bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Clitoral Vascularization and Sexual Behavior in Young Patients Treated with Drospirenone–Ethinyl Estradiol or Contraceptive Vaginal Ring: A Prospective, Randomized, Pilot Study
Authors: Battaglia Cesare , Morotti Elena , Persico Nicola , Battaglia Bruno , Busacchi Paolo , Casadio Paolo , Paradisi Roberto , Venturoli Stefano 
Published: December 2013

Abstract

Introduction
Oral contraceptives (OC) are effective for birth control and have good cycle control and tolerability. However, the hormonal components could modify mood and libido.

Aim
The aim of this study is to evaluate the genital vascular effects and sexual behavior of an OC containing 30 μg ethinyl estradiol and 3 mg drospirenone in comparison with a flexible combined contraceptive vaginal ring.

Methods
Forty women underwent a sonographic assessment of the clitoral anatomy and vascularization and were administered the McCoy Female Sexuality Questionnaire (MFSQ) and the Beck's Depression Inventory questionnaire (BDI). Estradiol, androstenedione, testosterone, and SHBG were assayed. Free Androgen Index (FAI) and Free Estrogen Index (FEI) were calculated. The patients were randomly submitted to OC (group I; n = 21) or vaginal ring (group II; n = 19).

Main Outcome Measures
Ultrasonographic clitoral volume, pulsatility index (PI) of dorsal clitoral arteries, MFSQ, BDI, and hormonal and biochemical assays were analyzed.

Results
After therapy, the testosterone levels were reduced in both groups, whereas estradiol decreased only in group I women. The SHBG increased in all the subjects, and both FAI and FEI decreased. The clitoral volume decreased in all the women. The PI of the dorsal clitoral artery increased only in patients on OC. The hormonal contraception was associated, in both studied groups, with a significant decrease of the two-factor Italian MFSQ score, which was more marked in OC users. In group I subjects, there was a reduction of the number of intercourse/week and a reduction of orgasm frequency during intercourse. The pain during intercourse worsened after OC use. The vaginal ring users reported a vaginal wetness.

Conclusions
Six-month treatment with hormonal contraception is associated with a diminished MFSQ score. However, the frequency of sexual intercourse and orgasm was reduced only by the use of OC. The OC use was associated with increased pain during intercourse.
Barriers and facilitators for assessment and treatment of hepatitis C virus infection in the opioid substitution treatment setting: insights from the ETHOS study
Authors: Treloar C. , Rance J. , Dore G. J. , Grebely J. 
Published: December 2013

SummaryProvision of hepatitis C virus (HCV) assessment and treatment via opioid substitution treatment (OST) clinics has been posed as an effective means of engaging populations with high HCV prevalence. This study explores OST client and health professional reports concerning barriers and facilitators affecting the delivery and uptake of HCV care and treatment within OST settings. In‐depth interviews were conducted with 57 clients, 16 staff from four NSW clinics participating in the Australian ETHOS study and three peer workers. Client participants included those who had not had HCV assessment; those who had HCV assessment only; and those who were awaiting or undertaking HCV treatment. A clear difference in decisions about HCV treatment emerged between participant groups. For those who have not been assessed, barriers to engaging with HCV care included the perception that they were physically well, were not experiencing HCV symptoms, had other life priorities and were concerned about the side effects and tolerability of treatment. Those who had engaged with care expressed motivations stemming from seeing friends becoming unwell, wanting to live longer and hearing positive stories of treatment. For those interested in HCV treatment, issues related to both provider and setting were important, such as presence of an engaged clinician, an accessible treatment pathway and availability of support. In this integrated care model, some barriers to HCV care and treatment (particularly those relating to health provider and the system) are minimized. In this setting, HCV treatment remained an unattractive option for a significant number of clients. Providing ways for those without HCV symptoms to be assessed for liver damage may be important to open up alternative conversations about HCV care. Further, the importance of a changing discourse of treatment is apparent from these data and could be enhanced by peer communication that provides information about successful treatment experiences.
Teaching Medieval Studies in the Religiously Pluralistic Classroom
Authors: Ambler Ben 
Published: December 2013

