bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Assessment of Spatial Rainfall Variability over the Lower Mississippi River Alluvial Valley
Authors: Dyer Jamie , Mercer Andrew
Published: July 2013

A large portion of the lower Mississippi River alluvial valley (LMRAV) relies on irrigation from the regional alluvial aquifer for crop sustainability, which is expensive both in terms of water resources and farmer expenditures because of the large volume of water necessary to maintain crop production. As a result, knowledge of the seasonal frequency and distribution of precipitation over the LMRAV is critical for water resources management, the development of irrigation strategies, and economic planning. This project addresses the need for a detailed assessment of regional precipitation patterns through the use of rotated principal component analysis (RPCA) of high-resolution gridded radar-derived rainfall data, which provides quantification of the spatial and temporal characteristics of rainfall over the LMRAV from 1996 to 2011. Results of the project show that precipitation depths over the LMRAV are generally lower and more variable than adjacent eastern areas throughout the year, although there is substantial variability between seasons. This pattern seems to be influenced more by variations during the cool season (January–March), which has a higher overall precipitation depth and lower spatial variability than the warm season (July–September). Results further indicate that warm season rainfall is generally lower and less predictable over the LMRAV as compared to the cool season, which may be detrimental to regional water resources since irrigation planning and permitting is heavily based on seasonal rainfall predictions.
Assessment of Model Error in Limited-Area Simulations of Shallow Water Test Cases on the C-Grid Plane and Sphere
Authors: Jeffery Christopher A.
Published: July 2013

A suite of limited-area test cases for the solution of the shallow water (SW) equations on the plane and sphere is collected and evaluated using the Model for Prediction Across Scales (MPAS) modeling system. Included are regional simulations of standard test cases, as well as new viscous and linearized test cases with exact analytic solutions. Four different aspects of model error are isolated and thereby assessed: 1) error generated by grid nonuniformity on the plane and sphere, 2) time-independent (balanced) error and time-dependent (propagating wave) error, 3) lateral boundary implementation error, and 4) error reduction due to a viscous equation set or an absorbing sponge layer. Results show that the nature of model error for these test cases is specific to the geophysical regime: SW flows on a rotating sphere with Froude numbers of O(0.1) and Rossby numbers also of O(0.1). For SW simulations in this context, inward reflection of gravity waves at the domain boundary does not appear to be a driver of instability or a determining factor in solution accuracy. This conclusion has important implications for idealized studies that exclude this geophysical regime, in particular one-dimensional studies of lateral boundary conditions for limited-area models and studies of the absorption of linearized gravity waves at domain boundaries using dynamical relaxation. An old debate over the efficacy of dynamical relaxation for a viscous equation set is addressed; MPAS simulations of an SW test case with and without dynamical relaxation support claims that eddy viscosity does not notably improve solution accuracy or stability.
Political Violence in the Spanish Elections of November 1933
Authors: García Roberto Villa
Published: July 2013

Electoral violence is a phenomenon which is key to understanding the workings of democracy in interwar Europe, yet there are few monographs which analyse its incidence in different countries between 1918 and 1939. This article is a quantitative and qualitative study of violence during the Spanish general election of 1933. Spain is a particularly significant case: the violence experienced there was a manifestation of the volatile relationship between the various political parties and trade unions, and it was a crucial factor in preventing the consolidation of the democratic Republic. The choice of the 1933 election reflects the fact that this was an especially critical moment for the Second Republic. The contest involved not only a substantial debate between the 1931 Constitution’s supporters and critics over the question of constitutional revision, but was also the first election of the Second Republic in which the parties of the left, right and centre were well-organized and counted upon significant popular support. This article examines the various types of electoral violence and its geographical distribution, and identifies the political and trade-union actors who engaged in it.
Selling Democracy During the Second British Occupation of Iraq, 1941–5
Authors: Wichhart Stefanie K.
Published: July 2013

Britain initiated an extensive pro-democracy propaganda campaign during its wartime occupation of Iraq from 1941–5. Organizations such as the Brotherhood of Freedom aimed to instil civic pride in disaffected Iraqi youth, and the propaganda message was accompanied by a call for internal political reform as a means of protecting against growing communist influence. Allied declarations such as the Atlantic Charter played a key role in this campaign designed to win Iraqi support for the war effort, but the publicity drive also opened up new avenues for protest. The war saw the revival of leftist groups that harnessed this rhetoric to their call for British evacuation. The confluence of Allied democracy propaganda, Iraqi reformist movements, and widespread demands for British withdrawal and political reform served as a catalyst for postwar political change. Yet the reality of the occupation, in particular Britain’s bolstering of the old regime in the interest of wartime stability, ultimately hampered the development of a viable democratic system.
‘European Literature’ in the Nazi New Order: The Cultural Politics of the European Writers’ Union, 1941–3
Authors: Martin Benjamin George
Published: July 2013

