bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
MICROWAVE ABSORBING PROPERTIES OF CO/REDUCED GRAPHENE OXIDE IN KU-BAND
Authors: LIN SHUAI , YU JINGHUA , WANG FANGHUI , WEI YONGSHENG , YUAN BAOGUO , ZHU HONG
Published: April 2013

Reduced graphene oxide (RGO) was prepared by the oxidation-reduction method. Cobalt nanoparticles were coated on the surfaces of the graphene sheets by using a chemical plating method. The complex relative permittivity and permeability in the frequency range of 2–18 GHz were measured by using a vector network analyzer. The reflection loss curves of the materials were calculated using computer simulation. The simulated results showed that the reflection loss of Co /RGO was stronger than that of RGO. The maximum absorption peaks shifted to lower frequency region as the thickness increased. The reflection loss greater than -10 dB over a wide frequency range 12.5–17.5 GHz and the maximum absorption peak was -12.5 dB at 15.5 GHz at a thickness of 2 mm.
Moving from petaflops to petadata
Authors: Flynn Michael J. , Mencer Oskar , Milutinovic Veljko , Rakocevic Goran , Stenstrom Per , Trobec Roman , Valero Mateo
Published: April 2013

The race to build ever-faster supercomputers is on, with more contenders than ever before. However, the current goals set for this race may not lead to the fastest computation for particular applications.
Collaboration with a robotic scrub nurse
Authors: Jacob Mithun George , Li Yu-Ting , Akingba George A. , Wachs Juan P.
Published: April 2013

Surgeons use hand gestures and/or voice commands without interrupting the natural flow of a procedure.
Electrophysiological Features Differentiating the Atypical Atrioventricular Node–Dependent Long RP Supraventricular Tachycardias
Authors: Ho Reginald T. , Frisch Daniel R. , Pavri Behzad B. , Levi Steven A. , Greenspon Arnold J.
Published: April 2013

Background—

Diagnosing atypical atrioventricular node-dependent long RP supraventricular tachycardias (SVTs) can be challenging.

Methods and Results—

Nineteen patients with 20 SVTs (atypical atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia without [n=11]/with [n=3] a bystander nodofascicular [NF] accessory pathway, orthodromic reciprocating tachycardia [ORT] using a decremental atrioventricular [permanent form of junctional reciprocating tachycardia; n=4] or NF [NF reentrant tachycardia; n=2]) accessory pathway underwent electrophysiological study. Postpacing interval (PPI)–tachycardia cycle length (TCL), corrected PPI, ∆VA (ventriculoatrial), ∆HA (His-atrial), ∆AH (atrio-His) values, and responses to His-refractory ventricular premature depolarizations were studied. Compared with atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia, ORT patients were younger (42±13 years versus 54±19 years;
P
=0.036) and were women (5/6 [83%] versus 3/14 [21%];
P
=0.036); TCLs were similar (435 ms versus 429 ms; 95% confidence interval, −47.5 to 35.5). PPI–TCL was shorter for ORT (118 ms versus 176 ms; 95% confidence interval, 26.3–89.7) but only 50% had PPI–TCL <115 ms, whereas 5 of 6 (83%) had PPI–TCL <125 ms (sensitivity, 83%; specificity, 100%). Corrected PPI <110 ms, ∆VA <85 ms, and ∆HA <0 ms had equivalent sensitivity (67%) and 100% specificity for ORT. Compared with permanent form of junctional reciprocating tachycardia, NF reentrant tachycardia/atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia had longer ∆AH (29 ms versus 10 ms; 95% confidence interval, 3.03–35.0) or AH
(SVT)
<AH
(NSR)
(normal sinus rhythm) His-refractory ventricular premature depolarizations advanced (4/8 [50%]), delayed (4/8 [50%]), or terminated (5/8 [63%]) SVT in all accessory pathway patients.

Conclusions—

This unusual SVT requires separate maneuvers to delineate its upper and lower circuit. Standard entrainment criteria are modestly sensitive but highly specific for ORT; and PPI–TCL of 125 ms seems better than 115 ms. The ∆AH criteria, or paradoxically AH
(SVT)
<AH
(NSR)
, differentiates NF reentrant tachycardia/atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia from permanent form of junctional reciprocating tachycardia. Bystander accessory pathways were only identified by His-refractory ventricular premature depolarizations.
Progression of Glomerular Filtration Rate Reduction Determined in Conscious Dahl Salt-Sensitive Hypertensive Rats
Authors: Cowley Allen W. , Ryan Robert P. , Kurth Terry , Skelton Meredith M. , Schock-Kusch Daniel , Gretz Norbert
Published: April 2013

