bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cognitive Load in eCommerce Applications—Measurement and Effects on User Satisfaction
Authors: Schmutz Peter , Heinz Silvia , Métrailler Yolanda , Opwis Klaus
Published: May 2009

Guidelines for designing usable interfaces recommend reducing short term memory load. Cognitive load, that is, working memory demands during problem solving, reasoning, or thinking, may affect users′ general satisfaction and performance when completing complex tasks. Whereas in design guidelines numerous ways of reducing cognitive load in interactive systems are described, not many attempts have been made to measure cognitive load in Web applications, and few techniques exist. In this study participants′ cognitive load was measured while they were engaged in searching for several products in four different online book stores. NASA‐TLX and dual‐task methodology were used to measure subjective and objective mental workload. The dual‐task methodology involved searching for books as the primary task and a visual monitoring task as the secondary task. NASA‐TLX scores differed significantly among the shops. Secondary task reaction times showed no significant differences between the four shops. Strong correlations between NASA‐TLX, primary task completion time, and general satisfaction suggest that NASA‐TLX can be used as a valuable additional measure of efficiency. Furthermore, strong correlations were found between browse/search preference and NASA‐TLX as well as between search/browse preference and user satisfaction. Thus we suggest browse/search preference as a promising heuristic assessment method of cognitive load.
Alumina Template-Dependant Growth of Cobalt Nanowire Arrays
Authors: Malferrari L. , Jagminienė A. , Veronese G. P. , Odorici F. , Cuffiani M. , Jagminas A.
Published: May 2009

Different electrochemical regimes and porous alumina were applied for template synthesis of cobalt nanowire (nw) arrays, revealing several peculiar cases. In contrast to quite uniform filling of sulfuric acid alumina templates by alternating current deposition, nonuniform growth of the Conwtufts and mushrooms was obtained for the case of oxalic acid templates. We showed herein for the first time that such configurations arise from the spontaneous growth of cobaltnwgroups evolving from the cobalt balls at the Al/alumina interface. Nevertheless, the uniform growth of densely packed cobaltnwarrays, up to tens of micrometers in length, was obtained via long-term direct current galvanostatic deposition at low current density using oxalic acid templates one-side coated by conducting layer. The unique point of this regime is the formation of hexagonal lattice Conwswith a preferred (100) growth direction.
A Theorem of Galambos‐Bojanić‐Seneta Type
Authors: Djurčić Dragan , Torgašev Aleksandar
Published: May 2009

In the theorems of Galambos‐Bojanić‐Seneta′s type, the asymptotic behavior of the functions c[x],   x ≥ 1, for x → +∞, is investigated by the asymptotic behavior of the given sequence of positive
numbers (cn), as n → +∞ and vice versa. The main result of this paper is one theorem of such a type for sequences
of positive numbers (cn) which satisfy an asymptotic condition of the Karamata type  c[λn]/cn > 1, for λ > 1.
Nephrolithiasis Caused by Ceftriaxone in a 3-Year-Old Child with Ureteropelvic Junction Obstruction
Authors: Stojanovic Vesna , Djuric Vijatov Gordana
Published: May 2009

We report the case of a 3-year-old boy with urinary tract malformation (left sided stenosis of the ureteropelvic junction) which was precipitating factor for ensuing nephrolithiasis of the left kidney during the therapy with ceftriaxone. The treatment with spasmolytics was initiated, together with the forced parentheral hydration. After 3 weeks, there was no evidence of calculi in the urinary tract.
Salivary Glucose Concentration and Excretion in Normal and Diabetic Subjects
Authors: Jurysta Cedric , Bulur Nurdan , Oguzhan Berrin , Satman Ilhan , Yilmaz Temel M. , Malaisse Willy J. , Sener Abdullah
Published: May 2009

The present report aims mainly at a reevaluation of salivary glucose concentration and excretion in unstimulated and mechanically stimulated saliva in both normal and diabetic subjects. In normal subjects, a decrease in saliva glucose concentration, an increase in salivary flow, but an unchanged glucose excretion
rate were recorded when comparing stimulated saliva to unstimulated saliva. In diabetic patients, an increase in salivary flow with unchanged
salivary glucose concentration and glucose excretion rate were observed under the same
experimental conditions. Salivary glucose concentration and excretion were much higher in
diabetic patients than in control subjects, whether in unstimulated or stimulated saliva. No
significant correlation between glycemia and either glucose concentration or glucose
excretion rate was found in the diabetic patients, whether in unstimulated or stimulated saliva.
In the latter patients, as compared to control subjects, the relative magnitude of the increase in
saliva glucose concentration was comparable, however, to that of blood glucose
concentration. The relationship between these two variables was also documented in normal
subjects and diabetic patients undergoing an oral glucose tolerance test.
SURGNET: An Integrated Surgical Data Transmission System for Telesurgery
Authors: Natarajan Sriram , Ganz Aura
Published: May 2009

