bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The WHICH? trial: rationale and design of a pragmatic randomized, multicentre comparison of home‐ vs. clinic‐based management of chronic heart failure patients
Authors: Stewart Simon , Carrington Melinda J. , Marwick Thomas , Davidson Patricia M. , Macdonald Peter , Horowitz John , Krum Henry , Newton Phillip J. , Reid Christopher , Scuffham Paul A. ,   on behalf of the Which Heart failure Intervention is most Cost‐effective & consumer friendly in reducing Hospital care (WHICH?) trial Investigators
Published: May 2011

Aims

To describe the rationale and design of the Which Heart failure Intervention is most Cost‐effective & consumer friendly in reducing Hospital care (WHICH?) trial.

Methods

WHICH? is a pragmatic, multicentre, randomized controlled trial that seeks to determine if multidisciplinary management of chronic heart failure (CHF) patients post‐acute hospitalization delivered in a patient's own home is superior to care delivered via a specialist CHF outpatient clinic. The composite primary endpoint is all‐cause, unplanned recurrent hospitalization or death during 12–18 months of follow‐up. Of 688 eligible patients, 280 patients (73% male and 66% principal diagnosis of CHF) with a mean age of 71 ± 14 years have been randomized to home‐ (n = 143) or clinic‐based (n = 137) post‐discharge management. This will provide 80% power (two‐sided alpha of 0.05) to detect a 15% absolute difference in both the primary end‐point and rate of all‐cause hospital stay. Preliminary data suggest that the two groups are well matched in nearly all baseline socio‐economic and clinical parameters. The majority of patients have significant co‐morbidity, including hypertension (63%), coronary artery disease (55%), and atrial fibrillation (53%) with an accordingly high Charlson Index of Comorbidity Score (6.1 ± 2.4).

Perspective

Despite its relatively small size, the WHICH? trial is well placed to examine the relative impact of two of the most commonly applied forms of face‐to‐face management designed to reduce recurrent hospitalization and prolong survival in CHF patients.
A whole‐genome association study for pig reproductive traits
Authors: Onteru S. K. , Fan B. , Du Z‐Q. , Garrick D. J. , Stalder K. J. , Rothschild M. F.
Published: May 2011

A whole‐genome association study was performed for reproductive traits in commercial sows using the PorcineSNP60 BeadChip and Bayesian statistical methods. The traits included total number born (TNB), number born alive (NBA), number of stillborn (SB), number of mummified foetuses at birth (MUM) and gestation length (GL) in each of the first three parities. We report the associations of informative QTL and the genes within the QTL for each reproductive trait in different parities. These results provide evidence of gene effects having temporal impacts on reproductive traits in different parities. Many QTL identified in this study are new for pig reproductive traits. Around 48% of total genes located in the identified QTL regions were predicted to be involved in placental functions. The genomic regions containing genes important for foetal developmental (e.g. MEF2C) and uterine functions (e.g. PLSCR4) were associated with TNB and NBA in the first two parities. Similarly, QTL in other foetal developmental (e.g. HNRNPD and AHR) and placental (e.g. RELL1 and CD96) genes were associated with SB and MUM in different parities. The QTL with genes related to utero‐placental blood flow (e.g. VEGFA) and hematopoiesis (e.g. MAFB) were associated with GL differences among sows in this population. Pathway analyses using genes within QTL identified some modest underlying biological pathways, which are interesting candidates (e.g. the nucleotide metabolism pathway for SB) for pig reproductive traits in different parities. Further validation studies on large populations are warranted to improve our understanding of the complex genetic architecture for pig reproductive traits.
A systematic review on the mental health of children and adolescents in areas of armed conflict in the Middle East
Authors: Dimitry L.
Published: May 2011

For many decades, the Middle East has been troubled with numerous long‐standing armed conflicts and wars. Children and adolescents were not spared the trauma and its consequences. Exposure to traumatic events can result in mental, behavioural and emotional problems in children and adolescents. To date, this is the first paper that aims to systematically review the literature on the mental health of children and adolescents living in areas of armed conflict in the Middle East, specifically Israel, Palestine, Lebanon and Iraq. It explores factors that mediate between exposure to armed conflict and mental, behavioural and emotional problems and places them in a cultural context. Pubmed was searched and papers were identified using specific inclusion criteria. Seventy‐one eligible studies were included. The main findings are that children and adolescents living in these conflict zones are exposed to high levels of traumatic experiences. Number of conflict‐related traumatic experiences correlates positively with prevalence of mental, behavioural and emotional problems. Prevalence of post‐traumatic stress disorder in children and adolescents is estimated to be 5–8% in Israel, 23–70% in Palestine and 10–30% in Iraq (insufficient data for Lebanon). The main determining factors identified were level and type of exposure, age, gender, socio‐economic adversity, social support and religiosity. These findings bring to light the pressing need to provide children and adolescents living in conflict areas with help. They are useful in designing new interventions to strengthen child and adolescent resilience in areas of conflict worldwide. Specific recommendations are included.
Validity in assessing time processing ability, test equating of KaTid‐Child and KaTid‐Youth
Authors: Janeslätt G.
Published: May 2011

Background  There is a need for instruments with acceptable psychometric properties for measuring time management/time processing ability. KaTid‐Child (Swedish: Kit for assessing Time processing ability) was developed for children aged 5–10 years. To meet needs of assessing older children, KaTid‐Youth was created. The aim of this study was to investigate the validity of KaTid‐Youth.

