bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Development of a Novel Prohealing Stent Designed to Deliver Sirolimus From a Biodegradable Abluminal Matrix
Authors: Granada Juan F. , Inami Shigenobu , Aboodi Michael S. , Tellez Armando , Milewski Krzysztof , Wallace-Bradley David , Parker Sherry , Rowland Steve , Nakazawa Gaku , Vorpahl Marc , Kolodgie Frank D. , Kaluza Greg L. , Leon Martin B. , Virmani Renu
Published: May 2010

Background—

We aimed to demonstrate that, by separating endothelial progenitor cell capture from sirolimus delivery through the application of drug to the abluminal surface of the stent, the degree of endothelialization can be enhanced.

Methods and Results—

Stainless steel R Stents, with biodegradable SynBiosys polymer coating with sirolimus abluminally applied and surface modified with anti-CD34 antibody were prepared at 2 dosages (low-dose sirolimus [LD-Combo, 2.5 μg sirolimus/mm] and full-dose sirolimus [Combo, 5 μg sirolimus/mm). These Combo stents and the Cypher stent (10 μg sirolimus/mm) were deployed in 98 normal porcine arteries and harvested for pharmacokinetic analysis at 0.25, 1, 3, 7, 14, 28, and 35 days. The LD-Combo stents showed faster early release (50%total dose in 72 hours) than the Combo and Cypher. At 30 days, drug release was near complete with both Combo stents, whereas 20% of drug remained on the Cypher stents. To assess efficacy, a total of 50 stents (Xience V=8, Cypher=8, Genous bioengineered R stent=6, LD-Combo=14, and Combo=14) were implanted in 18 pigs for 14 and 28 days. Optical coherence tomography was performed, and stents were harvested for histology. At 28 days, there was less neointimal thickness with Combo (0.173±0.088 mm) compared with Cypher (0.358±0.225 mm), LD-Combo (0.316±0.228 mm), and Xience V (0.305±0.252 mm;
P
<0.00001). Immunohistochemical analysis of endothelialization showed that Genous bioengineered R stent had the highest degree of platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule expression (87%) followed by the Combo (75%), LD-Combo (65%), and Cypher (58%).

Conclusions—

Both optical coherence tomography and histology demonstrate that anti-CD34 sirolimus-eluting stents promote endothelialization while reducing neointimal formation and inflammation.
The Founding of the French Third Republic
Authors: Hanson Stephen E.
Published: May 2010

How France became a consolidated democracy after the Franco-Prussian War of 1870 has received little attention from students of comparative democratization. Contrary to earlier structural theories, the French case shows that in periods of high social uncertainty, political elites with clear ideological visions of the future have a strategic advantage over their more “pragmatic” opponents. Clear and consistent ideologies can solve the collective action dilemma facing initial party activists by artificially elongating the time horizons of those who embrace them. Successful party ideologies have the character of self-fulfilling prophecies: By portraying the future polity as one serving the interests of those loyal to specific ideological principles, they help to bring political organizations centered on these principles into being. In the early Third Republic, ideologically consistent republicans and legitimists built effective networks of party activists, whereas ideologically inconsistent Orléanists and Bonapartists failed to do so, allowing the victorious republicans to design new state institutions—with pro-democratic consequences.
University students’ views of obesity and weight management strategies
Authors: Okonkwo Ononuju , While Alison
Published: May 2010

Objective: To investigate the knowledge and views of university students regarding obesity and weight management strategies.

Design: Online questionnaire-based survey of undergraduate and postgraduate university students in a large London university with a diverse student population.

Method: The survey was administered online and circulated through the university’s email. The questionnaire sought the following data: demographic data; knowledge and beliefs regarding obesity, weight management strategies, barriers to weight management and perceived responsibility for tackling obesity

Results: The sample comprised: female (73.0 per cent), white (80.6 per cent), mean age of 25.4 years (SD 7.66), undergraduates (59.9 per cent), studying health-related courses (65.2 per cent). About half of the participants (49.3 per cent) reported that their body shape was normal with a minority (3.3 per cent) indicating that they were obese. Obesity (68.1 per cent) was viewed as being the most important public health issue, with most participants (94.1 per cent) reporting that obesity had increased over the last 10 years. Lack of physical exercise and poor diet were identified by more than 90 per cent of the participants as causes of obesity. Most management strategies were supported by the majority of the participants.

Conclusions: The findings demonstrate that the complex nature of obesity is generally understood, suggesting that health education has been partially successful. Overall, there was support for obesity management strategies which can be built on.
Folic acid promotion for Hispanic women in Florida: A vitamin diary study
Authors: Thomas Kamilah B , Hauser Kimberlea , Rodriguez Nydia Y , Quinn Gwendolyn P
Published: May 2010

Objective: To assess the barriers and benefits of taking multivitamins among Hispanic women exposed to a folic acid social marketing campaign in Florida, USA.

Design and setting: Evaluation of non-pregnant women aged 18—35 from multiple Hispanic subgroups.

