bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Algo más acerca de Lázaro e Ibiza y algún que otro contemporáneo, sobre la base principal de varias cartas a Pau de González Fragoso
Authors: Laínz, S. J. M.
Published: January 2013

Fundamentalmente, juicios emitidos por el Dr. R. González Fragoso acerca del Prof. B. Lázaro como inatendible micólogo, espigados en las cartas del primero al Dr. C. Pau conservadas en el Institut Botànic de Barcelona.
L’herbari de l’Institut Botànic de Barcelona com una eina per la conservació dels tàxons endèmics i amenaçats de Catalunya
Authors: Nualart N. , Montes-Moreno N. , Gavioli L. , Ibáñez N.
Published: January 2013

El herbario del Instituto Botánico de Barcelona (BC) es la colección de plantas más importante de Cataluña y la segunda de España y es representativo de la flora de la región mediterránea occidental. Incluye la colección general y otras colecciones históricas (desde el siglo XVII hasta principios del XX). Los objetivos principales de este trabajo han sido evaluar la representatividad de los táxones endémicos y amenazados de Cataluña en el herbario así como aportar información de tipo cronológico y geográfico de intensidad de recolección y nuevos datos altitudinales, corológicos, cronológicos, fenológicos y de riesgo de sobrerecolección. Se ha analizado la colección general y una parte de los herbarios históricos informatizados (Cadevall, Hieraciotheca Gallica et Hispanica, Institució Catalana d’Història Natural, Salvador, Societat Botànica Barcelonesa y Trèmols [volúmenes I-XXI]). Se han encontrado ejemplares de Cataluña del 82,24% de los 304 táxones endémicos y amenazados. Las zonas más herborizadas son el valle de Ribes, Montserrat, el macizo del Port, la sierra de Cardó, el macizo del Montseny y la sierra del Montsec. Se amplía la distribución de Berberis vulgaris L. subsp. seroi O. Bolòs & Vigo y Stachys maritima Gouan. Se aportan nuevos datos altitudinales y fenológicos para nueve y 40 táxones, respectivamente.

[ct] L’herbari de l’Institut Botànic de Barcelona (BC) és, pel seu volum, la col·lecció de plantes més important de Catalunya i la segona d’Espanya i és representatiu de la flora de la regió mediterrània occidental. Inclou, a banda de la col·lecció general, altres col·leccions històriques (des del segle XVII fins a principis del XX). Els objectius principals d’aquest treball han estat avaluar la representativitat a l’herbari dels tàxons endèmics i amenaçats de Catalunya així com aportar informació de caire cronològic i geogràfic d’intensitat de recol·lecció i noves dades altitudinals, corològiques, cronològiques, fenològiques i de risc de sobrerecol·lecció. S’ha analitzat la col·lecció general i una part dels herbaris històrics informatitzats (Cadevall, Hieraciotheca Gallica et Hispanica, Institució Catalana d’Història Natural, Salvador, Societat Botànica Barcelonesa i Trèmols [volums I-XXI]). S’han trobat exemplars de Catalunya del 82,24% dels 304 tàxons endèmics i amenaçats. Les zones més herboritzades són la vall de Ribes, Montserrat, el massís del Port, la serra de Cardó, el massís del Montseny i la serra del Montsec. S’amplia la distribució de Berberis vulgaris L. subsp. seroi O. Bolòs & Vigo i Stachys maritima Gouan. S’aporten noves dades altitudinals i fenològiques per a nou i 40 tàxons, respectivament.
Picophytoplankton and carbon cycle on the northeastern shelf of the Gulf of Cádiz (SW Iberian Peninsula)
Authors: Ribas-Ribas Mariana , Sobrino Cristina , Debelius Bibiana , Lubián Luís M. , Ponce Rocio , Gómez-Parra Abelardo , Forja Jesús M.
Published: January 2013

Four surveys (Jun’06 and Nov’06; Feb’07 and May’07) were carried out on the northeastern shelf of the Gulf of Cádiz (southwest Iberian Peninsula) to relate the spatio-temporal distribution of the carbon cycle parameters (dissolved inorganic carbon and dissolved organic carbon) to picophytoplankton biomass and community composition. In addition, the net ecosystem production and the picophytoplankton contribution to the air-sea CO2 exchange process were investigated. The results showed that chlorophyll-a, carbon cycle parameters and picophytoplankton composition showed large seasonality, and the Guadalquivir Estuary plays an important role in the contribution of nutrient and suspended particular material over the year. Regarding picophytoplankton composition, the flow cytometry analysis demonstrated that Prochlorococcus and Synechococcus were the main populations in the studied area and their temporal and spatial distributions were complementary: the Prochlorococcus population showed its maximum concentration in May’07 and Jun’06 and in the surface oceanic water, whereas the Synechococcus population was at its maximum during Feb’07 and Nov’06, and off the Guadalquivir Estuary and Bay of Cádiz. In addition, a relationship between the studied parameters and the fugacity of CO2 was also observed, suggesting that primary production is an important factor in the regulation of this parameter in the studied area. The calculated carbon budget showed that the area acts as a carbon sink on an annual basis.
Information Technology Product Quality, Impact on E-Governance, Measurement, and Evaluation
Authors: Vanicek Jiri , Vrana Ivan , Struska Zdenek
Published: January 2013

