bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
An International Study of Trade Union Involvement in Community Organizing: Same Model, Different Outcomes
Authors: Holgate Jane 
Published: August 2014

AbstractThis article reports on a two‐year study of union/community organizing in the UK, USA and Australia. It takes a particular model of organizing — that of the Industrial Areas Foundation — and analyses trade union engagement in coalition‐building activity in each of the three countries. Findings show mixed approaches to working with community groups from ad hoc instrumentalism to deep coalition‐building. While these variations may, in part, be explained by different industrial relations contexts, it appears that the ‘fit’ between ideology and culture of unions and their coalition partners, as well as the practices and strategies that reinforce this fit, have much greater effect on the attitude and behaviour of unions towards non‐workplace‐based organizing. The article contributes to debates about the conditions under which unions succeed (or not) in sustaining strong coalition‐building beyond their traditional constituencies.
Extraprostatic extension (EPE) of prostatic carcinoma: is its proximity to the surgical margin or Gleason score important?
Authors: Gupta Ruta , O'Connell Rachel , Haynes Anne‐Maree , Stricker Phillip D. , Barrett Wade , Turner Jennifer J. , Delprado Warick , Horvath Lisa G. , Kench James G. 
Published: August 2014

ObjectiveTo examine the association between histopathological factors of extraprostatic prostate cancer and outcome.Patients and MethodsPatients with extraprostatic extension (EPE) without positive margins, seminal vesicle or lymph node involvement were analysed from a consecutive radical prostatectomy cohort of 1136 (2002–2006) for: (i) distance of EPE from the margin; (ii) Gleason score of the EPE; and (iii) extent of EPE. Log‐rank, Kaplan–Meier, and Cox regression analyses were performed.ResultsThe study included 194 pT3a, pN0, R0 patients with a median follow‐up of 5.4 years, with 37 (19%) patients experiencing biochemical relapse (BCR). On univariable analysis, patients with a Gleason score of ≥8 in the extraprostatic portion showed increased incidence of BCR compared with those with Gleason scores of ≤7 (P = 0.03). The proximity of the EPE to the margin (0.01–7.5 mm) did not correlate with BCR. On multivariable analysis, the extent of EPE, the Gleason score of the dominant nodule or of the EPE portion did not correlate with BCR.ConclusionData from this study using current International Society of Urological Pathology Gleason scoring and EPE criteria indicate that close proximity of EPE to the margin is not associated with recurrence. Gleason score ≥8 within EPE is associated with an increased BCR risk on univariable analysis, but larger studies are required to confirm whether extensive Gleason pattern 4 in an EPE indicates increased risk in an otherwise overall Gleason score 7 cancer.
COMQ‐12 scores in adult patients without chronic middle ear disease
Authors: Phillips J.S. , Yung M.W. 
Published: August 2014

ObjectiveTo determine the COMQ‐12 score in an adult population without active COM.DesignAnalysis of COMQ‐12 scores in participants without active COM.SettingEast Anglia, United Kingdom.Participants70 healthy volunteers recruited from two local hospitals.Main outcome measuresCOMQ‐12.ResultsThe median COMQ‐12 score overall was two and the modal score was 0 with 27 (39%) participants achieving this score.ConclusionWe recommend that the ‘normal’ values defined in this study be seriously considered before contemplating intervention, especially when patients with low scores are considered for surgery.
Potential Costs of Selecting Good Sites For Offspring: Increased Risk of Drowning And Negative Effects on Egg Production
Authors: Hirayama Hiroyuki , Kasuya Eiiti 
Published: August 2014

