bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparing Marital Status and Divorce Status in Civilian and Military Populations
Authors: Karney Benjamin R. , Loughran David S. , Pollard Michael S.
Published: April 2012

Since military operations began in Afghanistan and Iraq, lengthy deployments have led to concerns about the vulnerability of military marriages. Yet evaluating military marriages requires some benchmark against which marital outcomes in the military may be compared. These analyses drew from personnel records from the entire male population of the active components of the U.S. military between 1998 and 2005, and from the Current Population Surveys from the same years, to compare the likelihood of being married or divorced between service members and civilians matched on age, racial/ethnic composition, employment status, and education. Results indicate that service members are significantly more likely to be married, but are not more likely to be divorced, than civilians with matched characteristics. These patterns have not changed substantially since the current conflicts began.
Effects of Functional Fascial Taping on pain and function in patients with non-specific low back pain: a pilot randomized controlled trial
Authors: Chen Shu-Mei , Alexander Ron , Lo Sing Kai , Cook Jill
Published: April 2012

Objectives:

To compare the short-term and medium-term effect of Functional Fascial Taping to placebo taping on pain and function in people with non-specific low back pain.

Design:

A pilot randomized controlled trial with a 2-week intervention, and 2-, 6- and 12-week follow-up.

Setting:

Individuals with non-specific low back pain recruited from local communities.

Participants:

Forty-three participants with non-specific low back pain for more than 6 weeks were randomized into either Functional Fascial Taping group ( n = 21) or placebo group ( n = 22).

Interventions:

The intervention group was treated with Functional Fascial Taping while the control group was treated with placebo taping. Both groups received four treatments over 2 weeks.

Main outcome measures:

Worst and average pain and function were assessed at baseline, after the 2-week intervention, and at 6 and 12 weeks follow-up.

Results:

The Functional Fascial Taping group demonstrated significantly greater reduction in worst pain compared to placebo group after the 2-week intervention ( P = 0.02, effect size = 0.74; 95% confidence interval 0.11–1.34). A higher proportion of participants in Functional Fascial Taping group attained the minimal clinically important difference in worst pain ( P = 0.007) and function ( P = 0.007) than those in placebo group after the 2-week intervention. There were no significant differences in either group’s disability rating or clinically important difference in average pain at any time.

Conclusions:

Functional Fascial Taping reduced worst pain in patients with non-acute non-specific low back pain during the treatment phase. No medium-term differences in pain or function were observed.
Hepatic Encephalopathy Associated With Hepatic Lipidosis in Llamas (Lama glama)
Authors: Pillitteri C. A. , Craig L. E.
Published: April 2012

Hepatic encephalopathy has been listed as a differential for llamas displaying neurologic signs, but it has not been histopathologically described. This report details the neurologic histopathologic findings associated with 3 cases of hepatic lipidosis with concurrent neurologic signs and compares them to 3 cases of hepatic lipidosis in the absence of neurologic signs and 3 cases without hepatic lipidosis. Brain from all 3 llamas displaying neurologic signs contained Alzheimer type II cells, which were not detected in either subset of llamas without neurologic signs. Astrocytic immunohistochemical staining intensity for glial fibrillary acid protein was decreased in llamas with neurologic signs as compared to 2 of 3 llamas with hepatic lipidosis and without neurologic signs and to 2 of 3 llamas without hepatic lipidosis. Immunohistochemical staining for S100 did not vary between groups. These findings suggest that hepatic encephalopathy may be associated with hepatic lipidosis in llamas.
The Political Is Personal
Authors: Else-Quest Nicole M. , Grabe Shelly
Published: April 2012

Consistent with the dictum, “the personal is political,” feminist scholars have maintained that gender equity in security, access to education, economic opportunity, and property ownership are central to women’s well-being. Empirical research evaluating this thesis can include nation-level indicators of gender equity, such as the United Nation Development Program’s Gender Empowerment Measure. Yet, despite the growing popularity of such measures, there has been little discussion of the adequate measurement of gender equity or the appropriate application of such tools in theory-grounded empirical research within psychology. Moreover, the bulk of psychological research that has integrated such indicators has not employed a feminist or emancipatory framework. The authors summarize and evaluate nation-level gender equity indicators in order to familiarize researchers with the available tools, and the authors review the limited psychological literature that has used these indicators. The authors also discuss how psychological research can better use gender equity indicators in empirical models to examine political processes linked to women’s well-being.
How can a successful multi-family residential recycling programme be initiated within Baltimore City, Maryland?
Authors: Schwebel Michael B
Published: April 2012

