bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Opposing patterns of zooplankton diversity and functioning along a natural stress gradient: when the going gets tough, the tough get going
Authors: Horváth Zsófia , Vad Csaba F. , Tóth Adrienn , Zsuga Katalin , Boros Emil , Vörös Lajos , Ptacnik Robert
Published: November 2013

Salinity represents a major structuring factor in aquatic habitats which strongly affects species richness. We studied the relationships among species richness, density and phylogenetic diversity of zooplankton communities along a natural salinity gradient in astatic soda pans in the Carpathian Basin (Hungary, Austria and Serbia). Diversity and density showed opposing trends along the salinity gradient. The most saline habitats had communities of one or two species only, with maximum densities well above 1000 ind l−1. Similarity of communities increased with salinity, with most of the highly saline communities being dominated by one highly tolerant calanoid copepod,Arctodiaptomus spinosus, which was at the same time the only soda‐water specialist. Salinity obviously constrained species composition and resulted in communities of low complexity, where few tolerant species ensure high biomass production in the absence of antagonistic interactions. The pattern suggests that environmental stress may result in highly constrained systems which exhibit high rates of functioning due to these key species, in spite of the very limited species pool.
Measurement of the Isotopic Composition of Molybdenum in Geological Samples by MC‐ICP‐MS using a Novel Chromatographic Extraction Technique
Authors: Li Jie , Liang Xi‐Rong , Zhong Li‐Feng , Wang Xuan‐Ce , Ren Zhong‐Yuan , Sun Sheng‐Ling , Zhang Zhao‐Feng , Xu Ji‐Feng
Published: November 2013

A novel preconcentration method is presented for the determination of Mo isotope ratios by multi‐collector inductively coupled plasma‐mass spectrometry (MC‐ICP‐MS) in geological samples. The method is based on the separation of Mo by extraction chromatography using N‐benzoyl‐N‐phenylhydroxylamine (BPHA) supported on a microporous acrylic ester polymeric resin (Amberlite CG‐71). By optimising the procedure, Mo could be simply and effectively separated from virtually all matrix elements with a single pass through a small volume of BPHA resin (0.5 ml). This technique for separation and enrichment of Mo is characterised by high selectivity, column efficiency and recovery (~ 100%), and low total procedural blank (~ 0.18 ng). A 100Mo‐97Mo double spike was mixed with samples before digestion and column separation, which enabled natural mass‐dependent isotopic fractionation to be determined with a measurement reproducibility of  < 0.09‰ (δ98/95Mo, 2s) by MC‐ICP‐MS. The mean δ98/95MoSRM 3134 (NIST SRM 3134 Mo reference material; Lot No. 891307) composition of the IAPSO seawater reference material measured in this study was 2.00 ± 0.03‰ (2s, n = 3), which is consistent with previously published values. The described procedure facilitated efficient and rapid Mo isotopic determination in various types of geological samples.
Global biogeography of scaly tree ferns (Cyatheaceae): evidence for Gondwanan vicariance and limited transoceanic dispersal
Authors: Korall Petra , Pryer Kathleen M.
Published: November 2013

Aim

Scaly tree ferns, Cyatheaceae, are a well‐supported group of mostly tree‐forming ferns found throughout the tropics, the subtropics and the south‐temperate zone. Fossil evidence shows that the lineage originated in the Late Jurassic period. We reconstructed large‐scale historical biogeographical patterns of Cyatheaceae and tested the hypothesis that some of the observed distribution patterns are in fact compatible, in time and space, with a vicariance scenario related to the break‐up of Gondwana.

Location

Tropics, subtropics and south‐temperate areas of the world.

Methods

The historical biogeography of Cyatheaceae was analysed in a maximum likelihood framework using Lagrange. The 78 ingroup taxa are representative of the geographical distribution of the entire family. The phylogenies that served as a basis for the analyses were obtained by Bayesian inference analyses of mainly previously published DNA sequence data using MrBayes. Lineage divergence dates were estimated in a Bayesian Markov chain Monte Carlo framework using beast.

Results

Cyatheaceae originated in the Late Jurassic in either South America or Australasia. Following a range expansion, the ancestral distribution of the marginate‐scaled clade included both these areas, whereas Sphaeropteris is reconstructed as having its origin only in Australasia. Within the marginate‐scaled clade, reconstructions of early divergences are hampered by the unresolved relationships among the Alsophila, Cyathea and Gymnosphaera lineages. Nevertheless, it is clear that the occurrence of the Cyathea and Sphaeropteris lineages in South America may be related to vicariance, whereas transoceanic dispersal needs to be inferred for the range shifts seen in Alsophila and Gymnosphaera.