AbstractMany studies have shown the benefits of selecting suitable sites for offspring survival and growth. However, costs of selecting suitable sites have been little covered. If the female's costs associated with selecting suitable sites exceed the benefit from improvement of offspring performance, selecting such sites can have a negative effect on the ongoing reproductive success for ovipositing females. We investigate the potential costs of selecting suitable sites in the water strider Aquarius paludum insularis. Where there exists a risk of egg parasitism, the female A. paludum will submerge and select a deep site, more suitable for offspring survival, for oviposition. By forcing A. paludum underwater once a day for 10 d, we investigated the potential costs associated with oviposition at deep sites, firstly relating to the performance of submergence (latency to asphyxiation or proportion of buoyancy loss) and, secondly, in the number of eggs laid. Buoyancy became weaker and the latency to asphyxiation became shorter with the number of submergences. The number of eggs laid in the period of forced submergence was smaller than both before and after the period. Selecting deep sites can therefore increase the mortality risk of ovipositing females and also decrease the number of eggs laid in their lives. Selecting suitable sites in all the oviposition bouts can decrease ovipositing females' reproductive success. Costs, not only benefits, should be taken into consideration for understanding oviposition site selection during the lifespan of an ovipositing female.
Riparian disturbance restricts in‐stream movement of salamanders
Authors: Cecala Kristen K. , Lowe Winsor H. , Maerz John C. 
Published: August 2014

SummaryLong‐term population persistence or population rescue require dispersal from other source populations. Barriers to movement can effectively fragment and isolate populations, reducing persistence and recolonisation. For stream organisms that depend heavily on movement within dendritic networks, research is needed to identify and estimate the effects of such barriers on connectivity.We used capture–mark–recapture of displaced larval and adult salamanders to estimate return rates across gaps (length 13–85 m) in the riparian canopy and thus to assess the fragmentation of salamander populations within otherwise fully forested catchments.Relative to salamanders in fully forested reaches, displaced salamanders were 86% less likely to return to their capture location when required to cross gaps in the canopy as short as 13 m, and the likelihood of return declined with increasing gap length. The effects of gaps on return rates were consistent among life stages and for up‐ and downstream movement.Our study suggests that riparian disturbance can reduce permeability to salamanders, even in the absence of additional land‐use change. Because anthropogenic features, such as roads and powerlines, frequently cross small streams, the accumulation of apparently small land‐cover changes has the potential to reduce continuous populations to small fragments with limited connectivity.
Strong topographic sheltering effects lead to spatially complex treeline advance and increased forest density in a subtropical mountain region
Authors: Greenwood Sarah , Chen Jan‐Chang , Chen Chaur‐Tzuhn , Jump Alistair S. 
Published: August 2014

AbstractAltitudinal treelines are typically temperature limited such that increasing temperatures linked to global climate change are causing upslope shifts of treelines worldwide. While such elevational increases are readily predicted based on shifting isotherms, at the regional level the realized response is often much more complex, with topography and local environmental conditions playing an important modifying role. Here, we used repeated aerial photographs in combination with forest inventory data to investigate changes in treeline position in the Central Mountain Range of Taiwan over the last 60 years. A highly spatially variable upslope advance of treeline was identified in which topography is a major driver of both treeline form and advance. The changes in treeline position that we observed occurred alongside substantial increases in forest density, and lead to a large increase in overall forest area. These changes will have a significant impact on carbon stocking in the high altitude zone, while the concomitant decrease in alpine grassland area is likely to have negative implications for alpine species. The complex and spatially variable changes that we report highlight the necessity for considering local factors such as topography when attempting to predict species distributional responses to warming climate.
Negative, neutral, and positive interactions among nonnative plants: patterns, processes, and management implications
Authors: Kuebbing Sara E. , Nuñez Martin A. 
Published: August 2014