Baltimore City formally began recycling in 1989 with all neighbourhoods having residential collection by 1992. Although the city of 637 000 has recycled for approximately 20 years, almost all residents in multi-family residential (MFR) housing have been and are still barred from participating at their residences. Discussions with City officials and residents have verified this antiquated policy of exclusion within MFR housing. Yet, the policy is still observed by the Department of Public Works even though the updated single-stream Code states that the ‘Director of Public Works must collect all. . .recyclable materials. . .from all dwellings, including multiple-family dwellings’. The purpose of this study’s is to provide policies, regulations, and recommendations for implementing requisite MFR recycling within Baltimore City. The study’s methodology follows a case study approach by examining three cities in the United States that currently mandate MFR recycling: Chicago, Illinois; Boston, Massachusetts; and Arlington, Virginia. Post-analysis suggests that while some cities’ MFR programmes perform poorly, each city’s strengths aid in creating specific proposals that can produce a successful MFR recycling program in Baltimore City. These tenets of a future MFR recycling program form the basis of a successful MFR recycling program that will allow all city residents to participate via initiatives in the categories of both programme, accessibility, and informing and self-review.
Effects of ebselen on radiocontrast media–induced hepatotoxicity in rats
Authors: Basarslan Fatmagul , Yilmaz Nigar , Davarci Isil , Akin Mustafa , Ozgur Mustafa , Yilmaz Cahide , Ulutas Kemal Turker
Published: April 2012

Oxidative stress is accepted as a potential responsible mechanism in the pathogenesis of radiocontrast media (RCM)-induced hepatotoxicity. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the protective effects of ebselen against RCM-induced hepatotoxicity by measuring tissue oxidant/antioxidant parameters and histological changes in rats. Wistar albino rats were randomly separated into four groups consisting of eight rats per group. Normal saline was given to the rats in control group (group 1). RCM was given to the rats in group 2, and both RCM and ebselen were given to the rats in group 3. Only ebselen was given to the rats in group 4. Liver sections of the killed animals were analyzed to measure the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), as well as histopathological changes. In RCM group, SOD and CAT levels were found increased. In RCM-ebselen group, MDA, SOD and CAT levels were found decreased. In RCM-ebselen group, however, GSH-Px activities of liver tissue increased. All these results indicated that ebselen produced a protective mechanism against RCM-induced hepatotoxicity and took part in oxidative stress.
Placing Identity
Authors: Larson Gregory S. , Pearson Amy R.
Published: April 2012

In a globalized world, place may play a much larger role in shaping occupational identities than scholars realize. Rather than serving as mere context in which identity work is conducted, cities, states, and regions are highly influential in shaping various parts of identity. This study of high-tech entrepreneurs in a city in the Rocky Mountain West of the United States shows that place was significant for framing identity narratives related to occupation. In addition, place helped to frame and organize other discursive resources for identity work such as gender, class, and race. This study highlights the ways in which attention to place can (a) surface important contemporary discursive resources for identity work, (b) allow scholars to see how aspects of complex identities are organized, and (c) show how the material, geographic world shapes the ways in which people socially construct their identities.
Anticoagulants: Therapeutics, Risks, and Toxicity—Special Emphasis on Heparin-Induced Thrombocytopenia (HIT)
Authors: O’Donnell James
Published: April 2012

Anticoagulants are powerful and unavoidably dangerous drugs that must be carefully selected, monitored, and evaluated. Every patient undergoing treatment is at risk of excess bleeding, since the primary purpose of this class of drugs is to decrease clotting through a variety of biochemical and pharmacological mechanisms. Under the best of circumstances, significant numbers of patients (∼10%) experience toxicity on traditional warfarin oral anticoagulants. Beyond the obvious type A pharmacological toxicity, heparin products carry a seemingly paradoxical/novel risk of increased coagulopathy with limb- and life-threatening thromboembolic injuries (heparin-induced thrombocytopenia [HIT]). As a result of the great toxicity risk, many patients suffer injuries, and litigation is threatened or initiated, frequently against pharmacists and their employers. This article reviews the therapeutic use of old and novel anticoagulants, lists the types of litigation related thereto, and discusses the HIT risk associated with heparin products treatment. Litigation can result from adverse drug reactions and toxicity from anticoagulants.
Focus groups and methodological rigour outside the minority world: making the method work to its strengths in Tanzania
Authors: Jakobsen Hilde
Published: April 2012

This article examines some methodological issues that arise when conducting focus group discussions in the majority world (developing countries), and describes one way of addressing them. While the method is widely used in the majority world, the methodological literature on how to moderate focus groups builds on accumulated experiences of how conversations work in the minority world (developed countries). This article suggests a way to apply the method more rigorously in a majority-world context. It draws on a trial-and-error innovation process spanning 40 discussions in Tanzania. Ensuring quality in data generation required thorough attention to issues of alterity, positionality and power. These issues are common challenges to methodological rigour when researching across difference in the majority world. But this article contends that if used correctly and to its strengths, the focus group method can indeed address and solve these challenges. This also entails creating appropriate conditions for interaction among focus groups participants.
Safety of recombinant human platelet-derived growth factor-BB in Augment® Bone Graft
Authors: Solchaga Luis A , Hee Christopher K , Roach Stephen , Snel Leo B
Published: April 2012

