bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Gait speed correlates in a multiracial population of community-dwelling older adults living in Brazil: a cross-sectional population-based study
Authors: Ruggero Cintia Regina , Bilton Tereza Lofredo , Teixeira Luiza Faria , Ramos Juliane de Lemos Armada , Alouche Sandra Regina , Dias Rosangela Correa , Perracini Monica Rodrigues
Published: March 2013

Background

Gait speed is a strong predictor of a wide range of adverse health outcomes in older adults. Mean values for gait speed in community-dwelling older adults vary substantially depending on population characteristics, suggesting that social, biological, or health factors might explain why certain groups tend to self-select their gait speed in different patterns. The vast majority of studies reported in the literature present data from North American and European populations. There are few population-based studies from other regions with a different ethnicity and/or social and health conditions. To address this, the present study identified the mean usual and fast gait speeds in a representative multiracial population of community-dwelling older adults living in a developing country, and explored their association with sociodemographic, mental and physical health characteristics.

Methods

This was a cross-sectional population-based study of a sample of 137 men and 248 women, aged 65 years and over. Usual gait speed and fast gait speed were measured on a 4.6 m path. Participants were classified into slow, intermediate, and faster groups by cluster analysis. Logistic regression analysis was used to estimate the independent effect of each factor on the odds of presenting with a slower usual and slower fast gait speeds.

Results

Participants had a mean (SD) usual gait speed of 1.11 (0.27) m/s and a mean fast gait speed of 1.39 (0.34) m/s. We did not observe an independent association between gait speed and race/ethnicity, educational level, or income. The main contributors to present a slower usual gait speed were low physical activity level, stroke, diabetes, urinary incontinence, high concern about falling, and old age. A slower fast gait speed was associated with old age, low physical activity, urinary incontinence and high concern about falling.

Conclusion

A multiracial population of older adults living in a developing country showed a similar mean gait speed to that observed in previously studied populations. The results suggest that low physical activity, urinary incontinence and high concern about falling should not be neglected and may help identify those who might benefit from early intervention.
Enzymatic activity of a subtilisin homolog, Tk-SP, from Thermococcus kodakarensisin detergents and its ability to degrade the abnormal prion protein
Authors: Hirata Azumi , Hori Yuki , Koga Yuichi , Okada Jun , Sakudo Akikazu , Ikuta Kazuyoshi , Kanaya Shigenori , Takano Kazufumi
Published: March 2013

Background

Tk-SP is a member of subtilisin-like serine proteases from a hyperthermophilic archaeon Thermococcus kodakarensis. It has been known that the hyper-stable protease, Tk-SP, could exhibit enzymatic activity even at high temperature and in the presence of chemical denaturants. In this work, the enzymatic activity of Tk-SP was measured in the presence of detergents and EDTA. In addition, we focused to demonstrate that Tk-SP could degrade the abnormal prion protein (PrPSc), a protease-resistant isoform of normal prion protein (PrPC).

Results

Tk-SP was observed to maintain its proteolytic activity with nonionic surfactants and EDTA at 80°C. We optimized the condition in which Tk-SP functions efficiently, and demonstrated that the enzyme is highly stable in the presence of 0.05% (w/v) nonionic surfactants and 0.01% (w/v) EDTA, retaining up to 80% of its activity. Additionally, we also found that Tk-SP can degrade PrPSc to a level undetectable by western-blot analysis.

Conclusions

Our results indicate that Tk-SP has a great potential for technological applications, such as thermo-stable detergent additives. In addition, it is also suggested that Tk-SP-containing detergents can be developed to decrease the secondary infection risks of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSE).
Different responses to oxidized low-density lipoproteins in human polarized macrophages
Authors: Hirose Kuniaki , Iwabuchi Kazuhisa , Shimada Kazunori , Kiyanagi Takashi , Iwahara Chihiro , Nakayama Hitoshi , Daida Hiroyuki
Published: March 2013

Background

Oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL) uptake by macrophages plays an important role in foam cell formation. It has been suggested the presence of heterogeneous subsets of macrophage, such as M1 and M2, in human atherosclerotic lesions. To evaluate which types of macrophages contribute to atherogenesis, we performed cDNA microarray analysis to determine oxLDL-induced transcriptional alterations of each subset of macrophages.

Results

Human monocyte-derived macrophages were polarized toward the M1 or M2 subset, followed by treatment with oxLDL. Then gene expression levels during oxLDL treatment in each subset of macrophages were evaluated by cDNA microarray analysis and quantitative real-time RT-PCR. In terms of high-ranking upregulated genes and functional ontologies, the alterations during oxLDL treatment in M2 macrophages were similar to those in nonpolarized macrophages (M0). Molecular network analysis showed that most of the molecules in the oxLDL-induced highest scoring molecular network of M1 macrophages were directly or indirectly related to transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1. Hierarchical cluster analysis revealed commonly upregulated genes in all subset of macrophages, some of which contained antioxidant response elements (ARE) in their promoter regions. A cluster of genes that were specifically upregulated in M1 macrophages included those encoding molecules related to nuclear factor of kappa light polypeptide gene enhancer in B-cells (NF-κB) signaling pathway. Quantitative real-time RT-PCR showed that the gene expression of interleukin (IL)-8 after oxLDL treatment in M2 macrophages was markedly lower than those in M0 and M1 cells.HMOX1gene expression levels were almost the same in all 3 subsets of macrophages even after oxLDL treatment.

