bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
First Report of Colletotrichum acutatum sensu lato Causing Anthracnose on Gooseberry Fruits in the Czech Republic
Authors: Víchová J. , Jílková B. , Pokorný R.
Published: August 2013

Gooseberry (Ribes uva-crispa L.) is a commonly grown fruit tree or bush in the Czech Republic. Colletotrichum acutatum J. H. Simmonds is a polyphagous fungal plant pathogen. This pathogen has been reported causing anthracnose on strawberry in the Czech Republic (2), and recently it has become an important pathogen on the fruits of apple and tomato (4). In 2012, anthracnose symptoms were noticed on fruits of gooseberry (locality Pribyslavice, near Brno). The symptoms on fruit surfaces were round, brown, shriveled, sunken spots of 1.2 to 2.0 cm, with orange conidial masses on the spots. The pathogen was isolated from symptomatic fruits on PDA and cultured at 25 ± 2°C. The color of colonies varied with age from white to gray with occurrence of orange conidial masses. Conidia were colorless and fusiform, size 13 to 17 × 4 to 5 μm (n = 100). The morphological characteristics classified the pathogen as a Colletotrichum sp. To fulfill Koch's postulates, 25 disinfested healthy gooseberry fruits were pinpricked by sterile needle and 10 μl of spore suspension (1 × 105 conidia ml–1) was inoculated by pipetting into the wound. Control fruits were treated with sterile distilled water. The fruits were transferred to a growth cabinet and maintained at a temperature of 25 ± 2°C, relative humidity 70 ± 5%. Similar anthracnose symptoms were observed on all of gooseberry fruits a week after inoculation, whereas no symptoms appeared on control fruits. The pathogen was reisolated from infected fruits. Species determination of the isolates was confirmed by PCR. Specific primers designed in region ITS1, the 5.8S RNA gene, and region ITS2 of the pathogen DNA were selected. Specific primers CaInt2 and ITS4 were used to identify C. acutatum (3), and primers CgInt and ITS4 were used to determine C. gloeosporioides isolate CCM 177 (1), which was used as a control. Our isolates yielded PCR products (size 490 bp) only with primers designed for C. acutatum. The C. gloeosporioides isolate yielded PCR product (size 450 bp) only with CgInt and ITS4 primers. PCR products were sequenced and identified with the BLAST program. The sequence of the gooseberry fruit isolates (Accession No. JX843763 and JX843764) matched with 100% similarity to the C. acutatum sequences in GenBank. To our knowledge, this is the first report of C. acutatum sensu lato on gooseberry fruits in the Czech Republic. This pathogen can endanger the production of gooseberry fruits in this region.

References: (1) P. R. Mills et al. FEMS Microbiol. Lett., 98:137, 1992. (2) D. Novotný et al. Plant Dis. 91:1516, 2007. (3) S. Sreenivasaprasad et al. Plant Pathol. 45:650, 1996. (4) J. Víchová et al. Plant Dis. 96:769, 2012.
Induction of Antiviral Responses by Acibenzolar-S-Methyl Against Cucurbit chlorotic yellows virus in Melon
Authors: Takeshita Minoru , Okuda Mitsuru , Okuda Shiori , Hyodo Ayaka , Hamano Kaori , Furuya Naruto , Tsuchiya Kenichi
Published: August 2013

Cucurbit chlorotic yellows virus (CCYV) (family Closteroviridae, genus Crinivirus) is an emerging virus which causes severe diseases on melon (Cucumis melo) plants. CCYV-infected melon plants display yellowing, mottling, chlorosis, or chlorotic spots on leaves. To develop a new control strategy, the potential for 1,2,3-benzothiadiazole-7-thiocarboxylic acid-S-methyl-ester (ASM) to suppress CCYV infection was evaluated. ASM treatment on melon plants greatly increased the expression levels of pathogenesis-related 1a gene, a marker gene for systemic acquired resistance. ASM treatment on melon plants before inoculation of CCYV suppressed systemic symptoms and decreased CCYV accumulation. ASM treatment on melon even after inoculation of CCYV reduced disease severity and accumulation levels of CCYV. The results show the potential for ASM treatment on attenuation of the CCYV disease symptoms.
Melghirimyces
profundicolus sp. nov., isolated from a deep-sea sediment
Authors: Li Jie , Qin Sheng , You Zhi-Qing , Long Li-Juan , Tian Xin-Peng , Wang Fa-Zuo , Zhang Si
Published: August 2013

A novel filamentous bacterium, strain SCSIO 11153T, was isolated from a sediment sample collected from the Indian Ocean (80° 03.099′ E 01° 03.300′ N) at a depth of 4593 m. Good growth was observed at 50–55 °C and pH 7.0 with 3 % NaCl. It formed ivory–white colonies with radial wrinkles. Aerial mycelium was absent on the media tested. Phenotypic characteristics and 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis indicated that strain SCSIO 11153T belonged to the family

Thermoactinomycetaceae

. It exhibited 96.4 % and 96.2 % 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities to

