bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Auditory Space, Ethics and Hospitality: ‘Noise’, Alterity and Care at the End of Life
Authors: Gunaratnam Yasmin
Published: December 2009

This article examines the limits and potential of hospitality through struggles over auditory space in care at the end of life. Drawing upon empirical research and a nurse’s account of noisy mourning in a multicultural hospice ward, I argue that the insurgent force of noise as corporeal generosity can produce impossible dilemmas for care, while also provoking surprising ethical relations and potentialities. Derrida’s ideas about the aporias of the gift and absolute responsibility are used to make sense of the pushy generosity of alterity as it is made to matter through sound.
Social Synaesthesia: Expressive Bodies, Embodied Charisma
Authors: Freund Peter E.S.
Published: December 2009

This article introduces the notion of social synaesthesia as a means of theorizing about mindbody—society relationships. Following a brief discussion of synaesthesia, the concept of social synaesthesia is developed. This concept is then illustrated using photic (light) experiences among devotees in a religious group. It is argued that these experiences illustrate the materialization or embodiment of the experience of charisma in a leader’s presence. It is also suggested that such experiences are more intense and vivid forms of the quotidian tendency to ‘make the word flesh’ — that is, express cognitive-emotional experiences in a physical idiom. Bioagency (as a locus of embodied charisma) is then discussed as the process through which the ‘word is made flesh’. The conclusion argues that just as synaesthetic experiences point to an interpenetration and melding of sensory modalities and challenge mindbody dualism, social synaesthesia calls into question mindbody/social dualisms. Finally, such experiences are seen as more vivid and intense forms of ordinary human capacities.
‘All of us have taken gombo’
Authors: Ndangam Lilian
Published: December 2009

Within Cameroonian journalism, the term gombo is a popular metaphor for various payments, freebies and rewards solicited by journalists and provided by different news actors to journalists. The ultimate aim of giving gombo is to influence what and who is covered, and how they are covered. The categories of gombo, the contexts in which it is solicited and the hierarchies it has evolved point to a culture of patronage that is constantly being defined, shaped and reshaped by both journalists and patrons. Detailing its varied dimensions and illustrating its modus operandi, this article argues that gombo articulates the challenge of media liberalization and pluralism (as prescribed by liberal democracy) in an environment of severe economic crisis (occasioned by various structural adjustment policies) and rampant corruption. The result is the institutionalization of a patronage system, which, in challenging the profession’s codes of ethics and its credibility with the public, simultaneously accords journalists an entitlement to economic privileges deemed unavailable to them. At stake is equally the definition of what journalism is and the media’s role in Cameroon’s democratic transition.
Rejecting the ‘F-word’
Authors: North Louise
Published: December 2009

Feminist media scholarship in the past 30 years has focused on the representation of women in the media while an understanding of those who produce the representations has received little attention. In this article I am concerned with how some Australian journalists understand and experience the social/political movement of feminism and its advocates, feminists, as news sources and colleagues. I particularly focus on fleshing out how female journalists and those who identify as feminist discuss, negotiate, compromise and sometimes ‘survive’ a masculine newsroom culture. Moreover, I ask why it is that male and female journalists in my interviews — feminist-identified or not — resist or reject embracing or using the terms ‘feminism’ and ‘feminist’ in the context of the newsroom. A decade ago, Kay Schaffer astutely noted that feminism had become a ‘scare word’ in media discourse. I take this idea a step further by analysing more broadly how some journalists talk about ‘feminism’ and ‘feminists’.
Framing the War on Terror
Authors: Reese Stephen D. , Lewis Seth C.
Published: December 2009

The War on Terror was the label assigned by the Bush administration to its national security policy, launched in response to the attacks of 9/11. The cultural construction and political rationale supporting this slogan represent a powerful organizing principle that has become a widely accepted framing, laying the groundwork for the invasion of Iraq. We examine this framing where its sponsors intersect with US journalism, as illustrated by news texts. Broadly, we examine trends in how news reports refer to the War on Terror and provide an interpretive analysis of stories in USA Today. From the period of September 2001 to early 2006, these news texts suggest that the frame was internalized by the US press. News and editorial reports went beyond ‘transmitting’ the label as shorthand for administration policy, to ‘reify’ the policy as uncontested, and ‘naturalize’ it as a taken-for-granted common-sense notion.
National Cultures and Organisations in Search of a Theory
Authors: d'Iribarne Philippe
Published: December 2009

The idea of a national culture is generally challenged by those using an interpretative approach. They argue that, within a given society, one comes across rival definitions of reality. But it is possible to present a theory enabling us to take into consideration what is diverse and changing as well as what is shared and stable. We will base our demonstration on empirical research related to the US and France. We will be referring to two main ideas. On the one hand, within one country, a core concern is at the heart of social existence. On the other, people, using very diverse ways, strive to find forms of organisation as well as representations that enable their members to cope with this concern. In the US, reference to the contract is pivotal, whereas in France, the main reference would be to one’s ‘ métier ’.
The Cultural Metaphoric Method
Authors: Gannon Martin J.
Published: December 2009

