bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
p190 RhoGTPase-Activating Protein Links the β1 Integrin/Caveolin-1 Mechanosignaling Complex to RhoA and Actin Remodeling
Authors: Yang Baohua , Radel Chris , Hughes Dalton , Kelemen Sheri , Rizzo Victor
Published: November 2010

Objective—

To determine whether the β1 integrin/caveolin-1 signaling complex plays a role in shear stress regulation of RhoA activity .

Methods and Results—

Hemodynamic shear stress influences the phenotype of the endothelium. Integrins and RhoA are essential components in the process that allows endothelial cells to adapt to flow. However, the signaling mechanisms that relay from integrins to RhoA are not well defined. Bovine aortic endothelial cells were subjected to laminar shear stress (10 dyne/cm
2
) for up to 6 hours. β1 integrin blockade inhibited Src family kinases and p190RhoGAP tyrosine phosphorylation observed after the immediate onset of shear stress. Depletion of caveolin-1 blocked the decline in p190RhoGAP tyrosine phosphorylation observed at later points by sustaining Src family kinase activity. The manipulation of β1 integrin and caveolin-1 also altered shear regulation of RhoA activity. More importantly, cells depleted of p190RhoGAP showed faulty temporal regulation of RhoA activity. Each of these treatments attenuated actin reorganization induced by flow. Similarly, stress fibers failed to form in endothelial cells exposed to enhanced blood flow in caveolin-1 knockout mice.

Conclusion—

Our studies demonstrate that p190RhoGAP links integrins and caveolin-1/caveolae to RhoA in a mechanotransduction cascade that participates in endothelial adaptation to flow.
Predictors of Subarachnoid Hemorrhage in Acute Ischemic Stroke With Endovascular Therapy
Authors: Shi Zhong-Song , Liebeskind David S. , Loh Yince , Saver Jeffrey L. , Starkman Sidney , Vespa Paul M. , Gonzalez Nestor R. , Tateshima Satoshi , Jahan Reza , Feng Lei , Miller Chad , Ali Latisha K. , Ovbiagele Bruce , Kim Doojin , Duckwiler Gary R. , Viñuela Fernando ,   UCLA Endovascular Stroke Therapy Investigators
Published: November 2010

Background and Purpose—

Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is a potential hemorrhagic complication after endovascular intracranial recanalization. The purpose of this study was to describe the frequency and predictors of SAH in acute ischemic stroke patients treated endovascularly and its impact on clinical outcome.

Methods—

Acute ischemic stroke patients treated with primary mechanical thrombectomy, intra-arterial thrombolysis, or both were analyzed. Postprocedural computed tomography and magnetic resonance images were reviewed to identify the presence of SAH. We assessed any decline in the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score 3 hours after intervention and in the outcomes at discharge.

Results—

One hundred twenty-eight patients were treated by primary thrombectomy with MERCI Retriever devices, whereas 31 were treated by primary intra-arterial thrombolysis. Twenty patients experienced SAH, 8 with pure SAH and 12 with coexisting parenchymal hemorrhages. SAH was numerically more frequent with primary thrombectomy than in the intra-arterial thrombolysis groups (14.1% vs 6.5%,
P
=0.37). On multivariate analysis, independent predictors of SAH were hypertension (odds ratio=5.39,
P
=0.035), distal middle cerebral artery occlusion (odds ratio=3.53,
P
=0.027), use of rescue angioplasty after thrombectomy (odds ratio=12.49,
P
=0.004), and procedure-related vessel perforation (odds ratio=30.72,
P
<0.001). Patients with extensive SAH or coexisting parenchymal hematomas tended to have more neurologic deterioration at 3 hours (28.6% vs 0%,
P
=0.11), to be less independent at discharge (modified Rankin Scale ≤2; 0% vs 15.4%,
P
=0.5), and to experience higher mortality during hospitalization (42.9% vs 15.4%,
P
=0.29).

Conclusions—

Procedure-related vessel perforation, rescue angioplasty after thrombectomy with MERCI devices, distal middle cerebral artery occlusion, and hypertension were independent predictors of SAH after endovascular therapy for acute ischemic stroke. Only extensive SAH or SAH accompanied by severe parenchymal hematomas may worsen clinical outcome at discharge.
Taking Armed Groups Seriously: Ways to Improve their Compliance with International Humanitarian Law
Authors: Sassòli Marco
Published: November 2010

