bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Study of generic quality of life in patients operated on for post‐prostatectomy incontinence
Authors: Holm Henriette Veiby , Fosså Sophie D , Hedlund Hans , Dahl Alv A 
Published: February 2013

BackgroundThe relationship between urological and psychosocial variables, and generic quality of life in patients operated on for post‐prostatectomy incontinence has hardly been studied, and our aim was to investigate this relationship.MethodsPatients who had an artificial urinary sphincter AMS800 (n = 100) implanted between January 2002 and June 2010 were invited to complete a mailed questionnaire covering demographic data including work ability, urinary and sexual function, anxiety/depression, and generic quality of life. Poor quality of life was defined as a score <40 on either the physical or the mental Short Form 12 summary scales.ResultsOf 85 compliant patients, 30 (35%) reported poor generic quality of life and 55 (65%) reported better quality of life at a median follow‐up time of 26 months (range 6–104 months). The poor quality of life group showed significantly more overall urinary and sexual problems, and more men had undergone surgical revisions compared with the better quality of life group. Levels of anxiety and depression were significantly higher, and work ability was lower in the poor quality of life group. In multivariate logistic regression models, increased level of depression and impaired work ability, inability to reach orgasm, and not recommending the operation remained significantly associated with poor quality of life.ConclusionPoor generic quality of life after surgery for post‐prostatectomy incontinence is more strongly associated with reduced work ability and depression rather than urinary and sexual problems.
Rates of open versus laparoscopic and partial versus radical nephrectomy for T1a renal cell carcinoma: A population‐based evaluation
Authors: Bianchi Marco , Becker Andreas , Abdollah Firas , Trinh Quoc‐Dien , Hansen Jens , Tian Zhe , Shariat Shahrokh F , Perrotte Paul , Karakiewicz Pierre I , Sun Maxine 
Published: February 2013

ObjectivesTo examine the trends of open and laparoscopic partial nephrectomy and radical nephrectomy according to sociodemographic and tumor characteristics.MethodsUsing the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Medicare‐linked database, 6024 patients diagnosed with T1a renal cell carcinoma were abstracted. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were used for prediction of open radical nephrectomy, open partial nephrectomy, laparoscopic radical nephrectomy and laparoscopic partial nephrectomy. Covariates comprised of patient age, baseline comorbidity status, sex, race, marital status, socioeconomic status, population density, Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results registry, tumor size, and year of diagnosis.ResultsOpen radical nephrectomy decreased from 89% in 1988 to 66% in 2005 (P < 0.001), whereas open partial nephrectomy increased from 7% to 29% (P < 0.001). Meanwhile, utilization of either laparoscopic radical nephrectomy or laparoscopic partial nephrectomy remained low. Treatment utilization differed according to Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results registries (P < 0.001). Increasing patient age, female sex, low socioeconomic status and unmarried status (all P ≤ 0.003) were predictors of open radical nephrectomy. The utilization rates of laparoscopic radical nephrectomy or laparoscopic partial nephrectomy varied minimally according to the examined characteristics. Older patients or women were significantly more likely to undergo laparoscopic radical nephrectomy, even after adjustment for all covariates (both P ≤ 0.02).ConclusionsThe rising utilization rates of radical nephrectomy are encouraging. Nevertheless, disparities of treatment type still exist. It is of concern that older and female patients are less likely to undergo nephron‐sparing surgery, and to have a radical nephrectomy by the laparoscopic approach instead.
Gambling in Taiwan: problems, research and policy
Authors: Yen Cheng‐Fang , Wu Harry Yi‐Jui 
Published: February 2013

ABSTRACTAims  This study provides a systematic review of existing research that has evaluated unique gambling experiences in Taiwan.Methods  A comprehensive review of electronic databases, including Scopus, PubMed, Chinese Electronic Periodical Services and the Index to Taiwan Periodical Literature System, was conducted to identify evaluations of gambling experiences in Taiwan. Studies that met inclusion criteria were synthesized and assessed.Results  Various types of gambling are prevalent in Taiwan, even though the laws of Taiwan forbid illegal gambling. Both traditional and novel types of gambling have brought adverse impacts to Taiwanese people in multiple aspects of everyday life. The strategies and attitudes of the government towards gambling have been forced to change as gambling has flourished.Conclusions  Various types of gambling have developed in Taiwan in response to social, economic and cultural changes over time. The psychological aspects of gambling, however, need further study to provide fundamental information for developing intervention models for pathological gambling.
Upward and downward social comparisons can decrease prosocial behavior
Authors: Yip Jonathan J. , Kelly Anita E. 
Published: February 2013

