bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Under which conditions does ICT have a positive effect on teaching and learning? A Call to Action
Authors: Voogt J. , Knezek G. , Cox M. , Knezek D. , ten Brummelhuis A.
Published: November 2011

‘Under which conditions does ICT have a positive effect on teaching and learning?’ This was the leading question of the International EDUsummIT in The Hague, the Netherlands. The bases for the discussion were the scholarly findings of the International Handbook of Information Technology in Primary and Secondary Education, a synthesis of research in the field of information and communication technology (ICT) in education. Seventy international policymakers, researchers, and practitioners developed a Call to Action, which summarizes the main action points where policy, research, and leadership need to join forces in order to successfully implement ICT in educational practice. These main action points include a view on the role of ICT in 21st century learning; conditions for realizing the potential of multiple technologies to address individual needs of students; better understanding of the relationship between formal and informal learning; the implications of technology for student assessment; the need for models for leadership and teacher learning to successfully implement technology; the potential of ICT for digital equity; and the development of a list of essential conditions to ensure benefit from ICT investments. In this contribution, we present the Call to Action and synthesize the research on which the Call is based.
Interaction in asynchronous discussion forums: peer facilitation techniques
Authors: Ng C.S.L. , Cheung W.S. , Hew K.F.
Published: November 2011

Peer facilitation is proposed as a solution to counter limited interaction in asynchronous online discussions. However, there is a lack of empirical research on online peer facilitation. This study identifies, through cross‐case comparison of two graduate‐level blended courses attended by Asian Pacific students, the actual peer facilitation techniques that could encourage online interaction. Analyses of interviews and online discussion transcripts suggest that techniques such as ‘showing appreciation’ and ‘considering others' viewpoints’ encourage online interaction. However, instructors intending to incorporate peer‐facilitated online discussions should also consider the influence of factors such as the design of the online discussion activity and learners' cultural background as some participants could consider challenging others' ideas culturally inappropriate and need to be encouraged through techniques such as ‘general invitation to contribute’. Facilitators might also re‐consider the use of certain traditionally recommended strategies such as directing an online message at specific participants to encourage responses. This study suggests that doing so could sometimes backfire and discourage online contributions.
Description of two new MICA alleles: MICA*058 and MICA*002:03
Authors: Zhang A. , Sun Y. , Viny A. , Thomas D. , Askar M.
Published: November 2011

We describe two novel alleles, MICA*058 and MICA* 002:03.
Subthreshold bipolarity: diagnostic issues and challenges
Authors: Nusslock Robin , Frank Ellen
Published: November 2011

Nusslock R, Frank E. Subthreshold bipolarity: diagnostic issues and challenges. Bipolar Disord 2011: 13: 587–603. © 2011 The Authors. Journal compilation © 2011 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Background:  Research suggests that current diagnostic criteria for bipolar disorders may fail to include milder, but clinically significant, bipolar syndromes and that a substantial percentage of these conditions are diagnosed, by default, as unipolar major depression. Accordingly, a number of researchers have argued for the upcoming 5th edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM‐5) to better account for subsyndromal hypomanic presentations.

Methods:  The present paper is a critical review of research on subthreshold bipolarity, and an assessment of some of the challenges that researchers and clinicians might face if the DSM‐5 were designed to systematically document subsyndromal hypomanic presentations.

Results:  Individuals with major depressive disorder (MDD) who display subsyndromal hypomanic features, not concurrent with a major depressive episode, have a more severe course compared to individuals with MDD and no hypomanic features, and more closely resemble individuals with bipolar disorder on a number of clinical validators.

Conclusion:  There are clinical and scientific reasons for systematically documenting subsyndromal hypomanic presentations in the assessment and diagnosis of mood disorders. However, these benefits are balanced with important challenges, including (i) the difficulty in reliably identifying subsyndromal hypomanic presentations, (ii) operationalizing subthreshold bipolarity, (iii) differentiating subthreshold bipolarity from borderline personality disorder, (iv) the risk of over‐diagnosing bipolar spectrum disorders, and (v) uncertainties about optimal interventions for subthreshold bipolarity.
Equity or Debt Financing: Does Good Corporate Governance Matter?
Authors: Mande Vivek , Park Young K. , Son Myungsoo
Published: November 2011

Manuscript Type: Empirical

Research Question/Issue: We examine whether corporate governance plays a role in influencing a firm's choice of financing, i.e., equity versus debt. We hypothesize that the likelihood of equity financing increases with governance because of a reduction in agency costs between investors and managers in these firms. While the reduction in agency costs occurs for both equity and debt financing, we argue that there is a more significant effect on equity financing.

Research Findings/Insights: Using a sample of over 2,000 US equity and debt issuances over the period 1998 to 2006, we find that our measures of corporate governance effectiveness have a positive impact on the likelihood of choosing equity compared to debt. This association is more pronounced in small firms where information asymmetry is higher between managers and investors.

