bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Dragonhead Cyclone in the Falkland Islands has Double Cote's Spiral
Authors: Gobato Ricardo , Mitra Abhijt , Ahmed Sana
Published: April 2024

Extratropical cyclones are common in the South Atlantic. They generally arise with the passage of cold fronts to the south of the South American continent, crossing the south of Chile and Argentina, in the regions of Puerto Natales, Punta Arenas (Chile), Rio Galegos, Rio Grande, El Calafate and Ushuaia (Argentina). The extratropical cyclone analyzed presented at its peak the very characteristic shape of a Chinese dragon. Many others were also analyzed. They present a mathematical form of a double Cotes Spiral curve. Here called the Dragonhead cyclone (DC), indicate a structural similarity with spiral galaxies, especially NGC 5247, in the constellation Virgo. With an area of influence and a size of around 3,247 thousand km2 at its peak, it moved quickly in a WNW direction, with an average speed of 76 km/h, with winds of 84 km/h at 100 km from the nucleus, as it passed north of the Falkland Islands (Malvinas Islands). In the data collected (Gobato et al., 2018-2023), and analyzed from the Dragonhead cyclone, it is clear that all extratropical cyclones that appear south of the South American continent, below 40° latitude,  have the shape of a spiral curve, like the spiral galaxy. Most of these are in the form of a double Cote’s spiral curve.
Man-Made Disasters in India
Authors: Kumar Vinod
Published: April 2024

Man-made disasters are major causes of premature death, impaired health status and diminished quality of life. Disaster can be defined as an occurrence that causes damage, ecological disruption, loss of human life or deterioration of health on a large scale sufficient to warrant an extra ordinary response from outside the affected community or area. A hazard is any phenomenon that has the potential to cause a disaster or cause disruption or damage to people and environment. There are many types of disasters beyond those that are usually considered “natural”. The relative number of injuries and deaths differ, depending on a number of factors such as type of disaster, the density and distribution of population, condition of environment, degree of preparedness and the opportunity of warning. This present study focuses on man-made disasters in India.
Features of taxation of rational environmental management as a factor of sustainable growth in Russia
Authors: Kilevnik Mariya Nikolaevna , Zima Danil Aleksandrovich
Published: April 2024

The article is devoted to the study of the problems of fiscal regulation of the rational use of natural resources to achieve the goals of sustainable economic growth and improve the quality of life of the population. According to official statistics, it should be noted that it is difficult to identify individual problems on the impact of direct taxation of the use of natural resources on the effectiveness of environmental management in Russia. Great practical importance in theoretical and applied economics is attached to strengthening the environmental component in taxation. The purpose of the study was to analyze the prospects for the development of the implemented directions of the tax policy of rational environmental management to ensure the environmental safety of Russia. In modern tax systems, a separate aspect highlights the directions of tax regulation of the use of natural resources, providing a fiscally significant effect on budget revenues at all levels and increasing the environmental potential of rational environmental management. Various general scientific methods were used in the research process, including: abstract-logical, comparative analysis, generalization, as well as tabular and graphical methods. When studying the practical experience of tax regulation of effective environmental management, SWOT analysis methods, as well as variable and trend analysis are used. The authors provide a systematic analysis of the practice of ensuring budget revenues of the subjects of the Russian Federation and their compliance with the policy of rational environmental management, as well as determining the causal relationship of the considered features of taxation of the use of natural resources in Russia. The procedure for taxation of environmental management is important for the formation of fiscal sustainability and ensuring high efficiency of tax policy in the field of rational environmental management. The state policy of taxation of environmental management should be based on the principle of preserving the interest of investors in investments in environmental protection measures, providing tax incentives and preferences for the introduction of new waste-free production technologies. The prospects for further development of tax regulation of effective environmental management should be aimed at activating public-private partnerships by stimulating private investment in the creation of new and modernization of existing assets of the "green" economy, as well as optimizing environmental monitoring.
La disolución del primer Congreso Constituyente mexicano: un análisis de discursos
Authors: Viñuela Pérez Rebeca
Published: April 2024

Objective/Context: This text analyses the assembly debates that preceded the dissolution of the first Mexican Constituent Congress in 1822. The research focuses on the ideological context that gave rise to the idea of dissolution. It examines the language and arguments used to defend or question the continuity of the national representative body of the First Empire. Methodology: For this purpose, the minutes of the Congress will be studied from the end of August, when the “republican” conspiracies against the government of Agustín de Iturbide took place, until its dissolution at the end of October. Through dialogue with various contemporary publications, the proceedings will be contextualised within the currents of liberal thought that fed political debates at the time. Originality: In recent years, thanks to the celebration of the Bicentennial of Independence, historiography has developed research on the period of the First Mexican Empire. However, there is still a long way to go to understand how the theoretical foundations that articulated a constitutional monarchy as the first project of a nation-state in Mexico were forged. Through unpublished sources and a reflection in dialogue with recent historiographical contributions, this article deepens the analysis of the political thought that sought to imagine an empire based on the foundations of political liberalism at the beginning of the nineteenth century. Conclusion: The idea of dissolution, far from being a unilateral decision by Iturbide’s government, resulted from a dialogue between different factions and political interests. Its argumentation was always based on the new constitutional language.
Entre historia y literatura: las mediaciones míticas en los lenguajes políticos del indigenismo en el Perú (1919-1928)
Authors: Osorio Juan David
Published: April 2024