Conclusions

The present study demonstrated transcriptional alterations in polarized macrophages during oxLDL treatment. The data suggested that oxLDL uptake may affect TGF-β1- and NF-κB-mediated functions of M1 macrophages, but not those of M0 or M2 macrophages. It is likely that M1 macrophages characteristically respond to oxLDL.
Adenovirus-mediated sphingomyelin synthase 2 increases atherosclerotic lesions in ApoE KO mice
Authors: Wang Xiaogang , Dong Jibin , Zhao Yarui , Li Yue , Wu Manping
Published: March 2013

Background

Sphingomyelin synthase 2 (SMS2) contributes to de novo sphingomyelin (SM) biosynthesis. Its activity is related to SM levels in the plasma and the cell membrane. In this study, we investigated the possibility of a direct relationship between SMS and atherosclerosis.

Methods

The Adenovirus containing SMS2 gene was given into 10-week ApoE KO C57BL/6J mice by femoral intravenous injection. In the control group, the Adenovirus containing GFP was given. To confirm this model, we took both mRNA level examination (RT-PCR) and protein level examination (SMS activity assay).

Result

We generated recombinant adenovirus vectors containing either human SMS2 cDNA (AdV-SMS2) or GFP cDNA (AdV-GFP). On day six after intravenous infusion of 2 × 1011 particle numbers into ten-week-old apoE KO mice, AdV-SMS2 treatment significantly increased liver SMS2 mRNA levels and SMS activity (by 2.7-fold, 2.3-fold, p < 0.001, respectively), compared to AdV-GFP treated mice. Moreover, plasma total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), triglyceride (TG), and sphingomyelin (SM) levels were significantly increased by 39% (p < 0.05), 42% (p < 0.05), 68% (p < 0.001), and 45% (p < 0.05), respectively. Plasma high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), phosphatidylcholine (PC), and PC/SM ratio were decreased by 42% (p < 0.05), 18% (p < 0.05), and 45% (p < 0.05), respectively. On day 30, the atherosclerotic lesions on the aortic arch of AdV-SMS2 treated mice were increased, and the lesion areas on the whole aorta and in the aortic root were significantly increased (p < 0.001). Furthermore, the collagen content in the aorta root was significantly decreased (p < 0.01).

Conclusions

Our results present direct morphological evidence for the pro-atherogenic capabilities of SMS2. SMS2 could be a potential target for treating atherosclerosis.
Involvement of TRPA1 Activation in Acute Pain Induced by Cadmium in Mice
Authors: Miura Saeko , Takahashi Kenji , Imagawa Toshiaki , Uchida Kunitoshi , Saito Shigeru , Tominaga Makoto , Ohta Toshio
Published: March 2013

Background

Cadmium (Cd) is an environmental pollutant and acute exposure to it causes symptoms related to pain and inflammation in the airway and gastrointestinal tract, but the underlying mechanisms are still unclear. TRPA1 is a nonselective cation channel expressed in sensory neurons and acts as a nociceptive receptor. Some metal ions such as Ca, Mg, Ba and Zn are reported to modulate TRPA1 channel activity. In the present study, we investigated the effect of Cd on cultured mouse dorsal root ganglion neurons and a heterologous expression system to analyze the effect of Cd at the molecular level. In addition, we examined whether Cd caused acute pain in vivo.

Results

In wild-type mouse sensory neurons, Cd evoked an elevation of the intracellular Ca concentration ([Ca2+]i) that was inhibited by external Ca removal and TRPA1 blockers. Most of the Cd-sensitive neurons were also sensitive to cinnamaldehyde (a TRPA1 agonist) and [Ca2+]i responses to Cd were absent in TRPA1(−/−) mouse neurons. Heterologous expression of TRPA1 mutant channels that were less sensitive to Zn showed attenuation of Cd sensitivity. Intracellular Cd imaging revealed that Cd entered sensory neurons through TRPA1. The stimulatory effects of Cd were confirmed in TRPA1-expressing rat pancreatic cancer cells (RIN-14B). Intraplantar injection of Cd induced pain-related behaviors that were largely attenuated in TRPA1(−/−) mice.

Conclusions

Cd excites sensory neurons via activation of TRPA1 and causes acute pain, the mechanism of which may be similar to that of Zn. The present results indicate that TRPA1 is involved in the nociceptive or inflammatory effects of Cd.
Exploring effective core drug patterns in primary insomnia treatment with Chinese herbal medicine: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Yan Shiyan , Zhang Runshun , Zhou Xuezhong , Li Peng , He Liyun , Liu Baoyan
Published: March 2013

Background

Chinese herbal medicine is one of the most popular Chinese medicine (CM) therapies for primary insomnia. One of the important characteristics of CM is that different Chinese clinicians give different prescriptions even for the same patient. However, there must be some fixed drug patterns in every clinician’s prescriptions. This study aims to screen the effective core drug patterns in primary insomnia treatment of three prestigious Chinese clinicians.

