bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
MRI-Based and CT-Based Thrombolytic Therapy in Acute Stroke Within and Beyond Established Time Windows
Authors: Schellinger Peter D. , Thomalla Götz , Fiehler Jens , Köhrmann Martin , Molina Carlos A. , Neumann-Haefelin Tobias , Ribo Marc , Singer Oliver C. , Zaro-Weber Olivier , Sobesky Jan
Published: August 2007

Background and Purpose—

The use of intravenous thrombolysis is restricted to a minority of patients by the rigid 3-hour time window. This window may be extended by using modern imaging-based selection algorithms. We assessed safety and efficacy of MRI-based thrombolysis within and beyond 3 hours compared with standard CT-based thrombolysis.

Methods—

Five European stroke centers pooled the core data of their CT- and MRI-based prospective thrombolysis databases. Safety outcomes were predefined as symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage and mortality. Primary efficacy outcome was a favorable outcome (modified Rankin Scale 0 to 1). We performed univariate and multivariate analyses for all end points, including age, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale, treatment group (CT <3 hours, MRI <3 hours and >3 hours), and onset to treatment time as variables.

Results—

A total of 1210 patients were included (CT <3 hours: N=714; MRI <3 hours: N=316; MRI >3 hours: N=180). Median age, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale, and onset to treatment time were 69, 67, and 68.5 years (
P
=0.66); 12, 13, and 14 points (
P
=0.019); and 130, 135, and 240 minutes (
P
<0.001). Symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage rates were 5.3%, 2.8%, and 4.4% (
P
=0.213); mortality was 13.7%, 11.7%, and 13.3% (
P
=0.68). Favorable outcome occurred in 35.4%, 37.0%, and 40% (
P
=0.51). Age and National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale were independent predictors for all safety and efficacy outcomes. The overall use of MRI significantly reduced symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (OR: 0.520, 95% CI: 0.270 to 0.999,
P
=0.05). Beyond 3 hours, the use of MRI significantly predicted a favorable outcome (OR: 1.467; 95% CI: 1.017 to 2.117,
P
=0.040). Within 3 hours and for all secondary end points, there was a trend in favor of MRI-based selection over standard <3-hour CT-based treatment.

Conclusion—

Despite significantly longer time windows and significantly higher baseline National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale scores, MRI-based thrombolysis is safer and potentially more efficacious than standard CT-based thrombolysis.
Is There a Direct Link Between Cerebrovascular Activity and Cerebrospinal Fluid Pressure-Volume Compensation?
Authors: Haubrich Christina , Czosnyka Zofia , Lavinio Andrea , Smielewski Piotr , Diehl Rolf R. , Pickard John D. , Czosnyka Marek
Published: August 2007

Background and Purpose—

Cerebral blood flow is coupled to brain metabolism by means of active modulation of cerebrovascular resistance. This homeostatic vasogenic activity is reflected in slow waves of cerebral blood flow velocities (FV) which can also be detected in intracranial pressure (ICP). However, effects of increased ICP on the modulation of cerebral blood flow are still poorly understood. This study focused on the question whether ICP has an independent impact on slow waves of FV within the normal cerebral perfusion pressures range.

Methods—

Twenty patients presenting with communicating hydrocephalus underwent a diagnostic intraventricular constant-flow infusion test. Blood flow velocities in the middle cerebral artery and posterior cerebral arteries were measured using Transcranial Doppler. Pulsatility index, FV variability of slow vasogenic waves (3 to 9 bpm), ICP, and arterial blood pressure were simultaneously monitored.

Results—

During the test, ICP increased from a baseline of 11 (6) mm Hg to a plateau value of 21 (6) mm Hg (
P
=0.00005). Although the infusion did not induce significant changes in cerebral perfusion pressures, FV, pulsatility index, or index of autoregulation, the magnitude of FV vasogenic waves at plateau became inversely correlated to ICP (middle cerebral artery:
r
=−0.58,
P
<0.01; posterior cerebral arteries:
r
=−0.54,
P
<0.01).

Conclusions—

This study shows that even moderately increased ICP can limit the modulation of cerebral blood flow in both vascular territories within the autoregulatory range of cerebral perfusion pressures. The exhaustion of cerebrospinal fluid volume buffering reserve during infusion studies elicits a direct interaction between the cerebrospinal fluid space and the cerebrovascular compartment.
Mouse Model of In Situ Thromboembolic Stroke and Reperfusion
Authors: Orset Cyrille , Macrez Richard , Young Alan R. , Panthou Didier , Angles-Cano Eduardo , Maubert Eric , Agin Veronique , Vivien Denis
Published: August 2007

Background and Purpose—

Early reperfusion using tissue-type plasminogen activator is the only therapeutic agent to treat focal cerebral ischemia with proven efficacy in patients. Nevertheless, novel insights into the pathophysiology of neurons, glial cells, and the fate of the endothelium after stroke call for the use of new strategies to improve stroke treatment alone or in combination with tissue-type plasminogen activator-induced thrombolysis. Unfortunately, despite the plethora of drugs that display clear beneficial effects in animal models of experimental ischemia, their subsequent use in clinical trials has proven disappointing. As such, one is forced to consider that new animal models of focal cerebral ischemia may be required before clinical evaluation of a new molecule.

