bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Value of Real-Time Vegetation Fraction to Forecasts of Severe Convection in High-Resolution Models
Authors: James Kenneth A. , Stensrud David J. , Yussouf Nusrat
Published: July 2008

Near-real-time values of vegetation fraction are incorporated into a 2-km nested version of the Advanced Research Weather Research and Forecasting (ARW) model and compared to forecasts from a control run that uses climatological values of vegetation fraction for eight severe weather events during 2004. It is hypothesized that an improved partitioning of surface sensible and latent heat fluxes occurs when incorporating near-real-time values of the vegetation fraction into models, which may result in improved forecasts of the low-level environmental conditions that support convection and perhaps even lead to improved explicit convective forecasts. Five of the severe weather events occur in association with weak synoptic-scale forcing, while three of the events occur in association with moderate or strong synoptic-scale forcing.

Results show that using the near-real-time values of the vegetation fraction alters the values and structure of low-level temperature and dewpoint temperature fields compared to the forecasts using climatological vegetation fractions. The environmental forecasts that result from using the real-time vegetation fraction are more thermodynamically supportive of convection, including stronger and deeper frontogenetic circulations, and statistically significant improvements of most unstable CAPE forecasts compared to the control run. However, despite the improved environmental forecasts, the explicit convective forecasts using real-time vegetation fractions show little to no improvement over the control forecasts. The convective forecasts are generally poor under weak synoptic-scale forcing and generally good under strong synoptic-scale forcing. These results suggest that operational forecasters can best use high-resolution forecasts to help diagnose environmental conditions within an ingredients-based forecasting approach.
Predicting Atlantic Tropical Cyclone Seasonal Activity in April
Authors: Keith Elinor , Xie Lian
Published: July 2008

Seasonal hurricane forecasts are continuing to develop skill, although they are still subject to large uncertainties. This study uses a new methodology of cross-correlating variables against empirical orthogonal functions (EOFs) of the hurricane track density function (HTDF) to select predictors. These predictors are used in a regression model for forecasting seasonal named storm, hurricane, and major hurricane activity in the entire Atlantic, the Caribbean Sea, and the Gulf of Mexico. In addition, a scheme for predicting landfalling tropical systems along the U.S. Gulf of Mexico, southeastern, and northeastern coastlines is developed, but predicting landfalling storms adds an extra layer of uncertainty to an already complex problem, and on the whole these predictions do not perform as well.

The model performs well in the basin-wide predictions over the entire Atlantic and Caribbean, with the predictions showing an improvement over climatology and random chance at a 95% confidence level. Over the Gulf of Mexico, only named storms showed that level of predictability. Predicting landfalls proves more difficult, and only the prediction of named storms along the U.S. southeastern and Gulf coasts shows an improvement over random chance at the 95% confidence level. Tropical cyclone activity along the U.S. northeastern coast is found to be unpredictable in this model; with the rarity of events, the model is unstable.
Chronological and Clinical Characteristics of Apnea Associated With Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection: A Retrospective Case Series
Authors: Arms Joseph Leo , Ortega Henry , Reid Samuel
Published: July 2008

Objective Infants with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection are at risk for developing apnea. The authors compared patients with RSV infection who develop apnea with those who do not, to help ambulatory physicians risk stratify their patients with RSV infection.

Methods Entry criteria were age less than 1 year, RSV infection, and presentation to the authors' pediatric emergency departments. Random and weighted sampling techniques were used to identify the study group and provide the control sample. Charts were abstracted for 34 clinical variables.

Results The study group consisted of 42 patients with apnea, and the control group consisted of 198 patients without apnea. Logistic regression analysis identified 2 independent variables associated with apnea: young age and presentation with apnea. Most patients with apnea were less than 2 months of age and were ill for less than 5 days.

