bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Healthcare utilization of patients accessing an African national treatment program
Authors: Harling Guy , Orrell Catherine , Wood Robin
Published: June 2007

Background

The roll-out of antiretroviral therapy (ART) in Africa will have significant resource implications arising from its impact on demand for healthcare services. Existing studies of healthcare utilization on HAART have been conducted in the developed world, where HAART is commenced when HIV illness is less advanced.

Methods

This paper describes healthcare utilization from program entry by treatment-naïve patients in a peri-urban settlement in South Africa. Treatment criteria included a CD4 cell count <200 cells/μl or an AIDS-defining illness. Data on health service utilization were collected retrospectively from the primary-care clinic and secondary and tertiary referral hospitals. Hospital visits were reviewed to determine the clinical reason for each visit.

Results

212 patients were followed for a median of 490 days. Outpatient visits per 100 patient years of observation (PYO), excluding scheduled primary-care follow-up, fell from 596 immediately prior to ART to 334 in the first 48 weeks on therapy and 245 thereafter. Total inpatient time fell from 2,549 days per 100 PYO pre-ART to 476 in the first 48 weeks on therapy and 73 thereafter. This fall in healthcare utilization occurred at every level of care. The greatest causes of utilization were tuberculosis, cryptococcal meningitis, HIV-related neoplasms and adverse reactions to stavudine. After 48 weeks on ART demand reverted to primarily non-HIV-related causes.

Conclusion

Utilization of both inpatient and outpatient hospital services fell significantly after commencement of ART for South African patients in the public sector, with inpatient demand falling fastest. Earlier initiation might reduce early on-ART utilization rates.
Nurses' experiences of recruitment and migration from developing countries: a phenomenological approach
Authors: Troy Paul H , Wyness Laura A , McAuliffe Eilish
Published: June 2007

Background

There is growing concern globally at the current flows of nurse migration, particularly from low-income to middle and high-income countries. Recruitment practices of many countries such as Ireland are thought to be fuelling this rate of migration. This paper aims to establish the perceptions and opinions of those involved in the recruitment process on their role in recruitment and the effects recruitment has on both source and destination countries.

Methods

A purposive sample of 12 directors of nursing, from major academic teaching hospitals in Dublin and hospitals in South Africa and the Philippines were recruited. Ten overseas nurses were also recruited. A phenomenological approach was used with semi-structured interviews as the data collection method.

Results

There were pronounced differences in opinions between the Irish and the overseas directors on recruitment and its effects on the health systems of the source countries. Difficulties in the retention of staff were highlighted by both groups of directors. Other findings included the language and cultural differences experienced by the overseas nurses.

Conclusion

Recruitment of overseas nurses should not be left to the individual employer even in the presence of government guidelines. An international effort from all the involved parties is required to formulate a solution to this complex issue in order to protect both the health systems of individual countries and the nurse's right to migrate.
Pulmonary congenital cystic adenomatoid malformation, type I, presenting as a single cyst of the middle lobe in an adult: case report
Authors: Morelli Luca , Piscioli Irene , Licci Stefano , Donato Salvatore , Catalucci Alessia , Del Nonno Franca
Published: June 2007

Background

Congenital cystic adenomatoid malformation (CCAM) of the lung is an uncommon fetal development anomaly of the terminal respiratory structures. The large cyst type usually occurs in stillborn infants or newborn infants with respiratory distress. Cases of CCAM have been previously described in adulthood, more often type I with multiloculated cystic lesions.

Case presentation

We report a case of type I CCAM presenting as a single, expansive cystic mass in the middle pulmonary lobe in a 38-year-old man, revealed by persistent cough and haemoptysis. Computed tomographic scan showed a single cyst with air fluid level, occupying the lateral segment of the lobe. When the type I CCAM is a single cyst, other cystic pulmonary lesions must be excluded. The intrapulmonary localization and the absence of cartilage in the cyst wall are conclusive findings of CCAM. The pathogenesis, management and differential diagnosis with other lung malformations are discussed along with a review of the literature.

Conclusion

The literature data confirm that surgical resection is the treatment of choice in all cases of CCAM and in the cases of cystic pulmonary lesions with uncertain radiological findings, in order to perform a histological examination of the lesion and to prevent infection and the potential neoplastic transformation.
Free Fluid in Morison's Pouch on Bedside Ultrasound Predicts Need for Operative Intervention in Suspected Ectopic Pregnancy
Authors: Moore Chris , Todd William M. , O'Brien Elizabeth , Lin Henry
Published: June 2007

BackgroundEctopic pregnancies are frequently present in women who present to the emergency department with pregnancy and abdominal pain or bleeding, a subset of whom may require operative intervention.

ObjectivesTo prospectively determine if emergency physician (EP)‐performed transabdominal pelvic ultrasonography (US) with determination of free abdominal fluid in the hepatorenal space predicted the need for operative intervention.

MethodsPatients who were suspected to have an ectopic pregnancy were prospectively enrolled over a ten‐month period. An EP‐performed bedside transabdominal pelvic US that included a view of the hepatorenal space (Morison's pouch) for free fluid. The EP US was classified as intrauterine pregnancy (IUP) or no definitive IUP, with Morison's pouch classified as positive or negative. The majority of patients had a subsequent transvaginal pelvic US performed by the Department of Radiology. Patients were followed up for radiology results, need for operative intervention, and ultimate outcome of the pregnancy.

