bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Endovascular embolization for managing anastomotic bleeding after stapled digestive tract anastomosis
Authors: Li Teng-Fei , Duan Xu-Hua , Li Zhen , Ren Jian-Zhuang , Zhang Kai , Huang Guo-Hao , Han Xin-Wei , Jiao De-Chao , Zhang Meng-Fan
Published: November 2014

Background

Anastomotic bleeding is an infrequent but life-threatening complication after stapled digestive tract anastomosis. Endovascular embolization is one of the available treatments, but precise clinical outcomes are yet to be evaluated.

Purpose

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of endovascular embolization for managing anastomotic bleeding after stapled digestive tract anastomosis.

Material and Methods

Twenty-eight patients were diagnosed with anastomotic bleeding after stapled digestive tract anastomosis by digital subtraction angiography (DSA). Curative effect was summed for analysis.

Results

All bleeding arteries were located in the stoma and were identified by contrast agent spillover by DSA. The offending arteries were superselectively catheterized and embolized with microcoils and/or gelatin sponge particles. Laboratory examinations showed normal hemoglobin and red blood cell counts when the patients’ abdominal cavity drainage tubes stopped draining blood. The follow-up period was 3.2–84.7 months (median, 19.7 months). Four patients died during this time, of which two had cholangiocarcinoma, one had gastric cancer with tumor recurrence and multiple organ failure, and the final patient had a subarachnoid hemorrhage 4 months after embolization. In the surviving patients, no rebleeding occurred after embolization and no additional intervention or surgery was required.

Conclusion

Endovascular embolization is safe and effective for managing anastomotic bleeding after stapled digestive tract anastomosis.
Membrane Injury and Repair in the Muscular Dystrophies
Authors: Cooper Sandra T. , Head Stewart I.
Published: November 2014

Muscle cells have an elaborate plasma membrane and t-tubule system that has been evolutionarily refined to maximize electrical conductivity for synchronous muscle contraction. However, this elaborate plasma membrane network has intrinsic vulnerabilities to stretch-induced membrane injury, and thus requires ongoing maintenance and repair. Herein we discuss the types of membrane injuries encountered by myofibers in healthy muscle and in muscular dystrophy. We review the different mechanisms by which muscle fibers in patients with muscular dystrophy are rendered more susceptible to injury, and we summarize the latest developments in our understanding of how the muscular dystrophy protein dysferlin mediates satellite-cell independent membrane repair.
Investigation of functional properties and color changes of corn extrudates enriched with broccoli or olive paste
Authors: Bisharat Ghassan I , Katsavou Ioanna D , Panagiotou Nikolaos M , Krokida Magdalini K , Maroulis Zacharias B
Published: November 2014

Following the tendency of replacing common food snacks with healthier food products, extruded snacks with corn flour and broccoli (4–10%) or olive paste (4–8%) were investigated in this study. The effect of material characteristics, including feed moisture content (14–19%), and broccoli or olive paste concentration, and extrusion conditions, including screw speed (150–250 r/min), and extrusion temperature (140–180 ℃), on the functional properties (water absorption index, water solubility index, and oil absorption index), as well as color change (Δ E) of the extruded snacks was studied. Regression analysis showed that screw speed did not significantly influence ( p > 0.05) the properties. After mathematical modelling it was found that broccoli and olive paste concentration, as well as temperature increment, caused a decrease in water absorption index (minimum of 5.6 and 6.4 g/g sample, respectively) and an increase in water solubility index (maximum of 18.7 and 10.9 g/100 g sample, respectively), while feed moisture presented opposite tendency. Higher extrusion temperature led to an increment of oil absorption index (approximately to 1.2 and 1 mL/g sample) and decrement of color changes. Finally, feed moisture and broccoli concentration lowered oil absorption index and color of corn/broccoli extrudates, while olive paste concentration caused their increment.
Fine-tuning non-discrimination law
Authors: Waddington Lisa
Published: November 2014

This article explores the various exceptions to the non-discrimination principle and the justifications for different treatment that apply in the disability context. For the purposes of this article, exceptions are situations that are excluded from the scope of non-discrimination law and where different treatment is allowed, whilst justifications are situations in which non-discrimination law applies, and where de facto different treatment is either required or allowed, and the limits to such requirements. The article begins by briefly discussing the peculiarities of disability non-discrimination law, addressing the requirement to make a reasonable accommodation, the asymmetrical nature of disability non-discrimination law, and positive action obligations. The article then introduces the key non-discrimination requirements found in United Nations and European Union disability equality law, before proceeding to examine a number of exceptions to the non-discrimination principle and justifications for different treatment. The article concludes that exceptions and justifications can be a tool to fine-tune or target non-discrimination law, with the potential to both limit and extend protection, in the context of disability.
“Head take you”: Causal attributions of mental illness in Jamaica
Authors: Arthur Carlotta M. , Whitley Rob
Published: November 2014

