bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Jizz and the joy of pattern recognition: Virtuosity, discipline and the agency of insight in UK naturalists’ arts of seeing
Authors: Ellis Rebecca
Published: October 2011

Approaches to visual skilling from anthropology and STS have tended to highlight the forces of discipline and control in understanding how shared visual accounts of the world are created in the face of potential differences brought about by multi-sensorial perception. Drawing upon a range of observational and interview material from an immersion in naturalist training and biological recording activities between 2003 and 2009, I focus upon jizz, a distinct form of gestalt perception much coveted by naturalist communities in the UK. Jizz is described as a tacit and embodied way of seeing that instantaneously reveals the identity of a species, relying upon but simultaneously suspending the arduous and meticulous study of an organism’s diagnostic characteristics. I explore the potential and limitations of jizz to allow for both visual precision and an enchanted and varied form of encounter with nature. In so doing, I explore how the specific characteristics of wild, intangible and irreverent virtuoso performance work closely together with disciplining taxonomic standards. As such, discipline and irreverence work together, are mutually enabling, and allow for an accommodation rather than a segregation of potential difference brought about by perceptual variety.
Left agency and class action: The paradox of workplace radicalism
Authors: Cohen Sheila
Published: October 2011

This paper seeks to examine the valuable concept of left agency and interrogate it in terms of an inherent paradox not immediately apparent to many who support the role of politicised activists in the workplace. This paradox is that politicised workplace activists, particularly those belonging to revolutionary organisations, may in presenting an overtly political agenda centred on extra-workplace issues actually have weakened resistance against management’s aggressively profit-oriented agenda, particularly in the key period of the late-1970s and early 1980s. These arguments are further explored through an examination of approaches to workplace trade unionism by the Communist Party and International Socialism/Socialist Workers’ Party, thus linking the question of left agency in the workplace with the broader political agenda in terms of the practice and objectives of the explicitly Marxist organisations that can be assumed to be concerned with, and influence, the activity of their workplace-based members and representatives.
Marx and the crisis
Authors: Potts Nick
Published: October 2011

This paper argues that Marx’s economics leads us to a deeper understanding of our current crisis than do either mainstream, Keynesian or ‘mainstream Marxist’ economics. First, Marx explains how a tendency for the rate of profit to fall in boom manifests in the generation and speculative investment of ‘surplus’ capital in the financial system/fictitious capital, providing a tendential basis for, rather than an accidental account of, financial bubbles/crises. Secondly, Marx’s understanding that crisis is absolutely necessary to restore the profit rate, and so return the economy to boom, explains why developed countries’ governments’ attempts to postpone or limit crises since the 1970s have merely prevented a decisive enough crisis to restore the profit rate. Persistently low profitability has simply caused the world economy to stagnate, with persistently surplus capital taking many disruptive, adventurous paths. Finally, I consider how Marx’s identification of when lending is ‘lending’, and when it is simply ‘usury’, can help us understand how the nature of the financial system has changed over the last forty years.
Protective role of methanol extracts of two lichens on oxidative and genotoxic damage caused by AFB1 in human lymphocytes in vitro
Authors: Aslan Ali , Agar Guleray , Alpsoy Lokman , Kotan Elif , Ceker Selcuk
Published: October 2011

In this study, the antigenotoxic and antioxidant effects of Umbilicaria vellea (UME) and Xantho somloensis (XME) extracts were determined using sister chromatid exchange (SCE), micronuclei (MN) assays, and superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activities and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels against the effects of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1)-induced oxidative stress and genotoxicity in human lymphocytes in vitro. The results showed that the frequencies of SCE, MN, and MDA level decreased, but the activities of SOD and GPx increased when 5 μg/mL and 10 μg/mL doses of UME and XME were added to AFB1-treated cultures. Also the present results indicate that strong antioxidative and the antigenotoxicity mechanisms of UME and XME are associated with its antioxidant nature.
Review of melamine scandal: still a long way ahead
Authors: Wei Yuejiao , Liu Daicheng
Published: October 2011

In September 2008, in China, tens of thousands of children were hospitalized, several even died, as a result of infant-formula milk adulterated with a synthetic chemical compound, melamine, and in the next few months, this crisis became the focus of attention worldwide. Although there are a number of articles about melamine toxicity on different species of animals, the long-term effect of melamine on humans is still unknown. Besides, several recent in vitro studies indicated that melamine can damage cells of other parts of the body, including the central nervous system, breaking the previous view that melamine toxicity is limited to the urinary system. Hence, we strongly recommend a long-term follow-up for the overall health status of the victims, not confined to kidneys, to minimize the potential toxic effects in their later life; and research to study the specific mechanism of melamine should be encouraged.
Epidemiological Characteristics of Male Sexual Assault in a Criminological Database
Authors: Choudhary Ekta , Gunzler Douglas , Tu Xin , Bossarte Robert M.
Published: October 2011

