bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Dialectical behaviour therapy with adolescents
Authors: Groves Sameena , Backer Hilmar S. , van den Bosch Wies , Miller Alec
Published: June 2011

Background:  Dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT) is the first empirically validated treatment for chronically suicidal patients diagnosed with borderline personality disorder (BPD). Numerous randomised clinical trials conducted with adults with BPD have demonstrated that DBT is effective in reducing suicidal and non‐suicidal self‐injurious (NSSI) behaviours. Other research on the use of DBT for adults has shown that the treatment is effective in reducing a variety of problem behaviours in a range of therapeutic settings. In the last decade, a number of studies have evaluated DBT as a promising treatment for adolescents with different psychological disorders and behaviours, including borderline personality disorder (BPD), eating disorders, externalising disorders, and suicidal and NSSI behaviours. This article reviews the literature on the use of DBT with adolescents.

Results:  Overall findings indicate some empirical support for the conclusion that DBT is a promising treatment for adolescents with BPD symptomatology, suicidal ideation and comorbid depression, bipolar disorder, disordered eating behaviours and aggressive and impulsive behaviours. Adolescents in these studies were also hospitalised less frequently when treated with DBT. Moreover, studies conducted with these populations suggest that DBT may be adapted for use in outpatient, inpatient, community, and residential treatment settings.

Conclusions:  The authors conclude that DBT may be effective in treating adolescents with additional disorders and dysfunctional behaviours not yet examined. Data from soon to be completed randomised controlled trials need to be published.
Forever Small: The Strange Case of Ashley X
Authors: Kittay Eva Feder
Published: June 2011

I explore the ethics of altering the body of a child with severe cognitive disabilities in such a way that keeps the child “forever small.” The parents of Ashley, a girl of six with severe cognitive and developmental disabilities, in collaboration with her physicians and the Hospital Ethics Committee, chose to administer growth hormones that would inhibit her growth. They also decided to remove her uterus and breast buds, assuring that she would not go through the discomfort of menstruation and would not grow breasts. In this way she would stay “forever small” and be able to be carried and handled by family members. They claimed that doing this would ensure that she would be able to be part of the family and of family activities and to have familial care. But the procedure has raised thorny ethical questions. I wish to explore these questions philosophically by bringing to bear my own experiences as a mother of a grown daughter with severe cognitive impairments.
A Sensuous Ethics of Difference
Authors: McCann Rachel
Published: June 2011

This essay outlines how Western culture, and in particular the practice of architecture, has failed to develop a nuanced and ethical approach to alterity. It examines Maurice Merleau-Ponty's conception of the flesh as a process of continual self-interrogation through perceptual acts that intertwine communality and difference, establishing a shared world through interlocution, and explores how the work of Merleau-Ponty and Luce Irigaray augment each other to deepen our understanding of alterity. It then examines architectural design as an intercorporeal and intersubjective act that creatively refigures sedimented spatial and social habits. Using the example of an architectural design studio, it demonstrates how designers can critically confront nuances of alterity through investigating the corporeal and social depths of architecture.
Synergistic Effect of Alcohol Consumption and Body Mass on Serum Concentrations of Cytokeratin‐18
Authors: Gonzalez‐Quintela Arturo , Tomé Santiago , Fernandez‐Merino Carmen , Rey Jesus , Meijide Luis , Gude Francisco
Published: June 2011

Background:  Cytokeratin‐18 is an essential component of the cytoskeleton of epithelial cells (including hepatocytes). Serum concentrations of cytokeratin‐18 (tissue polypeptide‐specific antigen [TPS]) are used as a marker of epithelial neoplasms. Here, we investigated the potential interaction between alcohol and obesity in relation to serum TPS concentrations.

Methods:  Alcohol consumption, body mass index, and components of metabolic syndrome were measured in a random sample (n = 420) of the adult population (aged 18 to 92 years, 45% men) from a single municipality. Regular alcohol intake of >20 g/d (women) or >30 g/d (men) was considered risky drinking. Serum TPS was measured with a commercial immunoassay.

Results:  Risky drinking was associated with increased serum concentrations of TPS, which was particularly evident among obese individuals. Among individuals without risky drinking, TPS concentrations were similar for all levels of body mass. Conversely, among risky drinkers, serum TPS concentrations increased in parallel with body mass (p = 0.002). The odds ratio of a high (>100 U/l) TPS concentration for the combination of risky drinking and obesity was greater than the additive effect of the 2 separate factors, after adjusting for age and sex. A similar interaction was observed between risky drinking and abdominal adiposity, a major component of the metabolic syndrome. Serum TPS concentrations were correlated with markers of liver damage. Serum TPS was not superior to standard markers (gamma‐glutamyl transferase and red blood cell mean volume) for the detection of risky drinking.

