bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Holocene palaeoclimate in the northern Sahara margin (Jefara Plain, northwestern Libya)
Authors: Giraudi Carlo , Mercuri Anna Maria , Esu Daniela
Published: October 2012

The palaeoclimatic evolution of northwestern Libya has been deduced from the study of the palustrine and aeolian sediments. The Holocene environmental variations have been recognized through geological and stratigraphic surveys and by pollen analysis and malacofauna content of the sediments. Some organic-rich horizons have been dated using the radiocarbon method. The data show that in general, the presence of marshes is linked with the period of higher humidity, which began around 9.4 ka BP and ended around 5.0 ka BP. From c. 5.0 ka BP up to about 4.4 ka BP, there was a simultaneous presence of marshes and vegetation of arid climate as a consequence of rainfall in the mountains and/or a decrease in temperatures. The Holocene wet period was interrupted by two arid spells dated about 8.2 and 5.5–5.4 ka BP. The end of the wet phase must have been gradual. The climatic events that occurred in the Jefara plain seem to be well correlated with those identified in Saharan Africa even if the Mediterranean is only 100 km away.
The diagnostic role of cardiac magnetic resonance imaging in detecting myocardial inflammation in systemic lupus erythematosus. Differentiation from viral myocarditis
Authors: Mavrogeni S , Bratis K , Markussis V , Spargias C , Papadopoulou E , Papamentzelopoulos S , Constadoulakis P , Matsoukas E , Kyrou L , Kolovou G
Published: October 2012

Objective

The objective of this paper is to evaluate the diagnostic role of cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) in detecting myocardial inflammation in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and its differentiation from viral myocarditis.

Patients and methods

Fifty patients with suspected infective myocarditis (IM), with chest pain, dyspnoea or altered ECG, increase in troponin I and/or NT-pro BNP, with or without a history of flu-like syndrome or gastroenteritis and elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) within three to five (median four) weeks before admission, 25 active SLE patients, aged 38 ± 3 years, and 20 age-matched controls were prospectively evaluated by clinical assessment, ECG, echocardiogram and CMR. All patients underwent coronary angiography, and those with significant coronary artery disease (CAD) were excluded. CMR was performed using STIR T2-W (T2W), early T1-W (EGE) and late T1-W (LGE). Endomyocardial biopsies were performed when clinically indicated by current guidelines. Specimens were examined by immunohistological and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis.

Results

Positive coronary angiography for CAD excluded 10/50 suspected IM and 5/25 active SLE. Positive clinical criteria for acute myocarditis were fulfilled by 28/40 suspected IM and only 5/20 active SLE. CMR was positive for myocarditis in 35/40 suspected IM and in 16/20 active SLE. Endomyocardial biopsy (EMB), performed in 25/35 suspected IM and 7/16 active SLE with positive CMR, showed positive immunohistology in 18/25 suspected IM and 3/7 active SLE. Infectious genomes were identified in 24/25 suspected IM and 1/7 active SLE.

Conclusions

CMR-positive IM patients were more symptomatic than active SLE. More than half of CMR-positive patients also had positive EMB. PCR was positive in almost all IM, but unusual in SLE. Due to the subclinical presentation of SLE myocarditis and the limitations of EMB, CMR presents the best alternative for the diagnosis of SLE myocarditis.
Estimation of the Direct Cost of Treating People Aged More Than 60 Years Infected by Influenza Virus in Shanghai
Authors: Chen Jian , Li Yan-ting , Gu Bao-ke , Yuan Zheng-an
Published: October 2012

Background. Influenza is a common, vaccine preventable, viral respiratory infection with potentially serious consequences in persons aged 60 years and above. In China, influenza vaccination is recommended but not reimbursed for people. Therefore, we studied management of influenza episode, healthcare resource use and costs associated with influenza infection in people aged over 60 in Shanghai. Methods. A prospective, observational study was conducted over the 2008-2009 influenza season. Persons aged 60 years and above presenting to a study center with acute onset of influenza-like illness (ILI) were enrolled and tested by PCR for influenza virus. Laboratory confirmed influenza (LCI) patients were visited 2 weeks later for detail information. Results. From January 2009 to December 2009, 1,946 subjects were recruited. Among them 1,777 patients met the inclusion criteria, 395 (22.2%) tested positive. 341 (86%) patients received ambulatory care only while 54 (14%) were hospitalized. Most patients had been prescribed at least one medication (94%), and had had at least one laboratory test (92%). An outpatient cost a mean of USD 47 per case. Once hospitalized, the average length of stay was 17.0 days (SD = 13.82) and the mean total inpatient cost reached USD 1,601. The public health insurance paid 69% and 79% of the mean outpatient and inpatient costs per patient respectively. Conclusion. This study described the management of a LCI case in people aged more than 60 years in Shanghai and estimated the economic burden in particular from the public healthcare system perspective, showing expensive consequences among hospitalized patients.
Legislation Direction for Implementation of Health Information Exchange in Korea
Authors: Kim Hannah , Kim Sukil
Published: October 2012

