bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Chromosome aberrations detected by conventional karyotyping using novel mitogens in chronic lymphocytic leukemia with “normal” FISH: correlations with clinicobiologic parameters
Authors: Rigolin Gian Matteo , Cibien Francesca , Martinelli Sara , Formigaro Luca , Rizzotto Lara , Tammiso Elisa , Saccenti Elena , Bardi Antonella , Cavazzini Francesco , Ciccone Maria , Nichele Ilaria , Pizzolo Giovanni , Zaja Francesco , Fanin Renato , Galieni Piero , Dalsass Alessia , Mestichelli Francesca , Testa Nicoletta , Negrini Massimo , Cuneo Antonio
Published: January 2012

It is unclear whether karyotype aberrations that occur in regions uncovered by the standard fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) panel have prognostic relevance in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). We evaluated the significance of karyotypic aberrations in a learning cohort (LC; n = 64) and a validation cohort (VC; n = 84) of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia with “normal” FISH. An abnormal karyotype was found in 21.5% and 35.7% of cases in the LC and VC, respectively, and was associated with a lower immunophenotypic score (P = .030 in the LC, P = .035 in the VC), advanced stage (P = .040 in the VC), and need for treatment (P = .002 in the LC, P = < .0001 in the VC). The abnormal karyotype correlated with shorter time to first treatment and shorter survival in both the LC and the VC, representing the strongest prognostic parameter. In patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia with normal FISH, karyotypic aberrations by conventional cytogenetics with novel mitogens identify a subset of cases with adverse prognostic features.
Molecular evolution of Drosophila Sex-lethal and related sex determining genes
Authors: Mullon Charles , Pomiankowski Andrew , Reuter Max
Published: January 2012

Background

Sex determining mechanisms are evolutionarily labile and related species often use different primary signals and gene regulatory networks. This is well illustrated by the sex determining cascade of Drosophila fruitflies, which have recruited Sex-lethal as the master switch and cellular memory of sexual identity, a role performed in other insects by the gene transformer. Here we investigate the evolutionary change in the coding sequences of sex determining genes associated with the recruitment of Sex-lethal. We analyze sequences of Sex-lethal itself, its Drosophila paralogue sister-or-Sex-lethal and downstream targets transformer and doublesex.

Results

We find that the recruitment of sister-or-Sex-lethal was associated with a number of adaptive amino acid substitutions, followed by a tightening of purifying selection within the Drosophila clade. Sequences of the paralogue sister-or-Sex-lethal, in contrast, show a signature of rampant positive selection and relaxation of purifying selection. The recruitment of Sex-lethal as top regulator and memory gene is associated with a significant release from purifying selection in transformer throughout the Drosophila clade. In addition, doublesex shows a signature of positive selection and relaxation of purifying selection in the Drosophila clade. A similar pattern is seen in sequences from the sister Tephritidae clade.

Conclusions

The pattern of molecular evolution we observe for Sex-lethal and its paralogue sister-or-Sex-lethal is not characteristic of a duplication followed by neo-functionalization. Rather, evidence suggests a sub-functionalization scenario achieved through the evolution of sophisticated splicing. As expected, we find that transformer evolves under relaxed purifying selection after the recruitment of Sex-lethal in Drosophila. Finally, the observation of doublesex adaptation in both Drosophila and Tephritidae suggests that these changes are due to ongoing adaptation of downstream sex-specific regulation, rather than being associated the recruitment of Sex-lethal and the resulting change in the topology of the sex determining cascade.
Placental malaria is associated with attenuated CD4 T-cell responses to tuberculin PPD 12 months after BCG vaccination
Authors: Walther Brigitte , Miles David JC , Waight Pauline , Palmero Melba S , Ojuola Olubukola , Touray Ebrima S , Whittle Hilton , van der Sande Marianne , Crozier Sarah , Flanagan Katie L
Published: January 2012

Background

Placental malaria (PM) is associated with prenatal malaise, but many PM+ infants are born without symptoms. As malaria has powerful immunomodulatory effects, we tested the hypothesis that PM predicts reduced T-cell responses to vaccine challenge.

Methods

We recruited healthy PM+ and PM- infants at birth. At six and 12 months, we stimulated PBMCs with tuberculin purified protein derivative (PPD) and compared expression of CD154, IL-2 and IFNγ by CD4 T-cells to a negative control using flow cytometry.

We measured the length, weight and head circumference at birth and 12 months.

Results

IL-2 and CD154 expression were low in both groups at both timepoints, without discernable differences. Expression of IFNγ was similarly low at 6 months but by 12 months, the median response was higher in PM- than PM + infants (p= 0.026). The PM+ infants also had a lower weight (p= 0.032) and head circumference (p= 0.041) at 12 months, indicating lower growth rates.

At birth, the size and weight of the PM+ and PM- infants were equivalent. By 12 months, the PM+ infants had a lower weight and head circumference than the PM- infants.

Conclusions

Placental malaria was associated with reduced immune responses 12 months after immune challenge in infants apparently healthy at birth.
Validation of a Greek version of the oral health impact profile (OHIP-14) for use among adults
Authors: Papagiannopoulou Vassilia , Oulis Constantine J , Papaioannou William , Antonogeorgos George , Yfantopoulos John
Published: January 2012

Background

To test the validity of the short form of the Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14) for use among adults in Greece.