Objective/context: The decade of the 1920s witnessed a significant transformation in Peruvian political culture with the widespread recognition of the indigenous problem as a socioeconomic phenomenon, which paved the way for new political languages. This article aims to recover the role of myth in the Peruvian indigenista debate during this period. Specifically, it delves into the literary polemic of indigenismo in 1927, focusing on how intellectuals from Lima, Cusco, and Puno bestowed their arguments with legitimacy, effectively intertwining literature and history through the incorporation of mythical elements. Methodology: The study proposes an examination of the arguments put forth by indigenista intellectuals using the tools of conceptual history, drawing heavily from Hans Blumenberg’s work on myth. This theoretical framework helps uncover the semantic foundations of Peruvian indigenist’s language and sheds light on the historical temporalities of their political projects. Originality: This article advances a novel analysis of the intellectual field by reinterpreting primary sources related to the 1927 indigenismo polemic, reconstructing synchronic languages on national identity, and highlighting the role of myth as a significant rhetorical device. By exploring how supporters of indigenismo creatively employed myth to imagine the past and mobilize politically, this study uncovers previously overlooked conceptual shifts and their mythical underpinnings. Conclusions: The study argues that myth played a crucial role in shaping the political language of a new generation of Peruvian intellectuals. Indigenismo facilitated the emergence of novel conceptual frameworks that interrogated national identity, accelerated expectations of change, and incorporated mythical elements from indigenous experiences, including rebellions in the south and the activities of the Comité Pro-Derecho Indígena Tahuantinsuyo. Concepts such as nation and socialism were democratized and imbued with mythical significance, reflecting the diverse temporalities within the indigenista movement.
“Aves de toda especie”: representaciones sociales de la homosexualidad en la prensa en Antioquia, Colombia, 1960-2000
Authors: Correa Montoya Guillermo Antonio , Carmona García Omar Julián
Published: April 2024

Objective/Context: This article explores, from the perspective of cultural history, the social representations produced by the press about homosexuality in Antioquia (Colombia) during the second half of the twentieth century. In doing so, it aims to approach the figure of the sexual monster, the ridiculous homosexual, the infectious “faggot”, the individual explainable by science, and the subject who conquers its citizenship and disputes its rights. Methodology: The discourses and representations of homosexuality in the newspapers Sucesos Sensacionales, El Colombiano and the radio newspaper El Clarín were identified; an interpretative matrix was constructed by cross-referencing cultural elements of the context with journalistic representations. Originality: The period 1960-2000 corresponds to an unexplored period on the subject. Its revision is articulated with the observation of previous and parallel representations of the processes of homosexual liberation and the conquest of rights: the decades of 1960-1970, the emergence of hiv/aids in 1980, and the appearance of a series of social organizations around the anti-aids struggle in the 1990s accompanied by the juridical-political path traced by social movements. Conclusion: During this period, a homosexual subject emerges who, in addition to being outlined by the media, begins to postulate an image of himself that tensions the field of representations. Despite pointing to changes associated with freedoms and rights, the novelties in the press - influenced by international and local contexts and contested by everyday practices that claimed sex/gender dissidence - also pose a conservative counter-response that reinstates old ghosts and prejudices. Thus, this is not a linear and progressive history that moves from darkness to light, that is, from a dark past of violence and denial to the conquest of rights, but reflects diverse continuities and simultaneities in the representation of homosexuality.
Testimoniar una guerra ajena, 1958-2022 : prácticas de memoria de excombatientes y descendientes colombianos en la Guerra de Corea (1950-1954)
Authors: León Cabrera Gina Catherine
Published: April 2024

Objective/Context: Based on the categories of practices and social frameworks of memory, this article analyses the testimonies of ex-combatants and descendants of the Batallón Colombia, a contingent of the Colombian Army that participated in the Korean War (1950-1954). It reconstructs the contexts in which these narratives of the past were produced, the public they addressed and their transformations over time. The analysis covers the period between 1958, when the first veterans’ association was founded, and the collection of testimonies in 2021 and 2022. Methodology: To account for the above, we used qualitative techniques, such as memory workshops and interviews with ex-combatants and relatives identified through the associations of veterans and family members or descendants. Originality: The research is based on aspects that are not usually contemplated by historiography, such as testimonial analysis, which shows how ex-combatants and descendants describe their participation in the Korean War, the enunciation places of their stories, the changing historical contexts in which they move and the uses of these ways of naming the past. Conclusions: The analysis allows us to account for the historicity and transformation of how direct and indirect witnesses of this war—whose memories do not play an important role in the public debate—narrate the past and show the role of identity and social demand played by the testimonies in forming social organizations.
Phase stability and thermo-physical properties of Laves-Co2(Hf Ta) alloys
Authors: Ding Ning , Ni Xiao-Dong , Tian Fu-Yang ,   Institute for Applied Physics, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, China
Published: April 2024