AbstractThis experiment addressed whether upward or downward social comparisons can affect people's prosocial behavior toward the comparison targets. Undergraduates (N = 123) completed an inkblot test and then were randomly assigned to conditions in which they were told that their performance was either inferior or superior to their peers. A control group was given no performance feedback. Participants' self‐reported prosocial behaviors were measured 2 days later. Results indicated that both the upward and downward comparison groups engaged in significantly less prosocial behavior than did the control group and that empathy toward their peers mediated this effect. Our findings suggest that upward or downward comparison can make people feel less empathic toward the targets and thus less inclined to help them.
Forged Communities and Vulgar Citizens: Autonomy and its Límites in Semineoliberal Bolivia
Authors: Orta Andrew 
Published: February 2013

ResumenEste artículo examina el impacto de los procesos de descentralización política sobre comunidades indígenas del altiplano boliviano. Enfatizando la creación de nuevos municipios rurales, describo las maneras en que las nuevas concepciones y prácticas de la vida cívica impactan formas locales de producción social, las cuales hace años han entretejido las comunidades indígenas dentro de la nación y más allá de la misma. Examino estas experiencias del nuevo panorama administrativo para entender mejor la textura del espacio cívico y político bajo el neoliberalismo y su situación posterior.
Subsistence Needs, Human Rights, and Imperfect Duties
Authors: Hope Simon 
Published: February 2013

AbstractI address the usefulness of thinking about a human right to subsistence within conceptions of human rights grounded in ordinary moral reasoning. I argue that that natural rights should be understood as rights in rem, with their dynamism constrained by the requirements of justification and their scope constrained by the distinction between perfect and imperfect duty. I then suggest that many of the most pressing demands which the moral significance of subsistence needs create are plausibly imperfect duties, and so cannot correlate to a natural right to subsistence. This restricts the helpfulness of a human right to subsistence in our reasoning about what we owe to others.
Novel transcriptional regulation of VEGF in inflammatory processes
Authors: Tang Xiaoren , Yang Yu , Yuan Huaiping , You Jian , Burkatovskaya Marina , Amar Salomon 
Published: February 2013

AbstractVascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a critical angiogenic factor affecting endothelial cells, inflammatory cells and neuronal cells. In addition to its well‐defined positive role in wound healing, pathological roles for VEGF have been described in cancer and inflammatory diseases (i.e. atherosclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease and osteoarthritis). Recently, we showed that transcription factors LITAF and STAT6B affected the inflammatory response. This study builds upon our previous results in testing the role of mouse LITAF and STAT6B in the regulation of VEGF‐mediated processes. Cells cotransfected with a series of VEGF promoter deletions along with truncated forms of mLITAF and/or mSTAT6B identified a DNA binding site (between −338 and −305 upstream of the transcription site) important in LITAF and/or STAT6B‐mediated transcriptional regulation of VEGF. LITAF and STAT6B corresponding protein sites were identified. In addition, siRNA‐mediated knockdown of mLITAF and/or mSTAT6B leads to significant reduction in VEGF mRNA levels and inhibits LPS‐induced VEGF secretion in mouse RAW 264.7 cells. Furthermore, VEGF treatment of mouse macrophage or endothelial cells induces LITAF/STAT6B nuclear translocation and cell migration. To translate these observations in vivo, VEGF164‐soaked matrigel were implanted in whole‐body LITAF‐deficient animals (TamLITAF−/−), wild‐type mice silenced for STAT6B, and in respective control animals. Vessel formation was found significantly reduced in TamLITAF−/− as well as in STAT6B‐silenced wild‐type animals compared with control animals. The present data demonstrate that VEGF regulation by LITAF and/or STAT6B is important in angiogenesis signalling pathways and may be a useful target in the treatment of VEGF diseases.
GLAST/EAAT1‐induced Glutamine release via SNAT3 in Bergmann glial cells: evidence of a functional and physical coupling
Authors: Martínez‐Lozada Zila , Guillem Alain M. , Flores‐Méndez Marco , Hernández‐Kelly Luisa C. , Vela Carmelita , Meza Enrique , Zepeda Rossana C. , Caba Mario , Rodríguez Angelina , Ortega Arturo 
Published: February 2013

