bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The management of the surgical complications of HELLP syndrome
Authors: Wilson SG , White AD , Young AL , Davies MH , Pollard SG
Published: September 2014

Introduction

Complications from HELLP (Haemolysis, Elevated Liver enzymes and Low Platelet) syndrome may present as an emergency to any surgeon. We review the ten-year experience of a tertiary hepatobiliary centre managing HELLP patients. Three selected cases are described to highlight our management strategy and a systematic review of the recent literature is presented.

Methods

All patients with HELLP syndrome were identified from a prospectively maintained database and their details collated. Subsequently, a detailed search of PubMed was carried out to identify all case series of HELLP syndrome in the literature in the English language since 1999.

Results

On review of 1,002 cases, 10 patients were identified with surgical complications of HELLP syndrome. Seven of these patients had a significant liver injury. Only three of these required surgical intervention for liver injury although four other patients required surgical intervention for other complications. There was no maternal mortality in this series. Review of the literature identified 49 cases in 31 publications. The management approaches of these patients were compared with ours.

Conclusions

We have presented a large series of patients with surgical complications resulting from HELLP syndrome managed without maternal mortality. This review has confirmed that haemodynamically stable patients with HELLP syndrome associated hepatic rupture can be conservatively treated successfully. However, in unstable patients, perihepatic packing and transfer to a specialist liver unit is recommended.
A case of gossypiboma mimicking intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma
Authors: Ojha S , Gall T , Sodergren MH , Jiao LR
Published: September 2014

Introduction

A gossypiboma refers to a cotton-based foreign body left inadvertently in the human body following a surgical procedure. Although a rare event, they tend to be found in the abdomen but few are known to be intrahepatic.

Case history

We report the case of a 44 year-old man who presented with recurrent episodes of jaundice and cholangitis, on a background of a right hepatectomy for hydatid cyst excision 20 years previously. This case was discussed at our hepatobiliary multidisciplinary team meetings on several occasions and a presumed diagnosis of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma was made. Biopsies of the mass had purely shown inflammation and remained inconclusive. It was decided that the patient should undergo a complete extended right hepatectomy with resection and reconstruction of the left branch of the portal vein. On attempting to obtain intraoperative frozen section specimens prior to resection, open excision revealed two large swabs encased in a calcified cavity. Removal of the swabs resulted in resolution of the mass and obstructive symptoms.

Conclusions

Gossypiboma should be a rare differential diagnosis in all patients following a laparotomy presenting with obstructive symptoms, particularly in countries where strict surgical protocols may not be in place. This case also highlights the need to perform an intraoperative biopsy in any uncertain case of a liver lesion as we have shown that an extensive operation with its increased morbidity can occasionally be avoided.
Delayed diaphragmatic rupture presenting with acute gastric volvulus
Authors: Williamson JML , Macleod R , Hollowood A
Published: September 2014

Gastric volvulus is a rare complication of diaphragmatic rupture. We report the case of an 82-year-old man who presented following an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. Chest radiography and thoracic computed tomography revealed an acute gastric volvulus and a chronic diaphragmatic hernia containing transverse colon and abdominal viscera. He had complained of retching and associated epigastric pain prior to collapse, and had sustained a motorcycle accident approximately 60 years earlier. Insertion of a nasogastric tube was unsuccessful (completing Borchardt’s diagnostic triad) and his condition prevented both operative and endoscopic reduction of his volvulus. He died soon afterwards.
Gallbladder perforation by absorbable spiral tacker
Authors: Wirsching A , Vonlanthen R , Lehmann K
Published: September 2014

Introduction

Mesh fixation with tacker systems is common in laparoscopic and open hernia repair. Complications due to absorbable tackers are rare and have not been described in the literature. However, we report a case of gallbladder erosion due to tacker dislocation.

Methods

An open hernia repair was performed using an intraperitoneal onlay mesh for a recurrent parastomal hernia after two previous mesh repairs in a 67-year-old patient.

Results

On postoperative day 2, the patient was reoperated because of a dislocated tacker that eroded and perforated the fundus region of the gallbladder. Putatively, tacker dislocation occurred owing to imbalanced traction forces. Initially, the mesh was fixed with absorbable tackers around the stoma on the right and transmuscular suture fixation was carried out on the left abdominal side. On revision surgery, tension forces to the right were therefore neutralised by additional transmuscular sutures on the right side.

Conclusions

Absorbable tackers in open hernia repair provide a safe and effective mesh fixation if tension forces are carefully avoided.
Volvulus of the liver with intrathoracic herniation
Authors: Moussa G , Thomson PM , Bohra A
Published: September 2014

Introduction

We present a rare case of a liver volvulus, stomach and transverse colon herniating through the diaphragm. This scenario has not been reported previously. We discuss the presentation and management of this interesting case.

