bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Clostridium sordellii as a Cause of Constrictive Pericarditis with Pyopericardium and Tamponade
Authors: Chaudhry Rama , Verma Nishant , Bahadur Tej , Chaudhary Parul , Sharma Pallavi , Sharma Nidhi
Published: August 2011

Systemic infections caused by
Clostridium sordellii
are rare. They are usually reported in cases of skin and soft tissue infections and sometimes in cases of toxic shock syndrome involving exotoxins. We report here the first case of
Clostridium sordellii
infection associated with acute constrictive pericarditis and with pyopericardium and tamponade.
Cervicovaginal Self-Sampling Is a Reliable Method for Determination of Prevalence of Human Papillomavirus Genotypes in Women Aged 20 to 30 Years
Authors: Deleré Yvonne , Schuster Melanie , Vartazarowa Elena , Hänsel Thomas , Hagemann Ingke , Borchardt Simone , Perlitz Heike , Schneider Achim , Reiter Sabine , Kaufmann Andreas M.
Published: August 2011

Self-sampling by cervicovaginal lavage could be an attractive method to detect high-risk human papillomavirus (hr-HPV) infections to identify women with a risk of cervical precancer. The objective of our study was to use self-sampling for the first time in a cross-sectional approach to determine HPV prevalence and genotype distribution. We evaluated participants' acceptance and laboratory results from self-obtained samples versus endocervical brush samples obtained by gynecologists. To determine the sensitivity of both sampling methods in presumed high- and low-prevalence settings, two groups of women 20 to 30 years of age with (
n
= 55) and without (
n
= 101) a recent suspicious cytological smear were compared. Overall, 76% (95% confidence interval [95% CI], 65 to 88) of women with and 40% (95% CI, 30 to 49) of women without a recent suspicious cytological smear tested HPV positive. The prevalences of high-risk HPV strains were 71% (95% CI, 59 to 83) and 32% (95% CI, 22 to 41), respectively, for these two groups. The agreement for hr-HPV between the two sampling methods for women with and without suspicious cytology was 84% (κ = 0.65; 95% CI, 0.44 to 0.86) and 91% (κ = 0.78; 95% CI, 0.64 to 0.92), respectively. Participants rated the user-friendliness of the self-sampling method on a visual analog scale from 0 (easy) to 100 (difficult) with a median of 12. In conclusion, self-sampling by cervicovaginal lavage is a reliable method to determine hr-HPV prevalence and is well accepted by young adult females.
Virus Progeny of Murine Cytomegalovirus Bacterial Artificial Chromosome pSM3fr Show Reduced Growth in Salivary Glands due to a Fixed Mutation of MCK-2
Authors: Jordan Stefan , Krause Johannes , Prager Adrian , Mitrovic Maja , Jonjic Stipan , Koszinowski Ulrich H. , Adler Barbara
Published: August 2011

Murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV) Smith strain has been cloned as a bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) named pSM3fr and used for analysis of virus gene functions
in vitro
and
in vivo
. When sequencing the complete BAC genome, we identified a frameshift mutation within the open reading frame (ORF) encoding MCMV chemokine homologue MCK-2. This mutation would result in a truncated MCK-2 protein. When mice were infected with pSM3fr-derived virus, we observed reduced virus production in salivary glands, which could be reverted by repair of the frameshift mutation. When looking for the source of the mutation, we consistently found that virus stocks of cell culture-passaged MCMV Smith strain are mixtures of viruses with or without the MCK-2 mutation. We conclude that the MCK-2 mutation in the pSM3fr BAC is the result of clonal selection during the BAC cloning procedure.
A natural abundance solid-state 25Mg NMR study of layered magnesium phosphates
Authors: Zhu Jianfeng , Huang Yining
Published: August 2011

Natural abundance 25Mg solid-state magic-angle spinning and static NMR spectra of several representative layered magnesium phosphates were acquired at 21.1 and 9.4 T by using quadrupolar echo and double-frequency sweep quadrupolar Carr–Purcell–Meiboom–Gill pulse sequences. The spectra were dominated by the second-order quadrupolar interaction. The electric field gradient tensor parameters were extracted from the spectra via spectral simulations. These parameters, such as the quadrupolar coupling constant (CQ), appear to be sensitive to some parameters describing the distortion of the MgO6 octahedron in the layer. The empirical relationships between CQ and several structural parameters were established and used to obtain partial information on the Mg environment in a layered material (MgHPO4·1.2H2O) with unknown structure. Theoretical calculations suggest that the CQ values of the Mg sites are affected not only by the oxygen atoms in the first coordination sphere, but also by the spatial arrangements of the atoms in the second and third coordination spheres and beyond.
A multinuclear solid-state magnetic resonance and GIPAW DFT study of anhydrous calcium chloride and its hydrates
Authors: Widdifield Cory M. , Bryce David L.
Published: August 2011

