bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Escavando a "comunidade internacional": por uma arqueologia do conhecimento metafórico
Authors: Onuf Nicholas
Published: November 2011

Neste artigo, argumento que metáfora e conceito são nomes para o mesmo tipo de coisa. E, se isso é assim, metáfora é uma metáfora para conceito; conceito é uma metáfora para metáfora. Se assim o é, então o conhecimento é, em geral, metafórico. Uma arqueologia do conhecimento metafórico é uma expressão metafórica para um conjunto de reivindicações e procedimentos concebidos para expor os pressupostos e as associações enterrados, constituindo (e, por meio da constituição, regulando) o que pensamos que sabemos. As ressonâncias afetivas e normativas das metáforas relacionadas a "comunidade" se remetem a um profundo anseio em um mundo onde as comunidades não mais se assemelham ao que um dia foram. "Comunidade internacional" é um sítio arqueológico situado na superfície da terra, tão proeminente quanto inexplorado. Sua escavação pode nos conduzir a algum distante passado, somente para nos trazer de volta ao próprio mundo que vivemos.
Acordos bilaterais de comércio como estratégia de inserção regional e internacional do Chile
Authors: Lopes Renata Rossetto , Carvalho Carlos Eduardo
Published: November 2011

O trabalho analisa a mudança na estratégia de inserção regional e internacional do Chile no começo dos anos 1990, com ênfase em acordos comerciais bilaterais, depois de ter praticado a abertura comercial generalizada desde meados da década de 1970. A opção por acordos bilaterais foi adotada pelo primeiro governo democrático, como parte da orientação de manter e aprofundar a abertura externa empreendida pela ditadura, e conseguiu ampliar as vendas externas e diversificar produtos e destinos. As exportações têm papel decisivo na economia chilena, aberta e pequena, e os 24 acordos bilaterais de comércio com diferentes países e regiões, além de outros em negociação, podem ser explicados pelo esgotamento das possibilidades de ampliar o comércio por meio de reduções adicionais da tarifa externa unilateral, hoje em 6% para quase todos os produtos. A formação de uma rede de acordos bilaterais ampla e diversificada, contudo, tem também interesses políticos, estratégicos e de segurança em relação a vizinhos e a países próximos, além de evitar que o Chile precise se integrar, como membro pleno, a blocos regionais para garantir seus interesses, o que amplia as possibilidades de lidar com diferentes e importantes parceiros no âmbito internacional.
Hispanic Ethnicity and Vascular Access Use in Patients Initiating Hemodialysis in the United States
Authors: Arce Cristina M. , Mitani Aya A. , Goldstein Benjamin A. , Winkelmayer Wolfgang C.
Published: November 2011

Background and objectives

Hispanics are the largest minority in the United States (comprising 16.3% of the US population) and have 1.5 times the age-, sex-, and race-adjusted incidence of ESRD compared with non-Hispanics. Poor health care access and low-quality care generally received by Hispanics are well documented. However, little is known regarding dialysis preparation of Hispanic patients with progressive CKD.

Design, setting, participants, & measurements

Using data from Medical Evidence Report form CMS-2728-U3, 321,996 adult patients of white or black race were identified who initiated hemodialysis (HD) between July 1, 2005 and December 31, 2008. The form captures Hispanic ethnicity, vascular access use at first outpatient HD, sociodemographic characteristics, and comorbidities. This study also examined whether use of an arteriovenous fistula (AVF) or graft (AVG) was reported.

Results

AVF/AVG use was reported in 14.5% of Hispanics and 17.6% in non-Hispanics (P<0.001). The unadjusted prevalence ratio (PR) was 0.85 (95% confidence interval [95% CI], 0.83–0.88), indicating that Hispanics were 15% less likely to use AVG/AVF for their first outpatient HD. Adjustment for age, sex, and race, as well as a large number of comorbidities and frailty indicators, did not change this association (PR, 0.85; 95% CI, 0.83–0.88). Further adjustment for timing of first predialysis nephrology care, however, attenuated the PR by two-thirds (PR, 0.94; 95% CI, 0.92–0.97).

Conclusions

Hispanics are less likely to use arteriovenous access for first outpatient HD compared with non-Hispanics, which seems to be explained by variation in the access to predialysis nephrology care.
Loop Entropy Assists Tertiary Order: Loopy Stabilization of Stacking Motifs
Authors: Aalberts Daniel P.
Published: November 2011

The free energy of an RNA fold is a combination of favorable base pairing and stacking interactions competing with entropic costs of forming loops. Here we show how loop entropy, surprisingly, can promote tertiary order. A general formula for the free energy of forming multibranch and other RNA loops is derived with a polymer-physics based theory. We also derive a formula for the free energy of coaxial stacking in the context of a loop. Simulations support the analytic formulas. The effects of stacking of unpaired bases are also studied with simulations.
Coenzyme Q10 Ameliorates Ultraviolet B Irradiation Induced Cell Death Through Inhibition of Mitochondrial Intrinsic Cell Death Pathway
Authors: Jing Li , Kumari Santosh , Mendelev Natalia , Li P. Andy
Published: November 2011

