bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Assessment of the Performance of Membranes Type Koch in Hartha Power Plant
Authors: Jassim Ala'a Abdulrazaq
Published: April 2010

This paper deals with the assessment of the performance of reverse osmosis membranes type (TFC-Koch) model (8822XR-365) which are used in water desalination unit in Hartha power plant, one of the electrical power plant in the south Iraq. This unit has a capacity of 100  withdraws water from Shat Al-Arab River as a raw water having total dissolved solid (TDS)  ppm, and consists of two stages with total recovery and salt rejection of about 60% and 95%, respectively. The first array contains twelve vessels and the second six vessels. Each vessel contains six elements, 8 inches in diameter and 40 inches in length. The performance of the reverse osmosis (RO) membranes is based on surveying the chemical analysis of different ions present in water for both permeate and rejected streams from the unit log book, and only those readings where the overall recovery was 60% were selected. The results depicted that the reduction of membrane efficiency is attributed to the membrane blockage due to scaling and fouling. Under high fouling conditions the permeate flow rate is reduced and accordingly a high feed pressure is required to produce the design flow rate of permeate or percent recovery. A simulation of the behavior of RO membranes was conducted using standard Saehane software and compared with predicted model that was developed by the same authors. The results revealed that the reduction in water flow in both elements one and two in each vessel in the first array is attributed to the high permeate water flux through these two elements beyond the operation limits. Accordingly it is necessary to replace these two elements or change their position relative to other elements periodically.
Pharmacodynamic Trial of Nimotuzumab in Unresectable Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck: A SENDO Foundation Study
Authors: Rojo Federico , Gracias Elías , Villena Nadia , Cruz Teresa , Corominas Josep Maria , Corradino Irene , Cedeño Mercedes , Campas Clara , Osorio Marta , Iznaga Normando , Bellosillo Beatriz , Rovira Ana , Marsoni Silvia , Gascon Pere , Serrano Sergio , Sessa Cristiana , Crombet Tania , Albanell Joan
Published: April 2010

Purpose: To assess the pharmacodynamic effects of nimotuzumab, an anti–epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) monoclonal antibody with intermediate affinity for the receptor, in skin and tumor tissues from head and neck cancer patients.

Experimental design: Pharmacodynamic study in patients with advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck, unsuitable for chemoradiotherapy, enrolled in a single-center trial. Patients received 8 weekly infusions of nimotuzumab. The first nimotuzumab infusion was administered 1 week before starting radiation, whereas the remaining doses were administered concomitantly with irradiation. Paired biopsies were taken from skin and primary tumors, before (pretherapy) and 1 week (on single-agent therapy) after first infusion. Immunohistochemistry was conducted to assay the effects of nimotuzumab on total and phosphorylated EGFR, phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (p-ERK1/2), p-AKT, and proliferation (Ki-67).

Results: Nimotuzumab was well tolerated and there was no evidence of skin rash. Objective response was achieved in 9 of 10 patients. The pharmacodynamic assays showed inhibition of p-EGFR in both skin and tumor (P = 0.042 in skin and P = 0.034 in tumor). No significant changes in p-ERK1/2, p-AKT, or Ki-67 were detected in skin. In addition, lymphocytic infiltrates, folliculitis, or perifolliculitis were not observed. In tumor samples, there was an upregulation of p-AKT (P = 0.043), a reduction in proliferation index (P = 0.012), and a nonsignificant trend toward a decrease of p-ERK1/2 (P = 0.091).

Conclusions: The pharmacodynamic data confirmed the ability of nimotuzumab to decrease EGFR phosphorylation. Downstream effects were observed in tumor cells but not in skin, a finding that may help to explain the lack of skin rash in patients treated with nimotuzumab. Clin Cancer Res; 16(8); 2474–82. ©2010 AACR.
Survival of Patients with Newly Diagnosed Glioblastoma Treated with Radiation and Temozolomide in Research Studies in the United States
Authors: Grossman Stuart A. , Ye Xiaobu , Piantadosi Steven , Desideri Serena , Nabors Louis B. , Rosenfeld Myrna , Fisher Joy ,   for the NABTT CNS Consortium
Published: April 2010

Purpose: Novel agents are currently combined with radiation and temozolomide (RT + TMZ) in newly diagnosed glioblastoma using overall survival as the primary end point. Results of these phase II studies are typically compared with the phase III European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) survival data that resulted in RT + TMZ becoming standard therapy.

Experimental Design: The New Approaches to Brain Tumor Therapy (NABTT) Consortium assigned 365 patients with glioblastoma to four single-cohort studies with similar eligibility criteria. Patients received RT + TMZ with talampanel (n = 72), poly-ICLC (n = 97), or cilengitide (n = 112) or RT + TMZ alone with monitoring of CD4 counts (n = 84). Overall survival of those ages 18 to 70 years with glioblastoma was compared with published EORTC data.