This article examines the European Writers’ Union, founded by Nazi Germany with representatives of 15 nations in October 1941, in the context of the history of the idea of European literature. It argues that this institution was a serious effort to re-order the international literary field into a European form, designed to help legitimate Nazi Germany’s New Order Europe and to establish the cultural hegemony which German elites believed they alone deserved. Aware that what Pierre Bourdieu calls the ‘literary field’ had its own rules, the Nazis sought at Weimar to legitimate their bid to reorder European literary life by highlighting Germany’s literary capital and by playing on the tensions within the interwar understanding of the concept of European literature. In this way, the European Writers’ Union marked a historically significant intervention into the contested and high-stakes issue of what ‘European literature’ was. Drawing on work by scholars of comparative literature and cultural sociology, this article sets the Writers’ Union in the transnational history of the literary field in twentieth-century Europe in order to interpret the rhetorical, ideological and practical strategies of what could be called the ‘soft power’ of Nazi Empire.
Film and Soldier: Japanese War Movies in the 1950s
Authors: Wilson Sandra
Published: July 2013

In 1950s Japan, films about the Second World War, especially the conflict in the Pacific, were very popular. Though some of them concentrated on misery and suffering, others were surprisingly positive in their portrayal of Japanese soldiers. The 1950s have the reputation of a pacifist decade in Japan, when people were only too glad to forget the war as they turned instead to the future. This orthodox view is undermined, however, by the undeniable fact that a great many people wanted to see cinematic dramatizations of the war. The movies they watched left room for pride, dignity, the recognition of Japanese military power and even nostalgia for the war years. They were an important means by which people explored the meanings of the recent conflict. In particular, they explained and dramatized what had happened; presented examples of heroic soldiers and sailors; and contributed to the reintegration of ordinary soldiers who had been convicted as war criminals back into Japanese society. In doing so they played a vital role in reclaiming and validating the actions of military men, and in promoting the idea that there had been positive aspects of the war experience, despite the suffering the conflict had undoubtedly brought.
‘Mirror, mirror …’: Performance and presidential politics in contemporary France
Authors: Kuhn Raymond
Published: July 2013

Performance is an integral and indispensable part of elite political behaviour in advanced democratic societies. This article analyses, explains and evaluates the practice of performance in presidential politics in contemporary France, examining how, why and to what effect presidents and ‘présidentiables’ perform in the mediated public sphere. It focuses particularly on the presidency of Nicolas Sarkozy and the campaign performance of the two leading candidates in the 2012 presidential election, Sarkozy and François Hollande. The article uses different data – including election results, opinion poll ratings and electoral panel studies – to support its analysis and evaluation of the particular forms of performance generated by the shifting conditions of the political communication landscape in France.
Cosmopolitans and ‘cliques’: Everyday socialisation amongst Tamil student and young professional migrants to the UK
Authors: Jones Demelza
Published: July 2013

Among student and young professional migrants to the UK the opportunity for a global or cosmopolitan experience emerges as a motivating factor for migration. This article takes the example of student and young professional migrants to the UK from the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu, and explores how this cosmopolitan ambition plays out in the formation of UK social networks. Two ‘types’ of research participant are identified; ‘self-conscious cosmopolitans’ whose social networks are cross-ethnic, and others whose networks are largely co-ethnic and who are often derided by their self-consciously cosmopolitan counterparts as ‘clannish’ or ‘cliquey’. The article asks how ethnicity emerges as salient (or not) in these migrants’ talk and practice around UK social network formations. It then considers whether a co-ethnic social network necessarily limits the cosmopolitan experience, or whether this interpretation reflects a narrow understanding of cosmopolitanism which excludes the multiple inter-cultural encounters these migrants experience in their everyday lives.
Power, reflexivity and difference in a Multinational Corporation
Authors: Devadason Ranji , Fenton Steve
Published: July 2013

The rationale for multinational corporations is the creation and sustenance of global networks to increase profits by enabling market expansion. Since corporate executives facilitate the transfer of knowledge, processes and practices across borders, they effectively embody the globalizing project. Yet do these people, who are employed to make globalization work, engage in everyday practices that denote distinctly ‘global’ modes of being? The process of transcending national differences to facilitate capital mobility in global organizations is far from complete. Center–periphery relationships persist in shaping power relations within corporations. Moreover, these hierarchies tend to reflect power inequities between nation-states in the global economy. This paper comprises analysis of the ways in which executives reflect on their identities and interactions in light of globalizing processes in a multinational corporation. The analysis identifies three distinct modes of appropriating a global corporate identity that are borne out in these executives’ reflexive deliberations about their jobs.
Locating migrant pathways of economic emplacement: Thinking beyond the ethnic lens
Authors: Schiller Nina Glick , Çağlar Ayse
Published: July 2013

This article reinforces the calls, including those articulated by the editors of this special issue, for scholarship that does not rely on an ethnic lens to study migrant practices, socialities and identities. We offer a concept of migrant emplacement that focuses analytical attention on the relationship between the economic, political and cultural positioning of cities within broader networks of power and the ability of migrants to forge a place for themselves within a specific locality. Using the example of Halle/Saale in eastern Germany but calling for comparative research, the article notes the synergies between urban regeneration and rebranding efforts and the emplacement of migrants in that city through local situated and transnationally connected small businesses. Time is also shown to be a factor: a welcoming ambience and opportunity structure in urban regeneration at one point can be replaced by a reduction in possibilities at a later period.
Hybrid procedures for thoracoabdominal aortic pathologies
Authors: Liu Zhao , Zhou Min , Liu Chen , Qiao Tong , Huang Dian , Zhang Ming , Ran Feng , Wang Wei , Liu Changjian
Published: July 2013

