bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Active Load for the Testing of Solar Modules
Authors: Hofman J. , Vanek J.
Published: September 2011

This paper describes design and development of the Maximum Power Point Load (MPPL) - a stand-alone MCU controlled module offering all the functionality needed for continuous measurement of photovoltaic module I-V curve, MPP point, open circuit voltage and short circuit current. This module is a part of a complex photovoltaic module efficiency measurement system which is currently being developed by the author. Experimental photovoltaic panel is installed outside the laboratory. Measurement system consists of the solar radiation measurement module (pyranometer), photovoltaic panel load module (MPPL described in this paper) and panel climate measurement module (panel temperature and its distribution, air flow around the panel). Data from measurement modules is being captured via control computer for subsequent analysis of panel efficiency and climatic impacts on it.
Chemical and Electrochemical Synthesis of Nickel Hydroxide
Authors: Becker M. D. , Garaventta G. , Rodriguez Nieto F. , Visintin Arnaldo , Sedlarikova Marie , Vondrak Jiri
Published: September 2011

Three method of obtained nickel hydroxide, was studied using morphological and electrochemical characterization techniques. Electrodes built with pulse current electrodeposition, showed higher capacity than electrodes prepared with nickel hydroxide synthesized chemical and electrochemical. Depending on the synthesis method, the powders exhibit different structure, generating a different behavior in the normal cycling conditions.
Recent Developments in the Research of Gel Polymer Electrolytes
Authors: Vondrak Jiri , Sedlarikova Marie , Velicka J. , Michalek Jiri
Published: September 2011

The application of gel polymer electrolytes which contain lithium salt is essential for lithium polymer batteries. The durability, conductivity, resistance to extreme temperatures fire and mechanical properties are the most important parameters to be emphasized. Our recent results are concerned in the methacrylate based composites prepared by polymerization of monomer - organic Li solution mixtures. The composite (gel) electrolytes prepared from MMA and Li salts dissolved in PC exhibit reasonable value of conductivity (10-3 S/cm) and freeze resistance down to -25oC at least.
The Influence of Surfactants on Alpha Nickel Hydroxide
Authors: Vrbicky J. , Vondrak Jiri , Sedlarikova Marie
Published: September 2011

Nickel hydroxide samples vere prepared by electrodeposition on nickel substrate in various concentration of aluminium aditive. The influence of Aluminium aditive was measured by cyclic voltammetry. The 6M KOH electrolyte was used for cycling. The aditive in electrolyte was anionactive surfactant. Best properites has the material with low concentration of aluminium. Anionactive surfactant increases capacity of nickel hydroxide with aluminium aditive.
Genioglossus activity available via non-arousal mechanisms vs. that required for opening the airway in obstructive apnea patients
Authors: Younes Magdy , Loewen Andrea H. S. , Ostrowski Michele , Laprairie John , Maturino Frances , Hanly Patrick J.
Published: September 2011

It is generally believed that reflex recruitment of pharyngeal dilator muscles is insufficient to open the airway of obstructive apnea (OSA) patients once it is closed and, therefore, that arousal is required. Yet arousal promotes recurrence of obstruction. There is no information about how much dilator [genioglossus (GG)] activation is required to open the airway (GG Opening Threshold) or about the capacity of reflex mechanisms to increase dilator activity before/without arousal (Non-Arousal Activation). The relationship between these two variables is important for ventilatory stability. We measured both variables in 32 OSA patients (apnea-hypopnea index 74 ± 42 events/h). GG activity was monitored while patients were on optimal continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). Zopiclone was administered to delay arousal. Maximum GG activity (GGMAX) and airway closing pressure (PCRIT) were measured. During stable sleep CPAP was decreased to 1 cmH2O to induce obstructive events and the dial-downs were maintained until the airway opened with or without arousal. GG activity at the instant of opening (GG Opening Threshold) was measured. GG Opening Threshold averaged only 10.4 ± 9.5% GGMaxand did not correlate with PCRIT( r = 0.04). Twenty-six patients had >3 openings without arousal, indicating that Non-Arousal Activation can exceed GG Opening Threshold in the majority of patients. GG activity reached before arousal in Arousal-Associated Openings was only 5.4 ± 4.6% GGMAXbelow GG Opening Threshold. We conclude that in most patients GG activity required to open the airway is modest and can be reached by non-arousal mechanisms. Arousals occur in most cases just before non-arousal mechanisms manage to increase activity above GG Opening Threshold. Measures to reduce GG Opening Threshold even slightly may help stabilize breathing in many patients.
The Alpha-Melanocyte Stimulating Hormone Induces Conversion of Effector T Cells into Treg Cells
Authors: Taylor Andrew W. , Lee Darren J.
Published: September 2011