Conclusions:  There is a synergism between risky alcohol consumption and common metabolic disorders (particularly obesity) in relation to serum concentrations of cytokeratin‐18 (TPS), which probably reflect liver disease.
Hepatitis B virus nucleic acid testing in Chinese blood donors with normal and elevated alanine aminotransferase
Authors: Ren Fu‐Rong , Wang Jing‐Xing , Huang Yi , Yao Fu‐Zhu , Lv Yun‐Lai , Li Ju‐Lin , Wen Guo‐Xin , Wen Xiu‐Qiong , Liu Jiang , Dong Xiang‐Dong , Ma Hong‐Li , Zhou Zhong‐Min , Bi Xin‐Hong , Tu Lin , King Melissa , Nelson Kenrad , Ness Paul , Shan Hua
Published: June 2011

BACKGROUND: Nucleic acid testing (NAT) is currently not a routine donor test in China. The aim of this study was to evaluate the current residual risk of hepatitis B virus (HBV) transmission and the value of ALT testing in preventing HBV infection.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: From January 2008 to September 2009, a total of 5521 qualified donations by routine screening and 5034 deferred donations due to elevated ALT alone were collected from five blood centers. Samples were tested for HBV DNA by triplex individual‐donation (ID)‐NAT (ULTRIO assay, on the TIGRIS system, Novartis Diagnostics). HBV NAT–reactive samples were further analyzed by HBV serology, alternative NAT, and viral load and were diluted to simulate if they could be detected in a minipool‐NAT.

RESULTS: There was no significant difference in the HBV NAT–yield rate between the qualified donations group (5/5521) and the deferred donations group (4/5034). Of these nine potential HBV‐yield cases, one donor (11%) was a possible HBV window‐period donor, one (11%) was a chronic HBV carrier, and seven (78%) had probable or confirmed occult HBV infections. Of seven potential HBV‐yield cases quantified, the viral loads were less than or equal to 70.0 IU/mL. Minipool testing (minipools of 4, 8, and 16 donations) would miss 43% to 79% of the nine HBV‐yield donations.

CONCLUSIONS: Based on our findings in qualified donations, we estimate that the nationwide implementation of ID‐NAT testing for HBV DNA in China would detect an additional 9964 viremic donations per year. ALT testing seems to have no significant value in preventing transfusion‐transmitted HBV infection. ID‐NAT versus simulated minipool‐NAT using the ULTRIO test demonstrates the benefit to implement a more sensitive NAT strategy in regions of high HBV endemicity.
Adverse reactions and other factors that impact subsequent blood donation visits
Authors: Custer Brian , Rios Jorge A. , Schlumpf Karen , Kakaiya Ram M. , Gottschall Jerome L. , Wright David J. ,   for the NHLBI Retrovirus Epidemiology Donor Study‐II (REDS‐II)
Published: June 2011

BACKGROUND: The importance of adverse reactions in terms of donor safety recently has received significant attention, but their role in subsequent donation behavior has not been thoroughly investigated.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Six REDS‐II blood centers provided data for this analysis. Summary minor and major adverse reaction categories were created. The influence of adverse reactions on donation was examined in two ways: Kaplan‐Meier curves were generated to determine the cumulative pattern of first return, and adjusted odds ratios (AORs) for demographic and other factors positively and negatively associated with return were estimated using multivariable logistic regression.

RESULTS: Donors who had major reactions had longer times to return than donors with minor or no reactions. The AOR of returning for donors with major reactions was 0.32 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.28‐0.37) and with minor reactions 0.59 (95% CI, 0.56‐0.62) when compared to donors who did not have reactions. Conversely, the most important factors positively associated with return were the number of donations in the previous year and increasing age. Subsequent return, whether a major, minor, or no reaction occurred, varied by blood center. Factors that are associated with the risk of having adverse reactions were not substantial influences on the return after adverse reactions.

CONCLUSION: Having an adverse reaction leads to significantly lower odds of subsequent donation irrespective of previous donation history. Factors that have been associated with a greater risk of adverse reactions were not important positive or negative predictors of return after a reaction.
Hemolysis and red blood cell mechanical fragility in shed blood after total knee arthroplasty
Authors: Ley John T. , Yazer Mark H. , Waters Jonathan H.
Published: June 2011

BACKGROUND: There are several options for the salvage of postoperative shed red blood cells (RBCs). This study compared the characteristics of the returned RBCs collected using two different devices: one that washes and one that does not wash the collected RBCs.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Forty patients undergoing first‐time total knee arthroplasty consented to participate. Twenty patients were operated on by a surgeon who routinely uses a device that does not wash the shed RBCs (unwashed group), the other 20 patients were operated on by surgeons who routinely use a device that washes and concentrates the collected RBCs (washed group). A small quantity of postprocessing RBCs were collected immediately before reinfusion and the amount of plasma‐free hemoglobin (PFHb), and the mechanical fragility index (MFI) of the returned RBCs were determined.

RESULTS: The patients in both groups were well matched for age, sex, and length of stay. The mean percent hemolysis of the returned RBCs was not different between the unwashed and washed groups (1.22 ± 0.30 vs. 1.24 ± 0.42, p = 0.895), while the mean total amount of returned PFHb was not different (0.51 ± 0.12 g vs. 0.55 ± 0.35 g, p < 0.615). The ratio of total PFHb:total returned Hb was significantly lower for the washed group (0.0087 ± 0.0023 vs. 0.0035 ± 0.0011, p < 0.0001). The MFI was higher in the washed group (1.71 ± 0.55 vs. 0.53 ± 0.42, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS: The washing device returned more Hb to the patients relative to the amount of free Hb.
Determinants of Corporate Diversification: Evidence From the Property–Liability Insurance Industry
Authors: Berry‐Stölzle Thomas R. , Liebenberg Andre P. , Ruhland Joseph S. , Sommer David W.
Published: June 2011