AbstractGlutamate, the major excitatory transmitter in the vertebrate brain, is removed from the synaptic cleft by a family of sodium‐dependent glutamate transporters profusely expressed in glial cells. Once internalized, it is metabolized by glutamine synthetase to glutamine and released to the synaptic space through sodium‐dependent neutral amino acid carriers of the N System (SNAT3/slc38a3/SN1, SNAT5/slc38a5/SN2). Glutamine is then taken up by neurons completing the so‐called glutamate/glutamine shuttle. Despite of the fact that this coupling was described decades ago, it is only recently that the biochemical framework of this shuttle has begun to be elucidated. Using the established model of cultured cerebellar Bergmann glia cells, we sought to characterize the functional and physical coupling of glutamate uptake and glutamine release. A time‐dependent Na+‐dependent glutamate/aspartate transporter/EAAT1‐induced System N‐mediated glutamine release could be demonstrated. Furthermore, D‐aspartate, a specific glutamate transporter ligand, was capable of enhancing the co‐immunoprecipitation of Na+‐dependent glutamate/aspartate transporter and Na+‐dependent neutral amino acid transporter 3, whereas glutamine tended to reduce this association. Our results suggest that glial cells surrounding glutamatergic synapses may act as sensors of neuron‐derived glutamate through their contribution to the neurotransmitter turnover.
CT Angiography Evaluation of Unusual Transorbital Penetrating Injury: A Toothbrush
Authors: Atay Musa , Alkan Alpay , Hanimoglu Hakan , Sharifov Rasul , Kilicarslan Rukiye , Aralasmak Ayse 
Published: February 2013

ABSTRACTOrbital penetrating injuries may cause significant harm to optic nerves and eyeball as well as to the brain and cerebral vasculature. Defining surrounding neurovascular structures by CT angiography (CTA) is important for surgical removal. We present an uncommon case of a 3‐year‐old child with a penetrating orbital injury caused by a toothbrush. To the best of our knowledge, there is no report orbital injury with a toothbrush so far.
Government Expenditure Financing in a Two‐Sector Cash‐In‐Advance Model of Endogenous Growth
Authors: CHANG WEN‐YA , TSAI HSUEH‐FANG , CHEN SHU‐HUA 
Published: February 2013

AbstractWe show that an expansion in the government size could be desirable from the viewpoint of the economy's long‐run growth, wherein factor intensity between the sectors, the mode of public spending financing, and the form of the cash‐in‐advance (CIA) constraint are crucial. We also show that when real balances are required only for consumption purchases, money financing is equivalent to consumption tax financing, but is not equivalent to income tax financing. If both consumption and gross investment are liquidity‐constrained, then the three financing methods are mutually not equivalent. The optimal financing scheme has the following features: (1) when the CIA constraint applies only to consumption purchases, any combination of the money growth rate and the consumption tax rate that satisfies the government budget constraint constitutes an optimal financing mix; (2) when the CIA constraint applies to both consumption and investment purchases, consumption tax financing only is optimal.
Comparing functional diversity in traits and demography of Central European vegetation
Authors: Herben Tomáš , Nováková Zuzana , Klimešová Jitka 
Published: February 2013

