bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Identification of Genes Upregulated in ALK-Positive and EGFR/KRAS/ALK-Negative Lung Adenocarcinomas
Authors: Okayama Hirokazu , Kohno Takashi , Ishii Yuko , Shimada Yoko , Shiraishi Kouya , Iwakawa Reika , Furuta Koh , Tsuta Koji , Shibata Tatsuhiro , Yamamoto Seiichiro , Watanabe Shun-ichi , Sakamoto Hiromi , Kumamoto Kensuke , Takenoshita Seiichi , Gotoh Noriko , Mizuno Hideaki , Sarai Akinori , Kawano Shuichi , Yamaguchi Rui , Miyano Satoru , Yokota Jun
Published: November 2011

Activation of the EGFR, KRAS, and ALK oncogenes defines 3 different pathways of molecular pathogenesis in lung adenocarcinoma. However, many tumors lack activation of any pathway (triple-negative lung adenocarcinomas) posing a challenge for prognosis and treatment. Here, we report an extensive genome-wide expression profiling of 226 primary human stage I–II lung adenocarcinomas that elucidates molecular characteristics of tumors that harbor ALK mutations or that lack EGFR, KRAS, and ALK mutations, that is, triple-negative adenocarcinomas. One hundred and seventy-four genes were selected as being upregulated specifically in 79 lung adenocarcinomas without EGFR and KRAS mutations. Unsupervised clustering using a 174-gene signature, including ALK itself, classified these 2 groups of tumors into ALK-positive cases and 2 distinct groups of triple-negative cases (groups A and B). Notably, group A triple-negative cases had a worse prognosis for relapse and death, compared with cases with EGFR, KRAS, or ALK mutations or group B triple-negative cases. In ALK-positive tumors, 30 genes, including ALK and GRIN2A, were commonly overexpressed, whereas in group A triple-negative cases, 9 genes were commonly overexpressed, including a candidate diagnostic/therapeutic target DEPDC1, that were determined to be critical for predicting a worse prognosis. Our findings are important because they provide a molecular basis of ALK-positive lung adenocarcinomas and triple-negative lung adenocarcinomas and further stratify more or less aggressive subgroups of triple-negative lung ADC, possibly helping identify patients who may gain the most benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy after surgical resection. Cancer Res; 72(1); 100–11. ©2011 AACR.
Metastasis Suppressor NM23-H1 Promotes Repair of UV-Induced DNA Damage and Suppresses UV-Induced Melanomagenesis
Authors: Jarrett Stuart G. , Novak Marian , Dabernat Sandrine , Daniel Jean-Yves , Mellon Isabel , Zhang Qingbei , Harris Nathan , Ciesielski Michael J. , Fenstermaker Robert A. , Kovacic Diane , Slominski Andrzej , Kaetzel David M.
Published: November 2011

Reduced expression of the metastasis suppressor NM23-H1 is associated with aggressive forms of multiple cancers. Here, we establish that NM23-H1 (termed H1 isoform in human, M1 in mouse) and two of its attendant enzymatic activities, the 3′–5′ exonuclease and nucleoside diphosphate kinase, are novel participants in the cellular response to UV radiation (UVR)–induced DNA damage. NM23-H1 deficiency compromised the kinetics of repair for total DNA polymerase–blocking lesions and nucleotide excision repair of (6–4) photoproducts in vitro. Kinase activity of NM23-H1 was critical for rapid repair of both polychromatic UVB/UVA-induced (290–400 nm) and UVC-induced (254 nm) DNA damage, whereas its 3′–5′ exonuclease activity was dominant in the suppression of UVR-induced mutagenesis. Consistent with its role in DNA repair, NM23-H1 rapidly translocated to sites of UVR-induced (6–4) photoproduct DNA damage in the nucleus. In addition, transgenic mice hemizygous-null for nm23-m1 and nm23-m2 exhibited UVR-induced melanoma and follicular infundibular cyst formation, and tumor-associated melanocytes displayed invasion into adjacent dermis, consistent with loss of invasion-suppressing activity of NM23 in vivo. Taken together, our data show a critical role for NM23 isoforms in limiting mutagenesis and suppressing UVR-induced melanomagenesis. Cancer Res; 72(1); 133–43. ©2011 AACR.
Costimulatory Protein 4IgB7H3 Drives the Malignant Phenotype of Glioblastoma by Mediating Immune Escape and Invasiveness
Authors: Lemke Dieter , Pfenning Philipp-Niclas , Sahm Felix , Klein Ann-Catherine , Kempf Tore , Warnken Uwe , Schnölzer Martina , Tudoran Ruxandra , Weller Michael , Platten Michael , Wick Wolfgang
Published: November 2011

Purpose: Recent work points out a role of B7H3, a member of the B7-family of costimulatory proteins, in conveying immunosuppression and enforced invasiveness in a variety of tumor entities. Glioblastoma is armed with effective immunosuppressive properties resulting in an impaired recognition and ineffective attack of tumor cells by the immune system. In addition, extensive and diffuse invasion of tumor cells into the surrounding brain tissue limits the efficacy of local therapies. Here, 4IgB7H3 is assessed as diagnostic and therapeutic target for glioblastoma.