ResultsThere were 242 patients enrolled, with an average time to complete the EP US of 4 minutes and 27 seconds. There were 28 ectopic pregnancies diagnosed (11.6%), of which 18 patients underwent operative intervention. Free fluid in Morison's pouch was identified in ten patients, nine of whom underwent operative intervention, yielding a positive likelihood ratio of 112 (95% confidence interval = 15 to 831) for patients with suspected ectopic pregnancy who required operative intervention.

ConclusionsFree intraperitoneal fluid found in Morison's pouch in patients with suspected ectopic pregnancy may be rapidly identified at the bedside by EP‐performed US and predicts the need for operative intervention.
The rise and fall of Hox gene clusters
Authors: Duboule Denis
Published: June 2007

Although all bilaterian animals have a related set of Hox genes, the genomic organization of this gene complement comes in different flavors. In some unrelated species, Hox genes are clustered; in others, they are not. This indicates that the bilaterian ancestor had a clustered Hox gene family and that, subsequently, this genomic organization was either maintained or lost. Remarkably, the tightest organization is found in vertebrates, raising the embarrassingly finalistic possibility that vertebrates have maintained best this ancestral configuration. Alternatively, could they have co-evolved with an increased `organization' of the Hox clusters, possibly linked to their genomic amplification, which would be at odds with our current perception of evolutionary mechanisms? When discussing the why's and how's of Hox gene clustering, we need to account for three points: the mechanisms of cluster evolution; the underlying biological constraints; and the developmental modes of the animals under consideration. By integrating these parameters, general conclusions emerge that can help solve the aforementioned dilemma.

“See my son, here time becomes space” Gurnemanz, in Parsifal (R. Wagner)
Genetic analysis of renal function in mice. 1. Glomerular filtration rate and its correlation with body and kidney weight
Authors: Hackbarth H. , Hackbarth D.
Published: June 2007

Investigation of 18 inbred and 6 F1 hybrid mouse strains has shown that the glomerular filtration rate, bodyweight and kidney weight showed strain- and sex-dependent differences. Covariance analysis showed stronger correlations (genetic and environmental) between glomerular filtration rate and bodyweight than between glomerular filtration rate and kidney weight. This was predominantly due to a high within-strain variation of kidney weight (56%) in male mice. Therefore an allometric regression was calculated between the 48 strain means of glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and bodyweight (BW):

GFR = 0·036 × BW0·74

Thus the term BW0·74 a suitable correction term for comparing the heat production of different species, is also suitable for the correction of glomerular filtration rate within one species.
Salmonella livingstone salmonellosis in laboratory mice: successful containment and treatment of the disease
Authors: Simpson W. , Simmons D. J. C.
Published: June 2007

An outbreak of fatal enteritis in CBA/ca mice, associated with Salmonella livingstone, was successfully treated by administration of tetracycline in drinking water together with careful observation of hygienic routines.
Plasma volume determination by use of enzyme dilution in the dog
Authors: Visser Marja P. , Krill Marijke T. A. , Willems G. M. , Hermens W. Th.
Published: June 2007

The use of enzymes for plasma volume determination in the dog was investigated. Plasma volume was determined from dilution of intravenously injected enzymes and compared with results obtained by high molecular weight f1uorescein-labelled dextran. Aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase from liver tissue gave good results, but the activities of creatine kinase and lactate dehydrogenase from heart tissue were inhibited in plasma, resulting in an overestimation of plasma volume. Enzymes offer a useful alternative to methods presently used since no radioactive isotopes are needed. In laboratory animals the enzyme preparations are readily obtainable and there is minimal risk of immunological complications arising after repeated determinations.
The Influence of minerals and protein on the nephrocalcinosis potential for rats of semisynthetic diets
Authors: Meyer Otto , Blom Lars , Søndergaard Dorrit
Published: June 2007

Nephrocalcinosis is a common finding in rats, particularly in females fed a semisynthetic diet. In the present study groups of rats were fed a semisynthetic diet with varying levels of minerals and with lactalbumin instead of casein as the protein source. Adjustment in the Ca, P, and Mg content of the diet caused a marked decrease in renal calcification. The change of protein source alone led to a complete disappearance of calcium deposits in the kidneys.
Comparison of behaviour between 2 subspecies of owl monkey (Aotus trivirgatus) in a laboratory environment
Authors: Jones Alison C. , Simpson Judith S.
Published: June 2007

To evaluate potential factors affecting reproductive performance, 6 monkeys of Colombian and 6 of Bolivian origin, housed as mated pairs, were observed via closed circuit television and a remote-controlled camera. Behavioural differences in feeding and drinking, locomotor activity, environmental interaction, positive social interaction, autogrooming, nest box occupancy, and playing were observed. The differences noted indicate that the subspecies may have different social structures.
Recommendations for the housing of macaque monkeys
Authors: Goosen C. , Van Der Gulden W. , Rozemond H. , Balner H. , Bertens A. , Boot R. , Brinkert J. , Dienske H. , Janssen G. , Lammerss A. , Timmermans P.
Published: June 2007

