Citation analysis of faculty publication: beyond Science Citation Index and Social Science Citation Index.

When evaluated for promotion or tenure, faculty members are increasingly judged more on the quality than on the quantity of their scholarly publications. As a result, they want help from librarians in locating all citations to their published works for documentation in their curriculum vitae. Citation analysis using Science Citation Index and Social Science Citation Index provides a logical starting point in measuring quality, but the limitations of these sources leave a void in coverage of citations to an author's work. This article discusses alternative and additional methods of locating citations to published works.

Kelp Forest Ecosystems: Biodiversity, Stability, Resilience and Future

Kelp forests are phyletically diverse, structurally complex and highly productive components of cold-water rocky marine coastlines. This paper reviews the conditions in which kelp forests develop globally and where, why and at what rate they become deforested. The ecology and long archaeological history of kelp forests are examined through case studies from southern California, the Aleutian Islands and the western North Atlantic, well-studied locations that represent the widest possible range in kelp forest biodiversity. Global distribution of kelp forests is physiologically constrained by light at high latitudes and by nutrients, warm temperatures and other macrophytes at low latitudes. Within mid-latitude belts (roughly 40-60degrees latitude in both hemispheres) well-developed kelp forests are most threatened by herbivory, usually from sea urchins. Overfishing and extirpation of highly valued vertebrate apex predators often triggered herbivore population increases, leading to widespread kelp deforestation. Such deforestations have the most profound and lasting impacts on species-depauperate systems, such as those in Alaska and the western North Atlantic. Globally urchin-induced deforestation has been increasing over the past 2-3 decades. Continued fishing down of coastal food webs has resulted in shifting harvesting targets from apex predators to their invertebrate prey, including kelp-grazing herbivores. The recent global expansion of sea urchin harvesting has led to the widespread extirpation of this herbivore, and kelp forests have returned in some locations but, for the first time, these forests are devoid of vertebrate apex predators. In the western North Atlantic, large predatory crabs have recently filled this void and they have become the new apex predator in this system. Similar shifts from fish- to crab-dominance may have occurred in coastal zones of the United Kingdom and Japan, where large predatory finfish were extirpated long ago. Three North American case studies of kelp forests were examined to determine their long history with humans and project the status of future kelp forests to the year 2025. Fishing impacts on kelp forest systems have been both profound and much longer in duration than previously thought. Archaeological data suggest that coastal peoples exploited kelp forest organisms for thousands of years, occasionally resulting in localized losses of apex predators, outbreaks of sea urchin populations and probably small-scale deforestation. Over the past two centuries, commercial exploitation for export led to the extirpation of sea urchin predators, such as the sea otter in the North Pacific and predatory fishes like the cod in the North Atlantic. The largescale removal of predators for export markets increased sea urchin abundances and promoted the decline of kelp forests over vast areas. Despite southern California having one of the longest known associations with coastal kelp forests, widespread deforestation is rare. It is possible that functional redundancies among predators and herbivores make this most diverse system most stable. Such biodiverse kelp forests may also resist invasion from non-native species. In the species-depauperate western North Atlantic, introduced algal competitors carpet the benthos and threaten future kelp dominance. There, other non-native herbivores and predators have become established and dominant components of this system. Climate changes have had measurable impacts on kelp forest ecosystems and efforts to control the emission of greenhouse gasses should be a global priority. However, overfishing appears to be the greatest manageable threat to kelp forest ecosystems over the 2025 time horizon. Management should focus on minimizing fishing impacts and restoring populations of functionally important species in these systems.

Stratification and compartmentalisation of immunoglobulin responses to commensal intestinal microbes

The gastrointestinal tract is heavily colonized with commensal microbes with the concentration of bacteria increasing longitudinally down the length of the intestine. Bacteria are also spatially distributed transversely from the epithelial surface to the intestinal lumen with the inner mucus layer normally void of bacteria. Maintenance of this equilibrium is extremely important for human health and, as the dominant immunoglobulin at mucosal sites, IgA influences mutualism between the host and its normal microbiota. In this review we focus on the links between immune and microbial geography of the mammalian intestinal tract.

