bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ogbu Revisited
Authors: Archer-Banks Diane A. M. , Behar-Horenstein Linda S.
Published: December 2011

How African American girls cope and excel amidst the discriminations and inequities they experience within U.S. educational systems has not been widely discussed in the body of research about African Americans’ schooling experiences. In this study, the researchers examined the applicability of Ogbu’s cultural–ecological theory to the self-described school experiences of eight high-achieving African American high school girls. Using an inductive analysis of interviews, focus groups, journal, and field notes, this article draws attention to the role that school policies and practices, caring adults play, and how the participants’ negotiated academic and racial identities contributed to their academic success.
The Clinical Center’s Blood Glucose Management Service
Authors: Feigenbaum Kathryn , Brooks Pamela G. , Chamberlain Christine E. , Cochran Elaine , Adams-McLean Allison , Malek Rana , Harlan David M.
Published: December 2011

Purpose

Blood glucose management in the inpatient setting has been shown to be crucial to patient outcomes. As the evidence develops to determine best clinical practices for achieving inpatient glycemic goals, the Clinical Center at the National Institutes of Health has implemented a streamlined multidisciplinary approach to managing blood glucose levels for hospitalized patients. The purpose of this article is to describe the blood glucose management service at the Clinical Center.

Conclusion

The blood glucose management service has established a consistent plan of care for diabetes management that has gained acceptance among staff and patients and improved safety and patient outcomes. This plan of care has been applied across various nursing units that serve patient populations on clinical research trials investigating common and rare diseases and treating patients from the United States and around the world.
Enteral Feeding Induces Early Intestinal Adaptation in a Parenterally Fed Neonatal Piglet Model of Short Bowel Syndrome
Authors: Dodge M. Elaine , Bertolo Robert F. , Brunton Janet A.
Published: December 2011

Background: Successful small intestinal (SI) adaptation following surgical resection is essential for optimizing newborn growth and development, but the potential for adaptation is unknown. The authors developed an SI resection model in neonatal piglets supported by intravenous and enteral nutrition. Methods: Piglets (n = 33, 12–13 days old) were randomized to 80% SI resection with parenteral nutrition feeding (R‐PN), 80% SI resection with PN + enteral feeding (R‐EN), or sham SI transection with PN + enteral feeding (sham‐EN). In resected pigs, the distal 100 cm of ileum (residual SI) and 30 cm of proximal SI were left intact. All pigs received parenteral nutrition postsurgery. Enteral nutrition piglets received continuous gastric infusion of elemental diet from day 3 (40:60 parenteral nutrition:enteral nutrition). Piglets were killed 4, 6, or 10 days postsurgery. Results: By 10 days, R‐EN piglets had longer residual SI than R‐PN and sham‐EN pigs (P < .05). At days 6 and 10, R‐EN piglets had greater weight per length of intact SI (P < .05) and isolated mucosa (P < .05) compared to other groups. Greater gut weight in R‐EN piglets was facilitated by a greater cellular proliferation index (P < .01) by 4 days compared to other groups and greater overall ornithine decarboxylase activity vs R‐PN piglets (P < .05). Conclusions: This new model demonstrated profound SI adaptation, initiated early postsurgery by polyamine synthesis and crypt cell proliferation and only in response to enteral feeding. These changes translated to greater gut mass and length within days, likely improving functional capacity long term.
Bargaining Behind the Scenes
Authors: Livingston Beth A.
Published: December 2011

This study focuses on the negotiation process that partners in a couple engage in behind the scenes to negotiate whose career will take precedence in the household and the resulting effort and burnout that individuals experience at work and at home. The author finds that gender moderates the relationship between competitive negotiation tactics and an individual’s career responsibilities. Gender also moderates the relationship between both competitive and cooperative negotiation tactics and the emotional work conducted by one’s spouse or partner. The author also observes a moderating effect of gender between emotional and career effort and burnout—both from one’s job and from one’s relationship. Results suggest that men and women react differently to negotiation tactics used within a couple and tend to be affected by gendered norms regarding the work and family domains.
Children’s use of allocentric cues in visually- and memory-guided reach space
Authors: Cordova Alberto , Gabbard Carl
Published: December 2011

Theory suggests that the vision-for-perception and vision-for-action processing streams operate under very different temporal constraints ( Glover, 2004 ; Goodale, Jackobson, & Keillor, 1994 ; Graham, Bradshaw, & Davis, 1998 ; Hu, Eagleson, & Goodale, 1999 ). With the present study, children and young adults were asked to estimate how far a cued target was from a response target in immediate and response-delay conditions. Based on maximum reach of each participant, target locations in peripersonal and extrapersonal space were created. ANOVA results for accuracy indicated differences between Age within Condition and Space. Overall, adults were more accurate than children. Analysis revealed that with delays of superior or equal to 2 s, performance affected all groups, but most notably the 5- and 7-year-olds. In summary, these findings suggest that young children have greater difficulty processing allocentric cues in the context of reach in delay paradigms.
The making of an entertainment revolution: How the TV format trade became a global industry
Authors: Chalaby Jean K.
Published: December 2011

