bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Reciprocity and public support for the redistributive role of the State
Authors: León Francisco José
Published: May 2012

The aim of this paper is to test whether motivations characteristic of homo reciprocans, as described in experimental economics, can account for the support for the redistributive role of the State. Using data from the 2008 European Social Survey, we show how this picture of human motivations provides a fertile framework to interpret support for redistribution among the general public. We test this claim through two ordinary least squares (OLS) regression models. The evidence clearly shows that variables associated with ‘reciprocity’ are better predictors of support for the redistributive role of the State than those associated with ‘self-interest’, including the traditional socioeconomic variables, although both types of variables offer useful insights into the question of why people give support for redistribution.
Counteracting material deprivation: The role of social assistance in Europe
Authors: Nelson Kenneth
Published: May 2012

Material deprivation is high on the political agenda in Europe and part of the agreed benchmarks in the EU social inclusion process. This study analyses the link between social assistance benefit levels and material deprivation in European countries. It is shown that the relationship between assistance and deprivation is negative, indicating that material deprivation is less extensive in countries with higher benefit levels. The influence of other relevant contextual effects does not change this relationship to any serious extent. There was no clear effect of public services or active labour market policy on material deprivation, factors essential in the EU discussion on poverty and social inclusion. The results demonstrate that the role of social assistance in combating material hardships should perhaps be strengthened in future EU policy frameworks. The empirical analyses are based on data from the EU-SILC and the SaMip dataset, covering 26 European countries.
Stark raving fat: Celebrity, cellulite, and the sliding scale of sanity
Authors: Weber Brenda R
Published: May 2012

Britney Spears offers a particular case study that makes visible a larger cultural mandate: a woman’s slender body correlates with both her moral fiber and her mental well-being. Thus, thin-ness is read as a signifier of both impulse control and sanity. These metaphorical ties reinforce the pathology attached to the fat body, indicating that the thin body is seemingly one step closer to a Western ideal of empowered rational individualism, whereas the fat (or in Spears’s case, slightly chubby) body is made all the more abject through a madness brought on by a bodily disorder that culminates in an alienation from the self. Critical to this dialectic around (Spears’s) selfhood, cellulite, and sanity is the matter of mediated appearance, since, as a celebrity, Spears’s ‘health’ is tied to images of wellness as articulated through the fit and flab-free body. Neither wellness nor selfhood can exist, the logic indicates, in a state of crisis where one does not photograph ‘well’. Acknowledging the biases that are part of fat oppression and celebrity, this article also accounts for the way in which the female celebrity’s image has some, albeit limited, potential to fulfill broader objectives about gender and selfhood.
Measuring therapeutic adherence in systemic lupus erythematosus with electronic monitoring
Authors: Marengo MF , Waimann CA , Achaval S de , Zhang H , Garcia-Gonzalez A , Richardson MN , Reveille JD , Suarez-Almazor ME
Published: May 2012

Objective: We used an electronic monitoring system to quantify adherence to prescribed oral therapies by patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Methods: Participants were included from a larger longitudinal study cohort of 110 patients recruited from publicly-funded rheumatology clinics, 78 of whom agreed to have their SLE drug therapy electronically monitored for two years with the Medication Events Monitoring System (MEMS®, AARDEX Group). Adherence was determined as the percentage of days (weeks for methotrexate) the patient took the medication as prescribed by the physician. Collected data included SLEDAI; SLICC damage index for SLE (SDI); medical outcome study social support survey (MOS-SSS); Center for Epidemiologic Studies depression scale (CESD); and quality of life (SF-12). Results: Ninety percent of the cohort was female, 45% were Hispanic, and 49% were African-American. Mean age was 36.3 years, disease duration was 5.9 years, SLEDAI score was 3.2, and SDI score was 0.9. Adherence was 62% for all drugs combined and did not differ significantly for individual medications. Patients with more depression ( p < 0.02), and higher number of pills taken daily ( p < 0.02) were more likely to be non-adherent. Only one-fourth of the patients had an average adherence of ≥80%; these patients had a better mental component score (SF-12) at 24 months than non-adherent patients ( p < 0.01). Conclusions: Electronic monitoring demonstrated that only one-fourth of the patients had an adherence rate ≥80%. Polypharmacy and depression were associated with non-adherence.
Popular science publishing in contemporary China
Authors: Wu Guosheng , Qiu Hui
Published: May 2012

Since the 1950s China’s popular science publishing has been the business of the government, and subject to its will. China adopted a system of planned economies, as the Soviet Union did, until the 1980s when a policy of reform and opening-up was adopted. During the period of the planned economies, popular science publishing was not a commercial but a governmental enterprise. More than 100 million copies of the most representative publication of this period, One Hundred Thousand Whys, have been distributed. The Unmoved Mover Series of the 1990s was a milestone in the new era. What is significant about this series is that it broke through the prevailing mode of science-popularization as ‘serving for industrial and agricultural production, serving for ideology’. China’s popular science publishing has its defects, genetically and culturally. In an age of marketization, popular science books are frequently applauded by the experts, but not enjoyed by general readers.
Reporting Multiple-Group Mean and Covariance Structure Across Occasions With Structural Equation Modeling
Authors: Okech David
Published: May 2012