Methods  This study investigates the validity of KaTid‐Youth using Rasch models: partial credit and common item equating.

Results  Results indicate that KaTid‐Youth has acceptable psychometric properties and seems to measure the same construct as KaTid‐Child.

Conclusions  Indications of gender differences in the sample call for further research. The results indicate that time processing ability can be seen as one construct in which time perception, orientation and management can be operationalized as different levels of complexity in time processing ability. Expressions of time processing ability differ at different ages. Thus, early intervention in time perception and time orientation may be needed to promote time management in later childhood. Professionals need to take time processing ability into consideration when meeting children who risk delayed development of daily time management.
Cephenniini with prothoracic glands and internal cavities: new taxa, enigmatic characters and phylogeny of the Cephennomicrus group of genera (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Scydmaeninae)
Authors: JAŁOSZYŃSKI PAWEŁ
Published: May 2011

Genera of the Cephennomicrus group of the Cephenniini (Scydmaenitae) are revised, and the following new taxa are described: Trichokratergen.n., Trichokrater ekkentrossp.n. (type species of Trichokrater) (Borneo), Cephennococcusgen.n., Cephennococcus kuchingensissp.n. (type species of Cephennococcus) (Borneo), Cephennococcus kenyirensissp.n. (West Malaysia), Cephennococcus crassussp.n. (Borneo), Cephennococcus minutissimussp.n. (West Malaysia), Pomphopsillagen.n., Pomphopsilla luhyasp.n. (type species of Pomphopsilla) (Kenya) and Pomphopsilla sororsp.n. (Kenya). Unique subcuticular pockets with setose openings on the pronotum of Trurlia and Trichokrater are identified as glandular structures. Enigmatic internal prothoracic cavities are described for the first time in Scydmaeninae (in Cephennococcus, Pomphopsilla and a female of an undescribed genus from Sulawesi); their fine structure and function remain unknown. Parsimony‐based cladistic analysis of the adult morphology of genera of Cephenniini provided robust evidence for a monophyly of the Cephennomicrus group, composed of Cephennomicrus, Cephennula, Lathomicrus, Pomphopsilla, Cephennococcus, Trurlia, Trichokrater and two undescribed Oriental genera known from females only; this distinct and well‐supported lineage is a sister group of Cephennodes + Hlavaciellus. The genus Cephennomicrus represented in the analysis by species belonging to three previously postulated species groups is not monophyletic, and a comprehensive study comprising more taxa is necessary to reclassify this heterogeneous group.
Amplicon‐based high‐throughput pooled sequencing identifies mutations in CYP7B1 and SPG7 in sporadic spastic paraplegia patients
Authors: Schlipf NA , Schüle R , Klimpe S , Karle KN , Synofzik M , Schicks J , Riess O , Schöls L , Bauer P
Published: May 2011

Schlipf NA, Schüle R, Klimpe S, Karle KN, Synofzik M, Schicks J, Riess O, Schöls L, Bauer P. Amplicon‐based high‐throughput pooled sequencing identifies mutations in CYP7B1 and SPG7 in sporadic spastic paraplegia patients.

Hereditary spastic paraplegia (HSP) is a neurodegenerative disorder defined clinically by progressive lower limb spasticity and weakness. HSP is a genetically highly heterogeneous condition with at least 46 gene loci identified so far, involving X‐linked, autosomal recessive (AR) and autosomal dominant inheritance. For correct diagnosis, molecular testing is essential because clinical parameters by themselves are not reliable to differentiate HSP forms. The purpose of this study was to establish amplicon‐based high‐throughput genotyping for AR‐HSP. A sample of 187 index cases with apparently sporadic or recessive spastic paraplegia were analyzed by applying an array‐based amplification strategy. Amplicon libraries of the CYP7B1–(SPG5) and SPG7–gene were generated followed by a pooled next‐generation sequencing (NGS) approach. We identified three SPG5 and seven SPG7 patients. All had one homozygous or two heterozygous mutations. In total, 20 distinct mutations (CYP7B1,n = 4and SPG7,n = 16) including two novel CYP7B1 mutations (p.G51R and p.E211KfsX3) and eight novel SPG7 mutations (p.Leu8delinsLeuLeu, p.W29X, p.R139X, p.R247X, p.G344D, p.Leu346_Leu347ins11, p.R398X and p.R398Q) were detected by this comprehensive genetic testing. Our study illustrates how amplicon‐based NGS can be used as an efficient tool to study genotypes and mutations in large patient cohorts and complex phenotypes.
Persistence of influenza vaccine‐induced antibodies in lung transplant patients between seasons
Authors: Moran J.J.M. , Rose W.E. , Darga A.J. , Rohde K.A. , Hayney M.S.
Published: May 2011

J.J.M. Moran, W.E. Rose, A.J. Darga, K.A. Rohde, M.S. Hayney. Persistence of influenza vaccine‐induced antibodies in lung transplant patients between seasons. Transpl Infect Dis 2011: 13: 466–470. xx: 000–000. All rights reserved

Background. Immunization policy‐making bodies advised against immunizing too early before the influenza season because vaccine‐specific antibody may wane before the end of the influenza season. Lung transplant patients are included in the group of high‐risk patients for whom this recommendation had been made. We hypothesized that immunosuppressed lung transplant patients would maintain protective concentrations of influenza antigen‐specific antibodies between seasons.

