bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A systematic review of therapeutic interventions to reduce acute and chronic post‐surgical pain after amputation, thoracotomy or mastectomy
Authors: Humble S.R. , Dalton A.J. , Li L.
Published: August 2014

Background

Perioperative neuropathic pain is under‐recognized and often undertreated. Chronic pain may develop after any routine surgery, but it can have a far greater incidence after amputation, thoracotomy or mastectomy. The peak noxious barrage due to the neural trauma associated with these operations may be reduced in the perioperative period with the potential to reduce the risk of chronic pain.

Databases and data treatment

A systematic review of the evidence for perioperative interventions reducing acute and chronic pain associated with amputation, mastectomy or thoracotomy.

Results

Thirty‐two randomized controlled trials met the inclusion criteria. Gabapentinoids reduced pain after mastectomy, but a single dose was ineffective for thoracotomy patients who had an epidural. Gabapentinoids were ineffective for vascular amputees with pre‐existing chronic pain. Venlafaxine was associated with less chronic pain after mastectomy. Intravenous and topical lidocaine and perioperative EMLA (eutectic mixture of local anaesthetic) cream reduced the incidence of chronic pain after mastectomy, whereas local anaesthetic infiltration appeared ineffective. The majority of the trials investigating regional analgesia found it to be beneficial for chronic symptoms. Ketamine and intercostal cryoanalgesia offered no reduction in chronic pain. Total intravenous anaesthesia (TIVA) reduced the incidence of post‐thoracotomy pain in one study, whereas high‐dose remifentanil exacerbated chronic pain in another.

Conclusions

Appropriate dose regimes of gabapentinoids, antidepressants, local anaesthetics and regional anaesthesia may potentially reduce the severity of both acute and chronic pain for patients. Ketamine was not effective at reducing chronic pain. Intercostal cryoanalgesia was not effective and has the potential to increase the risk of chronic pain. TIVA may be beneficial but the effects of opioids are unclear.
The bradykinin B1 receptor antagonist BI113823 reverses inflammatory hyperalgesia by desensitization of peripheral and spinal neurons
Authors: Schuelert N. , Just S. , Corradini L. , Kuelzer R. , Bernloehr C. , Doods H.
Published: August 2014

Background

Bradykinin is a neuropeptide released after tissue damage which plays an important role in inflammatory pain. The up‐regulation of the bradykinin B1 receptor in response to inflammation makes it an attractive target for drug development. Aim was to investigate if the selective B1 receptor antagonist BI113823 reduces inflammation‐induced mechanical hyperalgesia and if the effect is mediated via peripheral and/or spinal B1 receptor antagonism.

Methods

Electrophysiological recordings of peripheral afferents and spinal neurons were combined with behavioural experiments to better understand the underlying mechanisms of B1 receptor antagonism. Experiments were performed 24 h after injection of complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) or saline into the paw of Wistar rats. A gene expression analysis for the B1 receptor was performed in different tissues. BI113823 was administered orally or intrathecally to assess effects on CFA‐induced hyperalgesia. Peripheral afferents of the saphenous nerve as well as spinal wide dynamic range (WDR) and nociceptive‐specific (NS) neurons were recorded, and mechanosensitivity was measured before and after BI113823 administration.

Results

BI113823 reduced CFA‐induced mechanical hyperalgesia when administered orally or intrathecally. An increased B1 receptor gene expression was found in peripheral and spinal neural tissue. BI113823 significantly reduced mechanosensitivity of peripheral afferents and spinal NS neurons, but had no effect on WDR neurons.

Conclusion

The selective bradykinin B1 receptor antagonist BI113823 reduces CFA‐induced mechanical hyperalgesia which is mediated via antagonism of peripheral as well as spinal bradykinin B1 receptors. The selective modulation of CFA‐sensitized spinal NS neurons by BI113823 could be a promising property for the treatment of inflammatory pain.
Experimental Micromorphology on Burnt Shells of Anomalocardia brasiliana (Gmelin 1791) (Bivalvia, Veneridae) and Its Potential for Identification of Combustion Features on Shell‐Matrix Sites
Authors: Villagran Ximena S.
Published: August 2014

The identification of in situ or reworked hearths in archaeological sediments is currently one of the main topics in archaeological micromorphology. In the case of shell‐matrix sites (shell mounds and middens), the clast‐supported matrix and high porosity can hamper the clear identification of combustion features. Previous experimental approaches were useful to identify in thin section the transformations induced by heating in mollusk shells, which are related to its mineralogy. Since different species of mollusks contain diverse mineralogy (aragonite, calcite, or both), it is expected that each species follows a specific thermal behavior, although similar general trends exist. In this short contribution, a set of valves of the mollusk Anomalocardia brasiliana (Gmelin 1791) (Bivalvia, Veneridae), the most important component of Brazilian shell mounds, was heated in a muffle furnace at temperatures from 200°C to 800°C. Thin sections were made and their description is presented for the identification of burnt shell of A. brasiliana. This information can help to infer the temperature of prehistoric fires and can assist in the identification of in situ versus reworked hearths in shell‐matrix sites.
Hsp27 regulates EGF/β‐catenin mediated epithelial to mesenchymal transition in prostate cancer
Authors: Cordonnier Thomas , Bishop Jennifer L. , Shiota Masaki , Nip Ka Mun , Thaper Daksh , Vahid Sepideh , Heroux Devon , Gleave Martin , Zoubeidi Amina
Published: August 2014