The neuropeptide alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone (α-MSH) has an important role in modulating immunity and homeostasis. The production of IFN-γby effector T cells is suppressed byα-MSH, while TGF-βproduction is promoted in the same cells. Suchα-MSH-treated T cells have immune regulatory activity and suppress hypersensitivity, autoimmune diseases, and graft rejection. Previous characterizations of theα-MSH-induced Treg cells showed that the cells areCD4+T cells expressing the same levels of CD25 as effector T cells. Therefore, we further analyzed theα-MSH-induced Treg cells for expression of effector and regulatory T-cell markers. Also, we examined the potential forα-MSH-induced Treg cells to be from the effector T-cell population. We found that theα-MSH-induced Treg cells areCD25+  CD4+T cells that share similar surface markers as effector T cells, except that they express on their surface LAP. Also, theα-MSH treatment augments FoxP3 message in the effector T cells, andα-MSH induction of regulatory activity was limited to the effectorCD25+T-cell population. Therefore,α-MSH converts effector T cells into Treg cells, which suppress immunity targeting specific antigens and tissues.
Potential Application of Tregitopes as Immunomodulating Agents in Multiple Sclerosis
Authors: Elyaman Wassim , Khoury Samia J. , Scott David W. , De Groot Anne S.
Published: September 2011

The induction of immunologic tolerance is an important clinical goal in autoimmunity. CD4+regulatory T (Treg) cells, defined by the expression of the transcription factor forkhead box P3 (FoxP3), play a central role in the control of autoimmune responses. Quantitative and qualitative defects of Tregs have been postulated to contribute to failed immune regulation in multiple sclerosis (MS) and other autoimmune diseases. This paper highlights the potential uses of T regulatory cell epitopes (Tregitopes), natural Treg epitopes found to be contained in human immunoglobulins, as immunomodulating agents in MS. Tregitopes expand Treg cells and induce “adaptive Tregs” resulting in immunosuppression and, therefore, are being considered as a potential therapy for autoimmune diseases. We will compare Tregitopes versus intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) in the treatment of EAE with emphasis on the potential applications of Tregitope for the treatment of MS.
Long-Term Oxygen Therapy in COPD: Factors Affecting and Ways of Improving Patient Compliance
Authors: Katsenos Stamatis , Constantopoulos Stavros H.
Published: September 2011

Long-term oxygen therapy (LTOT) is the cornerstone mode of treatment in patients with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) associated with resting hypoxaemia. When appropriately prescribed and correctly used, LTOT has clearly been shown to improve survival in hypoxemic COPD patients. Adherence to LTOT ranges from 45% to 70% and utilization for more than 15 hours per day is widely accepted as efficacious. Although several studies have addressed the level of patients' adherence to LTOT, few have suggested or evaluated interventions that conduce to compliance enhancement. The lack of sufficient data regarding COPD patients following oxygen prescription is an enormous void that must be duly confronted to augment clinical effectiveness and cost containment for the long term use. The present review article highlights factors influencing the compliance of patients using LTOT and emphasizes novel strategies and interventions that may prove to be of significant benefit given the remarkably little current research appraising this issue. Therefore, additional research should be promptly performed to verify the efficacy of newly designed approaches in improving the outcomes of patients receiving LTOT.
Ground State for the Schrödinger Operator with the Weighted Hardy Potential
Authors: Chabrowski J. , Tintarev K.
Published: September 2011

We establish the existence of ground states on ℝN for the Laplace operator involving the Hardy‐type potential. This gives rise to the existence of the principal eigenfunctions for the Laplace operator involving weighted Hardy potentials. We also obtain a higher integrability property for the principal eigenfunction. This is used to examine the behaviour of the principal eigenfunction around 0.
Orbital Cellulitis: A Rare Presentation of Metastatic Bronchial Carcinoma
Authors: Kumar Rohit , Issing Wolfgang
Published: September 2011

Objective. We report a rare and unusual case of bronchial carcinoma presenting with symptoms of complications of sinonasal disease.Case Report. A 66-year-old lady was referred with a 1-week history of progressive ocular pain, chemosis, and visual disturbance. Computed tomography of the paranasal sinuses revealed frontal and ethmoidal sinus opacification with orbital involvement consistent with a diagnosis of orbital cellulitis secondary to sinusitis. Surgical exploration revealed that the sinuses and right orbit were filled with soft tissue and subsequent histopathological examination of the biopsies indicating metastases from an adenosquamous bronchial carcinoma. Further imaging revealed a large, asymptomatic, bronchial primary with deposits in the brain and liver. The advanced presentation of the disease limited treatment to best supportive care.Conclusion. Orbital cellulitis and sinonasal malignancies have a similar pattern of clinical presentation, posing a potential diagnostic pitfall. There are only two previously reported cases of metastatic lung carcinoma in the frontal sinus with 15 cases of sinonasal tract involvement reported overall. There are no reported cases of adenosquamous carcinoma in the sinonasal tract.
A Methodology for Generation of Performance Models for the Sizing of Analog High-Level Topologies
Authors: Pandit Soumya , Mandal Chittaranjan , Patra Amit
Published: September 2011