Theoretical/Academic Implications: Our findings refine and extend the pecking order hypothesis, which suggests that firms will issue equity as their last resort because of the high information asymmetry associated with equity financing. We provide some of the first evidence that the pecking order hypothesis can be mitigated by corporate governance. Specifically, we find that the likelihood of issuing equity increases as governance increases. Further, we find that where agency costs due to information asymmetry are greater, the positive impact of governance on the likelihood of equity financing is also greater. That is, in support of agency cost theory, we find that firms facing high agency costs benefit the most from investing in corporate governance mechanisms that lower the agency costs. We are not aware of any prior study, published or unpublished, that has documented this result.

Practitioner/Policy Implications: From a practical perspective, our study suggests that firms wishing to access equity capital markets should pay attention to their corporate governance. Specifically, by investing in corporate governance systems, firms facing high agency costs may be able to obtain easier access to not just debt but also equity markets. From a practice standpoint, in the years prior to securing financing, firms should consider making improvements to their governance (e.g., changes to board structure and/or auditor), carefully weighing the costs of making these improvements against the benefits of securing better and cheaper access to equity markets.
Higher Education as a System: The English Experience
Authors: Filippakou Ourania , Salter Brian , Tapper Ted
Published: November 2011

With particular, although not exclusive, reference to England, this article explores the appropriateness of describing higher education as a system. It has two main purposes: to explore the grounds for labelling English higher education as a system and to argue that, because this is no longer an appropriate label, a different conceptualisation is required. The central argument is that the structure of higher education is formed through the interaction of the state, market and higher education institutions and is, therefore, a shifting political construct. Furthermore, it will be hypothesised that the English (indeed, the British) model of higher education is better described as an increasingly internally differentiated network of sectors rather than as a system.
A combined approach in characterization of an effective w/o hand cream: the influence of emollient on textural, sensorial and in vivo skin performance
Authors: Lukic M. , Jaksic I. , Krstonosic V. , Cekic N. , Savic S.
Published: November 2011

Synopsis

To formulate a consumer‐acceptable cosmetic product, numerous demands have to be fulfilled, and as the most important, efficacy (both real and perceived), adequate aesthetic (visual perception) and all sensorial characteristics have to be achieved. In this study, four model water‐in‐oil creams intended for hand care, varying in one emollient component, were submitted to rheological, sensory and textural characterization, and their efficacy was evaluated in in vivo study on human volunteers. Our results indicate that certain alteration restricted to the oil phase induced a change in all investigated characteristics, showing that each instrumental measurement can be used as a sensitive tool in the characterization of cream samples. Regarding the correlation between physical measurements and certain sensory attributes, it is possible to formulate a product with specific sensory characteristics by using pre‐defined rheological or textural parameters. To obtain a complete sensory profile of a cosmetic product, a detailed sensory evaluation should be carried out according to the existing standard practices, which are both time‐ and money‐consuming. However, a modified sensory study could be useful for fast in‐line screening along with instrumental characterization of a novel cosmetic emulsion product and could be particularly helpful in the process of distinguishing a single formulation from several differing in one component.
Factors influencing degradation of DNA and hormones in maned wolf scat
Authors: Vynne C. , Baker M. R. , Breuer Z. K. , Wasser S. K.
Published: November 2011

The ability to noninvasively detect the presence of species and assess physiological health by DNA and hormone analysis makes scat a valuable tool for ecology and conservation. We assessed factors associated with DNA and hormone degradation in a four‐season study that employed detection dogs to collect scats from maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus) in the Brazilian Cerrado, a tropical savanna landscape mosaic. Fecal DNA sample viability was assessed by attempting polymerase chain reaction amplification of a mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) locus (∼ 246 bp) and a nuclear DNA zinc finger protein gene (∼ 195 bp). We assessed how extraction method, environmental exposure, and amount of odor, moisture and diet items in the sample influenced DNA amplification and allelic dropout rates. Samples that amplified mtDNA were assayed for glucocorticoids and thyroid hormone. Amount of odor and moisture (indicating freshness) predicted mtDNA amplification success, as well as mean hormone levels. While factors related to sample condition were negatively correlated with lower mean hormone levels, samples comprised mainly of fruit had higher levels of glucocorticoids and lower levels of thyroid hormone, and we thus interpret this result as biologically meaningful. In summary, DNA and hormone degradation are predicted by measures of sample freshness, making the assessment of sample quality an important criterion for sample collection as well to manage measurement error in analyses of hormone concentration associated with environmental disturbance.
Integrating knowledge and actions in disaster risk reduction: the contribution of participatory mapping
Authors: Cadag Jake Rom D , Gaillard JC
Published: November 2011

Integrating scientific and local knowledge within disaster risk reduction (DRR) using methods that encourage knowledge exchange and two‐way dialogue is a difficult yet important task. This article shows how participatory mapping can help in fostering integrative DRR through the involvement of a large range of stakeholders. It draws on a project conducted in the municipality of Masantol, Philippines that is regularly affected by flooding and other natural hazards. Participatory 3‐Dimensional Mapping, or P3DM, has been used for both risk assessment and DRR planning. P3DM facilitates the interpretation, assimilation and understanding of geo‐referenced data by making them visible and tangible to everyone. Given that maps are scaled and geo‐referenced, P3DM also helps in incorporating both local and scientific knowledge through a two‐way dialogue in DRR.
Burning Mouth Syndrome: A Therapeutic Approach Involving Mechanical Salivary Stimulation
Authors: de Souza Fabrício T. A. , Amaral Tânia M. P. , dos Santos Tálita P. M. , Abdo Evandro N. , Aguiar Maria C. F. , Teixeira Antônio L. , Kummer Arthur M. , Abreu Mauro H. N. G. , Silva Tarcília A.
Published: November 2011

Objective.— The study aimed to evaluate the effects of salivary stimulation therapy on the salivary flow, quality of saliva, and symptoms in patients with burning mouth syndrome (BMS).

