bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Double knockout pigs deficient in N‐glycolylneuraminic acid and Galactose α‐1,3‐Galactose reduce the humoral barrier to xenotransplantation
Authors: Lutz Andrew J. , Li Ping , Estrada Jose L. , Sidner Richard A. , Chihara Ray K. , Downey Susan M. , Burlak Christopher , Wang Zheng‐Yu , Reyes Luz M. , Ivary Bess , Yin Fuqin , Blankenship Ross L. , Paris Leela L. , Tector A. Joseph
Published: February 2013

Background

Clinical xenotransplantation is not possible because humans possess antibodies that recognize antigens on the surface of pig cells. Galα‐1,3‐Gal (Gal) and N‐glycolylneuraminic acid (Neu5Gc) are two known xenoantigens.

Methods

We report the homozygous disruption of the α1, 3‐galactosyltransferase (GGTA1) and the cytidine monophosphate‐N‐acetylneuraminic acid hydroxylase (CMAH) genes in liver‐derived female pig cells using zinc‐finger nucleases (ZFNs). Somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) was used to produce healthy cloned piglets from the genetically modified liver cells. Antibody‐binding and antibody‐mediated complement‐dependent cytotoxicity assays were used to examine the immunoreactivity of pig cells deficient in Neu5Gc and Gal.

Results

This approach enabled rapid production of a pig strain deficient in multiple genes without extensive breeding protocols. Immune recognition studies showed that pigs lacking both CMAH and GGTA1 gene activities reduce the humoral barrier to xenotransplantation, further than pigs lacking only GGTA1.

Conclusions

This technology will accelerate the development of pigs for xenotransplantation research.
Konsep Pengurusan Alatan dan Bahan Untuk Pembelajaran Sains di Makmal
Authors: Kamarudin Nurzatulshima , Halim Lilia
Published: February 2013

Learning science through experiments in the laboratory occurred faster because students conduct their
own investigations to obtain information on the actual material. Science experiment, experiment or laboratory work is usually carried out in laboratory, involving chemical apparatus, fresh or preserved specimens. This method would apply the knowledge, scientific skills and scientific attitudes and values whenever the students plan, organize and analyze data using a variety of experimental equipment, specimens and chemicals. This paper discussed the concept of apparatus in learning science in the laboratory. In addition, the management will show the concept of learning in general and the importance of management in the learning of science in the laboratory. The results revealed from a study of the concept of literature and the findings of previous studies, a conclusion can be made for the most effective way to manage apparatus in learning science in the laboratory.

Keywords: learning science, science experiment, apparatus, laboratory, learning management

Pembelajaran sains melalui eksperimen di makmal lebih cepat berlaku kerana pelajar menjalankan penyiasatan sendiri bagi memperolehi maklumat melalui bahan yang sebenar. Eksperimen sains, ujikaji
atau kerja makmal yang biasanya dijalankan di makmal, melibatkan alatan dan bahan kimia, spesimen segar atau awet. Kaedah tersebut dapat menerapkan pengetahuan, kemahiran saintifik serta sikap saintifik dan nilai murni apabila pelajar merancang, mengendalikan dan menganalisis data menggunakan pelbagai peralatan eksperimen, spesimen dan bahan kimia. Kertas kerja ini membicarakan konsep pengurusan alatan dan bahan dalam pembelajaran sains di makmal. Selain daripada itu, dipaparkan juga konsep pengurusan pembelajaran secara umum dan kepentingan pengurusan dalam pembelajaran sains di makmal. Hasil pendedahan konsep pengurusan daripada kajian literatur dan dapatan kajian-kajian yang lepas, akan dibuat satu kesimpulan cara paling berkesan dalam mengurus alatan dan bahan dalam
pembelajaran sains di makmal.

Kata kunci: pembelajaran sains, eksperimen sains, alat radas, makmal, pengurusan pembelajaran
Rhinocerebral mucormycosis: literature review apropos of a rare entity
Authors: Teixeira Carla Alexandra , Medeiros Pedro Bettencourt , Leushner Pedro , Almeida Fernanda
Published: February 2013

Mucormycosis is a rare fungal infection that affects immunocompromised patients, and the rhinoorbitocerebral presentation is the most common clinical form of the disease, often associated with diabetes mellitusThe treatment is complex and involves amphotericin B and surgery. Studies show increasing success without or with minimal surgeries. The authors present the case of a diabetic woman with a 1-month history of intranasal and right periorbital pain associated with progressive deficit of various cranial nerves, sudden amaurosis and homolateral ptosis.Rhizopus oryzaespecies was identified in pus in the nasal mucosa. She was treated with antifungal therapy and minimal surgical debridement with success. The authors decided on publication because of the rarity of this entity, alerting for the need of a high suspicion index for the diagnosis, which should be made as early as possible due to the high mortality rate, as well as presenting data about the increasing discussion of therapeutic strategies, with some new approaches that prioritise minimal surgeries.
Comparison of molecular testing methods for the detection ofEGFRmutations in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue specimens of non-small cell lung cancer
Authors: Lopez-Rios Fernando , Angulo Barbara , Gomez Belen , Mair Debbie , Martinez Rebeca , Conde Esther , Shieh Felice , Tsai Julie , Vaks Jeffrey , Current Robert , Lawrence H Jeffrey , Gonzalez de Castro David
Published: February 2013

Aim

To conduct a methods correlation study of three different assays for the detection of mutations atEGFRgene in human formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tumour (FFPET) specimens of non-small cell lung carcinomas (NSCLC).

