bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Factors related to the development of myelopathy in patients with cervical ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament
Authors: Chang H. , Song K-J. , Kim H-Y. , Choi B-W.
Published: June 2012

This study evaluates factors related to myelopathic symptoms in patients with ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL). A total of 87 patients with OPLL were included. Of these, 53 (Group I) had no symptoms or presented with neck pain and radiculopathy and 34 (Group II) had myelopathic symptoms. Gender, age, and history of trauma were evaluated in the two groups. The range of movement of the cervical spine was measured using plain radiographs. The number of involved segments, type of OPLL, and maximal compression ratio were analysed using CT and signal change in the spinal cord was evaluated using MRI.

The patients’ age was found to be significant (p = 0.001). No difference was found between gender and the range of movement in the two groups. The maximum compression of the spinal canal showed a difference (p = 0.03). The signal change of the spinal cord was different between the two groups. In patients with OPLL of the cervical spine, myelopathic symptoms are not related to the range of movement or the number of involved segments.
Exam Corner – July 2012
Authors: Khanduja V.
Published: June 2012

The FRCS (Tr & Orth) examination has three components: MCQs, Vivas and Clinical Examination. The Vivas are further divided into four sections comprising Basic Science, Adult Pathology, Hands and Children’s Orthopaedics and Trauma. The Clinical Examination section is divided into Upper and Lower limb cases. The aim of this section in the Journal is to focus specifically on the trainees preparing for the exam and to cater to all the sections of the exam. The vision is to complete the cycle of all relevant exam topics (as per the syllabus) in four years.
Structural and functional impairments of polysialic acid (polySia)-neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) synthesized by a mutated polysialyltransferase of a schizophrenic patient
Authors: Hane Masaya , Sumida Mizuki , Kitajima Ken , Sato Chihiro
Published: June 2012

Polysialic acid (polySia) is a homopolymer of sialic acid with a degree of polymerization (DP) of 8–400. When present on neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM), polySia has anti-adhesive effects on cell–cell interactions owing to its bulky polyanionic nature, and is involved in the regulation of neurogenesis and neuronal functions. Recently, we demonstrated that polySia functions not only as an anti-cell adhesion molecule, but also as a reservoir scaffold for brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2), which are biologically active molecules in neurogenesis. To understand the significance of polySia structure in the reservoir function, we focused on polySia-NCAM biosynthesized by mutated polysialyltransferase (ST8SiaII or STX) that was reported in a schizophrenia patient. The polySia-NCAM biosynthesized by mutant ST8SiaII/STX contained less polySia with shorter chain length and exhibited impaired reservoir function for BDNF and FGF2 as compared with that synthesized by wild-type (wt) ST8SiaII/STX. Our findings suggest that the quantity and quality of polySia on NCAM are important for normal neuronal functioning.
College Collaboration With Gifted Programs: Deaf Studies Unit (Part 2)
Authors: Buisson Gerald J. , Salgo Jennifer
Published: June 2012

T he present article is the second in a 2-part series. Part 1 explained the needs of students in gifted education programs (GEPs), the concept of interest-area mentorship , and how mentors help meet gifted elementary-school students’ needs in light of National Association for Gifted Children standards. Part 2 explains that the goals and standards GEPs must address not only cover academics but also intellectual and affective categories. Once college instructors understand these goals and standards, they can initiate collaboration with GEP teachers and provide mentors to GEP classrooms. Deaf studies’ diverse topics lend themselves to teaching, research, and discussion—perfect qualifications for GEP curricula. Examples show the “fit” between gifted education and a unit on Deaf studies. By delineating the roles of the GEP teacher, the mentor, and the college instructor, the authors provide an understanding that can enable implementation of broadly beneficial mentorship programs.
The Epideictic Agōn and Aristotle's Elusive Third Genre
Authors: Pratt Jonathan
Published: June 2012

Aristotle's statement that the spectator of epideictic rhetoric judges dynamis ( Rhetoric 1.3, 1358b5-6) is problematic because it seems to direct audience judgment towards the ability of the speaker as opposed to the subject-matter of his speech. I argue that, as a reference to the speaker's ability, the remark indexes the peculiar competitive structure in which speeches of praise and blame are conventionally involved. Thus understood, it is essential to Aristotle's taxonomy of genres and helps resolve the dilemma created by naming the genre of praise and blame after a mode of performance, epideixis , compatible with speeches of any formal description.
Transforming Frederic Henry's War Narrative: In Einem Andern Land and Translational Embellishment
Authors: Dick Christopher M.
Published: June 2012

This article analyzes the translational shifting in In Einem Andern Land , Annemarie Horschitz's 1930 German translation of Ernest Hemingway's A Farewell to Arms . Horschitz, ostensibly influenced by a desire to have her translation conform to German literary traditions and the expectations of her German readers, embellishes Hemingway's understated prose, especially language associated with the war. The result in the translation is an altered portrayal of Frederic Henry and a weakening of the novel's critique of hyperbolic rhetoric.
"He Was Sort of a Joke, In Fact": Ernest Hemingway in Spain
Authors: Herlihy-Mera Jeffrey
Published: June 2012

