bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
City in Space and Metaphor
Authors: Malekandathil Pius
Published: March 2010

The physical formatting of a city is done not by accident but by definite purposes and logic that its dominant groups intend to transcribe in space. The Portuguese, who developed Goa as their seat in Asia, transferred a large set of meanings of power into its urban space by resorting to architectural process as a language of domination. Wealth accumulated by casado traders and urban elites was made to get diverted to the erection of elegant and magnificent edifices and structures in the city that would evoke awe and impression among the onlookers in a way that would supplement and reinforce their claims of monopoly and domination in Indian Ocean trade. The structural formatting of the city went hand in hand with the creation of an ethnically exclusive Lusitanian social base at the power centre. The Portuguese city-dwellers, who brought immense wealth to the city out of private trade, formed the foundational base of the Estado da India, as well. In the seventeenth century with the mass exodus of city-dwellers from Goa to the peripheries of the empire following recurring pestilences and attacks from the Dutch and the English, non-Portuguese elements, particularly the Saraswat Brahmins, began to dominate the trade and banking sectors of the city causing eventually a change to happen in the ethnic nature of the social base at the power centre. Consequently the Portuguese authorities wove different metaphors and imageries around the city so as to make it appear appealing and sensitive and to keep the Portuguese residents back in the city, which in turn augmented the ability of the Portuguese state to use the urban space continually for furthering and perpetuating its political control.
The Circuit of Life
Authors: Sharma Yogesh
Published: March 2010

The problem of water availability was a pivotal facet of daily life, particularly in urban areas, where it had to be made perennially obtainable in large quantities. Thus, apart from river water, artificial water reservoirs of massive proportions, and also step wells were constructed on a great scale in most parts of the country. These reservoirs were replenished by the annual monsoons, and considerable efforts were made to manage water conservation and its supply to the city areas. European observers were struck by the remarkable architecture of these reservoirs and the role of the communities, officials, and individuals, in their construction and upkeep. Water could also become an instrument of conflict between European personnel and Indian officials; while its conservation brought to surface the rigid sociological and community problems related to the use of water.
An Historical Overview of Opium Cultivation and Changing State Attitudes towards the Crop in India, 1878–2000 A.D.
Authors: Deshpande Anirudh
Published: March 2010

The opium trade yielded enormous profits to the British imperialists during the nineteenth century and the first half of the twentieth century. While China was forcibly converted into the largest market for opium by the British from the early nineteenth century, India emerged as a fertile ground for the cultivation of poppy and manufacturing of opium under British monopoly during the colonial period. British rule in India and British control of the Indian princely states ensured a steady supply of opium from India to China, thereby facilitating the transfer of economic surplus from China to Britain. So profitable was the opium trade that the cultivation and production of opium in India was carefully monitored by the colonial state. The aim of the colonial state in India was profit maximization from the production and sale of opium but gradually, under growing international pressure after the First World War, feeble measures were contemplated to scale down the opium trade. The Indian nationalists, however, were firmly opposed to opium and tirelessly criticized the colonial discourse and policy on opium. Following this, after independence, the government of India became committed to the imposition of severe restrictions on poppy cultivation and opium production. From 1947 poppy would be grown in India under strict government control and only for medicinal purposes. Thus opium production was subjected to state monopoly during the colonial period and in independent India for different reasons. On the other hand opium smuggling, as a breach of state monopoly, remained widespread during the colonial period. Similarly, and despite the costly efforts made by the post-colonial state in India, substantial leakages into the illicit opium market have been reported by the sources since independence. This article narrates the story of attempted state control of poppy cultivation and opium production in modern India in the context of the challenges posed to the eradication of opium addiction by the politics of the Cold War and globalization eras
The Fixation and Processing of the Iconic Gestures That Accompany Talk
Authors: Beattie Geoffrey , Webster Kate , Ross Jamie
Published: March 2010

In everyday communication, semantic information is transmitted by both speech and the gestures that accompany speech. Listeners, therefore, need to monitor two quite different sources of information, more or less simultaneously. But we know little about the nature or timing of this process.This study analysed participants’ attentional focus on speech—gesture combinations, differing in both span and viewpoint, using a remote eye tracker. It found that participants spent most time fixating the face with just 2.1% of the time looking at gestures, but with certain categories of gesture, up to 26.5% of the stroke phases were successfully fixated. In other words, visual attention moves unconsciously and quickly to these information-rich movements. It was also found that low-span Character-Viewpoint gestures attracted most fixations and were looked at longest. Such gestures are particularly communicative, and the way these gestures attract visual attention may well be a crucial factor.
Mechanical performance comparison between RotaFlow and CentriMag centrifugal blood pumps in an adult ECLS model
Authors: Yulong Guan  , Xiaowei Su  , McCoach Robert , Kunselman Allen , El-Banayosy Aly , Ündar Akif
Published: March 2010

Introduction: Centrifugal blood pumps have been widely adopted in conventional adult cardiopulmonary bypass and circulatory assist procedures. Different brands of centrifugal blood pumps incorporate distinct designs which affect pump performance. In this adult extracorporeal life support (ECLS) model, the performances of two brands of centrifugal blood pump (RotaFlow blood pump and CentriMag blood pump) were compared.

