bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Adults learning online: Digital choice and/or digital exclusion?
Authors: Eynon Rebecca , Helsper Ellen
Published: December 2010

Using a nationally representative British survey, this article explores the extent to which adults are using the internet for learning activities because they choose to (digital choice) or because of (involuntary) digital exclusion. Key findings suggest that reasons for (dis)engagement with the internet or the uptake of different kinds of online learning opportunities are somewhat varied for different groups, but that both digital choice and exclusion play a role. Thus, it is important for policy initiatives to better understand these groups and treat them differently. Furthermore, the more informal the learning activity, the more factors that play a significant role in explaining uptake. Policies designed to support individuals’ everyday interests, as opposed to more formal kinds of learning, are likely to be more effective in increasing people’s productive engagement with online learning opportunities.
Reconciling cultural order and individual agency: Complexity theory and the Mekeo case
Authors: Bergendorff Steen
Published: December 2010

This article argues that complexity theory offers concepts that could fruitfully be used as inspiration to solve the long-standing debate between methodological holism versus individualism. The article illustrates this by looking at the case of the Mekeo of PNG and suggests that when complexity theory is transferred to society, we have to look at the nature of local and individual interaction and the way this is linked to energy intake from the environment, which for human communities to a large extent is based on some form of exchange with other groups, and the way this form of interaction creates emergent properties — or what we could call a cultural order. Complexity theory would also suggest that change in the intake of energy (exchange possibilities) can at certain points lead to phase shifts, or, as it is called in complexity theory, bifurcations, as when a gas changes into a solid or water into ice. Seen in this light, Mekeo society seems presently to be in the middle of a bifurcation.
Phagophobia: Behavioral Treatment of a Complex Case Involving Fear of Fear
Authors: Evans Ian M. , Pechtel Pia
Published: December 2010

Phagophobia is the avoidance of swallowing foods, liquids, or pills, usually based on a fear of choking. Since the first reported case study in behavior therapy, cases reported in the cognitive-behavioral literature reveal that ostensibly different approaches have yielded similarly positive outcomes. A limited number of fundamental behavioral mechanisms appear to underlie the various manifestations of swallowing phobias. These may account for effectiveness of different cognitive-behavioral treatment protocols. This article describes a new case of phagophobia in an adult male client, revealing some of the variables that need to be considered in assessment and treatment. As the case described contained elements of body dysmorphic disorder, fear of choking, social anxiety, and fear of fear, it demonstrates subtleties of treatment design and the importance of adhering to sound behavioral principles and the value of a sophisticated functional analysis.
Nutritional Screening Tools for HIV-Infected Patients: Implications for Elderly Patients
Authors: Ruiz Marco , Kamerman Leigh Ann
Published: December 2010

Background: Nutrition is a crucial issue for elderly HIV-infected patients. Screening tools (‘‘DETERMINE your nutrition health checklist’’ [NSI], the Mini-Nutritional Assessment [MNA], the Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool [MUST] test, and the modified version of the Subjective Global Assessment [SGA]-HIV) might not detect problems in visceral fat accumulation, visceral protein loss, and lipodystrophy in elderly HIV-positive populations. Methods: Literature review of articles in English, French, and Spanish published in Medline and Cochrane databases through January 2010. Results: New studies question the use of body mass index (BMI) and weight loss as proxies for nutritional problems in HIV-positive patients. In the case of elderly HIV-infected patients, screening tools to deal with the aforementioned issues are currently being investigated. Conclusion: The authors suggest that a unique nutritional screening test that contains measures including BMI, weight loss, waist-to-hip (W/H) ratio, and mid-arm circumference may be able to detect nutritional problems in elderly patients infected with HIV. Further trials combining these 4 anthropometric measures in elderly HIV-infected patients are needed.
Exploring ethnographic genres and developing validity appraisal tools
Authors: Mantzoukas Stefanos
Published: December 2010

The current paper discusses the historical evolvement of ethnography, identifies the various genres that have developed and argues that the development of ethnographic genres has been informed by a variety of epistemologies that have different aims, methods of data collection and analysis, and styles of presentation. The different genres of ethnography are systematised and categorised into three broad categories, namely classical ethnography, critical ethnography and interpretive ethnography. Each one of these genres are analysed and linked to the unique aims, methods of data collection and analysis, and styles of presentation that are congruent with the epistemology that informs it. Furthermore, it is asserted that different ethnographic genres require different criteria for judging their validity and these criteria should be contextualised and related to the epistemology that informed the specific genre, rather than using a set of unifying criteria for judging all ethnographic studies. Finally, this paper develops a series of steps that coherently link the epistemology, the aims, the data collection, the data analysis, the researcher’s representation in the study, and the presentation of the study for each genre so as to enable researchers and readers of ethnographic studies to accordingly assess the validity of each ethnographic genre.
Collaborative Memory: Cognitive Research and Theory
Authors: Rajaram Suparna , Pereira-Pasarin Luciane P.
Published: December 2010

