bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Self‐treating hypoglycaemia: a longitudinal qualitative investigation of the experiences and views of people with Type 1 diabetes
Authors: Lawton J. , Rankin D. , Cooke D. D. , Elliott J. , Amiel S. , Heller S. ,   for the UK NIHR DAFNE Study Group
Published: September 2012

Diabet. Med. 30, 209–215 (2013)

Aims  Despite improvements in insulin therapy, hypoglycaemia remains an inevitable part of life for many people with Type 1 diabetes. Little attention has been paid to how individuals self‐treat hypoglycaemia and their likes and dislikes of clinically recommended treatments. We explored participants’ experiences of self‐treating hypoglycaemia after attending a structured education programme for people with Type 1 diabetes. Our aims were: to identify treatments that are acceptable to people with Type 1 diabetes; and to provide recommendations for promoting self‐treatment in line with clinical guidelines.

Methods  Thirty adults with Type 1 diabetes were recruited from the Dose Adjustment for Normal Eating (DAFNE) programme in the UK. Study participants were interviewed post‐course and 6 and 12 months later, enabling their experiences to be explored over time.

Results  Study participants described a poor knowledge of how to self‐treat hypoglycaemia correctly pre‐course. Post‐course, individuals often struggled to adhere to clinically recommended guidelines because of: panic, disorientation, hunger sensations and consequent difficulties ingesting fixed quantities of fast‐acting carbohydrate; use of sweets to manage hypoglycaemia; reversion to habituated practices when cognitive impairment as a result of hypoglycaemia supervened; difficulties ingesting dextrose tablets; and other people’s anxieties about under‐treatment.

Conclusions  Historical experiences of hypoglycaemia and habituated practices can influence present self‐treatment approaches. Professionals need to be aware of the range of difficulties individuals may experience restricting themselves to fixed quantities of fast‐acting carbohydrate to manage hypoglycaemia. There may be merit in developing a more acceptable range of treatments tailored to people’s own preferences, circumstances and needs.
Ocean eddies, predator pits and bluefin tuna: implications of an inferred ‘low risk–limited payoff’ reproductive scheme of a (former) archetypical top predator
Authors: Bakun Andrew
Published: September 2012

The conventional view of the reproductive ecology of bluefin tunas (Thunnus thynnus, Thunnus orientalis, Thunnus maccoyii) leads to a conceptual paradox. Simple arithmetic yields an expectation for wide variation in annual reproductive success. However, the historical record does not support this prediction. A conclusion would seem to be that a much stronger than usual density dependence must be acting. It is here argued that this strong density dependence may likely occur within small strongly convergent segments of energetically forced ocean eddy structures. Success of the implied ecological scenario requires spawning schools of sufficient size to generate sufficiently copious reproductive product to circumvent resident predator pits, while exerting sufficient predatory loss on resident predators to facilitate this circumvention. This in turn implies existence of a dangerous ‘precipice’ in the form of self‐enhancing feedback loop, lurking unperceived beyond the range of historical experience, and a need for a particular degree of precaution in managing the exploitation of this iconic species.
Expression of efflux pump gene lde in ciprofloxacin‐resistant foodborne isolates of Listeria monocytogenes
Authors: Jiang Xiaobing , Zhou Lijun , Gao Dongwei , Wang Yuxiao , Wang Dapeng , Zhang Zhigang , Chen Miaorui , Su Yongyu , Li Lin , Yan He , Shi Lei
Published: September 2012

The expression of efflux pump gene lde in ciprofloxacin resistant (CipR) and susceptible strains of Listeria monocytogenes collected from retail food samples was investigated. For two CipR strains, the MICs of ciprofloxacin decreased four‐ to eightfold in the presence of reserpine; however, no significant alterations were observed with naturally sensitive isolates. Overexpression of the lde gene induced by ciprofloxacin was observed in two resistant isolates. The present findings indicate that expression of lde and the MICs of ciprofloxacin are well correlated with the presence and absence of reserpine, suggesting that Lde might be involved in ciprofloxacin resistance of L. monocytogenes.
Tramadol and hypoglycaemia: comparison with other step 2 analgesic drugs
Authors: Bourne Cindy , Gouraud Aurore , Daveluy Amélie , Grandvuillemin Aurélie , Auriche Pascal , Descotes Jacques , Vial Thierry ,   French Association of Regional Pharmacovigilance Centres
Published: September 2012

Aims

The risk of hypoglycaemia with tramadol (TRM) is not well described. Our aim was to analyze spontaneous reports of hypoglycaemia registered in the French Pharmacovigilance database and to compare these data with two other step‐2 analgesic drugs.

Methods

Cases of hypoglycaemia associated with TRM, dextropropoxyphene (DXP) and codeine (COD) recorded between 1997 and November 2010 in the French pharmacovigilance database were compared.

