bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Residential Segregation and Interethnic Contact in the Netherlands
Authors: Boschman Sanne
Published: May 2011

Dutch policy-makers perceive high shares of ethnic minorities in neighbourhoods as a problem; it might generate fewer opportunities for minorities to have contact with the native Dutch population and thereby hinder integration. The question, however, is whether the ethnic composition of neighbourhoods influences interethnic contact. In this paper, the focus is on the leisure contact of people from ethnic minorities aged 15 to 65 with native Dutch people. Binary logistic multilevel analysis shows that contact with native Dutch people is mainly explained by individual characteristics. In addition, living in one of the four largest cities—cities with high shares of minorities at the city level—leads to less contact with native Dutch people. The ethnic composition of the neighbourhood has no effect on contact, therefore segregation at the neighbourhood level does not necessarily hinder integration.
-Ness and -ity
Authors: Baeskow Heike
Published: May 2011

Representatives of a relatively new theoretical direction—Distributed Morphology—claim that morphological building blocks traditionally referred to as derivational suffixes constitute phonological exponents (or allomorphs) of some abstract syntactic nodes n, a, or v. Following the principles of inflection, the distribution of these allomorphs is determined by competition. This view is in sharp contrast to the long-standing assumption that derivational suffixes convey not only morpho-syntactic, but also semantic information. In this article, a detailed analysis of two functionally similar English suffixes, -ness and -ity, will show that the distributionalist view is too vague as it stands because it misses subtle but significant semantic differences between these suffixes, which result from their historical development. On the basis of doublets such as ethnicness versus ethnicity, or sincereness versus sincerity it will be argued that -ness and -ity are not in complementary distribution, but select different domains of their adjectival bases. Evidence for this hypothesis is drawn from various morphological phenomena and a variety of data.
Generación 1.5: A Cultural Historical Agenda for Research at the 2-Year College
Authors: Salas Spencer , Portes Pedro R. , D'Amico Mark M. , Rios-Aguilar Cecilia
Published: May 2011

In this article, we employ a cultural historical theoretical framework to extend understandings of how widespread 2-year college placement policies concerning English remediation potentially locate and retain U.S.-educated Latino adolescents at the margins of higher education through well-intentioned yet deficit-driven postsecondary cultural practices. We conclude with a research agenda for examining established institutional practices and alternatives in regard to 2-year college support for nontraditional students’ access to and success in the opportunity structures of higher education.
Stereotype Threat Undermines Academic Learning
Authors: Taylor Valerie Jones , Walton Gregory M.
Published: May 2011

Two experiments tested whether stereotype threat can undermine the acquisition of academic knowledge and thus harm performance even in nonthreatening settings. In Experiment 1, Black and White students studied rare words in either nonthreatening or threatening conditions. One to two weeks later, participants recalled word definitions, half in a nonthreatening “warm-up” and half in a threatening “test.” Replicating past research, Black students performed worse on the test than on the warm-up. But importantly, Black students who had studied in the threatening rather than nonthreatening environment performed worse even on the warm-up. White students were unaffected. In Experiment 2, a value affirmation eliminated the learning-threat effect and provided evidence of psychological process. The results suggest that stereotype threat causes a form of “double jeopardy” whereby threat can undermine both learning and performance. The discussion addresses implications for the interpretation of group differences and for understanding how brief threat-reducing interventions can produce long-lasting benefits.
Does Climate Undermine Subjective Well-Being? A 58-Nation Study
Authors: Fischer Ronald , Van de Vliert Evert
Published: May 2011

The authors test predictions from climato-economic theories of culture that climate and wealth interact in their influence on psychological processes. Demanding climates (defined as colder than temperate and hotter than temperate climates) create potential threats for humans. If these demands can be met by available economic resources, individuals experience challenging opportunities for self-expression and personal growth and consequently will report lowest levels of ill-being. If threatening climatic demands cannot be met by resources, resulting levels of reported ill-being will be highest. These predictions are confirmed in nation-level means of health complaints, burnout, anxiety, and depression across 58 societies. Climate, wealth, and their interaction together account for 35% of the variation in overall subjective ill-being, even when controlling for known predictors of subjective well-being. Further investigations of the process suggest that cultural individualism does not mediate these effects, but subjective well-being may function as a mediator of the impact of ecological variables on ill-being.
Web-Based Application to Eliminate Five Contraindicated Multiple-Choice Question Practices
Authors: Brunnquell Andreas , Degirmenci Ümüt , Kreil Sebastian , Kornhuber Johannes , Weih Markus
Published: May 2011

