bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
In-Vehicle Avatars to Elicit Social Response and Change Driving Behaviour
Authors: Rakotonirainy Andry , Feller Frank , Haworth Narelle
Published: April 2010

Social and psychological theories have provided a plethora of evidence showing that the physical difficulty to express appropriate social interactions between drivers expresses itself in aggression, selfish driving and anti-social behaviour. Therefore there is a need to improve interactions between drivers and allow clearer collective decision making between them. Personal characteristics and the driving situations play strong roles in driver’s aggression. Our approach is centered around the driving situation as opposed to focusing on personality characteristics. It examines aggression and manipulates contextual variables such as driver’s eye contact exchanges. This paper presents a new unobtrusive in-vehicle system that aims at communicating drivers’ intentions, elicit social responses and increasing mutual awareness. It uses eye gaze as a social cue to affect collective decision making with the view to contribute to safe driving. The authors used a driving simulator to design a case control experiment in which eye gaze movements are conveyed with an avatar. Participants were asked to drive through different types of intersections. An avatar representing the head of the other driver was displayed and driver behaviour was analysed. Significant eye gaze pattern difference where observed when an avatar was displayed. Drivers cautiously refer to the avatar when information is required on the intention of others (e.g. when they do not have the right of way). The majority of participants reported the perception of “being looked at”. The number of glances and time spent gazing at the avatar did not indicate an unsafe distraction by standards of in-vehicle device ergonomic design. Avatars were visually consulted primarily in less demanding driving situations, which underlines their non-distractive nature.
Autism and Family Interventions Through Technology
Authors: Ferdig Richard E. , Amberg Hilary G. , Elder Jennifer H. , Valcante Gregory , Donaldson Susan A. , Bendixen Roxanna
Published: April 2010

Most research on family interventions of children with autism has focused on the role of the mother, and little is known about the effects of training fathers. Through a series of National Institutes of Health–funded studies we have demonstrated treatment success by focusing on fathers who are trained at home. Although our research has been successful, this work introduces questions related to how best to train fathers when on-site, in-home training is not a viable option due to geographical distance or a variety of other logistical constraints. This article describes the development and initial use of an Internet-based tool to offer this training more broadly. We briefly describe past research as well as the need for the implementation of an Internet-based tool. We then describe the system, document early indicators of success, and discuss metrics we are using with our fathers. The article concludes with a discussion of future goals and research needs.
Learner-Centered Teaching and the Use of Technology
Authors: Greer Annette , Mott Vivian W.
Published: April 2010

This article explores the use of various learning technologies as tools for facilitating learner-centered teaching. The article offers another perspective on the scholarship of teaching with technology—through discussion of various theoretical models of learner-centered teaching, the role of technology on the student/instructor relationships, the impact on technology in different educational settings and contexts, and learners’ cultural differences. The article concludes with a brief discussion of future trends, cautions, and speculations related to technology use in learner-centered teaching.
The Effectiveness of Scaffolding in a Web-Based, Adaptive Learning System
Authors: Chang Mei-Yu , Tarng Wernhuar , Shin Fu-Yu
Published: April 2010

This study combined ideas from learning hierarchy and scaffolding theory to design a web-based, adaptive learning system to investigate the effectiveness of scaffolding for elementary school students having different levels of learning achievement. The topic chosen for learning was the Three States of Water. A quasi-experiment was conducted. In this experiment, students were divided into three groups: control group (without scaffolds), experimental group A (scaffolds providing by on-line conversation) and experimental group B (scaffolds providing by face-to-face conversation). The experimental results showed significant improvement for students after they had studied using the web-based, adaptive learning system. Specifically, scaffolds in the form of face-to-face conversations greatly enhanced the learning of high-achievement students. However, there were no significant differences between the low-achievement students with or without the provision of scaffolds. It was also discovered that the web-based, adaptive learning system could help students develop their learning responsibility.
Portals Then and Now
Authors: Tatnall Arthur , Burgess Stephen
Published: April 2010

This article investigates the evolution of two different types of Web portals, one in Bangladesh and the other in Australia. The initial data collection was conducted in the early 2000s and revisited in 2009. The idea of a Web portal is not new, but in the last few years the portal concept has gained considerably in importance as new types of portal are developed and new uses found for portal technology. The article begins with a brief classification of the types of portals in use today and then considers some of the advantages conferred on a business in using portal technology. Developed and developing countries have different problems in making use of e-commerce and see the advantages and problems of using portals rather differently. In the article the authors examine and compare case studies of a Horizontal B-B Industry Portal in Melbourne, Australia, and a Vertical Industry Portal in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
An Integrated Framework for Web Services Orchestration
Authors: Boutrous Saab C. , Coulibaly D. , Haddad S. , Melliti T. , Moreaux P. , Rampacek S.
Published: April 2010

Currently, Web services give place to active research and this is due both to industrial and theoretical factors. On one hand, Web services are essential as the design model of applications dedicated to the electronic business. On the other hand, this model aims to become one of the major formalisms for the design of distributed and cooperative applications in an open environment (the Internet). In this article, the authors will focus on two features of Web services. The first one concerns the interaction problem: given the interaction protocol of a Web service described in BPEL, how to generate the appropriate client? Their approach is based on a formal semantics for BPEL via process algebra and yields an algorithm which decides whether such a client exists and synthesizes the description of this client as a (timed) automaton. The second one concerns the design process of a service. They propose a method which proceeds by two successive refinements: first the service is described via UML, then refined in a BPEL model and finally enlarged with JAVA code using JCSWL, a new language that we introduce here. Their solutions are integrated in a service development framework that will be presented in a synthetic way.
Early Capacity Testing of an Enterprise Service Bus
Authors: Ueno Ken , Tatsubori Michiaki
Published: April 2010