A multidisciplinary working group was formed to make recommendations for housing of macaques under laboratory conditions in the Netherlands. The group concluded that long-term individual caging leads to persistent abnormal behaviour. Therefore, individual housing is regarded as acceptable only for special reasons which counter-balance the adverse effects of isolation. Guidelines are given for developing more satisfactory social housing systems. Cages used in individual as well as social housing should meet certain spatial and other requirements to ensure a certain amount of diversion, freedom of movement and safety. Since the recommendations represent the opinion of experts in certain aspects of animal husbandry, the report can be used as a legal reference under the Animal Experiments Act.
The use of flexible film isolators for housing experimental animals
Authors: Pendry Ann
Published: June 2007

The change-over from conventional husbandry to the housing of minimal-disease experimental animals kept in flexible-film isolators resulted in improved survival and thus more definitive experimental results. The disadvantages and advantages of the change are discussed.
Biliary secretion in the conscious preruminant goat: use of a re-entrant cannula
Authors: Raggi L.A. , Mañas M. , de Victoria E. Martinez , Lupiani M. J. , Mataix F. J.
Published: June 2007

A double re-entrant bile cannula is described for use in conscious goats which permits study of bile flow and composition.
Use of the flexible film isolator as a single circuit hypoxic chamber for small animals
Authors: Winter R. J. D. , Keast C. G. , Butler P. R. E. , Rudd R. M.
Published: June 2007

PVC isolators are now widely used for housing animals and provide a readily available pretested air-tight chamber (Pendry, 1984; Trexler, 1984). We have adapted a flexible film isolator for use as a hypoxic chamber for small animals. The environment within the chamber can be easily and continuously monitored with indwelling probes, obviating the need for a seperate circuit for gas analysis. This design has been used for long-term studies of chronic hypoxia.
Freezing rabbit semen by the use of BF5 diluent
Authors: Bamba K. , Adams C. E.
Published: June 2007

Three experiments were carried out to find the optimal concentration of DMSO and glycerol in BFS diluent for freezing rabbit spermatozoa. Semen was diluted 1:1 with diluent A (BF5 + DMSO) at 25°C and diluted further 1:1 with diluent B (diluent A + glycerol) after cooling down to 5°C. Diluted semen was frozen immediately and stored in liquid nitrogen. Maximum percentages for motility and normal acrosomes were obtained in the presence of 12% DMSO (as expressed in diluent A) and 3% glycerol (final concentration) after thawing.
Gastric haemorrhage and perforation caused by a trichobezoar in a baboon (Papio hamadryas)
Authors: Gillin A. G. , Phippard A. F. , Thompson J. F. , Harewood W. J. , Waugh R. C. , Horvath J. S.
Published: June 2007

A captive-bred male baboon presented with severe evidence of blood loss and melaena. An upper gastrointestinal radiological study with Gastrografin showed a large trichobezoar. Laparotomy confirmed its presence and revealed gastric ulceration with perforation and generalized peritonitis. The condition was successfully treated by surgery.
Adrenocortical zonation of inbred wild-coloured mastomys, Praomys coucha: a new border zone in the cortex of females
Authors: Tanaka Shin , Nozaki Manabu , Fujioka Toshitake , Matsuzawa Akio
Published: June 2007

Adrenal glands were examined in the inbred strain of wild-coloured mastomys ( Praomys coucha), MWC. The most characteristic findings were emergence of a border zone between the zona fasciculata and z. reticularis of the cortex in females but not in males, and persistence of broad z. reticularis in males. The border zone was typically comprised of vacuolated cell layers, nodular layers and fibrous tissue. Vacuolated cells increased in number during pregnancy and partially disappeared during lactation. Growth of the nodules was greatly enhanced in both number and size during lactation. Thus, multiparae had very thick border zones composed predominantly of large nodules and, additionally, of vacuolated cells and fibrous tissue. The z. reticularis was compressed into a cord of closely packed cells by the expanded border zone in multiparous females but it continued to thicken with age in males. These changes produced completely different cortical zonation in the adrenal between sexes.
Mouse strain differences in resident peritoneal cells: a flow cytometric analysis
Authors: Festing Michael F. W. , Legg R. , Eydmann T. , Brammall A.
Published: June 2007

A flow-cytometric study of resident peritoneal cells among 8 mouse strains showed a more than twofold variation in the ratio of macrophages to macrophages plus lymphocytes, ranging from 27% in A/J to 62% in C57B/L10, with significant strain differences in a number of other cellular parameters. There was a particular deficiency of lymphocytes in strain CBA/N, which carries the xid mutation. Studies of the phagocytosis of fluorescent beads also revealed large differences in the number of beads taken up, ranging from 0·99 per cell in MFI to 1·64 per cell in BALB/c mice in a 20-min period. The total number of peritoneal cells collected also varied between strains, ranging from 2·75 × 106 in CBA/Ca to 5·85 × 106 in MFI. The total yield of macrophages per mouse ranged from 0·93 × 106 in A/J to 3·16 × 106 in C57BL/10. These differences should be taken into account when designing experiments which use resident peritoneal cells.
Multiple Fluorescent Labeling of Silica Nanoparticles with Lanthanide Chelates for Highly Sensitive Time-Resolved Immunofluorometric Assays
Authors: Xu Ye , Li Qingge
Published: June 2007

Background: Time-resolved immunofluorometric assays (TrIFA) using lanthanide-labeled nanoparticles have greatly increased the sensitivity of immunoassays. Current labeling strategies, however, use either physical doping of lanthanide chelates into preformed nanoparticles or covalent linking of lanthanide chelates to precursors used for making nanoparticles; both these strategies have drawbacks.