Multiple-choice questions (MCQs) evaluate factual knowledge in medical education and have a high reliability, if performed appropriately. However, many MCQs contain formal errors leading to reduced validity. The authors developed a Web application capable of recognizing and eliminating five frequent contraindicated practices in MCQs: negative stem, unfocused stem, cueing words, longest item = right item flaw, and stem/item similarities. The authors used simple string algorithms and dynamic comparisons with keywords. The system was successfully validated with a sample of approximately 800 continuous medical education (CME) questions, showing that our system automatically detects 60% of all formal didactic errors. Flaws not detected by the software can easily be avoided using quick manuals on item wording or clear instruction to the authors. The authors conclude that it is feasible to improve the quality of MCQs by designing a Web application that is capable of detecting common flaws by simple string operations.
‘Eternal ephemera’ or the durability of ‘disposable literature’: The power and persistence of print in an electronic world
Authors: Pimlott Herbert
Published: May 2011

Popular and academic discussions of the future of print focus on the electronic formats of books and newspapers but ignore some of the most ubiquitous and historically significant, albeit ephemeral, types of print media. This article argues for taking the flyer, leaflet and pamphlet seriously. These forms of ‘disposable literature’ are in part facilitated by electronic media and in part able to disseminate messages in ways that electronic media cannot, and thereby provide a bridge between new media and new audiences. There are two major factors that contribute to the durability or persistence, pervasiveness and power of disposable literature in contemporary society: the unique characteristics of print media; and the impact of electronic media in enhancing their production and distribution.
Open borders, closed minds: The discursive construction of national identity in North Cyprus
Authors: Şahin Sanem
Published: May 2011

The article investigates the discursive construction of a Turkish Cypriot national identity by the newspapers in North Cyprus. It questions the representation and reconstruction processes of national identity within the press and examines the various practices employed to mobilize readers around certain national imaginings. Using Critical Discourse Analysis, the article analyses news reports of the opening of border crossings in Cyprus in 2003, based on their content, the strategies used in the production of national identity and the linguistic means employed in the process. In this way, the nationalist tendencies embedded in news discourses, as well as discriminatory and exclusive practices, are sought out.
Evaluating Google queries based on language preferences
Authors: Al-Eroud Ahmed F. , Al-Ramahi Mohammad A. , Al-Kabi Mohammed N. , Alsmadi Izzat M. , Al-Shawakfa Emad M.
Published: May 2011

This paper evaluates the assumption that users expect search engines to retrieve the same results for queries regardless of the language or the location of the originator. The dependency of the Google search engine on the language and location from which the query is submitted has been evaluated. The most popular queries in Arabic language were selected and translated into English for comparison using the Google translator. When studying keyword traffic on both Google search based keyword tool and Google Insights for Search, results showed that 67% of the Arab Internet users prefer to use English queries instead of their Arabic counterpart. When studying Google responses to some popular queries we have found that Google ranking algorithm depends on the language of the query more than on the keyword popularity. Although results justify search engines’ favouritism of giving documents in English priority over those of other languages, nonetheless, future search engine indexers should separate the document language from its content in a structure that makes the language a pluggable attribute for those indexed documents.
Why study the history of political thought?
Authors: Howard Dick
Published: May 2011

This article explains why its author has spent much of the past decade rediscovering the history of political thought (rather than enter into the fray of political philosophy as it has been practised since Rawls). The article is only an illustration; but its virtue is that it summarizes in a short space the thesis developed in my book The Primacy of the Political: A History of Political Thought from the Greeks to the American and French Revolutions. It lays out a general theory of the political, demonstrates that there exists an inherent anti-political tendency within all politics (as seen in the rise of 20th-century totalitarianism), and tries to suggest how this difficulty can be confronted.
Evaluation of Free to Grow: Head Start Partnerships to Promote Substance-Free Communities
Authors: Wolfson Mark , Champion Heather , Rogers Todd , Neiberg Rebecca H. , Barker Dianne C. , Talton Jennifer W. , Ip Edward H. , D'Agostino Ralph B. , Parries Maria T. , Easterling Doug
Published: May 2011

Free to Grow: Head Start Partnerships to Promote Substance-free Communities (FTG) was a national initiative in which local Head Start (HS) agencies, in partnership with other community organizations, implemented a mix of evidence-based family-strengthening and community-strengthening strategies. The evaluation of FTG used a quasi-experimental design to compare 14 communities that participated in the FTG intervention with 14 matched comparison communities. Telephone surveys were conducted with two cohorts of the primary caregivers of children in HS at baseline and then annually for 2 years. The survey was also administered to repeated cross-sectional samples of primary caregivers of young children who were not enrolled in HS. No consistent evidence was found in changes in family functioning or neighborhood conditions when the 14 FTG sites were compared to 14 matched sites. However, caregivers of young children who were not in HS in three high-implementing FTG sites showed evidence of improvements in neighborhood organization, neighborhood norms against substance abuse, and child disciplinary practices. Results provide highly limited support for the concept that family and neighborhood conditions that are likely to affect child development and well-being can be changed through organized efforts implemented by local HS programs.
Ear, Nose, and Throat Manifestations during Pregnancy
Authors: Kumar Rohit , Hayhurst Kathryn L. , Robson Andrew K.
Published: May 2011