Melghirimyces algeriensis

NariEXT and

Melghirimyces thermohalophilus

Nari11AT, respectively, while lower sequence similarity values (<95.4 %) were observed between strain SCSIO 11153T and other species of genera in the family

Thermoactinomycetaceae

. The menaquinone type was MK-7. Major cellular fatty acids were iso-C15 : 0, anteiso-C15 : 0 and iso-C17 : 0. The polar lipids were diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylmethylethanolamine, phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylglycerol. The DNA G+C content of strain SCSIO 11153T was 52.6 mol%. On the basis of the genotypic and phenotypic characteristics, it is proposed that strain SCSIO 11153T represents a novel species of the genus

Melghirimyces

with the name

Melghirimyces

profundicolus sp. nov. The type strain is SCSIO 11153T ( = DSM 45787T = CCTCC AA 2012007T = NBRC 109068T).
Characterization of novel ybjG and dacC variants in Escherichia coli
Authors: Wang Dongguo , Hu Enping , Chen Jiayu , Tao Xiulin , Gutierrez Katelyn , Qi Yongxiao
Published: August 2013

A total of 69 strains of Escherichia coli from patients in the Taizhou Municipal Hospital, China, were isolated, and 11 strains were identified that were resistant to bacitracin, chloramphenicol, tetracycline and erythromycin. These strains were PCR positive for at least two out of three genes, ybjG, dacC and mdfA, by gene mapping with conventional PCR detection. Conjugation experiments demonstrated that these genes existed in plasmids that conferred resistance. Novel ybjG and dacC variants were isolated from E. coli strains EC2163 and EC2347, which were obtained from the sputum of intensive care unit patients. Genetic mapping showed that the genes were located on 8200 kb plasmid regions flanked by EcoRI restriction sites. Three distinct genetic structures were identified among the 11 PCR-positive strains of E. coli, and two contained the novel ybjG and dacC variants. The putative amino acid differences in the ybjG and dacC gene variants were characterized. These results provide evidence for novel variants of ybjG and dacC, and suggest that multiple drug resistance in hospital strains of E. coli depends on the synergistic function of ybjG, dacC and mdfA within three distinct genetic structures in conjugative plasmids.
Investigating the role of pneumococcal neuraminidase A activity in isolates from pneumococcal haemolytic uraemic syndrome
Authors: Smith Andrew , Johnston Calum , Inverarity Donald , Slack Mary , K. Paterson Gavin , Diggle Mathew , Mitchell Timothy
Published: August 2013

Streptococcus pneumoniae diseases are a rare but increasingly recognized trigger of atypical haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS) in young children and associated with a higher mortality rate than diarrhoea-associated HUS. This study aimed to determine the importance of neuraminidase A (NanA) and genomic diversity in the pathogenesis of pneumococcal HUS (pHUS). We investigated the nanA gene sequence, gene expression, neuraminidase activity and comparative genomic hybridization of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) isolates from patients with pHUS and control strains matched by serotype and sequence type (ST), isolated from patients with IPD but not pHUS. The nanA sequence of 33 isolates was determined and mutations at 142 aa positions were identified. High levels of diversity were observed within the NanA protein, with mosaic blocks, insertions and repeat regions present. When comparing nanA allelic diversity with ST and disease profile in the isolates tested, nanA alleles clustered mostly by ST. No particular nanA allele was associated with pHUS. There was no significant difference in overall neuraminidase activity between pHUS isolates and controls when induced/uninduced with N-acetylneuraminic acid. Comparative genomic hybridization showed little difference in genetic content between the pHUS isolates and the controls. Results of gene expression studies identified 12 genes differentially regulated in all pHUS isolates compared with the control. Although neuraminidase enzyme activity may be important in pHUS progression and contribute to pathogenesis, the lack of a distinction between pHUS isolates and controls suggests that host factors, such as acquired abnormalities of the alternative complement cascade in young children, may play a more significant role in the outcome of pHUS.
A model for measuring the performance of the meat supply chain
Authors: Fattahi Faranak , Nookabadi Ali S. , Kadivar Mahdi
Published: August 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the characteristics and performance of the meat supply chain by focusing on developing a model for measuring the meat supply chain's performance in the province of Isfahan, Iran.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a combination of literature review, Delphi approach and case study research, the paper examines part of the meat supply chain that consists of three industrial slaughterhouses, two cold rooms, three factories and more than 20 supermarkets and it then presents a framework to assess the performance of the industry in the region.

Findings

The methodology suggests indices for strategic and tactical levels in a meat industry as a case study. The proposed framework for the performance measurement of the chain was applied in strategic and tactical levels in which the ranking of indices are also among the achievements of this study. Results show that there are six main criteria required to measure the meat industry's performance.

Originality/value

Literature shows no record of an integrated measurement system for the entire food supply chain where indicators are combined into a performance function to assess the overall performance of the industry.
Study on variation of tribo‐performance of commercial engine oils
Authors: Thakre G.D. , Tyagi M.R.
Published: August 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to study the performance variability of the commercially available engine oils based on physico‐chemical and tribological performance parameters.