Sequential changes in glomerular filtration rate during development of hypertension in the conscious Dahl salt-sensitive rats were determined using a new method for measurement. Using a miniaturized device, disappearance curves of fluorescein isothiocyanate–sinistrin were measured by transcutaneous excitation and real-time detection of the emitted light through the skin. Rats with implanted femoral venous catheters (dye injection and sampling) and carotid catheters (mean arterial pressure by telemetry) were studied, while maintained on a 0.4% NaCl diet and on days 2, 5, 7, 14, and 21 after switching to 4.0% (high-salt [HS]) diet. A separate group of rats were maintained on 0.4% for 21 days as a time control. Mean arterial pressure rose progressively from the last day of 0.4% (130±2 mm Hg) reaching significance by day 5 of HS and averaged 162±7 mm Hg by day 21. Urine albumin excretion was significantly elevated (×3) by day 7 of HS in Dahl salt-sensitive rats. Glomerular filtration rate reduced on day 14 of HS falling from 1.53±0.06 mL/min per 100 g body weight to 1.27±0.04. By day 21, glomerular filtration rate had fallen 28% to 1.1±0.04 mL/min per 100 g (t
1/2
28.4±1.1 minute.) No significant reductions of creatinine clearance were observed throughout the study in response to HS demonstrating the insensitivity of creatinine clearance measurements even with creatinine measured using mass spectrometry. We conclude that the observed reduction of glomerular filtration rate was a consequence and not a cause of the hypertension and that this noninvasive approach could be used in these conscious Dahl salt-sensitive rats for a longitudinal assessment of renal function.
Crisis – What crisis? The jobless society and Italian cinema in the early 2000s
Authors: Testa Carlo
Published: April 2013

This article proposes a synthetic analysis and contextualization of the most significant, thought-provoking films made in Italy during the first decade of the twenty-first century which thematize or in other ways convey the circumstances of today’s growing social inequality. Such circumstances entail collective and individual trauma, loss of security and well-being in individuals and families, indeed an increase in family breakdown – in other words, a pervasive social crisis. The films examined are: F Comencini’s Mobbing ( Mi piace lavorare, 2003); Tavarelli’s Break Free ( Liberi, 2003); Cappuccio’s I Only Wanted to Sleep On Top of Her ( Volevo solo dormirle addosso, 2004); Amelio’s The Missing Star ( La stella che non c’è, 2006); Soldini’s Days and Clouds ( Giorni e nuvole, 2007); P Virzì’s A Whole Life Ahead ( Tutta la vita davanti, 2008); and Venier’s The 1000 Euro Generation ( Generazione Mille Euro, 2009).

While the extremely diverse richness of these films from the formal and existential viewpoint does not allow for their (un-systemic) commonalities to be captured by any specific formula, they do share one broad general attitude toward their public: they all refuse to manipulate it by exploitative narrative strategies (the term ‘exploitative’ here means that a film both oversimplifies/dumbs down and spectacularizes issues for box-office purposes). By their very complexity, these seven films put in place an honest and intelligent mimesis of the world that surrounds us and thus fulfil what can be argued to be the essential requirement of a solid realism.
Pharmacological and physical prevention and treatment of no-reflow after primary percutaneous coronary intervention in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction
Authors: Guo Ao Qiang , Sheng Lei , Lei Xu , Shu Wang
Published: April 2013

After successful primary percutaneous coronary intervention in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction, adequate myocardial reperfusion is not achieved in up to 50% of patients. This phenomenon of no-reflow is associated with a poor in-hospital and long-term prognosis. Four main factors are thought to contribute to the occurrence of no-reflow: ischaemic injury; reperfusion injury; distal embolization; susceptibility of the microcirculation to injury. This review evaluates the literature, and in particular the clinical trials, concerned with pharmacological and physical methods for prevention and treatment of no-reflow. A number of drugs may improve no-reflow experimentally and clinically, but some have not yet been associated with conclusive improvements in clinical outcome. The complex interacting factors in no-reflow make it unlikely that any single agent will be effective for all patients. Confirmed methods known to be beneficial in the prevention of no-reflow (such as aspirin therapy, chronic statin therapy, blood glucose control, thrombus aspiration in patients with a high thrombus burden and ischaemic preconditioning) should be offered to patients as often as possible, to prevent and treat no-reflow.
Bad attitude? Migrant workers, meat processing work and the local unemployed in a peripheral region of the UK
Authors: Tannock Stuart
Published: April 2013

In the context of financial crisis and recession, concern has grown in the UK and elsewhere over the relationship between labour immigration and indigenous unemployment. This article argues that, to understand this relationship, it is necessary to adopt a historical perspective and examine closely both the experiences and representations of migrant and indigenous workers and the unemployed together, as these develop and evolve in local labour markets over time. Presenting a case study of employment shift at a meat processing factory in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales, the article demonstrates how the promotion and acceptance by employers and others of a discourse that constructs Merthyr locals as bad workers reframes a history of local labour conflict as a matter of endemic worker deficit, and shifts attention away from problems of poor job quality to alleged problems of poor local labour supply, thus legitimating the turn to employing migrant workers in the first place. It is argued that investigating these kinds of local labour market histories is essential for developing appropriate and effective policy on immigration, employment and unemployment alike.
The impact of socio-economic shocks on social dialogue in Slovenia
Authors: Stanojević Miroslav , Klarič Matej
Published: April 2013