Objective

The objective of this clinical review is to highlight the otolaryngological symptoms that occur in pregnancy. Where available, the authors discuss the current evidence of the etiology and management of the various presentations. While it is appreciated that many of these complaints are transient, their impact on the maternal quality of life can be significant, and therefore, medical practitioners should be aware of what to expect in order to provide reassurance to patients and also to safely manage such symptoms.

Data Sources

MEDLINE and EMBASE databases were searched for publications related to otolaryngology and pregnancy.

Review Methods

All literature was searched for and reviewed by 2 authors independently. Search results were then cross‐examined, and any differences were settled by consensus.

Results

Pregnancy leads to circulatory changes and increased susceptibility to viral reactivation, and along with the exertion of parturition, it can lead to tinnitus, facial palsies, and deafness. Rising levels of sex hormones and heightened sensitivity to allergens may influence the nasal mucosa, precipitating epistaxis and rhinitis. Increased progesterone and the increased intra‐abdominal pressure of the growing fetus can lead to symptoms and sequelae of laryngopharyngeal reflux. Evidence for the treatment of pregnancy‐induced symptoms is principally restricted to case reports and retrospective studies.

Conclusion

Recognition and understanding of pregnancy‐related ear, nose, and throat complaints will allow otolaryngologists to reassure and manage these patients, improving their experience of the gestational period. High‐quality evidence for their management is limited, with further research required.
Bendik and Aarolilja: An example of arts partnership material for schools?
Authors: Oltedal Elizabeth
Published: May 2011

Whilst Norwegian primary school teachers are no longer required to have arts subjects in their education portfolio, schools are encouraged to host projects involving municipal art institutions and professional artists with a view to enriching pupils’ contact with the arts. ‘The Cultural Rucksack’, a national arts programme for primary and secondary schools, offers a wide range of concerts and workshops, but has been criticized for the short-term nature of many of these cultural encounters. In the light of this, ‘Bendik and Aarolilja’, a composing project that ran from August 2007 to April 2008 for Year 6 pupils in a Norwegian primary school, is discussed.
Gaelic singing and oral tradition
Authors: Sheridan Mark , MacDonald Iona , Byrne Charles G.
Published: May 2011

A recent report by UNESCO placed Scots Gaelic on a list of 2500 endangered languages highlighting the perilous state of a key cornerstone of Scottish culture. Scottish Gaelic song, poems and stories have been carried through oral transmission for many centuries reflecting the power of indigenous peoples to preserve cultural heritage from generation to generation without recourse to a written code. Against this background, this article highlights the growing support and development of the language in the last 30 years and the first findings of a research project into ‘Scottish Gaelic Song and Oral Transmission’. It also highlights aspects of the historical background to Scottish Gaelic songs and poetry to set the context of the revival of interest in Gaelic traditional music and some of the measures and strategies developed to sustain the language and its cultural heritage within Scotland. It further discusses the nature of community and family discourse and oral transmission and delivers some early findings and insights into the research project, which is based on a series of interviews with Gaelic singers. The findings illuminate aspects of the oral tradition that could have an impact on the way in which traditional music is perceived and the nature of provision for this music in higher education in the UK. A number of institutions such as the University of Strathclyde, the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama and Sabhal Mor Ostaig provide undergraduate courses that teach traditional music, including Gaelic singing, as one of the areas of study. This article potentially raises issues relating to Gaelic singing and the values, traits and practices inherent in oral transmission and how these could be promoted alongside and not be swamped by the accepted practices in teaching and learning in classical music.
How trainee music teachers learn about teaching by talking to each other: An action research study
Authors: Cain Tim
Published: May 2011

This article presents an action research study into how trainee music teachers in England use a structured discussion process called ‘Collegial Consultation’ to learn about teaching. The research shows that, in Collegial Consultation, trainees learn from each other by offering several solutions to a problem, offering reasons for their ideas, trying to understand other people’s ideas, signalling agreements with each other, disagreeing and building on each other’s ideas. The article argues that the structure of Collegial Consultation promotes an ethos of equality that supports high-quality educational discussion, allowing trainee teachers to think together about teaching music within the classroom.
Popular music in American teacher education: A glimpse into a secondary methods course
Authors: Davis Sharon G. , Blair Deborah V.
Published: May 2011

