bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Police Interviews of Sexual Assault Reporters: Do Attitudes Matter?
Authors: Rich Karen , Seffrin Patrick
Published: April 2012

Sexual assault is underreported in the United States. Survivors are often reluctant to make police reports for various reasons; one is fear of revictimization by criminal justice professionals. Conversely, police officers often lack skills for interviewing crime victims. Posttraumatic stress reactions among victims can exacerbate the problem. Although some victims prefer female interviewers, it is not known whether they are more skilled. A sample of 429 police officers completed a written survey testing their rape myth acceptance and knowledge of how to interview rape reporters. A significant relationship between rape myth acceptance and interviewing skill was discovered. Although officer gender was related to interviewing skill, the effect was mediated by rape myth acceptance. Specific officer behaviors related to high rape myth acceptance were identified. Implications for selection of police to conduct victim interviews were discussed.
The Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educator’s Role in Teaching Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse
Authors: Hotelling Barbara A.
Published: April 2012

There is a strong likelihood that at least one participant in any Lamaze childbirth education class has had personal experience with childhood sexual abuse. Using the wisdom of Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educators and respected authors in the field of childhood sexual abuse, this column enlightens the childbirth educator in three ways: understanding the incidence of female and male childhood sexual abuse; understanding the effects of sexual, emotional, physical, and verbal abuse on the pregnant and parenting family; and facilitating classes that are sensitive to the needs of survivors of childhood sexual abuse as well to all expectant parents.
The Future of Nursing: Implications for Childbirth Educators
Authors: Budin Wendy C.
Published: April 2012

In this column, the editor of The Journal of Perinatal Education discusses the Institute of Medicine’s 2011 report, The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health, and its implications for childbirth educators. The editor also describes the contents of this issue, which offer a broad range of resources, research, and inspiration for childbirth educators in their efforts to promote, support, and protect natural, safe, and healthy birth.
A Grandmothers’ Tea: Evaluation of a Breastfeeding Support Intervention
Authors: Grassley Jane S. , Spencer Becky S. , Law Becky
Published: April 2012

This study’s purpose was to evaluate an intervention to facilitate grandmothers’ knowledge and support of breastfeeding. A pilot study with a quasi-experimental two-group posttest design was used to evaluate whether the intervention made a difference in grandmothers’ knowledge, attitudes, and intent to recommend breastfeeding. The 26 grandmothers in the intervention group attended A Grandmothers’ Tea program; the 23 grandmothers in the control group received written information. The intervention group had greater posttest knowledge scores than the control group but had no significant differences in attitudes or intent. However, a significant difference was evident between the attitude scores of grandmothers who breastfed their infants and of grandmothers who did not breastfeed their infants regardless of receiving the intervention.
Differences in depression severity and frequency of relapses in opiate addicts treated with methadone or opiate blocker after detoxification
Authors: Jovanovic Tatjana , Lazarevic Dusan , Nikolic Gordana
Published: April 2012

Background/Aim. Relapse of opiate dependence is a common occurrence after
detoxification and introduction of opiate addicts in abstinence from opiates.
Clinical evaluation showed that over 90% of opiate addicts exhibit depressive
manifestations during detoxification, or develop post-detoxification
depression. The aim of this study was to determine differences in the
frequency of relapses, severity and course of depression during a of 6-month
period, and previous patterns of use of opioids in the two groups of opiate
addicts treated by two different therapeutic modalities. Methods. The results
of the two groups of opiate addicts were compared: the patients on
substitution methadone treatment (M) and the patients treated with opiate
blocker naltrexone (B). In all the patients, clinical and instrumental
evaluations confirmed depressive syndrome. Opioid relapses were diagnosed by
the panel test for rapid detection of metabolites of opiates in urine. Then
they were brought in connection with scores of depression and addiction
variables. The Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD) and Zunge Depression Scale
were the applied instruments for measuring the level of depression. All the
subjects completed a questionnaire Pompidou (short version). Psychological
measurements were carried out during a 6-month follow-up on three occasions.
The presence of opiate metabolites in urine was controlled every two weeks.
Results. Both groups of patients (M and B) had high scores on HAMD during the
study. The group on methadone had a strong depression in all three
measurements. There was a drop in the level of depression in both
experimental groups over time, which was accompanied by a decrease in the
incidence of recurrence. In both tested groups the frequency of relapses was
positively correlated with earlier addiction variables - intravenous
application of opioids, the experience of overdose, the absence of
immunization against hepatitis C and hepatitis C virus carriers. Conclusion.
The opioid relapse behavior is associated with a marked depression in
post-detoxification period. The tested group M had a more expressed
depression which is consistent with the literature data. In both tested
groups the frequency of relapses was positively correlated with individual
addiction variables associated with latent suicidal behavior. Diagnosing and
monitoring depression of opiate addicts as well as timely remediation of
post-detoxification depression symtoms, could help in prevention of opiate
relapse.
Comments by the Auditing Standards Committee of the Auditing Section of the American Accounting Association on Public Exposure Draft: Internal Control—Integrated Framework (COSO Framework)
Authors: Vandervelde Scott D. , Brazel Joseph F. , Jones Keith L. , Walker Paul L.
Published: April 2012