Case history

A 65-year-old woman with a history of sarcoidosis and recurrent pericardial effusions, treated previously with a subxiphoid pericardial oval window fenestration, presented with acute upper abdominal pain radiating to the chest. High contrast computed tomography showed a volvulus of the liver with consequent venous congestion, and herniation of the liver, stomach and transverse colon through an anterior diaphragmatic defect. With liver perfusion threatened, an urgent laparoscopic repair was performed. The stomach and transverse colon were reduced, and the twisted left lobe of the liver was unrotated and reduced into the abdominal cavity. A double-sided synthetic mesh was used to repair the defect. The patient made an uneventful recovery.

Conclusions

This is a novel complication of a patient presenting with abdominal pain with a previous history of pericardial window fenestration. A laparoscopic reduction and repair can be performed safely with excellent postoperative results.
Complication of treatment of carcinoma in situ of the bladder with photodynamic targeted cystodiathermy
Authors: Murtagh K , Kockelbergh R
Published: September 2014

We report two cases of bladder contracture following photodynamic or ‘blue light’ detection and cystodiathermy for bladder carcinoma in situ. These patients were unsuitable for treatment with immunotherapy/chemotherapy or had disease recurrence following such treatment. Radical cystectomy was not a treatment option in either patient. Each underwent serial photodynamic cystodiathermy over a three-year period. Neither patient developed muscle invasive disease. However, treatment resulted in contracture of the bladder and incontinence of urine. Patients need to be fully aware of this potential complication in order to make informed choices about their care.
Surgical delivery of drug releasing poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid)/poly(ethylene glycol) paste with in vivo effects against glioblastoma
Authors: Smith SJ , Rahman CV , Clarke PA , Ritchie AA , Gould TW , Ward JH , Shakesheff KM , Grundy RG , Rahman R
Published: September 2014

Introduction

The median survival of patients with glioblastoma multiforme (astrocytoma grade 4) remains less than 18 months despite radical surgery, radiotherapy and systemic chemotherapy. Surgical implantation of chemotherapy eluting wafers into the resection cavity has been shown to improve length of survival but the current licensed therapy has several drawbacks. This paper investigates in vivo efficacy of a novel drug eluting paste in glioblastoma.

Methods

Poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid)/poly(ethylene glycol) (PLGA/PEG) self-sintering paste was loaded with the chemotherapeutic agent etoposide and delivered surgically into partially resected tumours in a flank murine glioblastoma xenograft model.

Results

Surgical delivery of the paste was successful and practical, with no toxicity or surgical morbidity to the animals. The paste was retained in the tumour cavity, and preliminary results suggest a useful antitumour and antiangiogenic effect, particularly at higher doses. Bioluminescent imaging was not affected significantly by the presence of the paste in the tumour.

Conclusions

Chemotherapy loaded PLGA/PEG paste seems to be a promising technology capable of delivering active drugs into partially resected tumours. The preliminary results of this study suggest efficacy with no toxicity and will lead to larger scale efficacy studies in orthotopic glioblastoma models.
The value and role of low dose methylene blue in the surgical management of hyperparathyroidism
Authors: Bewick J , Pfleiderer A
Published: September 2014

Introduction

Methylene blue (MB) has been used in the identification of abnormal parathyroid glands in surgery for hyperparathyroidism. Its efficacy and safety profile have been questioned recently and this study sought to demonstrate such aspects in a unit where its use is routine.

Methods

Prospective data collected over six years in a single surgeon’s practice were interrogated to identify factors affecting MB staining, side effects suffered and unusual cases where the dye was invaluable in locating the diseased gland.

Results

A total of 98 patients underwent MB infusion. Of these, 77 cases (78.6%) stained positively with MB and 21 (21.4%) did not. Six patients suffered side effects but there were no cases of neurotoxicity. No positive predictive factors of dye uptake were found. MB was particularly useful in cases of intrathyroidal and ectopic glands as well as improving efficiency in both targeted and open parathyroidectomy.

Conclusions

This series shows that when used correctly, MB is efficacious in locating diseased parathyroid glands, with similar sensitivity rates to preoperative ultrasonography and radionucleotide imaging. Adverse effects were much lower than published previously, which may be attributed to the low dose of MB used (3.5mg/kg).
Reverse geometry shoulder replacement for proximal humeral metastases
Authors: Kapur RA , McCann PA , Sarangi PP
Published: September 2014

The management of skeletal metastases can be challenging for the orthopaedic surgeon. They represent a significant source of pain and disability for cancer patients, adding to the morbidity of their condition. Treatment is directed at the alleviation of symptoms and the restoration of function. Metastatic involvement of the proximal humerus can be especially debilitating, having the potential to cause severe pain and loss of function. We present a report of three such cases where reverse geometry proximal shoulder replacement was used to provide a pain free functional range of movement in patients with concomitant rotator cuff disease. In all cases, significant symptomatic relief was achieved postoperatively with preservation of upper limb function. No surgical complications were noted. It is our belief that this novel surgical strategy provides a valuable and effective option for the management of proximal humeral metastatic disease in the rotator cuff deficient patient.
A retrospective case note review of laparoscopic versus open reversal of Hartmann’s procedure
Authors: Walklett CL , Yeomans NP
Published: September 2014

Introduction

First described in 1921, Hartmann’s procedure is the gold standard treatment for complicated sigmoid diverticular disease. It is also used commonly for other causes of perforation of the large bowel. However, the reversal rate in the UK is much lower than in comparable countries, at only 18–22%. Furthermore, laparoscopic reversal (LRH) is used far less frequently than open reversal (ORH) despite evidence that a laparoscopic technique reduces patient morbidity and decreases patient recovery time.

