bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Performance of Convivencia: Communities of Tolerance and the Reification of Toleration
Authors: Boum Aomar
Published: March 2012

This article argues that Medieval Islamic Spain (with its mythical era of Convivencia) has been selectively used as a “moral past” to highlight the possibilities of Jewish‐Muslim interfaith dialogue and religious toleration in our times. Using Morocco as a case study, I claim that interfaith dialogue in the Arab World has largely taken place at elite levels rather than among common people or in schools. Accordingly, the conceptual image of al‐Andalus remains solely a connective memory that establishes what I call the performance of Convivencia. The Arab political elite has not yet been able to connect the celebrated myth of toleration with the present realities of racism, prejudice and stereotyping to give younger adults a new frame of understanding difference and otherness.
Gender and duration of untreated psychosis: a systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Cascio Maria Teresa , Cella Matteo , Preti Antonio , Meneghelli Anna , Cocchi Angelo
Published: March 2012

Aim: Duration of untreated psychosis (DUP) can influence the prognosis of schizophrenia. Previous studies have suggested that gender may influence the length of DUP. This study reports the result of the first systematic literature review and meta‐analysis on the role of gender in influencing DUP in first‐episode psychosis.

Method: Systematic literature search in PubMed/Medline and Ovid/PsychINFO. Twenty‐seven studies presenting data on 4721 patients diagnosed with psychosis at their first episode (2834 males and 1887 females) were included in the analysis.

Results: Samples had a higher proportion of males: odds ratio = 2.5 (95% confidence interval: 1.8–3.3). Mean age at first contact was 25.4 for males and 27.5 for females. Patients from non‐Western countries were older at first contact than patients from Western countries. Average DUP in schizophrenia was 64 weeks and did not differ between genders but was shorter in Western compared with non‐Western countries.

Conclusion: Earlier age at first contact and larger incidence in males support the existence of specific gender differences in first‐episode psychosis; however, these are not associated with DUP length.
A bacterial reporter panel for the detection and classification of antibiotic substances
Authors: Melamed Sahar , Lalush Chaim , Elad Tal , Yagur‐Kroll Sharon , Belkin Shimshon , Pedahzur Rami
Published: March 2012

The ever‐growing use of pharmaceutical compounds, including antibacterial substances, poses a substantial pollution load on the environment. Such compounds can compromise water quality, contaminate soils, livestock and crops, enhance resistance of microorganisms to antibiotic substances, and hamper human health. We report the construction of a novel panel of genetically engineered Escherichia coli reporter strains for the detection and classification of antibiotic substances. Each of these strains harbours a plasmid that carries a fusion of a selected gene promoter to bioluminescence (luxCDABE) reporter genes and an alternative tryptophan auxotrophy‐based non‐antibiotic selection system. The bioreporter panel was tested for sensitivity and responsiveness to diverse antibiotic substances by monitoring bioluminescence as a function of time and of antibiotic concentrations. All of the tested antibiotics were detected by the panel, which displayed different response patterns for each substance. These unique responses were analysed by several algorithms that enabled clustering the compounds according to their functional properties, and allowed the classification of unknown antibiotic substances with a high degree of accuracy and confidence.
Extending and Expanding Parenthood: Parental Support to Young Adult Children
Authors: Sage Rayna Amber , Johnson Monica Kirkpatrick
Published: March 2012

Today’s transition to adulthood in the United States is complex and drawn out. Current economic and social conditions favor young workers who have completed post‐secondary education, resulting in many young adults delaying exiting the family home, marriage, and parenthood. The role of parental support (both affective and instrumental) in navigating this period of development is becoming increasingly important and plays a substantial role in reproducing inequality across generations. Informed by the life course perspective, this review provides readers with a basic understanding of what types of support parents provide, when it is expected and received, and finally, how it is related to attainment and the quality of the parent–child relationship throughout young adulthood. We conclude with a discussion of how class differences in intergenerational support intersect with institutional factors to enhance the reproduction of inequality and how the new demands for parental support throughout young adulthood is more than many families can provide.
Social Movements, Protest and Mainstream Media
Authors: McCurdy Patrick
Published: March 2012

This article provides a broad, cross‐disciplinary overview of scholarship which has explored the dynamics between social movements, protests and their coverage by mainstream media across sociology, social movement studies, political science and media and communications. Two general approaches are identified ‘representational’ and ‘relational’ research. ‘Representational’ scholarship is that which has concerned itself with how social movements are portrayed or ‘framed’ in the media, how the media production process facilitates this, and the consequences thereof. ‘Relational’ scholarship concentrates on the asymmetrical ‘relationship’ between social movements, the contestation of media representation and the media strategies of social movements. Within these two broad approaches different perspectives and areas of emphasis are highlighted along with their strengths and weaknesses. The conclusion reflects on current developments in this area of study and offers avenues for future research.
Can a Knowledge Sanctuary also be an Economic Engine? The Marketization of Higher Education as Institutional Boundary Work
Authors: Nickolai Daniel H. , Hoffman Steve G. , Trautner Mary Nell
Published: March 2012

