bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Self-Efficacy Related to Student Nurses in the Clinical Setting: A Concept Analysis
Authors: Townsend Linda , Scanlan Judith M
Published: April 2011

Self-efficacy is conceptually analyzed using the framework developed by Walker and Avant (2005). Defining attributes, antecedents and consequences of self-efficacy are identified and applied in model, borderline and related and contrary cases. Although self-efficacy has been incorporated into the work of many professions, minimal research has been conducted using this concept in clinical nursing education. By gaining a more thorough understanding of self-efficacy in relation to student learning, nurse educators and researchers can use self-efficacy in curricular planning to improve clinical nursing education.
Long-Term Results of a Randomized Controlled Trial in Childhood IgA Nephropathy
Authors: Kamei Koichi , Nakanishi Koichi , Ito Shuichi , Saito Mari , Sako Mayumi , Ishikura Kenji , Hataya Hiroshi , Honda Masataka , Iijima Kazumoto , Yoshikawa Norishige
Published: April 2011

Background and objectives

Children with IgA nephropathy showing diffuse (>80%) mesangial proliferation are at high risk for end-stage renal failure (ESRF). A previous controlled trial showed that combination therapy consisting of prednisolone, azathioprine, heparin-warfarin, and dipyridamole early in the course of disease reduces immunologic renal injury and prevents the progression of sclerosed glomeruli. The objective of this study was to evaluate the long-term effectiveness of combination therapy in children with IgA nephropathy showing diffuse mesangial proliferation.

Design, setting, participants, & measurements

A secondary analysis of a multicenter, randomized, controlled trial involving 78 children with IgA nephropathy who received either 2-year combination therapy or heparin-warfarin and dipyridamole (control) therapy was conducted.

Results

The median duration of observation was 10 years (range, 0.5 to 18). Two of 40 patients (5%) who received combination therapy and five of 34 patients (14.7%) who received control therapy developed ESRF. A Kaplan-Meier plot of renal survival showed that the outcomes of patients in the combined therapy group were better than those in the control therapy group (log-rank P = 0.03). The 10-year renal survival probability of each group was 97.1% (95% confidence interval, 81.4 to 99.6%) and 84.8% (95% confidence interval, 55.4 to 95.5%), respectively. The Cox proportional hazards model showed that the 2-year combination therapy was significantly associated with renal survival in both univariate and multivariate analyses.

Conclusions

Two-year combination therapy not only ameliorated the activity of the acute phase of nephritis but also improved the long-term outcome of severe childhood IgA nephropathy.
Use of indwelling, double-pigtail stents for treatment of malignant ureteral obstruction in dogs: 12 cases (2006–2009)
Authors: Berent Allyson C. , Weisse Chick , Beal Matthew W. , Brown Dorothy C. , Todd Kimberly , Bagley Demetrius
Published: April 2011

Objective—To determine the outcome of minimally invasive ureteral stent placement for dogs with malignant ureteral obstructions.

Design—Retrospective case series.

Animals—12 dogs (15 ureters) with ureteral obstruction secondary to a trigonal urothelial carcinoma.

Procedures—In all patients, indwelling, double-pigtail ureteral stents were placed by means of percutaneous antegrade needle and guide wire access under ultrasound and fluoroscopic guidance.

Results—Stents were successfully placed in all patients. In 11 of 12 patients, percutaneous antegrade access was accomplished. One patient required access via laparotomy because percutaneous access could not be achieved. The median survival time from the date of diagnosis was 285 days (range, 10 to 1,571 days), with a median survival time of 57 days (range, 7 to 337 days) from the date of stent placement. Three complications occurred in 1 patient. Seven patients required concurrent urethral stent placement for relief of urethral obstruction. All animals were discharged from the hospital (median hospitalization time after stent placement, 18 hours [range, 4 hours to 7 days]) with an indwelling, double-pigtail ureteral stent (3 bilateral and 9 unilateral) in place. All stents evaluated 0.25 to 11 months after placement were considered patent.

Conclusions and Clinical Relevance—Findings suggested that ureteral stent placement was safe, effective, and well tolerated in patients with malignant ureteral obstructions. Stents could be reliably placed in a minimally invasive manner and remain patent long-term. Ureteral stent placement should be considered as early as possible in patients with neoplasia, prior to the development of permanent renal damage.
Potassium-aggravated muscle stiffness in 12 cats
Authors: Kiesewetter Iris S. , Tipold Andrea , Baumgärtner Wolfgang , Schenk Henning C.
Published: April 2011

Case Description—12 European shorthair cats (6 males and 6 females; age range, 2 months to 3 years) from 1 household were evaluated for clinical signs of recurrent and progressive muscle spasticity. Genetic relationships among the cats were suspected but were not known.

Clinical Findings—Physical examination of all cats revealed a thin to mildly emaciated body condition and signs of suppurative rhinitis. Results of neurologic evaluations revealed no abnormalities in any cats at rest, but exercise- and stress-induced episodes of muscle spasticity were observed. Results of hematologic (7/12 cats) and CSF (4) analysis, diagnostic imaging (including radiography [7] and magnetic resonance imaging [4]), electromyography (4), motor nerve conduction tests (4), screening for metabolic storage diseases (4), provocation tests via exercise in a cold (4°C [39.2°F]) environment (7), and gross pathological and histologic examination (5) revealed no abnormalities that could potentially explain the clinical signs. However, consumption of a potassium-enriched diet resulted in severe aggravation of clinical signs in 7 of 7 cats, leading to a diagnosis of potassium-aggravated muscle stiffness.

