bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Alexandra Development Forum (ADF): the tyranny of invited participatory spaces?
Authors: Sinwell Luke
Published: February 2012

The majority of the South African literature on participatory development has suggested that the ANC government's approach to participation actually restricts citizens' ability to influence development. While scholars have exposed some of the dominant trends which are associated with the government's approach to participation, this article argues that they have not sufficiently considered what can be called the more 'hidden' terms within which reformed participation in development may occur. It suggests that reforms in the government's approach to participation, which enable certain residents to affect important decision-making processes, can co-exist with broader neoliberal politics. While neoliberalism has many implications for development, this article focuses on the way in which neoliberal policies limit development possibilities through fiscal austerity. It draws from Cornwall's (2002, 2004) concept of 'invited' participatory spaces and Cooke and Kothari's (2001) notion of participation as 'the new tyranny' to provide insight into the politics behind the Alexandra Development Forum (ADF) and its relationship to the Alexandra Renewal Project (ARP), a R1.3 billion flagship project undertaken by the South African government. The article illustrates that the key policy change which resulted from the partnership between the ADF and the ARP led to the reprioritisation of resources from one poor group to another and thereby does not contribute significantly towards the improvement of people's lives. Far from enabling residents to transform development, participatory spaces like the ADF largely remain a managerial tool in the hands of the ANC, with fundamental similarities to those spaces adopted by the World Bank.
'Gay and Zulu, we speak isiNgqumo': Ethnolinguistic identity constructions
Authors: Rudwick Stephanie
Published: February 2012

South Africa was one of the first countries in the world to include a sexual orientation clause in its Bill of Rights and in 2006 became the first African country to legalise same-sex marriage. Research studies on gay and lesbian speech varieties, however, have thus far been limited to Cage's (2003) pioneering publication of Gayle which is South Africa's English/Afrikaans gay variety and a recent paper on isiNgqumo, its African language equivalent (Rudwick and Ntuli 2008). South Africa's history of segregation and its prevailing multilingualism and multiculturalism, offers particularly intricate social, cultural and linguistic dynamics among sub-cultures in the society, such as the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual and Transgender) community. Against the background of South Africa's apartheid policy and the history of black homosexuality, this paper explores ethnolinguistic identity constructions involved in the usage of isiNgqumo, a gay linguistic variety spoken by black, predominantly Zulu men. It draws from qualitative interview data with Zulu gay men in the province of KwaZulu-Natal and portrays individual and collective subjectivities. While it is true that the popular view of Zulu ethnicity as a fixed and static group identity is still widely prevalent (Wright 2008: 35), this paper demonstrates some of the multifaceted, flexible, and dynamic nature of current Zuluness in relation to a particular linguistic variety of isiZulu.
Sacred Spaces, Profane "Manufactories": Willa Cather's Split Artist in The Professor's House and My Mortal Enemy
Authors: Vanderlaan Kim
Published: February 2012

In keeping with the idea that Cather herself located the "fountainhead" of her creative energies in "Nebraska and points west" ( In Person 88), I wish to locate my discussion of Cather's novels, The Professor's House and My Mortal Enemy , in the symbolic landscapes which help reveal their position in her oeuvre. My article argues that Godfrey St. Peter and Myra Henshawe, like Cather herself at this point in her career, attempt to navigate the tensions of two forces simultaneously working on them. That is, Godfrey's and Myra's authentic artistic selves strive to resist the pull toward fame, money, and recognition that Cather herself was newly acquiring at this point in her career and likely trying to accommodate to those artistic pursuits she considered high and pure. These novels can be read as Cather's fictional attempt to address the temptations and struggles she felt in her own life, specifically at a point when she was very critical of America's "pathetic" absence of artistic "discrimination" ( In Person 70) in matters of art and culture. My article adds to the scope of Cather criticism in particular as it points readers to a new look at Myra Henshawe as a potentially noble, albeit flawed, artist figure striving for spiritual purity in the face of material profanity.
Transient Extracellular Glutamate Events in the Basolateral Amygdala Track Reward-Seeking Actions
Authors: Wassum Kate M. , Tolosa Vanessa M. , Tseng Tina C. , Balleine Bernard W. , Monbouquette Harold G. , Maidment Nigel T.
Published: February 2012

The ability to make rapid, informed decisions about whether or not to engage in a sequence of actions to earn reward is essential for survival. Modeling in rodents has demonstrated a critical role for the basolateral amygdala (BLA) in such reward-seeking actions, but the precise neurochemical underpinnings are not well understood. Taking advantage of recent advancements in biosensor technologies, we made spatially discrete near-real-time extracellular recordings of the major excitatory transmitter, glutamate, in the BLA of rats performing a self-paced lever-pressing sequence task for sucrose reward. This allowed us to detect rapid transient fluctuations in extracellular BLA glutamate time-locked to action performance. These glutamate transients tended to precede lever-pressing actions and were markedly increased in frequency when rats were engaged in such reward-seeking actions. Based on muscimol and tetrodotoxin microinfusions, these glutamate transients appeared to originate from the terminals of neurons with cell bodies in the orbital frontal cortex. Importantly, glutamate transient amplitude and frequency fluctuated with the value of the earned reward and positively predicted lever-pressing rate. Such novel rapid glutamate recordings during instrumental performance identify a role for glutamatergic signaling within the BLA in instrumental reward-seeking actions.
Incentivos governamentais em PPP: uma análise por opções reais
Authors: Brandão Luiz Eduardo Teixeira , Bastian-Pinto Carlos de Lamare , Gomes Leonardo Lima , Salgado Marina Schuabb
Published: February 2012

