bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Wrinkle-resistant finishing with dimethyloldihydroxyethyleneurea (DMDHEU) — the effect of co-catalyst
Authors: Yin Ling Lam  , Chi Wai Kan  , Chun Wah Yuen
Published: June 2011

In the past, wrinkle-resistant finishes on cotton fabrics involved the application of melamine—formaldehyde- or urea— formaldehyde-based resins with many more recent agents being based on dimethyloldihydroxyethyleneurea (DMDHEU). This study reports that the DMDHEU—TiO2 combination can enhance the wrinkle-resistance of cotton fabrics. The addition of TiO2 or nano-TiO2 in the treatment can also act as a multi-functional finishing agent to improve the UV protection property. Moreover, it was found that addition of TiO 2 or nano-TiO2 could slightly increase the tearing strength of test specimens to compensate for the drawbacks of DMDHEU. However, the addition of metal oxide did not significantly improve the tensile strength of specimens. In addition, it was found that while DMDHEU-treated cotton specimens contained small quantities of free formaldehyde, these levels are reduced when nano-TiO2 is added to the treatment.
The New Demographic Growth of Cities
Authors: Rérat Patrick
Published: June 2011

After having lost population for some decades, many cities are experiencing a new growth. This paper addresses this reurbanisation phenomenon in the case of Switzerland. It argues that the demographic evolution of cities is not adequately explained by the ‘stages of urban development’ model that tends to consider urban regions as closed systems. It should rather be analysed by unfolding the underlying mechanisms that include housing consumption as well as in- and out-migration flows. Swiss cities have gained inhabitants since 2000 thanks to international migrants, young adults, non-family households and some parts of the middle to upper class. From a demographic point of view, families’ residential behaviour remains the driving force of suburbanisation so that the population growth is still higher in suburbs than in cities.
The Home, Pension Savings and Risk Aversion: Intentions of the Defined Contribution Pension Plan Participants of a London-based Investment Bank at the Peak of the Bubble
Authors: Clark Gordon L. , Almond Stephen , Strauss Kendra
Published: June 2011

In the lead-up to the peak of the financial bubble (and before the onset of the global financial crisis), property was regularly promoted as a ready-made alternative to private pensions. This paper explores the importance of owner-occupied housing for the retirement savings strategies of defined contribution (DC) pension plan members. Based upon a unique survey of over 2300 participants in the DC pension scheme of a London-based international bank, an assessment is made of the statistical significance of respondents’ socioeconomic status and risk preference in predicting the significance or otherwise of their home for retirement saving. Relatively few respondents indicated that they were likely to rely on their home. Those that indicated reliance were relatively older, higher-paid and married employees. The paper concludes with implications for understanding the connection between savings behaviour and housing before and after the global financial crisis.
Socio-technical Systems, Public Space and Urban Fragmentation: The Case of ‘Cybercafés’ in China
Authors: Puel Gilles , Fernandez Valérie
Published: June 2011

The geography of Internet access places is constructed by the interaction of the stakeholders, not only by the negotiation of local regulatory policies but also by the uses of these technologies. It differentiates urban space, contributes to urban fragmentation and the fragmentation into archipelagos of social groups, in a relationship which is not one-to-one. The new socio-technical practices of the city in interaction with infrastructures linked to mobility and accessibility produce urban forms which intensify social fragmentation. This work is based on field surveys conducted in China combining face-to-face questionnaires and in-depth interviews with operators (of cybercafés, local managers, etc.) and their users.
Subchronic Oral Toxicity Study of Furan in B6C3F1 Mice
Authors: Gill S. , Kavanagh M. , Barker M. , Weld M. , Vavasour E. , Hou Y. , Cooke G. M.
Published: June 2011

Furan is a heterocyclic organic compound formed during heat treatment for processing and preservation of various types of food. Rodent studies have previously shown that furan is a hepatocarcinogen. Those studies were conducted over a high dose range, which induced tumors at nearly 100% incidence at all doses. This ninety-day gavage study in mice was conducted to extend the dose to a lower range (0.0, 0.03, 0.12, 0.5, 2.0, and 8.0 mg/kg body weight [bw] per day) to identify a no-observed adverse effect level for hepatotoxicity and to characterize non-neoplastic effects, including those affecting clinical biochemistry, hematology, tissue morphology, and histopathology. The liver was the primary target organ with dose-dependent toxicity. Liver weights were increased at the 8.0 mg/kg bw dose in females only. Levels of the serum enzyme alanine transaminase, representative of liver damage, were increased three-fold at the highest dose. Histological changes in the liver were observed at 2.0 and 8.0 mg/kg bw in both sexes. Although clinical parameters were also altered for the kidney, these differences were not accompanied by histological changes. Based on these clinical biochemical and histological changes, a no-observed adverse effect level of 0.12 mg/kg bw per day of furan in mice is suggested.
Are Meniscus and Cartilage Injuries Related to Time to Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction?
Authors: Chhadia Ankur M. , Inacio Maria C. S. , Maletis Gregory B. , Csintalan Rick P. , Davis Brent R. , Funahashi Tadashi T.
Published: June 2011

Background: Functional instability after anterior cruciate ligament injury can be successfully treated with ligament reconstruction. However, the associated meniscus and cartilage lesions often cannot be repaired and may have long-term detrimental effects on knee function.

