bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The financial inclusion assemblage: Subjects, technics, rationalities
Authors: Schwittay Anke F.
Published: December 2011

This article introduces financial inclusion as a global assemblage of subjects, technics, and rationalities that aim to develop poor-appropriate financial products and services. Microfinance forms the foundation, but also the boundary of the assemblage, which is premised on the assumption that the 2.7 billion poor people in the world who do not currently have access to formal loan, savings, and insurance products are in need of such offerings. The work of the Institute for Money, Technology and Financial Inclusion at the University of California, Irvine, with its emphasis on ethnographic research into culturally grounded monetary practices and logics, is presented as an alternative to the quantitative, economic, and financial logics that drive the assemblage.
Open Lateral Retinacular Closure Surgery for Treatment of Anterolateral Knee Pain and Disability After Arthroscopic Lateral Retinacular Release
Authors: Heyworth Benton E. , Carroll Kaitlin M. , Dawson Courtney K. , Gill Thomas J.
Published: December 2011

Background: Although lateral retinacular release (LR) surgery has historically been one of the most commonly used arthroscopic procedures for the treatment of patellar instability and anterior knee pain, it may be associated with complications and poor functional outcome measures.

Purpose: To examine the clinical efficacy of open lateral retinacular closure (LRC), a novel but technically simple procedure in the treatment of disabling anterolateral knee pain, tenderness, and positive medial patellar apprehension testing in patients who have undergone prior arthroscopic LR surgery.

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

Methods: The records of 22 patients who had previously undergone an arthroscopic LR and underwent a diagnostic arthroscopy and LRC were reviewed. Physical examination findings and symptoms after prior LR surgery, duration between LR and LRC surgeries, and arthroscopic findings immediately before LRC were analyzed. Preoperative and postoperative Lysholm knee scores and activity levels were compared, and subjective satisfaction ratings assessed.

Results: Average follow-up after LRC was 3.2 years. Mean preoperative Lysholm knee score was 46.5 (range, 25-90), which improved postoperatively to a mean score of 86 (range, 48-100). Fourteen percent of patients subjectively rated their preoperative function as fair and 86% as poor. Postoperatively, 82% rated themselves as good or excellent and 18% as fair, with all patients improving from the LRC procedure. All patients stated that they would have the procedure again for the same problem.

Conclusion: Open LRC provides significant pain relief and improvement in functional knee outcome scores in patients with persistent pain and tenderness at the site of a previous lateral release and a positive medial patellar apprehension test. Lateral release procedures should be considered with caution. For patients with anterolateral knee pain and symptoms of medial patellar instability after lateral release, LRC may provide symptomatic relief and functional improvement.
Treatment of Full-Thickness Chondral Defects of the Knee With Autologous Chondrocyte Implantation
Authors: Beris Alexandros E. , Lykissas Marios G. , Kostas-Agnantis Ioannis , Manoudis Gregory N.
Published: December 2011

Background: Autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI) has been proven an effective method in treating large articular cartilage defects in short- or medium-term follow-up clinical studies.

Hypothesis: First generation ACI of patients with large full-thickness chondral defects of the knee could yield reliable functional outcomes after a minimum follow-up of 5 years.

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

Methods: Between 1997 and 2005, 42 patients (45 knees) underwent first generation ACI for symptomatic chondral defects of the knee. All patients had moderate to large (mean, 5.33 cm2) full-thickness chondral defects. Patients were evaluated using the International Cartilage Repair Society (ICRS) score, the International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) Knee Examination Form, the Tegner activity score, the Lysholm score, the Stanmore functional rating score, and a visual analog scale (VAS) for pain.

Results: The mean follow-up was 96 months (range, 62-144 months). At the final follow-up, a significant increase in all scores was recorded. Compared with preoperative findings, the median Lysholm score significantly improved, increasing from 56.0 to 89.0 ( P < .05). The IKDC and the Tegner activity score showed significant improvement postoperatively, increasing from 45 and 5.5 to 69 and 6.5, respectively ( P < .05). The mean ICRS improved from grade 3.8 preoperatively to grade 2.8 postoperatively ( P < .05). The Stanmore functional rating score and the VAS pain score were decreased from 3.06 and 7.33 to 0.94 and 2, respectively ( P < .05). Reoperation was required in 5 patients. In 2 of them graft failure was recorded due to degeneration or partial detachment, respectively.

