bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Weakness of the will: Akrasia in clinical practice
Authors: Callender John S. 
Published: February 2013

AbstractTo have conflicting desires or motivations is part of everyday experience. I may have a desire for a cream cake although I also desire to stay healthy or avoid becoming overweight. I may wish to watch a film to its end late in the evening while knowing that I have a busy day at work the next day and it would be better for me to get an early night in bed.The existence of behavior, which is at the same time harmful and self-willed, occupies a considerable proportion of the resources and energies of psychiatric services. There are whole subspecialities, such as the psychiatry of addictions and services for patients with eating disorders that are occupied with little else. Psychotherapists and clinical psychologists spend their days helping people to behave in ways that are less self-destructive and more adaptive. Consultation-liaison services have a daily quota of assessment of patients who have engaged in nonsuicidal deliberate self-harm. The general hospitals are full of patients who suffer from illnesses as a result of bad diet, cigarette smoking, too much alcohol, or too little exercise.This happens not because people are ignorant of the risks that they are running. Instead, it happens when people know of the risks but choose anyway to act as they do.In this chapter, I will begin by presenting some classical philosophical theories about akratic or weak-willed behavior. I will examine the concept of akrasia in light of standard definitions of autonomy. I will go on to look at more recent thinking on this theme and consider to what extent this aids our thinking about clinical problems.
Trauma, dissociative disorders, and PTSD
Authors: Callender John S. 
Published: February 2013

AbstractIn this chapter, I will begin by describing the clinical features of the dissociative disorders and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). I will go on to discuss the ways in which these conditions are related to violence and other criminal behavior. I will conclude with discussion of the issue of legal responsibility in offenders who suffer from these conditions.One of the defining characteristics of PTSD is that it is precipitated by the experience of psychological trauma. The other dissociative disorders usually also have their origins in traumatic experiences.Numerous studies have demonstrated that aggression is one of the sequelae of trauma and that people who have been traumatized are likely to turn this aggression against other people or themselves. According to one authority, trauma followed by the victimization of other people is ‘a major cause of violence in society’ (van der Kolk & McFarlane, 1996, 11). When one considers the biographies of those who have been responsible for murder and mayhem on the grand scale, it is striking how often one finds a history of early traumatization and abuse. Adolf Hitler's father was an authoritarian, overbearing, irritable drunkard. He was repeatedly violent to his wife and children. According to his sister, the young Adolf ‘got his sound thrashing every day’ (Kershaw, 1998). On one occasion, he was beaten so badly that his father left him for dead. In adult life, he was observed to have violent swings of mood and flew into rages at the slightest hint of disagreement or opposition. He would bang his fists on tables and walls. He shouted and stammered and would literally foam at the mouth. At worst, he is described as falling to the floor and chewing the carpet. This happened so often that some of his associates referred to him as teppischfresser (carpet eater) (Pincus, 2001). Josef Stalin's father was a violent, drunken cobbler, who ‘savagely beat’ his son and wife. Stalin's mother in turn, as the child later recalled, ‘thrashed him mercilessly’ (Sebag Montefiore, 2003). Saddam Hussein was raised by a brutal and abusive stepfather until he was 10 years old and went to live with an uncle.Despite these observations, the role of trauma-related disorders in the genesis of criminality has received less attention than other conditions such as psychopathic personality and the psychoses. Violent and criminal behaviors are complex phenomena and are the end result of a range of causal influences. How can the experience of trauma lead to later violence on the part of the victim? Is a history of traumatic victimization a necessary element of the set of causes that lead to some types of crime? We know that most people who are traumatized do not commit crimes or cause harm to others. What other causal factors have to come into play to bring about violence and criminality? A final question is whether traumatic experience can affect a person in such a way as to override his or her capacity for self-control and hence give grounds for legal mitigation or excuse.
Qualitative methods
Authors: Mallinson Sara , Popay Jennie , Williams Gareth 
Published: February 2013