People often form and retrieve memories in the company of others. Yet, nearly 125 years of cognitive research on learning and memory has mainly focused on individuals working in isolation. Although important topics such as eyewitness memory and autobiographical memory have evaluated social influences, a study of group memory has progressed mainly within the provinces of history, anthropology, sociology, and social psychology. In this context, the recent surge in research on the cognitive basis of collaborative memory marks an important conceptual departure. As a first aim, we review these empirical and theoretical advances on the nature and influence of collaborative memory. Effects of collaboration are counterintuitive because individuals remember less when recalling in groups. Collaboration can also lead to forgetting and increase memory errors. Conversely, collaboration can also improve memory under proper conditions. As a second aim, we propose an overarching theoretical framework that specifies the cognitive mechanisms associated with the costs and benefits of collaboration on memory. A study of the reciprocal influences of the group and the individual on memory processes naturally draws upon several disciplines. Our aim is to elucidate the cognitive components of this complex phenomenon and situate this analysis within a broader interdisciplinary perspective.
Mistreating Psychology in the Decades of the Brain
Authors: Miller Gregory A.
Published: December 2010

We systematically mistreat psychological phenomena, both logically and clinically. This article explores three contentions: that the dominant discourse in modern cognitive, affective, and clinical neuroscience assumes that we know how psychology/biology causation works when we do not; that there are serious intellectual, clinical, and policy costs to pretending we do know; and that crucial scientific and clinical progress will be stymied as long as we frame psychology, biology, and their relationship in currently dominant ways. The arguments are developed with emphasis on misguided attempts to localize psychological function via neuroimaging, misunderstandings about the role of genetics in psychopathology, and untoward constraints on health-care policy and clinical service delivery. A particular challenge, articulated but not resolved in this article, is determining what constitutes adequate explanation in the relationship between psychology and biology.
The Appeal of the Brain in the Popular Press
Authors: Beck Diane M.
Published: December 2010

Since the advent of human neuroimaging, and of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in particular, the popular press has shown an increasing interest in brain-related findings. In this article, I explore possible reasons behind this interest, including recent data suggesting that people find brain images and neuroscience language more convincing than results that make no reference to the brain (McCabe & Castel, 2008; Weisberg, Keil, Goodstein, Rawson, & Gray, 2008). I suggest that part of the allure of these data are the deceptively simply messages they afford, as well as general, but sometimes misguided, confidence in biological data. In addition to cataloging some misunderstandings by the press and public, I highlight the responsibilities of the research scientist in carefully conveying their work to the general public.
Hyperbaric Oxygen in the Treatment of a Diabetic Foot Ulcer
Authors: Davenport Colin , Carmody David , Higgins Sean , Hickey David P. , Smith Diarmuid
Published: December 2010

Although simultaneous pancreas and kidney transplant improves most complications of type 1 diabetes, suppression of the immune system increases the risk for infection. The authors report the case of a patient who, despite receiving a simultaneous pancreas and kidney transplant, subsequently developed neuro-ischemic ulcers of his right foot requiring repeated amputations. He then developed an infected ulcer of his remaining right big toe, with significant implications for his mobility. This ulcer proved resistant to multiple courses of antibiotics and care in a specialist foot clinic but resolved completely following a course of hyperbaric oxygen therapy. The role of hyperbaric oxygen in diabetic foot ulcers is not yet fully established but should be considered in resistant cases with vascular insufficiency and a significant infective component.
Gene profiling of Graffi murine leukemia virus-induced lymphoid leukemias: identification of leukemia markers and Fmn2 as a potential oncogene
Authors: Charfi Cyndia , Voisin Véronique , Levros Louis-Charles , Edouard Elsy , Rassart Eric
Published: December 2010

The Graffi murine leukemia virus induces a large spectrum of leukemias in mice and thus provides a good model to compare the transcriptome of all types of leukemias. We analyzed the gene expression profiles of both T and B leukemias induced by the virus with DNA microarrays. Given that we considered that a 4-fold change in expression level was significant, 388 probe sets were associated to B, to T, or common to both leukemias. Several of them were not yet associated with lymphoid leukemia. We confirmed specific deregulation of Fmn2, Arntl2, Bfsp2, Gfra2, Gpm6a, and Gpm6b in B leukemia, of Nln, Fbln1, and Bmp7 in T leukemias, and of Etv5 in both leukemias. More importantly, we show that the mouse Fmn2 induced an anchorage-independent growth, a drastic modification in cell shape with a concomitant disruption of the actin cytoskeleton. Interestingly, we found that human FMN2 is overexpressed in approximately 95% of pre-B acute lymphoblastic leukemia with the highest expression levels in patients with a TEL/AML1 rearrangement. These results, surely related to the role of FMN2 in meiotic spindle maintenance, suggest its important role in leukemogenesis. Finally, we propose a new panel of genes potentially involved in T and/or B leukemias.
Evolution of plant phage-type RNA polymerases: the genome of the basal angiosperm Nuphar advena encodes two mitochondrial and one plastid phage-type RNA polymerases
Authors: Yin Chang , Richter Uwe , Börner Thomas , Weihe Andreas
Published: December 2010

Background

In mono- and eudicotyledonous plants, a small nuclear gene family (RpoT, RNA polymerase of the T3/T7 type) encodes mitochondrial as well as chloroplast RNA polymerases homologous to the T-odd bacteriophage enzymes. RpoT genes from angiosperms are well characterized, whereas data from deeper branching plant species are limited to the moss Physcomitrella and the spikemoss Selaginella. To further elucidate the molecular evolution of the RpoT polymerases in the plant kingdom and to get more insight into the potential importance of having more than one phage-type RNA polymerase (RNAP) available, we searched for the respective genes in the basal angiosperm Nuphar advena.

