bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Inner Correspondence and Peacefulness with Practices among Participants in Eurythmy Therapy and Yoga: A Validation Study
Authors: Büssing Arndt , Edelhäuser Friedrich , Weisskircher Annette , Fouladbakhsh Judith M. , Heusser Peter
Published: September 2010

Several mind body medicine interventions require an active participation of the practitioners. We intended to develop a questionnaire to operationalize and measure the “inner correspondence” of individuals practicing Yoga or Eurythmy Therapy. In an anonymous cross‐sectional study we enrolled 501 individuals (61% yoga). Exploratory factor analysis (study 1) of the 12‐item instrument (Cronbach′s alpha = .84) pointed to a 3‐factor solution, with one major scale and good internal consistency (alpha = .83) and two minor scales with weak internal consistency. To improve the quality of the main scale, we added 8 new items which were tested in a sample of 135 individuals (study 2: 71% Yoga). Factor analysis confirmed a 12‐item single factor (alpha = .95), that is, Inner Correspondence/Peaceful Harmony with Practices (ICPH). The scale correlated strongly with mindfulness (FMI; r > .50), moderately with life and patient satisfaction (BMLSS; r between .32 and .43), and weakly negative with symptom score (VAS; r = −.23). In conclusion, the scale ICPH was confirmed as a relevant tool to measure the inner correspondence and feelings of peacefulness with practices. It can be used in clinical studies to assess the efficacy of mind‐body practices involving physical movements.
Hemidesmus indicus and Hibiscus rosa-sinensis Affect Ischemia Reperfusion Injury in Isolated Rat Hearts
Authors: Khandelwal Vinoth Kumar Megraj , Balaraman R. , Pancza Dezider , Ravingerová Táňa
Published: September 2010

Hemidesmus indicus (L.) R. Br. (HI) and Hibiscus rosa-sinensis L. (HRS) are widely used traditional medicine. We investigated cardioprotective effects of these plants applied for 15 min at concentrations of 90, 180, and 360 μg/mL in Langendorff‐perfused rat hearts prior to 25‐min global ischemia/120‐min reperfusion (I/R). Functional recovery (left ventricular developed pressure—LVDP, and rate of development of pressure), reperfusion arrhythmias, and infarct size (TTC staining) served as the endpoints. A transient increase in LVDP (32%–75%) occurred at all concentrations of HI, while coronary flow (CF) was significantly increased after HI 180 and 360. Only a moderate increase in LVDP (21% and 55%) and a tendency to increase CF was observed at HRS 180 and 360. HI and HRS at 180 and 360 significantly improved postischemic recovery of LVDP. Both the drugs dose‐dependently reduced the numbers of ectopic beats and duration of ventricular tachycardia. The size of infarction was significantly decreased by HI 360, while HRS significantly reduced the infarct size at all concentrations in a dose‐dependent manner. Thus, it can be concluded that HI might cause vasodilation, positive inotropic effect, and cardioprotection, while HRS might cause these effects at higher concentrations. However, further study is needed to elucidate the exact mechanism of their actions.
A Combined Climate Extremes Index for the Australian Region
Authors: Gallant Ailie J. E. , Karoly David J.
Published: September 2010

Changes in the area of Australia experiencing concurrent temperature and rainfall extremes are investigated through the use of two combined indices. The indices describe variations between the fraction of land area experiencing extreme cold and dry or hot and wet conditions. There is a high level of agreement between the variations and trends of the indices from 1957 to 2008 when computed using (i) a spatially complete gridded dataset without rigorous quality control checks and (ii) spatially incomplete high-quality station datasets with rigorous quality control checks. Australian extremes are examined starting from 1911, which is the first time a broad-scale assessment of Australian temperature extremes has been performed prior to 1957. Over the whole country, the results show an increase in the extent of hot and wet extremes and a decrease in the extent of cold and dry extremes annually and during all seasons from 1911 to 2008 at a rate of between 1% and 2% decade−1. These trends mostly stem from changes in tropical regions during summer and spring. There are relationships between the extent of extreme maximum temperatures, precipitation, and soil moisture on interannual and decadal time scales that are similar to the relationships exhibited by variations of the means. However, the trends from 1911 to 2008 and from 1957 to 2008 are not consistent with these relationships, providing evidence that the processes causing the interannual variations and those causing the longer-term trends are different.
An Analysis of the Effect of Global Warming on the Intensity of Atlantic Hurricanes Using a GCM with Statistical Refinement
Authors: Zhao Ming , Held Isaac M.
Published: September 2010