This article discusses nonclinical and clinical data regarding the safety of recombinant human platelet-derived growth factor-BB as a component of the Augment® Bone Graft ( Augment). Augment is a bone graft substitute intended to be used as an alternative to autologous bone graft in the fusion of hindfoot and ankle joints. Nonclinical studies included assessment of the pharmacokinetic profile of intravenously administered recombinant human platelet-derived growth factor-BB in rat and dog, effects of intravenous administration of recombinant human platelet-derived growth factor-BB in a reproductive and development toxicity study in rats, and chronic toxicity and carcinogenicity of Augment in a 12-month implantation model. These studies showed that systemic exposure was brief and clearance was rapid. No signs of toxicity, carcinogenicity, or tumor promotion were observed even with doses far exceeding the maximum clinical dose. Results of clinical trials (605 participants) and commercial use of recombinant human platelet-derived growth factor-BB containing products indicate that these products are not associated with increased incidence of adverse events or cancer. The safety data presented provide evidence that recombinant human platelet-derived growth factor-BB is a safe therapeutic when used in combination products as a single administration during surgical procedures for bone repair and fusion. There is no evidence associating use of recombinant human platelet-derived growth factor-BB in Augment with chronic toxicity, carcinogenicity, or tumor promotion.
Phenotype diversity in type 1 Gaucher disease: discovering the genetic basis of Gaucher disease/hematologic malignancy phenotype by individual genome analysis
Authors: Lo Sarah M. , Choi Murim , Liu Jun , Jain Dhanpat , Boot Rolf G. , Kallemeijn Wouter W. , Aerts Johannes M. F. G. , Pashankar Farzana , Kupfer Gary M. , Mane Shrikant , Lifton Richard P. , Mistry Pramod K.
Published: April 2012

Gaucher disease (GD), an inherited macrophage glycosphingolipidosis, manifests with an extraordinary variety of phenotypes that show imperfect correlation with mutations in the GBA gene. In addition to the classic manifestations, patients suffer from increased susceptibility to hematologic and nonhematologic malignancies. The mechanism(s) underlying malignancy in GD is not known, but is postulated to be secondary to macrophage dysfunction and immune dysregulation arising from lysosomal accumulation of glucocerebroside. However, there is weak correlation between GD/cancer phenotype and the systemic burden of glucocerebroside-laden macrophages. Therefore, we hypothesized that genetic modifier(s) may underlie the GD/cancer phenotype. In the present study, the genetic basis of GD/T-cell acute lymphoblastic lymphoma in 2 affected siblings was deciphered through genomic analysis. GBA gene sequencing revealed homozygosity for a novel mutation, D137N. Whole-exome capture and massively parallel sequencing combined with homozygosity mapping identified a homozygous novel mutation in the MSH6 gene that leads to constitutional mismatch repair deficiency syndrome and increased cancer risk. Enzyme studies demonstrated that the D137N mutation in GBA is a pathogenic mutation, and immunohistochemistry confirmed the absence of the MSH6 protein. Therefore, precise phenotype annotation followed by individual genome analysis has the potential to identify genetic modifiers of GD, facilitate personalized management, and provide novel insights into disease pathophysiology.
Runx1 regulates embryonic myeloid fate choice in zebrafish through a negative feedback loop inhibiting Pu.1 expression
Authors: Jin Hao , Li Li , Xu Jin , Zhen Fenghua , Zhu Lu , Liu P. Paul , Zhang Mingjie , Zhang Wenqing , Wen Zilong
Published: April 2012

Proper cell fate choice in myelopoiesis is essential for generating correct numbers of distinct myeloid subsets manifesting a wide spectrum of subset-specific activities during development and adulthood. Studies have suggested that myeloid fate choice is primarily regulated by transcription factors; however, new intrinsic regulators and their underlying mechanisms remain to be elucidated. Zebrafish embryonic myelopoiesis gives rise to neutrophils and macrophages and represents a promising system to derive new regulatory mechanisms for myeloid fate decision in vertebrates. Here we present an in vivo study of cell fate specification during zebrafish embryonic myelopoiesis through characterization of the embryos with altered Pu.1, Runx1 activity alone, or their combinations. Genetic analysis shows that low and high Pu.1 activities determine embryonic neutrophilic granulocyte and macrophage fate, respectively. Inactivation and overexpression of Runx1 in zebrafish uncover Runx1 as a key embryonic myeloid fate determinant that favors neutrophil over macrophage fate. Runx1 is induced by high Pu.1 level and in turn transrepresses pu.1 expression, thus constituting a negative feedback loop that fashions a favorable Pu.1 level required for balanced fate commitment to neutrophils versus macrophages. Our findings define a Pu.1-Runx1 regulatory loop that governs the equilibrium between distinct myeloid fates by assuring an appropriate Pu.1 dosage.
VESPA: software to facilitate genomic annotation of prokaryotic organisms through integration of proteomic and transcriptomic data
Authors: Peterson Elena S , McCue Lee Ann , Schrimpe-Rutledge Alexandra C , Jensen Jeffrey L , Walker Hyunjoo , Kobold Markus A , Webb Samantha R , Payne Samuel H , Ansong Charles , Adkins Joshua N , Cannon William R , Webb-Robertson Bobbie-Jo M
Published: April 2012

Background

The procedural aspects of genome sequencing and assembly have become relatively inexpensive, yet the full, accurate structural annotation of these genomes remains a challenge. Next-generation sequencing transcriptomics (RNA-Seq), global microarrays, and tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS)-based proteomics have demonstrated immense value to genome curators as individual sources of information, however, integrating these data types to validate and improve structural annotation remains a major challenge. Current visual and statistical analytic tools are focused on a single data type, or existing software tools are retrofitted to analyze new data forms. We present Visual Exploration and Statistics to Promote Annotation (VESPA) is a new interactive visual analysis software tool focused on assisting scientists with the annotation of prokaryotic genomes though the integration of proteomics and transcriptomics data with current genome location coordinates.