Remote surgery information requires quick and reliable transmission between the surgeon and the patient site. However, the networks that interconnect the surgeon and patient sites are usually time varying and lossy which can cause packet loss and delay jitter. In this paper we propose SURGNET, a telesurgery system for which we developed the architecture, algorithms and implemented it on a testbed. The algorithms include adaptive packet prediction and buffer time adjustment techniques which reduce the negative effects caused by the lossy and time varying networks. To evaluate the proposed SURGNET system, at the therapist site, we implemented a therapist panel which controls the force feedback device movements and provides image analysis functionality. At the patient site we controlled a virtual reality applet built in Matlab. The varying network conditions were emulated using NISTNet emulator. Our results show that even for severe packet loss and variable delay jitter, the proposed integrated synchronization techniques significantly improve SURGNET performance.
Primary Adult Renal Ewing's Sarcoma: A Rare Entity
Authors: Mukkunda Ravindra , Venkitaraman Ramachandran , Thway Khin , Min Toon , Fisher Cyril , Horwich Alan , Judson Ian
Published: May 2009

Background. Ewing's sarcoma of extraskeletal origin is uncommon and that is of primary renal origin in adults are rare. There is no consensus on the optimal management of Ewing's tumors of renal origin.Methods. A retrospective review of the clinical features, treatment, and outcome of adult patients with primary renal extra-skeletal Ewing's sarcoma who were treated at the Royal Marsden hospital from January 1993–December 2007 is reported.Results. Seven adult patients with primary renal Ewing's sarcoma were identified. All four patients with nonmetastatic disease had radical nephrectomy and received adjuvant chemotherapy +/−radiotherapy. Two developed metastatic disease while on adjuvant chemotherapy, and one patient relapsed after 55 months. The three patients with metastatic disease at presentation did not have nephrectomy and were treated with chemotherapy. All three patients had disease progression with a dismal outcome. Only one patient in the whole group is alive and disease free. The median overall survival was 62.8 months, and the median disease-free survival in patients with nonmetastatic disease after combined modality treatment was 30.3 months.Conclusion. Primary adult renal Ewing's sarcoma is an aggressive tumor with a propensity for early metastasis. Radical nephrectomy with adjuvant combination chemotherapy produced the best results but the outlook remained poor with only one patient experiencing long disease-free survival.
Local C-Reactive Protein Expression in Obliterative Lesions and the Bronchial Wall in Posttransplant Obliterative Bronchiolitis
Authors: Päiväniemi Outi E. , Maasilta Paula K. , Vainikka Tiina L. S. , Alho Hanni S. , Karhunen Pekka J. , Salminen Ulla-Stina
Published: May 2009

The local immunoreactivity of C-reactive protein (CRP) was studied in a heterotopic porcine model of posttranplant obliterative bronchiolitis (OB). Bronchial allografts and control autografts were examined serially 2–28 days after subcutaneous transplantation. The autografts stayed patent. In the allografts, proliferation of inflammatory cells (P<.0001) and fibroblasts (P=.02) resulted in occlusion of the bronchial lumens (P<.01). Influx of CD4+ (P<.001) and CD8+ (P<.0001) cells demonstrated allograft immune response. CRP positivity simultaneously increased in the bronchial walls (P<.01), in macrophages, myofibroblasts, and endothelial cells. Local CRP was predictive of features characteristic of OB (R=0.456–0.879,P<.05−P<.0001). Early obliterative lesions also showed CRP positivity, but not mature, collagen-rich obliterative plugs (P<.05). During OB development, CRP is localized in inflammatory cells, myofibroblasts and endothelial cells probably as a part of the local inflammatory response.
Integrating Multiple Microarray Data for Cancer Pathway Analysis Using Bootstrapping K‐S Test
Authors: Han Bing , Chen Xue-Wen , Wang Xinkun , Michaelis Elias K.
Published: May 2009

Previous applications of microarray technology for cancer research have mostly focused on identifying genes that are differentially expressed between a particular cancer and normal cells. In a biological system, genes perform different molecular functions and regulate various biological processes via interactions with other genes thus forming a variety of complex networks. Therefore, it is critical to understand the relationship (e.g., interactions) between genes across different types of cancer in order to gain insights into the molecular mechanisms of cancer. Here we propose an integrative method based on the bootstrapping Kolmogorov‐Smirnov test and a large set of microarray data produced with various types of cancer to discover common molecular changes in cells from normal state to cancerous state. We evaluate our method using three key pathways related to cancer and demonstrate that it is capable of finding meaningful alterations in gene relations.
Poor Dental Status and Oral Hygiene Practices in Institutionalized Older People in Northeast Brazil
Authors: Ribeiro Gaião Luciene , Leitão de Almeida Maria Eneide , Bezerra Filho José Gomes , Leggat Peter , Heukelbach Jorg
Published: May 2009

In this study we describe the dental status and oral hygiene practices in institutionalized older people and identify factors associated with poor dental status. A cross-sectional study was performed in a nursing home in Fortaleza, the capital of Ceará State (northeast Brazil). The number of decayed, missing, and filled teeth (DMFT) was assessed in the residents of the nursing home (; mean age = 76.6 years). The mean DMFT value was 29.7; the mean number of missing teeth was 28.4. Ninety-three (58.1%) were edentulous. Almost 90% practiced oral hygiene, but only about half used a toothbrush. Only 8% had visited a dentist in the preceding three months. Most of the variables regarding oral hygiene habits (such as the use of toothbrush, frequency of oral hygiene per day, regular tooth brushing after meals) did not show any significant association with the DMFT. In multivariate regression analysis, age, general literacy level, and practice of oral hygiene were independently associated with the DMFT (). Institutionalized older people in northeast Brazil have poor dental status, and oral hygiene practices are insufficient. Dental health education is needed focusing on the special needs of this neglected and socioeconomically deprived population to improve their quality of life.
Genotype Environment Interaction in Grass Pea (Lathyrus sativusL.) Lines
Authors: Polignano G. B. , Bisignano V. , Tomaselli V. , Uggenti P. , Alba V. , Della Gatta C.
Published: May 2009

