bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Security beyond resilience
Authors: Grove Kevin J
Published: January 2017

This review article reads across David Chandler’s Resilience, Brad Evans and Julian Reid’s Resilient Life and Elizabeth Povinelli’s Economies of Abandonment to explore the possibilities for critical thought on security beyond resilience. Read together, these works suggest that resilience approaches offer a topological form of security that interiorizes the outside’s de-territorializing potential – a movement that might be countered by a radical atmospherics of security that enables socio-ecological difference to persist as difference. At stake is the relation between critique and potentiality: while topological security turns critique into a stabilizing force, atmospheric security refuses the demands for socio-ecological difference to make itself legible as either proper adaptation or improper maladaptation. An atmospherics of security orients politics and ethics around both the durative and anticipatory temporal registers of potentiality.
Eigenfrequencies of Tapered Beams with Intermediate Point Supports
Authors: Ding Zhou , Cheung Y.K.
Published: January 2017

This paper studies the vibrational characteristics of multi-span beams with continuously varying rectangular cross-section of depth and breadth proportional to Xs and Xt respectively where s and t may be given arbitrary real numbers for a truncated beam and arbitrary positive numbers for a sharp ended beam and x is the coordinate along the centreline of the beam, measured from the sharp end of the beam. The Bernoulli-Euler theory of bending is used to describe the dynamic deflection of the beam. A new set of admissible functions are developed from the static solutions of the tapered beam with intermediate point supports under a Taylor series of loads. The unknown coefficients in the static beam functions are uniquely determined by the boundary conditions and the zero displacement conditions at the locations of the point supports. The eigenfrequency equation is derived by the Rayleigh-Ritz method. The numerical results are tabulated for both truncated and sharp ended beams with one and two intermediate point supports and compared with other existing values in the literature. Good agreement is observed. It is shown that the first few eigenfrequencies can be obtained with high accuracy by the present models and only a small number of terms of the static beam functions has been used.
Blood Rheology in Post-Thrombotic Syndrome — A Pilot Study
Authors: Ernst E. , Matrai A. , Vinnemeier E. , Marshall M.
Published: January 2017

Patients suffering from post-thromobotic syndrome are compared to controls in terms of ex-vivo measurements to quantify the rheological behavior of blood: blood and plasma viscosity, haematocrit, red cell aggregation, red cell filterability, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), plasma fibrinogen. The results show that plasma viscosity, red cell filterability, ESR and fibrinogen are significantly changed indicating a lack of blood fluidity in post-thrombotic disease. It is suggested that the rheological deficit and the venous pathology both contribute to a disturbed microcirculation in the affected limb.
Restoration of Venous Patency in Thrombosis of the Caval Veins
Authors: Scheld H.H. , Gorlach G. , Moosdorf R. , Stertmann W.A.
Published: January 2017

This paper describes the results of treatment of 15 patients with inferior vena cava thrombosis. Thrombolysis using urokinase was the method of choice (12 patients) unless there were contraindications when thrombectomy (three patients) was performed. Thrombolytic therapy produced complete clearance of the inferior vena cava in eight of the 12 patients and partial clearance in the remaining four. Thrombolysis was terminated because of minor bleeding complications in four. Thrombectomy was done in three patients in whom there were contraindications to thrombolytic therapy. We believe that thrombolysis is a feasible method of treatment and possibly the method of choice when the thrombus is older than 3 days and the patient's general state is poor.
Blunted neural response to anticipation, effort and consummation of reward and aversion in adolescents with depression symptomatology
Authors: Rzepa Ewelina , Fisk Jennifer , McCabe Ciara
Published: January 2017

Neural reward function has been proposed as a possible biomarker for depression. However, how the neural response to reward and aversion might differ in young adolescents with current symptoms of depression is as yet unclear. Thirty-three adolescents were recruited, 17 scoring low on the Mood and Feelings Questionnaire (low risk group) and 16 scoring high (high risk group). Our functional magnetic resonance imaging task measured; anticipation (pleasant/unpleasant cue), effort (achieve a pleasant taste or avoid an unpleasant taste) and consummation (pleasant/unpleasant tastes) in regions of interest; ventral medial prefrontal cortex, pregenual cingulate cortex, the insula and ventral striatum. We also examined whole brain group differences. In the regions of interest analysis we found reduced activity in the high risk group in the pregenual cingulate cortex during anticipation and reduced pregenual cingulate cortex and ventral medial prefrontal cortex during effort and consummation. In the whole brain analysis we also found reduced activity in the high risk group in the prefrontal cortex and the precuneus during anticipation. We found reduced activity in the hippocampus during the effort phase and in the anterior cingulate/frontal pole during consummation in the high risk group. Increased anhedonia measures correlated with decreased pregenual cingulate cortex activity during consummation in the high risk group only. Our results are the first to show that adolescents with depression symptoms have blunted neural responses during the anticipation, effort and consummation of rewarding and aversive stimuli. This study suggests that interventions in young people at risk of depression, that can reverse blunted responses, might be beneficial as preventative strategies.
Using InVivoStat to perform the statistical analysis of experiments
Authors: Bate Simon T , Clark Robin A , Stanford S Clare
Published: January 2017