Objectives: Using baseline and second wave data, the study evaluated the measurement and structural properties of parenting stress, personal mastery, and economic strain with N = 381 lower income parents who decided to join and those who did not join in a child development savings account program. Methods: Structural equation modeling mean and covariance structures was performed across groups and occasion was performed. Results: Measurement invariance was established across groups and across occasions. However, parenting stress differed across occasions. Conclusions: SEM methods are useful in testing theories as well as comparing manifest and latent structures of constructs across groups and occasions.
Academic Decathletes
Authors: Kovoor-Misra Sarah
Published: May 2012

Business school professors are facing increasing pressure to excel in diverse academic roles that require different knowledge and skills. The multiplicity and diversity of roles evoke the image of the professor as an academic decathlete. In this article, the author explores the metaphor of the academic decathlete through conversations with Professor Tom Lee who has been successful in multiple academic roles. The interview sheds light on the dimensions and capacities of an academic decathlete and various strategies that can be used as academics seek to perform at high levels of excellence in a range of roles.
Strategy as Storytelling
Authors: Küpers Wendelin , Mantere Saku , Statler Matt
Published: May 2012

This article presents a phenomenological inquiry into storytelling practices in corporate strategy-making processes, as experienced by nonsenior stakeholders. The authors utilize the potential of phenomenological methods to provide an enriched understanding of strategy as lived, embodied experience. Based on a strategy workshop in a company called ICARUS Inc., a large, international information technology corporation facing the challenge of reinventing itself after a period of considerable success, the authors identify three embodied narrative practices enacted during that workshop event: (a) discursive struggles over “hot” words, (b) the de-sacralization of strategy, and (c) recurring rituals of self-sacrifice. The article critically analyzes these practices in reference to recent research on strategy as a lived and narrated experience and discusses their implications as well as the implications of the workshop itself. Overall, the article aims at providing theoretical as well as methodological contribution for narrative practices of strategy in organizational lifeworlds.
Many-Faceted Rasch Calibration
Authors: Brinthaupt Thomas M. , Kang Minsoo
Published: May 2012

The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the application of the many-faceted Rasch model to a personality measure. The authors use the model to calibrate the Self-Talk Scale (STS). Good model–data fit supported the measurement of self-talk frequency in adults as a unidimensional construct. Results also supported the proper functioning of the original five-category STS response format. Because of evidence that different items do not contribute equally to the total score, the authors provide information for converting raw STS total scores into more appropriate logit scores. The methodology and results demonstrate how the Rasch model can provide additional support for the validity of measures. Implications for using the Rasch model for personality assessment in general and for using the STS in particular are discussed.
An Interpersonal Analysis of Pathological Personality Traits in DSM-5
Authors: Wright Aidan G. C. , Pincus Aaron L. , Hopwood Christopher J. , Thomas Katherine M. , Markon Kristian E. , Krueger Robert F.
Published: May 2012

The proposed changes to the personality disorder section of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.) places an increased focus on interpersonal impairment as one of the defining features of personality psychopathology. In addition, a proposed trait model has been offered to provide a means of capturing phenotypic variation on the expression of personality disorder. In this study, the authors subject the proposed DSM-5 traits to interpersonal analysis using the Inventory of Interpersonal Problems–Circumplex scales via the structural summary method for circumplex data. DSM-5 traits were consistently associated with generalized interpersonal dysfunction suggesting that they are maladaptive in nature, the majority of traits demonstrated discriminant validity with prototypical and differentiated interpersonal problem profiles, and conformed well to a priori hypothesized associations. These results are discussed in the context of the DSM-5 proposal and contemporary interpersonal theory, with a particular focus on potential areas for expansion of the DSM-5 trait model.
The “What” and the “How” of Dispositional Mindfulness
Authors: Eisenlohr-Moul Tory A. , Walsh Erin C. , Charnigo Richard J. , Lynam Donald R. , Baer Ruth A.
Published: May 2012

Although self-report measures of dispositional mindfulness have good psychometric properties, a few studies have shown unexpected positive correlations between substance use and mindfulness scales measuring observation of present-moment experience. The current study tested the hypothesis that the relationship between present-moment observation and substance use is moderated by the tendency to be nonjudgmental and nonreactive toward the observed stimuli. Two hundred and ninety-six undergraduates completed the Five-Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ), a calendar measuring periods of substance use, and a measure of the Five-Factor Model of personality. Controlling for FFMQ and personality subscales, significant interactions between the observing and nonreactivity subscales indicated that the observing subscale was negatively associated with substance use at higher levels of nonreactivity but positively associated with periods of substance use at lower levels of nonreactivity. Results support the use of statistical interactions among FFMQ subscales to test for the presence of interactive effects of different aspects of mindfulness.
Determination of Factor V Leiden Mutation and R2 Polymorphism in Cis Position
Authors: Öztürk Ayşenur , Ballı Sezen , Akar Nejat
Published: May 2012