There exists still the controversy over the stable structure of Laves-phase Co2(Hf Ta) alloys with the C14, C15 or C36 structures. In this study, the stability, electronic and thermodynamic properties of Laves-phase Co2(Hf Ta) are investigated. In order to fully understand the influence of magnetic state and temperature on phase stability, we systematically study the free energy change at finite temperature, elastic stability, and phonon dispersion. The low Curie temperature can be estimated, which suggests that the Co2(Hf Ta) alloys possess the paramagnetic state in a wide temperature range. Results indicate that the lattice vibration and electronic excitation have an important effect on the phase stability. The ground state of Co2Hf compound has a C14-type structure, while the ground state of Co2Ta has a C36-type structure, without the effect of temperature. After doping Hf with different concentrations (0.25, 0.50, 0.75) into Co2Ta, the most stable structure still possesses the C36-type structure. After considering the contribution of vibration entropy and electron entropy, the relatively stable structures of Co2Hf and Co2Ta undergo the C36 and C14 phase transition, respectively. In addition, the thermodynamic properties, including Debye temperature, heat capacity, and vibration entropy, which vary with pressure and temperature, are studied. The electronic properties of Co2Hf and Co2Ta compounds are analyzed by the charge difference and density of states. The similar electronic density of states between different phases suggest that the Lave phases have the similar stability. The Hf-Co bonding with a certain direction is revealed. Our results are of great significance in understanding the structure and properties of Co2Hf and Co2Ta compounds.
Numerical simulation of single-particle transients in low-noise amplifiers based on silicon-germanium heterojunction bipolar transistors and inverse-mode structures
Authors: Huang Xin-Yu , Zhang Jin-Xin , Wang Xin , Lü Ling , Guo Hong-Xia , Feng Juan , Yan Yun-Yi , Wang Hui , Qi Jun-Xiang ,   School of Aerospace Science and Technology, Xidian University, Xi’an 710049, China,   Xinjiang Technical Institute of Physics & Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, China,   Northwest Institute of Nuclear Technology, Xi’an 710024, China
Published: April 2024

In this work, TCAD simulation modeling is carried out for silicon-germanium heterojunction bipolar transistor (SiGe HBT), and an X-band low noise amplifier (LNA) circuit is built based on the SiGe HBT device model to carry out the hybrid simulation of single-particle transient (SET). The rule of SET pulse varying with LET value and incident angle of ions is studied, and the results show that with the increase of incident LET value, the amplitude of SET pulse at the LNA port increases, and the oscillation time is prolonged; with the increase of incident angle of ions, the amplitude of SET pulse at the LNA port first increases and then decreases, and the oscillation time decreases. With the development of the characterization process, the cutoff frequency (fT) and the maximum oscillation frequency (fMAX) of SiGe HBT device with IM structure, are measured considering the use of inverse-mode (IM) common emitter and common-base structures (Cascode) to reduce the sensitivity of the LNAs to single-particle effects. This work calibrates the devices of the TCAD platform as well as the devices of the ADS platform, establishes F-F LNAs as well as I-F LNAs on the ADS, respectively, and verifies the relevant RF performances of the LNA circuits by using the IM-structured SiGe HBTs as the core devices. The SET experiments are performed on the Sentaurus TCAD platform for the F-F LNA circuit and I-F LNA circuit for ions incident on two positions: common base transistor and common emitter transistor, respectively. It is concluded that the LNA with IM structure still shows good RF performance compared with the standard LNA at 130 nm. The transient current duration of the LNA circuit with IM Cascode structure is significantly reduced, and the peak value is reduced by 66% or more, which significantly reduces the sensitivity of the SiGe LNA circuit to SET.
Evaluating High-performance Female Athletes’ Knowledge and Awareness of Atrial Fibrillation
Authors: B. McRorie Alexandria , K. Doyle-Baker Patricia
Published: April 2024

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AFib) is a common cardiac arrhythmia with emerging evidence suggesting a high risk in athletes may exist, especially those engaged in vigorous physical activity. While substantial research has examined male athletes, limited data exists for female athletes, despite their growing presence in elite sports. AFib poses a health risk as it can progress without symptoms, potentially leading to severe complications, including heart failure and stroke. Athletes, accustomed to discomfort in their competitive pursuits, may delay seeking care even after retiring from sport, compounding the issue. Objectives: Therefore, we investigated the level of AFib-related knowledge in Canadian females, defined as high-performance athletes who had or were competing at a national or international level. Methods: Our online cross-sectional survey employed the 21-question Atrial Fibrillation Knowledge and Assessment Tool (AFKAT), with an additional question to assess awareness of an AFib diagnosis. Results: Participants were recruited through research websites and were mostly over 40 years old (45/52), Caucasian (50/52), university educated (39/53), from the sport of curling (41/52), and 62% (32/52) had competed at an international level. The mean knowledge score was 12.63 ± 5.79 out of 21 and was significantly different between international-level athletes (14.22 ± 4.38) when compared to national-level athletes (10.10 ± 6.91; p = 0.011). Conclusions: Varying levels of AFib knowledge were observed within this population, and our results importantly identified a discrepancy based on competition level, with international-level female athletes demonstrating higher AFib knowledge levels. This highlights the necessity for targeted educational interventions, to inform and increase athletes’ cardiovascular awareness of the potential risk of AFib.
Effects of Prophylactic Lace-Up Ankle Braces on Kinematics of the Lower Extremity During a State of Fatigue
Authors: Hagan Austin , Rocchio Diana , Shim Jaeho , Rylander Jonathan , Willoughby Darryn
Published: April 2024

