bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An Update on Genetic Analysis of Cholestatic Liver Diseases: Digging Deeper
Authors: Müllenbach Roman , Lammert Frank
Published: June 2011

Investigations into the molecular mechanisms of cholestasis have revealed intricate and intriguing details of bile salt metabolism as well as its regulatory mechanisms in health and disease. Extensive studies on genotype-phenotype correlations in monogenic diseases, such as progressive familial and benign recurrent intrahepatic cholestasis, facilitate diagnostics and improve the risk assessment of hepatobiliary transporter gene variants in bile transport pathophysiology. While the comparatively easy targets in monogenic cholestasis have been identified for some time now, progress in complex liver disease is rather laborious but steady. Genome-wide association scans are the next step in gathering information about common contributors towards polygenic (multifactorial) cholestatic diseases. New determinants of bile salt metabolism affecting feedback loops within the liver or the enterohepatic circulation are presently under investigation for their contribution towards complex cholestatic syndromes.
Genetic Variants of the Bile Salt Export Pump: Inducers and Modifiers of Liver Diseases
Authors: Kubitz Ralf , Brinkmeyer Christoph , Sagir Abdurrahman , Herebian Diran , Häussinger Dieter
Published: June 2011

The bile salt export pump (BSEP, ABCB11) is the major transporter protein for the excretion of bile salts into bile. Here we describe a spectrum of BSEP-dependent effects on the course of liver diseases, and present two mutations that differentially affect total bile acid output and the biliary bile acid profile. According to the clinical course of affected children, low bile acid output but a normal profile was less harmful than higher output in combination with changes in the ratio of chenodeoxycholic acid to cholic acid. On the other hand, the common BSEP polymorphism V444A (c.1331T>C; allele frequency 65%) emerged as an independent predictor of the success rate in patients with chronic hepatitis C treated with pegylated interferon/ribavirin. This association between bile acid transport and hepatitis C may be due to interference of bile acids with viral replication, interferon signaling or antiviral proteins.
Role of the Anion Exchanger 2 in the Pathogenesis and Treatment of Primary Biliary Cirrhosis
Authors: Medina Juan F.
Published: June 2011

The essential anion exchanger (AE) involved in biliary bicarbonate secretion is AE2/SLC4A2, a membrane protein which has also been recognized to be relevant for the regulation of the intracellular pH (pHi) in several cell types. Previously, we reported that the expression of AE2 mRNA is diminished in liver biopsies and peripheral blood mononuclear cells from patients with primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC). Immunohistochemical studies indicated that the expression of the AE2 protein is decreased in the bile ducts and hepatocytes in PBC livers. Moreover, we found that bile duct cells isolated from PBC patients and cultured for a few passages exhibit defective Na+-independent Cl–/HCO3– exchange. Interestingly, positron emission tomography studies have shown that PBC patients, even at early stages of the disease, fail to secrete bicarbonate to bile in response to secretin, a defect that can be partially reversed after several months of treatment with ursodeoxycholic acid. Altogether, these findings sustain our hypothesis that dysfunctions related to AE2 might have a role in the pathogenesis of PBC. Inadequate AE2 function in lymphocytes may disturb pHi regulation in these cells and alter immune homeostasis leading to autoimmunity. On the other hand, reduced AE2 in cholangiocytes could cause cholestasis and oxidative stress of bile duct cells. Cholangiocyte changes, together with altered immune homeostasis, could favor the development of antimitochondrial antibodies and the autoimmune attack on biliary ducts. Our recent findings that Ae2a,b-deficient mice indeed display most of these features strongly support the notion that AE2 abnormalities may be involved in the pathogenesis of PBC.
Dialytic Treatment for Septic Patients with Acute Kidney Injury
Authors: Davenport Andrew
Published: June 2011

Background: Sepsis is the commonest precipitating factor for acute kidney injury in hospitalised patients, and similarly patients with acute kidney injury are predisposed to sepsis. Mortality remains high despite improvements in supportive care. Methods: Literature search of Medline and Web of Science. Results: Above a threshold dialytic dose of 20 ml/kg/h for continuous renal replacement therapy and a sessional Kt/V of 1.2 for intermittent dialysis, further increases in dose do not appear to impact on survival. Similarly, no treatment mode offers survival advantage, and renal support should be targeted to maintain electrolyte homeostasis and correct volume overload. Additional therapies designed to reduce the inflammatory milieu associated with sepsis have been studied, including increased permeability dialysers, plasma filtration and adsorption techniques, endotoxin filters, selective leucapheresis and bio-artificial renal devices. Antibiotic-coated catheters have been shown to reduce catheter-associated bacteraemia. Conclusions: Although no modality confers survival advantage, prevention of intratreatment hypotension may result in increased dialysis independence in the survivors, and as such treatments should be designed to minimise the risk of hypotension. As patients with acute kidney injury are at risk of sepsis, catheter-associated bacteraemia should be minimised by using antibiotic- or antiseptic-coated catheters, and hub colonisation reduced with appropriate catheter locks. Further trials of adjunct therapies designed to reduce the inflammatory milieu are required before these potential advances can be recommended for clinical practice.
Angiogenesis in Peritoneal Dialysis
Authors: Stavenuiter A.W.D. , Schilte M.N. , Ter Wee P.M. , Beelen R.H.J.
Published: June 2011

