bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
PF4/Heparin Antibody Testing and Treatment of Heparin-Induced Thrombocytopenia in the Intensive Care Unit
Authors: Wanat Matthew , Fitousis Kalliopi , Hall Jeff , Rice Lawrence
Published: March 2012

Background:

The diagnosis of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) may be challenging in critically ill patients, as heparin exposures are ubiquitous, and thrombocytopenia is common. Unwarranted ordering and incorrect interpretation of heparin antibody tests can expose a patient to adverse drug events and imposes a significant economic burden on our health care system.

Methods:

A prospective, observational study was performed over 4 months on all adult patients located in 5 intensive care units, with a heparin antibody test ordered.

Results:

A platelet factor 4/heparin enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) test was ordered in 131 patients. In total, 110 patients had a low 4Ts score (0-3), and of these 103 had a negative ELISA result. In patients with a low 4Ts score, 0 (0%) of 110 had an optical density value >1.0. One hundred twenty-nine patients (98%) had another possible cause of thrombocytopenia identified.

Conclusion:

In critically ill patients, low 4Ts scores indicate a low probability of HIT, and heparin antibody testing in these patients is not useful.
Assembly and Insertion of a Self-Fitting Hearing Aid
Authors: Caposecco Andrea , Hickson Louise , Meyer Carly
Published: March 2012

A self-fitting hearing aid has been proposed as a viable option to meet the need for rehabilitation in areas where audiology services are unreliable. A successful outcome with a self-fitting hearing aid pivots in part on the clarity of the instructions accompanying the device. The aims of this article are (a) to review the literature to determine features that should be incorporated into written health-care materials and factors to consider in the design process when developing written instructions for a target audience of older adults and (b) to apply this information to the development of a set of written instructions as the first step in self-fitting of a hearing aid, assembling four parts and inserting the aid into the ear. The method involved a literature review of published peer reviewed research. The literature revealed four steps in the development of written health-care materials: planning, design, assessment of suitability, and pilot testing. Best practice design principles for each step were applied in the development of instructions for how to assemble and insert a hearing aid. Separate booklets were developed for the left and right aids and the content of each consisted of simple line drawings accompanied by captions. The reading level was Grade 3.5 equivalent and the Flesch Reading Ease Score was 91.1 indicating that the materials were “very easy” to read. It is essential to follow best practice design principles when developing written health-care materials to motivate the reader, maximize comprehension, and increase the likelihood of successful application of the content.
Potassium iodide capsule treatment of feline sporotrichosis
Authors: Reis Érica G , Gremião Isabella D F , Kitada Amanda A B , Rocha Raphael F D B , Castro Verônica S P , Barros Mônica B L , Menezes Rodrigo C , Pereira Sandro A , Schubach Tânia M P
Published: March 2012

Sporotrichosis is a mycosis caused by Sporothrix schenckii. The most affected animal is the cat; it has played an important role in the zoonotic transmission of this disease, especially in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, since 1998. In order to evaluate the treatment of feline sporotrichosis with potassium iodide, an observational cohort was conducted in 48 cats with sporotrichosis at Instituto de Pesquisa Clínica Evandro Chagas, Fiocruz. All cats received potassium iodide capsules, 2.5 mg/kg to 20 mg/kg q24h. The cure rate was 47.9%, treatment failure was 37.5%, treatment abandonment was 10.4% and death was 4.2%. Clinical adverse effects were observed in 52.1% of the cases. Thirteen cats had a mild increase in hepatic transaminase levels during the treatment, six of them presented clinical signs suggestive of hepatotoxicity. Compared to previous studies with itraconazole and iodide in saturated solution, potassium iodide capsules are an alternative for feline sporotrichosis treatment.
Cognitive reserve in secondary progressive multiple sclerosis
Authors: Sumowski James F , Chiaravalloti Nancy , Leavitt Victoria M , DeLuca John
Published: March 2012

Background: Consistent with the cognitive reserve hypothesis, lifetime intellectual enrichment protects MS patients from cognitive impairment. As studies have focused predominately on patients with relapsing–remitting courses, it is unknown whether lifetime enrichment is protective against cognitive impairment in patients with secondary-progressive MS (SPMS), a more advanced disease course.

Objective: Examine whether greater lifetime intellectual enrichment moderates/reduces the deleterious effect of SPMS on memory and cognitive efficiency.

Methods: Twenty-five SPMS patients and 25 healthy controls (HC) completed neuropsychological tasks, yielding two composite scores: memory and cognitive efficiency. An estimate of lifetime enrichment was created from educational attainment and vocabulary knowledge. Regression analyses predicted memory and cognitive efficiency, with age, sex, intellectual enrichment and group (SPMS, HC) controlled in step one, and the interaction between intellectual enrichment and group evaluated within step two.

Results: Interactions emerged between intellectual enrichment and group when predicting memory ( R2Δ=0.081, p = 0.041) and cognitive efficiency ( R2Δ=0.064, p = 0.024), such that SPMS patients exhibited deficits relative to HCs at lower levels of enrichment, but these SPMS-related cognitive deficits were absent at higher levels of enrichment.