Conclusion: The long-term outcomes of our series support the effectiveness of first generation ACI in both pain relief and functional rehabilitation of patients with large full-thickness osteochondral defects of the knee.
Modeling and evaluation of tensile properties of randomly oriented banana/epoxy composite
Authors: Venkateshwaran N. , ElayaPerumal A.
Published: December 2011

The main aim of this study is to compare the experimentally observed tensile properties of banana/epoxy composite with those obtained using various theories of reinforcement. Models used for the comparison are Hirsch, Halpin–Tsai, Nielson, Bowyer and Bader’s, and Modified Rule of Mixture. Further, the effect of fiber length on the tensile properties of the composite was compared with Bowyer and Bader method. Of the used theories of reinforcement, it is found that Modified rule of mixture predicts tensile properties closer to experimental values and next comes Bowyer and Bader method.
Damping characteristics of TiNi shape memory alloy wires reinforced epoxy resin
Authors: Chang Shih-Hang , Lee Chi-Ying
Published: December 2011

TiNi-based shape memory alloys possess good-damping capacity at the martensite state because of abundant easily movable twin boundaries. However, most TiNi-based shape memory alloys only show an extremely low damping capacity at temperature above room temperature because their martensitic transformation temperature is not high enough. Incorporating the TiNi-based shape memory alloys into a host polymer-matrix could improve the extremely low damping capacity at higher temperatures. In this study, we investigate the damping properties of TiNi shape memory alloy wires reinforced epoxy resin by dynamic mechanical analysis. The peak temperature and apparent activation energy of the glass transition peak ( Tg peak) for TiNi wires/epoxy composites do not show significant difference with the number of inserted TiNi wires. With the increase of inserted TiNi wires in the composite, the damping capacity of the martensitic transformation peak increases, but that of the Tg transition peak decreases. The martensitic transformation peak of the annealed TiNi wires/epoxy composite exhibits a higher damping capacity since the defects/dislocations, which restrain the volume of the transformed martensite in TiNi wires can be eliminated after annealing.
Thoracic Myelopathy Secondary to Seizure Following Scoliosis Surgery
Authors: Myers Kenneth A. , Payne Eric T. , Esser Michael J. , Kirton Adam , Howard Jason J.
Published: December 2011

The incidence of spinal injuries is increased in people with epilepsy although compressive thoracic myelopathy has not been reported. We describe a 15-year-old girl with SCN1A mutation (Dravet syndrome), refractory generalized tonic-clonic seizures, and prior posterior instrumentation and fusion for scoliosis, who presented with progressive lower extremity weakness. Junctional kyphosis with disc herniation and spinal cord compression directly rostral to the instrumentation was apparent on imaging. On history, the patient had suffered a particularly severe convulsive seizure just before developing symptoms. Surgical decompression and stabilization led to a complete neurologic recovery. This unusual presentation of myelopathy illustrates the need to consider this complication in patients with epilepsy and spinal instrumentation.
Hybrid deflection prediction on machining thin-wall monolithic aerospace components
Authors: Izamshah R , Mo J P T , Ding S
Published: December 2011

Thin-wall machining of monolithic parts allows better quality parts to be manufactured in less time. This brings advantages, particularly in inventory management and manufacturing efficiency. However, due to poor stiffness of thin-wall parts, deformation is more likely to occur in the machining process, which results in dimensional form errors. This paper describes a new methodology for prediction of wall deflection during machining thin-wall features with reduced analysis time from weeks to hours. The prediction methodology is based on a combination of the finite-element method and statistical analysis. It consists of a feature-based approach to parts creation, finite-element analysis of material removal, and statistical regression analysis of deflection associated with cutting parameters and component attributes. The prediction values have been validated by machining tests on titanium parts and show good agreement between simulation model and experimental data.
Thermal anomaly detection in datacenters
Authors: Yuan Yang , Lee Eun Kyung , Pompili Dario , Liao Junbi
Published: December 2011

The high density of servers in datacenters generates a large amount of heat, resulting in the high possibility of thermally anomalous events, i.e. computer room air conditioner fan failure, server fan failure, and workload misconfiguration. As such anomalous events increase the cost of maintaining computing and cooling components, they need to be detected, localized, and classified for taking appropriate remedial actions. In this article, a hierarchical neural network framework is proposed to detect small- (server level) and large-scale (datacenter level) thermal anomalies. This novel framework, which is organized into two tiers, analyzes the data sensed by heterogeneous sensors such as sensors built in the servers and external sensors (Telosb). The proposed solution employs a neural network to learn about (a) the relationship among sensing values (i.e. internal, external, and fan speed) and (b) the relationship between the sensing values and workload information. Then, the bottom tier of our framework detects thermal anomalies, whereas the top tier localizes and classifies them. Our solution outperforms other anomaly-detection methods based on regression model, support vector machine, and self-organizing map, as shown by the experimental results.
Efficiency of resilient wheels on the alleviation of railway ground vibrations
Authors: Kouroussis Georges , Verlinden Olivier , Conti Calogero
Published: December 2011

The aim of this paper is to show how resilient wheels, initially used for reducing the noise generated at the wheel/rail contact and stresses on wheels, are also efficient for reducing ground vibrations. Brussels tramway T2000 is considered as an example. A prediction model as complete as possible is used, taking into account the track and the vehicle dynamics. A multibody approach is chosen to describe the vehicle behaviour, over a finite element model for the track. The soil is modelled with the finite/infinite element approach, taking into account the layered configuration of the ground. Three variants of tram are analysed, focusing on the resilient wheel stiffness. The stiffness and damping properties of the wheels are obtained by updating a finite element model. A validation step is presented, based on measurements at the soil surface during the passing of the tram over a rough rail and a local rail defect. A modal decomposition is applied on the vehicle model with emphasis on relevant modal contributions in the wheel/rail forces. A sensitivity analysis of the resilient wheels stiffness is performed, showing a meaningful decrease of ground vibrations using a soft resilient material. This study shows that the vehicle dynamics intervenes in the onset of the vibration waves in the soil and demonstrates the real interest of a compound vehicle/track/soil model in the design of this kind of wheel.
Ethical problems in practice as experienced by Malawian student nurses
Authors: Solum Eva Merethe , Maluwa Veronica Mary , Severinsson Elisabeth
Published: December 2011