A statistical intensity adjustment is utilized to extract information from tropical cyclone simulations in a 50-km-resolution global model. A simple adjustment based on the modeled and observed probability distribution of storm lifetime maximum wind speed allows the model to capture the differences between observed intensity distributions in active/inactive year composites from the 1981–2008 period in the North Atlantic. This intensity adjustment is then used to examine the atmospheric model’s responses to different sea surface temperature anomalies generated by coupled models for the late twenty-first century. In the North Atlantic all simulations produce a reduction in the total number of cyclones, but with large intermodel spread in the magnitude of the reduction. The intensity response is positively correlated with changes in frequency across the ensemble. However, there is, on average, an increase in intensity in these simulations despite the mean reduction in frequency. The authors argue that it is useful to decompose these intensity changes into two parts: an increase in intensity that is intrinsic to the climate change experiments and a change in intensity positively correlated with frequency, just as in the active/inactive historical composites. By isolating the intrinsic component, which is relatively independent of the details of the SST warming pattern, an increase is found in storm-lifetime maximum winds of 5–10 m s−1 for storms with intensities of 30–60 m s−1, by the end of the twenty-first century. The effects of change in frequency, which are dependent on the details of the spatial structure of the warming, must then be superimposed on this intrinsic change.
The Effects of Small-Scale Turbulence on Air–Sea Heat Flux
Authors: Veron Fabrice , Melville W. Kendall , Lenain Luc
Published: September 2010

The air–sea exchange of heat is mainly controlled by the molecular diffusive layer adjacent to the surface. With an order of magnitude difference between the kinematic viscosity and thermal diffusivity of water, the thermal sublayer is embedded within its momentum analog: the viscous sublayer. Therefore, the surface heat exchange rates are greatly influenced by the surface kinematics and dynamics; in particular, small-scale phenomena, such as near-surface turbulence, have the greatest potential to affect the surface fluxes. Surface renewal theory was developed to parameterize the details of the turbulent transfer through the molecular sublayers. The theory assumes that turbulent eddies continuously replace surface water parcels with bulk fluid, which is not in equilibrium with the atmosphere and therefore is able to transfer heat. The so-called controlled-flux technique gives direct measurements of the mean surface lifetime of such surface renewal events. In this paper, the authors present results from field experiments, along with a review of surface renewal theory, and show that previous estimates of air–sea scalar fluxes using the controlled-flux technique may be erroneous if the probability density function (PDF) of surface renewal time scales is different from the routinely assumed exponential distribution. The authors show good agreement between measured and estimated heat fluxes using a surface renewal PDF that follows a χ distribution. Finally, over the range of forcing conditions in these field experiments, a clear relationship between direct surface turbulence measurements and the mean surface renewal time scale is established. The relationship is not dependent on the turbulence generation mechanism. The authors suggest that direct surface turbulence measurements may lead to improved estimates of scalar air–sea fluxes.
Generation of an Eddy Dissipation Rate Map at the Hong Kong International Airport Based on Doppler Lidar Data
Authors: Chan P. W.
Published: September 2010

Turbulent airflow mostly occurs at Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) when winds blow off the hills on the Lantau Island (with peaks rising to almost 1000 m to the south of the airport) from the east to the southwest. In a previous study by Chan et al., turbulence intensity in terms of cube root of eddy dissipation rate (EDR1/3) was measured directly using a staring lidar beam. This paper extends the previous study to calculate the spatial distribution of EDR1/3 (the so-called EDR map), with the ultimate goal of monitoring the turbulence over all of the runway corridors of HKIA using the lidar.

The EDR map is calculated based on plan position indicator (PPI) scans of the lidar. The whole scan area is divided into a number of small sectors, each having a size of about 1 km in range and 20° in azimuth. Velocity structure function is evaluated in every sector and compared with the theoretical von Kármán model to estimate the EDR1/3. This paper gives an overview of the calculation method, shows some examples of EDR map in terrain-disrupted turbulent airflow at HKIA, and examines the quality of the EDR1/3 value thus obtained by comparing against the measurements of a ground-based anemometer.
Age discrimination in the labour market from the perspectives of employers and older workers
Authors: Cheung Chau-kiu , Ping Kwong Kam  , Man-hung Ngan Raymond
Published: September 2010

This article presents the findings of a study on age discrimination against older workers in Hong Kong. The study collected survey data from 787 older workers aged 45 or above and 283 employers who were managers responsible for personnel or human resources management, or for hiring people for organizations. The focus is on revealing the influences of the organizational goals of profit-making and social responsibility on age discrimination, along with influences from negative stereotyping and other factors. Results indicate that the social responsibility goal tends to be more influential than negative stereotyping on age discrimination. In contrast, the profit-making goal did not display a significant effect on age discrimination. They offer implications for policies and practices for managing the ageing workforce in the labour market.
Performance of the CottonscanTM instrument for measuring the average fiber linear density (fineness) of cotton lint samples
Authors: Abbot Andrew M , Hequet Eric F , Higgerson Graham J , Lucas Stuart R , Naylor Geoffrey RS , Purmalis Mark M , Thibodeaux Devron P
Published: September 2010

This paper explores the CottonscanTM instrument, a new technology designed for routine measurement of the average linear density (fineness) of cotton fiber. An international inter-laboratory trial of the CottonscanTM system is presented. This expands the range of cottons and laboratories from previous studies. Cleaned well-blended cottons were utilized for this study in order to focus on the instrument performance and minimize sample variations between replicate measurements. Overall, for cottons finer than 200 mtex, the 95% confidence limit for a single measurement was estimated to be ±12 mtex, in good agreement with previous work. This confirms that the Cottonscan TM instrument is a useful technique for determining the average fiber linear density of cotton fiber.
Examining Commuting Patterns
Authors: Sang Sunhee , O’Kelly Morton , Kwan Mei-Po
Published: September 2010