Results: NABTT and EORTC patients had comparable performance status and debulking surgery. Median, 12-month, and 24-month survival rates for the EORTC patients (n = 287) and the comparable NABTT patients receiving RT + TMZ and novel agents (n = 244) are 14.6 versus 19.6 months, 61% versus 81%, and 27% versus 37%, respectively. This represents a 37% reduction in odds of death (P < 0.0001) through 2 years of follow-up. NABTT and EORTC patients receiving only RT + TMZ had similar survival.

Conclusions: Newly diagnosed glioblastoma treated recently with RT + TMZ and talampanel, poly-ICLC, or cilengitide had significantly longer survival than similar patients treated with only RT + TMZ accrued internationally from 2000 to 2002. These differences could result from the novel agents or changing patterns of care. Until the reasons for these different survival rates are clarified, comparisons of outcomes from phase II studies with published RT + TMZ survival data should be interpreted with caution. Clin Cancer Res; 16(8); 2443–9. ©2010 AACR.
A Molecularly Targeted Theranostic Probe for Ovarian Cancer
Authors: Chen Wenxue , Bardhan Rizia , Bartels Marc , Perez-Torres Carlos , Pautler Robia G. , Halas Naomi J. , Joshi Amit
Published: April 2010

Overexpression of the human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER) family has been implicated in ovarian cancer because of its participation in signaling pathway regulating cellular proliferation, differentiation, motility, and survival. Currently, effective diagnostic and therapeutic schemes are lacking for treating ovarian cancer, and consequently ovarian cancer has a high mortality rate. Although HER2 receptor expression does not usually affect the survival rates of ovarian cancer to the same extent as in breast cancer, it can be used as a docking site for directed nanotherapies in cases with de novo or acquired chemotherapy resistance. In this study, we have exploited a novel gold nanoshell–based complex (nanocomplex) for targeting, dual modal imaging, and photothermal therapy of HER2-overexpressing and drug-resistant ovarian cancer OVCAR3 cells in vitro. The nanocomplexes are engineered to simultaneously provide contrast as fluorescence optical imaging probe and a magnetic resonance imaging agent. Immunofluorescence staining and magnetic resonance imaging successfully show that nanocomplex–anti-HER2 conjugates specifically bind to OVCAR3 cells as opposed to the control, MDA-MB-231 cells, which have low HER2 expression. In addition, nanocomplexes targeted to OVCAR3 cells, when irradiated with near-IR laser, result in selective destruction of cancer cells through photothermal ablation. We also show that near-IR light therapy and the nanocomplexes by themselves are noncytotoxic in vitro. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first successful integration of dual modal bioimaging with photothermal cancer therapy for treatment of ovarian cancer. Based on their efficacy in vitro, these nanocomplexes are highly promising for image-guided photothermal therapy of ovarian cancer, as well as other HER2-overexpressing cancers. Mol Cancer Ther; 9(4); 1028–38. ©2010 AACR.
Association between APOE ε4 Allele and Vascular Dementia: The Cache County Study
Authors: Chuang Yi-Fang , Hayden Kathleen M. , Norton Maria C. , Tschanz JoAnn , Breitner John C.S. , Welsh-Bohmer Kathleen A. , Zandi Peter P. ,   for the Cache County Investigators
Published: April 2010

Background: The APOE Ε4 allele is an established risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease, but reports of its association with vascular dementia (VaD) have been inconsistent. We examined the relationship between APOE Ε4 allele and the risk of incident VaD in a large, population-based cohort of elderly adults with up to 10 years of follow-up between 1995 and 2005. Methods: A total of 3,424 elderly men and women free of dementia were genotyped at the baseline assessment. Incident VaD was identified through standardized procedures administered at 3 follow-up assessments. Cox proportional hazards models were used to evaluate the risk of VaD associated with APOE Ε4. Results: The adjusted hazard ratio was 1.6 for the participants with 1 APOE Ε4 allele (95% CI: 0.9–2.7; p = 0.083) and 4.4 for those with 2 APOE Ε4 alleles (95% CI: 1.6–12.5; p = 0.005). The increased risk did not appear to be mediated by vascular risk factors. Conclusions: The APOE Ε4 allele is associated with an increased risk of VaD in a dose-dependent fashion and accounts for almost 20% of VaD in the population.
Analyses of Diagnostic Patterns at 30 Alzheimer’s Disease Centers in the US
Authors: Steenland Kyle , Macneil Jessica , Bartell Scott , Lah James
Published: April 2010

Background: The US Alzheimer’s Disease Centers (ADCs) (n = 30) recently created a uniform data set. We sought to determine which variables were most important in making a diagnosis, and how these differed across ADCs. Methods: A cross-sectional analysis of first visits to ADCs via polytomous logistic regression. We analyzed subjects with complete data (n = 7,555, 89%), and also used multiple imputation to infer missing data. Results: There were 8,495 subjects; 50, 26, and 24% were diagnosed as normal, having mild cognitive impairment (MCI), or mild Alzheimer’s disease [Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) score <1], respectively. The model using 7,555 subjects was 86% accurate in predicting diagnosis. Important predictors were physician-reported decline and the CDR sum of boxes, followed by 4 cognitive tests (Mini Mental State Examination, Category Fluency Tests, Logical Memory Test, Boston Naming Test). Multiple imputation revealed Trail Making Test B to be additionally important. Consensus versus single-clinician diagnoses were 2–3 times more likely to result in MCI than normal diagnoses. Excluding clinical judgment variables, functional assessment and psychiatric symptoms were important additional predictors; model accuracy remained high (78%). There were significant differences between centers in the use of different cognitive tests in making diagnoses. Conclusions: We recommend creating a hypothetic data set to use across ADCs to improve diagnostic consistency, and a survey on the use of raw or adjusted cognitive test scores by different ADCs.
Correlation between First-Trimester Maternal Serum Markers, Second-Trimester Uterine Artery Doppler Indices and Pregnancy Outcome
Authors: Dane Banu , Dane Cem , Kiray Murat , Cetin Ahmet , Koldas Macit , Erginbas Murat
Published: April 2010