Purpose: The authors used the large database within the Kaiser Permanente Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction Registry to evaluate time to surgery, age, and gender as risk factors for meniscus and cartilage injury and associations with meniscus repair rates in patients.

Study Design: Cross-sectional study; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods: A retrospective review of the Kaiser Permanente Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction Registry was performed. The associations between time to surgery, age, and gender with meniscus and cartilage lesions and meniscus repair were analyzed using binary logistic regression modeling to calculate odds ratios (ORs) while adjusting for potential confounding variables.

Results: A total of 1252 patients met the inclusion criteria. The risk of medial meniscus injury increased only with time to surgery (6–12 months: OR = 1.81, 95% confidence internal [CI] 1.29-2.54, P = .001; and >12 months: OR = 2.19, 95% CI 1.58-3.02, P < .001). The risk of lateral meniscus injury decreased only with female gender (OR = 0.65, 95% CI 0.51-0.83, P = .001). The risk of cartilage injury increased with age (OR = 1.05 per year, 95% CI 1.04-1.07, P < .001) and time to surgery >12 months (OR = 1.57, 95% CI 1.12-2.20, P = .009), but decreased with female gender (OR = 0.71, 95% CI 0.54-0.92, P = .009). Medial meniscus repairs relative to medial meniscus injury decreased with increasing time to surgery (3-6 months: OR = 0.61, 95% CI 0.37-1.00, P = .050; and >12 months: OR = 0.41, 95% CI 0.25-0.67, P < .001) and increasing age (OR = 0.96 per year, 95% CI 0.94-0.98, P < .001).

Conclusion: Increased risk of medial meniscus injury and decreased repair rate were strongly associated with increasing time to surgery. Increased risk of cartilage injury was associated with increasing age, increasing time to surgery, and male gender.
Chronic Tears of the Reflected Head of the Rectus Femoris
Authors: Wittstein Jocelyn , Klein Steven , Garrett William E.
Published: June 2011

Background: While the majority of quadriceps muscle strains can be managed nonoperatively, rare cases remain symptomatic despite nonoperative treatment.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to report on results of surgical treatment of a limited number of cases of persistently symptomatic tears of the reflected head of the rectus femoris.

Study Design: Case series; Level of evidence, 4.

Methods: The records of 5 patients with chronic tears of the rectus femoris treated with excision of the reflected head were reviewed. A telephone interview regarding return to sport and current limitations was completed if patients were available for further follow-up.

Results: A review of 5 cases of surgical treatment of chronic tears of the reflected head of the rectus was completed. Patients included 1 woman and 4 men with an average age of 21 years (range, 18-24 years). Three patients played football (2 kickers) and 2 played soccer at a collegiate level. All 5 reported a significant decrease in pain during sport and activities of daily living and were able to return to collegiate athletics. Two patients had a late recurrence of pain with kicking that resolved with nonoperative treatment, 1 had residual thigh pain with intense play, 1 had no pain but noted decreased kicking accuracy, and 1 patient returned to play without symptoms.

Conclusion: Strain injuries to the reflected head of the rectus femoris can benefit from delayed excision in rare cases that fail nonoperative management. High-level kicking athletes are likely to experience significant reduction in pain, but may have some residual or recurrent symptoms that limit competitive level of play postoperatively.
How to successfully implement extended producer responsibility: considerations from an economic point of view
Authors: Wiesmeth Hans , Häckl Dennis
Published: June 2011

This paper investigates the concept of extended producer responsibility (EPR) from an economic point of view. Particular importance will be placed on the concept of ‘economic feasibility’ of an EPR policy, which should guide decision-making in this context. Moreover, the importance of the core EPR principle of ‘integrating signals throughout the product chain’ into the incentive structure will be demonstrated with experiences from Germany. These examples refer to sales packaging consumption, refillable drinks packages and waste electrical and electronic equipment collection. As a general conclusion, the interaction between economic principles and technological development needs to be observed carefully when designing incentive-compatible EPR policies.
The Impact of Depression on Dual Tasking Among Patients With High Fall Risk
Authors: Wright Sara L. , Kay Rachel E. , Avery Erich T. , Giordani Bruno , Alexander Neil B.
Published: June 2011

Depression predicts fall risk among older adults, and this relationship may be partially explained by depression-associated executive dysfunction, relevant to navigating demanding environments. This pilot study examined timed stepping accuracy under simple and complex dual-task conditions, using an instrumented walkway based on the Trail Making Test. Participants were balance-impaired older adults, either with (n = 8; major depressive disorder [MDD]) or without (n = 8; nondepressed [ND]) MDD. After accounting for comfortable gait speed and age, the MDD group was significantly slower than the ND group on the walkway with the highest cognitive demand and demonstrated greater dual-task cost, both of which were correlated with performance on traditional measures of executive functioning. No group differences were observed on the walkway with the least cognitive demand. Balance-impaired older adults with MDD demonstrate increased stepping accuracy time under cognitively demanding conditions, reflecting executive dysfunction and an additional contribution to increased fall risk.
Learning Words in Space and Time
Authors: Spencer John P. , Perone Sammy , Smith Linda B. , Samuelson Larissa K.
Published: June 2011

