bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The TMACT: A New Tool for Measuring Fidelity to Assertive Community Treatment
Authors: Monroe-DeVita Maria , Teague Gregory B. , Moser Lorna L.
Published: March 2011

BACKGROUND: Fidelity assessment is important for implementation of evidence-based practices (EBPs), including assertive community treatment (ACT). OBJECTIVES: The TMACT, an enhanced fidelity tool, was developed and pilot-tested to better assess critical ACT structures and processes. DESIGN: Ten ACT teams were administered the TMACT and the long-standing ACT fidelity measure, the Dartmouth Assertive Community Treatment Scale (DACTS), at baseline, 6, 12, and 18 months. RESULTS: Overall, fidelity scores for all 10 teams were relatively high. Six teams showed improvement, concluding with high TMACT scores at 18 months. Four teams with significantly lower total scores had experienced turnover and organizational barriers. TMACT ratings were higher in core ACT practices than in recovery practices and EBPs. TMACT scores rose steadily but were significantly lower than DACTS scores, which remained unchanged. CONCLUSIONS: The TMACT sets higher performance standards through enhanced assessment of recovery-orientation, EBPs, and teamwork and is more sensitive to change than the DACTS.
Contracting and Efficiency in the Surgical Goods Cluster of Sialkot, Pakistan
Authors: Chaudhry Theresa Thompson
Published: March 2011

This article provides empirical evidence of the inefficiency of contracting institutions (measured by high switching costs) among surgical instrument producers in Sialkot, Pakistan, even though it is an industrial cluster where manufacturers have access to a multiplicity of suppliers. Following the methodology of Johnson, McMillan and Woodruff (2002), we found that nearly 50 per cent of firms in the sample would reject an untried supplier offering a lower price. The decision to reject a prospective new supplier offering a 10 per cent discount was positively related to the complexity of the input and measures of relational contracting, and negatively related to a belief in informal contract enforcement mechanisms. Firms were more likely to switch to the prospective discount supplier when they were introduced through a business network. Belief in formal contract enforcement was not significant in any of the regressions.
Bangladesh’s Export Opportunities in the Indian Market
Authors: Rahman Mustafizur , Khan Towfiqul Islam , Nabi Ashiqun , Paul Tapas Kumar
Published: March 2011

This article investigates new opportunities that are emerging for Bangladesh with regard to her trade with India. In spite of the growing bilateral trade deficit, value of Bangladesh’s exports to India increased by about three times over the last five years. Examination of the dynamics of Bangladesh–India bilateral trade reveals that the number of products in Bangladesh’s export basket has registered significant increase, while at the same time, composition of the country’s exports to India has also shifted towards newer and non-traditional products. RCA analysis shows that export items with RCA > 1 in India, which include raw jute, chemical fertilizer, cement, RMG, leather, battery, textile fabrics and some other items, have significant export opportunities and have a combined potential market of US$ 2 billion in India. On the basis of examination of various tariff and nontariff barriers to trade with India, the article attempts to assess the economic implications of India’s sensitive list as it applies to Bangladesh, and argues that elimination of this list is not likely to have an adverse impact on India’s revenue earnings. The article also comes up with a number of recommendations to deal with the NTBs faced by Bangladesh in her trade with India, particularly in areas related to constraints arising from lack of trade facilitation.
The HIV/AIDS Epidemic in the Dominican Republic
Authors: Rojas Patria , Malow Robert , Ruffin Beverly , Rothe Eugenio M. , Rosenberg Rhonda
Published: March 2011

This article reviews HIV/AIDS epidemiological data and recent research conducted in the Dominican Republic, with a focus on explaining the variability in estimated seroincidence and prevalence within the country. HIV seroprevalence estimates range from 1.0% (in the general population) to 11.0% among men who have sex with men (MSM). Some have indicated that the highest HIV seroprevalence occurs in Haitian enclaves called bateyes (US Agency for International Development [USAID], 2008), which are migrant worker shantytowns primarily serving the sugar industry in the Dominican Republic. Others report higher or comparable rates to the bateyes in areas related to the tourism and sex industries. As in other Caribbean and Latin American countries, reported HIV transmission in the Dominican Republic is predominantly due to unprotected heterosexual sex and the infection rate has been increasing disproportionally among women. The Dominican Republic represents two thirds of the Hispaniola island; the western one third is occupied by Haiti, the nation with the highest HIV prevalence in the western hemisphere. Although data is limited, it shows important differences in seroprevalence and incidence between these two countries, but commonalities such as poverty, gender inequalities, and stigma appear to be pivotal factors driving the epidemic. This article will discuss these and other factors that may contribute to the HIV epidemic in the Dominican Republic, as well as highlight the gaps in the literature and provide recommendations to guide further work in this area, particularly in the role of governance in sustainable HIV prevention.
HIV Postexposure Prophylaxis (PEP) in a Nigerian Tertiary Health Institution
Authors: Onyedum Cajetan C. , Chukwuka Chinwe , Iyoke Chukwuemeka A. , Omotola Olusegun Funsho
Published: March 2011

