bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Species spatial distribution analysis using nearest neighbor methods: aggregation and self‐similarity
Authors: Gao Meng , Wang Xinxiu , Wang De 
Published: February 2014

Abstract:Spatial aggregation and self‐similarity are two important properties in species spatial distribution analysis and modeling. The aggregation parameter k in the negative binomial distribution model and fractal dimension are two widely used measures of spatial aggregation and self‐similarity, respectively. In this paper, we attempt to describe spatial aggregation and self‐similarity using nearest neighbor methods. Specifically, nearest neighbor methods are used to calculate k and box‐counting fractal dimension of species spatial distribution. First, five scaling patterns of k are identified for tree species in a tropical rainforest on Barro Colorado Island (BCI), Panama. Based on the scaling patterns and the means of the nth nearest neighbor distance (NND), the mean NND of higher ranks can be accurately predicted. Second, we describe how to use the theoretical probability distribution model of the nth NND for a homogeneous Poisson process on regular fractals to estimate the fractal dimension. The results indicate that the fractal dimensions estimated using the nearest neighbor method are consistent with those estimated using the scale–area method for 85 tree species on BCI (abundance ≥ 100 individuals and ≤ 5000 individuals). For other tree species, the breakdown of self‐similarity in estimates of fractal dimension causes these two methods to be inconsistent. The applicability of the nearest neighbor method is also discussed.
Incidence of Nonelective Removal of Single-Lumen Silicone and Dual-Lumen Polyurethane Percutaneously Inserted Central Catheters in Neonates
Authors: Costa Priscila , Dorea Eny Paiva , Kimura Amélia Fumiko , Yamamoto Larissa Yumi , Damiani Lucas Petri 
Published: February 2014

Abstract
Objective: To compare the incidence of nonelective removal of single-lumen silicone and dual-lumen polyurethane percutaneously inserted central catheters (PICCs).
Study Design: A prospective cohort study was conducted with neonates in whom 247 PICC lines had been successfully inserted. Patients were assigned to either the single-lumen silicone group or the dual-lumen polyurethane group and nonelective removal incidence was compared using a logistic regression model.
Results: Incidence of nonelective removal in dual-lumen polyurethane PICCs (n =91) was 48.3% versus 34% in single-lumen silicone PICCs (n =156). Thus, dual-lumen polyurethane catheters had a significantly increased chance of nonelective removal compared with single-lumen silicone PICCs (P =.004). The most usual complication in dual-lumen polyurethane PICCs was suspected catheter-related bloodstream infection; in single-lumen silicone PICCs it was external rupture.
Conclusions: Dual-lumen polyurethane PICCs are associated with higher rates of nonelective removal and complications such as suspected catheter-related bloodstream infection. Cautious nursing care is necessary to prevent complications.
Epidemiology of vestibular vertigo in a neuro-otology clinic population in Thailand
Authors: Tungvachirakul V , Lisnichuk H , O'Leary S J 
Published: February 2014

AbstractObjective:To assess the epidemiology of vestibular vertigo, including the new entity of vestibular migraine, in a neuro-otology clinic population in the biggest public hospital in Thailand.Study design and setting:A prospective study involving all patients presenting to the neuro-otology clinic in the Rajavithi Hospital in Bangkok between November 2007 and November 2008.Subjects and methods:The population studied consisted of adults referred to the neuro-otology clinic. Accepted international criteria and standardised otological and, when necessary, psychiatric assessment were applied to establish each diagnosis. The association between diagnoses and potential triggers was explored.Results:Of the 167 patients assessed, the most prevalent conditions encountered were benign paroxysmal positional vertigo and vestibular migraine. The prevalence of vestibular migraine was 29.3 per cent. No cases of Ménière's disease were encountered. An association was found between vestibular migraine and inadequate sleep, insomnia and changes of head position.Conclusion:This study provides current data on the epidemiology of vestibular vertigo in a Thai neuro-otology out-patient population. The results include data on the prevalence of the new diagnostic entity of vestibular migraine, and on its association with potential triggers.
New Left Experiences in Bolivia and Ecuador and the Challenge to Theories of Populism
Authors: COLLINS JENNIFER N. 
Published: February 2014

