bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Middle cerebral O2 delivery during the modified Oxford maneuver increases with sodium nitroprusside and decreases during phenylephrine
Authors: Stewart Julian M. , Medow Marvin S. , DelPozzi Andrew , Messer Zachary R. , Terilli Courtney , Schwartz Christopher E.
Published: April 2013

The modified Oxford maneuver is the reference standard for assessing arterial baroreflex function. The maneuver comprises a systemic bolus injection of 100 μg sodium nitroprusside (SNP) followed by 150 μg phenylephrine (PE). On the one hand, this results in an increase in oxyhemoglobin and total hemoglobin followed by a decrease within the cerebral sample volume illuminated by near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). On the other hand, it produces a decrease in cerebral blood flow velocity (CBFv) within the middle cerebral artery (MCA) during SNP and an increase in CBFv during PE as measured by transcranial Doppler ultrasound. To resolve this apparent discrepancy, we hypothesized that SNP dilates, whereas PE constricts, the MCA. We combined transcranial Doppler ultrasound of the right MCA with NIRS illuminating the right frontal cortex in 12 supine healthy subjects 18–24 yr old. Assuming constant O2 consumption and venous saturation, as estimated by partial venous occlusion plethysmography, we used conservation of mass (continuity) equations to estimate the changes in arterial inflow (ΔQa) and venous outflow (ΔQv) of the NIRS-illuminated area. Oxyhemoglobin and total hemoglobin, respectively, increased by 13.6 ± 1.6 and 15.2 ± 1.4 μmol/kg brain tissue with SNP despite hypotension and decreased by 6 ± 1 and 7 ± 1 μmol/kg with PE despite hypertension. SNP increased ΔQa by 0.36 ± .03 μmol·kg−1·s−1 (21.6 μmol·kg−1·min−1), whereas CBFv decreased from 71 ± 2 to 62 ± 2 cm/s. PE decreased ΔQa by 0.27 ± .2 μmol·kg−1·s−1 (16.2 μmol·kg−1·min−1), whereas CBFv increased to 75 ± 3 cm/s. These results are consistent with dilation of the MCA by SNP and constriction by PE.
Neuronal nitric oxide synthase expression is lower in areas of the nucleus tractus solitarius excited by skeletal muscle reflexes in hypertensive rats
Authors: Murphy Megan N. , Mizuno Masaki , Downey Ryan M. , Squiers John J. , Squiers Kathryn E. , Smith Scott A.
Published: April 2013

The functions of the skeletal muscle exercise pressor reflex (EPR) and its mechanically sensitive component are augmented in hypertension producing exaggerated increases in blood pressure during exercise. Afferent information from the EPR is processed in the nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS). Within the NT, nitric oxide (NO), produced via l-arginine oxidation by neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS), buffers the pressor response to EPR activation. Therefore, EPR overactivity may manifest as a decrease in NO production due to reductions in nNOS. We hypothesized that nNOS protein expression is lower in the NTS of spontaneously hypertensive (SHR) compared with normotensive Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats. Further, we examined whether nNOS is expressed with FOS, a marker of neuronal excitation induced by EPR activation. The EPR and mechanoreflex were intermittently activated for 1 h via hindlimb static contraction or stretch, respectively. These maneuvers produced significantly greater pressor responses in SHR during the first 25 min of stimulation. Within the NTS, nNOS expression was lower from −14.9 to −13.4 bregma in SHR compared with WKY. For example, at −14.5 bregma the number of NTS nNOS-positive cells in SHR (13 ± 1) was significantly less than WKY (23 ± 2). However, the number of FOS-positive cells after muscle contraction in this area was not different (WKY = 82 ± 18; SHR = 75 ± 8). In both groups, FOS-expressing neurons were located within the same areas of the NTS as neurons containing nNOS. These findings demonstrate that nNOS protein expression is lower within NTS areas excited by skeletal muscle reflexes in hypertensive rats.
Chlorine gas exposure increases susceptibility to invasive lung fungal infection
Authors: Gessner Melissa A. , Doran Stephen F. , Yu Zhihong , Dunaway Chad W. , Matalon Sadis , Steele Chad
Published: April 2013

Chlorine (Cl2) is a highly irritating and reactive gas with potential occupational and environmental hazards. Acute exposure to Cl2induces severe epithelial damage, airway hyperreactivity, impaired alveolar fluid clearance, and pulmonary edema in the presence of heightened inflammation and significant neutrophil accumulation in the lungs. Herein, we investigated whether Cl2exposure affected the lung antimicrobial immune response leading to increased susceptibility to opportunistic infections. Mice exposed to Cl2and challenged intratracheally 24 h thereafter with the opportunistic mold Aspergillus fumigatus demonstrated an >500-fold increase in A. fumigatus lung burden 72 h postchallenge compared with A. fumigatus mice exposed to room air. Cl2-exposed A. fumigatus challenged mice also demonstrated significantly higher lung resistance following methacholine challenge and increased levels of plasma proteins (albumin and IgG) in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. Despite enhanced recruitment of inflammatory cells to the lungs of Cl2-exposed A. fumigatus challenged mice, these cells (>60% of which were neutrophils) demonstrated a profound impairment in generating superoxide. Significantly higher A. fumigatus burden in the lungs of Cl2exposed mice correlated with enhanced production of IL-6, TNF-α, CXCL1, CCL2, and CCL3. Surprisingly, however, Cl2-exposed A. fumigatus challenged mice had a specific impairment in the production of IL-17A and IL-22 in the lungs compared with mice exposed to room air and challenged with A. fumigatus. In summary, our results indicate that Cl2exposure markedly impairs the antimicrobial activity and inflammatory reactivity of myeloid cells in the lung leading to increased susceptibility to opportunistic pathogens.
Human neutrophil elastase-mediated goblet cell metaplasia is attenuated in TACE-deficient mice
Authors: Park Jin-Ah , Sharif Asma S. , Shiomi Tetsuya , Kobzik Lester , Kasahara David I. , Tschumperlin Daniel J. , Voynow Judith , Drazen Jeffrey M.
Published: April 2013

