bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Child Maltreatment and the Transition to Adult-Based Medical and Mental Health Care
Authors: Christian Cindy W. , Schwarz Donald F.
Published: December 2010

BACKGROUND:

Child maltreatment is a public health problem with lifelong health consequences for survivors. Each year, >29 000 adolescents leave foster care via emancipation without achieving family permanency. The previous 30 years of research has revealed the significant physical and mental health consequences of child maltreatment, yet health and well-being have not been a priority for the child welfare system.

OBJECTIVES:

To describe the health outcomes of maltreated children and those in foster care and barriers to transitioning these adolescents to adult systems of care.

METHODS:

We reviewed the literature about pediatric and adult health outcomes for maltreated children, barriers to transition, and recent efforts to improve health and well-being for this population.

RESULTS:

The health of child and adult survivors of child maltreatment is poor. Both physical and mental health problems are significant, and many maltreated children have special health care needs. Barriers to care include medical, child welfare, and social issues. Although children often have complex medical problems, they infrequently have a medical home, their complex health care needs are poorly understood by the child welfare system that is responsible for them, and they lack the family supports that most young adults require for success. Recent federal legislation requires states and local child welfare agencies to assess and improve health and well-being for foster children.

CONCLUSIONS:

Few successful transition data are available for maltreated children and those in foster care, but opportunities for improvement have been highlighted by recent federal legislation.
Sobre o campo da Alimentação e Nutrição na perspectiva das teorias compreensivas
Authors: Freitas Maria do Carmo Soares de , Minayo Maria Cecília de Souza , Fontes Gardênia Abreu Vieira
Published: December 2010

Trata-se de uma breve reflexão sobre o campo da alimentação e nutrição, aproximando o das disciplinas das ciências humanas. Toma-se como referência o pensamento de alguns teóricos e a vivência dos próprios autores. O objetivo principal é motivar a discussão sobre este tema da alimentação e nutrição considerando a complexidade das relações que envolvem o comer e a dietética, além de tentar estimular a reflexão da prática do profissional nutricionista. Justifica-se a importância metodológica de incorporar o uso da hermenêutica para a compreensão dessa temática. Reflete-se a importância de agir em relação à orientação alimentar associando o saber técnico desse campo com as perspectivas das teorias compreensivas.
Consumo alimentar de população adulta residente em área rural da cidade de Ibatiba (ES, Brasil)
Authors: Carvalho Edilaine Oliveira , Rocha Emersom Ferreira da
Published: December 2010

Trata-se de um estudo transversal no qual foi aplicado um questionário de frequência alimentar (QFCA) em 150 adultos residentes em área rural da cidade de Ibatiba (ES). O QFCA classificou o consumo alimentar como: habitual (> 4 vezes na semana), não habitual (<4 vezes na semana) e raramente (uma vez ao mês), com o fim de correlacionar o consumo alimentar encontrado com o fato de risco ou não para a ocorrência de doenças crônicas não transmissíveis diretamente relacionadas à alimentação que afetam a população brasileira hoje. Os resultados evidenciaram consumo habitual de arroz, pães, folhosos, feijão, leite de vaca, gordura animal, margarina, açúcar e café, e um consumo não habitual de bolo, batata, biscoitos, aipim, batata-doce, chuchu, cenoura, beterraba, abóbora, suco de frutas, banana, laranja, goiaba, manga e tangerina. Conclui-se que o hábito alimentar da população estudada pode vir a incrementar a médio ou longo prazo a prevalência e/ou ocorrência de doenças crônicas não transmissíveis, sobretudo as relacionadas à alimentação, como hipertensão, diabetes, obesidade e doenças coronárias. O consumo alimentar dessa população requer preocupação, pois se comparado aos padrões nacionais, observam-se algumas inadequações, e sabe-se que este quadro vem a cada dia ocasionando danos à saúde pública.
Avaliação do custo do tratamento de úlceras por pressão em pacientes hospitalizados usando curativos industrializados
Authors: Lima Angela Cristina Beck , Guerra Diana Mendonça
Published: December 2010

Este trabalho avaliou o uso de curativos industrializados: poliuretano, hidrogel, carvão ativo e também hidrogel com alginato, no tratamento de úlcera por pressão na Clínica Neurocirúrgica do Hospital da Restauração. O objetivo foi identificar o fator crítico que aumenta a demanda e custos com curativos industrializados. A avaliação, realizada na Clínica Neurocirúrgica, identificou os indivíduos que apresentaram risco de desenvolver úlcera por pressão. 62 pacientes foram avaliados e a prevalência foi de 22,6%, segundo escore obtido na escala de Braden. A avaliação comparativa entre indivíduos que receberam medidas preventivas e entre os que não receberam mostrou que o custo médio diário de hospitalização para o primeiro grupo foi 45% maior que para o segundo grupo. O teste de Wilcoxon-Mann-Withiney comparou a população de risco com a população de baixo risco, mostrando que a análise dos escores da Escala de Braden entre os grupos apresenta diferenças estatisticamente significativas quando estas duas populações são comparadas, intervalo de confiança de 95%. Úlcera por pressão é um indicador de qualidade dos serviços de saúde. Pode-se reduzir custo e oferecer serviços públicos de maior qualidade se forem implantados treinamentos com a equipe de enfermagem, usando um protocolo de medidas preventivas baseado em um teste de avaliação de risco como a escala de Braden.
As práticas educativas em saúde e a Estratégia Saúde da Família
Authors: Alves Gehysa Guimarães , Aerts Denise
Published: December 2010

