bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Sensing and Identification of Nonlinear Dynamics of Slider with Clearance in Sub-5 Nanometer Regime
Authors: Sheng Gang
Published: May 2011

This paper provides an overview of the problems pertaining to the sensing and identification of nonlinear dynamics of slider with clearance in sub-5 nanometer regime. This problem is complex in nature because the nonlinear dynamics of slider in sub-5 nanometer clearance regime involves different sources of nonlinear, nonstationary, and uncertainty characteristics. For example, the involved forces such as air-bearing force, intermolecular force, and contact forces are all nonlinear. The complex interface interaction with mobile lubricant makes the slider response be nonstationary. Furthermore, the interfacial parameters are available only by assumptions in the sense of statistics. Most of the reported studies either focused on physics-based simulations by using assumed interfacial parameters or focused on experimental characterization. The issues of the sensing and identification of the nonlinear dynamic properties of slider in nanometer clearance regime will be discussed with an aim at illustrating the promising approaches for improving the correlation between test data and physics-based simulations.
Repertoire of SSRs in the Castor Bean Genome and Their Utilization in Genetic Diversity Analysis inJatropha curcas
Authors: Sharma Arti , Chauhan Rajinder Singh
Published: May 2011

Castor bean andJatrophacontain seed oil of industrial importance, share taxonomical and biochemical similarities, which can be explored for identifying SSRs in the whole genome sequence of castor bean and utilized inJatropha curcas. Whole genome analysis of castor bean identified 5,80,986 SSRs with a frequency of 1 per 680 bp. Genomic distribution of SSRs revealed that 27% were present in the non-genic region whereas 73% were also present in the putative genic regions with 26% in 5′UTRs, 25% in introns, 16% in 3′UTRs and 6% in the exons. Dinucleotide repeats were more frequent in introns, 5′UTRs and 3′UTRs whereas trinucleotide repeats were predominant in the exons. The transferability of randomly selected 302 SSRs, from castor bean to 49J. curcasgenotypes and 8Jatrophaspecies other thanJ. curcas, showed that 211 (~70%) amplified onJatrophaout of which 7.58% showed polymorphisms inJ. curcasgenotypes and 12.32% inJatrophaspecies. The higher rate of transferability of SSR markers from castor bean toJatrophacoupled with a good level of PIC (polymorphic information content) value (0.2 inJ. curcasgenotypes and 0.6 inJatrophaspecies) suggested that SSRs would be useful in germplasm analysis, linkage mapping, diversity studies and phylogenetic relationships, and so forth, inJ. curcasas well as otherJatrophaspecies.
Weighted Asymptotically Periodic Solutions of Linear Volterra Difference Equations
Authors: Diblík Josef , Růžičková Miroslava , Schmeidel Ewa , Zbąszyniak Małgorzata
Published: May 2011

A linear Volterra difference equation of the form where x : ℕ0 → ℝ, a : ℕ0 → ℝ, K : ℕ0 × ℕ0 → ℝ and b : ℕ0 → ℝ∖{0} is ω‐periodic, is considered. Sufficient conditions for the existence of weighted asymptotically periodic solutions of this equation are obtained. Unlike previous investigations, no restriction on is assumed. The results generalize some of the recent results.
Caring for Others, but Not Themselves: Implications for Health Care Interventions in Women with Cardiovascular Disease
Authors: DiGiacomo Michelle , Davidson Patricia M. , Zecchin Robert , Lamb Kate , Daly John
Published: May 2011

Cardiovascular disease is the largest killer of women internationally and women often suffer inferior outcomes following an acute cardiac event as compared to men. A gendered approach to investigating cardiovascular disease in women incorporates the unique social, cultural, and economic circumstances that being a woman brings to the health encounter. The multiple roles enacted by many women may be important factors in this health discrepancy. In order to more fully understand the impact of the roles of women on health, a questionnaire was administered to participants of theHeart Awareness for Womengroup cardiac rehabilitation program which assessed women's role perceptions followed by discussions. We found that caregiving can be both positive and negative. It gives a sense of purpose, meaning, and community connection as well as burden and conflict. Emphasis must be placed on promoting strategies in women to achieve a balance between caregiving responsibilities and prioritisation of cardiovascular health.
Computing the Characteristic Polynomials of a Class of Hyperelliptic Curves for Cryptographic Applications
Authors: You Lin , Han Guangguo , Zeng Jiwen , Sang Yongxuan
Published: May 2011

Hyperelliptic curves have been widely studied for cryptographic applications, and some special hyperelliptic curves are often considered to be used in practical cryptosystems. Computing Jacobian group orders is an important operation in constructing hyperelliptic curve cryptosystems, and the most common method used for the computation of Jacobian group orders is by computing
the zeta functions or the characteristic polynomials of the related hyperelliptic curves. For the hyperelliptic curve Cq: v2 = up + au + b over the field with q being a power of an odd prime p, Duursma and Sakurai obtained its characteristic polynomial for q = p, a = −1, and . In this paper, we determine the characteristic polynomials of Cq over the finite field for n = 1, 2 and a, . We also give some computational data which show that many of those curves have large prime factors in their Jacobian group orders, which are both practical and vital for the constructions of efficient and secure hyperelliptic curve cryptosystems.
In Vitro Corrosion Behavior of Lingual Orthodontic Archwires
Authors: Suárez Carlos , Vilar Teresa , Sevilla Pablo , Gil Javier
Published: May 2011