Methods

This retrospective case note review undertook an analysis of all the patients who had undergone Hartmann’s procedure at two centres in Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust between February 2007 and February 2012. Out of 305 patients, 235 were identified and included in the analysis. Comparisons were then drawn between LRH and ORH groups.

Results

The reversal rate was 21%. Three-quarters (76%) were performed using an open technique, 20% were laparoscopic and 5% were converted to an open procedure. The mean hospital stay was longer for the ORH group (9.82 days, standard deviation [SD]: 5.85 days, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.99 days) than for the LRH group (7.29 days, SD: 4.65 days, 95% CI: 11.58 days) p=0.006). Seven ORH patients (21%) were reoperated but only one LRH patient (13%) had a reoperation at six months. Five factors were found to have a significant effect on the likelihood of reversal of Hartmann’s procedure.

Conclusions

The overall reversal rate for Hartmann’s procedure remains low. Shorter hospital stays, lower 6-month reoperation rates and reduced 30-day complication rates are associated with LRH when compared with ORH.
Educational leadership – the power to problem solve in healthcare
Authors: Sandhu Davinder PS
Published: September 2014

Leaders and followers. Wolf and sheep. These ideas aren’t going to help healthcare address the challenges it faces today. So if the notion of a single charismatic leader steering the ship is not only inappropriate but also ineffective, what kind of leadership should we be encouraging?
Intellectual property and the internet
Authors: John Bernadette A
Published: September 2014

From my recent experience of teaching and assessing, and attending national and international medical education conferences, it has become clear to me that the ease of search and replication, occasional absence of details such as date, copyright notice or an obvious author, coupled with the fact that Google is a search engine and not a repository of free images, is poorly understood by clinical students, clinicians and academics alike. All are arguably aware of the implications of plagiarism and the importance of permission and acknowledgement for the contribution made in research and publications.
Doctor doctor jokes
Authors: Spinnbarkeit
Published: September 2014

Not a laughing matter, apparently.
‘Give us bread, but give us roses’: Gender and labour in the digital economy
Authors: Shade Leslie Regan
Published: September 2014

This article provides an overview of contemporary scholarship in information and communication studies on labour and gender in the digital economy. It also discusses recent feminist perspectives on social media attributes around labour, including the paucity of women working in the social media industry, and the gendered dimension of young unpaid interns. Control of the means of communication and production is a dominant and perturbing theme throughout much of the research and activism. The article concludes with suggested venues of further research for students and scholars in order to energize pedagogy and practice in critical communication studies.
The governance of communication networks: Reconsidering the research agenda
Authors: Mansell Robin
Published: September 2014

Governance arrangements have multiple implications for the norms and practices that influence citizen access to networks, opportunities for freedom of expression, and privacy. This article sets out a research agenda aimed at examining new forms of collective action in practice with a particular focus on how choices are limited by different norms concerning authority and the way these norms are institutionalized in the case of communication network governance. Systematic comparative studies of how governance is constituted in practice are likely to yield insight into how asymmetrical power relations are being played out in a variety of policy forums and how certain norms and practices are becoming standardized with outcomes that frequently depart from idealized visions of the governance process.
Free-media-speech: Free speech and public media
Authors: Kenyon Andrew T.
Published: September 2014

While much writing about free speech focuses on the legal constraints on expression and matters of state censorship, free speech also entails positive obligations on the state to create the conditions for diverse public communication. This article explores how the rationales for free speech support, and indeed require, public media. For mediated communication, free speech involves the promotion of diversity in speakers, topics, audiences and modes of address. All this requires more than commonly repeated debates that are framed in terms of industry dynamics and related regulatory options. It requires media free speech.
Ecomedia futures
Authors: Cubitt Sean
Published: September 2014

Studies of environmentalism in media and cultural studies have largely focused on the communication of political strategies and scientific truths, on representation, and on genre and thematic criticism. This article looks at current work on the environmental impacts of digital media and argues that this gives a new perspective on political economy of communications, media ethics and aesthetic forms
‘Awaken your incredible’: Love your body discourses and postfeminist contradictions
Authors: Gill Rosalind , Elias Ana Sofia
Published: September 2014

In this article we focus on a new yet under-examined cultural phenomenon: the turn to ‘Love your body’ (LYB) discourses. Taking a feminist critical standpoint, we move away from an affirmative reading of LYB discourses and instead understand them as a postfeminist articulation of sexism. Our analysis identifies the key motifs of LYB discourses and contextualizes their dramatic proliferation over the last decade. Situated at the historical convergence of neoliberal governmentality, emotional capitalism, the growth of social media and commodity feminism, we trace how LYB discourses have emerged within the advertising genre to quickly saturate media more broadly. The article concludes with a critical assessment of LYB discourses that seeks to flesh out its distinctive contradictions and its ideological workings. In so doing, we will argue that far from representing a liberation from harmful beauty standards, LYB discourses are implicated in a deeper and more pernicious regulation of women that has shifted from bodily to psychic regulation.
Critical political economy of communications: A mid-term review
Authors: Hardy Jonathan
Published: September 2014

