bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Does the Regulation of Medical Scientific Research in Belgium Adequately Protect Privacy Rights after Death?
Authors: Boddez Laura , Nys Herman
Published: May 2014

Health-related data and human bodily material continue to exist and can also be obtained after death. They are of great value for medical scientific research. However, a fair balance has to be struck by the legislator between protecting the privacy of the data subject/donor and taking into account the specific needs of scientific research. After all, the death of a person should not entail that this conflict of interest ceases to exist and that only the interests of scientific research are taken into account. Therefore, this article analyses whether the Belgian legislator was able to strike this fair balance and thus whether a proper regulatory framework for post-mortem medical scientific research exists in Belgium.
Posthumous Medical Confidentiality
Authors: Choong Kartina Aisha , Bonnici Jeanne Pia Mifsud
Published: May 2014

This paper reflects on the balancing of public interests that needs to be undertaken under English law when dealing with posthumous medical confidentiality. Until 2007, doctors were bound only by professional codes of ethics to maintain confidentiality after their patients’ death. In 2008, the High Court stated that it is arguable that confidentiality applies in the post-mortem context. This, it claimed, is in the public interest. The court then followed the ecthr in using the same basis – public interest – to accept that there may be exceptions to this duty. This paper considers different situations where multiple interests come together for and against the posthumous disclosure of medical information. This examination suggests that there is considerable uncertainty caused by using one notion of public interest to justify confidentiality, and another to make the case for disclosure. It calls for the legislator to intervene to help resolve the conundrum.
Efficient Bankruptcy Law in the u.s. and the Netherlands
Authors: Hummelen Jochem M.
Published: May 2014

Bankruptcy serves to prevent the arising of a common pool problem and to ensure value maximisation of the debtor’s assets. The question is whether in addition to this goal of value maximization, it is efficient to allow the introduction of new substantive policies in the bankruptcy process as to redistribute wealth. The author, in light of Dutch and American bankruptcy law, compares several theories to answer this question about the goals of bankruptcy. He concludes that the introduction of substantive policies leads to inefficient forum shopping and that and the absolute priority of creditors and shareholders should be warranted as much as possible in bankruptcy.
Cambial Activity in Acacia Tortilis Subsp. Tortilis is Highest During the Hottest and Driest Month
Authors: Al-Mefarrej Hamad A.
Published: May 2014

This study, aimed at elucidating cambial activity and wood formation in Acacia tortilis subsp. tortilis growing in the dry region of Al Baha in Saudi Arabia, reveals that the vascular cambium was active for almost the whole year, producing phloem in two flushes (February to March and then June to August), and xylem for about 11 months. The maximum number of cell layers in the cambial zone (10–13) was observed during June at high temperature, high leaf water deficit and lowest relative humidity (52%) and rainfall. A close relationship existed between the emergence of new leaves and the initiation/acceleration of cambial activity and tissue differentiation. The mean and maximum monthly temperature of the site showed positive and highly significant correlations (p < 0.01) with the width of the cambial zone. The mean monthly relative humidity and mean monthly rainfall were negatively but significantly correlated with cambial activity (p < 0.05). Leaf water deficit had a favorable effect on the cambial activity (r = 0.894, p < 0.01). Acacia tortilis subsp. tortilis has thick-walled vessels of medium diameter and frequency, thick-walled fibers occupying a high tissue proportion, high wood density (0.905 g cm-3) and tannin-like deposits in the vestured vessel pits. The apparent drought tolerance of this species is hypothesized to be due to its deep root system, allowing optimal cambial activity during extreme drought and extremely high day temperatures.
starch grains in macerated cells
Authors: Patel Vinay R. , Rao Karumanchi S.
Published: May 2014

A modified Jeffrey’s method for localization of starch grains in wood samples macerated between 15–25 °C is described here. Time and temperature played a crucial role in maintaining starch grain shape in cell cytoplasm. Starch grain shape in macerated xylem cells was confirmed by comparison with scanning electron microscope images and thin sections (10 to 15 μm thick) from the same wood samples.
Analysis of the Nonlinearity of El Niño–Southern Oscillation Teleconnections*
Authors: Frauen Claudia , Dommenget Dietmar , Tyrrell Nicholas , Rezny Michael , Wales Scott
Published: May 2014

El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) has significant variations and nonlinearities in its pattern and strength. ENSO events vary in their position along the equator, with some located in the central Pacific (CP) and others in the east Pacific (EP). To study how these variations are reflected in global ENSO teleconnections, both observations and idealized atmospheric general circulation model (AGCM) simulations are analyzed. Clear nonlinearities exist in observed teleconnections of sea level pressure (SLP) and precipitation. However, it is difficult to distinguish if these are caused by the different signs, strengths, or spatial patterns of events (strong El Niño events mostly being EP events and strong La Niña events mostly being CP events) or by combinations of these. Therefore, sensitivity experiments are performed with an AGCM forced with idealized EP and CP ENSO sea surface temperature (SST) patterns with varying signs and strengths. The response is generally stronger for warm events than for cold events and the teleconnection patterns vary with changing SST anomaly patterns. EP events show stronger nonlinearities than CP events. The nonlinear responses to ENSO events can be explained as a combination of nonlinear responses to a linear ENSO (fixed pattern but varying signs and strengths) and a linear response to a nonlinear ENSO (varying patterns). Any observed event is a combination of these aspects. While in most tropical regions these add up, leading to stronger nonlinear responses than expected from the single components, in some regions they cancel each other, resulting in little overall nonlinearity. This leads to strong regional differences in ENSO teleconnections.
Scalability and Realist Climate Insights
Authors: Karlsson Rasmus , Symons Jonathan
Published: May 2014