The group 2 metal halides and corresponding metal halide hydrates serve as useful model systems for understanding the relationship between the electric field gradient (EFG) and chemical shift (CS) tensors at the halogen nuclei and the local molecular and electronic structure. Here, we present a 35/37Cl and 43Ca solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (SSNMR) study of CaCl2. The 35Cl nuclear quadrupole coupling constant, 8.82(8) MHz, and the isotropic chlorine CS, 105(8) ppm (with respect to dilute NaCl(aq)), are different from the values reported previously for this compound, as well as those reported for CaCl2·2H2O. Chlorine-35 SSNMR spectra are also presented for CaCl2·6H2O, and when taken in concert, the SSNMR observations for CaCl2, CaCl2·2H2O, and CaCl2·6H2O clearly demonstrate the sensitivity of the chlorine EFG and CS tensors to the local symmetry and to changes in the hydration state. For example, the value of δiso decreases with increasing hydration. Gauge-including projector-augmented wave (GIPAW) density functional theory (DFT) calculations are used to substantiate the experimental SSNMR findings, to rule out the presence of other hydrates in our samples, to refine the hydrogen positions in CaCl2·2H2O, and to explore the isostructural relationship between CaCl2 and CaBr2. Finally, the 43Ca CS tensor span is measured to be 31(5) ppm for anhydrous CaCl2, which represents only the fifth CS tensor span measurement for calcium.
Multinuclear solid-state NMR of square-planar platinum complexes — Cisplatin and related systems
Authors: Lucier Bryan E.G. , Reidel Alex R. , Schurko Robert W.
Published: August 2011

Multinuclear solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (SSNMR) experiments have been performed on cisplatin and four related square-planar compounds. The wideband uniform rate smooth truncation – Carr–Purcell–Meiboom–Gill (WURST–CPMG) pulse sequence was utilized in NMR experiments to acquire 195Pt, 14N, and 35Cl ultra-wideline NMR spectra of high quality. Standard Hahn-echo and magic-angle spinning 195Pt NMR experiments are also performed to refine extracted chemical shielding (CS) tensor parameters. Platinum magnetic shielding (MS) tensor orientations are calculated using both plane-wave density functional theory (DFT) and standard DFT methods. The tensor orientations are shown to be highly constrained by molecular symmetry elements, but also influenced to some degree by intermolecular interactions. 14N WURST–CPMG experiments were performed on three compounds and electric field gradient (EFG) parameters (the quadrupolar coupling constant, CQ, and the asymmetry parameter, ηQ) are reported. First principles calculations of the 14N EFG tensor parameters and orientations and affirm their dependence on the local hydrogen bonding environment. 35Cl WURST–CPMG experiments on cisplatin and transplatin are reported, using two different static magnetic fields to extract EFG and CS tensor parameters, and 35Cl EFG tensor magnitudes and orientations are predicted using first principles calculations. Transverse (T2) relaxation data for all nuclei are used to investigate heteronuclear dipolar relaxation mechanisms, as well as the nature of the local hydrogen bonding environments.
Endoscopic Management of an Internal Laryngopyocele Presenting with Acute Airway Obstruction
Authors: Andreou Zenon , Randhawa Premjit S. , O'Flynn Paul , Vaz Francis M.
Published: August 2011

Statement of Problem. Laryngocele is a rare laryngeal disease, where there is an abnormal dilatation of the saccule of the laryngeal ventricle. It can either be internal or external, and a laryngopyocele is a rare complication of this anomaly. Internal laryngopyoceles can prove difficult to manage, as they often present with airway compromise.Method of Study. Case Report.Results. We present a case of a laryngopyocele that was successfully managed with suspension laryngoscopy and endoscopic marsupialisation and resection. To our knowledge, this is the first such case described in the literature.Conclusions. Surgical drainage of a laryngopyocele via the external approach is well documented in the literature. We feel that endoscopic resection of laryngopyoceles in an emergency situation is a viable alternative and also prevents the associated surgical morbidity.
A Theoretical Note on the Relationship between Documented and Undocumented Migration
Authors: Schaeffer Peter V. , Kahsai Mulugeta S.
Published: August 2011

Undocumented migration is a (inferior) substitute to documented migration. Hence, policies affecting documented migration also affect undocumented migration. This paper explores this relationship from a theoretical perspective. The implications of this exploration are that lax enforcement of visa rules and national borders, combined with a very long waiting line (small annual quotas) for immigrant visas, can make illegal immigration a preferred option over legal immigration or, more generally, that for policy purposes all types of migrations should be regarded as interdependent. Therefore, policies aimed solely at, say, undocumented immigration will generally be less effective than an integrated policy approach.
Regulation of Aquaporins and Sodium Transporter Proteins in the Solitary Kidney in Response to Partial Ureteral Obstruction in Neonatal Rats
Authors: Topcu Sukru Oguzkan , Nørregaard Rikke , Pedersen Michael , Wang Guixian , Jørgensen Troels Munch , Frøkiær Jørgen
Published: August 2011

Unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) impairs function of the obstructed kidney, and the contralateral nonobstructed kidney compensates depending on the degree and duration of UUO. This study aimed to determine the hemodynamic and molecular changes in the solitary kidney in response to partial ureteral obstruction (PUO) where any compensation from the contralateral kidney was eliminated so that all observed changes in the kidney tissue occurred in the kidney with PUO. Newborn rats were subjected to unilateral left nephrectomy (UNX) within the first 48 h of life and a subset of UNX rats was subjected to severe PUO of the right kidney at day 14. Renal blood flow and whole kidney volume were measured with MRI at week 10. The renal protein abundance of aquaporin 1 (AQP1), AQP2 and AQP3 as well as Na,K-ATPase, NaPi-2 (type 2 sodium-phosphate cotransporter) and NHE3 (type 3 sodium-proton exchanger) were examined by immunoblotting and immunocytochemistry. At 10 weeks of age, the protein abundance of AQP2, AQP3, Na,K-ATPase, NaPi-2 and NHE3 were increased in response to PUO. In contrast, AQP1 expression was markedly decreased compared to sham-operated rats. These findings were confirmed by immunohistochemistry. GFR, urine osmolality and urine sodium excretion were reduced and kidney weight increased in response to PUO. In conclusion, the present study demonstrated major changes in the protein abundance of renal AQP1, AQP2 and AQP3 and sodium transporters in the solitary PUO kidney. These changes were paralleled by decreased urinary sodium excretion and a significant reduction in urinary osmolality from the obstructed kidney, suggesting a functional association between the molecular changes and the ability of the obstructed kidney to handle sodium and water in this solitary kidney model.
The Scientific Status of Childhood Dissociative Identity Disorder: A Review of Published Research
Authors: Boysen Guy A.
Published: August 2011

