bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Local control rate and prognosis after sequential chemoradiation for small cell carcinoma of the bladder
Authors: Meijer Richard P , Meinhardt Wim , van der Poel Henk G , van Rhijn Bas W , Kerst J Martijn , Pos Floris J , Horenblas Simon , Bex Axel
Published: December 2012

Objectives

To assess the long‐term outcome and the risk for local recurrence of patients with small cell carcinoma of the bladder (SCCB) treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by external beam radiotherapy (sequential chemoradiation).

Methods

All consecutive patients with primary small cell carcinoma of the bladder (n = 66), treated in our institution between 1993 and 2011 were retrospectively evaluated from an institutional database. Only patients with limited disease (Tx‐4N0‐1M0) small cell carcinoma of the bladder treated with sequential chemoradiation (n = 27) were included in this study. Recurrence rates, overall survival and cancer‐specific survival were analyzed using the Kaplan–Meier method.

Results

Median time to recurrence was 20 months, median overall survival 26 months, 5‐year overall survival 22.2%, median cancer‐specific survival 47 months and 5‐year cancer‐specific survival 39.6%. For complete responders after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (n = 19), median cancer‐specific survival was 52 months with a 5‐year cancer‐specific survival 45.9% versus a median cancer‐specific survival of 22 months and 5‐year cancer‐specific survival 0.0% for incomplete responders (n = 8; P = 0.034). Eight patients (29.6%) underwent transurethral resections (TUR‐BT) for local recurrences in the bladder. At the end of follow up, four patients had undergone cystectomy for recurrence of disease resulting in a bladder‐preservation rate of 85.2%. Median time to local recurrence was 29 months and median time to distant recurrence was 10 months.

Conclusions

Sequential chemoradiation for limited disease small cell carcinoma of the bladder results in a reasonable outcome with a high bladder preservation rate. Response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy represents a significant prognostic factor in this patient population.
Diet and trophic niche of Antarctic silverfish Pleuragramma antarcticum in the Ross Sea, Antarctica
Authors: Pinkerton M. H. , Forman J. , Bury S. J. , Brown J. , Horn P. , O'Driscoll R. L.
Published: December 2012

The diet of Antarctic silverfish Pleuragramma antarcticum was evaluated by examining stomach contents of specimens collected in the Ross Sea (71°–77° S; 165°–180° E) in January to March 2008. Pleuragramma antarcticum (50–236 mm standard length, LS) and prey items were analysed for stable‐isotopic composition of carbon and nitrogen. According to index of relative importance (IRI), which incorporates frequency of occurrence, mass and number of prey items, the most important prey items were copepods (81%IRI over all specimens), predominantly Metridia gerlachei and Paraeuchaeta sp., with krill and fishes having low IRI (2·2 and 5·6%IRI overall). According to mass of prey (M) in stomachs, however, fishes (P. antarcticum and myctophids) and krill dominated overall diet (48 and 22%M, respectively), with copepods being a relatively minor constituent of overall diet by mass (9·9%M). Piscivory by P. antarcticum occurred mainly in the extreme south‐west of the region and near the continental slope. Krill identified to species level in P. antarcticum stomachs were predominantly Euphausia superba (14·1%M) with some Euphausia crystallophorias (4·8%M). Both DistLM modelling (PRIMER‐permanova+) on stomach contents (by IRI) and stepwise generalized linear modelling on stable isotopes showed that LS and location were significant predictors of P. antarcticum diet. Postlarval P. antarcticum (50–89 mm LS) consumed exclusively copepods. Juvenile P. antarcticum (90–151 mm LS) consumed predominantly krill and copepods by mass (46 and 30%M, respectively). Small adult P. antarcticum (152–178 mm LS) consumed krill, fishes and copepods (37, 36 and 15%M, respectively). Large adult P. antarcticum (179–236 mm LS) consumed predominantly fishes and krill (55 and 17%M, respectively), especially in the north (near the Ross Sea slope) and in the SW Ross Sea. Amphipods were occasionally important prey items for P. antarcticum (western Ross Sea, 39%M). General concordance between stomach contents and trophic level of P. antarcticum and prey based on δ15N was demonstrated. Pleuragramma antarcticum trophic level was estimated as 3·7 (postlarval fish) and 4·1 (fish aged 3+ years).
Replacement of administration sets (including transducers) for peripheral arterial catheters: a systematic review
Authors: Daud Azlina , Rickard Claire , Cooke Marie , Reynolds Heather
Published: December 2012

Aims and objectives

This article presents a systematic review of the evidence for the optimal interval for replacement of administration sets for peripheral arterial catheters.

Background

Peripheral arterial catheters are attached to administration sets, including transducers, which are changed routinely in some hospitals on the understanding that prolonged duration of administration sets use may cause a higher incidence of infection.

Design

Systematic review.

Methods

Medline, CINAHL, Scopus and the Cochrane Library were searched to access relevant studies published between 1966 and 2011. Inclusion criteria were quantitative studies of critically ill patients with peripheral arterial catheters that required administration sets for intra‐arterial pressure monitoring and had a focus on administration sets duration of use. Studies were assessed for quality using either methodological quality assessments from Cochrane guidelines for systematic reviews for randomised controlled trials or with the Newcastle‐Ottawa quality assessment scale for cohort studies.

