bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
‘My feet – visible, but ignored . . .’ A qualitative study of foot care for people with rheumatoid arthritis
Authors: Williams Anita E , Graham Andrea S
Published: January 2012

Objective:

To explore patients’ experiences of foot problems associated with rheumatoid arthritis, from onset of symptoms to being provided with foot health interventions.

Design:

A qualitative design was used with an interpretive phenomenological approach to the data collection and analysis.

Setting:

University of Salford, School of Health Science.

Subjects:

Sixteen female and six male adults with rheumatoid arthritis-related foot problems and experience of receiving foot health interventions.

Method:

Data were collected through digital recordings of three focus groups which were conducted by an experienced researcher. An observer made field notes. Transcribed data were analysed using a thematic framework. Data were verified with randomly selected participants and agreement achieved with the participants, researcher and observer.

Results:

The results were organized into five themes: the significance of foot symptoms in relation to diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis; knowledge of and explanation about foot symptoms; accessing foot health interventions; the effectiveness of foot health interventions; and improvements to foot health interventions. Despite foot problems being of concern to the participants, they were often ignored by practitioners from before diagnosis through to foot management.

Conclusions:

This study has highlighted a polarity between what these participants need in relation to their foot symptoms and the management of them. That foot problems are often ignored is of concern at multiple levels. These range from the implications of ignoring foot symptoms that may aid diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis, to ignoring the need for effective foot health interventions.
Interpersonal interactions in instrumental lessons: Teacher/student verbal and non-verbal behaviours
Authors: Zhukov Katie
Published: January 2012

This study examined verbal and non-verbal teacher/student interpersonal interactions in higher education instrumental music lessons. Twenty-four lessons were videotaped and teacher/student behaviours were analysed using a researcher-designed instrument. The findings indicate predominance of student and teacher joke among the verbal behaviours with no substantial gender differences between males and females. Deceit cues were the most frequent among the non-verbal behaviours, with the males displaying more gestures of deceit than the females. Other gender differences include the female students using courting signals towards both teacher groups and the female teachers showing interest towards the male students. The presence of positive verbal and negative non-verbal behaviours highlights the mixed messages present in teaching. Implications for instrumental teaching practice include greater focus on gender differences in interpersonal interactions and visual cues to improve communication and teacher/student relationship in the instrumental studio.
Protective effect of honey against cigarette smoke induced-impaired sexual behavior and fertility of male rats
Authors: Mohamed Mahaneem , Sulaiman Siti Amrah , Sirajudeen Kuttulebbai Nainamohamed Salam
Published: January 2012

Cigarette smoking is associated with sexual dysfunction and impaired fertility in males. The aim of this study was to determine the potential protective effect of honey against the toxic effect of cigarette smoke (CS) on sexual behavior and fertility of male rats. Thirty-two adult Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into four groups (8 rats/group) as control, honey (H), CS and H plus CS (H + CS) groups. Rats in control and CS groups received oral administration of distilled water daily while rats in H and H + CS groups received honey (1.2 g/kg body weight/day) by oral gavage. Rats in CS and H + CS groups were also exposed to CS for 8 min 3 times/day. From 10 to 13 weeks of treatment, each male rat was cohabited with 3 untreated female rats for sexual behavioral and reproductive performance studies. Honey significantly increased the percentages of rats achieving intromission and ejaculation as well as increased mating and fertility indexes of male rats exposed to CS. Thus, honey has a protective effect against CS-induced impaired sexual behavior and fertility in male rats.
Osteogenesis of mineralized collagen bone graft modified by PLA and calcium sulfate hemihydrate: In vivo study
Authors: Liu Xi , Liu Huan-Ye , Lian Xiaojie , Shi Xin-Li , Wang Wei , Cui Fu-Zhai , Zhang Yang
Published: January 2012

In this study, the biocompatibility and bone regeneration performance of nano-hydroxyapatite/collagen/poly(L-lactide) (nHAC/PLA) and nano-hydroxyapatite/collagen/calcium sulfate hemihydrate (nHAC/CSH) as bone-filling materials were evaluated and compared in a critical box-shaped defect model in the mandible of the rabbits. In vivo results indicated that there was significant difference in early bone remodeling between two types of bone substitutes. nHAC/PLA has shown excellent biocompatibility, but no adequate handling properties. The addition of CSH to nHAC provided better manipulability compared to nHAC/PLA. Furthermore, nHAC/CSH possesses superior properties in restoring critical-sized bone defects of maxillofacial region at the early stage of remodeling over nHAC/PLA. Our results suggested that nHAC/CSH could be an alternative to the conventionally used bone tissue engineering materials.
Subset simulation-based method for cumulative distribution function sensitivity of output response in random environment
Authors: Lu Zhenzhou , Zhou Changcong , Song Zeshu , Song Shufang
Published: January 2012

