bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Occurrence and impact of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in elderly patients with stable heart failure
Authors: BOSCHETTO PIERA , FUCILI ALESSANDRO , STENDARDO MARIARITA , MALAGÙ MICHELE , PARRINELLO GIOVANNI , CASIMIRRI ENRICO , POTENA ALFREDO , BALLERIN LICIA , FABBRI LEONARDO M. , FERRARI ROBERTO , CECONI CLAUDIO
Published: September 2012

Background and objective:  The coexistence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and chronic heart failure (CHF) increases with age. The occurrence, prognosis and therapeutic implications of concurrent COPD in elderly patients with CHF were investigated.

Methods:  One hundred and eighteen consecutive patients, ≥65 years old with ≥10 pack/years of smoking and with a verified diagnosis of CHF in stable condition, were enrolled. They were followed for a mean of 1029 (range 758–1064) days. All patients had spirometry and the diagnosis and classification of COPD were made according to Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease guidelines.

Results:  The mean occurrence of COPD was 30% (90% confidence interval: 24–37%). At baseline in patients with CHF and COPD, there was a shorter 6‐min walk distance, lower arterial oxygen tension, glomerular filtration rate and higher N‐terminal pro‐B‐type natriuretic peptide (all P < 0.05). The prescription of CHF therapies, including β‐blockers, was similar in the two groups. After follow up, the presence of COPD in patients with CHF did not appear to influence survival.

Conclusions:  COPD is relatively frequent in elderly patients with CHF. COPD did not alter survival.
Cervical fascia: a terminological pain in the neck
Authors: Guidera Alice K. , Dawes Patrick J. D. , Stringer Mark D.
Published: September 2012

Although understanding the cervical fascia and its arrangement is an important part of anatomical, surgical and radiological training, it is inconsistently described in textbooks, which makes its study challenging and interdisciplinary communication confusing. This review examines the recommended textbooks for trainees of these disciplines in order to identify areas of agreement and controversy. Not only were the terms used variably between texts, but also key aspects of the anatomical descriptions associated with similar terms differed, contributing further to the confusion.
Gallstones in New Zealand: composition, risk factors and ethnic differences
Authors: Stringer Mark D. , Fraser Sara , Gordon Keith C. , Sharples Katrina , Windsor John A.
Published: September 2012

Background

Gallstone disease is a worldwide problem causing morbidity, mortality and a drain on health‐care resources. This prospective study aimed to investigate the spectrum of gallstone types in New Zealand and relate these to known risk factors.

Methods

Gallstone samples were collected from 107 patients undergoing surgery for gallstone disease at Auckland City Hospital between June 2009 and June 2010. Detailed chemical analyses were performed using Fourier Transform Raman spectroscopy. The relationship between gallstone type and age, gender, ethnicity, obesity and positive family history were analysed.

Results

Median age was 51 years (range 19–88), 75 (70%) were female, one third were obese (body mass index ≥ 30) and 41% had a positive family history. Major ethnic groups were European (51%), Asian (23%) and Māori/Pacific (18%). Gallstone types included pure or mixed cholesterol stones (74%), black pigment stones (20%) and brown pigment stones (5%). Asians had a higher proportion of black pigment stones and NZ Europeans had more cholesterol and mixed cholesterol stones (odds ratio 3.6 (95% CI 1.1 to 11.5)). The frequency of cholesterol/mixed cholesterol stones was not significantly different between NZ Europeans and Māori/Pacific groups (P = 0.7). Black pigment stones were more common in older patients (mean 68.0 years compared with 47.6 for cholesterol/mixed cholesterol stones) (P = 0.0001). There was no significant relationship between stone type and family history (P = 0.16) or gender (P = 0.17).

Conclusion

This novel prospective study highlights risk factors and ethnic differences in gallstone composition in New Zealand. These may be important when considering gallstone prevention strategies.
Factors delaying chemotherapy for breast cancer in four urban and rural oncology units
Authors: Fox Peter N. , Chatfield Mark D. , Beith Jane M. , Allison Stuart , Della‐Fiorentina Stephen , Fisher Dean , Turley Kim , Grimison Peter S.
Published: September 2012

Background

Delays in commencing adjuvant chemotherapy for early breast cancer beyond 12 weeks are associated with increased mortality. The aim of this study was to identify factors delaying chemotherapy in an inner metropolitan, outer metropolitan, small rural and large rural cancer centre in New South Wales, Australia.

Methods

We retrospectively reviewed 400 consecutive patients that received adjuvant chemotherapy for stages I–III breast cancer. We evaluated factors affecting time from primary and definitive surgery until commencing chemotherapy.

Results

The primary factor associated with chemotherapy delays was the geographic location of the cancer centre. The median time from primary surgery to chemotherapy was longer for the large rural centre (median 58 days), compared with the outer metropolitan (45 days), small rural (39 days) and inner metropolitan centre (33 days). Treatment delays in the large rural centre were associated with higher rates of multiple operations (43% versus 31% elsewhere), mainly because of more staged axillary dissections (34% versus 19%), and longer time from definitive surgery to oncology assessment.