Popular music is pervasive in our culture and in the lives of our students. Its inclusion in music education curricula requires authentic approaches through collaborative informal learning processes. It has been our experience that college students may be notation dependent and while they may recognize and utilize informal processes outside the classroom, they have not pedagogically considered its use in their future classrooms. This article revolves around the experiences of American University students in one secondary general music methods classroom and their engagement of informal learning processes in order to foster a vision and formulate a pedagogical plan for the incorporation of popular music in the classroom. From the instructors’ perspective a three-fold process occurred that enabled meaningful engagement in this experience, that of: (1) disequilibrium; (2) breaking down existing barriers; and (3) student transformation. Corporately we discovered the inclusion of popular music unleashed a thriving discourse concerning connection and relevancy to students’ lives.
Relational uncertainty, partner interference, and privacy boundary turbulence
Authors: Steuber Keli R. , Solomon Denise H.
Published: May 2011

This study explored what relational aspects contribute to spouses managing private, infertility-related information differently. We examined associations among relational uncertainty and partner interference and three manifestations of boundary turbulence: discrepancies in disclosures, relative discomfort, and perceived spousal acceptability. Using data from 50 infertile couples reporting on 250 social network relationships, we used multi-level modeling to test our predictions that relational uncertainty and partner interference would positively correlate with boundary turbulence. Results were partially consistent with the predictions for relational uncertainty and inconsistent with regard to partner interference. These findings suggest that relational features of a partnership coincide with a couple’s ability to coordinate boundaries about their private information and merits further research on the dyadic component of boundary coordination.
The experiences of male gay business owners in the UK
Authors: Galloway Laura
Published: May 2011

The article reports on a qualitative study of the motivations for and experiences of business ownership amongst 11 male gay entrepreneurs in the UK. Included in this analysis is a comparison with issues identified throughout the extant literature for other minority groups, particularly women. Corroborating previous studies, the male-gay-owned firms studied here were concentrated in the service sector and catered to diverse markets. While homophobia is reported in both employment and business ownership it is indirect and implicit rather than direct discrimination or harassment and is not cited as an entrepreneurial motivator. The findings are of importance insofar as they provide new knowledge and consequently, further our understanding of the diverse phenomena of entrepreneurship. Further, the article illustrates that heteronormativity and the gendered nature of most employment contexts also extends to the entrepreneurship domain.
Investigating citizens’ information needs through participative research: a pilot study in Candangolândia, Brazil
Authors: Barbosa Tavares Rosemeire , Hepworth Mark , De Souza Costa Sely Maria
Published: May 2011

This paper reports on a pilot investigation in Candangolândia, near Brasilia, in Brazil in 2010. The purpose of the investigation was to determine the efficacy of a participative research methodology for investigating: people’s information needs; developing an information literate approach to problem solving; fostering problem solving and collaborative capabilities and enhancing a sense of citizenship. The research applied techniques that enabled people to collaborate and identify their information needs, as well as information solutions, through the exploration of a social problem that they had identified. Participatory Research and Action (PRA) was the chosen methodology. Nineteen techniques were applied. The findings indicated that it was possible to use PRA to explore information needs. Participants were able to identify, classify and prioritize information needs and use information in order to suggest solutions for the selected social problem. The intervention helped develop collaborative problem solving skills and a heightened sense of citizenship.
Strategic, value-based ICT investment as a key factor in bridging the digital divide
Authors: Opesade Adeola O.
Published: May 2011

The reality of the digital divide—the gap between those who have access to and control of technology and those who do not—means that the introduction and use of information and communication technology (ICT) at different levels of human endeavour would be a challenging undertaking. Failure to meet the challenge would mean a further widening of the knowledge gap and the deepening of existing economic and social inequalities. This paper presents a multi-directional, value-based ICT investment conceptual model that is aimed at assisting developing countries in realizing goal-oriented benefits on their investment in ICT. The model identifies adequate ICT planning at the strategic level, targeted at supporting developmental objectives as a prerequisite for realizing the objective of investment in ICT.
Community ownership of physical assets: Challenges, complexities and implications
Authors: Skerratt Sarah , Hall Clare
Published: May 2011

Within rural development policy and practice there is increasing emphasis on asset ownership and management by communities, emphasizing empowerment, inclusion and securing of local futures. Asset-Based Community Development and Community Capitals models support this view. To the majority, this is part of an appropriate, normative shift towards realizing rights of place-based communities. A minority have concerns over the largely unspoken challenges and risks. We review these contentions within the context of new data relating to the totemic rural village hall. We conducted a survey of 347 village hall committees, and present our findings within an assets framework. We highlight complexities where: built assets may be liabilities; the financial asset-base of village halls is not robust; human assets are vulnerable in terms of succession and governance. Our findings show the need for: assessing complexities of asset ownership; evaluating community capacity for asset ownership; providing support where required; and longer-term investment rather than short-term spend. We thus qualify the normative drive towards asset ownership as the mechanism for sustainable economic development.
A platform for local entrepreneurship: The case of the lighting festival of Frederikshavn
Authors: Freire-Gibb Lucio Carlos , Lorentzen Anne
Published: May 2011