Methods

The original English version of the OHIP-14 was translated using the forward-backward technique, pilot-tested, and then applied to 211 adults aged 35 years and above. The questionnaire was filled out during face-to-face interviews conducted by one dentist, while individuals were asked to undergo a clinical examination. The internal consistency of the questionnaire was evaluated using Cronbach's alpha (α) coefficient and inter-item and item-total correlations. Discriminant and convergent validities were assessed.

Results

Cronbach's α was estimated to be 0.90. Inter-item correlations coefficients ranged from 0.10 to 0.83, while item-total correlations coefficients from 0.44 to 0.76. Significant associations were found between OHIP-14 and the decayed, missing and filled teeth (DMFT) and oral hygiene, supporting the ability of the questionnaire to discriminate between individuals with and without impacts. The OHIP-14 total score was highly associated with self-perceived oral health status (rs = 0.57; p = 0.01), as well as with self-assessment of oral satisfaction (rs = 0.55;p = 0.01). Similar results were observed by investigating the relationship between the latter questions and each domain score as well as in various sub-groups analyses.

Conclusions

The OHIP-14 is a reliable and valid questionnaire for the assessment of OHRQoL among adults in Greece.
Carrageenan Induced Phosphorylation of Akt is Dependent on Neurokinin-1 Expressing Neurons in the Superficial Dorsal Horn
Authors: Choi Jeong IL , Koehrn Fred J , Sorkin Linda S
Published: January 2012

Background:

Paw carrageenan induces activation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI-3K) and Akt in dorsal horn neurons in addition to induction of pain behavior. Spinal PI-3K activation is also thought to be required for inflammation-induced trafficking of GluA1, AMPA receptor subunits, into plasma membranes from cytosol. Phosphorylation of Akt has a unique time course. It occurs first in the superficial dorsal horn (0.75 h), then soon dissipates and is followed an hour later by Akt phosphorylation in deeper dorsal horn laminae, primarily lamina V. Initially, we wished to determine if Akt phosphorylation in the deeper laminae were dependent on the presence of lamina I, neurokinin receptor bearing projection neurons. As the study progressed, our aims grew to include the question, whether carrageenan-induced GluA1 subunit trafficking was downstream of Akt phosphorylation.

Results:

Rats pretreated with spinal saporin conjugated to a stabilized form of substance P had substantial loss of neurons with neurokinin 1 receptors throughout their superficial, but not deep dorsal horns. Animals pre-treated with substance P-saporin exhibited no change in locomotor ability and a small, but significant decrease in carrageenan-induced mechanical allodynia when compared to animals pre-treated with spinal saporin alone. Importantly, carrageenan-induced phosphorylation of Akt was blocked, in the substance P-saporin treated group, throughout the spinal cord grey matter. In marked contrast, carrageenan induced-trafficking of the GluA1 receptor subunit increased equivalently in both treatment groups.

Conclusions:

We infer from these data that 1) phosphorylation of Akt in the deep dorsal horn is dependent on prior activation of NK1 receptor bearing cells in superficial dorsal horn, and 2) there are parallel spinal intracellular cascades initiated by the carrageenan injection downstream of PI-3K activation, including one containing Akt and another involving GluA1 trafficking into neuronal plasma membranes that separately lead to enhanced pain behavior. These results imply that the two pathways downstream of PI-3K can be activated separately and therefore should be able to be inhibited independently.
Rock physics model of glauconitic greensand from the North Sea
Authors: Hossain Zakir , Mukerji Tapan , Dvorkin Jack , Fabricius Ida L.
Published: January 2012

The objective of this study was to establish a rock physics model of North Sea Paleogene greensand. The Hertz-Mindlin contact model is widely used to calculate elastic velocities of sandstone as well as to calculate the initial sand-pack modulus of the soft-sand, stiff-sand, and intermediate-stiff-sand models. When mixed minerals in rock are quite different, e.g., mixtures of quartz and glauconite in greensand, the Hertz-Mindlin contact model of single type of grain may not be enough to predict elastic velocity. Our approach is first to develop a Hertz-Mindlin contact model for a mixture of quartz and glauconite. Next, we use this Hertz-Mindlin contact model of two types of grains as the initial modulus for a soft-sand model and a stiff-sand model. By using these rock physics models, we examine the relationship between elastic modulus and porosity in laboratory and logging data and link rock-physics properties to greensand diagenesis. Calculated velocity for mixtures of quartz and glauconite from the Hertz-Mindlin contact model for two types of grains are higher than velocity calculated from the Hertz-Mindlin single mineral model using the effective mineral moduli predicted from the Hill’s average. Results of rock-physics modeling and thin-section observations indicate that variations in the elastic properties of greensand can be explained by two main diagenetic phases: silica cementation and berthierine cementation. These diagenetic phases dominate the elastic properties of greensand reservoir. Initially, greensand is a mixture of mainly quartz and glauconite; when weakly cemented, it has relatively low elastic modulus and can be modeled by a Hertz-Mindlin contact model of two types of grains. Silica-cemented greensand has a relatively high elastic modulus and can be modeled by an intermediate-stiff-sand or a stiff-sand model. Berthierine cement has different growth patterns in different parts of the greensand, resulting in a soft-sand model and an intermediate-stiff-sand model.
2.5D controlled-source EM modeling with general 3D source geometries
Authors: Streich Rita , Becken Michael , Ritter Oliver
Published: January 2012