An enterprise service-oriented architecture is typically done with a messaging infrastructure called an Enterprise Service Bus (ESB). An ESB is a bus which delivers messages from service requesters to service providers. Since it sits between the service requesters and providers, it is not appropriate to use any of the existing capacity planning methodologies for servers, such as modeling, to estimate the capacity of an ESB. There are programs that run on an ESB called mediation modules. Their functionalities vary and depend on how people use the ESB. This creates difficulties for capacity planning and performance evaluation. This article proposes a capacity planning methodology and performance evaluation techniques for ESBs, to be used in the early stages of the system development life cycle. The authors actually run the ESB on a real machine while providing a pseudo-environment around it. In order to simplify setting up the environment we provide ultra-light service requestors and service providers for the ESB under test. They show that the proposed mock environment can be set up with practical hardware resources available at the time of hardware resource assessment. Our experimental results showed that the testing results with our mock environment correspond well with the results in the real environment.
Optical properties and mineralogical composition of different Saharan mineral dust samples: a laboratory study
Authors: Linke C. , Möhler O. , Veres A. , Mohácsi Á. , Bozóki Z. , Szabó G. , Schnaiter M.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. In aerosol chamber experiments optical properties of resuspended mineral dust samples of defined size distributions were measured. Extinction coefficients (bext) and mass specific extinction cross sections (σext) were determined for Saharan dust samples from different locations. The results for σext were not very sensitive to the type of dust and varied at λ=550 nm between 3.3±0.4 m2 g−1 and 3.7±0.4 m2 g−1. The absorption coefficients (babs) and mass specific absorption cross sections (σabs) were determined with a novel multi-wavelength photo-acoustic absorption spectrometer (PAS). The single scattering albedo was close to 1 (0.98 to 0.99) at 532 nm and 1064 nm, but significantly lower (0.63 to 0.76) at 266 nm. Additionally the chemical and mineralogical composition of the dust samples were analysed with special regard to the iron oxide phases hematite and goethite. At λ=266 nm the mineral dust sample without any detectable iron oxides showed a significantly higher SSA compared to the sample with a hematite content of 0.6 wt-%.
Physical discipline, escalation, and child abuse potential: psychometric evidence for the Analog Parenting Task
Authors: Russa Mary Bower , Rodriguez Christina M.
Published: April 2010

Data from three studies provide new evidence to support the validity of the Analog Parenting Task (APT) as an instrument to assess risk for harsh, physically aggressive parenting. In this series of studies, there was a strong association between APT scores of expected use and escalation of discipline strategies and self‐reported disciplinary attitudes. APT scores were also associated with physical abuse potential as assessed by both a well‐established measure of child abuse potential (Child Abuse Potential Inventory) and another instrument designed specifically for use in pre‐parent populations (e.g., Adult–Adolescent Parenting Inventory‐2). This study provides new psychometric evidence to support the use of the APT to assess harsh parenting. Additionally, these data highlight the connection between acceptance and use of physical disciplinary strategies, propensity for disciplinary escalation, and risk for abuse perpetration. The findings are discussed in the context of Milner's Social Information Processing model [Milner, 2003] of abuse, which suggests that parental selection of disciplinary responding and the monitoring of disciplinary responding are key events in the disciplinary process. The APT may prove a useful adjunct to more commonly used self‐report measures to allow for multimethod assessment of risk for punitive parenting. Aggr. Behav. 36:251–260, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
What outcomes from pharmacologic treatments are important to people with rheumatoid arthritis? Creating the basis of a patient core set
Authors: Sanderson T. , Morris M. , Calnan M. , Richards P. , Hewlett S.
Published: April 2010

Objective

Function, patient global assessment, and pain are routinely measured in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) clinical trials. However, other patient‐reported outcomes identified as important to patients in qualitative studies, such as fatigue and quality of life, are commonly not included, and modern treatment regimens may have changed patients' expectations of treatment outcomes. Our objective was to elicit patient priority treatment outcomes for pharmacologic interventions since the common use of anti–tumor necrosis factor (anti‐TNF) therapy, which will form the basis of a core set of patient priorities to complement existing professional core sets.

Methods

In‐depth interviews were conducted with 23 RA patients, purposively sampled for age, sex, medication (anti‐TNF or other disease‐modifying antirheumatic drugs), disease severity, and work status. Grounded theory guided iterative data collection and analysis. Coding of the data was peer reviewed. A patient research partner collaborated in the research design and analysis.

Results

Sixty‐three different outcomes important to patients were generated from the interviews. Four major categories of patient outcomes from pharmacologic treatments were developed: “RA under control,” “Doing things,” “Emotional health,” and “Coping with illness.” The core category (or overall theme) was “Minimizing the personal impact of RA.”

Conclusion

Although the routine outcomes of pain, function, and overall well‐being were raised by the patients, they also generated a further 60 important outcomes that they look for from treatment. This difference in perspective may potentially influence treatment decisions. The next step is therefore to use these data to develop a patient core set.
Association of a rheumatoid arthritis susceptibility variant at the CCL21 locus with premature mortality in inflammatory polyarthritis patients
Authors: Farragher Tracey M. , Plant Darren , Flynn Edward , Eyre Steve , Bunn Diane , Thomson Wendy , Symmons Deborah , Barton Anne
Published: April 2010

Objective

To investigate whether recently identified rheumatoid arthritis (RA) susceptibility loci are also associated with disease severity, specifically all‐cause and cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality, in patients with inflammatory polyarthritis (IP).

