bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Motion detection of a micromechanical cantilever through magneto-piezovoltage in two-dimensional electron systems
Authors: Yamaguchi H. , Okamoto H. , Ishihara S. , Hirayama Y.
Published: January 2012

We study the strain-induced voltage generation, i.e., piezovoltage, in a two-dimensional electron system under a magnetic field at low temperature. We find its strong magnetic-field dependence, where the voltage increases up to several microvolts at the boundaries between localized and extended electronic states. The order of magnitude of the generated electrical power is comparable to that of the energy dissipation in mechanical vibration, indicating high-efficiency mechanical-to-electrical energy transduction.
Linearly tapered discharge capillary waveguides as a medium for a laser plasma wakefield accelerator
Authors: Abuazoum S. , Wiggins S. M. , Ersfeld B. , Hart K. , Vieux G. , Yang X. , Welsh G. H. , Issac R. C. , Reijnders M. P. , Jones D. R. , Jaroszynski D. A.
Published: January 2012

Gas-filled capillary discharge waveguides are commonly used as media for plasma wakefield accelerators. We show that effective waveguides can be manufactured using a femtosecond laser micromachining technique to produce a linearly tapered plasma density, which enables the energy of the accelerator to be enhanced significantly. A laser guiding efficiency in excess of 82% at sub-relativistic intensities has been demonstrated in a 40 mm long capillary with a diameter tapering from 320 μm to 270 μm, which gives rise to an on-axis, time-averaged plasma density that varies from 1.0 × 1018 cm−3 to 1.6 × 1018 cm−3.
Molecular beam epitaxial growth and optical properties of highly mismatched ZnTe1−xOx alloys
Authors: Tanaka Tooru , Kusaba Shuhei , Mochinaga Tomohiro , Saito Katsuhiko , Guo Qixin , Nishio Mitsuhiro , Yu Kin M. , Walukiewicz Wladek
Published: January 2012

Highly mismatched ZnTe1−xOx(ZnTeO) alloys have been grown by molecular beam epitaxy. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses showed that a single-phase ZnTeO layer were grown with a substitutional O composition x up to 1.34% on ZnTe(001) substrate in this experiments. Optical transitions associated with the lower (E−) and upper (E+) conduction subbands resulting from the anticrossing interaction between the localized O states and the extended conduction states of ZnTe were clearly observed, and the dependence of the energy position of these bands on the O composition was consistent with the band anticrossing model.
The Role of Constant Curvature in 2-D Contour Shape Representations
Authors: Garrigan Patrick , Kellman Philip J
Published: January 2012

In early cortex, visual information is encoded by retinotopic orientation-selective units. Higher-level representations of abstract properties, such as shape, require encodings that are invariant to changes in size, position, and orientation. Within the domain of open, 2-D contours, we consider how an economical representation that supports viewpoint-invariant shape comparisons can be derived from early encodings. We explore the idea that 2-D contour shapes are encoded as joined segments of constant curvature. We report three experiments in which participants compared sequentially presented 2-D contour shapes comprised of constant curvature (CC) or non-constant curvature (NCC) segments. We show that, when shapes are compared across viewpoint or for a retention interval of 1000 ms, performance is better for CC shapes. Similar recognition performance is observed for both shape types, however, if they are compared at the same viewpoint and the retention interval is reduced to 500 ms. These findings are consistent with a symbolic encoding of 2-D contour shapes into CC parts when the retention intervals over which shapes must be stored exceed the duration of initial, transient, visual representations.
Generation of myometrium-specific Bmal1 knockout mice for parturition analysis
Authors: Ratajczak Christine K. , Asada Minoru , Allen Gregg C. , McMahon Douglas G. , Muglia Lisa M. , Smith Donté , Bhattacharyya Sandip , Muglia Louis J.
Published: January 2012

Human and rodent studies indicate a role for circadian rhythmicity and associated clock gene expression in supporting normal parturition. The importance of clock gene expression in tissues besides the suprachiasmatic nucleus is emerging. Here, a Bmal1 conditional knockout mouse line and a novel Cre transgenic mouse line were used to examine the role of myometrial Bmal1 in parturition. Ninety-two percent (22/24) of control females but only 64% (14/22) of females with disrupted myometrial Bmal1 completed parturition during the expected time window of 5 p.m. on Day 19 through to 9 a.m. on Day 19.5 of gestation. However, neither serum progesterone levels nor uterine transcript expression of the contractile-associated proteins Connexin43 and Oxytocin receptor differed between females with disrupted myometrial Bmal1 and controls during late gestation. The data indicate a role for myometrial Bmal1 in maintaining normal time of day of parturition.
Archaeal ammonia oxidisers are abundant in acidic, coarse-textured Australian soils
Authors: O'Sullivan Cathryn A. , Wakelin Steven A. , Fillery Ian R. P. , Gregg Adrienne L. , Roper Margaret M.
Published: January 2012