Main conclusions

The evolutionary history of Cyatheaceae involves both Gondwanan vicariance scenarios as well as long‐distance dispersal events. The number of transoceanic dispersals reconstructed for the family is rather few when compared with other fern lineages. We suggest that a causal relationship between reproductive mode (outcrossing) and dispersal limitations is the most plausible explanation for the pattern observed.
Causes of warm‐edge range limits: systematic review, proximate factors and implications for climate change
Authors: Cahill Abigail E. , Aiello‐Lammens Matthew E. , Caitlin Fisher‐Reid M. , Hua Xia , Karanewsky Caitlin J. , Ryu Hae Yeong , Sbeglia Gena C. , Spagnolo Fabrizio , Waldron John B. , Wiens John J.
Published: November 2013

Aim

The factors that set species range limits underlie many patterns in ecology, evolution, biogeography and conservation. These factors have been the subject of several reviews, but there has been no systematic review of the causes of warm‐edge limits (low elevations and latitudes). Understanding these causes is urgent, given that the factors that set these limits might also drive extinction at warm edges as global climate changes. Many authors have suggested that warm‐edge limits are set by biotic factors (particularly competition) whereas others have stressed abiotic factors (particularly temperature). We synthesize the known causes of species' warm‐edge range limits, with emphasis on the underlying mechanisms (proximate causes).

Location

Global.

Methods

We systematically searched the literature for studies testing the causes of warm‐edge range limits.

Results

We found 125 studies that address the causes of warm‐edge limits, from a search including > 4000 studies. Among the species in these studies, abiotic factors are supported more often than biotic factors in setting species range limits at warm edges, in contrast to the widely held view that biotic factors are more important. Studies that test both types of factors support abiotic factors significantly more frequently. In addition, only 23 studies (61 species) identified proximate causes of these limits, and these overwhelmingly support physiological tolerances to abiotic factors (primarily temperature). Only eight species with identified proximate causes were tested for both biotic and abiotic factors, but the majority support abiotic factors.

Main conclusions

Although it is often assumed that warm‐edge limits are set by biotic factors, our review shows that abiotic factors are supported more often among the species in these 125 studies. However, few studies both identify proximate causes and test alternative mechanisms, or examine the interaction between biotic and abiotic factors. Filling these gaps should be a high priority as warm‐edge populations are increasingly driven to extinction by climate change.
Spring frost and growing season length co‐control the cold range limits of broad‐leaved trees
Authors: Kollas Chris , Körner Christian , Randin Christophe F.
Published: November 2013

Aim

The aim of this study was to test, based on biological theory, which facet of temperature is most closely associated with the elevational and latitudinal low‐temperature limits of seven European broad‐leaved tree species. We compared three temperature‐related potential constraints across three study regions: (1) absolute minimum temperature within 100 years; (2) lowest temperatures during the period of bud‐break; and (3) length and temperature of the growing season.

Location

Western and Eastern Swiss Alps (1165–2160 m a.s.l.) and southern Sweden (57° N–59° N).

Methods

In situ temperature was recorded at the high‐elevation and high‐latitude limits of seven broad‐leaved tree species and correlated with temperatures at the nearest weather stations, in order to reconstruct the temperature regime for the past 50 years. By applying generalized extreme value distribution theory, we estimated the lowest temperatures recurring during the life span of a tree.

Results

At their high‐elevation limits, five out of the seven tree species experienced winter minimum temperatures considerably warmer than their known maximum freezing resistance in winter. For the bud‐break period, potentially damaging temperatures occurred at both the elevational and the latitudinal limits and for all four species for which phenological data were available. Three out of five species for which a latitudinal replicate was available showed a similar length of growing season at their respective elevational and latitudinal limits. The mean temperature during the growing season was always warmer at a species’ latitudinal limit than at its elevational limit, and hence this variable does not bear general explanatory power for the range limit.

Main conclusions

Low‐temperature extremes during bud‐break are the most likely candidates for controlling the elevational and latitudinal limits of broad‐leaved tree species. The absolute minimum temperature in winter and the mean temperature during the growing season are unlikely to constrain the cold limits of these species. Thus, the results call for the use of temperature data (extremes) during key stages of spring phenology when attempting to explain the low‐temperature range limits and to predict the potential range shifts of deciduous tree species.
Instrumental and Constitutional Differentiation in the European Union
Authors: Schimmelfennig Frank , Winzen Thomas
Published: November 2013

Differentiation has become a salient feature of European integration. Yet systematic empirical evidence is lacking about its origins, duration and variation across countries and policies. This article provides such evidence from a new data set on differentiation in European Union treaty law. In addition, it is argued that two logics of treaty‐based differentiation are at work. ‘Instrumental differentiation’ originates in enlargement and is motivated by efficiency and distributional concerns. ‘Constitutional differentiation’ has its origins in treaty revisions and is motivated by concerns about national sovereignty and identity. It is driven by Eurosceptic Member States that are opposed ideologically, or fear popular resistance, to the supranational centralization of core state powers.
Manufacturing Esprit de Corps: The Case of the European External Action Service
Authors: Juncos Ana E. , Pomorska Karolina
Published: November 2013

The creation of the European External Action Service (EEAS) begs the question of whether its officials might develop an esprit de corps − understood as the emergence of shared beliefs and values among the individuals within a group and their desire to achieve a common goal − and how this might be achieved. Since the EEAS is composed of officials originating from different institutions, this contribution discusses the challenges associated with aggregating different beliefs and values within the Service. The article examines five factors that have the potential to promote organizational esprit de corps, including communication, leadership, public image, trust and training. It concludes that the first two years of operation of the Service do not bode well for the emergence of an esprit de corps and that, consequently, this might undermine the coherence and effectiveness of the EEAS itself.
Caregiver—child mental health: a prospective study in conflict and refugee settings
Authors: Panter‐Brick Catherine , Grimon Marie‐Pascale , Eggerman Mark
Published: November 2013

Background

In humanitarian settings, family‐level drivers of mental health are insufficiently documented; we examined the strength of caregiver—child associations with two‐wave, family‐level Afghan data.

