bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Understanding the private worlds of physicians, nurses, and parents
Authors: Carnevale Franco A , Benedetti Monica , Bonaldi Amabile , Bravi Elena , Trabucco Gaetano , Biban Paolo
Published: December 2011

This study’s aim was to describe: (a) How life-sustaining treatment (LST) decisions are made for critically ill children in Italy; and (b) How these decisional processes are experienced by physicians, nurses and parents. Focus groups with 16 physicians and 26 nurses, and individual interviews with 9 parents were conducted. Findings uncovered the ‘private worlds’ of paediatric intensive care unit (PICU) physicians, nurses and parents; they all suffer tremendously and privately. Physicians struggle with the weight of responsibility and solitude in making LST decisions. Nurses struggle with feelings of exclusion from decisions regarding patients and families that they care for. Physicians and nurses are distressed by legal barriers to LST withdrawal. Parents struggle with their dependence on physicians and nurses to provide care for their child and strive to understand what is happening to their child. Features of helpful and unhelpful communication with parents are highlighted, which should be considered in educational and practice changes.
Telling stories about feminist art
Authors: Meagher Michelle
Published: December 2011

Responding to a recent surge of interest in feminist art, its futures, and its history, this article considers the nature and function of the dominant narratives that circulate and structure the field. Specifically, I explore the persistent story of inter-generational strife in which a first generation of artists and historians is understood to have been naïvely mired in an essentialism of which a second, more theoretically savvy generation has been subsequently cleansed. Although one would be hard pressed to identify contemporary scholars who promote this sort of generationally bound progress narrative, the story persists. Its persistence, I argue, has less to do with its truth telling ability and more to do with its ability to perform the function of disidentification.
Gender overdetermination and resistance: The case of criminalised women
Authors: Sered Susan , Norton-Hawk Maureen
Published: December 2011

This article explores the notion of gender overdetermination in relation to a community of criminalised women in Massachusetts. Re-examining classic writings on overdetermination by Louis Althusser, Sigmund Freud, Frantz Fanon and Jean-Paul Sartre, we query the notion of gender overdetermination and posit it as an effective lens for thinking about the persistence of gender as a social construct. The combination of the structural processes of overdetermination with the discursive and ideological power of overdetermination complicates and reduces possibilities and effectiveness of sustained acts of resistance. The criminalised women of our study permanently inhabit a space in which aetiology, practice, discipline and interpretation are all hyper-gendered, meaning that acts of resistance are construed as more evidence of inescapable and essential gender identity.
From disillusion to engagement: Minority teen journalists and the news media
Authors: Marchi Regina
Published: December 2011

Because most high schools that can afford to fund journalism programs are located in middle-class suburbs, the majority of research on teen journalists reflects the experiences of middle-class, predominantly white students. By examining two afterschool journalism programs serving youth from inner-city communities, this article discusses teen journalists who are predominantly low-income and racial minorities, examining their views about journalism and news media. In the process, it explores these teens’ notions of democracy and the public good, revealing how class location influences youth attitudes towards news media and civic participation.
Enhancing vocabulary, print awareness and phonological awareness through shared storybook reading with low-income preschoolers
Authors: Lefebvre Pascal , Trudeau Natacha , Sutton Ann
Published: December 2011

The current study compares the effects of two shared storybook reading (SSR) interventions on language and emergent literacy skills of low-income preschoolers. The control intervention targeted language and print awareness, skills for which there is strong evidence of the effect of SSR. The experimental intervention added a focus on phonological awareness, a skill for which there is less evidence of the effect of SSR. Following the interventions, results indicated that the experimental group ( n = 10) outperformed the control group ( n = 13) on phonological awareness scores, but not on vocabulary and print awareness scores. The study also compared the outcomes of the experimental intervention for the low-income participants with the skills of higher-income preschoolers who did not receive intervention. The low-income children in the experimental condition outperformed their higher-income peers ( n = 12) on all three measures. The experimental intervention offers promising techniques for SSR activities in childcare centres.
Variable selection for spatial latent predictors under Bayesian spatial model
Authors: Cai Bo , Lawson Andrew B , McDermott Suzanne , Aelion C Marjorie
Published: December 2011

The problem of variable selection is encountered in model fitting with unobserved spatial predictors at the sites where outcomes are measured. The variability of the interpolated predictors at outcome sites results in potential problems of variable selection and averaging the results across different datasets. A Bayesian spatial model is developed to tackle this issue. By sampling the latent spatial predictors and selecting the spatial and non-spatial predictors using stochastic search variable selection Gibbs sampling algorithm, our approach allows for uncertainty of the predictors including the interpolated predictors. The approach is evaluated and illustrated through a simulated data example and an application to mental retardation and developmental delay in a Medicaid population in South Carolina with samples of soil chemistry.
Protection From Risk
Authors: Kurlychek Megan C. , Krohn Marvin D. , Dong Beidi , Hall Gina Penly , Lizotte Alan J.
Published: December 2011