This article first outlines the main features of social dialogue and collective bargaining in Slovenia during the 1990s. It then identifies the main changes affecting actors and processes that emerged in the 2000s and during the recent economic crisis. The highly coordinated Slovenian system of the 1990s has been exposed to strong socio-economic shocks in the 2000s. Under pressure from these shocks the system’s capacity for coordination has been weakened. Nevertheless, all attempts to replace social dialogue structures by unilaterally imposed government policies have been basically unsuccessful.
Global climate changes drive ecological specialization of mammal faunas: trends in rodent assemblages from the Iberian Plio-Pleistocene
Authors: Gómez Cano Ana R , Cantalapiedra Juan L , Mesa Aurora , Moreno Bofarull Ana , Hernández Fernández Manuel
Published: April 2013

Background

Several macroevolutionary hypotheses propose a synchrony between climatic changes and variations in the structure of faunal communities. Some of them focus on the importance of the species ecological specialization because of its effects on evolutionary processes and the resultant patterns. Particularly, Vrba’s turnover pulse hypothesis and resource-use hypothesis revolve around the importance of biome inhabitation. In order to test these hypotheses, we used the Biomic Specialization Index, which is based on the number of biomes occupied by each species, and evaluated the changes in the relative importance of generalist and specialist rodents in more than forty fossil sites from the Iberian Plio-Pleistocene.

Results

Our results indicate that there was a decrease in the specialization degree of rodent faunas during the Pliocene due to the global cooling that triggered the onset of the glacial events of the Cenozoic (around 2.75 Ma). The subsequent faunal transition after this critical paleoenvironmental event was characterized by an increase of specialization related to the adaptation to the new environmental conditions, which was mainly associated with the Pleistocene radiation of Arvicolinae (voles).

Conclusions

The pattern of faunal turnover is correlated with the development of the modern glaciations in the Northern Hemisphere around 2.75 Ma, and represents a reorganization of the rodent communities, as suggested by the turnover pulse hypothesis. Our data also support the resource-use hypothesis, which presumes the role of the degree of specialization in resources specifically related to particular biomes as a driver of differential speciation and extinction rates. These results stress the intimate connection between ecological and evolutionary changes.
Functional expression of a blood tolerant laccase in Pichia pastoris
Authors: Mate Diana M , Gonzalez-Perez David , Kittl Roman , Ludwig Roland , Alcalde Miguel
Published: April 2013

Background

Basidiomycete high-redox potential laccases (HRPLs) working in human physiological fluids (pH 7.4, 150 mM NaCl) arise great interest in the engineering of 3D-nanobiodevices for biomedical uses. In two previous reports, we described the directed evolution of a HRPL from basidiomycete PM1 strain CECT 2971: i) to be expressed in an active, soluble and stable form in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and ii) to be active in human blood. In spite of the fact that S. cerevisiae is suited for the directed evolution of HRPLs, the secretion levels obtained in this host are not high enough for further research and exploitation. Thus, the search for an alternative host to over-express the evolved laccases is mandatory.

Results

A blood-active laccase (ChU-B mutant) fused to the native/evolved α-factor prepro-leader was cloned under the control of two different promoters (PAOX1 and PGAP) and expressed in Pichia pastoris. The most active construct, which contained the PAOX1 and the evolved prepro-leader, was fermented in a 42-L fed-batch bioreactor yielding production levels of 43 mg/L. The recombinant laccase was purified to homogeneity and thoroughly characterized. As happened in S. cerevisiae, the laccase produced by P. pastoris presented an extra N-terminal extension (ETEAEF) generated by an alternative processing of the α-factor pro-leader at the Golgi compartment. The laccase mutant secreted by P. pastoris showed the same improved properties acquired after several cycles of directed evolution in S. cerevisiae for blood-tolerance: a characteristic pH-activity profile shifted to the neutral-basic range and a greatly increased resistance against inhibition by halides. Slight biochemical differences between both expression systems were found in glycosylation, thermostability and turnover numbers.

Conclusions

The tandem-yeast system based on S. cerevisiae to perform directed evolution and P. pastoris to over-express the evolved laccases constitutes a promising approach for the in vitro evolution and production of these enzymes towards different biocatalytic and bioelectrochemical applications.
Anti-inflammatory effect of Prunus yedoensis through inhibition of nuclear factor-κB in macrophages
Authors: Lee Juyeong , Yang Gabsik , Lee Kyungjin , Lee Mi-Hwa , Eom Ji-Whan , Ham Inhye , Choi Ho-Young
Published: April 2013

Background

Prunus yedoensis (PY) is a traditional anti-allergy and anti-inflammatory herb medicine used in South Korea. However, until date, little is known regarding its mechanism of action.

Methods

In order to elucidate the mechanism of anti-inflammatory effect of PY, the constituents of PY were analysed by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) production were measured enzyme-linked immuno sorbent assay (ELISA). The expression levels of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) were also measured by western blotting in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW 264.7 macrophage cells treated with PY.

Results

The results indicate that (50, 100 μg/mL) methanol and ethyl acetate fractionation extracts of PY not only inhibited LPS-mediated NO production and iNOS expression, but also decreased LPS-induced PGE2 production and COX-2 expression. The anti-inflammatory effects of PY were also due to the attenuation of nuclear translocation of NF-κB, as evaluated by the use of anti-p50 on nuclear fractions. LPS-induced nuclear translocation of NF-κB decreased significantly by the methanol extract and ethyl acetate fraction of PY. High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analyses revealed that methanol extract and ethyl acetate fraction have similar patterns of retention time and peaks.