Methods: The simulated adult ECLS circuit used in this study included a centrifugal blood pump, Quadrox D membrane oxygenator and Sorin adult ECLS tubing package. A Sorin Cardiovascular® VVR® 4000i venous reservoir (Sorin S.p.A., Milan, Italy) with a Hoffman clamp served as a pseudo-patient. The circuit was primed with 900ml heparinized human packed red blood cells and 300ml lactated Ringer’s solution (total volume 1200 ml, corrected hematocrit 40%). Trials were conducted at normothermia (36°C). Performance, including circuit pressure and flow rate, was measured for every setting analyzed.

Results: The shut-off pressure of the RotaFlow was higher than the CentriMag at all measurement points given the same rotation speed (p < 0.0001). The shut-off pressure differential between the two centrifugal blood pumps was significant and increased given higher rotation speeds (p < 0.0001). The RotaFlow blood pump has higher maximal flow rate (9.08 ± 0.01L/min) compared with the CentriMag blood pump (8.37 ± 0.02L/min) (p < 0.0001). The blood flow rate differential between the two pumps when measured at the same revolutions per minute (RPM) ranged from 1.64L/min to 1.73L/min.

Conclusions: The results obtained in this experiment demonstrate that the RotaFlow has a higher shut-off pressure (less retrograde flow) and maximal blood flow rate than the CentriMag blood pump. Findings support the conclusion that the RotaFlow disposable pump head has a better mechanical performance than the CentriMag. In addition, the RotaFlow disposable pump is 20-30 times less expensive than the CentriMag.
Psychometric testing of the modified Care Dependency Scale for Rehabilitation
Authors: Eichhorn-Kissel Juliane , Dassen Theo , Kottner Jan , Lohrmann Christa
Published: March 2010

Objective: To determine the psychometric properties of the modified Care Dependency Scale for Rehabilitation.

Design: All patients were assessed independently by a different set of two randomly selected nurses.

Setting and subjects: A convenience sample consisting of 1197 patients and 42 nurses was recruited in an Austrian rehabilitation centre specialized on the treatment and care of neurological and orthopaedic patients.

Measures: The Care Dependency Scale for Rehabilitation and the Barthel Index.

Data analysis: To estimate aspects of reliability, Cronbach’s alpha, Cohen’s kappa, percentage agreement, intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and standard error of measurement (SEM) were calculated. To evaluate the construct validity, a factor analysis was conducted. Criterion-related validity was examined by comparing data of the modified Care Dependency Scale for Rehabilitation with the Barthel Index and Pearson calculation.

Results: The calculation of Cronbach’s alpha yielded values of 0.97. Kappa values were between 0.89 and 0.96, values of percentage agreement between 96% and 99%, ICC values between 0.94 and 0.99, and SEM values between 0.08 and 0.17. Pearson (r) was 0.88. The factor analysis revealed a one-factor solution.

Conclusion: The modified Care Dependency Scale for Rehabilitation shows a high internal consistency, as well as a high level of equivalence. Furthermore, criterion-related validity and construct validity have shown satisfying results.
Neuroethical issues in cognitive enhancement
Authors: Sahakian Barbara J , Morein-Zamir Sharon
Published: March 2010

Neuroethics is a developing field, concerned with addressing present and future applied ethical issues brought about directly and indirectly by neuroscience advancements. One domain where neuroscience has begun to have far-reaching ethical implications is in the research and development of pharmaceutical cognitive enhancers. Though such drugs are typically developed to treat cognitive disabilities and improve the quality of life for patients with neuropsychiatric disorders and brain injury, research has found that such drugs can improve performance on cognitive tasks in healthy individuals. In line with such findings is the growing use of these drugs by students and others for cognitive-enhancing purposes. The present paper reviews some of the evidence in both neuropsychiatric and healthy individuals and discusses the implications such research can have for society.
Parenting and research productivity: New evidence and methods
Authors: Hunter Laura A. , Leahey Erin
Published: March 2010

To date, studies on how having children affects the research productivity of academics, and whether the effects differ by gender, have had inconsistent findings. Using nuanced measures of parental obligations and linear growth modeling, we analyzed the effects of children on the entire careers of academics in two disciplines — linguistics and sociology — and tested for differential effects by gender. In addition, we modeled not only productivity, but also visibility, another component of scholarly success. Our findings suggest that after the birth a child, productivity growth declines, but more so for women. Thus, children account for part of the gender gap in rates of productivity over time. Children also have an impact on the research visibility of academics, but cannot account for gender differences in visibility.
Patellofemoral Instability in Athletes
Authors: Tjoumakaris Fotios Paul , Forsythe Brian , Bradley James P.
Published: March 2010

Background

Surgical treatment of patellofemoral instability can successfully diminish episodes of subluxation and dislocation, as well as symptoms of pain and instability.