Facing national implementation of standardized health information exchange (HIE), the need for a robust e-governance system has also been emerging in Korea. Based on the Guidelines for Personal Health Information in Health Care Organizations, this article examines how recent governance encourages meaningful use of HIE technology in health care and suggests legislative directions relevant to appropriate health information sharing and the rights and responsibilities of stakeholders regarding the details of the guidelines.
Interdisciplinary Projects Emerging Naturally
Authors: Cohen-Miller Anna
Published: October 2012

In this article, the author discusses how the 60th annual American Association for Adult and Continuing Education conference was a site for everyday informal learning, interdisciplinarity, and integrative learning and teaching. She provides examples for ways in which interdisciplinary projects can emerge naturally from a conference and argues for the need to go beyond disciplinary boundaries and move toward integrative collaborative work.
Postsecondary Correctional Education
Authors: Palmer Shelby M.
Published: October 2012

Postsecondary programs offering vocational training and college credit to eligible inmates have had difficulty finding a place in the U.S. correctional system. Politically motivated restrictions preventing inmates from receiving federal funds for college resulted in drastic program closures. Although new laws restored funding to select inmates, enrollment in postsecondary correctional education only recently reached pre-cutback levels (established in the late 1980s). This is set in contrast to the significant increases in U.S. prison populations and spending that have occurred since the early 1990s. Contextual issues specific to the correctional system and ideological conflicts between the prison educator and prison staff may further impair enrollment and program completion. Through review of the political and contextual issues influencing the modern design of postsecondary prison education, this work seeks to propose best practices that may support the unique learning needs of the adult learner in the correctional system.
Comorbidity in DSM Childhood Mental Disorders
Authors: Cipani Ennio
Published: October 2012

In this article, I address the issue of comorbidity and its prevalence in the prior Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders ( DSM) classification systems. The focus on the topography or form of presenting problems as the venue for determining mental disorders is scrutinized as the possible cause. Addressing the function of problem behaviors, that is, positive symptoms, would appear to be an alternate approach that accounts for context variables. I propose an alternate function-based classification system that could be used by social workers, psychologists, and other mental health professionals. Two major functions (diagnostic classifications) are presented; (a) socially mediated access and (b) socially mediated escape. Under these two major categories, there are specific motivative conditions that set the stage for whatever behavior is functional in a given social context. A functional approach to assessing human behavior is more of a person-in-environment perspective than classification schemes presupposing so-called mental disorders.
Four-Item Fatigue Screen
Authors: Davis Mellar P. , Khoshknabi Dilara , Walsh Declan , Lagman Ruth , Karafa Matthew T. , Aktas Aynur , Platt Alexandra
Published: October 2012

Introduction:

To develop a shorter and less burdensome cancer-related fatigue (CRF) questionnaire, the Four-Item Fatigue Scale (FIFS) was tested for validity against the Brief Fatigue Index (BFI).

Methods:

On day 1, patients with cancer completed the BFI and FIFS in a random order and the reverse on day 7. Sixty-five patients were needed for an 80% power and a Spearman correlation of .7 or greater. The FIFS was compared with the BFI in fatigue severity and changes in fatigue over time. Bonferroni corrections were made for multiple comparisons with International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision ( ICD-10) fatigue criteria.

Results:

Seventy-nine patients were enrolled, 65 patients completed both surveys. Spearman correlation between FIFS and BFI for day 1 was 0.69 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.50-0.87) and 0.73 (95% CI 0.56-0.90) 1 week later. Fatigue severity did not predict survival with either questionnaire. Brief Fatigue Index severity correlated with ICD-10 items 1, 3, 7, and 10B. Regression analysis showed that on day 7 BFI correlated with ICD-10 items 1, 7, and 10. When the model was adjusted for day 1, only the ICD-10 item 5 correlated well in BFI over 1 week. The ICD-10 items 7 and 10 significantly correlated with day 1 FIFS fatigue changes over 7 days after adjustment for FIFS baseline score.

Conclusions:

Four-Item Fatigue Scale has concurrent validity for fatigue using the BFI. The FIFS and BFI correlated modestly over time. Certain ICD-10 items correlated with CRF severity depending on the questionnaire.
A Comparison of Cancer and Noncancer Patients Who Receive Palliative Care Consultation Services
Authors: Hung Yu-Shin , Chang Hung , Wu Wei-Shan , Chen Jen-Shi , Chou Wen-Chi
Published: October 2012

This study aimed to compare multiaspect characteristics in cancer and noncancer patients who received palliative care. Totally, 226 patients with cancer and 115 noncancer patients received palliative care consultation service in Taiwan from September 2007 through December 2009 were retrospectively analyzed. Noncancer patients were older (81 vs 67 years, P < .001), more likely to be enrolled from an intensive care unit (51% vs 5%, P < .001), and waited longer to be referred for admission to a palliative care (8 vs 3 days, P < .001) than patients with cancer. Cancer and noncancer patients presented as polysymptomatics in both physical and psychosocial symptoms at the end of life. Such physical and psychosocial characteristics should be taken into account in providing appropriate end-of-life care in the same way as it is for the patients with cancer.
Cross-Cultural Investigation of Compliance Without Pressure
Authors: Pascual Alexandre , Oteme Christophe , Samson Luminita , Wang Qiong , Halimi-Falkowicz Séverine , Souchet Lionel , Girandola Fabien , Guéguen Nicolas , Joule Robert-Vincent
Published: October 2012

