bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cutaneous Infection Caused by a Novel Francisella sp
Authors: Respicio-Kingry Laurel B. , Byrd Lori , Allison Ashley , Brett Meghan , Scott-Waldron Christine , Galliher Karen , Hannah Paul , Mead Paul , Petersen Jeannine M.
Published: August 2013

A 69-year-old patient presented with a tender, thickly crusted skin lesion of 1 week's duration. A bacterial culture swab taken from the underlying granular tissue yielded a pure isolate of a Gram-negative coccobacillus, presumptively identified as a novel
Francisella
species via 16S rRNA and multilocus gene sequence analysis.
Parvoviral Left-End Hairpin Ears Are Essential during Infection for Establishing a Functional Intranuclear Transcription Template and for Efficient Progeny Genome Encapsidation
Authors: Li Lei , Cotmore Susan F. , Tattersall Peter
Published: August 2013

The 121-nucleotide left-end telomere of Minute Virus of Mice (MVM) can be folded into a Y-shaped hairpin with short axial ears that are highly conserved within genus
Parvovirus
. To explore their potential role(s) during infection, we constructed infectious plasmid clones that lacked one or other ear. Although these were nonviable when transfected into A9 cells, excision of the viral genome and DNA amplification appeared normal, and viral transcripts and proteins were expressed, but progeny virion production was minimal, supporting the idea of a potential role for the ears in genome packaging. To circumvent the absence of progeny that confounded further analysis of these mutants, plasmids were transfected into 293T cells both with and without an adenovirus helper construct, generating single bursts of progeny. These virions bound to A9 cells and were internalized but failed to initiate viral transcription, protein expression, or DNA replication. No defects in mutant virion stability or function could be detected
in vitro
. Significantly, mutant capsid gene expression and DNA replication could be rescued by coinfection with wild-type virions carrying a replication-competent, capsid-gene-replacement vector. To pinpoint where such complementation occurred, prior transfection of plasmids expressing only MVM nonstructural proteins was explored. NS1 alone, but not NS2, rescued transcription and protein expression from both P4 and P38 promoters, whereas NS1 molecules deleted for their C-terminal transactivation domain did not. These results suggest that the mutant virions reach the nucleus, uncoat, and are converted to duplex DNA but require an intact left-end hairpin structure to form the initiating transcription complex.
Acute neonatal presentation of a lymphatic malformation
Authors: Tang Chee Yan , Wijnen M , Sambeeck van S J , Halbertsma F J J
Published: August 2013

Oropharyngeal lymphatic malformations usually present with a mass either at birth or in the first 2 years of life. Rarely, lymphatic malformations present with extremely progressive respiratory problems shortly after birth, and usually occur in cases which have remained undetected in the absence of antenatal ultrasound. We report the case of a newborn that required tracheostomy and gastrostomy due to a rapidly expansive lymphatic malformation. MRI showed multilocular microcystic lymphatic malformation. Intralesional bleomycin injections proved to be successful in this patient. A short review of epidemiology, clinical manifestation and treatment is given.
Diaphragmatic hernia mimicking hydropneumothorax: common error in emergency department
Authors: Magu Sarita , Agarwal Shalini , Jain Nitin , Dalal Nityasha
Published: August 2013

Detection of diaphragmatic hernia in the acute setting is problematic and diagnosing diaphragmatic hernia as hydropneumothorax is not an uncommon mistake. We present a series of four such cases diagnosed over a 7-year period, from December 2004 to January 2011 and analyse them for how this mistake can be avoided. In case of all the patients reported by us the initial radiographs were technically compromised because the patient could not be positioned properly. Also they were examined by non-radiologists. We feel that treating surgeons in emergency department tend to overdiagnose pneumothorax as it is a life-threatening condition. We feel that in the appropriate setting suspicion of diaphragmatic hernia should be raised in patients having fractured ribs associated with homogenous opacity, which cannot be differentiated from the diaphragm. Evidence of loculation of hydropneumothorax in the appropriate setting should also raise the possibility of diaphragmatic hernia.
Vitamin supplementation: unmonitored prescription can be dangerous
Authors: Kumar Naveen , Sharma Sourabh , Gupta Harish , Gadpayle Adesh Kumar
Published: August 2013

A 75-year-old illiterate woman presented with severe dehydration and altered sensorium. Investigations revealed severe hypercalcaemia with deranged renal function. ECG showed changes of hypercalcaemia and hypokalaemia. Since the patient was aged and had an acute presentation, malignancy was considered as the probable aetiology. Following prompt supportive treatment, she regained consciousness on the second day of admission. Later on, she provided a history of daily intake of vitamin D3(cholecalciferol) sachet (60 000 IU/sachet) for the last 2 weeks, which had actually been prescribed to be taken once per week. Further investigation revealed very high levels of serum vitamin D. This case has been presented to reiterate the importance of known, but often overlooked facts: ECG can provide an important clue regarding the underlying metabolic encephalopathy; mega-dose supplementation of these seemingly innocuous vitamins should be monitored; and treatment regimes should be properly explained and monitored in elderly people.
Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome with documented hyponatraemia
Authors: Aulakh Puneet , Fatakhov Eduard , Koch Christopher Francis , Kapil Shikha
Published: August 2013