Background.— BMS is a chronic disorder characterized by a burning sensation. Some reports have proposed a role for saliva in the pathogenesis of BMS.

Methods.— Twenty‐six BMS patients underwent treatment with salivary mechanical stimulation. Resting and stimulated saliva were collected before and after therapy. Salivary levels of total protein, brain‐derived neurotrophic factor, interleukin‐10, tumor necrosis factor‐α, interleukin‐6, and nerve growth factor were assessed before and 90 days after therapy by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay.

Results.— A significant reduction in the burning sensation and number of burning sites as well as an improvement of taste disturbances and xerostomia were observed after therapy. The salivary flow was not significantly modified. However, the therapy resulted in a significant decrease in salivary levels of total protein and an increase of tumor necrosis factor‐α.

Conclusion.— Salivary mechanical stimulation therapy is effective in reducing clinical symptoms of BMS.
Effects of long‐term antiepileptic drug monotherapy on vascular risk factors and atherosclerosis
Authors: Chuang Yao‐Chung , Chuang Hung‐Yi , Lin Tsu‐Kung , Chang Chiung‐Chih , Lu Cheng‐Hsien , Chang Wen‐Neng , Chen Shang‐Der , Tan Teng‐Yeow , Huang Chi‐Ren , Chan Samuel H. H.
Published: November 2011

Purpose:  Long‐term therapy with antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) has been associated with metabolic consequences that lead to an increase in risk of atherosclerosis in patients with epilepsy. We compared the long‐term effects of monotherapy using different categories of AEDs on markers of vascular risk and the atherosclerotic process.

Methods:  One hundred sixty adult patients who were receiving AED monotherapy, including two enzyme‐inducers (carbamazepine, CBZ; and phenytoin, PHT), an enzyme‐inhibitor (valproic acid, VPA), and a noninducer (lamotrigine, LTG) for more than 2 years, and 60 controls were enrolled in this study. All study participants received measurement of common carotid artery (CCA) intima media thickness (IMT) by B‐mode ultrasonography to assess the extent of atherosclerosis. Other measurements included body mass index, and serum lipid profile or levels of total homocysteine (tHcy), folate, uric acid, fasting blood sugar, high sensitivity C‐reactive protein (hs‐CRP), or thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS).

Key Findings:  Long‐term monotherapy with older‐generation AEDs, including CBZ, PHT, and VPA, caused significantly increased CCA IMT in patients with epilepsy. After adjustment for the confounding effects of age and gender, the CCA IMT was found to be positively correlated with the duration of AED therapy. Patients with epilepsy who were taking enzyme‐inducing AED monotherapy (CBZ, PHT) manifested disturbances of cholesterol, tHcy or folate metabolism, and elevation of the inflammation marker, hs‐CRP. On the other hand, patients on enzyme‐inhibiting AED monotherapy (VPA) exhibited an increase in the levels of uric acid and tHcy, and elevation of the oxidative marker, TBARS. However, no significant alterations in the markers of vascular risk or CCA IMT were observed in patients who received long‐term LTG monotherapy.

Significance:  Patients with epilepsy who were receiving long‐term monotherapy with CBZ, PHT, or VPA exhibited altered circulatory markers of vascular risk that may contribute to the acceleration of the atherosclerotic process, which is significantly associated the duration of AED monotherapy. This information offers a guide for the choice of drug in patients with epilepsy who require long‐term AED therapy, particularly in aged and high‐risk individuals.
The Legacy of Minimum Legal Drinking Age Law Changes: Long‐Term Effects on Suicide and Homicide Deaths Among Women
Authors: Grucza Richard A. , Hipp Pamela R. , Norberg Karen E. , Rundell Laura , Evanoff Anastasia , Cavazos‐Rehg Patricia , Bierut Laura J.
Published: November 2011

Background:  Prior to the establishment of the uniform drinking age of 21 in the United States, many states permitted legal purchase of alcohol at younger ages. Lower drinking ages were associated with several adverse outcomes, including elevated rates of suicide and homicide among youth. The objective of this study is to examine whether individuals who were legally permitted to drink prior to age 21 remained at elevated risk in adulthood.

Methods:  Analysis of data from the U.S. Multiple Cause of Death files, 1990 to 2004, combined with data on the living population from the U.S. Census and American Community Survey. The assembled data contained records on over 200,000 suicides and 130,000 homicides for individuals born between 1949 and 1972, the years during which the drinking age was in flux. Logistic regression models were used to evaluate whether adults who were legally permitted to drink prior to age 21 were at elevated risk for death by these causes. A quasi‐experimental analytical approach was employed, which incorporated state and birth‐year fixed effects to account for unobserved covariates associated with policy exposure.

