bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The entrepreneur as hero and jester: Enacting the entrepreneurial discourse
Authors: Anderson Alistair R. , Warren Lorraine
Published: August 2011

Employing a social construction perspective, this article argues that entrepreneurs are uniquely empowered by entrepreneurial discourse to bring about creative destruction. Analysis of the representation of entrepreneurship in the media suggests that entrepreneurs have a distinctive presence in society that is shaped by cultural norms and expectations. These images create and present an entrepreneurial identity. Yet identity has two facets: the general, identified as ‘what’ but also a distinctive individual identity as ‘who’. This article explores the identity play of one flamboyant entrepreneur, Michael O’Leary, to show how he deploys the rhetoric and rationality of entrepreneurial discourse, but shapes it through emotional games to establish his unique entrepreneurial identity. It finds strong evidence that entrepreneurs are culturally stereotypical and that this is amplified by the press, but also how O’Leary employs this typification to engage with the rational and emotional, explaining how this is used for strategic advantage.
Pitch perception, working memory, and second-language phonological production
Authors: Posedel James , Emery Lisa , Souza Benjamin , Fountain Catherine
Published: August 2011

Previous research has suggested that training on a musical instrument is associated with improvements in working memory and musical pitch perception ability. Good working memory and musical pitch perception ability, in turn, have been linked to certain aspects of language production. The current study examines whether working memory and/or pitch perception ability are possible mediators of the effect of musical training on second language phonological production. Native English-speaking undergraduate participants were asked questions about their previous music and Spanish training, and were asked to complete tests of pitch perception, working memory, and Spanish pronunciation. Results indicated that although musical training was linked to both better working memory and better pitch perception, only pitch perception ability was a significant predictor of Spanish pronunciation. These results suggest that incorporating musical training into language classes may be one way to improve second language pronunciation.
Mechanical properties of black sugar palm fiber-reinforced concrete
Authors: Ferdiansyah T. , Abdul Razak H.
Published: August 2011

This article reports the results of an investigation on the engineering properties of concrete containing black sugar palm fiber. Three fiber lengths of 15, 25, and 35 mm in four volume fractions, namely 0.2%, 0.4%, 0.6%, and 0.8%, were utilized in this investigation. The values of compressive, flexural, toughness, first crack deflection, first crack toughness, and toughness indices are reported for ages up to 90 days. It was observed that the addition of palm fibers slightly increased the flexural strength of concrete. The incorporation of the fibers had no significant effect on the compressive strength. The mix with 0.8% volume fraction and 35 mm length fiber gave higher toughness and ductility compared to other mixes.
Polydimethylsiloxane-toughened PU/EP IPN composites loaded with carbon nanotubes: Damping, thermal, and mechanical properties
Authors: Shoubing Chen  , Qihua Wang  , Tingmei Wang
Published: August 2011

A series of HTPDMS-toughened castor oil-based PU/EP-graft IPN composites loaded with multi-walled CNTs were prepared. The damping properties, thermal stability, tensile and impact strengths, as well as fractured surfaces of the modified IPN composites were studied systematically. Results revealed that the addition of CNTs can significantly improve the damping capacity especially when the CNTs content was 0.5%, though the thermal decomposition temperature decreased slightly. The tensile strength increased by more than 40% when the CNT contents were 0.3% and 0.5%. When the CNTs content was 0.1%, the impact strength was also improved. It is expected that the modified composites may be used as structural damping materials.
Formation of honeycomb structure in poly(N-vinylcarbazole)/cellulose triacetate composite films
Authors: Kim D.G. , Kim B.S. , Huh D.S.
Published: August 2011

Poly(N-vinylcarbazole) (PVK) composites containing different concentrations of cellulose triacetate (CTA) were synthesized through oxidative polymerization of N-vinylcarbazole with ferric chloride. Characterization and thermal stability of the synthesized composite were investigated using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and ultraviolet—visible (UV—Vis) spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), respectively. Surface morphology of the synthesized composites was studied using both scanning and transmission electron microscopy. Well-ordered porous films of the polymer composites were fabricated by evaporation of the composite solution dissolved in a volatile solvent under humid conditions. The PVK—CTA composite formed a highly well-ordered honeycomb pattern with the appropriate concentration of CTA in the absence of any kind of amphiphilic copolymer to stabilize the air—water interface. Findings of this study indicate that uniformly dispersed CTA is responsible for the stability of the air—water interface in the composite solution, thus enabling the formation of a highly ordered polymer film.
Multiaxis multilayered non-interlaced/ non-Z E-Glass/polyester preform composites and determination of flexural properties by statistical model
Authors: Bilisik Kadir , Yolacan Gaye
Published: August 2011

