bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Weight management guides for pregnant women with a body mass index (BMI) ≥ 40kg/m2: A qualitative exploration of their use in maternity care
Authors: Smith Debbie M , Ward Christine , Forbes Shareen , Reynolds Rebecca M , Denison Fiona C
Published: March 2012

Objective:

Maternal obesity (Body Mass Index [BMI] ≥ 30kg/m2) is associated with numerous maternal and fetal complications. Recent guidelines have called for advice to be given to women as pregnancy is a good time for intervention as due to women’s motivations for change being high and changes may impact on the wider family. Weight management guides can provide relevant lifestyle information for women but little is known about their use in pregnancy. This study examined whether weight management guides, designed for women with a BMI > 30kg/m2, are accessible and appropriate for pregnant women with a BMI ≥ 40kg/m2.

Design:

A cross-sectional qualitative study.

Setting:

Scotland, United Kingdom (UK).

Method:

Fourteen pregnant women attending a high-risk antenatal clinic for women with a BMI ≥ 40kg/m2 were interviewed. A semi-structured topic guide was used to explore the women’s views towards the content and layout of the two weight management guides.

Results:

Inductive thematic analysis highlighted four themes which summarized the women’s views towards the weight management guides: professionalism; personal; handy tool for behaviour change; and detail. The guides were well received and several features played an integral part in the women liking them: the goal grid; suitable pictures; appealing layout; relevant case stories; and alternative food choices/exercise tips.

Conclusion:

Limitations include the possible increased motivation of women who were recruited from a specialized antenatal clinic for very severely obese women. Weight management guides as an antenatal behaviour change intervention need researching in terms of impact on gestational weight gain and maternal and fetal outcomes.
Do Student Achievement Outcomes Differ Across Teacher Preparation Programs? An Analysis of Teacher Education in Louisiana
Authors: Gansle Kristin A. , Noell George H. , Burns Jeanne M.
Published: March 2012

Achievement outcomes for students taught by recent program completers of Louisiana’s teacher preparation programs (TPPs) are examined using hierarchical linear modeling of State student achievement data in English language arts, reading, mathematics, science, and social studies. The current year’s achievement in each content area is predicted using previous achievement data, student characteristics, classroom characteristics (e.g., percentage of students with disabilities), school characteristics, and attendance of teachers and students. The contribution of a teacher having recently completed a specific TPP is modeled at the classroom level as an indicator variable for each TPP. Results for programs with 25 or more new teachers are reported. Results demonstrate substantial overlap in confidence intervals (CI) among programs. In some instances, 68% and/or 95% CI for programs in specific content areas did not overlap results for the average new teacher or experienced teachers (i.e., they were lower than average new teachers or higher than average experienced certified teachers). Results varied across content areas for some programs.
Sacrificing Justice
Authors: Dolgert Stefan
Published: March 2012

Democratic theorists have increasingly turned to Aeschylus’ Oresteia as a resource for challenging the shortcomings of liberal theory, but I argue that this particular return to Greek tragedy should be treated with a healthy dose of skepticism. Defenders of Aeschylean justice have underplayed the sacrificial aspects of his solution to the problem of civil strife, mistaking the consent of the Furies for a resolution that escapes the cycle of violence. Drawing on elements of Greek ritual practice, I contend that Aeschylus folds the consent of the Furies into a sacrificial framework which denies the violence it enacts by directing this violence toward nonhumans. As a consequence Aeschylean justice is complicit in continuing the sacrificial economy it seems to subvert, and Aeschylean politics relies on the suffering of nonhumans (and humans) to secure its conception of order.
Collaborative Effects of Diet and Exercise on Cognitive Enhancement
Authors: Gomez-Pinilla Fernando
Published: March 2012

Certain dietary factors, such as omega-3 fatty acids and curcumin, are reviewed in their context of stimulating molecular systems that serve synaptic function, while diets rich in saturated fats do the opposite. In turn, exercise, using similar mechanisms as healthy diets, displays healing effects on the brain such as counteracting the mental decline associated with age and facilitating functional recovery resulting from brain injury and disease. Diet and exercise are two noninvasive approaches that used together may enhance neural repair. Omega 3 fatty acids and curcumin elevate levels of molecules important for synaptic plasticity such as brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), thus benefiting normal brain function and recovery events following brain insults.
From barriers to barring: Why emotion matters for entrepreneurial development
Authors: Doern Rachel , Goss David
Published: March 2012

We offer a critique of conventional approaches to entrepreneurial barriers and point to the neglect of social and emotional processes in their operation. Drawing from qualitative interviews with 25 entrepreneurs in Russia, we suggest that power rituals between entrepreneurs and state officials may impair entrepreneurial motivation. Our main contribution lies in conceptualizing barriers not simply as objective obstacles but as processes of barring, and in exploring how these might emerge. We elaborate a model of the social nature of barriers and the mediating role played by emotions. We discuss the implications of barring for entrepreneurial action more broadly.
Experimental and numerical study of the effect of sample orientation on the pyrolysis and ignition of wood slabs exposed to radiation
Authors: Yang Lizhong , Wang Yafei , Zhou Xiaodong , Dai Jiakun , Deng Zhihua
Published: March 2012

