bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Workload control
Authors: Hendry Linda , Huang Yuan , Stevenson Mark
Published: March 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present a successful implementation of a comprehensive workload control (WLC) concept; and to describe the associated implementation process.

Design/methodology/approach

Longitudinal action research using a contingency‐based approach to ensure alignment between the case company and the characteristics of the WLC approach; and the resulting expected improvements in performance. A set of 17 issues and responses from the literature is used as a checklist for implementing WLC.

Findings

Performance improvements include: reduced lead times; significant improvement in lateness and tardiness; reduced costs; improved internal and external co‐ordination; and higher quality. The relevance of 15 of the 17 implementation issues is confirmed along with the same response as in previous research for ten issues and an improved response for five issues. In addition, three new issues are identified and addressed.

Research limitations/implications

Dependability was a more important competitive priority in this company than speed; and, therefore, the ability of WLC to reduce lead times was not fully assessed.

Practical implications

The importance of a contingency‐based approach to production planning and control is confirmed. Comprehensive WLC approaches are closely aligned with the high‐variety/low‐volume context of make‐to‐order (MTO) companies.

Originality/value

This is the first paper that empirically demonstrates performance improvements resulting from WLC alongside a detailed discussion of the implementation process. Few examples of successful implementations have been published previously, and these tend to treat the implementation process as a “black box”. Where more detail on the implementation process has been given in previous studies, evidence of effectiveness in practice was not provided.
Interlending and document supply: a review of the recent literature: 80
Authors: McGrath Mike
Published: March 2013

Purpose

The paper's aim is to provide a review of the literature concerning interlending and document supply and related matters.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is based on the reading of over 150 journals, as well as monographs, reports and web sites.

Findings

The Finch report in the UK recommends the Gold route to open access and with this a tipping point would appear to have been reached for open access – at least where authors are funded. More papers from the 12th ILDS conference are reviewed.

Originality/value

The paper represents a useful source for librarians and others concerned with interlending and document supply as well as such related matters as resource sharing and open access.
ANRT Lille: the French national centre for the reproduction of PhD theses
Authors: Schöpfel Joachim
Published: March 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to describe the ANRT, its purpose and activity in the French national network for the dissemination and preservation of PhD theses.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper includes a historical study and an evaluation of current activities and future perspectives.

Findings

The ANRT has played a significant role in the back‐office of the French network for the dissemination and preservation of PhD theses for over 40 years. Its online catalogue contains more than 200,000 PhD theses that academic or other research institutions can order in print format or on microfiche. Complementary to this national mandate, the ANRT runs a print‐on‐demand service for more than 7,200 PhD theses called “Thèses à la carte”. Today, the development of electronic theses and dissertations (ETD) and open access is challenging the future of the ANRT.

Originality/value

The ANRT Lille is one of those institutions that are more or less unknown to the wider public and even to LIS professionals. This paper presents it for the first time to a larger and international readership.
Using reliability indicators to explore human factors issues in maintenance databases
Authors: Karanikas Nektarios
Published: March 2013

Purpose

The aim of this paper is to explore the usefulness of repairable parts simple historical databases in assisting the human factors experts to identify candidate areas for applying human factors methods. Therefore, also contributing to the search for maintenance quality improvement.

Design/methodology/approach

The study was based on the failure history of part fleets installed on the same type of jet engines, and used mean time between failures (MTBF) and failure rates plots, the Laplace trend test, the AMSAA‐Crow‐Duane model and serial correlations.

Findings

Increasing and decreasing trends in failure rates indicated factors that cause deflection from the literature assumptions of constant failure mode and “as good as new” maintenance philosophy. Further statistical calculations revealed patterns between MTBF and frequency of maintenance, specific serial numbers (SN) vulnerability to replacement and depot maintenance tasks, correlations between MTBF and number of both installations and maintenances, and influence of the maintenance month on the maintenance‐failure hours' interval.

Practical implications

The literature refers to the relation between the parts reliability and the human factors in the maintenance domain. The research confirmed the literature references in data collection problems coming from human factors interferences; the patterns found were attributed to system deficiencies related to workload management, parts configuration management, supervision and manufacturing problems.

Originality/value

The application of this research in combination with methods such as field observations and interviews of personnel involved in the maintenance domain can uncover specific maintenance working environment weaknesses and lead to suitable remedies.
Gage R2&E2: an effective tool to improve the visual control of products
Authors: Maire Jean‐Luc , Pillet Maurice , Baudet Nathalie
Published: March 2013

Purpose

The variability of the results of a visual control is often high. This paper aims to propose a new tool to give information about what improvement actions can be carried out to reduce this variability.

Design/methodology/approach

The variability of a visual control can be measured by Kappa's Fleiss which measures the level of agreement between appraisers and experts. The R&R Gage is then classically used to give information about corrective actions which can be carried out in order to improve this level of agreement. The paper demonstrated that this information is not always sufficient.

Findings

By considering the two essential steps of a visual control (exploration and evaluation), the R2&E2 Gage proposed gives more precise information about the improvement actions to carry out to reduce the variability of a visual control. Repeatability and reproducibility, for detection and evaluation purposes, are considered separately.