Causal attributions are a key factor in explanatory models of illness; however, little research on causal attributions of mental illness has been conducted in developing nations in the Caribbean, including Jamaica. Explanatory models of mental illness may be important in understanding illness experience and be a crucial factor in mental health service seeking and utilization. We explored causal attributions of mental illness in Jamaica by conducting 20 focus groups, including 16 community samples, 2 patient samples, and 2 samples of caregivers of patients, with a total of 159 participants. The 5 most commonly endorsed causal attributions of mental illness are discussed: (a) drug-related causes, including ganja (marijuana); (b) biological causes, such as chemical imbalance, familial transmission, and “blood”; (c) psychological causes, including stress and thinking too much; (d) social causes, such as relationship problems and job loss; and (e) spiritual or religious causes, including Obeah.
The ‘savage’ child and the nature of race: Posthuman interventions from New York City
Authors: Kromidas Maria
Published: November 2014

This article intervenes in the scholarship of race by way of the child, demonstrating how childhood is a doubly strategic site in disrupting the ontology of race as natural type or kind. One path involves disentangling children’s association with nature, a tragic knot conjoined through a particular conception of the human. This strategy reveals the savage child that apprehends and sorts bodily differences, working to sustain the nature of race. Rejecting the savage child opens up a space to view actual children through a distinct posthuman lens that emphasizes laughter, play and surrealism in everyday life. Drawing on ethnographic material where children in New York City struggled with the visibility of the body, I demonstrate that alternative ontologies of race are possible and do exist. These tasks allow both race and childhood to emerge in a new light, with important implications for anthropology’s cherished idea of the human.
Indigenous threats and white counterfactuals: The semiotics of race in elite print media coverage of Ecuador’s 1990 Indigenous uprising
Authors: Viatori Maximilian
Published: November 2014

This article explores the role that images of a threatening racial other play in the exercise of power and demonstrates that the discursive framing of such threats provides insight into how responses to perceived risks become possible and politically desirable. Specifically, it examines print press coverage of the 1990 Indigenous uprising in Ecuador to examine how white-elites sought to defend the public invisibility of whiteness by framing Indigenous protestors as threatening racial others. Coverage of the 1990 uprising in Ecuador’s major newspapers encouraged a moral panic about the potential threat that ‘out of place’ Indigenous protestors presented to white, urban society. In the absence of widespread Indigenous violence during the protest, white-elite print media formulated counterfactual accounts of the event that stressed the potential of Indigenous violence to upset national stability as a means to justify the ongoing marginalization of Indigenous political actors as national threats.
Placental relations
Authors: Fannin Maria
Published: November 2014

The placenta’s role as a mediating passage between bodies has been a conceptual resource for feminist theorists and philosophers interested in developing more nuanced explanations of the maternal–fetal relation, a relation that has tended to be identified with maternal and fetal bodies rather than with the placenta between them. I draw on efforts by philosopher Luce Irigaray and her readers to theorise placental relations as a model for the negotiation of differences. In her more recent work, Irigaray figures the placenta as an enveloping space of metaphorical enclosure. The placental relation in Irigaray’s work thus offers insights into the temporal structure of her theory of becoming and can inform a more ‘materialist’ account of pregnancy. I then consider how placental relations are conceptual resources for re-imagining relations of self–other in pregnancy, and for addressing emergent ethical concerns over the transformation of the placenta into a scientific object.
Re-considering the turn to biology in feminist theory
Authors: Frost Samantha
Published: November 2014

This article argues that feminist theorists should conceive of the life sciences not only as a factual resource but also as a figural resource. It proposes that in shifting our conceptual orientation to biological science from fact to figure, feminists will be able to give theoretical life to scientific findings about the ways in which social environments and material habitats are processes integral to our development, growth, and social and political well-being. The figuration of ourselves as specifically biocultural creatures will enable feminists to gain a stronger theoretical and analytic purchase on the ongoing mutual shaping of the biological and social dimensions of existence. This, in turn, will enable feminists to creatively re-imagine the fields and fora of feminist politics.
‘A Slap on the Wrist’? The Conservative Agenda in Queensland, Australia
Authors: Hutchinson Terry
Published: November 2014

Recent amendments to youth justice legislation in Queensland include opening Children’s Court proceedings, removing the Principle of Detention as a Last Resort, facilitating transfers of 17 year-old offenders to adult prisons, instigating new bail offences, and introducing mandatory boot camp orders. This article examines the context of these changes including the inadequacies of the public policy process, and the impassioned political rhetoric imbued with simplistic slogans. This is a case study of regressive youth justice policy and the article reflects on the many causes underlying the reactive winding back of reform.
Simultaneous optimization of mechanical properties of braided polyethylene terephthalate suture subjected to hot-stretching treatment
Authors: Debbabi Faten , Abdessalem Saber B
Published: November 2014

Braided polyethylene terephthalate sutures are the first used braided suture. They have to undergo several manufacturing steps including hot stretching. However, there is a lack of literature describing precisely braided suture manufacturing process. Hot-stretching treatment was reported to have positive impact on suture mechanical properties. The main objective of this work is the simultaneous improvement of different mechanical properties related to this treatment. Obtained results show that polyethylene terephthalate suture hot stretching leads to a uniform compact suture with high ultimate tensile strength and low friction coefficient. However, during this treatment suture becomes stiff. By increasing temperature and drawing ratio, suture becomes flexible. Below 200℃, polyethylene terephthalate braided suture shows low friction coefficients difference and low Young’s modulus. Performing overlaid contours plot permitted to determine optimal values for significant manufacturing parameters in order to manufacture polyethylene terephthalate braided suture having at the same time high ultimate tensile strength, low friction coefficient, low extension at break, low rigidity, and high yield point values. In this study, optimal conditions for hot-stretching suture in main heat zone are defined. Reported results show also optimized conditions of suture preliminary hot stretching in order to obtain further best mechanical properties. Results approve that suture hot stretching in main heat zone after preliminary heat without tension involved the best suture mechanical properties.
The impact of different supervised exercise regimens on endothelial function in patients with intermittent claudication
Authors: Delaney Christopher L , Miller Michelle D , Allan Richard B , Spark J Ian
Published: November 2014