Conclusion

Our results demonstrate that methanol extracts and the ethyl acetate fraction of PY have anti-inflammatory properties, thus emphasizing the potential of PY as a natural health product.
Designing of inhibitors against drug tolerant Mycobacterium tuberculosis (H37Rv)
Authors: Singla Deepak , Tewari Rupinder , Kumar Ashwani , Raghava Gajendra PS ,   Open Source Drug Discovery Consortium
Published: April 2013

Background

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb) is the causative agent of tuberculosis, killing ~1.7 million people annually. The remarkable capacity of this pathogen to escape the host immune system for decades and then to cause active tuberculosis disease, makes M.tb a successful pathogen. Currently available anti-mycobacterial therapy has poor compliance due to requirement of prolonged treatment resulting in accelerated emergence of drug resistant strains. Hence, there is an urgent need to identify new chemical entities with novel mechanism of action and potent activity against the drug resistant strains.

Results

This study describes novel computational models developed for predicting inhibitors against both replicative and non-replicative phase of drug-tolerant M.tb under carbon starvation stage. These models were trained on highly diverse dataset of 2135 compounds using four classes of binary fingerprint namely PubChem, MACCS, EState, SubStructure. We achieved the best performance Matthews correlation coefficient (MCC) of 0.45 using the model based on MACCS fingerprints for replicative phase inhibitor dataset. In case of non-replicative phase, Hybrid model based on PubChem, MACCS, EState, SubStructure fingerprints performed better with maximum MCC value of 0.28. In this study, we have shown that molecular weight, polar surface area and rotatable bond count of inhibitors (replicating and non-replicating phase) are significantly different from non-inhibitors. The fragment analysis suggests that substructures like hetero_N_nonbasic, heterocyclic, carboxylic_ester, and hetero_N_basic_no_H are predominant in replicating phase inhibitors while hetero_O, ketone, secondary_mixed_amine are preferred in the non-replicative phase inhibitors. It was observed that nitro, alkyne, and enamine are important for the molecules inhibiting bacilli residing in both the phases. In this study, we introduced a new algorithm based on Matthews correlation coefficient called MCCA for feature selection and found that this algorithm is better or comparable to frequency based approach.

Conclusion

In this study, we have developed computational models to predict phase specific inhibitors against drug resistant strains of M.tb grown under carbon starvation. Based on simple molecular properties, we have derived some rules, which would be useful in robust identification of tuberculosis inhibitors. Based on these observations, we have developed a webserver for predicting inhibitors against drug tolerant M.tb H37Rv available at http://crdd.osdd.net/oscadd/mdri/.
Treatment of Prostate Cancer With Intermittent Versus Continuous Androgen Deprivation: A Systematic Review of Randomized Trials
Authors: Niraula Saroj , Le Lisa W. , Tannock Ian F.
Published: April 2013

Purpose

Uncertainty exists regarding benefits of intermittent androgen deprivation (IAD) compared with continuous androgen deprivation (CAD) for treatment of prostate cancer. On the basis of a systematic review of evidence, our aim was to formulate a recommendation for either IAD or CAD to treat relapsing, locally advanced, or metastatic prostate cancer.

Methods

We searched literature published up to September 2012 from MEDLINE, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, and major conference proceedings. We included randomized controlled trials comparing IAD and CAD if they reported overall survival (OS) or biochemical/radiologic time to disease progression.

Results

Nine studies with 5,508 patients met our criteria. There were no significant differences in time-to-event outcomes between the groups in any studies. The pooled hazard ratio (HR) for OS was 1.02 (95% CI, 0.94 to 1.11) for IAD compared with CAD, and the HR for progression-free survival was 0.96 (95% CI, 0.76 to 1.20). More prostate cancer–related deaths with IAD tended to be balanced by more deaths not related to prostate cancer with CAD. Superiority of IAD for sexual function, physical activity, and general well-being was observed in some trials. Median cost savings with IAD was estimated to be 48%.

Conclusion

There is fair evidence to recommend use of IAD instead of CAD for the treatment of men with relapsing, locally advanced, or metastatic prostate cancer who achieve a good initial response to androgen deprivation. This recommendation is based on evidence against superiority of either strategy for time-to-event outcomes and substantial decrease with IAD in exposure to androgen deprivation, resulting in less cost, inconvenience, and potential toxicity.
Next-Generation Sequencing Reveals High Concordance of Recurrent Somatic Alterations Between Primary Tumor and Metastases From Patients With Non–Small-Cell Lung Cancer
Authors: Vignot Stéphane , Frampton Garrett M. , Soria Jean-Charles , Yelensky Roman , Commo Frédéric , Brambilla Christian , Palmer Gary , Moro-Sibilot Denis , Ross Jeffrey S. , Cronin Maureen T. , André Fabrice , Stephens Philip J. , Lazar Vladimir , Miller Vincent A. , Brambilla Elisabeth
Published: April 2013

Purpose

Characterization of the genomic changes that drive an individual patient's disease is critical in management of many cancers. In patients with non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), obtaining tumor samples of sufficient size for genomic profiling on recurrence is often challenging. We undertook this study to compare genomic alterations identified in archived primary tumors from patients with NSCLC with those identified in metachronous or synchronous metastases.