We present a case of a 78-year-old African-American man with a history of hypertension, and with no prior history of seizure. The patient presented with hypertensive urgency as well as stroke such as symptoms of confusion, seizure, postictal confusion, left hemianopsia and hyponatraemia. MRI findings were suggestive of posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES). The patient was treated with appropriate medications with the resolution of his stroke-like symptoms. This case report discusses a patient with PRES, in the setting of hyponatraemia, and how prompt recognition may prevent permanent neurological sequela such as epilepsy.
Lymphocytic interstitial pneumonia as a manifestation of SLE and secondary Sjogren's syndrome
Authors: Garcia Daniel , Young Lary
Published: August 2013

A 47-year-old woman with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) diagnosed at age of 35years was admitted for dyspnoea, substernal chest pain, dry mucosas and difficulty in swallowing. Physical examination revealed vesicular breath sounds bilaterally. Laboratory work showed antinuclear antibody (ANA) (speckled pattern, 1:40), positive anti-Sjogren’s syndrome antigen (SSA) and antisingle side band (SSB) and negative double-strand DNA (dsDNA), with normal C3,C4,C50. A high-resolution chest CT scan demonstrated multiple bronchial cysts and diffuse interstitial infiltrates. Surgical lung biopsy revealed emphysematous changes and mild lymphocytic infiltrate around the bronchioles compatible with lymphocytic interstitial pneumonia diagnosis. This case illustrates a patient with primary SLE overlapped by initial manifestations of secondary Sjogren’s syndrome (SS) presenting with associated autoimmune interstitial lung disease. Antibody markers, high-resolution chest CT scan and surgical lung biopsy were essential in evaluating this patient, confirming the interstitial lymphocytic infiltration of the lung. Primary SS (pSS) is the most commonly associated disease to lung interstitial pneumonia (LIP) (25%). High-resolution chest CT scan demonstrates areas of ground-glass attenuation, suggestive of interstitial disease. Surgical lung biopsy shows pathologic increase of mature lymphocyte cells and histiocytes. Most of the cases have a benign presentation and shortly relapse. Superimposed infection, pulmonary fibrosis and lymphoma develop in less than 20% of cases. Corticosteroids are the primary therapy. While pSS is commonly associated with interstitial lung involvement, secondary Sjogren's syndrome (sSS) is only rare. It has been described the initial sSS presentation by Sica symptoms development only, and our case is the first report of LIP presentation as initial manifestation of sSS. Our patient remained stable after corticosteroids and hydoxychloroquine therapy and no progression of disease after 6 months follow-up.
Covered stents may provide extra protection during carotid artery stenting in high risk patients with an excessive thrombus burden
Authors: Tatli Ersan , Barutcu Ahmet , Gazi Emine , Gunduz Yasemin
Published: August 2013

Carotid artery disease is an important cause of mortality and morbidity related to atherosclerosis. Recently, percutaneous intervention procedures have been widely used to treat atherosclerotic carotid artery disease. We report the case of a 57-year-old male patient with a history of acute amaurosis fugax. Carotid angiography was performed as blood pressure differed between his left and right arms and there was a pan-systolic murmur on the left common carotid artery. Total occlusion of the proximal right brachiocephalic artery and a thrombus occluding 90–99% of the left internal carotid artery were detected by carotid angiogram. A self-expanding graft-covered stent was successfully implanted and there were no complications. This case shows that graft-covered stents may be a good alternative technique in special situations.
Transient hemiparesis due to a ruptured cerebral aneurysm in the prehospital setting
Authors: Yanagawa Youichi , Hirano Kazuoki , Hayashida Arisa , Nakazato Tomoko
Published: August 2013

A 67-year-old woman developed a sudden onset headache and left hemiparesis. Emergency medical technicians found that she was conscious, but had left hemiparesis. On arrival, she had an isolated headache without any neurological deficits, however, suddenly became comatose during a head CT examination, which demonstrated a subarachnoid haemorrhage. The head CT angiography on the second day revealed a cerebral aneurysm at the right middle cerebral artery, which was clipped on the same day. The patient demonstrated left haemiplegia and total aphasia after the operation, however, the neurological deficit gradually subsided and discharged on foot in 4 months without any deficits. Some patients with a subarachnoid haemorrhage may demonstrate transient neurological deficits, like those occurring during an ischaemic stroke, so emergency medical technicians and physicians should pay attention to treat such patients gently to avoid the re-rupture of a cerebral aneurysm, especially if the patient has headache symptoms.
Unusual behaviour of a pineal germinoma mimicking neurosarcoidosis and metastasising along the endoscopic route
Authors: Talamonti Giuseppe , Ligarotti Gianfranco K , Bramerio Manuela , Imbesi Francesca
Published: August 2013

A previously healthy man underwent endoscopic biopsy for a suspected pineal germinoma. Histology and immunohistochemistry did not confirm the preoperative diagnosis, and neurosarcoidosis was hypothesised because of the presence of granulomatous reaction. The patient remained in good health for 3 years and was still asymptomatic when a control MRI showed metastasis implantation along the endoscopic route. A redobiopsy provided the diagnosis of germinoma, but was complicated by severe ventricular haemorrhage requiring emergency clot excision. Postoperative clinical conditions were so severe that the treatment of germinoma was postponed. Three months later, repeated MRI showed tumour progression. Chemotherapy promoted good tumour regression so that the treatment was completed by radiation therapy. The tumour completely disappeared on MRI, but the patient remained severely disabled because of the haemorrhage.
Inferior gastroschisis
Authors: Patel Ramnik V , More Bharat , Sinha C K , Rajimawale Ashok
Published: August 2013

