bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Outbreak of Philophthalmus gralli in four greater rheas (Rhea americana)
Authors: Church Melanie L. , Barrett Paul M. , Swenson Julie , Kinsella John M. , Tkach Vasyl V. 
Published: March 2012

AbstractUsing slit‐lamp biomicroscopy, conjunctival biopsy, and morphological identification, a flock of four Greater rheas (Rhea americana) in Arizona were diagnosed with conjunctivitis secondary to Philophthalmus gralli (P. gralli) infection. Aquatic snails from the exhibit’s water source were identified as Melanoides tuberculatus, a known vector for P. gralli. Comparison of partial sequences of DNA regions from P. gralli adults removed from the rheas and metacercariae from the aquatic snails demonstrated a 100% match, confirming the source of infection. The flock was divided into two treatment groups: the most severely affected rheas received both manual removal of trematodes and praziquantel 1% ointment OU q12 h and the least severely affected rheas were only given praziquantel 1% ointment OU q12 h. The rheas were permanently relocated away from the infected water source and aquatic snails. Initial resolution was seen at 17 weeks in the most severely affected rhea, which had 675 adult P. gralli removed and topical praziquantel. The two rheas that only received topical praziquantel showed resolution within 3 and 15 weeks. Current recommendations for treating P. gralli include: manual removal of trematodes, topical praziquantel 1% ointment, and relocation away from infected water sources and aquatic snails.
Bilateral testicular germ cell tumours: a systematic review
Authors: Zequi Stenio de Cassio , da Costa Walter Henriques , Santana Thiago B.M. , Favaretto Ricardo L. , Sacomani Carlos A.R. , Guimaraes Gustavo C. 
Published: March 2012

What's known on the subject? and What does the study add?Bilateral testicular germ cell tumours (BTGCTs) are rare neoplasms. Most previously published studies consist of case reports or small retrospective case series. Little is known about their epidemiological and clinicopathological characteristics.BTGCT corresponded to 1.82% of testicular tumours. Metachronous disease was about twice as frequent as synchronous disease. The primary tumour histology, chemotherapy use and the interval between metachronous tumours influenced the histology of the second tumour. Overall, synchronous tumours were associated with more advanced disease and presented less favourable survival rates than metachronous tumours.Testicular cancer is the most common tumour in young men. It is known that a second primary contralateral testis tumour may occur in up to 5% of men with a proior tumour. About 35% of these men present with synchronous tumours, and 65% present with metachronous tumours. However there is little data about bilateral testicular germ cell tumours (BTGCT) in the literature and the most published articles are case reports on a small series of men, which makes it difficult to draw conclusions about therapeutic strategies for the treatment of BTGCTs.In fact, current guidelines for the treatment of testicular cancer contain little information related to bilateral disease. Therefore, the aim of our study is to provide a broad overview of BTGCT and to update data focusing on incidence, pathological features, and clinical outcomes of men with BTGCTs. Thus, an extensive review containing 94 studies and more than 50,000 patients was conducted.
Global analysis of satellite tracking data shows that adult green turtles are significantly aggregated in Marine Protected Areas
Authors: Scott Rebecca , Hodgson David J. , Witt Matthew J. , Coyne Michael S. , Adnyana Windia , Blumenthal Janice M. , Broderick Annette C. , Canbolat Ali Fuat , Catry Paulo , Ciccione Stephane , Delcroix Eric , Hitipeuw Creusa , Luschi Paolo , Pet‐Soede L. , Pendoley Kellie , Richardson Peter B. , Rees Alan F. , Godley Brendan J. 
Published: March 2012