This research explores the ability of neighborhood-level factors to serve as either promotive or protective factors to reduce the risk of violent outcomes among adolescents. Unique contributions of this research include a novel definition of neighborhood constructed through a housing market study, the aggregation of individual-level survey responses to the newly defined neighborhoods, and the application ofhierarchical linear modeling to explore cross-level interaction (e.g., protective) effects. Using data from Waves 1–9 of the Rochester Youth Development Study, our analyses find little support for promotive effects at the neighborhood level. However, several of our constructs are revealed to provide protective effects across various domains of risk. In specific, we find that high-risk youths whose parents report high levels of social integration and neighborhood integration are less likely to experience violent outcomes than similar youth whose parents do not report high levels of integration. These findings were particularly strong in the domains of school and peer risk which may inherently reflect the “social” quality of risk in these realms.
Protective Factors for Youth Exposed to Violence
Authors: Jain Sonia , Buka Stephen L. , Subramanian S. V. , Molnar Beth E.
Published: December 2011

There is compelling evidence that many youth exposed to community violence manage to adapt successfully over time. Developmental assets have been deemed salient for positive youth development, though limited longitudinal studies have examined their relevance for high-risk youth. Using the Developmental Assets framework, the authors test whether supportive relationships, high expectations, and opportunities build emotional resilience directly or indirectly via interaction with risk. Further, the authors examine the effect of neighborhood collective efficacy on resilience. The authors use multiwave data from 1,166 youth aged 11–16 years and data about their neighborhoods from the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods (PHDCN). Generalized estimating equations (GEE) were used to examine whether baseline protective factors in subjects’ home, peer, and neighborhood environments predicted log odds of emotional resilience at Waves 2 and 3 among youth ETV. Over 7 years, 60–85% were emotionally resilient. Positive peers and supportive relationships with parents and other adults had significant main effects. Positive peers and family support were particularly protective for witnesses and victims. Structured activities and collective efficacy influenced change in resilience differentially among ETV groups. Strengths-based policies and systems should focus on building developmental assets within the family, peer, and community environments for high-risk youth who have been exposed to violence (ETV).
“Like So Many Antigones”: Survivance and the Afterlife of Indigenous Funerary Remains
Authors: Hirsch Alexander Keller
Published: December 2011

Since the passage of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act of 1990, American Indian funerary remains have been returned from museums, research laboratories, academic institutions, and federal agencies to the tribal communities from whom the deceased originally derived. According to law, however, such repatriation requires first that those tribal communities furnish blood evidence of kinship with the remains. One objective of this article is to stage an intervention in the “ethics of burial” and “politics of dead bodies” debates orbiting around the indigenous repatriation issue. More specifically, however, I mean to cast the indigenous repatriation movement in terms of the broader concerns captured by political theories of transitional justice and reconciliation. The argument I defend suggests that in mapping Sophocles’ fifth century Athenian tragedy, The Antigone, onto these movements some important and hitherto unexplored questions about the meaning of repatriation as a tactic of political repair for historical injustices associated with the violent colonial expropriation of territories can be invoked and grappled with. In particular, I argue that the Antigone reveals a theory of repatriation based on reconciliation as survivance rather than recognition.
Analysis and quantification of systems – a formalized definition of reliability topologies and characteristic values for system quantification
Authors: Junglas M , Kazeminia A , Eick R , Soeffker D
Published: December 2011

The necessity for analysis, quantification, and optimization of mechatronic systems is growing in importance. Mechatronic systems combine methods and approaches from the mechanical, the electrical, and the information science domains. To make quantification of systems possible, the interfaces between these domains have to be described in a reusable manner. Especially during the development process, mechatronic systems need to be quantified with respect to their reliability characteristics. Decisions at an early design phase with respect to topology and hardware parameters regarding satisfying the requirements have to be quantified with respect to their reliability properties. The strongest requirements by law are focused on reliability and safety-oriented aspects of safety-relevant systems or components. This approach introduces a method supporting reliability evaluation from the early stage of design through to production. Here a new form of system structure description is introduced. This allows for the description of conflicts between several additional aspects such as cost and spatial needs, and possibly the consideration of alternatives. Based on the previously-mentioned description, parametrical and structural optimization can be realized, which will be the focus of forthcoming papers. This paper describes the necessary formal step from system specification to the formal system description. During the design stage, when relevant system factors are determined, the system architecture is designed and a function-oriented topology tree is generated. The development of a reliability-oriented topology, considering the reliability-oriented aspects, can be carried out.

