bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Genetic association studies in VLBW infants exemplifying susceptibility to sepsis—recent findings and implications for future research
Authors: Härtel Christoph , Schultz Christian , Herting Egbert , Göpel Wolfgang 
Published: April 2008

AbstractContext: In recent years, tremendous effort has been carried out to study the genetic basis of susceptibility to development, progression and severity of complex diseases and response to therapy. The ultimate goal of these investigations is to find new tools for prevention and treatment of these complex diseases, such as sepsis in very‐low‐birth‐weight (VLBW) infants. VLBW cohorts have a restricted clinical risk profile for the development of sepsis including immaturity of immune functions and antenatal/perinatal risk factors but also a significant event rate of sepsis within a short period of observational time. Therefore, prospective VLBW cohorts are advantageous for the investigation of candidate genetic risk factors of sepsis compared to adult cohorts. Furthermore, environmental factors are much better documented and highly controlled for VLBW infants in a standardized NICU setting compared to adult cohorts which are influenced by a variety of environmental risk factors, e.g. habits and comorbidities.Objective: The aim of this review is to discuss the value and limitations of genetic association studies in VLBW infant cohorts exemplifying recent findings for genetic susceptibility to neonatal sepsis.Data source: Published Medline articles reporting on studies of associations between genetic polymorphisms, neonatal sepsis and septic shock in VLBW infants.Conclusions: Up‐to‐date, the classical approach to investigate the genetic component of susceptibility to sepsis in VLBW infants by means of twin and concordance studies has not been implemented yet. Regarding the interpretation of data from current genetic association studies, one should be aware of significant differences in cohort size, study design and definition of cases, controls and clinical end points. Furthermore, the contribution of genetic variants to susceptibility to sepsis may be specifically influenced by the immaturity of the immune response in VLBW infants, the selectivity of responsiveness to certain pathogens and the genotopyic/phenotypic variability of pathogens. We provide implications for the conduct and evaluation of future association studies with particular reference to methodological quality standards.
Haemolysis alters plasma flecainide levels in newborn infants
Authors: Vento M , Tudela B Fernández , Escrig R , Sáenz P , Sánchez A , Cano A 
Published: April 2008

AbstractRefractory neonatal supra‐ventricular tachycardia may require the use of flecainide as anti‐arrhythmic. Close control of plasma levels is mandatory due to pro‐arrhythmic complications. However, inadvertent hemolysis during blood sampling may cause an increase in measured plasma flecainide concentrations. We conclude, therefore, that dosing of the drug should be always done with caution, and in case of suspected haemolysis plasma levels should be repeated with a new blood sample.
Nasal CPAP has become an indispensable part of the primary treatment of newborns with respiratory distress syndrome
Authors: Verder Henrik 
Published: April 2008

AbstractPrenatal steroids, early nasal CPAP combined with early surfactant treatment followed by extubation to nasal CPAP, and if necessary mechanical ventilation is a very effective treatment of respiratory distress syndrome. This treatment package is part of the ‘Scandinavian model’ for treatment of very‐low‐birthweight infants which also comprises gentle ventilation at birth; minimal handling; ‘neonatal individualized development care and assessment program’; high priority of breast feeding; and use of kangaroo method and which facilitates observation and nursing of sick premature infants and optimizes the possibility for early mother–child contact.The incidence of bronchopulmonary dysplasia seems to be less of a problem in centres preferring nasal CPAP as the primary treatment for respiratory distress syndrome.
The Question of Socialist Writing and Sylvia Townsend Warner in the Thirties
Authors: Ewins Kristin 
Published: April 2008