Aims: The aim of this study was to assess the correlation between first trimester maternal serum free beta-human chorionic gonadotropin (fBHCG), pregnancy-associated plasma protein A (PAPPA), second-trimester uterine artery (UA) Doppler measurements and adverse pregnancy outcomes. Methods: Serum levels of PAPPA and fBHCG were determined at the first trimester, and patients underwent bilateral UA Doppler assessments at 20–25 weeks of gestation. A serum PAPPA level <0.4 MoM was termed as low and the abnormal Doppler findings were the presence of bilateral notches and RI >0.52 (mean) or unilateral notch and RI >0.66 (90th percentile). Results: Mean PAPPA level was significantly lower in cases with unilateral or bilateral notches (1.09; 0.79 and 0.80 MoM for 0, 1 and 2 notches, p < 0.001). Fifty-two cases (12.8%) had a low PAPPA level; in this group the incidence of abnormal Doppler was significantly higher (34.6 vs. 18.4%, p = 0.011). In the presence of abnormal Doppler in a case with a low serum PAPPA the risk of pregnancy-induced hypertension (OR = 4.56, p = 0.0067), low birth weight (OR = 6.8, p = 0.0002) and the risk of at least one complication (OR = 7.6, p = 0.00001) were significantly high. Conclusion: Combination of first- and second-trimester findings might improve the efficiency of screening for pregnancy complications.
Emerging Anticancer Therapeutic Targets and the Cardiovascular System
Authors: Peng Xuyang , Pentassuglia Laura , Sawyer Douglas B.
Published: April 2010

Abstract
:

The race for a cure to cancer continues, fueled by unprecedented discoveries of fundamental biology underlying carcinogenesis and tumorigenesis. The expansion of the target list and tools to approach them is moving the oncology community extraordinarily rapidly to clinical trials, bringing new hope for cancer patients. This effort is also propelling biological discoveries in cardiovascular research, because many of the targets being explored in cancer play fundamental roles in the heart and vasculature. The combined efforts of cardiovascular and cancer biologists, along with clinical investigators in these fields, will be needed to understand how to safely exploit these efforts. Here, we discuss a few of the many research foci in oncology where we believe such collaboration will be particularly important.
Ming Princes and Daoist Ritual
Authors: Wang Richard
Published: April 2010

This essay explores the relationship between the patronage of Ming princes and local Daoism, focusing on ritual. While the role of Ming princes in local religion is an under-appreciated subject, this essay demonstrates that their support is crucial to our understanding of Daoism during that period. The efforts of princes made local Daoist ritual visible. In fact, they occupied an important role in propagating Daoism as an element of cultural and religious identity. Moreover, by different approaches to Daoist ritual, the Ming princes represented the various religious and social needs of lay patrons in the local community. Cet article explore la relation entre le patronage des princes Ming et le taoïsme local, en s'attachant plus particulièrement au rituel. Alors qu'on tend à sous-estimer le rôle des princes Ming dans le domaine des religions locales, l'article montre que prendre en compte leur soutien est décisif pour notre compréhension du taoïsme pendant cette période. Les efforts des princes ont rendu visible les rituels taoïstes au niveau local. Ils ont en fait joué un rôle important dans la propagation du taoïsme comme élément d'identité culturelle et religieuse. En outre, par leurs approches différentes du rituel taoïste les princes Ming étaient représentatifs de la variété des demandes religieuses et sociales des laïques au sein de la communauté locale.
Writing Emotions: Ritual Innovation as Emotional Expression
Authors: Epstein Maram
Published: April 2010

This article examines the chronological biographies of the Qing ritualists Yan Yuan (1635-1704) and Li Gong (1659-1733) to witness how they negotiated and wrote about the ritual and emotional priorities in their relationships with various family members. It argues that rather than being just a form of ritual duty, filial piety was a core emotion at the center of many people's affective and spiritual lives. Although the conservative nature of nianpu (chronological biography) as a genre meant that some of the most intimate relationships in these two men's lives would get passed over in silence, the recording of their manipulation of ritual forms allowed them an indirect means of expressing their affective bonds.
The Admissibility of a Plea to an International Adjudicative Forum to Delimit the Outer Continental Shelf Prior to the Adoption of Final Recommendations by the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf
Authors: Kunoy Bjørn
Published: April 2010

