bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Stillbirth Integration: Dramatherapy Applied to Unresolved Grief
Authors: Bar-Yitzchak Rachel
Published: September 2011

This research is a case study of the effect of Dramatherapy with a client who was suffering from prolonged grief following stillbirth. The assumption was that an analysis of the Dramatherapy sessions could shed light on processes that may assist the client in relief of her unresolved grief and integration of her stillbirth, which were necessary in order to get on with her life. The Dramatherapy was based on Jennings’ (1992, 1993, 1998) EPR model. The analysis focused on the dramatherapeutic processes, specifically, dramatic reworking, retelling and projection, that accompanied the client's experience of relief and integration of her loss.

The client, ‘Iris’ (a fictional name), is a career woman, who sought dramatherapeutic treatment in the hope that it might help her overcome her overwhelming feelings of distress and sorrow, which made it difficult for her to function, both physically and emotionally. The research examined the first six sessions of a longer-term therapy, during which the client's prolonged grief emerged as a major issue for her. The records kept by a participant observer (the researcher), the products of the client's art work, and audio recordings of the sessions served as the research data. The presentation of the data focused on changes in the client's appearance, body language, vocal presence, emotionality, and issues raised in the sessions.
Track the Deer, Catch it and Then Let it Go
Authors: Hougham Richard
Published: September 2011

The following paper is based on research into a dramatic model of group supervision that was also informed by ideas from Jungian psychology. Postgraduate dramatherapy students were given the opportunity to reflect, embody and dramatise what they considered to be ‘significant moments’ from their placement practice over a period of ten weeks. A semi-structured interview was then carried out with each of the nine participants.

Analysis of their responses identified two emerging themes −1) a diversity of perspectives on the same session, where students who participated in the same work had different experiences and 2) working with the drama and the body in supervision offered the chance to reconnect with and investigate body-based experiences from practice.

Through continuing to use the art form of drama in supervision (in particular role-playing the client), it seemed that qualities and nuances of the session and the therapeutic relationship could be explored. In particular, some of the unconscious communication between therapist and client seemed to be exposed through working with the body and drama.
The Ageing Fool: The Importance of Humour and Stimulus for Older People
Authors: Jennings Sue Emmy
Published: September 2011

‘The clown bore it, the fool sent it and the lady hath it: sweet clown, sweeter fool, sweetest lady!’
Awakening from the Dream of Thought: Research into Dramatherapy and Dementia
Authors: Gorst Anita
Published: September 2011

…“The self that is shattered in dementia will not naturally coalesce; the Other is needed to hold the fragments together. As subjectivity breaks apart, so inter-subjectivity must take over if personhood is to be maintained.”
Pioneering Dramatherapy in Malaysia
Authors: Chandrasegaram Vanitha
Published: September 2011

The reasonable man (woman) adapts himself (herself) to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself (herself). Therefore, all progress depends on the unreasonable man (woman).
Brecht in Italy
Authors: Seymour Anna
Published: September 2011

This paper describes a Dramatherapy training workshop in Northern Italy. It is based on a Theatre Model of Dramatherapy, illustrating how the theories and practices of theatre itself can be at the core of Dramatherapy practice. This workshop was based on Bertolt Brecht's theatre using extracts from the play text The Caucasian Chalk Circle and drawing on Brecht's theories of acting, epic theatre, gestus and political aesthetics in the service of the Dramatherapeutic process.
Who's that behind You? What Do We Knowingly Or Unknowingly Bring from Our Heritage that Colours the Way We Interpret and Practise Dramatherapy?
Authors: Min Ye
Published: September 2011

The current article reflects on how cultural influences can impact on the work of someone who has never been wholly immersed in their own culture. It considers this from the position of a Dramatherapist currently working with young people with mental health difficulties.

It touches on the areas of formative experiences and how they may be assimilated or rejected to produce ‘cultural templates’ that we may choose to adopt.

It concludes with the idea that ‘our culture’ is composed of the many things we personally choose to adhere to and therefore it is much more of an individual statement than is generally accepted.

This article is a redrafting of the keynote workshop presentation made for the BADth Equal Opportunities Subcommittee Workshop Day on April 25th 2009.
An Assessment of the Attention Demands during Random- and Blocked-Practice Schedules
Authors: Li Yuhua , Wright David L.
Published: September 2011

The reported study used the dual-task methodology to assess the attention demands associated with high and low contextual interference (CI) practice environments. Two specific issues were addressed. First, is there a difference in the attention demands during random and blocked schedules of practice? Second, what is the time course of any differential attention demands that emerge during random and blocked training? In order to address these questions two specific temporal loci were probed during practice: a pre-response interval and the inter-trial interval. It was assumed that the pre-response interval contained the reconstructive activity that is central to the reconstruction position. In contrast, the inter-trial interval has been interpreted in previous work to be the interval in which critical intra- and inter-item processing is performed during random practice. The data revealed a typical CI effect for the primary key-pressing task. Specifically, blocked-practice participants displayed superior performance during training but performed less well than the random-practice individuals at the time of retention. The poorer acquisition performance of the random practice participants was associated with higher cognitive demand during both the pre-response and the inter-trial intervals than that of individuals assigned to blocked practice. The greater attention demands for random-practice individuals are discussed with respect to processes that might occur in both the pre-response and the inter-trial intervals.
Stimulus-Response Compatibility for Absolute and Relative Spatial Correspondence in Reaching and in Button Pressing
Authors: Stins John F. , Michaels Claire F.
Published: September 2011