The effect of sample orientation (vertical and horizontal) on the pyrolysis and ignition of wood exposed to radiation has been studied with experimental and numerical methods in the present article. Experimental results show that the pyrolysis rate of vertically oriented wood exposed to radiation is higher than for horizontally oriented wood exposed to radiation. Pyrolysis gas significantly dominates the process of pyrolysis of wood exposed to radiation. Accounting for radiation absorption by pyrolysis gas, a numerical model has been developed to simulate the pyrolysis and ignition of wood in horizontal and vertical orientations exposed to radiation.
A new prospect for transparent court judgment in China?
Authors: Hou Shumei , Keith Ronald C.
Published: March 2012

This article focuses on the understudied area of Internet-facilitated judicial transparency and its implications for the right to know, the citizen’s engagement with China’s court system, and the related development of competent legal reasoning. The analytical focus is on recent China Supreme People’s Court regulations bolstering open reporting on court websites. This article explores the scope and quality of this reform, comparing it with earlier ‘open trial’ initiatives and investigating its origins and its contemporary implications, both in terms of generating public confidence in fair trial and furthering the development of legal education inside and outside of the legal system. The Internet may help to circulate an improved legal reasoning within the judiciary as well as support a more informed public understanding of the law’s requirements. Openness may pressure judges into a wider process of research and learning as they are more exposed to public scrutiny. At the same time it may well expose the extant level of legal incompetence in China’s new legal system.
Doing things right with Communist Party language: An analysis of Yu Hua’s exploitation of Mao-era rhetoric
Authors: Li Hua
Published: March 2012

This article focuses on a specific aspect of Yu Hua’s satiric criticism of Mao-era rhetoric through the use of double-voiced discourse in his full-length novel Cries in the Drizzle. I analyse how this double-voiced discourse is achieved through the contrast between the focalizers’ unreflective and matter-of-fact use of Maoist rhetoric and the public narrator’s clear awareness of the shabby realities behind this rhetoric. The varied understandings of Maoist rhetoric within a variety of narrative voices give rise to sarcasm, irony, and parody. Four episodes in Cries in the Drizzle will be analysed in detail. In each of these, Mao-era rhetoric is projected and embedded in the daily conversations and language of some characters who hail from villages in the countryside. These episodes invite readers to reflect upon just how much of the daily discourse of the Chinese people alludes to, or incorporates, the words of Mao and the Party, and also to appreciate the varied forms of double-voiced discourse brought about by differentiated perspectives of the public narrator versus the focalizers in Yu Hua’s story.
Unsteady simulation of a counter–rotating research compressor using the nonlinear harmonic method
Authors: Wang Lei , Liu Bo , Yang Xiaodong , Cao Zhiyuan
Published: March 2012

In this article, the nonlinear harmonic method implemented in Fine/Turbo code has been evaluated for unsteady rotor–rotor interaction analysis. Strengths and weaknesses of the nonlinear harmonic method are highlighted through direct comparison with experimental data and time-domain unsteady simulation for the Northwestern Polytechnical University counter-rotating research compressor at the design and off-design conditions. The rotor–rotor interactions were studied in detail to advance the understanding of the flow physics involved. Based on the unsteady simulation, deterministic stresses were computed and compared to the nonlinear harmonic method to analyze distinct sources of unsteadiness and their effect on the time-averaged flow field. For the present case, the nonlinear harmonic method efficiently computes unsteady flows and shows major improvements regarding the computational time (to a factor up to 10).
See What You Think
Authors: Blechert Jens , Sheppes Gal , Di Tella Carolina , Williams Hants , Gross James J.
Published: March 2012

The social environment requires people to quickly form contextually appropriate social evaluations. Models of social cognition suggest that this ability depends on the interaction of automatic and controlled evaluative systems. However, controlled processes, such as reappraisal of an initial response, have rarely been studied in the context of social evaluation. In the two studies reported here, participants reappraised or simply observed angry or neutral faces. In Study 1, reappraisal modulated evaluations of angry faces on explicit as well as implicit behavioral levels. In Study 2, reappraisal altered both early and late phases of evaluative electrocortical processing. These studies suggest that controlled processes, such as reappraisal, can quickly and substantially modulate early evaluative processes in the context of biologically significant social stimuli.
Species distribution modelling of ancient cattle from early Neolithic sites in SW Asia and Europe
Authors: Conolly James , Manning Katie , Colledge Sue , Dobney Keith , Shennan Stephen
Published: March 2012