Background: Dissociative identity disorder (DID) remains a controversial diagnosis due to conflicting views on its etiology. Some attribute DID to childhood trauma and others attribute it to iatrogenesis. The purpose of this article is to review the published cases of childhood DID in order to evaluate its scientific status, and to answer research questions related to the etiological models. Methods: I searched MEDLINE and PsycINFO records for studies published since 1980 on DID/multiple personality disorder in children. For each study I coded information regarding the origin of samples and diagnostic methods. Results: The review produced a total of 255 cases of childhood DID reported as individual case studies (44) or aggregated into empirical studies (211). Nearly all cases (93%) emerged from samples of children in treatment, and multiple personalities was the presenting problem in 23% of the case studies. Four US research groups accounted for 65% of all 255 cases. Diagnostic methods typically included clinical evaluation based on Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder criteria, but hypnosis, structured interviews, and multiple raters were rarely used in diagnoses. Conclusion: Despite continuing research on the related concepts of trauma and dissociation, childhood DID itself appears to be an extremely rare phenomenon that few researchers have studied in depth. Nearly all of the research that does exist on childhood DID is from the 1980s and 1990s and does not resolve the ongoing controversies surrounding the disorder.
Multi-Parametric Magnetic Resonance Imaging to Rule-In and Rule-Out Clinically Important Prostate Cancer in Men at Risk: A Cohort Study
Authors: Rouse Paul , Shaw Greg , Ahmed Hashim U. , Freeman Alex , Allen Clare , Emberton Mark
Published: August 2011

Objectives: Overdiagnosis is arguably the greatest challenge in the management of men with prostate cancer. Multi-parametric (mp)-MRI prior to prostate biopsy may have a role in ruling-in and ruling-out clinically significant disease. Patients and Methods: 114 consecutive men at risk of prostate cancer with previous biopsy underwent mp-MRI prior to transrectal ultrasound (TRUS)-guided biopsies. Standard systematic biopsies were carried out with targeting to suspicious areas. Results: 59.6% had cancer detected by TRUS-guided biopsy. Mean age was 63.6 years (SD 9.0). If men had not been biopsied because of a negative mp-MRI, 21% (24/114) with no cancer and 5% (6/114) with clinically insignificant cancer could have avoided a biopsy. However, 4% (4/114) would have been advised to defer a biopsy that demonstrated the presence of clinically significant cancer. Conclusion: mp-MRI may have a role in ruling-in and ruling-out clinically significant prostate cancer in men at risk prior to biopsy.
The Effect of NG-Nitro-L-Arginine Methyl Ester, a Nitric Oxide Synthase Inhibitor, on Respiratory Mechanics in Rats
Authors: Rubini Alessandro
Published: August 2011

Background: Data describing the inhibitory effects of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) on respiratory mechanics are conflicting, and no data are available concerning possible effects on the viscoelasticity of the respiratory system, on the inspiratory work of breathing (WOB) or on respiratory system hysteresis. Objectives: The aim of this study was to measure the effects of NOS inhibition by NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) on respiratory mechanics in normal anesthetized rats. Methods: Using the end-inflation occlusion method, it was possible to quantify the ohmic and viscoelastic airway resistance and elastance of the respiratory system. Ohmic resistance is the normalized-to-flow pressure dissipation due to viscous forces opposing the airflow in the airways, as predicted by the Poiseuille law. Viscoelastic resistance is the normalized-to-flow pressure dissipation due to the resistance of respiratory system tissue to deformation during inflation, which is recovered after the arrest of the inspiratory flow (stress relaxation). The inspiratory WOB, its elastic and resistive components, and hysteresis were also calculated. Results:L-NAME induced an increment in the ohmic airway resistance and in the resistive ohmic inspiratory WOB. The viscoelastic resistance due to stress relaxation and the elastic properties of the respiratory system were not modified, and no effect was detected on the related components of the inspiratory WOB and on hysteresis. Conclusions: NO acts in normal rats to reduce the ohmic component of airway resistance, decreasing the ohmic inspiratory WOB. The elastic and viscoelastic components are unaltered. Hysteresis is also unaltered, suggesting that NO has negligible effects on alveolar surfactant activity.
Accelerated Coronary Atherosclerosis Revealed by Arrhythmogenic Coronary Spasm
Authors: Sibellas Franck , Girerd Nicolas , Bejan-Angoulvant Theodora , Rioufol Gilles , Finet Gérard , Chevalier Philippe
Published: August 2011

Coronary artery spasm is sometimes associated with life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias. Based on intravascular ultrasound findings, it appears that coronary artery spasm promotes negative arterial remodeling, suggesting that patients with coronary artery spasm might be at higher risk of accelerated coronary atherosclerosis. We report the cases of 3 patients with ventricular arrhythmia secondary to coronary artery spasm complicated by accelerated coronary atherosclerosis. Consequently, coronary disease progression should be considered in the case of angina pectoris recurrence in patients with coronary artery spasm, especially in those with coronary artery spasm complicated by ventricular arrhythmia.
Decision-Making in Frontotemporal Dementia: Clinical, Theoretical and Legal Implications
Authors: Manes Facundo , Torralva Teresa , Ibáñez Agustín , Roca María , Bekinschtein Tristán , Gleichgerrcht Ezequiel
Published: August 2011

