bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Hybrid layered manufacturing: Direct rapid metal tool-making process
Authors: Karunakaran K P , Sreenathbabu A , Pushpa V
Published: April 2011

The fabrication method for direct metallic tools presented here combines synergic gas metal arc welding and computer numerical control (CNC) machining processes in order to exploit the benefits of both while avoiding their limitations. A programmable logic controller (PLC)-based low-cost three-axis manipulator is fabricated with a stepper motor driver in open-loop control. The tool head will hold the welding torch and milling cutter. At any time, either milling or welding will take place; for that the welding gun can be moved up and down with a pneumatic operation. The welding parameters such as current, voltage and arc length are controlled externally. The framework also consists of a software program which uses the zeroth-order edge approximation uniform slicing strategy to calculate each slice thickness to be deposited with the required metal as successive layers from lower to topmost layer with the welding process. Further it generates the required CNC code for machining from the top to bottom layer direction of the deposited metallic layers to attain the required contour profile shape with user specified accuracy. By attaining this cutting edge technology the manufacturers find metallic rapid prototyping to be the technique for the future.
Three-dimensional modelling of forging processes by the finite element flow formulation
Authors: Alves M L , Rodrigues J M C , Martins P A F
Published: April 2011

This paper draws from the fundamentals of the finite element flow formulation to obtain aspects of computer implementation and modelling of industrial forging processes. Emphasis is given to a wide range of theoretical and numerical subjects such as selection of elements, solution procedures, contact algorithms, elastic analysis of tooling and interaction between two- and three-dimensional finite element models. New algorithms are proposed for the elastic analysis of tooling and for transferring history-dependent scalar and tensorial quantities from axisymmetric into full three-dimensional mesh system.

The overall presentation is illustrated with the numerical modelling of two cold forging operations. Theoretical predictions obtained from the closed-die forging of a spider part (with predominantly complex three-dimensional material flow) are validated against experimental measurements obtained from laboratory-controlled manufacturing conditions. Assessment is provided in terms of material flow, geometrical profile, effective strain distribution and forging load. The latter is employed for illustrating the proposed methodology for performing the elastic analysis of tooling.

The usefulness and efficiency of the algorithm for combining two- and three-dimensional finite element models is demonstrated by the numerical modelling of a typical multistage forging sequence utilized in the production of a Phillips-head screw.
On-line monitoring of drilling torques of microdrills
Authors: Yang Z , Tan Q , Shiju E
Published: April 2011

The present work monitors on line the drilling torques of microdrills. To carry out the drilling experiment, 50 microdrills of 0.34 mm diameter were used, and the drilling torques were measured when the microdrills broke. The distribution of the drilling torques was found by curve fitting the measurement data. Then, from reliability theory, the torques with respect to different reliabilities at which microdrills do not break can be obtained using the distribution. Finally, the threshold value for the on-line monitoring is determined from the reliability to prevent microdrills from breaking and to increase microdrill availability.
Contactless electrostatic handling of microcomponents
Authors: Biganzoli F , Fantoni G
Published: April 2011

Microdevices are every day becoming more sophisticated and flexible. Common manufacturing techniques based on semiconductor technology do not fully meet the requirements brought up by the development of new applications or the necessity of increased performances in actual systems. In order to obtain three-dimensional structures with high mechanical properties, new manufacturing approaches based on the exploitation of different materials are necessary and the assembly of these microparts becomes a key issue to solve. In the assembly process, because of the low mass of the microcomponents, adhesive forces (surface tension, van der Waals and electrostatic attraction) cause the component to stick, with the gripper making the releasing phase very complex. Therefore microassembly requires new handling techniques such as, for example, electrostatic contactless handling, which appears to be very promising. Through a comparative analysis between theoretical results and simulations, the electrostatic forces on which the alignment and movement of microparts is based have been estimated and a demonstrative device has been designed and tested. In this paper electrostatic contactless handling is discussed, the developed prototype is presented and the feasibility of the transportation and positioning of mini- and micro-objects (as predicted by theory) is demonstrated through a set of experiments.
Using domain machines to support manufacturing software system implementation
Authors: Edwards J , Coutts I
Published: April 2011

Manufacturing enterprises are underpinned by complex software systems. Although built to improve efficency, they can become the single most inflexible part of an enterprise. This paper describes an approach to manufacturing software system creation which is designed to simplify system build and subsequent modification. It is based on the notion that raising the level of the computing infrastructure can remove the need to transform clear design abstractions into programming language constructs which prove difficult to maintain.