Results

VESPA is a desktop Java™ application that integrates high-throughput proteomics data (peptide-centric) and transcriptomics (probe or RNA-Seq) data into a genomic context, all of which can be visualized at three levels of genomic resolution. Data is interrogated via searches linked to the genome visualizations to find regions with high likelihood of mis-annotation. Search results are linked to exports for further validation outside of VESPA or potential coding-regions can be analyzed concurrently with the software through interaction with BLAST. VESPA is demonstrated on two use cases (Yersinia pestis Pestoides F and Synechococcus sp. PCC 7002) to demonstrate the rapid manner in which mis-annotations can be found and explored in VESPA using either proteomics data alone, or in combination with transcriptomic data.

Conclusions

VESPA is an interactive visual analytics tool that integrates high-throughput data into a genomic context to facilitate the discovery of structural mis-annotations in prokaryotic genomes. Data is evaluated via visual analysis across multiple levels of genomic resolution, linked searches and interaction with existing bioinformatics tools. We highlight the novel functionality of VESPA and core programming requirements for visualization of these large heterogeneous datasets for a client-side application. The software is freely available at https://www.biopilot.org/docs/Software/Vespa.php.
Use of warfarin in long-term care: a systematic review
Authors: Neidecker Marjorie , Patel Aarti A , Nelson Winnie W , Reardon Gregory
Published: April 2012

Background

The use of warfarin in older patients requires special consideration because of concerns with comorbidities, interacting medications, and the risk of bleeding. Several studies have suggested that warfarin may be underused or inconsistently prescribed in long-term care (LTC); no published systematic review has evaluated warfarin use for stroke prevention in this setting. This review was conducted to summarize the body of published original research regarding the use of warfarin in the LTC population.

Methods

A systematic literature search of the PubMed, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, and Cochrane Library was conducted from January 1985 to August 2010 to identify studies that reported warfarin use in LTC. Studies were grouped by (1) rates of warfarin use and prescribing patterns, (2) association of resident and institutional characteristics with warfarin prescribing, (3) prescriber attitudes and concerns about warfarin use, (4) warfarin management and monitoring, and (5) warfarin-related adverse events. Summaries of study findings and quality assessments of each study were developed.

Results

Twenty-two studies met the inclusion criteria for this review. Atrial fibrillation (AF) was the most common indication for warfarin use in LTC and use of warfarin for stroke survivors was common. Rates of warfarin use in AF were low in 5 studies, ranging from 17% to 57%. These usage rates were low even among residents with high stroke risk and low bleeding risk. Scored bleeding risk had no apparent association with warfarin use in AF. In physician surveys, factors associated with not prescribing warfarin included risk of falls, dementia, short life expectancy, and history of bleeding. International normalized ratio was in the target range approximately half of the time. The combined overall rate of warfarin-related adverse events and potential events was 25.5 per 100 resident months on warfarin therapy.

Conclusions

Among residents with AF, use of warfarin and maintenance of INR levels to prevent stroke appear to be suboptimal. Among prescribers, perceived challenges associated with warfarin therapy often outweigh its benefits. Further research is needed to explicitly consider the appropriate balancing of risks and benefits in this frail patient population.
Resection of the primary tumour versus no resection prior to systemic therapy in patients with colon cancer and synchronous unresectable metastases (UICC stage IV): SYNCHRONOUS - a randomised controlled multicentre trial (ISRCTN30964555)
Authors: Rahbari Nuh N , Lordick Florian , Fink Christine , Bork Ulrich , Stange Annika , Jäger Dirk , Luntz Steffen P , Englert Stefan , Rossion Inga , Koch Moritz , Büchler Markus W , Kieser Meinhard , Weitz Jürgen
Published: April 2012

Background

Currently, it remains unclear, if patients with colon cancer and synchronous unresectable metastases who present without severe symptoms should undergo resection of the primary tumour prior to systemic chemotherapy. Resection of the primary tumour may be associated with significant morbidity and delays the beginning of chemotherapy. However, it may prevent local symptoms and may, moreover, prolong survival as has been demonstrated in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma. It is the aim of the present randomised controlled trial to evaluate the efficacy of primary tumour resection prior to systemic chemotherapy to prolong survival in patients with newly diagnosed colon cancer who are not amenable to curative therapy.

Methods/design

The SYNCHRONOUS trial is a multicentre, randomised, controlled, superiority trial with a two-group parallel design. Colon cancer patients with synchronous unresectable metastases are eligible for inclusion. Exclusion criteria are primary tumour-related symptoms, inability to tolerate surgery and/or systemic chemotherapy and history of another primary cancer. Resection of the primary tumour as well as systemic chemotherapy is provided according to the standards of the participating institution. The primary endpoint is overall survival that is assessed with a minimum follow-up of 36 months. Furthermore, it is the objective of the trial to assess the safety of both treatment strategies as well as quality of life.