Universities, particularly research‐intensive ones, have responded to a variety of external and internal influences by retooling their missions, culture, and organizational structures to generate revenue from market opportunities. This has resulted in the marketization of higher education: organizational practices that blur the boundary between knowledge‐driven and profit‐driven institutions. This blurring has spurred debates and uncertainties over the scope and boundaries of the 21st century university. We argue that these debates spring from institutional boundary work at the intersection of the three main missions of the contemporary academy: knowledge production, student learning, and satisfying the social charter. These missions can sometimes create areas of synergy, but also tensions that are particularly acute where market logics and business‐oriented practices contradict academic values. Within knowledge production, a key dilemma is the extent to which knowledge advancement should aim for transcendence versus revenue generation. Within student learning, the dilemma involves incommensurability between the ideals of democratic citizenship and demonstrable return on investment. Within the social charter mission, the dilemma is over whether the university can serve the public welfare while also facilitating the growth of local and national economies.
Work and Family in the 21st Century: Four Research Domains
Authors: Wharton Amy S.
Published: March 2012

During the last half of the 20th century, married women with children moved into the labor force in large numbers. This change, which occurred throughout the industrialized world, dramatically altered work, family, and gender roles. Working parents today juggle demanding jobs and busy family lives and find it increasingly difficult to balance these activities. Work‐family conflict has become a pressing social issue. This article examines four areas of social science research on work and family, including: work‐family conflict, spillover, and multiple roles; work‐family policies in organizations; effects of work on family life; and cross–national research on work and family. Although much is known about all of these topics, more research is needed to address the work‐family challenges of the 21st century.
The Social Life of the Senses: Charting Directions
Authors: Low Kelvin E.Y.
Published: March 2012

Sensory scholarship in the fields of sociology, anthropology, history and geography, among others, has proliferated in the last few decades. Sensory works in these disciplines argue for the senses as social, highlighting important insights that further our comprehension of selfhood, culture, and social relations. In this paper, I delineate five interrelated sections that inform how sensory works have developed over time. In the first section, I provide an adumbrated background with regard to the hierarchy of the senses, and call attention to the need to move beyond the hegemony of vision. The second section offers a discussion on how Sociology has contributed to sensory studies, addressed alongside other disciplines. Building upon these two sections, both theoretical directions and methodological issues will be deliberated in the third and fourth sections respectively. The last section locates the development of sensory research in organizational terms, by elucidating upon the various institutional efforts that have been pursued towards organizing sensory research and scholarly publications through different avenues. The article then concludes by putting forward the concept of sensory transnationalism as a suggestion for the next step forward towards broadening sensory research.
Agency and Internal Capital Market Inefficiency: Evidence from Banking Organizations
Authors: Holod Dmytro
Published: March 2012

Using banking data, I provide evidence that agency problems are at the root of internal capital market inefficiency. I find that publicly traded bank holding companies (BHCs) are less efficient in their internal capital allocation than nonpublicly traded BHCs. This suggests that the divergence of interests between the chief executive officer and the shareholders is an important source of the internal capital misallocation. I also demonstrate that BHCs incorporating a tiered organizational structure are less efficient than nontiered BHCs, but only within a sample of BHCs that are publicly traded. These findings imply that a greater degree of rent‐seeking activity by division managers contributes to internal capital market inefficiency only if the top manager is an agent. This is consistent with theoretical models that explain internal capital misallocations through the multiple layers of agency within an organization.
Efficacy of reduction therapy of natural human β‐interferon and ribavirin in elderly patients with chronic hepatitis C, genotype 2 and high virus load
Authors: Arase Yasuji , Suzuki Yoshiyuki , Suzuki Fumitaka , Akuta Norio , Sezaki Hitomi , Kawamura Yusuke , Kobayashi Masahiro , Imai Norihiro , Seko Yuya , Hosaka Tetsuya , Matsumoto Naoki , Saito Satoshi , Ikeda Kenji , Kobayashi Mariko , Kumada Hiromitsu
Published: March 2012

Aim:  To evaluate the efficacy of natural human interferon (IFN)‐β and ribavirin in elderly patients infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 2 and high virus load.

Methods:  Inclusion criteria were age of 65 years or older, HCV genotype 2 and serum HCV RNA level of 5.0 logIU/mL or more. A total of 33 were enrolled in this retrospective cohort study. IFN‐β was administrated i.v. at a dose of 6 million units daily for 4 weeks initially, followed by three times a week for 20 weeks. Ribavirin was given daily for 24 weeks at the dose described based on bodyweight. Fifteen patients were given a standard dose of ribavirin (standard group). Eighteen patients were given a reduction dose of ribavirin that decreased by one tablet per day compared to the standard group (reduction group).

Results:  Of the 33 study patients, no patient stopped the treatment due to treatment‐related adverse events. The dose of IFN‐β was reduced in three patients: Two patients belonged to the standard group and one patient belonged to the reduction group. The dose of ribavirin was reduced in 11 patients during combination therapy: nine patients belonged to the standard group and two patients belonged to the reduction group. The sustained virological response (SVR) was 72.2% (13/18) in the reduction group and 80.0% (12/15) in the standard group. There was no significant difference in SVR rate between the reduction and standard groups (P = 0.699).