From its humble origins in the 1950s, the TV format industry has become a global trade worth billions of euros per year. Few viewers are aware that their favourite shows may be local adaptations but formats represent a significant percentage of European broadcasting schedules in access prime time and prime time. Formatted brands exist in all TV genres and reach almost every country in the world. This article defends the thesis that the format business turned into a global industry in the late 1990s. Before this turning point, the few formatted programmes were most likely American game shows that travelled slowly and to a limited number of territories. Following an overview of this early period, this article examines the convergence of factors that created a world format market. These include the emergence of four exceptional formats ( Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, Survivor, Big Brother and Idols), the formation of a programming market, the rise of the independent production sector and the globalization of information flows within the TV industry.
PNU-120596, a positive allosteric modulator of α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, reverses a sub-chronic phencyclidine-induced cognitive deficit in the attentional set-shifting task in female rats
Authors: McLean Samantha L , Idris Nagi F , Grayson Ben , Gendle David F , Mackie Claire , Lesage Anne S , Pemberton Darrel J , Neill Jo C
Published: December 2011

The α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) have been highlighted as a target for cognitive enhancement in schizophrenia. Adult female hooded Lister rats received sub-chronic phencyclidine (PCP) (2 mg/kg) or vehicle i.p. twice daily for 7 days, followed by 7 days’ washout. PCP-treated rats then received PNU-120596 (10 mg/kg; s.c.) or saline and were tested in the attentional set-shifting task. Sub-chronic PCP produced a significant cognitive deficit in the extra-dimensional shift (EDS) phase of the task ( p < 0.001, compared with vehicle). PNU-120596 significantly improved performance of PCP-treated rats in the EDS phase of the attentional set-shifting task ( p < 0.001). In conclusion, these data demonstrate that PNU-120596 improves cognitive dysfunction in our animal model of cognitive dysfunction in schizophrenia, most likely via modulation of α7 nACh receptors.
Self-calibration for a 3D laser
Authors: Sheehan Mark , Harrison Alastair , Newman Paul
Published: December 2011

In this paper we describe a method for the automatic self-calibration of a 3D laser sensor. We wish to acquire crisp point clouds and so we adopt a measure of crispness to capture point cloud quality. We then pose the calibration problem as the task of maximizing point cloud quality. Concretely, we use Rényi Quadratic Entropy to measure the degree of organization of a point cloud. By expressing this quantity as a function of key unknown system parameters, we are able to deduce a full calibration of the sensor via an online optimization. Beyond details on the sensor design itself, we fully describe the end-to-end intrinsic parameter calibration process and the estimation of the clock skews between the constituent microprocessors. We analyse performance using real and simulated data and demonstrate robust performance over 30 test sites.
Randomized path planning on manifolds based on higher-dimensional continuation
Authors: Porta Josep M , Jaillet Léonard , Bohigas Oriol
Published: December 2011

Despite the significant advances in path planning methods, highly constrained problems are still challenging. In some situations, the presence of constraints defines a configuration space that is a non-parametrizable manifold embedded in a high-dimensional ambient space. In these cases, the use of sampling-based path planners is cumbersome since samples in the ambient space have low probability to lay on the configuration space manifold. In this paper, we present a new path planning algorithm specially tailored for highly constrained systems. The proposed planner builds on recently developed tools for higher-dimensional continuation, which provide numerical procedures to describe an implicitly defined manifold using a set of local charts. We propose to extend these methods focusing the generation of charts on the path between the two configurations to connect and randomizing the process to find alternative paths in the presence of obstacles. The advantage of this planner comes from the fact that it directly operates into the configuration space and not into the higher-dimensional ambient space, as most of the existing methods do.
Neurogenesis in a Young Dog With Epileptic Seizures
Authors: Borschensky C. M. , Woolley J. S. , Kipar A. , Herden C.
Published: December 2011

Epileptic seizures can lead to various reactions in the brain, ranging from neuronal necrosis and glial cell activation to focal structural disorganization. Furthermore, increased hippocampal neurogenesis has been documented in rodent models of acute convulsions. This is a report of hippocampal neurogenesis in a dog with spontaneous epileptic seizures. A 16-week-old epileptic German Shepherd Dog had marked neuronal cell proliferation (up to 5 mitotic figures per high-power field and increased immunohistochemical expression of proliferative cell nuclear antigen) in the dentate gyrus accompanied by microglial and astroglial activation. Some granule cells expressed doublecortin, a marker of immature neurons; mitotically active cells expressed neuronal nuclear antigen. No mitotic figures were found in the brain of age-matched control dogs. Whether increased neurogenesis represents a general reaction pattern of young epileptic dogs should be investigated.
Subcutaneous Botryomycosis Due to Bibersteinia trehalosi in a Texas Longhorn Steer
Authors: Spagnoli S. , Reilly T. J. , Calcutt M. J. , Fales W. H. , Kim D. Y.
Published: December 2011