Treatment and Outcome—5 cats were euthanized after initial examination because of poor physical condition and severe clinical signs. Spasticity in the 7 remaining cats was improved during a 6-week follow-up period as they reduced their own activity. Further investigation and treatment were declined.

Clinical Relevance—Channelopathies are rarely recognized diseases in domestic animals. In addition to conventional diagnostic evaluation methods, provocation tests in a clinical environment can be used in the assessment of channelopathies.
Ultrasonographic appearance of lymphomatous infiltration of the abomasum in cows with lymphoma
Authors: Buczinski Sébastien , Bélanger Anne-Marie , Francoz David
Published: April 2011

Case Description—4 adult Holstein dairy cows were examined for anorexia and decreased milk production.

Clinical Findings—Clinical signs included abdominal distension, normal to decreased ruminal motility, and decreased fecal output. Hypochloremia and high BUN concentration were also noted on serum biochemical analysis. Transabdominal ultrasonography revealed abnormal thickening of the abomasum with pyloric thickening and loss of the typical layered appearance of the pyloric wall. Results of cytologic examination of fine-needle aspirates of the abnormal portion of the abomasum were compatible with a diagnosis of lymphoma in 3 cows.

Outcome—The diagnosis of lymphoma involving the abomasum was confirmed by exploratory laparotomy, necropsy, or slaughterhouse reports. Two cows were euthanatized, 1 died 5 days after the diagnosis, and 1 was sent to the slaughterhouse, but the carcass was discarded because of generalized lymphoma.

Clinical Relevance—Transabdominal ultrasonography is a noninvasive portable test that can be useful for the diagnosis of lymphomatous infiltration of the pyloric portion of the abomasum, which may result in obstruction. This can be especially useful to avoid unnecessary treatments when no typical signs of enzootic lymphoma are present. Percutaneous fine-needle aspiration of the abnormally thickened abomasal wall should be performed. These procedures can enable diagnosis of this neoplasm, which has a relatively poor prognosis, thus avoiding the unnecessary costs incurred by exploratory laparotomy.
Aggressive intervention to treat a young woman with intracranial hemorrhage following unsuccessful intravenous thrombolysis for left middle cerebral artery occlusion
Authors: Fargen Kyle M. , Hoh Brian L. , Fautheree Gregory L. , Morgan Walter R. , Velat Gregory J. , Waters Michael F. , Mocco J
Published: April 2011

Stroke patients whose condition does not improve after intravenous administration of tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) may be candidates for endovascular intervention. Patients with new intracerebral hemorrhage noted during such interventions pose a difficult challenge to neurointerventionists and are often sequestered as treatment failures and deemed inappropriate for intraarterial recanalization efforts. The authors present a case in which aggressive intervention was performed despite evidence of contrast extravasation on preintervention angiography. This 37-year-old woman presented with an occlusion of the M1 segment of the left middle cerebral artery and a National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score of 24. She received intravenous tPA without improvement. Angiography revealed M1 thrombus as well as active contrast extravasation without arterial displacement. Thromboaspiration was performed in light of her known hemorrhage with excellent recanalization. Immediate postprocedure imaging demonstrated a large insular hematoma and emergent craniectomy and hematoma evacuation were performed. At 4 months' follow-up, the patient was living at home, was ambulating, and had excellent comprehension with mild expressive aphasia. There is little peer-reviewed data in the literature to aid in the decision-making process when contrast extravasation is recognized at the time of preinterevention angiography. Continuation of mechanical endovascular stroke intervention, in light of active contrast extravasation, may be warranted in young patients with major deficits and absence of arterial displacement or delayed global filling. Further thrombolytics are not advised. In select stroke patients, continuation of a planned attempt at mechanical recanalization without the further use of thrombolytics may be warranted in light of known intracerebral hemorrhage.
Enabling an unimpeded surgical approach to the skull base in patients with cranial hyperostosis, exemplarily demonstrated for craniometaphyseal dysplasia
Authors: Juergens Philipp , Ratia Javier , Beinemann Jörg , Krol Zdzislaw , Schicho Kurt , Kunz Christoph , Zeilhofer Hans-Florian , Zimmerer Stephan
Published: April 2011

Craniometaphyseal dysplasia is an extremely rare, genetic bone-remodeling disorder. Comparable to osteopetrosis, fibrous dysplasia, and other infrequent conditions, craniometaphyseal dysplasia is characterized by progressive diffuse hyperostosis of the neuro- and viscerocranium. Affected patients present with a pathognomonic dysmorphia: macrocephalus, hypertelorism, bulky facial skeleton, and a prominent mandible. Progressive thickening and petrification of the craniofacial bones can continue throughout life, often resulting in neurological symptoms due to obstruction of the cranial nerves in the foramina and therefore immediately requiring neurosurgical interventions to avoid persistent symptoms with severe impairment of function. Treatment is largely infeasible given the lack of suitable tools to perform a craniotomy through the gross calvarial bone.