Ultraviolet B (UVB) induces cell death by increasing free radical production, activating apoptotic cell death pathways and depolarizing mitochondrial membrane potential. Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), an essential cofactor in the mitochondrial electron transport chain, serves as a potent antioxidant in the mitochondria. The aim of the present study is to establish whether CoQ10 is capable of protecting neuronal cells against UVB-induced damage. Murine hippocampal HT22 cells were treated with 0.01, 0.1 or 1 µM of CoQ10 3 or 24 h prior to the cells being exposed to UVB irradiation. The CoQ10 concentrations were maintained during irradiation and 24 h post-UVB. Cell viability was assessed by counting viable cells and MTT conversion assay. Superoxide production and mitochondrial membrane potential were measured using fluorescent probes. Levels of cleaved caspase-9, caspase-3, and apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF) were detected using immunocytochemistry and Western blotting. The results showed that UVB irradiation decreased cell viability and such damaging effect was associated with increased superoxide production, mitochondrial depolarization, and activation of caspase-9 and caspase-3. Treatment with CoQ10 at three different concentrations started 24 h before UVB exposure significantly increased the cell viability. The protective effect of CoQ10 was associated with reduction in superoxide production, normalization of mitochondrial membrane potential and inhibition of caspase-9 and caspase-3 activation. It is concluded that the neuroprotective effect of CoQ10 results from inhibiting oxidative stress and blocking caspase-3 dependent cell death pathway.
Correction: Koush, Y.; Elliott, M.A. and Mathiak, K. Single Voxel Proton Spectroscopy for Neurofeedback at 7 Tesla. Materials 2011, 4, 1548–1563
Authors: Koush Yury , Elliott Mark A. , Mathiak Klaus
Published: November 2011

In the published manuscript “Koush, Y.; Elliott, M.A. and Mathiak, K. Single Voxel Proton Spectroscopy for Neurofeedback at 7 Tesla. Materials 2011, 4, 1548-1563”, all estimates of T2* from the single voxel spectroscopy data were overestimated by a factor of 4. This was due to an incorrectly assumed four-fold lower sampling rate. The focus of the manuscript is on the relative changes in T2* with BOLD activation, and not on the absolute values. Therefore, none of the central claims are affected, but the scaling in most of the figures needs to be adjusted. The authors would like to make the following corrections to their published paper. [...]
Hypoglycemic and Hypolipidemic Effects of Polyphenols from Burs of Castanea mollissima Blume
Authors: Yin Peipei , Zhao Shan , Chen Siyu , Liu Jieyuan , Shi Lingling , Wang Xinjie , Liu Yujun , Ma Chao
Published: November 2011

Substantial evidence suggests that phenolic extracts of Castanea mollissima spiny burs (CMPE) increase pancreatic cell viability after STZ (streptozotocin) treatment as a result of their antioxidant properties. In the present study, the hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic activities of CMPE were studied in normal and STZ-induced diabetic rats CMPE were orally administrated at doses of 150 and 300 mg/kg twice a day for 12 consecutive days. Serum glucose, triglyceride, total cholesterol, HDL- and LDL-cholesterol levels, malondialdehyde (MDA) level and SOD activity in liver, kidney, spleen and heart tissues were measured spectrophotometrically. In normal rats, no significant changes were observed in serum glucose, lipid profiles and tissue MDA and GSH levels after orally administration of CMPE. In diabetic rats, oral administration of CMPE at a dose of 300 mg/kg caused significant decreases in serum glucose, triglyceride, total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol levels, as well as MDA and GSH levels in spleen and liver tissues. However, the 300 mg/kg dosage caused a significant body weight loss in both normal and diabetic rats. The observed effects indicated that CMPE could be further developed as a drug to prevent abnormal changes in blood glucose and lipid profile and to attenuate lipid peroxidation in liver and spleen tissues.
Chloroplast microsatellite primers for cacao (Theobroma cacao) and other Malvaceae
Authors: Yang Ji Y. , Motilal Lambert A. , Dempewolf Hannes , Maharaj Kamaldeo , Cronk Q. C. B.
Published: November 2011

• Premise of the study: Chloroplast microsatellites were developed in Theobroma cacao to examine the genetic diversity of cacao cultivars in Trinidad and Tobago.

• Methods and Results: Nine polymorphic microsatellites were designed from the chloroplast genomes of two T. cacao accessions. These microsatellites were tested in 95 hybrid accessions from Trinidad and Tobago. An average of 2.9 alleles per locus was found.

• Conclusions: These chloroplast microsatellites, particularly the highly polymorphic pentameric repeat, were useful in assessing genetic variation in T. cacao. In addition, these markers should also prove to be useful for population genetic studies in other species of Malvaceae.
A Mouse Model of Clonal CD8+ T Lymphocyte-Mediated Alopecia Areata Progressing to Alopecia Universalis
Authors: Alli Rajshekhar , Nguyen Phuong , Boyd Kelli , Sundberg John P. , Geiger Terrence L.
Published: November 2011

