bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Abnormal human chondrocyte morphology is related to increased levels of cell‐associated IL‐1β and disruption to pericellular collagen type VI
Authors: Murray Dianne H. , Bush Peter G. , Brenkel Ivan J. , Hall Andrew C.
Published: April 2010

Early osteoarthritis (OA) is poorly understood, but abnormal chondrocyte morphology might be important. We studied IL‐1β and pericellular collagen type VI in morphologically normal and abnormal chondrocytes. In situ chondrocytes within explants from nondegenerate (grade 0/1) areas of human tibial plateaus (n = 21) were fluorescently labeled and visualized [2‐photon laser scanning microscopy (2PLSM)]. Normal chondrocytes exhibited a “smooth” membrane surface, whereas abnormal cells were defined as demonstrating ≥1 cytoplasmic process. Abnormal chondrocytes were further classified by number and average length of cytoplasmic processes/cell. IL‐1β or collagen type VI associated with single chondrocytes were visualized by fluorescence immuno‐histochemistry and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). Fluorescence was quantified as the number of positive voxels (i.e., 3D pixels with fluorescence above baseline)/cell. IL‐1β‐associated fluorescence increased between normal and all abnormal cells in the superficial (99.7 ± 29.8 [11 (72)] vs. 784 ± 382 [15 (132)]; p = 0.04, positive voxels/cell) and deep zones (66.5 ± 29.4 [9 (64)] vs. 795 ± 224 [9 (56)]; p = 0.006). There was a correlation (r2 = 0.988) between the number of processes/cell (0–5) and IL‐1β, and an increase particularly with short processes (≤5 µm; p = 0.022). Collagen type VI coverage and thickness decreased (p < 0.001 and p = 0.005, respectively) with development of processes. Abnormal chondrocytes in macroscopically nondegenerate cartilage demonstrated a marked increase in IL‐1β and loss of pericellular type VI collagen, changes that could lead to cartilage degeneration. © 2010 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 28:1507–1514, 2010
Mechanical activation of β‐catenin regulates phenotype in adult murine marrow‐derived mesenchymal stem cells
Authors: Case Natasha , Xie Zhihui , Sen Buer , Styner Maya , Zou Minxu , O'Conor Chris , Horowitz Mark , Rubin Janet
Published: April 2010

Regulation of skeletal remodeling appears to influence the differentiation of multipotent mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) resident in the bone marrow. As murine marrow cultures are contaminated with hematopoietic cells, they are problematic for studying direct effects of mechanical input. Here we use a modified technique to isolate marrow‐derived MSC (mdMSC) from adult mice, yielding a population able to differentiate into adipogenic and osteogenic phenotypes that is devoid of hematopoietic cells. In pure mdMSC populations, a daily strain regimen inhibited adipogenic differentiation, suppressing expression of PPARγ and adiponectin. Strain increased β‐catenin and inhibition of adipogenesis required this effect. Under osteogenic conditions, strain activated β‐catenin signaling and increased expression of WISP1 and COX2. mdMSC were also generated from mice lacking caveolin‐1, a protein known to sequester β‐catenin: caveolin‐1(−/−) mdMSC exhibited retarded differentiation along both adipogenic and osteogenic lineages but retained mechanical responses that involved β‐catenin activation. Interestingly, caveolin‐1(−/−) mdMSC failed to express bone sialoprotein and did not form mineralized nodules. In summary, mdMSC from adult mice respond to both soluble factors and mechanical input, with mechanical activation of β‐catenin influencing phenotype. As such, these cells offer a useful model for studies of direct mechanical regulation of MSC differentiation and function. © 2010 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 28:1531–1538, 2010
Raman spectroscopy as a tool to diagnose the impact and conservation state of Pompeian second and fourth style wall paintings exposed to diverse environments (House of Marcus Lucretius)
Authors: Maguregui M. , Knuutinen U. , Castro K. , Madariaga J. M.
Published: April 2010

The House of Marcus Lucretius preserves the remains of paintings of the so‐called Pompeian second, third and fourth styles. In this work, samples from the second style painting (architectural style AD 40–80), buried in the ground and not exposed to open air, recovered from recent excavations (2004–2006), were analyzed. Moreover, wall paintings and wall fragments from the fourth style (baroque ornate style, before Vesuvius eruption), excavated about 150 years ago and exposed since then to outdoors, were also analyzed. Raman spectroscopy was used to characterize the original composition and decay products in the mortars and pigment layers. These spectroscopic results were complemented with quantitative analysis (ionic chromatography) of soluble salts and chemometric and chemical equilibrium calculations. Probable decay pathways are proposed to explain the formation of some decay products of red pigments and for the original components of the mortars. Moreover, a final diagnosis as well as comparison of the conservation state of the mortars and pigments exposed to two different kinds of environments (outdoors and under a burial) is discussed emphasizing the importance of SOx impacts on the open air artworks. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Ion adsorption studies of micro and nano acrylic fibers modified by ethanolamine
Authors: Tabarzadi M. , Abdouss M. , Hasani S. A. , Shoushtary A. M.
Published: April 2010