This article describes, analyzes, and critiques the cultural metaphoric method. It also compares briefly the strengths and weaknesses of the bi-polar or dimensional method and the cultural metaphoric method. A cultural metaphor is any activity, phenomenon, or institution which all or most members of an ethnic or national culture consider important and with which they identify closely both intellectually and emotionally (Gannon, 2004; Gannon and Pillai, 2009). Each cultural metaphor is derived inductively using grounded theory (Glaser and Strauss, 1967; see also Gannon and Audia, 2000). The article begins with a description of grounded theory, followed by a description of the cultural metaphoric method, an analysis of it, and a critique addressing some major issues. The focus of this article is on national cultures, although the method can be used to provide insight into ethnic cultures within and across nations and clusters of national cultures.
Having a father with young onset dementia
Authors: Allen Jacqui , Oyebode Jan R. , Allen Joanne
Published: December 2009

In the UK, it is estimated that there are over 16,000 people under 65 years with dementia. These people often have children still living at home and previous research indicates that 75% of parents report that their children have suffered psychological or emotional problems as a consequence of a parent having dementia. This study interviewed 12 participants aged 13 to 23 years, whose father had younger onset dementia. Grounded theory methodology identified five major themes: damage of dementia, reconfiguration of relationships, caring, strain and coping. An overarching theme of one day at a time, reflecting a response to the perception of severe threats in the future, appeared to run throughout the young people’s experiences. It is suggested that the emergent grounded theory has some similarity to stress-process models of caregiving with distinctive features arising from the interaction of young onset dementia and the developmental stage of the young people.
Burnout among care staff for older adults with dementia
Authors: Duffy Brigid , Oyebode Jan R. , Allen Joanne
Published: December 2009

People working in the helping professions have been found to be vulnerable to the development of burnout and research has suggested a relationship between dementia care and burnout. Literature suggests that the development of burnout may be linked to a number of factors, including lack of reciprocity, low self-efficacy and organizational factors. The study explored burnout in staff for older people with dementia and examined the roles of reciprocity, self-efficacy and organizational factors and aimed to identify which of these variables was the greatest predictor of burnout. Sixty—one members of staff in continuing care homes for people with dementia completed self-report questionnaires. Self-efficacy was found to be the greatest predictor of burnout. Findings from the study also emphasized the connections of reciprocity, occupational commitment, demographic factors and self-efficacy with burnout. The clinical implications of the study, methodological considerations and recommendations for future research are discussed.
View of life in persons with dementia
Authors: Westius Anders , Andersson Lars , Kallenberg Kjell
Published: December 2009

Objective: To study the view of life in dementia. The view of life of an individual is defined as a conception of reality, a central system of values and a basic emotional attitude.

Method: Interviews with persons ( N = 21) with mild to moderate dementia of the Alzheimer’s type. The interview data were interpreted with a phenomenological hermeneutical method.

Results: Despite their cognitive deterioration it was possible to understand the view of life of the participants in the frame of their life story. Their view of life seemed to guide them towards selecting mainly emotionally powerful and value-oriented memories. No exceptional characteristics that could be traced to their dementia disease were found in the participants’ views of life.

Conclusions: The view of life of the participants with mild to moderate dementia was vital for their life story and was not erased by dementia.

Implications: In order to respect people with dementia as persons, caregivers should strive for gaining some knowledge of their view of life.
Predictors of quality of life for individuals with dementia
Authors: Menne Heather L. , Judge Katherine S. , Whitlatch Carol J.
Published: December 2009

Although a growing number of investigations examine the lived experience of individuals with dementia (IWDs), few draw upon a conceptual model to explore inter-relationships among background characteristics, stressors, and outcomes (Menne, 2006). This study is guided by a conceptual model that draws upon the broader stress literature to examine predictors of IWD quality of life. Relying primarily on IWD self-reported data (n = 211), multivariate ordinary least squares regression analysis was used to determine the predictors of IWDs’ quality of life. Results indicate that IWDs who report poorer quality of life are more likely to be African-American, have a non-spousal caregiver, have more depressive symptoms, be less involved in daily decision-making, and have more negative strain with their caregiver. These findings are discussed in the context of current and practical interventions that address the strengths and needs of IWDs and their family caregivers.
Issues With Replicating Results in Sports Economics
Authors: Winfree Jason A.
Published: December 2009

This article illustrates the difficulty of replicating results in the area of sports economics. This article gives three different examples that seem straightforward, but are actually quite difficult to replicate. Furthermore, the evidence suggests that the discrepancies are not due to human error. It is argued that the differences in results are due to differences in computing power over time, differences in statistical programs, or slight differences in available data. This gives evidence that researchers should be somewhat skeptical of any single empirical study.
Problems With Data on the Sport Industry
Authors: Humphreys Brad R. , Ruseski Jane E.
Published: December 2009

