bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Glutathionyl Hemoglobin Is Elevated in Iron Deficiency Anemia
Authors: Shet A.S. , Pinto S.M. , Mitra G. , Mandal A.K.
Published: October 2011

There are few good biomarkers of iron deficiency anemia (IDA). Since IDA patients have evidence for increased oxidative stress, we used mass spectrometry (MS) [i.e. matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) and electrospray ionization] to identify novel biomarkers. Using MALDI-MS, the following oxidative modifications of hemoglobin with the following mass-to-charge ratios were identified: 1,087.5 (α32–40), 1,545.7 (α17–31), 1,290.0 (β31–40) and 2,076.1 (β41–59). On electrospray ionization MS, the IDA patients had significantly elevated glutathionyl hemoglobin (GSHb) compared with the controls (16.9 ± 9.6 vs. 7.7 ± 3.7%; p = 0.002). GSHb levels correlated inversely with serum ferritin (Spearman rho –0.485; p = 0.003) and positively with serum transferrin receptor (0.460; p = 0.002). GSHb also demonstrated inverse correlations with hemoglobin (–0.512; p = 0.001), mean cell volume (–0.419; p = 0.026), serum iron (–0.446; p = 0.008) and transferrin saturation (–0.460; p = 0.008). For the first time, we show that GSHb is elevated in patients with IDA and has potential as a biomarker of this form of anemia.
Effectiveness of Therapeutic Communities: A Systematic Review
Authors: Malivert Marion , Fatséas Mélina , Denis Cécile , Langlois Emmanuel , Auriacombe Marc
Published: October 2011

Background: Therapeutic communities (TCs) are drug-free residential settings, focused on psychosocial rehabilitation. While TCs are considered an effective method, the bulk of the research evidence is from poorly controlled studies. The goal of this study was to evaluate TC effectiveness in terms of abstinence and to determine if there were predictive factors of abstinence. Methods: The search used Medline up to January 30, 2011 and was based on a systematic review method. Studies on retention in treatment and/or substance use were considered. Results: Of the 321 studies retrieved from Medline, 12 met selection criteria including overall 3,271 participants from 61 TCs. On average, subjects stayed in TC a third of the planned time. The completion rate ranged from 9 to 56%. All studies showed that substance use decreased during TC, but relapse was frequent after TC. Treatment completion was the most predictive factor of abstinence at follow-up. Surprisingly, psychiatric comorbidities did not appear associated with relapse or with dropout. Conclusions: There was a drop in consumption after TC, but long-lasting benefits were uncertain. Further studies are needed in order to compare the efficacy of TC programs and other types of treatment settings for substance-related disorders.
The Evolution of Vascular Tissue Engineering and Current State of the Art
Authors: Peck Marissa , Gebhart David , Dusserre Nathalie , McAllister Todd N. , L’Heureux Nicolas
Published: October 2011

Dacron® (polyethylene terephthalate) and Goretex® (expanded polytetrafluoroethylene) vascular grafts have been very successful in replacing obstructed blood vessels of large and medium diameters. However, as diameters decrease below 6 mm, these grafts are clearly outperformed by transposed autologous veins and, particularly, arteries. With approximately 8 million individuals with peripheral arterial disease, over 500,000 patients diagnosed with end-stage renal disease, and over 250,000 patients per year undergoing coronary bypass in the USA alone, there is a critical clinical need for a functional small-diameter conduit [Lloyd-Jones et al., Circulation 2010;121:e46–e215]. Over the last decade, we have witnessed a dramatic paradigm shift in cardiovascular tissue engineering that has driven the field away from biomaterial-focused approaches and towards more biology-driven strategies. In this article, we review the preclinical and clinical efforts in the quest for a tissue-engineered blood vessel that is free of permanent synthetic scaffolds but has the mechanical strength to become a successful arterial graft. Special emphasis is given to the tissue engineering by self-assembly (TESA) approach, which has been the only one to reach clinical trials for applications under arterial pressure.
Molecular Mechanisms Controlling Vascular Lumen Formation in Three-Dimensional Extracellular Matrices
Authors: Sacharidou Anastasia , Stratman Amber N. , Davis George E.
Published: October 2011

Considerable progress has been made toward a molecular understanding of how cells form lumen and tube structures in three-dimensional (3D) extracellular matrices (ECM). This progress has occurred through work performed with endothelial and epithelial cell models using both in vitro and in vivo approaches. Despite the apparent similarities between endothelial and epithelial cell lumen and tube formation mechanisms, there are clear distinctions that directly relate to their functional differences. This review will focus on endothelial cell (EC) lumen formation mechanisms which control blood vessel formation during development and postnatal life. Of great interest is that an EC lumen signaling complex has been identified which controls human EC lumen and tube formation in 3D matrices and which coordinates integrin-ECM contacts, cell surface proteolysis, cytoskeletal rearrangements, and cell polarity. This complex consists of the collagen-binding integrin α2β1, the collagen-degrading membrane-type 1 matrix metalloproteinase (MT1-MMP), junction adhesion molecule (Jam)C, JamB, polarity proteins Par3 and Par6b, and the Rho GTPase Cdc42-GTP. These interacting proteins are necessary to stimulate 3D matrix-specific signaling events (including activation of protein kinase cascades that regulate the actin and microtubule cytoskeletons) to control the formation of EC lumens and tube networks. Also, EC lumen formation is directly coupled to the generation of vascular guidance tunnels, enzymatically generated ECM conduits that facilitate EC tube remodeling and maturation. Mural cells such as pericytes are recruited along EC tubes within these tunnel spaces to control ECM remodeling events resulting in vascular basement membrane matrix assembly, a key step in tube maturation and stabilization.
Can Help for Patients Be Too Expensive? Ethical Considerations and End-Stage Lung Disease
Authors: Maio Giovanni
Published: October 2011