Research limitations/implications

This R2&E2 gage is one result of a European research program called INTERREG. The aim of this program, which brings together two laboratories from the University of Savoy and EPFL, two institutional partners (CTDEC and CETEHOR) and some Swiss and French industrial companies, is to create methodological support and the tools needed to improve the visual control of high added‐value products.

Practical implications

This R2&E2 gage has been used in six industrial companies involved in the European program INTERREG. Significant improvement of the visual control has been observed over a short time.

Originality/value

The paper fulfils an identified need of industrial firms to have efficient tools improving the visual control of their products.
Improving trade promotions through virtual forward buying
Authors: Poddar Amit , Donthu Naveen
Published: March 2013

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to propose a virtual forward-buying model that allows for forward buying but reduces the channel cost with no major behavioral change on the part of manufacturers and retailers.

Design/methodology/approach

– Using simulations, the authors compare the proposed virtual forward-buying model with the traditional forward-buying and everyday-low-price approaches.

Findings

– The authors find that the proposed model leads to lower overall channel costs that are shared equitably between both the manufacturer and the retailer.

Research limitations/implications

– No primary or secondary is used, a situation that is usually very difficult to find in this area.

Practical implications

– The paper presents a new method to improve trade promotion efficiencies that does not require a drastic change of habits for either the manufacturer or the retailer; allows the practice of forward buying to continue; and leads to channel cost reductions for both parties.

Originality/value

– The paper presents research in an area that is under-researched due to lack of data.
Financial capitalism, incorporation and the emergence of financial reporting information
Authors: McCartney S. , Arnold A.J.
Published: March 2013

Purpose

Changes in financial reporting information were an important part of the British transition from feudalism to capitalism, with statements showing cash surpluses or deficits being gradually superseded by income statements and balance sheets. The existing literature does not satisfactorily explain the (considerable) variations in the pattern of change in the early part of the transition, when information provision was largely determined by Parliamentary processes, and this paper aims to look to new evidence to strengthen and modify the existing theorisations.

Design/methodology/approach

The research design is to discuss and relate existing theories regarding the emergence of financial reporting information to newly discovered evidence on a substantial set of corporate formations between 1766 and 1840, during the early stages of financial (or managerial) capitalism.

Findings

Requirements to present accounts to shareholders were almost unknown before 1800 and became common only from the 1820s, usually in the form of (cash‐based) receipts and payments accounts, which enabled investors to determine the legitimacy of the dividend payments and would have enabled them to calculate a cash‐based version of the rate of return.

Originality/value

The paper provides new evidence on the patterns of company development and of corporate financial reporting across the formative years of financial capitalism.
Executive hubris: the case of a bank CEO
Authors: Brennan Niamh M. , Conroy John P.
Published: March 2013

Purpose

Can personality traits of chief executive officers (CEOs) be detected at a distance? Following newspaper speculation that the banking crisis of 2008 was partly caused by CEO hubris, this paper seeks to analyse the CEO letters to shareholders of a single bank over ten years for evidence of CEO personality traits, including narcissism (a contributor to hubris), hubris, overconfidence and CEO‐attribution. Following predictions that hubris increases the longer individuals occupy positions of power, the research aims to examine whether hubristic characteristics intensify over time.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper takes concepts of hubris from the clinical psychology literature and applies them to discourses in CEO letters to shareholders in annual reports. The research comprises a longitudinal study of the discretionary narrative disclosures in the CEO letters to shareholders in eight annual reports, benchmarked against disclosures in the CEO letters to shareholders of the previous and subsequent CEOs of the same organisation.

Findings

The results point to evidence of narcissism and hubris in the personality of the bank CEO. Over half the sentences analysed were found to contain narcissistic‐speak. In 45 per cent of narcissistic‐speak sentences, there were three of more symptoms of hubris – what Owen and Davison describe as extreme hubristic behaviour. In relation to CEO overconfidence, only seven sentences (2 per cent) contained bad news. More than half of the good news was attributed to the CEO and all the bad news was attributed externally. The research thus finds evidence of hubris in the CEO letters to shareholders, which became more pronounced the longer the CEO served.

Research limitations/implications

The analysis of CEO discourse is highly subjective, and difficult to replicate.

Originality/value

The primary contribution of this research is the adaptation of the 14 clinical symptoms of hubris from clinical psychology to the analysis of narratives in CEO letters to shareholders in annual reports to reveal signs of CEO hubris.
Predator burden and past investment affect brood abandonment decisions in a parental care‐providing teleost
Authors: Zuckerman Zachary C. , Suski Cory D.
Published: March 2013

Reproductive success of parental care‐providing species is contingent upon the level of parental investment into a brood. When the expected fitness contribution of a brood is outweighed by the costs of parental care (e.g. decreasing parent somatic condition), an individual may reduce its level of care, or may altogether abandon a brood in trade‐off for potential future reproductive success. Leading parental care hypotheses have established parental stress, oxidative stress, nutrition and androgen condition, as well as reproductive value and the threat of brood depredation, as drivers of investment into parental care.

The concomitant effects of parent physiological condition and the threat of brood depredation have yet to be considered in their direct effect on the reproductive success of a parental care‐providing individual. Using largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) as a model parental care‐providing species, we investigated the relative influence of these factors, together, on a direct fitness measure: the decision by a parent to abandon its brood.