It is not the role of an international adjudicative body in the exercise of its contentious jurisdiction, to advise parties as to what their rights would be under a hypothetical state of facts. Having in mind the importance international law attaches to the judicial principle res iudicata, the question examined in this article is whether an international adjudicative body should accept the application to delimit the outer continental shelf, to which there are overlapping claims, prior to the completion of the work of the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf. Notwithstanding the unilateral character of the delineation of the outer limits of the continental shelf and its conceptual detachment from delimitation, these two operations are intertwined. Thus, it could affect the holistic application of the Law of the Sea Convention, should international adjudicative bodies accept to delimit the outer continental shelf in the absence of any recommendations by the Commission.
From Policy to Polity
Authors: Bruch Sarah K. , Ferree Myra Marx , Soss Joe
Published: April 2010

This article investigates how experiences with public policies affect levels of civic and political engagement among the poor. Studies of “policy feedback” investigate policies not just as political outcomes, but also as factors that set political forces in motion and shape political agency. To advance this literature, we take up three outstanding questions related to selection bias, the distinction between universal and targeted programs, and the types of authority relations most likely to foster engagement among the poor. Using a longitudinal dataset from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study, which follows a cohort of low-income parents and their newborn children in 20 U.S. cities, we estimate effects associated with three types of means-tested public assistance. We find that these policies’ effects are not an illusion created by selection bias; the effects of targeted programs can both promote and discourage engagement; and such effects tend to be more positive when a policy’s authority structure reflects democratic rather than paternalist principles.
Rival Unionism and Membership Growth in the United States, 1900 to 2005
Authors: Stepan-Norris Judith , Southworth Caleb
Published: April 2010

This article uses time-series data from 1900 to 2005 to explore the effects of rivalry between labor unions as a special case of inter-organizational competition. Holding constant economic and political factors that typically account for changes in union density, we investigate how competition from rival labor federations and from independent unions affect both union density and a measure for the density of the dominant federation (AFL/AFL-CIO), adjusted for membership changes from mergers and splits. We measure competition by the number of unions and the size of rivals. While much existing literature measures state regulation with categorical coding for specific periods, we measure the effect of state enforcement directly with counts of pro-labor and pro-management unfair labor practice cases adjudicated by the National Labor Relations Board. We assess the effect of left-wing political culture using the popular vote for socialist and communist candidates in presidential elections. Both the number of members in rival unions and the total number of rival unions positively impact the rate of change in overall union density and in AFL density. The size of independent unions has a negative impact on AFL/AFL-CIO density but no effect on overall union density. Unfair labor practices cases adjudicated for employers negatively affect union density but positively affect AFL/AFL-CIO density, while cases adjudicated for unions negatively affect AFL/AFL-CIO density.
Natural Disasters and Mass-Casualty Events Affecting Children and Families: A Description of Emergency Preparedness and the Role of the Primary Care Physician
Authors: Olympia Robert P. , Rivera Ruby , Heverley Steven , Anyanwu Uchechi , Gregorits Madeline
Published: April 2010

Objectives. To determine the compliance of a select number of families with national recommendations for disaster preparedness. Patients and Methods. A questionnaire focusing on knowledge of community evacuation plans and the presence of a family emergency response plan was distributed simultaneously in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, and Bronx County, New York. Results. A total of 1024 questionnaires were analyzed, and it was found that 35% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 32-38) of families were familiar with community evacuation plans, and 43% (95% CI = 40-46) had a family emergency response plan. Also, 17% (95% CI = 15-19) of respondents had discussed preparedness with their primary care physician; this subset of respondents was more likely to be familiar with community evacuation plans and was more likely to have a family emergency response plan. Conclusions. These data show that families are, for the most part, not in compliance with national recommendations for preparedness. Families who discussed preparedness with their primary care physician were more likely to be compliant.
Differing effects of coping strategies on mental health during prolonged unemployment: A longitudinal analysis
Authors: Xiaowan Lin  , Leung Kwok
Published: April 2010

A three-wave longitudinal design was used to examine the causal effects of two coping strategies in the context of prolonged unemployment, namely job search and distancing (i.e. emotional detachment from unemployment), on mental health and the duration of these effects. Two situational appraisals, namely economic hardship and unemployment negativity (i.e. perceived negativity of unemployment life) were found to influence both coping strategies and mental health. We confirmed that the negative effect of job search on mental health was primarily owing to the two situational appraisals, especially unemployment negativity. In contrast, the positive effect of distancing on mental health was significant, even after the situational appraisals were taken into account. In addition, the positive effect of distancing on mental health lasted longer than the negative effect of job search.
Impact of Setting and Instructional Context for Adolescents With Autism
Authors: Kurth Jennifer , Mastergeorge Ann M.
Published: April 2010