A 3-year-old Texas Longhorn steer had a long history of progressive swelling of the soft tissues of the jaw and neck. At necropsy, multifocal to coalescing dermal and subcutaneous pyogranulomas were surrounded by fibrous tissue. Microscopically, the pyogranulomas contained aggregates of gram-negative coccobacilli surrounded by Splendore-Hoeppli material and were separated by bands of fibrovascular tissue (botryomycosis). Phylogenetic analysis of multilocus sequence-typing data revealed that the bacteria recovered in pure culture from swabs of submandibular tissue were most closely related to Bibersteinia [ Pasteurella] trehalosi. The bacterial colonies were immunohistochemically reactive with a rabbit polyclonal anti-Pasteurella class C acid phosphatase antibody. Botryomycosis is a pyogranulomatous inflammation caused by a variety of nonbranching, nonfilamentous bacteria that elicit the formation of Splendore-Hoeppli material. This case of botryomycosis is unique for its association with Bibersteinia trehalosi.
Quality of Life After Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff Repair
Authors: Chung Seok Won , Park Ji Soon , Kim Sae Hoon , Shin Seung Han , Oh Joo Han
Published: December 2011

Background: Despite its importance, few studies regarding health-related quality of life (HRQOL) after rotator cuff repair have been reported.

Purpose: To evaluate the outcomes of rotator cuff repair in terms of HRQOL using SF-36 and to analyze factors affecting postoperative HRQOL.

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

Methods: We included 309 patients who were followed-up for a mean 26.3 months (range, 12-48 months) after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair, between November 2004 and August 2008, and who underwent periodic measurement of HRQOL using SF-36 preoperatively, 1 year postoperatively, and at the final follow-up. The correlation between SF-36 and shoulder-specific functional outcome measures (American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons [ASES], Simple Shoulder Test [SST], and Constant score) was evaluated using correlation analysis, and the relationship between various clinical factors, including rotator cuff healing and HRQOL, was assessed using univariate and multivariate analyses.

Results: The SF-36 scores for physical HRQOL and mental HRQOL showed significant improvement, from 40.40 to 47.53 and from 44.45 to 50.55 at 12 months after surgery, respectively (all P < .001), and improvement was maintained with 48.24 and 50.45, respectively, at the final follow-up (all P < .001). Scores also showed improvement according to all clinical variables, even after stratification of each variable. The correlation between SF-36 and shoulder-specific functional outcome measures was fair to moderate (Pearson correlation coefficients, 0.199-0.528). Various factors had significant effects on preoperative physical and mental HRQOL; however, postoperatively (at 12 months and final follow-up, respectively), only older age ( P = .008 and .013), female sex ( P = .036 and .043), presence of diabetes ( P = .026 and .027), and low level of sports activity ( P = .049 at final follow-up) had a negative effect on postoperative physical HRQOL in multivariate analysis, and female sex ( P = .010 and .001) was the only factor leading to worse postoperative mental HRQOL.

Conclusion: Arthroscopic rotator cuff repair significantly improved the patients’ HRQOL both physically and mentally. Older age, female sex, diabetes, and low level of sports activity were related to low postoperative physical HRQOL, and female sex was also related to low postoperative mental HRQOL.
Clinical Results and Risk Factors for Reinjury 15 Years After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction
Authors: Leys Toby , Salmon Lucy , Waller Alison , Linklater James , Pinczewski Leo
Published: December 2011

Background: There is a lack of prospective studies comparing the long-term outcome of endoscopic anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction with either a patellar tendon or hamstring tendon autograft.

Purpose: This prospective longitudinal study compared the results of isolated endoscopic ACL reconstruction utilizing a 4-strand hamstring tendon (HT) or patellar tendon (PT) autograft over a 15-year period with respect to reinjury, clinical outcomes, and the development of osteoarthritis.

Study Design: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 2.

Methods: Ninety consecutive patients with isolated ACL rupture were reconstructed with a PT autograft, and 90 patients received an HT autograft, with an identical surgical technique. Patients were assessed at 2, 5, 7, 10, and 15 years. Assessment included the International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) knee ligament evaluation including radiographic evaluation, KT-1000 arthrometer testing, and Lysholm knee score.

Results: Patients who received the PT graft had significantly worse outcomes compared with those who received the HT graft at 15 years for the variables of radiologically detectable osteoarthritis (grade A: 46% in PT and 69% in HT; P = .04), motion loss (extension deficit <3°: 79% in PT and 94% in HT; P = .03), single-legged hop test (grade A: 65% in PT and 92% in HT; P = .001), participation in strenuous activity (very strenuous or strenuous: 62% of PT and 77% of HT; P = .04), and kneeling pain (moderate or greater pain: 42% of PT and 26% of HT; P = .04). There was no significant difference between the HT and PT groups in overall IKDC grade (grade A: 47% of PT and 57% of HT; P = .35). An ACL graft rupture occurred in 17% of the HT group and 8% of the PT group ( P = .07). An ACL graft rupture was associated with nonideal tunnel position (odds ratio [OR], 5.0) and male sex (OR, 3.2). Contralateral ACL rupture occurred in significantly more PT patients (26%) than HT patients (12%) ( P = .02) and was associated with age ≤18 years (OR, 4.1) and the PT graft (OR, 2.6).