Experimental Design: To characterize B7H3 in glioblastoma, we conduct analyses not only in glioma cell lines and glioma-initiating cells but also in human glioma tissue specimens.

Results: B7H3 expression by tumor and endothelial cells correlates with the grade of malignancy in gliomas and with poor survival. Both soluble 4IgB7H3 in the supernatant of glioma cells and cell-bound 4IgB7H3 are functional and suppress natural killer cell–mediated tumor cell lysis. Gene silencing showed that membrane and soluble 4IgB7H3 convey a proinvasive phenotype in glioma cells and glioma-initiating cells in vitro. These proinvasive and immunosuppressive properties were confirmed in vivo by xenografted 4IgB7H3 gene silenced glioma-initiating cells, which invaded significantly less into the surrounding brain tissue in an orthotopic model and by subcutaneously injected LN-229 cells, which were more susceptible to natural killer cell–mediated cytotoxicity than unsilenced control cells.

Conclusions: Because of its immunosuppressive and proinvasive function, 4IgB7H3 may serve as a therapeutic target in the treatment of glioblastoma. Clin Cancer Res; 18(1); 105–17. ©2011 AACR.
The Neurobiology of Fear Memory Reconsolidation and Psychoanalytic Theory
Authors: Gorman Jack M. , Roose Steven P.
Published: November 2011

Advances in both experimental neuroscience and psychoanalytic theory and technique have made it possible to consider mechanisms by which psychodynamic psychotherapies might have an impact at the cellular and molecular level. Here potential analogies are drawn between (1) the mechanisms and results of blocking the reconsolidation of conditioned fear memories in the laboratory and (2) several key aspects of psychoanalytic process. A review of the biology of conditioned fear memory, including differences between extinction and inhibition of reconsolidation, indicates that this biology may have relevance to various ways in which psychoanalytic therapy is effective. The ideas proposed here might lead to further experimental attempts to understand the molecular biology of psychoanalysis.
Intensity of food deprivation: The integrative impacts of the world system, modernization, conflict, militarization and the environment
Authors: Kick Edward L , McKinney Laura A , Thompson Gretchen H
Published: November 2011

US and world military expenditures have increased dramatically in the last decade. Some cross-national treatments identify positive impacts of military spending on a range of domestic outcomes, while many others point to the converse. We review the literature and then focus on under examined relationships, including the impact of military expenditures on the intensity of food deprivation worldwide. We employ a structural equation modeling technique that permits synthetic analyses of direct and indirect impacts of a range of factors specified by the theories. We find world-system context indirectly matters a great deal to the intensity of food deprivation in nations, both in our sample of developed and developing nations, and of developing countries only. So do intra-national and international conflicts, especially insofar as they impact national modernization and military spending. While modernization is moderately enhanced by military spending for our cross-national sample of developed and developing countries, it is not for the sample of developing countries only. This may point to military technology’s spill over effects on other sectors of the economy, but solely for developed nations. For the world over, national modernization, itself a consequence of global power and dependency, directly reduces the intensity of food deprivation, while military expenditures directly heighten it. These differential relationships lead us to advocate for a more synthetic theorizing in studies of food security and hunger, while accounting for global circumstances that produce both similar and different consequences in richer and poorer countries.
Translating Sexual Assault Prevention from a College Campus to a United States Military Installation
Authors: Potter Sharyn J. , Stapleton Jane G.
Published: November 2011

One population that shares both similar and different characteristics with traditional college-age students is the U.S. Military. Similarities include a high concentration of 18- to 26-year-olds dealing with new found independence, peer pressure, and the presence of social norms that support violence and hypermasculinity. Sexual violence is a major public health problem in the United States, and because of the similarities in the age group of college and military populations, the problems regarding sexual violence in both constituencies have been well-documented. In the current pilot study we seek to add to both current knowledge about and promising practices of translating prevention strategies from one target audience to another. We describe how we translated, administered, and evaluated a bystander intervention social marketing campaign focused on sexual assault prevention that had been found to significantly affect attitude change on a college campus for a U.S. Army installation in Europe. In addition to demonstrating the process of translating prevention strategies across target audiences, findings from this pilot study contribute to the evaluation data on the effectiveness of sexual violence prevention strategies implemented with members of the U.S. Military. From our analysis, we see that research participants indicate that the degree to which the images resonate with them and the familiarity of the context (i.e., social self-identification) significantly effect the participants’ personal responsibility for reducing sexual assault, confidence in acting as a bystander, and reported engagement as a bystander.
Second-law analysis of fuel–air mixing and combustion subprocesses in a heterogeneous charge engine
Authors: Ismail Saleel , Mehta Pramod S
Published: November 2011