Methods/design

A triple-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, parallel-group clinical trial will be performed. Three clinicians will diagnose and treat every eligible patient individually and independently, producing three prescriptions from three clinicians for every patient. Patients will equally be randomized to one of four groups – medical group A, medical group B, medical group C, or placebo group – and observed for efficacy of treatment. The sample will include primary insomnia patients meeting DSM IV-TR criteria, Spiegel scale score >18, and age 18 to 65 years. A sequential design is employed. Interim analysis will be conducted when between 80 and 160 patients complete the study. The interim study could be stopped and treated as final if a statistically significant difference between treatment and placebo groups can be obtained and core effective drug patterns can be determined. Otherwise, the study continues until the maximum sample size reaches 300. Treatment of the CM group is one of three Chinese clinicians’ prescriptions, who provide independently prescriptions based on their own CM theory and the patient’s disease condition. Assessment will be by sleep diary and Pittsburgh sleep quality index, and CM symptoms and signs will be measured. Primary outcome is total sleep time. Assessment will be carried out at the washout period, weeks 1, 2, 3, and 4 and 4th week after the end of treatment. Effectiveness analysis will be per intent to treat. A multi-dimension association rule and scale-free networks method will be used to explore the effective core drug patterns.

Discussion

The effective core drug patterns will be found through analyzing several prestigious CM clinicians’ treatment information. Screening the effective core drug patterns from prestigious clinicians can accelerate the development of new CM drugs.

Trial registration

NCT01613183
Where is the game? Wild meat products authentication in South Africa: a case study
Authors: D’Amato Maria Eugenia , Alechine Evguenia , Cloete Kevin Wesley , Davison Sean , Corach Daniel
Published: March 2013

Background

Wild animals’ meat is extensively consumed in South Africa, being obtained either from ranching, farming or hunting. To test the authenticity of the commercial labels of meat products in the local market, we obtained DNA sequence information from 146 samples (14 beef and 132 game labels) for barcoding cytochrome c oxidase subunit I and partial cytochrome b and mitochondrial fragments. The reliability of species assignments were evaluated using BLAST searches in GenBank, maximum likelihood phylogenetic analysis and the character-based method implemented in BLOG. The Kimura-2-parameter intra- and interspecific variation was evaluated for all matched species.

Results

The combined application of similarity, phylogenetic and character-based methods proved successful in species identification. Game meat samples showed 76.5% substitution, no beef samples were substituted. The substitutions showed a variety of domestic species (cattle, horse, pig, lamb), common game species in the market (kudu, gemsbok, ostrich, impala, springbok), uncommon species in the market (giraffe, waterbuck, bushbuck, duiker, mountain zebra) and extra-continental species (kangaroo). The mountain zebra Equus zebra is an International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red listed species. We also detected Damaliscus pygargus, which is composed of two subspecies with one listed by IUCN as ‘near threatened’; however, these mitochondrial fragments were insufficient to distinguish between the subspecies. The genetic distance between African ungulate species often overlaps with within-species distance in cases of recent speciation events, and strong phylogeographic structure determines within-species distances that are similar to the commonly accepted distances between species.

Conclusions

The reliability of commercial labeling of game meat in South Africa is very poor. The extensive substitution of wild game has important implications for conservation and commerce, and for the consumers making decisions on the basis of health, religious beliefs or personal choices.

Distance would be a poor indicator for identification of African ungulates species. The efficiency of the character-based method is reliant upon availability of large reference data. The current higher availability of cytochrome b data would make this the marker of choice for African ungulates. The encountered problems of incomplete or erroneous information in databases are discussed.
Characterizing the metabolic heterogeneity in human breast cancer xenografts by 3D high resolution fluorescence imaging
Authors: Xu He N , Zheng Gang , Tchou Julia , Nioka Shoko , Li Lin Z
Published: March 2013

We previously reported that tumor mitochondrial redox state and its heterogeneity distinguished between the aggressive and the indolent breast cancer xenografts, suggesting novel metabolic indices as biomarkers for predicting tumor metastatic potential. Additionally, we reported that the identified redox biomarkers successfully differentiated between the normal breast tissue and the cancerous breast tissue from breast cancer patients. The aim of the present study was to further characterize intratumor heterogeneity by its distribution of mitochondrial redox state and glucose uptake pattern in tumor xenografts and to further investigate the metabolic heterogeneity of the clinical biopsy samples. We employed the Chance redox scanner, a multi-section cryogenic fluorescence imager to simultaneously image the intratumor heterogeneity in the mitochondrial redox state and glucose uptake at a high spatial resolution (down to 50 × 50 × 20 μm3). The mitochondrial redox state was determined by the ratio of the intrinsic fluorescence signals from reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) and oxidized flavoproteins (Fp including FAD, i.e., flavin adenine dinucleotide), and the glucose uptake was measured using a near-infrared fluorescent glucose-analogue, pyropheophorbide 2-deoxyglucosamide (Pyro-2DG). Significant inter- and intratumor metabolic heterogeneity were observed from our imaging data on various types of breast cancer xenografts. The patterns and degrees of heterogeneity of mitochondrial redox state appeared to relate to tumor size and metastatic potential. The glucose uptake was also heterogeneous and generally higher in tumor peripheries. The oxidized and reduced regions mostly corresponded with the lower and the higher pyro-2DG uptake, respectively. However, there were some regions where the glucose uptake did not correlate with the redox indices. Pronounced glucose uptake and high NADH were observed in certain localized areas within the tumor necrotic regions, indicative of the existence of viable cells which was also supported by the H&E staining. Significant heterogeneity of the redox state indices was also observed in clinical specimens of breast cancer patients. As abnormal metabolism including the Warburg effect (high glycolysis) plays important roles in cancer transformation and progression, our observations that reveal the 3D intratumor metabolic heterogeneity as a characteristic feature of breast tumors are of great importance for understanding cancer biology and developing diagnostic and therapeutic methods.
Metabolic biomarkers for response to PI3K inhibition in basal-like breast cancer
Authors: Moestue Siver A , Dam Cornelia G , Gorad Saurabh S , Kristian Alexandr , Bofin Anna , Mælandsmo Gunhild M , Engebråten Olav , Gribbestad Ingrid S , Bjørkøy Geir
Published: March 2013