AbstractAfter reading this chapter you should be able to introduce key features of qualitative research, outline how different qualitative methods can be used to answer different types of research question, describe some of the most widely used qualitative methods, explain key issues in the analysis of qualitative data and common features of the analysis process, and outline the importance of qualitative research in a public health context.
Epidemiological approach and design
Authors: Ricciardi Walter , Boccia Stefania 
Published: February 2013

AbstractThe aim of this chapter is to help the reader understand epidemiological thinking and approaches in a public health context, use the most appropriate measures of disease occurrence, measure the association between an exposure and a health event by using a two-by-two table, measure the impact of a certain disease at the population level, and identify the main epidemiological studies.
Surveillance
Authors: Sosin Daniel M. , Hopkins Richard S. 
Published: February 2013

AbstractEffective use of health data is a foundation of public health practice. Surveillance produces an ongoing stream of data that, when appropriately analysed, supports and directs public health action. This chapter provides an introduction to the purposes, design, methods, and uses of public health surveillance systems. Public health programme managers and staff, decision makers, epidemiologists, and students of public health can use this information to assure effective implementation of public health surveillance systems.
Genetics
Authors: Stewart Alison , Burton Hilary 
Published: February 2013

AbstractAfter studying this chapter you should be able to appreciate that genes are important determinants of health and that almost all disease results from the combined effects of genetic and environmental factors, be aware that new knowledge about the relationships between genetic variants and disease is changing aspects of disease management and prevention, understand the use of genetics in screening programmes and other disease prevention strategies, be able to use a knowledge of genetics within routine public health practice, for example in health needs assessment, health technology assessment, service review and evaluation, be aware of the debate on the ethical, legal and social issues surrounding the use of genetic information in public health and healthcare, and be aware of the potential impact of new technologies that enable rapid and inexpensive sequencing of whole genomes and of the need for critical, evidence-based assessment of new genomic tests and interventions.
Media advocacy for policy influence
Authors: Chapman Simon 
Published: February 2013

AbstractMany public health interventions are controversial or potentially controversial. The way the media handle such issues can strongly influence public and policy maker attitudes towards them and effective media advocacy can be a powerful way of taking forward public health initiatives. After reading this chapter you should have a better understanding of how the media deal with public health issues, how the way in which an issue is framed influences whether and how it leads to changes in policy, and what you can do when a public health issue is framed in an adverse or harmful way.
Health, sustainability, and climate change
Authors: Pencheon David , Roschnik Sonia , Cosford Paul 
Published: February 2013

AbstractThis chapter will help you understand the relationships between health, health care, sustainability, climate change, and carbon reduction, locally and globally. The specific objectives of the chapter are to help you make the case for action by showing how health, health care, sustainable development, and climate change are linked positively such that what is good for mitigating climate change is also good for health and health care today, translate science into policy and practice and help move research and action about climate science into policy and practice, and engage a wide range of stakeholders and appreciate that, as in much public health practice, appropriate action comes from involving a diverse group of people through genuine engagement.
First Report of Orange Rust Caused by Puccinia kuehnii in Sugarcane in Louisiana
Authors: Grisham M. P. , Hoy J. W. , Haudenshield J. S. , Hartman G. L. 
Published: February 2013