Sexual assault among males, compared with females, is understudied, and may also be significantly underreported. Past studies have relied primarily on population-based survey data to estimate the prevalence of sexual assault and associated health outcomes. However, survey-based studies rely primarily on self-reports of victimization and may not accurately estimate the true prevalence of male sexual assault victimization. In order to obtain a detailed assessment of sexual assault among males, criminological databases like the National Incident Based Reporting System (NIBRS) may provide an important and unique source of information. The objective of the current study was to use data from the 2001-2005 NIBRS to construct an epidemiological profile of sexual assault among males. Our results suggest that the incidence of sexual assault was higher among young males (less than 19 years of age), with approximately 90% of all cases being reported among members of this age group. Among males of all ages, forcible fondling and sodomy were the most prevalent forms of sexual assault. Results from additional analyses include age- and race-specific rates of male sexual assault, the prevalence and severity of injury, and time trends detailing incidence by time of the day and location of the incident. Our analyses show that sexual assault is experienced by males of all age groups. However, the rate of sexual assault is higher among younger males. Despite some limitations, results from this study suggest that NIBRS data may provide a important complement to survey data for understanding breadth and consequences of male sexual assault.
The Effects of Academic and Interpersonal Stress on Dating Violence Among College Students
Authors: Mason Brandon , Smithey Martha
Published: October 2011

This study examines Merton’s Classical Strain Theory (1938) as a causative factor in intimate partner violence among college students. We theorize that college students experience general life strain and cumulative strain as they pursue the goal of a college degree. We test this strain on the likelihood of using intimate partner violence. Strain due to unrealistic expectations of intimate partnership and economic strain are also examined. The analysis examines the following causative factors representing strain: 1) the College Undergraduate Stress Scale (Renner & Mackin, 1998); 2) cumulative academic strain measured by college classification; 3) cumulative intimate partner strain measured as the length of time in the relationship; 4) academic strain measured by number of hours studied weekly, and 5) economic strain measured by number of hours worked weekly. Additionally, we examine the extent to which gender and race/ethnicity differentially affect intimate partner in the context of these measures of strain. The Conflict Tactics Scales II (Straus et al, 1996) are used to measure dating violence and include indicators for sexual coercion, physical aggression, injury, and psychological aggression. Data were collected from 142 students in lower-division classes from Texas Tech University. Results show that general strain and cumulative intimate partner strain increase the use of dating violence among college students. The longer dating partners are in a relationship, the higher the chances of psychological aggression, physical assault, and sexual coercion. Converse to our expectations, time spent working reduces psychological aggression due to reducing time spent together rather than reflecting economic strain.
Finding the Necessary Distance
Authors: Rossiter Kate , Godderis Rebecca
Published: October 2011

Over the past two decades, methodological approaches that operate at the intersection of theater and ethnography have gained both popularity and critical attention. However, given the newness of these endeavors, certain methodological and theoretical elements of such approaches remain unexplored. This is particularly the case in fields such as health research, where people often use theater as a tool of knowledge translation. This article aims to broaden and enrich the growing canon of work in this area in two directions. First, it provides an empirical example of a theatrical script that emerged from a health research project informed both by ethnographic and creative, performance-based practices. In this project the authors used fictionalized accounts of history to help audiences engage with contemporary cultural/ethical issues regarding pandemic planning and response. Second, the authors theorize that this project can be usefully understood as having incorporated a hermeneutic approach to inquiry, and we introduce the notion of mimetic distance as a means of making sense of this project’s success. This article asserts that these theoretical contentions provide further interpretive and creative scope for ethnographic research–based theater and, thus, can usefully expand this growing field.
“Losing Neutrality in Your Everyday Life”
Authors: Ruiz-Junco Natalia
Published: October 2011

This article draws on the framing perspective to analyze identity construction. Based on the analysis of thirty in-depth interviews with members of a Spanish environmental movement organization, the author demonstrates how activists construct their identities and frame their personal experience. On one hand, activists align their personal identities with larger conceptions of group identity. On the other, they frame the uniqueness of personal experience in a biographical story that sustains their activism. The author analyzes how these two aspects come together in practice through several identity construction processes. Specifically, she examines how identity extension and identity transformation account for self-construction, and elaborate a third process, which she calls biographical identity integration. Biographical identity integration fills an analytical gap in the framing literature and sheds light on the complex relationship that exists between personal experience and identity construction in movement contexts.
Web and Mail Surveys
Authors: Lin Weiwei , Van Ryzin Gregg G.
Published: October 2011

This study aims to compare two widely used methods of original data collection in nonprofit research: web and mail surveys. We employ an experimental design to assign a web-based survey and a mail survey to nonprofit professionals working in human services organizations in New Jersey. We then compare responses generated from the two survey methods in terms of response rates and data quality. Our study finds that the mail survey achieved a significantly higher response rate than the web survey, and data obtained from the mail survey produced higher internal consistency than that obtained from the web survey. There was no difference between methods, however, in respondent characteristics, the completeness of the survey, and the percentage of missing items. Taken together, the findings suggest that a mail survey, although more costly, may have response-rate and data-quality advantages over a web survey as a methodology for gathering data from nonprofit organizations.
A cost estimating framework for electronic, electrical and electromechanical (EEE) components obsolescence within the use-oriented product–service systems contracts
Authors: Romero Rojo F J , Roy R , Shehab E , Cheruvu K , Mason P
Published: October 2011

