bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mitochondrial Respiration Is Decreased in Rat Kidney Following Fetal Exposure to a Maternal Low-Protein Diet
Authors: Engeham Sarah , Mdaki Kennedy , Jewell Kirsty , Austin Ruth , Lehner Alexander N. , Langley-Evans Simon C.
Published: March 2012

Maternal protein restriction in rat pregnancy is associated with impaired renal development and age-related loss of renal function in the resulting offspring. Pregnant rats were fed either control or low-protein (LP) diets, and kidneys from their male offspring were collected at 4, 13, or 16 weeks of age. Mitochondrial state 3 and state 4 respiratory rates were decreased by a third in the LP exposed adults. The reduction in mitochondrial function was not explained by complex IV deficiency or altered expression of the complex I subunits that are typically associated with mitochondrial dysfunction. Similarly, there was no evidence that LP-exposure resulted in greater oxidative damage to the kidney, differential expression of ATP synthetaseβ-subunit, and ATP-ADP translocase 1. mRNA expression of uncoupling protein 2 was increased in adult rats exposed to LPin utero, but there was no evidence of differential expression at the protein level. Exposure to maternal undernutrition is associated with a decrease in mitochondrial respiration in kidneys of adult rats. In the absence of gross disturbances in respiratory chain protein expression, programming of coupling efficiency may explain the long-term impact of the maternal diet.
Real-Time Monitoring of Rare Circulating Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells in an Orthotopic Model byIn VivoFlow Cytometry Assesses Resection on Metastasis
Authors: Fan Zhi-Chao , Yan Jun , Liu Guang-Da , Tan Xiao-Ying , Weng Xiao-Fu , Wu Wei-Zhong , Zhou Jian , Wei Xun-Bin
Published: March 2012

The fate of circulating tumor cells (CTC) is an important determinant of metastasis and recurrence, which leads to most deaths in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Therefore, quantification of CTCs proves to be an emerging tool for diagnosing, stratifying, and monitoring patients with metastatic diseases. In vivo flow cytometry has the capability to monitor the dynamics of fluorescently labeled CTCs continuously and noninvasively. Here, we combine in vivo flow cytometry technique and a GFP-transfected HCC orthotopic metastatic tumor model to monitor CTC dynamics. Our in vivo flow cytometry has approximately 1.8-fold higher sensitivity than whole blood analysis by conventional flow cytometry. We found a significant difference in CTC dynamics between orthotopic and subcutaneous tumor models. We also investigated whether liver resection promotes or restricts hematogenous metastasis in advanced HCC. Our results show that the number of CTCs and early metastases decreases significantly after the resection. The resection prominently restricts hematogenous metastasis and distant metastases. CTC dynamics is correlated with tumor growth in our orthotopic tumor model. The number and size of distant metastases correspond to CTC dynamics. The novel in vivo flow cytometry technique combined with orthotopic tumor models might provide insights to tumor hematogenous metastasis and guidance to cancer therapy. Cancer Res; 72(10); 2683–91. ©2012 AACR.
Survival of 1,181 Patients in a Phase I Clinic: The MD Anderson Clinical Center for Targeted Therapy Experience
Authors: Wheler Jennifer , Tsimberidou Apostolia M. , Hong David , Naing Aung , Falchook Gerald , Piha-Paul Sarina , Fu Siqing , Moulder Stacy , Stephen Bettzy , Wen Sijin , Kurzrock Razelle
Published: March 2012

Purpose: To determine whether the Royal Marsden Hospital (RMH; London, UK) prognostic score for phase I patients can be validated in a large group of individuals seen in a different center and whether other prognostic variables are also relevant, we present an analysis of 1,181 patients treated in the MD Anderson Cancer Center (MDACC; Houston, TX) phase I clinic.

Experimental Design: Medical records of 1,181 consecutive patients who were treated on at least one trial in the phase I clinic were reviewed.

Results: The median age was 58 years and 50% were women. The median number of prior therapies was four and median survival 10 months [95% confidence interval (CI), 9.1–10.9 months]. Independent factors that predicted shorter survival in a multivariate Cox model and could be internally validated included RMH score of >1 (P < 0.0001; albumin <3.5 g/dL; lactate dehydrogenase >upper limit of normal, and >two sites of metastases), gastrointestinal tumor type (P < 0.0001), and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status ≥1 (P = 0.0004). The median survival was 24.0, 15.2, 8.4, 6.2, and 4.1 months for patients with 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4 or 5 of the above risk factors, respectively.

Conclusion: The RMH score was validated in a large group of patients at MDACC. Internal validation of the independent prognostic factors for survival led to the development of the MDACC prognostic score, a modification of the RMH score that strengthens it. Clin Cancer Res; 18(10); 2922–9. ©2012 AACR.
Prognostic and Predictive Role of JWA and XRCC1 Expressions in Gastric Cancer
Authors: Wang Shouyu , Wu Xuming , Chen Yansu , Zhang Jianbing , Ding Jingjing , Zhou Yan , He Song , Tan Yongfei , Qiang Fulin , Bai Jin , Zeng Jinyan , Gong Zhenghua , Li Aiping , Li Gang , Røe Oluf Dimitri , Zhou Jianwei
Published: March 2012

Purpose: To investigate the expression pattern and significance of DNA repair genes JWA and X-ray repair cross complement group 1 (XRCC1) in gastric cancer.