Results

By screening a set of BAC library filters, three RpoT genes were identified. Both genomic gene sequences and full-length cDNAs were determined. The NaRpoT mRNAs specify putative polypeptides of 996, 990 and 985 amino acids, respectively. All three genes comprise 19 exons and 18 introns, conserved in their positions with those known from RpoT genes of other land plants. The encoded proteins show a high degree of conservation at the amino acid sequence level, including all functional crucial regions and residues known from the phage T7 RNAP. The N-terminal transit peptides of two of the encoded polymerases, NaRpoTm1 and NaRpoTm2, conferred targeting of green fluorescent protein (GFP) exclusively to mitochondria, whereas the third polymerase, NaRpoTp, was targeted to chloroplasts. Remarkably, translation of NaRpoTp mRNA has to be initiated at a CUG codon to generate a functional plastid transit peptide. Thus, besides AGAMOUS in Arabidopsis and the Nicotiana RpoTp gene, N. advena RpoTp provides another example for a plant mRNA that is exclusively translated from a non-AUG codon. In contrast to the RpoT of the lycophyte Selaginella and those of the moss Physcomitrella, which are according to phylogenetic analyses in sister positions to all other phage-type polymerases of angiosperms, the Nuphar RpoTs clustered with the well separated clades of mitochondrial (NaRpoTm1 and NaRpoTm2) and plastid (NaRpoTp) polymerases.

Conclusions

Nuphar advena encodes two mitochondrial and one plastid phage-type RNAP. Identification of a plastid-localized phage-type RNAP in this basal angiosperm, orthologous to all other RpoTp enzymes of flowering plants, suggests that the duplication event giving rise to a nuclear gene-encoded plastid RNA polymerase, not present in lycopods, took place after the split of lycopods from all other tracheophytes. A dual-targeted mitochondrial and plastididal RNA polymerase (RpoTmp), as present in eudicots but not monocots, was not detected in Nuphar suggesting that its occurrence is an evolutionary novelty of eudicotyledonous plants like Arabidopsis.
The venom composition of the parasitic wasp Chelonus inanitus resolved by combined expressed sequence tags analysis and proteomic approach
Authors: Vincent Bruno , Kaeslin Martha , Roth Thomas , Heller Manfred , Poulain Julie , Cousserans François , Schaller Johann , Poirié Marylène , Lanzrein Beatrice , Drezen Jean-Michel , Moreau Sébastien JM
Published: December 2010

Background

Parasitic wasps constitute one of the largest group of venomous animals. Although some physiological effects of their venoms are well documented, relatively little is known at the molecular level on the protein composition of these secretions. To identify the majority of the venom proteins of the endoparasitoid waspChelonus inanitus(Hymenoptera: Braconidae), we have randomly sequenced 2111 expressed sequence tags (ESTs) from a cDNA library of venom gland. In parallel, proteins from pure venom were separated by gel electrophoresis and individually submitted to a nano-LC-MS/MS analysis allowing comparison of peptides and ESTs sequences.

Results

About 60% of sequenced ESTs encoded proteins whose presence in venom was attested by mass spectrometry. Most of the remaining ESTs corresponded to gene products likely involved in the transcriptional and translational machinery of venom gland cells. In addition, a small number of transcripts were found to encode proteins that share sequence similarity with well-known venom constituents of social hymenopteran species, such as hyaluronidase-like proteins and an Allergen-5 protein.

An overall number of 29 venom proteins could be identified through the combination of ESTs sequencing and proteomic analyses. The most highly redundant set of ESTs encoded a protein that shared sequence similarity with a venom protein of unknown function potentially specific of theChelonuslineage. Venom components specific toC. inanitusincluded a C-type lectin domain containing protein, a chemosensory protein-like protein, a protein related to yellow-e3 and ten new proteins which shared no significant sequence similarity with known sequences. In addition, several venom proteins potentially able to interact with chitin were also identified including a chitinase, an imaginal disc growth factor-like protein and two putative mucin-like peritrophins.