To measure effects of the distribution parameters of input variables on the output response of engineering structures, the analysis methods are investigated to solve the sensitivity of the cumulative distribution function of the output response with respect to the input parameters. For a linear input–output response model with independently normal input variables, the properties of the cumulative distribution function sensitivity are analytically derived. For a complicated input–output response model, a novel subset simulation-based method is presented to solve the response cumulative distribution function sensitivity. By using the stratified subset Markov Chain simulation in the subset simulation-based method, the response cumulative distribution function sensitivity can be adaptively obtained at the threshold of each subset. The sensitivity with larger cumulative distribution function value can be treated as the byproduct of those with the smaller ones in the presented subset simulation-based method, thus greatly reducing the computational cost. Several engineering examples are analyzed by the subset simulation-based method to get the response cumulative distribution function sensitivities, and the comparisons in the example results show that the presented subset simulation-based method is more efficient than Monte Carlo simulation with acceptable precision.
An experimental study on the behaviours of circular synthetic jets at low Reynolds numbers
Authors: Xia Qingfeng , Zhong Shan
Published: January 2012

In the work presented in this article, the behaviour of circular synthetic jets issuing into quiescent surrounding fluid at low Reynolds numbers is experimentally studied for potential mixing applications of synthetic jets at micro-scales or in highly viscous fluids. Sugar solutions and silicone oil are used as the flow media in order to achieve the required low Reynolds numbers. The conditions for jet instability, vortex rollup and synthetic jet formation are investigated using both flow visualisation techniques and particle image velocimetry, and the typical behaviour of synthetic jets at a Reynolds number around unity is also illustrated. The roles of Reynolds number, dimensionless stroke length and Stokes number in determining the characteristics of synthetic jets are examined and found to be largely consistent with the finding obtained at higher Reynolds numbers. Finally, a parameter map of synthetic jet flow patterns is produced based on the results from this study, which can be used to aid the choice of synthetic jet operating conditions for specific applications or anticipate if a desired vortex structure can be obtained at a given synthetic jet operating condition.
Influence of joint models on lower-limb musculo-tendon forces and three-dimensional joint reaction forces during gait
Authors: Dumas Raphaël , Moissenet Florent , Gasparutto Xavier , Cheze Laurence
Published: January 2012

Several three-dimensional (3D) lower-limb musculo-skeletal models have been developed for gait analysis and different hip, knee and ankle joint models have been considered in the literature. Conversely to the influence of the musculo-tendon geometry, the influence of the joint models - i.e. number of degrees of freedom and passive joint moments - on the estimated musculo-tendon forces and 3D joint reaction forces has not been extensively examined.

In this paper musculo-tendon forces and 3D joint reaction forces have been estimated for one subject and one gait cycle with nine variations of a musculoskeletal model and outputs have been compared to measured electromyographic signals and knee joint contact forces. The model outputs are generally in line with the measured signals. However, the 3D joint reaction forces were higher than published values and the contact forces measured for the subject. The results of this study show that, with more degrees of freedom in the model, the musculo-tendon forces and the 3D joint reaction forces tend to increase but with some redistribution between the muscles. In addition, when taking into account passive joint moments, the 3D joint reaction forces tend to decrease during the stance phase and increase during the swing phase.

Although further investigations are needed, a five-degree-of-freedom lower-limb musculo-skeletal model with some angle-dependent joint coupling and stiffness seems to provide satisfactory musculo-tendon forces and 3D joint reaction forces.
The development of lower limb musculoskeletal models with clinical relevance is dependent upon the fidelity of the mathematical description of the lower limb. Part 2: patient-specific geometry
Authors: Cleather Daniel J , Bull Anthony MJ
Published: January 2012

Musculoskeletal models have the potential to evolve into sensitive clinical tools that provide relevant therapeutic guidance. A key impediment to this is the lack of understanding as to the function of such models. In order to improve this it is useful to recognise that musculoskeletal modelling is the mathematical description of musculoskeletal movement – a process that involves the construction and solution of equations of motion. These equations are derived from standard mechanical considerations and the mathematical representation of anatomy. The fidelity of musculoskeletal models is highly dependent on the assumption that such representations also describe the function of the musculoskeletal geometry. In addition, it is important to understand the sensitivity of such representations to patient-specific variations in anatomy. The exploration of these twin considerations will be fundamental to the creation of musculoskeletal modelling tools with clinical relevance and a systematic enquiry of these key parameters is recommended.
Holocene palaeoenvironmental change and the impact of prehistoric salt production in the Seille Valley, eastern France
Authors: Riddiford Naomi G , Branch Nicholas P , Green Christopher P , Armitage Simon J , Olivier Laurent
Published: January 2012