Method: For 6 months, participants exposed to social marketing campaign educational materials were given a supply of vitamins and reported, on a daily basis, how often they took a multivitamin with folic acid and reasons why they may not have taken the multivitamin.

Results: Forty-one women participated in the study and 65 per cent missed 10 days or less of taking the supplement. The most common reason for not taking the vitamin was forgetting.

Conclusion: Compliance with multivitamin intake has numerous barriers.Therefore, continued educational efforts by public health practitioners are necessary in order to reach Hispanic/Latino populations known to have a high risk of neural tube defects.
A tale of two cities: A study of access to food, lessons for public health practice
Authors: Caraher Martin , Lloyd Susan , Lawton Julie , Singh Gulab , Horsley Kayt , Mussa Fozia
Published: May 2010

Objectives: To map food access in the city of Preston in the north-west of England in order to determine access, availability and affordability of healthy food options.

Design and methodology: The research design employed a number of distinct methods including: surveys of shops; interviews with local people and shopkeepers; a cost and availability survey of shops in two deprived areas of Preston —Deepdale and Ingol — the former with a majority South Asian population; and the use of geographical information systems to map access and availability.

Results:

• Preston had more fast food outlets (186) [not including restaurants who operate takeaways] than general groceries outlets (165).

• There were more local shops selling affordable food in the area with the high South Asian population than in Ingol with its white working class population. There were clear gaps in provision and access in the white working class area (Ingol), with shops being more than 500 metres away from where people lived. Shops in this area stocked more familiar ‘British foods’ and less specialist or fresh produce.

• Analysis of the availability of some healthy options such as brown bread, wholemeal pasta and brown rice showed that they were not widely available within shops in the two areas.

• The price of the ‘White British’ basket in Ingol was £70.61 (cheapest price). For comparable goods in Deepdale, using the most expensive shopping basket, the price for the same basket was £42.47.

• A South Asian family shopping at a major national supermarket outlet in Deepdale would pay £47.05. Using local shops they could pay between £38.59 and £44.28 by seeking out the best bargains in five shops (including some top-up items from a national supermarket).

• At the time of the research a mother with two children, entitled to income support and child allowance, would have to spend 28—32 per cent of her income in local shops and 34 per cent in a supermarket to buy a basket of healthy goods.

Conclusions: There is a need to engage proactively with the location of shops in urban areas, to ensure they offer a healthy range of options and are sited near to where people live. The number of fast food outlets needs to be controlled and the food they offer improved.This latter issue of the number of outlets and quality of fast food contributes to an overall obesogenic environment. Access to food is heavily dependent on having access to a car; local shopping and the quality of food on offer are important for key groups such as those on benefits, the elderly, single parents and others with limited access to a car. Proactive policy solutions may lie with the engagement of health agencies with the planning processes in local authorities to ensure that the food retail environment reflects a healthy choice. Local area agreements between health agencies and local authorities offer a way forward, in that they can take into account the expressed needs of local residents.
A tale of two localities
Authors: Lloyd Susan , Lawton Julie , Caraher Martin , Singh Gulab , Horsley Kayt , Mussa Fozia
Published: May 2010

Objective: To determine the availability and affordability of a healthy food basket and to model how those on low-incomes might manage.

Design and methodology: After determining access and availability of key items from shops in two localities, called Deepdale and Ingol, a healthy food basket was developed. From this a week’s healthy menu was devised for a mother and two children, then availability of the ingredients was checked using data collected from the shops and costed. The baskets represented the cultural preferences of White British and South Asian families informed by participatory work with both these groups. We chose the income level for a family entitled to income support and child allowance.

Results: Analysis of the availability of some healthy options such as brown bread, wholemeal pasta, and brown rice showed they were not widely available within shops in the two areas. The price of the ‘White British’ basket in the area of Ingol was £70.61 (lowest price). For comparable goods in the area of Deepdale, using the most expensive shopping basket, the price for the same basket was £42.47. A South Asian family shopping at a major supermarket outlet in Deepdale would pay £47.05. Using local shops they could pay between £38.59 and £44.28 by seeking out the best bargains in five shops (including some top-up items from a national supermarket). At the time of the research a mother with two children entitled to income support and child allowance would have to spend 28–32 per cent of her income in local shops and 34 per cent in a supermarket to buy a basket of healthy goods. This compared to the national average of 10–12 per cent of income being spent on food purchases.

Conclusions: Prices varied enormously between the two areas. Local shops in one area offered a comparable price to shopping in the supermarkets. The Ingol area, with a large white working class population, was particularly poorly served for those on low incomes and the range of choices restricted. The percentages spent on food to meet the requirements of our healthy baskets and menus show that more than the national average – in both absolute and relative terms – would have to be spent to eat healthily. For the vulnerable and price dependent poor in Preston this will mean having to spend more on food and possibly more on travel to access basics, a healthy diet will cost more, while proportionally an unhealthy diet, as can be found in fast food outlets, may not be as expensive when other costs such as cooking are taken into account. An overall rise in food prices of 5 per cent will reduce living standards among high-income consumers by approximately 3 per cent; for low-income consumers this reduction in an already poor diet could be as high as 20 per cent. What we have demonstrated is the usefulness of local studies to highlight micro-differences in relatively small areas (Preston city) and the different experiences of groups in accessing healthy foods, and thus the need to refine interventions at a local level.
Staff perspectives on the use of a computer-based concept for lifestyle intervention implemented in primary health care
Authors: Carlfjord Siw , Johansson Kjell , Bendtsen Preben , Nilsen Per , Andersson Agneta
Published: May 2010

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate staff experiences of the use of a computer-based concept for lifestyle testing and tailored advice implemented in routine primary health care (PHC).