By employing a novel combination of multivariate and information‐theoretic modelling, our findings indicate that reproductive success of parental largemouth bass is contingent primarily on the threat of depredation to a brood (i.e. the density of brood predators adjacent to nest locations), past investment into a brood and reproductive value of the brood.

Parent physiological condition had limited influence on the decision by largemouth bass to abandon parental care. Modelling indicated that parental circulating androgen concentration and antioxidant capacity may play a minimal role in driving brood abandonment; nutrition and stress condition of the parent did not differ between reproductive outcomes.

Findings here suggest that a holistic approach should be implemented when studying parental care and that a definite experimental endpoint, e.g., brood abandonment or reproductive success, be utilized as a direct metric of the cost to fitness of parental care decisions.
EU Accession to the ECHR: Between Autonomy and Adaptation
Authors: Eckes Christina
Published: March 2013

After the European Union's accession to the European Convention on Human Rights the EU will become subject to legally binding judicial decisions of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) and participate in statutory bodies of the Council of Europe (Parliamentary Assembly; Committee of Ministers) when they act under the Convention. Convention rights and their interpretation by the ECtHR will be directly enforceable against the EU institutions and against Member States when acting within the scope of EU law. This will vest the ECHR with additional force in a number of Member States, including Germany and the UK. All Member States will further be subject to additional constraints when acting under the Convention system. The article considers the reasons for, and consequences of the EU's primus inter pares position under the Convention and within the Council of Europe, and the likely practical effect of the EU's accession for its Member States.
Wiping the Slate Clean: Reforming Scots Law's Approach to Evidence of the Accused's Bad Character
Authors: Stark Findlay
Published: March 2013

This paper discusses the Scottish Law Commission (SLC)'s Report on Similar Fact Evidence and the Moorov Doctrine, which proposes revolutionary changes to the way in which Scots law deals with evidence of the accused's bad character, including his previous convictions. The article sets these proposals in context by explaining the existing Scots law, and comparing it to the English provisions on bad character evidence contained in the Criminal Justice Act 2003. This comparison reveals similarities between the responses of the two jurisdictions. It is remarkable that the SLC did not consider English law to be a viable model for reform, choosing instead to propose legislation which would simply deem certain pieces of bad character evidence relevant in criminal trials. The second part of the paper explains why these proposals should not be implemented.
Transactions Between Child Social Wariness and Observed Structured Parenting: Evidence From a Prospective Adoption Study
Authors: Natsuaki Misaki N. , Leve Leslie D. , Harold Gordon T. , Neiderhiser Jenae M. , Shaw Daniel S. , Ganiban Jody , Scaramella Laura V. , Reiss David
Published: March 2013

This investigation examined the mutual influences between structured parenting and child social wariness during toddlerhood using a longitudinal adoption design. The sample consisted of 361 adoption‐linked families, each including an adopted child, adoptive parents, and a birth mother. Heightened social wariness in children at age 18 months predicted reduced levels of observed structured parenting (i.e., less directive parenting with fewer commands and requests) in adoptive mothers at age 27 months. Adoptive fathers' lower structured parenting at age 18 months predicted subsequent elevation in child social wariness. Birth mothers' history of fear‐related anxiety disorders was not associated with child social wariness. Findings highlight the role of dynamic family transactions in the development of social wariness during toddlerhood.
GLUT‐1 deficiency syndrome in Norway – yet another piece of the puzzle
Authors: Klepper Joerg
Published: March 2013

This commentary is on the original article by Ramm‐Pettersen et al on pages 440–447 of this issue.
Criterion validity of the GMFM‐66 item set and the GMFM‐66 basal and ceiling approaches for estimating GMFM‐66 scores
Authors: Avery Lisa M , Russell Dianne J , Rosenbaum Peter L
Published: March 2013

Aim

The aim of this study was to compare the accuracy of two abbreviated approaches for estimating Gross Motor Function Measure 66 (GMFM‐66) scores against the full GMFM‐66 and to explore their strengths and limitations.

Method

An existing dataset (n=224) comprising children aged 1 to 13 years (mean age 6y 11mo, SD 4y 6mo; 132 males, 92 females) with cerebral palsy (CP) of all Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) levels was used to compare the validity of the item set version (GMFM‐66‐IS) and the basal and ceiling version (GMFM‐66‐B&C) with the full GMFM‐66 scores. Follow‐up assessment at 1 year (n=109) allowed evaluation of change scores and accuracy at a single point in time.

Results

The cross‐sectional agreement was excellent for both abbreviated measures (all intraclass correlation coefficients [ICCs] >0.98). When measuring change over time, both the GMFM‐66‐IS and the GMFM‐66‐B&C showed good agreement for children with bilateral CP (ICCs >0.9). However, the GMFM‐66‐IS assessed change over 1 year more accurately than the GMFM‐66‐B&C in children with unilateral CP (ICC=0.89 vs ICC=0.58; 95% confidence intervals do not overlap).