The Seille Valley in eastern France was home to one of Europe’s largest Iron Age salt industries. Sedimentology, palynology and geochronology have been integrated within ongoing archaeological investigations to reconstruct the Holocene palaeoenvironmental history of the Seille Valley and to elucidate the human–environment relationship of salt production. A sedimentary model of the valley has been constructed from a borehole survey of the floodplain and pollen analyses have been undertaken to reconstruct the vegetation history. Alluvial records have been successfully dated using optically stimulated luminescence and radiocarbon techniques, thereby providing a robust chronological framework. The results have provided an insight into the development of favourable conditions for salt production and there is evidence in the sedimentary record to suggest that salt production may have taken place during the mid-to-late Bronze Age. The latter has yet to be identified in the archaeological record and targeted excavation is therefore underway to test this finding. The development of the Iron Age industry had a major impact on the hydrological regime of the valley and its sedimentological history, with evidence for accelerated alluviation arising from floodplain erosion at salt production sites and modification of the local fluvial regime due to briquetage accumulation on the floodplain. This research provides an important insight into the environmental implications of early industrial activities, in addition to advancing knowledge about the Holocene palaeoenvironmental and social history of this previously poorly studied region of France.
Impact of weighted composite compared to traditional composite endpoints for the design of randomized controlled trials
Authors: Bakal Jeffrey A , Westerhout Cynthia M , Armstrong Paul W
Published: January 2012

Composite endpoints are commonly used in cardiovascular clinical trials. When using a composite endpoint a subject is considered to have an event when the first component endpoint has occurred. The use of composite endpoints offers the ability to incorporate several clinically important endpoint events thereby augmenting the event rate and increasing statistical power for a given sample size. One assumption of the composite is that all component events are of equal clinical importance. This assumption is rarely achieved given the diversity of component endpoints included. One means of adjusting for this diversity is to adjust the outcomes using severity weights determined a priori. The use of a weighted endpoint also allows for the incorporation of multiple endpoints per patient. Although weighting the outcomes lowers the effective number of events, it offers additional information that reduces the variance of the estimate. We created a series of simulation studies to examine the effect on power as the individual components of a typical composite were changed. In one study, we noted that the weighted composite was able to offer discriminative power when the component outcomes were altered, while the traditional method was not. In the other study, we noted that the weighted composite offered a similar level of power to the traditional composite when the change was driven by the more severe endpoints.
The Gendered Nature of Disasters
Authors: Juran Luke
Published: January 2012

The impacts of disasters rarely reveal themselves equally across an affected population. Rather, the extent of impact is determined by social constructs, such as religion, caste, socioeconomic status and most notably, gender, which cuts across all of these spheres. This article focuses on the variable of gender and the role it played in post-tsunami Tamil Nadu, India. In particular, gender will be discussed in relation to: mortality; access to aid and rehabilitation resources; conditions at temporary shelters; violence against women; and impacts on health. This article argues that women confront human rights gaps during ‘normal’ times and that such pre-existing inequalities are simply reified and magnified in times of disaster. These contentions are upheld by providing a theoretical review of gender and disaster, a survey of actual accounts of gender and disaster across space, and by buttressing the literature with examples from post-tsunami Tamil Nadu. The aim of this article is to analyse salient gender-based issues in a specific post-disaster context and to add to the discourse on gender and disaster writ large.
Mental Health Concerns for Indian Women
Authors: Basu Sarah
Published: January 2012

This article studies the mental health problems of women, especially in the Indian context. As per World Health Organization (WHO) estimates, depression is expected to be the second largest contributor to disease burden by 2020, and with one in every three women worldwide being afflicted by common mental disorders including depression, the mental health of women is a serious issue indeed. While studying the psychological construct of mental health, we come to understand that it is deeply embedded within an individual’s social and socioeconomic relationships. Since women worldwide, and more so in India, face gender-based discrimination at every stage of their lives, their psychological well-being becomes a cause for great concern. This note attempts to explore the various risk and protective factors affecting the mental health of women. Considering the gravity of the matter, urgent remedial measures such as understanding the underlying causes of psychological distress among women, adopting a gender-sensitive approach, working towards women’s empowerment and formulating women-friendly health policies could work wonders for the mental health of Indian women.
Sathin Bhanwari Revisited
Authors: Abraham Taisha
Published: January 2012

Sathin Bhanwari’s rape that took place in 1992 was a case essentially locked within the dominant grid of patriarchy, which refuses to give her justice. In this piece I would like to point to patriarchy’s intersection with notions of citizenship and justice that complicate matters in delivering justice to Sathin Bhanwari. What makes this episode particularly disturbing is that although Bhanwari was selected and trained by the government state machinery to act as an agent of change, the other agents of this very machinery colluded in using the state apparatuses against her. What is required is a critical understanding and a reconceptualisation of the notions of citizenship and justice in order to use them as tools for women’s equality.
Examining Pedagogical Practices in Family Systems Nursing
Authors: Moules Nancy J. , Bell Janice M. , Paton Brenda I. , Morck Angela C.
Published: January 2012

