bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Developing a Communication Skills Training Program for Pharmacists Working in Southern African HIV/AIDS Contexts: Some Notes on Process and Challenges
Authors: Watermeyer Jennifer
Published: August 2011

In an attempt to understand why patients do not take medications, researchers are increasingly focusing on how communication processes influence adherence behaviors. Pharmacists have an important role to play in this regard. However, existing communication skills training (CST) programs for pharmacists are not necessarily sensitive to the needs of pharmacists working in specific contexts such as Southern Africa. In addition, CST programs are often poorly described in the literature, lack a theoretical background, and focus excessively on evaluation. This article describes the process of developing a CST program for pharmacists working in Southern African HIV/AIDS contexts, focusing on conceptualization and design. Some shortfalls in current approaches to CST are addressed. A number of sources were consulted during the development phase of the project, including interactional and focus group research, previously developed training models, analysis of currently available CST materials for pharmacists, and a literature review. These are discussed and some attention is also given to the challenges of implementing and evaluating the program. The project highlights the importance of providing CST that is disease- and context-specific, grounded in appropriate research and theoretical frameworks, and based on a rigorous process of development.
Performance characteristics and internal flow patterns in a reverse-running pump–turbine
Authors: Barrio R , Fernández J , Blanco E , Parrondo J , Marcos A
Published: August 2011

Vaneless centrifugal pumps are reversible turbomachines that can operate also as centripetal turbines in low and very low-head power plants. However, the general performance in reverse mode is difficult to predict since the internal flow patterns are different from pump mode and the performance characteristics are not usually provided by manufacturers. This article presents numerical and experimental investigations on the operation of a reverse-running pump–turbine. The numerical calculations were carried out by solving the full unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes equations with the commercial code Fluent for several flowrates between 20 per cent and 160 per cent of rated conditions and both modes of operation. A complementary series of experimental measurements were performed in a test rig in order to obtain the general characteristics of the machine in pump and turbine modes, with the purpose of validating the numerical predictions. Once validated, the numerical model was used to investigate the flow patterns at some significant locations by means of pressure and velocity contours, and also by vector maps. Additionally, the model allowed the estimation of the steady load on the impeller as a function of flowrate in both modes of operation. It was concluded that, while the radial load in reverse mode is three times smaller than in pump mode, the axial load can be up to 1.6 times larger.
Experimental studies of load characteristics of bogie frames for 350 km/h EMUs
Authors: Ren Z , Sun S , Li Q , Liu Z
Published: August 2011

In this paper,methods to measure the axle spring load, trailing arm seat lateral force and dynamic stresses of powered and non-powered bogies of a 350 km/h electrical-multi-unit (EMU) are presented. The dynamic amplitude and Hilbert transform of the sample data are used to investigate the characteristics of the forces and the stresses for the EMU running on typical sections including high-speed division, turnout zone, curves, and depot entrance. The load spectrum is then introduced to survey the amplitude level and the number of occurrence of the loads and stresses. Dynamic coefficients of the loads are compared with the recommended values in the Code UIC615-4. The effects of track irregularities and vibrations of gear boxes and motors on the loads and stresses are investigated and the measured loads are classified into six types according to effects of forces on the bogie's movement. The characteristics of the measured loads are useful to establish load conditions for laboratory tests of bogie’s fatigue assessment.
Robust multi-fidelity design of a micro re-entry unmanned space vehicle
Authors: Minisci E , Vasile M , Liqiang H
Published: August 2011

This article addresses the preliminary robust design of a small-scale re-entry unmanned space vehicle by means of a hybrid optimization technique. The approach, developed in this article, closely couples an evolutionary multi-objective algorithm with a direct transcription method for optimal control problems. The evolutionary part handles the shape parameters of the vehicle and the uncertain objective functions, while the direct transcription method generates an optimal control profile for the re-entry trajectory. Uncertainties on the aerodynamic forces and characteristics of the thermal protection material are incorporated into the vehicle model, and a Monte-Carlo sampling procedure is used to compute relevant statistical characteristics of the maximum heat flux and internal temperature. Then, the hybrid algorithm searches for geometries that minimize the mean value of the maximum heat flux, the mean value of the maximum internal temperature, and the weighted sum of their variance: the evolutionary part handles the shape parameters of the vehicle and the uncertain functions, while the direct transcription method generates the optimal control profile for the re-entry trajectory of each individual of the population. During the optimization process, artificial neural networks are utilized to approximate the aerodynamic forces required by the optimal control solver. The artificial neural networks are trained and updated by means of a multi-fidelity approach: initially a low-fidelity analytical model, fitted on a waverider type of vehicle, is used to train the neural networks, and through the evolution a mix of analytical and computational fluid dynamic, high-fidelity computations are used to update it. The data obtained by the high-fidelity model progressively become the main source of updates for the neural networks till, near the end of the optimization process, the influence of the data obtained by the analytical model is practically nullified. On the basis of preliminary results, the adopted technique is able to predict achievable performance of the small spacecraft and the requirements in terms of thermal protection materials.
Evaluation of effects of eicosapentaenoic acid on Na+-K+-ATPase in sheep pulmonary artery
Authors: Singh TU , Garg SK , Mishra SK
Published: August 2011