Objectives. To investigate the in vitro electrochemical corrosive behavior of archwires used in lingual orthodontics and the effects on the phase transition temperatures.Materials and Methods. Six different types of archwires of stainless steel, titanium-molybdenum, nickel-titanium and nickel-titanium-copper were used. Corrosion tests were performed following ISO-standard 10993-15:2000. Differential scanning calorimetry and scanning electron microscopy were used.Results. The stainless steel archwires showed anEpitaround −600 mV, and those of titanium alloys showedEpitvalues around 1000 mV. Differential scanning calorimetry detected a rhombohedral phase in nickel-titanium archwires, while it was not detected in nickel-titanium-copper wires. A difference of 2°C to 3.5°C from the manufacturer's claim was found in the as-received and polarized samples, respectively.Conclusions. The 0.016 stainless steel archwires were found to be the less resistant to corrosion. A rhombohedral phase was detected on the nickel-titanium archwires. No major differences were observed among groups concerning phase transformation temperatures.
Synthesis of High-Purity SnO2Nanobelts by Using Exothermic Reaction
Authors: Zhang Guodong , Liu Nian , Ren Zhengyuan , Yang Bing
Published: May 2011

This paper presents a new method to synthesize high-purity single-crystalline SnO2nanobelts with rutile structure. The purity, morphology, crystal structure, and sizes of the as-grown SnO2nanobelts are characterized by X-ray diffraction, energy-dispersive X-ray analysis, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and Raman-scattering spectroscopy. The scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy reveal tetragonal SnO2nanobelts of 50–120 nm in width, 20–50 nm in thickness, and 2–10 μm in length. The three observed Raman peaks at 475, 633, and 774 cm−1indicate the typical rutile structure of the SnO2, which is in agreement with the X-ray diffraction results, and other peaks of impurity are not found. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy demonstrates that the nanobelts have a high degree of crystallinity, without typical imperfects in it. And the growth mechanism of the SnO2nanobelts is discussed.
Splitting of Traffic Flows to Control Congestion in Special Events
Authors: D′Apice Ciro , Manzo Rosanna , Rarità Luigi
Published: May 2011

We deal with the optimization of traffic flows distribution at road junctions with an incoming road and two outgoing ones, in order to manage special events which determine congestion phenomena. Using a fluid‐dynamic model for the description of the car densities evolution, the attention is focused on a decentralized approach. Two cost functionals, measuring the kinetic energy and the average travelling times, weighted with the number of cars moving on roads, are considered. The first one is maximized with respect to the distribution coefficient, and the second is
minimized with respect to the same control parameter. The obtained results have been tested by simulations of urban networks. Decongestion effects are also confirmed estimating the time a car needs to cross a fixed route on the network.
Cell-Specific Dual Role of Caveolin-1 in Pulmonary Hypertension
Authors: Mathew Rajamma
Published: May 2011

A wide variety of cardiopulmonary and systemic diseases are known to lead to pulmonary hypertension (PH). A number of signaling pathways have been implicated in PH; however, the precise mechanism/s leading to PH is not yet clearly understood. Caveolin-1, a membrane scaffolding protein found in a number of cells including endothelial and smooth muscle cells, has been implicated in PH. Loss of endothelial caveolin-1 is reported in clinical and experimental forms of PH. Caveolin-1, also known as a tumor-suppressor factor, interacts with a number of transducing molecules that reside in or are recruited to caveolae, and it inhibits cell proliferative pathways. Not surprisingly, the rescue of endothelial caveolin-1 has been found not only to inhibit the activation of proliferative pathways but also to attenuate PH. Recently, it has emerged that during the progression of PH, enhanced expression of caveolin-1 occurs in smooth muscle cells, where it facilitates cell proliferation, thus contributing to worsening of the disease. This paper summarizes the cell-specific dual role of caveolin-1 in PH.
A New Testing Method for Lifetime Prediction of Automotive Exhaust Silencers
Authors: Yasir Muhammad , Mori Gregor , Wieser Helmut , Schattenkirchner Martin , Hogl Manuel
Published: May 2011

The purpose of this paper is to highlight the problems associated with daily routine corrosion tests performed in an automotive exhaust industry. Estimation of the life time of a complete system under real conditions is always uncertain and often leads to a disagreement. A new testing setup was built in which simulation of external and internal corrosion with additional thermal cycles can be performed simultaneously. Simulation of all real conditions makes this test totally versatile and unique among all the existing testing methods. All test results were investigated quantitatively and a direct comparison was made between some field systems with different mileage and total life. Conformity was accomplished between the results from corrosion tests and parts from the vehicles. Studies carried out on the silencers have shown that the new component testing method could be used for life time estimation of parts having different material and design combinations. On the basis of obtained results it can be stated that the new testing setup can be applied for different materials and design rankings.
From Smoking to Cancers: Novel Targets to Neuronal Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors
Authors: Lee Chia-Hwa , Wu Chih-Hsiung , Ho Yuan-Soon
Published: May 2011