Results

Seventy‐two cases of hypoglycaemia associated with DXP and 43 with TRM were retained for evaluation (the single case reported with COD was not further considered). Most patients were elderly people with no significant difference in age between DXP‐ and TRM‐treated patients (71.2 ± 21 vs. 69.4 ± 22.5 years). Hypoglycaemia occurred after a median of 4 and 5 days with DXP and TRM treatment, respectively. The mean lowest serum glucose concentration was 2.1 ± 0.9 mmol l−1 in the DXP group compared with 2.5 ± 1 mmol l−1 in the TRM group (P = 0.072). At least, one risk factor of hypoglycaemia was found in most patients, with no significant difference between groups (58.3% in the DXP group and 58.1% in the TRM group). In particular, 31.9% patients from the DXP group had diabetes compared with 41.8 % from the TRM group (P = 0.28) and 18% of DXP patients had renal insufficiency compared with 16.3% of TRM patients (P = 0.8).

Conclusions

Our study confirms that TRM is associated with the occurrence of hypoglycaemia in elderly or predisposed patients, with characteristics similar to those previously reported with DXP.
Biophysical patterns in benthic assemblage composition across contrasting continental margins off New Zealand
Authors: Compton Tanya J. , Bowden David A. , Roland Pitcher C. , Hewitt Judi E. , Ellis Nick
Published: September 2012

Aim

To examine whether benthic assemblages are more diverse in a region of high topographic and oceanographic complexity by comparing benthic invertebrate assemblages across continental margins with contrasting environments.

Location

Challenger Plateau and Chatham Rise, to the west and east of New Zealand, respectively.

Methods

Benthic faunal data were sourced from extensive seabed surveys in 2007, when both margins were sampled with an epibenthic sled and a towed video system. Three methods were used to investigate benthic assemblages in relation to environmental variables: one based on individual species distribution models (SDMs) using boosted regression trees analysis (BRT), and two community‐based modelling methods using generalized dissimilarity modelling (GDM) and gradient forest analysis (GF), respectively. Each method was used to model and predict the turnover in assemblages with respect to environment – the ‘biophysical patterns’ – across the study region.

Results

Across Chatham Rise, a complex oceanographic environment arising from steep gradients in productivity and temperature at the Subtropical Front produced a high diversity of assemblages associated with the sub‐Antarctic water mass, the Subtropical Front, steep‐sloping regions and fast tidal currents. In contrast, Challenger Plateau lies entirely beneath a single (subtropical) water mass, and assemblage diversity was lower, with a distinctive assemblage on the plateau itself and a deep‐water assemblage similar to the northern deep‐water assemblage of Chatham Rise. Across both regions, assemblage turnover was fastest in cold waters, at shallow depths and in deep mixed layers.

Main conclusions

Benthic assemblages were more varied on Chatham Rise than on Challenger Plateau, supporting the hypothesis that environmentally heterogeneous margins have higher assemblage diversity. Differing assemblages on the northern and southern flanks of Chatham Rise suggest a biogeographical boundary for benthic taxa across the Subtropical Front. These results demonstrate that oceanographically and topographically complex margins have a diverse assemblage structure that should be considered in planning for the sustainable management of diversity.
Smoking cessation and serious mental illness: a service evaluation of a drop‐in stop smoking clinic on an acute in‐patient unit
Authors: Robson Debbie , Cole Fiona , Jalasi Sally , Boojharut Bhimla , Smith Sharon , Thompson Sibi , Jones Martin , Haddad Mark
Published: September 2012

Aims and objectives.  To evaluate the effect of a stop smoking clinic on the quit rates of patients admitted to an acute in‐patient unit.

Background.  The relationship between poor physical health and severe mental illness is well established. High rates of smoking appear to play an important causal role in the excess morbidity and mortality in this population. Stop smoking interventions for the general population are clinically effective and cost‐effective. There is a small but promising evidence base for effective interventions to help people with a mental illness who wish to stop smoking but these have mostly been tested with community patients rather than acute in‐patients.

Methods.  A service evaluation of a drop‐in stop smoking clinic on an acute mental health in‐patient unit was conducted. Patients’ smoking status was measured at baseline and four weeks after their quit date using patient self‐report and an expired breath carbon monoxide reading.

Results.  Over a six‐month evaluation period, 46 patients set a quit date and 13 (28·3%) were abstinent at the four‐week follow‐up stage, verified by a carbon monoxide reading (χ2 = 33, df = 1, sig p < 0·0001).

Conclusions.  This small‐scale evaluation has shown a drop‐in stop smoking intervention to be feasible, acceptable and associated with positive outcomes; further research with larger, more representative samples is required.

Relevance to clinical practice.  Enforcing smoke‐free legislation is a contentious issue on mental health in‐patient units, and there is a paucity of research to guide nursing practice in this area. An admission period in a smoke‐free environment provides a crucial opportunity to offer smoking cessation treatment. With appropriate resources, expertise and support, it appears possible to apply smoking cessation interventions that are successful within the general population to mental health patients during an acute admission.
Are serum and urine neutrophil gelatinase‐associated lipocalin predictive of renal graft function in short term?
Authors: Rahimzadeh Nahid , Otukesh Hasan , Hoseini Rozita , Sorkhi Hadi , Otukesh Morvarid , Hoseini Sara , Torkzaban Mina
Published: September 2012

Rahimzadeh N, Otukesh H, Hoseini R, Sorkhi H, Otukesh M, Hoseini S, Torkzaban M. Are serum and urine NGAL predictive of renal graft function in short term?

