bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The influence of time on the quality of life of patients with intestinal stoma
Authors: Salles Valdemir José Alegre , Becker Carolina de Paula Penteado , Faria Giuliana da Matta Rossi 
Published: April 2014

AbstractIntroduction the changes caused by ostomy are not restricted to gastrointestinal physiology, but also affect self-esteem and body image, causing changes in family, professional, social and emotional life.Objective to evaluate the quality of life in ostomized patients.Method a cross-sectional epidemiological study was carried out in individuals enrolled in the Valeparaíbana Ostomy Association. We analyzed thirty individuals divided into two equal groups according to the time of the stoma: group I included individuals with up to two years and, group II, those who had been ostomized for more than two years. A form was applied to evaluate the quality of life (WHOQOL-BREF).Results the acceptance of physical appearance was observed in 100% of the participants. The performance of daily activities was not limited by the use of the ostomy bag for either group and the mean occurrence of eventual negative feelings in all subjects was 40 to 60%. Regardless of the time of ostomy, those individuals who did not feel supported by family and/or spouse had a lower quality of life, with no observed association with sexual life satisfaction.Conclusion patients with an ostomy for more than two years have a better quality of life.
Four-arm single docking full robotic surgery for low rectal cancer: techniques and post-operative outcomes
Authors: Ramos José Reinan , Miranda Alexandre Duarte , Torres Wilermo , Parra-Davila Eduardo 
Published: April 2014

Abstract
Background laparoscopic rectal surgery has not yet achieved a high penetration rate because of its steep learning curve and its relatively high conversion rate. Robotic rectal resection represents the main indication of the use of the robotic platform in colorectal surgery. The aim of this study was to present an early experience with robotic surgery to treat mid and low rectal cancer focusing on the technique and early postoperative outcomes.
Methods from December 2012 to October 2013, a total of 16 patients with colorectal diseases were operated on using a four-arm single docking full robotic procedure (daVinci Si Surgical System). The treatment of six consecutive patients who underwent robotic rectal cancer surgery for mid or low rectal adenocarcinoma was prospectively analyzed regarding technique standardization, pathological findings and postoperative outcomes.
Results there were no conversions and one intraoperative complication. The mean operative time was 245 min (180–360 min). The mean console time was 170 min (110–240 min). All patients underwent a standardized totally robotic rectal dissection. There were no mortality or urinary dysfunction and one complication (postoperative ileo-16%). The median length of hospital stay was 6 (4–11 days). The median number of lymph nodes harvested was 22 (7–38), and distal and circumferential resection margins were negative in all specimen. R0 resection was achieved in all cases and complete total mesorectal excision in five specimen and nearly complete in one.
Conclusion standardized robotic rectal surgery is a promising alternative to treat patients with mid or low rectal cancer and is expected to overcome the low penetration rate of laparoscopic surgery in this field. This technique was successfully performed in six patients with excellent immediate postoperative and pathological results. Additional studies in a large series of patients are necessary to confirm those advantages.
Slim by design: Redirecting the accidental drivers of mindless overeating
Authors: Wansink Brian , Chandon Pierre 
Published: April 2014

AbstractWe first choose what to eat and then we choose how much to eat. Yet as consumer psychologists, we understand food choice much better than food consumption quantity. This review focuses on three powerful drivers of food consumption quantity: 1) Sensory cues (how your senses react), 2) emotional cues (how you feel), and 3) normative cues (how you believe you are supposed to eat). These drivers influence consumption quantities partly because they bias our consumption monitoring—how much attention we pay to how much we eat. To date, consumption quantity research has comfortably focused on the first two drivers and on using education to combat overeating. In contrast, new research on consumption norms can uncover small changes in the eating environment (such as package downsizing, smaller dinnerware, and reduced visibility and convenience) that can be easily implemented in kitchens, restaurants, schools, and public policies to improve our monitoring of how much we eat and to help solve mindless overeating. It is easier to change our food environment than to change our mind.
Show me the product, show me the model: Effect of picture type on attitudes toward advertising
Authors: Aydınoğlu Nilüfer Z. , Cian Luca 
Published: April 2014