Este trabalho tem por objetivo refletir sobre a educação em saúde, enfatizando a educação popular em saúde (EPS) como proposta metodológica e sua utilização na rede básica de saúde, em especial na Estratégia Saúde da Família. Para tanto, foi realizada revisão bibliográfica sobre educação em saúde, prática educativa nos serviços de saúde e educação popular em saúde. Observou-se que, ainda hoje, as práticas educativas nos serviços de saúde obedecem a metodologias tradicionais, não privilegiando a criação de vínculo entre trabalhadores e população. Para que a educação popular em saúde possa se consolidar como uma prática educativa, deve ser incorporada no cotidiano do trabalho em saúde. Nesse sentido, a formação profissional deve valorizar as ações coletivas promotoras da saúde e desencadear um processo de reflexão crítica nos sujeitos envolvidos nas relações de ensino-aprendizagem
Associação entre presença de oclusopatias e insatisfação com a aparência dos dentes e gengivas: estudo com adolescentes brasileiros
Authors: Borges Carolina Marques , Peres Marco Aurélio , Peres Karen Glazer
Published: December 2010

Apesar da alta prevalência de oclusopatias em adolescentes ser mundialmente relatada, poucos estudos investigaram a associação entre oclusopatias definidas por critérios clínicos e a auto-avaliação da aparência dentária e das gengivas em adolescentes. O objetivo deste estudo foi investigar a associação entre oclusopatias e auto-avaliação da aparência dentária e gengival em adolescentes brasileiros. Foram utilizados os dados de um estudo transversal realizado com adolescentes de 15 a 19 anos de idade (n = 16.126) de 250 cidades localizadas nas cinco macrorregiões do Brasil. O desfecho foi a insatisfação com a aparência dentária e gengival, sendo a principal variável exploratória as oclusopatias, medidas através do Índice de Estética Dental - DAI. As demais variáveis exploratórias, potenciais fatores de confusão e mediação, foram renda familiar per capita, atraso escolar, condição de estudo, sexo, idade, cor da pele, agravos bucais (cárie não tratada, perda dentária devido à cárie, cálculo, fluorose e dor nos dentes e gengivas) e a utilização dos serviços odontológicos. Realizaram-se análises de regressão de Poisson simples e multiva-riável. A prevalência de insatisfação com a aparência dos dentes e gengivas foi de 11,4% (IC 95%: 10,4-12,5). Todos os graus de oclusopatias foram associados à insatisfação com a aparência dos dentes e gengivas. A análise multivariável ajustada mostrou que a auto-avaliação negativa da aparência em adolescentes com oclusopatias graves ou muito graves foi 40% e 80% maior quando comparados àqueles com oclusão normal, respectivamente. Os resultados contribuem para a inclusão do critério de auto-avaliação da aparência dental durante as decisões de tratamento ortodôntico, principalmente no âmbito do Sistema Único de Saúde.
A Survey of Psychological Assessment on Interdisciplinary Craniofacial Teams
Authors: Hood Megan M. , Cradock Mary Michaeleen , Vander Wal Jillon S.
Published: December 2010

Objective

To explore the role of mental health professionals on craniofacial teams and determine how craniofacial teams assess for psychological concerns in their patient populations.

Design

Online and paper surveys.

Participants

A total of 55 craniofacial team coordinators and 40 mental health professionals who are team members participated in this study.

Results

Results indicated that teams in 2007 generally viewed psychological services on their teams similarly to teams assessed in 1987. Most teams do not use formal measures in their assessment of psychological concerns, and they provide feedback via discussions with the families. Mental health professionals assess a wide variety of potential areas of concern and are generally satisfied with the referral sources available to their patients.

Conclusions

Craniofacial teams appear to practice in a manner consistent with professional standards, and these teams seem to value the inclusion of mental health professionals as part of the interdisciplinary team. Implications and limitations including response rate are discussed.
Effects of Implant Design on Marginal Bone Changes Around Early Loaded, Chemically Modified, Sandblasted Acid‐Etched–Surfaced Implants: A Histologic Analysis in Dogs
Authors: Valderrama Pilar , Bornstein Michael M. , Jones Archie A. , Wilson Thomas G. , Higginbottom Frank L. , Cochran David L.
Published: December 2010

Background:A minimal marginal bone loss around implants during early healing has been considered acceptable. However, the preservation of the marginal bone is related to soft tissue stability and esthetics. Implant designs and surfaces were evaluated to determine their impact on the behavior of the crestal bone. The purpose of this study is to evaluate histologic marginal bone level changes around early loaded, chemically modified, sandblasted acid‐etched–surfaced implants with a machined collar (MC) or no MC (NMC).