In November 2010, COSO announced a project to review and update the 1992 Internal Control—Integrated Framework (COSO 1992). COSO's goal in updating the framework was to increase its relevance in the increasingly complex and global business environment to help ensure that organizations worldwide can better design, implement, and assess internal control. The proposed Framework retains the core definition of internal control and the five components of internal control. One of the most significant enhancements is the expression of concepts described in the original framework into 17 principles, accompanied by related attributes. COSO provided for a 104-day exposure period (from December 19, 2011 to March 31, 2012) for interested parties to examine the exposure draft and provide comments. On March 29, 2012, the Auditing Standards Committee of the Auditing Section of the American Accounting Association provided the comments in the letter below to COSO on Public Exposure Draft: Internal Control—Integrated Framework (COSO Framework).

Data Availability: Information about and access to the release is available at: http://www.ic.coso.org/default.aspx
The influence of resiniferatoxin on the chemical coding of neurons in dorsal root ganglia supplying the urinary bladder in the female pig
Authors: Bossowska A. , Majewski M.
Published: April 2012

The influence of resiniferatoxin on the chemical coding of neurons in dorsal root ganglia supplying the urinary bladder in the female pig

Although resiniferatoxin (RTX) becomes more often used in experimental therapies of sensory system disorders, so far there is no data concerning the influence of RTX on the chemical coding of neurons in dorsal root ganglia (DRG) supplying the urinary bladder in the pig, an animal species considered as a reliable animal model for investigation dealing with human lower urinary tract disorders. Retrograde tracer Fast Blue (FB) was injected into the wall of the right half of the urinary bladder in six juvenile female pigs, and three weeks later, bladder instillation of RTX (500 nmol per animal) was carried out in all the animals. After a week, DRGs were harvested from all the pigs and the neurochemical characterization of FB+ neurons was performed using routine single-immunofluorescence labeling technique on 10-μm-thick cryostat sections. RTX instillation resulted in a distinct decrease in the numbers of FB+ cells containing calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), nitric oxide synthase (NOS), somatostatin (SOM) and calbindin (CB) when compared with those found in the healthy animals (18% vs. 36%, 1% vs. 6%, 0.8% vs. 4% and 0.5% vs. 3%, respectively), and an increase in the number of pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP)- and galanin (GAL)-immunoreactive (IR) nerve cells (51% vs. 26% and 47% vs. 6.5%). The results obtained suggest that RTX could be taken into consideration when the neuroactive agents are planned to be used in experimental therapies of selected neurogenic bladder illnesses.
First record of Vulgarogamasus immanis (Acari, Mesostigmata) in Svalbard
Authors: Gwiazdowicz Dariusz , Solhøy Torstein , Coulson Stephen , Lebedeva Natalia , Melekhina Elena
Published: April 2012

First record ofVulgarogamasus immanis(Acari, Mesostigmata) in Svalbard

The mesostigmatid miteVulgarogamasus immanis(Berlese, 1904) is reported in Svalbard for the first time. The gamasid mite community of Svalbard is amongst the best known of invertebrate groups of the archipelago due to recent revisions based on fresh sampling campaigns. Nonetheless, a hitherto unrecorded species of gamasid mite was recently found along the strandline in Barentsburg. This record brings the total gamasid mite inventory of Svalbard to 23 species. The current inventory of Svalbard is bedeviled with synonyms and misidentifications. Nevertheless, resolving these confusions and maintaining an accurate and updated species inventory is of prime importance in understanding the ecology of this region. Especially in a period of rapid environmental change.
Genetic and epigenetic variation in a cosmopolitan grass Poa annua from Antarctic and Polish populations
Authors: Chwedorzewska Katarzyna , Bednarek Piotr
Published: April 2012

Genetic and epigenetic variation in a cosmopolitan grassPoa annuafrom Antarctic and Polish populations

Poa annuaL. is the only non-native vascular plant that was successfully established in the maritime Antarctic. This project aimed to determine the amount of genetic and epigenetic variation within and between two populations ofP. annua, one from South Shetland Is. (Antarctic) and the other one from Central Europe. We applied two AFLP marker systems, using endonucleases that recognised the same restriction site but differed in their sensitivity towards methylation. The Antarctic population differed from the Polish one both at the genetic and epigenetic levels. Genetic variability in the Antarctic population was lower than in the Polish one. Some loci in the Antarctic population showed signs of selection. The difference between Polish and Antarctic populations might be due to a weak bottleneck effect followed by population expansion. Using only epigenetic markers, the Antarctic population exhibited increased variation level compared to the Polish one. These may have resulted from plastic responses to environmental factors and could be associated with survival in extreme conditions.
Coreless winters in the European sector of the Arctic and their synoptic conditions
Authors: Bednorz Ewa , Fortuniak Krzysztof
Published: April 2012

Coreless winters in the European sector of the Arctic and their synoptic conditions

