bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Associational Networks and Welfare States in Argentina, Brazil, South Korea, and Taiwan
Authors: Lee Cheol-Sung
Published: June 2012

This article investigates the structures of civic networks and their roles in steering the political choices of party and union elites regarding the retrenchment or expansion of welfare states in four recently democratized developing countries. Utilizing coaffiliation networks built upon two waves of World Values Surveys and evidence from comparative case studies for Argentina, Brazil, South Korea, and Taiwan, the study develops two explanatory factors that account for variations in welfare politics: cohesiveness and embeddedness. In Argentina and, to a lesser degree, in Taiwan, party and union leaders' cohesive relationships, being disarticulated from the informal civic sphere, allowed them to conduct elite-driven social policy reforms from above, by launching radical neoliberal reforms (Argentina) or by developing a generous transfer-centered welfare state (Taiwan). In Brazil and South Korea, however, party and union leaders' durable solidarity embedded in wider civic communities enabled them to resist the retrenchment of welfare states (Brazil) or implement universal social policies (South Korea) based on bottom-up mobilization of welfare demands. This article demonstrates that elites in the formal sector make markedly different political choices when confronting economic crisis and democratic competition depending upon their organizational connections in formal and informal civic networks.
Implementing a Southern Ocean Observing System
Authors: Schofield Oscar , Meredith Michael , Newman Louise , Sparrow Michael , Urban Ed
Published: June 2012

The Southern Ocean is fundamental to the operation of the Earth system. It is the central connection among the major ocean basins and between the upper and lower layers of the global ocean circulation. It influences global climate and planetary‐scale biogeochemical cycles, because the Southern Ocean accounts for half of the annual ocean uptake of anthropogenic carbon from the atmosphere [Rintoul et al., 2001; Le Quéré et al., 2007; Meredith et al., 2012]. The Southern Ocean also supplies nutrients that fertilize the majority of global ocean biological productivity north of 30°S [Sarmiento et al., 2004].
Fox‐Kemper and Willis receive Ocean Sciences Early Career Awards: Response from Baylor Fox‐Kemper
Authors: Fox‐Kemper Baylorti
Published: June 2012

Baylor Fox‐Kemper and Josh K. Willis each received the 2011 Ocean Sciences Early Career Award at the 2011 AGU Fall Meeting, held 5–9 December in San Francisco, Calif. The award recognizes “significant contributions to and promise in the ocean sciences.”
Fox‐Kemper and Willis receive Ocean Sciences Early Career Awards: Citation for Josh K. Willis
Authors: Roemmich Dean
Published: June 2012

Baylor Fox‐Kemper and Josh K. Willis each received the 2011 Ocean Sciences Early Career Award at the 2011 AGU Fall Meeting, held 5–9 December in San Francisco, Calif. The award recognizes “significant contributions to and promise in the ocean sciences.”
Fox‐Kemper and Willis receive Ocean Sciences Early Career Awards: Response from Josh K. Willis
Authors: Willis Josh K.
Published: June 2012

Baylor Fox‐Kemper and Josh K. Willis each received the 2011 Ocean Sciences Early Career Award at the 2011 AGU Fall Meeting, held 5–9 December in San Francisco, Calif. The award recognizes “significant contributions to and promise in the ocean sciences.”
Optical and radio signatures of negative gigantic jets: Cases from Typhoon Lionrock (2010)
Authors: Huang Sung‐Ming , Hsu Rue‐Rou , Lee Li‐Jou , Su Han‐Tzong , Kuo Cheng‐Ling , Wu Chun‐Chieh , Chou Jung‐Kuang , Chang Shu‐Chun , Wu Yen‐Jung , Chen Alfred B.
Published: June 2012

On 31 August 2010, more than 100 transient luminous events were observed to occur over Typhoon Lionrock when it passed at ∼210 km to the southwest of the NCKU site in Taiwan. Among them, 14 negative gigantic jets (GJs) with clear recognizable morphologies and radio frequency signals are analyzed. These GJs are all found to have negative discharge polarity and thus are type I GJs. Morphologically, they are grouped into three forms: tree‐like, carrot‐like, and a new intermediate type called tree‐carrot‐like GJs. The ULF and ELF/VLF band signals of these events contain clear signatures associated with GJ development stages, including the initiating lightning, the leading jet, the fully developed jet, and the trailing jet. Though the radio waveform for each group of GJs always contains a fast descending pulse linked with the surge current upon the GJ‐ionosphere contact, the detailed waveforms actually vary substantially. Cross analysis of the optical and radio frequency signals for these GJs indicates that a large surge current moment (CM) (>60 kA‐km) appears to be essentially associated with the tree‐like GJs. In contrast, the carrot‐like and the tree‐carrot‐like GJs are both related to a surge CM less than 36 kA‐km, and a continuing CM less than 27 kA‐km further separates the carrot‐like GJs from the tree‐carrot‐like GJs. Furthermore, on the peak CM versus charge moment change diagram for the initiating lightning, different groups of GJs seem to exhibit different trends. This feature suggests that the eventual forms of negative GJs may have been determined at the initiating lightning stage.
Rayleigh wave signature in ionograms induced by strong earthquakes
Authors: Maruyama Takashi , Tsugawa Takuya , Kato Hisao , Ishii Mamoru , Nishioka Michi
Published: June 2012