Student nurses are confronted by many ethical challenges in clinical practice. The aim of the study was to explore Malawian students’ experiences of ethical problems during their clinical placement. A phenomenological hermeneutic design comprising interviews and qualitative content analysis was used. Ten students were interviewed. Three main themes emerged: 1) Conflict between patient rights and the guardians’ presence in the hospital; 2) Conflict between violation of professional values and patient rights caused by unethical behaviour; and 3) Conflict between moral awareness and the ideal course of action. The students had difficulties ensuring patient rights and acting in accordance with western norms and values which are not always appropriate in the Malawian context. The students require role models who demonstrate professional attitudes towards patients’ rights and values. There is a need to create pedagogical strategies in which a caring attitude and ethical reflection can be learned and cultivated in clinical practice.
An analysis of common arguments against Advance Directives
Authors: Mitchell Marilyn
Published: December 2011

Advance Directives are under-utilized, both from the fact that few Americans have them and that health professionals don’t always rely on Advance Directives provided by patients. Many health professionals have philosophical objections to their use. Using a fictitious case as background, five different objections to the use of Advance Directives will be discussed and arguments against those objections will be posed along with suggestions to improve Advance Directives.
Balancing truth-telling in the preservation of hope
Authors: Pergert Pernilla , Lützén Kim
Published: December 2011

Truth-telling in healthcare practice can be regarded as a universal communicative virtue; however, there are different views on what consequence it has for giving or diminishing hope. The aim of this article is to explore the relationship between the concepts of truth-telling and hope from a relational ethics approach in the context of healthcare practice. Healthcare staff protect themselves and others to preserve hope in the care of seriously sick patients and in end-of-life care. This is done by balancing truth-telling guided by different conditions such as the cultural norms of patients, family and staff. Our main conclusion is that the balancing of truth-telling needs to be decided in a mutual understanding in the caring relationship, but hope must always be inspired. Instead of focusing on autonomy as the only guiding principle, we would like to propose that relational ethics can serve as a meaningful perspective in balancing truth-telling.
Entrepreneurial Competencies
Authors: Jain Ravindra K.
Published: December 2011

Despite numerous research studies the theme of ‘Why, when and how some people (entrepreneurs) and not others discover, evaluate and exploit entrepreneurial opportunities?’ still needs intensive inquiry. Entrepreneurial performance is influenced by both intrinsic individual and extrinsic environment factors. Earlier research indicates that a wide range of motives, personal traits, psychological characteristics and self-efficacy components influence the attitudes, intentions and behaviours of entrepreneurs. However, despite existence of favourable factors, a potential entrepreneur might decide not to exploit entrepreneurial opportunity; certain people act differently from others in exactly the same situation. Earlier researchers, while using a variety of lenses, suggested a variety of frameworks and countless propositions. Despite, the unified, comprehensive, and largely acceptable conceptualizations could not be evolved so far. In such a situation, more efforts in the direction of making an extensive review or meta-analysis and developing a more unified conceptualization are required. Here, a genuine attempt has been made to synthesize the outcomes of the surfeit of earlier researches so as to present the emerging hypothesized propositions and a simple framework of entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial competencies. The outcomes of such an attempt provide a concrete base for more meaningful and useful further research as well as for setting up an agenda of entrepreneurial training for the future.
An Empirical Investigation into the Role of EQ/Emotional Intelligence Competencies in Mental Well-being
Authors: Sharma Radha R.
Published: December 2011

Mental well-being, a pivotal but controversial construct viewed from multiple lenses, has been garnering attention of scholars and practitioners due to high pressure environment, a concomitant of global economic meltdown. Mental well-being is described as a positive and sustainable condition which enables individuals/groups to thrive even in adversity. It, to a considerable extent, depends on perception and management of negative emotions where emotional intelligence plays an important role (Sharma, 2007a, 2008). Emotional intelligence (EI) has been studied in relation to various workplace behaviours like leadership, employee development, performance and customer satisfaction, but there is dearth of research relating EQ/EI competencies to mental well-being. Thus, the significance of the subject and paucity of empirical researches in this sphere have provided impetus to investigate the role of EQ/EI competencies, personal effectiveness and demographic variables in mental well-being.
State Definitions of Emotional Disturbance
Authors: Wery Jessica J. , Cullinan Douglas
Published: December 2011