Most 2.5D controlled-source electromagnetic (CSEM) modeling algorithms presented to date explicitly consider only sources that are point dipoles oriented parallel or perpendicular to the direction of constant conductivity. This makes simulations of complex source geometries expensive, requiring separate evaluations of many point dipole fields, and thus limits the practical applicability of such schemes for simulating and interpreting field data. We present a novel 2.5D CSEM modeling scheme that overcomes this limitation and permits efficient simulations of sources with general shape and orientation by evaluating fields for the entire source at once. We accommodate general sources by using a secondary field approach, in which primary fields are computed for the general source and a 1D background conductivity model. To carry out the required Fourier transforms between space and wavenumber domain using the same fast cosine and sine transform filters as in conventional algorithms, we split the primary and secondary fields into their symmetric and antisymmetric parts. For complex 3D source geometries, this approach is significantly more efficient than previous 2.5D algorithms. Our finite-difference algorithm also includes novel approaches for divergence correction at low frequencies and EM field interpolation across conductivity discontinuities. We describe the modeling scheme and demonstrate its accuracy and efficiency by comparisons of 2.5D-simulated data with 1D and 3D results.
Is Typing Speed Proportional to the Severity of Pain in Keyboard Workers with Work-related Upper Limb Disorder
Authors: Povlsen Bo
Published: January 2012

Objectives

To investigate if typing speed is proportional to the severity of pain in keyboard workers with work-related upper limb disorder (WRULD).

Design

Standardized functional typing test with participants scoring pain before and after typing; calculation of typing speed.

Participants

Fifty-nine patients and six controls.

Setting

Tertiary hospital centre for hand and upper limb pain.

Main outcome measures

Pain (VAS 0–10) and calculation of typing speed as words per minute.

Results

Three subgroups of patients were found based on their typing speed: fast, slow and intermediate. Two-tailed student T-test with P level at 0.05 was used for evaluation. The typing speeds were significantly different between all three patient groups ( P < 0.05). The typing speed was significantly faster in the fastest patient group than in the control group ( P = 0.04) and the slow and middle groups ( P = <0.0001). The pain before typing was highest in the ‘slow’ group, in both hands but this difference was not statistically significant.

Conclusion

Typing speed is not proportional to the severity of pain in keyboard workers with WRULD. Patients with statistically significant slower or faster typing speeds do not have statistically different levels of pain.
Alternative Diagnoses to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome in Referrals to a Specialist Service: Service Evaluation Survey
Authors: Devasahayam Anoop , Lawn Tara , Murphy Maurice , White Peter D
Published: January 2012

Objective

To assess the accuracy of diagnoses made by referrers to a chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) service.

Design

Retrospective service evaluation surveys of both rejected referral letters and medical case-notes after full clinical assessment.

Setting

A specialist CFS clinic in London, UK.

Participants

In the first survey, we assessed rejected referral letters between March 2007 and September 2008. In the second survey, we ascertained the primary diagnosis made in case-notes of 250 consecutive new patients assessed between April 2007 and November 2008.

Main outcome measures

Reasons for rejection of referrals and primary diagnosis in those assessed.

Results

In the first survey, 154 out of 418 referrals (37%) were rejected. Of these, 77 out of the available 127 referrals (61%) had a likely alternative diagnosis. In the second survey of clinically assessed patients, 107 (43%) had alternative medical/psychiatric diagnoses, while 137 out of 250 (54%) patients received a diagnosis of CFS. The commonest alternative medical diagnoses of those assessed were sleep disorders and the commonest alternative psychiatric diagnosis was depressive illness. Altogether 184 of 377 (49%) patients had alternative diagnoses to CFS.

Conclusions

Half of all the referred patients to a specialist CFS clinic had alternative medical and psychiatric diagnoses. Specialist medical assessment for patients with unexplained, disabling, chronic fatigue needs to incorporate both medical and psychiatric assessments.
The Extroverted Firm: How External Information Practices Affect Innovation and Productivity
Authors: Tambe Prasanna , Hitt Lorin M. , Brynjolfsson Erik
Published: January 2012

We gather detailed data on organizational practices and information technology (IT) use at 253 firms to examine the hypothesis that external focus—the ability of a firm to detect and therefore respond to changes in its external operating environment—increases returns to IT, especially when combined with decentralized decision making. First, using survey-based measures, we find that external focus is correlated with both organizational decentralization, and IT investment. Second, we find that a cluster of practices including external focus, decentralization, and IT is associated with improved product innovation capabilities. Third, we develop and test a three-way complementarities model that indicates that the combination of external focus, decentralization, and IT is associated with significantly higher productivity in our sample. We also introduce a new set of instrumental variables representing barriers to IT-related organizational change and find that our results are robust when we account for the potential endogeneity of organizational investments. Our results may help explain why firms that operate in information-rich environments such as high-technology clusters or areas with high worker mobility have experienced especially high returns to IT investment and suggest a set of practices that some managers may be able to use to increase their returns from IT investments.