Recent scientific findings have underscored the need for a rapid global decarbonization. Yet, atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases continue to rise despite vast investments in small-scale renewable energy. Meanwhile, the prolonged international climate negotiations have yet to deliver effective mitigation action. By problematizing the issue of scalability and taking into consideration a realist analysis of international relations, this article suggests 1) that national transitions to a low-carbon economy can only serve as stepping-stones to global decarbonization if they contribute to the development of scalable technologies that are significantly cheaper than existing fossil alternatives and 2) that the current diplomatic gridlock can only be broken by technological innovation that severs the link between economic prosperity and greenhouse gas emissions, and thus also severs the link between decarbonization and military power.
Not So Radical Historicism
Authors: Turner Stephen
Published: May 2014

Mark Bevir raises the question of how genealogy, understood as a technique-based radical historicism, and the notion of the contingency of ideas, ground “critique.” His problem is to avoid the relativism of radical historicism in a way that allows for “critique” without appealing to non-radical historicist absolutisms of the kind that ground the notion of false consciousness. He does so by appealing to the notion of motivated irrationality, which he claims avoids the problem of relativism and the problems of “false consciousness.” The genealogies of Nietzsche and Foucault, however, do not ground “critique.” The relevant normative judgments, of nobility in Nietzsche, for example, are presupposed.
Models and Credibility
Authors: Chao Hsiang-Ke
Published: May 2014

This article argues that the credibility of both theoretical and empirical models in economics is best understood through their connection with the empirical aspects of the real world. The discussion herein demonstrates that the similarity between the model and the real world is not enough to justify a theoretical model’s explanatory power. The best way to secure the model’s credibility is to prove the existence of representation theorems.
State-owned enterprise director training: a review of Canadian experiences
Authors: O’Neill Michael A.
Published: May 2014

This article surveys state-owned enterprise director training programmes in Canada at both the national and provincial levels. In Canada director training programmes have emerged to enable good private-sector corporate governance. This trend has been embraced by governments seeking to improve corporate governance among their state-owned enterprises. The article reviews the state of director training in Canadian state-owned enterprises. Considered are the programme delivery models and contents. The article highlights the specific nature of state-owned enterprise boards and how this affects the learning needs of their directors. Accordingly, the article underscores the necessity of providing directors who are new to state-owned enterprises training specific to the public sector. The article concludes by highlighting notable practices and how these may contribute to improving outcomes in public administrations.
Effective Scatterer Diameter Estimates for Broad Scatterer Size Distributions
Authors: Nordberg Eric P. , Hall Timothy J.
Published: May 2014

Acoustic form factors have been used to model the frequency dependence of acoustic scattering in phantoms and tissues. This work demonstrates that a broad range of scatterer sizes, individually well represented by Faran theory or a Gaussian form factor, is not accurately described by a single effective scatterer from either of these models. Contributions from a distribution of discrete scatterer sizes for two different form factor functions (Gaussian form factors and scattering functions from Faran’s theory) were calculated and linearly combined. Composite form factors created from Gaussian distributions of scatterer sizes centered at 50 µm with standard deviations of up to σ = 40 µm were fit to each scattering model between 2 and 12 MHz. Scatterer distributions were generated using one of two assumptions: the number density of the scatterer diameter distribution was Gaussian distributed, or the volume fraction of each scatterer diameter in the distribution was Gaussian distributed. Each simulated form factor was fit to a single-diameter form factor model for Gaussian and exponential form factors. The mean-squared error (MSE) between the composite simulated data and the best-fit single-diameter model was smaller with an exponential form factor model, compared with a Gaussian model, for distributions with standard deviations larger than 30% of the centroid value. In addition, exponential models were shown to have better ability to distinguish between Faran scattering model-based distributions with varying center diameters than the Gaussian form factor model. The evidence suggests that when little is known about the scattering medium, an exponential scattering model provides a better first approximation to the scattering correlation function for a broad distribution of spherically symmetric scatterers than when a Gaussian form factor model is assumed.
Compression in mixed ulcers: venous side
Authors: Mosti Giovanni
Published: May 2014

Introduction:

arterial involvement may coexist in about 15–30 of venous ulcers. In this case compression therapy maybe applied, only by expert caregivers, with a reduced pressure which must not overcome the arterial pressure at ankle and foot level. It remains to assess if such a reduced pressure may be effective also on the impaired venous hemodynamics. Aim of this paper is to present an overview of the data we have, showing the effects on venous hemodynamics of a reduced compression pressure.