The treatment of patients with end-stage lung disease is very expensive. In an era of cost containment, the physician could be forced to restrict his therapy in order to spend less. But does the physician really have the right to restrict a reasonable therapy for economic reasons? It is argued that the mission of medicine is to help people in need and that any confidence is shaken if the physician is forced to be both physician and gatekeeper at the same time. It is argued that medicine as a central form of care will only be able to survive if it has the chance to remain a free profession, a profession which has the liberty to help each individual patient even if this help is expensive. However, it remains a duty of the physician to accept limits and to learn that for a good death it is necessary to be honest and to talk early enough about the possibilities of palliative care.
The Anti-Inflammatory Drug Colchicine Lacks Efficacy in Hidradenitis Suppurativa
Authors: van der Zee H.H. , Prens E.P.
Published: October 2011

Background: Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic, inflammatory skin disease. Since current treatments are unsatisfactory for many patients, there is a high need for effective drugs for this debilitating disease. Recent pathogenic insights suggest inflammasome activation and IL-1β production are important in HS. Colchicine is efficacious in the IL-1β- and inflammasome-mediated diseases gout, familial Mediterranean fever and Behçet’s disease, and therefore a potentially effective drug in HS. Objective: To investigate the efficacy of colchicine in HS. Methods: In an open prospective pilot study, 8 HS patients were treated with the accepted gout maintenance regimen of 0.5 mg colchicine b.i.d. orally up to 4 months. Efficacy was assessed by a physician global assessment. Results: Colchicine treatment did not result in a clinically relevant improvement of disease severity. Three patients experienced nausea and diarrhea as known side effects. Conclusion: Colchicine in the used dose regimen does not ameliorate HS severity.
Heterozygote Advantage of the MTHFR C677T Polymorphism on Specific Cognitive Performance in Elderly Chinese Males without Dementia
Authors: Tsai Shih-Jen , Hong Chen-Jee , Yeh Heng-Liang , Liou Ying-Jay , Yang Albert C. , Liu Mu-En , Hwang Jen-Ping
Published: October 2011

Aims: Aging is associated with cognitive deterioration, and genetic factors are implicated in individual cognitive differences in the aged. The C677T mutation in the 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase gene (MTHFR) yields a common thermolabile variant (T) with reduced enzyme activity and consequent elevation of serum homocysteine concentrations. We designed the present study to investigate whether this functional polymorphism may affect global and specific cognitive functions in older Chinese males without dementia. Methods: The subjects included 356 elderly males without major psychiatric disorders or dementia, who were assessed by the Cognitive Abilities Screening Instruments (CASI) and the Wechsler Digit Span Task tests. Results: A significant association was found between the MTHFR C677T polymorphism and total CASI scores (p = 0.012), particularly in short-term memory (p = 0.002) and concentration/mental manipulation (p = 0.007). Post hoc tests indicated that the C/T heterozygotes achieved better cognitive function test results than C/C or T/T carriers. No association was found between the MTHFR genotype and the Wechsler Digit Span Task tests. Conclusion: These results suggest that a heterozygote advantage exists for the MTHFR C677T polymorphism in specific cognitive functions in elderly Chinese males without dementia.
Characteristics of Failure to Thrive in a Referral Population
Authors: Atalay Alev , McCord Mary
Published: October 2011

Failure to thrive (FTT) in children is an important pediatric problem. Environmental and behavioral causes predominate, and detrimental effects on neurocognitive development are well documented. Multidisciplinary clinics designed to identify and treat FTT are effective but have not been widely adopted. A retrospective chart review was conducted of all patients with FTT seen at the authors’ large inner-city children’s hospital over a 40-month period, including those referred to a new multidisciplinary clinic. Over 40 months, only 75 children were referred and only 20 had moderate or severe FTT ( z-score <−2.0). Nutritional status improved with treatment, but the small number of referrals who were severely affected led to the closing of the clinic. Recommendations for evaluating and treating children with mild FTT in primary care settings and a standardized definition of FTT that warrants more intensive treatment would help ensure that children were referred and treated appropriately.
Can the Internet Be Used to Reach Parents for Family-Based Childhood Obesity Interventions?
Authors: Hohman Katherine H. , Price Sarah N. , Sonneville Kendrin , Rifas-Shiman Sheryl L. , Gortmaker Steven L. , Gillman Matthew W. , Taveras Elsie M.
Published: October 2011