Increased expression of the molecular chaperone Hsp27 is associated with the progression of prostate cancer (PCa) to castration‐resistant disease, which is lethal due to metastatic spread of the prostate tumor. Metastasis requires epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT), which endows cancer cells with the ability to disseminate from the primary tumor and colonize new tissue sites. A wide variety of secreted factors promote EMT, and while overexpression and constitutive activation of epidermal growth factor (EGF) signaling is associated with poor prognosis of PCa, a precise role of EGF in PCa progression to metastasis remains unclear. Here, we show that Hsp27 is required for EGF‐induced cell migration, invasion and MMPs activity as well as the expression of EMT markers including Fibronectin, Vimentin and Slug with concomitant decrease of E‐cadherin. Mechanistically, we found that Hsp27 is required for EGF‐induced AKT and GSK3β phosphorylation and β‐catenin nuclear translocation. Moreover, silencing Hsp27 decreases EGF dependent phosphorylation of β‐catenin on tyrosine 142 and 654, enhances β‐catenin ubiquitination and degradation, prevents β‐catenin nuclear translocation and binding to the Slug promoter. These data suggest that Hsp27 is required for EGF‐mediated EMT via modulation of the β‐catenin/Slug signaling pathway. Together, our findings underscore the importance of Hsp27 in EGF induced EMT in PCa and highlight the use of Hsp27 knockdown as a useful strategy for patients with advanced disease.
Generalization of negatively reinforced mands in children with autism
Authors: Groskreutz Nicole C. , Groskreutz Mark P. , Bloom Sarah E. , Slocum Timothy A.
Published: August 2014

Each day, people encounter stimuli they find unpleasant. Some children with autism may require systematic instruction to acquire the communication skills necessary to request the termination of such aversive stimuli. We taught 2 school‐aged boys with autism a mand (e.g., signing “stop”) that could be used to escape a variety of aversive stimuli. First, we employed a systematic assessment to identify aversive stimuli to use during training. We then conducted mand training sequentially across those stimuli until sufficient exemplars were trained for generalization to occur to untrained stimuli. For both participants, cross‐stimulus generalization was observed after training with 2 stimuli. Participants manded for escape in the presence of aversive stimuli, but almost never manded in the presence of preferred stimuli or when the programmed stimuli were absent. In addition, we found an inverse relation between acquisition of the mand and engagement in problem behavior and evidence of generalization to nontraining contexts.
Analysis of drugs of abuse in human plasma by dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction and high‐performance liquid chromatography
Authors: Fernández P. , Regenjo M. , Bermejo A. M. , Fernández A. M. , Lorenzo R. A. , Carro A. M.
Published: August 2014

Opioids and cocaine are widely used at present, both for recreational purposes and as drugs of abuse. This raises the need to develop new analytical methods specifically designed for the simultaneous detection of several drugs of abuse in biological samples. In this work, dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction (DLLME) was assessed as a new sample treatment for the simultaneous extraction of morphine (MOR), 6‐acetylmorphine (6AM), cocaine (COC), benzoylecgonine (BZE) and methadone (MET) from human plasma. Preliminary assays were done before developing an experimental design based on a Uniform Network Doehlert which allowed the optimum extraction conditions to be identified, namely: a volume of extractant solvent (chloroform) and dispersant solvent (acetonitrile) of 220 µl and 3.2 ml, respectively; 0.2 g of NaCl as a salting‐out additive; pH 10.6 and ultrasound stirring for 3.5 min. The resulting extracts were analyzed by high‐performance liquid chromatography with photodiode array detection (HPLC‐PDA), using an XBridge® RP18 column (250 × 4.6 mm i.d., 5 µm particle size). Calibration graphs were linear over the concentration range 0.1–10 µg ml–1, and detection limits ranged from 13.9 to 28.5 ng ml–1. Precision calculated at three different concentration levels in plasma was included in the range 0.1–6.8% RSD. Recoveries of the five drugs were all higher than 84% on average. Finally the proposed method was successfully applied to 22 plasma samples from heroin, cocaine and/or methadone users, and the most frequently detected drug was benzoylecgonine, followed by methadone, cocaine and morphine. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Looking for some free energy? Call JEFREE (…)
Authors: Zerbetto Mirco , Piserchia Andrea , Frezzato Diego
Published: August 2014

In this communication, we present the Jarzynski's Equality FREe Energy (JEFREE) library, an efficient and easy‐to‐use C++ library targeted to the calculation of the free energy profile along a selected generalized coordinate of a system, within the framework of the nonequilibrium steered transformations as introduced by Jarzynski [Phys. Rev. E, 1997, 56, 5018]. JEFREE can be readily integrated into any code, since both C and FORTRAN wrappers have been developed, and easily customizable by a user thanks to the object‐oriented programming paradigm offered by the C++ language. Also, JEFREE implements the novel idea of making a total “morphing” of the system energy landscape before initiating the proper steering stage. This proves to be an efficient mean to overtake the problematic sampling of the initial equilibrium state when the number of degrees of freedom is high and the landscape owns many local minima separated by large energy barriers. The calculation of the free energy profile for the rotation along torsion angles in alkyl chains is presented as an example of application of our tool. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Antioxidants and sensory properties of the infusions of wild passiflora from Brazilian savannah: potential as functional beverages
Authors: Pineli Lívia de L de O , Rodrigues Juliana da S Q , Costa Ana M , de Lima Herbert C , Chiarello Marileusa D , Melo Lauro
Published: August 2014

BACKGROUND

The study of biodiversity for species recovery and sustainable use has encouraged research with plants from Brazilian savannah. We aimed to characterize chemical and sensory properties of infusions of passifloras, due to their potential as functional beverages. Infusions and hydroalcoholic extracts of four species of wild passifloras, three varieties of Passiflora edulis and a commercial passiflora tea were evaluated for total phenolics (TPs), total flavonoids (TFs), condensed tannins (CTs), and antioxidant activity (DPPH and FRAP). Free‐choice Profile and acceptance, compared with green tea, were performed for sensory characterization.