Background: The behavioral variant of frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) is characterized by progressive changes in personality and social interaction, loss of empathy, disinhibition and impulsivity, most of which generally precede the onset of cognitive deficits. In this study, we investigated decision-making cognition in a group of patients with an early bvFTD diagnosis whose standard neuropsychological performance was within normal range for all variables. Methods: The Iowa Gambling Task was administered to this group of early bvFTD patients, to a group of early bvFTD patients who had shown impaired performance on the classical neuropsychological battery and to healthy controls. Results: Decision-making was impaired in both bvFTD patient groups, whether they had shown impaired or normal performance in the classical neuropsychological evaluation. Conclusions: Patients with early bvFTD may perform normally on standard cognitive tests, and yet develop severe deficits in judgment and decision-making. In many current legal systems, early bvFTD patients showing preserved cognitive functioning who commit unlawful acts run the risk of not being able to plead insane or not guilty on the grounds of diminished responsibility beyond reasonable doubt. This represents a unique legal and ethical dilemma. Our findings have important implications for medicolegal decisions relating to capacity and culpability, and regarding the philosophical concept of ‘free will’.
White Matter Protection with Insulin-Like Growth Factor 1 and Hypothermia Is Not Additive after Severe Reversible Cerebral Ischemia in Term Fetal Sheep
Authors: George S. , Bennet L. , Weaver-Mikaere L. , Fraser M. , Bouwmans J. , Mathai S. , Skinner S.J.M. , Gunn A.J.
Published: August 2011

Moderate cerebral hypothermia significantly improves survival without disability from perinatal hypoxia-ischemia. However, protection is partial. Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) plays a key role in oligodendrocyte survival and myelination. The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that the combination of IGF-1 plus hypothermia could reduce postischemic white matter damage compared with hypothermia alone. Unanesthetized near-term fetal sheep received 30 min of cerebral ischemia, followed by either an infusion of 3 µg of IGF-1 intracerebroventricularly from 4.5 to 5.5 h plus cooling from 5.5 to 72 h (IGF-1 + hypothermia; n = 8), vehicle infusion plus cooling from 5.5 to 72 h (vehicle + hypothermia; n = 12), sham cooling plus sham infusion (ischemia control; n = 12) or sham ischemia (n = 5). The fetal extradural temperature was reduced from 39.4 ± 0.1°C to between 30 and 33°C. White matter was assessed after 5 days. Ischemia was associated with severe loss of CNPase-positive oligodendrocytes in white matter compared with sham ischemia (380 ± 138 vs. 1,180 ± 152 cells/field; mean ± SD; p < 0.001). Delayed hypothermia reduced cell loss (847 ± 297 cells/field, p < 0.01, vs. ischemia control), but there was no significant difference between vehicle + hypothermia and IGF-1 + hypothermia (1,015 ± 211 cells/field; NS). Ischemia was associated with increased caspase 3 expression in white matter (216 ± 41 vs. 19 ± 18 cells/field; p < 0.001). Hypothermia reduced numbers of activated caspase 3-positive cells (116 ± 81 cells/field; p < 0.05), with no significant difference between vehicle + hypothermia and IGF-1 + hypothermia (91 ± 27 cells/field; NS). In conclusion, delayed cotreatment with IGF-1 plus hypothermia after ischemia was associated with an improvement in white matter damage similar to that achieved by hypothermia alone.
Sunitinib for Asian Patients with Advanced Renal Cell Carcinoma: A Comparable Efficacy with Different Toxicity Profiles
Authors: Kim Hyo Song , Hong Min Hee , Kim Kiyeol , Shin Sang-Joon , Ahn Joong-Bae , Jeung Hei Chul , Chung Hyun Cheol , Koh Youngil , Lee Se-Hoon , Bang Yung-Jue , Rha Sun Young
Published: August 2011

Objective: We aimed to describe the efficacy and safety of sunitinib in unselected Korean advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC) patients. Patients and Methods: From November 2005 to August 2008, 132 histologically confirmed advanced RCC patients (100 in the global expanded access program) were enrolled. Response and toxicity were assessed regularly according to the protocol. Results: Within this population, 82.6% had clear cell RCC, and 28.8% were treatment naïve. Patients received a median of 5 cycles of sunitinib (range 1–30), and the mean relative dose intensity was 82.0 ± 14.20 (SD). The progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival rates were 8.2 and 23.1 months, respectively. For the 130 evaluable patients, the objective response rate was 34.1% (n = 45); 44.7% (n = 59) exhibited stable disease. Reasons for discontinuation were disease progression (75.0%) and toxicity (7.6%). The most frequent adverse events were thrombocytopenia (75.0%), neutropenia (70.5%), and anemia (69.7%). Low body surface area (OR = 4.2, 95% CI 1.2–13.8, p = 0.02) and previously treated status (OR = 3.1, 95% CI 1.3–7.4, p = 0.01) were highly predictive of grade 3–4 toxicities. Based on these findings, a nomogram predicting the probability of 12-month PFS was constructed, giving a concordance index of 0.675. Conclusions: Despite the different toxicity profiles, maintaining adequate dose modifications and a careful follow-up enables comparable treatment outcomes for unselected Korean advanced RCC patients.
Translational Success Stories: Angiotensin Receptor 1 Antagonists in Heart Failure
Authors: Dell'Italia Louis J.
Published: August 2011