Methods:Three months after a tooth extraction, 72 sandblasted acid‐etched chemically modified implants were placed in six dogs. Thirty‐six implants had NMC, and 36 implants had a 2.8‐mm MC. All implants were loaded 21 days after placement. For histologic analyses, specimens were obtained at 3 and 12 months. Assessments of the percentage of the total bone‐to‐implant contact and linear measurements of the distance from the shoulder of the implant to the first bone‐to‐implant contact (fBIC) were performed. Based on fBIC measurements, estimates of bone loss were obtained for each implant. A mixed‐model analysis of variance was used to assess the effects of implant type and sacrifice time.

Results:All implants achieved osseointegration. The mean bone gain observed around NMC early loaded implants (at 3 months: 0.13 ± 0.37 mm; at 12 months: 0.13 ± 0.44 mm) was significantly different from the mean bone loss for MC early loaded implants (at 3 months: −0.32 ± 0.70 mm; at 12 months: −0.79 ± 0.35 mm) at 3 months (P= 0.003) and 12 months (P<0.001). No infrabony component was present at the marginal fBIC around NMC implants in most cases. There were no statistically significant differences among the means of total bone contact for implant types.

Conclusions:Chemically modified, sandblasted acid‐etched–surfaced implants with NMC presented crestal bone gain after 3 and 12 months under loading conditions in the canine mandible. The implant design and surface were determinants in the marginal bone level preservation.
Effects of Cigarette Smoke Condensate and Nicotine on Human Gingival Fibroblast‐Mediated Collagen Degradation
Authors: Zhang Weiping , Fang Meixian , Song Fengyu , Windsor L. Jack
Published: December 2010

Background: Members of the matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) family have been shown to be involved in periodontal disease. Risk factors for periodontal disease include tobacco smoking. Cigarette smoke condensate (CSC) is comprised of thousands of chemicals. Nicotine is one of the active components in tobacco. This study compares the effects of CSC and nicotine at the level in CSC on the collagen‐degrading ability of human gingival fibroblasts (HGFs) and the expression of selected MMPs and tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs).

Methods: HGFs were seeded in six‐well collagen‐coated plates, exposed to 100 μg/mL (2.4 μg/mL nicotine) of CSC or 2.4 μg/mL nicotine for 3 days, and then collagen degradation was analyzed. After 3 days exposure to CSC or nicotine, the conditioned media from HGFs was collected and the membrane proteins were extracted for gelatin zymography and Western blot analyses. The mRNA levels of MMP‐2, MMP‐14, and TIMP‐2 were measured by reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction.

Results: The CSC increased collagen degradation, and increased the levels of TIMP‐2, MMP‐14, and the active MMP‐2 in the membrane extracts, and their mRNA levels. CSC also increased the level of active MMP‐2 in the conditioned media. Nicotine at the level in CSC (2.4 μg/mL) had little influence on collagen degradation, as well as on the protein and mRNA levels of MMP‐2, MMP‐14, and TIMP‐2.

Conclusions: CSC may increase HGF‐mediated collagen degradation by affecting membrane‐associated MMPs and TIMPs.
Modelling seasonal evapotranspiration of arid lands in China
Authors: Zheng Yuanrun , Xie Zhixiao , Roberts Charles , An Ping , Li Xiangjun , Zhou Guangsheng , Shimizu Hideyuki , Drake Sam
Published: December 2010

The measurement of actual evapotranspiration, a key term in the water balance equation, has become a very important issue. Many good methods exist for estimating actual evapotranspiration; however, most of these require complicated inputs. Here, a simple but robust model for estimation of actual evapotranspiration in arid areas of western China is proposed. This model is a visual system with a user-friendly interface in the STELLA (a commercial software package for building numerical models) environment combined with two existing water balance equations and local soil and climate data to ensure its easy application in developing areas. Validation with field measurements revealed that the estimated values of actual evapotranspiration obtained using the model are in agreement with the observed values. Both the established Choudhury model and the proposed model produced similar estimates when the actual annual evapotranspiration is below 200 mm, but the model proposed simulates real-world conditions more precisely when the actual annual evapotranspiration is greater than 200 mm. Another advantage of the proposed model is that it uses simple and reliable climate data that are readily available from the network of weather stations in China. The simulation results could serve as a relatively good reference for water resource management in this area.
Spatial differences in the impact of the North Atlantic Oscillation on the flow of rivers in Europe
Authors: Wrzesiński Dariusz , Paluszkiewicz Rafał
Published: December 2010

The article presents regional differences in the impact that the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) exerts on the flow of European rivers. The impact is determined by temporal variations in the strength of relations expressed by coefficients of correlation between monthly or seasonal NAO indices and discharges recorded at 510 river profiles. The results of the correlation analysis were arranged using Ward’s method of hierarchical grouping. The classification of river profiles thus obtained made it possible to distinguish seven regions differing in the nature of the dependence between streamflow and the intensity of the NAO. The most statistically significant positive correlations are displayed by the rivers of Fennoscandia, Denmark and the northwest part of the British Isles in the winter period, while the most significant negative correlations (also in winter) are recorded for streams of the Mediterranean Basin, western France and the southeast of England. In the southeast part of the Baltic Sea drainage basin, significant positive correlations of streamflow with the NAO indices can be observed in the winter season and negative correlations are observed in spring.
A hydraulic study on the applicability of flood rating curves
Authors: Di Baldassarre Giuliano , Claps Pierluigi
Published: December 2010