This paper presents a systematic methodology for the generation of high-level performance models for analog component blocks. The transistor sizes of the circuit-level implementations of the component
blocks along with a set of geometry constraints applied over them define the sample space. A Halton
sequence generator is used as a sampling algorithm. Performance data are generated by simulating
each sampled circuit configuration through SPICE. Least squares support vector machine (LS-SVM) is
used as a regression function. Optimal values of the model hyper parameters are determined through a
grid search-based technique and a genetic algorithm- (GA-) based technique. The high-level models of the
individual component blocks are combined analytically to construct the high-level model of a complete
system. The constructed performance models have been used to implement a GA-based high-level topology
sizing process. The advantages of the present methodology are that the constructed models are accurate
with respect to real circuit-level simulation results, fast to evaluate, and have a good generalization
ability. In addition, the model construction time is low and the construction process does not require
any detailed knowledge of circuit design. The entire methodology has been demonstrated with a set
of numerical results.
Oral Candidiasis: Aiding in the Diagnosis of HIV—A Case Report
Authors: Shetti Arvind , Gupta Ishita , Charantimath Shivyogi M.
Published: September 2011

Opportunistic fungal infections account for a significant amount of morbidity associated with HIV disease. Candidiasis is the most common oral opportunistic infection affecting people with HIV infection or AIDS. It is considered as an important marker of immune suppression and may be the initial manifestation of the disease in about 10% of HIV-infected adults. We report a case of an apparently healthy 45-year-old male with oral candidiasis which proved to be the first indicator of HIV infection.
Biomechanical Influence of Cartilage Homeostasis in Health and Disease
Authors: Bader D. L. , Salter D. M. , Chowdhury T. T.
Published: September 2011

There is an urgent demand for long term solutions to improve osteoarthritis treatments in the ageing population. There are drugs that control the pain but none that stop the progression of the disease in a safe and efficient way. Increased intervention efforts, augmented by early diagnosis and integrated biophysical therapies are therefore needed. Unfortunately, progress has been hampered due to the wide variety of experimental models which examine the effect of mechanical stimuli and inflammatory mediators on signal transduction pathways. Our understanding of the early mechanopathophysiology is poor, particularly the way in which mechanical stimuli influences cell function and regulates matrix synthesis. This makes it difficult to identify reliable targets and design new therapies. In addition, the effect of mechanical loading on matrix turnover is dependent on the nature of the mechanical stimulus. Accumulating evidence suggests that moderate mechanical loading helps to maintain cartilage integrity with a low turnover of matrix constituents. In contrast, nonphysiological mechanical signals are associated with increased cartilage damage and degenerative changes. This review will discuss the pathways regulated by compressive loading regimes and inflammatory signals in animal andin vitro3D models. Identification of the chondroprotective pathways will reveal novel targets for osteoarthritis treatments.
An LXR Agonist Promotes Glioblastoma Cell Death through Inhibition of an EGFR/AKT/SREBP-1/LDLR–Dependent Pathway
Authors: Guo Deliang , Reinitz Felicia , Youssef Mary , Hong Cynthia , Nathanson David , Akhavan David , Kuga Daisuke , Amzajerdi Ali Nael , Soto Horacio , Zhu Shaojun , Babic Ivan , Tanaka Kazuhiro , Dang Julie , Iwanami Akio , Gini Beatrice , DeJesus Jason , Lisiero Dominique D. , Huang Tiffany T. , Prins Robert M. , Wen Patrick Y. , Robins H. Ian , Prados Michael D. , DeAngelis Lisa M. , Mellinghoff Ingo K. , Mehta Minesh P. , James C. David , Chakravarti Arnab , Cloughesy Timothy F. , Tontonoz Peter , Mischel Paul S.
Published: September 2011

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common malignant primary brain tumor of adults and one of the most lethal of all cancers. Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations (EGFRvIII) and phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) hyperactivation are common in GBM, promoting tumor growth and survival, including through sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1 (SREBP-1)–dependent lipogenesis. The role of cholesterol metabolism in GBM pathogenesis, its association with EGFR/PI3K signaling, and its potential therapeutic targetability are unknown. In our investigation, studies of GBM cell lines, xenograft models, and GBM clinical samples, including those from patients treated with the EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor lapatinib, uncovered an EGFRvIII-activated, PI3K/SREBP-1–dependent tumor survival pathway through the low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR). Targeting LDLR with the liver X receptor (LXR) agonist GW3965 caused inducible degrader of LDLR (IDOL)–mediated LDLR degradation and increased expression of the ABCA1 cholesterol efflux transporter, potently promoting tumor cell death in an in vivo GBM model. These results show that EGFRvIII can promote tumor survival through PI3K/SREBP-1–dependent upregulation of LDLR and suggest a role for LXR agonists in the treatment of GBM patients.

Significance: This study reveals that GBM cells have devised a mechanism to subvert the normal pathways for feedback inhibition of cholesterol homeostasis via EGFRvIII and PI3K-dependent activation of SREBP-1. We show that an LXR agonist causes IDOL-mediated LDLR degradation and increases expression of the ABCA1 cholesterol efflux transporter, potently promoting GBM cell death in vivo. These results suggest a role for LXR agonists in the treatment of GBM patients. Cancer Discovery; 1(5): 442–56. ©2011 AACR.

