bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Public Health Policy Options for Improving Well‐Water Quality in West Point, Liberia
Authors: Runkle Ken , LaFollette Sharron , Alamu Josiah 
Published: December 2013

AbstractIn an attempt to characterize the quality of drinking water drawn from local wells, sampling of well water was conducted in West Point, Monrovia, Liberia in January 2011 using nitrate–nitrite test strips and materials that allow for field sampling of water for bacteria. Sampling found elevated levels of nitrates, nitrites, total coliforms, and E. coli. Possible policy options that could improve drinking‐water quality in West Point include the installation of community latrines in areas downgradient and away from community wells; the installation of concrete lined, covered wells with hand pumps; or the provision of public water. Infrastructure analysis suggests that the most reasonable strategy for improved potable water and sanitation in West Point is a policy of incrementally implemented interventions. Residents of West Point have few resources and little political power, so the community can benefit from participating in an advocacy coalition with active nongovernment organizations and government agencies that not only plans for the provision of sustainable interventions, but looks for windows of opportunity to increase the awareness and the involvement of the Liberian government and the international community.
Translational reprogramming in cellular stress response
Authors: Liu Botao , Qian Shu‐Bing 
Published: December 2013

Cell survival in changing environments requires appropriate regulation of gene expression, including translational control. Multiple stress signaling pathways converge on several key translation factors, such as eIF4F and eIF2, and rapidly modulate messenger RNA (mRNA) translation at both the initiation and the elongation stages. Repression of global protein synthesis is often accompanied with selective translation of mRNAs encoding proteins that are vital for cell survival and stress recovery. The past decade has seen significant progress in our understanding of translational reprogramming in part due to the development of technologies that allow the dissection of the interplay between mRNA elements and corresponding binding proteins. Recent genome‐wide studies using ribosome profiling have revealed unprecedented proteome complexity and flexibility through alternative translation, raising intriguing questions about stress‐induced translational reprogramming. Many surprises emerged from these studies, including wide‐spread alternative translation initiation, ribosome pausing during elongation, and reversible modification of mRNAs. Elucidation of the regulatory mechanisms underlying translational reprogramming will ultimately lead to the development of novel therapeutic strategies for human diseases.This article is categorized under:

Translation > Translation Mechanisms
Translation > Translation Regulation
A Survey of Preferences Regarding Surgical Approach to Thyroid Surgery
Authors: Coorough Nicholas E. , Schneider David F. , Rosen Monica Woll , Sippel Rebecca S. , Chen Herbert , Schwarze Margaret L. , Mazeh Haggi 
Published: December 2013

AbstractBackgroundTransaxillary thyroidectomy (TAT) has gained popularity in East Asian countries; however, to date there have been no attempts to evaluate the preferences regarding TAT in the US population. The aim of this study is to assess the preferences and considerations associated with TAT in an American cohort.MethodsSelf‐administered surveys were distributed to 966 adults at various locations in a single state. Questions assessed preferences for the surgical approach, acceptable risks and extra costs, and willingness to pursue TAT despite reduced cancer treatment efficacy.ResultsThe response rate was 84 %, with a mean age of 40 ± 17 years. The majority of respondents were female. Of the respondents, 82 % preferred TAT to a cervical thyroidectomy (CerT), all risks being equal; 51 % of the respondents were willing to accept a 4 % complication rate with TAT, and 16 % stated they would agree to pay up to an additional $US5,000 for the TAT approach. When presented with thyroid cancer, 20 % of all respondents still preferred TAT, even if it would not cure their disease. Patients preferring TAT over CerT were younger, female, more willing to accept complications and spend additional money, and, most significantly, preferred the TAT approach, even if it was less likely to cure their cancer.ConclusionsAlthough this survey presents a hypothetical question for people who do not have thyroid disease, the majority of respondents preferred TAT over CerT. Furthermore, a substantial number were willing to accept higher complication rates and increased costs for TAT.
Urinary and Erectile Function in Men After Total Mesorectal Excision by Laparoscopic or Robot‐Assisted Methods for the Treatment of Rectal Cancer: A Case‐Matched Comparison
Authors: Park Soo Yeun , Choi Gyu‐Seog , Park Jun Seok , Kim Hye Jin , Ryuk Jong‐Pil , Yun Sung‐Hwan 
Published: December 2013