A major debate in the study of word learning centers on the extension of categories to new items. The rational approach assumes that learners make structured inferences about category membership, whereas the mechanistic approach emphasizes the attentional and memory processes that form the basis of generalization behaviors. Recent support for the rational view comes from observations of the suspicious-coincidence effect: People generalize category membership narrowly when presented with three subordinate-level exemplars that share the same label and generalize category membership broadly when presented with one exemplar. Across three experiments, we examined the mechanistic basis of this effect. Results showed that the presentation of multiple subordinate-level exemplars led to narrow generalization only when the exemplars were presented simultaneously, even when the number of exemplars was increased from three to six. These data demonstrate that the suspicious-coincidence effect is firmly grounded in the general cognitive processes of attention, memory, and visual comparison.
Good mothers, bad thoughts: New mothers’ thoughts of intentionally harming their newborns
Authors: Murray Louise , Finn Mark
Published: June 2011

This article explores the accounts of six white, ‘middle-class’ women living in the UK who as first-time or recent mothers experienced thoughts of intentionally harming their newborn infants. Our analytic approach is psychosocial insofar as we take the women's accounts as being conditional on a merging of social, discursive and psychological elements. Two dominant ways of relating to thoughts of harm are highlighted. The first is to do with the exclusion of such thoughts as indicative of unhealthy non-containment and depressive illness. The second involves including thoughts of harm as an extension of maternal vigilance and care. Here we draw on recent feminist understandings of a mother's ambivalence as involving a heightened awareness of her own sense of self and her world through her relation to her child. It is argued that the disassociation of non acted-out destructive impulses from normative mothering perpetuates the usual pathologization of thoughts of harm and the associated vilification of women. Recent calls for the normalization of thoughts of harm that can be experienced by many new mothers are also challenged as leaving in place the idea that the experience of thoughts of harm is incongruous and debilitating to motherhood. In contrast, we make a case for thoughts of destructive harm as being a creative impulse that can be constructively incorporated into mothering and maternal subjectivity.
Assessing non-inferiority with time-to-event data via the method of non-parametric covariance
Authors: Zhang Xinji , Xu Jinfang , He Jia
Published: June 2011

Non-parametric methods have been well recognised as useful tools for time-to-event (survival) data analysis because they provide valid statistical inference with few assumptions. Tangen and Koch have proposed the use of the method of non-parametric covariance for time-to-event data in a traditional superiority setting. In this article, we extended their method to assess non-inferiority of two treatments. To evaluate this non-parametric method versus the classical semi-parametric Cox proportional hazards regression model, simulations in terms of the Type 1 error rate and power were performed and compared. The results showed that the two methods were generally comparable regarding the Type 1 error rate when adjustment for the covariates correlated with the survival time was made. In the non-inferiority setting, the covariate-adjusted non-parametric analysis was shown to always increase power. However, this was not necessarily the case for the adjusted Cox model where results were inconsistent to those seen in the superiority setting. For illustration, an application of the proposed non-parametric method to a trial involving pemetrexed, a recently approved drug for first-line treatment of non-small cell lung cancer, is included.
On weighting approaches for missing data
Authors: Li Lingling , Shen Changyu , Li Xiaochun , Robins James M
Published: June 2011

We review the class of inverse probability weighting (IPW) approaches for the analysis of missing data under various missing data patterns and mechanisms. The IPW methods rely on the intuitive idea of creating a pseudo-population of weighted copies of the complete cases to remove selection bias introduced by the missing data. However, different weighting approaches are required depending on the missing data pattern and mechanism. We begin with a uniform missing data pattern (i.e. a scalar missing indicator indicating whether or not the full data is observed) to motivate the approach. We then generalise to more complex settings. Our goal is to provide a conceptual overview of existing IPW approaches and illustrate the connections and differences among these approaches.
Shrinkage observed-to-expected ratios for robust and transparent large-scale pattern discovery
Authors: Norén G Niklas , Hopstadius Johan , Bate Andrew
Published: June 2011

Large observational data sets are a great asset to better understand the effects of medicines in clinical practice and, ultimately, improve patient care. For an empirical pattern in observational data to be of practical relevance, it should represent a substantial deviation from the null model. For the purpose of identifying such deviations, statistical significance tests are inadequate, as they do not on their own distinguish the magnitude of an effect from its data support. The observed-to-expected (OE) ratio on the other hand directly measures strength of association and is an intuitive basis to identify a range of patterns related to event rates, including pairwise associations, higher order interactions and temporal associations between events over time. It is sensitive to random fluctuations for rare events with low expected counts but statistical shrinkage can protect against spurious associations. Shrinkage OE ratios provide a simple but powerful framework for large-scale pattern discovery. In this article, we outline a range of patterns that are naturally viewed in terms of OE ratios and propose a straightforward and effective statistical shrinkage transformation that can be applied to any such ratio. The proposed approach retains emphasis on the practical relevance and transparency of highlighted patterns, while protecting against spurious associations.
Robust non-parametric tests for complex-repeated measures problems in ophthalmology
Authors: Brombin Chiara , Midena Edoardo , Salmaso Luigi
Published: June 2011