The coreless winters (i.e. not having a cold core) were distinguished in four stations within the European sector of the Arctic. Anomalies of the frequency of the Niedźwiedź's (2011) circulation types were calculated separately for the mid-winter warm months and for cold months preceding and following the warm-spells. Furthermore, composite and anomaly maps of the sea level pressure as s well as anomaly maps of the air temperature at 850 gpm (geopotential meters) were constructed separately for the mid-winter warm events and for the cold months before and after warming. Different pressure patterns were recognized among the days of mid-winter warm spells, using the clustering method. The occurrence of coreless winters in the study area seems to be highly controlled by the position, extension and intensity of large scale atmospheric systems, mainly the Icelandic Low. When the Low spreads to the east and its centre locates over the Barents Sea the inflow of air masses from the northern quadrant is observed over the North Atlantic. This brings cold air of Arctic origin to the islands and causes an essential drop in the air temperature. Such situation takes place during the cold months preceding and following the warm mid-winter events. During the warm spells the Icelandic Low gets deeper-than-usual and it is pushed to the northeast, which contributes to the air inflow from the southern quadrant.
Junsuk and Junhyuck
Authors: Yoon Bogum
Published: April 2012

A parent-researcher examines two adolescent immigrants’ educational journey to success through the analysis of positioning theory and negotiated identities. Through the boys’ direct voices about their schooling experiences with a particular focus on the middle and high school years in the United States, this article reports on the complexities of their identity negotiation and the process of their self-positioning and interactive positioning. This longitudinal study suggests that, rather than a single focus on language or culture, the immigrant students’ critical awareness of identity, negotiated identities, and external confirmation of unique abilities enable them to construct and reconstruct the context that contributes to their success. This study aims to help educators reframe the dialogue on immigrant students to include a new voice, from their own perspectives, of how they have been able to be successful in the U.S. social and educational systems.
The Controversy over GM Canola in Australia as an Ontological Politics
Authors: Robins Rosemary
Published: April 2012

In this paper I examine the controversy over genetically modified canola (GM canola) in Australia as an ontological politics, drawing on recent work in Science and Technology Studies that extends actor-network theory and its commitment to the contingency of reality. I examine three different and overlapping performances of GM canola: as an agronomic object, a risk object and a market object. I focus on how each performance effects similarities and differences between GM and conventional canola that are productive of ontological distinctions that make GM canola controversial. I argue this analysis offers useful insights that are not revealed by more traditional explanations of controversy.
Justifiability of Littering: An Empirical Investigation
Authors: Torgler Benno , García-Valiñas María A. , Macintyre Alison
Published: April 2012

This paper investigates the relationship between voluntary participation in environmental organisations and the justifiability of littering behaviour. Previous empirical work regarding determinants of littering and littering behaviour remains scarce, particularly in socio-economic analysis. We address these deficiencies, demonstrating a strong empirical link between environmental participation and reduced public littering in the European Values Survey (EVS) data for 30 Western and Eastern European countries. The results suggest that membership in environmental organisations is related to a stronger commitment to anti-littering behaviour, thereby supporting improved environmental quality.
Shifting concepts in rectal cancer management
Authors: Kosinski Lauren , Habr‐Gama Angelita , Ludwig Kirk , Perez Rodrigo
Published: April 2012

The management of rectal cancer has transformed over the last 3 decades and continues to evolve. Some of these changes parallel progress made with other cancers: refinement of surgical technique to improve organ preservation, selective use of neoadjuvant (and adjuvant) therapy, and emergence of criteria suggesting a role for individually tailored therapy. Other changes are driven by fairly unique issues including functional considerations, rectal anatomic features, and surgical technical issues. Further complexity is due to the variety of staging modalities (each with its own limitations), neoadjuvant treatment alternatives, and competing strategies for sequencing multimodal treatment even for nonmetastatic disease. Importantly, observations of tumor response made in the era of neoadjuvant therapy are reshaping some traditionally held concepts about tumor behavior. Frameworks for prioritizing and integrating complex data can help to formulate treatment plans for patients. CA Cancer J Clin 2012;. © 2012 American Cancer Society.
Road Traffic Accidents by 'Nasimon' and 'Karimon'-A Study in Faridpur
Authors: Chowdhury ASMJ , Alam MS , Biswas SK , Saha RK , Mondal AR , Rahman MM , Khair MA
Published: April 2012

Road traffic accidents in Bangladesh have been rapidly increasing with huge mortality through road accidents each year. There are many causes of road accidents in recent years; one important cause is running of locally made improvised three wheelers (flat bed tricycle) in the urban areas and also on the highways, popularly known as 'Nasimon' and 'Karimon'. This prospective study was carried out in Faridpur Medical College Hospital from January through June 2011, to study the accident patients caused by 'Nasimon' and 'Karimon'. Fifty six (12%) patients were of RTA by 'Nasimon' and 'Karimon' out of a total of 468 patients admitted into our hospital during this period. Most patients (41, 73.21%) were male, highest accidents (24, 42.86%) were observed among 21-30 years age group and most victims (33, 58.93%) were belonged to low socioeconomic status. Commonest (31, 55.36%) victims were passengers of 'Nasimon' and 'Karimon' while maximum number of accidents (46, 82.14%) took place in the urban areas and on the highways. Injury pattern of victims were similar to that found in any other road accident patients. These three wheelers 'Nasimon' and 'Karimon' are run in violating of Bangladesh Motor Vehicles Act (1983) as they are totally unfit for plying on the highways. Strict surveillance against these illegal and risky vehicles on the highways and in the urban areas by law enforcing agencies is required as a measure to reduce the burden of road accidents in our country.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/fmcj.v7i1.10289Faridpur Med. Coll. J. 2012;7(1): 06-09
Hyaluronan-Supplemented Buffers Preserve Adhesion Mechanisms Facilitating Cryopreservation of Human Hepatic Stem/Progenitor Cells
Authors: Turner Rachael A. , Mendel Gemma , Wauthier Eliane , Barbier Claire , Reid Lola M.
Published: April 2012

