bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
How much information can be obtained from tracking the position of the leading edge in a scratch assay?
Authors: Johnston Stuart T. , Simpson Matthew J. , McElwain D. L. Sean
Published: May 2014

Moving cell fronts are an essential feature of wound healing, development and disease. The rate at which a cell front moves is driven, in part, by the cell motility, quantified in terms of the cell diffusivity
D
, and the cell proliferation rate
λ
. Scratch assays are a commonly reported procedure used to investigate the motion of cell fronts where an initial cell monolayer is scratched, and the motion of the front is monitored over a short period of time, often less than 24 h. The simplest way of quantifying a scratch assay is to monitor the progression of the leading edge. Use of leading edge data is very convenient because, unlike other methods, it is non-destructive and does not require labelling, tracking or counting individual cells among the population. In this work, we study short-time leading edge data in a scratch assay using a discrete mathematical model and automated image analysis with the aim of investigating whether such data allow us to reliably identify
D
and
λ
. Using a naive calibration approach where we simply scan the relevant region of the (
D
,
λ
) parameter space, we show that there are many choices of
D
and
λ
for which our model produces indistinguishable short-time leading edge data. Therefore, without due care, it is impossible to estimate
D
and
λ
from this kind of data. To address this, we present a modified approach accounting for the fact that cell motility occurs over a much shorter time scale than proliferation. Using this information, we divide the duration of the experiment into two periods, and we estimate
D
using data from the first period, whereas we estimate
λ
using data from the second period. We confirm the accuracy of our approach using
in silico
data and a new set of
in vitro
data, which shows that our method recovers estimates of
D
and
λ
that are consistent with previously reported values except that that our approach is fast, inexpensive, non-destructive and avoids the need for cell labelling and cell counting.
Global diversity and oceanic divergence of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae)
Authors: Jackson Jennifer A. , Steel Debbie J. , Beerli P. , Congdon Bradley C. , Olavarría Carlos , Leslie Matthew S. , Pomilla Cristina , Rosenbaum Howard , Baker C. Scott
Published: May 2014

Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) annually undertake the longest migrations between seasonal feeding and breeding grounds of any mammal. Despite this dispersal potential, discontinuous seasonal distributions and migratory patterns suggest that humpbacks form discrete regional populations within each ocean. To better understand the worldwide population history of humpbacks, and the interplay of this species with the oceanic environment through geological time, we assembled mitochondrial DNA control region sequences representing approximately 2700 individuals (465 bp, 219 haplotypes) and eight nuclear intronic sequences representing approximately 70 individuals (3700 bp, 140 alleles) from the North Pacific, North Atlantic and Southern Hemisphere. Bayesian divergence time reconstructions date the origin of humpback mtDNA lineages to the Pleistocene (880 ka, 95% posterior intervals 550–1320 ka) and estimate radiation of current Northern Hemisphere lineages between 50 and 200 ka, indicating colonization of the northern oceans prior to the Last Glacial Maximum. Coalescent analyses reveal restricted gene flow between ocean basins, with long-term migration rates (individual migrants per generation) of less than 3.3 for mtDNA and less than 2 for nuclear genomic DNA. Genetic evidence suggests that humpbacks in the North Pacific, North Atlantic and Southern Hemisphere are on independent evolutionary trajectories, supporting taxonomic revision ofM. novaeangliaeto three subspecies.
Severe recent decrease of adult body mass in a declining insectivorous bird population
Authors: Rioux Paquette Sébastien , Pelletier Fanie , Garant Dany , Bélisle Marc
Published: May 2014

Migratory bird species that feed on air-borne insects are experiencing widespread regional declines, but these remain poorly understood. Agricultural intensification in the breeding range is often regarded as one of the main drivers of these declines. Here, we tested the hypothesis that body mass in breeding individuals should reflect habitat quality in an aerial insectivore, the tree swallow (Tachycineta bicolor), along a gradient of agricultural intensity. Our dataset was collected over 7 years (2005–2011) and included 2918 swallow captures and 1483 broods. Analyses revealed a substantial decline of the population over the course of the study (−19% occupancy rate), mirrored by decreasing body mass. This trend was especially severe in females, representing a total loss of 8% of their mass. Reproductive success was negatively influenced by intensive agriculture, but did not decrease over time. Interestingly, variation in body mass was independent of breeding habitat quality, leading us to suggest that this decline in body mass may result from carry-over effects from non-breeding areas and affect population dynamics through reduced survival. This work contributes to the growing body of evidence suggesting that declines in migratory aerial insectivores are driven by multiple, complex factors requiring better knowledge of year-round habitat use.
Moving in time: Bayesian causal inference explains movement coordination to auditory beats
Authors: Elliott Mark T. , Wing Alan M. , Welchman Andrew E.
Published: May 2014