Conclusion: Anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction using ipsilateral autograft continues to show excellent results in terms of patient satisfaction, symptoms, function, activity level, and stability. The use of HT autograft does, however, show better outcomes than the PT autograft in all of these outcome measures. Additionally, at 15 years, the HT graft–reconstructed ACLs have shown a lower rate of radiological osteoarthritis.
Mature Cystic Teratoma (Dermoid Cyst) in the Sylvian Fissure
Authors: Li Qiang , You Chao , Zan Xin , Chen Ni , Zhou Liangxue , Xu Jianguo
Published: December 2011

Mature cystic teratoma (dermoid cyst) inside the Sylvian fissure is rare. A 14-year-old boy presented with 2 episodes of generalized tonic-clonic seizures. Using a fat-suppressed, T1-weighted sequence, magnetic resonance imaging revealed a hypointense nonenhancing mass in the left Sylvian fissure. He underwent left pterional craniotomy for total tumor resection. The pathological diagnosis was mature cystic teratoma (dermoid cyst). Headache and seizures are the leading symptoms. Cyst rupture causes inflammation of cholesterol crystals, and the cyst contents may cause seizure. Surgical resection is the treatment of choice, but radical resection is not advised if critical neurovascular structure can be injured.
Developmental Delays in Children With Neurofibromatosis Type 1
Authors: Soucy Elizabeth A. , Gao Feng , Gutmann David H. , Dunn Courtney M.
Published: December 2011

It is well documented that children with neurofibromatosis type 1 are at high risk for a variety of cognitive and learning deficits. The current study investigated the use of a developmental screening tool, the Parents’ Evaluation of Developmental Status: Developmental Milestones, as an accurate, reliable, and efficient indicator of developmental delays. Sixty-eight percent of children with neurofibromatosis type 1 were found to have a developmental delay in at least 1 of the 8 areas tested by the Parents’ Evaluation of Developmental Status: Developmental Milestones. Significant developmental abnormalities were found in the areas of fine motor (35%), gross motor (52%), and math/premath (31%). A positive association was found between the presence of a previously diagnosed optic glioma and math/premath delays (χ2 = 0.0022) and between male sex and fine motor delays (χ2 = 0.0325). The Parents’ Evaluation of Developmental Status: Developmental Milestones assessment demonstrates the high presence of developmental delays in children with neurofibromatosis type 1 and the need for aggressive and early screening.
Cerebellar Axon/Myelin Loss, Angiogenic Sprouting, and Neuronal Increase of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor in a Preterm Infant with Kernicterus
Authors: Brito Maria A. , Zurolo Emanuele , Pereira Pedro , Barroso Cândida , Aronica Eleonora , Brites Dora
Published: December 2011

We performed histologic and immunohistochemical analysis of cerebellar sections from a preterm infant (32 weeks 5 days) dead on the 4th day of life with the diagnosis of kernicterus and compared the results with 1 age-matched nonicteric patient. Poorer Luxol fast blue–periodic acid Schiff and Bodian-Luxol fast blue stainings as well as neurofilament expression were observed in the kernicterus case, indicating loss of axon neurites and myelin fibers. Elevated claudin-5 and cluster of differentiation 34 expression associated with increased blood vessel density suggests bilirubin-induced angiogenic sprouting. Upregulation of vascular endothelial growth factor and its receptor 2 was observed in nucleus dentatus and Purkinje neurons. Although upregulation of multidrug resistance–associated protein 1 was increased in cerebellar neurons, it was not able to prevent bilirubin-induced neurotoxicity. These data add new insights into the pathophysiology of kernicterus, revealing vascular endothelial growth factor and its receptor 2, as well as angiogenic sprouting, as new players in neurologic damage by unconjugated bilirubin.
Tuberculous Meningitis in Bacille Calmette-Guérin–Vaccinated Children
Authors: Khemiri Monia , Bagais Abderrahmen , Becher Saayda Ben , Bousnina Souad , Bayoudh Fethi , Mehrezi Ahmed , Lakhoua Rachid , Barsaoui Siham
Published: December 2011

The Bacille Calmette-Guérin vaccination (BCG) contributed widely to reduce tuberculosis incidence in developing countries. The aim of this report was to assess the clinical “spectrum” and outcome of tuberculous meningitis in 16 Bacille Calmette-Guérin–vaccinated Tunisian children. They were 9 boys and 7 girls aged 2 to 168 months (median 72 months ± 65.88). Patients presented mainly with nonspecific symptoms. Neurologic severity was classified as grade I (n = 6) and grade II or III (n = 10). At short-term course, the majority of patients developed serious complications: hydrocephalus (n = 12), seizures (n = 8), tuberculoma (n = 6), and acute respiratory failure (n = 2). Three patients died. Among survivors, 4 patients showed a complete recovery while 9 developed permanent sequelae which were mild (n = 6) to severe (n = 3). Despite the Bacille Calmette-Guérin vaccination, tuberculous meningitis remains a life-threatening condition; vaccinated children have shown common presentation of tuberculous meningitis in terms of severity and poor outcome.
Ultrasonic vibration-assisted grinding of micro-structured surfaces on silicon carbide ceramic materials
Authors: Guo B , Zhao Q-L , Jackson M J
Published: December 2011