Cigarette smoking bears a strong etiological association with many neovascularization-related diseases, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, and age-related macular degeneration. Cigarette smoke is a complex mixture of many compounds, including nicotine, which is the major active and addictive component of tobacco. Nicotine and its specific metabolized carcinogens directly bind to nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) on cell membranes and trigger the nAChR signal cascade. The nAChRs were originally thought to be ligand-gated ion channels that modulate physiological processes ranging from neurotransmission to cancer signaling. For several decades, the nAChRs served as a prototypic molecule for neurotransmitter receptors; however, they are now important therapeutic targets for various diseases, including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, schizophrenia, and even cancer. This paper describes recent advances in our understanding of the assembly, activity, and biological functions of nicotinic receptors, as well as developments in the therapeutic application of nicotinic receptor ligands.
Perioperative Nutrition in Abdominal Surgery: Recommendations and Reality
Authors: Cerantola Yannick , Grass Fabian , Cristaudi Alessandra , Demartines Nicolas , Schäfer Markus , Hübner Martin
Published: May 2011

Introduction. Preoperative malnutrition is a major risk factor for increased postoperative morbidity and mortality. Definition and diagnosis of malnutrition and its treatment is still subject for controversy. Furthermore, practical implementation of nutrition-related guidelines is unknown.Methods. A review of the available literature and of current guidelines on perioperative nutrition was conducted. We focused on nutritional screening and perioperative nutrition in patients undergoing digestive surgery, and we assessed translation of recent guidelines in clinical practice.Results and Conclusions. Malnutrition is a well-recognized risk factor for poor postoperative outcome. The prevalence of malnutrition depends largely on its definition; about 40% of patients undergoing major surgery fulfil current diagnostic criteria of being at nutritional risk. TheNutritional Risk Scoreis a pragmatic and validated tool to identify patients who should benefit from nutritional support. Adequate nutritional intervention entails reduced (infectious) complications, hospital stay, and costs. Preoperative oral supplementation of a minimum of five days is preferable; depending on the patient and the type of surgery, immune-enhancing formulas are recommended. However, surgeons' compliance with evidence-based guidelines remains poor and efforts are necessary to implement routine nutritional screening and nutritional support.
Almost α‐Hyponormal Operators with Weyl Spectrum of Area Zero
Authors: Lauric Vasile
Published: May 2011

We define the class of almost α‐hyponormal operators and prove that
for an operator T
in this class, is trace‐class and its trace is zero when
α ∈ (0, 1]
and the area of the Weyl spectrum is zero.
On the Differentiabilityof Weak Solutions of an Abstract Evolution Equation with a Scalar Type Spectral Operator
Authors: Markin Marat V.
Published: May 2011

For the evolution equation y′(t) = Ay(t) with a scalar type spectral operator A in a Banach space, conditions on A are found that are necessary and sufficient for all weak solutions of the equation on [0, ∞) to be strongly infinite differentiable on [0, ∞) or [0, ∞). Certain effects of smoothness improvement of the weak solutions are analyzed.
A Symphony of Regulations Centered on p63 to Control Development of Ectoderm‐Derived Structures
Authors: Guerrini Luisa , Costanzo Antonio , Merlo Giorgio R.
Published: May 2011

The p53‐related transcription factor p63 is critically important for basic cellular functions during development of the ectoderm and derived structure and tissues, including skin, limb, palate, and hair. On the one side, p63 is required to sustain the proliferation of keratinocyte progenitors, while on the other side it is required for cell stratification, commitment to differentiate, cell adhesion, and epithelial‐mesenchymal signaling. Molecules that are components or regulators of the p63 pathway(s) are rapidly being identified, and it comes with no surprise that alterations in the p63 pathway lead to congenital conditions in which the skin and other ectoderm‐derived structures are affected. In this paper, we summarize the current knowledge of the molecular and cellular regulations centered on p63, derived from the comprehension of p63‐linked human diseases and the corresponding animal models, as well as from cellular models and high‐throughput molecular approaches. We point out common themes and features, that allow to speculate on the possible role of p63 downstream events and their potential exploitation in future attempts to correct the congenital defect in preclinical studies.
Treatment of Comorbid Obesity and Major Depressive Disorder: A Prospective Pilot Study for their Combined Treatment
Authors: Faulconbridge Lucy F. , Wadden Thomas A. , Berkowitz Robert I. , Pulcini Melissa E. , Treadwell Thomas
Published: May 2011

Background. Obese individuals who suffer from major depressive disorder are routinely screened out of weight loss trials. Treatments targeting obesity and depression concurrently have not been tested.Purpose. To test the short-term efficacy of a treatment that combined behavioral weight management and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for obese adults with depression.Methods. Twelve obese females diagnosed with major depressive disorder received weekly group behavioral weight management, combined with CBT for depression, for 16 weeks. Weight, symptoms of depression, and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors were measured at baseline and week 16.Results. Participants lost 11.4% of initial weight and achieved significant improvements in symptoms of depression and CVD risk factors.Conclusions. Obese individuals suffering from major depressive disorder can lose weight and achieve improvements in symptoms of depression and CVD risk factors with 16 weeks of combined treatment. A larger randomized controlled trial is needed to establish the efficacy of this treatment.
Proteomic Analysis of Larval Midgut from the Silkworm (Bombyx mori)
Authors: Zhang Sai , Xu Yunmin , Fu Qiang , Jia Ling , Xiang Zhonghuai , He Ningjia
Published: May 2011