In particular, costs, as important parameters for decisions about product design and production, can be integrated and considered. This approach deals with the formalized quantification of system reliability-related topology and related interdependencies with respect to the reliability characteristics. Therefore all domains of the mechatronic systems are considered.
A modularized framework for predictive maintenance scheduling
Authors: You Ming-Yi , Meng Guang
Published: December 2011

This paper presents a modularized, easy-to-implement framework for predictive maintenance scheduling. With a modularization treatment of a maintenance scheduling model, a predictive maintenance scheduling model can be established by integrating components’ real-time, sensory-updated prognostics information with a classical preventive maintenance/condition-based maintenance scheduling model. With the framework, a predictive maintenance scheduling model for multi-component systems is established to illustrate the framework’s use; such a predictive maintenance scheduling model for multi-component systems has not been reported previously in the literature. A numerical example is provided to investigate the individual-orientation and dynamic updating characteristics of the optimal preventive maintenance schedules of the established predictive maintenance scheduling model and to evaluate the performance of these preventive maintenance schedules. It is hoped that the presented framework will facilitate the implementation of predictive maintenance policies in various industrial applications.
De la Caffinière thumb trapeziometacarpal joint arthroplasty: 16–26 year follow-up
Authors: Johnston P. , Getgood A. , Larson D. , Chojnowski A. J. , Chakrabarti A. J. , Chapman P. G.
Published: December 2011

Seventy-one patients (93 implants) had a de la Caffinière prosthesis implanted between 1980 and 1989 and were reviewed and reported in 1997. We reviewed this series 10 years later. Similar outcome measures were used as in the original study, pinch and grip strength measured and validated outcome scores obtained (DASH and EQ-5D). Radiographic outcome was assessed. Twenty-six patients with 39 implants were available for review at a mean of 19 years (range, 16–26 years). Survivorship at 26 years was 73.9% (95% CI, 61.2 to 86.6) for re-operation and 26.0% (95% CI, 0 to 52.7) for all failure. Patients had satisfactory power and thumb mobility and continued to be satisfied without pain. Registries should log such prostheses and add to implant survival data.
Fibre bundles in the human extensor carpi ulnaris tendon are arranged in a spiral
Authors: Kalson N. S. , Malone P. S. C. , Bradley R. S. , Withers P. J. , Lees V. C.
Published: December 2011

The extensor carpi ulnaris musculotendinous unit has important agonist and antagonist action in wrist motion, including the dart-throwing action, and is a dynamic stabilizer of the distal radioulnar joint during forearm rotation. Despite its functional and clinical importance, little is known about its internal structure. Investigation of the ultrastructure of the human extensor carpi ulnaris (ECU) tendon was undertaken using plane polarized light microscopy and microcomputer tomography with 3D reconstruction. The study demonstrates that the tendon comprises fibre bundles (fascicles) approximately 0.1 mm in diameter that are arranged in a gradual spiral. The spiralling fibres make an angle of 8º to the longitudinal axis of the tendon. The spiral structure of the human ECU tendon has important biomechanical implications, allowing fascicular sliding during forearm rotation. The observed features may prevent injury.
Rumination Syndrome
Authors: Becker Patricia J.
Published: December 2011

Rumination syndrome is an underdiagnosed condition that has, historically, been limited to infants, toddlers, and children with developmental disability. Only recently has this disorder been increasingly diagnosed in older pediatric patients, including adolescents.
The Cult of the Dead, Fetishism, and the Genesis of an Idea: Megalithic Monuments and the Tree and Pillar Cult of Arthur J. Evans
Authors: Harlan Deborah
Published: December 2011

Arthur Evans is most noted for his work in Crete, particularly the excavation of the Palace of Knossos, which he began in the year 1900. As a consequence, Arthur Evans' earlier archaeology is often overlooked. This paper focuses on a series of lectures, largely unpublished, on the development of megalithic monuments and the religious cult they embodied, delivered by Evans in 1885. Evans' ideas of cult were embedded in contemporary late nineteenth century anthropological concepts set within an evolutionary context. This paper shows that these underlying ideas were also evident in Evans' later writings on the Aegean: notably, the famous article on the Tree and Pillar Cult that formed the basis of his concept of Minoan religion. By contextualizing Evans' early work, we gain a fuller understanding of why he prioritized certain information in constructing his concept of a Minoan civilization.
The phosducin-like protein PhLP1 impacts regulation of glycoside hydrolases and light response in Trichoderma reesei
Authors: Tisch Doris , Kubicek Christian P , Schmoll Monika
Published: December 2011

Background

In the biotechnological workhorse Trichoderma reesei (Hypocrea jecorina) transcription of cellulase genes as well as efficiency of the secreted cellulase mixture are modulated by light. Components of the heterotrimeric G-protein pathway interact with light-dependent signals, rendering this pathway a key regulator of cellulase gene expression.

Results

As regulators of heterotrimeric G-protein signaling, class I phosducin-like proteins, are assumed to act as co-chaperones for G-protein beta-gamma folding and exert their function in response to light in higher eukaryotes. Our results revealed light responsive transcription of the T. reesei class I phosducin-like protein gene phlp1 and indicate a light dependent function of PhLP1 also in fungi. We showed the functions of PhLP1, GNB1 and GNG1 in the same pathway, with one major output being the regulation of transcription of glycoside hydrolase genes including cellulase genes in T. reesei. We found no direct correlation between the growth rate and global regulation of glycoside hydrolases, which suggests that regulation of growth does not occur only at the level of substrate degradation efficiency.