The NonParametric Combination methodology (NPC) of dependent permutation tests allows the experimenter to face many complex multivariate testing problems and represents a convincing and powerful alternative to standard parametric methods. The main advantage of this approach lies in its flexibility in handling any type of variable (categorical and quantitative, with or without missing values) while at the same time taking dependencies among those variables into account without the need of modelling them. NPC methodology enables to deal with repeated measures, paired data, restricted alternative hypotheses, missing data (completely at random or not), high-dimensional and small sample size data. Hence, NPC methodology can offer a significant contribution to successful research in biomedical studies with several endpoints, since it provides reasonably efficient solutions and clear interpretations of inferential results. Pesarin F. Multivariate permutation tests: with application in biostatistics. Chichester-New York: John Wiley &Sons, 2001; Pesarin F, Salmaso L. Permutation tests for complex data: theory, applications and software. Chichester, UK: John Wiley &Sons, 2010. We focus on non-parametric permutation solutions to two real-case studies in ophthalmology, concerning complex-repeated measures problems. For each data set, different analyses are presented, thus highlighting characteristic aspects of the data structure itself. Our goal is to present different solutions to multivariate complex case studies, guiding researchers/readers to choose, from various possible interpretations of a problem, the one that has the highest flexibility and statistical power under a set of less stringent assumptions. MATLAB code has been implemented to carry out the analyses.
The Heart of the Matter: Using Poetry as a Method of Ethnographic Inquiry to Represent and Present Experiences of the Informally Housed in Aotearoa/New Zealand
Authors: Carroll Penelope , Dew Kevin , Howden-Chapman Philippa
Published: June 2011

In the ongoing discourses around housing and health, the voices of those on the margins are largely absent. This article describes the use of poetry to capture “realities” of marginal housing in Aotearoa/New Zealand from the perspectives of 40 people living in informal dwellings such as sheds, vans, buses, garages, tents, and caravans. The poems combine participants’ words with descriptions of their living situations and complement thematic analysis of in-depth interviews. Feedback from participants has been that their poems accurately represent them and their living situations—and in a form which has meaning for them. Taken as a whole, the poems reveal the diversity of people, perspectives, housing histories, and living situations among the informally housed, emphasizing the complexity of the phenomenon. Presenting findings poetically has allowed voices from the margins to be heard in a wider range of academic, general public, public health, and policy settings.
Social Expectations and Behavioral Indicators in School-Wide Positive Behavior Supports
Authors: Lynass Lori , Tsai Shu-Fei , Richman Taylor D. , Cheney Douglas
Published: June 2011

The three-tiered School-Wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (SWPBIS) model is now being implemented in more than 13,000 schools in the United States ( Horner, Sugai, & Anderson, 2010 ). One core feature of Tier One of the SWPBIS model is the identification of social expectations and behavior indicators across all school settings. This study examined the types and frequency of schools’ social expectations and behavioral indicators as they were written into their behavior matrices. Participants from 155 schools located in 12 regionally representative states provided a sample of their behavioral matrix. Analyses of the matrices showed that three social expectations (respect, responsibility, and safety) occurred in more than 60% of behavior matrices. In addition, behavior indicators (e.g., walk to the right, quiet voices, hands to self) were identified for the four most frequent social expectations. Regional and state comparisons of social expectation frequency indicate homogeneity of categories across the country. Based on the findings, implications and suggestions for future research and practice are discussed.
Leadership, Daoist Wu Wei and reflexivity: Flow, self-protection and excuse in Chinese bank managers’ leadership practice
Authors: Xing Yijun , Sims David
Published: June 2011

Previous studies of Chinese leadership have identified Daoism as the main philosophical tradition that makes Chinese leadership behaviour different from western leadership behaviour in terms of its modesty, harmony and submissiveness to authority. However, less attention has been paid to Chinese managers’ own perceptions and representations of traditional thinking in Daoist Wu Wei. In this article, we offer a new, more nuanced understanding of Daoist Wu Wei. We critically explored the link between Wu Wei and self-reflexivity. As a result, this study offers a new understanding of the influence of Daoism on leadership by showing that our participants exhibited three different forms of reflexivity in their ways of believing in Wu Wei, namely: flow, self-protection and an excuse for failing.
Psychosocial correlates of condom use consistency among Isixhosa-speaking women living with HIV in the Western Cape Province of South Africa
Authors: Onoya Dorina , Reddy Priscilla S. , Ruiter Robert A.C. , Sifunda Sibusiso , Wingood Gina , van den Borne Bart
Published: June 2011

Many HIV-positive South African women continue to have unprotected sex. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to assess correlates of condom use consistency among Xhosa-speaking HIV-positive women in South Africa. One hundred and twenty women were recruited from five primary care clinics and completed a questionnaire. Regression analyses indicated that assertive negotiation and self efficacy for condom use were proximal correlates of condom use consistency. Mediation analyses showed that self-efficacy for assertive negotiation is a distal correlate of condom use consistency.We propose a framework of correlates of condom use consistency to inform future intervention development.
Restricted interests and anxiety in children with autism
Authors: Spiker Michael A. , Lin C. Enjey , Van Dyke Marilyn , Wood Jeffrey J.
Published: June 2011