Many everyday skilled actions depend on moving in time with signals that are embedded in complex auditory streams (e.g. musical performance, dancing or simply holding a conversation). Such behaviour is apparently effortless; however, it is not known how humans combine auditory signals to support movement production and coordination. Here, we test how participants synchronize their movements when there are potentially conflicting auditory targets to guide their actions. Participants tapped their fingers in time with two simultaneously presented metronomes of equal tempo, but differing in phase and temporal regularity. Synchronization therefore depended on integrating the two timing cues into a single-event estimate or treating the cues as independent and thereby selecting one signal over the other. We show that a Bayesian inference process explains the situations in which participants choose to integrate or separate signals, and predicts motor timing errors. Simulations of this causal inference process demonstrate that this model provides a better description of the data than other plausible models. Our findings suggest that humans exploit a Bayesian inference process to control movement timing in situations where the origin of auditory signals needs to be resolved.
Youngimonas vesicularis gen. nov., sp. nov., of the family Rhodobacteraceae, isolated from surface seawater, reclassification of Donghicola xiamenensis Tan et al. 2009 as Pseudodonghicola xiamenensis gen. nov., comb. nov. and emended description of the genus Donghicola Yoon et al. 2007
Authors: Hameed Asif , Shahina Mariyam , Lin Shih-Yao , Nakayan Phanit , Liu You-Cheng , Lai Wei-An , Hsu Yi-Han
Published: May 2014

A Gram-staining-negative, non-pigmented, strictly aerobic, rod-shaped, non-spore-forming, non-motile bacterium, devoid of bacteriochlorophyll, designated strain CC-AMW-ET, was isolated from surface seawater off the coast at Kending, Taiwan. Strain CC-AMW-ET shared 95.7 and 93.9 % 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity, respectively, with the type strains of the type species of the genera

Donghicola

(

Donghicola eburneus

SW-277T) and

Roseovarius

(

Roseovarius tolerans

EL-172T). The predominant (>75 % of the total) fatty acid was summed feature 8 (C18 : 1ω6c and/or C18 : 1ω7c). The polar lipid profile included major amounts of diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine and an unidentified aminolipid. In addition, moderate amounts of an unidentified lipid and trace amounts of an unidentified phospholipid were detected. The DNA G+C content was 67.9 mol%. Ubiquinone Q-10 was the sole respiratory quinone. Based on its phylogenetic distinctiveness and distinguishing phenotypic characteristics (in particular its polar lipid pattern), we conclude that strain CC-AMW-ET represents a novel genus and species of the family

Rhodobacteraceae

, for which the name Youngimonas vesicularis gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain of Youngimonas vesicularis is CC-AMW-ET ( = JCM 18819T = BCRC 80549T). In addition, an emended description of the genus

Donghicola

Yoon et al. 2007 and the reclassification of

Donghicola xiamenensis

Tan et al. 2009 as Pseudodonghicola xiamenensis gen. nov., comb. nov. (type strain Y-2T = MCCC 1A00107T = LMG 24574T = CGMCC 1.7081T) are proposed.
Povalibacter uvarum gen. nov., sp. nov., a polyvinyl-alcohol-degrading bacterium isolated from grapes
Authors: Nogi Yuichi , Yoshizumi Masaki , Hamana Koei , Miyazaki Masayuki , Horikoshi Koki
Published: May 2014

Polyvinyl-alcohol-degrading bacteria were isolated from the fruit of a grape in Yokosuka, Japan. The isolated strain, Zumi 37T, was a Gram-stain-negative, rod-shaped, motile, non-spore-forming and strictly aerobic chemo-organotroph, showing optimal growth at pH 7.5, 30 °C and 0.1 % (w/v) NaCl. The major respiratory quinone was Q-8. The predominant fatty acids were iso-C15 : 0, C16 : 0 and C16 : 1ω7c. The major polyamines were homospermidine and putrescine. The predominant polar lipids were diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol and phosphatidylethanolamine. The DNA G+C content of the novel strain was 64.2 mol%. 16S rRNA gene sequence comparison revealed that strain Zumi 37T belongs to the family

Sinobacteraceae

within the class

Gammaproteobacteria

.

Steroidobacter denitrificans

DSM 18526T was the most closely related species with a validly published name, with 98.0 % similarity based on 16S rRNA gene sequence comparison (and showed less than 87.5 % sequence similarity to members of the genera

Alkanibacter

,

Fontimonas

,

Hydrocarboniphaga

,

Nevskia

and

Solimonas

with known 16S rRNA gene sequences). Phenotypes for growth under aerobic conditions and on complex media and major fatty acid composition, differed greatly from those of with comparatively high 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity. Based on phylogenetic, phenotypic and chemotaxonomic evidence, it is proposed that strain Zumi 37T represents a novel species in a new genus for which the name Povalibacter uvarum gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain of the type species is Zumi 37T ( = JCM 18749T = DSM 26723T).
Competitiveness analysis of Egyptian cotton exports with special focus on the Chinese market
Authors: Abu Hatab Assem , Romstad Eirik
Published: May 2014

Purpose

– The expected growth of China's cotton imports along with Egypt's quest for penetrating new cotton importing markets have together attracted the authors to investigate the competitiveness and the demand for Egyptian cotton in the Chinese market in order to capture the emerging opportunities that Egypt could gain from such a growing market. The paper aims to discuss these issues

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper employs Balassa's index of revealed comparative advantage and Vollrath's indices of revealed competitive advantage in order to measure the competitiveness of Egyptian cotton exports. An Almost Ideal Demand System (AIDS) approach was then used to estimate demand parameters for Chinese cotton imports from Egypt and major supply sources during the period 1992-2011.