Read the Commentary on this article by Moschetta, p. 381

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Adaptive Tests for Detecting Gene-Gene and Gene-Environment Interactions
Authors: Pan Wei , Basu Saonli , Shen Xiaotong
Published: September 2011

There has been an increasing interest in detecting gene-gene and gene-environment interactions in genetic association studies. A major statistical challenge is how to deal with a large number of parameters measuring possible interaction effects, which leads to reduced power of any statistical test due to a large number of degrees of freedom or high cost of adjustment for multiple testing. Hence, a popular idea is to first apply some dimension reduction techniques before testing, while another is to apply only statistical tests that are developed for and robust to high-dimensional data. To combine both ideas, we propose applying an adaptive sum of squared score (SSU) test and several other adaptive tests. These adaptive tests are extensions of the adaptive Neyman test [Fan, 1996], which was originally proposed for high-dimensional data, providing a simple and effective way for dimension reduction. On the other hand, the original SSU test coincides with a version of a test specifically developed for high-dimensional data. We apply these adaptive tests and their original nonadaptive versions to simulated data to detect interactions between two groups of SNPs (e.g. multiple SNPs in two candidate regions). We found that for sparse models (i.e. with only few non-zero interaction parameters), the adaptive SSU test and its close variant, an adaptive version of the weighted sum of squared score (SSUw) test, improved the power over their non-adaptive versions, and performed consistently well across various scenarios. The proposed adaptive tests are built in the general framework of regression analysis, and can thus be applied to various types of traits in the presence of covariates.
Kidney Transplantation Improves Cognitive and Psychomotor Functions in Adult Hemodialysis Patients
Authors: Radić Josipa , Ljutić Dragan , Radić Mislav , Kovačić Vedran , Dodig-Ćurković Katarina , Šain Milenka
Published: September 2011

Background: Kidney failure is believed to have a negative impact on cognitive function, and cognitive impairment is common among maintenance hemodialysis (HD) patients. Previous studies have shown a beneficial effect of kidney transplantation in certain cognitive tests but not across all cognitive domains assessed. But, most of these studies performed a cross-sectional analysis, suffered from lack of standardization of adequate dialysis dose, hemoglobin level, and insufficient sensitivity of neuropsychological tests. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of successful kidney transplantation on cognitive and psychomotor function in adequately dialyzed HD patients without severe anemia, using sensitive neuropsychological tests. Methods: Twenty-one medically stable patients (aged 45.1 ± 7.9 years) on maintenance HD (7.6 ± 4.2 years) were investigated before and 20.5 ± 8.5 months after successful kidney transplantation using Complex Reactiometer Drenovac, a battery of computer-generated psychological tests which measure a simple visual discrimination of signal location, short-term memory, simple convergent visual orientation and convergent thinking. Results: Our findings indicated significantly better cognitive and psychomotor performance after transplantation on tests that assess processing speed, attention, short time memory, convergent thinking and executive functioning. Also, significant negative correlation between follow-up time after transplantation and cognitive and psychomotor performance in minimum time of solving test of convergent thinking was found. Conclusion: We conclude that cognitive and psychomotor functions are superior after successful kidney transplantation compared with HD, and that early beneficial effects of transplantation are not transient and cognitive and psychomotor performance might be even improved in time following successful transplantation.
Patterns of Skin and Soft Tissue Metastases from Breast Cancer according to Subtypes: Relationship between EGFR Overexpression and Skin Manifestations
Authors: Kong Jee Hyun , Park Yeon Hee , Kim Jung A. , Kim Jeong Hoon , Yun Jina , Sun Jong Mu , Won Young Woong , Lee Soohyeon , Kim Seung Tae , Cho Eun Yoon , Ahn Jin Seok , Im Young-Hyuck
Published: September 2011

Objectives: We evaluated whether skin changes and soft tissue infiltration patterns reflect breast cancer subtypes based on the breast hormonal receptor (HR) and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) status at the time of skin metastasis. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the patients’ medical records with radiologic imaging studies. Results: The numbers of patients of each subtype were as follows: HR positive (HR+ve) 53 (42.4%), HER2 enriched 43 (34.4%), and triple negative (TN) 29 (23.2%). The presence of skin ulceration was found more commonly in the HR+ve group than in the others (57.1% for HR+ve vs. 25% for HER2 enriched vs. 15.4% for TN, p = 0.019). Erythematous infiltrations were shown predominantly in the TN group (19.0 vs. 54.2 vs. 84.6%, respectively, p < 0.000). On CT scans, soft tissue infiltration appeared to be more common in the HER2-enriched and TN groups than in the HR+ve group (24.5 vs. 41.9 vs. 48.3%, respectively, p = 0.013). Erythematous infiltrative lesions were more common in patients with epidermal growth factor receptor overexpression (p = 0.036). Conclusion: The patterns of skin involvement including surrounding soft tissue infiltration may reflect breast cancer subtype. Prospective evaluation is necessary to confirm their influential effect on breast cancer subtypes.
Decrease in VEGF Expression Induces Intussusceptive Vascular Pruning
Authors: Hlushchuk Ruslan , Ehrbar Martin , Reichmuth Philipp , Heinimann Niklas , Styp-Rekowska Beata , Escher Robert , Baum Oliver , Lienemann Philipp , Makanya Andrew , Keshet Eli , Djonov Valentin
Published: September 2011

Objective—

The concept of vascular pruning, the “cuting-off” of vessels, is gaining importance due to expansion of angio-modulating therapies. The proangiogenic effects of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) are broadly described, but the mechanisms of structural alterations by its downregulation are not known.