Compliance-without-pressure techniques have been widely studied in North America and West Europe. Among these techniques, the “but you are free” (BYAF) is a verbal compliance procedure that solicits someone to comply with a request by simply telling a person that he or she is free to accept or refuse the request. This technique is interpreted with the commitment theory and the psychological reactance theory which are more relevant in individualistic cultures than in collectivist cultures. So, four studies compared the efficiency of the BYAF technique in collectivist cultures (Ivory Coast, Russia, and China) and in individualist cultures (France and Romania). As suggested in the hypothesis, our analysis indicated that the BYAF technique will be much less successful in more collectivist cultures. Such results underline the importance of considering specific cultural contexts in social influence studies.
Things, Names, Judgments, and the LRS Lens
Authors: Boucher Philip
Published: October 2012

This article describes the LRS lens, a methodology designed to consider technical controversies with reference to a critical realist conceptualization of technology and meaning production. The application of the lens is demonstrated in a qualitative analysis of the biofuel controversy in the United Kingdom. The analysis organizes participants’ positions in terms of the technologies they refer to, their names, and their judgments. They organize biofuels’ variability in different ways, developing the vocabulary to identify and refer to relevant subgroups. The domination of one approach could have a significant impact on technical development.
Solving multi-dimensional fractional optimal control problems with inequality constraint by Bernstein polynomials operational matrices
Authors: Alipour Mohsen , Rostamy Davood , Baleanu Dumitru
Published: October 2012

In this paper, we present a method for solving multi-dimensional fractional optimal control problems. Firstly, we derive the Bernstein polynomials operational matrix for the fractional derivative in the Caputo sense, which has not been done before. The main characteristic behind the approach using this technique is that it reduces the problems to those of solving a system of algebraic equations, thus greatly simplifying the problem. The results obtained are in good agreement with the existing ones in the open literature and it is shown that the solutions converge as the number of approximating terms increases, and the solutions approach to classical solutions as the order of the fractional derivatives approach 1.
The Effect of Community Pharmacy–Based Interventions on Patient Health Outcomes
Authors: Blalock Susan J. , Roberts Andrew W. , Lauffenburger Julie C. , Thompson Trey , O’Connor Shanna K.
Published: October 2012

Many studies have demonstrated the beneficial effects that pharmacist-provided patient care services can have on patient health outcomes. However, the effectiveness of patient care services delivered by pharmacists in community pharmacy settings, where organizational barriers may affect service implementation or limit effectiveness, remains unclear. The authors systematically reviewed the literature on the effectiveness of pharmacist-delivered patient care services in community pharmacy settings in the United States. Of the 749 articles retrieved, 21 were eligible for inclusion in the review. Information concerning 134 outcomes was extracted from the included articles. Of these, 50 (37.3%) demonstrated statistically significant, beneficial intervention effects. The percentage of studies reporting favorable findings ranged from 50% for blood pressure to 0% for lipids, safety outcomes, and quality of life. Our findings suggest that evidence supporting the effectiveness of pharmacist-provided direct patient care services delivered in the community pharmacy setting is more limited than in other settings.
What Is Shared in Shared Decision Making? Complex Decisions When the Evidence Is Unclear
Authors: Epstein Ronald M. , Gramling Robert E.
Published: October 2012

Patient involvement in decisions is central to patient-centered care. Yet many important decisions must be made in complex, ambiguous clinical situations in which all possible options cannot be known, evidence is inadequate to inform patients’ preferences fully, and/or patients are unclear about their desired level of involvement. In these situations, preferences are shaped by affect, framing, and “collaborative cognition” among clinicians, patients, and their families; thus, decisions are often relational, dynamic, iterative, provisional, and/or conditional. Clinicians can help patients achieve greater autonomy by engaging both intuitive and deliberative decision-making processes (“whole mind”) and involving others in exploring, clarifying, and co-constructing patients’ preferences (“shared mind”). Clinical and interpersonal relationships can promote effective decision making through developing a shared attentional focus, tailoring information, and identifying conditions under which provisional preferences might change. Information technology and health systems offer untapped potential to deepen the relationships and conversations within which decisions are made.
State Deregulation and Medicare Costs for Acute Cardiac Care
Authors: Ho Vivian , Ku-Goto Meei-Hsiang
Published: October 2012

Past literature suggests that Certificate of Need (CON) regulations for cardiac care were ineffective in improving quality, but less is known about the effect of CON on patient costs. We analyzed Medicare data for 1991-2002 to test whether states that dropped CON experienced changes in costs or reimbursements for coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery or percutaneous coronary interventions. We found that states that dropped CON experienced lower costs per patient for CABG but not for percutaneous coronary intervention. Average Medicare reimbursement was lower for both procedures in states that dropped CON. The cost savings from removing CON regulations slightly exceed the total fixed costs of new CABG facilities that entered after deregulation. Assuming continued cost savings past 2002, the savings from deregulating CABG surgery outweigh the fixed costs of new entry. Thus, CON regulations for CABG may not be justified in terms of either improving quality or controlling cost growth.
Severe neurological symptoms in a patient with advanced renal cell carcinoma treated with sunitinib
Authors: Duchnowska Renata , Miciuk Beata , Bodnar Lubomir , Waśniewski Leszek , Szczylik Cezary
Published: October 2012

