bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Analysis of Presentations to On-site Medical Units During World Youth Day 2008
Authors: Tyner Sophie E. , Hennessy Louise , Coombs Lisa J. , Fizzell Jan
Published: October 2012

World Youth Day 2008 was held in Sydney, Australia in July 2008. New South Wales (NSW) Health, the government health provider in Australia's most populous state, worked with partner agencies to provide medical services via on-site medical units at key event venues.

A post-event review of medical records from the on-site medical units indicated 465 patient presentations, comprised largely of infectious respiratory symptoms and general health concerns of a primary care nature. Providing on-site health services is considered an important risk-mitigation action for many mass gatherings, especially those that generate a substantial temporary population of participants and take place over a number of days.

TynerSE,HennessyL,CoombsLJ,FizzellJ.Analysis of presentations to on-site medical units during World Youth Day 2008.Prehosp Disaster Med.2012;27(6):1-6.
MONETARY POLICY, INFLATION AND UNEMPLOYMENT: IN DEFENSE OF THE FEDERAL RESERVE
Authors: Groshenny Nicolas
Published: October 2012

To what extent did deviations from the Taylor rule between 2002 and 2006 help to promote price stability and maximum sustainable employment? To address that question, I estimate a New Keynesian model with unemployment and perform a counterfactual experiment where monetary policy strictly follows a Taylor rule over the period 2002:Q1–2006:Q4. I find that such a policy would have generated a sizeable increase in unemployment and resulted in an undesirably low rate of inflation. Around mid-2004, when the counterfactual deviates the most from the actual series, the model indicates that the probability of an unemployment rate greater than 8% would have been as high as 80%, whereas the probability of an inflation rate above 1% would have been close to zero.
Changes in the acquisition and consumption of food plants and their relationship with indigenous perceptions of health in a Guarani village, São Paulo, Brazil
Authors: Scalco Nayara , Rodrigues Eliana
Published: October 2012

Objective

The present study investigated Guarani village interviewees’ diet changes over time, their perceptions about the changes and the effects of these changes on their health.

Design

The study employed qualitative methods with a sample of Guarani Indians selected by snowball sampling. Ethnographic methods and techniques included field diaries, informal and unstructured interviews and participant observation.

Setting

The Tenondé Porã Guarani village is located in the district of Parelheiros, São Paulo, Brazil. Interviews were conducted from July 2008 to December 2009.

Subjects

Fifteen Guarani Indians, males and females in age categories ranging from youths to elders, took part in the study.

Results

The interviewees reported changes in how food was obtained, the occurrence of food substitutions and food species abandonment, recipe changes and the introduction of new foods. Some ritual use of plants was maintained. Disease frequency was found to increase because of this change and a lack of obedience to Nhanderu (the Guarani God). A lack of space for daily traditional activities (e.g. farming, hunting) was found to result in sedentary lifestyles.

Conclusions

The village location was a key factor in the Guarani diet change, although some rituals related to available plants were preserved.
Detection of Biofilm-Grown Aspergillus fumigatus by Means of Atomic Force Spectroscopy: Ultrastructural Effects of Alginate Lyase
Authors: Papi M. , Maiorana A. , Bugli F. , Torelli R. , Posteraro B. , Maulucci G. , De Spirito M. , Sanguinetti M.
Published: October 2012

Aspergillus fumigatus has become a leading cause of fungal morbidity and mortality, especially in immunocompromised patients. This fungus is able to grow as a multicellular community and produce a hydrophobic extracellular matrix (ECM), mainly composed of galactomannan and α-1,3 glucans, to protect itself from host defenses and antimicrobial drugs. This matrix envelops the fungus hyphae, binding them into a contiguous sheath on the colony surface, forming a biofilm and increasing the fungal resistance to adverse environmental factors. Adherence to host cells and resistance to physical removal play a key role in fungal colonization and invasion of the host and in a wide range of infections. Here we show that, by using atomic force spectroscopy, it is possible to exploit the peculiar hydrophobicity of the biofilm components (i.e., cell walls, ECM) to detect the biofilm spread, its growth, and lysis on rough surfaces. By means of this approach, we demonstrate that alginate lyase, an enzyme known to reduce negatively charged alginate levels in microbial biofilms, reduces the biofilm adhesion forces suggesting a loss of ECM from the biofilm, which could be used to enhance pharmacological treatments.
Fast Amplitude Modulation Detector for Scanning Force Microscopy with High Q Factor
Authors: Shi Yizhi , Lu Qingyou
Published: October 2012

Amplitude modulation (AM) scanning force microscopy (SFM) is superior to frequency modulation SFM in simplicity, sensitivity, and stability, but is still replaced by the latter because it is too slow when the Q factor is high (bandwidth < 0.5 Hz for Q > 50,000 and resonant frequency ω0 < 50 kHz). We report a close-loop AM detector that has an 18 Hz bandwidth, better than 1 mHz frequency resolution and excellent response to step frequency changes even for Q ∼ 60,000 and ω0 ∼ 32 kHz. Its superiority is well shown by the comparison of magnetic force microscope images taken under the new and old AM detection modes with the tip and scan area (videotape sample) being unchanged. Also important is that shifting the driving frequency from near the resonance peak to further away from the peak does not decrease the frequency resolution as much as we expect (but can increase the response speed).
Gas seepage and seismogenic structures along the North Anatolian Fault in the eastern Sea of Marmara
Authors: Gasperini L. , Polonia A. , Del Bianco F. , Etiope G. , Marinaro G. , Favali P. , Italiano F. , Çağatay M. N.
Published: October 2012