Conclusion:  The reduction therapy of IFN‐β and ribavirin in elderly chronic hepatitis C patients with genotype 2 and high virus load is one selection of treatment.
Efficacy of the regimen using twice‐daily β‐interferon followed by the standard of care for chronic hepatitis C genotype 1b with high viral load
Authors: Ishikawa Toru , Kubota Tomoyuki , Abe Hiroyuki , Nagashima Aiko , Hirose Kanae , Togashi Tadayuki , Seki Keiichi , Honma Terasu , Yoshida Toshiaki , Kamimura Tomoteru
Published: March 2012

Aim:  In patients with refractory genotype 1b chronic hepatitis C with high viral loads, we retrospectively compared the efficacy of standard of care treatment (SOC: combined PEG‐IFN‐α‐2b/ribavirin for 48 weeks) and a regimen in which 2 weeks of SOC induction was replaced by twice‐daily β‐interferon alone (IFN‐β induction therapy).

Methods:  Seventeen patients received the IFN‐β induction therapy plus SOC (IFN‐β induction group) and 13 patients received SOC alone (SOC group).

Results:  In the IFN‐β induction group and SOC group, early virological response (EVR) rates were 88.2% and 53.8%, respectively. The end of treatment rates were 100.0% and 92.3%, and sustained virological response (SVR) rates were 70.6% and 53.8%, respectively. By induction with IFN‐β, even in refractory cases, the high virus negative conversion rate in the early treatment phase and actions of pegylated IFN‐α‐2b and ribavirin in the maintenance treatment phase led to an additive effect. In the analysis of contributing factors, only the achievement of EVR was associated with a significant difference in SVR (P = 0.0011). The univariate logistic regression analysis showed that only IFN‐β treatment was associated with a significant difference in EVR (P = 0.0492, odds ratio = 6.248, 95% confidence interval = 1.026–40.252), whereas no significant factors were found in the multivariate analysis due to small samples.

Conclusion:  IFN‐β induction therapy with higher EVR might be beneficial for protease inhibitor‐refractory chronic hepatitis C patients.
Interleukin-22 Drives Endogenous Thymic Regeneration in Mice
Authors: Dudakov Jarrod A. , Hanash Alan M. , Jenq Robert R. , Young Lauren F. , Ghosh Arnab , Singer Natalie V. , West Mallory L. , Smith Odette M. , Holland Amanda M. , Tsai Jennifer J. , Boyd Richard L. , van den Brink Marcel R. M.
Published: March 2012

IL-22 Protects the Thymus

One of the side effects associated with radiation treatment and some types of chemotherapy is damage to the thymus. Immunological T cells develop in the thymus, and so damage to this organ results in immunodeficiency and increased susceptibility to infectious disease. Although the organ eventually recovers, therapies that speed this recovery process are of interest.

Dudakov
et al.

(p.
91
, published online 1 March; see the Perspective by

Bhandoola and Artis

) now show in mice that interleukin-22 (IL-22) production in the thymus is increased in response to radiation damage and that this cytokine promotes thymic repair. After radiation treatment, IL-23 production by thymic dendritic cells induced IL-22 secretion by a population of radio-resistant innate lymphoid cells. IL-22 appeared to mediate its effects by promoting the survival and proliferation of thymic epithelial cells.
Crystal Structure of Human Enterovirus 71
Authors: Plevka Pavel , Perera Rushika , Cardosa Jane , Kuhn Richard J. , Rossmann Michael G.
Published: March 2012

The structure of a virus linked to neurological disease reveals how drugs targeting viruses in this family can be modified.
Energy Capture from Thermolytic Solutions in Microbial Reverse-Electrodialysis Cells
Authors: Cusick Roland D. , Kim Younggy , Logan Bruce E.
Published: March 2012

Waste Not

The organic matter in wastewater is a potentially vast and sustainable energy source; however, most wastewater treatment plants consume energy.

Cusick
et al.

(p.
1474
, published online 1 March) combined a microbial fuel cell with a reverse-electrodialysis system to boost the voltage output and the power density over a simple microbial fuel cell. The use of ammonium bicarbonate as a fuel for reverse electrodialysis while microorganisms simultaneously turn organic matter into electricity not only allows for the capturing of waste heat, but could eventually produce enough energy to offset the energy used in conventional wastewater treatment systems.
Silicon Isotope Evidence Against an Enstatite Chondrite Earth
Authors: Fitoussi Caroline , Bourdon Bernard
Published: March 2012

Building Blocks of Earth

Earth formed from an explosive and energetic series of collisions that accreted material over millions of years. Comparisons between rocks from Earth's interior and more primitive extraterrestrial samples can help tease apart the composition of Earth's starting material; however, discrepancies between the abundance of certain elements or their isotope ratios often obscure their origin.
Fitoussi and Bourdon
(p.
1477
, published online 1 March) analyzed the silicon isotopes of a suite of rocks from chondritic meteorites and the Moon to reconcile some of the previous models. By tuning Earth accretion models to account for these Si isotope signatures, enstatite chondrites could be ruled out as the sole end-member composition for bulk Earth. Instead, a heterogeneous mixture of several types of chondritic meteorites is more likely.
Screening of healthcare workers for tuberculosis: development and validation of a new health economic model to inform practice
Authors: Eralp Merve Nazli , Scholtes Stefan , Martell Geraldine , Winter Robert , Exley Andrew Robert
Published: March 2012

Background

Methods for determining cost-effectiveness of different treatments are well established, unlike appraisal of non-drug interventions, including novel diagnostics and biomarkers.