Objective. This study aimed to identify socioeconomic correlates of computer/Internet use among parents of overweight preschool-aged children. Methods. A total of 470 baseline participants in a trial to prevent obesity in children 2 to 6.9 years old with body mass index ≥95th percentile or 85th to 95th percentile with one overweight parent were studied. Interviews with parents used Health Information National Trends Survey questions. Results/conclusions. Overall, 94% of the participants had home computers and 93% reported Internet usage. In adjusted models, parents with ≤college degree (odds ratio = 4.8; 95% confidence interval = 1.2-18.3) or with household income ≤$50 000 (odds ratio = 7.6; 95% confidence interval = 2.2-26.8) had decreased likelihood of computer ownership. Of parents who reported going online, 63% used Internet to look for health/medical information for themselves and 42% for their children. Parents with ≤a college degree or with body mass index <25 kg/m2 were less likely to use Internet. Results support using the Internet for early childhood obesity prevention with enhanced outreach efforts for low socioeconomic status families.
Environmental Protection and Nature as Distinct Attitudinal Objects
Authors: Kaiser Florian G. , Hartig Terry , Brügger Adrian , Duvier Caroline
Published: October 2011

In environmental psychology, many researchers have apparently placed appreciation of nature and appreciation of environmental protection in the same attitudinal category. In this article, the authors argue that this involves a misconception. The authors used survey data from 1,336 Swiss adults to compare competing attitudinal models: the currently accepted one-dimensional model against a two-dimensional model that distinguishes appreciation of nature from appreciation of environmental protection. A Rasch-type measurement model was implemented to test the theoretically anticipated item-factor structure. The model that treated appreciation of nature and appreciation of environmental protection as distinct attitudes was statistically superior to the one-dimensional model. The gains in reliability and model accuracy were modest, but the authors see substantial theoretical and practical value in treating appreciation of nature and appreciation of environmental protection as separate attitudes. For example, if the intention is to promote more environmental engagement, then appreciation of nature might be the more malleable target and thus the critical factor for change.
Poppies for Medicine in Afghanistan: Lessons from India and Turkey
Authors: Windle James
Published: October 2011

This study examines India and Turkey as case studies relevant to the Senlis Council’s ‘poppies for medicine’ proposal. The proposal is that Afghan farmers are licensed to produce opium for medical and scientific purposes. Here it is posited that the Senlis proposal neglects at least three key lessons from the Turkish and Indian experiences. First, not enough weight has been given to diversion from licit markets, as experienced in India. Second, both India and Turkey had significantly more efficient state institutions with authority over the licensed growing areas. Third, the proposal appears to overlook the fact that Turkey’s successful transition was largely due to the use of the poppy straw method of opium production. It is concluded that, while innovative and creative policy proposals such as that of the Senlis proposal are required if Afghanistan is to move beyond its present problems, ‘poppies for medicine’ does not withstand evidence-based scrutiny.
Young, Black, and Connected
Authors: Lee E. Bun
Published: October 2011

This article examines the extent and intensity of Facebook usage among African American college students and investigates their reasons for using Facebook. As expected, 98% of students in the survey had a Facebook account, and a large number of Facebook “friends.” Younger users spent significantly more time on Facebook than older ones. Our findings underscore the importance of cultural influence for African American online users. Displaying photographs and personal interests on Facebook signals racial identity among African American college students. Personality traits, such as self-esteem, trust in people, satisfaction with university life, and racial identity, were not significant predictors on the time spent on Facebook.
Nanomechanical properties of magnesium-based hybrid composites with graphite nanofiber and alumina short fiber
Authors: Babu J. S. S. , Kang C. G.
Published: October 2011

In this study, an attempt was made to evaluate the nanomechanical properties of magnesium-based hybrid composites with graphite nanofibers (GNFs) and alumina short fibers (Al2O3sf) by nanoindentation. The nanoindentation was performed using continuous stiffness measurement (CSM) method with an indentation depth of 2000 nm. To find out the modulus and hardness of composites of local regions, indentation tests were carried out in different locations of the sample, such as GNFs/Al2O3sf region, Al2O3sf region, GNFs cluster, and Mg matrix. The modulus and hardness values closer to the GNFs/Al2O3sf region are higher than those of the corresponding to the other regions primarily because of a higher constraint to the localized matrix deformation during indentation. Furthermore, the presence of GNFs can act as a barrier for movement of dislocations enhancing the indentation properties. The presence of MgO/Mg17Al12 also can contribute to improve the nanoindentation properties of the present composite system.
A note on the nonlinear mechanical behavior of planar random network structures subjected to in-plane compression
Authors: Åslund Pär E. , Isaksson Per
Published: October 2011

The microstructural effect on the mechanical behavior of idealized two-dimensional random fiber networks subjected to in-plane compression is studied. A finite element model utilizing nonlinear beam elements assuming a linearly elastic material is developed. On a macroscopic level, random fiber networks often display an asymmetric material behavior when loaded in tension and compression. In mechanical models, this nonlinearity is traditionally described using continuum elastic-inelastic and/or damage models even though using a continuum approach risks overlooking microstructural effects.