Background: Use of PEP drugs is useful in preventing seroconversion following accidental occupational or nonoccupational exposures, thereby limiting further spread of HIV. Objective: This study aims to evaluate the clinicodemographic characteristics of patients accessing PEP services in a tertiary health institution. Study Design: This was a retrospective review of patients who obtained postexposure prophylaxis from the HIV clinic of a University Teaching Hospital in Nigeria. Results: A total of 116 clients sought for PEP services during the study period. The commonest setting of exposure was needle injury (44.8%). Half of the clients presented within 24 hours following exposure. Being a male and knowing HIV status of source patient independently increased the likelihood of early presentation following exposure (P < .05). None of the patients that obtained the PEP drugs came for follow-up visits. Conclusion/Recommendation: Late presentation for PEP services following exposure means that more awareness needs to be created to facilitate early presentation.
Finite-element analysis of unsupported sleepers using three-dimensional wheel–rail contact formulation
Authors: Recuero A M , Escalona J L , Shabana A A
Published: March 2011

Owing to repeated traffic loads, the ballast of a railroad track can become unevenly distributed, resulting in different settlements of adjacent sleepers and possibly to a sleeper–ballast loss of contact. The sleeper–ballast loss of contact can significantly change the stiffness properties and modes of deformation of the track. This in turn can cause damage to the structure and can lead to undesirable dynamic behaviour of the vehicles that negotiate this damaged track. The focus of this investigation is on developing a more comprehensive procedure that can be used to examine the effect produced by unsupported sleepers of a flexible track on the dynamics of railroad vehicle systems. The procedure used in this study is based on a validated non-linear multi-body railroad vehicle system formulation that takes into account the coupling between the elastic deformations of the track, the sleeper movements, and the three-dimensional contact parameters. The method used in this article allows for developing a detailed finite-element track model that accounts for non-periodic and asymmetrical mechanical defects. The finite-element equations of motion of the track that includes unsupported sleepers are integrated with the non-linear constrained dynamic equations of the multi-body railroad vehicle system. Component mode synthesis methods are used to reduce the number of the governing equations of motion and eliminate high-frequency modes. The dynamic coupling between the track modal co-ordinates and the wheel–rail contact parameters is considered in this investigation by using creepage and creep force expressions that depend on the track deformations and sleeper movements. In order to demonstrate the use of the procedure described in this article, a track model which has rails and sleepers modelled as beams rigidly connected at the intersection points is used. The effect of the ballast is considered using an elastic foundation. The results obtained in this investigation are used to compare between the responses of two tracks; one with no sleeper–ballast loss of support and the other with unsupported sleepers. The results are reported for different values of the forward velocities in order to have a better understanding of the effect of the sleeper loss of support on the system dynamics. The creepages that depend on the track deformations as well as the system frequencies are analysed. The results obtained in this investigation are found to be in good agreement with the results reported in the literature on unsupported sleepers.
Challenges to Childhood Asthma Intervention Delivery in Hard-to-Reach Small Rural Communities
Authors: Mujuru Priscah , Salana Hari , Kellam Nicholas , Howell Cassie
Published: March 2011

The burden of asthma in most rural America is mirrored in part by the state of West Virginia, with a 2.2% higher rate than the national average. Most rural residents live in small communities of population size < 3000. While studies have reported on asthma management interventions elsewhere, only a few involved such small rural environments. Because of the unique socioeconomic demographics and challenges faced by these communities—including geographic isolation, indoor exposures to secondary tobacco smoke, and limited access to health care—school children and their families should be educated in asthma management skills. This article focuses on a school-based intervention approach for students and an assessment of their parents’ support and knowledge gained during the intervention. Although the school-based asthma education increased participating students’ asthma management skills, 3 major challenges emerged: Some parents exhibited persistent adverse behaviors in controlling asthma triggers in their homes; a small percentage of parents had little knowledge of irritants or asthma triggers; and some parents were unwilling to consent to their children’s participation in a school-based asthma education intervention. These challenges may be important to address in future asthma interventions aimed at hard-to-reach small rural communities.
Uncharacterized conserved motifs outside the HD-Zip domain in HD-Zip subfamily I transcription factors; a potential source of functional diversity
Authors: Arce Agustín L , Raineri Jesica , Capella Matías , Cabello Julieta V , Chan Raquel L
Published: March 2011

Background

Plant HD-Zip transcription factors are modular proteins in which a homeodomain is associated to a leucine zipper. Of the four subfamilies in which they are divided, the tested members from subfamily I bind in vitro the same pseudopalindromic sequence CAAT(A/T)ATTG and among them, several exhibit similar expression patterns. However, most experiments in which HD-Zip I proteins were over or ectopically expressed under the control of the constitutive promoter 35S CaMV resulted in transgenic plants with clearly different phenotypes. Aiming to elucidate the structural mechanisms underlying such observation and taking advantage of the increasing information in databases of sequences from diverse plant species, an in silico analysis was performed. In addition, some of the results were also experimentally supported.