Objective

The authors develop and validate a new health economic model by comparing cost-effectiveness of tuberculin skin test (TST); blood test, interferon-gamma release assay (IGRA) and TST followed by IGRA in conditional sequence, in screening healthcare workers for latent or active tuberculosis (TB).

Design

The authors focus on healthy life years gained as the benefit metric, rather than quality-adjusted life years given limited data to estimate quality adjustments of life years with TB and complications of treatment, like hepatitis. Healthy life years gained refer to the number of TB or hepatitis cases avoided and the increase in life expectancy. The authors incorporate disease and test parameters informed by systematic meta-analyses and clinical practice. Health and economic outcomes of each strategy are modelled as a decision tree in Markov chains, representing different health states informed by epidemiology. Cost and effectiveness values are generated as the individual is cycled through 20 years of the model. Key parameters undergo one-way and Monte Carlo probabilistic sensitivity analyses.

Setting

Screening healthcare workers in secondary and tertiary care.

Results

IGRA is the most effective strategy, with incremental costs per healthy life year gained of £10 614–£20 929, base case, £8021–£18 348, market costs TST £45, IGRA £90, IGRA specificities of 99%–97%; mean (5%, 95%), £12 060 (£4137–£38 418) by Monte Carlo analysis.

Conclusions

Incremental costs per healthy life year gained, a conservative estimate of benefit, are comparable to the £20 000–£30 000 NICE band for IGRA alone, across wide differences in disease and test parameters. Health gains justify IGRA costs, even if IGRA tests cost three times TST. This health economic model offers a powerful tool for appraising non-drug interventions in the market and under development.
Psychosocial consequences of allocation to lung cancer screening: a randomised controlled trial
Authors: Aggestrup Louise Mosborg , Hestbech Mie Sara , Siersma Volkert , Pedersen Jesper Holst , Brodersen John
Published: March 2012

Objective

To examine the psychosocial consequences of being allocated to the control group as compared with the screen group in a randomised lung cancer screening trial.

Method

The Danish Lung Cancer Screening Trial, a randomised controlled trial, ran from 2004 to 2010 with the purpose of investigating the benefits and harms of lung cancer screening. The participants in Danish Lung Cancer Screening Trial were randomised to either the control group or the screen group and were asked to complete the questionnaires Consequences Of Screening and Consequences Of Screening in Lung Cancer (COS-LC). The Consequences Of Screening and the COS-LC were used to examine the psychosocial consequences of participating in the study, by comparing the control and the screen groups' responses at the prevalence and at the incidence round.

Results

There was no statistically significant difference in socio-demographic characteristics or smoking habits between the two groups. Responses to the COS-LC collected before the incidence round were statistically significantly different on the scales ‘anxiety’, ‘behaviour’, ‘dejection’, ‘self-blame’, ‘focus on airway symptoms’ and ‘introvert’, with the control group reporting higher negative psychosocial consequences. Furthermore, the participants in both the control and the screen groups exhibited a mean increase in negative psychosocial consequences when their responses from the prevalence round were compared with their responses from the first incidence round.

Conclusions

Participation in a randomised controlled trial on lung cancer screening has negative psychosocial consequences for the apparently healthy participants—both the participants in the screen group and the control group. This negative impact was greatest for the control group.
Physicians who experience sickness certification as a work environmental problem: where do they work and what specific problems do they have? A nationwide survey in Sweden
Authors: Ljungquist Therese , Arrelöv Britt , Lindholm Christina , Wilteus Anna Löfgren , Nilsson Gunnar H , Alexanderson Kristina
Published: March 2012

Objectives

In a recent study, 11% of the Swedish physicians below 65 years dealing with sickness certification tasks (SCT) experienced SCT to a great extent as a work environment problem (WEP). This study aimed at exploring which SCT problems those physicians experienced and if these problems varied between general practitioners (GPs), psychiatrists, orthopaedists and physicians working at other types of clinics.

Design

A cross-sectional nationwide questionnaire study.

Setting

All physicians working in Sweden in 2008.

Participants

The 1554 physicians <65 years old, working in a clinical setting, having SCT and stating SCT to a great extent being a WEP.

Outcome measures

Frequency of possibly problematic situations or lack of time, reasons for sickness certifying unnecessarily long, experience of difficulties in contacts with sickness insurance offices, and severity of experienced problems.

Results

In all, 79% of this group of physicians experienced SCT as problematic at least once weekly, significantly higher proportion among GPs (p<0.001) and psychiatrists (p=0.005). A majority (at most 68.3%) experienced lack of time daily, when handling SCT, the proportion being significantly higher among orthopaedists (p=0.003, 0.007 and 0.011 on three respective items about lack of time). Among psychiatrists, a significantly higher proportion (p<0.001) stated wanting a patient coordinator. Also, GPs agreed to a higher extent (p<0.001) to finding 14 different SCT tasks as ‘very problematic’.

