bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Thermodynamic Model for Updraft Gasifier with External Recirculation of Pyrolysis Gas
Authors: Vidian Fajri , Surjosatyo Adi , Nugroho Yulianto Sulistyo
Published: January 2016

Most of the thermodynamic modeling of gasification for updraft gasifier uses one process of decomposition (decomposition of fuel). In the present study, a thermodynamic model which uses two processes of decomposition (decomposition of fuel and char) is used. The model is implemented in modification of updraft gasifier with external recirculation of pyrolysis gas to the combustion zone and the gas flowing out from the side stream (reduction zone) in the updraft gasifier. The goal of the model obtains the influences of amount of recirculation pyrolysis gas fraction to combustion zone on combustible gas and tar. The significant results of modification updraft are that the increases amount of recirculation of pyrolysis gas will increase the composition of H2and reduce the composition of tar; then the composition of CO and CH4is dependent on equivalence ratio. The results of the model for combustible gas composition are compared with previous study.
Lactobacillus Sepsis following a Laparotomy in a Preterm Infant: A Note of Caution
Authors: Brecht Marcus , Garg Alka , Longstaff Karen , Cooper Celia , Andersen Chad
Published: January 2016

Probiotics for preterm infants have been shown to reduce the incidence of necrotising enterocolitis and all-cause mortality in a recent meta-analysis. It has been argued, however, that some of these results may not be applicable to specific subgroups, e.g. infants with a birth weight of <1,000 g. The specific role of probiotics in improving health outcomes in preterm and term infants following intestinal surgery is not well defined. We report a case of a premature infant diagnosed with late-onset sepsis due to Lactobacillus rhamnosus following a laparotomy. We review pertinent published cases. This case highlights the importance of considering preterm infants as being at a higher risk of systemic probiotic infection following intestinal surgery.
Biochemical Screening for Pulmonary Hypertension in Preterm Infants with Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia
Authors: Montgomery Angela M. , Bazzy-Asaad Alia , Asnes Jeremy D. , Bizzarro Matthew J. , Ehrenkranz Richard A. , Weismann Constance G.
Published: January 2016

Background: Pulmonary hypertension (PH) in infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Elevated levels of N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and decreased levels of amino acid precursors of nitric oxide (NO) have been associated with PH, but have not been studied in infants with PH secondary to BPD. Objective: The aim of this study was to identify a biochemical marker for PH in infants with BPD. Methods: Twenty infants, born at <27 weeks' gestational age (GA) and/or with a birth weight (BW) ≤750 g, who met the criteria for BPD at 36 weeks' corrected GA (CGA) were enrolled in this cross-sectional pilot study. A screening echocardiogram was conducted at 36-38 weeks' CGA and plasma NT-proBNP and amino acid levels were obtained within 1 week of the screening echocardiogram. Results: Five infants (25%) had echocardiographic evidence of PH. GA and BW were not significantly different between the 2 groups (a PH group and a No PH group). NT-proBNP was significantly elevated in the PH group (median 1,650 vs. 520 pg/ml; p = 0.001) but citrulline levels were significantly lower (median 21 vs. 36 μmol/l; p = 0.005). Arginine levels were not significantly different between the groups (median 78 vs. 79 μmol/l; p = 1). Conclusion: NT-proBNP and the NO precursor citrulline may be cost-effective biochemical markers for screening for the presence of PH in preterm infants who have BPD. If validated in a larger study, such biochemical markers may, in part, replace PH screening echocardiograms in these patients.
Antibiotics and Breastfeeding
Authors: de Sá Del Fiol Fernando , Barberato-Filho Silvio , de Cássia Bergamaschi Cristiane , Lopes Luciane Cruz , Gauthier Timothy P.
Published: January 2016

During the breastfeeding period, bacterial infections can occur in the nursing mother, requiring the use of antibiotics. A lack of accurate information may lead health care professionals and mothers to suspend breastfeeding, which may be unnecessary. This article provides information on the main antibiotics that are appropriate for clinical use and the interference of these antibiotics with the infant to support medical decisions regarding the discontinuation of breastfeeding. We aim to provide information on the pharmacokinetic factors that interfere with the passage of antibiotics into breast milk and the toxicological implications of absorption by the infant. Publications related to the 20 most frequently employed antibiotics and their transfer into breast milk were evaluated. The results demonstrate that most antibiotics in clinical use are considered suitable during breastfeeding; however, the pharmacokinetic profile of each drug must be observed to ensure the resolution of the maternal infection and the safety of the infant.
Elevated C-Reactive Protein Is Associated with Cognitive Decline in Outpatients of a General Hospital: The Project in Sado for Total Health (PROST)
Authors: Watanabe Yumi , Kitamura Kaori , Nakamura Kazutoshi , Sanpei Kazuhiro , Wakasugi Minako , Yokoseki Akio , Onodera Osamu , Ikeuchi Takeshi , Kuwano Ryozo , Momotsu Takeshi , Narita Ichiei , Endo Naoto
Published: January 2016