Methods

We recruited a gender‐balanced sample of 681 caregiver—child dyads (n = 1,362 respondents) using stratified random‐sampling in government schools in Kabul (364 dyads) and refugee schools in Peshawar (317 dyads). One year after baseline, we re‐interviewed 64% of Kabul and 31% of Peshawar cohorts (n = 331 dyads, 662 respondents), retaining fewer Peshawar families due to refugee repatriation. In multivariable analyses adjusted for baseline, we assessed the extent to which caregiver mental health (Self‐Report Questionnaire, SRQ‐20) was associated with child symptom scores of post‐traumatic stress (Child Revised Impact of Events Scale, CRIES), depression (Depression Self‐Rating Scale, DSRS), psychiatric difficulties, impact, and prosocial strength (Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire, SDQ).

Results

Caregiver mental health was prospectively associated with all eight measures of child mental health at follow‐up, adjusted for baseline. For post‐traumatic stress, caregiver mental health had a predictive impact comparable to the child experiencing one or two lifetime trauma events. For depression, caregiver mental health approached the predictive impact of female gender. Thus a one SD change in caregiver SRQ‐20 was associated with a 1.04 point change on CRIES and a 0.65 point change in DSRS. For multi‐informant SDQ data, caregiver—child associations were strongest for caregiver ratings. For child‐rated outcomes, associations were moderated by maternal literacy, a marker of family‐level dynamics. Both adults and children identified domestic violence and quality of home life as independent risk and protective factors.

Conclusions

In the context of violence and displacement, efforts to improve child mental health require a thoughtful consideration of the mental health cascade across generations and the cluster of adversities that impact family wellbeing. We identify culturally meaningful leverage points for building family‐level resilience, relevant to the prevention and intervention agenda in global mental health.
Modeling human neurological disorders with induced pluripotent stem cells
Authors: Imaizumi Yoichi , Okano Hideyuki
Published: November 2013

Human induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells obtained by reprogramming technology are a source of great hope, not only in terms of applications in regenerative medicine, such as cell transplantation therapy, but also for modeling human diseases and new drug development. In particular, the production of iPS cells from the somatic cells of patients with intractable diseases and their subsequent differentiation into cells at affected sites (e.g., neurons, cardiomyocytes, hepatocytes, and myocytes) has permitted the in vitro construction of disease models that contain patient‐specific genetic information. For example, disease‐specific iPS cells have been established from patients with neuropsychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia and autism, as well as from those with neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease. A multi‐omics analysis of neural cells originating from patient‐derived iPS cells may thus enable investigators to elucidate the pathogenic mechanisms of neurological diseases that have heretofore been unknown. In addition, large‐scale screening of chemical libraries with disease‐specific iPS cells is currently underway and is expected to lead to new drug discovery. Accordingly, this review outlines the progress made via the use of patient‐derived iPS cells toward the modeling of neurological disorders, the testing of existing drugs, and the discovery of new drugs.

image

The production of human induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells from the patients' somatic cells and their subsequent differentiation into specific cells have permitted the in vitro construction of disease models that contain patient‐specific genetic information. Furthermore, innovations of gene‐editing technologies on iPS cells are enabling new approaches for illuminating the pathogenic mechanisms of human diseases. In this review article, we outlined the current status of neurological diseases‐specific iPS cell research and described recently obtained knowledge in the form of actual examples.
Sexual Functioning and Vaginal Changes after Radical Vaginal Trachelectomy in Early Stage Cervical Cancer Patients: A Longitudinal Study
Authors: Froeding Ligita Paskeviciute , Ottosen Christian , Rung-Hansen Helle , Svane Danny , Mosgaard Berit Jul , Jensen Pernille Tine
Published: November 2013

Introduction

Radical vaginal trachelectomy (RVT) offers low complication rate, good survival, and possibility for future childbearing for young women with early stage cervical cancer. However, the literature on quality of life (QOL) and sexual functioning in patients undergoing RVT is scarce.

Aim

The aims of this study were to prospectively assess sexual function after RVT and to compare scores of sexual function in patients operated by RVT and radical abdominal hysterectomy (RAH) with those of age-matched control women from the general population.

Methods

Eighteen patients with early stage cervical cancer operated with RVT were prospectively included and assessed preoperatively, and 3, 6, and 12 months postoperatively using validated questionnaires. RAH patients were included consecutively and assessed once at 12 months postsurgery, while an age-matched control group of 30 healthy women was assessed once.

Main Outcome Measure

Sexual dysfunction total score as measured by the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) was the main outcome measure.

Results

During the 12 months posttreatment, RVT patients tended to have persistent sexual dysfunction as measured by FSFI (mean overall score <26.55 at each assessment) and Female Sexual Distress Scale (mean overall score > 11). Sexual worry (P < 0.001) and lack of sexual desire (P = 0.038) were more frequently reported among patients in both treatment groups compared with control women. Sexual activity increased significantly during the observation time for the RVT group (P = 0.023) and reached that of healthy women. Global Health Status score improved over time for the RVT group but never reached that of healthy control women (P = 0.029).