Methods

Subjects with recent‐onset IP were recruited from the Norfolk Arthritis Register. Seventeen RA susceptibility single‐nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were tested using Sequenom MassArray iPLEX chemistry. Vital status was ascertained from central records. The association of SNP allele carriage with mortality risk was assessed using Cox proportional hazards models after adjusting by sex. The mortality risks of those SNP alleles found to be associated were then stratified by baseline anti–citrullinated peptide (anti‐CCP) antibody and shared epitope (SE) status.

Results

All SNPs were successfully genotyped in 2,324 IP subjects. The presence of 2 copies of the risk allele rs2812378 mapping to the CCL21 gene predicted all‐cause mortality (hazard ratio [HR] 1.40, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 1.04–1.87), whereas risk allele carriage also predicted increased CVD mortality (HR 1.33, 95% CI 1.01–1.75). The highest mortality risks were seen in anti‐CCP antibody–positive subjects with 2 copies of the CCL21 risk alleles and 2 copies of the SE (all‐cause HR 3.20, 95% CI 1.52–6.72; CVD HR 3.73, 95% CI 1.30–10.72).

Conclusion

In this large study, we found that carriage of CCL21 risk alleles was associated with premature mortality in IP independently of anti‐CCP antibody and SE status. Interestingly, CCL21 expression has been reported in atherosclerotic plaques supporting the thesis that the increased CVD mortality in IP patients may be mediated by shared inflammatory mechanisms.
High prevalence of gouty arthritis among the Hmong population in Minnesota
Authors: Portis Andrew J. , Laliberte Mark , Tatman Penny , Moua Maikia , Culhane‐Pera Kathleen , Maalouf Naim M. , Sakhaee Khashayar
Published: April 2010

Objective

The prevalence of gout is on the rise worldwide, especially among newly industrialized populations. We evaluated the prevalence of gout in the recently established Hmong of Minneapolis/St. Paul (MSP) compared with that in non‐Hmong populations.

Methods

The prevalence of self‐reported gout in the Hmong population was estimated from 2 cross‐sectional community surveys and compared with national data extrapolated from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The prevalence of physician‐diagnosed gout in Hmong and non‐Hmong MSP residents was separately estimated from the diagnosis codes of 11 MSP primary care clinics.

Results

The prevalence of self‐reported gout among MSP Hmong was 2‐fold higher than in the general US population (6.5% versus 2.9%; P < 0.001). Although women of both groups reported gout at a rate of 1.9%, Hmong men were significantly more likely than their non‐Hmong counterparts to report gout (11.5% versus 4.1%; P < 0.001). Similar results were observed when investigating physician‐diagnosed gout in MSP (2.8% Hmong versus 1.5% non‐Hmong; P < 0.001). No difference was observed between the women of the 2 groups (0.8% versus 0.7%; P = 0.833), whereas Hmong men were more than twice as likely to be diagnosed with gout compared with their non‐Hmong counterparts (6.1% versus 2.5%; P < 0.001). Among Hmong men, advancing age was associated with a considerably higher likelihood of being diagnosed with gout.

Conclusion

A significant association is observed between Hmong ethnicity and gout, both self‐reported and physician diagnosed. This unique population may provide an opportunity to further our understanding of the pathophysiology of gout.
Development of Diphenylamine‐Linked Bis(imidazoline) Ligands and Their Application in Asymmetric Friedel–Crafts Alkylation of Indole Derivatives with Nitroalkenes
Authors: Liu Han , Du Da‐Ming
Published: April 2010

The new diphenylamine‐linked bis(imidazoline) ligands were prepared through Kelly‐You’s imidazoline formation procedure mediated by Hendrickson’s reagent in good yields. The novel ligands were tested in the asymmetric Friedel–Crafts alkylation of indole derivatives with nitroalkenes. In most cases, good yields (up to 97%) and excellent enantioselectivities (up to 98%) can be achieved. The optimized bis(imidazoline) ligand with trans‐diphenyl substitution on the imidazoline ring gave better enantioselectivity than the corresponding bis(oxazoline) ligand.
What kind of science is cosmology?
Authors: Goenner H.F.M.
Published: April 2010

In recent years, by theory and observation cosmology has advanced substantially. Parameters of the concordance or ΛCDM cosmological model are given with unprecedented precision (“precision cosmology”). On the other hand, 95% of the matter content of the universe are of an unknown nature. This awkward situation motivates the present attempt to find cosmology's place among the (exact) natural sciences. Due to its epistemic and methodical particularities, e.g., as a mathematized historical science, cosmology occupies a very special place. After going through some of the highlights of cosmological modeling, the conclusion is reached that knowledge provided by cosmological modeling cannot be as explicative and secure as knowledge gained by laboratory physics.
Winterschlafende Bären, Antibiotika und die Evolution des Ribosoms (Nobel‐Aufsatz)
Authors: Yonath Ada
Published: April 2010