Em novembro de 2005, o Governo do Estado lançou edital de licitação para serviços de transporte de passageiros da Linha 4 do Metrô de São Paulo. Neste trabalho, utilizamos a metodologia de opções reais para modelar o impacto dos incentivos governamentais existentes no contrato de concessão sobre o valor do projeto, determinar o grau de redução de risco obtido e o seu custo para o Estado. Os resultados indicam que estes incentivos são eficazes em reduzir o risco do projeto e aumentam o seu resultado em 36%, a um custo para o Estado de 5% do valor total do projeto. Adicionalmente, analisamos também a relação custo/benefício para o Estado de modelos alternativos de mitigação de risco e mostramos que, sem aumentar o custo para o Governo, a eficácia desse mecanismo pode ser incrementada aumentando-se o peso da parcela de garantia de demanda em relação à parcela de contraprestação.
Avaliação do desenvolvimento de atitudes humanísticas na graduação médica
Authors: Andrade Silvia Caixeta de , Deus Janio Agostinho de , Barbosa Eduardo Carvalho Horta , Trindade Eliana Mendonça Vilar
Published: February 2012

INTRODUÇÃO: A sedimentação da qualidade teórica da educação médica é derivada de habilidades afetivas adequadas, passíveis de serem ensinadas e aprendidas. Essa aquisição, entretanto, requer abordagens curriculares diferenciadas, que propiciem a edificação de um vínculo profissional efetivo. OBJETIVO: Analisar a aquisição e evolução de atitudes dos discentes da Escola Superior de Ciências da Saúde (ESCS). METODOLOGIA: Foram selecionados, por conveniência, 120 estudantes (25% de cada ano). O instrumento de coleta de dados constou de questionário estruturado e validado, com 52 itens do tipo Likert. Foram avaliados aspectos psicológicos de doenças orgânicas, situações relacionadas à morte, atenção primária em saúde, doença mental, contribuição do médico ao avanço científico da medicina e aspectos da prática médica. RESULTADOS: As atitudes positivas predominaram, destacando-se o amadurecimento importante nas questões ligadas à morte e dificuldades na abordagem da doença mental. A atenção primária em saúde obteve maior percentual positivo. CONCLUSÃO: O estudo traz subsídios indicativos de que a aprendizagem baseada em problemas (ABP) pode possibilitar uma prática médica de qualidade, utilizando-se de metodologias ativas, vivenciais e dinâmicas.
A cut-off low in southern South America: dynamic and thermodynamic processes
Authors: Godoy Alejandro Anibal , Possia Norma Edit , Campetella Claudia Marcela , García Skabar Yanina
Published: February 2012

The dynamic and thermodynamic processes involved in the life cycle of a cutoff low occurred in March 2007 are studied. These processes are analyzed using the vorticity and thermodynamic equations and a set of analyses generated with the BRAMS model. The main processes that explain the segregation of the subtropical part of the trough are the horizontal advection of cyclonic vorticity at high levels and warm horizontal advection at middle levels, both over the Pacific Ocean extending south to the Patagonia region, building the ridge located upstream of the trough. Increased intensity of the upper level low pressure system is mainly explained by intensification of the ridges down and upstream. The divergence effect is opposed to the horizontal advection of vorticity which explains the stagnation of the cut-off low windward of the Andes. The decay stage is dominated by warm vertical advection. Assuming the conservation of potential vorticity the analysis of parcel trajectories , allowed detecting the entrance of stratospheric air to middle levels of the lower troposphere around the cut-off low.
Indices of trends of climatic changes for the states of the Bahia and Sergipe by means of daily precipitacion indices and its relation with SST'S of the Pacific and Atlantic
Authors: Araújo Winícius dos Santos , Brito José Ivaldo Barbosa de
Published: February 2012

The objective of this study was to investigate statistically the precipitation variability in annual scale from the states of the Bahia and Sergipe using daily precipitation data. From that, indexes of detection of climate changes were calculated to evaluate the relationship of the most significant indexes with the sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies of the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. The daily precipitation data used were for a period of 45 years of 75 meteorological stations supplied by the old net of the SUDENE available in the DSA and data of the of the SST anomalies obtained from NOAA. Influence of SST of the Pacific and Atlantic oceans on the precipitation of the studied area is evidenced. A decrease of CWD was verified; increase was observed in the number days with rain; therefore, the amount of annual total precipitation increased. Several stations presented positive or negative tendencies in all examined indexes, consequently, they are also related to regional aspects. Therefore, it is not possible to affirm that the climate alterations noted in the study area are due to the global climate changes.
Modelagem climática regional durante dois anos de extremos de precipitação sobre o estado do Amapá: teste de sensibilidade aos esquemas convectivos
Authors: Neves Daniel Gonçalves das , Cunha Alan Cavalcanti da , Souza Everaldo Barreiros de , Barreto Naurinete Jesus da Costa
Published: February 2012