Interpretation

Both approaches for estimating GMFM‐66 scores are accurate at a single point in time. If the primary goal of assessment is to measure change, the full GMFM‐66 should still be regarded as the criterion standard. The GMFM‐66‐IS should be the preferred shortened measure for children with unilateral CP.
Age‐dependent modification of proteins: N‐terminal racemization
Authors: Lyons Brian , Kwan Ann H. , Jamie Joanne , Truscott Roger J. W.
Published: March 2013

Age‐dependent deterioration of long‐lived proteins in humans may have wide‐ranging effects on health, fitness and diseases of the elderly. To a large extent, denaturation of old proteins appears to result from the intrinsic instability of certain amino acids; however, these reactions are incompletely understood. One method to investigate these reactions involves exposing peptides to elevated temperatures at physiological pH. Incubation of PFHSPSY, which corresponds to a region of human αB‐crystallin that is susceptible to age‐related modification, resulted in the appearance of a major product. NMR spectroscopy confirmed that this novel peptide formed via racemization of the N‐terminal Pro. This phenomenon was not confined to Pro, because peptides with N‐terminal Ser and Ala residues also underwent racemization. As N‐terminal racemization occurred at 37 °C, a long‐lived protein was examined. LC‐MS/MS analysis revealed that approximately one third of aquaporin 0 polypeptides in the centre of aged human lenses were racemized at the N‐terminal methionine.

Structured digital abstract

• LAP cleaves AQP0 by enzymatic study (View interaction).
Growing or reproducing in a temperate sea: optimization of resource allocation in a colonial ascidian
Authors: López‐Legentil Susanna , Erwin Patrick M. , Velasco Marta , Turon Xavier
Published: March 2013

Relatively little is known about the life cycles of ascidians in temperate seas. Here, we investigated the biological cycle of the colonial ascidian Didemnum fulgens, a dominant species in some shallow localities of the NW Mediterranean Sea. Growth rates and frequencies of fission/fusion events were calculated over a period of 13 months, and the reproductive cycle determined after 32 months of observation. For analyses of reproduction, zooids were dissected in the laboratory and classified into five reproductive categories; these data were used to calculate a maturity index. For growth analyses, underwater photographs of marked colonies were used to estimate the surface area of D. fulgens colonies, calculate monthly growth rates, and document fusion and fission events. Clear seasonal patterns in reproduction and growth were observed, with distinct periods of investment into each function. Gonad maturation started in winter and larval release occurred in early summer, just before maximal sea temperatures were reached. After reproducing, colonies shrank and aestivated during the warmer summer months. Growth occurred during the cooler months, with maximal and minimal growth rates observed in winter and summer, respectively. Fusions and fissions occurred year‐round, although fissions were more frequent in fall (coincident with high growth rates) and fusions in spring (coincident with reproduction). These results add to the mounting evidence that ascidian life cycles in temperate seas are characterized by a trade‐off between investment in reproduction and growth, triggered by seasonal temperature shifts and constrained by resource availability during summer.
Le maintien du plein emploi après la période de transition. Etude comparée du problème aux Etats‐Unis et au Royaume‐Uni
Authors: KALECKI Michal
Published: March 2013

Michal Kalecki est un économiste polonais dont les contributions à la macroéconomie ont influencé les économistes d'inspiration keynésienne. Après des études d'ingénieur du génie civil aux écoles polytechniques de Varsovie et de Gdansk, M. Kalecki a commencé sa carrière à l'Institut de recherche sur les cycles économiques et les prix, à Varsovie. Il a successivement travailléà l'institut de statistiques d'Oxford, où il a développé ses idées pré‐keynésiennes [… lire la suite].
La labor de la Conferencia en Ginebra
Authors: JOUHAUX Léon
Published: March 2013

En 1951, el Premio Nobel de la Paz se concede a Léon Jouhaux, en reconocimiento de su «larga vida consagrada al trabajo y a la lucha por el avance de las clases trabajadoras, y ante todo a la mejora de su condición», y expresamente «porque desde sus primeros años ha estado siempre al servicio de la paz y en contra de la guerra» […] Seguir leyendo
Crisis mundial, protección social y empleo
Authors: STIGLITZ Joseph
Published: March 2013

Joseph Stiglitz recibe el Premio Nobel de Economía en 2001, y un año después publica en la Revista un artículo titulado «Empleo, justicia social y bienestar de la sociedad» (vol. 121, núm. 1–2). En él mantiene que el fin de la actividad económica es mejorar el bienestar de los individuos y que el empleo es esencial para dicho bienestar; a este respecto, su descripción de los estragos del desempleo se hace eco de las ideas que Sen desarrolla en su artículo sobre el desempleo en Europa […] Seguir leyendo
Fabrication of Highly Porous Alumina Prepared by Gelation Freezing Route with Antifreeze Protein
Authors: Fukushima Manabu , Tsuda Sakae , Yoshizawa Yu‐ichi
Published: March 2013

Macroporous alumina ceramic monolith was fabricated by the novel gelation freezing method with antifreeze protein (AFP). The gelation freezing route with AFP is a simple and efficient way to produce macrocellular ceramics with tailored and uniform pore architecture as well as high porosity.
Melatonin improves the reprogramming efficiency of murine‐induced pluripotent stem cells using a secondary inducible system
Authors: Gao Shuai , Wang Zhi‐Long , Di Ke‐Qian , Chang Gang , Tao Li , An Lei , Wu Fu‐Jia , Xu Ji‐Qiang , Liu Ying‐Wei , Wu Zhong‐Hong , Li Xiang‐Yun , Gao Shaorong , Tian Jian‐Hui
Published: March 2013