Typically, the high level of aggregation in conventional analysis of urban commuting may obscure meaningful differences among groups of commuters. This paper disaggregates US census datasets, taking commuters’ gender and occupation into consideration. Refined measures—jobs/workers ratio, average commuting distance and the number of in- and out-commuters—are introduced through the disaggregate approach and are tested for gender differences. Using US Census Transport Planning Package (CTPP) data for Rochester, MN, this study shows the spatial structure of the labour market among 18 worker groups. The results bear important implications for regional labour market plans considering the spatial mismatch between jobs and housing.
Economic-NPM and the Need to Bring Justice and Equity Back to the Debate on Public Organizations
Authors: Arellano-Gault David
Published: September 2010

The debate on New Public Management (NPM) has largely neglected the discussion of justice and equality. Fortunately enough, there is now a long list of articles that provide empirical analyses of the consequences of NPM in a variety of settings. Despite these analyses, the organizational, moral, administrative, and ethical repercussions of NPM are enormous and require further careful attention. This article attempts to link a specific version of NPM that I have called Economic New Public Management (or E-NPM) with the discussion on justice and equality. This version of NPM frequently resembles specific versions of libertarian critiques toward liberalism. Five organizational outcomes are proposed so as to asses the impact that this version of NPM has on governmental organizations.
End-of-life practices in palliative care: a cross sectional survey of physician members of the German Society for Palliative Medicine
Authors: Schildmann Jan , Hoetzel Julia , Mueller-Busch Christof , Vollmann Jochen
Published: September 2010

Objectives: To elicit types and frequencies of end-of-life practices by physician members of the German Society for Palliative Medicine. To analyse associations between characteristics of physicians and patients and end-of-life practices with intended hastening of death.

Design: Cross-sectional postal survey.

Main outcome measures: Types and frequencies of end-of-life practices with foreseeable or intended hastening of patients’ death. Association between end-of-life practices with hastening of death and predefined characteristics of physicians and patients.

Results: Nine hundred and one physicians participated in the study (response rate: 55.8%). There was alleviation of symptoms in 78.1% and limitation of medical treatment with possible life shortening in 69.1% of cases. In 10 cases medication had been administered by the physician (N = 9) or the patient (N = 1) with the intention to hasten death. Patients’ best interest and avoidance of possible harm to the patient were reported as reasons for non-involvement of competent patients in decision making. Physicians with added qualification in palliative medicine significantly less frequently reported end-of-life practices with intended hastening of death (p = 0.003).

Conclusion: Physician members of the German Society for Palliative Medicine perform a broad spectrum of end-of-life practices including intended hastening of death. The findings on patients’ non-involvement in decision making warrant further empirical—ethical analysis.
Validation of the Headache Impact Test (HIT-6™) across episodic and chronic migraine
Authors: Yang Min , Rendas-Baum Regina , Varon Sepideh F , Kosinski Mark
Published: September 2010

Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess psychometric properties of the six-item Headache Impact Text (HIT-6™) across episodic and chronic migraine.

Methods: Using a migraine screener and number of headache days per month (HDPM), participants from the National Survey of Headache Impact (NSHI) study and the HIT-6 validation study (HIT6-V) were selected for this study. Eligible participants were categorized into three groups: chronic migraine (CM: ≥ 15 HDPM); episodic migraine (EM: < 15 HDPM); non-migraine headaches. Reliability and validity of the HIT-6 were evaluated.

Results: A total of 2,049 survey participants met the inclusion/exclusion criteria for this study. Participants were identified as 6.4% CM; 42.1% EM; 51.5% non-migraine, with respective mean HIT-6 scores: 62.5 ± 7.8; 60.2 ± 6.8; and 49.1 ± 8.7. High reliability was demonstrated with internal consistency (time1/time2) of 0.83/0.87 in NSHI, and 0.82/0.92 in HIT6-V. Intra-class correlation for test-retest reliability was very good at 0.77. HIT-6 scores correlated significantly ( p < .0001) with total Migraine Disability Assessment Scale scores ( r = 0.56), headache pain severity ( r = 0.46), and HDPM ( r = 0.29). Discriminant validity analysis showed significantly different HIT-6 scores ( F = 488.02, p < .0001) across the groups.

Conclusion: Results from these analyses confirm that the HIT-6 is a reliable and valid tool for discriminating headache impact across episodic and chronic migraine.
One-year prevalence of migraine in Spain: A nationwide population-based survey
Authors: Matías-Guiu Jorge , Porta-Etessam Jesus , Mateos Valentín , Díaz-Insa Samuel , Lopez-Gil Arturo , Fernández Cristina
Published: September 2010

Aim

The purpose of the study was to estimate the one-year prevalence of migraine among a population-based sample of Spanish adults.