Background: Prophylactic lace-up braces are commonly used in athletics regardless of ankle injury history to reduce lateral ankle sprains (LAS). Objectives: The purpose of the study was to assess ankle and knee kinematics associated with chronic knee pathologies during a 90° cutting maneuver before and after a state of fatigue. Methods: Using a randomized crossover design, thirteen, active adults (6 males and 7 females) engaged in a 15-m beep test fatigue protocol with a 90° cutting maneuver test before and after the fatigue protocol, both with and without brace. Results: Brace condition significantly reduced Ankle Sagittal Displacement (ASD; 52°) compared to no brace condition (62°) (p .05). Peak knee flexion was significantly greater in brace (56°) compared to no brace condition (47°) and, likewise, took longer to reach it (10 ms) (p .05). Conclusions: Prophylactic ankle braces limiting ASD can cause the foot to land in a more dorsiflexed position at initial ground contact causing more rearfoot strike, which may contribute to chronic knee pathologies.
Optimization under uncertainty for the management of hydroelectric resources
Authors:   , Favereau Monti Marcel Joseph
Published: April 2024

Hydroelectric generation management is considered a fundamental problem in the operation of power systems, where operations research has contributed significantly to decision making. One of the most relevant difficulties is that the decisions of storage and use of water resources in the present affect future decisions. Additionally, this problem presents another important challenge associated with the uncertain nature of hydro inflows, which is becoming even more complex today due to the consequences of climate change. Thus, this thesis proposes the development of optimization under uncertainty models to support medium- and long-term planning of hydrothermal system operations. First, this thesis proposes to develop a statistical model that represents the random behavior of hydro inflows in multinodal and multireservoir hydrothermal systems. The purpose is to capture statistical aspects such as trend, seasonality, spatio-temporal correlation, asymmetry and multiple modes present in historical hydrological data through the use of autoregressive models and variational inference algorithms. In a second part, it is proposed the development of a risk-averse optimization under uncertainty model that incorporates the previously proposed statistical methodologies for the medium-term operation of hydrothermal systems. The main objective is to determine an optimal generation policy capable of operating efficiently under the least favorable realizations of future hydrological trajectories. Finally, the third stage consists of the development of optimization under uncertainty models that support long-term energy planning and operation processes. The idea is to analyze the role of water in the interaction with other productive sectors such as agriculture, thus improving the efficiency of the use of their resources. This tool will also make it possible to anticipate future phenomena such as the penetration of new technologies, regulatory changes in the use of water resources or their low availability, and what would be the impacts on the resource management for different users.
Effect of Agronomic Biofortification of Zn and Fe on Growth, Yield and Economics of Pigeonpea
Authors: Rehaman H. M. Atheek Ur , Navi Laxman , Lohithaswa HC , S Dayanandanaik , Devika A R
Published: May 2024

Pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan) is a major leguminous crop providing substantial nutritional benefits, especially protein to millions of people worldwide. However, its yield and nutritional quality are often constrained by micronutrient deficiencies, particularly zinc (Zn) and iron (Fe). This study investigates the effects of agronomic fortification with Zn and Fe on the growth, yield parameters and overall yield of pigeonpea. The experiment was conducted through a randomized complete block design with nine treatments and replicated thrice. Agronomic fortification involved foliar application of Zn and Fe at flowering and pod development stages. Results indicated that among different treatments the combined foliar application of 0.5 % ZnSO4 + 0.5 % FeSO4 at flower and pod initiation recorded significantly higher plant height (156.7 cm), number of branches per plant (16.8), number of pods per plant (98.5), number of seeds per pod (5.4), pod weight per plant (128.5 g), seed weight per plant (83.5 g), seed yield (1056 kg ha-1) and stalk yield (2503 kg ha-1) in the fortified treatments compared to the control. Notably, the combined Zn-Fe fortification exhibited the most pronounced effects on growth and yield parameters. Overall, agronomic fortification with Zn and Fe positively influenced the growth, yield parameters and yield of pigeonpea, suggesting its potential as a sustainable strategy to alleviate micronutrient deficiencies and enhance crop productivity in pigeonpea cultivation systems.
Revisão Sistemática de Instrumentos de Personalidade usando o Big-Five em Crianças
Authors: Martins P. S. R. , Alves J. M . , Vital V.H.P. , Amorim L.S. , Mansur-Alves M.
Published: April 2024