Discussion

The SYNCHRONOUS trial is a multicentre, randomised, controlled trial to assess the efficacy and safety of primary tumour resection before beginning of systemic chemotherapy in patients with metastatic colon cancer not amenable to curative therapy.

Trial registration

ISRCTN30964555
Strong convergence theorems for nonlinear operator equations with total quasi-ϕ-asymptotically nonexpansive mappings and applications
Authors: Wang Xiong-rui , Chang Shih-sen , Wang Lin , Tang Yong-Kun , Xu Yu Guang
Published: April 2012

The purpose of this article is first to introduce the concept of total quasi-ϕ-asymptotically nonexpansive mapping which contains many kinds of mappings as its special cases, and then by using the hybrid algorithm to introduce a new iterative scheme for finding a common element of set of solutions for a system of generalized mixed equilibrium problems, the set of common fixed points of a countable family of total quasi-ϕ-asymptotically nonexpansive mappings and null spaces of finite family of γ-inverse strongly monotone mappings in a 2-uniformly convex and uniformly smooth real Banach space. As an application, we shall utilize our results to study the iterative solutions of the nonlinear Hammerstian type equation. The results presented in the article improve and extend the corresponding results announced by some authors.

AMS (MOS) subject classification: 47H06; 47H09; 47J05; 47J25.
Inquiry diagnosis of coronary heart disease in Chinese medicine based on symptom-syndrome interactions
Authors: Li Guo-Zheng , Sun Sheng , You Mingyu , Wang Ya-Lei , Liu Guo-Ping
Published: April 2012

Background

There is a long history of coronary heart disease (CHD) diagnosis and treatment in Chinese medicine (CM), but a formalized description of CM knowledge is still unavailable. This study aims to analyze a set of CM clinical data, which is important and urgent.

Methods

Relative associated density (RAD) was used to analyze the one-way links between the symptoms or syndromes or both. RAD results were further used in symptom selection.

Results

Analysis of a dataset of clinical CHD diagnosis revealed some significant relationships, not only between syndromes but also between symptoms and syndromes. Using RAD to select symptoms based on different classifiers improved the accuracy of syndrome prediction. Compared with other traditional symptom selection methods, RAD provided a higher interpretability of the CM data.

Conclusion

The RAD method is effective for CM clinical data analysis, particular for analysis of relationships between symptoms in diagnosis and generation of compact and comprehensible symptom feature subsets.
Use of an aortic bifurcation-sparing endograft facilitates hypogastric preservation during aortoiliac aneurysm repair
Authors: DeRubertis Brian G
Published: April 2012

A significant percent of patients undergoing endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair (EVAR) have concomitant common iliac artery aneurysms. While most of these patients will tolerate sacrifice of the hypogastric artery during repair, a subset will develop sequelae of hypogastric occlusion. EVAR was performed in two patients using a bifurcation-sparing unibody endograft (Powerlink, Endologix, Irvine, CA, USA). To avoid simultaneous bilateral hypogastric occlusion, one side was treated with coil embolization while the other was treated with a hypogastric graft (Viabahn, W L Gore and Associates, Flagstaff, AZ, USA). Access to the preserved hypogastric artery was obtained from a sheath inserted from the contralateral femoral artery and brought over the aortic bifurcation with the assistance of a ‘rail-wire’ traversing from the contralateral to ipsilateral femoral sheaths. The hypogastric limb was deployed simultaneously with the ipsilateral external iliac limb extension, creating a double-barrel flow lumen preserving both hypogastric and external iliac flow. At a mean follow-up of 5.1 months, both hypogastric limbs are patent and no endoleaks were observed. In conclusion, until commercially-produced branched hypogastric endografts are widely available, techniques such as those described above can allow for hypogastric preservation during aortoiliac aneurysm repair without the need for device modification or brachial access for hypogastric limb delivery.
Emergency endovascular treatment of acute symptomatic or ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm: a single-center experience
Authors: Guzzardi Giuseppe , Fossaceca Rita , Moniaci Diego , Brustia Piero , Carriero Alessandro
Published: April 2012

The purpose of this study is to report our early experience with endovascular treatment of patients with symptomatic non-ruptured (sAAA) or ruptured (rAAA) abdominal aortic aneurysms. Between September 2005 and September 2008, all patients with a diagnosis of sAAA or rAAA were evaluated for endovascular suitability. We did not consider hemodynamic instability to be a contraindication for endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR). Patients whose aneurysm anatomy was not suitable for EVAR received open repair (OR). A total of 46 patients with sAAA or rAAA underwent emergency EVAR: in particular, 18/46 patients were treated for sAAA and 28/46 for rAAA. Successful stent-graft deployment was achieved in 44 patients (96%); we had two open surgical conversions. The 30-day mortality rate was 19.5%. Nine patients died during the first 30 postoperative days: four patients died within 24 hours because of severe hypovolemic shock, two died of respiratory failure, one died as a result of bowel ischemia and two because of myocardial infarction after hospital discharge. Complete follow-up data were available for 35 patients (median 185 days; range 30–730 days). In conclusion, endovascular treatment is feasible and the early experience is promising. The capability of offering EVAR and OR for sAAA and rAAA according to our experience suggests that EVAR and OR should be regarded as complementary techniques to improve outcome of patients with acute AAA.
Fabrication of Thin-Film Transistors Using PECVD-Grown Carbon Nanotubes and Their Application to Integrated Circuits
Authors: Mizutani Takashi , Kishimoto Shigeru
Published: April 2012