Results

Six studies were selected for review. These included three randomised controlled trials (226 patients) and three cohort studies (219 patients). Cohort studies reported 1–4% catheter‐related bloodstream infection and 0–8% infusate‐related bloodstream infection when administration sets were changed every 48 hours. Two randomised controlled trials found no difference in infusate‐related bloodstream infection (two days: 0%; four to eight days: 1·7%) and found no cases of catheter‐related bloodstream infection in any group when administration sets were replaced every 24 or 48 hours.

Conclusion

There is limited evidence on the optimum duration of administration sets used for peripheral arterial catheters. Large randomised trials of high quality are needed.

Relevance to clinical practice

This review provides clinicians with comprehensive information about the state of the evidence in relation to the duration of administration sets for peripheral arterial catheters to inform decision‐making and further research.
The integration of print and digital content for providing learners with constructive feedback using smartphones
Authors: Chen Nian‐Shing , Wei Chun‐Wang , Huang Yen‐Chieh , Kinshuk
Published: December 2012

Timely feedback is considered essential for supporting professional growth and personal development. However, it is difficult to employ such feedback in traditional learning environments. Recently, smartphones are considered as educational tools for supporting instructional activities. Therefore, this study attempts to leverage the advantages of physical textbooks and mobile devices. A pedagogical strategy called constructive feedback was proposed to provide learners with real‐time and personalized suggestions according to the results of electronic assessment. Two types of connectivity techniques, namely QR Codes and hyperlinking, were applied for integrating printed materials and digital content. An experiment was conducted in a university course entitled Computer Networks, and a total of 80 students were recruited to participate in this experiment. The findings revealed that the strategy of constructive feedback had a significant influence on learning performance. However, no significant differences on learning performance were found between using QR Codes and using hyperlinking. Finally, implications of the findings were discussed for further research directions and practical applications.
Do different perceptual task sets modulate electrophysiological correlates of masked visuomotor priming? Attention to shape and color put to the test
Authors: Zovko Monika , Kiefer Markus
Published: December 2012

According to classical theories, automatic processes operate independently of attention. Recent evidence, however, shows that masked visuomotor priming, an example of an automatic process, depends on attention to visual form versus semantics. In a continuation of this approach, we probed feature‐specific attention within the perceptual domain and tested in two event‐related potential (ERP) studies whether masked visuomotor priming in a shape decision task specifically depends on attentional sensitization of visual pathways for shape in contrast to color. Prior to the masked priming procedure, a shape or a color decision task served to induce corresponding task sets. ERP analyses revealed visuomotor priming effects over the occipitoparietal scalp only after the shape, but not after the color induction task. Thus, top‐down control coordinates automatic processing streams in congruency with higher‐level goals even at a fine‐grained level.
Dynamic Conservation of Forest Genetic Resources in 33 European Countries
Authors: LEFÈVRE FRANÇOIS , KOSKELA JARKKO , HUBERT JASON , KRAIGHER HOJKA , LONGAUER ROMAN , OLRIK DITTE C. , SCHÜLER SILVIO , BOZZANO MICHELE , ALIZOTI PARASKEVI , BAKYS REMIGIJUS , BALDWIN CATHLEEN , BALLIAN DALIBOR , BLACK‐SAMUELSSON SANNA , BEDNAROVA DAGMAR , BORDÁCS SÁNDOR , COLLIN ERIC , DE CUYPER BART , DE VRIES SVEN M. G. , EYSTEINSSON THRÖSTUR , FRÝDL JOSEF , HAVERKAMP MICHAELA , IVANKOVIC MLADEN , KONRAD HEINO , KOZIOL CZESŁAW , MAATEN TIIT , NOTIVOL PAINO EDUARDO , ÖZTÜRK HIKMET , PANDEVA IVANOVA DENITSA , PARNUTA GHEORGHE , PILIPOVIČ ANDREJ , POSTOLACHE DRAGOS , RYAN CATHAL , STEFFENREM ARNE , VARELA MARIA CAROLINA , VESSELLA FEDERICO , VOLOSYANCHUK ROMAN T. , WESTERGREN MARJANA , WOLTER FRANK , YRJÄNÄ LEENA , ZARIŊA INGA
Published: December 2012

Dynamic conservation of forest genetic resources (FGR) means maintaining the genetic diversity of trees within an evolutionary process and allowing generation turnover in the forest. We assessed the network of forests areas managed for the dynamic conservation of FGR (conservation units) across Europe (33 countries). On the basis of information available in the European Information System on FGR (EUFGIS Portal), species distribution maps, and environmental stratification of the continent, we developed ecogeographic indicators, a marginality index, and demographic indicators to assess and monitor forest conservation efforts. The pan‐European network has 1967 conservation units, 2737 populations of target trees, and 86 species of target trees. We detected a poor coincidence between FGR conservation and other biodiversity conservation objectives within this network. We identified 2 complementary strategies: a species‐oriented strategy in which national conservation networks are specifically designed for key target species and a site‐oriented strategy in which multiple‐target units include so‐called secondary species conserved within a few sites. The network is highly unbalanced in terms of species representation, and 7 key target species are conserved in 60% of the conservation units. We performed specific gap analyses for 11 tree species, including assessment of ecogeographic, demographic, and genetic criteria. For each species, we identified gaps, particularly in the marginal parts of their distribution range, and found multiple redundant conservation units in other areas. The Mediterranean forests and to a lesser extent the boreal forests are underrepresented. Monitoring the conservation efficiency of each unit remains challenging; however, <2% of the conserved populations seem to be at risk of extinction. On the basis of our results, we recommend combining species‐oriented and site‐oriented strategies.