Alopecia areata is among the most prevalent autoimmune diseases, yet compared with other autoimmune conditions, it is not well studied. This in part results from limitations in the C3H/HeJ mouse and DEBR rat model systems most commonly used to study the disease, which display a low frequency and late onset. We describe a novel high-incidence model for spontaneous alopecia areata. The 1MOG244 T cell expresses dual TCRA chains, one of which, when combined with the single TCRB present, promotes the development of CD8+ T cells with specificity for hair follicles. Retroviral transgenic mice expressing this TCR develop spontaneous alopecia areata at nearly 100% incidence. Disease initially follows a reticular pattern, with regionally cyclic episodes of hair loss and regrowth, and ultimately progresses to alopecia universalis. Alopecia development is associated with CD8+ T cell activation, migration into the intrafollicular region, and hair follicle destruction. The disease may be adoptively transferred with T lymphocytes and is class I and not class II MHC-dependent. Pathologic T cells primarily express IFNG and IL-17 early in disease, with dramatic increases in cytokine production and recruitment of IL-4 and IL-10 production with disease progression. Inhibition of individual cytokines did not significantly alter disease incidence, potentially indicating redundancy in cytokine responses. These results therefore characterize a new high-incidence model for alopecia areata in C57BL/6J mice, the first to our knowledge to apply a monoclonal TCR, and indicate that class I MHC-restricted CD8+ T lymphocytes can independently mediate the pathologic response.
Memory CD4 T Cells Induce Selective Expression of IL-27 in CD8+ Dendritic Cells and Regulate Homeostatic Naive T Cell Proliferation
Authors: Do Jeong-su , Visperas Anabelle , Oh Keunhee , Stohlman Stephen A. , Min Booki
Published: November 2011

Naive T cells undergo robust proliferation in lymphopenic conditions, whereas they remain quiescent in steady-state conditions. However, a mechanism by which naive T cells are kept from proliferating under steady-state conditions remains unclear. In this study, we report that memory CD4 T cells are able to limit naive T cell proliferation within lymphopenic hosts by modulating stimulatory functions of dendritic cells (DC). The inhibition was mediated by IL-27, which was primarily expressed in CD8+ DC subsets as the result of memory CD4 T cell–DC interaction. IL-27 appeared to be the major mediator of inhibition, as naive T cells deficient in IL-27R were resistant to memory CD4 T cell-mediated inhibition. Finally, IL-27–mediated regulation of T cell proliferation was also observed in steady-state conditions as well as during Ag-mediated immune responses. We propose a new model for maintaining peripheral T cell homeostasis via memory CD4 T cells and CD8+ DC-derived IL-27 in vivo.
Application of the Monti channel in female adult with urethral injuries in pelvic trauma
Authors: Zhang Hanchao , Kumar Kunwar Ashok , Dai Yi , Luo Deyi , Shen Hong
Published: November 2011

Objective. To report 3 cases using the Monti ileovesicostomy as a continent catheterizable stoma in women with post-traumatic resulted in loss of the urethra. Materials and Methods. Between April and November 2010, the Monti technique was performed as a reconstructive procedure in 3 female patients at our institution. All cases had history of posterior urethral defect, two motor vehicle accidents, and one pelvic crush injury. Channels were created by transversely reconfigured segment of ileum. The 3 patients age was 20, 41, and 43 years. Indications, technique, complications and outcomes are reported below. Results. Three patients were undergone for transversely re-tubularized ileal segment urinary reconstruction. All of them were evaluated from 5 to 12 months postoperatively. All patients’ postoperative visits to our outpatient gynecological clinic about 3, 6 and 12 months respectively after Monti ileovesicostomy operation revealed no dehiscence, necrosis, stenosis or perforation of the tube. All performed catheterization through the conduit without difficulty. Conclusion. The Monti ileovesicostomy is a new technique for creation of a continent catheterizable stoma. Based on our data, Monti procedure seems to be a valuable technique in patients with complicated urethral defect who cannot be managed with routine urethroplastic techniques. This reconstruction provides another option for a diversion technique in patients with irreparable urethral damage. However, evaluation whether it can be extensively developed still need more investigations with larger number of patients by long-term follow up.
An Unusual cause of Acute Hypercapneic Respiratory Failure
Authors: Wang Janice , Chichra Astha , Koenig Seth
Published: November 2011

We present a rare cause of hypercapneic respiratory failure through this case report of a 72-year-old man presenting with progressive dyspnea and dysphagia over two years. Hypercapneic respiratory failure was acute on chronic in nature without an obvious etiology. Extensive workup for intrinsic pulmonary disease and neurologic causes were negative. Laryngoscopy and diagnostic imaging confirmed the diagnosis of diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis, also known as DISH, as the cause of upper airway obstruction leading to hypercapneic respiratory failure.
NEPAD and African Development: Towards a New Partnership between Development Actors in Africa
Authors: Rawia M. Tawfik
Published: November 2011

The model required to drive socio-economic development in Africa, and the relationship between the state and the private sector based on that model, have sparked much controversy among African analysts. Some question the relevance of other successful models of development, such as in the liberal West or in East-Asia, to the African context. Others criticise all models of development that are “alien” to African cultures and conditions hence rejecting the NEPAD model on this basis. This paper argues that although NEPAD does not present a detailed model of the relationship between the state, the private sector and civil society in Africa, some of its theoretical underpinnings suggest a balanced framework that should prompt African scholars to search for new models that do not necessarily imitate already successful ones but respect the particularities of each African state.
Public Opinion and Foreign Policy: Analysing Nigerian Reactions to the Asylum Offered Former President Charles Taylor of Liberia
Authors: Ojieh Chukwuemeka Ojione
Published: November 2011