FVA4070G (R2 polymorphism) influences plasma factor V (FV) concentration and was associated with mild activated protein C resistance. This polymorphism was reported to have a trans inheritance with FV Leiden (FVL) mutation. The aim of this study is to investigate the inheritance of R2 polymorphism in the homozygous FVL carriers. In this study, 99 patients with thrombosis and 7 individuals without a history of thrombosis all of which homozygous for FVL were included. Of 99 patients, 1 was heterozygous for FV A4070G. Additionally, 6 polymorphisms in the FV gene were analyzed for the heterozygous R2 patient and her family. When the allelic distribution was classified, 8 different haplotypes were obtained. In contrast to the literature, it was shown that R2 polymorphism could be inherited in cis position with FVL and also the family members could have co-inheritance of the FVL and R2 on the same chromosome as proband.
Withholding Anticoagulation Following a Single Negative Whole-Leg Ultrasound in Patients at High Pretest Probability for Deep Vein Thrombosis
Authors: Stevens Scott M. , Woller Scott C. , Graves Kencee K. , Aston Valerie , Jones Jason , Snow Gregory , Elliott C. Gregory
Published: May 2012

Prompt, accurate diagnosis of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is essential. A single, whole-leg ultrasound (whole-leg US) has been used to exclude DVT, but limited data exist for patients with high pretest probability (PTP) for DVT. This diagnostic management study tested the rate of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in patients with a PTP of “DVT likely” per the simplified Wells score when anticoagulation is withheld based on a single, negative whole-leg US. Consecutive patients presenting during coordinator shifts with a PTP of DVT likely were enrolled. Anticoagulation was withheld after a single, negative whole-leg US. The outcome was objectively confirmed VTE in 3 months. All 167 patients completed the follow-up. A single patient death was adjudicated as possibly caused by VTE, resulting in a VTE rate of 0.60% (95% confidence interval: 0.02%-3.29%). Whole-leg US should be further studied in diagnostic algorithms that utilize PTP scoring and d-dimer testing.
Conceptualizing the New Urban Renewal
Authors: Hyra Derek S.
Published: May 2012

In the 1990s and 2000s, inner city neighborhood redevelopment occurred throughout the United States as billions in public and private investments entered impoverished black communities. This revitalization process led to the displacement of hundreds of thousands of African-Americans. Based on this circumstance, some scholars suggest that this circumstance was a return to the past urban renewal period (1949-1974). While there have been many case studies of contemporary inner city redevelopment, this article uses a comparative historical approach to claim that we have entered and completed a new urban renewal period (1992-2007) that rivals but yet is distinct from the old urban renewal period in four important ways. First, the new urban renewal was a central business district (CBD) expansion strategy, whereas the old urban renewal was a preservation strategy. Second, the dynamics driving the new urban renewal were more complex and included global, federal, and local factors, while federal forces were more important in structuring the old urban renewal. Third, the consequences of the new urban renewal were not explained by race alone but involved an interaction between race and class. Lastly, the new urban renewal was associated with rising suburban poverty and the old urban renewal institutionalized the inner city ghetto. Specifying the parallels and differences between the old and new urban renewal periods is vital for understanding how twentieth- and twenty-first-century urban policies, and their consequences, relate to an ever-changing metropolitan America.
Customers as Resource Integrators
Authors: Hibbert Sally , Winklhofer Heidi , Temerak Mohamed Sobhy
Published: May 2012

It is widely accepted that customers derive value through resource integration, by integrating their own resources with those provided by organization and other network actors. This perspective implies that customers must acquire the necessary skills and knowledge to be effective resource integrators as they engage in activities that facilitate or create value. Supporting customer learning, then, is a pressing new challenge for firms that recognize customers engage in resource integration in the course of their value-creating processes. This article builds on an interactive model of self-directed learning to develop a model of customer learning for resource integration that identifies the characteristics of learning contexts, interactive elements of the learning process and links learning to customers' effectiveness in resource integration activities. A future research agenda is set out, organized around the elements of our conceptualization that can generate much required managerial insights into the interactive process-based nature of customer learning and customers' effectiveness as resource integrators. For practitioners who recognize the resource integration roles customers play, the authors raise a set of questions that will assist in developing marketing programs that support customer learning.
A New Diffusive Sampler for Determining Nicotine and 3-Ethenylpyridine Contents in Second-Hand Smoke
Authors: Ishizu Yoshiaki , Ishizu Yoshiko
Published: May 2012

A new diffusive sampler for determining nicotine and 3-ethenylpyridine in second-hand smoke (SHS) was developed and its quality and performance were validated. The diffusive sampler is composed of an adsorption disk coated with XAD-4/PDMS on a glass fibre filter, a cellulose acetate-coated membrane filter as a windscreen, a polypropylene cassette with a cover and a badge clip. The analytical procedure was based on ISO 18145 for the active method. The performance of the diffusive sampler was assessed according to the MDHS 27 protocol. Sampling rates were determined empirically by exposing XAD-4 active samplers and XAD-4/PDMS diffusive samplers to the same SHS atmosphere. The uptake rate of nicotine and 3-ethenylpyridine were 36.3 mLċmin−1 and 38.8 mLċmin−1, respectively. SHS field studies were carried out using the diffusive samplers. The median concentrations of nicotine and 3-ethenylpyridine in non-smoking areas were 0.183 and 0.526 µgċm−3, respectively. The ratios of nicotine to 3-ethenylpyridine decreased according to the freshness of the SHS. The median concentrations of nicotine, 3-ethenylpyridine and suspended particulate matter (SPM) for 24-h personal exposure in the passive smoking group were 0.0422, 0.0905 and 24.3 µgċm−3, respectively.
Atdementia: An information resource on assistive technologies that help support the independence of people with dementia
Authors: Burrow Simon , Brooks Deborah
Published: May 2012