In this paper, the authors present a complete process chain from the CT-based generation of an individual patient's model displaying his pathology to optimized preoperative planning of the skull's shape with a thickness of about 6–7 mm. For concise verification of the surgical plan in an operating room environment, a 3D real-time navigation prototype system was utilized. To guarantee realization of the surgery in a reasonable time frame, the mechanical tools were preoperatively selected for optimizing the ablation rate in porcine and bovine bone, which were comparable to that in the patient. This process chain was developed in a modular way, so that it could be easily adopted completely or partially for other surgical indications.

A 21-year-old man was treated according to this sophisticated concept. Skull bone more than 50 mm thick in some regions was reduced to physiological thickness. The patient was thus in a stage that neurosurgical interventions could be performed with a regular risk within a reasonable time of treatment.
The effects of chronic pulmonary disease on hospital length of stay and cost of hospitalization after neurosurgery
Authors: Varhabhatla Narayana , Zuo Zhiyi
Published: April 2011

Object

Chronic pulmonary diseases (CPDs) are common causes of morbidity. However, their effects on the outcome of the neurosurgical patient population are unknown. In this study, the impact of CPD on length of stay (LOS) and cost of hospitalization (COH) in neurosurgical patients was evaluated.

Methods

This was a retrospective observational study of all neurosurgical patients at the University of Virginia Health System between 1994 and 2008. Patients were divided into those with CPD (4894) and those without CPD (21,274). Patients were further divided by the types of surgery they underwent: laminectomy, ventriculostomy, and craniotomy. Univariate and multiple linear regression analyses were performed to evaluate the impact of CPD and other comorbidities on LOS and COH.

Results

Nearly 20% of patients undergoing neurosurgery had CPD. Univariate analysis showed that patients with CPD had a statistically significant increase in LOS and COH after a neurosurgical procedure. The median adjusted COH for patients with CPD undergoing any neurosurgical procedure was $3706 greater than for patients without CPD. Multivariate analysis identified CPD as an independent determining factor in raising LOS by 0.5 days and COH by $6528 per patient for all neurosurgical procedures. History of congestive heart failure and renal failure were also independent determining factors for LOS after neurosurgery.

Conclusions

Neurosurgical patients with CPD had a longer LOS and higher COH than patients without CPD.
Anterior approach to the cervicothoracic junction: proposed indication for manubriotomy based on preoperative computed tomography findings
Authors: Falavigna Asdrubal , Righesso Orlando , Teles Alisson Roberto
Published: April 2011

Object

The purpose of this study was to present straightforward preoperative methods to define the need for manubriotomy in the anterior surgical approach to the cervicothoracic junction.

Methods

Preoperative MR imaging and CT scanning studies were performed in all patients. The CT images with sagittal reconstructions including the manubrium were done to apply the so-called surgeons' view line. This line is parallel to the inferior plateau of the superior healthy vertebrae or the vertebrae above the herniated intervertebral disc, and the decision concerning the need for manubriotomy depends on the correlation between this line and the manubrium.

Results

Preoperative planning of the need for manubriotomy was correct in all cases. Manubriotomy was never performed in C-7 corpectomy or C7–T1 discectomy cases; nevertheless, manubriotomy was needed in half of the cases when the T-1 corpectomy was the lowest level to be resected (8 cases), and in 4 cases the lowest level to be approached was T-2. The mean surgical time, bleeding volume, postoperative pain intensity, and length of hospital stay were less in the cervicotomy than in the manubriotomy group.

Conclusions

By using the surgeons' view line and its correlation with the manubrium, the need for manubriotomy can be predicted without compromising decompression and reconstruction. The statistical differences observed in the surgical variables between the manubriotomy and cervicotomy cases justified the use of preoperative evaluation of the need for manubriotomy as an aid to surgical planning and to give the patient and family realistic expectations about the surgery.
Anatomical study of the third occipital nerve and its potential role in occipital headache/neck pain following midline dissections of the craniocervical junction
Authors: Tubbs R. Shane , Mortazavi Martin M. , Loukas Marios , D'Antoni Anthony V. , Shoja Mohammadali M. , Chern Joshua J. , Cohen-Gadol Aaron A.
Published: April 2011

Object

Occipital neuralgia can be a debilitating disease and may occur following operative procedures near the occipital and nuchal regions. One nerve of this region, the third occipital nerve (TON), has received only scant attention, and its potential contribution to occipital neuralgia has not been appreciated. Therefore, in the present study the authors aimed to detail the anatomy of this nerve and its relationships to midline surgical approaches of the occiput and posterior neck.

Methods

Fifteen adult cadavers (30 sides) underwent dissection of the upper cervical and occipital regions. Special attention was given to identifying the course of the TON and its relationship to the soft tissues and other nerves of this region. Once identified superficially, the TON was followed deeply through the nuchal musculature to its origin in the dorsal ramus of C-3. Measurements were made of the length and diameter of the TON. Additionally, the distance from the external occipital protuberance was measured in each specimen. Following dissection of the TON, self-retaining retractors were placed in the midline and opened in standard fashion while observing for excess tension on the TON.

Results

Articular branches were noted arising from the deep surface of the nerve in 63.3% of sides. The authors found that the TON was, on average, 3 mm lateral to the external occipital protuberance, and small branches were found to cross the midline and communicate with the contralateral TON inferior to the external occipital protuberance in 66.7% of sides. The TON trunk became subcutaneous at a mean of 5 cm inferior to the external occipital protuberance. In all specimens, the cutaneous main trunk of the TON was intimately related to the nuchal ligament. Insertion of self-retaining retractors in the midline placed significant tension on the TON in all specimens, both superficially and more deeply at its adjacent facet joint.