Conservación Dinámica de Recursos Genéticos Forestales en 33 Países Europeos
Decision Making in Child Protective Services: A Risky Business?
Authors: Camasso Michael J. , Jagannathan Radha
Published: December 2012

Child Protective Services (CPS) in the United States has received a torrent of criticism from politicians, the media, child advocate groups, and the general public for a perceived propensity to make decisions that are detrimental to children and families. This perception has resulted in numerous lawsuits and court takeovers of CPS in 35 states, and calls for profound restructuring in other states. A widely prescribed remedy for decision errors and faulty judgments is an improvement of risk assessment strategies that enhance hazard evaluation through an improved understanding of threat potentials and exposure likelihoods. We examine the reliability and validity problems that continue to plague current CPS risk assessment and discuss actions that can be taken in the field, including the use of receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve technology to improve the predictive validity of risk assessment strategies.
Using Probability Boxes to Model Elicited Information: A Case Study
Authors: Roelofs V. J. , Roelofs W.
Published: December 2012

Governments are responsible for making policy decisions, often in the face of severe uncertainty about the factors involved. Expert elicitation can be used to fill information gaps where data are not available, cannot be obtained, or where there is no time for a full‐scale study and analysis. Various features of distributions for variables may be elicited, for example, the mean, standard deviation, and quantiles, but uncertainty about these values is not always recorded. Distributional and dependence assumptions often have to be made in models and although these are sometimes elicited from experts, modelers may also make assumptions for mathematical convenience (e.g., assuming independence between variables). Probability boxes (p‐boxes) provide a flexible methodology to analyze elicited quantities without having to make assumptions about the distribution shape. If information about distribution shape(s) is available, p‐boxes can provide bounds around the results given these possible input distributions. P‐boxes can also be used to combine variables without making dependence assumptions. This article aims to illustrate how p‐boxes may help to improve the representation of uncertainty for analyses based on elicited information. We focus on modeling elicited quantiles with nonparametric p‐boxes, modeling elicited quantiles with parametric p‐boxes where the elicited quantiles do not match the elicited distribution shape, and modeling elicited interval information.
Sustainability in Combining Career and Care: Challenging Normative Beliefs about Parenting
Authors: van Engen Marloes L. , Vinkenburg Claartje J. , Dikkers Josje S. E.
Published: December 2012

In this introduction to the special issue on “Sustainability in Combining Career and Care,” we argue that demographic developments such as ageing populations demand attention to the long‐term consequences of using family friendly arrangements. In order to create and support sustainability in combining career and care, we address normative beliefs about parenting, behavior or “choices” in combining work and family, and outcomes for individual careers, couples, and children. We provide an integrative framework for combining career and care, thereby incorporating the individual, organizational, and societal level of the work–family interface. In this first paper, the eight empirical contributions to this special issue are introduced, the collective message being that normative beliefs about parenting need to be challenged in order to create change and promote sustainability for working parents.
Workload, Work‐to‐Family Conflict, and Health: Gender Differences and the Influence of Private Life Context
Authors: van Veldhoven Marc J. P. M , Beijer Susanne E.
Published: December 2012

Previous research on gender differences in work‐to‐family conflict, and the latter's linkages with workload and health, has largely ignored the influence of private life context. Here, it is hypothesized that gender differences vary across private life contexts. A multiple‐group analysis (SEM) is performed on a representative sample (N = 8,593) of the working population in Flanders (Belgium) to examine gender differences in six family configurations, based on having (or not) a partner (working or not), and having children. Women were found to report higher levels of work‐to‐family conflict than men, but this difference only holds when both partners are earning (with and without children), and in single‐income families with children. Gender differences in the strength of the relationships between conflict and both workload and health were found in the overall sample, but were only reflected in specific subgroups. Our results suggest that private life context should receive attention in future research and policymaking aimed at achieving sustainable careers and caring.
Entitled to a Sustainable Career? Motherhood in Science, Engineering, and Technology
Authors: Herman Clem , Lewis Suzan
Published: December 2012

Sustaining careers and motherhood are particularly challenging in highly masculinized science, engineering, and technology (SET) sectors. We explore this issue using a social comparison theory perspective, drawing on interviews with professional engineers and scientists from four companies, located in Italy, France, and the Netherlands. We examine how decisions to reduce working hours are influenced by perceived ideological, normative, and policy contexts. Despite contextual differences in opportunities and perceived entitlements and supports for family‐friendly working hours, we found that sense of entitlement to do so without forfeiting career progression is limited across all the contexts. This attests to the enduring power of gendered organizational assumptions about ideal SET careers. Nevertheless we present examples of three women who achieved senior roles despite working reduced hours and discuss combinations of conditions which may facilitate sustainable careers and caring roles.
The Unintended Consequences of Penal Reform: A Case Study of Penal Transportation in Eighteenth-Century London
Authors: Rubin Ashley T.
Published: December 2012

