bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The development of lower limb musculoskeletal models with clinical relevance is dependent upon the fidelity of the mathematical description of the lower limb. Part 1: equations of motion
Authors: Cleather Daniel J , Bull Anthony MJ
Published: January 2012

Contemporary musculoskeletal modelling research is based upon the assumption that such models will evolve into clinical tools that can be used to guide therapeutic interventions. However, there are a number of questions that must be addressed before this becomes a reality. At its heart, musculoskeletal modelling is a process of formulating and then solving the equations of motion that describe the movement of body segments. Both of these steps are challenging. This article argues that traditional approaches to musculoskeletal modelling have been heavily influenced by the need to simplify this process (and in particular the solution process), and that this has to some degree resulted in approaches that are contrary to the principles of classical mechanics. It is suggested that future work is required to understand how these simplifications affect the outputs of musculoskeletal modelling studies. Equally, to increase their clinical relevance, the models of the future should adhere more closely to the classical mechanics on which they are based.
Exploring the Lives of Manipur’s Women Weavers
Authors: Devi Ch. Victoria
Published: January 2012

This article explores the women weavers of Manipur by using both qualitative and quantitative techniques. In mainstream India, males play the major role in weaving while women are involved in pre-weaving activity. In contrast to this, in the north-eastern states of India, especially Manipur, the weaving occupation is dominated by women, who often perform the dual roles of producer and trader. There are no power looms or cloth mills in the state even today, and these women weavers are to be credited for preserving Manipur’s heritage by laboriously producing traditional textiles by hand. Globalisation and the opening of global markets may require their skills and knowledge to be upgraded to face the competition, and this study is an attempt to understand the world of the women weavers of Manipur in the context of a changing society. Their integral role in an industrially backward state is reflected in the lives of the 300 women selected for this study, which examines their socioeconomic conditions; the advantages and disadvantages associated with their working conditions; aspects of their health, wages and aspirations; their social relations with family and community; as well as the changing market structure, the technology used and production. Thus, an exploration of the women weavers’ lives becomes a matter of acknowledging their contribution to society in the performance of their duties and roles according to their capacity, culture and traditions.
The Difficult Transition
Authors: Mishra Deepak K. , Upadhyay Vandana
Published: January 2012

The interrelationship between economic development and gender relations has been found to be multidimensional and complex. This article attempts to analyse the changing gender relations in Arunachal Pradesh, a state that has seen rapid economic transformation in the past few decades, on the basis of women’s relative position in a few socioeconomic spheres. Although Arunachal Pradesh, like other north- eastern states, is generally described as having healthier gender relations than in many other states of India, such a general portrayal, the article has attempted to argue, not only hides the wide variations that exist among the north-eastern states, but also does not pay adequate attention to the continuing and emerging disparities in various dimensions of well-being and empowerment. While in terms of some indicators, women in Arunachal Pradesh have better status in relation to the males in the state as well as women in the country as a whole, clearly there are old and new spheres of marginalisation, segregation and discrimination. The most serious mismatch that emerges from the analysis of secondary data is the divergence between economic and political participation.
The Welfare Effects of Inflation Volatility and Institutions
Authors: Emara Noha
Published: January 2012

Using a micro-foundation based monetary Small Open Economy (SOE) model of McCandless (2008) with a cash-in-advance constraint, a capital adjustment cost, foreign bonds, and a trade sector, the study quantifies the welfare implications under two policy scenarios: ( a) a reduction in inflation volatility and ( b) an improvement in institutions. The monetary small open economy model is calibrated using quarterly data from 1989 to 2006 for an emerging market economy, Mexico, a country that, by the study’s measure has poor financial institutions and moderately high inflation volatility. The results of the model suggest that decreasing inflation volatility leads to about 8 percent increase in welfare, at most, while improving institutions leads to an increase in welfare by about 10 percent, at most. Furthermore, when the decrease in inflation volatility is coupled with the improvement in institutions the welfare increase is in the range of around 11–19 percent, depending on the degree of the drop in inflation volatility and the level of development in financial institutions. Finally, the study analyzes the impact of the reduction in inflation volatility versus the impact of the improvement in institutions on the behavior of the endogenous variables along the transition path. One policy implication of these results is that an emerging market economy, like Mexico, with relatively high inflation volatility and underdeveloped financial institutions, can get large welfare gains from either reducing inflation volatility or improving their institutions, with the largest gains coming from the latter. A long-run sustainable economic development policy will lean more towards the improvement in institutions rather than the reduction of inflation volatility.
Capital Account Convertibility—Myth and Reality
Authors: Chary T. Satyanarayana , Rathnakar G. , Shyam Ch. Sunder
Published: January 2012