Introduction

The phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) pathway is frequently activated in cancer cells through numerous mutations and epigenetic changes. The recent development of inhibitors targeting different components of the PI3K pathway may represent a valuable treatment alternative. However, predicting efficacy of these drugs is challenging, and methods for therapy monitoring are needed. Basal-like breast cancer (BLBC) is an aggressive breast cancer subtype, frequently associated with PI3K pathway activation. The objectives of this study were to quantify the PI3K pathway activity in tissue sections from xenografts representing basal-like and luminal-like breast cancer before and immediately after treatment with PI3K inhibitors, and to identify metabolic biomarkers for treatment response.

Methods

Tumor-bearing animals (n = 8 per treatment group) received MK-2206 (120 mg/kg/day) or BEZ235 (50 mg/kg/day) for 3 days. Activity in the PI3K/Akt/mammalian target of rapamycin pathway in xenografts and human biopsies was evaluated using a novel method for semiquantitative assessment of Aktser473 phosphorylation. Metabolic changes were assessed by ex vivo high-resolution magic angle spinning magnetic resonance spectroscopy.

Results

Using a novel dual near-infrared immunofluorescent imaging method, basal-like xenografts had a 4.5-fold higher baseline level of pAktser473 than luminal-like xenografts. Following treatment, basal-like xenografts demonstrated reduced levels of pAktser473 and decreased proliferation. This correlated with metabolic changes, as both MK-2206 and BEZ235 reduced lactate concentration and increased phosphocholine concentration in the basal-like tumors. BEZ235 also caused increased glucose and glycerophosphocholine concentrations. No response to treatment or change in metabolic profile was seen in luminal-like xenografts. Analyzing tumor sections from five patients with BLBC demonstrated that two of these patients had an elevated pAktser473 level.

Conclusion

The activity of the PI3K pathway can be determined in tissue sections by quantitative imaging using an antibody towards pAktser473. Long-term treatment with MK-2206 or BEZ235 resulted in significant growth inhibition in basal-like, but not luminal-like, xenografts. This indicates that PI3K inhibitors may have selective efficacy in basal-like breast cancer with increased PI3K signaling, and identifies lactate, phosphocholine and glycerophosphocholine as potential metabolic biomarkers for early therapy monitoring. In human biopsies, variable pAktser473 levels were observed, suggesting heterogeneous PI3K signaling activity in BLBC.
Data-driven estimation of the sensitivity of target-oriented time-lapse seismic imaging to source geometry
Authors: Shabelansky Andrey H. , Malcolm Alison , Fehler Michael
Published: March 2013

The goal of time-lapse imaging is to identify and characterize regions in which the earth’s material properties have changed between surveys. This requires an effective deployment of sources and receivers to monitor the region where changes are anticipated. Because each source adds to the acquisition cost, we should ensure that only those sources that best image the target are collected and used to form an image of the target region. This study presents a data-driven approach that estimates the sensitivity of target-oriented imaging to source geometry. The approach is based on the propagation of the recorded baseline seismic data backward in time through the entire medium and coupling it with the estimated perturbation in the subsurface. We test this approach using synthetic surface seismic and time-lapse VSP field-data from the SACROC field. These tests show that the use of the baseline seismic data enhances the robustness of the sensitivity estimate to errors, and can be used to select data that best image a target zone, thus increasing the signal-to-noise ratio of the image of the target region and reducing the cost of time-lapse acquisition, processing, and imaging.
Anisotropic 3D full-waveform inversion
Authors: Warner Michael , Ratcliffe Andrew , Nangoo Tenice , Morgan Joanna , Umpleby Adrian , Shah Nikhil , Vinje Vetle , Štekl Ivan , Guasch Lluís , Win Caroline , Conroy Graham , Bertrand Alexandre
Published: March 2013

We have developed and implemented a robust and practical scheme for anisotropic 3D acoustic full-waveform inversion (FWI). We demonstrate this scheme on a field data set, applying it to a 4C ocean-bottom survey over the Tommeliten Alpha field in the North Sea. This shallow-water data set provides good azimuthal coverage to offsets of 7 km, with reduced coverage to a maximum offset of about 11 km. The reservoir lies at the crest of a high-velocity antiformal chalk section, overlain by about 3000 m of clastics within which a low-velocity gas cloud produces a seismic obscured area. We inverted only the hydrophone data, and we retained free-surface multiples and ghosts within the field data. We invert in six narrow frequency bands, in the range 3 to 6.5 Hz. At each iteration, we selected only a subset of sources, using a different subset at each iteration; this strategy is more efficient than inverting all the data every iteration. Our starting velocity model was obtained using standard PSDM model building including anisotropic reflection tomography, and contained epsilon values as high as 20%. The final FWI velocity model shows a network of shallow high-velocity channels that match similar features in the reflection data. Deeper in the section, the FWI velocity model reveals a sharper and more-intense low-velocity region associated with the gas cloud in which low-velocity fingers match the location of gas-filled faults visible in the reflection data. The resulting velocity model provides a better match to well logs, and better flattens common-image gathers, than does the starting model. Reverse-time migration, using the FWI velocity model, provides significant uplift to the migrated image, simplifying the planform of the reservoir section at depth. The workflows, inversion strategy, and algorithms that we have used have broad application to invert a wide-range of analogous data sets.
Crisis resolution and home treatment teams: an evolving model
Authors: Johnson Sonia
Published: March 2013