Design/methodology/approach

The study does this by evaluation of physico‐chemical parameters of flash point, pour point, TAN, sulphated ash, viscosities @ 40 and 100°C and VI; and the tribological performance in terms of friction, wear, weld load and the load bearing capacity of the lubricant film under the point and line contact geometries.

Findings

Correlation between some of the physico‐chemical properties and tribological performance parameters could be made and the variation in performance of the lubricants assessed.

Originality/value

The findings will be important to the engine oil producers and the users.
The relationship between supplier development and firm performance: the mediating role of marketing process improvement
Authors: Asare Anthony K. , Brashear Thomas G. , Yang Jing , Kang Jun
Published: August 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to test the market‐based asset framework by examining the role of marketing process improvements in the relationship between a buyer firm's supplier‐related activities and its performance.

Design/methodology/approach

Interviews with executives who were involved in supplier development were conducted to learn more about supplier development and to help in the development of the survey constructs. A self‐report survey was then developed online to collect data for the study. In total, 338 executives responded and partial least squares (PLS) structural equation modeling was used to test the hypotheses developed in the study.

Findings

Marketing process improvements were found to mediate the relationship between a firm's supplier development efforts and firm performance, thus providing empirical support for the market‐based asset framework. The study also found that a firm's supplier development activities can lead to improvements in its marketing processes.

Originality/value

For too long, a firm's supply chain has been seen as the primary domain of the supply chain and operations department, even though supply chain decisions and errors have a considerable impact on the ability of marketing professionals to perform. The findings in this study demonstrate the value of the relationship between a firm's supply chain and its marketing activities and as such makes the case for marketing executives to be more involved in supply chain activities.
Cultural determinants of Arab entrepreneurship: an ethnographic perspective
Authors: Lalonde Jean‐François
Published: August 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to fill gaps in the literature in entrepreneurship by studying the impact of the Arab culture on the process of starting a new venture. The unique perspective of an entrepreneurial team composed of four Arab immigrants and one non‐Arab business partner is used to study this phenomenon.

Design/methodology/approach

A very participative observation methodology was used to analyse the impact of Arab culture on the creation of a new venture by a multiethnic entrepreneurial team. Because the author is also part of the team, the degree of participation is considered as very high. Although, this kind of methodology has been used before in anthropology and sociology, to the author's knowledge it has never been employed in entrepreneurship. Since long‐term involvement in the field is required by this ethnographic method, it should be noted that the author participated in this entrepreneurial team for two years.

Findings

In this article, culturally‐driven behaviors related to new venture creation were observed and analyzed. The main result lies in the demonstration that the influence of the Arab culture on enterprise creation processes is significant. In general, this impact is similar to the one on management. However, there are some differences which are presented and explained.

Originality/value

Knowledge about Arab entrepreneurs is sparse and even more so regarding the influence of Arab culture on entrepreneurship. This article describes the impact of Arab culture on entrepreneurship processes and contributes to furthering knowledge about the experience of Arab entrepreneurs. It could also help improve public support provided to Arab entrepreneurs.
Immigrant entrepreneurs' selectivity: host market distance and opportunity
Authors: Crockett Dilene R.
Published: August 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the motivations of immigrant entrepreneurs in choosing a host country before immigrating, through a comparison of country distances and economic opportunities.

Design/methodology/approach

Hypotheses borrow from selectivity theory and institutional theory to propose that there will be a negative relationship between distance and the selection of a host county, as well as a positive relationship between host country opportunity and immigrant selectivity. OLS regression was used on secondary data to determine the flow of labor immigrants from source‐destination country dyads.

Findings

Cultural and geographic distances are stronger indicators of where a business person immigrates than the promise of opportunity.

Research limitations/implications

Exclusive use of secondary data precludes potentially important variables from being included in this cross‐sectional study. Future primary, longitudinal research may determine if this is the immigrant's first choice of markets, if the immigrant has family already in the host market and what the motivation was for the first family member to immigrate.

Practical implications

Immigrants may need to seek objective third party information on the opportunities in potential host countries rather than relying on personal networks with asymmetrical information.

Social implications

Policy makers may consider utilizing local immigrant enclaves to communicate host market opportunities to highly desired immigrant talent still residing in the source country.

Originality/value

Entrepreneurial intentions before migrating to a new market have been understudied in the literature and this paper offers a rigorous theoretical and empirical framework for addressing this question.
Factors affecting the adoption of quality assurance technologies in healthcare
Authors: Storey John
Published: August 2013

Purpose

In the light of public concern and of strong policy emphasis on quality and safety in the nursing care of patients in hospital settings, this paper aims to focus on the factors affecting the adoption of innovative quality assurance technologies.

Design/methodology/approach

Two sets of complementary literature were mined for key themes. Next, new empirical insights were sought. Data gathering was conducted in three phases. The first involved contact with NHS Technology Hubs and other institutions which had insights into leading centres in quality assurance technologies. The second phase was a series of telephone interviews with lead nurses in those hospitals which were identified in the first phase as comprising the leading centres. The third phase comprised a series of face to face interviews with innovators and adopters of healthcare quality assurance technologies in five hospital trusts.