Design: The design of the study was a cross-sectional, retrospective survey.

Setting: The study population consisted of staff at nine PHC units in the county of Östergötland, Sweden.

Method: After a computer-based concept for lifestyle intervention had been in operation for 1 year, a questionnaire was distributed to all staff members. The questions concerned experiences of and attitudes to the concept, and comments on addressing lifestyle issues in PHC.

Results: Of the 291 potential respondents, 59 per cent returned the questionnaire. Eighty-five per cent found it positive to refer to the computer-based test, and 93 per cent of those who had read the written advice generated by the computer agreed with the advice provided. Seventy-five per cent thought that the concept could have an effect on a patient’s lifestyle, and 78 per cent had confidence in the computer-based test. Staff at smaller PHC units had more positive attitudes ( p = 0.003) and referred a higher proportion of their patients to the computer-based test than staff at larger units ( p = 0.000). Follow-up rates showed no significant differences between the categories. Staff believed that inclusion of more lifestyle areas, e.g. smoking and dietary habits, would make the test more useful. More time, education and the establishment of lifestyle practices were issues suggested in order to enhance the focus on lifestyle factors.

Conclusion: Staff members have confidence in the computerized test and consider it a valuable tool. A development towards more lifestyle areas will make it even more useful.
Participatory development of an instrument for the elderly for an autonomous optimization of their nutrition and physical activity profile
Authors: Hassel Holger , Schulte Birgid , Keimer Katharina Maria
Published: May 2010

Objective: With the help of the ‘OPTIMAHL 60plus’ counselling aid, it is intended to improve the nutritional and physical activity behaviour, the maintenance and enhancement of the quality of life, and the autonomy of people above 60 years of age. Due to their complexity, currently available didactical counselling aids are not considered suitable for this target group. In order to develop an effective counselling aid for the elderly, the target group is involved in the development process.

Design: The intervention study comprises the participatory development of the instrument ‘OPTIMAHL 60plus’ (through focus groups) and the evaluation of the intervention programme (intervention and control groups). The results of the evaluation will be presented in forthcoming articles.

Methods: Intervention mapping is applied in a modified form to develop the counselling aid. By means of focus group discussions, the expectations of the target group are analysed in a participatory way. Disadvantaged elderly and those with or without a migrant background are involved.

Results: The counselling aid, in the form of a checklist, records individual nutrition and physical activity behaviour, including feedback on target and performance as well as advice for improvement.

Conclusion: When developing age-based counselling aids, particular support in structuring, reminding and simple handling must be taken into account.
Computer-based education for patients with hypertension: A systematic review
Authors: Saksena Anuraag
Published: May 2010

Objective: To evaluate the benefits of using computer-based interventions to provide patient education to individuals with hypertension.

Methods: MEDLINE, Web of Knowledge, CINAHL, ERIC, EMBASE, and PsychINFO were searched from 1995 to April 2009 using keywords related to computers, hypertension , education, and clinical trial. Additional studies were included from the Cochrane Library and hand-searching of the references.

Results: The search strategy identified 776 articles, of which 10 met the selection criteria. These 10 articles represented 5 unique projects. Two studies were software-based and three used the internet. Studies assessed the effect of computer-based interventions on knowledge, self-efficacy, self-care behaviours, and percentage of patients with blood pressure control. No study was able to demonstrate that a computer-based intervention was sufficient to result in permanent changes in health behaviours, although intermediate health outcomes such as knowledge and self-efficacy were improved.

Conclusion: Computer-based interventions can be an effective means of changing certain health behaviours, but current research shows that these interventions must be used in concert with provider-based health education in order to create lasting changes in health behaviours. In order for the full benefits of computer-based interventions to be realized, these programmes must be fully integrated into general healthcare delivery.
Cost-effectiveness of interventions to improve moderate physical activity: A study in nine UK sites
Authors: Pringle Andy , Cooke Carlton , Gilson Nicholas , Marsh Kevin , McKenna Jim
Published: May 2010

Objective: With growing concerns to establish the value for returns on public health investment, there is a need to identify cost-effective physical activity interventions. This study measured change in moderate physical activity (MPA) in seven community-based intervention types, costs and cost-effectiveness of the interventions, and possible explanations for cost variation.

Design: Between 2004 and 2006, pre- and post-intervention assessments identified demographics and MPA levels, and quarterly interviews with intervention managers identified key implementation costs.

Setting: Nine sites across the UK.

