bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
BarraCUDA - a fast short read sequence aligner using graphics processing units
Authors: Klus Petr , Lam Simon , Lyberg Dag , Cheung Ming Sin , Pullan Graham , McFarlane Ian , Yeo Giles SH , Lam Brian YH
Published: January 2012

Background

With the maturation of next-generation DNA sequencing (NGS) technologies, the throughput of DNA sequencing reads has soared to over 600 gigabases from a single instrument run. General purpose computing on graphics processing units (GPGPU), extracts the computing power from hundreds of parallel stream processors within graphics processing cores and provides a cost-effective and energy efficient alternative to traditional high-performance computing (HPC) clusters. In this article, we describe the implementation of BarraCUDA, a GPGPU sequence alignment software that is based on BWA, to accelerate the alignment of sequencing reads generated by these instruments to a reference DNA sequence.

Findings

Using the NVIDIA Compute Unified Device Architecture (CUDA) software development environment, we ported the most computational-intensive alignment component of BWA to GPU to take advantage of the massive parallelism. As a result, BarraCUDA offers a magnitude of performance boost in alignment throughput when compared to a CPU core while delivering the same level of alignment fidelity. The software is also capable of supporting multiple CUDA devices in parallel to further accelerate the alignment throughput.

Conclusions

BarraCUDA is designed to take advantage of the parallelism of GPU to accelerate the alignment of millions of sequencing reads generated by NGS instruments. By doing this, we could, at least in part streamline the current bioinformatics pipeline such that the wider scientific community could benefit from the sequencing technology.

BarraCUDA is currently available from http://seqbarracuda.sf.net
An increased incidence of Hodgkin's lymphoma in patients with adult-onset sarcoma
Authors: Downing Megan E , Dite Gillian S , Ballinger Mandy L ,   The International Sarcoma Kindred Study Consortium
Published: January 2012

Background

Sarcomas are rare, often fatal malignancies of connective tissues that can occur in genetic predisposition syndromes or result from carcinogen exposure. Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) is not known to contribute to any recognised familial cancer syndrome comprising sarcomas, but is known to be associated with a variety of second cancers, including sarcomas. This study describes the prevalence of HL in families affected by sarcoma.

Methods

The International Sarcoma Kindred Study (ISKS) is a prospective cohort of 561 families ascertained via a proband with adult-onset sarcoma. Cancer-specific standardised incidence ratios (SIR) for multiple primary malignancies in probands were estimated. Clinical characteristics of individuals reporting both sarcoma and HL were described. Standardised incidence ratios for the occurrence of cancer in ISKS families were also estimated.

Results

Multiple primary cancers were reported in 16% of probands, significantly higher than in the general population. The risk of HL in probands was increased 15.8-fold (95%CI 7.9-31.6) and increased risks were also seen for breast cancer (SIR 2.9, 95%CI 1.9-4.4) and thyroid cancer (SIR 8.4, 95%CI 4.2-16.8). In 8 probands with both HL and sarcoma, the diagnosis of HL preceded that of sarcoma in 7 cases, and occurred synchronously in one case. Only 3 cases of sarcoma occurred in or close to prior radiotherapy fields. The overall incidence of HL in the ISKS cohort was not significantly increased by comparison with age- and gender-specific population estimates (SIR 1.63, 95%CI 1.05-2.43), suggesting that the association between HL and sarcomas did not extend to other family members. The age of onset of non-sarcoma, non-HL cancers in families affected by both HL and sarcoma was younger than the general population (56.2 y vs 65.6 y, P < 0.0001).

Conclusions

The basis for the association between HL and sarcomas may include the carcinogenic effects of therapy combined with excellent survival rates for HL. Common risk factors for both may also exist, including both environmental and heritable factors.
Relative impact of maternal depression and associated risk factors on offspring psychopathology
Authors: Barker Edward D. , Copeland William , Maughan Barbara , Jaffee Sara R. , Uher Rudolf
Published: January 2012

Background

In general, mothers with depression experience more environmental and family risk factors, and lead riskier lifestyles, than mothers who are not depressed.

Aims

To test whether the exposure of a child to risk factors associated with mental health adds to the prediction of child psychopathology beyond exposure to maternal depression.

Method

In 7429 mother–offspring pairs participating in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children in the UK, maternal depression was assessed when the children were aged 1.5 years; multiple risk factor exposures were examined between birth and 2 years of age; and DSM-IV-based externalising and internalising diagnoses were evaluated when the children were 7.5 years of age.

Results

Children of clinically depressed mothers were exposed to more risk factors associated with maternal mental health. Maternal depression increased diagnoses of externalising and internalising disorders, but a substantial portion of these associations was explained by increased risk factor exposure (41% for externalising and 37% for internalising disorders). At the same time, these risk exposures significantly increased the odds of both externalising and internalising diagnoses, over and above the influence of maternal depression.

Conclusions

Children of clinically depressed mothers are exposed to both maternal psychopathology and risks that are associated with maternal mental health. These results may explain why treating mothers with depression shows beneficial effects for children, but does not completely neutralise the increased risk of psychopathology and impairment.
Primary Hyperparathyroidism and Celiac Disease: A Population-Based Cohort Study
Authors: Ludvigsson Jonas F. , Kämpe Olle , Lebwohl Benjamin , Green Peter H. R. , Silverberg Shonni J. , Ekbom Anders
Published: January 2012

Context:

Celiac disease (CD) has been linked to several endocrine disorders, including type 1 diabetes and thyroid disorders, but little is known regarding its association to primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT).