Teaching graduate family nursing students the important and delicate practice of entering into and mitigating families’ illness suffering signifies an educational practice that is rigorous, intense, and contextual, yet not articulated as expounded knowledge. This study examined the pedagogical practices of the advanced practice of Family Systems Nursing (FSN) as taught to master’s and doctoral nursing students at the Family Nursing Unit, University of Calgary, using observation of expert and novice clinical practice, live supervision, videotape review, presession hypothesizing, clinical documentation, and the writing of therapeutic letters to families. A triangulation of research methods and data collection strategies, interpretive ethnography, autoethnography, and hermeneutics, were used. Students reported an intensity of learning that had both useful and limiting consequences as they developed skills in therapeutic conversations with families experiencing illness. Faculty used an intentional pedagogical process to encourage growth in perceptual, conceptual, and executive knowledge and skills of working with families.
Low-Molecular-Weight Heparin Versus Placebo for the Prevention of Venous Thromboembolism in Metastatic Breast Cancer or Stage III/IV Lung Cancer
Authors: Haas Sylvia K. , Freund Mathias , Heigener David , Heilmann Lothar , Kemkes-Matthes Bettina , Tempelhoff Georg-Friedrich von , Melzer Nima , Kakkar Ajay K.
Published: January 2012

In 2 double-blind studies, ambulatory patients with objectively proven, disseminated metastatic breast carcinoma (TOPIC-1) or stage III/IV non–small-cell lung carcinoma (TOPIC-2) were randomized to certoparin 3000 IU or placebo subcutaneously once daily, for 6 months. Primary efficacy outcome was objectively confirmed symptomatic or asymptomatic venous thromboembolism (VTE). Safety outcomes included bleeding (major and minor), and thrombocytopenia. TOPIC-1 was halted after an interim analysis. Venous thromboembolism occurrence was not different between treatment groups in TOPIC-1 (4% treated with certoparin, 7 of 174 vs 4% receiving placebo, 7 of 177, odds ratio [OR] 1.02; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.30-3.48) and in TOPIC-2 (4.5%, 12 of 268) vs 8.3%, 22 of 264, respectively, OR 0.52; CI 0.23-1.12). Mortality was not different between groups. A post hoc analysis showed certoparin significantly reduced VTE in stage IV lung carcinoma (3.5% vs 10.2%; P = .032) without increased bleeding. In conclusion, thrombosis risk and prophylactic benefit was highest in stage IV lung carcinoma patients.
Evaluation of the Coagulation Profile Among Oral and Vaginal Combined Hormonal Contraceptive Users Using Sonoclot Coagulation Analyzer
Authors: Brandy Kyle R. , Meyer Rachel M. , Luo Xianghua , Rao Gundu H. , Datta Yvonne H. , Divani Afshin A.
Published: January 2012

Combined hormonal contraceptives possess an inherent risk of thrombus-related events. The purpose of this study is to elucidate alterations in the coagulation profile among young women using combined oral contraceptive (COC) or combined vaginal contraceptive (CVC) compared to a normal, healthy, female control group using the Sonoclot coagulation analyzer. We enrolled 159 participants (64 control individuals, 51 COC users, and 44 CVC users). Each participant completed a survey of medical history, family medical history, and lifestyle choices. Citrated venous whole blood was collected and analyzed using the Sonoclot coagulation analyzer. After adjusting for age, race, alcohol consumption, sleeping habits, and family history of cardiovascular disease, and stroke, we observed COC and CVC users had mostly similar coagulation profiles except when compared to the control, and COC and CVC users had an elevated glass bead peak signal while COC users had a shorter peak time.
Modified projective synchronization of unknown chaotic dissipative gyroscope systems via Gaussian radial basis adaptive variable structure control
Authors: Farivar Faezeh , Shoorehdeli Mahdi Aliyari , Teshnehlab Mohammad , Nekoui Mohammad Ali
Published: January 2012

This paper proposes the modified projective synchronization method for unknown chaotic dissipative gyroscope systems via Gaussian radial basis adaptive variable structure control. Because of the nonlinear terms of the dissipative gyroscope system, the system exhibits chaotic motions. As chaotic signals are usually broadband and noise-like, synchronized chaotic systems can be used as cipher generators for secure communication. Obviously the importance of obtaining these objectives is specified when the dynamics of the gyroscope system are unknown. In this paper, using the neural variable structure control technique, control laws are established, which guarantees the modified projective synchronization of an unknown chaotic dissipative gyroscope system. Switching surfaces are adopted to ensure the stability of the error dynamics in variable structure control. In the neural variable structure control, Gaussian radial basis functions are utilized online to estimate the system dynamic functions. Also, the adaptation laws of the online estimators are derived in the sense of Lyapunov function. Thus, the unknown chaotic gyroscope system can be guaranteed to be asymptotically stable. Also, the synchronization objectives have been achieved. The proposed method allows us to arbitrarily adjust the desired scaling by controlling the slave system. It is not necessary to calculate the Lyapunov exponents and the eigenvalues of the Jacobian matrix, which makes it simple and convenient. Also, it is a systematic procedure for modified projective synchronization of chaotic systems and it can be applied to a variety of chaotic systems no matter whether it contains external excitation or not. The designed control system is robust versus model uncertainty. Numerical simulations are presented to verify the proposed synchronization method.
Management of Aortic Valve Bypass Surgery
Authors: Szabo Tamas A. , Toole J. Matthew , Payne Kim J. , Giblin Erica M. , Jacks Samuel P. , Warters R. David
Published: January 2012