We report our three-year experience with the visceral hybrid procedure for patients with thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms, dissections and Takayasu's arteritis. We also evaluate and discuss the outcomes of hybrid procedures. Hybrid procedures include debranching of the visceral or renal arteries followed by endovascular repair of the disease. The surgical strategy was designed individually to reduce trauma and minimize stent coverage area. A series of 11 patients (9 men, mean age 52 years) were treated between June 2008 and September 2011. The pathologies were aneurysmal disease (thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms) (5, 45.5%), aortic dissection (thoracoabdominal aortic dissection) (4, 36.4%) or true/false aneurysm formation after Takayasu's arteritis (2, 18.2%). Simultaneous approach (9, 81.8%) and staged approach (2, 18.2%) were performed. The mean follow-up was 13.5 months (range 1–36). The technical success was 100%. Stent grafts were implanted in the entire or part of the thoracoabdominal aorta. The overall mortality rate was 9.1% (1/11) with no aneurysm-related death. The permanent paraplegia and bypass graft occlusion rate was 0%. The overall morbidity was 36.4% with two endoleaks (2/11, 18.2%). In conclusion, hybrid procedures can minimize surgical invasiveness in treatments of thoracoabdominal aortic pathologies, and it is a safe method with acceptable morbidity and mortality.
“None so queer as folk”: Gendered expectations and transgressive bodies in leadership
Authors: Muhr Sara L , Sullivan Katie Rose
Published: July 2013

This paper investigates the relationship between the body and leadership through a case study of a transgender leader. The study shows that the leader’s body, presumed gender, and gendered appearance are salient markers that employees use to make sense of leaders and leadership, and that this gendered nature of leadership shows the deep roots of gender dichotomies and the heterosexual matrix that permeate our understanding of leadership. These two findings lead us to emphasize the need to queer leadership. All leaders experience gendered restrictions, to some extent, via the social norms and expectations of the way leadership should be performed. The construction of leadership through a transgender body reminds us to stay open to the exploration of performativity, particularly the relationships between bodies, gender, sexuality, and leadership and how any body can benefit from queering leadership.
More passion than the job requires? Monstrously transgressive leadership in the promotion of health at work
Authors: Thanem Torkild
Published: July 2013

Despite Weber’s early emphasis on passionate emotions in charismatic leadership, and a recent but broader interest in the embodied and emotional aspects of leadership, we still know relatively little about how passions are embodied in leadership. We also know little about how such passions may transgress formally and socially defined limits of leadership in organizations. Through a case of workplace health promotion this paper therefore investigates how people in organizational leadership roles passionately – and corporeally – transgress the limits of these roles whilst pursuing organizational change. Going beyond extant research, the paper argues that the leaders’ pursuit of health was driven by their own embodied passions as well as by organizational rationales, but that their passions were expressed in largely non-charismatic ways that de-motivated rather than motivated employees.
Treatment of acquired von Willebrand syndrome in childhood
Authors: Callaghan Michael U. , Wong Trisha E. , Federici Augusto B.
Published: July 2013

A 3-1/2-year-old male with no personal or family history of bleeding disorders presented with abdominal distension, epistaxis, and anemia (hemoglobin 8.2 g/dL). A magnetic resonance imaging scan of the abdomen demonstrated a mass arising from the left kidney. Preoperative laboratory studies revealed a prolonged activated partial thromboplastin time of 49.2 seconds, a normal prothrombin time of 12.4 seconds, and a platelet count of 230 000/μL. Further testing revealed factor VIII (FVIII) activity of 16%, factor IX (FIX) activity of 74%, von Willebrand factor (VWF) activity of 12%, VWF antigen activity of 31%, and decreased high-molecular-weight VWF multimers consistent with acquired von Willebrand syndrome (AVWS). What is the best treatment for this child?
On some inequalities for s-convex functions and applications
Authors: Özdemir Muhamet Emin , Yıldız Çetin , Akdemir Ahmet Ocak , Set Erhan
Published: July 2013

Some new results related to the left-hand side of the Hermite-Hadamard type inequalities for the class of functions whose second derivatives at certain powers are s-convex functions in the second sense are obtained. Also, some applications to special means of real numbers are provided.

MSC:26A51, 26D15.
Strong convergence for solving a general system of variational inequalities and fixed point problems in Banach spaces
Authors: Ceng Lu-Chuan , Hussain Nawab , Latif Abdul , Yao Jen-Chih
Published: July 2013

In this paper, we propose and analyze some iterative algorithms by hybrid viscosity approximation methods for solving a general system of variational inequalities and a common fixed point problem of an infinite family of nonexpansive mappings in a uniformly convex Banach space which has a uniformly Gâteaux differentiable norm, and we prove some strong convergence theorems under appropriate conditions. The results presented in this paper improve, extend, supplement and develop the corresponding results recently obtained in the literature.