Findings

– Results show that Egypt has experienced dramatic declines in its cotton comparative advantage over the analyzed period. The estimation results of the AIDS model indicate that Egypt's market share is positively affected by both own and US export prices, but negatively influenced by export prices of other competitors in the Chinese market. Results also indicate that Egyptian cotton is substitutable for cotton imports from all other regions, especially for US cotton. Moreover, additional Chinese expenditure on cotton imports would favor other suppliers. Finally, demand for Egyptian cotton was found to be more sensitive to price changes and there is a greater tendency for China to switch to Egyptian cotton than the other way around should relative prices change.

Originality/value

– This paper is original and novel in that; despite numerous studies have been done on China's demand for cotton and the several studies have been carried out on export and marketing of Egypt's cotton, the issue of cotton trade between Egypt and China has rarely been empirically examined. Furthermore, our results update important parameter estimates, particularly import demand elasticities of cotton. For Egypt, the study provides useful policy implications that could help policy makers to improve informed decision making with regard topromoting cotton exports to the Chinese market. For China, the study helps understanding the interrelationship between the Chinese cotton market and other emerging exporting markets, while focusing on the Egyptian market.
Multiobjective approach developed for optimizing the dynamic behavior of incremental linear actuators
Authors: Amdouni Imen , El Amraoui Lilia , Gillon Frédéric , Benrejeb Mohamed , Brochet Pascal
Published: May 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to develop an optimal approach for optimizing the dynamic behavior of incremental linear actuators.

Design/methodology/approach

– First, a parameterized design model is built. Second, a dynamic model is implemented. This model takes into account the thrust force computed from a finite element model. Finally, the multiobjective optimization approach is applied to the dynamic model to optimize control as well as design parameters.

Findings

– The Pareto front resulting from the optimization approach (or the parallel optimization approach,) is better than the Pareto, which is obtained from the only application of MultiObjective Genetic Algorithm (MOGA) method (or parallel MOGA with the same number of optimization approach objective function evaluations). The only use of MOGA can reach the region near an optimal Pareto front, but it consumes more computing time than the multiobjective optimization approach. At each flowchart stage, parallelization leads to a significant reduction of computing time which is halved when using two-core machine.

Originality/value

– In order to solve the multiobjective problem, a hybrid algorithm based on MOGA is developed.
Development and process evaluation of an educational intervention to support primary care of problem alcohol among drug users
Authors: Klimas Jan , Lally Kevin , Murphy Lisa , Crowley Louise , Anderson Rolande , Meagher David , McCombe Geoff , P. Smyth Bobby , Bury Gerard , Cullen Walter
Published: May 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to describe the development and process evaluation of an educational intervention, designed to help general practitioners (GPs) identify and manage problem alcohol use among problem drug users.

Design/methodology/approach

– The educational session was developed as part of a complex intervention which was informed by the Medical Research Council framework for complex interventions. A Cochrane review and a modified Delphi-facilitated consensus process formed the theoretical phase of the development. The modelling phase involved qualitative interviews with professionals and patients. The training's learning outcomes included alcohol screening and delivery of brief psychosocial interventions and this was facilitated by demonstration of clinical guidelines, presentation, video, group discussion and/or role play.

Findings

– Participants (n=17) from three general practices and local medical school participated in four workshops. They perceived the training as most helpful in improving their ability to perform alcohol screening. Most useful components of the session were the presentation, handout and group discussion with participants appreciating the opportunity to share their ideas with peers.

Originality/value

– Training primary healthcare professionals in alcohol screening and brief psychosocial interventions among problem drug users appears feasible. Along with the educational workshops, the implementation strategies should utilise multi-level interventions to support these activities among GPs.
Wage formation and gender wage gaps: is there a role for job-task evaluation schemes?
Authors: Asplund Rita , Lilja Reija
Published: May 2014

Purpose

– Both academia and policymakers express a strong belief in higher average education levels exerting a narrowing impact on wage inequality in general and gender wage gaps in particular. The purpose of this paper is to scrutinize whether or not this effect extends to R&D- and export-intensive branches such as the technology industry.

Design/methodology/approach

– In exploring the impact of individual and job-related background factors and, especially, of job-task evaluation schemes on the size and change in gender wage gaps in the technology industry, the paper applies an elaborated decomposition method based on unconditional quantile regression techniques.

Findings

– While changes in standard human capital endowments can explain little, if anything, of the growth in real wages or the widening of wage dispersion among the Finnish technology industry's white-collar workers, a new job-task evaluation scheme introduced in 2002 seems to have succeeded, at least in part, to make the wage-setting process more transparent by re-allocating especially the technology industry's female white-collar workers in a way that better reflects their skills, efforts and responsibilities.