AbstractBackgroundUrinary and sexual dysfunction are recognized complications of rectal cancer surgery in men. This study compared robot‐assisted total mesorectal excision (RTME) and laparoscopic total mesorectal excision (LTME) with regard to these functional outcomes.MethodsA series of 32 men who underwent RTME between February 1, 2009 and December 31, 2010 were matched 1:1 with patients who underwent LTME. The matching criteria were age, body mass index, tumor distance from the anal verge, neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy, and tumor stage. Urinary and erectile function were evaluated using the International Prostatic Symptom Score (IPSS) and the five‐item version of the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF‐5) scale. Data were collected from the two groups at baseline and at 3, 6, and 12 months after surgery and compared.ResultsThe mean IPSS score did not differ between the two groups at baseline at any point of measurement. The mean baseline IIEF‐5 score was similar between the two groups and was decreased at 3 months. The mean IIEF‐5 score was significantly higher in the RTME group at 6 months than in the LTME group (14.1 ± 6.1 vs. 9.4 ± 6.6; p = 0.024). The interval decrease in IIEF‐5 scores was significantly higher in the LTME group than in the RTME group at 6 months (4.9 ± 4.5 vs. 9.2 ± 4.7; p = 0.030).ConclusionsThe men in the RTME group experienced earlier restoration of erectile function than did those in the LTME group. Bladder function was similar during the 12 months after RTME or LTME.
Clinical Issues‐January 2014
Authors: Ogg Mary J. 
Published: December 2013

This MonthSafe use of suture needlesKey words: sharps safety, no‐touch technique, work practice controls, engineering controls, administrative controls, bloodborne pathogens.Increasing compliance with the use of safety measures to reduce sharps injuriesKey words: sharps safety, hands‐free zone, blunt suture needles, double gloving.Reducing distractions during surgical countsKey words: distractions, no‐interruption zone, surgical counts.Proper attire for the nurse receiving the infant during Cesarean deliveriesKey words: Cesarean delivery, surgical attire, personal protective equipment.
Partnerships and New Learning Models to Create the Future Perioperative Nursing Workforce
Authors: Gregory Sabrina , Bolling Deborah R. , Langston Nancy F. 
Published: December 2013

AbstractTo create new and sustainable approaches for development of the perioperative nursing workforce, perioperative nursing leaders at a hospital collaborated with administrators and faculty at a school of nursing to create an innovative learning model that reintroduces perioperative experiences to students in a nursing baccalaureate program. Key components of the initial approaches included an externship for nursing students and a revised internship for experienced nurses who wished to work in perioperative nursing. Project leaders then expanded the nursing student learning opportunity by adding two additional elective perioperative courses to the curriculum. Formation of perioperative clinical placement sites within the senior‐level adult acute care course was an additional positive outcome of these initial initiatives. These initiatives resulted in decreased use of agency nurses at the clinical site where the externships take place and increased numbers of younger nurses working in the perioperative areas where they externed, with high levels of satisfaction reported by nurses involved in the program. Through this innovative collaboration, the perioperative nurse shortage at the hospital has abated, and the opportunity to continually recruit new colleagues into the practice of perioperative nursing has been established.
Implementing AORN Recommended Practices for Sharps Safety
Authors: Ford Donna A. 
Published: December 2013

AbstractPrevention of percutaneous sharps injuries in perioperative settings remains a challenge. Occupational transmission of bloodborne pathogens, not only from patients to health care providers but also from health care providers to patients, is a significant concern. Legislation and position statements geared toward ensuring the safety of patients and health care workers have not resulted in significantly reduced sharps injuries in perioperative settings. Awareness and understanding of the types of percutaneous injuries that occur in perioperative settings is fundamental to developing an effective sharps injury prevention program. The AORN “Recommended practices for sharps safety” clearly delineates evidence‐based recommendations for sharps injury prevention. Perioperative RNs can lead efforts to change practice for the safety of patients and perioperative team members by promoting the elimination of sharps hazards; the use of engineering, work practice, and administrative controls; and the proper use of personal protective equipment, including double gloving.
Droplets walking in a rotating frame: from quantized orbits to multimodal statistics
Authors: Harris Daniel M. , Bush John W. M. 
Published: December 2013

