bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Docosahexaenoic acid, but not eicosapentaenoic acid, reduces the early inflammatory response following compression spinal cord injury in the rat
Authors: Hall Jodie C. E. , Priestley John V. , Perry V. Hugh , Michael‐Titus Adina T.
Published: March 2012

J. Neurochem. (2012) 121, 738–750.

Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22 : 6) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, 20 : 5) are omega‐3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n‐3 PUFAs) with distinct anti‐inflammatory properties. Both have neuroprotective effects acutely following spinal cord injury (SCI). We examined the effect of intravenous DHA and EPA on early inflammatory events after SCI. Saline, DHA or EPA (both 250 nmol/kg) were administered 30 min after T12 compression SCI, to female Sprague‐Dawley rats. DHA significantly reduced the number of neutrophils to some areas of the injured epicentre at 4 h and 24 h. DHA also reduced C‐reactive protein plasma levels, whereas EPA did not significantly reduce neutrophils or C‐reactive protein. Laminectomy and SCI elicited a sustained inflammatory response in the liver, which was not reversed by the PUFAs. The chemokine KC/GRO/CINC and the cytokine IL‐6 provide gradients for chemotaxis of neutrophils to the epicentre. At 4 h after injury, there was a significant increase in IL‐6, KC/GRO/CINC, IL‐1β and tumour necrosis factor‐α in the epicentre, with a return to baseline at 24 h. Neither DHA nor EPA returned their levels to control values. These results indicate that the acute neuroprotective effects of n‐3 PUFAs in rat compression SCI may be only partly attributed to reduction of some of the early inflammatory events occurring after injury.
Low Efficacy of Clarithromycin Including Sequential Regimens for Helicobacter Pylori Infection
Authors: Kadayifci Abdurrahman , Uygun Ahmet , Kilciler Guldem , Kantarcioglu Murat , Kara Muammer , Ozcan Ayhan , Emer Ozdes
Published: March 2012

Background:  Sequential treatment for Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) appears to achieve a better eradication rate than triple therapy. However, most of the data have been reported from the Italy, and studies from different population are needed before it is recommended in clinical practice. The present study aimed to assess and compare the efficacy of two separate clarithromycin including sequential regimens in Turkey which is well known with high clarithromycin and metronidazole resistance to H. pylori.

Methods:  Consecutive H. pylori ‐positive patients with non‐ulcer dyspepsia were randomly allocated to one of the two sequential regimens; the first group was given lansoprazole 30 mg b.i.d. plus amoxicillin 1 g b.i.d. for the first week, followed by lansoprazole 30 mg b.i.d., clarithromycin 500 mg b.i.d., and metronidazole 500 mg t.i.d. for the second week (LA‐CM). The second arm was given the same regimen but tetracycline500 g q.i.d. instead of metronidazole (LA‐CT). H. pylori was detected with urea breath test (UBT) and histology before enrollment. UBT was repeated at 6th weeks after treatment.

Results:  A total of 200 patients were enrolled in groups and 179 of them completed their protocols. The cumulative per protocol (“PP”) and intention‐to‐treat (“ITT”) eradication rates were 74.3% and 66.5% in all patients, respectively. Both “PP” (78.2% vs 70.1%) and “ITT” (72% vs 61%) eradication rates were better in LA‐CT group than LA‐CM group, but the differences were not statistically significant (p > .05). Both regimens were well tolerated, and the incidence of adverse effects was comparable.

Conclusion:  Two weeks clarithromycin including sequential regimens with metronidazole or tetracycline were not achieved acceptable eradication rates in Turkey.
Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis: Helicobacter pylori Eradication Therapy After Simple Closure of Perforated Duodenal Ulcer
Authors: Tomtitchong Prakitpunthu , Siribumrungwong Boonying , Vilaichone Ratha‐Korn , Kasetsuwan Petch , Matsukura Norio , Chaiyakunapruk Nathorn
Published: March 2012

Background:  The most common complications of peptic ulcer are bleeding and perforation. In many regions, definitive acid reduction surgery has given way to simple closure and Helicobacter pylori eradication.

Aim:  To perform a systematic review and meta‐analysis to ask whether this change in practice is in fact justified.

Materials and Methods:  A search on the Cochrane Controlled Trials Register, Medline, and Embase was made for controlled trials of duodenal ulcer perforation patients using simple closure method plus postoperative H. pylori eradication therapy versus simple closure plus antisecretory non‐eradication therapy. The long‐term results for prevention of ulcer recurrence were compared.

Results:  The pooled incidence of 1‐year ulcer recurrence in H. pylori eradication group was 5.2% [95% confidence interval (CI) of 0.7 and 9.7], which is significantly lower than that of the control group (35.2%) with 95% CI of 0.25 and 0.45. The pooled relative risk was 0.15 with 95% CI of 0.06 and 0.37.