Precision grinding of silicon carbide ceramic micro-structured moulds is becoming more common in the area of the moulding of glass materials. However, in micro-structured grinding of super-hard and brittle materials, problems frequently occur in terms of chipping and rounding of micro-structural edge features. In order to overcome these technological constraints, a promising method using ultrasonic vibration of workpiece materials is proposed. The design of a novel ultrasonic vibration apparatus and the experimental investigation of ultrasonic vibration assisted grinding of SiC micro-structures are presented. The experimental results show that the application of ultrasonic vibration can enhance the ground surface quality and improve the edge features of micro-structures.
Coupling in-flight trajectory planning and flocking for multiple autonomous parafoils
Authors: Rosich A , Gurfil P
Published: December 2011

Much effort has been invested during the past decades in design of parafoils for a wide range of payloads and in development of means for their guidance. Existing parafoils are capable of autonomous navigation using the global positioning system and other onboard sensors. The purpose of this study is to explore the advantages of coordination among multiple autonomous parafoils. Each parafoil is able to navigate to the target on its own by following a real-time-generated reference trajectory. A new method for trajectory generation is presented and behaviour-based rules are developed that control the relative motion of the descending parafoils. The set of simple rules results in an emergent behaviour known as flocking. The coupling between trajectory following and flocking is studied in a multiagent simulation. The simulation uses a realistic six-degrees-of-freedom model of a heavy cargo parafoil. The obtained results demonstrate the possibility of flocking behaviour for guided parafoils. The flocking rules ensure safe separation between the vehicles headed for the same target and allow the parafoils to follow a reference trajectory as a group.
In vitro assessment of bone–implant interface using an acoustic emission transmission test
Authors: Ossi Zannar , Abdou Wael , Reuben Robert L , Ibbetson Richard J
Published: December 2011

The aim of this in vitro study was to determine the feasibility of monitoring the primary stability of dental implants using a simple transmission test with acoustic emission. Forty screw-shaped titanium dental implants were installed in the middle of 10 fresh bovine ribs obtained from different animals. The implants were divided into two size groups, 8.5 mm × 3.5 mm and 13 mm × 4.5 mm, and were inserted in either tight- or loose-fitting conditions. For each implant, pulses of acoustic energy were injected at the centre of a customised gold abutment 3 mm in height using a standard pencil lead break source (Hsu–Nielsen source). A total of 30 acoustic emission recordings were made for each implant in which the transmitted energy was measured on the surface of the bone using an acoustic sensor mounted at the middle of the rib. The transmitted acoustic energy for the implants under tight-fitting conditions was significantly higher than for the loose-fitting for both sizes of implant. The acoustic emission energy values for the 13 mm implants were also higher than for the 8.5 mm implants. The results indicate that implants with good primary stability (tight-fitting) had higher acoustic emission energy than implants where primary stability was poor (loose-fitting). The longer and wider implants produced higher acoustic emission energy than shorter and narrower implants. Together, the findings suggest that a simple transmission test, properly calibrated, should be able to assess the quality of the contact between the implant and the bone in the clinical situation.
Finite element modelling of an energy–storing prosthetic foot during the stance phase of transtibial amputee gait
Authors: Bonnet Xavier , Pillet Hélenè , Fodé Pascale , Lavaste Francois , Skalli Wafa
Published: December 2011

Energy-storing prosthetic feet are designed to store energy during mid-stance motion and to recover it during late-stance motion. Gait analysis is the most commonly used method to characterize prosthetic foot behaviour during walking. In using this method, however, the foot is generally modelled as a rigid body. Therefore, it does not take into account the ability of the foot to deform. However, the way this deformation occurs is a key parameter of various foot properties under gait conditions. The purpose of this study is to combine finite element modelling and gait analysis in order to calculate the strain, stress and energy stored in the foot along the stance phase for self-selected and fast walking speeds. A finite element model, validated using mechanical testing, is used with boundary conditions collected experimentally from the gait analysis of a single transtibial amputee. The stress, strain and energy stored in the foot are assessed throughout the stance phase for two walking speed conditions: a self-selected walking speed (SSWS), and a fast walking speed (FWS). The first maximum in the strain energy occurs during heel loading and reaches 3 J for SSWS and 7 J for FWS at the end of the first double support phase. The second maximum appears at the end of the single support phase, reaching 15 J for SSWS and 18 J for FWS. Finite element modelling combined with gait analysis allows the calculation of parameters that are not obtainable using gait analysis alone. This modelling can be used in the process of prosthetic feet design to assess the behaviour of a prosthetic foot under specific gait conditions.
The Holocene sedimentary and pyroclastic accumulations of two crater lakes (Mbalang,Tizong) of the volcanic plateau of Adamawa (Cameroon): Palaeoenvironmental reconstruction
Authors: Ngos Simon , Giresse Pierre
Published: December 2011