Conclusions Age and duration of illness may help clinicians determine which previously healthy infants are at risk for apnea.
Biblical Studies in Poland
Authors: Wojciechowski Michael
Published: July 2008

Poland has a rich history of translating and commenting on the Bible (five full translations in the sixteenth century; seven in the last fifty years). During the twentieth century Polish academic life was being restored. It has promoted the theological studies as well. More than two hundred biblical scholars produce now nearly 1,000 books, articles, reviews and papers per year, but rarely in foreign languages.
A Transgenerational Model of Status Attainment: the Potential Mediating Role of School Motivation and Education
Authors: Schoon Ingrid
Published: July 2008

This paper examines the influences of parental social status, childhood cognitive ability, school motivation and education on social status attainment in early adulthood. Using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM), a pathway model of transgenerational status attainment is conceptualised, taking into account the context as well as the timing of individual status transitions. The subjects were 3104 men and 3229 women who participated in the 1958 National Child Development Study and 3049 men and 2692 women from the 1970 British Cohort Study, following their lives from childhood to their mid-thirties. The findings suggest that in both cohorts the number of years spent in full-time education is by far the most important determinant of status attainment among men and women and that there are persistent social inequalities in status attainment. The findings furthermore confirm the hypothesis that social background and cognitive ability are partially mediated through school motivation and education, opening up leverage for possible interventions.
Metapragmatic comments indexing conversational practices of preschool children in institutional discourse
Authors: Yifat Rachel , Zadunaisky-Ehrlich Sara
Published: July 2008

The aim of the present study was to reveal the criteria of conversational appropriateness displayed to children (age range: 3;01—4;09 and 5;0—6;05) through adults' metapragmatic comments in preschool and kindergarten settings. The study focused on two categories of comments: violation of a discourse maxim and discourse management. The results indicate a distinct pattern of use of metapragmatic comments by the adults. Teachers tend to conduct the discourse mainly by allocating turns to the children and to indicate the violation of the degree of informativeness (maxim of quantity), signaling to the children the shortcomings of their responses. Considering the differences between the educational frameworks of the two age groups (preschool vs. kindergarten) we expected to find that teachers' comments reflect their acknowledgement of the level of the children's developing conversational skills. However, this expectation was not met in any of the categories and subcategories of metapragmatic comments. The findings lead us to discuss their impact on the children's pragmatic and conversational skills that are still in the process of forming.
The Impact of Innovation on a Polluting Firm's Regulation Driven Decision to Upgrade Its Capital Stock
Authors: Batabyal Amitrajeet A. , Nijkamp Peter
Published: July 2008

The extant literature has paid scant theoretical attention to the tripartite interaction among increasing environmental regulations, the resulting decision by a polluting firm to upgrade its capital stock, and the impact of innovation on this decision. Hence, the authors theoretically analyze this tripartite interaction when a polluting firm faces adjustment costs to upgrade its capital stock. First, they construct a dynamic model of regulation driven investment by a polluting firm. Second, they specify the conditions characterizing efficient investment. Third, they study the impact of an unanticipated increase in innovation on the polluting firm's steady-state capital stock. Fourth, they analyze the impact of an anticipated increase in innovation on the polluting firm's steady-state capital stock. Finally, the authors discuss the relationship between the polluting firm's internal shadow price of capital and the stock market value of a unit of this firm's capital.
Peripheral Vision
Authors: Stavrakakis Yannis
Published: July 2008

Psychoanalysis, and especially the work of Jacques Lacan, has not been adequately utilized within organization studies. This paper argues that Lacan's teaching has the potential to enrich discussions within this field and to suggest fruitful orientations for future research. Analysing some of the central concepts and theoretical logics introduced by Lacan (such as lack, desire, the symbolic, enjoyment and fantasy), it explores the desire behind identity construction (agency), the reliance of this desire on processes of subjection to the socio-symbolic order (structure), as well as the limits marking both these domains. It argues that Lacanian theory can illuminate the (negative) dialectic between subject and organized Other and account for obedience and attachment to organized frameworks of social life in two ways: first, by focusing on the symbolic presuppositions of authority and power; and, second, by exploring the role of fantasy and enjoyment in sustaining them and in neutralizing resistance.
Characterization of Age- and Gender-related Changes in the Spleen and Thymus from Control Cynomolgus Macaques Used in Toxicity Studies
Authors: Spoor Melanie S. , Radi Zaher A. , Dunstan Robert W.
Published: July 2008

Age- and gender-related lymphoid tissue variability in control male and female monkeys of various ages (under three years; three to six years; seven to fifteen years) was characterized. Spleen and thymus organ weights, organ-to-body and organ-to-brain ratios, morphology by light microscopy, and B- and T-cell immunohistochemistry (IHC) were evaluated. Splenic weights and ratios were not significantly different between various age groups or genders, except males and females in the three-to-six-years age group, who exhibited statistically significant changes from the under-three-years age group. No differences in the number of primary follicles, secondary follicles with germinal centers, B-cell follicles, and periarterial lymphoid sheath were seen between age groups or genders, and no trends were noted in the spleen. By IHC, no differences were observed in B- and T-cell splenic densities. Several age- and gender-related changes in weights and ratios were noted in the thymus. The thymus had a trend toward increased interlobular fat infiltration with increasing age in both males and females. Thymic delineation of the cortex and medulla was significantly decreased in the seven-to-fifteen-years age group for males only. The cortex-to-medulla ratio was significantly lower only in males in the seven-to-fifteen-years age group. B- and T-cell cellular density did not change across various ages.
Textbook trends in teaching language testing
Authors: Davies Alan
Published: July 2008