Conclusion: Intellectual enrichment protects SPMS patients from cognitive impairment, thereby extending the cognitive reserve hypothesis to this more advanced MS disease course.
‘I’m not allowed wrestling stuff’: Hegemonic masculinity and primary school boys
Authors: Bartholomaeus Clare
Published: March 2012

Hegemonic masculinity is Connell’s key concept in a hierarchical framework of masculinities which has had a significant influence on thinking about gender. This article draws on Connell’s theories, previous research and my empirical research to argue that there are limitations to using the concept of hegemonic masculinity, and even hegemonic masculinities, when examining boys and masculinity. Boys are rarely mentioned in definitions and theoretical writing about hegemonic masculinity, yet much research examining primary school boys and masculinity uncritically draws on the concept. My research in Australia with 6- and 7-year-old children found that boys had limited access to hegemonic masculinity. As a possible explanation for its usage by researchers with primary school boys, I explore the potential usefulness of multiple and local hegemonic masculinities.
The agenda as resource for topic introduction in workplace meetings
Authors: Svennevig Jan
Published: March 2012

Meetings differ from ordinary conversation in that they have an agenda that specifies in advance the topics to be addressed during the meeting. However, the introduction of these topics needs to be locally accomplished and recognized by the participants as agenda items. This article presents some characteristic practices used for introducing agenda-based topics. It shows that they rely on the known-in-advance status of the items, and are presented by the chair as unilateral announcements. They exploit and invoke the written agenda in several ways. The announcements are often short phrasal constructions, just citing the written title of the agenda point. Furthermore, a gaze down at the written document is used as a public display that the introduction is related to the agenda. In contrast to this practice of introducing agenda items, topics not specified by the agenda are introduced by suggestions and questions that present the introduction as contingent on acceptance by the co-participants. The analysis sheds light on the ways in which institutional talk-in-interaction is permeated by the formulations and logic of written documents.
Motivations of patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension to participate in randomized clinical trials
Authors: Carroll Ricki , Antigua Jules , Taichman Darren , Palevsky Harold , Forfia Paul , Kawut Steven , Halpern Scott D
Published: March 2012

Background There is substantial need to rigorously evaluate existing and new therapies for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and other severe and relatively rare conditions affecting younger patients. However, the ability to conduct meaningful randomized clinical trials (RCTs) in such contexts often is limited by difficulties obtaining adequate patient enrollment.

Purpose  To understand the motivations of patients with PAH for participating in RCTs so as to facilitate enrollment in future trials among patients with similar diseases.

Methods  We conducted semistructured interviews of a diverse sample of patients with World Health Organization (WHO) Group I PAH. We purposefully recruited a diverse sample of participants until theoretical saturation was reached. We randomly assigned patients to review hypothetical RCTs that did or did not allow continuation of background PAH therapies and elicited their reasons for or against enrolling. Interviews were transcribed and analyzed using constant comparison techniques to code and sort data into discrete themes.

Results The 26 PAH patients enrolled before theoretical saturation was reached identified 24 factors that would influence their RCT enrollment decisions. These factors grouped naturally into four themes: (1) personal medical benefits, (2) personal medical risks/harms, (3) nonmedical benefits, and (4) nonmedical burdens. Personal benefits were cited as commonly as altruistic motives. One third of the patients (9/26) suggested that they would defer enrollment decisions to their treating clinicians. Seventy-nine percent of patients (11/14) assigned to consider trials without background therapies expressed concerns about clinical deterioration (vs. 17% (2/12) among patients assigned to consider trials allowing background therapies).

Limitations The sample was recruited from a single academic center. Furthermore, the use of hypothetical trials may not elicit identical decision-making processes as may be used among patients contemplating actual trial participation.

Conclusion For PAH patients considering RCT enrollment, the potentials for personal benefit and risk are at least as important as altruistic motives. Minimizing the time demands of participating, financial remuneration, and allowing participants to continue current therapies are factors, which might enhance enrollment to trials in similar disease areas.
The Mediating Role of Monitoring in the Association of Religion With Self-Control
Authors: Carter Evan C. , McCullough Michael E. , Carver Charles S.
Published: March 2012

Religiosity is related to a variety of positive outcomes and the nature of this relationship has long been a topic of inquiry. Recently, it was proposed that an important piece of this puzzle may be the propensity for religious beliefs to promote self-control, a trait that is linked to a range of benefits. How religion translates into self-control, however, remains unclear. We examined the extent to which religiosity’s relationship with self-control is mediated by self-monitoring, perceived monitoring by God, and perceived monitoring by other people. Results revealed that more religious people tended to monitor their standing regarding their goals (self-monitoring) to a greater degree, which in turn related to more self-control. Also, religious people tended to believe that a higher power was watching them, which related to greater self-monitoring, which in turn was related to more self-control.
Chronic Pelvic and Vulvar Pain in Women
Authors: Collett Beverly
Published: March 2012

• Peripheral generators and the central nervous system have a role in the production of visceral and somatic hypersensivities and hyperalgesias. • More generalised symptoms often exist and efferent activity from the CNS may also be responsible for abnormal visceral and muscular function. • It is important to dissect out the symptoms and as well as treating peripheral generators to consider interventions of the central mechanisms aimed at the cognitive behavioural aspects of the patients' condition.
Implications of IASP Core Curriculum for Pre-Registration Physiotherapy Education
Authors: Jones Lester
Published: March 2012