In June 2012, lesions typical of rust were observed on sugarcane cultivar Ho 05-961 (a complex hybrid of Saccharum L. spp.) on a farm near Schriever, Louisiana. Incidence and severity of disease symptoms were low. Two types of pustules were observed on leaves of the infected plants. One pustule type was reddish-brown in color turning brown with age, characteristic of brown rust which has been observed in Louisiana since 1979 (2). The other pustule type was orange and did not turn brown with age. Urediniospore samples from the two pustule types were collected. The morphology of the urediniospores from the reddish-brown pustules was consistent with that described for Puccinia melanocephala Syd. & Syd., the fungus that causes brown rust of sugarcane, while the morphology of the urediniospores from the orange pustules was consistent with those described for P. kuehnii E.J. Butler, the causal organism of orange rust of sugarcane (3). Telia and teliospores were not observed. The identity of the two species of Puccinia causing the brown and orange rust lesions was verified using the species-specific quantitative PCR assays (1). Two DNA samples extracted from the pustules identified as P. kuehnii were independently subjected to PCR amplification using primers Pk1F and Pk1R (1) to yield a product from the rDNA that was then bidirectionally sequenced using the same primers. The resulting 480-nt sequences were identical to each other, and a BLAST search of GenBank revealed 100% identity to 19 previously reported isolates of P. kuehnii but not more than 89% similarity to any isolate of P. melanocephala (4). To our knowledge, this is the first report of orange rust in Louisiana. In the 4 months following the detection of orange rust, observations of the disease have been limited to Ho 05-961. Seed cane increase plots of this newly released cultivar were surveyed, and orange rust symptoms and urediniospores were detected in 17 of 38 (45%) fields. The incidence and severity of the disease remained low, and the distribution appeared to be limited to the southern portion of the Louisiana sugarcane production area. References: (1) N. C. Glynn et al. Plant Pathol. 59:703, 2010. (2) H. Koike. Plant Dis. 64:226, 1980. (3) C. C. Ryan et al. Page 189 in: Diseases of Sugarcane: Major Diseases. C. Ricaud et al., eds. Elsevier, Amsterdam, 1989. (4) E. V. Virtudazo et al. Mycoscience 42:447, 2001.
A Developmental Transcriptional Network for Maize Defines Coexpression Modules
Authors: Downs Gregory S. , Bi Yong-Mei , Colasanti Joseph , Wu Wenqing , Chen Xi , Zhu Tong , Rothstein Steven J. , Lukens Lewis N. 
Published: February 2013

AbstractHere, we present a genome-wide overview of transcriptional circuits in the agriculturally significant crop species maize (Zea mays). We examined transcript abundance data at 50 developmental stages, from embryogenesis to senescence, for 34,876 gene models and classified genes into 24 robust coexpression modules. Modules were strongly associated with tissue types and related biological processes. Sixteen of the 24 modules (67%) have preferential transcript abundance within specific tissues. One-third of modules had an absence of gene expression in specific tissues. Genes within a number of modules also correlated with the developmental age of tissues. Coexpression of genes is likely due to transcriptional control. For a number of modules, key genes involved in transcriptional control have expression profiles that mimic the expression profiles of module genes, although the expression of transcriptional control genes is not unusually representative of module gene expression. Known regulatory motifs are enriched in several modules. Finally, of the 13 network modules with more than 200 genes, three contain genes that are notably clustered (P &lt; 0.05) within the genome. This work, based on a carefully selected set of major tissues representing diverse stages of maize development, demonstrates the remarkable power of transcript-level coexpression networks to identify underlying biological processes and their molecular components.
Stable hydrogen and oxygen isotopes in aquatic food webs are tracers of diet and provenance
Authors: Soto David X. , Wassenaar Leonard I. , Hobson Keith A. 
Published: February 2013

Summary

The stable hydrogen and oxygen isotope (δ2H and δ18O) composition of animal tissues are well‐established tracers for terrestrial migration ecology and wildlife forensics. However, the behaviour of these isotopes in aquatic ecosystems and their potential as tracers of diet and provenance are complicated because of inputs from ambient H2O and diet.

We conducted controlled aquaria‐based experiments to quantify the mechanisms that drive the H and O isotopic flow within and among aquatic species. The isotopic composition of water and diet of two aquatic species (Chironomus tentans and Poecilia reticulata), representing two trophic levels, was varied in six isothermal treatments. Both species were raised from juvenile to adult to ensure that tissues were in isotopic equilibrium with their dietary and environmental conditions (ambient water, food, dissolved oxygen). We measured water, dissolved O2, diet, tissue protein and lipids for δ2H or δ18O.

The flows of H and O isotopes for tissue formation in aquatic organisms were parameterized using a steady‐state multi‐pool mass‐balance model. The ambient H2O contribution to tissue protein H and O isotopes in both species was significant (30–50% for 2H and >80% for 18O). An apparent trophic effect for δ2H and isotopic discrimination between water and protein for δ18O (c. 15 ‰) were identified.