AbstractWe present the results of an experimental investigation of a droplet walking on the surface of a vibrating rotating fluid bath. Particular attention is given to demonstrating that the stable quantized orbits reported by Fort et al. (Proc. Natl Acad. Sci., vol. 107, 2010, pp. 17515–17520) arise only for a finite range of vibrational forcing, above which complex trajectories with multimodal statistics arise. We first present a detailed characterization of the emergence of orbital quantization, and then examine the system behaviour at higher driving amplitudes. As the vibrational forcing is increased progressively, stable circular orbits are succeeded by wobbling orbits with, in turn, stationary and drifting orbital centres. Subsequently, there is a transition to wobble-and-leap dynamics, in which wobbling of increasing amplitude about a stationary centre is punctuated by the orbital centre leaping approximately half a Faraday wavelength. Finally, in the limit of high vibrational forcing, irregular trajectories emerge, characterized by a multimodal probability distribution that reflects the persistent dynamic influence of the unstable orbital states.
Population ecology, life history and diet of the shorthead drum Larimus breviceps in a tropical bight in southeastern Brazil
Authors: Bessa Eduardo , Santos Flávia Borges , Pombo Maíra , Denadai Márcia , Fonseca Mariana , Turra Alexander 
Published: December 2013

The population biology, life history parameters and diet of the shorthead drum Larimus breviceps were assessed in Caraguatatuba Bight, a shallow non-estuarine environment. Two homogeneous areas, South and North, were selected, avoiding major sources of continental waters. Monthly from October 2003 to October 2004, three random samples were taken by trawling from 800 to 1600 m outward from the waterline. Larimus breviceps was the third most abundant species during the study period, and was considerably more abundant from February to May 2004. Smaller individuals were also more abundant during this period, which we therefore considered the main recruitment period of the species. The predominance of individuals of a limited size range (6–12 cm total length) seems to indicate that the area functions as a nursery for L. breviceps, sheltering late-juvenile individuals. This feature complicated the estimation of life history parameters, but by taking into account the peculiarities of the area and the identification of similar modal progressions during the sampling period, we obtained reasonable values for the parameterization of the von Bertalanffy Growth Model (L∞ = 32.25 cm, K = 0.72, tmax 4.38 y, Z = 12.104). The total mortality index does not reflect mortality rates only, but also the migration of older individuals to other, probably deeper, areas. The diet was based mainly on Crustacea, specifically Decapoda shrimps, with slight seasonal alterations.
Evolution of households' responses to the groundwater arsenic crisis in Bangladesh: information on environmental health risks can have increasing behavioral impact over time
Authors: Balasubramanya Soumya , Pfaff Alexander , Bennear Lori , Tarozzi Alessandro , Ahmed Kazi Matin , Schoenfeld Amy , van Geen Alexander 
Published: December 2013

AbstractA national campaign of well testing through 2003 enabled households in rural Bangladesh to switch, at least for drinking water, from high-arsenic wells to neighboring lower arsenic wells. We study the well-switching dynamics over time by re-interviewing, in 2008, a randomly selected subset of households in the Araihazar region who had been interviewed in 2005. Contrary to concerns that the impact of arsenic information on switching behavior would erode over time, we find that not only was 2003–2005 switching highly persistent but also new switching by 2008 doubled the share of households at unsafe wells who had switched. The passage of time also had a cost: 22 per cent of households did not recall test results by 2008. The loss of arsenic knowledge led to staying at unsafe wells and switching from safe wells. Our results support ongoing well testing for arsenic to reinforce this beneficial information.
Eye Movement Strategies Involved in Face Perception
Authors: Walker-Smith Gail J , Gale Alastair G , Findlay John M 
Published: December 2013