Results:  In the population as a whole, we found no association between minimum drinking age and homicide or suicide. However, significant policy‐by‐sex interactions were observed for both outcomes, such that women exposed to permissive drinking age laws were at higher risk for both suicide (OR = 1.12, 95% CI: 1.05, 1.18, p = 0.0003) and homicide (OR = 1.15, 95% CI: 1.04, 1.25, p = 0.0028). Effect sizes were stronger for the portion of the cohort born after 1960, whereas no significant effects were observed for women born prior to 1960.

Conclusions:  Lower drinking ages may result in persistent elevated risk for suicide and homicide among women born after 1960. The national drinking age of 21 may be preventing about 600 suicides and 600 homicides annually.
Resilience of Family Firms: An Introduction
Authors: Chrisman James J. , Chua Jess H. , Steier Lloyd P.
Published: November 2011

Family firms have long been a prominent feature of the organizational landscape and researchers have found some variations of this organizational form to be more resilient than others. The articles and commentaries in this special issue address some of the bases of this resilience including arranged marriages as a management succession strategy, long–term orientation and multitemporal perspectives, knowledge structures and opportunity identification, and social capital and social exchange. This introduction to the eighth special issue on “theories of family enterprise” discusses the contributions made by the articles and commentaries to our understanding about the resilience of family firms.
Must Love Kill the Family Firm? Some Exploratory Evidence
Authors: Mehrotra Vikas , Morck Randall , Shim Jungwook , Wiwattanakantang Yupana
Published: November 2011

Family firms depend on a succession of capable heirs to stay afloat. If talent and IQ are inherited, this problem is mitigated. If, however, progeny talent and IQ display mean reversion (or worse), family firms are eventually doomed. Since family firms persist, solutions to this succession problem must exist. We submit that marriage can transfuse outside talent and reinvigorate family firms. This implies that changes to the institution of marriage—notably, a decline in arranged marriages in favor of marriages for “love”—bode ill for the survival of family firms. Consistent with this, the predominance of family firms correlates strongly across countries with plausible proxies for arranged marriage norms.
Knowledge Combination and the Potential Advantages of Family Firms in Searching for Opportunities
Authors: Patel Pankaj C. , Fiet James O.
Published: November 2011

This study examines differences in knowledge structures and combinative capabilities that provide family firms with distinct advantages over nonfamily firms in identifying opportunities. Drawing on constrained, systematic search, we explore how noneconomic goals and family relations enhance searching for opportunities. Unique human capital conditions create specific knowledge and economies of scope in knowledge combination. Differences in knowledge stocks, knowledge combination, and the long–term orientation of family firm managers explain differences in finding opportunities between family and nonfamily firms. Furthermore, we propose that family firms are more likely to improve their search routines over time. Fewer endgame scenarios in family firms allow the refinement of search routines.
Commentary: Exploiting and Exploring New Opportunities over Life Cycle Stages of Family Firms
Authors: Sharma Pramodita , Salvato Carlo
Published: November 2011

Family firms vary with regards to success achieved in terms of opportunity creation and exploitation over time. Elaborating on this variation, this commentary argues that firms that simultaneously engage in multiple levels of innovation—incremental, progressive, and radical—are likely to enjoy sustainable performance advantages across generations. Toward this end, a strategic split of innovation responsibilities between family and nonfamily professionals is likely to be useful, contingent on the firm's life cycle and size. In terms of entrepreneurial expertise, a combination of causal and effectual thinking is necessary to ensure exploitation of already discovered or created opportunities and exploration of new ones.
How Do I Code for Black Fingernail Polish? Finding the Missing Adolescent in Managed Mental Health Care
Authors: Lester Rebecca J.
Published: November 2011

In this article, I examine clinical dilemmas in treating adolescents with eating disorders under theU.S. managed healthcare system. Managed care is built on a rational choice model of human behavior with little room for considering developmental processes. In this model, adolescents figure as little more than failed adults. This poses significant problems: if treatment providers prioritize developmental issues over quantifiable behavioral milestones, they risk jeopardizing continued coverage for their clients. If they prioritize quantifiable behavioral change without attending to underlying developmental concerns, they risk not affecting lasting change. Through a case study of a client in treatment for an eating disorder, I illustrate how this dilemma frames everyday encounters and negatively impacts client care, while at the same time missing developmentally meaningful opportunities for healing. An outline for a proposed applied psychiatric anthropology is presented, together with specific recommendations for adolescent mental health policy, research, and practice.
Commentary: Toward Collaboration and Case Management in College Mental Health
Authors: Heitzmann Dennis
Published: November 2011

In response to the challenges posited by Eileen P. Anderson‐Fye and Jerry Floersch in their article on college student mental health, a psychologist and counseling center director reflects on the implications for university counseling and psychological service centers. Among other things, issues related to high‐risk students, the developmental barriers to help‐seeking behavior, the increasing utilization of psychotropic medications, and the broadening mandate of campus mental health providers are addressed. Finally, interdisciplinary collaboration in service to university students is encouraged.
Connecting landscape structure and patterns in body size distributions
Authors: Borthagaray Ana I. , Arim Matías , Marquet Pablo A.
Published: November 2011