• There are concerns about the effectiveness of health professionals when they are working with people who have pain. • Health professionals have reported a lack of confidence when working with people with complex pain conditions. • Review of pain education in health professional training may improve clinical practice. • The International Association for the Study of Pain curricula can be useful in developing pain education initiatives. • The up-dated IASP core curriculum appears to be a useful resource for curriculum designers of pre-registration physiotherapy programmes, while the IASP discipline-specific curriculum is in need of revision.
Depression and Anxiety in Pain
Authors: Woo Adam KM
Published: March 2012

• Mood disorders, especially depression and anxiety, play an important role in the exacerbation of pain perception in all clinical settings. • Depression commonly occurs as a result of chronic pain and needs treating to improve outcome measures and quality of life. • Anxiety negatively affects thoughts and behaviours which hinders rehabilitation. • Anxiety and depression in acute hospital settings also negatively affect pain experience and should be considered in both adults and children. • Poor pain control and significant mood disorders perioperatively contribute to the development of chronic postoperative pain.
Recent and Upcoming Approaches in the Management of Cancer Breakthrough Pain
Authors: Noble-Gresty Jo
Published: March 2012

• The pharmacokinetics of the traditional oral opioids do not match the time course of breakthrough cancer pain, a common and distinct component of cancer pain which has a negative impact on quality of life for the patient. • Fentanyl and alfentanil are potent, lipophilic, fast acting opioids with short durations of action and consequently more appropriate for the treatment of breakthrough cancer pain. These agents are ideal for oral transmucosal or nasal transmucosal administration. • There are now four licensed preparations of fentanyl in the UK for the treatment of cancer breakthrough pain; lozenge, buccal tablet, sublingual tablet and nasal spray. They are not interchangeable and all require titration using the lowest dose. • Alfentanil is available as a buccal or nasal spray. It is an unlicensed product and is available as a special order from Torbay Pharmacy Manufacturing Unit. • There is a paucity of comparator studies for these new modes of administration. • Further innovative delivery systems of fentanyl are on the horizon.
Pain Challenges at the End of Life—Pain and Palliative Care Collaboration
Authors: Platt Michael
Published: March 2012

• Pain and symptom management at the end of life remains suboptimal. • Pain physicians are uniquely placed to provide interventions for patients with difficult to manage pain. • Interventions such as acupuncture, radiofrequency ablation, neurolysis together with regional analgesia including neuraxial techniques and spinal cordotomy may provide the patient with improved analgesia.
Dental (Odontogenic) Pain
Authors: Renton Tara
Published: March 2012

• This article provides a simple overview of acute trigeminal pain for the non dentist. • This article does not cover oral mucosal diseases (vesiculobullous disorders) that may cause acute pain. • Dental pain is the most common in this group and it can present in several different ways. • Of particular interest for is that dental pain can mimic both trigeminal neuralgia and other chronic trigeminal pain disorders. • It is crucial to exclude these disorders whilst managing patients with chronic trigeminal pain.
Procedural Pain Management in Neonates, Infants and Children
Authors: Wilson-Smith Elaine M
Published: March 2012

• Neonates, infants and children all feel pain and require analgesia for painful procedures. • Many painful procedures are associated with medical interventions, including immunisation, heel lance, venesection, IV cannulation and dressing change. • Untreated pain can have short and long term effects, including sensitisation to pain episodes in later life. • A range of non-pharmacological and pharmacological interventions have been shown to be effective for procedural pain management in infants and children, and are most effective when used in combination. • Developmental changes in pain responses, analgesic response and drug pharmacokinetics need to be taken into account when planning procedural pain management for neonates. • Comprehensive evidence based guidelines are available to guide effective procedural pain management in neonates, infants and older children.
Chemical activation of a high-affinity glutamate transporter in human erythrocytes and its implications for malaria-parasite–induced glutamate uptake
Authors: Winterberg Markus , Rajendran Esther , Baumeister Stefan , Bietz Sven , Kirk Kiaran , Lingelbach Klaus
Published: March 2012

Human erythrocytes have a low basal permeability to L-glutamate and are not known to have a functional glutamate transporter. Here, treatment of human erythrocytes with arsenite was shown to induce the uptake of L-glutamate and D-aspartate, but not that of D-glutamate or L-alanine. The majority of the arsenite-induced L-glutamate influx was via a high-affinity, Na+-dependent system showing characteristics of members of the “excitatory amino acid transporter” (EAAT) family. Western blots and immunofluorescence assays revealed the presence of a member of this family, EAAT3, on the erythrocyte membrane. Erythrocytes infected with the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum take up glutamate from the extracellular environment. Although the majority of uptake is via a low-affinity Na+-independent pathway there is, in addition, a high-affinity uptake component, raising the possibility that the parasite activates the host cell glutamate transporter.
Allelic expression analysis of the osteoarthritis susceptibility locus that maps to MICAL3
Authors: Ratnayake Madhushika , Reynard Louise N , Raine Emma VA , Santibanez-Koref Mauro , Loughlin John
Published: March 2012

Background

A genome-wide association scan with subsequent replication study that involved over 67,000 individuals of European ancestry has produced evidence of association of single nucleotide polymorphism rs2277831 to primary osteoarthritis (OA) with a P-value of 2.9 × 10-5. rs2277831, an A/G transition, is located in an intron ofMICAL3. This gene is located on chromosome 22q11.21 and the association signal encompasses two additional genes,BCL2L13andBID. It is becoming increasingly apparent that many common complex traits are mediated bycis-acting regulatory polymorphisms that influence, in a tissue-specific manner, gene expression or transcript stability.