This article analyzes variations in line‐of‐business diversification status and extent among property–liability insurers. Our results show that the extent of diversification is not driven by risk pooling considerations; insurers operating in more volatile business lines do not diversify more. Diversification can rather be explained by the benefits of internal capital markets and barriers to business growth like market size and concentration. In our analysis, we distinguish between related and unrelated diversification. Using a measure of unrelated line‐of‐business diversification we find the first support for the diversification prediction of the managerial discretion hypothesis that mutual insurers should be less diversified than stock insurers. While mutual insurers tend to exhibit higher levels of total diversification, they engage in significantly less unrelated diversification than do stock insurers.
Vertebral Artery Anomaly Causing C2 Suboccipital Neuralgia, Relieved by Neurovascular Decompression
Authors: Trimble Christopher , Reeves Alexa , Pare Laura , Tsai Fong
Published: June 2011

We report imaging and surgical findings of a symptomatic 40‐year‐old male with an anomalous left vertebral artery. MR, CT myelography, angiography, and intraoperative photos demonstrate the vertebral artery entering the thecal sac at the C1‐C2 intervertebral foramen and compressing the dorsal C2 nerve rootlets against the cord. Open microvascular decompression alleviated the patient's long‐standing suboccipital and posterior cervical neck pain. An embryologic review of the vertebral and lateral spinal artery systems reveals possible developmental explanations for this variant. Intradural course of the vertebral artery at C2 is one of the few symptomatic developmental vertebral artery anomalies. Recognition of this condition is important because surgical intervention can alleviate associated neck pain.
Beyond maternal mortality: obstetric hemorrhage in a Malawian district
Authors: BELTMAN JOGCHUM , VAN DEN AKKER THOMAS , VAN LONKHUIJZEN LUC , SCHMIDT ANIEK , CHIDAKWANI RICHARD , VAN ROOSMALEN JOS
Published: June 2011

Objective. To identify substandard care factors in the management of obstetric hemorrhage at district hospital level in rural Malawi. Design. Retrospective hospital‐based cohort study. Setting. Thyolo District Hospital. Population. Women who delivered at this facility in 2005. Methods. All cases of obstetric hemorrhage were included according to the following criteria: any antepartum hemorrhage, postpartum hemorrhage with more than 500ml of blood loss within 24hours after delivery, uterine rupture, retained placenta and peripartum blood transfusion. Main Outcome Measures. Incidence of antepartum and postpartum hemorrhage, related maternal and perinatal mortality and mode of delivery. Results. A total of 133 hemorrhage cases occurred among 3 085 hospital deliveries (43.1 per 1 000 deliveries), six of which resulted in maternal death (case fatality rate 4.5%). Twenty of 95 postpartum hemorrhage cases (21%) were peri‐cesarean hemorrhages. Sixteen cesareans delivered lifeless fetuses, where a maternal indication for operative delivery was present in only four. Monitoring of pregnant women was regularly insufficient, including monitoring of women in waiting homes, and the use of uterotonics was often inconsistent. Conclusions. Morbidity review revealed important substandard care factors, including unnecessary cesarean sections. These factors may be modified against affordable cost, which could make an important improvement in maternal outcome.
Release from competition and protection determine the outcome of plant interactions along a grazing gradient
Authors: Le Bagousse‐Pinguet Yoann , Gross Elisabeth M. , Straile Dietmar
Published: June 2011

Plant interactions are suggested to shift from competition to facilitation and collapse with increasing grazing pressure. The existence of this full range of plant interactions and the role of underlying mechanisms (i.e. release from competition and protecting effect) in response to herbivory remains poorly documented and mainly described in terrestrial systems. We use a large grazing disturbance gradient (five levels of grazing) to test its effect on the outcome of plant interactions and underlying mechanisms in freshwater ecosystems. In a mesocosm experiment, we manipulated the presence of neighbouring plants to test their negative (competition) or protective (facilitation) effects on target plants along the grazing pressure gradient. We predicted that plant interactions 1) shift from competition to indirect facilitation with increased grazing pressure, 2) indirect facilitation collapses at high levels of grazing, 3) release from competition mainly drives the outcome in lowly grazed conditions and, 4) decreased protection occurs in highly grazed conditions responsible for the collapse of facilitation. This study shows the occurrence of the full range of outcomes in plant interactions under a wide spectrum of grazing pressure and indicates how the complex combination of underlying mechanisms shapes variations in plant interactions. We show that both, the release from competition and the increased protection by neighbouring plants drove the shift from competition to indirect facilitation. Declined protection by neighbouring plants resulted in a collapse of indirect facilitation for survival under intense herbivory. Our study provides the first experimental evidence of indirect facilitation structuring freshwater ecosystems thereby validating important ecological concepts mainly developed for terrestrial ecosystems.
Salzburg Skiing for the Elderly Study: changes in cardiovascular risk factors through skiing in the elderly
Authors: Niederseer D. , Ledl‐Kurkowski E. , Kvita K. , Patsch W. , Dela F. , Mueller E. , Niebauer J.
Published: June 2011