Protocol for a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind clinical trial investigating sacral neuromodulation for neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction

BACKGROUND Sacral neuromodulation has become a well-established and widely accepted treatment for refractory non-neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction, but its value in patients with a neurological cause is unclear. Although there is evidence indicating that sacral neuromodulation may be effective and safe for treating neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction, the number of investigated patients is low and there is a lack of randomized controlled trials. METHODS AND DESIGN This study is a prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind multicenter trial including 4 sacral neuromodulation referral centers in Switzerland. Patients with refractory neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction are enrolled. After minimally invasive bilateral tined lead placement into the sacral foramina S3 and/or S4, patients undergo prolonged sacral neuromodulation testing for 3-6 weeks. In case of successful (defined as improvement of at least 50% in key bladder diary variables (i.e. number of voids and/or number of leakages, post void residual) compared to baseline values) prolonged sacral neuromodulation testing, the neuromodulator is implanted in the upper buttock. After a 2 months post-implantation phase when the neuromodulator is turned ON to optimize the effectiveness of neuromodulation using sub-sensory threshold stimulation, the patients are randomized in a 1:1 allocation in sacral neuromodulation ON or OFF. At the end of the 2 months double-blind sacral neuromodulation phase, the patients have a neuro-urological re-evaluation, unblinding takes place, and the neuromodulator is turned ON in all patients. The primary outcome measure is success of sacral neuromodulation, secondary outcome measures are adverse events, urodynamic parameters, questionnaires, and costs of sacral neuromodulation. DISCUSSION It is of utmost importance to know whether the minimally invasive and completely reversible sacral neuromodulation would be a valuable treatment option for patients with refractory neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction. If this type of treatment is effective in the neurological population, it would revolutionize the management of neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction. TRIAL REGISTRATION TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER http://www.clinicaltrials.gov; Identifier: NCT02165774.

Bladder function in patients with dystonia undergoing deep brain stimulation

INTRODUCTION Neurogenic bladder dysfunction is well described in Parkinson's disease and has a major impact on quality of live. In contrast, little is known about the extent of urinary symptoms in other movement disorders such as dystonia and about the role of the basal ganglia in bladder control.. PATIENTS AND METHODS A consecutive series of 11 patients with severe dystonia undergoing deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the globus pallidus internus was prospectively enrolled. Bladder function was assessed by the International Prostate Symptom Score and urodynamic investigation (UDI) before DBS surgery and afterwards in the conditions with and without DBS. RESULTS In UDI before DBS surgery, detrusor overactivity was found in 36% (4/11) of dystonia patients. With pallidal DBS ON, maximum flow rate significantly decreased, post-void residual significantly increased and detrusor overactivity disappeared.. CONCLUSIONS Pathological urodynamic changes can be found in a relevant percentage of dystonia patients. Pallidal DBS has a relaxing effect on detrusor function indicating a role of the basal ganglia in lower urinary tract control. Thus, a better understanding on how subcortical networks influence lower urinary tract function might open new therapeutic perspectives..

Institutions and coalitions in policy processes: a cross-sectoral comparison

Actors with joint beliefs in a decision-making process form coalitions in order to translate their goals into policy. Yet, coalitions are not formed in an institutional void, but rather institutions confer opportunities and constraints to actors. This paper studies the institutional conditions under which either coalition structures with a dominant coalition or with competing coalitions emerge. It takes into account three conditions, i.e. the degree of federalism of a project, its degree of Europeanisation and the openness of the pre-parliamentary phase of the decision-making process. The cross-sectoral comparison includes the 11 most important decision-making processes in Switzerland between 2001 and 2006 with a fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis. Results suggest that Europeanisation or an open pre-parliamentary phase lead to a dominant coalition, whereas only a specific combination of all three conditions is able to explain a structure with competing coalitions.

Influence of Gilbert's syndrome on the formation of ethyl glucuronide.