Method: MPA was collected using self-report measures. MPA categories (sedentary, lightly, moderately, highly active) were assigned at pre- and post-intervention. Differences between pre- and post-intervention scores identified MPA change (median metabolic equivalent (MET)-minutes/week) in completers. Cost, attendance and activity data were combined to estimate the average monthly implementation cost, cost per participant attending interventions, and the cost per completer improving MPA category. An economic model was built to estimate the cost per Quality Adjusted Life Year (QALY) gained and potential savings to the National Health Service (NHS).

Results: Demographics ( n = 984) show that those who engaged with the interventions were predominantly white, British older females. In completers ( N = 1,051), 37.9 per cent improved at least one MPA category. The cost per completer improving MPA category ranged from c£260 to c£2,786 ( N = 1000). The cost per QALY gained from intervention types ranged from c£47 to c£509, which was below the £20,000 threshold implicit in National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) decisions. Future cost savings to the NHS per intervention participant ranged from c£769 to c£4,891. In the case of each of the interventions, this saving per participant exceeds the implementation cost per participant, which ranged from c£55 to c£3,420 ( N = 6940).

Conclusions: MPA interventions are cost-effective.
Predicting the ‘freshman 15’: Environmental and psychological predictors of weight gain in first-year university students
Authors: Vella-Zarb Rachel A , Elgar Frank J
Published: May 2010

Objectives: (1) To investigate weight gain in first-year university students; and (2) to examine whether environmental and psychological factors, specifically accommodation and stress, predict weight gain.

Methods: Eighty-four first-year university students (77 per cent female) were weighed and completed the Perceived Stress Scale (Cohen, Kamarck and Mermelstein, 1983) and a health habits questionnaire at the beginning and end of their first semester of university (Mean duration = 76.67 days, SD = 1.76).

Results: Weight gain was small, but significant ( M = 0.89 kg, SD = 3.30). Students living on-campus gained more weight than their off-campus peers, M = 1.65 kg and 0.13 kg respectively, t(82) = −2.32, p < .05. No significant relationship was found between stress and weight change.

Conclusions: These results suggest that the first year of university is a critical period for weight gain, especially for students living in residence. Greater understanding of risk factors associated with weight gain in first-year university students, particularly students living in residence, could lead to prevention of this weight gain and potential subsequent overweight and obesity.
Visual Search Performance With 3-D Auditory Cues: Effects of Motion, Target Location, and Practice
Authors: McIntire John P. , Havig Paul R. , Watamaniuk Scott N. J. , Gilkey Robert H.
Published: May 2010

Objectives: We evaluate visual search performance in both static (nonmoving) and dynamic (moving) search environments with and without spatial (3-D) auditory cues to target location. Additionally, the effects of target trajectory, target location, and practice are assessed. Background: Previous research on aurally aided visual search has shown a significant reduction in response times when 3-D auditory cues are displayed, relative to unaided search. However, the vast majority of this research has examined only searches for static targets in static visual environments. The present experiment was conducted to examine the effect of dynamic stimuli upon aurally aided visual search performance. Method: The 8 participants conducted repeated searches for a single visual target hidden among 15 distracting stimuli. The four main conditions of the experiment consisted of the four possible combinations of 3-D auditory cues (present or absent) and search environment (static or dynamic). Results: The auditory cues were comparably effective at reducing search times in dynamic environments (—25%) as in static environments (—22%). Audio cues helped all participants. The cues were most beneficial when the target appeared at large eccentricities and on the horizontal plane. After a brief initial exposure to 3-D audio, no training or practice effects with 3-D audio were found. Conclusion: We conclude that 3-D audio is as beneficial in environments comprising moving stimuli as in those comprising static stimuli. Application: Operators in dynamic environments, such as aircraft cockpits, ground vehicles, and command-and-control centers, could benefit greatly from 3-D auditory technology when searching their environments for visual targets or other time-critical information.
The Impact of Trade on International Mediation
Authors: Böhmelt Tobias
Published: May 2010

If trade affects the costs of conflict, does it also influence the likelihood of mediation attempts? This article argues that dense bilateral trade between antagonists yields high opportunity costs since it is expensive to seek alternative markets and the belligerents will be highly vulnerable to sanctions from their counterpart. This creates incentives for combatants to limit hostility and settle conflicts through mediation. By contrast, the extent to which belligerents trade with other states decreases the likelihood of mediation since antagonists with alternative partners can mitigate the consequences of sanctions and substitute for markets, which may be at risk or even lost because of the outbreak of a dispute. The divergent effects of different trade ties imply that the impact of bilateral trade on the prospects for mediation should vary conditional on countries’ trade with states outside the dyad and vice versa. This article demonstrates that this is partially valid.
How Teenage Fathers Matter for Children: Evidence From the ECLS-B
Authors: Mollborn Stefanie , Lovegrove Peter J.
Published: May 2010