This paper presents the results from field observations, geochemical and mineralogical analyses, radiocarbon dating and magnetic susceptibility of the Holocene sediments of two crater lakes, Mbalang and Tizong, located within the woody savanna of the Adamawa Plateau (Cameroon). In the Mbalang core (M4) with an age of 7318 cal. BP at the base, the first 2000 years record indicates a relatively wet climate deduced from the recurrence of quartz-rich sandy microbeds. The next millennia are marked by a monotonous sedimentation interpreted as a relatively dry phase. The accumulation rate falls from 1.00–1.40 to 0.70 mm/yr in the last 100 years. The base of the Tizong core (T2) is dated to 4105 cal. BP. The sedimentation is frequently interrupted by interstratifications of pyroclastic beds from c. 3263 to 1391 cal. BP, well evidenced by their high magnetic susceptibility values. The high accumulation rate (1.58 mm/yr) integrates both allochthonous volcanic ashes and autochthonous intense proliferation of Chlorophyceaea. The Ngaoundere region, in the southern forest region, reveals a humid phase between c. 7943 and 5603 cal. BP. The later long-lasting dry tendency makes it difficult to particularly distinguish the c. 3210–1945 cal. BP dry periods recorded in the forest region of Cameroon. Nevertheless, signs from Mbalang pollens and Tizong waters bear witness to an important drying tendency during this period. In Lake Chad, after the successive highest lake levels recorded between c. 8500 and 6300 cal. BP, the level of this lake was declining for the last three millennia.
A programme of global pacification: US counterinsurgency doctrine and the biopolitics of human (in)security
Authors: Kienscherf Markus
Published: December 2011

This article argues that US counterinsurgency doctrine forms a programme of both liberal rule and liberal war whose ultimate purpose is the pacification of recalcitrant populations and their eventual (re)integration into the networks of liberal governance. Designed to promote ‘safe’ forms of life while eradicating ‘dangerous’ ones, the doctrine constitutes a response to both the biopolitical problematization of human (in)security and the geostrategic problematization of US national security. Counterinsurgency aims to harness sociocultural knowledge in order to conduct a form of triage between elements of targeted populations. It also seeks to inscribe the divisions on which such a triage is based into space by means of practices that derive from earlier methods of imperial policing. Ultimately, counterinsurgency’s production and implementation of a biopolitical differentiation between ‘safe’ and ‘dangerous’ human lives is likely not only to reinforce existing societal divisions within targeted populations but also to create new global, regional and local divisions and to generate resistance to what many people will always view as imperial domination. The societal divisions and resistance engendered by counterinsurgency may reinforce Western problematizations of insecurity and hence lead to further counterinsurgency campaigns in the future. Counterinsurgency doctrine is thus not so much a programme of peace and stability as one of spatially and temporally indeterminate pacification.
Innovation and knowledge sourcing of modern sectors in old industrial regions: comparing software firms in Moravia-Silesia and Upper Austria
Authors: Tödtling Franz , Skokan Karel , Höglinger Christoph , Rumpel Petr , Grillitsch Markus
Published: December 2011

Old industrial regions in many cases suffer from a predominance of basic and traditional industries as well as a lack of modern sectors and of innovation. Often we find this type of region oriented to traditional sectors and technology paths. The development of new sectors such as software might help to overcome such problems and contribute to diversification and a better innovation performance of such regions. In this context, we examine to what extent the different socioeconomic and institutional background of old industrial regions has an impact on firms’ innovation performance and knowledge sourcing in the new sector. For this purpose we compare software companies in the Czech region of Moravia-Silesia and in the Austrian region of Upper Austria. Both are regions with a considerable industrial tradition but with a quite different historical and institutional background. Whereas Moravia-Silesia region is a part of Czechia – a transformed country with a state socialism and central planning background – Upper Austria is a relatively wealthy region within an advanced market economy with a social partnership background. In this paper we investigate to what extent software firms in these two regions differ in their innovation activities and knowledge-sourcing patterns and how this is related to the institutional background and characteristics of their respective regional innovation systems.
Resolving Land Use Disputes in China
Authors: Meligrana John , Li Zhijian , Zhang Zhiyao
Published: December 2011

This article investigates how traditional methods by which citizens lodge complaints, known as petitions, against public actions are being employed and adapted to China’s rapid and sustained progress towards becoming an industrial and urban society. The article explains how China’s Ministry of Land and Resources has responded to a growing number of petitions and the apparent increased demand for public input into the development of urban and rural lands. The conclusion identifies several key areas that demonstrate how regulatory reforms enacted by the Ministry of Land and Resources regarding citizen complaints, that is, petitions, can assist in fostering greater public input in land use planning and development in China.
Main Caregivers’ Experiences of Managing Pain for Children With Neuroblastoma in Taiwan
Authors: Lu Ching-Hui , Huang Chu-Yu , Park Jeong-Hwan , Lin Hung-Ru , Lee Ya-Ling , Cheng Su-Fen
Published: December 2011

Neuroblastoma is a common malignant tumor among children. Seventy percent of children with neuroblastoma have metastatic disease when the diagnosis is established. The aim of this study was to understand the main caregivers’ lived experiences in managing pain for children with neuroblastoma. A descriptive qualitative design was used. Twelve main caregivers of children with neuroblastoma were interviewed. Two themes evolved: experiences of pain and coping with pain. Three subthemes were found under the theme “experience of pain”: pain assessment based on language expressions and behavioral observations, tendency of misdiagnosing tumor metastasis–related pain, and unique manifestations of pain at various phases. Four subthemes evolved under the theme “coping with pain”: utilization of pharmacological and nonpharmacological modalities for pain management, learning to confront pain, seeking mental and emotional support, and adjustment of family lifestyle. The results provide a description regarding the expression of pain in children with neuroblastoma and the pain management modalities used by the main caregivers. The findings serve as a reference for health care providers in Taiwan as they manage pain for children with neuroblastoma and seek to understand the needs of the main caregivers.
The Management of the Sibling Hematopoietic Stem Cell Donor
Authors: Vogel Rebecca Jill
Published: December 2011