A drinking experiment with participants suffering from Gilbert's syndrome was performed to study the possible influence of this glucuronidation disorder on the formation of ethyl glucuronide (EtG). Gilbert's syndrome is a rather common and, in most cases, asymptomatic congenital metabolic aberration with a prevalence of about 5 %. It is characterized by a reduction of the enzyme activity of the uridine diphosphate glucuronosyltransferase (UGT) isoform 1A1 up to 80 %. One of the glucuronidation products is EtG, which is formed in the organism following exposure to ethanol. EtG is used as a short-term marker for ethyl alcohol consumption to prove abstinence in various settings. After 2 days of abstinence from ethanol and giving a void urine sample, 30 study participants drank 0.1 L of sparkling wine (9 g ethanol). 3, 6, 12, and 24 h after drinking, urine samples were collected. 3 hours after drinking, an additional blood sample was taken, in which liver enzyme activities, ethanol, hematological parameters, and bilirubin were measured. EtG and ethyl sulfate (EtS), another short-term marker of ethanol consumption, were determined in the urine samples using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS); creatinine was measured photometrically. In all participants, EtG and EtS were detected in concentrations showing a wide range (EtG: 3 h sample 0.5-18.43 mg/L and 6 h sample 0.67-13.8 mg/L; EtS: 3 h sample 0.87-6.87 mg/L and 6 h sample 0.29-4.48 mg/L). No evidence of impaired EtG formation was found. Thus, EtG seems to be a suitable marker for ethanol consumption even in individuals with Gilbert's syndrome.

Orthotopic Ileal Bladder Substitution in Women: Factors Influencing Urinary Incontinence and Hypercontinence.

BACKGROUND Urinary incontinence or the inability to void spontaneously after ileal orthotopic bladder substitution is a frequent finding in female patients. OBJECTIVE To evaluate how hysterectomy and nerve sparing affect functional outcomes and whether these relate to pre- and postoperative urethral pressure profile (UPP) results. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS Prospectively performed pre- and postoperative UPPs of 73 female patients who had undergone cystectomy and bladder substitution were correlated with postoperative voiding and continence status. OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS AND STATISTICAL ANALYSIS Outcome analyses were performed with the Kruskal-Wallis test, Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney, or two-group post hoc testing with the Bonferroni correction. Chi-square or Fisher exact tests were applied for the categorical data. RESULTS AND LIMITATIONS Of postoperatively continent or hypercontinent patients, 22 of 43 (51.2%) had the uterus preserved; of incontinent patients, only 4 of 30 (13.3%, p<0.01) had the uterus preserved. Of postoperatively continent or hypercontinent patients, 27 of 43 patients (62.8%) had bilateral and 15 of 43 (34.9%) had unilateral attempted nerve sparing. In incontinent patients, 11 of 30 (36.7%) had bilateral and 16 of 30 (53.3%) had unilateral attempted nerve sparing (p=0.02). When compared with postoperatively incontinent patients, postoperatively continent patients had a longer functional urethral length (median: 32mm vs 24mm; p<0.001), a higher postoperative urethral closing pressure at rest (56cm H2O vs 35cm H2O; p<0.001) as well as a higher preoperative urethral closing pressure at rest (74cm H2O vs 47.5cm H2O; p=0.01). The main limitation was the limited number of patients. CONCLUSIONS In female patients undergoing radical cystectomy and bladder substitution, preservation of the uterus and attempted nerve sparing results in better functional outcomes. The preoperative UPPs correlate with postoperative voiding and continence status and may predict which patients are at a higher risk of functional failure after bladder substitution. PATIENT SUMMARY If preservation of the urethra's innervation is not possible during cystectomy, poor functional results with bladder substitutes are likely.

Adaptive Interest Lifetimes for Information-Centric Wireless Multi-hop Communication

Information-centric networking (ICN) is a promising approach for wireless communication because users can exploit the broadcast nature of the wireless medium to quickly find desired content at nearby nodes. However, wireless multi-hop communication is prone to collisions and it is crucial to quickly detect and react to them to optimize transmission times and a void spurious retransmissions. Several adaptive retransmission timers have been used in related ICN literature but they have not been compared and evaluated in wireless multi-hop environments. In this work, we evaluate existing algorithms in wireless multi-hop communication. We find that existing algorithms are not optimized for wireless communication but slight modificati ons can result in considerably better performance without increasing the number of transmitted Interests.