Long-term exposure to peritoneal dialysis fluid induces morphological alterations, including angiogenesis, leading to a loss of ultrafiltration (UF) capacity. We discuss the effect of different factors in peritoneal dialysis (PD) on angiogenesis. In addition, we describe the process of angiogenesis and the possible role of different cell types in the peritoneum upon PD contributing to new blood vessel formation. Furthermore, we review several interventions used in our rat PD exposure model to decrease angiogenesis in PD. Moreover, we show new data on the use of sunitinib to inhibit angiogenesis in this rat model. Although various interventions seem to be promising, well-randomised clinical trials showing absolute prevention of angiogenesis and UF failure are, yet, still missing. To make real progress in PD treatment, the aim should be to prevent angiogenesis as well as peritoneal fibrosis and PD-induced inflammation.
Effects of Cyclosporine, Tacrolimus and Rapamycin on Renal Calcium Transport and Vitamin D Metabolism
Authors: Lee Chien-Te , Ng Hwee-Yeong , Lien Yeong-Hau , Lai Li-Wen , Wu Mai-Szu , Lin Chung-Ren , Chen Hung-Chun
Published: June 2011

Background: Abnormalities in mineral metabolism are common complications of organ transplantation. The role of immunosuppressive agents in alteration of mineral metabolism is not clear. Methods: We conducted an animal study to investigate the effects of cyclosporine A (CsA), tacrolimus, and sirolimus on renal calcium, magnesium and vitamin D metabolism. Results: CsA and tacrolimus induced a 2- to 3-fold and 1.6- to 1.8-fold increase in urinary calcium and magnesium excretion, respectively, while rapamycin had no effects on calcium, but doubled the urinary magnesium excretion. CsA and tacrolimus, but not rapamycin, elevated serum 1,25(OH)2 vitamin D without affecting the parathyroid hormone level. CsA and tacrolimus reduced mRNA abundance in TRPV5 (CsA: 64 ± 3% of control; tacrolimus: 50 ± 3%) calbindin-D28k (CsA: 62 ± 4%; tacrolimus: 43 ± 3%), and vitamin D receptor (CsA: 52 ± 3%; tacrolimus: 58 ± 2%, all p < 0.05). Rapamycin did not affect gene expression in any of studied proteins. The immunofluorescence staining study demonstrated a 50% reduction of TRPV5 and calbindin-D28k by CsA and tacrolimus. Conclusion: The suppression of VDR by calcineurin inhibitors is probably the underlying mechanism of renal calcium wasting. In spite of an increased 1,25(OH)2 vitamin D level, the kidney is not able to reserve calcium, suggesting a role of vitamin D resistance that may be related to bone loss.
The Migration of the Italian Jews to Israel and their Perception of the “Arab Problem” (1945‐1958)
Authors: Marzano Arturo
Published: June 2011

This article sheds light on the way Italian Zionism addressed the so-called “Arab problem” in British Palestine and later in Israel in the years following the Second World War, when a small—yet proportionally relevant—migration took place after an extremely lively revival of Zionist life and activities in Italy. In particular, four different approaches towards the “Arab problem” are presented, i.e. its dismissal, its under-estimation, the formulation of naïve proposals to solve it, the recognition of an inevitable confrontation. These approaches clearly recall the way in which the Zionist movement had already addressed the “Arab problem,” specifically in the decades before and after the First World War. The article also presents what can be considered an alternative discourse to these approaches, carried out by a few individuals who proposed different solutions to the “Arab problem” based on co-existence and cooperation.
Structures of Trust: Britain and Russia Compared
Authors: Hosking Geoffrey
Published: June 2011

This paper uses the concept of social trust to extend the ‘institutional economics’ of North and Olson, and more specifically Hedlund’s ‘path dependence’ account of Russia’s economic development. For this purpose it compares the evolution of Britain and Russia since the eighteenth century. A key determinant of social trust is the relation between the state, money and the population. In Britain trust was mobilised through state fiscal policies, public credit, and the rule of law. In Russia (and the USSR) trust was also placed in a strong state, but one which operated rather through personal patronage and the joint responsibility of local institutions. This crucial difference explains why in the 1990s Russia adapted so poorly to market economics.
Trusting Others ‐ How Parents Shape the Generalized Trust of Their Children
Authors: Stolle Dietlind , Nishikawa Laura
Published: June 2011

How do parents in North America inculcate generalized values about trusting others in their children? Using a self-collected data set with over 1,400 children sampled in the U.S. and Canada as well as matching surveys and selective in-depth interviews with their parents, this article attempts to link parental child-rearing approaches and values to children’s generalized trust. We find that over the last decades children increasingly score lower on generalized trust than their parents. Moreover, most parents, independent of their own trust levels, attempt to instill in their children distrust in unknown people. This trend is potentially rooted in a dramatic rise in news reporting about child crime and stranger abduction. The thesis of this article is that drastic warnings about strangers and related child-rearing methods may not remain without consequences.
Are Notice Provisions for a Delay and Additional Payment under FIDIC 1999 and 1987 Compliant with the Civil Transaction Code, Law #5?
Authors: Crawley Shaun
Published: June 2011