The 3 leading causes of aortic stenosis (AS) in adults are calcific degeneration of a normal trileaflet aortic valve (AV), calcific degeneration of a congenital bicuspid AV, and rheumatic AS. Therapeutic options in patients with severe AS include aortic valve replacement (AVR), transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI), or aortic valve bypass (AVB). An AVB involves the placement of a valved conduit between the apex of the left ventricle and the descending thoracic aorta. AVB serves as a useful alternative to treat severe AS in patients deemed high risk for conventional AVR (ie, porcelain aorta, previous cardiac surgery) or TAVI (ie, severe aorto-iliac disease, limited experience, lack of hybrid operating room). Advantages of on-pump AVB include the avoidance of aortic cannulation, cross-clamping, and cardioplegic cardiac arrest. The procedure can also be performed without cardiopulmonary bypass. In this article, the authors review the circulatory physiology, perioperative anesthetic management, the role of intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography, and surgical considerations of AVB surgery through 3 cases.
A tuned and scalable fast multipole method as a preeminent algorithm for exascale systems
Authors: Yokota Rio , Barba Lorena A
Published: January 2012

Among the algorithms that are likely to play a major role in future exascale computing, the fast multipole method (fmm) appears as a rising star. Our previous recent work showed scaling of an fmm on gpu clusters, with problem sizes of the order of billions of unknowns. That work led to an extremely parallel fmm, scaling to thousands of gpus or tens of thousands of cpus. This paper reports on a campaign of performance tuning and scalability studies using multi-core cpus, on the Kraken supercomputer. All kernels in the fmm were parallelized using OpenMP, and a test using 107 particles randomly distributed in a cube showed 78% efficiency on 8 threads. Tuning of the particle-to-particle kernel using single instruction multiple data (SIMD) instructions resulted in 4 × speed-up of the overall algorithm on single-core tests with 103–107 particles. Parallel scalability was studied in both strong and weak scaling. The strong scaling test used 108 particles and resulted in 93% parallel efficiency on 2048 processes for the non-SIMD code and 54% for the SIMD-optimized code (which was still 2 × faster). The weak scaling test used 106 particles per process, and resulted in 72% efficiency on 32,768 processes, with the largest calculation taking about 40 seconds to evaluate more than 32 billion unknowns. This work builds up evidence for our view that fmm is poised to play a leading role in exascale computing, and we end the paper with a discussion of the features that make it a particularly favorable algorithm for the emerging heterogeneous and massively parallel architectural landscape. The code is open for unrestricted use under the MIT license.
Adolescents’ Perceived Safety and Security in Public Space—A Swedish Focus Group Study with a Gender Perspective
Authors: Johansson Klara , Laflamme Lucie , Eliasson Miriam
Published: January 2012

Outdoor areas are important for adolescents, since they often lack access to other spaces. Focus group discussions were conducted with 15–16 year old girls and boys in Stockholm and Uppsala Counties, Sweden, to explore their ideas regarding threats they face when moving in public space, including traffic. The threats which emerged as most prominent were lone rapists—mainly threatening girls—or gangs of adolescent boys—threatening boys with violence and girls mainly with (sexual) harassment. Traffic, though sometimes admitted to be a major safety risk, was perceived as more manageable. Boys and girls suggest coping with social risks by behaving opposite to the gendered idea of a ‘victim’—boys by being non-aggressive, girls by acting confidently. Boys portray themselves as level-headed, skilled and making rational risk assessments. Girls sometimes described themselves as behaving in an unsafe way in traffic, but not in relation to social/sexual threats.
Psychological symptoms and blood pressure among rural-dwellers
Authors: Cukrowicz Kelly C. , Jahn Danielle R. , Hall James , O’Bryant Sid
Published: January 2012

Rural-dwelling adults face different health concerns and risks than do adults living in urban areas, with reduced assess to care. Studies examining the associations between anxiety and/or depression and blood pressure have yielded mixed results. This study addressed this by examining the association of these symptoms to blood pressure in men compared to women, and for differing racial groups in a rural population in the western United States. Analyses indicate the association between depression and blood pressure differs by race. Further, depressive symptoms were associated with higher diastolic blood pressure for participants at or above the mean of anxiety.
The impact of interventionist regulation in reshaping news agendas: A comparative analysis of public and commercially funded television journalism
Authors: Cushion Stephen , Lewis Justin , Ramsay Gordon Neil
Published: January 2012

In this article we draw on a specific case study – the re-regulation of BBC political reporting in the nations and regions in the UK post-devolution – to compare the BBC’s interventionist, public service framework with the ‘light touch’ regime of commercial broadcasting. We carried out a content analysis of BBC Television News (where issues of accuracy and impartiality are regulated by the BBC Trust), and three commercially funded channels (where programme content is entirely regulated by Ofcom) before and after an editorial intervention by the BBC Trust.