Conclusions:  Helicobacter pylori eradication after simple closure of duodenal ulcer perforation gives better result than the operation plus antisecretory non‐eradication therapy for prevention of ulcer recurrence. All duodenal ulcer perforation patients should be tested for H. pylori infection, and eradication therapy is required in all infected patients.
Late Cytotoxic Edema in 2 Children With Hemiplegia: Hemiplegic Migraine or Stroke?
Authors: Kedia Sita , Stence Nicholas , Manco‐Johnson Marilyn , Armstrong‐Wells Jennifer , Bernard Timothy J.
Published: March 2012

Hemiplegic migraine (HM) is a rare variant of migraine with aura, characterized by migrainous headache and fully reversible motor deficit within 24 hours. Both sporadic and familial forms of HMs are genetically heterogenous with little information on neuroimaging during and after acute attacks. We report 2 cases of children with presumed HM and late cytotoxic edema.
Between Races and Generations: Materializing Race and Kinship in Moraga and Irigaray
Authors: Hom Sabrina L.
Published: March 2012

Juxtaposing Cherríe Moraga'sLoving in the War Yearsand Luce Irigaray'sSpeculum of the Other Woman, I explore the ways that sex and race intersect to complicate an Irigarayan account of the relations between mother and daughter. Irigaray's work is an effective tool for understanding the disruptive and potentially healing desire between mothers and daughters, but her insistence on sex as primary difference must be challenged in order to acknowledge the intersectionality of sex and race. Working from recent work on the psychoanalysis of race, I argue that whiteness functions as a master signifier in its own right, and as a means of differentiation between the light‐skinned Moraga and her brown‐skinned mother. Irigaray's concept of blood deepens Moraga's account of her healing and subversive return to her mother. The juxtaposition of Moraga, Irigaray, and contemporary psychoanalysis of race can allow for a necessary revision of Irigaray's psychoanalysis that acknowledges the ways in which sexual difference is indexed by race and sheds new light on her account of the mother–daughter relation.
On Sexual Obligation and Sexual Autonomy
Authors: Anderson Scott
Published: March 2012

In this paper, I try to make sense of the possibility of several forms of voluntarily undertaken “sexual obligation.” The claim that there can be sexual obligations is liable to generate worries with respect to concerns for gender justice, sexual freedom, and autonomy, especially if such obligations arise in a context of unjust background conditions. This paper takes such concerns seriously but holds that, despite unjust background circumstances, some practices that give rise to ethical sexual obligations can actually ameliorate some of the problems caused by such background conditions. Similarly, despite a surface appearance that sexual obligation and sexual autonomy are in tension, this need not be the case. By understanding how practices and conventions regulate the way such obligations can arise, this paper shows how supporting the possibility of sexual obligation can actually facilitate individual efforts to achieve sexual autonomy.
What Nature Makes of Her: Kant's Gendered Metaphysics
Authors: Marwah Inder S.
Published: March 2012

Women's exclusion from political enfranchisement in Kant's political writings has frequently been noted in the literature, and yet has not been closely scrutinized. More often than not, commentators suggest that this reflects little more than Kant's sharing in the prejudices of his era. This paper argues that, for Kant, women's civil incapacities stem from defects relating to their capacities asmoralagents, and more specifically, to his teleological account of the conditions within which we, as imperfect beings, develop our moral capacities. Women are not incidentally or tangentially excluded from the boundaries of political and moral agency, but rather must adopt an explicitly nonmoral character if we are to understand humanity as moving toward its naturally given, moral ends. I argue (1) that Kant's teleological view of human development requires women to develop an explicitly nonmoral character; (2) that this teleology is inextricable from his view of the moral agency thathuman—and not merely rational—beings are capable of; and (3) that taken together, these suggest that women's subordinate status isinternallyconnected to Kant's view of moral personhood.
Thou Shall Not Harm All Living Beings: Feminism, Jainism, and Animals
Authors: Aristarkhova Irina
Published: March 2012

In this paper, I critically develop the Jain concept of nonharm as a feminist philosophical concept that calls for a change in our relation to living beings, specifically to animals. I build on the work of Josephine Donovan, Carol J. Adams, Jacques Derrida, Kelly Oliver, and Lori Gruen to argue for a change from an ethic of care and dialogue to an ethic of carefulness and nonpossession. I expand these discussions by considering the Jain philosophy of nonharm (ahimsa) in relation to feminist and other theories that advocate noneating of animals, “humane killing,” and “less harm.” Finally, I propose that a feminist appropriation of the Jain concept of nonharm helps us develop a feminist ethic of nonharm to all living beings.
The International Alcohol Control (IAC) Study—Evaluating the Impact of Alcohol Policies
Authors: Casswell Sally , Meier Petra , MacKintosh Anne M. , Brown Abraham , Hastings Gerard , Thamarangsi Thaksaphon , Chaiyasong Surasak , Chun Sungsoo , Huckle Taisia , Wall Martin , You Ru Q.
Published: March 2012

Background:

This paper describes a new multicountry collaborative project to assess the impact of alcohol control policy. Longitudinal surveys of drinkers in a number of participating countries and analysis of the policy context allow for the assessment of change over time within countries and comparison between countries. The design of the study is modeled on the International Tobacco Control study and aims to assess the impact of alcohol policies in different cultural contexts on policy‐related behaviors and alcohol consumption. A survey instrument and protocol for policy analysis have been developed by the initial participating countries: England, Scotland, Thailand, South Korea, and New Zealand. The first round of data collection is scheduled for 2011–2012.