Neutrophilic inflammation is associated with chronic airway diseases. It has been observed that human neutrophil elastase (HNE), which is secreted by active neutrophils during inflammation, induces both mucin overproduction and goblet cell metaplasia. Several in vitro studies suggest that tumor necrosis factor-α converting enzyme (TACE) regulates the signaling axis that mediates HNE-induced mucin overproduction; however, it is unknown whether TACE performs a similar function in HNE-induced goblet cell metaplasia in vivo. We conducted this study to determine whether the inactivation of Tace gene expression attenuates HNE-induced goblet cell metaplasia in mice. Deletion of Tace is lethal shortly after birth in mice; therefore, we utilized Tace flox/flox R26CreER +/− mice and induced conditional deletion of Tace using a tamoxifen injection. Wild-type mice were given tamoxifen to control for its effect. Tace conditional deletion mice and wild-type mice were exposed to HNE via nasal instillation three times at 3-day intervals, and the lungs were harvested on day 11 after initial HNE exposure. Using periodic acid-Schiff staining and MUC5AC immunohistochemical staining to visualize goblet cells in the lungs, we found that HNE induced goblet cell metaplasia in the wild-type mice and that HNE-induced goblet cell metaplasia was significantly attenuated in the Tace conditional deletion mice. These findings suggest that TACE could be a potential target in the treatment of goblet cell metaplasia in patients with chronic airway diseases.
Airway and pulmonary vascular measurements using contrast-enhanced micro-CT in rodents
Authors: Counter W. B. , Wang I. Q. , Farncombe T. H. , Labiris N. R.
Published: April 2013

Preclinical imaging allows pulmonary researchers to study lung disease and pulmonary drug delivery noninvasively and longitudinally in small animals. However, anatomically localizing a pathology or drug deposition to a particular lung region is not easily done. Thus, a detailed knowledge of the anatomical structure of small animal lungs is necessary for understanding disease progression and in addition would facilitate the analysis of the imaging data, mapping drug deposition and relating function to structure. In this study, contrast-enhanced micro-computed tomography (CT) of the lung produced high-resolution images that allowed for the characterization of the rodent airway and pulmonary vasculature. Contrast-enhanced micro-CT was used to visualize the airways and pulmonary vasculature in Sprague-Dawley rats (200–225 g) and BALB/c mice (20–25 g) postmortem. Segmented volumes from these images were processed to yield automated measurements of the airways and pulmonary vasculature. The diameters, lengths, and branching angles of the airway, arterial, and venous trees were measured and analyzed as a function of generation number and vessel diameter to establish rules that could be applied at all levels of tree hierarchy. In the rat, airway, arterial, and venous tress were measured down to the 20th, 16th, and 14th generation, respectively. In the mouse, airway, arterial, and venous trees were measured down to the 16th, 8th, and 7th generation, respectively. This structural information, catalogued in a rodent database, will increase our understanding of lung structure and will aid in future studies of the relationship between structure and function in animal models of disease.
Airway smooth muscle CXCR3 ligand production: regulation by JAK-STAT1 and intracellular Ca2+
Authors: Tan X. , Alrashdan Y. A. , Alkhouri H. , Oliver B. G. G. , Armour C. L. , Hughes J. M.
Published: April 2013

In asthma, airway smooth muscle (ASM) chemokine (C-X-C motif) receptor 3 (CXCR3) ligand production may attract mast cells or T lymphocytes to the ASM, where they can modulate ASM functions. In ASM cells (ASMCs) from people with or without asthma, we aimed to investigate JAK-STAT1, JNK, and Ca2+involvement in chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand (CXCL)10 and CXCL11 production stimulated by interferon-γ, IL-1β, and TNF-α combined (cytomix). Confluent, growth-arrested ASMC were treated with inhibitors for pan-JAK (pyridone-6), JAK2 (AG-490), JNK (SP-600125), or the sarco(endo)plasmic reticulum Ca2+ATPase (SERCA) pump (thapsigargin), Ca2+chelator (BAPTA-AM), or vehicle before and during cytomix stimulation for up to 24 h. Signaling protein activation as well as CXCL10/CXCL11 mRNA and protein production were examined using immunoblot analysis, real-time PCR, and ELISA, respectively. Cytomix-induced STAT1 activation was lower and CXCR3 ligand mRNA production was more sensitive to pyridone-6 and AG-490 in asthmatic than nonasthmatic ASMCs, but CXCL10/CXCL11 release was inhibited by the same proportion. Neither agent caused additional inhibition of release when used in combination with the JNK inhibitor SP-600125. Conversely, p65 NF-κB activation was higher in asthmatic than nonasthmatic ASMCs. BAPTA-AM abolished early CXCL10/CXCL11 mRNA production, whereas thapsigargin reduced it in asthmatic cells and inhibited CXCL10/CXCL11 release by both ASMC types. Despite these inhibitory effects, neither Ca2+agent affected early activation of STAT1, JNK, or p65 NF-κB. In conclusion, intracellular Ca2+regulated CXCL10/CXCL11 production but not early activation of the signaling molecules involved. In asthma, reduced ASM STAT1-JNK activation, increased NF-κB activation, and altered Ca2+handling may contribute to rapid CXCR3 ligand production and enhanced inflammatory cell recruitment.
Always cleave up your mess: targeting collagen degradation to treat tissue fibrosis
Authors: McKleroy William , Lee Ting-Hein , Atabai Kamran
Published: April 2013