It is found that even though a linear elastic material model is used for the individual fibers, the network gives a nonlinear response in compression. The nonlinearity is found to be caused by buckling of individual fibers. This reversible nonlinear mechanism is limited in tensile loading and hence offers an alternative explanation to the global asymmetry of random fibernetworks.
Effects of multiple carbon fillers on the electrical and thermal conductivity and tensile and flexural modulus of polycarbonate-based resins
Authors: King Julia A. , Via Michael D. , Mills Owen P. , Alpers Daniel S. , Sutherland John W. , Bogucki Gregg R.
Published: October 2011

Adding conductive carbon fillers to insulating thermoplastic polymers increases the electrical conductivity of the resulting composite, which could allow them to be used in electrostatic dissipative and semiconductive applications. In this study, three different carbon fillers (carbon black [CB], carbon nanotubes [CNTs], and exfoliated graphite nanoplatelets [GNPs]) were studied via three different combinations of two different fillers (CB/CNT, CB/GNP, and CNT/GNP). These filler combinations were studied via three 32 factorial designs, which considered the following loading levels: CB: 0, 2, 5 wt%; CNT: 0, 1, 5 wt%; and GNP: 0, 2, 5 wt%. These composites were compounded, injection molded, and tested for electrical and thermal conductivity (TC), and tensile and flexural modulus. All of the single fillers caused a statistically significant increase at the 95% confidence level in composite electrical and TC, and tensile and flexural modulus. Many two filler interactions had a statistically significant effect on composite electrical and TC, and tensile and flexural modulus. For example, when CB and CNT are combined into a composite, the composite tensile modulus is higher than what would be expected from the additive effect of each single filler. Five different formulations (four containing two filler combinations) could be used for electrostatic dissipative applications and seven different formulations (six containing two filler combinations) may be used for semiconductive applications.
Introduction
Authors: Hitzer Bettina , Schlör Joachim
Published: October 2011

This article introduces a special issue that investigates the place of religion in the spatial and cultural organization of west and east European cities in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Discussing different frameworks for a conceptualization of the role of religion within the urban context during the past two hundred years, it argues for adopting a broader perspective that takes into account the multiple and often conflicting processes and practices of religious modernization. Thus, it places particular emphasis on scrutinizing a space in between, that is to say, the area of contact between the outward influence on the spatial development of religious communities on the one hand and the inner workings of such communities on the other hand. Based on an 1880s debate over the way Jewish immigrants changed the religious landscape of New York Jewry as well as on the results of the following contributions, it supports a fresh look at the turn of the century as a period of intensified religious life and visibility within metropolises that contributed to the development of more “modern,” individualized forms of religious sociability and, in the same vein, fostered the emergence of modern urbanity.
The Political Geography of Judaism in Late Imperial Kiev
Authors: Meir Natan
Published: October 2011

This article explores the institutional religious life of the Jews of late imperial Kiev. Jewish residence in Kiev was restricted by the state, and Jewish life was governed by a complex web of government regulations. Drawing on archival documents such as petitions submitted to the government by groups of working-class Kiev Jews, the author’s research investigates the strategies that Jews employed to establish synagogues and other religious institutions and the various challenges that they faced in doing so. It also places this history within the larger context of organized religion in the Russian Empire by drawing comparisons to parallel phenomena among various Christian denominations in the empire.
Religion, Politics, and Modern Culture in Interwar Amsterdam
Authors: Kaal Harm
Published: October 2011

According to the statistics, the Dutch capital, Amsterdam, was becoming ever more secular during the interwar years (1918-1940). This article, however, argues that religion in Amsterdam continued to have a big impact on urban government and society. During the interwar years, social and political debates about modernization, and the emergence of mass entertainment in particular, were strongly influenced by religious ideas, norms, and values; Amsterdam’s public sphere was still charged with religion.
Alcohol- and Drug-Involved Driving in the United States
Authors: Lacey John H. , Kelley-Baker Tara , Voas Robert B. , Romano Eduardo , Furr-Holden C. Debra , Torres Pedro , Berning Amy
Published: October 2011

This article describes the methodology used in the 2007 U.S. National Roadside Survey to estimate the prevalence of alcohol- and drug-impaired driving and alcohol- and drug-involved driving. This study involved randomly stopping drivers at 300 locations across the 48 continental U.S. states at sites selected through a stratified random sampling procedure. Data were collected during a 2-hr Friday daytime session at 60 locations and during 2-hr nighttime weekend periods at 240 locations. Both self-report and biological measures were taken. Biological measures included breath alcohol measurements from 9,413 respondents, oral fluid samples from 7,719 respondents, and blood samples from 3,276 respondents.
The randomized fast-track trial in palliative care: Role, utility and ethics in the evaluation of interventions in palliative care?
Authors: Higginson Irene J , Booth Sara
Published: October 2011

Background: Randomized trials are the gold standard method for evaluating treatments and services in health care. However, they are often difficult to complete in palliative care, and suffer from poor recruitment.

Aim: To introduce the randomized fast-track trial and its potential use in palliative care.