The chapter deals with the problems of information technologies’ quality aspects and their importance for the state and public administration, e-governance, and e-democracy. The concept of quality is defined, and it is demonstrated that for quality evaluation, the clarification of needs and specification of exact requirements represents a key problem. The chapter focuses on general quality management and specifically on quality of ICT-solutions. The ISO/IEC software product quality and data quality is thereafter briefly presented. The principle of quality evaluation based on the quality decomposition into several characteristics is also described along with the principles of measurement theory. Finally, this is supplemented by selected approaches for expert rating of trends for ICT-solutions having a direct impact on long-term quality prediction.
Grey Hair, Grey Matter, and ICT Policy in the Global South
Authors: Amoah Lloyd G. A.
Published: January 2013

By exploring the case of Ghana, this chapter examines the often cited linkages between good governance, ICTs, and development in developing societies. Though some significant ICT-related infrastructural development projects have been undertaken in Africa, the empirics indicate that the region, compared to other regions, such as Asia, has yet to experience the expected results. Using an e-government project at the presidency in Ghana as a case study, this chapter attempts to understand why the vast potential benefits of ICTs have not been realized in countries like Ghana. The argument put forward by the author is that e-government and by extension ICT policy outcomes in developing polities must be understood as partly a reflection of the world view of policy elites, which is at best generally antagonistic, ambivalent, and even apprehensive of the very notion of a cyber society. The chapter concludes with recommendations relevant to Ghana and other developing polities.
A Positive Hegemony?
Authors: Bhusan Amlan
Published: January 2013

Amlan Bhusan raises important questions in “A Positive Hegemony? Arguing for a Universal Knowledge Regime led by an e-Governance ‘Savvy’ Global Knowledge Enterprise!” To him, there is a growing academic consciousness, regarding the use of e-governance, to deliver social goods in a better way. This voice advocates that more needs to be done by public institutions, governments, and more importantly, the academia, to develop e-governance as an enabler for social efficiency. Such developments would help reach debates and discussions on this area to the grassroots of the policy system. His chapter is neither a commentary of the application of e-governance to deliver social change nor a study of how different governments have handled this area around the world. Rather, it is a practicing consultant’s views of the power of e-governance to refine public choice and social decision making and how this process was enriched by a more vigorous role of the academia. Taking specific examples from the education sector, particularly universities, this chapter is a comment on some of the ways in which e-governance ‘can’ be handled across the education system and how lessons from the developed countries can be used to inspire similar revolutionary changes to the status quo in the developing world. His objective is to promote a greater role for the academia in the public policy making process. The idea is to support a more constructive engagement of the academia with the more vulnerable parts of the social system. Above all, he argues for the benefits of spreading the values of information democracy, right to access to information, among the people. He envisages that the power of a more vocal and active academia would be profound in how it could positively affect the information apartheid affecting many large sections of the developing world. He proposes greater research and development on the means of engaging with e-governance and to establish the mechanisms to enhance, converge, simplify, homogenize, and structuralize the knowledge and information enterprise of the global political and social systems.
The Use of Soft Computing for Optimization in Business, Economics, and Finance
Authors: Dostál Petr
Published: January 2013

Optimization methods have had successful applications in business, economics, and finance. Nowadays the new theories of soft computing are used for these purposes. The applications in business, economics, and finance have specific features in comparison with others. The processes are focused on private corporate attempts at money making or decreasing expenses; therefore the details of applications, successful or not, are not published very often. The optimization methods help in decentralization of decision-making processes to be standardized, reproduced, and documented. The optimization plays very important roles especially in business because it helps to reduce costs that can lead to higher profits and to success in the competitive fight.
Hybrid Linear Search, Genetic Algorithms, and Simulated Annealing for Fuzzy Non-Linear Industrial Production Planning Problems
Authors: Vasant P.
Published: January 2013

This chapter outlines an introduction to real-world industrial problem for product-mix selection involving eight variables and twenty one constraints with fuzzy technological coefficients, and thereafter, a formulation for an optimization approach to solve the problem. This problem occurs in production planning in which a decision maker plays a pivotal role in making decision under fuzzy environment. Decision-maker should be aware of his/her level of satisfaction as well as degree of fuzziness while making the product-mix decision. Thus, a thorough analysis is performed on a modified S-curve membership function for the fuzziness patterns and fuzzy sensitivity solution is found from the various optimization methodologies. An evolutionary algorithm is proposed to capture the optimal solutions respect to the vagueness factor and level of satisfaction. The near global optimal solution for objective function is obtained by hybrid meta-heuristics optimization algorithms such as line search, genetic algorithms, and simulated annealing.
Hybrid Metaheuristics Algorithms for Inventory Management Problems
Authors: Taleizadeh Ata Allah , Cárdenas-Barrón Leopoldo Eduardo
Published: January 2013

The hybrid metaheuristics algorithms (HMHAs) have gained a considerable attention for their capability to solve difficult problems in different fields of science. This chapter introduces some applications of HMHAs in solving inventory theory problems. Three basic inventory problems, joint replenishment EOQ problem, newsboy problem, and stochastic review problem, in certain and uncertain environments such as stochastic, rough, and fuzzy environments with six different applications, are considered. Several HMHAs such as genetic algorithm (GA), simulated annealing (SA), particle swarm optimization (PSO), harmony search (HS), variable neighborhood search (VNS), and bees colony optimization (BCO) methods are used to solve the inventory problems. The proposed metaheuristics algorithms also are combined with fuzzy simulation, rough simulation, Pareto selecting and goal programming approaches. The computational performance of all of them, on solving these three optimization problems, is compared together.
Targeting of the Osteoclastogenic RANKL–RANK Axis Prevents Osteoporotic Bone Loss and Soft Tissue Calcification in Coxsackievirus B3–Infected Mice
Authors: Lee Kyunghee , Kim Hyunsoo , Park Ho Sun , Kim Keuk-Jun , Song Hoogeun , Shin Hong-In , Kim Han-Sung , Seo Donghyun , Kook Hyun , Ko Jeong-Hyeon , Jeong Daewon
Published: January 2013