Background/Aims: We aimed to determine whether the concentration of serum C-reactive protein (CRP) is associated with cognitive function in an adult Japanese population. Methods: Participants of this cross-sectional study were from a subgroup of the Project in Sado for Total Health (PROST; n = 454; mean age, 70.5 years). The cognitive state was evaluated using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), and those with an MMSE score <24 were considered ‘cognitively declined'. Concentrations of serum high-sensitivity CRP were measured. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to calculate odds ratios (ORs) for cognitive decline, adjusting for the covariates of age, sex, BMI, disease history, and APOE allele. Results: Of the 454 participants, 94 (20.7%) were cognitively declined. Relative to the lowest (first) quartile of CRP concentration, adjusted ORs were 1.29 (95% CI 0.61-2.75) for the second, 1.78 (95% CI 0.82-3.86) for the third, and 3.05 (95% CI 1.45-6.42) for the highest (fourth) quartiles (p for trend = 0.018). When data were stratified by sex, the association between CRP concentration and cognitive decline was observed only in women. Conclusion: Our findings suggest an association between higher CRP concentration and lower cognitive function. Chronic inflammation may affect cognitive function in adults, in particular women.
Laser Speckle Contrast Imaging for Monitoring Changes in Microvascular Blood Flow
Authors: Ambrus Rikard , Strandby Rune B. , Svendsen Lars Bo , Achiam Michael P. , Steffensen John F. , Søndergaard Svendsen Morten Bo
Published: January 2016

Background/Aims: Microvascular blood flow is essential for healing and predicts surgical outcome. The aim of the current study was to investigate the relation between fluxes measured with the laser speckle contrast imaging (LSCI) technique and changes in absolute blood flow. In addition, we studied the reproducibility of the LSCI technique when assessing the intra-abdominal microcirculation of the pig. Methods: During trial 1, a fish gill arch was mechanically perfused with heparinized fish blood under controlled stepwise-altered flow rates alongside mechanically induced movement artefacts. The microcirculation of the fish gill was simultaneously assessed with the LSCI technique. In trial 2, microcirculation was measured in the stomach, liver, and small intestine of 10 pigs by two observers. Results: A linear correlation was observed between flux and volumetric flow. During conditions of no volumetric flow, the high recording speed with the LSCI technique registered the movement artefacts as flow signals. The LSCI measurements showed good correlation and agreement between the two observers when assessing microcirculation in the stomach, liver, and small intestine (r2 = 0.857, 0.956, and 0.946; coefficients of variation = 6.0, 3.2, and 6.4%, respectively). Conclusion: Due to the non-contact and real-time assessment over large areas, LSCI is a promising technique for the intraoperative assessment of intra-abdominal microcirculation. A linear correlation between flux and volumetric flow was found, in accordance with previous experimental studies. However, movement artefacts affect flux measurements, and the choice of the sampling speed must be made with care, depending on the given setting.
Argus-T Adjustable Male Sling: The Influence of Surgical Technique on Complications and Short-Term Efficacy
Authors: Cornel Erik Bastiaan
Published: January 2016

Objectives: The study aims to investigate and evaluate the influence of 2 different methods of implantation of the Argus transobturator (Argus-T) adjustable male sling on complication rate and short-term efficacy. Methods: A prospective mono-center evaluation was conducted on consecutive patients treated for persistent post-radical prostatectomy incontinence. Thirty-six patients were implanted with the Argus-T adjustable male sling - 18 by inguinal-perineal incision (IPI) and 18 by single-perineal incision (SPI). Measurements included 24-hour frequency volume micturition list, 24-hour pad test, 24-hour pad count, Visual Analogue Scale for continence and satisfaction, flowmetry and residual voided urine. Results: Cure rate for IPI and SPI at 1, 6 and 12 months was 67, 75, 62% and 59, 63, 63%, respectively (no statistically significant difference). Although more clinically significant complications were seen in the IPI group, a statistical significant difference was observed only for wound infection between the IPI and the SPI groups (33 vs. 0%, p = 0.019). Conclusions: The Argus-T male sling SPI suspension operation is a minimally invasive and safe procedure for the management of male postoperative stress incontinence which is highly appreciated by the patients.
Differences in Patient Characteristics Among Men Choosing Open or Robot-Assisted Radical Prostatectomy in Contemporary Practice at a European High-Volume Center
Authors: Schiffmann Jonas , Haese Alexander , Lenz Jochen , Heinzer Hans , Salomon Georg , Steuber Thomas , Beyer Burkhard , Boehm Katharina , Tilki Derya , Michl Uwe , Tennstedt Pierre , Huland Hartwig , Graefen Markus , Karakiewicz Pierre I.
Published: January 2016