If we take the late 1960s as a starting point, an explicitly defined ‘critical political economy of communications’ is nearly 50 years old. How salient today are the core concerns that shaped this tradition? What are the emergent themes in contemporary critical media studies? While critical political economy’s attention to the way media industries are organized and financed has become a more central consideration across the field of media and communication studies, this mainstreaming has been accompanied by disconnection from the critical political economy tradition. Reviewing that paradox, the article identifies emergent research themes and argues for the relevance of critical political economy approaches for contemporary investigations into the problems of the media.
Arguing the case of the ‘Janus element’ in journalism education: Journalism history as essential element in journalism curricula in developing democracies
Authors: Rabe Lizette
Published: September 2014

This article argues the case for the inclusion of an essential element in Journalism curricula in post-colonial countries struggling to deepen a democratic dispensation: Journalism History. The article contends that what the author calls the ‘Janus factor’, namely a layered understanding of the past as it presents itself as the present, and the ability to think inclusively by facing inward and outward at the same time, is essential as a conceptual or higher-order tool to enable journalists to report with insight on political, social, cultural and economic realities for their various audiences, taking into account continuous interactions between politics, economics, culture and technology. This is especially crucial in one-party-dominated ‘democracies’ and in order to fulfil the role of the media as a ‘public trust’. In these fragile democracies, contested histories are significant factors having an impact on daily narratives. Added to this, the impact of the current disruptive digital (media) economy, which causes understaffed newsrooms, further hinders comprehensive reportage in fragile post-colonial democracies, such as South Africa, and hence the need for journalists to have an understanding of their own profession and its role in past and present realities.
Book Reviews
Authors: Insch Dr Andrea , Lundgren Lars , Manfredi Juan Luis
Published: September 2014

Branding the Nation – The Global Business of National Identity, Melissa Aronczyk (2013) New York: Oxford University Press, 256 pp. IBSN 978-0-19-975216-4 (hbk) IBSN 978-0-19-975217-1 (pbk), £16.99

Europe – On Air, Suzanne Lommers (2012) Netherlands: Amsterdam University Press, 326 pp. ISBN: 9789089644350 (pbk), €39,95

Franco sells Spain to America: Hollywood, tourism and public relations as postwar Spanish soft power, Neal M. Rosendorf (2014) Basingstoke and New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 304 pp. ISBN-10: 1137299282 ISBN-13: 978-1137299284 (hbk), €74,93
Effect of vegetation on snow cover at the northern timberline: a case study in Finnish Lapland
Authors: Vajda Andrea , Venäläinen Ari , Hänninen Pekka , Sutinen Raimo
Published: September 2014

The presence of permanent snow cover for 200â220 days of the year has a determining role in the energy, hydrological and ecological processes at the climate-driven spruce (Picea abies) timberline in Lapland. Disturbances, such as forest fires or forest harvesting change the vegetation pattern and influence the spatial variation of snow cover. This variability in altered snow conditions (in subarctic Fennoscandia) is still poorly understood. We studied the influence of vegetation on the small-scale spatial variation of snow cover and wind climate in the Tuntsa area that was disturbed by a widespread forest fire in 1960. Radar was applied to measure snow thickness over two vegetation types, the spruce-dominant fire refuge and post-fire treeless tundra. Wind modelling was used to estimate the spatial variation of wind speed and direction. Due to the altered surface roughness and the increased wind velocity, snow drifting was more vigorous on the open tundra, resulting in a 30-cm thinner snow cover and almost half the water equivalent compared to the forest values. The changes in local climate after the fire, particularly in snow cover, may have played an important role in the poor recovery of vegetation: a substantial area is still unforested 40 years after the fire.
Growth rate and wood properties of Norway spruce cutting clones on different sites
Authors: Raiskila Sanni , Saranpää Pekka , Fagerstedt Kurt , Laakso Tapio , Löija Mia , Mahlberg Riitta , Paajanen Leena , Ritschkoff Anne-Christine
Published: September 2014

The effect of growth rate on weight density and strength properties of three Norway spruce cutting clones growing on three different sites in different geographic locations was studied. The purpose was to follow variation in wood physical and mechanical properties and in quality between fast-growing clones grown in environments differing in nutritional and soil properties and climate within the boreal zone. The cloned trees had been selected on grounds of good growth, health and quality. The cuttings were collected from three-year-old seedlings and rooted. The rooted cuttings were planted in the 1970âs and they were on average 26 years old at a time of felling. The variation of weight density was studied within the annual ring and within the stem between the juvenile and mature wood from the pith to the bark with an X-ray densitometric method. The average annual ring width (and latewood proportion, %) varied between the clones from 2.92Â±1.36 mm (15.34%) to 3.30Â±1.25 mm (11.80%) and between the sites from 2.76Â±1.07 mm (14.71%) to 3.70Â±1.22 mm (13.29%). The mean weight density was 0.461Â±0.077 g cmâ3 and latewood density 0.750Â±0.125 g cmâ3 in this material. The mean modulus of elasticity was 9.88Â±1.43 GPa, modulus of rupture 67.51Â±11.50 MPa and weight density of the test samples (Ï12) 414Â±44 kg mâ3 in mature wood. The parameters studied showed clearly that the environment had a large effect while the three clones differed from each other similarly in the different sites, e.g. the fastest growing clone was fastest on all sites.
Comparison of growth, nutrition and soil properties of pure and mixed stands of Populus deltoides and Alnus subcordata
Authors: Sayyad Ehsan , Hosseini Seyed , Mokhtari Jamshid , Mahdavi Reza , Jalali Seyed , Akbarinia Moslem , Tabari Masoud
Published: September 2014