AbstractThis article explores a paradox at the heart of New Left populism in Bolivia and Ecuador – namely, the election of populist leaders in movement societies. Employing Laclau's theory about the emergence of populism, it demonstrates how social movements, not charismatic leaders, first constructed the popular identities that laid the foundations for these regimes. In re-examining theories of populism in light of these cases, this article suggests that populism's transformative and counter-hegemonic potential needs to be given renewed attention, and that the central role of charismatic leadership should be qualified in terms of the origins of populist identity formation.
A Time of Closure? Participatory Budgeting in Porto Alegre, Brazil, after the Workers' Party Era
Authors: MELGAR TERESA R. 
Published: February 2014

AbstractParticipatory budgeting in Porto Alegre, Brazil, has long been held up as a model of how grassroots social movements, in alliance with a Left party in power, have deepened democracy in a highly clientelistic context. But what happened to this democratic reform when the Partido dos Trabalhadores (Workers' Party, PT), which supported this initiative while it held the mayorship of Porto Alegre for 16 years, lost political power? This article examines the shifting fortunes of the participatory budgeting process following the defeat of the Workers' Party in the 2004 local elections. It explores how and why succeeding local administrations weakened participatory budgeting amid the changing political configuration of Porto Alegre, underscoring the critical role played by considerable executive branch powers in the process. The article concludes by examining what questions this raises for the sustainability of local democratic reforms.
Prognosis of schizophrenia in persons with and without a history of cannabis use
Authors: Manrique-Garcia E. , Zammit S. , Dalman C. , Hemmingsson T. , Andreasson S. , Allebeck P. 
Published: February 2014

BackgroundThe aim of the study was to determinate whether schizophrenia patients with a history of cannabis use have a different prognosis, with regards to readmission and hospital duration, compared with those without a history of cannabis use.MethodThe present investigation was a cohort study of 50 087 Swedish men with data on cannabis use at the ages of 18–20 years. A total of 357 cases of schizophrenia were identified from in-patient care and followed up from 1973 to 2007.ResultsSchizophrenia patients with a history of cannabis use had a higher median duration of first hospital episode (59 days v. 30 days). Patients with a history of cannabis use had a higher median rate of readmission (10 times v. four times). Also, total number of hospital days was higher in patients with a history of cannabis use compared with those without (547 days v. 184 days). Patients with a history of cannabis use had an increased odds of having more than 20 hospital readmissions compared with non-users [3.1, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.3–7.3] as well as an increased odds of hospital admission lasting more than 2 years (2.4, 95% CI 1.1–7.4) after controlling for diagnosis of personality disorders, family socio-economic position, IQ score, civil status, place of residence, risky use of alcohol and use of other drugs. Patients with a history of cannabis use were less likely to have paranoid schizophrenia compared with never users (8% v. 17%) in the first admission.ConclusionsSchizophrenia patients with a history of cannabis use had a significantly higher burden of lifetime in-patient care than non-cannabis users. Not only does cannabis increase the risk of schizophrenia, but also our findings indicate that the course and prognosis of schizophrenia may be more severe than schizophrenia cases in general.
Collateral outcomes in e-mental health: a systematic review of the evidence for added benefits of computerized cognitive behavior therapy interventions for mental health
Authors: Musiat P. , Tarrier N. 
Published: February 2014