Much is known about how having a teenage mother influences children’s outcomes, but the relationship between teenage fatherhood and children’s health and development is less well documented. Using the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study—Birth Cohort, the authors investigated how teenage fathers matter for children. They expected teenage fathers’ influence on children to differ from adult fathers’ in three domains: the household context, the father— mother relationship, and the father—child relationship. Teenage fathers were less often married and more often cohabiting or nonresident, and their children experienced a variety of social disadvantages in their household contexts. The quality of the father—child relationship did not often differ between adolescent and adult fathers. Fathers’ marital status and children’s household contexts each fully explained the negative relationship between having a teen father and children’s cognitive and behavior scores at age 2. These findings suggest that policy interventions could possibly reduce these children’s developmental gaps in the critical preschool years.
Planning under Uncertainty for Robotic Tasks with Mixed Observability
Authors: Ong Sylvie C. W. , Shao Wei Png  , Hsu David , Wee Sun Lee
Published: May 2010

Partially observable Markov decision processes (POMDPs) provide a principled, general framework for robot motion planning in uncertain and dynamic environments. They have been applied to various robotic tasks. However, solving POMDPs exactly is computationally intractable. A major challenge is to scale up POMDP algorithms for complex robotic tasks. Robotic systems often have mixed observability : even when a robot’s state is not fully observable, some components of the state may still be so. We use a factored model to represent separately the fully and partially observable components of a robot’s state and derive a compact lower-dimensional representation of its belief space. This factored representation can be combined with any point-based algorithm to compute approximate POMDP solutions. Experimental results show that on standard test problems, our approach improves the performance of a leading point-based POMDP algorithm by many times.
Improving the Efficiency of Clearing with Multi-agent Teams
Authors: Hollinger Geoffrey , Singh Sanjiv , Kehagias Athanasios
Published: May 2010

We present an anytime algorithm for coordinating multiple autonomous searchers to find a potentially adversarial target on a graphical representation of a physical environment. This problem is closely related to the mathematical problem of searching for an adversary on a graph. Prior methods in the literature treat multi-agent search as either a worst-case problem (i.e. clear an environment of an adversarial evader with potentially infinite speed), or an average-case problem (i.e. minimize average capture time given a model of the target’s motion). Both of these problems have been shown to be NP-hard, and optimal solutions typically scale exponentially in the number of searchers. We propose treating search as a resource allocation problem, which leads to a scalable anytime algorithm for generating schedules that clear the environment of a worst-case adversarial target and have good average-case performance considering a non-adversarial motion model. Our algorithm yields theoretically bounded average-case performance and allows for online and decentralized operation, making it applicable to real-world search tasks. We validate our proposed algorithm through a large number of experiments in simulation and with a team of robot and human searchers in an office building.
Space-carving Kernels for Accurate Rough Terrain Estimation
Authors: Hadsell Raia , Bagnell J. Andrew , Huber Daniel , Hebert Martial
Published: May 2010

Accurate terrain estimation is critical for autonomous offroad navigation. Reconstruction of a three-dimensional (3D) surface allows rough and hilly ground to be represented, yielding faster driving and better planning and control. However, data from a 3D sensor samples the terrain unevenly, quickly becoming sparse at longer ranges and containing large voids because of occlusions and inclines. The proposed approach uses online kernel-based learning to estimate a continuous surface over the area of interest while providing upper and lower bounds on that surface. Unlike other approaches, visibility information is exploited to constrain the terrain surface and increase precision, and an efficient gradient-based optimization allows for realtime implementation. To model sensor noise over varying ranges, a non-stationary covariance function is adopted. Experimental results are presented for several datasets, including groundtruthed terrain and a large 3D stereo dataset.
Non-parametric Learning to Aid Path Planning over Slopes
Authors: Karumanchi Sisir , Allen Thomas , Bailey Tim , Scheding Steve
Published: May 2010

In this paper we address the problem of closing the loop from perception to action selection for unmanned ground vehicles, with a focus on navigating slopes. A new non-parametric learning technique is presented to generate a mobility representation where the maximum feasible speed is used as a criterion to classify the world. The inputs to the algorithm are terrain gradients derived from an elevation map and past observations of wheel slip. It is argued that such a representation can aid in path planning with improved selection of vehicle heading and velocity in off-road slopes. In addition, an information theoretic test is proposed to validate a chosen proprioceptive representation (such as slip) for mobility map generation. Results of mobility map generation and its benefits to path planning are shown.
Tubulin Tyrosine Ligase–Like 1 Deficiency Results in Chronic Rhinosinusitis and Abnormal Development of Spermatid Flagella in Mice
Authors: Vogel P. , Hansen G. , Fontenot G. , Read R.
Published: May 2010