Methods and Results—

VEGF
165
-releasing hydrogels were applied onto the chick chorioallantoic membrane on embryonic day 10. The hydrogels, designed to completely degrade within 2 days, caused high-level VEGF presentation followed by abrupt VEGF withdrawal. Application of VEGF resulted in a pronounced angiogenic response within 24 hours. The drastic decrease in level of exogenous VEGF-A within 48 hours was corroborated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Following this VEGF withdrawal we observed vasculature adaptation by means of intussusception, including intussusceptive vascular pruning. As revealed on vascular casts and serial semithin sections, intussusceptive vascular pruning occurred by emergence of multiple eccentric pillars at bifurcations. Time-lapse in vivo microscopy has confirmed the de novo occurrence of transluminal pillars and their capability to induce pruning. Quantitative evaluation corroborated an extensive activation of intussusception associated with VEGF withdrawal.

Conclusion—

Diminution of VEGF level induces vascular tree regression by intussusceptive vascular pruning. This observation may allude to the mechanism underlying the “normalization” of tumor vasculature if treated with antiangiogenic drugs. The mechanism described here gives new insights into the understanding of the processes of vasculature regression and hence provides new and potentially viable targets for antiangiogenic and/or angio-modulating therapies during various pathological processes.
Serum Lipid Levels and the Risk of Intracerebral Hemorrhage: The Rotterdam Study
Authors: Wieberdink Renske G. , Poels Mariëlle M.F. , Vernooij Meike W. , Koudstaal Peter J. , Hofman Albert , van der Lugt Aad , Breteler Monique M.B. , Ikram M. Arfan
Published: September 2011

Objective—

Low serum total cholesterol levels are associated with an increased risk of symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage and with presence of asymptomatic cerebral microbleeds. The relative contribution of lipid fractions to these associations is unclear and requires investigation. We determined whether serum HDL-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, and triglycerides are associated with risk of intracerebral hemorrhage and presence of cerebral microbleeds.

Methods and Results—

Nine thousand sixty-eight stroke-free community-dwelling persons aged ≥55 were followed from baseline (1990–2001) up to January 1, 2009, of whom 85 suffered from intracerebral hemorrhage during follow-up. Brain MRI was carried out in 789 healthy participants, of whom 162 had cerebral microbleeds. Triglycerides were strongly and inversely associated with intracerebral hemorrhage, independently of HDL-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, and potential confounders [hazard ratio for highest versus lowest quartile: 0.20 (0.06–0.69)]. Triglycerides were also associated with deep or infratentorial microbleeds [odds ratio for highest versus lowest quartile: 0.37 (0.14–0.96)], but not with strictly lobar microbleeds. No associations were found for HDL-cholesterol or LDL-cholesterol.

Conclusion—

Low serum triglyceride levels were associated with an increased risk of intracerebral hemorrhage and with the presence of deep or infratentorial cerebral microbleeds. This provides novel insights into the role of lipid fractions, particularly triglycerides, in the etiology of intracerebral hemorrhage.
Variations in Platelet Proteins Associated With ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction
Authors: Parguiña Andrés F. , Grigorian-Shamagian Lilian , Agra Rosa M. , López-Otero Diego , Rosa Isaac , Alonso Jana , Teijeira-Fernández Elvis , González-Juanatey José Ramón , García Ángel
Published: September 2011

Objective—

Our aim in this study was to provide novel information on the molecular mechanisms playing a major role in the unwanted platelet activation associated with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI).

Methods and Results—

We compared the platelet proteome of 11 STEMI patients to a matched control group of 15 stable chronic ischemic cardiopathy patients. In addition, we did a prospective study to follow the STEMI patients over time. Proteins were separated by high-resolution 2D gel electrophoresis, identified by mass spectrometry, and validated by Western blotting. Platelets from STEMI patients on admission displayed 56 protein spot differences (corresponding to 42 unique genes) compared with the control group. The number of differences decreased with time during the patients' follow-up. Interestingly, the adapter protein CrkL and the active form of Src (phosphorylated in Tyr418) were found to be upregulated in platelets from STEMI patients. Major signaling pathways related to the proteins identified include integrin, integrin-linked kinase, and glycoprotein VI (GPVI) signaling. Interestingly, a study on an independent cohort of patients showed a higher degree of activation of GPVI signaling in STEMI patients.