After the magnitude 9.0 earthquake off the Pacific coast of Tohoku (near the east coast of Honshu, Japan), which occurred on 11 March 2011, an unusual multiple‐cusp signature (MCS) was observed in ionograms at three ionosonde stations across Japan. To investigate the general characteristics of MCSs, we examined ionograms obtained during the period 1957 to 2011 from five ionosonde stations in Japan after earthquakes with a seismic magnitude of 8.0 or greater. A total of 43 such earthquakes occurred after 1957, as recorded in the database of the United States Geological Survey. MCSs were observed in 8 of 43 earthquakes, allowing us to investigate the specific conditions of MCS appearance. The appearance of MCSs at different epicentral distances exhibits traveling characteristics at a velocity of ∼4.0 km/s, which is in the range of Rayleigh waves. There is a ∼7 min offset in delay time after the earthquake at each epicentral distance in the travel‐time diagram. This offset is consistent with the propagation time of acoustic waves from the ground to the ionosphere launched by Rayleigh waves. MCSs in ionograms provide a snapshot of vertical disturbances induced by a wave because the sweep time for the whole ionospheric echo traces is much shorter than the propagation time of acoustic waves. The vertical scale of the disturbances is 10∼30 km, which corresponds to an acoustic wave period of 20∼50 s at ionospheric heights.
Abrupt shoaling of the nutricline in response to massive freshwater flooding at the onset of the last interglacial sapropel event
Authors: Grelaud Michaël , Marino Gianluca , Ziveri Patrizia , Rohling Eelco J.
Published: June 2012

A detailed assessment of the respective roles of production, export, and subsequent preservation of organic carbon (Corg) in the eastern Mediterranean (EMED) sediments during the formation of sapropels remains elusive. Here we present new micropaleontological results for both surface samples taken at several locations in the EMED and last interglacial sapropel S5 from core LC21 in the southeastern Aegean Sea. A strong exponential anticorrelation between relative abundances of the lower photic zone coccolithophore Florisphaera profundain the surface sediments and modern concentrations of chlorophyll a (Chl‐a) at the sea surface suggests thatF. profunda percentages can be used to track past productivity changes in the EMED. Prior to S5 deposition, an abrupt and large increase of F. profundapercentages in LC21 coincided (within the multidecadal resolution of the records) with the marked freshening of EMED surface waters. This suggests a strong coupling between freshwater‐bound surface to intermediate water (density) stratification and enhanced upward advection of nutrients to the base of the photic zone, fuelling a productive deep chlorophyll maximum (DCM) underneath a nutrient‐starved surface layer. Our findings imply that (at least) at the onset of sapropel formation physical and biogeochemical processes likely operated in tandem, enabling high Corg accumulation at the seafloor.
Toward the probabilistic forecasting of high‐latitude GPS phase scintillation
Authors: Prikryl P. , Jayachandran P. T. , Mushini S. C. , Richardson I. G.
Published: June 2012

The phase scintillation index was obtained from L1 GPS data collected with the Canadian High Arctic Ionospheric Network (CHAIN) during years of extended solar minimum 2008–2010. Phase scintillation occurs predominantly on the dayside in the cusp and in the nightside auroral oval. We set forth a probabilistic forecast method of phase scintillation in the cusp based on the arrival time of either solar wind corotating interaction regions (CIRs) or interplanetary coronal mass ejections (ICMEs). CIRs on the leading edge of high‐speed streams (HSS) from coronal holes are known to cause recurrent geomagnetic and ionospheric disturbances that can be forecast one or several solar rotations in advance. Superposed epoch analysis of phase scintillation occurrence showed a sharp increase in scintillation occurrence just after the arrival of high‐speed solar wind and a peak associated with weak to moderate CMEs during the solar minimum. Cumulative probability distribution functions for the phase scintillation occurrence in the cusp are obtained from statistical data for days before and after CIR and ICME arrivals. The probability curves are also specified for low and high (below and above median) values of various solar wind plasma parameters. The initial results are used to demonstrate a forecasting technique on two example periods of CIRs and ICMEs.
In-flight and collisional dissipation as a mechanism to suppress Fermi acceleration in a breathing Lorentz gas
Authors: Oliveira Diego F. M. , Leonel Edson D.
Published: June 2012

Some dynamical properties for a time dependent Lorentz gas considering both the dissipative and non dissipative dynamics are studied. The model is described by using a four-dimensional nonlinear mapping. For the conservative dynamics, scaling laws are obtained for the behavior of the average velocity for an ensemble of non interacting particles and the unlimited energy growth is confirmed. For the dissipative case, four different kinds of damping forces are considered namely: (i) restitution coefficient which makes the particle experiences a loss of energy upon collisions; and in-flight dissipation given by (ii) F=−ηV2; (iii) F=−ηVμ with μ≠1 and μ≠2 and; (iv) F=−ηV, where η is the dissipation parameter. Extensive numerical simulations were made and our results confirm that the unlimited energy growth, observed for the conservative dynamics, is suppressed for the dissipative case. The behaviour of the average velocity is described using scaling arguments and classes of universalities are defined.
Examining the frictional forces between mixed hydrophobic – hydrophilic alkylsilane monolayers
Authors: Rivera José L. , Jennings G. Kane , McCabe Clare
Published: June 2012