Abstract This essay was runner‐up in the 2007

Literature Compass

Graduate Essay Prize, Twentieth Century & Contemporary Section. The 1930s was a time of crisis, ideological extremism and impending war. Few writers remained untouched by the political turmoil following the Great Depression in the West and Hitler's rise to power in 1933. The impulse of authors to involve themselves in politics at this time is suggested by the high number of radical and conservative periodicals flourishing in the 1930s. There also emerged divisive debate on the role of writers in shaping contemporary politics, battled out in a steady stream of international conferences. This article introduces one such controversy: the hostile debate between proponents of socialist writing and modernism culminating in the notorious Writers’ Congress in Moscow in 1934. I then look in more detail at how one Communist writer, Sylvia Townsend Warner, negotiated such debate in her journalism and literary writing: a regular contributor to the left‐wing journal Left Review, Warner provides an illustrative example of a writer who bridged the gulf between ideas of writing as a purely political or aesthetic form of expression.
Growing Economic Interdependence of China and the Gulf Cooperation Council
Authors: Thorpe Michael , Mitra Sumit 
Published: April 2008

AbstractThe six nations of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) have approximately 40 percent of total proven oil reserves as well as 23 percent of the world's gas reserves. Although rising oil revenues have led to greater outward investment flows, there is also a growing need for significant expansion of the domestic energy sector's capacity. Meanwhile, China's sustained economic boom has resulted in China emerging as the world's second largest consumer and importer of oil, with close to 40 percent of its import demand presently sourced from the GCC. This share will grow significantly in the future. Commercial relations between the GCC and China have to date been dominated by energy‐related bilateral investment flows and China's oil imports. Although this will continue to be a central feature, trade and investment links in non‐energy areas will further broaden and deepen the relationship. China's relationship with the USA in terms of energy is also emerging as a major issue. Rather than being competitors, a mutual dependence on stable and secure supplies from the GCC highlights the need for a cooperative relationship.
Evolutionary consequences of fishing and their implications for salmon
Authors: Hard Jeffrey J. , Gross Mart R. , Heino Mikko , Hilborn Ray , Kope Robert G. , Law Richard , Reynolds John D. 
Published: April 2008

AbstractWe review the evidence for fisheries‐induced evolution in anadromous salmonids. Salmon are exposed to a variety of fishing gears and intensities as immature or maturing individuals. We evaluate the evidence that fishing is causing evolutionary changes to traits including body size, migration timing and age of maturation, and we discuss the implications for fisheries and conservation. Few studies have fully evaluated the ingredients of fisheries‐induced evolution: selection intensity, genetic variability, correlation among traits under selection, and response to selection. Most studies are limited in their ability to separate genetic responses from phenotypic plasticity, and environmental change complicates interpretation. However, strong evidence for selection intensity and for genetic variability in salmon fitness traits indicates that fishing can cause detectable evolution within ten or fewer generations. Evolutionary issues are therefore meaningful considerations in salmon fishery management. Evolutionary biologists have rarely been involved in the development of salmon fishing policy, yet evolutionary biology is relevant to the long‐term success of fisheries. Future management might consider fishing policy to (i) allow experimental testing of evolutionary responses to exploitation and (ii) improve the long‐term sustainability of the fishery by mitigating unfavorable evolutionary responses to fishing. We provide suggestions for how this might be done.
Fitness of hatchery‐reared salmonids in the wild
Authors: Araki Hitoshi , Berejikian Barry A. , Ford Michael J. , Blouin Michael S. 
Published: April 2008

AbstractAccumulating data indicate that hatchery fish have lower fitness in natural environments than wild fish. This fitness decline can occur very quickly, sometimes following only one or two generations of captive rearing. In this review, we summarize existing data on the fitness of hatchery fish in the wild, and we investigate the conditions under which rapid fitness declines can occur. The summary of studies to date suggests: nonlocal hatchery stocks consistently reproduce very poorly in the wild; hatchery stocks that use wild, local fish for captive propagation generally perform better than nonlocal stocks, but often worse than wild fish. However, the data above are from a limited number of studies and species, and more studies are needed before one can generalize further. We used a simple quantitative genetic model to evaluate whether domestication selection is a sufficient explanation for some observed rapid fitness declines. We show that if selection acts on a single trait, such rapid effects can be explained only when selection is very strong, both in captivity and in the wild, and when the heritability of the trait under selection is high. If selection acts on multiple traits throughout the life cycle, rapid fitness declines are plausible.
Potential responses to climate change in organisms with complex life histories: evolution and plasticity in Pacific salmon
Authors: Crozier L. G. , Hendry A. P. , Lawson P. W. , Quinn T. P. , Mantua N. J. , Battin J. , Shaw R. G. , Huey R. B. 
Published: April 2008

