bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Acupuncture for dry eye syndrome after refractive surgery: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Jang Hyesun , Lee Sanghun , Kim Tae-Hun , Kim Ae-Ran , Lee Minhee , Lee Jun-Hwan 
Published: October 2013

Abstract

Background
Dry eye syndrome is a frequent complication of refractive surgery. Acupuncture has been widely used to alleviate the associated symptoms. However, the use of acupuncture for patients who suffer from dry eye syndrome following refractive surgery has certain drawbacks. This pilot study aims to evaluate the efficacy of acupuncture treatment in treating the signs and symptoms of dry eye syndrome after refractive surgery.

Methods/design
Forty participants will be randomly assigned to the acupuncture plus usual care group or the usual care control group. The acupuncture plus usual care group will undergo treatments on seventeen acupuncture points, three times per week for four weeks. The control group will receive only usual care during the same period. The primary outcomes will be scores on the Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) and the results of examinations at 1, 3, 5, and 13 weeks. The secondary outcomes will be Tear Film Break-up Time (TBUT), as well as scores on the Schirmer-I test, visual analog scale (VAS), and quality of life (QOL) questionnaire for the self-assessment of ocular discomfort. Digital photographs will be taken to document the pattern of fluorescein staining observed on the corneal surface. The results of the Schirmer-I test, TBUT, and fluorescein-stained corneal surface digital photographs will be assessed at the screening and at week 13. VAS scores will be assessed at the screening, as well as at 1, 3, 5, and 13 weeks. QOL will be evaluated at 1, 3, 5, and 13 weeks.

Discussion
This trial will provide primary data with which to investigate the clinical effectiveness and safety of acupuncture treatment for dry eye syndrome after refractive surgery.

Trial registration
Current Controlled (Identifier: KCT0000727)
Clinical experience with ipilimumab 10 mg/kg in patients with melanoma treated at Italian centres as part of a European expanded access programme
Authors: Altomonte Maresa , Di Giacomo Anna Maria , Queirolo Paola , Ascierto Paolo Antonio , Spagnolo Francesco , Bajetta Emilio , Calabrò Luana , Danielli Riccardo , de Rosa Francesco , Maur Michela , Chiarion-Sileni Vanna , Ferrucci Pier Francesco , Giannarelli Diana , Testori Alessandro , Ridolfi Ruggero , Maio Michele 
Published: October 2013

Abstract

Background
Patients with advanced melanoma are faced with a poor prognosis and, until recently, limited treatment options. Ipilimumab, a novel immunotherapy that blocks cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated antigen-4, was the first agent to improve survival of patients with advanced melanoma in a randomised, controlled phase 3 trial. We used data from an expanded access programme (EAP) at Italian centres to evaluate the clinical activity and safety profile of ipilimumab 10 mg/kg in patients with advanced melanoma in a setting more similar to that of daily practice.

Methods
Data were collected from patients enrolled in an ipilimumab EAP across eight participating Italian centres. As per the EAP protocol, patients had life-threatening, unresectable stage III/IV melanoma, had failed or did not tolerate previous treatments and had no other therapeutic option available. Treatment comprised ipilimumab 10 mg/kg every 3 weeks for a total of four doses. If physicians believed patients would continue to derive benefit from ipilimumab treatment, maintenance therapy with ipilimumab 10 mg/kg was provided every 12 weeks. Tumour responses were assessed every 12 weeks using modified World Health Organization criteria and safety continuously monitored.

Results
Seventy-four pretreated patients with advanced melanoma were treated with ipilimumab 10 mg/kg. Of these, 9 (13.0%) had an objective response, comprising 3 patients with a complete response and 6 with a partial response. Median overall survival was 7.0 months (95% confidence interval, 5.3–8.7) and 16.6% of patients were alive after 3 years. Forty-five patients (60.8%) reported treatment-related adverse events of any grade, which were most commonly low-grade pruritus, pain, fever and diarrhoea. Grade 3 or 4 treatment-related AEs were reported in 8 patients (10.8%).