Neurological symptoms are uncommon in patients administered sunitinib therapy; however, a few cases of dramatic neurotoxicity attributable to the development of reversible posterior leukoencephalopathy syndrome have been reported. Here, we report a case of a 71-year old woman with severe neurological symptoms occurring during sunitinib therapy for metastatic renal cell carcinoma. The clinical symptoms were typical for reversible posterior leukoencephalopathy syndrome, but there were no accompanying neuroimaging abnormalities. A Naranjo probability score of 3 indicates the adverse drug reaction was possible, but we discuss other potential causes of this event.
Types of Intimate Partner Homicides Committed by Women
Authors: Belknap Joanne , Larson Dora-Lee , Abrams Margaret L. , Garcia Christine , Anderson-Block Kelly
Published: October 2012

Margo Wilson and Martin Daly began scientific work to explain intimate partner homicides (IPHs). Key to their work was women’s increased risk of IPH victimization relative to men. In the 1990s, many U.S. jurisdictions implemented Domestic Violence Fatality Review Committees (DVFRCs) to improve responses to potentially lethal abuse. We report findings from 117 closed heterosexual IPH cases collected by the Denver Metro DVFRC 1991-2009. As expected, IPHs perpetrated by women against men are frequently motivated by self-defense. Although Wilson and Daly’s “sexual proprietariness” is primarily characteristic of men killing women, we find it applicable to some women killing male mates.
Tax Evasion and Tacit Collusion
Authors: Baumann Florian , Friehe Tim
Published: October 2012

This article analyzes the interaction between tax evasion and tacit collusion. We show that the possibility of evading taxes generally influences the incentives to form a cartel. We establish that whether tax evasion increases or decreases the set of circumstances allowing stable collusion depends on (1) the relation between the benefits of tax evasion and legal after-tax profits and (2) effective enforcement of antitrust laws. In considering variations in tax enforcement and antitrust enforcement, we find that stricter tax enforcement may actually increase the level of tax evasion, as it may promote the cartelization of industries. In contrast, stricter antitrust enforcement lowers incentives for cartelization, thereby possibly reducing tax evasion at the same time.
The Influence of Hotel Communication Practices on Managers’ Communication Satisfaction with Limited English–Speaking Employees
Authors: Dawson Mary , Madera Juan M. , Neal Jack A. , Chen Jue
Published: October 2012

Communication satisfaction is an important antecedent to significant work outcomes. Therefore, this study examines how organizational practices influence the communication satisfaction of lodging managers. The results showed a strong correlation between organizational practices that deal with language barriers and the communication satisfaction of the managers. Management awareness and encouragement to improve English skills were independently correlated with communication satisfaction. However, translation of documents and translation by coworkers alone were not correlated with communication satisfaction. This was significant because the results showed that the majority (62.8%) of managers rely on a translator, typically a bilingual employee, to communicate for them. More than half of the respondents (53.5%) reported that top management has paid attention to language barriers in the workplace. In fact, 46.5% stated that their company encourages employees with limited-language skills to improve by offering English at work programs.
The use and usability of evaluation outputs: A social practice approach
Authors: Saunders Murray
Published: October 2012

This article contributes to the discussion of evaluation use. It argues for a social practice approach to the analysis of evaluation use that enables a discerning and fine-grained understanding of how evaluations might be used by real people in real time. It suggests a distinction between two dimensions of the way an evaluation might be used. It offers an interpretation of ‘use’, which focuses on the context and the capacity of the organizational setting in which evaluation outputs are used; and ‘usability’, which emphasizes the extent to which the evaluation design itself militates against or encourages the use of its outputs in the broadest sense. The two dimensions are distinct yet closely interrelated. The article concludes with a consideration of various approaches and tools that highlight the dimensions of use and usability from a social practice perspective.
Evaluating the social mechanism of investment subsidies using an abductive approach
Authors: Krupnik Seweryn
Published: October 2012

Investment subsidies are the most popular means of public support for enterprises. However, evaluation studies measuring their net effect suggest that their effectiveness is highly debatable. The social mechanism of investment subsidies has been investigated in the article with a flexible, abductive methodological approach. Both methodological and data source triangulations have been applied: qualitative and quantitative methods deployed; and viewpoints of manifold groups (policy-makers, beneficiaries, journalists) reconstructed. The article goes beyond previous findings indicating the small net effects of intervention by investigating the social mechanism accounting for the size of the effects. It also indicates that the permanency of the programme may be explained by the analysis of the programme theories of stakeholders involved in implementation.
The ethical sensitivity of evaluators: A qualitative study using a vignette design
Authors: Desautels Geoffroy , Jacob Steve
Published: October 2012