Experimental Design: Expressions of JWA and XRCC1 were assessed by immunohistochemistry in a training cohort and they went into a second testing cohort and finally to a validating cohort. Prognostic and predictive role of JWA and XRCC1 expression status in cases treated with surgery alone or combined with adjuvant chemotherapy was evaluated, respectively.

Results: JWA and XRCC1 protein levels were significantly downregulated in gastric cancer lesions compared with adjacent noncancerous tissues. Low tumoral JWA or XRCC1 expression significantly correlated with shorter overall survival (OS), as well as with clinicopathologic characteristics in patients without adjuvant treatment. Multivariate regression analysis showed that low JWA and XRCC1 expressions, separately and together, were independent negative markers of OS. Adjuvant fluorouracil-leucovorin-oxaliplatin (FLO) significantly improved OS compared with surgery alone (log-rank test, P = 0.01). However, this effect was evident only in the JWA or XRCC1 low expression group (HR = 0.44; 95% CI: 0.26–0.73; P = 0.002, and HR = 0.44, 95% CI: 0.26–0.75; P = 0.002, respectively); Adjuvant fluorouracil-leucovorin-platinol (FLP) did not improve OS, except in the patients with low JWA and XRCC1 expressions (P = 0.010 for JWA and 0.024 for XRCC1, respectively).

Conclusions: JWA and XRCC1 protein expressions in tumor are novel candidate prognostic markers and predictive factors for benefit from adjuvant platinum-based chemotherapy (FLO or FLP) in resectable human gastric carcinoma. Clin Cancer Res; 18(10); 2987–96. ©2012 AACR.
Correlation of ERG Expression and DNA Methylation Biomarkers with Adverse Clinicopathologic Features of Prostate Cancer
Authors: Kron Ken , Liu Liyang , Trudel Dominique , Pethe Vaijayanti , Trachtenberg John , Fleshner Neil , Bapat Bharati , van der Kwast Theodorus
Published: March 2012

Purpose: Fusion of the TMPRSS2 gene with the ERG oncogene and aberrant DNA methylation patterns are commonly found in prostate cancer. The aim of this study was to analyze the relationship between ERG expression, DNA methylation of three biomarkers, and clinicopathologic features of prostate cancer.

Experimental Design: Immunohistochemistry for ERG protein was conducted as a surrogate for TMPRSS2-ERG fusions. We analyzed methylation of CYP26A1, TBX15, and HOXD3 in 219 prostatectomy specimens by the quantitative MethyLight assay. DNA methylation was compared between ERG-positive and -negative cases and correlations of ERG and DNA methylation with clinicopathologic features were analyzed using χ2, Spearman correlation, logistic regression, and Cox regression.

Results: ERG expression varied according to Gleason pattern (almost absent in pattern II, highest in pattern III, and lower in pattern IV/V) and showed a strong positive correlation with methylation levels of CYP26A1, TBX15, and HOXD3 (Spearman P < 0.005). TBX15 and HOXD3 methylation were significantly associated with pathologic stage, Gleason score, and Gleason pattern (P ≤ 0.015). In multivariate regression analysis, PSA, TBX15 high methylation, and HOXD3 high methylation were significantly associated with stage (P < 0.05), whereas ERG expression was negatively correlated with Gleason score (P = 0.003). In univariate time-to-recurrence analysis, a combination of HOXD3/TBX15 high methylation predicted recurrence in ERG-positive and -negative cases (P < 0.05).

Conclusions: CYP26A1, TBX15, and HOXD3 are methylation markers of prostate cancer associated with ERG expression and clinicopathologic variables, suggesting that incorporation of these markers may be useful in a pre- and posttreatment clinical setting. Clin Cancer Res; 18(10); 2896–904. ©2012 AACR.
Antitumor Activity of Src Inhibitor Saracatinib (AZD-0530) in Preclinical Models of Biliary Tract Carcinomas
Authors: Cavalloni Giuliana , Peraldo-Neia Caterina , Sarotto Ivana , Gammaitoni Loretta , Migliardi Giorgia , Soster Marco , Marchiò Serena , Aglietta Massimo , Leone Francesco
Published: March 2012