The title of the proposed series of reviews is Translational Success Stories. The definition of “translation” according to Webster is, “an act, process, or instance of translating as a rendering of one language into another.” In the context of this inaugural review, it is the translation of Tigerstedt's and Bergman's

1

discovery in 1898 of the vasoconstrictive effects of an extract of rabbit kidney to the treatment of heart failure. As recounted by Marks and Maxwell,

2

their discovery was heavily influenced by the original experiments of the French physiologist Brown-Séquard, who was the author of the doctrine that “many organs dispense substances into the blood which are not ordinary waste products, but have specific functions.” They were also influenced by Bright's

3

original observation that linked kidney disease with hypertension with the observation that patients dying with contracted kidneys often exhibited a hard, full pulse and cardiac hypertrophy. However, from Tigerstedt's initial discovery, there was a long and arduous transformation of ideas and paradigms that eventually translated to clinical applications. Although the role of the renin-angiotensin system in the pathophysiology of hypertension and heart failure was suspected through the years, beneficial effects from its blockade were not realized until the early 1970s. Thus, this story starts with a short historical perspective that provides the reader some insight and appreciation into the long delay in translation.
Prediction of In-Cloud Icing Conditions at Ground Level Using the WRF Model
Authors: Kringlebotn Nygaard Bjørn Egil , Kristjánsson Jón Egill , Makkonen Lasse
Published: August 2011

In-cloud icing on aircraft and ground structures can be observed every winter in many countries. In extreme cases ice can cause accidents and damage to infrastructure such as power transmission lines, telecommunication towers, wind turbines, ski lifts, and so on. This study investigates the potential for predicting episodes of in-cloud icing at ground level using a state-of-the-art numerical weather prediction model. The Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model is applied, with attention paid to the model’s skill to explicitly predict the amount of supercooled cloud liquid water content (SLWC) at the ground level at different horizontal resolutions and with different cloud microphysics schemes. The paper also discusses how well the median volume droplet diameter (MVD) can be diagnosed from the model output. A unique dataset of direct measurements of SLWC and MVD at ground level on a hilltop in northern Finland is used for validation. A mean absolute error of predicted SLWC as low as 0.08 g m−3 is obtained when the highest model resolution is applied (grid spacing equal to 0.333 km), together with the Thompson microphysics scheme. The quality of the SLWC predictions decreases dramatically with decreasing model resolution, and a systematic difference in predictive skill is found between the cloud microphysics schemes applied. A comparison between measured and predicted MVD shows that when prescribing the droplet concentration equal to 250 cm−3 the model predicts MVDs ranging from 12 to 20 μm, which corresponds well to the measured range. However, the variation from case to case is not captured by the current cloud microphysics schemes.
Trust, choice and power in mental health care: Experiences of patients with psychosis
Authors: Laugharne Richard , Priebe Stefan , McCabe Rose , Garland Natasha , Clifford Damian
Published: August 2011

Background:

Trust, choice and power are critical issues in clinical practice, public policies and a post-modern understanding of mental health care. We aimed to investigate the experiences and attitudes of patients with psychosis in relation to trust, choice and power.

Method:

We conducted 20 in-depth interviews with patients with psychotic disorders in care of NHS services. The interviews were subjected to thematic analysis.

Discussion:

Patients discussed aspects of their care in terms of dimensions that enhance or undermine trust, choice and power. Two interpretive themes emerged from this data. First, patients perceive the need for a shifting balance of power, according to the severity of their illness and their own experience of care, but feel that threats of coercion and neglect disable them. Second, they appreciate the expertise of clinicians, but particularly value ‘the personal touch’ that goes beyond this expertise, including personal disclosure about their own lives, common acts of kindness and conversation outside clinical matters. Patients view trust as a two-way process with responsibility shared between patient and clinician.

Conclusions:

The active involvement of patients with psychosis in their individual care may be strengthened, particularly when they are not acutely ill and have more experience of their illness. While patients value expertise and respect in interactions with clinicians, they also appreciate a ‘personal touch’, which may go beyond current notions of professionalism.
The Subjective Architects
Authors: Pybus Jennifer
Published: August 2011

The rapid rise of the tween, an influential market-constructed demographic of youth between the ages of 8 and 13, raises several questions. How and why did the tween emerge? How do we account for this downward trend in marketing and the corporate targeting of younger and younger children? And most importantly, for the purposes of my argument, what role has immaterial labor played in demarcating this new category of youth? Initially, Hardt and Negri theorized the shift of production outside the factory walls; this diffused, expanded and intensified production now accounts for new modes of sociality and hence modalities of subjectivization required for capital’s reproduction. As such, the concept of immaterial labor, beginning with Maurizio Lazzarato and extended by Hardt and Negri, is paramount for accounting for new subjective formations such as the tween. This paper illustrates the intensification of immaterial labor by examining how the tween has already “learned to immaterial labor 2.0”. By so doing, it examines the synergy that flows out of the ease in which this demographic moves between the virtual and the material and the marketing practices used to engage and capitalize on their mediated cultural practices.
State Effects and the Emergence and Success of Female Gubernatorial Candidates
Authors: Windett Jason Harold
Published: August 2011