Evaluation occurs in a context fraught with ethical issues. Evaluators are regularly faced with ethical tensions that are likely to influence the quality of their work. By developing an analytical model that categorizes evaluators along an altruistic-corporatist axis, we sought to understand which factors influence the ethical sensitivity of evaluators. To this end, utilizing a qualitative research design using vignettes, we exposed a dozen Canadian evaluators to ethically problematic situations to examine their ability to identify the ethical issues within the scenarios. The ensuing results allowed us to conclude that an evaluator’s ethical sensitivity is partially explained by the altruistic or corporatist nature of that evaluator; it also depends on other factors such as knowledge of the prescriptive norms in ethical matters, experience conducting evaluations, and the milieu and the working conditions within which the evaluators operate.
Rectal trauma in adults
Authors: Barkley Sarah , Khan Mansoor , Garner Jeff
Published: October 2012

Rectal trauma is associated with high rates of morbidity and mortality and generally affects young males due to its aetiology of violent crime and vehicular collision. Historically, management has followed principles derived from military practice, with faecal diversion, pre-sacral drainage and distal washout being mandatory. Civilian trauma studies examining management of colon and rectum injuries from the early 1950s identified major differences in the level of energy transfer between civilian and military wounds, given that the vast majority are penetrating in nature. This led to a re-evaluation of the necessity for these interventions for all rectal injuries. Current management depends on whether the injury is intra- or extraperitoneal, with those above the peritoneal reflection being readily accessible and amenable to treatment as for colon injury. Extraperitoneal injuries remain difficult to access and direct repair is usually impossible; the mainstay of treatment in most instances remains faecal diversion. The role of pre-sacral drainage and distal washout remains contentious in the realms of civilian rectal injury but retains a place in battlefield or other high-energy transfer rectal injuries where aggressive early management reduces septic complications. This article reviews the historical and current evidence for the management of both civilian and military extraperitoneal rectal injuries.
The non-ideal problem behavior using a dynamic vibration absorber with nonlinear essential stiffness and time-dependent damping properties
Authors: Felix Jorge LP , Chong Wang , Balthazar José M
Published: October 2012

The purpose of this study is to develop a dynamic vibration absorber using viscoelastic material with nonlinear essential stiffness and time-dependent damping properties for a non-ideal vibrating system with Sommerfeld effect, resonance capture, and jump phenomenon. The absorber is a mass-bar subsystem that consists of a viscoelastic bar with memory attached to mass, in which the internal dissipative forces depend on current, deformations, and its operational frequency varies with limited temperature. The non-ideal vibrating system consists of a linear (nonlinear) oscillator (plane frame structure) under excitation, via spring connector, of a DC-motor with limited power supply. A viscoelastic dynamic absorber modeled with elastic stiffness essentially nonlinearities was developed to further reduce the Sommerfeld effect and the response of the structure. The numerical results show the performance of the absorber on the non-ideal system response through the resonance curves, time histories, and Poincaré sections. Furthermore, the structure responses using the viscoelastic damper with and without memory were studied.
Proposal stage coalition-building in the European Parliament
Authors: Finke Daniel
Published: October 2012

Almost all existing studies of conflict and coalitions inside the European Parliament (EP) rely on the statistical analysis of voting behaviour. Yet who proposes the alternatives put to vote? Which political groups jointly co-author legislative amendments? Which strategic considerations (if any) determine legislative coalition-building inside the EP? To answer these questions, this article analyses information on the proposer identity for all legislative amendments drafted in the sixth legislative period. My findings suggest that, when building coalitions, political groups consider the degree of inter-institutional conflict. However, despite the highly proportional rules of procedure, the rapporteur emerges as the most powerful player in proposal stage coalition-building. Other groups may successfully challenge the rapporteur only if they aim at pulling the draft report closer to the floor median. Those who are interested in pulling the outcome away from the median have little choice but to include the rapporteur as a member of their coalition. In this case, rapporteurs must strike a fine balance between convincing their fellow Members of the European Parliament of the strategic exigency of deviating from the median and maintaining their credibility when bargaining with the members of the Council. If rapporteurs are too close to the Council, they forfeit their trustworthiness among their potential coalition partners.
Does implicit voting matter? Coalitional bargaining in the EU legislative process
Authors: de Leon Cesar Garcia Perez
Published: October 2012

This article examines how decision makers in the EU legislative process reach consensual decisions through the mechanism of ‘implicit voting’. I introduce a spatial model of coalitional bargaining using a utility function incorporating decision makers’ considerations of the policy gains they expect to obtain from the outcome and the policy concessions they need to give other decision makers so as to have the outcome accepted. The model predicts the formation of a compact coalition, which will be able to implement the final policy. As a compact coalition typically integrates a majority of like-minded legislators, consensual outcomes reached through coalition formations are likely to occur under conditions of preference polarization and reflect ideological choices towards one side of the political spectrum. The empirical evaluation of the model for 44 proposals and 111 issues of the EU legislative process requiring qualified majority voting confirms the expectations of the model and suggests that implicit voting is specifically relevant to explaining decisions leading to high or low levels of policy change.
On the road in Highlands Papua New Guinea: intimacy and ethnographic method
Authors: Maclean Neil
Published: October 2012