Measurements:

The survey instrument (International Alcohol Control [IAC] survey) measures key policy relevant behaviors: place and time of purchase, amounts purchased and price paid; ease of access to alcohol purchase; alcohol marketing measures; social supply; perceptions of alcohol affordability and availability and salience of price; perceptions of enforcement; people's experiences with specific alcohol restrictions; support for policy and consumption (typical quantity, frequency using beverage and location‐specific measures). The Policy Analysis Protocol (PoLAP) assesses relevant aspects of the policy environment including regulation and implementation.

Results:

It has proved feasible to design instruments to collect detailed data on behaviors relevant to alcohol policy change and to assess the policy environment in different cultural settings.

Conclusions:

In a policy arena in which the interest groups and stakeholders have different perceptions of appropriate policy responses to alcohol‐related harm, a robust methodology to assess the impact of policy will contribute to the debate.
Acute and Long‐Term Purkinje Cell Loss Following a Single Ethanol Binge During the Early Third Trimester Equivalent in the Rat
Authors: Idrus Nirelia M. , Napper Ruth M. A.
Published: March 2012

Background

In the rat, binge‐like ethanol (EtOH) exposure during the early neonatal period (a developmental period equivalent to the human third trimester) can result in a permanent deficit of cerebellar Purkinje cells (Pcells). However, the consequences of a moderate binge alcohol exposure on a single day during this postnatal period have not been established. This is an issue of importance as many pregnant women binge drink periodically at social drinking levels. This study aimed to identify both the acute and long‐term effects of exposure to a single alcohol binge that achieved a mean peak blood EtOH concentration of approximately 250 mg/dl during early postnatal life using a rat model of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders.

Methods

Acute apoptotic Pcell death 10 hours after a moderate dose binge EtOH exposure from postnatal days (PDs) 0 to 10 was assessed using active caspase‐3 immunolabeling. Acute Pcell apoptosis was quantified in cerebellar vermal lobules I–X using the physical disector method. Long‐term effects were assessed at PD 60 using stereological methods to determine total Pcell numbers in the vermis, lobule III, and lobule IX, following a moderate dose binge EtOH exposure at PDs 0, 2, or 4.

Results

Acute apoptosis was induced by EtOH on PDs 1 to 8 in a time and lobular‐dependent manner. For EtOH exposure on PD 2, significant long‐term Pcell loss occurred in lobule III. EtOH exposure on PD 4 resulted in significant long‐term Pcell loss throughout the entire vermis.

Conclusions

These results indicate that a single, early EtOH episode of moderate dose can create significant and permanent Pcell loss in the developing cerebellum.
Pegfilgrastim‐ versus filgrastim‐based autologous hematopoietic stem cell mobilization in the setting of preemptive use of plerixafor: efficacy and cost analysis
Authors: Costa Luciano J. , Kramer Cindy , Hogan Kathy R. , Butcher Coleen D. , Littleton Amanda L. , Shoptaw Katie B. , Kang Yubin , Stuart Robert K.
Published: March 2012

BACKGROUND: Plerixafor enhances the ability of filgrastim (FIL) to mobilize CD34+ cells but adds cost to the mobilization. We hypothesized that replacing weight‐based FIL with flat‐dose pegfilgrastim (PEG) in a validated cost‐based mobilization algorithm for patient‐adapted use of plerixafor would add convenience without increased cost.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: A single‐center retrospective analysis compared two consecutive cohorts undergoing FIL or PEG mobilization before autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for multiple myeloma or lymphoma. FIL dose was 10 µg/kg/day continuing until completion of collection and a 12‐mg flat dose of PEG. Peripheral blood CD34+ cells (PB‐CD34+) enumeration was performed on the fourth day after initiation of growth factor. Subjects surpassing a certain target‐specific threshold of PB‐CD34+ started apheresis immediately while subjects with lower PB‐CD34+ received plerixafor with apheresis starting on the fifth day.

RESULTS: Overall 68 of 74 in the FIL group and 52 of 57 patients in the PEG group met the mobilization target. Only one patient in each cohort required remobilization. Median PB‐CD34+ on Day 4 was significantly higher in patients in the PEG group (18.1 × 106 vs. 28.7 × 106 cells/L, p = 0.01). Consequently, patients in the PEG group were less likely to require administration of plerixafor (67.5% vs. 45.6%, p = 0.01). Cohorts had near identical mean number of apheresis sessions and comparable CD34+ yield. The estimated cost associated with growth factor was higher in patients in the PEG group, but it was counterbalanced by lower cost associated with use of plerixafor.

CONCLUSION: Single administration of 12 mg of PEG is associated with better CD34+ mobilization than FIL allowing for effective, convenient mobilization with less frequent use of plerixafor.
Foundational Issues in Risk Assessment and Risk Management
Authors: Aven Terje
Published: March 2012

In spite of the maturity reached by many of the methods used in risk assessment and risk management, broad consensus has not been established on fundamental concepts and principles. The risk fields still suffer from a lack of clarity on many key scientific pillars. The purpose of this article is to point to this situation and through some illustrating examples discuss the challenges that the fields here face. Moreover, the purpose of the article is to reflect on how to improve the present situation and enhance the risk fields. We argue that the establishment of some common scientific pillars as well as a strong and continuous research focus on foundational issues are critical success factors. The article specifically addresses the role of the peer‐reviewed journals and the international standards in the fields. We hope that the article can contribute to a revitalization of the discussion of foundational issues in risk assessment and risk management.
What If the Church Really is the Body of Christ?
Authors: Nessan Craig L.
Published: March 2012