This article looks at whether the provisions which obligate a party to issue a notice upon certain delaying events occurring under FIDIC 1st edn., 1999 Conditions of Contract, Construction for Building and Engineering Works Designed by the Employer (FIDIC99), and FIDIC 4th edn., 1987 for Works of Civil Engineering Construction, reprinted in 1992 with further amendments (FIDIC4), are compliant with the relevant articles of the Civil Transaction Code, Law #5 of 1985 as amended by Law #1 of 1987. This is done by reviewing the applicable laws that apply and then the relevant provisions of the above FIDIC forms of conditions of contract.
The Armenian Magical Scroll and Outsider Art
Authors: Russell James R.
Published: June 2011

Unordained clergy make Armenian prayer scrolls, which go back to the amulets against the Child-stealing Witch. They are analogous to the MSS of Ethiopian Christians, made often by charismatic and socially marginal figures. This art found a niche in East Christian society; but none was provided for the appropriately named "outsider" art and the art of the insane in the West, which often expresses religious visions and sentiments that the artistic and mental health establishments—rather than an ecclesiastical order this time!—have forced to the margin of society or beyond it.

Despite the early efforts of Frederic Macler, though Armenian magical and talismanic texts have been edited and published there has been little study of the art as such of the manuscripts that contain them. Perhaps because of their greater flamboyance and their situation partially in an African context, it is the analogous material of the Ethiopian Christian tradition that has received art historical attention. And modern avowedly religious art of almost any kind in the West became so generally marginalised in criticism that much of it, including the art of people labelled insane, has come to be studied, if at all, under the rubric of art brut or outsider art. Since the makers of folk-religious-magical art in Armenia (the tirac'u) and in Ethiopia (the debtera) are sometimes marginal figures like outsider artists, I have attempted in this essay to initiate an approach to Armenian magical and talismanic art that employs the comparative method and takes advantage of the insights of studies of outsider art, the art of the psychologically abnormal, and the art of self-taught religious visionaries.
The Serpent Symbolism in the Yezidi Religious Tradition and the Snake in Yerevan
Authors: Nicolaus Peter
Published: June 2011

The serpent, its veneration and related symbolism, constitute one of the enigmas and mysteries of Yezidism. Many present-day Yezidi myths concerning the serpent are most probably of a secondary nature, which when attempting to explain this ancient symbol, actually place it in a much more recent mythological setting. The first part of this paper tries to reconstruct the myth and the symbolism of the (black) snake in light of its ancient cultural heritage and Gnostic doctrine. However, since this approach would entail far more in-depth and substantial research, the author has, within the context of the present paper, only pinpointed a few elements, which could be of Gnostic, or even older, origin.The second part of the article focuses on the brass image of a serpent and a branch of a wish-tree, which were discovered in Yerevan by the author. It describes theses artefacts (a sacred serpent, which resembles a dragon more than a snake, and a bamboo stick), as well as the cult, which has formed around these objects. Despite several interviews with the owner of the relics and other Yezidi dignitaries, the origin of the objects could not be fully ascertained.
The Mysterious Death of a Commercial Agent and the Kārguzār of Mashhad, 1890
Authors: Gilbar Gadi G.
Published: June 2011

On the night between the 21st and 22nd of April 1890 Gregory Karikoor, known as "Suleiman", was found dead in his home in Mashhad. Suleiman was the commercial agent of one of the most enterprising British firms in Iran, Messers Ziegler & Co., for some twenty years. A few days before his sudden death, the firm had transferred a large sum of money (about 2000 tūmāns, i.e. £46,600 in 2009 retail prices) to him. Not a single shāhī (penny) of this amount was found at his home or office. Rumours spread in Mashhad that Suleiman had been murdered. Ziegler's head office in Tehran was also of the opinion that a serious crime was committed in Mashhad.

The firm was anxious to discover what had happened to its agent and to recover the money transferred to him. Against this background the kārguzār of Mashhad opened an inquiry into the Suleiman case. Seven Iranian subjects were summoned to the kārguzār's majlis and were interrogated. A copy of the proceedings of the inquiry, found in the files of the British consulate general in Mashhad deposited in the National Archives of the United Kingdom, give the historian a rare glimpse of the details of how the kārguzār and his court functioned. The nature of the inquiry and the broader historical significance of the process are discussed in this article.
Jihadism in the Post-Soviet Era: The Case of Interaction of Theoretical and Practical Aspects of the Revolutionary Struggle
Authors: Shlapentokh Dmitry
Published: June 2011

The revolutionaries—and jihadists could be regarded as revolutionaries of the sort—often had two aspect of their approach to the reality. First, it is vision of the doctrine, often rigid and dogmatic. The other side is practical, and here jihadists changed their approached to the reality.