Methods

We used total and allelic expression analysis to assess whether the OA association to rs2277831 is mediated by an influence on MICAL3, BCL2L13 or BID expression. Using RNA extracted from joint tissues of 60 patients who had undergone elective joint replacement surgery, we assessed whether rs2277831 correlated with allelic expression of either of the three genes by: 1) measuring the expression of each gene by quantitative PCR and then stratifying the data by genotype at rs2277831 and 2) accurately discriminating and quantifying the mRNA synthesised from the alleles of OA patients using allelic-quantitative PCR.

Results

We found no evidence for a correlation between gene expression and genotype at rs2277831, with P-values of 0.09 forBCL2L13, 0.07 forBIDand 0.33 forMICAL3. In the allelic expression analysis we observed several examples of significant (p < 0.05) allelic imbalances, with an allelic expression ratio of 2.82 observed inBCL2L13(P = 0.004), 2.09 atBID(P = 0.001) and the most extreme case being atMICAL3, with an allelic expression ratio of 5.47 (P = 0.001). However, there was no correlation observed between the pattern of allelic expression and the genotype at rs2277831.

Conclusions

In the tissues that we have studied, our data do not support our hypothesis that the association between rs2277831 and OA is due to the effect this SNP has onMICAL3, BCL2L13orBIDgene expression. Instead, our data point towards other functional effects accounting for the OA associated signal.
A role of multi-modal rhythms in physical interaction and cooperation
Authors: Yonekura Kenta , Kim Chyon Hae , Nakadai Kazuhiro , Tsujino Hiroshi , Sugano Shigeki
Published: March 2012

As fundamental research for human-robot interaction, this paper addresses the rhythmic reference of a human while turning a rope with another human. We hypothyzed that when interpreting rhythm cues to make a rhythm reference, humans will use auditory and force rhythms more than visual ones. We examined 21-23 years old test subjects. We masked perception of each test subject using 3 kinds of masks, an eye-mask, headphones, and a force mask. The force mask is composed of a robot arm and a remote controller. These instruments allow a test subject to turn a rope without feeling force from the rope. In the first experiment, each test subject interacted with an operator that turned a rope with a constant rhythm. 8 experiments were conducted for each test subject that wore combinations of masks. We measured the angular velocity of force between a test subject/the operator and a rope. We calculated error between the angular velocities of the force directions, and validated the error. In the second experiment, two test subjects interacted with each other. 1.6 - 2.4 Hz auditory rhythm was presented from headphones so as to inform target turning frequency. Addition to the auditory rhythm, the test subjects wore eye-masks. The first experiment showed that visual rhythm has little influence on rope-turning cooperation between humans. The second experiment provided firmer evidence for the same hypothesis because humans neglected their visual rhythms.
Visual mismatch negativity elicited by facial expressions: new evidence from the equiprobable paradigm
Authors: Li Xiying , Lu Yongli , Sun Gang , Gao Lei , Zhao Lun
Published: March 2012

Background

Converging evidence revealed that facial expressions are processed automatically. Recently, there is evidence that facial expressions might elicit the visual mismatch negativity (MMN), expression MMN (EMMN), reflecting that facial expression could be processed under non-attentional condition. In the present study, using a cross modality task we attempted to investigate whether there is a memory-comparison-based EMMN.

Methods

12 normal adults were instructed to simultaneously listen to a story and pay attention to a non-patterned white circle as a visual target interspersed among face stimuli. In the oddball block, the sad face was the deviant with a probability of 20% and the neutral face was the standard with a probability of 80%; in the control block, the identical sad face was presented with other four kinds of face stimuli with equal probability (20% for each). Electroencephalogram (EEG) was continuously recorded and ERPs (event-related potentials) in response to each kind of face stimuli were obtained. Oddball-EMMN in the oddball block was obtained by subtracting the ERPs elicited by the neutral faces (standard) from those by the sad faces (deviant), while controlled-EMMN was obtained by subtracting the ERPs elicited by the sad faces in the control block from those by the sad faces in the oddball block. Both EMMNs were measured and analyzed by ANOVAs (Analysis of Variance) with repeated measurements. sLORETA (standardized low-resolution brain electromagnetic tomography) was used to investigate the cortical generators of controlled-EMMN.

Results

Both the oddball-EMMN in deviant-standard comparison and the controlled-EMMN in deviant-control comparison were observed at occipital-temporal regions with right hemisphere predominance. The oddball-EMMN was bigger and earlier than the controlled-EMMN because, besides the memory-based comparison, the former included a difference of refractoriness due to the distinction of presented probability between the deviant and standard face stimuli. The source analysis of controlled-EMMN indicated a current source primarily involved in posterior areas including superior temporal gyrus, postcentral gyrus, inferior parietal lobule as well as the insula.

Conclusions

The valid EMMN properly reflecting the memory-based comparison of facial expressions could be obtained, i.e., the controlled-EMMN.
Cytogenetic and molecular predictors of response in patients with myeloid malignancies without del[5q] treated with lenalidomide
Authors: Sugimoto Yuka , Sekeres Mikkael A , Makishima Hideki , Traina Fabiola , Visconte Valeria , Jankowska Anna , Jerez Andres , Szpurka Hadrian , O'Keefe Christine L , Guinta Kathryn , Afable Manuel , Tiu Ramon , McGraw Kathy L , List Alan F , Maciejewski Jaroslaw
Published: March 2012

Background

While lenalidomide (LEN) shows high efficacy in myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) with del[5q], responses can be also seen in patients presenting without del[5q]. We hypothesized that improved detection of chromosomal abnormalities with new karyotyping tools may better predict response to LEN.

