bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Exposure to war traumatic experiences, post‐traumatic stress disorder and post‐traumatic growth among nurses in Gaza
Authors: Shamia N. A. , Thabet A. A. M. , Vostanis P. 
Published: August 2015

Accessible summary

What is known on the subject?

This study builds on existing research on war‐related factors that may affect health‐care staff by particularly focusing on trauma exposure in both professional and everyday life, as well as on correlates of later positive psychological changes.

What this paper adds to existing knowledge?

It shows that one in five nursing staff working in Gaza experienced post‐traumatic stress symptoms within the clinical range, 2 years after an incursion on Gaza and after being exposed to substantial trauma during this period.

Participants appeared to develop a variety of post‐traumatic growth responses following trauma exposure.

Although nurses experienced traumatic events both as civilians and in their health‐care capacity, personal exposure was strongly associated with PTSD symptoms.

What are the implications for practice?

Support to nursing and other health‐care professionals in war situations should entail different levels, remain available well after an acute conflict, and take into consideration both personal and practice‐related traumatic events. Mental health nursing practitioners can play a pivotal role in this.

AbstractAimTo establish the association between war traumatic experiences, post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and post‐traumatic growth among nurses in the Gaza Strip, 2 years after an incursion on Gaza, and during a period of ongoing trauma exposure. This study builds on existing evidence by considering exposure to personal and work‐related traumatic events, and on factors associated with later positive psychological adaptation.MethodsThe sample consisted of 274 randomly selected nurses in Gaza who completed the Gaza Traumatic Events Checklist, PTSD Checklist, and Posttraumatic Growth Inventory.ResultsOf the nurses, 19.7% reported full PTSD. There was a significant relationship between traumatic events and PTSD scores; as well as between community‐related traumatic events and post‐traumatic growth. Participants reported a range of traumatic events, but PTSD and post‐traumatic growth scores were more strongly associated with community rather than work‐related traumas.DiscussionNursing professionals experienced high levels of distress 2 years following an acute period of conflict, both as civilians and in their health‐care capacity.Implications for PracticeThere is need for different levels of support for health‐care staff in war‐affected areas. Mental health nursing professionals have a central role in training, counselling and support to other health‐care colleagues.
The Basal Onaping Intrusion in the North Range: Roof rocks of the Sudbury Igneous Complex
Authors: Anders Denise , Osinski Gordon R. , Grieve Richard A. F. , Brillinger Derek T. M. 
Published: August 2015

AbstractThe 1.85 Ga Sudbury impact structure is one of the largest impact structures on Earth. Igneous bodies—the so‐called “Basal Onaping Intrusion”—occur at the contact between the Sudbury Igneous Complex (SIC) and the overlying Onaping Formation and occupy ~50% of this contact zone. The Basal Onaping Intrusion is presently considered part of the Onaping Formation, which is a complex series of breccias. Here, we present petrological and geochemical data from two drill cores and field data from the North Range of the Sudbury structure, which suggests that the Basal Onaping Intrusion is not part of the Onaping Formation. Our observations indicate that the Basal Onaping Intrusion crystallized from a melt and has a groundmass comprising a skeletal intergrowth of feldspar and quartz that points to simultaneous cooling of both components. Increasing grain size and decreasing amounts of clasts with increasing depth are general features of roof rocks of coherent impact melt rocks at other impact structures and the Basal Onaping Intrusion. Planar deformation features within quartz clasts of the Basal Onaping Intrusion are indicators for shock metamorphism and, together with the melt matrix, point to the Basal Onaping Intrusion as being an impact melt rock, by definition. Importantly, the contact between Granophyre of the SIC and Basal Onaping Intrusion is transitional and we suggest that the Basal Onaping Intrusion is what remains of the roof rocks of the SIC and, thus, is a unit of the SIC and not the Onaping Formation. We suggest henceforth that this unit be referred to as the “Upper Contact Unit” of the SIC.
Pulmonary arterial hypertension in a child with stage‐IV neuroblastoma after autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and review of the literature
Authors: Özyörük Derya , Kibar Ayşe Esin , Sürücü Murat , Azak Emine , Emir Suna , Çetin İbrahim İlker , Tunç Bahattin , Özbek Namık Yaşar 
Published: August 2015