Conclusion

Patients in the large rural centre, who are served by fly‐in medical oncology services, are more likely to experience delays in receiving adjuvant chemotherapy for early breast cancer. Strategies to reduce delays include use of intraoperative frozen section analysis, multidisciplinary meetings, improving efficiency in pathology reporting and employment of a breast cancer care coordinator and an on‐site medical oncologist.
Telomerase activity and telomere length distribution in vascular endothelial cells in a short‐term culture under the presence of hydrogen peroxide
Authors: Maeda Toyoki , Guan Jing‐Zhi , Koyanagi Masamichi , Makino Naoki
Published: September 2012

Aim:  The aim of this study was to assess the biological effects of oxidative stress on human vascular endothelial cells.

Methods:  The telomeric changes and the alterations of the expression of telomere‐associated proteins in human umbilical venous endothelial cells (HUVEC) cultured in the presence of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) were analyzed.

Results:  During the culture, the cell growth rate decreased, whereas the telomerase activity of the surviving cells increased. As the H2O2 level increased, long telomeres decreased proportionally, thus resulting in a telomere length distribution that was rich in short telomeres. These observations suggested that H2O2‐affected endothelial cells bear telomeric features similar to those of aged cells. In contrast, the expression of telomere‐associated proteins, TRF1 and TRF2, showed different changes. TRF1 increased in relation to H2O2 concentration, whereas TRF2 showed no significant change. The surviving cells exposed to H2O2 showed a H2O2‐dose dependent increase in telomerase activity, whereas the telomere protein and RNA components were only elevated in low concentrations of H2O2.

Conclusions:  The increase in telomerase activity and TRF1 protein expression of vascular endothelial cell might show an aspect of cellular protective reaction against oxygen stress. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2013; 13: 774–782.
Long‐term survival after radical surgery for renal cell carcinoma with tumour thrombus extension into the right atrium
Authors: Dominik Jan , Moravek Petr , Zacek Pavel , Vojacek Jan , Brtko Miroslav , Podhola Miroslav , Pacovsky Jaroslav , Harrer Jan
Published: September 2012

What's known on the subject? and What does the study add?

Surgical treatment of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) with tumour thrombus extending into the right atrium remains, despite its complexity and specific technical aspects, the only radical therapeutic option.

This single‐centre study, unique in size for this rare condition, reports early and late results over a period of 18 years. All patients were operated on using a standardised protocol with use of cardiopulmonary bypass and deep hypothermic circulatory arrest. Overall and cancer‐specific cumulative survival was better than in other reports.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the long‐term results of radical surgical management of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) with tumour thrombus extension (TTE) level IV into the right atrium (RCC/TTE IV) in a large single‐institution series.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Radical complex urological and cardio‐surgical procedure was performed over a period of 18 years (1993–2010) on 21 patients with RCC/TTE IV. A radical nephrectomy was performed followed by sternotomy, institution of cardiopulmonary bypass and extraction of the intracardiac tumour thrombus under direct visual control during deep hypothermic circulatory arrest (DHCA).

Perioperative and postoperative variables, and long‐term overall and cancer‐specific survival using the Kaplan–Meier method were analysed.

RESULTS

In all patients, precise removal of tumour thrombus was accomplished in a bloodless field during DHCA.

The mean (sd) duration of circulatory arrest was 16 (6) min at a mean hypothermia of 20 (3) °C. In‐hospital mortality was 9.5% (two patients).

The median survival (including in‐hospital mortality) was 25 months.

In Kaplan–Meier analysis, 2‐ and 5‐year overall cumulative survival rate was 57 (95% confidence interval, CI 36–78)% and 37 (95% CI 15–58)%, respectively.

Cancer‐specific cumulative survival was 68 (95% CI 49–89)% at 2 years and 51 (95% CI 28–74)% at 5 years.

CONCLUSIONS

Late outcome after radical surgical treatment in patients with RCC and TTE reaching up to the right atrium justifies this extensive procedure.

Cardiopulmonary bypass with DHCA allows safe and precise extirpation of all intracaval and intracardiac tumour mass.
Anogenital distance and the risk of prostate cancer
Authors: Castaño‐Vinyals Gemma , Carrasco Estela , Lorente José Antonio , Sabaté Yasmin , Cirac‐Claveras Judith , Pollán Marina , Kogevinas Manolis
Published: September 2012

Study Type – Prognosis (cohort)

Level of Evidence 2b

What's known on the subject? and What does the study add?

In animals, anogenital distance has been shown to be related to the action of fetal androgens, and exposure to chemicals such as dioxins that exhibit antiandrogenic activity results in shorter distances in male rats. In studies conducted in children, anogenital distance has been associated with endocrine disruptors such as phthalates. Studies conducted in young adults found that a shorter anoscrotal distance was a predictor of low sperm concentration, and a longer anoscrotal distance was associated with fatherhood, a higher sperm density and a higher total motile sperm count.

The present study is the first to report anogenital measurements in adults in relation to the risk of cancer, showing that a phenotype reflecting normal in utero sexual development in males is associated with a lower risk of prostate cancer. There are two published studies evaluating sperm quality and fatherhood suggesting a connecting mechanism related to the disruption of androgen‐mediated pathways in utero that affects reproductive potential and the risk of prostate cancer.

OBJECTIVES

To measure anogenital distance in patients with prostate cancer and control subjects without cancer.