Micro and nano polyacrylonitrile fibers were modified to polyacrylonitrile‐monoethanolamine (PAN‐MEA) through reaction PAN with ethanolamine. The modified PAN fiber was prepared by conversion nitrile groups into hydroxyle groups using ethanolamine solution with different concentration under refluxing at 91°C. Modified raw acrylic fibers (RAF) with submicrometer diameters ranging from 120 to 300 nm were produced using electrospinning in N,N‐dimethyl formamide (DMF). The PAN‐MEA micro and nano fibers were examined as chelating material in a series of batch adsorption experiments for removal of Cu (II), Pb (II) and Ni (II) ions. The fiber structure has been investigated by different experimental techniques of characterization such as Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT‐IR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Also, the physical and mechanical properties has been investigated in this study. Nano fibers show adsorption metal ions more than the usual fiber because of high ratio of surface to mass.
Program: Twenty Fourth Annual Symposium on Etiology, Pathogenesis, and Treatment of Parkinson's Disease and Other Movement Disorders
Authors:   Presented by the Parkinson Study Group, Huntington Study Group, Dystonia Study Group, Myoclonus Study Group, Tourette Syndrome Study Group, Cooperative Ataxia Group, and Tremor Research Group
Published: April 2010

The symposium will consist of current issues in genetic and environmental contributions to Parkinson's disease and other movement disorders with peer‐reviewed platform and poster presentations designed to communicate recent research advances, including new pharmacological and non‐pharmacological treatment options, in the field of Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, ataxia, dystonia, myoclonus, Tourette's syndrome, tremor and other movement disorders thereby enhancing patient care.
The regulation of jejunal induction of the maltase–glucoamylase gene by a high‐starch/low‐fat diet in mice
Authors: Mochizuki Kazuki , Honma Kazue , Shimada Masaya , Goda Toshinao
Published: April 2010

Maltase and glucoamylase are derived from the same mRNA and are responsible for digestion of starch in the small intestine. Their jejunal activities in rodents are induced by a high‐starch/low‐fat (HS)‐diet. However, it is unknown whether jejunal expression of the maltase–glucoamylase (Mgam) gene is enhanced by the HS‐diet. In this study, we found that jejunal Mgam mRNA was increased by a HS‐diet in mice. We showed that the HS‐diet increased acetylation of histones, bindings of a coactivator, Creb binding protein (CREBBP), and the transcriptional factors caudal type homeobox 2 (CDX2) and HNF1 homeobox (HNF1) in the promoter/enhancer and transcriptional regions of Mgam gene. This suggests that the increase in the jejunal activity of maltase and glucoamylase caused by a HS‐diet in mice is regulated at the mRNA level through histone acetylation and binding of CREBBP, CDX2 and HNF1 in the promoter/enhancer and transcriptional regions of Mgam gene.
Quantification of 1,8‐cineole and of its metabolites in humans using stable isotope dilution assays
Authors: Horst Kathie , Rychlik Michael
Published: April 2010

The metabolism of 1,8‐cineole after ingestion of sage tea was studied. After application of the tea, the metabolites 2‐hydroxy‐1,8‐cineole, 3‐hydroxy‐1,8‐cineole, 9‐hydroxy‐1,8‐cineole and, for the first time in humans, 7‐hydroxy‐1,8‐cineole were identified in plasma and urine of one volunteer. For quantitation of these metabolites and the parent compound, stable isotope dilution assays were developed after synthesis of [2H3]‐1,8‐cineole, [9/10‐2H3]‐2‐hydroxy‐1,8‐cineole and [13C,2H2]‐9‐hydroxy‐1,8‐cineole as internal standards. Using these standards, we quantified 1,8‐cineole by solid phase microextraction GC‐MS and the hydroxyl‐1,8‐cineoles by LC‐MS/MS after deconjugation in blood and urine of the volunteer. After consumption of 1.02 mg 1,8‐cineole (19 μg/kg bw), the hydroxycineoles along with their parent compound were detectable in the blood plasma of the volunteer under study after liberation from their glucuronides with 2‐hydroxycineole being the predominant metabolite at a maximum plasma concentration of 86 nmol/L followed by the 9‐hydroxy isomer at a maximum plasma concentration of 33 nmol/L. The parent compound 1,8‐cineole showed a low maximum plasma concentration of 19 nmol/L. In urine, 2‐hydroxycineole also showed highest contents followed by its 9‐isomer. Summing up the urinary excretion over 10 h, 2‐hydroxycineole, the 9‐isomer, the 3‐isomer and the 7‐isomer accounted for 20.9, 17.2, 10.6 and 3.8% of the cineole dose, respectively.
Systemic inflammatory load in humans is suppressed by consumption of two formulations of dried, encapsulated juice concentrate
Authors: Jin Yu , Cui Xiangli , Singh Udai P. , Chumanevich Alexander A. , Harmon Brook , Cavicchia Philip , Hofseth Anne B. , Kotakadi Venkata , Stroud Brandy , Volate Suresh R. , Hurley Thomas G. , Hebert James R. , Hofseth Lorne J.
Published: April 2010