Method

Men and women aged 18-65 years were selected at random according to quotas for age, sex, size of habitat (10,000 inhabitants, 10,001–50,000 inhabitants, 50,001 −200,000 inhabitants and 200,000 inhabitants) and residence proportional to the population size of the geographical location. A random-digit-dial, computer-assisted telephone interview (CATI) survey was conducted between April and July 2006. The 2004 International Headache Society operational diagnostic criteria were applied.

Results

From a total of 70,692 telephone calls and 26,255 (31.7%) valid contacts, 5,668 (21.6%) respondents completed the CATI survey. A total of 476 subjects (8.4%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 7.7-9.1%) with strict migraine and 236 with probable migraine (4.2%, 95% CI 3.7-4.7%) were recorded. The 1-year prevalence of total migraine (N = 712) was 12.6% (95% CI 11.6-13.6) (17.2% in females, 8.0% in males). The prevalence rates showed significant geographic variations, from 7.6% in Navarra to 18% in the Canary Islands. One-half of the subjects had migraine with aura. One-third of subjects were never diagnosed for migraine.

Conclusions

The one-year prevalence of migraine in Spain is 12.6%, with a prevalence of migraine with and without aura of 8.4% and probable migraine of 4.2%. These findings add data to the current understanding of migraine.
Hannah Arendt: Athens or Perhaps Jerusalem?
Authors: Celermajer Danielle
Published: September 2010

As a political thinker nurtured in early 20th-century German, Hannah Arendt is most often identified with the Greek philosophical tradition. This article argues that the crisis in reality that threw her into politics also, though unacknowledgedly, threw her into ‘Jewish modes of thinking’ as an alternative source where she found the Greek tradition lacking. This claim is controversial, given Arendt’s vehement criticisms of any recourse to the absolute, or metaphysical truths in the realm of politics. Nevertheless, and consistent with a number of early 20th-century Jewish thinkers (Rosenzweig, Levinas, Buber, Shestov) who explicitly identified the Hebrew God not as the metaphysical but as the condition of possibility for authentic freedom under conditions of finitude, one finds in Arendt a move towards an understanding of the seat of human freedom that sits far more comfortably in the Jerusalem than in the Athens tradition. Specifically, in her emphasis on natality and genuine futurity, one senses a strong resonance with the notion of pure creation in the Hebrew Bible, as one does, notably, in her insistence that forgiveness and promises (covenants) form the two pillars for human sociality. Throughout the history of Jewish thought, one consistently finds precisely this Arendtian struggle to represent a model of law that holds the tension between binding fidelity to promises, memory and the past, and an openness to futurity, to the infinity of interpretation that gives meaning to those promises. Closely resembling the midrashic tradition, Arendt’s political community of speech is one in which meaning is open ended and plural, allowing for the binding together that sustains a polity, while also opening up to the radically new of each new birth.
Athens, Jerusalem and Rome after Auschwitz: Still the Jewish Question?
Authors: Meister Robert
Published: September 2010

This article treats post-Holocaust humanitarianism as a secular version of St Paul’s ‘Jewish Question’: why are there still Jews now that the particularities of Jewish history have universal meaning? It considers Paul’s Judaeo-Christianity, a distinctively Christian embrace of Jewish survival, as the prototype of today’s secular project of conversion to human rights, and asks what it means within this project for Jews to regard themselves as the only Jews. The article concludes by defining an Islamic alternative to the imperial reach of today’s human rights discourse, based on the recent publication of 1981 lectures by the late N. O. Brown, who presented Islam as an alternative to the Pauline synthesis of Athens-Jerusalem that would renew, rather than supersede, the prophetic tradition of Jewish monotheism. Following Brown, the article presents Muhammad as the anti-Paul, and considers the key differences between their respective political theologies on issues such as fidelity, cruelty and particularly the urgency of justice. Islam’s insistence that there is no ‘time between’ the end of evil and the beginning of justice shows the limitations of today’s human rights discourse as a religion of permanent transition that denies urgency to justice itself. The ‘Jewish Question’ that Paul formulated for Christians in a Roman world order thus illuminates issues posed by the Holocaust and Israel for professed humanitarians today.
Political Theology at a Standstill: Adorno and Agamben on the Messianic
Authors: Brittain Christopher Craig
Published: September 2010

This essay explores the use of the concept of the messianic by Giorgio Agamben and Theodor Adorno. Throughout his work, Agamben consistently presents his reading of the messianic as an alternative to what he considers to be the ‘pessimistic’ negative dialectics of Adorno, which he argues ‘is an absolutely non-messianic form of thought’. For Agamben, the messianic brings dialectics to a ‘standstill’. This essay analyzes this deployment of the ‘messianic’ in his thought, and contrasts it with the perspective of Adorno. Agamben’s interpretation of Walter Benjamin is challenged with reference to a debate between Adorno and Benjamin over theology, dialectics, and politics.
Prometheus and the Pentateuch: Feuerbach, Marx and the Genesis of Secular Anti-Semitism
Authors: Leonard Miriam
Published: September 2010