Tubulin tyrosine ligase–like 1 (TTLL1) protein is a member of the tubulin tyrosine ligase superfamily of proteins that are involved in the posttranslational polyglutamylation of tubulin in axonemal microtubules within cilia and flagella. To investigate the physiological role of TTLL1, the authors generated mice with a gene trap mutation in the Ttll1 gene that provide confirmation in a mammalian model that polyglutamylation plays an important role in some ciliary and flagellar functions. For the first time, mice homozygous for the Ttll1 mutation exhibited accumulations of exudates in the nasal passages and sinuses, rhinosinusitis, otitis media, and male infertility. In homozygous mutant male mice, abnormal sperm morphology and function were characterized by shortened or absent flagella and immotility. Although homozygous mutant males were infertile, the females were fertile. These findings are consistent with a diagnosis of primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) resulting from ciliary dysfunction. They indicate that Ttll1 is essential for normal motility of respiratory cilia and the biogenesis and function of sperm flagella but that the defect does not result in the hydrocephalus or laterality defects often seen in other forms of PCD. The absence of early-onset lethal hydrocephalus in Ttll1-mutant mice may enable studies to evaluate the long-term effects of PCD in the respiratory system of mice. Although no mutations in the orthologous gene have been linked with PCD in humans, investigating the role of TTLL1 and polyglutamylation of tubulin in cilia and flagella should advance an understanding of the biogenesis and function of these organelles in mammals and have potential diagnostic and therapeutic applications.
Pulmonary Histopathology of Cytauxzoon felis Infections in the Cat
Authors: Snider T. A. , Confer A. W. , Payton M. E.
Published: May 2010

Cytauxzoonosis, caused by Cytauxzoon felis, is a regionally common, often fatal tick-borne disease primarily affecting the domestic cat. Retrospective analysis of case records from January 1995 to June 2005 identified 148 domestic cats diagnosed with cytauxzoonosis, having suitable archived lung sections. Lung sections were examined and graded on relevant parameters, the chief purpose of which was to characterize the pulmonary lesion of fatal feline cytauxzoonosis. Parameters were scored 0 to 3 for no lesion, mild, moderate, and severe, respectively. Evaluated parameters included the presence of interstitial pneumonia, increases in number of alveolar macrophages, degree of intra-alveolar hemorrhage, neutrophils infiltrating peribronchial and septal interstitium, and degree of vascular occlusion. Overall, interstitial pneumonia was moderate (1.72 ± 0.65); alveolar macrophage numbers were mild (1.20 ± 0.60); and intra-alveolar hemorrhage was mild (0.78 ± 0.75). Neutrophil infiltrates were moderate (1.89 ± 0.76), and vascular occlusion was moderate to severe (2.26 ± 0.61). Pulmonary edema was common; its scoring was incorporated into the assessment for interstitial pneumonia. Interestingly, a thrombus was detected in the lung of 1 cat. The current understanding of the pathogenesis of cytauxzoonosis focuses on vascular occlusion by macrophages distended by megaschizont parasite stages within liver, spleen, and lung. These findings corroborate the current understanding yet shed light on the possibility that macrophage activation and inflammatory mediators lead to an interstitial pneumonic process characterized by neutrophilic infiltrates and pulmonary edema. These characterized lesions are likely correlative with the respiratory distress seen in affected cats.
Sex hormone receptor gene polymorphisms and migraine: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Schürks Markus , Rist Pamela M , Kurth Tobias
Published: May 2010

Background: Data on the association between sex hormone receptor polymorphisms and migraine are conflicting.

Methods: We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis on this topic searching for studies published until August 2009. For each study, we calculated odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) assuming additive, dominant, and recessive genetic models. We then calculated pooled ORs and 95% CIs.

Results and Conclusion: Among the seven genes targeted, four variants were investigated in multiple studies. Effect estimates from an additive model suggest that the ESR-1 594 G > A (pooled OR 1.37; 95% CI 1.02–1.83) and ESR-1 325 C > G (pooled OR 1.16; 95% CI 1.03–1.32) variants are associated with any migraine. This pattern does not differ between migraine with and without aura. In contrast, the ESR-1 Pvu II C > T and PGR PROGINS insert polymorphism do not appear to be associated with migraine. Results were driven by studies among Caucasians and may differ in other ethnic groups.
Arthroscopically Assisted 2-Bundle Anatomical Reduction of Acute Acromioclavicular Joint Separations
Authors: Salzmann Gian M. , Walz Lars , Buchmann Stefan , Glabgly Prapagorn , Venjakob Arne , Imhoff Andreas B.
Published: May 2010

Background: To achieve reduction of an acute acromioclavicular (AC) joint separation, novel procedures aim to provide stability and function by restoring the coracoclavicular anatomy.

Hypothesis: Anatomical reconstruction for acute AC joint disruption using 2 flip-button devices results in satisfactory clinical function and provides a stable fixation.

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

Methods: The outcome of 23 consecutive patients (21 men, 2 women; mean age, 37.5 ± 10.2 years; range, 21-59 years) who underwent anatomical reduction for an acute AC joint dislocation using 2 flip-button devices, each separately replacing 1 coracoclavicular ligament, was evaluated clinically and radiographically preoperatively and 6, 12, and 24 months postoperatively. The evaluation included a visual analog scale for pain, the Constant score, the simple shoulder test, and the Short Form-36. An additional 7 patients had similar surgery during the same period, but 4 were lost to follow-up, 2 required surgical revision, and 1 developed postoperative infection.