Objective:

The aim of the study was to examine the risk of PHPT in patients with CD.

Design and Setting:

We conducted a two-group exposure-matched nonconcurrent cohort study in Sweden. A Cox regression model estimated hazard ratios (HR) for PHPT.

Participants:

We identified 17,121 adult patients with CD who were diagnosed through biopsy reports (Marsh 3, villous atrophy) from all 28 pathology departments in Sweden. Biopsies were performed in 1969–2008, and biopsy report data were collected in 2006–2008. Statistics Sweden then identified 85,166 reference individuals matched with the CD patients for age, sex, calendar period, and county.

Main Outcome Measure:

PHPT was measured according to the Swedish national registers on inpatient care, outpatient care, day surgery, and cancer.

Results:

During follow-up, 68 patients with CD and 172 reference individuals developed PHPT (HR = 1.91; 95% confidence interval = 1.44–2.52). The absolute risk of PHPT was 42/100,000 person-years with an excess risk of 20/100,000 person-years. The risk increase for PHPT only occurred in the first 5 yr of follow-up; after that, HR were close to 1 (HR = 1.07; 95% confidence interval = 0.70–1.66).

Conclusions:

CD patients are at increased risk of PHPT, but the absolute risk is small, and the excess risk disappeared after more than 5 yr of follow-up.
The Long Road to 1989
Authors: Bockman Johanna
Published: January 2012

This article examines three events that have reinforced misunderstandings about neoclassical economics, socialism, and neoliberalism: the socialist calculation debate, economic reforms in socialist Eastern Europe, and 1989. In contrast to assumptions that neoclassical economics is capitalist, this article reveals that, since the nineteenth century, neoclassical economists have used an abstract socialist state to develop their professional knowledge. Since a centralized socialist state and a competitive market lie at the core of neoclassical economics, neoclassical economists find a range of socialisms — not merely centrally planned socialism — directly relevant to their professional work. Since the late nineteenth century, socialist economists have also used neoclassical economics not only as a way to describe the economy or make predictions but also as a blueprint for a future socialist society. Economists critical of authoritarianism created alternative democratic and market socialist models based on neoclassical economics. With these histories, this article provides a new explanation of the economic debates around 1989, demonstrating that these debates were not about planning versus markets but rather about authoritarianism versus economic and political democracy.
Narratives of “Equivalence”
Authors: Reitan Richard
Published: January 2012

This article traces the emergence of neoliberalism in Japan and critically assesses the strategies through which it has attained legitimacy. The assertion in the 1970s that Japan was a “middle-mass” society in which all enjoyed common income levels and lifestyles operated as a narrative of socioeconomic equivalence that helped to legitimize the neoliberal policies of the time, to conceal economic disparities, and to contain strikes impeding economic productivity. Neoconservative appeals to cultural equivalence, “peoplehood,” and shared Japanese values, meanwhile, easily lent themselves to the neoliberal celebration of common Japanese values of the market. By appealing to such conceptions of socioeconomic and cultural equivalence, neoliberalism in contemporary Japan has sought to mask economic unevenness, contain the “mass” (represented as a volatile force with the potential to disrupt both Japan's “cultural spirit” and its economic productivity), and sustain the current free-market economic order.
The Battle for Hearts and Minds
Authors: Shoba Nebojs̆a S̆erić , McGrady Conor
Published: January 2012

This issue's Curated Spaces features “The Battle for Hearts and Minds,” a series of photomontages by Bosnian artist Nebojs̆a S̆erić Shoba — known as ”Shoba” — in which war is interrogated as an extension of global capitalism through military intervention. In these images, soldiers engaged in combat appear encumbered by shopping bags bearing the designer logos of top European and American brand names. Also featured are stills from the computer animation “Let There Be Light,” which highlights the perceived predominance of the United States in determining social relations on a global scale.
Najib ‘Azuri’s Le reveil de la nation arabe: A Reception History
Authors: Robson Laura C.
Published: January 2012

Scholars have situated Najib ‘Azuri’s famous book Le reveil de la nation arabe (1905) primarily within the context of two major historiographical debates: the origins of Arab nationalism and the beginnings of an Arab-Jewish conflict in twentieth-century Palestine. Both these interpretations have not only largely failed to take ‘Azuri’s social and political context into account but have also relied on highly selective readings of the text itself. In tracing the reception of ‘Azuri’s work, this article seeks to shed light on the trajectory of Western scholarship about the Middle East over the past fifty years. It also attempts to take a closer look at the text of Le reveil and suggest some of the ways the book could be used not as a source for the perennial foci of the Middle East’s recent political history but as a snapshot of the concerns of a mobile, Western-facing, Levantine Arab Christian intellectual elite during the final decades of Ottoman rule.
A putative tyrosine phosphorylation site of the cell surface receptor Golden goal is involved in synaptic layer selection in the visual system
Authors: Mann Klaudiusz , Wang Mengzhe , Luu Si-Hong , Ohler Stephan , Hakeda-Suzuki Satoko , Suzuki Takashi
Published: January 2012