The abundances of ammonia-oxidising archaea (AOA) and ammonia-oxidising bacteria (AOB) in soils underlying pastures in the south-west of Western Australia (WA) were investigated. Samples were collected from irrigated pastures and one unmanaged (driveway) area during December 2009. Archaeal and bacterial ammonia monooxygenase (amoA) genes were quantified using real-time PCR, and the diversity of the archaeal amoA genes was investigated using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE). AOA amoA gene copies outnumbered AOB in all samples. Numbers of archaeal amoA genes ranged from 4.1E+01 to 1.34E+05 gene copies/ng soil DNA. Bacterial amoA genes were below detection limits at three of the four sample sites and ranged from 8.9E+01 to 6.7E+02 gene copies/ng soil DNA at the remaining site. Potential nitrification rates (PNR) were not correlated with AOA or AOB gene abundance, but high PNR only occurred at the site with measureable numbers of AOB. The DGGE analysis revealed that the AOA community was diverse and variability in banding patterns was significantly affected by both site and depth (P < 0.05). Statistical analysis matching biological variation (AOA amoA genotypes) to environmental variables (BEST analysis) revealed that pH was the key driver of AOA community structure (ρ = 0.72; P = 0.005). Soil pH was also inversely correlated to abundance of AOA amoA genes in soil (ρ = 0.8; P = 0.003). This study has shown that AOA are important members of the nitrogen-cycling community in acidic WA pasture soils, and likely in the wider agricultural soils of WA.
Human medial gastrocnemius force–velocity behavior shifts with locomotion speed and gait
Authors: Farris Dominic James , Sawicki Gregory S.
Published: January 2012

Humans walk and run over a wide range of speeds with remarkable efficiency. For steady locomotion, moving at different speeds requires the muscle–tendon units of the leg to modulate the amount of mechanical power the limb absorbs and outputs in each step. How individual muscles adapt their behavior to modulate limb power output has been examined using computer simulation and animal models, but has not been studied in vivo in humans. In this study, we used a combination of ultrasound imaging and motion analysis to examine how medial gastrocnemius (MG) muscle–tendon unit behavior is adjusted to meet the varying mechanical demands of different locomotor speeds during walking and running in humans. The results highlighted key differences in MG fascicle-shortening velocity with both locomotor speed and gait. Fascicle-shortening velocity at the time of peak muscle force production increased with walking speed, impairing the ability of the muscle to produce high peak forces. Switching to a running gait at 2.0 m⋅s
−1
caused fascicle shortening at the time of peak force production to shift to much slower velocities. This velocity shift facilitated a large increase in peak muscle force and an increase in MG power output. MG fascicle velocity may be a key factor that limits the speeds humans choose to walk at, and may explain the transition from walking to running. This finding is consistent with previous modeling studies.
On the Ideal of Autonomous Science
Authors: Hicks Dan
Published: January 2012

In this article I first use Alasdair MacIntyre's conception of a practice to develop a version of the common, although increasingly controversial, ideal of value-free, value-neutral, or autonomous science. I then briefly show how this ideal has been used by some philosophers to criticize both governmental and commercial funding of science. I go on to argue that, far from being value neutral, certain elements of this ideal strongly resemble some controversial elements of libertarian political philosophy. I suggest that alternative ideals for science might be developed by drawing on egalitarian liberal and communitarian political philosophy.
Is There a Compelling Argument for Ontic Structural Realism?
Authors: Morganti Matteo
Published: January 2012

Structural realism first emerged as an epistemological thesis aimed to avoid the so-called pessimistic metainduction on the history of science. Some authors, however, have suggested that the preservation of structure across theory change is best explained by endorsing the metaphysical thesis that structure is all there is. Although the possibility of this latter, ‘ontic’ form of structural realism has been extensively debated, not much has been said concerning its justification. In this article, I distinguish between two arguments in favor of ontic structural realism that can be reconstructed from the literature and find both of them wanting.
The Problem of Piecemeal Induction
Authors: Mayo-Wilson Conor
Published: January 2012

I argue that, in causal inference from many observational studies, the piecemeal collection of data can cause underdetermination, even if arbitrarily large amounts of reliable data are available. Two theorems reveal that, for any variable set V, there are causal theories over V that can be distinguished if and only if all variables are simultaneously measured. These results entail that, a priori, one cannot know which observational studies will be most informative with respect to the true causal theory describing V. Hence, scientific institutions may need to play a larger role in coordinating differing research programs.
Actual Causation by Probabilistic Active Paths
Authors: Twardy Charles R. , Korb Kevin B.
Published: January 2012

Recently Halpern and Pearl and Hitchcock have presented influential accounts of actual (token) causation using Bayesian networks. These accounts have been deterministic. Here we present a probabilistic extension to these active path analyses of actual causation. The extension uses “soft” interventions to set distributions rather than just single values. The resulting account can handle at least as wide a range of examples as the original accounts, without assuming determinism.
An Outbreak of Heterogeneous Glycopeptide-IntermediateStaphylococcus aureusRelated to a Device Source in an Intensive Care Unit
Authors: Parer Sylvie , Lotthé Anne , Chardon Patrick , Poncet Rosie , Jean-Pierre Hélène , Jumas-Bilak Estelle
Published: January 2012

Objective.

The emergence ofStaphylococcus aureuswith reduced susceptibility to glycopeptides (glycopeptide-intermediateS. aureus[GISA] and heterogeneous GISA [h-GISA]) leads to intensive care unit (ICU) outbreaks that frequently result in ward closure. We investigated the role of hospital hygiene in the transmission and eradication of an h-GISA outbreak.

Design.

The study is a description of an original environmental investigation around a series of 12 cases.

Setting and Patients.

The outbreak occurred in a 20-bed polyvalent/trauma ICU in a 2,800-bed tertiary care university hospital in France.

Interventions.

Specimens were obtained for surveillance and diagnostic cultures from all patients in the unit. Surface sampling was also performed. Geographic cohorting, contact isolation, emphasis on adherence to infection control practices, and environmental cleaning were implemented.

Results.

