bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The Simple Microeconomics of Public‐Private Partnerships
Authors: IOSSA ELISABETTA , MARTIMORT DAVID 
Published: February 2014

AbstractWe build on the existing literature in public‐private partnerships (PPP) to analyze the main incentive issues in PPPs and the shape of optimal contracts in those contexts. We present a basic model of procurement in a multitask environment in which a risk‐averse firm chooses noncontractible efforts in cost reduction and quality improvement. We first consider the effect on incentives and risk transfer of bundling building and management stages into a single contract, allowing for different assumptions on feasible contracts and information available to the government. Then we extend the model in novel directions. We study the relationship between the operator and its financiers and the impact of private finance. We discuss the trade‐off between incentive and flexibility in PPP agreements and the dynamics of PPPs, including cost overruns. We also consider how institutions, and specifically the risk of regulatory opportunism, affect contract design and incentives. The conclusion summarizes policy implications on the desirability of PPPs.
Contracting for Infrastructure Projects as Credence Goods
Authors: DULLECK UWE , GONG JIONG , LI JIANPEI 
Published: February 2014

AbstractLarge infrastructure projects are a major responsibility of urban and regional governments, who usually lack expertise to fully specify the demanded projects. Contractors, typically experts on such projects due to experience with similar projects, advise of the needed design as well as the cost of construction in their bids. Producing the right design is costly. We model such infrastructure projects taking into account their credence goods feature and the costly design effort they require and examine the performance of commonly used contracting methods. We show that when building costs are homogeneous and public information, simultaneous bidding involving shortlisting of two contractors and contingent compensation of both contractors on design efforts outperforms sequential search. If building costs are private information of the contractors and are revealed to them after design cost is sunk, sequential search may be superior to simultaneous bidding.
Ex-vivo permeation study of chlorin e6-polyvinylpyrrolidone complexes through the chick chorioallantoic membrane model
Authors: Chutoprapat Romchat , Chan Lai W , Heng Paul W S 
Published: February 2014

Abstract

Objective
To investigate the influence of the hydrophilic polymer, polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) on the ex-vivo permeability of the poorly water-soluble photosensitizer, chlorin e6 (Ce6) using the chick chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) model.

Methods
The CAM was removed from the fertilized chicken egg at embryo age of 15 days. The permeation profiles of Ce6 and PVP complexes (Ce6-PVP) at 1 : 0, 1 : 1, 1 : 10, 1 : 50 and 1 : 100 w/w in different pH conditions were first studied using the CAM model with Franz diffusion cell over 8 h. The solution viscosity of the formulations and apparent solubility of Ce6 were also investigated.

Key findings
The permeability of Ce6 was found to be directly proportional to the amount of PVP used and the apparent solubility of Ce6. Permeability was only marginally affected by the solution viscosity of the formulations. The permeability of Ce6 was lowered in the acidic pH. Ce6-PVP at 1 : 100 w/w gave the highest percentage release of Ce6 across the CAM, with 23% at pH 3 and 55% at pH 7.4, after 8 h, respectively.

Conclusions
The present work suggests that PVP had served as penetration enhancer for the poorly water-soluble Ce6 and the CAM can serve as a useful biological membrane model for preclinical permeability study of biological and pharmaceutical substances. The Ce6-PVP formulation at 1 : 100 w/w can be applied for the further clinical investigation.
Mental health service users' experiences of diabetes care by Mental Health Nurses: an exploratory study
Authors: Nash M. 
Published: February 2014

Accessible summary
Little is known about mental health service users’ experiences of physical conditions such as diabetes.
Stigma and diagnostic overshadowing occurred when seeking help with physical problems.
A split in mental and physical health left two distinct illness identities – the mental health service user who is largely ignored in primary care and the diabetic who is largely ignored in mental health.
Most participants mentioned experiencing physical complications of diabetes.
AbstractThis paper is a report of a study exploring mental health service users' (MHSUs') experiences of diabetes care. Diabetes is a growing clinical concern in mental health nursing practice. However, little is known about MHSUs' experience of diabetes care. This is a descriptive qualitative study. Semi‐structured telephone interviews were held between June and October 2011, with seven MHSUs who had diabetes. Participants reported experiences of stigma and diagnostic overshadowing (DO) when reporting symptoms of diabetes or when feeling unwell. Participants also encountered a split between their mental health and diabetes care needs, which resulted in a lack of holistic or integrated care. All participants mentioned experiencing complications of diabetes even to the extent of diabetic ketoacidosis. Mental health nurses (MHNs) must critically reflect on their attitudes towards service users that report physical symptoms to ensure that stigma and DO do not constitute barriers to appropriate screening and treatment. The complex relationship that exists between mental illness and diabetes requires MHNs to ensure physical and mental health care are wholly integrated and not split. Education needs are apparent so that symptoms and complications can be recognized and treated accordingly.
Grazing behaviour, physical activity and metabolic profile of two Holstein strains in an organic grazing system
Authors: Thanner S. , Schori F. , Bruckmaier R. M. , Dohme‐Meier F. 
Published: February 2014