Golden goal (Gogo) is a cell surface protein that is crucial for proper synaptic layer targeting of photoreceptors (R cells) in the Drosophila visual system. In collaboration with the seven-transmembrane cadherin Flamingo (Fmi), Gogo mediates both temporary and final layer targeting of R-cell axons through its cytoplasmic activity. However, it is not known how Gogo activity is regulated. Here, we show that a conserved Tyr-Tyr-Asp (YYD) tripeptide motif in the Gogo cytoplasmic domain is required for photoreceptor axon targeting. Deleting the YYD motif is sufficient to abolish Gogo function. We demonstrate that the YYD motif is a phosphorylation site and that mutations in the YYD tripeptide impair synaptic layer targeting. Gogo phosphorylation results in axon stopping at the temporary targeting layer, and dephosphorylation is crucial for final layer targeting in collaboration with Fmi. Therefore, both temporary and final layer targeting strongly depend on the Gogo phosphorylation status. Drosophila Insulin-like receptor (DInR) has been reported to regulate the wiring of photoreceptors. We show that insulin signaling is a positive regulator, directly or indirectly, of YYD motif phosphorylation. Our findings indicate a novel mechanism for the regulation of Gogo activity by insulin signaling-mediated phosphorylation. We propose the model that a constant phosphorylation signal is antagonized by a presumably temporal dephosphorylation signal, which creates a permissive signal that controls developmental timing in axon targeting.
GLUT4 exocytosis
Authors: Stöckli Jacqueline , Fazakerley Daniel J. , James David E.
Published: January 2012

GLUT4 is an insulin-regulated glucose transporter that is responsible for insulin-regulated glucose uptake into fat and muscle cells. In the absence of insulin, GLUT4 is mainly found in intracellular vesicles referred to as GLUT4 storage vesicles (GSVs). Here, we summarise evidence for the existence of these specific vesicles, how they are sequestered inside the cell and how they undergo exocytosis in the presence of insulin. In response to insulin stimulation, GSVs fuse with the plasma membrane in a rapid burst and in the continued presence of insulin GLUT4 molecules are internalised and recycled back to the plasma membrane in vesicles that are distinct from GSVs and probably of endosomal origin. In this Commentary we discuss evidence that this delivery process is tightly regulated and involves numerous molecules. Key components include the actin cytoskeleton, myosin motors, several Rab GTPases, the exocyst, SNARE proteins and SNARE regulators. Each step in this process is carefully orchestrated in a sequential and coupled manner and we are beginning to dissect key nodes within this network that determine vesicle–membrane fusion in response to insulin. This regulatory process clearly involves the Ser/Thr kinase AKT and the exquisite manner in which this single metabolic process is regulated makes it a likely target for lesions that might contribute to metabolic disease.
Worker division of labor and endocrine physiology are associated in the harvester ant,Pogonomyrmex californicus
Authors: Dolezal Adam G. , Brent Colin S. , Hölldobler Bert , Amdam Gro V.
Published: January 2012

In Pogonomyrmex californicus harvester ants, an age-associated division of labor occurs in the worker caste, in which young workers perform in-nest tasks and older workers forage for food. Here, we tested whether this behavioral division is age based or age flexible, and whether it coincides with differential expression of systemic hormones with known roles in behavioral regulation. Whole-body content of juvenile hormone (JH) and ecdysteroids was determined in workers from (1) age-typical colonies, in which a typical age structure is maintained and workers transition across behaviors naturally, and (2) single-cohort colonies, which are entirely composed of same-aged workers, facilitating the establishment of age-independent division of labor. Foragers from both colony types had higher JH and lower ecdysteroid content than workers performing in-nest tasks, suggesting that age is not the sole determinant of worker behavior. This association between hormone content and behavior of P. californicus workers is similar to that previously observed in founding queens of this species. Because these hormones are key regulators of development and reproductive behavior, our data are consistent with the reproductive ground plan hypothesis (RGPH), which posits that the reproductive regulatory mechanisms of solitary ancestors were co-opted to regulate worker behavior.
Dexamethasone suppression test: development of a method for simultaneous determination of cortisol and dexamethasone in human plasma by liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry
Authors: Hempen C , Elfering S , Mulder A H L , van den Bergh F A J T M , Maatman R G H J
Published: January 2012

Background

Dexamethasone is a synthetic glucocorticoid and is analogous to cortisol. It is used in the low-dose overnight dexamethasone suppression test (LDODST) to diagnose hypercortisolism in patients suspected to be suffering from Cushing's syndrome (CS). Measuring plasma dexamethasone in conjunction with measuring the amount of cortisol following the LDODST may allow clinicians to improve the diagnosis of CS.

Methods

Plasma samples were cleaned up by solid-phase extraction before analysis. Liquid chromatographic separation was carried out under reversed-phase conditions prior to detection by tandem mass spectrometry. The analytes were determined in the presence of deuterated internal standards cortisol-d4 and dexamethasone-d4.