The supply of human hepatic stem cells (hHpSCs) and other hepatic progenitors has been constrained by the limited availability of liver tissues from surgical resections, the rejected organs from organ donation programs, and the need to use cells immediately. To facilitate accessibility to these precious tissue resources, we have established an effective method for serum-free cryopreservation of the cells, allowing them to be stockpiled and stored for use as an off-the-shelf product for experimental or clinical programs. The method involves use of buffers, some serum-free, designed for cryopreservation and further supplemented with hyaluronans (HA) that preserve adhesion mechanisms facilitating postthaw culturing of the cells and preservation of functions. Multiple cryopreservation buffers were found to yield high viabilities (80–90%) of cells on thawing of the progenitor cells. Serum-free CS10 supplemented with 0.05% hyaluronan proved the most effective, both in terms of viabilities of cells on thawing and in yielding cell attachment and formation of expanding colonies of cells that stably maintain the stem/progenitor cell phenotype. Buffers to which 0.05 or 0.1% HAs were added showed cells postthaw to be phenotypically stable as stem/progenitors, as well as having a high efficiency of attachment and expansion in culture. Success correlated with improved expression of adhesion molecules, particularly CD44, the hyaluronan receptor, E-cadherin, β4 integrin in hHpSCs, and β1 integrins in hepatoblasts. The improved methods in cryopreservation offer more efficient strategies for stem cell banking in both research and potential therapy applications.
Flowering asynchrony and mating system effects on reproductive assurance and mutualism persistence in fragmented fig–fig wasp populations
Authors: Gates Daniel J. , Nason John D.
Published: April 2012

•Premise of the study:Plants and animals may experience reproductive Allee effects in fragmented populations, and obligate pollination mutualisms may be especially sensitive to extinction risk via this density‐dependent process. In this study we examine how a shift from within‐crown reproductive synchrony to asynchrony influences reproductive assurance through contributions to selfing and outcrossing in small, spatially isolated populations ofFicus.

•Methods:The research focuses on the monoecious figF. petiolarisand consists of phenological analyses and genetic assessments of selfing and outcrossing for populations located in Baja California's Sonoran Desert.

•Key results:Phenological censuses of eight populations revealed within‐crown asynchrony in 44% of reproducing trees, with 16% having sufficient overlap of male and female flowering phases to permit selfing via the cycling of pollinating fig wasps within natal trees. In mating system analyses of two of these populations, however, multilocus outcrossing rates (tm) were indistinguishable from 1. This result, combined with low levels of inbreeding, indicates selfing to be absent or at best a minor contributor to reproductive assurance.

•Conclusions:The results indicate that the fitness benefits of within‐crown asynchrony lie not with selfing, as commonly asserted, but with increased opportunities for outcross pollen transmission and receipt, changing our understanding of the mechanisms by which reproduction is facilitated and extinction risk minimized in naturally fragmentedFicuspopulations. Given the role of fig fruit as a keystone food resource in many tropical environments, trait variation leading to reproductive assurance in figs, such as within‐crown asynchrony, has broader ecosystem‐level implications.
The seed cone Eathiestrobus gen. nov.: Fossil evidence for a Jurassic origin of Pinaceae
Authors: Rothwell Gar W. , Mapes Gene , Stockey Ruth A. , Hilton Jason
Published: April 2012

• Premise of the study: Pinaceae and nonpinoid species are sister groups within the conifer clade as inferred from molecular systematic comparisons of living species and therefore should have comparable geological ages. However, the fossil record for the nonpinoid lineage of extant conifer families is Triassic, nearly 100 million years older than the oldest widely accepted Lower Cretaceous record for Pinaceae. An anatomically preserved fossil conifer seed cone described here extends the stratigraphic range of Pinaceae nearly 30 million years, thus reducing the apparent discrepancy between evidence from the fossil record and inferences from systematic studies of living species.

• Methods: Material was prepared as serial thin sections by the cellulose acetate peel technique, mounted on microscope slides, and viewed and photographed using transmitted light.

• Key results: A large cylindrical cone consisting of bract‐scale complexes that diverge from the cone axis in a helical phyllotaxis has bracts and scales that separate from each other in the midregion and are of equal length and of nearly equal width. The cone has two inverted and winged seeds that are attached to the adaxial surface of each cone scale and, thus, represents an early member of the Pinaceae.