In the beginning of post-Soviet era jihadists were still influenced by the long traditions of Russian nationalism incorporated in Soviet ideology. According to these tradition, Russia plays the special role in the world history. In the view of jihadists, it was the territory of the Former USSR, which shall play the role of the leader of the global anti-Western revolt. Still, as time progress, Russia lost its centrality in the mind of jihadists, and it became just one of the places of the global struggle. Some of them think that the space of Russia shall be used for creation of sort of a new edition of Pakistan where ethnicities are downplayed, and Islam is the major way of identity.
Globalism Ascendant, Regionalism Stagnant: Japan’s Response to the Global Financial Crisis
Authors: Solís Mireya
Published: June 2011

Japan’s response to the global financial crisis has emphasized global initiatives and downplayed the regional agenda, in sharp contrast with its approach to the Asian financial crisis. This rebalancing in Japan’s economic diplomacy reflects the greater political space that it has enjoyed at the global level since its long-held views on the benefits of flexible International Monetary Fund (IMF) lending practices and controls on volatile capital flows became mainstream. Meanwhile, at the regional level Japan faces stiff competition from China in shaping the regional integration agenda and unchartered territory in coleading a multilateral Chiang Mai Initiative. Despite its enhanced profile, Japan’s new globalism is uneven: it has made a very significant financial contribution to expand the IMF’s resources and to restore trade financing; but Japan has not played a major role in the debate surrounding the most pressing issues of a future financial architecture, such as tackling global imbalances and promoting foreign exchange-rate cooperation. Japan’s muted voice, despite its large financial commitments, reflects its difficult adaptation to the G20 summitry process, as well as political volatility at home, which prevents it from developing measures to deal with the global downturn.
The Changing Cryosphere: Pan-Arctic Snow Trends (1979–2009)
Authors: Liston Glen E. , Hiemstra Christopher A.
Published: June 2011

Arctic snow presence, absence, properties, and water amount are key components of Earth’s changing climate system that incur far-reaching physical and biological ramifications. Recent dataset and modeling developments permit relatively high-resolution (10-km horizontal grid; 3-h time step) pan-Arctic snow estimates for 1979–2009. Using MicroMet and SnowModel in conjunction with land cover, topography, and 30 years of the NASA Modern-Era Retrospective Analysis for Research and Applications (MERRA) atmospheric reanalysis data, a distributed snow-related dataset was created including air temperature, snow precipitation, snow-season timing and length, maximum snow water equivalent (SWE) depth, average snow density, snow sublimation, and rain-on-snow events. Regional variability is a dominant feature of the modeled snow-property trends. Both positive and negative regional trends are distributed throughout the pan-Arctic domain, featuring, for example, spatially distinct areas of increasing and decreasing SWE or snow season length. In spite of strong regional variability, the data clearly show a general snow decrease throughout the Arctic: maximum winter SWE has decreased, snow-cover onset is later, the snow-free date in spring is earlier, and snow-cover duration has decreased. The domain-averaged air temperature trend when snow was on the ground was 0.17°C decade−1 with minimum and maximum regional trends of −0.55° and 0.78°C decade−1, respectively. The trends for total number of snow days in a year averaged −2.49 days decade−1 with minimum and maximum regional trends of −17.21 and 7.19 days decade−1, respectively. The average trend for peak SWE in a snow season was −0.17 cm decade−1 with minimum and maximum regional trends of −2.50 and 5.70 cm decade−1, respectively.
Small-Scale Spectrum of a Scalar Field in Water: The Batchelor and Kraichnan Models
Authors: Sanchez Xavier , Roget Elena , Planella Jesus , Forcat Francesc
Published: June 2011

The theoretical models of Batchelor and Kraichnan, which account for the smallest scales of a scalar field passively advected by a turbulent fluid (Prandtl > 1), have been validated using shear and temperature profiles measured with a microstructure profiler in a lake. The value of the rate of dissipation of turbulent kinetic energy ɛ has been computed by fitting the shear spectra to the Panchev and Kesich theoretical model and the one-dimensional spectra of the temperature gradient, once ɛ is known, to the Batchelor and Kraichnan models and from it determining the value of the turbulent parameter q. The goodness of the fit between the spectra corresponding to these models and the measured data shows a very clear dependence on the degree of isotropy, which is estimated by the Cox number. The Kraichnan model adjusts better to the measured data than the Batchelor model, and the values of the turbulent parameter that better fit the experimental data are qB = 4.4 ± 0.8 and qK = 7.9 ± 2.5 for Batchelor and Kraichnan, respectively, when Cox ≥ 50. Once the turbulent parameter is fixed, a comparison of the value of ɛ determined from fitting the thermal gradient spectra to the value obtained after fitting the shear spectra shows that the Kraichnan model gives a very good estimate of the dissipation, which the Batchelor model underestimates.
Improved Coastal Precipitation Forecasts with Direct Assimilation of GOES-11/12 Imager Radiances
Authors: Zou Xiaolei , Qin Zhengkun , Weng Fuzhong
Published: June 2011

The Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) imager provides observations that are of high spatial and temporal resolution and can be applied for effectively monitoring and nowcasting severe weather events. In this study, improved quantitative precipitation forecasts (QPFs) for three coastal storms over the northern Gulf of Mexico and the East Coast is demonstrated by assimilating GOES-11 and GOES-12 imager radiances into the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model. Both the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) Gridpoint Statistical Interpolation (GSI) analysis system and the Community Radiative Transfer Model (CRTM) are utilized to ingest GOES IR clear-sky data. Assimilation of GOES imager radiances during a 6–12-h time window prior to convective initiation and/or development could significantly improve the precipitation forecasts near the coast of the northern Gulf of Mexico. The 3-h accumulative precipitation threat scores are increased by about 20% after 6 h of model forecasts and more than 50% after 18–24 h of model forecasts. A detailed diagnosis of analysis fields and model forecast fields is carried out for one of the three convective precipitation events included in this study. It is shown that the assimilation of GOES data in regions of no or little clouds improved the model description of an upstream midlatitude trough and a subtropical high located in the south of the convection. The GOES observations located in the western part of land region covered by GOES within the latitude zone of 18°–37°N near 100°W contributed to a better forecast of the position of the eastward-propagating trough, while GOES observations over the Gulf of Mexico increased the amount of water vapor advection from the south into the convective region by the wind associated with the subtropical high. In the past, GOES imager radiances were not directly used in the GSI system. This study highlights the importance of satellite imagery information observed in the preconvective environment for improved cloud and precipitation forecasts. The developed data assimilation technique will prepare the NWP user community for accelerated use of advanced satellite data from the GOES-R series.
Christian NGOs in Relief and Development: One of the Church’s Arms for Holistic Mission
Authors: Woolnough Brian E
Published: June 2011

The development of Christian NGOs over the second half of the 20th century has been one of the great stories of the church. At a time when the evangelical church in the West had gone into reverse, away from a holistic gospel, emphasising personal salvation alone and leaving the social gospel to the more liberal and ecumenical branch of the church, individual Christians had responded to the needs of a suffering world by forming CNGOs to tackle the relief and development problems around the world. This paper outlines the background to the CNGO movement, from earliest biblical times, describes the growth of the movement, with special reference to Tearfund, and then discusses the issues and challenges currently being faced. It concludes that by working through the local churches the mission of CNGOs can be holistic, and bring hope to the world.
The Empire of Mt. Sion: A Korean Millenarian Group Born in a Time of Crisis
Authors: Grayson James H.
Published: June 2011

This paper is about a Korean Millenarian group called Sion-san cheguk (the Empire of Mt. Sion). Contrary to anthropological studies of “millenarian” movements in non-European societies, the study here shows that this Korean millenarian group is neither post-millennial in outlook, nor was it anti-European although it was anti-colonial. More importantly, this paper indicates that it is fundamentally wrong to assume that “millenarian” movements are principally movements of political protest, and not inspired fundamentally by religious beliefs.
Key Characteristics of Mexican Spirituality
Authors: Méndez Dinorah B.
Published: June 2011

Mexico’s religious context is diverse and complex because of its mestizo origin. The popular religiosity predominant in the country is considered a religious syncretism characterised by some salient and frequent aspects: Sense of ritual, mysticism, sacrifice, festivity and community. These elements are confirmed as outstanding traits of Mexican religiosity because they give cohesion to a very broad and plural religiosity and interact in many religious expressions. This brief analysis also reveals that there exist potential possibilities to study the process of contextualisation of Evangelical faith in Mexico using these five relevant features of the context as the framework of reference.
The missing middle: communities of practice in a freelance labour market
Authors: Grugulis Irena , Stoyanova Dimitrinka
Published: June 2011

Learning at, and through, work is a key part of the skills literature. However, the idea and ideal of the ‘community of practice’ assumes that workplaces are coherent communities where the skilful are available for novices to consult and observe. This is not always the case. This research note, drawing on three months of detailed ethnographic research in a TV production company, explores the way communities of practice function in a labour market dominated by small firms and freelancers. It argues that the experienced workers who would normally be central to skills development are simply not available to consult or observe, since they are employed on freelance contracts. The novices’ community is one with a ‘missing middle’.
Non-standard work schedules, work-family balance and the gendered division of childcare
Authors: Craig Lyn , Powell Abigail
Published: June 2011

What effect do non-standard work schedules have on how parents of young children can meet the combined and growing demands of work and family? This article uses the Australian Bureau of Statistics Time Use Survey 2006 to explore the relationship between parents’ non-standard work hours, and the time they and their spouse spend in paid work, housework, childcare (subdivided into routine tasks and talk-based interaction) and in their children’s company. Parents who work non-standard hours spend significantly longer in paid work and less time on housework and childcare than those who work standard hours. Spouses’ schedules impact much more on mothers’ than on fathers’ time. When fathers work non-standard hours, mothers do more housework and routine childcare, so the gendered division of household labour intensifies. Mothers’ non-standard hours allow them to schedule their own paid work and family responsibilities around each other, with little effect upon fathers’ unpaid work.
A Grammatical Approach for Customization of Laminated Composite Materials
Authors: Nandi Soumitra , Siddique Zahed , Cengiz Altan M.
Published: June 2011