Fuel–air mixing and combustion in engines are complex phenomena involving several subprocesses, wherein the availability (exergy) of the working fluid could be destroyed owing to irreversibilities or could be lost during energy exchanges. In the present work, a quasi-dimensional multi-zone engine model is used to quantify the availability destructions and losses associated with various mixing and combustion subprocesses in a heterogeneous charge compression ignition engine. This second-law analysis helps us to estimate the contributions of individual subprocesses towards the overall availability deficit. The results indicate that most of the availability destruction prior to ignition occurs because of fuel vaporization and mixing, whereas chemical reaction accounts for up to half of the total availability deficit during combustion. In-cylinder pressure equilibration and mixing of the combustion products with spray gases have major roles in availability destruction during the premixed combustion phase and the mixing-controlled combustion phase respectively. The contributions of wall heat transfer, heat transfer from the spray to the surrounding air and mixing of entrained air with spray gases assume significance in the later stages of combustion. Parametric studies indicate that reducing the in-cylinder air swirl and retarding the injection timing effectively curtail the availability deficit, thus improving the exergetic efficiency.
Active fin control for ship stabilization system using heuristic genetic optimization
Authors: Su Kuo-Ho
Published: November 2011

Active fin control is the most effective anti-rolling approach to ship stabilization. However, an accurate model of the whole nonlinear dynamic ship system under random wave or wind impact is difficult to obtain. This study develops an intelligent guarded heuristic genetic algorithm fin controller, including a heuristic genetic algorithm fin controller and a guarded fin controller, to identify the optimum solution for ship stabilization system. In the heuristic genetic algorithm fin controller design, the gradient-descent training is embedded into a traditional genetic algorithm to construct the main controller, which consequently determines the optimum fin control angle in response to uncertainties. To ensure that the system states are around a defined bound region, the proposed system uses a guarded fin controller to adjust the control angle. The stabilization system uses a gyroscope and accelerometer to detect rolling conditions, and the gathered data are fed to an embedded microcontroller to calculate output commands. To verify the performance of the proposed guarded heuristic genetic algorithm fin controller, an analogous two-wheeled robot balance model and experimental platform are adopted in the simulations and experiments as the preliminary tool. Simulations and experimental results confirm the effectiveness of the proposed system, and this study compares its performance with other fin control schemes.
Towards a reconceptualization of the ‘information worlds of individuals’
Authors: Yu Liangzhi
Published: November 2011

The term ‘information world’ has been widely used by LIS scholars in a rather cursory manner. Building upon a range of existing concepts in LIS literature, and drawing on evidence from interviews of 40 people of different social statuses, this paper offers a redefinition of the ‘information worlds of individuals’ concept within the framework of three definitional elements: substance or contents, dimensional boundaries and dynamic for change. It is meant to be a concept that describes individuals and their aggregates rather than communities or social environments. In this way, it parallels the ‘way of life’ concept of Savolainen but differs from the ‘small world’ concept of Chatman and the ‘information use environment’ concept of Taylor. Through such a reconceptualization, this study aims to enhance the term’s analytical utility for such issues as information poverty, information inequality and information behaviour. In particular, it hopes to offer a broader conceptual basis for information inequality analysis than that based on information access; it also hopes to help bridge the divided perspectives on work-related information behaviour and everyday life information-seeking behaviour when an integrated approach is called for.
On the Load–Unload (L–U) and Force–Release (F–R) Algorithms for Simulating Brittle Fracture Processes via Lattice Models
Authors: Liu J. X. , El Sayed T.
Published: November 2011

General summaries on the load–unload and force–release methods indicate that the two methods are efficient for different-charactered quasi-static failures; therefore, it is important to choose the right one for different applications. Then we take, as an example, the case where the release of the ruptured element's internal force is infinitely slower than the relaxation of the lattice system and analyze why the force–release method works better than the load–unload method in this particular case. Different trial deformation fields are used by them to track the next equilibrium state. Force–release method ensures that the deformation throughout the whole failure process coincides exactly with the controlled-displacement boundary conditions and we utilize the ‘left modulus’ concept to prove that this method satisfies the energetic evolution in the force–displacement diagram; both of which are not satisfied by the load–unload method. To illustrate that the force–release method is not just another form of the load–unload method, a tensile test on a specifically designed system is analyzed to further compare the above two methods, showing that their predicted sequences of elemental failures can be different. In closing, we simulate the uniaxial tensile test on a beam lattice system by the load–unload and force–release methods and exploit the details of the resulting fracture processes.
New Strain-Energy-Based Coupled Elastoplastic Two-Parameter Damage and Healing Models for Earth-Moving Processes
Authors: Ju J. W. , Yuan K. Y.
Published: November 2011

