bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Incidental findings of mass lesions on neuroimages in children
Authors: Perret Corinne , Boltshauser Eugen , Scheer Ianina , Kellenberger Christian J. , Grotzer Michael A.
Published: December 2011

Increasing use of neuroimaging in children has led to more incidental findings of CNS mass lesions, the management of which is uncertain. The authors' aims in this study are to describe these mass lesions and their evolution, as well as to discuss the management options and determine the prevalence of incidental CNS mass lesions at their pediatric clinic. A retrospective study was undertaken in children with primary CNS tumors who were younger than 18 years old and were admitted to the University Children's Hospital of Zurich, Switzerland, between January 1995 and December 2010. In 19 (5.7%) of 335 patients with newly diagnosed CNS tumors, the diagnosis of a CNS mass lesion was an incidental finding. Reasons for obtaining neuroimages in these 19 patients were head trauma (in 6 patients); research protocols (in 3); nasal/orbital malformations (in 2); endocrinological and psychiatric evaluations (in 2); and vertebral bone anomaly without neurological signs, absence seizures, congenital ataxia, recurrent vomiting, developmental delay, and “check-up” at the explicit request of the parents (in 1 patient each). Seven patients underwent immediate surgery for low-grade glioma (4 patients) and craniopharyngioma, ependymoma, and choroid plexus papilloma (1 patient each); and 12 were treated conservatively or were observed. Ten of 12 conservatively treated patients remained stable (median follow-up time 1.8 years) and the other 2 underwent delayed surgery because of tumor progression (medulloblastoma in one patient and fibrillary astrocytoma in the other).

Clinicians are increasingly challenged by the discovery of incidental CNS mass lesions. A subgroup of such lesions (with typical imaging patterns such as tectal glioma and dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumor) can be monitored conservatively, clinically, and radiographically. Future prospective studies are needed to define optimal management strategies based on larger collections of natural histories, as well as to assess the true prevalence of incidental CNS mass lesions.
Incidental findings on cranial imaging in nonagenarians
Authors: Al-Holou Wajd N. , Khan Adam , Wilson Thomas J. , Stetler William R. , Shah Gaurang V. , Maher Cormac O.
Published: December 2011

Object

The aim of this article was to report on the nature and prevalence of incidental imaging findings in a consecutive series of patients older than 90 years of age who underwent intracranial imaging for any reason.

Methods

The authors retrospectively reviewed the electronic medical and imaging records of consecutive patients who underwent brain MR imaging at a single institution over a 153-month interval and were at least 90 but less than 100 years of age at the time of the imaging study. The prevalence of lesions by type in this consecutive series of MR imaging evaluations was calculated for all patients. The authors reviewed the medical record to evaluate whether a change in management was recommended based on MR imaging findings. They evaluated patient age at the time of death and the time interval between MR imaging and death.

Results

The authors identified 177 patients who met the study criteria. The group included 119 women (67%) and 58 (33%) men. Their mean age was 92.3 ± 1.8 years. Evidence of acute ischemic changes or cerebrovascular accident (CVA) was found in 36 patients (20%). Fifteen patients (8%) had an intracranial tumor. Intracranial aneurysms were incidentally identified in 6 patients (3%). Chronic subdural hematomas were found in 3 patients (2%). Overall, 25 patients (14%) had some change in medical management as a result of the MR imaging findings. The most common MR imaging finding that resulted in a change in medical management was an acute CVA (p < 0.0001). The mean time to death from date of MR imaging was 2.5 ± 2.3 years.

Conclusions

Intracranial imaging is rarely performed in patients older than 90 years. In cases of suspected stroke, MR imaging findings may influence treatment decisions. Brain MR imaging studies ordered for other indications in this age group rarely influence treatment decisions. Incidentally discovered lesions in this age group are generally not treated.
Incidental vertebral lesions
Authors: Coumans Jean-Valery C. E. , Walcott Brian P.
Published: December 2011

Incidental vertebral lesions on imaging of the spine are commonly encountered in clinical practice. Contributing factors include the aging population, the increasing prevalence of back pain, and increased usage of MR imaging. Additionally, refinements in CT and MR imaging have increased the number of demonstrable lesions. The management of incidental findings varies among practitioners and commonly depends more on practice style than on data or guidelines. In this article we review incidental findings within the vertebral column and review management of these lesions, based on available Class III data.
Incidental pituitary adenomas
Authors: Sivakumar Walavan , Chamoun Roukoz , Nguyen Vinh , Couldwell William T. , Ph.D.
Published: December 2011

Object

Pituitary incidentalomas are a common finding with a poorly understood natural history. Over the last few decades, numerous studies have sought to decipher the optimal evaluation and treatment of these lesions. This paper aims to elucidate the current evidence regarding their prevalence, natural history, evaluation, and management.

Methods

A search of articles on PubMed (National Library of Medicine) and reference lists of all relevant articles was conducted to identify all studies pertaining to the incidence, natural history, workup, treatment, and follow-up of incidental pituitary and sellar lesions, nonfunctioning pituitary adenomas, and incidentalomas.