Biliary tract carcinoma (BTC) has a poor prognosis due to limited treatment options. There is, therefore, an urgent need to identify new targets and to design innovative therapeutic approaches. Among potential candidate molecules, we evaluated the nonreceptor tyrosine kinase Src, observing promising antitumor effects of its small-molecule inhibitor saracatinib in BTC preclinical models. The presence of an active Src protein was investigated by immunohistochemistry in 19 surgical samples from patients with BTC. Upon saracatinib treatment, the phosphorylation of Src and of its downstream transducers was evaluated in the BTC cell lines TFK-1, EGI-1, HuH28, and TGBC1-TKB. The effect of saracatinib on proliferation and migration was analyzed in these same cell lines, and its antitumor activity was essayed in EGI-1 mouse xenografts. Saracatinib-modulated transcriptome was profiled in EGI-1 cells and in tumor samples of the xenograft model. Src was activated in about 80% of the human BTC samples. In cultured BTC cell lines, low-dose saracatinib counteracted the activation of Src and of its downstream effectors, increased the fraction of cells in G0–G1 phase, and inhibited cell migration. At high concentrations (median dose from 2.26–6.99 μmol/L), saracatinib was also capable of inhibiting BTC cell proliferation. In vivo, saracatinib treatment resulted in delayed tumor growth, associated with an impaired vascular network. Here, we provide a demonstration that the targeted inhibition of Src kinase by saracatinib is of therapeutic benefit in preclinical models of BTC. We propose our results as a basis for the design of saracatinib-based clinical applications. Mol Cancer Ther; 11(7); 1528–38. ©2012 AACR.
Weight Reduction Alone May Not Be Sufficient to Maintain Disease Remission in Obese Patients with Psoriasis: A Randomized, Investigator-Blinded Study
Authors: Del Giglio Micol , Gisondi Paolo , Tessari Gianpaolo , Girolomoni Giampiero
Published: March 2012

Background: The relative risk of psoriasis and its severity are directly related to the body mass index. Objective: To investigate the effects of a hypoenergetic diet to maintain disease remission in obese patients. Methods: A questionnaire was administered to 200 patients with moderate-to-severe chronic plaque psoriasis asking whether diet could influence psoriasis severity. Forty-two obese patients in remission (PASI improvement ≥75%) for at least 12 weeks after methotrexate therapy were randomly assigned to receive a hypocaloric diet or free diet for 24 weeks, and were then followed up for an additional 12 weeks. Results: Most of the patients considered that a diet regimen could influence their psoriasis, and desired to enter a dietary program. Obese patients who were in disease remission and entered a hypocaloric diet regimen showed a significant body weight reduction after 12 weeks which was maintained at week 24. However, patients under hypocaloric and free diets did not significantly differ in the maintenance of psoriasis remission, with relapse observed already at week 12, but with a trend in favor of the intervention group. Conclusions: Body weight reduction alone may not be sufficient for maintaining remission of moderate-to-severe psoriasis in obese patients.
Chronological Change in Pulmonary Vascular Response to Hypoxia in Hepatopulmonary Syndrome
Authors: Tanino Yoshinori , Makita Hironi , Tsujino Ichizo , Shinano Hideki , Nishimura Masaharu
Published: March 2012

Here we present a case of hepatopulmonary syndrome (HPS) where spontaneous resolution of severe hypoxaemia occurred with the development of pulmonary hypertension over several years after the initial diagnosis of HPS. The pulmonary vascular responses to hypoxia examined before and after the spontaneous resolution of HPS confirmed that the pathogenesis of HPS could be functional and reversible in nature. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report demonstrating a remarkable change in the pulmonary vascular response to hypoxia before and after the spontaneous resolution of hypoxaemia in HPS.
Paying Attention through Eye Movements: A Computational Investigation of the Premotor Theory of Spatial Attention
Authors: Casarotti Marco , Lisi Matteo , Umiltà Carlo , Zorzi Marco
Published: March 2012

Growing evidence indicates that planning eye movements and orienting visuospatial attention share overlapping brain mechanisms. A tight link between endogenous attention and eye movements is maintained by the premotor theory, in contrast to other accounts that postulate the existence of specific attention mechanisms that modulate the activity of information processing systems. The strong assumption of equivalence between attention and eye movements, however, is challenged by demonstrations that human observers are able to keep attention on a specific location while moving the eyes elsewhere. Here we investigate whether a recurrent model of saccadic planning can account for attentional effects without requiring additional or specific mechanisms separate from the circuits that perform sensorimotor transformations for eye movements. The model builds on the basis function approach and includes a circuit that performs spatial remapping using an “internal forward model” of how visual inputs are modified as a result of saccadic movements. Simulations show that the latter circuit is crucial to account for dissociations between attention and eye movements that may be invoked to disprove the premotor theory. The model provides new insights into how spatial remapping may be implemented in parietal cortex and offers a computational framework for recent proposals that link visual stability with remapping of attention pointers.
Observed Structure of Convectively Coupled Waves as a Function of Equivalent Depth: Kelvin Waves and the Madden–Julian Oscillation
Authors: Roundy Paul E.
Published: March 2012

The view that convectively coupled Kelvin waves and the Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO) are distinct modes is tested by regressing data from the Climate Forecast System Reanalysis against satellite outgoing longwave radiation data filtered for particular zonal wavenumbers and frequencies by wavelet analysis. Results confirm that nearly dry Kelvin waves have horizontal structures consistent with their equatorial beta-plane shallow-water-theory counterparts, with westerly winds collocated with the lower-tropospheric ridge, while the MJO and signals along Kelvin wave dispersion curves at low shallow-water-model equivalent depths are characterized by geopotential troughs extending westward from the region of lower-tropospheric easterly wind anomalies through the region of lower-tropospheric westerly winds collocated with deep convection. Results show that as equivalent depth decreases from that of the dry waves (concomitant with intensification of the associated convection), the ridge in the westerlies and the trough in the easterlies shift westward. The analysis therefore demonstrates a continuous field of intermediate structures between the two extremes, suggesting that Kelvin waves and the MJO are not dynamically distinct modes. Instead, signals consistent with Kelvin waves become more consistent with the MJO as the associated convection intensifies. This result depends little on zonal scale. Further analysis also shows how activity in synoptic-scale Kelvin waves characterized by particular phase speeds evolves with the planetary-scale MJO.
A Novel Approach for the High-Resolution Interpolation of In Situ Sea Surface Salinity
Authors: Nardelli Bruno Buongiorno
Published: March 2012