Estimating the size of the sport industry is an important exercise. Unlike other industries, the sport industry extends across the usual classifications of economic activity included in national income and product accounts (NIPAs) and includes mass participation in sport and watching, listening, and following sport competitions on various media. Data from each of these areas have problems that make it difficult to accurately estimate the size of the sport industry.
Employee Engagement and HRD: A Seminal Review of the Foundations
Authors: Shuck Brad , Wollard Karen
Published: December 2009

The term employee engagement has gained considerable popularity in the past 20 years yet it remains inconsistently defined and conceptualized. Although much has been written on the subject, little rigorous academic research has been done. This gap has resulted in a disjointed approach to understanding and developing strategies around employee engagement within organizations. This article explores the development of employee engagement through a historical lens using an integrated literature review to define and situate the concept within the HRD field by systematically reviewing and organizing literature across various disciplines and fields of study. Seminal works on the topic were identified and reviewed to gain an understanding of the topic’s development.A working definition is proposed and implications for theory, scholarship, and organizational practice are discussed.
The Effects of Treadmill Exercise Training on Hip Bone Density and Tibial Bone Geometry in Stroke Survivors: A Pilot Study
Authors: Pang Marco Y. C. , Lau Ricky W. K.
Published: December 2009

Background. Individuals with stroke often sustain bone loss on the hemiparetic side and are prone to fragility fractures. Exercise training may be a viable way to promote bone mineral density (BMD) and geometry in this population. Objective. This was a pilot study to evaluate the effects of a 6-month treadmill exercise program on hip BMD and tibial bone geometry in chronic stroke survivors. Methods. Twenty-one individuals with chronic stroke, with a mean age of 64.5 years and mean poststroke duration of 8.3 years participated in the study. The treatment group underwent a treadmill gait exercise program (two 1-hour sessions per week for 6 months), whereas the control group participated in their usual self-selected activities in the community. The primary outcomes were hip BMD and bone geometry of the midshaft tibia on the paretic side, whereas the secondary outcomes were gait velocity, endurance, leg muscle strength, balance self-efficacy, and physical activity level. Mann-Whitney U tests were used to compare the change in all outcome variables between the 2 groups after treatment. Results. Significant between-group differences in change scores of tibial cortical thickness ( P = .016), endurance ( P = .029), leg muscle strength on the paretic side ( P < .001) and nonparetic side ( P < .001), balance self-efficacy ( P = .016), and physical activity level ( P = .023) were found. Conclusion . The treadmill exercise program induced a modest improvement in tibial bone geometry in individuals with chronic stroke. Further studies are required to explore the optimal training protocol for promoting favorable changes in bone parameters following stroke.
Predictive and Reactive Control of Precision Grip in Children With Congenital Hemiplegia
Authors: Bleyenheuft Yannick , Thonnard Jean-Louis
Published: December 2009

Background and Objectives . Grasping an object between the thumb and index finger requires precise coordination between grip force (GF) and tangential load force (LF), which is impaired in children with congenital hemiplegia (CH). This study aimed to determine the respective contributions of predictive and reactive control in the impaired precision grip of 12 children with CH between 10 and 16 years of age when compared with age- and gender-matched controls. Methods. The load of a handheld object was increased rapidly by generating an impact through the drop of a mass attached to the object. The drop was triggered by the participant (predictive conditions) or unexpectedly by the examiner (reactive conditions). In both conditions, participants aimed to prevent the object from falling. Both hands of children with CH and controls were tested. Results. During our task, no differences in the GF levels were observed between paretic, nonparetic, and control hands. Under predictive conditions, the temporal variables related to the GF were preserved before impact in children with CH but altered after impact. Under reactive conditions, the reactive delays were longer in the paretic hand. Predictive and reactive control were preserved on the nonparetic hand. Conclusions. Deficits were observed in both predictive and reactive control for the paretic hand. The predictive control exists but is altered after the impact, suggesting an inability to anticipate the consequences of a dynamic perturbation. The authors suggest that the abilities of the nonparetic side could be used in neurorehabilitation to improve motor control of the paretic side.
Psychological Rehabilitation From Anterior Cruciate Ligament–Medial Collateral Ligament Reconstructive Surgery: A Case Study
Authors: McArdle Siobhain
Published: December 2009

Background:

Research has shown that some of the more common psychological responses to injury (ie, depression, anger, anxiety) are amplified in cases of traumatic injury.

Hypothesis/Purpose:

An 18-year-old male scholarship soccer player who, owing to a perceived deliberate injurious tackle by an opposition player, tore the medial collateral ligament and anterior cruciate ligament of his right knee. A psychological case perspective is presented.

Study Design:

Retrospective case report.

Results:

Various personal and situational factors can compound negative psychological response to injury. A number of extreme responses are explored, including posttraumatic stress, depression, and fear of reinjury.