Practical implications

– One crucial implication of this finding is that improving the standard human capital of women closer to that of men will not suffice to narrow the gender wage gap in the advanced parts of the economy and, hence, not also the overall gender wage gap. The reason is obvious: concomitant with rising average education levels, other skill aspects have received increasing attention in working life. Consequently, a conscious combination of formal and informal competencies as laid down in well-designed job-task evaluation schemes may, in many instances, offer a more powerful path for tackling the gender wage gap.

Originality/value

– While the existing evidence on the impact of performance-related pay on gender wage gaps is still scarce but growing the authors know of no empirical studies analyzing the gender pay-gap effect of job-task evaluation systems.
Never apologize and never explain
Authors: Buell Hirsch Peter
Published: May 2014

Purpose

– To assess whether the current trend for public apologies will continue or fade away

Design/methodology/approach

– Review of selected public apologies to assess their impact on public perception.

Findings

– In spite of some apology “fatigue,” well-executed apologies have an appropriate role in helping to rebuild reputation.

Originality/value

– Corporate executives can learn what makes an effective apology
The SME struggle for financing: a clampdown in European banks post-crisis
Authors: Paulet Elisabeth , Parnaudeau Miia , Abdessemed Tamym
Published: May 2014

Purpose

–This paper aims to explore how banks have modified their behaviours since the subprime crisis and their influence on credit access for SMEs.

Design/methodology/approach

–This paper aims to explore how banks have modified their behaviours since the subprime crisis and their influence on credit access for SMEs.

Findings

–We provide evidence that strategic orientations adopted by banks (both fragile and robust) are quite voluntary and not simply the result of following regulations. Unfortunately, these orientations have hampered SMEs' access to credit.

Practical implications

–The core result of the paper is to emphasize that banking behaviours have considerably changed just after the subprime crisis and that SMEs have to deal with this new reality. These findings could be of interest for regulators and banking authorities to control liquidity constraints and guarantee both the stability of the global banking system and sustainable economic growth.

Originality/value

–Using an original data reduction method and balance sheet analysis, this paper found evidence of key changes in banking behaviours during the subprime crisis.
Transformational leadership and depressive symptoms among employees: mediating factors
Authors: Perko Kaisa , Kinnunen Ulla , Feldt Taru
Published: May 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine whether the link between transformational leadership and depressive symptoms among employees is mediated by such personal resources as occupational self-efficacy, perceived meaningfulness of the work, and work-related rumination.

Design/methodology/approach

– The study was conducted using questionnaires among 557 Finnish municipal employees in various occupations. The statistical analysis was based on structural equation modeling. A multiple mediation model enabled us to investigate the specific indirect effects of each mediator. Model comparison was applied to ascertain whether the mediation should be considered as full or partial.

Findings

– Results based on model comparison showed that the proposed factors fully mediated the negative relationship between transformational leadership and depressive symptoms. Thus high level of transformational leadership was associated with high levels of occupational self-efficacy and perceived meaningfulness of the work, and low level of work-related rumination during off-job time, which, in turn, were associated with low level of depressive symptoms. The fully mediated model explained 36 percent of the variance in depressive symptoms. All of the three mediators made a unique contribution to this relationship.

Research limitations/implications

– The results imply that transformational leadership behaviors may decrease depressiveness among employees through strengthening the personal resources of employees. However, as the study is cross-sectional, causal relationships can only be hypothesized.

Originality/value

– The study sheds new light on the possible processes through which transformational leaders may exert their health-promoting effects on employees even in terms of depressive symptoms.
Leader positive humor and organizational cynicism: LMX as a mediator
Authors: Gkorezis Panagiotis , Petridou Eugenia , Xanthiakos Panteleimon
Published: May 2014

Purpose

– Leader-member exchange (LMX) has been proposed as a core mechanism which accounts for the impact of various antecedents on employee outcomes. As such, the purpose of this paper is to examine the mediating effect of LMX regarding the relationship between leader positive humor and employees’ perceptions of organizational cynicism.

Design/methodology/approach

– Data were collected from 114 public employees. In order to examine the authors’ hypotheses hierarchical regression analysis was conducted.

Findings

– As hypothesized, results demonstrated that LMX mediates the relationship between leader positive humor and organizational cynicism.

Research limitations/implications

– Data were drawn from public employees and, therefore, this may constrain the generalizability of the results. Also, the cross-sectional analysis of the data cannot directly assess causality.

Originality/value

– This is the first empirical study to examine the mediating effect of LMX in the relationship between leader humor and employees’ perceptions of organizational cynicism.
The place of civilians in policing
Authors: Alderden Megan , G. Skogan Wesley
Published: May 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine the correlates of job satisfaction among civilian employees of law enforcement agencies, to assess how features of the policing workplace influence employee morale.

Design/methodology/approach

– The data for this study were drawn from surveys conducted as part of the National Police Research Platform. In total, 472 civilians from 19 police agencies completed the survey.

Findings

– The findings indicate that contentment with pay and benefits, lower levels of work-related stress, equality in the workplace, and feelings of acceptance were associated with civilian employee satisfaction.