RESULTS

In general, infusions had higher levels of TPs and CTs than hydroalcoholic extracts, which in turn had higher levels of TFs. Infusion of P. nitida showed higher amounts of TPs and antioxidant activity. Acceptance of passiflora infusions was similar or higher than that of green tea, except for P. alata. P. setacea presented a sensory profile similar to other commercial teas and higher acceptance by a group of consumers.

CONCLUSION

Passiflora infusions showed different degrees of suitability as acceptable functional beverage. Identification of phenolics and other bitter compounds is needed to understand the intense bitterness of P. alata, as it did not present the highest contents of TPs, CTs and TFs. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry
Enzymatic hydrolysis optimization of Paphia undulata and lymphocyte proliferation activity of the isolated peptide fractions
Authors: He Xiao Qing , Cao Wen Hong , Pan Guang Kun , Yang Liu , Zhang Chao Hua
Published: August 2014

BACKGROUND

The immune system is important in preventing and controlling various infectious diseases. Immunoactive peptides derived from food proteins could exert immunomodulatory activity without side effects. Paphia undulata with high‐protein is suitable for the production of immunoactive peptides. The objective of this study was to optimize the hydrolysis parameters to maximize the immune activity of hydrolysates from Paphia undulata.

RESULTS

Hydrolysis parameters, including temperature, time and the ratio of alkaline protease to Paphia undulata meat (E/S), were optimized by response surface methodology with a central composite design. The optimum conditions were obtained as follows: temperature, 51 °C; time, 3.14 h; E/S, 4,321 U g−1 (Paphia undulata meat). Furthermore, hydrolysates obtained under the optimum conditions were fractionated by ultrafiltration and gel filtration on a Sephadex G‐25 column. After two‐step isolation, the isolated fractions (P2 and P3) including the peptides Pro‐His‐Thr‐Cys, Val‐Gly‐Try‐Thr, Glu‐Phe, Leu‐Phe, and Glu‐Gly‐Ala‐Lys, Trp‐Ile or Trp‐Leu, respectively, could significantly enhance lymphocyte proliferation ability.

CONCLUSION

These results showed that response surface methodology and two‐step separation were efficient for recovery of low‐molecular‐weight peptides with high spleen lymphocyte proliferation activity, and the isolated fractions of Paphia undulata hydrolysates are potential ingredients for development of functional foods. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry
Synthesis and Characterization of Low Molecular Weight Ethylene–Propylene Copolymers Prepared Using Metallocene Catalysts
Authors: Tourkmani Kenda , Casas Emilio , Paredes Beatriz , Moreno Jovita , Perez Ponciano , Escola Jose María , Van Grieken Rafael
Published: August 2014

The synthesis in a liquid propene phase of ethylene–propylene copolymers of low molecular weights (3 000–20 000 g mol−1) is accomplished using three different metallocenes containing bridged bis(indenyl) moieties: (A) rac‐dimethylsilylbis(4,5,6,7‐tetrahydro‐1‐indenyl)zirconium dichloride, (B) rac‐ethylenebis(4,5,6,7‐tetrahydro‐1‐indenyl)zirconium dichloride, and (C) rac‐ethylenebis(indenyl)zirconium dichloride. Hydrogen pressures higher than 1 bar were required to drop the molecular weight below 25 000 g mol−1. Metallocene B gives rise to the copolymers with lower molecular weights (<5 000 g mol−1), irrespective of the ethylene content, due to the presence of a hydrogenated six membered ring in the indenyl moiety as well as a CH2 bridge. DSC experiments indicate that for low ethylene contents (below 4 wt%), metallocene A gives rise to copolymers with the highest melting temperatures and the lowest melting enthalpies, suggesting the existence of longer isotactic propylene sequences into the copolymer backbone.
Investigation of the Efficacy of Adjunctive Therapy with Bioavailability‐Boosted Curcuminoids in Major Depressive Disorder
Authors: Panahi Yunes , Badeli Roghayeh , Karami Gholam‐Reza , Sahebkar Amirhossein
Published: August 2014

Current medications have limited efficacy in controlling the symptoms of major depressive disorder (MDD), and are associated with several adverse events on long‐term use. Curcuminoids are extremely safe and multifunctional phytopharmaceuticals that have been shown to alleviate depressive symptoms in a variety of experimental models. The present study aimed to investigate the efficacy of curcuminoids as an add‐on to standard antidepressants in patients with MDD. One hundred and eleven subjects were assigned to standard antidepressive therapy plus curcuminoids–piperine combination (1000–10 mg/day; n = 61) or standard antidepressive therapy alone (n = 50) for a period of 6 weeks. Efficacy measures were changes in the psychological status on the basis of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and Beck Depression Inventory II (BDI‐II). The BDI‐II and HADS total and subscale scores were reduced by the end of trial in both study groups. There were significantly greater reductions in total HADS score and subscales of anxiety and depression in the curcuminoids versus control group (p < 0.001). Likewise, reductions in BDI‐II total score and scores of somatic and cognitive subscales were found to be greater in the curcuminoids compared with control group (p < 0.001). Co‐administration of curcuminoids with piperine may be used as a safe and effective add‐on to standard antidepressants in patients with MDD. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
On the correlation of surface charge and energy in non‐thermal plasma‐treated polyethylene
Authors: López‐García Jorge , Lehocký Marian , Humpolíček Petr , Novák Igor
Published: August 2014