This paper was accepted by Sandra Slaughter, information systems.
Relicensing as a Secondary Market Strategy
Authors: Oraiopoulos Nektarios , Ferguson Mark E. , Toktay L. Beril
Published: January 2012

Secondary markets in the information technology industry, where used or refurbished equipment is traded, have been growing steadily. For original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) in this industry, the importance of secondary markets has grown in parallel, not only as a source of revenue, but also because of their impact on these firms' competitive advantage and market strategy. Recent articles in the press have severely criticized some OEMs who are perceived to be actively trying to eliminate the secondary market for their products. Other OEMs have policies that enhance their secondary markets. The goal of this paper is to understand how an OEM's incentives and optimal strategies vis-à-vis the secondary market are shaped contingent on her relative competitive advantage, product characteristics, and consumer preferences. The critical trade-off that we examine is whether the indirect benefit from maintaining an active secondary market (the resale value effect) can outweigh the potentially negative effect of the sales of used products at the expense of new product sales (the cannibalization effect). To that end, we develop a durable good model where the OEM can directly affect the resale value of her product through a relicensing fee charged to the buyer of the refurbished equipment. We analyze the OEM's strategy in both the monopoly and the duopoly cases, characterize the optimal relicensing fee set by the OEM, and draw conclusions on the conditions that favor stimulating or deterring the secondary market.

This paper was accepted by Candace A. Yano, operations and supply chain management.
Competition Between Organizational Groups: Its Impact on Altruistic and Antisocial Motivations
Authors: Goette Lorenz , Huffman David , Meier Stephan , Sutter Matthias
Published: January 2012

Firms are often organized into groups. Group membership has been shown empirically to have positive effects, in the form of increased prosocial behavior toward in-group members. This includes an enhanced willingness to engage in altruistic punishment of inefficient defection. Our paper provides evidence of a dark side of group membership. In the presence of cues of competition between groups, a taste for harming the out-group emerges: punishment ceases to serve a norm enforcement function, and instead, out-group members are punished harder and regardless of whether they cooperate or defect. Our results point to a mechanism that might help explain previous mixed results on the social value of punishment, and they contribute to understanding the sources of conflict between groups. They also point to an important trade-off for firms: introducing competition enhances within-group efficiency but also generates costly between-group conflict.

This paper was accepted by Teck Ho, decision analysis.
Prospect Theory, Liquidation, and the Disposition Effect
Authors: Henderson Vicky
Published: January 2012

There is a well-known intuition linking prospect theory with the disposition effect, the tendency of investors to sell assets that have risen in value rather than fallen. Recently, several authors have studied rigorous models in an attempt to formalize the intuition. However, some have found it difficult to predict a disposition effect while others produce a more extreme prediction where investors never voluntarily sell at a loss. We solve a model of asset liquidation where investors realize utility over gains and losses, and utility is concave over gains and convex over losses. Under the preferences of Tversky and Kahneman (Tversky, A., D. Kahneman. 1992. Advances in prospect theory: Cumulative representation of uncertainty. J. Risk Uncertainty 5(4) 297–323) and lognormal asset prices, investors exhibit a disposition effect as gains are realized at a greater rate than losses. Nonetheless, in contrast to the extant literature, we find that the investor will “give up” and sell at a loss when the asset has a sufficiently low Sharpe ratio.

This paper was accepted by Brad Barber, Teck Ho, and Terrance Odean, special issue editors.
A Distributional Interpretation of Robust Optimization
Authors: Xu Huan , Caramanis Constantine , Mannor Shie
Published: January 2012

Motivated by data-driven decision making and sampling problems, we investigate probabilistic interpretations of robust optimization (RO). We establish a connection between RO and distributionally robust stochastic programming (DRSP), showing that the solution to any RO problem is also a solution to a DRSP problem. Specifically, we consider the case where multiple uncertain parameters belong to the same fixed dimensional space and find the set of distributions of the equivalent DRSP problem. The equivalence we derive enables us to construct RO formulations for sampled problems (as in stochastic programming and machine learning) that are statistically consistent, even when the original sampled problem is not. In the process, this provides a systematic approach for tuning the uncertainty set. The equivalence further provides a probabilistic explanation for the common shrinkage heuristic, where the uncertainty set used in an RO problem is a shrunken version of the original uncertainty set.
Q-Learning and Enhanced Policy Iteration in Discounted Dynamic Programming
Authors: Bertsekas Dimitri P. , Yu Huizhen
Published: January 2012

We consider the classical finite-state discounted Markovian decision problem, and we introduce a new policy iteration-like algorithm for finding the optimal state costs or Q-factors. The main difference is in the policy evaluation phase: instead of solving a linear system of equations, our algorithm requires solving an optimal stopping problem. The solution of this problem may be inexact, with a finite number of value iterations, in the spirit of modified policy iteration. The stopping problem structure is incorporated into the standard Q-learning algorithm to obtain a new method that is intermediate between policy iteration and Q-learning/value iteration. Thanks to its special contraction properties, our method overcomes some of the traditional convergence difficulties of modified policy iteration and admits asynchronous deterministic and stochastic iterative implementations, with lower overhead and/or more reliable convergence over existing Q-learning schemes. Furthermore, for large-scale problems, where linear basis function approximations and simulation-based temporal difference implementations are used, our algorithm addresses effectively the inherent difficulties of approximate policy iteration due to inadequate exploration of the state and control spaces.
A Baseline Audit of Referral and Treatment Delivered to Patients in the Intermediate Minor Oral Surgery Service in Croydon PCT
Authors: O'Neill Eunan , Gallagher Jennifer E , Kendall Nick
Published: January 2012

Introduction

Patients attending for primary dental care may require oral surgery procedures beyond the capability of a generalist and thus need to be treated by a dentist with greater expertise. In the United Kingdom, it is increasingly accepted that such care may be provided in primary care settings by specialists or dentists with a special interest. In response to local pressures, an intermediate minor oral surgery (IMOS) service has been established in Croydon, south west London, to provide oral surgery treatment for non-urgent patients on referral.