A novel technique for the high-resolution interpolation of in situ sea surface salinity (SSS) observations is developed and tested. The method is based on an optimal interpolation (OI) algorithm that includes satellite sea surface temperature (SST) in the covariance estimation. The covariance function parameters (i.e., spatial, temporal, and thermal decorrelation scales) and the noise-to-signal ratio are determined empirically, by minimizing the root-mean-square error and mean error with respect to fully independent validation datasets. Both in situ observations and simulated data extracted from a numerical model output are used to run these tests. Different filters are applied to sea surface temperature data in order to remove the large-scale variability associated with air–sea interaction, because a high correlation between SST and SSS is expected only at small scales. In the tests performed on in situ observations, the lowest errors are obtained by selecting covariance decorrelation scales of 400 km, 6 days, and 2.75°C, respectively, a noise-to-signal ratio of 0.01 and filtering the scales longer than 1000 km in the SST time series. This results in a root-mean-square error of ~0.11 g kg−1 and a mean error of ~0.01 g kg−1, that is, reducing the errors by ~25% and ~60%, respectively, with respect to the first guess.
Removing the Laser-Chirp Influence from Coherent Doppler Lidar Datasets by Two-Dimensional Deconvolution
Authors: Bühl Johannes , Engelmann Ronny , Ansmann Albert
Published: March 2012

A chirped laser pulse can introduce artifacts into datasets of coherent Doppler wind lidars. At close vicinity of strong signal peaks undesired artificial velocities can be measured and continuous signals can be shifted by a constant factor. It is shown how to remove these artifacts and how to retrieve accurate velocity estimations from both clouds and the planetary boundary layer. Therefore, a two-dimensional deconvolution technique is applied to the wind lidar datasets in order to correct the chirp effect in the range and frequency space. The chirp correction for a 1-h measurement of vertical velocities in the atmosphere is presented. The method is applied to the averaged Doppler spectra. Therefore, no access to the raw heterodyne signal is necessary. The complexity of the data acquisition software and the amount of data to be stored is hereby significantly reduced. Simulations suggest that the remaining velocity error resulting from the laser pulse chirp is smaller than 0.02 m s−1 and chirp-induced artifacts are removed reliably. The method also increases the signal resolution in the range and frequency dimension and can be applied for this intent even if there is no chirp.
On acquiring data for large-scale crack bridging at high strain rates
Authors: Lundsgaard-Larsen C , Massabò R , Cox BN
Published: March 2012

Numerical simulations are used to design test geometries and loading histories that are suitable for probing the large-scale bridging effects of through-thickness reinforcement that is shearing at high strain rates. The bridging effects are represented by a cohesive law and tests are sought that will determine any rate dependence in its parameters. The end-notched flexure test is studied, because it allows easy application of time-dependent loading and has proven to be an information-rich test in the quasi-static case. However, dynamic conditions greatly complicate fracture behavior, with possible regimes of hammering and multiple cracking, which should be avoided when maximum information is sought. Information content is addressed by focusing on regimes within the full computed solution space where crack growth is approximately steady state and the information content of experiments can be most easily assessed. Numerical results show that the hypothetical rate dependence in the cohesive law causes strong and measurable changes in the regime of steady-state behavior, if the tests are properly selected to vary the crack sliding speed. The estimates of information content are conservative, because the information available from all possible tests of specimens designed by analysis of the steady-state regime will necessarily exceed the information deduced by analyzing the steady-state regime alone.
Hygrothermal effects on painted carbon fibre composite surfaces
Authors: de Souza ML , Mardel JI , Fox BL
Published: March 2012

In this article, the effect of hygrothermal aging on the painted surface finish of unidirectional and fabric carbon fibre composite laminates, with and without surfacing film was investigated. The results highlighted the importance of ensuring that the composite surface directly beneath the paint layer is made from a uniform material with a consistent thickness in order to minimise surface defects from occurring during aging. The surfacing film was found to minimise the print through development on the painted unidirectional and twill composite surfaces. However, the surfacing film layer was found to intermingle with the carbon fibre plies during cure, which resulted in an uneven film thickness that caused increased levels of orange peel. The twill laminate painted surface produced high levels of print through and surface waviness that was caused by the large resin rich regions located within the tow intersections at the surface which enlarged due to thermal expansion and swelling of the matrix with hygrothermal aging. It was also noted that the small resin rich regions between the individual carbon fibres on the unidirectional composite surface were sufficiently large to print through the painted surface.
Poverty and Place across the United States
Authors: Lobao Linda , Jeanty P. Wilner , Partridge Mark , Kraybill David
Published: March 2012