The article examines changes in language testing textbooks in English since Lado (1961) and proposes that two trends may be discerned. The first shows how the growing professionalism of the field has required an expansion in teaching materials to meet the need for new training programmes. What the expansion also shows is the desire, again a mark of increasing professionalism, to provide all teaching resources from within the profession so that for needed skills (e.g. statistics and measurement) it is now less necessary to appeal to outsiders such as statisticians and psychometricians. The second trend explains the need for the profession to expand its view of the skills needed by its members. From Lado onwards, skills were always conjoined with knowledge about language and about testing. More recently, the profession has explicitly declared a concern for principles with regard, for example, to validity and to ethics. The increasing professionalism comes at a cost: that cost is twofold: in-housing all resources means that language testers are increasingly insulated from other potentially rewarding disciplines. And the complete resource offerings in the later teaching materials means that students may be denied empirical encounters with real language learners, spending all (or much of) their training within the resource material. The article also questions how far research has informed the changes in training materials.
The Orentlicher Principles on the Preservation and Access to Archives Bearing Witness to Human Rights Violations
Authors: Mnjama Nathan
Published: July 2008

This article examines Diane Orentlicher's ' Updated Set of Principles for the Protection and Promotion of Human Rights through Action to Combat Impunity' and their implications for African countries. The article argues that these principles provide avenues through which records relating to human rights violations, abuses and those arising out of truth and reconciliation commissions may be preserved and made accessible as part of a nation's collective memory. The article further examines how these principles are currently applied to the management of South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission archives, though the principles themselves were formulated after the Commission had finalized its work. The article concludes by examining the possibility of adopting these principles by African governments.
Factors Influencing the Adoption and Development of Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETD) Programs, with Particular Reference to the Arab Gulf States
Authors: Al Salmi Jamal
Published: July 2008

This paper aims to establish the framework for understanding the positive and negative factors affecting the adoption and development of electronic theses and dissertations (ETD) programs with particular reference to the situation in the Arab Gulf States. The reviewed literature shows that several interrelated factors have been found to encourage the adoption and development of ETD programs in university libraries: the appreciation of the benefits of ETD programs, awareness of these programs, and effective promotional and advocacy work that lead to cultural changes related to views on ETD programs. With regard to the Arab Gulf States, even though there is a lack of available literature, it appears that university libraries have the required infrastructure for encouraging the adoption and development of ETD programs. On the other hand some factors have been found to discourage the adoption of ETD programs. These include: technological factors, legal issues and other administrative issues. With regard to the Arab Gulf States, the available literature shows that some of the influencing factors are the same as those found in other countries, especially administrative and technological factors. In conclusion, it seems that most issues influencing the adoption and development of ETD programs can be resolved by undertaking appropriate promotional and advocacy activities.
Second language processing: when are first and second languages processed similarly?
Authors: Sabourin Laura , Stowe Laurie A.
Published: July 2008

In this article we investigate the effects of first language (L1) on second language (L2) neural processing for two grammatical constructions (verbal domain dependency and grammatical gender), focusing on the event-related potential P600 effect, which has been found in both L1 and L2 processing. Native Dutch speakers showed a P600 effect for both constructions tested. However, in L2 Dutch (with German or a Romance language as L1) a P600 effect only occurred if L1 and L2 were similar. German speakers show a P600 effect to both constructions. Romance speakers only show a P600 effect within the verbal domain. We interpret these findings as showing that with similar rule-governed processing routines in L1 and L2 (verbal domain processing for both German and Romance speakers), similar neural processing is possible in L1 and L2. However, lexically-driven constructions that are not the same in L1 and L2 (grammatical gender for Romance speakers) do not result in similar neural processing in L1 and L2 as measured by the P600 effect.
Racial Differences in Desistance From Substance Abuse
Authors: Chu Doris C. , Sung Hung-En
Published: July 2008