Aim

To audit the appropriateness and quality of oral surgery referrals after triage to an IMOS service in Croydon and to set standards for future audits on this topic.

Methods

An audit tool was developed in line with the local referral guidelines and agreed with local stakeholders. Information on 501 (10%) triaged referrals to IMOS practices over a 24-month period was obtained through the referral management centre. A 10% sample of referrals per month to each practice was calculated and IMOS providers randomly selected the relevant patient records. Using an agreed audit pro forma, information on the indications for referral, treatment provided, and dates relating to patient management, in addition to the age and sex of patients, was collected from the IMOS providers by one investigator. Descriptive analysis of the data was performed.

Results

Of the 501 patient records that were examined, 99% of patients were treated in IMOS practices, with only three (less than 1%) patients being referred on to hospital consultant services. The largest proportion (237; 40%) of referrals was for the extraction of teeth considered to have special difficulty, followed by lower third molars (154; 26%). Almost one-third (159; 32%) of patients were referred for more than one procedure. One in eight (72; 13%) teeth removed by the IMOS providers were recorded as a simple extraction without medical complications.

Conclusions

• In general, patients were referred appropriately to the primary care oral surgery service in Croydon, with only a minority recorded as receiving simple care that should not have required referral. • The clinician-led triage process using a referral management system worked well in selecting appropriate patients for treatment by IMOS providers in primary care and reduced referrals to hospital. • Suggested standards for future audits of IMOS referrals have been set.
Oral and Dental Manifestations in Rubinstein-Taybi Syndrome: Report of a Rare Case
Authors: Gunashekhar Madiraju , Hameed Mohammad Shahul , Bokhari Syed Kamran
Published: January 2012

Rubinstein-Taybi syndrome, or broad thumb-hallux syndrome, is a well-defined rare congenital disorder characterised by postnatal growth deficiency, craniofacial dysmorphism, broad thumbs and great toes, and mental retardation (intellectual disability). Occurrence may be either sporadic or through autosomal dominant inheritance.

Reports of Rubinstein-Taybi syndrome are scarce in the literature. This case report describes the oral and dentofacial findings of Rubinstein-Taybi syndrome affecting a 13-year-old Indian female, including the uncommon presence of talon cusps and an unerupted supernumerary tooth.
Negotiation: A Necessary Art for Dental Practice
Authors: Fitzpatrick William G , Renshaw John , Batchelor Paul
Published: January 2012

This brief paper explains why the art of negotiation has become far more important for general dental practitioners. It explains that negotiations take place with patients, with practice staff, and with funding agencies such as Primary Care Trusts. It sets out the principles for successful negotiation and gives two examples of how they can be applied. It concludes that negotiation is a skill that can be learned and that it will be a key skill as the profession faces future challenges.
Narrative, language, and comics-as-literature
Authors: MIODRAG HANNAH
Published: January 2012

Comics are persistently labelled a kind of literature, but so-called literary treatments of the form are often questionable, focusing on story, content and themes. The fact that comics tell diverse, interesting stories makes them no more 'literary' than film, opera or, indeed, soap
opera. It seems perverse for scholars bent on demonstrating the efficacy of visual storytelling to claim that it is storytelling which makes comics literary, thus aligning narrative in general with the verbal medium. This article sets forth a more scrupulous framework for approaching comics
as literature. Through a close analysis of various examples, this article challenges the habitual sidelining of text within comics. It demonstrates: first, how comics can be heavily dependent on text; second, how that text can be properly – that is formally – literary; and, third,
how the medium can deploy the linguistic element of its content in ways that create literary, textual effects that are in fact unique to the comics medium. In carefully distinguishing between elements such as theme and plotting, which are common to all narrative media, and these truly literary
devices, this article ultimately concludes that in order for the comics medium to be given its due as a potentially literary form, proper attention needs to be paid to the way it incorporates literary language. In service of theoretical precision, critics must not confuse narrative properties
with literary ones, but must rigorously insist on the correct frame of reference in order to promote serious academic study of this diverse and complex narrative form.
Cowboys and zombies: Destabilizing patriarchal discourse in The Walking Dead
Authors: HASSLER-FOREST DAN
Published: January 2012

The serialized comic book The Walking Dead, written by Robert Kirkman and drawn by Charlie Adlard, has been published by Image Comics from October 2003, and is still being released in monthly instalments as of this writing. It has won numerous awards, including the prestigious Eisner
Award for Best Continuing Series in 2010, and has recently been adapted as a successful TV series by AMC. A videogame is forthcoming in late 2011, the television series has been extended for a second, longer season, and there is even an official Walking Dead board game in the works. While
indicative of the more general popularity of zombie fiction in contemporary mainstream culture, the Walking Dead phenomenon points towards interesting questions that are raised by its intersection of genres, as well as by its unique combination of an apocalyptic narrative and seemingly endlessly
ongoing serialization. In this article, the intersection of seemingly incompatible genres will be my main focus, using Lacanian theory to engage with the ways in which The Walking Dead conflates the western with the zombie genre. This combination of genres is all the more thoughtprovoking
as the western genre traditionally stages the Grand Narrative of patriarchal power from within the historical context of colonialist imperialism, whereas the zombie genre is associated with the destabilization of such forms of power. I will also engage with the serialized form in which this
narrative is presented, arguing that the series' systematic lack of formal closure is fundamental to its larger decentering effect.
Violent Cases and Mr. Punch: Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean reflect darkly on the imagery of individuation
Authors: MEANS-SHANNON HANNAH
Published: January 2012