Results

Limit of quantitation (LOQ) was 1.89 nmol/L for dexamethasone and <0.02 μmol/L for cortisol. Recoveries of both analytes ranged from 80.2% to 114.4%. Intra- and interassay coefficients of variation were <15%. The concentration of dexamethasone and cortisol was determined in 62 patients after performing LDODST. Dexamethasone concentrations ranged from 3.0 to 21.5 nmol/L (median 7.4 nmol/L) for 57 of these samples. For five patients the concentration was <LOQ. Cortisol concentrations were <0.08 μmol/L (median 0.037 μmol/L, n = 54) except for eight patients (>0.22 μmol/L).

Conclusions

A method for the simultaneous measurement of dexamethasone and cortisol in human plasma by liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry has been developed and validated. The method is suitable for controlling the compliance to the LDODST and for determining the cortisol plasma concentration after the test. The interpretation of LDODSTs was improved by the simultaneous determination of both analytes.
Community music in Australia
Authors: Harrison Gillian
Published: January 2012

This paper presents a historical perspective to the development of community music in Australia. Finding political support in Australia's progressive arts policies of the late 1970s, community music is discussed as embracing the principles of access and equity and supporting the development
of musical skills in the context of social change and cultural democracy. In conclusion the paper suggests that the base of community music is broadening alongside changing education policies.
It is a life support, isn't it? Social capital in a community choir
Authors: Langston Thomas
Published: January 2012

This article examines the manifestation of social capital in a community choir. The extensive literature on social capital and its generation and use in communities includes little about the ways in which social capital is manifested in community music settings. The literature suggests
that social capital may be identified through 'social capital indicators' such as 'trust', 'community and civic involvement', 'learning' and the presence of 'networks'. This study sought to identify those indicators of social capital that are present in a community choir in regional Tasmania.
Multiple data generation methods including surveys, field notes and semi-structured interviews are employed in this qualitative, interpretive case study. An 'analysis of narrative' approach interrogates data from the main body of the Milton Community Choir, and aims to identify those social
capital indicators present in the community choir.
Baseline Levels and Trimestral Variation of Triiodothyronine and Thyroxine and Their Association with Mortality in Maintenance Hemodialysis Patients
Authors: Meuwese Christiaan L. , Dekker Friedo W. , Lindholm Bengt , Qureshi Abdul R. , Heimburger Olof , Barany Peter , Stenvinkel Peter , Carrero Juan J.
Published: January 2012

Background and objectives

Conflicting evidence exists with regard to the association of thyroid hormones and mortality in dialysis patients. This study assesses the association between basal and trimestral variation of thyroid stimulating hormone, triiodothyronine, and thyroxine and mortality.

Design, setting, participants, & measurements

In 210 prevalent hemodialysis patients, serum triiodothyronine, thyroxine, thyroid stimulating hormone, and interleukin-6 were measured 3 months apart. Cardiovascular and non-cardiovascular deaths were registered during follow-up. Based on fluctuations along tertiles of distribution, four trimestral patterns were defined for each thyroid hormone: persistently low, decrease, increase, and persistently high. The association of baseline levels and trimestral variation with mortality was investigated with Kaplan–Meier curves and Cox proportional hazard models.

Results

During follow-up, 103 deaths occurred. Thyroid stimulating hormone levels did not associate with mortality. Patients with relatively low basal triiodothyronine concentrations had higher hazards of dying than patients with high levels. Longitudinally, patients with persistently low levels of triiodothyronine during the 3-month period had higher mortality hazards than those having persistently high levels. These associations were mainly attributable to cardiovascular-related mortality. The association between thyroxine and mortality was not altered after adjustment for triiodothyronine.

Conclusions

Hemodialysis patients with reduced triiodothyronine or thyroxine levels bear an increased mortality risk, especially due to cardiovascular causes. This was true when considering both baseline measurements and trimestral variation patterns. Our longitudinal design adds observational evidence supporting the hypothesis that the link may underlie a causal effect.
Are Surrogate Assumptions and Use of Diuretics Associated with Diagnosis and Staging of Acute Kidney Injury after Cardiac Surgery?
Authors: Sims Andrew J. , Hussein Hayder K. , Prabhu Mahesh , Kanagasundaram N. Suren
Published: January 2012

Background and objectives

This study measured the association between the Acute Kidney Injury Network (AKIN) diagnostic and staging criteria and surrogates for baseline serum creatinine (SCr) and body weight, compared urine output (UO) with SCr criteria, and assessed the relationships between use of diuretics and calibration between criteria and prediction of outcomes.

Design, setting, participants, & measurements

This was a retrospective cohort study using prospective measurements of SCr, hourly UO, body weight, and drug administration records from 5701 patients admitted, after cardiac surgery, to a cardiac intensive care unit between 1995 and 2006.

Results

More patients (n=2424, 42.5%) met SCr diagnostic criteria with calculated SCr assuming a baseline estimated GFR of 75 ml/min per 1.73 m2 than with known baseline SCr (n=1043, 18.3%). Fewer patients (n=484, 8.5%) met UO diagnostic criteria with assumed body weight (70 kg) than with known weight (n=624, 10.9%). Agreement between SCr and UO criteria was fair (κ=0.28; 95% confidence interval 0.25–0.31). UO diagnostic criteria were specific (0.95; 0.94–0.95) but insensitive (0.36; 0.33–0.39) compared with SCr. Intravenous diuretics were associated with higher probability of falling below the UO diagnostic threshold compared with SCr, higher 30-day mortality (relative risk, 2.27; 1.08–4.76), and the need for renal support (4.35; 1.82–10.4) compared with no diuretics.