Pulmonary fibrosis is a vexing clinical problem with no proven therapeutic options. In the normal lung there is continuous collagen synthesis and collagen degradation, and these two processes are precisely balanced to maintain normal tissue architecture. With lung injury there is an increase in the rate of both collagen production and collagen degradation. The increase in collagen degradation is critical in preventing the formation of permanent scar tissue each time the lung is exposed to injury. In pulmonary fibrosis, collagen degradation does not keep pace with collagen production, resulting in extracellular accumulation of fibrillar collagen. Collagen degradation occurs through both extracellular and intracellular pathways. The extracellular pathway involves cleavage of collagen fibrils by proteolytic enzyme including the metalloproteinases. The less-well-described intracellular pathway involves binding and uptake of collagen fragments by fibroblasts and macrophages for lysosomal degradation. The relationship between these two pathways and their relevance to the development of fibrosis is complex. Fibrosis in the lung, liver, and skin has been associated with an impaired degradative environment. Much of the current scientific effort in fibrosis is focused on understanding the pathways that regulate increased collagen production. However, recent reports suggest an important role for collagen turnover and degradation in regulating the severity of tissue fibrosis. The objective of this review is to evaluate the roles of the extracellular and intracellular collagen degradation pathways in the development of fibrosis and to examine whether pulmonary fibrosis can be viewed as a disease of impaired matrix degradation rather than a disease of increased matrix production.
Emerging Roles of Propolis: Antioxidant, Cardioprotective, and Antiangiogenic Actions
Authors: Daleprane Julio Beltrame , Abdalla Dulcinéia Saes
Published: April 2013

Propolis has attracted attention in recent years due to its beneficial effects, which make it a potential preventive and therapeutic agent as well as a useful additive in food and cosmetics. The aim of this review is to discuss the growing evidence that propolis may, via a diverse array of biological actions, assist in the prevention of some inflammation-mediated pathologies including cardiovascular disease. The active components of propolis that have been identified so far include polyphenols and flavonoids. These compounds have cardioprotective, vasoprotective, antioxidant, antiatherosclerotic, anti-inflammatory and antiangiogenic actions. Many studies have been undertaken to elucidate the mechanism(s) by which propolis acts, which involve cellular signaling targets and interactions at the genomic level. This review will highlight the effects of propolis that may assist in the prevention of chronic degenerative diseases, such as cardiovascular disease.
Subclasses of Harmonic Mappings Defined by Convolution
Authors: Joshi Santosh B. , Shelake Girish D.
Published: April 2013

Two new subclasses of harmonic univalent functions defined by using convolution and integral convolution are introduced. These subclasses generate several known and new subclasses of harmonic univalent functions as special cases and provide a unified treatment in the study of these classes. Coefficient bounds, extreme points, distortion bounds, convolution conditions, and convex combination are also determined.
Night Shift Work and Levels of 6-Sulfatoxymelatonin and Cortisol in Men
Authors: Mirick Dana K. , Bhatti Parveen , Chen Chu , Nordt Frank , Stanczyk Frank Z. , Davis Scott
Published: April 2013

Background: Night shift work is associated with cancer among men, but the biologic mechanism is unclear. We investigated whether male night shift workers showed changes in levels of melatonin and cortisol, potential biomarkers of cancer risk.

Methods: Urine was collected from 185 night shift and 158 day shift-working male healthcare providers, aged 22 to 55 years, throughout work and sleep periods, and assayed for 6-sulfatoxymelatonin and cortisol. Morning serum was collected within 90 minutes of completing the night and assayed for cortisol.

Results: Night shift workers had significantly lower 6-sulfatoxymelatonin levels during daytime sleep, nighttime work, and nighttime sleep on off-nights (57%, 62%, and 40% lower, respectively), relative to the day shift workers during nighttime sleep (P < 0.0001); urinary cortisol in night shift workers was 16% higher during daytime sleep and 13% lower during nighttime sleep on off-nights (P < 0.05). Morning serum cortisol post-work and post-sleep in night shift workers were 24% and 43% lower, respectively, than post-sleep levels among day shift workers (P < 0.0001). Within-subject comparisons among the night shift workers revealed significantly lower melatonin levels and significantly higher urinary cortisol levels during daytime sleep and nighttime work, relative to nighttime sleep (P < 0.01); morning serum cortisol levels post-work were lower than those post-sleep.