This study had the objective of identifying and summarizing questionnaires used to assess the fi ve-factor model (FFM) in children. The main characteristics evaluated were: respondent (self or other), the target age-group, instrument format, number of items, Likert-scale type, factorial validity, reliability indices, and response bias control. We searched for articles in the following databases: Pubmed, PsycINFO, Scopus, Web of science, and BVS. A total of 7687 articles were found. After removing duplicate fi les, 5714 articles remained. Of these, 5536 were excluded based on title and abstract reading. Sixty-six articles were included for fi nal qualitative analysis. Twenty-one instruments for assessing FFM in the age range of 6 to 12 years were identifi ed. Some of the questionnaires were constructed for being used in adults. The majority of the questionnaires relied on fi ve-point Likert-scales (f = 13, 62%). Only two studies controlled for response bias. Psychometric and conceptual aspects of the questionnaires were evaluated, leading to the conclusion that there is a need for more studies and instruments to measure personality in childhood.Keywords: Personality assessment, child, fi ve-factor model, developmental psychology, child assessment.
Pornography and attitudes supporting violence against women: revisiting the relationship in nonexperimental studies
Authors: Hald Gert Martin , Malamuth Neil M. , Yuen Carlin
Published: October 2009

A meta‐analysis was conducted to determine whether nonexperimental studies revealed an association between men's pornography consumption and their attitudes supporting violence against women. The meta‐analysis corrected problems with a previously published meta‐analysis and added more recent findings. In contrast to the earlier meta‐analysis, the current results showed an overall significant positive association between pornography use and attitudes supporting violence against women in nonexperimental studies. In addition, such attitudes were found to correlate significantly higher with the use of sexually violent pornography than with the use of nonviolent pornography, although the latter relationship was also found to be significant. The study resolves what appeared to be a troubling discordance in the literature on pornography and aggressive attitudes by showing that the conclusions from nonexperimental studies in the area are in fact fully consistent with those of their counterpart experimental studies. This finding has important implications for the overall literature on pornography and aggression. Aggr. Behav. 36:14–20, 2010. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Finger length ratios (2D:4D) in anthropoids implicate reduced prenatal androgens in social bonding
Authors: Nelson Emma , Shultz Susanne
Published: October 2009

The second‐to‐fourth digit ratio (2D:4D) has been proposed as a biomarker reflecting prenatal androgen effects (PAE), such that individuals with lower ratios have experienced higher PAE than those with higher ratios. 2D:4D has been correlated with a number of sex‐linked traits in humans such as aggression, promiscuity, and competitiveness. In addition, polygynous societies reportedly have lower 2D:4D (higher PAE) than more monogamous populations. This evidence suggests that PAE may be implicated in the development of sexually selected behaviors in humans. To place 2D:4D research into a broader context, we test the relationship between digit ratios and behavior across nonhuman anthropoids; polygynous species, with higher levels of intrasexual competition, should have more pronounced markers of PAE (lower 2D:4D) than pair‐bonded species. Our results accord with those found in humans: 2D:4D is lower in polygynous species and higher (lower PAE) in pair‐bonded species. Old World monkeys have low, and relatively invariant 2D:4D (high PAE), which is coupled with high levels of intrasexual competition. This contrasts with higher and more variable ratios in both great apes and New World monkeys. In addition, both male and female ratios decrease with increasing levels of intrasexual competition. Human ratios are intermediate between pair‐bonded and more promiscuous hominoids. We propose that PAE may be involved in promoting species characteristic social behavior in anthropoids. Am J Phys Anthropol, 2010. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Isotopic evidence of dietary variations and weaning practices in the Gaya cemetery at Yeanri, Gimhae, South Korea
Authors: Choy Kyungcheol , Jeon Ok‐Ryun , Fuller Benjamin T. , Richards Micheal P.
Published: October 2009

Stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analyses were conducted to investigate dietary variation in human skeletons (n = 109) from the Gaya cemetery at Yeanri located near Gimhae City, South Korea. The cemetery contained three distinct grave types dating to 4th–7th century AD. The main purposes of this research were to reconstruct palaeodiet in the Gaya population and to explore correlations between stable isotope compositions and burial types, inferred age, and sex of these individuals. The isotopic data indicate that the people at Yeanri consumed a predominantly C3‐based terrestrial diet supplemented with freshwater and/or marine resources. The comparison of isotopic results reveals significant differences in δ13C values among three adult burial types (wood‐cist coffin: −18.5 ± 0.5‰, stone‐cist coffin: −18.1 ± 0.6‰, mausoleum: −17.8 ± 0.9‰). Males in wood‐cist and stone‐cist coffins have relatively more elevated mean δ13C and δ15N values than females. The isotopic ratios from the two adult age groups (21–40 years and 40–60 years) indicate that there was no significant dietary change in individuals with age. The isotope data from the infants and children suggest the weaning was a gradual process that was completed between 3 and 4 years of age in the Gaya population. This evidence indicates that the dietary variations within the cemetery reflect social status, sex, and childhood consumption patterns. Am J Phys Anthropol, 2010. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Does cortical mapping protect naming if surgery includes hippocampal resection?
Authors: Hamberger Marla J. , Seidel William T. , Goodman Robert R. , McKhann Guy M.
Published: October 2009

Objective

Preresection electrical stimulation mapping is frequently used to identify cortical sites critical for visual object naming. These sites are typically spared from surgical resection with the goal of preserving postoperative language. Recent studies, however, suggest a potential role of the hippocampus in naming, although this is inconsistent with neurocognitive models of language and memory. We sought to determine whether preservation of visual naming sites identified via cortical stimulation mapping protects against naming decline when resection includes the hippocampal region.