Medium scale integrated circuits with 108 CNT-TFTs have been fabricated using CNTs grown by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) which has the advantage of preferential growth of CNTs with semiconducting behavior in the FET current–voltage characteristics. High-speed operation with a switching time of 0.51 μs/gate, which is highest in the CNT-TFT integrated circuits to our knowledge, was demonstrated by a 53-stage ring oscillator. Characterization of CNT-TFTs using scanning probe microscopy has also been performed. The island-like structure in the electrical properties of the CNT network was observed even in a high-density CNT network in the subthreshold regime. This was explained by the decrease of the effective number of CNTs which contribute the electrical conduction.
Internacionalização na produção de conhecimento em IES Brasileiras: cooperação internacional tradicional e cooperação internacional horizontal
Authors: Morosini Marília Costa
Published: April 2012

A produção do conhecimento científico no país está sediada, prioritariamente, na pós-graduação. Este artigo analisa a cooperação internacional nesse nível de educação. As fontes dos dados são relatórios institucionais e informações com técnicos do CNPq e da Capes e abordam: acordos bilaterais e multilaterais, estrangeiros com bolsa no país e brasileiros com bolsa no exterior. As análises confirmam a presença do modelo periférico de internacionalização nas IES, apesar da crescente internacionalização na pesquisa e na pós-graduação do país. Apontam também para a convivência de dois modelos de cooperação internacional: a predominância do modelo de Cooperação Internacional Tradicional - CIT, fundamentado na competitividade e na ocupação de espaço no mercado globalizado, e a tendência, embora de menor porte, a partir de 2003, do modelo de Cooperação Internacional Horizontal - CIH, fundamentado na consciência internacional e no fortalecimento da capacidade científica endógena dos parceiros mais fragilizados.
Fundamentos epistemológicos da pesquisa: biográfica em educação
Authors: Delory-Momberger Christine
Published: April 2012

O objetivo do artigo é interrogar e precisar o que fundamenta a pertinência epistemológica da pesquisa biográfica no domínio da educação. Essa pesquisa dos fundamentos passa, em primeiro lugar, pela procura das origens sócio-históricas dos modelos de construção biográfica e das formas de narrativas que lhes correspondem, em particular nas sociedades da modernidade; ela implica, em segundo lugar, que sejam precisadas as características que fazem da narrativa autobiográfica uma "hermenêutica da experiência" e que fundam as relações entre biografia e educação, entre processos de biografização e processos de formação e de aprendizagem.
Entre a vida e a formação: pesquisa (auto)biográfica, docência e profissionalização
Authors: Passeggi Maria da Conceição , Souza Elizeu Clementino de , Vicentini Paula Perin
Published: April 2012

O objetivo do texto é partilhar eixos de análise teórico-metodológicos que orientam um projeto de cooperação acadêmica - "Pesquisa (auto)biográfica: docência, formação e profissionalização" - realizado por grupos de pesquisa de Programas de Pós-Graduação em Educação (UNEB, UFRN e USP), que vêm colaborando em distintas instâncias, as quais tomam as narrativas autobiográficas como prática de formação docente e como método de pesquisa, com diversas entradas nas áreas dos Fundamentos da Educação. Apresentamos, inicialmente, um panorama da pesquisa (auto)biográfica no qual se situam as atividades de pesquisa, docência e formação na pós-graduação. Em seguida, discutimos os principais marcos do processo histórico da profissionalização docente no Brasil, antes de comentar os grandes eixos de investigação, seus propósitos e as potencialidades da pesquisa com fontes (auto)biográficas.
Do que eles precisam para serem felizes? a felicidade na visão de adolescentes
Authors: Camargo Síglia Pimentel Höher , Abaid Josiane Lieberknecht Wathier , Giacomoni Claudia Hofheinz
Published: April 2012

Este trabalho visa investigar o conceito de felicidade para adolescentes. Foi adaptado o roteiro de entrevista semiestruturada sobre bem-estar subjetivo de crianças elaborado por Giacomoni (2002). Participaram do estudo 95 adolescentes entre 12 e 20 anos, estudantes de três escolas públicas do interior do Rio Grande do Sul. As entrevistas transcritas foram submetidas à análise de conteúdo, a partir da qual foram extraídas categorias temáticas. As categorias obtidas indicam uma tendência dos adolescentes em relacionarem sentimentos abstratos e necessidades concretas ao conceito de felicidade. A análise das diferenças significativas por sexo aponta que as meninas relacionaram a felicidade a variadas formas de relacionamento, enquanto os meninos relacionaram-na aos bens materiais e às condições de vida. Esses resultados poderão contribuir na elaboração de instrumentos de avaliação do bem-estar subjetivo em adolescentes e na orientação de intervenções junto a essa faixa etária.
A relação entre vida acadêmica e a motivação para aprender em universitários
Authors: Santos Acácia Aparecida Angeli dos , Mognon Jocemara Ferreira , Lima Thatiana Helena de , Cunha Neide Brito
Published: April 2012