Abstract:  NGAL is a member of the lipocalin protein family that has diverse function but similar structure. The functions of NGAL are not clear, but it appears to be expressed in stress conditions and in tissues undergoing involution. Varied studies have shown increased levels of plasma or urinary NGAL in diverse renal damages. The aim of this study was the serial measurement of serum and urinary NGAL within the first week after renal transplantation in children to predict immediate and short‐term graft function. A total of 27 patients were assessed. These patients were classified into those with rapid reduction in serum creatinine (more than 50% reduction in serum creatinine in the first day after transplantation) and patients with slow reduction in serum creatinine (<50% reduction in serum creatinine). We also assessed the absolute reduction in serum creatinine before and after transplantation. Serum and urinary NGAL on the first day post‐transplantation were higher in recipients with slow reduction in serum creatinine (urinary NGAL at the first day: 197 ± 153 [s.e.m.] vs. 22.54 ± 8.5 [s.e.m.], p = 0.04; serum NGAL at the first day: 199 vs. 69.8, p = 0.003). The cutoff point of serum NGAL at the first day after transplantation for prediction of slow creatinine reduction was 174 ng/mL with a sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 95.5%. However, we did not find association between the absolute reduction in serum creatinine before and after transplantation with the amount of serum and urinary NGAL post‐transplant. Additionally, we did not find any effect of high serum and urine NGAL concentration on the graft function at the first year post‐transplant. Although it is supposed that high serum and urine NGAL may predict ischemia of graft in early phases; however, it appears that this mild ischemic injury to graft without DGF or SGF cannot affect the graft function in short‐term period. Further studies are needed using larger transplant recipients in pediatric age group. It is also needed to determine the effects of mild ischemic injuries on the graft function in long‐term period in future studies.
Extrahepatic portal vein aneurysm after liver transplantation in a child: Case report
Authors: Molinares Beatriz , Álvarez Sergio , García Vanessa , Sepúlveda Maria Elsy , Yepes Nora Luz , Peláez Sebastián
Published: September 2012

Molinares B, Álvarez S, García V, Sepúlveda ME, Yepes NL, Peláez S. Extrahepatic portal vein aneurysm after liver transplantation in a child: Case report.

Abstract:  Portal vein aneurysms are very rare and represent <3% of all venous aneurysms. They can be congenital or acquired. Most patients do not have liver disease at diagnosis. Although uncommon, portal vein aneurysm has been described after liver transplant. We report the case of a six‐yr‐old girl who presented with an aneurysm of the extrahepatic portal vein after segmental liver transplantation. Because the patient was asymptomatic and owing to its extrahepatic location, this aneurysm has been successfully followed by clinical exam and imaging for four yr.
Haemodynamic optimisation in lower limb arterial surgery: room for improvement?
Authors: BISGAARD J. , GILSAA T. , RØNHOLM E. , TOFT P.
Published: September 2012

Background

Goal‐directed therapy has been proposed to improve outcome in high‐risk surgery patients. The aim of this study was to investigate whether individualised goal‐directed therapy targeting stroke volume and oxygen delivery could reduce the number of patients with post‐operative complications and shorten hospital length of stay after open elective lower limb arterial surgery.

Methods

Forty patients scheduled for open elective lower limb arterial surgery were prospectively randomised. The LiDCO™plus system was used for haemodynamic monitoring. In the intervention group, stroke volume index was optimised by administering 250 ml aliquots of colloid intraoperatively and during the first 6 h post‐operatively. Following surgery, fluid optimisation was supplemented with dobutamine, if necessary, targeting an oxygen delivery index level ≥ 600 ml/min/m2 in the intervention group. Central haemodynamic data were blinded in control patients. Patients were followed up after 30 days.

Results

In the intervention group, stroke volume index, and cardiac index were higher throughout the treatment period (45 ± 10 vs. 41 ± 10 ml/m2, P < 0.001, and 3.19 ± 0.73 vs. 2.77 ± 0.76 l/min/m2, P < 0.001, respectively) as well as post‐operative oxygen delivery index (527 ± 120 vs. 431 ± 130 ml/min/m2, P < 0.001). In the same group, 5/20 patients had one or more complications vs. 11/20 in the control group (P = 0.05). After adjusting for pre‐operative and intraoperative differences, the odds ratio for ≥ 1 complications was 0.18 (0.04–0.85) in the intervention group (P = 0.03). The median length of hospital stay did not differ between groups.

Conclusion

Perioperative individualised goal‐directed therapy may reduce post‐operative complications in open elective lower limb arterial surgery.
Naloxone infusion and post‐hysterectomy morphine consumption: a double‐blind, placebo‐controlled study
Authors: MOVAFEGH A. , SHOEIBI G. , ANSARI M. , SADEGHI M. , AZIMARAGHI O. , AGHAJANI Y.
Published: September 2012

Background

The evidence that an infusion of a low dose of naloxone reduces post‐operative pain and opioid analgesic consumption is somewhat conflicting. Thus, the aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of an ultra‐low dose of naloxone on patient‐controlled morphine analgesia.