Patients and Methods

Primary and matched metastatic tumor pairs from 15 patients were analyzed by using a targeted next-generation sequencing assay in a Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments laboratory. Genomic libraries were captured for 3,230 exons in 182 cancer-related genes plus 37 introns from 14 genes often rearranged in cancer and sequenced to high coverage.

Results

Among 30 tumors, 311 genomic alterations were identified of which 63 were known recurrent (32 in primary tumor, 31 in metastasis) and 248 were nonrecurrent (likely passenger). TP53 mutations were the most frequently observed recurrent alterations (12 patients). Tumors harbored two or more (maximum four) recurrent alterations in 10 patients. Comparative analysis of recurrent alterations between primary tumor and matched metastasis revealed a concordance rate of 94% compared with 63% for likely passenger alterations.

Conclusion

This high concordance suggests that for the purposes of genomic profiling, use of archived primary tumor can identify the key recurrent somatic alterations present in matched NSCLC metastases and may provide much of the relevant genomic information required to guide treatment on recurrence.
Go Figure: The Strategy of Nonliteral Speech
Authors: Mialon Hugo M , Mialon Sue H
Published: April 2013

We develop a model of figurative or indirect speech, which may convey a meaning that differs from its literal meaning. The model yields analytical conditions for speech to be figurative in equilibrium and delivers a number of comparative statics results. For instance, it predicts that the likelihood of figurative speech is greater if the benefit to the listener of correctly understanding the speaker is greater. We then apply the model to analyze particular forms of indirect speech, including terseness, irony, and veiled bribery. Interestingly, the model provides a novel argument for the effectiveness of laws that strictly punish attempted bribery. (JEL D83, K42, Z13)
Marry for What? Caste and Mate Selection in Modern India
Authors: Banerjee Abhijit , Duflo Esther , Ghatak Maitreesh , Lafortune Jeanne
Published: April 2013

This paper analyzes how preferences for a noneconomic characteristic (e.g., caste) can affect equilibrium patterns of matching, and empirically evaluates this in the context of middle-class Indian arranged marriages. We show theoretically how the equilibrium consequences of caste depend on whether preferences are towards one's own group or for “marrying up.” We then estimate actual preferences for caste and other attributes using a unique dataset of individuals who placed matrimonial advertisements and find only a strong preference for in-caste marriage. This translates, in equilibrium, in caste doing little to alter the matching patterns on non-caste attributes. (JEL C78, J12, O15, O17, Z13)
Preference Signaling in Matching Markets
Authors: Coles Peter , Kushnir Alexey , Niederle Muriel
Published: April 2013

Many labor markets share three stylized facts: employers cannot give full attention to all candidates, candidates are ready to provide information about their preferences for particular employers, and employers value and are prepared to act on this information. In this paper we study how a signaling mechanism, where each worker can send a signal of interest to one employer, facilitates matches in such markets. We find that introducing a signaling mechanism increases the welfare of workers and the number of matches, while the change in firm welfare is ambiguous. A signaling mechanism adds the most value for balanced markets. (JEL C78)
Bone graft substitutes currently available in orthopaedic practice
Authors: Kurien T. , Pearson R. G. , Scammell B. E.
Published: April 2013

We reviewed 59 bone graft substitutes marketed by 17 companies currently available for implantation in the United Kingdom, with the aim of assessing the peer-reviewed literature to facilitate informed decision-making regarding their use in clinical practice. After critical analysis of the literature, only 22 products (37%) had any clinical data. Norian SRS (Synthes), Vitoss (Orthovita), Cortoss (Orthovita) and Alpha-BSM (Etex) had Level I evidence. We question the need for so many different products, especially with limited published clinical evidence for their efficacy, and conclude that there is a considerable need for further prospective randomised trials to facilitate informed decision-making with regard to the use of current and future bone graft substitutes in clinical practice.

Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2013;95-B:583–97.
The value of ultrasonic diagnosis in the management of vascular complications of supracondylar fractures of the humerus in children
Authors: Benedetti Valentini M. , Farsetti P. , Martinelli O. , Laurito A. , Ippolito E.
Published: April 2013

Of 48 consecutive children with Gartland III supracondylar fractures, 11 (23%) had evidence of vascular injury, with an absent radial pulse. The hand was pink and warm in eight and white and cold in the other three patients. They underwent colour-coded duplex scanning (CCDS) and ultrasound velocimetry (UV) to investigate the patency of the brachial artery and arterial blood flow. In seven patients with a pink pulseless hand, CCDS showed a displaced, kinked and spastic brachial artery and a thrombosis was present in the other. In all cases UV showed reduced blood flow in the hand. In three patients with a white pulseless hand, scanning demonstrated a laceration in the brachial artery and/or thrombosis. In all cases, the fracture was reduced under general anaesthesia and fixed with Kirschner wires. Of the seven patients with a pink pulseless hand without thrombosis, the radial pulse returned after reduction in four cases. The remaining three underwent exploration, along with the patients with laceration in the brachial artery and/or thrombosis.