This paper provides a cost estimating framework for electrical, electronic and electromechanical (EEE) components obsolescence, which represents the main source of obsolescence issues, owing to the increasingly short life cycle of these types of component. The framework comprises several areas: component complexity levels, obsolescence management levels, obsolescence resolution profiles and obsolescence cost metrics. Several studies, based on the literature and on interaction with numerous obsolescence management experts from industry, have been employed in this research, following a systematic approach. The framework is able to estimate the non-recurring cost of obsolescence during the contracted period within the in-service phase. This is based on the information available at the bidding stage concerning the product breakdown structure (PBS) and the obsolescence management strategy deployed. This framework has been validated at four different UK organizations in the defence and aerospace sectors using seven case studies, one of which is presented in this paper in detail.
Use of calculus of variations to determine the shape of hovering rotors of minimum power and its application to micro air vehicles
Authors: Lopez-Garcia O , Cuerva A , Esteban S
Published: October 2011

In this paper, calculus of variations and combined blade element and momentum theory (BEMT) are used to demonstrate that, in hover, when neither root nor tip losses are considered; the rotor, which minimizes the total power (MPR), generates an induced velocity that varies linearly along the blade span. The angle of attack of every blade element is constant and equal to its optimum value. The traditional ideal twist (ITR) and optimum (OR) rotors are revisited in the context of this variational framework. Two more optimum rotors are obtained considering root and tip losses, the ORL, and the MPRL. A comparison between these five rotors is presented and discussed. The MPR and MPRL present a remarkable saving of power for low values of both thrust coefficient and maximum aerodynamic efficiency. The result obtained can be exploited to improve the aerodynamic behaviour of rotary wing micro air vehicles (MAV). A comparison with experimental results obtained from the literature is presented.
Experimental Investigation of MR Squeeze Mounts
Authors: Farjoud Alireza , Craft Michael , Burke William , Ahmadian Mehdi
Published: October 2011

Based on results obtained from testing MR fluid in a squeeze mode rheometer, a novel compression-adjustable element has been fabricated and tested, which utilizes MR fluid in the squeeze mode. While shear and valve modes have been used exclusively for MR fluid damping applications, recent modeling and testing with MR fluid has revealed that much larger adjustment ranges are achievable in the squeeze mode. Utilizing the squeeze mode, an MR squeeze mount was developed and tested. Test results show that the device was capable of varying the compression force from less than 8 lb 35.6 N to greater than 800 lb 3560 N, when the pole plates were 0.050 in. 1.3 mm apart. Test results showed that the mount tends to achieve higher forces after each repeat of test. This behavior, called ‘clumping’, was studied and solutions to minimize this effect are discussed.
High-Speed Reversal Control of One-Degree-of-Freedom Manipulator by Energy Dissipation Effect of ER Clutches
Authors: Nakamura Taro , Yoshikawa Masahiro , Boku Kazuhiko
Published: October 2011

In this study, we aim to improve the safety during collisions between a robot and a person by controlling the electric field applied to the ER clutch built into the joint of the robot after a collision. We add energy dissipation to the robot arm by increasing the friction in the ER clutch. Moreover, we examine recoil of a robot arm just after a collision by reversing a motor. In this article, we report on several reversal experiments conducted on a one-link arm that does not undergo collision, and we investigate the energy dissipation effect that can be generated by an ER clutch.
The CPAI-2 as a Culturally Relevant Personality Measure in Differentiating Among Academic Major Groups
Authors: Ng Alexander , Fan Weiqiao , Cheung Fanny M. , Leong Frederick T. L. , Cheung Shu Fai
Published: October 2011

We examined whether the Cross-Cultural (Chinese) Personality Assessment Inventory-2 (CPAI-2), developed by the combined emic–etic approach, could provide useful information for us to understand the relations between personality and the key academic major groups in the Chinese context. Participants in this study included 989 university students from 9 universities in Hong Kong. Discriminant analysis showed that the personality traits measured by the CPAI-2 could significantly differentiate among six academic major groups, confirming the utility of personality variables as predictors of career-relevant choice in non-Western cultures. Among the 28 CPAI-2 personality scales, 7 significantly differentiated the 6 major groups in our multivariate analysis of variance. Two of these scales reflect universal intellectual styles while the other five were relational in natural. Among these five relationship-oriented scales, Extraversion versus Introversion and Leadership correspond to similar etic constructs in Western measures while the other three (i.e., Renqing, Social Sensitivity, and Face) are emic constructs. The information provided by these emic constructs can assist career counselors to be more sensitive to the cultural context of career choice of Chinese young people.
Distinguishing Beginning Premed Students from their Science Peers
Authors: Larson Lisa M. , Bonitz Verena S. , Werbel James D. , Wu Tsui-Feng , Mills LeAnn R.
Published: October 2011