Results

A phylogenetic tree of 178 HD-Zip I proteins together with the sequence conservation presented outside the HD-Zip domains allowed the distinction of six groups of proteins. A motif-discovery approach enabled the recognition of an activation domain in the carboxy-terminal regions (CTRs) and some putative regulatory mechanisms acting in the amino-terminal regions (NTRs) and CTRs involving sumoylation and phosphorylation. A yeast one-hybrid experiment demonstrated that the activation activity of ATHB1, a member of one of the groups, is located in its CTR. Chimerical constructs were performed combining the HD-Zip domain of one member with the CTR of another and transgenic plants were obtained with these constructs. The phenotype of the chimerical transgenic plants was similar to the observed in transgenic plants bearing the CTR of the donor protein, revealing the importance of this module inside the whole protein.

Conclusions

The bioinformatical results and the experiments conducted in yeast and transgenic plants strongly suggest that the previously poorly analyzed NTRs and CTRs of HD-Zip I proteins play an important role in their function, hence potentially constituting a major source of functional diversity among members of this subfamily.
Psychosocial impact of the summer 2007 floods in England
Authors: Paranjothy Shantini , Gallacher John , Amlôt Richard , Rubin G James , Page Lisa , Baxter Tony , Wight Jeremy , Kirrage David , McNaught Rosemary , SR Palmer
Published: March 2011

Background

The summer of 2007 was the wettest in the UK since records began in 1914 and resulted in severe flooding in several regions. We carried out a health impact assessment using population-based surveys to assess the prevalence of and risk factors for the psychosocial consequences of this flooding in the United Kingdom.

Methods

Surveys were conducted in two regions using postal, online, telephone questionnaires and face-to-face interviews. Exposure variables included the presence of flood water in the home, evacuation and disruption to essential services (incident management variables), perceived impact of the floods on finances, house values and perceived health concerns. Validated tools were used to assess psychosocial outcome (mental health symptoms): psychological distress (GHQ-12), anxiety (GAD-7), depression (PHQ-9) and probable post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD checklist-shortform). Multivariable logistic regression was used to describe the association between water level in the home, psychological exposure variables and incident management variables, and each mental health symptom, adjusted for age, sex, presence of an existing medical condition, employment status, area and data collection method.

Results

The prevalence of all mental health symptoms was two to five-fold higher among individuals affected by flood water in the home. People who perceived negative impact on finances were more likely to report psychological distress (OR 2.5, 1.8-3.4), probable anxiety (OR 1.8, 1.3-2.7) probable depression (OR 2.0, 1.3-2.9) and probable PTSD (OR 3.2, 2.0-5.2). Disruption to essential services increased adverse psychological outcomes by two to three-fold. Evacuation was associated with some increase in psychological distress but not significantly for the other three measures.

Conclusion

The psychosocial and mental health impact of flooding is a growing public health concern and improved strategies for minimising disruption to essential services and financial worries need to be built in to emergency preparedness and response systems. Public Health Agencies should address the underlying predictors of adverse psychosocial and mental health when providing information and advice to people who are or are likely to be affected by flooding.
A dynamic method based on the specific substrate uptake rate to set up a feeding strategy for Pichia pastoris
Authors: Dietzsch Christian , Spadiut Oliver , Herwig Christoph
Published: March 2011

Background

Pichia pastoris is one of the most important host organisms for the recombinant production of proteins in industrial biotechnology. To date, strain specific parameters, which are needed to set up feeding profiles for fed batch cultivations, are determined by time-consuming continuous cultures or consecutive fed batch cultivations, operated at different parameter sets.

Results

Here, we developed a novel approach based on fast and easy to do batch cultivations with methanol pulses enabling a more rapid determination of the strain specific parameters specific substrate uptake rate qs, specific productivity qp and the adaption time (Δtimeadapt) of the culture to methanol. Based on qs, an innovative feeding strategy to increase the productivity of a recombinant Pichia pastoris strain was developed. Higher specific substrate uptake rates resulted in increased specific productivity, which also showed a time dependent trajectory. A dynamic feeding strategy, where the setpoints for qs were increased stepwise until a qs
max of 2.0 mmol·g-1·h-1 resulted in the highest specific productivity of 11 U·g-1·h-1.

Conclusions

Our strategy describes a novel and fast approach to determine strain specific parameters of a recombinant Pichia pastoris strain to set up feeding profiles solely based on the specific substrate uptake rate. This approach is generic and will allow application to other products and other hosts.
Sensitivity of temporal heart rate variability in Poincaré plot to changes in parasympathetic nervous system activity
Authors: Karmakar Chandan K , Khandoker Ahsan H , Voss Andreas , Palaniswami Marimuthu
Published: March 2011

Background

A novel descriptor (Complex Correlation Measure (CCM)) for measuring the variability in the temporal structure of Poincaré plot has been developed to characterize or distinguish between Poincaré plots with similar shapes.

Methods

This study was designed to assess the changes in temporal structure of the Poincaré plot using CCM during atropine infusion, 70° head-up tilt and scopolamine administration in healthy human subjects. CCM quantifies the point-to-point variation of the signal rather than gross description of the Poincaré plot. The physiological relevance of CCM was demonstrated by comparing the changes in CCM values with autonomic perturbation during all phases of the experiment. The sensitivities of short term variability (SD 1), long term variability (SD 2) and variability in temporal structure (CCM) were analyzed by changing the temporal structure by shuffling the sequences of points of the Poincaré plot. Surrogate analysis was used to show CCM as a measure of changes in temporal structure rather than random noise and sensitivity of CCM with changes in parasympathetic activity.