Methods

We conducted a 2-site method comparison study of two european conformity (CE) in vitro diagnostic (IVD)-marked assays, the cobas EGFR Mutation Test and the Therascreen EGFR29 Mutation Kit, and 2× bidirectional Sanger sequencing. We blind-tested 124 NSCLC FFPET specimens with all three methods; the cobas test was performed at both sites. Positive (PPA) and negative percent agreements (NPA) were determined for the cobas test versus each of the other two methods. Specimens yielding discordant test results between methods were further tested using quantitative massively parallel pyrosequencing (MPP).

Results

PPA between cobas and Sanger was 98.8%; NPA was 79.3%. Overall there were seven discordant results. MPP confirmed an exon 19 deletion in two cases and L858R mutation in four cases. PPA between cobas and Therascreen was 98.9% and NPA was 100%. There was one discordant result. Reproducibility of the cobas test between the two sites was 99.2%.

Conclusions

The invalid rates for the cobas test and Therascreen were lower than Sanger sequencing. The cobas and Therascreen assays showed a high degree of concordance, and both were more sensitive for the detection of exon 19 deletion and L858R mutations than Sanger. The cobas test was highly reproducible between the two testing sites, used the least amount of DNA input and was the only test with automated results reporting.
Misclassification of the mediator matters when estimating indirect effects
Authors: Blakely Tony , McKenzie Sarah , Carter Kristie
Published: February 2013

Background

Confounding of mediator–outcome associations resulting in collider biases causes systematic error when estimating direct and indirect effects. However, until recently little attention has been given to the impact of misclassification bias.

Objective

To quantify the impact of non-differential and independent misclassification of a dichotomous exposure and a dichotomous mediator on three target parameters: the total effect of exposure on outcome; the direct effect (by conditioning on the mediator); and the indirect effect (identified by the percentage reduction in the excess OR on adjusting for the mediator).

Methods

Simulations were conducted for varying strength of associations between exposure, mediator and outcome, varying ratios of exposed to unexposed and mediator present to mediator absent, and varying sensitivity and specificity of exposure and mediator classification.

Results

ORs before (total effect) and after adjustment (direct effect) for the mediator are both biased towards the null by non-differential misclassification of the exposure, but the percentage reduction in the excess OR is little affected by misclassification of exposure. Conversely, misclassification of the mediator rapidly biases the percentage reduction of the excess OR (indirect effect) downwards.

Conclusions

If the research objective is to quantify the proportion of the total association that is due to mediation (ie, indirect effect), then minimising non-differential misclassification bias of the mediator is more important than that for the exposure. Misclassification bias is an important source of error when estimating direct and indirect effects.
Neuroembolization of metastatic Merkel cell cancer to the face for treatment of Kasabach–Merritt syndrome
Authors: Lee Jason Huang , Roychowdhury Sudipta , Nissenblatt Michael J
Published: February 2013

Kasabach–Merritt syndrome is defined as a consumptive thrombocytopenia in the presence of a highly vascular tumor. Multiple treatment options, including transarterial embolization, have been described. We demonstrate that transarterial embolization is a viable option in the treatment of a rapidly progressive and debilitating Merkel cell tumor metastasizing to the head and neck presenting with Kasabach–Merritt syndrome.
MATHEMATICAL MODELING OF SUPERCRITICAL MULTICOMPONENT REACTIVE FLUIDS
Authors: GIOVANGIGLI VINCENT , MATUSZEWSKI LIONEL
Published: February 2013

We investigate a system of partial differential equations modeling supercritical multicomponent reactive fluids. These equations involve nonideal fluid thermodynamics, nonideal chemistry as well as multicomponent diffusion fluxes driven by chemical potential gradients. Only local symmetrization of the resulting system of partial differential equations may be achieved because of thermodynamic instabilities even though the entropy function is globally defined. Local symmetrized forms are explicitly evaluated in terms of the inverse of the chemical potential Hessian and local normal forms lead to global existence and asymptotic stability of equilibrium states as well as decay estimates. We also discuss the deficiency of the resulting system of partial differential equations at thermodynamically unstable states typically associated with nonideal fluids.
Evaluation of Compliance in Control and Prevention Study of Vancomycin Resistant Enterococcus Outbreak
Authors: Kecik Bosnak Vuslat , Namiduru Mustafa , Karaoglan Ilkay , Ozlem Mete Ayse
Published: February 2013