On July 5, 2005, exactly two years after the asylum offer to Charles Taylor in Nigeria became public knowledge, President Obasanjo was at the Assembly of the 5th Ordinary Session of the Heads of State and Government of the African Union, in Sirte, Libya, calling for protection against the harassment of Nigeria by some sections of the international community ‘over the country’s refusal to surrender former Liberian President, Mr Charles Taylor, to face trials at the International War Crimes Tribunal’. But from the inception, the Nigerian public had virulently opposed the asylum idea. Still, government received Charles Taylor in Nigeria on August 11, 2003. Why? Why was public opinion unable to reverse the state’s policy? Using the methodological tool of content analysis, this article identifies the bases of public opposition to the asylum offer, which involves principally a general disdain for the person of Charles Taylor, given his antecedents. Regardless, the Nigerian government went ahead and provided asylum to Charles Taylor, putting what it considered Nigeria’s interest first. The government adopted, therefore, a mode of moral judgment that was antagonistic to that of the people whom it is ideally supposed to stand for. The article concludes that the dynamics which characterise the art of statesmanship, in which the primary 4. ojione..responsibility is the survival of the nation-state, overpower the potential ofpublic opinion to exert decisive pressure, since the bulk of the public is believed to be largely inarticulate or uninformed.
‘Big Think’, Disjointed Incrementalism: Chinese Economic Success and Policy Lessons for Africa, or the Case for Pan-Africanism
Authors: Jean-Germain Gros
Published: November 2011

Chinese economic success is not the product of free market accidental coincidence. Rather, it is orchestrated by the State through a mixture of nationalism (‘big think’) and pragmatic decisions (disjointed incrementalism) in agriculture, finance and industry. Furthermore, these decisions build upon existing institutions (e.g. the Household Responsibility System, Township Village Enterprises, etc), some dating back to pre-revolutionary China (e.g. Special Economic Zones), rather than imported ones from outside China. The article explores the utility (and lack thereof) of the Chinese model in the African context, as well as the possibilities of an Africa-centred ‘big think’ (Pan-Africanism) capable of mobilizing the continent for development.
The War on Terror and the Crisis of Postcoloniality in Africa
Authors: Kenneth Omeje
Published: November 2011

Back in the early 1990s when a section of the American foreign policy think tank and the intelligentsia were euphorically forecasting scenarios for the consolidation of western victory in the Cold War, James Woolsey, then head of the US Central Intelligence Agency forewarned that the widely celebrated victory and transition to the post-Cold War era was akin to the West, having slain the dragon (of Soviet threat), now living in a jungle full of poisonous snakes (Woolsey 1993). There can hardly be a better metaphoric representation of the post-9/11 projection of American power in the postcolonial world, especially in Africa. This article argues that the US-led war on terro tends to reinforce the crisis of postcoloniality in Africa by deliberately producing metaphors, images, discourses, doctrines and policies aimed at magnifying and mainstreaming terrorism scares on the turbulent politico-economic landscape of Africa, as a means to justify imperial governance andsupervision. It is a project that ideologically feeds into influential transhistorical discourses and portrayal of Africa as a timespace of infantilism, requiring endless western propping and chaperoning. Evidently, African political regimes serve as satellite collaborators in the enterprise in a trajectory that the author captures within the discursive framework ofpostcoloniality.
Post-Cold War International Relations and Foreign Policies in Africa: New Issues and New Challenges
Authors: John K. Akokpari
Published: November 2011

AbstractThis paper argues that international relations in Africa have changedespecially in content since the abatement of the Cold War. These changeshave been accelerated by the pressures unleashed by the internationalenvironment, including the reality of Africa’s marginalisation and the forcesof globalisation. These, along with domestic factors, including debt, internalconflicts, the impact of the ubiquitous structural adjustment programmes(SAPs), HIV/AIDS and human insecurity in general have combined tounderscore foreign aid and economic assistance as key driving forces ofthe continent’s foreign policies and diplomacy towards the North. Yet, thenew thrust of foreign policies, informed by the need for foreign aid, has notoccurred without a price. Among other things it has elevated technocrats incentral or reserve banks and finance ministries to positions of prominencevis-à-vis officials from foreign ministries and in the process introduced extra-African actors into the foreign policy making process of the continent. Thisin turn has undermined Africa’s increasingly tenuous economic sovereignty.But above all, it has led to the strengthening of ties with the North andinternational creditors in particular at the cost of intra-African relations.The New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) and the AfricanUnion (AU) recently inaugurated, promise to open a new chapter in Africa’sinternational relations. It is argued, however, that against a background of aconfluence of factors, these new continental projects will make only a minimalimpact in terms of mitigating the consequences of the aid-driven foreignpolicies and thus altering the donor-oriented postures of African states
Reflections on Liberal Democracy and International Debt in Post-Cold War Africa
Authors: Tukumbi Lumumba-Kasongo
Published: November 2011

Abstract
Religion and the Pan-African ideal: The Experience of Salafi Islam in the West African Sub-Region
Authors: Garba Bala Muhammad  , Muhammad Sani Umar
Published: November 2011

Abstract
Regional Integration: A Political Federation of the East African Countries
Authors: Phillip Apuuli Kasaija
Published: November 2011