Bone mineralization is a normal physiological process, whereas ectopic calcification of soft tissues is a pathological process that leads to irreversible tissue damage. We have established a coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3)–infected mouse model that manifests both osteoporosis and ectopic calcification specifically in heart, pancreas, and lung. The CVB3-infected mice showed increased serum concentrations of both cytokines including IL-1β, TNF-α, and the receptor activator of NF-κB ligand (RANKL) that stimulate osteoclast formation and of the osteoclast-derived protein tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase 5b. They exhibited more osteoclasts in bone, with no change in the number of osteoblasts, and a decrease in bone formation and the serum concentration of osteoblast-produced osteocalcin. These results indicate that CVB3-induced osteoporosis is likely due to upregulation of osteoclast formation and function, in addition to decreased osteoblast activity. In addition, the serum in the CVB3-infected mice contained a high inorganic phosphate content, which causes ectopic calcification. RANKL treatment induced an increase in the in vitro cardiac fibroblast calcification by inorganic phosphate via the upregulation of osteogenic BMP2, SPARC, Runx2, Fra-1, and NF-κB signaling. We finally observed that i.p. administration of RANK-Fc, a recombinant antagonist of RANKL, prevented bone loss as well as ectopic calcification in CVB3-infected mice. Thus, our results indicate that RANKL may contribute to both abnormal calcium deposition in soft tissues and calcium depletion in bone. In addition, our animal model should provide a tool for the development of new therapeutic agents for calcium disturbance in soft and hard tissues.
TLR9 Promotes Tolerance by Restricting Survival of Anergic Anti-DNA B Cells, Yet Is Also Required for Their Activation
Authors: Nickerson Kevin M. , Christensen Sean R. , Cullen Jaime L. , Meng Wenzhao , Luning Prak Eline T. , Shlomchik Mark J.
Published: January 2013

Nucleic acid–reactive B cells frequently arise in the bone marrow but are tolerized by mechanisms including receptor editing, functional anergy, and/or deletion. TLR9, a sensor of endosomal dsDNA, both promotes and regulates systemic autoimmunity in vivo, but the precise nature of its apparently contradictory roles in autoimmunity remained unclear. In this study, using the 3H9 anti-DNA BCR transgene in the autoimmune-prone MRL.Faslpr mouse model of systemic lupus erythematosus, we identify the stages at which TLR9 contributes to establishing and breaking B cell tolerance. Although TLR9 is dispensable for L chain editing during B cell development in the bone marrow, TLR9 limits anti-DNA B cell life span in the periphery and is thus tolerogenic. In the absence of TLR9, anti-DNA B cells have much longer life spans and accumulate in the follicle, neither activated nor deleted. These cells retain some characteristics of anergic cells, in that they have elevated basal BCR signaling but impaired induced responses and downregulate their cell-surface BCR expression. In contrast, whereas TLR9-intact anergic B cells accumulate near the T/B border, TLR9-deficient anti-DNA B cells are somewhat more dispersed throughout the follicle. Nonetheless, in older autoimmune-prone animals, TLR9 expression specifically within the B cell compartment is required for spontaneous peripheral activation of anti-DNA B cells and their differentiation into Ab-forming cells via an extrafollicular pathway. Thus, TLR9 has paradoxical roles in regulating anti-DNA B cells: it helps purge the peripheral repertoire of autoreactive cells, yet is also required for their activation.
Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase with Proline-Glutamine-Serine-Threonine–Rich Motifs Negatively Regulates TLR-Triggered Innate Responses by Selectively Inhibiting IκB Kinase β/NF-κB Activation
Authors: Zhang Peng , Liu Xingguang , Li Yingke , Zhu Xuhui , Zhan Zhenzhen , Meng Jun , Li Nan , Cao Xuetao
Published: January 2013

TLRs are essential for sensing the invading pathogens and initiating protective immune responses. However, aberrant activation of TLR-triggered inflammatory innate responses leads to the inflammatory disorders and autoimmune diseases. The molecular mechanisms that fine-tune TLR responses remain to be fully elucidated. Protein tyrosine phosphatase with proline-glutamine-serine-threonine–rich motifs (PTP-PEST) has been shown to be important in cell adhesion, migration, and also T cell and B cell activation. However, the roles of PTP-PEST in TLR-triggered immune response remain unclear. In this study, we report that PTP-PEST expression was upregulated in macrophages by TLR ligands. PTP-PEST inhibited TNF-α, IL-6, and IFN-β production in macrophages triggered by TLR3, TLR4, and TLR9. Overexpression of catalytically inactive mutants of PTP-PEST abolished the inhibitory effects, indicating that PTP-PEST inhibits TLR response in a phosphatase-dependent manner. Accordingly, PTP-PEST knockdown increased TLR3, -4, and -9–triggered proinflammatory cytokine and type I IFN production. PTP-PEST selectively inhibited TLR-induced NF-κB activation, whereas it had no substantial effect on MAPK and IFN regulatory factor 3 activation. Moreover, PTP-PEST directly interacted with IκB kinase β (IKKβ) then inhibited IKKβ phosphorylation at Ser177/181 and Tyr188/199, and subsequently suppressed IKKβ activation and kinase activity as well as downstream NF-κB activation, resulting in suppression of the TLR-triggered innate immune response. Thus, PTP-PEST functions as a feedback-negative regulator of TLR-triggered innate immune responses by selectively impairing IKKβ/NF-κB activation.
NADPH Oxidase and Nrf2 Regulate Gastric Aspiration–Induced Inflammation and Acute Lung Injury
Authors: Davidson Bruce A. , Vethanayagam R. Robert , Grimm Melissa J. , Mullan Barbara A. , Raghavendran Krishnan , Blackwell Timothy S. , Freeman Michael L. , Ayyasamy Vanniarajan , Singh Keshav K. , Sporn Michael B. , Itagaki Kiyoshi , Hauser Carl J. , Knight Paul R. , Segal Brahm H.
Published: January 2013