Numerous studies have shown that treatment of the modifiable cardiovascular risk factors (CVRF) results in a decreased risk to suffer from stroke or myocardial infarction. Despite the fact that exercise training is a potent treatment choice for CVRF, this is the first randomized study to assess the effects of alpine skiing on CVRF in elderly skiers. Subjects (n=42) were randomized into an intervention group (IG; n=22; 12 males/10 females; age: 66.6 ± 2.1 years) completing 12 weeks of guided skiing or a control group (CG; n=20; 10 males/10 females; age: 67.3 ± 4.4 years). CVRF were assessed before and after the intervention period. No cardiovascular event occurred within a total of 795.1 h of skiing. A significant increase in exercise capacity in IG (ΔVO2max: +2.0 mL/kg/min, P=0.005) but not in CG (ΔVO2max: −0.1 mL/kg/min, P=0.858; IG vs CG: P=0.008) as well as a decrease in body fat mass [IG: −2.3%, P<0.0001; CG: ± 0.0%, P=0.866; IG vs CG: P<0.0001] was achieved. Blood pressure, blood lipids, heart rate and everyday physical activity remained essentially unchanged. Alpine skiing in the elderly is safe with respect to cardiovascular events, and improves some, but not all CVRF.
Monobenzone‐induced depigmentation: from enzymatic blockade to autoimmunity
Authors: van den Boorn Jasper G. , Melief Cornelis J. , Luiten Rosalie M.
Published: June 2011

Autoimmune side‐effects such as vitiligo regularly occur during melanoma immunotherapy. As vitiligo development is associated with a superior prognosis, the active induction of vitiligo in melanoma patients can be a useful tactic. The potent skin‐depigmenting agent monobenzone can be used successfully for this purpose. However, until recently, the mechanism of action behind monobenzone‐induced skin depigmentation was unclear. Lately, the mechanistic basis for the augmented immunogenicity of monobenzone‐exposed pigmented cells has been unveiled, and their active role in the induction of autoimmune T‐cell‐mediated vitiligo has become apparent. Here, we provide an immunological framework in which we condense this knowledge to an integrated theory of the generation of monobenzone‐induced vitiligo.
Activator protein‐2α functions as a master regulator of multiple transcription factors in the mouse liver
Authors: Li Qingjie , Luo Cunhui , Löhr Christiane V. , Dashwood Roderick H.
Published: June 2011

Aim:  Activator protein 2α (AP‐2α) belongs to the AP‐2 family of transcription factors that are involved in the regulation of cell proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis and carcinogenesis and has been suggested to function as a tumor suppressor in many cancers. However, the physiological role of AP‐2α in hepatocytes is unknown. The present study is to characterize the expression and function of AP‐2α in the liver of conscience mouse.

Methods:  Exogenous AP‐2α was overexpressed in the mouse liver by in vivo gene delivery and changes in transcription factor expression were identified by using protein‐DNA arrays and immunoblotting.

Results:  Western blotting and protein/DNA arrays showed that AP‐2α is expressed in the nuclei of mouse hepatocytes. Overexpression of AP‐2αin vivo significantly suppressed transcription factors AP‐1, CREB and c‐Myc, and markedly increased CBF, c‐Myb, NF‐1, Pax‐5, RXR, Smad3/4, TR(DR‐4), USF‐1 and GATA. Among all GATA proteins, only GATA‐4 level was dramatically elevated and there was a concomitant loss of phospho‐GATA‐4. Corresponding changes were detected in upstream kinases Akt, GSK‐3β and PKA, which regulates the phosphorylation status and stability of GATA‐4 protein.

Conclusions:  AP‐2α is expressed in mouse hepatocytes and it acts as a master regulator of numerous transcription factors in the liver.
Close correlation of liver stiffness with collagen deposition and presence of myofibroblasts in non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease
Authors: Mori Mami , Fujii Hideki , Ogawa Tomohiro , Kobayashi Sawako , Iwai Shuji , Morikawa Hiroyasu , Enomoto Masaru , Tamori Akihiro , Sawada Ayumi , Takeda Setsuko , Kawada Norifumi
Published: June 2011

Aim:  Transient elastography is known as a rapid, objective, and highly reliable technique for staging hepatic fibrosis caused by hepatitis C virus infection; however, the relationship between degree of fibrosis and the collagen deposition or the accumulation of myofibroblasts in non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) remains to be further elucidated.

Methods:  The subjects were 36 patients with NAFLD who received liver biopsy and liver stiffness measurement using transient elastography. Their clinical data and laboratory values were collected. Morphometric analyses of liver fibrosis indicated by collagen deposition and the relative numbers of myofibroblasts were performed.

Results:  Liver stiffness measured by transient elastography correlated with histopathological fibrosis staging of NAFLD determined by Brunt's scoring system (P = 0.000149). The fibrosis staging correlated with the ratios of the Sirius red‐positive area (P = 0.000032) and α‐smooth muscle actin‐positive area (P = 0.000898). Finally, liver stiffness significantly correlated with the ratios of the Sirius red‐positive area (r = 0.390, P = 0.0184) and α‐smooth muscle actin‐positive area (r = 0.333, P = 0.0471).