The present study describes the instructional contexts and activities of adolescents with autism in inclusive and self-contained settings for mathematics and language arts instruction using a descriptive statistics design. In the study, 15 adolescents with autism, and 30 peers of these students, participated. All students were observed over the school year in 50-min intervals each during math and language arts instruction to document student participation in learning situations as well as learning partners, curriculum usage, and instructional formats for students with and without autism in different education settings. Findings indicate between-group differences for those adolescents participating in inclusive and self-contained settings, notably the amount of time spent on breaks and engaged in curricular activities, although differences between students with autism and their peers were not significant. Implications and future directions are discussed.
Exposure‐Response Analyses of the Effects of Pregabalin in Patients With Fibromyalgia Using Daily Pain Scores and Patient Global Impression of Change
Authors: Byon Wonkyung , Ouellet Daniele , Chew Marci , Ito Kaori , Burger Paula , Pauer Lynne , Zeiher Bernhardt , Corrigan Brian
Published: April 2010

Data from 4 phase 2/3 studies were pooled to characterize the exposure response of daily pregabalin (150–600 mg) in patients with fibromyalgia using self‐assessed daily pain scores (PAIN) and end‐of‐treatment patient global impression of change (PGIC). The exposure responses of both endpoints were characterized by an Emax model using nonlinear mixed‐effects modeling (NONMEM). Drug effect on PAIN relative to placebo was significant with additional maximum effect of 1.51 points on the logit scale and EC50 of 1.54 ng/mL (dose of 174 mg) and a rapid onset (half‐life of 11 hours), consistent with the half‐life of the drug. The decrease in PAIN with placebo occurred more slowly, reaching maximum response (1.52 points on the logit scale) after 1 month. Drug response in fibromyalgia was dependent on age and sex, with greater PAIN reduction in older patients, in addition to the effect of creatinine clearance, and in females. For PGIC, administration of pregabalin resulted in an increase in the proportion of patients reporting improvement with an ED50 of 228 mg. The analyses support the recommended dose of pregabalin in patients with fibromyalgia of 300 to 450 mg/d.
Ethnic diversity, entrepreneurship and competitiveness in a global city
Authors: Smallbone David , Kitching John , Athayde Rosemary
Published: April 2010

The article assesses the proposition that ethnic and linguistic diversity is a potential source of competitive advantage at the city/regional level. Seven potential links between ethnic diversity and competitiveness are proposed on the basis of previous literature, although the article focuses on three: ethnic diversity as a source of creativity and innovation; the role of diaspora-based networks; and linguistic diversity, using a combination of secondary material and original case studies. The overall conclusion is that although a number of plausible hypothesized links between diversity and competitiveness are proposed, and evidence is presented to support them, further systematic research is required before the frequency of occurrence of such diversity/ competitiveness connections can be determined and their importance in economic development fully assessed.
Which Method of Rotator Cuff Repair Leads to the Highest Rate of Structural Healing?
Authors: Duquin Thomas R. , Buyea Cathy , Bisson Leslie J.
Published: April 2010

Background

The purpose of rotator cuff repair is to diminish pain and restore function, and this most predictably occurs when the tendon is demonstrated to heal. Recent improvements in repair methods have led to improved biomechanical performance, but this has not yet been demonstrated to result in higher healing rates. The purpose of our study was to determine whether different repair methods resulted in different rates of recurrent tearing after surgery.

Hypotheses

We hypothesized that (1) the rotator cuff repair method will not affect retear rate, and (2) the surgical approach will not affect the retear rate for a given repair method.

Study Design

Systematic review of the literature.

Methods

The literature was systematically searched to find articles reporting imaging study assessment of structural healing rates after rotator cuff repair, with data stratified according to tear size. Retear rates were compared for transosseous (TO), single-row suture anchor (SA), double-row suture anchor (DA), and suture bridge (SB) repair methods, as well as for open (O), miniopen (MO), and arthroscopic (A) approaches.

Results

Retear rates were available for 1252 repairs collected from 23 studies. Retear rates were significantly lower for double-row repairs when compared with TO or SA for all tears greater than 1 cm and ranged from 7% for tears less than 1 cm to 41% for tears greater than 5 cm, in comparison with retear rates for single-row techniques (TO and SA) of 17% to 69% for tears less than 1 cm and greater than 5 cm, respectively. There was no significant difference in retear rates between TO and SA repair methods or between arthroscopic and nonarthroscopic approaches for any tear size.

Conclusion

Double-row repair methods lead to significantly lower retear rates when compared with single-row methods for tears greater than 1 cm. Surgical approach has no significant effect on retear rate.
Biomechanical Analysis of an Ovine Rotator Cuff Repair via Porous Patch Augmentation in a Chronic Rupture Model
Authors: Santoni Brandon G. , McGilvray Kirk C. , Lyons Amy S. , Bansal Manjula , Turner A. Simon , MacGillivray John D. , Coleman Struan H. , Puttlitz Christian M.
Published: April 2010

Background

Rotator cuff repair is a commonly performed procedure, but many of these repairs fail in the postoperative term. Despite advances in surgical methods to optimize the repair, failure rates still persist clinically, thereby suggesting the need for novel mechanical or biological augmentation strategies. Nonresorbable implants provide an appealing approach because patch materials may confer acute mechanical stability and act as a conductive scaffold for tissue ingrowth at the site of the tendon insertion.

Hypothesis

The polyurethane scaffold mesh will confer greater biomechanical function relative to a nonaugmented repair after 12 weeks in vivo using a chronic ovine model of rotator cuff repair.