Methods. As part of a planned 5‐year study of influenza vaccine responses in lung transplant patients, we measured influenza antibody concentrations by hemagglutination inhibition assay before influenza immunization annually. The fraction of lung transplant patients who maintained seroprotective levels (≥40 hemagglutination units) approximately 11 months from last season immunization was calculated. Antibody concentrations and response rates in lung transplant patients were compared with healthy individuals and those waiting for lung transplantation.

Results. The majority of lung transplant patients maintained seroprotective influenza antigen‐specific antibody concentrations for approximately 11 months after immunization. Seroprotection rates varied greatly with influenza antigens (healthy 68–100%, pretransplant 44–100%, transplant 64–100%), and were similar when groups were compared. More than 70% of lung transplant patients maintained seroprotective antibody concentrations to 10 of 11 vaccine antigens.

Conclusion. Seroprotective influenza antibody concentrations are maintained at very high rates among immunosuppressed lung transplant patients and depend more on the vaccine virus than the immunostatus of the vaccine recipient. Early seasonal influenza immunization of lung transplant patients is appropriate.
Onset and complications of varicella zoster reactivation in the autologous hematopoietic cell transplant population
Authors: Rogers J.E. , Cumpston A. , Newton M. , Craig M.
Published: May 2011

J.E. Rogers, A. Cumpston, M. Newton, M. Craig. Onset and complications of varicella zoster reactivation in the autologous hematopoietic cell transplant population. Transpl Infect Dis 2011: 13: 480–484. All rights reserved

Background. Varicella zoster virus (VZV) infections are a common complication in patients receiving autologous or allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT). Recent guideline revisions suggest extending VZV prophylaxis to 1 year after autologous HCT. We retrospectively evaluated reactivation at our center, before implementation of extended acyclovir prophylaxis, to determine onset and outcome in the autologous HCT population.

Methods. Inclusion criteria consisted of adult patients who received an autologous HCT  with documentation for at least 1 year post transplant. Those excluded from review were patients who received acyclovir prophylaxis for >30 days post transplant or subsequently received an allogeneic transplant within 1 year. For patients in whom reactivation occurred, the severity of infection, the timing of onset, treatment of the reactivation, and any complications were recorded.

Results. In the final analysis, 56 patients were assessed. Reactivation of zoster occurred in 16% of recipients with a median onset of 4.5 months post transplant. Complications that were observed include postherpetic neuralgia, severe pain, scarring, and motor weakness. Two patients required hospitalization for treatment, with 1 patient requiring 6 months of rehabilitation for motor weakness following the infection.

Conclusions. Our study revealed a 16% incidence of VZV reactivation in our autologous HCT population. The onset of these occurrences ranged from 2 to 10 months post transplant, with significant VZV‐associated complications. We consider VZV reactivation a serious concern in the autologous transplant setting, requiring extended prophylaxis.
The effects of habitat, density, gender and duration on overwintering success in Bembidion lampros (Coleoptera: Carabidae)
Authors: Knapp M. , Saska P.
Published: May 2011

In temperate climates, winter mortality is a key factor influencing insect survival. In Bembidion lampros (Coleoptera: Carabidae), an abundant polyphagous predator in arable farmland, we investigated how habitat, population density, gender and duration of overwintering affect the winter mortality and body condition of survivors. In a field experiment, we introduced beetles at two population densities into isolators placed either in the interior of the field or in the grassy boundary. Half of the isolators were collected in mid‐March, and the remaining half were collected in mid‐April. Across all treatments, 44–92% of the beetles survived until spring. Survival was significantly higher in the field interior than in the boundary. The longevity of individuals starved after overwintering was higher in females than in males and was positively related to the length of time spent at the overwintering site. Population density was positively related to percentage survival but did not affect body condition. Our results suggest that biotic factors such as population density and predation, though little studied, may have a similar significance as abiotic factors. Even ubiquitous carabid species inhabiting agroecosystems have specific requirements for overwintering. Understanding these requirements is useful for developing techniques to support their overwintering success.
Cognitive P300‐evoked potentials in school‐age children after surgical or transcatheter intervention for ventricular septal defect
Authors: Guan Guo‐Tao , Jin You‐Peng , Zheng Rui‐Ping , Liu Feng‐Qin , Wang Yu‐Lin
Published: May 2011

Background:  Some studies have suggested that neurological development may be adversely affected in children with severe coronary heart disease who have undergone long periods of deep hypothermic cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). Reports of cognitive function in VSD patients in whom surgical repair required only a relatively brief period of CPB are rare. Also, CPB is unnecessary for VSD patients undergoing transcatheter closure. The aim of this study was to assess the cognitive function in patients with ventricular septal defect.