Recruitment of neutrophils and release of reactive oxygen species are considered to be major pathogenic components driving acute lung injury (ALI). However, NADPH oxidase, the major source of reactive oxygen species in activated phagocytes, can paradoxically limit inflammation and injury. We hypothesized that NADPH oxidase protects against ALI by limiting neutrophilic inflammation and activating Nrf2, a transcriptional factor that induces antioxidative and cytoprotective pathways. Our objective was to delineate the roles of NADPH oxidase and Nrf2 in modulating acute lung inflammation and injury in clinically relevant models of acute gastric aspiration injury, a major cause of ALI. Acid aspiration caused increased ALI (as assessed by bronchoalveolar lavage fluid albumin concentration) in both NADPH oxidase–deficient mice and Nrf2−/− mice compared with wild-type mice. NADPH oxidase reduced airway neutrophil accumulation, but Nrf2 decreased ALI without affecting neutrophil recovery. Acid injury resulted in a 120-fold increase in mitochondrial DNA, a proinflammatory and injurious product of cellular necrosis, in cell-free bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. Pharmacologic activation of Nrf2 by the triterpenoid 1-[2-cyano-3-,12-dioxooleana-1,9 (11)-dien-28-oyl]imidazole limited aspiration-induced ALI in wild-type mice and reduced endothelial cell injury caused by mitochondrial extract–primed human neutrophils, leading to the conclusion that NADPH oxidase and Nrf2 have coordinated, but distinct, functions in modulating inflammation and injury. These results also point to Nrf2 as a therapeutic target to limit ALI by attenuating neutrophil-induced cellular injury.
Vκ Gene Repertoire and Locus Contraction Are Specified by Critical DNase I Hypersensitive Sites within the Vκ-Jκ Intervening Region
Authors: Xiang Yougui , Park Sung-Kyun , Garrard William T.
Published: January 2013

The processes of Ig gene locus contraction and looping during V(D)J-recombination are essential for creating a diverse Ab repertoire. However, no cis-acting sequence that plays a major role in specifying locus contraction has been uncovered within the Igκ gene locus. In this article, we demonstrate that a 650-bp sequence corresponding to DNase I hypersensitive sites HS1–2 within the mouse Igκ gene V-J intervening region binds CCCTC-binding factor and specifies locus contraction and long-range Vκ gene usage spanning 3.2 Mb in pre-B cells. We call this novel element Cer (for “contracting element for recombination”). Targeted deletion of Cer caused markedly increased proximal and greatly diminished upstream Vκ gene usage, higher allele usage, more splenic Igκ+ B cells, and nonlineage-specific Igκ rearrangement in T cells. Relative to wild-type mice, Cer-deletion mice exhibited similar levels of Vκ gene germline transcription and H3K4me3 epigenetic marks but displayed a dramatic decrease in locus contraction in pre-B cells. Thus, our studies demonstrate that DNase I hypersensitive sites HS1–2 within the Vκ-Jκ intervening region are essential for controlling locus contraction and creating a diverse Ab repertoire.
A physician’s personal experience with breast cancer: An interview
Authors: Lodh Moushumi , Das Natasha
Published: January 2013

Dr Moushumi Lodh is a physician who was diagnosed with breast cancer in the year 2009. In this interview, she speaks to childhood friend and freelance medical writer, Dr Natasha Das about her life with cancer. When she was 22, Moushumi had a fibroadenoma removed from her breast. She had noticed a small new lump in her breast 16 years later and ignored it for over a year believing that it was one of those benign lumps again. She believes an early diagnosis could have paved way for better treatment options for her. In this interview, she urges women to be better aware, to do regular self-exams and to go for screening. If diagnosed with cancer, she says, one should not lose heart but should fight it with a positive spirit. Cancer, after all, is only another chronic disease that needs lifelong treatment and care.
Combination of Left Ventricular Noncompaction and Partial Atrioventricular Canal Defect in a 21-Year-Old Male: A Case Report
Authors: Bodian Malick , Jobe Modou , Lèye Mohamed , Ndiaye Mouhamadou Bamba , Kane Adama , Sarr Simon Antoine , Mbaye Alassane , Diao Maboury , Ba Fatimata Gatta , Ngaïdé Aliou Alassane , Coly Sarah Mouna , Thiam Anna , Sarr Moustapha , Bâ Serigne Abdou
Published: January 2013

Introduction

Left ventricular noncompaction (LVNC) is classified as a genetic cardiomyopathy characterized by a progressive systolic dysfunction. It may occur alone or in association with congenital cardiac anomalies. The combination of left ventricular noncompaction with partial atrioventricular canal defect is rare and has not, to our knowledge, been described previously.