Methods

We assessed postoperative changes in visual naming in 33 patients, 14 who underwent left temporal resection including hippocampal removal and 19 who had left temporal resection without hippocampal removal. All patients had preresection cortical language mapping. Visual object naming sites identified via electrical stimulation were always preserved.

Results

Patients without hippocampal resection showed no significant naming decline, suggesting a clinical benefit from cortical mapping. In contrast, patients who had hippocampal resection exhibited significant postoperative naming decline, despite preresection mapping and preservation of all visual naming sites (p ≤ 0.02). These group effects were also evident in individual patients (p = 0.02). More detailed, post hoc examination of patients who had hippocampal resection revealed that overall, patients who declined were those with a preoperative, structurally intact hippocampus, whereas patients with preoperative hippocampal sclerosis did not exhibit significant decline.

Interpretation

Despite cortical language mapping with preservation of visual naming sites from resection, removal of an intact dominant hippocampus will likely result in visual naming decline postoperatively. ANN NEUROL 2010;67:345–352
Effects of obesity induced by high‐fat diet on the pharmacokinetics of nelfinavir, a HIV protease inhibitor, in laboratory rats
Authors: Sugioka Nobuyuki , Haraya Kenta , Fukushima Keizo , Ito Yukako , Takada Kanji
Published: October 2009

The effect of obesity induced by a high‐fat diet on the pharmacokinetics (PK) of nelfinavir (NFV) was investigated, focusing on the change of distribution and elimination caused by dyslipidemia and hepatic steatosis.

The plasma unbound fraction (fu) of NFV in obese rats (0.61±0.03%) was significantly lower than in the control (1.10±0.09%), caused by increasing the plasma triglyceride‐rich lipoprotein level. After intravenous (i.v.) administration of NFV, the marked decrease of the distribution volume and slower total clearance (39.5% and 69.1% of the control, respectively) caused by the lower fu were the main reasons for the significantly higher area under the blood concentration versus time curve (AUC) in obese rats (145.3% of the control). The absorption of NFV after intraduodenal (i.d.) administration in obese rats was significantly greater than in the control (AUC; 170.4% of the control). The increased bile in obese rats was the main reason for the increasing absorption of NFV, and the lower expression of intestinal P‐glycoprotein was also considered. On the other hand, although higher AUCs in obese rats were shown, unbound AUCs in the obese rats were slightly lower than in the control, namely, the plasma NFV concentration in obese rats to obtain the same pharmacological effect was higher than in the control, suggesting the difficulty of drug monitoring. These results suggest that it is necessary to pay further attention to therapeutic drug monitoring of NFV in patients manifesting metabolic syndrome, such as dyslipidemia and visceral fat accumulation, including hepatic steatosis. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Impact of abciximab on mortality and reinfarction in patients with acute ST‐segment elevation myocardial infarction treated with primary stenting
Authors: Jeremias Allen , Vasu Sujethra , Gruberg Luis , Kastrati Adnan , Stone Gregg W. , Brown David L.
Published: October 2009

Objectives: To combine data from all randomized trials of abciximab versus placebo or open‐label control in patients with STEMI treated with primary stenting to assess the short‐term and long‐term mortality, reinfarction, and bleeding complications. Background: Clinical trials of adjunctive abciximab therapy in patients with ST‐segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) undergoing primary stenting have produced conflicting results. Methods: Formal searches of electronic databases (Medline, Cochrane) from January 1990 to April 2009 were performed. Five trials randomizing 2,937 patients (1,475 in the abciximab group, 1,462 in the placebo group) were included in the analysis. Results: When compared with placebo, abciximab was not associated with a significant reduction in the odds of 30‐day (OR 0.71, 95% CI: 0.45–1.14, P = 0.16) or long‐term (OR 0.85, 95% CI: 0.48–1.50, P = 0.57) mortality. Similarly, the rate of reinfarction was not statistically different at 30 days (OR 0.59, 95% CI: 0.30–1.17, P = 0.13) or at long‐term follow‐up (OR 0.67; 95% CI: 0.39–1.16, P = 0.16). However, when trials with upstream use of thienopyridines were excluded, abciximab was associated with a significant reduction in the composite of death or reinfarction at 30 days (OR 0.45; 95% CI: 0.26–0.77, P = 0.004) but not at long‐term follow‐up (OR 0.59; 95% CI: 0.27–1.28, P = 0.18). Conclusion: Routine use of abciximab in patients with STEMI treated with primary stenting may reduce short‐term rates of death or reinfarction in patients not administered preprocedural thienopyridine therapy, but does not appear to be beneficial in those who receive preprocedural thienopyridines. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Results of a multicenter, randomized, double‐blind phase 2/3 study of lenalidomide in the treatment of pretreated relapsed or refractory metastatic malignant melanoma
Authors: Eisen Tim , Trefzer Uwe , Hamilton Anne , Hersey Peter , Millward Michael , Knight Robert D. , Jungnelius Jarl U. , Glaspy John
Published: October 2009