Eight grass pea lines grown in three different seasons were evaluated for the stability of seed yield, 100 seeds weight, flowering time, plant height, and biomass. Significant differences existed among years, lines, and lines years interaction for all traits except for 100 seeds weight. Two methods of multivariate analysis cluster and principal components were utilized to determine: firstly, whether a pattern existed among lines in their response across years and secondly to examine the relationships among them. In both analyses, each line was presented as a vector whose elements were given by the performance of lines in each year. The analyses used arranged the lines into groups that were differentiable in terms of performances and stability. Our results provide useful information to aid the choice of grass pea lines in the Mediterranean marginal areas.
Some Computational Aspects of the Brain Computer Interfaces Based on Inner Music
Authors: Klonowski Wlodzimierz , Duch Wlodzisław , Perovic Aleksandar , Jovanovic Aleksandar
Published: May 2009

We discuss the BCI based on inner tones and inner music. We had some success in the detection of inner tones, the imagined tones which are not sung aloud. Rather easily imagined and controlled, they offer a set of states usable for BCI, with high information capacity and high transfer rates. Imagination of sounds or musical tunes could provide a multicommand language for BCI, as if using the natural language. Moreover, this approach could be used to test musical abilities. Such BCI interface could be superior when there is a need for a broader command language. Some computational
estimates and unresolved difficulties are presented.
Stem Cell Therapy for Heart Failure
Authors: Menasché Philippe
Published: May 2009

So far, the major safety issue raised by the use of stem cells for cardiac repair has been the occurrence of ventricular arrhythmias, particularly after skeletal myoblast transplantation. Although one cannot refute a potential intrinsic arrhythmogenicity of stem cells, primarily related to their common lack of electromechanical integration into the recipient myocardium, it is also important to recognize that patients eligible for cell replacement therapy are prone to develop arrhythmias because of their underlying ischemic heart disease. Another confounding factor is the method used for the intramyocardial delivery of the cells, which can cause enough inflammatory tissue damage to further increase ventricular irritability on top of an already high baseline level. Thus any strategy designed to minimize the risk of stem cell–associated ventricular arrhythmias should take into account, besides the cell-specific ability to appropriately couple with host cardiomyocytes, the method of cell transfer and the nature of the myocardial environment targeted for cell engraftment. A more accurate characterization of the baseline risk of arrhythmias in these patients would thus be helpful for better assessing the respective contribution of the donor cells and the host myocardium to these complications. The risk-to-benefit ratio of stem cell therapy will finally have to be revisited in light of the fact that because this baseline risk is usually high, most of these patients will in any way be fitted with an implantable defibrillator.
The Tricuspid Valve
Authors: Rogers Jason H. , Bolling Steven F.
Published: May 2009

Cardiovascular specialists have entered an era of renewed interest and enthusiasm surrounding the diagnosis and treatment of valvular heart disease, driven in part by emerging percutaneous therapies for the treatment of aortic, pulmonic, and mitral valve disease. Despite this wave of investigation, little or no attention has been given to the treatment of tricuspid valve disease. Tricuspid regurgitation (TR) occurs mainly from tricuspid annular dilation, which can result from left-sided heart failure from myocardial or valvular causes, right ventricular volume and pressure overload, or dilation of cardiac chambers. If untreated at the time of surgical mitral valve repair, significant residual TR negatively impacts perioperative outcomes, functional class, and survival. TR does not reliably resolve after successful mitral valve surgery. If present at the time of mitral valve surgery, TR can usually be effectively addressed with ring annuloplasty. Because reoperations for recurrent TR carry high mortality rates, few patients are offered reoperation for redo tricuspid repair or replacement. As transcatheter therapies for mitral regurgitation arise, parallel percutaneous approaches for TR may be necessary. In this article, we review the anatomy, pathophysiology, and value of mechanical correction of TR, including potential transcatheter therapies for TR.
The Institutionalization of River Treaties
Authors: Tir Jaroslav , Stinnett Douglas
Published: May 2009

This article seeks to expand our understanding of why states use international institutions to manage transboundary rivers. Agreements governing the use and management of international rivers can contain a variety of different institutional features. We address the question of why riparian states choose to include or exclude these features from river treaties. Our explanation focuses on the problem of securing post-agreement compliance. Institutions perform a variety of functions that help states maintain cooperation over time. We analyze this explanation using a data set of river treaties formed between 1950 and 2002. We find that the institutionalization of river treaties is associated with water scarcity, the flow pattern of shared rivers, trade interdependence, and the level of economic development. These findings have important implications for the possibility that rivers will be a source of future conflicts.
Third Party Mediation of International River Disputes: Lessons from the Indus River
Authors: Zawahri Neda
Published: May 2009