Understanding the interaction between community structure and landscape structure represents a pressing theoretical challenge of great applied importance considering the increasing structural modification of ecosystems through habitat loss and fragmentation. Dispersal ability and energetic demands coupled to body size determine the landscape structure experienced by an organism, which could essentially be fragmented for small individuals but continuous for large ones. Although discontinuities in species assemblages have been predicted and detected, no explicit association between habitat structure and body size distributions has been demonstrated. In this contribution, we propose that body size structure in local communities should reflect such different perceptions of landscape structure. To this end, we explore this association in a simple metacommunity located in the Atacama Desert, in northern Chile. Using graph theory we found that species of different size and trophic position (carnivores and herbivores) perceive the landscape at contrasting spatial scales. In each community (n = 31) we determined the observed and the expected body size distributions – in a random sample from the metacommunity of 18 727 individuals –, which allowed us to identify the body sizes at which an overrepresentation or underrepresentation of individuals occur. Such aggregations and discontinuities in body sizes were related, for carnivores, to patch location within the landscape, and to the internal banded vegetation pattern within patches for herbivores. Our study shows, for the first time, an empirical connection between the spatial distribution of communities, their local attributes, and the existence and locations of discontinuities and aggregations in body size distributions.
The importance of stromal inflammation in squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue
Authors: Lundqvist Lotta , Stenlund Hans , Laurell Göran , Nylander Karin
Published: November 2011

J Oral Pathol Med (2012) 41: 379–383

Background:  Histological risk assessment evaluating worst pattern of tumour invasion (WPOI), and lymphocytic response (LR), has previously been shown to be of prognostic significance in squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck (SCCHN). SCCHN is a heterogeneous group of tumours including tumours located in the oral cavity, of which the majority is located in the tongue.

Methods:  Haematoxylin/eosin–stained slides from diagnostic biopsies from 94 cases of SCC on the tongue were evaluated for WPOI and LR. Within the inflammatory infiltrate, the percentage of eosinophilic granulocytes was also estimated. Results were correlated with clinical data such as response to treatment and recurrence.

Results:  For WPOI the majority of patients, 84%, showed small invasive tumours islands with a size <15 cells (grade 4). No correlation with survival, response to treatment or recurrence was seen for WPOI. More than half of the patients showed a dense lymphocytic infiltrate, a factor that was significantly correlated with complete response to radio therapy. Of the patients with dense lymphoid infiltrate, the majority, 63%, did not either have a recurrence. No significant correlation with recurrence, response to treatment or any other factor was seen for presence of eosinophils.

Conclusions:  Data clearly showed that tongue tumours have a split invasive growth pattern and an intense inflammatory response at the tumour interface. Results also indicated that evaluation of the intensity of the inflammatory infiltrate at the tumour interface in tongue SCC could provide information of potential importance for choice of treatment and prognosis.
Concentration‐Response Relationship of α1‐Adrenoceptor‐Stimulated Increase of 86Rb+ Efflux in Rat Heart*
Authors: Andersen Geir Øystein , Enger Mette , Skomedal Tor , Osnes Jan‐Bjørn
Published: November 2011

Abstract: The aim of the present study was to establish a concentration‐response relationship for the α1‐adrenoceptor mediated increase of 86Rb+ efflux, and to characterize the sensitivity of this response to the selective α1‐adrenoceptor antagonist prazosin. Isolated rat hearts were perfused retrogradely at constant flow and at 31°. Timolol (10−6 mol/l) was used to block β‐adrenoceptors. After a loading period with 86Rb+ and 55 min. washout, the hearts were exposed to phenylephrine in a concentration range from 3×10−8 mol/l to 10−4 mol/l. Control experiments comparing the effects of α1‐adrenoceptor stimulation on 86Rb+ efflux and 42K+ efflux were performed. α1‐Adrenoceptor stimulation increased the 86Rb+ efflux with a pD2=6.35±0.20 (mean±S.E.M.). The maximal response to phenylephrine was 22.5±2.0% (mean±S.E.M.) of the control values. The concentration‐response curve was shifted to higher concentration of agonist in the presence of the α1‐adrenoceptor antagonist prazosin (3× 10−10 mol/l). The calculated inhibition constant for prazosin was 6.1×10−11 mol/l. 86Rb+ was found to be a suitable K+ analogue in the study of relative changes in K+ efflux although the basal efflux kinetics were different for the two isotopes. Conclusion: Phenylephrine increased the 86Rb+ efflux concentration‐dependently. A high sensitivity to prazosin confirmed the involvement of the α1‐adrenoceptor population.
Lipid Peroxidation in the Lung of Rats Exposed to Endotoxin: Effect of Vitamin E Supplementation
Authors: Kovacheva S. , Ribarov S.
Published: November 2011