The midgut is the major organ for food digestion, nutrient absorption and also a barrier for foreign substance. The 5th-instar larval stage of silkworm is very important for larval growth, development, and silk production. In the present study, we used 2-DE and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) to analyze the midgut proteins from the 5th-instar larvae as well as the midgut proteins under starvation condition. A total of 96 proteins were identified in this study; and among them, 69 proteins were observed in midgut for the first time. We also found that the silkworm larval midgut responded to starvation by producing a 10 kDa heat shock protein and a diapause hormone precursor.
Optical, X-Ray Diffraction, and Magnetic Properties of the Cobalt-Substituted Nickel Chromium Ferrites (FeO4, ) Synthesized Using Sol-Gel Autocombustion Method
Authors: Singhal Sonal , Bhukal Santosh , Singh Jagdish , Chandra Kailash , Bansal S.
Published: May 2011

Cobalt-substituted nickel chromium ferrites (FeO4, ) have been synthesized using sol-gel autocombustion method and annealed at 400 °C, 600 °C, 800 °C, and 1000 °C. All the ferrite samples have been characterized using UV-VIS spectrophotometery, FT-IR spectroscopy, Transmission Electron Microscopy, powder X-Ray Diffraction, and magnetic measurements. Typical FT-IR spectra of the samples annealed at 400°C, 600°C, 800°C, and 1000°C exhibit two frequency bands in the range of~480 cm−1and~590 cm−1corresponding to the formation of octahedral and tetrahedral clusters of metal oxide, respectively. TEM images reveal that crystallite size increases from~10 nm to~45 nm as the annealing temperature is increased from 400°C to 1000°C. The unit cell parameter “a” is found to increase on increasing the cobalt concentration due to larger ionic radius of cobalt. Also, as the cobalt concentration increases, the saturation magnetization increases from 4.32 to 19.85 emu/g. This is due to the fact that cobalt ion replaces the less magnetic nickel ions. However, the coercivity decreases with increase in cobalt concentration due to the decrease in anisotropy field. The band gap has been calculated using UV-VIS spectrophotometry and has been found to decrease with the increase of particle size.
The Bone Niche of Chondrosarcoma: A Sanctuary for Drug Resistance, Tumour Growth and also a Source of New Therapeutic Targets
Authors: David E. , Blanchard F. , Heymann M. F. , De Pinieux G. , Gouin F. , Rédini F. , Heymann D.
Published: May 2011

Chondrosarcomas are malignant cartilage-forming tumours representing around 20% of malignant primary tumours of bone and affect mainly adults in the third to sixth decade of life. Unfortunately, the molecular pathways controlling the genesis and the growth of chondrosarcoma cells are still not fully defined. It is well admitted that the invasion of bone by tumour cells affects the balance between early bone resorption and formation and induces an “inflammatory-like” environment which establishes a dialogue between tumour cells and their environment. The bone tumour microenvironment is then described as a sanctuary that contributes to the drug resistance patterns and may control at least in part the tumour growth. The concept of “niche” defined as a specialized microenvironment that can promote the emergence of tumour stem cells and provide all the required factors for their development recently emerges in the literature. The present paper aims to summarize the main evidence sustaining the existence of a specific bone niche in the pathogenesis of chondrosarcomas.
Vanadium Inhalation in a Mouse Model for the Understanding of Air‐Suspended Particle Systemic Repercussion
Authors: Fortoul T. I. , Rodriguez-Lara V. , Gonzalez-Villalva A. , Rojas-Lemus M. , Cano-Gutierrez G. , Ustarroz-Cano M. , Colin-Barenque L. , Montaño L. F. , García-Pelez I. , Bizarro-Nevares P. , Lopez-Valdez N. , Falcon-Rodriguez C. I. , Jimenez-Martínez R. S. , Ruiz-Guerrero M. L. , López-Zepeda L. S. , Morales-Rivero A. , Muñiz-Rivera-Cambas A.
Published: May 2011

There is an increased concern about the health effects that air‐suspended particles have on human health which have been dissected in animal models. Using CD‐1 mouse, we explore the effects that vanadium inhalation produce in different tissues and organs. Our findings support the systemic effects of air pollution. In this paper, we describe our findings in different organs in our conditions and contrast our results with the literature.
Oral Local Anesthesia Successfully Ameliorated Neuropathic Pain in an Upper Limb Suggesting Pain Alleviation through Neural Plasticity within the Central Nervous System: A Case Report
Authors: Hozumi Jun , Sumitani Masahiko , Yozu Arito , Tomioka Toshiya , Sekiyama Hiroshi , Miyauchi Satoru , Yamada Yoshitsugu
Published: May 2011

Neural blockades are considered an alternative to pharmacotherapy for neuropathic pain although these blockades elicit limited effects. We encountered a patient with postbrachial plexus avulsion injury pain, which was refractory to conventional treatments but disappeared temporarily with the administration of the local anesthetic lidocaine around the left mandibular molar tooth during dental treatments. This analgesic effect on neuropathic pain by oral local anesthesia was reproducible. Under conditions of neuropathic pain, cerebral somatotopic reorganization in the sensorimotor cortices of the brain has been observed. Either expansion or shrinkage of the somatotopic representation of a deafferentated body part correlates with the degree of neuropathic pain. In our case, administration of an oral local anesthetic shrank the somatotopic representation of the mouth, which is next to the upper limb representation and thereby expanded the upper limb representation in a normal manner. Consequently, oral local anesthesia improved the pain in the upper limb. This case suggests that pain alleviation through neural plasticity within the brain is related to neural blockade.
Anatomic Single- and Double-Bundle Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction, Part 2
Authors: Karlsson Jon , Irrgang James J. , van Eck Carola F. , Samuelsson Kristian , Mejia Hector A. , Fu Freddie H.
Published: May 2011