AbstractPH is a rare condition with high mortality rate after pediatric HSCT. As clinical presentation is non‐specific and may mimic other conditions, a high degree of suspicion is required for diagnosis. Here, we present a patient with stage‐IV neuroblastoma who developed PAH after autologous HSCT. After exclusion of other causes of PH, we regarded that this condition was secondary to HSCT.
We All Need Help: “Big Data” and the Mismeasure of Public Administration
Authors: Lavertu Stéphane 
Published: August 2015

AbstractRapid advances in our ability to collect, analyze, and disseminate information are transforming public administration. This “big data” revolution presents opportunities for improving the management of public programs, but it also entails some risks. In addition to potentially magnifying well‐known problems with public sector performance management—particularly the problem of goal displacement—the widespread dissemination of administrative data and performance information increasingly enables external political actors to peer into and evaluate the administration of public programs. The latter trend is consequential because external actors may have little sense of the validity of performance metrics and little understanding of the policy priorities they capture. The author illustrates these potential problems using recent research on U.S. primary and secondary education and suggests that public administration scholars could help improve governance in the data‐rich future by informing the development and dissemination of organizational report cards that better capture the value that public agencies deliver.
J‐Integral from Full Field Kinematic Data for Natural Rubber Compounds
Authors: Caimmi F. , Calabrò R. , Briatico‐Vangosa F. , Marano C. , Rink M. 
Published: August 2015

AbstractThe application of the digital image correlation technique to the determination of the J‐integral at fracture initiation for carbon black‐filled natural rubber compounds is discussed. Three different compounds with varying carbon black content were tested, using two different test configurations: pure shear and biaxial tensile test. Digital image correlation was used to measure the displacement field around the crack tip in the tested specimens. From the displacement field, which was interpolated using a finite element scheme, the stresses were evaluated by using Ogden's hyperelastic model, and the J‐integral could be calculated. The results compare well with both theoretical and finite element results.
Group B Streptococci serotype distribution in pregnant women in Ghana: assessment of potential coverage through future vaccines
Authors: Vinnemeier C. D. , Brust P. , Owusu‐Dabo E. , Sarpong N. , Sarfo E. Y. , Bio Y. , Rolling T. , Dekker D. , Adu‐Sarkodie Y. , Eberhardt K. A. , May J. , Cramer J. P. 
Published: August 2015

AbstractObjectiveGroup B streptococcal (GBS) colonization of pregnant women can lead to subsequent infection of the new‐born and potentially fatal invasive disease. Data on GBS colonization prevalence and serotype distribution from Africa are scarce, although GBS‐related infections are estimated to contribute substantially to infant mortality. In recent years, GBS vaccine candidates provided promising results in phase I and II clinical trials. We aimed to assess the prevalence and serotype distribution of GBS in Ghana since this knowledge is a prerequisite for future evaluation of vaccine trials.MethodsThis double‐centre study was conducted in one rural and one urban hospital in central Ghana, West Africa. Women in late pregnancy (≥35 weeks of gestation) attending the antenatal care clinic (ANC) provided recto‐vaginal swabs for GBS testing. GBS isolates were analysed for serotype and antibiotic susceptibility. GBS‐positive women were treated with intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis (IAP) according to current guidelines of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).ResultsIn total, 519 women were recruited at both study sites, recto‐vaginal swabs were taken from 509. The overall prevalence of GBS was 19.1% (18.1% in rural Pramso and 23.1% in urban Kumasi, restrospectively). Capsular polysaccharide serotype (CPS) Ia accounted for the most frequent serotype beyond all isolates (28.1%), followed by serotype V (27.1%) and III (21.9%). No resistance to Penicillin was found, resistances to second line antibiotics clindamycin and erythromycin were 3.1% and 1%, respectively.DiscussionGroup B Streptococcus serotype distribution in Ghana is similar to that worldwide, but variations in prevalence of certain serotypes between the urban and rural study site were high. Antibiotic resistance of GBS strains was surprisingly low in this study.
Inactivation of Zika virus in plasma with amotosalen and ultraviolet A illumination
Authors: Aubry Maite , Richard Vaea , Green Jennifer , Broult Julien , Musso Didier 
Published: August 2015

