bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cultivar Specific Response of CO2 Fertilization on Two Tropical Mung Bean (Vigna radiata L.) Cultivars: ROS Generation, Antioxidant Status, Physiology, Growth, Yield and Seed Quality
Authors: Mishra A. K. , Agrawal S. B.
Published: April 2014

Increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration (CO2) is an important component of global climate change that will have a significant impact on the productivity of crop plants. In recent years, growth and yield of agricultural crop plants have been shown to increase with elevated CO2 (EC) and have enticed considerable interest due to variation in the response of crop plants. In this study, comparative response of two mung bean cultivars (HUM‐2 and HUM‐6) was evaluated against EC at different growth stages under near‐natural conditions for two consecutive years. The plants were grown in ambient as well as EC (700 ppm) in specially designed open‐top chambers. Under elevated CO2, marked down‐regulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, membrane disruption and activities of superoxide dismutase and catalase were noticed in both the cultivars, but the extent of reduction was more in HUM‐6. As compared to ambient CO2, EC increased total chlorophyll, photosynthetic rate, growth and yield parameters. Cultivar‐specific response was noticed as HUM‐6 showed higher increase in yield attributes than HUM‐2. Under CO2 treatment, soluble protein and reducing sugars decreased while total soluble sugars and starch showed an opposite trend. Principal component analysis showed that both the cultivars responded more or less similarly to EC in their respective groupings of physiological and growth parameters, but the magnitude of ROS and antioxidative enzymes was variable. The experimental findings depict that both the cultivars of mung bean showed contrasting response against EC and paved the way for selecting the suitable cultivar having higher productivity in a future high‐CO2 environment.
Atrioesophageal Fistula Complicating Cryoballoon Pulmonary Vein Isolation for Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation
Authors: KAWASAKI RAYMOND , GAURI ANDRE , ELMOUCHI DARRYL , DUGGAL MANOJ , BHAN ADARSH
Published: April 2014

Atrioesophageal Fistula Complicating Cryoballoon Pulmonary

Although atrioesophageal fistula (AEF) formation is a well known, albeit rare, catastrophic complication of atrial fibrillation radiofrequency ablation procedures, there are less data regarding this complication using the cryoballoon technique. We report on 3 cases of AEF as a complication of cryoballoon pulmonary vein isolation at 3 different institutions with 2 different generations of cryoballoons.
Management of atopic dermatitis: are there differences between children and adults?
Authors: Fölster‐Holst R.
Published: April 2014

Atopic dermatitis (AD) usually begins during infancy. In its classical form infantile AD involves the scalp, the face and the extensor surfaces of the extremities. However, it may present as erythroderma, which should exclude other differential diagnoses including metabolic and immunodeficiency disorders. In the management we have to consider the high ratio of body surface to body weight, which is associated with high absorption of topically applied drugs. Especially in early childhood off‐label use is a common practice. This requires intensive educational work with parents.
Probiotics and primary prevention of atopic dermatitis: a meta‐analysis of randomized controlled studies
Authors: Panduru M. , Panduru N.M. , Sălăvăstru C.M. , Tiplica G.‐S.
Published: April 2014

Background

Atopic Dermatitis (AD) has an increasing incidence and the real cause of the disease is not known yet. Probiotics may be involved in AD prevention, but their role is controversial.

Objective

The purpose of our study was to evaluate the role of probiotics in AD occurrence.

Methods

We carried out an extensive search on this topic in the international databases (Pubmed, Scopus,Web of knowledge, EBSCO, ARTO, Google Scholar, ClinicalTrials.gov.) selecting only those studies where the role of probiotics in AD occurrence was analysed. For the selected studies we calculated odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CIs).

Results

Initially, we found 1513 articles, of which only 26 studies fulfilled our criteria. After exclusion of studies on the same populations, 16 studies were included in the final analysis. The meta‐analysis of these studies revealed that probiotics administration confers protection against AD occurrence (OR = 0.64, P < 0.001). The subgroup meta‐analysis, in general population and population at high risk for allergies, suggested that probiotics administration is protective for AD development in both subgroups (OR = 0.53, P = 0.005; OR = 0.66, P < 0.001). Additional subgroup analysis showed that probiotics prenatal administration followed by postnatal administration was protective (OR = 0.61, P < 0.001) unlike only administration in postnatal period (OR = 0.95, P < 0.82). Finally, the subgroup analysis based on the type of treatment suggested that both Lactobacillus alone and Lactobacillus with Bifidobacterium are protective against AD (OR = 0.70, P = 0.004; OR = 0.62, P < 0.001).