Results

The reported prevalence of pituitary incidentalomas has increased significantly in recent years. A complete history, physical, and endocrinological workup with formal visual field testing in the event of optic apparatus involvement constitutes the basics of the initial evaluation. Although data regarding the natural history of pituitary incidentalomas remain sparse, they seem to suggest that progression to pituitary apoplexy (0.6/100 patient-years), visual field deficits (0.6/100 patient-years), and endocrine dysfunction (0.8/100 patient-years) remains low. In larger lesions, apoplexy risk may be higher.

Conclusions

While the majority of pituitary incidentalomas can be managed conservatively, involvement of the optic apparatus, endocrine dysfunction, ophthalmological symptoms, and progressive increase in size represent the main indications for surgery.
Incidental meningiomas
Authors: Chamoun Roukoz , Krisht Khaled M. , Couldwell William T.
Published: December 2011

With the increasing availability and use of modern brain diagnostic imaging modalities, discovery of incidental meningiomas has become fairly common. This creates a dilemma among neurosurgeons as to whether these lesions should be treated. Numerous natural history studies have been published in an effort to shed light on the potential for growth of incidental meningiomas. The available data appear to suggest that these tumors can fall into 1 of 3 main growth patterns: no growth, linear growth, or exponential growth. The therapeutic strategy selected should also consider several other factors, mainly the risk of complications from an eventual surgery, the possibility of malignancies and other pathological conditions that mimic meningiomas, and the age and medical condition of the patient. The authors believe that most asymptomatic incidental meningiomas can be observed using serial imaging and clinical follow-up evaluations. Surgical interventions are typically reserved for large, symptomatic lesions and those with documented potential for significant growth.
Tarlov cysts: a controversial lesion of the sacral spine
Authors: Lucantoni Corrado , Than Khoi D. , Wang Anthony C. , Valdivia-Valdivia Juan M. , Maher Cormac O. , La Marca Frank , Park Paul
Published: December 2011

The primary aim of our study was to provide a comprehensive review of the clinical, imaging, and histopathological features of Tarlov cysts (TCs) and to report operative and nonoperative management strategies in patients with sacral TCs. A literature review was performed to identify articles that reported surgical and nonsurgical management of TCs over the last 10 years. Tarlov cysts are often incidental lesions found in the spine and do not require surgical intervention in the great majority of cases. When TCs are symptomatic, the typical clinical presentation includes back pain, coccyx pain, low radicular pain, bowel/bladder dysfunction, leg weakness, and sexual dysfunction. Tarlov cysts may be revealed by MR and CT imaging of the lumbosacral spine and must be meticulously differentiated from other overlapping spinal pathological entities. They are typically benign, asymptomatic lesions that can simply be monitored. To date, no consensus exists about the best surgical strategy to use when indicated. The authors report and discuss various surgical strategies including posterior decompression, cyst wall resection, CT-guided needle aspiration with intralesional fibrin injection, and shunting. In operative patients, the rates of short-term and long-term improvement in clinical symptoms are not clear. Although neurological deficit frequently improves after surgical treatment of TC, pain is less likely to do so.
Small (< 10-mm) incidentally found intracranial aneurysms, Part 1: reasons for detection, demographics, location, and risk factors in 212 consecutive patients
Authors: Loumiotis Ioannis , Wagenbach Anne , Brown Robert D. , Lanzino Giuseppe
Published: December 2011

Object

The widespread use of imaging techniques for evaluating nonspecific symptoms (vertigo, dizziness, memory concerns, unsteadiness, and the like) and focal neurological symptoms related to cerebrovascular disease has led to increased identification of asymptomatic incidentally discovered unruptured intracranial aneurysms (UIAs). The management of these incidental aneurysms is controversial and many factors need to be considered. The authors describe reasons leading to diagnosis, demographics, and risk factors in a large consecutive series of patients with small incidentally found UIAs.

Methods

The authors prospectively evaluated 335 patients harboring 478 small (< 10-mm) UIAs between January 2008 and May 2011. Patients with known aneurysms, possibly symptomatic aneurysms, arteriovenous malformation–related aneurysms, patients with a history of subarachnoid hemorrhage from another aneurysm, and patients harboring extradural aneurysms were excluded from the analysis. Only truly incidental small aneurysms (272 aneurysms in 212 patients) were considered for the present analysis. Data regarding the reason for detection, demographics, location, and presence of potential risk factors for aneurysm formation were prospectively collected.

Results

There were 158 female (74.5%) and 54 male (25.5%) patients whose mean age was 60.6 years (median 62 years). The most common reason for undergoing the imaging study that led to a diagnosis of the aneurysms was evaluation for nonspecific spells and symptoms related to focal cerebrovascular ischemia (43.4%), known/possible intracranial or neck pathology (24%), and headache (16%). The most common location (27%) of the aneurysm was the middle cerebral artery; the second most common (22%) was the paraclinoid internal carotid artery (excluding cavernous sinus aneurysms). Sixty-nine percent of patients were current or prior smokers, 60% had a diagnosis of hypertension, and 23% had one or more relatives with a history of intracranial aneurysms with or without subarachnoid hemorrhage.