The forces of globalization and liberalization cut across borders, reintegrating the world toward a common goal of development. The liberalization reforms which swept across India in 1991 changed the face of its economy. In the current stream of events, where globalization has become the “hot” word, and financial liberalization is synonymous with “developed economies,” the key issue that needs to be considered is whether India is ready to take the plunge towards full capital account convertibility (FCAC). The Government of India has several times made an attempt to go for full convertibility of the Indian rupee, based on the recommendations of several committees, but has changed its mind, taking into consideration global experiences. Now, Indian policymakers are again concerned about the issue within the context of the global economy and flagging economies, and reconsidering whether FCAC is the proper solution. The article discusses the concept of balance of payments, rupee convertibility, capital account convertibility, and the pros and cons of FCAC from the perspective of Indian policymakers.
Nodular Histiocytic Aggregates in the Greater Omentum of Patients With Ovarian Cancer
Authors: Lv Yang , Li Peifeng , Zheng Jianyong , Wang Lu , Yun Jun , Huang Gaosheng , Yan Qingguo , Li Zengshan , Luo Pifu , Li Shuan , Harn Lucy , Yi Jun , Wang Zhe
Published: January 2012

Nodular histiocytic aggregate (NHA) of the omentum is a rare benign proliferative process composed predominantly of histiocytes with scattered mesothelial cells. NHA is a differential diagnosis for neoplasms or metastatic tumors in cancer patients. To further clarify this clinical pitfall issue, the authors investigated surgical samples of the greater omentum from 96 patients with gastrointestinal malignancies and 53 patients with gynecologic neoplasms. Visible NHA of greater omentum was identified in 3 patients with ovarian neoplasms (borderline mucinous cystadenoma, low-grade papillary serous cystadenocarcinoma, and juvenile granulosa-cell tumor) but in none of the patients with gastrointestinal malignancies. Similar lesion was also identified on the cell blocks from peritoneal washings in 1 of the 3 patients. Grossly, the lesions formed small yellow-red nodules on the greater omentum, and the NHA lesion was also found diffusely on the surface of the appendix and fallopian tubes in 2 of the 3 patients. Histological study showed that typical NHA changes over an inflammatory background, which may indicate that NHA is a consequence of a chronic inflammatory process of omentum. The predominant infiltration of T lymphocytes in the NHA lesions indicates that the aggregation of histiocytes may be related to the activation of T-cell immunity. This report has first demonstrated visible NHA in the greater omentum of patients with ovarian malignancies, and awareness of this entity should be brought to clinicians to avoid misdiagnosis.
Subjective Well-Being in Finnish Adolescents Experiencing Family Violence
Authors: Lepistö Sari , Joronen Katja , Åstedt-Kurki Päivi , Luukkaala Tiina , Paavilainen Eija
Published: January 2012

This article describes the relationship between adolescent subjective well-being and experiences of family violence reported by a sample of 14- to 17-year-old adolescents living in one Finnish municipality ( N = 1,393). Survey results found that experiences of family violence were common. The logistic regression model showed that experiences of violence were associated with adolescents’ feeling of inner disequilibrium and markedly strong relationships with friends. In additional, adolescents who experienced family violence rated their health as poorer than adolescents from nonviolent homes. They also surprisingly reported being satisfied with their life and did not necessarily identify their need for help. Although adolescents are resilient and have some resources to cope with violence, nurses and other professionals should attend more carefully to adolescents’ reports of health and behavioral problems and assess for the presence of family violence and school bullying.
A Comparison of the Pharmacodynamic Behavior of Branded and Biosimilar Enoxaparin in Primates
Authors: Jeske Walter , Litinas Evangelos , Khan Hussein , Hoppensteadt Debra , Fareed Jawed
Published: January 2012

Pharmacodynamic behavior of branded and biosimilar enoxaparin was compared in a crossover study in primates. Blood samples collected at baseline and at 1, 4, 6, and 28 hours post-subcutaneous administration of Lovenox or Fibrinox were evaluated using clot-based and amidolytic assays. Anti-Xa levels following Fibrinox and Lovenox administration were not different. Anti-IIa levels were significantly higher in Lovenox-treated animals 1 to 6 hours post-administration. Higher drug levels were measured by Heptest in Fibrinox-treated animals from 4 to 6 hours. Pharmacokinetic differences were not observed using anti-Xa or Heptest assays. The area under the curve (anti-IIa) following Lovenox treatment was significantly larger than following Fibrinox treatment. When drug levels (anti-IIa) were plotted against anti-Xa or Heptest drug levels, a hysteretic relationship which was distinct for Fibrinox- and Lovenox-treated primates was observed suggesting a lack of bioequivalence for the low-molecular-weight heparin tested. In vivo behavior is an important consideration for defining pharmacoequivalence of complex biologic drugs.
Online Methods and Analyzing Knowledge-Production
Authors: Ignacio Emily Noelle
Published: January 2012