Objective. Vancomycin resistant enterococci (VRE) colonization and the spread decrease with compliance and isolation guidelines. For the isolation methods to succeed, compliance with the isolation guidelines needs to be overseen. In this study, VRE outbreak among the Pediatric Ward patients, the preventative efforts to control this outbreak, and the impact of scoring tables used in controlling this outbreak on the success are explained. Design. Rectal swab cultures were taken from patients who were admitted to the Ward between October and December 2010 due to diagnoses of VRE and urinary tract infection. Results. VRE were isolated in the rectal swab samples of 34 patients. VRE infection findings were clinically detected in two of the cases with VRE isolation. Two isolations of VRE were detected on cultures from patient room door handle surface and the telephone in the room for common use. Close contact isolation was achieved and barrier precautions were taken for all cases, as soon as the detections were made. A scoring system was developed to evaluate the feasibility of and the compliance with the precautions to be taken. Conclusions. With the method presented in this study, the outbreak at our hospital was under control within two months.
Microsphere Suspension Array Assays for Detection and Differentiation of Hendra and Nipah Viruses
Authors: Foord Adam J. , White John R. , Colling Axel , Heine Hans G.
Published: February 2013

Microsphere suspension array systems enable the simultaneous fluorescent identification of multiple separate nucleotide targets in a single reaction. We have utilized commercially available oligo-tagged microspheres (Luminex MagPlex-TAG) to construct and evaluate multiplexed assays for the detection and differentiation of Hendra virus (HeV) and Nipah virus (NiV). Both these agents are bat-borne zoonotic paramyxoviruses of increasing concern for veterinary and human health. Assays were developed targeting multiple sites within the nucleoprotein (N) and phosphoprotein (P) encoding genes. The relative specificities and sensitivities of the assays were determined using reference isolates of each virus type, samples from experimentally infected horses, and archival veterinary diagnostic submissions. Results were assessed in direct comparison with an established qPCR. The microsphere array assays achieved unequivocal differentiation of HeV and NiV and the sensitivity of HeV detection was comparable to qPCR, indicating high analytical and diagnostic specificity and sensitivity.
Optimization of the Forcing Term for the Solution of Two-Point Boundary Value Problems
Authors: Arioli Gianni
Published: February 2013

We present a new numerical method for the computation of the forcing term of minimal norm such that a two-point boundary value problem admits a solution. The method relies on the following steps. The forcing term is written as a (truncated) Chebyshev series, whose coefficients are free parameters. A technique derived from automatic differentiation is used to solve the initial value problem, so that the final value is obtained as a series of polynomials whose coefficients depend explicitly on (the coefficients of) the forcing term. Then the minimization problem becomes purely algebraic and can be solved by standard methods of constrained optimization, for example, with Lagrange multipliers. We provide an application of this algorithm to the planar restricted three body problem in order to study the planning of low-thrust transfer orbits.
Seven Challenges in Image Quality Assessment: Past, Present, and Future Research
Authors: Chandler Damon M.
Published: February 2013

Image quality assessment (IQA) has been a topic of intense research over the last several decades. With each year comes an increasing number of new IQA algorithms, extensions of existing IQA algorithms, and applications of IQA to other disciplines. In this article, I first provide an up-to-date review of research in IQA, and then I highlight several open challenges in this field. The first half of this article provides discuss key properties of visual perception, image quality databases, existing full-reference, no-reference, and reduced-reference IQA algorithms. Yet, despite the remarkable progress that has been made in IQA, many fundamental challenges remain largely unsolved. The second half of this article highlights some of these challenges. I specifically discuss challenges related to lack of complete perceptual models for: natural images, compound and suprathreshold distortions, and multiple distortions, and the interactive effects of these distortions on the images. I also discuss challenges related to IQA of images containing nontraditional, and I discuss challenges related to the computational efficiency. The goal of this article is not only to help practitioners and researchers keep abreast of the recent advances in IQA, but to also raise awareness of the key limitations of current IQA knowledge.
Subjective Numeracy Scale as a Tool for Assessing Statistical Numeracy in Older Adult Populations
Authors: Rolison Jonathan J. , Wood Stacey , Hanoch Yaniv , Liu Pi-Ju
Published: February 2013

Background: Statistical numeracy, necessary for making informed medical decisions, is reduced among older adults who make more decisions about their medical care and treatment than at any other stage of life. Objective numeracy scales are a source of anxiety among patients, heightened among older adults. Objective: We investigate the subjective numeracy scale as an alternative tool for measuring statistical numeracy with older adult samples. Methods: Numeracy was assessed using objective measures for 526 adults ranging in age from 18 to 93 years, and all participants provided subjective numeracy ratings. Results: Subjective numeracy correlated highly with objective measurements among oldest adults (70+ years; r = 0.51, 95% CI 0.32, 0.66), and for younger age groups. Subjective numeracy explained 33.2% of age differences in objective numeracy. Conclusion: The subjective numeracy scale provides an effective tool for assessing statistical numeracy for broad age ranges and circumvents problems associated with objective numeracy measures.
Atrial Fibrillation and Aortic Stenosis
Authors: Stortecky Stefan , Buellesfeld Lutz , Wenaweser Peter , Heg Dik , Pilgrim Thomas , Khattab Ahmed A. , Gloekler Steffen , Huber Christoph , Nietlispach Fabian , Meier Bernhard , Jüni Peter , Windecker Stephan
Published: February 2013

Background—

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is an important risk factor for stroke and is common among elderly patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of AF on clinical outcomes among patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation.