Chronic inflammation contributes to an increased risk for developing chronic conditions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer. A high “inflammatory load” is defined as elevated inflammation markers in blood or other tissues. We evaluated several markers of systemic inflammation from healthy adults and tested the hypothesis that two formulations of encapsulated fruit and vegetable juice powder concentrate with added berry powders (FVB) or without (FV) could impact markers of inflammatory load. Using a double‐blind, placebo‐controlled approach, 117 subjects were randomly assigned to receive placebo, FV, or FVB capsules. Blood was drawn at baseline and after 60 d of capsule consumption. We measured inflammatory markers (high sensitivity C‐Reactive Protein, Monocyte Chemotactic Protein‐1, Macrophage Inflammatory Protein 1‐β, and Regulated upon Activation, Normal T cell Expressed and Secreted), superoxide dismutase, and micronutrients (β‐carotene, vitamin C, and vitamin E). Results showed Monocyte Chemotactic Protein‐1, Macrophage Inflammatory Protein 1‐β, and RANTES levels were significantly reduced and superoxide dismutase and micronutrient levels were significantly increased in subjects consuming both FV and FVB, relative to placebo. Data suggest a potential health benefit by consuming either formulation of the encapsulated juice concentrates through their anti‐inflammatory properties.
New vistas for development management: Examining radical–reformist possibilities and potential
Authors: Gulrajani Nilima
Published: April 2010

This article provides an overview of contemporary development management scholarship, suggesting that a longstanding division between radical and reformist development management research continues to exist. The article offers a closer examination of critical development management (CDM), the most recent example of radical development management thought that is connecting scholars in critical management studies to those identifying with post‐development theory. CDM's suggestion that all development management is perniciously managerial is scrutinised and challenged on both theoretical and normative grounds. Overall, an argument is sketched out to support a future for development management that is neither defined nor destined for failure. The future of development management scholarship can and should concern itself with a non‐managerial development practice that bridges the divide between radicals and reformers. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Electrophoretic Layer‐by‐Layer Assembly of Biotin/Avidin Functionalized Nanoparticles
Authors: Ryu Jongeun , Dehlinger Dietrich , Heller Michael , Hahn Thomas
Published: April 2010

Biotin‐functionalized polystyrene nanoparticles are directed by the electric field and self‐assembled on the streptavidin coated microelectrode. The mean deposition percentage changes most sensitively when the level of the electrophoresis current changes. The Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) quantifies the effect of the process parameters on the assembly results. The ANOVA shows the electrophoresis current contributes most on the nanoparticle assembly by 74.42 %. Based on the ANOVA and experimental results the optimum electrophoresis current and deposition time are determined to be 0.45 μA and 60 s, respectively. The biotin‐functionalized nanoparticles are successively deposited until the streptavidin modified electrode surface is filled. The neutravidin‐functionalized nanoparticles are deposited on the biotin‐functionalized nanoparticle layer in the same way. The deposition process is monitored by the fluorescent microscope. By repeating this layer‐by‐layer process, multilayer structure of biotin‐ and neutravidin‐functionalized nanoparticles is able to be obtained.
Determining the operative line of resection for image‐guided emphysema surgery using a laser scanner and non‐rigid registration
Authors: Lee Jong‐Ha , Won Chang‐Hee , Marchetti Nathaniel
Published: April 2010

Background

Although many diseases such as emphysema are diagnosed with preoperative imaging modalities, this information is rarely utilized in the operating room. A method that relates the preoperative images to the non‐rigid organ in physical space would aid a surgeon to determine the line of resection.

Methods

We used a three‐dimensional (3D) laser scanner to obtain intraoperative images of the lung and overlayed it with preoperative CT images, using a non‐rigid image registration method.

Results

The non‐overlapping registration error of the system was 1.91 ± 0.28% without organ deformation and 2.69 ± 0.28% with 9% organ deformation. When 83% of the organ was visible, the registration error was 2.99 ± 0.42%.

Conclusion

A novel image overlay system using a 3D laser scanner and a non‐rigid registration method was implemented and its accuracy evaluated. By using the proposed system, we successfully related the preoperative images with an open organ in the operating room. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A comparison of students' conceptual understanding of electric circuits in simulation only and simulation‐laboratory contexts
Authors: Jaakkola Tomi , Nurmi Sami , Veermans Koen
Published: April 2010