Three experiments tested whether stimulus-response (S-R) compatibility might be a function of absolute (as opposed to relative) spatial correspondence—that is, the distance between a stimulus and the place of response. Experiment 1 studied reaching movements toward one of two targets in response to one of six visual stimuli. Stimulus-response pairs that shared relative position were faster than those that did not, and reaction time was faster when the stimulus and one of the potential targets were in close proximity. In Experiment 2 the same effects were found when the hands started from a different position, implicating stimulus target distance, rather than stimulus-hand distance as the critical variable. Experiment 3 employed keypress responses instead of reaches, and the distance effect was nearly absent. The implications of these results are discussed in terms of categorical (e.g. left-right) vs. quantitative (e.g. distance) S-R variables in spatial compatibility.
Global-Local Orientation Congruency Effects in Visual Search
Authors: Kunde Wilfried , Hoffmann Joachim
Published: September 2011

In a visual search task, subjects had to decide which of 2 possible target letters was presented among 12 distractor letters. The 13 characters were arranged to form a global Navon-type letter. The global letter and the local letters (target and distractors) were independently presented in four different viewer-related orientations. When the global letter and the target were frequently congruently oriented, the response times increased with growing orientation disparity between them. This global-target congruency effect was independent from target identity (Experiment 1), and it diminished when global and target orientations were not correlated (Experiment 2). The results indicate that the orientation of the global letter can be deliberately used in order to facilitate the processing of congruently oriented local targets. The alignment of a spatial frame of reference is discussed as the most probable process underlying this facilitation.
The Reproduction of Vertical and Oblique Orientations in the Visual, Haptic, and Somatovestibular Systems
Authors: Gentaz Edouard , Luyat Marion , Cian Corinne , Hatwell Yvette , Barraud Pierre Alain , Raphel Christian
Published: September 2011

This study investigates whether the vertical orientation may be predominantly used as an amodal reference norm by the visual, haptic, and somato-vestibular perceptual systems to define oblique orientations. We examined this question by asking the same sighted adult subjects to reproduce, in the frontal (roll) plane, the vertical (0°) and six oblique orientations in three tasks involving different perceptual systems. In the visual task, the subjects adjusted a moveable rod so that it reproduced the orientation of a visual rod seen previously in a dark room. In the haptic task, the blindfolded sighted subjects scanned an oriented rod with one hand and reproduced its orientation, with the same hand, on a moveable response rod. In the somato-vestibular task, the blindfolded sighted subjects, sitting in a rotating chair, adjusted this chair in order to reproduce the tested orientation of their own body. The results showed that similar oblique effects (unsigned angular error difference between six oblique orientations and vertical orientation) were observed across the three tasks. However, there were no positive correlations between the visual, haptic, and somato-vestibular oblique effects. Moreover, in some oblique orientations, there was a tendency to overestimate the angle between the oblique orientation and the vertical orientation. This effect varied according to the orientation value and themodality. Taken together, these findings suggest that although vertical orientation is used as a reference normin the visual, haptic, and somato-vestibular systems to define oblique orientations, specific processing mechanisms seem to be at work in each perceptual system.
Concurrent and Retroactive Interference Effects in Memory of Movement Patterns
Authors: Helstrup Tore
Published: September 2011

Three experiments examined memory for enacted and observed movement patterns. The effect of visuo-spatial tracing tasks requiring overt motor movements, comparable to those required by the to-be-recalled movement pattern task when enacted, were compared with the effects of non-motor interference tasks, such as articulatory suppression and counting backwards. None of the experiments was able to detect indices of motor mechanisms in memory of movement patterns. The results are discussed in terms of theories of action memory and working memory and of a problem-solving account.
Priming Effects from Phonologically Related Distractors in Picture—Word Interference
Authors: Jescheniak Jörg D. , Schriefers Herbert
Published: September 2011

In the cross-modal picture-word interference task, distractors phonologically related to a to-benamed picture facilitate the naming response as compared to unrelated distractors. Our experiment shows that this phonological priming effect can be obtained with as early an SOA as-300 ms. The experiment also demonstrates that this priming effect cannot be attributed to strategic behaviour of the participants as opposed to automatic preactivation processes in the lexical-conceptual system. The implications for studies using the picture-word interference task as a tool for investigating lexicalization processes in speech production are discussed.
First-principles study of NiSi2/HfO2 interfaces: energetics and Schottky-barrier heights
Authors: Wong T I , Yang M , Feng Y P , Chi D Z , Wang S J
Published: September 2011

The interface energetics and the Schottky-barrier heights (SBHs) of NiSi2/HfO2 gate stacks are investigated within the framework of first-principles calculations. It was found that the SBHs are interface structure dependent and vary with abrupt interfacial bonds. Based on the calculated interface formation energies of seven interface structures for two different chemical environments and the calculated SBHs, we propose adjusting hafnium or oxygen chemical potential together with silicon rich surface as an effective method to tune the barrier heights.
An easy-to-implement numerical simulation method for adhesive contact problems involving asymmetric adhesive contact
Authors: Jin Congrui , Jagota Anand , Hui Chung-Yuen
Published: September 2011