Case presentation

A 21-year-old male who traveled to our center from a neighboring country presented with signs of heart failure. Transthorarcic echocardiography showed prominent trabeculations in the left ventricle predominantly in the left ventricle involving the apical lateral and mid anterolateral segments associated with a partial atrioventricular canal defect. There was a biventricular systolic dysfunction. There was good response to medical treatment.

Conclusion

This case stresses the importance of maintaining a high degree of suspicion for this rare cardiomyopathy and the need to systematically look for other associated anomalies in order to institute proper short- and long-term managements.
Maternal Anemia in Pregnancy: Assessing the Effect of Routine Preventive Measures in a Malaria-Endemic Area
Authors: Ouédraogo Smaïla , Koura Ghislain K. , Bodeau-Livinec Florence , Accrombessi Manfred M. K. , Massougbodji Achille , Cot Michel
Published: January 2013

We investigated the effectiveness of routine preventive measures for anemia in Beninese pregnant women during pregnancy. Anemia (hemoglobin < 110 g/L) was common: 68.3% at first antenatal visit (ANV1), 64.7% at second antenatal visit (ANV2), and 40.6% at delivery. Parasitic infections and nutritional deficiencies were the most preventable causes. After intermittent preventive treatment (IPTp) and antihelminthic treatments, malaria prevalence decreased from 15.1% (ANV1) to 4.0% (ANV2) and increased again to 9.6% at delivery. Helminth infections dropped from 11.1% (ANV1) to 7.2% (ANV2) and 2.4% at delivery. Malaria was associated with lower mean hemoglobin on ANV1 and delivery, and iron deficiency was associated with lower mean hemoglobin on ANV1 and ANV2. IPTp and antihelminthic treatments were efficacious to clear parasitic infections and improve hematologic status, whereas the effectiveness of daily iron and folic acid supplements to correct iron and folate deficiencies and decrease anemia was less marked, possibly because of lack of compliance.
Clinical and Radiological Predictors of Outcome for Murray Valley Encephalitis
Authors: Speers David J. , Flexman James , Blyth Christopher C. , Rooban Nirooshan , Raby Edward , Ramaseshan Ganesh , Benson Susan , Smith David W.
Published: January 2013

A review of the laboratory-confirmed cases of Murray Valley encephalitis (MVE) from Western Australia between 2009 and 2011 was conducted to describe the clinical, laboratory, and radiological features of the disease. The nine encephalitis patients presented with altered mental state and seizures, tremor, weakness, or paralysis. All patients developed a raised C-reactive protein, whereas most developed acute liver injury, neutrophilia, and thrombocytosis. All patients with encephalitis developed cerebral peduncle involvement on early magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The absence of thalamic MRI hyperintensity during the acute illness, with or without leptomeningeal enhancement, predicted a better neurological outcome, whereas those patients with widespread abnormalities involving the thalamus, midbrain, and cerebral cortex or the cerebellum had devastating neurological outcomes. MRI scans repeated months after acute illness showed destruction of the thalamus and basal ganglia, cortex, or cerebellum. These findings may help clinicians predict the neurological outcome when evaluating patients with MVE.
Extended-release/long-acting opioid REMS may fill the need for prescribers' appropriate use education
Authors: Nicholson, MD Susan C. , Evanyo, BA Kimberly , Salinas, PhD Gregory D. , Roepke, MBA Nancy , Burton, MS B. Stephen , Susalka, BS Debi
Published: January 2013

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is requiring manufacturers of long-acting and extended-release opioids to have a class-wide Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS). The comprehensive risk management plan will include training for prescribers on the appropriate and safe use of these pain medications. The letter dated April 19, 2011 from FDA to manufacturers outlining the REMS requirements describes voluntary training that should be certified education “where practicable.” The current report includes data from a recent comprehensive study of healthcare professionals and patients and highlights key insights that can guide the development of the opioid REMS training.
Intranasal sufentanil provides adequate analgesia for emergency department patients with extremity injuries
Authors: Stephen, MD Robert , Lingenfelter, PharmD Erin , Broadwater-Hollifield, MPH Camille , Madsen, MD Troy
Published: January 2013

Background: In emergency medicine, the ability to provide rapid, adequate pain control without high resource utilization is ideal. In this study, the efficacy of intranasal sufentanil in emergency department (ED) patients with acute distal extremity injury was evaluated.Methods: A nonrandomized, open-label dose trial to determine safety and efficacy of intranasal sufentanil in patients with a distal extremity injury who presented to the ED with moderate to severe pain was conducted. Vital signs, pain scores, Ramsay sedation score, and any side effects during a 30-minute observation period after medication administration were recorded. Patients, nurses, and physicians completed satisfaction surveys.Results: Fifteen ED patients with acute extremity injuries agreed to participate in the study and received a dose of 0.5 µg/kg of sufentanil intranasally. The average pain score decreased 4.3 points (from 7.8 to 3.5). Eight patients reported a final pain score of ≤ 3. The most common side effect was mild dysphoria. Patients, physicians, and nurses reported high average satisfaction scores.Conclusion: Intranasal sufentanil resulted in a significant clinical reduction in patients’ reported pain without serious side effects. This medication and administration route demonstrated promise for potential use in the ED.
High dose of buprenorphine in terminally ill patient with liver failure: Efficacy and tolerability
Authors: Ciccozzi, MD Alessandra , Angeletti, MD Chiara , Baldascino, MD Giada , Petrucci, MD Emiliano , Bonetti, MD Cristina , De Santis, MD Stefania , Paladini, MD Antonella , Varrassi, PhD Giustino , Marinangeli, MD Franco
Published: January 2013