We believe that the traditional strategy of watchful waiting in children in whom the radial pulse remains absent in spite of good peripheral perfusion should be revisited. Vascular investigation using these non-invasive techniques that are quick and reliable is recommended in the management of these patients.

Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2013;95-B:694–98.
A comparison of hemiarthroplasty with a novel polycarbonate–urethane acetabular component for displaced intracapsular fractures of the femoral neck
Authors: Cadossi M. , Chiarello E. , Savarino L. , Tedesco G. , Baldini N. , Faldini C. , Giannini S.
Published: April 2013

We undertook a randomised controlled trial to compare bipolar hemiarthroplasty (HA) with a novel total hip replacement (THR) comprising a polycarbonate–urethane (PCU) acetabular component coupled with a large-diameter metal femoral head for the treatment of displaced fractures of the femoral neck in elderly patients. Functional outcome, assessed with the Harris hip score (HHS) at three months and then annually after surgery, was the primary endpoint. Rates of revision and complication were secondary endpoints.

Based on a power analysis, 96 consecutive patients aged > 70 years were randomised to receive either HA (49) or a PCU-THR (47). The mean follow-up was 30.1 months (23 to 50) and 28.6 months (22 to 52) for the HA and the PCU group, respectively.

The HHS showed no statistically significant difference between the groups at every follow-up. Higher pain was recorded in the PCU group at one and two years’ follow-up (p = 0.006 and p = 0.019, respectively). In the HA group no revision was performed. In the PCU-THR group six patients underwent revision and one patient is currently awaiting re-operation. The three-year survival rate of the PCU-THR group was 0.841 (95% confidence interval 0.680 to 0.926).

Based on our findings we do not recommend the use of the PCU acetabular component as part of the treatment of patients with fractures of the femoral neck.

Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2013;95-B:609–15.
Bureaucratic Barriers to Service Delivery, Administrative Advocacy, and Mother Goose
Authors: Malekoff Andrew
Published: April 2013

This narrative describes a five-year administrative advocacy effort to address the negative consequences of categorical government funding on the development of integrated and comprehensive mental-health and chemical-dependency services for youth and their families. The discussion incorporates rational and irrational aspects of macro-level practice. The author's recounting of the advocacy process—in narrative form as a children's story to a group of legislators and government officials during a gathering celebrating the success of the effort—is chronicled. All of the events in this narrative are true. All locations and identifying information have been changed to accent the universal nature of the encounters described.
Managing Conflict after Marriages End: A Qualitative Study of Narratives of Ex-Spouses
Authors: Walzer Susan , Oles Thomas P.
Published: April 2013

This paper addresses the dilemma of how formerly married couples negotiate their ongoing relationships. Drawing on interview data collected from divorced people, we explore various ways in which the stories that people tell about their marriages retrospectively relate to the management of interpersonal conflict. Along with examining intersections between postmarital narratives and experiences of conflict, we describe social obstacles to positive postmarital redefinition that emerge in divorced people's accounts. The paper concludes with a discussion of implications for clinical work.
Needs and Aspirations of the Working Poor: Early Head Start Program Applicants
Authors: Wall Shavaun M. , Timberlake Elizabeth M. , Farber Michaela Z. , Sabatino Christine A. , Liebow Harriet , Smith Nancy McK. , Taylor Nancy E.
Published: April 2013

This field study identified the characteristics, needs, and goals of 85 applicants for a new, suburban Early Head Start program, a recent federal initiative designed to address the needs of economically disadvantaged infants and toddlers and their families. Most applicants were working-poor, two-parent families with inadequate resources for meeting their basic needs, child-care needs, and personal wants; they had goals for becoming economically self-sufficient through more education, better jobs, and more income. Yet these applicants clearly were not a monolithic group. That the three distinct sociocultural subgroups identified within the sample differed significantly in characteristics, needs, and goals highlighted the critical importance of subgroup profiles for individualized family program planning. This also indicated the need for building coordinated and culturally sensitive community service systems and for developing and implementing individualized family service agreements to facilitate child well-being and family economic self-sufficiency.
A Narrative Perspective on “Doing” for Multiproblem Families
Authors: Knei-Paz Cigal , Ribner David S.
Published: April 2013

Eleven women from multiproblem families in Israel were asked to describe a treatment experience that they perceived as having been helpful. The replies were analyzed using narrative research techniques and grouped into conceptual categories with illustrative quotations from the interviews. Conclusions are offered regarding client preferences in the areas of technique and outcome of interventions. This study underscores the principle that, as consumers of treatment, clients should be asked what kind of services they wish to receive.
School-Based Family Support: Evidence from an Exploratory Field Study
Authors: Fischer Robert L.
Published: April 2013