A novel numerical method to solve asymmetric adhesive contact problems in rectangular coordinates has been developed. Surface interaction is modelled using an interface potential, deformation is coupled using Green's functions for a half space, and the resulting system of equations is solved by a relaxation technique. The method can handle arbitrary surface topography and properties. Compared with previous methods, this numerical scheme is much easier to implement and is just as accurate. Here, it is applied to two adhesive contact problems: one between a sphere and a cylinder; and the other between two identical cylinders in oblique contact. The numerical results reveal inaccuracies in elliptical contact theory when the skew angles between the two cylinders are small and the resulting contact is highly eccentric. The pull-off forces show an indiscernible decrease with decreasing value of the skew angle, which is quite different from the elliptical JKR theory. This technique can be used to solve adhesive contact problems that involve partial contact or complex geometry, such as rippled or rough surfaces.
Fluid and gyrokinetic simulations of impurity transport at JET
Authors: Nordman H , Skyman A , Strand P , Giroud C , Jenko F , Merz F , Naulin V , Tala T
Published: September 2011

Impurity transport coefficients due to ion-temperature-gradient (ITG) mode and trapped-electron mode turbulence are calculated using profile data from dedicated impurity injection experiments at JET. Results obtained with a multi-fluid model are compared with quasi-linear and nonlinear gyrokinetic simulation results obtained with the code GENE. The sign of the impurity convective velocity (pinch) and its various contributions are discussed. The dependence of the impurity transport coefficients and impurity peaking factor −∇n

Z
/n

Z
on plasma parameters such as impurity charge number Z, ion logarithmic temperature gradient, collisionality, E × B shearing, and charge fraction are investigated. It is found that for the studied ITG dominated JET discharges, both the fluid and gyrokinetic results show an increase in the impurity peaking factor for low Z-values followed by a saturation at moderate values of impurity peaking, much below the neoclassical predictions, for large values of Z. The results are in qualitative agreement with the experimental trends observed for the injected impurities (Ne, Ar, Ni) whereas for the background carbon species the observed flat or weakly hollow C profiles are not well reproduced by the simulations.
Rates of coalescence for common epidemiological models at equilibrium
Authors: Koelle Katia , Rasmussen David A.
Published: September 2011

Coalescent theory provides a mathematical framework for quantitatively interpreting gene genealogies. With the increased availability of molecular sequence data, disease ecologists now regularly apply this body of theory to viral phylogenies, most commonly in attempts to reconstruct demographic histories of infected individuals and to estimate parameters such as the basic reproduction number. However, with few exceptions, the mathematical expressions at the core of coalescent theory have not been explicitly linked to the structure of epidemiological models, which are commonly used to mathematically describe the transmission dynamics of a pathogen. Here, we aim to make progress towards establishing this link by presenting a general approach for deriving a model's rate of coalescence under the assumption that the disease dynamics are at their endemic equilibrium. We apply this approach to four common families of epidemiological models: standard susceptible-infected-susceptible/susceptible-infected-recovered/susceptible-infected-recovered-susceptible models, models with individual heterogeneity in infectivity, models with an exposed but not yet infectious class and models with variable distributions of the infectious period. These results improve our understanding of how epidemiological processes shape viral genealogies, as well as how these processes affect levels of viral diversity and rates of genetic drift. Finally, we discuss how a subset of these coalescent rate expressions can be used for phylodynamic inference in non-equilibrium settings. For the ones that are limited to equilibrium conditions, we also discuss why this is the case. These results, therefore, point towards necessary future work while providing intuition on how epidemiological characteristics of the infection process impact gene genealogies.
SUNRegulates Vegetative and Reproductive Organ Shape by Changing Cell Division Patterns
Authors: Wu Shan , Xiao Han , Cabrera Antonio , Meulia Tea , van der Knaap Esther
Published: September 2011

One of the major genes controlling the elongated fruit shape of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) is SUN. In this study, we explored the roles of SUN in vegetative and reproductive development using near isogenic lines (NILs) that differ at the sun locus, and SUN overexpressors in both the wild species LA1589 (Solanum pimpinellifolium) and the cultivar Sun1642 background. Our results demonstrate that SUN controls tomato shape through redistribution of mass that is mediated by increased cell division in the longitudinal and decreased cell division in the transverse direction of the fruit. The expression of SUN is positively correlated with slender phenotypes in cotyledon, leaflet, and floral organs, an elongated ovary, and negatively correlated with seed weight. Overexpression of SUN leads to more extreme phenotypes than those shown in the NILs and include thinner leaf rachises and stems, twisted leaf rachises, increased serrations of the leaflets, and dramatically increased elongation at the proximal end of the ovary and fruit. In situ hybridizations of the NILs showed that SUN is expressed throughout the ovary and young fruit, particularly in the vascular tissues and placenta surface, and in the ovules and developing seed. The phenotypic effects resulting from high expression of SUN suggest that the gene is involved in several plant developmental processes.
The major risk alleles of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in CFH do not play a major role in rheumatoid arthritis (RA)
Authors: Trouw L A , Böhringer S , Daha N A , Stahl E A , Raychaudhuri S , Kurreeman F A , Stoeken-Rijsbergen G , Houwing-Duistermaat J J , Huizinga T W , Toes R E
Published: September 2011