In the present study, we have evaluated the effects of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) on Na+-K+-ATPase in sheep pulmonary artery. Acute (30 min) and prolonged (24 h) exposure of arterial rings to EPA (30 μM) significantly decreased potassium chloride (KCl)-induced relaxation, an index of functional Na+-K+-ATPase activity. In acute exposure, the pD2 and Emax (the maximal response) values for KCl-induced relaxation were 3.21 ± 0.33 and 61.58 ± 11.30% ( n = 5) versus control 3.58 ± 0.07 and 82.44 ± 2.36% ( n = 24), respectively. The pD2 and Emax values for KCl-induced relaxation in arterial rings exposed to EPA for 24 h in organ culture were 2.52 ± 0.11 and 55.00 ± 5.72% versus control 3.04 ± 0.19 and 80.74 ± 11.96%, respectively; n = 4. Exposure of the arterial rings to EPA (30 μM) for 24 h in organ culture, significantly decreased (17.58 ± 2.15%) the protein expression of α1 isoform of Na+-K+-ATPase. Acute exposure to EPA for 30 min significantly decreased (21.06 ± 5.89%) the Na+-K+-ATPase activity as measured by inorganic phosphate (Pi) release. EPA, up to 100 μM concentration, marginally (<10% of 80 mM KCl contraction) increased the basal tone of the pulmonary artery. Additionally, EPA (10–30 μM) had no effect on Mg2+-ATPase activity as well as on cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) production. All these results show that EPA has inhibitory effect on Na+-K+-ATPase in sheep pulmonary artery but prolonged exposure had no additional effect on sodium pump, and EPA-induced inhibition of Na+-K+-ATPase may be due to attenuation in protein expression of α1 isoform of Na+-K+-ATPase independent of cGMP production.
Key Dimensions of Spirit at Work—An Indian Perspective
Authors: Srirangarajan G.S. , Bhaskar R. Kumar
Published: August 2011

Post-globalization trends have left many people with a sense of insecurity—on both the economic and the employment fronts. Business re-engineering, downsizing, lay-offs, excessive consumerism and greed have altered the rules of the business game. Skewed attention to mere economic criteria in many business organizations, even at the cost of societal and environmental factors, is leading to a sense of hollowness, ‘something missing’, in the organization and its employees. People are making every attempt to discover this ‘missing component’ in their lives, with particular reference to their work lives. This ‘missing component’ is referred to as ‘spirit at work’ in management literature. Bringing in spirit at work has become a matter of priority for many business organizations, in their drives for sustained success. Spirit at work is about care, compassion, integrity, and about attempting to live one’s values at the workplace. It is about employees who are passionate and energized by their work, who find meaning and purpose and pursue excellence in their work, and who feel that they can express their complete selves at work. It is about individuals and organizations that see work as an opportunity to grow and to contribute to society in a meaningful way. Spirit at work can be better understood by gaining clarity about the key aspects that constitute this concept. This article reviews the extant litera-ture on spirit at work, highlights the key dimensions of spirit at work, and elaborates on each of them. A number of Indian scholars like S.K. Chakraborty, Subhash Sharma, M.B. Athreya, Panduranga Bhatta and others have proposed an Indian perspective of spirit at work and have elaborated on it since a decade and a half. This article extends the Indian perspective further, based on Indian psychophilosophy, and establishes its comprehensive and inclusive nature that enables incorporation of most of the key dimensions of spirit at work as identified in literature.
Gandhian Values
Authors: Bansal Ipshita , Bajpai Niharika
Published: August 2011

India today is facing value crisis. Drift started during the British era and since then it has been witnessing continuous erosion of values. At that time the man who came to India’s rescue was Mahatma Gandhi, man of principles and values who never compromised with his values. He along with his powerful values of truth and non-violence helped India regain its strength. Almost after 64 years of freedom there is a heartfelt need to go back to these values for effective management and survival. This article is an endeavour for reviving these time-tested values and to draw insights for management of organization. The values like truth, non-violence, renunciation, humility, equanimity, etc., at the organization’s roots may provide it a firm footing in this turbulent scenario.
Attitudes and Health Beliefs Associated With Breast Cancer Screening Behaviors Among Turkish Women
Authors: Gürsoy Ayla Akkaş , Mumcu Havva Karadeniz , Çalık Kıymet Yeşilçiçek , Bulut Hacer Kobya , Nural Nesrin , Kahriman I. lknur , Hintistan Sevilay , Erdöl Hacer , Yiğitbaş Çağla , Yılmaz Fatma
Published: August 2011