Background and objectives

The impact of supervised exercise training on endothelial function in patients with intermittent claudication is unclear. This study assesses the impact of treadmill-based supervised exercise training alone or in combination with resistance training on pain free walking distance, flow-mediated dilatation, reactive hyperaemia index, nitric oxide and asymmetric dimethylarginine.

Methods

Thirty-five patients with intermittent claudication were randomised to 12 weeks of treadmill-only supervised exercise training (Group 1) or a combination of treadmill and lower-limb resistance supervised exercise training (Group 2). Pain free walking distance was assessed by six-minute walk test. Endothelial function was assessed by brachial artery flow-mediated dilatation, reactive hyperaemia index and serum analysis of asymmetric dimethylarginine and nitric oxide.

Results

Pain free walking distance improved within Group 1 (160 m to 204 m, p = 0.03) but not Group 2 (181 m to 188 m, p = 0.82), no between group difference. No significant change in flow-mediated dilatation or reactive hyperaemia index in either group. Nitric oxide decreased in Group 1 (15.0 µmol/L to 8.3 µmol/L, p = 0.003) but not Group 2 (11.2 µmol/L to 9.1 µmol/L, p = 0.14), p = 0.07 between groups. Asymmetric dimethylarginine decreased in Group 2 (0.61 µmol/L to 0.56 µmol/L, p = 0.03) but not Group 1 (0.58 µmol/l to 0.58 µmol/L, p = 0.776), no between group difference.

Conclusion

Supervised exercise training does not improve endothelial function as measured by flow-mediated dilatation, reactive hyperaemia index and nitric oxide bioavailability.
The health technology assessment of the compulsory accident insurance scheme of hand transplantation in Switzerland
Authors: Brügger U. , Plessow R. , Hess S. , Caballero A. , Eichler K. , Meyer V. , von Wartburg U.
Published: November 2014

Recently the decision-making committee of the compulsory Swiss accident insurance scheme needed to make a basic decision as to whether to fund hand transplantation under that scheme or not. A Health Technology Assessment was commissioned to inform decision-making and gain experience with applicability of the method. The following were main findings from various domains. Compared with prosthesis fitting, the outcome of hand transplantation is satisfactory for function and sensibility. Complications due to immunosuppression are frequent, sometimes severe and potentially life-shortening. The direct medical costs over the entire life span calculated for a 35-year-old unilaterally amputated base case patient were CHF 528,600 (EUR 438,500) higher than for a prosthesis. There are challenging ethical, legal and organizational issues. The committee decided not to reimburse hand transplantation for ethical reasons. The Health Technology Assessment has been shown to be a useful tool for decision-making in the context of Swiss accident insurance.

Level of evidence: IV
Doing It With Feeling: The Emotion in Early Socioemotional Development
Authors: Thompson Ross A.
Published: November 2014

Carroll Izard’s theoretical and research contributions to the study of early socioemotional development are profiled. His studies of early emotional expression and the formulations of differential emotions theory have stimulated contemporary inquiry into the organization of early emotional life, the developmental processes by which distinct feelings and facial expressions become progressively concordant, and how the emotional expressions of others become imbued with emotion meaning. His work on emotion, attachment, and emotion–cognition relations has contributed to contemporary study of the emotional bases of attachment organization and the development of the internal working models associated with attachment security. Because of Izard’s contributions, developmental emotions research is theoretically richer, and emotion has a more central place in our understanding of development and motivation.
A unified extragradient method for systems of hierarchical variational inequalities in a Hilbert space
Authors: Ceng Lu-Chuan , Sahu Daya Ram , Yao Jen-Chih
Published: November 2014

In this paper, we introduce and analyze a multistep Mann-type extragradient iterative algorithm by combining Korpelevich’s extragradient method, viscosity approximation method, hybrid steepest-descent method, Mann’s iteration method, and the projection method. It is proven that under appropriate assumptions, the proposed algorithm converges strongly to a common element of the fixed point set of infinitely many nonexpansive mappings and a strict pseudocontraction, the solution set of finitely many generalized mixed equilibrium problems (GMEPs), the solution set of finitely many variational inclusions and the solution set of a variational inequality problem (VIP), which is just a unique solution of a system of hierarchical variational inequalities (SHVI) in a real Hilbert space. The results obtained in this paper improve and extend the corresponding results announced by many others.

MSC:49J30, 47H09, 47J20, 49M05.
Back pain in children surveyed with weekly text messages - a 2.5 year prospective school cohort study
Authors: Franz Claudia , Wedderkopp Niels , Jespersen Eva , Rexen Christina T , Leboeuf-Yde Charlotte
Published: November 2014

Background

Back pain is reported to occur already in childhood, but its development at that age is not well understood. The aims of this study were to describe BP in children aged 6-12 years, and to investigate any sex and age differences.