Non‐thermal non‐equilibrium oxidative air 40‐kHz frequency, 13.56‐MHz radiofrequency and 2.46‐GHz microwave discharge plasma treatment were used for modifying low‐density polyethylene foils. The untreated and treated samples were chemically characterised by X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy. In order to estimate the extent of the plasma sources at distinct treatment times, surface charge and energy were determined by zeta potential (ζ) and surface tension measurements. In addition, the isoelectric points (IEPs) of the studied samples were ascertained, and surface property variations were appraised by ageing time. The overall outcome indicated that ζ‐potential and surface energy progressively changed after each treatment, as well as the influences of ageing on surface features, the IEP shifting to lower pH values and how all of these changes are associated with the new surface chemistry. This contribution seeks to shed light on topics related to polymer science and plasma‐based strategies for surface modification. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Evaluation in monkey of two candidate PET radioligands, [11C]RX‐1 and [18F]RX‐2, for imaging brain 5‐HT4 receptors
Authors: Lohith Talakad G. , Xu Rong , Tsujikawa Tetsuya , Morse Cheryl L. , Anderson Kacey B. , Gladding Robert L. , Zoghbi Sami S. , Fujita Masahiro , Innis Robert B. , Pike Victor W.
Published: August 2014

The serotonin subtype‐4 (5‐HT4) receptor, which is known to be involved physiologically in learning and memory, and pathologically in Alzheimer's disease, anxiety, and other neuropsychiatric disorders—has few radioligands readily available for imaging in vivo. We have previously reported two novel 5‐HT4 receptor radioligands, namely [methoxy‐11C](1‐butylpiperidin‐4‐yl)methyl 4‐amino‐3‐methoxybenzoate; [11C]RX‐1), and the [18F]3‐fluoromethoxy analog ([18F]RX‐2), and in this study we evaluated them by PET in rhesus monkey. Brain scans were performed at baseline, receptor preblock or displacement conditions using SB 207710, a 5‐HT4 receptor antagonist, on the same day for [11C]RX‐1 and on different days for [18F]RX‐2. Specific‐to‐nondisplaceable ratio (BPND) was measured with the simplified reference tissue model from all baseline scans. To determine specific binding, total distribution volume (VT) was also measured in some monkeys by radiometabolite‐corrected arterial input function after ex vivo inhibition of esterases from baseline and blocked scans. Both radioligands showed moderate to high peak brain uptake of radioactivity (2–6 SUV). Regional BPND values were in the rank order of known 5‐HT4 receptor distribution with a trend for higher BPND values from [18F]RX‐2. One‐tissue compartmental model provided good fits with well identified VT values for both radioligands. In the highest 5‐HT4 receptor density region, striatum, 50–60% of total binding was specific. The VT in receptor‐poor cerebellum reached stable values by about 60 min for both radioligands indicating little influence of radiometabolites on brain signal. In conclusion, both [11C]RX‐1 and [18F]RX‐2 showed positive attributes for PET imaging of brain 5‐HT4 receptors, validating the radioligand design strategy. Synapse 68:613–623, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Total Synthesis and Complete Structural Assignment of Gambieric Acid A, a Large Polycyclic Ether Marine Natural Product
Authors: Sasaki Makoto , Fuwa Haruhiko
Published: August 2014

More than thirty years after the discovery of polycyclic ether marine natural products, they continue to receive intense attention from the chemical, biological, and pharmacological communities because of their potent biological activities and highly complex molecular architectures. Gambieric acids are intriguing polycyclic ethers that exhibit potent antifungal activity with minimal toxicity against mammals. Despite the recent advances in the synthesis of this class of natural products, gambieric acids remain unconquered due to their daunting structural complexity, which poses a formidable synthetic challenge to organic chemists. This paper reviews our long‐term studies on the total synthesis, complete configurational reassignment, and structure–activity relationships of gambieric acid A over the last decade.
Re: Prevalence of extrauterine pelvic lesions on transvaginal ultrasound in asymptomatic 20–39‐year‐old women. L. Jokubkiene, P. Sladkevicius and L. Valentin. Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol 2014; 44: 228–237
Authors: Jurkovic D.
Published: August 2014

Linked Comment: Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol 2014; 44: 228–237
Transvaginal ultrasound assessment of myometrial and cervical stromal invasion in women with endometrial cancer: interobserver reproducibility among ultrasound experts and gynecologists
Authors: Eriksson L. S. E. , Lindqvist P. G. , Flöter Rådestad A. , Dueholm M. , Fischerova D. , Franchi D. , Jokubkiene L. , Leone F. P. , Savelli L. , Sladkevicius P. , Testa A. C. , Van den Bosch T. , Ameye L. , Epstein E.
Published: August 2014

Objectives

To assess interobserver reproducibility among ultrasound experts and gynecologists in the prediction by transvaginal ultrasound of deep myometrial and cervical stromal invasion in women with endometrial cancer.