We found that the BBC improved the balance and accuracy of its television news coverage whereas commercial broadcasters continued to overlook or misrepresent the reality of devolved politics in the UK. While it can be difficult to demonstrate empirically how regulation can enhance media content compared to a ‘light touch’ system – as our study found – we suggest that the impact of regulatory interventions should be more central to journalism studies internationally.
The ‘other’ Europeans: the semiotic imperative of style in Euro Visions by Magnum Photos
Authors: Aiello Giorgia
Published: January 2012

In this article, the author examines Euro Visions, the exhibition created by Magnum Photos to portray the new countries that joined the European Union in 2004 and 2007. She begins by observing that this project’s deviations from the world-leading agency’s trademark humanist style of photography were discursively ascribed to Euro Visions photographers’ authorial style. In this regard, she identifies two key semiotic resources – typing and juxtaposition – that were mobilized as markers of individual style. She then argues that both typing and juxtaposition should instead be seen as generic semiotic resources rooted in corporate styles of visual communication, which contribute to othering the ‘new’ Europeans. She also argues that in Euro Visions, the notion of ‘distinctive’ authorial style was deployed as symbolic currency for a global(ist) market that rewards cultural production and, broadly, aestheticization. She finally posits that, in projects like Euro Visions, what is mostly (generic) design may get passed off as (specific) representation, and that this aestheticization of styles and identities may be mystified as the substantial honouring of difference and diversity.
Multimodal narrative construction in Christopher Nolan’s Memento a description of analytic method
Authors: Tseng Chiaoi , Bateman John A.
Published: January 2012

In this article, the authors propose a systematic method for analysing film that bridges the gap between analyses of narrative concerns, on the one hand, and the analysis of fine-grained technical details, on the other. They illustrate the approach on the basis of an analysis of Memento, a film particularly noted for its unusual narrative structure and show how their method maintains a tighter linkage with the filmic material presented while at the same time drawing out narratively significant generalizations.
Hume and mutual advantage
Authors: Salter John
Published: January 2012

Hume’s theory of justice is commonly regarded by contemporary theorists of justice as a theory of justice as mutual advantage. It is thus widely thought to manifest all the unattractive features of such theories: in particular, it is thought to endorse the exclusion of people with serious mental or physical disabilities from the scope and protection of justice and to justify the European expropriation of the lands of defenceless aboriginal people. I argue that this reading of Hume is mistaken. Mutual advantage is only part of Hume’s theory, the part that explains the origins of the institutions of justice in a general sense (property and promise keeping), and it is bracketed off from those parts of Hume’s theory that explain who is included within the scope of justice, how much each receives, and why and to whom we have a duty to be just. The interpretation of Hume’s theory as a theory of justice as mutual advantage not only fails to convey Hume’s complex purposes, but it portrays Hume’s theory of justice as the kind of theory he was most concerned to refute.
Gauging triple stores with actual biological data
Authors: Mironov Vladimir , Seethappan Nirmala , Blondé Ward , Antezana Erick , Splendiani Andrea , Kuiper Martin
Published: January 2012

Background

Semantic Web technologies have been developed to overcome the limitations of the current Web and conventional data integration solutions. The Semantic Web is expected to link all the data present on the Internet instead of linking just documents. One of the foundations of the Semantic Web technologies is the knowledge representation language Resource Description Framework (RDF). Knowledge expressed in RDF is typically stored in so-called triple stores (also known as RDF stores), from which it can be retrieved with SPARQL, a language designed for querying RDF-based models. The Semantic Web technologies should allow federated queries over multiple triple stores. In this paper we compare the efficiency of a set of biologically relevant queries as applied to a number of different triple store implementations.

Results

Previously we developed a library of queries to guide the use of our knowledge base Cell Cycle Ontology implemented as a triple store. We have now compared the performance of these queries on five non-commercial triple stores: OpenLink Virtuoso (Open-Source Edition), Jena SDB, Jena TDB, SwiftOWLIM and 4Store. We examined three performance aspects: the data uploading time, the query execution time and the scalability. The queries we had chosen addressed diverse ontological or biological questions, and we found that individual store performance was quite query-specific. We identified three groups of queries displaying similar behaviour across the different stores: 1) relatively short response time queries, 2) moderate response time queries and 3) relatively long response time queries. SwiftOWLIM proved to be a winner in the first group, 4Store in the second one and Virtuoso in the third one.

Conclusions

Our analysis showed that some queries behaved idiosyncratically, in a triple store specific manner, mainly with SwiftOWLIM and 4Store. Virtuoso, as expected, displayed a very balanced performance - its load time and its response time for all the tested queries were better than average among the selected stores; it showed a very good scalability and a reasonable run-to-run reproducibility. Jena SDB and Jena TDB were consistently slower than the other three implementations. Our analysis demonstrated that most queries developed for Virtuoso could be successfully used for other implementations.
Transcriptional profiling of bovine milk using RNA sequencing
Authors: Wickramasinghe Saumya , Rincon Gonzalo , Islas-Trejo Alma , Medrano Juan F
Published: January 2012

Background

Cow milk is a complex bioactive fluid consumed by humans beyond infancy. Even though the chemical and physical properties of cow milk are well characterized, very limited research has been done on characterizing the milk transcriptome. This study performs a comprehensive expression profiling of genes expressed in milk somatic cells of transition (day 15), peak (day 90) and late (day 250) lactation Holstein cows by RNA sequencing. Milk samples were collected from Holstein cows at 15, 90 and 250 days of lactation, and RNA was extracted from the pelleted milk cells. Gene expression analysis was conducted by Illumina RNA sequencing. Sequence reads were assembled and analyzed in CLC Genomics Workbench. Gene Ontology (GO) and pathway analysis were performed using the Blast2GO program and GeneGo application of MetaCore program.