Most contemporary armed conflicts are not of an international character. International Humanitarian Law (IHL) applicable to these conflicts is equally binding on non-State armed groups as it is on States. The legal mechanisms for its implementation are, however, still mainly geared toward States. The author considers that the perspective of such groups and the difficulties for them in applying IHL should be taken into account in order to make the law more realistic and more often respected. It is submitted that the law is currently often developed and interpreted without taking into account the realities of armed groups. This contribution explores how armed groups could be involved in the development, interpretation and operationalization of the law. It argues that armed groups should be allowed to accept IHL formally, to create – amongst other things – a certain sense of ownership. Their respect of the law should also be rewarded. Possible methods to encourage, monitor and control respect of IHL by armed groups are described. The author suggests in particular that armed groups should be allowed and encouraged to report on their implementation of IHL to an existing or newly created institution. Finally, in case of violations, this contribution proposes ways to apply criminal, civil and international responsibility, including sanctions, to non-State armed groups.
Direct Participation in Hostilities – A Discussion of the ICRC Interpretive Guidance
Authors: Boothby William
Published: November 2010

The ICRC's published 'Interpretive Guidance on the Notion of Direct Participation' by civilians in hostilities contributes usefully to the debate but is flawed. It creates an imbalance between members of the armed forces on the one hand, who are targetable at all times, and members of organised armed groups who do not have a continuous combat function, and civilians who persistently participate in hostilities on the other, who are said to be protected during intervals between specific acts of hostility. This imbalance is exacerbated by assertions that there is a presumption at law that civilians are not directly participating, that to be DPH there must be a single causal step linking the civilian's activity with the hostilities, that voluntary human shields may not be direct participants and that periods of preparation for, deployment towards and return from acts of direct participation, during which a civilian is liable to lawful attack, must be interpreted restrictively. This article takes aspects of the interpretive guidance in turn, analysing them to determine their legal and practical acceptability. It concludes that states must consider the guidance with some caution before determining their own position on this vexed issue.
Occupying the Principal Position: Examining Relationships Between Transformational Leadership, Social Network Position, and Schools’ Innovative Climate
Authors: Moolenaar Nienke M. , Daly Alan J. , Sleegers Peter J. C.
Published: November 2010

Throughout the world, educational policy makers, practitioners, and scholars have acknowledged the importance of principal leadership in the generation and implementation of innovations. In many studies, transformational leadership has emerged as a promising approach in response to increasing demands to develop and implement innovations in schools. Although research has suggested that having access to leaders with expertise can significantly stimulate innovation, the link between transformational leadership and principals’ social network position has not yet been extensively studied. The goal of this study was to investigate the relationship between principals’ positions in their schools’ social networks in combination with transformational leadership and schools’ innovative climate. It was conducted among 702 teachers and 51 principals in 51 elementary schools in a large educational system in the Netherlands. Using social network analysis and multilevel analysis, the authors analyzed a quantitative questionnaire with social network questions on work-related and personal advice and Likert-type scales for transformational leadership and innovative climate. Findings indicated that transformational leadership was positively associated with schools’ innovative climate. Principals’ social network position, in terms of centrality, was also related to schools’ innovative climate. The more principals were sought for professional and personal advice, and the more closely connected they were to their teachers, the more willing teachers were to invest in change and the creation of new knowledge and practices. Moreover, work-related closeness centrality was found to mediate the relationship between transformational leadership and innovative climate. Implications of the study are discussed.
Principals in Late Career: Toward a Conceptualization of Principals’ Tasks and Experiences in the Pre-Retirement Period
Authors: Oplatka Izhar
Published: November 2010

Purpose: To fill the gap in theoretical and empirical knowledge on late career in principalship, the aim of this study was to explore the career experiences, needs, and behaviors of principals at this stage. Research method: Life history and semistructured interviews were conducted with 20 late-career principals, 20 schoolteachers, and 10 supervisors. The analysis followed the principles of qualitative research. Findings: The article presents an initial conceptualization of late career in principalship in terms of tasks and issues. Among these tasks are demonstrating professional competence and personal success and obviating continuous decline of physical and energies. Among the major issues are organizational commitment, personal energy, positive attitudes toward changes, a greater sense of professional competence, high self-confidence, and participative leadership style. Implications: Empirical implications for the educational system and the educational research are suggested. Researchers of educational systems are provided with new directions for research on late career in principalship.
Coming to Consensus on Strategic Consensus
Authors: González-Benito Javier , Aguinis Herman , Boyd Brian K. , Suárez-González Isabel
Published: November 2010

Prior studies of strategic consensus and firm performance have yielded inconsistent results. The authors synthesize and account for these divergent findings using a mediated moderation model. Results based on a sample of manufacturing companies in Spain suggest a pattern of mediated moderation such that the relationship between competitive method consensus (i.e., means) and organizational performance, which is moderated by environmental dynamism, is mediated by consensus on objectives (i.e., goals or ends). These results provide an alternative explanation for prior inconsistencies in research results regarding the consensus–performance relationship and point to the need for a more complex conceptualization of the relationship among competitive method consensus, consensus on objectives, organizational performance, and the organization’s surrounding environment.
A High-rate, Heterogeneous Data Set From The DARPA Urban Challenge
Authors: Huang Albert S. , Antone Matthew , Olson Edwin , Fletcher Luke , Moore David , Teller Seth , Leonard John
Published: November 2010