O presente estudo mostra uma avaliação da previsão sazonal do Modelo RegCM3 em dois eventos extremos de precipitação, nos anos 2006 e 2007. Na análise foi utilizada a resolução horizontal de 1° x 1° km e validado com 30 x 15 pontos de latitude x longitude para a região do Estado do Amapá. Os resultados apresentados são referentes à comparação entre precipitação sazonal simulada e observada para o trimestre (MAM). De maneira geral, os resultados mostraram que a utilização da técnica de redução de escala de previsão da precipitação sazonal, apresentou um bom desempenho em simular a variabilidade da chuva em escala regional. Porém, erros na quantidade e na posição de alguns máximos foram observados, quando comparado com os dados observados. O viés úmido foi predominante na região litorânea e o viés seco nas áreas sul-sudeste, oeste e centro com forte persistência na região sudeste. Não se observou regiões com valores estimados de precipitação próximos aos valores observados.
Mudanças do esquema de convecção profunda Kain-Fritsch para a região do centro de lançamento de Alcântara
Authors: Pereira Neto Antonio Vicente , Oyama Marcos Daisuke
Published: February 2012

Foram realizadas mudanças no esquema de parametrização convectiva de Kain-Fritsch (KF2), para melhor representar a precipitação na região do Centro de Lançamento de Alcântara (CLA) em simulações com o modelo regional MM5. Simulações de 24 h em um domínio aproximadamente centrado no CLA, com espaçamento de grade de 30 km foram realizadas para o período de 2005-2006 (calibração) e 2008 (validação). O KF2 foi modificado sob a seguinte configuração: passo de tempo de 60 s, uso do esquema de convecção explícita warm rain e uso conjunto dos esquemas de convecção rasa de Grell e do KF2. As mudanças no KF2 foram: aumento da profundidade de nuvem necessária para disparar a convecção profunda e ajuste de alguns parâmetros da função disparo da convecção dependentes da velocidade vertical ascendente na coluna atmosférica. Com as modificações, houve expressiva melhoria na representação do total de precipitação e da fração dos dias do mês com chuva na escala mensal. O padrão espacial de erros no domínio, no entanto, não sofreu muitas alterações sobre o continente (em geral, a precipitação foi melhor representada sobre o continente do que sobre o oceano). Todas as etapas de mudanças e ajustes realizadas no trabalho poderão ser empregadas para melhorar a representação da precipitação em outras regiões específicas.
Viabilidade celular de nanofibras de polímeros biodegradáveis e seus nanocompósitos com argila montmorilonita
Authors: Goes Alfredo M. , Carvalho Sandhra , Oréfice Rodrigo L. , Avérous Luc , Custódio Tassiana A. , Pimenta Jeferson G. , Souza Matheus de B. , Branciforti Marcia C. , Bretas Rosario E. S.
Published: February 2012

Mantas não tecidas de nanofibras de três polímeros biodegradáveis poli(ácido láctico), PDLLA, poli(Ε-caprolactona), PCL, e poli(butileno adipato-co-tereftalato), PBAT e seus nanocompósitos com uma nanoargila montmorilonita (MMT) foram produzidas por eletrofiação. A morfologia, o comportamento térmico e a estrutura interna das nanofibras foram analisados por microscopia eletrônica de varredura e transmissão, calorimetria diferencial de varredura e difração de raios X, respectivamente. Observou-se que as nanofibras dos nanocompósitos possuíam diâmetros menores do que os correspondentes polímeros puros e que as nanofibras de PBAT puro e de PBAT/MMT apresentavam a menor cristalinidade de todas as mantas. A viabilidade celular de todas as nanofibras foi analisada pela técnica de redução do sal de tetrazolium pelo complexo enzimático piruvato desidrogenase presente na matriz de mitocôndrias (teste MTT). Os resultados mostraram que nenhuma manta nanofibrílica apresentou toxicidade às células e que as nanofibras de PBAT puro e seu nanocompósito propiciaram ainda um ambiente mais favorável ao desenvolvimento celular de fibroblastos de cardiomiócitos do que as condições oferecidas pelo controles, provavelmente por apresentarem menores diâmetros e baixa cristalinidade em relação às demais nanofibras. Estes resultados mostram o potencial de uso destas mantas nanofibrílicas como suportes de crescimento celular.
Escuta de famílias em domicílio: ação do psicólogo na Estratégia de Saúde
Authors: Lisboa Aline Vilhena , Santos Alessandra Larcher dos , Bassoli Fernanda Anselmo , Paiva Nadia Delgado , Fernandes Tatiana Campos
Published: February 2012

Este trabalho relata a experiência da ação do psicólogo em uma pesquisa de doutorado, que vem contribuir para a atenção básica com famílias em domicílio. A pesquisa foi desenvolvida em uma unidade básica de saúde de uma cidade do interior de Minas Gerais. Com base na fundamentação teórica sobre atenção básica, família e saúde, observa-se que uma das maiores dificuldades de adesão e de envolvimento de pacientes na Estratégia de Saúde da Família se deve a problemas familiares do ponto de vista psicológico. Assim, este relato mostra um caminho interdisciplinar para a atuação do psicólogo na unidade básica, aproximando o profissional de saúde da realidade funcional e cultural da família. O procedimento da pesquisa baseou-se em uma investigação qualitativa de campo com entrevistas semidirigidas realizadas em domicílios. Foram entrevistadas 14 famílias procurando-se compreender a sua história e dinâmica, a fim de contribuir para o redirecionamento de intervenções com a equipe de saúde. A partir da análise de conteúdo, destacamos a violência e o alcoolismo como alguns fatores que interferem na qualidade de vida da família e na relação família-equipe de saúde. Propomos algumas sugestões para o redirecionamento das ações da equipe.
Análise de conteúdo em pesquisas de Psicologia
Authors: Castro Thiago Gomes de , Abs Daniel , Sarriera Jorge Castellá
Published: February 2012