Dank der hochaufgelösten Strukturen von Ribosomen, der zellulären Maschinen, die den genetischen Code in Proteine übersetzen, konnten zahlreiche ribosomale Aktivitäten und Strukturdetails aufgedeckt und erklärt werden: der Mechanismus der DNA‐Decodierung, der Prozessierungspfad der mRNA, die Bindungsstellen der tRNA im Ribosom, die Position und Eigenschaften des ribosomalen Austrittstunnels der naszierenden Proteine und die Wechselwirkungen des Ribosoms mit nicht‐ribosomalen Faktoren wie den Initiations‐, Freisetzungs‐ und Recyclingfaktoren. Vor allem haben diese Strukturen den Beweis erbracht, dass das Ribosom ein Ribozym ist, dessen aktives Zentrum – d. h. die Stelle, an der die Bildung der Peptidbindungen erfolgt – in einer symmetrischen Region liegt, die in die ansonsten unsymmetrische Ribosomstruktur eingebettet ist. Diese symmetrische Region ist hoch konserviert und enthält bereits alle Komponenten, die für die Bildung der Peptidbindungen und die Polymeraseaktivität des Ribosoms erforderlich sind. Sie könnte daher das Relikt eines Protoribosoms sein, einer dimeren präbiotischen Funktionseinheit, die Peptidbindungen und uncodierte Polypeptidketten bildete. Strukturen von Ribosom‐Antibiotika‐Komplexen haben die Grundlagen für eine klinische Verwendung dieser Antiobiotika geschaffen, Resistenzmechanismen aufgedeckt und Aufschluss darüber gegeben, wie Antibiotika zwischen pathogenen Bakterien und Wirtzellen differenzieren. Damit haben diese Forschungen wertvolle Strukturinformationen für die Verbesserung von Antibiotika und den Entwurf neuartiger Verbindungen, die als Antibiotika dienen könnten, geliefert.
Hibernating Bears, Antibiotics, and the Evolving Ribosome (Nobel Lecture)
Authors: Yonath Ada
Published: April 2010

High‐resolution structures of ribosomes, the cellular machines that translate the genetic code into proteins, revealed the decoding mechanism, detected the mRNA path, identified the sites of the tRNA molecules in the ribosome, elucidated the position and the nature of the nascent proteins exit tunnel, illuminated the interactions of the ribosome with non‐ribosomal factors, such as the initiation, release and recycling factors. Notably, these structures proved that the ribosome is a ribozyme whose active site, namely where the peptide bonds are being formed, is situated within a universal symmetrical region that is embedded in the otherwise asymmetric ribosome structure. As this symmetrical region is highly conserved and provides the machinery required for peptide bond formation and for ribosome polymerase activity, it may be the remnant of the proto‐ribosome, a dimeric prebiotic machine that formed peptide bonds and non‐coded polypeptide chains. Structures of complexes of ribosomes with antibiotics targeting them revealed the principles allowing for their clinical use, identified resistance mechanisms and showed the structural bases for discriminating pathogenic bacteria from hosts, hence providing valuable structural information for antibiotics improvement and for the design of novel compounds that can serve as antibiotics.
Analyzing the real advantages of bifunctional initiator over monofunctional initiator in free radical polymerization
Authors: Machado Paula F. de M. P. B. , Lona Liliane M. F.
Published: April 2010

Monofunctional initiators are extensively used in free radical polymerization. To enhance productivity, a higher temperature is usually used; however, this leads to lower molecular weights. Bifunctional initiators can increase the polymerization rate without decreasing the average molecular weight and this can be desirable. A bifunctional initiator is an important issue to be investigated, and it is of great interest to industries. The objective of this work is to study polymerization reactions with mono‐ and bi‐functional initiators through comprehensive mathematical models. Polystyrene is considered as case study. This work collects and presents some experimental data available in literature for polymerization using two different types of bifunctional initiators. Model prediction showed good agreement with experimental data. It was observed that the initial initiator concentration has a huge impact on the efficiency of initiators with functionality bigger than one and high concentrations of bifunctional initiator make the system behave as if it were a system operating with monofunctional initiator. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010
Effect of nanofillers as reinforcement agents for lignin composite fibers
Authors: Sevastyanova O. , Qin W. , Kadla J. F.
Published: April 2010

Biobased nanocomposites and composite fibers were prepared from organosolv lignin/organoclay mixtures by mechanical mixing and subsequent melt intercalation. Two organically‐modified montmorillonite (MMT) clays with different ammonium cations were used. The effect of organoclay varying from 1 to 10 wt % on the mechanical and thermal properties of the nanocomposites was studied. Thermal analysis revealed an increased in Tg for the nanocomposites as compared with the original organosolv lignin. For both organoclays, lignin intercalation into the silicate layers was observed using X‐ray diffraction (XRD). The intercalated hybrids exhibited a substantial increase in tensile strength and melt processability. In the case of organoclay Cloisite 30B, X‐ray analysis indicates the possibility of complete exfoliation at 1 wt % organoclay loading. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010
Analysing metals in bottle‐grade poly(ethylene terephthalate) by X‐ray fluorescence spectrometry
Authors: Romão Wanderson , Franco Marcos F. , Bueno Maria Izabel M. S. , Eberlin Marcos N. , De Paoli Marco‐Aurelio
Published: April 2010