AbstractThis piece serves as an introduction to give short essays by contributors originally assembled for a roundtable session at the 46th International Congress on Medieval Studies, sponsored by the Consortium for the Teaching of the Middle Ages (TEAMS). The goal of that session, which we hope will be further advanced by this compilation of short pieces, was to introduce ideas and generate discussion on the pedagogy of familiarizing students with the idiosyncrasies of medieval Christianity when they are separated from them by hundreds of years and, in the case of non‐European students, usually thousands of miles.
Make‐Over or Tune‐Up: Every Student Needs Religious Instruction
Authors: Ansgar Kelly Henry 
Published: December 2013

AbstractThe assumption of our roundtable is that an increasing number of students are in need of religious instruction because they come from a secularized society, meaning a society no longer imbued with Judeo‐Christian values. I respond by acknowledging that there is a great need for providing information about the way Christianity (and Judaism and Islam) functioned in the Middle Ages, while emphasizing that every student needs it: not only just secularized Jews and Christians but also the large number of non‐Western students (particularly those from Asia) who have other religious traditions, and also those students who have had a thorough religious upbringing, because their ideas can seriously lead them astray when applied to medieval societies.
Building Bridges to the Past: Personal Reflections on Understanding Audience, Welcoming Inquiry, and Establishing Contexts
Authors: Black John 
Published: December 2013

AbstractSome contemporary teachers of medieval studies have observed that, given the changing role of religious belief in our increasingly secular Western society, any widely shared body of knowledge among undergraduate students about Christian ethos and history is becoming less and less of a given and that, furthermore, this lack of familiarity with Christian tradition poses significant challenges to our work in the classroom to promote curiosity about and exploration of a medieval past deeply rooted in that tradition. The comments here, from a participant in a roundtable discussion entitled, “Teaching Medieval Studies in the Increasingly Secular Classroom,” that featured educators from range of types of institutions in the U.S., first offer his perspective on and assessment of these challenges, as professor in an English Department at a small liberal arts college, then note the possibilities for building new interest in the field, and lastly suggest approaches to these challenges based on pedagogy, practices, and teaching strategies that will enhance our understanding of the new audiences in our classrooms, welcome inquiry from them as new learners and curious ‘outsiders,’ and help them establish the rich contexts and matrices that will be of benefit as they delve more deeply into some of the more unfamiliar aspects of medieval studies.
ON VALUING STOCHASTIC PERPETUITIES USING NEW LONG HORIZON STOCK PRICE MODELS DISTINGUISHING BOOMS, BUSTS, AND BALANCED MARKETS
Authors: Madan Dilip B. , Yor Marc 
Published: December 2013

AbstractFor longer horizons, assuming no dividend distributions, models for discounted stock prices in balanced markets are formulated as conditional expectations of nontrivial terminal random variables defined at infinity. Observing that extant models fail to have this property, new models are proposed. The new concept of a balanced market proposed here permits a distinction between such markets and unduly optimistic or pessimistic ones. A tractable example is developed and termed the discounted variance gamma model. Calibrations to market data provide empirical support. Additionally, procedures are presented for the valuation of path dependent stochastic perpetuities. Evidence is provided for long dated equity linked claims paying coupon for time spent by equity above a lower barrier, being underpriced by extant models relative to the new discounted ones. Given the popularity of such claims, the resulting mispricing could possibly take some corrections. Furthermore for these new discounted models, implied volatility curves do not flatten out at the larger maturities.
THE INCENTIVES OF HEDGE FUND FEES AND HIGH‐WATER MARKS
Authors: Guasoni Paolo , Obłój Jan 
Published: December 2013

AbstractHedge fund managers receive a large fraction of their funds' profits, paid when funds exceed their high‐water marks. We study the incentives of such performance fees. A manager with long‐horizon, constant investment opportunities and relative risk aversion, chooses a constant Merton portfolio. However, the effective risk aversion shrinks toward one in proportion to performance fees. Risk shifting implications are ambiguous and depend on the manager's own risk aversion. Managers with equal investment opportunities but different performance fees and risk aversions may coexist in a competitive equilibrium. The resulting leverage increases with performance fees—a prediction that we confirm empirically.
MODEL‐INDEPENDENT NO‐ARBITRAGE CONDITIONS ON AMERICAN PUT OPTIONS
Authors: Cox Alexander M. G. , Hoeggerl Christoph 
Published: December 2013