The anterior cruciate ligament has been and is of great interest to scientists and orthopaedic surgeons worldwide. Anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction was initially performed using an open approach. When the approach changed from open to arthroscopic reconstruction, a 2- and, later, 1-incision technique was applied. With time, researchers found that traditional arthroscopic single-bundle reconstruction did not fully restore rotational stability of the knee joint and a more anatomic approach to reconstruct the anterior cruciate ligament has been proposed. Anatomic anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction intends to replicate normal anatomy, restore normal kinematics, and protect long-term knee health. Although double-bundle anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction has been shown to result in better rotational stability in both biomechanical and clinical studies, it is vital to differentiate between anatomic and double-bundle anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. The latter is merely a step closer to reproducing the native anatomy of the anterior cruciate ligament; however, it can still be done nonanatomically. To evaluate the potential benefits of reconstructing the anterior cruciate ligament in an anatomic fashion, accurate, precise, and reliable outcome measures are needed. These include, for example, T2 magnetic resonance imaging mapping of cartilage and quantification of graft healing on magnetic resonance imaging. Furthermore, there is a need for a consensus on which patient-reported outcome measures should be used to facilitate homogeneous reporting of outcomes.
Rehabilitation After Autologous Chondrocyte Implantation for Isolated Cartilage Defects of the Knee
Authors: Hirschmüller Anja , Baur Heiner , Braun Sepp , Kreuz Peter C. , Südkamp Norbert P. , Niemeyer Philipp
Published: May 2011

Autologous chondrocyte implantation for treatment of isolated cartilage defects of the knee has become well established. Although various publications report technical modifications, clinical results, and cell-related issues, little is known about appropriate and optimal rehabilitation after autologous chondrocyte implantation. This article reviews the literature on rehabilitation after autologous chondrocyte implantation and presents a rehabilitation protocol that has been developed considering the best available evidence and has been successfully used for several years in a large number of patients who underwent autologous chondrocyte implantation for cartilage defects of the knee.
One-Year Follow-up of Platelet-Rich Plasma Treatment in Chronic Achilles Tendinopathy
Authors: de Jonge Suzan , de Vos Robert J. , Weir Adam , van Schie Hans T. M. , Bierma-Zeinstra Sita M. A. , Verhaar Jan A. N. , Weinans Harrie , Tol Johannes L.
Published: May 2011

Background

Achilles tendinopathy is a common disease among both athletes and in the general population in which the use of platelet-rich plasma has recently been increasing. Good evidence for the use of this autologous product in tendinopathy is limited, and data on longer-term results are lacking.

Purpose

To study the effects of a platelet-rich plasma injection in patients with chronic midportion Achilles tendinopathy at 1-year follow-up.

Study Design

Randomized controlled trial; Level of evidence, 1.

Methods

Fifty-four patients, aged 18 to 70 years, with chronic tendinopathy 2 to 7 cm proximal to the Achilles tendon insertion were randomized to receive either a blinded injection containing platelet-rich plasma or saline (placebo group) in addition to an eccentric training program. The main outcome was the validated Victorian Institute of Sports Assessment–Achilles score. Patient satisfaction was recorded and ultrasound examination performed at baseline and follow-up.

Results

The mean Victorian Institute of Sports Assessment–Achilles score improved in both the platelet-rich plasma group and the placebo group after 1 year. There was no significant difference in increase between both groups (adjusted between-group difference, 5.5; 95% confidence interval, –4.9 to 15.8, P = .292). In both groups, 59% of the patients were satisfied with the received treatment. Ultrasonographic tendon structure improved significantly in both groups but was not significantly different between groups (adjusted between-group difference, 1.2%; 95% confidence interval, –4.1 to 6.6, P = .647).

Conclusion

This randomized controlled trial showed no clinical and ultrasonographic superiority of platelet-rich plasma injection over a placebo injection in chronic Achilles tendinopathy at 1 year combined with an eccentric training program.
Measurements of Tibiofemoral Kinematics during Soft and Stiff Drop Landings Using Biplane Fluoroscopy
Authors: Myers Casey A. , Torry Michael R. , Peterson Daniel S. , Shelburne Kevin B. , Giphart J. Erik , Krong Jacob P. , Woo Savio L-Y. , Steadman J. Richard
Published: May 2011

Background

Previous laboratory studies of landing have defined landing techniques in terms of soft or stiff landings according to the degree of maximal knee flexion angle attained during the landing phase and the relative magnitude of the ground-reaction force. Current anterior cruciate ligament injury prevention programs are instructing athletes to land softly to avoid excessive strain on the anterior cruciate ligament.

Purpose

This study was undertaken to measure, describe, and compare tibiofemoral rotations and translations of soft and stiff landings in healthy individuals using biplane fluoroscopy.

Study Design

Controlled laboratory study.