Methods:  A total of 29 patients treated with surgery, and 35 treated with transcatheter closure and their age‐ and sex‐matched best friends completed the cognitive P300 auditory‐evoked potentials test and the intelligence test.

Results:  The patients and their best friends had normal intelligence quotient; however, the patients had longer P300 peak latencies in cranial frontal lobe and cranial vertex leads (329.2 ± 24.8 and 335.1 ± 20.0 ms) than the healthy controls did (319.1 ± 20.6 and 313 ± 18.2 ms) (P < 0.05). Patients who underwent surgery had longer P300 peak latency in the cranial frontal lobe and cranial vertex leads than did those with transcatheter closure and controls. When cardiopulmonary bypass and aortic clamping were used, the duration was associated with P300 peak latency for patients (P < 0.05).

Conclusion:  VSD patients, especially those undergoing surgery, showed poor cognitive function, which may be associated with duration of cardiopulmonary bypass or aortic‐clamping.
Global Anti‐Money Laundering Standards and Developing Economies: The Regulation of Mobile Money
Authors: Vlcek William
Published: June 2011

This article discusses the confluence of international initiatives to counter money laundering and terrorist finance with migrant remittances and the growing use of mobile telephone technology for more than making a call. The experiences of Kenya and the Philippines with mobile telephone‐based financial services are outlined as potential models consistent with the ‘risk‐based’ approach now promoted by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), one objective being to encourage the implementation of regulation of m‐money services by recognising the development and social‐welfare opportunities offered by the technology in the context of a developing economy.
The Politics of Investment and Growth in Egypt: Experimenting with a New Approach
Authors: Abdel‐Latif Abla , Schmitz Hubert
Published: June 2011

‘Improve the investment climate!’ is the dominant advice for governments wishing to achieve substantial increases in productive private investment. However, national‐level investment‐climate approaches have been criticised for not paying adequate attention to context and feasibility. This article experiments with a new approach which focuses on sectors and on relationships between policy‐makers and investors, and shows how their common interest helped to overcome obstacles to investment and growth in Egypt. Such public‐private relationships can be abused but they have provided effective transitional arrangements for enhancing investment and inducing a new growth dynamic.
From Preamble to Post‐project Frustrations: The Shaping of a Slum Upgrading Project in Recife, Brazil
Authors: Koster Martijn , Nuijten Monique
Published: May 2011

Abstract:  This article presents an ethnography of the evolution of Prometrópole, a slum upgrading project in the Brazilian city of Recife. The project aims to improve the urban infrastructure, eradicate slums and resettle the population. We focus on the project's first area of intervention, Jacarezinho. We analyze how, from lead‐up through implementation, the project gained shape and gradually became real. Participatory procedures were very important in shaping the project that for a long time did not materialize. We argue that the project manifested itself as a vehicle of modernity that evoked a dream of progress. The population, which never asked for the project, was attracted to this dream, but remained critical. We contend that, although the project partly delivered on its promises, for many slum dwellers it failed to entail a better life. We portray the project's genealogy, the compromise between different aims, and an echelon of post‐project frustrations.
Political Competition and Party Patronage: Public Appointments in Ghana and South Africa
Authors: Kopecký Petr
Published: May 2011

State exploitation by political parties is one of the key problems of new democracies. This article looks at party patronage as one of the ways through which political parties exploit the state. It focuses on two new African democracies – Ghana and South Africa – and using the data from an original expert survey explores party appointments across a wide range of state institutions. It also uses these data to illustrate some of the theoretical issues related to the existence of patronage practices. In particular, the article probes into a widespread claim that robust party competition constrains politicians and hence limits patronage politics. Contrary to those theoretical expectations, the article finds that patronage in new democracies is not necessarily higher in a less competitive party system. The article then considers factors other than party competition that might explain this unexpected empirical outcome; it also suggests a theoretical argument positing compatibility between high levels of patronage and robust political competition.
Profiling leading scientists in nanobiomedical science: interdisciplinarity and potential leading indicators of research directions
Authors: Pei Ruimin , Porter Alan L.
Published: May 2011

Nanobiomedical science is a promising area in the application of nanotechnology. This paper profiles a group of 21 leading scientists in nanobiomedicine based on high publication rate and high citations. Comparisons with other researchers indicate that the leaders publish more in high impact journals and collaborate more extensively (team science). They reside most heavily in the United States and Western Europe. We compare their research publications using multiple indicators–Integration, Specialization and a Multidisciplinary Index. Relations among interdisciplinarity indicators generated support a three‐factor model based on principles of diversity. We locate this research among the disciplines using science overlay mapping. Key term analyses, based on keywords and on natural language processing help profile the research emphases of these leading researchers. Such results could serve as leading indicators to help identify directions of future nanobio development.
‘Low cost–high tech’ innovations for China: why setting up a separate R&D unit is not always the best approach
Authors: Schanz Christian , Hüsig Stefan , Dowling Michael , Gerybadze Alexander
Published: May 2011