Conclusions

Although damage to the TON may often be unavoidable in midline approaches to the craniocervical region, appreciation of its presence and knowledge of its position and relationships may be useful to the neurosurgeon who operates in this region and may assist in decreasing postoperative morbidity.
Effect of Zinc Supplementation on Serum Zinc Level and Micronucleus Frequency in Bangladeshi Adult Females With Poor Socioeconomic Status
Authors: Mustafa Tarek Golam , Monirujjaman Md , Zabeen Shahana , Hossain Bakhtiar
Published: April 2011

Zinc deficiency may result in increased DNA oxidation resulting in DNA breaks which leads to micronuclei formation. Therefore, micronuclei frequency in peripheral blood mononuclear cells has the potential to be an indicator for zinc status. The study was designed to explore the possibility of using micronuclei frequency (MNF) in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), as a biomarker for zinc status. The study was double blind and placebo controlled. Fourteen females with moderately low dietary zinc intake were randomly assigned to receive either zinc (20 mg of zinc as zinc sulfate /day) or placebo for twenty-one days. MNF of peripheral blood lymphocytes were determined by using cytokinesis-block micronucleus (CBMN) assay. Plasma zinc levels were measured using atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Zinc supplementation increased serum zinc levels (P = 0.008) and decreased cells with micronucleus (P =0.054) and micronuleus frequency (P = 0.016) in PBMCs. Individuals with higher zinc status, as achieved with zinc supplementation, have low micronucleus frequency. Keywords: MNF (Micronucleus Frequency); CBMN (Cytokinesis Block Micronucleus) Assay; PBMC (Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells) DOI: 10.3329/akmmcj.v1i1.7452 Anwer Khan Modern Medical College Journal 2010; 1(1): 04-08
Abuse and Misuse of Drugs
Authors: Shamsunnahar Dr
Published: April 2011

DOI: 10.3329/akmmcj.v1i2.7457 Anwer Khan Modern Medical College Journal 2010; 1(2): 03
Prescriptions Pattern Available at Rural Household
Authors: Rahman Md Mahfuzar
Published: April 2011

This was a descriptive type of cross-sectional study conducted in three villages of Shahjadpur Upazila in the month of October, 2010 among the rural households who visited medical practioners for the last three months. It was aimed to determine the socio-demographic characteristics of the respondents, availability of prescriptions, diagnosis written, number of drugs and antibiotics including its duration written within the prescription. It also determines the duration of antibiotic, dose and course including the advices on life style mentioned in the prescription in particular. It was revealed from the findings that 73.27% respondents were within 15-44 years of age with mean age 34.8 years and SD ± 13.09. In this study 68% respondents were attended doctors chamber during last three months, of them prescriptions were available to 57% respondents for investigation according to the stated objectives. Number of drugs in one prescription was 3-5 in 77% prescriptions. On the other hand 58% prescriptions were having 1-2 antibiotics. However, dose of antibiotics were not mentioned to about 31% prescriptions only. The duration 3-6 days of antibiotics was mentioned only about 23% prescriptions. Advices on life style and diagnosis were mentioned only to 32 and 52% prescriptions respectively. The investigation also revealed the qualification of prescribers and found 22.64% prescriptions by non-qualified doctors. The finding of the study can be a basis to take appropriate measures among prescribers in the locality towards maintaining the standard and rationality of prescriptions for the patients seeking drug treatment for any type of ailments. It will also help practitioners to provide a rational prescription to the consumers in regards to the number of drugs as well as clarity of instruction of its uses in deed. Key Words: Prescription; Pattern; Rural Household DOI: 10.3329/akmmcj.v1i2.7459 Anwer Khan Modern Medical College Journal 2010; 1(2): 12-16
Degree of Viremia and Liver Histology in Chronic Hepatitis C
Authors: Rahman Md Atiqur , Mannan Sultana Rokeya
Published: April 2011

This non-interventional descriptive study, was carried out in a private centre named The Liver Centre, Dhanmondi, Dhaka, between April and September, 2010. Core needle liver biopsies of fifty five patients of chronic hepatitis C were evaluated according to Knodell's histological activity index system. The patients were categorized into four subgroups depending upon the grade and stage of disease according to Desmet's classification, and into three groups according to degree of viremia. Five patients had mild viremia, 43 moderate and 7 had severe viremia. Seven patients had minimal disease, 9 mild, 22 moderate and 17 had severe chronic hepatitis. Eight patients had no fibrosis, 20 had fibrous portal expansion, 19 bridging fibrosis, and 8 patients had cirrhosis. No significant correlation was found between serum HCV RNA levels and grade or stage of the disease, with correlation coefficients of rs = -.054 and rs = .034 respectively. Moreover, no individual component of the HAI correlated with serum HCV RNA levels. Serum HCV RNA level does not determine the degree of hepatic injury precisely and liver biopsy is necessary to accurately evaluate the extent of liver damage. Key Words: HCV; Chronic Hepatitis; Liver Biopsy DOI: 10.3329/akmmcj.v1i2.7460 Anwer Khan Modern Medical College Journal 2010; 1(2): 17-20
Parasitic Liver Abscess Caused By Ascaris Lumbricoides - A Case Report
Authors: Begum SM Khodeza Nahar , Islam Quazi Tarikul
Published: April 2011