Currently, many scholars have increasingly turned to the Internet to examine diasporic communities and corresponding identities. While I am happy that social scientists have embraced the use of online methods in studying communities formed within cyberspace, I also believe that we should continually reflect on whether our research is best served by conducting our studies online, offline, or in both arenas. In this article, I first address the seemingly “natural” convergence of two different scholarly communities that are deeply affected by transnationalism—those who study diasporas and migration and those who conduct research on online communities. Then, I discuss the use of online methods (particularly with regard to research on diasporas) and assess the benefits and challenges of conducting online research to study diasporic communities. This essay simultaneously advocates for the continued use of online methods, particularly in the study of diasporic communities, while also offering a cautionary tale on its possible overuse or misuse.
Placing Words
Authors: Lockford Lesa
Published: January 2012

Skillful use of language can move us emotionally or to action. Language can describe; it can entertain; and, more importantly, language can do things in the world. Yet, language, no matter how skillfully deployed, often never quite captures our meanings or effects the changes in the world we may wish it could. Through the use of poetic narrative, the author seeks to evoke the beauty, the dynamism, and the limitations of language.
“Answers,” Assemblages, and Qualitative Research
Authors: Koro-Ljungberg Mirka , Barko Tim
Published: January 2012

Although educational researchers predominately study complex, multidimensional problems, research findings and proposed arguments can sometimes be characterized as definite, simplified, and prone to particular types of answers or expected outcomes. The authors seek to problematize these definite and simplified notions of answers by looking at some historical developments of dialogue and how answers have been conceptualized within these historical discourses. The authors propose that answers be seen not as a final step in the research process but rather as an opening, an assemblage, a jar, or a call to transition into new forms of questions, new outlooks on methods, and new processes of thought. Finally, the renegotiation of the philosophical notion of answers that the authors will discuss in this article exemplifies potential for a renewed commitment to meaningful educational research.
Social Networks and the Desire to Save Face
Authors: Netzley Michael A. , Rath Akanksha
Published: January 2012

For 5 years, corporate communication undergraduates have maintained a wiki as a final course and community service project. Using Web 2.0 platforms to crowdsource and curate content, they learn to employ online communications for work purposes. When the course was launched in 2007, the dominant social media narrative invited educators to embrace a technological optimism with subthemes of open communication, sharing, and co-creation. By 2011, student feedback had compelled the instructor to consider the limits of technological optimism and revise the course. Specifically, Singaporean students have displayed a need to save face online, which has led to a localized teaching approach.
Sweet and Not-So-Sweet Charity
Authors: Carmichael Calum M.
Published: January 2012

In order to maximize social welfare, governments should subsidize at different rates the private contributions made to different categories of charitable or publicly beneficial civic activity. This prescription stands in contrast to the standard practice of subsidizing such contributions uniformly and suggests the need to evaluate not only that practice but also the diverse initiatives of several governments to subsidize at higher rates certain contributions made to certain categories. The case for differential subsidies is made here with reference to a model in which the government chooses the subsidies and amounts of direct funding, as well as a personal transfer and linear taxes on earnings and consumption. The categories differ in terms of the individuals contributing, the individuals receiving the charitable goods and services, and the effectiveness of direct funding relative to contributions. A linear expenditure system illustrates the restrictive conditions necessary for uniform contribution subsidies being optimal.
Revisiting Constructions of Children and Youth in Marketing Advertisements
Authors: Korsvold Tora
Published: January 2012

This article explores how children and young people are portrayed in the advertisements by the professional marketing of a clothing company and the changing ways in which the market has been segmented. By analyzing examples of marketing appeal relating to a traditional Norwegian company (Helly Hansen) and examining how children and youth are represented and addressed in the company’s advertising and marketing, the intention is to gain more insight into how childhood, culture and advertisements are interwoven as phenomena. The advertisers seek to appeal to common ideas about children in contemporary society, which can be seen as historical, cultural representations. The article builds on 100 selected advertisements from the company.
‘Evidence Based Management’, or ‘Evidence Oriented Organizing’? A critical realist perspective
Authors: Tourish Dennis
Published: January 2012