AbstractSalmon life histories are finely tuned to local environmental conditions, which are intimately linked to climate. We summarize the likely impacts of climate change on the physical environment of salmon in the Pacific Northwest and discuss the potential evolutionary consequences of these changes, with particular reference to Columbia River Basin spring/summer Chinook (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) and sockeye (Oncorhynchus nerka) salmon. We discuss the possible evolutionary responses in migration and spawning date egg and juvenile growth and development rates, thermal tolerance, and disease resistance. We know little about ocean migration pathways, so cannot confidently suggest the potential changes in this life stage. Climate change might produce conflicting selection pressures in different life stages, which will interact with plastic (i.e. nongenetic) changes in various ways. To clarify these interactions, we present a conceptual model of how changing environmental conditions shift phenotypic optima and, through plastic responses, phenotype distributions, affecting the force of selection. Our predictions are tentative because we lack data on the strength of selection, heritability, and ecological and genetic linkages among many of the traits discussed here. Despite the challenges involved in experimental manipulation of species with complex life histories, such research is essential for full appreciation of the biological effects of climate change.
Heat Transfer and Thermal Stress Analysis of an Optoelectronic
Package
Authors: Stack J. G. , Acarlar M. S. 
Published: April 2008

Abstract
The reliability and life of an Optical Data Link transmitter are inversely related to the temperature of the LED. It is therefore critical to have efficient packaging from the point of view of thermal management. For the ODL® 200H devices, it is also necessary to ensure that all package seals remain hermetic throughout the stringent military temperature range requirements of −65 to +150°C. For these devices, finite element analysis was used to study both the thermal paths due to LED power dissipation and the thermally induced stresses in the hermetic joints due to ambient temperature changes
Influence of Discrete Heat Source Location on Natural Convection Heat
Transfer in a Vertical Square Enclosure
Authors: Refai Ahmed G. , Yovanovich M. M. 
Published: April 2008

Abstract
A numerical study is carried out to investigate the influence of discrete heat sources on natural convection heat transfer in a square enclosure filled with air. The enclosure has two vertical boundaries of height H; one of them is cooled at Tc and the other has discrete heat sources [isoflux (q = c) or isothermal (Th = c)]. The enclosure has two horizontal adiabatic boundaries of length L. Results are reported for 0 ≤ Ra ≤ 106, Pr = 0.72, A = 1, aspect ratio ε, the relative size of the heat source to the total height, lies in the range 0.25 ≤ ε ≤ 1 and the discrete heat sources are located at the top or the bottom of the enclosure. Verification of numerical results is obtained at Ra = 0 (conduction limit) with analytical conduction solutions. In addition, a comparison with experimental and numerical data is made which also shows good agreement. The relationships between both Nu, ΔNu (change of thermal conductance) and Ra based on scale length (the size of the heat source S divided by the aspect ratio A) are also investigated here. A relationship Nu and Ra, based on scale length obtained from analytical solutions is correlated as Nu = Nu(Ra, ε). In addition, extrapolation correlations of Nu over the very high range of Rayleigh numbers (Ra ≥ 108) are developed.
Heat Transfer Study of Staggered Thin Rectangular Blocks in a Channel
Flow
Authors: Chen Ching Jen , Bravo Ramiro H. 
Published: April 2008

Abstract
In this study, fluid flow and heat transfer in two-dimensional staggered thin rectangular blocks in a channel flow heat exchanger is analyzed by the Finite Analytic Numerical Method. The heat exchanger consists of four staggered thin rectangular blocks at temperature T1 placed inside a channel which is formed by two plates maintained at constant temperature T0. The fluid is considered to be incompressible and the flow laminar. Flow and heat transfer from the inlet of the heat exchanger to the outlet are simulated by solving Navier-Stokes and energy equations. Results were obtained for different block spacing and different size of the blocks. Computations were made for Reynolds numbers 100, 500, and 1,000, and Prandtl numbers 0.7 and 4.0. The results are presented in the form of velocity vector fields, isotherms, and local and global Nusselt numbers. The characteristics of the heat transfer and pressure drop in different block size and block separation are analyzed. The optimal length of separation between thin blocks and the optimal block length for maximum heat transfer are determined.
Mixed Convective Heat Transfer From a Simulated Microchip to Liquid
Flows in a Horizontal Rectangular Channel
Authors: Chin Y. , Ma C. F. , Gu X. Q. , Xu L. 
Published: April 2008