In this study, non-interlaced/non-Z single layer and multilayered uniaxial, biaxial and multiaxis preform structures were developed to produce E-Glass/polyester composite structures. The data generated from the flexural tests of the composite structures were analysed by using a regression model. The flexural strength of the E-Glass/polyester structures depended on yarn orientation and the number of layers. In addition, the flexural properties of the composite structures were proportional to their total fiber volume fractions. If all the E-Glass/polyester structures are produced with the same preform packing density, the structures made from coarse fiber show high flexural strength, compared to structures made from fine fiber, due to high fiber volume fraction. All structures showed mode-I type delamination failure which occurred in the out-of-plane direction as a form of interlayer splitting perpendicular to the applied bending load direction. Local interlayer failures were observed between warp/warp in uniaxial structures, warp/filling in biaxial structures and bias/bias and bias/filling in multiaxis structures due to the no-Z yarn reinforcement. The developed regression model was considered as a suitable and viable tool to predict the flexural properties of the composite structures.
Study of composite beams in asymmetric four-point bending
Authors: Theotokoglou E.E. , Sideridis E.
Published: August 2011

This article deals with the numerical study of composite beams in asymmetric four-point bending and the comparison of the induced results with experimental and numerical results. The measurement of the interlaminar shear strength of composite beams, an important design variable in many applications, may be suc-cessfully performed by the recently established asymmetric off-axis bending test. In order to obtain experimental results, specimens had been produced and tested to failure. A linear FEA is adopted throughout the composite beams to obtain the stress distributions in the beams and especially at the loading points and the supports where the stresses vary abruptly and present the most important discrepancies when compared with the classical theory. This is a main purpose of this article since the application of the FEA can elucidate the situation in these areas to a great extent. From the FEA, possible crack initiation positions are determined and compared with the corresponding results obtained from the experimental investigation. Also, a comparison between the experimental results of the deflections and the numerical values was carried out in order to estimate the declination.
Effects of the composite and adhesive aging on the plasticity in bonded composite repair
Authors: Aminallah L. , Rezgani L. , Bouiadjra B. Bachir , Madani K. , Albedah A. , Benyahia F.
Published: August 2011

In this study, the effects of hygrothermal aging of composite patches and adhesives on the plasticity ahead of repaired crack with bonded composite patch were analyzed. The ﬁnite element method was used to compute the size and the shape of the plastic zone for cracks repaired with bonded hygrothermal aged composite patches and adhesives. The obtained results show that moisture absorption has a negative effect on the repair performance. Indeed, the size of plastic zone increases with an increase in the rate of water absorption whether in composite patches or in adhesives. The reduction of the composite patches and adhesive strength by the water absorption leads to a reduction of the repair performances.
Effect of Addition of Hybrid Nanoclay and Nano-Alumina Fillers on the Mechanical and Thermal Performances of Polypropylene Composites
Authors: Yadav Vipin , Rao V. Srinivasa , Chand Navin
Published: August 2011

In this study, we made an attempt to improve the mechanical and thermal properties of polypropylene (PP) using clay and alumina fillers. The dispersion of modified clay and alumina fillers in the polymer matrix was improved using (blended with) two different modifiers, maleic anhydride-grafted PP and ethylene–propylene–rubber, along with coupling agent. The effect of different loading levels of clay and alumina, keeping the other compositions constant, on mechanical and thermal properties of the nancomposites was studied and optimized. The dispersion of fillers was supported by X-ray diffraction and high-resolution scanning electron microscopy. Presence and absence of modifier and coupling agent on the mechanical properties were also studied. Nanocomposites with 4% clay along with modifier and coupling agent have shown the best mechanical property. While nanocomposites with 4% alumina along with modifier and coupling agent have shown better thermal properties over the other composition. There is a 20–25% of improvement in both mechanical and thermal properties.
Model-based fault-tolerant control for an automotive air suspension control system
Authors: Kim Hyunsup , Lee Hyeongcheol
Published: August 2011

This paper presents a new fault-tolerant control (FTC) algorithm for an automotive air suspension control (ASC) system. The FTC algorithm proposed in this paper provides the fault detection, diagnosis, and management of a closed-loop air suspension control system. A new model-based fault detection and isolation algorithm for the height sensors, which are critical but vulnerable components of the ASC system, is also proposed. The height sensor fault is detected on the basis of the geometric relationships of the suspension and is isolated by implementing the analytical redundancy of the height sensors using roll and pitch angle estimates derived by a Kalman filter. An adaptive threshold is designed and applied in order to enhance the robustness of the fault detection and isolation against model uncertainties. The effectiveness of the proposed model-based FTC algorithm is verified via simulation and actual vehicle tests.
Biomimetic approach to water lubrication with biomolecular additives
Authors: Ahlroos T , Hakala T J , Helle A , Linder M B , Holmberg K , Mahlberg R , Laaksonen P , Varjus S
Published: August 2011

The aim of this study is to find a connection between mechanical engineering and biotechnology by utilizing biomimetics in lubrication. The objective is to improve boundary lubrication by biomolecules in water-based systems. Proteins were used because they can form films and multilayers on the surfaces and thus prevent direct contact between them. In this study, hydrophobin and albumin proteins are studied as additives to enable water lubrication.
Decision-making difficulties experienced by adults with autism spectrum conditions
Authors: Luke Lydia , Clare Isabel C.H. , Ring Howard , Redley Marcus , Watson Peter
Published: August 2011