This paper describes a data set collected by MIT’s autonomous vehicle Talos during the 2007 DARPA Urban Challenge. Data from a high-precision navigation system, five cameras, 12 SICK planar laser range scanners, and a Velodyne high-density laser range scanner were synchronized and logged to disk for 90 km of travel. In addition to documenting a number of large loop closures useful for developing mapping and localization algorithms, this data set also records the first robotic traffic jam and two autonomous vehicle collisions. It is our hope that this data set will be useful to the autonomous vehicle community, especially those developing robotic perception capabilities.
Second-Look Arthroscopic Findings After Repairs of Posterior Root Tears of the Medial Meniscus
Authors: Seo Hee-Soo , Lee Su-Chan , Jung Kwang-Am
Published: November 2010

Background: A posterior root tear of the medial meniscus disrupts hoop tension and causes extrusion of the meniscus, which results in progressive cartilage degeneration.

Purpose: To identify the structural integrity of healing after arthroscopic repair of a posterior root tear of the medial meniscus by second-look arthroscopy and to determine the clinical relevance of the findings.

Study Design: Case series; Level of evidence, 4.

Methods: From December 2006 to August 2008, 21 consecutive patients underwent arthroscopic pullout suture repair for a posterior root tear of the medial meniscus. Eleven were available for second-look arthroscopy evaluation (mean, 13.4 months; range, 10 to 22 months). The healing status of the repaired meniscus was classified as complete healing, lax healing, scar tissue healing, and failed healing. Chondral lesions were reviewed using arthroscopic photographs, and clinical evaluation was based on the Lysholm knee scores and the Hospital for Special Surgery scores.

Results: There was no case with complete healing. Five knees had lax healing (symptomatic in 2 and asymptomatic in 3); 4, scar tissue healing (asymptomatic in all 4); and 2, failed healing (symptomatic in 1 and asymptomatic in 1). Progression of the chondral lesion was found in 1 case. Mean Lysholm scores improved from 56.1 preoperatively (range, 41 to 71) to 83.0 at follow-up (range, 69 to 91; P = .003); mean Hospital for Special Surgery score also significantly increased, from 64.1 (range, 50 to 76) to 87.4 (range, 77 to 95; P = .003).

Conclusion: Complete healing was not observed in this retrospective case series of posterior horn meniscus repairs performed by 2 surgeons using a single technique. Further research is needed to clarify why all patients showed clinical improvement despite findings of incomplete or failed healing on second-look arthroscopy. Treatment modalities for managing posterior root tears of the medial meniscus require further investigation to determine their efficacy.
Accomplished Black North Americans and Antiracism Education: Towards Bridging a Seeming Divide
Authors: Gosine Kevin
Published: November 2010

This article examines the seeming historical disconnect between antiracism education and successful, highly educated, and upwardly mobile black North Americans. Many successful blacks tend to resist racism via strategies informed by the hegemonic neoliberal and individualistic ethos, with the key strategies being educational and occupational attainment. Such individualistic strategies are opposed by antiracism education, which emphasizes battling racism on structural and institutional levels. I argue that this disconnect between middle-class black consciousness and antiracist discourse stems from the general failure of antiracist scholarship to understand adequately the complex and conflicted identities and lived experiences of many successful blacks. This failure on the part of antiracist scholarship can be attributed to a historical premising on binary racial categories and zero-sum conceptions of power. However, recent post-structuralist trends in antiracist scholarship, such as an increasing emphasis on integrative antiracism, hold the promise of creating an antiracist discourse that better resonates with successful blacks.
So Much to Do and So Little Time
Authors: Jiga-Boy Gabriela M. , Clark Anna E. , Semin Gün R.
Published: November 2010

In a series of five experiments, we showed that the perception of temporal distance to a future event is shaped by the effort one must invest to realize the event. Studies 1a and 1b showed that when actors are faced with realizing an event by a certain deadline, more effortful events are perceived as closer in time, regardless of the objective temporal distance to the deadline. This negative relationship was reversed, however, when deadlines were absent (Study 2). Finally, priming high effort reduced perceived temporal distance to an event, whereas priming low effort increased perceived temporal distance to the event (Studies 3 and 4). The implications of these findings for models of temporal distance are discussed.
Firstborns’ Disadvantage in Kinship Detection
Authors: Kaminski Gwenaël , Ravary Fabien , Graff Christian , Gentaz Edouard
Published: November 2010

The ability to assess genetic ties is critical to defining one’s own family and, in a broader context, to understanding relationships in groups of strangers. To recognize younger siblings as such, human firstborns can rely on the perinatal association of the mother with her new baby. Later-borns, who cannot rely on such an association, will by necessity actuate alternate strategies, such as recognition of facial clues set aside by firstborns. The effects of such differential early experiences deserve consideration; the development of matching abilities may be used throughout an individual’s lifetime to detect other kinship types outside the family. In simple cognitive tasks based on matching face pictures, later-borns surpassed firstborns in detecting kinship among strangers; this pattern was found in populations of different ages and in two countries. This birth-order effect contrasts with the traditional cognitive advantage of firstborns. Inclusive fitness theory explains how early life history promotes specific strategies that can, in turn, permanently enhance human performance in certain domains.
Why Do the Bonded Fear Freedom?
Authors: Singh Sunit , Tripathi Rama Charan
Published: November 2010