ABSTRACTAim  Tracking technologies are often proposed as a method to elucidate the complex migratory life histories of migratory marine vertebrates, allowing spatially explicit threats to be identified and mitigated. We conducted a global analysis of foraging areas of adult green turtles (Chelonia mydas) subject to satellite tracking (n= 145) and the conservation designation of these areas according to International Union for Conservation of Nature criteria.Location  The green turtle has a largely circumtropical distribution, with adults migrating up to thousands of kilometres between nesting beaches and foraging areas, typically in neritic seagrass or algal beds.Methods  We undertook an assessment of satellite tracking projects that followed the movements of green turtles in tropical and subtropical habitats. This approach was facilitated by the use of the Satellite Tracking and Analysis Tool (http://www.seaturtle.org) and the integration of publicly available data on Marine Protected Areas (MPAs).Results  We show that turtles aggregate in designated MPAs far more than would be expected by chance when considered globally (35% of all turtles were located within MPAs) or separately by ocean basin (Atlantic 67%, Indian 34%, Mediterranean 19%, Pacific 16%). Furthermore, we show that the size, level of protection and time of establishment of MPAs affects the likelihood of MPAs containing foraging turtles, highlighting the importance of large, well‐established reserves.Main conclusions  Our findings constitute compelling evidence of the world‐wide effectiveness of extant MPAs in circumscribing important foraging habitats for a marine megavertebrate.
The impact of Australian higher education policy changes on the production of PhDs in the field of accounting and finance
Authors: Heaney Richard , Evans Terry , Macauley Peter , Pearson Margot 
Published: March 2012

AbstractThis article examines the growth in accounting and finance PhD graduates across all Australian universities from 1965 to 2006. It investigates the impact of the major changes that were initiated in 1988 in higher education in Australia with the introduction of the Unified National Scheme (UNS) and, in 2002, with the Research Training Scheme (RTS). A data set of PhD thesis records provides data of actual PhD completions, as distinct from enrolments. Analyses show that both the number of accounting and finance PhD completions and the dispersion of these PhD completions across Australian universities increased from 1988 with the introduction of the UNS. There is also evidence that the proportion of accounting and finance–related PhD completions relative to total Australian PhD completions increased from 1988. While there is strong statistical support for the effect of the UNS on PhD completions, this is not the case for the more recent changes associated with the Research Training Scheme (RTS).
A Significance Cache for Accelerating Global Illumination
Authors: Bashford‐Rogers Thomas , Debattista Kurt , Chalmers Alan 
Published: March 2012

AbstractRendering using physically based methods requires substantial computational resources. Most methods that are physically based use straightforward techniques that may excessively compute certain types of light transport, while ignoring more important ones. Importance sampling is an effective and commonly used technique to reduce variance in such methods. Most current approaches for physically based rendering based on Monte Carlo methods sample the BRDF and cosine term, but are unable to sample the indirect illumination as this is the term that is being computed. Knowledge of the incoming illumination can be especially useful in the case of hard to find light paths, such as caustics or scenes which rely primarily on indirect illumination. To facilitate the determination of such paths, we propose a caching scheme which stores important directions, and is analytically sampled to calculate important paths. Results show an improvement over BRDF sampling and similar illumination importance sampling.
Theory! The Missing Link in Understanding the Performance of Neonate/Infant Home‐Visiting Programs to Prevent Child Maltreatment: A Systematic Review
Authors: SEGAL LEONIE , SARA OPIE RACHELLE , DALZIEL KIM 
Published: March 2012

Context: Home‐visiting programs have been offered for more than sixty years to at‐risk families of newborns and infants. But despite decades of experience with program delivery, more than sixty published controlled trials, and more than thirty published literature reviews, there is still uncertainty surrounding the performance of these programs. Our particular interest was the performance of home visiting in reducing child maltreatment.Methods: We developed a program logic framework to assist in understanding the neonate/infant home‐visiting literature, identified through a systematic literature review. We tested whether success could be explained by the logic model using descriptive synthesis and statistical analysis.Findings: Having a stated objective of reducing child maltreatment—a theory or mechanism of change underpinning the home‐visiting program consistent with the target population and their needs and program components that can deliver against the nominated theory of change—considerably increased the chance of success. We found that only seven of fifty‐three programs demonstrated such consistency, all of which had a statistically significant positive outcome, whereas of the fifteen that had no match, none was successful. Programs with a partial match had an intermediate success rate. The relationship between program success and full, partial or no match was statistically significant.Conclusions: Employing a theory‐driven approach provides a new way of understanding the disparate performance of neonate/infant home‐visiting programs. Employing a similar theory‐driven approach could also prove useful in the review of other programs that embody a diverse set of characteristics and may apply to diverse populations and settings. A program logic framework provides a rigorous approach to deriving policy‐relevant meaning from effectiveness evidence of complex programs. For neonate/infant home‐visiting programs, it means that in developing these programs, attention to consistency of objectives, theory of change, target population, and program components is critical.
FORGING A NEW LINK: LOLA RENNT AND TOM TYKWER'S CINEMATIC FOREBEARS
Authors: Littlejohn John 
Published: March 2012