Hematopoietic stem cell transplants are procedures with curative potential for patients with diseased, damaged, or absent stem cells. Because a sibling has the best chance of immunocompatibility with one in need of a transplant, siblings are the most suitable donors of stem cells. However, when siblings are stem cell donors, various ethical issues arise concerning the risks and benefits to the pediatric donor. Because of the critical and potential rapid deterioration of the recipient’s condition, the needs of the sibling donor may be overlooked. This potential lack of advocacy for the pediatric sibling donor creates a role for the primary care provider to assess the child’s physical and psychological ability to undergo the donation procedure, examine the ethical issues in choosing to use the pediatric sibling as the stem cell donor, prepare the child for the procedure, and follow-up with the sibling donor once the procedure is completed.
Parental Perspectives on Inpatient Versus Outpatient Management of Pediatric Febrile Neutropenia
Authors: Diorio Caroline , Martino Julia , Boydell Katherine Mary , Ethier Marie-Chantal , Mayo Chris , Wing Richard , Teuffel Oliver , Sung Lillian , Tomlinson Deborah
Published: December 2011

To describe parent preference for treatment of febrile neutropenia and the key drivers of parental decision making, structured face-to-face interviews were used to elicit parent preferences for inpatient versus outpatient management of pediatric febrile neutropenia. Parents were presented with 4 different scenarios and asked to indicate which treatment option they preferred and to describe reasons for this preference during the face-to-face interview. Comments were recorded in writing by research assistants. A consensus approach to thematic analysis was used to identify themes from the written comments of the research assistants. A total of 155 parents participated in the study. Of these, 80 (51.6%) parents identified hospital-based intravenous treatment as the most preferred treatment scenario for febrile neutropenia. The major themes identified included convenience/disruptiveness, physical health, emotional well-being, and modifiers of parental decision making. Most parents preferred hospital-based treatment for febrile neutropenia. An understanding of issues that influence parental decision making may assist health care workers in planning program implementation and further support families in their decision-making process.
The University of Western Ontario Pediatric Audiological Monitoring Protocol (UWO PedAMP)
Authors: Bagatto Marlene P. , Moodie Sheila T. , Malandrino April C. , Richert Frances M. , Clench Debbie A. , Scollie Susan D.
Published: December 2011

This study proposed and evaluated a guideline for outcome evaluation for infants and children with hearing loss who wear hearing aids. The University of Western Ontario Pediatric Audiological Monitoring Protocol (UWO PedAMP) was developed following a critical review of pediatric outcome evaluation tools and was systematically examined by the Network of Pediatric Audiologists of Canada. It consists of tools to gather clinical process outcomes as well as functional caregiver reports. The UWO PedAMP was administered to a clinical population of infants and children with hearing aids. Sixty-eight children were administered the functional outcome evaluation tools (i.e., caregiver reports) a total of 133 times. Clinical process outcomes of hearing aid verification (e.g., real-ear-to-coupler difference) revealed typical aided audibility (e.g., Speech Intelligibility Index). Results for the LittlEARS® questionnaire revealed that typically developing children with hearing loss who wear hearing aids are meeting auditory development milestones. Children with mild to moderate comorbidities displayed typical auditory development during the 1st year of life after which development began to decline. Children with complex factors related to hearing aid use had lower scores on the LittlEARS, but auditory development was in parallel to norms. Parents’ Evaluation of Aural/Oral Performance (PEACH) results indicated no age effect on scoring for children above 2 years of age; however, the effect of degree of hearing loss was significant. This work provides clinicians with a systematic, evidence-based outcome evaluation protocol to implement as part of a complete pediatric hearing aid fitting.
Effects of glossopharyngeal breathing on speech and respiration in multiple sclerosis: a case report
Authors: Johansson Kerstin M , Nygren-Bonnier Malin , Schalling Ellika
Published: December 2011

This case report describes the effects of glossopharyngeal breathing on respiration and speech in a patient with tetraplegia due to multiple sclerosis. Glossopharyngeal breathing is a technique where air is insufflated with the glossopharyngeal muscles, to increase vital capacity. Results from follow-up assessments up to 20 months after intervention showed that (1) the patient’s speech and respiratory function with glossopharyngeal breathing improved over time, (2) the patient’s respiratory function without glossopharyngeal breathing deteriorated over time (possibly because of a severe cold), and (3) at each assessment, the patient’s speech and respiratory function was better with glossopharyngeal breathing than without it.
Natalizumab remains detectable in patients with multiple sclerosis long after treatment is stopped
Authors: Rispens Theo , Vennegoor Anke , Wolbink Gert Jan , Polman Chris H , Killestein Joep
Published: December 2011