A novel treatment planning methodology for high dose 166Ho-DOTMP therapy in patients with multiple myeloma

Bone marrow ablation, i.e., the complete sterilization of the active bone marrow, followed by bone marrow transplantation (BMT) is a comment treatment of hematological malignancies. The use of targeted bone-seeking radiopharmaceuticals to selectively deliver radiation to the adjacent bone marrow cavities while sparing normal tissues is a promising technique. Current radiopharmaceutical treatment planning methods do not properly compensate for the patient-specific variable distribution of radioactive material within the skeleton. To improve the current method of internal dosimetry, novel methods for measuring the radiopharmaceutical distribution within the skeleton were developed. 99mTc-MDP was proven as an adequate surrogate for measuring 166Ho-DOTMP skeletal uptake and biodistribution, allowing these measures to be obtained faster, safer, and with higher spatial resolution. This translates directly into better measurements of the radiation dose distribution within the bone marrow. The resulting bone marrow dose-volume histograms allow prediction of the patient disease response where conventional organ scale dosimetry failed. They indicate that complete remission is only achieved when greater than 90% of the bone marrow receives at least 30 Gy. ^ Comprehensive treatment planning requires combining target and non-target organ dosimetry. Organs in the urinary tract were of special concern. The kidney dose is primarily dependent upon the mean transit time of 166 Ho-DOTMP through the kidney. Deconvolution analysis of renograms predicted a mean transit time of 2.6 minutes for 166Ho-DOTMP. The radiation dose to the urinary bladder wall is dependent upon numerous factors including patient hydration and void schedule. For beta-emitting isotopes such as 166Ho, reduction of the bladder wall dose is best accomplished through good patient hydration and ensuring a partially full bladder at the time of injection. Encouraging the patient to void frequently, or catheterizing the patient without irrigation, will not significantly reduce the bladder wall dose. ^ The results from this work will produce the most advanced treatment planning methodology for bone marrow ablation therapy using radioisotopes currently available. Treatments can be tailored specifically for each patient, including the addition of concomitant total body irradiation for patients with unfavorable dose distributions, to deliver a desired patient disease response, while minimizing the dose or toxicity to non-target organs. ^

Examination of the influence of behavioral, normative and control beliefs on the adherence to a prescribed renal diet among elderly populations with chronic to end-stage renal disease

The 1999-2004 prevalence of chronic kidney disease in adults 20 year or older (15.5 million) is an estimated 7.69%. The risk of developing CKD is exacerbated by diabetes, hypertension and/or a family history of kidney disease. African Americans, Hispanics, Pacific Islanders, Native Americans, and the elderly are more susceptible to higher incidence of CKD. The challenges of aging coupled with co-morbidities such as kidney disease raises the potential for malnutrition among elderly (for the purpose of this study 55 years or older) populations. Lack of adherence to prescribed nutrition guidelines specific to renal failure jeopardizes body homeostasis and increases the likelihood of future morbidity and resultant mortality. The relationship and synergy that exists between diet and disease is evident. Clinical experience with renal patients has indicated the importance of adherence to diet therapy specific to kidney disease. Extension investigation of diet adherence among endstage renal disease patients revealed a sizeable dearth in the current literature. This thesis study was undertaken to help reduce that void. The study design is qualitative and descriptive. Support, cooperation, and collaboration were provided by the University of Texas Nephrology Department, University of Texas Physicians, and DaVita Dialysis Centers. Approximately 105 male and female chronic to end-stage kidney disease patients were approached to participate in elicitation interviews in dialysis treatment facilities regarding their present diet beliefs and practices. Eighty-five were recruited and agreed to participate. Inclusion criteria required individuals to be between 35-90 years of age; capable of completing a 5-10 minute interview; and English speaking. Each kidney patient was asked seven (7) non-leading questions developed from the constructs of the Theory of Planned Behavior. The study presents a descriptive comparison of behavioral, normative, and control beliefs that influence adherence to renal diets by age, race, and gender. The study successfully concluded that behavioral, normative, and control beliefs of chronic to end-stage renal patients promoted execution and adherence to prescribed nutrition. This study provides valuable information for dietitians, technicians, nurses, and physicians to assess patient compliance toward prescribed nutrition and the means to support or improve that performance. ^