SummaryThe challenge for sustainable organic dairy farming is identification of cows that are well adapted to forage‐based production systems. Therefore, the aim of this study was to compare the grazing behaviour, physical activity and metabolic profile of two different Holstein strains kept in an organic grazing system without concentrate supplementation. Twelve Swiss (HCH; 566 kg body weight (BW) and 12 New Zealand Holstein‐Friesian (HNZ; 530 kg BW) cows in mid‐lactation were kept in a rotational grazing system. After an adaptation period, the milk yield, nutrient intake, physical activity and grazing behaviour were recorded for each cow for 7 days. On three consecutive days, blood was sampled at 07:00, 12:00 and 17:00 h from each cow by jugular vein puncture. Data were analysed using linear mixed models. No differences were found in milk yield, but milk fat (3.69 vs. 4.05%, P = 0.05) and milk protein percentage (2.92 vs. 3.20%, P < 0.01) were lower in HCH than in HNZ cows. Herbage intake did not differ between strains, but organic matter digestibility was greater (P = 0.01) in HCH compared to HNZ cows. The HCH cows spent less (P = 0.04) time ruminating (439 vs. 469 min/day) and had a lower (P = 0.02) number of ruminating boli when compared to the HNZ cows. The time spent eating and physical activity did not differ between strains. Concentrations of IGF‐1 and T3 were lower (P ≤ 0.05) in HCH than HNZ cows. In conclusion, HCH cows were not able to increase dry matter intake in order to express their full genetic potential for milk production when kept in an organic grazing system without concentrate supplementation. On the other hand, HNZ cows seem to compensate for the reduced nutrient availability better than HCH cows but could not use that advantage for increased production efficiency.
Effects of silicate resupply to silicate‐deprived Thalassiosira weissflogii (Bacillariophyceae) in stationary or senescent phase: short‐term patterns of growth and cell death
Authors: Jiang Yuelu , Yin Kedong , Berges John A. , Harrison Paul J. 
Published: February 2014

The ability of nutrient‐deprived phytoplankton to recover in the short term when nutrients are resupplied has been studied for nitrogen and phosphorus, but the case for silicate (Si) is poorly understood. Si‐limited Thalassiosira weissflogii (Grunow) Fryxell et Hasle (grown in batch culture) was harvested in stationary phase (when cell numbers stopped increasing ~2 d after Si depletion) and senescence (when cell numbers declined ~4 d after Si depletion) and Si was resupplied at different concentrations (from 0 to 100 μM). Cell numbers, proportion of dead cells, variable fluorescence emissions (Fv/Fm), and activities of proteases were measured during Si depletion and for 24 h after Si resupply. As Si was depleted, the specific growth rate declined, dead cells increased from ~2% in log phase, to ~25% in stationary phase to over 35% in senescence, and activities of proteases associated with cell death increased several‐fold. Concentration‐dependent recovery of growth rate was seen after 24 h for cultures resupplied with Si in stationary phase but not in senescence. However, resupply of Si at 100 μM to stationary phase cultures alone increased protease activity to nearly the levels seen in senescence. Differences in the responses to Si resupply suggest that the ability and time to recover from Si depletion depend not only on the growth phase but also on the concentration resupplied.
Molecular phylogeny revealed complex evolutionary process in Elymus species
Authors: SUN Genlou 
Published: February 2014