• Conclusions: Eathiestrobus mackenziei gen. et sp. nov. extends the fossil record for well‐documented members of the family Pinaceae from the Lower Cretaceous to the Kimmeridgian Stage of the Upper Jurassic. This species also clarifies the set of characters that are diagnostic for seed cones of Pinaceae and reveals possible plesiomorphic characters for seed cones of the family.
VLC-BASED MEDICAL HEALTHCARE INFORMATION SYSTEM
Authors: Ng Xiao-Wei , Chung Wan-Young
Published: April 2012

Nowadays, wireless communication technologies are employed in medical body area networks to enhance flexibility and convenience for caregivers and patients. However, there is always the risk of disturbance from electromagnetic waves toward precision medical equipment. This study demonstrates a novel design and implementation of a medical healthcare information system using the emerging wireless visible light communication (VLC) technology. VLC technology can be implemented using visible light emitting diodes (LED), which is expected to be the main lighting source in the near future due to its energy efficient characteristic compared to conventional incandescent and fluorescent lighting. By manipulating the fast switching characteristic of LEDs, these lighting devices can be used simultaneously for illumination and wireless data communication. The prototype design of the VLC-based medical healthcare system can be used to provide data service and monitoring in radio frequency restricted hospital areas. High brightness LED (HB-LED) is used in the transmitter module to transmit medical and healthcare information using optical modulation method. High speed photodetector is used to detect the optical signal, then the signal is demodulated and conditioned at the receiver module. Medical caregivers or patients can download the biomedical data and healthcare information using a portable device with attached optical sensor.
DETECTION OF PANCREATIC CANCER CELLS (SUIT-2) USING AN FET-BASED BIOSENSOR WITH AN EXTENDED Au GATE
Authors: Cho Byunghyun , Lee Hee-Ho , Shin Jang-Kyoo , Murata Masaharu , Ohuchida Kenoki , Hashizume Makoto
Published: April 2012

In this paper, we assess the feasibility of detecting human pancreatic cancer cells using a field effect transistor (FET)-based biosensor with an extended Au gate for medical application. Pancreatic cancer is one of the most fatal cancers, and is very difficult to diagnose in its early stages. Gemcitabine is an anticancer drug, and when used in chemotherapy it induces cell death. During apoptosis, the surface potential of the pancreatic cancer cells is changed by gemcitabine. In the present study, this change was detected using an FET-based biosensor. This biosensor was fabricated with an extended Au gate, whose surface is a sensing area for cancer cells. A null-balancing circuit was used in the measurement system, and the LabVIEW software platform allowed the immune-reaction at the Au gate to be detected as an output voltage. The cancer cells were incubated for one day; during this time, the cancer cells adhered to the Au extended gate surface. As gemcitabine was introduced to the cancer cells in vitro, changes in the output of the biosensor were monitored. Pancreatic cancer cells with a resistance to gemcitabine were used to verify that the change in the output of the biosensor was due only to the interaction between the cancer cells and the gemcitabine. We also investigated the relationship between the starting time of the reaction and the concentration of the anticancer drug.
THE EFFECT OF SENSORIMOTOR RHYTHM ENHANCING NEUROFEEDBACK ON POWER OF ADJACENT FREQUENCY BANDS
Authors: Ghoshuni Majid , Firoozabadi Mohammad , Khalilzadeh Mohammad Ali , Hashemi Golpayegani Mohammad Reza
Published: April 2012

Sensorimotor rhythm (SMR) neurofeedback training (NFT) has an important role in improvement of cognitive functions in both clinical and healthy individuals. It is very possible that in SMR NFT adjacent frequency bands, such as alpha and beta1, be affected by SMR enhancing neurofeedback. Therefore, the adjacent frequency bands, in addition to SMR, may be associated with the improvement of the cognitive functions. Eight sessions of NFT were applied to healthy individuals to enhance their SMR activity. In order to investigate the effect of SMR enhancing neurofeedback on the power of adjacent frequency bands, correlation between the change in SMR activity and the change in alpha or beta1 activity was computed. The results revealed that there is a highly significant positive correlation between the change in SMR and beta1 activities. The given outcome suggests that during SMR NFT, the effect of both SMR and beta1 be considered together on the improvement of the cognitive functions.
NUMERICAL STUDY OF MUCOUS LAYER EFFECTS ON NASAL AIRFLOW
Authors: Lee Chih Fang , Arifin Ahmad Kamarul , Ismail Rushdan , Abdul Hamid Suzina
Published: April 2012

The aim of this study is to visualize and analyze the mucous layer effects towards the nasal airflow. Mucous layer had been neglected in previous works as it is considered a very thin layer along the nasal passageway. This paper discussed the effects in nasal airflow caused by the micrometer changes of the mucous layer thickness along the nasal passageway. Differences in maximum velocities caused by the mucous layer and visualization of the nasal airflow were studied. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) was used to study three-dimensional nasal cavity of an adult Malaysian female. Six different models with various thickness of mucous layer within the range of 5–50 μm were implemented in the analysis with mass flow rate of 7.5 and 20 L/min. Mucous layer is assumed to be uniform, solid, and also stationary for this study. The results from all the six models were compared with the model with non-mucous effects. Based on both laminar and turbulent airflow simulations, it is shown that the addition of mucous layer thickness in analysis increased the maximum velocities at the four cross sections along the nasal cavity.
A BEAD-SPRING MODEL AND MEAN FIELD THEORY BASED RE-CALCULATION REVEALS UNCERTAINTY OF ROUSE-TYPE DNA DYNAMICS IN DILUTE SOLUTION
Authors: Chi Qingjia , Jiang Jiahuan
Published: April 2012