The aim of this experimental study was to compare learning outcomes of students using a simulation alone (simulation environment) with outcomes of those using a simulation in parallel with real circuits (combination environment) in the domain of electricity, and to explore how learning outcomes in these environments are mediated by implicit (only procedural guidance) and explicit (more structure and guidance for the discovery process) instruction. Matched‐quartets were created based on the pre‐test results of 50 elementary school students and divided randomly into a simulation implicit (SI), simulation explicit (SE), combination implicit (CI) and combination explicit (CE) conditions. The results demonstrated that the instructional support had an expected effect on students' understanding of electric circuits when they used the simulation alone; pure procedural guidance (SI) was insufficient to promote conceptual understanding, but when the students were given more guidance for the discovery process (SE) they were able to gain significant amount of subject knowledge. A surprising finding was that when the students used the simulation and the real circuits in parallel, the explicit instruction (CE) did not seem to elicit much additional gain for their understanding of electric circuits compared to the implicit instruction (CI). Instead, the explicit instruction slowed down the inquiry process substantially in the combination environment (CE). Although the explicit instruction was able to improve students' conceptual understanding of electrical circuits considerably in the simulation environment, their understanding did not reach the level of the students in the combination environment. These results suggest that when teaching students about electricity, the students can gain better understanding when they have an opportunity to use the simulation and the real circuits in parallel than if they have only a computer simulation available, even when the use of the simulation is supported with the explicit instruction. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 48: 71–93, 2011
Effects of evolutionary changes in prey use on the relationship between food web complexity and stability
Authors: Yamaguchi Wakako , Kondoh Michio , Kawata Masakado
Published: April 2010

The relationship between food web complexity and stability has been the subject of a long‐standing debate in ecology. Although rapid changes in the food web structure through adaptive foraging behavior can confer stability to complex food webs, as reported by Kondoh (Science 299:1388–1391, 2003), the exact mechanisms behind this adaptation have not been specified in previous studies; thus, the applicability of such predictions to real ecosystems remains unclear. One mechanism of adaptive foraging is evolutionary change in genetically determined prey use. We constructed individual‐based models of evolution of prey use by predators assuming explicit population genetics processes, and examined how this evolution affects the stability (i.e., the proportion of species that persist) of the food web and whether the complexity of the food web increased the stability of the prey–predator system. The analysis showed that the stability of food webs decreased with increasing complexity regardless of evolution of prey use by predators. The effects of evolution on stability differed depending on the assumptions made regarding genetic control of prey use. The probabilities of species extinctions were associated with the establishment or loss of trophic interactions via evolution of the predator, indicating a clear link between structural changes in the food web and community stability.
Pathophysiology of neuropathic lysosomal storage disorders
Authors: Bellettato Cinzia Maria , Scarpa Maurizio
Published: April 2010

Although neurodegenerative diseases are most prevalent in the elderly, in rare cases, they can also affect children. Lysosomal storage diseases (LSDs) are a group of inherited metabolic neurodegenerative disorders due to deficiency of a specific protein integral to lysosomal function, such as enzymes or lysosomal components, or to errors in enzyme trafficking/targeting and defective function of nonenzymatic lysosomal proteins, all preventing the complete degradation and recycling of macromolecules. This primary metabolic event determines a cascade of secondary events, inducing LSD's pathology. The accumulation of intermediate degradation affects the function of lysosomes and other cellular organelles. Accumulation begins in infancy and progressively worsens, often affecting several organs, including the central nervous system (CNS). Affected neurons may die through apoptosis or necrosis, although neuronal loss usually does not occur before advanced stages of the disease. CNS pathology causes mental retardation, progressive neurodegeneration, and premature death. Many of these features are also found in adult neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and Huntington's diseases. However, the nature of the secondary events and their exact contribution to mental retardation and dementia remains largely unknown. Recently, lysosomal involvement in the pathogenesis of these disorders has been described. Improved knowledge of secondary events may have impact on diagnosis, staging, and follow‐up of affected children. Importantly, new insights may provide indications about possible disease reversal upon treatment. A discussion about the CNS pathophysiology involvement in LSDs is the aim of this review. The lysosomal involvement in adult neurodegenerative diseases will also be briefly described.
Ilizarov hip reconstruction without external fixation: A new technique
Authors: Krieg A. H. , Lenze U. , Hasler C. C.
Published: April 2010

Purpose

The Ilizarov hip reconstruction is a well accepted but complication-prone operative salvage procedure in chronically dislocated hips, not least due to the long-term application of external fixation. Although the advantages of fully implantable devices are well known in limb lengthening and are described consistently, until now, external fixation has been used exclusively to perform the Ilizarov hip reconstruction procedure. We present a new technique of Ilizarov hip reconstruction with purely internal implants.

Methods

A 14-year-old girl with a history of spina bifida presented with a 4-cm-short right leg, a Trendelenburg gait and a complex neurological disease expression. Because of refusal of external fixation by the patient and significantly lower complication rates, an Ilizarov hip reconstruction without external fixation was performed. A locking compression plate was applied to fix the proximal femoral valgus-extension osteotomy and a motorised intramedullary distraction nail was used for the distal, lengthening–varisation osteotomy.

Results

A healing index of 33 days/cm and full weight bearing after 6 months were noted. At the 1 year follow-up, the patient showed an improvement of the Trendelenburg gait, as well as successful leg equalisation. Satisfaction to a high degree was additionally noted by factors such as reduced pain, the ability to wear workaday clothes and cosmetically appealing scars. No complications were recorded.