Crisis resolution and home treatment teams have been introduced throughout England as part of a transformation of the community mental healthcare system. They aim to assess all patients being considered for acute hospital admission, to offer intensive home treatment rather than hospital admission if feasible, and to facilitate early discharge from hospital. Key features include 24-hour availability and intensive contact in the community, with visits twice daily if needed. This article describes the main characteristics and core interventions of these teams, and reviews the impact of their nationwide introduction. The model has evolved as a pragmatic response to difficulties in the acute care system, and its adaptation continues. Key challenges include achieving close integration with the rest of the mental health system and delivering continuity of care and effective therapeutic relationships despite the involvement of multiple workers in each crisis.
The psychodynamics of psychosis
Authors: Martindale Brian , Summers Alison
Published: March 2013

This article outlines common psychodynamics in psychosis. We consider psychosis as a response to unbearable aspects of reality and illustrate how psychodynamic concepts of psychological defence can be used as a framework for understanding this. We also present a psychodynamic approach to understanding the development of psychosis, using the stress–vulnerability model, and discuss interpersonal dynamics in psychosis, particularly their relevance to therapeutic relationships and to interactions between patients and their families. The perspectives presented are intended to complement and enrich other frameworks rather than compete with them.
Forced marriage: implications for mental health and intellectual disability services
Authors: Rauf Bushra , Saleem Nadia , Clawson Rachael , Sanghera Mandy , Marston Geoff
Published: March 2013

There has been growing media and political awareness of forced marriage in recent years, and individuals in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are now protected by the Forced Marriage (Civil Protection) Act 2007. Victims of forced marriage can experience significant abuse, which may lead to mental health problems. People with severe mental illness or intellectual disability may be at increased risk of forced marriage and more vulnerable to its negative consequences. We review the current literature on forced marriage, focusing on the way it might affect these two groups, touch on its potential mental health consequences and give practical examples of how to manage situations in clinical practice.
Transitional interventions to reduce early psychiatric readmissions in adults: systematic review
Authors: Vigod Simone N. , Kurdyak Paul A. , Dennis Cindy-Lee , Leszcz Talia , Taylor Valerie H. , Blumberger Daniel M. , Seitz Dallas P.
Published: March 2013

Background

Up to 13% of psychiatric patients are readmitted shortly after discharge. Interventions that ensure successful transitions to community care may play a key role in preventing early readmission.

Aims

To describe and evaluate interventions applied during the transition from in-patient to out-patient care in preventing early psychiatric readmission.

Method

Systematic review of transitional interventions among adults admitted to hospital with mental illness where the study outcome was psychiatric readmission.

Results

The review included 15 studies with 15 non-overlapping intervention components. Absolute risk reductions of 13.6 to 37.0% were observed in statistically significant studies. Effective intervention components were: pre- and post-discharge patient psychoeducation, structured needs assessments, medication reconciliation/education, transition managers and in-patient/out-patient provider communication. Key limitations were small sample size and risk of bias.

Conclusions

Many effective transitional intervention components are feasible and likely to be cost-effective. Future research can provide direction about the specific components necessary and/or sufficient for preventing early psychiatric readmission.
Georgic Disenchantment in American Poetry
Authors: Ronda Margaret
Published: March 2013

This essay examines a georgic inheritance in American poetry that reconfigures the disenchanted character of Virgilian georgic in light of the changing historical conditions of capitalist modernization. These poems, rather than portraying agrarian labor as a figure for social stability and imperial renewal, instead explore the evolving effects of capital's modes of organization on the material particulars, cultural position, and human value of labor. Reading poems by Walt Whitman and Robert Frost as disenchanted georgics, the essay argues that these works dramatize the irreconcilable paradoxes of labor under industrial capitalism while speculating on the compensatory value poetry alone can produce.
The Role of Organizational Scope and Governance in Strengthening Private Monitoring
Authors: Pierce Lamar , Toffel Michael W.
Published: March 2013

Governments and other organizations often outsource activities to achieve cost savings from market competition. Yet such benefits are often accompanied by poor quality resulting from moral hazard, which can be particularly onerous when outsourcing the monitoring and enforcement of government regulation. In this paper, we argue that the considerable moral hazard associated with private regulatory monitoring can be mitigated by understanding conflicts of interest in the monitoring organizations’ product/service portfolios and by the effects of their private governance mechanisms. These organizational characteristics affect the stringency of monitoring through reputation, customer loyalty, differential impacts of government sanctions, and the standardization and internal monitoring of operations. We test our theory in the context of vehicle emissions testing in a state in which the government has outsourced these inspections to the private sector. Analyzing millions of emissions tests, we find empirical support for our hypotheses that particular product portfolios and forms of governance can mitigate moral hazard. Our results have broad implications for regulation, financial auditing, and private credit and quality rating agencies in financial markets.
One Out of Many? Boundary Negotiation and Identity Formation in Postmerger Integration
Authors: Drori Israel , Wrzesniewski Amy , Ellis Shmuel
Published: March 2013