MSC:49J30, 47H09, 47J20.
Blockade of bovine PD-1 increases T cell function and inhibits bovine leukemia virus expression in B cells in vitro
Authors: Ikebuchi Ryoyo , Konnai Satoru , Okagawa Tomohiro , Yokoyama Kazumasa , Nakajima Chie , Suzuki Yasuhiko , Murata Shiro , Ohashi Kazuhiko
Published: July 2013

Programmed death-1 (PD-1) is a known immunoinhibitory receptor that contributes to immune evasion of various tumor cells and pathogens causing chronic infection, such as bovine leukemia virus (BLV) infection. First, in this study, to establish a method for the expression and functional analysis of bovine PD-1, hybridomas producing monoclonal antibodies (mAb) specific for bovine PD-1 were established. Treatment with these anti-PD-1 mAb enhanced interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) production of bovine peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). Next, to examine whether PD-1 blockade by anti-PD-1 mAb could upregulate the immune reaction during chronic infection, the expression and functional analysis of PD-1 in PBMC isolated from BLV-infected cattle with or without lymphoma were performed using anti-PD-1 mAb. The frequencies of both PD-1+CD4+T cells in blood and lymph node and PD-1+CD8+T cells in lymph node were higher in BLV-infected cattle with lymphoma than those without lymphoma or control uninfected cattle. PD-1 blockade enhanced IFN-γ production and proliferation and reduced BLV-gp51 expression and B-cell activation in PBMC from BLV-infected cattle in response to BLV-gp51 peptide mixture. These data show that anti-bovine PD-1 mAb could provide a new therapy to control BLV infection via upregulation of immune response.
Phenotypic characterisation of the cellular immune infiltrate in placentas of cattle following experimental inoculation with Neospora caninum in late gestation
Authors: Cantón Germán J , Katzer Frank , Benavides-Silván Julio , Maley Stephen W , Palarea-Albaladejo Javier , Pang Yvonne , Smith Sionagh , Bartley Paul M , Rocchi Mara , Innes Elisabeth A , Chianini Francesca
Published: July 2013

DespiteNeospora caninumbeing a major cause of bovine abortion worldwide, its pathogenesis is not completely understood.Neosporainfection stimulates host cell-mediated immune responses, which may be responsible for the placental damage leading to abortion. The aim of the current study was to characterize the placental immune response following an experimental inoculation of pregnant cattle withN. caninumtachyzoites at day 210 of gestation. Cows were culled at 14, 28, 42 and 56 days post inoculation (dpi). Placentomes were examined by immunohistochemistry using antibodies against macrophages, T-cell subsets (CD4, CD8 and γδ), NK cells and B cells. Macrophages were detected mainly at 14 days post inoculation. Inflammation was generally mild and mainly characterized by CD3+, CD4+and γδ T-cells; whereas CD8+and NK cells were less numerous. The immune cell repertoire observed in this study was similar to those seen in pregnant cattle challenged withN. caninumat early gestation. However, cellular infiltrates were less severe than those seen during first trimesterNeosporainfections. This may explain the milder clinical outcome observed when animals are infected late in gestation.
Suppression of genetic recombination in the pseudoautosomal region and at subtelomeres in mice with a hypomorphic Spo11 allele
Authors: Smagulova Fatima , Brick Kevin , Pu Yongmei , Sengupta Uttara , Camerini-Otero R Daniel , Petukhova Galina V
Published: July 2013

Background

Homologous recombination is the key process that generates genetic diversity and drives evolution. SPO11 protein triggers recombination by introducing DNA double stranded breaks at discreet areas of the genome called recombination hotspots. The hotspot locations are largely determined by the DNA binding specificity of the PRDM9 protein in human, mice and most other mammals. In budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisae, which lacks a Prdm9 gene, meiotic breaks are formed opportunistically in the regions of accessible chromatin, primarily at gene promoters. The genome-wide distribution of hotspots in this organism can be altered by tethering Spo11 protein to Gal4 recognition sequences in the strain expressing Spo11 attached to the DNA binding domain of the Gal4 transcription factor. To establish whether similar re-targeting of meiotic breaks can be achieved in PRDM9-containing organisms we have generated a Gal4BD-Spo11 mouse that expresses SPO11 protein joined to the DNA binding domain of yeast Gal4.

Results

We have mapped the genome-wide distribution of the recombination initiation sites in the Gal4BD-Spo11 mice. More than two hundred of the hotspots in these mice were novel and were likely defined by Gal4BD, as the Gal4 consensus motif was clustered around the centers in these hotspots. Surprisingly, meiotic DNA breaks in the Gal4BD-Spo11 mice were significantly depleted near the ends of chromosomes. The effect is particularly striking at the pseudoautosomal region of the X and Y chromosomes – normally the hottest region in the genome.

Conclusions

Our data suggest that specific, yet-unidentified factors influence the initiation of meiotic recombination at subtelomeric chromosomal regions.
Cloud-based uniform ChIP-Seq processing tools for modENCODE and ENCODE
Authors: Trinh Quang M , Jen Fei-Yang Arthur , Zhou Ziru , Chu Kar Ming , Perry Marc D , Kephart Ellen T , Contrino Sergio , Ruzanov Peter , Stein Lincoln D
Published: July 2013

Background

Funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the aim of the Mod el Organism ENC yclopedia o f D NA E lements (modENCODE) project is to provide the biological research community with a comprehensive encyclopedia of functional genomic elements for both model organisms C. elegans (worm) and D. melanogaster (fly). With a total size of just under 10 terabytes of data collected and released to the public, one of the challenges faced by researchers is to extract biologically meaningful knowledge from this large data set. While the basic quality control, pre-processing, and analysis of the data has already been performed by members of the modENCODE consortium, many researchers will wish to reinterpret the data set using modifications and enhancements of the original protocols, or combine modENCODE data with other data sets. Unfortunately this can be a time consuming and logistically challenging proposition.