Monolayers presenting methyl-terminated (hydrophobic) and hydroxyl-terminated (hydrophilic) surfaces on silica have been studied by molecular dynamics simulation and the effects of hydrogen bonding, chain length, and chain mixing on the frictional properties determined. The hydroxyl-terminated monolayers were found to show large adhesion zones as a result of strong interfacial interlayer hydrogen bonds; the interfacial sliding forces observed in the hydroxyl-terminated monolayers being one order of magnitude higher than the interfacial forces for the hydrophobic surfaces at the characteristic point of zero-load. Mixed hydroxyl- and methyl-terminated monolayers of equal length were found to exhibit intermediate shear stress values between those observed for pure monolayers, with the magnitude of the shear stress depending on the surface content of the hydroxyl-terminated chains. For mixed monolayers of unequal chain lengths, at high loads a maximum in the magnitude of the shear stress as a function of the length of the methyl-terminated chain was observed due to the creation of a buffer zone between the hydroxyl-terminated chains that produces strong hydrogen-bonding interactions. The effect of a constant normal load or constant separation simulation ensemble on the results has also been studied and in general found to have minimal influence on the observed behavior, although some differences are observed for the shear stress at intermediate normal loads due to the formation of stronger hydrogen bond networks at constant load compared to constant separation.
Temporally resolved plasma composition measurements by collective Thomson scattering in TEXTOR (invited)
Authors: Stejner M. , Korsholm S. B. , Nielsen S. K. , Salewski M. , Bindslev H. , Leipold F. , Michelsen P. K. , Meo F. , Moseev D. , Bürger A. , Kantor M. , de Baar M.
Published: June 2012

Fusion plasma composition measurements by collective Thomson scattering (CTS) were demonstrated in recent proof-of-principle measurements in TEXTOR [S. B. Korsholm et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 106, 165004 (2011)10.1103/PhysRevLett.106.165004]. Such measurements rely on the ability to resolve and interpret ion cyclotron structure in CTS spectra. Here, we extend these techniques to enable temporally resolved plasma composition measurements by CTS in TEXTOR, and we discuss the prospect for such measurements with newly installed hardware upgrades for the CTS system on ASDEX Upgrade.
Interaction of guided wave modes in isotropic weakly nonlinear elastic plates: Higher harmonic generation
Authors: Krishna Chillara Vamshi , Lissenden Cliff J.
Published: June 2012

A generalized approach is presented to analyze the nature of guided wave mode interactions in isotropic weakly nonlinear elastic plates. The problem formulation is carried out in terms of the displacement gradient, which facilitates systematic analysis of mode interactions in general and that of higher harmonic generation in particular. Only cumulative harmonics are analyzed; these (1) have nonzero power flow and (2) are phase matched. Results indicate that the interaction of Rayleigh-Lamb modes of the same nature (symmetric or antisymmetric) can generate only cumulative harmonics that are symmetric modes, while the interaction between modes of opposite nature can generate only cumulative harmonics that are antisymmetric modes. A methodology for assessing cumulative higher harmonic generation (e.g., the third harmonic) is also proposed.
On the correlation between surface morphology and electron work function of indium tin oxide
Authors: Xue Mingshan , Wu Hainan , Ou Junfei , Wang Fajun , Li Xibao , Li Wen , Jiang Zhonghao
Published: June 2012

The electron work function (EWF) is an important parameter of a semiconductor. The understanding of the correlation between the EWF and surface morphology is of much significance for revealing related photoelectric mechanisms. In this study, the surface of indium tin oxide (ITO) was treated by chemical corrosion or absorption of copper phthalocyanine molecules, and their changes in EWF were systematically investigated using scanning Kelvin probe. The decrease of the EWF with the increase of surface roughness was found. Based on a microcapacitor model, the correlation between the EWF and surface microstructures was built up, which was well consistent with the experimental results. These data are of help for improving the photoelectric behaviors of ITO-based devices by adjusting surface/interface structures.
DNA sensing by electrocatalysis with hemoglobin
Authors: Pheeney Catrina G. , Guerra Luis F. , Barton Jacqueline K.
Published: June 2012

Electrocatalysis offers a means of electrochemical signal amplification, yet in DNA-based sensors, electrocatalysis has required high-density DNA films and strict assembly and passivation conditions. Here, we describe the use of hemoglobin as a robust and effective electron sink for electrocatalysis in DNA sensing on low-density DNA films. Protein shielding of the heme redox center minimizes direct reduction at the electrode surface and permits assays on low-density DNA films. Electrocatalysis with methylene blue that is covalently tethered to the DNA by a flexible alkyl chain linkage allows for efficient interactions with both the base stack and hemoglobin. Consistent suppression of the redox signal upon incorporation of a single cytosine-adenine (CA) mismatch in the DNA oligomer demonstrates that both the unamplified and the electrocatalytically amplified redox signals are generated through DNA-mediated charge transport. Electrocatalysis with hemoglobin is robust: It is stable to pH and temperature variations. The utility and applicability of electrocatalysis with hemoglobin is demonstrated through restriction enzyme detection, and an enhancement in sensitivity permits femtomole DNA sampling.
Endostatin lowers blood pressure via nitric oxide and prevents hypertension associated with VEGF inhibition
Authors: Sunshine Sarah B. , Dallabrida Susan M. , Durand Ellen , Ismail Nesreen S. , Bazinet Lauren , Birsner Amy E. , Sohn Regina , Ikeda Sadakatsu , Pu William T. , Kulke Matthew H. , Javaherian Kashi , Zurakowski David , Folkman Judah M. , Rupnick Maria
Published: June 2012