Autobiographical and clinical accounts, as well as a limited neuropsychological research literature, suggest that, in some situations, men and women with autism spectrum conditions (ASCs) may have difficulty making decisions. Little is known, however, about how people with ASCs experience decision-making or how they might best be supported to make decisions for themselves. In this study, we compared the decision-making experiences of adults with and without ASCs (n=38 and n=40, respectively) using a novel questionnaire and the General Decision Making Style inventory (GDMS, Scott & Bruce, 1995). The participants with ASCs reported experiencing several problems in decision-making more frequently than the comparison group, and were more likely to report avoidance of decision-making, as measured using the GDMS. The findings highlight areas of potential future research and inform suggestions for supporting adults with ASCs during decision-making
Buried by autism: older parents’ perceptions of autism
Authors: Hines Monique , Balandin Susan , Togher Leanne
Published: August 2011

In this study, we explored older parents’ perceptions of their adult sons and daughters with autism in order to gain insights into how parents’ beliefs about autism may influence their coping. Narrative analysis of in-depth interviews held with 16 parents aged 60 years and older of adults with autism revealed that these parents perceived that their son’s or daughter’s intelligence, sense of humour and social personality are blocked by autism. Adherence to these beliefs appeared to comprise important coping strategies that supported these parents in their caregiving roles by assisting them to maintain positive perceptions of their son or daughter with autism. Yet such beliefs also held costs for the parents, including reinforcing the belief that they need to regulate their own behaviour in order to realize the true son or daughter buried by autism.
Theorizing surveillance in crime control
Authors: Haggerty Kevin D. , Wilson Dean , Smith Gavin J.D.
Published: August 2011

Surveillance is conventionally perceived as a key component of the crime control apparatus. This editors’ introduction to a Special Issue of Theoretical Criminology on ‘Theorizing Surveillance in Crime Control’ outlines both the need for new theorizing on surveillance and some of the difficulties in doing so. It also introduces the seven pieces in the Special Issue.
‘Crimmigrant’ bodies and bona fide travelers: Surveillance, citizenship and global governance
Authors: Aas Katja Franko
Published: August 2011

The article explores the nature of surveillance and crime control as they enter the sphere of global governance. Taking the European Union (EU) as a point of departure, it examines the relationship between surveillance and sovereignty, and looks more broadly at the role that transnational surveillance and crime control play in constructing a particular type of globally divided polity. Transnational surveillance practices are increasingly addressing a public which is no longer defined exclusively as the citizenry of the nation state, nor are all European citizens entitled to the privileges of such citizenship. Through the notions of bona fide global citizens and ‘crimmigrant’ others the article details how the seeming universality of citizenship is punctuated by novel categories of globally included and excluded populations, thus revealing the inadequacy of the traditional liberal language of citizenship as the springboard for articulating a critical discourse of rights.
Revisiting the synopticon: Reconsidering Mathiesen’s ‘The Viewer Society’ in the age of Web 2.0
Authors: Doyle Aaron
Published: August 2011

Thomas Mathiesen’s ‘The Viewer Society’ has been widely influential. Mathiesen posited, alongside the panopticon, a reciprocal system of control, the synopticon, in which ‘the many’ watch ‘the few’. I point to the value of Mathiesen’s arguments but also suggest a reconsideration. I consider where recent challenges to theorizing surveillance as panoptic leave the synopticon. The synopticon is tied to a top—down, instrumental way of theorizing the media. It neglects resistance, alternative currents in media production and reception, the role of culture and the increasing centrality of the internet. Mathiesen’s piece is most useful in a narrower way, in highlighting how surveillance and the mass media interact, rather than in thinking about the role of the media in control more generally.
Hijackers and humble servants: Individuals as camwitnesses in contemporary controlwork
Authors: Koskela Hille
Published: August 2011

This article examines the relationships between the authorities of surveillance and the public. Four ‘modalities of surveillance’ are used as a contextual framework to describe different relationships and to demonstrate that they can be bidirectional as well as unidirectional. In contemporary surveillance there is a dialogue between traditional surveillance and counter-surveillance which is targeted against the authorities. Yet, surveillance also contains performative practices and incidental witnessing in which the authorities play no role. The latest development involves responsibilizing the public, as citizens are encouraged to participate in gathering evidence for crime control. The article shows how the mutual correlations between surveillance, crime and evidence are constantly transforming.
The benevolent watch: Therapeutic surveillance in drug treatment court
Authors: Moore Dawn
Published: August 2011