A preoccupation with restricted interests (RI) is a core symptom of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Engagement in RI is commonly observed in this population and impacts social, adaptive, and emotional functioning. The presence of anxiety disorders and overlap in symptom expression with RI, such as obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), in children with ASD suggests a possible link between anxiety and the RI manifestation. RI play a multidimensional role in ASD and have been described as being expressed in multiple forms, such as fact collection or the enactment of RI through play. However, there is little research exploring in more detail the possible relationship between RI expression and anxiety. To explore the association between RI expression and anxiety, the current study examined the association between the various modes of RI expression and anxiety disorder symptoms in 68 elementary-aged children diagnosed with high-functioning ASD. Findings indicated that symbolic enactment of RI in the form of play, rather than information collection or time engaged in RI, was significantly linked with the increased presence and severity of anxiety symptoms. The conceptualization of RI as possible maladaptive coping responses to negative emotional experiences is discussed.
Attentional status of faces for people with autism spectrum disorder
Authors: Remington Anna , Campbell Ruth , Swettenham John
Published: June 2011

In recent years there has been a growing interest in the role of attention in the processing of social stimuli in individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Research has demonstrated that, for typical adults, faces have a special status in attention and are processed in an automatic and mandatory fashion even when participants attempt to ignore them. Under conditions of high load in a selective attention task, when irrelevant stimuli are usually not processed, typical adults continue to process distractor faces. Although there is evidence of a lack of attentional bias towards faces in ASD, there has been no direct test of whether faces are processed automatically using the distractor-face paradigm.

In the present study 16 typical adults and 16 adults with ASD performed selective attention tasks with face and musical instrument distractors. The results indicated that even when the load of the central task was high, typical adults continued to be distracted by irrelevant face stimuli, whereas individuals with ASD were able to ignore them. In the equivalent non-social task, distractors had no effect at high load for either group. The results suggest that faces are processed in an automatic and mandatory fashion in typical adults but not in adults with ASD.
Michel Foucault and Dorothy Smith in case file research: Strange bed-fellows or complementary thinkers?
Authors: Eila Satka Mirja , Skehill Caroline
Published: June 2011

The aim of this article is to provide an exploration of how the work of two theorists with notably different stances could be used effectively to enhance critical research methods in relation to the history of child welfare social work. Our proposition is that the design and implementation of child welfare policies, practices and discourses could considerably benefit from a more historically well grounded scholarship that enables actors to connect their present concerns with the broader historical dynamics of social regulation. The article begins with a statement of the ‘problem’ and our questions to justify our reasons for engaging in this exploration. The article reports on the authors’ reflections to date on how the work of Michel Foucault and Dorothy Smith might be considered in parallel as two different perspectives to the same scene in time and place. The differences and similarities in their approaches are explored with an emphasis on concepts most relevant to researching child welfare archives including discourse; text; the subject and power-knowledge. The article concludes with a commentary on further developments which are necessary to take forward this methodological analysis.
Using an interrupted space to explore social resilience with marginalized young people
Authors: Bolzan Natalie , Gale Fran
Published: June 2011

In this article we discuss the advantages of using an ‘interrupted space’ to explore understandings of Social Resilience with marginalized young people. In researching with communities of youth who live with multiple disadvantage and who may have little experience of social resilience we sought to create an ‘interrupted space’ in their daily lives in order to explore how they may construct or define social resilience given a different life world. Examples are given of how an interrupted space enabled insight into aspects of social resilience which may have remained hidden had there been no ‘circuit breaker’ in these young people’s lives enabling them to contribute. Where new opportunities were provided those who may have previously been excluded from dialogue were enabled to experience and contribute to an understanding of social resilience.
Client satisfaction and the helping/healing dance1
Authors: de Zeeuw Wright Margriet
Published: June 2011

This article discusses a grounded theory project designed to explore client satisfaction within a community-based counselling centre. Twenty-two client participants and seven worker participants shared their perspectives. It was found that elements related to the client, the worker, the therapeutic relationship and the organizational setting factored into assessments of satisfaction and/or dissatisfaction with the helping/healing process. The analogy of the dance was used to frame the findings.
Cultural definitions of quality of care: Perspectives of Jordanian patients
Authors: Al-Zaru Ibtisam M. , Oweis Arwa , Gharaibeh Huda F.
Published: June 2011

A descriptive qualitative approach was used to develop a cultural definition of quality of care in clinical settings, and understand the phenomena of quality of care from Jordanian patients’ perspectives. The study was conducted in two major teaching hospitals located in the north of Jordan during the period of May–August 2008. The sample consisted of 26 patients who agreed to participate in the study. Understanding the phenomena of quality of care from a cultural perspective will help health care providers, locally and internationally, provide care to Jordanian and Arab immigrants in Western countries. Four main themes emerged from the data to reflect on patients’ perspectives of the quality of care. These themes were: (a) quality as excellence; (b) being caring and concerned; (c) the demonstration of ethical and professional conduct by health care providers; and (d) reflecting on negative experiences during hospitalisation. Findings from this study reflect what is important for Jordanian patients regarding quality of care, and added new dimensions to the definitions of quality of care, including the role of religion in shaping the ethical and professional aspects of quality of care.