We carried out a combined geophysical and gas‐geochemical survey on an active fault strand along the North Anatolian Fault (NAF) system in the Gulf of İzmit (eastern Sea of Marmara), providing for the first time in this area data on the distribution of methane (CH4) and other gases dissolved in the bottom seawater, as well as the CH4isotopic composition. Based on high‐resolution morphobathymetric data and chirp‐sonar seismic reflection profiles we selected three areas with different tectonic features associated to the NAF system, where we performed visual and instrumental seafloor inspections, including in situ measurements of dissolved CH4, and sampling of the bottom water. Starting from background values of 2–10 nM, methane concentration in the bottom seawater increases abruptly up to 20 nM over the main NAF trace. CH4 concentration peaks up to ∼120 nM were detected above mounds related probably to gas and fluids expulsion. Methane is microbial (δ13CCH4: −67.3 and −76‰ versus VPDB), and was found mainly associated with pre‐Holocene deposits topped by a 10–20 m thick draping of marine mud. The correlation between tectonic structures and gas‐seepages at the seafloor suggests that the NAF in the Gulf of İzmit could represent a key site for long‐term combined monitoring of fluid exhalations and seismicity to assess their potential as earthquake precursors.
The decadal modulation of coupled bred vectors
Authors: Ham Yoo‐Geun , Rienecker Michele M. , Schubert Siegfried , Marshak Jelena , Yeh Sang‐Wook , Yang Shu‐Chih
Published: October 2012

This study investigates the nature of a decadal modulation in the coupled bred vectors (BVs) developed to capture the dominant instabilities related to seasonal‐to‐interannual variability in the Equatorial Pacific using the GEOS‐5 atmosphere‐ocean general circulation model. It is found that the coupled BVs, with a monthly rescaling period, successfully reflect the observed decadal modulation of zonal location in the El Niño action center over the equatorial Pacific. By dividing the 30 years of BVs into two epochs, it is shown that the leading Empirical Orthogonal Function (EOF) of BV oceanic temperature shifts from the eastern Pacific during 1981–1999 to the central Pacific during 2000–2010, consistent with decadal changes in the location of the El Niño action center. By performing a budget analysis for BV temperature, it is found that the westward shift of the BV temperature is due to the strengthening of the mean zonal temperature gradient, which acts to amplify the BV temperature growth due to the zonal advection of background temperature by the BV current.
Modeling seasonal to interannual ocean variability of coastal British Columbia
Authors: Masson Diane , Fine Isaac
Published: October 2012

A regional circulation model is used to examine the ocean variability along the Pacific coast of Canada. The model domain extends from the Columbia River to the Alaska Panhandle and is applied to hindcast the period 1995–2008. An extensive model validation indicates that the modeled ocean varies realistically at the seasonal to interannual time scale, including the marked regional response to the 1997–1998 El Niño. The model is used to better understand the ocean response to direct forcing of wind and rivers over the model domain relative to variability outside of the study area. To do so, additional runs are conducted with and without river discharge and seasonal variability in wind stress as well as with and without interannual variability in lateral boundary conditions. It is shown that the seasonal variability of the coastal circulation, such as the reversal of the shelf‐break current and summer intensification of the California undercurrent, is of mixed origin, with both remote and local forcing contributing importantly. On the other hand, the modeled strong oceanic anomalies associated with the 1997–1998 El Niño originate from anomalous conditions on the lateral boundaries, except for the locally forced surface warm anomalies.
Divergent lymphocyte signalling revealed by a powerful new tool for analysis of time‐lapse microscopy
Authors: Pham Kim , Shimoni Raz , Ludford‐Menting Mandy J , Nowell Cameron J , Lobachevsky Pavel , Bomzon Ze'ev , Gu Min , Speed Terence P , McGlade C Jane , Russell Sarah M
Published: October 2012

We describe a new approach for interactive analysis of time‐lapse microscopy, and apply this approach to elucidating whether polarity regulation is conserved between epithelial cells and lymphocytes. A key advantage of our analysis platform, ‘TACTICS’, is the capacity to visualize individual data points in the context of large data sets, similar to standard approaches in flow cytometry. Scatter plots representing microscopic parameters or their derivations such as polarity ratios are linked to the original data such that clicking on each dot enables a link to images and movies of the corresponding cell. Similar to flow cytometric analysis, subsets of the data can be gated and reanalyzed to explore the relationships between different parameters. TACTICS was used to dissect the regulation of polarization of the cell fate determinant, Numb, in migrating lymphocytes. We show here that residues of Numb that are phosphorylated by atypical protein kinase C (aPKC) to mediate apicobasal polarity in epithelial cells are not required for polarization of Numb in T cells, indicating that the role of aPKC is not conserved between lymphocytes and epithelia.
High-resolution imaging of expertise reveals reliable object selectivity in the fusiform face area related to perceptual performance
Authors: McGugin Rankin Williams , Gatenby J. Christopher , Gore John C. , Gauthier Isabel
Published: October 2012