AbstractQuestionA major obstacle to understanding non‐random patterns in plant traits (over‐dispersion or under‐dispersion) has been our limited knowledge of trait–demography relationships for large sets of species. Here, we suggest that some of the needed data on demographic processes can be gathered from growth records on plants in botanical gardens. We examine within‐community patterns in demographic responses determined from such growth records, and ask whether they are different from patterns in plant traits.LocationCzech Republic.MethodsWe assembled data on seed and vegetative reproduction for ca. 1000 Central European species from the Botanical Garden of Charles University in Prague. We used these data as estimates of potential vegetative and seed reproduction of individual species under favourable conditions. We linked these data with co‐occurrence data from the Czech National Phytosociological Database and with data on major species traits. We examined dispersion of both species traits and garden reproduction using randomization tests on the data set as a whole and on the data stratified using EUNIS classification into seven or 32 habitat types.ResultsThe patterns found for species traits and for garden reproduction are similar, with strong under‐dispersion for the data set as a whole and diminishing under‐dispersion in subsets of the data. Under‐dispersion was much stronger for traits than for garden reproduction. No over‐dispersion was detected in either trait or garden reproduction data.ConclusionsThe major source of the pattern in the data is environmental filtering. Stronger filtering for traits indicates that the linkage between environment and traits is much tighter than that between environment and demography. In ecologically homogeneous communities, reproduction parameters are closer than trait values to a random distribution, indicating that co‐existence of species are not limited by either similarities or differences in their demography. These findings show that trait dispersion need not be directly related to species demography and, more generally, that correct identification of trait–demography relationships is necessary for better understanding patterns of trait dispersion.
Sexual dimorphisms in habitat‐specific morphology and behavior in the green anole lizard
Authors: Dill A. K. , Sanger T. J. , Battles A. C. , Johnson M. A. 
Published: February 2013

AbstractSpecies that occur in variable environments often exhibit morphological and behavioral traits that are specific to local habitats. Because the ability to move effectively is closely associated with structural habitat, locomotor traits may be particularly sensitive to fine‐scale habitat differences. Anolis lizards provide an excellent opportunity to study the relationship between locomotion and natural perch use in the field, as laboratory studies have demonstrated that lizards that use broader perches develop longer limbs and have higher sprint speeds. We examined Anolis carolinensis (the green anole) in three habitats in close proximity. Our goals were to determine whether habitat‐specific differences in hindlimb and toe morphologies occurred in a population in which perch size was variable but not manipulated, whether locomotor behaviors were associated with these morphologies, and whether habitat‐specific traits differed between the sexes. We found that while juveniles in the three habitats did not differ in limb or toe morphology, adult females using broader perches had relatively longer limbs than females using narrower perches. Females also differed in toe length across habitats, but not in relation to perch diameter. Males, in contrast, exhibited differing growth patterns (allometry) in these traits, and marginal differences in locomotor behavior. Together, these results suggest that sex‐specific responses in morphology and behavior, consistent with experimental observations of phenotypic plasticity, provide a mechanism for refining local habitat use.
Extraterrestrial amino acids identified in metal‐rich CH and CB carbonaceous chondrites from Antarctica
Authors: Burton Aaron S. , Elsila Jamie E. , Hein Jason E. , Glavin Daniel P. , Dworkin Jason P. 
Published: February 2013

AbstractCarbonaceous chondrites contain numerous indigenous organic compounds and could have been an important source of prebiotic compounds required for the origin of life on Earth or elsewhere. Extraterrestrial amino acids have been reported in five of the eight groups of carbonaceous chondrites and are most abundant in CI, CM, and CR chondrites but are also present in the more thermally altered CV and CO chondrites. We report the abundance, distribution, and enantiomeric and isotopic compositions of simple primary amino acids in six metal‐rich CH and CB carbonaceous chondrites that have not previously been investigated for amino acids: Allan Hills (ALH) 85085 (CH3), Pecora Escarpment (PCA) 91467 (CH3), Patuxent Range (PAT) 91546 (CH3), MacAlpine Hills (MAC) 02675 (CBb), Miller Range (MIL) 05082 (CB), and Miller Range (MIL) 07411 (CB). Amino acid abundances and carbon isotopic values were obtained by using both liquid chromatography time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry and fluorescence, and gas chromatography isotope ratio mass spectrometry. The δ13C/12C ratios of multiple amino acids fall outside of the terrestrial range and support their extraterrestrial origin. Extracts of CH chondrites were found to be particularly rich in amino acids (13–16 parts per million, ppm) while CB chondrite extracts had much lower abundances (0.2–2 ppm). The amino acid distributions of the CH and CB chondrites were distinct from the distributions observed in type 2 and 3 CM and CR chondrites and contained elevated levels of β‐, γ‐, and δ‐amino acids compared to the corresponding α‐amino acids, providing evidence that multiple amino acid formation mechanisms were important in CH and CB chondrites.
Reliability of different methods for measuring the inclination of the maxillary canines on panoramic radiographs
Authors: Incerti Parenti S. , Gatto M. R. , Gracco A. , Alessandri Bonetti G. 
Published: February 2013