The aim of this paper is to explore the possibility and viability of an East African political federation project. Since the late 1800s under the then British East Africa, the countries of East Africa have been searching for ways to integrate. The search led to the establishment of the East African Community (EAC) in December 1967, which later collapsed in 1977. The argument of the paper is that it appears that among the current crop of leaders of the region there is the political will to establish the East African federation. However, it will take more than political will to bring the federation to fruition, as conditions in the region currently do not augur well for the project. Also, the leaders have not carried the people along with them on the integration journey. One main problem of attempts at integration in East Africa in particular and Africa in general, has been that they have been leader-led. Whether it was the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) or now the African Union (AU), the people at the grassroots have played no role in their establishment and consolidation. The question therefore is: Do existing conditions in the region advance the project of an East African federation?
International Terrorism and East African sub-regionalism: Developing a Sub-regional Tourism Industry in the Face of War
Authors: Alfred Anangwe
Published: November 2011

This paper discusses both positive and negative implications of fighting international terrorism and how it impacts on trust between East African countries, peace building in the region and tourism development in East Africa.
Reforms and Industrial Development and Trade in East Africa: The Case of Tanzania
Authors: Stephen M. Kapunda
Published: November 2011

industrial and trade sectors in the context of the East African Community (EAC). It has been shown that the industrial performance has some direct impact on trade and that Tanzania’s trade shares to EAC are still low. Furthermore, despite the recent impressive performance of the industrial sector, there are traditional and competitive challenges to the sector. The paper therefore concludes by providing policy recommendations.
Magnetic reconnection associated fluctuations in the deep magnetotail: ARTEMIS results
Authors: Vörös Z.
Published: November 2011

Abstract. On the basis of ARTEMIS two-probe mission magnetic reconnection (MR) outflow associated magnetic fluctuations and turbulence are analyzed on 19 February 2011. In the deep-tail, at distances between X = 45 – 51 RE, evidence for reconnection associated plasma sheet thinning was found, accompanied by heating of the plasma sheet. Correlated flow and field reversals and the large-scale Hall-effect signatures indicated the presence of the reconnection X-line. Within fast reconnection plasma outflows, magnetic fluctuations exhibit the same spectral scaling features and kinked spectra as magnetic fluctuations in the solar wind or in various parts of geospace. It was shown that the proton scale magnetic fluctuations are constrained by oblique firehose, proton cyclotron and mirror instability thresholds. For parallel plasma β|| > 1, where the thresholds converge, perpendicular magnetic fluctuations are enhanced. Magnetic compressibility decreases with the distance to the neutral sheet, however, near the instability thresholds it is comparable to the values obtained in the solar wind.
Rethinking trust as a critic factor in the organizational behaviour
Authors:   Director del Instituto para la Ética en la Comunicación y en las Organizaciones (IECO-FUNDACION COSO). c/Mar 26, 2º pta 4. 46003 Valencia, Guillén Parra Manuel , Lleó de Nalda Álvaro ,   Investigador del Instituto para la Ética en la Comunicación y en las Organizaciones (IECO-FUNDACION COSO). c/Mar 26, 2º pta 4. 46003 Valencia, Marco Perles Gines Santiago ,   Universidad Católica de Valencia, Dpto. de Ética y Deontología Profesional, Campus de San Juan Bautista, C/ Guillem de Castro, 175. 46008 Valencia. Email: Gines.Marco@ucv.es
Published: November 2011

Trust in business is an essential factor that has been being studied by the Academy for decades. From the seminal proposal of Mayer et al. (1995) about the concept of trust and how it is developed inside organizations we propose a revision of the model described by the contributions of Spaemann, author of expanded trajectory within the framework of the denominated "Moral Philosophy of Europe Continental". From this constructive critic we defend here that the improvements of the model will allow explaining the phenomenon of trust generation with more precision and agreed to the human behavior by the incorporation a humanist synthesis which contributes to the dialogue between ethics and social sciences.
Immediate Changes of Bone Density Caused by the Implantation of a Femoral Stem - A Dexa Study
Authors: Leichtle Ulf G. , Leasure Jeremi , Martini Franz , Leichtle Carmen I.
Published: November 2011

Considerable immediate periprosthetic bone density changes after implantation of femoral stems have been observed comparing DEXA measurements taken pre- and post-operatively. This is important in relation to the interpretation of DEXA studies.

We analysed these density changes under standardised experimental conditions. Five human femora were implanted with a custom made femoral stem and ten femora with a standard cementless prosthesis. Densitometry was performed at various stages of implantation.

Following rasping only slight density changes were noted (–2.7% to +0.7%). Comparing post-implantation and pre-operative measurements, all custom made stems with a proximal press-fit demonstrated clear increases in proximal periprosthetic bone density of +11% and +14%. In contrast, the standard prosthesis with a distal press-fit showed a loss of –5% and –2% in the proximal zones. Measurements following removal of the implants demonstrated hardly any density changes (0% to –4%) compared to the pre-operative measurements.