Conclusions:  Liver stiffness measurement by transient elastography is valuable for evaluating fibrotic progression in NAFLD.
Diffusion of Management Accounting Practices in Gulf Cooperation Council Countries*
Authors: JOSHI PREM LAL , BREMSER WAYNE G. , DESHMUKH ASHUTOSH , KUMAR RAJESH
Published: June 2011

This study examines how management accounting practices (MAPs) have been adopted and diffused by publicly listed firms in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. The results of our survey show that the adoption rates for MAPs in the area of cost management and strategy are low while those in the area of performance measurement are moderate. Overall, the respondents favorably perceived their success in implementing MAPs. Power and politics, not economic (or cost–benefit) reasons, were considered to be the most influential reasons for nonadoption of MAPs. The results provide partial support to the view that there is a global convergence of management accounting system designs and ideas and also indicate that the role of cultural differences is diminishing over time.
Effect of the Probiotic Enterococcus faecium SF68 on Presence of Diarrhea in Cats and Dogs Housed in an Animal Shelter
Authors: Bybee S.N. , Scorza A.V. , Lappin M.R.
Published: June 2011

Background: Beneficial effects of probiotics have never been analyzed in an animal shelter.

Hypothesis: Dogs and cats housed in an animal shelter and administered a probiotic are less likely to have diarrhea of ≥2 days duration than untreated controls.

Animals: Two hundred and seventeen cats and 182 dogs.

Methods: Double blinded and placebo controlled. Shelter dogs and cats were housed in 2 separate rooms for each species. For 4 weeks, animals in 1 room for each species was fed Enterococcus faecium SF68 while animals in the other room were fed a placebo. After a 1‐week washout period, the treatments by room were switched and the study continued an additional 4 weeks. A standardized fecal score system was applied to feces from each animal every day by a blinded individual. Feces of animals with and without diarrhea were evaluated for enteric parasites. Data were analyzed by a generalized linear mixed model using a binomial distribution with treatment being a fixed effect and the room being a random effect.

Results: The percentage of cats with diarrhea ≥2 days was significantly lower (P= .0297) in the probiotic group (7.4%) when compared with the placebo group (20.7%). Statistical differences between groups of dogs were not detected but diarrhea was uncommon in both groups of dogs during the study.

Conclusion and Clinical Importance: Cats fed SF68 had fewer episodes of diarrhea of ≥2 days when compared with controls suggests the probiotic may have beneficial effects on the gastrointestinal tract.
Patients' experience of hospital pharmaceutical services
Authors: Wilcock Michael , Harding Geoffrey
Published: June 2011

Objective

This study aimed to investigate inpatients' and outpatients' need for information about medication, to what extent those needs were addressed and patient attitudes regarding pharmaceutical services.

Method

Self-administered questionnaires were distributed to a sample of outpatients and inpatients in a UK district general hospital. Themes included satisfaction with information given about medication, potential confusion over medication prescribed by the general practitioner and by the hospital, access to a member of the pharmacy team and preferences on how information on medication should be given.

Key findings

Ninety-one outpatient and 126 inpatient questionnaires were available for analysis. All outpatients who responded acknowledged that they were told how long they might need to wait for their medicines to be dispensed, although approximately one-fifth felt they had to wait a long time. Nearly three-quarters of outpatients felt there was an opportunity to ask medication-related questions of the pharmacy team. Nearly three-quarters of inpatients reported they were encouraged to bring into any hospital any medication they were taking at home. Twenty-eight per cent of 95 inpatients reported that some of their existing medication was stopped while in hospital. For the inpatients who received information about new medication, this was explained to the patient verbally (76%) and both verbally and in writing (22%). Forty-two per cent of inpatients (and 36% of outpatients) expressed a preference to receive information about medication both verbally and in writing. Thirty-five (32%) of 110 inpatients were not aware that a pharmacy team had a presence on the ward.

Conclusions

Overall the majority of both in- and outpatients appeared to be receiving appropriate pharmaceutical services. There is a need to raise the profile of the pharmacy team in regards to provision of medication advice for inpatients. Consideration needs to be given to better provision of written information about medication for patients.
Emotional distress as a mediator of the relationship between pain and disability: An experimental study
Authors: Fisher Keren , Johnston Marie
Published: June 2011

In people with chronic pain, disability is only partially explained by pain levels and emotional distress has been postulated to moderate the relationship between pain and disability in these and in other individuals. This paper reports an experimental investigation of this hypothesis with patients attending a clinical psychology department with chronic pain problems. Sections of the normal clinical interview which increased anxiety (asking about upsetting events) or reduced anxiety (asking about good events) were identified and standardized to give a naturally occurring mood induction technique. Twenty‐five patients were randomly allocated to receive the anxiety increasing section of the interview as part of the experimental procedure and 25 to receive the anxiety reducing section. Both groups received the other section later in the interview. Patients were assessed before and after the experimental procedure and results demonstrated that the mood induction procedures had produced the expected effects on mood and the resulting predicted effects on disability. Experimental mood enhancement was associated with reduced levels of disability assessed by a lifting task, while mood depression resulted in greater disability. These findings strengthen the results from correlational studies and suggest methods of minimizing disability, at least in the short term.
Recovering an emerging self: Exploring reflective function in recovery from adolescent‐onset psychosis
Authors: Braehler Christine , Schwannauer Matthias
Published: June 2011

Objectives. This paper investigates (1) the processes involved in how young people with adolescent‐onset psychosis adapt to psychosis and (2) how processes of reflective function (RF) influence the adaptation process.