Conclusion—

CrkL, the active form of Src, and GPVI signaling are upregulated in platelets from STEMI patients.
Drosophila, Genetic Screens, and Cardiac Function
Authors: Wolf Matthew J. , Rockman Howard A.
Published: September 2011

The fruit fly,
Drosophila melanogaster
, has been used to study genetics, development, and signaling for nearly a century, but only over the past few decades has this tremendous resource been the focus of cardiovascular research. Fly genetics offers sophisticated transgenic systems, molecularly defined genomic deficiencies, genome-wide transgenic RNAi lines, and numerous curated mutants to perform genetic screens. As a genetically tractable model, the fly facilitates gene discovery and can complement mammalian models of disease. The circulatory system in the fly comprises well-defined sets of cardiomyocytes, and methodological advances have permitted accurate characterization of cardiac morphology and function. Thus, fly genetics and genomics offer new approaches for gene discovery of adult cardiac phenotypes to identify evolutionarily conserved molecular signals that drive cardiovascular disease.
Estimation of Time-Dependent Input from Neuronal Membrane Potential
Authors: Kobayashi Ryota , Shinomoto Shigeru , Lansky Petr
Published: September 2011

The set of firing rates of the presynaptic excitatory and inhibitory neurons constitutes the input signal to the postsynaptic neuron. Estimation of the time-varying input rates from intracellularly recorded membrane potential is investigated here. For that purpose, the membrane potential dynamics must be specified. We consider the Ornstein-Uhlenbeck stochastic process, one of the most common single-neuron models, with time-dependent mean and variance. Assuming the slow variation of these two moments, it is possible to formulate the estimation problem by using a state-space model. We develop an algorithm that estimates the paths of the mean and variance of the input current by using the empirical Bayes approach. Then the input firing rates are directly available from the moments. The proposed method is applied to three simulated data examples: constant signal, sinusoidally modulated signal, and constant signal with a jump. For the constant signal, the estimation performance of the method is comparable to that of the traditionally applied maximum likelihood method. Further, the proposed method accurately estimates both continuous and discontinuous time-variable signals. In the case of the signal with a jump, which does not satisfy the assumption of slow variability, the robustness of the method is verified. It can be concluded that the method provides reliable estimates of the total input firing rates, which are not experimentally measurable.
Improved Similarity Measures for Small Sets of Spike Trains
Authors: Naud Richard , Gerhard Felipe , Mensi Skander , Gerstner Wulfram
Published: September 2011

Multiple measures have been developed to quantify the similarity between two spike trains. These measures have been used for the quantification of the mismatch between neuron models and experiments as well as for the classification of neuronal responses in neuroprosthetic devices and electrophysiological experiments. Frequently only a few spike trains are available in each class. We derive analytical expressions for the small-sample bias present when comparing estimators of the time-dependent firing intensity. We then exploit analogies between the comparison of firing intensities and previously used spike train metrics and show that improved spike train measures can be successfully used for fitting neuron models to experimental data, for comparisons of spike trains, and classification of spike train data. In classification tasks, the improved similarity measures can increase the recovered information. We demonstrate that when similarity measures are used for fitting mathematical models, all previous methods systematically underestimate the noise. Finally, we show a striking implication of this deterministic bias by reevaluating the results of the single-neuron prediction challenge.
A Scale-Invariant Internal Representation of Time
Authors: Shankar Karthik H. , Howard Marc W.
Published: September 2011

We propose a principled way to construct an internal representation of the temporal stimulus history leading up to the present moment. A set of leaky integrators performs a Laplace transform on the stimulus function, and a linear operator approximates the inversion of the Laplace transform. The result is a representation of stimulus history that retains information about the temporal sequence of stimuli. This procedure naturally represents more recent stimuli more accurately than less recent stimuli; the decrement in accuracy is precisely scale invariant. This procedure also yields time cells that fire at specific latencies following the stimulus with a scale-invariant temporal spread. Combined with a simple associative memory, this representation gives rise to a moment-to-moment prediction that is also scale invariant in time. We propose that this scale-invariant representation of temporal stimulus history could serve as an underlying representation accessible to higher-level behavioral and cognitive mechanisms. In order to illustrate the potential utility of this scale-invariant representation in a variety of fields, we sketch applications using minimal performance functions to problems in classical conditioning, interval timing, scale-invariant learning in autoshaping, and the persistence of the recency effect in episodic memory across timescales.
A Cluster-randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Milsom K.M. , Blinkhorn A.S. , Walsh T. , Worthington H.V. , Kearney-Mitchell P. , Whitehead H. , Tickle M.
Published: September 2011

We conducted a school-based parallel cluster randomized controlled trial with 36-month follow-up of children aged 7 to 8 years. Primary schools were randomly assigned to 2 groups: 3 applications of fluoride varnish (22,600 ppm) each year or no intervention. The primary outcome was DFS increment in the first permanent molars, with the hypothesis that 9 applications of varnish over 3 years would result in a lower increment in the test group. Follow-up measurements were recorded by examiners blind to the allocation. Ninety-five schools were randomized to the test and 95 to the reference groups; 1473 (test) and 1494 (reference) children participated in the trial. An intention-to-treat analysis was carried out with random effects models. The DFS increment was 0.65 (SD 2.15) in the test and 0.67 (SD 2.10) in the reference groups, respectively. There was no statistically significant difference between the groups. We were unable to demonstrate an effect for fluoride varnish when it was used as a public health intervention to prevent caries in the first permanent molar teeth (Inter-national Standard Randomized Controlled Trial Registration: ISRCTN: #72589426)
Workers’ Perspectives on Vocational Rehabilitation Services
Authors: Wagner Shannon L. , Wessel Julie M. , Harder Henry G.
Published: September 2011