Methods and Results—

Between August 2007 and October 2011, a total of 389 high-risk patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation were included into a prospective registry. AF was recorded in 131 patients (33.7%) with a mean CHA
2
DS
2
–VASC score of 4.5±1.2 and was paroxysmal in 26 (25.0%), persistent in 8 (7.7%), and permanent in 70 patients (67.3%). Patients with and without AF had similar baseline characteristics except for fewer revascularization procedures (coronary artery bypass grafting: 12% versus 22%;
P
=0.03) among AF patients. At 1 year, all-cause mortality was higher among patients with AF (30.9%) compared with those without AF (13.9%; hazard ratio [HR], 2.36; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.43–3.90;
P
=0.0008). This was observed irrespective of the type of AF (permanent, HR, 2.47; 95% CI, 1.40–4.38; persistent, HR, 3.60; 95% CI, 1.10–11.78; paroxysmal, HR, 2.88; 95% CI, 1.37–6.05). Mortality gradually increased with higher CHA
2
DS
2
–VASC scores (score 1–3: HR, 2.20; 95% CI, 0.92–5.27; score 6–8: HR, 4.12; 95% CI, 2.07–8.20). The risks of stroke (3.9% versus 5.1%; HR, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.23–1.96;
P
=0.47) and life-threatening bleeding (19.8% versus 14.7%; HR, 1.37; 95% CI, 0.86–2.19;
P
=0.19) were similar among patients with and without AF.

Conclusions—

AF is common among high-risk patients with severe aortic stenosis undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation and is associated with a >2-fold increased risk of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, irrespective of the type of AF. The gradient of risk directly correlates with the CHA
2
DS
2
–VASC score.
Patient-Identified Factors Related to Heart Failure Readmissions
Authors: Retrum Jessica H. , Boggs Jennifer , Hersh Andrew , Wright Leslie , Main Deborah S. , Magid David J. , Allen Larry A.
Published: February 2013

Background—

Although readmission after hospitalization for heart failure has received increasing attention, little is known about its root causes. Prior investigations have relied on administrative databases, chart review, and single-question surveys.

Methods and Results—

We performed semistructured 30- to 60-minute interviews of patients (n=28) readmitted within 6 months of index heart failure admission. Established qualitative approaches were used to analyze and to interpret data. Interview findings were the primary focus of the study, but patient information and provider comments from chart data were also consulted. Patient median age was 61 years; 29% were nonwhite; 50% were married; 32% had preserved ejection fraction; and median time from discharge to readmission was 31 days. Reasons for readmission were multifactorial and not easily categorized into mutually exclusive reasons. Five themes emerged as reasons cited for hospital readmission: distressing symptoms, unavoidable progression of illness, influence of psychosocial factors, good but imperfect self-care adherence, and health system failures.

Conclusions—

Our study provides the first systematic qualitative assessment of patient perspectives concerning heart failure readmission. Contrary to prior literature and distinct from what we found documented in the medical record, patient experiences were highly heterogeneous, not easily categorized as preventable or not preventable, and not easily attributed to a single cause. These findings suggest that future interventions designed to reduce heart failure readmissions should be multifaceted, should be systemic in nature, and should integrate patient input.
On the Thickness Ratio in the Quasigeostrophic Two-Layer Model of Baroclinic Instability
Authors: Nakamura Noboru , Wang Lei
Published: February 2013

It is shown that the classical quasigeostrophic two-layer model of baroclinic instability possesses an optimal ratio of layer thicknesses that maximizes the growth rate, given the basic-state shear (thermal wind), beta, and the mean Rossby radius. This ratio is interpreted as the vertical structure of the most unstable mode. For positive shear and beta, the optimal thickness of the lower layer approaches the midheight of the model in the limit of strong criticality (shear/beta) but it is proportional to criticality in the opposite limit. For a set of parameters typical of the earth’s midlatitudes, the growth rate maximizes at a lower-layer thickness substantially less than the midheight and at a correspondingly larger zonal wavenumber.

It is demonstrated that a turbulent baroclinic jet whose statistical steady state is marginally critical when run with equal layer thicknesses can remain highly supercritical when run with a nearly optimal thickness ratio.
Precipitation Partitioning, Tropical Clouds, and Intraseasonal Variability in GFDL AM2
Authors: Lin Yanluan , Zhao Ming , Ming Yi , Golaz Jean-Christophe , Donner Leo J. , Klein Stephen A. , Ramaswamy V. , Xie Shaocheng
Published: February 2013

A set of Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory (GFDL) Atmospheric Model version 2 (AM2) sensitivity simulations by varying an entrainment threshold rate to control deep convection occurrence are used to investigate how cumulus parameterization impacts tropical cloud and precipitation characteristics. In the tropics, model convective precipitation (CP) is frequent and light, while large-scale precipitation (LSP) is intermittent and strong. With deep convection inhibited, CP decreases significantly over land and LSP increases prominently over ocean. This results in an overall redistribution of precipitation from land to ocean. A composite analysis reveals that cloud fraction (low and middle) and cloud condensate associated with LSP are substantially larger than those associated with CP. With about the same total precipitation and precipitation frequency distribution over the tropics, simulations having greater LSP fraction tend to have larger cloud condensate and low and middle cloud fraction.