Abstract:  What does it mean to claim that the church is the body of Christ? Following the lead of the New Testament, Bonhoeffer, Jenson, and Hauerwas, this article articulates how the church becomes the body of Christ through the narrative of Scripture and the practices of worship. As Jesus Christ has a distinctive character, so also the body of Christ has a distinctive character. This character is described through the four classical marks of the church—one, holy, catholic, apostolic. These notae ecclesiae are to be interpreted not only in relation to the inner constitution of the church but ethically in relation to the church's calling to be “shalom church” for the life of the world in peacemaking, doing justice, caring for creation, and defending human dignity. Particular communal practices that embody this character are proposed for the life of the church.
Images of Suffering in Augustine and Luther
Authors: Drever Matthew
Published: March 2012

Abstract:  This article examines how images of suffering are interpreted in Augustine and Luther, using their recommendations on meditations on the suffering Christ as a case study. Augustine and Luther are ambivalent about how such images mold religious experience. On the one hand, Augustine cautions that they can distort human affections, while Luther warns that they can deceive the mind. On the other hand, meditations on images of the suffering Christ can contribute to a Christian spiritual practice that builds faith.
Mineralogical and Optical Characterization of SiO2‐, N‐, and SiO2/N‐Co‐Doped Titania Nanopowders
Authors: Tobaldi David M. , Gao Lian , Gualtieri Alessandro F. , Škapin Andrijana Sever , Tucci Antonella , Giacobbe Carlotta
Published: March 2012

Silica, nitrogen, and nitrogen‐plus‐silica co‐doped titania powders were synthesized via sol–gel method. The products of the synthesis were thermally treated in air and under ammonia flow. The determination of Si and/or N into the TiO2 lattice, and the doped samples' crystal structure, was made by means of X‐ray powder diffraction, whilst the occurrence of amorphous phase was obtained using the combined Rietveld‐RIR method. The optical properties of the powders were obtained by diffuse reflectance spectroscopy and their energy band gaps were calculated using the differential reflectance method. The photocatalytic activity of the doped samples was assessed in gas phase under UV‐light and visible‐light irradiation, monitoring the degradation of an organic compound. In addition, the morphology of the samples was further on characterized by means of HRTEM. Nitrogen, silica, and co‐doping shifted the anatase‐to‐rutile (A → R) phase transition toward higher temperatures. Silica was found to enter the anatase lattice, and nitrogen was presumed to enter the titania crystal structure as well. Nitrogen doping and SiO2/N‐co‐doping shifted the light absorption toward the visible region.
Nouveau paradigme du progrès économique et social dans les réseaux de production mondiaux
Authors: BARRIENTOS Stephanie , GEREFFI Gary , ROSSI Arianna
Published: March 2012

Une question essentielle relative à la promotion du travail décent dans le monde est de savoir comment améliorer la position des entreprises et des travailleurs dans les chaînes de valeur et les réseaux de production mondiaux, où règnent les entreprises de premier rang. Les auteurs développent un cadre pour analyser les liens entre le progrès économique des entreprises et le progrès social des travailleurs. Ils étudient des exemples où la croissance des entreprises n'entraîne pas nécessairement des améliorations pour les travailleurs, notamment dans l'industrie de l'habillement au Maroc. Ils mettent en évidence différentes trajectoires afin de mieux appréhender la relation entre le progrès économique et les avancées sociales.
The effectiveness of integrated care for patients with hand eczema: results of a randomized, controlled trial
Authors: van Gils Robin F. , Boot Cécile R. L. , Knol Dirk L. , Rustemeyer Thomas , van Mechelen Willem , van der Valk Pieter G. M. , Anema Johannes R.
Published: March 2012

Objectives. To evaluate the effectiveness of integrated, multidisciplinary care as compared with usual care for patients with moderate to severe, chronic hand eczema after 26 weeks of follow‐up.

Background. This study was designed as a randomized, controlled trial.

Methods. Patients who visited one of the participating hospitals were randomized to integrated care or usual care. Integrated care was carried out by a multidisciplinary team, and integrated clinical and occupational care to optimize treatment, and the patient's quality of life and social functioning. Outcome variables were clinical assessment of hand eczema with the Hand Eczema Severity Index (HECSI) (primary outcome), quality of life, patient's global assessment of hand eczema, and sick leave.

Results. Average improvement on the HECSI was 22.4 points in the intervention group and 11.7 points in the control group. The mean difference in improvement on the HECSI between both groups after 26 weeks was 10.7 points in favour of the integrated care group (standard error 5.3, 95% confidence interval 0.3–21.1, p = 0.044). No differences in improvement between the groups were found for any of the other outcomes.

Conclusions. The integrated care programme significantly improved clinical outcome measures as compared with usual care, and was effective for treating patients with chronic hand eczema.
‘Calibration’ of our patch test reading technique is necessary
Authors: Svedman Cecilia , Isaksson Marlene , Björk Jonas , Mowitz Martin , Bruze Magnus
Published: March 2012

Background. Patch testing has been used for more than 100 years as the best means to diagnose contact allergy. The increased use of the technique makes standardization of the methodology most important. Progress in the standardization of the patch test technique has been made through guidelines.

