bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
How much are urban residents in Mexico willing to pay for cleaner air?
Authors: Gonzalez Fidel , Leipnik Mark , Mazumder Diya 
Published: February 2013

AbstractWe estimate the marginal willingness-to-pay for PM10 abatement in the three largest Mexican cities. We use a unique data set with actual market transactions at the household level from January 2003 to May 2004 and observed PM10 concentrations. We follow an instrumental variable approach to mitigate bias from omitted variables. We exploit the seasonality in PM10 concentrations due to rainfall patterns in those cities to construct a valid instrument for PM10. We find the house price–pollution elasticity to be around − 0.07 for Mexico City, − 0.05 for Guadalajara, and − 0.07 for Monterrey, implying that one unit reduction in PM10 levels is valued at US$41.73, 36.34 and 43.47, respectively. Our results indicate that urban residents of Mexico are willing to pay for cleaner air.
Can procedural and substantive elements of decision-making be reconciled in assessments of mental capacity?
Authors: Banner Natalie F. 
Published: February 2013

AbstractCapacity legislation aims to protect individual autonomy and avoid undue paternalism as far as possible, partly through ensuring patients are not deemed to lack capacity because they make an unwise decision. To this end, the law employs a procedural test of capacity that excludes substantive judgments about patients' decisions. However, clinical intuitions about patients' capacity to make decisions about their treatment often conflict with a strict reading of the legal criteria for assessing capacity, particularly in psychiatry. In this article I argue that this tension arises because the procedural conception of capacity is inadequate and does not reflect the clinical or legal realities of assessing capacity. I propose that conceptualising capacity as having ‘recognisable reasons’ for a treatment decision provides a practical way of legitimately incorporating both procedural and substantive elements of decision-making into assessments of capacity.
Gender‐related differences in hospitalized heart failure patients
Authors: Stein Gideon Y. , Ben‐Gal Tuvia , Kremer Angelika , Bental Tamir , Alon Danny , Korenfeld Roman , Yedidia Idit , Porter Avital , Abramson Evgeny , Sagie Alexander , Fuchs Shmuel 
Published: February 2013

AimsThe burden of heart failure (HF)‐related hospitalization and mortality of female patients with HF is substantial. Currently, several gender‐specific distinctions have been recognized amongst HF patients, but their relationships to outcomes have not been fully elucidated. Accordingly, in the current work, we aimed to explore gender‐specific clinical and echocardiographic measures and to assess their potential impact on outcome.Methods and resultsWe studied all consecutive HF patients, aged 50 or older, who had been hospitalized between January 2000 and December 2009, and had undergone at least one echocardiography study. A comparative analysis of clinical and echocardiographic findings was performed between 5228 males and 4107 females. Patients were followed for a mean of 2.8 ± 2.6 years. Females compared with males had less ischaemic heart disease, prior stroke, chronic renal failure, and COPD, and higher rates of hypertension, AF, obesity, valvular abnormalities, and pulmonary hypertension. Unadjusted 30‐day and 1‐year mortality rates were higher among women, while age‐adjusted rates were similar. Predictors of outcomes varied between genders. Female‐specific predictors of mortality included aortic stenosis, pulmonary hypertension, and malignancy, whereas diastolic dysfunction and chronic renal failure were found to be male‐specific predictors.ConclusionsAge‐adjusted mortality rates of male and female hospitalized HF patients are similarly high. Predictors of mortality, however, are gender distinctive, and these measures may allow a better identification of high‐risk HF patients.
Spatial patterns and trends in abundance of larval sandeels in the North Sea: 1950–2005
Authors: Lynam Christopher P. , Halliday Nicholas C. , Höffle Hannes , Wright Peter J. , van Damme Cindy J. G. , Edwards Martin , Pitois Sophie G. 
Published: February 2013