Structured AbstractObjectivesTo test the reliability of 4 different methods of measuring maxillary canine inclination (CI) on panoramic radiographs, and to determine whether examiner experience level influenced these measurements under ideal experimental conditions.Setting and Sample PopulationThe sample consisted of 20 high‐quality panoramic radiographs obtained under standardized conditions using the same radiological apparatus.Material and MethodsCanine inclination (CI) was measured as either the angle formed by the canine long axis and the midline (method A), a line passing through the suborbitary points (method B), the most superior points of condyles (method C) or the mesiobuccal cusp tip of the first molars (method D). Measurements were made at initial observation (T1) and after 3 months (T2) by 5 experienced orthodontists and 5 undergraduate dental students.ResultsMean T1‐T2 differences for the measurements were close to zero, with no relationship between their magnitude or direction for each method. Intra‐rater reliability was excellent, with the lowest values being observed for method B and the highest for method C. No influence of the examiner experience level was detected.ConclusionThe four methods used in this study to measure CI showed excellent intra‐rater and inter‐rater reliability, irrespective of examiner experience level. Method B was the least reliable and method C the most reliable, if compared with the others.
Evaluation of septa frequency in the maxillary sinuses with edentulous and dentulous areas through computed tomography
Authors: Palma V.C. , Rosa A. , Semenoff T.A.D.V. , de Musis C.R. , Bueno M.R. , Porto A.N. , Semenoff Segundo A. 
Published: February 2013

AbstractObjectiveTo analyse the number of septa in the maxillary sinuses using computed tomography (CT) in correlation with gender, age and the presence of teeth in the region.Materials and methodsThe sample consisted of 300 CT scans obtained from a private radiology clinic between 2009 and 2011. The CT scans included in the study should have the appropriate image of the maxillary sinus and contain information regarding age, gender and the date of the examinations. Patients with a history of pathologies in the region, patients who underwent floor of mouth surgery and patients less than 20 years of age were excluded from the sample. The authors considered osseous septa to be septa with a height above 4 mm in relation to the base of the sinus floor. The sample was divided into three groups: (i) presence of all teeth, (ii) partially edentulous – a minimum of two teeth present between the second premolar and second molar – and (iii) totally edentulous. The data were divided and stratified by age and gender.ResultsThe frequency of septa in the maxillary sinus was 37.80% (n = 183). No significant difference was observed among the five age groups (P > 0.05); additionally, there was no significant difference in septa frequency (P > 0.05) – analysis of variance (ANOVA), Tukey's. Univariate and multivariate ANOVA showed a significant interaction between tooth loss and age (P < 0.05).ConclusionStatistical analyses demonstrated no difference in the number of septa in relation to age, gender or the number of teeth in the posterior maxilla.
Chronic cough management: Dealing with a sensation of mucus in the throat
Authors: Ogawa Haruhiko , Fujimura Masaki , Takeuchi Yasuo , Makimura Koichi 
Published: February 2013

AbstractAmong the various types of laryngeal paresthesia, the results of the study with use of a newly developed cough‐related laryngeal sensation questionnaire suggested that a sensation of mucus in the throat (SMIT) can predict the presence of fungal colonization in chronic cough patients. Next to ‘cough’ or ‘sputum’, SMIT may become the third key clinical manifestation leading to successful prediction of the efficacy of antifungal therapy in chronic cough patients.