O presente estudo propôs identificar as relações entre a vida acadêmica e a motivação para aprendizagem e possíveis diferenças em razão do sexo, idade e curso dos estudantes. Participaram 239 universitários que foram avaliados com a Escala de Avaliação da Vida Acadêmica (EAVA) e a Escala de Motivação para Aprendizagem (EMAPRE). Os resultados indicaram correlação significativa e positiva entre a meta aprender e o fator habilidade do estudante, e negativa para os dois fatores: envolvimento em atividades não obrigatórias; condições para o estudo e desempenho acadêmico. Para a meta performance-aproximação, houve correlação significativa e positiva com o fator condições para o estudo e desempenho acadêmico. Na meta performance-evitação, houve correlações positivas e significativas com dois fatores: compromisso com o curso; condições para o estudo e desempenho acadêmico. Foram encontradas diferenças significativas em relação ao sexo e ao curso. Os resultados foram discutidos à luz da literatura.
Communicating About Phase I Trials: Objective Disclosures Are Only A First Step
Authors: Flamm Anne Lederman , Pentz Rebecca D.
Published: April 2012

An educational initiative developed to enhance health care personnel's self-efficacy and the quality of their communication in recruiting patients for early-phase cancer clinical trials, reported in a recent issue of The Oncologist, is reviewed.
Borehole Imaging The Future of Formation Evaluation
Authors: Sanders R.L. , Fuchs K.D.
Published: April 2012

The emerging technology of borehole imaging coupled with the advances ingraphics software will shape the future of formation evaluation becauseimaging reveals new opportunities for exploration in unconventional and previously neglected reservoirs,imaging exhibits the complex distribution of porosity and permeability throughout the reservoir, andimaging enhances the knowledge of the physical dynamics of the reservoir for improved stimulation techniques.

Introduction

Traditional methods of formation evaluation have relied upon the interpretation of data recorded from a wireline tool in the borehole. While no wireline tool directly measures the porosity or the resistivity of the formation, these properties have served as the basis for analysis of formations for some seventy years. The advantage of borehole imaging is the ability tovisualize the many variations of porosity types, permeability, and lithology changes within the rock. Borehole imaging utilizes either acoustic or resistivity recording devices to graphically display the surface features of the borehole wall in the open hole environment. This paper presents only theresistivity based tool, the electrical micro-imaging tool as the source for the following case studies.

Tool Descriptions and Image Display

The electrical micro-imaging tool is a six arm pad device with twenty-five button electrodes mounted on each pad (Fig. 1). Each button electrode emits an electrical current into the formation for a distance of fifteen inches. The changes in the permeability, porosity and lithology of the formations near the borehole wall are reflected as resistivity variations in the electrical current return to the individual electrodes. A system of magnetometers references the tool's orientation to magnetic north. Utilizing a computer workstation, these resistivity variations are processed into a two dimensional image that represents the surface of the borehole wall with respect to magnetic north(Fig. 2). The images are presented in either a gray-scale or color display with a standardized color code representing the• variation in formation features. Low porosity, low permeability, and high resistivity features represent the light end of the color spectrum. The high porosity, permeable, and low resistivity events are scaled as the darker colors.
Scalable Parallel Reservoir Simulation on a Windows NT™-Based Workstation Cluster
Authors: Killough John , Graphics Landmark , Commander Darrell
Published: April 2012

Parallel computing has taken many forms over the past two decades. Mainframe shared-memory devices have evolved to RISC-based systems with both distributed and shared memories. Early versions of massively-parallel systems attempted to use commodity chips such as the Intel 386 and 486 as processing elements. Although low in cost, these early Intel CPU's lacked the performance and support for large memory sizes required for effective use in parallel simulation. However, recent architectural advances have overcome these obstacles. With clock speeds exceeding 400 Megahertz and support for memory sizes up to several gigabytes, the new Intel-based platforms have exhibited the ability to handle substantial simulations in serial mode. Using these commodity CPU's in tandem to perform parallel simulation further exploits their low cost. The work described in this paper discusses the application of a parallel cluster of Windows NT-based workstations to reservoir simulation. Up to twenty-four processors with 512 megabytes of memory per processor were utilized to solve black-oil and compositional simulation problems with hundreds of thousands of cells each. Computational performance comparable to more sophisticated systems was obtained. The work focuses on reducing the overhead of message passing and interprocessor communication, increasing the inter-node bandwidth, and predicting the ultimate effect of these two factors on the scalability of the system. Several communication schemes are investigated, including an NT version of the Message Passing Interface (MPI) with off-the-shelf Ethernet hardware as well as a custom high-performance messaging layer constructed over the Virtual Interface Architecture (VIA) and a high-speed System Area Network (SAN).
Successful Application of Foam for Lifting Liquids from Low-Pressure Gas Wells
Authors: Siddiqui Shameem , Yang Jiansui
Published: April 2012