Abstract
Lynam, C. P., Halliday, N. C., Höffle, H., Wright, P. J., van Damme, C. J. G., Edwards, M., and Pitois, S. 2013. Spatial patterns and trends in abundance of larval sandeels in the North Sea: 1950–2005 – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 70: 540–553. Early recruitment indices based on larval fish data from the Continuous Plankton Recorder (CPR) have the potential to inform stock assessments of Ammodytes marinus in the North Sea. We evaluate whether the CPR data are reliable for sandeel larvae. Spatially, CPR larval data were comparable with catches by dedicated larval samplers (Gulf and bongo nets) during ICES coordinated surveys in 2004 and 2009. ICES data are also used to explore environmental influences on sandeel distributions. Temporally, CPR data correlate with larval data from plankton surveys off Stonehaven (1999–2005), with sandeel 0-group trawl data at the east Fair Isle ground (since 1984), and with recruitment data (since 1983) for the Dogger Banks stock assessment area. Therefore, CPR data may provide an early recruit index of relative abundance for the Dogger Banks assessment area, where the majority of the commercial catch of A. marinus is taken, and the Wee Bankie area that is particularly important for seabird foraging. While warm conditions may stimulate the production of sandeel larvae, their natural mortality is typically greater, in the Dogger Banks and Wadden Sea areas, when the larvae are hatched in warm years and/or with abundant 1-year-old sandeel that are likely to be cannibalistic.
Intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy and associated adverse pregnancy and fetal outcomes: a 12‐year population‐based cohort study
Authors: Wikström Shemer E , Marschall HU , Ludvigsson JF , Stephansson O 
Published: February 2013

ObjectiveTo determine the risk for adverse pregnancy and fetal outcomes in intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP).DesignPopulation‐based cohort study.SettingSwedish Medical Birth Register (MBR) 1997–2009.PopulationA total of 1 213 668 singleton deliveries.MethodsLinkage of Hospital Discharge Register for exposure (ICP; n = 5477) with MBR for covariates.Main outcome measuresGestational diabetes, pre‐eclampsia, prematurity, and stillbirth.ResultsIntrahepatic cholestasis (ICP) was diagnosed in 0.32–0.58% of all pregnancies, with an increasing trend until 2005 (P < 0.0001). Compared with women who did not have ICP, women with ICP were more likely to have gestational diabetes (adjusted odds ratio, aOR, 2.81; 95% CI 2.32–3.41) and pre‐eclampsia (aOR 2.62, 95% CI 2.32–2.78). Women with ICP were also more likely to have spontaneous (aOR 1.60, 95% CI 1.47–1.93) and iatrogenic (aOR 5.95, 95% CI 5.23–6.60) preterm delivery, with increased rates of induction of labour (aOR 11.76, 95% CI 11.04–11.62). However, this actively managed cohort of ICP cases was not at increased risk of stillbirth (aOR 0.92, 95% CI 0.52–1.62). Infants in ICP deliveries were more likely to have a low (<7) 5‐minute Apgar score (aOR 1.45, 95% CI 1.14–1.85) and be large for gestational age at birth (aOR 2.27, 95% CI 2.02–2.55).ConclusionsOver time, a greater proportion of Swedish pregnant women have received a diagnosis of ICP, probably because of an increased awareness of the disorder. Our data confirm an increased risk of preterm delivery, but not of stillbirth, in actively managed ICP. The high rates of gestational diabetes and pre‐eclampsia are new findings, and need to be considered in the management of ICP pregnancies.
Fitting complex ecological point process models with integrated nested Laplace approximation
Authors: Illian Janine B. , Martino Sara , Sørbye Sigrunn H. , Gallego‐Fernández Juan B. , Zunzunegui María , Esquivias M. Paz , Travis Justin M. J. 
Published: February 2013

Summary

We highlight an emerging statistical method, integrated nested Laplace approximation (INLA), which is ideally suited for fitting complex models to many of the rich spatial data sets that ecologists wish to analyse.

INLA is an approximation method that nevertheless provides very exact estimates. In this article, we describe the INLA methodology highlighting where it offers opportunities for drawing inference from (spatial) ecological data that would previously have been too complex to make practical model fitting feasible.

We use INLA to fit a complex joint model to the spatial pattern formed by a plant species, Thymus carnosus, as well as to the health status of each individual.

The key ecological result revealed by our spatial analysis of these data, relates to the distance‐to‐water covariate. We find that T. carnosus plants are generally healthier when they are further away from the water.