Additionally, PhLP1, GNB1 and GNG1 are all important for proper regulation of light responsiveness during long term exposure. In their absence, the amount of light regulated genes increased from 2.7% in wild type to 14% in Δphlp1. Besides from the regulation of degradative enzymes, PhLP1 was also found to impact on the transcription of genes involved in sexual development, which was in accordance with decreased efficiency of fruiting body formation in Δphlp1. The lack of GNB1 drastically diminished ascospore discharge in T. reesei.

Conclusions

The heterotrimeric G-protein pathway is crucial for the interconnection of nutrient signaling and light response of T. reesei, with the class I phosducin-like protein PhLP1, GNB1 and GNG1 acting as important nodes, which influence light responsiveness, glycoside hydrolase gene transcription and sexual development.
The nestin-expressing and non-expressing neurons in rat basal forebrain display different electrophysiological properties and project to hippocampus
Authors: Zhu Jianhua , Gu Huaiyu , Yao Zhibin , Zou Juntao , Guo Kaihua , Li Dongpei , Gao Tianming
Published: December 2011

Background

Nestin-immunoreactive (nestin-ir) neurons have been identified in the medial septal/diagonal band complex (MS/DBB) of adult rat and human, but the significance of nestin expression in functional neurons is not clear. This study investigated electrophysiological properties and neurochemical phenotypes of nestin-expressing (nestin+) neurons using whole-cell recording combined with single-cell RT-PCR to explore the significance of nestin expression in functional MS/DBB neurons. The retrograde labelling and immunofluorescence were used to investigate the nestin+ neuron related circuit in the septo-hippocampal pathway.

Results

The results of single-cell RT-PCR showed that 87.5% (35/40) of nestin+ cells expressed choline acetyltransferase mRNA (ChAT+), only 44.3% (35/79) of ChAT+ cells expressed nestin mRNA. Furthermore, none of the nestin+ cells expressed glutamic acid decarboxylases 67 (GAD67) or vesicular glutamate transporters (VGLUT) mRNA. All of the recorded nestin+ cells were excitable and demonstrated slow-firing properties, which were distinctive from those of GAD67 or VGLUT mRNA-positive neurons. These results show that the MS/DBB cholinergic neurons could be divided into nestin-expressing cholinergic neurons (NEChs) and nestin non-expressing cholinergic neurons (NNChs). Interestingly, NEChs had higher excitability and received stronger spontaneous excitatory synaptic inputs than NNChs. Retrograde labelling combined with choline acetyltransferase and nestin immunofluorescence showed that both of the NEChs and NNChs projected to hippocampus.

Conclusions

These results suggest that there are two parallel cholinergic septo-hippocampal pathways that may have different functions. The significance of nestin expressing in functional neurons has been discussed.
The association of APE1 −656T > G and 1349 T > G polymorphisms and cancer risk: a meta-analysis based on 37 case-control studies
Authors: Zhou Bin , Shan Hailin , Su Ying , Xia Kai , Shao Xiaxia , Mao Weidong , Shao Qing
Published: December 2011

Background

APE1 (apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease 1) is an important DNA repair protein in the base excision repair pathway. Polymorphisms in APE1 have been implicated in susceptibility to cancer; however, results from the published studies remained inconclusive. The objective of this study was to conduct a meta-analysis investigating the association between polymorphisms in APE1 and the risk for cancer.

Methods

The PubMed and Embase databases were searched for case-control studies published up to June, 2011 that investigated APE1 polymorphisms and cancer risk. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to assess the strength of the associations.

Results

Two polymorphisms (−656 T > G, rs1760944 and 1349 T > G, rs1130409) in 37 case-control studies including 15, 544 cancer cases and 21, 109 controls were analyzed. Overall, variant genotypes (GG and TG/GG) of −656 T > G polymorphism were associated with significantly decreased cancer risk in homozygote comparison (OR = 0.81, 95%CI: 0.67-0.97), dominant model comparison (OR = 0.89, 95%CI: 0.81-0.97) and recessive model comparison (OR = 0.90, 95%CI: 0.82-0.98), whereas the 1349 T > G polymorphism had no effects on overall cancer risk. In the stratified analyses for −656 T > G polymorphism, there was a significantly decreased risk of lung cancer and among Asian populations.

Conclusions

Although some modest bias could not be eliminated, the meta-analysis suggests that APE1 −656 T > G polymorphism has a possible protective effect on cancer risk particularly among Asian populations whereas 1349 T > G polymorphism does not contribute to the development of cancer.
Downregulation of SAV1 plays a role in pathogenesis of high-grade clear cell renal cell carcinoma
Authors: Matsuura Keiko , Nakada Chisato , Mashio Mizuho , Narimatsu Takahiro , Yoshimoto Taichiro , Tanigawa Masato , Tsukamoto Yoshiyuki , Hijiya Naoki , Takeuchi Ichiro , Nomura Takeo , Sato Fuminori , Mimata Hiromitsu , Seto Masao , Moriyama Masatsugu
Published: December 2011

Background

Clinical outcome of patients with high-grade ccRCC (clear cell renal cell carcinoma) remains still poor despite recent advances in treatment strategies. Molecular mechanism of pathogenesis in developing high-grade ccRCC must be clarified. In the present study, we found that SAV1 was significantly downregulated with copy number loss in high-grade ccRCCs. Therefore, we investigated the SAV1 function on cell proliferation and apoptosis in vitro. Furthermore, we attempted to clarify the downstream signaling which is regulated by SAV1.