To evaluate the association of anogenital distance with prostate cancer in a case–control study in Spain.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Anogenital distances from anus to upper penis (AGDAP) and from anus to scrotum (AGDAS) were measured in 60 patients with prostate cancer in two hospitals in Barcelona and in 52 urological controls.

Each measurement was performed three times by the same trained examiner using a digital caliper

RESULTS

Patients had an ≈5 mm shorter AGDAP than controls, whereas no difference was observed for AGDAS.

A higher AGDAP was associated with a lower risk of prostate cancer, with an adjusted odds ratio per 5 mm increase in AGDAP of 0.83 (95% confidence interval, 0.70–0.99, P= 0.03).

CONCLUSIONS

The present study is the first to report anogenital measurements in adults in relation to the risk of cancer.

The present study showed that a phenotype reflecting normal in utero sexual development in men is associated with a lower risk of prostate cancer.

There are two published studies (Mendiola et al. Environ Health Perspect 2011; 119: 958–63; Eisenberg et al. PLoS One 2011; 6: e18973) evaluating sperm quality and fatherhood suggesting a connecting mechanism related to the disruption of androgen‐mediated pathways in utero that affects reproductive potential and the risk of prostate cancer.
Impact of severity of autism and intervention time‐input on child outcomes: comparison across several early interventions
Authors: Reed Phil , Osborne Lisa
Published: September 2012

In this article, written by Phil Reed and Lisa Osborne, both from Swansea University, the impact of severity of autism, and the time‐input of the treatment programme, on the outcome effectiveness for four early interventions for individuals on the autism spectrum was explored. The four interventions studied were applied behaviour analysis (ABA), special nursery, an adapted portage intervention, and a local authority approach. Sixty‐six children (aged from two years six months to four years) were studied over nine months, in terms of their intellectual, educational and adaptive behavioural functioning. Children undergoing the ABA approach demonstrated greater gains in functioning (especially in educational functioning). There were differences in the way that autism severity and intervention time‐input impacted on the different early intervention programmes. For special nursery, portage and local authority approaches, the gains made by the children were inversely related to the severity of their autism and directly related to time‐input. In contrast, the converse was true for the ABA approach. These data are discussed with respect to their implications for choosing an intervention strategy for a child on the autism spectrum.
‘Diff‐ability’ not ‘disability’: right‐brained thinkers in a left‐brained education system
Authors: EDMONDS CASEY
Published: September 2012

This article draws on critical disability studies, challenging the exclusion of right‐brained thinkers from an education system designed to privilege left‐brained thinkers. It focuses on individuals who are labelled dyspraxic, providing data from qualitative interviews with adults about childhood experiences in school and the impact on their emotional well‐being and peer relationships. Utilising Ornstein's pioneering research on the bilateral specialisation of the brain and hemispheric dominance in addition to a critical disability studies theoretical framework, this article innovatively argues that the fact that education in England continues to be delivered in a logical sequential form, even 40 years after Ornstein's work, is systemic discrimination in which dyspraxic children are constructed as ‘deviant’. The article concludes by arguing that individuals with dyspraxia should be seen as having a ‘diff‐ability’ in thinking style rather than a disability and therefore recommends both change and awareness‐raising at institutional level in the education system.
What Counts? An Ethnographic Study of Infection Data Reported to a Patient Safety Program
Authors: DIXON‐WOODS MARY , LESLIE MYLES , BION JULIAN , TARRANT CAROLYN
Published: September 2012

Context: Performance measures are increasingly widely used in health care and have an important role in quality. However, field studies of what organizations are doing when they collect and report performance measures are rare. An opportunity for such a study was presented by a patient safety program requiring intensive care units (ICUs) in England to submit monthly data on central venous catheter bloodstream infections (CVC‐BSIs).

Methods: We conducted an ethnographic study involving ∼855 hours of observational fieldwork and 93 interviews in 17 ICUs plus 29 telephone interviews.

Findings: Variability was evident within and between ICUs in how they applied inclusion and exclusion criteria for the program, the data collection systems they established, practices in sending blood samples for analysis, microbiological support and laboratory techniques, and procedures for collecting and compiling data on possible infections. Those making decisions about what to report were not making decisions about the same things, nor were they making decisions in the same way. Rather than providing objective and clear criteria, the definitions for classifying infections used were seen as subjective, messy, and admitting the possibility of unfairness. Reported infection rates reflected localized interpretations rather than a standardized dataset across all ICUs. Variability arose not because of wily workers deliberately concealing, obscuring, or deceiving but because counting was as much a social practice as a technical practice.

Conclusions: Rather than objective measures of incidence, differences in reported infection rates may reflect, at least to some extent, underlying social practices in data collection and reporting and variations in clinical practice. The variability we identified was largely artless rather than artful: currently dominant assumptions of gaming as responses to performance measures do not properly account for how categories and classifications operate in the pragmatic conduct of health care. These findings have important implications for assumptions about what can be achieved in infection reduction and quality improvement strategies.
Fundamental Causes of Colorectal Cancer Mortality: The Implications of Informational Diffusion
Authors: WANG ANDREW , CLOUSTON SEAN A.P. , RUBIN MARCIE S. , COLEN CYNTHIA G. , LINK BRUCE G.
Published: September 2012

Context: Colorectal cancer is a major cause of mortality in the United States, with 52,857 deaths estimated in 2012. To explore further the social inequalities in colorectal cancer mortality, we used fundamental cause theory to consider the role of societal diffusion of information and socioeconomic status.