We suggest that this may be the result of a combination of (1) plants having alternative rooting strategies depending on how close to water they grow and (2) the rooting strategy determining how well the plants were able to tolerate an unusually dry summer.

We anticipate INLA becoming widely used within spatial ecological analysis over the next decade and suggest that both ecologists and statisticians will benefit greatly from working collaboratively to further develop and apply these emerging statistical methods.
The Feasibility and Cost of Neonatal Screening for Prenatal Alcohol Exposure by Measuring Phosphatidylethanol in Dried Blood Spots
Authors: Bakhireva Ludmila N. , Savich Renate D. , Raisch Dennis W. , Cano Sandra , Annett Robert D. , Leeman Lawrence , Garg Mahek , Goff Chelsea , Savage Daniel D. 
Published: February 2013

BackgroundAccurate confirmation of prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) is required as a diagnostic criterion for the majority of children adversely affected by PAE who do not manifest the physical features associated with fetal alcohol syndrome. A number of ethanol biomarkers have been used to assess PAE, often with suboptimal results. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and cost of PAE screening in newborns by measuring phosphatidylethanol (PEth) in dried blood spot (DBS) cards.MethodsThe feasibility of collecting an additional DBS card during routine newborn screening and the background prevalence of PAE were evaluated in a de‐identified sample of newborn children delivered at the University of New Mexico Hospital. Electronic orders to collect DBS cards from newborns who continue to bleed after the routine newborn screen, glucose, or hematocrit testing were initiated for all infants delivered during a 4‐week time frame. Specimens were sent to a contract laboratory for PEth analysis by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry. A cost analysis was conducted to compare the cost of PAE screening by PEth in DBS versus PEth in conventional blood specimens and by meconium fatty acid ethyl esters.ResultsFrom 230 collected cards, 201 (87.4%) had at least 1 full blood spot (amount sufficient for PEth analysis), and 6.5% had PEth >20 ng/ml indicative of potential PAE in late pregnancy. PAE screening by PEth in DBS is logistically simpler and less expensive compared with 2 other screening approaches.ConclusionsThese results indicate that screening for PAE in DBS cards is a feasible procedure and that a majority of infants have enough blood after the routine heel prick to fill an additional card. Moreover, screening by PEth analysis from DBS cards is cost‐efficient. The acceptability of such screening by parents and corresponding ethical issues remain to be investigated.
Self‐Determination and Substance Use: Is Effortful Control a Mediator?
Authors: Wong Maria M. , Rowland Sarah E. 
Published: February 2013

BackgroundAlcohol and other drug use among college students are highly common in the United States. This study examined the relationships between 2 motivational orientations (i.e., autonomy and controlled orientations) and substance use and related problems among college students. It also examined whether effortful control mediated the relationship between these motivational orientations and substance use.MethodsStudy participants were 644 undergraduate students (67.2% female; 87.2% Caucasian) who completed a series of online questionnaires as a part of a larger longitudinal study on sleep and substance use. The mean age of participants was 23.58 (SD = 6.861).ResultsStudents with a higher autonomy orientation were more likely than their counterparts to report that they did not drink in the last 6 months. In contrast, students with a higher controlled orientation were less likely to report that they did not drink. Among those who drank in the last 6 months, effortful control significantly mediated the effects of autonomy orientation and controlled orientation on frequency of alcohol use within that time frame. Autonomy orientation positively predicted effortful control, which was associated with a decrease in the expected frequency of drinking. In contrast, controlled orientation negatively predicted effortful control, which was associated with an increase in the expected frequency of drinking. Controlled orientation also significantly predicted the presence of alcohol‐related problems and illicit drug use.ConclusionsIntervention and prevention programs on college drinking could incorporate education about strategies for self‐control, including strategies for withstanding peer pressure and diverting one's attention to activities unrelated to substance use. Focusing on strategies of self‐control may be a useful starting point for a more in‐depth discussion about the motivations, values, and psychological needs satisfaction that are associated with drinking and other drug use.
Gross Anatomical Features of the Gastrointestinal Tract (GIT) of Blue‐and‐Yellow Macaws (Ara ararauna) – Oesophagus to Cloaca
Authors: Aizawa J. , Tivane C. , Rodrigues M. N. , Wagner P. G. , Campos D. B. , Guerra R. R. , Miglino M. A. 
Published: February 2013