Several hydrological studies have shown that river discharge records are affected by significant uncertainty. This uncertainty is expected to be very high for river flow data referred to flood events, when the stage–discharge rating curve is extrapolated far beyond the measurement range. This study examines the standard methodologies for the construction and extrapolation of rating curves to extreme flow depths and shows the need of proper approaches to reduce the uncertainty of flood discharge data. To this end, a comprehensive analysis is performed on a 16km reach of the River Po (Italy) where five hydraulic models (HEC-RAS) were built. The results of five topographical surveys conducted during the last 50 years are used as geometric input. The application demonstrates that hydraulically built stage–discharge curves for the five cases differ only for ordinary flows, so that a common rating curve for flood discharges can be derived. This result confirms the validity of statistical approaches to the estimation of the so-called ‘flood rating curve’, a unique stage–discharge curve based on data of contemporaneous annual maxima of stage and discharge values, which appears insensitive to marginal changes in river geometry.
Model Parameters Identification Method for Wind Farms Based on Wide-Area Trajectory Sensitivities
Authors: Lin Jin , Cheng Lin
Published: December 2010

Numerical simulation, which relies on precise mathematical models and parameters of elements, is currently the most efficient tool to study the power system stability. However, since some of grid companies in China did not foresee the rapid development of wind power, the lack of parameters information of wind farms negatively affects the system simulation study with scalable wind energy integration. In addition, the field condition of wind farm also limits the grid company to equip extra real-time measurement equipments to measure the dynamic response of wind generators. This paper proposes a method based on wide-area trajectory sensitivities to identify the parameters of FSIG-based (Fixed Speed Induction Generator) wind farms. By this method, the data recorded by Wide Area Measurement System (WAMS) are used to process identification, which satisfies the requirement from grid companies. This paper gives a detailed description on the modelling of identification, the analysis of trajectory sensitivity and the algorithm to solve the optimization problem. Both of the case studies of modified 9 and 39 bus systems show the numerical simulation results are closer to realistic after parameter identification, and it is feasible and beneficial to use this identification method based on WATS to enhance the accuracy of system simulation with scalable wind energy integration.
The endogeneity of the natural rate of growth: An application to Turkey
Authors: Acikgoz Senay , Mert Merter
Published: December 2010

The purpose of this paper is to examine the sensitivity of the Turkish economy?s natural rate of growth to the actual rate of growth, covering the period 1980-2008. To determine the reason why the natural rate of growth is endogenous, the long-run and the causality relationships between real gross domestic product and each of the production factors (labour force and physical capital stock) are investigated with the bounds test. The natural rate of growth for the Turkish economy is found to be at 4.97 percent and it increases approximately 35.6 percent in the boom periods; indicating endogeneity. However, according to the causality test results, the endogeneity of the natural rate of growth may be attributed to the total factor productivity rather than the labour force and physical capital stock. This result is important and the debate on this subject may lead to further studies.
Constructions of Childhood in Early Childhood Education Policy Debate in New Zealand
Authors: Mitchell Linda
Published: December 2010

What assumptions about children and childhood are held by government officials and organisation representatives who are influential in policy formation in early childhood education (ECE) in New Zealand? How are assumptions manifested in policy? This article draws on a study carried out from 2001 to 2003, a time of radical ECE policy change in New Zealand. It uses principles derived from social constructionist theory and values expressed in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child to analyse constructions of childhood in ECE policy debate during this time. Three dominant constructions about childhood were identified: a construction of the ‘child as dependant within the family’; the ‘child as learner within a community of learners’; and the ‘child as citizen within a social community’. These constructions were associated with views about the purposes and outcomes of ECE; the roles of children, teachers, families, and government; and favoured policy approaches. It is argued that a construction of child as citizen within a social community is a new paradigm that places children's rights and agency to the forefront, and acknowledges the interdependence of care and education. As a basis for policy, it could cater better for societal change and support ECE services as participatory forums building social networks, support and cohesion.
The Aesthetic Preferences of Infants: Pictures of Faces That Captivate Their Interest
Authors: Danko-McGhee Katherina
Published: December 2010

This research focused on the observation of infants between the ages of 2 and 18 months with regard to their aesthetic preferences for a variety of visual stimuli. These stimuli included: a black-and-white schematic drawing of a baby, a popular cartoon image, a colorful abstract painting of a baby, and a photographic image of a baby's face. Prior research with this age group has determined that faces are of most interest to them. However, young children are now bombarded by the visual media (i.e. television and DVDs, picture books, etc.), and this preference may have changed. Determining the aesthetic preferences of babies will help parents, childcare providers, and picture book authors/illustrators to provide visual imagery that is aesthetically appealing to them. Providing visually stimulating imagery can help babies to develop their visual discrimination and tracking skills. Research confirms that birth to five years is the most important period for children with respect to brain development. Therefore, more research is needed that will provide us with clues about what forms of visual stimulation are appropriate in order to better facilitate this developmental process.
Metamorphosis: Play, Spirituality and the Animal
Authors: Bone Jane
Published: December 2010