Material and methods:

in different groups of patients affected by deep and superficial venous incompetence, venous reflux and ejection fraction (EF) from the lower leg were measured in baseline conditions, without any compression, and after application of different elastic and inelastic compression devices exerting different pressure ranges from 20 to 60 mm Hg. The compression pressure was always recorded simultaneously with venous reflux of EF assessment.

Results:

strong pressures show the greatest effect in reducing/abolishing venous reflux and increasing EF but also a reduced pressure in the range of 20 to 40 mm Hg is effective in improving venous hemodynamics provided inelastic materials are used.

Conclusions:

inelastic but not elastic materials exert a standing pressure which is significantly higher than in supine position even starting from a reduced supine pressure of 40 mm Hg which does not impair the arterial inflow. This strong pressure is able to reduce and even abolish the venous reflux and improve the EF up to restoring its normal range. A reduced or modified compression pressure is able to significantly improve the venous hemodynamics without affecting the arterial inflow in patients with mixed ulcers, provided inelastic materials are used.
Treatment strategies and clinical aspects of lower limb edema following peripheral bypass surgery
Authors: te Slaa Alexander , Dolmans Dennis , Ho Gwan , van der Laan Lijckle
Published: May 2014

In selected patients who suffer from severe peripheral artery disease (PAD) a revascularization with a peripheral bypass might be considered. Postoperative edema is a well-known phenomenon following peripheral bypass surgery and is probably caused by multiple factors. Although postoperative edema causes discomfort to patients, the effects on the quality of life are unknown. Treatment and preventive strategies should nonetheless aim at achieving a net absorption of fluid from the interstitial space into the vascular or lymphatic compartment. A brief summarization of treatment strategies of lower limb edema will be presented that include the use of compression stocking and intermittent pneumatic compression. So far, the postoperative application of compression stockings seem to prevent and reduce edema as much as possible. Quality of life improves slightly following peripheral bypass surgery. However, a contribution of edema on the quality of life could not be detected.
Cyanoacrylate adhesive perforator embolization (CAPE) of incompetent perforating veins of the leg, a feasibility study
Authors: Toonder Irwin M , Lam Yee Lai , Lawson James , Wittens Cees HA
Published: May 2014

Consideration of treating incompetent perforating veins remains a conundrum based on scientific evidence available till date. While subfascial endoscopic perforator surgery (SEPS) proved to be a worthy alternative for open surgery, other even less invasive techniques were being introduced by the late nineties of the last century. Percutaneous thermo-ablation techniques are still being used today and seem more effective than non-thermal techniques. However, thermal techniques require anaesthesia and potentially may cause inadvertent damage to surrounding tissues such as nerves. Cyanoacrylate adhesive has a proven record, but not for the treatment of chronic venous disease of the leg. Innovation has led to the development of the VenaSeal® Sapheon Closure System which has been designed to use a modified cyanoacrylate glue as a new therapy for truncal vein incompetence. This paper explores the feasibility of ultrasound guided cyanoacrylate adhesive perforator embolization (CAPE). Results show a 76% occlusion rate of incompetent perforating veins without serious complications leading to the conclusion that further investigation with a dedicated delivery device in a larger patient population is warranted.
Feasibility of identifying deep vein thrombosis characteristics with contrast enhanced MR-Venography
Authors: Arnoldussen CWKP , Strijkers RHW , Lambregts DMJ , Lahaye MJ , de Graaf R , Wittens CHA
Published: May 2014

Purpose

To assess the feasibility of identifying deep vein thrombosis characteristics with contrast enhanced magnetic resonance venography.

Materials and Methods

A total of 53 cases of deep vein thrombosis extending in and/or above the common femoral vein were evaluated by 4 independent observers (2 expert, 2 novice) using pre-determined characteristics to determine the thrombosis present to be acute, sub-acute or old. If present, chronic remnants of a previous deep vein thrombosis were reported. Additionally these image qualifications were compared to the reported duration of complaints.

Results

In all cases all observers were able to qualify the thrombosis. The interobserver agreement between the experts was excellent (kappa 0.97) and good between expert and novice (kappa 0.82). Thrombosis identified as acute had an average duration of complaints of 6,5 (2–13) days, sub‐acute 13 (8–18) days and old 22 (15–32) days.

Conclusion

Qualification of thrombosis as acute, sub-acute or old and identification of chronic remnants of DVT with CE-MRV using routinely identifiable characteristics is feasible and reproducible with good to excellent interobserver agreement.
Thrombectomy without lysis: the future?
Authors: Strijkers Rob HW , Arnoldussen Carsten WKP , Wittens Cees HA
Published: May 2014

The results of the CaVent-study and the expected results of the ATTRACT and CAVA trials will form the base of evidence to support that rapid cloth removal is beneficial for patients with iliofemoral DVT. Although beneficial, there are still significant risks associated with this therapy. Therefore alternative methods for rapid cloth removal without lysis are a potential valid alternative. In this article we describe the techniques currently available for thrombolysis and discuss the potential improvements to be made to clot removal techniques in the future.
The imaging spectrum of pulmonary tuberculosis
Authors: Cardinale Luciano , Parlatano Daniela , Boccuzzi Francesco , Onoscuri Maurizio , Volpicelli Giovanni , Veltri Andrea
Published: May 2014

Tuberculosis has still an important impact on public health because it is an important cause of death, particularly in developing countries.