This study considers aspects of personality development present in the autobiographical visual narratives of childhood created by Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean in the graphic works Violent Cases (1987) and The Tragical Comedy or Comical Tragedy of Mr. Punch (1994). In particular, Carl
Jung's theories of individuation are implemented to investigate the use of light and shadow in the presentation of childhood memory and adult narrative perspective. Archetypical expressions, such as the shadow and the trickster form the basis of dialogue between the conscious ego and the unconscious
psyche in the works. This dialogue results in transcendent symbols of interrelationship between the ego and the psyche. Exploration of the graphic narratives illustrate the ways in which early childhood forms an identification with the shadow, while later childhood and adulthood assimilate
the personal shadow and reject the shadow's collective aspects in order to regulate society. The sequential narratives present Jungian 'active imagination' in motion through the adult contributions of narrator and artist, illustrating development towards balanced selfhood. An investigation
of the 'dark reflections' present within these works results in a deeper understanding of imagery associated with individuation and affirms the process of visual narrative as a mode for psychological exploration. The place of psychological autobiographical graphic narratives within the wider
genre of autobiographical graphic narratives is also discussed, highlighting a need for further consideration of genre classification.
Novel compound heterozygous mutations in the SBP2 gene: characteristic clinical manifestations and the implications of GH and triiodothyronine in longitudinal bone growth and maturation
Authors: Hamajima Takashi , Mushimoto Yuichi , Kobayashi Hironori , Saito Yoshiro , Onigata Kazumichi
Published: January 2012

Objective

Mutations in the selenocysteine insertion sequence binding protein 2 gene (SECISBP2 also known as SBP2) lead to a multisystemic disorder. Our objectives are to examine the clinical manifestations of the present patient and evaluate the effects of GH and triiodothyronine (T3) for longitudinal bone growth and maturation.

Methods

A Japanese boy presented with unusual thyroid function tests (normal or slightly elevated TSH, low-normal or slightly decreased free T3 (FT3), and elevated free thyroxine (FT4)), short stature without GH deficiency, and delayed bone maturation. The entire coding region of the patient's SBP2 was analyzed. GH treatment was initiated when the patient was 4 years old, and combination therapy with GH plus T3 was started when the patient was 10 years old. We monitored the patient's height and bone age until he was 11 years old.

Results

The patient showed typical symptoms of SBP2 deficiency, and novel compound heterozygous mutations were identified in SBP2 (p.M515fsX563/p.Q79X). Six years of GH monotherapy improved the patient's height s.d. from −3.4 to −1.7 without accelerating bone maturation, whereas 6 months of T3 treatment combined with GH almost normalized the thyroid function tests and improved both longitudinal bone growth and maturation.

Conclusions

In the growth plate, GH may compensate for decreased local T3 effects on longitudinal bone growth; however, GH does not appear to compensate for the effects of T3 on bone maturation. We believe that the present case has important implications for understanding the mechanism of thyroid hormone and GH on longitudinal bone growth and maturation.
Nível de atividade física em professores da rede estadual de ensino
Authors: Brito Wellington Fabiano , Santos Carolina Lemes dos , Marcolongo Alessandra do Amaral , Campos Marcelo Dias , Bocalini Danilo Sales , Antonio Ednei Luiz , Silva Junior José Antonio , Tucci Paulo José Ferreira , Serra Andrey Jorge
Published: January 2012

OBJETIVO: Avaliar o nível de atividade física em professores da rede pública estadual de ensino. MÉTODOS: Estudo transversal conduzido com 1.681 professores de São Paulo, SP, em 2009. A versão curta do Questionário Internacional de Atividade Física foi aplicada e o nível de atividade física dos professores foi categorizado em baixo, moderado ou alto. A amostra foi estratificada por idade, região da cidade e sexo. O teste de qui-quadrado foi aplicado nas comparações e o nível de significância adotado foi de p < 0,05. RESULTADOS: A prevalência de nível baixo de atividade física foi de 46,3%, e os níveis moderado e alto representaram 42,7% e 11%, respectivamente. Níveis baixos de atividade física foram mais prevalentes em indivíduos de 31 a 42 anos (19,5%) e menor prevalência foi observada de 55 a 66 anos (5,7%). Níveis moderados e altos foram menos prevalentes em idade mais avançada. Mais professores apresentaram nível baixo (50,5%) e alto (11,4%) de atividade física na região leste em relação à sul (baixo: 48,6%; alto: 8.1%). O número de professores com nível moderado foi significativamente menor na região leste (38,1%) comparada à sul (43,3%). O número de homens com nível baixo (53%) e alto (14,1%) de atividade física foi significantemente maior que em mulheres (baixo: 42,9%; alto: 9,4%). A prevalência de homens com nível moderado (32,9%) foi significativamente menor em comparação às mulheres (47,7%). CONCLUSÕES: A prevalência de nível baixo de atividade física foi marcadamente elevada. Diferenças nas idades, regiões e sexos devem ser consideradas no planejamento e direcionamento de campanhas que visem promover aumento dos níveis de atividade física nessa população.
Características e fatores associados às quedas atendidas em serviços de emergência
Authors: Malta Deborah Carvalho , Silva Marta Maria Alves da , Mascarenhas Márcio Dênis Medeiros , Sá Naíza Nayla Bandeira de , Morais Neto Otaliba Libânio de , Bernal Regina Tomie Ivata , Monteiro Rosane Aparecida , Andrade Silvânia Suely Caribé de Araújo , Gawryszewski Vilma Pinheiro
Published: January 2012