Technologies have the capacity to be enabling or disabling for people who are living with dementia. Accessible information is required to equip people to make informed decisions about what technologies are available and how they may be utilised to support independence. This article describes the development of a web-based resource called ATdementia which was designed to provide independent information on assistive technologies for people who are living with dementia. It was designed to be accessed by people with dementia, families, supporters and professionals. The article describes the development and the early operation of ATdementia. Mention is also made of the ATguide, a self assessment tool to support decision-making in relation to technologies. ATguide was launched in 2012.
Effect of Gender of the Recorded Voice on Responses to Sensitive Sexual Behavior Questions
Authors: Oloo Isaiah , Gust Deborah A. , Shinde Sanjyot , Lellan-Lemal Eleanor Mc , Pals Sherri L. , Chege Wairimu , Gumbe Anne , Thomas Timothy K. , Mills Lisa A. , Chen Robert T.
Published: May 2012

Audio computer-assisted self-interview (ACASI) has been shown to reduce interviewer and social desirability bias related to sensitive questions, which can be especially important for studies of sexual behavior and HIV risk. Baseline demographic and HIV risk data were collected using ACASI for 849 adults aged 18–34 (423 males and 426 females) of unknown or HIV-negative status as part of an HIV-incidence cohort study in Kisumu, Kenya. ACASI questionnaires and possible responses were recorded being read either by a male or female voice in the three most commonly used languages (English, Kiswahili, and Dholuo). Participants were randomly assigned to hear either male or female voice. Dependent variables, including 12 sexual behavior questions, were evaluated using logistic regression. No significant differences in responses to the 12 sensitive questions were found for gender of the recorded voice on ACASI or for the interaction between gender of recorded ACASI voice and respondent gender.
Coating carbon fibres with hybrid polymers for use at high temperatures
Authors: Rana M , Shayed MA , Hund RD , Cherif Ch , Awal A
Published: May 2012

A thermal resistance coating of different high temperature resistance polymers, e.g. polysilazane and polysiloxane was applied to a carbon roving by a continuous dip coating method. Improved mechanical and thermal resistance properties of the coated carbon roving were evaluated by thermogravimetric analysis and tensile property testing under thermal stress. Investigation of the mechanical properties of coated carbon roving revealed a significant increase in their breaking strength, which amounted to more than 50% as compared to uncoated roving. The thermal stability as well as the oxidation protection of the coated sample in ambient air at temperatures up to 800℃ was much higher than that of the control sample. Topographical phenomena occurring due to the coating on the microscale were examined by scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray analysis. The surface energy and the adhesion property of the coated substrate were determined by measuring the contact angle.
The “purification” and modeling of multi-agent monitoring system for industrial textiles
Authors: Shao Jingfeng , Wang Jinfu , Liu Sheng
Published: May 2012

To improve the quality of industrial textile products and ensure the accuracy of the real-time collected textile production data, we first proposed a new data fitting method, which uses the integral and differential quotient operator to obtain the basic spline function and B-spline curve by operator deduction, and then used high-order approximation method for differential operator to get the precise spline fitting function. Second, a multi-agent network-monitoring system model was built, and its work principle, main function, collaborative process, and scheduling algorithm were introduced. The application results show that the proposed data fitting method is optimum and the results are accurate. Furthermore, the system structure model based on multi-agent meets the requirements of quality control of industrial textiles.
An Extended Intervening Process Model
Authors: Qin John , Smyrnios Kosmas X. , Deng Ling
Published: May 2012

The rapid on-going demographic shifts in workplaces present challenges to Human Resource Development (HRD) scholars and practitioners, creating a significant demand for diversity initiatives that help organizations harvest diversity. To address inconsistencies in diversity research results and limitations of current diversity intervening process theories, the authors propose an extended intervening process model (EIPM) from the perspective of how group processes underlie the linkage between diversity and performance. The model predicts both positive and negative effects of diversity depending on the intervening roles of group processes and moderation effects of research contextual factors. While extending the knowledge by incorporating three group processes simultaneously, this conceptualization can be regarded as the first theoretical framework that explains both positive and negative effects of diversity found in one study. Implications of the present framework for future research are discussed.
The Use of the Harmonic Scalpel Versus Knot Tying for Modified Radical Neck Dissection
Authors: Agcaoglu Orhan , Aliyev Shamil , Mitchell Jamie , Milas Mira , Siperstein Allan , Berber Eren
Published: May 2012