Methods

We performed array CGH and gene expression analysis of 8 RCC cell lines (786-O, 769-P, KMRC-1, KMRC-2, KMRC-3, KMRC-20, TUHR4TKB, and Caki-2), and expression level of mRNA was confirmed by quantitative RT-PCR (qRT-PCR) analysis. We next re-expressed SAV1 in 786-O cells, and analyzed its colony-forming activity. Then, we transfected siRNAs of SAV1 into the kidney epithelial cell line HK2 and renal proximal tubule epithelial cells (RPTECs), and analyzed their proliferation and apoptosis. Furthermore, the activity of YAP1, which is a downstream molecule of SAV1, was evaluated by western blot analysis, reporter assay and immunohistochemical analysis.

Results

We found that SAV1, a component of the Hippo pathway, is frequently downregulated in high-grade ccRCC. SAV1 is located on chromosome 14q22.1, where copy number loss had been observed in 7 of 12 high-grade ccRCCs in our previous study, suggesting that gene copy number loss is responsible for the downregulation of SAV1. Colony-forming activity by 786-O cells, which show homozygous loss of SAV1, was significantly reduced when SAV1 was re-introduced exogenously. Knockdown of SAV1 promoted proliferation of HK2 and RPTEC. Although the phosphorylation level of YAP1 was low in 786-O cells, it was elevated in SAV1-transduced 786-O cells. Furthermore, the transcriptional activity of the YAP1 and TEAD3 complex was inhibited in SAV1-transduced 786-O cells. Immunohistochemistry frequently demonstrated nuclear localization of YAP1 in ccRCC cases with SAV1 downregulation, and it was preferentially detected in high-grade ccRCC.

Conclusions

Taken together, downregulation of SAV1 and the consequent YAP1 activation are involved in the pathogenesis of high-grade ccRCC. It is an attractive hypothesis that Hippo signaling could be candidates for new therapeutic target.
℮-conome: an automated tissue counting platform of cone photoreceptors for rodent models of retinitis pigmentosa
Authors: Clérin Emmanuelle , Wicker Nicolas , Mohand-Saïd Saddek , Poch Olivier , Sahel José-Alain , Léveillard Thierry
Published: December 2011

Background

Retinitis pigmentosa is characterized by the sequential loss of rod and cone photoreceptors. The preservation of cones would prevent blindness due to their essential role in human vision. Rod-derived Cone Viability Factor is a thioredoxin-like protein that is secreted by rods and is involved in cone survival. To validate the activity of Rod-derived Cone Viability Factors (RdCVFs) as therapeutic agents for treating retinitis Pigmentosa, we have developed e-conome, an automated cell counting platform for retinal flat mounts of rodent models of cone degeneration. This automated quantification method allows for faster data analysis thereby accelerating translational research.

Methods

An inverted fluorescent microscope, motorized and coupled to a CCD camera records images of cones labeled with fluorescent peanut agglutinin lectin on flat-mounted retinas. In an average of 300 fields per retina, nine Z-planes at magnification X40 are acquired after two-stage autofocus individually for each field. The projection of the stack of 9 images is subject to a threshold, filtered to exclude aberrant images based on preset variables. The cones are identified by treating the resulting image using 13 variables empirically determined. The cone density is calculated over the 300 fields.

Results

The method was validated by comparison to the conventional stereological counting. The decrease in cone density in rd1 mouse was found to be equivalent to the decrease determined by stereological counting. We also studied the spatiotemporal pattern of the degeneration of cones in the rd1 mouse and show that while the reduction in cone density starts in the central part of the retina, cone degeneration progresses at the same speed over the whole retinal surface. We finally show that for mice with an inactivation of the Nucleoredoxin-like genes Nxnl1 or Nxnl2 encoding RdCVFs, the loss of cones is more pronounced in the ventral retina.

Conclusion

The automated platform ℮-conome used here for retinal disease is a tool that can broadly accelerate translational research for neurodegenerative diseases.
Prognostic factors for disability claim duration due to musculoskeletal symptoms among self-employed persons
Authors: Richter JM , Blatter BM , Heinrich J , de Vroome EMM , Anema JR
Published: December 2011

Background

Employees and self-employed persons have, among others, different personal characteristics and different working conditions, which may influence the prognosis of sick leave and the duration of a disability claim. The purpose of the current study is to identify prognostic factors for the duration of a disability claim due to non-specific musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) among self-employed persons in the Netherlands.

Methods

The study population consisted of 276 self-employed persons, who all had a disability claim episode due to MSD with at least 75% work disability. The study was a cohort study with a follow-up period of 12 months. At baseline, participants filled in a questionnaire with possible individual, work-related and disease-related prognostic factors.