Conclusions

Our data suggest that patients treated with RVT for early stage cervical cancer experience persistent sexual dysfunction up to one year post surgery influencing negatively on their QOL.
Australian Gay and Bisexual Men's Use of Erectile Dysfunction Medications During Recent Sexual Encounters
Authors: Prestage Garrett , Jin Fengyi , Bavinton Benjamin , Grulich Andrew , Brown Graham , Pitts Marian , Hurley Michael
Published: November 2013

Aim

Use of erectile dysfunction medications (EDMs) is relatively common among gay and bisexual men and has been associated with human immunodeficiency virus sexual risk behavior. We aimed to determine what factors were related to EDM use on occasions when participants engaged in protected anal intercourse (PAIC) and when they engaged in unprotected anal intercourse (UAIC) with casual partners.

Methods

An online cross-sectional survey was conducted, resulting in a sample of 1,376 Australian gay and bisexual men who reported an occasion of anal intercourse with casual male partners in the previous year.

Main Outcome Measure

The main outcome measure was the use of EDM during most recent occasions of PAIC and UAIC.

Results

Men were as likely to use EDM on occasions when they were using condoms (11.6%) as they were on occasions when they did not use condoms (13.0%). There was no association between use of EDM and self-esteem, nor was there an association between sexual risk behavior and self-esteem. Men who used EDM were more sexually active overall and appeared to often use EDM to enhance and extend their sexual experiences.

Conclusions

Men did not appear to use EDM specifically for the purposes of risk-taking and mainly used EDM to enhance sexual pleasure. Mental health issues were not indicated by use of EDM.
DoLeucochloridiumsporocysts manipulate the behaviour of their snail hosts?
Authors: Wesołowska W. , Wesołowski T.
Published: November 2013

The conspicuous broodsacs ofLeucochloridiumspp. sporocysts, invading tentacles of their intermediate terrestrial snail hosts, are presented as a classic textbook example of the manipulation of host behaviour by a parasite. However, the conspicuous features indicated as facilitating the transmission of the parasite to its final avian hosts are characteristics of the appearance and behaviour of the parasite and not of its intermediate hosts. The demonstration that the sporocysts also manipulate the behaviour of the snails is still largely missing. In order to find out whetherLeucochloridium paradoxumcould manipulate the behaviour of itsSuccinea putrishosts, we compared the behaviour ofLeucochloridium‐infected snails with that of control animals (showing no signs of infection) living side by side, in the same habitat patches, in the field (BiałowieżaNationalPark,Poland). We had assumed that the ‘moving caterpillar’ display of the broodsacs was addressed to day‐active, visually hunting, insectivorous birds and that the ‘signalling’ parasites should change the behaviour of their hosts to make the broodsacs more visible and/or more accessible to the group of predators mentioned. The infected snails with pulsating broodsacs behaved differently from their apparently non‐infected counterparts. They moved farther, positioned themselves in more exposed and better illuminated places, situated higher in the vegetation. These alterations of behaviour would be beneficial for the parasites, would increase their visibility (detectability) and accessibility to the potential definite hosts. Thus, we demonstrated that, apart from their own phenotypic modifications,L. paradoxumsporocysts also changed the behaviour of their intermediateS. putrishosts. Such combination of modified host behaviour and strikingly visible parasite behaviour is rather unique, it is likely increasing the likelihood of parasite transmission to avian hosts.
Formae speciales of cereal powdery mildew: close or distant relatives?
Authors: Troch Veronique , Audenaert Kris , Wyand Rebecca A. , Haesaert Geert , Höfte Monica , Brown James K. M.
Published: November 2013

Powdery mildew is an important disease of cereals, affecting both grain yield and end‐use quality. The causal agent of powdery mildew on cereals, Blumeria graminis, has been classified into eight formae speciales (ff.spp.), infecting crops and wild grasses. Advances in research on host specificity and resistance, and on pathogen phylogeny and origins, have brought aspects of the subspecific classification system of B. graminis into ff.spp. into question, because it is based on adaptation to certain hosts rather than strict host specialization. Cereals therefore cannot be considered as typical non‐hosts to non‐adapted ff.spp. We introduce the term ‘non‐adapted resistance’ of cereals to inappropriate ff.spp. of B. graminis, which involves both pathogen‐associated molecular pattern‐triggered immunity (PTI) and effector‐triggered immunity (ETI). There is no clear distinction between the mechanisms of resistance to adapted and non‐adapted ff.spp. Molecular evolutionary data suggest that the taxonomic grouping of B. graminis into different ff.spp. is not consistent with the phylogeny of the fungus. Imprecise estimates of mutation rates and the lack of genetic variation in introduced populations may explain the uncertainty with regard to divergence times, in the Miocene or Holocene epochs, of ff.spp. of B. graminis which infect cereal crop species. We propose that most evidence favours divergence in the Holocene, during the course of early agriculture. We also propose that the forma specialis concept should be retained for B. graminis pathogenic on cultivated cereals to include clades of the fungus which are strongly specialized to these hosts, i.e. ff.spp. hordei, secalis and tritici, as well as avenae from cultivated A. sativa, and that the forma specialis concept should no longer be applied to B. graminis from most wild grasses.
A pathogenic progranulin mutation and C9orf72 repeat expansion in a family with frontotemporal dementia
Authors: Lashley Tammaryn , Rohrer Jonathan D. , Mahoney Colin , Gordon Elizabeth , Beck Jon , Mead Simon , Warren Jason , Rossor Martin , Revesz Tamas
Published: November 2013