Antiangiogenesis therapy has become a vital part of the armamentarium against cancer. Hypertension is a dose-limiting toxicity for VEGF inhibitors. Thus, there is a pressing need to address the associated adverse events so these agents can be better used. The hypertension may be mediated by reduced NO bioavailability resulting from VEGF inhibition. We proposed that the hypertension may be prevented by coadministration with endostatin (ES), an endogenous angiogenesis inhibitor with antitumor effects shown to increase endothelial NO production in vitro. We determined that Fc-conjugated ES promoted NO production in endothelial and smooth muscle cells. ES also lowered blood pressure in normotensive mice and prevented hypertension induced by anti-VEGF antibodies. This effect was associated with higher circulating nitrate levels and was absent in eNOS-knockout mice, implicating a NO-mediated mechanism. Retrospective study of patients treated with ES in a clinical trial revealed a small but significant reduction in blood pressure, suggesting that the findings may translate to the clinic. Coadministration of ES with VEGF inhibitors may offer a unique strategy to prevent drug-related hypertension and enhance antiangiogenic tumor suppression.
IL-7 receptor blockade reverses autoimmune diabetes by promoting inhibition of effector/memory T cells
Authors: Penaranda Cristina , Kuswanto Wilson , Hofmann Jerry , Kenefeck Rupert , Narendran Parth , Walker Lucy S. K. , Bluestone Jeffrey A. , Abbas Abul K. , Dooms Hans
Published: June 2012

To protect the organism against autoimmunity, self-reactive effector/memory T cells (T
E/M
) are controlled by cell-intrinsic and -extrinsic regulatory mechanisms. However, how some T
E/M
cells escape regulation and cause autoimmune disease is currently not understood. Here we show that blocking IL-7 receptor-α (IL-7Rα) with monoclonal antibodies in nonobese diabetic (NOD) mice prevented autoimmune diabetes and, importantly, reversed disease in new-onset diabetic mice. Surprisingly, IL-7–deprived diabetogenic T
E/M
cells remained present in the treated animals but showed increased expression of the inhibitory receptor Programmed Death 1 (PD-1) and reduced IFN-γ production. Conversely, IL-7 suppressed PD-1 expression on activated T cells in vitro. Adoptive transfer experiments revealed that T
E/M
cells from anti–IL-7Rα–treated mice had lost their pathogenic potential, indicating that absence of IL-7 signals induces cell-intrinsic tolerance. In addition to this mechanism, IL-7Rα blockade altered the balance of regulatory T cells and T
E/M
cells, hence promoting cell-extrinsic regulation and further increasing the threshold for diabetogenic T-cell activation. Our data demonstrate that IL-7 contributes to the pathogenesis of autoimmune diabetes by enabling T
E/M
cells to remain in a functionally competent state and suggest IL-7Rα blockade as a therapy for established T-cell–dependent autoimmune diseases.
Up-Regulation of a Magnesium Transporter GeneOsMGT1Is Required for Conferring Aluminum Tolerance in Rice
Authors: Chen Zhi Chang , Yamaji Naoki , Motoyama Ritsuko , Nagamura Yoshiaki , Ma Jian Feng
Published: June 2012

Magnesium (Mg)-mediated alleviation of aluminum (Al) toxicity has been observed in a number of plant species, but the mechanisms underlying the alleviation are still poorly understood. When a putative rice (Oryza sativa) Mg transporter gene, Oryza sativa  MAGNESIUM TRANSPORTER1 (OsMGT1), was knocked out, the tolerance to Al, but not to cadmium and lanthanum, was decreased. However, this inhibition could be rescued by addition of 10 μm  Mg, but not by the same concentration of barium or strontium. OsMGT1 was expressed in both the roots and shoots in the absence of Al, but the expression only in the roots was rapidly up-regulated by Al. Furthermore, the expression did not respond to low pH and other metals including cadmium and lanthanum, and was regulated by an Al-responsive transcription factor, AL RESISTANCE TRANSCRIPTION FACTOR1. An investigation of subcellular localization showed that OsMGT1 was localized to the plasma membrane. A short-term (30 min) uptake experiment with stable isotope 25  Mg showed that knockout of OsMGT1 resulted in decreased Mg uptake, but that the uptake in the wild type was enhanced by Al. Mg concentration in the cell sap of the root tips was also increased in the wild-type rice, but not in the knockout lines in the presence of Al. A microarray analysis showed that transcripts of genes related to stress were more up- and down-regulated in the knockout lines. Taken together, our results indicate that OsMGT1 is a transporter for Mg uptake in the roots and that up-regulation of this gene is required for conferring Al tolerance in rice by increasing Mg concentration in the cell.
Similar functional outcomes after partial nephrectomy for clinical T1b and T1a renal cell carcinoma
Authors: Iizuka Junpei , Kondo Tsunenori , Hashimoto Yasunobu , Kobayashi Hirohito , Ikezawa Eri , Takagi Toshio , Omae Kenji , Tanabe Kazunari
Published: June 2012

Objectives:  To examine the medium‐term functional outcomes of partial nephrectomy for clinical T1b renal cell carcinoma, and to compare them with those of radical nephrectomy for clinical T1b and with those of partial nephrectomy for clinical T1a tumors.