The purpose of the study was to better understand how students at the beginning of a premed curriculum are different from their science peers on career-related variables. A total of 165 undergraduates were classified into three groups; these were premed students, students with the intent to pursue a graduate degree, and students with the intent to pursue a bachelor’s degree. Both distal (e.g., prior achievement) and proximal (e.g., mathematics and science self-efficacy and interest) social cognitive constructs were measured. Based on social cognitive career theory (SCCT), the authors predicted that the three groups would not differ on the distal variables. In contrast, the authors expected systematic group differences on the proximal variables. The hypothesis was supported; no significant group differences were found for the distal variables, but the premed group scored significantly higher than the bachelor’s degree group on almost all proximal SCCT variables. Implications for career counseling are discussed.
Stress Reduction Through Psychoeducation
Authors: Van Daele Tom , Hermans Dirk , Van Audenhove Chantal , Van den Bergh Omer
Published: October 2011

The aim of this meta-analysis was to evaluate the effectiveness of psychoeducational interventions in reducing stress and to gain more insight in determining features moderating the magnitude of effects. Relevant studies were selected from 1990 to 2010 and were included according to predetermined criteria. For each study, the standardized mean difference was calculated for the outcome measure primarily related to stress. Nineteen studies met the inclusion criteria; for 16 studies, a standardized mean difference could be calculated. The average effect size was .27 (95% confidence interval = [.14, .40]) at posttest and .20 (95% confidence interval = [−.04, .43]) at follow-up. To determine possible moderators of intervention effects, all 19 studies were included. Only interventions that were shorter in duration provided better results. When a model with multiple moderators was considered, a model combining both intervention duration and the number of women in an intervention was significant and accounted for 42% of the variability found in the data set. Specifically, interventions with more women that were shorter in duration obtained better results.
Using Human Factors Techniques to Design Text Message Reminders for Childhood Immunization
Authors: Ahlers-Schmidt Carolyn R. , Hart Traci , Chesser Amy , Williams Katherine S. , Yaghmai Beryl , Shah-Haque Sapna , Wittler Robert R.
Published: October 2011

This study engaged parents to develop concise, informative, and comprehensible text messages for an immunization reminder system using Human Factors techniques. Fifty parents completed a structured interview including demographics, technology questions, willingness to receive texts from their child’s doctor, and health literacy. Each participant was assigned to one user-centered design test: card sort, needs analysis, or comprehension. The majority of respondents were female (90%), White non-Hispanic (62%), and averaged 29 years ( SD = 5). Nearly all (96%) had “adequate” health literacy. The card sort, an activity in which end users organize information into categories, identified six pieces of critical information. These were compiled into eight example texts, which were ranked in the needs assessment. The top two were assessed for comprehension, with 100% of participants able to understand the content and describe intention to act. Using user-centered design methods, the authors developed concise, informative text messages that parents indicated would prompt them to schedule their child’s immunization appointment.
Measurement of Reaction Time in the Home for People With Dementia
Authors: Cole Catherine S. , Mennemeier Mark , Bost James E. , Smith-Olinde Laura , Howieson Diane
Published: October 2011

Background:

Cognitive decline is the cardinal symptom of dementia. Accurate measurement of changes in cognition, while essential for testing interventions to slow cognitive decline, can be challenging in people with dementia (PWD). For example, the laboratory environment may cause anxiety and negatively affect performance.

Material and Method:

In healthy people, researchers measure one aspect of cognition, attention, via assessing reaction times in a laboratory environment. This repeated-measures study investigated the feasibility of reaction time measurement in participants' homes using the computerized psychomotor vigilance task (PVT) for PWD. Research questions were (a) Can laboratory controls be replicated in the home? (b) Where do PWD perform PVT trials optimally? and (c) What are the preferences of PWD and their caregivers? Two groups that differed by sequence of testing location completed 12 reaction time assessments over 2 days. Caregiver and person with dementia dyad preferences were examined in a follow-up phone interview.

Results:

Complete data were collected from 14 dyads. Although there were slight differences in lighting between settings, the time of day, temperature, and sound did not differ. There were no significant differences in PVT performance between the two locations, but the group who tested in the home on Day 1 performed better than the group who tested in the lab on Day 1. All participants preferred home examination.