Our isotopic data and model revealed potential applications and cautions in using δ2H and δ18O measurements for ecological studies in aquatic food webs. Tissue δ2H values may be a complementary trophic tracer in aquatic food webs, but only when the main controlling mechanisms are properly accounted for (i.e., H isotopic exchange with water during protein synthesis and influence of metabolic water). Measurements of δ18O, on the other hand, reflect that of water and so can be used for predicting isotopic assignment to origin of aquatic organisms as there is no complicating trophic effect, but more δ18O field data and improved analytical precision may be required to better establish the strengths to ecological applications.
Plant‐microbe‐herbivore interactions in invasive and non‐invasive alien plant species
Authors: Kempel Anne , Nater Patrick , Fischer Markus , van Kleunen Mark 
Published: February 2013

Summary

Plants interact with many organisms, such as microbes and herbivores, and these interactions are likely to affect the establishment and spread of plants. In the context of plant invasions, mycorrhizal fungi and constitutive and induced resistance of plants against herbivores have received attention independently of each other. However, plants are frequently involved in complex multi‐trophic interactions, which might differ between invasive and non‐invasive alien plants.

In a multi‐species comparative experiment, we aimed to improve our understanding of plant traits associated with invasiveness. We tested whether eight invasive alien plant species use the mycorrhizal symbiosis in a more beneficial way, and have higher levels of constitutive or induced resistance against two generalist bioassay herbivores, than nine non‐invasive alien species. We further assessed whether the presence of mycorrhizal fungi altered the resistance of the plant species, and whether this differed between invasive and non‐invasive alien species.

While invasive species produced more biomass, they did not differ in their biomass response to mycorrhizal fungi from non‐invasive alien species. Invasive species also did not have higher levels of constitutive or induced resistance against the two generalist herbivores. Mycorrhizal fungi greatly affected the resistance of our plant species, however, this was also unrelated to whether the alien species were invasive or not.

Our study confirms the previous findings that invasive species generally grow faster and produce more biomass than non‐invasive alien species. We further show that alien plant species used a variety of defence strategies, and also varied in their interactions with mycorrhizal fungi. These multi‐trophic interactions were not consistently related to invasiveness of the alien plant species.

We suggest that awareness of the fact that alien plant species are involved in multi‐trophic interactions might lead to a more complete understanding of the factors contributing to a plant's success.
Peripheral hypertrophic subepithelial corneal degeneration: characterization, treatment and association with human leucocyte antigen genes
Authors: Järventausta Petri J. , Holopainen Juha M. , Zalentein Waldir N. , Paakkanen Riitta , Wennerström Annika , Seppänen Mikko , Lokki Marja‐Liisa , Tervo Timo M. T. 
Published: February 2013

Abstract.Purpose:  To evaluate the efficacy of keratectomy in treating irregular astigmatism caused by peripheral hypertrophic subepithelial corneal degeneration (PHSD) and to study the possible underlying immunological risk factors.Materials and methods:  Patients (14 eyes) with diagnosed PHSD were treated with superficial keratectomy with or without the assistance of phototherapeutic keratectomy (VisX S4; VisX Inc., Santa Ana, CA, USA). Thirteen patients were subjected to analysis of human leucocyte antigen (HLA) genes, complement C4 gene numbers and total plasma immunoglobulin levels. Immunological risk factors between patients and a control group comprising 150 individuals were compared.Results:  The mean preoperative best spectacle corrected visual acuity (BCVA) improved from 0.16 ± 0.22 (LogMAR scale range 0–0.7) to 0.06 ± 0.13 (−0.1–0.4) (p < 0.01). The mean preoperative astigmatism decreased significantly from 3.8 ± 2.1 D (range 1.2–8.2) to 2.1 ± 1.4 (range 0.6–5.0, p = 0.02) based on corneal topography. The HLA‐B*44 allele and the ancestral haplotype (AH) 8.1 were found significantly more often in PHSD patients than in controls (both p = 0.03). No differences in the C4 genes were found.Conclusions:  Astigmatism secondary to PHSD can be effectively treated with keratectomy. Peeling of the fibrotic tissue reduced astigmatism and improved visual performance. We suggest that HLA‐B*44 allele and AH 8.1 haplotype are immunological factors predisposing to the development of PHSD. The consequent disruption/alteration of the limbal barrier may lead to corneal peripheral fibrous formation inducing astigmatism.
Effects of topical anaesthetics and repeated tonometry on intraocular pressure
Authors: Jóhannesson Gauti , Hallberg Per , Eklund Anders , Behndig Anders , Lindén Christina 
Published: February 2013