The fusiform face area (FFA) is a region of human cortex that responds selectively to faces, but whether it supports a more general function relevant for perceptual expertise is debated. Although both faces and objects of expertise engage many brain areas, the FFA remains the focus of the strongest modular claims and the clearest predictions about expertise. Functional MRI studies at standard-resolution (SR-fMRI) have found responses in the FFA for nonface objects of expertise, but high-resolution fMRI (HR-fMRI) in the FFA [Grill-Spector K, et al. (2006)
Nat Neurosci
9:1177–1185] and neurophysiology in face patches in the monkey brain [Tsao DY, et al. (2006)
Science
311:670–674] reveal no reliable selectivity for objects. It is thus possible that FFA responses to objects with SR-fMRI are a result of spatial blurring of responses from nonface-selective areas, potentially driven by attention to objects of expertise. Using HR-fMRI in two experiments, we provide evidence of reliable responses to cars in the FFA that correlate with behavioral car expertise. Effects of expertise in the FFA for nonface objects cannot be attributed to spatial blurring beyond the scale at which modular claims have been made, and within the lateral fusiform gyrus, they are restricted to a small area (200 mm
2
on the right and 50 mm
2
on the left) centered on the peak of face selectivity. Experience with a category may be sufficient to explain the spatially clustered face selectivity observed in this region.
Cognitive signals for brain–machine interfaces in posterior parietal cortex include continuous 3D trajectory commands
Authors: Hauschild Markus , Mulliken Grant H. , Fineman Igor , Loeb Gerald E. , Andersen Richard A.
Published: October 2012

Cortical neural prosthetics extract command signals from the brain with the goal to restore function in paralyzed or amputated patients. Continuous control signals can be extracted from the motor cortical areas, whereas neural activity from posterior parietal cortex (PPC) can be used to decode cognitive variables related to the goals of movement. Because typical activities of daily living comprise both continuous control tasks such as reaching, and tasks benefiting from discrete control such as typing on a keyboard, availability of both signals simultaneously would promise significant increases in performance and versatility. Here, we show that PPC can provide 3D hand trajectory information under natural conditions that would be encountered for prosthetic applications, thus allowing simultaneous extraction of continuous and discrete signals without requiring multisite surgical implants. We found that limb movements can be decoded robustly and with high accuracy from a small population of neural units under free gaze in a complex 3D point-to-point reaching task. Both animals’ brain-control performance improved rapidly with practice, resulting in faster target acquisition and increasing accuracy. These findings disprove the notion that the motor cortical areas are the only candidate areas for continuous prosthetic command signals and, rather, suggests that PPC can provide equally useful trajectory signals in addition to discrete, cognitive variables. Hybrid use of continuous and discrete signals from PPC may enable a new generation of neural prostheses providing superior performance and additional flexibility in addressing individual patient needs.
Monitoring the effects of adult psychotherapy in routine practice in Switzerland: A feasibility trial
Authors: Kramer Ueli , Berthoud Laurent , Koch Nathalie , Michaud Laurent , Guex Patrice , Despland Jean-Nicolas
Published: October 2012

Background: Several studies have been published on the effects of psychotherapy in routine practice. Complementing traditional views summarised as ‘dose‐effect models’, Stiles et al. put forward data consistent with the responsive regulation model underlining the importance of the client's active participant role in defining length of treatment. One may ask what level of change reached by a patient is considered to be the ‘good enough level’ (GEL) and if it is related to the duration of psychotherapy. Aims: The main objective of the present feasibility trial was to monitor the patient's session‐by‐session evolution using a self‐report questionnaire in order to define the GEL, i.e. the number of sessions necessary for the patient to reach significant change. Method: A total of N=13 patients undergoing psychotherapy in routine practice participated in the study, completing the Outcome Questionnaire – 45.2 (OQ‐45), which assesses the symptom level, interpersonal relationships and social role after every psychotherapy session. The data was analysed using multi‐level analyses (HLMs). Results: High feasibility of fine‐grained assessment of effects of psychotherapy in routine practice in Switzerland was shown; response rates being acceptable; however, detailed analysis of the GEL was not feasible within the short study time‐frame. Conclusions: Reflections on the political context of monitoring in the specific case of routine psychiatric practice in Switzerland are discussed.
Human lymphoma mutations reveal CARD11 as the switch between self-antigen–induced B cell death or proliferation and autoantibody production
Authors: Jeelall Yogesh S. , Wang James Q. , Law Hsei-Di , Domaschenz Heather , Fung Herman K.H. , Kallies Axel , Nutt Stephen L. , Goodnow Christopher C. , Horikawa Keisuke
Published: October 2012