This article explores the role of the antithesis between Athens and Jerusalem in the work of Karl Marx. Starting from an exploration of Ludwig Feuerbach’s Essence of Christianity, the essay attempts to situate Marx’s ‘On the Jewish Question’ within a longer history of philosophical writings about Judaism. It argues that, like previous writers, Marx depicts the Hellenic world as an implicit Other to Jewish modernity. Marx’s writings about Greece are heir both to the tradition of German philhellenism reaching back to Schiller and to the insights into antiquity arising from the development of historical scholarship. While Marx’s writings have been instrumental in moving away from the Christian worldview, he has also played a contested and ambivalent role in the development of modern anti-Semitism. By exploring the representation of Greeks and Jews in Marx and Feuerbach, this article will trace how the conflict between Athens and Jerusalem played a crucial role in the shift from Christian anti-Judaism to secular anti-Semitism.
Review Essay: Water and Culture in Australia: Some Alternative Perspectives
Authors: Henderson Kirsten
Published: September 2010

Australia is currently experiencing a prolonged period of water scarcity that is challenging a diverse range of water-dependent activities ranging from household gardening to horticultural production to the viability of riverine ecosystems. The political and ecological importance of water in Australia is not, however, only a recent phenomenon. For the majority of Australia’s settled history, water politics, economics, culture and engineering have reflected and embodied a dynamic relationship between Australian hydrology and Australian society. This essay examines that relationship by first reviewing the work of the Australian historical geographer, Emeritus Professor J. M. Powell. For 40 years Powell has been writing about the process of natural resource appraisal and management in Australia and he has been Australia’s leading authority on the role of water in that process for most of that time. The essay then argues for an extension of Powell’s work by applying the insights provided by the scholars Karl Wittfogel, Donald Worster and Eric Swyngedouw. Their work, it is argued, suggests the possibility of a more nuanced understanding of water in Australia than that currently offered by the majority of the Australian literature, and ultimately provides some tools for thinking ourselves out of the current water crisis.
Transmissivity evolution through interface of composite liners under applied constraint
Authors: Diagne M.
Published: September 2010

In landfill liners, geomembranes have defects that constitute preferential passages of leachate from rainwater percolation. Non-woven geotextiles are widely used in wastelandfills as materials having the functions of protection, separation, filtration and drainage. This study seeks to select geotextiles through an investigation conducted among landfill operators who commonly arise a geotextile in the geomembrane-clay interface to facilitate geomembrane welding and to prevent its puncture by angular materials. It also attempts to find out the influence of geotextile in a decimetric transmissivity cell size under 50 kPa stress and smooth ground surface. The results show that the transmissivity in composite liner interface is almost the same as the one calculated with the European standard EN ISO 12958. Transmissivity depends on the mechanical stress applied to the bottom liner, on the geotextile type in the interface and on the ground surface.
Mechanical Properties and Drug Release Behavior of Bioactivated PMMA Cements
Authors: Vorndran Elke , Spohn Nikola , Nies Berthold , Rößler Sophie , Storch Sandra , Gbureck Uwe
Published: September 2010

Septic loosening of cemented implants represents an unresolved long-term problem of total hip endoprostheses. Common treatments of infected prostheses involve the use of temporary antibiotic-loaded PMMA spacer-implants or antibiotic-loaded cements. The latter are either provided by a manufacturer or are obtained by simply mixing specific antibiotic powders according to a microbial sensitivity test with PMMA cement. This study is aimed to investigate the antibiotic release behavior and mechanical properties of novel modified PMMA cements, which were bioactivated by chemical modification of commercial cements with either 0.5% hydroxyethylmethacrylate-phosphate (HEMA-P) or 0.5% hydroxyethylmethacrylate-phosphate + calcium chloride and sodium carbonate as buffer. Tobramycin release experiments from the cements were performed statically by immersion of the drug-loaded samples in PBS buffer following liquid change after different periods of time or during cyclic mechanical loading of the cement samples. Cement modification did not significantly alter the mechanical properties of the cements, but affected the release rate from the matrix. While the unmodified cement released approximately 0.33 mg/cm2 tobramycin after 48 h independent of the testing regime, modification with both HEMA-P and salt buffer increased the antibiotic release to 37–50 mg/cm2 when tested under cyclical mechanical loading.
Investigation of Platelet Responses and Clotting Characteristics of in situ Albumin Binding Surfaces
Authors: Guha Thakurta Sanjukta , Miller Robert , Subramanian Anuradha
Published: September 2010

The response of biomaterial surfaces when exposed to blood is in part dependent upon the nature and composition of the adsorbed layer of proteins. Surfaces passivated with albumin have been shown to reduce platelet adhesion and activation. In an attempt to develop surfaces that can selectively and specifically bind albumin, silicon-based surfaces were functionalized with linear peptides and chemical ligands that displayed an affinity for albumin. Peptide functionalized surfaces were observed to preferentially bind albumin when compared to human immunoglobulin and human fibrinogen, which possess low densities of surface adsorbed platelets. The platelet morphology was noted to be discoid on the peptide modified surface. Both the unmodified control and SCL functionalized surfaces had high densities of surface adhered platelets with spread out morphology. The peptide and SCL functionalized surfaces were noted to have no impact on PTT and PT clotting times, indicating that the extrinsic and intrinsic pathways were unperturbed by the surfaces generated.
Biomechanical Characterization of an Osteoporotic Artificial Bone Model for the Distal Femur
Authors: Wähnert Dirk , Hoffmeier Konrad L. , Klos Kajetan , Stolarczyk Yves , Fröber Rosemarie , Hofmann Gunther O. , Mückley Thomas
Published: September 2010