Background.E-mental health is a growing research field and an increasing number of computerized cognitive behavior therapy (cCBT) interventions are available for numerous mental health issues. Such interventions are often claimed to have added benefits, or collateral outcomes, when compared with traditional delivery platforms. Our aim was to systematically review the evidence of the cost-effectiveness, geographic flexibility, time flexibility, waiting time for treatment, stigma, therapist time, effects on help-seeking and treatment satisfaction of cCBT interventions for mental health.Method.The electronic databases Medline and Web of Science were searched for peer-reviewed controlled trials investigating collateral outcomes in computerized and internet-based CBT.Results.The literature search identified 101 published papers (95 studies), which were included in this review. The results suggest that cCBT interventions are cost-effective and often cheaper than usual care. Limited evidence was found with regard to geographic flexibility, time flexibility, waiting time for treatment, stigma and the effects on help-seeking. Personal support in cCBT was found to take many forms, was not limited only to therapists, and seemed to increase treatment adherence and reduce attrition. Treatment satisfaction with cCBT was found to be high, but more research on attrition due to dissatisfaction is required.Conclusions.Although the results of this systematic review on the collateral outcomes provide support for the potential of cCBT, these outcomes need to be better assessed within individual e-mental health studies.
Recusatioas Political Theatre: Horace's Letter to Augustus
Authors: Freudenburg Kirk 
Published: February 2014

AbstractAmong the most potent devices that Roman emperors had at their disposal to disavow autocratic aims and to put on display the consensus of ruler and ruled was the artful refusal of exceptional powers, orrecusatio imperii. The practice had a long history in Rome prior to the reign of Augustus, but it was Augustus especially who, over the course of several decades, perfected therecusatioas a means of performing his hesitancy towards power. The poets of the Augustan period were similarly well practised in the art of refusal, writing dozens of poeticrecusationesthat purported to refuse offers urged upon them by their patrons, or by the greater expectations of the Augustan age, to take on projects. It is the purpose of this paper to put the one type of refusal alongside the other, in order to show to what extent the refusals of the Augustan poets are informed not just by aesthetic principles that derive, most obviously, from Callimachus, but by the many, high-profile acts of denial that were performed as political art by the emperor himself.
Basic Old-Age Pension and financial wellbeing of older adults in South Korea
Authors: SHIN EUNHAE , DO YOUNG KYUNG 
Published: February 2014

ABSTRACTSouth Korea's old-age poverty rate is among the highest in the developed world. Confronted with the increasing demand for a social safety net for older people, the South Korean government introduced the Basic Old-Age Pension (BOAP) in 2008. The BOAP is a non-contributory, means-tested pension covering 70 per cent of the elderly population, with monthly benefits amounting to 84 kW (thousand Korean won, approximately equivalent to US $1) for singles and 139 kW for couples. Little empirical research has been conducted, however, to evaluate the effectiveness of the new pension programme in supporting the financial wellbeing of older people. Using data from the 2008–2010 Korea Welfare Panel Study, a panel data analysis is conducted to estimate the effects of the BOAP on three sets of financial wellbeing measures: financial difficulty, monthly consumption and overall financial satisfaction. The results suggest that the BOAP has beneficial effects on the financial wellbeing of older people by improving affordability of basic subsistence items such as heating and nutritious meals, particularly among the older-old group. However, the effects are limited to these few outcomes only; overall financial wellbeing and other important indicators remain unchanged.
Characterization of laser-driven electron and photon beams using the Monte Carlo code FLUKA
Authors: Fiorini F. , Neely D. , Clarke R.J. , Green S. 
Published: February 2014

AbstractWe present a new simulation method to predict the maximum possible yield of X-rays produced by electron beams accelerated by petawatt lasers irradiating thick solid targets. The novelty of the method lies in the simulation of the electron refiluxing inside the target implemented with the Monte Carlo code Fluka. The mechanism uses initial theoretical electron spectra, cold targets and refiluxing electrons forced to re-enter the target iteratively. Collective beam plasma effects are not implemented in the simulation. Considering the maximum X-ray yield obtained for a given target thickness and material, the relationship between the irradiated target mass thickness and the initial electron temperature is determined, as well as the effect of the refiluxing on X-ray yield. The presented study helps to understand which electron temperature should be produced in order to generate a particular X-ray beam. Several applications, including medical and security imaging, could benefit from laser generated X-ray beams, so an understanding of the material and the thickness maximizing the yields or producing particular spectral characteristics is necessary. On the other more immediate hand, if this study is experimentally reproduced at the beginning of an experiment in which there is an interest in laser-driven electron and/or photon beams, it can be used to check that the electron temperature is as expected according to the laser parameters.
Secular trends in invasive meningococcal disease, Massachusetts, 1988–2011: what happened to invasive disease?
Authors: PERUSKI A. H. , KLUDT P. , PATEL R. S. , DeMARIA A. 
Published: February 2014