This article examines definitions state education agencies use to describe the federal education disability called “emotional disturbance.” State definitions were collected so that various aspects of them could be analyzed and compared with results of similar studies completed in the 1970s and 1980s. Among results are that state definitions have changed substantially over the decades and definitions have become increasingly similar to the federal definition. Discussion elaborated key findings about components of the state definitions, changes in terminology, and features of the federal definition shared by state definitions. Several recommendations are offered for research and policy consideration, as suggested by the findings.
Is National Culture a Meaningful Concept?
Authors: Minkov Michael , Hofstede Geert
Published: December 2011

Although many cross-cultural studies have used nations as the units of analysis, the concept of national culture has been challenged on various grounds. One objection is that there may be significant cultural diversity within some countries and similarities across national borders, compromising the concept of national culture. This objection has little empirical support. We used latest World Values Survey data and found that 299 in-country regions from 28 countries in East and Southeast Asia, sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, and the Anglo world overwhelmingly cluster along national lines on basic cultural values, cross-border intermixtures being relatively rare. This is true even of countries like Malaysia and Indonesia, or Mexico and Guatemala, despite their shared official languages, religions, ethnic groups, historical experiences, and various traditions. Even the regions of neighboring African nations, such as Ghana, Burkina Faso, and Mali, do not intermix much when they are clustered on the basis of cultural values.
Can the subaltern eat? Anthropophagic culture as a Brazilian lens on post-colonial theory
Authors: Islam Gazi
Published: December 2011

I propose the concept of anthropophagy as a metaphor for understanding Brazilian organizational knowledge, contributing to post-colonial thought, and better understanding issues of cultural mix and hybridity essential to contemporary social theory. After describing the diverse meanings of anthropophagy, I outline three important moments in Brazilian history where the concept has been central to understanding intercultural mixture. First, anthropophagy was an important component of indigenous reactions to intercultural contact, providing a ritual mechanism by which to negotiate identity. This identity crafting mechanism became revived in the 20th century modernist and tropicalist periods, where it took on symbolic functions in positioning modern Brazilian identity with respect to both European and indigenous roots. More recently, anthropophagy has entered the organizational literature, providing novel ways to make sense of key concepts in the discipline. I discuss three central issues around which anthropophagy contributes to contemporary theory, those of otherness, authenticity, and corporality.
Does the language in which aversive stimuli are presented affect their processing?
Authors: Simcox Travis , Pilotti Maura , Mahamane Salif , Romero Eric
Published: December 2011

A popular theme in the literature on bilingualism is that emotions are stronger if experienced in the dominant language. Substantiation of this phenomenon, however, mostly relies on anecdotes and subjective ratings. This study aimed to determine whether evidence of the phenomenon could be provided by measures of processing efficiency and arousal during online language processing. Students for whom English and Spanish coexist, albeit English is dominant in their academic and occupational lives, read aloud taboo and neutral words in either language while skin conductance measurement appraised arousal. Overall, Spanish was processed less efficiently and yielded greater arousal than English, suggesting a more effortful analysis of Spanish. Processing efficiency and arousal were greater for taboo than neutral words presented in English but not Spanish. Frequent use of a language can make processing not only less effortful but also likely to reflect emotional responses to aversive/threatening stimuli.
Changing stereotype content through mental imagery: Imagining intergroup contact promotes stereotype change
Authors: Brambilla Marco , Ravenna Marcella , Hewstone Miles
Published: December 2011

Research has recently shown that imagining intergroup contact can reduce hostility toward outgroups. The present experiment explored whether imagining intergroup contact leads to more positive perceptions of outgroups differentially stereotyped on the two fundamental dimensions of social perception, namely warmth and competence. Depending on the experimental condition, participants ( N = 123) imagined either an intergroup encounter with an outgroup member rated as high (vs. low) on warmth and competence or an outdoor scene. Results showed that imagining an intergroup encounter enhances warmth and competence perception of dehumanized groups, and promotes the perception of warmth and competence of envied and paternalized groups, respectively. These findings suggest that imagined contact could promote positive intergroup relationships toward a wide range of social groups, even dehumanized groups.
Value recovery with customer dissatisfaction: A study of restaurant services in Pakistan
Authors: Kamran Sohail , Attiq Madiha
Published: December 2011

The present study was carried out to investigate the relationship between value recovery and customer satisfaction in restaurant settings of Pakistan through three justice components, ie distributive, interactional, and procedural justice. Primary data was gathered through a five-point likert scale questionnaire from 200 customers of different casual dining restaurants located in Rawalpindi and Islamabad, Pakistan. Correlation and regression analysis was carried out to check the effect of value recovery on customer satisfaction. Study findings suggest that value recovery through its three dimensions, namely, procedural, interactional and distributive justice significantly and positively effect customer satisfaction in the restaurant setting. Implications for casual dining restaurant managers are to provide training to restaurant serving staff with regard to customer dealing, customer complain handling, and the ways in which service failure could be avoided. Furthermore, restaurant serving staff should be given adequate remunerations for increasing their work motivation.
Hip heritage: The boutique hotel business in Singapore
Authors: Henderson Joan C
Published: December 2011