Background. Although the utility of the harmonic scalpel (HS) in thyroidectomy has been extensively demonstrated, there is little experience regarding its use for neck dissections. Methods. Within 10 years, 119 patients underwent modified radical neck dissection (MRND) for thyroid cancer. In 51 patients, MRND was performed using conventional knot tying and in 68 using the HS. The number of lymph nodes (LNs) removed, operative time, estimated blood loss (EBL), drain output, duration of the drainage, and complications were compared for 47 patients undergoing first-time unilateral MRND without concomitant additional surgical procedures. Results. The number of LNs removed, operative time, duration of drainage, and rate of lymphatic leak were similar between groups. For the HS group, EBL (5 ± 3 vs 32 ± 10; P = .006) and drain output on postoperative day 1 (51.7 ± 6.2 vs 78.9 ± 11.9; P = .02) and at 1 week (6.1 ± 1.2 vs 10.2 ± 1.8, respectively; P = .03) were significantly less. Conclusion. Despite the limitations of its retrospective nature, this study shows that the HS reduces EBL and the amount of lymphatic drainage compared to knot tying after MRND.
Management of Barrett’s oesophagus and intramucosal oesophageal cancer: a review of recent development
Authors: Rajendra Shanmugarajah , Sharma Prateek
Published: May 2012

Barrett’s oesophagus is the most important and recognizable precursor lesion for oesophageal adenocarcinoma, which is the one of the fastest growing cancers in the Western World. The incidence of oesophageal adenocarcinoma has increased 600% in the United States between 1975 and 2001 and is thought to represent a real increase in burden rather than a result of histologic or anatomical misclassification or overdiagnosis. Thus, the cancer risk in Barrett’s oesophagus has to be managed and involves prevention (surveillance endoscopy), treating underlying gastroesophageal reflux disease (medically and or surgically) and endoscopic therapy to remove diseased epithelium in appropriate patient subgroups. In the last decade, new developments in imaging and molecular markers as well as an armamentarium of novel and effective endoscopic eradication therapy has become available to the endoscopist to combat this exponential rise in oesophageal adenocarcinoma. Paradoxically, the cancer risk in Barrett’s oesophagus gets progressively downgraded which raises fundamental questions about our understanding of the known and unknown risk factors and molecular aberrations that are involved in the Barrett’s metaplasia–dysplasia–carcinoma sequence. Future research has to be directed at these areas to fine tune our screening and surveillance programs to identify more accurately the high-risk group of progressors to oesophageal adenocarcinoma who would benefit most from endoscopic therapy.
Operative Management of Common Forefoot Deformities
Authors: Iselin Lukas D , Munt Justin , Symeonidis Panagiotis D , Klammer Georg , Chehade Mellick , Stavrou Peter
Published: May 2012

Background. Hallux valgus and hallux rigidus are common conditions for which numerous operative interventions have been described in the literature. Various clinical and radiological measurements have been used to help grade severity and to guide treatment. Materials and methods. A survey was e-mailed to all members of the Australian Orthopaedic Association. Questions were asked regarding respondents’ demographics as well as their preferred treatment for 3 separate cases of hallux valgus and hallux rigidus of varying severity. They were specifically asked about type of deformity correction and type of fixation. The responses were collected and statistically analyzed. Results. The authors collected the answers of 454 respondents with a response rate of 36%. There was a disproportionately large percentage of respondents who were members of the Australian Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society. Preferred treatments were different for the 3 different cases. Older surgeons were more likely to use Chevron osteotomies, and Australian Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society members were more likely to use a scarf. Scarf osteotomy was preferred by more than 50% for the cases of moderate and severe hallux valgus, whereas first metatarsophalangeal joint fusion was preferred for the case with significant arthritic changes. Conclusions. There are significant associations between the surgeons’ age and expertise and their training and their preferred operative intervention. Considerable differences were found in the practice of the general orthopaedic surgeons and the foot and ankle specialists. Despite the large number of surgical options available for hallux valgus, only a small number were preferred by the majority of surgeons. Although anecdotally aware that lesser deformity is treated with distal osteotomies and more severe deformity with a proximal osteotomy, the authors are unaware of any current literature that verifies this.
The Effect of Goniometric Alignment on Passive Ankle Dorsiflexion Range of Motion among Patients Following Ankle Arthrodesis or Arthroplasty
Authors: Conley Kelly A. , Geist Kathleen , Shaw Jonathan N. , Labib Sameh A. , Johanson Marie A.
Published: May 2012

Goniometric measurement is a standard method used to quantify limited ankle dorsiflexion (DF). However, compensatory motion at the subtalar and midtarsal joints might also contribute to the amount of ankle DF obtained by goniometric measurements. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of goniometric alignment on DF range of motion measurement among patients following ankle arthrodesis or arthroplasty and age- and gender-matched controls. A total of 22 participants were recruited to participate in this observational cohort study, including 7 patients following total ankle arthroplasty (2 male, 5 female; mean age = 67.5 years, standard deviation [SD] = 9.6 years), 4 patients following ankle arthrodesis (2 male, 2 female; mean age = 70.5 years, SD = 5.2 years), and 11 age- and gender-matched controls (4 male, 7 female; mean age 67.5 years, SD = 9.0 years). Two investigators measured and recorded ankle DF passive range of motion (PROM) using a randomly determined sequence of 2 alignment methods: (1) the distal aspect of the lateral calcaneus, and (2) the fifth metatarsal. One-sample t tests were performed to assess differences in ankle DF between the 2 different alignment methods. Significantly greater degrees of DF were obtained when aligning with the fifth metatarsal versus the lateral calcaneus on the patients’ uninvolved sides and the randomly selected side of matched controls ( P < .05) but not on the patients’ operative side ( P > .05). This study found that more degrees of DF PROM are measured when aligning a goniometer with the fifth metatarsal versus the calcaneus on the uninvolved side of patients and matched controls.