The need to improve reproducibility and reliability of animal experiments has led some journals to increase the stringency of the criteria that must be satisfied before manuscripts can be considered suitable for publication. In this article we give advice on experimental design, including minimum group sizes, calculating statistical power and avoiding pseudo-replication, which can improve reproducibility. We also give advice on normalisation, transformations, the gateway analysis of variance strategy and the use of p-values and confidence intervals. Applying all these statistical procedures correctly will strengthen the validity of the conclusions. We discuss how InVivoStat, a free-to-use statistical software package, which was designed for life scientists, especially animal researchers, can be used to help with these principles.
Effects of amphetamine and methylphenidate on attentional performance and impulsivity in the mouse 5-Choice Serial Reaction Time Task
Authors: Caballero-Puntiverio Maitane , Fitzpatrick Ciarán Martin , Woldbye David PD , Andreasen Jesper Tobias
Published: January 2017

Background:

Few studies have investigated the effects of conventional attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) medication in the mouse 5-choice serial reaction time task (5-CSRTT), and rat studies have yielded inconsistent results.

Objective:

We aimed to examine the effects of acute methylphenidate (MPH) and amphetamine (AMPH) treatment in the mouse 5-CSRTT.

Methods:

Trained male C57Bl/6J mice were tested in a variable stimulus duration schedule. Effects of AMPH (0.25, 0.5, and 1 mg/kg) and MPH (0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 mg/kg) on discriminative accuracy, omissions, and premature responses were assessed. Saline treatment data determined high- and low-attentive (LA), and high- and low-impulsive (LI) subgroups according to the upper and lower 30th percentiles, respectively.

Results:

In the LA subgroup accuracy was improved by 0.5 mg/kg AMPH and 2 mg/kg MPH, while no effect was found in the high-attentive (HA) subgroup. Premature responses were increased by 1 mg/kg AMPH and 0.5 mg/kg MPH for all animals, and by 1 mg/kg AMPH for the LI subgroup.

Conclusions:

The use of variable stimulus duration, along with the division into high- and LA, and high-and LI subgroups, may improve the sensitivity of the 5-CSRTT when investigating drug effects on attention and impulsivity.
Estimating State Transitions for Opioid Use Disorders
Authors: Krebs Emanuel , Min Jeong E. , Evans Elizabeth , Li Libo , Liu Lei , Huang David , Urada Darren , Kerr Thomas , Hser Yih-Ing , Nosyk Bohdan
Published: January 2017

Aim. The aim was to estimate transitions between periods in and out of treatment, incarceration, and legal supervision, for prescription opioid (PO) and heroin users. Methods. We captured all individuals admitted for the first time for publicly funded treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD) in California (2006 to 2010) with linked mortality and criminal justice data. We used Cox proportional hazards and competing risks models to assess the effect of primary PO use (v. heroin) on the hazard of transitioning among 5 states: (1) opioid detoxification treatment; (2) opioid agonist treatment (OAT); (3) legal supervision (probation or parole); (4) incarceration (jail or prison); and (5) out-of-treatment. Transitions were conditional on survival, and death was modeled as an absorbing state. Results. Both primary PO (n = 11,733) and heroin (n = 19,926) users spent most of their median 2.3 y of observation out of treatment. Primary PO users were significantly younger (median age 30 v. 34 y), and a higher percentage were female (43.1% v. 31.5%; P < 0.001), white (74.6% v. 63.1%; P < 0.001), and had completed high school (31.8% v. 18.9%; P < 0.001). When compared to primary heroin users, PO users had a higher hazard of transitioning from detoxification to OAT (Hazard Ratio (HR), 1.65; 95% CI, 1.54 to 1.77), and had a lower hazard of transitioning from out-of-treatment to either detoxification (0.75 [0.70, 0.81]) or OAT (0.90 [0.85, 0.96]). Conclusion. Our findings can be applied directly in state transition modeling to improve the validity of health economic evaluations. Although PO users tended to remain in treatment for longer durations than heroin users, they also tended to remain out of treatment for longer after transitioning to an out-of-treatment state. Despite the proven effectiveness of time-unlimited treatment, individuals with OUD spend most of their time out of treatment.
High Performance Liquid Chromatographic Determination of Dothiepin and Northiaden in Human Plasma and Serum
Authors: Brodie R R , Chasseaud L F , Crampton E L , Hawkins D R , Risdall P C
Published: January 2017

A method has been developed for the separation and measurement of dothiepin and the N-desmethyl metabolite, northiaden, in human plasma or serum by high performance liquid chromatography. The method uses a structurally-related drug, amitriptyline, as an internal standard and provides a limit of detection of about 10 ng/ml for each component. At a concentration of 20 ng/ml, northiaden and dothiepin could be measured within ±11% and ± 6% of the mean respectively and at 200 ng/ml within ± 3% and ± 1% of the mean. The method has been applied to the analysis of serum from patients undergoing dothiepin therapy.
Gentamicin in the Treatment of Staphylococcal Infections
Authors: Chambers W B , Pallagrosi A U
Published: January 2017

The aminoglycoside antibiotic, gentamicin, was used to treat staphylococcal infections in eighty-six patients in an open multicentre trial.