Methods: Luminescent Eu(III) and Tb(III) chelates were covalently coated on the surface of preformed silica nanoparticles to which detection antibodies or bridging proteins for antibody binding were conjugated. We used the resulting conjugates in TrIFA for detection of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg), both individually and simultaneously. We compared the results of the newly established method with results of an ELISA for serum samples. Positive samples identified by TrIFA but not by ELISA were confirmed by additional assays, including real-time PCR detection of viral DNA.

Results: The prepared nanoparticle conjugates were homogeneous in size, at ∼55 (5) nm in diameter [mean (SD)], were stable for long-time storage (>2 years), and contained more chelates [6.86 × 105 for Eu(III), 4.73 × 104 for Tb(III)] per nanoparticle than particles made as previously reported. The TrIFA established for HBsAg had a comparable or lower detection limit (0.0092 μg/L) than existing nanoparticle-based TrIFA or ELISA. The TrIFA for HBeAg had a much lower detection limit [10.0 National Centre Unit (NCU)/L] than ELISA and detected HBeAg in 5 samples missed by the ELISA method. Simultaneous TrIFA for both HBsAg and HBeAg was achieved with detection limits (0.033 μg/L for HBsAg and 27.0 NCU/L for HBeAg) close to those of the individual assays.

Conclusions: Covalent surface labeling of silica nanoparticles with lanthanide chelates provides good fluorescent labels that can be used in TrIFA for highly sensitive and robust detection of clinical targets.
Population Dynamics of a June Sucker Refuge Population
Authors: Billman Eric J. , Crowl Todd A.
Published: June 2007

The June suckerChasmistes liorusis an endangered sucker endemic to Utah Lake in the Bonneville basin of the western United States. Little is known about the critical life history parameters for this species. We evaluated the life history characteristics of a June sucker refuge population using mark‐recapture techniques. The Red Butte June sucker population was structured as five stage‐classes: age 0, age 1, age 2, age 3, and adult. The first four annuli on opercles were estimated to form at approximately 57, 121, 184, and 259 mm total length (TL). The adult class comprised all June suckers 4 years and older; the oldest possible age for an adult was 16 years, these June suckers representing the original suckers used to establish this refuge population. Mean lengths of reproductive adults indicated sex‐specific differences in size at maturity; females were significantly greater in TL than males (402 and 378 mm, respectively). The estimated population size excluding age‐0 fish was 13,556 (95% confidence interval, 11,499–16,510) after adjusting for tag loss. Survival rates were estimated for all but the age‐0 class as follows: age 1, 0.4225; age 2, 0.4625; age 3, 0.8020; and adults, 0.9576. This study provides the first estimates of abundance and survival of juvenile June suckers as well as comprehensive life history data for a June sucker population.
Prediction of optical properties of paints
Authors: Ďurikovič Roman , Ágošton Tomaš
Published: June 2007

The field of predictive rendering concerns itself with those methods of image synthesis which yield results that do not only look real, but are also radiometrically correct renditions of nature, i.e., which are accurate predictions of what a real scene would look like under given lighting conditions. A real coating consists of pigments, effect pigments, clear lacquer and glaze. A novel and unique combination of real parameters that are commonly measured in the industry and a theoretical reflectance model consisting of measurable parameters is required. Here, the authors design perception parameters and put them into well known surface reflection functions such as He and Torrance. The original contributions are the study of the sub-surface scattering of real paint and the prediction of its appearance in rendered images by the proposed model of light reflection beneath the paint surface.
Identifying the etiologic role of Parvovirus B19 in non-immune hydrops fetalis by histopathology, immunohistochemistry and nucleic acid testing: a retrospective study
Authors: Ergunay Koray , Altinok Gulcin , Gurel Bora , Pinar Ahmet , Sungur Arzu , Balci Sevim , Ustacelebi Semsettin
Published: June 2007