OBJETIVO: Analisar as características dos atendimentos decorrentes de quedas em serviços de urgência e emergência e identificar fatores associados. MÉTODOS: Estudo transversal com 12.617 atendimentos decorrentes de quedas registrados no Sistema de Vigilância de Violências e Acidentes, coletados em 23 capitais e Distrito Federal, de setembro a novembro de 2009, por meio de uma amostra por conglomerado. Foi utilizada a técnica de análise de correspondência, por permitir a observação conjunta de um grande número de variáveis qualitativas. RESULTADOS: A maior parte das vítimas foi do sexo masculino (56,5%), faixa etária de 0 a 19 anos (45,7%) e declarados não brancos (62,2%). A maioria das quedas ocorreu na residência (54,6%) e via pública (17,4%); 14,3% foram relacionadas ao trabalho. Os tipos predominantes foram "queda no mesmo nível" (57,0%) e "queda de escada/degrau" (15,6%). A maioria das lesões foi classificada como entorse, luxação, contusão, corte e laceração (68,3%). Quedas dentre as crianças associaram-se à ocorrência na residência; com os adolescentes na escola; e jovens na prática esportiva. Quedas em adultos estiveram associadas ao local de trabalho, queda de andaimes, telhados, escada/degrau e buracos e uso de álcool. As quedas no mesmo nível resultaram em lesões de menor gravidade, em membros inferiores e superiores, e as quedas de andaime e telhado se associaram com lesões de maior gravidade e internações. CONCLUSÕES: Os resultados mostram que estratégias para a prevenção das quedas devem ser implantadas particularmente em residências, escolas e ambientes de trabalho.
Indicadores da institucionalização de idosos: estudo de casos e controles
Authors: Del Duca Giovâni Firpo , Silva Shana Ginar da , Thumé Elaine , Santos Iná S , Hallal Pedro C
Published: January 2012

OBJETIVO: Identificar indicadores da institucionalização de idosos. MÉTODOS: Estudo de casos e controles com 991 idosos em Pelotas, RS, de 2007 a 2008. Os casos (idosos institucionalizados; n = 393) foram detectados por meio de um censo em todas as instituições de longa permanência para idosos da cidade. Os controles populacionais (n = 598) foram selecionados de forma aleatória, por meio de um amplo inquérito de saúde. Na comparação dos grupos, foram empregados os testes qui-quadrado de Pearson e tendência linear na análise bruta e o modelo de regressão logística binária na análise ajustada, com medidas de efeito expressas em odds ratio. RESULTADOS: A institucionalização foi mais freqüente no sexo feminino (OR = 1,96; IC95% 1,31;2,95). Idosos com idade avançada (OR = 3,23 e OR = 9,56 para faixas etárias de 70-79 e > 80 anos, respectivamente), que viviam sem companheiro (solteiros, separados e viúvos), não possuíam escolaridade formal e apresentavam incapacidade funcional para atividades básicas da vida diária apresentaram maior probabilidade de institucionalização. Observou-se tendência inversa entre a ocorrência de institucionalização do idoso e o nível de atividade física, em que sujeitos pouco ativos e inativos apresentaram maiores probabilidades de institucionalização (OR = 1,71 e OR = 4,73, respectivamente). CONCLUSÕES: Dentre todas as características investigadas nos idosos, idade > 80 anos, viver sem companheiro e ser fisicamente inativo foram os indicadores mais fortemente associados à ocorrência de institucionalização. O incentivo ao cuidado informal, a partir de ações educativas e culturais focadas no papel da família para o idoso, pode impedir a institucionalização desses indivíduos.
Sobre o uso de métodos qualitativos em Saúde Coletiva, ou a falta que faz uma teoria
Authors: Gomes Mara H de Andrea , Silveira Cássio
Published: January 2012

O artigo problematiza certos usos de métodos qualitativos no campo da saúde coletiva que se caracterizam pela ausência de referências teóricas e escamoteiam a racionalidade presente na sua exclusiva utilização como técnica. A proliferação e aceitação desses estudos possivelmente ocorrem pela força da racionalidade instrumental com que têm sido conduzidos. Freqüentemente vistos de maneira cuidadosa, os resultados nem sempre são secundados pela apresentação criteriosa do quadro teórico que fundamenta a interpretação. O uso de técnicas "validadas", os discursos construídos e as narrativas das ações dos "sujeitos" pesquisados não comprometem o pesquisador na relação, já que prescindem da contextualização histórico-espacial e do marco teórico-metodológico que imprimem sentido histórico e social aos estudos.
Associação entre atividade física e qualidade de vida em adultos
Authors: Pucci Gabrielle Cristine Moura Fernandes , Rech Cassiano Ricardo , Fermino Rogério César , Reis Rodrigo Siqueira
Published: January 2012