Problem: This research was undertaken to determine the attitudes and health beliefs of a sample of Turkish women about breast self-examination (BSE), clinical breast examination, and mammography. Design: Data were collected by means of a researcher-designed questionnaire and the Champion Health Belief Model Scale. A total of 1,342 women participated in this study. Results: It was found that 10.1% of the women practiced BSE once a month, 19.8% of the women had had a clinical breast examination, and 15.0% had had a mammogram. Age and marital status were significant variables that influenced whether the women used only one or multiple methods for early detection of breast cancer. Participants who had higher levels of confidence for BSE and lower perceptions of barriers to BSE were more likely to perform BSE. Participants who perceived higher levels of confidence to perform BSE were more likely to be using all three early detection methods. Implications for Practice: Interventions and strategies that help women develop confidence in their abilities to perform early breast cancer detection methods are likely to encourage them to engage in regular screening for breast cancer.
Overcoming Barriers to the Recruitment of Nurses as Participants in Health Care Research
Authors: Broyles Lauren Matukaitis , Rodriguez Keri L. , Price Patrice A. , Bayliss Nichole K. , Sevick Mary Ann
Published: August 2011

Adequate participant recruitment is critical for the successful execution of research studies involving human subjects. Participant recruitment can be particularly challenging when the intended study participants are health care providers as opposed to patients. Discussions of the challenges and successful strategies associated with provider recruitment are limited, particularly regarding providers other than physicians and settings outside of primary care. Using a case study format, we present our experiences recruiting inpatient nurses into a study which involved focus group methodology at a United States Veterans Health Administration facility. We describe the initial logistical and ethical issues involved, various challenges we encountered, and five successful action strategies used during a second recruitment wave addressing logistical issues; on-site recruitment; increased scheduling flexibility and peer-to-peer recruitment; attention to the sensitive nature of the research topic; and increased involvement of stakeholders. In conclusion, we advocate for multimodal recruitment strategies that facilitate ongoing investigator–clinician partnerships.
Between Researcher and Researched
Authors: Gemignani Marco
Published: August 2011

When doing research on topics that are sensitive and involve core dimensions of the researcher’s identities and subjectivities, the process of inquiry is likely to generate significant emotions, attachments, and reactions that transgress traditional forms of data and research positions. If embraced and addressed, the researcher’s emotional reactions can be an important source of reflexivity and data as well as creativity, motivation, and engagement. This relational aspect of the research parallels psychotherapists’ experience of reacting to their clients’ concerns and narrations. This process—called countertransference (CT)—may leave the researcher open to vulnerability and the need to account for the necessary presence of personal biographies and identities in qualitative inquiry. From my research with refugees, I provide examples of my CT reactions and interpretations and the ways in which they became crucial assets to the study.
Cross-Group Friendships and Intergroup Attitudes
Authors: Davies Kristin , Tropp Linda R. , Aron Arthur , Pettigrew Thomas F. , Wright Stephen C.
Published: August 2011

This work identifies how cross-group friendships are conceptualized and measured in intergroup research, investigates which operationalizations yield the strongest effects on intergroup attitudes, explores potential moderators, and discusses the theoretical importance of the findings. Prior meta-analyses have provided initial evidence that cross-group friendships are especially powerful forms of intergroup contact. Although studies of cross-group friendship have grown considerably in recent years, varied assessments leave us without a clear understanding of how different operationalizations affect relationships between friendship and attitudes. With a greatly expanded database of relevant studies, the authors compared friendship–attitude associations across a wide range of specific conceptualizations. Time spent and self-disclosure with outgroup friends yielded significantly greater associations with attitudes than other friendship measures, suggesting that attitudes are most likely to improve when cross-group friendships involve behavioral engagement. Processes underlying cross-group friendships are discussed, as are implications for future research and application.
Taming Textual Data: The Contribution of Corpus Linguistics to Computer-Aided Text Analysis
Authors: Pollach Irene
Published: August 2011

Corpus linguistics studies real-life language use on the basis of a text corpus, drawing on both quantitative and qualitative text analysis techniques. This article seeks to bridge the gap between the social sciences and linguistics by introducing the techniques of corpus linguistics to the field of computer-aided text analysis. The article first discusses the differences between corpus linguistics and computer-aided text analysis, which is divided into computer-aided content analysis and computer-aided interpretive textual analysis. It then outlines the techniques of corpus linguistics for exploring textual data. In an exemplary analysis of letters to shareholders, the article demonstrates how these techniques can be applied to compare letters to shareholders from two different years. The article concludes with a discussion of the strengths and limitations of corpus linguistics for management and organization studies.
The sexualization of sport: A gender analysis of Swedish elite sport from 1967 to the present day
Authors: Wanneberg Pia Lundquist
Published: August 2011

This article examines the media representation of Swedish elite sport from the end of the 1960s until the present day in terms of objectification, sexualization and pornification. During this period, Sweden became one of the world’s most gender-equal countries. Applying a critical qualitative textual analysis, the article shows that the media discourse on gender and sport is, however, not equal. Even if the discourse over time has become less condescending and less explicitly sexist, there are still more or less subtle allusions to women as a sex. From the latter half of the 1990s onwards, it is possible to talk of a pornification of sport which is strongly linked to market adjustment and commercialization. Since pornification affects women to a greater extent, the media image of Swedish elite sport becomes a bastion for the reproduction of inequality.
Mediatizing memory: History, affect and identity in Who Do You Think You Are?
Authors: Kramer Anne-Marie
Published: August 2011