Interpretation services for immigrants in federally qualified health centers: Barriers, best practices, and suggestions for the future

This paper examines the provision of interpretation services to immigrants with limited English proficiency in Federally Qualified Health Centers, through examination of barriers and best practices. The United States is a nation of immigrants; currently, more than 38 million, or 12.5 percent of the total population, is foreign-born. A substantial portion of this population does not have health insurance or speak English fluently: barriers that reduce the likelihood that they will access traditional health care organizations. This service void is filled by FQHCs, which are non-profit, community-directed providers that remove common barriers to care by serving communities who otherwise confront financial, geographic, language, and cultural barriers. By examining the importance and the implementation of medical interpretation services in FQHCs, suggestions for the future are presented.^

(Table T1) Geochemical composition of tochilinite and related minerals of ODP Hole 173-1068A

Tochilinite (approximately FeS(Mg,Fe)(OH)2) is locally abundant in Hole 1068A serpentinites from Cores 173-1068A-21R and 22R. It occurs in veins, as fillings in void space, and in intergrowths with serpentine and andradite. An apparently related mineral, but with Ca and Al largely replacing Mg, occurs in association with, and possibly as a replacement of, pyrrhotite in serpentinite breccias from the bottom of Core 173-1068A-20R. The transition from Mg-Fe-rich brucite tochilinites to Ca- and S-rich carbonate tochilinites is consistent with increasing sulfur and oxygen activity upsection. Tochilinite has been reported at other sites on the Iberia Abyssal Plain and is abundant to the point of being a rock-forming mineral in several samples from Site 1068. Rather than being a mineralogical curiosity, tochilinite appears to be common and a major sink for sulfur in the upper serpentinites of the Iberia Abyssal Plain.

(Table 1) Summary of sampling points described and main petrographic, morphological and geochemical characteristics

Targeted sampling on the Dolgovskoy Mound (northern Shatsky Ridge) revealed the presence of spectacular laterally extensive and differently shaped authigenic carbonates. The sampling stations were selected based on sidescan sonar and profiler images that show patchy backscatter and irregular and discontinuous reflections in the near subsurface. The interpretation of acoustic data from the top part of the mound supports the seafloor observations and the sampling that revealed the presence of a complex subsurface plumbing system characterized by carbonates and gas. The crusts sampled consist of carbonate cemented layered hemipelagic sedimentary Unit 1 associated with several centimetres thick microbial mats. Three different carbonate morphologies were observed: (a) tabular slabs, (b) subsurface cavernous carbonates consisting of void chambers up to 20 cm**3 in size and (c) chimney and tubular conduits vertically oriented or forming a subhorizontal network in the subsurface. The methanogenic origin of the carbonates is established based on visual observations of fluids seepage structures, 13C depletion of the carbonates (d13C varying between -36.7 per mil and -27.4 per mil), and by thin carbonate layers present within the thick microbial mats. Laboratory experiments with a Hele-Shaw cell were conducted in order to simulate the gas seepage through contrasting grain size media present on the seafloor. Combined petrography, visual observations and sandbox simulations allowed a characterization of the dynamics and the structures of the plumbing system in the near subsurface. Based on sample observations and the experiments, three observed morphologies of authigenic carbonates are interpreted, respectively, as (a) Darcian porous flow through the finely laminated clayey/coccolith-rich layers, (b) gas accumulation chambers at sites where significant fluid escape was impeded by thicker clayey layers forming the laminated Unit1 and (c) focussed vertical fluid venting and subhorizontal migration of overpressured fluids released from (b). The Hele-Shaw cell experiments represent a promising tool for investigating shallow fluid flow pathways in marine systems.