Methods

Sonographic videoclips of the uterine corpus and cervix of 53 women with endometrial cancer, examined preoperatively by the same ultrasound expert, were integrated into a digitalized survey. Nine ultrasound experts and nine gynecologists evaluated presence or absence of deep myometrial and cervical stromal invasion. Histopathology from hysterectomy specimens was used as the gold standard.

Results

Compared with gynecologists, ultrasound experts showed higher sensitivity, specificity and agreement with histopathology in the assessment of cervical stromal invasion (42% (95% CI, 31–53%) vs 57% (95% CI, 45–68%), P < 0.01; 83% (95% CI, 78–86%) vs 87% (95% CI, 83–90%), P = 0.02; and kappa, 0.45 (95% CI, 0.40–0.49) vs 0.58 (95% CI, 0.53–0.62), P < 0.001, respectively) but not of deep myometrial invasion (73% (95% CI, 66–79%) vs 73% (95% CI, 66–79%), P = 1.0; 70% (95% CI, 65–75%) vs 69% (95% CI, 63–74%), P = 0.68; and kappa, 0.48 (95% CI, 0.44–0.53) vs 0.52 (95% CI, 0.48–0.57), P = 0.11, respectively). Though interobserver reproducibility (in the context of test proportions ‘good’ and ‘very good’, according to kappa) regarding deep myometrial invasion did not differ between the groups (experts, 34% vs gynecologists, 22%, P = 0.13), ultrasound experts assessed cervical stromal invasion with significantly greater interobserver reproducibility than did gynecologists (53% vs 14%, P < 0.001).

Conclusion

Preoperative ultrasound assessment of deep myometrial and cervical stromal invasion in endometrial cancer is best performed by ultrasound experts, as, compared with gynecologists, they showed a greater degree of agreement with histopathology and greater interobserver reproducibility in the assessment of cervical stromal invasion. Copyright © 2014 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
DCNC: throughput maximization via delay controlled network coding for wireless mesh networks
Authors: Qu Yuben , Dong Chao , Chen Chen , Wang Hai , Tian Chang , Tang Shaojie
Published: August 2014

Network coding (NC) can greatly improve the performance of wireless mesh networks (WMNs) in terms of throughput and reliability, and so on. However, NC generally performs a batch‐based transmission scheme, the main drawback of this scheme is the inevitable increase in average packet delay, that is, a large batch size may achieve higher throughput but also induce larger average packet delay. In this work, we put our focus on the tradeoff between the average throughput and packet delay; in particular, our ultimate goal is to maximize the throughput for real‐time traffic under the premise of diversified and time‐varying delay requirements. To tackle this problem, we propose DCNC, a delay controlled network coding protocol, which can improve the throughput for real‐time traffic by dynamically controlling the delay in WMNs. To define an appropriate control foundation, we first build up a delay prediction model to capture the relationship between the average packet delay and the encoding batch size. Then, we design a novel freedom‐based feedback scheme to efficiently reflect the reception of receivers in a reliable way. Based on the predicted delay and current reception status, DCNC utilizes the continuous encoding batch size adjustment to control delay and further improve the throughput. Extensive simulations show that, when faced with the diversified and time‐varying delay requirements, DCNC can constantly fulfill the delay requirements, for example, achieving over 95% efficient packet delivery ratio (EPDR) in all instances under good channel quality, and also obtains higher throughput than the state‐of‐art protocol. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Imprimitivity theorems for weakly proper actions of locally compact groups
Authors: BUSS ALCIDES , ECHTERHOFF SIEGFRIED
Published: August 2014

In a recent paper the authors introduced universal and exotic generalized fixed-point algebras for weakly proper group actions on$C^{\ast }$-algebras. Here we extend the notion of weakly proper actions to actions on Hilbert modules. As a result we obtain several imprimitivity theorems establishing important Morita equivalences between universal, reduced, or exotic crossed products and appropriate universal, reduced, or exotic fixed-point algebras, respectively. In particular, we obtain an exotic version of Green’s imprimitivity theorem and a very general version of the symmetric imprimitivity theorem by weakly proper actions of product groups$G\times H$. In addition, we study functorial properties of generalized fixed-point algebras for equivariant categories of$C^{\ast }$-algebras based on correspondences.
A Darboux-type theorem for germs of holomorphic one-dimensional foliations
Authors: CAMACHO CÉSAR , SCÁRDUA BRUNO
Published: August 2014

We show that a germ of a holomorphic one-dimensional foliation at a singularity in a space of dimension two admits a holomorphic first integral if and only if there are infinitely many closed leaves and a finite number of separatrices, with each separatrix having linearizable holonomy. Indeed, if there are infinitely many closed leaves and the set of separatrices is finite, then the foliation admits either a holomorphic first integral or a formal simple integrating factor of Darboux type.
Shapes of polynomial Julia sets
Authors: LINDSEY KATHRYN A.
Published: August 2014

Any Jordan curve in the complex plane can be approximated arbitrarily well in the Hausdorff topology by Julia sets of polynomials. Finite collections of disjoint Jordan domains can be approximated by the basins of attraction of rational maps.
Effects of Disability on Job Search Among Older Workers
Authors: Hutton Mathew , Bohle Philip , Mc Namara Maria , Li Zhicheng
Published: August 2014