Hypothesis

Surgical treatment of lateral patellar instability in a strictly athletic population will facilitate return to sports.

Study Design

Case series; Level of evidence, 4.

Methods

From 1999 to 2004, 41 Fulkerson osteotomies combined with an arthroscopic lateral release were performed in 34 athletes for patellofemoral instability. Three patients were lost to follow-up. All patients participated in sports at least 3 times per week in at least one sport for 4 months of the year. There were 4 male and 30 female patients; 7 patients underwent bilateral, staged procedures. There were 14 high school, 12 collegiate, and 8 recreational athletes. Results were obtained by an independent examiner.

Results

The mean age was 20.05 years (range, 14-54 years) with a mean follow-up of 46 months (range, 22-71 months). Patients averaged 1.3 dislocations before reconstruction (range, 0-6). The average Lysholm score was 91.8 (range, 67-100) at follow-up. The International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) scores were A (normal) in 27 knees, B (near normal) in 12, and C (abnormal) in 2. Seventeen patients had symptomatic hardware removed at an average of 8 months. There were 2 complications: one saphenous neuroma that resolved, and one recurrent dislocation in a patient later diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome.

Conclusion

This series is the largest to date documenting the successful treatment of patellofemoral instability in athletes with concomitant Fulkerson osteotomy and arthroscopic lateral release. Forty-nine percent of patients in our series required removal of screws from the osteotomy site.
Household waste prevention — a review of evidence
Authors: Cox Jayne , Giorgi Sara , Sharp Veronica , Strange Kit , Wilson David C. , Blakey Nick
Published: March 2010

This paper reports a synthesis of policy-relevant evidence on household waste prevention, based on a UK portfolio of primary research and a broad international review. Waste prevention was defined as strict avoidance, reduction at source (e.g. home composting) and reuse (for the product’s original purpose) — recycling was excluded. A major focus was on consumers. Waste prevention is not one but many behaviours; the review revealed a general hierarchy in their popularity, from donating goods to charity at the top; through small reuse behaviours around the home; to activities involving changes in consumption habits at the bottom; one estimate is that 60% of the public does at least one of these activities, some of the time. Barriers to engaging householders include both modern consumer culture and a genuine confusion that waste prevention is equivalent to recycling. The public can be engaged through local or national campaigns, with a wide range of interventions and communications approaches available. On the products and services side, the primary opportunity within the scope of the review was identified as increasing reuse. The barriers included operational difficulties (funding, capacity, logistics) and consumer attitudes towards second-hand goods. The main opportunities are to ensure more strategic planning for reuse by local authorities and better co-ordination and joint working with the third sector. The review examined the impact or potential of various policy measures designed to influence household behaviour directly or the products and services provided to them. Overall, the international evidence suggests that waste prevention benefits will be derived from a ‘package’ of measures, including, for example, prevention targets, producer responsibility, householder charging, funding for pilot projects, collaboration between the public, private and third sectors, and public intervention campaigns. UK evidence suggests that the greatest tonnage diversions can be achieved on food waste, home composting and bulky waste. The principal evidence gaps relate to robust and comprehensive quantitative data. Better evidence is needed of what actually works, and what outcomes (weight, carbon and costs) can be expected from different measures. More sensitive and effective monitoring and evaluation is needed to provide the evidence required to develop the necessary basket of future policy measures at local and national level.
Delivery and impact of household waste prevention intervention campaigns (at the local level)
Authors: Sharp Veronica , Giorgi Sara , Wilson David C.
Published: March 2010

This paper presents one strand of the findings from a comprehensive synthesis review of policy-relevant evidence on household waste prevention. Understanding what is achievable in terms of local household waste prevention intervention campaigns enables policy makers, local authorities and practitioners to identify optimum approaches to deliver effective behaviour change. The results of the evidence have been assembled and are discussed in two contexts: (1) the delivery of intervention campaigns as a package of measures used to ‘enable’, ‘engage’ and ‘encourage’ householders to change their behaviour; and (2) the impact of local household waste prevention intervention campaigns in terms of tonnage data. Waste prevention measures adopted include home composting, reducing food waste, smart shopping, donating items for reuse, small changes in the home, reducing junk mail and using cloth/reusable nappies. In terms of diverting biodegradable municipal waste from landfill, the biggest impacts can be attributed to food waste prevention (1.5 kg household— 1 week—1) and home composting (2.9 kg household —1 week—1). Projects providing a package of other waste prevention interventions have shown a very wide range of impacts: a broad indication is that such a package could achieve around 0.5 to 1 kg household—1 week— 1 reduction at source. Disaggregating which waste prevention measures influenced uptake is generally not possible, but the evidence suggests that this does not matter: behaviour change has been supported by integrating a range of intervention tools and campaign promotions which have made a collective rather than isolated difference: it is a collection and an accumulation of measures that will have impact.
Methods to monitor and evaluate household waste prevention
Authors: Sharp Veronica , Giorgi Sara , Wilson David C.
Published: March 2010