Conclusions:

Practitioners should be willing and able to facilitate referral in the instance of more extreme psychological response to anterior cruciate ligament injury.
Granzyme B produced by human plasmacytoid dendritic cells suppresses T-cell expansion
Authors: Jahrsdörfer Bernd , Vollmer Angelika , Blackwell Sue E. , Maier Julia , Sontheimer Kai , Beyer Thamara , Mandel Birgit , Lunov Oleg , Tron Kyrylo , Nienhaus G. Ulrich , Simmet Thomas , Debatin Klaus-Michael , Weiner George J. , Fabricius Dorit
Published: December 2009

Human plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) are crucially involved in the modulation of adaptive T-cell responses in the course of neoplastic, viral, and autoimmune disorders. In several of these diseases elevated extracellular levels of the serine protease granzyme B (GrB) are observed. Here we demonstrate that human pDCs can be an abundant source of GrB and that such GrB+ pDCs potently suppress T-cell proliferation in a GrB-dependent, perforin-independent manner, a process reminiscent of regulatory T cells. Moreover, we show that GrB expression is strictly regulated on a transcriptional level involving Janus kinase 1 (JAK1), signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), and STAT5 and that interleukin-3 (IL-3), a cytokine secreted by activated T cells, plays a central role for GrB induction. Moreover, we find that the immunosuppressive cytokine IL-10 enhances, while Toll-like receptor agonists and CD40 ligand strongly inhibit, GrB secretion by pDCs. GrB-secreting pDCs may play a regulatory role for immune evasion of tumors, antiviral immune responses, and autoimmune processes. Our results provide novel information about the complex network of pDC–T-cell interactions and may contribute to an improvement of prophylactic and therapeutic vaccinations.
Recombinant porcine rotavirus VP4 and VP4-LTB expressed in Lactobacillus casei induced mucosal and systemic antibody responses in mice
Authors: Qiao Xinyuan , Li Guiwei , Wang Xiangqing , Li Xiaojing , Liu Min , Li Yijing
Published: December 2009

Background

Porcine rotavirus infection is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in the swine industry necessitating the development of effective vaccines for the prevention of infection. Immune responses associated with protection are primarily mucosal in nature and induction of mucosal immunity is important for preventing porcine rotavirus infection.

Results

Lactobacillus caseiexpressing the major protective antigen VP4 of porcine rotavirus (pPG612.1-VP4) or VP4-LTB (heat-labile toxin B subunit fromEcherichia coli) (pPG612.1-VP4-LTB) fusion protein was used to immunize mice orally. The expression of recombinant pPG612.1-VP4 and pPG612.1-VP4-LTB was confirmed by SDS-PAGE and Western blot analysis and surface-displayed expression onL. caseiwas verified by immunofluorescence. Mice orally immunized with recombinant protein-expressingL. caseiproduced high levels of serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) and mucosal IgA. The IgA titters from mice immunized with pPG612.1-VP4-LTB were higher than titters from pPG612.1-VP4-immunized mice. The induced antibodies demonstrated neutralizing effects on RV infection.

Conclusion

These results demonstrated that VP4 administered in the context of anL. caseiexpression system is an effective method for stimulating mucosal immunity and that LTB served to further stimulate mucosal immunity suggesting that this strategy can be adapted for use in pigs.
Let the sun shine in: effects of ultraviolet radiation on invasive pneumococcal disease risk in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Authors: White Alexander NJ , Ng Victoria , Spain C Victor , Johnson Caroline C , Kinlin Laura M , Fisman David N
Published: December 2009

Background

Streptococcus pneumoniaeis a common cause of community acquired pneumonia and bacteremia. Excess wintertime mortality related to pneumonia has been noted for over a century, but the seasonality of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) has been described relatively recently and is poorly understood. Improved understanding of environmental influence on disease seasonality has taken on new urgency due to global climate change.

Methods

We evaluated 602 cases of IPD reported in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, from 2002 to 2007. Poisson regression models incorporating seasonal smoothers were used to identify associations between weekly weather patterns and case counts. Associations between acute (day-to-day) environmental fluctuations and IPD occurrence were evaluated using a case-crossover approach. Effect modification across age and sex strata was explored, and meta-regression models were created using stratum-specific estimates for effect.

Results

IPD incidence was greatest in the wintertime, and spectral decomposition revealed a peak at 51.0 weeks, consistent with annual periodicity. After adjustment for seasonality, yearly increases in reporting, and temperature, weekly incidence was found to be associated with clear-sky UV index (IRR per unit increase in index: 0.70 [95% CI 0.54-0.91]). The effect of UV index was highest among young strata and decreased with age. At shorter time scales, only an association with increases in ambient sulphur oxides was linked to disease risk (OR for highest tertile of exposure 0.75, 95% CI 0.60 to 0.93).