Self-tolerance and immunity are actively acquired in parallel through a poorly understood ability of antigen receptors to switch between signaling death or proliferation of antigen-binding lymphocytes in different contexts. It is not known whether this tolerance-immunity switch requires global rewiring of the signaling apparatus or if it can arise from a single molecular change. By introducing individual CARD11 mutations found in human lymphomas into antigen-activated mature B lymphocytes in mice, we find here that lymphoma-derived CARD11 mutations switch the effect of self-antigen from inducing B cell death into T cell–independent proliferation, Blimp1-mediated plasmablast differentiation, and autoantibody secretion. Our findings demonstrate that regulation of CARD11 signaling is a critical switch governing the decision between death and proliferation in antigen-stimulated mature B cells and that mutations in this switch represent a powerful initiator for aberrant B cell responses in vivo.
The structure theory of set addition revisited
Authors: Sanders Tom
Published: October 2012

In this article we survey some of the recent developments in the structure theory of set addition.
Equidistribution and counting for orbits of geometrically finite hyperbolic groups
Authors: Oh Hee , Shah Nimish
Published: October 2012

Let

G
G

be the identity component of

S
O

(
n
,
1
)

\mathrm {SO}(n,1)

,

n
≥
2

n\ge 2

, acting linearly on a finite-dimensional real vector space

V
V

. Consider a vector

w
0

∈
V

w_0\in V

such that the stabilizer of

w
0

w_0

is a symmetric subgroup of

G
G

or the stabilizer of the line

R

w
0

\mathbb {R} w_0

is a parabolic subgroup of

G
G

. For any non-elementary discrete subgroup

Γ
\Gamma

of

G
G

with its orbit

w
0

Γ

w_0\Gamma

discrete, we compute an asymptotic formula (as

T
→
∞

T\to \infty

) for the number of points in

w
0

Γ

w_0\Gamma

of norm at most

T
T

, provided that the Bowen-Margulis-Sullivan measure on

T

1

(
Γ
∖

H

n

)

\mathrm {T}^1(\Gamma \backslash \mathbb {H}^n)

and the

Γ
\Gamma

-skinning size of

w
0

w_0

are finite.

The main ergodic ingredient in our approach is the description for the limiting distribution of the orthogonal translates of a totally geodesically immersed closed submanifold of

Γ
∖

H

n

\Gamma \backslash \mathbb {H}^n

. We also give a criterion on the finiteness of the

Γ
\Gamma

-skinning size of

w
0

w_0

for

Γ
\Gamma

geometrically finite.
Cervical dilation at the time of cesarean section for dystocia – effect on subsequent trial of labor
Authors: ABILDGAARD HELLE , INGERSLEV MARIE DINESS , NICKELSEN CARSTEN , SECHER NIELS JOERGEN
Published: October 2012

Objective. To investigate the effect of cervical dilation at the time of cesarean section due to dystocia and success in a subsequent pregnancy of attempted vaginal delivery. Design. Retrospective study. Setting. University hospital in Copenhagen capital area. Population. All women with a prior cesarean section due to dystocia who had undergone a subsequent pregnancy with a singleton delivery during 2006–2010. Methods. Medical records were reviewed for prior vaginal birth, cervical dilation reached before cesarean section and induction of labor, gestational age, use of oxytocin, epidural anesthesia and mode of birth was collected. Results. A total of 889 women were included; 373 had had a trial of labor. The success rate for vaginal birth among women with prior cesarean section for dystocia at 4–8 cm dilation was 39%, but 59% for women in whom prior cesarean section had been done at a fully or almost fully dilated cervix (9–10 cm) (p < 0.001). Among the women with a previous vaginal delivery prior to their cesarean section, the success rate for vaginal birth was 76.2%, in contrast to 48.9% in the group without a previous vaginal delivery (p < 0.01). Conclusion. Women who had a trial of labor after a prior cesarean section for dystocia done late in labor and women with a vaginal delivery prior to their cesarean section had a greater chance of a successful vaginal birth during a subsequent delivery.
Guest Authors in An Iranian Journal
Authors: Ghajarzadeh Mahsa
Published: October 2012

Background

Although most biomedical journals have adopted the authorship criteria established by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) in 1985, little is known about the extent Iranian researchers are familiar with these criteria.

Objectives

The study seeks to evaluate the number of authors fulfilling ICMJE authorship criteria (considering the names mentioned in the byline of 12 issues of the Archives of Iranian Medicine (AIM) journal), and to determine the type of contribution made by each author.

Materials and Methods

The fulfilment of authorship criteria and contribution percentage of each researcher were evaluated according to their position in the bylines of 12 issues of the Archives of Iranian Medicine (AIM) journal published from January 2005 to October 2007. We asked corresponding authors to answer our questionnaire which was designed to assess authorship criteria and contribution.

Results

A total of 576 researchers' names were in the studied article bylines. The ratio of authors to articles was 3.48 in 2005, 4.06 in 2006, and 5.59 in 2007. Sixty three out of 128 corresponding authors (49.21%) responded to our questionnaire, so we evaluated 296 researchers' names, from which 186 authors (62.83%) met the authorship criteria; 110 authors (37.17%) were identified as guest authors, 97 of which deserved to be mentioned in the acknowledgement section. The major criteria used for authors order was their participation in research projects in addition to article writing, mostly determined by the corresponding author.

Two authors (0.67%) whose names were not mentioned in the articles were considered to be ghost writers as the articles were based on the results of their thesis.