Conclusions: Night shift workers have substantially lower 6-sulfatoxymelatonin during night work and daytime sleep, and levels remain low when night shift workers sleep at night. Chronic reduction in melatonin among night shift workers may be an important carcinogenic mechanism. Cortisol secretion patterns may be impacted by night shift work, which could affect cancer risk.

Impact: Shift work could be an important risk factor for many types of cancer. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 22(6); 1079–87. ©2013 AACR.
In Vivo Magnetization Transfer and Diffusion-Weighted Magnetic Resonance Imaging Detects Thrombus Composition in a Mouse Model of Deep Vein Thrombosis
Authors: Phinikaridou Alkystis , Andia Marcelo E. , Saha Prakash , Modarai Bijan , Smith Alberto , Botnar René M.
Published: April 2013

Background—

Deep vein thrombosis remains a major health problem necessitating accurate diagnosis. Thrombolysis is associated with significant morbidity and is effective only for the treatment of unorganized thrombus. We tested the feasibility of in vivo magnetization transfer (MT) and diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging to detect thrombus organization in a murine model of deep vein thrombosis.

Methods and Results—

Deep vein thrombosis was induced in the inferior vena cava of male BALB/C mice. Magnetic resonance imaging was performed at days 1, 7, 14, 21, and 28 after thrombus induction using MT, diffusion-weighted, inversion-recovery, and T1-mapping protocols. Delayed enhancement and T1 mapping were repeated 2 hours after injection of a fibrin contrast agent. Finally, excised thrombi were used for histology. We found that MT and diffusion-weighted imaging can detect histological changes associated with thrombus aging. MT rate (MTR) maps and percentage of MT rate (%MTR) allowed visualization and quantification of the thrombus protein content, respectively. The %MTR increased with thrombus organization and was significantly higher at days 14, 21, and 28 after thrombus induction (days 1, 7, 14, 21, 28: %MTR=2483±451, 2079±1210, 7029±2490, 10 295±4356, 32 994±25 449;
P
ANOVA
<0.05). There was a significant positive correlation between the %MTR and the histological protein content of the thrombus (
r
=0.70;
P
<0.05). The apparent diffusion coefficient was lower in erythrocyte-rich and collagen-rich thrombus (0.72±0.10 and 0.69±0.05 [×10
−3
mm
2
/s]). Thrombus at days 7 and 14 had the highest apparent diffusion coefficient values (0.95±0.09 and 1.10±0.18 [×10
−3
mm
2
/s]).

Conclusions—

MT and diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging sequences are promising for the staging of thrombus composition and could be useful in guiding medical intervention.
Prelamin A Accelerates Vascular Calcification Via Activation of the DNA Damage Response and Senescence-Associated Secretory Phenotype in Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells
Authors: Liu Yiwen , Drozdov Ignat , Shroff Rukshana , Beltran Leilani E. , Shanahan Catherine M.
Published: April 2013

Rationale:

Vascular calcification is prevalent in the aging population, yet little is known of the mechanisms driving age-associated vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) phenotypic change.

Objective:

To investigate the role of nuclear lamina disruption, a specific hallmark of VSMC aging, in driving VSMC osteogenic differentiation.

Methods and Results:

Prelamin A, the unprocessed form of the nuclear lamina protein lamin A, accumulated in calcifying human VSMCs in vitro and in vivo, and its overexpression promoted VSMC osteogenic differentiation and mineralization. During VSMC aging in vitro, prelamin A accumulation occurred concomitantly with increased p16 expression and osteogenic differentiation and was associated with increased levels of DNA damage. Microarray analysis showed that DNA damage repair pathways were significantly impaired in VSMCs expressing prelamin A and that chemical inhibition and siRNA depletion of the DNA damage response kinases ataxia–telangiectasia mutated/ataxia-telangiectasia– and Rad3-related effectively blocked VSMC osteogenic differentiation and mineralization. In coculture experiments, prelamin A–expressing VSMCs induced alkaline phosphatase activity in mesenchymal progenitor cells, and this was abrogated by inhibition of ataxia-telangiectasia–mutated signaling, suggesting that DNA damage induces the secretion of pro-osteogenic factors by VSMCs. Cytokine array analysis identified several ataxia-telangiectasia mutated–dependent senescence-associated secretory phenotype factors/cytokines released by prelamin A–positive VSMCs, including the calcification regulators bone morphogenetic protein 2, osteoprotegerin, and interleukin 6.

Conclusions:

Prelamin A promotes VSMC calcification and aging by inducing persistent DNA damage signaling, which acts upstream of VSMC osteogenic differentiation and the senescence-associated secretory phenotype. Agents that target the DNA damage response and prelamin A toxicity may be potential therapies for the treatment of vascular calcification.
Joyce à la Braudel: The Long-Temporality of Ulysses
Authors: George Jibu Mathew
Published: April 2013