Methods:  The participants of this study were patients operated for clinical T1a and clinical T1b tumors operated at Tokyo Women's Medical University, Tokyo, Japan, between January 1979 and June 2011. A total of 67 patients underwent partial nephrectomy for clinical T1b tumor, 195 patients underwent radical nephrectomy for clinical T1b tumors and 324 underwent partial nephrectomy for clinical T1a tumors. The outcomes of these three groups were compared.

Results:  Partial nephrectomy provided better preservation of residual renal function compared with radical nephrectomy for clinical T1b, and the postoperative estimated glomerular filtration rate was similar in the patients who underwent partial nephrectomy for clinical T1b and those who underwent partial nephrectomy for clinical T1a. Postoperative renal function was steadily maintained after partial nephrectomy during the medium‐term follow up. The probability of freedom from new onset of chronic kidney disease after partial nephrectomy for clinical T1b tumors was significantly higher from that after radical nephrectomy for clinical T1b tumors, and similar to that after partial nephrectomy for clinical T1a tumors.

Conclusions:  The higher anatomical complexity of clinical T1b tumors is unlikely to provide a significant influence on postoperative renal function after partial nephrectomy, when compared with the clinical T1a tumors. These findings support the beneficial role of partial nephrectomy in the preservation of renal function of clinical T1b renal cell carcinoma patients undergoing surgery.
A population‐based audit of the clinical use of faecal occult blood testing in primary care for colorectal cancer
Authors: Gillberg A. , Ericsson E. , Granstrom F. , Olsson L. I.
Published: June 2012

Aim  Symptoms related to colorectal cancer (CRC) are common. We investigated the value of the faecal occult blood test (FOBT), when administered in primary care, in the diagnosis of CRC.

Method  All patients who underwent a FOBT (Hemoccult II) at 20 public primary care centres in Sörmland County, Sweden, during 2000–2005, were included (n = 9048). Linkage to the Swedish Cancer Registry identified all cases of CRC. Symptoms recorded at the time of the FOBT were retrieved from the patient records. The outcome from the FOBT to diagnosis and subsequent survival was compared between patients who were FOBT negative and patients who were FOBT positive.

Results  One‐hundred and sixty‐one patients were diagnosed with CRC within 2 years after undergoing a FOBT in primary care. These comprised 18% of all 917 patients diagnosed with CRC in the county during the study period. In 41 (25.4%) of the 161 patients the test was negative. Symptoms related to CRC were documented for 158 (98%) patients at the time the FOBT was administered. The median investigation time from the FOBT test to the diagnosis of CRC was 91 days: 80 days for FOBT‐positive patients and 188 days for FOBT‐negative patients (P < 0.001). This difference was signficant independent of age, sex and site of tumour. The hazard ratio for FOBT negativity, 3 years after the FOBT, when adjusted for age and sex, was 1.47 (95% CI, 0.81–2.68).

Conclusion  Despite having suggestive symptoms, 41 (4.5%) of 917 CRC patients had a negative FOBT result in primary care. This was associated with diagnostic delay and, potentially, a worse outcome.
Woollard, John (2011) Psychology for the classroom: E‐learningRoutledge (New York & London) isbn978‐0‐415‐59093‐8 135 pp £19.99http://www.routledge.com/books/details/9780415590938/
Authors: Hoffmann Melissa , Brescia William
Published: June 2012

With its thorough review of the uses of relevant techniques in education, this provides useful information for educators. It covers research, theory, pedagogy, and strategies for using e‐learning.

If the content of this book is likely to be relevant to you, we recommend you borrow a copy for a while.

Melissa Hoffmann & William Brescia
deFreitas, Sara & Maharg, Paul ed (2011) Digital games and learningContinuum (London) isbn 978‐1‐4411‐9870‐9 282 pp £22.99http://www.continuumbooks.com/books/detail.aspx?BookId=157255&SubjectId=940
Authors: Thomas Michael
Published: June 2012

This edited collection focuses on research on digital games and learning, and incorporates a range of perspectives, from those of games designers to teachers, academics and policymakers in the field of IT for learning. If the content of this book is likely to be relevant to you, I recommend you borrow a copy.

Michael Thomas
Fluoxetine potentiation of methylphenidate‐induced neuropeptide expression in the striatum occurs selectively in direct pathway (striatonigral) neurons
Authors: Van Waes Vincent , Carr Betsy , Beverley Joel A. , Steiner Heinz
Published: June 2012

J. Neurochem. (2012) 122, 1054–1064.

Concomitant therapies combining psychostimulants such as methylphenidate and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are used to treat several mental disorders, including attention‐deficit hyperactivity disorder/depression comorbidity. The neurobiological consequences of these drug combinations are poorly understood. Methylphenidate alone induces gene regulation that mimics partly effects of cocaine, consistent with some addiction liability. We previously showed that the SSRI fluoxetine potentiates methylphenidate‐induced gene regulation in the striatum. The present study investigated which striatal output pathways are affected by the methylphenidate + fluoxetine combination, by assessing effects on pathway‐specific neuropeptide markers. Results demonstrate that fluoxetine (5 mg/kg) potentiates methylphenidate (5 mg/kg)‐induced expression of substance P and dynorphin, markers for direct pathway neurons. In contrast, no drug effects on the indirect pathway marker enkephalin were found. Because methylphenidate alone has minimal effects on dynorphin, the potentiation of dynorphin induction represents a more cocaine‐like effect for the drug combination. On the other hand, the lack of an effect on enkephalin suggests a greater selectivity for the direct pathway compared with psychostimulants such as cocaine. Overall, the fluoxetine potentiation of gene regulation by methylphenidate occurs preferentially in sensorimotor striatal circuits, similar to other addictive psychostimulants. These results suggest that SSRIs may enhance the addiction liability of methylphenidate.
Keynes’s General Theory After 75 Years: Chapter 24 and the Character of ‘Keynesian’ Policy*
Authors: ASPROMOURGOS TONY
Published: June 2012