Species distribution models are widely used by ecologists to estimate the relationship between environmental predictors and species presence and abundance records. In this paper, we use compiled faunal assemblage records from archaeological sites located across southwest Asia and southeast Europe to estimate and to compare the biogeography of ancient wild and early domestic cattle ( Bos primigenius and Bos taurus). We estimate the contribution of multiple environmental parameters on the explanation of variation in abundance of cattle remains from archaeological sites, and find that annual precipitation and maximum annual temperature are significant predictors of abundance. We then formulate, test, and confirm a hypothesis that states the process of cattle domestication involves a change in the types of environmental ranges in which cattle exploitation occurred by applying a species distribution model to presence-only data of wild and domestic cattle. Our results show that there is an expansion of cattle rearing in more temperate environments, which is a defining characteristic of the European early Neolithic.
Nine Kindreds of Familial Sticky Platelet Syndrome Phenotype
Authors: Šimonová Radoslava , Bartošová Lenka , Chudý Peter , Staško Ján , Rumanová Stanislava , Sokol Juraj , Kubisz Peter
Published: March 2012

Introduction:

Sticky platelet syndrome (SPS) is most likely a hereditary thrombophilia characterized by platelet hyperaggregation after low concentrations of platelet inducers—adenosine diphosphate and/or epinephrine. We present 9 kindreds with SPS familial occurrence.

Material and Methods:

Familial trait of SPS was looked up in the database of the National Center of Hemostasis and Thrombosis. Families with at least 3 SPS-positive members were studied, described, and presented.

Results:

In the group of 1093 symptomatic patients, SPS was confirmed in 240 cases. Familial occurrence with at least 3 SPS-positive relatives was found in 9 cases.

Conclusion:

The exact pathogenesis of SPS is not sufficiently explained. Our findings seem to support the idea that SPS might have an autosomal dominant hereditary fashion.
The “Justice Gap” for Sexual Assault Cases
Authors: Lonsway Kimberly A. , Archambault Joanne
Published: March 2012

Media coverage often reports “good” news about the criminal justice system’s ability to effectively respond to sexual assault, concluding that the past two decades have seen an increase in rape reporting, prosecution, and conviction. The objective of this article is to examine the validity of such conclusions by critically reviewing the strengths and weaknesses of various data sources and comparing the statistics they produce. These statistics include estimates for sexual assault reporting rates and case outcomes in the criminal justice system. We conclude that such pronouncements are not currently supported by statistical evidence, and we outline some directions for future research and reform efforts to make the “good news” a reality in the United States.
The Criminal Justice System’s Response to Sexual Violence
Authors: Spohn Cassia , Tellis Katharine
Published: March 2012

The legal reforms of the 1960s and 1970s notwithstanding, sexual assault is a crime characterized by underreporting and case attrition. In this article, the authors synthesize research examining the criminal justice system’s response to sexual assault. The authors begin by examining research on the victim’s decision to report the crime to the police. This is followed by a discussion of the findings of sexual assault case processing research, with a focus on the criminal justice system’s response to aggravated and simple rape and to intimate partner sexual violence. The authors end the article with a discussion of questions that research has yet to adequately answer.
Prosecution of Adult Sexual Assault Cases
Authors: Campbell Rebecca , Patterson Debra , Bybee Deborah
Published: March 2012

Most sexual assaults are never reported to law enforcement, and even among reported cases, most will never be successfully prosecuted. This reality has been a long-standing source of frustration for survivors, victim advocates, as well as members of the criminal justice system. To address this problem, communities throughout the United States have implemented multidisciplinary response interventions to improve post-assault care for victims and increase reporting and prosecution rates. One such model is the Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) program, whereby specially trained nurses (rather than hospital emergency department [ED] physicians) provide comprehensive psychological, medical, and forensic services for sexual assault victims. The purpose of this study was to examine whether adult sexual assault cases were more likely to be investigated and prosecuted after the implementation of a SANE program within a large Midwestern county. A quasi-experimental design was used to compare criminal justice system case progression pre-SANE to post-SANE. Results from longitudinal multilevel ordinal regression modeling revealed that case progression through the criminal justice system significantly increased pre- to post-SANE: more cases reached the “final” stages of prosecution (i.e., conviction at trial and/or guilty plea bargains) post-SANE. These findings are robust after accounting for changes in operation at the focal county prosecutors’ office and seasonal variation in rape reporting. Implications for policy and practice are discussed.
Virtual-machine-based emulation of future generation high-performance computing systems
Authors: Bridges Patrick G , Arnold Dorian , Pedretti Kevin T , Suresh Madhav , Lu Feng , Dinda Peter , Joseph Russ , Lange Jack
Published: March 2012

This paper describes the design of a system to enable research, development, and testing of new software stacks and hardware features for future high-end computing systems. Motivating uses include both small-scale research and development on simulated individual nodes of proposed high-performance computing systems, and large scaling studies that emulate a sizeable fraction of a future supercomputing system. The proposed architecture combines system virtualization, architectural simulation, time dilation, and slack simulation to provide scalable emulation of hypothetical systems. Virtualization-based full-system measurement and monitoring tools are also included to aid in using the proposed system for co-design of high-performance computing system software and architectural features for future systems. Finally, this paper provides a description of the implementation strategy and status of the system.
Supporting beginning male teachers as they transform to skilled professionals
Authors: Knight Bruce Allen , Moore Teresa
Published: March 2012