Conclusions

Small incidental UIAs are more commonly diagnosed in elderly individuals during imaging performed to investigate ill-defined spells or focal cerebrovascular ischemic symptoms, or during the evaluation of known or probable unrelated intracranial/neck pathology. Hypertension, smoking, and family history of aneurysms are common in this patient population, and the presence of these risk factors has important implications for treatment recommendations. Although paraclinoid aneurysms (excluding intracavernous aneurysms) are uncommon in patients with ruptured intracranial aneurysms, this location is very common in patients with small incidental UIAs.
Small (< 10-mm) incidentally found intracranial aneurysms, Part 2: treatment recommendations, natural history, complications, and short-term outcome in 212 consecutive patients
Authors: Loumiotis Ioannis , Brown Robert D. , Vine Roanna , Cloft Harry J. , Kallmes David F. , Lanzino Giuseppe
Published: December 2011

Object

The management of incidental small unruptured intracranial aneurysms (UIAs) is controversial and many factors need to be considered in the decision-making process. The authors describe a large consecutive series of patients harboring small incidental intracranial aneurysms. Treatment strategy, natural history, complications, and short-term outcomes are presented.

Methods

Between January 2008 and May 2011, the authors prospectively evaluated 212 patients with 272 small (< 10-mm) incidental aneurysms. Treatment recommendations (observation, endovascular treatment, or surgery), complications of treatment, and short-term outcomes were assessed.

Results

Recommended treatment consisted of observation in 125 patients, endovascular embolization in 64, and surgery in 18. Six patients were excluded from further analysis because they underwent treatment elsewhere. In the observation group, at a mean follow-up of 16.7 months, only 1 patient was moved to the embolization group. Seven (6%) of the 125 patients in the observation group died of causes unrelated to aneurysm. Sixty-five patients underwent 69 embolization procedures. The periprocedural permanent morbidity and mortality rates in patients undergoing endovascular treatment were 1.5% and 1.5%, respectively (overall morbidity and mortality rate 3.0%). In the surgery group no periprocedural complications were observed, although 1 patient did not return to her previous occupation. No aneurysmal rupture was documented in any of the 3 treatment groups during the follow-up period.

Conclusions

A cautious and individualized approach to incidental UIAs is of utmost importance for formulation of a safe and effective treatment algorithm. Invasive treatment (either endovascular or surgery) can be considered in selected younger patients, certain “higher-risk” locations, expanding aneurysms, patients with a family history of aneurysmal hemorrhage, and in those who cannot live their lives knowing that they harbor the UIA. Although the complication rate of invasive treatment is very low, it is not negligible. The study confirms that small incidental UIAs deemed to be not in need of treatment have a very benign short-term natural history, which makes observation a reasonable approach in selected patients.
Template-assisted formation of microsized nanocrystalline CeO2 tubes and their catalytic performance in the carboxylation of methanol
Authors: Schneider Jörg J , Naumann Meike , Schäfer Christian , Brandner Armin , Hofmann Heiko J , Claus Peter
Published: December 2011

Polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA)/ceria composite fibres were synthesized by using a sequential combination of polymer electrospinning, spray-coating with a sol, and a final calcination step to yield microstructured ceria tubes, which are composed of nanocrystalline ceria particles. The PMMA template is removed from the organic/inorganic hybrid material by radio frequency (rf) plasma etching followed by calcination of the ceramic green-body fibres. Microsized ceria (CeO2) tubes, with a diameter of ca. 0.75 µm, composed of nanocrystalline agglomerated ceria particles were thus obtained. The 1-D ceramic ceria material was characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), UV–vis and photoluminescence spectroscopy (PL), as well as thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Its catalytic performance was studied in the direct carboxylation of methanol with carbon dioxide leading to dimethyl carbonate [(CH3O)2CO, DMC], which is widely employed as a phosgene and dimethyl sulfate substitute, and as well as a fuel additive.
Finite Element Analysis of Dental Implant as Orthodontic Anchorage
Authors: Mathur Anirudh K , Pai Vinaya S , Nandini S , Sarmah Anirban
Published: December 2011

Aim

The purpose of this three-dimensional (3D) finite element study was to investigate orthodontic loading simulation on a single endosseous implant and its surrounding osseous structure, to analyze the resultant stresses and to identify the changes in the bone adjacent to the implant following orthodontic loading.

Materials and methods

Two models were constructed using finite element method consisting of endosseous dental implant and the surrounding bone. In the first model, the contact between the implant and the bone was simulated showing no osseointegration, while the second model showed 100% osseointegration. Simulated horizontal loads of 20 N, at 90° from the long axis, were applied to the top of the implant. The study simulated loads in a horizontal direction, similar to a distalmesial orthodontic movement.

Results

In the first model, the stress was mainly concentrated at the neck of the implant and at the closest surrounding bone. In the second model, the stress was chiefly concentrated at the neck of the implant at the level of the cortical superficial bone. The stresses decreased in the cancellous bone area. On the implant, the highest stress concentration was at the first cervical thread decreasing uniformly to the apex. The stress distribution on the mesial and distal sides showed that the maximum compressive stress was localized mesially and the maximum tensile stress distally. If both models are compared, it can be observed that the stresses were less and more evenly distributed in model 1 (initial stability) than in model 2 when osseointegration was assumed.