This article examines the role of society and culture in shaping the opportunity structure and ambition formation of female gubernatorial candidates in all 50 states over a 40-year period. Using a new data set consisting of every woman who entered a gubernatorial primary from 1978 to 2008, the author analyzes how cultural factors and historical legacies—including the percentage of women in the workforce, higher education, and statewide elective offices—influence the opportunity structure and ambition formation of female candidates. The author argues that the female sociopolitical subculture within individual states heavily influences whether or not female candidates will enter and win their respective primaries and general elections. Rather than assuming that individual characteristics are the primary determinants of ambition formation, this research implies that it is necessary to analyze the political behavior within cultural contexts.
Analysis of the melon (Cucumis melo) small RNAome by high-throughput pyrosequencing
Authors: Gonzalez-Ibeas Daniel , Blanca José , Donaire Livia , Saladié Montserrat , Mascarell-Creus Albert , Cano-Delgado Ana , Garcia-Mas Jordi , Llave Cesar , Aranda Miguel A
Published: August 2011

Background

Melon (Cucumis melo L.) is a commercially important fruit crop that is cultivated worldwide. The melon research community has recently benefited from the determination of a complete draft genome sequence and the development of associated genomic tools, which have allowed us to focus on small RNAs (sRNAs). These are short, non-coding RNAs 21-24 nucleotides in length with diverse physiological roles. In plants, they regulate gene expression and heterochromatin assembly, and control protection against virus infection. Much remains to be learned about the role of sRNAs in melon.

Results

We constructed 10 sRNA libraries from two stages of developing ovaries, fruits and photosynthetic cotyledons infected with viruses, and carried out high-throughput pyrosequencing. We catalogued and analysed the melon sRNAs, resulting in the identification of 26 known miRNA families (many conserved with other species), the prediction of 84 melon-specific miRNA candidates, the identification of trans- acting siRNAs, and the identification of chloroplast, mitochondrion and transposon-derived sRNAs. In silico analysis revealed more than 400 potential targets for the conserved and novel miRNAs.

Conclusion

We have discovered and analysed a large number of conserved and melon-specific sRNAs, including miRNAs and their potential target genes. This provides insight into the composition and function of the melon small RNAome, and paves the way towards an understanding of sRNA-mediated processes that regulate melon fruit development and melon-virus interactions.
Lamivudine plus adefovir is a good option for chronic hepatitis B patients with viral relapse after cessation of lamivudine treatment
Authors: Wang Zhao , Wu Xiao-Ling , Zeng Wei-Zheng , Xu Hui , Zhang Yong , Qin Jian-Ping , Jiang Ming-De
Published: August 2011

Aim

Currently, there is no consensus on the retreatment recommendation of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients with viral rebound after cessation of treatment. In the search of reasonable treatment, we compared the efficacy and safety of adefovir (ADV) plus lamivudine (LAM) and LAM alone for the retreatment of patients with viral relapse but without genotypic resistance after cessation of LAM.

Methods

This is a prospective controlled study, and a total of 53 hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-positive patients with viral rebound but without resistance were received either LAM plus ADV or LAM alone treatment.

Results

After 1-year treatment, more patients who received LAM plus ADV than those who received LAM alone had ALT normalization (84% versus 53.6%, P = 0.018) or HBV DNA levels below 1000 copies/mL (80% versus 42.9%, P < 0.006). Seven patients receiving LAM plus ADV had HBeAg seroconversion, as compared with 0 in patients receiving ALM alone (28% versus 0%, P = 0.003). During 1-year retreatment, five patients receiving LAM alone had virological breakthrough and all of them had LAM resistance strains (rtM204V/I), while no LAM- or ADV- associated resistance strains were detected in patients receiving LAM plus ADV. All patients receiving LAM plus ADV were well tolerated, and no serious side effects were noted.

Conclusions

Patients treated with LAM plus ADV exhibited significantly greater virological, biochemical and serological responses compared with LAM alone. These data suggested that combination of LAM plus ADV would be a good option for the retreatment of CHB patients with viral relapse after cessation of LAM.
Recursively Self-Conjugate Partitions
Authors: Keith William J.
Published: August 2011

A class of partitions that exhibit substantial symmetry, called recursively self-conjugate partitions, are defined and analyzed. They are found to have connections to non-squashing partitions and other combinatorial objects.
Analogs of the Stern Sequence
Authors: Chan Song Heng
Published: August 2011

We present two infinite families of sequences that are analogous to the Stern sequence. Sequences in the first family enumerate the set of positive rational numbers, while sequences in the second family enumerate the set of positive rational numbers with either an even numerator or an even denominator.
Abstractions and idealisations: The construction of modern linguistics
Authors: Stokhof Martin , van Lambalgen Michiel
Published: August 2011

The paper addresses the way in which modern linguistics, – in particular, but not exclusively, the generative tradition –, has constructed its core concepts. It argues that a particular form of construction, reminiscent of, but crucially different from, abstraction, which is dubbed ‘idealisation’, plays a central role here. The resemblances and differences between abstractions and idealisations are investigated, and consequences of the reliance on idealisations are reviewed.
Relaxation of SiGe Films for the Fabrication of Strained Si Devices
Authors: Maa J.S. , Tweet D. J. , Lee J.J. , Hsu S.T. , Fujii K. , Naka T. , Ueda T. , Baba T. , Awaya N. , Sakiyama K.
Published: August 2011