Findings

There were three main sets of findings. First, despite the strong policy push and the templates established at national level, there were significant variations in the nature and robustness of the quality assurance toolkits that were developed, adapted and adopted. Second, in most of the adopting cases there were important obstacles to the full adoption of the toolkits that were designed. Third, the extent and nature of the ambition of the developers varied dramatically – some wished to see their work impacting widely across the health service; others had a number of different reasons for wanting to restrict the impact of their work.

Originality/value

The general concerns about front‐line care and the various inquiries into care quality failures emphasise the need for improved and consistent care quality assurance methodologies and practice. The technology adoption literature gives only partial insight into the nature of the challenges; this paper offers specific insights into the factors inhibiting the full adoption of quality assurance technologies in ward‐based care.
CSR manager competencies: a case study from Thailand
Authors: Shinnaranantana Nadhakan , Dimmitt Nicholas J. , Siengthai Sununta
Published: August 2013

Purpose

This study aims to analyze the skills and competencies required of corporate social responsibility (CSR) managers through best case practice in Thailand. It attempts to define and identify how large companies use such attributes with regard to knowledge, attitudes, and practical skills. It also examines the organizational competency framework of strategy for integrating CSR and its associated skills into mainstream business.

Design/methodology/approach

As a qualitative study, the methodology used for collecting data consisted of both open‐ended and focused interviews with managers, and consultations with staff who implement CSR in these large companies. Secondary data from annual reports, sustainability reports and CSR reports were also analyzed.

Findings

The interviews indicated that specific skills and competencies were needed for managing CSR, but these varied, and a competency framework for Thai corporations was developed.

Research limitations/implications

The interviews were limited to only the CSR managers. Thus, the generalization of the findings to other industries should be done with caution.

Practical implications

A CSR competency framework for managers is provided, which can supply CSR skills and competencies model for other managers and practitioners.

Originality/value

The paper has value in that it provides an analysis of the CSR skills and competencies of the leading corporations in Thailand.
Corporate social responsibility practices in India: a comparative study of MNCs and Indian companies
Authors: Narwal Mahabir , Singh Rajinder
Published: August 2013

Purpose

The aim of this paper is to explore different areas of CSR covered by the companies in India and to have a comparative analysis of such practices of Indian companies and MNCs working in India.

Design/methodology/approach

The sample for the present study consisted of 38 companies including 18 Indian companies and 20 MNCs of different countries working in India across various industries. The data thus generated was analyzed with the help of ANOVA and factor analysis.

Findings

The study finds that there is a little difference in CSR practices of Indian companies and MNCs and that is in terms of importance/focused areas of CSR. Companies are adopting CSR practices of environmental marketing, sustainable development, local community support, and transparency and accountability.

Originality/value

MNCs are adopting almost the same CSR practices as adopted by their counterpart Indian companies. Thus, MNCs are adhering to the prevailing business practices in host countries.
Ultra‐short vertically aligned carbon nanofibers transfer and application as bonding material
Authors: Chen Si
Published: August 2013

Purpose

The transferred carbon nanofibers (CNFs) can be applied in flip chip package as interconnect material, as an alternative to the conventional solder and conductive adhesive (CA) materials.

Design/methodology/approach

The structure of CNFs was confirmed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The electrical performance of the vertically aligned carbon nanofibers (VACNFs) joint was measured by four points probe method and compared to conventional lead‐free solder Sn3.0Ag0.5Cu, pure indium and silver CA. A shear test was carried out in order to evaluate the mechanical performance of VACNFs joint. After the shear test, the fracture surface was analyzed by scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM‐EDS).

Findings

The results showed a high success rate in the transfer of VACNFs from growth chip to target chip. The Au‐coated CNF can be wetted well with melted indium during the transfer and bonding process. In‐Au intermetallic compound (IMC) formed on the surface of CNF. The electrical and mechanical performance of VACNFs is comparable to that of the traditional interconnect materials. The fracture surface is located at the interface between VACNFs and chips. The stacked‐cone structure of CNF can be confirmed from a cross‐section of the break CNF by TEM.

Originality/value

Ultra‐short VACNFs were grown and first successfully transferred to the target chip using a process which required little pressure, low temperature and short time.
Juveniles and migrants as drivers for seasonal epizootics of avian influenza virus
Authors: van Dijk Jacintha G. B. , Hoye Bethany J. , Verhagen Josanne H. , Nolet Bart A. , Fouchier Ron A. M. , Klaassen Marcel
Published: August 2013

Similar to other infectious diseases, the prevalence of low pathogenic avian influenza viruses (LPAIV) has been seen to exhibit marked seasonal variation. However, mechanisms driving this variation in wild birds have yet to be tested. We investigated the validity of three previously suggested drivers for the seasonal dynamics inLPAIVinfections in wild birds: (i) host density, (ii) immunologically naïve young and (iii) increased susceptibility in migrants.