On the other hand recent studies have shown that tuberculosis is again becoming concentrated in big cities of Western Europe, especially among immigrants, drug addicts, poor people, and the homeless, despite progress in reducing national rates of the disease.

Diagnostic imaging is challenging for radiologists because signs of tuberculosis may easily mimic other diseases such as neoplasms or sarcoidosis. Clinical signs and symptoms in affected adults can be non-specific and a high level of pre-test clinical suspicion based on history is fundamental in the diagnostic work-up. Impact of tuberculosis in the world is extremely important considering the high incidence estimated during 2011 that was 8.7 million cases. This article gives a review of imaging patterns of chest tuberculosis as may be detected on conventional radiography and computerized tomography (CT). The main aim is to improve radiologist’s familiarity with the spectrum of imaging features of this disease and facilitate timely diagnosis. Furthermore, we consider the emerging role of alternative methods of imaging, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), that can be helpful and highly accurate for a better definition of some signs of tuberculosis.
Subclinical hypothyroidism: Comparison of adhesion molecule levels before and after levothyroxine therapy
Authors: Bilgir Ferda , Bilgir Oktay , Calan Mehmet , Calan Ozlem , Isikyakar Tolgay
Published: May 2014

Objective

Adhesion molecules are involved in inflammation, atherosclerosis and malignancy. This study measured levels of adhesion molecules before and after levothyroxine therapy in patients with subclinical hypothyroidism (SHO).

Methods

Levels of soluble (s) intracellular adhesion molecule (ICAM)-1, s vascular cell adhesion molecule (sVCAM) VCAM-1 and sE-selectin were analysed in patients diagnosed with SHO, prior to administration of 50 µg/day levothyroxine orally for 3 months. Subsequently, levels of sICAM-1, sVCAM-1 and sE-selectin were reanalysed then compared with the pretreatment levels.

Results

In 30 patients with SHO, levels of sICAM-1 were found to be significantly higher than those in healthy controls, ( P = 0.001). Post-treatment sICAM-1 levels were significantly lower than pretreatment levels ( P = 0.001). No significant differences were found in sVCAM-1 or sE-selectin levels between healthy controls and patients with SHO before treatment, or between patients with SHO pre- and post-treatment.

Conclusions

Patients with SHO had significantly higher levels of sICAM-1 compared with controls. Levels became normal after treatment with levothyroxine. These findings emphasize the need for levothyroxine therapy in cases of SHO to normalize sICAM-1 levels. Such treatment helps to prevent the future development of atherosclerosis or cancer.
What Can We Learn From Assisted Bicycle Training in a Girl With Dystrophinopathy? A Case Study
Authors: Huijben Jilske , Jansen Merel , Ginjaar Ieke B , Lammens Martin , van Putten Maaike , van Alfen Nens , de Groot Imelda JM
Published: May 2014

In this case study, a 9-year-old ambulatory girl with dystrophinopathy due to a mosaic translocation mutation participated in dynamic training. Because the role of exercise is unclear in both boys and girls with dystrophinopathy, a recently developed assisted bicycle training regimen was evaluated for its feasibility and effectiveness in this girl. The girl trained at home, first 15 minutes with her legs and then 15 minutes with her arms, 5 times a week, for 24 weeks. This case study showed that the training was feasible and safe. In addition, we found that no physical deterioration occurred during the training period: the Motor Function Measure and the Assisted 6-Minute Cycling Test results remained stable. Slight improvements in quantitative muscle ultrasound intensity were found, indicating less fatty infiltration in the muscles. These results suggest that physical training could be beneficial in females with dystrophinopathy who express low levels of dystrophin.
John Locke on madness: redressing the intellectualist bias
Authors: Charland Louis C
Published: May 2014

Locke is famous for defining madness as an intellectual disorder in the realm of ideas. Numerous commentators take this to be his main and only contribution to the history of psychiatry. However, a detailed exegetical review of all the relevant textual evidence suggests that this intellectualist interpretation of Locke’s account of madness is both misleading and incomplete. Affective states of various sorts play an important role in that account and are in fact primordial in the determination of human conduct generally. Locke’s legacy in this domain must therefore be revised and the intellectualist bias that dominates discussions of his views must be redressed.
Increased myo-inositol in parietal white and gray matter as a biomarker of poor prognosis in neuropsychiatric lupus: a case report
Authors: Guillen-Del Castillo A , Alonso J , Martínez-Valle F , Alonso-Vila S , Garrido-Castro AC , Vilardell-Tarrés M , Rovira Á , Ordi-Ros J
Published: May 2014