Results

CCM was found to be most sensitive to changes in temporal structure of the Poincaré plot as compared to SD 1 and SD 2. The values of all descriptors decreased with decrease in parasympathetic activity during atropine infusion and 70° head-up tilt phase. In contrast, values of all descriptors increased with increase in parasympathetic activity during scopolamine administration.

Conclusions

The concordant reduction and enhancement in CCM values with parasympathetic activity indicates that the temporal variability of Poincaré plot is modulated by the parasympathetic activity which correlates with changes in CCM values. CCM is more sensitive than SD 1 and SD 2 to changes of parasympathetic activity.
Characterization of a non-pathogenic H5N1 influenza virus isolated from a migratory duck flying from Siberia in Hokkaido, Japan, in October 2009
Authors: Yamamoto Naoki , Sakoda Yoshihiro , Motoshima Masayuki , Yoshino Fumi , Soda Kosuke , Okamatsu Masatoshi , Kida Hiroshi
Published: March 2011

Background

Infection with H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses (HPAIVs) of domestic poultry and wild birds has spread to more than 60 countries in Eurasia and Africa. It is concerned that HPAIVs may be perpetuated in the lakes in Siberia where migratory water birds nest in summer. To monitor whether HPAIVs circulate in migratory water birds, intensive surveillance of avian influenza has been performed in Mongolia and Japan in autumn each year. Until 2008, there had not been any H5N1 viruses isolated from migratory water birds that flew from their nesting lakes in Siberia. In autumn 2009, A/mallard/Hokkaido/24/09 (H5N1) (Mal/Hok/24/09) was isolated from a fecal sample of a mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) that flew from Siberia to Hokkaido, Japan. The isolate was assessed for pathogenicity in chickens, domestic ducks, and quails and analyzed antigenically and phylogenetically.

Results

No clinical signs were observed in chickens inoculated intravenously with Mal/Hok/24/09 (H5N1). There was no viral replication in chickens inoculated intranasally with the isolate. None of the domestic ducks and quails inoculated intranasally with the isolate showed any clinical signs. There were no multiple basic amino acid residues at the cleavage site of the hemagglutinin (HA) of the isolate. Each gene of Mal/Hok/24/09 (H5N1) is phylogenetically closely related to that of influenza viruses isolated from migratory water birds that flew from their nesting lakes in autumn. Additionally, the antigenicity of the HA of the isolate was similar to that of the viruses isolated from migratory water birds in Hokkaido that flew from their northern territory in autumn and different from those of HPAIVs isolated from birds found dead in China, Mongolia, and Japan on the way back to their northern territory in spring.

Conclusion

Mal/Hok/24/09 (H5N1) is a non-pathogenic avian influenza virus for chickens, domestic ducks, and quails, and is antigenically and genetically distinct from the H5N1 HPAIVs prevailing in birds in Eurasia and Africa. H5 viruses with the HA gene of HPAIV had not been isolated from migratory water birds in the surveillance until 2009, indicating that H5N1 HPAIVs had not become dominant in their nesting lakes in Siberia until 2009.
The biology of lysine acetylation integrates transcriptional programming and metabolism
Authors: Patel Jigneshkumar , Pathak Ravi R , Mujtaba Shiraz
Published: March 2011

The biochemical landscape of lysine acetylation has expanded from a small number of proteins in the nucleus to a multitude of proteins in the cytoplasm. Since the first report confirming acetylation of the tumor suppressor protein p53 by a lysine acetyltransferase (KAT), there has been a surge in the identification of new, non-histone targets of KATs. Added to the known substrates of KATs are metabolic enzymes, cytoskeletal proteins, molecular chaperones, ribosomal proteins and nuclear import factors. Emerging studies demonstrate that no fewer than 2000 proteins in any particular cell type may undergo lysine acetylation. As described in this review, our analyses of cellular acetylated proteins using DAVID 6.7 bioinformatics resources have facilitated organization of acetylated proteins into functional clusters integral to cell signaling, the stress response, proteolysis, apoptosis, metabolism, and neuronal development. In addition, these clusters also depict association of acetylated proteins with human diseases. These findings not only support lysine acetylation as a widespread cellular phenomenon, but also impel questions to clarify the underlying molecular and cellular mechanisms governing target selectivity by KATs. Present challenges are to understand the molecular basis for the overlapping roles of KAT-containing co-activators, to differentiate between global versus dynamic acetylation marks, and to elucidate the physiological roles of acetylated proteins in biochemical pathways. In addition to discussing the cellular 'acetylome', a focus of this work is to present the widespread and dynamic nature of lysine acetylation and highlight the nexus that exists between epigenetic-directed transcriptional regulation and metabolism.
Differential regulation of BACE1 expression by oxidative and nitrosative signals
Authors: Kwak Young-Don , Wang Ruishan , Li Jing Jing , Zhang Yun-Wu , Xu Huaxi , Liao Francesca-Fang
Published: March 2011

Background

It is well established that both cerebral hypoperfusion/stroke and type 2 diabetes are risk factors for Alzheimer's disease (AD). Recently, the molecular link between ischemia/hypoxia and amyloid precursor protein (APP) processing has begun to be established. However, the role of the key common denominator, namely nitric oxide (NO), in AD is largely unknown. In this study, we investigated redox regulation of BACE1, the rate-limiting enzyme responsible for the β-cleavage of APP to Aβ peptides.