Objective: To examine the characteristics of robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) and open radical prostatectomy (ORP) patients at a high-volume center. Patients and Methods: We relied on the Martini-Clinic database and focused on prostate cancer patients treated in 2013. Characteristics in ORP and RARP patients were assessed. In multivariable logistic regression analyses (MVA), we predicted RARP treatment. Results: Of 1,920 patients, 575 (29.9%) underwent RARP and 1,345 (70.1%) ORP. RARP patients had a lower prostate-specific antigen (PSA), and were less likely to harbor pT3b, pathological Gleason ≥4 + 4 or lymph node metastases (all p < 0.05). Pelvic lymph node dissection (PLND) (84.3 vs. 87.0%, p = 0.1), as well as positive surgical margins (15.5 vs. 15.7%, p = 0.7) and the nerve-sparing status (p = 0.5) were comparable between RARP and ORP. Lymph node yield (median 11 vs. 16), and median blood loss (250 vs. 700 ml) were lower at RARP (all p < 0.001). Additionally, the median operating room time was higher at RARP (215 vs. 185 min, p < 0.001). In MVA, patients with body mass index (BMI) ≥30 were more likely to undergo RARP (OR 1.8, 95% CI 1.3-2.4, p < 0.001). Conversely, patients with PSA >20 ng/ml were less likely to undergo RARP (OR 0.6, 95% CI 0.4-1.0, p = 0.03). Conclusions: More favorable pathological characteristics were recorded at RARP. High BMI and low PSA were independent predictors for RARP. Treatment characteristics such as PLND rates, margin status and nerve sparing were comparable between RARP and ORP. Despite lower blood loss at RARP, a longer operating room time and lower yield of lymph nodes were recorded.
APLICAÇÃO DA FITORREMEDIAÇÃO EM FUNÇÃO DE TIPOLOGIAS DE INFRAESTRUTURA VERDE EM MICROBACIAS URBANAS DA CIDADE DE SÃO PAULO
Authors: Pinheiro Maitê Bueno
Published: January 2016

Este artigo investiga a aplicação da fitorremediação em função de tipologias de Infraestrutura Verde (IV) em microbacias urbanas da cidade de São Paulo. Para esta investigação utilizou-se o reconhecimento das tipologias de Infraestrutura Verde para sua aplicação em uma microbacia densamente urbanizada da cidade, realizado no recente trabalho de Bonzi (2015). Este estudo é parte integrante de pesquisa mestrado em andamento que, em seus resultados preliminares, apresenta a tipologia biovaleta como sendo bastante indicada à tecnologia de fitorremediação.  A fitorremediação é uma tecnologia emergente que utiliza os mecanismos naturais das plantas e suas interações com a microbiota associada para a degradação, contenção, imobilização e extração de poluentes orgânicos e inorgânicos, e pode ser aplicada para o tratamento da poluição das águas urbanas em função das tipologias paisagísticas de Infraestrutura Verde. A Infraestrutura Verde é uma rede de áreas paisagisticamente interconectadas que pode ser compreendida como uma ferramenta para o reconhecimento e aproveitamento de serviços ecossistêmicos no ambiente urbano. A IV tem sido considerada na literatura especializada como uma ferramenta capaz de atender às demandas das questões ambientais das cidades, especialmente no que diz respeito ao manejo quantitativo e qualitativo das águas.
OS LAGOS DO IBIRAPUERA COMO ESTRUTURAÇÃO HÍDRICA DE UM PARQUE
Authors: Pombo Riciane Maria Reis
Published: January 2016

O artigo a seguir visa uma análise diferenciada do parque urbano mais frequentado da cidade de São Paulo, tendo a água como referência. Analisando diversos textos, de diferentes autores, foi observado que há muitos relatos sobre a história do parque, desde sua idealização, passando por sua implantação, até a situação atual. Também foram encontradas análises críticas abordando várias questões, como política, arquitetura, paisagismo, utilização dos espaços pelos usuários, etc. Mas pouco encontramos sobre os lagos e sobre sua relação com o projeto elaborado para o parque, além de arquivos históricos com registros dos diversos projetos elaborados para a despoluição de suas águas. Este texto tem a intenção de esclarecer como a implantação e a utilização da área destinada ao Ibirapuera ocorreu e ainda ocorre segundo as necessidades da sociedade, e como é a relação desta sociedade com a paisagem local. Como foi a transformação de uma grande área ecológica em um parque urbano, construído para simbolizar o progresso? Qual o papel dos lagos na estrutura do parque? Quais os processos envolvidos na transformação da área? Como os lagos são vistos pelos usuários e como é a relação das pessoas com os lagos? Estas e outras questões serão respondidas a partir de consulta a materiais bibliográficos, arquivos oficiais e também através de análises e visitas ao local, bem como por entrevistas a pesquisadores e funcionários do parque.
Taxonomic revision of Peperomia (Piperaceae) from Uruguay
Authors: Mai Patricia , Rossado Andrés , Bonifacino José Mauricio , Waechter Jorge Luiz
Published: January 2016

The genus Peperomia is represented by eight species in Uruguay: P. catharinae, P. comarapana, P. hispidula, P. increscens, P. pereskiifolia, P. psilostachya, P. tetraphylla and P. trineuroides. Peperomia psilostachya is reported for the first time for the flora of Uruguay, from material collected in moist hillside and riverside forests from the northeast and east of the country. Three new synonyms are proposed: P. arechavaletae var. arechavaletae as synonym of P. trineuroides, P. arechavaletae var. minor of P. tetraphylla and P. trapezoidalis of P. psilostachya. Lectotypes for P. arechavaletae, P. arechavaletae var. minor and P. tacuariana, and a neotype for P. herteri are designated. The taxonomic treatment includes synonymies used in Uruguay, morphological descriptions, distribution and habitat data, phenology, conservation assesment, observations, and material examined for each species treated. A species identification key, plant illustrations and distribution maps in Uruguay are provided.
A taxonomic revision of the Pourthiaea villosa complex (Rosaceae)
Authors: Liu Binbin , Hong Deyuan
Published: January 2016