This article discusses the birth and evolution of a festival that has targeted the entrepreneurial dynamics in the provincial city of Frederikshavn (North Denmark). The festival was initiated in 2004 to confront a local economic crisis and has enjoyed support from a broad range of stakeholders. It started as a cultural project with initial scepticism among the local lighting firms; however, later they realized that supporting the festival was beneficial to them. The concept of temporary geographical proximity is applied to assess the festival’s importance in escaping from the city’s economic lock-in. Empirically, the article is based on interviews with a wide range of actors across the organizing network. The article offers some preliminary lessons about what such an event can contribute to local entrepreneurship.
East London Tech City: Ideas without a strategy?
Authors: Nathan Max
Published: May 2011

This article examines the Coalition Government’s ‘Tech City’ proposals for East London. The Government wants to support the nascent tech cluster in East London, encourage inward investment, and develop the post-2012 Olympic Park into a high-tech hub. After examining the initiative in more detail, the article moves on to discuss why, and how, policy should support the development of high-tech industries in East London. It draws on location and cluster theory, the experience of initiatives to support high-tech clusters in other countries, and an examination of London’s existing strengths in order to suggest a realistic and evidence-based way forward.
The emergent vinifera wine industry in North Carolina: A descriptive overview
Authors: Ofori-Boadu Victor , Yeboah Osei-Agyeman , Bhadury Joyendu , Dobie Kathryn , Troy Samuel P , Williamson Nicholas C
Published: May 2011

The North Carolina wine industry has grown rapidly over the past decade and is expected to continue growing as the worldwide wine consumption and export of wines rises. Over this same period, rural families and economies in North Carolina have been adversely affected by the steep decline in tobacco production. Several reports indicate that wine grapes are a cash crop with returns comparable to tobacco and can substitute for the loss in tobacco. This qualitative study provides an overview of the structure of the vinifera wine grape industry in North Carolina and identifies the needs and challenges facing the viability of the industry.
Anxiolytic-like effect of oxytocin in the simulated public speaking test
Authors: de Oliveira Danielle CG , Zuardi Antonio W , Graeff Frederico G , Queiroz Regina HC , Crippa José AS
Published: May 2011

Oxytocin (OT) is known to be involved in anxiety, as well as cardiovascular and hormonal regulation. The objective of this study was to assess the acute effect of intranasally administered OT on subjective states, as well as cardiovascular and endocrine parameters, in healthy volunteers ( n = 14) performing a simulated public speaking test. OT or placebo was administered intranasally 50 min before the test. Assessments were made across time during the experimental session: (1) baseline (−30 min); (2) pre-test (−15 min); (3) anticipation of the speech (50 min); (4) during the speech (1:03 h), post-test time 1 (1:26 h), and post-test time 2 (1:46 h). Subjective states were evaluated by self-assessment scales. Cortisol serum and plasma adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) were measured. Additionally, heart rate, blood pressure, skin conductance, and the number of spontaneous fluctuations in skin conductance were measured. Compared with placebo, OT reduced the Visual Analogue Mood Scale (VAMS) anxiety index during the pre-test phase only, while increasing sedation at the pre-test, anticipation, and speech phases. OT also lowered the skin conductance level at the pre-test, anticipation, speech, and post-test 2 phases. Other parameters evaluated were not significantly affected by OT. The present results show that OT reduces anticipatory anxiety, but does not affect public speaking fear, suggesting that this hormone has anxiolytic properties.
Behavioural phenotyping of knockout mice for the sigma-1 (σ1) chaperone protein revealed gender-related anxiety, depressive-like and memory alterations
Authors: Chevallier Nathalie , Keller Emeline , Maurice Tangui
Published: May 2011

The sigma-1 (σ1) protein regulates calcium homeostasis and acts as an endoplasmic reticulum chaperone. It can be activated by ligands which impact memory, depression, anxiety or addiction processes. We here characterized the behavioural phenotype of knockout (KO) mice for the σ1 protein. Two-month old male σ1−/− mice showed signs of anxiety in the open-field, passive avoidance or elevated plus-maze test, but other activity or memory responses were unchanged. Female σ1−/− mice showed deficits in spontaneous alternation or water-maze learning. Twelve-month old σ1+/− female mice showed deficits in alternation and σ1−/− mice in avoidance escape latency. Two- and 14-month old female σ1−/− mice showed decreased plasma 17β-estradiol levels. Treatment with 17β-estradiol (0.1, 0.2 mg/kg i.p.) reversed the spatial memory deficits in young and aged mice. Male σ1 KO mice showed enhanced response in the forced swimming test. Igmesine, a σ1 agonist, failed to decrease immobility in σ1 KO mice. Fluoxetine and sertraline were more efficient in σ1 KO mice, an effect likely related to their σ1 antagonist activity. Imipramine, desipramine and amitriptyline were equally active. σ1 Protein invalidation therefore affected stress or anxiety response but not memory in males. Changes in steroid tonus in female animals led, however, to memory impairments that increased with age.
Music, bodies and relationships: An ethnographic contribution to embodied cognition studies
Authors: Moran Nikki
Published: May 2011