Discussion:

It is feasible to measure reaction times in the home. Home testing contributes to optimal performance and participants preferred the home.
Account episodes in family discourse: the making of morality in everyday interaction
Authors: Sterponi Laur A.
Published: October 2011

This article investigates account episodes in Italian family dinner conversations and illustrates how sequential patterns and participation are organized in terms of preferences indexical of moral ideology and moral order. Accounts have been mostly examined as speech acts abstracted from embedding sequential environment; this article shows that different design features of the priming move in account episodes retrospectively define different aspects of a situation as problematic and prospectively activate the relevance for distinctive remedial moves. On an ideological level, narrative elicitations as priming moves and accounts as remedial moves index a moral perspective that promotes moral reasoning and thus the negotiation of norms. In addition, such moves realize a practice of morality that tends to be inquisitory vs condemnatory, offering the benefit of the doubt prior to guilt allocation. In conclusion, the discursive mechanics of accountability constitutes a medium for reproduction of, and innovation in, the moral order.
Haemodynamic effects of aliskiren in decompensated severe heart failure
Authors: Brancalhao Euler O , Ochiai Marcelo E , Cardoso Juliano N , Vieira Kelly R , Puig Raphael N , Lima Marcelo V , Barretto Antonio P
Published: October 2011

Aim: The renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system (RAAS) has dual pathways to angiotensin II production; therefore, multiple blockages may be useful in heart failure. In this study, we evaluated the short-term haemodynamic effects of aliskiren, a direct renin inhibitor, in patients with decompensated severe heart failure who were also taking angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors.

Materials and methods: A total of 16 patients (14 men, two women, mean age: 60.3 years) were enrolled in the study. The inclusion criteria included hospitalisation due to decompensated heart failure, ACE inhibitor use, and an ejection fraction < 40% (mean: 21.9 ± 6.7%). The exclusion criteria were: creatinine > 2.0 mg/dl, cardiac pacemaker, serum K+ > 5.5 mEq/l, and systolic blood pressure < 70 mmHg. Patients either received 150 mg/d aliskiren for 7 days (aliskiren group, n = 10) or did not receive aliskiren (control group, n = 6). Primary end points were systemic vascular resistance and cardiac index values. Repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to assess variables before and after intervention. A two-sided p-value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results: Compared to pre-intervention levels, systemic vascular resistance was reduced by 20.4% in aliskiren patients, but it increased by 2.9% in control patients ( p = 0.038). The cardiac index was not significantly increased by 19.0% in aliskiren patients, but decreased by 8.4% in control patients ( p = 0.127). No differences in the pulmonary capillary or systolic blood pressure values were observed between the groups.

Conclusion: Aliskiren use reduced systemic vascular resistance in patients with decompensated heart failure taking ACE inhibitors.
Clinical and biochemical predictors of increased carotid intima-media thickness in overweight and obese adolescents with type 2 diabetes
Authors: Kotb Nesreen A , Gaber Rania , Salama Mai , Nagy Hala M , Elhendy Abdou
Published: October 2011

Objective: To identify the clinical parameters associated with increased carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) in overweight and obese adolescents with type 2 diabetes.

Methods: We studied 27 patients (11 males) with type 2 diabetes. Criteria for selection were age (12–19 years), body mass index above the 95th percentile for age and gender, a positive family history of diabetes, normal or high C-peptide, and negative studies for islet cell antibodies. Age- and gender-matched healthy subjects were selected as the control group. Measurements of CIMT, lipid profile, hypersensitive C-reactive protein, hemoglobin A1C (HbA1C), and insulin resistance by homeostasis model of assessment (HOMA) were obtained for all participants.

Results: CIMT was higher in diabetic patients than in healthy subjects (0.68 ± 0.16 vs. 0.58 ± 0.1, p < 0.01). The range of HbA1C in the 15 patients with uncontrolled diabetes was 7.6–10.4 (mean: 8.9 ± 0.9). CIMT, HbA1C, systolic blood pressure, triglycerides, HOMA, and C-reactive protein were significantly higher in patients with uncontrolled than with controlled diabetes. In diabetic patients, CIMT correlated positively with body mass index ( p < 0.001), duration of diabetes ( p < 0.001), systolic ( p < 0.001) and diastolic blood pressure ( p < 0.01), HbA1C ( p < 0.001), HOMA ( p < 0.01), and C-reactive protein ( p < 0.01).

Conclusions: CIMT is increased in adolescents with type 2 diabetes. Poor glycemic control, HOMA, increased C-reactive protein, body mass index, duration of diabetes, and elevated blood pressure are associated with early atherosclerosis in these patients.
A Note on Improving Contact Times in Panel Surveys
Authors: Lipps Oliver
Published: October 2011

With increasing costs for conducting surveys, many survey agencies resort to implementing call strategies. Obtaining contact in panel surveys as early as possible, without annoying people by contacting them at undesired times and ultimately causing them to refuse, requires using efficient call time strategies. In this research, the author uses call data from the Swiss Household Panel (SHP), a centralized Computer Assisted Telephone Interview (CATI) survey with a randomized (experimental) call-household assignment. Using random effects models, the author analyzes the efficiency gains of obtaining initial contact by assigning optimal times to first calls, and times and spacing to second and later calls depending on household sociodemography and prior call patterns. The author concludes with some recommendations for making early and successful contact during fieldwork.
Web versus Mail
Authors: Saunders Mark N. K.
Published: October 2011