The Great Financial Crisis led to a revival of interest in ‘Keynesian’ economic policy, understood as temporary, debt‐financed fiscal activism in response to a short‐run, albeit particularly deep, macroeconomic contraction. But Keynes’s theory led him to diagnose involuntary unemployment as a long‐run problem, and one for which competition (via wage and price flexibility) was not a solution. Consequently, his policy proposals were more far‐reaching than short‐run fiscal activism. The final chapter of The General Theory provides the appropriate point of departure for reflecting on the difference between Keynes’s policy position and what later came to be regarded as Keynesian policy.
Affective investments in the Manila region: Filipina migrants in rural Japan and transnational urban development in the Philippines
Authors: Faier Lieba
Published: June 2012

Over the past few decades, remittances from overseas migrant labourers have come to play an important role in fuelling demand for new residential developments in countries like the Philippines. This paper draws attention to how financial flows enabling this urban development are tied to transnational migrants’ experiences abroad. Drawing on more than 2 years of ethnographic fieldwork in Japan and the Philippines, it considers how, why and to what ends some Filipina wives of Japanese men in rural Nagano, Japan, aspire to build houses in the Manila region, and it explores how these real estate investments are linked to the affective processes through which these women transnationally craft lives and selves. Approaching affect as a site of subject‐making, this essay suggests these houses are best understood as ‘affective investments’ that are shaped not only by capitalist practices and state policies, but also by the discourses of hope, frustration, shame, fear, desire and longing through which these women make sense of their transnational lives. The paper thereby illustrates how affect and political economics can intertwine in migrants’ investment decisions and, thus, the transnational role affect can play in articulating hegemonic urban development plans.
Psychiatric history does not predict seizure outcome following temporal lobectomy for mesial temporal sclerosis
Authors: Adams Sophia J. , Velakoulis Dennis , Kaye Andrew H. , Corcoran Niall M. , O’Brien Terence J.
Published: June 2012

Purpose:  A lifetime psychiatric history has been reported to be associated with poorer seizure outcome following temporal lobectomy for drug‐resistant focal epilepsy, but it remains unclear whether this is confounded by the nature of the epileptogenic pathology. Here we examined this association in a pathologically homogeneous group of patients with mesial temporal sclerosis (MTS).

Methods:  The study population included 72 consecutive patients who underwent a temporal lobectomy for drug resistant temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) and had histopathologically proven MTS. All patients were assessed preoperatively by a neuropsychiatrist. Chi‐square analysis was undertaken to look for demographic, clinical, psychiatric, or neurologic factors associated with seizure outcome at 1 year. The relationship between having a psychiatric disorder and seizure outcome was examined by generating Kaplan‐Meier curves and comparing between groups the log rank test as well as generating Cox regression models to estimate hazard ratios.

Key Findings:  There were no significant associations between postsurgery seizure outcome and a current or lifetime history of any psychiatric disorder.

Significance:  A history of psychiatric disorder, in particular depression and psychosis, is not associated with a poorer surgical outcome in patients with MTS. These findings have implications for the clinical management of patients under consideration for temporal lobectomy.
A novel p.Glu175X premature stop mutation in the C‐terminal end of HSP27 is a cause of CMT2
Authors: Rossor Alexander M. , Davidson Gabrielle L. , Blake Julian , Polke James M. , Murphy Sinéad M. , Houlden Henry , Innes Amy , Kalmar Bernadett , Greensmith Linda , Reilly Mary M.
Published: June 2012

Mutations in the gene HSPB1, encoding the small heat shock protein 27 (HSP27), are a cause of distal hereditary motor neuropathy (dHMN) and axonal Charcot‐Marie‐Tooth disease (CMT2). dHMN and CMT2 are differentiated by the presence of a sensory neuropathy in the latter although in the case of HSPB1 this division is artificial as CMT2 secondary to HSPB1 mutations is predominantly a motor neuropathy with only minimal sensory involvement. A recent study in mice has suggested that mutations in the C‐terminus result in a motor only phenotype resembling dHMN, whereas mutations at the N‐terminus result in a CMT2‐like phenotype. However, we present a family with a novel mutation in the C‐terminus of HSP27 (p.Glu175X) with a motor predominant distal neuropathy but with definite sensory involvement compatible with CMT2. This case highlights the artificial distinction between patients with motor predominant forms of CMT2 and dHMN and argues against the hypothesis that mutations in the C‐terminus have no sensory involvement.
Deficiencies in Patients’ Comprehension of Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator Therapy
Authors: GROARKE JOHN , BEIRNE AVRIL , BUCKLEY UNA , O’DWYER ELISABETH , SUGRUE DECLAN , KEELAN TED , O’NEILL JAMES , GALVIN JOE , MAHON NIALL
Published: June 2012

Background: Patients receive education before implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) implantation. Patients’ understanding of ICD therapy requires investigation.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study was carried out at two implant centers where patients are educated during a consenting process pre‐ICD implantation. Questionnaires examining understanding of ICD therapy were completed during telephone interviews of patients with ICDs.