While Hemingway had a close devotion to things Spanish throughout his life, he was at times ridiculed by Spaniards for what some perceived as his pretensions as a bullfighting insider and poor ability to speak Spanish. José Castillo-Puche, friend and biographer of Hemingway, said that by the end of his life, "Ernesto was no longer a fascinating figure to people in Spain; he had become a sort of joke, in fact" (20). Through scrutiny of Hemingway's cultural forays into Spanish society—in language and toreo , in particular—this article reveals a crucial but often neglected dimension of Hemingway's relationship with the Spanish people.
Hemingway: The 45 th Parallel—Two Bars
Authors: Harrison Jim
Published: June 2012

In 1983, almost thirty years ago, the Hemingway Society chose Michigan as a venue for its first conference. Here Professor Emeritus Joseph J. Waldmeir, chairman of that conference, offers some memories, and presents its two never-before-published keynote speeches: "Some Post-Fishing Thoughts on Hemingway and Writing" by John Voelker (author of Anatomy of a Murder , published under the pen name Robert Traver) and "Hemingway: The 45 th Parallel—Two Bars" by Jim Harrison. Both novelists talk about the role played by Michigan, and Hemingway, in their own lives and work.
The two faces of agreement
Authors: Alsina Alex , Arsenijević Boban
Published: June 2012

The goal of this discussion note is to argue that the complex facts of hybrid agreement in Serbo-Croatian can and should be accounted for by assuming that only two sets of features are relevant to agreement: a syntactic set and a semantic set. This is in opposition to existing proposals that claim that two distinct sets of syntactic features are required in addition to the set of semantic features in order to account for those agreement facts (Wechsler & &Zlatić 2000, 2003). The proposal defended here with two sets of agreement features is shown to be superior to the alternative with three feature sets because it not only is simpler and accounts for the facts just as well, but it also does not make some incorrect predictions that the alternative makes when crucial facts are considered.
The Influence of Campus Racial Climate on Diversity in Graduate Education
Authors: Griffin Kimberly A. , Muñiz Marcela M. , Espinosa Lorelle
Published: June 2012

Persistent disparities in doctoral degree completion have led many institutions to hire graduate diversity officers (GDOs) to increase the presence of underrepresented minorities in graduate programs. This qualitative study of 14 GDOs considers how the dimensions of campus racial climate (CRC) influence the ability of GDOs to carry out this work. Findings suggest CRC can be applied to understanding institutional processes that affect diversity, and that internal and external climate-related forces affect the GDO’s recruitment and retention efforts. Thus, universities must go beyond demonstrating institutional commitment by creating GDO positions and attending to CRC to increase graduate diversity.
Financial Aid and First-Year Collegiate GPA: A Regression Discontinuity Approach
Authors: Curs Bradley R. , Harper Casandra E.
Published: June 2012

Using a regression discontinuity design, we investigate whether a merit-based financial aid program has a causal effect on the first-year grade point average of first-time out-of-state freshmen at the University of Oregon. Our results indicate that merit-based financial aid has a positive and significant effect on first-year collegiate grade point average. Further, we find that this positive relationship between financial aid and grade point average exists for both low-income students and students of color.
Opium Use and Romantic Women's Poetry
Authors: Freeman Hannah Cowles
Published: June 2012

The Romantic women poets discussed in this essay represent a larger cultural phenomenon where mothers and wives used opium on a regular basis for its medicinal purposes, demystifying its administration and its effects on the body. The opium poems written by women writers offer a counter discourse to the traditional opium canon—texts written by Coleridge, de Quincy, and in the late century, Wilde—which orientalize and exoticize its use. In sharp contrast, Maria Logan's "To Opium," Henrietta O'Neill's "Ode to the Poppy," Anna Seward's "To the Poppy," and Sara Coleridge's "Poppies," incorporate opium use into the domestic hearth, its medicinal effects aiding in their wifely and motherly duties. The odes to opium demonstrate the presence of opium in the middle-class British home, the medicinal dependence on its use, and the longed-for mental escape it provided from the domestic realm. The poets' expressed desire for temporary escape reveals their conflict between familial responsibility, the obligations they have toward children and home, and their desire to dwell, if only temporarily, in an altered state where the pains and pressures of daily living are forgotten.
Can the Subaltern Right Wrongs?: Human Rights and Development in Aravind Adiga's The White Tiger
Authors: Khor Lena
Published: June 2012

Building on Gayatri Spivak's proposal that we destabilize the presupposition in human rights that the rich are destined to right the wrongs of the poor, this article considers one instance of what development efforts for human rights might look like if they were undertaken by the poor. It argues that the story of Balram Halwai, the protagonist in Aravind Adiga's novel The White Tiger , represents one version of a subaltern righting the wrongs of underdevelopment and class inequality in postcolonial India. This version recognizes the problem of underdevelopment, and proposes modernization as the solution even though it comes at a high cost. The article then explores a paradoxical presupposition in a human rights approach to development and equality, namely that it functions according to an ethics of the rich, rather than that of the poor.
Of Course (The Making of Saviours In The Night )
Authors: Boeken Ludi
Published: June 2012