AbstractWe suggest that a consideration of consumer self‐evaluations is fundamental to understanding the conditions under which it is more advantageous to present person or product pictures in print advertisements. We build on the basic human motives of self‐enhancement and self‐verification to propose that the specific self‐esteem level of consumers, in the domain relevant for the category, differentially affects their responses to picture type. Specifically, for consumers with low (high) domain‐specific self‐esteem, depicting a product (person) in the advertisement enhances attitudes toward the advertisement more than depicting a person (product). In two studies, we demonstrate the proposed matching relationships using two different domains of consumer self‐evaluation: appearance self‐esteem and academic self‐esteem. We also show that increased and more fluent generation of self‐related mental imagery drives the observed improvement in attitudes toward the advertisement. Our findings suggest direct implications for advertising design.
Prognostic value of T‐wave alternans in survivors of ventricular fibrillation or hemodynamically unstable ventricular tachycardia
Authors: Yamada Shinya , Suzuki Hitoshi , Kaneshiro Takashi , Kamiyama Yoshiyuki , Saitoh Shu‐ichi , Takeishi Yasuchika 
Published: April 2014

AbstractBackgroundT‐wave alternans is useful for predicting the occurrence of ventricular tachyarrhythmias and sudden cardiac death in various heart diseases. However, little is known about the clinical significance of T‐wave alternans measurement in survivors of ventricular fibrillation (VF) or hemodynamically unstable ventricular tachycardia (VT).MethodsWe studied 28 patients with organic heart disease who survived VF or hemodynamically unstable VT (20 males, mean age 63 years). Echocardiography, electrocardiogram (QRS duration and QTc intervals), and Holter monitoring (heart rate variability, heart rate turbulence and T‐wave alternans) were performed before implantable cardioverter‐defibrillator (ICD) implantation. Positive T‐wave alternans was defined as >65 μV. During the follow‐up period (10.2±6.2 months), ventricular tachyarrhythmias requiring appropriate shock therapy occurred in eight patients (29%). The subjects were divided into two groups, based on whether appropriate shock therapy was required (n=8, Group A) or not (n=20, Group B). Parameters from echocardiography, electrocardiogram, and Holter monitoring were compared between the two groups in order to investigate their relationship with the incidence of shock therapy after ICD implantation.ResultsThe prevalence of positive T‐wave alternans was significantly higher in Group A than in Group B (88% vs. 15%, P=0.004). Univariate Cox proportional hazard analysis showed that, among the variables measured, only T‐wave alternans had predictive power for recurrent ventricular tachyarrhythmias (hazard ratio, 13.17; 95% confidence interval: 1.606–108.1, P=0.016).ConclusionsThese results suggest that T‐wave alternans by Holter monitoring is useful for predicting recurrent ventricular tachyarrhythmias in survivors of VF or hemodynamically unstable VT.
Inducibility of ventricular arrhythmias in early repolarization syndrome and Brugada syndrome: From the J‐wave associated with prior cardiac event (J‐PREVENT) registry
Authors: Takahashi Yoshihide , Osaka Yuki , Nogami Akihiko , Nishizaki Mitsuhiro , Okishige Kaoru , Suzuki Makoto , Yamauchi Yasuteru , Ono Yuichi , Suzuki Kou , Hirao Kenzo , Isobe Mitsuaki 
Published: April 2014

AbstractBackgroundAlthough electrophysiological study is often performed in Brugada syndrome (BrS) to assess inducibility of ventricular arrhythmias (VA), the utility of electrophysiological study in early repolarization syndrome (ERS) remains unknown. The aim of the present multi‐center observational study was to compare inducibility of VA in ERS with BrS, and to investigate any association between inducibility and recurrence of arrhythmic events in these patients.MethodsThe J‐PREVENT registry consists of patients with early repolarization or Brugada type 1 ECGs, a history of prior cardiac events, and no structural heart disease. Patients in the registry with implantable cardioverter‐defibrillators (ICDs) and who underwent electrophysiological study were enrolled. VA inducibility was assessed by programmed electrical stimulation performed at two different sites in the right ventricle with up to three extrastimuli. The occurrence of VA during follow‐up was determined by interrogation of the patients' ICDs.ResultsOf the 79 patients studied (72 males, mean age 44±13 years), 21 patients (27%) had ERS, and 58 had BrS, 20 of whom also had early repolarization in the inferolateral leads. VA was induced in 9 patients (43%) and 45 (78%) with ERS and BrS, respectively (p=0.006). During a median follow‐up of 1453 days, occurrence rate of VA was similar between ERS and BrS (p=0.35). Inducibility was not associated with occurrence of VA in either syndrome.ConclusionsIn patients with ERS with prior history of cardiac events, VA was induced in 43% of patients during electrophysiological study, approximately half that of BrS. Inducibility was not associated with occurrence of VA during follow‐up, although this was true of BrS patients as well. Electrophysiological study may play a limited role in risk stratification in ERS.
Right ventricular perforation by a passive‐fixation pacemaker lead two weeks after implantation
Authors: Sheikh Azeem S. , Hosseini‐Ardehali Farazin , Mazhar Sajjad 
Published: April 2014