Neuropsychiatric manifestations can be a serious complication of systemic lupus erythematosus, affecting nearly 56% of these patients. Frequently, acceptable clinical outcome is observed in neurolupus with immunosuppressive therapy. Different metabolites identified with MR spectroscopy may be associated with modifications in the natural history of this disease, specifically in the central nervous system. We report a case of neurolupus with progressive neurologic impairment despite aggressive immunosuppressive treatment. We describe clinical features, laboratory and MRI results, as well as characteristic findings on MR spectroscopy. Serial MRI identified atrophy of the left temporal lobe. MR spectroscopy showed an increase of myo-inositol/creatine ratio intensity, accompanied by a decrease of N-acetylaspartate/creatine ratio in both parietal white and gray matter. During follow-up, the patient developed progressive cognitive deficiency despite the intensification of therapy. Neurolupus manifestations are common and immunosuppressive treatment often avoids severe complications. Characteristic findings on MR spectroscopy may be useful for clinicians to determine poor prognosis and resistance to therapy.
Public Sector Disinvestment in India
Authors: Sehgal Sanjay , Kumar Muneesh , Gupta Priyanshi
Published: May 2014

This study examines the stock market performance of Indian state-owned public sector units (PSUs), which were privatized through initial public offerings (IPOs) and further public offerings (FPOs). The analysis of stock price reaction is conducted for different event dates related to these offerings, that is, public notice date (PND), issue announcement date (IAD), price band/actual issue date (PAD), and the offer price date (OFD). The study also compares the price reaction for IPO and FPO issues. Furthermore, as the public sector equity offerings are generally sold at a discount, we also empirically analyze the degree of underpricing of such offerings. The study uses event methodology for 18 PSUs that made FPOs between 2002 and early 2013. The results report positive abnormal returns (ARs) (i.e., excess returns over and above the expected returns) after the primary offerings (IPO) of the equity. Furthermore, it was observed that in the case of first-stage further offerings (FPO-1), positive ARs are observed prior to the public notification of such offering followed by negative price reaction until the date declaration of offer price. For second-stage further public offerings (FPO-2), negative ARs (i.e., when actual returns are less than expected returns) after the public notification continue even after the date of stock offering. The price discounts on PSU issues exhibit a declining trend from IPO to successive stages of FPOs. Based on the empirical analysis, we recommend that the disinvestment should be spread over three stages of offerings, that is, primary issue (IPO), first-stage further offerings (FPO-1), and second-stage further offerings (FPO-2). In addition, selection of investment bankers and market timing needs special consideration. Furthermore, the regulatory surveillance needs to be strengthened to check the presence of ARs even before the event dates.
Trends in Prescription Drug Spending Leading Up to Health Reform
Authors: Blavin Fredric , Waidmann Timothy , Blumberg Linda J. , Roth Jeremy
Published: May 2014

Over the past decade, prescription drug expenditures grew faster than any other service category and comprised an increasing share of per capita health spending. Using the 2005 and 2009 Medical Expenditure Panel Surveys, this analysis identifies the sources of spending growth for prescription drugs among the nonelderly population. We find that prescription drug expenditures among the nonelderly increased by $14.9 billion (9.2%) from 2005 to 2009 and expenditures increased in 12 out of the 16 therapeutic classes. Changes in the number of users and expenditures per fill were the drivers of spending fluctuations in these categories. The main results also provide insight into generic entry, the price gap between brand and generic drugs, and from a health reform evaluation perspective, the importance of separating prepolicy secular trends in expenditures from changes attributable to specific forces, such as shifts toward generic versions of blockbuster drugs.
Urban Homicide in the United States, 1980-2010
Authors: Chilton Roland , Chambliss William J.
Published: May 2014

Using Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) mortality and census data with Supplementary Homicide Reports, we compare 25- and 30-year homicide trends for four age-race-sex categories in 172 U.S. cities. The comparisons indicate that one of the most salient aspects of homicide in the United States from 1980 to 2010 was the disproportionate involvement of young Black men as homicide victims and offenders. The persistence of these rates before, during, and after a sharp rise followed by a dramatic drop in the overall rates suggests the need for a focus on specific explanations for this aspect of urban homicide.
Medical Resource Value Appraisal for Leucojum aestivum in Turkey
Authors: Demir Aynur
Published: May 2014

In this study, we investigate the medical and economical value of Leucojum aestivum. Leucojum aestivum contains the alkaloid galanthamine, which is one of the main active substances in Reminyl, a commonly used drug for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). In this analysis, we estimate that there are 13 million mild to moderate patients with Alzheimer’s who use Reminyl. Our results suggest that the market change value of L aestivum required for 1 unit of Reminyl is US$62. The value of total change of galanthamine and L aestivum is estimated to be US$18.6 billion per year. Alzheimer’s drugs that use L aestivum are relatively expensive, ranging in cost from US$183 to more than US$400 per month. The minimum annual cost of this is US$2196 per person for “patients with mild and moderate stage AD.” The using value of 6 million units of L aestivum bulbs, which is the amount exported from Turkey, is estimated to be US$27 million per year. The determined value for L aestivum is equivalent to the value of a rare flower that can be used to treat the serious illness of AD.
Plasma levels of active Von Willebrand factor are increased in patients with first ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction: A multicenter and multiethnic study
Authors: Rutten B , Maseri A , Cianflone D , Laricchia A , Cristell NA , Durante A , Spartera M , Ancona F , Limite L , Hu D , Li H , Uren NG , de Groot PG , Mannucci PM , Roest M
Published: May 2014