These new dimensions open the door for further research that focuses on incorporating social, cultural and spiritual aspects in the measurement of quality of care for the purpose of improving quality of care as determined by patients.
Ferroportin1 deficiency in mouse macrophages impairs iron homeostasis and inflammatory responses
Authors: Zhang Zhuzhen , Zhang Fan , An Peng , Guo Xin , Shen Yuanyuan , Tao Yunlong , Wu Qian , Zhang Yuchao , Yu Yu , Ning Bo , Nie Guangjun , Knutson Mitchell D. , Anderson Gregory J. , Wang Fudi
Published: June 2011

Systemic iron requirements are met predominantly through the recycling of iron from senescent erythrocytes by macrophages, a process in which the iron exporter ferroportin (Fpn1) is considered to be essential. Yet the role of Fpn1 in macrophage iron recycling and whether it influences innate immune responses are poorly understood in vivo. We inactivated Fpn1 in macrophages by crossing Fpn1-floxed animals with macrophage-targeted LysM-Cre or F4/80-Cre transgenic mice. Macrophage Fpn1 deletion mice were overtly normal; however, they displayed a mild anemia and iron accumulation in splenic, hepatic, and bone marrow macrophages when fed a standard diet. Iron loading was exacerbated after the administration of iron dextran or phenylhydrazine. When Fpn1LysM/LysM mice were challenged with an iron-deficient diet, they developed a more severe anemia and strikingly higher splenic iron levels than control mice, indicating significantly impaired iron mobilization from macrophages. Because immune responses can be altered by modulating iron status, we also examined the expression of proinflammatory cytokines. We found that expression levels of TNF-α and IL-6 were significantly enhanced in Fpn1LysM/LysM macrophages lacking Fpn1. These studies demonstrate that Fpn1 plays important roles in macrophage iron release in vivo and in modulating innate immune responses.
Chromatin structure characteristics of pre-miRNA genomic sequences
Authors: Zhu Shijia , Jiang Qinghua , Wang Guohua , Liu Bo , Teng Mingxiang , Wang Yadong
Published: June 2011

Background

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are non-coding RNAs with important roles in regulating gene expression. Recent studies indicate that transcription and cleavage of miRNA are coupled, and that chromatin structure may influence miRNA transcription. However, little is known about the relationship between the chromatin structure and cleavage of pre-miRNA from pri-miRNA.

Results

By analysis of genome-wide nucleosome positioning data sets from human and Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans), we found an enrichment of positioned nucleosome on pre-miRNA genomic sequences, which is highly correlated with GC content within pre-miRNA. In addition, obvious enrichments of three histone modifications (H2BK5me1, H3K36me3 and H4K20me1) as well as RNA Polymerase II (RNAPII) were observed on pre-miRNA genomic sequences corresponding to the active-promoter miRNAs and expressed miRNAs.

Conclusion

Our results revealed the chromatin structure characteristics of pre-miRNA genomic sequences, and implied potential mechanisms that can recognize these characteristics, thus improving pre-miRNA cleavage.
The comparison of grey-scale ultrasonic and clinical features of hepatoblastoma and hepatocellular carcinoma in children: a retrospective study for ten years
Authors: Zhuang Hua , Peng Yu-lan , Chen Tian-wu , Jiang Yong , Luo Yan , Zhang Qiong , Yang Zhi-gang
Published: June 2011

Background

Hepatoblastoma (HBL) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are respectively the first and the second most common pediatric malignant liver tumors. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the combined use of the ultrasound examination and the assessment of the patients' clinical features for differentiating HBL from HCC in children.

Methods

Thirty cases of the confirmed HBL and 12 cases of the confirmed HCC in children under the age of 15 years were enrolled into our study. They were divided into the HBL group and the HCC group according to the histological types of the tumors. The ultrasonic features and the clinical manifestations of the two groups were retrospectively analyzed, with an emphasis on the following parameters: onset age, gender (male/female) ratio, positive epatitis-B-surface-antigen (HBV), alpha-fetoprotein increase, and echo features including septa, calcification and liquefaction within the tumors.

Results

Compared with the children with HCC, the children with HBL had a significantly younger onset age (8.2 years vs. 3.9 years, P < 0.001) and a significantly smaller frequency of positive HBV (66.7% vs. 13.3%, P < 0.001). The septa and liquefaction were more frequently found in HBL than in HCC (25/30, 83.3% vs. 2/12, 16.7%, P < 0.001; 17/30, 56.7% vs. 3/12, 25%, P = 0.02). When a combination of the liquefaction, septa, negative HBV and onset age smaller than 5 years was used in the evaluation, the sensitivity was raised to 90%, the accuracy was raised to 88%, and the negative predictive value was raised to 73%.