Recent years have witnessed a surge of interest in what has been described as Evidence Based Management (henceforth, EBM). Its proponents assert that management practice should be based on a better appreciation of ‘what works’, as determined by the research evidence. This has attracted a varied critique, which suggests that the evidence base on most management issues is uncertain, and constrained by the interests of powerful organizational actors. EBM is depicted as an effort to marginalize more critical perspectives within the field. This article adopts a different approach. Drawing on a critical realist epistemology, it suggests that while research evidence is rarely conclusive it can aspire towards the progressive displacement of ignorance by knowledge. While some advocates of EBM would accept this, it is argued that such acceptance is more rhetorical than substantive, and is undermined by a standpoint which systematically downplays the power saturated organizational contexts in which evidence is assembled and employed in decision making. The key tenets of critical realism as applied to EBM are therefore considered. Critical realism acknowledges epistemological relativism, yet also accepts the need to construct robust causal explanations for social phenomena. Recognizing that organizations are co-created and co-defined by multiple actors, rather than only by managers, it is argued that we should replace the concept of ‘Evidence Based Management’ with the notion of ‘Evidence Oriented Organizing’.
Journalism’s digital disconnect: The growth of campaign content and entertainment gatekeepers in viral political information
Authors: Hussain Muzammil M
Published: January 2012

There is much concern about the long-tail of online political information that now competes with standard news content. Yet we know little about how successfully it does so, and why. From the 2008 US presidential campaign, I develop a rich, original meta-database to map the relationships between the top viral election videos (278 million views) and the known-universe of blogs that linked to them (13,000 links). Through a mixed-method analysis of both content and web metrics, I find that news videos compete with political, entertainment and citizen videos; journalism blogs also compete with political, entertainment, and lifestyle blogs to propagate these new genres of political information. By further analyzing the gatekeeping mechanisms between video and blog categories, I find that online audiences’ civic information preferences help explain the rise of these new participatory political information genres, as well as the ways in which legacy media are struggling to adapt.
Visual protest material as empirical data
Authors: Philipps Axel
Published: January 2012

In recent years, various elaborate visual methods have been introduced for carrying out empirically controlled sociological studies. However, in contrast to other sociological sub-fields, research on protest events or social movements rarely employs visual analytic procedures. In this article, a research sample of visual protest material is taken to show how applied visual methods can increase the outcome of protest or social movement research. This study highlights how visual analysis provides extra information for supporting or rejecting interpretations, thus demonstrating that visual methods are an important tool in the triangulation of empirical methods.
Training Multidisciplinary Leaders for Health Promotion in Developing Countries
Authors: Chamberlain Jean , Watt Susan
Published: January 2012

The global picture of maternal mortality and morbidity has changed very little over the past 20 years despite isolated (and often medically based) efforts to improve the situation. A multidisciplinary approach to this very complicated social and cultural problem has been recommended. This article describes the approach taken by the Save the Mothers program in Uganda (Master of Public Health Leadership) and its focus on training national, primarily nonmedical, advocates to bring about the political and cultural change needed to improve maternal health. Emphasis is placed on attracting the right students (through targeted advertising and interviews of candidates), delivering the appropriate package of information to these multidisciplinary students (through problem-based learning and experiential opportunities in the community), and fostering networks among students and graduates to keep the issue of maternal mortality high on their personal and political agendas. Students benefit from a flexible program that allows them to continue to work and study simultaneously while ensuring a high-quality program with faculty who are experts in their area of teaching. Students require practical assistance in their research endeavors and are encouraged to focus their topic on a field related to their place of employment.
“That’s How the Light Gets In”
Authors: Fitzpatrick Katie
Published: January 2012

Although still marginal in academic writing generally, poetry has for some time been recognized as a valid form of representation in qualitative research. Poetry can provide a rich, evocative, and aesthetic means of communication, which ultimately enhances ethnographic work. Like narrative, however, the use of poetry to represent research data also raises questions. Drawing on a school-based critical ethnography of marginalized youth in New Zealand, the author describes how poetry became a part of the research. As poetry is deeply personal, she begins with her own doubts about being a poet and an academic. The author then discusses how poetry can be used in research as a method of bringing the personal and political together in ethnographic writing.
Minimal Detectable Change of the Actual Amount of Use Test and the Motor Activity Log
Authors: Chen Shuya , Wolf Steven L. , Zhang Qin , Thompson Paul A. , Winstein Carolee J.
Published: January 2012