Abstract

Although James Joyce’s Ulysses (1922) covers only eighteen hours of a single day, the characters’ reflections and the symbolic networks of the text stretch the temporal reach of Ulysses to incredibly remote events of personal, historical, and mythical pasts. This essay focuses on a peculiar temporal dynamic in the text: by self-consciously basing itself upon the inconspicuous routine occurrences of everyday life rather than upon plot-making ‘events,’ the book hypostasizes what the Annales School of historians considers a long-temporal historical process into diurnal images. This temporal analysis of Joyce’s text draws upon Fernand Braudel, for whom history operates at multiple levels and is subject to various temporalities. Braudel’s interest lies in the imperceptibly slow-moving geographical time (longe durée), which characterizes the deep-lying “structures” of day-to-day life. Under such a micro-historical exegetical paradigm, the everyday objects and material practices of Ulysses, simultaneously synchronic and diachronic in signification, become the residual fragments of an evolving material civilization. Here Joyce’s modernist practice with regard to time provides an alibi for creating parallel narratives and histories. The long-temporality implied in the everyday furnishes Joyce with a perspectival basis on which history and its politics can be reconceived. It enables Joyce to present the claims, priorities, and challenges of the everyday lives of ordinary people, the real makers of a lasting history, as an experiential contrast to the ruptures and discontinuities of a nightmarish ‘grand history.’
Hontologie: The Chronotope of Shame in Jean Rhys’s Good Morning, Midnight
Authors: Johnson Erica L.
Published: April 2013

Abstract

Jean Rhys’s 1939 novel, Good Morning, Midnight, is a modernist masterpiece of temporal, spatial, and linguistic fragments and collisions. This analysis begins with an application of what Bakhtin established as the mutual enmeshment in the genre of the novel of space and time, or “chronotope,” to Rhys’s novel, and goes on to identify Sasha’s primal experience of shame as the cause of temporal collapse. The mere recall of a shameful moment can ignite a blush, make the body burn—in short, erase the temporal distance between the past and the present, and Sasha exists in a state of shame so extreme that she exemplifies Bruno Chaouat’s concept of hontologie. Rhys records the violent destruction of linear time by the seismic force of the shame effect.
Emergence of Time in Quantum Gravity: Is Time Necessarily Flowing?
Authors: Martinetti Pierre
Published: April 2013

Abstract

We discuss the emergence of time in quantum gravity and ask whether time is always “something that flows.” We first recall that this is indeed the case in both relativity and quantum mechanics, although in very different manners: time flows geometrically in relativity (i.e., as a flow of proper time in the four dimensional space-time), time flows abstractly in quantum mechanics (i.e., as a flow in the space of observables of the system). We then ask the same question in quantum gravity in the light of the thermal time hypothesis of Connes and Rovelli. The latter proposes to answer the question of time in quantum gravity (or at least one of its many aspects) by postulating that time is a state-dependent notion. This means that one is able to make a notion of time as an abstract flow—that we call the thermal time—emerge from the knowledge of both:

the algebra of observables of the physical system under investigation;

a state of thermal equilibrium of this system.

Formally, the thermal time is similar to the abstract flow of time in quantum mechanics, but we show in various examples that it may have a concrete implementation either as a geometrical flow or as a geometrical flow combined with a non-geometric action. This indicates that in quantum gravity, time may well still be “something that flows” at some abstract algebraic level, but this does not necessarily imply that time is always and only “something that flows” at the geometric level.
Emergence and the Mind-Body Problem in Roger Sperry’s Studies
Authors: Lestienne Rémy
Published: April 2013

Abstract

Roger Sperry’s scientific career from his beginnings at Oberlin College in 1934 to his Nobel Prize in 1981 and his death in 1994 is examined from the point of view of the interaction between his scientific works and the evolution of his scientific philosophy. A progressive disengagement from the initial ambience of a reductionist and behaviorist attitude and a move toward the elaboration of an emergentist view of the mind-body problem is observed. This evolution is based on observations on the global and resistant properties of the central nervous system in animals in which the architecture of peripheral nerves has been surgically modified, on reflections on qualia (subjective global experiences such as that of pain). It follows many detailed observations of patients whose two cerebral hemispheres have been surgically disconnected for medical reasons, and in whom both the cognitive abilities of each separated cortical hemisphere and the unity of consciousness persist. Sperry’s resultant emergentist philosophy is paradigmatic of the strong form of emergence: not only is the global mind more than the sum of its parts, but in consciousness has a definite, downward causation power on subsequent and subjacent neural process. This view may be logically defendable only in a diachronic view of emergence, well in phase with a possible emergentist view of Time itself.
Emergence as a Metaphysical Fact
Authors: Barreau Hervé
Published: April 2013

Abstract

A metaphysical fact is a fact, clearly recognizable in the course of time, for which there is no scientific explanation, that is, no legal explanation or explanation deduced in the manner recommended by modern science. I contend that life’s emergence and human thought’s emergence are metaphysical facts in this sense. These emergences are not to be explained by Darwinian principles which themselves do not seem adequate to explain genetic evolutionism. But modern cosmology has given us leave to reflect on cosmic evolution in a manner which gives sense to overall finality. There is an anthropic principle which has two forms: in the weak form, it can help science discover new legal explanations; in the strong form, it offers a teleological explanation of the laws of nature. As F. Dyson noted, we have two styles of explanation: the one is scientific; the other is metascientific (or metaphysical). We have no reason to reject teleological explanations about ontological questions.
Parental Perceptions of a Motivational Interviewing–Based Pediatric Obesity Prevention Intervention
Authors: Woo Baidal Jennifer A. , Price Sarah N. , Gonzalez-Suarez Elizabeth , Gillman Matthew W. , Mitchell Kathleen , Rifas-Shiman Sheryl L. , Horan Christine M. , Gortmaker Steven L. , Taveras Elsie M.
Published: April 2013