Methods—

In situ microinjection of purified murine thrombin was used to trigger a local clot formation in anesthetized mice. Cerebral blood velocity was measured continuously throughout the duration of the study. The efficiency of recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator to induce thrombolysis and its subsequent effect on infarct volume were then measured.

Results—

In situ thrombin injection leads to a reproducible clot formation and cortical brain injury. Recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator-induced thrombolysis reduced infarct volume by 36.8% when compared with untreated control mice.

Conclusions—

We describe an original and reproducible mouse model of in situ clot formation and reperfusion, which could be used to investigate new therapeutic strategies to improve stroke treatment.
Measuring Word Alignment Quality for Statistical Machine Translation
Authors: Fraser Alexander , Marcu Daniel
Published: August 2007

Automatic word alignment plays a critical role in statistical machine translation. Unfortunately, the relationship between alignment quality and statistical machine translation performance has not been well understood. In the recent literature, the alignment task has frequently been decoupled from the translation task and assumptions have been made about measuring alignment quality for machine translation which, it turns out, are not justified. In particular, none of the tens of papers published over the last five years has shown that significant decreases in alignment error rate (AER) result in significant increases in translation performance. This paper explains this state of affairs and presents steps towards measuring alignment quality in a way which is predictive of statistical machine translation performance.
A Sketch Algorithm for Estimating Two-Way and Multi-Way Associations
Authors: Li Ping , Church Kenneth W.
Published: August 2007

We should not have to look at the entire corpus (e.g., the Web) to know if two (or more) words are strongly associated or not. One can often obtain estimates of associations from a small sample. We develop a sketch-based algorithm that constructs a contingency table for a sample. One can estimate the contingency table for the entire population using straightforward scaling. However, one can do better by taking advantage of the margins (also known as document frequencies). The proposed method cuts the errors roughly in half over Broder's sketches.
CCGbank: A Corpus of CCG Derivations and Dependency Structures Extracted from the Penn Treebank
Authors: Hockenmaier Julia , Steedman Mark
Published: August 2007

This article presents an algorithm for translating the Penn Treebank into a corpus of Combinatory Categorial Grammar (CCG) derivations augmented with local and long-range word-word dependencies. The resulting corpus, CCGbank, includes 99.4% of the sentences in the Penn Treebank. It is available from the Linguistic Data Consortium, and has been used to train wide-coverage statistical parsers that obtain state-of-the-art rates of dependency recovery.

In order to obtain linguistically adequate CCG analyses, and to eliminate noise and inconsistencies in the original annotation, an extensive analysis of the constructions and annotations in the Penn Treebank was called for, and a substantial number of changes to the Treebank were necessary. We discuss the implications of our findings for the extraction of other linguistically expressive grammars from the Treebank, and for the design of future treebanks.
Agent-Based Model of Genotype Editing
Authors: Huang Chien-feng , Kaur Jasleen , Maguitman Ana , Rocha Luis M.
Published: August 2007

Evolutionary algorithms rarely deal with ontogenetic, non-inherited alteration of genetic information because they are based on a direct genotype-phenotype mapping. In contrast, several processes have been discovered in nature which alter genetic information encoded in DNA before it is translated into amino-acid chains. Ontogenetically altered genetic information is not inherited but extensively used in regulation and development of phenotypes, giving organisms the ability to, in a sense, re-program their genotypes according to environmental cues. An example of post-transcriptional alteration of gene-encoding sequences is the process of RNA Editing. Here we introduce a novel Agent-based model of genotype editing and a computational study of its evolutionary performance in static and dynamic environments. This model builds on our previous Genetic Algorithm with Editing, but presents a fundamentally novel architecture in which coding and non-coding genetic components are allowed to co-evolve. Our goals are: (1) to study the role of RNA Editing regulation in the evolutionary process, (2) to understand how genotype editing leads to a different, and novel evolutionary search algorithm, and (3) the conditions under which genotype editing improves the optimization performance of traditional evolutionary algorithms. We show that genotype editing allows evolving agents to perform better in several classes of fitness functions, both in static and dynamic environments. We also present evidence that the indirect genotype/phenotype mapping resulting from genotype editing leads to a better exploration/exploitation compromise of the search process. Therefore, we show that our biologically-inspired model of genotype editing can be used to both facilitate understanding of the evolutionary role of RNA regulation based on genotype editing in biology, and advance the current state of research in Evolutionary Computation.
A New Approach of Data Clustering Using a Flock of Agents
Authors: Picarougne Fabien , Azzag Hanene , Venturini Gilles , Guinot Christiane
Published: August 2007