The paper proposes a general framework for domain machines followed by details of the technologies used to populate the framework to create a manufacturing domain machine that supports component action, interaction and behaviour. Both Prolog and Predicate Action Petri Nets are used within the implementation, combined with general purpose programming technologies.
Manufacturing errors modelling: Two three-dimensional approaches
Authors: Legoff O , Tichadou S , Hascoët J-Y
Published: April 2011

In the context of manufacturing tolerancing, this paper presents two approaches of three-dimensional machining simulation. The first one uses a computer aided design (CAD) model to extract geometrical data needed by the small displacement torsor model of manufacturing errors. The second one uses a CAD/CAM (computer aided manufacturing) system to virtually manufacture the part by integrating the manufacturing errors.
The application of a knowledge-based clustering algorithm as an aid to probe selection and inspection process planning
Authors: Ajmal A , Zhang S G
Published: April 2011

This paper outlines the development of a clustering algorithm used for inspection planning which allows each inspection feature to be inspected at a designated cell. This is achieved by grouping (a) inspection features into feature families and (b) probe orientations into probe cells. This would result in minimal probe calibration errors and part installation errors for the relative tolerance features. This procedure would reduce the time for probe exchange and reinstallation of parts. An incidence matrix representation has been developed to represent the relationship between inspection features and their relative probe orientations. The incidence matrix which is used for grouping feature families and probe cells are similar in function to the concept of group technology (GT) as used in machine cell formation. The knowledge-based clustering algorithm possesses the flexibility for consideration of multiple constraints for grouping probe cells and feature families. The application of the developed clustering algorithm satisfies the requirement of the inspection feature grouping and provides efficiency and effectiveness in probe selection and inspection process planning for coordinate measuring machines (CMMs).
Implementing the IAPWS Industrial Formulation 1997 for thermodynamic properties of water and steam in Mathcad
Authors: Gibbins J
Published: April 2011

A Mathcad™ implementation of the 1997 IAPWS Industrial Formulation for steam and water properties is described. Routines are easily encoded in this environment, execute quickly and accurately, and can accept any thermodynamic units for input and output. They can be used for a wide range of thermodynamic calculations in Mathcad and can also be linked to Excel spreadsheets. Consistent steam tables and enthalpy—entropy (Mollier) diagrams for manual calculations have been produced by exporting data from Mathcad to Excel and Stanford Graphics for formatting and printing.
Selection of a steam generator pressure control program for a 500 MWe pressurized heavy water reactor power plant through transient analysis
Authors: Gaikwad A. J. , Kumar R , Vhora S. F. , Chakraborty G , Raj V. V.
Published: April 2011

A personal computer based 500 MWe pressurized heavy water reactor (PHWR) power plant transient analysis code has been developed for analysing plant operational transients, for sorting out design issues and for taking decisions on new operating procedures and safety-related transient events. This code is based on the coupled solution of the conservation equations of mass, momentum and energy and the equation of the fluid state for simulation of process transients/dynamics. It includes mathematical models for all the major equipment/subsystems, i.e. the reactor core heat transfer, steam generators (SGs), surge tank (pressurizer), bleed condenser, etc., of the 500 MWe PHWR power plant. All the associated control systems on the primary and secondary sides are also incorporated. These codes are also validated against the available plant data. This code was also used to resolve the issues related to SG pressure control program selection. Two fundamental types of SG pressure control program are available for nuclear power plants, i.e. the constant boiler pressure program (CBPP) and the variable boiler pressure program (VBPP) for power manoeuvring from zero to 100 per cent of full power (FP), and vice versa. With CBPP the secondary steam cycle design and operation are simplified, at the cost of more load on the primary heat transport (PHT) pressure control system, whereas VBPP reduces the load on the PHT pressure controller. Parametric studies were carried out by taking into account the reactor trip, turbine trip and the IRV sizing design basis transient for comparison of these SG pressure control programs, i.e. (1) the earlier old design VBPP with constant PHT temperature 25 per cent of FP onwards, (2) CBPP and (3) VBPP similar to the 220 MWe PHWR SGPC program. After examining the two extremes in cases 1 and 2, the third scheme similar to the 220 MWe boiler pressure control (BPC) program was found to be most suitable. Schemes 2 and 3 put more load on the PHT pressure control and make use of the capacities enhanced by the pressurizer. The dip in the pressurizer level is acceptable in the CBPP, i.e. in the second case also. All the pros and cons of the selection of a BPC program were clearly quantified and resolved by considering a wide range of transients. All the related transient studies are discussed in this paper.
Numbers in assimilation research
Authors: Osatuke Katerine , Stiles William B.
Published: April 2011

We describe the assimilation model, a developmental theory of psychological change that focuses on interpretive study of people’s experience in therapy. Assimilation research relies on methods that are simultaneously interpretive and quantitative, and uses them in mutually complementary ways. We explain how quantitative techniques have been useful in research on the model. We give examples of numeric techniques and their uses in specific studies that included helping establish reliability of interpretive accounts of clients’ change, investigating substantive issues of theoretical interest, testing hypotheses about the model, and formulating clinical implications of assimilation concepts. These procedures quantify our understanding of people’s subjective experience of change in therapy and rely on contextual interpretation of meanings. These examples illustrate and advocate the use of numeric properties for the purposes of contextual interpretive inquiry.
Numbers and interpretations: What is at stake in our ways of knowing?
Authors: Marecek Jeanne
Published: April 2011