Conclusion

A lack of bony support for the implant represents an unfavorable situation from biomechanical point of view that should be considered and solved. As clinical problems mostly occur at the marginal bone region (bacterial plaque accumulation, overcontoured abutments, infections, osseous defects), attention should be focused on this region.

Clinical significance

When osseointegrated implants are primarily used as anchorage for orthodontic purposes and then as fixed prosthesis, the functional and structural union of titanium to bone should be preserved.

How to cite this article

Sarmah A, Mathur AK, Gupta V, Pai VS, Nandini S. Finite Element Analysis of Dental Implant as Orthodontic Anchorage. J Contemp Dent Pract 2011;12(4):259-264.
Effect of Thermal Recycling of Metal Brackets on Shear and Tensile Bond Strength
Authors: Varma D Praveen Kumar , Reddy Y Narendranath , Kumar Anil G , Kumar KV Sujan , Shetty Surendra V
Published: December 2011

Aim

The study was undertaken to measure the changes within the mesh pad associated with reconditioning process, measure the bond strength of new and reconditioned orthodontic brackets and correlate the changes in mesh strand diameter with changes in bond strength.

Material and methods

120 clinically normal premolar teeth extracted for orthodontic reasons, were divided equally for bonding with new and recycled brackets using a no-mix type of adhesive. The mesh strand diameters of new and reconditioned brackets were evaluated with a binocular light microscope. Recycling of brackets was done using Esmadent® bracket and band reconditioner.

Results

The mesh strand diameter, tensile and shear bond strength of new and reconditioned brackets were evaluated statistically and the latter was found to show a significant reduction (p< 0.0001). However, the bond strength values of the reconditioned brackets were found to be well above the clinically required minimum.

Conclusion

Reduction in mesh strand diameter, as a result of reconditioning process, does not correlate with the change in bond strength between initial and recycled bondings.

Clinical significance

The bond strength of reconditioned brackets is adequate enough to resist the magnitude of forces generated in the mouth, throughout the duration of orthodontic treatment for successful treatment results.

How to cite this article

Reddy YN, Varma DPK, Kumar AG, Kumar KVS, Shetty SV. Effect of Thermal Recycling of Metal Brackets on Shear and Tensile Bond Strength. J Contemp Dent Pract 2011;12(4):287-294.
Management of Maxillary Avulsed Teeth: Using Lasers for Canal Sterilization
Authors: Gupta Indra , Gupta Satyendra , Sonwane Kishore , Damankar Dilip
Published: December 2011

Background

Avulsion or exarticulation accounts for up to 16% of all traumatic injuries. It is most common in age group of 7 to 14 years. Following the loss of anterior teeth, the replacement is necessary to maintain esthetics, phonetics and avoid arch length discrepancy. Following replantation, postoperative care and management is done in several ways.

Case report

This article reports replantation and use of laser for endodontic sterilization and healing in a 12-year-old boy.

Conclusion

It is suggested that replantation of an avulsed tooth as soon as possible using appropriate splint and regular followup will show good prognosis.

Clinical significance

Laser offers itself as a good alternative to Ca(OH)2for root canal sterilization and improved periapical healing.

How to cite this article

Gupta I, Gupta S, Sonwane K, Damankar D. Management of Maxillary Avulsed Teeth: Using Lasers for Canal Sterilization. J Contemp Dent Pract 2011;12(4):322-326.
The Theatre of Tadeusz Rozewicz
Authors: Filipowicz Halina
Published: December 2011

From that experience, Rozewicz has emerged with very few verities intact. Built on irony and grotesque, his works for the theatre reveal a mistrust of abstractions and ideologies, and they expose the absurdities of the Polish and European cultural heritage. Through the erosion of character and plot, they reflect the disintegration of post-war reality, which recognizes no fixed standards for absolutes and subjects everything to opportunistic calculation. Visually forceful and evocative, they deconstruct the dramatic tradition since the romantic period and reconstruct a unique ensemble of theatrical signs. In concrete images, Rozewicz's plays brilliantly dramatize the richest variety of interests and break down traditional categories of thought about the nature of theatre. Any individual play by Rozewicz may bafflethe spectator when considered in isolation. If examined within the context of his other works, the nature and meaning of his images become clear.
Stalin, the Great Purge, and Russian History: A New Look at the "New Class"
Authors: Shatz Marshall
Published: December 2011

Though nearly fifty years in the past; Stalin's Great Purge of the 1930s still loans as one of the nost enigmatic events of the twentieth century. Whether we think of the Great Purge as a 100re or less continuous process fran the assassination of Kirov in 1934 to Ezhov's replacement by Beria as head of the secret police at the end of 1938; or limit it to the EzhoVshchina of 1937 and 1938; When the terror reached its peak; the sheer nagnitude of the operation is astounding. The nuniber of arrests; deportations; imprisonments; and lives lost in these years is impossible to measure; and attempts to do so have varied wildly. Even the lowest estimates; however; are staggering.! It is not merely the size of the Great Purge that nekes it such a historical puzzle; however; but the fact that it took place in peacetime; in a society publicly and officially ccmnitted to rational values and the hUI'Cailistic ideals of Marxism and the Russian revolutionary tradition. In its controlled and organized character the Great Purge seems conparable not to the primitive upheavals of "underdeveloped" countries in the secorrl half of the twentieth century; nor to the spontaneous bloodletting Russia itself experienced during the Civil war; but rather to the Nazi destruction of European Jewry in the Holocaust. Like the Holocaust; it is the seemingly atavistic nature of the Great Purge; as much as its actual consequences; that has presented such a challenge to scholars seeking to explain the events of the Stalin period.
The Balance of Payments Problem and the Economic Crisis in Poland
Authors: Fallenbuchl Zbigniew
Published: December 2011