Gastroschisis is a common defect of the central abdominal wall, nearly always located to the right of the umbilicus. We report a baby boy with gastroschisis who had a defect on the inferior side of an intact and normal umbilical cord which was managed by primary repair and an uneventful recovery. Such a case has never been reported in the literature. This case contributes towards enlarging the spectrum of gastroschisis.
Effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a universal parenting skills programme in deprived communities: multicentre randomised controlled trial
Authors: Simkiss D E , Snooks H A , Stallard N , Kimani P K , Sewell B , Fitzsimmons D , Anthony R , Winstanley S , Wilson L , Phillips C J , Stewart-Brown S
Published: August 2013

Objective

To evaluate the effectiveness and cost utility of a universally provided early years parenting programme.

Design

Multicentre randomised controlled trial with cost-effectiveness analysis.

Setting

Early years centres in four deprived areas of South Wales.

Participants

Families with children aged between 2 and 4 years. 286 families were recruited and randomly allocated to the intervention or waiting list control.

Intervention

The Family Links Nurturing Programme (FLNP), a 10-week course with weekly 2 h facilitated group sessions.

Main outcome measures

Negative and supportive parenting, child and parental well-being and costs assessed before the intervention, following the course (3 months) and at 9 months using standardised measures.

Results

There were no significant differences in primary or secondary outcomes between trial arms at 3 or 9 months. With ‘+’ indicating improvement, difference in change in negative parenting score at 9 months was +0.90 (95%CI −1.90 to 3.69); in supportive parenting, +0.17 (95%CI −0.61 to 0.94); and 12 of the 17 secondary outcomes showed a non-significant positive effect in the FLNP arm. Based on changes in parental well-being (SF-12), the cost per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) gained was estimated to be £34 913 (range 21 485–46 578) over 5 years and £18 954 (range 11 664–25 287) over 10 years. Probability of cost per QALY gained below £30 000 was 47% at 5 years and 57% at 10 years. Attendance was low: 34% of intervention families attended no sessions (n=48); only 47% completed the course (n=68). Also, 19% of control families attended a parenting programme before 9-month follow-up.

Conclusions

Our trial has not found evidence of clinical or cost utility for the FLNP in a universal setting. However, low levels of exposure and contamination mean that uncertainty remains.

Trial registration

The trial is registered with Current Controlled TrialsISRCTN13919732.
Association between daily antiretroviral pill burden and treatment adherence, hospitalisation risk, and other healthcare utilisation and costs in a US medicaid population with HIV
Authors: Cohen Calvin J , Meyers Juliana L , Davis Keith L
Published: August 2013

Objectives

Lower pill burden leads to improved antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence among HIV patients. Simpler dosing regimens have not been widely explored in real-world populations. We retrospectively assessed ART adherence, all-cause hospitalisation risk and costs, and other healthcare utilisation and costs in Medicaid enrollees with HIV treated with ART as a once-daily single-tablet regimen (STR) or two or more pills per day (2+PPD).

Design

Patients with an HIV diagnosis from 2005 to 2009 receiving complete ART (ie, two nucleoside/nucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitors plus a third agent) for ≥60 days as STR or 2+PPD were selected and followed until the first of (1) discontinuation of the complete ART, (2) loss of enrolment or (3) end of database. Adherence was measured using the medication possession ratio. Monthly all-cause healthcare utilisation and costs were observed from regimen initiation until follow-up end.

Results

Of the 7381 patients who met inclusion criteria, 1797 were treated with STR and 5584 with 2+PPD. STR patients were significantly more likely to reach 95% adherence and had fewer hospitalisations than 2+PPD patients (both p<0.01). STR patients had mean (SD) total monthly costs of $2959 ($4962); 2+PPD patients had $3544 ($5811; p<0.001). Hospital costs accounted for 53.8% and pharmacy costs accounted for 32.5% of this difference. Multivariate analyses found that STR led to a 23% reduction in hospitalisations and a 17% reduction in overall healthcare costs. ART adherence appears to be a key mechanism mediating hospitalisation risk, as patients with ≥95% adherence (regardless of regimen type) had a lower hospitalisation rate compared with <95% adherence.

Conclusions

While it was expected that STR patients would have lower pharmacy costs, we also found that STR patients had fewer hospitalisations and lower hospital costs than 2+PPD patients, resulting in significantly lower total healthcare costs for STR patients.
Pulmonary arterial hypertension associated with connective tissue disease: meta-analysis of clinical trials
Authors: Kuwana Masataka , Watanabe Hiroshi , Matsuoka Nobushige , Sugiyama Naonobu
Published: August 2013

Objectives

Few studies have focused on pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) associated with connective tissue diseases (CTDs). The optimal treatment for CTD-PAH has yet to be established.