This paper presents one strand of the findings from a comprehensive synthesis review of the policy-relevant evidence on household waste prevention. The focus herein is on how to measure waste prevention: it is always difficult to measure what is not there. Yet reliable and robust monitoring and evaluation of household waste prevention interventions is essential, to enable policy makers, local authorities and practitioners to: (a) collect robust and high quality data; (b) ensure robust decisions are made about where to prioritize resources; and (c) ensure that waste prevention initiatives are being effective and delivering behaviour change. The evidence reveals a range of methods for monitoring and evaluation, including self-weighing; pre- and post-intervention surveys, focusing on attitudes and behaviours and/or on participation rates; tracking waste arisings via collection data and/or compositional analysis; and estimation/modelling. There appears to be an emerging consensus that no single approach is sufficient on its own, rather a ‘hybrid’ method using a suite of monitoring approaches — usually including surveys, waste tonnage data and monitoring of campaigns — is recommended. The evidence concurs that there is no benefit in trying to further collate evidence from past waste prevention projects, other than to establish, in a few selected cases, if waste prevention behaviour has been sustained beyond cessation of the active intervention campaign. A more promising way forward is to ensure that new intervention campaigns are properly evaluated and that the evidence is captured and collated into a common resource.
Japan as “Self ” or “the Other” in Yoshinori Kobayashi’s On Taiwan
Authors: Hwang Yih-Jye
Published: March 2010

This article is an attempt to demonstrate how and through which social practices Taiwan’s past colonial experiences have been discursively produced in a certain way and what other alternatives have been excluded from this process. The article scrutinizes the controversy surrounding a Japanese manga On Taiwan, a book that provides a very positive evaluation of the legacy of Japanese colonialism in Taiwan. Through analyzing statements, utterances, and conducts concerning this manga that were produced by those who have various positions, this article aims to comprehend how the discourses of Japanese colonialism and Sino-chauvinism reciprocally conflict and compete with each other in ways that affect people’s self-identification, producing a particular form of subjectivity of Taiwan, while excluding, repressing, and silencing other alternatives.
Occupational safety in China: Safety climate and its influence on safety-related behavior
Authors: Zhu Cherrie Jiuhua , Di Fan  , Gui Fu  , Clissold Gemma
Published: March 2010

The improvement of health and safety standards within the organizational context is an important issue of global concern. China’s occupational health and safety (OHS) has increasingly drawn national and international attention as it has not kept pace with its globalization of production and trade. The traditional approach to managing workplace safety in China has focused on the technical aspects of engineering systems and processes, and it has attributed the majority of workplace accidents and injuries to unsafe working conditions instead of the unsafe work practices of employees. However, there has been a fundamental shift in the safety management research carried out in many countries and across diverse industries, which aims to measure the impact of attitudinal, organizational, cultural, and social dimensions on occupational safety. This article examines the relationship between safety climate and safety-related behavior in the Chinese context and draws implications for the management of occupational safety in China.
Supplementation of ascorbic acid prevents oxidative damages in arsenic-loaded hepatic tissue of rat: An ex vivo study
Authors: Rana Tanmoy , Asit Kumar Bera  , Das Subhashree , Pan Diganta , Bandyopadhyay Subhasish , Bhattacharya Debasis , De Sumanta , Subrata Kumar Das
Published: March 2010

Oxidative stress due to arsenic toxicity and ameliorative potentiality of L-ascorbic acid was evaluated in an ex vivo system of rat hepatic tissue. The study revealed that arsenic increased the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) and the level of lipid peroxidation (LPO), protein carbonyl (PC) and nitric oxide (NO) at 1 hour, 1.5 hours and 2 hours of incubation. Co-treatment with L-ascorbic acid was found effective to normalize the activity of SOD and CAT and the production of LPO, PC and NO in hepatic tissue. This ex vivo study suggested that ascorbic acid is helpful to ameliorate arsenic-induced oxidative stress. This may be one of the alternative screening systems to study the efficacy of antioxidant and hepatoprotective agent.
A review of multivariate longitudinal data analysis
Authors: Bandyopadhyay S. , Ganguli B. , Chatterjee A.
Published: March 2010

Repeated observation of multiple outcomes is common in biomedical and public health research. Such experiments result in multivariate longitudinal data, which are unique in the sense that they allow the researcher to study the joint evolution of these outcomes over time. Special methods are required to analyse such data because repeated observations on any given response are likely to be correlated over time while multiple responses measured at a given time point will also be correlated. We review three approaches for analysing such data in the light of the associated theory, applications and software. The first method consists of the application of univariate longitudinal tools to a single summary outcome. The second method aims at estimating regression coefficients without explicitly modelling the underlying covariance structure of the data. The third method combines all the outcomes into a single joint multivariate model. We also introduce a multivariate longitudinal dataset and use it to illustrate some of the techniques discussed in the article.
Time series methods for obtaining excess mortality attributable to influenza epidemics
Authors: Nunes Baltazar , Natário Isabel , Carvalho M. Lucília
Published: March 2010