Results

Herein, we studied events such as S-nitrosylation, a covalent modification of cysteine residues by NO, and H2O2-mediated oxidation. We found that NO and H2O2 differentially modulate BACE1 expression and enzymatic activity: NO at low concentrations (<100 nM) suppresses BACE1 transcription as well as its enzymatic activity while at higher levels (0.1-100 μM) NO induces S-nitrosylation of BACE1 which inactivates the enzyme without altering its expression. Moreover, the suppressive effect on BACE1 transcription is mediated by the NO/cGMP-PKG signaling, likely through activated PGC-1α. H2O2 (1-10 μM) induces BACE1 expression via transcriptional activation, resulting in increased enzymatic activity. The differential effects of NO and H2O2 on BACE1 expression and activity are also reflected in their opposing effects on Aβ generation in cultured neurons in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, we found that BACE1 is highly S-nitrosylated in normal aging brains while S-nitrosylation is markedly reduced in AD brains.

Conclusion

This study demonstrates for the first time that BACE1 is highly modified by NO via multiple mechanisms: low and high levels of NO suppress BACE1 via transcriptional and post translational regulation, in contrast with the upregulation of BACE1 by H2O2-mediated oxidation. These novel NO-mediated regulatory mechanisms likely protect BACE1 from being further oxidized by excessive oxidative stress, as from H2O2 and peroxynitrite which are known to upregulate BACE1 and activate the enzyme, resulting in excessive cleavage of APP and Aβ generation; they likely represent the crucial house-keeping mechanism for BACE1 expression/activation under physiological conditions.
CDCOCA: A statistical method to define complexity dependence of co-occuring chromosomal aberrations
Authors: Kumar Nitin , Rehrauer Hubert , Cai Haoyang , Baudis Michael
Published: March 2011

Background

Copy number alterations (CNA) play a key role in cancer development and progression. Since more than one CNA can be detected in most tumors, frequently co-occurring genetic CNA may point to cooperating cancer related genes. Existing methods for co-occurrence evaluation so far have not considered the overall heterogeneity of CNA per tumor, resulting in a preferential detection of frequent changes with limited specificity for each association due to the high genetic instability of many samples.

Method

We hypothesize that in cancer some linkage-independent CNA may display a non-random co-occurrence, and that these CNA could be of pathogenetic relevance for the respective cancer. We also hypothesize that the statistical relevance of co-occurring CNA may depend on the sample specific CNA complexity. We verify our hypotheses with a simulation based algorithm CDCOCA (complexity dependence of co-occurring chromosomal aberrations).

Results

Application of CDCOCA to example data sets identified co-occurring CNA from low complex background which otherwise went unnoticed. Identification of cancer associated genes in these co-occurring changes can provide insights of cooperative genes involved in oncogenesis.

Conclusions

We have developed a method to detect associations of regional copy number abnormalities in cancer data. Along with finding statistically relevant CNA co-occurrences, our algorithm points towards a generally low specificity for co-occurrence of regional imbalances in CNA rich samples, which may have negative impact on pathway modeling approaches relying on frequent CNA events.
International web survey of chiropractic students about evidence-based practice: a pilot study
Authors: Banzai Ryunosuke , Derby Dustin C , Long Cynthia R , Hondras Maria A
Published: March 2011

Background

Positive attitude toward evidence-based practice (EBP) principles in healthcare education may be one of the first steps for motivating a healthcare professional student to later apply EBP principles in clinical decision-making. The objectives for this project were to pilot an international web-based survey of chiropractic students and to describe student attitudes, behaviors, and knowledge about EBP principles.

Methods

We used SurveyMonkey™ to develop our survey based on an existing questionnaire used to measure basic knowledge, skills and beliefs about EBP among allied healthcare professionals and CAM practitioners. We invited 26 chiropractic educational institutions teaching in English and accredited by official organizations to participate. Academic officials and registrars at participating institutions forwarded an invitation email and two reminders to students between July and September 2010. The invitation contained a link to the 38-item web-based questionnaire. Descriptive statistics were performed for analysis.

Results

Fourteen institutions from Australia, Canada, US, Denmark and New Zealand participated. Among an estimated 7,142 student recipients of invitation letters, 674 participated in the survey for an estimated response rate of 9.4%. Most respondents reported having access to medical/healthcare literature through the internet, but only 11% read literature every week and 21% did not read literature at all. Respondents generally agreed that the use of research evidence in chiropractic was important. Although 76% of respondents found it easy to understand research evidence and 81% had some level of confidence assessing the general worth of research articles, 71% felt they needed more training in EBP to be able to apply evidence in chiropractic care. Respondents without previous training in research methods had lower confidence in assessing published papers. While more than 60% marked the correct answer for two knowledge items, the mean number of correct answers to the five knowledge questions was 1.3 (SD 0.9).