Conclusion

We confirmed the wintertime predominance of IPD in a major urban center. The major predictor of IPD in Philadelphia is extended periods of low UV radiation, which may explain observed wintertime seasonality. The mechanism of action of diminished light exposure on disease occurrence may be due to direct effects on pathogen survival or host immune function via altered 1,25-(OH)2-vitamin-D metabolism. These findings may suggest less diminution in future IPD risk with climate change than would be expected if wintertime seasonality was driven by temperature.
Association of vitamin D receptor polymorphisms with the risk of prostate cancer in the Han population of Southern China
Authors: Bai Yongheng , Yu Yaping , Yu Bin , Ge Jianrong , Ji Jingzhang , Lu Hong , Wei Jia , Weng Zhiliang , Tao Zhihua , Lu Jianxin
Published: December 2009

Background

Molecular epidemiological studies have shown that gene polymorphisms of vitamin D receptor (VDR) are associated with prostate cancer risks. However, previous results from many molecular studies remain inconsistent.

Methods

Blood samples were collected from 122 prostate cancer patients and 130 age-matched control subjects in the Han population of Southern China. The differences ofVDRgene polymorphism between cancer cases and controls were determined by PCR-RFLP, examimingFokI (exon 2),BsmI,Tru9I,ApaI (intron 9), andTaqI (exon 9). Associations between theVDRgene polymorphism and prostate cancer risk were calculated in an unconditional logistic regression model. Linkage disequilibrium and haplotypes were analyzed with the SHEsis software.

Results

Of five polymorphisms,BsmI was shown to associate with prostate cancer, whileFokI,Tru9I,ApaI, andTaqI did not show any significant association. After adjustment for age, theBsmI 'B' allele was associated with an almost 1/3-fold risk (OR = 0.35, 95%CI: 0.15-0.80) of the occurrence of prostate cancer, a 1/5-fold risk (OR = 0.20, 95%CI: 0.06-0.68) of poorly differentiated prostate cancer, and a 1/10-fold risk (OR = 0.10, 95%CI: 0.01-0.78) of aggressive prostate cancer compared with the 'b' allele, especially among older men (>71 years). In addition, haplotype analysis revealed that the'F-b-U-A-T' was more frequent found in cases than in controls (3.4%vs0.0%,P= 0.0035), while the frequency of haplotype 'F-B-U-a-T' was 0.8% in cases, significantly lower than in controls (3.9%,P= 0.019).

Conclusion

Our experiments provide evidences that genetic polymorphisms in theVDRgene may be potential risk factors for prostate cancer in the Han population of southern China and the susceptibility to prostate cancer is associated with ethnicity and geographic location.
Power of multifactor dimensionality reduction and penalized logistic regression for detecting gene-gene Interaction in a case-control study
Authors: He Hua , Oetting William S , Brott Marcia J , Basu Saonli
Published: December 2009

Background

There is a growing awareness that interaction between multiple genes play an important role in the risk of common, complex multi-factorial diseases. Many common diseases are affected by certain genotype combinations (associated with some genes and their interactions). The identification and characterization of these susceptibility genes and gene-gene interaction have been limited by small sample size and large number of potential interactions between genes. Several methods have been proposed to detect gene-gene interaction in a case control study. The penalized logistic regression (PLR), a variant of logistic regression withL2regularization, is a parametric approach to detect gene-gene interaction. On the other hand, the Multifactor Dimensionality Reduction (MDR) is a nonparametric and genetic model-free approach to detect genotype combinations associated with disease risk.

Methods

We compared the power of MDR and PLR for detecting two-way and three-way interactions in a case-control study through extensive simulations. We generated several interaction models with different magnitudes of interaction effect. For each model, we simulated 100 datasets, each with 200 cases and 200 controls and 20 SNPs. We considered a wide variety of models such as models with just main effects, models with only interaction effects or models with both main and interaction effects. We also compared the performance of MDR and PLR to detect gene-gene interaction associated with acute rejection(AR) in kidney transplant patients.

Results

In this paper, we have studied the power of MDR and PLR for detecting gene-gene interaction in a case-control study through extensive simulation. We have compared their performances for different two-way and three-way interaction models. We have studied the effect of different allele frequencies on these methods. We have also implemented their performance on a real dataset. As expected, none of these methods were consistently better for all data scenarios, but, generally MDR outperformed PLR for more complex models. The ROC analysis on the real dataset suggests that MDR outperforms PLR in detecting gene-gene interaction on the real dataset.

Conclusion

As one might expect, the relative success of each method is context dependent. This study demonstrates the strengths and weaknesses of the methods to detect gene-gene interaction.
Fat free mass and obesity in relation to educational level
Authors: Seppänen-Nuijten Elina , Lahti-Koski Marjaana , Männistö Satu , Knekt Paul , Rissanen Harri , Aromaa Arpo , Heliövaara Markku
Published: December 2009

Background

The aim of the study was to describe the body composition of Finnish adults, especially by education, and to investigate whether fat-free mass (FFM) can explain educational gradients relating to body mass index (BMI) and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR).