The wide range of properties covered by the manufacturable fiber—matrix combinations of composite materials, along with their directional property characteristics, provides designers with material selection flexibility during designing composite material products. Meeting multiple property goals, however, complicates the design process as both the composite material selection and the component shape formation becomes intricate with the multiple loading conditions, which may require matrix calculations of high order to determine theoretical value of composite material properties. This article presents a grammatical approach that is derived by extending shape grammars to simultaneously consider the shape of a component and select appropriate composite materials to meet multiple property goals, derived from a set of design loads. In this approach the grammar is divided into four interconnected steps, which are used to design the shape of the component depending on its function and user requirements, calculate the property requirements from the loading constraints based on the designed shape, and select composite materials according to the property requirements. Selection of composite materials involves determining the fiber and matrix, their volume fraction, number of plies, and ply orientations in different location of the load-bearing component. A hollow shape hip replacement joint is designed using composite material to illustrate the approach. Finite element analysis is performed to verify the design.
Extended DCSP Approach on Product Configuration with Cost Estimation
Authors: Lin Wang  , Wee Keong Ng  , Bin Song
Published: June 2011

Constraint satisfaction problem (CSP) has been considered as an effective way to represent and solve product family configuration tasks. However, classical CSP-based configuration models are not powerful enough to capture the inherent nature of configuration tasks such as undetermined component number and component structure. We propose an extended dynamic constraint satisfaction (DCSP) scheme that captures and takes advantage of the hierarchy of constituents and derivation relationships among constituents from the view of a product family such that the constraint network of DCSP-based configuration extends incrementally. As cost is a critical criterion for successful configuration, we integrate cost estimation into our DCSP-based configuration scheme to provide enhanced support for product configuration. We also discuss mapping relationships among product data models and the concepts of our DCSP-based configuration scheme to facilitate data conversion. An augmented backtracking searching process is also proposed based on the extended DCSP-based configuration system.
Sexualizing the child: The strange case of Bill Henson, his ‘absolutely revolting’ images and the law of childhood innocence
Authors: Simpson Brian
Published: June 2011

In 2008 internationally acclaimed Australian photographer Bill Henson planned to exhibit some of his work at a Sydney Gallery. This included photographs of a naked 12-year-old child. When one image was used in publicity to promote the exhibition it came to the attention of the organizer of a child advocacy group who complained to police that the image constituted child pornography. The subsequent seizing of the images gave rise to a community debate about artistic freedom, what constitutes child pornography and the capacity of children to consent. Although these events coincidentally occurred at the same time as a Senate inquiry into the sexualization of children in the media, the issue of childhood sexuality was a muted aspect of the ensuing public debate.
‘Tell me what to do’ vs. ‘guide me through it’: Feedback experiences of international doctoral students
Authors: Ting Wang  , Li Linda Y.
Published: June 2011

Despite increasing attention to the challenges of supervising international doctoral students, little research has been conducted to examine supervisory feedback practice with international students and its impact on the thesis writing process. This exploratory qualitative study seeks to fill the gap and contribute to understanding the feedback experiences of international students in doctoral research supervision. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews with a group of international doctoral students from non-English-speaking backgrounds. The interviewees reported a range of both positive and negative feedback experiences. The interview accounts reflected the culturally embedded impact of supervisory feedback and the pedagogical needs of international doctoral students in the thesis writing process. This study suggests that dialogic and culturally sensitive feedback approaches are essential for supervising international students. The students’ voices revealed through this study provide implications for enhancing doctoral research supervision with international students.
Assessing classroom assessment techniques
Authors: Simpson-Beck Victoria
Published: June 2011

Classroom assessment techniques (CATs) are teaching strategies that provide formative assessments of student learning. It has been argued that the use of CATs enhances and improves student learning. Although the various types of CATs have been extensively documented and qualitatively studied, there appears to be little quantitative research assessing the effectiveness of these techniques in improving student learning. The purpose of this study was to empirically test the assertion that the Muddiest Point, a specific type of CAT, improves student learning. Study results indicated no significant difference, on average, between the control and experimental groups.
Developing first-year engagement with written feedback
Authors: Cramp Andy
Published: June 2011

Assessment feedback continues to be a relatively under-researched area in higher education despite its fundamental role in learning and teaching. This article positions assessment feedback as a complex meaning-making process requiring dialogue and interpretation.The article outlines an evaluative case study investigating a feedback review meeting organized through the personal tutor system. This meeting is designed to support students’ engagement with written feedback at their first formal feedback ‘moment’ when confidence and self-esteem can be at risk. The evaluation of the review meeting suggests students benefit from one conversation about all their written feedback. The article concludes that developing positive learning relationships with personal tutors at the point of assessment feedback can encourage a sense of achievement and success at a time when learners may feel most vulnerable to low self-esteem. In this way, the intervention can be valuable as part of an institution’s retention strategy.
Texture development in friction stir welds
Authors: Fonda R W , Knipling K E
Published: June 2011

The shear textures that develop in friction stir welds are reviewed and discussed. In all the materials examined, including face centred cubic (fcc), body centred cubic (bcc) and hexagonal close-packed (hcp) materials, friction stir welding produces a predominant shear texture with the close-packed directions aligned with the shear direction (SD) and the close-packed plane normal perpendicular to both the SD and the shear plane normal. This orientation corresponds to the B/ [Formula: see text] ideal shear texture in fcc materials, the D1 ideal shear texture in bcc materials, and the P1 ideal shear texture in hcp titanium alloys. Titanium friction stir welds fabricated above the β transus temperature can contain evidence of ideal shear texture components from both the bcc D1 (after transformation to the hcp phase according to the Burgers orientation relationship) and the hcp P1 shear textures. Thus, similar shear textures develop in friction stir welds of fcc, bcc and hcp materials.
Review: Friction stir welding tools
Authors: Rai R , De A , Bhadeshia H K D H , DebRoy T
Published: June 2011