The article discusses the case of the Kol tribal people who have been working as bonded labourers in the stone quarries and silica sand mines near Allahabad, India. It analyses the conditions and factors that have been responsible for keeping them bonded for many generations. The article details and discusses a social intervention made by us to ensure sustainable freedom for these bonded tribal. The intervention focused on conscientisation of the public and government departments and also of the larger community. It sought to reduce fear of freedom of the bonded, and attempted to change their agency beliefs. It also focused on developing the binding and bridging components of social capital to improve their inter-personal functioning in order to strengthen the SHGs (self-help groups) which they had formed and also the Federation of the SHGs.
Poverty and Culture of Daily Life
Authors: Kumar Mukul
Published: November 2010

This article explores the nature of culture and its antecedent value in explaining states of people in poverty. It tries to do it by revisiting the highly critiqued concept of the “culture of poverty”. It argues that culture affects the poor and poverty not in the deterministic way Oscar Lewis is usually understood to have proposed, but in an alternative way. It is the “culture of daily life” that influences the options and choices available to the poor. This conception of culture is oriented towards pragmatic considerations in face of contradictions and potential conflicts of everyday life and is passed on, constituted, modified, or refined by the grind of daily life. It retains space for agency and inventiveness on part of the poor so that some of them are able to reach higher levels of everydayness (well-being) in their lives. Based on conceptual discussion and evidences from a village in north India the article argues that the “culture of daily life” mostly orients the poor to secure minimum requirements for subsistence, but some amongst them through their inventiveness move out of poverty in any existing “opportunity structure”.
Dealing with Domestic Violence towards Complicating the Rights Discourse
Authors: Suneetha A. , Nagaraj Vasudha
Published: November 2010

The discourse on domestic violence in India is animated by the language of rights and empowerment in which domestic violence is seen as the condition that needs to be overcome. It imagines the women facing violence as would-be citizen-subjects, who can actualise their right against violence once the law and institutions are set in order. Inadequate institutionalisation of right against violence and inadequate individuation of women are understood to be the major problems here. In this article, we problematise these two assumptions by taking a close look at women’s interface with public institutions in the context of domestic violence. One, we point to the resources women need to mobilise in the family and community to actualise their right against this violence; two we argue that institutionalisation of this right has led to women being subject to governmental mode of power and three, we discuss the actual deployment of this right in everyday activism as a political goal, than a guarantee against violence. We suggest that a critical consideration of the working of this ‘right’ is required to understand the changing contours of women’s battles with this violence in the post-1990 period.
Women students and staff in accountancy: The Canterbury tales
Authors: Lord Beverley , Robb Alan
Published: November 2010

The growing body of literature about women’s experience of the working environment indicates that women have different experiences to men. Some of this literature narrows the focus to women in the professions, including in the accounting profession, and women as academics. There is scant literature about the experiences of women as students of accounting. This study provides experiences of women accounting academics and students as an accounting department became a much less male-dominated domain. Female students’ decisions to attend university were influenced primarily by family and friends, many of them women. Student—staff and staff—staff relationships varied depending on the personalities involved, with some gender discrimination being perceived by earlier graduates and the first women staff members. The commerce degree opened up job opportunities, particularly for women who graduated in the middle of the twentieth century. Many graduates perceived gender discrimination when they entered the business world, and female academic staff at appointment and on applying for promotion.
Saint Anna’s Hospital in Ferrara, Italy: Accounting and organizational change during the Devolution
Authors: Bracci Enrico , Maran Laura , Vagnoni Emidia
Published: November 2010

This article provides insights into organizational and accounting changes at Saint Anna’s Hospital in Ferrara (Italy). These changes were driven by a wider environmental change which occured in 1598 when the Dukedom of Ferrara was devolved to the Papal State. This brought about an institutional and political shift that affected the overall society and its main institutions, including the hospital. Research material was drawn from State and private archives, including the original sixteenth-century accounting books, statutes and organization manuals. The article adds to the sparse literature on accounting practices in non-Anglo-Saxon countries in under-researched centuries. More specifically it provides an internal perspective on understanding the definition of responsibilities among organizational levels as well as accounting development within Saint Anna’s Hospital both before and after an episode of significant institutional change.
A Randomized Trial of a Multifaceted Intervention to Reduce Falls Among Community-Dwelling Adults
Authors: Fox Patrick J. , Vazquez Laurie , Tonner Chris , Stevens Judy A. , Fineman Norman , Ross Leslie K.
Published: November 2010