Abstract.Purpose:  To investigate the effects of repeated measurements of intraocular pressure (IOP) using Goldmann applanation tonometry (GAT) and applanation resonance tonometry (ART) to identify mechanisms contributing to the expected IOP reduction.Methods:  A prospective, single‐centre study with six healthy volunteers. Consecutive repeated series (six measurements/serie/method) were made alternately on both eyes for 1 hr with oxybuprocaine/fluorescein in the right eye and tetracaine in the left. The left eye was Pentacam® photographed before and repeatedly for 20 min after the IOP measurements. On a separate occasion, the same volunteers received the same amount of anaesthetic drops for 1 hr but without repeated IOP measurements.Results:  A significant IOP reduction occurred with both ART and GAT in the oxybuprocaine‐treated eye, −4.4 mmHg and −3.8 mmHg, respectively and with ART in the tetracaine eye, −2.1 mmHg. There was a significant difference in IOP reduction between the oxybuprocaine and tetracaine eyes with ART. There was a significant drop in anterior chamber volume (ACV) immediately after the IOP measurements, −12.6 μl that returned to pretrial level after 2 min. After 1 hr of receiving anaesthetic eye drops (without IOP measurements), the IOP decreased significantly in the oxybuprocaine eye for both ART and GAT, −3.1 and −1.7 mmHg, respectively, but not in the tetracaine eye (p = 0.72).Conclusion:  The IOP reduction cannot be explained solely by aqueous humor being pressed out of the anterior chamber. While significant IOP reduction occurred with both tetracaine and oxybuprocaine after repeated mechanical applanation, the IOP reduction was significantly greater with oxybuprocaine.
Detection of early visual impairment in patients with epiretinal membrane
Authors: Nishi Yasuyo , Shinoda Hajime , Uchida Atsuro , Koto Takashi , Mochimaru Hiroshi , Nagai Norihiro , Tsubota Kazuo , Ozawa Yoko 
Published: February 2013

Abstract.Purpose:  Patients with epiretinal membrane sometimes complain of impaired central visual function, despite good best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), as measured by visual acuity (VA) charts. Here, we evaluate early epiretinal membrane–induced changes in central VA.Methods:  Subjects were 72 eyes of 36 patients with epiretinal membrane in only one eye and a BCVA in each eye better than 1.0, as measured by conventional Landolt C chart, at the Retina Division Clinic of the Department of Ophthalmology, Keio University Hospital, between December 2010 and November 2011. The conventional Landolt VA, functional VA (FVA) and contrast VA measurements were taken after a general eye examination. For the FVA, Landolt optotypes were sequentially displayed every 2 seconds, which size was changed according to the correctness of the answer. To exclude the influence of other diseases, a standard Schirmer test was performed to diagnose dry eye, and corneal and lens densities were evaluated.Results:  Average BCVA measured by Landolt C chart was not changed between affected and unaffected fellow eyes. However, the affected eyes showed a poorer FVA score (0.21 ± 0.12, affected; 0.09 ± 0.12, fellow) and visual maintenance ratio (VMR) (0.90 ± 0.04, affected; 0.94 ± 0.04, fellow), measured by the FVA system, and contrast VA score (0.35 ± 0.11, affected; 0.25 ± 0.14, fellow) than fellow eyes. The FVA and contrast VA values were correlated with the presence of epiretinal membrane, but not with the presence of dry eye, cataract and corneal densities.Conclusion:  FVA and contrast VA results reflected early changes in central visual function caused by epiretinal membrane, which were not detected by conventional Landolt BCVA.