Conclusion

The exclusive use of internal implants for Ilizarov hip reconstruction is a feasible and patient-friendly alternative to traditional methods. Their use, however, may be restricted by geometric preconditions.
In situ screw fixation of slipped capital femoral epiphysis with a novel approach: A double-cohort controlled study
Authors: Pring Maya E. , Adamczyk Mark , Hosalkar Harish S. , Bastrom Tracey P. , Wallace C. Douglas , Newton Peter O.
Published: April 2010

Purpose

In situ fixation for mild to moderate slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SCFE) remains an acceptable treatment methodology in most centers. Satisfactory fixation results have been reported with the procedure using either the fracture table or radiolucent table, both of which allow the hip to be imaged during the procedure. The position of the pin within the center of the femoral head is important to secure adequate fixation of the capital femoral epiphysis and prevent further slippage with minimal risk for articular penetration and avascular necrosis (AVN) or chondrolysis.

Methods

We describe a pre-operative planning technique to determine the pin-entry point for percutaneous pinning of SCFE on a radiolucent operating table. A retrospective review of patients who underwent in situ screw fixation with the usage of a cannulated screw on a radiolucent table or fracture table over a 6-year period was conducted.

Results

The pin-entry point with this technique was reliable in 92% of procedures and comparable in both accuracy and complications to in situ screw fixation on a fracture table. In situ screw fixation on a regular radiolucent table was straightforward and required significantly less surgical time than on the fracture table ( P = 0.01). It was also more efficient during a bilateral procedure, as it required only a single preparation and draping of the patient.

Conclusion

This pre-operative planning technique for deciding the starting point on the proximal femur is helpful in executing an accurate in situ screw fixation of hips with SCFE.
Chronic pain acceptance and affective well‐being: A coping perspective
Authors: Kranz Dirk , Bollinger Annicka , Nilges Paul
Published: April 2010

This study examined the relationship between chronic pain acceptance and affective well‐being from a coping perspective. One hundred‐fifty patients from a multidisciplinary pain centre provided self‐report data including measures of pain acceptance, positive and negative affect, and accommodative flexibility. The bivariate and multiple correlation patterns were consistent with the assumption that pain willingness (the attitudinal component of pain acceptance including the recognition of the uncontrollability of pain) primarily reduces negative affect, whereas activity engagement (the behavioural component of pain acceptance including the pursuit of life activities despite pain) additionally produces positive affect. The data furthermore suggested activity engagement as a mediating link between pain willingness and positive affect. Moderation analyses showed that accommodative flexibility (the general readiness to adjust personal goals to situational constraints) facilitates both pain willingness and activity engagement – especially when average pain intensity is high. In sum, the results support the view that chronic pain patients’ well‐being is closely tied to the maintenance of life activities which presupposes an accepting attitude towards pain.
Addressing diversity in adolescent sexual and reproductive health services
Authors: Laski Laura , Wong Sylvia
Published: April 2010

The social, economic, and biological events that mark adolescence profoundly influence and shape future adult lives. Sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services, education, and other social programs are needed to support young people for a healthy start. As adolescents transition into adulthood, SRH programs and services that have skilled health providers, in combination with other social services including comprehensive sexuality education, can help prevent unwanted pregnancies, maternal mortality and morbidity, as well as sexually transmitted infections including HIV/AIDS. Programs and services can also provide counseling to prevent sexual violence and abuse and deal with its consequences. Adolescent SRH programs can be more effective if the demographic diversity of this age group is studied. Vulnerable adolescents should be targeted as priority recipients of youth‐friendly SRH and other social support services. Data demonstrate that adolescent girls living in rural areas who are not in school and who are often married as children are vulnerable to maternal mortality and morbidity, unwanted pregnancies, unsafe abortion, HIV infection, and sexual violence and abuse. Building adolescent capacities and opportunities requires programs that support adolescent social, economic, and health assets so that they can contribute socially and economically to their societies. A healthy adolescent population is critical for low‐resource countries, where a rising proportion of the population is under 24 years of age. Recommendations for strengthening the effectiveness of SRH programs detailed at the FIGO World Congress in 2009 are discussed.
Brand Equity Management in a Multichannel, Multimedia Retail Environment
Authors: Keller Kevin Lane
Published: April 2010

Today's multichannel, multimedia retail marketing environment presents a number of brand management challenges. From a micro perspective, marketers must manage each individual channel and communication option to maximize their direct sales and brand equity effects, as well as any indirect brand equity effects from being associated with a particular channel or communication option. From a macro perspective, marketers must design and implement channel and communication options such that sales and brand equity effects are synergistic. Concepts, frameworks, and future research directions are put forth to address these different challenges.
Identification of Binocular Vision Dysfunction (Vertical Heterophoria) in Traumatic Brain Injury Patients and Effects of Individualized Prismatic Spectacle Lenses in the Treatment of Postconcussive Symptoms: A Retrospective Analysis
Authors: Doble Jennifer E. , Feinberg Debby L. , Rosner Mark S. , Rosner Arthur J.
Published: April 2010

Objective

To identify a form of binocular vision dysfunction (vertical heterophoria) in a traumatic brain injury (TBI) population and to assess the effect of individualized prismatic spectacle lenses on postconcussive symptoms.