Methods

Data for this cross-sectional study were based on data collected in 2000-2001 for the Health 2000 Survey. Of the nationally representative sample of 8,028 Finnish men and women aged 30 years and older, 6,300 (78.5%) were included in the study. Body composition measurements were carried out in the health examination, where FFM was assessed with eight-polar bioelectrical impedance analysis. Questions on education were included in the health interview.

Results

The mean FFM varied by education in older (≥ 65 y.) men only. In the middle-aged group (30-64 y.), highly educated men were less likely to belong to the lowest quintile of FFM (OR 0.67, 95%CI 0.48-0.93) compared with the least educated subjects. The level of education was inversely associated with the prevalence of high BMI and WHR in middle-aged men. In women, the respective associations were found both in middle-aged women and their older counterparts. Adjustment for FFM slightly strengthened the associations of education with BMI and WHR.

Conclusions

The association between education and FFM is weak. Educational gradients of high BMI and high WHR cannot be explained by FFM.
Temporal development and collapse of an Arctic plant-pollinator network
Authors: Pradal Clementine , Olesen Jens M , Wiuf Carsten
Published: December 2009

Background

The temporal dynamics and formation of plant-pollinator networks are difficult to study as it requires detailed observations of how the networks change over time. Understanding the temporal dynamics might provide insight into sustainability and robustness of the networks and how they react to environmental changes, such as global warming. Here we study an Arctic plant-pollinator network in two consecutive years using a simple mathematical model and describe the temporal dynamics (daily assembly and disassembly of links) by random mechanisms.

Results

We develop a mathematical model with parameters governed by the probabilities for entering, leaving and making connections in the network and demonstrate that A. The dynamics is described by very similar parameters in both years despite a strong turnover in the composition of the pollinator community and different climate conditions, B. There is a drastic change in the temporal behaviour a few days before the end of the season in both years. This change leads to the collapse of the network and does not correlate with weather parameters, C. We estimate that the number of available pollinator species is about 80 species of which 75-80% are observed in each year, D. The network does not reach an equilibrium state (as defined by our model) before the collapse set in and the season is over.

Conclusion

We have shown that the temporal dynamics of an Arctic plant-pollinator network can be described by a simple mathematical model and that the model allows us to draw biologically interesting conclusions. Our model makes it possible to investigate how the network topology changes with changes in parameter values and might provide means to study the effect of climate on plant-pollinator networks.
Bioavailability of ibuprofen following oral administration of standard ibuprofen, sodium ibuprofen or ibuprofen acid incorporating poloxamer in healthy volunteers
Authors: Dewland Peter M , Reader Sandie , Berry Phillip
Published: December 2009

Background

The aim of this study was to compare the pharmacokinetic properties of sodium ibuprofen and ibuprofen acid incorporating poloxamer with standard ibuprofen acid tablets.

Methods

Twenty-two healthy volunteers were enrolled into this randomised, single-dose, 3-way crossover, open-label, single-centre, pharmacokinetic study. After 14 hours' fasting, participants received a single dose of 2 × 200 mg ibuprofen acid tablets (standard ibuprofen), 2 × 256 mg ibuprofen sodium dihydrate tablets (sodium ibuprofen; each equivalent to 200 mg ibuprofen acid) and 2 × 200 mg ibuprofen acid incorporating 60 mg poloxamer 407 (ibuprofen/poloxamer). A washout period of 2-7 days separated consecutive dosing days. On each of the 3 treatment days, blood samples were collected post dose for pharmacokinetic analyses and any adverse events recorded. Plasma concentration of ibuprofen was assessed using a liquid chromatographic-mass spectrometry procedure in negative ion mode. A standard statistical ANOVA model, appropriate for bioequivalence studies, was used and ratios of 90% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated.

Results

Tmax for sodium ibuprofen was less than half that of standard ibuprofen (median 35 min vs 90 min, respectively; P = 0.0002) and Cmax was significantly higher (41.47 μg/mL vs 31.88 μg/mL; ratio test/reference = 130.06%, 90% CI 118.86-142.32%). Ibuprofen/poloxamer was bioequivalent to the standard ibuprofen formulation, despite its Tmax being on average 20 minutes shorter than standard ibuprofen (median 75 mins vs 90 mins, respectively; P = 0.1913), as the ratio of test/reference = 110.48% (CI 100.96-120.89%), which fell within the 80-125% limit of the CPMP and FDA guidelines for bioequivalence. The overall extent of absorption was similar for the three formulations, which were all well tolerated.