The paper deals with the boutique hotel phenomenon, discussing definitions and overall trends as well as circumstances in Singapore where there has been heightened commercial activity in recent years. Circumstances in Singapore, although distinctive, yield insights into the qualities of boutique hotels in general and their development in the South East Asian region. Heritage is seen to make an important contribution to the city state’s boutique hotels, many of which are the result of the adaptive reuse of old buildings, but is increasingly being combined with modern design in endeavours to cultivate an ambience of hip heritage. The future prospects of boutique hotels with a heritage component thus partly depends on the protection of built heritage, suggesting an alignment of commercial and conservation interests.
Integration of qualitative evidence: towards construction of academic knowledge in social science and professional fields
Authors: Major Claire Howell , Savin-Baden Maggi
Published: December 2011

In this article, we present an overview of the growing field of the integration of qualitative evidence. Based on an analysis of 177 syntheses published in a variety of professional and social science fields, they introduce a way of categorizing the various approaches that synthesists use to combine evidence derived from primary qualitative studies. Finally, they argue for the place of a constructionist approach when synthesizing findings from primary qualitative research.
Showtime Thinks, Therefore I Am
Authors: Kessler Kelly
Published: December 2011

In 2004 Showtime launched The L Word with a site that encouraged fans to login and chat about the show. Over time, they updated the site with all of the emergent bells-and-whistles: blogs, social networking, and Second Life portal. These new spaces simultaneously provided lesbians an expanded and easy-access online community and created a corporate-controlled space that spoke to Showtime’s own economic agenda. To partake in these new toys, fans were encouraged to define themselves in ways most conducive to the network’s sexual, economic, and gendered vision. Through an examination of the sites’ strict reins on identity construction as produced by its texts, interfaces, inclusions, and striking omissions, this article seeks to shed light on the subtle means by which corporate participation in and design of fan spaces can lead to fans (perhaps unwittingly) bending to corporate designs and playing on a field skewed to corporate rather than personal advantage.
Globalizing the FDA: Achieving safety, access, and transparency through a comprehensive Generic Drug User Fee Program
Authors: Jaskot Debbie , Johnston Gordon , Coates Marcie E McClintic , Mayr Charlie , Moutvic Tom , Ramsburg Lara , Stec Richard
Published: December 2011

The globalization of drug manufacturing, supply and testing, and a growing workload that has far outpaced FDA’s resources has created new challenges. The US generic industry recognized the importance of working in partnership with FDA to increase critical agency capacity to address the need for globalization of the inspection process, and to speed the timely review of generic product applications and proposed a holistic user fee program to help the FDA obtain the additional resources needed to ensure all participants in the U.S. generic drug system, whether US-based or foreign, comply with FDA’s high-quality standards and to make certain Americans get timely access to more affordable, high-quality generic drugs. The Generic Drug User Fee Act proposal (GDUFA) agreed to by industry and FDA is focused on three key aims: safety, access, and transparency. GDUFA also will help accelerate the market entry of additional manufacturers of drugs currently in short supply and improve quality, consistency, and availability within the supply chain, further helping to mitigate drug shortages caused by interrupted access to raw materials such as active pharmaceutical ingredients. Based on the proposal that will be submitted to Congress GDUFA would officially begin on October 1, 2012 and generate a total generic drug user fee package of $299 million per year for 5 years. In exchange for these fees, the FDA is to strive to meet key metrics which the agency must report to Congress each year, in addition to a host of other goals, metrics and efficiencies.
Pigmented Villonodular Synovitis of the Ankle
Authors: Schweitzer Karl M. , Parekh Selene G.
Published: December 2011

Because of its high recurrence rate, complete excision with total synovectomy is crucial for diffuse pigmented villonodular synovitis (DPVNS). Regardless of location, surgical approach requires meticulous soft tissue management and full joint exposure to assure complete tumor excision. In the ankle, PVNS can be present in the medial and lateral gutters, as well as extend along the syndesmotic ligament, flexor and peroneal tendon sheaths, and adjacent joints (ie, subtalar and midtarsal joints). The authors describe an open, anterior–posterior technique for excision of DPVNS lesions from the ankle joint with erosive lesions of the tibia and talus, as well as from the flexor hallucis longus and peroneal tendon sheaths. Whereas previously described dual-incision techniques have focused on posteromedial and posterolateral approaches to the ankle, the authors’ posterior exposure, in particular, uses a midline skin incision and a longitudinal split of the Achilles tendon. This provides an excellent exposure and minimizes potential wound healing complications.