O estudo enfoca as aplicações do método análise de conteúdo (AC) em pesquisas empíricas de Psicologia, de acordo com os procedimentos técnicos identificados sob essa denominação. Apresenta, primeiramente, uma breve discussão sobre as variações de AC e uma análise dos critérios de validação científica que embasam a prática do método. Em seguida, descreve os modos mais recorrentes de utilização da AC, a partir de revisão realizada junto a 83 artigos publicados entre 2004 e 2009 em seis periódicos de Psicologia no Brasil. Os periódicos selecionados foram classificados dentro do extrato A1 e A2 na avaliação trienal de periódicos da CAPES (2007-2009), e acessados através da base de periódicos Scielo. A discussão final foi encaminhada para a avaliação do rigor metodológico vinculado à prática do método, sugerindo informações claras sobre o tipo de abordagem de AC, de execução da AC e explanação criteriosa dos passos e procedimentos técnicos adotados na análise dos dados.
Direito à palavra: interrogações acerca da proposta da justiça restaurativa
Authors: Sousa Edson Luiz André de , Züge Márcia Barcellos Alves
Published: February 2012

Partindo da constatação da necessidade de alternativas ao sistema de Justiça atual, o presente artigo objetiva dar voz a uma das propostas que vem ganhando força no cenário jurídico mundial: a Justiça Restaurativa. Para tanto, este artigo explora essa proposta, promovendo uma análise crítica amparada em autores da psicanálise (freudo-lacaniana) e da Filosofia (com F. Ost e J. Derrida). Através da Justiça Restaurativa, é possível questionar a potência da circulação da palavra, característica que promove o tensionamento entre psicanálise e Direito. Além disso, a questão da Lei e das leis, da performatividade dos atos da fala, da posição do Juiz, da experiência do encontro restaurativo e da função das utopias são os principais vieses que compõem esta análise. Mais voltado para a possibilidade de anunciar questionamentos sobre essa proposta tão nova no contexto brasileiro do que de encontrar respostas satisfatórias, este artigo mantém em suspenso várias conclusões, embora assuma a constatação da importante função utópica da Justiça Restaurativa.
Formação em Psicologia para a atenção básica à saúde e a integração universidade-serviço-comunidade
Authors: Lima Monica , Brito Manuela , Firmino Alice
Published: February 2012

O Integrar/SUS-Educação é um projeto que articula ensino e extensão no campo da saúde pública/ coletiva para a formação de estudantes de Psicologia, na perspectiva da integração universidade-serviçocomunidade, em Salvador-Bahia. A parceria com o Centro Saúde São Francisco (SMS-Salvador) e com o Curso de Psicologia (IPS/UFBA) conjuga duas motivações: 1) garantir a inserção dos estudantes em contextos de trabalho desde a graduação no campo da saúde coletiva/pública, particularmente na atenção básica à saúde, e 2) otimizar os recursos para a consolidação do programa Saúde e Prevenção nas Escolas, com o foco em DST/HIV/AIDS. O presente projeto capacitou 308 graduandos, realizou 149 oficinas Árvore dos Prazeres, envolveu 4.550 jovens e distribuiu 8.500 preservativos em 15 escolas públicas de Salvador, entre 2007 a 2011. Essa experiência tem favorecido o processo ensino-aprendizagem, desenvolvendo habilidades para fazeres na atenção básica, e potencializado o CS - SF como serviço de referência para os jovens e graduandos de Psicologia.
O escrito e o oral: uma discussão inicial sobre os métodos da História
Authors: Garnica Antonio Vicente Marafioti
Published: February 2012

O artigo procura discutir os métodos utilizados pela História, apresentando argumentos que advogam pela legitimidade do aproveitamento das fontes orais, contra a hegemonia das chamadas "fontes primárias". Argumenta sobre o equívoco de julgar as fontes escritas como mais seletivas ou menos tendenciosas que as orais, justificando como fundamental para as Ciências da Educação essa nova abordagem à História.
Conteúdos de química em livros didáticos de ciências
Authors: Tiedemann Peter W.
Published: February 2012

São apresentadas algumas tendências modernas do ensino de química, em termos de ensino no contexto, treinamento de habilidades profissionais e construção da cidadania. São discutidos alguns problemas nos conteúdos de química, principalmente dos livros de ciências de 8a série, mostrando-se que alguns assuntos são impróprios para alunos dessa faixa etária e outros envolvem apenas a memorização, contribuindo para o afastamento dos alunos do estudo de ciências. Finalmente, são apontados diversos equívocos conceituais, comuns em livros didáticos, que dificultam a aprendizagem.
Evaluation and assessment of vibrations owing to human activity
Authors: Setareh Mehdi
Published: February 2012