AbstractMyocardial perforation is a rare complication of permanent pacemaker implantation. While most of the perforations occur at the time of implantation or within the first 24 h, delayed myocardial perforations are very rare. The clinical course is extremely variable with some patients presenting completely asymptomatic, while others can develop cardiac tamponade and haemodynamic instability. We report an unusual case of a subacute ventricular perforation caused by a passive‐fixation lead two weeks after implantation and we successfully managed to extract the lead under local anaesthesia, without the patient undergoing surgery, as recommended in the previously published reports.
National patterns ofEscherichia coliO157 infections, USA, 1996–2011
Authors: SODHA S. V. , HEIMAN K. , GOULD L. H. , BISHOP R. , IWAMOTO M. , SWERDLOW D. L. , GRIFFIN P. M. 
Published: April 2014

SUMMARYUS public health laboratories began reportingEscherichia coliO157 isolates to CDC in 1996. We describe temporal and geographical patterns of isolates reported from 1996 to 2011 and demographics of persons whose specimens yielded isolates. We calculated annualE. coliO157 isolation rates/100 000 persons by patient's state of residence, county of residence, age, and sex using census data. The average annual isolation rate was 0·84. The average isolation rate in northern states (1·52) was higher than in southern states (0·43). Counties with ⩾76% rural population had a lower isolation rate (0·67) than counties with ⩽25%, 26–50%, and 51–75% rural populations (0·81, 0·92, and 0·81, respectively). The highest isolation rate (3·19) was in children aged 1–4 years. Infections were seasonal with 49% of isolates collected during July to September. Research into reasons for higher incidence in northern states and for seasonality could guide strategies to prevent illnesses.
Reframing Polarization: Social Groups and “Culture Wars”
Authors: Muste Christopher P. 
Published: April 2014

ABSTRACTRecent analyses of American politics often invoke the term “culture war” depicting sharp and increasing divisions within the American polity. Most of this research defines culture in terms of values and beliefs about social issues and defines polarization in terms of partisan and issue divisions. I evaluate the claim of worsening “culture wars” by using a conceptualization of political culture that focuses on social groups and measuring polarization as both social group members’ attitudes toward their own social in-groups and out-groups, and the effects of group attitudes on partisanship. Analyzing inter-group attitudes from 1964 to 2012 for social group cleavages defined by race, class, age, sex, and religion shows that polarization in attitudes toward social groups is minimal and generally stable, and most group members feel positively toward out-groups. Partisan and issue polarization seen in prior research do not extend to deep or increasing inter-group hostility that could reinforce issue-based and partisan polarization.
The Communication of Ideas across Subfields in Political Science
Authors: Graham Erin R. , Shipan Charles R. , Volden Craig 
Published: April 2014

ABSTRACTWhat factors inhibit or facilitate cross-subfield conversations in political science? This article draws on diffusion scholarship to gain insight into cross-subfield communication. Diffusion scholarship represents a case where such communication might be expected, given that similar diffusion processes are analyzed in American politics, comparative politics, and international relations. We identify nearly 800 journal articles published on diffusion within political science between 1958 and 2008. Using network analysis we investigate the degree to which three “common culprits”—terminology, methodological approach, and journal type—influence levels of integration. We find the highest levels of integration among scholars using similar terms to describe diffusion processes, sharing a methodological approach (especially in quantitative scholarship), and publishing in a common set of subfield journals. These findings shed light on when cross-subfield communication is likely to occur with ease and when barriers may prove prohibitive.
A Sea of Riches: Teaching an Interdisciplinary Environmental Justice Course through Political Theory On-Campus and Online
Authors: Gabrielson Teena , Watts Kaitlyn 
Published: April 2014

