those tested previously have been performed. Present data have been compared with previous ones, and it was found that all available results can be synthesised in terms of the energy parameter Q into a unique scatter band, independently on the testing conditions (stress‐controlled or strain‐controlled) and on the specimens' geometry (plain or notched). About 100 data were included in the statistical analysis to characterise the energy‐based scatter band of the material. Finally, some limitations of applicability of the experimental technique adopted in the present paper are discussed.
A Cross‐Sectional Survey to Assess the Migraineur's Medication Decision‐Making Beliefs: Determining When a Migraine Is Triptan‐Worthy
Authors: Landy Stephen H. , Turner Ira M. , Runken M. Chris , Lee Mechele , Sulcs Ellen , Bell Christopher F.
Published: June 2013

Objectives

To investigate the factors that influence a migraineur's beliefs regarding oral triptans for the acute treatment of migraines and to provide further insight into patients' decision‐making process when faced with migraine.

Methods

A multicenter, cross‐sectional, observational study of subjects currently prescribed an oral triptan medication for the acute treatment of migraine headaches. Subjects were recruited from 6 headache clinics and one primary care practice in the United States. Enrolled subjects completed a questionnaire that could be completed either at the site as part of the visit or at home. The questionnaire comprised 27 questions assessing demographic characteristics, migraine history, migraine frequency and severity, and general beliefs about migraine treatments. The study population was stratified into 2 cohorts (Early Treatment and Delayed Treatment) based on how they typically use their oral triptan to treat a typical migraine.

Results

A total 506 subjects were enrolled in the study, of which 502 were stratified into the Early Treatment cohort (41.2%) and Delayed Treatment cohort (58.8%). Demographic and clinical characteristics were generally similar between the 2 cohorts. In terms of general treatment patterns, there were notable differences between the Delayed and Early Treatment cohorts, with the Delayed Treatment cohort significantly more likely to take an over‐the‐counter (OTC) or non‐triptan medication first (P ≤ .001) and only take a triptan if the OTC or non‐triptan medication did not work (P ≤ .001). Furthermore, 55% of the Delayed Treatment cohort delayed taking a triptan to be certain that the headache was a migraine (vs 32% of the Early Treatment cohort; P ≤ .001). When asked to specify the reasons for delaying treatment with a triptan, the Delayed Treatment cohort had, in general, greater concerns about using their oral triptan in comparison with the Early Treatment cohort. In particular, respondents were primarily concerned with running out of their triptan medication with 35% of the Delayed Treatment cohort expressing this concern compared with 22% of the Early Treatment cohort (P ≤ .001). Statistically significant differences were also noted for concerns about taking medications (P ≤ .001), side effects (P ≤ .05), expense (P ≤ .01), and taking prescription medications (P ≤ .001).

Conclusions

Results build upon previously published studies and suggest that patient beliefs directly influence how migraineurs manage their migraines and have implications for patient outcomes. Such insights should be used to facilitate physician–patient communication and reinforce the need for patient‐centered care to improve patient outcomes.
Recurrence and survivals following hepatic resection for hepatocellular carcinoma with major portal/hepatic vein tumor thrombus
Authors: Zhang Tao , Huang Ji‐Wei , Bai Yan‐nan , Wu Hong , Zeng Yong
Published: June 2013

Aim

To compare the recurrence and survivals between hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with major portal vein tumor thrombus (TT) and major hepatic vein TT after hepatic resection (HR).

Methods

A retrospective study was carried out with the medical records of 272 patients who underwent hepatic resection and thrombectomy for HCC with major portal vein (group A) or hepatic vein (group B) TT. The clinicopathological parameters, recurrence, survivals and prognostic significance associated with major portal or hepatic vein TT were analyzed.

Results

Patients in group A had a better median survival compared with their counterparts in group B (52 vs 38 weeks; P < 0.001). One‐, 2‐ and 3‐year survival rates were markedly greater in group A than in group B (50% vs 38.8%, 26% vs 15.9% and 11.4% vs 6.1%, respectively). There was no statistical difference in recurrence‐free survival rate but extrahepatic recurrences were more often seen in group B. In multivariate analysis, TT location (hepatic veins vs portal veins), type of resection (anatomical vs non‐anatomical) and liver cirrhosis (none/mild vs moderate/severe) were significant prognostic factors.