This article reflects on a set of target articles concerned with the use of quantitative procedures in interpretive research. The authors of those articles (Osatuke & Stiles; Westerman; and Yanchar) discuss ways that numerical procedures can be brought into interpretive studies, using illustrations from research programs on psychotherapy process, schools, law courts, and work life. Instead of the usual quantitative—qualitative distinction, I use Geertz’s distinction between experimental science and interpretive science and Kidder and Fine’s distinction between Big-Q and small-q research to reflect on several procedural and epistemological differences among target papers. The diversity of approaches under the umbrella of qualitative methods is described, along with some recent developments. Even though US psychology continues to mount stiff resistance against incorporating interpretive approaches into its knowledge-producing practices, such approaches are flowering in other parts of the world.
Conversation analysis and interpretive quantitative research on psychotherapy process and problematic interpersonal behavior
Authors: Westerman Michael A.
Published: April 2011

In this article, I examine conversation analysis, a fruitful area of qualitative research, in order to extend my prior explorations of the idea that quantitative methods can and should be part of the repertoire of interpretive approaches employed by investigators committed to treating psychological phenomena as irreducibly meaningful. My examination includes considering several lines of research by investigators who are not practitioners of conversation analysis in which quantitative methods were employed to study patient behavior in psychotherapy and defensive behavior more generally. These lines of inquiry show that (a) quantitative research methods have a good deal to offer practitioners of conversation analysis as they endeavor to advance our understanding of the organization of interactions, and (b) we can employ quantitative methods and continue to embrace a commitment to interpretive inquiry. I also offer a critique of fundamental methodological precepts associated with conversation analysis, which differ notably from the precepts guiding most qualitative research efforts in psychology. In a fascinating twist, these precepts, which include discomfort with interpretive research procedures, have resulted in limitations in very recent attempts by some practitioners of conversation analysis to employ quantitative methods in their investigations.
Interventional radiology in pelvic trauma
Authors: Jones Robert G
Published: April 2011

Blunt pelvic trauma is commonly encountered in major trauma centers. Associated injuries are common but mortality related to pelvic fractures alone when associated with haemodynamic instability is not insignificant. Interventional radiology (IR) can provide rapid cessation of haemorrhage if considered early in patient management and there is a vast amount of evidence in support of IR in this setting. Early identification of patients who are likely to benefit from angiography and embolisation is of paramount importance and demands a multidisciplinary approach to provide the patient with the best chance of survival. This article reviews the evidence for IR in this setting and discusses the techniques available.
Managing impartiality in French tourist offices: Responses to recommendation-seeking questions
Authors: Chevalier Fabienne H.G.
Published: April 2011

This article examines the ways in which French tourist officers manage impartiality in telephone calls when faced with recommendation-seeking questions (RSQs). Using Conversation Analysis and drawing on a corpus of 700+ telephone calls, it shows that, by typically avoiding conforming responses, officers resist confirming the evaluative element embodied in RSQs and, thus, avoid making recommendations. Instead, they opt to treat the questions as unanswerable in their own terms, a practice that may be deployed on its own or in conjunction with other practices such as supplying information that will assist callers in making their choices and/or constructing responses as contingent. Further, officers typically do not decline to make recommendations on institutional grounds and, through their choices of interactional practices, obscure the institutional restrictions under which they operate. Thus, the selection of nonconforming responses by tourist officers is shown to contribute to the maintenance of an impartial stance. Finally, the article addresses the notions of affiliation and alignment and shows that nonconforming responses are less disaffiliative than outright rejections.
Language problem or language conflict? Narratives of immigrant women’s experiences in the US
Authors: De Fina Anna , King Kendall A.
Published: April 2011

This article investigates how Latin American women who migrate to the US frame their language experiences through narratives told in sociolinguistic interviews. As narratives reflect and shape social realities and relationships, narrative analysis can illuminate how individuals position themselves relative to language obstacles and ideologies, thus providing insights into processes that are central to the migration experiences of millions of individuals. We found that women related two types of stories: language conflict narratives, in which language was presented as part of a broader ethnic or social conflict, and language difficulty narratives, which focused on individual, personal problems with language experienced by protagonists. Our analysis illustrates how interviewers’ questions, and the interviewees’ language conflict narratives in particular, confirm, reproduce, but also contest central language ideologies and dominant discourses about migration in the US.
Making claims and counterclaims through factuality: The uses of Mandarin Chinese qishi (‘actually’) and shishishang (‘in fact’) in institutional settings
Authors: Wang Yu-Fang , Goodman David , Chen Shih-Yao , Hsiao Yi-Hsuan
Published: April 2011