Simulations having a greater LSP fraction tend to be drier and colder in the upper troposphere. The induced unstable stratification supports strong transient wind perturbations and LSP. Greater LSP also contributes to greater intraseasonal (20–100 days) precipitation variability. Model LSP has a close connection to the low-level convergence via the resolved grid-scale dynamics and, thus, a close coupling with the surface heat flux. Such wind–evaporation feedback is essential to the development and maintenance of LSP and enhances model precipitation variability. LSP has stronger dependence and sensitivity on column moisture than CP. The moisture–convection feedback, critical to tropical intraseasonal variability, is enhanced in simulations with large LSP. Strong precipitation variability accompanied by a worse mean state implies that an optimal precipitation partitioning is critical to model tropical climate simulation.
The Development and Assessment of a Model-, Grid-, and Basin-Independent Tropical Cyclone Detection Scheme
Authors: Tory K. J. , Chand S. S. , Dare R. A. , McBride J. L.
Published: February 2013

A novel approach to tropical cyclone (TC) detection in coarse-resolution numerical model data is introduced and assessed. This approach differs from traditional detectors in two main ways. First, it was developed and tuned using 20 yr of ECMWF Interim Re-Analysis (ERA-Interim) data, rather than using climate model data. This ensures that the detector is independent of any climate models to which it will later be applied. Second, only relatively large-scale parameters resolvable in climate models are included, in order to minimize any grid-resolution dependence on parameter thresholds. This approach is taken in an attempt to construct a unified TC detection procedure applicable to all climate models without the need for any further tuning or adjustment.

Unlike traditional detectors that seek to identify TCs directly, the authors' method seeks to identify conditions favorable for TC formation. Favorable TC formation regions at the center of closed circulations in the lower troposphere to the midtroposphere are identified using a low-deformation vorticity parameter. Additional relative and specific humidity thresholds are applied to ensure the thermodynamic environment is favorable, and a vertical wind shear threshold is applied to eliminate storms in a destructive shear environment. A further requirement is that thresholds for all parameters must be satisfied for at least 48 h before a TC is deemed to have developed.

A thorough assessment of the detector performance is provided. It is demonstrated that the method reproduces realistic TC genesis frequency and spatial distributions in the ERA-Interim data. Application of the detector to four climate models is presented in a companion paper.
Characteristics and Mechanism of the 10–20-Day Oscillation of Spring Rainfall over Southern China
Authors: Pan Weijuan , Mao Jiangyu , Wu Guoxiong
Published: February 2013

The intraseasonal oscillations (ISOs) of southern China spring rainfall (SCSR) are examined based on daily rain gauge rainfall data and NCEP/Department of Energy Reanalysis 2 (NCEP-2) products for the period 1980–2008. The objective of this study is to reveal the structure and propagation of the dominant ISO of SCSR as well as its driving mechanisms, thereby gaining an understanding of the causes of extreme wet and dry SCSR.

The EOF analysis and power spectrum analysis show that the 10–20-day oscillation is a predominant ISO of SCSR in most years. Composite analyses and wave-activity propagation diagnosis demonstrate that the 10–20-day oscillation of SCSR is characterized by an alternate occurrence of a huge anomalous anticyclone (cyclone) encircling the Tibetan Plateau in the lower troposphere, with anomalous low-level northeasterly (southwesterly) winds prevailing over southern China, producing lower-tropospheric divergence (convergence). In the middle and upper troposphere, the oscillation appears as a southeastward propagating coherent wave train made up of a series of anomalous cyclones and anticyclones, which are aligned in a northwest–southeast direction. This whole wave train also drifts eastward, with strong upper-tropospheric convergence (divergence) alternately superimposed over the lower-tropospheric divergence (convergence) within and south of the Yangtze basin, resulting in deficient (excessive) rainfall in southern China. The thermal structure of the 10–20-day ISO of SCSR and its association with the mechanical–thermal forcing of the Tibetan Plateau are also explored.
Complicity, entanglement, and translation: Three English/Afrikaans texts
Authors: Devarenne Nicole
Published: February 2013

Using Mark Sanders’ definition, Afrikaans is a “complicit” language, both in terms of the assistance it has given to apartheid, and in the way it evidences cultural and linguistic entanglement. But the texts examined in this article, J.M. Coetzee’s In the Heart of the Country (1977), Antjie Krog’s Country of My Skull (1998), and A.H.M. Scholtz’s Vatmaar (1995), also show a keen awareness of English’s role as an instrument of cultural imperialism. They are not composed in, or translated into, English in an attempt to distance themselves from complicity so much as to reveal it. They also speak of the opportunities writing in a hybridized English, or in a mixture of English and Afrikaans, offers to those who wish to describe intimacies “gained”, “resisted”, “uninvited” or “ignored” in opposition to apartheid (Nuttall, 2009: 1). As Afrikaans-speaking writers writing in English and vice versa, Coetzee, Krog, and Scholtz complicate the relationship between language and identity that apartheid sought to codify and secure and which local and global literary markets often reinforce. Their texts tend to offer linguistic hybridity, if not always as a practice, at least as an ideal in the pursuit of which such fixed categories are destabilized, and the folded-togetherness of South African languages and identities can be realized in textual and material terms. In considering the interaction of textual studies, literary studies, and print culture around questions of translation and translingualism in South Africa, it is hoped that we might create more space for the publication and critical reception of texts that re-fashion national and personal histories in radically productive ways.
Damage analysis and notch sensitivity of hybrid needlepunched nonwoven materials
Authors: Rawal Amit , Patel Sandeep Kumar , Kumar Vijay , Saraswat Harshvardhan , Sayeed MM Alamgir
Published: February 2013