Drawing on Schutz’s treatment of the We-relationship and of meaning contexts, and on Michael Jackson’s exploration of the ambiguities of the intersubjective, this article examines the methodological implications of the empathic orientation developed in the context of intimacy for a discipline based on participant observation. I argue that moments of ‘breakdown’, a classic way in which ethnographic questions are revealed, are predicated on the intentional dynamics of intersubjective relationships. I draw on a particular experience of ‘breakdown’ on an overnight truck trip in Highlands Papua New Guinea juxtaposed with expectations of intimacy developed over long-term fieldwork spanning 12 years.
Fifteen minutes in limbo: on the intricacies of rapport in multi-sited fieldwork on tourism
Authors: Tonnaer Anke
Published: October 2012

In this article I discuss a revelatory moment that occurred in arguably the 15 slowest minutes of my ethnographic fieldwork on the cultural meeting between Indigenous people and tourists in Northern Australia. The challenge of doing multi-sited ethnography in tourism is to remain aware of our (tacit) inclination to privilege the subaltern perspective while establishing meaningful contacts with tourists, due to their inherently transient nature. Indeed, while I had set out with the deliberate aim to move away from the common scholarly (and popular) disdain for tourists, I realized during those 15 minutes that hitherto I had taken tourists seriously but had not been able to see beyond the part-personhood they are habitually granted. Through recognizing and analytically (re-)inserting the imperative influence of not only tourists’ bodily engagement but my own affective relations as a researcher as well, I was able to develop multiple and mobile empathies necessary for conducting research across cultural boundaries.
Ontology and indigeneity: on the political ontology of heterogeneous assemblages
Authors: Blaser Mario
Published: October 2012

The first challenge faced by a project that seeks to bring concerns with ontology and indigeneity into a conversation is to sort out the various (and possibly divergent) projects that are being mobilized when the former term is used, not the least because what do we mean by ontology impinges upon how we can conceive indigeneity. In this article I play a counterpoint between two ‘ontological’ projects: one in geography, that foregrounds a reality conceived as an always-emergent assemblage of human and non-humans and troubles the politics that such assemblages imply. The other in ethnographic theory, that foregrounds that we are not only dealing with a shifting ontology, a (re)animated world, but also with multiple ontologies, a multiplicity of worlds animated in different ways. Thus, if the heterogeneity of always emerging assemblages troubles the political, the very heterogeneity of these heterogeneous assemblages troubles it even more. What kinds of politics and what kinds of knowledges does this troubling demand? I advance the notion of political ontology as a possible venue to explore this question.
Association of Alzheimer's Disease With APOE and IL-1α Gene Polymorphisms
Authors: Yildiz Saliha Handan , Erdogan Mujgan Ozdemir , Artan Sevilhan , Solak Mustafa , Yaman Mehmet , Ozbabalik Belgin Demet , Terzi Evrim Suna Arikan
Published: October 2012

Apolipoprotein E ( ApoE) gene polymorphisms are thought to be the most important genetic risk factor in the pathogenesis of late onset and sporadic Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Moreover, interleukin-1α ( IL-1α) is found to be associated with the pathogenesis of AD. In this research, ∊2, ∊3, and ∊4 polymorphisms of ApoE gene and C889T polymorphism of IL-1α gene were genotyped in patients with AD and controls. Genotyping was performed by real-time polymerase chain reaction. ∊3/∊3 and ∊3/∊4 genotype frequencies were significantly higher in control and case groups, respectively. While ∊3 allele frequencies were significantly higher in the control group, ∊2 and ∊4 allele frequencies were significantly higher among the cases with AD. No difference was found between the groups according to C889T polymorphism of IL-1α. In conclusion, we demonstrated that there was a strong association between ApoE ∊4 allele and AD, while there was no relation with IL-1α C889T polymorphisms for this study.
Describing Mixed Methods Research
Authors: Guest Greg
Published: October 2012

Scholars have created a variety of typologies to describe and simplify mixed methods research designs. In this article, I review the rationale for using these typologies and discuss some shortcomings of the existing methods of classification. I argue that current systems of classification, although useful for simple and less fluid types of mixed methods research, are not capable of capturing the complexity and iterative nature of larger, more intricate research projects. I suggest an alternative way of viewing and describing mixed methods research for studies that resist simple classification. This alternative perspective shifts the unit of reference to the point of interface—where QUAL and QUAN data are integrated—and reduces the number of descriptive dimensions to two—the timing and the purpose of data integration.
Cochrane corner: antibiotic prophylaxis for mammalian bites (intervention review)
Authors: Henton J. , Jain A.
Published: October 2012

Background:

Bites by mammals are a common problem and they account for up to 1% of all visits to hospital emergency rooms. Dog and cat bites are the most common, and people are usually bitten by their own pets or by an animal known to them. School-age children make up almost a half of those bitten. Prevention of tetanus, rabies and wound infection are the priorities for staff in emergency rooms. The use of antibiotics may be useful to reduce the risk of developing a wound infection.

Objectives:

To determine if the use of prophylactic antibiotics in mammalian bites is effective in preventing bite-wound infection.

Search methods:

Relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were identified by electronic searches of MEDLINE, EMBASE, LILACS and the Cochrane Controlled Trials Register databases in November 2000.