Methods

Data on back pain (defined as pain in the neck, mid back and/or lower back) were collected once a week from parents replying to automated text-messages over 2.5 school years from 2008 till 2011. The prevalence estimates were presented as percentages and 95% confidence intervals. Differences between estimates were considered significant if confidence intervals did not overlap. A test for trend, using a multi-level mixed-effects logistic regression extended to the longitudinal and multilevel setting, was performed to see whether back pain reporting increased with age.

Results

Depending on the age group, 13-38% children reported back pain at least once per survey year, and 5-23% at least twice per survey year. The average weekly prevalence estimate ranged between 1% and 5%. In the final survey year more girls than boys reported back pain at least twice. The prevalence estimates did not increase monotonically with age but showed a greater increase in children younger than 9/10, after which they remained relatively stable up to the age of 12 years.

Conclusions

We found that back pain was not a common problem in this age group and recommend health professionals be vigilant if a child presents with constant or recurring back pain. Our results need to be supplemented by a better understanding of the severity and consequences of back pain in childhood. It would be productive to study the circumstances surrounding the appearance of back pain in childhood, as well as, how various bio-psycho-social factors affect its onset and later recurrence. Knowledge about the causes of back pain in childhood might allow early prevention.
Single cell genomics of bacterial pathogens: outlook for infectious disease research
Authors: McLean Jeffrey S , Lasken Roger S
Published: November 2014

Editorial summary

Genomic sequencing from single cells is a powerful tool in microbiology and holds great promise for infectious disease research. Vast numbers of uncultivable species and pathogens that persist at low abundance in environmental reservoirs are now accessible for genomic analysis.
Performance in Fire of Fibre Reinforced Polymer Strengthened Concrete Beams and Columns: Recent Research and Implications for Design
Authors: Green Mark , Hollingshead Kevin , Bénichou Noureddine
Published: November 2014

This paper considers the fire performance of concrete beams and columns that have been strengthened with fibre reinforced polymers (FRPs). Results from four recent full-scale tests are presented. A newly developed type of insulation was employed and the thickness of the insulation (15 to 20 mm) was approximately half that provided in earlier tests. All of the members survived four hours of the fire exposure. A conceptual model for design to determine when insulation is required is also presented. Further research needed to fully develop the conceptual model to a more practical design tool is outlined.
IsoSCM: improved and alternative 3′ UTR annotation using multiple change-point inference
Authors: Shenker Sol , Miura Pedro , Sanfilippo Piero , Lai Eric C.
Published: November 2014

Major applications of RNA-seq data include studies of how the transcriptome is modulated at the levels of gene expression and RNA processing, and how these events are related to cellular identity, environmental condition, and/or disease status. While many excellent tools have been developed to analyze RNA-seq data, these generally have limited efficacy for annotating 3′ UTRs. Existing assembly strategies often fragment long 3′ UTRs, and importantly, none of the algorithms in popular use can apportion data into tandem 3′ UTR isoforms, which are frequently generated by alternative cleavage and polyadenylation (APA). Consequently, it is often not possible to identify patterns of differential APA using existing assembly tools. To address these limitations, we present a new method for transcript assembly, Isoform Structural Change Model (IsoSCM) that incorporates change-point analysis to improve the 3′ UTR annotation process. Through evaluation on simulated and genuine data sets, we demonstrate that IsoSCM annotates 3′ termini with higher sensitivity and specificity than can be achieved with existing methods. We highlight the utility of IsoSCM by demonstrating its ability to recover known patterns of tissue-regulated APA. IsoSCM will facilitate future efforts for 3′ UTR annotation and genome-wide studies of the breadth, regulation, and roles of APA leveraging RNA-seq data. The IsoSCM software and source code are available from our website https://github.com/shenkers/isoscm.
Characterization of M-laurdan, a versatile probe to explore order in lipid membranes
Authors: Mazeres Serge , Joly Etienne , Lopez Andre , Tardin Catherine
Published: November 2014

Microdomains corresponding to localized partition of lipids between ordered and less ordered environments are the subject of intensive investigations, because of their putative participation in modulating cellular responses. One popular approach in the field consists in labelling membranes with solvatochromic fluorescent probes such as laurdan and C-laurdan. In this report, we describe a high-yield procedure for the synthesis of laurdan, C-laurdan and two new fluorophores, called MoC-laurdan and M-laurdan, as well as their extensive photophysical characterization. We find that the latter probe, M-laurdan, is particularly suited to discriminate lipid phases independently of the chemical nature of the lipids, as measured by both fluorescence Generalized Polarization (GP) and anisotropy in large unilamellar vesicles made of various lipid compositions. In addition, staining of live cells with M-laurdan shows a good stability over time without any apparent toxicity, as well as a wider distribution in the various cell compartments than the other probes.
Case Report: Neotendon regeneration and repair of gluteus tendon tear at 1-year follow-up after ultrasound guided platelet rich plasma tenotomy
Authors: Doss Arockia
Published: November 2014