Needlepunched nonwovens are complex three-dimensional (3D) entangled fibrous materials which are extensively used for a range of technical and industrial applications. The micromechanisms of deformation and fracture behavior of these materials are complicated and least understood. In this study, the tensile behavior of virgin and notched samples is investigated for hybrid needlepunched nonwoven materials consisting of polypropylene and viscose fibers in defined proportions. The notches in nonwovens were induced by two types of mechanical damage (circular hole and vertical cut) in three spatial positions of hybrid nonwovens tested in the machine, 45°, and cross-machine directions. The notch sensitivity of hybrid nonwovens was demonstrated by localized fiber failures occurring around the region of induced damages. It was established that the shape and spatial position of induced damage have significant influence on the tensile behavior of hybrid nonwoven materials. Higher viscose contents (60–80 wt%) in notched hybrid nonwovens yielded minimal tensile strength reduction specifically in the preferential (cross-machine) direction.
The Dark Side of NY–LON: Financial Centres and the Global Financial Crisis
Authors: Wójcik Dariusz
Published: February 2013

This paper brings financial centres into the debate on the causes and consequences of the global financial crisis, by focusing on New York and London. It argues that the degree of commonality, complementarity and connectivity between the two leading global financial centres justifies the use of the term ‘the New York–London axis’ (the axis). It shows that the global financial crisis 2007–09 originated to large extent in the axis rather than in an abstract space of financial markets. The dominance of the axis in global finance can be easily underestimated and evidence suggests that, contrary to expectations the axis is not in decline. The main implication is that the debate on global financial reform has to take seriously the reality of global financial centres. In particular, if global finance is to change, the New York–London axis has to change.
Basaloid Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Oropharynx: An Analysis of 650 Cases
Authors: Fritsch Valerie A. , Lentsch Eric J.
Published: February 2013

Objective

Basaloid squamous cell carcinoma (BSCC) is considered an aggressive squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) variant. However, we hypothesized that BSCC of the oropharynx may carry a similar prognosis to SCC. A series of exclusively oropharyngeal BSCC patients has not been previously reported. Our objective was to describe the clinical presentation and prognosis of BSCC in a large series of patients with BSCC of the oropharynx and to compare these with a series of patients with conventional‐type oropharyngeal SCC.

Study Design

Retrospective analysis of population‐based data.

Setting

Data reported by the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program are based on medical records of patients who are treated at academic medical centers, community and county hospitals, and health maintenance organizations.

Subjects and Methods

Clinicopathologic data and disease‐specific survival (DSS) were compared between 650 patients with oropharyngeal BSCC and 19,484 with SCC.

Results

High‐grade tumors and nodal metastasis were more common in the BSCC group (P <. 02). On multivariable analysis controlling for disease stage, BSCC patients had improved DSS (P <. 001). More BSCC patients received multimodality treatment (P <. 001). Disease‐specific survival was similar in BSCC and SCC patients who were treated with primary surgery; however, among patients who received radiotherapy, DSS was better for those with BSCC (P <. 04).

Conclusion

Analysis of the largest oropharyngeal BSCC series to date demonstrates that BSCC of the oropharynx carries a more favorable prognosis than conventional‐type oropharyngeal SCC.
The value of preoperative PET–CT in papillary thyroid cancer
Authors: Kim Byung Seup , Ryu Han Suk , Kang Kyung Ho
Published: February 2013

Objective

To evaluate the clinical usefulness of preoperative positron emission tomography–computed tomography (PET–CT) in primary papillary thyroid cancer (PTC).

Methods

Preoperative PET–CT scans of patients with biopsy-confirmed PTC who were undergoing thyroidectomy were examined and the maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) of 2-deoxy-2-(18F)fluoro-d-glucose (18F-FDG) was calculated. Demographic and clinical data were obtained from medical records. Tumour tissue was pathologically classified according to World Health Organization guidelines. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to determined the demographic, clinical and pathological factors affecting PET positivity and SUVmax.

Results

The study included 194 patients. Multivariate analysis indicated that patients were significantly more likely to be PET positive if they were female, had larger tumours (>1 cm), coexisting pathology (nodular hyperplasia or Hashimoto’s thyroiditis) or nonfollicular variant PTC. SUVmax <2.0 indicated possible follicular variant PTC.