Conclusions

Although it is feasible to conduct an international web survey of chiropractic students, significant stakeholder participation is important to improve response rates. Students had relatively positive attitudes toward EBP. However, participants felt they needed more training in EBP and based on the knowledge questions they may need further training about basic research concepts.
Detection of cancer cells in the cerebrospinal fluid: current methods and future directions
Authors: Weston Cody L , Glantz Michael J , Connor James R
Published: March 2011

The spread of cancer into the central nervous system is a serious problem leading to neurological symptoms and rapid mortality. The current tools available for detecting the spread of cancer into the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) are cytology, neurologic examination, and neuroimaging. All three of these methods can be applied in concert to reach a diagnosis, but they all suffer from a lack of sensitivity, leading to delays in treatment in many cases. An overview of research tools in the field of CSF cancer detection reveals a variety of promising technologies that can be used to answer questions about the biology of metastatic cancer and to develop more powerful clinical detection methods. Methods currently under investigation include new immunocytochemistry methods and flow cytometry for thein vitrodetection of cells. Additionally, polymerase chain reaction, fluorescencein situhybridization, capillary electrophoresis with laser-induced fluorescence, and mass spectrometry using matrix-assisted laser absorption-deionization time-of-flight and surface-enhanced laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight techniques are being tested forin vitroassessment of the non-cellular biomarkers in CSF. Forin vivodetection of cancer in the CSF, research techniques include certain quantum dot platforms as well as magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles. As systemic therapies for cancer improve, the CNS is becoming a more common site of disease recurrence. This increases the importance of effective detection methods in the CSF, since early intervention can maximize therapeutic benefit. Furthermore, many cell-based detection methods can be combined with therapeutic agents to serve multiple medical functions through a common targeting system.
Contemporary epidemiology of gout in the UK general population
Authors: Cea Soriano Lucía , Rothenbacher Dietrich , Choi Hyon K , García Rodríguez Luis A
Published: March 2011

Introduction

The objective of this study was to investigate the contemporary incidence of gout, examine potential risk factors, and evaluate specific gout treatment patterns in the general population.

Methods

Using the health improvement network (THIN) UK primary care database, we estimated the incidence of gout based on 24,768 newly diagnosed gout patients among a cohort of 1,775,505 individuals aged 20 to 89 years between 2000 and 2007. We evaluated potential risk factors for incident gout in a nested case-control study with 50,000 controls frequency-matched by age, sex and calendar time. We calculated odds ratios (OR) by means of unconditional logistic regression adjusting for demographic variables, lifestyle variables, relevant medical conditions and drug exposures.

Results

The incidence of gout per 1,000 person-years was 2.68 (4.42 in men and 1.32 in women) and increased with age. Conventional risk factors were significantly and strongly associated with the risk of gout, with multivariate ORs of 3.00 (95% confidence interval (CI)) for excessive alcohol intake (that is, more than 42 units per week), 2.34 (95% CI 2.22 to 2.47) for obesity (body mass index > = 30 kg/m2), 2.48 (95% CI 2.19 to 2.81) for chronic renal impairment, and 3.00 (95% CI 2.85 to 3.15) for current diuretic use. For other medical conditions the multivariate OR were 1.84 (95% CI 1.70 to 2.00) for heart failure, 1.45 (95% CI 1.18 to 1.79) for hypertriglyceridemia and 1.12 (95% CI 1.04 to 1.22) for psoriasis. Use of cyclosporine was associated with an OR of 3.72 (95% CI, 2.17 to 6.40). Among gout-specific therapies, allopurinol was the most frequently used with a one-year cumulative incidence of 28% in a cohort of incident gout diagnosed from 2000 to 2001. Use of gout-specific treatment has not changed over recent years except for an increase of colchicine.

Conclusions

The contemporary incidence of gout in UK remains substantial. In this general population cohort, associations with previously purported risk factors were evident including psoriasis, heart failure, hypertriglyceridemia, and cyclosporine therapy. Use of gout-specific treatment has remained relatively constant in recent years except for an increase of colchicine.
The effect of window rooms on critically ill patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage admitted to intensive care
Authors: Wunsch Hannah , Gershengorn Hayley , Mayer Stephan A , Claassen Jan
Published: March 2011

Introduction

Clinicians and specialty societies often emphasize the potential importance of natural light for quality care of critically ill patients, but few studies have examined patient outcomes associated with exposure to natural light. We hypothesized that receiving care in an intensive care unit (ICU) room with a window might improve outcomes for critically ill patients with acute brain injury.

Methods

This was a secondary analysis of a prospective cohort study. Seven ICU rooms had windows, and five ICU rooms did not. Admission to a room was based solely on availability.

We analyzed data from 789 patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) admitted to the neurological ICU at our hospital from August 1997 to April 2006. Patient information was recorded prospectively at the time of admission, and patients were followed up to 1 year to assess mortality and functional status, stratified by whether care was received in an ICU room with a window.