Most of the infections involved the skin and soft tissue and the lower respiratory tract. Staphylococcus aureus was the only organism isolated in seventy-four patients; mixed flora were found in twelve. Gentamicin was administered, intramuscularly or intravenously, for 7 to 12 days (mean, 10 days) in a mean dose of 3.27 mg/kg per day. Clinical and bacteriological assessment of results indicated a complete resolution of the infection in fifty-three patients (61.6%) and a marked, moderate, or slight improvement in an additional twenty-nine patients (33.7%). Thus, a total of eighty-two patients (95.3%) showed cure or improvement while only four patients (4.6%) failed to do so.

Staphylococci persisted in six patients. Superinfection also occurred in six patients, however, it was considered to be clinically significant in only four of them.

Screening for eighth cranial nerve, renal, hepatic and haematological function, before, during, and after gentamicin treatment, revealed no adverse reactions in these patients.
A Double-Blind Clinical Study with Benzydamine 3% Cream on Soft Tissue Injuries in an Occupational Health Centre
Authors: Chatterjee D S
Published: January 2017

A double-blind, controlled clinical study with benzydamine hydrochloride 3% cream was conducted in an Occupational Health Centre on fifty patients with soft tissue injuries (two mild, ten moderate and thirteen severe cases in the placebo group and one mild, thirteen moderate and twelve severe cases in the active group).

The trial demonstrated the significant therapeutic superiority of 3% benzydamine cream over inactive placebo in all six qualitative parameters for traumatic inflammatory changes at the end of a six-day assessment and a marked improvement of symptoms even two days after the onset of therapy.

In addition, the incidental use of ultrasound therapy together with the standard treatment revealed the value of the active drug as an effective couplant.

Neither group suffered any side-effects. Although the size of population studied was small, it was apparent that active treatment with benzydamine was a distinct aid to healing of soft tissue injuries and this should be confirmed with further large-scale clinical trials.
A Trial of Lotussin and Linctus Diphenhydramine in Patients with an Irritant Cough
Authors: Matts S G Flavell
Published: January 2017

Lotussin® and linctus diphenhydramine were compared for efficacy and patient preference in fifty patients suffering from post-infective cough. The trial was a single-blind randomized crossover one which was subjected to sequential analysis based on patient preferences. Under the conditions of the trial there appeared to be a significant difference in favour of Lotussin (p<0.01).
Effect of Vaporub and Petrolatum on Frequency and Amplitude of Breathing in Children with Acute Bronchitis
Authors: Berger H , Jarosch E , Madreiter H
Published: January 2017

Transthoracic impedance pneumographs from sixty children suffering from acute bronchitis were studied to investigate the effect of Vaporub® on the amplitude and frequency of breathing.

The experimental technique consisted of an observation period of 70 minutes after a 3-minute treatment with Vaporub® or Petrolatum as a control. Before the treatment, after an adaptation period of 20 minutes, the pneumogram was recorded for 10 minutes, after the treatment pneumograms were recorded for 70 minutes.

The pneumograph data demonstrated an early increase in amplitude up to 33.0%, with a subsequent return to slightly above control for the remaining test period. Such an increase was not observed in the Petrolatum-treated group. Breathing frequency demonstrated a progressive decrease to 19.4% of the pre-treatment value at the end of the test period, while the Petrolatum controls were between + 3.6 to — 4.2% difference.

It is concluded that Vaporub® treatment results in a change in breathing patterns. This, together with the clinical observation of the children suggests a condition of ‘easier breathing'.
Typhoid VI: A Less Reactogenic Vaccine
Authors: Cumberland N S , Roberts J St Clair , Arnold W S G , Patel R K , Bowker C H
Published: January 2017

A typhoid vaccine derived from the purified Vi capsular polysaccharide (CPS) antigen of Salmonella typhi was compared with a heat-killed whole-cell typhoid vaccine in 637 healthy male volunteers. The individuals were placed in three groups: group 1 received two doses of heat-killed whole-cell typhoid vaccine, at an interval of 28 days; group 2 received a single dose of typhoid Vi CPS vaccine followed after 28 days by water for injection; and group 3 received water for injection on the first occasion and a single dose of typhoid Vi CPS vaccine 28 days later. Local and systemic adverse reactions were recorded for 5 days following each injection. Subjects receiving the typhoid Vi CPS vaccine complained of fewer local adverse reactions on each of the first 3 days following immunization: on day 1, 18.6% of subjects given typhoid Vi CPS vaccine reported local reactions compared with 59.7% of those receiving heat-killed whole-cell vaccine ( P < 0.001). The percentage of subjects receiving the heat-killed whole-cell vaccine who complained of systemic reactions was more than twice that of subjects receiving the Vi CPS vaccine (7.9% and 3.4%, respectively, on day 1; P < 0.01).
Effects of the Neuropeptide, Substance P, on Lymphocyte Proliferation in Rheumatoid Arthritis
Authors: Jovas M , Pinto L A , Silva J A Pereira da , Victorino R M M
Published: January 2017