This article offers an alternative to the traditional, technocentric and control oriented focus of surveillance studies. Drawing on field work in drug treatment courts (DTCs), I theorize the notion of ‘therapeutic surveillance’ as a seemingly benevolent form of monitoring which also troubles the ‘care/control’ dichotomy familiar to surveillance studies and social theory more generally. I look specifically at the roles of judges, treatment workers and DTC participants in constituting a surveillant assemblage which relies on personal relationships, intimate knowledge and pastoral care. I suggest that surveillance studies can move beyond the panopticon by recognizing the varied ways in which surveillance takes place. These strategies can include benevolent acts and intentions alongside (and sometimes coterminous with) coercive manoeuvres.
Brachial plexus injuries
Authors: Bonham Christopher , Greaves Ian
Published: August 2011

Brachial Plexus Injuries result from a variety of causative mechanisms. They often present in a polytraumatic setting, and as such there is often a delay in their diagnosis and treatment. An understanding of the anatomy of the Brachial Plexus, and associated clinical pictures associated with injury, allows for early diagnosis and treatment. This review will consider the specific features of Brachial Plexus injuries relating to incidence, anatomy, mechanisms of injury, clinical presentation, and diagnostic evaluation.
Citizenship in a communitarian perspective
Authors: Etzioni Amitai
Published: August 2011

This article argues that a good citizen accepts several basic responsibilities toward the common good of the nation, but is otherwise free to follow his or her own preferences. Thus all citizens may be called upon to serve in the armed forces or national service, be expected to vote and to serve on juries and obey the laws while having the freedom to worship as they wish, maintain secondary loyalty to their country of origin, and so on.
A Boltzmann transformation method for investigation of water vapor transport in building materials
Authors: Pavlík Zbyšek , Žumár Jaromír , Pavlíková Milena , Černý Robert
Published: August 2011

A Boltzmann transformation method that allows determination of water vapor transport properties of building materials as functions of relative humidity during a single experiment is presented. The method is tested at the laboratory measurements on autoclaved aerated concrete. Determination of diffusion coefficient by standard steady-state cup method is done as well, for the sake of comparison. The measured results are discussed with regard to the practical application of the method in materials research and building practice.
Collision avoidance systems in air and maritime traffic
Authors: Baldauf M , Benedict K , Fischer S , Motz F , Schröder-Hinrichs J-U
Published: August 2011

In each transport mode, collisions between vehicles are one of the major operational risks. In maritime traffic collisions and groundings is the category with the highest frequency of all accidents. Although new navigational equipment, often combined with enhanced computer-based systems, is installed on ships’ bridges, the number of collisions is still at a high level. The equivalent of ship collisions in air traffic is the mid-air collision. Compared to the maritime accident rate, mid-air collisions are very rare. In this paper we investigate the onboard collision avoidance process by focusing on technical support systems with implemented alerts to support the human operator. Empirical field studies have been undertaken to analyse the situation regarding the occurrence and handling of alerts onboard seagoing vessels. Especially with respect to collision avoidance alarms, the situation was found to be unsatisfactory. The algorithms in use are based on fixed static limit values and little selected information is used although new systems provide more and enhanced situation-specific data. A comparative study of the traffic-alert and collision avoidance system used by air traffic is made to identify potentials for synergies to improve maritime operational risk management. As an innovative approach, the development of a concept to adapt alarm thresholds automatically by using enhanced fast-time simulation techniques is introduced and discussed.
From minority to cross-cultural programmes: Dutch media policy and the politics of integration
Authors: Awad Isabel , Roth Andrea
Published: August 2011

Dutch media policy on cultural diversity has undergone an important transformation in the last decades. Support for minority media has been replaced by a focus on cross-cultural media targeted at multiple (and in many cases, all) social groups. Although the shift is related to changes in the economics of the media industry and in the composition of Dutch society, it can only be fully understood in relation to the changing politics on immigration and integration in the Netherlands. By underscoring the connection between recent changes in media policy and the broader political context, this article aims at re-politicizing discussions about the media in culturally diverse societies and about the role of the state in supporting minorities’ effective participation in democracy.
Minorities, integration and the media: Media regulation and media performance in multicultural and multilingual Switzerland
Authors: Signer Sara , Puppis Manuel , Piga Andrea
Published: August 2011

Due to intensifying processes of migration, more than 20 percent of Switzerland’s resident population are of foreign origin. In addition, the country is home to an indigenous minority and divided into different language regions. This article examines how the Swiss media landscape deals with these challenges. Looking at the issue of integration from different perspectives, both media regulation and media performance are analysed. On the one hand, a qualitative document analysis provides evidence that the integration of immigrant minorities is only a marginal subject in broadcasting regulation. On the other hand, a quantitative content analysis as well as surveys and focus group interviews with persons with a migratory background indicate that the media are not supporting their integration. When it comes to immigrant minorities, neither media regulation nor media performance reflect Switzerland’s tradition as a multicultural and multilingual country.
Debating diversity and conceptual purity: Reflections on identification as a meaningful concept for diasporic minority research
Authors: El Sghiar Hatim
Published: August 2011