This paper attempts to provide a historical perspective by examining Poland's external economic relations during the entire postwar period from 1945 to 1984, describes various structural problems that have been created over the years and presents some observations on the future prospects.
Soviet Views of SDI
Authors: FitzGerald Mary
Published: December 2011

The culprit, of course, was President Reagan's "Strategic Defense Initiative" (SDI). As the late General Secretary's response indicates, the Soviet campaign against SDI1 began punctually and without equivocation. From Andropov to the present, it has been characterized by high degrees of both intensity and consistency over time. About two years afterAndropov's exc~nge, the newly installed General Secretary, M. S. Gorbachev, voiced similar concerns in his Pravda interview...
Masaryk's Understanding of Democracy before 1914
Authors: Neudorfl Marie L.
Published: December 2011

Tomas Garrigue Masaryk's theories on democracy evolved primarily from an intimate knowledge of the social and political realities of his time, combined with relevant knowledge of the past both of Czech as well as other European nations. They reflected Masaryk's conviction that the ideal of modern democracy was most desirable for a majority of people,as well as his belief that since the French Revolution, the gradual realization of this ideal became possible in many European countries. At the same time, he was aware that the ideal of democracy was especially attractive to underprivileged entities, be they individuals or nations, and that the dominant forces in Central Europe had little sympathy for this ideal. While he did not discount German and Russian expansionist potentials and tendencies as negligible and insignificant for Central Europe, in the context of the Austro-Hungarian Empire his major concern was with the inequitable possibilities for the development of non-ruling nations as compared with those of the Austrian Germans and Magyars who constituted, in their respective domains, less than half of the population.
The Village Voice: Women's Views of Themselves and Their World in Russian Chastushki of the 1920s
Authors: Tirado Isabel A.
Published: December 2011

This was the call of a peasant woman, most likely a teenager, prompting her friends and neighbors to join her in composing and singing chastushki, the short ditties that enlivened all youth gatherings. The humorous songs were the spontaneous creation of young people of both sexes for an audience their own age. At times ironic, biting, or plain silly, chastushki expressed the composers' views on almost all facets of the young peasant's life: love, homelife, the way to dress, the changing countryside, and the world beyond the village. We know little about the views of the young peasant woman in the Russian countryside just after the Revolution. She is rarely the subject of scholarship, and her voice is seldom heard in the rich literature of the 1920s. In the wake of the revolutions of 1917 peasants made up 80 percent of the population; their children nineteen years of age· or younger accounted for half of the rural population, with females making up half of that age group. As the expression of the village young people, the chastushka is an invaluable historical source that captures the tension between old and new. This interpretative essay seeks to use chastushki as a tool in reconstructing aspects of post-revolutionary peasant mentalite-that is, the views, attitudes, and mores of peasant society.
Dream and Reality of Russian Provincial Young Ladies, 1700-1850
Authors: Glagoleva Olga E.
Published: December 2011

The poet did not undertake to find out what the young girl's thoughts and dreams were, so I will try to reconstruct them. Fantastic as they sometimes are, dreams nevertheless reflect the ideals predominant in society and express people's attitudes toward personal happiness and social well-being. The realities of life inevitably underlie them. Individual circumstances, as well as many social, economic, and cultural factors, have a bearing upon the relationship between a person's dreams and reality. Closely interwoven, they make up a sort of microcosm that may be balanced or conflicted. Focusing primarily on the intellectual side of this microcosm, I will consider the aspirations of Russian provintsial 'nye baryshni (provincial young ladies) and their everyday life over the 150-year period after Peter the Great's reforms.
A History of the American Councils for International Education
Authors: Huber Robert T.
Published: December 2011

The American Councils rose from earlier efforts by American scholars of the Russian language to build sustainable professional and programmatic ties with their Soviet/Russian counterparts. From the onset of the Cold War until the late 1960s, there had been virtually no such professional contact. Teachers of Russian in the United States were organized nationally through the American Association of Teachers of Slavic and East European Languages (AATSEEL).
The Menagerie or the Visitor’s Pass? Aleksandra Zrazhevskaia and Praskov’ia Bakunina on Russian Women Writers
Authors: Greene Diana
Published: December 2011

This article examines an 1842 literary exchange between Aleksandra Zrazhevskaia (1805-1867) and Praskov’ia Bakunina (1810-1880?) concerning the place of women writers in nineteenth-century Russian literature. It is followed by a translation of the exchange itself. Zrazhevskaia’s “Zverinets” (The Menagerie), a formally innovative work of literary criticism addressed in part to Bakunina, challenged the social norms that discouraged women’s writing, as well as the men literary critics who enforced them. In a verse epistle response, Bakunina repudiated Zrazhevskaia’s ideas, maintaining that Russian men critics will extend hospitality and courtesy to women writers who comport themselves as guests in the men’s club of Russian letters. The exchange raises questions about the critical reception of women writers in mid nineteenth-century Russia, women as literary critics, and the gendering of nineteenth century literary movements and aesthetics, which are discussed in relation to the wider pan-European literary climate of the time.
Defects classification and failure modes of electrofusion joint for connecting polyethylene pipes
Authors: Shi Jianfeng , Zheng Jinyang , Guo Weican , Qin Yongquan
Published: December 2011