Animal- and bird-becoming is an aspect of play as metamorphosis connected to spirituality in early childhood settings. The reconceptualisation of play presented here is supported by research that explored the spiritual experiences of young children in different early childhood contexts. Qualitative case study research carried out in Aotearoa New Zealand included children, teachers and families. The concept of ‘everyday spirituality’ that emerged from this inquiry is informed by post-structural philosophical perspectives. Transformative spaces of spiritual withness, the spiritual in-between and the spiritual elsewhere construct everyday spirituality in these settings. Four narratives contribute to a bricolage about play as metamorphosis. This aspect of play challenges human/non-human animal binaries, and celebrates unfixedness and infolding: both features of the spiritual. Deleuzian concepts support the discussion and connections are made to the posthuman(ist) condition.
An Analysis of the Relationship between the Quantity and Quality of Education: Focusing on Korea and OECD Countries
Authors: Hyun-Jun Joo , Beom-Ho Oh , Chung-Il Yun
Published: December 2010

Quantity and quality have long been recognized as primary factors to explain educational development. However, our understanding of the relationship between quantity and quality of education is quite limited and unclear. In this context, the purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between quantity and quality of education. To achieve the objective, it draws on the longitudinal empirical analysis of statistical reports officially issued by Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and the Korean government. As a result, a positive correlation is clearly found between quantity and quality of education. Based on the synthesis of findings, the authors conclude that investment for education plays an important role in determining the quantity and quality of education and each nation has different policies depending on their level of development. Implications and suggestions of this study are as follows: 1. establishment of plans for expanding educational opportunities by stages, 2. inducing national motivation for education, 3. institutionalization of teacher evaluation and school evaluation.
Neoliberal Policy in the Higher Education Sector in Bangladesh: Autonomy of Public Universities and the Role of the State
Authors: Kabir Ariful Haq
Published: December 2010

Since the 1990s, enormous changes have been made in the higher education sector in Bangladesh. The government promulgated the Private University Act in 1992, and formulated a 20-year Strategic Plan for Higher Education: 2006–2026 (SPHE). A critical review shows that the objective of the plan is to connect education with market-driven economic forces. This article argues that such a neoliberal policy in the higher education sector will have far-reaching socio-economic consequences in Bangladesh. With a critical investigation of the SPHE, this article explores how the autonomy of public universities is threatened, and how the role of the state is redefined through withdrawing government grants in the higher education sector. By providing three case studies, this article exposes the marketising nature of higher education in contemporary Bangladesh. This article also argues that the resistance against neoliberalism in higher education is another aspect which is organised by different socio-political groups in the higher education institutions.
Transmorphosis: Negotiating Discontinuities in Academic Work
Authors: Rhea Zane Ma
Published: December 2010

The idea of ‘transmorphosis' will be used in this article to discuss the impact of new teaching and learning environments on the highly mobile global academic pedagogue. ‘Trans-’ implies ‘movement across’, whether it be space, time, place, culture, or institution. ‘-morphosis’; evokes the possibility/requirement to shapeshift one's pedagogical presence and performance in new and previously unimaginable ways. This article begins by positing that the traditional pedagogue, the one charged with the responsibility of leading the child to learn, no matter what the community, was able to prepare the future generation to maintain and develop the society in which they were to live. The pedagogue was recognised as having an understanding of what needed to be taught, how to teach it, and what a ‘good’ future would be. One of the noted impacts of globalisation is that we are educating for an uncertain future where local certainty has been replaced by clashes of a global magnitude about what are legitimate lifeways. Increasingly, the learners are adults coming into higher education. Drawing on a range of scholars who have examined the global diffusion of new knowledge, through imitation, innovation, using complex exchange logic, the ‘transmorphing’ pedagogue will be foregrounded in a discussion of everyday discontinuities that the academic travelling pedagogue is challenged to solve.
Franchising Education: Challenges and Opportunities for Coping with the Economic Recession and the Provision of Higher Education in the United Kingdom
Authors: Miller Paul , Shotte Gertrude
Published: December 2010

When the global economic recession hit the world some 18 months ago, very few could predict the impact this would have on government spending on higher education. Higher education institutions in the United Kingdom face spending cuts. Notwithstanding, they are expected to deliver quality education with fewer resources. This article discusses challenges associated with the proposed funding cuts but also explores opportunities open to higher education institutions such as franchising and various forms of integration.
Present Nightmares and Realizable Futures
Authors: Morris Doug
Published: December 2010

The article reflects on the work of Henry Giroux, focusing on his latest book Youth in a Suspect Society. It attempts to capture the experience of reading Giroux and what Giroux's critical engagements across a wide array of cultural and pedagogical formations provide in terms of assisting us in articulating substantive criticisms of and insights into current crises, burdens and challenges. Additionally, it examines the force of Giroux's insistence on pedagogies of hope and possibility that offer tools for meaningfully intervening in the world in order to awaken and develop our critical individual and social agency directed toward modes of transformation necessary in this time of creeping neoliberal cynicism and pessimism, a prowling global fatalism, and a growing contentment with the malaise. In reading Giroux we will be disturbed; it is this creative disturbance, roiling indignation and enlivened action of an awakened public that will provide us grounds for hope that new modes of resistance emergent with humanizing forms of pedagogy, struggles for internationalist solidarity and global justice, and announcements of a dignified world meriting human habitation will open up the pathways to transformation we so urgently require if we are going to save rather than lose the future.
The Ideology of Free Culture and the Grammar of Sabotage
Authors: Pasquinelli Matteo
Published: December 2010