Motivational interviewing (MI) shows promise for pediatric obesity prevention, but few studies address parental perceptions of MI. The aim of this study was to identify correlates of parental perceptions of helpfulness of and satisfaction with a MI-based pediatric obesity prevention intervention. We studied 253 children 2 to 6 years of age in the intervention arm of High Five for Kids, a primary care–based randomized controlled trial. In multivariable models, parents born outside the United States (odds ratio [OR] = 8.81; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.44, 31.8), with lower household income (OR = 3.60; 95% CI = 1.03, 12.55), and with higher BMI (OR = 2.86; 95% CI = 1.07, 7.65) were more likely to perceive MI-based visits as helpful in improving children’s obesity-related behaviors after the first year of the intervention. Parents of female (vs male), black (vs white), and Latino (vs white) children had lower intervention satisfaction. Our findings underscore the importance of tailoring pediatric obesity prevention efforts to target populations.
Reviewing the Follow-up Care of Pediatric Patients’ Status Post–Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation for the Primary Care Pediatrician
Authors: Jesudas Rohith , Malesky Aimee , Chu Roland , Fischer Howard , Kamat Deepak
Published: April 2013

Background. Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is a treatment modality for many oncologic as well as non-oncologic disorders. Although the side effects of different chemotherapy regimens have been well studied by several oncology consortiums, limited data is available regarding the late adverse effects of HSCT. Furthermore, pediatric-focused post-HSCT follow-up guidelines for primary care pediatricians do not exist. Objective: To provide a summary of the most common late adverse effects of HSCT and give the primary care pediatrician guidance and evidence-based information for the screening and management of this patient population. Design: The literature was searched using PubMed using keywords, including pediatric bone marrow transplant, hematopoietic stem cell transplant guidelines, pediatric bone marrow transplant guidelines, and pediatric bone marrow transplant immunizations. The most relevant articles out of the hundreds of results were reviewed. Results: Based on 9 review articles from the Pediatric Clinics of North America and 3 articles from the Biology of Blood and Marrow Transplant Journal as well as their original references, a summary of the most common late adverse effects after HSCT was constructed. Pediatric HSCT patients have a high incidence of late adverse effects, with 93% of survivors having at least 1 late adverse effect after 7 years of follow-up. Conclusion: Late adverse effects after pediatric HSCT are common and require close screening and monitoring, which can be done by the primary care provider along with the oncologist.
Shoulder Muscle Fatigue During Repetitive Tasks as Measured by Electromyography and Near-Infrared Spectroscopy
Authors: Ferguson Sue A. , Allread W. Gary , Le Peter , Rose Joseph , Marras William S.
Published: April 2013

Objective:

The objective of this study was to quantify shoulder muscle fatigue during repetitive exertions similar to motions found in automobile assembly tasks.

Background:

Shoulder musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are a common and costly problem in automotive manufacturing.

Method:

Ten subjects participated in the study. There were three independent variables: shoulder angle, frequency, and force. There were two types of dependent measures: percentage change in near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) measures and change in electromyography (EMG) median frequency. The anterior deltoid and trapezius muscles were measured for both NIRS and EMG. Also, EMG was collected on the middle deltoid and biceps muscles.

Results:

The results showed that oxygenated hemoglobin decreased significantly due to the main effects (shoulder angle, frequency, and force). The percentage change in oxygenated hemoglobin had a significant interaction attributable to force and repetition for the anterior deltoid muscle, indicating that as repetition increased, the magnitude of the differences between the forces increased. The interaction of repetition and shoulder angle was also significant for the percentage change in oxygenated hemoglobin. The median frequency decreased significantly for the main effects; however, no interactions were statistically significant.

Conclusions:

There was significant shoulder muscle fatigue as a function of shoulder angle, task frequency, and force level. Furthermore, percentage change in oxygenated hemoglobin had two statistically significant interactions, enhancing our understanding of these risk factors.

Application:

Ergonomists should examine interactions of force and repetition as well as shoulder angle and repetition when evaluating the risk of shoulder MSDs.
Psychiatry, homeless patients and welfare reforms: Historical links and chains
Authors: Abdul-Hamid Walid Khalid , Bhui Kamaldeep
Published: April 2013

The birthplace of the specialty of psychiatry was in the asylum, which was created to divert patients from workhouses where the most disadvantaged and destitute people with mental illness were to be found. The current welfare reforms are endangering the welfare and livelihood of the most disadvantaged of our patients. These reforms in the authors’ opinion are related more to the historical cycle of societal attitude to homeless people than to seeing them as the undeserving poor. This is particularly true since the current economic crisis was not caused by the poor, so it is very unfair that our poorest patients should suffer most as a result of the welfare reforms.
Leaving It All Behind to Travel
Authors: Hirschorn Sara , Hefferon Kate
Published: April 2013