Conclusions
The clinical activity and safety profile of ipilimumab 10 mg/kg in the EAP was similar to that seen in previous clinical trials of ipilimumab in pretreated patient populations.
Combined ceftazidime and amikacin resistance among Gram-negative isolates in acute-onset postoperative endophthalmitis: prevalence, antimicrobial susceptibilities, and visual acuity outcome
Authors: Jindal Animesh , Pathengay Avinash , Khera Manav , Jalali Subhadra , Mathai Annie , Pappuru Rajeev Reddy , Narayanan Raja , Sharma Savitri , Das Taraprasad , Flynn Harry W 
Published: October 2013

Abstract

Background
The purpose of this study is to evaluate the prevalence, antimicrobial susceptibilities, and visual acuity outcome of acute-onset postoperative Gram-negative bacterial endophthalmitis cases resistant to both ceftazidime and amikacin seen between 2005 and 2010 at L. V. Prasad Eye Institute, a tertiary care ophthalmic Centre in South India. Medical records of all patients with Gram-negative bacterial endophthalmitis resistant to both amikacin and ceftazidime between 1 January 2005 and 31 December 2010 were reviewed in this non-comparative, consecutive, retrospective case series. Favorable outcome was defined as a best-corrected visual acuity of ≥20/200.

Results
Sixty five (39.6%) of 164 culture-positive postoperative endophthalmitis were caused by Gram-negative organisms. Among these 65 isolates, 32 (49%; 95% confidence interval (CI) 37% to 61%) were resistant to ceftazidime, 17 (26%; 95% CI 15% to 37%) to amikacin, and 12 (18.5%; 95% CI 9% to 27%) to both ceftazidime and amikacin. Eight Pseudomonas isolates, three Enterobacter isolates, and one Haemophilus isolate were resistant to both ceftazidime and amikacin. The isolates were sensitive to fluoroquinolones (42%) and imipenem (50%). Presenting visual acuity was light perception in 10 (83.3%) cases. A final visual acuity ≥20/200 was achieved in 5/12 (41.7%) of these patients.

Conclusion
In the current study, Pseudomonas was the most common Gram-negative bacteria resistant to both amikacin and ceftazidime. The emergence of multidrug-resistant bacteria causing endophthalmitis is a matter of concern in India. Alternative antibiotics like imipenem or fluoroquinolones may be considered for the management of these resistant organisms.
Do Public Employment and Training Programs Work?
Authors: Heinrich Carolyn J , Mueser Peter R , Troske Kenneth R , Jeon Kyung-Seong , Kahvecioglu Daver C 
Published: October 2013

Abstract
We estimate impacts on earnings and employment of the two primary adult workforce support and training programs under the U.S. Workforce Investment Act (WIA) using administrative data on 160,000 participants from 12 states for up to four years following program entry. We find that participants in the WIA Adult program, who typically enter with poor work histories, realize improved employment levels and increased average quarterly earnings of several hundred dollars. Earnings gains for Dislocated Worker program participants are appreciably smaller, although these participants do experience employment gains.

JEL codes

I38, J08, J24
Do firms make greater use of training and temporary employment when labor adjustment costs are high?
Authors: Pierre Gaëlle , Scarpetta Stefano 
Published: October 2013

Abstract
In this paper, we present evidence on how employers in developing and emerging economies perceive employment regulations and react to them. We use harmonized surveys of about 10,800 firms around the world, supplemented by indicators of the stringency of employment protection that summarize detailed aspects of the labor legislation. We find that firms facing tight employment protection invest more in training, but also use temporary contracts to enhance labor flexibility. Using a difference-in-difference approach to control for unobservable characteristics, we find that small firms and those in sectors characterized by greater job reallocation are the most directly affected by employment protection.