Despite organizations’ widespread Internet use and ready availability of Web survey software, few studies have examined explicitly the impact on employees’ responses of using the Web as opposed to mail-based surveys (MBS). This article addresses this gap using an employee attitude survey distributed to a 50% systematic sample of 3,338 employees by mail, the remaining employees receiving the survey via a Web link. Although the return rate for the Web (49.1%) was higher than for mail (33.5%), the quality of Web returns was reduced by a higher number of partial responses and abandonments. Taking into account effect size, significant differences in response were small other than for open question content. Recommendations regarding use of Web-based surveys (WBS) are offered and areas for future research suggested.
Analysis of thermal comfort characteristics of moisture management finished knitted fabrics made from different yarns
Authors: Sampath MB , Aruputharaj Anton , Senthilkumar Mani , Nalankilli G
Published: October 2011

In recent years, the studies of thermal characteristics have gained importance since it is directly related to clothing comfort. One of the ways of achieving clothing comfort is through moisture management of textiles. Moisture management refers to the controlled movement of water vapor and perspiration from the surface of the skin to the atmosphere through the fabric. The aim of this research is to study the thermal comfort characteristics of selected knitted fabrics by analyzing the thermal behavior of moisture management finished (MMF) fabrics, in order to find the suitability of the product for different climatic conditions. The knitted fabrics made from yarns of micro-denier polyester filament, spun polyester, polyester/cotton, filament polyester, and 100% cotton were used for the study. Thermal characteristics such as thermal conductivity, thermal resistance, thermal absorptivity, relative water vapor permeability, and water vapor resistance were analyzed for the MMF fabrics. The test results indicated that the knitted fabrics produced from different nature of yarns have greater influence on thermal characteristics, when they were converted into fabrics. The MMF treatment have significant effect on thermal behavior of micro-denier polyester knitted fabrics with respect to thermal conductivity, thermal absorptivity, water vapor permeability, and water vapor resistance. Among the five fabrics, it was observed that micro-denier polyester fabrics gives faster heat transfer, quicker evaporation of sweat from the skin through the fabric, and also cooler feeling at initial touch.
Functional contribution of T1 to the brachial plexus in infants
Authors: Fattah A. , Curtis C. G. , Agur A. M. R. , Clarke H. M.
Published: October 2011

To determine the contribution of the T1 root to movements of the upper limb in infancy, 40 infants presenting with obstetrical brachial plexus palsy who underwent resection and reconstruction of all brachial plexus roots with the exception of the T1 root were assessed in the early postoperative period. The movements of the limb were recorded using the Hospital for Sick Children active movement scale and demonstrated considerable variability. All movements of the upper limb were observed in this group with the exception of external rotation of the shoulder and elbow flexion. Classical accounts of the function of T1 have limited its activity to the small muscles of the hand and were based on anatomical dissection, brachial plexus injuries and electrical stimulation. By contrast, this study isolated the physiological activity of T1 and analysed the functional contribution of this root to arm movement. We show a greater than generally recognized contribution of T1 to the function of the upper limb in infants.
Experience of using the bioresorbable copolyester poly(DL-lactide-ε-caprolactone) nerve conduit guide Neurolac™ for nerve repair in peripheral nerve defects: Report on a series of 28 lesions
Authors: Chiriac S. , Facca S. , Diaconu M. , Gouzou S. , Liverneaux P.
Published: October 2011

Synthetic nerve guides are occasionally used to repair nerve defects. The aim of the present work was to analyse the results of Neurolac™ use in a series of 23 patients. We operated on 28 nerve lesions located on various sites: arm ( n = 1), elbow ( n = 5), forearm ( n = 4), wrist ( n = 2), palm ( n = 5), fingers ( n = 11). Defects averaged 11.03 mm and were repaired using Neurolac™. After an average of 21.9 months’ follow up (3–45 months), subjective criteria (pain, cold intolerance, Quick DASH) and objective criteria (strength, Weber and Semmes–Weinstein sensitivity tests) were compared with the contralateral side. Average pain score was 2.17/10. Cold intolerance was reported in fifteen cases. Quick DASH averaged 35.37/100. Grip strength averaged 64.62% of the contralateral side. As regards sensitivity, the difference between the two sides was 18.89 on Weber’s test, and 46.92 on Semmes–Weinstein. Defect size did not affect the outcomes. We observed eight complications the most serious being two fistulizations of the Neurolac™ device close to a joint and one neuroma. Neurolac™ presents some advantages (resorption, semi-permeability, emergency use, tenseless repair) like other synthetic guides used for nerve regeneration and its transparency constitutes an added benefit. However, some difficulty in its handling and its expensiveness represent real disadvantages. Our results are not in favour of its use in repairing hand nerve defects.
Genome-wide mapping of Sox6 binding sites in skeletal muscle reveals both direct and indirect regulation of muscle terminal differentiation by Sox6
Authors: An Chung-Il , Dong Yao , Hagiwara Nobuko
Published: October 2011

Background

Sox6 is a multi-faceted transcription factor involved in the terminal differentiation of many different cell types in vertebrates. It has been suggested that in mice as well as in zebrafish Sox6 plays a role in the terminal differentiation of skeletal muscle by suppressing transcription of slow fiber specific genes. In order to understand how Sox6 coordinately regulates the transcription of multiple fiber type specific genes during muscle development, we have performed ChIP-seq analyses to identify Sox6 target genes in mouse fetal myotubes and generated muscle-specific Sox6 knockout (KO) mice to determine the Sox6 null muscle phenotype in adult mice.