Friction stir welding (FSW) is a widely used solid state joining process for soft materials such as aluminium alloys because it avoids many of the common problems of fusion welding. Commercial feasibility of the FSW process for harder alloys such as steels and titanium alloys awaits the development of cost effective and durable tools which lead to structurally sound welds consistently. Material selection and design profoundly affect the performance of tools, weld quality and cost. Here we review and critically examine several important aspects of FSW tools such as tool material selection, geometry and load bearing ability, mechanisms of tool degradation and process economics.
Using magnetic resonance phase-contrast velocity mapping for diagnosing pelvic congestion syndrome
Authors: Meneses L Q , Uribe S , Tejos C , Andía M E , Fava M , Irarrazaval P
Published: June 2011

Objective

To evaluate phase-contrast velocity mapping (PCVM) as a diagnostic tool for pelvic congestion syndrome and comparing this approach with direct venography.

Method

We prospectively include nine women with clinical suspicion of pelvic congestion syndrome during a six-month period. All patients underwent a magnetic resonance phase-contrast scan before a direct venography. We considered a case of pelvic congestion syndrome when the PCVM showed a retrograde or slow (less than 5 cm/second) flow in any gonadal vein. This criterion was compared with the standard diagnostic criterion observed from a direct venography.

Results

Using direct venography we found 14 abnormal veins and all of them were correctly identified by the PCVM. The other four veins were found to be normal by the direct venography. However, two of them (the same patient) were abnormal in the PCVM, even though this patient had the classical symptoms of pelvic congestion syndrome.

Conclusion

PCVM is a useful tool for diagnosing pelvic contrast syndrome and can avoid invasive procedures such as direct venography.
Helicobacter pylorihas no influence on distal gastric cancer survival
Authors: Santos Renata S. , Lourenço José E. V. , Herbella Fernando Augusto Mardiros , Del Grande Jose Carlos , Patti Marco G.
Published: June 2011

CONTEXT: There is some evidence that Helicobacter pylori correlates with distal gastric cancer genesis. However, few studies analyzed the survival related to H. pylori infection. OBJECTIVE: To correlate gastric cancer survival and H. pylori infection. METHODS: Sixty-eight patients with distal gastric cancer that underwent subtotal gastrectomy were studied. Minimal follow-up was 1 month. H. pylori infection was confirmed by biopsy. RESULTS: Thirty-four patients (19 males (55.9%), mean age 60.9 ± 14.03, range 33-82 years) were H. pylori positive. Thirty-four patients (16 males (47.1%), mean age 57.9 ± 13.97, range 27-85 years) were H. pylori negative. Groups were comparable in regards to age (P = 0.4), gender (P = 0.5), stage [T (P = 0.2), N (P = 0.6) and M (P = 0.9)]. Survival was not different when groups were compared [P = 0.1616 (hazard ratio 0.6834, 95% CI 0.4009 to 1.1647)]. CONCLUSIONS: H. pylori infection does not affect distal gastric cancer survival.
Islet transplantation in rodents: do encapsulated islets really work?
Authors: Souza Yngrid Ellyn Dias Maciel de , Chaib Eleazar , Lacerda Patricia Graça de , Crescenzi Alessandra , Bernal-Filho Arnaldo , D'Albuquerque Luiz Augusto Carneiro
Published: June 2011

CONTEXT: Diabetes mellitus type I affects around 240 million people in the world and only in the USA 7.8% of the population. It has been estimated that the costs of its complications account for 5% to 10% of the total healthcare spending around the world. According to World Health Organization, 300 million people are expected to develop diabetes mellitus by the year 2025. The pancreatic islet transplantation is expected to be less invasive than a pancreas transplant, which is currently the most commonly used approach. OBJECTIVES: To compare the encapsulated and free islet transplantation in rodents looking at sites of islet implantation, number of injected islets, viability and immunosuppression. METHODS: A literature search was conducted using MEDLINE/PUBMED and SCIELO with terms about islet transplantation in the rodent from 2000 to 2010. We found 2,636 articles but only 56 articles from 2000 to 2010 were selected. RESULTS: In these 56 articles used, 34% were encapsulated and 66% were nonencapsulated islets. Analyzing both types of islets transplantation, the majority of the encapsulated islets were implanted into the peritoneal cavity and the nonencapsulated islets into the liver, through the portal vein. In addition, the great advantage of the peritoneal cavity as the site of islet transplantation is its blood supply. Both vascular endothelial cells and vascular endothelial growth factor were used to stimulate angiogenesis of the islet grafts, increasing the vascularization rapidly after implantation. It also has been proven that there is influence of the capsules, since the larger the capsule more chances there are of central necrosis. In some articles, the use of immunosuppression demonstrated to increase the life expectancy of the graft. CONCLUSION: While significant progress has been made in the islets transplantation field, many obstacles remain to be overcome. Microencapsulation provides a means to transplant islets without immunosuppressive agents and may enable the performance of xenotransplantation. The use of alternative donor sources, fewer islets per capsule and the appropriate deployment location, such as the peritoneal cavity, may give a future perspective to the application of immunoprotective capsules and viability in clinical practice. A variety of strategies, such as genetic engineering, co-encapsulation, improvement in oxygen supply or the establishment of hypoxia resistance will also improve the islet transplantation performance. It remains to be determined which combination of strategies with encapsulation can fulfill the promise of establishing a simple and safe transplantation as a cure for diabetes.
Internação involuntária: as implicações para a clínica da enfermagem psiquiátrica
Authors: Moreira Lilian Hortale de Oliveira , Loyola Cristina Maria Douat
Published: June 2011