This paper presents a new bio-inspired algorithm (FClust) that dynamically creates and visualizes groups of data. This algorithm uses the concepts of a flock of agents that move together in a complex manner with simple local rules. Each agent represents one data. The agents move together in a 2D environment with the aim of creating homogeneous groups of data. These groups are visualized in real time, and help the domain expert to understand the underlying structure of the data set, like for example a realistic number of classes, clusters of similar data, isolated data. We also present several extensions of this algorithm, which reduce its computational cost, and make use of a 3D display. This algorithm is then tested on artificial and real-world data, and a heuristic algorithm is used to evaluate the relevance of the obtained partitioning.
Long-Term Variability of Daily North Atlantic–European Pressure Patterns since 1850 Classified by Simulated Annealing Clustering
Authors: Philipp A. , Della-Marta P. M. , Jacobeit J. , Fereday D. R. , Jones P. D. , Moberg A. , Wanner H.
Published: August 2007

Reconstructed daily mean sea level pressure patterns of the North Atlantic–European region are classified for the period 1850 to 2003 to explore long-term changes of the atmospheric circulation and its impact on long-term temperature variability in the central European region. Commonly used k-means clustering algorithms resulted in classifications of low quality because of methodological deficiencies leading to local optima by chance for complex datasets. In contrast, a newly implemented clustering scheme combining the concepts of simulated annealing and diversified randomization (SANDRA) is able to reduce substantially the influence of chance in the cluster assignment, leading to partitions that are noticeably nearer to the global optimum and more stable. The differences between conventional cluster analysis and the SANDRA scheme are significant for subsequent analyses of single clusters—in particular, for trend analysis. Conventional indices used to determine the appropriate number of clusters failed to provide clear guidance, indicating that no distinct separation between clusters of circulation types exists in the dataset. Therefore, the number of clusters is determined by an external indicator, the so-called dominance criteria for t-mode principal component analysis. Nevertheless, the resulting partitions are stable for certain numbers of clusters and provide meaningful and reproducible clusters. The resulting types of pressure patterns reveal pronounced long-term variability and various significant trends of the time series of seasonal cluster frequency. Tentative estimations of central European temperature changes based solely on seasonal cluster frequencies can explain between 33.9% (summer) and 59.0% (winter) of temperature variance on the seasonal time scale. However, the signs of long-term changes in temperature are correctly reproduced even on multidecadal–centennial time scales. Moreover, linear warming trends are reproduced, implying from one-third up to one-half of the observed temperature increase between 1851/52 and 2003 (except for summer, but with significant trends for spring and autumn), indicating that changes in daily circulation patterns contribute to the observed overall long-term warming in the central European region.
The Effect of Orbital Forcing on the Mean Climate and Variability of the Tropical Pacific
Authors: Timmermann A. , Lorenz S. J. , An S-I. , Clement A. , Xie S-P.
Published: August 2007

Using a coupled general circulation model, the responses of the climate mean state, the annual cycle, and the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) phenomenon to orbital changes are studied. The authors analyze a 1650-yr-long simulation with accelerated orbital forcing, representing the period from 142 000 yr b.p. (before present) to 22 900 yr a.p. (after present). The model simulation does not include the time-varying boundary conditions due to ice sheet and greenhouse gas forcing.

Owing to the mean seasonal cycle of cloudiness in the off-equatorial regions, an annual mean precessional signal of temperatures is generated outside the equator. The resulting meridional SST gradient in the eastern equatorial Pacific modulates the annual mean meridional asymmetry and hence the strength of the equatorial annual cycle. In turn, changes of the equatorial annual cycle trigger abrupt changes of ENSO variability via frequency entrainment, resulting in an anticorrelation between annual cycle strength and ENSO amplitude on precessional time scales.
Improved Skill of Northern Hemisphere Winter Surface Temperature Predictions Based on Land–Atmosphere Fall Anomalies
Authors: Cohen Judah , Fletcher Christopher
Published: August 2007

A statistical forecast model, referred to as the snow-cast (sCast) model, has been developed using observed October mean snow cover and sea level pressure anomalies to predict upcoming winter land surface temperatures for the extratropical Northern Hemisphere. In operational forecasts since 1999, snow cover has been used for seven winters, and sea level pressure anomalies for three winters. Presented are skill scores for these seven real-time forecasts and also for 33 winter hindcasts (1972/73–2004/05). The model demonstrates positive skill over much of the eastern United States and northern Eurasia—regions that have eluded skillful predictions among the existing major seasonal forecast centers. Comparison with three leading dynamical forecast systems shows that the statistical model produces superior skill for the same regions. Despite the increasing complexity of the dynamical models, they continue to derive their forecast skill predominantly from tropical atmosphere–ocean coupling, in particular from ENSO. Therefore, in the Northern Hemisphere extratropics, away from the influence of ENSO, the sCast model is expected to outperform the dynamical models into the foreseeable future.
Relative Roles of Different Components of the Basic State in the Phase Locking of El Niño Mature Phases
Authors: Yan Bangliang , Wu Renguang
Published: August 2007