Third parties have been active in assisting adversarial states to navigate their international river disputes. By using the carrot and stick to facilitate compromise, mediators have also participated in the negotiations leading to the signing of treaties over international rivers. Yet, due to the nature of the issue confronting riparian states, the long-term impact of these efforts is likely to be unstable cooperation rather than cooperation. This is still an important contribution, because the absence of mediation efforts may contribute to an environment of conflict. However, since riparian states confront a relationship that involves the need to continuously manage disputes that arise as states develop their international rivers, a mediator may be more effective in facilitating cooperation if it assists developing states with a history of animosity to establish effectively designed river basin commissions and it oversees the implementation of treaties. Participating in the initial years of a treaty's implementation by coordinating the donor community to underwrite projects can minimize the potential disputes riparians confront. An effectively designed river basin commission can assist in facilitating cooperation long after the mediator has departed from the region. To demonstrate this argument, the article draws on the Indus River case, which has lived through four different phases. The Euphrates and Tigris Rivers are used to illustrate the argument's ability to explain other cases.
Optical Measurement of Shape Distortion for the Co-Cured Composite T Section Structures
Authors: Ya Dong Yan  , Xue Feng Yao  , Jun Li  , Hui Min Xie  , Zhe Jun Kou  , Di Dai
Published: May 2009

Full field warpage profiles of the co-cured composite T section structure are measured using the digital speckle correlation method. Both the measurement principle and the optical calibration method are introduced in detail. The shape profile from the side view and the underneath view of the composite T structure are measured, respectively. Finally, the whole warpages of the T section are obtained using image linking technology. These results will play an important role in designing and manufacturing of composite T section structures.
Evaluation of Calotropis gigantea as a Promising Raw Material for Fiber-reinforced Composite
Authors: Ashori Alireza , Bahreini Zaker
Published: May 2009

In this study the feasibility of applying two kinds of mudar (Calotropis gigantea) fibers, namely bark fibers and seed fibers, as an alternative raw material for fiber-reinforced composite (FRC) is investigated. The chemical analysis of the bark and seed fibers indicates that their main components are holocellulose 76 and 69%, cellulose 57 and 49%, lignin 18 and 23%, and alkali soluble substances 17 and 15%, respectively. There are statistically significant differences in the bark and seed fiber dimensions. The bark fibers are long, with a thin wall relative to their diameter, and are therefore lightweight. The seed and bark fibers are very similar to hard- and soft-woods, in terms of chemical compositions and fiber dimensions, respectively. The mechanical properties of the mudar bark fibers are: tensile strength 381 MPa, strain at break 2.1% and Young's modulus 9.7 GPa. In general, both types of fibers have enough potential for replacing or supplementing other fibrous raw materials as reinforcing agent.
The Effect of Wood Species on the Mechanical and Thermal Properties of Wood—LLDPE Composites
Authors: Shebani A.N. , Van Reenen A.J. , Meincken M.
Published: May 2009

Different wood species can be expected to affect the properties of wood—polymer composites (WPCs) differently, as they have different chemical compositions. The chemical composition (cellulose, lignin, hot water, and ethanol/ cyclohexane extractive contents) of acacia, eucalyptus, pine, and oak and the morphological properties such as wood fiber length distribution were determined in order to investigate this effect. Composites of linear low-density polyethylene and 10 wt% of each of the wood species were prepared, using polyvinyl alcohol-co-ethylene as a compatibilizer. Significant differences were found between the wood species in terms of both chemical composition and wood fiber length distribution. These affected the properties of the WPCs in different ways. Use of acacia resulted in a WPC with superior mechanical properties and thermal stability compared with the other species, due to its higher cellulose and lignin contents and a favorable wood fiber length distribution; however, acacia composites also showed a higher water absorption rate due to the higher cellulose content. We also found that WPCs containing wood species with a high lignin and extractive content, such as acacia and oak, had a higher resistance to UV degradation.
No Dawn for ‘New Dawn’
Authors: Kumar Ashish , Shankar Ravi , Momaya Kiran Kumar
Published: May 2009

This case describes events in the build-up to the diffusion of an innovation before it has reached critical mass. The innovation in question is the large-scale use of renewable energy to power telecom sites. A manager is passionate about this innovation, and it seems to be a sound solution to an urgent business problem. However, he struggles to get acceptance for his ideas from key stakeholders, and his proposal rides a roller coaster.
Rozee.Pk
Authors: Shaikh Shazib E.
Published: May 2009

Rozee.pk is a case about how an entrepreneur, having recently migrated from the Silicon Valley to Pakistan, is working on the commercial launch of his fourth (commercial) dot-com venture—as a late entrant into the online job posting and search market. However, this investment is different from his earlier ventures because the revenue streams will be coming from within the low e-readiness economy of Pakistan. The key decision the protagonist faces is how to move from free to paid services; delays add to the ‘burn rate’ and allow heavy promotions by a rival to capture market share. Launching prematurely may hurt the Rozee brand in pursuing key accounts.
Skin-Type Adnexal Tumor With Trichoblastic Germinative Differentiation in the Breast
Authors: Gököz Özay , Presenti Loretta , Gambacorta Giuseppina , Zolfanelli Federica , Tricarico Rossella , Nistri Roberto , Baroni Gianna , Bianchi Simonetta , Massi Daniela
Published: May 2009