Along with Australia, Canada and the USA, contemporary British society is immersed in a seemingly unprecedented boom in the family heritage industry. Drawing on recent work in memory studies which attends to the relationship between individual and collective historical experiences, this article analyses the celebrity genealogy BBC TV programme Who Do You Think You Are?, as well as viewers’ and critics’ reception of it, to problematize genealogy as a form of mediated or mediatized memory practice which mobilizes traces of the past through the idiom of family. It asks: what is the role of genealogy in facilitating the relationship between identity and memory, both for celebrity participants and viewers? How does television make memories remotely accessible, and how do viewers engage with such modes of accessing the past?
Televisual memory and the New Zealand Wars: Bicultural identities, masculinity and landscape
Authors: Cooper Annabel
Published: August 2011

The 1998 documentary series The New Zealand Wars, based on James Belich’s revisionist monograph on New Zealand’s colonial wars, recalled these conflicts to Pākehā as well as Māori collective memory, and thereby confronted contemporary Pākehā identities. Alon Confino asks: ‘Why is it that some pasts triumph while others fail?’ This article seeks to explain the unexpected success of the past which the series set forth by analysing its televisual strategies of engagement with Pākehā viewers. It discusses three elements of the series’ mode of address: Belich’s persona as historian-presenter; the series’ appellation of Pākehā viewers in relation to their historical ‘Others’; and its imaging of landscape. The New Zealand Wars was a televisual commemoration deeply enmeshed in contemporary cultural change, and in its claims on the emotions and affiliations of viewers it helped to resituate the New Zealand Wars in the domain of New Zealand nationhood.
Reader opinion in the digital age: Tabloid and broadsheet newspaper websites and the exercise of political voice
Authors: Richardson John E. , Stanyer James
Published: August 2011

This article explores interactive opportunities provided by British broadsheet and tabloid newspapers’ websites and the ways their readers make use of these opportunities to express their opinions. The article presents the results of both a quantitative and a qualitative analysis of national British broadsheet and tabloid newspaper websites. The research reveals some similarities between newspapers – for example, that interactive opportunities remain under utilized – but also some significant differences in the ways that visitors to broadsheet and tabloid websites use the interactive facilities on offer and engage in discussion. The conclusion suggests that the deliberative democratic potential of online discussion is a long way from the deliberative ideal.
Application of accelerometers for sensing combustion phasing of an advanced combustion engine
Authors: Massey J A , Wagner R M , Drallmeier J A
Published: August 2011

This study evaluates the ability of accelerometers to detect combustion phasing of a single-cylinder air-cooled internal combustion engine undergoing homogeneous charge compression ignition. Metrics derived from the measured surface acceleration waveform, surface velocity, and the surface-specific kinetic energy were compared to the 50 per cent energy release location (CA50) on a cyclic basis for three different experimental test cases. The peak surface velocity location showed a robust ability to detect CA50 on a cyclic basis for short combustion durations. Using a simple single-degree-of-freedom vibration model, it is shown the impulsive nature of the combustion load and the natural frequency of the engine structure governs when the peak velocity location will indeed robustly detect CA50 on a on a per-engine cycle basis.
Non-compliance in surgical patients with herniated lumbar discs
Authors: Forcina Antonio , Giovagnoli Alessandra , Stanghellini Elena
Published: August 2011

In a recent observational study on a sample of patients with herniated lumbar discs who underwent physiotherapy, the recovery rate of those who chose physiotherapy rather than surgery, as recommended, was not appreciably different from that of the other patients, although their prognosis was worse. To investigate whether this finding was due to a confounding effect induced by unobserved features of the patients, we fit a latent class model for the joint distribution of compliance, participation rate and recovery, given the individual attitude (modelled as latent variable) and a set of covariates. The usual assumption of local independence is relaxed in favour of conditional association between the observed variables given the latent one. The results indicate that the latent classes may be interpreted as dividing the patients according to whether they are highly versus moderately motivated towards physiotherapy: conditionally on the covariates, the more motivated subjects attend a larger number of therapy sessions and benefit much more from the therapy. In addition, the fact that the proportion of less motivated patients among non-compliers is very small may be due to a self-selection mechanism, which may explain the surprisingly good performance of physiotherapy for these patients.
Random covariances and mixed-effects models for imputing multivariate multilevel continuous data
Authors: Yucel Recai M
Published: August 2011

Principled techniques for incomplete data problems are increasingly part of mainstream statistical practice. Among many proposed techniques so far, inference by multiple imputation (MI) has emerged as one of the most popular. While many strategies leading to inference by MI are available in cross-sectional settings, the same richness does not exist in multilevel applications. The limited methods available for multilevel applications rely on the multivariate adaptations of mixed-effects models. This approach preserves the mean structure across clusters and incorporates distinct variance components into the imputation process. In this paper, I add to these methods by considering a random covariance structure and develop computational algorithms. The attraction of this new imputation modelling strategy is to correctly reflect the mean and variance structure of the joint distribution of the data and allow the covariances differ across the clusters. Using Markov chain Monte Carlo techniques, a predictive distribution of missing data given observed data is simulated leading to creation of MIs. To circumvent the large sample size requirement to support independent covariance estimates for the level-1 error term, I consider distributional impositions mimicking random-effects distributions assigned a priori. These techniques are illustrated in an example exploring relationships between victimization and individual and contextual level factors that raise the risk of violent crime.
Annelid Distal-less/Dlx duplications reveal varied post-duplication fates
Authors: McDougall Carmel , Korchagina Natalia , Tobin Jonathan L , Ferrier David EK
Published: August 2011