AbstractWe consider the pricing of American put options in a model‐independent setting: that is, we do not assume that asset prices behave according to a given model, but aim to draw conclusions that hold in any model. We incorporate market information by supposing that the prices of European options are known.In this setting, we are able to provide conditions on the American put prices which are necessary for the absence of arbitrage. Moreover, if we further assume that there are finitely many European and American options traded, then we are able to show that these conditions are also sufficient. To show sufficiency, we construct a model under which both American and European options are correctly priced at all strikes simultaneously. In particular, we need to carefully consider the optimal stopping strategy in the construction of our process.
Population divergences despite long pelagic larval stages: lessons from crocodile icefishes (Channichthyidae)
Authors: Damerau M. , Matschiner M. , Salzburger W. , Hanel R. 
Published: December 2013

AbstractDispersal via pelagic larval stages plays a key role in population connectivity of many marine species. The degree of connectivity is often correlated with the time that larvae spend in the water column. The Antarctic notothenioid fishes develop through an unusually long pelagic larval phase often exceeding 1 year. Notothenioids thus represent a prime model system for studying the influence of prolonged larval phases on population structure in otherwise demersal species. Here, we compare the population genetic structure and demographic history of two sub‐Antarctic crocodile icefish species (Chaenocephalus aceratus and Champsocephalus gunnari) from the Scotia Arc and Bouvet Island in the Atlantic sector of the Southern Ocean to delineate the relative importance of species‐specific, oceanographic and paleoclimatic factors to gene flow. Based on 7 (C. aceratus) and 8 (C. gunnari) microsatellites, as well as two mitochondrial DNA markers (cytochrome b, D‐loop), we detect pronounced population genetic structure in both species (amova FSTs range from 0.04 to 0.53). High genetic similarities were found concordantly in the populations sampled at the Southern Scotia Arc between Elephant Island and South Orkney Islands, whereas the populations from Bouvet Island, which is located far to the east of the Scotia Arc, are substantially differentiated from those of the Scotia Arc region. Nonetheless, haplotype genealogies and Bayesian cluster analyses suggest occasional gene flow over thousands of kilometres. Higher divergences between populations of C. gunnari as compared to C. aceratus are probably caused by lower dispersal capabilities and demographic effects. Bayesian skyline plots reveal population size reductions during past glacial events in both species with an estimated onset of population expansions about 25 000 years ago.
Structure and dynamics of hybrid zones at different stages of speciation in the common vole (Microtus arvalis)
Authors: Beysard Mathias , Heckel Gerald 
Published: December 2013

AbstractThe genetic structure and dynamics of hybrid zones provide crucial information for understanding the processes and mechanisms of evolutionary divergence and speciation. In general, higher levels of evolutionary divergence between taxa are more likely to be associated with reproductive isolation and may result in suppressed or strongly restricted hybridization. In this study, we examined two secondary contact zones between three deep evolutionary lineages in the common vole (Microtus arvalis). Differences in divergence times between the lineages can shed light on different stages of reproductive isolation and thus provide information on the ongoing speciation process inM. arvalis. We examined more than 800 individuals for mitochondrial (mtDNA),Y‐chromosome and autosomal markers and used assignment and cline analysis methods to characterize the extent and direction of gene flow in the contact zones. Introgression of both autosomal and mtDNAmarkers in a relatively broad area of admixture indicates selectively neutral hybridization between the least‐divergent lineages (Central andEastern) without evidence for partial reproductive isolation. In contrast, a very narrow area of hybridization, shifts in marker clines and the quasi‐absence ofY‐chromosome introgression support a moving hybrid zone and unidirectional selection against male hybrids between the lineages with older divergence (Central andWestern). Data from a replicate transect further support non‐neutral processes in this hybrid zone and also suggest a role for landscape history in the movement and shaping of geneflow profiles.
Postglacial northward expansion and genetic differentiation between migratory and sedentary populations of the broad‐tailed hummingbird (Selasphorus platycercus)
Authors: Malpica Andreia , Ornelas Juan Francisco 
Published: December 2013