We concluded that compacting of trabecular bone or bone loss due to rasping are not the main causes of density changes. Substantial measuring errors exist. For examination of periprosthetic bone density changes, pre-operative initial measurements should not be used as a baseline for comparison. Studies should commence with an immediate postoperative measurement.
In vitro Evaluation of Antimicrobial Efficacy of Endodontic Irrigants
Authors: Dagna Alberto , Arciola Carla Renata , Florindi Filippo , Scribante Andrea , Saino Enrica , Visai Livia , Poggio Claudio
Published: November 2011

Purpose

The objective of this study was to compare in vitro, by MTT assay, the antimicrobial efficacy of Niclor 5 (5% NaOCl solution), Cloreximid (0.2% chlorhexidine and 0.2% cetrimide solution), 3% hydrogen peroxide and 17% EDTA against two microorganisms associated with primary endodontic infections.

Methods

Enterococcus faecalis and Streptococcus mutans strains were selected for this test. Freshly extracted single-rooted human teeth were endodontically treated, inoculated with bacterial strains and then divided into different groups, each of them rinsed with Niclor 5 (5% NaOCl solution), Cloreximid (0.2% chlorhexidine and 0.2% cetrimide solution), 3% hydrogen peroxide, 17% EDTA and with 5% NaOCl solution (positive control).

Results

Even though all the tested irrigating solutions demonstrated antibacterial effects against E. faecalis and S. mutans, the results were significantly different between the various groups. The greatest antimicrobial effects were observed in groups treated with 5% NaOCl and 17% EDTA. Interestingly, the effectiveness of EDTA could be ascribed to its capability of detaching biofilm from canal walls.
Titanium Oxide Antibacterial Surfaces in Biomedical Devices
Authors: Visai Livia , De Nardo Luigi , Punta Carlo , Melone Lucio , Cigada Alberto , Imbriani Marcello , Arciola Carla Renata
Published: November 2011

Titanium oxide is a heterogeneous catalyst whose efficient photoinduced activity, related to some of its allotropic forms, paved the way for its widespread technological use. Here, we offer a comparative analysis of the use of titanium oxide as coating for materials in biomedical devices. First, we introduce the photoinduced catalytic mechanisms of TiO2 and their action on biological environment and bacteria. Second, we overview the main physical and chemical technologies for structuring suitable TiO2 coatings on biomedical devices. We then present the approaches for in vitro characterization of these surfaces. Finally, we discuss the main aspects of TiO2 photoactivated antimicrobial activity on medical devices and limitations for these types of applications.
Molecular Diagnostics in Periprosthetic Joint Infection
Authors: Parvizi Javad , Walinchus Lesley , Adeli Bahar
Published: November 2011

Periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) is a significant and costly challenge to the orthopedic community. The lack of a gold standard for diagnosis remains the biggest obstacle in the detection and subsequent treatment of PJI. Molecular markers in the serum and joint fluid aspirate hold immense promise to enhance the development of a firm diagnostic criterion. The primary goal is one marker with high sensitivity and specificity. Here, we review our current research efforts in the field of molecular markers: C-reactive protein, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, white blood cells, and leukocyte esterase. Each marker has been studied to determine its sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values in diagnosing PJI.
Editorial Vol.24(1)
Authors: Plazaola Leonel
Published: November 2011

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5377/nexo.v24i1.587 Nexo, Vol. 24, No. 1, pp. 1, 2011
Estudio de la fracción de materia orgánica de mayor remoción en el proceso de coagulación-floculación usando agua superficial
Authors: Tapia AK , Reyes A , Garcia I
Published: November 2011

En este trabajo, se realizó la separación de la materia orgánica natural (MON) presente en el agua cruda que abastece a dos plantas potabilizadoras, una de río (Boaco) y otra de lago (Juigalpa), en dos tipos: hidrofóbica, constituida por las fracciones muy hidrofóbica (MH) y ligeramente hidrofóbica (LH); y el tipo hidrofílica formada por las fracciones cargada (CHA) y neutral (NEU). Las aguas obtenidas de cada fracción fueron sometidas a un proceso de coagulación-floculación-sedimentación a escala de laboratorio usando sulfato de aluminio como coagulante; donde la fracción hidrofílica (CHA y NEU) fue poco removida (< 35 %) en comparación con la hidrofóbica (> 65 %). Se utilizaron parámetros sustitutos para caracterizar dicha MON como carbono orgánico disuelto (COD), color, absorbancia ultravioleta (UV254) y absorbancia especifica ultravioleta (SUVA). Se determinó que estas aguas cruda presentan una mezcla de materia orgánica hidrofóbica e hidrofílica ya que los valores de SUVA estaban entre 2-4 L/mg-m, sin embargo la fracción hidrofóbica (MH+LH) fue la predominante ya que representa 63.6 % y 65 % medidos como COD en época seca para Boaco y Juigalpa respectivamente, en época lluviosa los porcentajes fueron un poco más alto (71.2 % y 66.1 %). Finalmente se halló que el agua de río (Boaco) contiene mayor concentración de trihalometanos (89-166 μg/L) que el agua del lago (Juigalpa) (28-80 μg/L) después de ser clorada. Encontrándose que la fracción hidrofóbica fue la que más contribuyó a la formación de trihalometanos (THMs) en 68.5 % (Boaco) y 78.6 % (Juigalpa) en la época seca en ambas aguas tratadas. Para la época lluviosa, la formación de THMs fue un poco mayor. Palabras claves: Materia orgánica; Trihalometanos; Fraccionamiento; Agua superficial DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5377/nexo.v24i1.596   Nexo, Vol. 24, No. 1, pp. 72-80, 2011
Spline-Based Formulas for the Determination of Equation of Time and Declination Angle
Authors: Al-Naima Fawzi , Abdul Majeed Bilal
Published: November 2011