This article examines the impact of disability and related variables (age, gender, and education level) on job search behaviours and employment outcomes. Data are from a two-wave study of 681 Australians between the ages of 45 and 65 who were not in paid employment. Regression modelling indicates that disability impedes job search at several stages of the employment process. Although is it unrelated to job search intensity, disability is negatively associated with the probability of engaging in job search, preferred weekly hours of work, and the likelihood of finding work. Gender and age are related to the probability of engaging in job search and gender is also associated with preferred hours to work. These findings indicate that older workers with a disability face multiple disadvantages when seeking employment.
Unsteady flows with a zero acceleration on the free boundary
Authors: Karabut E. A. , Zhuravleva E. N.
Published: August 2014

A new approach to the construction of exact solutions of unsteady equations for plane flows of an ideal incompressible fluid with a free boundary is proposed. It is demonstrated that the problem is significantly simplified and reduces to solving the Hopf equation if the acceleration on the free surface is equal to zero. Some examples of exact solutions are given.
Lower Devonian ostracods from the Istanbul area, Western Pontides (NW Turkey): Gondwanan and peri-Gondwanan affinities
Authors: OLEMPSKA EWA , NAZİK ATİKE , ÇAPKINOĞLU ŞENOL , SAYDAM-DEMİRAY DİLEK GÜLNUR
Published: August 2014

A Lower Devonian silicified ostracod fauna has been recovered from limestone interbeds in the Büyükdere section of the Kozyatağı Member of the Pendik Formation. Forty-one species belonging to 33 genera have been recognized. Twenty-three are already known, and 15 are described in open nomenclature. One genus and three species (Omerliella rectangulatagen. et sp. nov.,Microcheilinella istanbulensissp. nov. andRoundyella goekchenaesp. nov.) are described. Silicified larval stages of trilobites, agglutinated foraminifers and conodonts co-occur with the ostracods. The ostracod assemblages are ‘mixed faunas’, between the epineritic Eifelian Mega-Assemblage, representative of high-energy environments, and the basinal Thuringian Mega-Assemblage, representative of low-energy environments. The conodont faunas of the Pendik Formation represent theserotinus,patulusandpartitusbiozones of the late Emsian – earliest Eifelian. The Emsian ostracods of NW Turkey show numerous species-level links between the Western Pontides (Istanbul Terrane) and assemblages of contemporaneous faunas of the Cantabrian Mountains (Spain), Morocco and Thuringia (Germany), and of similar biofacies. This supports the notion that the Istanbul Terrane, Armorican terrane-collage and northern margins of Gondwana were in geographical proximity in late Early Devonian time.
DOES HEALTH TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT AFFECT POLICY-MAKING AND CLINICAL PRACTICE IN SWEDEN?
Authors: Rosén Måns , Werkö Sophie
Published: August 2014

Objectives: The aim of this study was to analyze whether health technology assessment (HTA) reports published by SBU have influenced decisions, guidelines, clinical practice, or research priorities in Sweden.

Methods: All twenty-six SBU reports between 2006 and 2010 were analyzed. For each project, we searched publications and documentation that reflected impact on decisions, guidelines, research or clinical practice. Written documentation, before–after surveys or register-based time series data were used when available. Based on a conceptual model and on the available evidence, we determined whether HTA reports had a high, moderate, or low impact.

Results: HTA reports influenced comprehensive decisions to a high or moderate degree. In the case of fortifying flour with folic acid to a high degree. In ten cases, HTA reports were the primary source of clinical guidelines developed by the National Board of Health and Welfare (NBHW) or professional associations. In the cases of dyspepsia and gastro-esophageal reflux, as well as mild head injury, the HTA reports had a high impact on clinical practice. It was also obvious from this review that research had been initiated as a result of the knowledge gaps identified by HTA reports. In three cases, we had no adequate documentation, suggesting that the impact of the HTA report had been low.

Conclusions: Many interrelated forces change practice, but the cases presented here indicate that HTA reports have had a high impact on clinical guidelines, as well as a moderate or high impact on comprehensive decisions, the initiation of research and changes in clinical practice.
Explaining Child Custody Determinations in Canada
Authors: Millar Paul , Goldenberg Sheldon
Published: August 2014

Many earlier studies of Canadian child custody determinations have been written from ideological and feminist viewpoints. This study attempts to look at this subject from an empirical and sociological stance, within its historical context. Several related issues are considered, including the central issue of sexism, and the effects of legislation and case law on these determinations. Models of how custody cases settled by trial affect those negotiated outside the courtroom are explored. This study analyzes decades of Canadian child custody orders and other evidence to shed light on trends in judicial decision making and their causes.
Mythical Roots of Women's Impurity in the Laws of Leviticus: Gendered Mathematics of the Pure and Impure
Authors: Genest Olivette
Published: August 2014

In the biblical book of Leviticus, the whole life of the Hebrew people is codified under the aspect of purity and impurity, and the reintegration into purity. When read in the light of gender, these prescriptions show that women are twice as impure as men, while their monetary value is half. Using the semiotic approach developed by A. J. Greimas, this study shows that, beneath the religious discourse obscuring this valuation, is an equally gendered ideology. The source of this valuation is not the foundational events which engender mosaic law, but its roots are to be found in deeper mythical ground. For the condition of women to change, the issue of their impurity—inferiority must be treated at this level. A striking example illustrating this argument is the persistence of purification rites related to the menstrual cycle in modern Orthodox Judaism. Over the course of centuries, the code that contains them has become obsolete. Nevertheless, they remain in place through successive reinterpretations, which do not address the real reason for their existence.
Incarceration as a Gendering Strategy
Authors: Bertrand Marie-Andrée
Published: August 2014