Conclusions

The main problem among physicians who experience SCT to a great extent as a WEP was lack of time related to SCT. The proportion of physicians experiencing problems varied in many aspects significantly between the different work clinics; however, GPs were among the highest in most types of problems. The results indicate that measures for improving physicians' sickness certification practices should be focused on organisational as well as professional level and that the needs in these aspects differ between specialties.
Evidence base for an intervention to maximise uptake of glaucoma testing: a theory-based cross-sectional survey
Authors: Prior Maria , Burr Jennifer M , Ramsay Craig R , Jenkinson David , Campbell Susan , Francis Jillian J ,   for the Glaucoma screening Platform Study group
Published: March 2012

Objective

To identify factors associated with intention to attend a hypothetical eye health test and provide an evidence base for developing an intervention to maximise attendance, for use in studies evaluating glaucoma screening programmes.

Design

Theory-based cross-sectional survey, based on an extended Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) and the Common Sense Self-Regulation Model, conducted in June 2010.

Participants

General population including oversampling from low socioeconomic areas.

Setting

Aberdeenshire and the London Boroughs of Lewisham and Southwark, UK.

Results

From 867 questionnaires posted, 327 completed questionnaires were returned (38%). In hierarchical regression analysis, the three theoretical predictors in the TPB (Attitude, Subjective norm and Perceived Behavioural Control) accounted for two-thirds of the variance in intention scores (adjusted R2=0.65). All three predictors contributed significantly to prediction. Adding ‘Anticipated regret’ as a factor in the TPB model resulted in a significant increase in prediction (adjusted R2=0.74). In the Common Sense Self-Regulation Model, only illness representations about the personal consequences of glaucoma (How much do you think glaucoma would affect your life?) and illness concern (How concerned are you about getting glaucoma?) significantly predicted. The final model explained 75% of the variance in intention scores, with ethnicity significantly contributing to prediction.

Conclusions

In this population-based sample (including over-representation of lower socioeconomic groupings), the main predictors of intention to attend a hypothetical eye health test were Attitude, Perceived control over attendance, Anticipated regret if did not attend and black ethnicity. This evidence informs the design of a behavioural intervention with intervention components targeting low intentions and predicted to influence health-related behaviours.
Should identical CVD risks in young and old patients be managed identically? Results from two models
Authors: Liew Su May , Jackson Rod , Mant David , Glasziou Paul
Published: March 2012

Objectives

To assess whether delaying risk reduction treatment has a different impact on potential life years lost in younger compared with older patients at the same baseline short-term cardiovascular risk.

Design

Modelling based on population data.

Methods

Potential years of life lost from a 5-year treatment delay were estimated for patients of different ages but with the same cardiovascular risk (either 5% or 10% 5-year risk). Two models were used: an age-based residual life expectancy model and a Markov simulation model. Age-specific case fatality rates and time preferences were applied to both models, and competing mortality risks were incorporated into the Markov model.

Results

Younger patients had more potential life years to lose if untreated, but the maximum difference between 35 and 85 years was <1 year, when models were unadjusted for time preferences or competing risk. When these adjusters were included, the maximum difference fell to about 1 month, although the direction was reversed with older people having more to lose.

Conclusions

Surprisingly, age at onset of treatment has little impact on the likely benefits of interventions that reduce cardiovascular risk because of the opposing effects of life expectancy, case fatality, time preferences and competing risks. These findings challenge the appropriateness of recommendations to use lower risk-based treatment thresholds in younger patients.
Comparison of screening strategies to improve the diagnosis of latent tuberculosis infection in the HIV-positive population: a cohort study
Authors: Pollock Katrina M , Tam Herman , Grass Lisa , Bowes Sharleen , Cooke Graham S , Pareek Manish , Montamat-Sicotte Damien , Kapembwa Moses , Taylor Graham P , Lalvani Ajit
Published: March 2012

Background

HIV is the most important risk factor for progression of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) to active tuberculosis (TB). Detection and treatment of LTBI is necessary to reduce the increasing burden of TB in the UK, but a unified LTBI screening approach has not been adopted.

Objective

To compare the effectiveness of a TB risk-focused approach to LTBI screening in the HIV-positive population against current UK National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidance.

Design

Prospective cohort study.

Setting

Two urban HIV treatment centres in London, UK.

Participants

114 HIV-infected individuals with defined TB risk factors were enrolled prospectively as part of ongoing studies into HIV and TB co-infection.

Outcome measures

The yield and case detection rate of LTBI cases within the research study were compared with those generated by the NICE criteria.

Results

17/114 (14.9%, 95% CI 8.3 to 21.5) had evidence of LTBI. Limiting screening to those meeting NICE criteria for the general population (n=43) would have detected just over half of these, 9/43 (20.9%, 95% CI 8.3 to 33.5) and those meeting criteria for HIV co-infection (n=74) would only have captured 8/74(10.8%, 95% CI 3.6 to 18.1) cases. The case detection rates from the study and NICE approaches were not significantly different. LTBI was associated with the presence of multiple TB risk factors (p=0.002).