The taxonomy of the Pourthiaea villosa complex, distributed in E Asia, is extremely controversial. The lack of proper analysis and evaluation of the characters used previously may have caused these controversies among taxonomists. The present study is the first comprehensive taxonomic revision of this complex. We have conducted extensive field observations, population sampling, examination of a large number of specimens and subsequent statistical analysis. All morphological characters used in previous taxonomic treatments were analyzed one by one. They include length, breadth, basal angle, and apex of leaf blade, length of petiole, length of pedicel, number of flowers, and density of indumentum on leaves, petiole, pedicel, hypanthium, and branchlets. We found that these characters were extremely variable both within and between populations of this complex. Such variations are continuous or with no statistical support, and there is no correlation between the different characters. Therefore, the characters used in this complex are of little value for species delimitation. As a result of our study, only one species, P. villosa, is recognized, without subdivision. Fourteen names are reduced as new synonyms of P. villosa. In addition, P. villosa is designated as the type of Pourthiaea and 10 lectotypes are designated.
Observation-Based Longwave Cloud Radiative Kernels Derived from the A-Train
Authors: Yue Qing , Kahn Brian H. , Fetzer Eric J. , Schreier Mathias , Wong Sun , Chen Xiuhong , Huang Xianglei
Published: January 2016

The authors present a new method to derive both the broadband and spectral longwave observation-based cloud radiative kernels (CRKs) using cloud radiative forcing (CRF) and cloud fraction (CF) for different cloud types using multisensor A-Train observations and MERRA data collocated on the pixel scale. Both observation-based CRKs and model-based CRKs derived from the Fu–Liou radiative transfer model are shown. Good agreement between observation- and model-derived CRKs is found for optically thick clouds. For optically thin clouds, the observation-based CRKs show a larger radiative sensitivity at TOA to cloud-cover change than model-derived CRKs. Four types of possible uncertainties in the observed CRKs are investigated: 1) uncertainties in Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer cloud properties, 2) the contributions of clear-sky changes to the CRF, 3) the assumptions regarding clear-sky thresholds in the observations, and 4) the assumption of a single-layer cloud. The observation-based CRKs show the TOA radiative sensitivity of cloud types to unit cloud fraction change as observed by the A-Train. Therefore, a combination of observation-based CRKs with cloud changes observed by these instruments over time will provide an estimate of the short-term cloud feedback by maintaining consistency between CRKs and cloud responses to climate variability.
Characterizing Recent Trends in U.S. Heavy Precipitation
Authors: Hoerling Martin , Eischeid Jon , Perlwitz Judith , Quan Xiao-Wei , Wolter Klaus , Cheng Linyin
Published: January 2016

Time series of U.S. daily heavy precipitation (95th percentile) are analyzed to determine factors responsible for regionality and seasonality in their 1979–2013 trends. For annual conditions, contiguous U.S. trends have been characterized by increases in precipitation associated with heavy daily events across the northern United States and decreases across the southern United States. Diagnosis of climate simulations (CCSM4 and CAM4) reveals that the evolution of observed sea surface temperatures (SSTs) was a more important factor influencing these trends than boundary condition changes linked to external radiative forcing alone. Since 1979, the latter induces widespread, but mostly weak, increases in precipitation associated with heavy daily events. The former induces a meridional pattern of northern U.S. increases and southern U.S. decreases as observed, the magnitude of which closely aligns with observed changes, especially over the south and far west. Analysis of model ensemble spread reveals that appreciable 35-yr trends in heavy daily precipitation can occur in the absence of forcing, thereby limiting detection of the weak anthropogenic influence at regional scales.

Analysis of the seasonality in heavy daily precipitation trends supports physical arguments that their changes during 1979–2013 have been intimately linked to internal decadal ocean variability and less so to human-induced climate change. Most of the southern U.S. decrease has occurred during the cold season that has been dynamically driven by an atmospheric circulation reminiscent of teleconnections linked to cold tropical eastern Pacific SSTs. Most of the northeastern U.S. increase has been a warm season phenomenon, the immediate cause for which remains unresolved.
Tropospheric and Stratospheric Precursors to the January 2013 Sudden Stratospheric Warming
Authors: Attard Hannah E. , Rios-Berrios Rosimar , Guastini Corey T. , Lang Andrea L.
Published: January 2016

This paper investigates the tropospheric and stratospheric precursors to a major sudden stratospheric warming (SSW) that began on 6 January 2013. Using the Climate Forecast System Reanalysis dataset, the analysis identified two distinct decelerations of the 10-hPa zonal mean zonal wind at 65°N in December in addition to the major SSW, which occurred on 6 January 2013 when the 10-hPa zonal mean zonal wind at 65°N reversed from westerly to easterly. The analysis shows that the two precursor events preconditioned the stratosphere for the SSW.