Methods: We used the number of deaths from colorectal cancer in U.S. counties between 1968 and 2008. Through geographical mapping, we examined disparities in colorectal cancer mortality as a function of socioeconomic status and the rate of diffusion of information. In addition to providing year‐specific trends in colorectal cancer mortality rates, we analyzed these data using negative binomial regression.

Findings: The impact of socioeconomic status (SES) on colorectal cancer mortality is substantial, and its protective impact increases over time. Equally important is the impact of informational diffusion on colorectal cancer mortality over time. However, while the impact of SES remains significant when concurrently considering the role of diffusion of information, the propensity for faster diffusion moderates its effect on colorectal cancer mortality.

Conclusions: The faster diffusion of information reduces both colorectal cancer mortality and inequalities in colorectal cancer mortality, although it was not sufficient to eliminate SES inequalities. These findings have important long‐term implications for policymakers looking to reduce social inequalities in colorectal cancer mortality and other, related, preventable diseases.
Olenekian (Early Triassic) bivalves from the Salt Range and Surghar Range, Pakistan
Authors: WASMER MARTIN , HAUTMANN MICHAEL , HERMANN ELKE , WARE DAVID , ROOHI GHAZALA , UR‐REHMAN KHALIL , YASEEN AAMIR , BUCHER HUGO
Published: September 2012

Abstract: Based on newly collected material from the uppermost Smithian and lower to middle Spathian (Olenekian, Lower Triassic) of the Salt Range and Surghar Range (Pakistan), 15 bivalve species belonging to 11 genera are described, including two new genera,EobuchiaandDimorphoconcha, and one new species,Palaeoneilo?fortistriata.Eobuchiagen. nov. is placed in a new subfamily, the Eobuchiinae, which differs from the Buchiinae in having an almost planar and only moderately inclined or offset right anterior auricle. Inclination of the right anterior auricle is proposed as a synapomorphy of the revised suborder Monotidina, which includes the Buchiidae, Monotidae, Oxytomidae and, tentatively, the Dolponellidae. The Pseudomonotidae, Chaenocardiidae and Claraiidae are discussed as candidate ancestors of the Monotidina.Dimorphoconchagen. nov., provisionally placed in the Limidae, is a morphologically unusual genus characterized by a globose shell centre and a strongly plicate fringe.Permophorus costatus, which was previously known exclusively from Permian strata, is reported from the Spathian of the Surghar Range. This record extends the range ofP. costatusfor at least 8 Myr and makes it the first reported Lazarusspecies, with an outage of more than 2 Myr after the end‐Permian mass extinction. Ten of 15 species recognized in this study have not been reported from other regions, which may indicate increasing provincialism towards the end of the Early Triassic, or, alternatively, reflect the still insufficient knowledge of benthic faunas from the epoch that followed the greatest crisis in the history of life.
A Multi‐Resolution Hybrid Approach for Building Model Reconstruction from Lidar Data
Authors: Satari Mehran , Samadzadegan Farhad , Azizi Ali , Maas Hans‐Gerd
Published: September 2012

In this paper, a multi‐resolution hybrid approach is proposed for the reconstruction of building models from point clouds of lidar data. The detection of the main roof planes is obtained through a polyhedral approach, whereas the models of appended parts, in this case the dormers, are reconstructed by adopting a model‐driven approach. Clustering of the roof points in a multi‐resolution space is based on the fuzzy c‐mean in the polyhedral section of this hybrid approach. A weighted plane algorithm is developed in order to determine the planes of each cluster. The verification of planes between multi‐resolution spaces adopts a method based on a least squares support vector machine that, in the model‐driven section, is applied for detecting types of projecting structures. A method is then developed to determine the dormer models’ parameters. Finally, the detection of boundary roof lines is obtained through a customised fuzzy Hough transform. The paper outlines the concept of the algorithms and the processing chain, and illustrates the results obtained by applying the technique to buildings of different complexities.
‘...and No Loose People to Trouble the Hall’: Oligarchy and the Division of Space in the English Civic Hall to 1640
Authors: Tittler Robert
Published: September 2012

Michael McKeon’s chapter on the subdivision of interior, residential spaces shows how concerns for privacy in domestic life played themselves out in the functional division of interior space amongst all ranks of people. This essay suggests that much of the same process might be observed in the civic realm as well as the domestic, and in civic as well as residential spaces. At least to c. 1640, the spatial division and functional specificity of English town halls reflected the requirements of the ruling oligarchies which had come to govern many such communities. Privacy, secrecy, and the emphasis on civic obedience became prime considerations in the design and utilization of such spaces.
Papular Epidermal Nevus with “Skyline” Basal Cell Layer (PENS) with Extracutaneous Findings
Authors: Rodríguez‐Díaz Eloy , Gonzalvo Pablo , Colmenero Isabel , Requena Luis , Hernández‐Martín Angela , Torrelo Antonio
Published: September 2012