Conclusion

Probiotics seem to have a protective role in AD prevention if there are administration in pre and postnatal period in both general and allergic risk population.
Dynamics of Open Source Movements
Authors: Athey Susan , Ellison Glenn
Published: April 2014

This paper considers a dynamic model of the evolution of open‐source software projects, focusing on the evolution of quality, contributing programmers, and users who contribute customer support to other users. Programmers who have used open‐source software (OSS) are motivated by reciprocal altruism to publish their own improvements. The evolution of the open‐source project depends on the form of the altruistic benefits: in a base case the project grows to a steady‐state size from any initial condition; whereas adding a need for customer support makes zero‐quality a locally absorbing state. We also analyze competition by commercial firms with OSS projects. Optimal pricing policies again vary: in some cases the commercial firm will set low prices when the open‐source project is small; in other cases it mostly waits until the open‐source project has matured.
Delegation in Multi‐Establishment Firms: Evidence from I.T. Purchasing
Authors: McElheran Kristina
Published: April 2014

Recent contributions to a growing theory literature have focused on the tradeoff between adaptation and coordination in determining delegation within firms. Empirical evidence, however, is limited. Using establishment‐level data on decision rights over information technology investments, I find that a high net value of adaptation is strongly associated with delegation, as are local information advantages and firm‐wide diversification; in contrast, a high net value of within‐firm coordination is correlated with centralization. Variation across establishments within firms is widespread: most firms are neither fully centralized nor fully decentralized. Delegation patterns are largely consistent with standard team‐theory predictions; however, certain findings, such as a negative correlation between delegation and firm size, call for a consideration of agency costs as well.
Impact on Prognosis of Periprocedural Bleeding after TAVI: Mid‐Term Follow‐Up of a Multicenter Prospective Study
Authors: MORETTI CLAUDIO , D'AMICO MAURIZIO , D'ASCENZO FABRIZIO , COLACI CHIARA , SALIZZONI STEFANO , TAMBURINO CORRADO , PRESBITERO PATRIZIA , MARRA SEBASTIANO , SHEIBAN IMAD , GAITA FIORENZO
Published: April 2014

Aims

Impact of periprocedural bleeding after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) over mid‐term prognosis remains still unclear.

Methods

Consecutive patients who underwent TAVI from May 2008 to July 2012 were prospectively included and stratified according to life‐threatening (LT) and major bleeding (MB). Mid‐term all‐cause death was the primary end‐point, and 30‐day death, vascular complications, stroke, and acute kidney injury the secondary ones. All end‐points were adjudicated according to VARC.

Results

Seven hundred fourteen patients with an average age of 81.9 ± 5.8 years were included. 130 (18%) patients suffered a LT, 112 (16%) a MB. A preprocedural GFR <30 ml/min and increasing diameter of sheaths were independent predictors of LT or MB, while transfemoral approach showed a protective effect (OR 0.42; CI: 0.26–0.68; P = 0.035). At 30 days LT (OR 3.3; CI: 1.1–9.7; P = 0.0026) and MB (OR 3.5; CI: 1.4–8.6; P = 0.007) bleeding along with GFR < 30 ml/min (OR 2.3; CI: 1.1–5.5; P = 0.04) were independent predictors of death, while bleeding did not impact survival on mid term (OR 0.9; CI: 0.47–1.7; P = 0.78; all CI 95%).

Conclusion

Periprocedural bleeding after TAVI was frequent and associated with an increased mortality after 30 days but not after mid‐term follow‐up. A preprocedural GFR < 30 ml/min was the most important predictor of bleeding, enabling risk stratification and choice of approach for these patients. (J Interven Cardiol 2014;27:293–299)
Questioning vitamin D status of elderly fallers and nonfallers: a meta‐analysis to address a ‘forgotten step’
Authors: Annweiler C. , Beauchet O.
Published: April 2014

Background

Previous meta‐analyses to determine the efficacy of vitamin D supplementation to prevent falls in the elderly have shown mixed results. Inconsistencies might depend on the dose of supplements, suggesting that serum 25‐hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) concentration could influence the risk of falling. Our objective was to systematically review and quantitatively analyse the relationship between serum 25OHDconcentration and the occurrence of falls.

Methods

A Medline search was conducted in December 2013, with no date limit, using the Medical Subject Heading terms ‘Vitamin D’OR‘Ergocalciferols’OR‘Vitamin D deficiency’ combined with ‘Accidental Falls’OR‘Gait disorders, neurologic’OR‘Gait apraxia’OR‘Gait’OR‘Recurrent Falls’OR‘Falling’. Fixed and random‐effects meta‐analyses were performed to determine the following: (i) the effect size of the difference in 25OHDconcentration between fallers and nonfallers and (ii) the risk of falling according to serum 25OHDconcentration.

Results

Of the 659 retrieved studies, 18 observational studies – including ten cross‐sectional and eight cohort studies – met the selection criteria. All were of good quality. The number of participants ranged from 80 to 2957 (44–100% women); 11.0% to 69.3% were fallers. Serum 25OHD concentrations were 0.33 × SD lower in fallers compared to nonfallers [pooled effect size 0.33; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.18–0.47]. The risk of falls was inversely associated with serum 25OHD concentration [summary odds ratio (OR) 0.97; 95% CI 0.96–0.99]. The association between falls and hypovitaminosis D varied according to the definition used; the summary OR for falls was 1.23 (95% CI 0.94–1.60) for 25OHD <10 ng mL−1, 1.44 (95% CI 1.17–1.76) for 25OHD <20 ng mL−1and 0.95 (95% CI 0.81–1.11) for 25OHD <30 ng mL−1.