Bringing post-Operaismo into network culture, this text tries to introduce the notion of surplus in a contemporary media debate dominated by a simple symmetry between immaterial and material domain, between digital economy and bioeconomy. Therefore a new asymmetry is first shaped through Serres' conceptual figure of the parasite and Bataille's concepts of excess and biochemical energy. Second, the crisis of the copyright system and the contradictions of the so-called Free Culture movement are taken as a starting point to design the notion of autonomous commons against the creative commons. Third, a new political arena is outlined around Rullani's cognitive capitalism and the new theory of rent developed by Negri and Vercellone. Finally, the sabotage is shown as the specular gesture of the multitudes to defend the commons against the parasitic dimension of rent.
Education Policymaking for Social Change: A Post-Humanist Intervention
Authors: Pedersen Helena
Published: December 2010

The humanist tradition in Western education systems is increasingly coming under critical scrutiny by posthumanist scholars, arguing that Enlightenment humanism accommodates a number of serious shortcomings such as being essentialist, exclusive, and unable to meet its own criteria of value pluralism, tolerance, and equity for all. This article formulates some challenges posed to formal education by posthumanist theory, addressing international education policymaking for social change. Based on an analysis of a number of education policy documents produced by UNESCO, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, the World Bank, the European Commission, and the Nordic Council of Ministers, it elicits five pervasive ideas about the relationship between education and social change that are frequently appearing in contemporary rhetoric of education policymaking: ‘the knowledge society’; ‘the democratic society’; ‘the multicultural society’; ‘the globalized society’ and ‘the sustainable society’. Inspired by critical discourse analysis, the article identifies a number of research questions focused on each of these five ideas and explores possible responses, inflected by a range of recent cross-disciplinary posthumanist scholarship, that deconstruct conventional assumptions about the idea of education in general and of education policymaking in particular. It concludes with a discussion of what subject positions and repertoires are, or are not, allowed to emerge in education policymaking for social change.
The Mirror Has Two Faces: Contradictory Reflections of Donkeys in Western Literature from Lucius to Balthazar
Authors: Bough Jill
Published: December 2010

How we represent animals both reflects our attitudes towards them and affects our treatment of them. The donkey has lived alongside humans, bearing their burdens since the time of their domestication over 10,000 years ago. Despite this, they have invariably enjoyed a low status in human cultures, received little appreciation and been treated harshly. We view some animals as being more worthy than others and represent them accordingly: donkeys have been ridiculed and derided. Literary representations of donkeys from the fables of Ancient Greece to contemporary iconic texts are explored to follow the donkey through the human imaginary. These representations derive from two main, conflicting sources, Greek literature and the Bible. Examining these cultural representations may lead towards a greater understanding of the way they affect the actual animal and lead to a greater understanding of that animal and, ultimately, to better treatment of them.
Clinicopathological Significance of Loss of ARID1A Immunoreactivity in Ovarian Clear Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Maeda Daichi , Mao Tsui-Lien , Fukayama Masashi , Nakagawa Shunsuke , Yano Tetsu , Taketani Yuji , Shih Ie-Ming
Published: December 2010

Recent genome-wide analysis has demonstrated that somatic mutations in ARID1A (BAF250) are the most common molecular genetic changes in ovarian clear cell carcinoma (OCCC). ARID1A mutations, which occur in approximately half of OCCC cases, lead to deletion of the encoded protein and inactivation of the putative tumor suppressor. In this study, we determined the significance of loss of ARID1A immunoreactivity with respect to several clinicopathological features in a total of 149 OCCCs. First, we demonstrated that ARID1A immunohistochemistry showed concordance with the mutational status in 91% of cases with 100% sensitivity and 66% specificity. Specifically, among 12 OCCC cases for which ARIDA mutational status was known, ARIDIA immunoreactivity was undetectable in all 9 cases harboring ARID1A mutations and was undetectable in one of 3 cases with wild-type ARID1A. With respect to the entire cohort, ARID1A immunoreactivity was undetectable in 88 (59%) of 149 OCCCs. There was no significant difference between ARID1A negative and positive cases in terms of histopathologic features, age, clinical stage, or overall survival. In conclusion, this study provides further evidence that mutations in ARID1A resulted in loss of ARID1A protein expression in OCCC, although no significant differences between ARID1A positive and negative cases were observed with respect to any clinicopathological features examined.
Effects of Moxifloxacin on Human Neutrophil and T-Lymphocyte Functions in Vitro
Authors: Potjo Moliehi , Cockeran Riana , Theron Annette J , Feldman Charles , Anderson Ronald
Published: December 2010