Twelve patients with h-GISA infection (n= 5) or colonization (n= 7) were identified. The mean interval between admission and h-GISA detection was 23.6 days (range, 10–89 days), with a median of 16.5 days. Environmental investigation identified an unexpected reservoir, namely, SpO2sensors. The outbreak was controlled by a combination of measures, including eradication of this reservoir, avoiding total ward closure.

Conclusions.

Targeted surface sampling helps to secure the environment through active investigation of various reservoirs while maintaining normal activity on the ward. In our study, this method led to the detection of an unsuspected reservoir, the eradication of which helped control the h-GISA epidemic. Further applications of this original investigative procedure should allow confirmation of its relevance and efficiency.

Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol2012;33(2):167-174
Investigation and Control of an Outbreak ofAchromobacter xylosoxidansBacteremia
Authors: Behrens-Muller Brie , Conway Judith , Yoder Jonathan , Conover Craig S.
Published: January 2012

Objective.

To define the extent of an outbreakof Achromobacter xylosoxidansbacteremia, determine the source of the outbreak, and implement control measures.

Design.

An outbreak investigation, including environmental and infection control assessment, and evaluation of hypotheses using the binomial distribution and case control studies.

Setting.

A 50-bed medical surgical unit in a hospital in Illinois during the period January 1–July 15, 2006.

Interventions.

Discontinuation of use of opioid delivery via patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) until the source of the outbreak was identified and implementation of new protocols to ensure more rigorous observation of PCA pump cartridge manipulations.

Results.

Calculations based on the binomial distribution indicated the probability that all 9 patients withA. xylosoxidansbacteremia were PCA pump users by chance alone was <.001. A subsequent case control study identified PCA pump use for administration of morphine as a risk factor forA. xylosoxidansbacteremia (odds ratio, undefined;P< .001). Having a PCA pump cartridge with morphine started by nurse C was significantly associated with becoming a case-patient (odds ratio, 46; 95% confidence interval, 4.0–525.0;P< .001).

Conclusions.

We hypothesize that actions related to diversion of morphine by nurse C were the likely cause of the outbreak. An aggressive pain control program involving the use of opioid medication warrants an equally aggressive policy to prevent diversion of medication by staff.

Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol2012;33(2):180-184
Evaluation of Organizational Culture among Different Levels of Healthcare Staff Participating in the Institute for Healthcare Improvement's 100,000 Lives Campaign
Authors: Sinkowitz-Cochran Ronda L. , Garcia-Williams Amanda , Hackbarth Andrew D. , Zell Bonnie , Baker G. Ross , McCannon C. Joseph , Beltrami Elise M. , Jernigan John A. , McDonald L. Clifford , Goldmann Donald A.
Published: January 2012

Background.

Little is known about how hospital organizational and cultural factors associated with implementation of quality initiatives such as the Institute for Healthcare Improvement's (IHI) 100,000 Lives Campaign differ among levels of healthcare staff.

Design.

Evaluation of a mixed qualitative and quantitative methodology (“trilogic evaluation model”).

Setting.

Six hospitals that joined the campaign before June 2006.

Participants.

Three strata of staff (executive leadership, midlevel, and frontline) at each hospital.

Results.

Surveys were completed in 2008 by 135 hospital personnel (midlevel, 43.7%; frontline, 38.5%; executive, 17.8%) who also participated in 20 focus groups. Overall, 93% of participants were aware of the IHI campaign in their hospital and perceived that 58% (standard deviation, 22.7%) of improvements in quality at their hospital were a direct result of the campaign. There were significant differences between staff levels on the organizational culture (OC) items, with executive-level staff having higher scores than midlevel and frontline staff. All 20 focus groups perceived that the campaign interventions were sustainable and that data feedback, buy-in, hardwiring (into daily activities), and leadership support were essential to sustainability.

Conclusions.

The trilogic model demonstrated that the 3 levels of staff had markedly different perceptions regarding the IHI campaign and OC. A framework in which frontline, midlevel, and leadership staff are simultaneously assessed may be a useful tool for future evaluations of OC and quality initiatives such as the IHI campaign.

Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol2012;33(2):135-143
Ultraviolet Powder versus Ultraviolet Gel for Assessing Environmental Cleaning
Authors: Munoz-Price L. Silvia , Fajardo-Aquino Yovanit , Arheart Kristopher L.
Published: January 2012

We compared cleaning rates associated with use of a white ultraviolet (UV) powder versus a transparent UV gel among units with various degrees of previous experience with UV powder. The study outcome was the presence of discordant cleaning (removal of powder without the removal of gel, or vice versa). We found higher frequency of discordance in high-experience units (31%) than in no-experience units (8%) (P<.001). In 92% of discordant findings, the powder was removed but not the gel (P< .001). These findings suggest preferential cleaning of visible UV targets among units with high levels of previous experience with powder.

Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2012;33(2):192-195
Essential roles of zebrafishbmp2a,fgf10, andfgf24in the specification of the ventral pancreas
Authors: Naye François , Voz Marianne L. , Detry Nathalie , Hammerschmidt Matthias , Peers Bernard , Manfroid Isabelle
Published: January 2012

In vertebrates, pancreas and liver arise from bipotential progenitors located in the embryonic gut endoderm. Bone morphogenic protein (BMP) and fibroblast growth factor (FGF) signaling pathways have been shown to induce hepatic specification while repressing pancreatic fate. Here we show that BMP and FGF factors also play crucial function, at slightly later stages, in the specification of the ventral pancreas. By analyzing the pancreatic markers pdx1, ptf1a, and hlxb9la in different zebrafish models of BMP loss of function, we demonstrate that the BMP pathway is required between 20 and 24 h postfertilization to specify the ventral pancreatic bud. Knockdown experiments show that bmp2a, expressed in the lateral plate mesoderm at these stages, is essential for ventral pancreas specification. Bmp2a action is not restricted to the pancreatic domain and is also required for the proper expression of hepatic markers. By contrast, through the analysis of fgf10−/−; fgf24−/−embryos, we reveal the specific role of these two FGF ligands in the induction of the ventral pancreas and in the repression of the hepatic fate. These mutants display ventral pancreas agenesis and ectopic masses of hepatocytes. Overall, these data highlight the dynamic role of BMP and FGF in the patterning of the hepatopancreatic region.
C
Authors: Bloom Stuart , Webster George , Marks Daniel
Published: January 2012

Campylobacter 240

Candida 240

Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) 242

Carcinoid 242

Caroli's disease 244

Caustic injury 244

Cestodes: see Tapeworms 245

Chagas’ disease: see Trypanosomiasis 245

Child–Pugh score 245

Cholangiocarcinoma 246

Cholangitis 248

Cholecystitis 249

Choledochal cyst 250

Choledocholithiasis: see also Gallstones 251

Cholera 253

Chronic granulomatous disease (CGD)
...
E
Authors: Bloom Stuart , Webster George , Marks Daniel
Published: January 2012

Eating disorders: see Anorexia nervosa, Bulimia, Approach to obesity 294

Ectopic mucosa294

Ehlers–Danlos syndrome294

Elderly and the GI tract: see also Parkinson's
disease294

Elemental diets295

Encephalopathy: see Hepatic
encephalopathy296

Endocarditis: see
‘Antibiotic prophylaxis’ (p.
150)296

Endometriosis affecting the GI
tract...
H
Authors: Bloom Stuart , Webster George , Marks Daniel
Published: January 2012

Haemangioma 328

Haemobilia 328

Haemochromatosis 328

Haemolytic–uraemic syndrome (HUS) 330

Haemorrhoids 331

Heavy-chain disease 332

Helicobacter pylori (HP) 332

HELLP syndrome 335

Helminth infection 336

Henoch–Schönlein purpura 336

Hepatic drug metabolism 337

Hepatic encephalopathy 337

Hepatic granulomas 340

Hepatitis A 341

Hepatitis B 342

Hepatitis C ...
K
Authors: Bloom Stuart , Webster George , Marks Daniel
Published: January 2012

Kaposi's sarcoma 382

Kayser–Fleischer rings 382

Moritz Kaposi was a Hungarian dermatologist who, in 1872, described 5
patients with aggressive multiple pigmented cutaneous sarcomas. One died
15 months after the appearance of these lesions, and autopsy revealed
disseminated tumours throughout the respiratory and GI tracts. The
disease is caused by infection with human herpes virus-8. The
histogenesis remains controversial, but may be of lymphatic endothelial
cell in origin. Four epidemiological subtypes are recognized:...
N
Authors: Bloom Stuart , Webster George , Marks Daniel
Published: January 2012

Nematodes: see Roundworm (nematode) infection 404

Neuroendocrine tumours (NETs) 404

Nodular regenerative hyperplasia (NRH)
405

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)
405

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and
the GI tract 407

Non-ulcer dyspepsia: see Approach to dyspepsia and gastro-oesophageal
reflux 408

Norwalk virus: see Approach to acute diarrhoea...
R
Authors: Bloom Stuart , Webster George , Marks Daniel
Published: January 2012

Radiation damage to the GI tract 466

Rectal cancer467

Rectal prolapse468

Rectal ulcer: see Solitary rectal ulcer
syndrome469

Rectocoele469

Refeeding syndrome469

Reiter's syndrome470

Retroperitoneal perforation470

Rheumatoid arthritis and the GI
tract471

Rockall score: see Scoring systems for predicting outcomes in GI
bleeds...
S
Authors: Bloom Stuart , Webster George , Marks Daniel
Published: January 2012

Salmonella
474

Sarcoidosis 474

Schatzki ring: see Oesophageal ring 475

Schilling test: see
‘Schilling test’ (p.
125)
475

Schistosomiasis 475

Scleroderma and the GI tract 477

Sclerosing cholangitis: see Primary sclerosing cholangitis 477

Scoring systems for predicting outcomes in GI bleeds
477

Sengstaken–Blakemore tube (SBT) ...
T
Authors: Bloom Stuart , Webster George , Marks Daniel
Published: January 2012

Tapeworms (cestodes) 492

Telangiectasia: see Hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia
(Osler–Weber–Rendu syndrome) 492

TIPSS (transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt)
492

TNM classification: see Tumour staging 494

Toxic megacolon 494

TPMT (thiopurine methyltransferase)
494

TPN: see Parenteral nutrition 495

Tracheo-oesophageal fistula (TOF) 495

Traveller's diarrhoea: see Approach to acute diarrhoea...
U
Authors: Bloom Stuart , Webster George , Marks Daniel
Published: January 2012

Ulcerative colitis 502

First recognized as different from infectious colitis in 1859 by Samuel
Wilks.

An inflammatory condition that affects the rectum and extends
proximally to involve a variable amount of the colon.