Dutch- Israeli director Ludi Boeken's fascinating and moving account of the making of his film Saviours in the Night . Produced and filmed in Germany and released this spring in the United States, Saviours in the Night recounts the true story of German farmer themselves committed to the Nazi cause during World War II who nevertheless saved their Jewish neighbors from dying in the Holocaust.
Effectiveness and Challenges of an Asian NGO Network for Disaster Reduction and Response
Authors: Izumi Takako , Shaw Rajib
Published: June 2012

Abstract

This paper reviews the role, characteristics, achievements, and challenges of an Asian NGO Network. Ways to overcome challenges are also discussed. The Asian Disaster Reduction and Response Network (ADRRN) is the first Asian and Pacific NGO network that mainly targets national and local NGOs based in the Asia‐Pacific region. The Network has made achievements in advocacy and capacity development in disaster risk reduction and response among local actors based on the unique characteristics of its membership, its organizational structure, and collaboration with international and regional organizations. The Network serves as meeting point and forum for member organizations that share the same objectives and goals. Through the Network, members can gain knowledge and expertise in new topics and enhance their existing skills. Challenges include how to measure the impacts of Network activities and progress of Network members to prove Network effectiveness. It is vital that the Network address these challenges for its sustainability.
A Model of Community Response: Institutional Structures and Effective Disaster Management
Authors: Hughey Erin P. , Bell Heather M.
Published: June 2012

Abstract

What are the institutional structures that influence effective disaster management? Building on earlier work (Hughey 2003, 2008; Hughey and Bell 2011), this paper explores the utility of Hughey's (2003) Model of Community Response to Disaster applied within the context of The Bahamas. The model provides a framework for the systematic review of some of the institutional and social mechanisms that contribute to response quality. The model was applied using data collected on conditions, disaster management processes and structures, and response outcomes before and after the implementation of a national Comprehensive Emergency Management (CEM) system. Results indicate that the model can be successfully applied outside the United States and supports a better understanding of the dynamic relationships between events, institutional and social structures, and disaster management operations. In order to improve consistency and facilitate more robust and comparable results, the development of an accompanying metric is recommended.
Association of the atherogenic index of plasma and oxidative stress status with weight gain during non-complicated pregnancy
Authors: Stefanović Aleksandra , Kotur-Stevuljević Jelena , Vujović Ana , Spasić Slavica , Spasojević-Kalimanovska Vesna , Jelic-Ivanović Zorana , Martinović Jelena , Ardalić Daniela , Mandić-Marković Vesna , Miković Zeljko , Cerović Nikola
Published: June 2012

Background: Pregnancy is a stressful condition linked with altered lipid profile, increased oxidative stress and increased inflammation processes. The purpose of the present study was to determine the associations between those alterations with increased weight gain during pregnancy.

Methods: The atherogenic index of plasma (AIP) and oxidative stress status parameters were determinated in 50 healthy and 172 pregnant women with non-complicated pregnancy. Pregnant women were divided in four groups according to body mass index (BMI) values (BMI quartiles).

Results: Oxidative stress parameters were significantly lower in the control group compared with all the pregnant women quartiles. Unexpectedly, differences in oxidative stress parameters between BMI quartiles groups were not significant. The antioxidant defence parameters remained quite similar in the different BMI quartiles. Weight gain and paraoxonase-1 (PON1) activities were independently associated with increased AIP while weight gain and triglyceride concentration were found to be significant predictors of PON1 activities.

Conclusions: The results of our current study indicate the association of maternal weight gain during pregnancy and altered lipid profile, elevated oxidative stress and changed antioxidative capacity of PON1. Taken together all these facts indicate possible increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) development in later life if the weight gain during pregnancy is excessive.
Step. Rhythmus, Präsenz und Breaks
Authors: Schulze Holger
Published: June 2012

Dieser Beitrag stellt anhand der Praxistheorien (Lehnerer) von drei AutorInnen und TänzerInnen verschiedene tänzerische Schrittpraktiken im Stepptanz, im Tango und im Dubstep bzw. Breakbeat vor – und befragt sie vor dem Hintergrund der Debatte um eine Präsenz- und/oder Sinnkultur (Gumbrecht/Lyotard/Sontag).
Der Fuß als das Affektive
Authors: Suzuki Shoko
Published: June 2012

In der modernen Wissenschaft wurde das Gefühl, vor allem das Körper- bzw. Leibesgefühl, als etwas betrachtet, das im Gegensatz zur Vernunft oder der Kognition steht. Es kann als eine zwischen der Vernunft und der Sinnlichkeit liegende Fähigkeit, aber nicht einfach als Vermittlung von Verstand und Sinnlichkeit erfasst werden wie die Einbildungskraft im Kantschen Sinne. Von alters her ist das japanische mi (身) -Übersetzung von Köper, bzw. Leib, jedoch vielschichtig und steht für das Körper- bzw. Leibesgefühl (Body-Sense), das in den Beziehungen zu anderem steckt, sowie für das Ich in seiner Position in einem gesellschaftlichen Netzwerk. Mi ist der Ort, in dem Sinnlichkeit und Intellekt sich immer schon als eine gemainsame Struktur vollziehen. Aus der Sicht der japanischen Denktradition ist es wichtig, Körper bzw. Leib in der Gesamtheit im Zusammenhag mit der Umwelt zu betrachten. In der zivilisierten Gesellschaft ist es notwendig, die Sensibilität oder die Affektivität der Füße zu aktivieren. Wenn man den Körper im gesamten Zusammenhang begreift, reicht es nicht, über den Fuss nur zugespitzt nachzu denken. Der Fuß ist Teil des gesamten Körpers.
Die Füße des Propheten Mohammed und die Wanderwege ihrer Abdrücke
Authors: Canavas Constantin
Published: June 2012