Levels of Evidence: Therapeutic, Level IV
Arthrodesis of the First Metatarsal–Phalangeal Joint With Flexible, Ridged Titanium Intramedullary Nails Alone or Supplemented With Static Staples and Immediate Weight Bearing
Authors: Roukis Thomas S. , Meusnier Tristan , Augoyard Marc
Published: December 2011

Myriad forms of fixation have been proposed for arthrodesis of the first metatarsal–phalangeal joint (MTPJ). However, nonunion of the arthrodesis site remains a common complication. The authors performed a retrospective review of all patients undergoing arthrodesis of the first MTPJ with flexible titanium intramedullary nails alone or supplemented with static staples followed by immediate protected weight bearing. Subjects were included if they had surgery performed only by one of us; not undergone bilateral surgery in the same setting; surgery for pathology of the first MTPJ other than rheumatoid arthritis; weight-bearing preoperative radiographs; postoperative weight-bearing radiographs demonstrating presence or absence of union at the arthrodesis site; initiated weight bearing on the operative foot immediately postoperative in a protective shoe; and documentation of any complications. A total of 128 patients (148 feet) met inclusion criteria and were included. There were 110 (85.9%) females and 18 (14.1%) males with a mean age ± SD of 64 ± 14.1 years. Indications included (a) 93 (62.8%) severe hallux valgus deformity, (b) 37 (25%) hallux rigidus, and (c) 18 (12.2%) failed first MTPJ surgeries. Ten different configurations where included based on the requirements needed to achieve a solid construct intraoperatively. There were a total of 9 (6.1%) complications consisting of 4 (2.7%) asymptomatic nonunions, 4 (2.7%) hardware removals, and 1 (0.7%) loss of reduction requiring revision surgery. The incidence of nonunion with flexible titanium intramedullary nails alone or supplemented with static staples followed by immediate protected weight bearing for predominantly severe hallux valgus and hallux rigidus is lower than the historic mean for most other fixation techniques. However, there is still a need for methodologically sound prospective cohort studies that focus on the use of isolated arthrodesis of the first MTPJ for purely severe hallux valgus or hallux rigidus, and comparison of the technique presented here with other modern osteosynthesis techniques.

Levels of Evidence: Therapeutic, Level IV
Microstructure, mechanical and tribological characteristics of plasma, detonation gun and HVOF sprayed NiCr/Cr3C2–BaF2.CaF2 coatings
Authors: Huang C B , Du L Z , Zhang W G
Published: December 2011

The microstructure, mechanical properties and tribological behaviour of NiCr/Cr3C2–BaF2.CaF2 composite coatings prepared with atmospheric plasma spraying, detonation gun spraying (DS) and high velocity oxyfuel spraying (HVOF) technologies were systematically investigated. X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy analyses showed that the main phases of the three kinds of NiCr/Cr3C2–BaF2.CaF2 coatings were mainly consistent with the designed feedstock powders. The three kinds of NiCr/Cr3C2–BaF2.CaF2 coatings have similar and high microhardness. The HVOF and DS NiCr/Cr3C2–BaF2.CaF2 coatings have lower porosity and higher adhesive strength in comparison to the plasma sprayed NiCr/Cr3C2–BaF2.CaF2 coating. The friction coefficients of the HVOF and DS coatings were lower than that of the plasma sprayed coating, and the HVOF and DS coatings showed better wear resistance. The lower friction coefficients and wear rates of the three coatings and coupled Si3N4 balls at elevated temperatures were attributed to the formation of a compact BaF2.CaF2 eutectic lubricating layer on the worn surface.
Numerical investigation of powder heating in coaxial laser metal deposition
Authors: Ibarra-Medina J , Pinkerton A J
Published: December 2011

The laser metal deposition process is characterised by the occurrence of mutually influencing phenomena. Particularly important for understanding particle deposition are the phenomena originated by the three-way interaction of the laser beam, the powder stream and the substrate, which in previous models have been consistently oversimplified or neglected. This work presents a numerical model useful for studying powder stream formation, powder heating and mass addition into the melt pool, as well as various interactions that occur during processing. Experimental work is performed to validate powder stream formation and heating, and particle addition to melt pool. Good agreement is found with the modelled results. It is revealed from this work that the role of the substrate is more significant than previously thought and that considering the beam–stream–substrate interrelations allows simulations closer to real processing conditions to be performed.
Human FcγRIIA induces anaphylactic and allergic reactions
Authors: Jönsson Friederike , Mancardi David A. , Zhao Wei , Kita Yoshihiro , Iannascoli Bruno , Khun Huot , van Rooijen Nico , Shimizu Takao , Schwartz Lawrence B. , Daëron Marc , Bruhns Pierre
Published: December 2011

IgE and IgE receptors (FcϵRI) are well-known inducers of allergy. We recently found in mice that active systemic anaphylaxis depends on IgG and IgG receptors (FcγRIIIA and FcγRIV) expressed by neutrophils, rather than on IgE and FcϵRI expressed by mast cells and basophils. In humans, neutrophils, mast cells, basophils, and eosinophils do not express FcγRIIIA or FcγRIV, but FcγRIIA. We therefore investigated the possible role of FcγRIIA in allergy by generating novel FcγRIIA-transgenic mice, in which various models of allergic reactions induced by IgG could be studied. In mice, FcγRIIA was sufficient to trigger active and passive anaphylaxis, and airway inflammation in vivo. Blocking FcγRIIA in vivo abolished these reactions. We identified mast cells to be responsible for FcγRIIA-dependent passive cutaneous anaphylaxis, and monocytes/macrophages and neutrophils to be responsible for FcγRIIA-dependent passive systemic anaphylaxis. Supporting these findings, human mast cells, monocytes and neutrophils produced anaphylactogenic mediators after FcγRIIA engagement. IgG and FcγRIIA may therefore contribute to allergic and anaphylactic reactions in humans.
AUF-1 and YB-1 are critical determinants of β-globin mRNA expression in erythroid cells
Authors: van Zalen Sebastiaan , Jeschke Grace R. , Hexner Elizabeth O. , Russell J. Eric
Published: December 2011