Greater trochanteric pain syndrome (GTPS) is a common condition resulting in posterolateral hip pain typically in perimenopausal women. Gluteal tendinopathy is the underlying pathology and contributes to health care cost burden as a poorly managed tendon disorder. There is no established effective treatment for gluteal tendon pathology in GTPS. This article describes clinical, imaging and life style improvements after percutaneous tendon repair using autologous platelet rich plasma tenotomy under ultrasound imaging guidance in a case of GTPS. The improvements observed in this patient add to the call for urgent medical and economical need for more research on percutaneous tendon repair.
Theory of Mind Performance in Middle Childhood: Australian Normative and Validation Data
Authors: Cashion Larry
Published: November 2014

Theory of mind tests are regularly used in childhood research and clinical practice for autism spectrum disorders in Australia. Despite this, there is little empirical evidence that the tests used in the United Kingdom and the United States have validity for Australian children. Furthermore, many tests believed to assess ‘advanced’ or ‘higher-order’ theory of mind have not had their reliability or validity rigorously evaluated. In the current study, seven theory of mind tasks were administered to 216 Australian children aged 6 to 12 years as part of a larger research project. While Australian children performed similarly to previous research samples on some tasks, there were marked discrepancies on others. Despite these differences, the validity of using a three-factor structure of first-, second-, and higher-order theory of mind tasks was supported by subsequent confirmatory factor analysis. Methodological issues accounted for some differences between the Australian and previously reported data. However, there were also some cross-cultural aspects of the results that require further investigation.
Media: An Uneasy Relationship
Authors: Chamberlin Greg
Published: November 2014

In 1989, corruption inquiry commissioner Tony Fitzgerald, QC gave a qualified tick to the use of government media units and press secretaries in his landmark report, which ushered Queensland into an age of accountability.

After an inquiry that included 238 public sitting days and 339 witnesses, his view was that it was both ‘legitimate and necessary’ for ministers, departments and public instrumentalities to employ staff to help keep the public informed. He warned, however, against control and manipulation of information and counselled there was no legitimate justification for politically motivated propaganda funded by taxpayers:

The only justification for press secretaries and media units is that they lead to a community better informed about government and departmental activities. If they fail to do this then their existence is a misuse of public funds, and likely to help misconduct to flourish.
STRUCTURING OF DIAMOND FILMS USING MICROSPHERE LITHOGRAPHY
Authors: Domonkos Mária , Ižák Tibor , Štolcová Lucie , Proška Jan , Demo Pavel , Kromka Alexander
Published: November 2014

In this study, the structuring of micro- and nanocrystalline diamond thin ﬁlms is demonstrated. The structuring of the diamond ﬁlms is performed using the technique of microsphere lithography followed by reactive ion etching. Specifically, this paper presents a four-step fabrication process: diamond deposition (microwave plasma assisted chemical vapor deposition), mask preparation (by the standard Langmuir-Blodgett method), mask modification and diamond etching. A self-assembled monolayer of monodisperse polystyrene (PS) microspheres with close-packed ordering is used as the primary template. Then the PS microspheres and the diamond films are processed in capacitively coupled radiofrequency plasma  using different plasma chemistries. This fabrication method illustrates the preparation of large arrays of periodic and homogeneous hillock-like structures. The surface morphology of processed diamond films is characterized by scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscope. The potential applications of such diamond structures in various fields of nanotechnology are also briefly discussed.
ANNEALING OF POLYCRYSTALLINE THIN FILM SILICON SOLAR CELLS IN WATER VAPOUR AT SUB-ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURES
Authors: Pikna Peter , Píč Vlastimil , Benda Vítězslav , Fejfar Antonín
Published: November 2014

Thin film polycrystalline silicon (poly-Si) solar cells were annealed in water vapour at pressures below atmospheric pressure. PN junction of the sample was contacted by measuring probes directly in the pressure chamber filled with steam during passivation. Suns-VOC method and a Lock-in detector were used to monitor an effect of water vapour to VOC of the solar cell during whole passivation process (in-situ). Tested temperature of the sample (55°C – 110°C) was constant during the procedure. Open-circuit voltage of a solar cell at these temperatures is lower than at room temperature. Nevertheless, voltage response of the solar cell to the light flash used during Suns-VOC measurements was good observable. Temperature dependences for multicrystalline wafer-based and polycrystalline thin film solar cells were measured and compared. While no significant improvement of thin film poly-Si solar cell parameters by annealing in water vapour at under-atmospheric pressures was observed up to now, in-situ observation proved required sensitivity to changing VOC at elevated temperatures during the process.
A COMPARISON OF METHODS USING STRAIN GAUGES TO MONITOR PHYSIOLOGICAL MOVEMENTS ON A HOSPITAL BED
Authors: Socha Vladimír , Kutílek Patrik , Smrčka Pavel , Socha Luboš
Published: November 2014

Two methods which are suitable to monitor the small movements of the patient in a horizontal position on the bed are compared. The methods use sensors based on strain gauge bridges configured to measure the torsion deformation and sensors based on strain gauge bridges configured to measure the bending deformation of two two-arm brackets. Both methods provide information about the patient's physiological movements. The methods were tested and compared in order to decide which methods may be most appropriate in clinical practice. The two methods have never been compared before, and the results can be used in development of the new methods of patient monitoring.
TOWARDS EVOLUTIONARY DESIGN OF COMPLEX SYSTEMS INSPIRED BY NATURE
Authors: Vítku Jaroslav , Nahodil Pavel
Published: November 2014