Methods

Ninety patients, 35–55 years old, scheduled for total abdominal hysterectomy, were enrolled in this prospective, randomized, double‐blind and placebo‐controlled study. Post‐operatively, they received either saline (n = 45) or naloxone (n = 45) for 24 h. A standard general anesthesia was administered in both groups. In the recovery room, patients received morphine by a patient‐controlled analgesia device. An ultra‐low dose of naloxone was infused intravenously at 0.25 μg/kg/h for 24 h in the intervention group. Saline was infused in the control group. Following the surgery, morphine consumption, numeric rating score for pain intensity, nausea and vomiting, pruritus, and requests for antiemetic were recorded at baseline, 30 min, 1, 4, 8,16, 20, and 24 h following their discharge from recovery.

Results

Naloxone reduced morphine consumption over the first 24 post‐operative hours significantly compared with the controls (saline) {19.5 [standard deviation (SD) 3.4] mg vs. 27.5 [SD 5.9] mg; P < 0.001}. The incidence and severity of nausea and vomiting was significantly reduced in the naloxone group. The incidence of pruritus and the pain scores at rest and activity were not significantly different.

Conclusion

Following hysterectomy, an ultra‐low dose of naloxone infusion proved to reduce morphine consumption as well as the incidence and severity of opioid‐induced nausea and vomiting.
Early molecular responses of bone to obstructive nephropathy induced by unilateral ureteral obstruction in mice
Authors: GU SA‐SA , ZHANG YAN , WU SHU‐YAN , DIAO TENG‐YUE , GEBRU YOSEPH ASMELASH , DENG HONG‐WEN
Published: September 2012

Aim:  This study was performed to address the bone injury and the early molecular responses of bone to obstructive nephropathy induced by unilateral ureteral obstruction in mice.

Methods:  The male mice were subjected to unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO, n = 10) or sham operation (n = 10). All mice were killed on day 7 after the surgical operation. Hematoxylin and eosin and tartate‐resistant acid phosphatase staining were performed on paraffin‐embedded bone sections. Expression of genes and proteins was analyzed by reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction, and Western blotting and immunohistochemistry staining, respectively.

Results:  The serum calcium level was significantly reduced in UUO mice compared with that of Sham mice. The proximal tibia of UUO mice exhibited the increased expansion of chondrocytes zone, the reduction of osteoid content, and the increased separation and disconnection of woven bones. Reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction results showed the downregulation of Cbfa1 and Col mRNA expression and the upregulation of Tgf‐β, CtsK, CaII, Opg and Rankl mRNA expression in tibia of UUO mice compared to those of Sham mice. The ratio of Opg and Rankl was unchanged between Sham and the UUO group. Local protein expression of angiotensin II and its type 2 receptor was dramatically upregulated in tibia of UUO mice.

Conclusion:  Together, it is concluded that the obstructive nephropathy has defective effects on bone, and the underlying mechanisms are the reduction of bone formation and the increase of bone resorption, which is mediated, at least partially through local angiotensin II signalling.
Surgical pulmonary embolectomy: mid‐term outcomes
Authors: Marshall Lachlan , Mundy Julie , Garrahy Paul , Christopher Sannah , Wood Annabelle , Griffin Rayleene , Shah Pallav
Published: September 2012

Background

Despite the widespread use of venous thromboembolism (VTE) prophylaxis in hospitalized patients, pulmonary embolism continues to occur. Massive pulmonary embolism is associated with a high mortality. Surgical embolectomy has traditionally been reserved for cases with haemodynamic collapse or where thrombolysis is contraindicated or has failed.

Methods

Data on 10 patients who underwent surgical embolectomy (40% male, mean age 49 years (range 25–72)) from January 2003 to February 2010 were prospectively collected and retrospectively analysed.

Results

Diagnosis was made using computed tomography pulmonary angiography in eight patients and echocardiography in two. Syncope was the most common presenting symptom (7 out of 10, 70%) and relative immobilization was the most common risk factor (7 out of 10, 70%). Four patients (40%) suffered preoperative cardiac arrest, with a further two on induction of anaesthesia. Thirty‐day mortality was 4 out of 10 (40%), with one late death. Mean follow‐up of five survivors was 39 months and included clinic review or telephone interview, SF‐36 questionnaire for quality of life, transthoracic echocardiography for right ventricular (RV) function and respiratory function testing. All survivors received an inferior vena cava filter and 6 months of anticoagulation with no cases of recurrent thromboembolism. RV systolic dysfunction was severe in all cases prior to surgery, but improved to near normal at follow‐up.

Conclusions

Survivors had good quality of life, were functionally NYHA class I–II with normal respiratory function.
Operating principles for running a clinical quality registry: are they feasible?
Authors: Ogilvy Michelle , Kollias James
Published: September 2012

Background

The National Breast Cancer Audit (NBCA) was one of six national registries selected by open tender to test and validate the draft Operating Principles and Technical Standards for Australian Clinical Quality Registries. The standardization proposed by the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care through this initiative sought to improve the overall efficiency and function of registries, as well as compatibility between registries. The NBCA's role involved testing, and implementing where possible, the proposed principles and standards in the NBCA environment so as to validate them in an operating registry.