To address these questions, we sampled a keyLPAIVhost species, the mallardAnas platyrhynchos, on a small spatial scale, comprehensively throughout a complete annual cycle, measuring both current and past infection (i.e. viral and seroprevalence, respectively).

We demonstrate a minor peak inLPAIVprevalence in summer, a dominant peak in autumn, during which half of the sampled population was infected, and no infections in spring. Seroprevalence of antibodies to a conserved gene segment of avian influenza virus (AIV) peaked in winter and again in spring.

The summer peak ofLPAIVprevalence coincided with the entrance of unfledged naïve young in the population. Moreover, juveniles were more likely to be infected, shed higher quantities of virus and were less likely to have detectable antibodies toAIVthan adult birds. The arrival of migratory birds, as identified by stable hydrogen isotope analysis, appeared to drive the autumn peak inLPAIVinfection, with both temporal coincidence and higher infection prevalence in migrants. Remarkably, seroprevalence in migrants was substantially lower than viral prevalence throughout autumn migration, further indicating that each wave of migrants amplified localAIVcirculation. Finally, while host abundance increased throughout autumn, it peaked in winter, showing no direct correspondence with either of theLPAIVinfection peaks.

At an epidemiologically relevant spatial scale, we provide strong evidence for the role of migratory birds as key drivers for seasonal epizootics ofLPAIV, regardless of their role as vectors of these viruses. This study exemplifies the importance of understanding host demography and migratory behaviour when examining seasonal drivers of infection in wildlife populations.
Beyond the suffering subject: toward an anthropology of the good
Authors: Robbins Joel
Published: August 2013

In the 1980s, anthropology set aside a focus on societies defined as radically ‘other’ to the anthropologists' own. There was little consensus at the time, however, about who might replace the other as the primary object of anthropological attention. In important respects, I argue, its replacement has been the suffering subject. Tracing this change, I consider how it addressed key problems of the anthropology of the other, but I also suggest that some strengths of earlier work – particularly some of its unique critical capacities – were lost in the transition. The conclusion considers how recent trends in anthropology might coalesce in a further shift, this one toward an anthropology of the good capable of recovering some of the critical force of an earlier anthropology without taking on its weaknesses.
The contestedrewe: sacred sites, misunderstandings, and ontological pluralism inMapuche land negotiations
Authors: Di Giminiani Piergiorgio
Published: August 2013

Sacred sites lie at the core of indigenous peoples' land claims and negotiations with the state. These sites are often subject to accusations of inauthenticity by state actors, which potentially lead to the delegitimization of claims over ancestral land. This article argues that misunderstandings inMapuche land negotiations inChile do not originate as strategic refusals to understand, but rather in a form of understanding which aims to make radical differences commensurable within the logics of statecraft and national society. In the process of cultural translation, the ontological principles that make certain places sacred in theMapuche lived world are not recognized, resulting in the transformation of these sites into symbols of identity strategically employed for political ends.
Assisted existence: an ethnography of being in Ecuador
Authors: Roberts Elizabeth F.S.
Published: August 2013

In Ecuador, reproductive assistance, whether from God, extended family, or medical technologies, is emphasized and desirable in a precarious and unequal world with a minimal social safety net and chronic economic insecurity. Assistance is the very grounds of being. In better‐resourced realities like parts of the United States, assisted reproductive technologies can trouble the biological and social autonomy of individual heterosexual couples. Juxtaposing assisted reproduction in these divergent sites demonstrates that resources can make autonomy easier to establish and assistance between people and things difficult to perceive. Through an insistence on the material specificity of assisted reproduction itself, this ethnographic contrast contributes to anthropological approaches to ontological questions of being. In particular, ethnographic observation of the material realities of reproductive treatments in Ecuador demonstrates that medical care is one means to instantiate race. Private assisted reproduction makes whiter babies and patients in the face of a crumbling public health care infrastructure whose patients are by definition poor and Indian. The framework of assistance might serve then as a means to ethnographically trace the constitution of racial being in better‐resourced nations, as well as allow for a more comprehensive recognition of the interdependence of existence.
Argument, Deliberation, Dialectic and the Nature of the Political: A CDA Perspective
Authors: Fairclough Isabela , Fairclough Norman
Published: August 2013

We are grateful to Alan Finlayson, Colin Hay and Stephen Coleman for their challenging responses to Political Discourse Analysis (PDA) and we hope to give a satisfactory answer to their main arguments. Both Hay and Finlayson argue that, in focusing on argumentation and deliberation, we misunderstand the nature of the political. Second, Finlayson thinks that there is a discontinuity between critical discourse analysis (CDA), in its previous versions, and our present framework. Third, Finlayson claims that CDA's focus on representations should not be displaced by a focus on action, that conflict over representations is fundamental in politics, and a rhetorical (not dialectical) perspective is best suited to analysing political discourse. Fourth, Coleman argues that important features of political discourse cannot be addressed by our approach, which should be supplemented by ‘dramatistic’ methods.
Political Discourse Analysis: The Dangers of Methodological Absolutism
Authors: Hay Colin
Published: August 2013