Design

Meta-analysis of the data from evaluations of treatment for PAH generally (19 studies) and CTD-PAH specifically (nine studies) to compare the effects of pulmonary vasodilative PAH agents. MEDLINE, EMBASE and BIOSIS were searched. English-language full-text articles published between January 1990 and August 2012 were eligible.

Setting

International.

Participants

Patients with PAH generally (n=3073) and CTD-PAH specifically (n=678).

Primary outcome measure

Exercise capacity (6 min walk distance, 6 MWD).

Results

Patients with PAH (all forms) had mean age 32–55 years (women, 61–87%); CTD-PAH patients had mean age 45–55 years (women, 74–95%). Overall estimate of mean change in 6 MWD from baseline (95% CI) for the active treatment group versus the control group in all patients with PAH was 34.6 m (27.4–41.9 m). Pooled mean differences from the results for patients receiving placebo by subgroup of patients receiving phosphodiesterase (PDE)-5 inhibitors, endothelin receptor antagonists (ERAs) and prostacyclin (PGI2) analogues were 22.4–45.5, 39.5–44.2 and 12.4–64.9 m, respectively. Overall estimate of mean difference between changes in 6 MWD in patients with CTD-PAH was 34.2 m (23.3–45.0 m). Pooled mean differences by subgroup of patients receiving PDE-5 inhibitors, ERAs and PGI2analogues in patients with CTD-PAH were 37.0–47.1, 14.1–21.7 and 21.0–108.0 m, respectively. ERAs were less effective in patients with CTD-PAH than all-form patients with PAH: 14.1 m (−4.4–32.6 m) vs 39.5 m (19.5–59.6 m) for bosentan and 21.7 m (2.2–41.3 m) vs 44.2 m (30.2–58.2 m) for ambrisentan.

Conclusions

All three types of PAH agent are effective. However, ERAs may be a less effective choice against CTD-PAH; further studies are needed. Limitations include the limited number of studies for some agents and for patients with CTD-PAH.
Objects of temporary contraception: an exploratory study of women's perspectives in Karachi, Pakistan
Authors: Marvi Kamyla , Howard Natasha
Published: August 2013

Objectives

To explore perspectives of three modern contraceptive objects, using anemicapproach, among women in a low-income community in Karachi, Pakistan.

Design

A qualitative interview study design was employed, using qualitative content analysis with an inductive approach and manual thematic coding.

Setting

Shah Faisal Colony, Karachi.

Participants

20 women, potential contraceptive users of reproductive age and living within a health centre catchment, were purposively selected to provide a similar number of non-users (n=5), contraceptive injection users (n=7), pill users (n=4), and intrauterine device users (n=4). One interview was excluded because it was not recorded. No other exclusion criteria were used.

Primary and secondary outcome measures

The primary outcome was interpretation of potency and effects of selected family planning objects. Secondary outcome measures were knowledge of family planning and description of therapeutic approaches used and preferred.

Results

Awareness of family planning was high. Women described different therapeutic approaches, stating they generally preferred modern medicine for contraception as it was fastest and most powerful. They reported that fear of some contraceptive objects, particularly injections and intrauterine contraceptive devices, influenced their choices. Women explained their perceptions of how the heating effects of contraceptives could cause unwanted side effects including menstrual irregularities, weight gain and weakness, leading to disease.

Conclusions

Most women wanted family planning, but remained dissatisfied with the available contraceptives and their effects. While women reported that they relied on modern medicine for contraception, their descriptions of how contraceptives affected their health relied on the hot–cold explanatory idiom of traditional medicine.
The impact of chronic untreated hyperglycaemia on the long-term stability of paraoxonase 1 (PON1) and antioxidant status in human sera
Authors: Macharia Muiruri , Kengne Andre P , Blackhurst Diane M , Erasmus Rajiv T , Matsha Tandi E
Published: August 2013

Aims

Paraoxonase 1 (PON1) is increasingly measured on samples that have been stored for extended durations. The impact of storage and baseline conditions on the stability of the enzyme is however not well documented. We investigated the influence of hyperglycaemia on the stability of PON1 activity and antioxidant status in human sera stored for 12 months.

Methods

Blood was collected from 60 individuals aged 35–80 years with chronic hyperglycaemia (HbA1c≥6.5%) or normoglycaemia (HbA1c<6.5%) in Cape Town. At baseline and after 12 months at −80°C, levels of PON1 activity (paraoxoase and arylesterase), antioxidant activity (ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC)) and lipid peroxidation (malondialdehyde and oxidised low density lipoprotein (ox-LDL)) were measured and compared.

Results

In normoglycaemic samples, 12-month storage led to minor alterations of <10% for the six target variables. In hyperglycaemic samples, alterations ranged from 13% for AREase activity to about 23% for ox-LDLs indicating a twofold to fourfold difference between the two groups in the variables assessed. Changes in levels of FRAP, TEAC and ox-LDL were both statistically and clinically significant. Furthermore, there was evidence of significant statistical interaction by baseline glycaemic status on the alteration of FRAP, TEAC, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances and ox-LDL, but not for PON1 activity.