Aims:

Von Willebrand factor (VWF), a key player in hemostasis and thrombosis, is released from endothelial cells during inflammation. Upon release, VWF is processed by ADAMTS13 into an inactive conformation. The aim of our study was to investigate whether plasma levels of active VWF, total VWF, ADAMTS13, osteoprotegerin (OPG) and the ratios between VWF and ADAMTS13 are risk factors for first ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI).

Methods and results:

We assessed 1026 patients with confirmed first STEMI and 652 control subjects from China, Italy and Scotland, within six hours after their cardiovascular event. Median plasma levels of total VWF, active VWF, OPG and ratios VWF/ADAMTS13 were increased, while plasma levels of ADAMTS13 were decreased in patients compared to controls. The odds ratio (OR) of STEMI in patients with high plasma levels of active VWF was 2.3 (interquartile range (IQR): 1.8–2.9), total VWF was 1.8 (1.4–2.3), ADAMTS13 was 0.6 (05–0.8), OPG was 1.6 (1.2–2.0) and high VWF/ADAMTS13 ratios was 1.5 (1.2–2.0). The OR for total VWF, active VWF and ratios VWF/ADAMTS13 remained significant after adjustment for established risk factors, medical treatment, C-reactive protein, total VWF, ADAMTS13 and OPG. When we adjusted for levels of active VWF, the significance of the OR for VWF and ratios VWF/ADAMTS13 disappeared while the OR for active VWF remained significant.

Conclusions:

We found evidence that plasma levels of active VWF are an independent risk factor for first STEMI in patients from three different ethnic groups. Our findings confirm the presence of VWF abnormalities in patients with STEMI and may be used to develop new therapeutic approaches.
Educational Transformations and Why Sociology Should Care
Authors: Renzulli Linda
Published: May 2014

Contemporary educational institutions are undergoing simultaneous and contradictory transformations in decentralization and standardization. Such change should force us to step back from the schoolhouse doors, examine the institution of education more broadly, and delineate the ways in which it intersects with other institutional domains. Neo-liberal logics are pushing politicians and educators to embrace “local control” of schooling in the form of charter schools and homeschooling. Conversely, standardization in curriculum and teaching to the test are rampant. In this article, I highlight these contradictory educational pulls and call for scholars across specialty areas to collect pertinent data, generate new and synthetic theoretical frameworks, and embed our understanding of education in broader institutional, organizational, and political concerns.
Long term follow up and retrospective study on 533 gastric cancer cases
Authors: Zeng Wei-Juan , Hu Wen-Qin , Wang Lin-Wei , Yan Shu-Guang , Li Jian-Ding , Zhao Hao-Liang , Peng Chun-Wei , Yang Gui-Fang , Li Yan
Published: May 2014

Background

Gastric cancer (GC) is the third leading cause of cancer death in China and the outcome of GC patients is poor. The aim of the research is to study the prognostic factors of gastric cancer patients who had curative intent or palliative resection, completed clinical database and follow-up.

Methods

This retrospective study analyzed 533 GC patients from three tertiary referral teaching hospitals from January 2004 to December 2010 who had curative intent or palliative resection, complete clinical database and follow-up information. The GC-specific overall survival (OS) status was determined by the Kaplan-Meier method, and univariate analysis was conducted to identify possible factors for survival. Multivariate analysis using the Cox proportional hazard model and a forward regression procedure was conducted to define independent prognostic factors.

Results

By the last follow-up, the median follow-up time of 533 GC patients was 38.6 mo (range 6.9-100.9 mo), and the median GC-specific OS was 25.3 mo (95% CI: 23.1-27.4 mo). The estimated 1-, 2-, 3- and 5-year GC-specific OS rates were 78.4%, 61.4%, 53.3% and 48.4%, respectively. Univariate analysis identified the following prognostic factors: hospital, age, gender, cancer site, surgery type, resection type, other organ resection, HIPEC, LN status, tumor invasion, distant metastases, TNM stage, postoperative SAE, systemic chemotherapy and IP chemotherapy. In multivariate analysis, seven factors were identified as independent prognostic factors for long term survival, including resection type, HIPEC, LN status, tumor invasion, distant metastases, postoperative SAE and systemic chemotherapy.