The normal accumulation of β-globin protein in terminally differentiating erythroid cells is critically dependent on the high stability of its encoding mRNA. The molecular basis for this property, though, is incompletely understood. Factors that regulate β-globin mRNA within the nucleus of early erythroid progenitors are unlikely to account for the constitutively high half-life of β-globin mRNA in the cytoplasm of their anucleate erythroid progeny. We conducted in vitro protein-RNA binding analyses that identified a cytoplasm-restricted β-globin messenger ribonucleoprotein (mRNP) complex in both cultured K562 cells and erythroid-differentiated human CD34+ cells. This novel mRNP targets a specific guanine-rich pentanucleotide in a region of the β-globin 3′untranslated region that has recently been implicated as a determinant of β-globin mRNA stability. Subsequent affinity-enrichment analyses identified AUF-1 and YB-1, 2 cytoplasmic proteins with well-established roles in RNA biology, as trans-acting components of the mRNP. Factor-depletion studies conducted in vivo demonstrated the importance of the mRNP to normal steady-state levels of β-globin mRNA in erythroid precursors. These data define a previously unrecognized mechanism for the posttranscriptional regulation of β-globin mRNA during normal erythropoiesis, providing new therapeutic targets for disorders of β-globin gene expression.
ReCount: A multi-experiment resource of analysis-ready RNA-seq gene count datasets
Authors: Frazee Alyssa C , Langmead Ben , Leek Jeffrey T
Published: December 2011

1 Background

RNA sequencing is a flexible and powerful new approach for measuring gene, exon, or isoform expression. To maximize the utility of RNA sequencing data, new statistical methods are needed for clustering, differential expression, and other analyses. A major barrier to the development of new statistical methods is the lack of RNA sequencing datasets that can be easily obtained and analyzed in common statistical software packages such as R. To speed up the development process, we have created a resource of analysis-ready RNA-sequencing datasets.

2 Description

ReCount is an online resource of RNA-seq gene count tables and auxilliary data. Tables were built from raw RNA sequencing data from 18 different published studies comprising 475 samples and over 8 billion reads. Using the Myrna package, reads were aligned, overlapped with gene models and tabulated into gene-by-sample count tables that are ready for statistical analysis. Count tables and phenotype data were combined into Bioconductor ExpressionSet objects for ease of analysis. ReCount also contains the Myrna manifest files and R source code used to process the samples, allowing statistical and computational scientists to consider alternative parameter values.

3 Conclusions

By combining datasets from many studies and providing data that has already been processed from. fastq format into ready-to-use. RData and. txt files, ReCount facilitates analysis and methods development for RNA-seq count data. We anticipate that ReCount will also be useful for investigators who wish to consider cross-study comparisons and alternative normalization strategies for RNA-seq.
Analysis of the role of Ser1/Ser2/Thr9 phosphorylation on myosin II assembly and function in live cells
Authors: Beach Jordan R , Licate Lucila S , Crish James F , Egelhoff Thomas T
Published: December 2011

Background

Phosphorylation of non-muscle myosin II regulatory light chain (RLC) at Thr18/Ser19 is well established as a key regulatory event that controls myosin II assembly and activation, both in vitro and in living cells. RLC can also be phosphorylated at Ser1/Ser2/Thr9 by protein kinase C (PKC). Biophysical studies show that phosphorylation at these sites leads to an increase in the Km of myosin light chain kinase (MLCK) for RLC, thereby indirectly inhibiting myosin II activity. Despite unequivocal evidence that PKC phosphorylation at Ser1/Ser2/Thr9 can regulate myosin II function in vitro, there is little evidence that this mechanism regulates myosin II function in live cells.

Results

The purpose of these studies was to investigate the role of Ser1/Ser2/Thr9 phosphorylation in live cells. To do this we utilized phospho-specific antibodies and created GFP-tagged RLC reporters with phosphomimetic aspartic acid substitutions or unphosphorylatable alanine substitutions at the putative inhibitory sites or the previously characterized activation sites. Cell lines stably expressing the RLC-GFP constructs were assayed for myosin recruitment during cell division, the ability to complete cell division, and myosin assembly levels under resting or spreading conditions. Our data shows that manipulation of the activation sites (Thr18/Ser19) significantly alters myosin II function in a number of these assays while manipulation of the putative inhibitory sites (Ser1/Ser2/Thr9) does not.