This study focused on the effect of melatonin on reprogramming with specific regard to the generation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). Here, a secondary inducible system, which is more accurate and suitable for studying the involvement of chemicals in reprogramming efficiency, was used to evaluate the effect of melatonin on mouse iPSC generation. Secondary fibroblasts collected from all‐iPSC mice through tetraploid complementation were cultured in induction medium supplemented with melatonin at different concentrations (0, 10−6, 10−7, 10−8, 10−9, or 10−10 m) or with vitamin C (50 μg/mL) as a positive control. Compared with untreated group (0.22 ± 0.04% efficiency), 10−8 (0.81 ± 0.04%), and 10−9 m (0.83 ± 0.08%) melatonin supplementation significantly improved reprogramming efficiency (P < 0.05). Moreover, we verified that the iPSCs induced by melatonin treatment (MiPSCs) had the same characteristics as typical embryonic stem cells (ESCs), including expression of the pluripotency markers Oct4, Sox2, and Nanog, the ability to form teratomas and all three germ layers of the embryo, as well as produce chimeric mice with contribution to the germ line. Interestingly, only the melatonin receptor MT2 was detected in secondary fibroblasts, while MiPSCs and ESCs expressed MT1 and MT2 receptors. Furthermore, during the early stage of reprogramming, expression of the apoptosis‐related genes p53 and p21 was lower in the group treated with 10−9 m melatonin compared with the untreated controls. In conclusion, melatonin supplementation enhances the efficiency of murine iPSC generation. These beneficial effects may be associated with inhibition of the p53‐mediated apoptotic pathway.
PPE2 protein of Mycobacterium tuberculosis may inhibit nitric oxide in activated macrophages
Authors: Bhat Khalid Hussain , Das Arghya , Srikantam Aparna , Mukhopadhyay Sangita
Published: March 2013

Although the pathophysiological role of PE/PPE proteins of Mycobacterium tuberculosis is yet to be fully understood, recent evidence shows that these proteins play important roles in antigenic diversity, as well as in host–pathogen interactions and mycobacterial pathogenesis. Most of the PE/PPE proteins are highly expressed in pathogenic bacteria, pointing to their role in the pathogenesis of mycobacteria. Here, we provide an overview of our work in progress on a specific PPE protein, PPE2 (Rv0256c), which may inhibit nitric oxide (NO) production in activated macrophages. As NO and its by‐products are considered to be toxic to bacilli, it is possible that the bacilli recruit Rv0256c in order to inhibit higher production of NO during infection.
An Implantable Left Atrial Pressure Sensor Lead Designed for Percutaneous Extraction Using Standard Techniques
Authors: PRETORIUS VICTOR , BIRGERSDOTTER‐GREEN ULRIKA , HEYWOOD J. THOMAS , HAFELFINGER WERNER , GUTFINGER DAN E. , EIGLER NEAL L. , LOVE CHARLES J. , ABRAHAM WILLIAM T.
Published: March 2013

Background

An implantable left atrial pressure (LAP) monitoring system for guiding the management of patients with advanced heart failure has the potential to require extraction, particularly in the setting of infection. The LAP sensor lead was designed to be suitable for ease of percutaneous extraction using standard techniques for extracting pacemaker and defibrillator leads. The clinical experience, to date, with percutaneous extraction of the LAP sensor lead is presented.

Methods

A total of 82 patients underwent successful implantation of the LAP sensor lead using transseptal catheterization. Five patients of the 82 patients during a cumulative follow‐up period of 267 patient‐years (median of 2.9 years/patient) underwent percutaneous extraction using manual traction with a locking stylet and/or an excimer laser sheath to bore through adhesions. The distal fixation anchors of the LAP sensor lead are designed to fold forward during extraction so that the sensor module can easily separate from the interatrial septum.

Results

Percutaneous extraction of the LAP sensor lead was accomplished successfully in all five patients with no embolic events, vascular tears, perforations, or other complications requiring surgical intervention. Manual traction alone was sufficient to detach the LAP sensor lead from the interatrial septum in all cases. Use of the excimer laser sheath was needed in selected cases to bore through scar tissue within the venous insertion site, but not within the heart.

Conclusions

The extraction of the LAP sensor lead was accomplished safely using standard techniques and equipment for percutaneously extracting pacemaker and defibrillator leads.
Cardiac Ablation Catheter Guidance by Means of a Single Equivalent Moving Dipole Inverse Algorithm
Authors: LEE KICHANG , LV WENER , TER‐OVANESYAN EVGENY , BARLEY MAYA E. , VOYSEY GRAHAM E. , GALEA ANNA M. , HIRSCHMAN GORDON B. , LEROY KRISTEN , MARINI ROBERT P. , BARRETT CONOR , ARMOUNDAS ANTONIS A. , COHEN RICHARD J.
Published: March 2013

Background

We developed and evaluated a novel system for guiding radiofrequency catheter ablation therapy of ventricular tachycardia. This guidance system employs an inverse solution guidance algorithm (ISGA) using a single equivalent moving dipole (SEMD) localization method. The method and system were evaluated in both a saline tank phantom model and in vivo animal (swine) experiments.