Design and methods

We have studied clinical, molecular and cytogenetic features of 42 patients with MDS, myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN), MDS/MPN overlap syndromes and secondary acute myeloid leukemia (sAML) without del[5q] by metaphase cytogenetics (MC) who underwent therapy with LEN.

Results

Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) or single nucleotide polymorphism array (SNP-A)-based karyotyping marginally increased the diagnostic yield over MC, detecting 2/42 (4.8%) additional cases with del[5q], one of whom were responded to LEN. Responses were more often observed in patients with a normal karyotype by MC (60% vs abnormal MC; 17%,p= .08) and those with gain of chromosome 8 material by either of all 3 karyotyping methods (83% vs all other chromosomal abnormalities; 44%p= .11). However, 5 out of those 6 patients received combined LEN/AZA therapy and it may also suggest those with gain of chromosome 8 material respond well to AZA. The addition of FISH or SNP-A did not improve the predictive value of normal cytogenetics by MC. Mutational analysis ofTET2, UTX, CBL, EZH2, ASXL1, TP53, RAS, IDH1/2, andDNMT-3Awas performed on 21 of 41 patients, and revealed 13 mutations in 11 patients, but did not show any molecular markers of responsiveness to LEN.

Conclusions

Normal karyotype and gain of chromosome 8 material was predictive of response to LEN in non-del[5q] patients with myeloid malignancies.
Brachial artery reactivity in patients with severe sepsis: an observational study
Authors: Wexler Orren , M Morgan Mary Anne , Gough Michael S , Steinmetz Sherry D , Mack Cynthia M , Darling Denise C , Doolin Kathleen P , Apostolakos Michael J , Graves Brian T , Frampton Mark W , Chen Xucai , Pietropaoli Anthony P
Published: March 2012

Introduction

Ultrasound measurements of brachial artery reactivity in response to stagnant ischemia provide estimates of microvascular function and conduit artery endothelial function. We hypothesized that brachial artery reactivity would independently predict severe sepsis and severe sepsis mortality.

Methods

This was a combined case-control and prospective cohort study. We measured brachial artery reactivity in 95 severe sepsis patients admitted to the medical and surgical intensive care units of an academic medical center and in 52 control subjects without acute illness. Measurements were compared in severe sepsis patients versus control subjects and in severe sepsis survivors versus nonsurvivors. Multivariable analyses were also conducted.

Results

Hyperemic velocity (centimeters per cardiac cycle) and flow-mediated dilation (percentage) were significantly lower in severe sepsis patients versus control subjects (hyperemic velocity: severe sepsis = 34 (25 to 48) versus controls = 63 (52 to 81), P < 0.001; flow-mediated dilation: severe sepsis = 2.65 (0.81 to 4.79) versus controls = 4.11 (3.06 to 6.78), P < 0.001; values expressed as median (interquartile range)). Hyperemic velocity, but not flow-mediated dilation, was significantly lower in hospital nonsurvivors versus survivors (hyperemic velocity: nonsurvivors = 25 (16 to 28) versus survivors = 39 (30 to 50), P < 0.001; flow-mediated dilation: nonsurvivors = 1.90 (0.68 to 3.41) versus survivors = 2.96 (0.91 to 4.86), P = 0.12). Lower hyperemic velocity was independently associated with hospital mortality in multivariable analysis (odds ratio = 1.11 (95% confidence interval = 1.04 to 1.19) per 1 cm/cardiac cycle decrease in hyperemic velocity; P = 0.003).

Conclusions

Brachial artery hyperemic blood velocity is a noninvasive index of microvascular function that independently predicts mortality in severe sepsis. In contrast, brachial artery flow-mediated dilation, reflecting conduit artery endothelial function, was not associated with mortality in our severe sepsis cohort. Brachial artery hyperemic velocity may be a useful measurement to identify patients who could benefit from novel therapies designed to reverse microvascular dysfunction in severe sepsis and to assess the physiologic efficacy of these treatments.
Azimuth-preserved local angle-domain prestack time migration in isotropic, vertical transversely isotropic and azimuthally anisotropic media
Authors: Cheng Jiubing , Wang Tengfei , Wang Chenlong , Geng Jianhua
Published: March 2012