Analysis of the tropospheric state in the days leading to the precursor events and the major SSW suggests that high-latitude tropospheric blocks occurred in the days prior to the two December deceleration events, but not in the days prior to the SSW. A detailed wave activity flux (WAF) analysis suggests that the tropospheric blocking prior to the two December deceleration events contributed to an anomalously positive 40-day-average 100-hPa zonal mean meridional eddy heat flux prior to the SSW. Analysis of the stratospheric structure in the days prior to the SSW reveals that the SSW was associated with enhanced WAF in the upper stratosphere, planetary wave breaking, and an upper-stratospheric/lower-mesospheric disturbance. These results suggest that preconditioning of the stratosphere occurred as a result of WAF initiated by tropospheric blocking associated with the two December deceleration events. The two December deceleration events occurred in the 40 days prior to the SSW and led to the amplification of wave activity in the upper stratosphere and wave resonance that caused the January 2013 SSW.
From the 1970s to the 1790s and the importance of metanarratives
Authors: Waters Hazel
Published: January 2016

This address to a conference on ‘the exotic’ in nineteenth-century drama examines the cultural impact of slavery, and the resistances to it, on the English cultural imagination. From her perspective as both a researcher and a long-standing member of the Institute of Race Relations’ staff, the author explores the persistence of such an impact, and relates it both to the present day, and a key period of attempted cultural/political transformation, the 1970s.
Jubilee and the limits of African American freedom after emancipation
Authors: Kelly Brian
Published: January 2016

Scholarship generated in the post-civil rights US underpins a growing consensus that any honest confrontation with the American past requires an acknowledgment both of the nation’s foundations in racially-based slave labour and of the critical role that the enslaved played in ending that system. But scholars equally need to examine why the end of slavery did not deliver freedom, but instead – after a short-lived ‘jubilee’ during which freedpeople savoured their ‘brief moment in the sun’ – opened up a period of extreme repression and violence. This article traces the political trajectory of one prominent ex-slave and Republican party organiser, Elias Hill, to assess the constraints in which black grassroots activists operated. Though mainly concerned with the dashed hopes of African Americans, their experience of a steep reversal is in many ways the shared and profoundly significant legacy of ex-slaves across the former plantation societies of the Atlantic world.
‘Unrest among the Negroes’: the African Blood Brotherhood and the politics of resistance
Authors: Bergin Cathy
Published: January 2016

This article focuses on the impact of the Bolshevik revolution and Irish national liberation struggles on the black radical tradition in the US. Between 1919 and 1922, the African Blood Brotherhood (ABB) published a monthly journal, The Crusader, which attempted to forge a very specific race/class politics in the US. The Crusader shaped its powerfully articulated vision of black liberation through its trumpeting of the Russian revolution and the Irish anti-colonial struggle. If reparative history is a history which stresses the dialectical nature of ‘race’ and colonialism and the importance of recognising the agency of black subjects in transforming the politics of resistance, then the ABB is key to understanding the complex formations around race and class in the US in the early twentieth century.
History, agency and the representation of ‘race’ – an introduction
Authors: Bergin Cathy , Rupprecht Anita
Published: January 2016

This article argues that the complex interactions of history, race, agency, memory and trauma are both essential to and negated by contemporary dominant understandings of racism in the US and Europe. The lethal racist policing of black communities in the US and the fanatical policing of national borders by the EU are richly and disturbingly redolent of the violent raced labour practices which have authorised capitalist modernity. Focusing on cultural representations such as The Wire and the United Nations’ slavery memorial, ‘The Ark of Return’, the authors argue that the history of radical black agency is consistently marginalised in a very particular language of ‘recovery’ and ‘healing’. The acknowledgement of historical crimes is mobilised in such a way as to neutralise the past and to negate the connections between that past and present structures which continue to exploit and vilify racialised subjects within the terms of neoliberal globalisation.
‘Inherent vice’: marine insurance, slave ship rebellion and the law
Authors: Rupprecht Anita
Published: January 2016

Reparations activism has forced many large multinational insurance corporations to disclose their early profiteering from underwriting slavery and the slave trade. This paper further contributes to the reparative project of tracing slavery’s occluded legacies by analysing aspects of the development of British, French and American marine insurance law in response to shipboard rebellion in the transatlantic slave trade, and the American ‘domestic’ maritime slave trade. It explores the ways in which marine insurance developed and adapted its ancient legal concepts – notably, the concept of ‘inherent vice’ – to the requirements of commodifying life for the purposes of modern slave trading. This history further illuminates the conceptual lineaments and practices that were involved in the slave trade’s processes of dehumanisation but it also highlights the ways in which marine insurance lawyers, in the face of shipboard rebellion, were compelled to debate not only the humanity of the enslaved but their desire for freedom. In this context, the archive of marine insurance offers an unexpected route into the history of resistance to slavery.
Harry O’Connell, maritime labour and the racialised politics of place
Authors: Featherstone David
Published: January 2016

This article explores the forms of activism forged by seafarers’ organisers from the Caribbean in interwar Britain to problematise dominant ways of thinking about ‘race’, labour and place. It focuses on Guyanese Harry O’Connell, who was to become one of the most prominent organisers of Cardiff’s multiethnic seafaring community in the 1920s and 1930s. He was influential in struggles against the forms of ‘white labourism’ adopted by the National Union of Seamen. A committed Communist, O’Connell drew on the networks of the Comintern-affiliated International of Seamen and Harbour Workers (ISH) and International Trade Union Committee of Negro Workers (ITUCNW) to contest such white labourism, whilst simultaneously negotiating the racialised forms of internationalism constituted through Communist networks. The piece contributes to a broader ‘reparative’ approach to history which explores the terms on which labour, space and place are articulated.
Uncovering Coverage: Utilisation of the Universal Health Insurance Scheme, Chhattisgarh by Women in Slums of Raipur
Authors: Nandi Sulakshana , Dasgupta Rajib , Garg Samir , Sinha Dipa , Sahu Sangeeta , Mahobe Reeti
Published: January 2016