The use of family support interventions to address the needs of at-risk families and children has proliferated over the last 2 decades. In particular, family support has been used to strengthen involvement of parents in their child's academic life as a means of preventing academic failure and other problem behaviors. This article presents empirical data from a field-based study of one leading family support model, Families and Schools Together (FAST), based on over 400 families served over a 4-year period. Child participants showed statistically significant declines in behavior problems, and their families showed improved adaptability and cohesion. Observations about program operations and the differential results for subgroups of children are also presented, along with the study limitations.
Engulfing Darkness: The Impact of HIV/AIDS on the Family
Authors: D'Cruz Premilla
Published: April 2013

A qualitative study undertaken in Mumbai, India, explored the family experience of HIV/AIDS. Seven nuclear households (4 with concordant couples in which both spouses in the marriage were seropositive, and 3 with discordant couples in which only one spouse was seropositive) included in the study reported devastating impacts in various spheres of family life, following the onset and the progress of HIV-related illness, and the knowledge of the seropositive diagnosis. Complex changes were observed in family composition, spousal relationships, family formation, family roles and responsibilities, family economy, quality of life, and family aspirations. The findings have direct implications for policy formulation, program planning, and service delivery in the field of HIV/AIDS.
Beyond Coping and Adaptation: Promoting a Holistic Perspective on Dying
Authors: Nakashima Mitsuko
Published: April 2013

The prevalent frameworks for terminal care in social work practice have been developed from concepts of ego psychology and focus on coping and adaptation. This approach provides only a partial understanding of the dying experience as it overlooks the inherent growth potential that can be harnessed within the crisis of dying. Drawing from postmodern epistemology, the author deconstructs the historical background of terminal care in social work to analyze why concepts of ego psychology have come to prevail in this area. A more holistic view is suggested through the exploration of alternative and more integral views of dying that encompass the potential for emotional healing and spiritual growth. Buddhist philosophy, tribal worldviews, and transpersonal perspectives are examined for this purpose.
Intervention and Supervision in Strengths-Based Social Work Practice
Authors: Cohen Ben-Zion
Published: April 2013

Building social work practice on a foundation of client strengths is a classic theme that is currently the subject of renewed attention within the profession. Through the years, the literature on social work supervision has periodically proposed building supervision on a foundation of practitioners' achievements. This article will explore the commonality of these two themes: intervention based on strengths (rather than pathology) and supervision based on achievements (rather than problems). The pursuit of an integrative strengths-based intervention/supervision paradigm can contribute to the development of a positive, innovative vision of direct practice, a vision congruent with historic social work values, relevant to working with social work's clientele, and distinct from the other helping professions. This article will develop this theme and explore its implications for the profession.
“I'm Still Blessed”: The Assets and Needs of HIV-Affected Caregivers over 50
Authors: Poindexter Cynthia
Published: April 2013

This article describes assets and needs of seven older HIV-affected family caregivers in the Boston area who participated in qualitative interviews in 1998. The study invited caregivers' unstructured narratives, hearing what they had to teach informal and formal caregivers, and documenting a broad range of concerns. When invited to describe their realities, these seven caregivers showed great resilience and were able to find blessings in their lives of caregiving. However, they also experienced stress that was at times overwhelming. This exploratory study suggests that older HIV-affected caregivers may feel stressed and blessed by the same elements in their lives: their own emotional reactions, their relationships with the care recipients, and their sense of social justice. As practitioners seek out and encounter older HIV-affected caregivers, it would be useful to keep in mind that they are likely to have emotional pluses and minuses; they experience both benefits and deficits in the care relationship; and they may have a passion for justice yet feel downtrodden by discrimination. Rather than dichotomizing caregiving into strains and gains, it may be more useful to see these characteristics not as juxtaposed opposites but as a fluid and interactive dynamic.
Adaptation in Lasting Marriages
Authors: Mackey Richard A. , O'Brien Bernard A.
Published: April 2013

This paper is based on research that explored how 120 spouses from a sample of 60 white, African American, and Mexican American marriages adapted over the life span of their relationships which included the early years prior to children, the child-rearing years, and the empty-nest years. Important dimensions of these relationships — conflict and its management, sexuality, intimacy, decision-making and satisfaction — were explored in semi-structured interviews with each spouse. Understanding how spouses adapt over the life span of their relationships has important implications for prevention programs and for practice.
Clinical Social Work Practice with Urban African American Families
Authors: Wright Otha L. , Anderson Joseph P.
Published: April 2013

Clinical social work practice with urban African American families requires approaches that account for clients' sociocultural and sociopolitical contexts and are responsive to their particular needs and resources. A contextual model which reflects a strengths-oriented and competency-based paradigm is most pertinent for this practice. This article reviews the theoretical and research work on the strengths and issues significant for contemporary urban African American families and presents a competency-based approach (CBA) for practice. It covers six central components: 1) competence; 2) attachment; 3) process; 4) recontextualization; 5) manageability; and 6) use of self including an example of their application in clinical social work practice with one such family.
An Intervention Framework for Collaboration
Authors: Claiborne Nancy , Lawson Hal A.
Published: April 2013