Double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) is one of the most used model polymers in studying polymer dynamics. Some recent studies with the experimental data via fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) proposed that the end-monomer dynamics of dsDNA in dilute solution should be fallen into Rouse-type at intermediate times. This viewpoint is inconsistent with the classical polymer dynamics, therefore arousing controversy. To have a further looking clearly at what else meaning could be revealed from the original data of the FCS measurements, we made a re-calculation by two methods: one is based on Lodge and Wu's model (LWM) modified from the classical bead-spring model, in which parameters used in modeling are needed to be adjusted; and another is a mean field theory (MFT) for semiflexible chain with no parameter fitting needed. In LWM, we find not so weak hydrodynamic interactions (HI) which is not expected in Rouse theory, and the scaling of mean square displacement (MSD) is between Rouse-type and Zimm-type. MFT can reproduce experimental data well at larger time scales, whereas also gives rather different picture in intermediate regime — a dynamical scaling between Rouse-like and Zimm-like rather than Rouse-like scaling is found, indicating there may be sample problems or limitations in the setup for the experiment.
Students Monitoring Coastal and Inland Waters With the Basic Observation Buoy (BOB)
Authors: Adams Lisa G. , Levin Douglas R. , Spence Lundie
Published: April 2012

AbstractThe Basic Observation Buoy (BOB), a student-designed and built monitoring device, provides opportunities for scientific discovery through monitoring and data collection. BOB is a scaled-down buoy fitted with sensors that monitor aquatic and atmospheric parameters
in protected coastal and inland waters. Water quality parameters, like temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, and conductivity, are measured continuously to provide real-time data. Depending on the sensor type, information can be used for education or research purposes. The BOB program was initiated
in the Chesapeake Bay region by Levin and expanded to the southeast U.S. coast in 2008, via a series of three workshops funded by the Southeast Coastal Ocean Observing Regional Association (SECOORA) and the Centers for Ocean Science Education Excellence-Southeast (COSEE SE) and led by Spence
(Spence et al., 2009) and Adams (Adams et al., 2010). These workshops assisted with the introduction and establishment of new programs in New England and the Great Lakes. BOB is a tool that provides science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) exploration in real-world situations
for middle school to university students. Expected benefits include engagement of students in the scientific process, water quality monitoring experiences, analysis and sharing of real-time data, and the opportunity to contribute their findings to other coastal monitoring databases. Students
can upload their data to an online portal supported by SECOORA and housed at the University of North Carolina-Wilmington (http://cormp2.das.uncw.edu/dev/) or the National Geographic Fieldscope™
program (http://chesapeake.fieldscope.org/).
Targeting the Adventitial Microenvironment in Pulmonary Hypertension: A Potential Approach to Therapy that Considers Epigenetic Change
Authors: Stenmark Kurt R. , Frid Maria G. , Yeager Michael , Li Min , Riddle Suzette , McKinsey Timothy , Kasmi Karim C. El
Published: April 2012

Experimental data indicate that the adventitial compartment of blood vessels, in both the pulmonary and systemic circulations, like the connective tissue stroma in tissues throughout the body, is a critical regulator of vessel wall function in health and disease. It is clear that adventitial cells, and in particular the adventitial fibroblast, are activated early following vascular injury, and play essential roles in regulating vascular wall structure and function through production of chemokines, cytokines, growth factors, and reactive oxygen species (ROS). The recognition of the ability of these cells to generate and maintain inflammatory responses within the vessel wall provides insight into why vascular inflammatory responses, in certain situations, fail to resolve. It is also clear that the activated adventitial fibroblast plays an important role in regulating vasa vasorum growth, which can contribute to ongoing vascular remodeling by acting as a conduit for delivery of inflammatory and progenitor cells. These functions of the fibroblast clearly support the idea that targeting chemokine, cytokine, adhesion molecule, and growth factor production in activated fibroblasts could be helpful in abrogating vascular inflammatory responses and thus in ameliorating vascular disease. Further, the recent observations that fibroblasts in vascular and fibrotic diseases may maintain their activated state through epigenetic alterations in key inflammatory and pro‐fibrotic genes suggests that current therapies used to treat pulmonary hypertension may not be sufficient to induce apoptosis or to inhibit key inflammatory signaling pathways in these fibroblasts. New therapies targeted at reversing changes in the acetylation or methylation status of key transcriptional networks may be needed. At present, therapies specifically targeting abnormalities of histone deacytelase (HDAC) activity in fibroblast‐like cells appear to hold promise.
Serum Osteoprotegerin is Increased and Predicts Survival in Idiopathic Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension
Authors: Condliffe Robin , Pickworth Josephine A. , Hopkinson Kay , Walker Sara J. , Hameed Abdul G. , Suntharaligam Jay , Soon Elaine , Treacy Carmen , Pepke‐Zaba Joanna , Francis Sheila E. , Crossman David C. , Newman Christopher M. H. , Elliot Charles A. , Morton Allison C. , Morrell Nicholas W. , Kiely David G. , Lawrie Allan
Published: April 2012