Research limitations/implications

– The analyses presented here focusses on factors more unique to policing and did not include all of factors correlated with job satisfaction in past literature. Future research should address this as well as control for the effect of organizational-level factors.

Practical implications

– The research identifies key factors in each of those categories that inhibit the effective incorporation of civilians into the workforce. It indicates that reaping the full advantages of civilianization is complex and requires attention to fundamental aspects of police organizations. How administrators deal with this reality will impact the efficiency and effectiveness of their organizations in important ways.

Originality/value

– To date, much of what has been written about the place of civilians in policing consists of descriptions of their numeric representation and discussions of the presumed advantages of hiring them in larger numbers. Less is known about how well civilians have been integrated into the policing workforce.
Survival in macaroni penguins and the relative importance of different drivers: individual traits, predation pressure and environmental variability
Authors: Horswill Catharine , Matthiopoulos Jason , Green Jonathan A. , Meredith Michael P. , Forcada Jaume , Peat Helen , Preston Mark , Trathan Phil N. , Ratcliffe Norman
Published: May 2014

Understanding the demographic response of free‐living animal populations to different drivers is the first step towards reliable prediction of population trends.

Penguins have exhibited dramatic declines in population size, and many studies have linked this to bottom‐up processes altering the abundance of prey species. The effects of individual traits have been considered to a lesser extent, and top‐down regulation through predation has been largely overlooked due to the difficulties in empirically measuring this at sea where it usually occurs.

For 10 years (2003–2012), macaroni penguins (Eudyptes chrysolophus) were marked with subcutaneous electronic transponder tags and re‐encountered using an automated gateway system fitted at the entrance to the colony. We used multistate mark–recapture modelling to identify the different drivers influencing survival rates and a sensitivity analysis to assess their relative importance across different life stages.

Survival rates were low and variable during the fledging year (mean = 0·33), increasing to much higher levels from age 1 onwards (mean = 0·89). We show that survival of macaroni penguins is driven by a combination of individual quality, top‐down predation pressure and bottom‐up environmental forces. The relative importance of these covariates was age specific. During the fledging year, survival rates were most sensitive to top‐down predation pressure, followed by individual fledging mass, and finally bottom‐up environmental effects. In contrast, birds older than 1 year showed a similar response to bottom‐up environmental effects and top‐down predation pressure.

We infer from our results that macaroni penguins will most likely be negatively impacted by an increase in the local population size of giant petrels. Furthermore, this population is, at least in the short term, likely to be positively influenced by local warming. More broadly, our results highlight the importance of considering multiple causal effects across different life stages when examining the survival rates of seabirds.
Gastric cancer: Australian outcomes of multi‐modality treatment with curative intent
Authors: Chen Yufei , Awan Nida , Haveman Jan Willem , Apostolou Christos , Chang David K. , Merrett Neil D.
Published: May 2014

Background

Gastric cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer‐related deaths worldwide. Large Western trials have shown overall 5‐year survival rates of 36–47%. Surgical resection remains the mainstay of curative treatment. We report the outcomes at a single Australian centre.

Methods

We analysed a prospectively kept database of patients after gastric resection for adenocarcinoma at a tertiary Australian hospital. Disease‐specific survival (DSS) was considered the primary end‐point.

Results

One hundred and seventy‐three patients underwent gastrectomy with curative intent. Average age at diagnosis was 68, with 72% being male patients. One hundred patients had a total gastrectomy and 73 had subtotal. The average number of lymph nodes examined was 23. All patients were discussed in a multidisciplinary setting. Perioperative morbidity rate was 31%, with 3.5% 30‐day mortality. Five‐year DSS was 67.4% with 91.2%, 76.7% and 39.3% for stage 1, 2 and 3 disease, respectively. Five‐year overall survival considering death from any cause was 47.4%.

Conclusion

This large Australian single centre study shows outcomes equivalent to other Western series and approaches that of Japanese data. High survival figures can be achieved when gastrectomy is performed by an experienced institution through a multi‐modality approach with adequate staging, aggressive and appropriate resection and selective use of perioperative therapy.
Evaluation of lecithinized human recombinant super oxide dismutase as cardioprotectant in anthracycline‐treated breast cancer patients
Authors: Broeyer Frederik J. F. , Osanto Susanne , Suzuki Jun , de Jongh Felix , van Slooten Henk , Tanis Bea C. , Bruning Tobias , Bax Jeroen J. , Ritsema van Eck Henk J. , de Kam Marieke L. , Cohen Adam F. , Mituzhima Yutaka , Burggraaf Jacobus
Published: May 2014

Aim

Anthracycline‐induced cardiotoxicity is (partly) mediated by free radical overload. A randomized study was performed in breast cancer patients to investigate whether free radical scavenger super oxide dismutase (SOD) protects against anthracycline‐induced cardiotoxicity as measured by changes in echo, electrocardiography and an array of biomarkers.