This paper provides an intervention framework for collaboration to improve services. When collaboration is an intervention, its development and effectiveness depend on intervention logic. Intervention logic requires a precise conceptualization of collaboration. This conceptualization emphasizes its vital and unique components. It includes a developmental progression in which collaboration is contrasted with companion concepts. It also includes progress benchmarks, outcome measures, and logic models. These models depict relations among the benchmarks and outcomes, and they identify the mediating and moderating variables that account for collaboration's development and effectiveness. These models are designed to improve planning, evaluation, and their relations. This intervention framework for collaboration contrasts sharply with other conceptualizations and strategies. Although its aim is to unify and improve collaboration policy and practice, its inherent selectivity is an obvious limitation.
The Oppression of Women and Nature: Ecofeminism as a Framework for an Expanded Ecological Social Work
Authors: Besthorn Fred H. , McMillen Diane Pearson
Published: April 2013

This article broadens and clarifies the way social work conceptualizes its ecological/system constructs and the professional commitments that flow from them. It utilizes important insight from a contemporary, radical environmental philosophy—ecofeminism—to search for language and descriptions that may help the profession begin the process of formulating and depicting an expanded ecological model of practice. This article sketches the essential philosophical premises of a revisioned ecological model and offers suggestions for interpreting and applying this model. Specifically, it gives attention to critiquing the interrelated oppression stemming from modern economic theory and practice, and ways in which social workers may collaborate with communities and individuals to bring about change.
Beyond the Code of Ethics, Part II: Dual Relationships Revisited
Authors: Freud Sophie , Krug Stefan
Published: April 2013

The authors, both social work educators, serve on an ethics call line committee that provides insights on how the provisions of the (United States) National Association of Social Workers Code of Ethics (NASW, 1996) interface with the ethical dilemmas encountered by the social work community. In this paper, the authors highlight aspects of social work practice that they consider ethical, yet not easily accommodated by the provisions of the current Code. They also question the 1996 introduction of the concept of dual relationships into the Code and suggest that the Code adopt the less ambiguous term of boundary violations. Also recognized by the authors is the need for clear boundaries for the protection of clients against temptations that might arise in a fiduciary relationship, and for the legal protection of social workers. But, the authors argue, social work practitioners in certain settings, with particular populations, and in certain roles, inevitably face multiple relationships as an integral aspect of their work. The authors conclude that social work's adoption of the psychoanalytic constrains of anonymity, neutrality, and abstinence has detoured the profession from its original double focus on individuals and their society.
Strategies for Managing Home–Work Conflict and Psychological Well-Being Among Jews and Arabs in Israel: The Impact of Sex and Sociocultural Context
Authors: Kulik Liat
Published: April 2013

This author examined the use of strategies for coping with home–work role conflict among a sample of Jewish (n = 116) and Arab (n = 163) dual-earner families in Israel. Among both groups, the strategy used most was extra effort. The strategies used least were taking initiative and requesting help from colleagues. Moreover, women from both societies tended to use the strategies of redefining demands and requesting help from family, whereas men focused more on extra effort. The Arab men showed a greater tendency than the women to ask for help from colleagues, whereas the opposite tendency was found for Jewish men and women. Women in both societies reported lower levels of psychological well-being than did the men. With respect to job satisfaction, no differences between the sexes were found. Practical implications are discussed.
Exploring the Elements of Culturally Relevant Service Delivery
Authors: Kossak Susan N.
Published: April 2013

This qualitative study included demographic questionnaires, focus groups, and in-depth interviews to gain an understanding of what groups of African American and Caucasian consumers of the Head Start and Fatherhood programs perceived as valued and culturally relevant elements of service delivery. The programs are administered by Total Action Against Poverty in Roanoke, Virginia. Findings include that support, mentorship–role modeling, education, and structure were of particular merit. Implications for culturally congruent service delivery and the need to use this information to inform curriculum development are discussed.
Spiritual Ecograms: A New Assessment Instrument for Identifying Clients' Strengths in Space and across Time
Authors: Hodge David R.
Published: April 2013

Increasing recognition exists for the vital role of spirituality in the lives of many clients, yet relatively few assessment instruments have been developed. This article presents a new assessment instrument—the spiritual ecogram—that taps information in space and across time. In addition to combining the assessment strengths of spiritual ecomaps and genograms in a single diagrammatic instrument, ecograms depict the connections between past and present functioning. Historical influences on current systems can be seen as well as current relationships to historical influences. This article also includes a case example, information on conducting a spiritually competent assessment, and a discussion of some spiritual interventions that flow from ecograms.
PTSD in Surviving Family Members of Drunk Driving Episodes: Victim and Crime-Related Factors
Authors: Sprang Ginny
Published: April 2013

Victims of drunk driving who die suffer an unnecessary and violent death, which intensifies the surviving family members' psychological response to the trauma. Grief models that elaborate stages of the bereavement process, although useful, are not helpful for measuring the blopsychosocial response to this type of death. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), however, is proposed as a dimension of the grief response. Victim and crime-related characteristics are compared to determine the associations between variables and the occurrence of PTSD symptomatology in victim and nonvictim groups. The results have assessment and treatment implications for mental health professionals who work with individuals and families.