The purpose of the present study was to consider the vocational rehabilitation (VR) process from the perspective of VR consumers. To better understand the experiences of workers who were injured on the job and participated in VR rehabilitation services, 27 semistructured interviews were completed; 24 were completed face-to-face and 3 were completed over the phone. The present data suggested five primary themes, including expectations, communication, human factors, psychological factors, and reemployment considerations as the most important areas from the workers’ perspectives. Using these themes, recommendations for VR consultant (VRC) practice may be developed. These recommendations include the demonstration of sincere empathy for the consumer and clear communication that allows the client to feel a part of their VR plan/process. It is also recommended that VRCs evaluate and monitor client expectations, openly address barriers, and provide mental health support whenever requested or required. Finally, additional support during the job development process is recommended. In particular, clients desired ample support and communication during the processes of job assessment, job search, and job placement. Finally, clients desired and valued the use of accommodated employment in situations where accommodations would improve their employment outcomes.
District House Price Movements in England and Wales 1997–2007: An Exploratory Spatial Data Analysis Approach
Authors: Gray David
Published: September 2011

Using exploratory spatial data analysis and house price data from local authority districts in England and Wales, this article considers whether a regional ripple effect can be tracked at the district level. Although spatial house price variation has been explored at a sub-regional level, this is possibly the first paper to attempt to track house price spillover between districts on a national basis. High- and low-growth clusters of areas are traced. It is concluded that spatial spillover of house price growth is unlikely to be based on interlocked markets bonded by commuting or migration alone; information flows and expectations are likely to reinforce interdistrict transmission. Specifically, house price spillover north of the East Midlands appears much more rapid than would be consistent with a ‘ripple’, suggesting that there is some support for undertaking British housing market analysis on a spatially segmented basis, even at a regional level.
Examining the Impact of Celebrity Gossip Magazine Coverage of Pregnant Celebrities on Pregnant Women’s Self-Objectification
Authors: Hopper K. Megan , Aubrey Jennifer Stevens
Published: September 2011

The present experimental study examined the impact of celebrity gossip magazine coverage on pregnant women through the lens of objectification theory (Fredrickson & Roberts, 1997). In total, 301 pregnant women were randomly assigned to view highly sexually objectifying full-body images and accompanying text depicting pregnant celebrities, low objectifying headshot-only images and accompanying text depicting celebrities, or images of baby products with no people depicted (control). Exposure to the headshot-only condition resulted in significantly more self-objectification than exposure to control images. We speculate exposure to the headshot-only images primed self-objectification in participants because they visualized nonpregnant, thin, toned, and sculpted celebrity bodies that are frequently objectified by the media. Further analyses revealed that participants’ stage in pregnancy, history with pregnancy, and age moderated the main effects. Among those in their first trimester, assignment to the headshot-only condition significantly predicted state self-objectification; however, among those in their third trimester, the full-body condition predicted state self-objectification at a level of marginal significance. Further, exposure to the headshot-only stimuli predicted self-objectification for those having no prior live births. Among those participants in the younger age group, exposure to the headshot-only condition significantly predicted self-objectification; however, among those in the middle age group, the full-body condition significantly predicted self-objectification.
Decentralization
Authors: Bannink Duco , Ossewaarde Ringo
Published: September 2011

Shifts in governance can be conceived of as a response to policy capacities being shared—in a material sense—between centralized and decentralized levels of government. A comparative case study is conducted of three conceptually different shifts in governance. Unclear responsibility relations lead to “paradoxes of decentralization,” in which the applied mode of governance blocks the intended improvements. Three case studies are presented to illustrate these mechanisms. There is no “best” way of decentralizing responsibilities; requirements of governance modes are ambiguous. The sharing of policy capacities between central and decentralized levels of governance requires internally inconsistent governance arrangements.
A Longitudinal Investigation of Commitment Dynamics in Cohabiting Relationships
Authors: Rhoades Galena K. , Stanley Scott M. , Markman Howard J.
Published: September 2011

This longitudinal study followed 120 cohabiting, opposite-sex couples over 8 months to test hypotheses derived from commitment theory about how two types of commitment (dedication and constraint) operate during cohabitation. In nearly half the couples, there were large differences between partners in terms of dedication. These differences were associated with lower relationship adjustment, even controlling for overall level of dedication. Furthermore, among couples who believed in the institution of marriage, cohabiting women were, on average, more dedicated than their partners. Additionally, there was evidence that constraints (e.g., signing a lease, having a joint bank account) make it less likely that couples think they will break up, regardless of relationship dedication. This finding was strongest for women and for those with higher income levels.
Revisiting Spontaneous Internal Desynchrony Using a Quantitative Model of Sleep Physiology
Authors: Phillips Andrew J. K. , Czeisler Charles A. , Klerman Elizabeth B.
Published: September 2011