Results

Of 789 SAH patients, 455 (57.7%) received care in a window room and 334 (42.3%) received care in a nonwindow room. The two groups were balanced with regard to all patient and clinical characteristics. There was no statistical difference in modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score at hospital discharge, 3 months or 1 year (44.8% with mRS scores of 0 to 3 with window rooms at hospital discharge versus 47.2% with the same scores in nonwindow rooms at hospital discharge; adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 1.01, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 0.67 to 1.50, P = 0.98; 62.7% versus 63.8% at 3 months, aOR 0.85, 95% CI 0.58 to 1.26, P = 0.42; 73.6% versus 72.5% at 1 year, aOR 0.78, 95% CI 0.51 to 1.19, P = 0.25). There were also no differences in any secondary outcomes, including length of mechanical ventilation, time until the patient was able to follow commands in the ICU, need for percutaneous gastrostomy tube or tracheotomy, ICU and hospital length of stay, and hospital, 3-month and 1-year mortality.

Conclusions

The presence of a window in an ICU room did not improve outcomes for critically ill patients with SAH admitted to the ICU. Further studies are needed to determine whether other groups of critically ill patients, particularly those without acute brain injury, derive benefit from natural light.
Differential miRNA Expression in Omental Adipose Tissue and in the Circulation of Obese Patients Identifies Novel Metabolic Biomarkers
Authors: Heneghan H. M. , Miller N. , McAnena O. J. , O'Brien T. , Kerin M. J.
Published: March 2011

Background:

Omental fat accumulation is associated with development of the metabolic syndrome, although its molecular characteristics are poorly understood. Mi(cro)RNAs (miRNAs), a class of small noncoding RNAs, are known to regulate various metabolic processes, although their role in obesity and the metabolic syndrome is not clearly defined. This study sought to characterize the miRNA expression in omentum, sc fat and in the circulation of obese and nonobese individuals. Their potential as noninvasive metabolic biomarkers was also explored.

Methods:

miRNA was extracted from paired omentum and sc fat tissues, and blood samples, from a total of 50 obese and nonobese patients. A miRNA microarray was performed and a panel of differentially expressed miRNAs validated using RQ-PCR.

Results:

The miRNA expression profiles were unique for omentum and paired sc fat; no correlation in miRNA expression was observed between these two fat depots. Expression of two miRNAs (miR-17–5p and miR-132) differed significantly between obese and nonobese omental fat (P = 0.048 and P = 0.016). This expression pattern was reflected in the circulation in which these same two miRNAs were also significantly dysregulated in blood from obese subjects. The miRNA expression in omental fat and blood from obese patients correlated significantly with body mass index, fasting blood glucose, and glycosylated hemoglobin.

Conclusion:

This study demonstrates that candidate metabolic miRNAs are altered in adipose tissue and circulation of the obese. Omental fat tissue and systemic miRNA levels reflect components of the metabolic syndrome, highlighting their potential as novel biomarkers for this complex syndrome.
Parameter Vibration and Dynamic Stability of the Printing Paper Web with Variable Speed
Authors: Wu Jimei , Wu Qiumin , Ma Li'e , Liu Linlin
Published: March 2011

Parametric vibration and dynamic stability of the printing paper web with variable speed were studied. The speed of the moving paper web was regarded as the sum of the constant mean speed and the sine pulse speed. The dynamical model and the transverse vibration differential equation were established. The period coefficient state equation was obtained by discretizing the space variable of the differential equation with the differential quadrature method and imported state vector. The instability region and the stability region of the paper web were determined by the implicit Runge-Kutta method. The relationships of the instability region versus the tension ratio, length-width ratio and the amplitude of the sine pulse speed were analyzed. The results provide a theoretical basis for optimizing the structure of the printing machine and improving the working stability of the paper web.
Vibration Suppression of Flexible Plate Structures Using Swarm and Genetic Optimization Techniques
Authors: Julai S. , Tokhi M. O.
Published: March 2011

This paper presents the development of an active vibration control mechanism using genetic algorithm and particle swarm optimization. The approaches are realized with single-input single-output and single-input multiple-output control configurations in a flexible plate structure with all edges clamped. Simulations are carried out with different disturbance signal types, namely random, pseudo random binary sequence, and finite-duration step. The control design comprises a direct minimization of the error (observed) signal by searching the optimal locations of the detector and secondary source, along with the controller parameters. The algorithms are formulated with an objective function based on mean square of the observed vibration. In this manner, knowledge of the input/output characterization of the system is not required for design of the controller. The performance of the system is assessed and analyzed both in the time and frequency domains and it is demonstrated that the proposed scheme reduces vibration of the flexible plate significantly.
Kinetics and Mechanism of Nickel(II) Ion Biosorption by Immobilized Brown Laminaria Japonica Algae
Authors: Fan Wen Hong , Xu Zhi Zhen , Li Qian
Published: March 2011