Methods

A catheter with two platinum electrodes spaced 3 mm apart was used as the dipole source in the phantom study. A 40‐Hz sinusoidal signal was applied to the electrode pair. In the animal study, four to eight electrodes were sutured onto the right ventricle. These electrodes were connected to a stimulus generator delivering 1‐ms duration pacing pulses. Signals were recorded from 64 electrodes, located either on the inner surface of the saline tank or on the body surface of the pig, and then processed by the ISGA to localize the physical or bioelectrical SEMD.

Results

In the phantom studies, the guidance algorithm was used to advance a catheter tip to the location of the source dipole. The distance from the final position of the catheter tip to the position of the target dipole was 2.22 ± 0.78 mm in real space and 1.38 ± 0.78 mm in image space (computational space). The ISGA successfully tracked the locations of electrodes sutured on the ventricular myocardium and the movement of an endocardial catheter placed in the animal's right ventricle.

Conclusion

In conclusion, we successfully demonstrated the feasibility of using an SEMD inverse algorithm to guide a cardiac ablation catheter.
High‐frequency micro‐ultrasound for vascular access in young children – a feasibility study by the High‐frequency UltraSound in Kids studY (HUSKY) group
Authors: Latham Gregory J. , Veneracion Melissa L. , Joffe Denise C. , Bosenberg Adrian T. , Flack Sean H. , Low Daniel K.
Published: March 2013

Background

Cannulation of small arteries and veins in young children can be challenging. Although anesthesiologists frequently use ultrasound for placement of central venous lines and nerve blocks, its use for cannulation of small, peripheral vessels is less helpful. Ultrasound systems (7‐15 MHz) currently used in clinical practice focus poorly at the sub‐10‐mm space and thus lack the resolution to allow accurate ultrasound‐guided cannulation of small vessels. High‐frequency micro‐ultrasound (HFMU) is a new technology that allows higher resolution (15–50 MHz) compared with conventional ultrasound. Limited human studies have been performed thus far with HFMU, and none have been performed in young children or for vascular access.

Methods

This study was conducted to determine the feasibility of using HFMU to visualize and cannulate peripheral arteries and central veins in children under the age of 6 years old. The diameter of radial and ulnar arteries was also measured.

Results

The anesthesiologists involved in this study found the 50 MHz HFMU probe useful for cannulation of peripheral arteries, especially in the youngest children. The higher‐frequency probes were less helpful for internal jugular vein cannulation because it was not always possible to view the carotid artery while cannulating the vein.

Conclusions

The experience gained in this feasibility study suggests that HFMU could be a valuable addition to our armamentarium for difficult vascular access in the future.
Multilevel factors associated with dentists’ counseling of pregnant women about periodontal health
Authors: Chi Donald L. , Milgrom Peter , Carle Adam C. , Huebner Colleen E. , Mancl Lloyd A.
Published: March 2013

Objective

To identify factors associated with dentists’ counseling of pregnant patients about periodontal health.

Methods

Survey data from Oregon general dentists (N = 771) were linked to county‐level data from the U.S. Area Resource Files and analyzed using two‐level hierarchical linear models.

Results

Dentists who believed there is an important relationship between periodontal disease and adverse pregnancy outcomes counseled significantly larger proportions of pregnant patients (p < .0001). Female dentists (p < .05) and those who saw a greater number of pregnant patients (p < .05) were more likely to counsel. County‐level health workforce characteristics (e.g., percent female physicians, obstetricians or gynecologists, female dentists) were not significantly associated with dentists’ counseling.

Conclusions

Dentists who were knowledgeable about periodontal disease were more likely to counsel pregnant patients. Future interventions should improve the oral health knowledge of dentists and other healthcare professionals regarding the importance of comprehensive dental care, including periodontal treatment when needed, for all pregnant patients.
Oral myiasis: a case report
Authors: Zachariah Jane Emily , Sehgal Khushboo , Dixit Uma B. , Bhatia Rupinder
Published: March 2013

Myiasis is a condition caused by the invasion of tissues by larvae of Diptera flies. This phenomenon is well documented in the skin especially among animals and people in tropical and subtropical areas. The condition causes extensive tissue destruction as the larvae, at least for a certain period, feed on the host's dead or living tissue, liquid body substances, or ingested food. Mouth breathing during sleep, poor oral hygiene, alcoholism, senility, mental disability, cerebral palsy, and hemiplegia may facilitate the development of myiasis. We present a case report of oral myiasis in a 22‐year‐old male with cerebral palsy and severe mental retardation treated successfully by manual removal of the larvae by topical application of turpentine oil and oral systemic therapy with ivermectin.
Weighted simultaneous algebraic reconstruction technique for tomosynthesis imaging of objects with high‐attenuation features
Authors: Levakhina Y. M. , Müller J. , Duschka R. L. , Vogt F. , Barkhausen J. , Buzug T. M.
Published: March 2013

Purpose:

This paper introduces a nonlinear weighting scheme into the backprojection operation within the simultaneous algebraic reconstruction technique (SART). It is designed for tomosynthesis imaging of objects with high‐attenuation features in order to reduce limited angle artifacts.