Many researchers advocate active local government responses to poverty and other economic disparities. In doing so, they raise a generally unexplored question: can local governments themselves influence poverty net of other determinants? This study extends past research in two ways by (1) analyzing the poverty-reducing role of county governments and (2) evaluating new relationships pertaining to the comparative influence of government capacity and specific policies. The authors assess the degree to which county government capacity and economic development policies relate to disparities in job growth, individual and child poverty, and household income. The empirical analysis is based on a unique set of primary and secondary data on county governments for the post-2000 period. County government capacity as measured by county centralization and autonomy from upper-level government is related to economic growth and poverty reduction. By contrast, policy variables have little consistent association with economic disparities.
A Nobel Sport
Authors: Faflik David
Published: March 2012

This article advances a twofold argument regarding the intersection of globalization, sport, and race. Such is world football’s popularity, first, that the sport itself is now a rhetoric in its own right. So freighted is football with internationalist associations that this rhetoric has been enlisted in support of various political invocations of the global from the middle decades of the 20th century forward, as the following abbreviated case studies of Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King Jr., and Barack Obama will demonstrate. Second, football’s unique transnational reach has simultaneously yielded a self-negating rhetoric of race. The global paradigm by which the sport is typically referenced has eroded race as a category of cultural analysis—this, despite football’s obvious dependence on racially heterogeneous modes of production and reception. Football has overcome the color line in neither society nor sport as a result. The color line instead has been reified through transnational abstraction, obscured on the strength of football’s insistent internationalism.
Do the Swedes really aspire to sense and the Portuguese to status? Cultural activity and income gap in the member states of the European Union
Authors: Szlendak Tomasz , Karwacki Arkadiusz
Published: March 2012

This article aims at verifying the findings of Wilkinson and Pickett (2009) which point to a strong correlation between the income gap and the escalation of social problems. Wilkinson and Pickett’s thesis states that all kinds of social problems are directly connected to the scale of social inequality in a given country. This article tests this concept by analysing the relation between the income gap in a particular country and the cultural activity of its citizens. The study assumes that low cultural activity can be defined as a social problem in modern European knowledge societies that are based on cultural industry. This relation is investigated in 22 European Union countries. The study demonstrates that there is a strong correlation between cultural activity and the scale of social inequality. In egalitarian countries the cultural activity is high, in highly stratified countries it is low.
Residual stress characterization in 12%-Cr steel friction stir welds by neutron diffraction
Authors: Jun Tea-Sung , Hofmann Felix , Hofmann Michael , Korsunsky Alexander M
Published: March 2012

In the present paper we report the results of a study into friction stir welds made in 12.7 mm-thick 12%-Cr steel plates. Residual stress measurements were performed using angle-dispersive neutron diffraction. Complete characterization of the three-dimensional residual stress state in friction stir weld samples was obtained by analysing diffracted peaks; peak broadening for identifying the regions of severe plastic deformation and the associated residual strain (eigenstrain) acting as the source of residual stress and peak shifting for evaluating residual elastic strains in the welded component. Three different methods were used to address the key issue of determining the d0 variation across the weld. The comb (or matchstick) method was compared with two other approaches: the balance method, and the zero traction method. It was found that a combination of the comb and the zero traction methods allows reliable residual strain/stress distributions.
Metals bioleaching from electronic waste by Chromobacterium violaceum and Pseudomonads sp
Authors: Pradhan Jatindra Kumar , Kumar Sudhir
Published: March 2012

These days, electronic waste needs to be taken into consideration due to its materials content, but due to the heterogeneity of the metals present, reprocessing of electronic waste is quite limited. The bioleaching of metals from electronic waste was investigated by using cyanogenic bacterial strains ( Chromobacterium violaceum, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Pseudomonas fluorescens). A two-step bioleaching process was followed under cyanide-forming conditions for maximum metals mobilization. Both single and mixed cultures of cyanogenic bacteria were able to mobilize metals from electronic waste with different efficiencies. In all the flasks in which high metal mobilizations were observed, the consequent biomass productions were also high. Pseudomonas aeruginosa was applied in the bioleaching process for the first time and this achieved its bioleaching ability of mobilization of metals from electronic waste. Chromobacterium violaceum as a single culture and a mixture of C. violaceum and P. aeruginosa exhibited maximum metal mobilization. Chromobacterium violaceum was capable of leaching more than 79, 69, 46, 9 and 7% of Cu, Au, Zn, Fe and Ag, respectively at an electronic waste concentration of 1% w/v. Moreover, the mixture of C. violaceum and P. aeruginosa exhibited metals leaching of more than 83, 73, 49, 13 and 8% of total Cu, Au, Zn, Fe, and Ag, respectively. Precious metals were mobilized through bioleaching which might be considered as an industrial application for recycling of electronic waste in the near future.
Blind Women’s Appearance Management
Authors: Hammer Gili
Published: March 2012