Abstract
Mixed convection from a small heater (5mm × 5mm) to liquid flows in a horizontal rectangular channel is investigated experimentally. The results of three cases in which the buoyancy is normal to the liquid flow directions — hot surface facing upward, facing downward and vertically attached to one wall of the channel — are presented. Correlations are also provided to predict the mixed convective effects in the range 100 &lt; ReL &lt; 4000. The results demonstrated that both the Reynolds number ReL and the modified Rayleigh number RaL* pronouncedly dominate the heat transfer process. In all of the above cases, heat transfer was enhanced over that of forced convection.
Forward‐planning intensity‐modulated radiotherapy technique for prostate cancer
Authors: Metwaly Mohamed , Awaad Awaad Mousa , El‐Sayed El‐Sayed Mahmoud , Sallam Abdel Sattar Mohamed 
Published: April 2008

In this study, we present an intensity‐modulated radiotherapy technique based on forward planning dose calculations to provide a concave dose distribution to the prostate and seminal vesicles by means of modified dynamic arc therapy (M‐DAT). Dynamic arcs (350 degrees) conforming to the beam's eye view of the prostate and seminal vesicles while shielding the rectum, combined with two lateral oblique conformal fields (15 degrees with respect to laterals) fitting the prostate only, were applied to deliver doses of 78 Gy and 61.23 Gy in 39 fractions to the prostate and seminal vesicles respectively. Dynamic wedges (45 degrees of thick end, anteriorly oriented) were used with conformal beams to adjust the dose homogeneity to the prostate, although in some cases, hard wedges (30 degrees of thick part, inferiorly oriented) were used with arcs to adjust the dose coverage to the seminal vesicles. The M‐DAT was applied to 10 patients in supine and 10 patients in prone positioning to determine the proper patient positioning for optimum protection of the rectum. The M‐DAT was compared with the simplified intensity‐modulated arc therapy (SIMAT) technique, composed of three phases of bilateral dynamic arcs. The mean rectal dose in M‐DAT for prone patients was Gy; in M‐DAT and SIMAT for supine patients, it was Gy and Gy respectively. The doses to 15%, 25%, 35%, and 50% of the rectum volume in M‐DAT for prone patients were Gy, Gy, Gy, and Gy respectively. These values were lower than those in M‐DAT and in SIMAT for supine patients by 7.7%, 18.2%, 22.4%, and 28.5% and by 25.0%, 32.1%, 34.9%, and 41.9% of the prescribed dose (78 Gy) respectively. Ion chamber measurements showed good agreement of the calculated and measured isocentric dose (maximum deviation of 3.5%). Accuracy of the dose distribution calculation was evaluated by film dosimetry using a gamma index, allowing 3% dose variation and 4 mm distance to agreement as the individual acceptance criteria in prostate and seminal vesicle levels alike for all supine and prone patients. We found that fewer than 10% of the pixels in the dose distribution of the calculated area of failed the acceptance criteria. These pixels were observed mainly in the low‐dose regions, particularly at the level of the seminal vesicles.In conclusion, the single‐phase M‐DAT technique with patients in the prone position was found to provide the intended coverage of the prescribed doses to the prostate and seminal vesicles with improved protection for the rectum. Accordingly, M‐DAT has replaced non‐modulated conformal radiotherapy or SIMAT as the standard treatment for prostate cancer in our department.PACS number: 87.53.Tf
Three‐dimensional quantitative dose reduction analysis in MammoSite balloon by Monte Carlo calculations
Authors: Zhang Zhengdong , Parsai E. Ishmael , Feldmeier John J. 
Published: April 2008