Methods

The in vivo, lower extremity, 3-dimensional knee kinematics of 16 healthy adults (6 male and 10 female) instructed to land softly and stiffly in different trials were collected in biplane fluoroscopy as they performed the landing from a height of 40 cm.

Results

Average and maximum relative anterior tibial translation (average, 2.8 ± 1.2 mm vs 3.0 ± 1.4 mm; maximum, 4.7 ± 1.6 mm vs 4.4 ± 0.8 mm), internal/external rotation (average, 3.7° ± 5.1° vs 2.7° ± 4.3°; maximum, 5.6° ± 5.5° vs 4.9° ± 4.7°), and varus/valgus (average, 0.2° ± 1.2° vs 0.2° ± 1.0°; maximum, 1.7° ± 1.2° vs 1.6° ± 0.9°) were all similar between soft and stiff landings, respectively. The peak vertical ground-reaction force was significantly larger for stiff landings than for soft landings (2.60 ± 1.32 body weight vs 1.63 ± 0.73; P < .001). The knee flexion angle total range of motion from the minimum angle at contact to the maximum angle at peak knee flexion was significantly greater for soft landings than for stiff (55.4° ± 8.8° vs 36.8° ± 11.1°; P < .01).

Conclusion

Stiff landings, as defined by significantly lower knee flexion angles and significantly greater peak ground-reaction forces, do not result in larger amounts of anterior tibial translation or knee rotation in either varus/valgus or internal/external rotation in healthy individuals.

Clinical Relevance

In healthy knees, the musculature and soft tissues of the knee are able to maintain translations and rotations within a small, safe range during controlled landing tasks of differing demand. The knee kinematics of this healthy population will serve as a comparison for injured knees in future studies. It should be stressed that because the authors did not compare how the loads were distributed over the soft tissues of the knee between the 2 landing styles, the larger ground-reaction forces and more extended knee position observed during stiff landings should still be considered dangerous to the anterior cruciate ligament and other structures of the lower extremities, particularly in competitive settings where movements are often unanticipated.
Local Levi-flat hypersurfaces invariants by a codimension one holomorphic foliation
Authors: Cerveau D. , Neto A. Lins
Published: May 2011

In this paper we study codimension one holomorphic foliations leaving invariant
real analytic hypersurfaces. In particular, we prove that a germ of real
analytic Levi-flat hypersurface with sufficiently ``small" singular set is given
by the zeroes of the imaginary part of a holomorphic function.
Blaschke valuations
Authors: Haberl Christoph
Published: May 2011

All continuous linearly intertwining symmetric Blaschke valuations on convex
bodies are completely classified. It is shown that there is a unique non-trivial
such valuation. On symmetric bodies, this valuation is the curvature image
operator.
On the geometry of principal homogeneous spaces
Authors: de Jong A. J. , Friedman Robert
Published: May 2011

Let $B$ be a curve defined over an algebraically closed field $k$
and let $\pi\colon \ X\to B$ be an elliptic surface with base
curve~$B$. We investigate the geometry of everywhere locally
trivial principal homogeneous spaces for $X$, i.e., elements
of the Tate-Shafarevich group of the generic fiber of $\pi$.
If $Y$ is such a principal homogeneous space of order~$n$, we
find strong restrictions on the ${\Bbb P}^{n-1}$ bundle over $B$
into which $Y$ embeds. Examples for small values of $n$ show that,
at least in some cases, these restrictions are sharp. Finally, we
determine these bundles in case $k$ has characteristic zero, $B =
{\Bbb P}^1$, and $X$ is generic in a suitable sense.
The slice-ribbon conjecture for 3-stranded pretzel knots
Authors: Greene Joshua , Jabuka Stanislav
Published: May 2011

We determine the (smooth) concordance order of the 3-stranded pretzel
knots $P(p, q, r)$ with $p, q, r$ odd. We show that each one of finite
order is, in fact, ribbon, thereby proving the slice-ribbon conjecture for
this family of knots. As corollaries we give new proofs of results first
obtained by Fintushel-Stern and Casson-Gordon.
The Paradox of Vernacularization: Women's Human Rights and the Gendering of Nationhood
Authors: Cheng Sealing
Published: May 2011

This article extends Sally Merry's idea of "vernacularization" of human rights by examining its paradoxical effects. Specifically, it traces how international norms about trafficking in persons and women's human rights become vernacularized into anti-prostitution policies in South Korea, and how such universal ideas facilitate the re-articulation of authentic national culture and Korean womanhood. As nationhood is gendered with reference to women's sexuality, the analysis shows how the struggle to localize women's human rights in anti-prostitution reforms may challenge the state and propel reforms but also corroborate state nation-building. As such, it contributes to developing culturally and historically specific knowledge about the idea of human rights in relation to gender and the nation.
Pharmaceuticals and the Right to Health: Reclaiming Patients and the Evidence Base of New Drugs
Authors: Petryna Adriana
Published: May 2011