Conclusions

Fallers have lower 25OHD concentrations, notably more often <20 ng mL−1, than nonfallers. These findings help to determine the profile of target populations that would most benefit from vitamin D supplements to prevent falls.
Influence of posterior dental arch length on brain activity during chewing in patients with mandibular distal extension removable partial dentures
Authors: Shoi K. , Fueki K. , Usui N. , Taira M. , Wakabayashi N.
Published: April 2014

It is well known that shortened dental arch decreases masticatory function. However, its potential to change brain activity during mastication is unknown. The present study investigates the effect of a shortened posterior dental arch with mandibular removable partial dentures (RPDs) on brain activity during gum chewing. Eleven subjects with missing mandibular molars (mean age, 66·1 years) on both sides received experimental RPDs with interchangeable artificial molars in a crossover trial design. Brain activity during gum chewing with RPDs containing (full dental arch) and lacking artificial molars (shortened dental arch) was measured using functional magnetic resonance imaging. Additionally, masticatory function was evaluated for each dental arch type. Food comminuting and mixing ability and the perceived chewing ability were significantly lower in subjects with a shortened dental arch than those with a full dental arch (P < 0·05). Brain activation during gum chewing with the full dental arch occurred in the middle frontal gyrus, primary sensorimotor cortex extending to the pre‐central gyrus, supplementary motor area, putamen, insula and cerebellum. However, middle frontal gyrus activation was not observed during gum chewing with the shortened dental arch. These results suggest that shortened dental arch affects human brain activity in the middle frontal gyrus during gum chewing, and the decreased middle frontal gyrus activation may be associated with decreased masticatory function.
LOCAL POLITICS AND ECONOMIC GEOGRAPHY: INFORMATION AGGREGATION AND POLARIZATION
Authors: Berliant Marcus , Tabuchi Takatoshi
Published: April 2014

We consider information aggregation in national and local elections when voters are mobile and might sort themselves into local districts. Using a standard model of private information for voters in elections in combination with a new economic geography model, agglomeration occurs for economic reasons, whereas voter stratification occurs due to political preferences. When trade is more costly, people tend to agglomerate for economic reasons, resulting in full information equivalence in the political sector. Under free trade, people sort themselves into districts, most of which are polarized, resulting in no full information equivalence in these districts.
WHY DO RENTERS STAY IN OR LEAVE CERTAIN NEIGHBORHOODS? THE ROLE OF NEIGHBORHOOD CHARACTERISTICS, HOUSING TENURE TRANSITIONS, AND RACE
Authors: Lee Kwan Ok
Published: April 2014

Given significant variation in population turnover and stability across neighborhoods, this study examines why renters stay in or leave certain neighborhoods. It is the first to analyze how neighborhood characteristics influence renters’ decisions to move within the neighborhood as well as how these decisions are interrelated with their housing tenure transitions and race. Results demonstrate that homeownership rates have a significant, positive association with the probability that renters stay and/or purchase homes in the current neighborhood. Both the tenure composition of the housing stock and higher neighborhood satisfaction appear to be central in understanding this association. Results also suggest that nonblack renters are more likely to leave neighborhoods that experience growth in the percentage of the black population, while blacks are more likely to stay and purchase homes within such neighborhoods.
Childhood insulinoma masquerading as seizure disorder
Authors: Kao Kung‐Ting , Simm Peter J , Brown Justin
Published: April 2014

A 9 year old girl presented with seizures, weight gain and early morning behavioural changes. She had been commenced on anticonvulsants and was subsequently diagnosed with hyperinsulinaemic hypoglycaemia. This case demonstrates the importance of blood glucose monitoring in children presenting with new‐onset seizures and/or with early morning or fasting behavioural changes, the challenges in localizing the lesion, as well as the difficulties in achieving normoglycaemia prior to, and immediately following, surgery.
What does practice development (PD) offer mental health‐care contexts? A comparative case study of PD methods and outcomes
Authors: McCauley K. , Cross W. , Moss C. , Walsh K. , Schofield C. , Handley C. , Fitzgerald M. , Hardy S.
Published: April 2014

Accessible summary

Comparing three bespoke practice development (PD) projects reveals similarities in the principles of person‐centred practice and cathartic personal growth, as relevant concepts to mental health.

PD offers a collaborative approach to practice‐driven quality improvement initiatives suitable to the psychologically informed mental health context.

Creating a workplace culture that allows all involved to contribute to service improvement can be achieved through embracing a PD‐driven change management strategy that aims to stimulate culturally sensitive care delivery.

Practice development (PD) in mental health nursing has been progressing over the last decade; however, the level and impact of PD activity in the field of mental health remains poorly understood outside localized project impact. More specific reporting and comparative analysis of PD outcomes will improve this situation. In response, this paper presents three case scenarios from work taking place in Australia and New Zealand, as working examples of how PD methodologies have been applied within mental health practice settings. Using a comparative framework that captures the contributing assumptions, practices, processes and conditions imperative to effective PD work within a mental health‐care context, three case vignettes are reviewed. The critical question driving this paper is ‘what mental health‐care services does PD offer in terms of transformational change approaches and the promotion of effective workplace cultures?’ Conditions considered necessary for successful PD initiatives within mental health contexts are explored such as how PD converges and diverges with mental health‐related theories, plus where and how PD activity best integrates with the specific elements associated with mental health‐care provision. The findings are further reviewed in line with reports of PD outcomes from other fields of health care.
Value Creation, Value Capture, and Supply Chain Structure: Understanding Resource–Based Advantage in a Project–Based Industry
Authors: Skilton Paul F.
Published: April 2014