Using a randomized controlled trial, we tested the efficacy of a fall prevention intervention to reduce falls among adults in a community-based health promotion program. Adults aged 65 and older within two counties were recruited (control n = 257; intervention n = 286). After 12 months, there was a significant decrease in the number of falls in both groups (odds ratio = 0.45, p < .04), but the time by group membership interaction was not significant (χ 2 = 0.15, p < .69). Multivariate analysis did not find significant differences between the control and intervention groups for physical function as measured by a balance test or a sitting/standing test. Further research is needed on effective methods to deliver multifaceted fall interventions to older adults who are already being served by community health promotion programs.
Price Transparency of Bundled Vacation Packages
Authors: Tanford Sarah , Erdem Mehmet , Baloglu Seyhmus
Published: November 2010

This research evaluated how rate transparency, component bundling, price, and savings of vacation packages influence online purchase decisions. Subjects chose between 12 pairs of Cancun vacation packages, one transparent (individual component pricing displayed) and one opaque (total package price only). The price and savings of the packages were systematically varied in a within-subjects design using a simulated online booking questionnaire. Price was the strongest determinant of choice, but transparent pricing increased favorable impressions of fairness and value. Transparent pricing was most effective when the pricing was different from an opaque alternative, enhancing the impact of a lower price and mitigating the impact of a higher price. There appears to be minimal benefit to transparent pricing if it is the same as an opaque alternative, and it can be detrimental if the savings is not revealed. Online travel providers can use the results to enhance their pricing strategies through the display of information.
The Influence of Reward Program Membership and Commitment on Hotel Loyalty
Authors: Tanford Sarah , Raab Carola , Kim Yen-Soon
Published: November 2010

This research evaluated the role of reward membership and commitment on switching costs, defined as the price at which consumers would switch to a nonpreferred hotel brand. Online survey respondents were classified by reward tier and two types of commitment: value (reward program benefits) and affective (emotional attachment to brand). The results showed that all reward program members exhibit value commitment but upper tier members are more likely to develop an emotional bond. Participants rated likelihood to switch in response to 20 pricing scenarios that varied base price for the preferred brand and discount for a nonpreferred brand. Value commitment was associated with greater price sensitivity, whereas affective commitment produced less differentiation between prices and discounts. Findings indicate that value commitment and lower tier membership are associated with a utilitarian perspective, whereas high-tier members or those with high affective commitment value intangible benefits and are less susceptible to discounting by competitors.
Hotel Overbooking
Authors: Noone Breffni M. , Lee Chung Hun
Published: November 2010

Overbooking represents an important strategy for many service providers that apply revenue management. Although the objective is to overbook such that no customers are denied service, denials may result when the customer no-show rate is lower than expected. Research has shown that denied service can increase customer complaining behavior, and decrease customer satisfaction and spending behavior. Therefore, it behooves the service provider to put a service recovery strategy in place that will minimize the likelihood of these negative outcomes. This study investigates, in the context of denied service due to hotel overbooking, the role of overcompensation (type and amount) in shaping customers’ reactions to the service failure/recovery experience. Results suggest that cash-based overcompensation will yield significantly higher satisfaction ratings than voucher-based overcompensation or normal compensation alone, although the relationship between cash-based overcompensation and satisfaction is not linear. Additionally, overcompensation, regardless of type or amount, does not significantly influence customer repatronage intentions over and above normal compensation alone.
Gender and women’s studies in Italy: Looking back to look forward
Authors: Magaraggia Sveva , Leone Mariagrazia
Published: November 2010

Between the 1970s and the 1990s, women’s studies research and theoretical confrontations became common both inside and outside Italian universities, producing a substantial cultural and scientific inheritance. However, the teaching of such content had to follow an accidental path deprived of any institutional visibility. Women’s studies was forced to adapt itself to existing didactic structures, ‘hidden’ inside single courses and single disciplines, without being evident itself in the university. Only in the late 1990s did such studies become institutionally formalized. Nowadays, there is a rapid growth in women’s studies in Italy, thanks particularly to the course,Women Politics and Institutions, created in 2004. In this Open forum, the authors try to suggest what future scenarios might look like, anticipating a not yet realized horizon.
Sex differentiation and body fat: Local biologies and gender transgressions
Authors: Jonvallen Petra
Published: November 2010

This article examines how sex differentiation is invoked from body fat with a focus on how various monitoring devices participate in the construction of bodies. By using the concept of ‘local biologies’, denoting the linkage of the body to place with its local physical and social conditions, it argues against the ‘one-size-fits-all’ paradigm of modern medicine and critiques the mechanistic search for regularity in medical research. By looking at medical literature on obesity and how contemporary obesity researchers and clinicians link body fat to sex, local biologies of bodies in a Swedish obesity clinic are contrasted to the universal biologies represented in medical research. The article also provides empirical examples of how fat has the potential to undermine traditional sex and gender binaries.
Fragile differences, relational effects: Stories about the materiality of race and sex
Authors: M'charek Amade
Published: November 2010