Conclusions

Common surrogates for baseline estimated GFR and body weight were associated with misclassification of AKIN stage. UO criteria were insensitive compared with SCr. Intravenous diuretic use further reduced agreement and confounded association between AKIN stage and 30-day mortality or need for renal support.
Deviance at RKGA LLP
Authors: Jelinek Kate
Published: January 2012

The purpose of this case is to relate the topic of workplace deviance to students entering the accounting profession. Deviance is defined as “voluntary employee behavior that violates organizational norms and, in so doing, threatens the well-being of the organization or its members” (Robinson and Bennett 1995). In an audit context, examples include fudging expense reports, breaking client dress protocol, and complaining to the client about firm policies. This case is based on incidents the author noticed while working in public practice as well as observations relayed by current auditors. The case relates the story of a senior manager with a large regional firm who is assigned the onerous task of investigating partners' numerous complaints of observing audit firm members engaging in behavior such as taking extra-long lunches, running personal errands during work hours, and needlessly surfing the Internet while at client locations. The case is intended to develop students' understanding of the following: the concept of workplace deviance, the three types of deviance, and the causes and consequences of deviant behavior in an audit setting. Students are asked to identify examples of deviant behavior in the case as well as from previous professional work experiences.
Imager Evaluation of Diabetic Retinopathy at the Time of Imaging in a Telemedicine Program
Authors: Cavallerano Jerry D. , Silva Paolo S. , Tolson Ann M. , Francis Taniya , Tolls Dorothy , Patel Bina , Eagan Sharon , Aiello Lloyd M. , Aiello Lloyd P.
Published: January 2012

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the ability of certified retinal imagers to identify presence versus absence of sight-threatening diabetic retinopathy (stDR) (moderate nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy or worse or diabetic macular edema) at the time of retinal imaging in a telemedicine program.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

Diabetic patients in a primary care setting or specialty diabetes clinic received Joslin Vision Network protocol retinal imaging as part of their care. Trained nonphysician imagers graded the presence versus absence of stDR at the time of imaging. These gradings were compared with masked gradings of certified readers.

RESULTS

Of 158 patients (316 eyes) imaged, all cases of stDR (42 eyes [13%]) were identified by the imagers at the time of imaging. Six eyes with mild nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy were graded by the imagers to have stDR (sensitivity 1.00, 95% CI 0.90–1.00; specificity 0.97, 0.94–0.99).

CONCLUSIONS

Appropriately trained imagers can accurately identify stDR at the time of imaging.
The Effect of Social Marketing Communication on Safe Driving
Authors: Yang Dong-Jenn , Lo Jyue-Yu , Lin Wan-Chen
Published: January 2012

Processing of cognition, affect, and intention was investigated in viewers of advertisements to prevent speeding while driving. Results indicated that anchoring-point messages had greater effects on viewers' cognition, attitude, and behavioral intention than did messages without anchoring points. Further, the changes in message anchoring points altered participants' perceptions of acceptable and unacceptable judgments: a higher anchoring point in the form of speeding mortality was more persuasive in promoting the idea of reducing driving speed. Implications for creation of effective safe driving communications are discussed.
Acculturation, Personality, and Psychological Adjustment
Authors: Ahadi Stephan A. , Puente-Díaz Rogelio
Published: January 2012

Two studies investigated relationships between traditional indicators of acculturation, cultural distance, acculturation strategies, and basic dimensions of personality as they pertain to psychological adjustment among Hispanic students. Although personality characteristics have been shown to be important determinants of psychological well-being, acculturation research has put less emphasis on the role of personality in the well-being of immigrants. Hierarchical regression analysis showed that basic dimensions of personality such as extraversion and neuroticism were strongly related to psychological adjustment. Acculturation strategies did not mediate the effect of personality variables, but cultural resistance made a small, independent contribution to the explanation of some aspects of negative psychological adjustment. The implications of the results were discussed.
Assessing Tactile Perception: Effects of Different Visual Barriers on Performance
Authors: Van Wijk Charles H.
Published: January 2012

Blindfolding candidates when testing their tactile performance may increase their anxiety. This study examined whether different visual barriers would influence tactile performance on timed tasks. It was hypothesised that candidates using a blindfold would be more anxious, but that they would benefit by the potentially positive effects of arousal on performance and not differ from candidates using a screen to limit visual access to task material. 200 participants (ages 19 to 30 years), randomly assigned to the two conditions, completed a tactile perception task, as well as an anxiety scale. In contrast to the expected outcome, the screen sample took significantly longer to complete the task. This was hypothesised to be the result of increased distraction given competing cross-modal attentional demands and the consequent visual and tactile attention switching. Practitioners may need to consider the influences of visual interference when assessing tactile performance.
Collective Self-Esteem: Role of Social Context among Asian-American College Students
Authors: Kim Eunha , Lee Donghyuck
Published: January 2012