Die Verehrung der Fußabdrücke des Propheten Mohammed im Islam steht in enger Verbindung sowohl zu Überlieferungen (ḥadīt) als auch zu Praktiken des Volksglaubens. In den muslimischen Gesellschaften liefert Mohammed als vorbildlicher Mensch verschiedene Elemente zur Re-Sakralisierung des Raumes in Verbindung mit seinem Körper. Seine Fußabdrücke eignen sich auf besondere Weise dafür, insbesondere vor dem Hintergrund der Einschränkungen bei der Darstellung der Zentralfigur des Propheten im islamischen religiösen Kontext. Überdies fügen sie sich auf eindrucksvolle Weise in die vorhandene sakrale Ornamentik. Schließlich dienen Fußabdrücke und Abbildungen des Schuhwerks des Propheten Mohammed als Allegorien der räumlichen Expansion des Islam.
Zu Fuß durchs Luftbild: Methoden der künstlerischen Stadterkundung
Authors: Sturm Hendrik
Published: June 2012

Zu einer Vorstellung von Stadtlandschaft gelangt der Betrachter auf verschiedene Weisen, z.B. durch das Studium von Luftbildern und geographischen Karten oder durch ein konkret-körperliches Erleben im Gehen. Verknüpft er beide Methoden – die ein gleichzeitiges Heran- sowie auf Distanzgehen implizieren – so gelangt er zu Erfahrungen, die sich auf humanwissenschaftliche Raumkonzepte beziehen lassen.
Die unerträgliche Schwere des Seins. Der ökologische Fußabdruck als religiöse Kategorie
Authors: Brenner Andreas
Published: June 2012

Der Fuß hat kein gutes Ansehen in der abendländischen Kultur, die in ihrer Himmelsgewandheit das Bodenständige mit Geringschätzung straft. Anders als der Kopf am anderen Ende des Körpers, gilt der Fuß als das am wenigsten vergeistigte und daher unwichtigste Körperteil. Da wir mit den Füßen den Kontakt zur Erde halten, trägt die Fußverachtung auch zu einer Erdvergessenheit bei, ohne welche es zur Klimakatastrophe niemals hätte kommen können. Ausgerechnet in dieser Situation kehrt der Fuß endlich in das Bewusstsein zurück: Als ökologischer Fußabdruck hilft er uns zu ermessen, wieviel wir der Erde antun.
The influence of f-elements' oxidizing potential and ion charge on their stability in aqueous alkaline solution
Authors: Gogolev A. V. , Fedosseev A. M. , Moisy Philippe
Published: June 2012

The data published on values of redox potentials E of heptavalent Np, Pu, Am, Ru and Mn and octavalent Ru and Pu were analyzed. The half-life (τ
1/2) for reduction reactions of heptavalent metal by water in aqueous alkaline solutions was also analyzed. The decrease in the half life stability of actinide in water with the redox potential for 3− charged anions of Np(VII), Pu(VII), and Am(VII) was found. At the same potential, a charge decrease from 3− to 1−reduces the stability approximately two fold.

For the redox couple Pu(VIII)/Pu(VII), the estimated value is E > 1.15  V/NHE. If Pu(VIII) existed as PuO4, it would be very unstable (τ
1/2 ≈  × 102 s) in 1 M NaOH. For the anionic forms of Pu(VIII), PuO4(OH)2
2− and PuO6
4−, the half life was estimated to be very low (τ
1/2 < 1 s).
Sprachliche und andere Grenzfälle – Identitätskritik in Stevan Sremac’ Pop Ćira i pop Spira
Authors: Zink Andrea
Published: June 2012

Stevan Sremac’s 1898 novel about the two priests Ćira and Spira in the Vojvodina represents an all-embracing, tongue-in-cheek deconstruction of national, social and gender identities. What initially promises to be a story about two (male) clerics appears on closer inspection to be a book about their wives and daughters. The tale is presented by a narrator whose manner of speech is likewise inspired by ‘women’s gossip’ and which appears feminised throughout. Contamination takes place on a national as well as a sexual level. The Serbian language – as a sign of its speakers’ desire for social advancement – is corrupted by countless Germanisms. Nothing appears intact or pure; Sremac’s characters challenge boundaries of every kind and can themselves be described as occupying positions on the borderline of individual, social and aesthetic integrity. Above all, this diagnosis applies to the novel as a – highly unstable – unity. An important role is played here by the ‘printing errors’ with which the author explicitly embellishes his text.
MANAGEMENT OF ENDOCRINE DISEASE: The burden of Cushing's disease: clinical and health-related quality of life aspects
Authors: Feelders R A , Pulgar S J , Kempel A , Pereira A M
Published: June 2012

Objective

Cushing's disease (CD) is a rare endocrine disorder characterized by excess secretion of ACTH due to a pituitary adenoma. Current treatment options are limited and may pose additional risks. A literature review was conducted to assess the holistic burden of CD.