This article examines the contradictions inherent in blind women’s appearance management. Based on an anthropological analysis of interviews with 40 blind women in Israel, the article argues that while serving as a valuable tool within stigma management, appearance management operates simultaneously as a site of rigorous discipline of the body in an effort to comply with feminine visual norms, and as a vehicle for the expression and reception of sensory pleasure. It argues for the significant role of blind women’s appearance in negotiating normalcy and rejecting the normative, stigmatizing script written for them as disabled-blind-women. By studying the role of appearance in the lives of women who do not rely on sight as a central mode of perception, the article addresses the complicated position of blind women in visual culture and challenges the traditional ocular focus of the study of feminine identity and gender performance.
A macro–micro motion servopneumatic device
Authors: Carneiro João Falcão , de Almeida Fernando Gomes
Published: March 2012

Micro motion tasks can be found in a wide set of applications, ranging from the assembly of small parts in the semiconductor industry to assisted surgery in medicine. Conventional actuation systems for these types of task are based on the existence of electromagnetic fields (servomotors) or on the existence of some kind of material shape alteration (piezoelectric actuators). Driven by the intrinsic advantages presented by pneumatic systems, such as low cost, the absence of heat or magnetic field generation and a wide range of operation, this article presents a different approach, based on the use of commonly available industrial servopneumatic components. Experimental results show that it is possible to correctly follow 5 µm step references within a 280 mm stroke, without any controller retuning and with mass load changes from 2.69 to 13.1 kg.
Oral microbial colonization in patients with systemic lupus erythematous: correlation with treatment and disease activity
Authors: de Araújo Navas EAF , Sato EI , Pereira DFA , Back-Brito GN , Ishikawa JA , Jorge AOC , Brighenti FL , Koga-Ito CY
Published: March 2012

Treating patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) with steroids and immunosuppressive drugs may interfere in the presence of potentially opportunistic microorganisms in the oral cavity. The aim of this study was to evaluate the presence of Candida spp., Staphylococcus spp., Enterobacteria and Pseudomonas spp. in the oral cavity of SLE patients, compared with healthy controls. A group of 40 patients who had received therapy for at least 60 days was selected (19–53 years). For the control group, 40 healthy individuals matched for age, gender and use of partial prosthesis were selected. Oral rinse samples were collected and plated on specific culture media. After incubation, the number of colony forming units (CFU) was obtained and the isolates were identified at species level. Microbial counts were compared between SLE and control by analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Mann–Whitney ( p < 0.05 significant). Microorganism counts in patients with and without immunosuppressive drugs, as well with active and inactive disease (according to SLEDAI score) were also compared. No significant differences in CFU/mL between SLE and control patients were observed (yeasts, p = 0.55; Staphylococci, p = 0.24; Enterobacteria/ Pseudomonas spp., p = 0.26). No differences in microbial counts were observed regarding clinical parameters tested. The most frequent species isolated in the SLE group were Candida albicans, Staphylococcus epidermidis and Klebsiella oxytoca. In conclusion, no differences in frequency and microorganism levels were found between SLE patients and healthy individuals.
Non-apologies and prolonged silences in post-conflict settings: The case of post-colonial Cyprus
Authors: Ireton Kathleen , Kovras Iosif
Published: March 2012

Despite the growing use of apologies in post-conflict settings, cases of non-apology remain unaddressed and continue to puzzle scholars. This article focuses on the absence of apology by non-state and anti-state actors by examining the case of the Cypriot armed group EOKA, which has refused to offer an apology to the civilian victims of its ‘anti-colonial’ struggle (1955–1959). Using field data and parliamentary debates, and drawing on comparisons, this article analyses the factors that contributed to a lack of apology. It is argued that the inherited timelessness of Greek nationalism, and the impression of a perpetual need for defence, set up textbook conditions for the development of a hegemonic discourse and prevented an apology for human rights violations.
Moral distress in nurses in oncology and haematology units
Authors: Lazzarin Michela , Biondi Andrea , Di Mauro Stefania
Published: March 2012

One of the difficulties nurses experience in clinical practice in relation to ethical issues in connection with young oncology patients is moral distress. In this descriptive correlational study, the Moral Distress Scale-Paediatric Version (MDS-PV) was translated from the original language and tested on a conventional sample of nurses working in paediatric oncology and haematology wards, in six north paediatric hospitals of Italy. 13.7% of the total respondents claimed that they had changed unit or hospital due to moral distress. The items with the highest mean intensity in the sample were almost all connected with medical and nursing competence and have considerably higher values than frequency. The instrument was found to be reliable. The results confirmed the validity of the MDS-PV (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.959). This study represents the first small-scale attempt to validate MDS-PV for use in paediatric oncology-ematology nurses in Italy.
Development of an Administrative Ethical Behaviour Scale
Authors: Öztürk Havva
Published: March 2012

The aim of this study was to develop an Administrative Ethical Behaviour Scale (AEBS) and to determine whether nurses found their head nurses’ behaviours ethical and to reveal head nurses’ ethical and unethical administrative behaviour. It was conducted on 264 nurses working in five state hospitals in Trabzon, Turkey. Content validity index of the scale was 0.87, item-to-total correlations ranged from 0.50 to 0.81 and Chronbach Alpha was 0.98. The scale included five subscales, i.e. truthfulness and honesty, liabilities and supremacy of laws, rights and freedom, good human relationships and humanism, justice and equality. Overall, head nurses’ behaviour was considered ethical by nurses; however, their behaviour in terms of justice and equality, good human relationships and humanism was not found ethical. Positions, satisfaction with head nurses’ behaviour and frequency of contact with them affect nurses’ opinions.
Publishing ethics in paediatric research: A cross-cultural comparative review
Authors: Brännström Inger
Published: March 2012