The treatment of osteoporotic distal femur fractures is still an unsolved problem of trauma surgery. The poor bone stock often leads to secondary loss of reduction and implant failure. Therefore, the development of new implants and their biomechanical testing is essential. In a previous study, we developed and initially characterized an artificial osteoporotic bone model of the distal femur. This follow-up study was performed to characterize this model in a biomechanical comparison. We investigated two different artificial bones: five foam cortical shell (Sawbones) and 10 custom-made artificial femoral condyles. Additionally, eight human femora were used for comparison. For biomechanical testing, two intramedullary nails (distal femur nail (DFN) and supracondylar nail (SCN)) were cyclically axial loaded in an AO 33 C2 unstable distal femoral fracture model. In our testing, the artificial bone showed a decrease in the axial stiffness of 27% for the SCN and 28% for the DFN compared to the human results. Also the number of cycles for a deformation of 2.5 mm was reduced by 55% (SCN) and 62% (DFN). This decrease was homogenous and caused by the relative high bone mineral density of the human specimen used. The modes of failure showed no difference between the artificial and human bones. Our customized artificial bone provides suitable results. In relation to the human bones classified as mildly osteoporotic, we assume that the biomechanical properties match to serve as an osteoporotic bone. Yet, we suggest to check transferability of the results with human material.
Sol–Gel Phosphate-based Glass for Drug Delivery Applications
Authors: Pickup David M. , Newport Robert J. , Knowles Jonathan C.
Published: September 2010

Development of controlled, targeted drug delivery systems represents one of the frontier areas of biomaterials science, where a multidisciplinary approach is of direct benefit to human healthcare. We demonstrate herein the potential of sol–gel derived phosphate-based glass for use in drug delivery applications. Our low-temperature sol–gel synthesis of phosphate-based glasses has made it possible to incorporate relatively unstable functional molecules for controlled release. We demonstrate the potential of this approach by incorporating the chemotherapy agent cisplatin in a CaO–Na2O–P2O5 glass. X-ray absorption spectroscopy is used to show that the chlorine ligands of cisplatin undergo exchange with oxygen during the synthesis, consistent with binding to the phosphate groups of the sol–gel. UV–visible spectroscopy reveals the subsequent release of cisplatin into an aqueous medium.
Sharing memories, family conversation and interaction
Authors: Bietti Lucas M.
Published: September 2010

Shared memories play a central role in everyday communications. They are usually based on interpersonal and cultural knowledge of a shared past among group members (e.g. family, friends, partners, etc.). These memories are verbally conveyed in everyday conversations in real-world settings. Shared memories are also utilized to create a feeling of connection and maintain a consistent feeling of identity among group members. In family conversations, shared memories function to structure and synchronize the shareable life story of the family as a group. Family members are strategically engaged in processes of remembering and forgetting, which are modelled according to the specific goals of a particular interaction. In these cases, family members construct a sociocognitive system shaped by the physical and social environment in which they are located. This system operates by connecting autobiographical knowledge, which is distributed among family members, but forms part of shared past experiences. By interrelating distributed episodic memories, this sociocognitive system endows family members with the ability to manage distributed autobiographical knowledge. In order to perform this cognitive task, they make use of a wide set of discursive epistemic strategies such as presuppositions and implicatures, justifications, rejections and reminders of shared knowledge of the past. The aim of this article is to show the ways in which a shared past is managed, communicated and negotiated in an everyday family conversation by means of discursive epistemic strategies. The conversation was about five historical dates linked to Argentinean political history.
The idiosyncratic language of Israeli ‘peace’: A Cultural Approach to Critical Discourse Analysis (CCDA)
Authors: Gavriely-Nuri Dalia
Published: September 2010

Combining peace studies, cultural studies and Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), this study demonstrates a Cultural approach to Critical Discourse Analysis (CCDA) of political peace discourses. Inspired by the UNESCO definition for the ‘culture of peace’, the study offers two peace discourse models: a supportive peace discourse versus an oppressive one. From a theoretical perspective, CCDA enables a culturally comparative study of ‘peace’, its conceptual boundaries and semantic margins. From a practical perspective, application of such an approach within ‘local’ discourses may remove unique obstacles and cultural barriers to the realization of peace processes. Application of the CCDA to Israel’s political peace discourse revealed that use of the term in this discourse served two purposes: first, the construction of the Israeli speaker’s positive self-image as a peace-seeker together with delegitimation of rivals; and second, the facilitation of public acceptance of strategically problematic actions, primarily use of military violence, by their presentation as part of the peace discourse.
Activation of MAP kinases during progression of radiation-induced pneumonitis in rats
Authors: Ryu Si-Yun , Do Sun-Hee , Chung Jae-Yong , Kim Tae-Hwan , Kim Sung-Ho , Choi Cheol-Yong , Jeong Kyu-Shik , Park Sang-Joon
Published: September 2010