In this article, we investigate the following question: How can multinational corporations set up their R&D organizations in order to make the best use of their existing technologies and experiences, while at the same time gain a deeper understanding of Asian markets, their requirements, and trends? To answer this question we used a case study approach to examine two distinct organizations which are developing specific innovations for the Chinese market. We refer to these innovations as ‘low cost–high tech’ innovations, which seem specifically appropriate for emerging market contexts like in China. Based on our findings, we refine an existing theoretical framework and propose a set of new organization types for R&D units.
Patent‐backed securities in pharmaceuticals: what determines success or failure?
Authors: Odasso Maria Cristina , Ughetto Elisa
Published: May 2011

Recently, there has been growing interest in new financial tools that leverage on intellectual property assets, such as patent‐backed securitizations (PBSs). In this paper we study the potential determinants leading to the success or failure of securitization deals having patents as underlying assets. We develop a conceptual framework that we test on two well‐known US patent securitization deals in the pharmaceutical industry, by using a fuzzy set approach. Results highlight that factors related to the market size, level of competition and expected market life of the assets underlying a PBS can reasonably increase the probability that a deal will succeed. Moreover, a higher quality of the underlying invention and longer patent residual life are likely to reduce the risk of technical obsolescence and sales losses. Finally, the strength of the credit enhancement mechanisms, the flexibility of the deal architecture and the adoption of a diversification strategy are other key factors determining the success of the securitization.
Explaining Media Attention for Norwegian MPs: A New Modelling Approach
Authors: Midtbø Tor
Published: May 2011

This article provides a new perspective on why the quantity and tone of media coverage vary between groups of politicians. The analysis makes three key distinctions: first, between the volume of reporting and its tendency; second, between attention‐seeking politicians and blame‐avoiding politicians; and third, between attention due to characteristics of media outlets and those of politicians. These distinctions, along with a comprehensive dataset and a multilevel analysis approach, comprise the building blocks of an empirical analysis of press coverage devoted to Norwegian parliamentarians between 2001 and 2005. The results suggest that politicians who appear regularly in the newspapers, such as party leaders and long‐serving MPs, face a greater amount of negative media coverage than those who do not. Female MPs receive less, but more positive, coverage. Reporting by the tabloids is more negative than that of other newspapers, especially with regard to party leaders.
ARE TEMPORARY WORKERS DISCRIMINATED AGAINST? EVIDENCE FROM EUROPE*
Authors: COMI SiMONA , GRASSENI MARA
Published: May 2011

We analyse the wage gap between temporary and permanent jobs in nine European countries using a semiparametric approach and evaluate the wage gap across the entire wage distribution. We show that in some countries the fixed‐term wage gap decreases as higher quantiles are considered, and that having a fixed‐term contract penalizes more workers located at the bottom of the earnings distribution. We find also that workers with the same characteristics as temporary workers would receive higher wages if they worked on permanent contracts in almost all the countries considered, and that this finding is stable across the entire wage distribution.
Attentional shift by eye gaze requires joint attention: Eye gaze cues are unique to shift attention1
Authors: KAWAI NOBUYUKI
Published: May 2011

Researchers have demonstrated that attentional shift triggered by gaze direction is reflexive. However, here we show that attentional shift by gaze direction was not always reflexive, but could be modulated by another's perspective. In Experiment 1, a schematic face's line of sight to a peripheral target was obstructed by a vertical barrier located between the face and the target under two conditions. However, the line of sight of the face was clear under another two conditions, in which the barrier was located behind the line of sight by utilizing a depth cue. The gaze cue shifted attention only when the line of sight was not blocked (i.e. joint attention was attained). The arrow cue did not shift attention regardless of the obstruction conditions in Experiment 2. These results suggest that attentional shift by gaze cues, but not arrow cues, involve a higher social cognitive process such as interpretation of the gaze.
Contrast polarity of eyes modulates gaze‐cueing effect1
Authors: YOSHIZAKI KAZUHITO , KATO KIMIKO
Published: May 2011

Two experiments using a modified Posner‐type visual cueing paradigm tested the prediction that detecting the darker region of the eyes of another's gaze triggers a reflexive orienting of the observer in the direction of the gaze. A target was presented in the left or right visual‐field following a gaze‐cue with positive or negative‐image polarity (Experiment 1). In Experiment 2, the polarity of the eyes was manipulated independently of the negative polarity of the face (eye‐positive or eye‐negative‐image polarity conditions). The results showed that the response to the target presented at the side the eyes gazed toward was faster than for the target presented at the other side in the positive polarity condition (Experiment 1), whereas, in the negative polarity condition, the gaze‐cuing effect was not found. In Experiment 2, in the eye‐negative condition, a reversed gaze‐cueing effect appeared, whereas in the eye‐positive polarity condition, a typical gaze‐cueing effect was obtained. These findings suggested that the reflexive orienting of the observer shifts toward the position indicated by the darker region of the other's eyes.
Trade‐offs in the exploration of Sustainable Livelihoods: experience from a micro‐credit intervention in Nigeria
Authors: MORSE STEPHEN , MCNAMARA NORA
Published: May 2011