Conclusion

It is essential to make Iranian researchers familiar with ICMJE authorship criteria and to encourage applying the criteria in scientific writing.
The light microscope on its way from an analytical to a preparative tool
Authors: Greulich Karl Otto , Weber Gerd
Published: October 2012

Light intensities of up to 1013 W/cm2 can be generated by focusing light, particularly laser pulses, into a microscope. Such power densities can be used to cut, perforate, or fuse microscopic objects with submicrometre accuracy. Suitable light sources for such a ‘microbeam’ are nitrogen lasers with a working wavelength of 337 nm, frequency‐multiplied Neodym YAG lasers (266 or 355 nm) or excimer lasers (308 nm). In combination with dye lasers, tunable microbeams covering the wavelength range from the ultraviolet to the infra‐red can be constructed. Such laser microbeams can be used to modify microchip substrates. Micro‐injection of materials into biological cells or fusion of selected cell pairs under total microscopic control is also possible. Using the same equipment, elongated biological objects can be microdissected with submicrometre precision, for example in attempts to isolate DNA from a specific region of the human genome.

In addition to the use of high‐power pulsed lasers, the light of a continuous‐wave infra‐red laser can be used for the transport of microscopic objects. There, light pressure and the inhomogeneity of the electric field in a light pulse are used to trap microscopic objects in the focused laser beam, using the beam as ultrafine non‐mechanical tweezers. Unlike mechanical microtools the optical trap is gentle and absolutely sterile.

A combined laser microbeam and optical trap (a microbeam‐trap) converts the light microscope, which is usually regarded as an analytical instrument, into a universal preparative instrument that allows micromanipulation of microscopic objects without mechanical contact. In contrast to any other micromanipulator, the microbeam‐trap can work in the depth of an object without opening it.
Fixation induces differential polarized translocations of organelles in hyphae of Saprolegnia ferax
Authors: Kaminskyj Susan G. W. , Jackson Sandra L. , Heath I. Brent
Published: October 2012

Saprolegnia hyphal tips were examined during fixation, and living or freeze‐substituted tips were quantitatively compared with those fixed in commonly employed formulations of paraformaldehyde and glutaraldehyde. Treating hyphae with fixatives induced extensive longitudinal translocations of the cytoplasm and organelles, usually beginning with contractions toward the tip. These translocations were minimal in the extreme apex (~10 μm) and more extensive subapically. Hypertonic media or hypotonic buffers seldom or never induced translocations, respectively; in contrast, hypotonic buffers containing detergents or the Ca2+ ‐ionophore, A23187, frequently induced contractions. All fixations caused net nucleus movement away from the tip, with the amount of displacement depending on the pre‐fixation distance from the tip. Similarly, all fixations moved the most‐apical of saltatory vesicles away from the tip, but the total number in the apex increased or decreased depending on the fixative used. The patterns of these results suggest that nucleus and vesicle distribution controls may be related (with respect to most‐apical organelles) but also at least partially independent (with respect to organelle populations in hyphal tips). Hyphal diameter was reduced by some, but not all fixations; this variability did not correlate with displacements of either organelle, nor with fixative osmotic pressure. Evidently fixative‐induced changes are more complex and systematic in highly polarized tip‐growing cells than previously reported in other, less polarized, cell types. These results also suggest that hyphae contain multiple and complex organelle distribution and hyphal diameter control systems which can be readily altered, often subtly, by fixation protocols commonly and uncritically employed in immunocytochemical and ultrastructural analyses, and that fixation can cause serious cellular reorganization.
SEM studies of surfaces hidden within bulk tissue: A simple technique to control the position and orientation of dry fracture planes
Authors: Hirst Elizabeth M. A. , Howard James E.
Published: October 2012

A simple, reliable method for the exposure of specific structures hidden within bulk tissue for viewing by SEM is described. The method employs dry fracture after critical‐point drying and differs from other dry fracture methods in that the fracture plane is ‘engineered’ by the experimenter, thus overcoming the tendency for natural planes of weakness within the specimen exclusively to define the fracture plane. The technique retains the simplicity of the very high‐quality in situ cellular relationships normally associated with random dry fracture. Attention is given to novel means of circumventing the artefacts that are normally a problem with dry fracture techniques.
Validation of cord blood split products prepared by an automated method
Authors: Gutensohn K. , Odendahl M. , Kersten J. F. , Tonn T.
Published: October 2012

Objectives

In this study, we studied whether the contents of the two compartments of automatically processed cord blood (CB) units are comparable with respect to cell counts and viability and therefore suitable for clinical therapy.

Background

CB‐derived stem cells are increasingly used for allogeneic transplantation. Many centres prepare the transplants by automated methods allowing to split the product into two portions.

Methods

CB was collected at different sites in Germany and transported to a single centre for processing. Before and after cryopreservation laboratory analyses were performed to compare the quality of the two CB segments.

Results

In total, 33 products were processed [mean collection volume: 18·6 ± 1·2 mL (range 15·2–20·2 mL) segment A; mean: 4·7 ± 0·3 mL (range 4·2–5·2 mL) segment B]. CD34+ cell counts, viability of CD34+ cells and many other haematological parameters showed a good comparibility between the two segments. However, lymphocyte counts and results of clonogenic assays were significantly different between the two segments of the split product.