After a rigorous cleaning process, recycled food‐grade poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET), can be mixed with virgin PET resin in different concentrations and used for packaging of soft drinks. Therefore, it is important to have an experimental method to distinguish the presence of recycled polymer in a batch and to check its “true quality.” One of the issues to be verified is the presence of inorganic contaminants due to the recycling process. X‐ray fluorescence technique is one alternative for this kind of analysis. The results obtained in this work show that bottle‐grade PET samples (PET‐btg) are made either via direct esterification or by a transesterification process. Samples that were subjected to thermo‐mechanical processings (superclean® processing, PET‐btg blends processed in our laboratory and soft drink PET packaging) present Fe Kα emission lines with higher intensities than those presented by virgin bottle‐grade PET. After applying principal component analysis, it can be concluded that Fe is an intrinsic contaminant after the recycling process, furnishing a way to indicate class separations of PET‐btg. A calibration and validation partial least squares model was constructed to predict the weight percent of post‐consumption bottle‐grade PET in commercial PET samples. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010
Efficacy of traditional and biologic agents in different clinical phenotypes of adult‐onset Still's disease
Authors: Franchini Stefano , Dagna Lorenzo , Salvo Fulvio , Aiello Patrizia , Baldissera Elena , Sabbadini Maria Grazia
Published: April 2010

Objective

To evaluate the efficacy of antiinflammatory agents, steroids, immunosuppressants, and biologic agents in patients with adult‐onset Still's disease (AOSD) who have either chronic articular disease or nonchronic disease.

Methods

Forty‐five patients with AOSD were seen and followed up for at least 2 years at our institution, from 1991 to 2008. The majority of patients were treated with several therapeutic regimens; a total of 152 efficacy trials were administered. Data regarding the type of medication, the dosage used, and the outcome of these trials were collected and analyzed.

Results

Our data showed that the efficacy of monotherapy with a nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug was very low (16%) and confirmed good efficacy of steroid therapy (63%), particularly in patients without chronic articular disease (78%). Patients whose disease did not respond to steroid therapy at the time of disease onset were at risk of the subsequent development of chronic arthritis. Disease‐modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD) monotherapy was successful in controlling steroid‐resistant or steroid‐dependent disease in 60% of patients. Methotrexate and cyclosporine showed the best response rates. The combination of high‐dose steroids and cyclosporine was administered to successfully control some acute life‐threatening complications. Only 6 patients had disease that was both steroid resistant and DMARD resistant. Treatment with biologic agents eventually led to satisfactory control of disease manifestations in 5 (83%) of these 6 patients.

Conclusion

Steroids were less effective in patients with chronic articular disease than in those with nonchronic disease. The administration of DMARDs early after disease onset could be beneficial in patients with steroid‐resistant disease who are at risk of the development of chronic articular disease. Biologic agents proved to be highly effective in both steroid‐resistant and DMARD‐resistant AOSD.
Aberrant IgG galactosylation precedes disease onset, correlates with disease activity, and is prevalent in autoantibodies in rheumatoid arthritis
Authors: Ercan Altan , Cui Jing , Chatterton Dereck E. W. , Deane Kevin D. , Hazen Melissa M. , Brintnell William , O'Donnell Colin I. , Derber Lezlie A. , Weinblatt Michael E. , Shadick Nancy A. , Bell David A. , Cairns Ewa , Solomon Daniel H. , Holers V. Michael , Rudd Pauline M. , Lee David M.
Published: April 2010

Objective

To examine the association between aberrant IgG galactosylation and disease parameters in rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Methods

Analysis of N‐glycan in serum samples from multiple cohorts was performed. The IgG N‐glycan content and the timing of N‐glycan aberrancy relative to disease onset were compared in healthy subjects and in patients with RA. Correlations between aberrant galactosylation and disease activity were assessed in the RA cohorts. The impact of disease activity, sex, age, anti–cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti‐CCP) antibody titer, disease duration, and C‐reactive protein level on aberrant galactosylation was determined using multivariate analysis. The N‐glycan content was also compared between epitope affinity–purified autoantibodies and the remaining IgG repertoire in RA patients.

Results

Our results confirm the aberrant galactosylation of IgG in RA patients as compared with healthy controls (mean ± SD 1.36 ± 0.43 versus 1.01 ± 0.23; P < 0.0001). We observed a significant correlation between levels of aberrant IgG galactosylation and disease activity (Spearman's ρ = 0.37, P < 0.0001). This correlation was higher in women (Spearman's ρ = 0.60, P < 0.0001) than in men (Spearman's ρ = 0.16, P = 0.10). Further, aberrant IgG galactosylation substantially predated the onset of arthritis and the diagnosis of RA (3.5 years) and resided selectively in the anticitrullinated antigen fraction.

Conclusion

Our findings identify aberrant IgG galactosylation as a dysregulated component of the humoral immune response in RA that begins prior to disease onset, associates with disease activity in a sex‐specific manner, and resides preferentially in autoantibodies.
Aberrant hypertrophy in Smad3‐deficient murine chondrocytes is rescued by restoring transforming growth factor β–activated kinase 1/activating transcription factor 2 signaling: A potential clinical implication for osteoarthritis
Authors: Li Tian‐Fang , Gao Lin , Sheu Tzong‐Jen , Sampson Erik R. , Flick Lisa M. , Konttinen Yrjö T. , Chen Di , Schwarz Edward M. , Zuscik Michael J. , Jonason Jennifer H. , O'Keefe Regis J.
Published: April 2010

Objective

To investigate the biologic significance of Smad3 in the progression of osteoarthritis (OA), the crosstalk between Smad3 and activating transcription factor 2 (ATF‐2) in the transforming growth factor β (TGFβ) signaling pathway, and the effects of ATF‐2 overexpression and p38 activation in chondrocyte differentiation.