This article is about the materiality of difference, about race, sex and sexual differences among others. To find out about these differences and their materialities, this article looks not into bodies but rather at how bodies are positioned in spaces and how they are enacted in practice. In the first part of the article, the focus is on the relationality of identities and how they are made and unmade in specific practices. The second part of the article attends to the various histories and practices that are drawn together in one specific body and how they help to enact a particular version of the body. Differences, it is argued, are not given ‘entities’ out there, awaiting dis-covery; rather they are effects that come about in relational practices. This indicates that materiality is not simply a given that can be taken on board (such as readily given biology or the body), but it is the very configuration through which differences can be articulated.
Detecting bodily and discursive noise in the naming of biotech products
Authors: Harrison Katherine
Published: November 2010

This article contributes to existing feminist technoscience analyses by proposing a new tool for examining how norms governing viable and unviable bodies are discursively constructed in an increasingly technologized world. This tool is the result of synthesizing two existing concepts: white noise from the field of media theory/information studies, and the abject from psychosemiotics/gender studies. Synthesizing these two concepts produces an enriched term for detecting interrelations between discursive disturbances and disturbances in bodily norms. In this article, the synthesized concept (abject/ noise) is used as a tool to analyse material concerning the assignment of International Nonproprietary Names (or ‘generic’ names) to biotechnological drugs. Biotech offers itself as a prime testing ground for this new tool, replete as it is with bodily anxieties, powerful discourses and innovative technologies. This article compares three versions of an INN guidance document showing how anxieties about bodily norms are reflected in, and managed through, these documents.
Depression Fotonovela
Authors: Cabassa Leopoldo J. , Molina Gregory B. , Baron Melvin
Published: November 2010

Stigma, low health literacy, lack of knowledge, and misconceptions about depression are considered pervasive barriers contributing to the disparities Latino adults with limited English proficiency (LEP) face in accessing and receiving high-quality depression care. The development of culturally and linguistically appropriate health literacy tools, such as fotonovelas, can help address these barriers to depression care in the Latino community. Fotonovelas are booklets that use posed photographs with simple text bubbles to portray soap opera stories that convey educational messages. The aim of this study is to describe the development of a depression fotonovela adapted for Latinos with LEP. We present the conceptual model that informed this depression literacy tool and illustrate how findings from several studies were used to identify educational messages. Our production process delineates practical steps of how to use a multistakeholder approach to develop a health-related fotonovela. Implications for practice of this innovative depression literacy tool are discussed.
Feasibility and Effectiveness of Circuit Training in Acute Stroke Rehabilitation
Authors: Rose Dorian , Paris Trevor , Crews Erin , Wu Samuel S. , Sun Anqi , Behrman Andrea L. , Duncan Pamela
Published: November 2010

Background: Task-specificity, repetition and progression are key variables in the acquisition of motor skill however they have not been consistently implemented in post-stroke rehabilitation. Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of a stroke rehabilitation plan of care that incorporated task-specific practice, repetition and progression to facilitate functional gain compared to standard physical therapy for individuals admitted to an inpatient stroke unit. Methods: Individuals participated in either a circuit training (CTPT) model (n = 72) or a standard (SPT) model (n = 108) of physical therapy, 5 days/week. Each 60 minute circuit training session, delivered according to severity level, consisted of four functional mobility tasks. Daily exercise logs documented both task repetition and progression. Results: The CTPT model was successfully implemented in an acute rehabilitation setting. The CTPT group showed a significantly greater improved change in gait speed from hospital admission to discharge than the SPT group (0.21± 0.25 m/sec vs. 0.13± 0.22 m/sec; p = 0.03). The difference between groups occurred primarily among those who were ambulatory upon admission. There were no significant differences between the two cohorts at 90 days post-stroke as measured by the FONE-FIM, SF-36 and living location. Conclusions: Therapy focused on systematically progressed functional tasks can be successfully implemented in an inpatient rehabilitation stroke program. This circuit-training model resulted in greater gains in gait velocity over the course of inpatient rehabilitation compared to the standard model of care. Community-based services following hospital discharge to maintain these gains should be included in the continuum of post-stroke care.
Motor Recovery and Cortical Reorganization After Mirror Therapy in Chronic Stroke Patients
Authors: Michielsen Marian E. , Selles Ruud W. , van der Geest Jos N. , Eckhardt Martine , Yavuzer Gunes , Stam Henk J. , Smits Marion , Ribbers Gerard M. , Bussmann Johannes B.J.
Published: November 2010