Conclusion

Ultrasonic features combined with clinical manifestations are valuable for differentiating HBL from HCC in children.
Classical risk factors of cardiovascular disease among Chinese male steel workers: a prospective cohort study for 20 years
Authors: Ji Jingfeng , Pan Enchun , Li Jianxin , Chen Jichun , Cao Jie , Sun Dongling , Lu Xiangfeng , Chen Shufeng , Gu Dongfeng , Duan Xiufang , Wu Xigui , Huang Jianfeng
Published: June 2011

Background

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) constitutes a major public health problem in China and worldwide. We aimed to examine classical risk factors and their magnitudes for CVD in a Chinese cohort with over 20 years follow-up.

Methods

A cohort of 5092 male steelworkers recruited from 1974 to 1980 in Beijing of China was followed up for an average of 20.84 years. Cox proportional-hazards regression model were used to evaluate the risk of developing a first CVD event in the study participants who were free of CVD at the baseline.

Results

The multivariable-adjusted hazard ratio (HR) associated with every 20 mmHg rise in systolic blood pressure (SBP) was 1.63 in this Chinese male population, which was higher than in Caucasians. Compared to non-smokers, men who smoked not less than one-pack-a-day had a HR of 2.43 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.75-3.38). The HR (95% CI) for every 20 mg/dl increase in total serum cholesterol (TC) and for every point rise in body mass index (BMI) was 1.13 (1.04-1.23) and 1.06 (1.02-1.09), respectively.

Conclusions

Our study documents that hypertension, smoking, overweight and hypercholesterolemia are major conventional risk factors of CVD in Chinese male adults. Continued strengthening programs for prevention and intervention on these risk factors are needed to reduce the incidence of CVD in China.
Indoor solid fuel use and tuberculosis in China: a matched case-control study
Authors: Kan Xiaohong , Chiang Chen-Yuan , Enarson Donald A , Chen Wenhua , Yang Jianan , Chen Genwang
Published: June 2011

Background

China ranks second among the 22 high burden countries for tuberculosis. A modeling exercise showed that reduction of indoor air pollution could help advance tuberculosis control in China. However, the association between indoor air pollution and tuberculosis is not yet well established. A case control study was conducted in Anhui, China to investigate whether use of solid fuel is associated with tuberculosis.

Methods

Cases were new sputum smear positive tuberculosis patients. Two controls were selected from the neighborhood of each case matched by age and sex using a pre-determined procedure. A questionnaire containing demographic information, smoking habits and use of solid fuel for cooking or heating was used for interview. Solid fuel (coal and biomass) included coal/lignite, charcoal, wood, straw/shrubs/grass, animal dung, and agricultural crop residue. A household that used solid fuel either for cooking and (/or) heating was classified as exposure to combustion of solid fuel (indoor air pollution). Odds ratios and their corresponding 95% confidence limits for categorical variables were determined by Mantel-Haenszel estimate and multivariate conditional logistic regression.

Results

There were 202 new smear positive tuberculosis cases and 404 neighborhood controls enrolled in this study. The proportion of participants who used solid fuels for cooking was high (73.8% among cases and 72.5% among controls). The majority reported using a griddle stove (85.2% among cases and 86.7% among controls), had smoke removed by a hood or chimney (92.0% among cases and 92.8% among controls), and cooked in a separate room (24.8% among cases and 28.0% among controls) or a separate building (67.8% among cases and 67.6% among controls). Neither using solid fuel for cooking (odds ratio (OR) 1.08, 95% CI 0.62-1.87) nor using solid fuel for heating (OR 1.04, 95% CI 0.54-2.02) was significantly associated with tuberculosis. Determinants significantly associated with tuberculosis were household tuberculosis contact (adjusted OR, 27.23, 95% CI 8.19-90.58) and ever smoking tobacco (adjusted OR 1.64, 96% CI 1.01-2.66).

Conclusion

In a population where the majority had proper ventilation in cooking places, the association between use of solid fuel for cooking or for heating and tuberculosis was not statistically significant.
Protein kinase CK2α is overexpressed in colorectal cancer and modulates cell proliferation and invasion via regulating EMT-related genes
Authors: Zou Jinjin , Luo Hesan , Zeng Qin , Dong Zhongyi , Wu Dehua , Liu Li
Published: June 2011

Background

Protein kinase CK2 is a highly conserved, ubiquitous protein serine/threonine kinase that phosphorylates many substrates and has a global role in numerous biological and pathological processes. Overexpression of the protein kinase CK2α subunit (CK2α) has been associated with the malignant transformation of several tissues, with not nearly as much focus on the role of CK2α in colorectal cancer (CRC). The aims of this study are to investigate the function and regulatory mechanism of CK2α in CRC development.

Methods

Expression levels of CK2α were analyzed in 144 patients (104 with CRC and 40 with colorectal adenoma) by immunohistochemistry. Proliferation, senescence, motility and invasion assays as well as immunofluorescence staining and western blots were performed to assess the effect of CK2α in CRC.