Results: There were 3 Rockwood type III, 3 type IV, and 17 type V separations. Mean follow-up was 30.6 ± 5.4 months (range, 24-40 months). The visual analog scale and Constant score showed significant improvements from preoperative 4.5 ± 1.9 (range, 1-7) and 34.3 ± 6.9 (range, 22-44) to postoperative 0.25 ± 0.5 (range, 0-1) and 94.3 ± 3.2 (range, 88-98) at 24 months, respectively. Postoperative radiographic AC joint alignment was unsatisfactory in 8 cases, either in the coronal, axillary, or both planes, with no different clinical outcome when compared with the remaining patients.

Conclusion: Immediate anatomical reduction of an acute AC separation with flip-button devices provides satisfactory clinical results at intermediate-term follow-up. This technique should be performed by an experienced arthroscopist; tunnel and button placement are of utmost importance to avoid postoperative failure or loss of reduction.
A Biomechanical Evaluation of Ulnar Collateral Ligament Reconstruction Using a Novel Technique for Ulnar-Sided Fixation
Authors: Morgan Robert J. , Starman James S. , Habet Nahir A. , Peindl Richard D. , Bankston Larry S. , D’Alessandro Donald D. , Connor Patrick M. , Fleischli James E.
Published: May 2010

Background: Techniques for ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) reconstruction have evolved since its original description.

Hypothesis: Ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction using the ZipLoop for ulnar-sided fixation, as combined with the humeral docking technique supplemented with an interference screw, will restore valgus stability similar to that of the Jobe technique and the native ligament.

Study Design: Controlled laboratory study.

Methods: Kinematic testing was performed on 8 matched pairs of cadaver elbows with an electromagnetic tracking system through an arc of motion for the intact, disrupted, and reconstructed states of the UCL in an unloaded and loaded condition. From each pair, the docking technique using the ZipLoop for ulnar fixation and humeral docking technique supplemented with an interference screw and the traditional Jobe technique were performed with matched gracilis allograft tendons. After kinematic testing, both reconstruction groups were tested to failure at 70° of flexion.

Results: Kinematic results for the unloaded condition showed that both reconstruction techniques significantly overcorrected (less valgus angulation) the specimens between 40° and 120° of flexion when compared with the intact ligament (all P values < .027). Under loaded conditions, the ulnar trajectories for both reconstruction techniques exhibited significantly greater valgus angulation (undercorrection) at 20° of flexion (Jobe, P = .0084; ZipLoop, P = .0289) when compared with the intact ligament but were not significantly different over the remaining arc of motion. Failure testing resulted in no significant statistical difference between the 2 reconstruction groups. Failure testing demonstrated that humeral tunnel egress, midsubstance elongation, and ulnar tunnel egress of the ligament were similar between the reconstruction techniques.

Conclusion: The docking technique using the ZipLoop for ulnar-sided fixation is biomechanically equivalent to the Jobe technique for UCL reconstruction. Both reconstruction techniques restore valgus stability similar to that of the native UCL ligament.

Clinical Relevance: This modification in the docking technique restores elbow kinematics while eliminating the risk of ulnar bone bridge fracture, and it allows for retensioning of the graft after cortical fixation.
Kinematics of the Anterior Cruciate Ligament During Gait
Authors: Wu Jia-Lin , Hosseini Ali , Kozanek Michal , Gadikota Hemanth R. , Gill Thomas J. , Li Guoan
Published: May 2010

Background: The function of the anteromedial (AM) and posterolateral (PL) bundles of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) during gait has not been reported.

Hypothesis: The AM and PL bundles have distinct functional behavior during the stance phase of treadmill gait.

Study Design: Descriptive laboratory study.

Methods: Three-dimensional models of the knee were created by magnetic resonance images from 8 healthy subjects. The contour of the 2 bundle attachments were constructed on each model. Each bundle was represented by a straight line connecting its tibial and femoral attachment centroids. Next, the knee kinematics during the stance phase of gait was determined with a dual fluoroscopic imaging system. The relative elongation, sagittal plane elevation, coronal plane elevation, and transverse plane deviation of the 2 bundles were measured directly from heel strike to toe-off.

Results: At heel strike, the AM and PL bundles had first peak elongation of 9% ± 7% and 9% ± 13%, respectively. At 50% progress of the stance phase, both bundles were maximally elongated, 12% ± 7% for the AM bundle and 13% ± 15% for the PL bundle. No significant difference was found for each bundle between 40% and 60% of the stance phase ( P > .05). With increasing knee flexion, the sagittal plane and coronal plane elevations of the 2 bundles decreased, whereas the deviation angles increased.

Conclusion: Both bundles are anisometric and function in a similar manner during the stance phase of gait. They were maximally elongated throughout the midstance where they were stretched maximally to resist anterior tibial translation.