Conclusion

Adoption of a TB risk-focused screening algorithm that does not use CD4 count stratification could prevent more cases of TB reactivation, without changing the case detection rate. These findings should be used to inform a large-scale study to create unified guidelines.
Public support for tobacco control policy extensions in Western Australia: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Rosenberg Michael , Pettigrew Simone , Wood Lisa , Ferguson Renee , Houghton Stephen
Published: March 2012

Objectives

Policy makers seeking to introduce new tobacco control measures need to anticipate community support to assist them in planning appropriate implementation strategies. This study assessed community support for plain packaging and smoking bans in outdoor locations in Australia.

Design

Analytical cross-sectional survey.

Setting and participants

2005 Western Australian adults participated in a computer-assisted telephone interview. Random household telephone numbers were used to obtain a representative sample.

Outcome measures

Support for plain packaging of cigarettes and smoking bans at outdoor venues by demographic characteristics.

Results

Around half of the survey respondents supported plain packaging and almost a further quarter reported being neutral on the issue. Only one in three smokers disagreed with the introduction of a plain packaging policy. A majority of respondents supported smoking bans at five of the six nominated venues, with support being strongest among those with children under the age of 15 years. The venues with the highest levels of support were those where smoke-free policies had already been voluntarily introduced by the venue managers, where children were most likely to be in attendance, and that were more limited in size.

Conclusions

The study results demonstrate community support for new tobacco control policies. This evidence can be used by public policy makers in their deliberations relating to the introduction of more extensive tobacco control regulations.
Management of cancer-associated thrombosis in people with advanced disease
Authors: Noble Simon , Johnson Miriam J
Published: March 2012

The management of venous thromboembolism in the cancer population is clearly established. Low molecular weight heparin has a greater efficacy than warfarin in the treatment of cancer-associated thrombosis and is recommended as the preferred therapy. However, the evidence informing these recommendations excluded patients with poor prognosis or performance status, thrombocytopenia, bleeding or brain metastases. Furthermore, there is limited data on the management of venous thromboembolism resistant to anticoagulation, a phenomenon frequently encountered in the advanced cancer population. This paper will review the management of cancer-associated thrombosis with a particular focus on challenging clinical situations faced by palliative care teams looking after patients with advanced disease.
Barriers to providing end-of-life care for people with dementia: a whole-system qualitative study
Authors: Dening Karen Harrison , Greenish Wendy , Jones Louise , Mandal Uttara , Sampson Elizabeth L
Published: March 2012

Objectives

People with dementia may experience poor quality end-of-life care. The complex health and social care system may not meet their needs. The authors' objectives were to identify perceived and real barriers that prevent people with dementia and their carers receiving end-of-life care of acceptable quality.

Methods

A whole-system qualitative study as part of a rapid participatory appraisal. The authors used semistructured interviews and focus groups with recently bereaved family carers of a person with dementia and a wide range of health and social care staff (50 participants). Thematic content analysis was used to analyse data and to identify barriers.

Results

Five areas were identified as barriers to providing good end-of-life care: impact of hospitalisation, care pathways, advance care planning, impact on carers, staff skills and training. A wide range of health and social professionals provided end-of-life care to people with dementia but with little coordination or knowledge of each other's activity or remit. Care was fragmented and ad hoc leading to crises and inappropriate hospital admissions. Staff lacked confidence and requested more training. Many of the identified barriers were underpinned by feelings of uncertainty regarding disease trajectory and the perceived futility of interventions. Areas of good practice were specialist nurse support to family carers and ‘in reach’ to nursing homes.

Conclusions

Qualitative methods of service evaluation facilitated a broader and deeper understanding of a range of perspectives, which, with other components of rapid participatory appraisal, generated potential solutions to improve care.
Long-term trends in reproductive and demographic parameters of female Northwest Atlantic hooded seals (Cystophora cristata): population responses to ecosystem change?
Authors: Frie Anne Kirstine , Stenson Garry B. , Haug Tore
Published: March 2012

More than 2500 ovaries were collected from Northwest Atlantic hooded seals ( Cystophora cristata (Erxleben, 1777)) in the period 1956–2006 during moulting (data blocks: 1956–1960, 1970–1972, 1978), postmoulting (data blocks: 1990–1994, 1996–2006), and whelping (data blocks: 1967–1972, 1973–1976, 1979, 1983–1987, 1989–1995). Mean age at primiparity (MAP) was estimated as the mean age of females with a single corpus albicans or a corpus luteum from a postimplantation pregnancy. MAP was stable at 4.2–4.5 years during 1956–1978, increasing to 4.9–5.2 years in 1979 and to 6.1 years in 1989–1995 (later data insufficient). Patterns of corpus accumulation indicated occasional skipped pregnancies. This may have affected the accuracy of MAP estimates but not the main trends. Declining proportions of parae younger than 10 years after 1979 are consistent with effects of delayed maturation, reduced adult hunting mortality, and (or) increased juvenile mortality. From the 1990s, declining adult pregnancy rates are suggested by decreasing trends in proportions of older multiparae (8+) and other ovary-based proxies for pregnancy rates. Hooded seal abundance was largely stable from 1960 to the mid-1990s and changes in population parameters over this period are therefore more likely due to effects of ecosystem change on per-capita resource levels than population-mediated density dependence.
Is mother condition related to offspring condition in migratory caribou (Rangifer tarandus) at calving and weaning?
Authors: Taillon J. , Brodeur V. , Festa-Bianchet M. , Côté S.D.
Published: March 2012