There has been much media speculation and general conversation about the crisis of masculinity, the lack of male role models – in particular, the lack of fathers, and how many boys are becoming a ‘lost’ generation. An 2002 Australian House of Representatives report ‘Boys: Getting it right’ investigated this issue in depth and made recommendations to the Australian Minister of Education, Science and Training concerning policy direction and strategies that could be developed for teacher education courses relating to boys and boys educational needs. The research reported here was designed to investigate the needs of male teachers as they enter their professional life in schools. This research is significant because it addresses a major area of concern, namely the retention of newly qualified male teachers in both primary and secondary school environments, as well as issues related to the male identity and the impact of older beginning teachers as they enter the profession.
Support services for people suffering from dementia in the rural areas of Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa
Authors: Benade Sara
Published: March 2012

This article describes the development of a culturally sensitive support service for people with dementia living in Kwa-Zulu Natal.
Routine activities and fear of crime: Specifying individual-level mechanisms
Authors: Rengifo Andres F. , Bolton Amanda
Published: March 2012

Studies have examined individual-level associations between fear of crime and various environmental and cognitive assessments but have largely dismissed the relationship between various dimensions of fear and broad behavioural adaptations. Drawing on the risk interpretation model, we specify path models to assess the nature of relationships between perceptions of risk of crime and disorder and the patterning of voluntary and compulsory routine activities. We also explore whether these activities influence the relationship between disorder, risk and fear. Using data from the 2007–8 British Crime Survey, we find support for the proposed distinction between types of routine activities. Although we also find that the various manifestations of fear exhibit different associations with these activities, our models offer marginal support for the proposed mediating role of behavioural policies.
Shades of professionalism: Risk assessment in pre-sentence reports in Sweden
Authors: Persson Anders , Svensson Kerstin
Published: March 2012

An emphasis on risk assessment has been introduced in the instructions guiding pre-sentence reports in Sweden. Since this focus indicates an organizational aspiration to risk management, we examined how pre-sentence assessments are made and especially how probation officers relate to risk assessments. Our results show that probation officers do not act in accordance with the guidelines; they tend to focus on offender needs and social situations more than risk factors, and the reports still resemble the previous social reports based on clinical assessments. This article is based on an analysis of 1320 pre-sentence reports, along with 18 individual interviews and 6 focus groups with probation officers.
Single-stage antimicrobial and crease proof finishing of cotton materials
Authors: Perumalraj R
Published: March 2012

A study of single-stage antimicrobial and crease proof finishing of cotton materials has been reported. The bleached and reactive dyed cotton woven fabrics have been selected for this finishing process. The various concentrations of DMDHEU and triclosan and temperature have been selected to analyze the crease recovery and antimicrobial properties of fabric using Box–Behnken design. It was observed that increasing the concentration of DMDHEU and triclosan increases the crease recovery angle. It is also observed that the breaking strength retention properties have been reduced when increasing the concentration of DMDHEU and triclosan and temperature. It is also found that the antimicrobial effect was increased when the concentration of DMDHEU and triclosan increased.
Antibacterial activity of cotton fabrics treated with sulfadimidine azo dye/chitosan colloid
Authors: Gaffer HE , Gouda M , Abdel-Latif E
Published: March 2012

A series of sulfadimidine dyes has been synthesized via coupling of sulfadimidine diazonium salt with N-substituted anilines in acetic acid. This series was embedded in a chitosan colloid and applied to the surface of cotton fabric by using the pad-dry cure technique. The cotton fabric treated with sulfadimidine dye/chitosan was characterized by infrared spectra and scanning electron microscope images. The antibacterial activities of the prepared cotton fabric samples treated with chitosan and/or sulfadimidine dye/chitosan against Gram-positive bacteria ( Staphylococcus aureus) and Gram-negative bacteria ( Escherichia coli) were evaluated.
HIV-Related Stigma, Isolation, Discrimination, and Serostatus Disclosure
Authors: Nachega Jean B. , Morroni Chelsea , Zuniga José M. , Sherer Renslow , Beyrer Chris , Solomon Suniti , Schechter Mauro , Rockstroh Jürgen
Published: March 2012

Background: Little is known globally about the perspectives of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) on perceived HIV-related stigma and its consequences. Methods: Cross-sectional study (January-March 2010) of perceived HIV-related stigma among PLWHA (N = 2035) using a standardized questionnaire. Findings: Thirty-seven percent of respondents reported loneliness as a result of their HIV status. Depression was reported by 27%. While 96% reported disclosing their HIV status to at least 1 person, 17% of patients who reported being in a long-term sexual relationship had not disclosed their status to their partner. Variables associated with perceived stigma were living in Asia-Pacific versus other regions (odds ratio [OR]: 2.77; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.96-3.92); having experienced body/face changes; reported depression (OR: 1.25; 95% CI 1.11-1.38); and nondisclosure of HIV status (OR: 1.75; 95% CI 1.28-2.41). Conclusion: Thirty years into the HIV pandemic, perceived HIV stigma, isolation, and discrimination persist and are associated with loneliness and depression among PLWHA.
Single-Site Surgery for Simultaneous Totally Extraperitoneal Bilateral Herniorrhaphy and Transperitoneal Radical Nephrectomy in One Patient
Authors: Hsieh Cheng-Hsing , Yang Stephen Shei-Dei , Chang Shang-Jen
Published: March 2012