Design. This study used a qualitative design to inductively construct hypotheses about processes of adaptation and to deductively explore the influence of RF on adaptation.

Methods. Eight young people (aged 18–21) who had experienced clinically significant psychosis and attended a Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) first‐episode psychosis service participated in two interviews: (1) grounded theory open interview; (2) Adult Attachment Interview (AAI). Grounded theory methodology was used to investigate young people's experiences of adaptation to psychosis. Fonagy's manual of RF was used to identify passages with different levels of RF in the adaptation narratives and to assign an overall rating of RF with regard to attachment states of mind to AAI transcripts. Links between adaptation themes and RF were examined qualitatively across participants.

Results. Two main themes relating to adaptation and adolescent individuation emerged. Moderate RF was linked to primarily positive adjustment and successful individuation following psychosis. Impaired RF was associated with unresolved adaptation and blocked individuation post‐psychosis.

Conclusion. Level of RF appeared to moderate adaptation and individuation processes post‐psychosis and should be considered in the delivery of psychological therapies.
Design and Development of a Sheet Metal Plastic Backed Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell
Authors: Sharma Shashank , Gupta Mayank , Anand Shaswat , Kumar Naveen
Published: June 2011

The high costs associated with fuel cell manufacturing have precluded its production on a large scale. The major emphasis of the present wok is to bring down the overall cost of an independent fuel cell unit. The manufacturing cost can be reduced using commonly available and corrosion resistant materials into the fuel cell assembly. Bipolar plates usually employed in proton exchange membrane fuel cells are fabricated from conducting graphite. Graphite owing to its conductivity, corrosion resistance and easy machinability, is the preferred material in static systems. However, due to its brittle characteristics and failure under bending loads, graphite is inferior in its mechanical properties as compared to metals and their alloys. Dimensional stability is also compromised due to wear and friction. In the present work, an attempt is made to assemble a fuel cell stack which would have durability and sustainability in dynamic conditions, where the setup would be able to withstand periodic shocks, vibrations, and fatigue loads. Instead of employing graphite as the bipolar plate which serves the dual purpose of a current collector and area for flow fields, graphite foil protected aluminum as the current collector and machined plastic slabs on which the flow fields are carved, have been employed. Both the substitutes are easily available owing to mass production and have a small processing cost associated with them. Further, the technique employed for processing of Nafion and hot pressing of the catalyst loaded gas diffusion layer onto the proton exchange membrane have been elaborated in the present paper along with the systematic approach followed by the research group eliminating various current collector candidates for fuel cell applications. The various stages attained towards the final fabrication of the foil protected lightweight current collector, has also been highlighted in the present work.
Design and Preliminary Testing of a Novel Dual-Chambered Syringe
Authors: May-Newman Karen , Matyska Maria T. , Lee Martin N.
Published: June 2011

Intravenous catheterization is the most common invasive medical procedure today and is designed to introduce medication directly into the blood stream. Common practice is to administer medicine with one syringe, followed by a saline flush to clear the line of any residual medication. The risk of infection due to the introduction of bacteria in the catheter hub is increased with the number of times the hub is accessed. In addition, the two-step process adds millions of nursing hours per year and is prone to error. The goal of this effort was to design and test a dual-chamber syringe that could be reliably used for both dispensing medicine and the saline flush, and be produced at a low cost. The syringe has a novel dual-chamber design with a proximal chamber for medicine and a distal chamber that contains saline. The saline chamber has a fixed volume when the handle is locked into position, which allows the handle to control the variable volume of the medicine chamber. Between the two chambers is a plunger that surrounds the small channel (which is an extension of the distal chamber) that separates the saline from the medicine. When the distal chamber is unlocked, the handle controls the volume of the saline chamber. By this mechanism, the syringe is able inject the medicine followed by the saline flush with a single access to the catheter hub. The smooth operation of the device relies on a locking mechanism to control the rear plunger and volume of the distal saline chamber, and a bubble plug residing in the small channel between the chambers that prevents mixing of the medicine and saline fluids. The bubble plug is held in place by a balance of forces that depend on geometric variables and fluid properties. The chosen design prevents mixing of the two fluids during the operation of the device, which was experimentally validated with mass spectrometry. The dual-chamber syringe has successfully achieved the design goal of a single syringe for the two-step catheter procedure of dispensing medicine and a saline flush. This novel design will reduce the potential for catheter-based infection, medical errors, medical waste, and clinician time. Preliminary test results indicate that this innovation can significantly improve the safety and efficiency of catheter-based administration of medicine.
Preconditioning is Correlated With Altered Collagen Fiber Alignment in Ligament
Authors: Quinn Kyle P. , Winkelstein Beth A.
Published: June 2011