Aims

Frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease and is the second most common form of young onset dementia after Alzheimer's disease (AD). An autosomal dominant pattern of inheritance is present in around 25–50% of FTLD cases indicating a strong genetic component. Major pathogenic mutations of FTLD have been demonstrated independently in the progranulin (GRN) gene and the C9orf72 hexanucleotide expansion repeat. In this study we present a family that have been identified as carrying both a GRN Cys31fs mutation and the C9orf72 hexanucleotide expansion repeat.

Methods

In the present study we describe the clinical and genetic details of family members and pathological features of two family members that have come to post‐mortem.

Results

The mean age at disease onset was 57 years (48–61 years) and mean duration 4 years (2–7 years). The most common presenting syndrome was behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia. Brain imaging from available cases showed a symmetrical pattern of atrophy particularly affecting the frontal and temporal lobes. Pathologically two cases were classified as FTLD‐TDP type A with TDP‐43 positive inclusions, with additional p62‐positive ‘star‐like’ inclusions found in the hippocampal formation and cerebellum.

Conclusions

The type and distribution of the pathological lesions in these two cases were in keeping with FTLD cases carrying only the C9orf72 hexanucleotide repeat. However the driving force of the pathological process may be either pathogenic mutation or a combination of both converging on a singular mechanism.
Distensibility of the anal canal in patients with idiopathic fecal incontinence: a study with the Functional Lumen Imaging Probe
Authors: Sørensen G. , Liao D. , Lundby L. , Fynne L. , Buntzen S. , Gregersen H. , Laurberg S. , Krogh K.
Published: November 2013

Background

Anatomical structures and their distensibility vary along the length of the anal canal. The anal sphincter muscles have dynamic properties that are not well‐reflected by standard manometry. Abnormal distensibility of the anal canal may be of importance in idiopathic fecal incontinence (IFI). The functional lumen imaging probe (FLIP) allows detailed studies of the distensibility and axial variation of sphincters. We aimed at comparing segmental distensibility of the anal canal in patients with IFI and healthy subjects.

Methods

The FLIP was used for distension of the anal canal in 22 patients with IFI (17 female, age 27–82 years) and 21 healthy volunteers (18 female, age 32–73 years). The distensibility was determined from changes in luminal diameter. Closure of the anal canal during voluntary squeeze was computed as the combined length of closed anal canal and time. Pressure‐strain elastic modulus was computed at rest.

Key Results

In all subjects, the proximal anal canal was the most distensible segment. During distension at rest and during squeeze the middle and distal anal canal became significantly larger in IFI than in healthy (F < 22.4, p < 0.05). The closure of the anal canal during voluntary squeeze did not differ between healthy (75.9 ± 92.9 mm s) and IFI patients (90.4 ± 105 mm s; p = 0.6). Compared with healthy, IFI patients had lower pressure‐strain elastic modulus of the middle and distal (q > 4.5, p < 0.05) but not the proximal anal canal (q < 0.7, p > 0.05).

Conclusions & Inferences

Patients with IFI have increased distensibility of the middle and distal parts of the anal canal.
Bodyweight in Patients with Idiopathic Gastroparesis: Roles of Symptoms, Caloric Intake, Physical Activity, and Body Metabolism
Authors: Homko C. J. , Zamora L. C. , Boden G. , Parkman H. P.
Published: November 2013

Background

Most gastroparetic patients are underweight probably because of frequently experienced early satiety, nausea, and vomiting. Some gastroparesis (GP) patients, however, are overweight, for reasons that are not well understood. The aim of this study was to evaluate the factors that influence bodyweight such as resting energy and exercise‐related expenditure, symptoms of early satiety, nausea and vomiting, and caloric intake in patients with idiopathic GP and in healthy controls.

Methods

Thirty‐nine healthy controls and 29 subjects with idiopathic GP were studied. Resting energy expenditure (indirect calorimetry), body composition (bioelectrical impedance), dietary intake (Block Food Frequency Questionnaire), symptoms (Patient Assessment of Upper GI Symptoms), and physical activity (Paffenbarger exercise survey) were assessed.

Key Results

Both median caloric intake (1242 vs 1804 kcal; p = 0.005) and caloric expenditure (486 vs 2172 kcal; p < 0.01) were significantly lower in patients with GP as compared to controls although BMI (25.8 ± 5.8 vs 24.3 ± 4.0 kg/m2) and resting energy expenditure (1327 ± 293 vs 1422 ± 243 kcal) were similar. On the other hand, the 12 GP patients who had gained weight (GW) since diagnosis had lower symptom severity (12.9 ± 4.4 vs 19.3 ± 6.3; p < 0.05), consumed more calories (1342 vs 1134 kcal; p = 0.08) and expended less calories for activity per week (406 vs 644 median kcal; p = 0.45) compared to the 17 GP patients who had lost weight or remained weight neutral (LW).