Quando nos deparamos com Internação Psiquiátrica Involuntária (IPI), percebemos que as características dessa internação podem causar implicações para a relação enfermagem/paciente. Relacionar os cuidados de enfermagem prestados ao paciente psiquiátrico, considerando o tipo de internação; analisar a reação da equipe de enfermagem em relação ao paciente de Internação Psiquiátrica Involuntária (IPI), e discutir as implicações da IPI para a clínica da enfermagem psiquiátrica. Foi realizada uma Pesquisa de Campo com a equipe de enfermagem de uma instituição psiquiátrica do município do Rio de Janeiro. Após 50 horas de Observação Participante e 9 horas de realização de Grupo Focal sinalizamos que há uma preocupação das equipes com a evolução clinica das pacientes. Não foi observada qualquer manifestação da equipe de enfermagem em relação ao paciente de IPI. Não há registro, nem qualquer ação que aponte haver um olhar específico sobre esse tipo de paciente. A enfermagem não consegue identificar claramente esse paciente na enfermaria, direcionando o cuidado pela demanda ou solicitação do paciente.
Early postnatal hospital discharge: the consequences of reducing length of stay for women and newborns
Authors: Bravo Paulina , Uribe Claudia , Contreras Aixa
Published: June 2011

The objective of this study is to examine the literature and identify most salient outcomes of early postnatal discharge for women, newborns and the health system. An electronic search strategy was designed including the following sources: Web of Science, Scopus, ProQuest and PubMed/MEDLINE, using the following terms: (early AND discharge) OR (length AND stay) AND (postpartum OR postnatal) AND (effect* OR result OR outcome). Content analysis was used to identify and summarise the findings and methods of the research papers. The evidence available is not enough to either reject or support the practice of early postnatal discharge; different studies have reported different outcomes for women and newborns. The need of systematic clinical research is discussed.
Validade e confiabilidade do índice de capacidade para o trabalho (ICT) em trabalhadores de enfermagem
Authors: Silva Junior Sérgio Henrique Almeida da , Vasconcelos Ana Glória Godoi , Griep Rosane Harter , Rotenberg Lúcia
Published: June 2011

Este artigo estima a validade e a confiabilidade do índice de capacidade para o trabalho (ICT) em 1.436 trabalhadores de enfermagem de três hospitais públicos do Rio de Janeiro, Brasil. Foi estimada a validade dimensional, por meio de análise fatorial exploratória e também a validade correlacional, relacionando o ICT com construtos teoricamente relevantes. A confiabilidade foi avaliada pela análise de consistência interna utilizando o coeficiente alfa de Cronbach e ômega de McDonald. A análise fatorial indicou uma estrutura bidimensional, explicando 52,8% da variância acumulada para os componentes principais e 42% para os eixos principais. As hipóteses teóricas da validade de construto foram confirmadas com correlação direta e significativa do ICT com os escores de recompensa, controle e autoavaliação do estado de saúde; correlação inversa e significativa com a escala de necessidade de recuperação após o trabalho, distúrbios psíquicos menores, esforço, excesso de comprometimento e demanda. Concluiu-se que o ICT apresentou propriedades psicométricas adequadas.
Tendência da mortalidade por neoplasias malignas selecionadas em Rio Branco, Acre, Brasil, 1980-2006
Authors: Nakashima Juliano de Pádua , Koifman Sérgio , Koifman Rosalina Jorge
Published: June 2011

A distribuição temporal da incidência e mortalidade por câncer na Amazônia Ocidental é desconhecida. As tendências das taxas de mortalidade por câncer ajustadas por idade nas localizações anatômicas apresentando maior magnitude entre 1980-2006 em Rio Branco, Acre, Brasil, foram modelizadas por meio de regressão linear. A tendência temporal da mortalidade por câncer em homens revelou padrão de crescimento não constante, e estabilidade em mulheres. Ao final da série, as taxas mais elevadas em mulheres foram, em ordem decrescente, colo uterino, pulmão, fígado e vias biliares intra-hepáticas, estômago e mama. No sexo masculino, foram pulmão, próstata, fígado e vias biliares intra-hepáticas, estômago e esôfago. O padrão observado revela elevação na mortalidade por câncer de mama e pulmão em mulheres, declínio de câncer de colo uterino, pulmão em homens, e estômago em ambos os sexos. A elevada mortalidade por câncer de fígado merece destaque em decorrência das elevadas taxas de infecção pelo vírus da hepatite B e C no Acre.