Moxifloxacin is useful in the treatment of respiratory infections, including community-acquired pneumonia, and also shows promise in the treatment of tuberculosis, a clinical setting which necessitates extended administration of this agent. Relatively little is known, however, about the effects of this agent on the antimicrobial and proliferative activities of human neutrophils and T-lymphocytes, respectively. In the current study, we have investigated the effects of moxifloxacin at therapeutic concentrations and greater (1–20 µg/mL) on cytosolic Ca2+ fluxes, generation of antimicrobial reactive oxygen species (ROS), and release of the primary granule protease, elastase, following activation of the cells with the chemoattractant, fMLP (1 µM), or the phorbol ester, PMA (25 ng/mL), using radiometric, chemiluminescence, and colourimetric procedures, respectively. The effects of moxifloxacin on mitogen-activated proliferation of T cells and expression of the interleukin-2 (IL-2) receptor (CD25) were measured using radiometric and flow cytometric procedures respectively. With the exception of elastase release, which was significantly increased (P < 0.05) by treatment of the cells with moxifloxacin at 10 and 20 µg/mL, none of the other neutrophil or lymphocyte functions was affected by moxifloxacin. These observations suggest that extended use of this agent is unlikely to compromise the protective functions of neutrophils and T-lymphocytes and may even potentiate neutrophil-mediated antimicrobial activity by increasing the release of elastase.
Artemisinin-Naphthoquine Combination (ARCO®): An Overview of the Progress
Authors: Hombhanje Francis W. , Huang Qingyun
Published: December 2010

With the rapidly spreading resistance of Plasmodium falciparum to available non-artemisinin antimalarial drugs, new and novel pharmaceuticals are needed. ARCO® is a new generation ACT, one of several artemisinin-based combinations developed in China to counter antimalarial drug resistance. ARCO® is a derivative of two independently developed antimalarials, artemisinin and naphthoquine phosphate, which were combined to form the artemisinin-naphthoquine combination. Both artemisinin and naphthoquine drugs have proven to be efficacious, safe and well tolerated as monotherapies. The artemisinin-naphthoquine combination offers a novel advantage over existing ACTs: it can be administered as a single oral dose (or a 1-day treatment). Several therapeutic studies conducted recently indicate that a single oral dose administration of artemisinin-naphthoquine combination is equally effective and safe as the 3-day treatment with artemether-lumefantrine combination and other existing ACTs. This would make ARCO® the next generation ACT for the treatment of uncomplicated falciparum malaria.
Preparation and Characterization of Insoluble Silk Fibroin/Chitosan Blend Films
Authors: Moraes Mariana Agostini de , Nogueira Grinia Michelle , Weska Raquel Farias , Beppu Marisa Masumi
Published: December 2010

The aim of this study was to prepare and characterize membranes of silk fibroin (SF) and chitosan (CHI) blends. Moreover, a conformation transition of SF to a more stable form induced by the addition of CHI was verified. Blend membranes were prepared, after pH adjustment, in different ratios, and physical integrity, crystallinity, structural conformation and thermal stability were characterized. The results of crystallographic analysis (XRD) indicated the tendency to higher structural organization caused by the addition of CHI. Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) showed that SF is present in a more stable form in the presence of a CHI content of only 25 wt%. Thermal analysis indicated that SF is thermally stable and that when its proportion in the blend increases, the temperature at which degradation is initiated also increases.
Sensing-Applications of Surface-Based Single Vesicle Arrays
Authors: Christensen Sune M. , Stamou Dimitrios G.
Published: December 2010

A single lipid vesicle can be regarded as an autonomous ultra-miniaturised 3D biomimetic “scaffold” (Ø ≥ 13 nm) ideally suited for reconstitution and interrogation of biochemical processes. The enclosing lipid bilayer membrane of a vesicle can be applied for studying binding (protein/lipid or receptor/ligand interactions) or transmembrane events (membrane permeability or ion channel activation) while the aqueous vesicle lumen can be used for confining few or single macromolecules and probe, e.g., protein folding, catalytic pathways of enzymes or more complex biochemical reactions, such as signal transduction cascades. Immobilisation (arraying) of single vesicles on a solid support is an extremely useful technique that allows detailed characterisation of vesicle preparations using surface sensitive techniques, in particular fluorescence microscopy. Surface-based single vesicle arrays allow a plethora of prototypic sensing applications in a high throughput format with high spatial and high temporal resolution. In this review we present a series of applications of single vesicle arrays for screening/sensing of: membrane curvature dependent protein-lipid interactions, bilayer tension, reactions triggered in the vesicle lumen, the activity of transmembrane protein channels and biological membrane fusion reactions.
Occurrence of Fusarium spp. and Fumonisins in Stored Wheat Grains Marketed in Iran
Authors: Chehri Khosrow , Jahromi Saeed Tamadoni , Reddy Kasa R. N. , Abbasi Saeed , Salleh Baharuddin
Published: December 2010