Objectives. To investigate the intra‐individual and inter‐individual differences in reading of patch tests in order to validate the actual patch test reading when reading is performed according to the same guidelines, and to determine whether information on guidelines actually improves the outcome of the patch test readings

Patients/materials/methods. A patch test course for dermatologists was performed. Volunteers were patch tested with irritants and allergens in different concentrations. The patch test reader did not know what substances had been tested.

Results. Irritant reactions/doubtful reactions and weak allergic reactions are difficult to differentiate (accordance for these reactions 21%, 19%, and 44%). Information and education have a beneficial effect on results, as shown by an improved kappa value.

Conclusions. Standardization of patch test reading is important. Information on the classification system resulted in a significant improvement. Interpretation of guidelines should be continuously evaluated.
Beyond the browse line: complex cascade effects mediated by white‐tailed deer
Authors: Bressette James W. , Beck Harald , Beauchamp Vanessa B.
Published: March 2012

In many ecosystems, browsing of large mammals can affect plant species compositions. However, much less is known about potential above‐ and below‐ground trophic interactions of large browsing mammals. This study focused on the direct and indirect effects of browsing on trophic and abiotic interactions within forest ecosystems. To quantify above‐ and below‐ground cascade effects, white‐tailed deer have been excluded for over 18 years from three 4‐ha plots, which were paired with same sized deer access plots. Our results demonstrate complex direct and indirect cascade effects on forest food webs. Deer exclusion directly altered woody species composition and significantly increased shrub and sapling density. Above‐ground cascade effects include greater leaf litter accumulation and higher arthropod density and biomass within the exclosures. Below‐ground indirect effects include significant decrease in soil nutrients, and higher arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal inoculum potential in the exclosures. Because ecosystems have finite resource availability, high deer density may imbalance the system by redirecting resources toward maintaining deer biomass at the expense of multiple trophic levels throughout the forest community. Both complex bottom up and top down trophic cascade effects demonstrated largely unidirectional negative responses suggesting that high deer density has reduced the biodiversity of the forest community.
Survival and neurodevelopmental outcome of ELBW children at 5 years of age
Authors: Jonsdottir Gudrun Maria , Georgsdottir Ingibjorg , Haraldsson Asgeir , Hardardottir Hildur , Thorkelsson Thordur , Dagbjartsson Atli
Published: March 2012

Aim:  To examine survival and outcome of extremely low‐birth‐weight (ELBW) children (birth weight < 1000 g) in two 5‐year periods, 10 years apart.

Methods:  In a retrospective population‐based study, information on all ELBW children born in Iceland in 1991–1995 and in 2001–2005 was obtained from the National Birth Registry, hospital charts and medical records. The two periods were compared.

Results:  In 1991–1995, 102 of 22.261 newborn children (0.5%) were extremely low birth weight compared with 70 of 20.923 newborns (0.33%) in 2001–2005 (p = 0.04). At 5 years of age, 52% (35/67) of live‐born children born in 1991–1995 were alive compared with 63% (31/49) of children born in 2001 – 2005 (p = 0.2). Six ELBW children (17%) born 1991–1995 were diagnosed with disabilities at 5 years of age, three with major neurodevelopmental disabilities compared with six (19%) born 2001–2005, thereof one with severe neurodevelopmental disabilities (p = 0.57).

Conclusion:  The incidence of childhood disabilities in ELBW children in Iceland remains stable despite an increase in survival rate. The severity of neurodevelopmental disabilities has decreased.
The Association Between Remarriage and HIV Infection in 13 Sub‐Saharan African Countries
Authors: de Walque Damien , Kline Rachel
Published: March 2012

Separated, divorced, and widowed individuals in Africa are at significantly increased risk for HIV infection. Using nationally representative data from 13 sub‐Saharan African countries, this study confirms that finding and goes further by examining those who have experienced a marital dissolution and are now remarried. Results show that remarried individuals form a large portion of the population and have a higher‐than‐average HIV prevalence. HIV‐positive remarried individuals are at risk of transmitting the infection to their spouse, because many of the couples are serodiscordant. The large number of high‐risk remarried individuals is a source of vulnerability and further infection, and should be acknowledged and taken into account by prevention strategies that rarely address this population.
Abortion Incidence and Postabortion Care in Rwanda
Authors: Basinga Paulin , Moore Ann M. , Singh Susheela D. , Carlin Elizabeth E. , Birungi Francine , Ngabo Fidele
Published: March 2012