Novel strain–energy-based coupled elastoplastic two-parameter damage and healing formulations for geomaterials are developed and implemented for a numerical simulation of two-dimensional earth-moving processes. A new class of elastoplastic damage–healing models is proposed within an initial-elastic strain–energy-based framework. The governing incremental damage and healing evolutions are coupled in volumetric and deviatoric parts and characterized through the effective stress concept. The plastic flow is established via an additive split of the stress tensor. Specifically, we introduce four characteristic energy norms of the tensile volumetric, tensile deviatoric, compressive volumetric, and compressive deviatoric strain tensors, respectively, for the corresponding volumetric and deviatoric damage and healing mechanisms. By adopting a micromechanics-motivated damage characterization (P+) and a healing characterization (P–) in the volumetric and deviatoric parts, the proposed two-parameter damage–healing models are implemented to demonstrate considerable versatility on numerical simulations of earth-moving processes. New computational algorithms are systematically developed based on the two-step operator splitting methodology. The volumetric and deviatoric elastic-damage–healing predictor and the effective plastic corrector are implemented within the Reproducing Kernel Particle Method (RKPM) meshfree codes. Numerical examples under earth excavation, transport, and compaction are presented to illustrate salient features of soils such as shear band and partial recovery of soil stiffness due to compaction by the new two-parameter damage–healing models.
I Spit to Meet You on a Line Unfolding
Authors: Kaufmann Jodi
Published: November 2011

This autoethnographic piece explores the relationships between the author’s personal stories and her capacities as a qualitative researcher. Relying on poststructural inquiry, the author thinks her stories through each other and the works of Deleuze, Butler, and Caputo in order to examine how these fabulas disallow her to meet the other face to face.
‘Without it I am nothing’: The internet in the lives of older immigrants
Authors: Khvorostianov Natalia , Elias Nelly , Nimrod Galit
Published: November 2011

This article aims to explore how using the internet may facilitate coping with the challenges of immigration in later life, based on the case of older Jewish immigrants from the Former Soviet Union in Israel. For that purpose, in-depth interviews were conducted with 32 immigrants living in southern Israel. Results indicated that internet usages by the study participants were: (1) Managing health; (2) Nurturing professional interests; (3) Maintaining and extending social networks; (4) Appreciating the past; and (5) Enjoying leisure. Each usage seemed to preserve and even strengthen the participants’ self-worth and improve their quality of life. These findings suggest that older immigrants who use the internet practice, in fact, strategies of successful ageing, which help them to cope not only with the challenges associated with ageing, but also with the tremendous difficulties and losses posed by immigration.
The framing of politics as strategy and game: A review of concepts, operationalizations and key findings
Authors: Aalberg Toril , Strömbäck Jesper , de Vreese Claes H.
Published: November 2011

A key concept in research on the media coverage of politics is the game or strategy frame. Contrasted with coverage of politics as issues, the framing of politics as a strategic game is marked by features such as winning and losing as the central concern and a focus on how candidates or parties are doing in opinion polls. The pervasiveness of such framing is, however, disputed since (1) the way in which the frames are conceptualized and operationalized differs significantly; and (2) while some use terms such as ‘game frame’ and ‘strategy frame’ as synonymous, others argue that there is a conceptual difference between them. Against this background, this article reviews research on the media’s framing of politics as a strategic game, what concepts have been used, and how they have been operationalized; and suggests a synthesis and ways of improving conceptual clarity and comparability in research on the media’s use of strategy and/or game frames.
The city and the subculture career: Professional street skateboarding in LA
Authors: Snyder Gregory J
Published: November 2011

This article provides a detailed ethnographic description of skateboarding’s main career opportunities and contributes to arguments about subculture theory and the impact of specific subcultures on cities. Professional street skateboarders perform tricks on obstacles in the urban environment and publish these tricks in magazines and videos to share with other members of the subculture. This need for documentation and dissemination of skateboard tricks, as well as the need to design and distribute subculture media, skateboards and skateboarding products, makes skateboarding a self-sustaining industry and provides skaters with an opportunity for subculture careers. These careers are in skating and also the ancillary careers necessary to support this industry. These subculture careers have a positive impact on individual skaters by providing opportunities, in many cases where none existed, and also upon the urban centers where this industry is most prominent by drawing creative, talented people to the city to participate in the subculture and quite possibly even make a career.
A site for the empowerment of women? The clash of patriarchal values and development norms in a family-based NGO
Authors: Jakimow Tanya
Published: November 2011

Patriarchal norms of the Indian family and normative development goals of gender equity and women's empowerment make uncomfortable bedfellows. This article examines the processes of institutional bricolage that occur with the overlap of these two institutional spaces using ethnographic evidence from two family-based NGOs. It finds that although there is evidence of decoupling between formal structures and actual practices, this does not discount the potential for the transformation of gender norms. I identify three factors that influence this potential: the distance between NGOs and donors; the basis upon which NGOs claim legitimacy with their clientele; and the use of other coercive forms of power. Further, I argue that organizations do not consist of a single institutional space, and that the possibilities for uneven ‘bricolage’ need consideration. These findings are theoretically relevant for understanding processes of institutional bricolage, as well as practically for feminist projects to transform gender norms in, and through, NGOs.
The discourse of friendship: Mediators of communication among dementia residents in long-term care
Authors: Saunders Pamela A. , de Medeiros Kate , Doyle Patrick , Mosby Amanda
Published: November 2011