As electrofusion (EF) technology is widely used in connecting polyethylene (PE) pipes and other plastic pipes or composite pipes, research in safety assessment of EF joints has been of major concern. EF joints with defects are very common in practical applications. These defects may greatly reduce the mechanical performance of the EF joints and threat safety running of the pipeline system. To evaluate hazard of these defects and provide a basic understanding for the failure mechanism of EF joints, a comprehensive study on defects and failure modes is conducted in this work. The defects in EF joints are classified into four categories: poor fusion interface, over welding, voids, and structural deformity. The forming reasons of these defects are analyzed in detail. The mechanical properties of EF joint containing these defects are investigated by conducting peeling tests and sustained hydraulic pressure tests. Test results show that there are three main failure mode of EF joint under inner pressure, that is, cracking through the fusion interface, cracking through the fitting, and cracking through copper wire interface. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012
Manufacturing of Monolithic Parts Made of Glassy Carbon with Superior Corrosion Resistance
Authors: Eichhorn Lutz , Gietzelt Thomas
Published: December 2011

Schwefelsäure ist eine in der Industrie weit verbreitete Chemikalie. Für den prozesssicheren Industrieeinsatz mikroverfahrenstechnischer Apparate ist eine ausgezeichnete Korrosionsbeständigkeit Grundvoraussetzung. Aufgrund der exzellenten Korrosionsbeständigkeit von Glaskohlenstoff wurden verschiedene Ansätze zur Herstellung mikrostrukturierter Bauteile untersucht. Da das Material durch Hochtemperaturpyrolyse hergestellt wird, sind spezielle Designrichtlinien zu beachten.
Crohn's disease alters MHC‐rafts in CD4+ T‐cells
Authors: Damjanovich László , Volkó Julianna , Forgács Attila , Hohenberger Werner , Bene László
Published: December 2011

Clusters of MHCI, ICAM‐1, CD44, CD59, IL‐2R, and IL‐15R molecules have been studied on the surface of CD4+ T‐cells from peripheral blood and lymph nodes of patients in Crohn's disease and healthy individuals as controls by using a dual‐laser flow cytometric fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) technique and fluorescently stained Fabs. When cells from patients in Crohn's disease are compared to those of controls, the surface expression level for the MHCI reduced by ∼45%, for CD44 enhanced by ∼100%, and for IL‐2Rα, IL‐15Rα, and common γc enhanced by ∼50%, ∼70%, and ∼130%, respectively. Efficiencies of FRET monitoring homoassociation for the MHCI and CD44 reduced, that for IL‐2Rα enhanced. While efficiencies of FRET monitoring the association of γc and ICAM‐1 with the MHCI reduced, those monitoring association of IL‐2/15Rα, CD44, and CD59 with MHCI enhanced. Efficiencies of FRET measured between the MHCI and IL‐2Rα, IL‐15Rα differently enhanced to the advantage of IL‐15Rα, the one measured between γc and IL‐2Rα reduced, suggesting modulations in the strength of interaction of MHCI with IL‐2R, IL‐15R, and γc. The increases in density of surface bound cTx and in the associations of the receptors with the GM1‐ganglioside lipid molecules suggest stronger lipid raft interactions of the receptors. The observed alterations of MHC‐rafts in Crohn's disease—summarized in models of receptor patterns of diseased and control cells—may have functional consequences regarding signaling by the raft components. © 2011 International Society for Advancement of Cytometry
Validation of MRI biomarkers of hepatic steatosis in the presence of iron overload in the ob/ob mouse
Authors: Hines Catherine D.G. , Agni Rashmi , Roen Calista , Rowland Ian , Hernando Diego , Bultman Eric , Horng Debra , Yu Huanzhou , Shimakawa Ann , Brittain Jean H. , Reeder Scott B.
Published: December 2011

Purpose:

To validate the utility and performance of a T correction method for hepatic fat quantification in an animal model of both steatosis and iron overload.

Materials and Methods:

Mice with low (n = 6), medium (n = 6), and high (n = 8) levels of steatosis were sedated and imaged using a chemical shift‐based fat‐water separation method to obtain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) fat‐fraction measurements. Imaging was performed before and after each of two superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO) injections to create hepatic iron overload. Fat‐fraction maps were reconstructed with and without T correction. Fat‐fraction with and without T correction and T measurements were compared after each injection. Liver tissue was harvested and imaging results were compared to triglyceride extraction and histology grading.

Results:

Excellent correlation was seen between MRI fat‐fraction and tissue‐based fat quantification. Injections of SPIOs led to increases in R (=1/T). Measured fat‐fraction was unaffected by the presence of iron when T correction was used, whereas measured fat‐fraction dramatically increased without T correction.