Selection criteria:

We included randomized controlled trials that studied patients with bites from all mammals. Comparisons were made between antibiotics and placebo or no intervention. The outcome of interest was the number of infections at the site of the bite.

Data collection and analysis:

Two reviewers extracted the data independently. All analyses were performed according to the intention-to-treat method.
Computational models and organizational psychology: Opportunities abound
Authors: Weinhardt Justin M. , Vancouver Jeffrey B.
Published: October 2012

Computational modeling has long been advocated as an important tool in the scientist’s tool shed. They are common in physical and biological sciences, but are very rare in organizational psychology. This paper describes the role computational models might play in informing theory and science in organizational psychology. After describing the major advantages of computational models, architectures, examples, and resources are described. This is followed by a comprehensive review of where computational models have been applied and where they might be profitably applied in each of the major domains of organizational psychology.
Reliability of a Telemedicine System Designed for Rural Kenya
Authors: Qin Rosie , Dzombak Rachel , Amin Roma , Mehta Khanjan
Published: October 2012

Objective: Access to health care in rural areas of developing nations is hindered by both the lack of physicians and the preference of many physicians to practice in urban settings. As a result, rural patients often choose not to sacrifice wages or time to visit distant health care providers. A telemedicine system, Mashavu: Networked Health Solutions, designed to increase access to preprimary health care in rural areas, was field-tested in rural Kenya. This study aims to examine the reliability of the system compared to the traditional face-to-face method of health care delivery. Method: Reliability of the telemedicine system was tested using a modified intraobserver concordance study. Community health workers operated the system in various remote locations. Patient health information including chief complaint, medical history, and vital statistics were sent via Internet to a consulting nurse. After patients completed the telemedicine consultation, they also met in-person with the same nurse. Subsequently, the nurse’s advice during the in-person session was compared with his feedback provided through the telemedicine consultation. Results: When comparing the nurse’s advice given through the telemedicine system with the advice given through more traditional face-to-face, in-person consultation, the nurse provided consistent medical feedback in 78.4% of the cases (n = 102). The nurse’s advice regarding patient action (eg, clinical referrals or no further care necessary) was the same in 89.2% of the cases (n = 91). Conclusion: The study found that this telemedicine system was able to provide patients with approximately the same quality of care and advice as if the patient had physically travelled to a clinic to see a nurse. In rural areas of developing nations where there are high logistical and economical barriers to accessing health care, this telemedicine system successfully increased the ease and lowered the cost of connecting rural patients with nurses to provide preprimary care.
BCL10GFP fusion protein as a substrate for analysis of determinants required for Mucosa-Associated Lymphoid Tissue 1 (MALT1)-mediated cleavage
Authors: Jou Shin-Yi , Chang Chien-Chih , Wu Chun-Hsien , Chen Mei-Ru , Tsai Ching-Hwa , Chuang Wen-Hui , Chen Yun-Hui , Cheng Ann-Lii , Doong Shin-Lian
Published: October 2012

Background

MALT1 belongs to a family of paracaspase and modulates NF-κB signaling pathways through its scaffolding function and proteolytic activity. MALT1 cleaves protein substrates after a positively charged Arginine residue. BCL10, a 233 amino acids polypeptide, is identified as one of the MALT1 proteolytic substrates. MALT1 cleaves BCL10 at the C-terminal end of Arg228. A mere 5 amino acids difference between the substrate and the proteolytic product made it difficult to tell whether the cleavage event took place by using a simple western blot analysis. Here, BCL10GFP was constructed and utilized to examine the specificity and domain determinants for MALT1 cleavage in cells.

Methods

Various BCL10GFP constructs were transfected into HEK293T cell with MALT1 construct by using calcium phosphate-DNA precipitation method. Lysates of transfectants were resolved by SDS/PAGE and analyzed by western blot analysis.

Results

BCL10GFP was proteolytically processed by MALT1 as BCL10. The integrity of caspase recruitment domain (CARD) and MALT1-interacting domain on BCL10 were required for MALT1 proteolytic activity. Besides the invariant P1 cleavage site Arg228, P4 Leu225 played a role in defining BCL10 as a good substrate for MALT1.

Conclusions

We offered a way of monitoring the catalytic activity of MALT1 in HEK293T cells using BCL10GFP as a substrate. BCL10GFP can be utilized as a convenient tool for studying the determinants for efficient MALT1 cleavage in HEK293T cells
Sensitivity to the MEK inhibitor E6201 in melanoma cells is associated with mutant BRAF and wildtype PTEN status
Authors: Byron Sara A , Loch David C , Wellens Candice L , Wortmann Andreas , Wu Jiayi , Wang John , Nomoto Kenichi , Pollock Pamela M
Published: October 2012

Background

Melanoma is the most lethal form of skin cancer, but recent advances in molecularly targeted agents against the Ras/Raf/MAPK pathway demonstrate promise as effective therapies. Despite these advances, resistance remains an issue, as illustrated recently by the clinical experience with vemurafenib. Such acquired resistance appears to be the result of parallel pathway activation, such as PI3K, to overcome single-agent inhibition. In this report, we describe the cytotoxicity and anti-tumour activity of the novel MEK inhibitor, E6201, in a broad panel of melanoma cell lines (n = 31) of known mutational profilein vitroandin vivo. We further test the effectiveness of combining E6201 with an inhibitor of PI3K (LY294002) in overcoming resistance in these cell lines.