Methods

The forty‐two draft operating principles were evaluated by the NBCA based on four factors: relevance to the audit, feasibility of implementation by the audit, extent of difficulty in implementation and extent of improvement. An evaluation of the technical standards was also conducted.

Results

At the completion of the project, the audit met 27 of the 42 draft principles with only three principles marked as entirely unfeasible or not relevant to the NBCA. The remaining principles were either in the process of being implemented, implemented in part or awaiting discussion through governance channels.

Conclusion

A revised principles and standards document has been produced. This will have a significant impact on quality of care in Australia as more audits and registries use it as a guide. Changes implemented at the NBCA have enhanced the audit as a tool for improving the quality of care received by early breast cancer patients.
Outcome of arthroscopic treatment for cam type femoroacetabular impingement in adolescents
Authors: Tran Phong , Pritchard Michael , O'Donnell John
Published: September 2012

Background

Hip arthroscopy has become an established procedure in adults with well‐published results. These techniques have been extended to the teenage population, but the literature remains limited in regard to indications, efficacy, outcomes and complications specific to the paediatric population.

Hypothesis/purpose

The purpose of this study was to report the short‐term outcome of the arthroscopic treatment of cam‐type femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) in the skeletally immature adolescent population with open growth plates, with the hypothesis that it is a safe procedure, with good clinical outcomes and low complication rates.

Study design

The study design of this article was a multicentre prospective longitudinal case series.

Methods

From 2008–2009, 34 consecutive patients who were 18 years or younger at the date of operation (41 hips) with open proximal femoral growth plates had arthroscopic hip surgery for treatment of cam‐type FAI and associated lesions by use of the lateral decubitus position by two surgeons. Data were collected prospectively including the modified Harris hip score (MHHS), nonarthritic hip score (NAHS), satisfaction survey and complications. Mean follow‐up was 14 months (range 1–2 years).

Results

All hips were available for review. The mean age of patients was 15.7 years with the most common sport activity being Australian Football League, netball and rugby. All patients had cam‐type impingement, with the most common associated lesions being acetabular rim lesions (82.9%) and pincer impingement (22%). The labrum underwent debridement in 31.7% of cases, and was repaired in 17.1%. The MHHS and NAHS improved in all patients post‐operatively, 77.39–94.15 and 76.34–93.18, respectively. A percentage of 78.1 were able to return to full sporting activity and 88.2% were satisfied with the operation. There were no complications.

Conclusions

Using hip arthroscopy to treat cam‐type impingement and associated lesions in the adolescent population, we confirmed our hypothesis with observed high satisfaction levels, return to sports, significant improvement in post‐operative hip scores (MHHS and NAHS) and no complications.
Atypical subtrochanteric fractures, bisphosphonates, blinded radiological review
Authors: Warren Christopher , Gilchrist Nigel , Coates Mark , Frampton Chris , Helmore Joy , McKie John , Hooper Gary
Published: September 2012

Background

Recent reports have suggested that a certain type of subtrochanteric and diaphyseal femoral fractures maybe associated with bisphosphonate (BP) therapy. We assessed the association between BP use in atypical and typical femoral fractures in a retrospective study and also looked at the rate of coding errors.

Methods

All cases between July 2003 and June 2008 with International Classification of Disease, 10th revision discharge codes for femoral fractures (S72.2 subtrochanteric and S72.3 fracture of shaft of femur) were reviewed. Cases were excluded if there was significant trauma, underlying bone disease or coding error. The remaining cases’ films were assessed by an independent, blinded, single radiologist to assess for atypical features (thickened cortices, transverse fractures, medial cortical spike) with additional exclusion criteria of periprosthetic fractures and bone pathology. Odds ratios were calculated comparing BP use in atypical and typical fractures.

Results

Six atypical fractures were found in the study period. Compared with the 65 typical fractures, there was an association between BP use and atypical fractures (odds ratio 5.5) but it did not reach statistical significance (0.97–31). Atypical femoral fractures accounted for <0.1% of total fracture admissions during this period. There was a 20% rate of miscoding.

Conclusion

This study shows a nonsignificant trend towards alendronate/BP use and atypical femoral fractures compared with typical femoral fractures. These fractures were rare <0.1% and the benefit and treatment of osteoporosis with BPs currently seems likely to outweigh the perceived risks. Individual case and radiology review is important as coding errors were frequent.
Managing potential conflict of interest in journal article publication
Authors: O'Brien Louise , Lakeman Richard , O'Brien Anthony
Published: September 2012

The issue of potential conflict of interest and its risk to professional integrity in journal article publication has been strongly debated in medical circles. Most medical journals adhere to international requirements for disclosure of potential conflict of interest. The debate on this issue in nursing, and specifically mental health nursing, has been neither prolific nor strong, despite nursing's potential to influence particular viewpoints about treatment and indeed to prescribe particular treatments; and nursing being a target for pharmaceutical industry marketing. The purpose of this paper is to raise debate about potential conflict of interest in journal article publication and to make recommendations for the management of such potential for this journal.
Integrated co‐regulation of bacterial arsenic and phosphorus metabolisms
Authors: Kang Yoon‐Suk , Heinemann Joshua , Bothner Brian , Rensing Christopher , McDermott Timothy R.
Published: September 2012