Methods

Joint disease in Smad3‐knockout (Smad3−/−) mice was examined by microfocal computed tomography and histologic analysis. Numerous in vitro methods including immunostaining, real‐time polymerase chain reaction, Western blotting, an ATF‐2 DNA‐binding assay, and a p38 kinase activity assay were used to study the various signaling responses and protein interactions underlying the altered chondrocyte phenotype in Smad3−/− mice.

Results

In Smad3−/− mice, an end‐stage OA phenotype gradually developed. TGFβ‐activated kinase 1 (TAK1)/ATF‐2 signaling was disrupted in Smad3−/− mouse chondrocytes at the level of p38 MAP kinase (MAPK) activation, resulting in reduced ATF‐2 phosphorylation and transcriptional activity. Reintroduction of Smad3 into Smad3−/− cells restored the normal p38 response to TGFβ. Phosphorylated p38 formed a complex with Smad3 by binding to a portion of Smad3 containing both the MAD homology 1 and linker domains. Additionally, Smad3 inhibited the dephosphorylation of p38 by MAPK phosphatase 1 (MKP‐1). Both ATF‐2 overexpression and p38 activation repressed type X collagen expression in wild‐type and Smad3−/− chondrocytes. P38 was detected in articular cartilage and perichondrium; articular and sternal chondrocytes expressed p38 isoforms α, β, and γ, but not δ.

Conclusion

Smad3 is involved in both the onset and progression of OA. Loss of Smad3 abrogates TAK1/ATF‐2 signaling, most likely by disrupting the Smad3–phosphorylated p38 complex, thereby promoting p38 dephosphorylation and inactivation by MKP‐1. ATF‐2 and p38 activation inhibit chondrocyte hypertrophy. Modulation of p38 isoform activity may provide a new therapeutic approach for OA.
Adjusting for Nonignorable Missingness When Estimating Generalized Additive Models
Authors: Xie Hui
Published: April 2010

Generalized additive models (GAMs) have been widely used for flexible modeling of various types of outcomes. When the outcome in a GAM is subject to missing, practical analyses often assume that missingness is missing at random (MAR). This assumption can be of suspicion when the missingness is not by design. Evaluating the potential effects of alternative nonignorable missing data mechanism on the MAR inference from a GAM can be important but often challenging due to the complicatedness of alternative nonignorable models. We apply the index approach to local sensitivity (Troxel, Ma, and Heitjan (2004). Statistica Sinica 14, 1221–1237) to evaluate the potential changes of the GAM estimates in the neighborhood of the MAR model. The approach avoids fitting any complicated nonignorable GAM. Only MAR estimates are required to calculate the resulting sensitivity index and adjust the GAM estimates to account for nonignorable missingness. Thus the proposed approach is considerably simpler to conduct, as compared with the alternative methods. The simulation study shows that the index provides valid assessment of the local sensitivity of the GAM estimates to nonignorable missingness. We then illustrate the method using a rheumatoid arthritis clinical trial data set.
Enhancing the credibility of complainants in child sexual assault trials: The effect of expert evidence and judicial directions
Authors: Goodman‐Delahunty Jane , Cossins Anne , O'Brien Kate
Published: April 2010

This study investigated the knowledge and misconceptions of jury‐eligible citizens about children's reliability as witnesses and responses to child sexual assault (CSA), and examined the influence of expert evidence and judicial directions in challenging common misconceptions. Community volunteers (N = 130) read one of five versions of a simulated jury trial, and completed a pre‐ and post‐trial questionnaire to provide measures of their knowledge of children's responses to sexual abuse, perceptions of victim credibility, and verdict. Results revealed that endorsement of CSA misconceptions negatively impacted ratings of complainant credibility and verdicts. Judicial directions provided before the child complainant testified enhanced complainant credibility, which in turn predicted guilty verdicts. Comparisons of the effectiveness of two procedural legal mechanisms to manage juror misconceptions and improve knowledge about CSA provide guidance for future researchers investigating ways to increase fairness in cases of CSA. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Comparison of bivalirudin versus heparin on radial artery occlusion after transradial catheterization
Authors: Plante Sylvain , Cantor Warren J. , Goldman Lorne , Miner Steven , Quesnelle Amy , Ganapathy Anusoumya , Popel Abdol , Bertrand Olivier F.
Published: April 2010

Background: Anticoagulant therapy is required to prevent radial artery occlusion (RAO) after transradial catheterization. There is no data comparing bivalirudin to standard heparin. Methods: We studied 400 consecutive patients. In case of diagnostic angiography‐only (n = 200), they received an intravenous bolus of heparin (70 U kg−1) immediately before sheath removal whereas in case of angiography followed by ad hoc percutaneous coronary intervention (n = 200), they received bivalirudin (bolus 0.75 mg kg−1, followed by infusion at 1.75 mg/kg/h). RAO was assessed 4–8 weeks later using two‐dimensional echography‐doppler and reverse Allen's test with pulse oximetry. Results: At follow‐up, 21 of the 400 (5.3%) patients were found to have RAO with no significant difference between the two groups (3.5% bivalirudin vs. 7.0% heparin, P = 0.18). Patients with RAO had a significantly lower weight compared to patients without RAO (78 ± 13 kg vs. 86 ± 18 kg, P = 0.011). By multivariate analysis, a weight <84 kg (OR: 2.78, 95% CI 1.08–8.00, P = 0.032) and a procedure duration ≤20 min (OR: 7.52, 95% CI 1.57–36.0, P = 0.011) remained strong independent predictors of RAO. All cases of radial occlusion were asymptomatic and without clinical sequelae. Conclusion: Delayed administration of bivalirudin or heparin for transradial catheterization provides similar efficacy in preventing RAO. Because of its low cost, a single bolus of heparin can be preferred in case of diagnostic angiography whereas bivalirudin can be contemplated in case of ad hoc percutaneous coronary intervention. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Dipyrenylcalix[4]arene—A Fluorescence‐Based Chemosensor for Trinitroaromatic Explosives
Authors: Lee Young Hoon , Liu Hongguang , Lee Jin Yong , Kim Sang Hoon , Kim Sung Kuk , Sessler Jonathan L. , Kim Yang , Kim Jong Seung
Published: April 2010