Background. Efficacy of task-oriented training can be reliably trusted only when the inherent measurement variability is determined. The Actual Amount of Use Test (AAUT) and the Motor Activity Log (MAL) have been used together as measures of spontaneous arm use after an intervention; however, the minimal detectable change (MDC) of AAUT and MAL has not been addressed. Objective. To compare the MDC90 of the AAUT and the MAL in the context of a randomized controlled trial of a neurorehabilitation intervention, the Extremity Constraint-Induced Therapy Evaluation trial. Methods. A preplanned secondary analysis was conducted using pre–post test data from the control group. Estimated MDC90 were normalized to the maximum value of the scale of the AAUT and the MAL for each subscale: amount of use (AAUTa, MALa) and quality of movement (AAUTq, MALq). Results. The MDC90 of the AAUTq and the MALq were 14.4% and 15.4%, respectively. However, the MDC90 required greater change for the AAUTa (24.2%) than the MALa (16.8%). The training-induced spontaneous arm use exceeded the MDC90 for the MAL but fell below that for the AAUT immediately after the intervention and at 1-year follow-up visit. Conclusions. The greater variability and insensitivity to treatment effect for the AAUTa is likely because of the low resolution of its scoring system. As such, there is a considerable need to develop valid and reliable tools that capture purposeful arm use outside the laboratory, perhaps through leveraging new sensing technologies with objective activity monitoring.
Clinical Correlates of Between-Limb Synchronization of Standing Balance Control and Falls During Inpatient Stroke Rehabilitation
Authors: Mansfield Avril , Mochizuki George , Inness Elizabeth L. , McIlroy William E.
Published: January 2012

Background. Stroke-related sensorimotor impairment potentially contributes to impaired balance. Balance measures that reveal underlying limb-specific control problems, such as a measure of the synchronization of both lower limbs to maintain standing balance, may be uniquely informative about poststroke balance control. Objective. This study aimed to determine the relationships between clinical measures of sensorimotor control, functional balance, and fall risk and between-limb synchronization of balance control. Methods. The authors conducted a retrospective chart review of 100 individuals with stroke admitted to inpatient rehabilitation. Force plate–based measures were obtained while standing on 2 force plates, including postural sway (root mean square of anteroposterior and mediolateral center of pressure [COP]), stance load asymmetry (percentage of body weight borne on the less-loaded limb), and between-limb synchronization (cross-correlation of the COP recordings under each foot). Clinical measures obtained were motor impairment (Chedoke-McMaster Stroke Assessment), plantar cutaneous sensation, functional balance (Berg Balance Scale), and falls experienced in rehabilitation. Results. Synchronization was significantly related to motor impairment and prospective falls, even when controlling for other force plate–based measures of standing balance control (ie, postural sway and stance load symmetry). Conclusions. Between-limb COP synchronization for standing balance appears to be a uniquely important index of balance control, independent of postural sway and load symmetry during stance.
Organizational- and employee-level recruitment into a worksite-based weight loss study
Authors: Linnan Laura , Tate Deborah F , Harrington Cherise B , Brooks-Russell Ashley , Finkelstein Eric , Bangdiwala Shrikant , Birken Ben , Britt Ashley
Published: January 2012

Background Based on national estimates, the majority of working adults are overweight or obese. Overweight and obesity are associated with diminished health, productivity, and increased medical costs for employers. Worksite-based weight loss interventions are desirable from both employee and employer perspectives.

Purpose To investigate organizational- and employee-level participation in a group-randomized controlled worksite-based weight loss trial.

Methods Using a set of inclusion criteria and pre-established procedures, we recruited worksites (and overweight/obese employees from enrolled worksites) from the North Carolina Community College System to participate in a weight loss study. Recruitment results at the worksite (organization) and employee levels are described, along with an assessment of representativeness.

Results Eighty-one percent (48/59) of community colleges indicated initial interest in participating in the weight loss study, and of those, 17 colleges were enrolled. Few characteristics distinguished enrolled community colleges from unenrolled colleges in the overall system. Eligible employees ( n = 1004) at participating colleges were enrolled in the weight loss study. On average, participants were aged 46.9 years (SD = 12.1 years), had a body mass index (BMI) of 33.6 kg/m2 (SD = 7.9 kg/m2), 83.2% were White, 13.3% African American, 82.2% female, and 41.8% reported holding an advanced degree (master’s or doctoral degree). Compared with the larger North Carolina Community College employee population, participants most often were women, but few other differences were observed.

Limitations Employees with reduced computer access may have been less likely to participate, and limited data on unenrolled individuals or colleges were available.

Conclusions Community colleges are willing partners for weight loss intervention studies, and overweight/obese employees were receptive to joining a weight loss study offered in the workplace. The results from this study are useful for planning future worksite-based weight loss interventions and research studies that achieve high participation rates at the employee and organizational levels.
Comparison of characteristics and outcomes by initial study contact (website versus staff) for participants enrolled in a weight management study
Authors: Funk Kristine L , Elder Charles R , Lindberg Nangel M , Gullion Christina M , DeBar Lynn L , Meltesen Gayle , Stevens Victor J
Published: January 2012

Background Traditional recruitment methods for clinical trials, such as telephone, mail, and print media, are often inefficient, costly, and use large amounts of staff time and resources.