For the fabrication of bulk strained Si devices, a thin Si layer is deposited on a virtual substrate consisting of a several μm thick compositionally graded SiGe layer. A simpler approach utilizing H or He implantation to enhance relaxation of a thin SiGe film was recently reported. In this current work, hydrogen implantation is used to enhance the SiGe relaxation; and, relaxation beyond the previous reported limit is demonstrated. Experiments are performed on CVD deposited SiGe films with Ge fractions ranging from 20% to 40 % and thickness in the range of 100nm to about 500nm. After annealing at 800°C, relaxation of more than 80% is achieved. PMOS and NMOS devices are successfully fabricated and much enhanced hole and electron mobilities are demonstrated.
Wafer Fusion ofGaSb to GaAs
Authors: Wang C.A. , Liau Z.L. , Shiau D.A. , Nitishin P.M.
Published: August 2011

Atomic wafer fusion of GaSb to GaAs, and the transfer of epitaxial GaSb/GaInAsSb/GaSb heterostructures to GaAs by fusion and substrate removal are demonstrated for the first time. Wafers and epilayers were fused with or without application of mechanical pressure at temperatures as low as 350 °C. A periodic pattern of grooves etched into the GaAs wafer and an overpressure of As and Sb vapor were used to improve covalent bonding. Varying degrees of mass transport and covalent bond formation between wafers were observed in cleaved crosssections under high-resolution scanning electron microscopy. Epilayers fused without pressure application exhibited significantly better structural and optical properties compared to those fused with pressure.
Transmissão da tuberculose na tríplice fronteira entre Brasil, Paraguai e Argentina
Authors: Braga José Ueleres , Herrero Maria Belén , Cuellar Célia Martinez de
Published: August 2011

A tuberculose é um problema de saúde pública na América do Sul e muitas estratégias de controle têm se mostrado ineficazes em cenários com intensa transmissão. O objetivo é determinar se a região da tríplice fronteira entre Brasil/Paraguai/Argentina constitui uma área de elevada transmissão da tuberculose. Um estudo ecológico foi conduzido com dados de incidência e as estimativas populacionais dos três países. Taxas médias de incidência foram calculadas para 2001 a 2007. Técnicas de análise espacial identificaram áreas de maior incidência na região por meio de mapas com suavizações bayesianas das taxas e médias espaciais. Nesse período, Foz do Iguaçu teve as mais elevadas incidências, seguido por Ciudad del Este no Paraguai e Puerto Iguazú na Argentina. Detectou-se cluster espacial de municípios com alto risco de ocorrência de tuberculose na região da tríplice fronteira. A tuberculose nessa área tem taxas de notificação ascendentes ou estáveis, municípios com incidência acima da média estadual e esta é uma região de elevada incidência e, portanto, de alta transmissão.
Prediction of the vertical permeability of needle-punched nonwoven geotextiles by fractal geometry theory
Authors: Liu L. , Ji L. , Guo F. , Yu J.
Published: August 2011

ABSTRACT: Fractal geometry theory has proved to be a powerful tool for the analysis of porous media with complicated microstructures. With the assumption that needle-punched nonwoven geotextile has the same porosity and pore size distribution in two and three dimensions, a fractal model was used to analyse the vertical permeability of needle-punched nonwoven geotextiles. The pore tortuosity fractal dimension, area fractal dimension and characteristic parameters of nonwoven geotextiles, such as mass per unit area, thickness, pore size, fibre diameter and density, were all represented in the model. The pore tortuosity fractal dimension and area dimension were determined by the box-counting and Sierpinski-type gasket methods, respectively. Four geotextile samples were selected to verify the validity of the fractal model used in present study and the good agreement between the theoretical and experimental results suggests that the fractal model was highly accurate.
GCL hydration under simulated daily thermal cycles
Authors: Kerry Rowe R. , Rayhani M.T. , Take W.A. , Siemens G. , Brachman R.W.I.
Published: August 2011

ABSTRACT: The hydration of three different geosynthetic clay liners (GCLs) subjected to daily thermal cycles was examined for a range of subsoil conditions. It was shown that daily thermal cycles can significantly decrease the equilibrium gravimetric moisture content of the GCL to as low as 15% of that under isothermal conditions in the worst case. For silty sand (SM) foundation soil with an initial gravimetric moisture content of 16%, the type of GCL had a significant effect on the daily variation in moisture content which ranged between 13% for one type of GCL and only 2% for another. The effect of these daily variations in moisture content on susceptibility to shrinkage is discussed. The initial moisture content and associated matric suction of the foundation soil was shown to have the dominant effect on GCL hydration. For GCLs over silty sand with initial moisture contents, wfdn, of 5, 10 and 16% and initial suction levels greater than their air entry value, the daily thermal cycles controlled GCL hydration at the end of the thermal cycle to moisture contents of between 14 and 30% and the GCL equilibrium moisture content was relatively insensitive to the initial foundation moisture content over this range. However when the foundation moisture content increased to wfdn = 21% (just below field capacity and the saturated moisture content) the GCL moisture contents increased to 113 to 127% (depending on GCL). Results are also reported for a GCL on poorly graded sand (SP) at 10% initial moisture content and the effect of the grading curve (and the related water retention curve) is discussed. The results of this study highlight the potential complexity of interpreting shrinkage of GCLs at the same site let alone at different sites.
Three years of operation of the urine diversion system at GTZ headquarters in Germany: user opinions and maintenance challenges
Authors: Blume S. , Winker M.
Published: August 2011