Pain in terminally ill patients with cancer can be often hard to manage, due to the unpredictable kinetics of drugs caused by progressive kidney and liver dysfunction. Plasma concentrations of active metabolites–also a cause of dangerous side effects–could be difficult to estimate. This case report holds the idea that buprenorphine, a partial agonist of µ-receptors, even at high dosage, may be effective and safe to use in terminally ill patients with significant liver and kidney impairment.
Transport analysis and source attribution of seasonal and interannual variability of CO in the tropical upper troposphere and lower stratosphere
Authors: Liu J. , Logan J. A. , Murray L. T. , Pumphrey H. C. , Schwartz M. J. , Megretskaia I. A.
Published: January 2013

Abstract. We used the GEOS-Chem chemistry-transport model to investigate impacts of surface emissions and dynamical processes on the spatial and temporal patterns of CO observed by the Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) in the upper troposphere (UT) and lower stratosphere (LS). Model simulations driven by GEOS-4 and GEOS-5 assimilated fields present many features of the seasonal and inter-annual variation of CO in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere. Both model simulations and the MLS data show a transition from semi-annual variations in the UT to annual variations in the LS. Tagged CO simulations indicate that the semi-annual variation of CO in the UT is determined mainly by the temporal overlapping of surface biomass burning from different continents as well as the north-south shifts of deep convection. Both GEOS-4 and GEOS-5 have maximum upward transport in April and May with a minimum in July to September. The CO peaks from the Northern Hemisphere (NH) fires propagate faster to the LS than do those from the Southern Hemisphere (SH) fires. Thus the transition from a semi-annual to an annual cycle around 80 hPa is induced by a combination of the CO signal at the tropopause and the annual cycle of the Brewer-Dobson circulation. In GEOS-5, the shift to an annual cycle occurs at a lower altitude than in MLS CO, a result of inadequate upward transport. We deduce vertical velocities from MLS CO, and use them to evaluate the velocities derived from the archived GEOS meteorological fields. We find that GEOS-4 velocities are similar to those from MLS CO between 215 hPa and 125 hPa, while the velocities in GEOS-5 are too low in spring and summer. The mean tropical vertical velocities from both models are lower than those inferred from MLS CO above 100 hPa, particularly in GEOS-5, with mean downward, rather than upward motion in boreal summer. Thus the models' CO maxima from SH burning are transported less effectively than those in MLS CO above 147 hPa and almost disappear by 100 hPa. The strongest peaks in the CO tape-recorder are in late 2004, 2006, and 2010, with the first two resulting from major fires in Indonesia and the last from severe burning in South America, all associated with intense droughts.
Evaluating MODIS cloud retrievals with in situ observations from VOCALS-REx
Authors: King N. J. , Bower K. N. , Crosier J. , Crawford I.
Published: January 2013

Abstract. Microphysical measurements collected during eleven profiles, by the UK BAe-146 aircraft, through marine stratocumulus as part of the Variability of the American Monsoon Systems (VAMOS) Ocean-Cloud-Atmosphere-Land Study Regional Experiment (VOCALS-REx) are compared to collocated overpasses of the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard the Aqua and Terra satellite platforms. The full depth of the cloud is sampled in each case using a Cloud Droplet Probe (CDP) and a Two-Dimensional Stereo Probe (2DS) together sizing cloud and precipitation droplets in the diameter range 2–1260 μm. This allows the total optical depth (τc) of the cloud and effective radius (re) of the droplet size distribution to be compared to MODIS cloud retrievals of the same quantities along with the secondarily derived total liquid water path. When compared to the effective radius at cloud top, the MODIS retrieved re using the 2.1 μm wavelength channel overestimates the in situ measurements on average by 13% with the largest overestimations coinciding with the detection by the 2DS of drizzle sized droplets. We show through consideration of the full vertical profile and penetration depths of the wavelengths used in the retrieval that the expected retrieved values are less than those at cloud top thus increasing the apparent bias in re retrievals particularly when using the 1.6 and 2.1 μm channels, with the 3.7 μm channel retrievals displaying the best agreement with in situ values. Retrievals of τc also tend to overestimate in situ values which, coupled with a high bias in re retrievals, lead to an overestimation of liquid water path. There is little apparent correlation between the variation of the three near-infrared re retrievals and the vertical structure of the cloud observed in situ. Retrievals are performed using measured profiles of water vapour and temperature along with an accurate knowledge of the width of the droplet size distribution which improve agreement between in situ and retrieved values but cannot completely explain the observed biases. Additionally we show that cloud heterogeneity and three-dimensional radiative effects may high skew the mean when averaging over comparison domains but cannot explain all of the apparent high bias. An intercomparison between in situ measurements from the BAe-146 and C-130 platforms is also presented, highlighting the uncertainties associated with in situ observations.
Impacts of aircraft emissions on the air quality near the ground
Authors: Lee H. , Olsen S. C. , Wuebbles D. J. , Youn D.
Published: January 2013