There is evidence supporting the involvement of the neuropeptide, substance P, in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis. In view of the suggested role of T-cells in this disease, we have investigated the effects of substance P on mitogen-induced lymphocyte proliferation in rheumatoid arthritis patients. The peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 20 patients with rheumatoid arthritis and 25 controls were cultured in the presence or absence of substance P (10−-10 M to 10−-6 M) and stimulated with phytohaemagglutinin or concanavalin A. After 3 days of culture the proliferative responses were determined by measuring [3H]thymidine incorporation into the cells. Substance P enhanced, in a dose-dependent manner, the lymphocyte proliferative responses both in rheumatoid arthritis patients and in controls. Although there was a trend towards a greater enhancing effect in the rheumatoid arthritis patients, this was not statistically significant. Some individual patients with rheumatoid arthritis showed enhancements of lymphocyte proliferation with substance P that were clearly outside the range seen in healthy controls. The possibility that substance P has a role in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis through the up-regulation of lymphocyte activation should be considered in further studies of the immunomodulatory properties of substance P in arthritis.
The Effect of Roxithromycin on the Generation of Reactive Oxygen Species In Vitro
Authors: Akamatsu H , Nishijima S , Akamatsu M , Kurokawa I , Sasaki H , Asada Y
Published: January 2017

The effect of roxithromycin (ROM), a new oral semisynthetic macrolide, on the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), using human neutrophils and a cell-free, xanthine-xanthine oxidase system was examined. The species investigated were the superoxide radical anion (O2−), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and the hydroxyl radical (OH·). ROM effectively inhibited the generation of O2−, H2O2 and OH· by human neutrophils. On the other hand, the drug did not markedly affect the ROS levels generated in the xanthine-xanthine oxidase system. The present study indicates that ROM may exert an anti-inflammatory action by inhibiting neutrophil oxygen radical generation at the sites of inflammation.
Effect of Glutathione Depletion on Haemoglobin and Membrane Integrity of Red Blood Cells of Rats
Authors: Park K S , Kim M J , Ho J S , Ryu C K , Chung J H
Published: January 2017

The effects of streptozocin (streptozotocin) and water-soluble menadione (menadione bisulphite, sodium salt) on the haemoglobin content and membrane integrity of red blood cells were investigated. Both menadione bisulphite and streptozocin significantly depleted glutathione but menadione bisulphite was much more effective in reducing glutathione than was streptozocin. Menadione bisulphite, at concentrations above 0.1 mM, caused substantial conversion of oxygenated haemoglobin into methaemoglobin while streptozocin did not alter the haemoglobin content of the red blood cells at concentrations of up to 100 mM. Both agents demonstrated only a modest ability to haemolyse the red blood cells, even at concentrations up to 300 mM. These results suggest that depletion of glutathione by menadione causes the conversion of oxyhaemoglobin to methaemoglobin. In contrast, streptozocin-induced glutathione depletion does not seem to be well correlated with alterations in haemoglobin content.
Significance of Metabolic and Blood Pressure Factors in Relation to Microangiopathy and Macro angiopathy in Patients with Non-Insulin-Dependent Diabetes Mellitus
Authors: Okada S , Ichiki K , Tanokuchi S , Ishii K , Hamada H , Ota Z
Published: January 2017

We are actively seeking methods to prevent and to limit the progression of angiopathy in patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). In the present study, we conducted a clinical and epidemiological survey to clarify the clinical factors responsible for the development and progression of diabetic microangiopathy (MI) and macroangiopathy (MA). A total of 107 patients (58 female and 49 male) were randomly selected from 145 NIDDM patients. Twenty-four patient variables were selected for analysis. We identified PWV, UAI, RETINOP, MCV-T, SCV-S, MCV-P, SBP, and DBP as responsible factors and carried out stepwise multiple regression analyses. The following explanatory variables were found to be significant: age > SCV-S (P < 0.0001) for the criterion variable PWV, BUN > HbA1c > MCV-P > HT-drug > HDL-C ( P < 0.0001) for loge UAI, DM-thera > SBP ( P < 0.0001) for RETINOP, MCV-P ( P < 0.0001) for MCV-T, IRI > SBP > MCV-P > S-CR ( P < 0.0002) for SCV-S, MCV-T > SCV-S > DM-thera ( P < 0.0001) for MCV-P, DBP > HT-drug > BUN > MCV-P ( P < 0.0001) for

SBP, and SBP > PWV > sex ( P < 0.0001) for DBP. In summary, responsible factors for MI and MA in NIDDM had metabolic and blood pressure factors in common. Moreover, MI was a responsible factor for MA, which becomes a responsible factor for MI because it is a responsible factor for blood pressure factors. Thus, all the responsible factors for MA represented by MI and PWV had metabolic and blood pressure factors in common. The results of this study suggest that metabolic and blood pressure factors must be controlled to prevent and to limit the progression of diabetic MI and MA in NIDDM patients.
Calcitonin Activity in Ultimobranchial Neoplasms from Bulls
Authors: Young D. M. , Capen C. C. , Black H. E.
Published: January 2017

Ultimobranchial neoplasms from 5 bulls (hat were extracted and assayed individually contained approximately 68% as much calcitonin activity (452 ± 68 MRC mU/g) as thyroid glands from control bulls (663 ± 165 MRC mU/g). These results were consistent with the ultrastructural finding that thyroid neoplasms in old bulls were composed of primitive ultimobranchial cells which contained few mature secretory granules characteristic of parafollicular (C-) cells. Significant difference in calcitonin concentration was not detected between thyroid glands of control cows (617 ± 106 MRC mU/g) and bulls without ultimobranchial neoplasms.
Proliferative Lesions of Serous Membranes in Ovariectomised Female and Entire Male Dogs After Stilboestrol Administration
Authors: O'Shea J. D. , Jabara Anne G.
Published: January 2017

It was shown previously that ovarian tumours, which frequently metastasise to serous surfaces, can be produced in dogs by prolonged administration of stilboestrol.