The potential for personal growth in cross-cultural travel has been posited by numerous psychologists; however, a “gaping hole” in empirical research has left these hypotheses unexplored. Meanwhile, rapidly increasing numbers of people are choosing to leave their careers to pursue a personal dream of extensive foreign travel. The aim of this study was to explore the motivations, psychological experiences, and outcomes from travel in this growing “career-break” demographic. Ten men and women who had exited their careers to pursue extensive culturally engaging travel participated in an individual semistructured interview that was analyzed using constructivist grounded theory. Three main themes emerged: an existential yearning to travel, “jumping off the ledge” (courage), and discovering authenticity. Personal growth occurred via adversity within the travel experience itself, but also at the pretravel stage of departure, where leaving security and venturing uncertainty was experienced with “milestone” significance and, for some, as a seismic event akin to trauma. Future research should explore the potential for a new type of intrinsically emerging trauma in posttraumatic growth and the potential for anxiety as a positive construct in authentic becoming and growth.
Relationship between microstructure and properties of false-twist textured and stabilized polylactide. Part 2. physicochemical characterization, accessibility of the amorphous phase and dyeing behavior
Authors: Cayuela Diana , Montero Lucila , Riva Ascension , Prieto Remedios , Marti Meritxell , Manich Albert M
Published: April 2013

Polylactide fibers (PLA), textured by false twist at different temperatures (135, 150 and 165℃) and draw ratios (1.30, 1.35 and 1.40) were stabilized by the application of a continuous thermal treatment at 100℃ and 50 m/min. The effect of thermal stabilization on the microstructure was determined by physicochemical tests such as iodine sorption or differential solubility. Iodine sorption and differential solubility are closely related to the crystallinity of the samples. Stabilization enhances crystallinity and orientation with the result that differences between the samples are diminished. Color value differences, albeit reduced, in some cases exceed the accepted limits. Color absorption is mainly dependent on the orientation and accessibility of the amorphous phase.
Theoretical study of fiber tension distribution at the spinning triangle
Authors: Su Xuzhong , Gao Weidong , Liu Xinjin , Xie Chunping , Xu Bojun
Published: April 2013

The spinning triangle is a critical region in the spinning process of yarn. Its geometry influences the fiber tension distribution and thus affects the properties of spun yarns. In conventional ring spinning, on the one hand, the spinning triangles are often asymmetric due to the frictional contacts of fibers with the bottom roller, which interferes with the twist propagation into the spinning triangle zone, and thus leads to the migration of the axis fiber at the front roller nip. On the other hand, the yarn spinning tension has an obvious angle with the vertical axis perpendicular to the nip line. Therefore, in this paper, a theoretical model of the fiber tension distributions in the general spinning triangle has been proposed by considering both the inclination angle of the spinning tension and the migration of the axis fiber at the front roller nip according to the principle of minimum potential energy. Two shape parameters were introduced to describe the skew level of the geometry of the spinning triangle in the analysis. The effects of shapes of the spinning triangle on the fiber tension distributions were investigated. The results show that the fiber tension distribution at the spinning triangle tends to more non-uniformity with increasing the asymmetry of the spinning triangle. The effects of both shape parameters on the fiber tension distributions are similar under the assumption that the spinning triangle height H is constant. In addition, a more long-narrow shape of the spinning triangle shows more uniform fiber distributions.
Quantitative characterization of functionally modified micron–submicron fibers for tissue regeneration: a review
Authors: Jassal Manisha , Sengupta Sukalyan , Warner Steven B , Bhowmick Sankha
Published: April 2013

Tissue regeneration relies on building carefully crafted scaffold material in the micron–submicron scale and imparting specific functionality in order to best mimic the in vivo environment in terms of chemical composition, morphology, and surface functional groups. Fibrous meshes with structural features at the micron to submicron level for ideal three-dimensional tissue regeneration scaffolds can be an inexpensive scale-up option. Bio-inert polymers lack the functional motifs for specific bioactivity; however, functionalization of the scaffolds can provide biological functions to actively induce tissue regeneration and promote cell adhesion by targeting specific cell–matrix interactions. It is therefore important to characterize the scaffolds and understand the relationship between the efficacy of the functionalization, the surface properties of the scaffolds, and their biological performance. This paper is a comprehensive review of the current understanding in functionalization and characterization of fibrous scaffolds and their biological efficacy. We begin with a compilation of various functionalization schemes including physical adsorption, co-electrospinning, wet chemical techniques, and surface graft polymerization methods and their application to fibers. After a critical literature review, the state of the art for characterization of these functionalized nano-fibers is then discussed. We emphasize the importance of covalent binding of biomolecules and the subsequent need for characterization of functional group distribution, or local density of functionalization, on the scaffold surface. Current challenges and future directions are outlined so that quantitative characterization of scaffold surfaces can aid in the development of next generation scaffolds.
The arc of civil liberation
Authors: Alexander Jeffrey C.
Published: April 2013

Despite anxieties about the growing power of neo-liberalism, the crisis of the EU and the upsurge of right-wing political movements, it is important to recognize that utopian movements on the left have also in recent years been symbolically revitalized and organizationally sustained. This article analyses three recent social upheavals as utopian civil society movements, placing the 2008 US presidential campaign of Barack Obama, the Egyptian uprising in Tahrir Square and the Occupy Movement in the USA inside the narrative arc that began with the non-violent democratic uprisings against authoritarian governments four decades earlier. In this new utopian surge, however, there is an unprecedented connection of eastern and western impulses, demonstrating that the tide of democratic thought and action is hardly confined to Judeo-Christian civilizations.
Comparison between normothermic and mild hypothermic cardiopulmonary bypass in myocardial revascularization of patients with left ventricular dysfunction
Authors: Yuksel V , Canbaz S , Ege T
Published: April 2013

Aims:

The aim of this study was to investigate whether normothermic bypass is superior to mild hypothermia in patients with poor left ventricular function. This was achieved by studying defibrillation rates, postoperative requirements of cardiac pacing or other morbidity issues and mortality in patients with left ventricular dysfunction operated upon for elective coronary revascularization.