Isabela and Norman Fairclough have written a very important book whose full significance is perhaps in danger of being missed if we view it simply, in their own self-depiction, as a text for advanced students. Indeed, in what follows I want to argue that their book is much better seen as the occasion for a debate that we desperately need to be having about how to conduct political discourse analysis rather than as the elucidation of an agreed, almost official, methodology for the conduct of such a form of discourse analysis. At times their book reads like the definitive statement of the only credible approach to the analysis of political discourse as both political and as discourse, derived logically and forensically from a consideration of the specificity of the political itself. While I have considerable sympathy for the attempt to reflect and preserve the specificity of the political in an avowedly political discourse analysis, I have rather more problem, as will become clear in what follows, in the methodological absolutism that leads the Faircloughs to present their approach as, in effect, the only way to do political discourse analysis properly. At this stage in its development political discourse analysis needs a proliferation, not a narrowing, of methods and acknowledgement that there is more than one way to analyse political discourse politically. I will argue for a certain methodological pluralism in political discourse analysis, pointing to problems both with the approach to political discourse analysis that the Faircloughs espouse and with their attempt to foreground such an approach in an essentially Aristotelian account of the specificity of the political.
The effect of magnesium sulphate infusion on the incidence and severity of emergence agitation in children undergoing adenotonsillectomy using sevoflurane anaesthesia
Authors: Abdulatif M. , Ahmed A. , Mukhtar A. , Badawy S.
Published: August 2013

This randomised, controlled, double‐blind study investigated the effects of intra‐operative magnesium sulphate administration on the incidence of emergence agitation in children undergoing adenotonsillectomy using sevoflurane anaesthesia. Seventy children were randomly allocated to receive a 30 mg.kg−1 bolus of intravenous magnesium sulphate after induction of anaesthesia followed by a continuous infusion of 10 mg.kg−1.h−1 or an equal volume of saline 0.9%. All children received titrated sevoflurane anaesthesia adjusted to maintain haemodynamic stability. The Pediatric Anesthesia Emergence Delirium scale and the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Score were used for the assessment of postoperative emergence agitation and pain, respectively. Emergence agitation was more common in the control group than in the magnesium group (23 (72%) and 12 (36%), respectively (p = 0.004)), with a relative risk of 0.51 (95% CI 0.31–0.84), an absolute risk reduction of 0.35 (95% CI 0.10–0.54), and number needed to treat of 3 (95% CI 2–9). Postoperative pain scores were comparable in the two groups. Magnesium sulphate reduces the incidence and severity of emergence agitation in children undergoing adenotonsillectomy using sevoflurane anaesthesia and is not associated with increased postoperative side‐effects or delayed recovery.
Australia's female military surgeons of World War I
Authors: Neuhaus Susan J.
Published: August 2013

The war service of Lilian Violet Cooper, the first female surgeon of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, is well recognized. Not so well known however, are the other pioneering female doctors who also undertook work as military surgeons during World War I. At least four of the 14 Australian female doctors that undertook overseas war service during World War I were engaged as surgeons and treated Australian, British and Allied casualties. These women operated in London, in Egypt and on the frontlines of the Macedonian campaign. While none of these other women became Fellows of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, their war efforts deserve recognition.
Diabetic vitrectomy in a large type 1 diabetes patient population: long‐term incidence and risk factors
Authors: Ostri Christoffer , la Cour Morten , Lund‐Andersen Henrik
Published: August 2013

Purpose

Diabetic vitrectomy represents an end‐point of diabetic retinopathy progression. This study was designed to estimate long‐term incidence of diabetic vitrectomy and associated risk factors.

Methods

Retrospective review of prospectively collected data from a large diabetes centre between 1996 and 2010. Surgical history was obtained from The Danish National Patient Register.

Results

The population consisted of 3980 patients with type 1 diabetes. Median follow‐up was 10.0 years. In total, 106 patients underwent diabetic vitrectomy in the observation period. Surgery indications were nonclearing vitreous haemorrhage (43%) or tractional retinal detachment (57%). The cumulative incidence rates of diabetic vitrectomy were 1.6% after 5 years and 2.9% after 10 years. When excluding patients with no or mild diabetic retinopathy, the corresponding rates were higher; 3.7% and 6.4%, respectively (p < 0.001, log‐rank test). The risk of reaching diabetic vitrectomy increased in patients experiencing glycosylated haemoglobin A1c > 75 mmol/mol in the observation period (p < 0.001, hazard ratio: 3.9, Cox regression analysis). Systolic blood pressure ≥ 140 mmHg, diastolic blood pressure ≥ 90 mmHg, diabetes duration, age, gender and nephropathy were not associated with an increased risk of reaching diabetic vitrectomy (p > 0.05 for all variables).

Conclusions

Diabetic vitrectomy is rarely required in a type 1 diabetes population with varying degrees of retinopathy, but the risk increases markedly with poor metabolic control.
Profile of cataract surgery in Varamin Iran: a population‐based study
Authors: Katibeh Marzieh , Ziaei Hossein , Rajavi Zhaleh , Hosseini Sara , Javadi Mohammad‐Ali
Published: August 2013

Background

Cataract is the most popular cause of blindness. This study addresses some aspects of cataract surgery in an Iranian population.