Maternal characteristics can affect offspring traits, yet they are seldom included when considering density dependence of juvenile traits and population dynamics. We quantified the influence of population size and maternal traits on body condition of migratory caribou ( Rangifer tarandus (L., 1758)) calves at birth and weaning. We contrasted female–calf pairs of the Rivière-George (RG) herd, which has recently declined to low population size, with pairs of the much larger Rivière-aux-Feuilles (RAF) herd. Calves of the RAF herd were lighter, smaller, and leaner than calves of the RG herd at both birth and weaning. Differences between herds, however, were much greater at weaning than at calving, suggesting a combined effect of herd size and summer range conditions on calf growth. Maternal mass was positively related to calf body condition during both periods. The positive influence of maternal mass on calf body condition was greater for RAF than RG calves at birth, but it was similar for the two herds at weaning. Our results show that the negative effect of population size on calf body condition can be modulated by maternal mass at calving, and that the positive effect of maternal mass is greater at weaning.
Assessment of the status and viability of a population of moose (Alces alces) at its southern range limit in Ontario
Authors: Murray Dennis L. , Hussey Karen F. , Finnegan Laura A. , Lowe Stacey J. , Price Glynis N. , Benson John , Loveless Karen M. , Middel Kevin R. , Mills Ken , Potter Derek , Silver Andrew , Fortin Marie-Josée , Patterson Brent R. , Wilson Paul J.
Published: March 2012

Factors affecting the distribution and abundance of animals are of substantial interest, and across most of their southern range, populations of moose ( Alces alces (L., 1758)) are declining, presumably because of climate change. Conditions favouring moose population decline versus numerical increase in select areas of the range are not well understood. During 2006–2009, we tested the hypothesis that moose in southern Ontario formed a viable population near the species’ southern range limit, despite occurrence of climate patterns apparently deleterious for population growth. Our study upheld each of our predictions: (i) high pregnancy rate (83.0%) and annual female survival rate (0.899 (0.859, 0.941; 95% CI)), indicating that the population was increasing (λ = 1.16); (ii) female moose having blood-based condition indices within normal range, despite larger than expected home-range size; and (iii) levels of genetic differentiation indicating that the population was part of a larger metapopulation of moose in the region. We surmise that moose in southern Ontario currently are not subject to the prevalent continental decline, likely owing to favourable site-specific climatic conditions. Future research should elaborate on why select southern moose populations are increasing and whether they will ultimately succumb to die off as effects of climate change become increasingly pronounced.
When a beetle is too small to carry phoretic mites? A case of hydrophilid beetles (Coleoptera: Hydrophilidae) andUropoda orbicularis(Acari: Mesostigmata)
Authors: Bajerlein D. , Przewoźny M.
Published: March 2012

The aim of our study was to determine the limit of a beetle’s body size below which it is not able to carry phoretic mites. We tested the hypothesis that body size of the carrier is the vital factor in selecting a host in mites with facultative and nonspecific phoresy. The study was conducted on beetles of the family Hydrophilidae and deutonymphs of the mite Uropoda orbicularis (Müller, 1776). Among 20 species of hydrophilids collected, only 7 carried deutonymphs. The smallest hydrophilids with body lengths below 2.32 mm did not carry deutonymphs. These were Cercyon analis (Paykull, 1798), Cercyon nigriceps (Marsham, 1802), Cercyon pygmaeus (Illiger, 1801), Cercyon terminatus (Marsham, 1802), Cryptopleurum crenatum (Kugelann, 1794), Cryptopleurum minutum (Fabricius, 1775), Cryptopleurum subtile Sharp, 1884, and Megasternum concinnum (Marsham, 1802). On the contrary, the largest beetles, of the genus Sphaeridium Fabricius, 1775, were most heavily and frequently occupied by phoretic deutonymphs. Most representatives of the genus Cercyon Leach, 1817 did not carry mites or had a very low mite burden. Our study indicates that beetle infestation by nonspecific phoretic mites is strongly influenced by beetle body size.
Comparing body condition of moose (Alces alces) selected by wolves (Canis lupus) and human hunters: consequences for the extent of compensatory mortality
Authors: Sand H. , Wikenros C. , Ahlqvist P. , Strømseth T.H. , Wabakken P.
Published: March 2012