Levels of Evidence: Diagnostic, Level IV
The Relationship among Corporate Culture, Strategic Orientation, and Financial Performance
Authors: Han HyunJeong (Spring)
Published: May 2012

This study was conducted to suggest strategic orientations that can analyze which types of corporate culture and strategic orientation contribute to enhanced financial performance, based on the theory that, to acquire a competitive edge in the fierce competitive environment and maximize performance, the combination of corporate internal competitiveness and an appropriate action plan is crucial. The study shows that corporate culture does directly affect financial performance. However, for this group of Korean hotels, not all cultures performed equally. The transaction-oriented Market Culture did not promote financial performance, as compared to the family-oriented Clan culture or the innovative Adhocracy culture. The tradition-bound Hierarchical culture actually cost hotels in terms of financial performance. Certain strategic orientations moderated and improved financial results for some of the cultures, but not all. The opportunity-seeking approach of a leading orientation drove favorable financial results for the Clan and Adhocracy cultures but did not help the Market or Hierarchy cultures. Other strategic orientations also drove positive financial results, including future analytic and defensive. On the other hand, the discounting-oriented aggressive orientation returned negative financial results to all hotels in this sample.
Transcytosis of HTLV-1 across a tight human epithelial barrier and infection of subepithelial dendritic cells
Authors: Martin-Latil Sandra , Gnädig Nina F. , Mallet Adeline , Desdouits Marion , Guivel-Benhassine Florence , Jeannin Patricia , Prevost Marie-Christine , Schwartz Olivier , Gessain Antoine , Ozden Simona , Ceccaldi Pierre-Emmanuel
Published: May 2012

Human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) is the causative agent of adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma and HTLV-1–associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis. In addition to blood transfusion and sexual transmission, HTLV-1 is transmitted mainly through prolonged breastfeeding, and such infection represents a major risk for the development of adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma. Although HTLV-1–infected lymphocytes can be retrieved from maternal milk, the mechanisms of HTLV-1 transmission through the digestive tract remain unknown. In the present study, we assessed HTLV-1 transport across the epithelial barrier using an in vitro model. Our results show that the integrity of the epithelial barrier was maintained during coculture with HTLV-1–infected lymphocytes, because neither morphological nor functional alterations of the cell monolayer were observed. Enterocytes were not susceptible to HTLV-1 infection, but free infectious HTLV-1 virions could cross the epithelial barrier via a transcytosis mechanism. Such virions were able to infect productively human dendritic cells located beneath the epithelial barrier. Our data indicate that HTLV-1 crosses the tight epithelial barrier without disruption or infection of the epithelium to further infect target cells such as dendritic cells. The present study provides the first data pertaining to the mode of HTLV-1 transport across a tight epithelial barrier, as can occur during mother-to-child HTLV-1 transmission during breastfeeding.
Granule exocytosis is required for platelet spreading: differential sorting of α-granules expressing VAMP-7
Authors: Peters Christian G. , Michelson Alan D. , Flaumenhaft Robert
Published: May 2012

There has been recent controversy as to whether platelet α-granules represent a single granule population or are composed of different subpopulations that serve discrete functions. To address this question, we evaluated the localization of vesicle-associated membrane proteins (VAMPs) in spread platelets to determine whether platelets actively sort a specific subpopulation of α-granules to the periphery during spreading. Immunofluorescence microscopy demonstrated that granules expressing VAMP-3 and VAMP-8 localized to the central granulomere of spread platelets along with the granule cargos von Willebrand factor and serotonin. In contrast, α-granules expressing VAMP-7 translocated to the periphery of spread platelets along with the granule cargos TIMP2 and VEFG. Time-lapse microscopy demonstrated that α-granules expressing VAMP-7 actively moved from the granulomere to the periphery during spreading. Platelets from a patient with gray platelet syndrome lacked α-granules and demonstrated only minimal spreading. Similarly, spreading was impaired in platelets obtained from Unc13dJinx mice, which are deficient in Munc13-4 and have an exocytosis defect. These studies identify a new α-granule subtype expressing VAMP-7 that moves to the periphery during spreading, supporting the premise that α-granules are heterogeneous and demonstrating that granule exocytosis is required for platelet spreading.
MetaMapp: mapping and visualizing metabolomic data by integrating information from biochemical pathways and chemical and mass spectral similarity
Authors: Barupal Dinesh K , Haldiya Pradeep K , Wohlgemuth Gert , Kind Tobias , Kothari Shanker L , Pinkerton Kent E , Fiehn Oliver
Published: May 2012

Background

Exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) leads to higher rates of pulmonary diseases and infections in children. To study the biochemical changes that may precede lung diseases, metabolomic effects on fetal and maternal lungs and plasma from rats exposed to ETS were compared to filtered air control animals. Genome- reconstructed metabolic pathways may be used to map and interpret dysregulation in metabolic networks. However, mass spectrometry-based non-targeted metabolomics datasets often comprise many metabolites for which links to enzymatic reactions have not yet been reported. Hence, network visualizations that rely on current biochemical databases are incomplete and also fail to visualize novel, structurally unidentified metabolites.