Conventional prestack migration does not preserve local directional information of the seismic waves at the image points. New attempts such as sectored migration of azimuth-limited or common-offset-vector data only concern source-receiver azimuth and offset on the surface, which can be poor representation of subsurface wavepath direction. Moreover, they could result in inaccurate imaging because they do not account for the energy propagation between azimuths or offset-vectors. In the past decade, local angle-domain seismic imaging has been highly advocated to avoid migration artifacts and to improve velocity estimation in complex media. Considering prestack time migration (PSTM) is still widely used in seismic imaging and seismic data preconditioning for amplitude variations with offset or incident-angle (AVO/AVA) analysis, fracture detection, and reservoir characterization, we present an azimuth-preserved local angle-domain Kirchhoff PSTM approach for such purposes. We apply a seismic imaging condition in 3D local angle domain and use extended superposition of impulse responses retaining subsurface angular attributes, which are evaluated through the incident and scattering phase slowness vectors using classical-diffraction moveout equations in isotropic, vertical transversely isotropic (VTI) and azimuthally anisotropic media. Two-dimensional synthetic examples demonstrate what the migrated results look like in local angle domain. A wide-azimuth synthetic example with horizontal transversely isotropy (HTI) proves the necessity of azimuthal migration for reliable imaging and azimuthal analysis when azimuthal anisotropy exists in the overburden. Real data examples show the advantages of imaging in subsurface angle domain for properly focusing and revealing azimuth- and angle-dependent variations of residual moveout and migrated amplitudes.
Differential expression of gastric MUC5AC in colonic epithelial cells: TFF3-wired IL1 β/Akt crosstalk-induced mucosal immune response againstShigella dysenteriaeinfection
Authors: Raja Subramaniya Bharathi , Murali Malliga Raman , Devaraj Halagowder , Devaraj Sivasithamparam Niranjali
Published: March 2012

An understanding of the signaling mechanism(s) that regulate the differential expression of gastric mucin MUC5AC in colonic epithelial cells would contribute significantly to investigations of its role in colonic mucosa infected with the bacterial pathogen Shigella dysenteriae. Here we show that S. dysenteriae-Sinduced expression of interleukin-1β upregulates MUC2 expression and the differential expression of MUC5AC. Differential expression of MUC5AC involves crosstalk between interleukin-1β and Akt, whereby the trefoil factor family peptide TFF3 activates Akt by phosphorylation of EGFR. TFF3 also downregulates E-cadherin expression, causing accumulation of β-catenin in the cytosol. Phosphorylation of GSK-3β (inactivated) by activated Akt inhibits ubiquitylation of β-catenin, leading to its nuclear translocation, which then induces the expression of MUC5AC and cyclin D1. Accumulation of cyclin D1 alters the cell cycle, promoting cell survival and proliferation. Human colon HT29MTX cells, which overexpress MUC5AC, were resistant to adherence and invasion of S. dysenteriae when compared with other mucin-secreting HT29 cell types. Thus, during infection with S. dysenteriae, crosstalk between interleukin-1β and Akt wired by TFF3 induces expression of MUC5AC in colonic epithelial cells. Differentially expressed gastric MUC5AC aids in mucosal clearance of S. dysenteriae, inhibiting adherence and invasion of the pathogen to colonic epithelial cells, which protects the host.
Regulation of invadopodia formation and activity by CD147
Authors: Grass G. Daniel , Bratoeva Momka , Toole Bryan P.
Published: March 2012

A defining feature of malignant tumor progression is cellular penetration through the basement membrane and interstitial matrices that separate various cellular compartments. Accumulating evidence supports the notion that invasive cells employ specialized structures termed invadopodia to breach these structural barriers. Invadopodia are actin-based, lipid-raft-enriched membrane protrusions containing membrane-type-1 matrix metalloproteinase (MT1-MMP; also known as matrix metalloproteinase 14; MMP14) and several signaling proteins. CD147 (emmprin, basigin), an immunoglobulin superfamily protein that is associated with tumor invasion and metastasis, induces the synthesis of various matrix metalloproteinases in many systems. In this study we show that upregulation of CD147 is sufficient to induce MT1-MMP expression, invasiveness and formation of invadopodia-like structures in non-transformed, non-invasive, breast epithelial cells. We also demonstrate that CD147 and MT1-MMP are in close proximity within these invadopodia-like structures and co-fractionate in membrane compartments with the properties of lipid rafts. Moreover, manipulation of CD147 levels in invasive breast carcinoma cells causes corresponding changes in MT1-MMP expression, invasiveness and invadopodia formation and activity. These findings indicate that CD147 regulates invadopodia formation and activity, probably through assembly of MT1-MMP-containing complexes within lipid-raft domains of the invadopodia.
Synthesis and Properties of Sulfonated Poly(arylene ether) Block Copolymers as Proton Conductive Membranes
Authors: Hoshi Takayuki , Bae Byungchan , Watanabe Masahiro , Miyatake Kenji
Published: March 2012

A new series of poly(arylene ether sulfone) multiblock copolymers were synthesized by polycondensation of linear and rigid hydrophobic and densely sulfonated hydrophilic oligomers. Thin membranes were prepared therefrom by solution casting and their properties were compared with those of Nafion and other poly(arylene ether sulfone) multiblock copolymers containing perfluorinated biphenylene moieties. The membranes showed good water affinity, high proton conductivity, low hydrogen and oxygen permeability, high mechanical strength, and reasonable oxidative stability. These properties are attractive as an electrolyte for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells. It was found that the perfluorinated biphenylene moieties as connecting groups for hydrophilic and hydrophobic blocks affected only slightly the properties of poly(arylene ether sulfone) multiblock copolymer membranes.
Asian American Women Artists: Performative Strategies Redefined
Authors: Schultz Stacy E.
Published: March 2012