Design

Studies published in English were evaluated to address questions regarding the epidemiology of CD, time to diagnosis, health-related quality of life (HRQoL), treatment outcomes, mortality, prevalence of comorbidities at diagnosis, and reversibility of comorbidities following the treatment.

Methods

A two-stage literature search was performed in Medline, EMBASE, and Science Citation Index, using keywords related to the epidemiology, treatment, and outcomes of CD: i) articles published from 2000 to 2012 were identified and ii) an additional hand search (all years) was conducted on the basis of bibliography of identified articles.

Results

At the time of diagnosis, 58–85% of patients have hypertension, 32–41% are obese, 20–47% have diabetes mellitus, 50–81% have major depression, 31–50% have osteoporosis, and 38–71% have dyslipidemia. Remission rates following transsphenoidal surgery (TSS) are high when performed by expert pituitary surgeons (rates of 65–90%), but the potential for relapse remains (rates of 5–36%). Although some complications can be partially reversed, time to reversal can take years. The HRQoL of patients with CD also remains severely compromised after remission.

Conclusions

These findings highlight the significant burden associated with CD. As current treatment options may not fully reverse the burden of chronic hypercortisolism, there is a need for both improved diagnostic tools to reduce the time to diagnosis and effective therapy, particularly a targeted medical therapy.
Iodine intake and prevalence of thyroid autoimmunity and autoimmune thyroiditis in children and adolescents aged between 1 and 16 years
Authors: García-García Emilio , Vázquez-López María Ángeles , García-Fuentes Eduardo , Rodríguez-Sánchez Firma Isabel , Muñoz Francisco Javier , Bonillo-Perales Antonio , Soriguer Federico
Published: June 2012

Objectives

To determine the status of iodine nutrition in children and adolescents in Almería, Spain. To calculate prevalence of thyroid autoimmunity (TA) and autoimmune thyroiditis (AT) in pediatric ages and to research into associated factors.

Methods

Cross-sectional epidemiological study. By a multistage probability sampling 1387 children and adolescents aged between 1 and 16 were selected. Physical examination was carried out including neck palpation. Parents were asked about eating habits as well as about social and demographic aspects. Urinary iodine, free thyroxine, TSH, antiperoxidase and antithyroglobulin antibodies were measured. TA was diagnosed when any antibody was positive and AT when autoimmunity was associated with impaired thyroid function or goitre. Results are shown using percentages (and its 95% confidence interval). To study associated factors we used multiple logistic regression, quantifying the relation with odds ratio (OR), and multiple lineal regression.

Results

Median urinary iodine concentration was 199.5 μg/l. The prevalences of TA and AT were 3.7% (2.4–5.0) and 1.4% (0.4–2.4). TA is associated with female sex (OR 2.78;P<0.001) and age (OR 1.30;P<0.001). Iodine status is associated with the intake of milk and dairy product (P<0.001) and vegetable (P=0.021) but not with use of iodized salt at home (P=0.1).

Conclusions

The iodine supply in children and adolescents in our city is optimal. Milk and dairy products are the most important iodine sources. TA and AT are prevalent in pediatric ages in our city mainly in females and older subjects.
MicroRNA expression profile helps to distinguish benign nodules from papillary thyroid carcinomas starting from cells of fine-needle aspiration
Authors: Agretti Patrizia , Ferrarini Eleonora , Rago Teresa , Candelieri Antonio , De Marco Giuseppina , Dimida Antonio , Niccolai Filippo , Molinaro Angelo , Di Coscio Giancarlo , Pinchera Aldo , Vitti Paolo , Tonacchera Massimo
Published: June 2012

Objective

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small endogenous noncoding RNAs that pair with target messengers regulating gene expression. Changes in miRNA levels occur in thyroid cancer. Fine-needle aspiration (FNA) with cytological evaluation is the most reliable tool for malignancy prediction in thyroid nodules, but cytological diagnosis remains undetermined for 20% of nodules.

Design

In this study, we evaluated the expression of seven miRNAs in benign nodules, papillary thyroid carcinomas (PTCs), and undetermined nodules at FNA.

Methods

The prospective study included 141 samples obtained by FNA of thyroid nodules from 138 patients. miRNA expression was evaluated by quantitative RT-PCR and statistical analysis of data was performed. Genetic analysis of codon 600 of BRAF gene was also performed.

Results

Using data mining techniques, we obtained a criterion to classify a nodule as benign or malignant on the basis of miRNA expression. The decision model based on the expression of miR-146b, miR-155, and miR-221 was valid for 86/88 nodules with determined cytology (97.73%), and adopting cross-validation techniques we obtained a reliability of 78.41%. The prediction was valid for 31/53 undetermined nodules with 16 false-positive and six false-negative predictions. The mutated form V600E of BRAF gene was demonstrated in 19/43 PTCs and in 1/53 undetermined nodules.