BACKGROUNDZika virus (ZIKV) is an arthropod‐borne virus (arbovirus) transmitted by mosquitoes. The potential for ZIKV transmission through blood transfusion was demonstrated during the ZIKV outbreak that occurred in French Polynesia from October 2013 to April 2014. Pathogen inactivation of blood products is a proactive strategy that provides the potential to reduce transfusion‐transmitted diseases. Inactivation of arboviruses by amotosalen and ultraviolet A (UVA) illumination was previously demonstrated for chikungunya, West Nile, and dengue viruses. We report here the efficiency of this process for ZIKV inactivation of human plasma.STUDY DESIGN AND METHODSPlasma units were spiked with ZIKV. Viral titers and RNA loads were measured in plasma before and after amotosalen and UVA photochemical treatment.RESULTSThe mean ZIKV titers and RNA loads in plasma before inactivation were respectively 6.57 log TCID50/mL and 10.25 log copies/mL. After inactivation, the mean ZIKV RNA loads was 9.51 log copies/mL, but cell cultures inoculated with inactivated plasma did not result in infected cells and did not produce any replicative virus after one passage, nor detectable viral RNA from the second passage.CONCLUSIONIn this study we demonstrate that amotosalen combined with UVA light inactivates ZIKV in fresh‐frozen plasma. This inactivation process is of particular interest to prevent plasma transfusion‐transmitted ZIKV infections in areas such as French Polynesia, where several arboviruses are cocirculating.
Trade Openness and Income: A Tale of Two Regions
Authors: Camarero Mariam , Martínez‐Zarzoso Inmaculada , Nowak‐Lehmann Felicitas , Tamarit Cecilio 
Published: August 2015

AbstractIn this paper, we present evidence of the long‐run effect of trade openness on income per worker for two regions that have followed different liberalisation strategies, namely Asia and Latin America. A model that re‐examines these questions is estimated for two panels of Asian and Latin American countries over the 1980–2008 period using a novel empirical approach that accounts for endogeneity as well as for the time series properties of the variables involved. From an econometric point of view, we apply recent panel co‐integration techniques based on factor models that account for two additional elements usually neglected in previous empirical literature: cross‐dependence and structural breaks. The results point to a positive impact of trade openness in both Asia and Latin America although the size is smaller in the second region. We associate this finding with the degree to which trade was managed in both regions of the developing world.
Canine sterile nodular panniculitis: a retrospective study of 39 dogs
Authors: Contreary Caitlin L. , Outerbridge Catherine A. , Affolter Verena K. , Kass Philip H. , White Stephen D. 
Published: August 2015

BackgroundCanine sterile nodular panniculitis (SNP) is an inflammatory disease of the panniculus that is typically managed with immunomodulatory or immunosuppressive treatments. It has been reported to be a cutaneous marker of an underlying systemic disease.Hypothesis/ObjectivesTo assess the presence or absence of concurrent systemic diseases associated with canineSNPand to document breed predispositions.AnimalsThirty nine dogs presented to a veterinary teaching hospital from 1990 to 2012 which met inclusion criteria.MethodsInclusion in this retrospective study required a diagnosis ofSNPvia histopathological analysis and negative special stains for infectious organisms. Breed distributions of affected dogs were compared to all other dogs examined at this hospital during the study period. Correlations between the histological pattern of panniculitis and the histological presence of dermatitis, clinical presentation of lesions, dog breed and therapeutic outcomes were assessed.ResultsAustralian shepherd dogs, Brittany spaniels, Dalmatians, Pomeranians and Chihuahuas were significantly over‐represented, but correlations between inflammatory patterns of panniculitis and other histological and clinical factors were not identified. Based on the information available in medical records, 32 dogs (82.1%) had no concurrent systemic diseases identified. Four dogs had concurrent polyarthritis, which may be related toSNPthrough unknown mechanisms.Conclusions/Clinical ImportanceThis study identified several novel breed predilections forSNP; it failed to find any clear correlations with associated systemic diseases other than polyarthritis. The histological inflammatory pattern ofSNPdoes not predict therapeutic outcome.
GABAB receptor‐mediated feed‐forward circuit dysfunction in the mouse model of fragile X syndrome
Authors: Wahlstrom‐Helgren Sarah , Klyachko Vitaly A. 
Published: August 2015