The State's resistance to making prison law agree with the Charter of Rights and bring women's carceral conditions closer to the male norm is illustrated in a recent comparative research on 24 prisons for women in eight advanced countries. If that conclusion was not unexpected, despite the fact that the countries and establishments had been selected for being progressive and very ‘humane’ ones, and notwithstanding the relentless claims presented by feminist groups and human rights advocates, what came as a surprise was that avant-garde initiatives like mixed prisons, mother-and-child units, well-equipped modern programs in women's prisons proved to be, if possible, more gendering in their actual effect than old traditional male arrangements. Using materialist feminism and discourse analysis to interpret her data, the author concludes that women's incarceration is a powerful gendering strategy and a form of appropriation of women by State's apparatuses to men's advantage.
Making Canada White: Law and the Policing of Bodies of Colour in the 1990s
Authors: Razack Sherene H.
Published: August 2014

The 1990s inaugurated a new era of policing the border, one in which a variety of legislative initiatives were introduced to regulate more tightly the flow of immigrants and refugees to Canada. Border control is closely linked to the internal policing of people of colour, stigmatising and monitoring such bodies in ways that clearly establish their subordinate status in the nation. In this article, I reflect on the practices involved in the policing of the border through an exploration of how individuals participate in, and experience, these practices. Specifically, I describe my own experience of how an individual judge performed the role of the imperial patriarch in a trial of a racial minority woman lawyer charged with immigration fraud. I do not make an empirical claim that the case I explore demonstrates racism and little else. Rather, my central concern is to describe the everyday performance of domination as it occurs in this trial. I seek to illustrate the kinds of things individuals say and do when they engage in making Canada White through the law and to suggest that such individual performances, in this case of hegemonic masculinity, are part of a national story of belonging, a story in which people of colour are marked as degenerate and white subjects are the bearers of culture and civilization. In the second half of the paper, I demonstrate this national mythology as it is expressed by elites.
Sexual Orientation and Legal Discourse: Legal Constructions of the “Normal” Family
Authors: Beaman Lori G.
Published: August 2014

Legal method, or the way in which legal claims are processed, is an integral component of the law's authority to include, exclude and deny claims and experiences. This paper explores the issue of sexual orientation and the legal construction of family as it emerges in the decision of the Supreme Court of Canada inEganv.Canada. The analysis includes a detailed consideration of the ways in which the Supreme Court of Canada incorporates assumptions about the nature of family life as a relevant factor in its assessment of the meaning of the word “spouse” under theOld Age Security Act. The process by which notions of the normal family become legitimized through legal discourse is deconstructed using the work of Mary Jane Mossman and Michel Foucault. Mossman develops an analytic framework which illuminates the ways in which legal method works to preserve the power of law and the illusion that law produces “truth.” Michel Foucault considers both the ways in which knowledge is produced as truth, and its integral links to power.
A Slub in tne Cloth:R.v.St. Clairand the Pursuit of a «Clean Theatre» in Toronto, 1912–13
Authors: Campbell Lindsay
Published: August 2014

This paper describes the 1912–13 case ofR.v.St. Clair, which concerned a Congregationalist minister's attempt to regulate the goings-on in a notorious burlesque theatre in Toronto. A “clean stage” was a goal of the moral reform movement of the time, and the criminal justice system was one of the avenues reformers took to attempt to achieve it. However, obscenity and indecency in theatres posed unique challenges. Two of the most important reasons were that under the influence of artistic and philosophical trends in the modern world, obscenity and indecency were becoming unstable concepts, and the nature, purpose and possibilities of art were being contested. TheSt. Claircase shows Toronto's legal apparatus grappling with these concerns at a time when the authority to judge and to decide what others might and might not view was slipping away from the Protestant churches and toward secular parties, including the courts. Ultimately the case suggests why the difficulties with censorship of verbal and visual representations may be an intractable dimension of our artistic, philosophical and legal position even now.
In Between and Out of Place: Racial Hybridity, Liquor, and the Law in Late 19thand Early 20thCentury British Columbia
Authors: Mawani Renisa
Published: August 2014

Cet article explore et interroge les angoisses coloniales que souleva la progéniture mixed, d'origine européenne et autochtone, chez les responsables gouvernementaux et religieux à la fin du XIXeet au début du XXesiècle en Colombie Britannique. M'appuyant sur des correspondances fédérales, provinciales et locales, des documents de missionnaires, des lois et des rapports judiciaires relatifs aux infractions provinciales et fédérales liées à l'alcool, j'analyse les débats social, juridique et politique entourant les gens d'origine mixed et leur «propre» place dans la province. Je soutiens que les peurs envahissants les concernant ne furent pas seulement symboliques ou métaphoriques mais profondément enracinés dans des craintes bien matérielles pour les terres. Ainsi, des autorités fédérales et provinciales arguaient que la mixité en Colombie Britannique minait leurs efforts d'approprier des terres autochtones et de bâtir dans la province une société de colons blancs «respectable». Pendant toute cette période, les «sang-mêlés» furent l'objet de regards coloniaux pénétrants, tant des administrateurs gouvernementaux que des missionnaires. Bien que les autorités eurent recours à une variété de techniques spatiales et légales pour gouverner les gens mixed, les prohibitions liées à l'alcool, fédérales et provinciales, furent au cœur de l'effort de les maintenir à leur place – ou plutôt «out of place».
Sex, Crime, Pathology: Homosexuality and Criminal Code Reform in Canada, 1949–1969
Authors: Kimmel David , Robinson Daniel J.
Published: August 2014