BACKGROUND:

The results of an international, multicenter, randomized, double‐blind, controlled study assessing the efficacy and safety of lenalidomide treatment in patients with refractory stage IV metastatic malignant melanoma are reported.

METHODS:

The study compared treatment with lenalidomide (25 mg/d on Days 1‐21 of a 28‐day cycle) to placebo in 306 patients with metastatic malignant melanoma. Treatment was continued until progression of disease or unacceptable toxicity.

RESULTS:

There were no significant differences between lenalidomide and placebo in overall survival (median 5.9 months vs 7.4 months, respectively; P = .32), time to progression (median 3.0 months vs 2.1 months; P = .19), or Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors tumor response (5.3% vs 5.8%; P = .82). None of the patients given placebo discontinued treatment because of treatment‐related adverse events, compared with 4.6% of those treated with lenalidomide. Treatment‐related myelosuppression was observed in 2.0% of patients treated with placebo and 7.3% of patients treated with lenalidomide.

CONCLUSIONS:

This study showed that treatment with lenalidomide (25 mg/d) has a manageable safety profile in patients with previously treated metastatic malignant melanoma but no benefit in tumor response, time to progression, or overall survival in these patients. Future trials for treatment of metastatic malignant melanoma with lenalidomide should focus on its use in combination therapies. Cancer 2010. © 2010 American Cancer Society.
The symptom interval in children and adolescents with soft tissue sarcomas
Authors: Ferrari Andrea , Miceli Rosalba , Casanova Michela , Meazza Cristina , Favini Francesca , Luksch Roberto , Catania Serena , Fiore Marco , Morosi Carlo , Mariani Luigi
Published: October 2009

BACKGROUND:

In a series of 575 patients ≤21 years of age with soft tissue sarcomas (STSs), the authors investigated the association patterns between symptom interval (ie, the period between the onset of the first symptoms or signs of the disease and its definitive diagnosis) and patient/tumor characteristics or disease outcome (in terms of survival).

METHODS:

The analysis was based on multivariate models (linear for associations with patient/tumor characteristics and Cox's for survival).

RESULTS:

The symptom interval ranged between 1 week and 60 months (median, 2 months) and tended to be longer the older the patient (ie, the interval was longer in adolescents than in children) and the larger the tumor's size, and for tumors located at the extremities and for nonrhabdomyosarcoma STSs (as opposed to rhabdomyosarcomas). A longer symptom interval unfavorably influenced survival (P = .002), which was also significantly affected by the patient's age and the size and surgical stage of the tumor. A different pattern of association between symptom interval and survival emerged for different types of STS histology.

CONCLUSIONS:

Our study points to an independent prognostic effect of symptom interval that cannot be explained by its associations with other factors, such as patient's age or the site, size, stage, and histology of the tumor. Future studies should focus more on the possible causes of symptom interval in pediatric STS populations to enable corrective measures to be implemented to reduce the diagnostic delay. Cancer 2010. © 2010 American Cancer Society.
Extent of disease burden determined with magnetic resonance imaging of the bone marrow is predictive of survival outcome in patients with multiple myeloma
Authors: Ailawadhi Sikander , Abdelhalim Ahmed N. , Derby Lyudmyla , Mashtare Terry L. , Miller Kena C. , Wilding Gregory E. , Alberico Ronald A. , Gottlieb Ronald , Klippenstein Donald L. , Lee Kelvin , Chanan‐Khan Asher A.
Published: October 2009

BACKGROUND:

Multiple myeloma (MM) remains an incurable cancer. Treatment often is initiated at the time patients experience a progressive increase in tumor burden. The authors of this report investigated magnetic resonance imaging of the bone marrow (BM‐MRI) as a novel approach to quantify disease burden and validated a staging system by correlating BM‐MRI with common clinical and laboratory parameters.

METHODS:

The extent of bone marrow involvement was evaluated by BM‐MRI. Clinical and laboratory parameters were assessed in patients with active MM, and correlations between variables were assessed statistically. Bone marrow involvement by BM‐MRI was defined as stage A (0%), stage B (<10%), stage C (10%‐50%), and stage D (>50%).