Study Design

Controlled laboratory study.

Methods

After development of the chronic rupture model, the tensile failure properties of the nonresorbable mesh-augmented repair (n, 9) were compared with those of a surgical control in an ovine model (n, 8).

Results

Rotator cuff repair with the scaffold mesh in the chronic model resulted in a significant 74.2% increase in force at failure relative to the nonaugmented surgical control (P = .021). Apparent increases in stiffness (55.4%) and global displacement at failure (21.4%) in the mesh-augmented group relative to nonaugmented controls were not significant (P = .126 and P = .123, respectively). At the study endpoint, the augmented shoulders recovered 37.8% and 40.7% of the force at failure and stiffness, respectively, of intact, nonoperated controls.

Conclusion

Using the previously described chronic rupture model, this study demonstrated that repair of a chronic tendon tear with the polyurethane scaffold mesh provides greater mechanical strength in the critical healing period than that of traditional suture anchor repair.

Clinical Relevance

This device could be used to enhance the surgical repair of the rotator cuff and consequently improve long-term clinical outcome.
Promises and Pitfalls in the Spatial Prediction of Ethnic Violence
Authors: Weidmann Nils B. , Duffy Toft Monica
Published: April 2010

Despite increasing technical sophistication, the quantitative literature has made little progress in forecasting ethnic violence. Nevertheless, recent efforts in predicting the location of ethnic violence from the spatial ethnic distribution seem to be a major step forward. In 2007, Lim, Metzler, and Bar-Yam proposed an agent-based model that takes as input the ethnic map of a country and derives from it the predicted locations of ethnic violence. The model rests on the assumption that spatial group clusters of a certain critical size are most likely to display ethnic violence. Their model achieves a remarkable level of agreement between predicted and observed locations of violence. Our article scrutinizes this exercise. We show that their analysis suffers from a biased selection of groups and regions, and that the null hypothesis and unit of analysis are inadequate. The proclaimed usefulness of the model for predicting violence in new cases is made difficult by the fact that the model does not generalize from one case to another. We conclude that the model provides little advance on prior research.
Advanced Mathematical Science of Ethnic Violence
Authors: Harmon Dion , Lim May T. , Bar-Yam Yaneer
Published: April 2010

Advancing peace and conflict studies into a quantitative science requires advanced mathematical methods and concepts. Lim, Metzler and Bar-Yam (2007, “LMB”) provide a wavelet based method for predicting the location of violence in a country based upon the hypothesis that well mixed or well separated groups do not engage in violence, but intermediate sized groups without clear boundaries between them do. Wiedmann and Toft (2010, “WT”) consider the remarkable quantitative success of LMB and question whether the methods used correctly evaluate their effectiveness. Here we provide some additional tests to address questions raised by WT. We confirm the quantitative success of LMB. Moreover, despite claiming to criticize LMB’s policy implications that suggest the separation of groups as a method of promoting peace, WT affirm that homogenous populations are not susceptible to violence. WT’s statement itself could be used to motivate a policy of separation. In contrast, LMB provide scientific precision that can guide policy makers in a choice of policy options in terms of geographical distributions and political boundaries, or the alternative of promoting the mixing of ethnic populations. Here we point to additional scientific support for the key policy implications.
Ascorbic acid improves mitochondrial function in liver of arsenic-treated rat
Authors: Singh Sohini , Suresh Vir Singh Rana
Published: April 2010

Arsenic is an ubiquitous and well-documented carcinogenic metalloid. The most common source of arsenic is drinking water. The mechanism of arsenic toxicity in a cell has historically been centered around its inhibitory effects on cellular respiration and mitochondrial injury. Ascorbic acid, a low molecular weight, water-soluble antioxidant, improves the reduced glutathione (GSH) status by recycling oxidized glutathione. Ascorbic acid can improve mitochondrial function by improving the thiol status; thereby preventing reactive oxygen species— mediated damage to liver as well as kidney. Ascorbic acid has been shown to protect membrane and other cellular compartments by regenerating vitamin E. Therefore, ascorbic acid seems to be a suitable protective factor against arsenic toxicity. Present reports describe the effect of ascorbic acid on oxidative phosphorylation, adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase), succinic dehydrogenase, caspase-3 and apoptosis in the liver of rats treated with arsenic trioxide (AsIII). Ultrastructural changes in the mitochondria have also been reported. We show that cotreatments with ascorbic acid and AsIII improve mitochondrial structure and function. We attribute these improvements mainly to antioxidative role of ascorbic acid. Apoptosis was restricted due to caspase-3 inhibition. Ascorbic acid could protect DNA from the attack of reactive oxygen species generated by AsIII. Consequently its events led to improved ADP:O ratio, normalized ATPase activity and restored the activity of succinic dehydrogenase. Overall, results support the protective role of ascorbic acid against As III-induced liver injury.
Epidemiology and Clinical Spectrum of Schizencephaly in South-Eastern Hungary
Authors: Szabó Nóra , Gyurgyinka Gergev , Kóbor Jenő , Bereg Edit , Túri Sándor , Sztriha László
Published: April 2010