Predators commonly select prey of inferior quality compared with the average animals found in the population. Consequently, predation may often be compensatory to other sources of mortality. We tested whether wolves ( Canis lupus L., 1758) in Scandinavia selected moose in poor body condition by comparing mandibular marrow fat (MMF) of wolf-killed moose ( Alces alces (L., 1758)) with harvested moose. Model selection analyses indicated that MMF levels were lower for wolf-killed moose compared with harvested moose, but an unbalanced sample design between years for the two causes of death (wolves and harvest) may have confounded a clear interpretation of the results. Nevertheless, corrected MMF levels (to 1 April) showed that a significantly (p = 0.006) higher proportion of the wolf-killed calves (18.5%) were below the level often assumed to reflect acute malnutrition (<20% MMF) compared with harvested moose calves (3.3%). For wolf-killed yearlings and adult females, 5.6% and 8.3%, respectively, had MMF below this level compared with 0% for harvested individuals. As a result, 15.1% of the total number of wolf-killed moose and 1.6% of the harvested moose during winter appear to be compensatory to mortality from starvation. Differences in body condition, and thus levels of compensatory mortality, found between wolf-killed and harvested moose in this study may reflect a stronger selection for individuals in poor body condition by wolves.
Free-ranging eastern chipmunks (Tamias striatus) infected with bot fly (Cuterebra emasculator) larvae have higher resting but lower maximum metabolism
Authors: Careau V. , Garant D. , Humphries M.M.
Published: March 2012

Given the ubiquity and evolutionary importance of parasites, their effect on the energy budget of mammals remains surprisingly unclear. The eastern chipmunk ( Tamias striatus (L., 1758)) is a burrowing rodent that is commonly infected by cuterebrid bot fly ( Cuterebra emasculator Fitch, 1856) larvae. We measured resting metabolic rate (RMR) and cold-induced Vo2-max (under heliox atmosphere) in 20 free-ranging individuals, of which 4 individuals were infected by one or two larva. We found that RMR was significantly higher in chipmunks infected by bot fly larvae (mean ± SE = 0.88 ± 0.05 W) than in uninfected individuals (0.74 ± 0.02 W). In contrast, Vo2-max was significantly lower in chipmunks infected by bot fly larvae (4.96 ± 0.70 W) than in uninfected individuals (6.37 ± 0.16 W). Consequently, the aerobic scope (ratio of Vo2-max to RMR) was negatively correlated with the number of bot fly larvae (infected individuals = 5.74 ± 1.03 W; noninfected individuals = 8.67 ± 0.26 W). Finally, after accounting for the effects of body mass and bot fly parasitism on RMR and Vo2-max, there was no correlation between the two variables among individuals within our population. In addition to providing the first estimate of Vo2-max in T. striatus, these results offer additional evidence that bot fly parasitism has significant impacts on the metabolic ecology of this host species.
ASPECTS OF QUANTUM GRAVITY IN COSMOLOGY
Authors: RINALDI MASSIMILIANO
Published: March 2012

We review some aspects of quantum gravity in the context of cosmology. In particular, we focus on models with a phenomenology accessible to current and near-future observations, as the early Universe might be our only chance to peep through the quantum gravity realm.
REVIEW OF REACTOR NEUTRINO OSCILLATION EXPERIMENTS
Authors: MARIANI C.
Published: March 2012

In this document we will review the current status of reactor neutrino oscillation experiments and present their physics potentials for measuring the θ13 neutrino mixing angle. The neutrino mixing angle θ13 is currently a high-priority topic in the field of neutrino physics. There are currently three different reactor neutrino experiments, DOUBLE CHOOZ, DAYA BAY and RENO and a few accelerator neutrino experiments searching for neutrino oscillations induced by this angle. A description of the reactor experiments searching for a nonzero value of θ13 is given, along with a discussion of the sensitivities that these experiments can reach in the near future.
ABOUT THE MECHANISM OF MATTER TRANSFER ALONG THE COSMIC STRING
Authors: TALALOV S. V.
Published: March 2012

We consider the quantum capture of nonrelativistic massive particle by the moving infinite curve (cosmic string in wire approximation). It is shown that the cusp appearing on a string at a certain point due to the string dynamics can make the wave function collapse at this point irrespective of the caption place.
GLOBAL DYNAMICS OF A DELAYED HIV-1 INFECTION MODEL WITH ABSORPTION AND SATURATION INFECTION
Authors: XU RUI
Published: March 2012

In this paper, an HIV-1 infection model with absorption, saturation infection and an intracellular delay accounting for the time between viral entry into a target cell and the production of new virus particles is investigated. By analyzing the characteristic equations, the local stability of an infection-free equilibrium and a chronic-infection equilibrium of the model is established. By using suitable Lyapunov functionals and LaSalle's invariance principle, it is proved that if the basic reproduction ratio is less than unity, the infection-free equilibrium is globally asymptotically stable; and if the basic reproduction ratio is greater than unity, sufficient condition is derived for the global stability of the chronic-infection equilibrium.
PATTERN FORMATION IN CHEMOTAXIC REACTION-DIFFUSION SYSTEMS
Authors: SHOJI HIROTO , SAITOH KEITARO
Published: March 2012

In this study, we investigate two-dimensional patterns generated by chemotaxis reaction-diffusion systems. We numerically examine the Keller–Segel models with the volume-filling aggregation term and the receptor aggregation term in two dimensions. Spotted, striped and reversed spotted patterns are obtained as stable motionless equilibrium patterns. The relative stability of these patterns is studied numerically on the basis of the derived free energy. The intuitive understanding of these generated patterns and the relation with three-dimensional patterns are also discussed.