Current treatment planning systems (TPSs) for partial breast irradiation using the MammoSite brachytherapy applicator (Cytyc Corporation, Marlborough, MA) often neglect the effect of inhomogeneity, leading to potential inaccuracies in dose distributions. Previous publications either have studied only a planar dose perturbation along the bisector of the source or have paid little attention to the anisotropy effect of the system. In the present study, we investigated the attenuation‐corrected radial dose and anisotropy functions in a form parallel to the updated American Association of Physicists in Medicine TG‐43 formalism. This work quantitatively delineates the inaccuracies in dose distributions in three‐dimensional space. Monte Carlo N‐particle transport code simulations in coupled photon–electron transport were used to quantify the changes in dose deposition and distribution caused by the increased attenuation coefficient of iodine‐based contrast solution. The source geometry was that of the VariSource wire model VS2000 (Varian Medical Systems, Palo Alto, CA). The concentration of the iodine‐based solution was varied from 5% to 25% by volume, a range recommended by the balloon's manufacturer. Balloon diameters of 4, 5, and 6 cm were simulated. Dose rates at the typical prescription line (1 cm away from the balloon surface) were determined for various polar angles. The computations showed that the dose rate reduction throughout the entire region of interest ranged from 0.64% for the smallest balloon diameter and contrast concentration to 6.17% for the largest balloon diameter and contrast concentration. The corrected radial dose function has a predominant influence on dose reduction, but the corrected anisotropy functions explain only the effect at the MammoSite system poles. By applying the corrected radial dose and anisotropy functions to TPSs, the attenuation effect can be reduced to the minimum.PACS number: 87.53.‐j
Clinical assessment and characterization of a dual‐tube kilovoltage X‐ray localization system in the radiotherapy treatment room
Authors: Lee Sung‐Woo , Jin Jian‐Yue , Guan Huaiqun , Martin Flavious , Kim Jae Ho , Yin Fang‐Fang 
Published: April 2008

Although flat‐panel kilovoltage X‐ray imaging devices have been well tested for clinical use in diagnostic radiology, their use as a part of an image‐guided radiation therapy (IGRT) system in a treatment room is new and requires systematic assessment.We used the Novalis IGRT system (BrainLAB, Feldkirchen, Germany) for the present study. The system consists of two floor‐mounted kilovoltage X‐ray tubes projecting obliquely onto two flat‐panel detectors mounted on the ceiling. The system can automatically fuse two‐dimensional localization images with three‐dimensional simulation computed tomography images to provide positioning guidance. We evaluated these system parameters:

Overall performance of the IGRT system, including isocenter correlation between the IGRT system and the linear accelerator (LINAC)
Image quality of the system
Exposure received by patients for a pair of images
Linearity, uniformity, and repeatability of the system
The Novalis system uses a daily isocenter calibration procedure to ensure consistency of isocenters between the IGRT and the LINAC systems. The localization accuracy was about 1 mm. We measured the relative modulation transfer function (RMTF) to quantify the spatial resolution of the imaging device, with being 0.7 – 0.9 line pairs per millimeter. The maximal exposure of an image was 95 mR. We derived an empirical relationship between the exposure and the X‐ray technical settings. The other parameters of the system were quantitatively measured and generally met the requirements.The IGRT system is safe and reliable for clinical use as a target localization device. The measured data can be used as a benchmark for a quality assurance procedure.PACS number: 87.56‐v
Human rights and bioethics
Authors: Barilan Y M , Brusa M 
Published: April 2008

In the first part of this article we survey the concept of human rights from a philosophical perspective and especially in relation to the “right to healthcare”. It is argued that regardless of meta-ethical debates on the nature of rights, the ethos and language of moral deliberation associated with human rights is indispensable to any ethics that places the victim and the sufferer in its centre.In the second part we discuss the rise of the “right to privacy”, particularly in the USA, as an attempt to make the element of personal free will dominate over the element of basic human interest within the structure of rights and when different rights seem to conflict.We conclude by discussing the relationship of human rights with moral values beyond the realm of rights, mainly human dignity, free will, human rationality and response to basic human needs.