The ability of non-ovarian serous surfaces to proliferate in response to stilboestrol, independently of ovarian metastases, was studied in 5 ovariectomised females and 4 entire males. Papillary proliferations occurred on the uterine serosae in 3 females and on the testicular and cpididymal serosae in 2 males. In no case was there papillary proliferation on serous membranes of non-genital organs. One of 2 entire females given stillboestrol had proliferations regarded as metastases of ovarian origin on non-genital serous membranes.

It is concluded that, in addition to ovarian changes, stilboestrol can cause primary proliferative lesions in the serous membranes of certain genital organs in both sexes. There is no evidence that serous membranes of non-genital organs be capable of a primary proliferative response to stilboestrol.
Simian Neonatology: III. The Causes of Neonatal Mortality
Authors: Price R. A. , Anver Miriam R. , Hunt R. D.
Published: January 2017

The causes of death were studied in 82 perinatal and neonatal monkeys. Forty-three of the 82 neonatal deaths were caused by inflammatory diseases (mainly pneumonia), intrauterine distress, and trauma. In 28 of the 82 monkeys, a major disease process could not be demonstrated. Intrauterine distress and antepartum death with maceration were commoner causes of death in premature infants; trauma and inflammatory disease occurred more often in mature infants. Forty-nine of the 82 neonatal deaths occurred before the second day of life. During the last 3 weeks of the neonatal period, the majority of deaths were caused by infection.
Malignant Intraocular Teratoid Medulloepithelioma in Three Dogs
Authors: Langloss J. M. , Zimmerman L. E. , Krehbiel J. D.
Published: January 2017

Tumors derived from the fully differentiated ciliary epithelium include adenomas and adenocarcinomas. Many such tumors in animal eyes have been reported. Medulloepitheliomas derived from the primitive medullary epithelium of the optic cup have rarely been seen in animal eyes. A teratoid variant of medulloepithelioma, recently described in human eyes, has also been seen in canine and bovine eyes. These tumors contain tissues resembling brain, cartilage, rhabdomyoblasts, and primitive mesenchyme, in addition to the poorly differentiated neuroepithelial and neuroblastic elements characteristic of malignant medulloepitheliomas.
A Comparative Chemical and Histochemical Study of the Chondrodystrophoid and Nonchondrodystrophoid Canine Intervertebral Disc
Authors: Ghosh P. , Taylor T. K. F. , Braund K. G. , Larsen L. H.
Published: January 2017

The chemical composition of the intervertebral disc of 9-month-old chondrodystrophoid and nonchondrodystrophoid dogs was studied for collagen, noncollagenous protein and glycosaminoglycan. Content of these substances differed significantly between breeds. The differences were most marked in the nucleus pulposus; the noncollagenous protein content of the nonchondrodystrophoid breed was higher than in that of the chondrodystrophoid dogs. The total nitrogen value of the nonchondrodystrophoid nuclei pulposi was less than that of the corresponding chondrodystrophoid discs mainly because of the high collagen content of the latter discs. Histochemically, it was found that the nuclei pulposi of the nonchondrodystrophoid breed contains larger amounts of glycosaminoglycan than in the discs of the chondrodystrophoid breeds.
Lipogranulomatous Lymphangitis in Canine Intestinal Lymphangiectasia
Authors: Van Kruiningen H. J. , Lees G. E. , Hayden D. W. , Meuten D. J. , Rogers W. A.
Published: January 2017

Lipogranulomatous lymphangitis of the intestine occurred in four dogs with intestinal lymphangiectasia. All four presented with chronic diarrhea; three had ascites and two had hypoalbuminemia. Lipogranulomas appeared in lymphatics, often at the point of mesenteric attachment, of small intestine, ileum, or ileum and colon. Mesenteric lymphatics were obstructed and villous lacteals were distended. Mesenteric lymph nodes of one dog contained large lipid spaces and that same animal had a solitary subcapsular lipogranuloma of the liver. This disorder is one of several that result in protein-losing enteropathy in dogs.
Nasal Rhinosporidiosis in the Dog
Authors: Easley J. R. , Meuten D. J. , Levy M. G. , Dykstra M. J. , Breitschwerdt E. B. , Holzinger E. A. , Cattley R. C.
Published: January 2017

Rhinosporidiosis was diagnosed in six dogs from the southeastern United States. All six dogs had unilateral nasal polyps with multiple small white sporangia visible beneath the surface. Microscopically, the polyps consisted of organisms and fibrovascular tissue with a surface of columnar or squamous epithelium. Juvenile sporangia were unilamellar, 15-75 in diameter, nucleated, and accounted for about 65% of sporangia seen. Approximately 5% of the sporangia were in intermediate stages of maturation, were bilamellar, 100-150 μm in diameter, and contained immature endospores. Mature sporangia comprised about 30% of the total, were usually unilamellar, 100-400 μm in diameter, and contained a mixture of immature and mature endospores.