Although the mechanical phenomena associated with preconditioning are well-established, the underlying mechanisms responsible for this behavior are still not fully understood. Using quantitative polarized light imaging, this study assessed whether preconditioning alters the collagen fiber alignment of ligament tissue, and determined whether changes in fiber organization are associated with the reduced force and stiffness observed during loading. Collagen fiber alignment maps of facet capsular ligaments (n = 8) were generated before and after 30 cycles of cyclic tensile loading, and alignment vectors were correlated between the maps to identify altered fiber organization. The change in peak force and tangent stiffness between the 1st and 30th cycle were determined from the force-displacement response, and the principal strain field of the capsular ligament after preconditioning was calculated from the fiber alignment images. The decreases in peak ligament force and tangent stiffness between the 1st and 30th cycles of preconditioning were significantly correlated (R ≥ 0.976, p < 0.0001) with the change in correlation of fiber alignment vectors between maps. Furthermore, the decrease in ligament force was correlated with a rotation of the average fiber direction toward the direction of loading (R = −0.730; p = 0.0396). Decreases in peak force during loading and changes in fiber alignment after loading were correlated (p ≤ 0.0157) with the average principal strain of the unloaded ligament after preconditioning. Through the use of a vector correlation algorithm, this study quantifies detectable changes to the internal microstructure of soft tissue produced by preconditioning and demonstrates that the reorganization of the capsular ligament’s collagen fiber network, in addition to the viscoelasticity of its components, contribute to how the mechanical properties of the tissue change during its preconditioning.
Accurate Prediction of Wall Shear Stress in a Stented Artery: Newtonian Versus Non-Newtonian Models
Authors: Mejia Juan , Mongrain Rosaire , Bertrand Olivier F.
Published: June 2011

A significant amount of evidence linking wall shear stress to neointimal hyperplasia has been reported in the literature. As a result, numerical and experimental models have been created to study the influence of stent design on wall shear stress. Traditionally, blood has been assumed to behave as a Newtonian fluid, but recently that assumption has been challenged. The use of a linear model; however, can reduce computational cost, and allow the use of Newtonian fluids (e.g., glycerine and water) instead of a blood analog fluid in an experimental setup. Therefore, it is of interest whether a linear model can be used to accurately predict the wall shear stress caused by a non-Newtonian fluid such as blood within a stented arterial segment. The present work compares the resulting wall shear stress obtained using two linear and one nonlinear model under the same flow waveform. All numerical models are fully three-dimensional, transient, and incorporate a realistic stent geometry. It is shown that traditional linear models (based on blood’s lowest viscosity limit, 3.5 Pa s) underestimate the wall shear stress within a stented arterial segment, which can lead to an overestimation of the risk of restenosis. The second linear model, which uses a characteristic viscosity (based on an average strain rate, 4.7 Pa s), results in higher wall shear stress levels, but which are still substantially below those of the nonlinear model. It is therefore shown that nonlinear models result in more accurate predictions of wall shear stress within a stented arterial segment.
A Preliminary Biomechanical Assessment of a Polymer Composite Hip Implant Using an Infrared Thermography Technique Validated by Strain Gage Measurements
Authors: Bougherara Habiba , Rahim Ehsan , Shah Suraj , Dubov Anton , Schemitsch Emil H. , Zdero Rad
Published: June 2011

With the resurgence of composite materials in orthopaedic applications, a rigorous assessment of stress is needed to predict any failure of bone-implant systems. For current biomechanics research, strain gage measurements are employed to experimentally validate finite element models, which then characterize stress in the bone and implant. Our preliminary study experimentally validates a relatively new nondestructive testing technique for orthopaedic implants. Lock-in infrared (IR) thermography validated with strain gage measurements was used to investigate the stress and strain patterns in a novel composite hip implant made of carbon fiber reinforced polyamide 12 (CF/PA12). The hip implant was instrumented with strain gages and mechanically tested using average axial cyclic forces of 840 N, 1500 N, and 2100 N with the implant at an adduction angle of 15 deg to simulate the single-legged stance phase of walking gait. Three-dimensional surface stress maps were also obtained using an IR thermography camera. Results showed almost perfect agreement of IR thermography versus strain gage data with a Pearson correlation of R2 = 0.96 and a slope = 1.01 for the line of best fit. IR thermography detected hip implant peak stresses on the inferior-medial side just distal to the neck region of 31.14 MPa (at 840 N), 72.16 MPa (at 1500 N), and 119.86 MPa (at 2100 N). There was strong correlation between IR thermography-measured stresses and force application level at key locations on the implant along the medial (R2 = 0.99) and lateral (R2 = 0.83 to 0.99) surface, as well as at the peak stress point (R2 = 0.81 to 0.97). This is the first study to experimentally validate and demonstrate the use of lock-in IR thermography to obtain three-dimensional stress fields of an orthopaedic device manufactured from a composite material.
A class of exactly solvable models to illustrate supersymmetry and test approximation methods in quantum mechanics
Authors: Fabre C. M. , Guéry-Odelin D.
Published: June 2011

We obtain analytical expressions for the eigenvalues and eigenstates of a family of exponential-type potential wells. The supersymmetry formalism applied to quantum mechanics is summarized and illustrated by producing from this family of potentials another class of exact solutions made of their isospectral partners. A subset of the supersymmetric partners provides a class of exactly solvable double well potentials. The exact solutions of these potentials are used to test the robustness and accuracy of different approximation methods. We determine the ground state through a variational method applied to a set of trial functions and the entire spectrum using the WKB, JWKB, and its supersymmetric extension formulas. We comment on the importance of the Maslov index and on the range of validity of these semiclassical quantization approaches.
Resource Letter VWCPF-1: van der Waals and Casimir–Polder forces
Authors: Milton Kimball A.
Published: June 2011