Background

Dlx (Distal-less) genes have various developmental roles and are widespread throughout the animal kingdom, usually occurring as single copy genes in non-chordates and as multiple copies in most chordate genomes. While the genomic arrangement and function of these genes is well known in vertebrates and arthropods, information about Dlx genes in other organisms is scarce. We investigate the presence of Dlx genes in several annelid species and examine Dlx gene expression in the polychaetePomatoceros lamarckii.

Results

Two Dlx genes are present inP. lamarckii, Capitella teletaandHelobdella robusta. TheC. teletaDlx genes are closely linked in an inverted tail-to-tail orientation, reminiscent of the arrangement of vertebrate Dlx pairs, and gene conversion appears to have had a role in their evolution. TheH. robustaDlx genes, however, are not on the same genomic scaffold and display divergent sequences, while, if theP. lamarckiigenes are linked in a tail-to-tail orientation they are a minimum of 41 kilobases apart and show no sign of gene conversion. No expression inP. lamarckiiappendage development has been observed, which conflicts with the supposed conserved role of these genes in animal appendage development. These Dlx duplications do not appear to be annelid-wide, as the polychaetePlatynereis dumeriliilikely possesses only one Dlx gene.

Conclusions

On the basis of the currently accepted annelid phylogeny, we hypothesise that one Dlx duplication occurred in the annelid lineage after the divergence ofP. dumeriliifrom the other lineages and these duplicates then had varied evolutionary fates in different species. We also propose that the ancestral role of Dlx genes is not related to appendage development.
A 5'-region polymorphism modulates promoter activity of the tumor suppressor gene MFSD2A
Authors: Colombo Francesca , Falvella Felicia S , Galvan Antonella , Frullanti Elisa , Kunitoh Hideo , Ushijima Toshikazu , Dragani Tommaso A
Published: August 2011

Background

The MFSD2A gene maps within a linkage disequilibrium block containing the MYCL1-EcoRI polymorphism associated with prognosis and survival in lung cancer patients. Survival discrepancies between Asians and Caucasians point to ethnic differences in allelic frequencies of the functional genetic variations.

Results

Analysis of three single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) mapping in the MFSD2A 5'-regulatory region using a luciferase reporter system showed that SNP rs12072037, in linkage disequilibrium with the MYCL1-EcoRI polymorphism and polymorphic in Asians but not in Caucasians, modulated transcriptional activity of the MFSD2A promoter in cell lines expressing AHR and ARNT transcription factors, which potentially bind to the SNP site.

Conclusion

SNP rs12072037 modulates MFSD2A promoter activity and thus might affect MFSD2A levels in normal lung and in lung tumors, representing a candidate ethnically specific genetic factor underlying the association between the MYCL1 locus and lung cancer patients' survival.
Lassa hemorrhagic fever in a late term pregnancy from northern sierra leone with a positive maternal outcome: case report
Authors: Branco Luis M , Boisen Matt L , Andersen Kristian G , Grove Jessica N , Moses Lina M , Muncy Ivana J , Henderson Lee A , Schieffellin John S , Robinson James E , Bangura James J , Grant Donald S , Raabe Vanessa N , Fonnie Mbalu , Sabeti Pardis C , Garry Robert F
Published: August 2011

Lassa fever (LF) is a devastating viral disease prevalent in West Africa. Efforts to take on this public health crisis have been hindered by lack of infrastructure and rapid field deployable diagnosis in areas where the disease is prevalent. Recent capacity building at the Kenema Government Hospital Lassa Fever Ward (KGH LFW) in Sierra Leone has lead to a major turning point in the diagnosis, treatment and study of LF. Herein we present the first comprehensive rapid diagnosis and real time characterization of an acute hemorrhagic LF case at KGH LFW. This case report focuses on a third trimester pregnant Sierra Leonean woman from the historically non-endemic Northern district of Tonkolili who survived the illness despite fetal demise.