Gas well loadup is a very serious problem for the petroleum industry. Gas well loadup is the result of the loss of available reservoir energy due to the accumulation of liquids in the wellbore over time. In order to deal with this problem several techniques have been developed. They include plunger lift, small-ID tubing, gas lift, flow controllers, submersible pumps, sucker rods, swabbing, jetting and foaming. Among these foam lifting has been used quite successfully in the field for removing liquids from the wellbore and the annulus. However, there is a strong need for using a systematic approach in order to find out under which conditions foam lift is successful and under which conditions it is not successful. Foam lifting experiments are conducted in a specially designed 40’-long flow loop, in which foam is injected from the bottom of the tubing, which is filled with liquids. The efficiency of liquid removal for a wide range of gas and liquid flow rates is measured by comparing the liquid holdups at the end of each period of foam injection. The liquid removal efficiencies are also compared against cases in which no foam is injected (base-cases). Foam injection shows superior liquid removal efficiency compared to the base-cases. Special considerations are also given to cases in which a 50-psi backpressure is applied. Comparisons are also made between 1" and 2" tubing sizes. Results show that the type and concentration of the surfactants used to generate the foam has a strong influence on the liquid removal efficiency.
Patients at the Centre: Methodological Considerations for Evaluating Evidence from Health Interventions Involving Patients Use of Web-Based Information Systems
Authors: Cummings Elizabeth , Turner Paul
Published: April 2012

Building an evidence base for healthcare interventions has long been advocated as both professionally and ethically desirable. By supporting meaningful comparison amongst different approaches, a good evidence base has been viewed as an important element in optimising clinical decision-making and the safety and quality of care. Unsurprisingly, medical research has put considerable effort into supporting the development of this evidence base, and the randomised controlled trial has become the dominant methodology. Recently however, a body of research has begun to question, not just this methodology per se, but also the extent to which the evidence it produces may marginalise individual patient experiences, priorities and perceptions.

Simultaneously, the widespread adoption and utilisation of information systems (IS) in health care has also prompted initiatives to develop a stronger base of evidence about their impacts. These calls have been stimulated both by numerous system failures and research expressing concerns about the limitations of information systems methodologies in health care environments. Alongside the potential of information systems to produce positive, negative and unintended consequences, many measures of success, impact or benefit appear to have little to do with improvements in care, health outcomes or individual patient experiences.

Combined these methodological concerns suggest the need for more detailed examination. This is particularly the case, given the prevalence within contemporary clinical and IS discourses on health interventions advocating the need to put the ‘patient at the centre’ by engaging them in their own care and/or ‘empowering’ them through the use of information systems.

This paper aims to contribute to these on-going debates by focusing on the socio-technical processes by which patients’ interests and outcomes are measured, defined and evaluated within health interventions that involve them using web-based information systems. The paper outlines an integrated approach that aims to generate evidence about the impact of these types of health interventions that are meaningful at both individual patient and patient cohort levels.
Conceptual Challenges for Advancing the Socio-Technical Underpinnings of Health Informatics
Authors: Whetton Sue , Georgiou Andrew
Published: April 2012

This discussion paper considers the adoption of socio-technical perspectives and their theoretical and practical influence within the discipline of health informatics. The paper highlights the paucity of discussion of the philosophy, theory and concepts of socio-technical perspectives within health informatics. Instead of a solid theoretical base from which to describe, study and understand human-information technology interactions we continue to have fragmented, unelaborated understandings. This has resulted in a continuing focus on technical system performance and increasingly managerial outputs to the detriment of social and technical systems analysis. It has also limited critical analyses and the adaptation of socio-technical approaches beyond the immediate environment to the broader social systems of contemporary society, an expansion which is increasingly mandated in today’s complex health environment.
Tree species richness as the element of structure and diversity in mixed stands of beech and valuable broadleaves
Authors: Stajic Branko , Vuckovic Milivoj
Published: April 2012

In our forest science and forest operations, the tree species richness and
diversity of woody species in forest stands are most often evaluated based on
the total number of tree species, which is a methodologically partly
inadequate approach. For this reason, the quantification and the evaluation
of diversity of woody species in mixed forests of beech with valuable
broadleaves in the area of the National Park ?Djerdap? were analyzed by five
different indices of tree species richness: number of species (S index), two
indices of the species richness (R1 and R2), expected number of species in
the sample with equal numbers of trees (E(S84)), and expected number of
species in the sample with equal areas (E(S0,25ha)). The results showed that
the level of woody species diversity in forest stands depended on the applied
index characterizing the tree species richness. It was concluded that the
tree species richness and diversity were the highest in the stands of
ecological unit B (E(S84)=8.6 species) and in the stands of ecological unit G
(E(S0,25ha)=9.4 species), and they were the lowest in the stands of
ecological unit V (E(S84)=5.8 species, E(S0,25ha)=5.5 species).