ABSTRACT Lola rennt ranks high on any list of famous post‐Reunification German films. Several scholars and journalists have noted the great number of references Lola rennt makes to earlier cinema, for instance the works of Wenders or Hitchcock. The present article examines the film's allusions to the cinema of Krzysztof Kieślowski, Jean‐Luc Godard and Fritz Lang. This examination uncovers a chain of references between these three directors whose centrepoint is Godard's Le Mépris. By intertextually forging a new link on this chain of directors, Tykwer positions himself as their peer.Lola rennt ist einer der bekanntesten deutschen Filme der letzten zwanzig Jahre. Mehrere Journalisten und Akademiker merken, dass sich Lola rennt immer wieder auf frühere Filme bezieht, z.B. die von Wenders und Hitchcock. Dieser Artikel untersucht die vom Regisseur/Drehbuchautor Tom Tykwer inszenierten Anspielungen auf Werke von Krzysztof Kieślowski, Jean‐Luc Godard und Fritz Lang. Die Untersuchung enthüllt eine Kette von solchen Anspielungen, deren Mittelpunkt Godards Le Mépris ist. Lola rennt wird zu einem neuen Glied in dieser Kette. Dadurch schafft sich Tykwer eine eigene Stelle unter diesen früheren, berühmten Regisseuren.
Bayesian shared frailty models for regional inference about wildlife survival
Authors: Heisey D. M. 
Published: March 2012

Read the Feature Paper: Bayesian shared frailty models for regional inference about wildlife survivalOther Commentaries on this paper: Combining information in hierarchical models improves inferences in population ecology and demographic population analyses; ‘Each site has its own survival probability, but information is borrowed across sites to tell us about survival in each site’: random effects models as means of borrowing strength in survival studies of wild vertebratesResponse from the authors: ‘Exciting statistics’: the rapid development and promising future of hierarchical models for population ecology
Development and morphogenesis of human wrist joint during embryonic and early fetal period
Authors: Hita‐Contreras Fidel , Martínez‐Amat Antonio , Ortiz Raúl , Caba Octavio , Álvarez Pablo , Prados José C. , Lomas‐Vega Rafael , Aránega Antonia , Sánchez‐Montesinos Indalecio , Mérida‐Velasco Juan A. 
Published: March 2012

AbstractThe development of the human wrist joint has been studied widely, with the main focus on carpal chondrogenesis, ligaments and triangular fibrocartilage. However, there are some discrepancies concerning the origin and morphogenetic time‐table of these structures, including nerves, muscles and vascular elements. For this study we used serial sections of 57 human embryonic (n = 30) and fetal (n = 27) specimens from O’Rahilly stages 17–23 and 9–14 weeks, respectively. The following phases in carpal morphogenesis have been established: undifferentiated mesenchyme (stage 17), condensated mesenchyme (stages 18 and 19), pre‐chondrogenic (stages 19 and 20) and chondrogenic (stages 21 and over). Carpal chondrification and osteogenic processes are similar, starting with capitate and hamate (stage 19) and ending with pisiform (stage 22). In week 14, a vascular bud penetrates into the lunate cartilaginous mold, early sign of the osteogenic process that will be completed after birth. In stage 18, median, ulnar and radial nerves and thenar eminence appear in the hand plate. In stage 21, there are indications of the interosseous muscles, and in stage 22 flexor digitorum superficialis, flexor digitorum profundus and lumbrical muscles, transverse carpal ligament and collateral ligaments emerge. In stage 23, the articular disc, radiocarpal and ulnocarpal ligaments and deep palmar arterial arch become visible. Radiate carpal and interosseous ligaments appear in week 9, and in week 10, dorsal radiocarpal ligament and articular capsule are evident. Finally, synovial membrane is observed in week 13. We have performed a complete analysis of the morphogenesis of the structures of the human wrist joint. Our results present new data on nervous and arterial elements and provide the basis for further investigations on anatomical pathology, comparative morphology and evolutionary anthropology.
Mechanisms of calpain mediated proteolysis of voltage gated sodium channel α‐subunits following in vitro dynamic stretch injury
Authors: von Reyn Catherine R. , Mott Rosalind E. , Siman Robert , Smith Douglas H. , Meaney David F. 
Published: March 2012