In the main office building of GTZ in Eschborn, Germany a resource-oriented sanitation system containing urine diversion (UD) toilets and waterless urinals has been in operation since 2006. After 2.5 years of operating the system, a first overall evaluation of the system in terms of its acceptance amongst the users and the cleaning staff was conducted by carrying out two surveys and many interviews. The overall result is that most of the users appreciate the sanitation concept in theory but have problems with the technical design of the particular type of UD flush toilets installed here. The survey results also gave some directions towards which hygiene devices the users would appreciate in order to overcome their reluctance to sit down on the toilet seat in public buildings (the sitting being necessary for correct operation of the urine valve to separate urine from flush water). Also, it is difficult to convince the cleaning and facility maintenance staff of the necessity of special cleaning and preventative maintenance routines. Hence, before such systems can be widely used, clear cleaning routines and maintenance instruction are required as well as certain technical modifications of this type of UD flush toilets to optimise the urine/water separation and the flushing properties of the toilet.
Autogenerative high pressure digestion: anaerobic digestion and biogas upgrading in a single step reactor system
Authors: Lindeboom R. E. F. , Fermoso F. G. , Weijma J. , Zagt K. , van Lier J. B.
Published: August 2011

Conventional anaerobic digestion is a widely applied technology to produce biogas from organic wastes and residues. The biogas calorific value depends on the CH4 content which generally ranges between 55 and 65%. Biogas upgrading to so-called ‘green gas’, with natural gas quality, generally proceeds with add-on technologies, applicable only for biogas flows >100 m3/h. In the concept of autogenerative high pressure digestion (AHPD), methanogenic biomass builds up pressure inside the reactor. Since CO2 has a higher solubility than CH4, it will proportion more to the liquid phase at higher pressures. Therefore, AHPD biogas is characterised by a high CH4 content, reaching equilibrium values between 90 and 95% at a pressure of 3–90 bar. In addition, also H2S and NH3 are theoretically more soluble in the bulk liquid than CO2. Moreover, the water content of the already compressed biogas is calculated to have a dew point <−10 °C. Ideally, high-quality biogas can be directly used for electricity and heat generation, or injected in a local natural gas distribution net. In the present study, using sodium acetate as substrate and anaerobic granular sludge as inoculum, batch-fed reactors showed a pressure increase up to 90 bars, the maximum allowable value for our used reactors. However, the specific methanogenic activity (SMA) of the sludge decreased on average by 30% compared to digestion at ambient pressure (1 bar). Other results show no effect of pressure exposure on the SMA assessed under atmospheric conditions. These first results show that the proposed AHPD process is a highly promising technology for anaerobic digestion and biogas upgrading in a single step reactor system.
Registration of R05‐1415 and R05‐1772 High‐Protein Soybean Germplasm Lines
Authors: Chen P. , Ishibashi T. , Dombek D. G. , Rupe J. C.
Published: August 2011

R05‐1415 (Reg. No. GP‐377, PI 659697) and R05‐1772 (Reg. No. GP‐378, PI 659698) soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] lines were developed by the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, Fayetteville, AR and were released as high‐protein lines with a moderately high yield potential. R05‐1415 is an F3 plant selection from the cross between ‘MFS‐591’ and V96‐4486, whereas R05‐1772 is an F4 plant selection from the cross between R95‐1705 and V96‐4181. Both R05‐1415 and R05‐1772 are mid‐maturity‐group‐V lines. The yield potential of R05‐1415 and R05‐1772 was 94 and 91% that of the check ‘5002T’ across multiple environments. The average protein content of R05‐1415 and R05‐1772 was 469 and 461 g kg−1, which was 17 and 15% greater than that of 5002T, respectively.
Registration of ‘Ho 00‐961’ Sugarcane
Authors: White William H. , Tew Thomas L. , Cobill Robert M. , Burner David M. , Grisham Michael P. , Dufrene Edwis O. , Pan Yong-Bao , Richard Edward P. , Legendre Benjamin L.
Published: August 2011

‘Ho 00‐961’ (Reg. No. CV‐146, PI 659769) sugarcane (a complex hybrid of Saccharum officinarum L., S. spontaneum L., S. barberi Jeswiet, and S. sinense Roxb. amend. Jeswiet) was selected by the USDA‐ARS Sugarcane Research Unit and evaluated cooperatively with the Louisiana State University Agricultural Center and the American Sugar Cane League, Inc. Ho 00‐961 is a progeny of the cross US 94‐1 × ‘HoCP 91‐552’ made in 1995 and selected in the first‐ratoon seedling crop in 1997. Ho 00‐961 is being released as a cultivar with moderately high fiber content, moderately high sugar content, and high total cane yield—important traits for sugarcane to be grown as a biofuel feedstock. In 12 harvested evaluations, Ho 00‐961 had an overall mean Brix value of 141 g kg−1 versus 146 g kg−1 for the cultivar standard ‘LCP 85‐384’. The mean fiber content (stalks processed with tops and leaves) for Ho 00‐961 was 186 g kg−1, compared with a fiber content of 164 g kg−1 for the cultivar LCP 85‐384. Finally, Ho 00‐961 had a total cane yield 14% greater than that of LCP 85‐834. Ho 00‐961 appears resistant to mosaic (caused by Sugarcane mosaic virus and Sorghum mosaic virus), brown rust (caused by Puccinia melanocephala H. and P. Sydow), and leaf scald [caused by Xanthomonas albilineans (Ashby) Dowson]. Although natural infection of smut (caused by Ustilago scitaminea H. and P. Sydow) was not observed in yield evaluations, Ho 00‐961 was susceptible under artificial inoculation. Ho 00‐961 is also resistant to the sugarcane borer (Diatraea saccharalis F.).