Conclusion:

Hepatic fat‐fraction measured using a T‐corrected chemical shift‐based fat‐water separation method was validated in an animal model of steatosis and iron overload. T correction enables robust fat‐fraction estimation in both the presence and absence of iron, and is necessary for accurate hepatic fat quantification. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2012;35:844–851. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Improved imaging of lingual articulation using real‐time multislice MRI
Authors: Kim Yoon‐Chul , Proctor Michael I. , Narayanan Shrikanth S. , Nayak Krishna S.
Published: December 2011

Purpose:

To develop a real‐time imaging technique that allows for simultaneous visualization of vocal tract shaping in multiple scan planes, and provides dynamic visualization of complex articulatory features.

Materials and Methods:

Simultaneous imaging of multiple slices was implemented using a custom real‐time imaging platform. Midsagittal, coronal, and axial scan planes of the human upper airway were prescribed and imaged in real‐time using a fast spiral gradient‐echo pulse sequence. Two native speakers of English produced voiceless and voiced fricatives /f/‐/v/, /θ/‐/ð/, /s/‐/z/, /∫/‐ in symmetrical maximally contrastive vocalic contexts /a_a/, /i_i/, and /u_u/. Vocal tract videos were synchronized with noise‐cancelled audio recordings, facilitating the selection of frames associated with production of English fricatives.

Results:

Coronal slices intersecting the postalveolar region of the vocal tract revealed tongue grooving to be most pronounced during fricative production in back vowel contexts, and more pronounced for sibilants /s/‐/z/ than for /∫/‐. The axial slice best revealed differences in dorsal and pharyngeal articulation; voiced fricatives were observed to be produced with a larger cross‐sectional area in the pharyngeal airway. Partial saturation of spins provided accurate location of imaging planes with respect to each other.

Conclusion:

Real‐time MRI of multiple intersecting slices can provide valuable spatial and temporal information about vocal tract shaping, including details not observable from a single slice. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2012;35:943–948. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
A Role for Hydration in Interleukin‐2 Inducible T Cell Kinase (Itk) Selectivity
Authors: Knegtel Ronald M. A. , Robinson Daniel D.
Published: December 2011

The selectivity profile of kinase inhibitors is commonly explained in terms of favourable or unfavourable interactions between the inhibitor and active site residues. In practice residue sequence differences have not always been sufficient to explain observed selectivity profiles. A series of interleukin‐2 inducible T cell kinase (Itk, EC 2.7.10.2) inhibitors that achieve selectivity through the introduction of a single nitrogen atom in an aromatic ring has recently been discovered. Structures of these inhibitors bound to Itk showed this nitrogen to be solvent exposed and not involved in any direct interactions with the enzyme. By analysing active site hydration, using the molecular dynamics tool WaterMap, the observed selectivity profile can be explained in terms of the replacement of a thermodynamically unfavourable water molecule by the inhibitor and improved hydration of the bound ligand. The location of this hydration site was successfully used to enrich virtual screening results in their content of selective Itk inhibitors.
A marked animal–vegetal polarity in the localization of Na+,K+‐ATPase activity and its down‐regulation following progesterone‐induced maturation
Authors: Mohanty Basant Kumar , Gupta Brij L.
Published: December 2011

The stage‐VI Xenopus oocyte has a very distinct animal–vegetal polarity with structural and functional asymmetry. In this study, we show the expression and distribution pattern of Na+,K+‐ATPase in stage‐VI oocytes, and its changes following progesterone‐induced maturation. Using enzyme‐specific electron microscopy phosphatase histochemistry, [3H]‐ouabain autoradiography, and immunofluorescence cytochemistry at light microscopic level, we find that Na+,K+‐ATPase activity is mainly confined to the animal hemisphere. Electron microscopy histochemical results also suggest that polarized distribution of Na+,K+‐ATPase activity persists following progesterone‐induced maturation, and it becomes gradually more polarized towards the animal pole. The time course following progesterone‐induced maturation suggests that there is an initial up‐regulation and then gradual down‐regulation of Na+,K+‐ATPase activity leading to germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD). By GVBD, the Na+,K+‐ATPase activity is completely down‐regulated due to endocytotic removal of pump molecules from the plasma membrane into the sub‐cortical region of the oocyte. This study provides the first direct evidence for a marked asymmetric localization of Na+,K+‐ATPase activity in any vertebrate oocyte. Here, we propose that such asymmetry in Na+,K+‐ATPase activity in stage‐VI oocytes, and their down‐regulation following progesterone‐induced maturation, is likely to have a role in the active state of the germinal vesicle in stage‐VI oocytes and chromosomal condensation after GVBD. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 79:138–160, 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Use of ethylene glycol to evaluate gradient performance in gradient‐intensive diffusion MR sequences
Authors: Spees William M. , Song Sheng‐Kwei , Garbow Joel R. , Neil Jeffrey J. , Ackerman Joseph J. H.
Published: December 2011