The present study explored several layers of individual and contextual variables as related to collective self-esteem among 304 Asian-American college students. The findings suggested that variables, such as immigration generation status and cultural identification, were significantly associated with Private collective self-esteem (personal evaluation of one's ethnic group), while contextual variables, including number of same-ethnicity peers and community ethnic composition, were associated with Public collective self-esteem (judgment of how other people evaluate one's ethnic group). In addition to these variables, age and fluency of heritage language were positively related to Membership esteem (how worthy one feels as a member of one's ethnic group). For the Importance of identity (the importance of ethnic group membership to one's self-concept), cultural identification, number of same-ethnicity peers, and perceived campus climate were statistically significant. The implication of the present findings for future research is discussed.
The Affect in Play Scale: Confirmatory Factor Analysis in Elementary School Children
Authors: Chessa Daphne , Riso Daniela Di , Delvecchio Elisa , Salcuni Silvia , Lis Adriana
Published: January 2012

The aim of this paper was to study the construct validity of the Affect in Play Scale, an empirically based measure of pretend play, in a group of 519 Italian children ages 6 to 10 years. In confirmatory factor analysis, a correlated two-factor structure with a cognitive and an affective factor was identified. Possible differences in factor scores by sex and age were investigated but no significant differences were found.
Implicit Phonetic Symbolism in Voicing of Consonants and Visual Lightness Using Garner's Speeded Classification Task
Authors: Hirata Sachiko , Ukita Jun , Kita Shinichi
Published: January 2012

The present study examines implicit phonetic symbolism which posits that arbitrary linguistic sound is related to certain aspects of characteristics of other modalities, such as color, touch, or emotion. In consonant discrimination and lightness discrimination using Garner's speeded classification paradigm, spoken sounds (voiced/voiceless consonants) and lightness of visual stimuli (black/white squares) were systematically varied to assess cross-modal interactions. Congruent audio-visual pairs (voiced consonants and black, and between voiceless consonants and white) facilitated consonant discrimination. In lightness discrimination, no congruent facilitation or congruence effect was observed. These results indicated that cross-modal interactions in implicit phonetic symbolism can be found in correlations between linguistic spoken sounds and visual lightness.
Illusions of Brightness, Length, and Now Size: Comparable Effects Derived from the Craik-O'Brien-Cornsweet Distributions
Authors: Jaeger Ted , Prokhorets Slava
Published: January 2012

Analogous illusions of brightness, line length, and object size occur when stimulus distributions follow the Mach function. Similarly, analogous illusions of brightness and length are produced by stimulus distributions that follow the Craik-O'Brien-Cornsweet function. In Exp. 1, object size is studied using Craik-O'Brien-Cornsweet stimuli composed of 12 clip-art representations of candles, swords, forks, screwdrivers, or pens. Despite their equal dimensions, the three objects next to the taller gradient were judged larger than the three adjacent to the shorter gradient. In Exp. 2, variations of the sword and screwdriver figures having three separations of their constituent objects were used. The illusion produced in Exp. 1 was replicated and, for the figures composed of screwdrivers, increasing separation reduced the hypothesized mis-estimations. The relationship of these Craik-O'Brien-Cornsweet size illusions to their brightness and length counterparts mirrors the relationships previously reported for Mach stimuli; moreover, these findings converge to suggest that the visual system registers size of objects with a frequency code and that illusions of size appear when interactions among neurons disrupt this code.
Fear and deference in Holocaust education. The pitfalls of “engagement teaching” according to a report by the British Historical Association
Authors: Carrier Peter
Published: January 2012

This article questions the effectiveness of “engagement teaching” when dealing with controversial subjects by exploring the role of fear in contemporary education about the Holocaust in the United Kingdom. It begins by assessing a governmental report about education and a series of related press reports and chain emails, whose assumption that secondary school teachers are afraid of teaching controversial subjects (in particular the Holocaust) triggered an international scandal about Holocaust education in the UK in April 2007. The author argues that three forms of respectful fear or deference are undermined in Holocaust teaching: epistemological (towards historical knowledge); political (towards curricula); and intergenerational (towards teachers). The article further demonstrates that the object of fear expressed by journalists and the public was not the Holocaust itself, but the reversal of deferential relations between teachers and pupils in the school classroom and the supposition that we may not learn from history. Whereas history education is held up by policy-makers as a safeguard of social stability and of the transmission of values, the application of “engagement teaching” to controversial subjects may in fact undermine the authority of historical education and the enlightenment principles on which it is founded.
The Evaluation of Two New Hyaluronan Hydrogels as Nasal Dressing in the Rabbit Maxillary Sinus
Authors: Chen Qun , Sun Guangbin , Wang Yunyun , Zhong Weiping , Shu Xiao Zheng
Published: January 2012

Background

The postoperative scaring, ostial stenosis, and adhesions after functional endoscopic sinus surgery for chronic rhinosinusitis remains a major problem. This study was designed to evaluate two new hyaluronan (HA) hydrogels for neo-ostium antistenosis and promoting wound healing in a rabbit maxillary sinus model.