Adnexal tumors with follicular differentiation in the breast parenchyma are rarely encountered. The authors present a unique case arising in a 64-year-old woman, in whom they observed composite differentiation toward follicular germinative cells of the hair follicle with focal areas of outer root sheath differentiation and pilar-type keratinization. The histogenesis of this tumor is analyzed in light of the peculiar pathological, immunohistochemical, and molecular genetic findings.
A Randomized Controlled Trial of Preperitoneal Bupivacaine Instillation for Reducing Pain Following Laparoscopic Inguinal Herniorrhaphy
Authors: Suvikapakornkul Ronnarat , Valaivarangkul Panisara , Noiwan Patcharee , Phansukphon Thanin
Published: May 2009

The efficacy of bupivacaine instillation into preperitoneal space following laparoscopic herniorrhaphy for postoperative pain reduction is still in controversy. A randomized controlled trial was conducted to determine the efficacy of bupivacaine instillation. The 40 patients, who had an inguinal hernia with no complication, unilateral or bilateral and recurrence or no recurrence after previous hernia repair, were randomly assigned to receive bupivacaine (n = 19) and normal saline (n = 21). The intervention or placebo was instilled into the preperitoneal space after total extraperitoneal laparoscopic herniorrhaphy. Pain intensity was assessed by using a visual analogue scale and verbal rating scale after the 1st, 2nd, 6th, 12th, and 24th hour postoperatively. For the bupivacaine and placebo group, mean pain scores were 3.5 versus 5.2 ( P = .059), 2.9 versus 4.5 ( P = .117), 2.1 versus 3.2 ( P = .101), 1.5 versus 2.7 ( P = .145), and 1.6 versus 2.0 ( P = .672) after the 1st, 2nd, 6th, 12th, and 24th hour, respectively. Complications developed in 4 patients in the bupivacaine group and 7 patients in the placebo group after 3 months follow-up time. There is no strong evidence to confirm that bupivacaine instillation into preperitoneal space after laparoscopic herniorrhaphy can reduce postoperative pain.
Gastrectomy and Esophagogastrectomy for Proximal and Distal Gastric Lesions: A Comparison of Open and Laparoscopic Procedures
Authors: Francescutti Valerie , Choy Ian , Biertho Laurent , Goldsmith Charles H. , Anvari Mehran
Published: May 2009

Laparoscopic gastrectomy is safe for benign lesions; however, such surgery for cancer remains controversial. The aim of this study is to compare outcomes in open versus laparoscopic gastrectomy. Data on patients undergoing open (n = 15) or laparoscopic (n = 52) gastrectomy revealed a mean age of 61.7 and 70.5 years, respectively ( P = .06). Mean operative time was 32.3 minutes longer in the laparoscopic group ( P = .24). The difference in median length of hospital stay was 3 days (open 12 days, laparoscopic 9 days). Postoperative morbidity (< 30 days) was not different; however, there were more early respiratory complications in the open group ( P = .009). There were 4/6 (66.7%) open and 2/29 (6.9%) cancer recurrences. Laparoscopic approach for treatment of gastric lesions is safe and does not have a deleterious effect on cancer-related outcome.
Peroral Dual Scope for Natural Orifice Transluminal Endoscopic Surgery (NOTES) Gastrotomy Closure
Authors: Asakuma Misuhiro , Perretta Silvana , Cahill Ronan A. , Solano Cinthya , Pasupathy Shanker , Dallemagne Bernard , Tanigawa Nobuhiko , Marescaux Jacques
Published: May 2009

Background: Although transgastric intraperitoneal surgery is feasible both in experimental models and humans, secure gastrotomy closure remains challenging. As there is still no method that is simple, reliable, inexpensive, and effective, we aimed to evaluate the feasibility, efficacy, and safety of a novel endoscopic approach to this issue that intends to ensure secure healing by obtaining full thickness gastric wall apposition without requiring specialized instrumentation. Methods: Six pigs underwent general anesthesia followed by peritoneoscopy through a 12-mm gastrotomy by a double-channel endoscope. Gastrotomy closure was performed by our innovative technique. In short, this involves the insertion of a second single-channel gastroscope alongside the NOTES gastroscope. Both scopes are then worked in tandem within the stomach by separate operators using conventional endoscopic graspers and an endoclip device. The first animal was used to ascertain feasibility and standardize the technical steps, whereas the other five were survived. Postoperative follow-up then included endoscopy 1 week later and repeat endoscopy, laparoscopy, and necropsy on day 14. Results: All closures were immediately successful. Postoperatively, each animal demonstrated appropriate weight gain and behavioral pattern without overt postoperative complication. Necropsy showed normal healing at the gastrotomy site although there were signs of minor peritoneal irritation and infection in 2 pigs. Conclusions: This transoral dual-scope clipping method of gastrotomy closure after NOTES, as well as the general concept of employing 2 separate instruments at the same time perorally, is proven technically feasible, safe, and effective in this model.
Framing the Irish Revolution: Ken Loach's The Wind That Shakes the Barley
Authors: Drisceoil Donal Ó
Published: May 2009