SummaryMorphological studies of the gastrointestinal tract of blue‐and‐yellow macaws (Ara ararauna) are scarce. In view of the paucity of information regarding the digestive tract of macaws, this study aims to describe the gross anatomical features (oesophagus to cloaca) as part of a broad study of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) of these birds. Three animals (two males and one female) adult macaws were anatomically dissected from the oropharynx to the cloaca to expose the GIT. The oesophagus was identified as a muscle‐membranous tube continuous with the crop, which was intimately attached to the skin. The internal longitudinal folds of the cervical oesophagus were sparser cranial to the crop and less evident compared to the portion caudal to the crop. The duodenum began in the pylorus and was grey‐coloured exhibiting a large lumen. The jejunum was formed by loops in a spiral‐fashion model supported by mesojejunum. The ileum was also composed by small loops and was continuous with the colo‐rectum forming the large intestine, because the caeca were absent. The large intestine was short, median in position, suspended in the dorsal wall of the abdominal cavity by mesentery and ended in the cloaca. The GIT was similar to the basic patterns in birds, in general, and also presented new unreported morphological data that might be important when studying nutrition and health of the macaws.
Glennie, Jenny et al ed (2012) Open educational resources and change in higher educationCommonwealth of learning (Vancouver) isbn 978‐1‐894975‐53‐7 291 pp cdn$12 (or free download) http://www.col.org/resources/publications/Pages/detail.aspx?PID=412
Authors: Hammer Sara 
Published: February 2013

SummaryThis engaging book reviews current policy and practice in the development and use of open educational resources (oer) internationally. It includes chapters that examine the current environment for oer development and use, including government and institutional policy, as well as a range of case studies that describe the development, re‐use and implementation of oer with a particular emphasis on developing countries. The book is useful for educators, educational leaders, learning resource developers, and government policymakers.Sara Hammer
Thormann, Joan & Zimmerman, Isa Kaftal (2012) Complete step‐to‐step guide to designing and teaching online coursesTeachers College Press (Columbia University, NY & Eurospan, London) isbn 978‐0‐8077‐5309‐5 216 pp £26.95 http://store.tcpress.com/0807753092.shtml
Authors: Sharma Ramesh 
Published: February 2013

SummaryThis is a highly useful illustrative step‐by‐step resource for teachers and administrators planning for or already teaching online. It offers great ideas, strategies, practical examples, online tools and design principles for all those associated with online teaching, whether they are beginners or experienced. I recommend you buy a copy of this book for your own use if its content is likely to be relevant to you.Ramesh Sharma
Cordycepin Suppresses Excitatory Synaptic Transmission in Rat Hippocampal Slices Via a Presynaptic Mechanism
Authors: Yao Li‐Hua , Huang Jun‐Ni , Li Chu‐Hua , Li Hai‐Hang , Yan Wen‐Wen , Cai Zhao‐Lin , Liu Wen‐Xiao , Xiao Peng 
Published: February 2013

SummaryAimsCordycepin plays an important role in modulating the function of central nervous system (CNS). However, the modulating mechanism is poorly understood. Excitatory synaptic transmission, the essential process in brain physiology and pathology, is critical in the signal integration activities of the CNS. To further understand the effects of cordycepin on CNS, we investigated the effects of cordycepin on excitatory synaptic transmission in the CA1 region of rat hippocampal slices.MethodsThe effects of cordycepin on excitatory synaptic transmission were investigated by using in vitro field potential electrophysiology and whole‐cell patch clamp techniques.ResultsCordycepin significantly decreased the amplitudes of field excitatory postsynaptic potentials (fEPSPs) elicited in the CA1 by stimulation of the Schaffer‐commissural fibers. And the reduction in fEPSPs amplitude was associated with an increase in the paired‐pulse facilitation. Cordycepin also suppressed α‐amino‐3‐hydroxy‐5‐methyl‐4‐isoxazole‐propionic acid (AMPA) and N‐methyl‐d‐aspartic acid (NMDA) receptor‐mediated responses but did not directly affect AMPA receptors and NMDA receptors. Furthermore, quantal analysis revealed that cordycepin decreased the frequency but not amplitude of miniature spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic currents.ConclusionsThese results demonstrate that cordycepin suppresses excitatory synaptic transmission by decreasing the excitatory neurotransmitter release presynaptically, which provides an evidence for the novel potential mechanism of cordycepin in modulating the function of CNS.
Prey: predator ratio dependence in the functional response of a freshwater amphipod
Authors: MÉDOC V. , SPATARO T. , ARDITI R. 
Published: February 2013