Conclusions

The results indicate that baseline glycaemic status may contribute to a decline in the stability of antioxidant activity and extent of lipid peroxidation but not PON activity.
Inequalities in self-rated health in Japan 1986–2007 according to household income and a novel occupational classification: national sampling survey series
Authors: Hiyoshi Ayako , Fukuda Yoshiharu , Shipley Martin J , Brunner Eric J
Published: August 2013

Background

Japan, for the past two decades, has seen economic stagnation and substantial social change. We examined whether health inequalities increased over this period.

Methods

Using eight triennial waves of a series of large nationally representative surveys between 1986 and 2007 (n=398 303), temporal trends in relative and slope indices of inequality (RII, SII, respectively) were tested based on self-rated health in relation to theory-based social class and household income.

Results

Age-standardised prevalence of self-rated fair or poor health showed V-shaped time trends in both sexes with the lowest prevalence in early/mid-1990s. In 1986, RII and SII in household social class and income were significant for both sexes. In men, RII and SII according to income showed significant narrowing of temporal trends in poor health (−1.4% and −0.1% annually, respectively), but these were stable in women. After multilevel multiple imputation for missing income data, the findings in men were not altered but narrowing trends became evident and significant in women (−1% and −0.1% annually, respectively). Inequality indices for social class remained constant over the study period in both sexes.

Conclusions

Relative and absolute health inequalities for social class and income based on self-rated fair or poor health narrowed or remained stable between 1986 and 2007, despite the economic stagnation and adverse social changes. Overall population health across socioeconomic groups initially improved but then worsened. The positive finding regarding the health inequality trend seen in the Japanese context is informative for the wider international community during this period of economic uncertainty.
Social determinants of mental health: a Finnish nationwide follow-up study on mental disorders
Authors: Paananen Reija , Ristikari Tiina , Merikukka Marko , Gissler Mika
Published: August 2013

Background

Most mental disorders start in childhood and adolescence. Risk factors are prenatal and perinatal, genetic as well as environmental and family related. Research evidence is, however, insufficient to explain the life-course development of mental disorders. This study aims to provide evidence on factors affecting mental health in childhood and adolescence.

Data and methods

The 1987 Finnish Birth Cohort covers all children born in Finland in 1987 (N=59 476) who were followed up until the age of 21 years. The study covers detailed health, social welfare and sociodemographic data of the cohort members and their parents from Finnish registers.

Results

Altogether, 7578 (12.7%) cohort members had had a diagnosed mental disorder. Several prenatal, perinatal and family-related risk factors for mental disorders were found, with sex differences. The main risk factors for mental disorders were having a young mother (OR 1.30 (1.16 to 1.47)), parents’ divorce (OR 1.33 (1.26 to1.41)), death of a parent (OR 1.27 (1.16 to 1.38)), parents’ short education (OR 1.23(1.09 to 1.38)), childhood family receiving social assistance (OR 1.61 (1.52 to 1.71)) or having a parent treated at specialised psychiatric care (OR 1.47 (1.39 to 1.55)). Perinatal problem (OR 1.11 (1.01 to 1.22)) and prenatal smoking (OR 1.09 (1.02 to 1.16)) were risk factors for mental disorders, even after controlling for background factors. Elevated risk was seen if the cohort member had only basic education (OR 3.37 (3.14 to 3.62)) or had received social assistance (OR 2.45 (2.30 to 2.60)).

Conclusions

Mental disorders had many social risk factors which are interlinked. Although family difficulties increased the risk for mental disorders, they were clearly determined by the cohort member's low education and financial hardship. This study provides evidence for comprehensive preventative and supporting efforts. Families with social adversities and with parental mental health problems should be supported to secure children's development.
Cardiorespiratory function associated with dietary nitrate supplementation
Authors: Bond Vernon , Curry Bryan H. , Adams Richard G. , Millis Richard M. , Haddad Georges E.
Published: August 2013

The advent of medical nutrition therapy and nutritional physiology affords the opportunity to link diet to specific cardiovascular mechanisms, suggesting novel treatments for cardiovascular disease. This study tests the hypothesis that beetroot juice increases the plasma nitric oxide (NO) concentration, which is associated with improvements in cardiorespiratory function at rest and during submaximal aerobic exercise. The subjects were 12 healthy, young adult, normotensive African-American females, with a body mass of 61 ± 2 kg, body fat of 28% ± 4%, and peak oxygen consumption of 26 ± 3 mL·kg−1·min−1. The subjects were studied at rest and during cycle ergometer exercise at 40%, 60%, and 80% of peak oxygen consumption. Plasma NO concentration, respiratory quotient (RQ), minute ventilation, systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP and DBP), heart rate, and oxygen consumption were compared between isocaloric, isovolumetric placebo control orange juice and experimental beetroot juice treatments on separate days. The beetroot juice treatment increased plasma NO concentration and decreased oxygen consumption, SBP, and the heart rate-SBP product at rest and at 40%, 60%, and 80% of peak oxygen consumption in the absence of significant effects on RQ, minute ventilation, heart rate, and DBP. These findings suggest that, in healthy subjects, beetroot juice treatments increase plasma NO concentration and decrease cardiac afterload and myocardial oxygen demand at rest and during 3 submaximal levels of aerobic exercise. Future studies should determine the cellular and molecular mechanisms responsible for the improvement in cardiorespiratory function associated with dietary nitrate supplementation and whether they translate into better cardiovascular function and exercise tolerance in individuals with a compromised cardiovascular system.
A model for estimating advisory speeds for horizontal curves in two-lane rural roads
Authors: Echaveguren Tomás , Vargas-Tejeda Sergio
Published: August 2013