JEL codes

J23, J65, K31
HIV-1 envelope–receptor interactions required for macrophage infection and implications for current HIV-1 cure strategies
Authors: Gorry Paul R , Francella Nicholas , Lewin Sharon R , Collman Ronald G 
Published: October 2013

ABSTRACTMyeloid cells residing in the CNS and lymphoid tissues are targets for productive HIV-1 replication, and their infection contributes to the pathological manifestations of HIV-1 infection. The Envs can adopt altered configurations to overcome entry restrictions in macrophages via a more efficient and/or altered mechanism of engagement with cellular receptors. This review highlights evidence supporting an important role for macrophages in HIV-1 pathogenesis and persistence, which need to be considered for strategies aimed at achieving a functional or sterilizing cure. We also highlight that the molecular mechanisms underlying HIV-1 tropism for macrophages are complex, involving enhanced and/or altered interactions with CD4, CCR5, and/or CXCR4, and that the nature of these interactions may depend on the anatomical location of the virus.
Aggregation-induced Emission of a Liquid-crystalline Quinolinium Salt Molecule in Aqueous Solution
Authors: Tanabe Kana , Kodama Daisuke , Hasegawa Miki , Kato Takashi 
Published: October 2013

Abstract
Aggregation-induced emission has been observed in a tripodal liquid-crystalline (LC) quinolinium salt. The quinolinium salt exhibits a liquid-crystalline columnar phase within the temperature range 56–191 °C. In the bulk LC state, the compound shows yellow emission. The fluorescence quantum yield (Φ) is 12.6% in the solid state at room temperature. In contrast, the compound shows no photoluminescence in the THF solution (Φ = ca. 0.0%). Addition of water to the THF solution results in stronger emission, and it shows yellow photoluminescence in the THF/water mixed solution above a water fraction of 60% (Φ = 5.2% in THF/water = 1:9 solution), presumably because of the formation of molecular aggregates in water.
The crisis of contemporary Arab television: Has the move towards transnationalism and privatization in Arab television affected democratization and social development in the Arab world?
Authors: Elouardaoui Ouidyane 
Published: October 2013

Abstract
The Arab media have witnessed a radical shift starting in the 1990s with the emergence of a wide range of private satellite-TV channels. These new TV channels, such as MBC (Middle East Broadcasting Center) and Al Jazeera have rapidly become the leading Arab channels in the realms of entertainment and news broadcasting. These transnational channels are believed by many scholars to have challenged the traditional approach of their government-owned counterparts. Alternatively, other scholars argue that despite the easy flow of capital and images in present Arab television, having access to trustworthy information still poses a challenge due to the governments’ grip on the production and distribution of visual media. This article brings together these contrasting perspectives, arguing that despite the unifying role of Arab satellite TV channels, in which national challenges are cast as common regional worries, democratization and social development have suffered. One primary factor is the presence of relationships forged between TV broadcasters with influential government figures nationally and regionally within the Arab world. I have also based my findings on personal communication with TV professionals at the second Moroccan satellite TV channel known as 2M.
Begum Barve: Embodiment of subversive fantasy
Authors: Dixit Madhuri 
Published: October 2013

Abstract
Satish Alekar’s play Begum Barve (first performed in 1979) is a play of fantasies superimposing reality. It accommodates a universe constituted by the imagination of petty men – a female impersonator actor, a gambler and two ordinary clerks. The mixing of their imaginations creates a female fantasy-character called Nalawadebai/Sarangnayana. This is a complex exercise because the fantasy-character is inscribed on the impersonator’s male body in the wake of the physical absence of woman in the play. Nalawadebai/Sarangnayana serves as an interface for one of the clerks and the female impersonator. The character is constituted by the female impersonator’s aspiration for important female roles and the clerk’s aspiration for a normative familial life. The result is a complicated network of gendered social meanings, theatrical references and unfulfilled desires instead of any narrative. The play is unique for calling our attention to the place of mediocre female impersonators in the supposedly golden age of Marathi Sangeet Natak/musical plays. In the constitution of the fantasy-character, the play revisits contemporary cultural understanding about womanhood as exhibited and constructed by Sangeet Natak. It is important to note that the play, although much acclaimed, does not have an extensive production history. The present article proposes to examine the role of fantasies in achieving complexity of social meanings. It discusses possible reasons for the small number of performances of the play, sociology of Sangeet Natak, the subversive potential of fantasies and the theatrically constructed cultural understanding of female gender. The theoretical context of my research is informed by concepts of everyday life and embodiment.
Miruga Vidusagam: Theatre of the body, ritual and land
Authors: Pillai Swarnavel Eswaran 
Published: October 2013