Annoying levels of vibration on long-cantilevered structures owing to crowd movements during musical concerts, sporting events, aerobics exercises and so on, have become more common in recent years. There are still a number of issues related to excessive floor vibrations owing to human activities that need to be addressed such as: guidelines for more accurate analytical representation of structural parameters to predict floor dynamic response, better definition of forcing functions to simulate human activities in a computer model and finally more consistent methods of evaluation and assessment of vibrations. This paper focuses on the requirements and guidelines for the evaluation and assessment of vibrations as related to acceptability for human exposure. It briefly reviews the provision of several current standards and design guides for the evaluation and assessment of building vibrations owing to human rhythmic activities. Using the measured vibrations generated by crowd activities on a large cantilevered structure during several rock concerts, collected by way of a remote vibration monitoring system, this paper compares these provisions with each other and draws conclusions on their applicability. New relationships between the current vibration evaluation parameters along with guidance for the assessment of human exposure to vibration owing to rhythmic activities are proposed.
A Systematic Approach to Optimizing the Maintenance Work as Experienced on the Frigg Field
Authors: Endresen Per S.
Published: February 2012

The paper presents the basic principles used for developing the maintenance programme applied at the Frigg field. By systematically training of personnel clearly defined operational responsibility, splitting the maintenance work in "first degree", preventive and breakdowns, and "ad hoc", it has been possible to reduce the permanent maintenance team considerably. Due to this and due to extensive use of "unit price" and "lumpsum" contracts, the overall maintenance budget is significantly reduced.
Determinants of Cutaneous Injection-Related Infections Among Injection Drug Users at an Emergency Department
Authors: Lloyd-Smith Elisa , Tyndall Mark , Zhang Ruth , Grafstein Eric , Sheps Sam , Wood Evan , Montaner Julio , Kerr Thomas
Published: February 2012

Introduction:

Cutaneous injection-related infections (CIRI) are a primary reason injection drug users (IDU)
access the emergency department (ED).

Methodology:

Using Cox proportional hazard regression, we examined predictors of ED use for CIRI, stratified by sex,
among 1083 supervised injection facility (SIF) users.

Results:

Over a four-year period, 289 (27%) visited the ED for CIRI, yielding an incidence density for females of 23.8
(95% confidence interval (CI): 19.3 – 29.0) and males of 19.2 per 100 person-years (95% CI: 16.7 – 22.1). Factors
associated with ED use for CIRI among females included residing in the Downtown Eastside (DTES) (adjusted hazard
ratio [AHR] = 2.06 [1.13 – 3.78]) and being referred to hospital by SIF nurses (AHR = 4.48 [2.76 – 7.30]). Among males,
requiring assistance with injection (AHR = 1.38 [1.01 – 1.90]), being HIV-positive (AHR = 1.85 [1.34 – 2.55]), and being
referred to hospital by SIF nurses (AHR = 2.97 [1.93 – 4.57]) were associated with an increased likelihood of an ED visit
for CIRI.

Conclusion:

These results suggest SIF nurses have facilitated referral of hospital treatment for CIRI, highlighting the need
for continued development of efficient and collaborative efforts to reduce the burden of CIRI.
CFD modeling of Dalmarnock uncontrolled fire test
Authors: Mijorski Sergey , Stankov Peter
Published: February 2012

The study describes a CFD based modeling of a fire in multi-storey apartments building. The model parameters are taken from a fire experiment with uncontrolled ventilation conditions. The aim of the current work is to describe some features and difficulties of fire CFD modeling in close compartments. The instrument used for CFD modeling was Fire Dynamic Simulator. The analysis is made in terms of fire development in an apartment and influence of wind velocity changes on temperature fields
Energy management of electric and hybrid vehicles dependent on powertrain configuration
Authors: Varga Bogdan
Published: February 2012

Electric and hybrid vehicles are going to become the most reliable source of transport for future years. The CO2 and NOx targets in Euro 6 normative puts the producers of vehicles in a dilemma, whether to adapt the internal combustion engines further, or to develop hybrid or electric power trains that are going to reach the pollution limit of the future norms or to go below that. Before acting a well-developed strategy in determining the optimum power flow has to be developed by producers; CRUISE software is a tool with the unique and special characteristics to determine the optimum in this highly important area.

Whether electric vehicle, electric vehicle with range extender or a hybrid with CVT or planetary gearbox, the complexity of the mathematical modules remains the same, giving the developer the possibility to create complex functions and distinctive characteristics for each component of the vehicle.

With such a powerful tool it becomes extremely easy to evaluate the energy flow in all directions, from electric machine to the battery, from electric machine to the power generator, and from the electric machine to the internal combustion engine. Applying to the (Electric Vehicle, Electric Vehicle with Range Extender, Hybrid vehicle with CVT, Hybrid vehicle with planetary gear set) the ECE-15 in a virtual environment (urban driving cycle) the simulation results show a different usage, rate of storage and efficiency concerning the energy, this being dependent of the power train configuration in most part.
Femoral Neck Stress Fracture and Femoroacetabular Impingement
Authors: Taylor-Haas Jeffery A. , Paterno Mark V. , Shaffer Michael
Published: February 2012

The patient was a 34-year-old male recreational marathon runner referred to a physical therapist with a chief complaint of worsening right lateral hip pain of 3 months duration that was insidious in nature. Following a physical examination, the physical therapist discussed his suspicions with the referring physician. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed findings consistent with a stress fracture at the inferomedial right femoral neck, a mild cam-type deformity of the right femoral neck, and a mild degree of heterogeneity of the right superior anterior labrum, representing a possible tear.