Method: The randomized fast-track trial is a form of randomized trial with two periods. In the first, the trial runs as a normal randomized trial. In the second period, the standard (control) group also are offered the intervention. The design is adapted from a ‘wait list’ design (sometimes called a deferred entry or delayed intervention trial) but is both less confusing for patients, who are not on waiting lists, and more appropriate to the nature of services offered. The methodology has the advantage of being more acceptable to many patients, clinicians and ethics committees than standard randomized trials, because all patients will eventually be offered the intervention. Yet it has the rigour of a traditional randomized trial. However, care is needed to ensure the correct timing for the first period, before the standard group receive the intervention. The analysis of data in the second period is complex.

Conclusion: The fast-track trial has been used successfully in palliative care among patients severely affected by multiple sclerosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and cancer. It is best suited to evaluations of palliative care services among patients who have longer prognoses, for example of several months or more although it has been used in people with prognoses of weeks.
Management of chronic cough in patients receiving palliative care: Review of evidence and recommendations by a task group of the Association for Palliative Medicine of Great Britain and Ireland
Authors: Wee Bee , Browning Juliet , Adams Astrid , Benson Debbie , Howard Paul , Klepping Gwen , Molassiotis Alex , Taylor David
Published: October 2011

Background:

Chronic cough is a disruptive and exhausting symptom, reported as very distressing in a quarter of those in their last year of life. Existing guidelines for management of chronic cough primarily deal with the commonest benign causes of cough: asthma; eosinophilic bronchitis; gastro-oesophageal reflux disease; rhinosinusitis.

Aim/design:

to examine what literature evidence exists and formulate recommendations for managing chronic cough in patients with advanced, progressive, life-limiting illnesses.

Data sources:

Electronic databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, Google Scholar); hand-search; grey literature.

Results:

Of 11 initially eligible studies, 5 provided evidence at level 2 or better. The small size of these studies, heterogeneity of study population and diversity of interventions and outcome measures used meant that comparison across studies and compilation of guidelines based on high-quality evidence was not possible. Pragmatic recommendations based on available evidence were formulated, drawing on the included studies and, in addition, extrapolating from two other well-designed studies involving patients with chronic cough. They also took into consideration convenience, toxicity and minimizing burden and harm of intervention, as well as considering the potential for disease-directed treatment and the possibility of pharmacological and co-existing benign causes of chronic cough.

Conclusions:

These recommendations (Grade D) include simple linctus, therapeutic trial of sodium cromoglycate and then prescription of an opioid or opioid derivative (dextromethorphan, morphine or codeine). Further research is clearly and urgently required in this area for more effective approaches to managing cough, tested in trials that have sufficient size, power and validity.
Establishing hospice care for prison populations: An integrative review assessing the UK and USA perspective
Authors: Stone Katie , Papadopoulos Irena , Kelly Daniel
Published: October 2011

Background:

models of care based on the hospice model have delivered effective support to dying people since their inception. Over the last 20 years this form of care has also been introduced into the prison system (mainly in the United States) to afford terminally ill inmates the right to die with dignity.

Aim:

the aim of this review is to examine the evidence from the United States and the United Kingdom on the promotion of palliative care in the prison sector, summarizing examples of good practice and identifying barriers for the provision of end-of-life care within the prison environment both in the USA and UK.

Design:

an integrative review design was adopted using the Green et al. model incorporating theoretical and scientific lines of enquiry.

Data sources:

literature was sourced from six electronic databases between the years 2000 and 2011; the search rendered both qualitative and quantitative papers, discussion papers, ‘grey literature’ and other review articles.

Results:

the results highlight a number of issues surrounding the implementation of palliative care services within the prison setting and emphasize the disparity between the USA model of care (which emphasizes the in-prison hospice) and the UK model of care (which emphasizes palliative care in-reach) for dying prisoners.

Conclusion:

the provision of palliative care for the increasing prison population remains under-researched globally, with a notable lack of evidence from the United Kingdom.
Reliability and validity of the Thai translation (Thai PPS Adult Suandok) of the Palliative Performance Scale (PPSv2)
Authors: Chewaskulyong Busyamas , Sapinun Ladarat , Downing G Michael , Intaratat Prapai , Lesperance Mary , Leautrakul Suntree , Somwangprasert Areewan , Leerapun Thaninit
Published: October 2011

Purpose:

the Thai PPS Adult Suandok tool was translated from the Palliative Performance Scale (PPSv2) and had been used in Chiang Mai, Thailand for several years.

Aim:

to test the reliability and validity of the Thai translation of PPSv2.

Design:

a set of 22 palliative cases were used to determine a PPS score on Time-1, and repeated two weeks later as Time-2. A survey questionnaire was also completed for qualitative analysis.

Participants:

a total of 70 nurses and physicians from Maharaj Nakorn Hospital in Chiang Mai participated.