Methods:

The algorithm estimates which projections potentially produce artifacts in a voxel. The contribution of those projections into the updating term is reduced. In order to identify those projections automatically, a four‐dimensional backprojected space representation is used. Weighting coefficients are calculated based on a dissimilarity measure, evaluated in this space. For each combination of an angular view direction and a voxel position an individual weighting coefficient for the updating term is calculated.

Results:

The feasibility of the proposed approach is shown based on reconstructions of the following real three‐dimensional tomosynthesis datasets: a mammography quality phantom, an apple with metal needles, a dried finger bone in water, and a human hand. Datasets have been acquired with a Siemens Mammomat Inspiration tomosynthesis device and reconstructed using SART with and without suggested weighting. Out‐of‐focus artifacts are described using line profiles and measured using standard deviation (STD) in the plane and below the plane which contains artifact‐causing features. Artifacts distribution in axial direction is measured using an artifact spread function (ASF). The volumes reconstructed with the weighting scheme demonstrate the reduction of out‐of‐focus artifacts, lower STD (meaning reduction of artifacts), and narrower ASF compared to nonweighted SART reconstruction. It is achieved successfully for different kinds of structures: point‐like structures such as phantom features, long structures such as metal needles, and fine structures such as trabecular bone structures.

Conclusions:

Results indicate the feasibility of the proposed algorithm to reduce typical tomosynthesis artifacts produced by high‐attenuation features. The proposed algorithm assigns weighting coefficients automatically and no segmentation or tissue‐classification steps are required. The algorithm can be included into various iterative reconstruction algorithms with an additive updating strategy. It can also be extended to computed tomography case with the complete set of angular data.
Whole-Genome Sequence of Mycobacterium intracellulare Clinical Strain MOTT-H4Y, Belonging to INT5 Genotype
Authors: Lee Hyungki , Kim Byoung-Jun , Kim Kijeong , Hong Seok-Hyun , Kook Yoon-Hoh , Kim Bum-Joon
Published: March 2013

Here, we report the draft genome sequence of the
Mycobacterium intracellulare
clinical strain MOTT-H4Y, grouped previously into the INT5 genotype of the 5 genotypes of
M. intracellulare
.
HIV-Specific CD8+T Cells from Elite Controllers Are Primed for Survival
Authors: Yan Jiyu , Sabbaj Steffanie , Bansal Anju , Amatya Nilesh , Shacka John J. , Goepfert Paul A. , Heath Sonya L.
Published: March 2013

HIV-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) are preferentially primed for apoptosis, and this may represent a viral escape mechanism. We hypothesized that HIV-infected individuals that control virus to undetectable levels without antiretroviral therapy (ART) (elite controllers [EC]) have the capacity to upregulate survival factors that allow them to resist apoptosis. To address this, we performed cross-sectional and longitudinal analysis of proapoptotic (cleaved caspase-3) and antiapoptotic (Bcl-2) markers of cytomegalovirus (CMV) and HIV-specific CD8 T cells in a cohort of HIV-infected subjects with various degrees of viral control on and off ART. We demonstrated that HIV-specific CTL from EC are more resistant to apoptosis than those with pharmacologic control (successfully treated patients [ST]), despite similarin vivoconditions. Longitudinal analysis of chronically infected persons starting ART revealed that the frequency of HIV-specific T cells prone to death decreased, suggesting that this phenotype is partially reversible even though it never achieves the levels present in EC. Elucidating the apoptotic factors contributing to the survival of CTL in EC is paramount to our development of effective HIV-1 vaccines. Furthermore, a better understanding of cellular markers that can be utilized to predict response durability in disease- or vaccine-elicited responses will advance the field.
Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus Nsp1β Inhibits Interferon-Activated JAK/STAT Signal Transduction by Inducing Karyopherin-α1 Degradation
Authors: Wang Rong , Nan Yuchen , Yu Ying , Zhang Yan-Jin
Published: March 2013

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) inhibits the interferon-mediated antiviral response. Type I interferons (IFNs) induce the expression of IFN-stimulated genes by activating phosphorylation of both signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1) and STAT2, which form heterotrimers (interferon-stimulated gene factor 3 [ISGF3]) with interferon regulatory factor 9 (IRF9) and translocate to the nucleus. PRRSV Nsp1β blocks the nuclear translocation of the ISGF3 complex by an unknown mechanism. In this study, we discovered that Nsp1β induced the degradation of karyopherin-α1 (KPNA1, also called importin-α5), which is known to mediate the nuclear import of ISGF3. Overexpression of Nsp1β resulted in a reduction of KPNA1 levels in a dose-dependent manner, and treatment of the cells with the proteasome inhibitor MG132 restored KPNA1 levels. Furthermore, the presence of Nsp1β induced an elevation of KPNA1 ubiquitination and a shortening of its half-life. Our analysis of Nsp1β deletion constructs showed that the N-terminal domain of Nsp1β was involved in the ubiquitin-proteasomal degradation of KPNA1. A nucleotide substitution resulting in an amino acid change from valine to isoleucine at residue 19 of Nsp1β diminished its ability to induce KPNA1 degradation and to inhibit IFN-mediated signaling. Interestingly, infection of MARC-145 cells by PRRSV strains VR-2332 and VR-2385 also resulted in KPNA1 reduction, whereas infection by an avirulent strain, Ingelvac PRRS modified live virus (MLV), did not. MLV Nsp1β had no effect on KPNA1; however, a mutant with an amino acid change at residue 19 from isoleucine to valine induced KPNA1 degradation. These results indicate that Nsp1β blocks ISGF3 nuclear translocation by inducing KPNA1 degradation and that valine-19 in Nsp1β correlates with the inhibition.
The pH of Activation of the Hemagglutinin Protein Regulates H5N1 Influenza Virus Replication and Pathogenesis in Mice
Authors: Zaraket Hassan , Bridges Olga A. , Russell Charles J.
Published: March 2013