The biosorption of Ni(II) ions by brown Laminaria japonica algae immobilized in sodium alginate and glutin beads was investigated. The kinetics of Ni(II) ion biosorption within the immobilized L. japonica beads were described well by the pseudo-second-order model. The equilibrium curves describing Ni(II) ion biosorption by the immobilized algal beads were fitted by the Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models. The maximum biosorption capacity for Ni(II) ions in the immobilized algae beads was found to be 39.43 mg/g. Fourier-transform infrared spectrometric analysis of powdered L. japonica before and after biosorption of Ni(II) ions indicated that several functional groups in the algal cells (–OH, –NH2, –CH2, –CH3, –C=O, –N–H, –C–H, –C–O and –C=O) play an important role in the biosorption of Ni(II) ions by L. japonica.
Selective Solid-Phase Extraction of Pb(II) Ions Using an Ion-Imprinted Functionalized Sodium Trititanate Whisker Adsorbent Prepared by a Surface-Imprinting Technique
Authors: Xu Wanzhen , Yang Wenming , Zhou Wei
Published: March 2011

Lead(II) ion-imprinted functionalized sodium trititanate whisker polymers [Pb(II)-IIPs/Na2Ti3O7] for solid-phase extraction (SPE) were prepared by the copolymerization of Pb(II) as the template ion, chitosan (CTS) as the functional monomer and γ-glycidoxypropyl trimethoxysilane (KH-560) as the linking agent in the presence of sodium trititanate whiskers (Na2Ti3O7) as the carrier. The Pb(II)-IIPs/Na2Ti3O7 materials capable of selectively adsorbing Pb(II) ions thus obtained were used for the pre-concentration and determination of the Pb(II) ion concentration in Chinese traditional medicine samples. The prepared sorbent was characterized by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM).

A series of batch adsorption experiments was performed to evaluate the adsorption behaviour of the Pb(II)-IIPs/Na2Ti3O7 materials towards Pb(II) ions, as assessed by inductively coupled plasma–atomic emission spectrometry (ICP–AES). The maximum adsorption capacity, the distribution coefficient (Kd) and the relative selectivity coefficients (k′) of Pb(II)-IIPs for Pb(II)/Co(II), Pb(II)/Cd(II), Pb(II)/Cu(II), Pb(II)/Hg(II), Pb(II)/Mg(II), Pb(II)/Mn(II), Pb(II)/Zn(II) and Pb(II)/Ni(II) were calculated. Compared with non-ionimprinted polymers functionalized sodium trititanate whisker polymers (non-IIPs/Na2Ti3O7), the Pb(II)-IIPs/Na2Ti3O7 material had a higher selectivity towards Pb(II) ions. The relative selectivity factor (k′) values were all greater than 2.5. The developed method was successfully applied to the determination of the amounts of trace Pb(II) ions in traditional Chinese medicine samples with satisfactory results.
Effects of Ozone Dissolved in Water on the Physicochemical Properties of Activated Carbons Applied in Drinking Water Treatment
Authors: Biniak Stanisław , Trykowski Grzegorz , Pakuła Maciej , Świątkowski Andrzej , Malinowska Zofia , Popiel Stanisław
Published: March 2011

The results of treating commercial granulated activated carbons with ozone, both gaseous and dissolved in water, were analyzed. The original carbons (Filtrasorb-300 and Carbsorb-38) were carefully flushed with distilled water to remove any water-soluble impurities. For comparison, each of the washed activated carbons was treated separately with aqueous hydrogen peroxide. The following procedures were applied to assess the effects of contact between each carbon and the oxidizing agents: thermogravimetry, alkalimetry, voltammetry, EDX and FT-IR methods to illustrate changes in the surface chemistry, and nitrogen low-temperature adsorption to show up any possible changes in the porous structure.

Ozone dissolved in water exhibited the lowest oxidative strength — EDX and FT-IR spectroscopy revealed only a slight oxidation of the Filtrasorb-300 surface layer. Despite its smaller specific area, this carbon surface exhibited greater roughness and was more susceptible to oxidation. The liquid-phase adsorption isotherms of p-chlorophenol from aqueous solution onto this carbon showed that surface oxygen reduced the extent of adsorption. The experimental data were best fitted by the Langmuir isotherm model.
Increased siRNA duplex stability correlates with reduced off-target and elevated on-target effects
Authors: Petri Sebastian , Dueck Anne , Lehmann Gerhard , Putz Nicholas , Rüdel Sabine , Kremmer Elisabeth , Meister Gunter
Published: March 2011

Argonaute (Ago) proteins form the core of RNA-induced silencing complexes (RISCs) and mediate small RNA-guided gene silencing. In RNAi, short interfering RNAs (siRNAs) guide RISCs to complementary target RNAs, leading to cleavage by the endonuclease Ago2. Noncatalytic Ago proteins, however, contribute to RNAi as well but cannot cleave target RNA and often generate off-target effects. Here we show that synthetic siRNA duplexes interact with all Ago proteins, but a functional RISC rapidly assembles only around Ago2. By stabilizing the siRNA duplex, we show that the noncatalytic Ago proteins Ago1, -3, and -4 can be selectively blocked and do not form functional RISCs. In addition, stabilized siRNAs form an Ago2-RISC more efficiently, leading to increased silencing activity. Our data suggest novel parameters for the design of siRNAs with selective activation of the endonuclease Ago2.