Horizontal curves are designed using a design speed, which is the speed used to determine the geometric features of highways. In sharp curves, drivers sometimes exceed the design speed. Depending of the difference between design speed and operating speed, drivers can face risky situations, which can be mitigated using signs informing drivers of advisory speeds. Advisory speeds at the horizontal curves are normally estimated as a function of the lateral acceleration for a maximum driving speed, at which comfort is low. This paper proposes an analytical model to estimate advisory speeds based on ball-bank readings and consistency concepts. Field data were obtained using a digital ball-bank indicator, an accelerometer, and a GPS logger. Readings were obtained on 24 test sections at speeds between 40 and 110 km/h. The model proposed yields an advisory speed value and a limit ball-bank angle that require consistent behavior of drivers.
Solvent effect on the dipole moments and photo physical behaviour of 2,5-di-(5-tert-butyl-2-benzoxazolyl) thiophene dye
Authors: Kadadevarmath J.S. , Malimath G.H. , Patil N.R. , Geethanjali H.S. , Melavanki R.M.
Published: August 2013

The absorption and emission spectra of fluorescent thiophene dye, namely, 2,5-di-(5-tert-butyl-2-benzoxazolyl) thiophene, have been recorded at room temperature in solvents of different polarities. The excited state dipole moments (μe) were estimated from Lippert’s, Bakhshiev’s, and Kawski–Chamma–Viallet’s equations using the variation of Stoke’s shift with the solvent dielectric constant and refractive index. The optimized geometry of the molecule and μg were calculated theoretically by Gaussian 03 software using B3LYP/6-31g* level of theory. The μg and μe were calculated by means of solvatochromic shift method and μe was determined in combination with μg. It was observed that μe were higher than those of the μg, indicating a substantial redistribution of the π-electron densities in a more polar excited state for the selected thiophene dye. Further, the change in the dipole moment (Δμ) was calculated both from solvatochromic shift method and on the basis of microscopic empirical solvent polarity parameter [Formula: see text] and values are compared.
A NOTE ON THE DECIDABILITY OF SUBWORD INEQUALITIES
Authors: FAZEKAS SZILÁRD ZSOLT , MERCAŞ ROBERT
Published: August 2013

Extending the general undecidability result concerning the absoluteness of inequalities between subword histories, in this paper we show that the question whether such inequalities hold for all words is undecidable even over a binary alphabet and bounded number of blocks, i.e., unary factors of maximal length.
EMS1: AN ELEGANT ALGORITHM FOR EDIT DISTANCE BASED MOTIF SEARCH
Authors: PATHAK SUDIPTA , RAJASEKARAN SANGUTHEVAR , NICOLAE MARIUS
Published: August 2013

Motifs are biologically significant patterns found in DNA/protein sequences. Given a set of biological sequences, the problem of identifying the motifs is very challenging. This problem has been well studied in computational biology. Identifying motifs through experimental processes is extremely expensive and time consuming. This is one of the factors influencing computational biologists to come up with novel computational methods to predict motifs. Several motif models have been proposed in the literature and for each model numerous algorithms have been devised. Three popular motif models are (l, d)-motif search or Planted Motif Search (PMS), Simple Motif Search (SMS), and Edit-distance based Motif Search (EMS). For PMS and SMS several algorithms have been proposed and implemented. On the other hand, even though some algorithms exist in the literature for the problem of EMS, no implementations of these algorithms are known. This is mainly because the proposed algorithms are complex. In this paper we present an elegant algorithm for EMS. We have implemented this algorithm and compared it against 14 other algorithms in terms of sensitivity and specificity. Our experimental results indicate that the new algorithm is very competitive in practice.
INDUCTIVE COMPLEXITY MEASURES FOR MATHEMATICAL PROBLEMS
Authors: BURGIN MARK , CALUDE CRISTIAN S. , CALUDE ELENA
Published: August 2013

An algorithmic uniform method to measure the complexity of finitely refutable statements [6, 7, 9] was used to classify famous/interesting mathematical statements like Fermat's last theorem, the four colour theorem, and the Riemann hypothesis [8, 15, 16]. Working with inductive Turing machines of various orders [1] instead of classical computations, we propose a class of inductive complexity measures and inductive complexity classes for mathematical statements which generalise the previous method. In particular, the new method is capable to classify Π2–statements. As illustrations, we evaluate the inductive complexity of the Collatz and twin prime conjectures — statements which cannot be evaluated with the original method.
TERAHERTZ DIELECTRIC RESPONSE AND COUPLED DYNAMICS OF FERROELECTRICS AND MULTIFERROICS FROM EFFECTIVE HAMILTONIAN SIMULATIONS
Authors: WANG DAWEI , WEERASINGHE JEEVAKA , ALBARAKATI ABDULLAH , BELLAICHE L.
Published: August 2013