A new chemosensor‐based approach to the detection of nitroaromatics is described. It involves the analyte‐induced quenching of excimer emission of a dipyrenyl calix[4]arene (L). The chemical and photophysical properties of the complexes formed between L and mono‐, di‐, and trinitrobenzene, and di‐ and trinitrotoluene were studied in acetonitrile and chloroform by using 1H NMR, UV/Vis, and fluorescence spectroscopy. Fluorescence spectroscopy revealed that the trinitroaromatics engendered the largest response among the various substrates tested, with the sensitivity for these analytes being correspondingly high. Quantitative analysis of the fluorescence titration profile generated from the titration of L with TNT provided evidence that this particular functionalized calix[4]arene receptor allows for the detection of TNT down to the low ppb level in CH3CN. A single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction analysis revealed that in the solid state the complex L⋅TNT consists of a supramolecular crystalline polymeric structure, the formation of which appears to be driven by intermolecular π–π interactions between two pyrene units and a TNT molecule held at a distance of 3.2–3.6 Å, as well as by intra‐ and intermolecular hydrogen‐bonds among the amide linkages. Nevertheless, the changes in the 1H NMR, UV/Vis, and fluorescence spectrum, including sharp color changes, are ascribed to a charge‐transfer interaction arising from complementary π–π overlap between the pyrene subunits and the bound trinitroaromatic substrates. A number of ab initio calculations were also carried out and, considered in concert, they provide further support for the proposed charge‐transfer interactions, particularly in the case of L⋅TNT.
Neutral Penta‐ and Hexacoordinate Silicon(IV) Complexes Containing Two Bidentate Ligands Derived from the α‐Amino Acids (S)‐Alanine, (S)‐Phenylalanine, and (S)‐tert‐Leucine
Authors: Cota Smaranda , Beyer Matthias , Bertermann Rüdiger , Burschka Christian , Götz Kathrin , Kaupp Martin , Tacke Reinhold
Published: April 2010

The neutral hexacoordinate silicon(IV) complex 6 (SiO2N4 skeleton) and the neutral pentacoordinate silicon(IV) complexes 7–11 (SiO2N2C skeletons) were synthesized from Si(NCO)4 and RSi(NCO)3 (R=Me, Ph), respectively. The compounds were structurally characterized by solid‐state NMR spectroscopy (6–11), solution NMR spectroscopy (6 and 10), and single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction (8 and 11 were studied as the solvates 8⋅CH3CN and 11⋅C5H12⋅0.5 CH3CN, respectively). The silicon(IV) complexes 6 (octahedral Si‐coordination polyhedron) and 7–11 (trigonal‐bipyramidal Si‐coordination polyhedra) each contain two bidentate ligands derived from an α‐amino acid: (S)‐alanine, (S)‐phenylalanine, or (S)‐tert‐leucine. The deprotonated amino acids act as monoanionic (6) or as mono‐ and dianionic ligands (7–11). The experimental investigations were complemented by computational studies of the stereoisomers of 6 and 7.
Kinetic Stability and Propellant Performance of Green Energetic Materials
Authors: Rahm Martin , Brinck Tore
Published: April 2010

A thorough theoretical investigation of four promising green energetic materials is presented. The kinetic stability of the dinitramide, trinitrogen dioxide, pentazole, and oxopentazole anions has been evaluated in the gas phase and in solution by using high‐level ab initio and DFT calculations. Theoretical UV spectra, solid‐state heats of formation, density, as well as propellant performance for the corresponding ammonium salts are reported. All calculated properties for dinitramide are in excellent agreement with experimental data. The stability of the trinitrogen dioxide anion is deemed sufficient to enable synthesis at low temperature, with a barrier for decomposition of approximately 27.5 kcal mol−1 in solution. Oxopentazolate is expected to be approximately 1200 times more stable than pentazolate in solution, with a barrier exceeding 30 kcal mol−1, which should enable handling at room temperature. All compounds are predicted to provide high specific impulses when combined with aluminum fuel and a polymeric binder, and rival or surpass the performance of a corresponding ammonium perchlorate based propellant. The investigated substances are also excellent monopropellant candidates. Further study and attempted synthesis of these materials is merited.
ChemInform Abstract: Hydration and Hydrolysis of Thorium(IV) in Aqueous Solution and the Structures of Two Crystalline Thorium(IV) Hydrates.
Authors: Torapava Natallia , Persson Ingmar , Eriksson Lars , Lundberg Daniel
Published: April 2010