Conclusions

PET-positive results were unrelated to extrathyroidal extension and lymph node metastasis. PET positivity was related to larger tumour size and implied coexisting pathology. PET negativity or low SUVmax suggested possible follicular variant PTC.
Highly sensitive gold-overoxidized polypyrrole nanocomposite immunosensor for antitransglutaminase antibody
Authors: West Natasha , Baker Priscilla , Waryo Tesfaye , Ngece Fanelwa R , Iwuoha Emmanuel I , O’Sullivan Ciara , Katakis Ioanis
Published: February 2013

Patients with coeliac disease, a gluten intolerance autoimmune disorder, have elevated levels of antitransglutaminase antibody in their human sera. In this study, an immunosensor for the electrochemical determination of antitransglutaminase antibody was constructed. The immunosensor architecture was based on the electrostatic deposition of transglutaminase antigen on a glassy carbon electrode modified with electrosynthetic overoxidized polypyrrole and gold nanoparticles and capped the transglutaminase layer with bovine serum albumin. As a result, good surface coverage of the gold nanoparticles (~100 nm) was achieved across the overoxidized polypyrrole film. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy parameters of the gold nanoparticle–overoxidized polypyrrole electrode include time constant, exchange current density, and heterogeneous rate constant. The impedimetric immunosensor exhibited a charge transfer resistance-dependent linear range with a correlation coefficient value of 0.98 and a dynamic linear range of 10−6–10−4 mg mL−1. The synergistic effect of the gold nanoparticles on the overoxidized polypyrrole formed the electronic insulator platform as a selective accumulator for the analytes surrounding the nanoelectrode. This biosensor characteristic enabled detection of antitransglutaminase antibodies at very low concentrations without the aid of a secondary label.
Apoptotic cell death in rat epididymis following epichlorohydrin treatment
Authors: Lee I.-C. , Kim K.-H. , Kim S.-H. , Baek H.-S. , Moon C. , Kim S.-H. , Yun W.-K. , Nam K.-H. , Kim H.-C. , Kim J.-C.
Published: February 2013

Epichlorohydrin (ECH) is an antifertility agent that acts both as an epididymal toxicant and an agent capable of directly affecting sperm motility. This study identified the time course of apoptotic cell death in rat epididymides after ECH treatment. Rats were administrated with a single oral dose of ECH (50 mg/kg). ECH-induced apoptotic changes were evaluated by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay and its related mechanism was confirmed by Western blot analysis and colorimetric assay. The TUNEL assay showed that the number of apoptotic cells increased at 8 h, reached a maximum level at 12 h, and then decreased progressively. The Western blot analysis demonstrated no significant changes in proapoptotic Bcl-2-associated X (Bax) and anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 expression during the time course of the study. However, phospho-p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p-p38 MAPK) and phospho-c-Jun amino-terminal kinase (p-JNK) expression increased at 8–24 h. Caspase-3 and caspase-8 activities also increased at 8–48 h and 12–48 h, respectively, in the same manner as p-p38 MAPK and p-JNK expression. These results indicate that ECH induced apoptotic changes in rat epididymides and that the apoptotic cell death may be related more to the MAPK pathway than to the mitochondrial pathway.
Lupus nephritis: a 15‐year multi‐centre experience in the UK
Authors: Hui M , Garner R , Rees F , Bavakunji R , Daniel P , Varughese S , Srikanth A , Andres M , Pearce F , Leung J , Lim K , Regan M , Lanyon P
Published: February 2013

Objectives

Our aim was to audit the outcome of lupus nephritis (LN) at three East Midlands centres.

Methods

We undertook a retrospective review of all biopsy-proven LN types III–V 1995–2010.

Results

In total, 61 patients with LN were identified, with a median follow-up of 68 months. LN was present at the time of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) diagnosis in 20 patients. The median time from SLE diagnosis to the first LN episode was 5.3 years. Some 35 patients received IV cyclophosphamide and 17 received mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) as induction therapy; 81.8% of those treated with cyclophosphamide and 81.3% with MMF had at least ‘improved’ according to the ACR-response criteria 6 months from induction; 33.3% and 37.5%, respectively, had a ‘complete’ response. MMF and azathioprine were the most frequently used maintenance therapy. We found that 32.8% experienced a flare after a mean post-induction time of 3.5 years, irrespective of the maintenance therapy used, and 43.8% of partial responders flared compared with 4.8% of complete responders. End-stage renal failure developed in 8.2%.

Conclusions

Overall, outcomes (response, flare-rate, end-stage renal failure) were comparable with European clinical studies. Partial responders are more likely to flare compared with complete responders. The results highlight that LN can occur, and flare, after many years of SLE, emphasizing the importance of continued vigilance for LN in all patients.
University Governance
Authors: Delbecq André L. , Bryson John M. , Van de Ven Andrew H.
Published: February 2013

The “Reflections on Experience” section of the June 2009 issue of the Journal of Management Inquiry contained six articles examining the challenges associated with contemporary university governance and called for new theory and approaches. In this article, we respond by reporting one university’s innovative governance design that provides an imaginative alternative to the traditional bicameral model of the board of trustees (or governing board) and administration, and the faculty senate. Its collaborative model utilizes intermediate-sized, competency-based, and representative joint policy committees as the central means of formulating strategy. Outcomes of this alternative approach include greater trust, better and more timely decisions, and a reduction in intraorganizational conflict. We conclude that the approach merits attention as an alternative to the bicameral model and that management studies can help improve higher education governance research and practice.
Predictive Contribution of Personality Traits in a Sociocognitive Model of Academic Performance in Mathematics
Authors: Cupani Marcos , Pautassi Ricardo Marcos
Published: February 2013