Found worldwide but incidence varies about 10-fold between
high-incidence areas (UK, USA, Northern Europe, Australia: incidence
~10 per 100,000 per year; prevalence ~100 per 100,000 population)
and low-incidence areas (Asia, Japan, South America). In contrast to
the rising incidence of ...
V
Authors: Bloom Stuart , Webster George , Marks Daniel
Published: January 2012

Vaccine use in the immunocompromised
510

Variceal bleeding: see Acute upper GI bleeding and
Portal hypertension 510

Vasculitis and the GI tract 510

Veno-occlusive disease (VOD) 511

VIPoma: see Pancreatic endocrine tumours 511

Viral hepatitis: see Hepatitis A–G 511

Vitamins 511

Volvulus 514

Vomiting: see ...
W
Authors: Bloom Stuart , Webster George , Marks Daniel
Published: January 2012

Weil's disease: see Leptospirosis518

Wernicke's encephalopathy (WE)518

Whipple's disease518

Whipworm519

Wilson's disease520

See: Leptospirosis.

• Results from vitamin B1
(thiamine) deficiency. Predominantly found in
malnourished patients with alcohol dependency or alcohol-related liver disease
(reduced hepatic thiamine storage capacity). May be
mistaken for drunkenness (see ...
Osteoarthritis
Authors: Hakim Alan J. , Clunie Gavin P.R. , Haq Inam
Published: January 2012

Introduction 260

Clinical features of osteoarthritis 262

The investigation of osteoarthritis 264

The management of osteoarthritis 266

• Osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic and dynamic disorder characterized by cartilage loss and bone remodelling.

• It is the most common condition to affect joints in humans. It is estimated that up to 8.5 million people in the UK have joint pain that can be due to OA, and that 15% of the UK population >55 years of age have symptomatic knee OA....
The crystal arthropathies
Authors: Hakim Alan J. , Clunie Gavin P.R. , Haq Inam
Published: January 2012

Gout and hyperuricaemia 270

Calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate disease 276

Basic calcium phosphate associated disease 279

Calcium oxalate arthritis 280

The crystal arthropathies include gout, calcium pyrophosphate deposition disease (CPPD) or pseudogout, basic calcium phosphate (BCP) associated syndromes, and calcium oxalate arthritis.

• In its most general sense, gout is a group of conditions characterized by hyperuricaemia and uric acid crystal formation. These clinical conditions include arthritis, tophaceous gout, uric acid nephrolithiasis, and gouty nephropathy. In its more commonly assumed definition, gout refers to the acute inflammatory arthropathy caused by uric acid crystal deposition....
Primary vasculitides
Authors: Hakim Alan J. , Clunie Gavin P.R. , Haq Inam
Published: January 2012

Introduction 406

Large-vessel vasculitis 409

Takayasu's arteritis 410

Polymyalgia rheumatica and giant cell arteritis 412

Polyarteritis nodosa 416

Wegener's granulomatosis 418

Other forms of antineutrophil cystoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitides: microscopic polyangiitis and the Churg–Strauss syndrome 422

Small-vessel vasculitis 426

Kawasaki disease 430

• The vasculitides are a heterogeneous group of relatively uncommon diseases that can arise as primary conditions or secondary to an established disease such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA) (...
Back pain
Authors: Hakim Alan J. , Clunie Gavin P.R. , Haq Inam
Published: January 2012

Categorizing of back pain 526

Conditions causing acute or sub-acute back pain in adults 528

Management of chronic back pain 534

Management of back pain in children and adolescents 538

It is important to remember that pain may radiate from other structures, e.g. renal, aneurismal, or pleuritic disorders and retroperitoneal fibrosis....
Rheumatological emergencies
Authors: Hakim Alan J. , Clunie Gavin P.R. , Haq Inam
Published: January 2012

Septic arthritis 610

Infections in patients taking biologic therapy 614

Acute systemic lupus erythematosus 616

Systemic vasculitis 622

Scleroderma crises 624

Methotrexate-induced pneumonitis 625

For acute skin and cardiac pathologies see b Chapter 4, p 193.

For vertebral fracture see b Chapter 20, p 525...
The double H-atom acceptability of the P=O group in newXP(O)(NHCH2C6H4-2-Cl)2phosphoramidates [X= C6H5O– and CF3C(O)NH–]: a database analysis of compounds having a P(O)(NHR) group
Authors: Pourayoubi Mehrdad , Nečas Marek , Negari Monireh
Published: January 2012