This research investigates how boundaries are utilized during the postmerger integration process to influence the postmerger identity of the firm. We suggest that the boundaries that define the structures, practices, and values of firms prior to a merger become reinforced, contested, or revised in the integration process, thus shaping the firm identity that emerges. In a field study of a series of four sequential mergers, we find that the boundary negotiation process acts as an engine for identity creation in postmerger integration. Our analysis of the process through which postmerger identity is created reveals two stages of identity creation. In the first stage, boundaries are negotiated to leverage and import certain practices and values of the premerger firms; in the second stage, these boundaries are blurred as managers build on the set of imported practices and values to impose further systems that define the postintegration firm. Our research contributes to the identity literature by drawing attention to the important role of boundaries and practices that define the identities of the merging firms. We show how these boundaries get repurposed to create an organization whose identity ultimately represents a departure from the premerger firms while it preserves the aspects of identity that allow members to uphold key values. We also contribute to the literature on postmerger integration by demonstrating the steps through which identity evolves by the staged demarcation and negotiation of boundaries, thus complementing previous treatments of merging firms as a set of fixed organizational attributes in merger contexts.
Integrality properties of the CM-values of certain weak Maass forms
Authors: Larson Eric , Rolen Larry
Published: March 2013

In a recent paper, Bruinier and Ono prove that the coefficients of certain weight

-
1
/
2

$-1/2$

harmonic Maass forms are traces of singular moduli for weak Maass forms. In particular, for the partition function p(n), they prove that

p

(
n
)

=

1

24
n
-
1

·
∑

P
p

(

α
Q

)

,

$
p(n)=\frac{1}{24n-1}\cdot \sum P_p(\alpha _Q),
$

where Pp
is a weak Maass form and

α
Q

$\alpha _Q$

ranges over a finite set of discriminant

-
24
n
+
1

$-24n+1$

CM points. Moreover, they show that

6
·

(
24
n
-
1
)

·

P
p

(

α
Q

)

$6\cdot (24n-1)\cdot P_p(\alpha _Q)$

is always an algebraic integer, and they conjecture that

(
24
n
-
1
)

·

P
p

(

α
Q

)

$(24n-1)\cdot P_p(\alpha _Q)$

is always an algebraic integer. Here we prove a general theorem which implies this conjecture as a corollary.
Crystal structure of dibromido-bis(3-phenylpyridine-κN)platinum(II), PtBr2(C11H9N)2, C22H18Br2N2Pt
Authors: Ha Kwang
Published: March 2013

C22H18Br2N2Pt, triclinic, P1̄ (no. 2), a = 6.520(1) Å, b = 7.140(1) Å, c = 11.271(2) Å, α = 72.262(4)°, β = 82.356(3)°, γ = 78.825(3)°, V = 488.7 Å3, Z = 1, Rgt(F) = 0.0316, wRref(F2) = 0.0930, T = 200 K.
Crystal structure of (2E)-3-(4-benzyloxyphenyl)-1-(4,4’’-difluoro-5’- methoxy-1,1’:3’,1’’-terphenyl-4’-yl)prop-2-en-1-one, C35H26F2O3
Authors: Betz Richard , Gerber Thomas , Hosten Eric , Samshuddin Seranthimata , Narayana Badiadka , Sarojini Balladka K.
Published: March 2013

C35H26F2O3, monoclinic, P21/c (no. 14), a = 16.2936(3) Å, b = 6.9079(1) Å, c = 24.2201(5) Å, β = 96.969(1)°, V = 2706.0 Å3, Z = 4, Rgt(F) = 0.0414, wRref(F2) = 0.1107, T = 200 K
Crystal structure of N-[4-bromo-2-(2-chlorobenzoyl)phenyl]-2-chloroacetamide, C15H10BrCl2NO2
Authors: Kaur Manpreet , Yathirajan Hemmige S. , Dayananda Alaloor S. , Gerber Thomas , Hosten Eric , Betz Richard
Published: March 2013

C15H10BrCl2NO2, triclinic, P1̄ (no. 2), a = 7.5922(3) Å, b = 10.0972(4) Å, c = 10.7565(5) Å, α = 69.991(1)°, β = 76.768(1)°, γ = 70.646(1)°, V = 724.8 Å3, Z = 2, Rgt(F) = 0.0282, wRref(F2) = 0.0883, T = 200 K.
Environmental Influences on Epigenetic Gene Regulation
Authors: Fung Camille , McKnight Robert A. , Lane Robert H.
Published: March 2013

Substantial evidence in human epidemiologic and animal model data reveals that epigenetics plays crucial roles in normal development by governing proper gene expression of critical developmental genes. However, during this critical period of prenatal and early postnatal development, nutrition and other environmental stimuli can influence these developmental pathways to induce epigenetic changes of these critical genes. Such changes are often necessary to ensure survival of the developing organism. The opposite effect is that the altered gene expression profile may be maladaptive as the individual ages and may even set up the individual for increased lifelong risk for certain diseases. Our current task of trying to dissect how epigenetic variation arises during development is vital if we are to understand which epigenetic code predicts future disease risk. More importantly, future therapeutic interventions to ameliorate disease risk cannot be accomplished without understanding the molecular underpinnings of such epigenetic change.
The Factors Associated With High-Quality Communication for Critically Ill Children
Authors: Walter Jennifer K. , Benneyworth Brian D. , Housey Michelle , Davis Matthew M.
Published: March 2013

OBJECTIVE:

Timely, high quality communication with families is essential to family-centered decision-making. Quality communication is represented by widespread documentation of prognostic, goals-of-care conversations (PGOCC) in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) and should occur without variation by patient characteristics.