This is a case report of a middle aged man who presented with weight loss and epigastric pain. The initial diagnosis was space occupying lesion in liver. The mass was later demonstrated by trans-abdominal percutaneous needle biopsy to be an abscess caused by Ascaris lumbricoides. Fertilized Eggs and Larvae of Ascaris lumbricoides was found. Key Words: Liver Abscess; Ascaris Lumbricoides DOI: 10.3329/akmmcj.v1i2.7462 Anwer Khan Modern Medical College Journal 2010; 1(2): 25-26
Non-Adherence To Antihypertensive Treatment in Essential Hypertensive Patients in Rajshahi, Bangladesh
Authors: Hussanin SM , Boonshuyar C , Ekram ARMS
Published: April 2011

A total of 120 hypertensive patients were recruited from two sites: Rajshahi Medical College Hospital (RMCH) and a private clinic in Rajshahi. Eighty five percent of this study population were non-adherent to treatment. The clients of RMCH were more non-adherent. Additional factors determining non-adherence included: lower level of educations, low family income, duration of diagnosis, knowledge and belief of the disease, lack of accompanying person to go to the physician/hospital, and deficiencies in information from the service provider. Since hypertension is a chronic disease, patients should be encouraged to take their medication regularly and follow the lifestyle advised. Collective participation by all allied health personnel should be encouraged. Community based studies should be conducted to discover the extent of non-adherence to antihypertensive treatment. Key words: Non-Adherence; Hypertension; Antihypertensive; Belief; Knowledge DOI: 10.3329/akmmcj.v2i1.7465 Anwer Khan Modern Medical College Journal 2011; 2(1): 09-14
Clinical Significance of Mucin Extravasation in Breast Core Biopsy Specimens
Authors: Begum SM Khodeza Nahar , Richelia Jara Lazaro Ana , Thike Aye Aye , Ho Julian Teng-Swan , Wong Jill Su-Lin , Tan Puay Hoon
Published: April 2011

Mucin extravasation (ME) refers to the presence of mucin pools in the breast parenchyma, usually resulting from ruptured ducts distended with luminal mucin. Extravasated mucin is usually seen along with cystically dilated mucin filled ducts or mucocele like lesions (MLL) of the breast. MLL is a rare lesion that may be associated with a continuum of benignity to invasive mucinous carcinoma. The purpose of this study was to document the spectrum of lesions that can be associated with ME in breast cores and to correlate with the histology in subsequent surgical excision. Thirty-seven cases with ME on image guided core biopsies were reviewed from our departmental files, and their radiologic histologic findings were noted. Twenty-six of them of them underwent subsequent open biopsies which forms the basis of this study. It was noticed that columner cell lesion (CCL) associated with mucocele like lesion (MLL) as an important finding in relation with atypia. This finding was significant regardless of their presence in calcified or non-calcified cores and also a very good statistical correlation was seen between the quantitative presence of CCL in the core and excisional biopsy diagnosis. This are support the need for excision biopsy for the cases presenting with ME in their cores. In addition, a multidisciplinary approach should also be taken for cases presenting with ME, MLL and CCL altogether in breast core biopsies even in absence of obvious cytological atypia. Key Words: Mucin ExtravasationL Columnan Cell Lesion (CCL); Mucocele Like Lesion (MLL); Fibrocystic Change (FCC); Atypical Ductal Hyperplasia (ADH); Ductal Carcinoma in Situ (DCIS) DOI: 10.3329/akmmcj.v2i1.7466 Anwer Khan Modern Medical College Journal 2011; 2(1): 15-21
Sitting Forward or Sitting Back: Highbrow v. Middlebrow Reading
Authors: Humble Nicola
Published: April 2011

This article begins by asserting that the distinction between high and middlebrow literary texts rests fundamentally not on literary merit or cultural hierarchies but on the culture and practices of reading as they changed and developed in the first half of the twentieth century. It explores the difficulties of drawing a firm dividing line between high and middlebrow experienced by contemporary critical and cultural commentators such as Cyril Connolly, Q. D. Leavis and George Orwell, and argues that what was crucial for these commentators was not so much the precise boundaries they drew as the fact of drawing them. It suggests that we need to find new ways of thinking about the literature of the first half of the twentieth century that avoid simply replicating the snobberies and anxieties of that period. Following a suggestion in Michel de Certeau's The Practice of Everyday Life, it examines the reading bodies implied by the highbrow and the middlebrow in order to tease out some of the wider cultural implications of the battle of the brows. Firstly, it suggests that the difference between high and middlebrow texts, at its most basic, might simply be simply a matter of sitting forward or sitting back: of those texts that are read at a desk and those read while relaxing. It proposes an ethnography of the two groups of readers, and considers the culture of leisure that shapes middlebrow reading practices, and the institution of university English Literature that shapes those of the highbrow. Finally, it looks at the places and times where these distinctions start to break down, examining the reading surveys conducted by Mass Observation, and considering the phenomenon of Penguin Books and suggesting that an examination of the lived experience of readers presents a picture that is more various, complicated and resistant than neat theorising would allow.
‘WHAT WE MIGHT EXPECT – If the Highbrow Weeklies Advertized like the Patent Foods’: Time and Tide, Advertising, and the ‘Battle of the Brows’
Authors: Clay Catherine
Published: April 2011