Method and Results

Eighty female, chemotherapy‐naïve breast cancer patients (median age 49, range 24–67 years) scheduled for four or five courses of adjuvant 3 weekly doxorubicin plus cyclophosphamide (AC) chemotherapy, were randomly assigned to receive 80 mg PC‐SOD (human recombinant SOD bound to lecithin) or placebo, administered intravenously (i.v.) immediately prior to each AC course. The primary end point was protection against cardiac damage evaluated using echocardiography, QT assessments and a set of biochemical markers for myocardial function, oxidative stress and inflammation. Assessments were performed before and during each course of chemotherapy, and at 1, 4 and 9 months after completion of the chemotherapy regimen. In all patients cardiac effects such as increases in NT‐proBNP concentration and prolongation of the QTc interval were noticed. There were no differences between the PC‐SOD and placebo‐treated patients in systolic or diastolic cardiac function or for any other of the biomarkers used to assess the cardiac effects of anthracyclines.

Conclusion

PC‐SOD at a dose of 80 mg i.v. is not cardioprotective in patients with breast carcinoma treated with anthracyclines.
Measurement Issues: Review of four patient reported outcome measures: SDQ, RCADS, C/ORS and GBO – their strengths and limitations for clinical use and service evaluation
Authors: Wolpert Miranda , Cheng Helen , Deighton Jessica
Published: May 2014

Background

There is an international drive for routine use of Patient Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) across all health services including in relation to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS). A number of reviews have summarized the validity and reliability of well‐being and mental health measures for children but there are fewer attempts to consider utility for routine use.

Method

This review considers four child self‐report measures: the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), the Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale (RCADS), (Child) Outcomes Rating Scale (C/ORS) and Goals Based Outcomes (GBOs). It explores the strengths and limitations of each and considers how they can be used to support both clinical practice and service evaluation.

Results

There is evidence for the clinical utility of RCADS, C/ORS and GBOs, although the utility of the SDQ as a feedback measure remains unclear. For service evaluation, the SDQ has the greatest evidence for norms making it useful for comparison and there is evidence that the RCADS may be the most sensitive to change of the measures reviewed; C/ORS has issues around ceiling effect, data error and data manipulation. More research is required around GBOs before their use for service evaluation can be determined.

Conclusions

In summary, these different measures may be viewed as complementary tools and determining the best way to make use of them severally and individually in clinical and community settings is a current focus for child mental health practitioners.
Real‐Time Modelling of Fibrous Muscle
Authors: Kohout J. , Kukačka M.
Published: May 2014

Relatively recently it has become apparent that providing human kind with a better healthcare requires personalized, predictive and integrative medicine, for which the building of virtual physiological human (VPH) framework accessible via virtual patient avatar is necessary. Real‐time modelling and visual exploration of such a complex avatar is a challenging task. In this paper, we propose a real‐time method for automatic modelling of an arbitrarily large number of muscle fibres in the volume of a muscle represented by its surface mesh. The method is based on an iterative morphing of predefined fibres template into the muscle volume exploiting harmonic scalar field computed on the surface of muscle. Experiments with muscles of thighs and pelvis show that the method produces realistic shapes of fibres. Our sequential VTK‐based C++ implementation is capable of producing 64 fine fibres within a muscle of 10K triangles in less than 170 ms on commodity hardware making the method suitable for VPH purposes as well as for interactive educational medical software.
786. STROBILANTHES ATTENUATA
Authors: Wood John R. I.
Published: May 2014

Strobilanthes attenuata(Nees)Nees is described and illustrated. Its extensive synonomy is discussed and its principal characteristics are highlighted. Its introduction to countries with a temperate climate is chronicled and successful experience of its cultivation inEngland is described.
Young women's risk of sexual aggression in bars: The roles of intoxication and peer social status
Authors: Graham Kathryn , Bernards Sharon , Abbey Antonia , Dumas Tara , Wells Samantha
Published: May 2014

Introduction and Aims

Previous research suggests a link between women's drinking and sexual victimisation; however, little is known about other factors that influence risk and how risks are linked to drinking‐in‐the‐event. We examined how amount of alcohol consumed and peer group factors were associated with whether young women were targeted for sexual aggression on a night out at a bar.

Design and Methods

One hundred and fourteen women recruited in small groups in the bar district reported how many drinks they had consumed and were breath‐tested at recruitment and on their way home. At recruitment, they also ranked other members of their group in terms of status (e.g. popularity, group influence). In the exit survey, they reported any sexual aggression they experienced that night (i.e. persistence after refusal and unwanted sexual touching).

Results

Over a quarter (28.9%) of women reported persistence only, 5.3% unwanted touching only and 18.7% both. Sexual aggression was associated with consuming more alcohol on the survey night and whether other group members experienced sexual aggression that night. The relationship with amount consumed was stronger for touching than for persistence. Having a lower status position in the group was associated with increased risk of sexual aggression among women who had consumed five or more drinks.