SUMMARYInvasive meningococcal disease (IMD) reported to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health from 1988 to 2011 was reviewed. The average annual incidence of IMD/100 000 decreased from 1·57 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1·42–1·73] for 1988–1991 to 0·22 (95% CI 0·17–0·29) for 2008–2011. The pattern of decreasing incidence over time differed by age group. There was a decrease in IMD/100 000 in the 0–4 years age group after 1991 from 10·92 (95% CI 8·08–14·70) in 1991 to 5·76 (95% CI 3·78–8·72) in 1992. Incidence in the 0–4 years age group remained below 5/100 000 per year on average thereafter. A substantial reduction in incidence in all age groups was observed between 2000 and 2009, which began before the introduction of conjugate meningococcal vaccine in 2005. Marked reductions in incidence of IMD in Massachusetts, and elsewhere, deserve further investigation with respect to potential factors that go beyond the introduction and deployment of improved meningococcal vaccines.
Simultaneous Hydrogen and Heavier Element Isotopic Ratio Images with a Scanning Submicron Ion Probe and Mass Resolved Polyatomic Ions
Authors: Slodzian Georges , Wu Ting-Di , Bardin Noémie , Duprat Jean , Engrand Cécile , Guerquin-Kern Jean-Luc 
Published: February 2014

AbstractIn situ microanalysis of solid samples is often performed using secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) with a submicron ion probe. The destructive nature of the method makes it mandatory to prevent information loss by using instruments combining efficient collection of secondary ions and a mass spectrometer with parallel detection capabilities. The NanoSIMS meets those requirements with a magnetic spectrometer but its mass selectivity has to be improved for accessing opportunities expected from polyatomic secondary ions. We show here that it is possible to perform D/H ratio measurement images using 12CD−/12CH−, 16OD−/16OH−, or 12C2D−/12C2H− ratios. These polyatomic species allow simultaneous recording of D/H ratios and isotopic compositions of heavier elements like 15N/14N (via 12C15N−/12C14N−) and they provide a powerful tool to select the phase of interest (e.g., mineral versus organics). We present high mass resolution spectra and an example of isotopic imaging where D/H ratios were obtained via the 12C2D−/12C2H− ratio with 12C2D− free from neighboring mass interferences. Using an advanced mass resolution protocol, a “conventional” mass resolving power of 25,000 can be achieved. Those results open many perspectives for isotopic imaging at a fine scale in biology, material science, geochemistry, and cosmochemistry.
Synchrotron-Based Chemical Nano-Tomography of Microbial Cell-Mineral Aggregates in their Natural, Hydrated State
Authors: Schmid Gregor , Zeitvogel Fabian , Hao Likai , Ingino Pablo , Kuerner Wolfgang , Dynes James J. , Karunakaran Chithra , Wang Jian , Lu Yingshen , Ayers Travis , Schietinger Chuck , Hitchcock Adam P. , Obst Martin 
Published: February 2014

AbstractChemical nano-tomography of microbial cells in their natural, hydrated state provides direct evidence of metabolic and chemical processes. Cells of the nitrate-reducing Acidovorax sp. strain BoFeN1 were cultured in the presence of ferrous iron. Bacterial reduction of nitrate causes precipitation of Fe(III)-(oxyhydr)oxides in the periplasm and in direct vicinity of the cells. Nanoliter aliquots of cell-suspension were injected into custom-designed sample holders wherein polyimide membranes collapse around the cells by capillary forces. The immobilized, hydrated cells were analyzed by synchrotron-based scanning transmission X-ray microscopy in combination with angle-scan tomography. This approach provides three-dimensional (3D) maps of the chemical species in the sample by employing their intrinsic near-edge X-ray absorption properties. The cells were scanned through the focus of a monochromatic soft X-ray beam at different, chemically specific X-ray energies to acquire projection images of their corresponding X-ray absorbance. Based on these images, chemical composition maps were then calculated. Acquiring projections at different tilt angles allowed for 3D reconstruction of the chemical composition. Our approach allows for 3D chemical mapping of hydrated samples and thus provides direct evidence for the localization of metabolic and chemical processes in situ.
The Importance of Averaging to Interpret Electron Correlographs of Disordered Materials
Authors: Sun Tao , Treacy Michael M.J. , Li Tian , Zaluzec Nestor J. , Murray Gibson J. 
Published: February 2014