In 2013, the National Urban Health Mission (NUHM) was rolled out to effectively address health concerns of the urban poor population. In the last decade, there has been a spate of publicly funded insurance schemes, prominent amongst them being the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY). In 2012, the Government of Chhattisgarh expanded the RSBY into a new avatar, the Mukhyamantri Swasthya Bima Yojana (MSBY), thereby universalising health insurance coverage. This study was conducted in the slums of Raipur, the capital and largest city of Chhattisgarh, with the objective of assessing issues of coverage and utilisation in these areas. The specific focus was on issues of women’s medical conditions and the experiences of women beneficiaries during enrolment in these schemes.
Marketing Reproduction: Assisted Reproductive Technologies and Commercial Surrogacy in India
Authors: Nadimpally Sarojini , Venkatachalam Deepa
Published: January 2016

The growth of the huge privatised infertility care industry in India can be attributed to a culture loaded with stereotypically defined gender roles, which defines childlessness as ‘abnormal’ and stigmatises infertility, as well as to the lack of infertility care in the public health system. The private infertility care market capitalises on existing patriarchal normative cultural norms and values. The proliferation of assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs) is one of the best examples of a response to the demands of the market—in this case, state-of-the-art facilities for women to become mothers. The ARTs industry in India, including surrogacy, has attracted an increasing cross-border movement, leading to the need to analyse the different stakeholders’ involvement in it as well as regulation of the industry.
Regulation of Assisted Reproductive Technologies: Gains and Losses
Authors: Chakravarthi Indira
Published: January 2016

Technology assessment and regulatory strategies have been proffered as ways of addressing concerns and problems arising from availability of certain medical technologies. Regulation especially is invoked as a remedy that can deliver several objectives—as a way of assuring quality care; as a way of preventing medical malpractice and negligence; as a remedy for market failure; as a way of improving performance and efficiency; and as a way of even achieving national health objectives or wider social goals such as equity and accountability. It is assumed that the key issues in regulation are its design and having proper monitoring and enforcement.

 The article reviews the regulations instituted to address issues arising from the use of reproductive technologies. Through such analysis, the article seeks to draw attention to the field of technology assessment and regulation in general as applicable to biomedical technologies, in a context of overall commercialisation of medical and health care.
Single-phase Mail Survey Design for Rare Population Subgroups
Authors: Brick J. Michael , Andrews William R. , Mathiowetz Nancy A.
Published: January 2016

Although using random digit dialing (RDD) telephone samples was the preferred method for conducting surveys of households for many years, declining response and coverage rates have led researchers to explore alternative approaches. The use of address-based sampling (ABS) has been examined for sampling the general population and subgroups, most often using mail or invitations to web surveys. For surveying rare groups, these studies often involve multiple phases to identify eligible population members and then collect responses. We describe a new approach for surveying rare subgroups using ABS with a single-phase mail survey. The study incorporates a new method for using a list frame with the ABS frame to increase the yield of the subgroup of interest while avoiding a potential bias inherent in many dual-frame survey designs. The findings suggest that the new approach is both efficient and effective for identifying and measuring a rare population.
Right-to-left shunt detection sensitivity with air–saline and air–succinil gelatin transcranial Doppler
Authors: Puledda Francesca , Toscano Massimiliano , Pieroni Alessio , Veneroso Gabriele , Di Piero Vittorio , Vicenzini Edoardo
Published: January 2016

Background

Air–saline transcranial Doppler is nowadays the first-choice examination to identify right-to-left shunt. To increase right-to-left shunt detection in echocardiography, cardiologists also use air–gelatin mixtures, which are more stable, more echogenic, and easier to be prepared.

Aim

We assessed the sensitivity of air–gelatin compared with air–saline for transcranial Doppler right-to-left shunt detection.

Methods

Air–saline transcranial Doppler, during unilateral middle cerebral artery monitoring at rest and after Valsalva maneuver, was performed in patients referred to our neurosonology laboratory for right-to-left shunt detection. The same transcranial Doppler protocol was repeated with air–gelatin. To consider transcranial Doppler positive for cardiac right-to-left shunt, at least one embolic signal had to be detected within 20″ from contrast injection. Later signals were interpreted of pulmonary origin. Trans-thoracic echocardiography was repeated with both air–saline and air–gelatin.

Results

A total of 97 patients were enrolled; 46 had negative transcranial Doppler for cardiac right-to-left shunt with both air–saline and air–gelatin; out of these, four patients with air–saline plus two more patients with air–gelatin presented late, isolated microemboli, slightly more numerous with air–gelatin: these were interpreted as pulmonary shunts and confirmed with trans-thoracic echocardiography. In 28 patients with already early positive air–saline transcranial Doppler at rest, air–gelatin induced a marked right-to-left shunt increase, facilitating its visualization at trans-thoracic echocardiography. In 23 patients in whom air–saline transcranial Doppler was negative at rest and positive for cardiac right-to-left shunt only after Valsalva maneuver, air–gelatin was able to reveal shunt also at rest.