This paper presents first steps towards evolutionary design of complex autonomous systems. The approach is inspired in modularity of human brain and principles of evolution. Rather than evolving neural networks or neural-based systems, the approach focuses on evolving hybrid networks composed of heterogeneous sub-systems implementing various algorithms/behaviors. Currently, the evolutionary techniques are used to optimize weights between predefined blocks (so called Neural Modules) in order to find an agent architecture appropriate for given task. The framework, together with the simulator of such systems is presented. Then, examples of agent architectures represented as hybrid networks are presented. One architecture is hand-designed and one is automatically optimized by means of evolutionary algorithm. Even on such a simple experiment, it can be observed how the evolution is able to pick-up unexpected attributes of the task and exploit them when designing new architecture.
Area MT Encodes Three-Dimensional Motion
Authors: Czuba Thaddeus B. , Huk Alexander C. , Cormack Lawrence K. , Kohn Adam
Published: November 2014

We use visual information to determine our dynamic relationship with other objects in a three-dimensional (3D) world. Despite decades of work on visual motion processing, it remains unclear how 3D directions—trajectories that include motion toward or away from the observer—are represented and processed in visual cortex. Area MT is heavily implicated in processing visual motion and depth, yet previous work has found little evidence for 3D direction sensitivity per se. Here we use a rich ensemble of binocular motion stimuli to reveal that most neurons in area MT of the anesthetized macaque encode 3D motion information. This tuning for 3D motion arises from multiple mechanisms, including different motion preferences in the two eyes and a nonlinear interaction of these signals when both eyes are stimulated. Using a novel method for functional binocular alignment, we were able to rule out contributions of static disparity tuning to the 3D motion tuning we observed. We propose that a primary function of MT is to encode 3D motion, critical for judging the movement of objects in dynamic real-world environments.
The Neural Circuit Mechanisms Underlying the Retinal Response to Motion Reversal
Authors: Chen Eric Y. , Chou Janice , Park Jeongsook , Schwartz Greg , Berry Michael J.
Published: November 2014

To make up for delays in visual processing, retinal circuitry effectively predicts that a moving object will continue moving in a straight line, allowing retinal ganglion cells to anticipate the object's position. However, a sudden reversal of motion triggers a synchronous burst of firing from a large group of ganglion cells, possibly signaling a violation of the retina's motion prediction. To investigate the neural circuitry underlying this response, we used a combination of multielectrode array and whole-cell patch recordings to measure the responses of individual retinal ganglion cells in the tiger salamander to reversing stimuli. We found that different populations of ganglion cells were responsible for responding to the reversal of different kinds of objects, such as bright versus dark objects. Using pharmacology and designed stimuli, we concluded that ON and OFF bipolar cells both contributed to the reversal response, but that amacrine cells had, at best, a minor role. This allowed us to formulate an adaptive cascade model (ACM), similar to the one previously used to describe ganglion cell responses to motion onset. By incorporating the ON pathway into the ACM, we were able to reproduce the time-varying firing rate of fast OFF ganglion cells for all experimentally tested stimuli. Analysis of the ACM demonstrates that bipolar cell gain control is primarily responsible for generating the synchronized retinal response, as individual bipolar cells require a constant time delay before recovering from gain control.
Reward Activates Stimulus-Specific and Task-Dependent Representations in Visual Association Cortices
Authors: Schiffer Anne-Marike , Muller Timothy , Yeung Nick , Waszak Florian
Published: November 2014

Humans reliably learn which actions lead to rewards. One prominent question is how credit is assigned to environmental stimuli that are acted upon. Recent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies have provided evidence that representations of rewarded stimuli are activated upon reward delivery, providing possible eligibility traces for credit assignment. Our study sought evidence of postreward activation in sensory cortices satisfying two conditions of instrumental learning: postreward activity should reflect the stimulus category that preceded reward (stimulus specificity), and should occur only if the stimulus was acted on to obtain reward (task dependency). Our experiment implemented two tasks in the fMRI scanner. The first was a perceptual decision-making task on degraded face and house stimuli. Stimulus specificity was evident as rewards activated the sensory cortices associated with face versus house perception more strongly after face versus house decisions, respectively, particularly in the fusiform face area. Stimulus specificity was further evident in a psychophysiological interaction analysis wherein face-sensitive areas correlated with nucleus accumbens activity after face-decision rewards, whereas house-sensitive areas correlated with nucleus accumbens activity after house-decision rewards. The second task required participants to make an instructed response. The criterion of task dependency was fulfilled as rewards after face versus house responses activated the respective association cortices to a larger degree when faces and houses were relevant to the performed task. Our study is the first to show that postreward sensory cortex activity meets these two key criteria of credit assignment, and does so independently from bottom-up perceptual processing.
Posttraining Ablation of Adult-Generated Olfactory Granule Cells Degrades Odor–Reward Memories
Authors: Arruda-Carvalho Maithe , Akers Katherine G. , Guskjolen Axel , Sakaguchi Masanori , Josselyn Sheena A. , Frankland Paul W.
Published: November 2014