In the hydrogen-bond patterns of phenyl bis(2-chlorobenzylamido)phosphinate, C20H19Cl2N2O2P, (I), andN,N′-bis(2-chlorobenzyl)-N′′-(2,2,2-trifluoroacetyl)phosphoric triamide, C16H15Cl2F3N3O2P, (II), the O atoms of the related phosphoryl groups act as double H-atom acceptors, so that the P=O...(H—N)2hydrogen bond in (I) and the P=O...(H—Namide)2and C=O...H—NC(O)NHP(O)hydrogen bonds in (II) are responsible for the aggregation of the molecules in the crystal packing. The presence of a double H-atom acceptor centre is a result of the involvement of a greater number of H-atom donor sites with a smaller number of H-atom acceptor sites in the hydrogen-bonding interactions. This article also reviews structures having a P(O)NH group, with the aim of finding similar three-centre hydrogen bonds in the packing of phosphoramidate compounds. This analysis shows that the factors affecting the preference of the above-mentioned O atom to act as a double H-atom acceptor are: (i) a higher number of H-atom donor sites relative to H-atom acceptor centres in molecules with P(=O)(NH)3, (N)P(=O)(NH)2, C(=O)NHP(=O)(NH)2and (NH)2P(=O)OP(=O)(NH)2groups, and (ii) the remarkable H-atom acceptability of this atom relative to the other acceptor centre(s) in molecules containing an OP(=O)(NH)2group, with the explanation that the N atom bound to the P atom in almost all of the structures found does not take part in hydrogen bonding as an acceptor. Moreover, the differences in the H-atom acceptability of the phosphoryl O atom relative to the O atom of the alkoxy or phenoxy groups in amidophosphoric acid esters may be illustrated by considering the molecular packing of compounds having (O)2P(=O)(NH) and (O)P(=O)(NH)(N)groups, in which the unique N—H unit in the above-mentioned molecules almost always selects the phosphoryl O atom as a partner in forming hydrogen-bond interactions. The P atoms in (I) and (II) are in tetrahedral coordination environments, and the phosphoryl and carbonyl groups in (II) areantiwith respect to each other (the P and C groups are separated by one N atom). In the crystal structures of (I) and (II), adjacent molecules are linkedviathe above-mentioned hydrogen bonds into a linear arrangement parallel to [100] in both cases, in (I) by formingR22(8) rings and in (II) through a combination ofR22(10) andR21(6) rings.
The acid adducts hydrazinium 2-hydroxybenzoate–2-hydroxybenzoic acid (1/1) and hydrazinium 3-hydroxy-2-naphthoate–3-hydroxy-2-naphthoic acid (1/1)
Authors: Arunadevi N. , Devipriya S. , Vairam S.
Published: January 2012

The title molecular salts, N2H5+·C7H5O3−·C7H6O3and N2H5+·C11H7O3−·C11H8O3, are acid adducts containing a hydrazinium cation, one molecule of a deprotonated acid and one molecule of a neutral acid. The two compounds contain essentially identical hydrogen-bond networks between the hydrazinium cation and the acid molecules, which define closely comparable two-dimensional layers in the structures. The planes of the aromatic rings within both structures are approximately parallel and the layers are stacked with comparable intermolecular interactions.
Face-to-face stacking of quinoid rings of alkali salts of bromanilic acid
Authors: Molčanov Krešimir , Kojić-Prodić Biserka
Published: January 2012

A series of alkali salts of hydrogen bromanilic acid trihydrates (K+, Rb+ and Cs+, potassium, rubidium and caesium 2,5-dibromo-4-hydroxy-3,6-dioxocyclohexa-1,4-dien-1-olate trihydrate), bromanilic acid tetrahydrate (Na+, disodium 2,5-dibromo-3,6-dioxocyclohexa-1,4-diene-1,4-diolate tetrahydrate) and bromanilic acid dihydrates (K+, Rb+ and Cs+, dipotasium, dirubidium and dicaesium 2,5-dibromo-3,6-dioxocyclohexa-1,4-diene-1,4-diolate dihydrate) were prepared and studied by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Their crystal packings are dominated by quinoid ring stacking. The monoanionic quinoid rings pack face-to-face without offset and with short centroid separations (3.25–3.30 Å), while the dianionic rings form offset stacks (1.4–1.8 Å) with a larger centroid separation (3.8–4.1 Å).
High dose ursodeoxycholic acid in primary sclerosing cholangitis does not prevent colorectal neoplasia
Authors: Lindström L. , Boberg K. M. , Wikman O. , Friis‐Liby I. , Hultcrantz R. , Prytz H. , Sandberg‐Gertzén H. , Sangfelt P. , Rydning A. , Folvik G. , Gangsøy‐Kristiansen M. , Danielsson Å. , Bergquist Annika
Published: January 2012

Background

Patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have a high risk of developing colorectal cancer and dysplasia. Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) has been suggested to have chemopreventive effects on the development of colorectal cancer and dysplasia but long‐term data and larger trials are lacking.

Aim

To evaluate the effect of high dose (17–23 mg/kg/day) UDCA on colorectal neoplasia in a cohort of patients with PSC and IBD.

Methods

From our previous 5‐year randomised controlled trial of UDCA vs. placebo in PSC, we performed a follow‐up of 98 patients with concomitant IBD from entry of the trial 1996–1997 until 2009 for development of colorectal cancer or dysplasia.

Results

The total follow‐up time was 760 person‐years. Dysplasia/cancer‐free survival was compared between placebo‐ (n = 50) and UDCA‐treated (n = 48) patients. There was a similar frequency of dysplasia or cancer after 5 years between patients originally assigned to UDCA or placebo (13% vs. 16%) and no difference in dysplasia/cancer‐free survival (P = 0.46, log rank test). At the end of 2009 no difference in cancer‐free survival was detected, 30% of the placebo patients compared with 27% of UDCA patients had developed colorectal cancer or dysplasia.

Conclusions

Long‐term high dose ursodeoxycholic acid does not prevent colorectal cancer or dysplasia in patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis‐associated inflammatory bowel disease.
A novel allele: MICA*064N with a stop codon in exon 4
Authors: Zhang S. , Wang J. , Luo M. , Li X. , Chen Q.
Published: January 2012

MICA*064N is similar to MICA*027 except for one nucleotide mutation at position 801(G>A), resulting in a premature stop codon in exon 4.
Precise pH measuring of platelet concentrates containing additive solution – the impact of the temperature
Authors: Ringwald J. , Luther R. , Zimmermann R. , Strobel J. , Weiss D. , Eckstein R.
Published: January 2012

Background and Objectives  Blood gas analysers measuring pH at 37°C (pH37) are widely used for pH determination of platelet (PLT) concentrates (PCs). For reporting pH at 22°C (pH22), converting of pH37 using the correct conversion factor is mandatory. For PCs stored in PLT additive solution (PAS), such conversion factors are not yet widely available. We studied pH in samples of PCs with different PAS/plasma ratios during warming from 22 to 37°C.