The present article aims to scrutinize publishing ethics in the fields of paediatrics and paediatric nursing. Full-text readings of all original research articles in paediatrics from a high-income economy, i.e. Sweden, and from all low-income economies in Sub-Saharan Africa, were reviewed as they were indexed and stored in Web of Science for the search period from 1 January 2007 to 7 October 2009. The application of quantitative and qualitative content analysis revealed a marked discrepancy in publishing frequencies between the two contrasting economies. Authors from 16 low-income economies in Sub-Saharan Africa, with at least one article stored, were obviously closely linked to co-authorships and foreign funding sources, predominantly from Europe and the USA. Statements concerning conflicts of interest were frequently missing (both regions), even when multiple financial sources, including companies, were involved. It is necessary to be aware of possible systematic bias when using electronic databases to search for certain topics and regions. Further research regarding publishing ethics in paediatrics and paediatric nursing is emphasized.
Acute anterior compartment syndrome associated with psychogenic polydipsia
Authors: Maiocchi Licia , Bernardi Elsa
Published: March 2012

Objective: The aim of this paper is to describe the association of psychogenic polydipsia with anterior compartment syndrome.

Method: Case report.

Results: A 31-year-old man with glucose-6-phosphate-dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency had a history of paranoid schizophrenia from age 16 complicated by the use of drugs. Four years after the initial diagnosis of schizophrenia, he developed psychogenic polydipsia. This was complicated by episodic severe acute hyponatraemia with seizures and, on one occasion, by generalized rhabdomyolysis. One episode of severe acute hyponatraemia with delirium led to anterior compartment syndrome in both legs. Delayed diagnosis and treatment led to extensive myonecrosis and permanent bilateral foot drop. For 6 years his polydipsia remained partially controlled in a locked psychiatric ward with limited leave, until his sudden death related to severe water intoxication.

Conclusions: Anterior compartment syndrome is a rare event associated with psychogenic polydipsia. Psychiatrists, physicians and surgeons should be aware of the seriousness of anterior compartment syndrome and its potential to increase morbidity in patients with psychogenic polydipsia.
Dynamic torsion of laminar beams as a working principle for sensors
Authors: Cicco Giorgio De , Morten Bruno
Published: March 2012

A method is presented in order to put planar structures in a pure torsion, by directly acting from their surfaces where a stress state is induced, taking advantage of piezoelectric layers that are integral with them. An experimental investigation was carried out on alumina beams which, in a portion of their faces, support two ferroelectric layers of lead zirconate titanate created using conventional thick-film technology processes. A suitable system of coplanar electrodes, embedded in the layers, promotes piezoelectric deformations parallel to the substrate, induced by a voltage across them. At the layer–substrate interfaces, completely in-plane stresses are created, and when they are conveniently oriented, the beam is prompted into pure torsion, which takes on the characteristics of a vibration following the application of alternated voltage. Besides describing the design and realization of the sample beams, this study reports on their dynamic behaviour in torsion, the experimental set-ups and the procedures for its characterization. The results are discussed and highlighted in order to outline the potential of the method with regard to using the realized beams as primary sensors for physical quantities. To this end, proposals for possible devices are considered, and an application of beams in a force sensor is also reported.
Effects of nonconstant coupling through nonlinear magnetics in electromagnetic vibration energy harvesters
Authors: Cepnik Clemens , Yeatman Eric M , Wallrabe Ulrike
Published: March 2012

This article discusses how a nonhomogeneous magnetic field with a nonconstant flux gradient affects the behavior of electromagnetic vibration energy harvesters. Based on simulations, the authors show that this nonlinearity enables to increase the output power and bandwidth but not to effectively limit the oscillator vibration amplitude. The impact, however, depends on various system parameters, especially the mechanical damping. Comparing the results to an energy-harvesting prototype, one can conclude that, in practice, the linear model based on a homogeneous magnetic field provides a good estimate. The authors finally give suggestions about magnetic fields that are beneficial for energy harvesting.
Deformation calculation of ultra-high toughness cementitious composite–concrete beam under flexure fatigue with ultra-high toughness cementitious composite fatigue damage model
Authors: Xu Shilang , Liu Wen , Li Qinghua
Published: March 2012