Abstract: The aim of this work was to investigate the possibility for development of peroxidation in the lung of rats injected with endotoxin. The effect of vitamin E supplementation of the rats was also investigated. Vitamin E supplementation by itself did not cause visible differences or any pathological changes in the lung structure of rats as shown by routine histological examinations. The endotoxin‐induced alterations of the lung structures were well expressed in vitamin E‐non‐supplemented rats, while they were rather negligible in vitamin E‐supplemented rats. It was established also that endotoxin caused a 50% increase of the conjugated dienes in the lung of vitamin E‐non‐supplemented rats. For vitamin E‐supplemented rats this increase was less than 13.5%. The fluorescent lipofuscine‐like products of lipid peroxidation (known as one of the end products of lipid peroxidation) increased by 120% in vitamin E‐non‐supplemented rats after exposure to endotoxin, while in vitamin E‐supplemented rats this increase did not exceed 26%. Exposure to endotoxin of both vitamin E‐non‐supplemented and vitamin E‐supplemented rats did not lead to significant changes of the lung fatty acid composition. On the basis of these results we assumed that the endotoxin‐induced changes of lung structures involve, at least in part, free radical‐mediated damage of the lung membrane lipids and proteins.
Local Group progenitors: Lyman Alpha bright?
Authors: Dayal Pratika , Libeskind Noam I.
Published: November 2011

We present a novel approach of identifying the Milky Way (MW) and Andromeda (M31) progenitors that could be visible as Lyman Alpha emitters (LAEs) at z ∼ 6: we couple a snapshot from the Constrained Local UniversE Simulations (CLUES) project, which successfully reproduces the MW and M31 galaxies situated in their correct environment, to a LAE model. Exploring intergalactic medium (IGM) ionization states ranging from an almost neutral to a fully ionized one, we find that including (excluding) the effects of clustered sources the first Local Group progenitor appears as a LAE for a neutral hydrogen fraction . This number increases to five progenitors each of the MW and M31 being visible as LAEs for ; the contribution from clustered sources is crucial in making many of the progenitors visible in the Lyα for all the ionization states considered. The stellar mass of the Local Group LAEs ranges between 107.2 and 108 M⊙, the dust mass is between 104.6 and 105.1 M⊙ and the colour excess E(B−V) = 0.03–0.048. We find that the number density of these LAEs is higher than that of general field LAEs (observed in cosmological volumes) by about two (one) orders of magnitude for . Detections of such high LAE number densities at z ∼ 6 would be a clear signature of an overdense region that could evolve and resemble the Local Group volume at z = 0.
Familial Communication of Research Results: A Need to Know?
Authors: Black Lee , McClellan Kelly A.
Published: November 2011

In recent years, the research participant’s family’s need, if not right, to know their disease risk has comprised a great deal of the genetic testing discourse. This most often arises in the context of clinical genetic tests for hereditary cancers, especially colorectal and breast cancer, and other genetic disorders where the presence of a genetic mutation greatly increases the likelihood of the disease’s manifestation (such as Huntington’s Disease). However, this discussion has not led to comprehensive or cohesive guidance for health care professionals or patients. Indeed, various governmental and professional bodies run the gamut of possibilities, from no disclosure to family without the consent of the patient, to recognition that genetic risk information is important enough to the family to allow exception to traditional notions of confidentiality.
In vitro comparison of three suture techniques for anastomosis of the equine small intestine
Authors: AULETTA L. , LAMAGNA F. , UCCELLO V. , LAMAGNA B. , PASOLINI M. P.
Published: November 2011

Reasons for performing study: The equine small intestine can be affected by a variety of disorders that may require some form of bypass or anastomosis. Many suture patterns have been used in equine anastomoses to minimise post operative complications, which include leakage from the anastomosis site, stenosis and adhesions. Because of the critical condition of horses undergoing colic surgery, it is imperative this is performed as quickly as possible.

Objectives: To evaluate, in vitro, differences in the time of execution and leakage pressure between the Lembert single layer, Gambee and Lembert double layer suture patterns for intestinal anastomosis in the horse and correlate the time taken to complete the anastomosis and hemicircumference of the anastomotic site

Methods: Small intestinal loops were anastomosed with one of the 3 suture patterns. The intestines, immersed in polyionic solution, were insufflated via a flexible rubber hose, connected to a sphygmomanometer bulb, inserted into the lumen at one end and fixed at 25 cm from the anastomosis site with a locking clip. A tube fixed in the same manner at the other end, connected to a pressure gauge, was used to evaluate the pressure at which leakage from the anastomosis site, revealed by the presence of bubbles, was present.

Results: The time spent in the execution of the Lembert single layer was significantly less than that for both Gambee and Lembert double layer. The leakage pressure of Lembert single layer was significantly higher than that recorded for both Gambee and Lembert double layer

Conclusions and potential relevance: This study shows that the continuous Lembert single layer pattern takes less time to execute and fails at higher pressures than the Lembert double layer or Gambee patterns.
Teaching Therapeutic Assessment for self‐harm in adolescents: Training outcomes
Authors: Ougrin Dennis , Zundel Tobias , Ng Audrey V. , Habel Batsheva , Latif Saqib
Published: November 2011

Objectives. To describe the teaching programme of Therapeutic Assessment (TA), a brief intervention at the point of initial assessment for adolescents with self‐harm; to describe trainees’ preferences and choices regarding their use of specific aspects of TA.