Conclusions

The expression profiles of three miRNAs allowed us to distinguish benign from PTC starting from FNA. When the assay was applied to discriminate thyroid nodules with undetermined cytology, a low sensitivity and specificity despite the low number of false-negative predictions was obtained, limiting the practical interest of the method.
Protein phosphatase 1 regulatory subunit 12A and catalytic subunit δ, new members in the phosphatidylinositide 3 kinase insulin-signaling pathway
Authors: Geetha Thangiah , Langlais Paul , Caruso Michael , Yi Zhengping
Published: June 2012

Skeletal muscle insulin resistance is an early abnormality in individuals with metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes (T2D). Insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS1) plays a key role in insulin signaling, the function of which is regulated by both phosphorylation and dephosphorylation of tyrosine and serine/threonine residues. Numerous studies have focused on kinases in IRS1 phosphorylation and insulin resistance; however, the mechanism for serine/threonine phosphatase action in insulin signaling is largely unknown. Recently, we identified protein phosphatase 1 (PP1) regulatory subunit 12A (PPP1R12A) as a novel endogenous insulin-stimulated interaction partner of IRS1 in L6 myotubes. The current study was undertaken to better understand PPP1R12A's role in insulin signaling. Insulin stimulation promoted an interaction between the IRS1/p85 complex and PPP1R12A; however, p85 and PPP1R12A did not interact independent of IRS1. Moreover, kinase inhibition experiments indicated that insulin-induced interaction between IRS1 and PPP1R12A was reduced by treatment with inhibitors of phosphatidylinositide 3 kinase, PDK1, Akt, and mTOR/raptor but not MAPK. Furthermore, a novel insulin-stimulated IRS1 interaction partner, PP1 catalytic subunit (PP1cδ), was identified, and its interaction with IRS1 was also disrupted by inhibitors of Akt and mTOR/raptor. These results indicate that PPP1R12A and PP1cδ are new members of the insulin-stimulated IRS1 signaling complex, and the interaction of PPP1R12A and PP1cδ with IRS1 is dependent on Akt and mTOR/raptor activation. These findings provide evidence for the involvement of a particular PP1 complex, PPP1R12A/PP1cδ, in insulin signaling and may lead to a better understanding of dysregulated IRS1 phosphorylation in insulin resistance and T2D.
β1 Adrenergic receptor is key to cold- and diet-induced thermogenesis in mice
Authors: Ueta Cintia B , Fernandes Gustavo W , Capelo Luciane P , Fonseca Tatiane L , Maculan Flávia D'Angelo , Gouveia Cecilia H A , Brum Patrícia C , Christoffolete Marcelo A , Aoki Marcelo S , Lancellotti Carmen L , Kim Brian , Bianco Antonio C , Ribeiro Miriam O
Published: June 2012

Brown adipose tissue (BAT) is predominantly regulated by the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) and the adrenergic receptor signaling pathway. Knowing that a mouse with triple β-receptor knockout (KO) is cold intolerant and obese, we evaluated the independent role played by the β1isoform in energy homeostasis. First, the 30 min i.v. infusion of norepinephrine (NE) or the β1selective agonist dobutamine (DB) resulted in similar interscapular BAT (iBAT) thermal response in WT mice. Secondly, mice with targeted disruption of the β1gene (KO of β1adrenergic receptor (β1KO)) developed hypothermia during cold exposure and exhibited decreased iBAT thermal response to NE or DB infusion. Thirdly, when placed on a high-fat diet (HFD; 40% fat) for 5 weeks, β1KO mice were more susceptible to obesity than WT controls and failed to develop diet-induced thermogenesis as assessed by BATUcp1mRNA levels and oxygen consumption. Furthermore, β1KO mice exhibited fasting hyperglycemia and more intense glucose intolerance, hypercholesterolemia, and hypertriglyceridemia when placed on the HFD, developing marked non-alcoholic steatohepatitis. In conclusion, the β1signaling pathway mediates most of the SNS stimulation of adaptive thermogenesis.
‘Brown Sugar’
Authors: Sunderland Jane
Published: June 2012

Advertisements are a key site for gender and language study, many ads constructing relationships between femininity and consumption, and gender relations of a (hetero) sexual nature. In this paper I look in a qualitative way at how two ads in the form of ‘tiny texts’ indirectly index gender inflected with both ethnicity and sexuality. Printed on sugar tubes found in a café in modern urban Botswana, one of these ads shows a black woman, the other a white woman. I adopt a feminist discourse analytic approach to argue that the many lexical and other intertextual associations of ‘sugar’ and ‘sweetness’ in relation to women and sex function to sexualise the black woman (in particular), and that these in turn intertextually sexualise the white woman in ways which index women’s ‘availability’ within an overall discourse of multiculturalism and social liberalisation.
Gender and language in African contexts
Authors: Editors The
Published: June 2012

The editors of this Special Issue have compiled this working bibliography in an eff ort to address the lack of such documents (but see Dubbeld et al. (2002), below, on work from South Africa) for colleagues who carry out research in this area. It includes work which focuses on gender and/or sexuality and Africa (not only sub-Saharan Africa) with a linguistic, discourse or literacy focus (but excludes the large body of work on literature). It includes publications of all kinds, including that on websites, and also unpublished PhD theses. It does not include MA theses. We do not claim that it is comprehensive, rather we view it as a working document which will be expanded by further relevant work. We welcome suggestions for further items to include (please send to j.sunderland@lancaster.ac.uk). Updated versions of this document will appear on the following website: http://www.lancs.ac.uk/fass/doc_library/linguistics/sunderland/Bib-Gender-and-Language-in-African-Contexts.pdf
The days of our lives
Authors: Queen Robin
Published: June 2012