AbstractRecent molecular phylogenetic studies on Elymus have added to our understanding of the origination of Elymus species. However, evolutionary dynamics and speciation of most species in Elymus are unclear. Molecular phylogeny has demonstrated that reticulate evolution has occurred extensively in the genus, as an example, the largest subunit of RNA polymerase II (rpb2) and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (pepC) data revealed two versions of the St genome, St1 and St2 contributing to speciation of E. caninus. Phylogenetic analyses of E. pendulinus uncovered additional genome‐level complexity. Our data indicated that both chloroplast and nuclear gene introgression have occurred in the evolutionary process of E. pendulinus. Non‐donor species genomes have been detected in several Elymus species, such as in allohexaploid E. repens (StStStStHH), a Taeniatherum‐like (Ta genome in Triticeae) GBSSI sequence, Bromus‐ (Bromeae) and Panicum‐like (Paniceae) ITS sequences have been detected. The chloroplast DNA data indicated that Pseudoroegneria is the maternal genome donor to Elymus species, but whether different Elymus species originated from different St donors remains an open question. The origin of the Y genome in Elymus is puzzling. It is clear that the Y genome is distinct from the St genome, but unclear on the relationships of Y to other genomes in Triticeae. Introgressive hybridization may be an important factor complicating the evolutionary history of the species in Elymus. The extent of introgression and its role in creating diversity in Elymus species should be the objective of further investigations.
A Questionnaire for the Evaluation of Quality of Life after Penile Prosthesis Implant: Quality of Life and Sexuality with Penile Prosthesis (QoLSPP)
Authors: Caraceni Enrico , Utizi Lilia 
Published: February 2014

Abstract

Introduction
Penile prosthesis implantation is considered to be a satisfactory treatment for erectile dysfunction. Previous studies have assessed mainly prosthesis function and perioperative complications and have measured satisfaction only with regard to sexual performance. Very little, if anything, has been reported on the most relevant question: To what extent does the implant affect the patient's life?

Aim
To develop and validate the pathology-specific Quality of Life and Sexuality with Penile Prosthesis (QoLSPP) questionnaire, which evaluates patients' quality of life after penile prosthesis implantation.

Methods
Sixty-nine patients aged 32–82 years who received a three-component hydraulic prosthesis between 1997 and 2009 participated in the study; 47 participated in the retest of the instrument. The QoLSPP questionnaire was developed to examine general and sexual quality of life in four domains: functional, personal, relational, and social. All psychometric properties of the QoLSPP were validated. Internal validity was assessed by means of exploratory factor analysis. Cronbach's alpha was used to evaluate the internal consistency of the items within each factor. Paired-sample t-tests were used to investigate metric stability. Independent-samples t-tests and nonparametric tests were used to evaluate the sensitivity.

Main Outcome Measures
The main outcome measure for the questionnaire was quality of life as biological and psychosocial–relational well-being. Main outcome measures for validation were internal validity, metric stability, and sensitivity of the QoLSPP.

Results
The QoLSPP met the psychometric requirements of internal validity and reliability. Metric stability and sensitivity were tested and confirmed. Respondents reported high satisfaction levels in all quality of life domains. All domains were significantly and positively correlated; the functional domain was most predictive of overall quality of life. More than half of respondents perceived their partners to be very satisfied.

Conclusions
Prosthesis implantation was correlated with high quality of life in recipients and high perceived quality of couple relationships; partner satisfaction affected patients' quality of life, self-image, relation to the outside world, and satisfaction with implant function.
Female Clitoral Priapism: An Over-the-Counter Option for Management
Authors: Unger Cecile A. , Walters Mark D. 
Published: February 2014

Abstract

Introduction
Female priapism is a rare condition that is not commonly described in the literature. There are many treatment strategies for the management of priapism, including conservative and safe over-the-counter options.

Aim
To describe a case of a woman who presented with clitoral priapism, who was managed conservatively with a simple over-the-counter treatment plan.

Methods
A 29-year-old gravida 0 para 0 presented to the emergency room with painful clitoral priapism lasting for 5 days. Despite cessation of the suspected causal agents, trazodone and wellbutrin, her symptoms persisted.

Results
The patient was managed conservatively with analgesics and around-the-clock oral pseudoephedrine and experienced complete resolution of her symptoms.