This study uses resource‐based theory concerning the interplay between value creation and value capture (Priem & Swink, ) to explain supply chain structure in a project‐based industry. Taking this approach has the potential to change the focus of resource‐based thinking from competition between industry rivals to the tension between buyers and suppliers that structures supply chains. Value creation, which is the function of product market strategy, determines which supplier resources are critical and thus determines which suppliers should be in a position to capture value. When supplier capabilities are critical, buyers have incentives to maintain value creation while structuring the supply chain to reduce supplier power. I test the resulting hypotheses by applying multivariate analysis of variance techniques to data from the worldwide motion picture industry. Because the production companies that make movies enact a variety of product market strategies to create value for consumers, suppliers of visual and special effects have a range of opportunities for value capture. I find support for the hypotheses, suggesting that some buyers structure supply chains in counter‐intuitive ways when suppliers have high levels of resource‐based bargaining power.
Endothelin A (ETA) Receptors Are Involved in Augmented Adrenergic Vasoconstriction and Blunted Nitric Oxide-Mediated Relaxation of Penile Arteries from Insulin-Resistant Obese Zucker Rats
Authors: Sánchez Ana , Contreras Cristina , Martínez Pilar , Muñoz Mercedes , Martínez Ana Cristina , García-Sacristán Albino , Hernández Medardo , Prieto Dolores
Published: April 2014

Introduction

Endothelin 1 (ET-1) levels and receptors are up-regulated in the erectile tissue of diabetic patients and animal models of erectile dysfunction (ED).

Aim

The present study assessed the role of ET-1 receptors in the impaired adrenergic vasoconstriction and nitrergic relaxation of penile arteries from a rat model of insulin resistance.

Methods

The effect of ET receptor antagonists was evaluated on the contractile responses to electrical field stimulation (EFS) of penile arteries from obese Zucker rats (OZRs) compared with lean Zucker rats (LZRs). ET receptor expression was determined by immunohistochemistry.

Main Outcome Measures

Changes in neural nitrergic relaxation and adrenergic vasoconstriction and the expression of ET receptors in perivascular nerves were assessed.

Results

ET-1 (10−10 M) enhanced EFS-induced vasoconstriction, and treatment with the adrenergic neurotoxin guanethidine reduced the contractions induced by ET-1 in penile arteries from both LZRs and OZRs, thus supporting the hypothesis that ET-1 releases noradrenaline from adrenergic nerves. ET-1 antagonized neural nitric oxide (NO)-mediated relaxant responses in LZR arteries, antagonizing relaxations induced by the NO donor S-nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine to a larger extent in arteries from OZRs. ETA and ETB receptors were expressed in perivascular fibers colocalized with the neuronal marker protein gene product 9.5 in penile arteries from OZRs. The ETA receptor antagonist BQ-123 reversed the enhancing effect of ET-1 on the vasoconstriction elicited by EFS and the ET-1-induced inhibition of nitrergic relaxations in LZRs, restoring them to control levels in penile arteries of OZRs.

Conclusions

ET-1 enhances adrenergic vasoconstriction through presynaptic ETA receptors and antagonizes neural NO-mediated relaxation through postsynaptic smooth muscle ETA receptors in penile arteries from OZRs, which likely contributes to the augmented vasoconstriction and blunted nitrergic relaxation of erectile tissue under conditions of insulin resistance.
Modernism and Sexology
Authors: Moddelmog Debra A.
Published: April 2014

Arising in the mid‐nineteenth century, sexology has been viewed as central to the development of sexual modernism, conceived as a sex‐saturated age in which sex became, as Havelock Ellis puts it, “the central problem of life.” This essay examines several prominent trends in research exploring the relationship of sexology, modern U.S. and British society and literature, and the history of sexuality. The first trend is the deepening and expansion of a long‐standing inquiry into the influence and effect of sexology on modernist literature. The second trend explores sexology's place in modern culture, suggesting that it was only one source (and sometimes not even the most important source) from which early twentieth‐century British and American citizens learned about sex. The final trend involves a lively and growing debate about how to write the history of sexuality, a project in which sexology has previously played a prominent role. Some scholars have called for a queering of this endeavor, in part by departing from traditional practices of history‐writing, whereas others have suggested that we can write the history of sexuality more complexly without completely abandoning recognized disciplinary practices. The essay ends by suggesting that some sexologists set the terms for a queer un‐raveling of the identitarian and pathologizing legacy of sexology and that this may be the side of sexology that appealed most to some modernist writers.
Systemic inflammation is associated with increased intrahepatic resistance and mortality in alcohol‐related acute‐on‐chronic liver failure
Authors: Mehta Gautam , Mookerjee Rajeshwar P , Sharma Vikram , Jalan Rajiv
Published: April 2014

Background & Aims

Acute‐on‐chronic liver failure (ACLF) is characterized by acute deterioration of cirrhosis, systemic inflammation and multi‐organ failure. Inflammation is also key to the pathobiology of portal hypertension. This study aims to define the relationship between systemic and hepatic haemodynamics in patients with ACLF.