This essay examines both the advertising content and a discourse about commercial culture in the influential feminist weekly Time and Tide from 1920 to 1936. In particular it traces the ways in which this magazine re-worked the periodical codes as it moved from the ‘women's paper’ category to a more general-audience weekly review. A key stage in this transition was Time and Tide's ‘literary turn’ which placed the magazine at the heart of the ‘battle of the brows’ in the early 1930s. From its inception Time and Tide had played an important role in the reception and promotion of so-called ‘middlebrow’ women writers; later the magazine loosened its identification with the ‘feminine middlebrow’ in order to secure its position within the ‘high’ sphere of serious political journalism. Far from an abandonment of its female readership and early feminist identity, however, I argue that Time and Tide's re-branding was in concert with wider cultural shifts in the construction of women's gendered identities.
‘I return with immense relief to old friend Time and Tide’: Middlebrow Expansions in E.M. Delafield's Fiction and Journalism
Authors: Sullivan Melissa
Published: April 2011

Throughout the late 1920s and early 1930s, the feminist weekly review Time and Tide sought to navigate between its increasingly highbrow aspirations and its longstanding affiliations with women's middlebrow culture. This essay considers how Time and Tide's continuous and increasingly complex negotiations among the high and middlebrow spheres at the height of the ‘battle of the brows’ encouraged the development of a more innovative and assertive women's middlebrow culture. I trace the career of E.M. Delafield from her somewhat ambivalent association with the middlebrow to her forthright participation within that sphere and her creation of a middlebrow style with greater independence from modernism that upheld the significance and humour in everyday life; her journalism with Time and Tide serves as the conduit for this evolution. Thus at a time when the middlebrow was repeatedly misaligned, obscured, or controlled, Time and Tide used its own growing cultural capital to encourage Delafield's fashioning of a middlebrow culture committed to humour, the everyday, and cultural variability.
Robert Benchley and Dorothy Parker ‘In Broadway Playhouses’: Middlebrow Theatricality and Sophisticated Humour
Authors: Keyser Catherine
Published: April 2011

This essay proposes that humorists Robert Benchley and Dorothy Parker cast the middlebrow professional as a modern performer in their drama reviews and fiction. Under the sign of sophistication, their work champions individual identity and social status based on professionalism, public performance, and wit. The article traces sophistication as an ideal on the Broadway stage of the 1920s and 1930s, analyzes the skeptical personae that Benchley and Barker create in their drama reviews for middlebrow magazines, and follows the trope of performance (monologue, song, stage) in fiction by Benchley and Parker. In their drama reviews, Benchley and Parker reclaim the tonal extremes of modernist drama for the alienated middle-class professional, and they insist that even artistic avant-gardes derive their techniques from low-cultural spectacle and mass media people-pleasing. In so doing, they encouraged their readers to view themselves as consumers and producers of modern performances. In their fiction, Benchley and Parker use the roles of the beleaguered businessman and the world-weary divorcée to advocate social mobility, professional independence, and hedonistic choice over self-abnegating duty.
The Public Health Impact of Coccidioidomycosis in Arizona and California
Authors: Hector Richard F. , Rutherford George W. , Tsang Clarisse A. , Erhart Laura M. , McCotter Orion , Anderson Shoana M. , Komatsu Kenneth , Tabnak Farzaneh , Vugia Duc J. , Yang Ying , Galgiani John N.
Published: April 2011

The numbers of reported cases of coccidioidomycosis in Arizona and California have risen dramatically over the past decade, with a 97.8% and 91.1% increase in incidence rates from 2001 to 2006 in the two states, respectively. Of those cases with reported race/ethnicity information, Black/African Americans in Arizona and Hispanics and African/Americans in California experienced a disproportionately higher frequency of disease compared to other racial/ethnic groups. Lack of early diagnosis continues to be a problem, particularly in suspect community-acquired pneumonia, underscoring the need for more rapid and sensitive tests. Similarly, the inability of currently available therapeutics to reduce the duration and morbidity of this disease underscores the need for improved therapeutics and a preventive vaccine.
Functioning Nanomachines Seen in Real-Time in Living Bacteria Using Single-Molecule and Super-Resolution Fluorescence Imaging
Authors: Chiu Sheng-Wen , Leake Mark C.
Published: April 2011

Molecular machines are examples of “pre-established” nanotechnology, driving the basic biochemistry of living cells. They encompass an enormous range of function, including fuel generation for chemical processes, transport of molecular components within the cell, cellular mobility, signal transduction and the replication of the genetic code, amongst many others. Much of our understanding of such nanometer length scale machines has come from in vitro studies performed in isolated, artificial conditions. Researchers are now tackling the challenges of studying nanomachines in their native environments. In this review, we outline recent in vivo investigations on nanomachines in model bacterial systems using state-of-the-art genetics technology combined with cutting-edge single-molecule and super-resolution fluorescence microscopy. We conclude that single-molecule and super-resolution fluorescence imaging provide powerful tools for the biochemical, structural and functional characterization of biological nanomachines. The integrative spatial, temporal, and single-molecule data obtained simultaneously from fluorescence imaging open an avenue for systems-level single-molecule cellular biophysics and in vivo biochemistry.
An Oligodeoxynucleotide with Promising Modulation Activity for the Proliferation and Activation of Osteoblast
Authors: Feng Zhiyuan , Shen Yuqin , Wang Liying , Cheng Lin , Wang Jing , Li Quanshun , Shi Wei , Sun Xinhua
Published: April 2011