Abortion is illegal in Rwanda except when necessary to protect a woman's physical health or to save her life. Many women in Rwanda obtain unsafe abortions, and some experience health complications as a result. To estimate the incidence of induced abortion, we conducted a national sample survey of health facilities that provide postabortion care and a purposive sample survey of key informants knowledgeable about abortion conditions. We found that more than 16,700 women received care for complications resulting from induced abortion in Rwanda in 2009, or 7 per 1,000 women aged 15–44. Approximately 40 percent of abortions are estimated to lead to complications requiring treatment, but about a third of those who experienced a complication did not obtain treatment. Nationally, the estimated induced abortion rate is 25 abortions per 1,000 women aged 15–44, or approximately 60,000 abortions annually. An urgent need exists in Rwanda to address unmet need for contraception, to strengthen family planning services, to broaden access to legal abortion, and to improve postabortion care.
A preliminary report of the cost‐effectiveness of tooth replacement strategies for partially dentate elders
Authors: McKenna Gerald , Allen P Finbarr , Woods Noel , O’Mahony Denis , DaMata Cristiane , Cronin Michael , Normand Charles
Published: March 2012

doi: 10.1111/j.1741‐2358.2012.00665.x

A preliminary report of the cost‐effectiveness of tooth replacement strategies for partially dentate elders

Objective:  To compare the cost‐effectiveness of conventional treatment using partial dentures with functionally orientated treatment to replace missing teeth for partially dentate elders using a randomised controlled clinical trial.

Background:  In many countries, including the Republic of Ireland, the only publically funded treatment option offered to partially dentate older patients is a removable partial denture. However, evidence suggests that these removable prostheses are unpopular with patients and can potentially increase the risk of further dental disease and subsequent tooth loss.

Materials and Methods:  Fourty‐four partially dentate patients aged 65 years and older were recruited. Patients were randomly assigned to the two treatment arms of the study. The conventional treatment group received removable partial dentures to replace all missing natural teeth. The functionally orientated group was restored to a Shortened Dental Arch (SDA) of 10 occluding contacts using resin‐bonded bridgework (RBB). The costs associated with each treatment were recorded. Effectiveness was measured in terms of the impact on oral health‐related quality of life (OHRQoL) using OHIP‐14.

Results:  Both groups reported improvements in OHRQoL 1 month after completion of treatment. The conventional treatment group required 8.3 clinic visits as compared to 4.4 visits for the functionally orientated group. The mean total treatment time was 183 min 19 s for the conventional group vs. 124 min 8 s for the functionally orientated group. The average cost of treatment for the conventional group was 487.74 Euros compared to 356.20 Euros for the functional group.

Conclusions:  Functionally orientated treatment was more cost‐effective than conventional treatment in terms of treatment effect and opportunity costs to the patients’ time.
TRANSNATIONAL LABOR AND AESTHETIC THEORY IN URSULA BIEMANN'S GEOBODIES VIDEO ESSAYS
Authors: Musiol Hanna
Published: March 2012

In her Geobodies video essay projects—Performing the Border, about the feminization of labor in Ciudad Juarez on the U.S.–Mexico border; Remote Sensing, about transnational sex labor markets; and Sahara Chronicle, about labor migration in Africa and Europe—Ursula Biemann challenges the ways in which transnational labor migrations are apprehended in separate disciplines, social sciences, art, and mass media. Biemann's contribution to the global labor discourse lies in the striking extradisciplinarity of her projects and the attention she brings to the very “work” of discourse that accounts for the diverse conditions under which human bodies travel and labor worldwide. Her video projects show not only that human labor, flows of capital, policy issues, and geographic circumstances are all interrelated and interdependent, but that disciplinary, representational codes which obscure their own subjectivities and biases, effectively wipe out entire regions, populations, and forms of labor from collective consciousness. In her experiments in video and text, Biemann recovers the work of gendered and/or non‐Western subjects, illuminating how marginalized transnational laborers transform the social and material spaces they inhabit despite great political and economic odds. Moreover, Biemann recognizes the significance of often ignored kinds of labor–domestic, sexual, illegal, artistic. Finally, she demonstrates that aesthetic theory (and practice) can play a vital role as a labor discourse that produces new topographies of transnational labor.
“WE ARE THE PLANET”: INCIPIENT SOLIDARITIES IN RUSSELL BANKS'S CONTINENTAL DRIFT
Authors: Entin Joseph
Published: March 2012

This essay explores the way writers address the formation and fate of the contemporary American working class in an age of neoliberal globalization. Specifically, the essay examines Russell Banks's 1985 novel Continental Drift, which interweaves the stories of two characters who pull up stakes and head to Florida in search of a better life: an oil furnace repair man from New Hampshire and a young, single mother from Haiti. In bringing together these two narratives, Banks's novel insists that the story of the White, U.S. working class in an increasingly post‐industrial, globalized era is also a story of the hemispheric, migratory underclass, composed in large part by poor people of color. Following the fate of questing workers in an ultimately fruitless search for well‐being and wealth, Continental Drift stresses the urgency of class consciousness in a neoliberal world, even as it finally insists that the historic legacies and still ongoing dynamics of slavery, colonialism, and the geographically and culturally uneven dimensions of capitalist development make such consciousness in and of itself insufficient to establish a sense of solidarity among laboring peoples from disparate racial and national contexts.
Variations in Tantalum Carbide Microstructures with Changing Carbon Content
Authors: Morris Robert A. , Wang Billie , Butts Daniel , Thompson Gregory B.
Published: March 2012