Aim. This study reports a case undergoing laparoendoscopic totally extraperitoneal herniorrhpahy and transperitoneal laparoscopic radical nephrectomy through transumbilical single-site incisions. Method. A 56-year-old man presented with incidental left renal tumor and bilateral inguinal hernia. Accordingly, a homemade single-port in subumbilicus was applied for totally extraperitoneal herniorrhpahy, following which the incisional wound was extended upward for transperitoneal radical nephrectomy as well. Results. No extraumbilical port was required. Pathology confirmed the diagnosis of renal cell carcinoma. The peri- and postoperative course was quite smooth with rapid recovery, and the patient was discharged home on the fifth postoperative day. Disscussion. The laparoendoscopic single-site surgery with homemade single-port allowed extraperitoneal and transperitoneal procedures to be carried out at the same time, which was feasible and safe with negligible complications. Conclusions. Performing 2 procedures with single-site incision greatly diminished the number of port site incisions and offered obvious cosmetic advantage.
Impact of Functional and Schematic Overview Displays on Console Operators’ Situation Awareness
Authors: Tharanathan Anand , Bullemer Peter , Laberge Jason , Reising Dal Vernon , Mclain Richard
Published: March 2012

Console operators in process plants have to maintain a high level of situation awareness to operate the plant safely, effectively, and efficiently. An overview display is one of the primary displays in a control room that operators monitor to gain and maintain an understanding of the plant. In this study, the authors evaluated operator performance using two overview display formats. The first format, characterized as a functional design, included qualitative, graphical indicators for process parameters and organized the position of the indicators on the basis of functional relations of the process equipment. The second format, characterized as a traditional schematic display, showed connecting process lines between equipment and numerical fields to present process information. Both displays contained the same indicator values. Eighteen plant operators used both display formats to monitor a crude unit process for process parameters that deviated from normal values. We measured operators’ situation awareness using think-aloud protocols and situation awareness global assessment technique, subjective workload, and usability ratings. Results indicated that operators’ situation awareness was significantly higher when they monitored the process on a functional display compared with a schematic display. Their subjective workload and usability ratings also favored the functional overview display format. Implications of the findings for continuous process control and overview display design are discussed.
Politeness in Teams
Authors: Miller Christopher A. , Wu Peggy , Ott Tammy
Published: March 2012

This article reports an experiment in which college students and professional combat air controllers performed a simulated team interaction task designed to explore the effects of the degree of politeness used by a directive giver and the degree of “social distance” (roughly, team affiliation and affinity between the directive giver and the recipient), on directive compliance behaviors and attitudes. The design and experimental approach was informed by the functional theory of politeness in social interactions developed by Brown and Levinson, although hypotheses are advanced that extend this essentially perceptual model to effects on behaviors and attitudes. Results showed that increased politeness in a directive significantly improved attitudes toward the directive giver. Social “nearness” operated similarly and influenced the degree of politeness perceived even when the request itself was unchanged. Both effects operate similarly for novices and experts. Compliance rates (and one portion of reaction time) were similarly affected by the politeness of the directive giver but, interestingly, were affected differently for novices and experts. The politeness of the directive giver increased compliance for novices but decreased it for experts. This result suggests that politeness perceptions are an important influence on work performance but that their interpretation can be influenced through training and/or work “culture.”
Advanced glycation end products induce a prothrombotic phenotype in mice via interaction with platelet CD36
Authors: Zhu Weifei , Li Wei , Silverstein Roy L.
Published: March 2012

Diabetes mellitus has been associated with platelet hyperreactivity, which plays a central role in the hyperglycemia-related prothrombotic phenotype. The mechanisms responsible for this phenomenon are not established. In the present study, we investigated the role of CD36, a class-B scavenger receptor, in this process. Using both in vitro and in vivo mouse models, we demonstrated direct and specific interactions of platelet CD36 with advanced glycation end products (AGEs) generated under hyperglycemic conditions. AGEs bound to platelet CD36 in a specific and dose-dependent manner, and binding was inhibited by the high-affinity CD36 ligand NO2LDL. Cd36-null platelets did not bind AGE. Using diet- and drug-induced mouse models of diabetes, we have shown that cd36-null mice had a delayed time to the formation of occlusive thrombi compared with wild-type (WT) in a FeCl3-induced carotid artery injury model. Cd36-null mice had a similar level of hyperglycemia and a similar level of plasma AGEs compared with WT mice under this condition, but WT mice had more AGEs incorporated into thrombi. Mechanistic studies revealed that CD36-dependent JNK2 activation is involved in this prothrombotic pathway. Therefore, the results of the present study couple vascular complications in diabetes mellitus with AGE-CD36–mediated platelet signaling and hyperreactivity.
Autonomous murine T-cell progenitor production in the extra-embryonic yolk sac before HSC emergence
Authors: Yoshimoto Momoko , Porayette Prashanth , Glosson Nicole L. , Conway Simon J. , Carlesso Nadia , Cardoso Angelo A. , Kaplan Mark H. , Yoder Mervin C.
Published: March 2012