The study reported here, building on the research methods of Conversation Analysis (Sacks et al., 1974), Politeness Theory (Brown and Levinson, 1987), and Relevance Theory (Sperber and Wilson, 1986/1995), attempts to examine the distribution of Mandarin qishi (‘actually’) and shishishang (‘in fact’) across two different discourse modes in formal speech settings: formal lectures and TV panel news discussions. The results indicate that qishi is prevalent in TV panel news discussion data, which fall into the interactional mode, whereas shishishang is more prevalent in formal speech data, which fall into the transactional mode. The study shows that in interaction, qishi is addressee-oriented and signals alignment (agreement) or divergence (disagreement), whereas shishishang is message-oriented and asserts a proposition with a tone of certainty. In addition, the study suggests that although the literal meanings of qishi (‘it’s fact’) and shishishang (‘in the aspect of fact’), which are concerned with factuality, are seemingly unrelated to emotive expressivity, they offer a rhetorical strategy for expressing the speaker’s attitudinal position, and can both serve to indicate the speaker’s epistemic inference.
Potential of inertial instabilities for fuel film separation in port fuel injection engine conditions
Authors: Maroteaux F , Llory D , le Coz J-F , Habchi C
Published: April 2011

In port fuel injection engines, the liquid fuel film accumulated in the vicinity of intake valves is torn away and goes into the cylinder during the intake phase. In order to predict the fuel mixture preparation inside the cylinder, a model for the fuel film separation near the sharp edges of the intake valves has been developed. A separation criterion is set up using an analogy with Rayleigh-Taylor instabilities driven by the inertial forces of the film.

The critical value for the separation criterion is adjusted using experimental data obtained in a two-dimensional wind tunnel fitted with different steps shaped as the valve seat and reproducing the main characteristics of the intake of a spark ignition engine. Computational fluid dynamics simulations are performed using the KMB code, a modified version of KIVA-2 already including a film model and a stochastic Lagrangian description of the spray. Computation for the intake stroke on a four-cylinder 1.9 litre port fuel injection engine confirms that the fuel droplets are not completely vaporized at the end of the intake stroke.
Lost in transition
Authors: Harnisch Henriette , Sargeant Helen , Winter Natasha
Published: April 2011

Ever decreasing numbers of applicants arrive in language departments at UK universities. In the face of this decline, and against the backdrop of higher education languages departments being reduced across the UK, it is important to investigate the supply chain of languages undergraduates in the pre-entry sector. This article reports on a collaborative action research project between Language Networks for Excellence, University of Wolverhampton, and King Edward VI College, Stourbridge. The objective was to investigate how the HE sector can effectively influence and support linguists and post-16 establishments in enhancing progression to studying languages at university and how the post-16 sector can ensure they meet language students’ needs in progression to HE. The research presents a number of conclusions and recommendations, not least that, whilst support from HE for 17—18-year-old school students and their institutions is welcome and contributes to students’ confidence and skills, there may be merit in targeting students much further down the supply chain, encouraging progression to HE through tailored linguistic and motivational support strategies.
The Results of High-Frequency Duplex Surveillance After Iliac Arterial Stenting in a Single Center
Authors: Al Samaraee Ahmad , McCallum Iain , Cairns Tom , Barakat Tarig , Carew Melvin , Nice Colin , Mudawi Ahmed , Ashour Hamdy
Published: April 2011

Frequent duplex surveillance after iliac arterial stenting is time-consuming and costly, so solid benefits of this approach must be available. Frequent duplex surveillance was performed at our center, this was reviewed retrospectively.A total of 117 stents were assessed. Duplex was done for 84 (71.8%) of 117 patients at 1 year and 25 (21.4%) of 117 at 5 years, mean follow-up 27.6 months. Totally, 456 scans were performed; 386 (84.6%) scans were normal, 43 (9.4%) showed an abnormality for which intervention was not necessary, 27 (5.9%) showed abnormalities which needed interventions. The maximum attendance of patients was 62%. In all, 18 patients had interventions unrelated to scheduled follow-up; 15 (83.3%) of 18 had no prior abnormalities on duplex, 3 (16.6%) of 18 had prior abnormalities which were not acted upon after clinical assessment. Our findings demonstrate a high nonattendance rate with frequent emergency presentations due to acute complications. We cannot, therefore, recommend frequent duplex surveillance program both in terms of results or resource allocation.
True Celiac Artery Aneurysm Secondary to Median Arcuate Ligament Syndrome
Authors: Jimenez Juan Carlos , Rafidi Fuad , Morris Lilah
Published: April 2011

Median arcuate ligament syndrome (MALS) is a rare disorder associated with chronic, postprandial abdominal pain and radiographic evidence of celiac artery compression. True arterial aneurysms distal to sites of chronic vascular compression due to post-stenotic dilatation have been described in other anatomic locations such as thoracic outlet syndrome and popliteal entrapment syndrome. We present the case of a patient who presented to vascular surgery clinic with a 35 year history of epigastric abdominal pain and bloating and was found to have a large celiac artery aneurysm with severe compression by the MAL.
Embolization of Bleeding Duodenal Ulcer Using Amplatzer Vascular Plug II and Hydrogel Coils: Case Report
Authors: Abdel-Aal Ahmed K. , Osman Sherif , Hamed Maysoon F. , Saddekni Souheil , Saad Wael E. A.
Published: April 2011