AbstractThe development of effective new tools for structural characterization of disordered materials and systems is becoming increasingly important as such tools provide the key to understanding, and ultimately controlling, their properties. The relatively novel technique of correlograph analysis (i.e., the approach of calculating angular autocorrelations within diffraction patterns) promises unique advantages for probing the local symmetries of disordered structures. Because correlograph analysis examines a component of the high-order four-body correlation function, it is more sensitive to medium-range ordering than conventional diffraction methods. As a follow-up of our previous publication, where we studied thin samples of sputtered amorphous silicon, we describe here the practical experimental method and common systematic errors of electron correlograph analysis. Using both experimental data and numerical simulations, we demonstrate that reliable structural information about the sample can only be extracted from the mean correlograph averaged over a sufficient number of individual results.
Multi-Scale Visualization of Dynamic Changes in Poplar Cell Walls During Alkali Pretreatment
Authors: Ji Zhe , Ma Jianfeng , Xu Feng 
Published: February 2014

AbstractAlkali pretreatment is a promising pretreatment technology that can effectively deconstruct plant cell walls to enhance sugar release performance. In this study, multi-scale visualization of dynamic changes in poplar cell walls during sodium hydroxide pretreatment (2% w/v, 121°C) was carried out by light microscopy (LM), confocal Raman microscopy (CRM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). LM observations indicated that swelling occurred primarily in the secondary wall (S) but alkali had little effect on the cell corner middle lamella (CCML). Correspondingly, there was a preferential delignification in the S at the beginning of pretreatment, while the level of delignification in CCML (~88%) was higher than that in the S (~83%) for the whole process revealed by Raman spectra. It also suggested that prolonging residence time to 180 min would not remove lignin completely but cause rapid loss of carbohydrates, which was further visualized by Raman spectroscopy images. Furthermore, AFM measurements illustrated that pretreatment with alkali exposed the embedded microfibrils from noncellulosic polymers clearly, enlarged the diameter of microfibrils, and decreased the surface porosity. These results suggested that there was a synergistic mechanism of lignocellulose deconstruction regarding cell wall swelling, main components dissolution, and microfibril morphological changes that occurred during alkali pretreatment.
Liquid Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy: Imaging Protein Complexes in their Native Environment in Whole Eukaryotic Cells
Authors: Peckys Diana B. , de Jonge Niels 
Published: February 2014

AbstractScanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) of specimens in liquid, so-called Liquid STEM, is capable of imaging the individual subunits of macromolecular complexes in whole eukaryotic cells in liquid. This paper discusses this new microscopy modality within the context of state-of-the-art microscopy of cells. The principle of operation and equations for the resolution are described. The obtained images are different from those acquired with standard transmission electron microscopy showing the cellular ultrastructure. Instead, contrast is obtained on specific labels. Images can be recorded in two ways, either via STEM at 200 keV electron beam energy using a microfluidic chamber enclosing the cells, or via environmental scanning electron microscopy at 30 keV of cells in a wet environment. The first series of experiments involved the epidermal growth factor receptor labeled with gold nanoparticles. The labels were imaged in whole fixed cells with nanometer resolution. Since the cells can be kept alive in the microfluidic chamber, it is also feasible to detect the labels in unfixed, live cells. The rapid sample preparation and imaging allows studies of multiple whole cells.