Design

Retrospective study.

Setting

Private physical medicine and rehabilitation practice and private optometric practice.

Patients

A subset of TBI patients who were initially evaluated by a single physiatrist and who received standard treatments and medications yet had persistent postconcussive symptoms. These patients were then assessed by a single optometrist, and those found to have vertical heterophoria were treated with individualized prismatic spectacle lenses. A total of 83 patients were referred for testing; 77 were positive for vertical heterophoria on screening, of which 43 had complete data sets and were included for analysis.

Interventions

All patients were treated with individualized prismatic spectacle lenses to correct for vertical heterophoria.

Main Outcome Measures

Outcomes were measured by the difference in score before and after intervention of an objective, self‐administered vertical heterophoria symptom burden instrument (Vertical Heterophoria Symptom Questionnaire [VHS‐Q], presently undergoing validation) and by subjective improvement in symptoms as expressed by the patient at the end of intervention.

Results

There was a 71.8% decrease in subjective symptom burden when compared with preintervention baseline. There was a mean 16.7 point absolute reduction in the VHS‐Q score on a 75‐point scale, which represents a relative reduction in VHS‐Q score of 48.1%.

Conclusion

Vertical heterophoria was identified in a group of TBI patients with postconcussive symptoms and treatment of the vertical heterophoria with individualized prismatic spectacle lenses resulted in a 71.8% decrease in subjective symptom burden and a relative reduction in VHS‐Q score of 48.1%. It appears that vertical heterophoria can be acquired from TBI.
Prognostic Differences for Functional Recovery After Major Lower Limb Amputation: Effects of the Timing and Type of Inpatient Rehabilitation Services in the Veterans Health Administration
Authors: Stineman Margaret G. , Kwong Pui L. , Xie Dawei , Kurichi Jibby E. , Ripley Diane Cowper , Brooks David M. , Bidelspach Douglas E. , Bates Barbara E.
Published: April 2010

Objective

To compare the recovery of mobility and self‐care functions among veteran amputees according to the timing and type of rehabilitation services received.

Design

Observational study of inpatient rehabilitation care patterns of 2 types (specialized and consultative) with 2 timings (early and late).

Setting

Data from inpatient specialized rehabilitation units (SRUs) and consultative services within 95 Veterans Affairs Medical Centers across the United States during fiscal years 2003 to 2004.

Patients

Medical records of 1502 patients who received early or late consultative or specialized rehabilitation.

Assessment of Risk Factors

Hypotheses were established and general categories of negative and positive risk factors specified a priori from available clinical characteristics. Linear mixed effects models were used to model motor Functional Independence Measure (FIM) gain scores on patient‐level variables accounting for the correlation within the same facility.

Main Outcome Measures

Recovery of activities of daily living (ADLs) and mobility (physical functioning) expressed as the magnitudes of gains in motor FIM scores achieved by rehabilitation discharge.

Results

After adjustment, amputees who received specialized rehabilitation had motor FIM gains that were on average 8.0 points greater than those for amputees who received consultative rehabilitation. Although patients whose rehabilitation was delayed until after discharge from the index surgical stay tended to be more clinically complex, they had gains comparable to those of patients who received early rehabilitation. Advanced age, transfemoral amputation, paralysis, serious nutritional compromise, and psychosis were associated with lower motor FIM gains. The variance for the random effect for facility was statistically significant, suggesting extraneous variation within facility that was not explainable by observed patient‐level variables.

Conclusion

On the basis of this analysis, those patients who receive specialized rehabilitation can be expected to make comparatively greater gains than patients who receive consultative services, regardless of timing and clinical complexity. Findings highlight the need for clinicians to adjust prognostic expectations to both clinical severity and the type of rehabilitation that patients receive.
Safety Considerations in the Use of Botulinum Toxins in Children With Cerebral Palsy
Authors: Apkon Susan D. , Cassidy Danielle
Published: April 2010

The use of botulinum toxins to decrease spasticity in children with cerebral palsy has become standard of care during the past decade. In 2008 reports of severe adverse events, including death, were reported in children who received injections of these medications. The following discussion focuses on the background of these reports, the response of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, as well as the safety profile and pharmacokinetics of botulinum toxins. Finally, the authors will offer their perspective on the safe use of botulinum toxins.
Efficacy and Safety of Hylan G‐F 20 for Symptomatic Glenohumeral Osteoarthritis: A Prospective, Pilot Study
Authors: Brander Victoria Anne , Gomberawalla Ameer , Chambers Michelle , Bowen Mark , Nuber Gordon
Published: April 2010

Objective

To determine the safety and efficacy of 2 intra‐articular, fluoroscopically guided hylan G‐F 20 injections for painful glenohumeral osteoarthritis.