Because activation of the alternative pathway (AP) of the complement system is an important aspect of both age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA), we wished to address the question whether genetic risk factors of the AP inhibitor complement factor H (CFH) for AMD would also be risk factors for RA. For this purpose we genotyped single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in a Dutch set of RA patients and controls. Similarly, a meta-analysis using a Spanish cohort of RA as well as six large genome-wide association studies (GWAS) studies was performed. For these SNPs we analysed more than 6000 patients and 20 000 controls. The CFH variants, I62V, Y402H, IVS1 and IVS10, known to associate strongly with AMD, did not show a significant association with the risk of developing RA despite a strong statistical power to detect such differences. In conclusion, the major risk alleles of AMD in CFH do not have a similar effect on developing RA.
An integrative view on the carotid artery alterations in metabolic syndrome
Authors: Wang Zhi‐Hao , Gong Hui‐Ping , Shang Yuan‐Yuan , Tang Meng‐Xiong , Fang Ning‐Ning , Jiang Gui‐Hua , Zhang Yun , Zhong Ming , Zhang Wei
Published: September 2011

Eur J Clin Invest 2012; 42 (5): 496–502

Backgrounds  Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a multiple risk factor paradigm widely considered in risk management. We aimed to investigate carotid artery alterations in MetS and the underlying risk factors.

Materials and methods  A total of 400 Chinese subjects were recruited, divided into control (n = 200) and MetS (n = 200) groups. Clinical and laboratory characteristics were collected. All subjects underwent carotid ultrasonography.

Results  Cardiovascular risk profiles were worse in the MetS than control group (all P < 0·05). After adjusting for MetS and age, the MetS group showed significantly increased mean intima‐media thickness (IMTmean) and significantly impaired carotid elastic properties (all P < 0·05), as compared to control group. Waist circumference (WC) was positively correlated with IMTmean (r = 0·130, P = 0·038), systolic carotid diameter (r = 0·139, P = 0·026) and diastolic carotid diameter (r = 0·168, P = 0·007). systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure were positively correlated with IMTmean (r = 0·201, P = 0·004; r = 0·168, P = 0·008, respectively), but negatively with arterial compliance coefficient (r = −0·421, P < 0·001; r = −0·230, P < 0·001, respectively). Serum level of high‐density lipoprotein (HDL) negatively correlated with IMTmean (r = −0·195, P = 0·002). Plaque index was positively correlated with fasting blood glucose (r = 0·205, P = 0·001) after adjusting for the other risk factors. Significantly impaired carotid elastic properties (all P < 0·05) independently correlated with IMTmean. Furthermore, age (β = 0·255, P < 0·001), SBP (β = 0·224, P < 0·001), WC (β = 0·202, P < 0·001) and high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL‐C) (β = −0·163, P = 0·001) were independently associated with IMTmean.

Conclusion  Carotid alterations consequent upon MetS ultimately developed subclinical and clinical atherosclerosis, the underlying risk factors for which were abdominal obesity, hypertension, ageing and low level of HDL‐C.
Crystal structure of the N‐terminal domain of linker LR and the assembly of cyanobacterial phycobilisome rods
Authors: Gao Xiang , Zhang Nan , Wei Tian‐Di , Su Hai‐Nan , Xie Bin‐Bin , Dong Chuang‐Chuang , Zhang Xi‐Ying , Chen Xiu‐Lan , Zhou Bai‐Cheng , Wang Zhi‐Xin , Wu Jia‐Wei , Zhang Yu‐Zhong
Published: September 2011

Phycobilisomes are light‐harvesting supramolecular complexes in cyanobacteria and red algae. Linkers play a pivotal role in the assembly and energy transfer modulation of phycobilisomes. However, how linkers function remains unclear due to the lack of structural and biochemical studies of linkers, especially the N‐terminal domain of LR (pfam00427). Here, we report the crystal structure of the pfam00427 domain of the linker LR30 from Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 at 1.9 Å. The pfam00427 presents as a previously uncharacterized point symmetric six α‐helix bundle. To elucidate the binding style of pfam00427 in the C‐phycocyanin (C‐PC) (αβ)6 hexamer, we fixed pfam00427 computationally into the C‐PC (αβ)6 inner cavity using the program AutoDock. Combined with a conserved ‘C‐PC binding patch’ on pfam00427 identified, we arrived at a model for the pfam00427–C‐PC (αβ)6 complex. This model was further optimized and evaluated as a reasonable result by a molecular dynamics simulation. In the resulting model, the pfam00427 domain is stably positioned in the central hole of the C‐PC trimer. Moreover, the LRT (pfam01383) was docked into our pfam00427–C‐PC model to generate a complete phycobilisome rod in which the linkers join individual biliprotein hexamers.
Resistance to glyphosate in Lolium rigidum selected in Italian perennial crops: bioevaluation, management and molecular bases of target‐site resistance
Authors: COLLAVO A , SATTIN M
Published: September 2011

Collavo A & Sattin M (2011). Resistance to glyphosate in Lolium rigidum selected in Italian perennial crops: bioevaluation, management and molecular bases of target‐site resistance. Weed Research 52, 16–24.