OBJETIVO: Sintetizar e analisar as evidências da literatura sobre a associação entre atividade física e qualidade de vida. MÉTODOS: Revisão sistemática nas bases PubMed, Lilacs e SciELO com utilização dos descritores "physical activity", "motor activity", "exercise", "walking", "running", "physical fitness", "sport", "life style", "quality of life", "WHOQOL" e "SF". Foram selecionados 38 estudos publicados entre 1980 e 2010 que utilizaram algum instrumento de medida da atividade física e com alguma versão dos questionários Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey ou World Health Organization Quality of Life para avaliar a qualidade de vida. RESULTADOS: A maioria dos estudos apresentou delineamento transversal (68%), 18% foram experimentais, 8% de acompanhamento prospectivo (coorte) e 5% com delineamento misto (transversal e longitudinal). O questionário mais utilizado para avaliar a qualidade de vida foi o SF-36 (71%) e a atividade física foi auto-reportada em 82% dos estudos. Maior nível de atividade física associou-se à melhor percepção de qualidade de vida em idosos, adultos aparentemente saudáveis ou em diferentes condições de saúde. CONCLUSÕES: A associação entre atividade física e qualidade de vida é positiva e varia de acordo com o domínio analisado.
Tratamentos hidrotérmico e com radiação UV-C no controle pós-colheita da podridão olho-de-boi em uma linha comercial de seleção de maçãs
Authors: Bartnicki Vinícius Adão , Valdebenito-Sanhueza Rosa Maria , Amarante Cassandro Vidal Talamini do , Steffens Cristiano André
Published: January 2012

Avaliaram-se os efeitos da aspersão hidrotérmica e da radiação UV-C no controle pós-colheita da podridão olho-de-boi (POB) em maçãs 'Fuji', após um e oito meses de armazenamento, e 'Gala', após cinco meses de armazenamento, ambas sob condição de atmosfera controlada (AC). Esses frutos foram inoculados ou mantidos com infecção natural de Cryptosporiopsis perennans. As maçãs 'Fuji' foram submetidas aos seguintes tratamentos, aplicados em uma linha comercial de seleção: sem tratamento (testemunha); aspersão hidrotérmica (água a 50ºC por 12 segundos); radiação UV-C (0,0069 kJ m-2); e aspersão hidrotérmica + radiação UV-C. As maçãs 'Gala' também foram submetidas a estes tratamentos utilizados em 'Fuji', exceto ao tratamento com aspersão hidrotérmica + radiação UV-C. Após os tratamentos, as maçãs foram incubadas a 22ºC por 15 dias e avaliadas quanto à incidência da doença. Nas maçãs 'Fuji', os tratamentos de aspersão hidrotérmica e/ou radiação UV-C reduziram a incidência da POB nos frutos inoculados e com infecção natural, proporcionando controle superior a 56% e 54%, em relação à testemunha, respectivamente. Em maçãs 'Gala' inoculadas, os tratamentos com aspersão hidrotérmica e radiação UV-C também reduziram o número de unidades formadoras de colônias (UFC) nos frutos, com controle superior a 70%, e a incidência da POB, com controle superior a 69% em relação à testemunha. Em maçãs 'Gala', com infecção natural, estes tratamentos apresentaram controle da POB superior a 85% em relação à testemunha. Os resultados obtidos mostram que os tratamentos com aspersão hidrotérmica e/ou radiação UV-C reduzem a incidência da POB em maçãs 'Fuji' e 'Gala', em linha comercial de seleção. Todavia, o uso da radiação UV-C, em ambas as cultivares, foi o tratamento que apresentou maior benefício e retorno econômico.
Patogenicidade de Meloidogyne mayaguensis em goiabeira 'Paluma' em condições de microparcelas
Authors: Almeida Eduardo José de , Alves Gleina Costa Silva , Santos Jaime Maia dos , Ruas Anderson Robert
Published: January 2012

Avaliaram-se a relação entre densidade populacional inicial de Meloidogyne mayaguensis em mudas de goiabeiras 'Paluma', seu desenvolvimento vegetativo e a primeira colheita, em condições de microparcelas na área experimental do Departamento de Fitossanidade da UNESP/ FCAV, Jaboticabal-SP. Os tratamentos consistiram em cinco níveis crescentes de inóculo (0; 10; 100; 1.000 e 10.000 ovos+juvenis de segundo estádio - J2) aplicados por planta. Periodicamente, foram avaliados os seguintes parâmetros: diâmetro do tronco, comprimento dos ramos, massa fresca e seca da parteaérea retirada nas podas e área foliar. Verificou-se que todas variáveis quantitativas foram afetadas na relação direta com os níveis de inóculo do nematoide. Todas as plantas inoculadas com 1.000 ovos e J2 morreram 10 meses após a inoculação. Houve produção de frutos somente nas plantas dos níveis 0 (zero) e 10 ovos + J2 de M. mayaguensis/planta. Não houve diferença significativa entre os tratamentos quanto à massa dos frutos, porém o comprimento, a largura e o número de frutos por planta foram superiores nas plantas não inoculadas.