In his victory speech at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival, having won the prestigious Palme d'Or award for best film for the Irish war of independence drama, The Wind That Shakes the Barley, director Ken Loach declared: “Our film is a little step in the British confronting their imperialist history. Maybe if we tell the truth about the past we can tell the truth about the present.” This offers a neat summary of a central aim of radical history and indicates Loach's belief that one's view of the past is always framed by how one views the present. His framing of the Irish revolution in clear anti-imperialist and class terms provoked anger and criticism in Ireland and Britain, which was exacerbated by the film's popular success. This reflection offers a brief overview of the Irish revolution, incorporating comments on the portrayal of various revolutionary issues and episodes in The Wind That Shakes the Barley followed by a discussion on its radical treatment of this period of Irish history in the context of some of the popular and academic critical reaction to the film.
Ireland and the Empire: The Ambivalence of Irish Constitutional Nationalism
Authors: Collombier-Lakeman Pauline
Published: May 2009

Throughout the nineteenth century until the beginning of the twentieth century, Irish constitutional nationalism developed an ambivalent discourse on the relationship between Ireland and the empire. As proponents of Repeal or Home Rule, Irish leaders repeatedly denounced the political, economic, and cultural domination imposed on Ireland through the union with Great Britain. And yet they avoided defining Ireland as a colony, and rather stressed Ireland's participation in British empire building as one further argument in favor of Irish legislative autonomy. Leading figures like Daniel O'Connell, Charles Stewart Parnell, John Dillon, or John Redmond at times opposed British imperial policy, but they were not committed anti-imperialists. Only a minority of MPs including Frank Hugh O'Donnell, Alfred Webb, and Michael Davitt were more active in denouncing the excesses of British colonialism in India or South Africa. The anti-imperialism of Irish constitutional nationalists was all the more limited as Repeal of Home Rule was not meant to lead to the dismemberment of the empire. On the contrary, leading Irish nationalist MPs were aware that, with the granting of legislative autonomy to colonies like Canada, Australia, or New Zealand, the very nature of the empire was changing and that autonomy and empire were perfectly compatible. Taking the newly autonomous colonies as models to follow, they contemplated the possibility of reorganizing the empire into a federation including Ireland.
The Violence of the Real: A Conversation with Rogério Reis
Authors: Jaguaribe Beatriz
Published: May 2009

This interview investigates how the photographer Rogério Reis created his photographic installation Microwave as a response to the urban violence of the drug trade in Rio de Janeiro. It explores also how Reis decided to make this aesthetic option, how the relation between the press and the drug dealers has changed over the past years, and how civil society attempts to respond to the violence of the city. Finally, the interview examines Reis's photographs of the carnival in Rio as a different kind of aesthetic rendering of the subjective and collective inventions of the self.
How to Read the Future: The Yield Curve, Affect, and Financial Prediction
Authors: Zaloom Caitlin
Published: May 2009

Financial prediction provokes intense affect. For bond traders, hedge fund managers, and economic planners, both statistical reasoning and affective discomfort surround professional judgments about the future. This article argues that contemporary financial knowledge is organized around the interplay of reason and affect. The history and contemporary use of the U.S. Treasury yield curve—a key economic indicator—point to this intractable problem of modern knowledge more generally. The devices that should create grounds for calculating future profits also open avenues of affect. Specifically, the reflexive character of financial devices provides fertile ground. As a forecasting tool, the yield curve's effectiveness is bound to its particular social content. Financial tools aggregate and objectify professionals' assessments about the economic future. Readers of the curve's shape must evaluate the rationality of the economic participants whose activities compose this reflexive device. Reading the financial future places affect at the center of calculation.
Microloans and Micronarratives: Sentiment for a Small World
Authors: Black Shameem
Published: May 2009

This essay evaluates the contribution that sentimentality might make to cosmopolitan practices in contemporary life. In particular, it considers how the legacy of feminized sentimental fiction informs twenty-first-century rhetoric on the Internet. The essay examines how the person-to-person microlending Web site Kiva fosters attachments with distant others through the illusion of intimacy that reshapes the global into an emotionally manageable size. This sentimental promise of a small world is both what enables and what haunts a cosmopolitan sense of responsibility to others.
The Color of Pain
Authors: Irving Andrew
Published: May 2009

By focusing on artworks made by persons confronting their own mortality, this essay explores the relation between the exterior, visible colors of art and the interior experiences of pain and imagination, as mediated through the process of artistic production by persons living with a sick or unstable body. As color always contains hidden shades that are wrapped up within personal biography, the imagination, and diverse existential circumstances, I argue that colors contained in these artworks can never be “pure,” for they are too contaminated by disease, death, emotion, and imagination for the purposes of cognitive science and are too intertwined with a specific personal biography and bodily experience to offer a straightforward account of shared social and cultural practices.
The Wrench and the Ratchet: Cultural Mediation in a Contemporary Liberation Struggle
Authors: Seigneurie Ken
Published: May 2009