Discussion and Conclusions

Prevention should address social norms and other factors that encourage men to target specific women for sexual aggression, including perceptions by staff and patrons that intoxicated women are ‘easy’ or more blameworthy targets and the possible role of women's social status in their peer groups. [Graham K, Bernards S, Abbey A, Dumas T, Wells S. Young women's risk of sexual aggression in bars: The roles of intoxication and peer social status. Drug Alcohol Rev 2014;33:393–400]
Patterns and pathways of calcification in the developing brain
Authors: McCartney Emily , Squier Waney
Published: May 2014

Aim

To determine specific cell types and pathways involved in calcification of the developing brain.

Method

We examined the detailed histopathology of samples from 28 autopsied brains aged from 22 weeks' gestation to 14 years. The samples were selected because they showed calcification associated with a range of different diseases. Samples were examined with routine stains as well as stains to show calcification and specific markers for endothelium and macrophages.

Results

Our observations indicate that calcification develops via two main pathways: dystrophic and vascular. Dystrophic calcification results from membrane disruption and uncontrolled calcium entry into necrotic (dead) cells in ischaemia and infections. Vascular calcification appears to be initiated in protein globules, sometimes intracellular, but outside the endothelium of small vessels. One case with mutation of the occludin gene, implicating impaired endothelial integrity, showed this pattern, but identical vascular calcification was seen in other conditions, including Sturge–Weber syndrome. Another form of vascular calcification involved the adventitia of arteries; the endothelium was always spared.

Interpretation

Calcification in the developing brain that is not associated with tissue necrosis is initiated in cells associated with blood vessels. Calcium incrustation of blood vessels imposes rigidity, reduced vascular compliance, and altered permeability. This would explain associated atrophy, gliosis, and (in the developing brain) malformations of the cortex. Our findings suggest that pericytes initiate non‐dystrophic brain calcification, but further studies are needed to explore this possibility.
Vitamin D and cognitive function and dementia risk in a biracial cohort: the ARIC Brain MRI Study
Authors: Schneider A. L. C. , Lutsey P. L. , Alonso A. , Gottesman R. F. , Sharrett A. R. , Carson K. A. , Gross M. , Post W. S. , Knopman D. S. , Mosley T. H. , Michos E. D.
Published: May 2014

Background and purpose

Some recent studies in older, largely white populations suggest that vitamin D, measured by 25‐hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D], is important for cognition, but such results may be affected by reverse causation. Measuring 25(OH)D in late middle age before poor cognition affects behavior may provide clearer results.

Methods

This was a prospective cohort analysis of 1652 participants (52% white, 48% black) in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Brain MRI Study. 25(OH)D was measured from serum collected in 1993–1995. Cognition was measured by the delayed word recall test (DWRT), the digit symbol substitution test (DSST) and the word fluency test (WFT). Dementia hospitalization was defined by ICD‐9 codes. Adjusted linear, logistic and Cox proportional hazards models were used.

Results

Mean age of participants was 62 years and 60% were female. Mean 25(OH)D was higher in whites than blacks (25.5 vs. 17.3 ng/ml, P < 0.001). Lower 25(OH)D was not associated with lower baseline scores or with greater DWRT, DSST or WFT decline over a median of 3 or 10 years of follow‐up (P > 0.05). Over a median of 16.6 years, there were 145 incident hospitalized dementia cases. Although not statistically significant, lower levels of 25(OH)D were suggestive of an association with increased dementia risk [hazard ratio for lowest versus highest race‐specific tertile: whites 1.32 (95% confidence interval 0.69, 2.55); blacks 1.53 (95% confidence interval 0.84, 2.79)].

Conclusions

In contrast to prior studies performed in older white populations, our study of late middle age white and black participants did not find significant associations between lower levels of 25(OH)D with lower cognitive test scores at baseline, change in scores over time or dementia risk.
Superficial Artery Aneurysms Underlying Nummular Headache – 2 Cases and Proposed Diagnostic Work‐Up
Authors: López‐Ruiz Pedro , Cuadrado María‐Luz , Aledo‐Serrano Angel , Alonso‐Oviés Almudena , Porta‐Etessam Jesús , Ganado Tomás
Published: May 2014

Introduction

Nummular headache, considered a primary headache in the 3rd edition of the International Classification of Headache Disorders, has nonetheless been attributed in several occasions to underlying epicranial anomalies.

Case reports

Vascular imaging of the head in 2 patients with nummular headache revealed fusiform aneurysms of the scalp vessel in close relation to the painful area. One of the patients underwent surgical resection of the aneurysm with excellent response. A response to triptans was noted in both.

Discussion

In selected patients with nummular headache, vascular imaging of the scalp may reveal anomalies amenable to surgical treatment or triptan administration, sometimes resulting in disappearance of the pain.
Papillary ependymoma of the endometrium
Authors: Schuldt Maolly , Retamero Juan A , Bergeron Christine , Nogales Francisco F
Published: May 2014

Aims

To report an exceptional case of papillary ependymoma occurring in the endometrium.