Objective. To evaluate for any clinical effects of home-based mirror therapy and subsequent cortical reorganization in patients with chronic stroke with moderate upper extremity paresis. Methods. A total of 40 chronic stroke patients (mean time post .onset, 3.9 years) were randomly assigned to the mirror group (n = 20) or the control group (n = 20) and then joined a 6-week training program. Both groups trained once a week under supervision of a physiotherapist at the rehabilitation center and practiced at home 1 hour daily, 5 times a week. The primary outcome measure was the Fugl-Meyer motor assessment (FMA). The grip force, spasticity, pain, dexterity, hand-use in daily life, and quality of life at baseline—posttreatment and at 6 months—were all measured by a blinded assessor. Changes in neural activation patterns were assessed with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) at baseline and posttreatment in an available subgroup (mirror, 12; control, 9). Results. Posttreatment, the FMA improved more in the mirror than in the control group (3.6 ± 1.5, P < .05), but this improvement did not persist at follow-up. No changes were found on the other outcome measures (all Ps >.05). fMRI results showed a shift in activation balance within the primary motor cortex toward the affected hemisphere in the mirror group only (weighted laterality index difference 0.40 ± 0.39, P < .05). Conclusion. This phase II trial showed some effectiveness for mirror therapy in chronic stroke patients and is the first to associate mirror therapy with cortical reorganization. Future research has to determine the optimum practice intensity and duration for improvements to persist and generalize to other functional domains.
A phase 2 study of high-dose lenalidomide as initial therapy for older patients with acute myeloid leukemia
Authors: Fehniger Todd A. , Uy Geoffrey L. , Trinkaus Kathryn , Nelson Alissa D. , Demland Jeffery , Abboud Camille N. , Cashen Amanda F. , Stockerl-Goldstein Keith E. , Westervelt Peter , DiPersio John F. , Vij Ravi
Published: November 2010

Older patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) have limited treatment options and a poor prognosis, thereby warranting novel therapeutic strategies. We evaluated the efficacy of lenalidomide as front-line therapy for older AML patients. In this phase 2 study, patients 60 years of age or older with untreated AML received high-dose (HD) lenalidomide at 50 mg daily for up to 2 28-day cycles. If patients achieved a complete remission (CR)/CR with incomplete blood count recovery (CRi) or did not progress after 2 cycles of HD lenalidomide, they received low-dose lenalidomide (10 mg daily) until disease progression, an unacceptable adverse event, or completion of 12 cycles. Thirty-three AML patients (median age, 71 years) were enrolled with intermediate (55%), unfavorable (39%), or unknown (6%) cytogenetic risk. Overall CR/CRi rate was 30%, and 53% in patients completing HD lenalidomide. The CR/CRi rate was significantly higher in patients presenting with a low (< 1000/μL) circulating blast count (50%, P = .01). The median time to CR/CRi was 30 days, and duration of CR/CRi was 10 months (range, 1- ≥ 17 months). The most common grades ≥ 3 toxicities were thrombocytopenia, anemia, infection, and neutropenia. HD lenalidomide has evidence of clinical activity as initial therapy for older AML patients, and further study of lenalidomide in AML and MDS is warranted. This study is registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT00546897.
Thermodynamically consistent Bayesian analysis of closed biochemical reaction systems
Authors: Jenkinson Garrett , Zhong Xiaogang , Goutsias John
Published: November 2010

Background

Estimating the rate constants of a biochemical reaction system with known stoichiometry from noisy time series measurements of molecular concentrations is an important step for building predictive models of cellular function. Inference techniques currently available in the literature may produce rate constant values that defy necessary constraints imposed by the fundamental laws of thermodynamics. As a result, these techniques may lead to biochemical reaction systems whose concentration dynamics could not possibly occur in nature. Therefore, development of a thermodynamically consistent approach for estimating the rate constants of a biochemical reaction system is highly desirable.

Results

We introduce a Bayesian analysis approach for computing thermodynamically consistent estimates of the rate constants of a closed biochemical reaction system with known stoichiometry given experimental data. Our method employs an appropriately designed prior probability density function that effectively integrates fundamental biophysical and thermodynamic knowledge into the inference problem. Moreover, it takes into account experimental strategies for collecting informative observations of molecular concentrations through perturbations. The proposed method employs a maximization-expectation-maximization algorithm that provides thermodynamically feasible estimates of the rate constant values and computes appropriate measures of estimation accuracy. We demonstrate various aspects of the proposed method on synthetic data obtained by simulating a subset of a well-known model of the EGF/ERK signaling pathway, and examine its robustness under conditions that violate key assumptions. Software, coded in MATLAB®, which implements all Bayesian analysis techniques discussed in this paper, is available free of charge athttp://www.cis.jhu.edu/~goutsias/CSS%20lab/software.html.