Methods

The anterior wall of the maxillary sinus of 48 rabbits was removed to create a 4-mm circumferential wound both on the nasal and on the sinus sides. A rapid-gelling HA hydrogel or preformed HA hydrogel was filled randomly into the right or left sinus, while the opposite sinus served as blank control or was treated with Merogel (Medtronic Xomed Surgical Products, Jacksonville, FL) as control. The neo-ostium diameter and histological scores were evaluated and analyzed postoperatively.

Results

The neo-ostium diameter in the rapid-gelling HA hydrogel–treated side was significantly large than that in the blank control side with a mean difference of 1.46 ± 0.99 mm (p = 0.03), 1.30 ± 0.61 mm (p = 0.0087), and 1.60 ± 0.25 mm (p = 0.00015) at 2, 3, and 4 weeks, respectively; the neo-ostium diameter in the preformed HA hydrogel–treated side at 2 weeks was significantly larger than that in the blank control side or Merogel control side with a mean difference of 1.46 ± 0.76 mm (p = 0.002) or 0.54 ± 0.36 mm (p = 0.007), respectively. The preformed HA hydrogel–treated side showed better histology scores at 2 weeks in heterophils, fibrosis, and osteogenesis than the blank control, and the chronic inflammation (lymphocyte/plasmacyte infiltration) was not prevalent.

Conclusion

During the postoperative follow-up period both of the two HA hydrogels significantly prevented neo-ostium stenosis and the preformed HA hydrogel promoted wound healing.
Biofilm Formation and Toll-Like Receptor 2, Toll-Like Receptor 4, and NF-kappaB Expression in Sinus Tissues of Patients with Chronic Rhinosinusitis
Authors: Sun Yan , Zhou Bing , Wang Chengshuo , Huang Qian , Zhang Qi , Han Yehua , Dai Wei , Fan Erzhong , Li Ying
Published: January 2012

Background

Bacterial biofilm formation is associated with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). However, how bacterial biofilms are related to innate immune response in patients is poorly understood. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of biofilms in CRS patients and investigate the biofilm-related Toll-like receptor (TLR) and downstream NF-kappaB expression in sinus tissues of patients with CRS.

Methods

A total of 31 CRS patients and 11 control patients with other diseases undergoing endoscopic sinus surgery were recruited consecutively. Their random sinonasal tissue specimens were examined for the formation of biofilms by scanning electron microscopy. The relative levels of TLR2, TLR4, and NF-kappaB expression in those sinus tissues were determined by quantitative real-time reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry.

Results

Bacterial biofilms were detected in 20 of 31 samples from CRS patients but not in a single sample from control patients. The relative levels of TLR2, TLR4, and NF-kappaB expression in sinus tissues from CRS patients were significantly higher than that of controls, and the relative levels of TLR2 and NF-kappaB, but not TLR4, in biofilm-positive sinus tissues were significantly higher than that in biofilm-negative tissues of those CRS patients.

Conclusion

Our data indicated that bacterial biofilms were associated with higher levels of TLR2 and NF-kappaB in the majority of sinus tissues from patients with CRS.
Production of Somaclone In vitro for Drought Stress Tolerant Plantlet Selection in Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.)
Authors: Begum MK , Islam MO , Miah MAS , Hossain MA , Islam N
Published: January 2012

An experiment was carried out at the Biotechnology Laboratory of Bangladesh Sugarcane Research Institute (BSRI), Ishurdi, Pabna for the development of drought tolerant somaclones. Five sugarcane varieties viz. Isd 20, Isd 35, Isd 36, Isd 37 and Isd 38 were used as plant material. Unexpanded spindle leaf sheaths were used as explants in tissue culture. In the first culture, the MS medium (BM) was supplemented with 2,4-D (3 mgL-1) and coconut water (10 %) for callus induction. The callus was then sub-cultured on fresh BM with BAP (2.0 mgL-1) and Kinetin (1.0 mgL-1) for plantlet initiation (2nd culture). In the third culture, initiated plantlets were sub-cultured again on fresh BM contained NAA (5.0 mgL-1) for root development. In all cultures BM was supplemented with 0.0, 5.0, 7.5 and 10.0% poly ethylene glycol (PEG) and was semi solidified with 0.6% agar to select somaclone variant plantlets of sugarcane in vitro. In the first culture 100% explants initiated callus on medium supplemented with no PEG. Callus induction, proliferation and plantlet regeneration decreased with increased level of PEG. At 7.5% PEG, the callus induction was highest (80%) in varieties Isd 35 and Isd 38. Callus was induced but became reddish black and senescence within 40 days on BM supplemented with 10.0 % PEG. Both shoot and root production decreased with increased PEG level in the medium. At 7.5 % PEG in BM, the highest shoot number was in Isd 38 (5.5 per culture), root number (7.6 per shoot) and root length (1.2 cm) were in the variety Isd 38. The highest shoot length was in Isd 37 and Isd 38 (1.8 cm). Survival percentage of in vitro regenerated plantlets was 100 % during hardening in low cost polythene house and in establishment in the field. Keywords: Somaclone; sugarcane; drought stress; plantlet; in vitro DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/agric.v9i1-2.9475 The Agriculturists 2011; 9(1&2): 18-28
Effects of Mimosa (Mimosa invisa) Compost and Phosphorus on the Yield and Yield Components of Lentil (Lens culinaris L.)
Authors: Barua R , Bhuiya MSU , Kabir MM , Maniruzzaman S , Ahmed Z
Published: January 2012