This mainly theoretical article argues that the currently used hegemonic concepts in minority research — ethnicity, race, culture, religion and identity — fail to incorporate minority diversity, agency, structure, dynamics and contextual factors. This is supposedly due to the genesis of minority research and thus entails homogenization practices and static taxonomies. Additionally, the implied explanatory value of these essentializing concepts is questioned. Based on the societal reality of Flemish citizens with roots in Morocco and Turkey, it is argued that identification is a (new) more useful concept to describe and analyse a globalized society in which the ‘migrant population’ has become a very diverse and heterogenic population. The identification approach questions the presumption that a national, ‘cultural’, ‘ethnic’ or ‘religious’ identification is chosen as the primary identification. Strengths and limitations of the concept of identification are assessed, and three forms of identification (functional, normative and emotional) are discussed.
‘Why can’t we just all get along?’ The concepts that divide academics, policymakers and citizens related to the Muslim ethnic minorities in Europe
Authors: Ogan Christine
Published: August 2011

The oft-quoted phrase, ‘why can’t we just all get along?’ is a cynical reference to seemingly intractable conflicts of all kinds. Implied in the question is the idea that people stake out positions that can never be sufficiently modified to reach the goal of ‘getting along’. The impreciseness of definition and use of certain terms in discourse related to European ethnic minorities has resulted in a polarization of positions by academic researchers, policymakers and the general public. This concept explication addresses the multiple definitions and use of terms and shifts in policies in Europe and calls for renewed efforts to understand differing points of view.
Survival or success? A critical exploration of the use of ‘double-voiced discourse’ by women business leaders in the UK
Authors: Baxter Judith
Published: August 2011

This article considers whether using leadership language may be one under-explored reason why there continues to be a significant lack of women at executive level. Do women make less of a linguistic impact in the boardroom than men? By analysing linguistic data from senior management meetings and follow-up interviews in seven multinational UK companies, we suggest that senior women and men use a very similar range of linguistic strategies to lead their teams except in one key respect. Women appear to monitor and regulate their use of language more than men, adjusting what they say in the light of their colleagues’ concerns and agendas. This use of ‘double-voiced discourse’ (Bakhtin, 1994/1963) enables women to survive in a male-dominated business world, but this can sometimes make their voice ‘harder to hear’. However, double-voiced discourse is also a form of linguistic expertise and potentially might offer women leaders a strategy for success.
An investigation into the argumentation in dialogic media genres: The case of sport talk show interviews
Authors: Tavakoli Mansoor , Ghadiri Momene
Published: August 2011

This study tried to investigate the type of argumentation found in media discourse data. A case in point was the sport talk show interview. The data included an interview extracted from the Iranian popular sport show, Navad (meaning ‘ninety’), broadcast every Monday by Channel 3 in Iran. The interview was with the former president of the Football Federation of the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRIFF). Analysis of the data was done within the framework of Toulmin’s (2003) conception of argument as a form of conversation. Accordingly, the propositions produced collaboratively by the host and guests were used to reconstruct the argument structure of the interview in terms of Toulminian schemata. The qualitative analysis of the data revealed that: 1) the argument structure of the interview was that of substantial argument (argument requiring an inference to move from the data to the claim) rather than the analytic one. 2) Little if any formal validity (the validity of the argument in terms of the notion of forms) was found in the skeleton of the argument. 3) The talk seemed to be subjective, and backing and qualifier elements widely used by the guest were not in some parts satisfactory. 4) Warrant, considered as one of the essential components of practical arguments, was not, in some parts, explicitly referred to, but must have been be implicitly inferred by the listeners.
The Biological Response following Autogenous Bone Grafting for Large-Volume Defects of the Knee
Authors: Johnson Lanny L. , DeLano Mark C. , Spector Myron , Jeng Lily , Pittsley Andrew , Gottschalk Alexander
Published: August 2011

Objective:

This report focuses on the biological events occurring at various intervals following autogenous bone grafting of large-volume defects of the knee joint’s femoral condyle secondary to osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) or osteonecrosis (ON). It was hypothesized that the autogenous bone graft would integrate and the portion exposed to the articular surface would form fibrocartilage, which would endure for years.

Methods:

Between September 29, 1987 and August 8, 1994, there were 51 patients treated with autogenous bone grafting for large-volume osteochondral defects. Twenty-five of the 51 patients were available for long-term follow-up up to 21 years. Patient follow-up was accomplished by clinical opportunity and intentional research. Videotapes were available on all index surgeries for review and comparison. All had preoperative and postoperative plain film radiographs. Long-term follow-up included MRI up to 21 years. Second-look arthroscopy and biopsy were obtained on 14 patients between 8 weeks and 20 years.

Results:

Radiological assessment showed the autogenous bone grafts integrated with the host bone. The grafts retained the physical geometry of the original placement. MRI showed soft tissue covering the grafts in all cases at long-term follow-up. Interval biopsy showed the surface covered with fibrous tissue at 8 weeks and subsequently converted to fibrocartilage with hyaline cartilage at 20 years.