The paper discusses the Sustainable Livelihood Approach (SLA) as implemented by a Catholic Church development organisation (Diocesan Development Services; DDS) in Nigeria, including the trade‐offs involved and the meaning of ‘success’ with this process. SLA sets out to assess the ability of a social unit to enhance its assets and capabilities in the face of shocks and stresses over time and could be said to be a practical framework for evidence‐based intervention. DDS implemented an SLA to help provide the basis for changes planned to an existing intervention, namely micro‐credit. Given the challenges involved in SLA, DDS decided upon a number of trade‐offs to balance the significant cost in resource against what it was looking for from the process. The first driver was a perceived need from DDS to provide quality evidence to help plan changes to its micro‐credit scheme. The evidence gained from the SLA was also intended to help provide credibility when approaching major donors for support with the scheme. Secondly there was a desire to use the SLA as a means to identify and work with a group of households in an area where DDS had little prior experience on the assumption that these households could form the basis for a wider involvement with the community.
It’s Not Only for the Money: An Analysis of Adolescent versus Adult Entry into Street Prostitution*
Authors: Cobbina Jennifer E. , Oselin Sharon S.
Published: June 2011

Numerous studies examine the causal factors of entrance into prostitution and find economic marginalization, substance addiction, and interpersonal networks are common reasons women enter the trade. However, we know less about the role that age of onset plays in shaping female pathways into prostitution. Here, we build from insights into previous research by analyzing not only entry pathways but also how age categories are linked to time spent in the trade and whether the length of time in prostitution exacts a greater “toll” on women. Drawing from the feminist and age of onset literatures, we analyze 40 in‐depth interviews with female street prostitutes from five U.S. cities. Our results underscore the importance of age as an organizing feature of women’s pathways into prostitution and the potential associated consequences of working in this trade.
Epidural Steroid and Clonidine for Chronic Intractable Post‐thoracotomy Pain: A Pilot Study
Authors: Ayad Amany E. , El Masry Ashraf
Published: May 2011

Background:  Chronic post‐thoracotomy pain is relatively common after major thoracic surgery. The primary results of a pilot study using thoracic epidural steroid and clonidine injection to treat chronic intractable post‐thoracotomy pain are presented.

Methods:  Twenty‐one patients with intractable post‐thoracotomy pain participated in the study. Thirteen patients received thoracic epidural injection of a mixture of 150 μg clonidine and 80 mg of methylprednisolone acetate diluted in 8 mL 0.5% lidocaine. Eight patients continued with comprehensive medical management and served as a control group. A visual analog scale (VAS) for pain was recorded before treatment, 30 minutes after the epidural injection and before discharge, at 3 weeks and 6 months. Pain, sleep disturbances, appetite changes and daily activity, as well as the incidence of complications were recorded. The need for opioid rescue medications was recorded.

Results:  Twelve of 13 patients in the injection group reported improvement (> 50% reduction of pain) at 3 weeks and 6 months following the injection. Allodynia improved in all injection group patients compared to four of eight in the control group. Sleep disturbance, appetite changes and daily activity were improved in the injection group. The number of patients requiring opioid rescue medications was reduced from 61.5% to 15.3% during the 6‐month duration of study. Injection caused transient hypotension in 46.2% of patients. Mild sedation was noted in 30.7% of patients receiving injection; 15.3% of the patients had localized back pain at the site of injection.

Discussion:  Our preliminary data suggest possible efficacy of thoracic epidural steroid and clonidine mixture in the treatment of chronic post‐thoracotomy pain. No serious adverse effects were noted in this pilot study. ▪
The Internal Governance of Firms
Authors: ACHARYA VIRAL V. , MYERS STEWART C. , RAJAN RAGHURAM G.
Published: May 2011

We develop a model of internal governance where the self‐serving actions of top management are limited by the potential reaction of subordinates. Internal governance can mitigate agency problems and ensure that firms have substantial value, even with little or no external governance by investors. External governance, even if crude and uninformed, can complement internal governance and improve efficiency. This leads to a theory of investment and dividend policy, in which dividends are paid by self‐interested CEOs to maintain a balance between internal and external control.
Intermediated Investment Management
Authors: STOUGHTON NEAL M. , WU YOUCHANG , ZECHNER JOSEF
Published: May 2011

Intermediaries such as financial advisers serve as an interface between portfolio managers and investors. A large fraction of their compensation is often provided through kickbacks from the portfolio manager. We provide an explanation for the widespread use of intermediaries and kickbacks. Depending on the degree of investor sophistication, kickbacks are used either for price discrimination or aggressive marketing. We explore the effects of these arrangements on fund size, flows, performance, and investor welfare. Kickbacks allow higher management fees to be charged, thereby lowering net returns. Competition among active portfolio managers reduces kickbacks and increases the independence of advisory services.
Employee Stock Options and Investment
Authors: BABENKO ILONA , LEMMON MICHAEL , TSERLUKEVICH YURI
Published: May 2011

Exercises of employee stock options generate substantial cash inflows to the firm. These cash inflows substitute for costly external finance in those states of the world in which the demand for investment is high. Using the fact that the proceeds from option exercises exhibit a distinct nonlinearity around the point where options fall out of the money, we estimate that firms increase investment by $0.34 for each dollar received from the exercise of stock options. Firms that face higher external financing costs allocate more of the proceeds from option exercises to investment.
Practicing Anthropology and the Politics of Engagement: 2010 Year in Review
Authors: Mullins Paul R.
Published: May 2011