Conclusion

We conclude that the preparation of the cord blood unit by the automated process results in a homogenous distribution of stem and progenitor cells. However, our findings show that the clonogenic capacity differs between the two segments.
Epigenetics and the Environment in Bioethics
Authors: Dupras Charles , Ravitsky Vardit , Williams‐Jones Bryn
Published: October 2012

A rich literature in public health has demonstrated that health is strongly influenced by a host of environmental factors that can vary according to social, economic, geographic, cultural or physical contexts. Bioethicists should, we argue, recognize this and – where appropriate – work to integrate environmental concerns into their field of study and their ethical deliberations. In this article, we present an argument grounded in scientific research at the molecular level that will be familiar to – and so hopefully more persuasive for – the biomedically‐inclined in the bioethics community. Specifically, we argue that the relatively new field of molecular epigenetics provides novel information that should serve as additional justification for expanding the scope of bioethics to include environmental and public health concerns. We begin by presenting two distinct visions of bioethics: the individualistic and rights‐oriented and the communitarian and responsibility‐oriented. We follow with a description of biochemical characteristics distinguishing epigenetics from genetics, in order to emphasize the very close relationship that exists between the environment and gene expression. This then leads to a discussion of the importance of the environment in determining individual and population health, which, we argue, should shift bioethics towards a Potterian view that promotes a communitarian‐based sense of responsibility for the environment, in order to fully account for justice considerations and improve public health.
Randomized Controlled Trials of Maternal‐Fetal Surgery: A Challenge to Clinical Equipoise
Authors: Rodrigues H.C.M.L. , van den Berg P.P.
Published: October 2012

This article focuses on maternal‐fetal surgery (MFS) and on the concept of clinical equipoise that is a widely accepted requirement for conducting randomized controlled trials (RCT). There are at least three reasons why equipoise is unsuitable for MFS. First, the concept is based on a misconception about the nature of clinical research and the status of research subjects. Second, given that it is not clear who the research subject/s in MFS is/are, if clinical equipoise is to be used as a criterion to test the ethical appropriateness of RCT, its meaning should be unambiguous. Third, because of the multidisciplinary character of MFS, it is not clear who should be in equipoise. As a result, we lack an adequate criterion for the ethical review of MFS protocols. In our account, which is based on Chervenak and McCullough's seminal work in the field of obstetric ethics, equipoise is abandoned. and RCT involving MFS can be ethically initiated when a multidisciplinary ethics review board (ERB), having an evidence‐based assessment of the risks involved, is convinced that the value of answering the research hypothesis, for the sake of the health interests of future pregnant women carrying fetuses with certain congenital birth defects, justifies the actual risks research participants might suffer within a set limit of low/manageable.
Registration Based Non‐uniform Motion Deblurring
Authors: Cho Sunghyun , Cho Hojin , Tai Yu‐Wing , Lee Seungyong
Published: October 2012

This paper proposes an algorithm which uses image registration to estimate a non‐uniform motion blur point spread function (PSF) caused by camera shake. Our study is based on a motion blur model which models blur effects of camera shakes using a set of planar perspective projections (i.e., homographies). This representation can fully describe motions of camera shakes in 3D which cause non‐uniform motion blurs. We transform the non‐uniform PSF estimation problem into a set of image registration problems which estimate homographies of the motion blur model one‐by‐one through the Lucas‐Kanade algorithm. We demonstrate the performance of our algorithm using both synthetic and real world examples. We also discuss the effectiveness and limitations of our algorithm for non‐uniform deblurring.
Improving Photo Composition Elegantly: Considering Image Similarity During Composition Optimization
Authors: Guo Y. W. , Liu M. , Gu T. T. , Wang W. P.
Published: October 2012

Optimization of images with bad compositions has attracted increasing attention in recent years. Previous methods however seldomly consider image similarity when improving composition aesthetics. This may lead to significant content changes or bring large distortions, resulting in an unpleasant user experience. In this paper, we present a new algorithm for improving image composition aesthetics, while retaining faithful, as much as possible, to the original image content. Our method computes an improved image using a unified model of composition aesthetics and image similarity. The term of composition aesthetics obeys the rule of thirds and aims to enhance image composition. The similarity term in contrast penalizes image difference and distortion caused by composition adjustment. We use an edge‐based measure of structure similarity which nearly coincides with human visual perception to compare the optimized image with the original one. We describe an effective scheme to generate the optimized image with the objective model. Our algorithm is able to produce the recomposed images with minimal visual distortions in an elegant and user controllable manner. We show the superiority of our algorithm by comparing our results with those by previous methods.
Digital Camouflage Images Using Two‐scale Decomposition
Authors: Du Hui , Jin Xiaogang , Mao Xiaoyang
Published: October 2012