Recordings were made of the eye fixations of three subjects in two tasks involving black-and-white photographs of faces. In the first task, subjects matched a test face with a previously viewed target face; in the second task, subjects compared two simultaneously presented faces. The eye movements were recorded with a corneal reflection technique. Each subject showed an individual fixation strategy for the tasks; in particular each subject had one or more preferred facial features which were viewed foveally in both tasks. The subjects also showed some tendency to use a regular sequential pattern of eye movements. However, the sequences used differed from one task to the other. Although some aspects of the results support the scanpath hypothesis of Noton, it is suggested that an alternative interpretation is possible.
The Descriptive Epidemiology of Central Line–Associated Bloodstream Infection among Patients in Non-Intensive Care Unit Settings
Authors: Tedja Rudy , Gordon Steven M. , Fatica Cynthia , Fraser Thomas G. 
Published: December 2013

Objective.To review and describe device utilization and central line-associated bloodstream (CLABSI) events among patients in a non-intensive care unit (ICU) setting and to examine the morbidity and mortality associated with these events.Design. One-year descriptive review.Setting.A single tertiary center with a 1,200-bed hospital and 209 adult ICU beds.Patients.Hospitalized patients identified as having a CLABSI event attributed to a non-ICU setting.Methods.The cohort was identified from a prospective infection prevention database. Charts and administrative data sets were reviewed to further characterize the patients. Device utilization ratios (DURs) and CLABSI rates were calculated using National Health and Safety Network (NHSN) CLABSI definitions. Need for ICU stay and crude mortality rates were recorded.Results.A total of 136 patients with 156 CLABSIs were identified, of whom 78 (57%) were being treated for a hematological malignancy (HM). The overall DUR was 0.27. A tunneled line was in place for 118 (76%) of the CLABSI events, and a peripherally inserted central catheter was in place for 32 (21%) of the CLABSI events. The non-ICU CLABSI rate was significantly higher than the concurrent ICU rate (2.1 CLABSIs per 1,000 catheter-days vs 1.5 CLABSIs per 1,000 catheter-days; P = .02). Hospital mortality was 23% in the affected group and was significantly higher in patients with HM.Conclusions.CLABSI rates over a 1-year period were higher in patients outside the ICU at our hospital and were associated with significant mortality.
Peptidoglycan from Staphylococcus aureus has an anti‐apoptotic effect in HaCaT keratinocytes mediated by the production of the cellular inhibitor of apoptosis protein‐2
Authors: Vázquez‐Sánchez Ernesto Antonio , Rodríguez‐Romero Magdalena , Sánchez‐Torres Luvia Enid , Rodríguez‐Martínez Sandra , Cancino‐Diaz Juan Carlos , Rodríguez‐Cortes Octavio , García‐López Eduardo Stalin , Cancino‐Diaz Mario Eugenio 
Published: December 2013

ABSTRACTColonization of epithelium by microorganisms leads to inflammatory responses. In some cases an anti‐apoptotic response involving the cellular inhibitor of apoptosis protein‐2 (cIAP‐2) also occurs. Although strong expression of cIAP‐2 has been observed in lesional skin from psoriatic patients and in HaCaT keratinocytes treated with peptidoglycan (PGN) from Staphylococcus aureus, anti‐apoptotic responses induced in the skin by cIAP‐2 have seldom been studied. In this study, the effect of PGN on TNF‐α‐induced apoptotic HaCaT keratinocytes was assessed. Morphological analysis, quantification of cells with DNA fragmentation and active caspase‐3 detection was performed to assess apoptotic cell death. Greater LL‐37 and cIAP‐2 production was found in keratinocytes stimulated with PGN than in non‐treated cells (P < 0.05). In comparison with cells treated with TNF‐α only, a significant reduction in apoptotic cell death was observed when HaCaT were pretreated with PGN before inducing apoptosis with TNF‐α (P < 0.05). In addition, an inhibitor of cIAP‐2 activity (LCL161) stopped the PGN effect. These findings show that PGN from S. aureus has an anti‐apoptotic effect in keratinocytes mediated by cIAP‐2 production, suggesting that this anti‐apoptotic activity could favor proliferation of keratinocytes in psoriasis.
Thrips' responses to thermogenic associated signals in a cycad pollination system: the interplay of temperature, light, humidity and cone volatiles
Authors: Terry L. Irene , Roemer Robert B. , Walter Gimme H. , Booth David 
Published: December 2013