Purpose This analysis was conducted to determine whether retention, demographics, and outcomes differed between enrolled participants who responded to recruitment outreach using an Internet-based information and registration system and enrollees whose first contact was with study staff via telephone.

Methods We identified potentially eligible participants from Kaiser Permanente Northwest (KPNW) databases and mailed brochures inviting them to participate in the Life weight loss maintenance study. We also used employee newsletters, a member-directed website, and messages to employee email distribution lists to publicize the study. All outreach methods contained both a website address and a telephone number through which respondents could register for an information session. The website contained the same information as was provided by staff over the telephone.

Results Out of 2122 potential participants who expressed interest in the study, 70% did so through the website. There was no difference in retention rates between enrollees who initiated contact through the website (WEB = 308) and enrollees who contacted the study by telephone (staff = 161). The WEB group was younger ( p = 0.01), had higher income ( p = 0.01) and education ( p < 0.01) levels, and lower body mass index (BMI; p < 0.01). There was a trend toward greater weight loss in the WEB group ( p = 0.06).

Limitations We did not conduct a formal cost analysis of the two methods. Also, the population for this analysis was mostly Caucasian and middle income; thus, we cannot draw conclusions about the generalizability of our findings to more racially and economically diverse populations.

Conclusion Enrolled participants who used a website to register for an initial study information session had similar study retention and outcome performance as enrollees who used a more traditional telephone method. For larger clinical trials, a website may help researchers more efficiently and cost-effectively achieve recruitment, eligibility, and randomization goals. More research is needed to determine whether similar recruitment and retention patterns are observed among racially and economically diverse populations when these and similar methods are compared.
Arendt in Italy: Or, the Taming of the Shrew
Authors: Lupton Julia Reinhard
Published: January 2012

This essay compares the politics of life explicated by Roberto Esposito and Hannah Arendt within the framework provided by Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew. Set in Italy, the birth place of modern reflections on both civic virtue and the constituent power of the multitude, Shakespeare’s early comedy can be invited to broker a marriage between Esposito’s philosophy of the impersonal as an instance of affirmative biopolitics and Arendt’s recreation of the bios politikos as that which separates from animal life through the distinctive yet daemonic character of human speech. I read The Taming of the Shrew as a critical allegory of the domestication and disavowal, but also the brilliant retooling, of Arendtian philosophy in contemporary Italian thought.
Arthrodesis of the wrist with bone autograft and Hoffmann external fixation
Authors: El-Kazzi W. , Robert C. , Mouraux D. , Feipel V. , Burny F. , Schuind F.
Published: January 2012

We report a series of 29 cases of wrist arthrodesis using a radiometacarpal half-frame or triangular Hoffmann configuration, bone autograft, and relocation of a retinacular rectangular flap under the extensor tendons to prevent adhesions. No splint or plaster cast has been used. Early active motion of the fingers was encouraged. The average duration of follow-up was 4 years. Bone healing was obtained in 27 patients after 104 days on average. All patients regained full finger movements and rotation of the forearm. Nine patients were reassessed on average 7.2 years after the arthrodesis: the VAS for pain at rest was 2.4/10, the DASH score 33/100, the grip strength 75% of the contralateral side on average.
A Three-Person Model of Empathy
Authors: Breithaupt Fritz
Published: January 2012

This article proposes a three-step model of empathy. It assumes that people have various empathy-related mechanisms available and thus can be described as hyper-empathic (Step 1). Under these conditions, the question of blocking and controlling empathy becomes a central issue to channel empathic attention and to avoid self-loss (Step 2). It is assumed that empathy can be sustained only when these mechanisms of controlling empathy are bypassed (Step 3). In particular, the article proposes a three-person scenario with one observing a conflict of two others. By taking the side of one of the combatants, the observer is led into empathizing, perhaps to justify her/his earlier side-taking.
Comment: Empathy and Self-Recognition in Phylogenetic and Ontogenetic Perspective: Commentary on Bischof-Köhler
Authors: Klann-Delius Gisela
Published: January 2012

The very impressive findings on empathy in relation to self-recognition are interpreted in a theoretical framework within which the central concept of synchronous identification, the consequence of compassion, and the relation between maturation and socialization appear to be debatable.
Comment on Walter’s “Social Cognitive Neuroscience of Empathy: Concepts, Circuits, and Genes”
Authors: Jacobs Arthur M.
Published: January 2012