Conclusions

The use of the combined approaches has allowed to discriminate between cellular and truly venom proteins. The venom ofC. inanitusappears as a mixture of conserved venom components and of potentially lineage-specific proteins. These new molecular data enrich our knowledge on parasitoid venoms and more generally, might contribute to a better understanding of the evolution and functional diversity of venom proteins within Hymenoptera.
S. Typhimurium sseJ gene decreases the S. Typhi cytotoxicity toward cultured epithelial cells
Authors: Trombert A Nicole , Berrocal Liliana , Fuentes Juan A , Mora Guido C
Published: December 2010

Background

Salmonella entericaserovar Typhi and Typhimurium are closely related serovars as indicated by >96% DNA sequence identity between shared genes. Nevertheless,S. Typhi is a strictly human-specific pathogen causing a systemic disease, typhoid fever. In contrast,S. Typhimurium is a broad host range pathogen causing only a self-limited gastroenteritis in immunocompetent humans. We hypothesize that these differences have arisen because some genes are unique to each serovar either gained by horizontal gene transfer or by the loss of gene activity due to mutation, such as pseudogenes.S. Typhi has 5% of genes as pseudogenes, much more thanS. Typhimurium which contains 1%. As a consequence,S. Typhi lacks several protein effectors implicated in invasion, proliferation and/or translocation by the type III secretion system that are fully functional proteins inS. Typhimurium. SseJ, one of these effectors, corresponds to an acyltransferase/lipase that participates in SCV biogenesis in human epithelial cell lines and is needed for full virulence ofS. Typhimurium. InS. Typhi,sseJis a pseudogene. Therefore, we suggest thatsseJinactivation inS. Typhi has an important role in the development of the systemic infection.

Results

We investigated whether theS. Typhitrans-complemented with the functionalsseJgene fromS. Typhimurium (STM) affects the cytotoxicity toward cultured cell lines. It was found thatS. Typhi harbouringsseJSTMpresents a similar cytotoxicity level and intracellular retention/proliferation of cultured epithelial cells (HT-29 or HEp-2) as wild typeS. Typhimurium. These phenotypes are significantly different from wild typeS. Typhi

Conclusions

Based on our results we conclude that the mutation that inactivate thesseJgene inS. Typhi resulted in evident changes in the behaviour of bacteria in contact with eukaryotic cells, plausibly contributing to theS. Typhi adaptation to the systemic infection in humans.
Design of the Physical exercise during Adjuvant Chemotherapy Effectiveness Study (PACES):A randomized controlled trial to evaluate effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of physical exercise in improving physical fitness and reducing fatigue
Authors: van Waart Hanna , Stuiver Martijn M , van Harten Wim H , Sonke Gabe S , Aaronson Neil K
Published: December 2010

Background

Cancer chemotherapy is frequently associated with a decline in general physical condition, exercise tolerance, and muscle strength and with an increase in fatigue. While accumulating evidence suggests that physical activity and exercise interventions during chemotherapy treatment may contribute to maintaining cardiorespiratory fitness and strength, the results of studies conducted to date have not been consistent. Additional research is needed to determine the optimal intensity of exercise training programs in general and in particular the relative effectiveness of supervised, outpatient (hospital- or physical therapy practice-based) versus home-based programs.

Methods

This multicenter, prospective, randomized trial will evaluate the effectiveness of a low to moderate intensity, home-based, self-management physical activity program, and a high intensity, structured, supervised exercise program, in maintaining or enhancing physical fitness (cardiorespiratory fitness and muscle strength), in minimizing fatigue and in enhancing the health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Patients receiving adjuvant chemotherapy for breast or colon cancer (n = 360) are being recruited from twelve hospitals in the Netherlands, and randomly allocated to one of the two treatment groups or to a 'usual care' control group. Performance-based and self-reported outcomes are assessed at baseline, at the end of chemotherapy and at six month follow-up.

Discussion

This large, multicenter, randomized clinical trial will provide additional empirical evidence regarding the effectiveness of physical exercise during adjuvant chemotherapy in enhancing physical fitness, minimizing fatigue, and maintaining or enhancing patients' quality of life. If demonstrated to be effective, exercise intervention programs will be a welcome addition to the standard program of care offered to patients with cancer receiving chemotherapy.

Trial registration

This study is registered at the Netherlands Trial Register (NTR 2159)
Knowledge of general practitioners about nasopharyngeal cancer at the Puskesmas in Yogyakarta, Indonesia
Authors: Fles Renske , Wildeman Maarten A , Sulistiono Beni , Haryana Sofia Mubarika , Tan I Bing
Published: December 2010

Background

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is one of the leading causes of cancer death in Indonesia. At initial diagnosis, 80% of the patients present with advanced stage disease. In Indonesia, primary medical care is generally provided by the health care centres; named Puskesmas. The lack of knowledge of various aspects of NPC of the General practitioners (GPs) working in these centers might contribute to the diagnostic delay. The aim of this study was to assess the knowledge of these GPs on different aspects of NPC including symptoms, risk factors and incidence.

Methods

One hundred six GPs in the Puskesmas in the Yogyakarta province were subjected to a questionnaire on different aspects of NPC based on literature and interviews with Head and Neck Surgeons.

Results

All GPs approached participated and in total 106 questionnaires were filled in. All participants were aware of NPC as a disease and 89% confirmed that it is a serious problem in Indonesia. However, 50% of the participants believed NPC has a low incidence in their region. The question on early symptoms gave a mean 4.2 answers of which 50% were incorrect.