Results

We have identified 1,066 Sox6 binding sites using mouse fetal myotubes. The Sox6 binding sites were found to be associated with slow fiber-specific, cardiac, and embryonic isoform genes that are expressed in the sarcomere as well as transcription factor genes known to play roles in muscle development. The concurrently performed RNA polymerase II (Pol II) ChIP-seq analysis revealed that 84% of the Sox6 peak-associated genes exhibited little to no binding of Pol II, suggesting that the majority of the Sox6 target genes are transcriptionally inactive. These results indicate that Sox6 directly regulates terminal differentiation of muscle by affecting the expression of sarcomere protein genes as well as indirectly through influencing the expression of transcription factors relevant to muscle development. Gene expression profiling of Sox6 KO skeletal and cardiac muscle revealed a significant increase in the expression of the genes associated with Sox6 binding. In the absence of the Sox6 gene, there was dramatic upregulation of slow fiber-specific, cardiac, and embryonic isoform gene expression in Sox6 KO skeletal muscle and fetal isoform gene expression in Sox6 KO cardiac muscle, thus confirming the role Sox6 plays as a transcriptional suppressor in muscle development.

Conclusions

Our present data indicate that during development, Sox6 functions as a transcriptional suppressor of fiber type-specific and developmental isoform genes to promote functional specification of muscle which is critical for optimum muscle performance and health.
Proliferative reactive gliosis is compatible with glial metabolic support and neuronal function
Authors: Vázquez-Chona Félix R , Swan Alex , Ferrell W Drew , Jiang Li , Baehr Wolfgang , Chien Wei-Ming , Fero Matthew , Marc Robert E , Levine Edward M
Published: October 2011

Background

The response of mammalian glial cells to chronic degeneration and trauma is hypothesized to be incompatible with support of neuronal function in the central nervous system (CNS) and retina. To test this hypothesis, we developed an inducible model of proliferative reactive gliosis in the absence of degenerative stimuli by genetically inactivating the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p27

Kip1
(p27 or Cdkn1b) in the adult mouse and determined the outcome on retinal structure and function.

Results

p27-deficient Müller glia reentered the cell cycle, underwent aberrant migration, and enhanced their expression of intermediate filament proteins, all of which are characteristics of Müller glia in a reactive state. Surprisingly, neuroglial interactions, retinal electrophysiology, and visual acuity were normal.

Conclusion

The benign outcome of proliferative reactive Müller gliosis suggests that reactive glia display context-dependent, graded and dynamic phenotypes and that reactivity in itself is not necessarily detrimental to neuronal function.
A comprehensive situation assessment of injection practices in primary health care hospitals in Bangladesh
Authors: Chowdhury AK Azad , Roy Tapash , Faroque ABM , Bachar Sitesh C , Asaduzzaman Muhammad , Nasrin Nishat , Akter Nahid , Gazi Hamidur Rahman , Lutful Kabir Abul Kalam , Parvin Masuma , Anderson Claire
Published: October 2011

Background

Understanding injection practices is crucial for evidence-based development of intervention initiatives. This study explored the extent of injection use and injection safety practices in primary care hospitals in Bangladesh.

Methods

The study employed both quantitative and qualitative research methods. The methods used were - a retrospective audit of prescriptions (n = 4320), focus group discussions (six with 43 participants), in-depth interviews (n = 38) with a range service providers, and systematic observation of the activities of injection providers (n = 120), waste handlers (n = 48) and hospital facilities (n = 24). Quantitative and qualitative data were assessed with statistical and thematic analysis, respectively, and then combined.

Results

As many as 78% of our study sample (n = 4230) received an injection. The most commonly prescribed injections (n = 3354) including antibiotics (78.3%), IV fluids (38.6%), analgesics/pain killers (29.4%), vitamins (26.7%), and anti-histamines (18.5%). Further, 43.7% (n = 1145) of the prescribed antibiotics (n = 2626) were given to treat diarrhea and 42.3% (n = 600) of IV fluids (n = 1295) were used to manage general weakness conditions. Nearly one-third (29.8%; n = 36/120) of injection providers reported needle-stick injuries in the last 6 months with highest incidences in Rajshahi division followed by Dhaka division. Disposal of injection needles, syringes and other materials was not done properly in 83.5% (n = 20/24) of the facilities. Health providers' safety concerns were not addressed properly; only 23% (n = 28/120) of the health providers and 4.2% (n = 2/48) of the waste handlers were fully immunized against Hepatitis B virus. Moreover, 73% (n = 87/120) of the injection providers and 90% (n = 43/48) of the waste handlers were not trained in injection safety practices and infection prevention. Qualitative data further confirmed that both providers and patients preferred injections, believing that they provide quick relief. The doctors' perceived injection use as their prescribing norm that enabled them to prove their professional credibility and to remain popular in a competitive health care market. Additionally, persistent pressure from hospital administration to use up injections before their expiry dates also influenced doctors to prescribe injections regardless of actual indications.