Materials and Methods  We measured pH in 39 samples containing modified PAS‐III (PAS‐IIIM) with a plasma carryover of 20%, 30% or 40% or no PAS‐IIIM. Differences between pH22 and pH37 (dpH) were compared within and between study groups. Correlation between pH22 and dpH was tested. Additional measurements in 33 samples with three different PLT counts were performed to study the influence of PLT count on dpH.

Results  pH22 and pH37 within each group and dpH or dpH/dT between study groups differed significantly. The dpH was 0·135 ± 0·040, 0·021 ± 0·009, 0·033 ± 0·011 and 0·048 ± 0·017 for samples containing 100%, 20%, 30% or 40% plasma, respectively. Correlation between dpH and pH22 was strong in 100% (r = 0·696, P < 0·001), weaker in 30% and 40% (r = 0·367, P = 0·022 and r = 0·345, P = 0·032, respectively) and not existing in 20% plasma (r = 0·153, P = 0·354). PLT count did not influence the dpH significantly.

Conclusion  The dpH is dependent on different PAS‐IIIM/plasma ratios and pH range. For precise reporting of pH22, the respective dpH must be used if converting is necessary. Preferably, the pH should be reported at 37°C or measured directly at 22°C.
Clinical outcome analysis of male and female genital burn injuries: A 15‐year experience at a Level‐1 Burn Center
Authors: Abel Nicole J , Klaassen Zachary , Mansour E Hani , Marano Michael A , Petrone Sylvia J , Houng Abraham P , Chamberlain Ronald S
Published: January 2012

Objectives:  The American Burn Association classifies a burn to the genitalia as a major injury. Isolated burns to the penis, scrotum or vulva are rare as a result of protection provided by the thighs and abdomen. Thus, burned genitalia represent an ominous sign of a more extensive total body surface area burn.

Methods:  A retrospective analysis of consecutive patients admitted to a Level‐1 Burn Unit with a burn involving the genitalia from January 1995 to December 2009 comprised the study population.

Results:  A total of 393 patients of 5878 patients (6.7%) admitted to the Burn Unit suffered a burn involving the genitalia, including 253 males (64.4%) and 140 females (35.6%). The median total body surface area was 12% (range 1–100%), the most common cause of genital burn was scald (n = 246, 62.9%) and median length of stay was 9 days (range 1–472 days). A total of 269 patients (68.4%) were discharged to home from the hospital, and in‐hospital mortality was 20.9%.

Conclusions:  The typical profile for those sustaining a genital burn include younger patients (≤30 years‐of‐age), sustaining a median total body surface area burn of 12% from a scald injury, with extensive genitalia involvement. Length of stay for genital burns is usually extended and, as a result of concomitant injuries, is associated with a 20% in‐hospital death rate.
Chitin colonization, chitin degradation and chitin‐induced natural competence of Vibrio cholerae are subject to catabolite repression
Authors: Blokesch Melanie
Published: January 2012

Although Vibrio cholerae is a human pathogen its primary habitat are aquatic environments. In this environment, V. cholerae takes advantage of the abundance of zooplankton, whose chitinous exoskeletons provide a nutritious surface. Chitin also induces the developmental programme of natural competence in several species of the genus Vibrio. Because the chitin surface can serve as the sole carbon source for V. cholerae, the link between carbon catabolite repression and chitin‐induced natural competence for transformation was investigated in this study. Provision of competing phosphoenolpyruvate: carbohydrate phosphotransferase system (PTS)‐dependent carbon sources in addition to chitin significantly lowered natural transformability. These sugars are known to interfere with the accumulation of 3′,5′‐cyclic AMP (cAMP); therefore, the contributions of the cAMP‐producing enzyme, adenylate cyclase and the cAMP receptor protein (CRP) to chitin surface colonization, chitin degradation and natural transformation were also analysed. The results provided here indicate that cAMP and CRP are important in at least three interlinked areas of the chitin‐induced natural competence programme. First, cAMP and CRP are required for the efficient colonization of the chitin surface; second both contribute to chitin degradation and utilization, and third, cAMP plus CRP play a role in increasing competence gene expression. These findings highlight the complex regulatory circuit of chitin‐induced natural competence in V. cholerae.
Does interference with the renin–angiotensin system protect against diabetes? Evidence and mechanisms
Authors: van der Zijl N. J. , Moors C. C. M. , Goossens G. H. , Blaak E. E. , Diamant M.
Published: January 2012

Agents interfering with the renin–angiotensin system (RAS) were consistently shown to lower the incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), as compared to other antihypertensive drugs, in hypertensive high‐risk populations. The mechanisms underlying this protective effect of RAS blockade using angiotensin‐converting enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin‐receptor blockers on glucose metabolism are not fully understood. In this article, we will review the evidence from randomized controlled trials and discuss the proposed mechanisms as to how RAS interference may delay the onset of T2DM. In particular, as T2DM is characterized by β‐cell dysfunction and obesity‐related insulin resistance, we address the mechanisms that underlie RAS blockade‐induced improvement in β‐cell function and insulin sensitivity.
Auditor Industry Specialization, Political Economy and Earnings Quality: Some Cross‐Country Evidence
Authors: Jaggi Bikki , Gul Ferdinand A. , Lau Thomas Sing Chiu
Published: January 2012