Arsenic ranks first on the US Environmental Protection Agency Superfund List of Hazardous Substances. Its mobility and toxicity depend upon chemical speciation, which is significantly driven by microbial redox transformations. Genome sequence‐enabled surveys reveal that in many microorganisms genes essential to arsenite (AsIII) oxidation are located immediately adjacent to genes coding for functions associated with phosphorus (Pi) acquisition, implying some type of functional importance to the metabolism of As, Pi or both. We extensively document how expression of genes key to AsIII oxidation and the Pi stress response are intricately co‐regulated in the soil bacterium Agrobacterium tumefaciens. These observations significantly expand our understanding of how environmental factors influence microbial AsIII metabolism and contribute to the current discussion of As and P metabolism in the microbial cell.
Ocular abnormalities in healthy Standardbred foals
Authors: Barsotti Giovanni , Sgorbini Micaela , Marmorini Paola , Corazza Michele
Published: September 2012

Objective To determine the prevalence and describe ocular abnormalities in healthy Standardbred foals within 48 h of birth.

Animals One hundred and two neonatal foals.

Procedures All foals had an unassisted delivery. On the basis of physical examination and the results of hematological and biochemical parameters, all foals were unaffected by systemic diseases. A complete ophthalmic examination was performed within 48 h of birth. Foals with ocular hemorrhages were re‐examined weekly until the abnormalities were resolved.

Results 65/102 (63.7%) foals did not show ocular abnormalities, while in 37/102 (36.3%) cases, ocular abnormalities were present. Retinal and subconjunctival hemorrhages were recorded in 19/102 (18.6%), and in 13/102 (12.7%), respectively. In 4/102 (3.9%) animals, an entropion of the lower eyelid was present. Only one foal (1%) showed a congenital nuclear unilateral cataract. No other ocular abnormalities were detected. However, all foals showed various degrees of remnants of hyaloid system. One week after the first ocular examination, retinal hemorrhages had resolved in 100% of the eyes, whereas subconjunctival hemorrhages had disappeared in all eyes by the second week following the first examination.

Conclusions The acquired ocular lesions observed with relatively high frequency in the examined healthy Standardbred foals were ocular hemorrhages, which always showed a good outcome. Although these abnormalities were present at birth, they were not considered strictly congenital but likely acquired during parturition. Instead, congenital ocular abnormalities were rarely diagnosed, and the entropion of the lower eyelid was the most common disease in the breed.
EMOTIONS IN TEXT: DIMENSIONAL AND CATEGORICAL MODELS
Authors: Calvo Rafael A. , Mac Kim Sunghwan
Published: September 2012

Text often expresses the writer's emotional state or evokes emotions in the reader. The nature of emotional phenomena like reading and writing can be interpreted in different ways and represented with different computational models. Affective computing (AC) researchers often use a categorical model in which text data are associated with emotional labels. We introduce a new way of using normative databases as a way of processing text with a dimensional model and compare it with different categorical approaches. The approach is evaluated using four data sets of texts reflecting different emotional phenomena. An emotional thesaurus and a bag‐of‐words model are used to generate vectors for each pseudo‐document, then for the categorical models three dimensionality reduction techniques are evaluated: Latent Semantic Analysis (LSA), Probabilistic Latent Semantic Analysis (PLSA), and Non‐negative Matrix Factorization (NMF). For the dimensional model a normative database is used to produce three‐dimensional vectors (valence, arousal, dominance) for each pseudo‐document. This three‐dimensional model can be used to generate psychologically driven visualizations. Both models can be used for affect detection based on distances amongst categories and pseudo‐documents. Experiments show that the categorical model using NMF and the dimensional model tend to perform best.
DATA‐DRIVEN ANALYSIS OF EMOTION IN TEXT USING LATENT AFFECTIVE FOLDING AND EMBEDDING
Authors: Bellegarda Jerome R.
Published: September 2012

Submitted to Special Issue on “Computational Approaches to Analysis of Emotion in Text”

Guest editors:Diana InkpenandCarlo Strapparava

Initial publication:NAACL‐HLT 2010 Workshop on Computational Approaches to Analysis and Generation of Emotion in Text, June 5, 2010, Los Angeles, CA

Though data‐driven in nature, emotion analysis based on latent semantic analysis still relies on some measure of expert knowledge to isolate the emotional keywords or keysets necessary to the construction of affective categories. This makes it vulnerable to any discrepancy between the ensuing taxonomy of affective states and the underlying domain of discourse. This paper proposes a more general strategy which leverages two separate semantic levels: one that encapsulates the foundations of the domain considered, and one that specifically accounts for the overall affective fabric of the language. Exposing the emergent relationship between these two levels advantageously informs the emotion classification process. Empirical evidence suggests that this approach is promising for automatic emotion analysis in text. This bodes well for its deployability in a variety of applications, such as sentiment prediction.
Biharmonic Coordinates
Authors: Weber Ofir , Poranne Roi , Gotsman Craig
Published: September 2012

Barycentric coordinates are an established mathematical tool in computer graphics and geometry processing, providing a convenient way of interpolating scalar or vector data from the boundary of a planar domain to its interior. Many different recipes for barycentric coordinates exist, some offering the convenience of a closed‐form expression, some providing other desirable properties at the expense of longer computation times. For example, harmonic coordinates, which are solutions to the Laplace equation, provide a long list of desirable properties (making them suitable for a wide range of applications), but lack a closed‐form expression.