A wide variety of microstructures have been obtained by vacuum plasma spraying (VPS) 39Ta:61C atomic percent feedstock powders. During processing, the powder feed was fed through a high energy VPS plasma plume, where altering nozzle angle changed the overall retained carbon concentration in the deposited material. The samples were subsequently sintered and hot isostatic pressed to homogenize and consolidate the microstructure. The microstructures consisted of grains that were either equiaxed or acicular. In the samples with less carbon loss, the equiaxed grains were either the TaC phase or a TaC matrix that encased fine laths of Ta4C3. In the sample with the most carbon loss, acicular grains were found containing layered and parallel TaC, Ta2C, and Ta4C3 laths along the major‐axis of the grains. The phases of the compounds have been determined by using complimentary X‐ray diffraction and electron diffraction techniques. Focused ion beam serial sectioning and transmission electron microscopy tilt series tomography were performed to generate three‐dimensional reconstructions of the microstructure morphologies. This article addresses how tantalum carbide microstructures are controlled by the overall concentration and phase fraction content in each of these samples.
Application of Design of the Experiment in Preliminary Investigations on the end Milling of Low Temperature Co‐fired Ceramics
Authors: Jurków Dominik , Golonka Leszek
Published: March 2012

The formation of three‐dimensional shapes is one of the most important technological steps in low temperature co‐fired ceramics (LTCC) process. Channels and chambers qualities and the process speed are strongly affected by the shaping procedure. There are three main machining techniques: laser cutting, punching, and milling. This article is dedicated to end milling process of LTCC tapes. The determined PS/DK 23 experiment design was used in the investigations and its procedure is described in this article. The used procedure is a very flexible method to achieve much useful information about the influence of the process parameters on the output. The PS/DK 23 experiment design enables analysis of the influence of: the three input parameters on the output (minimal obtained feature) and the interaction between the input parameters on the output (minimal obtained feature). Moreover, PS/DK 23 experiment design enables to obtain the mathematical model of the milling process and to decrease the number of measurements demanded to achieve the correct model. Hence, the design is suitable to decrease the time and costs of the experiment. The influence of the following input parameters: spindle rotational speed, spindle feed rate, vertical spindle step, and cutter diameter on minimal obtained feature of LTCC tapes is analyzed in this article.
New fossil evidence of the early diversification of scarabs:Alloioscarabaeus cheni(Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea) from the Middle Jurassic of Inner Mongolia, China
Authors: Bai Ming , Ahrens Dirk , Yang Xing‐Ke , Ren Dong
Published: March 2012

Abstract Scarabaeoidea are known from the Lower Jurassic and may have originated in the Triassic based on fossil evidence and phylogenetic research. However, the early diversification of Scarabaeoidea remains unclear due to the lack of high‐quality fossil evidence. Here we describe an exceptionally well‐preserved new fossil of Scarabaeoidea,Alloioscarabaeus chenigen.etsp. nov from the Middle Jurassic Jiulongshan Formation of Inner Mongolia, China. Based on a morphometric analysis using 17 landmarks of the hind wing ofAlloioscarabaeusand 10 scarabaeoid families, we found thatAlloioscarabaeus chenigen.etsp. nov clearly does not belong to any of the known scarabaeoid families and, consequently, is a new family, Alloioscarabaeidae fam. nov., was erected. The discovery ofAlloioscarabaeusbrought further evidence for the early diversification of major scarab lineages which could allow more detail in the palaeobiogeography of the Scarabaeoidea and Northeast of China which might be one of the originating places or an important radiation place during the evolution of Scarabaeoidea. Alloioscarabaeidae were very likely not good diggers and might have fed on decaying organic materials. Based on the evidence we have now, we tend to believe that most families and some subfamilies of Scarabaeoidea were present in the Jurassic period.
A Combined Study Using Ligand‐Based Design, Synthesis, and Pharmacological Evaluation of Analogues of the Acetaminophen Ortho‐Regioisomer with Potent Analgesic Activity
Authors: Queiroz Luana M. D. , Rocha Josmar R. , Leitão Andrei , Montanari Carlos A. , da Silva Albérico B. F. , Sousa Pergentino J. C. , Borges Rosivaldo S.
Published: March 2012

A ligand‐based drug design study was performed to acetaminophen regioisomers as analgesic candidates employing quantum chemical calculations at the DFT/B3LYP level of theory and the 6‐31G* basis set. To do so, many molecular descriptors were used such as highest occupied molecular orbital, ionization potential, H–O bond dissociation energies, and spin densities, which might be related to quench reactivity of the tyrosyl radical to give N‐acetyl‐p‐benzosemiquinone‐imine through an initial electron withdrawing or hydrogen atom abstraction. Based on this in silico work, the most promising molecule, orthobenzamol, was synthesized and tested. The results expected from the theoretical prediction were confirmed in vivo using mouse models of nociception such as writhing, paw licking, and hot plate tests. All biological results suggested an antinociceptive activity mediated by opioid receptors. Furthermore, at 90 and 120 min, this new compound had an effect that was comparable to morphine, the standard drug for this test. Finally, the pharmacophore model is discussed according to the electronic properties derived from quantum chemistry calculations.
Potential Selective Inhibitors against Rv0183 of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Targeting Host Lipid Metabolism
Authors: Saravanan Parameswaran , Dubey Vikash Kumar , Patra Sanjukta
Published: March 2012