Abstract. The continuing increase in demand for commercial aviation transport raises questions about the effects of resulting emissions on the environment. The purpose of this study is to investigate, using a global chemistry transport model, to what extent aviation emissions outside the boundary layer influence air quality in the boundary layer. The effects of current levels of aircraft emissions were studied through comparison of multiple simulations allowing for the separated effects of aviation emissions occurring in the low, middle and upper troposphere. We show that emissions near cruise altitudes rather than emissions during landing and take-off are responsible for most of the total odd-nitrogen (NOy), ozone (O3) and aerosol perturbations near the ground with a noticeable seasonal difference. Overall, the perturbations of these species are smaller than 1 ppb even in winter when the perturbations are greater than in summer. Based on the widely used air quality standards and uncertainty of state-of-the-art models, we conclude that aviation-induced perturbations have a negligible effect on air quality even in areas with heavy air traffic. Aviation emissions lead to a less than 1% aerosol enhancement in the boundary layer due to a slight increase in ammonium nitrate (NH4NO3) during cold seasons and a statistically insignificant aerosol perturbation in summer. In addition, statistical analysis using probability density functions, Hellinger distance, and p-value indicate that aviation emissions outside the boundary layer do not affect the occurrence of extremely high aerosol concentrations in the boundary layer. An additional sensitivity simulation assuming the doubling of surface ammonia emissions demonstrates that the aviation induced aerosol increase near the ground is highly dependent on background ammonia concentrations whose current range of uncertainty is large.
Fate of N in a peatland, Whim bog: immobilisation in the vegetation and peat, leakage into pore water and losses as N2O depend on the form of N
Authors: Sheppard L. J. , Leith I. D. , Leeson S. R. , van Dijk N. , Field C. , Levy P.
Published: January 2013

Abstract. Peatlands represent a vast carbon reserve that has accumulated under conditions of low nitrogen availability. Given the strong coupling between the carbon and nitrogen cycles, we need to establish the consequences of the increase in reactive nitrogen deposition for the sustainability of peatlands, and whether the form in which the nitrogen is deposited makes a difference. We have addressed these questions using a globally unique field simulation of reactive N deposition as dry deposited ammonia and wet deposited reduced N, ammonium and oxidised N, nitrate, added as ammonium chloride or sodium nitrate, to an ombrotrophic peatland, Whim bog in SE Scotland. Here we report the fate of 56 kg N ha−1 yr−1 additions over 10 yr and the consequences. The effects of 10 yr of reactive N additions depended on the form in which the N was applied. Ammonia-N deposition caused the keystone Sphagnum species, together with the main shrub Calluna and the pleurocarpous mosses, to disappear, exposing up to 30% of the peat surface. This led to a significant increase in soil water nitrate and nitrous oxide emissions. By contrast wet deposited N, despite significantly reducing the cover of Sphagnum and Pleurozium moss, did not have a detrimental effect on Calluna cover nor did it significantly change soil water N concentrations or nitrous oxide emissions. Importantly 10 yr of wet deposited N did not bare the peat surface nor significantly disrupt the vegetation enabling the N to be retained within the carbon rich peatland ecosystems. However, given the significant role of Sphagnum in maintaining conditions that retard decomposition, this study suggests that all nitrogen forms will eventually compromise carbon sequestration by peatlands through loss of some keystone Sphagnum species.
Sediment community responses to marine vs. terrigenous organic matter in a submarine canyon
Authors: Hunter W. R. , Jamieson A. , Huvenne V. A. I. , Witte U.
Published: January 2013

Abstract. The Whittard Canyon is a branching submarine canyon on the Celtic continental margin, which may act as a conduit for sediment and organic matter (OM) transport from the European continental slope to the abyssal sea floor. In situ stable-isotope labelling experiments were conducted in the eastern and western branches of the Whittard Canyon, testing short-term (3–7 days) responses of sediment communities to deposition of nitrogen-rich marine (Thalassiosira weissflogii) and nitrogen-poor terrigenous (Triticum aestivum) phytodetritus. 13C and 15N labels were traced into faunal biomass and bulk sediments, and the 13C label traced into bacterial polar lipid fatty acids (PLFAs). Isotopic labels penetrated to 5 cm sediment depth, with no differences between stations or experimental treatments (substrate or time). Macrofaunal assemblage structure differed between the eastern and western canyon branches. Following deposition of marine phytodetritus, no changes in macrofaunal feeding activity were observed between the eastern and western branches, with little change between 3 and 7 days. Macrofaunal C and N uptake was substantially lower following deposition of terrigenous phytodetritus with feeding activity governed by a strong N demand. Bacterial C uptake was greatest in the western branch of the Whittard Canyon, but feeding activity decreased between 3 and 7 days. Bacterial processing of marine and terrigenous OM were similar to the macrofauna in surficial (0–1 cm) sediments. However, in deeper sediments bacteria utilised greater proportions of terrigenous OM. Bacterial biomass decreased following phytodetritus deposition and was negatively correlated to macrofaunal feeding activity. Consequently, this study suggests that macrofaunal–bacterial interactions influence benthic C cycling in the Whittard Canyon, resulting in differential fates for marine and terrigenous OM.
On the parallelization of atmospheric inversions of CO2 surface fluxes within a variational framework
Authors: Chevallier F.
Published: January 2013

Abstract. The variational formulation of Bayes' theorem allows inferring CO2 sources and sinks from atmospheric concentrations at much higher space-time resolution than the ensemble approach or the analytical one. However, it usually exhibits limited scalable parallelism. This limitation hinders global atmospheric inversions operated on decadal time scales and regional ones with kilometric spatial scales, because of the computational cost of the underlying transport model that has to be run at each iteration of the variational minimization. Here, we introduce a Physical Parallelisation (PP) of variational atmospheric inversions. In the PP, the inversion still manages a single physically and statistically consistent window, but the transport model is run in parallel overlapping sub-segments in order to massively reduce the computation wall clock time of the inversion. For global inversions, a simplification of transport modelling is described to connect the output of all segments. We demonstrate the performance of the approach on a global inversion for CO2 with a 32-yr inversion window (1979–2010) with atmospheric measurements from 81 sites of the NOAA global cooperative air sampling network. In this case, we show that the duration of the inversion is reduced by a seven-fold factor (from months to days) while still processing the three decades consistently and with improved numerical stability.
The Landmark on Film: Representations of Place and Identity
Authors: Chow Pei-Sze
Published: January 2013