Conclusions & Inferences

Patients with GP, although in energy balance, consumed and expended less calories than healthy controls. A subgroup of patients with GP who were less symptomatic, gained weight because of increased caloric intake and reduced energy expenditure.
Accessory mental foramina: anatomy and histology of neurovascularisation in four cases with apical surgery
Authors: von Arx T. , Lozanoff S. , Bosshardt D.
Published: November 2013

The anatomical, radiographic and histological features of accessory mental foramina were assessed in four patients undergoing apical surgery of mandibular premolars or molars. In three cases, the accessory foramina were detected preoperatively, and in one case, the accessory foramen was observed accidentally during surgery. Histologically, the excised soft tissue bundles exiting the accessory foramina contained nerve tissue with fascicles, which contained mainly myelinated nerve fibres, and accompanying small blood vessels and adipocytes. Only one patient reported numbness following surgery. According to the suggested classification of supplementary mandibular buccal foramina, one case was classified as presenting a double mental foramen, two cases as having an accessory mental foramen and one case as displaying a so‐called additional buccal foramen.
Scaling Analysis and Modeling of Immiscible Forced Gravity Drainage Process
Authors: Moshir Farahi Mohammad Mahdi , Reza Rasaei Mohammad , Rostami Behzad , Alizadeh Mostafa
Published: November 2013

Scaling study of fluids displacement leads to proper understanding of pore-to-field scale flow mechanisms and correct evaluation of effectiveness of various recovery methods. Scaling study of immiscible forced gravity drainage, or gas assisted gravity drainage (GAGD), at laboratory scale and reservoir scale is considered here. Inspectional analysis (IA) is used to determine dimensionless scaling groups that characterize the fluid displacement and production mechanisms. It is found that scaling immiscible GAGD displacement in a homogeneous reservoir needs matching of five dimensionless scaling groups. For heterogeneous reservoirs, Dykstra-Parson coefficient which represents the permeability heterogeneity is also required. It is shown that none of the dimensionless groups can individually correlate the efficiency of the process. Hence, a new combined dimensionless group in reservoir scale which incorporates all the dominant forces is derived. The model is evaluated and verified by comparing its predictions with experimental results and extensive field simulations figures. The model is found reliable for fast oil recovery prediction of GAGD process after 2 pore volume injection in homogeneous and heterogeneous reservoirs and proposing their optimal production plan.
Market-System Design Optimization With Consider-Then-Choose Models
Authors: Ross Morrow W. , Long Minhua , MacDonald Erin F.
Published: November 2013

Design optimization in market system research commonly relies on Discrete choice analysis (DCA) to forecast sales and revenues for different product variants. Conventional DCA, which represents consumer choice as a compensatory process through maximization of a smooth utility function, has proven to be reasonably accurate at predicting choice and interfaces easily with engineering models. However, the marketing literature has documented significant improvement in modeling choice with the use of models that incorporate both noncompensatory (descriptive) and compensatory (predictive) components. This noncompensatory component can, for example, model a “consider-then-choose” process in which potential customers first narrow their decisions to a small set of products using noncompensatory screening rules and then employ a compensatory evaluation to select from within this consideration set. This article presents solutions to a design optimization challenge that arises when demand is modeled with a consider-then-choose model: the choice probabilities are no longer continuous or continuously differentiable. We examine two different classes of methods to solve optimal design problems–genetic algorithms (GAs) and nonlinear programming (NLP) relaxations based on complementarity constraints–for consider-then-choose models whose screening rules are based on conjunctive (logical “and”) rules.
Use of Pipeline Wave Propagation Model for Measuring Unsteady Flow Rate
Authors: Johnston Nigel , Pan Min , Kudzma Sylwester , Wang Pengfei
Published: November 2013

A novel method for estimation of unsteady flow rate using pressure at two or three points along a pipeline is described in this paper. The pressure data are processed using a wave propagation model to determine the unsteady flow. The comparison and analysis of two-transducer and three-transducer techniques are investigated through simulation. The proposed method is shown to be effective for unsteady flow rate measurement over a high bandwidth. However, if the pressure values from two transducers are used, inaccuracies exist at certain frequencies when the transducer spacing coincides with multiples of half a wavelength. The accuracy can be improved by adding a third transducer with unequal spacing. The three-transducer method has been implemented in experiments and has been found to be robust and reliable.
Dynamic Response of a Sphere Immersed in a Shallow Water Flow
Authors: Mirauda D. , Volpe Plantamura A. , Malavasi S.
Published: November 2013

This work analyzes the dynamic response of a sphere located close to the floor of a hydraulic channel within steady free-surface current flows. The sphere is free to move in transverse (y) and streamwise (x) directions, and it is characterized by a mass ratio m* equal to 1.34. The oscillation amplitudes and the frequencies of the sphere have been measured by means of the image analysis of a charge coupled device (CCD) camera. The experimental data show a significant influence of the free surface on the sphere movement and highlight a different behavior of the dynamic response to the increasing of the water level on the upper part of the body.
Pancreatic cancer presenting as a Sister Mary Joseph's nodule
Authors: Prabhu Raghunath , Krishna Sunil , Shenoy Rajgopal , Natarajan Arjun
Published: November 2013