The epidemiology and clinical spectrum of schizencephaly in south-eastern Hungary have been surveyed in a retrospective population-based study. A total of 10 patients (6 boys and 4 girls) were found with schizencephaly among 185 486 live births in a period of 14 years (July 1, 1992 to June 30, 2006), which means a birth prevalence of 0.54 per 10 000 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.20-0.87). The schizencephaly was unilateral in 7 cases (with closed lips in 5 and open lips in 2 patients) and bilateral in 3 children (with closed lips in 2 and open lips in 1). The septum pellucidum was absent in 5 cases; however, optic nerve hypoplasia was not found in these patients. Delayed development and intellectual disability were observed in all patients, except 2 with unilateral closed lip schizencephaly. Epilepsy was diagnosed in 3 patients (2 with unilateral and 1 with bilateral schizencephaly).
Clinical Experience of Linezolid in Bone Marrow Transplantation Patients
Authors: Hogan Holly L. , Hachem Ray Y. , Neuhauser Melinda , Raad Issam I. , Coyle Elizabeth
Published: April 2010

Linezolid is an oxazolidinone antibiotic that has been associated with myelosuppression, including leukopenia and thrombocytopenia. Few studies have assessed the use of linezolid in bone marrow transplantation (BMT) patients. The authors evaluated patients who were admitted to the BMT service at their institution from 2001 to 2002 and had undergone ≥3 days of linezolid therapy. These patients (cases) were matched with BMT patients who had not undergone linezolid therapy (controls). Forty-nine patients were evaluated; 25 cases and 24 controls. The authors found no significant differences in the duration of neutropenia or thrombocytopenia, but there was a trend toward a difference in time to engraftment ( P = .16). More bleeding episodes were seen and more platelet transfusions were needed in cases than in controls (16% vs 8%; P = .35 and 54.5 ± 55.0 units vs 19.9 ± 20.0 units, respectively). Patients who had undergone linezolid therapy for >10 days (n = 10) had longer thrombocytopenia (102.2 ± 98.0 vs 62.0 ± 61.0 days; P = .27) and time to engraftment (20.5 ± 20.0 vs 10.7 ± 2.0 days; P = .16) and required more platelet transfusions (83.6 ± 76.0 vs 35.1 ± 23.0 units). None of these observations reached statistical significance. The authors conclude that linezolid therapy can be used safely in BMT patients for up to 10 days. However, when therapy is needed for >10 days, monitoring of platelet counts, bleeding time, and time to engraftment are recommended.
Changes in the Determinants of Volunteering: Participation and Time Investment Between 1975 and 2005 in the Netherlands
Authors: van Ingen Erik , Dekker Paul
Published: April 2010

Researchers have examined whether societal developments such as educational expansion, secularization, and changes on the job market affect levels of volunteering. We extend this research by studying the distribution of volunteering or possible changes in the way volunteering is determined. We found that volunteering has become more common among the economically inactive (pensioners and homemakers) at the expense of the employed. Furthermore, the relationship between church attendance and volunteering has become stronger; although volunteering has gone down in general, churchgoers increase their volunteering for religious organizations on average. The role of education has also changed: the differences between the lower and higher educated in their participation in volunteer work have virtually disappeared. The determinants of the time invested in volunteering have changed less and turn out to be entirely different from the determinants of participation. Explanations for these changes as well as their implications for research are discussed.
Parenthood, policy and work-family time in Australia 1992—2006
Authors: Craig Lyn , Mullan Killian , Blaxland Megan
Published: April 2010

This article explores how having children impacted upon (a) paid work, domestic work and childcare (total workload) and (b) the gender division of labour in Australia over a 15-year period during which government changed from the progressive Labor Party to the socially conservative National/Liberal Party Coalition. It describes changes and continuity in government policies and rhetoric about work, family and gender issues and trends in workforce participation. Data from three successive nationally representative Time Use Surveys (1992, 1997 and 2006), N=3846, are analysed. The difference between parents’ and non-parents’ total workload grew substantially under both governments, especially for women. In households with children there was a nascent trend to gender convergence in paid and unpaid work under Labor, which reversed under the Coalition.
Modelling the cumulative risk of a false-positive screening test
Authors: Hubbard Rebecca A , Miglioretti Diana L , Smith Robert A
Published: April 2010

The goal of a screening test is to reduce morbidity and mortality through the early detection of disease; but the benefits of screening must be weighed against potential harms, such as false-positive (FP) results, which may lead to increased healthcare costs, patient anxiety, and other adverse outcomes associated with diagnostic follow-up procedures. Accurate estimation of the cumulative risk of an FP test after multiple screening rounds is important for program evaluation and goal setting, as well as informing individuals undergoing screening what they should expect from testing over time. Estimation of the cumulative FP risk is complicated by the existence of censoring and possible dependence of the censoring time on the event history. Current statistical methods for estimating the cumulative FP risk from censored data follow two distinct approaches, either conditioning on the number of screening tests observed or marginalizing over this random variable. We review these current methods, identify their limitations and possibly unrealistic assumptions, and propose simple extensions to address some of these limitations. We discuss areas where additional extensions may be useful. We illustrate methods for estimating the cumulative FP recall risk of screening mammography and investigate the appropriateness of modelling assumptions using 13 years of data collected by the Breast Cancer Surveillance Consortium (BCSC). In the BCSC data we found evidence of violations of modelling assumptions of both classes of statistical methods. The estimated risk of an FP recall after 10 screening mammograms varied between 58% and 77% depending on the approach used, with an estimate of 63% based on what we feel are the most reasonable modelling assumptions.
Evaluation of cancer service screening: case referent studies recommended
Authors: Verbeek André LM , Broeders Mireille JM
Published: April 2010