Conclusion

Patients with HCC and major hepatic vein TT had higher incidence of extrahepatic metastases and worse overall survival after hepatic resection compared with patients with major portal vein TT. With preserved liver function, patients can receive aggressive treatments and survivals could be prolonged.
Prognostic factors for risk stratification of adult cancer patients with chemotherapy‐induced febrile neutropenia: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Lee Yee Mei , Lockwood Craig
Published: June 2013

Chemotherapy‐induced febrile neutropenia patients are heterogeneous in their risk of adverse outcomes. Management strategies are tailored according to level of risk. Many emerging predictors for risk stratification remain controversial being based on single studies only. A systematic review was conducted to determine the strength of association of all identified predictors. Studies were obtained from electronic databases, grey literatures and reference lists.

Methodological quality of studies was assessed for internal validity and representativeness. Seven studies (four prospective and three retrospective cohorts) investigating 22 factors were reported. Fixed effects meta‐analysis showed: hypotension and thrombocytopenia were significant predictors for high‐risk. Additional predictors that might enhance performance of current models include: tachypnoea, presence of central venous catheter, duration and severity of neutropenia. Further research to investigate new factors/markers is needed to develop a robust prognostic model, which is the key to enhance patient safety.
“Wiping the Refugee Dust from My Feet”: Advantages and Burdens of Refugee Status and the Refugee Label
Authors: Ludwig Bernadette
Published: June 2013

There are two dominant contrasting images of refugees in scholarship and popular discourse: refugees as powerless victims or beneficiaries of generous welfare packages. While it is true that an individual who enters the United States with legal refugee status has – at least at first glance – many advantages over those arriving as immigrants. Unlike immigrants, refugees are entitled to numerous government benefits, thus putting her or him in a privileged position compared to those who lack the official status of refugee. On the other hand refugees' depiction as being need of services and protection can also perpetuate an image of them as victims without agency. This ethnographic study of Liberian refugees in Staten Island, New York shows how refugees themselves and their co‐ethnics who are in the US under a variety of other legal statues regard the term “refugee”. This paper establishes the advantages that are associated with the legal refugee status and the burdens with the informal label “refugee”. This analysis will clarify how the legal refugee status can be beneficial and the informal label refugee, burdensome not just for Liberian, but for refugees in general and as such have significant policy implications.
Labour, Legality and shifts in the Public/Private divide
Authors: van Walsum Sarah
Published: June 2013

This article discusses the changing role that work performed in private homes has played, and continues to play, in migration law in the Netherlands and at theEUlevel. It explores to what degree work performed in the home is defined as (exploitative) contractual labour or as inherent to family life, and what this means for claims to residence rights as a precursor to citizenship. It does this by reviewing case law of the European Court of Justice (CJEU) and of the European Court of Human Rights (EctHR) against the background of the Dutch case. It reveals tension between how citizenship is constructed and reproduced at the national level and how it is constructed and reproduced at theEUlevel. Following Adam McKeown, this article concludes that different perspectives on (reproductive) labour as a qualificationforcitizenship may reflect different perspectives on (reproductive) labour and the qualityofcitizenship.

Policy Implications

Third Country Nationals must be allowed to reside in the EU with their EU children, to ensure the latter's effective enjoyment of fundamental rights.

Policies to combat trafficking of domestic workers must respect family life.

Family migration policies must allow individual family members enough scope to resist exploitation within families.

Policies concerning labour protection, social protection and migration should no longer take the breadwinner‐citizen as point of departure, but the current reality of flexible labour relations in which the distinctions between home and work, and between employment and self‐employment, are no longer sharply defined.
Characteristics of Natural Mentoring Relationships From the Perspectives of Homeless Youth
Authors: Dang Michelle T. , Miller Elizabeth
Published: June 2013

Problem

Homeless youth experience high risks for poor mental health outcomes. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the characteristics of natural mentoring relationships among homeless youth and to identify possible mechanisms that can enhance social support for this population.