Design

This study was a prospective open‐label pilot investigation with both U.S. Food and Drug Administration and institutional review board approval.

Setting

Private, outpatient practice within a tertiary care, university medical school.

Participants

Thirty‐six subjects with moderate to severe glenohumeral osteoarthritis, with pain (visual analog scale [VAS] 40 mm or greater) despite following a 3‐month standard, nonsurgical treatment program.

Interventions

Two injections of 2 mL hylan G‐F 20, under fluoroscopic guidance confirmed by arthrography, 2 weeks apart. No new treatments were allowed during the course of the study. Analgesics were discontinued 24 hours before visits.

Main Outcome Measurements

Data collected were radiographs; rotator cuff integrity as determined with magnetic resonance imaging; VAS for pain at rest, at night, and with activity; and shoulder‐related quality of life (Western Ontario Rotator Cuff Index [WORC]). Subjects were re‐evaluated after each injection and at 6 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months. Changes from baseline for VAS and WORC were recorded in Excel and analyzed using SPSS. Intent‐to‐treat analysis was performed. The type and severity of adverse events were recorded.

Results

Mean VAS at baseline was 63 mm (SD 14.5). Clinically (≥20% improvement) and statistically significant improvements (P < .001) in VAS pain were seen at 6 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months. Mean improvement in WORC at 6 months was 16.5 (P < .01), with most gains in “lifestyle” and “emotion” questions. Age, gender, body mass index, and rotator cuff pathology did not correlate with response. Three subjects described heightened pain for a few days after injections. Three subjects reported greater pain at 6 months and were unsatisfied. Four experienced no effect of treatment. There were no inflammatory reactions.

Conclusion

Two hylan G‐F 20 injections improved pain and function, and should be considered as part of a multimodal shoulder osteoarthritis treatment program.
Glycaemic index, appetite and body weight
Authors: Ford Heather , Frost Gary
Published: April 2010

Much interest has been focused on the relationship between glycaemic index and body-weight loss, some of which is fuelled by popular media. However, there is a number of potential mechanisms that could be triggered by reducing the glycaemic index of the carbohydrate consumed in the diet. For example, the effect of foods on the gastrointestinal tract and the effect on blood glucose both could lead to potential appetite effects. Acute meal studies seem to point to an effect of glycaemic index on appetite regulation. However, the results of longer-term studies of weight loss are not as clear. In the present review a possible reason for this variation in outcome from the weight-loss studies will be discussed. The present review focuses on the possibility that the fermentable fibre content of the low-glycaemic-index diet may be important in weight-loss efficacy. A novel receptor that binds SCFA, the products of carbohydrate fermentation, has recently been described on the enteroendocrine L-cell in the colon. This cell releases a number of anorectic hormones and could offer an explanation of the appetite suppressant effects of fermentable carbohydrates. It could also explain the variability in the results of glycaemic-index weight-loss studies.
Why Ethical Philosophy Needs to Be Comparative
Authors: Kupperman Joel J.
Published: April 2010

Principles can seem as entrenched in moral experience as Kant thinks space, time, and the categories are in human experience of the world. However not all cultures have such a view. Classical Indian and Chinese philosophies treat modification of the self as central to ethics. Decisions in particular cases and underlying principles are much less discussed.

Ethics needs comparative philosophy in order not to be narrow in its concerns. A broader view can give weight to how people sometimes can change who they are, in order to lead better lives.
He Took the Knife: Biblical Narrative and the Formation of Rabbinic Law
Authors: Kanarek Jane
Published: April 2010

The legal theorist and classicist James Boyd White argues for an understanding of law as a rhetorical activity through which meaning and communities are created. While law contains rules, its definition should not be limited to those rules. Rather, law is a literary and compositional activity, one of our social modes through which we aim to constitute community. Significantly, for White, law is a cultural activity, a language, one of the ways in which we shape and give meaning to our world. The written records of classical rabbinic culture, the Talmuds and the midrashim, present us with an example of this world in which law is a cultural and rhetorical mode of expression. In fact, as these texts, and the Talmuds in particular, usually do not present us with codified rules but rather artfully construed discussions, models of “thinking” about a particular legal decision, they are excellent examples of the ways in which the creation of law is the creation of meaning. Classical rabbinic literature presents us with a textual world of law and narrative, a weaving of one genre into the other, and a use of one genre in the service of the other. Rabbinic texts often inform us precisely which stories the rabbis choose to utilize for specific norms. Law does not exist in its own bordered realm, but is part of a larger web of meaning in which it and narrative together create behavioral claims. A claim to legal authority, therefore, is not only a claim about which stories are authoritative, but also a claim to a specific understanding of a tradition, a move toward narratival authority.
The Comparative Study of “Scholasticism” in Late Antique Mesopotamia: Rabbis and East Syrians
Authors: Becker Adam H.
Published: April 2010