Results: Of 75 patients interviewed, 62 (83%) were male. The median age at time of ICD implantation was 64 years (standard deviation [SD] = 9.4; range: 29–82 years). The median interval from implantation to interview was 3 years (SD = 1.9; range: 0.1–9.0 years). Despite 83% (62 of 75) claiming to understand the reason for ICD implantation, no patient suggested arrhythmia termination when describing the indication.

Of shock recipients, 60% (12 of 20) felt poorly prepared for shock therapy. Of patients who experienced a device‐related complication, 83% (10 of 12) reported feeling inadequately forewarned of complications. Excluding patients with cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillators (n = 6), 65% (45 of 69), 52% (36 of 69), 50% (35 of 69), and 61% (42 of 69) believe their ICD reduces risk of heart attack and improves breathing, exercise capacity, and heart function, respectively. Ninety‐three percent (70 of 75) are satisfied with their decision to accept ICD therapy. Only 12% (9 of 75) believe they will want to inactivate therapies in setting of terminal illness.

Conclusions:
Despite preimplantation education, patient comprehension of the risks and benefits of ICD therapy is poor. Patients’ expectations of ICD therapy may be inappropriate. Education strategies before and after implantation require improvement. (PACE 2012; 35:1097–1102)
Myocardium of the Superior Vena Cava, Coronary Sinus, Vein of Marshall, and the Pulmonary Vein Ostia: Gross Anatomic Studies in 620 Hearts
Authors: DESIMONE CHRISTOPHER V. , NOHERIA AMIT , LACHMAN NIRUSHA , EDWARDS WILLIAM D. , GAMI APOOR S. , MALESZEWSKI JOSEPH J. , FRIEDMAN PAUL A. , MUNGER THOMAS M. , HAMMILL STEPHEN C. , PACKER DOUGLAS L. , ASIRVATHAM SAMUEL J.
Published: June 2012

Anatomy of Myocardial Extensions in Thoracic Veins.

Introduction: Radiofrequency ablation for atrial fibrillation (AF) frequently involves energy delivery at the ostia of the thoracic veins. Detailed evaluation of the myocardium extending into the caval veins, vein of Marshall, as well as at the pulmonary vein ostia has not been completely evaluated.

Methods and Results: Post‐mortem assessment of 620 formalin‐fixed hearts (mean age 60 ± 23 years, 44% female) was performed. The hearts were examined for integrity of venous structures and their atrial connections. Systematic gross anatomic evaluation including measurements on myocardial extensions in these veins was performed. Macroscopic myocardial extensions into pulmonary veins were noted in 99% of specimens evaluated and were circumferentially symmetric (99.6%). Myocardial extensions into the superior vena cava (SVC) occurred in 78% with the majority being circumferentially asymmetric (61%). Occasionally, myocardium extended into the azygos vein (6%). There were no myocardial extensions in the inferior vena cava (IVC). In some cases, the right atrial pectinate muscle extended into the coronary sinus (7%). The vein of Marshall was consistently located anterior to the left‐sided pulmonary veins and posterior to the left atrial appendage, overlying the left atrial endocardial ridge.

Conclusions: Myocardial extensions into the pulmonary veins are usually circumferential at the ostia validating the necessity for wide area rather than segmental ablation to isolate these veins during AF ablation. Myocardial extensions into the SVC are common and less likely to be circumferential, whereas extensions into the IVC are not present. The left atrial ridge is a reliable endocardial target for radiofrequency ablation of the vein of Marshall. (J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol, Vol. 23, pp. 1304‐1309, December 2012)
Microvascular Repair: Post‐Angiogenesis Vascular Dynamics
Authors: LEBLANC AMANDA J. , KRISHNAN LAXMINARAYANAN , SULLIVAN CHRISTOPHER J. , WILLIAMS STUART K. , HOYING JAMES B.
Published: June 2012

Please cite this paper as: LeBlanc AJ, Krishnan L, Sullivan CJ, Williams SK, Hoying JB. Microvascular repair: post‐angiogenesis vascular dynamics. Microcirculation19: 676–695, 2012.

Vascular compromise and the accompanying perfusion deficits cause or complicate a large array of disease conditions and treatment failures. This has prompted the exploration of therapeutic strategies to repair or regenerate vasculatures, thereby establishing more competent microcirculatory beds. Growing evidence indicates that an increase in vessel numbers within a tissue does not necessarily promote an increase in tissue perfusion. Effective regeneration of a microcirculation entails the integration of new stable microvessel segments into the network via neovascularization. Beginning with angiogenesis, neovascularization entails an integrated series of vascular activities leading to the formation of a new mature microcirculation, and includes vascular guidance and inosculation, vessel maturation, pruning, AV specification, network patterning, structural adaptation, intussusception, and microvascular stabilization. While the generation of new vessel segments is necessary to expand a network, without the concomitant neovessel remodeling and adaptation processes intrinsic to microvascular network formation, these additional vessel segments give rise to a dysfunctional microcirculation. While many of the mechanisms regulating angiogenesis have been detailed, a thorough understanding of the mechanisms driving post‐angiogenesis activities specific to neovascularization has yet to be fully realized, but is necessary to develop effective therapeutic strategies for repairing compromised microcirculations as a means to treat disease.
Bars in hydrodynamical cosmological simulations
Authors: Scannapieco Cecilia , Athanassoula E.
Published: June 2012