Purpose: To present a case of upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) that was treated with percutaneous endovascular embolization using Amplatzer vascular plug and hydrogel coils after failed endoscopic treatment. Case Report: A 78-year-old male was referred for endovascular treatment of massive recurrent UGIB from a duodenal ulcer. Attempts at endoscopic treatment were unsuccessful. Based on our knowledge of the site of the bleeder in the duodenum from prior endoscopy, we decided to empirically embolize the gastroduodenal artery (GDA) and the right gastroepiploic artery using a combination of coils (Azur peripheral hydrocoil; Terumo Medical Corporation, Somerset, New Jersey) and Amplatzer vascular plug II (AVP II; AGA Medical, Plymouth, Minnesota). Conclusion: We present this case of UGIB where effective, rapid, precise, and controlled embolization of the GDA was achieved using AVP II device in combination with coils. To our knowledge, the use of AVP II in embolization of GDA for treatment of emergent UGIB has not been described in the literature.
Palmar Arch Identification During Evaluation for Radial Artery Harvest
Authors: Baetz Laureen , Satiani Bhagwan
Published: April 2011

Noninvasive testing for patency and completeness of the palmar arch prior to radial artery (RA) harvesting for coronary revascularization is a frequently requested test in the Vascular Laboratory (VL). The sonographer and interpreting physician must be aware of palmar arch anatomy and common variations in order to provide accurate information and avoid hand ischemia. The RA is a favored conduit for coronary revascularization due to good early and mid-term patency rates, which are superior to vein grafts.1 Cardiac surgeons need precise information on adequate ulnar artery (UA) collateral circulation prior to harvesting the RA to avoid hand ischemia. Since the reliability of the Allen’s test is in dispute, noninvasive assessment in the VL is frequently utilized.
The effect of heterogeneity on HIV prevention trials
Authors: Auvert Bertran , Sitta Rémi , Zarca Kevin , Mahiane Séverin Guy , Pretorius Carel , Lissouba Pascale
Published: April 2011

Background Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) for the prevention of HIV heterosexual acquisition are usually conducted among adult African populations with high heterogeneity in individual risk of infection.

Purpose The objectives were to (a) review how this heterogeneity has been considered when designing and interpreting such RCTs, (b) evaluate its effect on the findings and the statistical power of these trials, and (c) assess the potential advantages of using the crossover design with single failure-time endpoint.

Methods Individual-level HIV prevention RCTs conducted in Africa and published in the period 1998–2008 were reviewed. Using Monte Carlo simulations and statistical calculations, we assessed the effect of heterogeneity on the findings and the statistical power of HIV prevention RCTs.

Results All reviewed RCTs used the parallel design. The heterogeneity in individual risk of infection within study sites was not used for stratification nor generally considered in the design and interpretation of RCTs. Simulations showed that in the context of high HIV incidence, high heterogeneity can lead to a substantial underestimation of the impact of an intervention and reduced statistical power. Calculations demonstrated that the crossover design allowed for similar or better estimation and statistical power. The crossover design has the ethical advantage of sharing the potential benefits and risks of the intervention between participants.

Limitations Only trials with two treatment arms and two follow-up periods were modeled. The baseline risk of infection of each participant was assumed to be constant over time and HIV status was assessed at the end of each follow-up period.

Conclusions The heterogeneity in individual risk of HIV infection is an underestimated problem which should be taken into account when designing and interpreting RCTs that test prevention methods of HIV heterosexual acquisition in adult African populations with high HIV incidence. When the effects of tested interventions are rapidly reversible, the use of the crossover design should be considered.
Japanese foreign disaster assistance: the ad hoc period in international politics and the illusion of a CNN effect
Authors: Van Belle Douglas A , Potter David M
Published: April 2011

Policy uncertainty is often cited as a cause of the CNN effect. In fact, many argue that an uncertain policy environment is a necessary condition for media-driven foreign policy. While the logic appears compelling, rigorous empirical analyses of the influence of the news media on Japanese foreign disaster aid allocations indicates that, as the global policy environment became more uncertain with the end of the Cold War, media influence went from being a prominent factor in foreign disaster aid allocations to being statistically insignificant. This finding is contrary to the logic of the policy uncertainty argument for media-driven foreign policy as a generalization but it is consistent with the earlier findings for the US disaster assistance program. This lends additional evidence for the argument that the most significant aspect of the CNN effect, the presumed rise of a media-driven foreign policy environment in the 1990s, may have been illusory.
The CNN effect reconsidered (again): problematizing ICT and global governance in the CNN effect research agenda
Authors: Livingston Steven
Published: April 2011

Early CNN effect research considered policy effects associated with cumbersome satellite uplinks of limited capacity. Today, nearly ubiquitous mobile telephony and highly portable satellite uplinks enable high-speed data transmission, including voice and video streaming, from most remote locations. Also, important geopolitical realignments have occurred since the end of the Cold War. The US is now challenged by new economic and cultural powerhouses, and by the rise of networked nonstate actors. It is not simply a matter of realignment among nation-states, as the original CNN effects research noted, but also a realignment between the type, scope and scale of actors involved in global governance. Rather than confining the argument to a consideration of media effects on state policy processes, this article argues that important technological and political developments call for a new research path, one that centers on the relationship between governance and the nature of a given information environment.
MIRU-VNTR typing of drug-resistant tuberculosis isolates in Greece
Authors: Rovina Nikoletta , Karabela Simona , Constantoulakis Pantelis , Michou Vassiliki , Konstantinou Konstantinos , Sgountzos Vassileios , Roussos Charis , Poulakis Nikolaos
Published: April 2011