Conclusions

Resection type, HIPEC, postoperative SAE and systemic chemotherapy are four independent prognostic factors that could be intervened for GC patients for improving survival.
Spatial primitives and knowledge organization in planning and architecture: some experimental notes
Authors: Borri Dino , Camarda Domenico , Stufano Rossella
Published: May 2014

Cities and territories share structural references to a common environmental ontology, in which space perception and representation play a major role. Many human abilities deal with space management, whose ontology can be useful in building intelligent machines in which space conceptualization plays a fundamental role. Space organizing is an important human ability, in which sensorial and mental abilities intriguingly interact. The analysis of human intelligent abilities in this functional perspective helps in shedding light on aspects otherwise erroneously given for granted. Human agents conceptualize, design and organize spaces for human organizations, for example in architectural design, by using numerous routine and non-routine cognitive processes often analysed. Yet automated reasoning/design agents still provide only bad copies of human performances . Here, creativity is postulated as a non-routine sophisticated human cognitive function, a conscious and intentional process for redefining agents’ situations in the world in new ways. Even if the concept of creativity remains controversial, an increasing number of cognitive scientists considers creativity as a specific part of the ordinary cognitive equipment of the human agent, to be used in certain situations, not confined to a limited set of exceptional human agents .In this context, we assume that it is worthwhile adding spatial domain to the other domains of creativity studied in cognitive science. We also assume that space understanding and space organizing can be fruitfully analyzed and modelled by paying attention to both routine and non-routine (creative) cognitive functions. The domain of civil architecture is a relevant domain of spatial knowledge and action and of course of spatial organization. In it, aesthetics and art, based on creativity mechanisms, play an important role. Studies on architectural creativity based on self-biographies by leading architects (who usually motivate their designs with memories of other designs or spaces, or architectures, experienced by them in the past) prove that spatial memory has primary importance on creativity.

The paper carries out an introductory discussion on such issues, by analysing the case studies of single-agent and multi-agent spatial organizations under the level of spatial design. The paper explores possible modelling approaches and system architectures supporting cognition-oriented activities in spatial organizations.
Nature is (a) mine: conceptions of nature in the Dutch ecogenomics community
Authors: Van der Hout Sanne
Published: May 2014

Every field of science, but especially biology, contains particular conceptions of nature. These conceptions are not merely epistemological or ontological, but also have normative dimensions; they provide anethos, a framework for moral orientation. These normative dimensions, whilst often remaining ‘hidden’ and inarticulate, influence the way in which biologists practice their profession. In this paper, I explore what happens when different versions of these implicit normative frameworks collide. To do so, I will focus on a case study from the field of ecological genomics as it has evolved in one particular country, namely the Netherlands. During an important inaugural meeting, the director of one of the most sizeable Dutch ecogenomics centres gave a presentation in which he introduced the term ‘nature mining’. Part of the audience immediately embraced the term, but others were very reluctant. This mixed response is generally explained as a culmination of growing tension about the future direction of the field: due to new funding demands, a shift had occurred from fundamental research to research more interested in ‘valorisation’.

In addition to this current interpretation, I will argue that the turmoil caused by the use of the term ‘nature mining’ also reveals a more fundamental difference between the various parties involved in the Dutch ecogenomics community. This term is part of a vocabulary that emphasises the beneficial ‘goods’ produced by nature. Whereas part of the audience saw no harm in this commodification of nature, others had difficulties with the reduction of nature to a reservoir to be exploited using the latest technologies. I will conclude by arguing that, although at present, the core of Dutch ecogenomics research reflects a more or less instrumental attitude towards nature, the field also harbours other interpretations of nature as a significant and meaningful order. For instance, ecogenomics might further develop the image of land as a ‘collective organism’, as proposed by Aldo Leopold.
High-resolution acoustic impedance inversion to characterize turbidites at Marlim Field, Campos Basin, Brazil
Authors: Nascimento Tatiane M. , Menezes Paulo T. L. , Braga Igor L.
Published: May 2014

Seismic inversion is routinely used to determine rock properties, such as acoustic impedance and porosity, from seismic data. Nonuniqueness of the solutions is a major issue. A good strategy to reduce this inherent ambiguity of the inversion procedure is to introduce stratigraphic and structural information a priori to better construct the low-frequency background model. This is particularly relevant when studying heterogeneous deepwater turbidite reservoirs that form prolific, but complex, hydrocarbon plays in the Brazilian offshore basins. We evaluated a high-resolution inversion workflow applied to 3D seismic data at Marlim Field, Campos Basin, to recover acoustic impedance and porosity of the turbidites reservoirs. The Marlim sandstones consist of an Oligocene/Miocene deepwater turbidite system forming a series of amalgamated bodies. The main advantage of our workflow is to incorporate the interpreter’s knowledge about the local stratigraphy to construct an enhanced background model, and then extract a higher resolution image from the seismic data. High-porosity zones were associated to the reservoirs facies; meanwhile, the nonreservoir facies were identified as low-porosity zones.
A Framework to Bridge the Gaps Between Evidence-Based Medicine, Health Outcomes, and Improvement and Implementation Science
Authors: Djulbegovic Benjamin
Published: May 2014

Enhancing application of evidence-based medicine along with rigorous monitoring of quality of care is the key to improvement of the current unsatisfactory situation. However, calls to improve use of evidence-based interventions remain unheeded.
Institute of Medicine Report on Delivery of High-Quality Cancer Care
Authors: Ganz Patricia A.
Published: May 2014