When a woman artist uses her body in a performative fashion, the viewer becomes witness to an active process of cultural navigation. The body becomes a site of immediate engagement. The choice to employ artistic strategies drawn from cultural experience conveys and highlights the problem of constructing identity in a world that rejects and even fears what is unknown. By transcending stereotypes long held by Americans and rejecting traditional Asian Confucian ideology of the respectful and submissive woman, Asian American women of Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese descent draw attention to cross-cultural fluidity in negotiating language, history, politics, and cultural perception.
The Performance of Property: Suburban Homeownership as a Claim to Citizenship for Filipinos in Daly City
Authors: Pido Eric J.
Published: March 2012

Contrary to the prevailing literature on immigrant homeownership, I argue that the high rate of homeownership amongst Filipinos, coupled with their tendency to live in suburbs, can only be partially explained as an attempt to produce capital and assimilate within American culture. Just as significant are the ways in which Filipinos utilize homeownership as a means of performing citizenship and signaling their belonging in the U.S. nation. Through in-depth interviews of Filipino realtors and their clients in the Californian suburb of Daly City, I describe how various middle-class enactments reflect a larger cultural logic used to navigate within the differentiating effect of U.S. citizenship.
A Randomized Controlled Trial of Zinc as Adjuvant Therapy for Severe Pneumonia in Young Children
Authors: Basnet Sudha , Shrestha Prakash S. , Sharma Arun , Mathisen Maria , Prasai Renu , Bhandari Nita , Adhikari Ramesh K. , Sommerfelt Halvor , Valentiner-Branth Palle , Strand Tor A. ,   members of the Zinc Severe Pneumonia Study Group
Published: March 2012

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE:

Diarrhea and pneumonia are the leading causes of illness and death in children <5 years of age. Zinc supplementation is effective for treatment of acute diarrhea and can prevent pneumonia. In this trial, we measured the efficacy of zinc when given to children hospitalized and treated with antibiotics for severe pneumonia.

METHODS:

We enrolled 610 children aged 2 to 35 months who presented with severe pneumonia defined by the World Health Organization as cough and/or difficult breathing combined with lower chest indrawing. All children received standard antibiotic treatment and were randomized to receive zinc (10 mg in 2- to 11-month-olds and 20 mg in older children) or placebo daily for up to 14 days. The primary outcome was time to cessation of severe pneumonia.

RESULTS:

Zinc recipients recovered marginally faster, but this difference was not statistically significant (hazard ratio = 1.10, 95% CI 0.94–1.30). Similarly, the risk of treatment failure was slightly but not significantly lower in those who received zinc (risk ratio = 0.88 95% CI 0.71–1.10).

CONCLUSIONS:

Adjunct treatment with zinc reduced the time to cessation of severe pneumonia and the risk of treatment failure only marginally, if at all, in hospitalized children.
Teaching Bourdieu on and in the Study of Religion(s)
Authors: Maduro Otto
Published: March 2012

This essay summarizes some salient points of the experience of a few years teaching a biennial graduate-level course on the uses of Pierre Bourdieu for the social-scientific study of religion. The original teaching context is that of a graduate division of religion in a theological school, within an area of Religion & Society and in a concentration on the sociology of religions. Albeit the course is designed firstly with PhD candidates in the latter concentration in mind, participants come from many other concentrations and areas of the division as well. The article synthesizes some key aspects of the process, method, resources, and hurdles of this attempt to propose to doctoral candidates in religious studies a reading, reflection and discussion of works by/on/using Bourdieu which illumines and benefits their scholarly research efforts to understand specific socio-religious dynamics – while simultaneously helps them overcome some of the main challenges and blunders typical of reading Bourdieu.
Distribuição de elementos tóxicos no estuário do rio Amazonas
Authors: Pereira Simone de Fátima Pinheiro , Pires Otílio Othon , Saraiva Augusto Fonseca , Oliveira Geiso Rafael , Sousa Junior Pedro Moreira de , Miranda Rafaella Galvão , Silva Cleber Silva e , Sales Reginaldo da Silva
Published: March 2012

A presença de elementos não essenciais nas águas superficiais do rio Amazonas é uma preocupação global, o objetivo da pesquisa foi estudar a distribuição dos elementos As, Al, Mn, e Pb na água do estuário do rio Amazonas. As amostras foram coletadas em três regiões distintas: Canal Norte (AP), Canal Sul (PA) e rio Pará (PA) em três profundidades, com um total de 84 amostras. A espectrometria de emissão atômica com plasma indutivamente acoplado (ICPAES) foi utilizada para avaliar os teores de Al, Mn e Pb e a espectrofotometria de absorção atômica com geração de hidretos (HGAAS) foi usada para a análise do As. O As variou de <0,35 a 50,60 µg/L, o Al de <1,88 a 3347,70 µg/L, o Mn de 0,13 a 403,39 µg/L e Pb de <0,18 a 57,78 µg/L. Em média As (canal Sul), Al (todas as regiões), Mn (canal Norte e Sul) e Pb (canal Norte e Sul) se encontraram em valores acima do permitido pela legislação brasileira. Os elementos podem ter origem antrópica originária de atividade de mineração e industrial e origem natural proveniente de decomposição de rochas ígneas da bacia de drenagem do rio Amazonas que disponibilizam o elemento na forma ligada ao material particulado em suspensão.
Consumer preferences of genetically modified foods of vegetal and animal origin in Chile
Authors: Schnettler Berta , Miranda Horacio , Sepúlveda José , Denegri Marianela
Published: March 2012