Results

In recognition of this challenge, the modENCODE DCC has released uniform computing resources for analyzing modENCODE data on Galaxy (https://github.com/modENCODE-DCC/Galaxy), on the public Amazon Cloud (http://aws.amazon.com), and on the private Bionimbus Cloud for genomic research (http://www.bionimbus.org). In particular, we have released Galaxy workflows for interpreting ChIP-seq data which use the same quality control (QC) and peak calling standards adopted by the modENCODE and ENCODE communities. For convenience of use, we have created Amazon and Bionimbus Cloud machine images containing Galaxy along with all the modENCODE data, software and other dependencies.

Conclusions

Using these resources provides a framework for running consistent and reproducible analyses on modENCODE data, ultimately allowing researchers to use more of their time using modENCODE data, and less time moving it around.
Predictors of treatment failure and time to detection and switching in HIV-infected Ethiopian children receiving first line anti-retroviral therapy
Authors: Bacha Tigist , Tilahun Birkneh , Worku Alemayehu
Published: July 2013

Background

The emergence of resistance to first line antiretroviral therapy (ART) regimen leads to the need for more expensive and less tolerable second line drugs. Hence, it is essential to identify and address factors associated with an increased probability of first line ART regimen failure. The objective of this article is to report on the predictors of first line ART regimen failure, the detection rate of ART regime failure, and the delay in switching to second line ART drugs.

Methods

A retrospective cohort study was conducted from 2005 to 2011. All HIV infected children under the age of 15 who took first line ART for at least six months at the four major hospitals of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia were included. Data were collected, entered and analyzed using Epi info/ENA version 3.5.1 and SPSS version 16. The Cox proportional-hazard model was used to assess the predictors of first line ART failure.

Results

Data of 1186 children were analyzed. Five hundred seventy seven (48.8%) were males with a mean age of 6.22 (SD = 3.10) years. Of the 167(14.1%) children who had treatment failure, 70 (5.9%) had only clinical failure, 79 (6.7%) had only immunologic failure, and 18 (1.5%) had both clinical and immunologic failure. Patients who had height for age in the third percentile or less at initiation of ART were found to have higher probability of ART treatment failure [Adjusted Hazard Ratio (AHR), 3.25 95% CI, 1.00-10.58]. Patients who were less than three years old [AHR, 1.85 95% CI, 1.24-2.76], chronic diarrhea after initiation of antiretroviral treatment [AHR, 3.44 95% CI, 1.37-8.62], ART drug substitution [AHR, 1.70 95% CI, 1.05-2.73] and base line CD4 count below 50 cells/mm3 [AHR, 2.30 95% CI, 1.28-4.14] were also found to be at higher risk of treatment failure. Of all the 167 first line ART failure cases, only 24 (14.4%) were switched to second line ART with a mean delay of 24 (SD = 11.67) months. The remaining 143 (85.6%) cases were diagnosed to have treatment failure retrospectively by the authors based on their records. Hence, they were not detected and these patients were not offered second line ARTs.

Conclusions

Having chronic malnutrition, low CD4 at base line, chronic diarrhea after initiation of first line ART, substitution of ART drugs and age less than 3 years old were found to be independent predictors of first line ART failure in children. Most of the first line ART failure cases were not detected early and those that were detected were not switched to second line drugs in a timely fashion. Children with the above risk factors should be closely monitored for a timely switch to second line highly active anti-retroviral therapy.
Characterisation and analysis of thioredoxin peroxidase as a potential antigen for the serodiagnosis of sarcoptic mange in rabbits by dot-ELISA
Authors: Zhang Runhui , Zheng Wanpeng , Wu Xuhang , Jise Quwu , Ren Yongjun , Nong Xiang , Gu Xiaobin , Wang Shuxian , Peng Xuerong , Lai Songjia , Yang Guangyou
Published: July 2013

Background

Scabies caused by Sarcoptes scabiei is a widespread but a neglected tropical zoonosis. In this study, we characterised a S. scabiei thioredoxin peroxidase (SsTPx) and evaluated a recombinant SsTPx as a diagnostic antigen in rabbits.

Methods

The open reading frame of the gene encoding SsTPx-2 was amplified and the recombinant protein was expressed in Escherichia coli cells and purified. SsTPx was localized in mite tissue by immunolocalisation using the purified recombinant protein. Serodiagnosis assays were carried out in 203 New Zealand White rabbit serum samples by dot-ELISA.