ABSTRACTThis article reflects on two specific sets of questions—both of which were prominent in conversations regarding the future of teaching in higher education—that emerged as we developed a pedagogy designed to advance the primary substantive goals of environmental justice. The first set of questions asks how to enhance interdisciplinary thinking and communication in a single course; the second asks how best to teach critical thinking online. We identify key challenges in both areas in a discussion of our experience in teaching two contemporaneous venues—one on-campus and one online—of an environmental justice course grounded in the subfield of political theory.
The Strategy Project: Teaching Strategic Thinking through Crisis Simulation
Authors: Hunzeker Michael A. , Harkness Kristen A. 
Published: April 2014

ABSTRACTIn an effort to teach strategic thinking, the Center for International Security Studies at Princeton University designed an adaptable model for crisis simulation that could be used in a variety of institutional contexts and with diverse content matter. Moreover, the simulation helped students to develop an understanding of several other important abstract concepts in political science: notably, information uncertainty, friction or “the fog of war,” and bureaucratic stove piping. This article describes the design, content, and implementation of our original simulation. It is based on a “loose-nukes” scenario resulting from the hypothetical collapse of the Pakistani state. We conclude by evaluating the benefits and limitations of the simulation and by suggesting ways in which it could be implemented in other institutional contexts.
Stellar scattering and the formation of hot Jupiters in binary systems
Authors: Martí J. G. , Beaugé C. 
Published: April 2014

AbstractHot Jupiters (HJs) are usually defined as giant Jovian-size planets with orbital periods P⩽10 days. Although they lie close to the star, several have finite eccentricities and significant misalignment angle with respect to the stellar equator, leading to ~20% of HJs in retrograde orbits. More than half, however, seem consistent with near-circular and planar orbits. In recent years, two mechanisms have been proposed to explain the excited and misaligned subpopulation of HJs: Lidov–Kozai migration and planet–planet scattering. Although both are based on completely different dynamical phenomena, at first hand they appear to be equally effective in generating hot planets. Nevertheless, there has been no detailed analysis comparing the predictions of both mechanisms, especially with respect to the final distribution of orbital characteristics. In this paper, we present a series of numerical simulations of Lidov–Kozai trapping of single planets in compact binary systems that suffered a close fly-by of a background star. Both the planet and the binary component are initially placed in coplanar orbits, although the inclination of the impactor is assumed random. After the passage of the third star, we follow the orbital and spin evolution of the planet using analytical models based on the octupole expansion of the secular Hamiltonian. We also include tidal effects, stellar oblateness and post-Newtonian perturbations. The present work aims at the comparison of the two mechanisms (Lidov–Kozai and planet–planet scattering) as an explanation for the excited and inclined HJs in binary systems. We compare the results obtained through this paper with results in Beaugé & Nesvorný (2012), where the authors analyse how the planet–planet scattering mechanisms works in order to form this hot Jovian-size planets. We find that several of the orbital characteristics of the simulated HJs are caused by tidal trapping from quasi-parabolic orbits, independent of the driving mechanism (planet–planet scattering or Lidov–Kozai migration). These include both the 3-day pile-up and the distribution in the eccentricity versus semimajor axis plane. However, the distribution of the inclinations shows significant differences. While Lidov–Kozai trapping favours a more random distribution (or even a preference for near polar orbits), planet–planet scattering shows a large portion of bodies nearly aligned with the equator of the central star. This is more consistent with the distribution of known hot planets, perhaps indicating that scattering may be a more efficient mechanism for producing these bodies.
Role of bone-marrow- and non-bone-marrow-derived receptor for advanced glycation end-products (RAGE) in a mouse model of diabetes-associated atherosclerosis
Authors: Koulis Christine , Kanellakis Peter , Pickering Raelene J. , Tsorotes Despina , Murphy Andrew J. , Gray Stephen P. , Thomas Merlin C. , Jandeleit-Dahm Karin A. M. , Cooper Mark E. , Allen Terri J. 
Published: April 2014