Design. This is a comparative study investigating the differences in the TA skills before and after training. This design was chosen to establish whether or not TA training is efficacious.

Methods. Twenty‐four clinicians volunteered to participate in five half‐day TA training sessions. Their scores on the Therapeutic Assessment Quality Assurance Tool (TAQAT, primary outcome measure) were compared before and after training. Satisfaction with training and therapeutic strategy choices as well as ability to perform TA in an RCT were investigated.

Results. Clinicians who participated in TA training had significantly increased scores on TAQAT after training. The clinicians who achieved the required quality of TA post assessments were likely to be able to carry out TA in an RCT with high fidelity. In addition, prior to training, significant differences in the quality of assessments as measured by TAQAT were identified depending on the experience of the clinician. This discrepancy was no longer present post training. Therapeutic strategy based on solution‐focused brief therapy (SFBT) was the option of choice post training.

Conclusions. TA training is feasible and associated with improved quality of self‐harm assessment.

Practitioner points

TA is a brief intervention associated with improved treatment engagement.

TA training is feasible and is associated with improved quality of self‐harm assessment.

SFBT‐based exit is the most commonly used strategy in TA.
Characterization of Puncture Forces for Retinal Vein Cannulation
Authors: Ergeneman Olgaç , Pokki Juho , Počepcová Vanda , Hall Heike , Abbott Jake J. , Nelson Bradley J.
Published: November 2011

For this study, we have collected puncture force data from the vasculature of the chorioallantoic membranes (CAM) of developing chicken embryos to examine forces required for retinal vein cannulation. The CAM vessels of a developing chicken embryo have been shown to be an appropriate model for human retinal veins. The effect of microneedle geometry and vessel size on puncture forces was investigated. The results of this work are important for researchers working on robotic vitreoretinal surgical systems.
Signaling by the Matrix Proteoglycan Decorin Controls Inflammation and Cancer Through PDCD4 and MicroRNA-21
Authors: Merline Rosetta , Moreth Kristin , Beckmann Janet , Nastase Madalina V. , Zeng-Brouwers Jinyang , Tralhão José Guilherme , Lemarchand Patricia , Pfeilschifter Josef , Schaefer Roland M. , Iozzo Renato V. , Schaefer Liliana
Published: November 2011

A component of the extracellular matrix promotes inflammatory responses in sepsis and in tumors.
ACTIVE LEARNING TO DEFEND POISONING ATTACK AGAINST SEMI-SUPERVISED INTRUSION DETECTION CLASSIFIER
Authors: LONG JUN , ZHAO WENTAO , ZHU FANGZHOU , CAI ZHIPING
Published: November 2011

Intrusion detection systems play an important role in computer security. To make intrusion detection systems adaptive to changing environments, supervised learning techniques had been applied in intrusion detection. However, supervised learning needs a large amount of training instances to obtain classifiers with high accuracy. Limited to lack of high quality labeled instances, some researchers focused on semi-supervised learning to utilize unlabeled instances enhancing classification. But involving the unlabeled instances into the learning process also introduces vulnerability: attackers can generate fake unlabeled instances to mislead the final classifier so that a few intrusions can not be detected. In this paper we show that the attacker could mislead the semi-supervised intrusion detection classifier by poisoning the unlabeled instances. And we propose a defend method based on active learning to defeat the poisoning attack. Experiments show that the poisoning attack can reduce the accuracy of the semi-supervised learning classifier and the proposed defending method based on active learning can obtain higher accuracy than the original semi-supervised learner under the presented poisoning attack.
Prolactin receptor antagonism in mouse anterior pituitary: effects on cell turnover and prolactin receptor expression
Authors: Ferraris Jimena , Boutillon Florence , Bernadet Marie , Seilicovich Adriana , Goffin Vincent , Pisera Daniel
Published: November 2011

Since anterior pituitary expresses prolactin receptors, prolactin secreted by lactotropes could exert autocrine or paracrine actions on anterior pituitary cells. In fact, it has been observed that prolactin inhibits its own expression by lactotropes. Our hypothesis is that prolactin participates in the control of anterior pituitary cell turnover. In the present study, we explored the action of prolactin on proliferation and apoptosis of anterior pituitary cells and its effect on the expression of the prolactin receptor. To determine the activity of endogenous prolactin, we evaluated the effect of the competitive prolactin receptor antagonist Δ1–9-G129R-hPRL in vivo, using transgenic mice that constitutively and systemically express this antagonist. The weight of the pituitary gland and the anterior pituitary proliferation index, determined by BrdU incorporation, were higher in transgenic mice expressing the antagonist than in wild-type littermates. In addition, blockade of prolactin receptor in vitro by Δ1–9-G129R-hPRL increased proliferation and inhibited apoptosis of somatolactotrope GH3 cells and of primary cultures of male rat anterior pituitary cells, including lactotropes. These results suggest that prolactin acts as an autocrine/paracrine antiproliferative and proapoptotic factor in the anterior pituitary gland. In addition, anterior pituitary expression of the long isoform of the prolactin receptor, measured by real-time PCR, increased about 10-fold in transgenic mice expressing the prolactin receptor antagonist, whereas only a modest increase in the S3 short-isoform expression was observed. These results suggest that endogenous prolactin may regulate its own biological actions in the anterior pituitary by inhibiting the expression of the long isoform of the prolactin receptor. In conclusion, our observations suggest that prolactin is involved in the maintenance of physiological cell renewal in the anterior pituitary. Alterations in this physiological role of prolactin could contribute to pituitary tumor development.
The Use of Bioinformatics for Studying HIV Evolutionary and Epidemiological History in South America
Authors: Bello Gonzalo , Soares Marcelo A. , Schrago Carlos G.
Published: November 2011