Results

The following prognostic factors significantly increased claim duration: age > 40 years (Hazard Ratio 0.54), no similar symptoms in the past (HR 0.46), having long-lasting symptoms of more than six months (HR 0.60), self-predicted return to work within more than one month or never (HR 0.24) and job dissatisfaction (HR 0.54).

Conclusions

The prognostic factors we found indicate that for self-employed persons, the duration of a disability claim not only depends on the (history of) impairment of the insured, but also on age, self-predicted return to work and job satisfaction.
Differences in fruit and vegetable intake and their determinants among 11-year-old schoolchildren between 2003 and 2009
Authors: Fischer Claudia , Brug Johannes , Tak Nannah I , Yngve Agneta , te Velde Saskia J
Published: December 2011

Background

Fruit and vegetable (FV) intake in children in the Netherlands is much lower than recommended. Recurrent appraisal of intake levels is important for detecting changes in intake over time and to inform future interventions and policies. The aim of the present study was to investigate differences in fruit and vegetable intake, and whether these could be explained by differences in potential determinants of FV intake in 11-year-old Dutch schoolchildren, by comparing two school samples assessed in 2003 and 2009.

Methods

For 1105 children of the Pro Children study in 2003 and 577 children of the Pro Greens study in 2009 complete data on intake and behavioural determinants were available. The self-administered questionnaire included questions on children's ethnicity, usual fruit and vegetable intake, mother's educational level, and important potential determinants of fruit and vegetable intake.

Multiple regression analysis was applied to test for differences in intake and determinants between study samples. Mediation analyses were used to investigate whether the potential mediators explained the differences in intake between the two samples.

Results

In 2009, more children complied with the World Health Organization recommendation of 400 g fruit and vegetables per day (17.0%) than in 2003 (11.8%, p = 0.004). Fruit consumption was significantly higher in the sample of 2009 than in the sample of 2003 (difference = 23.8 (95%CI: 8.1; 39.5) grams/day). This difference was mainly explained by a difference in the parental demand regarding their child's intake (23.6%), followed by the child's knowledge of the fruit recommendation (14.2%) and parental facilitation of consumption (18.5%). Vegetable intake was lower in the 2009 sample than in the 2003 sample (12.3 (95%CI -21.0; -3.6). This difference could not be explained by the assessed mediators.

Conclusions

The findings indicate that fruit intake among 11-year-olds improved somewhat between 2003 and 2009. Vegetable intake, however, appears to have declined somewhat between 2003 and 2009. Since a better knowledge of the recommendation, parental demand and facilitation explained most of the observed fruit consumption difference, future interventions may specifically address these potential mediators. Further, the provision of vegetables in the school setting should be considered in order to increase children's vegetable intake.
Stability criteria for linear Hamiltonian dynamic systems on time scales
Authors: He Xiaofei , Tang Xianhua , Zhang Qi-Ming
Published: December 2011

In this article, we establish some stability criteria for the polar linear Hamiltonian dynamic system on time scales

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by using Floquet theory and Lyapunov-type inequalities.

2000 Mathematics Subject Classification: 39A10.
Modularity analysis based on predicted protein-protein interactions provides new insights into pathogenicity and cellular process of Escherichia coli O157:H7
Authors: Wang Xia , Yue Junjie , Ren Xianwen , Wang Yuelan , Tan Mingfeng , LI Beiping , Liang Long
Published: December 2011

Background

With the development of experimental techniques and bioinformatics, the quantity of data available from protein-protein interactions (PPIs) is increasing exponentially. Functional modules can be identified from protein interaction networks. It follows that the investigation of functional modules will generate a better understanding of cellular organization, processes, and functions. However, experimental PPI data are still limited, and no modularity analysis of PPIs in pathogens has been published to date.

Results

In this study, we predict and analyze the functional modules of E. coli O157:H7 systemically by integrating several bioinformatics methods. After evaluation, most of the predicted modules are found to be biologically significant and functionally homogeneous. Six pathogenicity-related modules were discovered and analyzed, including novel modules. These modules provided new information on the pathogenicity of O157:H7. The modularity of cellular function and cooperativity between modules are also discussed. Moreover, modularity analysis of O157:H7 can provide possible candidates for biological pathway extension and clues for discovering new pathways of cross-talk.