A 69-year-old man presented with a painful umbilical nodule of 1 month duration. On examination the nodule was blackish in colour with a serous discharging fluid and was 2×2 cm in size, tender and fixed to the skin. There were no scars or sinuses at the umbilicus and no palpable mass or organomegaly on systemic examination. The patient underwent wide local excision of the skin nodule and on histopathology was reported as metastatic adenocarcinoma of the skin. A CT of the abdomen was performed to look for the primary site, which showed a 5×4 cm lesion in the tail of the pancreas. A biopsy from the pancreatic lesion was taken which was reported as an adenocarcinoma. CA19–9 was more than 1000 U/mL. The patient was advised palliative chemotherapy with gemcitabine. He was unwilling to take any further treatment in view of the advanced nature of the disease.
Stage 3 pyomyositis of the gluteus minimus;Staphylococcus aureussepsis, autoanticoagulation, proximal femoral osteomyelitis and the role of surgical intervention
Authors: Dacombe Peter Jonathan , Evans Jennifer , Gosling Oliver Burton , Heal James
Published: November 2013

Primary pyomyositis is a rare bacterial infection of the skeletal muscle. Traditionally a tropical disease, it is increasingly described in westernised urban populations. The aetiology is due to transient bacteraemia in the presence of risk factors such as traumatised muscle, or immunocompromise. The condition presents in one of three stages, representing progression of disease severity. Intravenous antibiotic therapy is often sufficient for this disease at its early stage, but surgical drainage is necessary for advanced presentations. We report a severe case of stage 3 pyomyositis of the gluteus minimus, which led toStaphylococcus aureussepsis, deranged liver function, acute kidney injury, autoanticoagulation and proximal femoral osteomyelitis in a healthy 64-year-old Caucasian man. This illustrates the potential severity of the disease, the life-threatening sequelae when diagnosis is delayed and the role of surgical drainage in averting the progression of systemic sepsis to end-organ dysfunction, disseminated intravascular coagulation and potentially death.
Late relapse myoclonus in a case of Lance-Adams syndrome
Authors: Lagrand Tjerk , Winogrodzka Ania
Published: November 2013

A 66-year-old man had a history of an anterior myocardial infarction followed by a successful cardiopulmonary resuscitation and a posthypoxic myoclonus, also known as Lance-Adams syndrome (LAS). Eight years ago, he was admitted to the emergency department with the same myoclonic jerks during an intercurrent respiratory infection. After treatment with clonazepam and resolution of the infection, the myoclonus promptly disappeared. This case report suggests that relapses of successfully treated LAS can occur in vulnerable patients, as it's a chronic form of myoclonus.
Acute kidney injury as first presentation of lymphoma: the role of renal biopsy
Authors: On Wei , Udberg Martin
Published: November 2013

A 65-year-old man with an insidious history of being generally unwell with weight loss, a poor appetite and night sweats was transferred to a tertiary nephrology unit after being found to be in acute kidney injury (AKI). A renal biopsy was performed on the same day which revealed lymphomatous infiltration of the renal parenchyma. He required temporary haemodialysis as he was oliguric and was started on chemotherapy. His renal function improved to baseline 3 weeks after treatment. This case illustrates the uncommon presentation of direct lymphomatous infiltration as a cause of AKI and the integral role of renal biopsy in ascertaining the diagnosis.
CORTICAL EXCITABILITY AS A POTENTIAL CLINICAL MARKER OF EPILEPSY: A REVIEW OF THE CLINICAL APPLICATION OF TRANSCRANIAL MAGNETIC STIMULATION
Authors: BAUER PRISCA R. , KALITZIN STILIYAN , ZIJLMANS MAEIKE , SANDER JOSEMIR W. , VISSER GERHARD H.
Published: November 2013

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) can be used for safe, noninvasive probing of cortical excitability (CE). We review 50 studies that measured CE in people with epilepsy. Most showed cortical hyperexcitability, which can be corrected with anti-epileptic drug treatment. Several studies showed that decrease of CE after epilepsy surgery is predictive of good seizure outcome. CE is a potential biomarker for epilepsy. Clinical application may include outcome prediction of drug treatment and epilepsy surgery.
NUMERICAL SIMULATION OF ACOUSTIC STREAMING WITHIN THE COCHLEA
Authors: GERSTENBERGER CHRISTIAN , WOLTER FRANZ-ERICH
Published: November 2013

This paper is concerned with the numerical examination of acoustically driven flows within the inner ear on the basis of a computational model. For this purpose, a comprehensive system of differential equations and boundary conditions is deduced, which takes, to a satisfactory extent, the complexity of the main biophysical mechanisms of the cochlea into account. Beside an appropriate representation of the fluid dynamics, also the biomechanical properties of the basilar membrane as well as the internal amplification mechanism caused by the outer hair cell motility are considered in order to get realistic estimates of the structure and magnitude of the mean flow field. The present paper introduces a two-stage approach for the numerical evaluation of the solutions on the basis of the finite element method. The first step deals with the calculation of the linear acoustic reaction whereas the second step is associated with the determination of a first-order approximation of the acoustic streaming field. It is shown that the results are essentially consistent with measurements as well as analytical and experimental considerations. In addition, the numerical estimates of the acoustically driven flows provide an instrument for a more profound discussion on their physiological impact.
Tracing Three-Dimensional Acoustic Wavefronts in Inhomogeneous, Moving Media
Authors: Zabotin Nikolay A. , Godin Oleg A. , Sava Paul C. , Zabotina Liudmila Y.
Published: November 2013