Results

A total of 16,892 genes were expressed in transition lactation, 19,094 genes were expressed in peak lactation and 18,070 genes were expressed in late lactation. Regardless of the lactation stage approximately 9,000 genes showed ubiquitous expression. Genes encoding caseins, whey proteins and enzymes in lactose synthesis pathway showed higher expression in early lactation. The majority of genes in the fat metabolism pathway had high expression in transition and peak lactation milk. Most of the genes encoding for endogenous proteases and enzymes in ubiquitin-proteasome pathway showed higher expression along the course of lactation.

Conclusions

This is the first study to describe the comprehensive bovine milk transcriptome in Holstein cows. The results revealed that 69% of NCBI Btau 4.0 annotated genes are expressed in bovine milk somatic cells. Most of the genes were ubiquitously expressed in all three stages of lactation. However, a fraction of the milk transcriptome has genes devoted to specific functions unique to the lactation stage. This indicates the ability of milk somatic cells to adapt to different molecular functions according to the biological need of the animal. This study provides a valuable insight into the biology of lactation in the cow, as well as many avenues for future research on the bovine lactome.
Disruption of CTCF at the miR-125b1 locus in gynecological cancers
Authors: Soto-Reyes Ernesto , González-Barrios Rodrigo , Cisneros-Soberanis Fernanda , Herrera-Goepfert Roberto , Pérez Víctor , Cantú David , Prada Diddier , Castro Clementina , Recillas-Targa Félix , Herrera Luis A
Published: January 2012

Background

In cancer cells, transcriptional gene silencing has been associated with genetic and epigenetic defects. The disruption of DNA methylation patterns and covalent histone marks has been associated with cancer development. Until recently, microRNA (miRNA) gene silencing was not well understood. In particular, miR-125b1 has been suggested to be an miRNA with tumor suppressor activity, and it has been shown to be deregulated in various human cancers. In the present study, we evaluated the DNA methylation at the CpG island proximal to the transcription start site of miR-125b1 in cancer cell lines as well as in normal tissues and gynecological tumor samples. In addition, we analyzed the association of CTCF and covalent histone modifications at the miR-125b1 locus.

Methods

To assess the DNA methylation status of the miR-125b1, genomic DNA was transformed with sodium bisulfite, and then PCR-amplified with modified primers and sequenced. The miR-125b1 gene expression was analyzed by qRT-PCR using U6 as a control for constitutive gene expression. CTCF repressive histone marks abundance was evaluated by chromatin immunoprecipitation assays.

Results

The disruption of CTCF in breast cancer cells correlated with the incorporation of repressive histone marks such H3K9me3 and H3K27me3 as well as with aberrant DNA methylation patterns. To determine the effect of DNA methylation at the CpG island of miR-125b1 on the expression of this gene, we performed a qRT-PCR assay. We observed a significant reduction on the expression of miR-125b1 in cancer cells in comparison with controls, suggesting that DNA methylation at the CpG island might reduce miR-125b1 expression. These effects were observed in other gynecological cancers, including ovarian and cervical tumors.

Conclusions

A reduction of miR-125b1 expression in cancers, correlated with methylation, repressive histone marks and loss of CTCF binding at the promoter region.
Factors influencing integration of TB services in general hospitals in two regions of China: a qualitative study
Authors: Zou Guanyang , Wei Xiaolin , Walley John D , Yin Jia , Sun Qiang
Published: January 2012

Background

In the majority of China, the Centre for Disease Control (CDC) at the county level provides both clinical and public health care for TB cases, with hospitals and other health facilities referring suspected TB cases to the CDC. In recent years, an integrated model has emerged, where the CDC remains the basic management unit for TB control, while a general hospital is designated to provide clinical care for TB patients. This study aims to explore the factors that influence the integration of TB services in general hospitals and generate knowledge to aid the scale-up of integration of TB services in China.

Methods

This study adopted a qualitative approach using interviews from sites in East and West China. Analysis was conducted using a thematic framework approach.

Results

The more prosperous site in East China was more coordinated and thus had a better method of resource allocation and more patient-orientated service, compared with the poorer site in the West. The development of public health organizations appeared to influence how effectively integration occurred. An understanding from staff that hospitals had better capacity to treat TB patients than CDCs was a strong rationale for integration. However, the economic and political interests might act as a barrier to effective integration. Both sites shared the same challenges of attracting and retaining a skilled workforce for the TB services. The role of the health bureau was more directive in the Western site, while a more participatory and collaborative approach was adopted in the Eastern site.