Proliferation of neural progenitor cells in the subventricular zone leads to the continuous generation of new olfactory granule cells (OGCs) throughout life. These cells synaptically integrate into olfactory bulb circuits after ∼2 weeks and transiently exhibit heightened plasticity and responses to novel odors. Although these observations suggest that adult-generated OGCs play important roles in olfactory-related memories, global suppression of olfactory neurogenesis does not typically prevent the formation of odor–reward memories, perhaps because residual OGCs can compensate. Here, we used a transgenic strategy to selectively ablate large numbers of adult-generated OGCs either before or after learning in mice. Consistent with previous studies, pretraining ablation of adult-generated OGCs did not prevent the formation of an odor–reward memory, presumably because existing OGCs can support memory formation in their absence. However, ablation of a similar cohort of adult-generated OGCs after training impaired subsequent memory expression, indicating that if these cells are available at the time of training, they play an essential role in subsequent expression of odor–reward memories. Memory impairment was associated with the loss of adult-generated OGCs that were >10 d in age and did not depend on the developmental stage in which they were generated, suggesting that, once sufficiently mature, OGCs generated during juvenility and adulthood play similar roles in the expression of odor–reward memories. Finally, ablation of adult-generated OGCs 1 month after training did not produce amnesia, indicating that adult-generated OGCs play a time-limited role in the expression of odor–reward memories.
Transiently Increasing cAMP Levels Selectively in Hippocampal Excitatory Neurons during Sleep Deprivation Prevents Memory Deficits Caused by Sleep Loss
Authors: Havekes Robbert , Bruinenberg Vibeke M. , Tudor Jennifer C. , Ferri Sarah L. , Baumann Arnd , Meerlo Peter , Abel Ted
Published: November 2014

The hippocampus is particularly sensitive to sleep loss. Although previous work has indicated that sleep deprivation impairs hippocampal cAMP signaling, it remains to be determined whether the cognitive deficits associated with sleep deprivation are caused by attenuated cAMP signaling in the hippocampus. Further, it is unclear which cell types are responsible for the memory impairments associated with sleep deprivation. Transgenic approaches lack the spatial resolution to manipulate specific signaling pathways selectively in the hippocampus, while pharmacological strategies are limited in terms of cell-type specificity. Therefore, we used a pharmacogenetic approach based on a virus-mediated expression of a Gαs-coupledDrosophilaoctopamine receptor selectively in mouse hippocampal excitatory neuronsin vivo. With this approach, a systemic injection with the receptor ligand octopamine leads to increased cAMP levels in this specific set of hippocampal neurons. We assessed whether transiently increasing cAMP levels during sleep deprivation prevents memory consolidation deficits associated with sleep loss in an object–location task. Five hours of total sleep deprivation directly following training impaired the formation of object–location memories. Transiently increasing cAMP levels in hippocampal neurons during the course of sleep deprivation prevented these memory consolidation deficits. These findings demonstrate that attenuated cAMP signaling in hippocampal excitatory neurons is a critical component underlying the memory deficits in hippocampus-dependent learning tasks associated with sleep deprivation.
Swelling and Eicosanoid Metabolites Differentially Gate TRPV4 Channels in Retinal Neurons and Glia
Authors: Ryskamp Daniel A. , Jo Andrew O. , Frye Amber M. , Vazquez-Chona Felix , MacAulay Nanna , Thoreson Wallace B. , Križaj David
Published: November 2014

Activity-dependent shifts in ionic concentrations and water that accompany neuronal and glial activity can generate osmotic forces with biological consequences for brain physiology. Active regulation of osmotic gradients and cellular volume requires volume-sensitive ion channels. In the vertebrate retina, critical support to volume regulation is provided by Müller astroglia, but the identity of their osmosensor is unknown. Here, we identify TRPV4 channels as transducers of mouse Müller cell volume increases into physiological responses. Hypotonic stimuli induced sustained [Ca2+]ielevations that were inhibited by TRPV4 antagonists and absent inTRPV4−/−Müller cells. Glial TRPV4 signals were phospholipase A2- and cytochrome P450-dependent, characterized by slow-onset and Ca2+waves, and, in excess, were sufficient to induce reactive gliosis. In contrast, neurons responded to TRPV4 agonists and swelling with fast, inactivating Ca2+signals that were independent of phospholipase A2. Our results support a model whereby swelling and proinflammatory signals associated with arachidonic acid metabolites differentially gate TRPV4 in retinal neurons and glia, with potentially significant consequences for normal and pathological retinal function.
PAZARLAMA PERSPEKTİFİNDEN KURUMSAL İTİBARIN ÖLÇÜLMESİ: KARABÜK ÜNİVERSİTESİ’NİN KURUMSAL İTİBARININ ÖĞRENCİLER TARAFINDAN DEĞERLENDİRMELERİNE YÖNELİK BİR UYGULAMA
Authors: FİDAN Yahya , ÇÖL Güner , YURTSEVER Selçuk
Published: November 2014