Conclusion

In terms of Tmax, ibuprofen formulated as a sodium salt was absorbed twice as quickly as from standard ibuprofen acid. The addition of poloxamer to ibuprofen acid did not significantly affect absorption.
Access and care issues in urban urgent care clinic patients
Authors: Scott David R , Batal Holly A , Majeres Sharon , Adams Jill C , Dale Rita , Mehler Philip S
Published: December 2009

Background

Although primary care should be the cornerstone of medical practice, inappropriate use of urgent care for non-urgent patients is a growing problem that has significant economic and healthcare consequences. The characteristics of patients who choose the urgent care setting, as well as the reasoning behind their decisions, is not well established. The purpose of this study was to determine the motivation behind, and characteristics of, adult patients who choose to access health care in our urgent care clinic. The relevance of understanding the motivation driving this patient population is especially pertinent given recent trends towards universal healthcare and the unclear impact it may have on the demands of urgent care.

Methods

We conducted a cross-sectional survey of patients seeking care at an urgent care clinic (UCC) within a large acute care safety-net urban hospital over a six-week period. Survey data included demographics, social and economic information, reasons that patients chose a UCC, previous primary care exposure, reasons for delaying care, and preventive care needs.

Results

A total of 1, 006 patients were randomly surveyed. Twenty-five percent of patients identified Spanish as their preferred language. Fifty-four percent of patients reported choosing the UCC due to not having to make an appointment, 51.2% because it was convenient, 43.9% because of same day test results, 42.7% because of ability to get same-day medications and 15.1% because co-payment was not mandatory. Lack of a regular physician was reported by 67.9% of patients and 57.2% lacked a regular source of care. Patients reported delaying access to care for a variety of reasons.

Conclusion

Despite a common belief that patients seek care in the urgent care setting primarily for economic reasons, this study suggests that patients choose the urgent care setting based largely on convenience and more timely care. This information is especially applicable to the potential increase in urgent care volume in a universal healthcare system. Additionally, this study adds to the body of literature supporting the important role of timely primary care in healthcare maintenance.
Profound human/mouse differences in alpha-dystrobrevin isoforms: a novel syntrophin-binding site and promoter missing in mouse and rat
Authors: Böhm Sabrina V , Constantinou Panayiotis , Tan Sipin , Jin Hong , Roberts Roland G
Published: December 2009

Background

The dystrophin glycoprotein complex is disrupted in Duchenne muscular dystrophy and many other neuromuscular diseases. The principal heterodimeric partner of dystrophin at the heart of the dystrophin glycoprotein complex in the main clinically affected tissues (skeletal muscle, heart and brain) is its distant relative, α-dystrobrevin. The α-dystrobrevin gene is subject to complex transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation, generating a substantial range of isoforms by alternative promoter use, alternative polyadenylation and alternative splicing. The choice of isoform is understood, amongst other things, to determine the stoichiometry of syntrophins (and their ligands) in the dystrophin glycoprotein complex.

Results

We show here that, contrary to the literature, most α-dystrobrevin genes, including that of humans, encode three distinct syntrophin-binding sites, rather than two, resulting in a greatly enhanced isoform repertoire. We compare in detail the quantitative tissue-specific expression pattern of human and mouse α-dystrobrevin isoforms, and show that two major gene features (the novel syntrophin-binding site-encoding exon and the internal promoter and first exon of brain-specific isoforms α-dystrobrevin-4 and -5) are present in most mammals but specifically ablated in mouse and rat.

Conclusion

Lineage-specific mutations in the murids mean that the mouse brain has fewer than half of the α-dystrobrevin isoforms found in the human brain. Our finding that there are likely to be fundamental functional differences between the α-dystrobrevins (and therefore the dystrophin glycoprotein complexes) of mice and humans raises questions about the current use of the mouse as the principal model animal for studying Duchenne muscular dystrophy and other related disorders, especially the neurological aspects thereof.
Impact of environmental inputs on reverse-engineering approach to network structures
Authors: Wu Jianhua , Sinfield James L , Buchanan-Wollaston Vicky , Feng Jianfeng
Published: December 2009

Background

Uncovering complex network structures from a biological system is one of the main topic in system biology. The network structures can be inferred by the dynamical Bayesian network or Granger causality, but neither techniques have seriously taken into account the impact of environmental inputs.

Results

With considerations of natural rhythmic dynamics of biological data, we propose a system biology approach to reveal the impact of environmental inputs on network structures. We first represent the environmental inputs by a harmonic oscillator and combine them with Granger causality to identify environmental inputs and then uncover the causal network structures. We also generalize it to multiple harmonic oscillators to represent various exogenous influences. This system approach is extensively tested with toy models and successfully applied to a real biological network of microarray data of the flowering genes of the model plant Arabidopsis Thaliana. The aim is to identify those genes that are directly affected by the presence of the sunlight and uncover the interactive network structures associating with flowering metabolism.