Result

The open reading frame (489 bp) of the gene encodes an 18.11 kDa protein, which showed highly homology to that of Psoroptes cuniculi (98.77% identity) and belongs to the 2-Cys family of peroxiredoxins. SsTPx was mainly distributed in muscle tissues of mites, integument of the epidermis and the anterior end of S. scabiei. Although SsTPx cross-reactivity with psoroptic mites was observed, the SsTPx dot-ELISA showed excellent diagnostic ability, with 95.3% sensitivity and 93.8% specificity in mange-infected and uninfected groups.

Conclusions

This study showed that the purified SsTPx is a highly sensitive antigen for the diagnosis of mange infection by dot-ELISA. This technique is a rapid and convenient method that can be used worldwide for the clinical diagnosis of sarcoptic mange in rabbits, and is especially useful in developing regions.
Surveillance study of species distribution, antifungal susceptibility and mortality of nosocomial candidemia in a tertiary care hospital in China
Authors: Ma Chun-fang , Li Fang-qiu , Shi Li-ning , Hu Yu-an , Wang Ying , Huang Mei , Kong Qian-qian
Published: July 2013

Background

Bloodstream infections due to Candida species cause significant morbidity and mortality, and the epidemiology of Candida infection is changing. Surveillance for candidemia is necessary to detect trends in species distribution and antifungal resistance.

Methods

The medical and electronic records of all patients who had candidemia at the authors’ hospital from 2009 to 2011 were reviewed for demographic data and clinical information, including the infecting Candida species, resistance to antifungals and survival, and the presence of risk factors associated with candidemia.

Results

A total of 133 distinct episodes of candidemia were identified over the study period. The annual incidence of candidemia ranged between 0.71 and 0.85 cases/1000 hospital discharges. The most frequent Candida species were C. tropicalis (28.6%), followed by C. albicans (23.3%) and C. parapsilosis (19.5%). The rates of susceptibility to antifungal agents were as followed: voriconazole (97.8%), itraconazole (69.5%), fluconazole (46.1%), ketoconazole (38.9%). Out of 131 evaluable patients, 34 (26.0%) died within 30 days from the onset of candidemia. C. tropicalis candidemia was associated with the highest mortality rate (44.7%). Regarding the crude mortality in the different units, patients in Hemato-Oncology ward had the highest mortality rate (66.7%), followed by patients in cardiovascular wards and ICU (57.1% and 25.6%, respectively). Predictors of 30-day mortality were identified by uni- and multivariate analyses. Complicated abdominal surgery, presence of central venous catheter (CVC), neutropenia, candidemia due to C. tropicalis and poor treatment with fluconazole were significantly associated with the 30-day mortality. Presence of CVC (odds ratio[OR] = 4.177; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.698 to 10.278; P = 0.002) was the only independent predictor for mortality in the multivariate analysis.

Conclusion

This report provides baseline data for future epidemiological and susceptibility studies and for the mortality rates associated with candidemia in our hospital. The knowledge of the local epidemiological trends in Candida species isolated in blood cultures is important to guide therapeutic choices.
Internal jugular venous abnormalities in transient monocular blindness
Authors: Cheng Chun-Yu , Chang Feng-Chi , Chao A-Ching , Chung Chih-Ping , Hu Han-Hwa
Published: July 2013

Background

The etiology of transient monocular blindness (TMB) in patients without carotid stenosis has been linked to ocular venous hypertension, for their increased retrobulbar vascular resistance, sustained retinal venule dilatation and higher frequency of jugular venous reflux (JVR). This study aimed to elucidate whether there are anatomical abnormalities at internal jugular vein (IJV) in TMB patients that would contribute to impaired cerebral venous drainage and consequent ocular venous hypertension.

Methods

Contrast-enhanced axial T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed in 23 TMB patients who had no carotid stenosis and 23 age- and sex-matched controls. The veins were assessed at the upper IJV (at C1–3 level) and the middle IJV (at C3–5 level). Grading of IJV compression/stenosis was determined bilaterally as follows: 0 = normal round or ovoid appearance; 1 = mild flattening; 2 = moderate flattening; and 3 = severe flattening or not visualized.

Results

There was significantly more moderate or severe IJV compression/stenosis in the TMB patients at the left upper IJV level and the bilateral middle IJV level. Defining venous compression/stenosis scores ≥ 2 as a significant cerebral venous outflow impairment, TMB patients were found to have higher frequency of significant venous outflow impairment at the upper IJV level (56.5% vs. 8.7%, p = 0.0005) and the middle IJV level (69.6% vs. 21.7%, p=0.0011).

Conclusions

TMB Patients with the absence of carotid stenosis had higher frequency and greater severity of IJV compression/stenosis which could impair cerebral venous outflow. Our results provide evidence supporting that the cerebral venous outflow abnormality is one of the etiologies of TMB.
Prognostic significance of neutrophil lymphocyte ratio and platelet lymphocyte ratio in advanced gastric cancer patients treated with FOLFOX chemotherapy
Authors: Lee Suee , Oh Sung Yong , Kim Sung Hyun , Lee Ji Hyun , Kim Min Chan , Kim Ki Han , Kim Hyo-Jin
Published: July 2013

Background

Several inflammatory response materials could be used for prediction of prognosis of cancer patients. The neutrophil lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and the platelet lymphocyte ratio (PLR) have been introduced for prognostic scoring system in various cancers. The objective of this study was to determine whether the NLR or the PLR would predict the clinical outcomes in advanced gastric cancer patients treated with oxaliplatin/ 5-fluorouracil (FOLFOX).