The mature phases of El Niño events show a strong tendency of locking to the end of the calendar year. The roles of seasonal variations of the basic state and the relative contributions of individual components of the basic state in this phase locking are investigated using the Zebiak–Cane model. It is shown that seasonal variations of the mean state from July to November have a positive contribution and those from December to June have a negative contribution to preexisting warm SST anomalies. Among the basic-state parameters, the sea surface temperature (SST) is a major factor for the locking of the El Niño mature phase through the anomalous advection of the mean SST gradient. This result differs from previous studies that attribute the El Niño phase locking mainly to seasonal changes in the mean wind divergence. The present result indicates the importance of a proper simulation of mean SST and its seasonal evolution for the simulation of El Niño phase locking in coupled models. Further experiments show that the phase locking of the El Niño mature phase cannot be explained by a balance between the warming trend due to downwelling Kelvin waves and the cooling trend due to upwelling Rossby waves.
Influence of Arctic Wetlands on Arctic Atmospheric Circulation
Authors: Gutowski William J. , Wei Helin , Vörösmarty Charles J. , Fekete Balázs M.
Published: August 2007

The Arctic’s land surface has large areas of wetlands that exchange moisture, energy, and momentum with the atmosphere. The authors use a mesoscale, pan-Arctic model simulating the summer of 1986 to examine links between the wetlands and arctic atmospheric dynamics and water cycling. Simulations with and without wetlands are compared to simulations using perturbed initial and lateral boundary conditions to delineate when and where the wetlands influence rises above nonlinear internal variability. The perturbation runs expose the temporal variability of the circulation’s sensitivity to changes in lower boundary conditions. For the wetlands cases examined here, the period of the most significant influence is approximately two weeks, and the wetlands do not introduce new circulation changes but rather appear to reinforce and modify existing circulation responses to perturbations. The largest circulation sensitivity, and thus the largest wetlands influence, occurs in central Siberia. The circulation changes induced by adding the wetlands appear as a propagating, equivalent barotropic wave. The wetlands anomaly circulation spreads alterations of surface fluxes to other locations, which undermines the potential for the wetlands to present a distinctive, spatially fixed forcing to atmospheric circulation. Using the climatology of artic synoptic-storm occurrence to indicate when the arctic circulation is most sensitive to altered forcing, the results suggest that the circulation is susceptible to the direct influence of wetlands for a limited time period extending from spring thaw of wetlands until synoptic-storm occurrence diminishes in midsummer. Sensitivities in arctic circulation uncovered through this work occur during a period of substantial transition from a fundamentally frozen to thawed state, a period of major concern for impacts of greenhouse warming on pan-Arctic climate. Changing arctic climate could alter the behavior revealed here.
Horizontal and Vertical Structures of the Northward-Propagating Intraseasonal Oscillation in the South Asian Monsoon Region Simulated by an Intermediate Model*
Authors: Drbohlav Hae-Kyung Lee , Wang Bin
Published: August 2007

The structures and mechanism of the northward-propagating boreal summer intraseasonal oscillation (BSISO) in the southern Asian monsoon region are simulated and investigated in a three-dimensional intermediate model (3D model). The horizontal structure of the intraseasonal variability in the 3D model depicts the Kelvin–Rossby wave–type disturbance, which may or may not produce the northward-propagating disturbance in the Indian Ocean, depending on the seasonal-mean background winds.

Two experiments are conducted in order to identify what characteristic of seasonal-mean background can induce the northwestward-tilted band in the Kelvin–Rossby wave, whose overall eastward movement gives the impression of the northward propagation at a given longitude. When the prescribed boreal summer mean winds are excluded in the first experiment, the phase difference between the barotropic divergence tendency and convection disappears. Consequently, the Rossby wave–type convection forms a zonally elongated band. As a result, the northward propagation of convection at a given longitude disappears. When the easterly vertical shear is introduced in the second experiment, the horizontal and the vertical structures of BSISO become similar to that of the northward-propagating one. The reoccurrence of the northwestward-directed convective band and the phase difference between the barotropic divergence tendency and the convection suggest that the summer mean zonal winds in the boreal Indian summer monsoon region are a critical condition that causes the horizontal and vertical structures of northward-propagating BSISO in the southern Asian monsoon region.
Low-Frequency Variability of the Indian Monsoon–ENSO Relationship and the Tropical Atlantic: The “Weakening” of the 1980s and 1990s
Authors: Kucharski F. , Bracco A. , Yoo J. H. , Molteni F.
Published: August 2007

The Indian monsoon–El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) relationship, according to which a drier than normal monsoon season precedes peak El Niño conditions, weakened significantly during the last two decades of the twentieth century. In this work an ensemble of integrations of an atmospheric general circulation model (AGCM) coupled to an ocean model in the Indian Basin and forced with observed sea surface temperatures (SSTs) elsewhere is used to investigate the causes of such a weakening.

The observed interdecadal variability of the ENSO–monsoon relationship during the period 1950–99 is realistically simulated by the model and a dominant portion of the variability is associated with changes in the tropical Atlantic SSTs in boreal summer.

In correspondence to ENSO, the tropical Atlantic SSTs display negative anomalies south of the equator in the last quarter of the twentieth century and weakly positive anomalies in the previous period. Those anomalies in turn produce heating anomalies, which excite a Rossby wave response in the Indian Ocean in both the model and the reanalysis data, impacting the time-mean monsoon circulation.