Conclusion:

Autogenous bone grafting provides a matrix for large osteochondral defects that integrates with the host bone and results in a surface repair of fibrocartilage and hyaline cartilage that can endure for up to 20 years.
A Pilot Study to Increase Fruit and Vegetable Intake in Pregnant Latina Women
Authors: Trout Kimberly K. , McGrath Joanna , Flanagan Jill , Costello Marcia C. , Frey Jesse C.
Published: August 2011

Previous studies have suggested that women have low dietary intake of fruits and vegetables. This study’s objective was to test the effectiveness of a novel nutrition intervention (education about prenatal flavor learning) on increasing fruit and vegetable intake in a group of primarily Latina women at an urban prenatal clinic. Methods: The Harvard Service Food Frequency Questionnaire (HSFFQ) was administered to 2 groups at the same clinic at 2 time points for each group. The first group was a nonintervention, comparison group. The second (intervention) group received specific information about how a pregnant woman’s food choices can influence subsequent solid food preferences of her infant, with encouragement given to increase fruit and vegetable choices. The HSFFQ was administered pre- and post-intervention for this group. Results: Combined fruit and vegetable intake declined from the administration of Q#1 to Q#2 in both the comparison (n = 28) and intervention (n = 31) groups. The decline was primarily the result of a decrease in vegetable intake, but it was not statistically significant. In the comparison group, only 23.3-36.6% of women were eating adequate daily servings of vegetables, and in the intervention group 32.3%-38.7%. In both the comparison and intervention groups, over 74% of the women were eating adequate daily servings of fruit at both time points. Conclusions: In this Latina population of pregnant women, there was no difference in fruit and vegetable intake after receiving education about prenatal flavor learning. These findings suggest that education alone may not be sufficient to change health behaviors.
Experiences of Interpersonal Violence and Criminal Legal Control
Authors: Schlesinger Traci , Lawston Jodie Michelle
Published: August 2011

Incarcerated women are substantially more likely to have experienced interpersonal violence than are women in the general population. Some scholars argue that increased likelihoods of committing crime among survivors of violence explain this association. However, previous research fails to control for measures of social vulnerability. Thus, the relationship between experiencing interpersonal violence and experiencing imprisonment may not be a causal one. To examine the links between social vulnerability, experiences of interpersonal violence, and experiences of incarceration, the authors analyze both quantitative and qualitative data. The authors’ findings suggest that social vulnerability—especially being Black, having a parent who has been incarcerated, and being unemployed at the time of the arrest—does mediate the relationship between experiencing violence, using drugs, and believing that interpersonal violence contributed to one’s imprisonment. However, even when controlling for social vulnerability, real effects of experiences of violence on both women’s drug use and their understandings of the causes of their imprisonment remain.
Malignancies occurring during therapy with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) for chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) and other hematologic malignancies
Authors: Verma Dushyant , Kantarjian Hagop , Strom Sara S. , Rios Mary Beth , Jabbour Elias , Quintas-Cardama Alfonso , Verstovsek Srdan , Ravandi Farhad , O'Brien Susan , Cortes Jorge
Published: August 2011

Success of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) has given patients hope for a long disease-free-survival. A longer survival raises the question of late effects, including development of another malignancy. Records of 1445 patients with CML/myeloproliferative neoplasm or other hematologic malignancies treated with TKIs were reviewed to investigate frequency and characteristics of second malignancies (other than acute myeloid leukemia, acute lymphocytic leukemia, or myelodysplastic syndrome). The number of second cancers was compared with the number expected from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database. After a median follow-up of 107 months (range, 13-362 months) after CML/myeloproliferative neoplasm diagnosis, 66 patients (4.6%) developed 80 second cancers, including skin (31%), prostate (15%), melanoma (13%), digestive system (10%), kidney (4%), thyroid (4%), breast (3%), chronic lymphocytic leukemia (3%), hepatobiliary (3%), and other cancers (14%). Excluding nonmelanoma skin cancers, 55 second cancers were seen in 51 (3.5%) of all patients treated. The risk of second cancer was lower than expected (observed-to-expected ratio, 0.6; 95% confidence interval, 0.44-0.81). Second cancers occur in a small percentage of patients receiving therapy with TKIs for hematologic malignancies, mostly CML. No evidence at the moment suggests that exposure to TKIs increases the risk of developing second cancers.
A comparison of the functional modules identified from time course and static PPI network data
Authors: Tang Xiwei , Wang Jianxin , Liu Binbin , Li Min , Chen Gang , Pan Yi
Published: August 2011

Background

Cellular systems are highly dynamic and responsive to cues from the environment. Cellular function and response patterns to external stimuli are regulated by biological networks. A protein-protein interaction (PPI) network with static connectivity is dynamic in the sense that the nodes implement so-called functional activities that evolve in time. The shift from static to dynamic network analysis is essential for further understanding of molecular systems.

Results

In this paper, Time Course Protein Interaction Networks (TC-PINs) are reconstructed by incorporating time series gene expression into PPI networks. Then, a clustering algorithm is used to create functional modules from three kinds of networks: the TC-PINs, a static PPI network and a pseudorandom network. For the functional modules from the TC-PINs, repetitive modules and modules contained within bigger modules are removed. Finally, matching and GO enrichment analyses are performed to compare the functional modules detected from those networks.