What were the consequences of penal transportation to the New World for eighteenth-century British criminal justice? Transportation has been described by scholars as either a replacement of the death penalty responsible for its decline, or a penal innovation responsible for punishing a multitude of people more severely than they would have been punished before. Using data from the Old Bailey Sessions Papers and the Parliamentary Papers, this study examines sentencing and execution trends in eighteenth-century London. It takes advantage of the natural experiment provided by the passage of the 1718 Transportation Act that made transportation available as a penal sentence, thus enabling one to assess the “effect” of transportation on penal trends. This study finds that the primary consequence of the adoption of transportation was to make the criminal justice net more dense by subjecting people to a more intense punishment. While it was also associated with a small decline in capital sentences for some types of offenders, the adoption of transportation was also associated with an increase in the rate at which condemned inmates were executed. The study closes with a discussion of the conditions that may lead to law's unintended consequences, including the mesh-thinning consequences observed here.
A Framework for Analyzing the Determinants of Obstetric Fistula Formation
Authors: Wall L. Lewis
Published: December 2012

Obstetric fistula, a devastating complication of prolonged obstructed labor, was once common in the Western world but now occurs almost exclusively in resource‐poor countries. Although much has been written about the surgical repair of obstetric fistulas, prevention of fistulas has garnered comparatively little attention. Because obstetric fistulas result from obstructed labor (one of the common causes of maternal death in impoverished countries), this study assesses the obstetric fistula problem using a framework originally developed to analyze the determinants of maternal mortality. The framework identifies and explicates three sets of determinants of obstetric fistulas: the general socioeconomic milieu in which such injuries occur (the status of women, their families, and their communities); intermediate factors (health, reproductive status, and use of health care resources); and the acute clinical factors that determine the ultimate outcome of any particular case of obstructed labor. Interventions most likely to work rapidly in fistula prevention are those that have a direct impact on acute clinical situations, but these interventions will only be effective when general socioeconomic and cultural conditions promote an enabling environment for health care delivery and use. Sustained efforts that impact all three levels of determining factors will be necessary to eradicate obstetric fistula.
What Works to Prevent Child Marriage: A Review of the Evidence
Authors: Lee‐Rife Susan , Malhotra Anju , Warner Ann , Glinski Allison McGonagle
Published: December 2012

This article reviews 23 child marriage prevention programs carried out in low‐income countries and employing a range of programmatic approaches and evaluation strategies. We document the types of child marriage programs that have been implemented, assess how they have been evaluated, describe the main limitations of these evaluations, summarize the evaluation results, and make recommendations to improve future prevention efforts. The evidence suggests that programs offering incentives and attempting to empower girls can be effective in preventing child marriage and can foster change relatively quickly. Methodological limitations of the reviewed studies, however, underscore that more needs to be learned about how the programs prevent child marriage and whether impact is sustained beyond program implementation.
Impact of a Provider Job Aid Intervention on Injectable Contraceptive Continuation in South Africa
Authors: Baumgartner Joy Noel , Morroni Chelsea , Mlobeli Regina Dlakulu , Otterness Conrad , Buga Geoffrey , Chen Mario
Published: December 2012

Arriving late for scheduled contraceptive reinjections is common in many countries and contributes to discontinuation when providers are unsure how to manage such clients. A clinic‐randomized cohort and cross‐sectional study with more than 5,000 clients using injectable contraceptives was conducted in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa to test the effectiveness of a provider job aid for managing late‐returning clients and promoting continued use of the method. A marginally significant difference in reinjection rates between intervention and control groups was found for those up to two weeks late, and reanalysis excluding one clinic that experienced stockout issues revealed a significant difference. The difference in reinjection rates for those 2–12 weeks late was also found to be significant. The one‐reinjection cycle continuation rate for the intervention group was higher than that for the control group, but the difference was not statistically significant. Appropriate management of late‐returning clients is critical, and this study illustrates that reinjection rates can be significantly increased with a low‐resource provider job aid.
La protección social laboral de los trabajadores del sector informal
Authors: Lund Francie
Published: December 2012