AbstractThe movement of species is one of the most pervasive forms of global change, and few ecosystems remain uninvaded by nonnative species. Studying species interactions is crucial for understanding their distribution and abundance, particularly for nonnative species because interactions may influence the probability of invasion and consequent ecological impact. Interactions among nonnatives are relatively understudied, though the likelihood of nonnative species co‐occurrence is high. We quantify and describe the types of interactions among nonnative plants and determine what factors affect interaction outcomes for ecosystems globally. We reviewed 65 studies comprising 201 observations and recorded the interaction type, traits of the interacting species, and study characteristics. We conducted a census of interaction types and a meta‐analysis of experiments that tested nonnative competition intensity. Both methods showed that negative and neutral interactions prevailed, and a number of studies reported that the removal of a dominant nonnative led to competitive release of other nonnatives. Positive interactions were less frequently reported and positive mean effect sizes were rare, but the plant characteristics nitrogen fixation, life cycle (annual or perennial), and functional group significantly influenced positive interactions. Positive interactions were three times more frequent when a neighboring nonnative was a nitrogen fixer and 3.5 times lower when a neighboring nonnative was an annual. Woody plants were two or four times more likely to have positive interactions relative to grasses or herbs, respectively. The prevalence of negative interactions suggests that managers should prepare for reinvasion of sites when treating dominant nonnatives. Though positive interactions were infrequent, managers may be able to anticipate positive interactions among nonnatives based upon traits of the co‐occurring invaders. Predicting positive nonnative interactions is an important tool for determining habitat susceptibility to a particular invasion and for prioritizing management of nonnatives with a higher likelihood of positive interactions.
Symptomatic hypercalcemia in a rabies survivor underwent hemodialysis
Authors: Chen Yu‐Guang , Kan Li‐Ping , Lee Chien‐Hsing , Lin Shih‐Hua , Chu Der‐Ming , Chang Feng‐Yee , Yang Ya‐Sung 
Published: August 2014

AbstractAdrenal insufficiency is an uncommon and easily ignored cause among most etiologies of hypercalcemia because not all cases of adrenal insufficiency presented with hypercalcemia. In most cases of adrenal insufficiency, viral encephalitis‐related panhypopituitarism is a rare complication that is sporadically encountered in previous studies. However, this complication has never been reported in rabies encephalitis because of the extremely high rate of mortality. Rapid recovery from hypercalcemia state after glucocorticoid supplement is a direct hint of adrenal insufficiency related hypercalcemia.
Migrating ducks in inland North America ignore major rivers as leading lines
Authors: O'Neal Benjamin J. , Stafford Joshua D. , Larkin Ronald P. 
Published: August 2014

A recently developed radar‐based technique permitted empirical re‐evaluation of the established but poorly supported theory that migrating North American waterfowl (Anatidae) use landscape features such as rivers as leading lines. Ducks departing the Illinois River Valley in the autumn of each of 15 years travelledSSEwith a mean track that was 68° different from the 220° course of the Illinois River (P ≤ 0.001). We conclude that leading lines were unimportant navigation aids for ducks leaving this major stopover site in autumn and suggest that rivers have less effect on the spatial course of duck migration than previously thought. Timing of departures was examined in a representative subset of 8 years and found to be consistent, with a mean start time of 44 min after civil sunset.
Long‐term quality of life after radical prostatectomy: 8‐Year longitudinal study in Japan
Authors: Namiki Shunichi , Kaiho Yasuhiro , Mitsuzuka Koji , Saito Hideo , Yamada Shigeyuki , Nakagawa Haruo , Ito Akihiro , Arai Yoichi 
Published: August 2014

ObjectivesTo assess long‐term health‐related quality of life in patients undergoing radical prostatectomy.MethodsA total of 120 patients with at least 5 years of follow up after radical prostatectomy were included in the present study. Health‐related quality of life outcomes were assessed using three questionnaires, the Short Form 36‐Item Health Survey, the University of California, Los Angeles Prostate Cancer Index and the International Prostate Symptom Score.ResultsA total of 91 patients (73%) responded at a median follow‐up time of 102 months (range 85–123 months). Among general health‐related quality of life domains, mental and role composite summary score remained stable throughout the follow‐up period. At the final survey, no significant differences were observed in any of the domains compared with the age‐matched average score of the Japanese population. Although the slight decrease in urinary function scores and International Prostate Symptom Score beyond 5 years postoperatively compared with 5 years, the differences were not significant. The sexual function summary score showed a substantially lower score just after radical prostatectomy and remained at a deteriorated level (P < 0.001). Responders at the final survey were more likely to report favorable general, urinary and sexual outcomes at 60 months compared with non‐responders.ConclusionsWhen taking age‐related changes into account, general health‐related quality of life seems to remain stable in the long term after radical prostatectomy: patients with favorable health‐related quality of life outcomes during the first 5 years after radical prostatectomy maintain favorable outcomes thereafter.
Posterior corneal dystrophies
Authors: LISKOVA P 
Published: August 2014