Ultra-high toughness cementitious composite is a construction material, with the characteristics of strain hardening and multiple cracking under uniaxial tension. It can be applied as a feasible repair material for structures subjected to fatigue load. In this paper, flexural fatigue tests on the composite beam constituted of an ultra-high toughness cementitious composite layer and a concrete layer with the same height (ultra-high toughness cementitious composite–concrete beam) are carried out. Then, on the basis of fatigue stress degradation models of concrete and ultra-high toughness cementitious composite, the fatigue process of ultra-high toughness cementitious composite–concrete beam is analyzed. It is shown that, the fatigue failure of ultra-high toughness cementitious composite–concrete beam in this paper is caused by the damage of ultra-high toughness cementitious composite layer. Therefore, with the flexural fatigue damage model of plain ultra-high toughness cementitious composite beam, the evolution curve of maximum tensile strain on the bottom surface of ultra-high toughness cementitious composite layer with the ratio of load cycles is calculated. The calculated strain is in good agreement with the experimental result. That is to say, the factual deformation, dependent on the fatigue stress level, can be predicted by the calculated result. As a result, the flexural fatigue damage model of ultra-high toughness cementitious composite can be applicable to evaluate the fatigue performance of ultra-high toughness cementitious composite–concrete beam.
Void growth and coalescence modelling in AA2050 using the Rousselier model
Authors: Zanganeh M , Pinna C , Yates JR
Published: March 2012

In this study, the damage evolution process in an AA2050 aluminium alloy is studied under various triaxiality levels using notched tensile specimens. The performance of the Rousselier model is assessed and it is shown that modifications are required both in the hardening curve and the damage evolution parts of the model in order to match the experimental results. The original model is corrected by adding the effect of hydrostatic pressure on the yield surface as well as implementing the Thomason coalescence model. The transferability of the Rousselier model parameters to other triaxiality levels is investigated and a procedure to identify these parameters is proposed.
Nonprofit Organizations and Outcome Measurement
Authors: Benjamin Lehn M.
Published: March 2012

Why do we continue to see evidence that nonprofit staff feel like outcome measurement is missing important aspects of their work? Based on an analysis of over 1,000 pages of material in 10 outcome measurement guides and a focused literature review of frontline work in three types of nonprofit organizations, this article shows that existing outcome measurement frameworks focus on how staff implement programs rather than how staff work with clients. Outcome measurement guides direct nonprofits to track program activities completed and the outcomes resulting from those program activities. In contrast, the accounts of frontline work in nonprofits show that nonprofit staff start by building a relationship with the person they are serving and then adjusting programs and services to better meet the needs and goals of this individual. Consequently, outcome measurement may go some distance in helping us understand nonprofit performance but may also mischaracterize nonprofit performance.
Prediction of antibody persistency from antibody titres to natalizumab
Authors: Jensen Poul Erik H , Koch-Henriksen Nils , Sellebjerg Finn , Sørensen Per S
Published: March 2012

Background:In a subgroup of patients with multiple sclerosis natalizumab therapy causes generation of anti-natalizumab antibodies that may be transient or persistent. It is recommended to discontinue natalizumab therapy in persistently antibody-positive patients.

Objective:To use titres of anti-natalizumab antibodies to predict persistency of antibodies.

Patients and methods:In 525 consecutive natalizumab treated patients tested for anti-natalizumab antibodies 43 (8.2%) were antibody-positive. Thirty of the antibody-positive patients, who were tested both at three and at six months after treatment start, had antibody titres in blood measured using an extended ELISA method.

Results:Samples from persistently positive patients ( N=18) had higher titre values than samples from transiently positive patients ( N=12). A cut-off value for high titre values was generated, above which patients may discontinue natalizumab therapy after three months. The method had a sensitivity of 0.83, a specificity of 1.00 and a diagnostic accuracy of 0.90.

Conclusion:An extended ELISA method for measuring anti-natalizumab antibody titres in multiple sclerosis patients on natalizumab therapy may be used for evaluation of antibody persistence. A test at three months may identify patients with high titres, who should discontinue natalizumab therapy, and patients with transient low-titre antibodies, who may continue natalizumab therapy despite development of antibodies.
Being men with eating disorders: Perspectives of male eating disorder service-users
Authors: Robinson Kate J , Mountford Victoria A , Sperlinger David J
Published: March 2012

This study aimed to explore experiences of men currently using eating disorder services. Eight men from two eating disorder services were interviewed about their experiences of seeking and receiving treatment. Two superordinate themes emerged from Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis: (1) difficulty seeing self as having an eating disorder; and (2) experiences of treatment: how important is gender? The underlying themes varied in their specificity to men, with some echoing findings from the female eating disorder literature. Difficulty admitting the eating disorder may link with eating disorder psychopathology as well as gender-specific issues. Implications for clinical practice and future research are discussed.
The ethnography of ‘particularly sensitive’ activities: How ‘social expectations of ethnography’ may reduce sociological and anthropological scope
Authors: Paillet Anne
Published: March 2012

When ethnographers explore ‘particularly sensitive’ social activities, raising complex political, legal and ethical stakes, they sometimes work in contexts in which certain ethnographic descriptions are ‘particularly expected’. Ethnographers may then be given (pleasant) recognition for their work producing descriptions of actual social activities. But is there not a trap here? This trap is to reduce the scope of their research to the production of such descriptions even if at the beginning of their work they defined these descriptions as simple ‘preliminary questions’ and wanted to invest their principal work in ‘core questions’ – for instance about the relationships between individuals and activities and the social roots of these relationships. This article revisits research concerning life-or-death decisions and ‘ethics in action’ in neonatal intensive care, in order to pinpoint how social expectations of descriptions may reduce the very definition of the sociological and anthropological perspective.