We study the properties of two bars formed in fully cosmological hydrodynamical simulations of the formation of Milky Way-mass galaxies. In one case, the bar formed in a system with disc, bulge and halo components, and is relatively strong and long, as could be expected for a system where the spheroid strongly influences the evolution. The second bar is less strong, shorter and formed in a galaxy with no significant bulge component. We study the strength and length of the bars, the stellar density profiles along and across the bars, and the velocity fields in the bar region. We compare them with the results of dynamical (idealized) simulations and with observations, and find, in general, a good agreement, although we detect some important differences as well. Our results show that more or less realistic bars can form naturally in a Λ cold dark matter cosmology, and open up the possibility to study the bar formation process in a more consistent way than previously done, since the host galaxies grow, accrete matter and significantly evolve during the formation and evolution of the bar.
Assessment of stakeholders’ preferences towards sustainable sanitation scenarios
Authors: Bao Pham Ngoc , Aramaki Toshiya , Hanaki Keisuke
Published: June 2012

Decision making in sanitation planning is often complex, with inherent trade‐offs among sociopolitical, environmental, technical and economic factors. The selection of appropriate and sustainable sanitation systems for municipal wastewater treatment involves multiple criteria with conflicting stakeholder preferences. To fulfil conflicting yet complementary objectives, one of the best known and most widely used multi‐criteria analysis (MCA) approaches called the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) has been employed as a decision support tool to aid decision makers in sanitation planning process in developing countries. AHP, in combination with life cycle assessment (LCA) and a proposed set of multidimensional criteria, has worked as an effective decision support tool for the sustainability assessment and selection of appropriate wastewater treatment system with a capacity of 1200 m3/day, in a case study in Toan Thang, a small town in Vietnam. Results from this case study have indicated that the public's understanding of trade‐offs is critical in gaining public support for long‐term sustainability of the solution. The findings from this study have also shown AHP as an effective and flexible communication tool for group decision making in sanitation planning.
Supply of goods from hospitals to outpatients practicing intermittent self‐catheterization in Japan
Authors: Maeda Shuko , Tsukasaki Keiko , Kanda Tsugiyasu , Shimasaki Takeo , Moriyama Manabu T. , Kohno Yumiko , Kyuji Kazuyo
Published: June 2012

Hospitals supply goods to patients practicing intermittent self‐catheterization (ISC), yet procedures for distribution have yet to be standardized, making it difficult to track the types of goods that are shipped and their amounts. The aim of this study was to standardize the types and amounts of goods provided by medical facilities on the basis of the survey results. We conducted a survey of medical facilities and patients regarding the status of goods supplied for ISC. Data were collected from January to May 2010 from 5 outpatient urology clinics and 26 patients practicing ISC. The first finding of this research is that the amount of supplied goods was insufficient and part of the supply method was incorrect. The second is that the status of goods supplied changed not only with ISC, but also with hospital characteristics. The third is that hospital costs averaged $63·10; the supplied catheter number affected hospital costs. Patient costs per month averaged $26·50, clearly showing that patients experience an economic burden. Patient costs were high in cases in which the percentage of types of goods supplied was low. A researcher analysed survey data to determine issues and procedures relevant to the supply of goods. The study showed a need to develop an optimal supply system for ISC patients and identified issues in the current system in Japan that require resolution.
Numerical Analysis of Aeroacoustic Noise for High-Speed Face Milling Cutters in Three Dimensional Unsteady Flow Fields
Authors: Ji Chunhui , Liu Zhanqiang
Published: June 2012

Aeroacoustic noise produced by high speed face milling cutters is a serious environmental concern. This paper develops a modeling approach to investigate the aeroacoustic noise generation and propagation by the idling face milling cutters. The approach consists of two parts: (1) an aerodynamic model for evaluating the flow fields based on the Navier–Stokes (N–S) equation and (2) an aeroacoustic model for predicting the acoustic noise by using the Ffowcs Williams and Hawkings (FW–H) equation. Both the steady mode with the multiple reference frames (MRF) model and the unsteady mode with the sliding mesh technique by introducing steady flow variables as its initial fields are simulated. The cutter gullet regions and the insert rake face regions are found to be the primary contributors in noise generation through spectral analysis of noise sources. The acoustic noise in face milling is significantly affected by the cutter diameter and the number of cutter teeth. The noise directivity is found in vertical plane, and the irregular tooth spacing can spread the maximum sound power at the rotating frequency to higher frequencies. In addition, experiments are conducted to measure the acoustic noise from two high speed milling cutters. It is found that the experimental results are generally in good agreement with the simulations.
Analysis and Prediction of the In-Plane Deformation in Laser Thermal Adjustment
Authors: Shen Hong , Hu Jun , Yao Zhenqiang
Published: June 2012

Laser thermal adjustment as an application of laser forming in microsystems has received considerable attentions in recent years. This process is a noncontact and high precision forming method. The traditional mechanical microforming technologies for the adjustment step used in microsystem assembly are often limited in their accuracy and are also time consuming. This paper presents an analytical model for describing the in-plane deformation of actuators during laser thermal adjustment. A formula for calculating the in-plane bending angle of the actuator generated by the laser processing is derived. The proposed analytical model is demonstrated by the comparison of the predicted bending angles with the numerical and experimental results. Finally, a formula to predict the possible buckling of the actuator during the laser processing is also developed, from which one can design the opening of the actuator in order to avoid the buckling of the actuator during a heating stage of the process.