Ferroelectric and multiferroic materials form an important class of functional materials. Over the last 20 years, first-principles-based effective Hamiltonian approaches have been successfully developed to simulate these materials. In recent years, effective Hamiltonian approaches were combined with molecular dynamics (MD) methods to investigate terahertz dynamical properties of various perovskites. With this combination, a variety of ferroelectric and multiferroic materials, including BaTiO 3, Ba(Sr, Ti)O 3, Pb(Zr, Ti)O 3, BiFeO 3 and SrTiO 3 bulks and films have been simulated, which led to the understanding of complex phenomena and discovery of novel effects. In this paper we first provide technical details about effective Hamiltonians and MD simulation method. Then, we present applications of the combination of these two techniques to different perovskites. Finally, we briefly discuss possible future directions of this approach.
B- TO Z-DNA TRANSITION PROBED BY THE FEOLI'S FORMALISM FOR A KIRCHHOFF MODEL
Authors: YAVARI MORTEZA
Published: August 2013

In this paper, we are going to use the techniques of quantum field theory to describe the free energy of DNA structures. The exact solutions of the general equilibrium shape equations for DNA structures in a Kirchhoff model by using the Feoli's formalism [A. Feoli, V. V. Nesterenko and G. Scarpetta, Nucl. Phys. B705, 577 (2005)] are investigated. The free energy of the B- to Z-DNA transition is also calculated in this formalism.
Embodying services into physical places
Authors: Thebault Pierrick , Decotter Dominique , Boussard Mathieu , Lu Monique
Published: August 2013

The tremendous developments in mobile computing and handheld devices have allowed for an increasing usage of the resources of the World Wide Web. People today consume information and services on the go, through smart phones applications capable of exploiting their location in order to adapt the content according to the context of use. As location-based services gain traction and reveal their limitations, we argue there is a need for intelligent systems to be created to better support people's activities in their experience of the city, especially regarding their decision-making processes. In this article, we explore the opportunity to move closer to the realization of the ubiquitous computing vision by turning physical places into smart environments capable of cooperatively and autonomously collecting, processing, and transporting information about their characteristics (e.g., practical information, presence of people, and ambience). Following a multidisciplinary approach which leverages psychology, design, and computer science, we propose to investigate the potential of building communication and interaction spaces, called
information spheres
, on top of physical places such as businesses, homes, and institutions. We argue that, if the latter are exposed on the Web, they can act as a platform delivering information and services and mediating interactions with smart objects without requiring too much effort for the deployment of the architecture. After presenting the inherent challenges of our vision, we go through the protocol of two preliminary experiments that aim to evaluate users' perception of different types of information (i.e., reviews, check-in information, video streams, and real-time representations) and their influence on the decision-making process. Results of this study lead us to elaborate the design considerations that must be taken into account to ensure the intelligibility and user acceptance of information spheres. We finally describe a research prototype application called
Environment Browser (Env-B)
and present the underlying smart space middleware, before evaluating the user experience with our system through quantitative and qualitative methods.
WebGL-based streaming and presentation of objects with bidirectional texture functions
Authors: Schwartz Christopher , Ruiters Roland , Weinmann Michael , Klein Reinhard
Published: August 2013

Museums and Cultural Heritage institutions have a growing interest in presenting their collections to a broader community via the Internet. The photo-realistic presentation of interactively inspectable virtual surrogates is one of the most challenging problems in this field. For this purpose, we seek to employ not only a 3D geometry but also a powerful material representation capable of reproducing the full visual appeal of an object. In this article, we propose a WebGL-based presentation framework in which reflectance information is represented via Bidirectional Texture Functions (BTF). Our approach works out-of-the-box in modern Web browsers and allows for the progressive transmission and interactive rendering of digitized artifacts consisting of 3D geometry and reflectance information. We handle the huge amount of data needed for this representation by employing a novel progressive streaming approach for BTFs, which allows for the smooth interactive inspection of a steadily improving version during the download. We demonstrate an interesting use-case of this technique at a cross section of Cultural Heritage, medical education, and research and provide an evaluation of the capabilities of our framework in the scope of BTF compression and transmission.
SIGWEB annual report
Authors: Harper Simon
Published: August 2013

The last year has been an exciting one for SIGWEB. From the sponsorship of six Web Conference, to that of Cooperating Conferences; from the increase in student travel sponsorship (to $30,000pa), to our increasing volunteer effort; the SIG has been at work at all levels of our domain.

We have forged links with multiple (≈20) conferences and workshops across our field, focusing on new contribution awards and broadening participation of the SIG, while still maintaining our low membership dues. In short, it has been an active and productive year.

We have increased membership numbers (to 561). But, we have an increasing funds balance (to $703,000), and are still increasing the amount we have to spend on each member, from $618 last year to $800 this year; with member benefits of: Reduced rates at SIGWEB sponsored, co-sponsored, and co-operating events; Free access to ACM DL content of events sponsored by SIGWEB; Reduced subscription rates to New Review of Hypermedia and Multimedia; Free subscription to the SIGWEB members email list, with calls, advance and final event programs; and news of interest to the community posted regularly; we still have an excellent membership offering.