The inner layer of the wall of the intermediate sporangia and the single wall of the mature sporangia were argyrophilic and carminophilic. Ultrastructurally. the earliest stage contained a nucleus and many ribosomes, lipid droplets, and phagolysosomes. Maturing sporangia contained discrete membrane-bound, round clevage products. These structures subsequently matured to spores, each of which had a wall and contained a nucleus and many lipid droplets. The organism from one dog was cultured and grown in vitro for 7 months and is the first successful cultivation of Rhinosporidium seeberi.
Cross-Sensory Correspondences: Heaviness is Dark and Low-Pitched
Authors: Walker Peter , Scallon Gabrielle , Francis Brian
Published: January 2017

Everyday language reveals how stimuli encoded in one sensory feature domain can possess qualities normally associated with a different domain (e.g., higher pitch sounds are bright, light in weight, sharp, and thin). Such cross-sensory associations appear to reflect crosstalk among aligned (corresponding) feature dimensions, including brightness, heaviness, and sharpness. Evidence for heaviness being one such dimension is very limited, with heaviness appearing primarily as a verbal associate of other feature contrasts (e.g., darker objects and lower pitch sounds are heavier than their opposites). Given the presumed bidirectionality of the crosstalk between corresponding dimensions, heaviness should itself induce the cross-sensory associations observed elsewhere, including with brightness and pitch. Taking care to dissociate effects arising from the size and mass of an object, this is confirmed. When hidden objects varying independently in size and mass are lifted, objects that feel heavier are judged to be darker and to make lower pitch sounds than objects feeling less heavy. These judgements track the changes in perceived heaviness induced by the size-weight illusion. The potential involvement of language, natural scene statistics, and Bayesian processes in correspondences, and the effects they induce, is considered.
Contextual Effects in Judgments of Taste Intensity: No Assimilation, Sometimes Contrast
Authors: Shepard Timothy G. , Shavit Adam Y. , Veldhuizen Maria G. , Marks Lawrence E.
Published: January 2017

Judgments of taste intensity often show contextual contrast but not assimilation, even though both effects of stimulus context appear in other sense modalities, such as hearing. Four experiments used a paradigm that shifts the stimulus context within a test session in order to seek evidence of assimilation in judgments of the taste intensity of sucrose and, for comparison, the loudness of 500-Hz tones. Experiment 1 found no assimilation in taste using three response scales, magnitude estimation, labeled magnitude, and visual analog, but did find evidence of contrast. Experiments 2 and 3 found no clear evidence of either assimilation or contrast in taste, but found consistent evidence of assimilation in loudness. Experiment 4 found no assimilation in loudness, however, when the intervals between successive stimuli increased from about 6 to 30 s in order to match the interval used with sucrose in Experiments 1 to 3. Taken together, these findings suggest that the assimilation found in intensity judgments in other sensory modalities may not appear in taste perception because of the slower rates presenting of taste stimuli.
Toward Authentic IEPs and Transition Plans: Student, Parent, and Teacher Perspectives
Authors: Cavendish Wendy , Connor David
Published: January 2017

This mixed-methods study examined perspectives on factors that influence meaningful student and parent involvement in Individualized Education Program (IEP) transition planning. Survey data and open-ended qualitative interviews with urban high school students with a learning disability (LD; n = 16), their parents ( n = 9), and their teachers ( n = 17) were analyzed. A group comparison of student and teacher ratings on the Student Involvement Survey revealed no difference between students and teachers on level of school efforts to facilitate student and parent involvement. However, qualitative analysis of interview data resulted in the emergence of four primary themes related to challenges to meaningful involvement: (a) facilitation of student involvement in IEP development, (b) challenges to parent involvement in IEP development, (c) challenges and effective supports for graduation, and (d) supports needed for career and college preparation. Recommendations for school practices to support student and parent involvement in the development of authentic IEPs is provided.
Developmental Changes in Ultradian Sleep Cycles across Early Childhood
Authors: Lopp Sean , Navidi William , Achermann Peter , LeBourgeois Monique , Diniz Behn Cecilia
Published: January 2017

Nocturnal human sleep is composed of cycles between rapid eye movement (REM) sleep and non-REM (NREM) sleep. In adults, the structure of ultradian cycles between NREM and REM sleep is well characterized; however, less is known about the developmental trajectories of ultradian sleep cycles across early childhood. Cross-sectional studies indicate that the rapid ultradian cycling of active-quiet sleep in infancy shifts to a more adult-like pattern of NREM-REM sleep cycling by the school-age years, yet longitudinal studies elucidating the details of this transition are scarce. To address this gap, we examined ultradian cycling during nocturnal sleep following 13 h of prior wakefulness in 8 healthy children at 3 longitudinal points: 2Y (2.5-3.0 years of age), 3Y (3.5-4.0 years of age), and 5Y (5.5-6.0 years of age). We found that the length of ultradian cycles increased with age as a result of increased NREM sleep episode duration. In addition, we observed a significant decrease in the number of NREM sleep episodes as well as a nonsignificant trend for a decrease in the number of cycles with increasing age. Together, these findings suggest a concurrent change in which cycle duration increases and the number of cycles decreases across development. We also found that, consistent with data from adolescents and adults, the duration of NREM sleep episodes decreased with time since lights-off whereas the duration of REM sleep episodes increased over this time period. These results indicate the presence of circadian modulation of nocturnal sleep in preschool children. In addition to characterizing changes in ultradian cycling in healthy children ages 2 to 5 years, this work describes a developmental model that may provide insights into the emergence of normal adult REM sleep regulatory circuitry as well as potential trajectories of dysregulated ultradian cycles such as those associated with affective disorders.
A ‘Manual on Masculinity’? The Consumption and Use of Mediated Images of Masculinity among Teenage Boys in Ireland
Authors: Ging Debbie
Published: January 2017