Radiation-induced pneumonitis is closely associated with the interplay of various stress-activated signals and immune responses related to the progression of lung injury. Mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase pathways play critical roles in the progression of inflammation via a cellular damage. Here, we examined the regional distribution of phosphorylated MAP kinases (p-JNK, p-ERK, and p-p38) in the progression of pneumonitis after exposure of a single dose irradiation with 10 Gy for 0, 4, and 8 weeks in rats. Also, we identified positive cells for these kinases using specific cell-type markers related to inflammation and type II pneumocyte. p-JNK was present abundantly in activated macrophages, CD8+T-cells, peribronchiolar smooth muscle cells, and weakly type II pneumocytes at 4 weeks or 8 weeks after irradiation. p-p38 and p-ERK was predominantly expressed in macrophages, CD4+ T-cells, fibrotic cells as well as present in various lung parenchymal cells including alveolar epithelial cells and type II pneumocytes. In conclusion, it is considered that MAP kinase pathways play a pivotal role in early damage of residual cells as well as in the long-term regulation of distinct inflammatory cells during the progression of radiation-induced pneumonitis.
Making of a Peasant Industry
Authors: Srinivas S.V.
Published: September 2010

What can the cinema tell us about its time? This article explores the problem by focusing on the role the Telugu film industry played in the rise to economic and political prominence of a post-colonial and post-feudal elite in what is now the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. A two decade period in the history of Telugu cinema is examined to show how the industry came under the control of entrepreneurs of peasant origin by becoming a destination of surpluses generated by agriculture and related activities. During this period, an industry model that facilitated the absorption of large infusions of capital at the production center in Madras, as also relatively small retail investments at the local level, was assembled. The model, predicated on syndicated investments and distribution of risk, fell into place at a time when peasants began to migrate out of the village for a variety of reasons and were expanding their activities from agriculture, commodity speculation, and rural money lending.
Ram Tipnis a.k.a. Papa Ajoba
Authors: Ghosalkar Anuja
Published: September 2010

Anuja Ghosalkar introduces her grandfather, Ram Tipnis, whom she fondly refers to as “Papa Ajoba” (“father-grandfather” in Marathi). Her interviews were originally conducted in Marathi. Anuja is an independent researcher, whose blog (http://papaajoba.blogspot.com/) is primarily dedicated to recording Ram Tipnis’ memories of a long career in the film industry.
Why Do Women Use Intimate Partner Violence? A Systematic Review of Women’s Motivations
Authors: Bair-Merritt Megan H. , Shea Crowne Sarah , Thompson Darcy A. , Sibinga Erica , Trent Maria , Campbell Jacquelyn
Published: September 2010

Studies report that women use as much or more physical intimate partner violence (IPV) as men. Most of these studies measure IPV by counting the number of IPV acts over a specified time period, but counting acts captures only one aspect of this complex phenomenon. To inform interventions, women’s motivations for using IPV must be understood. A systematic review, therefore, was conducted to summarize evidence regarding women’s motivations for the use of physical IPV in heterosexual relationships. Four published literature databases were searched, and articles that met inclusion criteria were abstracted. This was supplemented with a bibliography search and expert consultation. Eligible studies included English-language publications that directly investigated heterosexual women’s motivations for perpetrating nonlethal, physical IPV. Of the 144 potentially eligible articles, 23 met inclusion criteria. Over two thirds of studies enrolled participants from IPV shelters, courts, or batterers’ treatment programs. Women’s motivations were primarily assessed through interviews or administration of an author-created questionnaire. Anger and not being able to get a partner’s attention were pervasive themes. Self-defense and retaliation also were commonly cited motivations, but distinguishing the two was difficult in some studies. Control was mentioned but not listed as a primary motivation. IPV prevention and treatment programs should explore ways to effectively address women’s relationship concerns and ability to manage anger and should recognize that women commonly use IPV in response to their partner’s violence.
Adaptive dose insertion in early phase clinical trials
Authors: Hu Bo , Bekele B. Nebiyou , Ji Yuan
Published: September 2010

Background and Purpose

We propose to adaptively insert new doses during the course of a dose-finding trial when none of the prespecified doses in the trial are acceptable, for example, have tolerable toxicity.

Methods

Our procedure uses an activation rule to determine whether a new dose is needed and an inverse dose–response algorithm to estimate new doses to be inserted into the trial.

Results

The proposed method can be applied to both one-agent and two-agent trials. In application to a Phase I trial about advanced ovarian cancer, our method selected a new dose that is better than all prespecified doses in at least 44% simulations. The effectiveness of the procedure was also demonstrated in a simulation study.

Limitations

The proposed method is applicable to dose-finding trials with binary responses.

Conclusions

We believe that with the added adaptive dose insertion, traditional dose-finding trials will have better chances of locating desirable doses. In addition, by allowing for dose insertion, unnecessary trial suspension due to lack of acceptable doses can be avoided.
Measurement error in the timing of events: effect on survival analyses in randomized clinical trials
Authors: Korn Edward L , Dodd Lori E , Freidlin Boris
Published: September 2010

Background Presence of measurement error in the outcome can complicate the interpretation of a randomized clinical trial. The Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee of the US Food and Drug Administration voted against recommending approval of bevacizumab for the initial treatment of metastatic breast cancer; one of their major concerns was the presence of a large amount of nondifferential measurement error in the evaluation of progression-free survival, the primary outcome of the randomized clinical trial E2100.