Employed in this study were newly developed recombinant LASV Antigen Rapid Test cassettes and dipstick lateral flow immunoassays (LFI) that enabled the diagnosis of LF within twenty minutes of sample collection. Deregulation of overall homeostasis, significant hepatic and renal system involvement, and immunity profiles were extensively characterized during the course of hospitalization. Rapid diagnosis, prompt treatment with a full course of intravenous (IV) ribavirin, IV fluids management, and real time monitoring of clinical parameters resulted in a positive maternal outcome despite admission to the LFW seven days post onset of symptoms, fetal demise, and a natural still birth delivery. These studies solidify the growing rapid diagnostic, treatment, and surveillance capabilities at the KGH LF Laboratory, and the potential to significantly improve the current high mortality rate caused by LF. As a result of the growing capacity, we were also able to isolate Lassa virus (LASV) RNA from the patient and perform Sanger sequencing where we found significant genetic divergence from commonly circulating Sierra Leonean strains, showing potential for the discovery of a newly emerged LASV strain with expanded geographic distribution. Furthermore, recent emergence of LF cases in Northern Sierra Leone highlights the need for superior diagnostics to aid in the monitoring of LASV strain divergence with potentially increased geographic expansion.
An integrative approach to inferring biologically meaningful gene modules
Authors: Cho Ji-Hoon , Wang Kai , Galas David J
Published: August 2011

Background

The ability to construct biologically meaningful gene networks and modules is critical for contemporary systems biology. Though recent studies have demonstrated the power of using gene modules to shed light on the functioning of complex biological systems, most modules in these networks have shown little association with meaningful biological function. We have devised a method which directly incorporates gene ontology (GO) annotation in construction of gene modules in order to gain better functional association.

Results

We have devised a method, Semantic Similarity-Integrated approach for Modularization (SSIM) that integrates various gene-gene pairwise similarity values, including information obtained from gene expression, protein-protein interactions and GO annotations, in the construction of modules using affinity propagation clustering. We demonstrated the performance of the proposed method using data from two complex biological responses: 1. the osmotic shock response in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and 2. the prion-induced pathogenic mouse model. In comparison with two previously reported algorithms, modules identified by SSIM showed significantly stronger association with biological functions.

Conclusions

The incorporation of semantic similarity based on GO annotation with gene expression and protein-protein interaction data can greatly enhance the functional relevance of inferred gene modules. In addition, the SSIM approach can also reveal the hierarchical structure of gene modules to gain a broader functional view of the biological system. Hence, the proposed method can facilitate comprehensive and in-depth analysis of high throughput experimental data at the gene network level.
Downregulation of CDKN2A and suppression of cyclin D1 gene expressions in malignant gliomas
Authors: Liu Weidong , Lv Guohua , Li Yawei , li Lei , Wang Bing
Published: August 2011

Background

Malignant gliomas are the most common in central nervous system cancer. Genome-wide association study identifies that CDKN2A was a susceptibility loci for glioma. The CDKN2A/cyclin-dependent kinase 4, 6/Retinoblastoma protein (Rb) pathway is thought to play a crucial role in malignant gliomas pathogenesis. We have investigated the expression of CDKN2A for potential correlations with malignant gliomas grade and potential role of CDKN2A on malignant gliomas pathogenesis.

Methods

Tumour tissue samples from 61 patients suffering from malignant gliomas were investigated. The expression levels of CDKN2A were detected using immunohistochemical staining and western blot. Overexpression and knockdown of CDKN2A were performed in human glioma cell lines. Subsequently, colony formation, growth curves and CDKN2A-Cyclin-Rb pathway were analyzed.

Results

Here we show that a lower expression of CDKN2A and a higher expression of cyclin D1 in the patients with high-grade malignant gliomas than low-grade gliomas, respectively. Moreover, overexpression of CDKN2A inhibits growth of glioma cell lines by suppression of cyclin D1 gene expression.

Conclusions

Our study suggests that CDKN2A as a malignant gliomas suppressor gene, appears to be useful for predicting behaviour of high-grade malignant gliomas. CDKN2A-Cyclin-Rb pathway plays a key role on malignant gliomas formation and that therapeutic targeting of this pathway may be useful in malignant gliomas treatment.
Autophagy in rat annulus fibrosus cells: evidence and possible implications
Authors: Shen Chao , Yan Jun , Jiang Lei-Sheng , Dai Li-Yang
Published: August 2011

Introduction

Programmed cell death of intervertebral disc (IVD) cells plays an important role in IVD degeneration, but the role of autophagy, a closely related cell death event, in IVD cells has not been documented. The current study was designed to investigate the effect of interleukin (IL)-1β on the occurrence of autophagy of rat annulus fibrosus (AF) cells and the interrelationship between autophagy and apoptosis.

Methods

Rat AF cells were isolated and exposed, in tissue cultures with or without serum, to IL-1β in different concentrations for 24 hours. Ultrastructural analysis, flow cytometry and lysosomal activity assessment were performed after the in vitro treatment to determine the presence and levels of autophagy. The mRNA expression of autophagy-related proteins (Beclin-1, Bcl-2 and microtubule associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3)) were evaluated using real-time PCR. 3-methyladenine (3-MA), a PI3K inhibitor, was used to determine the interaction between autophagy and apoptosis via the suppression of autophagy.

Results

Autophagy was detected in rat AF cells under serum starvation condition by transmission electron microscopy. PCR and flow cytometry results showed that IL-1β enhanced the autophagy-induction effect of serum deprivation in a dose-dependent manner. However, IL-1β alone failed to induce autophagy in AF cells cultured without serum starvation. When autophagy was suppressed by 3-MA, the apoptosis incidence was increased. Serum supplement also partly reversed the autophagy incidence without affecting the apoptosis incidence in the same cells.