Most of the research on masculinity in Ireland stresses the influences of family, work and education in the construction of gender (Ferguson, 1998; Ferguson and Synott, 1995; Ferguson and Reynolds, 2001; McKeown et al., 1998, Owens, 2000). Although the impact of the entertainment media is regularly alluded to, there is a dearth of empirical work in this area. While it is generally agreed that mediated images play a highly influential role in young people's lives, both the nature and the scope of this influence remain unclear in the absence of concrete ethnographies of reception. This paper discusses the findings of a quantitative and qualitative investigation into Irish male teenagers' consumption and reception of a broad range of media texts and discusses these findings in relation to the relevant literature. It points to the shortcomings of both ‘hypodermic needle’ theories, which claim direct media influence, and of some active audience theories, which posit consumers as impervious to ideological influence. Contrary to popular discourses which frame the media as an autonomous, regressive force that lags behind a more progressive reality, the findings presented here suggest that mediated fictions are part of wider ‘gender scripts' (Nixon, 1996) that both inform and are informed by the social structures within which (male) viewers are immersed.
‘Warsaw 2’: Gendered Negotiations in a Fearful Landscape
Authors: Lysaght Karen
Published: January 2017

Through culturally contextualising the interlinked spheres of fear/risk/danger/threat, this paper explores the dominant local gender discourses being articulated on the chronically violent boundary zones of Belfast's ‘interface’ communities. In particular, the paper engages with the ‘risk-victimisation paradox’, where women are found to report high levels of fear of violent crime when their levels of victimisation are in fact low, while men consistently report low levels of fear despite higher levels of victimisation. The Belfast case study offers a very different image of gendered spatial use, where men are found to willingly discuss their fear of violent assault and to outline numerous avoidance strategies to escape the possibility of victimisation, while women, in contrast, are those who appear to be daily risk-takers, entering fraught boundary zones and carrying out actions typically avoided by men. The paper questions whether this situation is the result of cultural constructions of masculinity in the Belfast situation which differ from the ‘invulnerable’ model of masculinity which remains one of the dominant representations to be found in the literature.
Gender and Power: Boys Will Be Boys and So Will Girls
Authors: Carey Margaret
Published: January 2017

This paper examines the treatment of women by men in two areas of male-dominated employment: specific professions and non- traditional ‘manual’ employment such as construction, transport, and other trade workers. Based on data from secondary sources, and in-depth interviews with non-traditionally employed women in Northern Ireland, the paper is divided into three main parts. The first section assesses the extent of harassment and discrimination towards women in male- dominated professions; the second provides a similar account of the treatment of non-traditionally employed women in Northern Ireland. Evidence suggests that there is a dichotomy in the treatment of women between the two areas discussed - given that men and women in ‘manual’ employment seem to sustain a more ‘peer-like’ relationship than their counterparts in some male-dominated professions. Thus, in the third section of the paper, while attempting to avoid the trap of dualism, I posit reasons for the existence of such a dichotomy.
A Strategic Information System to Facilitate the Use of Performance Indicators in Hospitals
Authors: Gordon D. , Carter M. , Kunov H. , Dolan A. , Chapman F.
Published: January 2017

Hospital management teams receive voluminous data from a wide variety of sources, but are unable to distill the essential data they require to make good decisions. We have used a methodology which helps teams define and use important management data coupled with an information system that makes this data accessible. Results of our evaluation indicate that the process of developing a balanced scorecard (BSC) indicator system helps management teams to define meaningful strategic objectives and measurable performance indicators. The framework combined with the information acts as an integrating force, providing a shared understanding of the unit's goals. We conclude that a customized decision support system which integrates multiple measures in a BSC framework is a powerful tool for enabling complex decision making by a management team.
Patient-Centred Performance Monitoring Systems and Multi-Agency Care Provision: A Case Study Using a Stakeholder Participative Approach
Authors: Connell N. A. D. , Goddard A. R. , Philp I. , Bray J.
Published: January 2017

We describe the processes involved in the development of an information system which can assess how care given by a number of agencies could be monitored by those agencies. In particular, it addresses the problem of sharing information as the boundaries of each agency are crossed. It focuses on the care of one specific patient group—the rehabilitation of elderly patients in the community, which provided an ideal multi-agency setting. It also describes: how a stakeholder participative approach to information system development was undertaken, based in part on the Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) approach (Checkland, 1981, 1990); some of the difficulties encountered in using such an approach; and the ways in which these were addressed. The paper goes on to describe an assessment tool called SCARS (the Southampton Community Ability Rating Scale). It concludes by reflecting on the management lessons arising from this project. It also observes, inter alia, how stakeholders have a strong preference for simpler, non-IT based systems, and comments on the difficulties encountered by stakeholders in attempting to reconcile their perceptions of the needs of their discipline or speciality with a more patient-centred approach of an integrated system.
The Causes of Variations in Unit Labour Costs: A Preliminary Study
Authors: Caines E. , Clarke R. W. , Harper J. , Tolond C.
Published: January 2017