J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2011;41(11):905. doi:10.2519/jospt.2011.0423
Pattern of ocular trauma in the Western Region of Nepal
Authors: Kinderan YV , Shrestha E , Maharjan IM , Karmacharya S
Published: February 2012

Introduction: Ocular trauma is an important cause of unilateral blindness. Objective: To determine the characteristics and visual outcome of ocular trauma in the western region of Nepal. Materials and methods: All cases of ocular trauma presenting in a one-year period to the Himalaya Eye Hospital were retrospectively reviewed. The demographic features, type and cause of trauma, time lapse before presenting to the hospital, management and results were noted. Results: Eleven hundred eyes of 1,069 patients (31 bilateral injuries) were included in this study. Males were predominantly affected (69.3 %) compared to their female counterparts. The average age of the patients presenting with trauma was 28.3 years. On reviewing the causes of trauma, blunt trauma which accounted for 56.5 % was the commonest of all, followed by sharp injury accounting for 16.7 %. The commonest type of trauma was closed globe injury (73.3 %). The visual outcome was poorer in open globe injury as compared to closed globe injury. Of the total cases, only 52.9 % presented to the hospital within 24 hours. Over 7 % of them presented as late as one week. Among these patients, 74.8 % of them had regained normal vision (6/18) and 8 % of the total became blind (<3/60) according to the WHO criteria. Conclusion: Males are more prone to ocular trauma than the females. Open globe injury and late presentation are probably the worst prognostic factors for the visual outcome. There is a need of educating the community regarding the importance of seeking immediate medical care after ocular trauma in a country like Nepal. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/nepjoph.v4i1.5843 NEPJOPH 2012; 4(1): 5-9
Demographics and awareness of diabetic retinopathy among diabetic patients attending the vitreo-retinal service at a tertiary eye care center in Nepal
Authors: Thapa R , Paudyal G , Maharjan N , Bernstein PS
Published: February 2012

Introduction: Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is one of the leading causes of blindness in Nepal. Objective: To investigate the demographic characteristics and awareness of diabetic retinopathy among new cases of diabetes mellitus (DM) attending the vitreo-retinal service of a tertiary eye care centre in Nepal. Materials and methods: A hospital-based, cross-sectional study including all consecutive new cases of DM was carried out. Detailed demographics of the subjects and their awareness of potential ocular problems from diabetes mellitus were noted. Results: A total of 210 patients with a mean age of 57 ± 10.4 years were included. Brahmins (34.8 %) and Newars (34.3 %) were the predominant ethnic groups. Housewives (38.6 %) and office workers (18.6 %) were the major groups affected. Two-fifths (37 %) of the cases were unaware of DR and its potential for blindness. Awareness was significantly higher among literate patients (P = 0.006). Fundus evaluation was done for the first time in 48.6 %, although almost four-fifths had a duration of diabetes of five years or more. DR was found in 78 % of the cases, with 16.7 % already at the proliferative stage and about 40 % exhibiting clinically significant diabetic macular edema. Conclusion: A lack of awareness of DR coupled with a high proportion of cases already at a sight-threatening stage of retinopathy at their first presentation reflects the need for improved awareness programs to reduce the burden of blindness from DR in Nepal. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/nepjoph.v4i1.5844 NEPJOPH 2012; 4(1): 10-16
Refractive and visual outcome of toric intraocular lens implantation following cataract surgery
Authors: Ale JB , Power J , Zohs K , Cunningham F
Published: February 2012

Purpose: To evaluate the refractive and visual outcome of toric IOL implantation for correction of pre-existing corneal astigmatism following cataract surgery. Materials and methods: In this retrospective study, 56 eyes of 30 patients who underwent implantation of toric IOL following regular phacoemulsification were divided into two groups based on the types of toric IOL implanted: group 1 patients received Acrysof toric (Alcon) and group 2 patients received AT-Torbi (Zeiss Meditech) IOLs. Pre-and post-operative corneal and refractive astigmatisms, and post-operative distance vision were investigated. Statistical analysis was carried out using the paired student t-test when necessary. Factors affecting the success of toric IOL implantation are discussed and recommendations are made to optimize the outcome. Results: The mean age of all patients was 75.56 ± 9.87 years. No statistical difference was observed between pre-and post-operative corneal astigmatism (p = 0.819). Postoperative refractive astigmatism was significantly less in both groups (Group 1: p = 0.0014; Group 2: p=<0.00001). The best-corrected distance visual acuity was 6/12 or better in 95 % of group 1 and 100 % of group 2 patients. Conclusion: Toric IOL implantation is a viable and highly predictable method of correcting the corneal astigmatism. It allows correction without compromising the integrity of the cornea. Careful selection of the patient, accurate keratometry and precise alignment of the cylindrical axes are some of the factors to be considered for a superior outcome. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/nepjoph.v4i1.5848 NEPJOPH 2012; 4(1): 37-44
Utilization of primary eye health services by people from a rural community of Nepal
Authors: Gnyawali S , Bhattarai D , Upadhyay MP
Published: February 2012