The increasing immigration rate in Greece from countries with a high prevalence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) and multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) may have an impact οn the number of MDR-TB cases in Greece. The aim of this study was to genotypically characterize the MTB isolates from patients with pulmonary drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB) in Greece, and to determine whether there is any association between the prevalent genotypes and drug resistance. Fifty-three drug-resistant MTB strains isolated from culture specimens of clinical material from native Greeks and immigrant patients with pulmonary tuberculosis were genotyped using the mycobacterial interspersed repetitive units–variable number of tandem repeats (MIRU-VNTR) method. The phylogenetically distinct groups of isolates identified were: the Beijing (34%), the LAM (11%), the Haarlem (24.5%), the Uganda I (9.4%), the Ural (3.8%), the Delhi/CAS (9.4%) and the Cameroon (3.8%) families. Greek patients were more likely to have monoresistant and polyresistant TB with the most prevalent isolates belonging to the Haarlem family. Among foreign-born patients with MDR-TB, the most prevalent genotypes belonged to the Beijing family. MIRU-VNTR rapidly obtained clinically useful genotyping data, by characterizing clonal MTB heterogeneity in the isolated strains. Our results underline the need for more effective antituberculosis control programs in order to control the expansion of DR-TB in Greece.
The effects of water shortages on health and human development
Authors: Tarrass Faissal , Benjelloun Meryem
Published: April 2011

Shortages of water could become a major obstacle to public health and development. Currently, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organization (WHO) estimate that 1.1 billion people lack access to a water supply and 2.6 billion people lack adequate sanitation. The global health burden associated with these conditions is staggering, with an estimated 1.6 million deaths every year from diseases associated with lack of access to safe drinking water, inadequate sanitation and poor hygiene. In this paper we review the impact of water shortages on health and human development.
Exercise-, nature- and socially interactive-based initiatives improve mood and self-esteem in the clinical population
Authors: Barton Jo , Griffin Murray , Pretty Jules
Published: April 2011

Aims: This study evaluated two existing group-based health promotion initiatives (a social club and a swimming group) and compared these to a new green exercise programme (weekly countryside and urban park walks).

Methods: Participants represented a clinical population ( N = 53) and were all experiencing a range of mental health problems. They only attended one of the three programmes and sessions were held once a week for six weeks in all initiatives. Composite questionnaires incorporating two standardized measures to analyse changes in self-esteem and mood were completed before and after all sessions.

Results: A significant main effect for self-esteem and mood pre and post activity ( p < 0.001) was reported after participating in a single session. The change in self-esteem was significantly greater in the green exercise group compared with the social activities club ( p < 0.001). Dose responses showed that both self-esteem and mood levels improved over the six-week period and improvements were related to attendance in the green exercise group.

Conclusions: Green exercise as a health-promoting initiative for people experiencing mental ill health is equally as effective as existing programmes. Combining exercise, nature and social components in future initiatives may play a key role in managing and supporting recovery from mental ill health, suggesting a potential ‘green’ approach to mental healthcare and promotion.
Engaging with marginalized communities: the experiences of London health trainers
Authors: Cook Tina , Wills Jane
Published: April 2011

Aims:

Health trainers represent a new occupational role within the NHS which has been developing since 2006, when the first ‘early adopter’ sites were funded by the Department of Health. Health trainers are ‘lay’ people recruited to engage ‘harder-to-reach’ people from their communities, offering one-to-one support to enable them to make the healthy lifestyle changes of their choice. The aim of this study was to explore the experiences and approaches adopted by health trainers in engaging with marginalized communities.

Methods:

This paper describes an exploratory study using in-depth semi-structured interviews with 10 currently employed health trainers with diverse backgrounds, forms of employment and interpretation of role, drawn from seven London primary care trusts (PCTs) or boroughs.

Results:

The study found tensions between the lay identity of health trainers and their adoption of a formalized role. Health trainers emphasized their similarities but underestimated their often significant differences to their communities. Health trainers based in community or voluntary groups found engagement easier than those based in PCTs, and saw engagement as an end in itself, through its creation of opportunities for health.