Now is an appropriate time to reconsider the historiographical benefit that a comparative study of the East Syrian (“Nestorian”) schools and the Babylonian rabbinic academies may offer. This is attributable both to the recent, rapid increase in scholarship on Jewish–Christian relations in the Roman Empire and late antiquity more broadly, and to the return by some scholars of rabbinic Judaism to the issues of a scholarly exchange of the late 1970s and early 1980s about the nature of rabbinic academic institutionalization. Furthermore, over the past twenty years, scholars of classics, Greek and Roman history, and late antiquity have significantly added to the bibliography on the transmission of knowledge—in lay person's terms, education—in the Greco-Roman and early Christian worlds. Schools continue to be an intense topic of conversation, and my own recent work on the School of Nisibis and the East Syrian schools in general suggests that the transformations and innovations of late antiquity also occurred in the Sasanian Empire, at a great distance from the centers of classical learning, such as Athens, Alexandria, and Antioch. The recently reexamined East Syrian sources may help push the conversation about rabbinic academic institutionalization forward. However, the significance of this issue is not simply attributable to its bearing on the social and institutional history of rabbinic institutions. Such inquiry may also reflect on how we understand the Babylonian Talmud and on the difficult redaction history of its constituent parts. Furthermore, I hope that the discussion offered herein will contribute to the ongoing analysis of the late antique creation and formalization of cultures of learning, which were transmitted, in turn, into the Eastern (i.e., Islamic and “Oriental” Christian and Jewish) and Western Middle Ages within their corresponding communities.
Classical Rhetorical Arrangement and Reasoning in the Talmud: The Case of Yerushalmi Berakhot 1:1
Authors: Hidary Richard
Published: April 2010

Saul Lieberman has shown that various aspects of Greco-Roman culture were pervasive not only among more Hellenized Jews of the first centuries CE, but that even “the Rabbis of Palestine were familiar with the fashionable style of the civilized world of that time. Many of them were highly educated in Greek literature. … They spoke to the people in their language and in their style.” An integral part of this culture involved the study of rhetoric, a staple of higher education throughout the Roman Empire.
Matching method with theory in person-oriented developmental psychopathology research
Authors: Sterba Sonya K. , Bauer Daniel J.
Published: April 2010

The person-oriented approach seeks to match theories and methods that portray development as a holistic, highly interactional, and individualized process. Over the past decade, this approach has gained popularity in developmental psychopathology research, particularly as model-based varieties of person-oriented methods have emerged. Although these methods allow some principles of person-oriented theory to be tested, little attention has been paid to the fact that these methods cannot test other principles, and may actually be inconsistent with certain principles. Lacking clarification regarding which aspects of person-oriented theory are testable under which person-oriented methods, assumptions of the methods have sometimes been presented as testable hypotheses or interpreted as affirming the theory. This general blurring of the line between person-oriented theory and method has even led to the occasional perception that the method is the theory and vice versa. We review assumptions, strengths, and limitations of model-based person-oriented methods, clarifying which theoretical principles they can test and the compromises and trade-offs required to do so.
Closing the gap between person-oriented theory and methods
Authors: Mun Eun Young , Bates Marsha E. , Vaschillo Evgeny
Published: April 2010

Sterba and Bauer's Keynote Article discusses the blurred distinction between theoretical principles and analytical methods in the person-oriented approach as problematic and review which of the person-oriented principles are testable under the four types of latent variable models for longitudinal data. Although the issue is important, some arbitrariness exists in determining whether a given principle can be tested within each analytic approach. To close the gap between person-oriented theory and methods and to extend the person-oriented approach more generally, it is necessary to embrace both variable-oriented and person-oriented methods because it is not the individual analytic methods but how studies are implemented as a whole that defines the person-oriented approach. Three areas in developmental psychopathology are discussed in which variable-oriented and person-oriented methods can be complementary. The need to better understand the target system using an appropriate person-specific tool is graphically illustrated. Several concepts of dynamic systems such as attractors, phase transitions, and control parameters are illustrated using experimentally perturbed cardiac rhythms (heart rate variability) as an example in the context of translational alcohol research.
Steps substantive researchers can take to build a scientifically strong case for the existence of trajectory groups
Authors: Ialongo Nicholas
Published: April 2010

Sterba and Bauer's Keynote Article does a superb job of reviewing the “… assumptions, strengths, and limitations of model-based person-oriented methods—clarifying which theoretical principles [researchers] can test and the compromises and trade-offs required to do so.” Their writing is exceptionally clear, and the examples given highly instructive. At the same time, their arguments may be so convincing that the reader may be reluctant to pursue person-oriented analyses in a longitudinal context. The purpose of this Commentary is not to contradict Sterba and Bauer's arguments but to briefly review the steps that substantive researchers can take in building a scientifically strong case for either assuming continuously varied growth “… or that [trajectory groups] actually exist” according to Raudenbush. These steps have been elaborated in a series of papers by Muthén and colleagues, but it is useful to briefly review them here.