The occurrence of influenza epidemics during winters, in the northern hemisphere countries, is known to be associated with observed excess mortality for all causes. A large variety of methods have been developed in order to estimate, from weekly or monthly mortality time series, the number of influenza-associated deaths in each season. The present work focus on the group of methods characterised by fitting statistical models to interrupted mortality time series. The study objective is to find a common ground between these methods in order to describe and compare them. They are unified in a single class, being categorised according to three main parameters: the model used to fit the interrupted time series and obtain a baseline, the a priori chosen type of periods used to estimate the influenza epidemic periods and the procedure used to fit the model to the time series (iterative or non-iterative). This generalisation led quite naturally to the construction of a set of user friendly R-routines, package flubase, implementing all these models. These routines were applied to data on about 20 years of weekly Portuguese number of deaths by pneumonia and influenza showing that, in this case, the parameter that had the highest impact on influenza-associated deaths estimates was the a priori chosen type of period used.
In Vitro Study of Thrombin on Tubule Formation and Regulators of Angiogenesis
Authors: Binhui Wang  , Pearson Timothy , Manning Gillian , Donnelly Richard
Published: March 2010

Objective: Angiogenesis occurs within atherosclerotic plaques, and thrombin has been implicated in plaque progression by increasing smooth muscle cell proliferation and upregulating Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) receptor expression. This study investigated the effects of thrombin on key aspects of angiogenesis and expression of pro- and anti-angiogenic regulators: VEGF and Pigment Epithelial Derived Factor. Research Design and Methods: Human umbilical smooth muscle cells (HUASMC) were exposed to vehicle or thrombin at 10 U/ml. To quantify cell proliferation, methyl tetrazolium salt (MTS) solution was added after exposure to thrombin for 24, 48 and 72 hours and the absorbance at 490nm recorded using a plate reader. For Real-time RT-PCR cells were exposed to thrombin for 24hr before analysis of VEGF and PEDF mRNA. A commercial Angiokit was used to construct an in vitro angiogenesis model to measure tubule formation and branching. After 12 days treatment with thrombin 10 U/ml, cells were fixed and the AngioSys 1.0 software was used to analyse tubule morphology. Results: In comparison with controls, thrombin significantly increased HUASMC proliferation (p = 0.002, n = 11) and VEGF mRNA expression by 93% (n = 4, p = 0.024). However in the HUVEC/fibroblast co-cultures it decreased the number of junctions [132(9) vs 196(18), n = 6, p = 0.017] and tubules [537 (17) vs 589 (26), n = 6, p = 0.049], and tubule length [11393 (1601) vs 12195 (1014), n = 6, p = 0.044], indicating an anti-angiogenic effect. Conclusions: Thrombin stimulates vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation and VEGF expression, but attenuates endothelial cell-mediated growth of vascular tubules and branching of new vascular structures.
Coagulation Factor XIII-A Val34Leu Polymorphism and the Risk of Coronary Artery Disease and Myocardial Infarction in a Chinese Han Population
Authors: Guodong Jin  , Beili Feng  , Peng Chen  , Oushan Tang  , Jian Wang  , Ji Ma  , Yuping Shi  , Geng Xu
Published: March 2010

There are controversial data regarding the impact of coagulation factor XIII A subunit (FXIII-A) Val34Leu polymorphism in the pathogeneric of coronary artery disease (CAD) and myocardial infarction (MI). Assuming this genetic factor is associated with the thrombotic process, we explored the role of FXIII-A Val34Leu in CAD and MI in a Chinese Han population. We recruited 195 consecutive patients with CAD confirmed by coronary angiography as well as a group of 203 controls. Factor XIII A Val34Leu polymorphism was determined through polymerase chain reaction—single strand conformational polymorphism (PCR-SSCP) analysis. We did not find the Leu/Leu genotype in patients with CAD or controls. No significant difference in Val34Leu gene polymorphism distribution was found between patients with CAD and the controls (P = .923). Subgroup analysis according to the history of MI showed the heterozygote Val/Leu genotype was associated with a significantly decreased risk of MI (P = .005; adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 1.75; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.28-2.25). Furthermore, our study displayed that the frequency of the Leu34 allele in a Chinese Han population was lower than that in Caucasian populations (2.5 vs 20.4%-28.3%). Our preliminary data indicate that the FXIII-A Leu34 allele may contribute to a protective effect against the development of MI. There is a low prevalence of the Leu34 allele in Han Chinese compared to Caucasians.
Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura in a Case of Brucellosis
Authors: Akbayram Sinan , Dogan Murat , Peker Erdal , Akgun Cihangir , Oner Ahmet Faik , Caksen Hüseyin
Published: March 2010

Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) is characterized by disseminated thrombotic occlusions located in the microcirculation and a syndrome of microangiopathic hemolytic anemia, thrombocytopenia, fever, and renal and neurologic abnormalities. Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura is encountered in a variety of clinical situations such as viral, bacterial, and mycobacterial infections, autoimmune disorders, drug reactions, connective tissue disease, and solid tumors. In this report, we present TTP in a case of brucellosis because of rare presentation. A 7-year-old girl was admitted with the complaints of headache, fever, hematuria, malaise, jaundice, epistaxis, and purpura. Her physical examination revealed conjunctival pallor, scleral icterus, petechial-purpuric skin lesions on both legs, and confusion. Laboratory tests showed hematocrit 14%; hemoglobin 4.8 g/dL; platelet count 6000/mm3, and reticulocytosis 6%. Peripheral blood smear revealed fragmented red blood cells and a complete absence of platelets. The clinical and laboratory findings were consistent with TTP. Serum antibrucella titration agglutination test was found to be 1/1280 positive.
A Case of the Giant Thrombus on Atrial Lead of a Patient Who Has a DDD Permanent Pacemaker
Authors: Acet Halit , Duygu Hamza , Ertas Faruk , Nazli Cem , Ergene Oktay
Published: March 2010

We report a case of the giant thrombus on atrial lead of a patient who has a DDD dual-chamber permanent pacemaker.
Effect of niacin ER/lovastatin on claudication symptoms in patients with peripheral artery disease
Authors: Hiatt William R , Hirsch Alan T , Creager Mark A , Rajagopalan Sanjay , Mohler Emile R , Ballantyne Christie M , Regensteiner Judith G , Treat-Jacobson Diane , Dale Rita A
Published: March 2010

In patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD), statins may improve the symptoms of claudication. The Intermittent Claudication Proof of Principle (ICPOP) study tested the hypothesis that the combination of extended release niacin plus lovastatin would improve exercise performance in patients with PAD and claudication compared with a diet intervention. A phase 3 double-blind, parallel-group, multi-center, 28-week multi-national study evaluated subjects with a history of claudication who had an ankle—brachial index (ABI) ≤ 0.90, a reproducible peak treadmill walking time (PWT) of 1—20 minutes, and a low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol level < 160 mg/dl (< 4.1 mmol/l). Subjects were randomly assigned to low-dose niacin 1000 mg plus lovastatin 40 mg (low niacin—statin), high-dose niacin 2000 mg plus lovastatin 40 mg (high niacin—statin), or diet intervention (diet). The co-primary efficacy endpoint of percent change in PWT and claudication onset time (COT) at 28 weeks was assessed using a graded treadmill protocol. At completion, 385 subjects were analyzed for safety and 370 subjects were analyzed for efficacy. The primary efficacy analysis showed no statistical significance for overall treatment effect at week 28 for the co-primary endpoint of PWT and COT. The PWT component of the primary endpoint increased 26.5% on diet, 37.8% on high niacin—statin ( p = 0.137) and 38.6% on low niacin—statin ( p = 0.096). Flushing as the most common event leading to discontinuation and treatment was associated with increases in liver enzymes, fasting blood glucose concentration and a decrease in platelet count.
Crosslinguistic influence in two directions: The acquisition of dative constructions in Cantonese—English bilingual children
Authors: Chenjie Gu Chloe
Published: March 2010

Previous studies suggest that language dominance and input ambiguity are the two major determinants of crosslinguistic influence in bilingual language acquisition. This article reports a case of bi-directional crosslinguistic transfer in the acquisition of dative constructions by Cantonese—English bilingual children. Longitudinal data of five bilingual children reveal qualitative and quantitative differences between bilingual and monolingual children in the development of English prepositional datives and Cantonese inverted double object datives. Individual differences among the five bilingual children largely correspond to their language dominance patterns, and input ambiguity also helps to explain some transfer effects. It is found that crosslinguistic influence is most likely to take place at vulnerable domains in language acquisition, and a great deal of the interaction between the two languages is observed in such domains. The findings suggest that crosslinguistic influence is pervasive in both directions of bilingual acquisition.
Pronoun acquisition in a Mandarin— English bilingual child
Authors: Ruying Qi
Published: March 2010

Studies on bilingual first language acquisition mainly concern the formal aspects of bilingual children’s language development. In-depth studies on the development of the personal pronoun system have so far received little attention in the literature. The longitudinal study is a first attempt to trace the developmental route of personal pronouns in an unbalanced 2L1 Chinese Mandarin—English child. Pragmatic and semantic issues relating to pronoun usage are addressed in order to examine order of emergence and production patterns of personal pronouns in Mandarin and English. The results are discussed in relation to the theoretical hypotheses and are compared to monolingual data. Findings seem to support speech role hypothesis. In other words, the bilingual child has no problem with the speech role function of pronouns. Further, this study provides some exploration into the role of the weaker language in bilingual language development as well as the nature and extent of the early separation and interaction of two linguistic systems in a language environment which is fundamentally unlike the one-parent-one-language setting. The results suggest that the bilingual child has a differentiated development in his two languages: that the two languages are not developed at the same rate, nor by the same route or the same strategy. The weaker language develops smoothly and in the same pattern as L1. In addition, this bilingual child adopts complementary strategies to reach two target usages of personal pronouns despite the apparent unbalanced input and output of his two languages. The data set of the current study consists of over 65 tape-recorded sessions of naturalistic speech collected over 30 months in context-based language use either Mandarin or English, where Mandarin is the home (and ethnic community) language spoken by both parents and other family members while English is the (dominant) language of all other environments.
Routine immunization coverage in underserved children of Aligarh (India): an effort with UNICEF
Authors: Athar Ansari M. , Khan Zulfia
Published: March 2010