Methods

Sixty patients with alcoholic cirrhosis were prospectively enrolled – stable cirrhosis (SC, n = 27), acute decompensation without ACLF (AD, n = 14) and ACLF (n = 19) – and managed with standard therapy. Systemic and hepatic haemodynamic studies were performed, and patients were followed up for 3 months. Plasma norepinephrine, cytokine profile, nitrate/nitrite and malondialdehyde levels were measured.

Results

Three‐month mortality was as follows: SC – none; AD – 14%; ACLF – 47.2% (P < 0.001). Mean arterial pressure was lowest in the ACLF group (P < 0.001). ACLF patients had significantly higher hepatic vein pressure gradient (HVPG), while the hepatic blood flow was markedly reduced with an increase in intrahepatic resistance, which predicted mortality (AUROC: 0.87, P < 0.0001). In ACLF, the severity of intrahepatic resistance correlated with markers of inflammatory response, norepinephrine levels, creatinine levels and severity of encephalopathy. Modelling data showed that the high norepinephrine levels in ACLF may contribute to the right shift of the HVPG–hepatic blood flow relationship and its levels correlated with inflammatory markers and mortality (AUROC: 0.90; P < 0.0001).

Conclusions

The disturbances in systemic and hepatic haemodynamics in alcohol‐related ACLF are associated with dysregulated inflammation, multi‐organ failure and marked activation of the sympathetic nervous system. These abnormalities predict high mortality rates in alcohol‐related ACLF patients.
Social and health behavioural determinants of maternal child‐feeding patterns in preschool‐aged children
Authors: Moreira Isabel , Severo Milton , Oliveira Andreia , Durão Catarina , Moreira Pedro , Barros Henrique , Lopes Carla
Published: April 2014

Parental child‐feeding attitudes and practices may compromise the development of healthy eating habits and adequate weight status in children. This study aimed to identify maternal child‐feeding patterns in preschool‐aged children and to evaluate their association with maternal social and health behavioural characteristics. Trained interviewers evaluated 4724 dyads of mothers and their 4–5‐year‐old child from the Generation XXI cohort. Maternal child‐feeding attitudes and practices were assessed through the Child Feeding Questionnaire and the Overt/Covert Control scale. Associations were estimated using linear regression [adjusted for maternal education, body mass index (BMI), fruit and vegetables (F&V) intake and child's BMI z‐score]. Principal component analysis defined a three‐factor structure explaining 58% of the total variance of maternal child‐feeding patterns: perceived monitoring – representing mothers with higher levels of monitoring, perceived responsibility and overt control; restriction – characterizing mothers with higher covert control, restriction and concerns about child's weight; pressure to eat – identifying mothers with higher levels of pressure to eat and overt control. Lower socioeconomic status, better health perception, higher F&V intake and offspring cohabitation were associated with more ‘perceived monitoring’ mothers. Higher maternal F&V intake and depression were associated with more ‘restrictive’ mothers. Younger mothers, less educated, with poorer health perception and offspring cohabiting, were associated with higher use of ‘pressure to eat’. Maternal socioeconomic indicators and family environment were more associated with perceived monitoring and pressure to eat, whereas maternal health behavioural characteristics were mainly associated with restriction. These findings will be helpful in future research and public health programmes on child‐feeding patterns.
Multilocus sequence typing of Candida africana from patients with vulvovaginal candidiasis in New Delhi, India
Authors: Sharma Cheshta , Muralidhar Sumathi , Xu Jianping , Meis Jacques F. , Chowdhary Anuradha
Published: April 2014

We investigated the prevalence of vulvovaginal candidiasis due to C. africana in an STD clinic in India and analysed the genetic relatedness of these C. africana isolates with those outside India. A total of 283 germ‐tube‐positive yeasts were identified by VITEK2. Molecular characterisation of all isolates was carried out by hwp1‐gene‐specific PCR. Of 283 germ‐tube‐positive yeast isolates, four were identified as C. africana using hwp1‐gene‐specific PCR. All hwp1 PCR positive C. africana were subjected to antifungal susceptibility testing, ITS and D1/D2 region sequencing and were typed by using MLST approach. Similar to C. africana isolates from the United Kingdom and unlike those from Africa, the Indian C. africana grew at 42°C. Sequencing of eight gene fragments in MLST identified all four strains to have different genotypes not reported previously. Furthermore, though the Indian C. africana isolates were susceptible to most of the 14 tested antifungal drugs, differences in susceptibility were observed among the four strains. Our results indicate genetic and phenotypic heterogeneity among C. africana from different geographical regions. Due to lack of data on epidemiology and genetic variability of this under‐reported yeast, more studies using molecular methods are warranted.
Combination treatment of oral terbinafine with topical terbinafine and 10% urea ointment in hyperkeratotic type tinea pedis
Authors: Shi Tian‐Wei , Zhang Jiang‐An , Zhang Xian‐Wei , Yu Hong‐Xing , Tang Yong‐Bo , Yu Jian‐Bin
Published: April 2014