Intrauterine Parvovirus B19 infections may cause fetal anemia, non-immune hydrops fetalis or abortion. This study focuses on the pathogenic role of Parvovirus B19 in non-immune hydrops fetalis at Hacettepe University, a major reference hospital in Turkey. Twenty-two cases of non-immune hydrops fetalis were retrospectively selected out of a total of 431 hydrops fetalis specimens from the Department of Pathology archieves. Paraffine embedded tissue sections from placental and liver tissues from each case were evaluated by histopathology, immunohistochemistry, nested PCR and commercial quantitative Real-time PCR. Viral DNA was detected in placental tissues by Real-time PCR in 2 cases (2/22, 9.1%) where histopathology also revealed changes suggestive of Parvovirus B19 infection. No significant histopathologic changes were observed for the remaining sections. Nested PCR that targets the VP1 region of the viral genome and immunohistochemistry for viral capsid antigens were negative for all cases. As a result, Parvovirus B19 is identified as the etiologic agent for the development of non-immune hydrops fetalis for 9.1% of the cases in Hacettepe University, Turkey. Real-time PCR is observed to be an effective diagnostic tool for nucleic acid detection from paraffine embedded tissues. Part of this study was presented as a poster at XIIIth International Congress of Virology, San Francisco, USA (Abstract V-572).
Variables Influencing Physical Therapists’ Perceptions of Continuing Education
Authors: Austin Tricia M , Graber Kim C
Published: June 2007

Background and Purpose: As of October 1, 2002, physical therapy continuing education (CE) in Illinois was mandated. Research examining the recent mandate for physical therapists to engage in CE is limited. The purposes of this study were to examine the perceptions of physical therapist clinicians and managers concerning the barriers to and facilitators of CE and to identify how physical therapists perceive the role of their department in the CE process.

Subjects: Participants were 23 physical therapists at 6 hospitals.

Methods: Qualitative methodology was used to analyze data.

Results: Four themes were identified: negotiating and managing the variables associated with CE, providing and promoting opportunities that meet physical therapists’ CE needs, identifying the elements of employment environments that foster CE, and perceived implications of mandating CE.

Discussion and Conclusion: This investigation highlights the need to identify the core set of variables associated with engaging in CE and to promote the elements of employment environments that foster CE.
Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation and Volitional Exercise for Individuals With Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Multiple-Patient Case Report
Authors: Piva Sara R , Goodnite Edward A , Azuma Koichiro , Woollard Jason D , Goodpaster Bret H , Wasko Mary Chester , Fitzgerald G Kelley
Published: June 2007

Background and Purpose: Muscle atrophy is common in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Although neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) is a viable treatment for muscle atrophy, there is no evidence about the use of NMES in patients with RA. The purposes of this multiple-patient case report are: (1) to describe the use of NMES applied to the quadriceps femoris muscles in conjunction with an exercise program in patients with RA; (2) to report on patient tolerance and changes in lean muscle mass, quadriceps femoris muscle strength (force-producing capacity), and physical function; and (3) to explore how changes in muscle mass relate to changes in quadriceps femoris muscle strength, measures of physical function, and patient adherence.

Case Description: Seven patients with RA (median age=61 years, range=39–80 years) underwent 16 weeks of NMES and volitional exercises. Lean muscle mass and strength of the quadriceps femoris muscle and physical function were measured before and after treatment.

Outcomes: One patient did not tolerate the NMES treatment, and 2 patients did not complete at least half of the proposed treatment. Patients who completed the NMES and volitional exercise program increased their lean muscle mass, muscle strength, and physical function.

Discussion: Because of the small sample, whether NMES combined with exercises is better than exercise alone or NMES alone could not be determined. However, the outcomes from this multiple-patient case report indicate that NMES is a viable treatment option to address muscle atrophy and weakness in patients with RA. Strategies to increase tolerance and adherence to NMES are warranted.
Plantar Fasciitis: Are Pain and Fascial Thickness Associated With Arch Shape and Loading?
Authors: Wearing Scott C , Smeathers James E , Sullivan Patrick M , Yates Bede , Urry Stephen R , Dubois Philip
Published: June 2007

Background and Purpose: Although plantar fascial thickening is a sonographic criterion for the diagnosis of plantar fasciitis, the effect of local loading and structural factors on fascial morphology are unknown. The purposes of this study were to compare sonographic measures of fascial thickness and radiographic measures of arch shape and regional loading of the foot during gait in individuals with and without unilateral plantar fasciitis and to investigate potential relationships between these loading and structural factors and the morphology of the plantar fascia in individuals with and without heel pain.

Subjects: The participants were 10 subjects with unilateral plantar fasciitis and 10 matched asymptomatic controls.

Methods: Heel pain on weight bearing was measured by a visual analog scale. Fascial thickness and static arch angle were determined from bilateral sagittal sonograms and weight-bearing lateral foot roentgenograms. Regional plantar loading was estimated from a pressure plate.

Results: On average, the plantar fascia of the symptomatic limb was thicker than the plantar fascia of the asymptomatic limb (6.1±1.4 mm versus 4.2±0.5 mm), which, in turn, was thicker than the fascia of the matched control limbs (3.4±0.5 mm and 3.5±0.6 mm). Pain was correlated with fascial thickness, arch angle, and midfoot loading in the symptomatic foot. Fascial thickness, in turn, was positively correlated with arch angle in symptomatic and asymptomatic feet and with peak regional loading of the midfoot in the symptomatic limb.