The extra-embryonic yolk sac (YS) is the first hematopoietic site in the mouse embryo and is thought to generate only primitive erythroid and myeloerythroid progenitor cells before definitive HSC emergence within the embryo on E10.5. Here, we have shown the existence of T cell–restricted progenitors in the E9.5 YS that directly engraft in recipient immunodeficient mice. T-cell progenitors were also produced in vitro from both YS and para-aortic splanchnopleura hemogenic endothelial cells, and these T-cell progenitors repopulated the thymus and differentiated into mature T-cell subsets in vivo on transplantation. Our data confirm that the YS produces T-lineage–restricted progenitors that are available to colonize the thymus and provide new insight into the YS as a definitive hematopoietic site in the mouse embryo.
Phase 1 study results of the type II glycoengineered humanized anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody obinutuzumab (GA101) in B-cell lymphoma patients
Authors: Salles Gilles , Morschhauser Franck , Lamy Thierry , Milpied Noel , Thieblemont Catherine , Tilly Hervé , Bieska Gabi , Asikanius Elina , Carlile David , Birkett Joe , Pisa Pavel , Cartron Guillaume
Published: March 2012

Whereas the chimeric type I anti-CD20 Ab rituximab has improved outcomes for patients with B-cell malignancies significantly, many patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) remain incurable. Obinutuzumab (GA101) is a glycoengineered, humanized anti-CD20 type II Ab that has demonstrated superior activity against type I Abs in vitro and in preclinical studies. In the present study, we evaluated the safety, efficacy, and pharmacokinetics of GA101 in a phase 1 study of 21 patients with heavily pretreated, relapsed, or refractory CD20+ indolent NHL. Patients received GA101 in a dose-escalating fashion (3 per cohort, range 50/100-1200/2000 mg) for 8 × 21-day cycles. The majority of adverse events (AEs) were grades 1 and 2 (114 of 132 total AEs). Seven patients reported a total of 18 grade 3 or 4 AEs. Infusion-related reactions were the most common AE, with most occurring during the first infusion and resolving with appropriate management. Three patients experienced grade 3 or 4 drug-related infusion-related reactions. The best overall response was 43%, with 5 complete responses and 4 partial responses. Data from this study suggest that GA101 was well tolerated and demonstrated encouraging activity in patients with previously treated NHL up to doses of 2000 mg. This trial is registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as NCT00517530.
Genome-wide microarray analysis of tomato roots showed defined responses to iron deficiency
Authors: Zamboni Anita , Zanin Laura , Tomasi Nicola , Pezzotti Mario , Pinton Roberto , Varanini Zeno , Cesco Stefano
Published: March 2012

Background

Plants react to iron deficiency stress adopting different kind of adaptive responses. Tomato, a Strategy I plant, improves iron uptake through acidification of rhizosphere, reduction of Fe3+ to Fe2+ and transport of Fe2+ into the cells. Large-scale transcriptional analyses of roots under iron deficiency are only available for a very limited number of plant species with particular emphasis for Arabidopsis thaliana. Regarding tomato, an interesting model species for Strategy I plants and an economically important crop, physiological responses to Fe-deficiency have been thoroughly described and molecular analyses have provided evidence for genes involved in iron uptake mechanisms and their regulation. However, no detailed transcriptome analysis has been described so far.

Results

A genome-wide transcriptional analysis, performed with a chip that allows to monitor the expression of more than 25,000 tomato transcripts, identified 97 differentially expressed transcripts by comparing roots of Fe-deficient and Fe-sufficient tomato plants. These transcripts are related to the physiological responses of tomato roots to the nutrient stress resulting in an improved iron uptake, including regulatory aspects, translocation, root morphological modification and adaptation in primary metabolic pathways, such as glycolysis and TCA cycle. Other genes play a role in flavonoid biosynthesis and hormonal metabolism.