Hyperkeratotic‐type tinea pedis is chronic and recalcitrant to topical antifungal agents. Some topical antifungal agents are effective; however, long duration of therapy is required, which often reduce the treatment compliance of patients. To seek for short period therapy of hyperkeratotic type tinea pedis, in this study, we observed the efficacy and safety of treatment of topical terbinafine and 10% urea ointment combined oral terbinafine. Participants with hyperkeratotic type tinea pedis were randomly assigned to two groups. Patients in group I were treated with oral terbinafine for 2 weeks and topical terbinafine and 10% urea ointment for 4 weeks, whereas in group II, only the above topical agents were applied for 12 weeks. Clinical improvement rates and fungal eradication rates were compared between the two groups at 24 weeks after the initiation of treatment. The group I had stopped the topical therapy 8 weeks earlier than group II. There were no significant differences in mycological eradication rates and clinical improvement rates between the two groups, besides, no major side effects were noted in both groups. The short combination therapy with oral terbinafine was effective and safe; it should be a valuable option for patients with hyperkeratotic type tinea pedis.
Hume on the Projection of Causal Necessity
Authors: Marušić Jennifer Smalligan
Published: April 2014

A characteristically Humean pattern of explanation starts by claiming that we have a certain kind of feeling in response to some objects and then takes our having such feelings to provide an explanation of how we come to think of those objects as having some feature that we would not otherwise be able to think of them as having. This core pattern of explanation is what leads Simon Blackburn to dub Hume ‘the first great projectivist.’ This paper critically examines the philosophical and textual basis for interpreting Hume as a causal projectivist. I argue that projectivist interpretations of Hume's account of causation are motivated by two convictions: that beliefs about causation, according to Hume, are not just beliefs about regularity relations and that believing that two events are necessarily connected, according to Hume, is not merely having a belief about something that occurs in one's mind. I suggest that the latter conviction is worth revisiting, both for textual and philosophical reasons.
CD5‐positive follicular lymphoma characterized by CD25, MUM1, low frequency of t(14;18) and poor prognosis
Authors: Miyoshi Hiroaki , Sato Kensaku , Yoshida Maki , Kimura Yoshizo , Kiyasu Junichi , Ichikawa Ayako , Ishibashi Yukinao , Arakawa Fumiko , Nakamura Yukihiko , Nakashima Shinji , Niino Daisuke , Sugita Yasuo , Ohshima Koichi
Published: April 2014

CD5‐positive follicular lymphoma (FL), although rare, has been described in a number of case reports. However, a statistically valid, clinicopathological comparison between CD5‐positive FL and CD5‐negative FL has never been performed because of its rarity. We statistically compared clinicopathological characteristics of 22 cases of CD5‐positive FL, diagnosed by immunohistochemistry, flow cytometry and morphological findings, with those of 62 cases of FL without CD5 expression (control cases). CD5‐positive FL patients showed a higher tendency of peripheral blood involvement (P = 0.076) and a higher frequency of CD25 expression (P = 0.0004) and MUM1 protein expression (P = 0.0008), and a lower frequency of t(14;18)(q32;q21) (P = 0.017). The overall survival (OS) curve of CD5‐positive FL was significantly worse than that of control cases (P = 0.0266), although progression‐free survival curves did not show a significant difference (P = 0.7899). Moreover, CD5 expression was shown to be an independent poor prognostic factor for OS in both univariate analysis [Hazard Ratio (HR), 3.63; P = 0.0464] and multivariate analysis (HR, 57.16; P = 0.0001). CD5‐positive FL showed different clinicopathological characteristics from FL lacking CD5 expression. These results suggest that CD5‐positive FL should be considered a different type of FL, and its clinicopathological management should be conducted differently.
Moesin overexpression is a unique biomarker of adenomyosis
Authors: Ohara Rena , Michikami Hiroo , Nakamura Yuko , Sakata Akiko , Sakashita Shingo , Satomi Kaishi , Shiba‐Ishii Aya , Kano Junko , Yoshikawa Hiroyuki , Noguchi Masayuki
Published: April 2014

Adenomyosis is characterized by extension of endometrial glands and stromal cells into the myometrium. Here we proved that ‘moesin’ is a unique biomarker of adenomyosis. We selected two cases of adenomyosis that had been surgically resected and fixed with formalin. Proteins were extracted from the infiltrating adenomyosis lesions and normal endometrium by tissue microdissection. The extracted proteins were examined using a LC‐MS/MS system and the expression profiles of each region were compared. Two hundred and sixty proteins were detected, among which 73 were expressed more in adenomyosis than in normal endometrium. Among these proteins, we focused on overexpression of moesin in adenomyosis. Expression of moesin estimated semiquantitatively using an immunohistochemistry score was higher in adenomyosis than in normal endometrium. In particular, moesin was significanly overexpressed in stromal cells of adenomyosis than in those of normal endometrium. Relative to normal endometrium, moesin was also overexpressed at the RNA level in 9 of 14 cases of adenomyosis and at the protein level in all 14 cases. We also detected activated (phosphorylated) moesin in adenomyosis lesions. The present findings suggest that moesin is characteristically overexpressed and activated in adenomyosis, and that moesin activation may be related to extension of adenomyosis in the myometrium.
Epoetin in the ‘untransfusable’ anaemic patient: a retrospective case series and systematic analysis of literature case reports
Authors: Heh‐Foster A. M. , Naber M. , Pai M. P. , Lesar T. S.
Published: April 2014

Background

Erythropoiesis stimulating agents [erythropoietin (EPO)] have been recommended to treat anaemic patients who cannot receive or refuse blood tranfusion (‘untransfusable’ patients).