The resistance status of two Lolium rigidum populations (IBAF code 332 and 336) collected in northern Italian vineyards and southern Italian olive groves was investigated. Glasshouse and outdoor pot experiments confirmed that both populations were resistant to glyphosate, exhibiting a resistance index of 4 (pop. 332) and 16 (pop. 336) based on plant survival. Multiple resistance to ACCase and ALS inhibitors was also investigated, and it has been demonstrated that pop. 332 has a lower susceptibility to fluazifop but could be controlled by cycloxydim and flazasulfuron, whereas the other populations tested did not survive herbicides other than glyphosate. The molecular bases of possible target‐site resistance were also investigated. Four different patterns of substitution at position 106 were discovered only in the sequences of pop. 336: (i) heterozygous proline–leucine (CCA‐CTA); (ii) heterozygous proline–serine (CCA‐TCA); (iii) heterozygous leucine–serine (CTA‐TCA); and (iv) homozygous serine–serine. The high glyphosate resistance level of pop. 336 indicated that resistance mechanism(s) other than target site are likely to be present. Integrated weed management based on rotation of herbicide mode of action, a careful use of glyphosate, as well as non‐chemical weed control, like mowing the vegetation between crop rows, should be implemented to effectively control and limit the dissemination of resistant populations.
The effect of plasma removal from apheresis platelet concentrates on platelet function
Authors: Jilma‐Stohlawetz P. , Eichelberger B. , List J. , Jilma B. , Panzer S. , Leitner G.
Published: September 2011

The effect of plasma removal on platelet function has scarcely been investigated. Plasma removal from apheresis platelet concentrates was achieved by centrifugation at 5000 g for 6 min or 2000 g for 10 min. After resting for 1 h, platelet concentrates were resuspended in 0·9% NaCl. Platelet function was tested before centrifugation and after resuspension by multiple electrode impedance aggregometry (MEA) and light transmission aggregometry (LTA). Plasma removal resulted in 10–14% lower response to TRAP‐6 by MEA using both washing procedures, whereas TRAP‐6‐inducible aggregation by LTA increased slightly (2–5%). Neither plasma removal method affected collagen‐induced aggregation. Thus, platelet function did not deteriorate significantly by either method.
Prevalence and risk factors of chronic kidney disease in first‐degree relatives of chronic kidney disease patients in Southern China
Authors: WEI XIN , LI ZHIJIAN , CHEN WEI , MAO HAIPING , LI ZHIBIN , DONG XIUQING , TAN JIAQING , LING LI , CHEN ANG , GUO NA , YU XUEQING
Published: September 2011

Aim:  The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence and risk factors of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in first‐degree relatives (FDRs) of CKD patients.

Methods:  A cross‐section study of first‐degree relatives of CKD patients was conducted between November 2007 and March 2009 in southern China. A total of 1187 first‐degree relatives (494 male and 693 female; mean age 41.26 years) of 419 CKD patients (194 male and 225 female; mean age 32.10 years) were reviewed and tested for haematuria, albuminuria and reduced glomerular filtration rate. CKD risk factors, including age, gender, body mass index, hypertension and the causes of index case were also investigated. CKD was diagnosed according to the criteria of the National Kidney Foundation‐Kidney Disease Outcomes Quality Initiative.

Results:  The prevalence of CKD in first‐degree relatives of CKD patients was 29.7% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 27.1%–32.2%). After adjusting for all the potential confounders, older age, female gender, hypertension, hyperglycaemia, hyperuricaemia, hypertriglyceridemic, low level of high density lipoproteins, increased body mass index and nephrotoxic medications were independently associated with increased risk of CKD. Furthermore, relatives of index cases with chronic glomerulonephritis were at higher risk haematuria (ORs = 2.12, 95% CI: 1.45–3.10) compared with relatives of index cases with other kinds of renal diseases.

Conclusion:  The first‐degree relatives of CKD patients are at high risk of CKD, especially those relatives of CKD patients with chronic glomerulonephritis. Screening in this high risk population might help to identify early CKD patients and make a proper intervention strategy to prevent the disease from quick progression.
Slipping through the bowel cancer screening programme
Authors: Hallifax R. , Lacey M. , Bevis P. , Borley N. R. , Brooklyn T. , Wheeler J. M. D.
Published: September 2011

Aim  Colorectal cancer is common and a leading cause of cancer death. Faecal occult blood screening has been shown to reduce mortality. The aim of this study was to identify patients in Gloucestershire with a new diagnosis of colorectal cancer who had previously been screened via the Bowel Cancer Screening Programme (BCSP).

Method  Between 2006 and 2009, 1030 patients were diagnosed with colorectal cancer. Of these 237 (23%) had been invited to be screened via the BCSP. Their clinical notes were analysed.

Results  Fifty‐seven (24%) of the 237 patients had previously had a negative faecal occult blood result. Thirty‐three (14%) had their cancer discovered as part of the BCSP. Seventy (30%) had already been diagnosed with colorectal cancer prior to invitation, 62 (26%) did not respond to the invitation, nine (4%) were registered outside Gloucestershire and had therefore not been invited, and three (3%) had died before the invitation. Of the 57 patients with a negative faecal occult blood test, 47 (83%) had colorectal cancer staged Dukes B or C, and 34 (60%) had a rectal or sigmoid cancer.