The proposed mechanism of remote response of the Indian rainfall to tropical Atlantic sea surface temperatures is further tested forcing the AGCM coupled to the ocean model in the Indian Basin with climatological SSTs in the Atlantic Ocean and observed anomalies elsewhere. In this second ensemble the ENSO–monsoon relationship is characterized by a stable and strong anticorrelation through the whole second half of the twentieth century.
Mixing It Up
Authors: Rowe Jill E.
Published: August 2007

Prior to the 19th century, African American settlers founded a number of productive communities in northwestern Ohio. During this time period, there were a number of intermarriages and couplings between indigenous people, European explorers, ethnically diverse shipmates, and free and enslaved Africans in this section of the country. Descendents of these unions were dubbed Melungeon, mulatto, or colored, depending on the discretion of oft-illiterate census takers. Though much is written about the hostilities free people of color faced in the South, descriptive documentation of their experiences in northwestern Ohio is scarce. An examination of primary and secondary sources offers evidence of their agency as they struggled with structural barriers that led to disenfranchisement and descent into the racially identifiable category of African American. White resistance to these diverse settlements and settlers challenges America's collective memory of a racially tolerant North.
What Teacher Candidates Learned About Diversity, Social Justice, and Themselves From Service-Learning Experiences
Authors: Baldwin Shelia C. , Buchanan Alice M. , Rudisill Mary E.
Published: August 2007

This article examines how service-learning provides undergraduate teacher candidates opportunities to cultivate deeper understandings of diversity, social justice, and themselves. Participants were from a mid-Atlantic university and a rural southeastern university. Although from different regions, the teacher candidates shared predominantly White, middle-class backgrounds. Three themes framed the discussion—preconceived notions about teaching in diverse settings, how preconceived notions were overcome (or reinforced), and “learning about myself as a teacher.” Findings suggest that service-learning, emphasizing multiculturalism and social justice, has the potential for empowering prospective teachers to confront injustices and to begin deconstructing lifelong attitudes and constructing socially just practices.
Understanding the ensemble pianist: a theoretical framework
Authors: Kokotsaki Dimitra
Published: August 2007

The aim of this study was to develop a theoretical model of the attainment of high quality in musical ensemble performance as perceived by the pianist and to identify the factors affecting this process. The research has followed an inductive interpretative approach, applying qualitative methods. The analytic material was collected through the process of interviewing and analysed following grounded theory procedures and techniques. The analysis of the data allowed five categories to emerge, namely, searching for balance, externalization of attention, regulating, time availability and achieving integration, which mainly reflected the pianists' thoughts and concerns about their participation in ensemble music-making in relation to the co-performers' co-action as they collectively attempt to reach for high quality in musical ensemble performance. The five categories were eventually brought together in an integrative model to propose elements of a theory of the attainment of high quality in musical ensemble performance from the pianist's point of view. This article will present the emergent theoretical framework, together with an account of the methodological process followed.
A Novel Bioabsorbable Conduit Augments Healing of Avascular Meniscal Tears in a Dog Model
Authors: Cook James L. , Fox Derek B.
Published: August 2007

Background

Avascular meniscal tears are a common and costly problem for which current treatment options are limited.

Hypothesis

A bioabsorbable conduit will allow for vascular tissue ingrowth that is associated with histologic and biomechanical evidence for avascular meniscal tear healing superior to that associated with meniscal trephining in dogs.

Study Design

Controlled laboratory study.

Methods

Twenty-five dogs underwent medial arthrotomy with creation of anterior and posterior tears in the medial menisci (N = 50 tears). The dogs were assigned treatments for their menisci: conduit (n = 29 tears) or trephine (n = 21 tears). Dogs were assessed for lameness by subjective scoring after surgery and sacrificed at 6, 12, or 24 weeks and assessed for articular cartilage damage, gross and histologic appearance of the operated menisci, and maximal load-to-failure values using tensile testing of meniscal tears. Tears were considered to demonstrate biomechanical integrity when histologic partial to complete healing was noted in conjunction with a measured load to failure that was significantly greater than controls.

Results

Based on histologic assessment, the conduit was associated with complete (n = 4) or partial (n = 5) healing in all avascular defects at 12 and 24 weeks after surgery in this study. No healing was seen in defects treated by trephination and repair. No lameness associated with surgery or meniscal treatment was noted after 4 weeks. No articular cartilage damage was noted in any joint. At both 12 and 24 weeks, mean load to failure for normal menisci (43.2 N and 28.6 N, respectively) was significantly (P < .017) higher than conduit-treated (22.3 N and 16.0 N, respectively) and trephine-treated (0.6 N and 2.1 N, respectively) menisci, and load to failure for conduit-treated menisci was significantly (P ≤ .05) higher than trephine-treated menisci. Biomechanical integrity was noted in 10 of 14 conduit-treated menisci.

Conclusion

Conduit treatment resulted in functional healing with bridging tissue and biomechanical integrity in 71% of avascular meniscal defects for up to 6 months after surgery. No functional healing was noted in avascular meniscal tears treated by trephination and suture repair.