Cet article examine les processus légaux, politiques et sociaux qui ont abouti à la décriminalisation de l'homosexualité au Canada, en 1969. Même s'il explore l'activisme gai, les développements internationaux, la libéralisation des attitudes sociales, et les anomalies du code criminel de l'époque, l'article se concentre surtout sur la reconceptualisation de la vision juridico-pénale de l'homosexualité vers une conception médico-scientifique et sur l'impact de ce changement sur l'éventuelle décriminalisation. Dans ce cadre, une approche foucaldienne est employée pour illustrer de quelle façon l'évolution du discours psychiatrique sur l'homosexualité a affecté la compréhension sociale et légale de l'attraction entre personnes du même sexe, de la Deuxième guerre mondiale jusqu'aux années 1970. Alors que psychiatres et psychologues étendaient leur expertise à la zone des pratiques et des identités sexuelles, ils ont fourni aux réformateurs et aux parlementaires un cadre interprétatif de l'homosexualité dissocié de l'aspect criminel. Malgré sa légalisation partielle, en 1969, l'homosexualité demeura longtemps associée à une activité pathologique, nécessitant une présence «gouvernante» continue dans les chambres à coucher de la nation, et ce pendant plusieurs années.
Risk and Opportunity: Lessons from the Human Dignity and Social Exclusion Initiative for Trends in Social Policy
Authors: Duffy Katherine
Published: August 2014

Cet article offre d'abord une synthèse des résultats de recherches menées à l'initiative du Conseil de l'Europe dans la première phase du projet Dignité Humaine et Exclusion Sociale (DHES), puis une analyse des implications pour la politique sociale des quatre thèmes identifiés dans les conclusions du rapport. Ces quatre thèmes sont: (1) l'évolution du risque, (2) le rôle changeant de l'Etat par rapport au risque, (3) la convergence des approches de politique sociale en Europe et (4) le défi auquel les ONG qui défendent les moins privilégiés dans la société de risque sont confrontées. Ainsi, l'article utilise le cadre théorique du risque, de l'exclusion et les droits sociaux afin d'étudier les conséquences des orientations de politiques sociales sur la vie des plus démunis et pour discuter de stratégies de lutte contre la pauvreté et l'exclusion dans cet environnement en mutation, identifié par le rapport DHES.
Queering Law: Not by Vriend
Authors: Gotell Lise
Published: August 2014

Cet article explore l'impact juridique et discursif de R. c. Vriend (1998), la première décision de la Cour suprême canadienne clairement en faveur des droits des gays. Sans mettre en cause la victoire que constitue l'arrêt Vriend, il interroge le raisonnement de la Cour. Il adopte la perspective déconstructiviste de la théorie queer pour révéler le rôle du droit dans la création d'une catégorie ‘gaie/lesbienne’ aux frontières rigides et soulever la question de son influence durable sur le plan du discours. En s'appuyant sur des catégories fermées de l'identité sexuelle, l'encadrement juridique libéral de ‘l'orientation sexuelle’ dans Vriend renforce une hétérosexualité normative et préfère traiter des plaintes qui reflètent la réfraction légale de luttes contre l'homophobie en tant que demandes de droits de minorités. Le texte suggère une relation productive entre le droit et les acquis de la théorie et des politiques queer et offre quelques réflexions sur le projet de ‘queering law’.
What Were They Thinking? The Development of Child Support Guidelines in Canada
Authors: Millar Paul , Gauthier Anne H.
Published: August 2014

Au début des années 1990, le Canada a débuté un exercice destiné à accroître les montants des pensions alimentaires pour enfants – pensions qui sont payées par le parent n'ayant pas la charge des enfants – afin de réduire les taux de pauvreté chez les enfants. En 1997, après plusieurs années d'étude et de coordination entre les gouvernements fédéral, provinciaux et territoriaux, le Parlement a adopté les lignes directrices qui lient les montants des pensions alimentaires au revenu du parent n'ayant pas la charge des enfants. Ce papier examine le développement historique des lignes directrices, et les hypothèses qui sont à leur base. Les buts initiaux des lignes directrices sont comparés aux résultats obtenus de façon à fournir des directions pour de prochains ajustements et réforme politique.
Judicial Justification of Recent Developments in Aboriginal Law
Authors: Christie Gordon
Published: August 2014

Pendant les dernières décennies, la Cour suprême du Canada a élaboré les conséquences de la constitutionalisation des droits autochtones. La jurisprudence a d'abord adopté une approche fondée sur les droits envers leur protection, les mettant dans une large mesure à l'abri d'intrusions législatives. Dans des décisions plus récentes toutefois, la Cour suprême à considérablement réduit le degré de protection dont ces droits jouissent. Elle a développe un ensemble de principes généraux sur la justification de l'activisme judiciaire, des principes qui s'appuient ultimement sur une vision du Canada comme démocratie constitutionnelle et le rôle du judiciaire dans une telle structure démocratique. L'article analyse les voies qui s'ouvrent à la Cour pour déployer les principes et la vision dont ils émanent, afin de justifier son activisme récent dans le domaine des droits des Autochtones