This Resource Letter provides a guide to the literature on van der Waals and Casimir–Polder forces. Journal articles, books, and other documents are cited on the following topics: Nonretarded or van der Waals forces, retarded dispersion forces or Casimir–Polder forces between atoms or molecules, Casimir–Polder forces between a molecule and a dielectric or conducting body, the summation of Casimir–Polder forces as leading to the Casimir and Lifshitz forces between conducting and dielectric bodies, Casimir friction, applications to nanotechnology, the nature of the quantum vacuum, and experimental tests of the theory of Casimir and Casimir–Polder and van der Waals forces.
Forces and work on a wire in a magnetic field
Authors: Redinz José Arnaldo
Published: June 2011

We illustrate the role of magnetic forces in lifting a current-carrying wire by discussing the various forces acting on the positive ions and the electrons that compose the wire.
Modular spectrographs for undergraduate laboratories
Authors: Ratcliff Stephen J. , Martin Brian T. , Ambuske Aaron A. , Lu Rong , Blair Eliza , Randall Scott W. , Kono Shion
Published: June 2011

The assembly of laboratory spectrographs from individual components is a valuable exercise in an undergraduate setting. We describe several different spectrograph configurations that we have implemented with electronic panoramic detectors and present the data acquired with each of them, concentrating on the detection and measurement of Doppler shifts of absorption features in the spectra of bright celestial objects.
High Stability of Stx2 Phage in Food and under Food-Processing Conditions
Authors: Rode Tone Mari , Axelsson Lars , Granum Per Einar , Heir Even , Holck Askild , L'Abée-Lund Trine M.
Published: June 2011

Bacteriophages (phages) carrying Shiga toxin genes constitute a major virulence attribute in enterohemorrhagic
Escherichia coli
(EHEC). Several EHEC outbreaks have been linked to food. The survival of such strains in different foods has received much attention, while the fate of the mobile Shiga toxin-converting phages (Stx phages) has been less studied. We have investigated the stability of an Stx phage in several food products and examined how storage, food processing, and disinfection influence the infectivity of phage particles. The study involved a recombinant Stx phage (Δ
stx::cat
) of an
E. coli
O103:H25 strain from a Norwegian outbreak in 2006. Temperature, matrix, and time were factors of major importance for the stability of phage particles. Phages stored at cooling temperatures (4°C) showed a dramatic reduction in stability compared to those stored at room temperature. The importance of the matrix was evident at higher temperatures (60°C). Phages in ground beef were below the detection level when heated to 60°C for more than 10 min, while phages in broth exposed to the same heating conditions showed a 5-log-higher stability. The phages tolerated desiccation poorly but were infective for a substantial period of time in solutions. Under moist conditions, they also had a high ability to tolerate exposure to several disinfectants. In a dry-fermented sausage model, phages were shown to infect
E. coli
in situ
. The results show that Stx phage particles can maintain their infectivity in foods and under food-processing conditions.
Efficient Inhibition of Germination of Coat-Deficient Bacterial Spores by Multivalent Metal Cations, Including Terbium (Tb
3+
)
Authors: Yi Xuan , Bond Colton , Sarker Mahfuzur R. , Setlow Peter
Published: June 2011

Release of dipicolinic acid (DPA) and its fluorescence with terbium (Tb
3+
) allow rapid measurement of the germination and viability of spores of
Bacillus
and
Clostridium
species. However, germination of coat-deficient
Bacillus
spores was strongly inhibited by Tb
3+
and some other multivalent cations. Tb
3+
also inhibited germination of coat-deficient
Clostridium perfringens
spores.
Identification of Biofilm Matrix-Associated Proteins from an Acid Mine Drainage Microbial Community
Authors: Jiao Yongqin , D'haeseleer Patrik , Dill Brian D. , Shah Manesh , VerBerkmoes Nathan C. , Hettich Robert L. , Banfield Jillian F. , Thelen Michael P.
Published: June 2011

In microbial communities, extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), also called the extracellular matrix, provide the spatial organization and structural stability during biofilm development. One of the major components of EPS is protein, but it is not clear what specific functions these proteins contribute to the extracellular matrix or to microbial physiology. To investigate this in biofilms from an extremely acidic environment, we used shotgun proteomics analyses to identify proteins associated with EPS in biofilms at two developmental stages, designated DS1 and DS2. The proteome composition of the EPS was significantly different from that of the cell fraction, with more than 80% of the cellular proteins underrepresented or undetectable in EPS. In contrast, predicted periplasmic, outer membrane, and extracellular proteins were overrepresented by 3- to 7-fold in EPS. Also, EPS proteins were more basic by ∼2 pH units on average and about half the length. When categorized by predicted function, proteins involved in motility, defense, cell envelope, and unknown functions were enriched in EPS. Chaperones, such as histone-like DNA binding protein and cold shock protein, were overrepresented in EPS. Enzymes, such as protein peptidases, disulfide-isomerases, and those associated with cell wall and polysaccharide metabolism, were also detected. Two of these enzymes, identified as β-
N
-acetylhexosaminidase and cellulase, were confirmed in the EPS fraction by enzymatic activity assays. Compared to the differences between EPS and cellular fractions, the relative differences in the EPS proteomes between DS1 and DS2 were smaller and consistent with expected physiological changes during biofilm development.