Conclusions

IL-1β up-regulates serum deprivation-induced autophagy of AF cells in a dose-dependent manner. Autophagy may represent a protective mechanism against apoptosis in AF cells and IVD degeneration.
Validation and comparison of clinical prediction rules for invasive candidiasis in intensive care unit patients: a matched case-control study
Authors: Hermsen Elizabeth D , Zapapas Michelle K , Maiefski Melissa , Rupp Mark E , Freifeld Alison G , Kalil Andre C
Published: August 2011

Introduction

Due to the increasing prevalence and severity of invasive candidiasis, investigators have developed clinical prediction rules to identify patients who may benefit from antifungal prophylaxis or early empiric therapy. The aims of this study were to validate and compare the Paphitou and Ostrosky-Zeichner clinical prediction rules in ICU patients in a 689-bed academic medical center.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective matched case-control study from May 2003 to June 2008 to evaluate the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) of each rule. Cases included adults with ICU stays of at least four days and invasive candidiasis matched to three controls by age, gender and ICU admission date. The clinical prediction rules were applied to cases and controls via retrospective chart review to evaluate the success of the rules in predicting invasive candidiasis. Paphitou's rule included diabetes, total parenteral nutrition (TPN) and dialysis with or without antibiotics. Ostrosky-Zeichner's rule included antibiotics or central venous catheter plus at least two of the following: surgery, immunosuppression, TPN, dialysis, corticosteroids and pancreatitis. Conditional logistic regression was performed to evaluate the rules. Discriminative power was evaluated by area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC ROC).

Results

A total of 352 patients were included (88 cases and 264 controls). The incidence of invasive candidiasis among adults with an ICU stay of at least four days was 2.3%. The prediction rules performed similarly, exhibiting low PPVs (0.041 to 0.054), high NPVs (0.983 to 0.990) and AUC ROCs (0.649 to 0.705). A new prediction rule (Nebraska Medical Center rule) was developed with PPVs, NPVs and AUC ROCs of 0.047, 0.994 and 0.770, respectively.

Conclusions

Based on low PPVs and high NPVs, the rules are most useful for identifying patients who are not likely to develop invasive candidiasis, potentially preventing unnecessary antifungal use, optimizing patient ICU care and facilitating the design of forthcoming antifungal clinical trials.
Assessing left ventricular systolic function in shock: evaluation of echocardiographic parameters in intensive care
Authors: Bergenzaun Lill , Gudmundsson Petri , Öhlin Hans , Düring Joachim , Ersson Anders , Ihrman Lilian , Willenheimer Ronnie , Chew Michelle S
Published: August 2011

Introduction

Assessing left ventricular (LV) systolic function in a rapid and reliable way can be challenging in the critically ill patient. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and reliability of, as well as the association between, commonly used LV systolic parameters, by using serial transthoracic echocardiography (TTE).

Methods

Fifty patients with shock and mechanical ventilation were included. TTE examinations were performed daily for a total of 7 days. Methods used to assess LV systolic function were visually estimated, "eyeball" ejection fraction (EBEF), the Simpson single-plane method, mean atrioventricular plane displacement (AVPDm), septal tissue velocity imaging (TDIs), and velocity time integral in the left ventricular outflow tract (VTI).

Results

EBEF, AVPDm, TDIs, VTI, and the Simpson were obtained in 100%, 100%, 99%, 95% and 93%, respectively, of all possible examinations. The correlations between the Simpson and EBEF showed r values for all 7 days ranging from 0.79 to 0.95 (P < 0.01). the Simpson correlations with the other LV parameters showed substantial variation over time, with the poorest results seen for TDIs and AVPDm. The repeatability was best for VTI (interobserver coefficient of variation (CV) 4.8%, and intraobserver CV, 3.1%), and AVPDm (5.3% and 4.4%, respectively), and worst for the Simpson method (8.2% and 10.6%, respectively).

Conclusions

EBEF and AVPDm provided the best, and Simpson, the worst feasibility when assessing LV systolic function in a population of mechanically ventilated, hemodynamically unstable patients. Additionally, the Simpson showed the poorest repeatability. We suggest that EBEF can be used instead of single-plane Simpson when assessing LV ejection fraction in this category of patients. TDIs and AVPDm, as markers of longitudinal function of the LV, are not interchangeable with LV ejection fraction.
Barriers to Investment in Polarized Societies
Authors: Azzimonti Marina
Published: August 2011

I present a tractable dynamic model of political economy where disagreements about the composition of public spending result in implementation of short-sighted policies. Excessive taxation reduces the return to physical capital and hence investment rates, which slows down growth along the transition. In the long run, output, consumption and welfare are inefficiently low. The larger is the degree of polarization, the greater is the inefficiency. Political stability mitigates the effects of polarization by making the incumbent internalize the dynamic inefficiencies introduced by the choice of growth-retarding policies. JEL: D72, E22, E23, E62, H25, O16, O17
Evaluation of a Selection Strategy Before Use of 16S rRNA Gene Sequencing for the Identification of Clinically Significant Gram-Negative Rods and Coccobacilli
Authors: Mahlen Steven D. , Clarridge Jill E.
Published: August 2011