Purpose To investigate the effects of nondifferential measurement error in time-to-event outcomes on the conclusions of a proportional hazards analysis of a randomized clinical trial.

Methods Simulations were performed showing effects of measurement error on the estimated treatment effect (hazard ratio) in a clinical trial. In some simulations, the measurement error structure from E2100 data was approximated; for other simulations, larger or smaller measurement error was considered.

Results The bias in estimating the hazard ratio was very small using measurement error and a hazard ratio similar to E2100. Even with a larger nondifferential measurement error, the bias remained small when the hazard ratio was in a range commonly seen in clinical trials. There was no or little effect on the variability of the estimated treatment effect.

Limitations Because of censoring issues, retrospective evaluation of the measurement error structure from a completed trial is difficult. Although our simulations cover a range of plausible measurement error values, in theory, a trial could have much larger measurement error than we considered. Differential measurement error is only briefly considered.

Conclusions Nondifferential measurement error due to variability in estimating time-to-event outcomes will typically not be a major concern in randomized clinical trials.
Moving forward with confidence: 2009 IPS insight survey of the membership
Authors: Storr Julie
Published: September 2010

In this paper we present the findings of the first Infection Prevention Society membership survey conducted at the end of 2009. The survey sought to identify the views of current members in relation to the future direction and services provided by the Society and the reasons for some existing members leaving the Society. Around one-third of the membership responded to the survey. The findings reveal general satisfaction with the direction of the Society and point out areas of activity that can be developed and these have informed the current work of the Board in setting the strategic aims of the Society for the next 5 years.
Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitors (AChEI's) for the treatment of visual hallucinations in schizophrenia: a case report
Authors: Patel Sachin S , Attard Azizah , Jacobsen Pamela , Shergill Sukhi
Published: September 2010

Background

Visual hallucinations are commonly seen in various neurological and psychiatric disorders including schizophrenia. Current models of visual processing and studies in diseases including Parkinsons Disease and Lewy Body Dementia propose that Acetylcholine (Ach) plays a pivotal role in our ability to accurately interpret visual stimuli. Depletion of Ach is thought to be associated with visual hallucination generation. AchEI's have been used in the targeted treatment of visual hallucinations in dementia and Parkinson's Disease patients. In Schizophrenia, it is thought that a similar Ach depletion leads to visual hallucinations and may provide a target for drug treatment

Case Presentation

We present a case of a patient with Schizophrenia presenting with treatment resistant and significantly distressing visual hallucinations. After optimising treatment for schizophrenia we used Rivastigmine, an AchEI, as an adjunct to treat her symptoms successfully.

Conclusions

This case is the first to illustrate this novel use of an AchEI in the targeted treatment of visual hallucinations in a patient with Schizophrenia. Targeted therapy of this kind can be considered in challenging cases although more evidence is required in this field.
An exploratory study of Muslim adolescents' views on sexuality: Implications for sex education and prevention
Authors: Smerecnik Chris , Schaalma Herman , Gerjo Kok , Meijer Suzanne , Poelman Jos
Published: September 2010

Background

This paper describes the results of an exploratory qualitative study on Muslim adolescents' views on sexuality in the Netherlands.

Methods

Data were gathered from an Internet forum on which 44 Muslim and 33 non-Muslim adolescents discussed sexuality as it relates to Islam. These discussions were subsequently analyzed for content using Nvivo 2.0.

Results

Our analysis revealed several issues that are relevant for the design of future sex education programs targeting Muslim youth. Apart from some expected outcomes regarding, for example, taboos on sexuality, sex outside marriage, abortion, homosexuality and conservative gender roles, our analyses showed that in cases of disputes 1) discussions were polarized, 2) opponents used the same Qur'anic passages to support their views, and 3) the authority of an Imam was questioned when his interpretation of Qur'anic passages was not in line with the views of participants.

Conclusions

Our findings show that current approaches to sex education among Muslim youth are likely to be unsuccessful given the rigidity of sexual norms in Muslim society. In addition, we also identified new barriers to sex education among Muslim youth (e.g. lack of respect for an Imam who opposes a youth's views on sexuality).
Specific eradication of HIV-1 from infected cultured cells
Authors: Levin Aviad , Hayouka Zvi , Friedler Assaf , Loyter Abraham
Published: September 2010

A correlation between increase in the integration of Human Immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) cDNA and cell death was previously established. Here we show that combination of peptides that stimulate integration together with the protease inhibitor Ro 31-8959 caused apoptotic cell death of HIV infected cells with total extermination of the virus. This combination did not have any effect on non-infected cells. Thus it appears that cell death is promoted only in the infected cells. It is our view that the results described in this work suggest a novel approach to specifically promote death of HIV-1 infected cells and thus may eventually be developed into a new and general anti-viral therapy.