Introduction: Preventable and treatable eye diseases are still major causes of blindness in rural communities. Objective: To find the factors influencing utilization of primary eye health services among the people in a rural community of Nepal. Materials and methods: This was a population-based study with a cross-sectional and descriptive design. Lete Ilaka in Mustang District of Nepal was the study site. Data of knowledge on eye diseases, availability of services and utilization of available services were obtained from female care takers. Association among variables was observed by bivariate analysis. Results: A total of 216 female care takers participated in the study. The median age of the respondents was 39 years. Almost 80 % of the respondents had agriculture as their major occupation and more than a quarter were from lower castes (dalit) community. Low level of educational attainment (OR = 3.1, 95 % CI = 1.6-6.1) and poverty (OR = 2.0, 95 % CI = 1.13-3.43) among respondents were found to be significantly associated with a low level of awareness on eye diseases. The risk of not knowing about eye diseases increased more than 3.5 times when people were illiterate. Locally available eye health services and skills amongst the health workers were found inadequate. Conclusion: Low level of education, poor knowledge of eye diseases and great distance from home to health facilities were found to be factors on the demand side while inadequacy of eye health services and perceived inadequate skills among health workers were identified as factors in the supply side affecting utilization of eye health services among people of Mustang District. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/nepjoph.v4i1.5859 NEPJOPH 2012; 4(1): 96-101
Endogenous Aspergillus endophthalmitis in a healthy individual
Authors: Manandhar A , Bajracharya L
Published: February 2012

Background: Fungal endogenous endophthalmitis in a healthy individual without any predisposing factors is very uncommon. It can occur in intravenous drug abusers, where Aspergillus is more frequently isolated as the causative organism. Case: We treated an unusual case of culture-proven endogenous Aspergillus endophthalmitis who was immunocompetent and was not an intravenous drug user. The affected eye was successfully treated with repeated intravitreal, intracameral and intrastromal injections of amphotericin B and anterior chamber wash. Conclusion: Endogenous fungal endophthalmitis can occur in healthy individuals. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/nepjoph.v4i1.5873 NEPJOPH 2012; 4(1): 179-183
Vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in Nepal: an impending crisis?
Authors: Khanal B
Published: February 2012

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/nepjoph.v4i1.5878 NEPJOPH 2012; 4(1): 197-198
A comparison between rebound and Goldmann’s tonometers in screening of patients for glaucoma
Authors: Agrawal A , Pratap VP , Pal VK , Suman S
Published: February 2012

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/nepjoph.v4i1.5880 NEPJOPH 2012; 4(1): 201-202
Effects of Dietary Fatty Acids on Lipid Traits in the Muscle and Perirenal Fat of Growing Rabbits Fed Mixed Diets
Authors: Peiretti Pier Giorgio
Published: February 2012

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of various raw materials (spirulina, curcuma, tomato pomace, false flax, linseed, chia, perilla seeds) as suitable polyunsaturated fatty acid n-3 (n-3 PUFA) sources, on the lipid traits in the longissimus dorsi muscle and perirenal fat of growing rabbits. The fatty acid (FA) analyses of the diets, carried out by gas chromatography, differed over a wide range on the basis of the highly varied ingredients in 27 experimental formulations. Among the 29 identified FAs, three from feeds were catabolized in the rabbits, five were de novo synthesized and stored chiefly in the muscle. It was possible to linearly characterize the incorporation from the feed to the muscle of 16 FAs. This study has confirmed that the dietary inclusion of various raw materials could be considered as a way of enriching the n-3 PUFA of rabbit meat. A proposal for the prediction of n-3 PUFA from dietary α-linolenic acid (C18:3 n-3) and a panel of another 10 FAs has been made for intramuscular fat (R2 = 0.94) and perirenal fat (R2 = 0.96).
Tumor-Associated Antigens for Specific Immunotherapy of Prostate Cancer
Authors: Kiessling Andrea , Wehner Rebekka , Füssel Susanne , Bachmann Michael , Wirth Manfred P. , Schmitz Marc
Published: February 2012

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most common noncutaneous cancer diagnosis and the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths among men in the United States. Effective treatment modalities for advanced metastatic PCa are limited. Immunotherapeutic strategies based on T cells and antibodies represent interesting approaches to prevent progression from localized to advanced PCa and to improve survival outcomes for patients with advanced disease. CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) efficiently recognize and destroy tumor cells. CD4+ T cells augment the antigen-presenting capacity of dendritic cells and promote the expansion of tumor-reactive CTLs. Antibodies mediate their antitumor effects via antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity, activation of the complement system, improving the uptake of coated tumor cells by phagocytes, and the functional interference of biological pathways essential for tumor growth. Consequently, several tumor-associated antigens (TAAs) have been identified that represent promising targets for T cell- or antibody-based immunotherapy. These TAAs comprise proteins preferentially expressed in normal and malignant prostate tissues and molecules which are not predominantly restricted to the prostate, but are overexpressed in various tumor entities including PCa. Clinical trials provide evidence that specific immunotherapeutic strategies using such TAAs represent safe and feasible concepts for the induction of immunological and clinical responses in PCa patients. However, further improvement of the current approaches is required which may be achieved by combining T cell- and/or antibody-based strategies with radio-, hormone-, chemo- or antiangiogenic therapy.
Tumor Microenvironment in the Brain
Authors: Lorger Mihaela
Published: February 2012