Results

We present a novel approach to integrate biochemical pathway and chemical relationships to map all detected metabolites in network graphs (MetaMapp) using KEGG reactant pair database, Tanimoto chemical and NIST mass spectral similarity scores. In fetal and maternal lungs, and in maternal blood plasma from pregnant rats exposed to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), 459 unique metabolites comprising 179 structurally identified compounds were detected by gas chromatography time of flight mass spectrometry (GC-TOF MS) and BinBase data processing. MetaMapp graphs in Cytoscape showed much clearer metabolic modularity and complete content visualization compared to conventional biochemical mapping approaches. Cytoscape visualization of differential statistics results using these graphs showed that overall, fetal lung metabolism was more impaired than lungs and blood metabolism in dams. Fetuses from ETS-exposed dams expressed lower lipid and nucleotide levels and higher amounts of energy metabolism intermediates than control animals, indicating lower biosynthetic rates of metabolites for cell division, structural proteins and lipids that are critical for in lung development.

Conclusions

MetaMapp graphs efficiently visualizes mass spectrometry based metabolomics datasets as network graphs in Cytoscape, and highlights metabolic alterations that can be associated with higher rate of pulmonary diseases and infections in children prenatally exposed to ETS. The MetaMapp scripts can be accessed athttp://metamapp.fiehnlab.ucdavis.edu.
Prevalence and clinical features of respiratory syncytial virus in children hospitalized for community-acquired pneumonia in northern Brazil
Authors: Lamarão Letícia Martins , Ramos Francisco Luzio , Mello Wyller Alencar , Santos Mirleide Cordeiro , Barbagelata Luana Soares , Justino Maria Cleonice Aguiar , da Silva Alexandre Ferreira , Quaresma Ana Judith Pires Garcia , da Silva Veronilce Borges , Burbano Rommel Rodríguez , Linhares Alexandre Costa
Published: May 2012

Background

Childhood pneumonia and bronchiolitis is a leading cause of illness and death in young children worldwide with Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) as the main viral cause. RSV has been associated with annual respiratory disease outbreaks and bacterial co-infection has also been reported. This study is the first RSV epidemiological study in young children hospitalized with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in Belém city, Pará (Northern Brazil).

Methods

With the objective of determining the prevalence of RSV infection and evaluating the patients’ clinical and epidemiological features, we conducted a prospective study across eight hospitals from November 2006 to October 2007. In this study, 1,050 nasopharyngeal aspirate samples were obtained from hospitalized children up to the age of three years with CAP, and tested for RSV antigen by direct immunofluorescence assay and by Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) for RSV Group identification.

Results

RSV infection was detected in 243 (23.1%) children. The mean age of the RSV-positive group was lower than the RSV-negative group (12.1 months vs 15.5 months,p<0.001) whereas gender distribution was similar. The RSV-positive group showed lower means of C-reactive protein (CRP) in comparison to the RSV-negative group (15.3 vs 24.0 mg/dL,p<0.05). Radiological findings showed that 54.2% of RSV-positive group and 50.3% of RSV-negative group had interstitial infiltrate. Bacterial infection was identified predominantly in the RSV-positive group (10% vs 4.5%, p<0.05). Rhinorrhea and nasal obstruction were predominantly observed in the RSV-positive group. A co-circulation of RSV Groups A and B was identified, with a predominance of Group B (209/227). Multivariate analysis revealed that age under 1 year (p<0.015), CRP levels under 48 mg/dL (p<0.001) and bacterial co-infection (p<0.032) were independently associated with the presence of RSV and, in the analyze of symptoms, nasal obstruction were independently associated with RSV-positive group (p<0.001).

Conclusion

The present study highlights the relevance of RSV infection in hospitalized cases of CAP in our region; our findings warrant the conduct of further investigations which can help design strategies for controlling the disease.
Baicalin, a natural compound, promotes regulatory T cell differentiation
Authors: Yang Ji , Yang Xue , Li Ming
Published: May 2012

Background

CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ regulatory T (Treg) cells inhibit autoimmunity and protect against tissue injury. The development of these Treg cells is controlled by the regulator protein Foxp3, which can be enhanced by the in vitro activation of Foxp3 in the presence of transforming growth factor-beta. However, little is known about alternative methods, such as the use of natural products, for controlling Foxp3-mediated Treg cell differentiation.