ABSTRACT  In 2010, a rapidly growing body of public scholars continued to conduct engaged research that involved various forms of collaboration, advocacy, and activism. Practicing anthropologists are among the most powerful champions of engaged scholarship and are increasingly focused on tracing the concrete dimensions of public engagement. Practicing anthropologists in 2010 made a concerted effort to critically assess precisely what constitutes collaboration, engagement, activism, advocacy, and a host of similarly politicized but ambiguous terms. This self‐reflection has probed the philosophical, political, and methodological dimensions of engagement and painted a rich and complex picture of practicing anthropology. In this article, I review those 2010 studies that are focused on critically defining an engaged anthropology and expanding it to rigorously four‐field public scholarship with conscious and reflective politics.
Conceiving Kakipitatapitmok: The Political Landscape of Anishinaabe Anticlearcutting Activism
Authors: Willow Anna J.
Published: May 2011

ABSTRACT Landscape anthropology has explored relationships between peoples and places as well as culturally specific ways of experiencing and imagining the world that infuse these relationships. Departing from Kakipitatapitmok, the site of a direct‐action blockade maintained at Grassy Narrows First Nation since 2002, I employ analytical frameworks inspired by the landscape genre to consider the physical and conceptual “place” of Anishinaabe anticlearcutting activism. I draw on the Grassy Narrows case to suggest that when considered from an emic perspective, the landscapes we encounter are very often politically constituted. As a distinctive new way of being and relating within their boreal forest homeland, anticlearcutting activism has transformed Kakipitatapitmok into a politically charged vantage point from which Grassy Narrows activists comprehend, configure, and communicate their place in the world. I advocate for an anthropological conception of landscape that can account for activists’ experiences of environmental injustice and their ongoing efforts to overcome it.
“Public Anthropology” in Its Second Decade: Robert Borofsky's Center for a Public Anthropology
Authors: Vine David
Published: May 2011

ABSTRACT  For more than a decade, Robert Borofsky has encouraged anthropologists to pursue a “public anthropology.” In this time, he has played a key role in a larger movement that has seen increasing numbers of anthropologists attempting to engage with and serve the needs of public audiences outside academia. In this review essay, I review Borofsky's work through his Center for a Public Anthropology, including the center's website and its four major projects: The Anthropology Journal Archive; the Community Action Website Project; the California Series in Public Anthropology; and the Public Outreach Assessment of anthropology doctoral programs. I discuss the results and significance of the center's projects, identifying important innovations that Borofsky has achieved in anthropological teaching, scholarship, academic publishing, and the structure of academic anthropology. The review also offers constructive criticism of Borofsky's efforts and suggestions for advancing the center's projects and his vision for a public anthropology. [public anthropology, applied anthropology, public engagement, academia, universities]

More than a decade has passed since Robert Borofsky asked whether anthropologists should “laugh or cry” over the discipline's place in the public sphere (Borofsky 2000). At the time, Borofsky was starting to receive widespread attention—both laudatory and critical—for calling on anthropologists to pursue a “public anthropology.”1 Many embraced his call as a much‐needed antidote for a discipline many thought had become insular, often incomprehensible, and generally irrelevant to the lives and struggles of most people. Others were angered that Borofsky's vision for a public anthropology seemed to overlook a long tradition of anthropologists working beyond the academy, while perpetuating a hierarchy between academic and applied anthropology (e.g., Singer 2000).

Amid the debates, we have witnessed the creation of classes in public anthropology, master's and doctoral programs in public anthropology (including one in my department), public anthropology conferences, numerous conference panels, a lecture series, an institute, a working group, a fellowship, a department initiative, and, of course, this AA section, all named for “public anthropology.” Although the debates about the name are beyond the scope of this article, given Borofsky's seminal role in what has become a broader movement of anthropologists engaging in new kinds of work outside academia, this section's coeditors believed it important to offer a detailed review of Borofsky and his Center for a Public Anthropology.
Autoantibody signatures: progress and perspectives for early cancer detection
Authors: Desmetz C. , Mange A. , Maudelonde T. , Solassol J.
Published: June 2011

Introduction

Unknown origins of autoantibody production in cancer

The use of proteomics to identify autoantibodies

Clinical utility of autoantibody signatures for early detection of cancer

Autoantibody detection to build screening tests in high‐risk populations

Conclusion and perspectives

Becoming invasive is a crucial step in cancer development, and the early spread of tumour cells is usually undetected by current imaging technologies. In patients with cancer and no signs of overt metastases, sensitive methods have been developed to identify circulating autoantibodies and their antigen counterparts in several cancers. These technologies are often based on proteomic approaches, and recent advances in protein and antibody microarrays have greatly facilitated the discovery of new antibody biomarkers in sera from cancer patients. Interestingly, in a clinical application setting, combinations of multiple autoantibody reactivities into panel assays have recently been proposed as relevant screening tests and validated in several independent trials. In addition, autoantibody signatures seem to be particularly relevant for early detection of cancer in high‐risk cancer patients. In this review, we highlight the concept that immunogenic epitopes associated with the humoural response and key pathogenic pathways elicit serum autoantibodies that can be considered as relevant cancer biomarkers. We outline the proteomic strategies employed to identify and validate their use in clinical practice for cancer screening and diagnosis. We particularly emphasize the clinical utility of autoantibody signatures in several cancers. Finally, we discuss the challenges remaining for clinical validation.
Surface roughness of denture base and reline materials after disinfection by immersion in chlorhexidine or microwave irradiation
Authors: Machado Ana Lucia , Giampaolo Eunice Teresinha , Pavarina Ana Cláudia , Jorge Janaina Habib , Vergani Carlos Eduardo
Published: May 2011

doi: 10.1111/j.1741‐2358.2011.00484.x
 
Surface roughness of denture base and reline materials after disinfection by immersion in chlorhexidine or microwave irradiation