The paper explored the regulatory role of oligodeoxynucleotides (ODNs) with specific sequences in the proliferation and activation of osteoblast, using human osteoblast-like cell line MG 63 as the model. Through the administration of ODNs to MG 63 cells at a concentration of 1.0 µg/mL, ODN MT01 with positive effects on proliferation and activation of osteoblast was selected from 11 different ODNs by methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) assay and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity measurement. To get a deeper insight into the molecular mechanism, effects of ODN MT01 treatment on the expression level of Sp7, runx-2, collagen-I, osteoprotegerin (OPG) and RANK ligand (RANKL) were determined using quantitative real time PCR and Western blotting. Remarkably, the mRNA and protein expression levels of Sp7, runx-2, collagen-I and OPG were improved after ODN MT01 treatment. Meanwhile, the protein expression level of RANKL was dramatically decreased. These results suggested that ODN MT01 had a significant impact in facilitating osteogenic proliferation and activation, and provided a direct evidence for the notion that single strand ODN could regulate the balance of bone formation and resorption, and thus was of great potential in the rebuilding of alveolar bone.
Path Specific Register Design to Reduce Standby Power Consumption
Authors: Salman Emre , Qi Qi
Published: April 2011

A methodology is proposed to design low leakage registers by considering the type of timing path, i.e., short or long, and type of register, i.e., launching or capturing. Three different dual threshold voltage registers are developed where each register trades, depending upon the timing path, a different timing constraint for reducing the leakage current. For example, the first proposed register is used as a launching register in a noncritical path, trading clock-to-Q delay for leakage current. Other timing constraints such as setup and hold times are maintained the same not to introduce any timing violations. Alternatively, the second and third registers, trade, respectively, setup time and hold time for leakage current while maintaining clock-to-Q delay constant. The effect of the proposed methodology on leakage current is investigated for four technology nodes. The overall reduction in the leakage current of a register can exceed 90% while maintaining the clock frequency and other design parameters such as area and dynamic power the same. Three ISCAS 89 benchmark circuits are utilized to evaluate the methodology, demonstrating, on average, 23% reduction in the overall leakage current.
Syntheses, Structures and Antimicrobial Activities of bis(Imino)acenaphthene (BIAN) Imidazolium Salts
Authors: Butorac Rachel R. , Al-Deyab Salem S. , Cowley Alan H.
Published: April 2011

The syntheses of four new bis(imino)acenaphthene (BIAN) imidazolium chlorides are reported, three of which have been structurally characterized. The synthesis of a new, structurally authenticated BIAN ligand is also described. We report the results of the use of these BIAN imidazolium salts as antimicrobials against the pathogens S. aureus, B. subtilis, E. coli and P. aeruginosa. The antimicrobial efficacies were particularly high for the N-(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)- and N-(mesityl)- substituted BIAN imidazolium salts (MIC values < 0.6 μg/mL).
Induction of Intracellular Ca2+ and pH Changes in Sf9 Insect Cells by Rhodojaponin-III, A Natural Botanic Insecticide Isolated from Rhododendron molle
Authors: Cheng Xing-An , Xie Jian-Jun , Hu Mei-Ying , Zhang Yan-Bo , Huang Jing-Fei
Published: April 2011

Many studies on intracellular calcium ([Ca2+]i) and intracellular pH (pHi) have been carried out due to their importance in regulation of different cellular functions. However, most of the previous studies are focused on human or mammalian cells. The purpose of the present study was to characterize the effect of Rhodojaponin-III (R-III) on [Ca2+]i and pHi and the proliferation of Sf9 cells. R-III strongly inhibited Sf9 cells proliferation with a time- and dose-dependent manner. Flow cytometry established that R-III interfered with Sf9 cells division and arrested them in G2/M. By using confocal scanning technique, effects of R-III on intracellular free calcium ([Ca2+]i) and intracellular pH (pHi) in Sf9 cells were determined. R-III induced a significant dose-dependent (1, 10, 100, 200 μg/mL) increase in [Ca2+]i and pHi of Sf9 cells in presence of Ca2+-containing solution (Hanks) and an irreversible decrease in the absence of extra cellular Ca2+. We also found that both extra cellular Ca2+ and intracellular Ca2+ stores contributed to the increase of [Ca2+]i, because completely treating Sf9 cells with CdCl2 (5 mM), a Ca2+ channels blocker, R-III (100 μg/mL) induced a transient elevation of [Ca2+]i in case of cells either in presence of Ca2+ containing or Ca2+ free solution. In these conditions, pHi showed similar changes with that of [Ca2+]i on the whole. Accordingly, we supposed that there was a certain linkage for change of [Ca2+]i, cell cycle arrest, proliferation inhibition in Sf9 cells induced by R-III.
Antioxidant Properties and Antioxidant Compounds of Various Extracts from the Edible Basidiomycete Grifola Frondosa (Maitake)
Authors: Yeh Jan-Ying , Hsieh Li-Hui , Wu Kaun-Tzer , Tsai Cheng-Fang
Published: April 2011