Concerns about decline in soil fertility and long-term productivity of fast-growing plantations have promoted interest in using nitrogen-fixing trees in mixed species plantations. Populus deltoides and Alnus subcordata were planted in five proportions (100P, 67P:33A, 50P:50A, 33P:67A, 100A) in Noor, Iran. After 7 years, the effects of species interactions on tree growth and nutrient concentration in live and senescent leaves and soil properties were assessed. Diameter at breast height and total height of individual Populus trees were positively affected by the presence of Alnus. Nitrogen concentrations in fully expanded and senescent leaves of Populus were higher in mixed plantations than monoculture plantations. The results of nutrition and nutrient return and growth indicated that mixed plantations of these two species were more productive and sustainable than their monoculture plantations. Within the framework of this experiment, it appeared that production was maximized when these two species were grown together in the relative proportions of 50% Populus and 50% Alnus.
Factors affecting the snow and wind induced damage of a montane secondary forest in northeastern China
Authors: Zhu Jiaojun , Li Xiufen , Liu Zugen , Cao Wei , Gonda Yutaka , Matsuzaki Takeshi
Published: September 2014

In order to understand the processes of snow and wind induced damage in a natural montane, secondary forest in northeastern China, we examined the impacts of site conditions on the snow and wind damage; analyzed if the dominant tree species differed in their susceptibilities to the damage; and established the relationships between the characteristics of tree and stand and the damage. The results indicated that in regard to the topography factors, slope steepness and soil depth played a relatively important role for the damage. Damage ratios of all types combined were positively related with the composition of dominant tree species. The stand density was also important in determining resistance to the damage, i.e., the densely populated stand exhibited less overall damage ratios; however, the dominant tree species were commonly damaged easily by the snow and wind. Four damage modes found (uprooting, stem breakage, canopy damage and bending) were closely related to the stem taper (p < 0.05), and they could be ranked in following order: bending (92.0 ) > uprooting (85.3) > stem breakage (80.1) > canopy damage (65.0). In regard to differences in tree speciesâ susceptibilities to the damage, Betula costata exhibited the most uprooting, bending and overall damage ratios; while Quercus mongolica showed the highest breakage (both stem breakage and canopy damage) ratio, and Fraxinus mandshurica exhibited the least damage ratio (overall). The major six tree species could also be divided into two groups according to the overall damage ratios, i.e., more susceptible ones (B. costata, Ulmus laciniata and Q. mongolica), and less susceptible ones (F. mandshurica, Acer mono and Juglans mandshurica) to the snow and wind damage.
Extending the planting period of dormant and growing Norway spruce container seedlings to early summer
Authors: Luoranen Jaana , Rikala Risto , Konttinen Kyösti , Smolander Heikki
Published: September 2014

In order to make mechanized planting economically viable, the present spring planting period for Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) seedlings in Scandinavia needs to be extended. To evaluate the possibilities to extend the planting period, six field experiments were established in four years during which frozen-stored, dormant seedlings and actively growing seedlings targeted for spring planting were planted regularly from mid-May to mid-July or the end of August. The survival of actively growing seedlings did not differ between planting dates from mid-May to mid-July. For dormant seedlings, however, the later in summer they were planted the lower was the survival. Oversized seedlings grown in the nursery in containers of too small volume, which were usually planted after mid-June, resulted in reduced growth of seedlings after planting. Root egress (growth of roots from root plugs into the surrounding soil) was most rapid in July and early August and slowest in May and September. Results showed that with dormant seedlings the planting period can be extended from May to mid-June without increasing mortality or reducing growth. The planting period for seedlings stored outdoors and those seedlings that were already growing in June for the purpose of spring plantings can be extended even longer, but it must be kept in mind that the risk of mechanical damage and reduced growth increase due to brittleness of the shoot and increased height. Further research is needed to evaluate the risks in practical scale plantings and with seedlings that are specially targeted for planting after mid-June.
Capacity of riparian buffer zones to reduce sediment concentrations in discharge from peatlands drained for forestry
Authors: Nieminen Mika , Ahti Erkki , Nousiainen Hannu , Joensuu Samuli , Vuollekoski Martti
Published: September 2014