La mano de obra del sector informal crece en todos los países del mundo. Las transformaciones a escala mundial que han experimentado la estructura del empleo y los centros de trabajo se traducen en que, para muchos trabajadores empobrecidos el trabajo supone una fuente de riesgos y perjuicios para su salud. Sin embargo, los trabajadores del sector informal carecen de acceso a los mecanismos de protección social laboral. Afrontan riesgos elevados debido al trabajo que hacen, pero tienen pocas o ninguna vía de acceso a algún tipo de protección social digna ya sea de carácter formal o informal. Los programas de seguridad social centrados en los ciudadanos, tales como las transferencias de dinero en efectivo, no prestan suficiente atención a las necesidades de los adultos aptos para el trabajo. Además, la disciplina y la práctica del modelo tradicional de salud y seguridad en el trabajo (SST), que es un elemento necesario de la seguridad social laboral en general, no cubre los puestos de trabajo en el sector informal. En particular, los trabajadores informales más pobres no gozan de una buena posición para hacer uso de posibles intervenciones preventivas, ya que éstas les pueden acarrear una pérdida de ingresos a corto plazo. Una estrategia más integradora exigirá introducir cambios en los acuerdos institucionales por los que se rige laSST, y en su elaboración deberían participar especialmente las autoridades locales y las organizaciones de trabajadores informales que estén creando redes sectoriales con proyección internacional. A este respecto, se presentan ejemplos prometedores de reformas negociadas e integradoras en materia de políticas enSST. El mayor reto es crear unaSSTmás amplia en la que los trabajadores informales estén incluidos comotrabajadores, en vez de comociudadanos vulnerables, que reúnen los requisitos únicamente para programas de protección social de lucha contra la pobreza, y en la que se aborden explícitamente medidas preventivas.
Interrupted development of dentition in children receiving bone marrow transplantation for acute lymphocytic Leukemia: a case series
Authors: Rowland Chris , Kaste Sue , Owens Amber
Published: December 2012

This case series depicts dental anomalies that may develop in children who have undergone bone marrow transplantation (BMT) for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). The most common finding in these patients was root stunting; other abnormalities included microdontia, hypodontia, taurodontia, caries, enamel pearls, and pulpal calcification. Recognition of these adverse effects of BMT on odontogenesis, as demonstrated on panoramic radiograph images, will allow healthcare providers to explain to parents and patients the possible dental outcomes associated with BMT and to optimize their dental health regimen.
Measuring One Aspect of Teachers’ Affective States: Development of the Science Teachers’ Pedagogical Discontentment Scale
Authors: Southerland Sherry A. , Nadelson Louis , Sowell Scot , Saka Yavuz , Kahveci Murat , Granger Ellen M.
Published: December 2012

The aim of this research is to describe the development of the Science Teachers’ Pedagogical Discontentment Scale, an instrument that measures the discontentment that arises in teachers as they recognize a mismatch between their own pedagogical beliefs and goals and their actual classroom practices. From a conceptual change perspective, we explore the meaning of pedagogical discontentment and discuss its role in shaping teachers’ receptivity to messages of reform. We present an instrument that can be used to measure teachers’ pedagogical discontentment, an instrument that will allow science educators to better describe the affective states of teachers as they enter professional development experiences. The items for the initial instrument were derived from a series of interviews with practicing teachers; from these interviews, a group of 42 items were designed around a group of five subscales. The final instrument, revised after two rounds of field testing, includes 21 multiple‐choice items clustered around six subscales (subscales derived from interviews with science teachers). The processes used to develop the items and to refine instrument are discussed. Uses for this instrument to inform professional development experiences are explored as well as implications.
Parental anthropometrics, early growth and the risk of overweight in pre‐school children: the Generation R Study
Authors: Durmuş B. , Arends L. R. , Ay L. , Hokken‐Koelega A. C. , Raat H. , Hofman A. , Steegers E. A. P. , Jaddoe V. W. V.
Published: December 2012

What is already known about this subject

Parental obesity is a strong risk factor of childhood obesity.

High gestational weight gain is associated with childhood body mass index.

Previous studies reported inconsistent associations between parental and child anthropometrics.

What this study adds

Maternal anthropometrics have stronger effects on fetal anthropometrics than paternal anthropometrics.

Maternal body mass index has a stronger effect on longitudinally measured childhood body mass index than paternal body mass index.

The strongest effect of gestational weight gain on childhood body mass index was seen at the age of 4 years in mothers with normal body mass index.

Background

There are limited data regarding the associations of both maternal and paternal anthropometrics with longitudinally measured post‐natal growth measures in early childhood.

Objective

To assess the associations of maternal and paternal anthropometrics with growth characteristics and the risk of overweight in pre‐school children.

Study design

Population‐based prospective cohort study from early foetal life onwards in the Netherlands.

Methods

Maternal pre‐pregnancy anthropometrics and gestational weight gain, and paternal anthropometrics were related to foetal and post‐natal growth measures and the risk of overweight until the age of 4 years. Analyses were based on 5674 mothers, fathers and their children.

Results

Both pre‐pregnancy maternal and paternal height, weight and body mass index were associated with corresponding foetal and post‐natal anthropometric measures. Maternal body mass index had a significantly stronger effect on childhood body mass index than paternal body mass index. As compared to children from parents with normal body mass index, children from two obese parents had an increased risk of overweight at the age of 4 years (odds ratio 6.52 (95% confidence interval 3.44, 12.38). Maternal gestational weight gain was only among mothers with normal body mass index associated with body mass index and the risk of overweight in the children.

Conclusion

Maternal and paternal anthropometrics affect early growth in pre‐school children differently. Gestational weight gain in mothers without overweight and obesity is related to the risk of overweight in early childhood.
Associations of physical activity and sedentary time with weight and weight status among 10‐ to 12‐year‐old boys and girls in Europe: a cluster analysis within the ENERGY project
Authors: De Bourdeaudhuij I. , Verloigne M. , Maes L. , Van Lippevelde W. , Chinapaw M. J. M. , te Velde S. J. , Manios Y. , Androutsos O. , Kovacs E. , Dössegger A. , Brug J.
Published: December 2012

What is already known about this subject

Moderate‐to‐vigorous physical activity plays an important role in the prevention of childhood overweight and obesity.