Clinical Relevance

Clinical studies using the conduit in humans may be appropriate to determine the safety and efficacy of the device for cases of avascular and poorly vascularized meniscal tears, where the device can be successfully implanted from tear to meniscal rim, the tears can be surgically repaired, and patient compliance can be ensured.
Double-Bundle Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction
Authors: Ferretti Andrea , Monaco Edoardo , Labianca Luca , Conteduca Fabio , De Carli Angelo
Published: August 2007

Background

The biomechanical function of single-bundle anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction, in cadaveric studies, is successful in limiting anterior tibial translation in response to an anterior tibial load but seems to be insufficient to control a combined rotator load of internal and valgus torque. Anatomical double-bundle anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction might produce a better biomechanical outcome.

Hypothesis

The addition of the posterolateral bundle to the anteromedial bundle, in an in vivo double-bundle computer-assisted anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction, is able to reduce internal rotation of the tibia at 30° of knee flexion, compared with a standard single-bundle reconstruction.

Study Design

Controlled laboratory study.

Methods

Twenty consecutive anterior cruciate ligament reconstructions were performed in male patients in April and May 2006 with double-bundle gracilis and semitendinosus tendon grafts using the 2.0 OrthoPilot navigation system. Group A (10 patients) underwent standard single-bundle anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction with doubled gracilis and semitendinosus tendon graft; group B (10 patients) underwent double-bundle reconstruction with doubled gracilis and semitendinosus tendon graft. Anteroposterior displacement and internal and external rotation at 30° of knee flexion were evaluated before and after reconstruction, using manual maximum force.

Results

Both techniques significantly reduced anteroposterior displacement and internal and external rotation of the tibia with respect to preoperative anterior cruciate ligament–deficient condition ( P < .05). Comparing groups, no differences in anteroposterior tibial displacement and internal and external rotation of the tibia were found (anteroposterior, 3.7 mm and 5.2 mm; internal rotation, 16.3° and 16.6°; external rotation, 15.7° and 15.1°, respectively) in group A and B ( P = .06, .90, and .72, respectively).

Conclusion

The hypothesis that addition of the posterolateral bundle to the anteromedial bundle is able to reduce internal rotation of the tibia at 30° of knee flexion is not confirmed.

Clinical Relevance

The effective role of the anatomical double-bundle procedure in better restoring knee kinematics should be questioned in an in vivo model.
Intimate Partner Violence, Relationship Status, and Protective Orders Protective Orders
Authors: Shannon Lisa , Logan TK , Cole Jennifer
Published: August 2007

The legal status of women's intimate relationships may allow for different experiences with intimate partner violence (IPV) and the protections received from the criminal justice system. There has been limited research examining differences in IPV and protective orders for women in marital and cohabiting intimate relationships. This study examines differences in experiences with IPV and factors related to protective orders: stipulations, violations, and perceived efficacy in a sample of married ( n = 392) and cohabiting ( n = 307) women with protective orders. Results suggest (a) married and cohabiting women are significantly different on a number of demographic characteristics; however, after controlling for these demographic differences, (b) married and cohabiting women's experiences with IPV are similar in almost all dimensions, except with the psychological tactic of degradation; and (c) married and cohabiting women receive similar protective order stipulations, experience similar rates of violations, and have the same overall perceptions of safety, freedom, and effectiveness pertaining to the domestic violence order. Implications for policy are discussed.
A Nine-Year Follow-Up Study on the Predictive Validity of the Self-Appraisal Questionnaire for Predicting Violent and Nonviolent Recidivism
Authors: Kingston Wagdy Loza , MacTavish Angèle , Loza-Fanous Amel
Published: August 2007

The effectiveness of the Self-Appraisal Questionnaire (SAQ) in providing estimates for predicting violent and nonviolent recidivism over a 9-year period is examined. The SAQ is a quantitative risk/need instrument consisting of 72 items that compose eight subscales. There were 657 federally sentenced Canadian male offenders who completed the SAQ prior to their release and were followed up for 9 years (108 months) at 4-month intervals. Consistent with previous predictive studies, the results presented here demonstrate that the SAQ has adequate predictive validity.
Changes in Coping Following Treatment for Child Molesters
Authors: Serran Geris A. , Moulden Heather , Firestone Philip , Marshall W.L.
Published: August 2007

Relapse prevention theory assumes that specific coping skills deficits contribute to sexual reoffending. Recent research suggests that the general coping style of sexual offenders is also ineffective. In this study changes were examined in specific and general coping deficits following a treatment program that incorporated specific skills training as well as modifying general styles. Treated incarcerated child molesters were compared to a group of incarcerated child molesters on a waiting list for treatment. Groups completed various measures aimed at identifying coping strategies used in specific high-risk situations and general coping styles. Compared to the waiting list group, treated child molesters identified more effective coping strategies in specific high-risk situations. Changes are noted in their general coping styles with an increase in the endorsement of task-focused strategies and social diversion strategies. No changes in their endorsement of ineffective strategies such as emotion-focused or distraction strategies occurred. Implications for treatment are discussed.
Subjects, Subjectivity, and Subjectification in Call Center Work
Authors: Winiecki Donald J.
Published: August 2007