Conclusions:

There remains a lack of clarity about the role of the health trainer. Lay workers are not necessarily part of the marginalized communities they are expected to engage, while their ability to do so is compromised by the professional culture of the NHS and its approach to community engagement. Health trainers based in the community or voluntary sector appear to offer greater potential for engaging communities and providing those communities with practical opportunities for health gain.
The Long-Term Effects of Inhaled Corticosteroid Treatment in Children With Asthma
Authors: Fratto Carolyn Marie , Banasiak Nancy Cantey
Published: April 2011

Inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) are the preferred method of therapy for persistent asthma in children, providing the most effective anti-inflammatory treatment available. This article defines treatment with ICS in children and discusses current research findings related to the long-term side effects and safety concerns related to ICS therapy in children with asthma. Major safety concerns associated with long-term treatment with ICS include the potential effect on adrenal function, the inhibition of linear growth and growth velocity, osteoporosis, and ocular disorders. This article describes side effects associated with ICS and implications in pediatric primary care.
Disparities in Fruits and Vegetables Consumption in Houston, Texas
Authors: Nepal Vishnu P. , Mgbere Osaro , Banerjee Deborah , Arafat Raouf R.
Published: April 2011

Background: The consumption of the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables is believed to help prevent nutrient deficiency disorders and lower the risk of several chronic diseases. Information on the disparity of fruit and vegetable consumption may be useful in designing targeted health promotion programs for increasing fruit and vegetable consumption. The objective of this pilot study was to examine disparities in fruit and vegetable consumption among Houston residents based on sociodemographic characteristics. Methods: The authors conducted bivariate and multivariate analyses to examine the associations between sociodemographic characteristics and fruit and vegetable consumption using a random digit dialing (RDD) health survey data (N = 1001) collected in Houston, Texas. Results: Bivariate analysis showed that there were significant associations between fruit and vegetable consumption and education ( P < .01); race/ethnicity ( P < .001); marital status ( P < .001); and employment status ( P < .05). Multivariate analysis indicated that fruit and vegetable consumption pattern could be significantly ( P ≤ .05) predicted by gender, race, and marital status. Respondents who were of other race category were less likely than whites to consume fruits and vegetables, while married respondents and women were more likely to consume fruits and vegetables compared to the unmarried and men, respectively. Implications: Health promotion programs aimed at increasing the consumption of fruits and vegetables should consider developing targeted intervention for men, people with less formal education, minority race/ethnicity, people who are unemployed, and those who are unmarried.
Effectiveness of high-dose methotrexate in T-cell lymphoblastic leukemia and advanced-stage lymphoblastic lymphoma: a randomized study by the Children's Oncology Group (POG 9404)
Authors: Asselin Barbara L. , Devidas Meenakshi , Wang Chenguang , Pullen Jeanette , Borowitz Michael J. , Hutchison Robert , Lipshultz Steven E. , Camitta Bruce M.
Published: April 2011

The Pediatric Oncology Group (POG) phase 3 trial 9404 was designed to determine the effectiveness of high-dose methotrexate (HDM) when added to multi-agent chemotherapy based on the Dana-Farber backbone. Children with T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) or advanced lymphoblastic lymphoma (T-NHL) were randomized at diagnosis to receive/not receive HDM (5 g/m2 as a 24-hour infusion) at weeks 4, 7, 10, and 13. Between 1996 and 2000, 436 patients were enrolled in the methotrexate randomization. Five-year and 10-year event-free survival (EFS) was 80.2% ± 2.8% and 78.1% ± 4.3% for HDM (n = 219) versus 73.6% ± 3.1% and 72.6% ± 5.0% for no HDM (n = 217; P = .17). For T-ALL, 5-year and 10-year EFS was significantly better with HDM (n = 148, 5 years: 79.5% ± 3.4%, 10 years: 77.3% ± 5.3%) versus no HDM (n = 151, 5 years: 67.5% ± 3.9%, 10 years: 66.0% ± 6.6%; P = .047). The difference in EFS between HDM and no HDM was not significant for T-NHL patients (n = 71, 5 years: 81.7% ± 4.9%, 10 years: 79.9% ± 7.5% vs n = 66, 5 years: 87.8% ± 4.2%, 10 years: 87.8% ± 6.4%; P = .38). The frequency of mucositis was significantly higher in patients treated with HDM (P = .003). The results support adding HDM to the treatment of children with T-ALL, but not with NHL, despite the increased risk of mucositis.
Activated protein C up-regulates procoagulant tissue factor activity on endothelial cells by shedding the TFPI Kunitz 1 domain
Authors: Schuepbach Reto A. , Velez Kara , Riewald Matthias
Published: April 2011

Thrombin and activated protein C (APC) signaling can mediate opposite biologic responses in endothelial cells. Given that thrombin induces procoagulant tissue factor (TF), we examined how TF activity is affected by APC. Exogenous or endogenously generated APC led to increased TF-dependent factor Xa activity. Induction required APC's proteolytic activity and binding to endothelial cell protein C receptor but not protease activated receptors. APC did not affect total TF antigen expression or the availability of anionic phospholipids on the apical cell membrane. Western blotting and cell surface immunoassays demonstrated that APC sheds the Kunitz 1 domain from tissue factor pathway inhibitor (TFPI). A TFPI Lys86Ala mutation between the Kunitz 1 and 2 domains eliminated both cleavage and the enhanced TF activity in response to APC in overexpression studies, indicating that APC up-regulates TF activity by endothelial cell protein C receptor-dependent shedding of the Kunitz 1 domain from membrane-associated TFPI. Our results demonstrate an unexpected procoagulant role of the protein C pathway that may have important implications for the regulation of TF- and TFPI-dependent biologic responses and for fine tuning of the hemostatic balance in the vascular system.
Identification of a transforming MYB-GATA1 fusion gene in acute basophilic leukemia: a new entity in male infants
Authors: Quelen Cathy , Lippert Eric , Struski Stephanie , Demur Cécile , Soler Gwendoline , Prade Nais , Delabesse Eric , Broccardo Cyril , Dastugue Nicole , Mahon François-Xavier , Brousset Pierre
Published: April 2011