Conclusion  Patients will present with colorectal cancer despite having been invited to participate in the BCSP, with many having received a negative faecal occult blood test. This could be considered a high false negative rate.
Feline glaucoma—a comprehensive review
Authors: McLellan Gillian J. , Miller Paul E.
Published: September 2011

Cats with glaucoma typically present late in the course of disease. It is likely that glaucoma in cats is under‐diagnosed due to its insidious onset and gradual progression, as well as limitations of some commonly used tonometers in this species. Treatment of glaucoma in feline patients presents a clinical challenge, particularly as glaucoma is often secondary to other disease processes in cats. In this review, we consider the clinical features, pathophysiology, and classification of the feline glaucomas and provide current evidence to direct selection of appropriate treatment strategies for feline glaucoma patients.
The in vitro effects of proxymetacaine, fluorescein, and fusidic acid on real‐time PCR assays used for the diagnosis of Feline herpesvirus 1 and Chlamydophila felis infections
Authors: Segarra Sergi , Papasouliotis Kostas , Helps Chris
Published: September 2011

Purpose  To investigate the possible inhibition of qPCR assays used for the diagnosis of ocular infections in cats by proxymetacaine, fluorescein, and fusidic acid, which are commonly used in veterinary ophthalmology.

Methods  Fluorescein, proxymetacaine, and fusidic acid were tested for possible inhibition of a triplex qPCR assay designed to detect Chamydophila felis, Feline herpesvirus 1 (FHV‐1), and the feline 28S ribosomal DNA (28S rDNA) gene by comparing threshold cycle (Ct) values of samples with and without the three products. A second experiment was carried out to measure the effects of various dilutions of fusidic acid.

Results  No statistically significant differences were detected between the C. felis, FHV‐1, and 28S rDNA Ct values with and without proxymetacaine or fluorescein. However, there was a statistically significant increase in FHV‐1 (P < 0.01), C. felis (P < 0.01), and 28S rDNA (P < 0.05) Ct values when fusidic acid was used. When dilutions of fusidic acid were tested, the results revealed that only the 1:2 dilution caused a statistically significant increase (P < 0.01) in the FHV‐1 Ct values.

Conclusion  Proxymetacaine and fluorescein did not interfere with our qPCR assays for the detection of C. felis and FHV‐1. The presence of fusidic acid caused a small inhibitory effect of doubtful clinical significance. In vivo studies are required to establish the clinical relevance of this study and to confirm our findings.
Art Is Inoculation: The Infectious Imagination of Leo Tolstoy
Authors: EMERY JACOB
Published: September 2011

Tolstoy's most cogent and focused statement on aesthetics, the 1896 treatise What is Art?, answers the question posed by its title with the blunt statement that “art is infection.” This paper observes that a consistent system of metaphors of infection is central not just to What is Art?, but to every stage and genre of Tolstoy's writing–polemical, autobiographical, and literary works, early journals and late‐life rantings. Arguing that the complex of disease metaphors running through the entirety of Tolstoy's work affords the reader one way of conceptualizing Tolstoy's massive oeuvre as a single coherent corpus, the essay reads specific moments from a range of Tolstoyan texts in order to sketch out infection's relation to the themes of mortality, morality, and the artistic imagination that loom most largely in Tolstoy's thought. Reexamined in this light, the apparently strained relationship between the aesthetic and ethical aspects of Tolstoy's artistic theory turns out to be more nuanced, compelling, and more resonant with the Kantian aesthetic tradition than previously recognized.
The Sortal Dependence of Demonstrative Reference
Authors: Dickie Imogen
Published: September 2011

Abstract:‘Sortalism about demonstrative reference’ is the view that the capacity to refer to things demonstratively rests on the capacity to classify them according to their kinds. This paper argues for one form of sortalism.Section 1distinguishes two sortalist views.Section 2argues that one of them is false.Section 3argues that the other is true.Section 4uses the argument fromSection 3to develop a new response to the objection to sortalism from examples where we seem to succeed in referring even though we get sortal classification wrong, or do not attempt to classify at all.
Oral prednisone use and risk of keratinocyte carcinoma in non‐transplant population. The VATTC trial
Authors: Baibergenova A.T. , Weinstock M.A. ,   VATTC Trial Group
Published: September 2011

Background  Glucorticosteroids (GC) are potent anti‐inflammatory medications with immunosuppressive property. Few retrospective studies have reported the increased risk of development of basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) associated with GC use.

Objective  We aimed to assess the effect of oral GC use on the risk of BCC and SCC using prospective data.

Methods  We analysed data from the Veterans Affairs Topical Tretinoin Chemoprevention Trial, which followed up patients from 1998 to 2004. Exposure to oral GCs was defined as (1) use of any oral GCs at any point during follow‐up and (2) use of GCs for a month or longer. Outcome was occurrence of new BCC or SCC. Cox proportional hazard models were used to estimate adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

Results  Among the 1051 study participants, 148 patients (14%) had prednisone prescription filled during study period, and 63 (6%) used prednisone for over a month. A total of 472 patients (45%) developed at least one BCC during study: 394 (44%) among non‐users of prednisone and 78 (53%) among any time users. The total number of new SCC was 309 (29%): 258 (29%) among non‐users of prednisone and 51 (34%) among users. Among any time prednisone users, the adjusted HR was 1.11 (95% CI, 0.87–1.42) for BCC, and 1.05 (95% CI, 0.76–1.45) for SCC. Among those who used prednisone for 30 or more days, the HR was 1.26 (95% CI, 0.90–1.78) for BCC, and 1.03 (95% CI, 0.66–1.60) for SCC.