In postindustrial society, paid labor is increasingly characterized as tertiary labor rather than primary or secondary labor and commonly mediated by computer and telecommunication technologies. However, there are few ethnographic studies on the production of the subject and subjectivity in postindustrial workplaces. This article reports a poststructurally informed ethnographic research in four telephone call centers, focusing on how technological and managerial practices are deployed and continuously oriented to in subjectification processes. The result, although “rational” and “real,” is shown to be a construction of concerted compliance and secondary adjustments through strategic processes named shadowboxing with data. Implications for the study of subjectivity and subjectification are discussed.
Work and Family Issues in the Hospitality Industry: Perspectives of Entrants, Managers, and Spouses
Authors: Cleveland Jeanette N. , O'Neill John W. , Himelright Jodi L. , Harrison Michelle M. , Crouter Ann C. , Drago Robert
Published: August 2007

With smaller, more efficient workforces, hotel organizations are competing to retain highly valued managers. Work stress and burnout are often cited as precursors to work and family stress, and together these factors influence employee intentions to leave an organization. However, work and family issues have received little attention in the hospitality and tourism literature. Using focus groups and semistructured interviews with three groups of participants (new entrants into the hotel industry, hotel managers, and their spouses), the authors explore the connections among work characteristics, work stress, and the work—family interface. Results of the multisource qualitative research suggest that long, unpredictable hours create individual and family-related stress. Furthermore, there is agreement among the three sources regarding the stressors and benefits associated with working in the hotel industry. Discussion of future research and practice is presented.
An Analysis of Educational Mismatch and Labor Mobility in the Hospitality Industry
Authors: Marchante Andrés J. , Ortega Bienvenido , Pagán Ricardo
Published: August 2007

The aims of this article are to analyze the determinants of educational mismatch and worker mobility across occupations and firms in the hospitality industry. The educational mismatch is measured comparing the worker's maximum level of attained education and the educational level needed to perform his or her job. A representative survey of 3,314 employees and 302 employers in 181 hotels and 121 restaurants with 8 employees or more was utilized to this end. The econometric analyses suggest that workers can compensate for their shortfall in education with greater amounts of working experience; however, surplus education cannot substitute for tenure and on-the-job training. Likewise, educational mismatch has no impact on labor mobility. However, other factors influence internal and external turnover.
Employees' Perceptions of Organizational Trust and Service Climate: a Structural Model Combining Their Effects On Employee Satisfaction
Authors: Chathoth Prakash K. , Mak Brenda , Jauhari Vinnie , Manaktola Kamal
Published: August 2007

In this article, the authors extend prior research on employees'perception of service climate by testing the impact of employees'perception of organizational trust on service climate and employee satisfaction. Multidimensional constructs of trust and service climate were developed using the literature in the trust and service management domains. Results support the hypothesized relationships between the constructs, in that trust affects service climate and employee satisfaction, whereas service climate affects employee satisfaction in a significant way. Implications for practitioners and future research ensue, which underscores the importance of building trust and service climate to ensure employee satisfaction in hotel firms.
Does Food Quality Really Matter in Restaurants? Its Impact On Customer Satisfaction and Behavioral Intentions
Authors: Namkung Young , Jang SooCheong
Published: August 2007

Food quality seems to be accepted as a fundamental component to satisfy restaurant customers; however, it has been often overlooked in restaurant service quality and satisfaction studies. The primary objective of this study was to investigate how food quality is perceived in relation to satisfaction and behavioral intentions in mid- to upscale restaurants. This study also attempted to identify which attributes among food-related qualities are critical in improving satisfaction and heightening revisit intention. With a structural equation modeling technique, this study shows that overall food quality significantly affects customer satisfaction and behavioral intentions and also revealed that the relationship between food quality and customer behavioral intentions is mediated by satisfaction. Subsequent regression analyses demonstrated that taste and presentation were the two greatest contributors to customer satisfaction and behavioral intentions. Thus, managers should pay attention to the key food quality attributes that elicit customer satisfaction and enhance return visits in the restaurant business.
Borrowing From Others: Appropriating Social Capital Theories for “Doing” HRD
Authors: Storberg-Walker Julia
Published: August 2007

The problem and the solution. In this conceptual study, social capital theories are used to illuminate the practice of borrowing theories for HRD research and practice. “Borrowing” from other disciplines is an implicit, taken-for-granted practice in HRD theory development that has avoided scrutiny. Since HRD is a multiparadigm discipline, borrowing theories from monoparadigm disciplines can cause theoretical and logical inconsistencies. This study offers a way to organize borrowed social capital theories by categorizing them by paradigm and, ultimately, by the goal of the research and the desired HRD outcome. The article then offers a six-step process for borrowing theories from other disciplines. Ultimately, the article seeks an answer to the question: How can/should HRD borrow social capital theories to help achieve various (and contested) HRD outcomes?
Developing Social Network Propositions to Explain Large-Group Intervention Theory and Practice
Authors: Garcia Stephen K.
Published: August 2007