This essay examines the cultural politics of the Lebanese Independence Uprising of spring 2005. I argue that representations produced during the uprising reveal a rhetoric of resistance to the kind of military coercion and legitimating discourses that mark contemporary history, not just in the Arab world. Using concepts drawn from Jacques Rancière's work on discursive regimes, I show how the graffiti, chants, popular songs, video clips, signs, banners and dramatizations produced during the uprising wrench everyday discourses into an effective rhetoric of national resistance. The elegiac transformation of intimidation into ethical and national consciousness provides a spiritual node around which a renewed sense of national identity can accrete. To cast into relief this claim, the essay also analyzes the dominant cultural rhetorics of the Syrian regime and Lebanese Hezbollah (Party of God), arguing that their characteristic authoritarian and “pious modern” discursive regimes can offer nothing more vital, unifying, and therefore potentially stable than the uprising's “postmodern humanism.”
Guest Editor's Introduction
Authors: Calichman Richard F.
Published: May 2009

In this essay I underline the terms of the debate surrounding the relation between the political and philosophical discourse of wartime Japanese philosophy. I argue that discourses that emphasize the political at the cost of the philosophical not only demean the importance of the philosophical stakes of the text; they also fail to grasp certain important political mechanisms at work. Conversely, discourses that focus on the philosophical at the cost of the political too often fall into the trap of acting as apologists for the wartime philosophers. I propose a more integrated approach to this relation that is at once more philosophical and political.
Displacing Japan: Takeuchi Yoshimi's Lu Xun in Light of Nishida's Philosophy, and Vice Versa
Authors: Uhl Christian
Published: May 2009

In 1944 the Japanese sinologist and cultural critic Takeuchi Yoshimi (1910-77) published his seminal study, Rojin, on the life and work of the preeminent modern Chinese writer Lu Xun (1881-1936). In this book Takeuchi paints the portrait of a pugnacious man of letters, someone engaged in constant combat, contradicting all the dominant attitudes of his era, an “iron-willed personality” with the Nietzschean traits of a “lonesome wanderer,” a man whose characteristics Takeuchi sums up throughout his book with the word resistance. Takeuchi's 150-page work—slim but pregnant with meaning and seemingly not overshadowed by wartime ideology—became the cornerstone of Takeuchi's postwar career as an author and critic who anticipated the postwar. In my view, however, the true significance of Rojin lies with the book's deep entanglement in the wartime project to overcome modernity, and, first and foremost, in the writings of Nishida Kitarō (1870-1945) and the Kyoto School of philosophy. By regarding Takeuchi's Lu Xun and his resistance, and Takeuchi's central notion of the contradictory self-identity of literature and politics, in light of Nishida's dialectics of individual and world, I hope to illuminate more effectively than has been done so far Takeuchi's rather dark and enigmatic book and to revalorize its significance as arguably one of the most intriguing, and certainly most idiosyncratic, wartime contributions on the topic of philosophy and the political in wartime Japan.
A randomized controlled trial of telephone-supported care coordination in patients with congestive heart failure
Authors: Wootton Richard , Gramotnev Helen , Hailey David
Published: May 2009

An evaluation was undertaken on the effectiveness and efficiency of care coordination as a means of delivering health services to Australian veterans with a diagnosis of congestive heart failure. The veterans participated in a randomized controlled trial of care coordination that was supported by the Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA). Of 490 veterans who were recruited, 409 were surveyed at baseline (214 in the intervention group and 195 controls). At follow-up, 288 were surveyed (155 intervention and 133 controls). Information on cost of care and quality of life (QOL) was collected before the commencement of coordinated care and at follow-up after 12 months. Cost of care data were obtained from DVA records. Information on QOL was obtained from telephone interviews, using the Short Form (SF-12) Health Survey and the EuroQol Group EQ-5D survey. There were no significant differences in costs of care between the intervention (coordinated care) and control groups of veterans. Nor were there significant differences between the intervention and control groups in QOL measurements with either of the evaluation tools that were used. Because evidence of benefit from coordinated care may be slow to emerge in patients with chronic disease, it would be desirable for future work in this area to include long term, good quality comparative studies on selected veteran populations. Such studies should measure QOL and economic outcomes in addition to clinical indicators.
Family-focused therapy via videoconferencing
Authors: Dausch Barbara M , Miklowitz David J , Nagamoto Herbert T , Adler Lawrence E , Shore Jay H
Published: May 2009

A 30-year-old veteran with a diagnosis of schizoaffective disorder and his mother were referred for family-focused therapy (FFT), an empirically-supported, manual-based treatment. The veteran had had multiple hospitalizations and experienced chronic auditory hallucinations for self-harm. Minor modifications to FFT were made for implementation via videoconferencing (at a bandwidth of 384 kbit/s). This may have enhanced the treatment by making the process of communication and problem-solving more explicit. The course of FFT was successfully completed, and the veteran and family showed a high level of satisfaction with care as well as improved medication adherence, good quality of life, high levels of hope, good interpersonal functioning, and very mild negative and positive psychiatric symptoms. This veteran had previous exposure to telemental health, which may have influenced his willingness to receive tele-FFT and perhaps affected the outcome of the case. The ability to provide this type of service to people in rural areas is important.
A comparison of interface pressure and stiffness between elastic stockings and bandages
Authors: Hirai M , Niimi K , Iwata H , Sugimoto I , Ishibashi H , Ota T , Nakamura H
Published: May 2009

Objectives

To compare the interface pressure during posture changes and exercise between elastic stockings and bandages.