Discussion and Conclusion: The findings indicate that fascial thickness and pain in plantar fasciitis are associated with the regional loading and static shape of the arch.
Performing Vienna: Theatricality in Jelinek's 'Burgtheater' and Bernhard's 'Heldenplatz'
Authors: Finney Gail
Published: June 2007

Where better to begin talking about Viennese identity in the late twentieth century than in the work of Elfriede Jelinek and Thomas Bernhard—specifically, in two plays whose titles immediately evoke the city as well as pregnant moments in its history: Jelinek's Burgtheater (published 1982; premiered 1985 in Bonn) and Bernhard's Heldenplatz (premiered 1988 in Vienna's Burgtheater). Insofar as the two plays dramatize the extent to which National Socialism took hold and persisted in Austria, they epitomize both authors' perennial roles as keen observers and harsh critics of Austrian society. Burgtheater and the scandal it generated established Jelinek's function as "Nestbeschmutzerin," whereas Heldenplatz, appearing the year before Bernhard's death, can be regarded as the capstone of his career as a critic of Austrian mores and politics.
Dedication to an Influential Generation of Germanists: The Transfer of Knowledge from Germans to Jews in American German Studies
Authors: Peck Jeffrey M.
Published: June 2007

In the 1960s and 1970s on both sides of the Atlantic, the American involvement in Vietnam and the demand for political and social change in response to these policies translated into activism on university campuses. Berkeley and Berlin became synonymous with protest; Mario Savio and Rudi Dutschke became the heroes of these student movements. However, this first postwar generation of German students at this time also was entangled in an additional personal and political crisis prompted by the war, namely their parents' and grandparents' past, the infamous Vergangenheitsbewältigung of the Third Reich. These children—born in the thirties and early forties (most in the war years themselves)—faced an older generation who not only instigated a world war but also participated, either implicitly or explicitly, in the persecution and extermination of six million Jews and other so-called undesirables. It was a harsh and painful time for these young people and their elders, the latter who were attacked for their complicity and the former who were accused of hubris.
Werkbundpolitik and Weltpolitik: The German State's Interest in Global Commerce and "Good Design," 1912-1914"
Authors: Maciuika John V.
Published: June 2007

Although the conflict between Muthesius and van de Velde has been well documented in the annals of modern architectural and design history, far less understood is the extent to which domestic political crises and new policy departures in Berlin served as preconditions for the Werkbund conflict in the first place. Prominent Werkbund members—men such as Werkbund Managing Director Ernst Jäckh and Werkbund Vice President Hermann Muthesius, but also including such national political figures and Werkbund members as Friedrich Naumann of Württemberg and Gustav Stresemann of Saxony—used institutional affiliations and their multiple professional identities to forge unprecedented linkages between the Werkbund leadership, industrial interest groups, and powerful German state interests. Specifically, and at the national level, new policies articulated by German Chancellor Theobald von Bethmann Hollweg and key German ministries in Berlin, strident national interest group politics, and an evolving state outlook toward Weltpolitik (geopolitical strategy) combined to reshape Werkbund policy in fundamental ways between 1912 and 1914. Without these forces, and without developments that followed the lopsided and highly contentious Reichstag elections of January 1912, the Werkbund likely never would have risen to the prominent position it came to occupy with state authorities by July 1914.
Berlin and Vienna: Reassessing their Relationship in German Culture
Authors: Trommler Frank
Published: June 2007

This article is a discussion of the relationship of Berlin and Vienna as cultural capitals. It acknowledges the distinctive Austrian cultural and intellectual traditions yet is based on the realization that the unique achievements and traditions as well as the public standing of these two cities can only be fully understood within the larger confines of German culture where they constituted a polarity, effectively confirming its diverse and regional character. Discussing this polarity necessarily leads beyond the strictly national definitions of culture that became part of German politics, especially under Nazi rule. And it leads beyond the stereotypes about the competition between Prussia and Austria, between the Wilhelmine Reich and the Habsburg Monarchy, a political competition whose significance for cultural identities was arguably smaller than what historians projected. Though not eclipsing other city rivalries such as those between Berlin and Munich, Berlin and Hamburg, Vienna and Budapest, the polarity of Vienna and Berlin seems to have become a crucial ingredient in labeling German culture multifaceted and blessed with alternatives.
Die Metropole als Hypertext: Zur netzhaften Essaystik in Walter Benjamins "Passagen-Projekt"
Authors: Bolle Willi
Published: June 2007

Die für Bertolt Brechts Stück Mahagonny (1929) zentrale Metapher der "Netzestadt" soll hier dazu verwendet werden, den Kompositionsstil von Walter Benjamins Passagen-Projekt (1927-1940) im Sinne einer netzhaften Essayistik zu erklären. Dieser methodologische Transfer ist nicht kausalgenetisch begründet (dass etwa Benjamins Schreibweise von Brecht beeinflusst worden wäre), sondern er beruht auf einer ästhetischen Wahlverwandtschaft. Mit der Metapher des netzhaften Schreibens läßt sich die von Benjamin entwickelte wissenschaftliche Großstadt-Essayistik besonders treffend charakterisieren.
Reflections on Kafka's Urban Reader
Authors: Paul Reitter , Wheeler Brett
Published: June 2007