The GPs provided a total of 318 answers when asked for the risk factors of NPC, 75% of which were incorrect. Fifty seven GPs (54%) stated that they did not receive sufficient education on NPC at the university and insufficient knowledge was gained during daily practice. Ninety-two percent of the GPs were interested in additional education, preferably in form of lectures, meetings or folders.

Conclusion

This study revealed that GPs in the Puskesmas in Yogyakarta lack knowledge on all aspects of NPC. This is an important finding as NPC is endemic in Indonesia and the Puskesmas are the institutions which provide primary medical health care in the country. Further education of the GPs in these endemic areas could be a first step to increase the rate of early detection. Therefore, we suggest 1) to conduct a medical awareness campaign for GPs on the most important subjects concerning NPC, and 2) as soon as NPC awareness among GPs has risen, provide further education on the risk factors, the early symptoms and the incidence, education to the community. We propose to extend this study to other areas in Indonesia (i.e. Jakarta, Surabaya, Central Java), using models that have been developed in Yogyakarta.
What doctors think about the impact of managed care tools on quality of care, costs, autonomy, and relations with patients
Authors: Deom Marie , Agoritsas Thomas , Bovier Patrick A , Perneger Thomas V
Published: December 2010

Background

How doctors perceive managed care tools and incentives is not well known. We assessed doctors' opinions about the expected impact of eight managed care tools on quality of care, control of health care costs, professional autonomy and relations with patients.

Methods

Mail survey of doctors (N = 1546) in Geneva, Switzerland. Respondents were asked to rate the impact of 8 managed care tools on 4 aspects of care on a 5-level scale (1 very negative, 2 rather negative, 3 neutral, 4 rather positive, 5 very positive). For each tool, we obtained a mean score from the 4 separate impacts.

Results

Doctors had predominantly negative opinions of the impact of managed care tools: use of guidelines (mean score 3.18), gate-keeping (2.76), managed care networks (2.77), second opinion requirement (2.65), pay for performance (1.90), pay by salary (2.24), selective contracting (1.56), and pre-approval of expensive treatments (1.77). Estimated impacts on cost control were positive or neutral for most tools, but impacts on professional autonomy were predominantly negative. Primary care doctors held more positive opinions than doctors in other specialties, and psychiatrists were in general the most critical. Older doctors had more negative opinions, as well as those in private practice.

Conclusions

Doctors perceived most managed care tools to have a positive impact on the control of health care costs but a negative impact on medical practice. Tools that are controlled by the profession were better accepted than those that are imposed by payers.
Don't Call Me Professor!
Authors: Boe John
Published: December 2010

John Boe responds to David Bartholomae's “Teaching On and Off the Tenure Track: Highlights from the ADE Survey of Staffing Patterns in English.” Using his experience in a thirty-year career as a nontenured lecturer, the author addresses the discrimination lecturers face even in the most generous and democratic of institutions. It discusses the difficulty of finding an appropriate term for nontenured faculty, the unlikelihood of untenured faculty ever having full participation in the lives of their departments and institutions, the inequity of support given to the tenured for research and of support continuing to be given even when the tenured stop producing valuable (or any) research, the financial benefits that accrue to institutions through exploitation of the nontenured, the culpability of those in power for the flaws in the tenure system, and the solution to the aforesaid problems: eliminating tenure.
Writing Outside English
Authors: Harris Joseph
Published: December 2010

David Bartholomae warns against a growing reliance on MAs as instructors in English departments. I suggest in response that one way to reconnect research and teaching is to invite PhDs from other disciplines to join us in teaching academic writing.
Making a Place for Teaching Faculty
Authors: Murphy Michael
Published: December 2010

The report “Education in the Balance” represents a significant new acknowledgment of the centrality of teaching faculty to the academic project on the part of professional organizations in English studies. David Bartholomae is right to worry that the emergence of positions for teaching faculty may “enact an argument about the separation of teaching and research” that should be resisted, and healthy models of the academic workplace should make sure that teaching and research remain meaningfully responsive to one another. Recent developments in higher education, which promise an ever finer fragmentation of the academic labor force—along with new possibilities for labor abuses—make this especially urgent.
“O Brave New World”
Authors: Hansen Matthew C.
Published: December 2010

This article describes a service-learning program for undergraduate Shakespeare courses and the project's learning outcomes. The project enables significant ownership of Shakespeare, demonstration and engagement of students' multiple intelligences, and a re-valuation of the useful role of literature in everyday life.
Roles for Dicer1 in the patterning and differentiation of the optic cup neuroepithelium
Authors: Davis Noa , Mor Eyal , Ashery-Padan Ruth
Published: December 2010