RESULTS:

In total, 170 consecutive patients were evaluated (77 women and 93 men), including 144 patients who had active MM. The median age was 61 years (age range, 35‐83 years). Advance stage disease (stage >I) based on Durie‐Salmon (DS) staging or International Staging System (ISS) criteria was observed in 122 patients (84%) and 77 patients (53%), respectively. Lytic bone disease was noted in 120 patients (83%). There was a significant association between BM‐MRI involvement and DS stage (P = .0006), ISS stage (P = .0001), the presence of lytic bone disease (P < .0001) and mean β‐2 microglobulin levels (P < .0001). Among the patients with previously untreated MM, there was a significant association between BM‐MRI stage and overall survival (OS) (univariate P = .013; multivariate P = .045). Plasmacytosis on bone marrow biopsy at diagnosis was not predictive of OS (P = .91).

CONCLUSIONS:

BM‐MRI is a novel approach for quantifying disease burden in patients with MM. The current investigation in a large cohort of nontransplantion MM patients demonstrated that the extent of bone marrow involvement determined by BM‐MRI correlates accurately with other conventional parameters of disease burden and can independently predict survival in patients with MM at the time of initial diagnosis. Cancer 2010. © 2010 American Cancer Society.
Modelling and analysis of the AMBA bus using CSP and B
Authors: McEwan Alistair A. , Schneider Steve
Published: October 2009

In this paper, we present a formal model and analysis of the Advanced Microcontroller Bus Architecture (AMBA) Advanced High‐performance Bus (AHB). The model is given in CSP ∥ B—an integration of the process algebra CSP and the state‐based formalism B. We describe the theory behind the integration of CSP and B, and present the model in this theory. Analysis is performed using the model‐checker ProB. The contribution of this paper may be summarized as follows: presentation of a formal model of the AMBA AHB protocol such that it may be used for analysis of co‐design systems incorporating the bus, an evaluation of the integration of CSP and B in the production of such a model, and a demonstration and evaluation of ProB in performing this analysis. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Binge eating, purging, or both: Eating disorder psychopathology findings from an internet community survey
Authors: Roberto Christina A. , Grilo Carlos M. , Masheb Robin M. , White Marney A.
Published: October 2009

Objective

This study aimed to compare bulimia nervosa (BN), binge eating disorder (BED), and purging disorder (PD) on clinically significant variables and examine the utility of once versus twice‐weekly diagnostic thresholds for disturbed eating behaviors.

Method

234 women with BN, BED, or PD were identified through self‐report measures via an online survey and categorized based on either once‐weekly or twice‐weekly disturbed eating behaviors.

Results

BN emerged as a more severe disorder than BED and PD. The three groups differed significantly in self‐reported restraint and disinhibition and the BN and BED groups reported higher levels of depression than PD. For BN, those engaging in behaviors twice‐weekly versus once‐weekly were more symptomatic.

Discussion

The BN, BED, and PD groups differed in clinically meaningful ways. Future research need to clarify the relationship between mood disturbances and eating behaviors. Reducing the twice‐weekly behavior threshold for BN would capture individuals with clinically significant eating disorders, though the twice‐weekly threshold may provide important information about disorder severity for both BN and BED. © 2009 by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Eat Disord 2010; 43:724–731
Synthesis of Highly Functionalized Amino Acids: An Expedient Access to L‐ and D‐β‐Hydroxyenduracididine Derivatives
Authors: Schwörer Clemens J. , Oberthür Markus
Published: October 2009

The nonproteinogenic amino acids (3S,4S)‐L‐ and (3S,4S)‐D‐β‐hydroxyenduracididine (βhEnd), each containing a cyclic guanidine group and three contiguous stereocenters, have been synthesized for the first time, starting from commercially available diacetone D‐glucose. The key inversion reactions for the introduction of the two nitrogen groups at C‐2 and C‐4 afford products that are diastereomerically pure and easy to purify, thereby allowing the gram‐scale preparation of βhEnd derivatives that are suitably protected for peptide coupling reactions. (© Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2009)
Optimization of urinary pteridine analysis conditions by CE‐LIF for clinical use in early cancer detection
Authors: Gibbons Stephen E. , Stayton Isaac , Ma Yinfa
Published: October 2009

The second leading cause of death in the US is cancer and early discovery of the disease has translated into reduced fatality rates. We have identified and performed a systematic investigation of a method for urinary pteridine analysis by using CE‐LIF, which is believed to possess the potential to diagnose the presence of cancer even earlier than existing methodologies. Through system enhancements, we have been able to improve the resolution of the two least resolved sets of peaks (6,7‐dimethylpterin versus 6‐biopterin and D‐(+)‐neopterin versus 6‐hydroxymethylpterin) from 0.85 to 2.48 and 0.90 to 3.58, respectively. Additionally, we have discovered that the preparation of the urine samples in previous works was inadequate, and we have corrected the method to fully oxidize the pteridines in the urine, resulting in significantly less variability in quantification and greater ease of defining p‐values for healthy versus cancer patients. Finally, we have performed validation steps of spike and recovery and short‐term aging studies to demonstrate the method's robustness. As a result, we present an optimized and validated method ready for transfer from discovery phase to clinical trial that can potentially act as a non‐invasively pre‐screening test for cancer.