Using cross‐country data, we evaluate the impact of investor protection on the association between earnings quality and audits by industry specialists. Our findings show that the positive association between industry specialist auditors and earnings quality as documented in the literature is affected by the political electoral system, which reflects investor protection rights in a country. We document that audits by industry specialists are associated with higher earnings quality in countries with the proportional electoral system, reflecting weak investor protection. Our results also confirm Kwon et al.'s findings that overall there is a positive association between earnings quality and audits by industry specialists in countries with weak legal enforcement. Our findings, however, indicate that Kwon et al.'s results are valid only for countries with weak investor protection reflected by the proportional electoral system and not for countries with strong investor protection reflected by the majoritarian electoral system. These findings thus suggest that higher earnings quality of firms audited by industry specialists across countries can especially be expected when investor protection is low and legal enforcement is also weak. In addition, our research suggests that future cross‐country studies could explicitly consider the role of the political electoral system of a country in evaluating corporate governance, management and accounting issues.
Philosophy, Logic, Science, History
Authors: Crane Tim
Published: January 2012

Analytic philosophy is sometimes said to have particularly close connections to logic and to science, and no particularly interesting or close relation to its own history. It is argued here that although the connections to logic and science have been important in the development of analytic philosophy, these connections do not come close to characterizing the nature of analytic philosophy, either as a body of doctrines or as a philosophical method. We will do better to understand analytic philosophy—and its relationship to continental philosophy—if we see it as a historically constructed collection of texts, which define its key problems and concerns. It is true, however, that analytic philosophy has paid little attention to the history of the subject. This is both its strength—since it allows for a distinctive kind of creativity—and its weakness—since ignoring history can encourage a philosophical variety of “normal science.”
The Cambridge Revolt Against Idealism: Was There Ever an Eden?
Authors: Macbride Fraser
Published: January 2012

According to one creation myth, analytic philosophy emerged in Cambridge when Moore and Russell abandoned idealism in favour of naive realism: every word stood for something; it was only after “the Fall,” Russell's discovery of his theory of descriptions, that they realized some complex phrases (“the present King of France”) didn't stand for anything. It has become a commonplace of recent scholarship to object that even before the Fall, Russell acknowledged that such phrases may fail to denote. But we need to go further: even before the Fall, Russell had taken an altogether more discerning approach to the ontology of logic and relations than is usually recognized.
Philosophy and Its Pitfalls
Authors: Heal Jane
Published: January 2012

Philosophy is an ambitious, speculative practice, aimed at finding out what wisdom is and how to attain it, in so far as that can be done by explicit discussion and argument. A likely pitfall of any such enterprise is that it loses touch with concerns in human life outside itself and becomes scholastic, in the pejorative sense. Academic institutions which encourage wide and outward‐looking intellectual sympathies, and which do not reward narrow point‐scoring specialism, are helpful in resisting the tendency to scholasticism. The Moral Sciences Tripos at Cambridge might have provided some of the elements of such a setting, by framing an academic structure in which philosophy was studied in conjunction with other subjects in the humanities and social sciences. As things actually developed, that possibility was not realised. Nevertheless, philosophy at Cambridge maintained vigour and significance, through the intellectual freedom and encouragement it provided to some notable individual philosophers.
What Is Legal Philosophy?
Authors: Kramer Matthew H.
Published: January 2012

This article delineates some of the main issues that are debated by philosophers of law. It explores the connections between legal philosophy and other areas of philosophy, while also seeking to specify the distinctiveness of many of the concerns that have preoccupied philosophers of law. It illustrates its abstract points with examples focused on the separability of law and morality, the nature of the rule of law, the nature of rights, justifications for the imposition of punishment, and the identification of basic legal entitlements.
On Categories and A Posteriori Necessity: A Phenomenological Echo
Authors: Garcia‐Encinas M. J.
Published: January 2012

This article argues for two related theses. First, it defends a general thesis: any kind of necessity, including metaphysical necessity, can only be known a priori. Second, however, it also argues that the sort of a priori involved in modal metaphysical knowledge is not related to imagination or any sort of so‐called epistemic possibility. Imagination is neither a proof of possibility nor a limit to necessity. Rather, modal metaphysical knowledge is built on intuition of philosophical categories and the structures they form.
Enabling Integration in Sports for Adolescents with Intellectual Disabilities
Authors: Grandisson Marie , Tétreault Sylvie , Freeman Andrew R.
Published: January 2012

Background  Promoting the health and social participation of adolescents with intellectual disability is important as they are particularly vulnerable to encountering difficulties in those areas. Integration of these individuals in integrated sports is one strategy to address this issue.

Methods  The main objective of this study was to gain a better understanding of the factors associated with the integration of adolescents with intellectual disability in sports alongside their non‐disabled peers. Individual interviews were completed with 40 adolescents with intellectual disability and their parents, while 39 rehabilitation staff participated via either a discussion group or self‐administered questionnaires. The Disability Creation Process (DCP) theoretical model was used to frame the analysis and the presentation of the findings (The Quebec Classification: Disability Creation Process. International Network on the Disability Creation Process/CSICIDH, Québec, QC, 1998).

Results  Various personal and environmental factors that have an impact on integration in sports were identified by participants. For example, attitudes, practical support, individuals’ experiences in sports and in integrated settings as well as behaviour control emerged as important elements to consider.

Conclusions  Integration in integrated sports can engender a lot of benefits for individuals with intellectual disability, their parents and non‐disabled athletes. However, many barriers need to be removed before such benefits can be more widely realized.