AbstractPosterior corneal dystrophies represent a clinically and genetically heterogeneous group of disorders. The International Committee for Classification of Corneal Dystrophies (IC3D) lists autosomal dominant congenital hereditary endothelial dystrophy (CHED1), autosomal recessive congenital hereditary endothelial dystrophy (CHED2), posterior polymorphous corneal dystrophy (PPCD) and Fuchs endothelial corneal dystrophy (FECD) as separate clinical entities​. The course will provide an overview of posterior corneal dystrophies with a focus on recent clinical and genetic findings and their possible implications for future classification.
Imaging in uveitis: techniques and indications
Authors: HERBORT C 
Published: August 2014

AbstractThis tutorial will address the main complementary imaging techniques used in the field of (posterior) uveitis. In case imaging work‐up is decided, fluorescein angiography (FA) is performed routinely since a few decades. FA gives information on the superficial structures and lesions of the fundus including pathology of the retina, retinal vessels, optic disc, and subretinal fluid collection, as well as the RPE for which it is the examination method of choice, and the choriocapillaris in the first seconds of angiography. Most of the time it only confirms and gives the precise extension of lesions already identified by the clinical examination. The choroid is however involved at least as often as the retina and often all or part of choroidal lesions are occult and not detected by the clinical exam or FA. Only indocyanine green angiography (ICGA) gives visual access to choroidal inflammatory pathology where it can distinguish stromal choroidits (birdshot, VKH) from choriocapillaritis (MEWDS, APMPPE, etc). So if angiography is deemed necessary during initial appraisal of a case dual FA/ICGA should be performed as choroiditis can not be excluded "à priori". Other methods addressed will be OCT, UBM, FAF as well as anterior segment OCT.
Evaluation of potential retinal toxicity after intravitreal administration of a novel neuroprotecive agent, synthetic analog of dehydroepinadrosterone (DHEA)
Authors: TSIKA C , NIAVI S , GRAVANIS A , TSILIMBARIS M 
Published: August 2014

AbstractPurpose To investigate the effect of the intravitreal administration of a synthetic analog of DHEA on retinal anatomy and function of the rabbit eye.Methods All experiments complied with the ARVO Statement for the Use of Animals in Ophthalmic and Vision Research. We injected 0.6mg/0.1ml of a synthetic DHEA analog in the right eye of 9 pigmented rabbits. The left eye received 0.1ml of the solvent (6μl of ethylic alcohol in 94μl of WFI). Indirect fundoscopy and ERG was performed before injection (baseline) and one month post injection. This was the end time point of the study. Histological samples were prepared for photonic microscopy after euthanasia and enucleation. Additionally, fundoscopy was performed weekly to follow up any macroscopic changes.Results At one month, no significant macroscopic retinal changes were observed. No significant difference in scotopic b‐wave amplitude of the ERG was recorded one month after injection of the neuroprotective solution (p=0.441) or the solvent alone(p=0.767). Histology revealed minor changes in retinal anatomy that were not attributed to any substance effect. Control eyes showed similar findings. Interocular differences in ERG were not significant at baseline (p=0.136) or at one month (p=0.666).Conclusion BNN 93 exhibited no toxicity on retinal anatomy or function after intravitreal administration of a high concentration in the rabbit eye. This is a promising preliminary finding for potential use in ocular neurodegenerative disease.
Development of an ECM hydrogel for corneal tissue engineering
Authors: AHEARNE M 
Published: August 2014