Social cognitive career theory (SCCT) explains academic performance as a function of conceptually distinct and interrelated cognitive variables. We aimed at extending SCCT’s performance model by examining the direct and indirect—through sociocognitive variables—contribution of personality traits on mathematics academic performance. Argentine youths ( N = 543) were assessed in mathematics self-efficacy, outcome expectations, performance goals, and skills. Personality traits were assessed through the Big Five Questionnaire for Children. Path analyses indicated that the contribution of personality on academic performance was mediated by sociocognitive mechanisms. The results suggested that (a) students who exhibited higher Conscientiousness scores had higher self-efficacy beliefs and more positive outcome expectations and set more demanding performance goals and (b) students who had higher Openness/Intellect scores exhibited higher self-efficacy beliefs. Gender did not moderate the relations among cognitive variables but influenced the association between personality traits and cognitive variables. Implications for teachers and guidance counselors are discussed.
Structural Narrative Analysis
Authors: Ahmed Anya
Published: February 2013

U.K. retirees who move to the Costa Blanca in Spain can be described as “lifestyle migrants.” “Lifestyle migration” has recently been conceptualised as “a quest” for a better life and migrants reflect and construct their experiences through common quest narratives. For many, the quest is fulfilled and they find a new home in a new country. However, for some, the quest is not a success and they return to the United Kingdom. Migrants for whom the quest is not fulfilled also reflect and construct their experiences through shared narratives and these can be understood as narratives of voyage and return. The focus of this article is on how a structural analytical narrative approach centering on the plot typologies, the quest, and voyage and return can illuminate decision making processes and experiences of migration and settlement for a sample of retired British women living in the Costa Blanca in Spain.
Relational Inquiries and the Research Interview
Authors: Hoskins Marie L. , White Jennifer
Published: February 2013

In this article we describe some of the challenges and constraints that students face when they engage in qualitative research interviews. We borrow extensively from Ron Pelias’ in-depth description of leaning in during everyday life encounters. Although he refers to other kinds of relationships, we believe that the similarities are too important to overlook when it comes to the qualitative research interview. We begin the discussion by identifying what we believe are the main challenges facing novice qualitative researchers. Issues of professional identities, objectivity, relational engagement, and inherited understandings of what counts as research are highlighted. This article will be useful for graduate students engaged in narrative, ethnographic, and auto-ethnographic methodologies as well as other inquiries that require deeply relational processes. Recommendations for the kinds of supervisory conversations that may be helpful are included.
Negotiating Measurement
Authors: Braverman Marc T.
Published: February 2013

Sound evaluation planning requires numerous decisions about how constructs in a program theory will be translated into measures and instruments that produce evaluation data. This article, the first in a dialogue exchange, examines how decisions about measurement are (and should be) made, especially in the context of small-scale local program settings. Rigorous measurement strategies will increase the credibility of a study’s conclusions, but they usually entail various kinds of costs. In making measurement decisions, evaluators must establish standards for strength of evidence that a given measure produces, weigh alternative measurement options, and communicate carefully with clients and other stakeholders about the measurement requirements in a given evaluation.
Good Evaluation Measures
Authors: Weitzman Beth C. , Silver Diana
Published: February 2013

In this commentary, we examine Braverman's insights into the trade-offs between feasibility and rigor in evaluation measures and reject his assessment of the trade-off as a zero-sum game. We, argue that feasibility and policy salience are, like reliability and validity, intrinsic to the definition of a good measure. To reduce the tension between feasibility and measurement rigor, we argue that evaluators should make greater use of existing data, identify ways in which improved measurement will result in improved program management, and “thickly” invest measurement resources in areas where questions are most important and evaluation is most needed.
Labor induction and augmentation in women with multiple sclerosis
Authors: Lu E , Zhu F , van der Kop ML , Dahlgren L , Synnes A , Sadovnick AD , Traboulsee A , Tremlett H ,   the British Columbia Multiple Sclerosis Clinic Neurologists
Published: February 2013

Background:

Fatigue and pelvic organ dysfunction are common among women with multiple sclerosis (MS), which may prolong labor and increase the risk of labor induction and/or augmentation.

Objective:

We set out to investigate the association between MS and related clinical factors (disease duration and the Expanded Disability Status Scale, EDSS) with labor induction/augmentation.

Methods:

Data from the British Columbia (BC) MS database were linked with the BC Perinatal Database Registry. Multivariable models were used to compare the likelihood of labor induction and augmentation between attempted vaginal deliveries (1998–2009) in women with MS ( n=381) and the general population ( n=2615).

Results:

In the MS cohort, 94/381 deliveries (25%) required labor induction and 147/381 deliveries (39%) required labor augmentation. Having MS was not associated with labor induction (adjusted odds ratio (OR)=0.91; 95% confidence interval (CI)=0.68–1.22, p=0.54) or augmentation (adjusted OR=0.91; 95% CI=0.72–1.15, p=0.43), but was associated with multiple methods of labor induction (OR=1.94; 95% CI=1.23–3.06, p=0.004). A higher EDSS score was associated with an increased risk of labor induction (adjusted p=0.04), but not labor augmentation (adjusted p > 0.5). Disease duration was not associated with either outcome (adjusted p > 0.2).

Conclusions:

Greater intervention may be required to initiate labor for women with a higher degree of disability due to MS.