Sedentary time has an impact on overweight and obesity in adults, independently from moderate‐to‐vigorous physical activity.

High levels of self‐reported sedentary time and moderate‐to‐vigorous physical activity can co‐exist in children.

What this study adds

Sedentary time and moderate‐to‐vigorous physical activity are both associated with overweight in 10‐ to 12‐year‐old girls.

For 10‐ to 12‐year‐old boys, it appears that merely moderate‐to‐vigorous physical activity is related to overweight, not sedentary time.

High levels of accelerometer‐derived sedentary time and moderate‐to‐vigorous physical activity can co‐exist in 10‐ to 12‐year‐old children.

Background

Moderate‐to‐vigorous physical activity (MVPA) plays an important role in childhood overweight prevention. Sedentary time appears to be independently associated with overweight, but most research has been done in adults.

Objective

The objective of this study were to identify subgroups of children based on their MVPA and sedentary time, and explore differences in body mass index (BMI), waist circumference and overweight prevalence between among these subgroups.

Methods

A sample of 766 10‐ to 12‐year‐old children (52.9% girls, 11.6 ± 0.8 years) were recruited from Hungary (n = 158), Belgium (n = 111), the Netherlands (n = 113), Greece (n = 169) and Switzerland (n = 215). Children wore an accelerometer to measure MVPA and sedentary time.

Results

Cluster analysis revealed four clusters in both gender groups showing an unhealthy pattern (low MVPA/high sedentary time), a healthy pattern (high MVPA/low sedentary time), a low mixed pattern (low MVPA/low sedentary time) and a moderate to high mixed pattern (moderate to high MVPA/moderate sedentary time). In girls, the high MVPA/low sedentary time cluster had a significantly lower BMI (P ≤ 0.05), a lower waist circumference (P ≤ 0.01) and the lowest percentage of overweight (P ≤ 0.10) compared with the other three clusters. In boys, both clusters with higher activity levels had a significantly lower BMI (P ≤ 0.001) and waist circumference (P ≤ 0.001) than the two low activity clusters, independent of sedentary time.

Conclusion

Engagement in more MVPA and less sedentary time is associated with a more favourable weight status among 10‐ to 12‐year‐old girls. Among boys, MVPA seems most important for weight status, while sedentary time appears to be less relevant.
Bi(Zn2/3Nb1/3)O3–(K0.5Na0.5)NbO3 High‐Temperature Lead‐FreeFerroelectric Ceramics with Low Capacitance Variation in a Broad Temperature Usage Range
Authors: Cheng Hualei , Du Hongliang , Zhou Wancheng , Zhu Dongmei , Luo Fa , Xu Boxi
Published: December 2012

The xBi(Zn2/3Nb1/3)O3–(1−x)(K0.5Na0.5)NbO3 (abbreviated as xBZN–(1−x)KNN) ceramics have been synthesized using the conventional solid‐state sintering method. The phase structure, dielectric properties and “relaxorlike” behavior of the ceramics were investigated. The 0.03BZN–0.97KNN ceramics show a broad and stable permittivity maximum near 2000 and lower dielectric loss (≤5%) at a broad temperature usage range (100°C–400°C) and the capacitance variation (ΔC/C150°C) is maintained smaller than ±15%. The 0.03BZN–0.97KNN ceramics only possess the diffuse phase transition and no frequency dispersion of dielectric permittivity, which indicates that 0.03BZN–0.97KNN ceramics is a high temperature “relaxorlike” ferroelectric ceramics. These results indicate that 0.03BZN–0.97KNN ceramics are excellent promising candidates for preparing high‐temperature multilayer ceramics capacitors.
Winter Hydrology and NO3− Concentrations in a Forested Watershed: A Detailed Field Study in the Adirondack Mountains of New York1
Authors: Kurian Lisa M. , Lautz Laura K. , Mitchell Myron J.
Published: December 2012

Abstract:  More than 85% of NO3− losses from watersheds in the northeastern United States are exported during winter months (October 1 to May 30). Interannual variability in NO3− loads to individual streams is closely related to interannual climatic variations, particularly during the winter. The objective of our study was to understand how climatic and hydrogeological factors influence NO3− dynamics in small watersheds during the winter. Physical parameters including snow depth, soil temperature, stream discharge, and water table elevation were monitored during the 2007‐2008 winter in two small catchments in the Adirondack Mountains, New York State. Snowpack persisted from mid‐December to mid‐April, insulating soils such that only two isolated instances of soil frost were observed during the study period. NO3− export during a mid‐winter rain‐on‐snowmelt event comprised between 8 and 16% of the total stream NO3− load for the four‐month winter study period. This can be compared with the NO3− exported during the final spring melt, which comprised between 38 and 45% of the total four‐month winter NO3− load. Our findings indicate that minor melt events were detectable with changes in soil temperature, streamflow, groundwater level, and snow depth. But, based on loading, these events were relatively minor contributors to winter NO3− loss. A warmer climate and fluctuating snowpack may result in more major mid‐winter melt events and greater NO3− export to surface waters.
Rapid and unpredictable changes of the G‐matrix in a natural bird population over 25 years
Authors: Björklund M. , Husby A. , Gustafsson L.
Published: December 2012