Design

A cross‐sectional study.

Participants

3000 adults over 50 in Varamin district.

Methods

Cataract surgical coverage was defined as the proportion of (pseudo) aphakic eyes of all operable and operated eyes with cataract. If there was obvious lens opacity in either or both eyes in combination with best corrected visual acuity less than 6/18, the person was asked why the operation for cataract was not done to find out about barriers of cataract surgery. Outcomes of cataract surgery were categorized as good, intermediate and poor using presenting visual acuity which were defined as visual acuity ≥ 6/18, 6/60 ≤ visual acuity < 6/18 and visual acuity < 6/60, respectively.

Main Outcome Measures

Cataract surgical coverage, barriers and outcomes of cataract surgery.

Results

Out of 5638 examined eyes, 526 eyes (9.3%) had history of cataract surgery. 156 subjects (45.7%) had a unilateral and 185 subjects (54.2%) had bilateral operated eyes. Cataract surgical coverage was 66.4% in visually impaired eyes (visual acuity < 6/18), 90.4% in blind eyes (visual acuity < 3/60), 80.5% in visually impaired persons and 97.6% in blind persons. Cataract surgery in the majority of eyes (71.9%) had a good visual outcome. The main barrier of cataract surgery was unawareness of treatment.

Conclusion

Overall, the cataract services in the studied population were acceptable, although it should be improved, to achieve vision 2020 objectives.
Causal Premise Semantics
Authors: Kaufmann Stefan
Published: August 2013

The rise of causality and the attendant graph‐theoretic modeling tools in the study of counterfactual reasoning has had resounding effects in many areas of cognitive science, but it has thus far not permeated the mainstream in linguistic theory to a comparable degree. In this study I show that a version of the predominant framework for the formal semantic analysis of conditionals, Kratzer‐style premise semantics, allows for a straightforward implementation of the crucial ideas and insights of Pearl‐style causal networks. I spell out the details of such an implementation, focusing especially on the notions ofinterventionon a network andbacktrackinginterpretations of counterfactuals.
Incision length for kidney transplantation does not influence short‐ or long‐term outcome: a prospective randomized controlled trial
Authors: Malinka Thomas , Banz Vanessa Martine , Wagner Jörg , Candinas Daniel , Inderbitzin Daniel
Published: August 2013

Background

While previous studies suggest advantages of minimally invasive surgery in living donor nephrectomy, similar data are lacking for kidney transplant recipients. Our aim was to prospectively evaluate short‐ and long‐term outcome for kidney transplant recipients, comparing a short transverse (ST) to a classical hockey‐stick (HS) incision.

Methods

Sixty‐six patients were randomized into two groups: ST vs. HS from January 2008 to May 2010. ST was defined as incision length ≤9 cm and HS as >14 cm. Perioperative data were collected, with evaluation of intra‐ and postoperative complications and quality of recovery (QoR) score.

Results

There were no significant differences in patient demographics, early or long‐term postoperative pain. There were no significant differences in QoR scores between the ST and HS group. Predictive for a worse QoR was persisting incisional pain at the 30‐month follow‐up. Thirty‐days mortality, morbidity, and long‐term kidney function did not differ between the two groups (p = 1.00, p = 0.62 and p = 0.66, respectively).

Conclusions

Patient satisfaction as well as graft function and patient mortality was not influenced by incision length. With patient and graft safety being paramount, especially in times of organ shortage, incision length should reflect the requirement for a successful transplantation and not be a measure of feasibility.
Neurological features of epilepsy, ataxia, sensorineural deafness, tubulopathy syndrome
Authors: Cross J Helen , Arora Ruchi , Heckemann Rolf A , Gunny Roxana , Chong Kling , Carr Lucinda , Baldeweg Torsten , Differ Ann‐Marie , Lench Nicholas , Varadkar Sophie , Sirimanna Tony , Wassmer Evangeline , Hulton Sally A , Ognjanovic Milos , Ramesh Venkateswaran , Feather Sally , Kleta Robert , Hammers Alexander , Bockenhauer Detlef
Published: August 2013

Aim

Recently, we reported a previously unrecognized symptom constellation comprising epilepsy, ataxia, sensorineural deafness, and tubulopathy (EAST syndrome) associated with recessive mutations in the KCNJ10 gene. Here, we provide a detailed characterization of the clinical features of the syndrome to aid patient management with respect to diagnosis, prognostic counselling, and identification of best treatment modalities.

Method

We conducted a retrospective review of the detailed neurological and neuroradiological features of nine children (four females, five males; age range at last examination 6–20y) with genetically proven EAST syndrome.