Results

The immunohistochemical expression of nuclear CK2α was stronger in tumor tissues than in adenomas and normal colorectal tissues. Suppression of CK2α by small-interfering RNA or the CK2α activity inhibitor emodin inhibited proliferation of CRC cells, caused G0/G1 phase arrest, induced cell senescence, elevated the expression of p53/p21 and decreased the expression of C-myc. We also found that knockdown of CK2α suppressed cell motility and invasion. Significantly, CK2α inhibition resulted in β-catenin transactivation, decreased the expression levels of vimentin and the transcription factors snail1 and smad2/3, and increased the expression of E-cadherin, suggesting that CK2α regulates the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process in cancer cells.

Conclusions

Our results indicate that CK2α plays an essential role in the development of CRC, and inhibition of CK2α may serve as a promising therapeutic strategy for human CRC.
The HIV-1 Rev/RRE system is required for HIV-1 5' UTR cis elements to augment encapsidation of heterologous RNA into HIV-1 viral particles
Authors: Cockrell Adam S , van Praag Henriette , Santistevan Nicholas , Ma Hong , Kafri Tal
Published: June 2011

Background

The process of HIV-1 genomic RNA (gRNA) encapsidation is governed by a number of viral encoded components, most notably the Gag protein and gRNA cis elements in the canonical packaging signal (ψ). Also implicated in encapsidation are cis determinants in the R, U5, and PBS (primer binding site) from the 5' untranslated region (UTR). Although conventionally associated with nuclear export of HIV-1 RNA, there is a burgeoning role for the Rev/RRE in the encapsidation process. Pleiotropic effects exhibited by these cis and trans viral components may confound the ability to examine their independent, and combined, impact on encapsidation of RNA into HIV-1 viral particles in their innate viral context. We systematically reconstructed the HIV-1 packaging system in the context of a heterologous murine leukemia virus (MLV) vector RNA to elucidate a mechanism in which the Rev/RRE system is central to achieving efficient and specific encapsidation into HIV-1 viral particles.

Results

We show for the first time that the Rev/RRE system can augment RNA encapsidation independent of all cis elements from the 5' UTR (R, U5, PBS, and ψ). Incorporation of all the 5' UTR cis elements did not enhance RNA encapsidation in the absence of the Rev/RRE system. In fact, we demonstrate that the Rev/RRE system is required for specific and efficient encapsidation commonly associated with the canonical packaging signal. The mechanism of Rev/RRE-mediated encapsidation is not a general phenomenon, since the combination of the Rev/RRE system and 5' UTR cis elements did not enhance encapsidation into MLV-derived viral particles. Lastly, we show that heterologous MLV RNAs conform to transduction properties commonly associated with HIV-1 viral particles, including in vivo transduction of non-dividing cells (i.e. mouse neurons); however, the cDNA forms are episomes predominantly in the 1-LTR circle form.

Conclusions

Premised on encapsidation of a heterologous RNA into HIV-1 viral particles, our findings define a functional HIV-1 packaging system as comprising the 5' UTR cis elements, Gag, and the Rev/RRE system, in which the Rev/RRE system is required to make the RNA amenable to the ensuing interaction between Gag and the canonical packaging signal for subsequent encapsidation.
Neuronal and glial markers are differently associated with computed tomography findings and outcome in patients with severe traumatic brain injury: a case control study
Authors: Mondello Stefania , Papa Linda , Buki Andras , Bullock M Ross , Czeiter Endre , Tortella Frank C , Wang Kevin K , Hayes Ronald L
Published: June 2011

Introduction

Authors of several studies have studied biomarkers and computed tomography (CT) findings in the acute phase after severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). However, the correlation between structural damage as assessed by neuroimaging and biomarkers has not been elucidated. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationships among neuronal (Ubiquitin carboxy-terminal hydrolase L1 [UCH-L1]) and glial (glial fibrillary acidic protein [GFAP]) biomarker levels in serum, neuroradiological findings and outcomes after severe TBI.

Methods

The study recruited patients from four neurotrauma centers. Serum samples for UCH-L1 and GFAP were obtained at the time of hospital admission and every 6 hours thereafter. CT scans of the brain were obtained within 24hrs of injury. Outcome was assessed by Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS) at discharge and at 6 months.

Results

81 severe TBI patients and 167 controls were enrolled. The mean serum levels of UCH-L1 and GFAP were higher (p < 0.001) in TBI patients compared to controls. UCH-L1 and GFAP serum levels correlated significantly with Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) and CT findings. GFAP levels were higher in patients with mass lesions than in those with diffuse injury (2.95 ± 0.48 ng/ml versus 0.74 ± 0.11 ng/ml) while UCH-L1 levels were higher in patients with diffuse injury (1.55 ± 0.18 ng/ml versus 1.21 ± 0.15 ng/ml, p = 0.0031 and 0.0103, respectively). A multivariate logistic regression showed that UCH-L1 was the only independent predictor of death at discharge [adjusted odds ratios 2.95; 95% confidence interval, 1.46-5.97], but both UCH-L1 and GFAP levels strongly predicted death 6 months post-injury.

Conclusions

Relationships between structural changes detected by neuroimaging and biomarkers indicate each biomarker may reflect a different injury pathway. These results suggest that protein biomarkers could provide better characterization of subjects at risk for specific types of cellular damage than that obtained with neuroimaging alone, as well as provide valuable information about injury severity and outcome after severe TBI.