Although 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene sequencing is well established for correctly identifying bacteria, its most efficient use in a routine clinical laboratory is not clear. We devised and evaluated a strategy to select gram-negative rods and coccobacilli (GNRCB) for which sequencing might be necessary before routine identification methods had been exhausted. The prospectively applied selection criteria were primarily based on the isolate’s display of unusual or discordant phenotypic results and/or disease correlation. By using this strategy, we selected a total of 120 GNRCB (representing only ∼2% of all identified). The strategy was demonstrated to be efficient because the preliminary phenotypic identification for 79.2% of those isolates needed revision (18.2% were novel and about a third would have required further extensive testing). The knowledge that 1.6% (ie, 79% of 2%) of isolated GNRCB might benefit from sequence identification could provide guidelines for routine clinical laboratories toward efficient use of sequence analysis.
La voz fronteriza: Óscar Monroy Rivera and the Corrido Tradition along the US-Mexico Border
Authors: Gordus Andrew M.
Published: August 2011

By examining Joaquín Murrieta in Sonoran literature and his unique appearance in the work of Óscar Monroy Rivera, this paper seeks to demonstrate how his appearance may indicate a shift in the cultural discourse emanating from Sonora and the border during the critical period of the 1980s. His appearance reflects the desire on the part of the local communities at a time of social change and growth to engage in a dialogue concerning their collective identity, re-centering it on the geographical space of the border itself and material conditions there.
Estrategias para mirar la nación. El giro visual de los estudios culturales mexicanos en lengua inglesa
Authors: Prado Ignacio M. Sánchez
Published: August 2011

Campbell, Bruce. ¡Viva la historieta! Mexican Comics, NAFTA and the Politics of Globalization. Jackson: University Press of Mississippi, 2009. 234 pp.
Comparative Effectiveness of Antibiotic Treatment Strategies for Pediatric Skin and Soft-Tissue Infections
Authors: Williams Derek J. , Cooper William O. , Kaltenbach Lisa A. , Dudley Judith A. , Kirschke David L. , Jones Timothy F. , Arbogast Patrick G. , Griffin Marie R. , Creech C. Buddy
Published: August 2011

OBJECTIVE:

To compare the effectiveness of clindamycin, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, and β-lactams for the treatment of pediatric skin and soft-tissue infections (SSTIs).

METHODS:

A retrospective cohort of children 0 to 17 years of age who were enrolled in Tennessee Medicaid, experienced an incident SSTI between 2004 and 2007, and received treatment with clindamycin (reference), trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, or a β-lactam was created. Outcomes included treatment failure and recurrence, defined as an SSTI within 14 days and between 15 and 365 days after the incident SSTI, respectively. Adjusted models stratified according to drainage status were used to estimate the risk of treatment failure and time to recurrence.

RESULTS:

Among the 6407 children who underwent drainage, there were 568 treatment failures (8.9%) and 994 recurrences (22.8%). The adjusted odds ratios for treatment failure were 1.92 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.49–2.47) for trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole and 2.23 (95% CI: 1.71–2.90) for β-lactams. The adjusted hazard ratios for recurrence were 1.26 (95% CI: 1.06–1.49) for trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole and 1.42 (95% CI: 1.19–1.69) for β-lactams. Among the 41 094 children without a drainage procedure, there were 2435 treatment failures (5.9%) and 5436 recurrences (18.2%). The adjusted odds ratios for treatment failure were 1.67 (95% CI: 1.44–1.95) for trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole and 1.22 (95% CI: 1.06–1.41) for β-lactams; the adjusted hazard ratios for recurrence were 1.30 (95% CI: 1.18–1.44) for trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole and 1.08 (95% CI: 0.99–1.18) for β-lactams.

CONCLUSIONS:

Compared with clindamycin, use of trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole or β-lactams was associated with increased risks of treatment failure and recurrence. Associations were stronger for those with a drainage procedure.
Possible Weed Establishment Control by Applying Cryogens to Fields Before Snowfalls
Authors: Jitsuyama Yutaka , Ichikawa Shinji
Published: August 2011

Cryogens are defined as substances that produce low temperatures. In this study, cryogens refer to salts added to snow or ice to cool underlying soil, resulting in reduced weed establishment. In laboratory experiments, bags of ice mixed with cryogens were able to reach temperatures as low as −17 C. In soil-filled pots stored at 4 C, bags of cryogenic salts filled with ice chips reduced the soil temperatures to below 0 C and reduced the establishment of weeds significantly without salinity effects. The cryogen magnesium chloride-6-hydrate (MC) that was effective in pot experiments was tested in an oat field in 2008 and 2009. Plastic bags containing concentrated solutions of MC, perforated at the top, were placed on bare soil just before snowfall. Contact of snow with MC was expected to decrease the surface soil temperature enough to cause freezing injury to seeds in the soil. Although overall effects on weed establishment were small, the cryogenic effect did significantly reduce corn spurry establishment in 2008, and significantly reduced overall weed establishment in both years. These results show that weed management with cryogenic salts is possible in principle, but requires further technical improvements to be practical in the field.