Abstract:  Papular epidermal nevus with “skyline” basal cell layer (PENS), a variant of epidermal nevus, was recently described in otherwise normal children. We describe herein a patient with multiple, typical PENS lesions associated with peculiar facies, bilateral Achilles tendon shortening, and mild psychomotor delay. The association of PENS with extracutaneous manifestations suggests the possibility of a new type of epidermal nevus syndrome, for which we propose the term PENS syndrome.
A Spatial Scan Approach to Detecting Focused‐Global Clustering in Case‐Control Data
Authors: Yiannakoulias Nikolaos , Bland Widmer
Published: September 2012

Clustering of spatial event data around points of interest (such as point‐emitting sources of pollution) can indicate a relationship between the probability of the event's occurrence and the distance from those points of interest. Several focused cluster detection methods have been developed to identify such clustering when it occurs. We present a focused spatial scan cluster detection method for detecting clustering of cases around points of interest in case‐control data. This method has more power to detect clustering than the traditional focused spatial scan method and requires less parameterization than many other alternatives. We test this method with synthetic hot spot and clinal cluster data, and then with real‐world data for motor vehicle collisions involving child pedestrians inToronto,Canada. The method performs reasonably well in comparison with other methods, provides descriptive information about the range of clustering around points of interest, and does not require corrections for multiple testing. Future work will incorporate this approach with methods that search for clusters in non‐circular shapes—such as along water drainage basins and road networks.

La aglomeración de eventos espaciales alrededor de puntos de interés (como fuentes de contaminación de emisión de tipo puntual), puede indicar una relación entre la probabilidad de ocurrencia del evento y la distancia de los puntos de interés. Varios métodos de detección de aglomeración enfocada(focus cluster)han sido desarrollados para identificar este tipo de aglomeración cuando esta se produce. Los autores presentan un método de barrido espacial para detección defocus clusterspara identificar la concentración de casos alrededor de los puntos de interés en datos de tipo caso‐control (case‐control data). Este método es más potente para la detección de aglomeraciones que el método tradicional basado en exploración espacial y requiere de menos parámetros que otras técnicas alternativas. El método propuesto es puesto a prueba víahot spotsy datos de aglomeraciones en gradiente (clinal,cluster data) sintéticos y luego con datos reales de accidentes de tráfico de peatones infantiles en Toronto, Canadá. El método funciona razonablemente bien en comparación a otros métodos, proporciona información descriptiva sobre el alcance de la aglomeración alrededor de los puntos de interés, y no requiere correcciones para el problema de pruebas múltiples(multiple testing). En el futuro, los autores planean incorporar este enfoque a métodos que identifican aglomeraciones en formas no circulares‐tal como las áreas a lo largo de las cuencas de drenaje de agua y redes de carreteras.

围绕兴趣点的空间事件数据聚类（如点源污染）可表征事件发生概率和与兴趣点距离间的关系。目前已有几种集聚点聚类探测方法用来识别此类事件发生的集聚情况。本文提出了一种聚焦空间扫描聚类方法来探测个例对照数据的兴趣点事件聚类。该方法比传统空间扫描方法具有更强的探测空间聚类的性能，并且所需参数较少。通过综合热点与渐变聚类数据对该方法进行测试，然后将其应用于加拿大多伦多市涉及儿童行人的车辆碰撞数据中。对比实验表明，该方法结果更为合理，并提供了兴趣点周围聚类范围的描述性信息，且不需要对多重检验结果进行修正。下一步研究将与寻找非圆形区域（如排水防水区与道路网络）聚类的分析方法集成。
Absence of deficits in social behaviors and ultrasonic vocalizations in later generations of mice lacking neuroligin4
Authors: Ey E. , Yang M. , Katz A. M. , Woldeyohannes L. , Silverman J. L. , Leblond C. S. , Faure P. , Torquet N. , Le Sourd A.‐M. , Bourgeron T. , Crawley J. N.
Published: September 2012

Mutations in NLGN4X have been identified in individuals with autism spectrum disorders and other neurodevelopmental disorders. A previous study reported that adult male mice lacking neuroligin4 (Nlgn4) displayed social approach deficits in the three‐chambered test, altered aggressive behaviors and reduced ultrasonic vocalizations. To replicate and extend these findings, independent comprehensive analyses of autism‐relevant behavioral phenotypes were conducted in later generations of the same line of Nlgn4 mutant mice at the National Institute of Mental Health in Bethesda, MD, USA and at the Institut Pasteur in Paris, France. Adult social approach was normal in all three genotypes of Nlgn4 mice tested at both sites. Reciprocal social interactions in juveniles were similarly normal across genotypes. No genotype differences were detected in ultrasonic vocalizations in pups separated from the nest or in adults during reciprocal social interactions. Anxiety‐like behaviors, self‐grooming, rotarod and open field exploration did not differ across genotypes, and measures of developmental milestones and general health were normal. Our findings indicate an absence of autism‐relevant behavioral phenotypes in subsequent
generations of Nlgn4 mice tested at two locations. Testing environment and methods differed from the original study in some aspects, although the presence of normal sociability was seen in all genotypes when methods taken from Jamain et al. (2008) were used. The divergent results obtained from this study indicate that phenotypes may not be replicable across breeding generations, and highlight the significant roles of environmental, generational and/or procedural factors on behavioral phenotypes.
Loss of Masculine Identity, Marital Affection, and Sexual Bother in Men with Localized Prostate Cancer
Authors: Zaider Talia , Manne Sharon , Nelson Christian , Mulhall John , Kissane David
Published: September 2012

Introduction

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is one of the most frequent sources of distress after treatment for prostate cancer (PCa), yet evidence suggests that men do not easily adjust to loss of sexual function over time. A hypothesized determinant of men’s adaptation to ED is the degree to which they experience a loss of masculine identity in the aftermath of PCa treatment.