Methods and results

A clinicopathological study was performed regarding a case of papillary ependymoma occurring in the endometrial cavity of a 61‐year‐old patient who had presented with a solid‐type, stage III anaplastic ependymoma of the ovary, treated with cytoreductive surgery that included total abdominal hysterectomy. The uterus was enlarged and showed a dilated cavity, with broadly implanted papillary excrescences without myometrial invasion that were covered by tall, cylindrical cells. These cells had glial fibrillary acidic protein‐expressing cytoplasm that was also positive for cytokeratins 7, 8, 18, and 34β‐E12, epithelial membrane antigen, S100 protein, vimentin, and oestrogen and progesterone receptors.

Conclusions

Pathogenetically, the presence of this uterine ependymoma could represent either an example of multicentricity or a phenomenon of transtubal implantation of the ovarian tumour. Exceptionally, papillary ependymoma can occur in the endometrium, and may prompt differential diagnoses with other papillary endometrial tumours. Pathologists should consider this rare possibility in the differential diagnosis of papillary ovarian and endometrial lesions.
Human Rights and Prisoners' Rights: The British Press and the Shaping of Public Debate
Authors: McNulty Des , Watson Nick , Philo Gregory
Published: May 2014

This article examines how the British press covered the debate around a prisoner's right to vote. It shows how Conservative ministers were put under pressure in early 2011 by newspapers on the right of the political spectrum to abandon proposals to end the ‘blanket ban’ on a prisoner's right to vote. Modification of the ban could have brought the UK into compliance with treaty obligations linked to the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and judgments of the European Court. The focus of the debate, both in parliament and in the newspapers, was on sovereignty and judicial interference. Our research shows that very little of the media debate on a prisoner's right to vote was about human rights. Instead, outrage on the issue of prisoners' rights was linked to opposition to pro‐Europeans within the coalition government and demands for a radical shake‐up in Britain's relationship with the European Union (EU). The reform of human rights legislation and breaking the link with the European Convention is likely to be a centrepiece of Conservative policy at the next general election. The article is based on qualitative research of newspaper coverage in the period between February and mid‐April 2011 when the prisoners' rights' issue came to the fore, and audience reception studies involving focus groups.
Reactive Hot‐Pressing and Flexural Strength of ZrB2‐ZrCx‐Zr‐Based Cermets with SiC Additives
Authors: Guo Shuqi
Published: May 2014

In this study, ZrB2‐ZrCx‐Zr cermets with 20 vol% SiC additives were prepared via reactive hot‐pressing of Zr + B4C + SiC powder mixtures. Relative density exceeding 95% was obtained for the sintered cermets with 10 vol% excess Zr and without excess Zr. The resulting cermets composed of ZrB2, ZrCx, and SiC primary phases and zirconium silicide secondary phase. The presence of excess Zr improved densification of cermets as well as promoted formation of zirconium silicide. However, excess Zr led to the lowered room temperature flexural strength. The room temperature flexural strength of cermets was in the range of 384.2−409.2 MPa.
Acute leukemia during pregnancy: an investigative survey of the past 11 years
Authors: Nakajima Y. , Hattori Y. , Ito S. , Ohshima R. , Kuwabara H. , Machida S. , Shirasugi Y. , Miyazaki K. , Sakai R. , Tomita N. , Ando K. , Higashihara M. , Ishigatsubo Y. , Fujisawa S.
Published: May 2014

Introduction

The management of pregnant women with acute leukemia is usually challenging. We collected data concerning pregnant women with acute leukemia in the Kanagawa area in Japan.

Methods

A questionnaire was sent to 24 institutions in the Kanagawa area.

Results

Data were obtained for 11 patients, median age of 31 years (range, 20–36). Eight patients had acute myeloid leukemia and three had acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Six patients were diagnosed in the first trimester of pregnancy, one in the second trimester, and four in the third trimester. Five of six patients diagnosed in the first trimester had abortions before chemotherapy, and one had an elective abortion after receiving chemotherapy. All patients diagnosed in the second or third trimester delivered live infants. Of the six patients diagnosed in the first trimester, two died of recurrent leukemia, and four remained in remission. Of the five patients diagnosed in the second or third trimester, four achieved complete remission and remained in remission. One patient died of sepsis 4 days after cesarean section.

Conclusions

Careful surveillance and monitoring of the fetus and close co‐operation among hematologists, gynecologists, and pediatricians are essential to successfully treat pregnant women with acute leukemia.
Hooking Workers and Hooking Votes: Enganche, Suffrage, and Labor Market Dualism in Latin America
Authors: Carnes Matthew E.
Published: May 2014

Labor market dualism—the segmentation of workers between formal, legally protected employment and informal, unprotected status—has long drawn attention from scholars and policymakers in Latin America. This article argues that lasting patterns of economic and political segmentation of workers arose earlier in the region’s history than has previously been understood, well before the classic “incorporation” period. Late-nineteenth-century practices for the recruitment and retention of workers shaped Latin America’s first sets of labor laws, most notably those governing union organization and individual worker job stability. Subsequently, these first laws served as important templates for development, constraining and conditioning the labor codes adopted under mass-based politics. Using historical data drawn from Chile, Peru, and Argentina, this article shows how differing recruitment practices and variation in the extension of effective suffrage rights and electoral participation shaped early legal labor market segmentation and inequality in Latin America.