This paper presents new approximation formulas for the determination of the equation of time and declination angle. The proposed approach is based on the cubic spline interpolation techniques defined for sixteen or twenty chosen knots over the whole year. The results obtained by the proposed formulas for both equation of time and declination angle show marked improvements in terms of speed and sum of squared errors and maximum absolute error over the whole year in comparison with other five existing methods for analytical evaluation of equation of time and two existing methods for analytical evaluation of declination angle.
Risk Perceptions of Environmental Hazards and Human Reproduction: A Community-Based Survey
Authors: Shepherd Ashley , Jepson Ruth , Watterson Andrew , Evans Josie M. M.
Published: November 2011

Objectives. We have investigated the Australian public's perceived risks on human reproductive health from a number of identified environmental hazards. Methods. A sample of 1261 subjects was interviewed. This interview included specific questions related to perceived risks of certain environmental hazards to human reproductive health. Results. Women were almost twice as likely to rank all hazards as harmful or very harmful to human reproduction than men. Age also influenced perceived risk with those in the 35 and older age groups more likely to rank lead as a harmful hazard when compared with the 18–34 group. Pesticides were identified by 84.5% of the sample as the most harmful environmental hazard to human reproduction. Conclusions. Similar to other environmental hazards, different groups of people in the general population perceive hazards relating to reproductive health differently. This information is important for both policy makers and health professionals dealing with reproductive environmental health issues.
A Novel Poly{(2,5-diyl furan) (benzylidene)}: A New Synthetic Approach and Electronic Properties
Authors: Belmokhtar Abdelkader , Yahiaoui Ahmed , Hachemaoui Aïcha , Abdelghani Benyoucef , Sahli Nabahat , Belbachir Mohammed
Published: November 2011

A new conjugated aromatic poly[(furan-2, 5-diyl)-co-(benzylidene)] has been prepared by polycondensation of benzaldehyde and furan catalyzed by Maghnite-H+. Maghnite-H+ is a montmorillonite sheet silicate clay, which exchanged with protons. These polymers can be dissolved in high polar solvents such as DMSO, DMF, THF, or CHCl3 A kind of band-gap conjugated poly[(furan-2, 5-diyl)-co-(benzylidene)] has been synthesized by a simple method and characterized by 1HNMR, 13CNMR, FT-IR, and UV-Vis. The result reveals that the band-gap of the PFB conjugated polymer has an optical band gap of 2.2 eV.
COMPOSITIONAL STRATA IN THE PRIESTLY SABBATH: EXODUS 31:12–17 AND 35:1–3
Authors: Stackert Jeffrey
Published: November 2011

Among scholars who study the composition of the Torah, there is greater agreement in the identification of the Priestly (P) source than of any other Torah source or set of texts. Yet amidst such consensus in its broad identification, considerable disagreements remain with regard to P. The most significant disagreements over- lap and concern the ending of P and the possibility of stratification within it. In this study, I will address especially the latter issue— compositional stratification—with specific focus on the divine revelation of the Sabbath law in Exod 31:12–17 and Moses’s sub- sequent recitation of the divine command to the Israelites in Exod 35:1–3. Many scholars view part or all of these units as secondary, and several have recently ascribed them in their entirety to the Holiness (H) stratum of the P source. Such full ascription to H, which challenges several attempts to identify strata in these units, is part of a trend in recent scholarship to assign more and more pentateuchal Priestly texts to H. Other scholars likewise identify these units as post-P compositions, even if they do not assign them to H in particular. Both of these approaches have significant impli- cations for understanding what the underlying P stratum is—in my view, a fully coherent and independent literary source. In this arti- cle, I will identify an earlier P stratum in both Exod 31:12–17 and 35:1–3 that was subsequently supplemented by H. I will also show how P’s narrative qualities provide the most reliable basis for iden- tifying strata in these texts and that such concern can be usefully combined with stylistic and theological criteria to separate two strata in Exod 31:12–17 and 35:1–3. Finally, I will offer a few comments on the H supplements that I identify.
Dental evidence for the diets of Plio‐Pleistocene hominins
Authors: Ungar Peter S.
Published: November 2011

Diet is fundamental to the interaction between an organism and its environment, and is therefore an important key to understanding ecology and evolution. It should come as no surprise then that paleoanthropologists have put a great deal of effort into reconstructing the diets of Plio‐Pleistocene hominins. Most of this effort has focused on teeth; these durable parts of the digestive system are usually the most commonly preserved elements in vertebrate fossil assemblages. In this article, I review much of this work. Tooth size, occlusal morphology, enamel thickness, and microstructure provide evidence for the physical properties of the foods to which a species was adapted. Dental microwear can offer insights into the properties of foods that an individual ate on a day‐to‐day basis. Taken together, these lines of evidence can offer important insights into early hominin food choices and adaptations. New methods of analysis and theoretical perspectives are improving our understanding of the diets of Australopithecus, Paranthropus, and early Homo, and promise further progress long intothe future. Yrbk Phys Anthropol 54:47–62, 2011. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Skeletal biology over the life span: A view from the surfaces
Authors: Gosman James H. , Stout Samuel D. , Larsen Clark Spencer
Published: November 2011