The problem and the solution . In response to turbulent business environments, organizations are increasingly calling on the human resource development (HRD) function to facilitate organizational change.Thus, HRD professionals are looking to new forms of organization development that promise more rapid, whole-system change. One approach is large-group interventions. Although practitioners and researchers recognize the efficacy of large-group interventions, many researchers contend that the underlying theoretical mechanisms by which these interventions operate are poorly understood, resulting in a gap between research and practice that makes it difficult to say with certainty how large-group interventions operate, when they are appropriate, or how they might be integrated with other approaches.This article suggests that a social network perspective can inform our understanding of how large-group interventions work. Drawing on the social network and organizational change literature, the article develops four propositions for future empirical research. These propositions may ground large-group intervention methods in social network theory.
Adjunctive Uses of the Radial Artery for Emergency Infrapopliteal Bypass in Patients Presenting With Acute Limb-Threatening Ischemia
Authors: Leshnower Bradley G. , Leshnower Lloyd E. , Leshnower Alan C.
Published: August 2007

Although the radial artery has proven to be a reliable conduit for arterial bypass procedures in cardiac surgery, its use in lower extremity revascularization has been limited due to its length. In patients who have undergone multiple cardiovascular procedures, venous conduit options can be limited, and infrapopliteal bypass with prosthesis has been shown to yield poor patency rates. In this report, the authors describe 3 different uses of the radial artery in patients with acute limb-threatening ischemia in the redo setting, which resulted in limb salvage.
Midterm Results of Endovascular Infrarenal Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repair in High-Risk Patients
Authors: Nagpal A. David , Forbes Thomas L. , Novick Teresa V. , Lovell Marge B. , Kribs Stewart W. , Lawlor D. Kirk , Harris Kenneth A. , DeRose Guy
Published: August 2007

Short-term and midterm clinical outcomes after endovascular repair of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) have been well documented. Evaluation of longer term outcomes is now possible. Here we describe our initial 100 high-risk patients treated with endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR), all with a minimum of 5 years of follow-up. A retrospective review of prospectively recorded data in a departmental database was undertaken for the first 100 consecutive EVAR patients with a minimum of 5 years (range, 60-105 months) of follow-up performed between December 1997 and June 2001. Information was obtained from surgical follow-up visits and family doctors' offices. Endovascular repair of AAA in high-risk patients can be achieved with acceptably low postoperative mortality and morbidity. Longer term results in this high-risk cohort suggest that EVAR is effective in preventing aneurysm-related deaths at 5 years and beyond. All late mortalities were due to patients' comorbid diseases.
Remote Superficial Femoral Artery A Endarterectomy: Early Results for TASC D Lesions in Patients With Severe Ischemia
Authors: Ali Ahsan T. , Kalapatapu Venkat , Ahmed Omar , Moursi Mohammed , Eidt John F.
Published: August 2007

Endovascular treatment for Transatlantic Inter-Society Consensus (TASC) D lesions of the superficial femoral artery has been disappointing. This has been attributed to a bulking atheromatous plaque. Debulking the superficial femoral artery allows for a larger lumen, whereas covering the lumen with an endograft provides in-line flow. We evaluated the intermediate results of remote superficial femoral artery endarterectomy with covered endograft placement in 18 patients. Patient demographic, vascular laboratory, and preoperative data were gathered retrospectively. The procedure was technically successful in all the patients. The mean age was 62.2 ± 9.9 years. Ankle brachial index improved from 0.35 ± 0.1 to 0.86 ± 0.1. The cumulative 12-month primary patency was 42.2%, whereas assisted primary or secondary patency was 70.8%. Five endografts occluded within the 12 months. Two of those patients underwent subsequent femoral-to-below-knee bypass, whereas 2 had major amputations. Remote superficial femoral artery endarterectomy can be reasonably offered if an autogenous conduit is not available for revascularization of the superficial femoral artery.
Computed Tomography Angiography to Evaluate Thoracic Outlet Neurovascular Compression
Authors: Hasanadka Ravishankar , Towne Jonathan B. , Seabrook Gary R. , Brown Kellie R. , Lewis Brian D. , Foley W. Dennis
Published: August 2007

The objective was to evaluate the efficacy of computed tomography angiography with upper extremity hyperabduction to diagnose thoracic outlet syndrome. Over 5 years, 21 patients were treated surgically for neurogenic symptoms of thoracic outlet syndrome. For patients whose diagnosis was unclear after history and physical examination, adjunctive tests (duplex, magnetic resonance angiography, or computed tomography angiography) were performed to help establish the diagnosis. Five of the 6 computed tomography angiograms were positive. The sixth computed tomography was deemed to be an incomplete study. With mean follow-up of 9.4 months, 95% (n = 19) of patients with a positive hyperabduction test on physical examination were free of symptoms postoperatively. All patients with a positive computed tomography angiogram, with their neurovascular compression localized to the thoracic outlet, had successful operative decompression. Computed tomography angiogram with abduction of the arm can be used as an adjunct to confirm the diagnosis of neurovascular compression and then predict successful operative decompression.