We derive a new type of barycentric coordinates based on solutions to the biharmonic equation. These coordinates can be considered a natural generalization of harmonic coordinates, with the additional ability to interpolate boundary derivative data. We provide an efficient and accurate way to numerically compute the biharmonic coordinates and demonstrate their advantages over existing schemes. We show that biharmonic coordinates are especially appealing for (but not limited to) 2D shape and image deformation and have clear advantages over existing deformation methods.
‘To Fill in the Missing Piece of the Middletown Puzzle’: Lessons from Re-Studying Middletown
Authors: Lassiter Luke Eric
Published: September 2012

This paper revisits The Other Side of Middletown, a collaborative ethnography written by a group of faculty, students and African Americans living in Muncie, Indiana – the town made famous by Robert and Helen Lynd in their 1929 original study, Middletown, and its 1937 follow-up, Middletown in Transition. Our re-study (published in 2004) addressed the lack of African American history and experience in the Lynds' works and in the Middletown literature that has materialized since then. Employing a collaborative approach to research and writing, the lines between researchers and research participants were considerably blurred: community members, students and faculty collaborated on research design, cooperatively lined out the study's overall questions, and together wrote and edited the final manuscript. Thus, working at the nexus between community and university, the study prompted multiple opportunities to complicate research methods, expand public scholarship and, importantly, augment teaching and learning between and among faculty, students and local communities. Reflections written by project participants in the book itself and in various published venues since its completion, for example, share an emphasis on how the partnership changed views of and experiences with race relations, community and university. With this in mind, I describe the particular social and relational contexts in which The Other Side of Middletown project first developed; elaborate its connections to the Lynds' original Middletown studies; summarize our study's approach and findings; and offer a few of the more salient lessons that materialized from our work: especially those that attend to issues of collaborative research, community engagement and shared pedagogies.
Families, Communities and Social Change: Then and Now
Authors: Charles Nickie
Published: September 2012

At the beginning of the 1960s, Colin Rosser and Chris Harris worked together on a community study in Swansea, south Wales, UK. It explored how families, in particular extended families, had been affected by social change since the early years of the 20th century. The re-study, which began in 2001, investigated the nature of social change and how it had affected extended families in the four decades since 1960. Research that is framed in terms of contemporary sociological theory asks different questions from those that were asked in the 1950s when structural functionalism was the dominant paradigm. The re-study, which replicated (as far as possible) the methodology of the original study, asked similar questions to those that had been asked in 1960. This meant that, inadvertently, it relied on a Durkheimian conception of society and social change. In this article I explore some of the methodological implications of asking the same research questions 40 years apart and reflect on how the two studies differ in the way they address issues of ‘race’/ethnicity, gender and social class. I suggest that asking the same questions allows an appreciation of the continuities as well as changes in how family and community are experienced.
Ethnographic Returning, Qualitative Longitudinal Research and the Reflexive Analysis of Social Practice
Authors: O'Reilly Karen
Published: September 2012

This paper makes the argument that ethnographic returning, in which ethnographers return to their field over time, and which is an engaged and long-term ethnography, can be considered a form of longitudinal qualitative study that can inform a reflexive analysis of the practice, or unfolding, of social life. Longitudinal qualitative studies have been designed as longitudinal at the outset and therefore have a specific focus on temporality, processes and social change. They often have an implicit theory of social change informing the analyses. Re-studies revisit the field site or community, and update or challenge the work of earlier researchers. These also tend to focus on change, if not so much on processes or time. Though their work is rarely labelled longitudinal, it is also quite common for ethnographers to return to the field and their (changing) communities over time, and here some focus on change is also inevitable. I call this ethnographic returning. All such temporal approaches require a constructive and positive approach to reflexivity, in which research is enhanced by acknowledgement that the social world, the academic world and the personal world of the researcher are intermingled and co-created through the ongoing process of social life. But, more than this, reflexivity needs to be relocated within a theory of the reflexive nature of social life (a theory of practice). I illustrate, through my own work, and drawing on the wider field of study on British migration to Spain, the contribution that participant observation and ethnographic returning can make to this endeavour.
HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATIONS AND THE DEMAND FOR LOCAL LAND USE REGULATION
Authors: Cheung Ron , Meltzer Rachel
Published: September 2012