Natalizumab is frequently used as a treatment for multiple sclerosis (MS). The occurrence of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) in natalizumab-treated patients indicates that its prominent beneficial effects need to be balanced against the risks. Also, cessation of the drug seems to be associated with recurrence of disease activity. Both the moment of rebound disease activity and the outcome of PML are related to clearance of the drug. Specific features of this IgG4 antibody (i.e. half-antibody exchange) may result in underestimated drug levels. Here, we demonstrate natalizumab levels in 10 patients with relapsing MS, using a recently developed sensitive assay. Remarkably, natalizumab was detectable up to 200 days after cessation of therapy.
A tract-based diffusion study of cerebral white matter in neuromyelitis optica reveals widespread pathological alterations
Authors: Liu Yaou , Duan Yunyun , He Yong , Yu Chunshui , Wang Jun , Huang Jing , Ye Jing , Butzkueven Helmut , Li Kuncheng , Shu Ni
Published: December 2011

Background:

It remains uncertain whether neuromyelitis optica (NMO) exhibits diffuse cerebral abnormalities or whether the pathology is truly restricted to optic nerves and spinal cord in the majority of cases. We examined NMO patients with diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and utilized a tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) method to analyze the data.

Methods:

Twenty-seven NMO patients (25 females, age mean ± SD: 35.1 ± 12 years) and 27 age- and sex-matched normal controls were included in this study. Voxel-wise analyses were performed with TBSS using multiple diffusion metrics, including fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD), axial diffusivity (λ1) and radial diffusivity (λ23).

Results:

The NMO patients had significantly increased MD (3.6%), λ1 (2.6%) and λ23 (4.6%) in their white matter (WM) skeletons compared with the controls. Furthermore, TBSS analyses revealed significantly ( p < 0.05, corrected for multiple comparisons) increased diffusivities (MD, λ1 and λ23) in many cerebral WM tracts in the patients with NMO, including the superior and inferior longitudinal fasciculi, inferior fronto-occipital fasciculi, corpus callosum, cingulum bundles, corticospinal tracts, optic radiation, uncinate fasciculi, fornices, internal capsules, external capsules and cerebral peduncles. Exploratory analyses also revealed the possible associations between WM diffusion changes (MD, λ1 and λ23) and clinical variables (Expanded Disability Status Scale and disease duration) in the patients.

Conclusions:

This study provided imaging evidence for widespread cerebral WM abnormalities. While these findings require independent replication, they potentially signify the presence of widespread, low-grade cerebral pathology in NMO.
A hermeneutic perspective on dialogical psychology
Authors: Richardson Frank C
Published: December 2011

Leiman is surely right that Bakhtin's dialogism is of immense importance for psychotherapy research and psychology in general. Here I argue that Bakhtin's ideas represent an attractive third alternative to modern individualism and postmodern relativism. Philosophical hermeneutics also outlines such an alternative, one that richly complements Bakhtin's dialogism. Nevertheless, I suggest that some contemporary Bakhtinian theorists may veer too far in the direction of a radically decentered notion of the self. They stress Bakhtin's notion of “centrifugal” forces, but downplay his equally important conception of “centripetal” ones, in human communication. I suggest that hermeneutic philosophy sketches a more balanced and credible approach to finding a genuine alternative to modern individualism and postmodernist relativism.
Dialogism and the psyche: Bakhtin and contemporary psychology
Authors: Salgado João , Clegg Joshua W.
Published: December 2011

The authors argue that dialogical philosophy, and particularly the work of the Bakhtin circle, offers psychology a way to conceptualize and study human experience such that the notion of psyche is preserved and enriched. The authors first introduce the work of the Bakhtin circle and then briefly outline some of the most influential theories of self and psyche. The implications of dialogism for theories of the self are then discussed, focusing on six basic principles of dialogical thought – namely, the principles of relationality, dynamism, semiotic mediation, alterity, dialogicality, and contextuality. Together, these principles imply a notion of psyche that is neither an isolated homunculus nor a disembodied discourse, but is, rather, a temporally unique, agentive enactment that is sustained within, rather than against, the tensions between individual and social, material and psychological, multiple and unified, stable and dynamic. The authors also discuss what this dialogical conception of psyche implies for research, arguing first that dynamic relations, rather than static entities, are the proper unit of psychological study and, second, that a dialogical research epistemology must conceive of truth as a multi-voiced event, rather than as a singular representation of fact. Finally, the authors introduce this special issue and outline the other contributions.
Children’s weight status and maternal and paternal feeding practices
Authors: Zhang Li , McIntosh William A
Published: December 2011

Child obesity has become a major concern of health researchers. This study explores the association between parental feeding practices and children’s weight status. The study also examines whether maternal and paternal feeding practices lead to significantly different children’s weight outcomes. By analyzing samples of 312 children (aged 9–11 and 13–15) and their parents, randomly selected from the Houston Metropolitan Statistical Area, the results show that parental feeding practices are linked to children’s weight status. The finding that maternal and paternal feeding practices do not have significantly different effects on children’s weight highlights an equivalent role of maternal and paternal feeding practices in shaping children’s weight status.