Results:

The Time-1 intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) for absolute agreement is 0.911 (95% CI 0.86–0.96) and for consistency is 0.92 (95% CI 0.87–0.96). The Time-2 ICC for agreement is 0.905 (95% CI 0.85–0.95) and for consistency is 0.912 (95% CI 0.86–0.96). These findings indicate good agreement among participants and also were somewhat higher in the Time-2 re-test phase. Cohen’s kappa score is 0.55, demonstrating a moderate agreement. Thematic analysis from the surveys showed that 91% felt PPS to be a valuable clinical tool overall, with it being ‘very useful’ or ‘useful’ in several areas, including care planning (78% and 20%), disease monitoring (69% and 27%) and prognostication (61% and 31%), respectively. Some respondents noted difficulty in determining appropriate scores in paraplegic patients or those with feeding tubes, while others found the instructions long or difficult.

Conclusion:

the Thai PPS Adult Suandok translated tool has good inter- and intra-rater reliability and can be used regularly for clinical care.
Zebrafish (Danio rerio) as a Screen for Attenuation of Lancefield Group C Streptococci and a Model for Streptococcal Pathogenesis
Authors: Borst L. B. , Patterson S. K. , Lanka S. , Suyemoto M. M. , Maddox C. W.
Published: October 2011

Group C streptococci are highly contagious pyogenic bacteria responsible for respiratory tract, lymph node, urogenital tract, and wound infections. Wild-type strains of Streptococcus equi ssp equi ( S. equi) and Streptococcus equi ssp zooepidemicus ( S. zoo) as well as a commercially available modified live vaccine strain of S. equi were evaluated for virulence in zebrafish. Survival times, histologic lesions, and relative gene expression were compared among groups. Based on the intramuscular route of infection, significantly shorter survival times were observed in fish infected with wild-type strain when compared to modified live vaccine and S. zoo strains. Histologically, S. zoo–infected fish demonstrated a marked increase in inflammatory infiltrates (predominantly macrophages) at the site of infection, as well as increased cellularity in the spleen and renal interstitium. In contrast, minimal cellular immune response was observed in S. equi–injected fish with local tissue necrosis and edema predominating. Based on whole comparative genomic hybridization, increased transcription of positive acute-phase proteins, coagulation factors, and antimicrobial peptides were observed in S. equi–injected fish relative to S. zoo–injected fish, while mediators of cellular inflammation, including CXC chemokines and granulin, were upregulated in S. zoo–injected fish relative to S. equi–injected fish. In a screen of 11 clinical isolates, S. equi strains with a single nucleotide deletion in the upstream region of szp, a known virulence factor of streptococci, were found to be significantly attenuated in zebrafish. These collective findings underscore the value of the zebrafish as a model of streptococcal pathogenesis.
The effect of musical fit on consumers’ preferences between competing alternate petrols
Authors: Yeoh Joanne P. S. , North Adrian C.
Published: October 2011

Music that ‘fits’ with the attributes of commercial products should raise the salience of those products over others, and therefore prime their selection. Participants were presented with two advertisements for two competing petrol brands, which featured music that did (not) fit with those brands. Brand preferences were not affected by the advertisements among participants who were regular users of one of the brands. However, participants who were not regular users of either brand demonstrated a preference for the brand advertised with music that ‘fitted’ the brand attributes. This demonstrates that musical ‘fit’ can influence product choice when consumers do not have a clear existing preference for one product over another, but is otherwise of limited commercial value.
Headaches during war: Analysis of presentation, treatment, and factors associated with outcome
Authors: Cohen Steven P , Plunkett Anthony R , Wilkinson Indy , Nguyen Conner , Kurihara Connie , Flagg Artemus , Morlando Benny , Stone Christina , White Ronald L , Anderson-Barnes Victoria C , Galvagno Samuel M
Published: October 2011

Background: Headache is often associated with physical trauma and psychological stress. The aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of headache on personnel deployed in war zones and to identify factors associated with return to duty (RTD).

Methods: Outcome data were prospectively collected on 985 personnel medically evacuated out of Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom for a primary diagnosis of headache between 2004 and 2009. Electronic medical records were reviewed to examine clinical and treatment patterns and the effect that myriad factors had on RTD.

Results: 33.6% of evacuees returned to duty. The most common headaches were post-concussion (34.1%) and migraine (30.0%). Headaches typically associated with trauma such as post-concussion (18.7%), occipital neuralgia (23.1%), and cervicogenic headache (29.7%) had the lowest RTD rates, whereas tension headache (49.6%) was associated with the best outcome. Other variables associated with negative outcome included presence of aura (OR 0.51, 95% CI 0.30–0.88; p = 0.02), traumatic brain injury (OR 0.50, 95% CI 0.29–0.87; p = 0.01), opioid (OR 0.41, 95% CI 0.26–0.63; p < 0.001), and beta-blocker (OR 0.26, 95% CI 0.12–0.61; p = 0.002) use, and co-existing psychopathology ( p < 0.001 in univariable analysis).

Conclusion: Headaches represent a significant cause of unit attrition in personnel deployed in military operations, with physical trauma and co-existing psychopathology associated with poorer outcomes.
Treatment costs and indirect costs of cluster headache: A health economics analysis
Authors: Gaul Charly , Finken Julia , Biermann Janine , Mostardt Sarah , Diener Hans-Christoph , Müller Oliver , Wasem Jürgen , Neumann Anja
Published: October 2011

Background: Cluster headache (CH) is the most frequent trigemino-autonomic cephalgia. CH can manifest as episodic (eCH) or chronic cluster headache (cCH) causing significant burden of disease and requiring attack therapy and prophylactic treatment.