AbstractUnlike other migratory hummingbirds in North America, the broad‐tailed hummingbird (Selasphorus platycercus) exhibits both long‐distance migratory behaviour in the USA and sedentary behaviour in Mexico and Guatemala. We examined the evolution of migration linked to its northward expansion using a multiperspective approach. We analysed variation in morphology, mitochondrial and nuclear DNA, estimated migration rates between migratory and sedentary populations, compared divergence times with the occurrence of Quaternary climate events and constructed species distribution models to predict where migratory and sedentary populations resided during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) and Last Interglacial (LIG) events. Our results are consistent with a recent northward population expansion driven by migration from southern sedentary populations. Phylogeographical analyses and population genetics methods revealed that migratory populations in the USA and sedentary populations in Mexico of the platycercus subspecies form one admixed population, and that sedentary populations from southern Mexico and Guatemala (guatemalae) undertook independent evolutionary trajectories. Species distribution modelling revealed that the species is a niche tracker and that the climate conditions associated with modern obligate migrants in the USA were not present during the LIG, which provides indirect evidence for recent migratory behaviour in broad‐tailed hummingbirds on the temporal scale of glacial cycles. The finding that platycercus hummingbirds form one genetic population and that suitable habitat for migratory populations was observed in eastern Mexico during the LIG also suggests that the conservation of overwintering sites is crucial for obligate migratory populations currently facing climate change effects.
FgFim, a key protein regulating resistance to the fungicide JS399‐19, asexual and sexual development, stress responses and virulence in Fusarium graminearum
Authors: Zheng Zhitian , Gao Tao , Zhang Yu , Hou Yiping , Wang Jianxin , Zhou Mingguo 
Published: December 2013

SummaryFimbrin is an actin‐bundling protein found in intestinal microvilli, hair cell stereocilia and fibroblast filopodia. Its homologue Sac6p has been shown to play a critical role in endocytosis and diverse cellular processes in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. FgFim from the wheat scab pathogenic fungus Fusarium graminearum strain Y2021A, which is highly resistant to the fungicide JS399‐19, was identified by screening a mutant library generated by HPH‐HSV‐tk cassette‐mediated integration. The functions of FgFim were evaluated by constructing a deletion mutant of FgFim, designated ΔFgFim‐15. The deletion mutant exhibited a reduced rate of mycelial growth, reduced conidiation, delayed conidium germination, irregularly shaped hyphae, a lack of sexual reproduction on autoclaved wheat kernels and a dramatic decrease in resistance to JS399‐19. ΔFgFim‐15 also exhibited increased sensitivity to diverse metal cations, to agents that induce osmotic stress and oxidative stress, and to agents that damage the cell membrane and cell wall. Pathogenicity assays showed that the virulence of the FgFim deletion mutant on flowering wheat heads was impaired, which was consistent with its reduced production of the toxin deoxynivalenol in host tissue. All of these defects were restored by genetic complementation of the mutant with the parental FgFim gene. Quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays showed that the basal expression of three Cyp51 genes, which encode sterol 14α‐demethylase, was significantly lower in the mutant than in the parental strain. The results of this study indicate that FgFim plays a critical role in the regulation of resistance to JS399‐19 and in various cellular processes in F. graminearum.
Real‐Time Nowcasting of GDP: A Factor Model vs. Professional Forecasters
Authors: Liebermann Joelle 
Published: December 2013

AbstractWe perform a fully real‐time nowcasting (forecasting) exercise of US GDP growth using Giannone et al.'s (2008) factor model framework. To this end, we have constructed a real‐time database of vintages from 1997 to 2010 for a panel of variables, enabling us to reproduce, for any given day in that range, the exact information that was available to a real‐time forecaster. We track the daily evolution of the model performance along the real‐time data flow and find that the precision of the nowcasts increases with information releases and the model fares well relative to the Survey of Professional Forecasters (SPF).
Preprocedural Imaging in Patients with Transposition of the Great Arteries Facilitates Placement of Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy Leads
Authors: RUCKDESCHEL EMILY SUE , QUAIFE ROBERT , LEWKOWIEZ LAURENT , KAY JOSEPH , SAUER WILLIAM H. , COLLINS KATHRYN K. , NGUYEN DUY THAI 
Published: December 2013