This paper examines two documentary essays focusing on landmark architecture in the transnational Øresund region comprising Copenhagen and Malmö. I argue that the motif of construction and deconstruction is congruous to our understanding of the ways identities are negotiated vis-à-vis spatial experience. In the films, the multiple trajectories of characters of diverse nationalities and cultures are woven into the (de)construction of the landmark structures, producing a visual space that interrogates what ‘identity’ means in an increasingly networked and global world.
Dengue: descrevendo a epidemia em Aracaju, Sergipe, Brasil, 2008
Authors: Cunha Paulo Emidio Lobão , Bohland Anna Klara
Published: January 2013

Introdução: a dengue é um dos maiores problemas de saúde pública no Brasil, caracterizando-se como doença febril aguda, com espectro clínico variando desde quadros febris inespecíficos até manifestações graves com hemorragia e choque. A Vigilância Epidemiológica (VE) da dengue deve ter agilidade suficiente para detectar precocemente as epidemias, e juntamente com a organização da rede de assistência, minimizar os casos de evolução grave, reduzindo a letalidade. Objetivos: estudar o perfil epidemiológico da dengue na cidade de Aracaju no ano de 2008. Métodos: foi realizado um estudo transversal, sendo utilizadas as seguintes variáveis: sexo, idade do paciente, cor da pele, semana epidemiológica de notificação, região de saúde, classificação da forma clínica da doença, resultado do exame (Mac-Elisa) e óbito. As informações foram colhidas do banco de dados do Sistema de Informações de Agravos de Notificação da Secretaria de Estado da Saúde de Sergipe. Os dados foram formatados utilizando o programa Microsoft Office ExcelÒ e transferidos para o Stats Direct (versão 2.7.9), onde foi realizada a análise. Resultados: foram notificados 11348 casos e 10165 casos confirmados de dengue, com taxa de incidência de 1,89 casos/1000 habitantes em 2008. A maior incidência (por mil habitantes) foi sexo feminino (20,5), entre os 5 e 15 anos (26,1) e cor de pele parda (28,1). No que se refere à semana epidemiológica, o período compreendido entre a 9a e a 24a semanas apresentou o maior número de casos. A região de saúde com maior coeficiente foi a quarta (22,3). Quanto à realização do exame, 43,1% dos casos graves foram confirmados sem a sua realização. Dos casos confirmados, 96,1% foram classificados como dengue clássica, 2,6% como dengue com complicações, 1,2% como febre hemorrágica da dengue e apenas 2 casos (0,02%) como síndrome do choque da dengue. O diagnóstico final de dengue comparado à sorologia apresentou uma sensibilidade de 99,4% e uma especificidade de 97,0%. A taxa de letalidade nos casos graves foi de 4,6%. Conclusão: o melhor entendimento epidemiológico da doença permitirá o aprimoramento da vigilância, detectando mais precocemente e evitando novas epidemias da doença.
A não aceitação da gravidez e o desenvolvimento de crianças com quatro anos de idade no bairro Vila Jardim, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil
Authors: Marin Angela Helena , Falceto Olga Garcia , Collares Martha , Lorenzzoni Pânila Longhi , Ferrando Júlia Oroval , Fernandes Carmen Luiza Corrêa , Diehl Ângela Polgati
Published: January 2013

Objetivo: investigar como a gravidez não planejada e não aceita pode afetar o desenvolvimento da criança e quais os fatores sociodemográficos, das relações familiares e da rede social que podem interagir nessa relação. Método: participaram 82 mulheres que não planejaram a gestação, parte de um estudo longitudinal que incluiu todas as famílias do Bairro Vila Jardim de Porto Alegre, que tiveram filhos em hospital público entre novembro de 1998 e dezembro de 1999. Estas foram divididas em dois grupos: 73 mulheres que aceitaram a gestação até o quarto mês e nove delas que não a aceitaram. As participantes foram entrevistadas sobre: a gravidez e o parto, o relacionamento do casal e o impacto do nascimento da criança tanto para as suas vidas como para a dos pais da criança e famílias de origem. O desenvolvimento das crianças aos quatro anos foi avaliado pelo Teste de Denver II. Resultados: encontrou-se uma diferença significativa entre os grupos, demonstrando que os filhos de mães que não aceitaram a gestação apresentam maiores dificuldades de desenvolvimento da linguagem e da coordenação motora fina em relação às crianças cujas gestações foram aceitas até o quarto mês. Destaca-se que o grupo de mães que não aceitou a gestação apresentou problemas conjugais de moderados a graves e maior número de filhos. Conclusões: as crianças cuja gestação não foi aceita têm maiores riscos de apresentarem problemas de desenvolvimento, quando comparadas com aquelas fruto de gestações não planejadas, mas aceitas até o quarto mês. Esse achado salienta a importância de os profissionais de saúde identificarem durante o pré-natal a aceitação ou não da gestação, visto que este fator, assim como a qualidade da relação conjugal e o número de filhos, está associado com as dificuldades de desenvolvimento da criança, sendo sensível a intervenções terapêuticas e/ou programas de prevenção.