One the most difficult challenges experienced by people with dementia and their caregivers is their communication. The ability to communicate is essential to creating and maintaining social relationships. Many individuals who suffer from dementia experience increased agitation and diminished social interaction in the long-term care living setting. This paper demonstrates how, through language, they construct social relationships. As part of The Friendship Study, which is an ethnographic observation of persons with dementia living in a long-term care setting, we analyzed transcripts from video- and audio-taped data and performed a discourse analysis of conversations to show how persons with dementia who live in a long-term care setting use language to create friendships. These analyses show that friendships are constructed using concepts such as conversational objects, discourse deixis, indexicality, and alignment among speakers.
A qualitative study of how mothers and teenage daughters negotiate sex-related risk and independence
Authors: Salmon Debra
Published: November 2011

Concern across more economically developed nations has focused on the role of parental communication and monitoring in predicting risk-taking behaviour and health outcomes. However, explorations of how mothers and daughters negotiate risk remain under-researched. This paper presents the findings of a qualitative study examining mothers’ and teenage daughters’ perceptions of risk-related health concerns around sexual behaviour and the implications for health policy, nursing practice and future research. A purposive sample of seven young women aged 14–16 years and their mothers ( n = 14) were recruited from low-income families living in the south-west of England.

Data were collected through longitudinal in-depth interviews and were analysed for thematic content using constant comparative methods. Findings highlighted how mothers and daughters understand risks associated with sex and relationships and their implications for safety. Mothers’ concerns focused on their daughters’ vulnerability to the risk of sexual threat, particularly after alcohol consumption. Within relationships mothers did not advocate abstinence but developed harm minimisation approaches to minimise the impact of risk taking and maximise opportunities for independence. Strategies based on trust and openness were preferred to expectations of rigid adherence in rule negotiation. Clinical significance lies in building on maternal expertise to develop community-based initiatives that have the potential to improve health and clinical outcomes for young women.
Transcriptome analysis of orange-spotted grouper (Epinephelus coioides) spleen in response to Singapore grouper iridovirus
Authors: Huang Youhua , Huang Xiaohong , Yan Yang , Cai Jia , Ouyang Zhengliang , Cui Huachun , Wang Peiran , Qin Qiwei
Published: November 2011

Background

Orange-spotted grouper (Epinephelus coioides) is an economically important marine fish cultured in China and Southeast Asian countries. The emergence of infectious viral diseases, including iridovirus and betanodavirus, have severely affected food products based on this species, causing heavy economic losses. Limited available information on the genomics of E. coioides has hampered the understanding of the molecular mechanisms that underlie host-virus interactions. In this study, we used a 454 pyrosequencing method to investigate differentially-expressed genes in the spleen of the E. coioides infected with Singapore grouper iridovirus (SGIV).

Results

Using 454 pyrosequencing, we obtained abundant high-quality ESTs from two spleen-complementary DNA libraries which were constructed from SGIV-infected (V) and PBS-injected fish (used as a control: C). A total of 407,027 and 421,141 ESTs were produced in control and SGIV infected libraries, respectively. Among the assembled ESTs, 9,616 (C) and 10,426 (V) ESTs were successfully matched against known genes in the NCBI non-redundant (nr) database with a cut-off E-value above 10-5. Gene ontology (GO) analysis indicated that "cell part", "cellular process" and "binding" represented the largest category. Among the 25 clusters of orthologous group (COG) categories, the cluster for "translation, ribosomal structure and biogenesis" represented the largest group in the control (185 ESTs) and infected (172 ESTs) libraries. Further KEGG analysis revealed that pathways, including cellular metabolism and intracellular immune signaling, existed in the control and infected libraries. Comparative expression analysis indicated that certain genes associated with mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), chemokine, toll-like receptor and RIG-I signaling pathway were alternated in response to SGIV infection. Moreover, changes in the pattern of gene expression were validated by qRT-PCR, including cytokines, cytokine receptors, and transcription factors, apoptosis-associated genes, and interferon related genes.

Conclusion

This study provided abundant ESTs that could contribute greatly to disclosing novel genes in marine fish. Furthermore, the alterations of predicted gene expression patterns reflected possible responses of these fish to the virus infection. Taken together, our data not only provided new information for identification of novel genes from marine vertebrates, but also shed new light on the understanding of defense mechanisms of marine fish to viral pathogens.
Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy tube replacement
Authors: Khaliq Abdul
Published: November 2011

Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) is undertaken in order to provide long-term nutrition in patients with dysphagia. Over time, the PEG tubes will deteriorate and will need to be replaced. We describe a method of replacement which is cost-effective and which does not require repetition of the endoscopy.
Variable clinical presentations of histoplasmosis: a report of six cases
Authors: Singh Sunita , Kalra Rajneesh , Chhabra Sonia , Agarwal Ruchi , Garg Shilpa , Mathur S K
Published: November 2011