Conclusions

Air–gelatin increases right-to-left shunt detection sensitivity with transcranial Doppler in particular at rest, even in patients in whom air–saline mixture fails to identify the shunt. The choice of air–gelatin mixture should be considered for multicentric, clinical, and research trials.
Identification of imaging selection patterns in acute ischemic stroke patients and the influence on treatment and clinical trial enrollment decision making
Authors: Luby Marie , Warach Steven J , Albers Gregory W , Baron Jean-Claude , Cognard Christophe , Dávalos Antoni , Donnan Geoffrey A , Fiebach Jochen B , Fiehler Jens , Hacke Werner , Lansberg Maarten G , Liebeskind David S , Mattle Heinrich P , Oppenheim Catherine , Schellinger Peter D , Wardlaw Joanna M , Wintermark Max
Published: January 2016

Background and Purpose

For the STroke Imaging Research (STIR) and VISTA-Imaging Investigators The purpose of this study was to collect precise information on the typical imaging decisions given specific clinical acute stroke scenarios. Stroke centers worldwide were surveyed regarding typical imaging used to work up representative acute stroke patients, make treatment decisions, and willingness to enroll in clinical trials.

Methods

STroke Imaging Research and Virtual International Stroke Trials Archive-Imaging circulated an online survey of clinical case vignettes through its website, the websites of national professional societies from multiple countries as well as through email distribution lists from STroke Imaging Research and participating societies. Survey responders were asked to select the typical imaging work-up for each clinical vignette presented. Actual images were not presented to the survey responders. Instead, the survey then displayed several types of imaging findings offered by the imaging strategy, and the responders selected the appropriate therapy and whether to enroll into a clinical trial considering time from onset, clinical presentation, and imaging findings. A follow-up survey focusing on 6 h from onset was conducted after the release of the positive endovascular trials.

Results

We received 548 responses from 35 countries including 282 individual centers; 78% of the centers originating from Australia, Brazil, France, Germany, Spain, United Kingdom, and United States. The specific onset windows presented influenced the type of imaging work-up selected more than the clinical scenario. Magnetic Resonance Imaging usage (27–28%) was substantial, in particular for wake-up stroke. Following the release of the positive trials, selection of perfusion imaging significantly increased for imaging strategy.

Conclusions

Usage of vascular or perfusion imaging by Computed Tomography or Magnetic Resonance Imaging beyond just parenchymal imaging was the primary work-up (62–87%) across all clinical vignettes and time windows. Perfusion imaging with Computed Tomography or Magnetic Resonance Imaging was associated with increased probability of enrollment into clinical trials for 0–3 h. Following the release of the positive endovascular trials, selection of endovascular only treatment for 6 h increased across all clinical vignettes.
Head position and cerebral blood flow in acute ischemic stroke patients: Protocol for the pilot phase, cluster randomized, Head Position in Acute Ischemic Stroke Trial (HeadPoST pilot)
Authors: Brunser Alejandro M , Muñoz Venturelli Paula , Lavados Pablo M , Gaete Javier , Martins Sheila , Arima Hisatomi , Anderson Craig S , Olavarría Verónica V
Published: January 2016

Rationale

Few proven interventions exist for acute ischemic stroke (AIS), and most are expensive and restricted in applicability. Lying flat ‘head down’ positioning of AIS patients has been shown to increase by as much as 20%, mean cerebral blood flow velocities (CBFV) measured by transcranial Doppler (TCD) but whether this translates into clinical improvement is uncertain.

Aim

To determine if the lying flat position increases mean CBFV in the affected territory as compared to the sitting up position in AIS patients.

Methods and design

Head Position in Acute Ischemic Stroke Trial (HeadPoST pilot) is a cluster randomized (clusters being months), assessor-blinded end-point, phase IIb trial, where consecutive adults with anterior circulation AIS within 12 h of symptom onset are positioned to a randomized position for 48 h with TCD performed serially.

Study outcomes

Primary outcome is mean CBFV on TCD at 1 and 24 h after positioning. Secondary outcomes include: serious adverse events, neurological impairment at seven days, and death and disability at 90 days.

Sample size estimates

Assuming an increase of 8.3 (SD 11.4) cm/s in average of mean CBFV when tilted from 30° to 0°, 46 clusters are required (92 patients in total) to detect a 20% increase of mean CBFV with 90% power and 5% level of significance.

Conclusion

HeadPoST pilot is a cluster randomized multicenter clinical trial investigating the effect of head positioning on mean CBFV in anterior circulation AIS.
Microtubule-associated protein 1b is required for shaping the neural tube
Authors: Jayachandran Pradeepa , Olmo Valerie N. , Sanchez Stephanie P. , McFarland Rebecca J. , Vital Eudorah , Werner Jonathan M. , Hong Elim , Sanchez-Alberola Neus , Molodstov Aleksey , Brewster Rachel M.
Published: January 2016

Background

Shaping of the neural tube, the precursor of the brain and spinal cord, involves narrowing and elongation of the neural tissue, concomitantly with other morphogenetic changes that contribue to this process. In zebrafish, medial displacement of neural cells (neural convergence or NC), which drives the infolding and narrowing of the neural ectoderm, is mediated by polarized migration and cell elongation towards the dorsal midline. Failure to undergo proper NC results in severe neural tube defects, yet the molecular underpinnings of this process remain poorly understood.