Like so much else in Kafka, the motif of reading has been discussed hotly and often—from Walter Benjamin's early essay, through seminal studies by Walter Sokel and Heinz Politzer, to poststructuralist analyses of how Kafka foregrounds the instability of language and verbal communication. In this large body of criticism, we find abundant interest in how, for Kafka, certain problems of understanding have a particularly modern character, e.g., in how they are connected to particularly modern conditions. These include the waning metaphysical authority of traditional texts and, most obviously, the rise of bureaucracies that deal programmatically in obfuscation. But Kafka's works engage substantially with what we might call the topos of reading in a modern—and often urban—setting in other ways as well, in ways that have received only passing treatment from scholars. Newspaper reading, for example, has a prominent role in "The Judgment," Kafka's breakthrough text, yet its significance has gone largely unexamined.
Global Cityscapes of Modernity and Post Modernity: Vienna and Berlin 1900-2000
Authors: Peck Jeffrey M.
Published: June 2007

The focus of this volume is broad, both historically and topically.

Berlin and Vienna, modernity and postmodernity, the twentieth century

and two incisive Wenden of a tumultuous millennium offer an

opportunity to examine central issues in the relationship among

European culture, history, and politics. Cities provide a rich location

to examine expressions of creativity, growth, and change over the

course of one hundred years. As a transit point of entry and exit, the

city becomes a site for exchange and cross-fertilization of peoples,

ideas, and commodities. Cities are nodes in a network whose spokes

extend beyond their metropolitan borders and bring intellectual and

physical nourishment to surrounding areas. This European century

will be known for its great cities and the production of cultural

objects that spread around the globe. Less dramatically, nevertheless

significant for the transfer of knowledge, academic figures will also

be remembered for the dissemination of these intellectual traditions

to generations of students who were fortunate to cross their paths.

Hinrich C. Seeba, professor of German at the University of California,

Berkeley, from 1967 to the present, is one such person.
Isolation of Hematopoietic Stem Cells from Human Cord Blood
Authors: Jaatinen Taina , Laine Jarmo
Published: June 2007

Enrichment of hematopoietic stem cells is based on the expression of certain surface antigens, such as CD34 and CD133, or on the lack of expression of lineage‐specific antigens. Immunomagnetic positive selection of CD34+ or CD133+ cells is performed using paramagnetic microbeads conjugated to specific monoclonal antibodies (anti–human CD34 or anti–human CD133). In negative selection of lineage‐negative (Lin−) cells, the unwanted cells are labeled with antibodies against known markers for mature hematopoietic cells (CD2, CD3, CD14, CD16, CD19, CD24, CD56, CD66b, and glycophorin A) and retained in the column. Unlabeled cells pass through the column and are collected as the Lin− cell fraction. Immunomagnetic cell sorting system MACS is a fast and gentle method to enrich hematopoietic stem cells. Viable and highly pure cells can be separated to be used in various downstream applications, such as flow cytometry and cell culture. Curr. Protoc. Stem Cell Biol. 1:2A.2.1‐2A.2.9. © 2007 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Synthesis, structure and characterization of some Schiff bases bearing phenylferrocene
Authors: Shah Faiz Ullah , Akhter Zareen , Siddiqi Humaira M. , Parvez Masood
Published: June 2007

Some novel Schiff bases bearing phenylferrocene were synthesized by condensation reaction of 4‐ferrocenylaniline with different aromatic aldehydes. The compounds prepared were characterized by spectroscopic methods (IR, UV–visible, 1H and 13C NMR) and elemental analysis. The single crystal analysis of compound F1 [monoclinic, space group, P21/c (no. 14), a = 19.858(2), b = 7.416(2), c = 12.095(5) Å, β = 106.257(14) ] indicates a trans imine bond with a bond length of 1.270(2) Å, typical of a carbon‐nitrogen double bond. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Cyanosilylation of carbonyl compounds catalyzed by sodium L‐histidine
Authors: George Soney C. , Kim Sung Soo , Rajagopal Gurusamy
Published: June 2007

An efficient protocol for the addition of trimethyl silanecarbonitrile to carbonyl compounds by employing 1 mol% of L‐histidine sodium salt alone as the catalyst is presented. A variety of aromatic, aliphatic and cyclic carbonyl compounds have been converted into the corresponding trimethylethers in excellent yield (up to 99%) under mild conditions. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Relationships between perceived features and similarity of images: A test of Tversky's contrast model
Authors: Rorissa Abebe
Published: June 2007

The rapid growth of the numbers of images and their users as a result of the reduction in cost and increase in efficiency of the creation, storage, manipulation, and transmission of images poses challenges to those who organize and provide access to images. One of these challenges is similarity matching, a key component of current content‐based image retrieval systems. Similarity matching often is implemented through similarity measures based on geometric models of similarity whose metric axioms are not satisfied by human similarity judgment data. This study is significant in that it is among the first known to test Tversky's contrast model, which equates the degree of similarity of two stimuli to a linear combination of their common and distinctive features, in the context of image representation and retrieval. Data were collected from 150 participants who performed an image description and a similarity judgment task. Structural equation modeling, correlation, and regression analyses confirmed the relationships between perceived features and similarity of objects hypothesized by Tversky. The results hold implications for future research that will attempt to further test the contrast model and assist designers of image organization and retrieval systems by pointing toward alternative document representations and similarity measures that more closely match human similarity judgments.
Relationship between field strength and arousal response in mice exposed to 60‐Hz electric fields
Authors: Rosenberg Richard S. , Duffy Peter H. , Sacher George A. , Ehret Charles F.
Published: June 2007