Histoplasma is a dimorphic fungus that primarily involves the lungs and the environmental reservoir is soil. It has emerged as an important opportunistic fungal infection in immunocompromised patients. Six cases of histoplasmosis with variable clinical presentations diagnosed either on cytology or histopathology are discussed – three were HIV-positive. The possibility of histoplasmosis should always be borne in mind, especially in immunocompromised patients, as it can have variable clinical presentations.
Multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis: the experience of an urban tertiary care hospital in South India using automated BACTEC 460 TB
Authors: Mishra Baijayanti , Rockey Smitha Mary , Gupta Soham , Srinivasa Hiresave , Muralidharan Sethumadhavan
Published: November 2011

The emergence of multi-drug-resistant (MDR) strains has been a major obstacle in the tuberculosis (TB) control programme. In the present study we looked into the prevalence of MDR-TB in an urban tertiary care hospital in South India over four years (2007–2010). During this period, 641 clinical specimens (317 respiratory specimens and 324 non-respiratory specimens) were received for mycobacteriological culture and drug susceptibility testing for first-line drugs, using the BACTEC 460 TB system. Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) was isolated in 34.8% ( n = 223) specimens. Of the total 223 MTB isolates 83 (37.2%) were MDR. Forty-two percent of the pulmonary MTB isolates ( n = 72) and 20.4% of the extra-pulmonary isolates ( n = 10) were MDR. Although we observed a high percentage of drug resistance, the prevalence of MDR was not observed to vary significantly within the four years which suggested good management.
An Empirical Analysis of the Contractual and Information Structures of Business Process Outsourcing Relationships
Authors: Mani Deepa , Barua Anitesh , Whinston Andrew B.
Published: November 2011

The emergence of information-intensive business process outsourcing (BPO) relationships calls for the study of exchange performance beyond traditional considerations of the contractual structure that facilitates cooperative intent to include the information structure that facilitates the mutual exchange of information to enact cooperative intent and coordinate actions between the user firm and the service provider. Yet, there has been little analysis of the drivers and performance effects of the information structure of BPO relationships, including its linkages to the underlying contractual structure. This study integrates perspectives in neo-institutional economics and information processing to develop and test the theoretical argument that the extent of use and performance effects of the information structure of the BPO relationship are greater in time and materials BPO contracts than in fixed-price BPO contracts. Survey data on 134 BPO relationships provide empirical support for our hypotheses. The synergistic impact of incentives and information on BPO performance emphasizes that their joint assessment is necessary to enhance the explanatory power of extant theories of organization. This result also has implications for achieving maximum benefits from complex BPO arrangements that are more likely to be characterized by time and material contracts.
In Search of Efficient Flexibility: Effects of Software Component Granularity on Development Effort, Defects, and Customization Effort
Authors: Subramanyam Ramanath , Ramasubbu Narayan , Krishnan M. S.
Published: November 2011

Simultaneously achieving efficiency and flexibility in enterprise software production has been a considerable challenge for firms. Newer software development paradigms such as component-based and model-driven development attempt to overcome this challenge by emphasizing modular design of complex systems. However, there is a paucity of rigorous empirical research on the use of such software methodologies and the associated extent to which trade-offs between efficiency and flexibility can be influenced. Addressing this gap, we investigate the performance outcomes of a model-driven, component-based software development methodology using data collected from an enterprise software development firm that deployed such a methodology for its product development processes. Examining the design, development, and implementation of 92 business software components of the firm's enterprise resource planning product, we discuss how the design of software components, specifically component granularity, affects development efficiency (development effort and defects) and flexibility (customization effort). Our results suggest that (a) components that are coarse grained are associated with higher flexibility (lower customization effort) but are also associated with lower development efficiency (more development effort and defects), and (b) defect proneness of a component plays a mediating role on the relationship between component granularity and flexibility. These findings present strong evidence for the existence of trade-offs between efficiency and flexibility in mass-customized software product life cycles. They establish component granularity as a key design dimension that needs to be managed judiciously to enable potential trade-off shifting mechanisms through the use of software methodologies that emphasize modular design approaches.
Involvement of the oestrogenic receptors in superior mesenteric ganglion on the ovarian steroidogenesis in rat
Authors: Vega Orozco Adriana , Daneri Cristina , Anesetti Gabriel , Cabrera Ricardo , Sosa Zulema , Rastrilla Ana M
Published: November 2011

Oestradiol (E2) is a key hormone in the regulation of reproductive processes. The aims of this work were a) to examine the distributions of oestrogen receptor α (ERα) and ERβ in the neurons of the superior mesenteric ganglion (SMG) in the oestrus stage by immunohistochemistry, b) to demonstrate whether E2in the SMG modifies progesterone (P4), androstenedione (A2) and nitrite release in the ovarian compartment on oestrus day and c) to demonstrate whether E2in the ganglion modifies the activity and gene expression in the ovary of the steroidogenic enzymes 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3β-HSD) and 20α-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (20α-HSD). Theex vivoSMG–ovarian nervous plexus–ovary system was used. E2, tamoxifen (Txf) and E2plus Txf were added in the ganglion to measure ovarian P4release, while E2alone was added to measure ovarian A2and nitrites release. Immunohistochemistry revealed cytoplasmic ERα immunoreactivity only in the neural somas in the SMG. E2increased ovarian P4and A2release at 15, 30 and 60 min but decreased nitrites. The activity and gene expression of 3β-HSD increased, while the activity and gene expression of 20α-HSD did not show changes with respect to the control. Txf in the ganglion diminished P4release only at 60 min. E2plus Txf in the ganglion reverted the effect of E2alone and the inhibitory effect of Txf. The results of this study demonstrate that ERα activation in the SMG has an impact on ovarian steroidogenesis in rats, thus providing evidence for the critical role of peripheral system neurons in the control of ovarian functions under normal and pathological conditions.
Uma reconstrução racional do programa de pesquisa do racionalismo neoclássico: os subprogramas do convencionalismo/pragmatismo (Poincaré) e do realismo estrutural convergente (Duhem)
Authors: Chiappin José Raimundo Novaes , Leister Ana Carolina
Published: November 2011