Methods: Treatment costs (direct costs) due to healthcare utilisation, as well as costs caused by disability and reduction in earning capacity (indirect costs), were obtained using a questionnaire in CH patients treated in a tertiary headache centre based at the University Duisburg-Essen over a 6-month period.

Results: A total 179 patients (72 cCH, 107 eCH) were included. Mean attack frequency was 3.5 ± 2.5 per day. Mean direct and indirect costs for one person were €5963 in the 6-month period. Direct costs were positively correlated with attack frequency ( r = 0.467, p < 0.001). Burden of disease measured with HIT-6 showed a significant correlation with attack frequency ( r = 0.467, p < 0.001). Twenty-four (13.4%) of the participants were disabled and not able to work.

Conclusion: CH leads to major socioeconomic impact on patients as well as society due to direct healthcare costs and indirect costs caused by loss of working capacity.
Sports Activity After Short-Stem Hip Arthroplasty
Authors: Schmidutz Florian , Grote Stefan , Pietschmann Matthias , Weber Patrick , Mazoochian Farhad , Fottner Andreas , Jansson Volkmar
Published: October 2011

Background: No data are available about the sports activity of patients with bone-conserving short-stem hip implants.

Hypothesis: Patients can return to a good level of sports activity after implantation of a short-stem hip implant.

Study Design: Case series; Level of evidence, 4.

Methods: The sports activity level of 68 patients (76 hips) after short-stem hip arthroplasty was assessed for a minimum of 2 years after implantation. In addition to the clinical examination, a detailed evaluation of the patients’ sports pattern was obtained. Furthermore, the results were analyzed with regard to gender (female and male) and age (≤55 and >55 years).

Results: After a mean of 2.7 years, patients showed a Harris Hip Score (HHS) of 93.6, a Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index (WOMAC) score of 9.5, and a University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) activity score of 7.6, with each individual participating on average in 3.5 different disciplines after surgery compared with 3.9 before surgery. High-impact activities decreased significantly postoperatively, whereas low-impact activities increased significantly. The duration of the sports activities remained stable, while the frequency actually increased. In contrast, men participated preoperatively in more sports than women (4.3 men vs 3.3 women). However, because of a pronounced decrease in high-impact activities by men, both genders participated in an equal number of sports postoperatively (3.5 men vs 3.5 women). Finally, 45% (n = 31) reported at least one activity that they missed. Most of them were disciplines with an intermediate- or high-impact level.

Conclusion: Patients with a short-stem hip implant can return to a good level of activity postoperatively. Participation in sports almost reached similar levels as preoperatively but with a shift from high- to low-impact activities. This seems desirable from a surgeon’s point of view but should also be communicated to the patient before hip replacement.
Greenhouse gas emission from covered windrow composting with controlled ventilation
Authors: Ermolaev Evgheni , Pell Mikael , Smårs Sven , Sundberg Cecilia , Jönsson Håkan
Published: October 2011

Data on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from full-scale composting of municipal solid waste, investigating the effects of process temperature and aeration combinations, is scarce. Oxygen availability affects the composition of gases emitted during composting. In the present study, two experiments with three covered windrows were set up, treating a mixture of source separated biodegradable municipal solid waste (MSW) fractions from Uppsala, Sweden, and structural amendment (woodchips, garden waste and re-used compost) in the volume proportion 1:2. The effects of different aeration and temperature settings on the emission of methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O) and carbon dioxide (CO2) during windrow composting with forced aeration following three different control schemes were studied. For one windrow, the controller was set to keep the temperature below 40 °C until the pH increased, another windrow had minimal aeration at the beginning of the process and the third one had constant aeration. In the first experiment, CH4 concentrations (CH4:CO2 ratio) increased, from around 0.1% initially to between 1 and 2% in all windrows. In the second experiment, the initial concentrations of CH4 displayed similar patterns of increase between windrows until day 12, when concentration peaked at 3 and 6%, respectively, in two of the windrows. In general, the N2O fluxes remained low (0.46 ± 0.02 ppm) in the experiments and were two to three times the ambient concentrations. In conclusion, the emissions of CH4 and N2O were low regardless of the amount of ventilation. The data indicates a need to perform longer experiments in order to observe further emission dynamics.
From Affirmative Action to Diversity: Toward a Critical Diversity Perspective
Authors: Herring Cedric , Henderson Loren
Published: October 2011

This article provides an overview of changes in the discourse about inclusion as it has evolved from debates about affirmative action to various notions of diversity. The article seeks movement away from ‘colorblind diversity’ and ‘segregated diversity’ toward a ‘critical diversity’ that examines all forms of social inequality, oppression, and stratification that revolve around issues of difference. It lays out concrete strategies for doing so: (1) target goods and resources to excluded people; (2) advocate an expansive notion of diversity, but seek out distributive justice that will serve to assist ‘disprivileged’ groups; (3) shift resources away from privileged groups, especially when invoking the rhetoric of diversity; (4) reconnect diversity to affirmative action and the need to offset historical and ongoing racial and gender discrimination, segregation, and bias; (5) remind people that diversity is consistent with legal compliance; and (6) demonstrate to organizational members that diversity is institutionally beneficial.
Foucault and the politics of our selves
Authors: Allen Amy
Published: October 2011