Objective

The objective of the study was to quantify the association of EPO use with haemoglobin (Hgb) recovery in anaemic untransfusable hospitalised patients.

Methods/materials

EPO treated anaemic untransfusable patients were identified through the combination of a retrospective case review and a systematic review of the medical literature. Literature reports of untransfusable patients not treated with any EPO were used as a comparator group. Hgb concentrations before and following EPO use were abstracted and used to determine the rate of Hgb recovery for each case. Multilevel mixed effects modelling was used to determine the association of Hgb recovery with EPO use.

Results

A total of 76 EPO treated cases (19 cases from the retrospective hospital case review and 57 from the literature), and 33 non‐EPO treated comparator patients from the literature were included in the study. Hgb increased similarly over time in all groups at an overall mean standard error (SE) rate of 0·13 (0·01) g dL−1 day−1. The Hgb recovery rate was higher in patients with lower baseline Hgb, regardless of EPO use. No association was found between the rate of Hgb recovery and EPO use, dose or therapy duration.

Conclusions

In anaemic, ‘untransfusable’ hospitalised patients, EPO use was not associated with increased Hgb recovery at anytime within 28 days.
Thermal Management of Time-Varying High Heat Flux Electronic Devices
Authors: David T. , Mendler D. , Mosyak A. , Bar-Cohen A. , Hetsroni G.
Published: April 2014

The thermal characteristics of a laboratory pin-fin microchannel heat sink were empirically obtained for heat flux, q″, in the range of 30–170 W/cm2, mass flux, m, in the range of 230–380 kg/m2 s, and an exit vapor quality, xout, from 0.2 to 0.75. Refrigerant R 134a (HFC-134a) was chosen as the working fluid. The heat sink was a pin-fin microchannel module installed in open flow loop. Deviation from the measured average temperatures was 1.5 °C at q = 30 W/cm2, and 2.0 °C at q = 170 W/cm2. These results indicate that use of pin-fin microchannel heat sink enables keeping an electronic device near uniform temperature under steady state and transient conditions. The heat transfer coefficient varied significantly with refrigerant quality and showed a peak at an exit vapor quality of 0.55 in all the experiments. At relatively low heat fluxes and vapor qualities, the heat transfer coefficient increased with vapor quality. At high heat fluxes and vapor qualities, the heat transfer coefficient decreased with vapor quality. A noteworthy feature of the present data is the larger magnitude of the transient heat transfer coefficients compared to values obtained under steady state conditions. The results of transient boiling were compared with those for steady state conditions. In contrast to the more common techniques, the low cost technique, based on open flow loop was developed to promote cooling using micropin fin sinks. Results of this experimental study may be used for designing the cooling high power laser and rocket-born electronic devices.
Numerical Evaluation on the Curve Deviation of the Molded Glass Lens
Authors: Zhou Jian , Li Mujun , Hu Yang , Shi Tianyi , Ji Yueliang , Shen Lianguan
Published: April 2014

The compression molding of precision glass lens is a near net-shape forming process for optical components fabrication. The final profile curve accuracy is one of the most crucial criterions for evaluating the quality of the molded lens. In this research, our purpose was focused on the evaluation of the molded lens curve deviation. By incorporating stress relaxation and structural relaxation model of glass, numerical simulations of the whole molding process for fabricating a planoconvex lens were conducted by utilizing the commercial software msc Marc. The relationship of the three variables, i.e., the lens curve deviation, the mold curve deviation, the gap between the lens and the lower mold, was discussed and the evolution plots with time of the three variables were obtained. Details of the thermal boundary conditions were discussed by considering the contact heat transfer behavior. Then the essentiality of a small gap between the molds and the molded lens after releasing the upper mold was demonstrated. In details, the sensitivity analysis of the processing parameters was conducted, such as the releasing temperature, the cooling rate in the annealing and fast cooling stage, respectively, and the magnitude of the hold-up force. The results showed that the glass lens curve deviation was not sensitive to the choices of the releasing temperature and the cooling rate. What's more, the results indicated that the curve deviation decreased with the hold-up force increasing. Finally, with all the details considered, the final simulation results were presented accurately with good reason.
Low Cost Magnetic Resonance Imaging-Compatible Stepper Exercise Device for Use in Cardiac Stress Tests
Authors: Forouzan Omid , Flink Evan , Warczytowa Jared , Thate Nick , Hanske Andrew , Lee Tongkeun , Roldan-Alzate Alejandro , François Chris , Wieben Oliver , Chesler Naomi C.
Published: April 2014