O objetivo deste artigo é proporcionar uma reconstrução racional do programa de pesquisa do racionalismo neoclássico como um substituto para o programa do racionalismo clássico. O programa do racionalismo neoclássico se desenvolve pela elaboração de uma nova concepção de ciência que a demarque da metafísica, com a definição da ciência como representação em lugar de explicação. Esse programa é constituído de três subprogramas: o convencionalismo/pragmatismo de Poincaré, o realismo convergentista de Duhem e o empirismo lógico.
Trabalho docente na Educação Profissional e Tecnológica e no PROEJA
Authors: Shiroma Eneida Oto , Lima Filho Domingos Leite
Published: November 2011

O direito à educação não se realiza para grande parcela da população brasileira que não concluiu a educação básica. Três metas do PNE 2011-2020 focam a escolarização de jovens e adultos integrada à educação profissional. O objetivo deste artigo é analisar as especificidades do trabalho docente nesta modalidade. A revisão da literatura sobre a implantação do proeja permite elencar problemas centrais como a falta de formação docente, financiamento, precariedade nos vínculos e condições de trabalho docente. Pesquisando a especificidade da organização do trabalho pedagógico no proeja, constatamos a existência de tempos que não se conjugam para os professores deste Programa e as difíceis condições de trabalho dos docentes temporários e vulneráveis, marcas da precarização e das contradições da política pública.
Problemas institucionais e pedagógicos na implantação da reforma curricular da Educação Profissional técnica de nível médio no IFSP
Authors: Ferretti Celso João
Published: November 2011

Este texto apresenta e discute a implantação da reforma da educação profissional de nível médio no Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia de São Paulo (ifsp), focando as tensões que se produziram em função desse processo. Questiona-se por meio de pesquisa empírica se os Institutos Federais reúnem, na atualidade, as condições necessárias para o desenvolvimento da educação politécnica, na perspectiva marxiana, por intermédio do ensino técnico integrado ao ensino médio.
Estimativa dos recursos eólicos no litoral cearense usando a teoria da regressão linear
Authors: Lira Marcos Antonio Tavares , Silva Emerson Mariano da , Alves José Maria Brabo
Published: November 2011

O trabalho apresentado trata da estimativa de recursos eólicos no litoral cearense, usando a teoria da regressão linear. Seu objetivo principal é estimar valores de velocidade média do vento em altitude a partir de dados observados a 10 metros. Duas regiões são investigadas: Paracuru e Camocim, ambas situadas no Estado do Ceará. Para cada região será adotado o mesmo procedimento. Inicialmente, caracteriza-se a região a partir do perfil diário e mensal de velocidade média do vento obtidos dos dados brutos da respectiva Plataforma de Coleta de Dados (PCD) e Torre Anemométrica (TA) da região. Os dados caracterizadores da direção predominante do vento também são utilizados. Utilizando-se a equação do perfil logarítmico do vento estimam-se os valores de velocidade média do vento às altitude de 20, 40 e 60 metros, a partir dos dados observados em superfície a 10 metros, calculando-se em seguida os coeficientes de correlação entre esses dados estimados em altitude e os observados na TA da região. Utiliza-se, em seguida, o modelo de regressão linear para se estimar novos valores em altitude. Inicialmente esse procedimento é feito para um período de calibração do modelo e em seguida para o período de validação do mesmo. Em ambos os períodos o modelo de regressão linear mostrou um bom desempenho, quer seja pelo alto índice de concordância entre as séries de dados estimados e observados e seus respectivos coeficientes de correlação, quer seja pelos baixos valores dos erros entre essas séries.
Regime térmico e hídrico do solo para área de floresta tropical em anos de El Niño e La Niña, Caxiuanã-PA: estudo de caso
Authors: Santos Sergio Rodrigo Quadros dos , Silva Rommel Benicio Costa da , Barreto Priscilla Nascimento , Nunes Hildo Giuseppe G. C , Rodrigues Ronaldo da Silva , Campos Thamiris Luisa de Oliveira Bradão
Published: November 2011