Knowledge of the genetic variances and covariances of traits (the G‐matrix) is fundamental for the understanding of evolutionary dynamics of populations. Despite its essential importance in evolutionary studies, empirical tests of the temporal stability of the G‐matrix in natural populations are few. We used a 25‐year‐long individual‐based field study on almost 7000 breeding attempts of the collared flycatcher (Ficedula albicollis) to estimate the stability of the G‐matrix over time. Using animal models to estimate G for several time periods, we show that the structure of the time‐specific G‐matrices changed significantly over time. The temporal changes in the G‐matrix were unpredictable, and the structure at one time period was not indicative of the structure at the next time period. Moreover, we show that the changes in the time‐specific G‐matrices were not related to changes in mean trait values or due to genetic drift. Selection, differences in acquisition/allocation patterns or environment‐dependent allelic effects are therefore likely explanations for the patterns observed, probably in combination. Our result cautions against assuming constancy of the G‐matrix and indicates that even short‐term evolutionary predictions in natural populations can be very challenging.
Pituitary adenylyl cyclase‐activating polypeptide receptor re‐sensitization induces plastic changes in the dopaminergic phenotype in the mature avian retina
Authors: Fleming Renata L. , Silveira Mariana S. , Santos Luís E. , Henze Isabela P. , Gardino Patrícia F. , de Mello Maria Christina F. , de Mello Fernando G.
Published: December 2012

Pituitary Adenylyl Cyclase‐Activating Polypeptide (PACAP) is a neuroactive peptide present in the avian retina where it activates adenylyl cyclase (AC) since early in development via PACAP receptors. The synthesis of cAMP in response to PACAP is observed since embryonic day 8/9 (E8/9). After E12, signaling via PACAP receptors desensitizes, reaching very low levels in the mature tissue. We show here that chronic administration of PACAP in vitro desensitizes PACAP‐induced cAMP accumulation, while the administration of the PACAP antagonist (PACAP 6‐38) re‐sensitizes PACAP receptor/cyclase system in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, a twofold increase in the number of tyrosine hydroxylase positive (TH+) cells is observed after in vivo injection of PACAP6‐38. NURR1, a transcription factor associated with the differentiation of dopaminergic cells in the CNS, is present in the chick retina in all developmental stages studied. The presence of NURR1 positive cells in the mature tissue far exceeds the number of TH+ cells, suggesting that these NURR1‐positive cells might have the potential to express the dopaminergic phenotype. Our data show that if PACAP signaling is increased in mature retinas, plastic changes in dopaminergic phenotype can be achieved.
Taste Detection and Recognition Thresholds of The Modified Monellin Sweetener: MNEI
Authors: Di Monaco R. , Miele N.A. , Picone D. , Masi P. , Cavella S.
Published: December 2012

This research focuses on the sensory characterization of modified monellin protein (MNEI), extracted from the plant Dioscoreophyllum cumminsii. The specific objective of this study was to determine the detection threshold (DT) and recognition threshold (RT) of MNEI in different conditions typical of beverage processing and beverage consumption. The following effects on DT and RT were evaluated: mineral content, serving temperature of the product, pH and thermal treatment.

A selected panel of 14 assessors evaluated the DT and RT of MNEI by using a modified version of difference from the reference method. Through the modified method, assessors were also asked to give qualitative information about the perceived taste.

MNEI DT and RT were effectively obtained though this modified method. This study confirms that MNEI is a natural high‐potency sweetener because the sweet taste RT is about 3,000 times lower than the sweet taste RT of the sucrose measured with the same assessors. Besides, both mineral content and serving temperature affected MNEI DT, whereas pH and thermal treatment did not affect the perceived sweetness. The modified version of difference from the reference method was useful for RT determination.

Practical Application

This study represents the first step of modified monellin protein (MNEI) sensory characterization. Because MNEI is a high‐potency sweetener, it could be used in the beverage industry, meeting consumer needs for low‐calorie content. Although sweeteners are not consumed at their threshold concentrations, the data in this article are an important scientific contribution to the knowledge of MNEI sensory performance.
Expression of melatonin receptor MT1 in cells of human invasive ductal breast carcinoma
Authors: Jablonska Karolina , Pula Bartosz , Zemla Agata , Owczarek Tomasz , Wojnar Andrzej , Rys Janusz , Ambicka Aleksandra , Podhorska‐Okolow Marzena , Ugorski Maciej , Dziegiel Piotr
Published: December 2012