Methods

Semi‐structured interviews were conducted with 23 homeless youth aged 14–21 who had natural mentors. The interviews focused on how youth met their natural mentors, the function of these relationships, and how natural mentoring relationships differed from other relationships in the youth's social networks.

Findings

Main themes that emerged from the interviews included parental absence, natural mentors as surrogate parents, and social support from mentors.

Conclusions

Findings suggest that social supports provided by mentors enhance youth's adaptive functioning and may promote resilience, thus the use of natural mentors may be an important untapped asset in designing interventions to improve outcomes for homeless youth.
Effect of Nurse Practitioner Comanagement on the Care of Geriatric Conditions
Authors: Reuben David B. , Ganz David A. , Roth Carol P. , McCreath Heather E. , Ramirez Karina D. , Wenger Neil S.
Published: June 2013

Objectives

To determine whether community‐based primary care physician (PCP)–nurse practitioner (NP) comanagement implementing the Assessing Care of Vulnerable Elders (ACOVE)‐2 model: (case finding, delegation of data collection, structured visit notes, physician and patient education, and linkage to community resources) can improve the quality of care for geriatric conditions.

Design

Case study.

Setting

Two community‐based primary care practices.

Participants

Patients aged 75 and older who screened positive for at least one condition: falls, urinary incontinence (UI), dementia, and depression.

Intervention

The ACOVE‐2 model augmented by NP comanagement of conditions.

Measurements

Quality of care according to medical record review using ACOVE‐3 quality indicators (QIs). Individuals receiving comanagement were compared with those who received PCP care alone in the same practices.

Results

Of 1,084 screened individuals, 658 (61%) screened positive for more than one condition; 485 of these were randomly selected for chart review and triggered a mean of seven QIs. A NP saw 49% for comanagement. Overall, individuals received 57% of recommended care. Quality scores for all conditions (falls, 80% vs 34%; UI, 66% vs 19%; dementia, 59% vs 38%) except depression (63% vs 60%) were higher for individuals who saw a NP. In analyses adjusted for sex and age of patient, number of conditions, site, and a NP estimate of medical management style, NP comanagement remained significantly associated with receiving recommended care (P < .001), as did NP estimate of medical management style (P = .02).

Conclusion

NP comanagement is associated with better quality of care for geriatric conditions in community‐based primary care than usual care using the ACOVE‐2 model.
Reduction of the Number of Neurones in the Caudal Mesenteric Ganglion Innervating the Ovary in Sexually Mature Gilts Following Testosterone Administration
Authors: Jana B. , Rytel L. , Czarzasta J. , Całka J.
Published: June 2013

The effect of testosterone on the morphological and chemical plasticity of the porcine caudal mesenteric ganglion (CaMG) ovary‐projecting neurones was investigated. To identify the neurones on day 3 of the oestrous cycle, the ovaries of both the control and experimental gilts were injected with Fast Blue retrograde neuronal tracer. From next day until day 20 of the anticipated second studied cycle, experimental gilts were injected with testosterone, whereas control gilts received oil. Testosterone injections increased testosterone (by approximately 3.5‐fold) and 17β‐oestradiol (by approximately 1.6‐fold) levels in the peripheral blood and decreased the following in the CaMG: the total number of Fast Blue‐positive perikarya (including small ones); the population of small perikarya in the caudal, ventral and dorsal ganglional regions; the numbers of dopamine‐β‐hydroxylase (DβH) and/or neuropeptide Y (NPY), somatostatin (SOM), galanin (GAL) small and large perikarya; the numbers of small perikarya containing DβH (but not NPY, SOM, GAL); and the density of DβH and/or NPY, SOM nerve fibres. A disappearance of small and large non‐noradrenergic perikarya and an increase in the total number of androgen receptor‐immunoreactive perikarya was noted. Our results suggest that elevated androgen levels occurring during pathological states may regulate ovary function(s) by affecting the CaMG gonad‐supplying neurones.