After receptor binding and internalization during influenza virus entry, the hemagglutinin (HA) protein is triggered by low pH to undergo irreversible conformational changes that mediate membrane fusion. To investigate how mutations that alter the activation pH of the HA protein influence the fitness of an avian H5N1 influenza virus in a mammalian model, we infected C57BL/6J or DBA/2J mice and compared the replication and virulence of recombinant A/chicken/Vietnam/C58/04 (H5N1) HA-Y23
1
H mutant, wild-type, and HA-H24
1
Q and HA-K58
2
I mutant viruses that have HA activation pH values of 6.3, 5.9, 5.6, and 5.4, respectively. The HA-Y23
1
H mutant virus was highly susceptible to acid inactivation
in vitro
and was attenuated for growth and virulence in mice, suggesting that an H5N1 HA protein triggered at pH 6.3 is too unstable for the virus to remain fit. Wild-type and HA-H24
1
Q viruses were similar in pathogenicity and grew to similar levels in mice, ducks, and cell cultures derived from both avian and mammalian tissues, suggesting that H5N1 HA proteins triggered at pH values in the range of 5.9 to 5.6 broadly support replication. The HA-K58
2
I mutant virus had greater growth and virulence in DBA/2J mice than the wild type did, although the mutant virus was highly attenuated in ducks. The data suggest that adaptation of avian H5N1 influenza virus for infection in mammals is supported by a decrease in the HA activation pH to 5.4. Identification of the HA activation pH as a host-specific infectivity factor is expected to aid in the surveillance and risk assessment of currently circulating H5N1 influenza viruses.
ON A CONDITIONAL-CONJUNCTIVE LAW WITH FUZZY SETS — SHORT NOTE
Authors: GARCÍA-HONRADO ITZIAR , TRILLAS ENRIC , ALSINA CLAUDI
Published: March 2013

This short paper is devoted to study the law (μ → σ) · λ ≤ μ → σ·λ, with fuzzy sets μ, σ, and λ, in the case the conditional → is functionally expressible by a numerical function J, and the intersection · is functionally expressible by a continuous t-norm T. That is, it deals with the functional inequality T(J(a,b),c) ≤ J(a,T(b,c)) in the unknowns T and J.
A FUZZY DATA ENVELOPMENT ANALYSIS FOR CLUSTERING OPERATING UNITS WITH IMPRECISE DATA
Authors: SAATI SABER , HATAMI-MARBINI ADEL , TAVANA MADJID , AGRELL PER J.
Published: March 2013

Data envelopment analysis (DEA) is a non-parametric method for measuring the efficiency of peer operating units that employ multiple inputs to produce multiple outputs. Several DEA methods have been proposed for clustering operating units. However, to the best of our knowledge, the existing methods in the literature do not simultaneously consider the priority between the clusters (classes) and the priority between the operating units in each cluster. Moreover, while crisp input and output data are indispensable in traditional DEA, real-world production processes may involve imprecise or ambiguous input and output data. Fuzzy set theory has been widely used to formalize and represent the impreciseness and ambiguity inherent in human decision-making. In this paper, we propose a new fuzzy DEA method for clustering operating units in a fuzzy environment by considering the priority between the clusters and the priority between the operating units in each cluster simultaneously. A numerical example and a case study for the Jet Ski purchasing decision by the Florida Border Patrol are presented to illustrate the efficacy and the applicability of the proposed method.
A DESCRIPTIVE DECISION-MAKING MODEL UNDER UNCERTAINTY: COMBINATION OF DEMPSTER-SHAFER THEORY AND PROSPECT THEORY
Authors: NUSRAT ELHUM , YAMADA KOICHI
Published: March 2013

In this paper, a descriptive decision-making model under uncertainty is proposed which incorporates two types of decision attitudes for uncertainty; one is an attitude about ignorance (optimism/pessimism) and the other one is about risk (risk-seeking and risk-aversion). At first, Evidential Decision Making Problem (EDMP) has been defined where Dempster-Shafer Theory (DST) has been used to represent uncertainty. Then probability approximation approach of solving EDMP is shown. For deciding the decision weights in different attitudes of decision maker, Ordered Weighted Averaging (OWA) operator has been used. Later on, Prospect Theory has been applied to accomplish a descriptive decision-making model. To show the effectiveness of our approach, a real life decision problem of travelers' route choice from a set of alternatives has also been provided.