This article sets out the methodology and results of part of an ethnographic study of North Indian music performance where qualitative interviews were analyzed with grounded theory to explore how musicians conceive of musical communication. The findings highlight the importance of socially-responsive movement cues that musicians use to co-ordinate their participation in musical events. Effective musical communication, as explored in this article, is seen to depend on the manifestation and maintenance of the relationships between participants. This analytical attention to the moment-by-moment processes of interaction that musicians must engage in chimes with current enactive approaches to cognition. The article concludes by discussing the role of music research in the development of such work, suggesting that empirical research into music as social interaction could provide important insights for an enactive understanding of human cognition.
Augmentation of a Rotator Cuff Suture Repair Using rhPDGF-BB and a Type I Bovine Collagen Matrix in an Ovine Model
Authors: Hee Christopher K. , Dines Joshua S. , Dines David M. , Roden Colleen M. , Wisner-Lynch Leslie A. , Turner A. Simon , Mcgilvray Kirk C. , Lyons Amy S. , Puttlitz Christian M. , Santoni Brandon G.
Published: May 2011

Background

Rotator cuff tears are a common source of shoulder pain. High rates (20%-94%) of structural failure of the repair have been attributed to multiple factors, including poor repair tissue quality and tendon-to-bone integration. Biologic augmentation using growth factors has potential to promote tendon-to-bone integration, improving the function and long-term success of the repair. One such growth factor is platelet-derived growth factor–BB (PDGF-BB), which has been shown to improve healing in tendon and bone repair models.

Hypothesis

Recombinant human PDGF-BB (rhPDGF-BB) combined with a highly porous type I bovine collagen matrix will improve the biomechanical function and morphologic appearance of the repair in a dose-dependent manner, relative to a suture-only control, after 12 weeks in an acute ovine model of rotator cuff repair.

Study Design

Controlled laboratory study.

Methods

An interpositional graft consisting of rhPDGF-BB and a type I collagen matrix was implanted in an ovine model of rotator cuff repair. Biomechanical and histologic analyses were performed to determine the functional and anatomic characteristics of the repair after 12 weeks.

Results

A significant increase in the ultimate load to failure was observed in repairs treated with 75 μg (1490.5 ± 224.5 N, P = .029) or 150 μg (1486.6 ± 229.0 N, P = .029) of rhPDGF-BB, relative to suture-only controls (910.4 ± 156.1 N) and the 500-μg rhPDGF-BB group (677.8 ± 105.9 N). The 75-μg and 150-μg rhPDGF-BB groups also exhibited increased tendon-to-bone inter-digitation histologically. No differences in inflammation or cellularity were observed among treatments.

Conclusion

This study demonstrated that an interpositional graft consisting of rhPDGF-BB (75 or 150 μg) and a type I collagen matrix was able to improve the biomechanical strength and anatomic appearance in an ovine model of rotator cuff repair compared to a suture-only control and the 500-μg rhPDGF-BB group.

Clinical Relevance

Recombinant human PDGF-BB combined with a type I collagen matrix has potential to be used to augment surgical repair of rotator cuff tears, thereby improving clinical success.
Community level composting in a developing country: case study of KIWODET, Tanzania
Authors: Oberlin Aisa S. , Szántó Gábor L.
Published: May 2011

Environmentally sustainable waste management practices have a limited relevance and viability in developing countries. Despite a technological potential, composting initiatives often share this fate. Little is known about the functioning of community level composting, which is reportedly the optimal level for viable compost production. This paper presents a multidisciplinary analysis of factors influencing the success and failure of the composting initiative of KIWODET, a community based organization in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The results show that despite the ready availability and good compostability of the waste stream, not all fractions of municipal organic wastes qualify as feedstock. Negative consumer attitude hindered the acceptance of compost produced from residential wastes. KIWODET did manage to successfully implement a composting operation for commercial organic wastes. Their additional waste collection and sorting activities also contributed to an increased feedstock control as well as the integration of informal waste collecting activities. When KIWODET was forced to suspend its composting activities because of land use issues, their diversified waste sector activities proved crucial in reducing the negative financial impact on their overall performance. This paper emphasizes that successful composting initiatives can arise from local capacity in developing countries. However, the lack of municipal integration and support leaves such technically viable initiatives strongly vulnerable to external factors.
Influence of the impact assessment method on the conclusions of a LCA study. Application to the case of a part made with virgin and recycled HDPE
Authors: Simões Carla L , Xará Susana M. , Bernardo C.A.
Published: May 2011