An experiment was conducted at the Agronomy Field Laboratory of Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh, during November 2008 to March 2009 to examine the effects of mimosa (Mimosa invisa) compost and phosphorus on the yield and yield components of lentil variety BARI Masur6. Two factors were: a) Mimosa invisa compost and b) phosphorus fertilizer. Mimosa invisa compost were used in four rates- 1 (M1), 5 (M2), 10 (M3) and 15 (M4) t ha-1. Five rates of phosphorus fertilizer were: ‘no’ phosphorus (P0), 25% RDP (P1), 50% RDP (P2), 75% RDP (P3) and 100% recommended dose phosphorus (TSP @ 85 kg ha-1) (P4). The experiment was laid out in a factorial randomized complete block design with three replications. Mimosa invisa compost had significant effect on the crop characters except number of branches plant-1. The highest seed yield (1435.33 kg ha-1) was observed in M2 treatment (5 t ha-1) and the lowest seed yield (1220 kg ha-1) was observed in M4 treatment (15 t ha-1). Phosphorus had a significant effect on all the plant characters. The highest seed yield (1464.17 kg ha-1) was observed in P4 treatment (100% RDP) and the lowest was observed in P0 treatment. The interaction effect of Mimosa invisa compost and phosphorus on the yield of lentil was significant. The highest seed yield was observed (1630 kg ha-1) in M2×P4 treatment and the lowest was in M3×P0 treatment (1000 kg ha-1). Keywords: Lentil; Mimosa invisa compost; phosphorus; yield; yield components DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/agric.v9i1-2.9480 The Agriculturists 2011; 9(1&2): 63-72
Efficacy of Different Organic Manures and Inorganic Fertilizer on the Yield and Yield Attributes of Boro Rice
Authors: Hossaen MA , Shamsuddoha ATM , Paul AK , Bhuiyan MSI , Zobaer ASM
Published: January 2012

This study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of different organic manure and inorganic fertilizer on the yield and yield attributes of Boro Rice (Oryza sativa L.). The experiment consisted of 8 treatments, T0: Control, T1: 100% N100P15K45S20 (Recommended dose), T2: 50% NPKS + 5 t cowdung ha-1, T3: 70% NPKS + 3 t cowdung ha-1, T4: 50% NPKS + 4 t poultry manure ha-1, T5: 70% NPKS + 2.4 t poultry manure ha-1, T6: 50% NPKS + 5 t vermicompost ha-1and T7: 70% NPKS + 3 t vermicompost ha-1. At 30, 50, 70, 90 DAT and at harvest stage the tallest plant (24.18, 31.34, 44.67, 67.05 and 89.00 cm) and the greatest number of total tiller per hill (5.43, 11.64, 21.01 and 17.90) at same DAT was recorded from T5 and the lowest was observed from T0 in every aspect. The maximum number of effective tillers per hill (13.52), the longest panicle (24.59 cm), maximum number of total grain per plant (97.45), the highest weight of 1000 seeds (21.80 g), the maximum grain yield (7.30 t ha-1) and straw yield (7.64 t ha-1) was recorded from T5 treatment whereas the lowest number of effective tillers per hill (6.07) , the shortest panicle (16.45 cm) , the minimum total grain per plant (69.13) , the lowest weight of 1000 seeds (16.73 g), the lowest grain yield (2.06 t ha-1) and straw yield (4.63 t ha-1) was observed from T0 treatment. Although the highest biological yield was recorded from T5 treatment but statistically similar result were found from T3, T4 and T7 treatments. The highest harvest index also recorded for T5 treatment. It was obvious that yield of rice can be increased substantially with the judicious application of organic manure with chemical fertilizer. Keywords: Cowdung; poultry manure; vermicompost; NPKS; yield; yield contributing characters; boro rice DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/agric.v9i1-2.9486 The Agriculturists 2011; 9(1&2): 117-125
Determinants of duration of breastfeeding amongst women in Manipur
Authors: Singh N Sanajaoba , Singh N Sharat
Published: January 2012

Objective: The purpose of present study is to investigate the differentials and determinants of duration breastfeeding (BF) according to various socio-economic and demographic factors. Methods: A cross sectional study of 1225 ever-married women of reproductive age with at least one live birth was conducted in four valley districts of Manipur under cluster sampling scheme. Survival analysis technique has been adopted through SPSS vs 16. Results: The median duration of BF is found to be 20.37 months. Among the six explanatory variables of interest, only two factors - place of residence (relative risk (RR) =1.35) and employment status RR = 1.88) have highly significant effect (P<0.01) on BF and only two factors educational level (RR=1.02) and parity (RR = 0.83) are found to be statistically significant (P<0.05) on BF. Conclusion: The residence, education, employment status and parity have significant effects on the present duration of BF that is about 20 months which is below the India's national figure of 25 months and WHO recommended figure of 24 months. Key words: Fertility; censored case; parity; life table; proportional hazard model DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/bjms.v10i4.9493 BJMS 2011; 10 (4): 235-239