We previously reported that osteoprotegerin (OPG) is regulated by pathways associated with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), and is present at elevated levels within pulmonary vascular lesions and sera from patients with idiopathic PAH (IPAH). Since OPG is a naturally secreted protein, we investigated the relationship between serum OPG and disease severity and outcome in patients with IPAH and animal models. OPG mRNA expression was measured in pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (PASMC) from pulmonary arteries of patients with and without IPAH. Serum concentrations of OPG were measured in a retrospective and prospective group of patients. OPG levels were compared with phenotypic data and other putative PAH biomarkers. Prognostic significance was assessed and levels compared with healthy controls. Correlation of OPG and pulmonary vascular remodeling was also performed in rodent models of PAH. OPG mRNA was significantly increased 2‐fold in PASMC isolated from explanted PAH lungs compared with control. Serum OPG concentrations were markedly elevated in IPAH compared with controls. In Cohort 1 OPG levels significantly correlated with mean right atrial pressure and cardiac index, while in Cohort 2 significant correlations existed between age‐adjusted OPG levels and gas transfer. In both cohorts an OPG concentration above a ROC‐derived threshold of 4728 pg/ml predicted poorer survival. In two rodent models, OPG correlated with the degree of pulmonary vascular remodeling. OPG levels are significantly elevated in patients with idiopathic PAH and are of prognostic significance. The role of OPG as a potential biomarker and therapeutic target merits further investigation.
Three‐Dimensional Analysis of Right Ventricular Shape and Function in Pulmonary Hypertension
Authors: Leary Peter J. , Kurtz Christopher E. , Hough Catherine L. , Waiss Mary‐Pierre , Ralph David D. , Sheehan Florence H.
Published: April 2012

Right ventricular (RV) failure is a key determinant of morbidity and mortality in pulmonary hypertension (PH). The present study aims to add to existing descriptions of RV structural and functional changes in PH through a comprehensive three‐dimensional (3D) shape analysis. We performed 3D echocardiography on 53 subjects with PH and 19 normal subjects. Twenty short‐axis slices from apex to tricuspid centroid were measured to characterize regional shape: apical angle, basal bulge, eccentricity, and area. Transverse shortening was assessed by fractional area change (FAC) in each short‐axis slice, longitudinal contraction was assessed by tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE) and global function by RV ejection fraction. Multivariate logistic analysis was used to compare the association of RV parameters with New York Heart Association (NYHA) class. Compared to normal, RV function in PH is characterized by decreased stroke volume index (SVi), fractional area change and ejection fraction. Increased eccentricity, apical rounding and bulging at the base characterize the shape of the RV in PH. Increased SVi, ejection fraction and mid‐ventricular FAC were associated with less severe NYHA class in adjusted analyses. The RV in idiopathic PH (iPAH) was observed to have a larger end‐diastolic volume and decreased function compared with connective tissue disease associated PH (ctd‐PH). This work describes increased eccentricity and decreased systolic function in subjects with PH. Functional parameters were associated with NYHA class and heterogeneity in the phenotype was noted between subjects with iPAH and ctd‐PH.
Inhaled Epoprostenol Therapy for Pulmonary Hypertension: Improves Oxygenation Index More Consistently in Neonates than in Older Children
Authors: Brown Anna T. , Gillespie Jennifer V. , Miquel‐Verges Franscesca , Holmes Kathryn , Ravekes William , Spevak Philip , Brady Ken , Easley R. Blaine , Golden W. Christopher , McNamara LeAnn , Veltri Michael A. , Lehmann Christoph U. , McMillan Kristen Nelson , Schwartz Jamie M. , Romer Lewis H.
Published: April 2012

The purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy of inhaled epoprostenol for treatment of acute pulmonary hypertension (PH) in pediatric patients and to formulate a plan for a prospective, randomized study of pulmonary vasodilator therapy in this population. Inhaled epoprostenol is an effective treatment for pediatric PH. A retrospective chart review was conducted of all pediatric patients who received inhaled epoprostenol at a tertiary care hospital between October 2005 and August 2007. The study population was restricted to all patients under 18 years of age who received inhaled epoprostenol for greater than 1 hour and had available data for oxygenation index (OI) calculation. Arterial blood gas values and ventilator settings were collected immediately prior to epoprostenol initiation, and during epoprostenol therapy (as close to 12 hours after initiation as possible). Echocardiograms were reviewed during two time frames: Within 48 hours prior to therapy initiation and within 96 hours after initiation. Of the 20 patients in the study population, 13 were neonates, and the mean OI for these patients improved during epoprostenol administration (mean OI before and during therapy was 25.6±16.3 and 14.5±13.6, respectively, P=0.02). Mean OI for the seven patients greater than 30 days of age was not significantly different during treatment (mean OI before and during therapy was 29.6±15.0 and 25.6±17.8, P=0.56). Improvement in echocardiographic findings (evidence of decreased right‐sided pressures or improved right ventricular function) was demonstrated in 20% of all patients. Inhaled epoprostenol is an effective therapy for the treatment of selected pediatric patients with acute PH. Neonates may benefit more consistently from this therapy than older infants and children. A randomized controlled trial is needed to discern the optimal role for inhaled prostanoids in the treatment of acute PH in childhood.
The WHO Classification of Pulmonary Hypertension: A Case‐Based Imaging Compendium
Authors: Ryan John J. , Thenappan Thenappan , Luo Nancy , Ha Thanh , Patel Amit R. , Rich Stuart , Archer Stephen L.
Published: April 2012