We present an alternative approach to create digital camouflage images which follows human's perception intuition and complies with the physical creation procedure of artists. Our method is based on a two‐scale decomposition scheme of the input images. We modify the large‐scale layer of the background image by considering structural importance based on energy optimization and the detail layer by controlling its spatial variation. A gradient correction is presented to prevent halo artifacts. Users can control the difficulty level of perceiving the camouflage effect through a few parameters. Our camouflage images are natural and have less long coherent edges in the hidden region. Experimental results show that our algorithm yields visually pleasing camouflage images.
Video Panorama for 2D to 3D Conversion
Authors: Ribera Roger Blanco i , Choi Sungwoo , Kim Younghui , Lee JungJin , Noh Junyong
Published: October 2012

Accurate depth estimation is a challenging, yet essential step in the conversion of a 2D image sequence to a 3D stereo sequence. We present a novel approach to construct a temporally coherent depth map for each image in a sequence. The quality of the estimated depth is high enough for the purpose of2D to 3D stereo conversion. Our approach first combines the video sequence into a panoramic image. A user can scribble on this single panoramic image to specify depth information. The depth is then propagated to the remainder of the panoramic image. This depth map is then remapped to the original sequence and used as the initial guess for each individual depth map in the sequence. Our approach greatly simplifies the required user interaction during the assignment of the depth and allows for relatively free camera movement during the generation of a panoramic image. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our method by showing stereo converted sequences with various camera motions.
Analytic Curve Skeletons for 3D Surface Modeling and Processing
Authors: Thiery Jean‐Marc , Buchholz Bert , Tierny Julien , Boubekeur Tamy
Published: October 2012

We present a new curve skeleton model designed for surface modeling and processing. This skeleton is defined as the geometrical integration of a piecewise harmonic parameterization defined over a disk‐cylinder surface decomposition. This decomposition is computed using a progressive Region Graph reduction based on both geometric and topological criteria which can be iteratively optimized to improve region boundaries. The skeleton has an analytical form with regularity inherited from the surface one. Such a form offers well‐defined surface‐skeleton and skeleton‐surface projections. The resulting skeleton satisfies quality criteria which are relevant for skeleton‐based modeling and processing. We propose applications that benefit from our skeleton model, including local thickness editing, inset surface creation for shell mapping, as well as a new mid‐scale feature preserving smoothing.
Scale Normalization for Isometric Shape Matching
Authors: Sahillioğlu Y. , Yemez Y.
Published: October 2012

We address the scale problem inherent to isometric shape correspondence in a combinatorial matching framework. We consider a particular setting of the general correspondence problem where one of the two shapes to be matched is an isometric (or nearly isometric) part of the other up to an arbitrary scale. We resolve the scale ambiguity by finding a coarse matching between shape extremities based on a novel scale‐invariant isometric distortion measure. The proposed algorithm also supports (partial) dense matching, that alleviates the symmetric flip problem due to initial coarse sampling. We test the performance of our matching algorithm on several shape datasets in comparison to state of the art. Our method proves useful, not only for partial matching, but also for complete matching of semantically similar hybrid shape pairs whose maximum geodesic distances may not be compatible, a case that would fail most of the conventional isometric shape matchers.
ERNST CASSIRER, MARTIN HEIDEGGER, AND THE LEGACY OF DAVOS
Authors: Barash Jeffrey Andrew
Published: October 2012

In 1929 Ernst Cassirer and Martin Heidegger participated in a momentous debate in Davos, Switzerland, which is widely held to have marked an important division in twentieth‐century European thought. Peter E. Gordon's recent book, Continental Divide: Heidegger, Cassirer, Davos, centers on this debate between these two philosophical adversaries. In his book Gordon examines the background of the debate, the issues that distinguished the respective positions of Cassirer and Heidegger, and the legacy of the debate for later decades. Throughout the work, Gordon concisely portrays the source of disagreement between the two adversaries in terms of a difference between Cassirer's philosophy of spontaneity and Heidegger's philosophy of receptivity, or of “thrownness” (Geworfenheit), into a situation that finite human beings can never hope to master. Although it recognizes that this work provides an important contribution to our understanding of the Davos debate and to twentieth‐century European thought, this review essay subjects Gordon's manner of interpreting the distinction between Cassirer and Heidegger to critical scrutiny. Its purpose is to examine the possibility that important aspects of the debate, which do not conform to the grid imposed by Gordon's interpretation, might have been set aside in the context of his analysis.
Facial Contact Dermatitis and the Irritant Potential of Mobile Phone Screens
Authors: Valdivieso Rommel , Heras‐Mendaza Felipe , Conde‐Salazar Luis
Published: October 2012

Abstract:  A teenager with atopic dermatitis presented with a 12‐month history of recurrent, pruritic, round and polygonal patches on her face. Patch tests using the European standard series (including nickel, chromium, and cobalt chloride), a plastic and glue series of allergens, polyester components, and personal and environmental products in contact with the patient were conducted. For the patient and 3 of 14 healthy volunteers, positive reactions were observed to the patient’s mobile phone touchscreen (TS), an extract solution from the TS, and a non‐TS phone of another brand. Accordingly, the patient’s dermatitis disappeared when contact with mobile phone screens was avoided.
Dangerous and Thunderclap Headaches
Authors: Purdy R. Allan , Ward Thomas N.
Published: October 2012