In this article, I discuss the results of a small case study of one daytime serial drama in the United States and show that it links the macro-social category of gender to desire for upward social mobility through the use of linguistic tropes that conventionally index both gender and social class. This connection is critical to the more general commercial imperative inherent in the daytime drama to connect consumers with advertised products. In the case of this daytime drama, male characters are shown to disrupt stereotypical norms of masculinity at least in part through a sociolinguistic package that includes linguistic strategies stereotypically associated with upward social mobility and wealthy lifestyles. In so doing, male characters become critical to the entailment of wealth and social privilege as normative values while female characters reinforce the same normativity through their own sociolinguistic patterns.
‘You know how men are’
Authors: Stokoe Elizabeth
Published: June 2012

Th is paper contributes to the development of membership categorization and conversation analysis and, in turn, to their contribution to the gender and language field. Specifically, it shows how speakers invoke, produce, propose and sustain commonsense knowledge about gender categories. Drawing on a variety of spoken and written interactional settings, detailed analyses of a categorial practice are presented, which comprises three design features: description (e.g. ‘he offered me a lift’), categorization (e.g. ‘typical guy response’) and a common knowledge component (e.g. ‘y’know’). The analysis shows how these features are produced by one or more speakers, within or across a sequence of turns in particular action-oriented environments, and how they work to formulate idiomatic-style phrases that ‘package’ cultural knowledge (e.g. ‘that’s lads for you’). The analysis therefore reveals ‘what counts’ as gendered behaviour, through the activities and predicates that get tied, in situ, to gender categories. Through this categorial practice, speakers invite recipients to display recognition of, proffer as shared, collaboratively develop, challenge or resist the construction of a culture’s gender categories.
Constructing hegemonic masculinities in South Africa
Authors: Luyt Russell
Published: June 2012

This paper considers how local and regional representations of hegemonic masculinity are (re)produced, and how men’s gender identities are constituted through situated interaction in South Africa. It points toward the important role played by the discourse and rhetoric of heteronormativity among these men in hegemonic sense-making, and in particular, the underlying discursive practices of performative/intimate (hetero)sexuality and homosexual rejection/acceptance. An attempt is made to account for complexity and diversity in this sense-making across intersecting social categories such as ethnicity and social class. Focus group discussion among Afrikaans, English and Xhosa men was transcribed and backtranslated where necessary. A technique of discourse analysis that considers the rhetorical aspects of text is developed through the introduction of norm-referencing rhetorical devices. Findings highlight the extent to which practices of both compliance and resistance contribute toward the (re)production of masculinities.
Cross-contamination of distributed drinking water as the cause of waterborne outbreaks in Armenia 1992–2010
Authors: Anakhasyan Emma , Hoeser Christoph , Stenström Thor Axel , Kistemann Thomas
Published: June 2012

Investigations and established causal relationship of waterborne outbreaks (WOs) from developing countries and countries in transition are sparse and mainly centered on agents, such as from Vibrio cholera and Shigella dysenteriae. Information, however, prevails in countries like Armenia with an epidemiological system in place. Groundwater is the main drinking water source (96%); water is delivered intermittently 12–14 hours per day. In 2005 about 7% of all infant deaths were attributed to intestinal infectious diseases. Recorded information on WOs and supply systems (1992–2010) was obtained from published official sources, from ‘gray-literature reports’, primary data collection from statistical records and through personal communication. Epidemiological descriptive analysis was made and Geographical Information System (GIS) applied for results visualization. In-depth outbreak analysis was conducted on selected cases. Overall, 104 WOs caused by different etiological agents were revealed. The main drinking water source in areas where outbreaks occurred was the centralized water supplies (69.2%) based on GIS mapping. The major cause of outbreaks was the cross-contamination of drinking-water distribution by wastewater. In Armenia the main areas to be addressed for the future are: service quality, source protection, delivery interruption and subsequent microbial contamination.
User perceptions of participatory planning in urban environmental sanitation
Authors: Lüthi Christoph , Kraemer Silvie
Published: June 2012

This paper aims to contribute to the growing body of literature on evaluation of community participation in the water and sanitation sector. The first part discusses the conceptual underpinnings of participatory approaches. The paper then analyses stakeholder perceptions about the Household-centred Environmental Sanitation (HCES) approach, a participatory planning approach recently validated in two countries: Lao People's Democratic Republic (PDR) and Nepal. Post intervention surveys were conducted with experts and key informants in both countries to assess satisfaction regarding degree of participation, effectiveness of planning outcomes and process efficiency of the participatory planning process. It specifically looks at the variability in people's perceptions about the costs and benefits of community participation. Empirical findings show that experts and participants show high satisfaction rates regarding involvement in decision making. The earlier and stronger residents were involved in the process, the higher the satisfaction rate. In a second part, the main findings of expert interviews are contrasted with the perceptions of the community at large which participated in the participatory planning process. A better understanding of community participation in urban settings is needed regarding skills, motivation, time, and defining the right levels of participation.
Assessment of social acceptance and scope of scaling up urine diversion dehydration toilets in Kenya
Authors: Uddin S. M. N. , Muhandiki V. S. , Fukuda J. , Nakamura M. , Sakai A.
Published: June 2012