Conclusions

These studies suggest that inhibitory phosphorylation of RLC is not a substantial regulatory mechanism, although we cannot rule out its role in other cellular processes or perhaps other types of cells or tissues in vivo.
Next-generation DNA sequencing-based assay for measuring allelic expression imbalance (AEI) of candidate neuropsychiatric disorder genes in human brain
Authors: Xu Xiang , Wang Hao , Zhu Min , Sun Yue , Tao Yu , He Qin , Wang Jian , Chen Li , Saffen David
Published: December 2011

Background

Common genetic variants that regulate gene expression are widely suspected to contribute to the etiology and phenotypic variability of complex diseases. Although high-throughput, microarray-based assays have been developed to measure differences in mRNA expression among independent samples, these assays often lack the sensitivity to detect rare mRNAs and the reproducibility to quantify small changes in mRNA expression. By contrast, PCR-based allelic expression imbalance (AEI) assays, which use a "marker" single nucleotide polymorphism (mSNP) in the mRNA to distinguish expression from pairs of genetic alleles in individual samples, have high sensitivity and accuracy, allowing differences in mRNA expression greater than 1.2-fold to be quantified with high reproducibility. In this paper, we describe the use of an efficient PCR/next-generation DNA sequencing-based assay to analyze allele-specific differences in mRNA expression for candidate neuropsychiatric disorder genes in human brain.

Results

Using our assay, we successfully analyzed AEI for 70 candidate neuropsychiatric disorder genes in 52 independent human brain samples. Among these genes, 62/70 (89%) showed AEI ratios greater than 1 ± 0.2 in at least one sample and 8/70 (11%) showed no AEI. Arranging log2AEI ratios in increasing order from negative-to-positive values revealed highly reproducible distributions of log2AEI ratios that are distinct for each gene/marker SNP combination. Mathematical modeling suggests that these log2AEI distributions can provide important clues concerning the number, location and contributions ofcis-acting regulatory variants to mRNA expression.

Conclusions

We have developed a highly sensitive and reproducible method for quantifying AEI of mRNA expressed in human brain. Importantly, this assay allowed quantification of differential mRNA expression for many candidate disease genes entirely missed in previously published microarray-based studies of mRNA expression in human brain. Given the ability of next-generation sequencing technology to generate large numbers of independent sequencing reads, our method should be suitable for analyzing from 100- to 200-candidate genes in 100 samples in a single experiment. We believe that this is the appropriate scale for investigating variation in mRNA expression for defined sets candidate disorder genes, allowing, for example, comprehensive coverage of genes that function within biological pathways implicated in specific disorders. The combination of AEI measurements and mathematical modeling described in this study can assist in identifying SNPs that correlate with mRNA expression. Alleles of these SNPs (individually or as sets) that accurately predict high- or low-mRNA expression should be useful as markers in genetic association studies aimed at linking candidate genes to specific neuropsychiatric disorders.
Pyrosequencing of the Camptotheca acuminata transcriptome reveals putative genes involved in camptothecin biosynthesis and transport
Authors: Sun Yongzhen , Luo Hongmei , Li Ying , Sun Chao , Song Jingyuan , Niu Yunyun , Zhu Yingjie , Dong Liang , Lv Aiping , Tramontano Enzo , Chen Shilin
Published: December 2011

Background

Camptotheca acuminata is a Nyssaceae plant, often called the "happy tree", which is indigenous in Southern China. C. acuminata produces the terpenoid indole alkaloid, camptothecin (CPT), which exhibits clinical effects in various cancer treatments. Despite its importance, little is known about the transcriptome of C. acuminata and the mechanism of CPT biosynthesis, as only few nucleotide sequences are included in the GenBank database.

Results

From a constructed cDNA library of young C. acuminata leaves, a total of 30,358 unigenes, with an average length of 403 bp, were obtained after assembly of 74,858 high quality reads using GS De Novo assembler software. Through functional annotation, a total of 21,213 unigenes were annotated at least once against the NCBI nucleotide (Nt), non-redundant protein (Nr), Uniprot/SwissProt, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), and Arabidopsis thaliana proteome (TAIR) databases. Further analysis identified 521 ESTs representing 20 enzyme genes that are involved in the backbone of the CPT biosynthetic pathway in the library. Three putative genes in the upstream pathway, including genes for geraniol-10-hydroxylase (CaPG10H), secologanin synthase (CaPSCS), and strictosidine synthase (CaPSTR) were cloned and analyzed. The expression level of the three genes was also detected using qRT-PCR in C. acuminata. With respect to the branch pathway of CPT synthesis, six cytochrome P450s transcripts were selected as candidate transcripts by detection of transcript expression in different tissues using qRT-PCR. In addition, one glucosidase gene was identified that might participate in CPT biosynthesis. For CPT transport, three of 21 transcripts for multidrug resistance protein (MDR) transporters were also screened from the dataset by their annotation result and gene expression analysis.

Conclusion

This study produced a large amount of transcriptome data from C. acuminata by 454 pyrosequencing. According to EST annotation, catalytic features prediction, and expression analysis, novel putative transcripts involved in CPT biosynthesis and transport were discovered in C. acuminata. This study will facilitate further identification of key enzymes and transporter genes in C. acuminata.