The International Classification of Headache Disorders‐II considers dangerous and thunderclap headaches as secondary headaches – in other words due to an underlying cause. Many, but not all of the underlying etiologies, are vascular disorders, and many are potentially life threatening. An especially comprehensive clinical approach is necessary when seeing patients with these potential disorders.
Preventive Treatment of Migraine
Authors: Shapiro Robert E.
Published: October 2012

Migraine is a prevalent and disabling episodic brain state with protean symptoms dominated by headache. When migraine attacks are frequent or severe over a sustained period, use of daily preventive medications are indicated to significantly reduce disability and improve quality of life. Recently issued evidence‐based guidelines outline an array of pharmaceutical and complementary treatment choices with data establishing them as effective or probably effective for prevention of episodic or menstrually associated migraine. OnabotulinutoxinA is the only Food and Drug Administration‐approved medication for the prevention of chronic migraine.
Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy in lamotrigine randomized‐controlled trials
Authors: Tomson Torbjörn , Hirsch Lawrence J. , Friedman Daniel , Bester Nicolette , Hammer Anne , Irizarry Michael , Ishihara Lianna , Krishen Alok , Spaulding Theodore , Wamil Art , Leadbetter Robert
Published: October 2012

Purpose:  Nonrandomized studies of the relationship of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) with sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) may be susceptible to confounding by tonic–clonic seizure frequency, polypharmacy, and other potential risk factors for SUDEP. We evaluated the risk of SUDEP with lamotrigine (LTG) compared to active comparators and placebo in randomized controlled clinical trials conducted by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) between 1984 and 2009.

Methods:  Among 7,774 subjects in 42 randomized clinical trials, there were 39 all‐cause deaths. Ten deaths occurred >2 weeks after discontinuation of study medication and were excluded. Narrative summaries of deaths were independently reviewed by three clinical experts (TT, LH, DF), who were blinded to randomized treatment arm. The risk of definite or probable SUDEP was compared between treatment arms for each trial type (placebo‐controlled, active‐comparator, crossover), using exact statistical methods.

Key Findings:  Of 29 on‐treatment deaths, eight were definite/probable SUDEP, four were possible SUDEP, and 17 were non‐SUDEP. The overall, unadjusted rate of definite/probable SUDEP for LTG was 2.2 events per 1,000‐patient years (95% confidence interval [95% CI] 0.70–5.4). The odds ratios (OR) for on‐treatment, definite/probable SUDEP in LTG arms relative to comparator arms, adjusted for length of exposure and trial, were the following: placebo‐controlled, OR 0.22 (95% CI 0.00–3.14; p = 0.26); active‐comparator, OR 2.18 (95% CI 0.17–117; p = 0.89); and placebo‐controlled cross‐over, OR 1.08 (95% CI 0.00–42.2; p = 1.0).

Significance:  There was no statistically significant difference in rate of SUDEP between LTG and comparator groups. However, the CIs were wide and a clinically important effect cannot be excluded.
Invisibility and Ownership of Language: Problems of Representation in Russian Language Textbooks
Authors: AZIMOVA NIGORA , JOHNSTON BILL
Published: October 2012

Using the 2 theoretical lenses of representation (Barthes, 1977) and ownership of language (Higgins, 2003), this article offers a critical analysis of representations of Russian speakers in 9 widely used Russian language textbooks aimed at university‐level learners. Particular attention is paid to representations of Russian speakers other than white Orthodox Christian ethnic Russians. Findings indicate that there are virtually no representations of such “other” speakers in the materials under investigation. This absence is framed as an erasure (hooks, 1992), a violent removal that significantly misrepresents the actual diversity of speakers of Russian and restricts putative ownership of the Russian language. The authors argue that not only is this inaccurate portrayal pedagogically problematic; it is also politically so, as it coincides with a rising tide of ethnic Russian nationalism in the Russian Federation. The article ends with a call for more accurate portrayals of the actual diversity of users of Russian.
Leader, Follower, or Spectator? The Role of President Obama in the Arab Spring Uprisings
Authors: Morey Daniel S. , Thyne Clayton L. , Hayden Sarah L. , Senters Michael B.
Published: October 2012

Objective

President Obama has faced a plethora of challenges both at home and abroad during his first term. While some challenges were inherited, the Arab Spring uprisings provided a new opportunity for him to strengthen America's role as a global leader. Much debate has raged over the way in which Obama dealt with the uprisings. Supporters view Obama's foreign policy as a selling point as he moves toward the 2012 elections, while opponents have condemned him as a follower “leading from behind.” Absent in this debate is an objective attempt to both articulate Obama's foreign policy agenda in both a historical and cross‐national context, and an effort to analyze Obama's reaction to the Arab Spring uprisings vis‐a‐vis other state leaders. This article attempts to rectify these problems to better understand whether Obama was a leader or a follower during the Arab Spring.

Methods

We begin with a thorough discussion of Obama's foreign policy approach and then present empirical analysis of original data of all state signals during the Arab Spring uprisings.

Results

Though we find some evidence pointing toward leadership, the bulk of our evidence indicates that Obama was largely either an active spectator or a follower during the uprisings.

Conclusion

We conclude that, at best, Obama showed weak evidence of leadership during the Arab Spring uprisings.