Conclusion

The process of integration identifies similarities and differences between sites in more affluent East China and poorer West China. Integration of TB services in the hospitals needs to address the challenges of stakeholder motivations and resource allocation. Effective inter-organizational collaboration could help to improve the efficiency and quality of TB service. Key words: TB control, service delivery, integration, hospitals, China.
Specifically targeting ERK1 or ERK2 kills Melanoma cells
Authors: Qin Jianzhong , Xin Hong , Nickoloff Brian J
Published: January 2012

Background

Overcoming the notorious apoptotic resistance of melanoma cells remains a therapeutic challenge given dismal survival of patients with metastatic melanoma. However, recent clinical trials using a BRAF inhibitor revealed encouraging results for patients with advanced BRAF mutant bearing melanoma, but drug resistance accompanied by recovery of phospho-ERK (pERK) activity present challenges for this approach. While ERK1 and ERK2 are similar in amino acid composition and are frequently not distinguished in clinical reports, the possibility they regulate distinct biological functions in melanoma is largely unexplored.

Methods

Rather than indirectly inhibiting pERK by targeting upstream kinases such as BRAF or MEK, we directly (and near completely) reduced ERK1 and ERK2 using short hairpin RNAs (shRNAs) to achieve sustained inhibition of pERK1 and/or pERK2.

Results and discussion

Using A375 melanoma cells containing activating BRAFV600E mutation, silencing ERK1 or ERK2 revealed some differences in their biological roles, but also shared roles by reduced cell proliferation, colony formation in soft agar and induced apoptosis. By contrast, chemical mediated inhibition of mutant BRAF (PLX4032) or MEK (PD0325901) triggered less killing of melanoma cells, although they did inhibit proliferation. Death of melanoma cells by silencing ERK1 and/or ERK2 was caspase dependent and accompanied by increased levels of Bak, Bad and Bim, with reduction in p-Bad and detection of activated Bax levels and loss of mitochondrial membrane permeability. Rare treatment resistant clones accompanied silencing of either ERK1 and/or ERK2. Unexpectedly, directly targeting ERK levels also led to reduction in upstream levels of BRAF, CRAF and pMEK, thereby reinforcing the importance of silencing ERK as regards killing and bypassing drug resistance.

Conclusions

Selectively knocking down ERK1 and/or ERK2 killed A375 melanoma cells and also increased the ability of PLX4032 to kill A375 cells. Thus, a new therapeutic window is open for future clinical trials in which agents targeting ERK1 and ERK2 should be considered in patients with melanoma.
The structural and optical properties of GaSb/InGaAs type-II quantum dots grown on InP (100) substrate
Authors: Shuhui Zhang , Lu Wang , Zhenwu Shi , Yanxiang Cui , Haitao Tian , Huaiju Gao , Haiqiang Jia , Wenxin Wang , Hong Chen , Liancheng Zhao
Published: January 2012

We have investigated the structural and optical properties of type-II GaSb/InGaAs quantum dots [QDs] grown on InP (100) substrate by molecular beam epitaxy. Rectangular-shaped GaSb QDs were well developed and no nanodash-like structures which could be easily found in the InAs/InP QD system were formed. Low-temperature photoluminescence spectra show there are two peaks centered at 0.75eV and 0.76ev. The low-energy peak blueshifted with increasing excitation power is identified as the indirect transition from the InGaAs conduction band to the GaSb hole level (type-II), and the high-energy peak is identified as the direct transition (type-I) of GaSb QDs. This material system shows a promising application on quantum-dot infrared detectors and quantum-dot field-effect transistor.
Efficacy of first-line doxorubicin and ifosfamide in myxoid liposarcoma
Authors: Katz Daniela , Boonsirikamchai Piyaporn , Choi Haeson , Lazar Alexander J , Wang Wei-Lein , Xiao Lianchun , Park Min S , Ravi Vinod , Benjamin Robert S , Araujo Dejka M
Published: January 2012

Background

Myxoid liposarcoma (MLS) is a soft tissue sarcoma with adipocytic differentiation characterized by a unique chromosome rearrangement, t(12;16)(q13;p11). The exact efficacy of chemotherapy in MLS has not been clearly established.

Patients and methods

We retrospectively analyzed the records of 37 histologically confirmed MLS patients who were treated at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center from January 2000 to December 2009 with doxorubicin 75-90 mg/m2 over 72 hours combined with ifosfamide 10 gm/m2 in the first-line setting. Response was assessed using RECIST and Choi criteria. The Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test was used to estimate clinical outcomes.

Results

The median follow-up period was 50.1 months. The overall response rates were 43.2% using RECIST and 86.5% using the Choi criteria. The 5-year disease-free survival rate was 90% for patients with resectable tumors. Median time to progression and overall survival time for the advanced-disease group were 23 and 31.1 months, respectively.

Conclusion

Our study demonstrates that doxorubicin-ifosfamide combination therapy has a role in the treatment of MLS. The Choi criteria may be more sensitive in evaluating response to chemotherapy in MLS.