Conclusions
Oral pseudoephedrine may be a reasonable option for certain patients, and may be considered as a first-line therapy and adjunct to conservative measures.
The efficacy and safety of treating hepatitis C in patients with a diagnosis of schizophrenia
Authors: Mustafa M. Z. , Schofield J. , Mills P. R. , Priest M. , Fox R. , Datta S. , Morris J. , Forrest E. H. , Gillespie R. , Stanley A. J. , Barclay S. T. 
Published: February 2014

SummaryTreating chronic hepatitis C with pegylated interferon alpha may induce or exacerbate psychiatric illness including depression, mania and aggressive behaviour. There is limited data regarding treatment in the context of chronic schizophrenia. We sought to establish the safety and efficacy of treating patients with schizophrenia. Patient and treatment data, prospectively collected on the Scottish hepatitis C database, were analysed according to the presence or absence of a diagnosis of schizophrenia. Time from referral to treatment, and the proportion of patients commencing treatment in each group, was calculated. Outcomes including sustained viral response rates, reasons for treatment termination and adverse events were compared. Of 5497 patients, 64 (1.2%) had a diagnosis of schizophrenia. Patients with schizophrenia (PWS) were as likely to receive treatment as those without [28/61(46%) vs 1639/4415 (37%) P = 0.19]. Sustained viral response (SVR) rates were higher in PWS [21/25 (84%) vs 788/1453 (54%) P < 0.01]. SVR rates by genotype were similar [4/8 (50%) vs 239/684 (35%) Genotype 1 (P = 0.56), 17/17 (100%) vs 599/742 (81%) non‐Genotype 1 (P = 0.09)]. Adverse events leading to cessation of treatment were comparable [2/25(8%) vs 189/1453 (13%) P: 0.66]. Patients with schizophrenia are good candidates for hepatitis C treatment, with equivalent SVR and treatment discontinuation rates to patients without schizophrenia.
Metamorphosed calcium‐aluminum‐rich inclusions in CK carbonaceous chondrites
Authors: Chaumard Noël , Devouard Bertrand , Bouvier Audrey , Wadhwa Meenakshi 
Published: February 2014

AbstractCK chondrites are the only group of carbonaceous chondrites with petrologic types ranging from 3 to 6. Although CKs are described as calcium‐aluminum‐rich inclusion (CAI)‐poor objects, the abundance of CAIs in the 18 CK3–6 we analyzed ranges from zero to approximately 16.4%. During thermal metamorphism, some of the fine‐grained CAIs recrystallized as irregular assemblages of plagioclase + Ca‐rich pyroxene ± olivine ± Ca‐poor pyroxene ± magnetite. Coarse‐grained CAIs display zoned spinel, fassaite destabilization, and secondary grossular and spinel. Secondary anorthite, grossular, Ca‐rich pyroxene, and spinel derive from the destabilization of melilite, which is lacking in all CAIs investigated. The Al‐Mg isotopic systematics measured in fine‐ and coarse‐grained CAIs from Tanezrouft (Tnz) 057 was affected by Mg redistribution. The partial equilibration of Al‐Mg isotopic signatures obtained in the core of a coarse‐grained CAI (CG1‐CAI) in Tnz 057 may indicate a lower peak temperature for Mg diffusion of approximately 540–580 °C, while grossular present in the core of this CAI indicates a higher temperature of around 800 °C for the metamorphic event on the parent body of Tnz 057. Excluding metamorphic features, the similarity in nature and abundance of CAIs in CK and CV chondrites confirms that CVs and CKs form a continuous metamorphic series from type 3 to 6.
The essential roles of cytidine diphosphate‐diacylglycerol synthase in bloodstream form Trypanosoma brucei
Authors: Lilley Alison C. , Major Louise , Young Simon , Stark Michael J. R. , Smith Terry K. 
Published: February 2014

SummaryLipid metabolism in Trypanosoma brucei, the causative agent of African sleeping sickness, differs from its human host in several fundamental ways. This has lead to the validation of a plethora of novel drug targets, giving hope of novel chemical intervention against this neglected disease. Cytidine diphosphate diacylglycerol (CDP‐DAG) is a central lipid intermediate for several pathways in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes, being produced by CDP‐DAG synthase (CDS). However, nothing is known about the single T. brucei CDS gene (Tb927.7.220/EC 2.7.7.41) or its activity. In this study we show TbCDS is functional by complementation of a non‐viable yeast CDS null strain and that it is essential in the bloodstream form of the parasite via a conditional knockout. The TbCDS conditional knockout showed morphological changes including a cell‐cycle arrest due in part to kinetoplast segregation defects. Biochemical phenotyping of TbCDS conditional knockout showed drastically altered lipid metabolism where reducing levels of phosphatidylinositol detrimentally impacted on glycoylphosphatidylinositol biosynthesis. These studies also suggest that phosphatidylglycerol synthesized via the phosphatidylglycerol‐phosphate synthase is not synthesized from CDP‐DAG, as was previously thought. TbCDS was shown to localized the ER and Golgi, probably to provide CDP‐DAG for the phosphatidylinositol synthases.
Antiphospholipid syndrome in renal transplantation
Authors: Barbour Thomas D , Crosthwaite Amy , Chow Kevin , Finlay Moira J , Better Nathan , Hughes Peter D , Cohney Solomon J 
Published: February 2014