In 1995â2001, the efficiency of riparian buffer zone areas to reduce the concentrations of suspended solids in discharge from peatlands drained for forestry purposes was studied at 7 locations in south-central Finland. The two largest buffer zones reduced the concentrations of suspended solids by > 70%. The efficiency of the three medium-sized buffer zones to reduce through-flow sediment concentrations was 50â60%, but no reduction occurred at the smallest two buffer areas. Thus, the capacity of buffer zones to reduce sediment concentrations was strongly related to their size. However, significant correlations were also found between reduction capacity and inflow water sediment concentrations, although the correlations at the two smallest buffer zones were low. The use of buffer zones in reducing sediment load from peatlands drained for forestry purposes is recommended, but relatively large areas for efficient removal capacity are needed.
Boron, phosphorus and nitrogen fertilization in Norway spruce stands suffering from growth disturbances
Authors: Saarsalmi Anna , Tamminen Pekka
Published: September 2014

Growth disturbance symptoms typical of B deficiency have been reported on Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) trees in many parts of eastern Finland. In order to test the B deficiency hypothesis and explore the possibilities of curing the disturbed trees with B fertilization, three experiments were established in October 1999 in young Norway spruce stands growing on fertile sites in eastern Finland. All the stands contained healthy, slightly and severely damaged trees with growth disturbances typical of B deficiency (B < 5 mg kgâ1). 40 healthy, 40 slightly damaged, and 40 severely damaged trees were selected as sample trees in each stand. In May 2000, the trees were fertilized with 2.0 kg B haâ1 as borax (B), 2.0 kg B haâ1 and 40 kg P haâ1 as superphosphate (B+P) or 200 kg N haâ1 as urea (N). The control trees were not fertilized (0). The needle response to B fertilization was rapid, relatively high B concentrations being achieved already after one growing season. Boron fertilization cured the growth disorders and increased height growth within four years, but had no effect on diameter growth. The trees also recovered without B fertilization, but to a lesser extent compared to the B fertilized trees. Compared to the control, boron fertilization increased the height growth in all the disorder classes, i.e. 5, 17 and 19 cm yrâ1 for healthy, slightly and severely damaged trees, respectively. As the healthy trees also seemed to benefit from B fertilization, this indicates that B deficiency in fact retards height growth before any disorder symptoms become apparent in individual trees. Compared with B alone, the application of P together with B gave no additional benefit. Nitrogen fertilization alone appeared to have a detrimental effect on height growth in the severely disturbed trees.
Elongation of Scots pine seedlings under blue light depletion
Authors: Taulavuori Kari , Sarala Marian , Karhu Jouni , Taulavuori Erja , Kubin Eero , Laine Kari , Poikolainen Jarmo , Pesonen Erkki
Published: September 2014

The effect of blue light (400â500 nm) removal on the elongation of Scots pine (Pinus sylvetris L.) seedlings was investigated in a field experiment in Northern Finland during two growing seasons. The seedlings were grown in plexiglass chambers and ambient control plots. The blue wavelengths were removed from the light spectrum by using chambers made of orange plexiglass. The results of nearly daily measurements showed that the elongation of Scots pine seedlings was increased by the removal of blue light only at high latitudes.
Multilevel modelling of height growth in young Norway spruce plantations in southern Finland
Authors: Saksa Timo , Heiskanen Juha , Miina Jari , Tuomola Jaakko , Kolström Taneli
Published: September 2014

Height development of Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) transplants was studied on 22 sites prepared by disc trenching or mounding. At the age of 4â9 years the plantations were surveyed using a multistage sampling design. For every planted spruce on a plot, the past annual height increments were measured as far into the past as possible. Multilevel mixed linear modelling was used to analyse the variation in growth at different levels (year, stand, cluster, plot, tree) and the effects of climatic and site characteristics on height growth. The within-plantation variation in height growth was higher on mounded sites than on disc-trenched sites. The mean temperature and the precipitation sum of the summer months affected height growth positively. Soil characteristics measured from undisturbed soil did not explain the height growth of seedlings on mounded sites, whereas on disc-trenched sites, the depth of the organic layer and the soil temperature had a positive effect and the depth of the eluvial horizon a negative effect. The modelling approach used proved to be a useful method for examining the sources of variation in development of young plantations.
Twitter data: What do they represent?
Authors: Bruns Axel , Stieglitz Stefan
Published: September 2014

Scholarly research into the uses of social media has become a major area of
growth in recent years, as the adoption of social media for public
communication itself has continued apace. While social media platforms
provide ready avenues for data access through their Application Programming
interfaces, it is increasingly important to think through exactly what these
data represent, and what conclusions about the role of social media in
society the research which is based on such data therefore enables. This
article explores these issues especially for one of the currently leading
social media platforms: Twitter.
Measurement of Thermal Conductivity Function of Unsaturated Soil Using a Transient Water Release and Imbibition Method
Authors: Dong Yi , Lu Ning , Wayllace Alexandra , Smits Kathleen
Published: September 2014