Conclusions

Our approach provides an attractive statistical methodology for estimating thermodynamically feasible values for the rate constants of a biochemical reaction system from noisy time series observations of molecular concentrations obtained through perturbations. The proposed technique is theoretically sound and computationally feasible, but restricted to quantitative data obtained from closed biochemical reaction systems. This necessitates development of similar techniques for estimating the rate constants of open biochemical reaction systems, which are more realistic models of cellular function.
Cost analysis of centralized viral load testing for antiretroviral therapy monitoring in Nicaragua, a low‐HIV prevalence, low‐resource setting
Authors: Gerlach Jay , Sequeira Magda , Alvarado Vivian , Cerpas Christian , Balmaseda Angel , Gonzalez Alcides , de los Santos Tala , Levin Carol E , Amador Juan Jose , Domingo Gonzalo J
Published: November 2010

Background

HIV viral load testing as a component of antiretroviral therapy monitoring is costly. Understanding the full costs and the major sources of inefficiency associated with viral load testing is critical for optimizing the systems and technologies that support the testing process. The objective of our study was to estimate the costs associated with viral load testing performed for antiretroviral therapy monitoring to both patients and the public healthcare system in a low‐HIV prevalence, low‐resource country.

Methods

A detailed cost analysis was performed to understand the costs involved in each step of performing a viral load test in Nicaragua, from initial specimen collection to communication of the test results to each patient's healthcare provider. Data were compiled and cross referenced from multiple information sources: laboratory records, regional surveillance centre records, and scheduled interviews with the key healthcare providers responsible for HIV patient care in five regions of the country.

Results

The total average cost of performing a viral load test in Nicaragua varied by region, ranging from US$99.01 to US$124.58, the majority of which was at the laboratory level: $88.73 to $97.15 per specimen, depending on batch size. The average cost to clinics at which specimens were collected ranged from $3.31 to $20.92, depending on the region. The average cost per patient for transportation, food, lodging and lost income ranged from $3.70 to $14.93.

Conclusions

The quantitative viral load test remains the single most expensive component of the process. For the patient, the distance of his or her residence from the specimen collection site is a large determinant of cost. Importantly, the efficiency of results reporting has a large impact on the cost per result delivered to the clinician and utility of the result for patient monitoring. Detailed cost analysis can identify opportunities for removing barriers to effective antiretroviral therapy monitoring programmes in limited‐resource countries with low HIV prevalence.
Modeling elastic properties of siliciclastic rocks
Authors: Vernik Lev , Kachanov Mark
Published: November 2010

We have modeled the effective elastic moduli — and hence the compression and shear wave velocities — of dry sandstones. The modeling is distinctly different in two ranges of porosity [Formula: see text]: from zero to the consolidation limit [Formula: see text] (consolidated regime), where the rock is treated as continuous material containing pores and cracks, and from [Formula: see text] to the critical porosity [Formula: see text], where the rock is transitioning to a granular material (unconsolidated regime). In the consolidated regime, the modeling is micromechanics based and yields the moduli in terms of porosity, pore-shape factor, and crack density, based on the noninteraction approximation with the Mori-Tanaka correction for interactions. By necessity, it contains empirical parameters reflecting highly irregular shapes of pores and microcracks. In the unconsolidated regime, we propose empirical relations of the Mori-Tanaka type where pore-shape factors assume large values, consistent with very soft, concave pore shapes typical in this regime. Combined, the two models can be viewed as a sand diagenesis model for the entire range of porosities, from zero to [Formula: see text]. Its predictions cover the available experimental data on arenites, the most ubiquitous group of sandstones. Finally, our empirical relations for inorganic shales express bedding-normal velocities as functions of porosity and total clay content.
Thomas Chalmers: The Market, Moral Conduct, and Social Order
Authors: Dixon William , Wilson David
Published: November 2010

Combining elements of Adam Smith's third-party perspective with the evangelical view of life as a trial, Thomas Chalmers argued for a market-based social order. The viability of this order would depend on the capacity to develop character in response to the choices made possible by the market itself. Character could replace administrative interventions. Chalmers saw well-intentioned administration, especially with respect to the poor laws, as both crowding out inner motivations and creating a focus for the fermenting of dissent over the terms of “legal charity.” Better, he thought, that there should be a reform in the composition of wages, abolishing all allowances, to foster the independence of workers and also then willing and productive work. The latter could be the basis of improving material and moral conditions.
Shunt flow of arteriovenous fistulas from plantar artery
Authors: Yoshida Y , Fujita M
Published: November 2010

Objective

The purpose of this study was to visualize the shunt flow of arteriovenous fistulas (AVFs) passing towards the top side of the foot from the plantar artery.

Methods

Colour-flow duplex Doppler ultrasonography was performed in 112 patients who consulted an outpatient clinic with varicose veins and/or symptoms such as foot oedema, dullness, cramp and coldness. Thirteen age-and sex-matched healthy subjects served as controls.

Results

AVFs were detected in 86 of 112 patients (77%). They were also detected in 10 (77%) of 13 healthy subjects. The shunt flow pattern consisted of two phases of flow corresponding to systole and diastole, and the diastolic fraction of time–velocity integral was larger, although the peak flow velocity in systole was higher than that in diastole.

Conclusion

Colour-flow duplex Doppler ultrasonography is useful for non-invasive visualization of the shunt flow of AVFs connecting the plantar artery with the venous arch of the top side of the foot.