Summary

Most functions postulated for thermogenesis in plant reproductive organs are associated with pollination and pollinator activity. During thermogenesis other chemical changes occur, and these also may affect pollinator activity.

We address how cone thermogenesis and the associated chemical emissions influence pollinator behaviour in the obligate mutualist Macrozamia lucida and M. macleayi cycad – Cycadothrips chadwicki thrips pollination system. Cones of these dioecious gymnosperms have a diel, mid‐day metabolic burst that is associated with increased cone temperatures, volatile emissions (primarily β‐myrcene), and CO2 and water vapour emissions. Concurrently, thrips leave cones en masse and then return to cones later in the day. We investigated the effects of these cues, individually and in combinations, on their potential to induce thrips to leave cones in the dark and light with a suite of Y‐tube behavioural experiments.

The results suggest that ambient light, and high cone temperatures, humidity, and β‐myrcene levels, but not CO2, each induce Cycadothrips to leave cones. At typical overnight temperatures (14 °C) thrips were relatively inactive and negatively phototactic. At typical daytime ambient temperatures, 22–26 °C (lower than typical thermogenic temperatures), thrips were active and positively phototactic. Thrips moved away from or avoided thermogenic temperatures and high concentrations of β‐myrcene, and they preferred dry (<8% RH) to humidified (~88% RH) air.

Whereas several variables individually induce thrips to leave a cone's darker interior towards the daytime light, these signals are presented simultaneously during thermogenesis. There thus seems to be enhanced or redundant signalling that enforces thrips departure from pollen cones thus increasing the chances of vectoring pollen to ovulate cones. While high temperature appears necessary to mediate thrips movement, its concurrence with other plant signals that produce similar responses, suggests a dynamic multimodal signalling system that operates as a functional unit.
What drives foraging behaviour of the intertidal limpetCellana grata? A quantitative test of a dynamic optimization model
Authors: Santini Giacomo , Ngan Avis , Burrows Michael T. , Chelazzi Guido , Williams Gray A. 
Published: December 2013

SummaryState‐dependent models (SDMs) of behaviour, based on dynamic fitness‐maximizing optimality routines, offer a powerful approach to understanding the plasticity and complexity in the timing of behaviour of foraging animals; yet, they are rarely developed for individual species. Such models permit evaluation of the sensitivity of predicted behavioural patterns to parameters that describe the main elements of environmental risk and the dynamics of internal states, such as energy stores, that determine motivational state.Here, we develop a state‐dependent dynamic model for the temporal organization of foraging in a cyclic environment, using the intertidal grazing limpetCellana grataas a test species. Estimates of relevant parameter values were obtained wherever possible and a sensitivity analysis performed to estimate the relative importance of these parameters.The results demonstrated the value of constructing an optimality model of the combined effects of gut processing and food supply, alongside the costs and risks of foraging. The dynamic model was able to satisfactorily reproduce the foraging behaviour of the limpet and highlighted several emergent details of behaviour that were not immediately apparent or predicted using a more simple, static model.Ranking the importance of the different parameters in the foraging behaviour of the limpet helped to identify research priorities for further studies on these grazers. Among the investigated parameters, standing crop and gut volume appeared to be of greatest importance, while energy costs and ingestion rates were of relatively lower importance. Risks of mortality during the different phases also played a fundamental role, dictating the main temporal limits within which activity occurred.Even with the great number of parameters required with respect to simpler static models, the benefits of following such a dynamic approach were evident and outweighed the additional effort needed for their estimation, supporting the use of dynamic modelling approaches in future research into the behaviour of mobile consumers.