Methods

The study population consisted of 174 advanced gastric cancer patients. Patients were treated with 85 mg/m2of oxaliplatin as a 2-h infusion at day 1 plus 20 mg/m2of leucovorin over 10 min, followed by 5-FU bolus 400 mg/m2and 22-h continuous infusion of 600 mg/m2at days 1-2. Treatment was repeated in 2-week intervals. The NLR and PLR were calculated from complete blood counts in laboratory test before and after first cycle of chemotherapy.

Results

NLR was a useful prognostic biomarker for predicting inferior overall survival (OS) (p= 0.005), but was not associated with progression free survival (PFS) (p= 0.461). The normalization of NLR after one cycle of chemotherapy was found to be in association with significant improvement in PFS (5.3 months vs. 2.4 months,p< 0.001), and OS (11.9 months vs. 4.6 months,p< 0.001). The normalization of PLR was also associated with longer PFS (5.6 months vs. 3.4 months,p= 0.006), and OS (16.9 months vs. 10.9 months,p= 0.002). In multivariate analysis, changes in NLR were associated with PFS (Hazard ratio (HR): 2.297, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.429-3.693,p= 0.001). The NLR, (HR: 0.245, 95% CI: 0.092-0.633,p= 0.004), PLR (HR: 0.347, 95% CI: 0.142-0.847,p= 0.020), changes in NLR (HR: 2.468, 95% CI: 1.567-3.886,p< 0.001), and changes in PLR (HR: 1.473, 95% CI: 1.038-2.090,p= 0.030) were independent prognostic markers for OS.

Conclusion

This study demonstrates that NLR, PLR, and changes in NLR or PLR are independent prognostic factor for OS in patients with advanced gastric cancer treated with chemotherapy. These specific factors may also help in identifying the patients, who are more sensitive to FOLFOX regimen.
Effect of interleukin-1β treatment on co-cultures of human meniscus cells and bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cells
Authors: Chowdhury Anika , Bezuidenhout Louis W , Mulet-Sierra Aillette , Jomha Nadr M , Adesida Adetola B
Published: July 2013

Background

Interleukin-1β (IL-1β) is a major mediator of local inflammation present in injured joints. In this study, we aimed at comparing the effect of IL-1β on engineered tissues from MCs, BMSCs and co-cultured MCs and BMSCs.

Methods

We compared the effect of IL-1β in 3 groups: (1) MCs, (2) BMSCs and, (3) co-cultures of MCs and BMSCs. We selected 1 to 3 ratio of MCs to BMSCs for the co-cultures. Passage two (P2) human BMSCs were obtained from two donors. Human MCs were isolated from menisci of 4 donors. Mono-cultures of MCs and BMSCs, and co-cultures of MCs and BMSCs were cultured in chondrogenic medium with TGFβ3, as cell pellets for 14 days. Thereafter, pellets were cultured for 3 more days in same medium as before with or without IL-1β (500 pg/ml). Pellets were assessed histologically, biochemically and by RT-PCR for gene expression of aggrecan, sox9, MMP-1, collagens I and II. Statistics was performed using one-way ANOVA with Tukey’s post-tests.

Results

Co-cultured pellets were the most intensely stained with safranin O and collagen II. Co-cultured pellets had the highest expression of sox9, collagen I and II. IL-1β treatment slightly reduced the GAG/DNA of co-cultured pellets but still exceeded the sum of the GAG/DNA from the proportion of MCs and BMSCs in the co-cultured pellets. After IL-1β treatment, the expression of sox9, collagen I and II in co-cultured pellets was higher compared to their expression in pure pellets. IL-1β induced MMP-1 expression in mono-cultures of MCs but not significantly in mono-cultures of BMSCs or in co-cultured pellets. IL-1β induced MMP-13 expression in mono-cultured pellets of BMSCs and in co-cultured pellets.

Conclusions

Co-cultures of MCs and BMSCs resulted in a synergistic production of cartilaginous matrix compared to mono-cultures of MCs and BMSCs. IL-1β did not abrogate the accumulated GAG matrix in co-cultures but mediated a decreased mRNA expression of aggrecan, collagen II and Sox9. These results strengthen the combinatorial use of primary MCs and BMSCs as a cell source for meniscus tissue engineering by demonstrating retention of fibrochondrogenic phenotype after exposure to IL-1β.
Effect of private insurance incentive policy reforms on trends in coronary revascularisation procedures in the private and public health sectors in Western Australia: a cohort study
Authors: Trafalski Shauna , Briffa Tom , Hung Joseph , Moorin Rachael E , Sanfilippo Frank , Preen David B , Einarsdóttir Kristjana
Published: July 2013

Background

The Australian federal government introduced private health insurance incentive policy reforms in 2000 that increased the uptake of private health insurance in Australia. There is currently a lack of evidence on the effect of the policy reforms on access to cardiovascular interventions in public and private hospitals in Australia. The aim was to investigate whether the increased private health insurance uptake influenced trends in emergency and elective coronary artery revascularisation procedures (CARPs) for private and public patients.