Method

HEK 293 T cells were transfected with Foxp3 expression plasmid, and then treated with different compounds, Foxp3 mRNA expression was determined by real-time RT-PCR. CD4+CD25-T cells were stimulated with Baicalin, Foxp3 protein expression were analyzed by flow cytometry and confocal microscopy, the regulatory function of T cells stimulated with Baicalin was detected by the carboxyfluorescien succinimidyl ester.

Results

We demonstrated that Baicalin, a compound isolated from the Chinese herb Huangqin, induced Foxp3 protein expression in cultured T cells, promoted Treg cell differentiation and regulatory activity. Our data also indicated that Baicalin restored Foxp3 expression following its initial interleukin-6-mediated inhibition and induced Foxp3 expression in vitro.

Conclusions

These data suggest that Baicalin may promote Treg cell differentiation and regulatory activity and may serve as a promising natural immunosuppressive compound for treating autoimmune inflammatory diseases.
Scapula alata in early breast cancer patients enrolled in a randomized clinical trial of post-surgery short-course image-guided radiotherapy
Authors: Adriaenssens Nele , De Ridder Mark , Lievens Pierre , Van Parijs Hilde , Vanhoeij Marian , Miedema Geertje , Voordeckers Mia , Versmessen Harijati , Storme Guy , Lamote Jan , Pauwels Stephanie , Vinh-Hung Vincent
Published: May 2012

Background

Scapula alata (SA) is a known complication of breast surgery associated with palsy of the serratus anterior, but it is seldom mentioned. We evaluated the risk factors associated with SA and the relationship of SA with ipsilateral shoulder/arm morbidity in a series of patients enrolled in a trial of post-surgery radiotherapy (RT).

Methods

The trial randomized women with completely resected stage I-II breast cancer to short-course image-guided RT, versus conventional RT. SA, arm volume and shoulder-arm mobility were measured prior to RT and at one to three months post-RT. Shoulder/arm morbidities were computed as a post-RT percentage change relative to pre-RT measurements.

Results

Of 119 evaluable patients, 13 (= 10.9%) had pre-RT SA. Age younger than 50 years old, a body mass index less than 25 kg/m2, and axillary lymph node dissection were significant risk factors, with odds ratios of 4.8 (P = 0.009), 6.1 (P = 0.016), and 6.1 (P = 0.005), respectively. Randomization group was not significant. At one to three months’ post-RT, mean arm volume increased by 4.1% (P = 0.036) and abduction decreased by 8.6% (P = 0.046) among SA patients, but not among non-SA patients. SA resolved in eight, persisted in five, and appeared in one patient.

Conclusion

The relationship of SA with lower body mass index suggests that SA might have been underestimated in overweight patients. Despite apparent resolution of SA in most patients, pre-RT SA portended an increased risk of shoulder/arm morbidity. We argue that SA warrants further investigation. Incidentally, the observation of SA occurring after RT in one patient represents the second case of post-RT SA reported in the literature.
Oocyte activation and phospholipase C zeta (PLCζ): diagnostic and therapeutic implications for assisted reproductive technology
Authors: Ramadan Walaa M , Kashir Junaid , Jones Celine , Coward Kevin
Published: May 2012

Infertility affects one in seven couples globally and has recently been classified as a disease by the World Health Organisation (WHO). Whilein-vitrofertilisation (IVF) offers effective treatment for many infertile couples, cases exhibiting severe male infertility (19–57%) often remain difficult, if not impossible to treat. In such cases, intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), a technique in which a single sperm is microinjected into the oocyte, is implemented. However, 1–5% of ICSI cycles still fail to fertilise, affecting over 1000 couples per year in the UK alone. Pregnancy and delivery rates for IVF and ICSI rarely exceed 30% and 23% respectively. It is therefore imperative that Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) protocols are constantly modified by associated research programmes, in order to provide patients with the best chances of conception. Prior to fertilisation, mature oocytes are arrested in the metaphase stage of the second meiotic division (MII), which must be alleviated to allow the cell cycle, and subsequent embryogenesis, to proceed. Alleviation occurs through a series of concurrent events, collectively termed ‘oocyte activation’. In mammals, oocytes are activated by a series of intracellular calcium (Ca2+) oscillations following gamete fusion. Recent evidence implicates a sperm-specific phospholipase C, PLCzeta (PLCζ), introduced into the oocyte following membrane fusion as the factor responsible. This review summarises our current understanding of oocyte activation failure in human males, and describes recent advances in our knowledge linking certain cases of male infertility with defects in PLCζ expression and activity. Systematic literature searches were performed using PubMed and the ISI-Web of Knowledge. Databases compiled by the United Nations and World Health Organisation databases (UNWHO), and the Human Fertilization and Embryology Authority (HFEA) were also scrutinised. It is clear that PLCζ plays a fundamental role in the activation of mammalian oocytes, and that genetic, molecular, or biochemical perturbation of this key enzyme is strongly linked to human infertility where oocyte activation is deficient. Consequently, there is significant scope for our understanding of PLCζ to be translated to the ART clinic, both as a novel therapeutic agent with which to rescue oocyte activation deficiency (OAD), or as a prognostic/diagnostic biomarker of oocyte activation ability in target sperm samples.