Conclusions

This article provides the first modularity analysis of a pathogen and sheds new light on the study of pathogens and cellular processes. Our study also provides a strategy for applying modularity analysis to any sequenced organism.
Successful Treatment of Novel H1N1 Influenza related Fulminant Myocarditis with Extracorporeal Life Support
Authors: Mohite Prashant Nanasaheb , Popov Aron Frederik , Bartsch Armin , Zych Bartlomiej , Dhar Dhruva , Moza Ajay , Krueger Heike , Simon André Ruediger
Published: December 2011

The prevalence of myocardial involvement in influenza infection ranges from 0% to 12%. The 2009 pH1N1 influenza virus, formerly known as swine flu, first appeared in Mexico and the United States of America in March and April 2009 and has swept the globe with unprecedented speed. We report a case of fulminant myocarditis associated with this virus treated successfully using extra-corporal membrane oxygenator.
Quality of life measures in Italian children with atopic dermatitis and their families
Authors: Monti Fiorella , Agostini Francesca , Gobbi Francesca , Neri Erica , Schianchi Sandra , Arcangeli Fabio
Published: December 2011

Background

The impact of atopic dermatitis (AD) on children's quality of life (QoL) in US and European countries is relatively well known, though rarely evaluated in the Italian population. Moreover, the association between child age and QoL has not been enough investigated, even though few studies detected a worse QoL in youngest AD children. The aim of the study was to evaluate the QoL in an Italian sample of atopic children and their families, also exploring a possible association with child age.

Methods

60 AD children aged between 1-12 years and their mothers completed specific QoL questionnaires (IDQoL/CDLQI, DFI) and a clinician completed a measure of AD severity (SCORAD).

Results

AD severity (Objective SCORAD) significantly correlated with QoL measures. Severe AD children showed higher IDQoL/CDLQI and DFI scores compared to mild and moderate AD groups (P = 0.006 and P < 0.0005, respectively), but only DFI scores differed in these last two conditions (P = 0.014). DFI scores negatively correlated with children's age (P = 0.046), but did not differ when considering child age ranges. Multiple linear regression analyses revealed a significant association between Objective SCORAD and QoL measures.

Conclusions

A strong association between severe AD and poor QoL, both in children and mothers, was found in the Italian sample, in line with the international literature. Family's QoL scores were sensitively related to AD severity, more than the child's QoL, emphasising that the disease has a deep impact on the family. A significant association between age and QoL was only partially found and needs further investigation.
Correlation of antinuclear antibody and anti-double-stranded DNA antibody with clinical response to infliximab in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a retrospective clinical study
Authors: Yukawa Naoichiro , Fujii Takao , Kondo-Ishikawa Seiko , Yoshifuji Hajime , Kawabata Daisuke , Nojima Takaki , Ohmura Koichiro , Usui Takashi , Mimori Tsuneyo
Published: December 2011

Introduction

The induction of antinuclear antibodies (ANAs) or anti-double-stranded (ds) -DNA antibodies (Abs) after infliximab (IFX) therapy in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a well-known phenomenon, but the correlation of such Abs with the clinical response to IFX has not yet been determined. The aims of this retrospective observational study were to examine the prevalence of positive ANA and anti-ds-DNA Abs before and after IFX therapy in patients with RA and to investigate whether an increased titer of such Abs is associated with the clinical efficacy of IFX.

Methods

One hundred eleven RA patients who had received IFX were studied. ANA (indirect immunofluorescence with HEp-2 cells) and anti-ds-DNA Abs (Farr assay) results were examined before and after IFX therapy.

Results

The overall clinical response assessed by EULAR response criteria was as follows: good response in 55%, including remission in 38%; moderate response in 18%; and no response (NOR) in 27%. The positivity of ANA (≥ 1:160) and anti-ds-DNA Abs significantly increased from 25% to 40% (P = 0.03) and from 3% to 26% (P < 0.001) after IFX, respectively. EULAR response differed significantly according to the ANA titer before IFX (P = 0.001), and the efficacy of IFX became worse as the ANA titer before starting IFX increased. Furthermore, the differences in the clinical response of the ANA titer before IFX ≤ 1:80 and ≥ 1:160 were significant (good, moderate, and no response were 66%, 9%, and 25% in ≤ 1:80 group versus 26%, 33%, 41% in ≥ 1:160 group, respectively; P < 0.001). In 13 patients whose ANA had increased after IFX, 10 showed NOR, only one showed a good response, and none reached remission. These clinical responses were significantly different from ANA no-change patients. In 21 patients with positive anti-ds-DNA Abs after IFX, 16 showed NOR, only two showed a good response, and none reached remission.

Conclusions

The present study suggests that the ANA titer before starting IFX predicts the clinical response to IFX. The increased titers of ANA or anti-ds-DNA Abs after IFX may be useful markers of NOR.
Epidemiologic study of clinically amyopathic dermatomyositis and anti-melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5 antibodies in central Japan
Authors: Muro Yoshinao , Sugiura Kazumitsu , Hoshino Kei , Akiyama Masashi , Tamakoshi Koji
Published: December 2011

Introduction

Several reports have found the onset or activity of inflammatory myopathies to show spatial clustering and seasonal association. We recently detected autoantibodies against melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5 (MDA-5) in more than 20% of patients with dermatomyositis. Anti-MDA-5 antibodies were associated with the presence of rapidly progressive interstitial lung disease in clinically amyopathic dermatomyositis (CADM). The present study aims to assess the growing prevalence of CADM and the geographical incidence of anti-MDA-5-positive patients.