Results

All children presented with tonic–clonic seizures in infancy. Later, non‐progressive, cerebellar ataxia and hearing loss were noted. Whilst seizures mostly responded well to treatment, ataxia proved to be the most debilitating feature, with three patients non‐ambulant. All available magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed subtle symmetrical signal changes in the cerebellar dentate nuclei. Moreover, four patients had a small corpus callosum and brainstem hypoplasia, and three had a small spinal cord. Regional quantitative volumetric analysis of the images confirmed the corpus callosum and brainstem hypoplasia and showed further patterns of variation from the norm.

Interpretation

The neurological features of EAST syndrome appear to be non‐progressive, which is important for prognostic counselling. The spectrum of EAST syndrome includes consistent abnormalities on brain MRI, which may aid diagnosis. Further longitudinal documentation is required to determine the true natural history of the disorder.
Children with cerebral palsy are just like everyone else: what you train is what you get
Authors: Romeiser Logan Lynne
Published: August 2013

This commentary is on the original article by Taylor et al. on pages 806–812 of this issue.
Hemiconvulsion–hemiplegia syndrome revisited: longitudinal MRI findings in 10 children
Authors: Barcia Giulia , Desguerre Isabelle , Carmona Orietta , Barnerias Christine , Chemaly Nicole , Gitiaux Cyril , Brunelle Francis , Dulac Olivier , Boddaert Nathalie , Nabbout Rima
Published: August 2013

Aim

Hemiconvulsion–hemiplegia syndrome (HHS) is a rare severe epilepsy of infancy consisting of unilateral convulsive status epilepticus immediately followed by transient or lasting ipsilateral hemiplegia. HHS may occur either in patients with previous brain pathology or without any identified cause, so‐called ‘idiopathic HHS’.

Method

We retrospectively analysed clinical and MRI longitudinal findings of a series of 10 patients (six females, four males) presenting with HHS. Age at the study inclusion ranged from 2 years 6 months to 15 years (mean of 5y 10mo, median 4y 2mo). After defining magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features as ‘typical’, i.e. strictly unilateral involvement, and ‘atypical’, i.e. bilateral, we compared clinical data from both groups. Cognitive level was assessed using Brunet‐Lézine or Wechsler scales.

Results

HHS occurred at a mean age of 20.5 months (range 8–48mo). In all cases, status epilepticus lasted for more than 1 hour and was characterised by unilateral clonic seizures followed by ipsilateral hemiplegia (persistent in five patients). Two patients in this series died: the first from multi‐organ failure 2 weeks after the status epilepticus and the other from a second episode of ipsilateral intractable febrile status epilepticus 3 years after the first episode. Early MRI (days 1–7 from status epilepticus) showed hemispheric cytotoxic oedema in all, extending to the contralateral side for one. T2 hyperintensity in the basal ganglia was disclosed in 70% of patients and in the hippocampus in 60%. After 1 month (in intermediate and chronic phases), all surviving patients but one showed hemispheric cortical atrophy corresponding to the regions involved during the early stage. Comparing clinical features of patients presenting with ‘typical’ features, to those with ‘atypical’ findings, the second group presented psychomotor delay before status epilepticus.

Interpretation

This series underlines the major value of early MRI for the prompt diagnosis of HHS, and shows that involvement of subcortical structures has been underestimated. Hippocampal involvement is not constant.
Improved antenatal detection of congenital anomalies in women with pre‐gestational diabetes: population‐based cohort study
Authors: Newham J. J. , Glinianaia S. V. , Tennant P. W. G. , Rankin J. , Bell R.
Published: August 2013

Aims

To compare antenatal detection of congenital anomaly in women with and without pre‐gestational diabetes and their pregnancy outcomes in a regional cohort study.

Methods

Data from a total of 7148 singleton pregnancies with a congenital anomaly delivered between 1 January 1996 and 31 December 2008 were extracted from the Northern Diabetes in Pregnancy and Northern Congenital Abnormality Surveys. Antenatal ultrasound detection rates of congenital anomaly in pregnancies complicated by major non‐chromosomal congenital anomaly and resulting in live birth, stillbirth, late miscarriage (20–23 weeks of gestation) or termination of pregnancy for a congenital anomaly, were compared between women with and without diabetes (120 and 7028, respectively).

Results

A significantly higher rate of antenatal detection of congenital anomalies was observed in women with diabetes compared with women without diabetes (50.8 vs. 38.6%, respectively; relative risk 1.32; 95% CI 1.10–1.57; P = 0.003). Cardiovascular anomalies were the only group with a significantly higher antenatal detection rate in women with diabetes (31.8 vs. 10.4%; relative risk 3.05; 95% CI 1.95–4.76; P < 0.00001). This difference remained after excluding cases of ventricular septal defect (52.2 vs. 16.3%; relative risk 3.20; 95% CI 2.13–4.80; P < 0.0001). Among women with diabetes, male fetal sex was the only factor associated with a higher antenatal detection rate. There were no differences in the rates of termination of pregnancy, late miscarriage, stillbirth or infant death between groups.

Conclusions

Antenatal detection of cardiovascular anomalies was higher in women with diabetes, suggesting that recommendations for enhanced cardiovascular scanning may improve detection. Greater awareness of the increased risk of anomalies in other organ systems is needed.