Residents pay into Homeowners Associations (HOAs) to exert greater control over service provision, their properties and those of their neighbors. HOAs enforce restrictions governing land use within their boundaries, but theory is ambiguous about their impact on public land use. By combining two novel data sets on Florida HOAs and municipal regulations, we examine how HOAs affect public land use regimes for 232 cities. We find that the prevalence of HOAs is positively associated with a propensity for regulation, as are newer and bigger HOAs. Also, HOAs are positively associated with land use techniques that direct development through incentives, rather than mandates.
Ultrasound assessment of oxaliplatin‐induced neuropathy and correlations with neurophysiologic findings
Authors: Briani C. , Campagnolo M. , Lucchetta M. , Cacciavillani M. , Dalla Torre C. , Granata G. , Bergamo F. , Lonardi S. , Zagonel V. , Cavaletti G. , Ermani M. , Padua L.
Published: September 2012

Background and purpose

Chemotherapy‐induced peripheral neuropathy is a major adverse effect of oxaliplatin (OXL) treatment. Whereas neurophysiologic study is commonly used to assess the occurrence and severity of polyneuropathies, ultrasound (US) analysis of the peripheral nerves, an emerging technique in the study of peripheral nerve diseases, has never been used in chemotherapy‐induced peripheral neuropathy.

Patients and methods

Fifteen patients (four women; 11 men; mean age, 60.1 ± 10.6 years; median, 62; range, 37–75) with colorectal cancer treated with OXL‐based treatment have been clinically and neurophysiologically evaluated before and after OXL therapy. At the end of chemotherapy, all patients underwent also nerve US study at four limbs, and the findings correlated with clinical and neurophysiologic measures.

Results

Clinical and neurophysiological evaluation showed that 13 of 15 (86.7%) patients developed sensory axonal neuropathy, 10 of whom severe (two or more sensory nerve action potential amplitude absent and the other amplitudes decreased of ≥50%). Nerve US did not reveal decreased cross‐sectional area (CSA), a reported finding in axonal neuropathies. Instead increased CSA at entrapment sites (median nerve at wrist and ulnar nerve at elbow) was found in 09/15 (60%) of patients.

Discussion

Sensory axonal neuropathy is a very common complication of OXL therapy, affecting almost 90% of patients. US findings of enlargement of median and ulnar nerves, mostly at entrapment sites, in patients with no history or symptoms of neuropathies at recruitment, and no neurophysiologic evidence of entrapment, may be expression of increased, OXL‐induced, nerve susceptibility to mechanical damage. An ongoing prospective study will help clarify these findings.
Two ways to overcome social uncertainty in social support networks: A test of the emancipation theory of trust by comparing kin/nonkin relationships
Authors: ISHIGURO ITARU , OKAMOTO YOICHI
Published: September 2012

Many findings of previous research have supported the predictions of the emancipation theory of trust (Yamagishi, 2011) in experimental settings. Although the key concept of the theory is social uncertainty, few studies of the concept have been conducted in natural settings. In the present study, we operationally defined social uncertainty by comparing kin and nonkin relationships. We analyzed survey data representative of the Japanese population and compared the exchange of social support between kin and nonkin. The prediction was that commitment helps respondents construct cooperative nonkin relationships more than it does kin relationships, and general trust helps only resource‐rich respondents to do so. The results supported the predictions. The study found significant interactions with relationship type × commitment and relationship type × household income × general trust. The patterns of mean score for social support exchanged were consistent with the predictions. High trusters with low household income exchanged more support independent of the relationship type.
Categorization difficulty is associated with negative evaluation in the “uncanny valley” phenomenon
Authors: YAMADA YUKI , KAWABE TAKAHIRO , IHAYA KEIKO
Published: September 2012

Human observers often experience strongly negative impressions of human‐like objects falling within a particular range of visual similarity to real humans (the “uncanny valley” phenomenon). We hypothesized that negative impressions in the uncanny valley phenomenon are related to a difficulty in object categorization. We produced stimulus images by morphing two of each of real, stuffed, and cartoon human face images (Experiment 1). Observers were asked to categorize each of these images as either category and evaluated the likability of the image. The results revealed that the longest latency, the highest ambiguity in categorization, and the lowest likability score co‐occurred at consistent morphing percentages. Similar results were obtained even when we employed stimulus images that were created by morphing two of each of real, stuffed, and cartoon dog images (Experiment 2). However, the effect of categorization difficulty on evaluation was weak when two real human faces were morphed (Experiment 3). These results suggest that the difficulty in categorizing an object as either of two dissimilar categories is linked to negative evaluation regardless of whether the object is human‐related or not.
The Effect of Religious‐Based Mentoring on Educational Attainment: More than Just a Spiritual High?
Authors: Erickson Lance D. , Phillips James W.
Published: September 2012

Although research has found a positive relationship between various forms of adolescent religious involvement and educational outcomes, little research has examined connections to educational attainment. Using a nationally representative sample of youth (the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health—Add Health), we examine the extent to which adolescent religiosity facilitates educational attainment (i.e., high school completion and college enrollment) and whether informal mentorships formed during adolescence with religious and nonreligious adults can help explain the link between adolescent religious involvement and educational attainment. The findings confirm that, like academic outcomes, religious youth are more likely to complete high school and enroll in college even when controlling for other individual and interpersonal factors that affect educational attainment. Furthermore, informal mentorships, particularly those with adults who have official religious positions (e.g., priest, minister, rabbi) play an important role in college enrollment.