Conclusions

The transcriptional characterization confirmed the presence of the previously described mechanisms to adapt to iron starvation in tomato, but also allowed to identify other genes potentially playing a role in this process, thus opening new research perspectives to improve the knowledge on the tomato root response to the nutrient deficiency.
Ancestral synteny shared between distantly-related plant species from the asterid (Coffea canephora and Solanum Sp.) and rosid (Vitis vinifera) clades
Authors: Guyot Romain , Lefebvre-Pautigny Florent , Tranchant-Dubreuil Christine , Rigoreau Michel , Hamon Perla , Leroy Thierry , Hamon Serge , Poncet Valérie , Crouzillat Dominique , de Kochko Alexandre
Published: March 2012

Background

Coffee trees (Rubiaceae) and tomato (Solanaceae) belong to the Asterid clade, while grapevine (Vitaceae) belongs to the Rosid clade. Coffee and tomato separated from grapevine 125 million years ago, while coffee and tomato diverged 83-89 million years ago. These long periods of divergent evolution should have permitted the genomes to reorganize significantly. So far, very few comparative mappings have been performed between very distantly related species belonging to different clades. We report the first multiple comparison between species from Asterid and Rosid clades, to examine both macro-and microsynteny relationships.

Results

Thanks to a set of 867 COSII markers, macrosynteny was detected between coffee, tomato and grapevine. While coffee and tomato genomes share 318 orthologous markers and 27 conserved syntenic segments (CSSs), coffee and grapevine also share a similar number of syntenic markers and CSSs: 299 and 29 respectively. Despite large genome macrostructure reorganization, several large chromosome segments showed outstanding macrosynteny shedding new insights into chromosome evolution between Asterids and Rosids. We also analyzed a sequence of 174 kb containing the ovate gene, conserved in a syntenic block between coffee, tomato and grapevine that showed a high-level of microstructure conservation. A higher level of conservation was observed between coffee and grapevine, both woody and long life-cycle plants, than between coffee and tomato. Out of 16 coffee genes of this syntenic segment, 7 and 14 showed complete synteny between coffee and tomato or grapevine, respectively.

Conclusions

These results show that significant conservation is found between distantly related species from the Asterid (Coffea canephora and Solanum sp.) and Rosid (Vitis vinifera) clades, at the genome macrostructure and microstructure levels. At the ovate locus, conservation did not decline in relation to increasing phylogenetic distance, suggesting that the time factor alone does not explain divergences. Our results are considerably useful for syntenic studies between supposedly remote species for the isolation of important genes for agronomy.
Fibrin membrane pupillary-block glaucoma after uneventful cataract surgery treated with intracameral tissue plasminogen activator: a case report
Authors: Yoshino Hideaki , Seki Masaaki , Ueda Jun , Yoshino Takaiko , Fukuchi Takeo , Abe Haruki
Published: March 2012

Background

Fibrin pupillary-block glaucoma is a rare complication after cataract surgery. The treatment for this condition is still controversial, since Nd:YAG laser fibrin membranotomy tends to reocclude and laser peripheral iridotomy entails the risk of damaging the corneal endothelium in the presence of corneal edema associated with elevated intraocular pressure.

Case presentation

A 62-year-old man with diabetes mellitus developed acute elevation of intraocular pressure with a shallow anterior chamber five days after uneventful cataract surgery. Initially, slit lamp examination provided only limited information due to severe corneal edema. After resolution of corneal edema with systemic glaucoma therapy, a complete fibrin membrane was observed across the pupil by slit lamp examination. Anterior segment optic coherence tomography clearly revealed a thin fibrin membrane covering the entire pupillary space, a shallow anterior chamber, and a deep posterior chamber. The intraocular lens was not observed by anterior segment optic coherence tomography. In contrast, ultrasound biomicroscopy, which has superior penetration depth, was able to visualize the intraocular lens deep in the posterior chamber. Injection of tissue plasminogen activator into the anterior chamber resulted in complete fibrinolysis and released the pupillary block.

Conclusion

This case suggests that ocular anterior segment imaging modalities, especially ultrasound biomicroscopy, serve as powerful diagnostic tools to identify mechanisms of acute angle closure glaucoma, which is often accompanied by poor intraocular visibility. This is the first reported case of fibrin pupillary-block glaucoma after cataract surgery successfully treated with intracameral tissue plasminogen activator.
Cardiovascular inflammation in healthy women: multilevel associations with state-level prosperity, productivity and income inequality
Authors: Clark Cheryl R , Ridker Paul M , Ommerborn Mark J , Huisingh Carrie E , Coull Brent , Buring Julie E , Berkman Lisa F
Published: March 2012

Background

Cardiovascular inflammation is a key contributor to the development of atherosclerosis and the prediction of cardiovascular events among healthy women. An emerging literature suggests biomarkers of inflammation vary by geography of residence at the state-level, and are associated with individual-level socioeconomic status. Associations between cardiovascular inflammation and state-level socioeconomic conditions have not been evaluated. The study objective is to estimate whether there are independent associations between state-level socioeconomic conditions and individual-level biomarkers of inflammation, in excess of individual-level income and clinical covariates among healthy women.

Methods

The authors examined cross-sectional multilevel associations among state-level socioeconomic conditions, individual-level income, and biomarkers of inflammation among women (n = 26,029) in the Women's Health Study, a nation-wide cohort of healthy women free of cardiovascular diseases at enrollment. High sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1) and fibrinogen were measured between 1993 and 1996. Biomarker levels were examined among women within quartiles of state-level socioeconomic conditions and within categories of individual-level income.