Tuberculosis is the second leading infectious killer with 9 million new cases in 2009. Extensive use of pathogen’s lipid metabolism especially in utilizing the host lipids and virulence highlights the importance of exported lipid‐catabolizing enzymes. Current study aims to emphasize the importance of Rv0183, an exported monoacylglycerol lipase, involved in metabolizing the host cell membrane lipids. Sequence analysis and homology modeling shows Rv0183 is highly conserved throughout mycobacterial species even in Mycobacterium leprae and also significantly divergent from mammalian lipases. Additionally, employing virtual screening using NCI diversity set and ZINC database with criteria of molecules with higher predicted free energy of binding toward Rv0183 than human lipase, potential inhibitors have been identified for Rv0183. A tautomer of ZINC13451138, known inhibitor for HIV‐1 integrase is the best hit with difference in free energy of binding of 8.72 kcal/mol. The sequence and structure analysis were helpful in identifying the ligand binding sites and molecular function of the mycobacterial specific monoacylglycerol lipase. Rv0183 represents a suitable and promising drug target and is also a step towards understanding dormancy development and reactivation, thereby addressing pathogen’s drug resistance. Experimental studies on the discovered potential inhibitors in this virtual screen should further validate the therapeutic utility of Rv0183.
Spatial pattern analysis of entomopathogenic and other free‐living nematodes at landscape scales
Authors: PARK Jung‐Joon
Published: March 2012

Spatial patterns of entomopathogenic and other free‐living nematode populations were analyzed at the landscape scale. Free‐living bacterial feeder populations can be classified into trophic groups based on their functional and life history characteristics. Differences in life history traits were hypothesized to result in different spatial structures of populations. Spatial autocorrelations (Moran's I index) and exponential variogram models were calculated and estimated for each trophic group, including entomopathogenic nematodes, and comparisons were made among them. Spatial autocorrelation results showed that the spatial structure of entomopathogenic nematode populations is similar to that of relatively r‐selected free‐living bacterial feeders, which share several life history traits with entomopathogenic nematodes.
Experience of recovery from a first‐episode psychosis
Authors: Eisenstadt Paula , Monteiro Vera B. , Diniz Matheus J.A. , Chaves Ana C.
Published: March 2012

Aim: To understand the subjective factors involved in the recovery process following a first‐episode psychosis.

Method: Sixteen individuals from a First Episode Program in São Paulo, Brazil were evaluated by a semistructured interview designed to elicit an in‐depth narrative of participants' subjective experience of recovery after a first‐episode psychosis. Eligibility was established by using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM‐IV Axis I Disorders. The interviews were recorded, the transcripts were coded and themes were grouped together to form conceptual categories.

Results: The participants described the recovery course as a slow and gradual process. Improvement was perceived as based on a decrease or absence of psychotic symptoms, changes in social relationships, renewed autonomy and independence, and restoration of self‐reliance and trust in others.

Conclusions: Recovering after a first‐episode psychosis can be considered a complex process correlated with treatment, social support, and individual experiences and characteristics. These are important areas to be addressed in first psychotic psychosis interventions, and gains can probably only be obtained in specialized first‐episode psychosis programmes.
Reflections of young people who have had a first episode of psychosis: what attracted them to use alcohol and illicit drugs?
Authors: Archie Suzanne , Boydell Katherine M. , Stasiulis Elaine , Volpe Tiziana , Gladstone Brenda M.
Published: March 2012

Aim: To identify factors that contribute to the initiation of alcohol and street drug use from the perspective of people who were enrolled in early intervention programmes for a first episode of psychosis.

Method: Eight focus groups were conducted involving an average of four to six participants per group, with each group consisting of young people who met provincial inclusion criteria for early intervention programmes. Thematic analysis was used to systematically code transcripts from the focus groups for concepts, patterns and themes related to early use of illicit substances.

Results: Participants included 45 young people diagnosed with affective psychosis or non‐affective spectrum disorders. Seventy‐three per cent were male, with a median age of 23 years. In general, substance use was an important topic that emerged across all focus groups. Participants talked about three main factors attracting them to initiate use of substances, most predominantly cannabis: (i) using within a social context; (ii) using as a self‐medication strategy; and (iii) using to alter their perceptions.

Conclusions: The need for social relationships, coping strategies and pleasurable experiences appear to be important reasons for initiating substance use. Additional research is needed to identify whether prodromal youth report the same factors that attract them to initiate use in order to develop more effective prevention strategies.
Proteomics: present and future in fish, shellfish and seafood
Authors: Zhou Xuxia , Ding Yuting , Wang Yanbo
Published: March 2012

The aim of proteomics is to simultaneously resolve all potential proteins expressed by a cell, tissue or organism in a specific physiological condition. It will allow scientists to build and test better hypotheses, with the ultimate goal to find better solutions to challenges in agricultural sciences, medicine and environmental management. Recent and very promising applications of proteomics have also been provided in the field of aquaculture, such as the search for antigenic proteins, the detection of differentially regulated proteins and the characterization of biologically active proteins primarily to investigate the physiology, development biology and impact of contaminants in aquatic organisms. Thus, a brief overview of present classical proteomics methodology (electrophoresis and mass spectrometry) is presented, and the proteome technique will be focused in the context of applications beneficial to the field of fish, shellfish and seafood/seafood product. In addition, the future potential application and challenge of proteomics in aquaculture will also be discussed.