The biocultural interpretation of skeletal remains is based upon the foundation of skeletal biology. In this review we examine the current state of skeletal biology research outside of the mainstream anthropology literature. The focus is on the structural changes of bone development and growth, and modeling and repair in the four bone surfaces: periosteal, Haversian, endosteal, and trabecular. The pattern of skeletal changes is placed within the framework of the human life span. New perspectives and direction of research on the environmental, biological, and genetic influences on modeling and remodeling processes are discussed chronologically at each bone surface. Implications for biological anthropologists are considered. This approach emphasizes variation in skeletal biology as a dynamic record of development, maturity, and aging. Yrbk Phys Anthropol 54:86–98, 2011. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The origin and antiquity of syphilis revisited: An Appraisal of Old World pre‐Columbian evidence for treponemal infection
Authors: Harper Kristin N. , Zuckerman Molly K. , Harper Megan L. , Kingston John D. , Armelagos George J.
Published: November 2011

For nearly 500 years, scholars have argued about the origin and antiquity of syphilis. Did Columbus bring the disease from the New World to the Old World? Or did syphilis exist in the Old World before 1493? Here, we evaluate all 54 published reports of pre‐Columbian, Old World treponemal disease using a standardized, systematic approach. The certainty of diagnosis and dating of each case is considered, and novel information pertinent to the dating of these cases, including radiocarbon dates, is presented. Among the reports, we did not find a single case of Old World treponemal disease that has both a certain diagnosis and a secure pre‐Columbian date. We also demonstrate that many of the reports use nonspecific indicators to diagnose treponemal disease, do not provide adequate information about the methods used to date specimens, and do not include high‐quality photographs of the lesions of interest. Thus, despite an increasing number of published reports of pre‐Columbian treponemal infection, it appears that solid evidence supporting an Old World origin for the disease remains absent. Yrbk Phys Anthropol 54:99–133, 2011. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
A new pliopithecid genus (primates: pliopithecoidea) from castell de barberà (vallès‐penedès basin, catalonia, spain)
Authors: Alba David M. , Moyà‐Solà Salvador
Published: November 2011

Barberapithecus huerzeleri gen. et sp. nov. (Primates, Pliopithecidae) is erected on the basis of material from Castell de Barberà (Middle to Late Miocene, ca. 11.2–10.5 Ma), in the Vallès‐Penedès Basin (Catalonia, Spain), including: 15 teeth (representing most of the permanent dentition) from a single female individual (holotype); an isolated P/3 (paratype); and a male C1/ (referred to the hypodigm). Previously, this material had been only partially figured and described, being attributed to Pliopithecus or to a new taxon with possible crouzeliine affinities. The erection of a new genus is justified by several autapomorphic features, such as markedly buccolingually compressed and mesiodistally elongated C1/, extremely buccolingually compressed, and mesiodistally oriented C/1 main cusp, P/4 with a large trigonid subequal to the talonid, very large distal foveae on the M/1 and especially the M/2, and lower molars with a quadrangular central fovea and a mesially situated entoconid. These features are associated with a set of crouzeliine synapomorphies, such as buccolingually compressed and peripheralized cusps, well‐developed crests, large and well‐defined occlusal foveae, upper molars with long preprotocrista, short hypoparacrista, somewhat distally situated protocone and short distal fovea, distinct P/3 metaconid, well‐developed P/4 premetacristid, and relatively narrow lower molars with a reduced entoconid. Although more primitive, Barberapithecus resembles Anapithecus in some derived features. Both taxa are included into a new tribe (Anapithecini), together with other crouzeliines except Plesiopliopithecus (tribe Crouzeliini). The retention of primitive, pliopithecine‐like features in Barberapithecus suggests that anapithecins might have evolved from a Pliopithecus ancestor, so that as currently conceived the Crouzeliinae might be polyphyletic. Am J Phys Anthropol 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Technical note: Quantitative measures of iris color using high resolution photographs
Authors: Edwards Melissa , Gozdzik Agnes , Ross Kendra , Miles Jon , Parra Esteban J.
Published: November 2011

Our understanding of the genetic architecture of iris color is still limited. This is partly related to difficulties associated with obtaining quantitative measurements of eye color. Here we introduce a new automated method for measuring iris color using high resolution photographs. This method extracts color measurements in the CIE 1976 L*a*b* (CIELAB) color space from a 256 by 256 pixel square sampled from the 9:00 meridian of the iris. Color is defined across three dimensions: L* (the lightness coordinate), a* (the red‐green coordinate), and b* (the blue‐yellow coordinate). We applied this method to a sample of individuals of diverse ancestry (East Asian, European and South Asian) that was genotyped for the HERC2 rs12913832 polymorphism, which is strongly associated with blue eye color. We identified substantial variation in the CIELAB color space, not only in the European sample, but also in the East Asian and South Asian samples. As expected, rs12913832 was significantly associated with quantitative iris color measurements in subjects of European ancestry. However, this SNP was also strongly associated with iris color in the South Asian sample, although there were no participants with blue irides in this sample. The usefulness of this method is not restricted only to the study of iris pigmentation. High‐resolution pictures of the iris will also make it possible to study the genetic variation involved in iris textural patterns, which show substantial heritability in human populations. Am J Phys Anthropol, 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.