Key points
Cortico‐hippocampal feed‐forward circuits formed by the temporoammonic (TA) pathway exhibit a marked increase in excitation/inhibition ratio and abnormal spike modulation functions in Fmr1 knock‐out (KO) mice.
Inhibitory, but not excitatory, synapse dysfunction underlies cortico‐hippocampal feed‐forward circuit abnormalities in Fmr1 KO mice.
GABA release is reduced in TA‐associated inhibitory synapses of Fmr1 KO mice in a GABAB receptor‐dependent manner.
Inhibitory synapse and feed‐forward circuit defects are mediated predominately by presynaptic GABAB receptor signalling in the TA pathway of Fmr1 KO mice.
GABAB receptor‐mediated inhibitory synapse defects are circuit‐specific and are not observed in the Schaffer collateral pathway‐associated inhibitory synapses in stratum radiatum.
AbstractCircuit hyperexcitability has been implicated in neuropathology of fragile X syndrome, the most common inheritable cause of intellectual disability. Yet, how canonical unitary circuits are affected in this disorder remains poorly understood. Here, we examined this question in the context of the canonical feed‐forward inhibitory circuit formed by the temporoammonic (TA) branch of the perforant path, the major cortical input to the hippocampus. TA feed‐forward circuits exhibited a marked increase in excitation/inhibition ratio and major functional defects in spike modulation tasks in Fmr1 knock‐out (KO) mice, a fragile X mouse model. Changes in feed‐forward circuits were caused specifically by inhibitory, but not excitatory, synapse defects. TA‐associated inhibitory synapses exhibited increase in paired‐pulse ratio and in the coefficient of variation of IPSPs, consistent with decreased GABA release probability. TA‐associated inhibitory synaptic transmission in Fmr1 KO mice was also more sensitive to inhibition of GABAB receptors, suggesting an increase in presynaptic GABAB receptor (GABABR) signalling. Indeed, the differences in inhibitory synaptic transmission between Fmr1 KO and wild‐type (WT) mice were eliminated by a GABABR antagonist. Inhibition of GABABRs or selective activation of presynaptic GABABRs also abolished the differences in the TA feed‐forward circuit properties between Fmr1 KO and WT mice. These GABABR‐mediated defects were circuit‐specific and were not observed in the Schaffer collateral pathway‐associated inhibitory synapses. Our results suggest that the inhibitory synapse dysfunction in the cortico‐hippocampal pathway of Fmr1 KO mice causes hyperexcitability and feed‐forward circuit defects, which are mediated in part by a presynaptic GABABR‐dependent reduction in GABA release.
Joint estimation of tissue types and linear attenuation coefficients for photon counting CT
Authors: Nakada Kento , Taguchi Katsuyuki , Fung George S. K. , Amaya Kenji 
Published: August 2015