The aims of the study were to find out the routine immunization coverage in under-five children; and to impart correct health education regarding the importance of complete immunization. This hospital- and outreach-session-based cross-sectional study was carried out by the interview method in two underserved areas of Aligarh city. Two thousand five hundred and thirty-one under-five children and their mothers or family members were included in the population sample. Statistical analysis was done by proportions and chi-square test. In Shahjamal area, a maximum 86.5 percent of children were immunized with DPT, OPV (86.5%) first doses followed by BCG (84.9%). DPT and OPV second and third doses were given in 64.5 percent and 54.8 percent respectively. Measles and DPT booster coverage was low at 39.0 percent and 11.4 percent respectively. Similarly, in Bhojpura, 99 percent of children received DPT and OPV first doses followed by BCG (94.1%). DPT and OPV second and third doses were given in 67.7 percent and 47.4 percent of children respectively. Measles and DPT booster coverage was low as 31.9 percent and 6.7 percent respectively. The results reveal high coverage of DPT1, OPV1, BCG, DPT2 and OPV2 in both areas. Immunization services need to be strengthened beyond infancy.
Experiences of Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Food Challenges (DBPCFC): a qualitative analysis of mothers’ experiences
Authors: Strinnholm Åsa , Brulin Christine , Lindh Viveca
Published: March 2010

Fear and anxiety are recurring problems for parents of food-allergic children. However, no study has described parents’ experiences of introducing food to their children after double-blind provocation. Therefore the aim of this study was to investigate mothers’ experiences during their child’s negative Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Food Challenge (DBPCFC) and the following reintroduction of food. Eight mothers were interviewed and a qualitative content analysis displayed two themes and six subthemes. The first theme, ‘living with fear of the unknown’, included the subthemes of ‘fear of losing control’, ‘having faith even though fear prevails’, ‘reintroducing despite fear’ and ‘fear of causing harm’. In the second theme, the mothers described the challenging process of ‘re-evaluating earlier experiences’ through the sub-themes of ‘daring to take new challenges’ and ‘refraining from new challenges’. Our study indicates that the maternal perspective — not only the professional perspective — needs to be taken into account if mothers are to succeed in the challenging process of reintroducing foods.
On the margins of belonging
Authors: Lee Raymond L.M.
Published: March 2010

Recent debates on cosmopolitanism have focused on the problem of solidarity and belonging within the context of the nation-state. In particular, the idea of belonging is taken to be a key feature of social organization related to the institutions of the nation-state. Yet the complexities of belonging have not been closely examined. In this regard, the idea of liquid modernity and the recent work on racialized labour pose new questions concerning the limits of belonging. Weakening social bonds due to liquidity and new forms of belonging arising from resistance to racialization suggest paradoxical conditions problematizing the meaning of cosmopolitanism. The aim of this article is to articulate the significance of liquidity and marginality in conceptualizing the relation between the nation-state and cosmopolitanism.
Children’s participation in research
Authors: Graham Anne , Fitzgerald Robyn
Published: March 2010

This article draws attention to a number of critical issues that exist in the current Australian research context which simultaneously enable and constrain children’s participation in research. These include prevailing understandings of children and childhood, the emerging research assessment environment and the ethical frameworks that regulate children’s involvement in qualitative research. The discussion is framed by a number of questions that remain unsettled for the authors as they attempt to pursue research with and for children and young people that is unselfconsciously focused on ‘improving’ rather than ‘proving’ the social conditions that shape their lives.
Production, Consumption, Prosumption
Authors: Ritzer George , Jurgenson Nathan
Published: March 2010

This article deals with the rise of prosumer capitalism. Prosumption involves both production and consumption rather than focusing on either one (production) or the other (consumption). It is maintained that earlier forms of capitalism (producer and consumer capitalism) were themselves characterized by prosumption. Given the recent explosion of user-generated content online, we have reason to see prosumption as increasingly central. In prosumer capitalism, control and exploitation take on a different character than in the other forms of capitalism: there is a trend toward unpaid rather than paid labor and toward offering products at no cost, and the system is marked by a new abundance where scarcity once predominated. These trends suggest the possibility of a new, prosumer, capitalism.
Service-learning: Thinking outside the box
Authors: Deeley Susan J.
Published: March 2010