Conclusion  This study does not support the existence of association between use of oral GCs and risk of BCC or SCC.
Relational Knowing and Epistemic Injustice: Toward a Theory ofWillful Hermeneutical Ignorance
Authors: Pohlhaus Gaile
Published: September 2011

I distinguish between two senses in which feminists have argued that the knower is social: 1. situated or socially positioned and 2. interdependent. I argue that these two aspects of the knower work in cooperation with each other in a way that can produce willful hermeneutical ignorance, a type of epistemic injustice absent from Miranda Fricker's Epistemic Injustice.Analyzing the limitations of Fricker's analysis of the trial of Tom Robinson in Harper Lee'sTo Kill a Mockingbirdwith attention to the way in whichsituatednessandinterdependence work in tandem, I develop an understanding of willful hermeneutical ignorance, which occurs when dominantly situated knowers refuse to acknowledge epistemic tools developed from the experienced world of those situated marginally. Such refusals allow dominantly situated knowers to misunderstand, misinterpret, and/or ignore whole parts of the world.
Comparison and Description of Transdiaphragmatic and Abdominal Minimally Invasive Cisterna Chyli Ablation in Dogs
Authors: Sakals Sherisse , Schmiedt Chad W. , Radlinsky MaryAnn G.
Published: September 2011

Objective

To develop, describe, and compare transdiaphragmatic (TD) and abdominal minimally invasive approaches to cisterna chyli (CC) ablation.

Study Design

Experimental study.

Animals

Adult dogs (n = 18; weighing, 19.0 ± 0.9 kg).

Methods

With dogs in sternal recumbency, laparoscopic camera and instrument portals were established entirely within the craniolateral aspect of the abdomen (AB) or in combination with a TD camera portal. A popliteal lymph node was injected with methylene blue to provide coloration of the CC in both groups. Once the CC was identified, laparoscopic forceps were used to tear and ablate the CC tissue. Ablation was confirmed by necropsy examination and observation of blue fluid leaking into the peritoneal cavity after injection of the ileocecocolic lymph nodes with methylene blue. After censor of the first 2 dogs in each group, the AB and TD techniques were compared using procedural time and visual analogue scale data of procedure ease, hemorrhage, triangulation efficiency, and adequacy of portal placement.

Results

Successful CC ablation was achieved in 7 of the TD group and 5 of the AB group. Failure was because of an inability to identify the CC or tearing of the aorta. Other than a longer procedural time in the TD group, there were no statistical differences identified. Complications encountered during the procedures led to technical refinements.

Conclusions

Both TD and AB minimally invasive approaches can be used to achieve successful CC ablation.
Occlusion of the Thoracic Duct Using Ultrasonically Activated Shears in Six Dogs
Authors: Leasure Christopher S. , Ellison Gary W. , Roberts John F. , Coomer Alastair R. , Choate Christina J.
Published: September 2011

Objective

To assess the feasibility of sealing the thoracic duct (TD) in dogs using ultrasonically activated shears via thoracoscopy.

Study Design

In vivoexperimental study.

Animals

Mature dogs (n= 6).

Methods

Dogs were anesthetized without pulmonary exclusion and positioned in left lateral recumbency. Lymphangiography was performed to identifyTDanatomy. Methylene blue was injected into the lymphatic catheter to identify theTDand its branches. Under thoracoscopic guidance (right dorsal 8–10th intercostal spaces), theTDwas sealed with an ultrasonic device and lymphangiography was repeated. If the flow of contrast continued beyond the occlusion site, additional attempts to seal the duct were made. Dogs were euthanatized, theTDwas excised and fixed in formalin for histopathology.

Results

Thoracoscopic identification of theTDwas possible in 5 dogs. Three dogs required conversion to a thoracoscopic‐assisted approach and 3 dogs required resealing of theTDcloser to the diaphragm. Thoracic duct occlusion (TDO) was ultimately achieved in all 6 dogs based on follow‐up lymphangiography.TDOby tissue coagulation was confirmed by histopathology.

Conclusions

Thoracoscopic identification and occlusion of theTDusing ultrasonically activated shears with bilateral lung ventilation is technically feasible in normal dogs and provides a less invasive alternative to open thoracotomy procedures.
Renal involvement of mantle cell lymphoma leading to end stage renal disease
Authors: Lee Hyeon Jeong , Seo Jong Woo , Cho Hyun Seop , Kang Yeojin , Bae Eun Jin , Lee Dong Won , Jeon Dae‐Hong , Lee Jong Sil , Chang Se‐Ho , Park Dong Jun
Published: September 2011

Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL), owing to its insensitivity to chemotherapy, has a poor prognosis, with a median survival of 3 years to 4 years. MCL frequently infiltrates other organs. However, reports involving kidney in living patients are rare. Here, we report a case of MCL with renal involvement leading to end stage renal disease that required renal replacement therapy. A 69‐year‐old man diagnosed with MCL 3 years earlier was admitted to our emergency room due to uremic symptoms. After eight cycles of chemotherapy, he had displayed complete remission, but experienced a recurrence 1.5 years later; after refusing chemotherapy, the patient was lost on follow‐up in the final 10 months. On presentation at the emergency room, the patient's serum blood urea nitrogen was 109.5 mg/dL, and creatinine was 11.1 mg/dL. All serological markers for secondary glomerulonephritis were negative. Renal biopsy revealed 50% sclerosis of the glomerulus and small dense lymphocyte infiltration of the tubulo‐interstitium. Similar cells were found on the gastric mucosa. Despite our recommendation for chemotherapy, he refused all treatments except for hemodialysis, which was maintained for 12 months until his death. This patient represents the first case report of the renal involvement of MCL leading to end stage renal disease.
Thermoelectric Property of Polycrystalline Aluminum‐Doped Zinc Oxide Enhanced by Micropore Foaming
Authors: Teranishi Takashi , Mori Yosuke , Hayashi Hidetaka , Kishimoto Akira
Published: September 2011