Results

The authors found that favorable state-level socioeconomic conditions were correlated with lower hsCRP, in excess of individual-level income (e.g. state-level real per capital gross domestic product fixed effect standardized Βeta coefficient [Std B] -0.03, 95% CI -0.05, -0.004). Individual-level income was more closely associated with sICAM-1 (Std B -0.04, 95% CI -0.06, -0.03) and fibrinogen (Std B -0.05, 95% CI -0.06, -0.03) than state-level conditions.

Conclusions

We found associations between state-level socioeconomic conditions and hsCRP among healthy women. Personal household income was more closely associated with sICAM-1 and fibrinogen than state-level socioeconomic conditions. Additional research should examine these associations in other cohorts, and investigate what more-advantaged states do differently than less-advantaged states that may influence levels of cardiovascular inflammation among healthy women.
Influence of vitamin D supplementation on plasma lipid profiles: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
Authors: Wang Hao , Xia Ning , Yang Yang , Peng Dao-Quan
Published: March 2012

Observational studies have shown that low serum levels of vitamin D have been associated with an atherogenic lipid profile. However, the intervention studies gave divergent results. We conducted a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials that evaluated the effects of vitamin D supplementation on blood lipids. A systematic literature search was conducted via MEDLINE, Cochrane library, and EMBASE for randomized controlled clinical trials assessing the effects of vitamin D supplementation on lipids. The mean change in total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and triglycerides (TG) from baseline was treated as a continuous variable. In all, 12 clinical trials consisting of 1346 participants were included in the analysis. The pooled estimate of effect for vitamin D supplementation on LDL-C was 3.23 mg/dl (95% confidence interval, 0.55 to 5.90 mg/dl). No statistically significant effects for vitamin D supplementation were observed for TC, HDL-C and TG (differences in means were 1.52 mg/dl (-1.42 to 4.46 mg/dl), -0.14 mg/dl (-0.99 to 0.71 mg/dl) and -1.92 mg/dl (-7.72 to 3.88 mg/dl) respectively). The lipid modulating effects of vitamin D supplementation should be further investigated though large-scale, randomized trials with adequate doses which can effectively elevated the active form of vitamin D in plasma and with proper population which has hyperlipemia as an inclusion criterion.
Impulsive noise rejection method for compressed measurement signal in compressed sensing
Authors: Sermwuthisarn Parichat , Gansawat Duangrat , Patanavijit Vorapoj , Auethavekiat Supatana
Published: March 2012

The Lorentzian norm of robust statistics is often applied in the reconstruction of the sparse signal from a compressed measurement signal in an impulsive noise environment. The optimization of the robust statistic function is iterative and usually requires complex parameter adjustments. In this article, the impulsive noise rejection for the compressed measurement signal with the design for image reconstruction is proposed. It is used as the preprocessing for any compressed sensing reconstruction given that the sparsified version of the signal is obtained by utilizing octave-tree discrete wavelet transform with db8 as the mother wavelet. The presence of impulsive noise is detected from the energy distribution of the reconstructed sparse signal. After the noise removal, the noise corrupted coefficients are estimated. The proposed method requires neither complex optimization nor complex parameter adjustments. The performance of the proposed method was evaluated on 60 images. The experimental results indicated that the proposed method effectively rejected the impulsive noise. Furthermore, at the same impulsive noise corruption level, the reconstruction with the proposed method as the preprocessing required much lower measurement rate than the model-based Lorentzian iterative hard thresholding.
Multichannel adaptive signal detection in space-time colored compound-gaussian autoregressive processes
Authors: Xu Qi , Ma Xiaochuan , Yan Shefeng , Hao Chengpeng , Shi Bo
Published: March 2012

In this article, we consider the problem of adaptive detection for a multichannel signal in the presence of spatially and temporally colored compound-Gaussian disturbance. By modeling the disturbance as a multichannel autoregressive (AR) process, we first derive a parametric generalized likelihood ratio test against compound-Gaussian disturbance (CG-PGLRT) assuming that the true multichannel AR parameters are perfectly known. For the two-step GLRT design criterion, we combine the multichannel AR parameter estimation algorithm with three covariance matrix estimation strategies for compound-Gaussian environment, then obtain three adaptive CG-PGLRT detectors by replacing the ideal multichannel AR parameters with their estimates. Owing to treating the random texture components of disturbance as deterministic unknown parameters, all of the proposed detectors require no a priori knowledge about the disturbance statistics. The performance assessments are conducted by means of Monte Carlo trials. We focus on the issues of constant false alarm rate (CFAR) behavior, detection and false alarm probabilities. Numerical results show that the proposed adaptive CG-PGLRT detectors have dramatically ease the training and computational burden compared to the generalized likelihood ratio test-linear quadratic (GLRT-LQ) which is referred to as covariance matrix based detector and relies more heavily on training.