Imaging a phantom of known dimensions is a widely used and simple method for calibrating MRI gradient strength. However, full‐range characterization of gradient response is not achievable using this approach. Measurement of the apparent diffusion coefficient of a liquid with known diffusivity allows for calibration of gradient amplitudes across a wider dynamic range. An important caveat is that the temperature dependence of the liquid's diffusion characteristics must be known, and the temperature of the calibration phantom must be recorded. In this report, we demonstrate that the diffusion coefficient of ethylene glycol is well described by Arrhenius‐type behavior across the typical range of ambient MRI magnet temperatures. Because of ethylene glycol's utility as an NMR chemical‐shift thermometer, the same 1H MR spectroscopy measurements that are used for gradient calibration also simultaneously “report” the sample temperature. The high viscosity of ethylene glycol makes it well‐suited for assessing gradient performance in demanding diffusion‐weighted imaging and spectroscopy sequences. Magn Reson Med, 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Resolution enhanced T1‐insensitive steady‐state imaging
Authors: Derakhshan Jamal J. , Nour Sherif G. , Sunshine Jeffrey L. , Griswold Mark A. , Duerk Jeffrey L.
Published: December 2011

Resolution enhanced T1‐insensitive steady‐state imaging (RE‐TOSSI) is a new MRI pulse sequence for the generation of rapid T2 contrast with high spatial resolution. TOSSI provides T2 contrast by using nonequally spaced inversion pulses throughout a balanced steady‐state free precession (SSFP) acquisition. In RE‐TOSSI, these energy and time intensive adiabatic inversion pulses and associated magnetization preparation are removed from TOSSI after acquisition of the data around the center of k‐space. Magnetization evolution simulations demonstrate T2 contrast in TOSSI as well as reduction in the widening of the point spread function width (by up to a factor of 4) to a near ideal case for RE‐TOSSI. Phantom experimentation is used to characterize and compare the contrast and spatial resolution properties of TOSSI, RE‐TOSSI, balanced SSFP, Half‐Fourier Acquisition Single‐Shot Turbo Spin Echo (HASTE), and turbo spin echo and to optimize the fraction of k‐space acquired using TOSSI. Comparison images in the abdomen and brain demonstrate similar contrast and improved spatial resolution in RE‐TOSSI compared with TOSSI; comparison balanced SSFP, HASTE, and turbo spin echo images are provided. RE‐TOSSI is capable of providing high spatial resolution T2‐weighted images in 1 s or less per image. Magn Reson Med, 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
White light electroluminescence from graphene‐enhanced single polymer comprising two color emitters of equal molar ratios
Authors: Su Reagen Ying‐Tai , Chiu Li‐Ko , Weng Shan‐Wei , Chou Ying‐Shiun , Tsiang Raymond Chien‐Chao
Published: December 2011

White polymeric light‐emitting diode (WPLED) based on a single polymer, poly(3‐hexylthiophene‐alt‐9,9‐dioctylfluorene) (PTAF), has been successfully demonstrated. This conjugated alternating copolymer, PTAF, comprises 50 mol % of 3‐hexylthiophene which is an orange‐red color chromophore and 50 mol % 9,9‐dioctylfluorene which is a bluish‐green color chromophore. It was synthesized by Suzuki cross‐coupling reaction and has a molecular weight of 15,021 and polydispersity of 1.36. Nanocomposite consisting PTAF and graphene nanosheets enhances the optoelectronic properties and the device fabricated with a configuration of ITO/PEDOT:PSS/(PTAF + 1% graphene)/Ca/Al shows two‐color white electroluminescence with CIE 1931 coordinates of (0.28, 0.34). The white luminescence from a single polymer affords the WPLED device a simple structure and low fabrication cost. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys, 2011
The Inactivation of Resistant Candida Albicans in a Sealed Package by Cold Atmospheric Pressure Plasmas
Authors: Song Ying , Liu Dongping , Ji Longfei , Wang Wenchun , Zhao Pengchao , Quan Chunshan , Niu Jinhai , Zhang Xianhui
Published: December 2011

It remains a challenge to generate cold, atmospheric pressure plasmas in sealed packages for biological disinfection. In this paper, we report a plasma device to form large‐area and atmospheric‐pressure plasmas in a sealed package for the low‐temperature disinfection of fungi. The visually uniform plasmas were easily generated in the portable plastic bag containing Candida albicans with a population of 105 spores placed on the plasma device. The He plasma containing about 1% O2 was found to entirely kill resistant Candida albicans with a treatment time of 5 min. Measurements for optical emission spectra and disinfection efficiencies indicate that the plasma‐created species such as O radicals and charged species play a major role in the inactivation process.

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How does religion matter? Pathways to religion in International Relations
Authors: SHEIKH MONA KANWAL
Published: December 2011

This article contributes to the growing subfield of research on religion and International Relations (IR) by discussing ways to take substantial andsui generisaspects of religion into account. It is argued that IR scholars need more critical methodological and conceptual reflection on how to integrate religion in order to navigate between two typical analytical positions: either focusing on the instrumental relevance of religion only or treating religion as an unchangeable meta-category and delinking it from its practitioners or context. The article first discusses why there is a need to be attentive to distinctive aspects of religion and then moves on to scrutinise three IR-relevant pathways to include these aspects of religion in analysis, namely religion as belief community, religion as power, and religion as speech act. It appears that future research along these lines can contribute significantly to the way IR scholars habitually think about key issues such as parameters of behaviour, standards of legitimacy, and the dynamics of conflicts.