Summary1. First known for their shredding activity, freshwater amphipods also behave as active predators with consequences for prey population regulation and amphipod coexistence in the context of biological invasions.2. A way to quantify predation is to determine the average consumption rate per predator, also known as its functional response (FR).3. Although amphipods are gregarious and can display social interactions that can alter per capita consumption rates, previous studies using the FR approach to investigate amphipod predation ignored such potential mutual interference because they did not consider variations in predator density.4. We investigated the FR of Echinogammarus berilloni feeding on dipteran larvae with joint variations in prey and predator densities. This bivariate experimental design allowed us to estimate interference and to compare the fits of the three main classes of theoretical FR models, in which the predation rate is a function of prey density alone (prey‐dependent models), of both prey and predator densities (predator‐dependent models) or of the prey‐to‐predator ratio (ratio‐dependent models).5. The Arditi–Ginzburg ratio‐dependent FR model provided the best representation of the FR of E. berilloni, whose predation rate showed a decelerating rise to a horizontal asymptote as prey abundance increased.6. Ratio dependence means that mutual interference between amphipods leads to prey sharing. Mutual interference is likely to vary between amphipod species, depending on their level of aggressiveness.
High‐throughput on‐chip leukemia diagnosis
Authors: Park S. , Moon H. S. , Lee D. S. , Kim H. C. , Chun H. 
Published: February 2013

SummaryAdvances in lab‐on‐a‐chip technologies enabled programmable, reconfigurable, and scalable manipulation of a variety of laboratory procedures. Samples, reagents, and fluids can be precisely controlled; buffer temperature, pH, and concentration control systems as well as a variety of detection systems can be integrated on a small chip. These advantages have attracted attention in various fields of clinical application including leukemia diagnosis and research. A lot of research on lab‐on‐a‐chip based diagnosis has been reported and the field is rapidly expanding. This review describes recent developments of lab‐on‐a‐chip technologies as solutions to challenges for high‐throughput leukemia diagnosis.
Effects of the Rho kinase inhibitor, hydroxyfasudil, on bladder dysfunction and inflammation in rats with HCl‐induced cystitis
Authors: Shimizu Nobutaka , De Velasco Marco A , Umekawa Tohru , Uemura Hirotsugu , Yoshikawa Kazuhiro 
Published: February 2013

ObjectiveTo evaluate the effect of the Rho kinase inhibitor, hydroxyfasudil, on bladder function in a rat model of HCl‐induced chemical cystitis, and to elucidate the possible mechanisms associated with its therapeutic effect.MethodsFemale Sprague–Dawley rats with HCl‐induced cystitis were given hydroxyfasudil (10 mg/kg, i.p.) for 7 days. Treatment efficacy was determined by comparing bladder function and histopathology to sham and untreated control rats. Bladder function was determined by cystometric analysis. Rho kinase activity was determined by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and signal inhibition of downstream Ras homolog member A/Rho kinase signaling molecules by western blot and immunohistochemistry.ResultsTreatment with hydroxyfasudil significantly improved bladder intercontraction intervals. Rats treated with hydroxyfasudil also showed a significant reduction of histopathological features associated with cystitis. Western blot and immunohistochemistry findings showed that hydroxyfasudil inhibited downstream molecules of Rho kinase that ameliorated changes associated with HCl‐induced chemical cystitis, such as inflammatory cell recruitment and smooth muscle cell proliferation.ConclusionThe findings from the present study suggest a promising therapeutic role for hydroxyfasudil in bladder inflammation associated with cystitis.