In his review, Walter (2012) links conceptual perspectives on empathy with crucial results of neurocognitive and genetic studies and presents a descriptive neurocognitive model that identifies neuronal key structures and links them with both cognitive and affective empathy via a high and a low road. After discussion of this model, the remainder of this comment deals more generally with the possibilities and limitations of current neurocognitive models, considering ways to develop process models allowing specific quantitative predictions.
A Phase 1 Study to Evaluate the Bioavailability and Food Effect of 2 Solid‐Dispersion Formulations of the TRPV1 Antagonist ABT‐102, Relative to the Oral Solution Formulation, in Healthy Human Volunteers
Authors: Othman Ahmed A. , Cheskin Howard , Locke Charles , Nothaft Wolfram , Dutta Sandeep
Published: January 2012

ABT‐102 is a selective TRPV1 antagonist designed for treatment of nociceptive pain. The objective of this study was to characterize the bioavailability and the food effect of 2 solid‐dispersion (melt‐extrusion [Meltrex] and spray‐dried) tablet formulations of ABT‐102 relative to the solution formulation used in initial clinical trials. The study followed a 2‐part, single‐dose (2‐mg), open‐label, randomized, 3‐period, crossover design in 24 healthy adults, where in each study part, 1 of the 2 solid‐dispersion formulations (under fasting and nonfasting conditions) was compared to the solution formulation (under nonfasting conditions). Under nonfasting conditions, the melt‐extrusion and spray‐dried formulations had 53% and 87% higher Cmax and 42% and 70% higher AUC∞ than the solution formulation, respectively. The 2 solid‐dispersion formulations provided comparable absolute ABT‐102 exposures (mean ± SD AUC∞ of 116 ± 35 ng·h/mL [melt‐extrusion] and 112 ± 55 ng·h/mL [spray‐dried]). There was no effect of food (high‐fat/high‐calorie breakfast) on the bioavailability of the melt‐extrusion formulation with the fasting and nonfasting regimens meeting bioequivalence. Food increased Cmax and AUC∞ central values of the spray‐dried formulation by an estimated 11% and 17%, respectively. Based on the results of the study, the melt‐extrusion formulation of ABT‐102 was selected to replace the solution formulation for subsequent clinical development.
A Rare Diagnosis of Common Symptoms
Authors: Tenny Elizabeth
Published: January 2012

Vascular sonography combined with other modalities has established the diagnosis of Takayasu arteritis. This case presents an East Indian woman who presented with right upper extremity pain, coldness, and numbness. Sonography remained the basis of intervention evaluation.
Feeding Cyprinus carpio with infectious materials mediates cyprinid herpesvirus 3 entry through infection of pharyngeal periodontal mucosa
Authors: Fournier Guillaume , Boutier Maxime , Stalin Raj Victor , Mast Jan , Parmentier Eric , Vanderwalle Pierre , Peeters Dominique , Lieffrig François , Farnir Frédéric , Gillet Laurent , Vanderplasschen Alain
Published: January 2012

Cyprinid herpesvirus 3 (CyHV-3), also known as Koi herpesvirus, is the etiological agent of a mortal disease in common and koi carp. Recently, we investigated the entry of CyHV-3 in carp using bioluminescence imaging and a CyHV-3 recombinant strain expressing luciferase (LUC). We demonstrated that the skin is the major portal of entry after inoculation of carp by immersion in water containing CyHV-3. While this model of infection mimics some natural conditions in which infection takes place, other epidemiological conditions could favour entry of virus through the digestive tract. Here, we investigated whether ingestion of infectious materials mediates CyHV-3 entry through the digestive tract. Carp were fed with materials contaminated with the CyHV-3 LUC recombinant (oral contamination) or immersed in water containing the virus (contamination by immersion). Bioluminescence imaging analyses performed at different times post-infection led to the following observations: (i) the pharyngeal periodontal mucosa is the major portal of entry after oral contamination, while the skin is the major portal of entry after contamination by immersion. (ii) Both modes of inoculation led to the spreading of the infection to the various organs tested. However, the timing and the sequence in which some of the organs turned positive were different between the two modes of inoculation. Finally, we compared the disease induced by the two inoculation modes. They led to comparable clinical signs and mortality rate. The results of the present study suggest that, based on epidemiological conditions, CyHV-3 can enter carp either by skin or periodontal pharyngeal mucosal infection.
A semantic web framework to integrate cancer omics data with biological knowledge
Authors: Holford Matthew E , McCusker Jamie P , Cheung Kei-Hoi , Krauthammer Michael
Published: January 2012

Background

The RDF triple provides a simple linguistic means of describing limitless types of information. Triples can be flexibly combined into a unified data source we call a semantic model. Semantic models open new possibilities for the integration of variegated biological data. We use Semantic Web technology to explicate high throughput clinical data in the context of fundamental biological knowledge. We have extended Corvus, a data warehouse which provides a uniform interface to various forms of Omics data, by providing a SPARQL endpoint. With the querying and reasoning tools made possible by the Semantic Web, we were able to explore quantitative semantic models retrieved from Corvus in the light of systematic biological knowledge.