Grifola frondosa is an edible mushroom currently available in Taiwan. Ethanolic, cold-water and hot-water extracts were prepared and their antioxidant properties were investigated. At 1 mg/mL, G. frondosa T1 and T2 cold-water extracts showed high reducing powers of 1.02 and 0.50, respectively. Chelating abilities on ferrous ions of G. frondosa T1 and T2 were higher for cold-water extracts than for ethanolic and hot-water extracts. For the scavenging ability on 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical, G. frondosa T1 and T2 extracts were effective in the following order: ethanolic > hot-water > cold-water. The G. frondosa hot-water extract showed high scavenging ability on superoxide anions. Total phenols, flavonoids, ascorbic acid and α-tocopherol are the major antioxidant components found in the various G. frondosa extracts. Based on EC50 values (
Mapping Irrigated Areas of Ghana Using Fusion of 30 m and 250 m Resolution Remote-Sensing Data
Authors: Gumma Murali Krishna , Thenkabail Prasad S. , Hideto Fujii , Nelson Andrew , Dheeravath Venkateswarlu , Busia Dawuni , Rala Arnel
Published: April 2011

Maps of irrigated areas are essential for Ghana’s agricultural development. The goal of this research was to map irrigated agricultural areas and explain methods and protocols using remote sensing. Landsat Enhanced Thematic Mapper (ETM+) data and time-series Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data were used to map irrigated agricultural areas as well as other land use/land cover (LULC) classes, for Ghana. Temporal variations in the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) pattern obtained in the LULC class were used to identify irrigated and non-irrigated areas. First, the temporal variations in NDVI pattern were found to be more consistent in long-duration irrigated crops than with short-duration rainfed crops due to more assured water supply for irrigated areas. Second, surface water availability for irrigated areas is dependent on shallow dug-wells (on river banks) and dug-outs (in river bottoms) that affect the timing of crop sowing and growth stages, which was in turn reflected in the seasonal NDVI pattern. A decision tree approach using Landsat 30 m one time data fusion with MODIS 250 m time-series data was adopted to classify, group, and label classes. Finally, classes were tested and verified using ground truth data and national statistics. Fuzzy classification accuracy assessment for the irrigated classes varied between 67 and 93%. An irrigated area derived from remote sensing (32,421 ha) was 20–57% higher than irrigated areas reported by Ghana’s Irrigation Development Authority (GIDA). This was because of the uncertainties involved in factors such as: (a) absence of shallow irrigated area statistics in GIDA statistics, (b) non-clarity in the irrigated areas in its use, under-development, and potential for development in GIDA statistics, (c) errors of omissions and commissions in the remote sensing approach, and (d) comparison involving widely varying data types, methods, and approaches used in determining irrigated area statistics using GIDA and remote sensing. Extensive field campaigns to help in better classification and validation of irrigated areas using high (30 m ) to very high (<5 m) resolution remote sensing data that are fused with multi temporal data like MODIS are the way forward. This is especially true in accounting for small yet contiguous patches of irrigated areas from dug-wells and dug-outs.
Insertional Oncogenesis by Non-Acute Retroviruses: Implications for Gene Therapy
Authors: Fan Hung , Johnson Chassidy
Published: April 2011

Retroviruses cause cancers in a variety of animals and humans. Research on retroviruses has provided important insights into mechanisms of oncogenesis in humans, including the discovery of viral oncogenes and cellular proto-oncogenes. The subject of this review is the mechanisms by which retroviruses that do not carry oncogenes (non-acute retroviruses) cause cancers. The common theme is that these tumors result from insertional activation of cellular proto-oncogenes by integration of viral DNA. Early research on insertional activation of proto-oncogenes in virus-induced tumors is reviewed. Research on non-acute retroviruses has led to the discovery of new proto-oncogenes through searches for common insertion sites (CISs) in virus-induced tumors. Cooperation between different proto-oncogenes in development of tumors has been elucidated through the study of retrovirus-induced tumors, and retroviral infection of genetically susceptible mice (retroviral tagging) has been used to identify cellular proto-oncogenes active in specific oncogenic pathways. The pace of proto-oncogene discovery has been accelerated by technical advances including PCR cloning of viral integration sites, the availability of the mouse genome sequence, and high throughput DNA sequencing. Insertional activation has proven to be a significant risk in gene therapy trials to correct genetic defects with retroviral vectors. Studies on non-acute retroviral oncogenesis provide insight into the potential risks, and the mechanisms of oncogenesis.
Predicting the UV–vis spectra of oxazine dyes
Authors: Fleming Scott , Mills Andrew , Tuttle Tell
Published: April 2011

In the current work we have investigated the ability of time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) to predict the absorption spectra of a series of oxazine dyes and the effect of solvent on the accuracy of these predictions. Based on the results of this study, it is clear that for the series of oxazine dyes an accurate prediction of the excitation energy requires the inclusion of solvent. Implicit solvent included via a polarizable continuum approach was found to be sufficient in reproducing the excitation energies accurately in the majority of cases. Moreover, we found that the SMD solvent model, which is dependent on the full electron density of the solute without partitioning into partial charges, gave more reliable results for our systems relative to the conductor-like polarizable continuum model (CPCM), as implemented in Gaussian 09. In all cases the inclusion of solvent reduces the error in the predicted excitation energy to <0.3 eV and in the majority of cases to <0.1 eV.