Methods

We included 34,423 incident CARPs from Western Australia during 1995-2008 in this study. Rates of emergency and elective CARPs were stratified for publicly and privately funded patients. The average annual percent change (AAPC) in trend was calculated before and after 2000 using joinpoint regression.

Results

The rate of emergency CARPs, which were predominantly percutaneous coronary interventions (PCIs) with stenting, increased throughout the study period for both public and private patients (AAPC=12.9%, 95% CI=5.0,22.0 and 14.1%, 95% CI=9.8,18.6, respectively) with no significant difference in trends before and after policy implementation. The rate of elective PCIs with stenting from 2000 onwards remained relatively stable for public patients (AAPC=−6.0, 95% C= −16.9,6.4), but increased by 4.1% on average annually (95% CI=1.8,6.3) for private patients (pdifference=0.04 between groups). This rate increase for private patients was only seen in people aged over 65 years and people residing in high socioeconomic areas.

Conclusions

The private health insurance incentive policy reforms are a likely contributing factor in the shift in 2000 from public to privately-funded elective PCIs with stenting. These reforms as well as the increasing number of private hospitals may have been successful in increasing the availability of publicly-funded beds since 2000.
Factors affecting hospital length of stay and hospital charges associated with road traffic-related injuries in Iran
Authors: Haghparast-Bidgoli Hassan , Saadat Soheil , Bogg Lennart , Yarmohammadian Mohammad Hossein , Hasselberg Marie
Published: July 2013

Background

Road traffic injuries (RTIs) are a substantial cause of mortality and disability globally. There is little published information regarding healthcare resource utilization following RTIs, especially in low and middle-income countries (LMICs). The aim of this study was to assess total hospital charges and length of stay (LOS) associated with RTIs in Iran and to explore the association with patients’ socio-demographic characteristics, insurance status and injury-related factors (e.g. type of road users and safety equipment).

Method

The study was based on the Iranian National Trauma Registry Database (INTRD), which includes data from 14 general hospitals in eight major cities in Iran, for the years 2000 to 2004. 8,356 patients with RTI admitted to the hospitals were included in the current study. The variables extracted for the analysis included total hospital charges and length of stay, age, gender, socio-economic and insurance status, injury characteristics, medical outcome and use of safety equipment among the patients. Univariable analysis using non-parametric methods and multivariable regression analysis were performed to identify the factors associated with total hospital charges and LOS.

Results

The mean hospital charges for the patients were 1,115,819 IRR (SD=1,831,647 IRR, US$128 ± US$210). The mean LOS for the patients was 6.8 (SD =8 days). Older age, being a bicycle rider, higher injury severity and longer LOS were associated with higher hospital charges. Longer LOS was associated with being male, having lower education level, having a medical insurance, being pedestrian or motorcyclist, being a blue-collar worker and having more severe injuries. The reported use of safety equipment was very low and did not have significant effect on the hospital charges and LOS.

Conclusion

The study demonstrated that the hospital charges and LOS associated with RTI varied by age, gender, socio-economic status, insurance status, injury characteristics and health outcomes of the patients. The results of the study provide information that can be of importance in the planning and design of road traffic injury control strategies.
Local illness concepts and their relevance for the prevention and control of malaria during pregnancy in Ghana, Kenya and Malawi: findings from a comparative qualitative study
Authors: Menaca Arantza , Pell Christopher , Manda-Taylor Lucinda , Chatio Samuel , Afrah Nana A , Were Florence , Hodgson Abraham , Ouma Peter , Kalilani Linda , Tagbor Harry , Pool Robert
Published: July 2013

Background

In sub-Saharan Africa, the burden of morbidity and mortality linked to malaria during pregnancy (MiP) is significant and compounded by its unclear symptoms and links with other health problems during pregnancy. Mindful of the biomedical and social complexity of MiP, this article explores and compares local understandings of MiP and their links with other pregnancy-related health problems.

Methods

A comparative qualitative study was undertaken at four sites in three countries: Ghana, Malawi and Kenya. Individual and group interviews were conducted with pregnant women, their relatives, opinion leaders, other community members and health providers. MiP-related behaviours were also observed at health facilities and in local communities.

Results

Across the four sites, local malaria concepts overlapped with biomedically defined malaria. In terms of symptoms, at-risk groups, outcomes and aetiology of malaria during pregnancy, this overlap was however both site-specific and partial. Moreover, the local malaria concepts were not monolithic and their descriptions varied amongst respondents. The symptoms of pregnancy and malaria also overlapped but, for respondents, symptom severity was the distinguishing factor. Malaria was generally, though not universally, perceived as serious for pregnant women. Miscarriage was the most widely known outcome, and links with anaemia, low birth weight and congenital malaria were mentioned. Nonetheless, amongst many potential causes of miscarriage, malaria was not recognized as the most important, but rather interacted with other pregnancy-related problems.

Conclusions

Given the overlap of common pregnancy problems with the symptoms of malaria, and the limited association of malaria with its main outcomes, a comprehensive antenatal care programme is the most appropriate strategy for the provision of health education, prevention and treatment for MiP. Variations in locally shared understandings of MiP must however be taken into account when designing and promoting MiP intervention strategies.