We present a numerical implementation of an alternative formulation of the geometrical, or ray, acoustics, where wavefronts rather than rays are the primary objects. Rays are recovered as a by-product of wavefront tracing. The alternative formulation of the geometrical acoustics is motivated, first, by the observation that wavefronts are often more stable than rays at long-range sound propagation, and, second, by a need for computationally efficient modeling of high-frequency acoustic fields in three-dimensionally inhomogeneous, moving or motionless fluids. Wavefronts are found as a finite-difference solution to a system of partial differential equations, which is equivalent to the eikonal equation and is a direct implementation of the intuitive Huygens' wavefront construction. The finite-difference algorithm is an extension of the approach originally developed in the framework of an open source Madagascar project. Benchmark problems, which admit exact, analytic solutions of the eikonal equation, are formulated and utilized to verify the finite-difference wavefront tracing algorithm. Huygens' wavefront tracing (HWT) is applied to modeling sound propagation in three-dimensionally inhomogeneous ocean and atmosphere.
Location and Distribution Management of Relief Centers: A Genetic Algorithm Approach
Authors: Najafi Medhi , Farahani Reza Zanjirani , De Brito Marisa P. , Dullaert Wout
Published: November 2013

Humanitarian logistics is regarded as a key area for improved disaster management efficiency and effectiveness. In this study, a multi-objective integrated logistic model is proposed to locate disaster relief centers while taking into account network costs and responsiveness. Because this location problem is NP-hard, we present a genetic approach to solve the proposed model.
On gravitational collapse and cosmic censorship for collisionless matter
Authors: Andréasson Håkan
Published: November 2013

The weak cosmic censorship conjecture is a central open problem in classical general relativity. Under the assumption of spherical symmetry, Christodoulou has investigated the conjecture for two different matter models; a scalar field and dust. He has shown that the conjecture holds true for a scalar field but that it is violated in the case of dust. The outcome of the conjecture is thus sensitive to which model is chosen to describe matter. Neither a scalar field nor dust are realistic matter models. Collisionless matter, or Vlasov matter, is a simple matter model but can be considered to be realistic in the sense that it is used by astrophysicists. The present status on the weak cosmic censorship conjecture for the Einstein–Vlasov system is reviewed here.
A class of inflaton potentials from RG analysis of scalar-gravity interaction
Authors: Pietrykowski Artur R.
Published: November 2013

Inflationary models are characterized by the form of a potential which is arbitrary and usually parametrized so as to match the observational data. However, making use of the renormalization group methods to a gravity-scalar field system it is possible to find physically nontrivial potentials that might be relevant for cosmology and particle physics as well. I will pinpoint the way this class of potentials may be found as well as discuss their utility for inflationary models.
HEAT AND MASS TRANSFER EFFECTS ON CARREAU FLUID MODEL FOR BLOOD FLOW THROUGH A TAPERED ARTERY WITH A STENOSIS
Authors: AKBAR NOREEN SHER
Published: November 2013

In the current critique, we deliberate the blood flow through narrowing vein with a stenosis in the manifestation of heat and mass transmission. The non-Newtonian flora of blood in small veins are examined mathematically by demonstrating the blood as Carreau fluid. The illustration for the blood flow is debated through an axially irregular but outward regular stenosis. Regularity in the dissemination of the fortification clipping stress and resistive impedance and their evolution with the emerging stenosis is a new significant feature of our investigation. Analytical solutions have been appraised for "velocity, temperature, concentration, resistance impedance, wall shear stress and shearing stress at the stenosis throat". The graphical consequences of different types of tapering arteries (i.e. "converging tapering, diverging tapering, non-tapered artery") have been studied for dissimilar constraints of attention. Rivulet shapes have been strategized for different parameters at the culmination of the article.
Lead zirconate (PbZrO3) embedded in natural rubber as electroactive elastomer composites
Authors: Sirivat Anuvat , Petcharoen Karat , Pornchaisiriarun Yanee , Phansa-Ard Chaleomwut , Tangboriboon Nuchnapa
Published: November 2013

Perovskite lead zirconate ( PbZrO 3) was synthesized in an orthorhombic form at a temperature below the Curie temperature, TC. The orthorhombic form is a noncentrosymmetric structure which is capable of spontaneous polarization. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra and X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns confirm the successful synthesis of the lead zirconate; and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) micrographs indicate that PbZrO 3 particles are moderately dispersed in the natural rubber (NR) matrix. Without an electrical field, the particles merely act as a ferroelectric filler, which can absorb and store additional stress. Under an electrical field, particle-induced dipole moments are generated, leading to interparticle interaction and a substantial increase in the storage modulus. At a small amount of lead zirconate particulates present in the natural rubber matrix, at a volume fraction of 0.007306, the electrical conductivity increases dramatically by nearly two orders of magnitude at the electrical frequency of 500 kHz.