Methods

Using a pressure transducer (air pack-type analyzer), the interface pressures associated with three different elastic stockings and three different elastic bandages were measured during supine resting, standing and exercise in 15 healthy volunteers.

Results

Short-stretch bandages showed a significantly higher static stiffness index value, which is defined as the pressure difference between lying and standing, than long-stretch bandages and short-stretch stockings ( P < 0.001). Furthermore, short-stretch bandages showed a significantly greater pressure difference between muscle contraction and relaxation in both tip-toe and knee-bending exercises than long-stretch bandages and short-stretch stockings ( P < 0.001).

Conclusion

Short-stretch bandages can be expected to have more pronounced benefits for augmenting muscle pump than long-stretch bandages and short-stretch stockings.
Transient adverse events positively associated with patent foramen ovale after ultrasound-guided foam sclerotherapy
Authors: Raymond-Martimbeau Pauline
Published: May 2009

Objectives

To prospectively study the association between patent foramen ovale (PFO) detected by contrast transcranial Doppler (cTCD) and adverse events (AEs) reported by patients after ultrasound-guided foam sclerotherapy (UGFS) for the treatment of varicose veins.

Methods

All patients reporting AEs after UGFS were studied using cTCD directed at the middle cerebral artery to determine the Spencer grading score by counting high-intensity transient signals. Agitated saline was used as the contrast medium. The Spencer grading score determined the presence or absence of PFO. All patients undergoing UGFS received follow-up phone calls within 24 hours and again two weeks after the procedure.

Results

Of the 3259 patients who underwent UGFS, AEs were reported by seven (0.21%) patients at their first session. These included visual disturbance, migraine and chest discomfort. Five (71.4%) of these seven patients tested positive for PFO by cTCD. The two-week follow-up confirmed no permanent symptoms. Published studies show high sensitivity and specificity for cTCD when compared with contrast transesophageal echocardiography (cTEE).

Conclusions

The overall rate of AEs reported is consistent with published results. The presence of a PFO was detected in most patients reporting AEs after undergoing UGFS. While PFO screening with high sensitivity and specificity can be performed efficiently in the clinic setting, based on the literature, further investigation is warranted.
Side-effects and complications of foam sclerotherapy of the great and small saphenous veins: a controlled multicentre prospective study including 1025 patients
Authors: Gillet J-L , Guedes J M , Guex J-J , Hamel-Desnos C , Schadeck M , Lauseker M , Allaert F A
Published: May 2009

Objectives

Increasing interest in foam sclerotherapy (FS) for saphenous insufficiency has highlighted the need to study the side-effects and complications of this treatment. The aim of this study is to better assess their nature and incidence.

Methods

A multicentre, prospective and controlled study was carried out in which patients treated with FS for great (GSV) and small saphenous veins (SSV) trunk incompetence were included. Immediate untoward events were reported. Duplex ultrasound (DUS) examination was carried out to assess all patients between the eighth and 30th day. In addition, 20% of patients were called by an external auditor.

Results

In total, 818 GSV and 207 SSV were treated in 1025 patients in 20 phlebology clinics. Ninety-nine percent of patients were controlled with DUS and non-duplex-checked patients were all called. The saphenous trunk was occluded in 90.3% of patients. Twenty-seven (2.6%) side-effects were reported: migraine ( n = 8, 4 with visual disturbance); visual disturbance alone ( n = 7); chest pressure alone ( n = 7); and chest pressure associated with visual disturbance ( n = 5). Eleven thrombo-embolic events occurred: 10 deep vein thrombosis (DVT) but only five in symptomatic patients, and one pulmonary embolism that occurred 19 days following the FS without DVT identified by DUS. One transient ischaemic stroke, with complete clinical recovery in 30 minutes, and one septicaemia with satisfactory outcome were reported as well.

Conclusion

This study demonstrates in a large sample of patients a low rate of adverse reactions after FS of great and small saphenous trunks. However, but the eventuality of exceptional but more serious complications has to be taken into account in the management of patients. A multicentre study like this one takes into account different practices and reports all possible complications, thus demonstrating the need for a common validated protocol.
Murine and human cathepsin B exhibit similar properties: possible implications for drug discovery
Authors: Caglič Dejan , Kosec Gregor , Bojič Lea , Reinheckel Thomas , Turk Vito , Turk Boris
Published: May 2009

No abstract available
On Universal Binary Hermitian Forms
Authors: Kominers Scott Duke
Published: May 2009

Earnest and Khosravani, Iwabuchi, and Kim and Park recently gave a complete classification of the universal binary Hermitian forms. We give a unified proof of the universalities of these Hermitian forms, relying upon Ramanujan's list of universal quadratic forms and the Bhargava–Hanke 290-Theorem. Our methods bypass the
On Two-Point Configurations in a Random Set
Authors: Nguyen Hoi H.
Published: May 2009

We show that with high probability a random subset of {1, . . . ,
Tiling Proofs of Some Formulas for the Pell Numbers of Odd Index
Authors: Shattuck Mark
Published: May 2009

We provide tiling proofs of several algebraic formulas for the Pell numbers of odd index, all of which involve alternating sums of binomial coefficients, as well as consider polynomial generalizations of these formulas. In addition, we provide a combinatorial interpretation for a Diophantine equation satisfied by the Pell numbers of odd index.