Wheat grains are well known to be invaded by Fusarium spp. under field and storage conditions and contaminated with fumonisins. Therefore, determining Fusarium spp. and fumonisins in wheat grains is of prime importance to develop suitable management strategies and to minimize risk. Eighty-two stored wheat samples produced in Iran were collected from various supermarkets and tested for the presence of Fusarium spp. by agar plate assay and fumonisins by HPLC. A total of 386 Fusarium strains were isolated and identified through morphological characteristics. All these strains belonged to F. culmorum, F. graminearum, F. proliferatum and F. verticillioides. Of the Fusarium species, F. graminearum was the most prevalent species, followed by F. verticillioides, F. proliferatum and then F. culmorum. Natural occurrence of fumonisin B1 (FB1) could be detected in 56 (68.2%) samples ranging from 15–155 μg/kg, fumonisin B2 (FB2) in 35 (42.6%) samples ranging from 12–86 μg/kg and fumonisin B3 (FB3) in 26 (31.7%) samples ranging from 13–64 μg/kg. The highest FB1 levels were detected in samples from Eilam (up to 155 μg/kg) and FB2 and FB3 in samples from Gilan Gharb (up to 86 μg/kg and 64 μg/kg).
Gangliosides Block Aggregatibacter Actinomycetemcomitans Leukotoxin (LtxA)-Mediated Hemolysis
Authors: Forman Michael S. , Nishikubo Jason B. , Han Rebecca K. , Le Amy , Balashova Nataliya V. , Kachlany Scott C.
Published: December 2010

Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans is an oral pathogen and etiologic agent of localized aggressive periodontitis. The bacterium is also a cardiovascular pathogen causing infective endocarditis. A. actinomycetemcomitans produces leukotoxin (LtxA), an important virulence factor that targets white blood cells (WBCs) and plays a role in immune evasion during disease. The functional receptor for LtxA on WBCs is leukocyte function antigen-1 (LFA-1), a b-2 integrin that is modified with N-linked carbohydrates. Interaction between toxin and receptor leads to cell death. We recently discovered that LtxA can also lyse red blood cells (RBCs) and hemolysis may be important for pathogenesis of A. actinomycetemcomitans. In this study, we further investigated how LtxA might recognize and lyse RBCs. We found that, in contrast to a related toxin, E. coli a-hemolysin, LtxA does not recognize glycophorin on RBCs. However, gangliosides were able to completely block LtxA-mediated hemolysis. Furthermore, LtxA did not show a preference for any individual ganglioside. LtxA also bound to ganglioside-rich C6 rat glioma cells, but did not kill them. Interaction between LtxA and C6 cells could be blocked by gangliosides with no apparent specificity. Gangliosides were only partially effective at preventing LtxA-mediated cytotoxicity of WBCs, and the effect was only observed when a high ratio of ganglioside:LtxA was used over a short incubation period. Based on the results presented here, we suggest that because of the similarity between N-linked sugars on LFA-1 and the structures of gangliosides, LtxA may have acquired the ability to lyse RBCs.
Comparison of the Mechanisms of Drug Resistance among HIV, Hepatitis B, and Hepatitis C
Authors: Margeridon-Thermet Severine , Shafer Robert W.
Published: December 2010

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B virus (HBV), and hepatitis C virus (HCV) are the most prevalent deadly chronic viral diseases. HIV is treated by small molecule inhibitors. HBV is treated by immunomodulation and small molecule inhibitors. HCV is currently treated primarily by immunomodulation but many small molecules are in clinical development. Although HIV is a retrovirus, HBV is a double-stranded DNA virus, and HCV is a single-stranded RNA virus, antiviral drug resistance complicates the development of drugs and the successful treatment of each of these viruses. Although their replication cycles, therapeutic targets, and evolutionary mechanisms are different, the fundamental approaches to identifying and characterizing HIV, HBV, and HCV drug resistance are similar. This review describes the evolution of HIV, HBV, and HCV within individuals and populations and the genetic mechanisms associated with drug resistance to each of the antiviral drug classes used for their treatment.
Preliminary Results on the Evaluation of Factors Influencing Evapotranspiration Processes in Vineyards
Authors: Francone Caterina , Cassardo Claudio , Spanna Federico , Alemanno Laura , Bertoni Davide , Richiardone Renzo , Vercellino Irene
Published: December 2010

The paper summarizes the preliminary results from the analysis of data collected during the 2008 and 2009 vegetative seasons in a northern Italy vineyard (Vitis vinifera L., Barbera variety) and the simulations carried out in the same period with the land surface model UTOPIA. The aim of the work is to study the influence of the meteorological factors on the plant conditions. We collected a set of standard and advanced meteorological, physiological and physical data and we investigated the performance of UTOPIA in describing the different components of the energy and hydrological processes (in particular the evapotranspiration), with a special focus on the vegetation and soil. The comparison between observed data and UTOPIA simulations showed satisfactory results for the soil variables (RRMSE ranging between 15% and 40%, and correlation coefficients of 0.9). Net radiation and sensible heat fluxes RRMSE (30% and 63% respectively) suggest that both the calibration of the vegetation parameters (including the influence of the grass among vine rows) and the availability of more specific measurements are very important.
Petites marques du corps
Authors: Aisenstein Marilia
Published: December 2010

Résumé Au travers d’un roman où, à propos d’une moustache, un homme fait une désorganisation psychique le menant au délire et à la psychose, puis de trois consultations avec une jeune femme qui à la suite d’une opération esthétique présente des manifestations aiguës de l’hystérie avec état crépusculaire, l’auteur s’interroge sur le statut « tabou » de certaines « petites marques du corps ». Elles concentreraient une accumulation de libido narcissique.