Service-learning is a form of experiential learning that combines academic coursework with voluntary service in the community. There is a dearth of critical analysis of the effects of service-learning. To address this issue, this practitioner research aimed to explore and understand its effects. An inductive approach, using qualitative and grounded theory methods, was used. Twelve semi-structured, in-depth individual interviews and two focus groups, one held at the beginning and the other at the end of the students’ service placement, were conducted. Sequential and comparative analysis was made of the data gathered from various sources related to the course. The study demonstrates how intellectual and personal development can occur through service-learning. It also highlights potentially negative effects, but suggests that, overall, service-learning is potentially conducive to students’ transformation.
Complexity, cues and relationships: Student perceptions of feedback
Authors: Pokorny Helen , Pickford Pamela
Published: March 2010

This article discusses issues relating to the effectiveness of feedback and the student perspective. The study described provides rich data relating to student perceptions of useful feedback, their perceptions of feedback cues and their feelings about the importance of feedback relationships in the process. The outcomes suggest that written feedback is often not the most effective tool for helping students to improve their learning. The students in this study had much broader perceptions of useful feedback. Their perceptions challenge some of the assumptions that might be seen to underpin auditing approaches to monitoring the quality of feedback such as that of the National Student Survey.
Fungal contamination of water and water-related surfaces in three hospital wards with immunocompromised patients at risk for invasive fungal infections
Authors: Figueiredo Fonseca Julia de Castro , Bouakline Adel , Claisse Jean-Pierre , Feuilhade Martine , Baruchel André , Dombret Hervé , Pavie Juliette , Andrade Moreira Elisabeth Spangler , Derouin Francis , Lacroix Claire
Published: March 2010

Studies suggest that hospital water supplies may serve as a reservoir for fungi and play a role in their spread. The objective of this study was to provide data on the fungal contamination of water, surfaces, and air of areas of water usage in three hospital wards that admit immunocompromised patients at risk for invasive fungal infection. Air, surface, and water samples were collected in patients’ rooms and water facilities of each ward. Analysis of 215 water samples show differences between wards in fungal recovery rates and isolated species, but Fusarium spp. were the predominant fungi. On the 838 surface samples, a similar fungal diversity was found and Fusarium spp. were the predominant fungi. Aspergillus spp. dominated among the moulds recovered from air. This study confirms that different moulds, mainly Fusarium spp., are present in water and surfaces and that prevention of the risk of nosocomial fungal infection should include a stringent maintenance and cleaning of water facilities.
Using cognitive interviews to refine a household contacts survey on the epidemiology of community-associated methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus
Authors: Macario Everly , Daum Robert Steven , Miller Loren Gregory , Eells Samantha Jacqueline
Published: March 2010

Community-associated methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) infections have become epidemic in many parts of the world and are responsible for significant morbidity and mortality. In preparation for a large longitudinal CA-MRSA Household Contacts Study, we developed a survey of potential CA-MRSA risk factors. To assess the survey’s interpretation, comprehension, and cultural- and age-appropriateness, we conducted cognitive interviews, which prompt respondents to reveal cues to the thought processes involved when responding, among eight patients who represented various demographic criteria and CA-MRSA risks. The interviews used a combination of face-to-face interviews and self-administered surveys. Testing the Household Contacts Study survey instrument using cognitive interviews provided insight into ways to address potentially ambiguous survey items and patient concerns. An unexpected finding that the cognitive interviews uncovered was the emotional impact that diagnosis of MRSA had on respondents. The resulting survey will lead to a better understanding of CA-MRSA pathogenesis and prevention.
What Makes It So Great?
Authors: Hinkin Timothy R. , Tracey J. Bruce
Published: March 2010

Although few hospitality organizations are listed in the annual survey of Fortune magazine’s one hundred best companies to work for, an analysis of companies with similar operating challenges provides clear direction for hospitality and service companies’ human resource practices. This study examined twenty-one companies, including one food-service firm (Starbucks) and three hotel chains (Four Seasons, Kimpton, and Marriott). The remainder of the companies analyzed were grocery and health care organizations, both of which share human resources issues with the hospitality industry, such as long operating hours, relatively high turnover, and relatively low pay. The innovative human resources practices isolated in this analysis were a culture that emphasizes the value of people, scheduling flexibility, creative staffing practices, people-oriented training programs, transparent and well-aligned performance management policies, and compensation policies that reflect the organization’s values and link pay to performance.
Effect of cyclic stress reduction on high temperature creep characteristics of solid solution Al−2·9 wt-Mg alloy
Authors: Abd El-Rehim A. F. , Mahmoud M. A.
Published: March 2010

Creep characteristics of solid solution Al−2·9 wt-Mg alloy have been investigated under the effect of cyclic stress reduction of different amplitudes (12·47−26·18 MPa) and frequencies (0·20−0·44 Hz) at different working temperatures ranging from 533 to 593 K. It was found that increasing both amplitude and frequency of cyclic stress reduction resulted in an increase in both transient and steady state creep stages. The enhancement of creep rate was observed above either a threshold stress or a threshold frequency. The activation energy values of the mechanisms operating in both transient and steady state creep stages were found to be 130 and 171 kJ mol−1 respectively.