METHODS:

Cohort included 645 PICU admissions in the top decile of risk of mortality on admission over six years. Electronic medical records were used to determine PGOCC, diagnosis on admission and complex chronic condition (CCC) status. Multivariate logistic regression and time-to-event analyses were used.

RESULTS:

Overall, 31% had a documented PGOCC. 51% had CCC status. 11% had an oncologic, 13% had a cardiovascular diagnosis on admission. 94% of patients who died in the PICU had PGOCC documented, but among the 200 patients with documented PGOCC, 78% did not die in the PICU. Oncologic diagnosis on admission was associated with a higher likelihood of PGOCC compared to non-CCC patients (ARR=1.86; SE=0.26) whereas no other diagnosis category reached the level of statistical significance. Median time from admission to PGOCC was 2 days. Age, gender and CCC status were not associated with whether a PGOCC was documented or with time from admission to PGOCC documentation. 45% of PGOCC in the cohort and 50% of conversations in patients with CCC were documented by PICU physicians.

CONCLUSIONS:

This study reveals the opportunity for improvement in documentation of PGOCC for critically ill children. It raises the questions of why there is variation of PGOCC across disease categories and whether PGOCC should be considered a quality measure for family-centered care.
Management of Bronchiolitis in the Emergency Department: Impact of Evidence-Based Guidelines?
Authors: Johnson Lara W. , Robles Janie , Hudgins Amanda , Osburn Shea , Martin Devona , Thompson Amy
Published: March 2013

OBJECTIVE:

Recent practice guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend limiting use of bronchodilators, corticosteroids, antibiotics, and diagnostic testing for patients with bronchiolitis. We sought to determine the association of the evidence-based guidelines with bronchiolitis care in the emergency department (ED).

METHODS:

We analyzed data from the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey, a nationally representative sample of ED visits. We compared utilization for patient visits before and after the publication of the guidelines. We used logistic regression to determine the association of the availability of the guidelines with resource utilization.

RESULTS:

Bronchodilators were used in 53.8% of patient visits with no differences noted after the introduction of the guidelines (53.6% vs 54.2%, P = .91). Systemic steroids were used in 20.4% of patient visits, and antibiotics were given in 33.2% of visits. There were no changes in the frequency of corticosteroid (21.9% vs 17.8%, P = .31) or antibiotic (33.6% vs 29.7%, P = .51) use. There was an associated decrease in use of chest x-rays (65.3% vs 48.6%, P = .005). This association remained significant after adjusting for patient and hospital characteristics with an adjusted odds ratio of 0.41 (95% confidence interval 0.26–0.67).

CONCLUSIONS:

For patients seen in the ED with bronchiolitis, utilization of diagnostic imaging has decreased with the availability of the American Academy of Pediatrics practice guidelines. However, there has not been an associated decrease in use of nonrecommended therapies. Targeted efforts will likely be required to change practice significantly.
Assessing Quality Improvement in Health Care: Theory for Practice
Authors: Kleinman Lawrence C. , Dougherty Denise
Published: March 2013

OBJECTIVES:

To review the role of theory as a means to enhance the practice of quality improvement (QI) research and to propose a novel conceptual model focused on the operations of health care.

METHODS:

Conceptual model, informed by literature review.

RESULTS:

To optimize learning across QI studies requires the integration of small-scale theories (middle-range theories, theories of change) within the context of larger unifying theories. We propose that health care QI research would benefit from a theory that describes the operations of health care delivery, including the multiplicity of roles that interpersonal interactions play. The broadest constructs of the model are entry into the system, and assessment and management of the patient, with the subordinate operations of access; recognition, assessment, and diagnosis; and medical decision-making (developing a plan), coordination of care, execution of care, referral and reassessment, respectively. Interpersonal aspects of care recognize the patient/caregiver as a source of information, an individual in a cultural context, a complex human being, and a partner in their care. Impacts to any and all of these roles may impact the quality of care.

CONCLUSIONS:

Such a theory can promote opportunities for moving the field forward and organizing the planning and interpretation of comparable studies. The articulation of such a theory may simultaneously provide guidance for the QI researcher and an opportunity for refinement and improvement.
Effect of Fluorine on the Diffusion of Boron in Amorphous Silicon
Authors: Jacques J. M. , Robertson L. S. , Jones K. S. , Bennett Joe
Published: March 2013