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is defined as a resting mean pulmonary artery pressure greater than 25 mmHg. The World Health Organization (WHO) classifies PH into five categories. The WHO nomenclature assumes shared histology and pathophysiology within categories and implies category‐specific treatment. Imaging of the heart and pulmonary vasculature is critical to assigning a patient's PH syndrome to the correct WHO category and is also important in predicting outcomes. Imaging studies often reveal that the etiology of PH in a patient reflects contributions from several categories. Overlap between Categories 2 and 3 (left heart disease and lung disease) is particularly common, reflecting shared risk factors. Correct classification of PH patients requires the combination of standard imaging (chest roentgenograms, ventilation‐perfusion scans, echocardiography, and the 12‐lead electrocardiogram) and advanced imaging (computed tomography, cardiac magnetic resonance imaging, and positron emission tomography). Despite the value of imaging, cardiac catheterization remains the gold standard for quantification of hemodynamics and is required before initiation of PH‐specific therapy. These cases illustrate the use of imaging in classifying patients into WHO PH Categories 1–5.
Trade and Tax Reforms in a Cash‐in‐Advance Economy
Authors: Palivos Theodore , Tsakiris Nikos
Published: April 2012

We examine the effects of both tariff‐only and coordinated trade‐tax reforms on market access, government revenue, and welfare for a small monetary economy, under the assumption that a certain fraction of purchases of each good must be financed with cash held in advance. We show that if the cash requirement ratio in the exportable sector is greater than that in the importable, then, contrary to previous results, (i) a uniform radial reduction of tariffs has ambiguous effects on both welfare and market access, (ii) tariff and consumption tax reforms that leave consumer prices unchanged may be more efficient in improving market access and welfare than a reform that involves only tariffs, and (iii) export and production tax reforms that keep producer prices unchanged may be welfare deteriorating.
The Dynamics of Knowledge Diversity and Economic Growth
Authors: Berliant Marcus , Fujita Masahisa
Published: April 2012

How is long run economic growth related to the endogenous diversity of knowledge? We formulate and study a microeconomic model of knowledge creation, through the interactions among a group of heterogeneous research and development (R&D) workers, embedded in a growth model to address this question. The composition of the research work force in terms of knowledge heterogeneity, in addition to its size, matters in determining the production of new knowledge. Moreover, the heterogeneity of the work force is endogenous. Income to these workers accrues as patent income, whereas transmission of newly created knowledge to all such workers occurs due to public transmission of patent information. Whether or not the system reaches the most productive state depends on the strength of the public knowledge transmission technology. Long run economic growth is positively related to both the effectiveness of pairwise R&D worker interaction and to the effectiveness of public knowledge transmission.
Outsourcing and Vertical Integration in a Competitive Industry
Authors: Ciliberto Federico , Panzar John C.
Published: April 2012

We develop a partial equilibrium, perfectly competitive framework of a (potentially) vertically integrated industry. There are three types of firms: upstream firms that use primary factors to produce an intermediate good; downstream firms that use primary factors and intermediate goods to produce a final good; and vertically integrated firms that do both. We establish conditions under which vertically integrated firms exist and outsource (part of) the production of the intermediate input. We study the changes in industry configurations resulting from changes in costs and demand.
Average Tax Rate Cyclicality in OECD Countries: A Test of Three Fiscal Policy Theories
Authors: Furceri Davide , Karras Georgios
Published: April 2012

This article investigates the cyclical properties of the average effective tax rate in 26 OECD countries over 1965–2003 to test the validity of three theories of fiscal policy: (i) the standard Keynesian theory, which recommends that tax policy should be countercyclical; (ii) the Tax Smoothing hypothesis, which implies that changes in GDP should be uncorrelated with tax rates; and (iii) the positive theory of Battaglini and Coate (2008), which predicts the average tax rate should be negatively correlated with GDP. Our main finding is that the correlations of tax rates with cyclical GDP are generally quite small and statistically indistinguishable from zero. This finding is quite robust and is more consistent with the implications of the Tax Smoothing hypothesis than either the recommendations of the standard Keynesian model or predictions of the political economy theory of Battaglini and Coate.
Monetary Policy and Natural Disasters in a DSGE Model
Authors: Keen Benjamin D. , Pakko Michael R.
Published: April 2012

In the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, speculation arose that the Federal Reserve might respond by easing monetary policy. This article uses a dynamic stochastic general equilibrium (DSGE) model to investigate the appropriate monetary policy response to a natural disaster. We show that the standard Taylor rule response in models with and without nominal rigidities is to increase the nominal interest rate. That finding is unchanged when we consider the optimal policy response to a disaster. A nominal interest rate increase following a disaster mitigates both temporary inflation effects and output distortions that are attributable to nominal rigidities.