A urine diversion dehydration toilet (UDDT) is a kind of toilet which can be used to recover resources such as nutrients and can also be an option to improve the sanitary situation in low income countries. A structured questionnaire survey, key informant interviews, participatory approaches such as focus group discussion (FGD) and mass gathering were carried out in Kenya to assess social acceptance and scope of scaling up of UDDTs. The results showed that almost all respondents among UDDT users and non-users have overcome social and cultural barriers to accept UDDTs. Most UDDT users were applying UDDT products as fertilizers on their farms. It is recommended to promote coordination and networking of local community based organizations in order to replicate UDDTs.
Political participation and civic engagement: Towards a new typology
Authors: Ekman Joakim , Amnå Erik
Published: June 2012

Reviewing the literature on political participation and civic engagement, the article offers a critical examination of different conceptual frameworks. Drawing on previous definitions and operationalisations, a new typology for political participation and civic engagement is developed, highlighting the multidimensionality of both concepts. In particular, it makes a clear distinction between manifest “political participation” (including formal political behaviour as well as protest or extra-parliamentary political action) and less direct or “latent” forms of participation, conceptualized here as “civic engagement” and “social involvement”. The article argues that the notion of “latent” forms of participation is crucial to understand new forms of political behaviour and the prospects for political participation in different countries. Due to these innovations it contributes to a much-needed theoretical development within the literature on political participation and citizen engagement.
The facebook and Twitter revolutions: Active participation in the 21st century
Authors: Passini Stefano
Published: June 2012

In the past few years, a wave of protest has spread across the world. The particularity of these uprisings lies in the way the Internet is used to support them. Scholars have analyzed these movements as being closely related to a generation that relies on the Internet as a means of organizing themselves as a force of social change. That is, the Internet is seen as a way of promoting the active participation of young people in political issues. Public opinion and the mass media hail the Arab Spring revolutions as movements beneficial to the democratization of oppressive regimes. By contrast, when disobedient movements emerge in democratic countries, they are generally more cautious in evaluating these movements as enriching democracy. This cautious opinion also concerns the use of social media. In this article, the so-called Twitter revolutions are discussed in light of the theories of social psychology that analyze the relationship between disobedience and democracy.
Learning as a precondition of migrants’ interest and engagement
Authors: Morasso Sara
Published: June 2012

This paper considers the complex relation between migrants’ interest in their host country and their consequent civic or social engagement in the framework of processes of transition following the rupture of international migration (cf. Zittoun 2006). In phases of transition, migrants live processes of identity definition, sense-making of the situation and learning new knowledge and social, cognitive and practical skills. I argue that learning may be considered a precondition for a migrant’s interest and engagement with the host country culture and institutions. In this connection, I use Eade’s (2007) notion of migration strategy to describe migrant profiles based on learning. My case is supported by a qualitative analysis of two paradigmatic case studies
Politicians as cultural selectors: Favouring or discouraging youth participation
Authors: Boffi Marco
Published: June 2012

An evolutionary perspective can be applied to the analysis of cultural phenomena to describe how inheritance mechanisms can account for the development of cultural traits in a given environment. This paper aims to describe the psychosocial functioning of the political system from this perspective, focusing on the role of politicians as cultural selectors. As they are in charge of legislation, politicians have a key role in steering the evolution of cultural norms. In particular they play a leading part in determining access to traditional forms of participation, such as parties. We interviewed a panel of political experts to explore the selective mechanisms shaping the Italian political system. The results show that co-option is the main method of selecting new members for parties, with the aim of keeping power within well-established structures. The specific features of the Italian political environment explain its decreasing ability to attract young activists.
Citizenship as given or taken? Meanings and practices among majority and minority youth
Authors: Petrovičová Zuzana , Šerek Jan , Porubanová Michaela , Macek Petr
Published: June 2012

Present study sheds more light on the conceptualization of citizenship and civic engagement among majority and minority youth. In order to understand the meanings of citizenship, fourteen focus groups were conducted with young people aged 16–26, with both civically engaged and disengaged young ethnic Czechs, Roma, and Ukrainians. Results suggest that young people understand the citizenship as having multiple dimensions (legal and personal, and in terms of rights and responsibilities) and civic engagement as being focused on various aspects. The way people described their position within society was influenced by the social background and mirrored in the views on full citizenship.
Perceived effectiveness of conventional, non-conventional and civic forms of participation among minority and majority youth
Authors: Pachi Dimitra , Barrett Martyn
Published: June 2012

The existing literature on political and civic participation has tended to neglect individuals’ judgements about the effectiveness of specific forms of participation, focusing instead on the role of internal, external and collective efficacy in driving levels of participation. The present study examined young people’s judgements of the effectiveness of specific forms of conventional, non-conventional and civic participation and the reasons which are given for these judgements. Fourteen focus groups were conducted with English, Bangladeshi and Congolese young people aged between 16 and 26 years old living in Greater London. The findings revealed differences in judgements of the effectiveness of action across ethnic groups, and differences in the specific reasons that are given for judgements of effectiveness as a function of ethnicity, gender and age. It is argued that greater attention needs to be paid to subgroups formed by the intersection of ethnicity, gender and age in order to understand young people’s participatory attitudes and behaviours.