The South American human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) epidemic is driven by several subtypes (B, C, and F1) and circulating and unique recombinant forms derived from those subtypes. Those variants are heterogeneously distributed around the continent in a country-specific manner. Despite some inconsistencies mainly derived from sampling biases and analytical constrains, most of studies carried out in the area agreed in pointing out specificities in the evolutionary dynamics of the circulating HIV-1 lineages. In this paper, we covered the theoretical basis, and the application of bioinformatics methods to reconstruct the HIV spatial-temporal dynamics, unveiling relevant information to understand the origin, geographical dissemination and the current molecular scenario of the HIV epidemic in the continent, particularly in the countries of Southern Cone.
Single CDTA-Based Current Mode All-Pass Filter and Its Applications
Authors: Pandey Neeta , Paul Sajal K.
Published: November 2011

This paper presents a single current difference transconductance amplifier (CDTA) based all-pass current mode filter. The proposed configuration makes use of a grounded capacitor which makes it suitable for IC implementation. Its input impedance is low and output impedance is high, hence suitable for cascading. The circuit does not use any matching constraint. The nonideality analysis of the circuit is also given. Two applications, namely, a quadrature oscillator and a highQband pass filter are developed with the proposed circuit. The functionality of the circuit is verified with SPICE simulation using 0.35 μm TSMC CMOS technology parameters.
Convergence of the New Iterative Method
Authors: Bhalekar Sachin , Daftardar-Gejji Varsha
Published: November 2011

A new iterative method introduced by Daftardar‐Gejji and Jafari (2006) (DJ Method) is an efficient technique to solve nonlinear functional equations. In the present paper, sufficiency conditions for convergence of DJM have been presented. Further equivalence of DJM and Adomian decomposition method is established.
Pathologic Features of Behçet's Disease in the Tubuler Gut
Authors: Kara Tuba , Düşmez Apa Duygu
Published: November 2011

Behçet's disease (BD) is a vasculitic disorder of relapsing acute inflammation characterized by recurrent oral ulcers, genital ulcers, uveitis, and skin lesions. The disease also affects other organs, including joints, the nervous system, blood vessels, and gastrointestinal (GI) system may also be involved and the lower GI tract is the mostly involved part, leading to severe morbidity. The frequency of GI involvement in BD varies among different ethnic groups. Although 50–60% of Japanese patients have GI disease, these manifestations are rare in patients from Mediterranean countries. The gastrointestinal manifestations of BD usually appear 4.5–6 years after the onset of the oral ulcers. The intestinal lesions are usually resistant to medical treatment and recur after surgery. The elementary lesion is apthous ulcer. Deep, round or oval ulcers with a punched-out appearance tend to perforate easily, so that many patients require urgent operation.
Regulation of Matrix Metalloproteinase Genes by E2F Transcription Factors: Rb–Raf-1 Interaction as a Novel Target for Metastatic Disease
Authors: Johnson Jackie L. , Pillai Smitha , Pernazza Danielle , Sebti Saïd M. , Lawrence Nicholas J. , Chellappan Srikumar P.
Published: November 2011

The retinoblastoma (Rb)–E2F transcriptional regulatory pathway plays a major role in cell-cycle regulation, but its role in invasion and metastasis is less well understood. We find that many genes involved in the invasion of cancer cells, such as matrix metalloproteinases (MMP), have potential E2F-binding sites in their promoters. E2F-binding sites were predicted on all 23 human MMP gene promoters, many of which harbored multiple E2F-binding sites. Studies presented here show that MMP genes such as MMP9, MMP14, and MMP15 which are overexpressed in non–small cell lung cancer, have multiple E2F-binding sites and are regulated by the Rb–E2F pathway. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assays showed the association of E2F1 with the MMP9, MMP14, and MMP15 promoters, and transient transfection experiments showed that these promoters are E2F responsive. Correspondingly, depletion of E2F family members by RNA interference techniques reduced the expression of these genes with a corresponding reduction in collagen degradation activity. Furthermore, activating Rb by inhibiting the interaction of Raf-1 with Rb by using the Rb–Raf-1 disruptor RRD-251 was sufficient to inhibit MMP transcription. This led to reduced invasion and migration of cancer cells in vitro and metastatic foci development in a tail vein lung metastasis model in mice. These results suggest that E2F transcription factors may play a role in promoting metastasis through regulation of MMP genes and that targeting the Rb–Raf-1 interaction is a promising approach for the treatment of metastatic disease. Cancer Res; 72(2); 516–26. ©2011 AACR.