In humans, two main types of membrane melatonin receptors have been identified, MT1 and MT2. Expression of MT1 in neoplastic cells seems to increase the efficacy of melatonin's oncostatic activity. The purpose of this study was to determine the distribution and the intensity of MT1 expression in breast cancer cells and to correlate it with clinicopathological factors. Immunohistochemical studies (IHC) were conducted on 190 cases of invasive ductal breast carcinomas (IDC) and molecular studies were performed on 29 cases of frozen tumor fragments and selected breast cancer cell lines. Most of the studied tumors manifested a membranous/cytoplasmic IHC expression of MT1. In IDC, the MT1 expression was higher than in fibrocystic breast disease. MT1 expression was higher in estrogen receptor positive (ER+) and HER2 positive (HER2+) tumors. Triple negative tumors (TN) manifested the lowest MT1 expression level. The lowest MT1 protein expression level was noted in the TN breast cancer cell line MDA‐MB‐231 compared with ER+ cell lines MCF‐7 and SK‐BR‐3. MT1 mRNA expression was negatively correlated with the malignancy grade of the studied IDC cases. Moreover, higher MT1 expression was associated with patients' longer overall survival (OS) in the group of ER+ breast cancers and treated with tamoxifen. Multivariate analysis indicated that MT1 was an independent prognostic factor in the ER+ tumors for OS and event‐free survival in the ER+ tumors. The results of this study may point to a potential prognostic and therapeutic significance of MT1 in IDC.
Severity of Virilization Is Associated with Cosmetic Appearance and Sexual Function in Women with Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: van der Zwan Yvonne G. , Janssen Eefje H.C.C. , Callens Nina , Wolffenbuttel Katja P. , Cohen-Kettenis Peggy T. , van den Berg Marjan , Drop Stenvert L.S. , Dessens Arianne B. , Beerendonk Catharina
Published: December 2012

Introduction

Women with the classical form of congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) are born with different degrees of virilization of the external genitalia. Feminizing surgery is often performed in childhood to change the appearance of the genitalia and to enable penile–vaginal intercourse later in life. There are suggestions that this affects sexual functioning.

Aims

The aim is to study the anatomical, surgical, cosmetic, and psychosexual outcomes in women with CAH.

Methods

Forty women with CAH, aged over 15 years, from two referral centers for management of Disorders of Sex Development in the Netherlands were included. Physical and functional status were assessed by a gynecological interview and examination. Sexual functioning was assessed with the Female Sexual Function Index and Female Sexual Distress Scale—Revised scales and compared with a reference group.

Mean Outcome Measures

Surgery performed, anatomy, cosmetic score, sexual function and distress.

Results

Thirty-six of the 40 women had undergone feminizing surgery; 25 women (69%) underwent more than one operation. Resurgery was performed in seven of the 13 (54%) women who had had a single-stage procedure. Anatomical assessment showed reasonable outcomes. Multiple linear regression showed that only level of confluence had a significant effect on cosmetic outcome, the impact depending on the number of surgeries performed. Cosmetic evaluations did not differ between the women and the gynecologists. Only 20 women had experience of intercourse. Eight women reported dyspareunia; seven women reported urinary incontinence. The women's perceived sexual functioning was less satisfactory than in the reference group, and they reported more sexual distress.

Conclusion

The level of confluence was the major determinant for cosmetic outcome; the impact depended on the number of surgeries performed. Fifty-four percent of the women required resurgery after a single-stage procedure in childhood. Anatomical assessment showed reasonable outcomes. The women evaluated their sexual functioning and functional outcome less favorable than the reference group, and they experienced less often sexual intercourse.
Past, Present, and Future of Digital Medievalism
Authors: Swain Larry
Published: December 2012

In this article, the author looks back at over 30 years of experience with “Digital Humanities” and argues that while our media for research, delivery, have changed, our methodologies have not. That fact poses a significant challenge for Digital Medievalists because the author believes and advocates for a significant change not just in our delivery systems, but that the digital tools we now have should be changing the way we think and do research, teach, and advertise Medieval Studies as a whole. At once a personal story of experience in the field and an analysis of current practices, this article critiques practices frequently touted as innovative and the wave of the future as nothing more than the same old packages using a new delivery system that may or may not be as effective as the previous delivery system. This critique in the author’s view applies to our teaching as well as to our research. Finally, the author offers some suggestions for both research and teaching that attempt to break out of the old molds and methods and use the digital tools we have in innovative ways that do change the way medievalists research and teach and take fuller advantage of what working digitally offers the field.
Anglo‐Saxon Studies and Digital Technologies: Past, Present, and Future
Authors: Lee Stuart D.
Published: December 2012

Old English and Anglo‐Saxon studies have consistently embraced the opportunities offered by IT and the new technologies. Taking a retrospective look to begin with this article will consider the range of applications, why this might have been so, and then look to present future directions. This will cover online learning (elearning), digitization, text analysis, social media and user‐generated content, finishing with a warning about the new skillset that scholars in the field will need to acquire.
Views, Comments and Statistics: Gauging and Engaging the Audience of Medievalist Blogging
Authors: Jarrett Jonathan
Published: December 2012

A blog without an audience is no more than a constrained word processor; the point of blogging is surely to find an audience. But how can we go about gauging the audience that is attracted? Can it be measured or assessed, can it be courted, can it be deterred? Is the audience a blogger gets the one they want? This article looks, through the lens of the author’s experience with an academic blog on medieval history, at these questions and concludes that although the largest portion of the audience remains invisible, unengaged and perhaps accidental, the members of the audience of a successful blog who do interact and respond are the real necessity for a fruitful collaborative space that benefits readers as well as authors.