ChemInform is a weekly Abstracting Service, delivering concise information at a glance that was extracted from about 100 leading journals. To access a ChemInform Abstract of an article which was published elsewhere, please select a “Full Text” option. The original article is trackable via the “References” option.
ChemInform Abstract: Crystallographic, Magnetic and Electrical Characteristics of Some Ln5‐xNi12Sn24+x Intermetallics.
Authors: Romaka V. V. , Hlil E. K. , Romaka L. , Gignoux D. , Fruchart D. , Horyn A. , Miraglia S.
Published: April 2010

ChemInform is a weekly Abstracting Service, delivering concise information at a glance that was extracted from about 100 leading journals. To access a ChemInform Abstract of an article which was published elsewhere, please select a “Full Text” option. The original article is trackable via the “References” option.
ChemInform Abstract: Upconversion for White Light Generation by a Single Compound.
Authors: Wang Jiwei , Tanner Peter A.
Published: April 2010

ChemInform is a weekly Abstracting Service, delivering concise information at a glance that was extracted from about 100 leading journals. To access a ChemInform Abstract of an article which was published elsewhere, please select a “Full Text” option. The original article is trackable via the “References” option.
ChemInform Abstract: Electronic Structures, Hole‐Doping, and Superconductivity of the s = 1, 2, 3, and 4 Members of the (Cu,Mo)‐12s2 Homologous Series of Superconductive Copper Oxides.
Authors: Grigoraviciute Inga , Karppinen Maarit , Chan Ting‐Shan , Liu Ru‐Shi , Chen Jin‐Ming , Chmaissem Omar , Yamauchi Hisao
Published: April 2010

ChemInform is a weekly Abstracting Service, delivering concise information at a glance that was extracted from about 100 leading journals. To access a ChemInform Abstract of an article which was published elsewhere, please select a “Full Text” option. The original article is trackable via the “References” option.
ChemInform Abstract: Facile Room Temperature Ion‐Exchange Synthesis of Sn2+ Incorporated Pyrochlore‐Type Oxides and Their Photocatalytic Activities.
Authors: Uma S. , Singh Jyoti , Thakral Vaishali
Published: April 2010

ChemInform is a weekly Abstracting Service, delivering concise information at a glance that was extracted from about 100 leading journals. To access a ChemInform Abstract of an article which was published elsewhere, please select a “Full Text” option. The original article is trackable via the “References” option.
ChemInform Abstract: Different Clusters within the Ba4M4‐xA2Te9 (M: Cu, Ag, Au; A: Si, Ge) Series: Crystal Structures and Transport Properties.
Authors: Cui Yanjie , Mayasree Oottil , Assoud Abdeljalil , Kleinke Holger
Published: April 2010

ChemInform is a weekly Abstracting Service, delivering concise information at a glance that was extracted from about 100 leading journals. To access a ChemInform Abstract of an article which was published elsewhere, please select a “Full Text” option. The original article is trackable via the “References” option.
ChemInform Abstract: Observation of the New Binary Low Temperatures Compound AlV.
Authors: Huber Beatrix , Richter Klaus W.
Published: April 2010

ChemInform is a weekly Abstracting Service, delivering concise information at a glance that was extracted from about 100 leading journals. To access a ChemInform Abstract of an article which was published elsewhere, please select a “Full Text” option. The original article is trackable via the “References” option.
ChemInform Abstract: Photochemical Activation of an Azido Manganese‐Monosubstituted Keggin Polyoxometalate: On the Road to a Mn(V)—Nitrido Derivatives.
Authors: Izzet G. , Ishow E. , Delaire J. , Afonso C. , Tabet J.‐C. , Proust A.
Published: April 2010

ChemInform is a weekly Abstracting Service, delivering concise information at a glance that was extracted from about 100 leading journals. To access a ChemInform Abstract of an article which was published elsewhere, please select a “Full Text” option. The original article is trackable via the “References” option.
ChemInform Abstract: anti‐Mackay Polyicosahedral Clusters in La—Ni—Mg Ternary Compounds: Synthesis and Crystal Structure of the La43Ni17Mg5 New Intermetallic Phase.
Authors: Solokha Pavlo , De Negri Serena , Pavlyuk Volodymyr , Saccone Adriana
Published: April 2010

ChemInform is a weekly Abstracting Service, delivering concise information at a glance that was extracted from about 100 leading journals. To access a ChemInform Abstract of an article which was published elsewhere, please select a “Full Text” option. The original article is trackable via the “References” option.
ChemInform Abstract: Crystal Structure and Physical Properties of the New Ternary Compound MgNi7B3.
Authors: Liao C. Z. , Dong C. , Zeng L. M. , He B. , Cao W. H. , Yang L. H.
Published: April 2010

ChemInform is a weekly Abstracting Service, delivering concise information at a glance that was extracted from about 100 leading journals. To access a ChemInform Abstract of an article which was published elsewhere, please select a “Full Text” option. The original article is trackable via the “References” option.
ChemInform Abstract: Desymmetrization of meso‐2‐Alkene‐1,4‐diol Derivatives Through Copper(I)‐Catalyzed Asymmetric Boryl Substitution and Stereoselective Allylation of Aldehydes.
Authors: Ito Hajime , Okura Takuma , Matsuura Kou , Sawamura Masaya
Published: April 2010

ChemInform is a weekly Abstracting Service, delivering concise information at a glance that was extracted from about 100 leading journals. To access a ChemInform Abstract of an article which was published elsewhere, please select a “Full Text” option. The original article is trackable via the “References” option.