Thermal conductivity of unsaturated soil depends on soil water content and soil type. A transient water release and imbibition method (TRIM) is modified to include measurement of the thermal conductivity function (TCF) in conjunction with concurrent measurement of the soil water retention curve (SWRC) and hydraulic conductivity function (HCF). Two pairs of dielectric and thermal needle sensors are embedded in the soil specimen to monitor spatial and temporal variation of water content, thermal conductivity, and thermal diffusivity during drying and wetting processes. Three different soils, including pure sand, silt, and clayey sand are used to examine the effectiveness and validity of the new technique. The thermal conductivity data from the modified TRIM technique accords well with other independent measurements. The results show that the modified TRIM technique provides a fast and accurate way of obtaining thermal properties of different types of soils under both drying and wetting states. The typical testing time for a soil going through a full saturation variation is less than 3 weeks. We observe that the hysteresis in thermal conductivity during a wetting and drying cycle is much less pronounced than that of the hydraulic hysteresis.
“Reference QuenchProbe”—An Alternative Probe Design for In-Situ Estimation of Cooling Rates, Heat Flux, and Hardenability During Immersion Quenching of Hardenable Steels
Authors: Prasanna Kumar T. S. , Hernandez-Morales B. , Totten G. E.
Published: September 2014

This article reviews some of the limitations of the standard cooling curve analysis and the Jominy hardenability test in extending the results to actual quenching in industrial setups and reports the development of a new portable tool—Reference QuenchProbe—for estimating cooling rates, hardness, and microstructure distributions in hardenable steel grades during immersion quenching, which can be used by the heat treater in the plant. The specimen is made of the same grade of steel as the quenched component with section thickness matching that of the component, which is a departure from standard laboratory tests. The test is carried out in the plant under actual conditions dispensing the need to correlate the standard cooling curve data and end quench hardenability tests done in the laboratory to industrial practice. To test the suite of mathematical models associated with the Reference QuenchProbe hardware and software, specimens of different grades of steels were instrumented with a single thermocouple near the surface of the specimen. Using the cooling data at the point of measurement, the cooling rates, microstructure, and hardness at other critical locations were computed. An enthalpy-based non-linear inverse heat conduction model was coupled with austenite decomposition models for handling the latent heat liberated during quenching. Several steels ranging from low carbon to medium alloy steels were both end-quenched by water and immersion quenched in several industrial quenchants. The computed hardness of end quenched and immersion quenched specimens were shown to be in good agreement with the measured values. The Reference QuenchProbe is thus shown to generate data needed for heat treatment process design including quenchant selection, which can be directly used in practice.
Constant-Amplitude Versus K-Control in Fatigue Crack Growth Rate Testing
Authors: Adler Matthew A.
Published: September 2014

This study compared K-control to constant-amplitude fatigue crack growth rate testing to determine under what conditions K-control testing should be used for K-increasing tests. The results showed that there is no significant difference between the data generated from constant-amplitude and K-control testing for compact–tension specimens when the normalized K-gradient ranged from 1.65 to 5.00 (1/in.) and test time was improved by as much as 70 % for the K-control tests. In most cases, and especially for small test specimens, K-Control K-increasing tests are recommended as a more efficient alternative to constant-amplitude testing.
Bearing Steel Technologies: 10th Volume, Advances in Steel Technologies for Rolling Bearings
Authors: Beswick John M.
Published: September 2014

Description

You’ll gain unique insights on rolling bearing steel technologies with this collection of 31 papers from symposium presentations. This publication introduces revised ideas on bearing steel steelmaking and industries micro cleanliness specification requirements, rating methods and limits for re-melt bearing steels.

The papers in this book, from the 10th ASTM International Symposium on Bearing Steel Technologies held in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, May 6-8, 2014 are a result of presentations under these section headings:

– Advances in Bearing Steel Steelmaking and Processing– Steel Cleanliness Knowledge and Relationships with Rolling Bearing Functional Properties– New Bearing Steels for Improved Functional Properties– Softening and Hardening Heat Treatment Physical Metallurgy– Rolling Bearing Metallurgy for Wind Energy Applications– Developments in Fatigue and Rolling Contact Fatigue Testing

This resource adds to the legacy of ASTM International’s support to the bearing steel industry, the latest Special Technical Publication in a long line of predecessors, between 1974 and 2013. Click the gray “Other Books in this Series” button above for a complete list.
MicroRNA mimicry blocks pulmonary fibrosis
Authors: Montgomery Rusty L , Yu Guoying , Latimer Paul A , Stack Christianna , Robinson Kathryn , Dalby Christina M , Kaminski Naftali , van Rooij Eva
Published: September 2014