Conclusion

We demonstrate that environmental inputs are crucial for correctly inferring network structures. Harmonic causal method is proved to be a powerful technique to detect environment inputs and uncover network structures, especially when the biological data exhibit periodic oscillations.
Total cholesterol and triglycerides are associated with the development of new bone marrow lesions in asymptomatic middle-aged women - a prospective cohort study
Authors: Davies-Tuck Miranda L , Hanna Fahad , Davis Susan R , Bell Robin J , Davison Sonia L , Wluka Anita E , Adams Jenny , Cicuttini Flavia M
Published: December 2009

Introduction

Given the emerging evidence that osteoarthritis (OA) may have a vascular basis, the aim of this study was to determine whether serum lipids were associated with change in knee cartilage, presence of bone marrow lesions (BMLs) at baseline and the development of new BMLs over a 2-year period in a population of pain-free women in mid-life.

Methods

One hundred forty-eight women 40 to 67 years old underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of their dominant knee at baseline and 2.2 (standard deviation 0.12) years later. Cartilage volume and BMLs were determined for both time points. Serum lipids were measured from a single-morning fasting blood test approximately 1.5 years prior to the MRI.

Results

The incidence of BML at follow-up was associated with higher levels of total cholesterol (odds ratio [OR] 1.84, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.01, 3.36; P = 0.048) and triglycerides (OR 8.4, 95% CI 1.63, 43.43; P = 0.01), but not high-density lipoprotein (HDL) (P = 0.93), low-density lipoprotein (LDL) (P = 0.20) or total cholesterol/HDL ratio (P = 0.17). No association between total cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL, LDL or total cholesterol/HDL ratio and presence of BMLs at baseline or annual change in total tibial cartilage volume was observed.

Conclusions

In this study of asymptomatic middle-aged women with no clinical knee OA, serum cholesterol and triglyceride levels were associated with the incidence of BMLs over 2 years. This provides support for the hypothesis that vascular pathology may have a role in the pathogenesis of knee OA. Further work is warranted to clarify this and whether treatments aimed at reducing serum lipids may have a role in reducing the burden of knee OA.
Mining for coexpression across hundreds of datasets using novel rank aggregation and visualization methods
Authors: Adler Priit , Kolde Raivo , Kull Meelis , Tkachenko Aleksandr , Peterson Hedi , Reimand Jüri , Vilo Jaak
Published: December 2009

We present a web resource MEM (Multi-Experiment Matrix) for gene expression similarity searches across many datasets. MEM features large collections of microarray datasets and utilizes rank aggregation to merge information from different datasets into a single global ordering with simultaneous statistical significance estimation. Unique features of MEM include automatic detection, characterization and visualization of datasets that includes the strongest coexpression patterns. MEM is freely available at http://biit.cs.ut.ee/mem/.
Frequency and spatial sampling strategies for crosshole seismic waveform spectral inversion experiments
Authors: Maurer Hansruedi , Greenhalgh Stewart , Latzel Sabine
Published: December 2009

Analyses of synthetic frequency-domain acoustic waveform data provide new insights into the design and imaging capability of crosshole surveys. The full complex Fourier spectral data offer significantly more information than other data representations such as the amplitude, phase, or Hartley spectrum. Extensive eigenvalue analyses are used for further inspection of the information content offered by the seismic data. The goodness of different experimental configurations is investigated by varying the choice of (1) the frequencies, (2) the source and receiver spacings along the boreholes, and (3) the borehole separation. With only a few carefully chosen frequencies, a similar amount of information can be extracted from the seismic data as can be extracted with a much larger suite of equally spaced frequencies. Optimized data sets should include at least one very low frequencycomponent. The remaining frequencies should be chosen fromthe upper end of the spectrum available. This strategy proved to be applicable to a simple homogeneous and a very complex velocity model. Further tests are required, but it appears on the available evidence to be model independent. Source and receiver spacings also have an effect on the goodness of an experimental setup, but there are only minor benefits to denser sampling when the increment is much smaller than the shortest wavelength included in a data set. If the borehole separation becomes unfavorably large, the information content of the data is degraded, even when many frequencies and small source and receiver spacings are considered. The findings are based on eigenvalue analyses using the true velocity models. Because under realistic conditions the true model is not known, it is shown that the optimized data sets are sufficiently robust to allow the iterative inversion schemes to converge to the global minimum. This is demonstrated by means of tomographic inversions of several optimized data sets.
Seismic imaging of the Naga thrust using multiscale waveform inversion
Authors: Jaiswal Priyank , Zelt Colin A. , Dasgupta Rahul , Nath Kulendra K.
Published: December 2009

This case study images the structural features related to the Naga thrust fault (northeast India) using a combination of multiscale waveform inversion and prestack depth migration (PSDM). The waveform model and the PSDM image complement each other: the former provides a physical-property map (P-wave velocity model) and the latter provides a structural image. The velocity model encompassing the starting model for waveform inversion is constructed using joint inversion of first and reflected traveltimes. The [Formula: see text] data are inverted consecutively in [Formula: see text] bandwidths to yield the final waveform model, which in turn is used for PSDM. The PSDM image and the waveform model are consistent with the lithological interpretation of an inline exploratory well. When interpreted jointly, the PSDM image and the waveform model reveal the presence of a conjugate fault system in the Naga thrust and fold belt.