There has been considerable growth in clinical trials being offshored and conducted worldwide. Research on new drugs and drug development spending has skyrocketed over the past three decades, but the public benefits stemming from this boom remain limited. Because clinical trials are expensive, they often undermine the affordability and accessibility of new medicines. Once trial data has been sent off to headquarters, new problems emerge locally such as maintaining continuity of treatment for patients and ongoing attempts by trial sponsors to control patient data. This essay explores how coalitions of physicians and health policy makers in Brazil are scrutinizing the value of new drugs while securing patients' rights to high-cost medicines—and the complex political and market factors that impede such efforts. The "trial" is not only a hypothesis-testing instrument, it reinvents the doctor-patient relationship and opens new institutional and socio-medical possibilities. This analysis also serves as an ethnographic resource for physicians and patients in other low-income countries, where rights to health are constitutionally mandated but where needed medicines and their sustainable provisioning are constantly under threat.
Anthropological Assumptions and the Afghan War
Authors: Rosen Lawrence
Published: May 2011

The war in Afghanistan incorporates a series of questionable anthropological assumptions. Quite aside from the involvement of anthropologists in the war's "human terrain projects," the current administration has continued a mistaken view of the tribes of the region, the reasons why there have been no attacks on the American homeland from the Afghan-Pakistan border region, the nature of suicide bombing, and the reasons why a singular model for all counterinsurgency plans may fail. By carefully analyzing these assumptions, anthropologists may offer a more refined critique of their own work and the goals of the present war.
"Good" Manufacturing by Whose Standards? Remaking Concepts of Quality, Safety, and Value in the Production of Tibetan Medicines
Authors: Craig Sienna R.
Published: May 2011

This essay analyzes the impacts of global and national pharmaceutical governance on the production of traditional medicines—specifically the making and marketing of Tibetan medicines in contemporary China. Based on research conducted in Tibetan medical factories and with practitioners, producers, and consumers of Tibetan medicines in the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) and Qinghai Province between 2002–2010, this article presents ethnographic evidence for the ways Tibetan knowledge systems and the value of medicines themselves are being transformed through interlinked engagements with science, technology, and the market. I focus on the implementation of Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and related regulations: state-mandated standards that govern the conditions under which raw materials are evaluated, medicines are made, and finished products are sold. This article responds to calls for an anthropology of pharmaceutical practice in the context of social transformation. I propose that ethnography of Tibetan pharmaceutical production provides an apt illustration of global governance in action because it shows how shifts in medical production practices are tied to much larger processes of political and economic change within China and beyond. Further, my examination of points of incommensurability and ambivalence with respect to GMP regulations contributes to an anthropological analysis of the constitutive role cultural politics plays in the construction of value and meaning with respect to traditional medicine.
Unexampled Exemplarity: Medea in the Argonautica of Valerius Flaccus
Authors: Stover Tim
Published: May 2011

This paper examines how Medea's singularity affects Venus's attempt to offer her models to follow in Valerius's Argonautica . While convincing Medea to assist Jason, Venus cites exempla designed to diminish Medea's uniqueness. But they have the opposite effect. Since none of these parallels is sufficiently illustrative of the course Medea must take, Venus refashions them so that they resemble previous accounts of Medea's life. Circe, Hippodamia, and Ariadne are exemplary for Medea because Venus reinvents them as pseudo-Medeas. Medea is offered snapshots of her own (future) self: she is thus prompted to become the unparalleled figure prefigured by literary tradition.
Village Life and Family Power in Late Antique Nessana
Authors: Ruffini Giovanni
Published: May 2011

This article explores social structures and family competition in late antique Nessana. Nessana, a small village in the Negev, is attested through archaeological, papyrological, and epigraphic remains. This evidence shows that the engine of social change was family power. Nessana experienced remarkable growth, including construction of four new churches and two monasteries. The driving forces behind each institution came from distinct local families in ongoing competition with one another. This localizing model of family power challenges the standard models of provincial economy and society in the late antique east, which imagine a world of great estates and powerful aristocrats.
Women and Gender in the Forum Romanum
Authors: Boatwright Mary T.
Published: May 2011

This article explores the evidence for women and gender in the Forum Romanum, investigating (primarily through literary sources) women's use of this space, and (primarily archaeologically) historical women's signification there by images and structures. The illustrated analysis proceeds chronologically from the Republic to the early third century C.E. Authors report women's presence in the civic Forum as abnormal, even transgressive through the Julio-Claudian period. The paucity of women's depictions and patronage here until the second century C.E. echoes constructs of Livy, Seneca the Younger, Tacitus, and others. The mid-imperial Forum, however, marks changes in Roman ideology as well as topography.
Excrement, Sacrifice, Commensality: The Osphresiology of Aristophanes' Peace
Authors: Tordoff R. L. S.
Published: May 2011

This paper argues that in Peace , Aristophanes deploys the language of foul and fragrant smells to appeal to the reflexes of disgust and desire. The olfactory language does not simply accompany a narrative that moves from war to peace, with foul smells yielding to fragrant, but rather constructs a symbolic system separating pure and impure. Sacrificial ritual plays a key role in the reorganization of the world achieved by Trygaeus's quest. The important function of olfaction in stimulating memory suggests a reason for Aristophanes' choice of an osphresiological poetics in a play performed when Athens was on the brink of returning to war.
Self-Praise and Envy: From Rhetoric to the Athenian Courts
Authors: Spatharas Dimos
Published: May 2011