Conclusions

As far as the patients and providers' safety is concerned, this study demonstrated a need for further research exploring the dynamics of injection use and safety in Bangladesh. In a context where a high level of injection use and unsafe practices were reported, immediate prevention initiatives need to be operated through continued intervention efforts and health providers' training in primary care hospitals in Bangladesh.
Comparison of supraglottic airway versus endotracheal intubation for the pre-hospital treatment of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest
Authors: Kajino Kentaro , Iwami Taku , Kitamura Tetsuhisa , Daya Mohamud , Ong Marcus Eng Hock , Nishiuchi Tatsuya , Hayashi Yasuyuki , Sakai Tomohiko , Shimazu Takeshi , Hiraide Atsushi , Kishi Masashi , Yamayoshi Shigeru
Published: October 2011

Introduction

Both supraglottic airway devices (SGA) and endotracheal intubation (ETI) have been used by emergency life-saving technicians (ELST) in Japan to treat out-of-hospital cardiac arrests (OHCAs). Despite traditional emphasis on airway management during cardiac arrest, its impact on survival from OHCA and time dependent effectiveness remains unclear.

Methods

All adults with witnessed, non-traumatic OHCA, from 1 January 2005 to 31 December 2008, treated by the emergency medical services (EMS) with an advanced airway in Osaka, Japan were studied in a prospective Utstein-style population cohort database. The primary outcome measure was one-month survival with neurologically favorable outcome. The association between type of advanced airway (ETI/SGA), timing of device placement and neurological outcome was assessed by multiple logistic regression.

Results

Of 7,517 witnessed non-traumatic OHCAs, 5,377 cases were treated with advanced airways. Of these, 1,679 were ETI while 3,698 were SGA. Favorable neurological outcome was similar between ETI and SGA (3.6% versus 3.6%, P = 0.95). The time interval from collapse to ETI placement was significantly longer than for SGA (17.2 minutes versus 15.8 minutes, P < 0.001). From multivariate analysis, early placement of an advanced airway was significantly associated with better neurological outcome (Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) for one minute delay, 0.91, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.88 to 0.95). ETI was not a significant predictor (AOR 0.71, 95% CI 0.39 to 1.30) but the presence of an ETI certified ELST (AOR, 1.86, 95% CI 1.04 to 3.34) was a significant predictor for favorable neurological outcome.

Conclusions

There was no difference in neurologically favorable outcome from witnessed OHCA for ETI versus SGA. Early airway management with advanced airway regardless of type and rhythm was associated with improved outcomes.
Autopbiography
Authors: Farred Grant
Published: October 2011

This essay offers a new term, autopbiography, for thinking the writing of the Self in J. M. Coetzee's Summertime. Autopbiography is distinguished from extant terms such as autobiography and Coetzee's own preferred one, autrebiography, mainly on the following grounds: the autopbiography constitutes the ruthless, possibly even declamatory, examination of an author's life and work by the author himself. More important, the autopbiography is writing of an imagined dead self by a living self as a means of anticipating, and maybe even liquidating, the criticism of—the criticism that can only come from—the future.
Duo pezzi in su la piazza: The Death of the Body Politic in Western Political Thought
Authors: Buchan Bruce
Published: October 2011

This paper explores the figurative significance of Niccolò Machiavelli's lurid account in The Prince of the death scene of Remirro de Orco in Cesena in 1502. This death scene represents a fundamental challenge to the ancient metaphor of the body politic whose health consisted in the harmonious integrity of the whole. By means of this death scene, Machiavelli suggested that sovereigns must be prepared to exercise violent power over the divisible bodies of subjects in the name of securing the polity. I will argue here that the decline and death of the ancient metaphor of the body politic can be interpreted in light of the rise of the modern concept of sovereignty with its characteristic concern to secure the polity even while claiming a lethal power over the individual bodies of its subjects. My analysis begins with an exploration of the difficulties presented by the “body politic” metaphor in grasping the nature of supreme political power in medieval political thought. Attention then shifts to discussion of the emphasis on bodily integrity in the old metaphor, which made the violent exercise of sovereign power a potentially self-destructive activity. Finally, another source of strain on the metaphor is identified in the growing perception of social and religious disunity in early modern political thought, which called into question the social and political union integral to the metaphor. The result was that early modern European political thinkers groped for less organic and consequently more functional and contractual accounts of the relationship between sovereigns and subjects.