The embryonic ocular neuroepithilium generates a myriad of cell types, including the neuroretina, the pigmented epithelium, the ciliary and iris epithelia, and the iris smooth muscles. As in other regions of the developing nervous system, the generation of these various cell types requires a coordinated sequence of patterning, specification and differentiation events. We investigated the roles of microRNAs (miRNAs) in the development of optic cup (OC)-derived structures. We inactivated Dicer1, a key mediator of miRNA biosynthesis, within the OC in overlapping yet distinct spatiotemporal patterns. Ablation of Dicer1 in the inner layer of the OC resulted in patterning alteration, particularly at the most distal margins. Following loss of Dicer1, this region generated a cryptic population of cells with a mixed phenotype of neuronal and ciliary body (CB) progenitors. Notably, inactivation of Dicer1 in the retinal progenitors further resulted in abrogated neurogenesis, with prolongation of ganglion cell birth and arrested differentiation of other neuronal subtypes, including amacrine and photoreceptor cells. These alterations were accompanied by changes in the expression of Notch and Hedgehog signaling components, indicating the sensitivity of the pathways to miRNA activity. Moreover, this study revealed the requirement of miRNAs for morphogenesis of the iris and for the regulation of CB cell type proliferation and differentiation. Together, analysis of the three genetic models revealed novel, stage-dependent roles for miRNAs in the development of the ocular sub-organs, which are all essential for normal vision.
Coordination of apical and basal embryo development revealed by tissue-specific GNOM functions
Authors: Wolters Hanno , Anders Nadine , Geldner Niko , Gavidia Richard , Jürgens Gerd
Published: December 2010

Flowering-plant embryogenesis generates the basic body organization, including the apical and basal stem cell niches, i.e. shoot and root meristems, the major tissue layers and the cotyledon(s). gnom mutant embryos fail to initiate the root meristem at the early-globular stage and the cotyledon primordia at the late globular/transition stage. Tissue-specific GNOM expression in the gnom mutant embryo revealed that both apical and basal embryo organization depend on GNOM provascular expression and a functioning apical-basal auxin flux: GNOM provascular expression in gnom mutant background resulted in non-cell-autonomous reconstitution of apical and basal tissues which could be linked to changes in auxin responses in those tissues, stressing the importance of apical-basal auxin flow for overall embryo organization. Although reconstitution of apical-basal auxin flux in gnom results in the formation of single cotyledons (monocots), only additional GNOM epidermal expression is able to induce wild-type apical patterning. We conclude that provascular expression of GNOM is vital for both apical and basal tissue organization, and that epidermal GNOM expression is required for radial-to-bilateral symmetry transition of the embryo. We propose GNOM-dependent auxin sinks as a means to generate auxin gradients across tissues.
The planarian flatworm: an in vivo model for stem cell biology and nervous system regeneration
Authors: Gentile Luca , Cebrià Francesc , Bartscherer Kerstin
Published: December 2010

Planarian flatworms are an exception among bilaterians in that they possess a large pool of adult stem cells that enables them to promptly regenerate any part of their body, including the brain. Although known for two centuries for their remarkable regenerative capabilities, planarians have only recently emerged as an attractive model for studying regeneration and stem cell biology. This revival is due in part to the availability of a sequenced genome and the development of new technologies, such as RNA interference and next-generation sequencing, which facilitate studies of planarian regeneration at the molecular level. Here, we highlight why planarians are an exciting tool in the study of regeneration and its underlying stem cell biology in vivo, and discuss the potential promises and current limitations of this model organism for stem cell research and regenerative medicine.
Disclosure of HIV-positive serostatus to sexual partners and associated factors in southern China
Authors: Wang L , Shan D , Chan S , Chen H , Ge Z , Ding G , Zhang L , Duan S , Liu W , Liu Z , Yang J , Chen Y , Chen X , Wang N
Published: December 2010

In light of an increased push for disclosure of HIV-positive serostatus to sexual partners (partner disclosure, PD) in China as reflected by national and local policies, the objective of this study was to determine the proportion and evaluate associated factors of PD among people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) in HIV/AIDS high-risk areas in southern China. Of the 946 HIV-positive individuals, the proportion of those who disclosed positive serostatus results to their sexual partners was 90.2% (625/693). Variables independently associated with non-disclosure included testing in Guangxi province (adjusted relative ratio [ARR] = 0.33), becoming infected with HIV via injecting drug use (IDU) transmission (ARR = 0.32), having not reported discussing disclosure with health department staff during post-test counselling (ARR = 0.41) and having a sexual relationship of ≤2 years' duration (ARR = 0.31). This study also identified a relatively larger differential between the proportion of disclosure to regular partners and the proportion of disclosure to casual partners (94.8% versus 13.0%) in comparison with other studies. Findings from this study may aid policies for future consideration.
HIV/HBV co-infection and rate of antiretroviral treatment change after highly active antiretroviral treatment initiation in a cohort of HIV-infected patients in Greece
Authors: Nikolopoulos G K , Paraskevis D , Hatzitheodorou E , Moschidis Z , Sypsa V , Zavitsanos X , Kalapothaki V , Hatzakis A
Published: December 2010