Background:  This study evaluated the effect of disinfection by immersion and microwave irradiation on the roughness of one denture base resin (Lucitone‐L) and five relining materials, three hard (Tokuyama Rebase II‐TR, New Truliner‐NT, Ufigel Hard‐UH) and two resilient (Trusoft‐T, Sofreliner‐S).

Methods:  Fifty specimens were made and divided into groups: CL2 specimens were brushed with 4% chlorhexidine (1 min), immersed in the same solution (10 min) and immersed in water (3 min); MW2 specimens were immersed in water and microwave irradiated (650W; 6 min); CL2 and MW2 specimens were disinfected twice; CL7 and MW7 specimens were submitted to seven cycles using chlorhexidine or microwave irradiation, respectively; W specimens were not disinfected and remained in water (37°C; 7 days).

Results:  Results were statistically analysed (p = 0.05) and revealed that, at baseline, the highest mean value was observed for T (p < 0.001). Material NT showed increase in roughness after the first (p = 0.003), second (p = 0.001), seventh (p = 0.000) cycles of microwave disinfection and after 7 days of immersion in water (p = 0.033).

Conclusions:  Resilient liner S presented significant increase in roughness after the second cycle of disinfection with chlorhexidine (p = 0.003). Material T exhibited significantly decreased roughness in group W (p = 0.010), while microwaving produced severe alterations on its surface.
Effect of double flasking and investing methods on artificial teeth movement in complete dentures processing
Authors: Sotto‐Maior Bruno S. , Jóia Fábio A. , Meloto Carolina B. , Del Bel Cury Altair A. , Rizzatti‐Barbosa Célia M.
Published: May 2011

doi: 10.1111/j.1741‐2358.2011.00494.x
 
Effect of double flasking and investing methods on artificial teeth movement in complete dentures processing

Purpose:  The aim of this study was to evaluate linear dimensional alterations of artificial teeth for complete dentures when using different investment and flasking techniques.

Background:  Dimensional changes in the vertical dimension may occur owing to changes in artificial teeth positioning caused by different investing and flasking techniques.

Materials and methods:  Thirty pairs of the complete dentures were manufactured and randomly divided into three groups (n = 10): (1) invested with type III stone in monomaxillary PVC flask; (2) invested with type III stone in bimaxillary PVC flask; and (3) invested with laboratory silicone in bimaxillary PVC flask. Dentures were polymerised by microwave, and 12 linear distances were measured before and after denture processing. Data were analysed by one‐way anova, considering manufacturing technique as the study factor. Tukey’s HSD was used as post hocanova (p = 0.05).

Results:  Most of the linear distances were comparable for all groups. All transversal maxillary and mandibular distances were higher for group 1 compared with groups 2 and 3 (p < 0.05), except the distance 3–6 for mandibular arch, in which no difference was found between groups (p < 0.05). Both maxillary diagonal distances were higher in group 1 (p < 0.05), and no differences were found among all groups for mandibular measurements.

Conclusions:  Double flasking technique independent on the investment material is shown to be the most effective method to reduce changes in artificial teeth positioning.
Enzymatic actions of Pasteurella multocida toxin detected by monoclonal antibodies recognizing the deamidated α subunit of the heterotrimeric GTPase Gq
Authors: Kamitani Shigeki , Ao Shinpei , Toshima Hirono , Tachibana Taro , Hashimoto Makiko , Kitadokoro Kengo , Fukui‐Miyazaki Aya , Abe Hiroyuki , Horiguchi Yasuhiko
Published: May 2011

Pasteurella multocida toxin (PMT) is a virulence factor responsible for the pathogenesis of some Pasteurellosis. PMT exerts its toxic effects through the activation of heterotrimeric GTPase (Gq, G12/13 and Gi)‐dependent pathways, by deamidating a glutamine residue in the α subunit of these GTPases. However, the enzymatic characteristics of PMT are yet to be analyzed in detail because the deamidation has only been observed in cell‐based assays. In the present study, we developed rat monoclonal antibodies, specifically recognizing the deamidated Gαq, to detect the actions of PMT by immunological techniques such as western blotting. Using the monoclonal antibodies, we found that the toxin deamidated Gαq only under reducing conditions. The C‐terminal region of PMT, C‐PMT, was more active than the full‐length PMT. The C3 domain possessing the enzyme core catalyzed the deamidation in vitro without any other domains. These results not only support previous observations on toxicity, but also provide insights into the enzymatic nature of PMT. In addition, we present several lines of evidence that Gα11, as well as Gαq, could be a substrate for PMT.