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide. Many cardiovascular diseases are better diagnosed during a cardiac stress test. Current approaches include either exercise or pharmacological stress echocardiography and pharmacological stress magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). MRI is the most accurate noninvasive method of assessing cardiac function. Currently there are very few exercise devices that allow collection of cardiovascular MRI data during exercise. We developed a low-cost exercise device that utilizes adjustable weight resistance and is compatible with magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. It is equipped with electronics that measure power output. Our device allows subjects to exercise with a leg-stepping motion while their torso is in the MR imager. The device is easy to mount on the MRI table and can be adjusted for different body sizes. Pilot tests were conducted with 5 healthy subjects (3 male and 2 female, 29.2 ± 3.9 yr old) showing significant exercise-induced changes in heart rate (+42%), cardiac output (+40%) and mean pulmonary artery (PA) flow (+%49) post exercise. These data demonstrate that our MR compatible stepper exercise device successfully generated a hemodynamically stressed state while allowing for high quality imaging. The adjustable weight resistance allows exercise stress testing of subjects with variable exercise capacities. This low-cost device has the potential to be used in a variety of pathologies that require a cardiac stress test for diagnosis and assessment of disease progression.
Variation Simulation of Welded Assemblies Using a Thermo-Elastic Finite Element Model
Authors: Lorin Samuel , Cromvik Christoffer , Edelvik Fredrik , Lindkvist Lars , Söderberg Rikard
Published: April 2014

Every series of manufactured products has geometric variation. Variation can lead to products that are difficult to assemble or products not fulfilling functional or aesthetic requirements. In this paper, we will consider the effects of welding in variation simulation. Earlier work that has been combining variation simulation with welding simulation has either applied distortion based on nominal welding conditions onto the variation simulation result, hence loosing combination effects, or has used transient thermo-elasto-plastic simulation, which can be very time consuming since the number of runs required for statistical accuracy can be high. Here, we will present a new method to include the effects of welding in variation simulation. It is based on a technique that uses a thermo-elastic model, which previously has been shown to give distortion prediction within reasonable accuracy. This technique is suited for variation simulations due to the relative short computation times compared to conventional transient thermo-elasto-plastic simulations of welding phenomena. In a case study, it is shown that the presented method is able to give good predictions of both welding distortion and variation of welding distortions compared to transient thermo-elasto-plastic simulations.
Electroless deposition of metal nanoparticle clusters: Effect of pattern distance
Authors: Gentile Francesco , Laura Coluccio Maria , Candeloro Patrizio , Barberio Marianna , Perozziello Gerardo , Francardi Marco , Di Fabrizio Enzo
Published: April 2014

Electroless plating is a deposition technique in which metal ions are reduced as atoms on specific patterned sites of a silicon surface to form metal nanoparticles (NPs) aggregates with the desired characteristics. Those NPs, in turn, can be used as constituents of surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy substrates, which are devices where the electromagnetic field and effects thereof are giantly amplified. Here, the electroless formation of nanostructures was studied as a function of the geometry of the substrate. High resolution, electron beam lithography techniques were used to obtain nonperiodic arrays of circular patterns, in which the spacing of patterns was varied over a significant range. In depositing silver atoms in those circuits, the authors found that the characteristics of the aggregates vary with the pattern distance. When the patterns are in close proximity, the interference of different groups of adjacent aggregates cannot be disregarded and the overall growth is reduced. Differently from this, when the patterns are sufficiently distant, the formation of metal clusters of NPs is independent on the spacing of the patterns. For the particular subset of parameters used here, this critical correlation distance is about three times the pattern diameter. These findings were explained within the framework of a diffusion limited aggregation model, which is a simulation method that can decipher the formation of nanoaggregates at an atomic level. In the discussion, the authors showed how this concept can be used to fabricate ordered arrays of silver nanospheres, where the size of those spheres may be regulated on varying the pattern distance, for applications in biosensing and single molecule detection.
Caster Semenya, Gender Verification and the Politics of Fairness in an Online Track & Field Community
Authors: Wells Cassandra , Darnell Simon C.
Published: April 2014

The sex testing of South African runner Caster Semenya in 2009 was widely discussed in media, but the most serious and significant sites of debate may have been within the cultures and institutions of track & field itself. In this article, we report findings from an analysis of an online track & field community—TrackNet Listserv—through which the Semenya case, and the politics and ethics of sex testing, were discussed. The results suggest that listserv members recognized the contestability of sex testing policies and identified with feminist struggles, but nevertheless largely argued for sex testing’s necessity in light of understandings of the biologically normative female body and the importance of maintaining fairness in and through sex-segregated sport. The implications for the sport of track & field and for sporting feminisms are discussed.
From Foucault to Latour: Gymnastics Training as a Socio-Technical Network
Authors: Kerr Roslyn
Published: April 2014

When fourteen-year-old Nadia Comaneci won gold at the 1976 Olympic Games, her youthful appearance inspired concerns about the hard training of young gymnasts. These concerns frequently centered around the coach as a figure of authority with the power to potentially exploit young girls. This paper both confirms and questions this assumption through using an Actor Network Theory (ANT) perspective. It is argued that what has been missing from previous accounts of sports training and competition is the role that nonhumans play. It is shown how existing Foucauldian work examining gymnastics can be extended through demonstrating the Latourian notion that power is enacted through nonhumans. It is further suggested that the inclusion of nonhumans such as video cameras into the gymnastics network can potentially generate different power arrangements from the traditional authoritarian coach/athlete relationship. Latour’s concepts of mediators and intermediaries are used to show how nonhumans can have agency and affect gymnastics performance, demonstrating that power is shared among both human and nonhuman actants.