Recent legislation has stressed the need to decide the best end-of-life (EoL) option for post-consumer products considering their full life-cycle and the corresponding overall environmental impacts. The life cycle assessment (LCA) technique has become a common tool to evaluate those impacts. The present study aimed to contribute to the better understanding of the application of this technique, by evaluating the influence of the selection of the life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) method in its results and conclusions. A specific case study was chosen, using previous information related to an anti-glare lamellae (AGL) for highway use, made with virgin and recycled high-density polyethylene (HDPE). Five distinct LCIA methods were used: Eco-indicator 99, CML 2 (2000), EPS 2000, Eco-indicator 95 and EDIP 97. Consistent results between these methods were obtained for the Climate change, Ozone layer depletion, Acidification and Eutrophication environmental indicators. Conversely, the Summer smog indicator showed large discrepancies between impact assessment methods. The work sheds light on the advantages inherent in using various LCIA methods when doing the LCA study of a specific product, thus evidencing complementary analysis perspectives.
Synthesis and Characterization of Polyimide–Silver Nanocomposite Containing Chalcone Moieties in the Main Chain by UV radiation
Authors: Faghihi K. , Shabanian M.
Published: May 2011

The soluble polyimide (PI)–silver nanocomposite (PISN) 6a containing chalcone moieties as a photosensitive group was synthesized successfully by a convenient ultraviolet irradiation technique. A precursor such as AgNO3 was used as the source of the silver particles. PI 6 was synthesized by the one-step synthesis of PI from polycondensation reaction of 4,4′-diamino chalcone 4 with pyromellitic anhydride 5 in the presence of iso-quinoline solution. The resulting composite film was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, thermogravimetry analysis, and differential scanning calorimetry.
Conflicts in our mind
Authors: Smit Harry
Published: May 2011

According to evolutionary theorists, there are conflicts in our minds between genes and ideas. Evolutionary theorists investigate how natural selection has moulded possible outcomes of these conflicts. This essay investigates the conceptual framework that is used by evolutionary theorists when they develop explanations. This framework is advanced as an extension of ideas of William James on intrapsychic conflicts. It is argued that this framework is best characterized as crypto-Cartesian. The problems associated with this conceptual framework are analysed and it is suggested that the alternative, Aristotelian framework extended with Darwin’s theory is a better starting point for studying possible conflicts in the mind. The advantages of the Aristotelian framework are discussed with regard to both human and animal behaviour.
New onset diabetes associated with bovine growth hormone and testosterone abuse in a young body builder
Authors: Geraci Matthew J , Cole Mario , Davis Peter
Published: May 2011

Case: A 33-year-old male presented to the emergency department with complaints of polydipsia, polyuria, nausea, headaches, blurry vision and malaise. Lab work revealed a serum glucose level of 1166 mg/dl (64.8 mmol/L). The patient admitted to completing a cycle of androgenic anabolic steroids (AASs) for bodybuilding. His regimen consisted of supraphysiologic intramuscular injections of a bovine growth hormone, trenbolone acetate and testosterone. The patient received intravenous fluids and insulin to restore metabolic balance. Previously healthy with a non-contributory family history, he was diagnosed with new onset diabetes. Discussion: It has been demonstrated that AAS use, specifically growth hormone, can affect glucose homeostasis through increasing cellular insulin resistance and reducing glucose uptake. Excess growth hormone has been shown to cause symptoms of acromegaly which predisposes up to 40% of patients to diabetes. As trenbolone acetate is not indicated for human use and athletes are known to use supraphysiologic doses of this underground, performance enhancing drug, the correlation of the timing of events and the use of this veterinary growth hormone likely exacerbated an underlying condition or caused this new onset diabetes. Conclusion: We report a case of a young bodybuilder with no significant past medical history who was diagnosed with new onset diabetes associated with supraphysiologic self-injections of the bovine growth hormone, trenbolone acetate, combined with testosterone. AAS have the potential to induce or exacerbate diabetic conditions due to decreased glucose tolerance and increased insulin resistance.
Case–control study of male cancer patients exposed to arsenic-contaminated drinking water and tobacco smoke with relation to non-exposed cancer patients
Authors: Wadhwa Sham Kumar , Kazi Tasneem Gul , Kolachi Nida Fatima , Afridi Hassan Imran , Khan Sumaira , Chandio Akhtar Ali , Shah Abdul Qadir , Kandhro Ghulam Abbas , Nasreen Syeda
Published: May 2011