Results

The majority of melanoma cell lines were either sensitive (IC50 < 500 nM, 24/31) or hypersensitive (IC50 < 100 nM, 18/31) to E6201. This sensitivity correlated with wildtypePTENand mutantBRAFstatus, whereas mutantRASand PI3K pathway activation were associated with resistance. Although MEK inhibitors predominantly exert a cytostatic effect, E6201 elicited a potent cytocidal effect on most of the sensitive lines studied, as evidenced by Annexin positivity and cell death ELISA. Conversely, E6201 did not induce cell death in the two resistant melanoma cell lines tested. E6201 inhibited xenograft tumour growth in all four melanoma cell lines studied to varying degrees, but a more pronounced anti-tumour effect was observed for cell lines that previously demonstrated a cytocidal responsein vitro.In vitrocombination studies of E6201 and LY294002 showed synergism in all six melanoma cell lines tested, as defined by a mean combination index < 1.

Conclusions

Our data demonstrate that E6201 elicits a predominantly cytocidal effectin vitroandin vivoin melanoma cells of diverse mutational background. Resistance to E6201 was associated with disruption ofPTENand activation of downstream PI3K signalling. In keeping with these data we demonstrate that co-inhibition of MAPK and PI3K is effective in overcoming resistance inherent in melanoma.
The I405V and Taq1B polymorphisms of the CETP gene differentially affect sub-clinical carotid atherosclerosis
Authors: Parra Eliane Soler , Panzoldo Natália Baratella , Kaplan Denise , de Oliveira Helena Coutinho Franco , dos Santos José Ernesto , de Carvalho Luiz Sérgio Fernandes , Sposito Andrei Carvalho , Gidlund Magnus , Nakamura Ruy Tsutomu , de Souza Zago Vanessa Helena , Nakandakare Edna Regina , Quintão Eder Carlos Rocha , de Faria Eliana Cotta
Published: October 2012

Background

Cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) plays a major role in lipid metabolism, but studies on the association of CETP polymorphisms with risks of cardiovascular disease are inconsistent. This study investigated whether the CETP gene I405V and Taq1B polymorphisms modified subclinical atherosclerosis in an asymptomatic Brazilian population sample.

Methods

The polymorphisms were analyzed using polymerase chain reaction in 207 adult volunteers. Serum lipid profiles, oxLDL Ab titers, C-reactive protein and tumor necrosis factor-α concentrations and CETP and phospholipid transfer protein (PLTP) activities were determined, and common carotid artery intima-media thickness (cIMT) was measured using ultrasonography.

Results

No differences in cIMT were observed between the presence or absence of the minor B2 and V alleles in either polymorphism. However, inverse correlations between mean cIMT and CETP activity in the presence of these polymorphisms were observed, and positive correlations of these polymorphisms with PLTP activity and oxLDL Ab titers were identified. Moreover, logistic multivariate analysis revealed that the presence of the B2 allele was associated with a 5.1-fold (CI 95%, OR: 1.26 – 21.06) increased risk for cIMT, which was equal and above the 66th percentile and positively interacted with age. However, no associations with the V allele or CETP and PLTP activities were observed.

Conclusions

None of the studied parameters, including CETP activity, explained the different relationships between these polymorphisms and cIMT, suggesting that other non-determined factors were affected by the genotypes and related to carotid atherosclerotic disease.
Comparison of endometrial regenerative cells and bone marrow stromal cells
Authors: Wang Huan , Jin Ping , Sabatino Marianna , Ren Jiaqiang , Civini Sara , Bogin Vladimir , Ichim Thomas E , Stroncek David F
Published: October 2012

Background

Endometrial regenerative cells (ERC) and bone marrow stromal cells (BMSC) are being used in clinical trials. While they have been reported to have similar characteristics, they have not been directly compared.

Methods

We compared micro RNA (miRNA) and gene expression profiles, soluble cytokine and growth factor levels and ability to inhibit ongoing mixed leukocyte reaction (MLR) of ERC and BMSC each derived from 6 healthy subjects.

Results

ERC and BMSC miRNA and gene expression profiles were similar, but not identical; more differences were noted in the expression of genes than in miRNAs. Genes overexpressed in ERCs were more likely to be in immune and inflammation pathways and those overexpressed in BMSCs were more likely to be in stem cell and cancer signaling pathways. In addition, the levels of IL-8 and ICAM-1 were greater in ERC supernatants while the levels of HGF, VEGF, IL-6, CXCL12, TGFB1 and TGFB2 were greater in BMSC supernatants. Additionally, ERC demonstrated greater inhibition of the proliferation of mixed leukocyte cultures.

Conclusions

These results suggest that the in vivo effects of ERC and BMSC may differ. Multiple properties of stromal cells are responsible for their in vivo effectiveness and ERC may be more effective for some of the clinical applications and BMSC for others. Studies in animal models or clinical trials will be required to more fully characterize the differences between ERC and BMSC.