Acute basophilic leukemia (ABL) is a rare subtype of acute leukemia with clinical features and symptoms related to hyperhistaminemia because of excessive growth of basophils. No known recurrent cytogenetic abnormality is associated with this leukemia. Rare cases of t(X;6)(p11;q23) translocation have been described but these were sporadic. We report here 4 cases of ABL with a t(X;6)(p11;q23) translocation occurring in male infants. Because of its location on chromosome 6q23, MYB was a good candidate gene. Our molecular investigations, based on fluorescence in situ hybridization and rapid amplification of cDNA ends, revealed that the translocation generated a MYB-GATA1 fusion gene. Expression of MYB-GATA1 in mouse lineage-negative cells committed them to the granulocyte lineage and blocked at an early stage of differentiation. Taken together, these results establish, for the first time, a link between a recurrent chromosomal translocation and the development of this particular subtype of infant leukemia.
Design and characterization of genetically engineered zebrafish aquaporin-3 mutants highly permeable to the cryoprotectant ethylene glycol
Authors: Chauvigné François , Lubzens Esther , Cerdà Joan
Published: April 2011

Background

Increasing cell membrane permeability to water and cryoprotectants is critical for the successful cryopreservation of cells with large volumes. Artificial expression of water-selective aquaporins or aquaglyceroporins (GLPs), such as mammalian aquaporin-3 (AQP3), enhances cell permeability to water and cryoprotectants, but it is known that AQP3-mediated water and solute permeation is limited and pH dependent. To exploit further the possibilities of using aquaporins in cryobiology, we investigated the functional properties of zebrafish (Danio rerio) GLPs.

Results

Water, glycerol, propylene glycol and ethylene glycol permeability of zebrafish Aqp3a, -3b, -7, -9a, -9b, -10a and -10b, and human AQP3, was examined. Expression in Xenopus laevis oocytes indicated that the permeability of DrAqp3a and -3b to ethylene glycol was higher than for glycerol or propylene glycol under isotonic conditions, unlike other zebrafish GLPs and human AQP3, which were more permeable to glycerol. In addition, dose-response experiments and radiolabeled ethylene glycol uptake assays suggested that oocytes expressing DrAqp3b were permeated by this cryoprotectant more efficiently than those expressing AQP3. Water and ethylene glycol transport through DrAqp3a and -3b were, however, highest at pH 8.5 and completely abolished at pH 6.0. Point mutations in the DrAqp3b amino acid sequence rendered two constructs, DrAqp3b-T85A showing higher water and ethylene glycol permeability at neutral and alkaline pH, and DrAqp3b-H53A/G54H/T85A, no longer inhibited at acidic pH but less permeable than the wild type. Finally, calculation of permeability coefficients for ethylene glycol under concentration gradients confirmed that the two DrAqp3b mutants were more permeable than wild-type DrAqp3b and/or AQP3 at neutral pH, resulting in a 2.6- to 4-fold increase in the oocyte intracellular concentration of ethylene glycol.

Conclusion

By single or triple point mutations in the DrAqp3b amino acid sequence, we constructed one mutant with enhanced ethylene glycol permeability and another with reduced pH sensitivity. The DrAqp3b and the two mutant constructs may be useful for application in cryobiology.
Kyphectomy for severe kyphosis with pyogenic spondylitis associated with myelomeningocele: a case report
Authors: Yoshioka Kenji , Watanabe Kota , Toyama Yoshiaki , Chiba Kazuhiro , Matsumoto Morio
Published: April 2011

A 32-year-old woman was referred to our hospital for a refractory ulcer on her back. She had a history of myelomeningocele with spina bifida that was treated surgically at birth. The ulcer was located at the apex of the kyphosis. An X-ray film revealed a kyphosis of 154° between L1 and 3 and a scoliosis of 60° between T11 and L5. Computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging and laboratory data indicated the presence of a pyogenic spondylitis at L2/3. To correct the kyphosis and remove the infected vertebrae together with the skin ulcer, kyphectomy was performed. Pedicle screws were inserted from T8 to T12 and from L4 to S1. The dural sac was transected and ligated at L2, followed by total kyphectomy of the L1-L3 vertebrae. The spinal column was reconstructed by approximating the ventral wall of the T12 vertebral body and the cranial endplate of the L4 vertebra. Postoperatively, the kyphosis was corrected to 61° and the scoliosis was corrected to 22°. In the present case, we treated the skin ulcer and pyogenic spondylitis successfully by kyphectomy, thereby, preventing recurrence of the ulcer and infection, and simultaneously obtaining sufficient correction of the spinal deformity.