In addition to malignant cancer cells, tumors contain a variety of different stromal cells that constitute the tumor microenvironment. Some of these cell types provide crucial support for tumor growth, while others have been suggested to actually inhibit tumor progression. The composition of tumor microenvironment varies depending on the tumor site. The brain in particular consists of numerous specialized cell types such as microglia, astrocytes, and brain endothelial cells. In addition to these brain-resident cells, primary and metastatic brain tumors have also been shown to be infiltrated by different populations of bone marrow-derived cells. The role of different cell types that constitute tumor microenvironment in the progression of brain malignancies is only poorly understood. Tumor microenvironment has been shown to be a promising therapeutic target and diagnostic marker in extracranial malignancies. A better understanding of tumor microenvironment in the brain would therefore be expected to contribute to the development of improved therapies for brain tumors that are urgently required due to a poor availability of treatments for these malignancies. This review summarizes some of the known interactions between brain tumors and different stromal cells, and also discusses potential therapeutic approaches within this context.
Characterization of Different Functionalized Lipidic Nanocapsules as Potential Drug Carriers
Authors: Sánchez-Moreno Paola , Ortega-Vinuesa Juan Luis , Martín-Rodríguez Antonio , Boulaiz Houría , Marchal-Corrales Juan Antonio , Peula-García José Manuel
Published: February 2012

Lipid nanocapsules (LNC) based on a core-shell structure consisting of an oil-filled core with a surrounding polymer layer are known to be promising vehicles for the delivery of hydrophobic drugs in the new therapeutic strategies in anti-cancer treatments. The present work has been designed as basic research about different LNC systems. We have synthesized—and physico-chemically characterized—three different LNC systems in which the core was constituted by olive oil and the shell by different phospholipids (phosphatidyl-serine or lecithin) and other biocompatible molecules such as Pluronic® F68 or chitosan. It is notable that the olive-oil-phosphatidyl-serine LCN is a novel formulation presented in this work and was designed to generate an enriched carboxylic surface. This carboxylic layer is meant to link specific antibodies, which could facilitate the specific nanocapsule uptake by cancer cells. This is why nanoparticles with phosphatidyl-serine in their shell have also been used in this work to form immuno-nanocapsules containing a polyclonal IgG against a model antigen (C-reactive protein) covalently bounded by means of a simple and reproducible carbodiimide method. An immunological study was made to verify that these IgG-LNC complexes showed the expected specific immune response. Finally, a preliminary in vitro study was performed by culturing a breast-carcinoma cell line (MCF-7) with Nile-Red-loaded LNC. We found that these cancer cells take up the fluorescent Nile-Red molecule in a process dependent on the surface properties of the nanocarriers.
Enhancing Osteoconduction of PLLA-Based Nanocomposite Scaffolds for Bone Regeneration Using Different Biomimetic Signals to MSCs
Authors: Ciapetti Gabriela , Granchi Donatella , Devescovi Valentina , Baglio Serena R. , Leonardi Elisa , Martini Desirèe , Jurado Maria Jesus , Olalde Beatriz , Armentano Ilaria , Kenny Josè M. , Walboomers Frank X. , Alava Josè Inaki , Baldini Nicola
Published: February 2012

In bone engineering, the adhesion, proliferation and differentiation of mesenchymal stromal cells rely on signaling from chemico-physical structure of the substrate, therefore prompting the design of mimetic “extracellular matrix”-like scaffolds. In this study, three-dimensional porous poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA)-based scaffolds have been mixed with different components, including single walled carbon nanotubes (CNT), micro-hydroxyapatite particles (HA), and BMP2, and treated with plasma (PT), to obtain four different nanocomposites: PLLA + CNT, PLLA + CNTHA, PLLA + CNT + HA + BMP2 and PLLA + CNT + HA + PT. Adult bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) were derived from the femur of orthopaedic patients, seeded on the scaffolds and cultured under osteogenic induction up to differentiation and mineralization. The release of specific metabolites and temporal gene expression profiles of marrow-derived osteoprogenitors were analyzed at definite time points, relevant to in vitro culture as well as in vivo differentiation. As a result, the role of the different biomimetic components added to the PLLA matrix was deciphered, with BMP2-added scaffolds showing the highest biomimetic activity on cells differentiating to mature osteoblasts. The modification of a polymeric scaffold with reinforcing components which also work as biomimetic cues for cells can effectively direct osteoprogenitor cells differentiation, so as to shorten the time required for mineralization.
Isolation and Characterization of New Microsatellite Markers for the Invasive Softshell Clam, Mya arenaria (L.) (Bivalvia: Myidae)
Authors: Krapal Ana-Maria , Popa Oana Paula , Iorgu Elena Iulia , Costache Marieta , Popa Luis Ovidiu
Published: February 2012

The invasive softshell clam (Mya arenaria Linnaeus, 1758) is native to the northwestern region of the Atlantic Ocean. This species has been introduced in the northeast Pacific and along the European coasts, due to intense naval transports and aquaculture, and it is now present in all the European seas. In this paper we describe seven new microsatellite loci for Mya arenaria. The isolated loci are polymorphic with a number of alleles per locus between 6 and 14. The observed and expected heterozygosities ranged from 0.417 to 0.951, and from 0.643 to 0.895, with an average of 0.716 and 0.775, respectively. These microsatellite markers should be useful in analyzing this species’ genetic diversity, which could explain various processes of its invasion history.