Fluorine and boron co-implantation within amorphous silicon has been studied in order to meet the process challenges regarding p+ ultra-shallow junction formation. Previous experiments have shown that fluorine can reduce boron TED (Transient Enhanced Diffusion), enhance boron solubility and reduce sheet resistance. In this study, boron diffusion characteristics prior to solid phase epitaxial regrowth (SPER) of the amorphous layer in the presence of fluorine are addressed. Samples were pre-amorphized with Si+ at a dose of 1x1015 ions/cm2 and energy of 70 keV, leading to a deep continuous amorphous surface of approximately 1500 Å. After pre-amorphization, B+ was implanted at a dose of 1x1015 ions/cm2 and energy of 500 eV, while F+ was implanted at a dose of 2x1015 ions/cm2 and energies ranging from 3 keV to 9 keV. Subsequent furnace anneals for the F+ implant energy of 6 keV were conducted at 550°C, for times ranging from 5 minutes to 260 minutes. During annealing, the boron in samples co-implanted with fluorine exhibited significant enhanced diffusion within amorphous silicon. After recrystallization, the boron diffusivity was dramatically reduced. Boron in samples with no fluorine did not diffuse during SPER. Prior to annealing, SIMS profiles demonstrated that boron concentration tails broadened with increasing fluorine implant energy. Enhanced dopant motion in as-implanted samples is presumably attributed to implant knock-on or recoil effects.
Aneurisma micotico cerebral bilateral em criança: registro de um caso e revisão da literatura
Authors: Coutinho Lígia M. B. , Coutinho Mario F. , Teixeira Luiz Carlos , Seibert Cláudio A. , Antunes Apio C. M.
Published: March 2013

Os autores relatam caso de paciente masculino, de 6 anos de idade, hospitalizado com diagnóstico de meningite purulenta. A pneumencefalografia mostrou processo expansivo fronto-temporal esquerdo. A arteriografia carotídea bilateral demonstrou presença de aneurisma da artéria frontal ascendente, com hematoma circundante, à esquerda e, aneurisma da artéria temporal posterior, à direita. Cirurgia para evacuação do hematoma e clipagem do aneurisma foi realizada. O paciente piorou no pós-operatório e faleceu. A autópsia demonstrou a presença de hemorragia subaracnóide, hematoma fronto-temporal esquerdo e para-capsular direito. No interior do hematoma, à direita, evidencia-se massa arredondada, cujo exame histopatológico demonstrou tratar-se de paredes arteriais dilatadas, com intenso processo inflamatório supurativo. Os autores tecem considerações a respeito da frequência de aneurismas micóticos na infância, a multiplicidade dos mesmos, a sua etiopatogenia, a localização dos mesmos na árvore arterial intracraniana, do valor diagnóstico da angiografia carotídea e da indicação cirúrgica.
Proteínas totais do liquido cefalorraqueano obtido por punção da cisterna magna: valores normais. Variações ligadas ao sexo
Authors: Vermes L. M. Singer , Ferri Rubens Guimarães , Aisen J. , Marlet J. M.
Published: March 2013

Aplicando o método de Lowry, determinamos as proteínas totais do LCR considerado normal de 98 pessoas: 58 do sexo masculino e 40 do feminino. Todas as amostras de LCR foram obtidas por punção da cisterna magna (LCR-SO). Mediante tratamento estatístico dos valores obtidos, estabelecemos as taxas normais de proteinorraquia cisternal para a população mista: limite superior de 40,36 mg/100 ml, valor médio de 26,78 mg/100 e limite inferior de 13,20 mg/100 ml. Estes valores são superiores àqueles referidos na literatura. Foi verificado que a proteinorraquia total é, em média, significantemente maior nos indivíduos do sexo masculino, que nos de feminino. Consequentemente estabelecemos em separado os níveis normais de proteínas totais do LCR-SO para pessoas do sexo masculino e feminino. As taxas médias de proteínas totais do LCR-SO de pessoas do sexo masculino e feminino são de 28,76 e 23,91 mg/100 ml, respectivamente; os limites normais vão de 16,96 a 47,13 mg/100 ml para o sexo masculino e de 14,76 a 42,76 mg/100 ml para o sexo feminino.
II - A ocorrência das células anexas dos estômatos na família rubiaceae
Authors: Accorsi Walter Radamés
Published: March 2013

No trabalho que publiquei sobre a estrutura dos estômatos em relação às células anexas, na revista "O Solo" (2), ficou comprovado que na ordem Rubiales a família Rubiaceae é a íinica a apresentar a referida estrutura, o que me levou a sugerir a possibilidade de considerá-la como um caráter anatômico dos gêneros ou das espécies da família, dependendo da sua freqüência nos mencionados grupos. Em vista disso, resolvi estudar o maior número de gêneros e espécies de Rubiaceae, em relação à estrutura estomatar, começando pelo gênero Coffea, dada a sua grande importância econômica. Analisei 28 indivíduos, atraz relacionados e verifiquei, em todos, a constância das células anexas, de configuração bastante homogênea, detalhe este que poderá servir de base a distinções entre os grupos sistemáticos estudados. No próximo artigo tratarei de outros gêneros de Rubiaceae.
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Authors: Torres A. Di Paravicini
Published: March 2013

Beginning an experiment on protein comparisons, at the Poultry and Rabbitry Departament of the Esc. Sup. de Agricultura "Luiz de Queiroz", University of S. Paulo, four groups of growing chicks were submitted during 40 days to the following rations: basal part - 50 corn meal and 30 wheat bran, variable part - R1 - 10 tankage and 10 peanut meal, R2 - 10 tankage and 10 cottonseed meal, R3 - 7 peanut meal, 7 cocoanut meal and 7 cottonseed meal, R4 - 5 tankage, 5 peanut, 5 cocoanut and 5 cottenseed meal, R2 and R3 gave results which may be considered as equal and inferior than those obtained with the others, R4 being the best one. The statistical analises showed no significant differences.