Early attempts to characterize free-running human circadian rhythms generated three notable results: 1) observed circadian periods of 25 hours (considerably longer than the now established 24.1- to 24.2-hour average intrinsic circadian period) with sleep delayed to later circadian phases than during entrainment; 2) spontaneous internal desynchrony of circadian rhythms and sleep/wake cycles—the former with an approximately 24.9-hour period, and the latter with a longer (28-68 hour) or shorter (12-20 hour) period; and 3) bicircadian (48-50 hour) sleep/wake cycles. All three results are reproduced by Kronauer et al.’s (1982) coupled oscillator model, but the physiological basis for that phenomenological model is unclear. We use a physiologically based model of hypothalamic and brain stem nuclei to investigate alternative physiological mechanisms that could underlie internal desynchrony. We demonstrate that experimental observations can be reproduced by changes in two pathways: promotion of orexinergic (Orx) wake signals, and attenuation of the circadian signal reaching hypothalamic nuclei. We reason that delayed sleep is indicative of an additional wake-promoting drive, which may be of behavioral origin, associated with removal of daily schedules and instructions given to participants. We model this by increasing Orx tone during wake, which reproduces the observed period lengthening and delayed sleep. Weakening circadian input to the ventrolateral preoptic nucleus (possibly mediated by the dorsomedial hypothalamus) causes desynchrony, with observed sleep/wake cycle period determined by degree of Orx up-regulation. During desynchrony, sleep/wake cycles are driven by sleep homeostasis, yet sleep bout length maintains circadian phase dependence. The model predicts sleep episodes are shortest when started near the temperature minimum, consistent with experimental findings. The model also correctly predicts that it is possible to transition to bicircadian rhythms from either a synchronized or desynchronized state. Our findings suggest that feedback from behavioral choices to physiology could play an important role in spontaneous internal desynchrony.
A New ImageJ Plug-in “ActogramJ” for Chronobiological Analyses
Authors: Schmid Benjamin , Helfrich-Förster Charlotte , Yoshii Taishi
Published: September 2011

While the rapid development of personal computers and high-throughput recording systems for circadian rhythms allow chronobiologists to produce huge amounts of data, the software to analyze them often lags behind. Here, we announce newly developed chronobiology software that is easy to use, compatible with many different systems, and freely available. Our system can perform the most frequently used analyses: actogram drawing, periodogram analysis, and waveform analysis. The software is distributed as a pure Java plug-in for ImageJ and so works on the 3 main operating systems: Linux, Macintosh, and Windows. We believe that this free software raises the speed of data analyses and makes studying chronobiology accessible to newcomers.
Breastfeeding Information in Midwifery Textbooks in Japan
Authors: Kaso Misato , Miyamoto Keiko , Koyama Emi , Nakayama Takeo
Published: September 2011

The purpose of this study was to evaluate breastfeeding information in midwifery textbooks. Evaluation standards were developed in order to perform content analysis. A 3-round Delphi method using a panel of 32 midwives resulted in 36 evaluation items from the original 38 draft items based on 4 major international guidelines and statements on breastfeeding. Subsequently, breastfeeding descriptions in 4 midwifery textbooks most frequently used in Japan were examined using a 4-point scale (A, accurate and sufficient description; B, accurate but insufficient description; C, no description; and D, inaccurate or inconsistent description). Among the evaluation items, 40% were rated as A, 25% as C, 21% as B, and 15% as D across the 4 textbooks. In conclusion, a substantial proportion of breastfeeding information in these textbooks was found to be inaccurate, inconsistent, or insufficient in content.
Show or Tell? Feminist Dilemmas and Implicit Feminism at Girls’ Rock Camp
Authors: Giffort Danielle M.
Published: September 2011

Previous research demonstrates how activists who do not identify as feminist sometimes engage in “implicitly feminist practices.” In this paper, I extend this research by asking: Do self-identified feminists also employ such implicit strategies in the course of their activist efforts? If so, why would they “do” feminism implicitly? Based on participant observation and semistructured interviews at Girls Rock! Midwest—a week-long summer day camp program that aims to empower girls through rock music production—I develop the concept of implicit feminism. I define implicit feminism as a strategy practiced by feminist activists within organizations that are operating in an anti- and postfeminist environment in which they conceal feminist identities and ideas while emphasizing the more socially acceptable angles of their efforts. My research demonstrates how feminist-identified activists employ implicitly feminist practices as a strategic response to feminist dilemmas stemming from competing organizational demands, how they envision the possibilities and drawbacks of such a strategy, and what this suggests for the shape and future of feminist politics.
Stay-at-Home Fathers and Breadwinning Mothers
Authors: Chesley Noelle
Published: September 2011

I examine experiences of married couples to better understand whether economic shifts that push couples into gender-atypical work/family arrangements influence gender inequality. I draw on in-depth interviews conducted in 2008 with stay-at-home husbands and their wives in 21 married-couple families with children (42 individual interviews). I find that the decision to have a father stay home is heavily influenced by economic conditions, suggesting that men’s increased job instability and shifts in the relative employment conditions of husbands and wives push some men into at-home fatherhood. However, this shift in family arrangements can promote change toward greater gender equality even in couples that initially hold entrenched, gendered beliefs. The data indicate that at-home fathers come to value their increased involvement in children’s care in ways that reduce gender differences in parenting and that have the potential to translate into institutional change, particularly when they reenter the labor force. Furthermore, at-home father arrangements generally appear to provide increased support for women’s employment and promote changes in women’s work behavior that may reduce inequities that stem from traditionally gendered divisions in work/family responsibilities.