The current study investigated the impact of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/hepatitis B virus (HBV) co-infection on the rate of change of antiretroviral drugs after the initiation of highly active antiretroviral treatment (HAART). The data on 1425 HIV-positive patients with recorded serology for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) were retrospectively analysed. The estimated rate of treatment change was slightly higher in the HBsAg-positive group (0.57 per year) compared with the HBsAg-negative group (0.50 per year). Although this difference was insignificant in multivariable modelling, the confidence intervals of the estimates barely included unity. Antiretroviral drug family, calendar period, prior exposure to antiretrovirals and the diagnosis of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome were independently associated with the number of drug alterations. A slight impact of co-infection on the frequency of treatment change after the beginning of HAART cannot be excluded. However, the paucity of studies on this issue necessitates the conduct of further research.
Epidemiological features and determinants for Chlamydia trachomatis infection among women in Catalonia, Spain
Authors: Corbeto E L , Lugo R , Martró E , Falguera G , Ros R , Avecilla A , Coll C , Saludes V , Casabona J
Published: December 2010

We determined the prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) infection and risk factors for its acquisition by women aged less than 35 years who were attending sexual health centres in the province of Barcelona in 2007. A convenience sample of 397 adolescents and young adult women aged between 16 and 35 years, stratified by age and recruitment site, were tested using realtime polymerase chain reaction by CT DNA. A standardized questionnaire was used to collect epidemiological and behavioural data on the participants, which were analysed in a multivariate logistic regression model. The overall prevalence of CT was 4%, significantly higher in those under 25 years of age (5.8% versus 1.6% over 25). The independent risk factors for CT infection were: foreign origin (odds ratio [OR] 4.7; confidence interval [CI] 1.02–21.8), having had a sexual partner in the last three months (OR 4.59; CI 1.16–18.08) and tobacco use the last 12 months (OR 6.38; CI 1.16–34.93). In conclusion, this is the first study performed in Catalonia showing a high prevalence of CT in young women, consistent with trends in the rest of Europe. Systematic monitoring of CT infection in sentinel populations such as this will inform future targeted screening programmes in our setting.
Atopic patients with genital warts have a more protracted clinical course and a greater probability of recurrences
Authors: Stefanaki C , Stefanaki I , Verra P , Hadjivassiliou M , Caroni C , Bethimoutis G , Papadogeorgaki H , Stavropoulos P , Kostaki M , Antoniou C , Katsambas A
Published: December 2010

The factors predicting an unfavourable response of genital warts to treatment have not been determined. The disease characteristics were recorded for 390 patients with genital warts and treated by cryotherapy. The time to achieve clearance was recorded. A personal and family history of asthma, hay fever or eczema, as well as a personal history of common warts and number of recurrences was obtained by telephone four to five years after the clinical visits. In multiple regression analysis, the number of lesions ( P < 0.001), extent of the disease ( P = 0.003) and personal history of atopy ( P = 0.001) were found to influence the time until response to treatment. Similar results were obtained for family history of atopy. The number of sexual partners ( P = 0.007), extent of the disease ( P = 0.009) and personal history of atopy ( P < 0.001) were the main factors influencing the probability of recurrence in multiple logistic regression. The results for family history of atopy were again similar. The study concludes that atopy is a major factor influencing the time frame of the therapeutic response and the probability of recurrence in patients with genital warts.
Can the media in Africa shape Africa's political future?
Authors: Mukhongo Lusike Lynete
Published: December 2010

This article seeks to make an assessment of the media's role in shaping the political destiny of Africa as a continent. It looks at how the media responds to political crisis and its role in shaping Africa's political future with emphasis on three main issues: control and censorship of media, political economy of media and ethnicization of national politics in African countries. With reference to control and censorship of media, the focus is on how control and censorship of the media affect political reporting. The article further discusses how the political economy of the media influences its relationship with the government and how this impacts on its role in enhancing political accountability. The article then looks at the ethnicization of national politics and whether the proliferation of vernacular stations is to blame for increasing ethnicization of national politics in African countries such as Ghana, Rwanda, Uganda, Zambia and Kenya.
Regional parallelism and the reporting of corruption in the Nigerian press
Authors: Yusha'u Muhammad Jameel
Published: December 2010

This article examines the reporting of corruption in the Nigerian press. The purpose of the article is to develop a thesis that explains the factors that influence the practice of journalism in Nigeria using the reporting of corruption as a yardstick. The article stems from in-depth
interviews with Nigerian journalists in 2007 in which they were asked about the way they report corruption, and whether the regional divide in the country is apparent in reporting stories about corruption. Following the work of Hallin and Mancini (2004, Comparing Media Systems: Three Models
of Media and Politics, United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press), this article suggests that what exists in Nigeria is regional parallelism, which implies a modification of Hallin and Mancini's framework of political parallelism. The findings of the research suggest that regionalism
is a key factor in Nigerian journalism. However, it is much more complex than the simple assumption of north-south dichotomy; rather, there are intra-regional factors in the nature of ownership in the Nigerian press. The regional parallelism thesis identified six factors that explain the character
of the Nigerian press. The article recommends that courses on corruption and the media should be introduced in Nigerian and other African universities teaching journalism and mass communications, so that future journalists will understand the challenges ahead. The article also recommends that
an independent commission for the protection of journalists in Africa should be established.
Embodied in a metaverse: Anatomia and body parts
Authors: Ayiter Elif
Published: December 2010