The investigated data indicated that inorganic arsenic in drinking water is associated with increased mortality from different types of cancers. In the present study, biological samples (blood and scalp hair) of male subjects having lung and bladder cancers and non-cancerous subjects belonging to arsenic (As)-exposed area of southern parts of Pakistan were analysed for As contents. The As levels in drinking water of understudy area showed that sections of understudy population are exposed to arsenic concentrations, which was 3–15-fold higher than the permissible level (<10 μg/L). For comparative purposes the biological samples of matched male cancer patient, as referent patients belonging to big city (Hyderabad) who had used municipal treated water with low arsenic levels <10 μg/L, were also collected. The exposed cancer patients have 2–3-fold higher level of As in both biological samples compared to non-exposed case-matched cancerous male subjects. This study is compelling evidence in support of positive associations between arsenic-contaminated water, food and cigarette with different types of risks of cancer.
Pathological gambling and primary antiphospholipid (Hughes) syndrome: a unique neuropsychiatric association
Authors: Barros SM , de Carvalho JF
Published: May 2011

Neuropsychiatric conditions are common in patients with primary antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) with or without vascular thrombosis of the central nervous system. There are frequent descriptions of memory alterations, cognition and mood disorders, such as depression, anxiety, and even conditions of mania and psychosis preceding the diagnosis of primary APS. However, this study is the first to present primary or secondary APS associated with habit or impulse control disorders. The authors describe the case of a 53-year-old male patient who had been a pathological gambler since adulthood and who has had APS for more than 20 years. We describe the case and review its characteristics, criteria for diagnosis and treatment offered for patients with this specific subtype of impulse disorder.
Culture of Strategically Pooled Bovine Fecal Samples as a Method to Screen Herds for Paratuberculosis
Authors: Kalis C. H. J. , Hesselink J. W. , Barkema H. W. , Collins M. T.
Published: May 2011

Fecal samples from 733 cows in 11 dairy herds with a low prevalence of paratuberculosis were cultured for the presence of Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis both individually and after combining (pooling) in groups of 5. The culture procedure was the modified Jørgensen method, which uses NaOH and oxalic acid for decontamination and modified Löwenstein-Jensen agar slants for cultivation. Pooling was performed by mixing fecal samples from 5 animals ordered by age, herein referred to as strategic pooling. Culture of individual fecal samples detected M. a. paratuberculosis infections in 43 of the 733 cows and 7 of 11 infected herds (herd sensitivity = 64%). Culture of pooled fecal samples detected M. a. paratuberculosis in 28 of 151 pooled samples representing 8 of the infected 11 herds (herd sensitivity = 73%). Feces of the 43 culture-positive cows was included in 32 pools: of these 32 pools, 26 were culture positive and 6 were culture negative. In addition to the 26 positive pools containing feces from cows that were found culture positive on individual fecal samples, another 2 pools were culture positive, although comprised of feces from cows with negative results after culture of individual fecal samples. From the total of 45 infected cows that were found (43 by individual fecal culture and an additional 2 by pooled fecal culture), individual fecal culture detected 43 of these 45 (96%), while pooled fecal culture detected 39 (87%). Culture of strategically pooled fecal samples using the modified Jørgensen method was equivalent in herd sensitivity to the culture of individual fecal samples and is significantly less expensive.
Utilization of a Rate Enhancement Hybridization Buffer System for Rapid in Situ Hybridization for the Detection of Porcine Circovirus in Cell Culture and in Tissues of Pigs with Postweaning Multisystemic Wasting Syndrome
Authors: Sirinarumitr Theerapol , Morozov Igor , Nawagitgul Porntippa , Sorden Steven D. , Harms Perry A. , Paul Prem S.
Published: May 2011

A rapid in situ hybridization (ISH) technique for the detection of porcine circovirus (PCV) nucleic acid in cell culture and formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues was developed. A fluorescein-labeled RNA probe was transcribed from a plasmid containing 530 bp of the ORF1 of a PCV isolated from a pig with postweaning multisystemic wasting syndrome (PMWS). Hybridization using standard hybridization buffer was performed at 42 C for 16 hours and was compared to hybridization using rate enhancement hybridization (REH) buffer at 67 C for 2 hours. Hybridization was detected with an alkaline phosphatase-conjugated antifluorescein antibody. In both cultured cells and tissues from pigs with PMWS, the signal intensity and number of labeled cells in sections hybridized with REH buffer were equal to those of sections hybridized with standard hybridization buffer. The total time required for ISH using the REH buffer is 7–8 hours, thus making this protocol suitable for application in routine PCV diagnosis.