Methods

We reviewed medical charts and examined the presence of anti-MDA-5 antibodies in 95 patients, including 36 CADM patients. Sera were obtained from 1994 through 2011. Statistical analyses were performed to assess whether CADM development and the presence of anti-MDA-5 antibodies were associated with various parameters, including age at disease onset, season of onset, annual positivity, and population of resident city.

Results

Tertiles based on the year when the sera were collected showed increasing tendencies of CADM and anti-MDA-5-positive patients among all of the dermatomyositis patients. From 1994 to 2010, the relative prevalence of CADM and anti-MDA-5 antibody-positive patients significantly increased. Interestingly, the presence of anti-MDA-5 antibodies in 26 patients was inversely associated with the population of their city of residence.

Conclusions

This is the first study to examine the distribution of anti-MDA-5-positive dermatomyositis phenotypes in Japan. Regional differences in the incidences of these phenotypes would suggest that environmental factors contribute to the production of antibodies against MDA-5, which triggers innate antiviral responses.
Differential form and numerical implementation of Biot’s poroelasticity equations with squirt dissipation
Authors: Carcione José M. , Gurevich Boris
Published: December 2011

The squirt-flow wave attenuation mechanism is implemented in Biot’s theory of poroelasticity in the form of differential equations. All the stiffnesses involved in the stress-strain relation become complex and frequency dependent, which can exactly be expressed in terms of kernels based on the Zener mechanical model. In the time domain, this approach implies time convolutions, which are circumvented by introducing memory variables. The differential equations are consistent with Gassmann’s and Mavko-Jizba equations at low and high frequencies, respectively. All the coefficients in the poro-viscoelastic differential equations have a clear physical meaning and can be obtained or estimated from independent measurements. The key additional parameters are the dry-rock bulk modulus at a confining pressure where all the compliant pores are closed, i.e., a hypothetical rock without the soft porosity, the grain-contact aspect ratio and the compliant porosity. We recasted the wave equation in the particle-velocity/stress formulation and solved it by using a time-splitting technique and the Fourier pseudospectral method to compute the spatial derivatives. The algorithm can be used to obtain synthetic wave fields in inhomogeneous media.
Multiple-input adaptive seismic noise canceller for the attenuation of nonstationary coherent noise
Authors: Sanchis Charlotte , Hanssen Alfred
Published: December 2011

Attenuation of coherent noise, typically weather generated noise and more specifically swell noise, is a major concern in seismic. Such noise, usually characterized by its low-frequency content and high amplitudes, is a common problem in seismic acquisition and, in particular, for marine data. We propose a multiple-input adaptive noise canceller as a solution to attenuate nonstationary coherent noise. This filter uses multiple noise sequences to estimate the noise contained in each trace. This noise estimate is then subtracted to obtain an estimate of the trace whose coherent noise has been attenuated. For the implementation of the adaptive filter, we use a variable step-size normalized least mean squares algorithm, as it is known for its simplicity and robustness. In addition, we demonstrate that variable step-size is necessary for this filter to adapt to the changing statistics of the seismic data. This method is tested on real marine seismic data and compared to a time-frequency median filter and a second-order high-pass Butterworth filter. We demonstrate that the multiple-input adaptive noise canceller is a powerful and efficient filter to attenuate swell noise while preserving the seismic reflections. Depending on the noise configuration, it can be used either by itself or in combination with a time-frequency median filter to obtain the best results.
Data-driven, target-oriented, kinematic prediction and subtraction of multiples from pure and mode-converted multicomponent data
Authors: Cao Juanjuan , McMechan George A.
Published: December 2011

Most multiple removal algorithms focus on multiples of primary P-wave reflections; removal of multiples of converted reflections have not received comparable attention, so explicit consideration is overdue. A target-oriented algorithm predicts converted wave multiples by coupling apparent slownesses, and then subtracts them from elastic common-source data in a data-adaptive window. Prediction is based on matching apparent slownesses in common-source and common-receiver gathers at all source and receiver locations along the propagation path. Predictions use only offset and traveltime, of the primary pure and converted waves that produce the multiples, picked from common-source gathers, and the slownesses calculated from them. Higher-order multiples can be predicted by repeating this process to match slownesses at a sequence of alternating source and receiver locations in turn. Primary reflections (e.g., SS, SP, and PS) that are considered to be noise, can also be subtracted. The predictions are data-driven and require no velocities, angles, reflector orientations or free-surface topography. Any single component (usually vertical) may be used to identify and pick the traveltimes. The resulting predictions are also valid for all other components. The subtraction involves flattening the predicted time trajectory of the multiple, followed by trace averaging to estimate the local wavelet at each location in a moving trace and time window that contains the wavelet of the multiple. The subtraction is data-adaptive, and implicitly involves amplitude and phase information, so separate or prior estimation of the source time or directivity functions is not required. Two synthetic examples showed that the slowness-based algorithm is successful in predicting and reducing converted wave multiples in an elastic medium. Migrated P-wave subsurface images are generated before and after multiple removal to evaluate the performance. Polarity correction of the horizontal component (either before or after subtraction) ensures coherent stacking.