Conclusions

The comparative analyses show that the functional modules from the TC-PINs have much more significant biological meaning than those from static PPI networks. Moreover, it implies that many studies on static PPI networks can be done on the TC-PINs and accordingly, the experimental results are much more satisfactory. The 36 PPI networks corresponding to 36 time points, identified as part of this study, and other materials are available at http://bioinfo.csu.edu.cn/txw/TC-PINs
Improving the efficiency of feed utilization in poultry by selection. 2. Genetic parameters of excretion traits and correlations with anatomy of the gastro-intestinal tract and digestive efficiency
Authors: de Verdal Hugues , Narcy Agnès , Bastianelli Denis , Chapuis Hervé , Même Nathalie , Urvoix Séverine , Le Bihan-Duval Elisabeth , Mignon-Grasteau Sandrine
Published: August 2011

Background

Poultry production has been widely criticized for its negative environmental impact related to the quantity of manure produced and to its nitrogen and phosphorus content. In this study, we investigated which traits related to excretion could be used to select chickens for lower environmental pollution.

The genetic parameters of several excretion traits were estimated on 630 chickens originating from 2 chicken lines divergently selected on apparent metabolisable energy corrected for zero nitrogen (AMEn) at constant body weight. The quantity of excreta relative to feed consumption (CDUDM), the nitrogen and phosphorus excreted, the nitrogen to phosphorus ratio and the water content of excreta were measured, and the consequences of such selection on performance and gastro-intestinal tract (GIT) characteristics estimated. The genetic correlations between excretion, GIT and performance traits were established.

Results

Heritability estimates were high for CDUDM and the nitrogen excretion rate (0.30 and 0.29, respectively). The other excretion measurements showed low to moderate heritability estimates, ranging from 0.10 for excreta water content to 0.22 for the phosphorus excretion rate. Except for the excreta water content, the CDUDM was highly correlated with the excretion traits, ranging from -0.64 to -1.00. The genetic correlations between AMEn or CDUDM and the GIT characteristics were very similar and showed that a decrease in chicken excretion involves an increase in weight of the upper part of the GIT, and a decrease in the weight of the small intestine.

Conclusion

In order to limit the environmental impact of chicken production, AMEn and CDUDM seem to be more suitable criteria to include in selection schemes than feed efficiency traits.
Pattern of BOLD signal in auditory cortex relates acoustic response to perceptual streaming
Authors: Hill Kevin T , Bishop Christopher W , Yadav Deepak , Miller Lee M
Published: August 2011

Background

Segregating auditory scenes into distinct objects or streams is one of our brain's greatest perceptual challenges. Streaming has classically been studied with bistable sound stimuli, perceived alternately as a single group or two separate groups. Throughout the last decade different methodologies have yielded inconsistent evidence about the role of auditory cortex in the maintenance of streams. In particular, studies using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) have been unable to show persistent activity within auditory cortex (AC) that distinguishes between perceptual states.

Results

We use bistable stimuli, an explicit perceptual categorization task, and a focused region of interest (ROI) analysis to demonstrate an effect of perceptual state within AC. We find that AC has more activity when listeners perceive the split percept rather than the grouped percept. In addition, within this ROI the pattern of acoustic response across voxels is significantly correlated with the pattern of perceptual modulation. In a whole-brain exploratory test, we corroborate previous work showing an effect of perceptual state in the intraparietal sulcus.

Conclusions

Our results show that the maintenance of auditory streams is reflected in AC activity, directly relating sound responses to perception, and that perceptual state is further represented in multiple, higher level cortical regions.
Non-Invasive markers for hepatic fibrosis
Authors: Baranova Ancha , Lal Priyanka , Birerdinc Aybike , Younossi Zobair M
Published: August 2011

With great advancements in the therapeutic modalities used for the treatment of chronic liver diseases, the accurate assessment of liver fibrosis is a vital need for successful individualized management of disease activity in patients. The lack of accurate, reproducible and easily applied methods for fibrosis assessment has been the major limitation in both the clinical management and for research in liver diseases. However, the problem of the development of biomarkers capable of non-invasive staging of fibrosis in the liver is difficult due to the fact that the process of fibrogenesis is a component of the normal healing response to injury, invasion by pathogens, and many other etiologic factors. Current non-invasive methods range from serum biomarker assays to advanced imaging techniques such as transient elastography and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Among non-invasive methods that gain strongest clinical foothold are FibroScan elastometry and serum-based APRI and FibroTest. There are many other tests that are not yet widely validated, but are none the less, promising. The rate of adoption of non-invasive diagnostic tests for liver fibrosis differs from country to country, but remains limited. At the present time, use of non-invasive procedures could be recommended as pre-screening that may allow physicians to narrow down the patients' population before definitive testing of liver fibrosis by biopsy of the liver. This review provides a systematic overview of these techniques, as well as both direct and indirect biomarkers based approaches used to stage fibrosis and covers recent developments in this rapidly advancing area.
Real-time PCR detection of Human Herpesvirus 1-5 in patients lacking clinical signs of a viral CNS infection
Authors: Sundén Birgitta , Larsson Marie , Falkeborn Tina , Paues Jakob , Forsum Urban , Lindh Magnus , Ydrenius Liselotte , Åkerlind Britt , Serrander Lena
Published: August 2011