ObjectiveThe purpose of this study is to review a series of patients with complex congenital heart disease in whom preprocedural imaging was used to assist placement of cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) leads.BackgroundCRT may be beneficial in patients with a failing systemic ventricle and transposition of the great arteries (TGA). However, complex coronary venous anatomy can be challenging for placement of CRT leads.MethodsBetween October 2006 and June 2012, seven patients with either dextro‐TGA (d‐TGA) or levo‐TGA (l‐TGA) underwent preprocedural imaging prior to placement of CRT leads (three, d‐TGA and four, l‐TGA). Three patients underwent cardiac computed tomography (CT) and four underwent coronary angiography, which included levophase imaging of the coronary sinus (CS) or direct contrast injection of the CS. Where CS anatomy was appropriate with drainage into the systemic venous circulation, a transvenous approach was planned. In all other cases, the patient was referred for surgical placement of epicardial leads.ResultsSeven patients were identified with either d‐TGA or l‐TGA who had undergone preprocedural imaging prior to placement of CRT leads (three, d‐TGA and four, l‐TGA). Three patients underwent cardiac CT and four underwent coronary angiography, which included levophase imaging of the CS or direct contrast injection of the CS. All seven patients had successful CRT lead placement guided by preprocedure imaging. Three patients required surgical placement whereas four were able to undergo transvenous placement. There were no complications. The majority of patients (four of seven) had improvement in New York Heart Association class as well as subjective improvement in exercise tolerance and energy. The majority of patients also had subjective improvement in systemic right ventricular function by echocardiogram and objective improvement in fractional area change of the right ventricle. The follow‐up period ranged from 13 months to 55 months with a mean follow‐up of 39 months.ConclusionsPlacement of biventricular leads for CRT in patients with l‐TGA or d‐TGA is feasible. Preprocedural imaging of the CS allows for better assessment of its anatomy and helps determine procedural approach for CRT placement, thereby limiting unnecessary procedures. In the majority of patients, there was subjective improvement in functional status and right ventricular function; in addition, there was objective improvement in echocardiographic parameters of right ventricular function after CRT placement.
Early life IgE responses in children living in the tropics: A prospective analysis
Authors: Zakzuk Josefina , Acevedo Nathalie , Cifuentes Liliana , Bornacelly Adriana , Sánchez Jorge , Ahumada Velky , Ring Johannes , Ollert Markus , Caraballo Luis 
Published: December 2013

AbstractBackgroundThere are few birth cohort studies analyzing IgE sensitization in the tropics.ObjectivesWe aimed to describe the evolution of total IgE and specific IgE responses to house‐dust mite (HDM) allergens and Ascaris in a birth cohort (Risk Factors for Asthma and Allergy in the Tropics, FRAAT), analyzing their relationships with wheezing.MethodsTotal and specific IgE were measured by ImmunoCap in mothers and children at four different time points (S1–S4) between 0 and 42 months. Parasite infection was evaluated by stool examination.ResultsMaternal total IgE (aOR: 2.43, 95% CI: 1.09–5.43; p = 0.03) and socio‐demographic factors were associated with high cord blood (CB) total IgE. High CB total IgE was positively associated with higher Blomia tropicalis and Ascaris‐specific IgE values during lifetime, but protected from recurrent wheezing (aOR: 0.26, 95% CI: 0.08–0.88, p = 0.03). Prevalence rates of IgE sensitization were high; at around 3 yr old, they were 33.3, 18.6, and 26.5% for B. tropicalis, Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, and Ascaris, respectively. Indicators of unhygienic conditions were risk factors for HDM and Ascaris sensitization in children. A weak statistical association between B. tropicalis‐specific IgE and ever wheezing was found (aOR: 1.47 95% CI: 1.00–2.28, p = 0.05).ConclusionsIn a socioeconomically deprived community from the tropics, sensitization to HDM allergens was very frequent at early life, especially to B. tropicalis. In contrast to expected according to the hygiene hypothesis, unhygienic/poverty conditions were risk factors for allergen sensitization. High CB total IgE levels were a risk factor for allergen sensitization but protected from recurrent wheezing.