Clinical relevance: This information can be useful for further improving anatomical ACL reconstructions to better reproduce the 2 bundle functions. It may also be useful for designing postoperative rehabilitation regimens to prevent overstretch of the grafts.
Juvenile Group Sex Offenders: A Comparison of Group Leaders and Followers
Authors: 't Hart-Kerkhoffs Lisette A. , Vermeiren Robert R. J. M. , Jansen Lucres M. C. , Doreleijers Theo A. H.
Published: May 2010

The aim of this study was to investigate group sex offenses with regard to the role of leaders versus followers and to compare both groups on levels of psychopathology, intelligence, and psychosocial and offense-related characteristics. Eighty-nine adolescent group sex offenders (mean age = 14.9, SD = 1.4) referred by the police to the Dutch child protection agency were examined. Psychopathology, intelligence, and psychosocial and offense-related characteristics were assessed by means of standardized instruments, and criminal careers of the participants were ascertained from official judicial records. Although leaders and followers were similar on many characteristics, some remarkable differences were found. During their sexual acts, followers reported using excessive force more frequently than leaders. Furthermore, leaders reported more emotional problems, whereas followers were characterized by higher levels of problems in the social relational domain. As the findings indicate that juvenile group sex offenders constitute a group with specific mental health needs, diagnostic investigation is important to recognize risk factors and (treatable) problems. The absence of some expected differences between leaders and followers could be due to the method of classification or because group offending constitutes a dynamic process without clearly defined roles for individuals.
Attachment Representations and Anxiety: Differential Relationships Among Mothers of Sexually Abused and Comparison Girls
Authors: Kim Kihyun , Trickett Penelope K. , Putnam Frank W.
Published: May 2010

The present study sought to document an example of how childhood sexual abuse and attachment representation interact while contributing to the trait anxiety of nonoffending mothers following the disclosure of their daughters’ sexual abuse. The study sample consisted of 57 ethnically diverse mothers of sexually abused girls aged 6 to 16 and 47 mothers of comparison girls who were matched with the abused girls on age, socioeconomic status, and family constellation. Results indicate that the mothers’ representations of past attachment relationships with their own fathers were differentially related to their current attachment styles, depending on their daughters’ childhood sexual abuse status. The representation of past attachment relationships with peers had both main and protective effects on the mothers’ trait anxiety symptoms. The relevance of attachment perspectives to adjustment among these mothers and intergenerational process in childhood sexual abuse are discussed, and implications for future research and clinical practices are identified.
“You Owe Me”: Effects of Date Cost, Who Pays, Participant Gender, and Rape Myth Beliefs on Perceptions of Rape
Authors: Basow Susan A. , Minieri Alexandra
Published: May 2010

Sexual social exchange theory was applied to perceptions of a date rape by manipulating the cost of the date and who paid in vignettes presented to 188 U.S. college students, who then rated the characters’ sexual expectations, blame, responsibility, and rape justifiability. Findings from this between-participant design partially supported predictions: When the man paid for an expensive date, men agreed more than did women that both characters should have expected sexual intercourse. Conversely, when the costs of an inexpensive date were split, the perpetrator was assigned the most blame, and women agreed more than men that no sexual expectations were warranted. Participant gender affected some responses, although level of rape myth acceptance was the main predictor of rape perceptions.
Factor Structure and Reliability of the Revised Conflict Tactics Scales’ (CTS2) 10-Factor Model in a Community-Based Female Sample
Authors: Sung Hyun Yun
Published: May 2010

The present study investigated the factor structure and reliability of the revised Conflict Tactics Scales’ (CTS2) 10-factor model in a community-based female sample ( N = 261). The underlying factor structure of the 10-factor model was tested by the confirmatory multiple group factor analysis, which demonstrated complex factor cross-loadings across the subscales for both perpetration and victimization. This confirmatory factor analysis also identified a lack of exclusive factor loadings between minor and severe distinctions of the eight violence measures. Internal consistency of the subscales was generally acceptable (.68-.85 for perpetration and .68-.84 for victimization), except for the Sexual Coercion subscale; the alpha coefficients of the Sexual Coercion Minor subscale were .18 for perpetration and .37 for victimization. Practical implications related to complex factor cross-loadings and internal consistency were discussed.
Estimation of dose–response functions for longitudinal data using the generalised propensity score
Authors: Moodie Erica EM , Stephens David A
Published: May 2010

In a longitudinal study of dose–response, it is often necessary to adjust for confounding or non-compliance, which may otherwise compromise the estimation of the true effect of a treatment. Using an approach based on the generalised propensity score (GPS) – a generalisation of the classical, binary treatment propensity score – it is possible to construct a balancing score that provides an estimation procedure for the true (unconfounded) direct effect of dose on response. Previously, the GPS has been applied only in a single interval setting; in this article, we extend the GPS methodology to the longitudinal setting to estimate the direct effect of a continuous dose on a longitudinal response. The methodology is applied to two simulated examples, and a real longitudinal dose–response investigation, the Monitored Occlusion Treatment of Amblyopia Study (MOTAS). In the treatment of childhood amblyopia, a common ophthalmological condition, occlusion therapy (patching) was for many decades the standard medical treatment, despite the fact that its efficacy was not quantified. MOTAS was revolutionary, as it was the first study to obtain precise measurements of the amount of occlusion each study participant received over the course of the study.