Exploring the apparent tension between Foucault’s analyses of technologies of domination – the ways in which the subject is constituted by power–knowledge relations – and of technologies of the self – the ways in which individuals constitute themselves through practices of freedom – this article endeavors to makes two points: first, the interpretive claim that Foucault’s own attempts to analyse both aspects of the politics of our selves are neither contradictory nor incoherent; and, second, the constructive claim that Foucault’s analysis of the politics of our selves, though not entirely satisfactory as it stands, provides important resources for the project of critical social theory.
Archaeological choreographic practices: Foucault and Forsythe
Authors: Franko Mark
Published: October 2011

Although Michel Foucault never wrote of dance as an example of a bodily discipline in the classical age, he did affect the art of contemporary ballet through his influence on the work of William Forsythe. This article interprets Foucault’s influence on Forsythe up until the early 1990s and also examines how Forsythe’s choreography ‘responded’ to issues of agency, inscription and discipline that characterize Foucault’s thought on corporeality. Ultimately, it asks whether Forsythe’s use of Foucauldian theory leads to a reinterpretation of inscription in Foucault.
Foucault on painting
Authors: Soussloff Catherine M.
Published: October 2011

Michel Foucault’s understanding of painting oriented him and his readers to an alternative history of art through a means or an approach well known to philosophers and literary critics, that of irony. A close reading of the first chapter of The Order of Things shows that Foucault rejected the traditional interpretations of art history generated by a focus on the intentions of the individual artist, the identification of the subjects portrayed, and the expectations of a genre, relying instead on a synthesis of the approaches to painting given by Merleau-Ponty and Jacques Lacan, which converged with his ironic approach.
‘Could you define the sense you give the word “political”’? Michel Foucault as a political philosopher
Authors: Sluga Hans
Published: October 2011

Foucault’s political thinking is focused on the concept of power relations. Under the influence of Nietzsche he proposes two different accounts of how power is related to human action. Nietzsche had argued, on the basis of a reading of Kant’s antinomies of pure reason, for two different accounts of that relationship. On the one hand, he had sought to understand action as a phenomenon of the will to power; on the other, he had also spoken of the will to power as an aspect of human agency. On Nietzsche’s views, we need to assert both positions even though they are for us irreconcilable. In his writings on power and action Foucault finds himself driven into adopting a similarly dual view. While he speaks of action in the nineteen seventies as subsidiary to power relations, he reverses himself in the nineteen eighties by treating power as a feature of human action. Just like Nietzsche, he offers us no way of reconciling these two distinct accounts.
Déraison
Authors: Hacking Ian
Published: October 2011

Michel Foucault’s famous book on madness first appeared in 1961 as Folie et Déraison. When it was reissued in 1972, ‘ Déraison’ had dropped from the title, but it remained dense in the text, often capitalized or italicized. No two texts, abridgements, or translations of the madness book are identical with respect to the word. It is translated as ‘unreason’, but what does it mean? How did Foucault use it? Why did he come to downplay it? The relationships between déraison and painting and writing are explored. It is noted that the idea of ‘archaeology of knowledge’ is introduced in connection with a discussion of folie and déraison as displayed in Racine’s Andromaque.
Abnormal particle-coarsening phenomena in friction stir repair welding of a 2219-T6 Al alloy: formation mechanisms
Authors: Li B , Shen Y
Published: October 2011

Without any post-weld heat treatment, abnormal Al2Cu particle-coarsening phenomena have occurred in a friction stir repair weld of a 2219-T6 aluminium alloy. The size of the biggest particle in the dark bands of the ‘onion rings’ was about 150 mm. After a related investigation, three types of formation mechanisms were proposed to explain the abnormal phenomena: aggregation mechanism, diffusion mechanism I, and diffusion mechanism II. The aggregation mechanism was strongly related to the motion laws of plastic metal flow in the weld zone during friction stir repair welding. Diffusion mechanisms I and II were based on classical theories on the growth of precipitates in metallic material systems.
Computing offsets of point clouds using direct point offsets for tool-path generation
Authors: Zhang Y-J , Yu M-R
Published: October 2011

Offset surfaces have widespread applications in, for example, tool-path generation, robot path planning, error analysis, model design, layered manufacturing, and reverse engineering. This paper proposes a novel solution technique for the problem of surface offset on point clouds using direct point offsets along the normal vectors. In order to eliminate self-intersection and noise, a local geometric fitting surface created from neighbouring points is applied to check the validity of a point in the solution processing. Based on the generated offset surface, the tool paths can be generated using the direct projection method. Unlike traditional methods, the generated tool paths are represented by a series of cutter location (CL) points, and the placement and orientation of the actual cutting tool can be easily adjusted on the offset surface for avoidance of interference or overcut. Numerical experiments on several sets of scattered data points are presented, and the robustness and efficiency of the proposed approach is demonstrated by the results.