In short SIGWEB has successfully expanded its range of conference sponsorships, is working hard on membership and volunteer development and benefits, and is financially healthy with a solid leadership.
Editor's introduction
Authors: Procaccia Ariel D.
Published: August 2013

In August I have officially taken over from Yiling Chen as the editor of SIGecom Exchanges. My predecessors have done a wonderful job with Exchanges and I hope that this unusual journal-newsletter hybrid will continue to be an essential source of information for the algorithmic economics community.
Social computing and user-generated content
Authors: Ghosh Arpita
Published: August 2013

Social computing is now ubiquitous on the Web, with user contributions on sites like online review forums, question-answer forums, wikis, or Youtube forming a growing fraction of the content consumed by Web users. But while there is plenty of user-generated content online, the quality of contributions and extent of participation vary widely across sites. We survey some recent work taking a game-theoretic approach to the problem of incentivizing high quality and participation in these social computing systems.
Non-cooperative bargaining dynamics in trading networks
Authors: Nguyen Thành
Published: August 2013

We outline a recently developed method for analyzing non-cooperative bargaining games in networks, and discuss some applications.
The Anthropology of Radio Fields
Authors: Bessire Lucas , Fisher Daniel
Published: August 2013

This review surveys a resurgent ethnographic interest in radio media in order to identify the contours and potentials of an emergent anthropology of radio. We first locate such scholarship in relation to long-standing questions about the nature and power of technological mediation, as well as voice, sound, and aurality. This allows us to reveal how conceptualizations of a singular ontology of radio often implicitly underwrite most accounts of its social power. Finally, we draw attention to how recent but rarely consolidated anthropological efforts to engage ethnographically with radio technology and its sensorial affordances require critically rethinking the relationships among radio, ontology, and mediation. In doing so, this review advances a new working definition of radio: not as an old medium on the verge of obsolescence, but as a vibrant domain for acoustically resignifying the ontological that merits sustained ethnographic exploration.
Ethnographic Research on Modern Business Corporations
Authors: Urban Greg , Koh Kyung-Nan
Published: August 2013

Ethnographers have approached the modern business corporation (construed as cultural formation) from two directions: (a) the effects of corporations—on workers, communities, consumers, and the broader environment; and (b) the inner workings of corporations as small-scale (or even large-scale) societies. Although academically based ethnographic research inside corporations has grown only modestly since the 1980s, the number of anthropologists working for corporations has mushroomed. Coupled with the expansion of research on various corporate effects over the past three decades, this development, we argue, positions the discipline to make intellectual advances in theorizing the corporation (synthesizing the internal social group view with the external effects-producing agentive view), as well as practical contributions not only in monitoring harmful impacts but also in suggesting directions to enhance societal benefits. At the same time, we note that questions of access to corporate inner workings pose both practical and ethical challenges.
Evidential Regimes of Forensic Archaeology
Authors: Crossland Zoë
Published: August 2013

Evidence excavacated from mass graves and clandestine burials has played an important role in the international prosecution of human rights abuses as well as in individual criminal cases. The archaeological dimension of forensic anthropological work is focused on the grave site and its immediate surrounding environment, making the work very visible and sometimes contentious. This review traces the ways in which forensic archaeological evidence is composed and evaluated, exploring how anthropologists have negotiated the sometimes competing demands and claims of the courts, scientific practice, and relatives of the dead.
Teeth and Human Life-History Evolution
Authors: Smith Tanya M.
Published: August 2013

Modern humans differ from wild great apes in gestation length, weaning age, interbirth interval, sexual maturity, and longevity, but evolutionary anthropologists do not know when these distinctive life-history conditions evolved. Dental tissues contain faithful records of birth and incremental growth, and scholars suggest that molar eruption age, tooth wear, growth disturbances, tooth chemistry, and/or tooth calcification may provide insight into the evolution of human life history. However, recent comparative approaches and empirical evidence demonstrate that caution is warranted when inferring hominin weaning ages or interbirth intervals from first molar eruption, tooth wear, or growth disturbances. Fine-scaled studies of tooth chemistry provide direct evidence of weaning. Early hominin tooth calcification is more ape-like than human-like, and fully modern patterns appear only after Neanderthals and Homo sapiens diverged, concurrent with changes in cranial and postcranial development. Additional studies are needed to relate these novel calcification patterns to specific changes in life-history variables.
The Nature/Culture of Genetic Facts
Authors: Marks Jonathan
Published: August 2013

This review aims to explore the relationship between anthropology and genetics, an intellectual zone that has been occupied in different ways over the past century. One way to think about it is to contrast a classical “anthropological genetics” ( Roberts 1965 ), that is to say, a genetics that presumably informs anthropological issues or questions, with a “genomic anthropology” ( Pálsson 2008 ), that is to say, an anthropology that complements and relativizes modern genomics (on the model of, say, medical anthropology and legal anthropology).1This review argues that a principal contribution of anthropology to the study of human heredity lies in the ontology of genetic facts. For anthropology, genetic facts are not natural, with meanings inscribed on them, but are instead natural/cultural: The natural facts have cultural information (values, ideologies, meanings) integrated into them, not layered on them. To understand genetic facts involves confronting their production, which has classically been restricted to questions of methodology but which may be conceptualized more broadly. This review is not intended as a critique of the field of anthropological genetics, but as a reformulation of its central objects of study. I argue for reconceptualizing the ontology of scientific facts in anthropological genetics, not as (value-neutral) biological facts situated in a cultural context, but instead as inherently biocultural facts.