Aims

The aims of this study were (i) to describe the prevalence of concerns related to diminished masculinity among men treated for localized PCa; (ii) to determine whether diminished masculinity is associated with sexual bother, after controlling for sexual functioning status; and (iii) to determine whether men’s marital quality moderates the association between diminished masculinity and sexual bother.

Methods

We analyzed cross-sectional data provided by 75 men with localized PCa who were treated at one of two cancer centers. Data for this study were provided at a baseline assessment as part of their enrollment in a pilot trial of a couple-based intervention.

Main Outcome Measures

The sexual bother subscale from the Prostate Health-Related Quality-of-Life Questionnaire and the Masculine Self-Esteem and Marital Affection subscales from Clark et al’s PCa-related quality-of-life scale.

Results

Approximately one-third of men felt they had lost a dimension of their masculinity following treatment. Diminished masculinity was the only significant, independent predictor of sexual bother, even after accounting for sexual functioning status. The association between diminished masculinity and sexual bother was strongest for men whose spouses perceived low marital affection.

Conclusions

Diminished masculinity is a prominent, yet understudied concern for PCa survivors. Regardless of functional status, men who perceive a loss of masculinity following treatment may be more likely to be distressed by their ED. Furthermore, its impact on adjustment in survivorship may rely on the quality of their intimate relationships.
Managing International Migration in Australia: Human Rights and the “Last Major Redoubt of Unfettered National Sovereignty”
Authors: Opeskin Brian
Published: September 2012

This article challenges the view of many commentators that the capacity of liberal democracies to regulate international migration has been significantly compromised by the growth of international human rights norms and the role of independent judiciaries in enforcing those norms. Focusing on three Australian case studies that deal with deportation, mandatory detention of refugee claimants, and judicial review of migration decisions, the article concludes that international and domestic legal constraints still leave very substantial latitude to liberal democratic States to regulate the size and composition of international immigration flows. With only modest qualifications, migration policy remains “the last major redoubt of unfettered national sovereignty.”
Marrying into the American Population: Pathways into Cross-Nativity Marriages
Authors: Stevens Gillian , Ishizawa Hiromi , Escandell Xavier
Published: September 2012

Cross-nativity marriages have been a neglected dimension of intermarriage patterns in the U.S., although they provide a vehicle for the easy social and political integration of the foreign-born spouse and the couple's children. We first present U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service data to show that cross-nativity marriages are common among migrants entering the country and appear to be increasing over time. The following analyses based on 2008 American Community Survey data imply several pathways into cross-nativity marriages that are strongly gendered and race specific and that involve major social institutions such as the higher educational system and the U.S. military.
Contemporary Philosophy of Mind and Buddhist Thought
Authors: Spackman John
Published: September 2012

Recent years have seen a growing interest in Buddhist thought as a potential source of alternative conceptions of the nature of the mind and the relation between the mental and the physical. This article considers and assesses three different models of what contemporary philosophy of mind can learn from Buddhist thought. One model, advocated by Alan Wallace, holds that we can learn from Buddhist meditation that both individual consciousness and the physical world itself emerge from a deeper, “primordial” consciousness. A second model, supported by Owen Flanagan, maintains that we should accept from Buddhist thought only what is compatible with physicalism, and thus draws from Buddhism only insights into moral psychology and spirituality. Evan Thompson has developed a third, phenomenological approach, which derives from Buddhism a non‐dualistic account of the relation between the mental and the physical, dissolving the “explanatory gap” between them. I suggest that all of these models face significant challenges, and propose a different model derived from the Buddhist philosopher Nāgārjuna, which shows the potential to resolve some of the challenges facing contemporary theories of consciousness.
Plato on Poetry: Imitation or Inspiration?
Authors: Pappas Nickolas
Published: September 2012

A passage in Plato’s Laws (719c) offers a fresh look at Plato’s theory of poetry and art. Only here does Plato call poetry both mimêsis “imitation, representation,” and the product of enthousiasmos “inspiration, possession.” The Republic and Sophist examine poetic imitation; the Ion and Phaedrus (with passages in Apology and Meno) develop a theory of artistic inspiration; but Plato does not confront the two descriptions together outside this paragraph. After all, mimêsis fuels an attack on poetry, while enthousiasmos is sometimes used to attack it, sometimes to praise it. The explanation evidently lies in Plato’s understanding of drama, which in the Laws has grown more precise, from simply the presentation of characters to the presentation of multiple characters engaged in dramatic conflict.
Flexible imaging color enhancement improves visibility of transnasal endoscopic images in diagnosing esophageal varices: A multicenter prospective blinded study
Authors: Furuichi Yoshihiro , Kawai Takashi , Ichimura Shigeki , Metoki Ryo , Miyata Yuki , Oshima Toshihiro , Sano Takatomo , Murashima Eigaku , Taira Junichi , Sugimoto Katsutoshi , Kamamoto Hiroyuki , Imai Yasuharu , Moriyasu Fuminori
Published: September 2012

Objective

To clarify the usefulness of transnasal esophagogastroduodenoscope (N‐EGD) with all flexible imaging color enhancement (FICE) patterns (0–9) for the diagnosis of esophageal varices (EV).