Methods:

Data were collected retrospectively from 252 consecutive patients with left ventricular dysfunction (ejection fraction ≤35%) undergoing coronary revascularization between January 2005 and January 2011. Patients operated upon under mild hypothermia (32ºC) were placed in Group 1 and under normothermia (≥35ºC) were placed in Group 2. Comorbidities and postoperative complications were recorded.

Results:

There were 128 patients in Group 1 and 124 patients in Group 2. Plasma concentrations of CK-MB and troponin T peaked at 6 hours postoperatively, with no significant difference between the groups. Despite longer aortic cross-clamp time and total bypass time in Group 2, significantly less defibrillation requirement rates after aortic declamping was observed. Hospital mortality occured in 16 patients; 8 patients in each group.

Conclusions:

Normothermia enables less requirement for defibrillation after aortic declamping and postoperative cardiac pacing in patients with left ventricular dysfunction, which may be interpreted as better myocardial protection under normothermic bypass. However, maintaining normothermia had no effect on postoperative stroke, postoperative atrial fibrillation, renal failure development and mortality.
Maternal Psychological Control and Peer Victimization in Early Adolescence
Authors: Batanova Milena D. , Loukas Alexandra
Published: April 2013

Guided by the family relational schema model, the current study examined the direct and indirect contributions of maternal psychological control to subsequent relational and overt peer victimization, via early adolescents’ conduct problems, fear of negative evaluation, and depressive symptoms. Participants were 499 10- to 14-year-olds (53% female; 77% European American) involved in two waves of a study with 1 year between each wave. Path analyses indicated that depressive symptoms mediated the associations between maternal psychological control and increases in both forms of peer victimization across the 1-year time period. Although conduct problems were concurrently associated with maternal psychological control, and fear of negative evaluation predicted change in both forms of peer victimization, neither variable mediated the maternal psychological control-peer victimization associations. Results were generally consistent across gender, with a few notable differences. Study findings provide partial support for the family relational schema model and implications are discussed.
Reflections on “Public Administrative Theory and the Separation of Powers”
Authors: Rosenbloom David H.
Published: April 2013

Published 30 years ago, my article on “Public Administrative Theory and the Separation of Powers” introduced what is often called the “three perspectives” approach or framework for understanding public administration at a macro-level by viewing it through the lenses of management, politics, and law. Each of these perspectives is anchored in a function of government—execution, legislation, and adjudication respectively—which at the U.S. federal level is housed primarily in the institutional structures of the executive branch, Congress, and the courts. The article has been reprinted several times in edited works and widely cited while the textbook elaborating on it, Public Administration: Understanding Management, Politics, and Law in the Public Sector (1st ed., 1986), has gained widespread adoption. The present article reflects on what the three perspectives framework did, did not do, and whether it is useful in application to the vast changes in public administrative thought and practice that have occurred since its publication. Specifically addressed are whether the framework retains utility in the wake of reinventing government and the advent of collaborative governance as well as how it might be strengthened to inventory and cumulate public administrative knowledge in the future.
Relevant Anatomic Landmarks and Measurements for Biceps Tenodesis
Authors: LaFrance Russell , Madsen Wes , Yaseen Zaneb , Giordano Brian , Maloney Michael , Voloshin Ilya
Published: April 2013

Background:

Biceps tenodesis around the pectoralis major insertion may alter resting tension on the biceps, leading to unfavorable clinical outcomes.

Hypothesis:

The anatomic relationship between the musculotendinous junction (MTJ) of the biceps and the pectoralis major tendon will provide guidelines for anatomic location to perform biceps tenodesis with the goal of re-establishing biceps tension.

Study Design:

Descriptive laboratory study.

Methods:

Cadaveric dissections were performed that reflected the pectoralis major tendon and exposed the long head of the biceps tendon (LHBT). Calipers were used to measure the longitudinal width of the pectoralis major tendon at the humerus, 2 cm away from the humerus, and at its proximal expansion on the humerus. The distance from the proximal extent of the pectoralis major tendon footprint to the beginning of the MTJ of the biceps and the length of the MTJ of the biceps were recorded. The location of the distal end of the MTJ of the biceps relevant to the inferior border of the pectoralis major tendon was calculated.

Results:

The average longitudinal width of the pectoralis major tendon at its humeral insertion was 76.8 mm, the width 2 cm away from the humerus averaged 37.3 mm, and the proximal expansion averaged 13.3 mm. The MTJ of the biceps began an average of 32.4 mm distal from the proximal aspect of the pectoralis major footprint and extended for an average of 78.1 mm. The MTJ of the LHBT was calculated to extend 3.3 cm distal to the inferior border of the pectoralis major footprint.

Conclusion:

The MTJ of the biceps begins further proximal than may be appreciated intraoperatively. Knowledge of the anatomic relationships between the LHBT, its MTJ, and the pectoralis major tendon provides helpful guidelines for the biceps tenodesis site. The final resting spot of the most distal aspect of the MTJ of the LHBT after tenodesis should be approximately 3 cm distal to the inferior edge of the pectoralis major tendon footprint on the humerus.