Various cancer screening trials, randomised or otherwise controlled, have demonstrated reductions in cancer mortality. As a consequence, population screening programmes have been implemented. In the mean time, major advances are being made in early detection and treatment modalities of specific cancers and pre-cancers. The impact of these improvements should have bearing on the beneficial effect of periodical screening in preventing cancer death. To monitor these dynamics in the effectiveness of screening, case-referent studies are designed. The effectiveness is estimated by calculating an odds ratio indicating the cancer death rate in screened versus not screened invitees. The major criticisms of case referent studies are potential selection bias and confounding bias of the odds ratio. By properly designing and applying sensitivity analyses these biases can be minimised.
Conceptual Notes on Energy Security: Total or Banal Security?
Authors: Ciută Felix
Published: April 2010

Energy security has received remarkably little conceptual attention, despite an abundant literature in which various meanings of the term proliferate, together with a copious proxy terminology. This article attempts to clear this conceptual underbrush and to address the question, in what sense is energy a security issue? Drawing on academic and policy-related sources, the article demonstrates that three distinct logics of energy security are currently in circulation: a logic of war, a logic of subsistence and a ‘total’ security logic. These distinct logics carry different meanings of energy and security, embed political hierarchies, and have distinct vocabularies, policy vehicles and normative consequences. Yet, affixing energy to security affects not only energy policy but also the manner in which we understand security itself. At least potentially, the ubiquity of energy as a ‘prime mover’ makes security ubiquitous, thus blurring the boundaries that have made it a domain of specialist knowledge and practice. By making security politically unexceptional and ‘total’, energy can thus strip security of its precise meaning, rendering it banal and vacuous. Taking a contextual perspective that emphasizes conceptual variation and the participation of lay actors in producing the meaning of security, the article rejects the banalization of security, and discusses the normative and political problems inherent in any totalizing view of the kind latent in energy security.
Critical Voices and Human Security: To Endure, To Engage or To Critique?
Authors: Christie Ryerson
Published: April 2010

Narratives of human security have been widely adopted and adapted within both academic and policy communities. Despite debates over its meanings and uses, the concept has proven to be remarkably resilient. In particular, there has a been a surprising willingness by critical scholars not only to analyse and critique human security, but also to embrace it as a means of furthering political goals. This article maps the ways in which various strands of critical scholarship in international relations have striven to use human security. It concludes by arguing that human security has lost any true critical potential and has become a new orthodoxy. Thus, while the concept may have value in highlighting particular issues and may enable short-term gains, it is unable to provide the basis for a substantive change of the system of international security.
Evolutionary Perspectives on Workplace Gossip: Why and How Gossip Can Serve Groups
Authors: Kniffin Kevin M. , Sloan Wilson David
Published: April 2010

Gossip in the workplace has generally been ignored by researchers and often criticized by practitioners. The authors apply a transdisciplinary evolutionary approach to argue that gossip is a natural part of social organizations and that certain conditions can encourage socially-redeeming gossip. They draw on case studies involving cattle ranchers, members of a competitive rowing team, and airline company employees to juxtapose the nature and functions of gossip across a wide set of communities. They find that workplace gossip can serve positive functions when organizational rewards—measured in context-specific currencies—are fairly allocated at the level of small-scale groups rather than the level of individuals within groups. Given the diversity of their case studies, the authors are able to identify financial and nonfinancial rewards that facilitate group-serving gossip in different environments. Their findings make sense in light of an evolutionary perspective that recognizes similarities between the range of environments in which humans have primarily evolved and the workplace conditions that invite socially-redeeming gossip.
Contract Payment Provisions and Project Performance: An Analysis of Municipal Water and Wastewater Facilities
Authors: Bogus Susan M. , Shane Jennifer S. , Molenaar Keith R.
Published: April 2010

In a continued effort to provide water and wastewater facilities, owners have been using a variety of contract pricing methods for the construction of new facilities. Increasing use of cost-plus-fee with a guaranteed maximum price (GMP) contract payment provisions along with the more traditional lump sum contract payment provisions has created a need to measure the effectiveness of these contract pricing methods. Through a detailed survey of public water and wastewater facility owners, performance data were collected to compare project performance based on schedule and cost growth measures. The results of this study indicate that contracts using cost-plus-fee with a GMP contract pricing provisions are more likely to have no schedule or cost growth as compared to projects with lump-sum provisions. Overall, the results of this study provide new data for water and wastewater projects that can be used by owners to improve future project performance.