AbstractPurpose Tissue engineering has been proposed as a method of dealing with the shortage of suitable tissue available for transplants. Many biomaterials under investigation for engineering corneal tissue lack the native corneas biochemical composition. The aim of this study was to fabricate and test a biomimetic hydrogel derived from corneal extracellular matrix (ECM) to be used for corneal tissue engineering.Methods Porcine corneas were decellularized using several different techniques. The corneas were then freeze dried and milled into a fine powder. This ECM powder was dissolved using an acidic pepsin digest solution for 72 hours. A crosslinked hydrogel was formed after neutralizing the pH of the solution. Human corneal stromal cells were mixed into the hydrogels prior to gelation and cultured over 14 days. Biochemical assays, mechanical and optical testing, RT‐PCR and immunohistochemical staining were performed on the cell seeded hydrogels. Rat‐tail collagen hydrogels were used as controls.Results The hydrogels were highly transparent and able to maintain stromal cell viability. When compared to standard collagen hydrogels, the ECM hydrogels retained corneal GAGs and appeared to enhance the cells native keratocyte phenotype. The amount of GAG present was dependent on the decellularization technique used. The ECM hydrogels exhibited similar viscoelastic characteristics to collagen hydrogels.Conclusion A new type of hydrogel has been demonstrated that could be used for engineering corneal tissue. We plan further develop these hydrogels by optimizing the stromal decellularization process and examining different crosslinking techniques to improve the hydrogels mechanical strength and stiffness.
White dot syndromes
Authors: HERBORT C 
Published: August 2014

Abstract"White dot syndromes" (WDS)is a term introduced around 1995 to describe posterior uveitis syndromes that were poorly understood such as MEWDS, APMPPE, multifocal choroiditis (MFC), serpiginous choroiditis (SC), birdshot retinochoroiditis (BRC) and many others depending on the extension with which the term is used. Unfortunatelly the term is of no utility as it is purely based on the the white dots most posterior uveitis exhibit and as it emcompasses entities that look alike but have nothing in common as far as mechanism is concerned. Thanks to indocyanine green angiography (ICGA) it became possible to get away from this pot‐pourri terminology and allowed to sort out choroiditis entities according to the pathophysiological mechanism subdividing choroiditis into diseases of the choriocapillaris (primary choriocapillaritis) including MEWDS, APMPPE, MFC, SC and atypical and overlapping entities on one side and stromal choroiditis on the other side including Vogt‐Koxanangi‐Harada disease (VKH), BRC, sarcoid and tubercular choroiditis. The appraisal of these diseases and the rationale of their new classification will be explained and examples will be given to illustrate this new comprehensive approach that should make WDS obsolete.
Corneal infectious diseases in children
Authors: BREMOND‐GIGNAC D 
Published: August 2014

AbstractCorneal infections in children can affect subjects of all ages with a high frequency in newborns and infants. Severe visual impairment can result from corneal infectious disease especially if late diagnosed with delayed treatment. In infant, children and teenagers the most common ocular pathogens, that differ from the adult, are Haemophilus Influenzae, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumonia and also Moraxella species. These infections infections could lead to ulcers and sight‐threatening complications. In children corneal infections can be difficult to diagnose because the pathology can develop without pain. In addition the examination may be difficult to perform. The treatment should be provided earlier and aims to eliminate the bacteria, virus or fungus pathogens. Specific epidemiology of pathogens will be detailed according to age. Risks of visual impairment and amblyopia must be integrated. An update on topical antibiotics and current options will be reviewed with practical aspects, diverse clinical cases and considering quality of life of children and parents.
Commercial interest
Investigating AMD mechanisms using primary RPE cultures and donor tissue
Authors: FERRINGTON D , TERLUK M , EBELING M , ROEHRICH H , MONTEZUMA S 
Published: August 2014

AbstractStimuli that activate inflammasomes include mitochondrial (mt) reactive oxygen species, release of damaged mtDNA into the cytosol, or disruption of cellular ionic balance. These stimuli can arise from mt dysfunction, which may be a key pathogenic event in age‐related macular degeneration (AMD). This hypothesis is consistent with increased mtDNA damage reported in macular retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) of human donors with AMD. To investigate inflammasome activation, we developed primary cultures of RPE from donors with or without AMD. Cells express the RPE‐specific proteins bestrophin, CRALBP, and RPE65, are pigmented, express ZO‐1 at cell margins and Na‐K ATPase apically. These results show our primary cultures phenocopy the RPE in vivo. To examine inflammasome activation, cells were stimulated with LPS as a priming event, then treated with either the proteasome inhibitor MG132 to initiate formation of protein aggregates or rotenone to generate reactive oxygen species. We observed differences between cells from control and AMD donors in IL‐18 and IL‐1beta production and also caspase‐1 cleavage, the prototypic marker of inflammasome activation. These results suggest AMD affects inflammasome activation in the RPE.
Commercial interest