White‐footed mice, Peromyscus leucopus, were exposed to 60‐Hz electric fields to study the relationship between field strength and three measures of the transient arousal response previously reported to occur with exposures at 100 kV/m. Five groups of 12 mice each were given a series of four 1‐h exposures, separated by an hour, with each group exposed at one of the following field strengths: 75, 50, 35, 25, and 10 kV/m; 8 additional mice were sham‐exposed with no voltage applied to the field generator. All mice were experimentally naive before the start of the experiment, and all exposures occurred during the inactive (lights‐on) phase of the circadian cycle. The first exposure produced immediate increases in arousal measures, but subsequent exposures had no significant effect on any measure. These arousal responses were defined by significant increases of gross motor activity, carbon dioxide production, and oxygen consumption, and were frequently recorded with field strengths of 50 kV/m or higher. Significant arousal responses rarely occurred with exposures at lower field strengths. Responses of mice exposed at 75 and 50 kV/m were similar to previously described transient arousal responses in mice exposed to 100‐kV/m electric fields. Less than half of the mice in each of the field strength groups below 50 kV/m showed arousal responses based on Z (standard) scores, but the arousals of the mice that did respond were similar to those of mice exposed at higher field strengths. Polynomial regression was used to calculate the field strength producing the greatest increases for each of the arousal measures. The results show that the amplitude of the transient arousal response is related to the strength of the electric field, but different measures of arousal may have different relationships to field strength.
Suppression of T‐lymphocyte cytotoxicity following exposure to sinusoidally amplitude‐modulated fields
Authors: Lyle Daniel B. , Schechter Patricia , Adey W. Ross , Lundak Robert L.
Published: June 2007

Significant inhibition of allogeneic cytotoxicity of the target cell MPC‐11 by the murine cytotoxic T‐lymphocyte line CTLL‐1 was observed when the 4‐h cytotoxicity assay was conducted in the presence of a 450‐MHz field sinusoidally amplitude‐modulated at 60 Hz. Exposure of the effector cells to the field prior to adding them to the target cells in the cytolytic assay resulted in a similar inhibition, suggesting a direct interaction of the field with the cytolytic T lymphocyte. The inhibition was preferentially expressed during the early allogeneic recognition phase. Fieldexposed cytolytic cells recovered their full cytolytic capacity in 12.5 h. A differential susceptibility was observed with modulation frequencies from 0 to 100 Hz. Peak suppression occurred at 60 Hz modulation, with progressively smaller effects at 40, 16, and 3 Hz. The unmodulated carrier wave did not affect the cytotoxicity. Effects with 80‐ and 100‐Hz modulation were smaller than at 60 Hz. These results demonstrate an inhibitory but recoverable effect by certain amplitude modulations of weak nonionizing radiation upon the cell‐mediated cytolytic immune response.
Uniform DC electric field exposure systems for mice and cats
Authors: Kobayashi Tetsuo , Shimizu Koichi , Matsumoto Goro , Nishiyama Fumihiko , Nakamura Hiroshi , Ohta Shunro , Kato Masamichi
Published: June 2007

In most previous 50/60‐Hz experiments, subjects were placed in a dielectric cage and the electric field was applied from outside the cage. Although the field outside the cage was kept uniform in space and constant in time, the field inside the cage undergoes undesirable temporal and spatial variations. We have designed an electric‐field exposure system that overcomes these problems by having a metal cage constitute a part of the field generating electrodes. The uniformity along the diameter of the cages for mice and cats are more than 84.2% and 74.3%, respectively.
Risks, choices and behavioral treatment
Authors: Meinhold Patricia M. , Mulick James A.
Published: June 2007

Recent arguments against the use of intrusive behavioral interventions in the treatment of handicapped people are examined. The anti‐aversive position was found to be based on assumptions about the negative impact of aversive procedures, and to consider only a small subset of the variables that should be taken into account when treatment decisions are made. A preliminary application of formal decision‐analysis techniques that have been developed in response to other controversial technologies had a number of benefits including: (a) sharpening the distinction between scientific and social criteria; (b) sensitizing decision‐makers and scientists to the range of costs, risks, and benefits associated with treatment decisions; and (c) identifying critical areas of research. Decision‐analysis techniques were found to be helpful in directing scientists and policy‐makers towards more informed decision‐making.
Case study: Reinforcement control of assaultive behavior in a sensory impaired child
Authors: Luiselli James K.
Published: June 2007

This clinical case study describes the residential treatment of severe assaultive behavior in a 13‐year‐old sensory impaired child using two methods of positive reinforcement. Only slight reductions in the frequency of assaults occurred when the child was reinforced for compliance with task demands. Control was established quickly when reinforcement for the absence of responding was programmed in the form of a differential reinforcement of other behavior (DRO) contingency. Treatment fading was accomplished by gradually decreasing the immediacy and frequency of reinforcement. Extended follow‐up assessment revealed near‐zero levels of responding.