Over the last decade, great enthusiasm has evolved for microRNA (miRNA) therapeutics. Part of the excitement stems from the fact that a miRNA often regulates numerous related mRNAs. As such, modulation of a single miRNA allows for parallel regulation of multiple genes involved in a particular disease. While many studies have shown therapeutic efficacy using miRNA inhibitors, efforts to restore or increase the function of a miRNA have been lagging behind. The miR‐29 family has gained a lot of attention for its clear function in tissue fibrosis. This fibroblast‐enriched miRNA family is downregulated in fibrotic diseases which induces a coordinate increase of many extracellular matrix genes. Here, we show that intravenous injection of synthetic RNA duplexes can increase miR‐29 levels in vivo for several days. Moreover, therapeutic delivery of these miR‐29 mimics during bleomycin‐induced pulmonary fibrosis restores endogenous miR‐29 function whereby decreasing collagen expression and blocking and reversing pulmonary fibrosis. Our data support the feasibility of using miRNA mimics to therapeutically increase miRNAs and indicate miR‐29 to be a potent therapeutic miRNA for treating pulmonary fibrosis.
Role of endogenous ACTH on circadian aldosterone rhythm in patients with primary aldosteronism
Authors: Sonoyama Takuhiro , Sone Masakatsu , Tamura Naohisa , Honda Kyoko , Taura Daisuke , Kojima Katsutoshi , Fukuda Yorihide , Kanamoto Naotetsu , Miura Masako , Yasoda Akihiro , Arai Hiroshi , Itoh Hiroshi , Nakao Kazuwa
Published: September 2014

We recently reported that stimulation with high-dose ACTH caused different responses in terms of aldosterone secretion in aldosterone-producing adenomas (APAs) and idiopathic hyperaldosteronism (IHA) in patients with primary aldosteronism (PA). However, the role of endogenous ACTH in aldosterone secretion in PA has not been systematically evaluated. In this study, we examined diurnal changes in plasma aldosterone concentration (PAC), and changes in PAC after dexamethasone administration in patients with suspected PA, in order to evaluate the effect of endogenous ACTH on aldosterone secretion. Seventy-three patients admitted to Kyoto University Hospital with suspected PA were included. The patients were classified into non-PA, IHA, and APA groups according to the results of captopril challenge test and adrenal venous sampling. PAC at 0900 h (PAC0900), 2300 h (PAC2300), and after 1-mg dexamethasone suppression test (PACdex) was measured and compared among the three groups. The PAC2300/PAC0900 and PACdex/PAC0900 ratios were also analyzed. PAC2300 and PACdex were lower than PAC0900 in all three groups. There were no significant differences in PAC2300/PAC0900 among the three groups. However, PACdex/PAC0900 was significantly lower in the APA group compared with the non-PA and IHA groups. The results of this study indicate that aldosterone secretion in APA patients is more strongly dependent on endogenous ACTH than in IHA and non-PA patients. The results also suggest that factors other than ACTH, such as clock genes, may cause diurnal changes in aldosterone secretion in IHA and non-PA patients.
Central alarin ameliorated insulin resistance of adipocytes in type 2 diabetic rats
Authors: Guo Lili , Fang Penghua , Yu Mei , Shi Mingyi , Bo Ping , Zhang Zhenwen
Published: September 2014

Alarin, a regulatory peptide, belongs to the galanin family and plays the same regulatory roles as galanin in orexigenic activity and energy metabolism. Our previous studies had found that galanin might facilitate insulin sensitivity via activation of its central receptors. To date, little is known about whether central alarin may exert similar effects on insulin sensitivity. In order to investigate this, alarin and its specific antagonist, alarin 6–25Cys, were administered into the cerebral ventricles of type 2 diabetic rats (T2DR) to evaluate the changes in insulin resistance. The results indicated that central treatment with alarin significantly increased the body weight of animals, the 2-(N-(7-nitrobenz-2-oxa-1,3-diazol-4-yl)amino)-2-deoxyglucose uptake, the plasma adiponectin levels, the glucose infusion rates in hyperinsulinemic–euglycemic clamp tests, the vesicle-associated membrane protein 2 as well as glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4 (SLC2A4)) protein and mRNA levels, and the ratios of GLUT4 contents in plasma membranes to total cell membranes in adipocytes, but reduced blood glucose and plasma retinol-binding protein 4 levels. These effects of alarin may be inhibited by pretreatment with alarin 6–25Cys. The above-mentioned results suggest that the central alarin projective system may facilitate insulin sensitivity and glucose uptake via the increase in GLUT4 content and GLUT4 translocation from intracellular pools to plasma membranes in T2DR.
Władza Biskupa Rzymu. Ujęcie historyczno-prawne
Authors: Erdő Péter
Published: September 2014

The Pope’s primacy is one of the most important issues of the Catholic theology and canon law. It is the foundation of the hierarchical structure of the Church. The author of the paper presents the complexity of the problem in the light of the two codes of the Church: CIC 1983 and CCEC 1988, and other normative sources.
Rola Kościoła partykularnego w procedurze mianowania biskupów przez papieża
Authors: Migliore Celestino
Published: September 2014

The nominations for bishops are very important for the Church. They are considered as very ticklish and requiring delicacy. The article aims to show the role of the particular Church in the procedure. The past and today practices are presented, as well as legal foundation of the process.
Prymat papieski a zakres autonomii zebrań biskupów
Authors: Nitkiewicz Krzysztof
Published: September 2014

The aim of the paper is to present all sorts of groups of bishops and levels of their autonomy in confrontation with primacy of the Pope. The conclusion is that the supreme, full, immediate and universal ordinary power of the Pope in the Church is not limited, but rather strengthened by the power of the bishops gathered together.