Son yıllarda dünyada ve Türkiye’de eğitim hizmetlerinde sürekli bir değişimin yaşandığı bilinmektedir. Bu anlamda üniversitelerin öğrenci (müşteri) odaklı hizmet anlayışını benimseyerek; doğru, hızlı, güvenilir, konforlu bir hizmet sunma çabası içine girdikleri görülmektedir. Bu araştırma, Karabük Üniversitesi’nin iç paydaşı konumunda olan öğrencilerin üniversitenin kurumsal itibarını tespit etmeye ve bu değerlendirmeler arasında oluşan farkı belirlemeye yönelik betimsel bir çalışmadır. Eğitim örgütlerindeki iç paydaşların kurumsal itibara ilişkin değerlendirmenin tespit edilmesi ve kurumsal itibarla ilgili bir fark olup olmadığının belirlenmesi amacıyla literatür taraması yapılmış ve kurumsal itibarın ölçümü için geliştirilen kurumsal itibar Ölçeği araştırmada kullanılmıştır. Araştırmanın ana kütlesini, Karabük Üniversitesi’nde eğitim gören öğrencilerin tamamıdır. Bu ana kütleden örnekleme seçilirken ihtimalli örnekleme yöntemlerinden biri olan “Katmanlı Örnekleme” yöntemi kullanılmıştır. Seçilen örneklem grubuna daha önce yapılan çalışmalardan yararlanarak oluşturulan anket formu uygulanmaktadır. Verilerin çözümlenmesinde SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) paket programının 18.0 sürümünden yararlanılmıştır. Anket yoluyla elde edilen verilere Tek Faktörlü Çoklu Varyans Analizi  (MANOVA) uygulanmaktadır. MANOVA analiziyle öğrencilerin demografik ve okul bilgileri dikkate alınarak Karabük Üniversitesi’nin kurumsal itibarını karşılaştırılarak aralarında fark olup olmadığı ölçülmeye çalışılmaktadır
NÖROPAZARLAMA ve UYGULAYICILARIN PERSPEKTİFİYLE ETİK YÖNÜ
Authors: AKIN Selami Mahmut , SÜTÜTEMİZ Nihal
Published: November 2014

Son yıllarda ortaya çıkan nöropazarlama, beynin kişisel tercihlerle ilgili saklı kalmış bilgiler içerdiğini, beyin aktiviteleri ve sözel tercihler arasında ilişki olduğunu varsaymaktadır. Nöropazarlama, bu ilişkiye dayanarak tıpta kullanılan çeşitli teknikleri, tüketiciyi daha iyi anlamak ve pazarlama stratejileri oluşturmak amacıyla kullanmaktadır. Nöropazarlamada kullanılan teknikler, tüketiciler hakkında elde edilen verilerin ticari maksatlı kazançların yükseltilmesi hakkındaki etik kaygılara neden olmaktadır. Bu bağlamda çalışmanın amacı, nöropazarlamayı ve uygulayıcılar perspektifinden etik yönünü ele alarak, şirket yöneticilerinin konuya bakış açışlarını ortaya çıkarmaktır. Bu amaçla, araştırmanın alanını İstanbul’daki nöropazarlama tekniklerini uygulayan pazarlama araştırma şirketleri oluşturmaktadır. Söz konusu şirketlerden ThinkNeuro ve Affectspots bu araştırmaya katılmayı kabul ettiğinden, araştırmanın örneklemi olarak belirlenmiştir. Veriler, iki şirketin yöneticileri ile mülakat yapılarak elde edilmiş ve betimsel analiz sonucu farklı yaklaşımlar olduğu gözlenmiştir. Araştırma sonucunda şirketlerin nöropazarlamaya dair açıklamaları literatürle örtüşmüştür. Şirketlerin nöropazarlamanın etik yönüne dair değerlendirmeleri, etik kuramının teleolojik ve deontolojik yaklaşımlarına göre ele alınmıştır.
The impact of rotating night shifts on the breast milk collection volume among employed breastfeeding mothers
Authors: Huang Chien‐Cheng , Chung Min‐Hsien , Lin Hung‐Jung , Lin Shio‐Jean , Guo How‐Ran , Wang Hsien‐Yi , Su Shih‐Bin , Hsu Chien‐Chin
Published: November 2014

The impact of rotating night shifts on the breast milk collection volume among employed breastfeeding mothers: Chien‐Cheng HUANG, et al. Department of Emergency Medicine, Chi‐Mei Medical Center, Taiwan

Objective

The health benefits of breastfeeding are widely recognized. The World Health Organization recommends exclusive breastfeeding for six months after birth and for two years or longer together with nutritionally adequate complementary foods. To respond to the needs of industry, employed breastfeeding mothers must adapt to the rotating night shift (RNS). However, the RNS is associated with a higher risk of health problems in career women. We investigated the relationship between the RNS and breast milk volume.

Methods

Mothers who used a breastfeeding room while working at a technology company in Taiwan voluntarily participated in this study from March 1 through April 30, 2013. We compared two groups: breastfeeding mothers on (RNS+) and not on a RNS (RNS‐) to determine independent predictors for breast milk volume. We analyzed data from 109 partic ipants: RNS+ group n=56; RNS‐group n=53. Results: There was no significant difference in daily milk collection volume between the groups. Daily milk collection frequency and exclusive breastfeeding were independent predictors for a daily breast milk collection volume >350 ml. Conclusions: The RNS may not affect the breast milk volume. This result may help the government and employers make policies more appropriate for supporting employed breastfeeding mothers.