Methods

A total of 50 patients with EV were examined during the same period by N‐EGD without sedation and by peroral endoscopy (O‐EGD) with sedation. The visibility of treatment scars, microvessels, recurrent EV and red color sign (RCS) were measured. Visibility was evaluated by five blinded observers (poor–good: 0–10), and the effect of both endoscopic examinations on the cardiorespiratory function of the patients was measured.

Results

The image scores for O‐EGD and N‐EGD with ordinary mode and N‐EGD with FICE were 7.3 ± 1.2, 6.1 ± 1.0 and 6.9 ± 1.0 for treatment scars; 7.2 ± 1.4, 6.2 ± 1.2 and 7.3 ± 1.0 for microvessels; 7.2 ± 1.2, 6.1 ± 1.0 and 7.1 ± 1.0 for recurrent EV and 7.2 ± 1.3, 6.1 ± 1.3, and 7.2 ± 1.2 for RCS, respectively (intraclass correlation coefficients > 0.6). When FICE patterns 2, 6 and 9 were used, visibility was much improved. Ten minutes after insertion, the double product values in the N‐EGD with the FICE group were significantly better (P < 0.05).

Conclusions

N‐EGD with FICE is very useful for the diagnosis of EV and can improve the visibility of N‐EGD on each lesion to the same level as that of O‐EGD. N‐EGD with FICE does not require sedation and may reduce the risk of hepatic encephalopathy.
Pollination of Platanthera chlorantha (Orchidaceae): new video registration of a hawkmoth (Sphingidae)
Authors: Steen Ronny
Published: September 2012

Documenting species interactions is a time consuming enterprise, in particular for rare interaction events and interactions taking place at night. Pollinators foraging on orchids have traditionally been monitored by discovering pollen vectors on collected insects, recording traces left by moths on the orchid, direct observations and recently by continuous video monitoring. Direct observations in the wild of orchids with low visitation rates is time demanding. In the present study I monitored greater butterfly‐orchids (Platanthera chlorantha), by using a event triggered video monitoring system. A total of 23 nights of monitoring were conducted, whereas only 6 nights had visits by one moth species, namely the pine hawk‐moth (Hyloicus pinastri). The total numbers of pine hawk‐moths registered were 18. In addition to species identification, the video recordings also enabled detection of pollinaria on the pine hawk‐moths. Most of the pine hawk‐moth visits took place around midnight. The visit lasted on average for 38.0 sec and the average number of flowers visited was 9.6. In future studies, this video system could give more details on interactions between orchids and insects and even link it to environmental factors (e.g. varying weather conditions).
Do you hear what I hear? Implications of detector selection for acoustic monitoring of bats
Authors: Adams Amanda M. , Jantzen Meredith K. , Hamilton Rachel M. , Fenton Melville Brockett
Published: September 2012

The probability of detecting the echolocation calls of bats is affected by the strength of the signal as well as the directionality and frequency response of the acoustic detectors. Regardless of the research question, it is important to quantify variation in recording system performance and its impacts on bat detection results. The purpose of this study was to compare the detection of echolocation calls among five commonly used bat detectors: AnaBat SD2 (Titley Scientific), Avisoft UltraSoundGate 116 CM16/CMPA (Avisoft Bioacoustics), Batcorder 2·0 (ecoObs), Batlogger (Elekon AG) and Song Meter SM2BAT (Wildlife Acoustics).

We used playback of synthetic calls to optimize detection settings for each system. We then played synthetic signals at four frequencies (25, 55, 85 and 115 kHz) at 5‐m intervals (5–40 m) and three angles (0°, 45°, 90°) from the detectors. Finally, we recorded free‐flying bats (Lasiurus cinereus), comparing the number of calls detected by each detector.

Detection was most affected by the frequency dominating the signal and the distance from the source. The effect of angle was less apparent. In the synthetic signal experiment, Avisoft and Batlogger outperformed other detectors, while Batcorder and Song Meter performed similarly. Batlogger performed better than the other detectors at angles off‐centre (45° and 90°). AnaBat detected the fewest signals and none at 85 kHz or 115 kHz. Avisoft detected the most signals. In the free‐flying bat experiment, Batlogger recorded 93% of calls relative to Avisoft, while AnaBat, Batcorder and Song Meter recorded 40–50% of the calls detected by Avisoft.

Numerous factors contribute to variation in data sets from acoustic monitoring; our results demonstrate that choice of detector plays a role in this variation. Differences among detectors make it difficult to compare data sets obtained with different systems. Therefore, the choice of detector should be taken into account in designing studies and considering bat activity levels among studies using different detectors.
Forming a flossing habit: An exploratory study of the psychological determinants of habit formation
Authors: Judah Gaby , Gardner Benjamin , Aunger Robert
Published: September 2012

Objectives

Habit formation has been proposed as a means to promote maintenance of healthy behaviours, but there have been few investigations into how habits are formed. This exploratory study sought to model determinants of the formation of a dental flossing habit, including placement of the behaviour within the routine (before vs. after tooth‐brushing), past behaviour, prospective memory ability, and motivational factors.