RAGE (receptor for advanced glycation end-products) is expressed on multiple cell types implicated in the progression of atherosclerosis and plays a role in DAA (diabetes-associated atherosclerosis). The aim of the present study was to determine the relative role of either BM (bone marrow)- or non-BM-derived RAGE in the pathogenesis of STZ (streptozotocin)-induced DAA. Male ApoE (apolipoprotein E)-null (ApoE−/−:RAGE+/+) and ApoE:RAGE-null (ApoE−/−:RAGE−/−) mice at 7 weeks of age were rendered diabetic with STZ. At 8 weeks of age, ApoE−/− and ApoE−/−:RAGE−/− control and diabetic mice received BM from either RAGE-null or RAGE-bearing mice, generating various chimaeras. After 10 and 20 weeks of diabetes, mice were killed and gene expression and atherosclerotic lesion formation were evaluated respectively. Deletion of RAGE in either the BM cells or non-BM cells both resulted in a significant attenuation in DAA, which was associated with reduced VCAM-1 (vascular cell adhesion molecule-1) expression and translated into reduced adhesion in vitro. In conclusion, the results of the present study highlight the importance of both BM- and non-BM-derived RAGE in attenuating the development of DAA.
Enzymatic production of three 6-deoxy-aldohexoses from l-rhamnose
Authors: Shompoosang Sirinan , Yoshihara Akihide , Uechi Keiko , Asada Yasuhiko , Morimoto Kenji 
Published: April 2014

Abstract
6-Deoxy-l-glucose, 6-deoxy-l-altrose, and 6-deoxy-l-allose were produced from l-rhamnose with an immobilized enzyme that was partially purified (IE) and an immobilized Escherichia coli recombinant treated with toluene (TT). 6-Deoxy-l-psicose was produced from l-rhamnose by a combination of l-rhamnose isomerase (TT-PsLRhI) and d-tagatose 3-epimerase (TT-PcDTE). The purified 6-deoxy-l-psicose was isomerized to 6-deoxy-l-altrose and 6-deoxy-l-allose with l-arabinose isomerase (TT-EaLAI) and l-ribose isomerase (TT-AcLRI), respectively, and then was epimerized to l-rhamnulose with immobilized d-tagatose 3-epimerase (IE-PcDTE). Following purification, l-rhamnulose was converted to 6-deoxy-l-glucose with d-arabinose isomerase (TT-BpDAI). The equilibrium ratios of 6-deoxy-l-psicose:6-deoxy-l-altrose, 6-deoxy-l-psicose:6-deoxy-l-allose, and l-rhamnulose:6-deoxy-l-glucose were 60:40, 40:60, and 27:73, respectively. The production yields of 6-deoxy-l-glucose, 6-deoxy-l-altrose, and 6-deoxy-l-allose from l-rhamnose were 5.4, 14.6, and 25.1%, respectively. These results indicate that the aldose isomerases used in this study acted on 6-deoxy aldohexoses.
Production of p-Aminobenzoic acid by metabolically engineered Escherichia coli
Authors: Koma Daisuke , Yamanaka Hayato , Moriyoshi Kunihiko , Sakai Kiyofumi , Masuda Takaya , Sato Yoshihiro , Toida Kozo , Ohmoto Takashi 
Published: April 2014

Abstract
The production of chemical compounds from renewable resources is an important issue in building a sustainable society. In this study, Escherichia coli was metabolically engineered by introducing T7lac promoter-controlled aroFfbr, pabA, pabB, and pabC genes into the chromosome to overproduce para-aminobenzoic acid (PABA) from glucose. Elevating the copy number of chromosomal PT7lac-pabA-pabB distinctly increased the PABA titer, indicating that elevation of 4-amino-4-deoxychorismic acid synthesis is a significant factor in PABA production. The introduction of a counterpart derived from Corynebacterium efficiens, pabAB (ce), encoding a fused PabA and PabB protein, resulted in a considerable increase in the PABA titer. The introduction of more than two copies of PT7lac-pabAB (ce-mod), a codon-optimized pabAB (ce), into the chromosome of a strain that simultaneously overexpressed aroFfbr and pabC resulted in 5.1 mM PABA from 55.6 mM glucose (yield 9.2%). The generated strain produced 35 mM (4.8 g L−1) PABA from 167 mM glucose (yield 21.0%) in fed-batch culture.