AbstractAntiphospholipid syndrome (APS) may occur in isolation or in association with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), with the potential to cause renal failure via several distinct pathologies. Renal transplantation in the presence of APS carries a risk of early graft loss from arterial or venous thrombosis, or thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA). Whilst perioperative anticoagulation reduces the risk of large vessel thrombosis, it may result in significant haemorrhage, and its efficacy in preventing post‐transplant TMA is uncertain. Here, we report a patient with end‐stage kidney disease (ESKD) due to lupus nephritis and APS, in whom allograft TMA developed soon after transplantation despite partial anticoagulation. TMA resolved with plasma exchange‐based therapy albeit with some irreversible graft damage and renal impairment. We discuss the differential diagnosis of post‐transplant TMA, and current treatment options.
Conyza canadensis suppresses plant diversity in its nonnative ranges but not at home: a transcontinental comparison
Authors: Shah Manzoor A. , Callaway Ragan M. , Shah Tabasum , Houseman Gregory R. , Pal Robert W. , Xiao Sa , Luo Wenbo , Rosche Christoph , Reshi Zafar A. , Khasa Damase P. , Chen Shuyan 
Published: February 2014

Summary

The impact of invasive species across their native and nonnative ranges is poorly quantified and this impedes a complete understanding of biological invasions.

We compared the impact of the native North American plant, Conyza canadensis, which is invasive to Eurasia, on species richness at home and in a number of introduced regions through well replicated transcontinental field studies, glasshouse experiments and individual‐based models.

Our results demonstrated mostly negative relationships between C. canadensis abundance and native species richness in nonnative ranges, but either positive or no relationships in its native North American range. In glasshouse experiments, the total biomass of Conyza was suppressed more by species from its native range than by species from regions where it is nonnative, but the effects of Conyza on other species did not show a consistent biogeographical pattern. Finally, individual‐based models led to the exclusion of Conyza from North American scenarios but to high abundances in scenarios with species from the nonnative ranges of Conyza.

We illustrate biogeographical differences in the impact of an invader across regional scales and suggest that inherent differences in one specific aspect of competitive ability, tolerance to the effects of other species, may play some role in these differences.
The mechanism of improved aeration due to gas films on leaves of submerged rice
Authors: VERBOVEN PIETER , PEDERSEN OLE , HO QUANG TRI , NICOLAI BART M. , COLMER TIMOTHY D. 
Published: February 2014

AbstractSome terrestrial wetland plants, such as rice, have super‐hydrophobic leaf surfaces which retain a gas film when submerged. O2 movement through the diffusive boundary layer (DBL) of floodwater, gas film and stomata into leaf mesophyll was explored by means of a reaction‐diffusion model that was solved in a three‐dimensional leaf anatomy model. The anatomy and dark respiration of leaves of rice (Oryza sativa L.) were measured and used to compute O2 fluxes and partial pressure of O2 (pO2) in the DBL, gas film and leaf when submerged. The effects of floodwater pO2, DBL thickness, cuticle permeability, presence of gas film and stomatal opening were explored. Under O2‐limiting conditions of the bulk water (pO2 < 10 kPa), the gas film significantly increases the O2 flux into submerged leaves regardless of whether stomata are fully or partly open. With a gas film, tissue pO2 substantially increases, even for the slightest stomatal opening, but not when stomata are completely closed. The effect of gas films increases with decreasing cuticle permeability. O2 flux and tissue pO2 decrease with increasing DBL thickness. The present modelling analysis provides a mechanistic understanding of how leaf gas films facilitate O2 entry into submerged plants.