Design and Method

All participants (N = 50) received a motivational intervention designed to initiate behaviour change and habit formation. Half of the participants were instructed to floss before brushing, and half after. Participants subsequently self‐reported flossing behaviour daily and, 4 weeks later, flossing automaticity. Automaticity and flossing frequency were also measured at 8‐month follow‐up.

Results

Participants with stronger prospective memory ability, higher levels of past behaviour, and a more positive attitude flossed more frequently during the study. Stronger automaticity was predicted by positive attitudes, and increased behaviour frequency during and prior to the study. Those who flossed after brushing (rather than before) tended to form stronger flossing habits and, at 8‐month follow‐up, had stronger habits and flossed more frequently.

Conclusions

Habit forming interventions might usefully consider features of everyday routines and how behaviour may be reinforced. Suggestions for further research using more methodologically rigorous designs are offered.

Statement of contribution

What is already known on this subject?

The formation of habit – that is, a learnt automatic response to contextual cues – requires initiation of a behaviour and repetition in a constant context.

A recent formation study showed variation in habit strength despite equal repetitions, indicating that factors other than repetition may be important in habit development.

From studies of routine behaviour, the boundaries between sub‐routines are characterized by different processes than the middle of sub‐routines, suggesting that placement of behaviour within existing routines may affect the likelihood of habit formation.

What does this study add?

Greater prospective memory ability predicted more frequent dental flossing.

Initiating flossing after rather than before tooth‐brushing promoted stronger habits.

Positive attitudes impacted directly on habit formation, independent of behaviour repetition.
Perceived stress mediates the relationship between emotional loneliness and sleep quality over time in older adults
Authors: McHugh Joanna E. , Lawlor Brian A.
Published: September 2012

Objective

Both loneliness and poor sleep quality are common occurrences in late life and both are detrimental to physical and mental health. While loneliness may be difficult to intervene upon, there may be correlated factors, which, if alleviated, could mitigate the effects of loneliness and sleep quality on health in late life.

Design

A longitudinal, observational study whereby we gathered predictive variables at baseline and dependent variable (sleep) at follow‐up.

Method

We investigated the relationship between loneliness at baseline and sleep quality at follow‐up in a group of 447 older adults attending the clinic for research participation. Loneliness, stress and sleep quality were all measured using self‐report validated psychometric tools.

Results

We found that loneliness, specifically emotional loneliness, predicted sleep quality at follow‐up, controlling for demographic factors and for sleep quality at baseline. Upon applying mediation methods to the data, we then found that this relationship was mediated in part by perceived stress.

Conclusion

We conclude that the impact of emotional loneliness on sleep quality in older adults is partly because of the stress experienced as a result of feeling lonely.

Statement of contribution

What is already known on this subject? Loneliness is associated with poor sleep quality. Perceived stress is also associated with poor sleep quality. Sleep quality is a significant issue among older adults.

What does this study add? Emotional loneliness in particular predicts poor sleep quality at follow‐up. This relationship is mediated by perceived stress.
TARP‐associated AMPA receptors display an increased maximum channel conductance and multiple kinetically distinct open states
Authors: Shelley Chris , Farrant Mark , Cull‐Candy Stuart G.
Published: September 2012

Key points

Signalling of information in the nervous system relies on the activation of specific neurotransmitter receptors.

Here we characterise some of the properties of GluA1 AMPA receptors, whose ion‐permeable channel is opened by the neurotransmitter glutamate.

We found that the individual single‐channel openings exhibit several discrete conductance levels that persist in the presence of saturating glutamate concentrations, and that the presence of modulatory accessory subunits differentially influences the durations of these channel openings.

Our data also indicate that there are at least two kinetically distinguishable stable open states for each conductance level.

These observations place constraints on models of GluA1 function that can be used to relate receptor properties to synaptic function.

Abstract  Fast excitatory synaptic transmission in the CNS is mediated mainly by AMPA‐type glutamate receptors (AMPARs), whose biophysical properties are dramatically modulated by the presence of transmembrane AMPAR regulatory proteins (TARPs). To help construct a kinetic model that will realistically describe native AMPAR/TARP function, we have examined the single‐channel properties of homomeric GluA1 AMPARs in combination with the TARPs, γ‐2, γ‐4 and γ‐5. In a saturating concentration of agonist, each of these AMPAR/TARP combinations gave rise to single‐channel currents with multiple conductance levels that appeared intrinsic to the receptor‐channel complex, and showed long‐lived subconductance states. The open time and burst length distributions of the receptor complexes displayed multiple dwell‐time components. In the case of γ‐2‐ and γ‐4‐associated receptors, these distributions included a long‐lived component lasting tens of milliseconds that was absent from both GluA1 alone and γ‐5‐associated receptors. The open time distributions for each conductance level required two dwell‐time components, indicating that at each conductance level the channel occupies a minimum of two kinetically distinct open states. We have explored how these data place novel constraints on possible kinetic models of TARP‐associated AMPARs that may be used to define AMPAR‐mediated synaptic transmission.