J. Neurochem. (2012) 121, 793–805.AbstractAlthough enhanced calpain activity is well documented after traumatic brain injury (TBI), the pathways targeting specific substrate proteolysis are less defined. Our past work demonstrated that calpain cleaves voltage gated sodium channel (NaCh) α‐subunits in an in vitro TBI model. In this study, we investigated the pathways leading to NaCh cleavage utilizing our previously characterized in vitro TBI model, and determined the location of calpain activation within neuronal regions following stretch injury to micropatterned cultures. Calpain specific breakdown products of α‐spectrin appeared within axonal, dendritic, and somatic regions 6 h after injury, concurrent with the appearance of NaCh α‐subunit proteolysis in both whole cell or enriched axonal preparations. Direct pharmacological activation of either NMDA receptors (NMDArs) or NaChs resulted in NaCh proteolysis. Likewise, a chronic (6 h) dual inhibition of NMDArs/NaChs but not L‐type voltage gated calcium channels significantly reduced NaCh proteolysis 6 h after mechanical injury. Interestingly, an early, transient (30 min) inhibition of NMDArs alone significantly reduced NaCh proteolysis. Although a chronic inhibition of calpain significantly reduced proteolysis, a transient inhibition of calpain immediately after injury failed to significantly attenuate NaCh proteolysis. These data suggest that both NMDArs and NaChs are key contributors to calpain activation after mechanical injury, and that a larger temporal window of sustained calpain activation needs consideration in developing effective treatments for TBI.
Nerve injury increases brain‐derived neurotrophic factor levels to suppress BK channel activity in primary sensory neurons
Authors: Cao Xue‐Hong , Chen Shao‐Rui , Li Li , Pan Hui‐Lin 
Published: March 2012

J. Neurochem. (2012) 121, 944–953.AbstractAbnormal hyperexcitability of primary sensory neurons contributes to neuropathic pain development after nerve injury. Nerve injury profoundly reduces the expression of big conductance Ca2+ ‐activated K+ (BK) channels in the dorsal root ganglion (DRG). However, little is known about how nerve injury affects BK channel activity in DRG neurons. In this study, we determined the changes in BK channel activity in DRG neurons in a rat model of neuropathic pain and the contribution of brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) to reduced BK channel activity. The BK channel activity was present predominantly in small and medium DRG neurons, and ligation of L5 and L6 spinal nerves profoundly decreased the BK current density in these neurons. Blocking BK channels significantly increased neuronal excitability in sham control, but not in nerve‐injured, rats. The BDNF concentration in the DRG was significantly greater in nerve‐injured rats than in control rats. BDNF treatment largely reduced BK currents in DRG neurons in control rats, which was blocked by either anti‐BDNF antibody or K252a, a Trk receptor inhibitor. Furthermore, either anti‐BDNF antibody or K252a reversed reduction in BK currents in injured DRG neurons. BDNF treatment reduced the mRNA levels of BKα1 subunit in DRG neurons, and anti‐BDNF antibody attenuated the reduction in the BKα1 mRNA level in injured DRG neurons. These findings suggest that nerve injury primarily diminishes the BK channel activity in small and medium DRG neurons. Increased BDNF levels contribute to reduced BK channel activity in DRG neurons through epigenetic and transcriptional mechanisms in neuropathic pain.
Remodeling of ventricular repolarization in a chronic doxorubicin cardiotoxicity rat model
Authors: Kharin Sergey , Krandycheva Valeria , Tsvetkova Alena , Strelkova Marina , Shmakov Dmitry 
Published: March 2012