A unique micropore foaming technique was used to enhance the thermoelectric properties of polycrystalline aluminum‐doped zinc oxide (AZO). Silicon carbide (α‐SiC) and aluminum nitride (AlN) were used as foaming precursors. Thermoelectric conductivity, κ, decreased on addition of both precursors, increasing the porosity. Electric conductivity, σ, decreased upon addition of α‐SiC, and subsequent addition of AlN reversed the effect. This phenomenon is due to the chemical reactions that occur upon addition of each precursor: the active oxidation of α‐SiC and the decomposition reaction of AlN. The Seebeck coefficient, S, for 0.5 mol% AlN‐doped AZO (Al0.005Zn0.995O, AZO‐0.005) was more than twice that of conventional non‐doped AZO. Accordingly, the power factor and the figure of merit, ZT, for the porous AlN‐doped AZO‐0.005 were 4.9 and 5.8 times those of the conventional polycrystalline AZO, respectively, demonstrating that the compositionally optimized porous AZO exhibited excellent thermoelectric properties at high temperatures.
Comparative Study of Electrochromic Enhancement of Latent Fingerprints with Existing Development Techniques*
Authors: Beresford Ann L. , Brown Rachel M. , Hillman A. Robert , Bond John W.
Published: September 2011

Abstract:  To address the challenge of capturing latent fingerprint evidence from metal surfaces, a new method of latent fingerprint enhancement based on electrochromic polymer films has recently been developed. Here, we present a study comparing the development and visualization of nonvisible fingerprints on stainless steel substrates using this electrochromic enhancement approach with three classical methods (dusting, wet powder, and cyanoacrylate fuming). Two variants of the electrochromic enhancement method were utilized with polyaniline and poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene) as the electrochromic materials. Fingerprint samples were taken from different donors (varying in age and gender) and were exposed to different environments for systematically varied periods of time (up to 28 days). The environments represent plausible evidential scenarios: left under ambient conditions, washed with aqueous soap solution, washed with acetone, submerged in water, and maintained at elevated temperature. The electrochromic enhancement procedure frequently outperformed the traditional methods, particularly for samples exposed to more challenging histories.
NPY receptor subtype specification for behavioral adaptive strategies during limited food access
Authors: Pjetri E. , Adan R. A. , Herzog H. , de Haas R. , Oppelaar H. , Spierenburg H. A. , Olivier B. , Kas M. J.
Published: September 2011

The neuropeptide Y (NPY) system in the brain regulates a wide variety of behavioral, metabolic and hormonal homeostatic processes required for energy balance control. During times of limited food availability, NPY promotes behavioral hyperactivity necessary to explore and prepare for novel food resources. As NPY can act via 5 different receptor subtypes, we investigated the path through which NPY affects different behavioral components relevant for adaptation to such conditions. We tested NPY Y1 and Y2 receptor knockout mice and their wild‐type littermate controls in a daily scheduled limited food access paradigm with unlimited access to running wheel. Here we show that NPY Y1 receptor deficient mice lack the expression of appetitive behavior and that NPY Y2 receptors control the level of hyperactive behavior under these conditions. Thus, receptor specificity determines the differential expression of NPY‐mediated behavioral adaptations to overcome a negative energy status.
Brain energy metabolism is increased by chronic administration of bupropion
Authors: Ferreira Gabriela K. , Rezin Gislaine T. , Cardoso Mariane R. , Gonçalves Cinara L. , Borges Lislaine S. , Vieira Júlia S. , Gomes Lara M. , Zugno Alexandra I. , Quevedo João , Streck Emilio L.
Published: September 2011

Objectives:Based on the hypothesis that energy impairment may be involved in the pathophysiology of depression, we evaluated the activities of citrate synthase, malate dehydrogenase, succinate dehydrogenase (SDH), mitochondrial respiratory chain complexes I, II, II-III, IV and creatine kinase (CK) in the brain of rats submitted to chronic administration of bupropion.

Methods:Animals received daily administration of bupropion dissolved in saline (10 mg/kg, intraperitoneal) at 1.0 ml/kg body weight. The rats received injections once a day for 14 days; control rats received an equivalent volume of saline. Twelve hours after the last administration, the rats were killed by decapitation and brain was rapidly removed and kept on an ice plate. The activities of the enzymes were measured in different brain areas.

Results:We observed that the activities of citrate synthase and malate dehydrogenase, mithocondrial respiratory chain complexes I, II-III and IV and CK were not altered after chronic administration of bupropion. However, SDH activity was increased in the prefrontal cortex and cerebellum. In the hippocampus, cerebellum and striatum the activity of complex II was increased after chronic administration of bupropion.

Conclusions:Our results demonstrated that bupropion increased some enzymes of brain energy metabolism. These findings are in accordance with other studies which showed that some antidepressants may improve energy metabolism. The present results reinforce the hypothesis that antidepressants modulate brain energy metabolism.