This paper reports a study of eight National Health Service Trusts, using data drawn from the Unit Labour Costs database and supplementary data collected for the purposes of the study, which set out to begin to explain the large variations in unit labour cost that exist. On the basis of extensive discussions within and between units, it was found that major causes of variations in productivity related to length of stay and bed utilization, which were in turn a result of variations in case mix. Staff utilization was a further major factor. Another observation was that the quality of data, particularly the integration of financial, activity and manpower data, was often poor.
A Study and Comparative Analysis of Effective and Ineffective Leadership Skills of Physician and Non-Physician Health Care Administrators
Authors: Shipper F. , Pearson D. A. , Singer D.
Published: January 2017

This paper explores and compares, at both micro and macro levels, the leadership skills of effective and ineffective managers in a health care setting. In addition, it compares the leadership skills of physician and non-physician health care administrators at both levels. The results indicate that effective managers have significantly different leadership skill profiles than ineffective managers. Furthermore, effective managers have a more complete set of skills and are not as likely to rely on one type of skills as the ineffective managers. In addition, no substantial evidence was found to support prior assertions that physician administrators would be deficient in leadership skills.
Model-based braking control of a heavy commercial road vehicle equipped with an electropneumatic brake system
Authors: Gautam Vikas , Rajaram Vignesh , Subramanian Shankar C
Published: January 2017

Heavy commercial road vehicles have a longer stopping distance, owing to the inherent time lag associated with the conventional air brake system used in them. In general, electropneumatic brake systems would respond more quickly, resulting in a shorter stopping distance; these are the focus of this study. In an earlier work, the best configuration of the electropneumatic brake system was determined, considering both response and cost perspectives. This study focuses on the development of an experimentally corroborated mathematical model for this brake system. Non-linear model-based deceleration and brake chamber pressure control schemes were subsequently developed and their performance evaluated using a hardware-in-loop system. The model-based analysis and the control schemes presented in this article will assist in the development of advanced and cost-efficient active safety systems for heavy commercial road vehicles.
Herpes neolabialis: herpes simplex virus type 1 infection of the neolabia in a transgender woman
Authors: Elfering Lian , van der Sluis Wouter B , Mermans Joline F , Buncamper Marlon E
Published: January 2017

A 24-year-old transgender woman consulted our outpatient clinic with a painful, itchy and red left labia. She underwent a penile inversion vaginoplasty 18 months before presentation. At physical examination of the left labia, erythema, edema and herpetic vesicles with ulceration were observed. A vesicle fluid swab was obtained and the presence of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) was detected by PCR assay. Treatment consisted of oral valaciclovir (500 mg twice daily) for a total of five days.Topically-applied lidocaine cream (3%) was used for pain management. Treatment gave symptom relief in five days. At physical examination 14 days after symptom onset, there were no signs of active infection. To our knowledge, this is the first case report of HSV-1 infection of the neolabia in a transgender woman.
Cytomegalovirus Retinitis and AIDS in Edinburgh
Authors: Dhillon Baljean , Maclean Hunter , Eddyshaw David , Cheong Izham , Flegg Peter , Brettle Ray
Published: January 2017

The medical records, retinal drawings and fundus photographs of all patients with cytomegalovirus retinitis (CMVR) and AIDS in Edinburgh between 1986–1992 were reviewed to determine the efficacy of treatment in preserving vision. Ophthalmoscopic features of CMVR were observed in 32 eyes of 24 patients with AIDS, 19 males and 5 females. HIV transmission in this group was by homo/bisexual contact (16), injection drug use (7) and blood transfusion (1). Unilateral blurring was the commonest visual symptom although 9 (38%) patients had no visual symptoms. All patients presented with a corrected visual acuity of 6/12 or better in at least one eye. Following treatment with systemic ganciclovir or foscarnet 16 patients (66%) developed toxic side-effects of therapy and 13 (54%) experienced a recurrence of CMVR. Four (17%) patients developed a retinal detachment in one eye. The mean survival was 8.3 months after the diagnosis of CMVR. At final follow-up, between 2–26 months after the diagnosis of CMVR, 21 (87.5%) patients retained useful vision (6/18 or better) although 3 (12.5%) were effectively blind (less than 6/60). We conclude that with prompt diagnosis and treatment of CMVR vision can be preserved in the majority of cases.
Sustainable Economic Development and The Necessity of Nuclear Power
Authors: Jovanovich Jovan V.
Published: January 2017

If trends from the past continue into the future, the major increase in the use of energy will come from the developing nations. If the industrialization of the Third World continues to be based on the burning of fossil fuels, the impact on the global climate from these sources alone will be substantial. Statistical information supporting above statements is presented. Conclusion is reached that improving the efficiency of energy use is not sufficient to avert climatic changes. The accelerated and worldwide use of nuclear power is essential and, if prudently used, can become, contrary to the recommendations of the Brundtland Commission, the basic energy source fuelling future sustainable developments of the world.