Given the debate generated by Genetically Modified (GM) foods in developed and developing countries, the aim was to evaluate the importance of determining factors in the preference of consumers in Temuco and Talca in central-southern Chile for GM foods using conjoint analysis and to determine the existence of different market segments using a survey of 800 people. Using conjoint analysis, it was established that, in general, genetic modification was a more important factor than either brand or price in the consumer's decision to purchase either food. Cluster analysis identified three segments: the largest (51.4%) assigned greatest importance to brand and preferred genetically modified milk and tomato sauce; the second group (41.0%) gave greatest importance to the existence of genetic manipulation and preferred non-genetically modified foods; the smallest segment (7.6%) mainly valued price and preferred milk and tomato sauce with no genetic manipulation. The three segments rejected the store brand and preferred to pay less for both foods. The results are discussed based on studies conducted in developed and developing countries.
Effects of heat treatment and storage temperature on the use of açaí drink by nutraceutical and beverage industries
Authors: Albarici Tatiane Regina , Pessoa José Dalton Cruz
Published: March 2012

This study assesses the storage temperature effect on the anthocyanins of pasteurized and unpasteurized açaí pulp. The data was obtained using a pasteurized and lyophilized pulp (PLP) to evaluate the temperature effect (0, 25, and 40 °C). Part of non-pasteurized frozen pulp (NPP) was pasteurized (NPP-P) at 90 °C for 30 seconds; both pulps were stored at 40 °C. The anthocyanin content reduction in the drink was evaluated from the half-life time (t1/2), activation energy (Ea), temperature quotient (Q10), and the reaction rate constant (k). The t1/2 of the PLP anthocyanins stored at 40 °C was 1.8 times less than that stored at 25 °C and 15 times less than that stored at 0 °C; therefore, the higher temperatures decreased the stability of anthocyanins. The pasteurization increased the t1/2 by 6.6 times (10.14 hours for NPP and 67.28 hours for NPP-P). The anthocyanin degradation on NPP-P followed a first order kinetic, while NPP followed a second order kinetic; thus it can be said that the pasteurization process can improve the preservation of anthocyanins in the pulp.
Avaliação morfológica dos conjuntos guia excêntrico: placas dcp-l 4.5 mm
Authors: Borges José Humberto de Souza , Silva Filho Antonio Lisboa da , Pereira Neto Francisco , Daher Walter Rodrigo , Mesquita Alessandro Queiroz de , Freitas Anderson
Published: March 2012

OBJETIVO: Avaliar isolada e comparativamente medidas do conjunto guia excêntrico-placa utilizado no material de 4.5mm e determinar sua influência na força de compressão. MÉTODOS: Foram utilizados quatros guias excêntricos e quatro placas largas de compressão dinâmica (DCP-L) de quatro fabricantes nacionais e um paquímetro digital Vonder®. Criou-se medidas-padrão para os conjuntos, totalizando cinco parâmetros, identificados de A a E. Os conjuntos foram formados por materiais da mesma fábrica e identificados de I a IV. As análises foram feitas com a visualização volar dos guias inseridos nas placas. As placas foram ensaiadas em máquina universal de ensaios. RESULTADOS: Os conjuntos I, II, apresentaram os mesmos valores em todas as medidas. Todos os conjuntos apresentaram os mesmos valores de E = 8.15 e B = 3.60. O conjunto III: A= 8.10mm, C=3.25mm e D= 1.25mm. O conj. IV: A = 7.00mm, C=3.10mm, D = 0.30mm. O conj. I apresentou Força de compressão máxima (F Max.) 80.58 N, conj. II: F Max. 81.63 N, conj. III: F Max. 36.32N, conj. IV: F Max. 37.52N. CONCLUSÃO: As medidas avaliadas nos conjuntos denotam a falta de padronização na fabricação de instrumentais ortopédicos e sua consequência nos valores da força de compressão. Nível de evidência III, estudo analítico.
Avaliação radiográfica de quadris de pacientes lesados medulares
Authors: Grynwald Jean , Bastos Juliana de Melo Lafaiete , Costa Vinicius Basañez Aleluia , Rimkus Carolina de Medeiros , Cliquet Júnior Alberto
Published: March 2012

OBJETIVO: Os pacientes lesado-medulares passam a se submeter a uma nova conformação de forças sobre as articulações. O quadril é uma das mais afetadas, por utilizarem a cadeira de rodas como meio de locomoção. Alterações osteoarticulares, como ossificação heterotópica, podem ser encontradas nesses pacientes, sendo evidenciadas por estudos radiográficos. Este estudo visa identificar a incidência das alterações radiográficas em quadris de paciente lesados medulares. MÉTODOS: Foram avaliados 15 pacientes (30 quadris) acompanhados no Laboratório de Reabilitação Biomecânica do Aparelho Locomotor do HC-Unicamp, analisando-se radiografias da bacia em posições antero-posterior e lowenstein. RESULTADOS: Dos quadris avaliados, apenas sete (23%) não possuíam alguma evidência de dano à superfície articular. A prevalência de ossificação heterotópica encontrada (16,6%) aproximou-se a da literatura. CONCLUSÃO: Devido à prevalência de alterações articulares encontradas, justifica-se o acompanhamento radiográfico dos quadris destes pacientes. Nível de Evidência II. Desenvolvimento de critérios diagnósticos em pacientes consecutivo. (com padrão de referência "ouro" aplicado).