Abstract
This article engages with Miruga Vidusagam, a seminal play by Tamil theatre director Murugu Bhoopathy, to explore his authorship, and its focus on the human body and traditional rituals in its reinventions of myths to address contemporary issues. Murugu Bhoopathy’s play undergird the human body as a dynamic space to frame the trajectory of history from ancient rituals to contemporary culture, and foreground the movement of the actors and the various objects of the ritual, like the lamp, sieve, basket, mortar and pestle, to paint the many shades of oppression experienced by women, clowns, animals, landless farmers, refugees, workers, employees and children. The focus of this article is on Bhoopathy’s rural-experimental theatre, where the human body, land and rituals get intricately linked and metamorphosize into each other for the representation of the voice of the people on the fringes in Tamil Nadu.
Do You Receive a Lighter Prison Sentence Because You Are a Woman or a White? An Economic Analysis of the Federal Criminal Sentencing Guidelines
Authors: Sorensen Todd Andrew , Sarnikar Surpriya , Oaxaca Ronald L. 
Published: October 2013

Abstract
Using data obtained from the United States Sentencing Commission’s records, we examine the extent to which the Federal Criminal Sentencing Guidelines curbed judicial sentencing preferences based on gender, race, and ethnicity. Our structural utility maximization model of judicial sentencing and a new generalized nonlinear decomposition methodology allow us to conduct a counterfactual exercise examining the impact of the guidelines on sentences during our period of study. Our results indicate that under the guidelines, and after controlling for circumstances such as the severity of the offense and past criminal history, judicial preferences strongly favor women while also disadvantaging Black men. In most of our estimates, we find that in the absence of the guidelines, judicial preferences would have increased the unexplained gap. Our findings stand up to a wide variety of robustness checks.
Influence of Heating Conditions on the Oxidation Behavior of Fe-36Ni Invar Alloy
Authors: Yu Y. C. , Chen W. Q. , Zheng H. G. 
Published: October 2013

AbstractThe oxidation of Fe-36Ni invar alloy at 1273–1473 K in 15%CO2-(0, 3, 5, 6)%O2-N2 atmosphere and the effect of the grain structure on the compressed cracks were investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and a microcomputer control universal material testing machine. The results showed that the oxygen content and the oxidation temperature had an obvious influence on the morphology of the external scales, which changed into only two-layer structures from three stratified structures when the oxygen content was 0% or the oxidation temperature was below or equal 1423 K. However, the subscales still consisted of a typical structure of the intergranular subscale and the intragranular subscale with different oxygen contents or oxidation temperatures. The growth rate of the scales did not depend on the partial pressure of oxygen when oxygen existed. The oxidation temperature had an obvious influence on the growth rate of the scales, the growth rate of the scales was slower below or equal 1423 K and faster over 1423 K. A linear relationship existed between the thickness of the scales and the square root of oxidation time, moreover, the estimated activation energy for the growth of the external scale, the intragranular scale and the intergranular scale were 165, 159 and 131 kJ/mol, respectively. The higher apparent activation energy corresponded to the thinner scale at each oxidation temperature. In addition, the compressed cracks were hard to propagate and grow in the specimen with equiaxed grain structures, which would result in the narrower and shallower compressed cracks and the better surface quality during the compressed process after oxidation.
Effect of Aminoethoxyvinylglycine and Methyl Jasmonate on Individual Phenolics and Post-harvest Fruit Quality of Three Different Japanese Plums (Prunus
salicina Lindell)
Authors: Ozturk Burhan , Kucuker Emine , Karaman Sedat , Yıldız Kenan , Kılıc Kemal 
Published: October 2013