Os regimes térmicos e hídricos do solo se comportam de maneiras diferentes em anos de ocorrência dos fenômenos El Niño, La niña e ano de não ocorrência de nenhum dos dois fenômenos. Para estudar estes comportamentos utilizou-se dados de totais horários e mensais da precipitação pluviométrica, dados médios horários e mensais da temperatura do solo nas profundidades de 2cm e 10cm e umidade do solo nas profundidades de 5cm e 20cm, para os anos representativos dos eventos pesquisados. Os resultados mostram que o ano sob a influência do fenômeno El Niño, apresentou maiores valores de temperatura e menores valores de umidade do solo, quando comparado com o ano que esteve sob a influência do fenômeno La Niña. Por outro lado, o ano em que não houve ocorrência dos fenômenos La Niña e El Niño, apresentou valores de temperatura (umidade) do solo maiores (menores) do que o ano de La Niña, porém menores (maiores) do que no ano de El Niño.
Downward longwave radiation estimates for clear-sky conditions over northeast Brazil
Authors: Santos Carlos Antonio Costa dos , Silva Bernardo Barbosa da , Rao Tantravahi Venkata Ramana , Satyamurty Prakki , Manzi Antonio Ocimar
Published: November 2011

The main objective of this paper is to assess the performance of nine downward longwave radiation equations for clear-sky condition and develop a locally adjusted equation using the observed vapor pressure and air temperature data. The radiation and atmospheric parameters were measured during the months of October 2005 to June 2006 at a micrometeorological tower installed at the experimental site in a banana orchard in the semiarid region of Northeast Brazil. The comparative statistics for the performance of the downward longwave radiation calculation models during daytime and nighttime compared to measured data have shown that the parameterizations with more physical foundations have the best results. The locally adjusted equation and Sugita and Brutsaert model developed in 1993 showed errors less than 1.0% in comparison with measured values. Downward longwave radiation is one of the most expensive and difficult component of the radiation budget to be monitored in micrometeorological studies. Hence, the locally adjusted equation can be used to estimate downward longwave energy, needed as input to some agricultural and hydrological models, in semi-arid regions of the Northeast Brazil, where this component is not monitored.
Assessment of the wind behavior in the northern coast of Santa Catarina
Authors: Truccolo Eliane Cristina
Published: November 2011

The spatial and temporal coherence of wind characteristics of coastal areas of Navegantes and Praia Grande, SC, 100 km apart each other, were assessed. Despite the relatively short distance, the oceanographic and geomorphological characteristics are different and can change the local and synoptic wind behavior, which are important for the understanding of the factors controlling the hydrodynamics and water quality of coastal environments. The comparison was performed through statistical analysis in the time and frequency domain, over a data set comprising hourly records from July to December, 1996. Both stations presented similarities regarding the north-south wind component. Therefore, quite different behavior is noticed for the east-west wind component, such as the breeze effect. The north-south wind pattern in Praia Grande is similar to the general wind regime for the Brazilian south-southwest areas, with dominance of northerly winds, and with southerly winds during the passage of cold-front systems, with small account of land-sea breeze. On the other hand, the breeze is the main factor contributing for the wind kinetics for the Navegantes area. We suggest that this differentiation is partially due to the combination of the mountain-valley circulation system of Vale do Itajaí with the breeze system, indicating a strong role of the local geomorphology on the wind regime. Additionally, it is may be possible that the sea surface temperature can also contribute, since there is a general trend of smaller temperatures southwards, though increasing the thermal gradient between the land and the sea.
Relação da respiração oral e hábitos de sucção não-nutritiva com alterações do sistema estomatognático
Authors: Pacheco Andrielle de Bitencourt , Silva Ana Maria Toniolo da , Mezzomo Carolina Lisbôa , Berwig Luana Cristina , Neu Aline Prade
Published: November 2011

OBJETIVO: verificar a relação entre a respiração oral de diferentes etiologias e os hábitos de sucção não-nutritiva prolongados no estabelecimento de alterações estruturais do sistema estomatognático. MÉTODO: a amostra foi constituída por 78 crianças, entre 7 e 11 anos, sendo 36 meninos e 42 meninas divididas em grupos a partir dos hábitos de sucção não-nutritiva e modo respiratório. Todas as crianças foram submetidas à avaliação otorrinolaringológica, fonoaudiológica e odontológica. A análise dos dados foi realizada por meio do teste Qui-quadrado, considerando nível de significância de 5%. RESULTADOS: observou-se associação significante entre modo respiratório e postura de lábios; entre modo respiratório e palato duro; entre hábitos de sucção não-nutritiva e característica das bochechas. Na análise da associação entre modo respiratório e hábitos de sucção não-nutritiva com a postura habitual de lábios e com o palato duro também foi verificada significância estatística. CONCLUSÃO: verificou-se que a posição habitual alterada de lábios e de palato duro foi mais frequente nos grupos respiradores orais viciosos e obstrutivos. A posição assimétrica de bochechas foi mais frequente nas crianças com hábitos. A posição alterada de lábios e alterações do palato duro também foram mais frequentes nos respiradores orais independente da presença ou não de hábitos.