In this article, the artist/author wishes to examine corporeality in the virtual realm, through the usage of the (non)-physical body of the avatar. Two sister art installations created in the virtual world of Second Life, both of which are meant to be accessed with site-specific avatars,
will provide the creative platform whereby this investigation is undertaken. While the installation Anatomia aims to propel the visitor towards reflections of an introverted nature, involving the fragility of the physical self, body parts seeks to challenge the residents of virtual environments
to connect with the virtual manifestations, i.e., avatars, of others in an emotionally expressive/intimate manner.
Condensation Problems in Precast Concrete Cladding Systems in Cold Climates
Authors: Gorrell Todd A.
Published: December 2010

The use of precast concrete panels as a cladding material can provide an economical and attractive method to enclose contemporary buildings. In cold climates, improper detailing or inappropriate construction of precast clad walls can result in widespread water problems due to condensation forming within the wall construction. Condensation may form at the interior of the wall assembly due to inadequate protection against air flow through the wall, such as exfiltration of warm, moist indoor air, or by infiltration of cold outdoor air reaching the interior wall components. The condensation within the wall assembly can also be caused by water vapor diffusion into the wall from the building interior. In addition, inadequate separation and/or insulation between precast panels and adjacent cladding components, such as windows, curtain wall, or metal framing components, can result in surface condensation on these wall elements. The moisture from condensation can cause extensive damage to finish materials, including insulation and gypsum wallboard; can result in corrosion and deterioration of metal components, such as structural connections and metal wall framing; and may result in mold and mildew. This paper will (1) present examples of precast clad building wall construction where significant condensation problems have occurred; (2) discuss typical causes of condensation in precast clad buildings in cold climates; (3) review design considerations to reduce the potential for condensation in new buildings; and (4) present repair methods to address condensation in existing buildings.
The Material Culture of Public School Classrooms: The Symbolic Integration of Local Schools and National Culture1
Authors: Johnson Norris Brock
Published: December 2010

Yehudi Cohen (1970; 1971; 1975) has suggested that socialization and enculturation into national society and culture are symbolically reinforced by the integrative functions of customary public school classroom decoration and artifacts. This paper describes the material culture of classrooms within an elementary school in the rural midwestern United States. In support of Cohen's argument, it was found that classroom material culture symbolically represented national, rather than local community, sociocultural orientations and traditions. Cohen's thesis is expanded through (1) content analysis of grade‐to‐grade variation in classroom material culture and (2) by suggesting a hierarchy of local school integration, as represented in classroom material culture, with the national society and culture. It is concluded that classroom material culture reinforces the symbolic integration of heterogeneous local school communities into a national society and culture. Classroom material culture is an index of the relative degree of symbolic integration between local school communities and national society and culture.
Travels in Chiapas: Central America Revisited
Authors: Becker Marshall Joseph
Published: December 2010

Patrick Marnham. So Far From God. A Journey to Central America. Harmondsworth, Middlesex, England: Penguin Books, 1985. 253 pp. $5.95 (paper).
Humanistic Concerns in Schooling
Authors: Hanna Judith Lynne
Published: December 2010

David M. Fetterman and Mary Anne Pitman. eds. Educational Evaluation: Ethnography in Theory, Practice, and Politics. Newbury Park: Sage, 1986. 232 pp. $25.00 (cloth).
Nominalism and Essentialism in Urban Anthropology
Authors: Zenner Walter P.
Published: December 2010

AS A REACTION to the essentialist perspectives of mid‐century anthropology, proponents of postmodernism and others have viewed the conventional categories, such as cultures, communities, and ethnic groups as reifications. The critique of Wirthian urbanism which preceded the current period fits this pattern. The paper will deal with how postmodernist anthropologists have dealt with the urban and how, despite the critique, an essentialist view of urbanism retains utility, [urbanism, postmodernism, essentialism]
Making Monsters: The Greenwich Village Halloween Parade and the Politics of Representation
Authors: Kugelmass Jack
Published: December 2010

THE GREENWICH VILLAGE Halloween Parade evolved since 1974 from intimate street theater into a major New York City event. Despite such apparent success, some veteran participants have become highly critical of the event, seeing it as an appropriation of a community celebration. In his book on the parade, the author gave voice to such criticisms. In doing so, the author found himself on a collision course with the current organizer of the parade who questioned the authority of individual voices. The essay examines the problematic nature of attempting to find a balance among informants' contradictory points of view.
The City and the Self: Narratives of Spatial Belonging among Austrian Jews
Authors: Bunzl Matti
Published: December 2010

JEWS IN CONTEMPORARY AUSTRIA construct their ethnic selves as a mimetic continuation of a tropological field circumscribed by an imagined moment of Jewish efflorescence in fin‐de‐siècle Vienna. This moment continues to imprint a metonymic set of cultural values on Vienna, affording the signification of Jewish selfhood in opposition to an Austrian (non–Jewish) majority. The Jewish selves thereby constructed, in turn serve as rallying points for an affirmative outlook on Jewish life in contemporary Austria.