This paper explores the rhetoric of self-praise ( periautlogia ) in classical Athens. I argue that, despite its obvious usefulness in the context of forensic or deliberative oratory, self-praise can jeopardize a speaker's persuasiveness due to the psychological pressures that it puts upon listeners, especially because excessive boasting can trigger feelings of envy. I therefore argue that the discursive means that speakers employ in order to circumvent the psychological repercussions of self-praise coincide with recognizable forms of envy avoidance practices from various cultures. The prevalence of symbolic sharing as a means of avoiding the audience's envy in the speeches of the Attic orators corroborates recent scholarly work showing that envy is an egalitarian emotion rather than an indication of the masses' malice.
Poetic Projection in Juvenal's Satires
Authors: Umurhan Osman
Published: May 2011

This article discusses how Juvenal's use of a particular female figure illuminates the destabilizing nature of his authorial voice. Her resemblance to the satirist calls into question Juvenal's effectiveness and purpose as a moralizing poet. This female "surrogate" satirist acts as a prism of meaning that simultaneously addresses the conventions of the genre and offers a window into Juvenal's complex mode of poetic self-representation. Juvenal's poetic projections present inconsistent perspectives that diffuse issues of sexual identity, class, and empire in the Satires . Juvenal's inconsistency ought not to be considered a form of indirection but a defining feature of his satire.
The "Homing In" of Howard Camp: Hidden Roots in Joseph Bruchac's Hidden Roots
Authors: Stewart Michelle Pagni
Published: May 2011

This article analyzes how Joseph Bruchac's novel Hidden Roots extends William Bevis' "Homing In" paradigm. The historical context of the 1950s and the Vermont eugenics project impact the protagonist's "homing in" as well as enlighten readers to this little-known historical period and its lasting impact on the Abenaki.
Acceptable Lessons, Radical Truths: Mélusine as Literature for Medieval Youth
Authors: Lewis Celia M.
Published: May 2011

Although many works enjoyed by medieval youth may have lacked moral complexity, such is not the case with Jean d'Arras Mélusine , a fourteenth-century French romance with a rare mother-heroine. Even as the work reinforces the aristocratic patriarchal values that sustain it, Mélusine 's meta-narrative offers a radical critique of male dominance.
"I sometimes think she is a spy on all my actions": Dolls, Girls, and Disciplinary Surveillance in the Nineteenth-Century Doll Tale
Authors: Gonzalez Eugenia
Published: May 2011

This essay examines the ways in which nineteenth-century doll tales presented dolls as agents of surveillance that threatened to invert the doll-girl power relationship and how these didactic applications began to be challenged towards the end of the century with the girl's assertion of ownership over her doll.
"I solemnly swear I am up to no good": Foucault's Heterotopias and Deleuze's Any-Spaces-Whatever in J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter Series
Authors: Cantrell Sarah K.
Published: May 2011

This article uses Michel Foucault's heterotopias and Gilles Deleuze's any-spaces-whatever to explore spaces in J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter series. This study illustrates how the spatial ambiguity of Hogwarts and the Room of Requirement both force Rowling's protagonists and readers to subvert authority and to confront the limits of agency.
"Live to learn and learn to live": The St. Nicholas League and the Vocation of Childhood
Authors: Redcay Anna M.
Published: May 2011

This essay considers the paradoxical way in which editor Albert Bigelow Paine's promotion of "natural" childhood resulted in young contributors' self-conscious engagement with constructions of childhood in both their life and art.
"The heft of both countries in your fists": Lucy Fitch Perkins's Foreign Twins as Cultural Goodwill Ambassadors
Authors: Dillon Karen
Published: May 2011

During a period of mass immigration and reactionary nativism, Lucy Fitch Perkins's foreign Twins series employs twins as ambassadors of foreign cultures to celebrate cultural difference within U.S. nationality. This article analyzes how twinship functions symbolically in the series and contextualizes the series in relation to the cultural gifts movement.
Fantasies of Place and Childhood in Francesca Lia Block's I Was a Teenage Fairy
Authors: Talley Lee A.
Published: May 2011

This paper analyzes Block's extensive use of the British Cottingley fairy hoax in I Was a Teenage Fairy to reveal how the novel challenges the ideal of childhood innocence and provides readers with new models for thinking about and representing childhood sexuality and abuse.
Outcomes of a Suicide Prevention Gatekeeper Training on a University Campus
Authors: Indelicato Natalie Arce , Mirsu-Paun Anca , Griffin Wayne D.
Published: May 2011

A university-wide suicide prevention program was implemented to provide students, faculty, and staff tools to identify, assist, and refer distressed and suicidal individuals. The study examined participant self-reports of suicide-related knowledge and prevention skills, group differences in suicide prevention knowledge and skills, group differences in confidence and comfort levels, and changes in participants’ beliefs that the interventions they conducted were effective. Participants completed a questionnaire at three time points. Results showed significant increases in self-rated knowledge about suicide, suicide prevention, awareness of resources and belief in the appropriateness and likelihood they would ask someone about suicide. Implications for campus suicide prevention and education programs are discussed.
Helping Competencies of Student Affairs Professionals: A Delphi Study
Authors: Reynolds Amy L.
Published: May 2011

The purpose of this study was to gather student affairs professionals’ perceptions of the knowledge and skills needed to effectively help students. Using the Delphi method, 159 entry-level and mid-level student affairs administrators from institutions across the United States were surveyed regarding their perceptions of the helping skills they use as part of their work. Their responses provide important insight into the types of helping knowledge and skills needed for efficacious practice in student affairs. This information can be used in preparation programs and for professional development efforts.