Results

We investigated here the role of the microtubule (MT) cytoskeleton in mediating NC in zebrafish embryos using the MT destabilizing and hyperstabilizing drugs nocodazole and paclitaxel respectively. We found that MTs undergo major changes in organization and stability during neurulation and are required for the timely completion of NC by promoting cell elongation and polarity. We next examined the role of Microtubule-associated protein 1B (Map1b), previously shown to promote MT dynamicity in axons. map1b is expressed earlier than previously reported, in the developing neural tube and underlying mesoderm. Loss of Map1b function using morpholinos (MOs) or δMap1b (encoding a truncated Map1b protein product) resulted in delayed NC and duplication of the neural tube, a defect associated with impaired NC. We observed a loss of stable MTs in these embryos that is likely to contribute to the NC defect. Lastly, we found that Map1b mediates cell elongation in a cell autonomous manner and polarized protrusive activity, two cell behaviors that underlie NC and are MT-dependent.

Conclusions

Together, these data highlight the importance of MTs in the early morphogenetic movements that shape the neural tube and reveal a novel role for the MT regulator Map1b in mediating cell elongation and polarized cell movement in neural progenitor cells.
Human endothelial and foetal femur-derived stem cell co-cultures modulate osteogenesis and angiogenesis
Authors: Inglis Stefanie , Christensen David , Wilson David I. , Kanczler Janos M. , Oreffo Richard O. C.
Published: January 2016

Background

A dynamic vasculature is a prerequisite for bone formation where the interaction of bone cells and endothelial cells is essential for both the development and the healing process of bone. Enhanced understanding of the specific mediators involved in bone cell and endothelial cell interactions offers new avenues for skeletal regenerative applications. This study has investigated the osteogenic and angiogenic potential of co-cultures of human foetal diaphyseal or epiphyseal cells with human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) in the presence and absence of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) supplementation.

Methods

Early osteogenic activities of the co-cultures (±VEGF) were assessed by alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity. Osteogenic and angiogenic gene expression was measured using quantitative polymerase chain reaction. An ex vivo organotypic embryonic chick (E11) femur culture model was used to determine the osteogenic effects of VEGF as determined using micro-computed tomography (μCT) and Alcian blue/Sirius red histochemistry and immunocytochemistry for expression of CD31.

Results

ALP activity and gene expression of ALP and Type-1 collagen was enhanced in foetal skeletal/HUVECs co-cultures. In foetal diaphyseal/HUVECs co-cultures, VEGF reduced the levels of ALP activity and displayed a negligible effect on von Willebrand factor (vWF) and VEGF gene expression. In contrast, VEGF supplementation was observed to significantly increase FLT-1 and KDR gene expression in co-cultures with modulation of expression enhanced, compared to VEGF skeletal monocultures. In the organotypic chick model, addition of VEGF significantly enhanced bone formation, which coincided with elevated levels of CD31-positive  cells in the mid-diaphyseal region of the femurs.

Conclusion

These studies demonstrate a differential skeletal response of early foetal skeletal cells, when co-cultured with endothelial cells and the potential of co-culture models for bone repair. The differential effect of VEGF supplementation on markers of angiogenesis and osteogenesis in co-cultures and organ cultures, demonstrate the importance of the intricate temporal coordination of osteogenic and angiogenic processes during bone formation and implications therein for effective approaches to bone regenerative therapies.
Youth unemployment and active labor market policies in Europe
Authors: Caliendo Marco , Schmidl Ricarda
Published: January 2016

Since the economic crisis in 2008, European youth unemployment rates have been persistently high at around 20% on average. The majority of European countries spends significant resources each year on active labor market programs (ALMP) with the aim of improving the integration prospects of struggling youths. Among the most common programs used are training courses, job search assistance and monitoring, subsidized employment, and public work programs. For policy makers, it is of upmost importance to know which of these programs work and which are able to achieve the intended goals – may it be the integration into the first labor market or further education. Based on a detailed assessment of the particularities of the youth labor market situation, we discuss the pros and cons of different ALMP types. We then provide a comprehensive survey of the recent evidence on the effectiveness of these ALMP for youth in Europe, highlighting factors that seem to promote or impede their effectiveness in practice. Overall, the findings with respect to employment outcomes are only partly promising. While job search assistance (with and without monitoring) results in overwhelmingly positive effects, we find more mixed effects for training and wage subsidies, whereas the effects for public work programs are clearly negative. The evidence on the impact of ALMP on furthering education participation as well as employment quality is scarce, requiring additional research and allowing only limited conclusions so far.

JEL codes:J13, J68, J64
A substantial gift — one month at a time
Authors: Jacobs Rhonda
Published: January 2016

Remember the time in school when you learned about compounded interest using a penny as an example? And how about the time the effects of time and money became clear when you bought that first mortgage … that was painful.
Improving the probability of success in resource plays
Authors: Rich Jamie P. , Qi Xuan
Published: January 2016

The role of the geophysicist in resource plays has been hard to define. There is obvious benefit to seismic structural interpretation for hazard avoidance and model building for geosteering applications, but when it comes to predicting optimal well placement, much of the industry still is struggling. Common applications of seismic attributes search for deterministic predictions using attributes such as rock strength and anisotropy. However, even with many claims of success and a rich base of literature, the value and use of these approaches are lacking in practice. A simple case study shows the value added by using a single seismic attribute, curvature, in the Barnett Shale. The key to understanding this value is the use of Bayesian statistics. For this case, controlling for just one seismic attribute is seen to increase the probability of a successful well by 10% or more, also leading to substantial increases in rate of return of 10 percentage points or more.