AbstractDoxorubicin, one of the most effective anticancer drugs, is characterized by severe cardiotoxic effects, which induce cardiac remodeling and congestive heart failure. The aim of the study was to evaluate remodeling of ventricular repolarization heterogeneity in chronic doxorubicin cardiotoxicity in rats. Doxorubicin cardiotoxicity was produced by six equal intraperitoneal injections of the drug in a cumulative dose of 15 mg/kg in a 2‐week period. Electrophysiological mapping of the ventricular epicardium in situ was performed 6 weeks after the last injection of doxorubicin. Activation–recovery intervals (ARIs) were used for the evaluation of the heterogeneity in repolarization durations. The major findings were as follows: (1) ARIs on the ventricular epicardium of both ventricles were significantly prolonged in the doxorubicin group and (2) this inhomogeneous prolongation of ARIs on the ventricular epicardium resulted in (i) the increase in the dispersion of repolarization across the ventricular epicardium and (ii) the inhomogeneous alterations of the regional ARI gradients on the ventricular epicardium. These changes in repolarization could explain the electrocardiographic alterations, that is, the prolongation of the QT interval and flattening of the T wave.
Returns to growth in a nonparametric DEA approach
Authors: Sahoo Biresh K. , Kerstens Kristiaan , Tone Kaoru 
Published: March 2012

AbstractIn this contribution, first the concept of returns to growth (RTG) of a high‐tech firm facing hyper‐competition in the new economy is introduced by describing a proportional relationship between growth in inputs and growth in outputs using the growth efficiency (GE) model of Sengupta. Second, both technology‐ and value‐based methods are suggested for estimating the RTG behavior of high‐tech firms. Third, although the GE concept seems closely related to the notion of total factor productivity change, this link remains unexplored: we suggest a link between both concepts. Finally, our empirical application to the Indian computer industry reveals that first, companies operating under increasing returns to scale (RTS) may exhibit constant or decreasing RTG; second, companies showing constant RTS may exhibit increasing or decreasing RTG; and third, companies showing decreasing RTS may exhibit constant or increasing RTG. These findings imply that RTS estimates need not provide proper information regarding the growth strategy behavior of high‐tech companies.
A normal copula model for the arrival process in a call center
Authors: Channouf Nabil , L'Ecuyer Pierre 
Published: March 2012

AbstractWe propose and examine a probabilistic model for the multivariate distribution of the number of calls in each period of the day (e.g., 15 or 30 min) in a call center, where the marginal distribution of the number of calls in any given period is arbitrary, and the dependence between the periods is modeled via a normal copula. Conditional on the number of calls in a period, their arrival times are independent and uniformly distributed over the period. This type of model has the advantage of being simple and reasonably flexible, and can match the correlations between the arrival counts in different periods much better than previously proposed models. For the situation where the number of periods is large, so the number of correlations to estimate can be excessive, we propose simple parametric forms for the correlations, defined as functions of the time lag between the periods. We test our proposed models on three data sets taken from real‐life call centers and compare their goodness of fit to the best previously proposed methods that we know. In the three cases, the new models provide a much better match of the correlations and coefficients of variation of the arrival counts in individual periods.
Data for the Carbon Footprinting of Rendering Operations
Authors: Gooding Charles H. 
Published: March 2012

SummaryThis article presents a tool and data for calculation of the carbon footprint of rendering operations in North America, quantifying Scope 1 (direct) and Scope 2 (indirect) greenhouse gas emissions. Scope 3 (life cycle) emissions are not included.According to the sample data, in one year an average‐size rendering plant in North America processes 100,000 tonnes (t) of meat by‐products, fallen animals, and restaurant grease and produces 40,000 t of marketable fats and proteins. A plant of this size emits directly about 20,000 t of carbon dioxide (CO2), mostly by burning fuels to operate cookers that destroy pathogens, drive off moisture, and separate the fat and protein. Another 4,000 t of CO2 is emitted by utility companies to provide electricity for the rendering process. These direct and indirect emissions are equivalent to about 30% of the CO2 that would be released if all of the carbon in the rendered raw material were decomposed into CO2.