Results

For this paper, we merged semantic models containing genomic, transcriptomic and epigenomic data from melanoma samples with two semantic models of functional data - one containing Gene Ontology (GO) data, the other, regulatory networks constructed from transcription factor binding information. These two semantic models were created in an ad hoc manner but support a common interface for integration with the quantitative semantic models. Such combined semantic models allow us to pose significant translational medicine questions. Here, we study the interplay between a cell's molecular state and its response to anti-cancer therapy by exploring the resistance of cancer cells to Decitabine, a demethylating agent.

Conclusions

We were able to generate a testable hypothesis to explain how Decitabine fights cancer - namely, that it targets apoptosis-related gene promoters predominantly in Decitabine-sensitive cell lines, thus conveying its cytotoxic effect by activating the apoptosis pathway. Our research provides a framework whereby similar hypotheses can be developed easily.
Gene flow and population structure in the Mexican blind cavefish complex (Astyanax mexicanus)
Authors: Bradic Martina , Beerli Peter , García-de León Francisco J , Esquivel-Bobadilla Sarai , Borowsky Richard L
Published: January 2012

Background

Cave animals converge evolutionarily on a suite of troglomorphic traits, the best known of which are eyelessness and depigmentation. We studied 11 cave and 10 surface populations of Astyanax mexicanus in order to better understand the evolutionary origins of the cave forms, the basic genetic structuring of both cave and surface populations, and the degree to which present day migration among them affects their genetic divergence.

Results

To assess the genetic structure within populations and the relationships among them we genotyped individuals at 26 microsatellite loci. We found that surface populations are similar to one another, despite their relatively large geographic separation, whereas the cave populations are better differentiated. The cave populations we studied span the full range of the cave forms in three separate geographic regions and have at least five separate evolutionary origins. Cave populations had lower genetic diversity than surface populations, correlated with their smaller effective population sizes, probably the result of food and space limitations. Some of the cave populations receive migrants from the surface and exchange migrants with one another, especially when geographically close. This admixture results in significant heterozygote deficiencies at numerous loci due to Wahlund effects. Cave populations receiving migrants from the surface contain small numbers of individuals that are intermediate in both phenotype and genotype, affirming at least limited gene flow from the surface.

Conclusions

Cave populations of this species are derived from two different surface stocks denoted "old" and "new." The old stock colonized caves at least three times independently while the new stock colonized caves at least twice independently. Thus, the similar cave phenotypes found in these caves are the result of repeated convergences. These phenotypic convergences have occurred in spite of gene flow from surface populations suggesting either strong natural or sexual selection for alleles responsible for the cave phenotype in the cave environment.
Comparative genomic analysis of the genus Staphylococcus including Staphylococcus aureus and its newly described sister species Staphylococcus simiae
Authors: Suzuki Haruo , Lefébure Tristan , Bitar Paulina Pavinski , Stanhope Michael J
Published: January 2012

Background

Staphylococcus belongs to the Gram-positive low G + C content group of the Firmicutes division of bacteria. Staphylococcus aureus is an important human and veterinary pathogen that causes a broad spectrum of diseases, and has developed important multidrug resistant forms such as methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA). Staphylococcus simiae was isolated from South American squirrel monkeys in 2000, and is a coagulase-negative bacterium, closely related, and possibly the sister group, to S. aureus. Comparative genomic analyses of closely related bacteria with different phenotypes can provide information relevant to understanding adaptation to host environment and mechanisms of pathogenicity.

Results

We determined a Roche/454 draft genome sequence for S. simiae and included it in comparative genomic analyses with 11 other Staphylococcus species including S. aureus. A genome based phylogeny of the genus confirms that S. simiae is the sister group to S. aureus and indicates that the most basal Staphylococcus lineage is Staphylococcus pseudintermedius, followed by Staphylococcus carnosus. Given the primary niche of these two latter taxa, compared to the other species in the genus, this phylogeny suggests that human adaptation evolved after the split of S. carnosus. The two coagulase-positive species (S. aureus and S. pseudintermedius) are not phylogenetically closest but share many virulence factors exclusively, suggesting that these genes were acquired by horizontal transfer. Enrichment in genes related to mobile elements such as prophage in S. aureus relative to S. simiae suggests that pathogenesis in the S. aureus group has developed by gene gain through horizontal transfer, after the split of S. aureus and S. simiae from their common ancestor.

Conclusions

Comparative genomic analyses across 12 Staphylococcus species provide hypotheses about lineages in which human adaptation has taken place and contributions of horizontal transfer in pathogenesis.