Background

Infections of the central nervous system (CNS) with herpes- or enterovirus can be self-limiting and benign, but occasionally result in severe and fatal disease. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) has revolutionized the diagnostics of viral pathogens, and by multiple displacement amplification (MDA) prior to real-time PCR the sensitivity might be further enhanced. The aim of this study was to investigate if herpes- or enterovirus can be detected in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from patients without symptoms.

Methods

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples from 373 patients lacking typical symptoms of viral CNS infection were analysed by real-time PCR targeting herpesviruses or enteroviruses with or without prior MDA.

Results

In total, virus was detected in 17 patients (4%). Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) was most commonly detected, in general from patients with other conditions (e.g. infections, cerebral hemorrhage). MDA satisfactorily amplified viral DNA in the absence of human nucleic acids, but showed poor amplification capacity for viral DNA in CSF samples, and did not increase the sensitivity for herpes virus-detection with our methodology.

Conclusions

Viral pathogens are rarely detected in CSF from patients without signs of CNS infection, supporting the view that real-time PCR is a highly specific method to detect symptomatic CNS-infection caused by these viruses. However, EBV may be subclinically reactivated due to other pathological conditions in the CNS.
Downregulation of TFPI in breast cancer cells induces tyrosine phosphorylation signaling and increases metastatic growth by stimulating cell motility
Authors: Stavik Benedicte , Skretting Grethe , Aasheim Hans-Christian , Tinholt Mari , Zernichow Lillian , Sletten Marit , Sandset Per Morten , Iversen Nina
Published: August 2011

Background

Increased hemostatic activity is common in many cancer types and often causes additional complications and even death. Circumstantial evidence suggests that tissue factor pathway inhibitor-1 (TFPI) plays a role in cancer development. We recently reported that downregulation of TFPI inhibited apoptosis in a breast cancer cell line. In this study, we investigated the effects of TFPI on self-sustained growth and motility of these cells, and of another invasive breast cancer cell type (MDA-MB-231).

Methods

Stable cell lines with TFPI (both α and β) and only TFPIβ downregulated were created using RNA interference technology. We investigated the ability of the transduced cells to grow, when seeded at low densities, and to form colonies, along with metastatic characteristics such as adhesion, migration and invasion.

Results

Downregulation of TFPI was associated with increased self-sustained cell growth. An increase in cell attachment and spreading was observed to collagen type I, together with elevated levels of integrin α2. Downregulation of TFPI also stimulated migration and invasion of cells, and elevated MMP activity was involved in the increased invasion observed. Surprisingly, equivalent results were observed when TFPIβ was downregulated, revealing a novel function of this isoform in cancer metastasis.

Conclusions

Our results suggest an anti-metastatic effect of TFPI and may provide a novel therapeutic approach in cancer.
Impact of clostridial glucosylating toxins on the proteome of colonic cells determined by isotope-coded protein labeling and LC-MALDI
Authors: Jochim Nelli , Gerhard Ralf , Just Ingo , Pich Andreas
Published: August 2011

Background

The anaerobe Clostridium difficile produces two major virulence factors toxin A and B that inactivate Rho proteins by glucosylation of a pivotal threonine residue. Purified toxins induce reorganization of the cytoskeleton and cell death in colonic cells. Whether all toxin effects on target cells depend on catalytic glucosyltransferase activity is unclear at present. Thus, we conducted a proteome approach to compare the protein profile of target cells treated either with wild type toxin A (rTcdA wt) or with a catalytically inactive mutant toxin A (mutant rTcdA). Relative protein quantification was feasible using isotope-coded protein labeling techniques (ICPL) and mass spectrometry (LC-MALDI).

Results

Altogether we found a significant differential expression of thirty proteins after treatment with rTcdA wt or mutant rTcdA. Mutant rTcdA caused up-regulation of seven proteins and sixteen proteins were responsive to rTcdA wt after 5 h. Long-term effect of rTcdA wt on protein expression was the down-regulation of eleven proteins. Up- or down-regulation of several proteins was verified by western blot analysis confirming the MS results.

Conclusion

Our results indicate incubation time-dependent effects of the clostridial glucosylating toxin A on colonic cells. The rTcdA wt impact more cellular functions than actin cytoskeleton reorganization and apoptosis. Furthermore, these data give insight into glucosyltransferase independent effects of clostridial glucosylating toxins on target cells after short incubation time. Additionally, our data reveal pro-inflammatory and proliferative effects of mutant rTcdA after short-term incubation.