Abstract
In this research, effects of aminoethoxyvinylglycine (AVG) and methyl jasmonate (MeJA) applied 2 weeks ahead of estimated harvest date on fruit color, firmness and individual phenolic compounds of three plum varieties wereinvestigated during the cold storage. Fruits of “BlackAmber”, “Black Beauty” and “Fortune” were kept at 0 ± 0.5°C temperature and 90 ± 5% relative humidity for 4 weeks. During the storage, decreases in L*, chroma and hue angle values were observed. AVG treatments differed significantly (p < 0.05) by control and MeJA treatment. In all plum varieties, AVG treatment resulted in significant increases in flesh firmness at the end of storage. MeJA increased significantly the firmness of “Black Beauty” and “Fortune” fruit at the end of storage. Chlorogenic acid was detected as major phenolic compound in plum varieties. AVG treatment to “Black Amber” fruit increased the contents of chlorogenic and p-coumaric acid during storage, whereas it reduced chlorogenic and p-coumaric acid content in “Fortune” fruit. MeJA treatment led to not only increase the contents of rutin, ferulic acid and naringenin in the fruits of “Black Beauty” and “Fortune” varieties during the storage but also significantly increase the kaempferol content in “Black Amber” and “Black Beauty” fruits. While AVG treatment compared to control significantly decreased the contents of chlorogenic acid, quercetin and naringenin in “Black Amber” fruits at the end of cold storage, it increased content of p-coumaric acid. At the end of storage, AVG and MeJA treatments reduced significantly the content of ferulic acid in “Black Beauty” fruits. In addition, MeJA treatment significantly increased chlorogenic acid, ferulic acid and kaempferol contents in “Fortune” fruits.
Nano-engineered optical fibers and applications
Authors: Tandon Pushkar , Li Ming-Jun , Bookbinder Dana C. , Logunov Stephan L. , Fewkes Edward J. 
Published: October 2013

AbstractThe paper reviews optical fibers with nano-engineered features and methods to fabricate them. These optical fibers have nano-engineered regions comprising of randomly distributed voids which provide unique properties for designing next generation of fibers. Discussion of impact of void morphology on fiber optical properties is presented, along with the methods to control the void characteristics. Use of nano-engineered fibers for different applications (ultra-low bend loss single mode fiber, quasi-single mode bend loss fiber, endless single-mode fiber, light diffusing fibers) is discussed and the unique optical attributes of the fibers in these applications is highlighted.
Bedtime and Sleep Duration in Relation to Depressive Symptoms among Japanese Workers
Authors: Sakamoto Nobuaki , Nanri Akiko , Kochi Takeshi , Tsuruoka Hiroko , Pham Ngoc Minh , Kabe Isamu , Matsuda Shinya , Mizoue Tetsuya 
Published: October 2013

Bedtime and Sleep Duration in Relation to Depressive Symptoms among Japanese Workers: Nobuaki SAKAMOTO, et al. Department of Epidemiology and Prevention, Center for Clinical Sciences, National Center for Global Health and Medicine—ObjectivesWhile bedtime may influence circadian rhythms, potentially leading to depression, epidemiological data on this issue are limited. We cross‐sectionally investigated the association between bedtime and depressive symptoms in Japanese workers, taking sleep duration into consideration.MethodsThe participants were 1,197 workers who participated in a health survey during a periodic checkup and had no history of psychiatric disease. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CES‐D) scale. Usual bedtime and wake time were inquired about using a self‐administered questionnaire, and sleep duration was calculated based on the difference between these two values. Multiple logistic regression was used to estimate the odds ratio of depressive symptoms for bedtime or sleep duration categories.ResultsShort sleep duration (<6 hours) was significantly associated with an increased prevalence of depressive symptoms. Late bedtime was also significantly associated with an increased prevalence of depressive symptoms (CES‐D score of ≥19); the multivariable‐adjusted odds ratio of depressive symptoms for a bedtime of 1:00 or later versus 23:00 to 23:59 was 1.90 (95% confidence interval, 1.16−3.12). After additional adjustment for sleep duration, however, the association was largely attenuated (odds ratio, 1.17; 95% confidence interval, 0.66−2.06).ConclusionsLate bedtime was associated with increased prevalence of depressive symptoms, but this association could be largely accounted for by short sleep duration. Avoiding a late bedtime and obtaining a sufficient sleep duration may prevent depressive mood among workers.