The Institute of Medicine saw a cancer care system in crisis. This article highlights the key findings of its report and recommendations.
Implementation of a Hospital-Based Quality Assessment Program for Rectal Cancer
Authors: Hendren Samantha , McKeown Ellen , Morris Arden M. , Wong Sandra L. , Oerline Mary , Poe Lyndia , Campbell Darrell A. , Birkmeyer Nancy J.
Published: May 2014

A program linking tumor registry data to quality-improvement data for rectal cancer quality assessment was successfully implemented in 10 hospitals. This program can serve as a template for organizations interested in improving the quality of rectal cancer care.
The Changing Face of Research in Community Practice
Authors: Zon Robin T. , Bruinooge Suanna S. , Lyss Alan P.
Published: May 2014

The historical strengths of community-based research and dedication to improving patients outcomes and cancer care experience provide the perseverance to face uncertainties such as advances in science and technology, changes in practice environment, and demonstrating quality and value-based performance.
Old Left, New Class: Literary Anxiety in the Consumers’ Republic
Authors: Darda Joseph
Published: May 2014

In the post-New Deal era, the social location of the intellectual became one of paradox and anxiety. Understood as integral to a cultural center, organizing society through the dissemination of ideas, intellectual work emerged as the unlocatable nucleus of US culture. Three recent monographs in different ways speak to this transitional and contradictory period in American literary production: Stephen Schryer’s Fantasies of the New Class: Ideologies of Professionalism in Post-World War II American Fiction (2011), Michael Szalay’s Hip Figures: A Literary History of the Democratic Party (2012), and Alan M. Wald’s American Night: The Literary Left in the Era of the Cold War (2012). Whereas Schryer and Szalay address the fiction of and for the emerging professional-managerial class, Wald considers the transformation and suppression of the pro-Communist literary Left during the forties and fifties. They all nonetheless engage with what Lizabeth Cohen terms the postwar “Consumers’ Republic,” in which “good consumer” became synonymous with “good citizen.” What is the cultural work of literary fiction in a milieu in which nothing, it seems, exists outside the terms of commodity exchange? These studies trace this anxiety through the mid-century decades in which the dream of the Old Left met the fantasy of the new class.
Straightforward Synthesis of Levulinic Acid Ester from Lignocellulosic Biomass Resources
Authors: Nemoto Koji , Tominaga Ken-ichi , Sato Kazuhiko
Published: May 2014

Use of a combination of Brønsted acid and Lewis acid directly afforded methyl levulinate in good yield from various raw lignocellulosic biomass resources.
The Distribution of Wealth and the MPC: Implications of New European Data
Authors: Carroll Christopher D. , Slacalek Jiri , Tokuoka Kiichi
Published: May 2014

Using a standard, realistically calibrated model of buffer-stock saving with transitory and permanent income shocks, we study how cross-country differences in the wealth distribution and household income dynamics affect the marginal propensity to consume out of transitory shocks (MPC). Across the 15 countries in our sample, we find that the aggregate consumption response ranges between 0.1 and 0.4 and is stronger (i) in economies with large wealth inequality, where a larger proportion of households has little wealth, (ii) under larger transitory income shocks, and (iii) when we consider households only use liquid assets (rather than net wealth) to smooth consumption.
A Tale of Two Stimulus Payments: 2001 versus 2008
Authors: Kaplan Greg , Violante Giovanni L.
Published: May 2014

Fiscal stimulus payments (i.e., direct lump-sum payments from the government to households) were used in the recessions of 2001 and 2008 in an attempt to simultaneously alleviate households' economic hardship and stimulate aggregate demand. Despite the similarities between the two stimulus policies, there were important differences in both their design and the prevailing economic conditions. We use the model of Kaplan and Violante (2013) to compare the consumption response to these policies. Consistent with empirical evidence from microdata, we find that the consumption response was around one-third lower in 2008, primarily due to the larger size of the payments.
Treatment Effects and Informative Missingness with an Application to Bank Recapitalization Programs
Authors: Vossmeyer Angela
Published: May 2014

This article develops a Bayesian framework for estimating multivariate treatment effect models in the presence of sample selection. The methodology is applied to a banking study that evaluates the effectiveness of lender of last resort (LOLR) policies and their ability to resuscitate the financial system. This paper employs a novel bank-level dataset from the Reconstruction Finance Corporation, and jointly models a bank's decision to apply for a loan, the LOLR's decision to approve the loan, and the bank's performance a few years after the disbursements. This framework offers practical estimation tools to unveil new answers to important regulatory questions.
Macroeconomic Consequences of Population Aging in the United States: Overview of a National Academy Report
Authors: Lee Ronald D.
Published: May 2014

The US population will age rapidly for several decades and then more slowly, with less aging than most rich nations. Health of the elderly has greatly improved, but disability stagnated after 2000. Retirement age reversed its decline in the mid-1990s and health status leaves ample room for increased elder labor supply. Many older people have inadequate retirement savings and face additional risks including uncertainty about both public and private pensions and health insurance. Population aging may cause a small decline in rates of return. The main problem is the impact of population aging on public programs for the elderly.