Purpose:Newly developed spectral computed tomography (CT) such as photon counting detector CT enables more accurate tissue‐type identification through material decomposition technique. Many iterative reconstruction methods, including those developed for spectral CT, however, employ a regularization term whose penalty transition is designed using pixel value of CT image itself. Similarly, the tissue‐type identification methods are then applied after reconstruction; thus, it is impossible to take into account probability distribution obtained from projection likelihood. The purpose of this work is to develop comprehensive image reconstruction and tissue‐type identification algorithm which improves quality of both reconstructed image and tissue‐type map.Methods:The authors propose a new framework to jointly perform image reconstruction, material decomposition, and tissue‐type identification for photon counting detector CT by applying maximum a posteriori estimation with voxel‐based latent variables for the tissue types. The latent variables are treated using a voxel‐based coupled Markov random field to describe the continuity and discontinuity of human organs and a set of Gaussian distributions to incorporate the statistical relation between the tissue types and their attenuation characteristics. The performance of the proposed method is quantitatively compared to that of filtered backprojection and a quadratic penalized likelihood method by 100 noise realization.Results:Results showed a superior trade‐off between image noise and resolution to current reconstruction methods. The standard deviation (SD) and bias of reconstructed image were improved from quadratic penalized likelihood method: bias, −0.9 vs −0.1 Hounsfield unit (HU); SD, 46.8 vs 27.4 HU. The accuracy of tissue‐type identification was also improved from quadratic penalized likelihood method: 80.1% vs 86.9%.Conclusions:The proposed method makes it possible not only to identify tissue types more accurately but also to reconstruct CT images with decreased noise and enhanced sharpness owing to the information about the tissue types.
High resolution functional photoacoustic tomography of breast cancer
Authors: Li Xiaoqi , Heldermon Coy D. , Yao Lei , Xi Lei , Jiang Huabei 
Published: August 2015

Purpose:To evaluate the feasibility of functional photoacoustic tomography (fPAT) for high resolution detection and characterization of breast cancer and to demonstrate for the first time quantitative hemoglobin concentration and oxygen saturation images of breasts that were formed with model‐based reconstruction of tomographic photoacoustic data.Methods:The study was HIPAA compliant and was approved by the university institutional review board. Written informed consents were obtained from all the participants. Ten cases, including six cancer and four healthy (mean age = 50 yr; age range = 41–66 yr), were examined. Functional images of breast tissue including absolute total hemoglobin concentration (HbT) and oxygen saturation (StO2%) were obtained by fPAT and cross validated with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) readings and/or histopathology.Results:HbT and StO2% maps from all six pathology‐confirmed cancer cases (60%) show clear detection of tumor, while MR images indicate clear detection of tumor for five of six cancer cases; one small tumor was read as near‐complete‐resolution by MRI. The average HbT and StO2% value of suspicious lesion area for the cancer cases was 61.6 ± 18.9 μM/l and 67.5% ± 5.2% compared to 25.6 ± 7.4 μM/l and 65.2% ± 3.8% for background normal tissue.Conclusions:fPAT has the potential to be a significant add‐on in breast cancer detection and characterization as it provides submillimeter resolution functional images of breast lesions.
Characterization of the Global Stabilizing Substitution A77V and Its Role in the Evolution of CTX-M β-Lactamases
Authors: Patel Meha P. , Fryszczyn Bartlomiej G. , Palzkill Timothy 
Published: August 2015

ABSTRACTThe widespread use of oxyimino-cephalosporin antibiotics drives the evolution of the CTX-M family of β-lactamases that hydrolyze these drugs and confer antibiotic resistance. Clinically isolated CTX-M enzymes carrying the P167S or D240G active site-associated adaptive mutation have a broadened substrate profile that includes the oxyimino-cephalosporin antibiotic ceftazidime. The D240G substitution is known to reduce the stability of CTX-M-14 β-lactamase, and the P167S substitution is shown here to also destabilize the enzyme. Proteins are marginally stable entities, and second-site mutations that stabilize the enzyme can offset a loss in stability caused by mutations that enhance enzyme activity. Therefore, the evolution of antibiotic resistance enzymes can be dependent on the acquisition of stabilizing mutations. The A77V substitution is present in CTX-M extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs) from a number of clinical isolates, suggesting that it may be important in the evolution of antibiotic resistance in this family of β-lactamases. In this study, the effects of the A77V substitution in the CTX-M-14 model enzyme were characterized with regard to the kinetic parameters for antibiotic hydrolysis as well as enzyme expression levelsin vivoand protein stabilityin vitro. The A77V substitution has little effect on the kinetics of oxyimino-cephalosporin hydrolysis, but it stabilizes the CTX-M enzyme and compensates for the loss of stability resulting from the P167S and D240G mutations. The acquisition of global stabilizing mutations, such as A77V, is an important feature in β-lactamase evolution and a common mechanism in protein evolution.