This study examines variations by race in the relationship between religiosity and desistance from substance abuse. Although most studies have included race as a control variable, only a few studies compared the equivalence of associations among religiosity, delinquency, recovery from substance abuse, and other variables between Black and White samples. Using data from the intake and 12-month follow-up survey of the Drug Abuse Treatment Outcome Study, this study examines levels of religious involvement of Black and White drug treatment clients. In addition, it empirically tests whether religious involvement exerts differential effects on Black and White clients’ recovery from substance abuse. It was found that Black clients reported higher levels of religious involvement (measured by church attendance) than did White clients. Data indicated that religious behavior at 1-year follow-up was positively associated with Black clients’ recovery from substance abuse. In contrast, religious behavior was not a significant predictor of White clients’ desistance from substance abuse. Directions for future research and policy implications are discussed.
Management and Risk Factors for Dyslipidemia With the Ketogenic Diet
Authors: Nizamuddin Junaid , Turner Zahava , Rubenstein James E. , Pyzik Paula L. , Kossoff Eric H.
Published: July 2008

A prospective study was performed of all children started on the ketogenic diet at our institution for intractable epilepsy from January 2003 to March 2007 (n = 137), examining for baseline and follow-up total cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Interventions for dyslipidemia were analyzed for their effectiveness. At baseline, 25% of children had hypercholesterolemia (>200 mg/dL), which increased to 60% for those receiving the ketogenic diet. Children receiving a solely formula-based ketogenic diet were less likely to have hypercholesterolemia than those eating solid food after adjusting for age and initial ketogenic ratio ( P < .001). Only a slightly higher likelihood of a 20% decrease in cholesterol occurred for those children in whom a dietary intervention was made compared with observation alone (60% vs 41%; P = .11). Hypercholesterolemia occurs in most children receiving a solid food based ketogenic diet but improved in approximately half, even without interventions.
Ototoxicity of trichloroethylene in concentrations relevant for the working environment
Authors: Vyskocil A , Leroux T , Truchon G , Lemay F , Gagnon F , Gendron M , Viau C
Published: July 2008

Organic solvents can cause hearing loss themselves or promote noise-induced hearing loss. The objective of this study was to review the literature on the effects of low-level exposure to trichloroethylene on the auditory system and consider its relevance for the occupational settings. Both human and animal investigations were evaluated only for realistic exposure concentrations based on the Quebec permissible exposure limits: 50 ppm 8-h time-weighed average exposure value (TWAEV) and 200 ppm short-term exposure value (STEV). In humans, the upper limit for considering ototoxicity data relevant to the occupational exposure situation was set at the STEV. Animal data were evaluated only for exposure concentrations up to 100 times the TWAEV. There is no convincing evidence of trichloroethylene-induced hearing losses in workers. In rats, trichloroethylene affects the auditory function mainly in the cochlear mid- to high-frequency range with a lowest observed adverse effect level (LOAEL) of 2000 ppm. No studies on ototoxic interaction after combined exposure to noise and trichloroethylene were identified in humans. In rats, supra-additive interaction was reported. Further studies with sufficient data on the trichloroethylene exposure of workers are necessary to make a definitive conclusion. In the interim, we recommend considering trichloroethylene as an ototoxic agent.
The ASA Framework
Authors: Halfhill Terry R. , Nielsen Tjai M. , Sundstrom Eric
Published: July 2008

A theoretical model integrating Schneider's Attraction-Selection-Attrition (ASA) framework, group personality composition, and group performance is presented. The proposed model focuses on three operationalizations of group composition based on the Big Five personality traits. This model suggests that for certain types of teams group minimum scores vary more than group mean scores, resulting in more robust predictors of group effectiveness. Results indicate that group minimum Agreeableness and Conscientiousness correlate positively with supervisor ratings of performance, group average scores correlate positively with performance, and variance of Conscientiousness correlate inversely with group performance. Minimum scores for both Agreeableness and Conscientiousness vary more than mean scores, and teams with increased levels of both Agreeableness and Conscientiousness receive higher performance ratings than other types of teams. Initial support for the proposed model is presented, practical and research implications are discussed, and future directions for research are suggested.
Non-participation in a field survey with respect to psychiatric disorders
Authors: Haapea Marianne , Miettunen Jouko , Läärä Esa , Joukamaa Matti I. , Järvelin Marjo-Riitta , Isohanni Matti K. , Veijola Juha M.
Published: July 2008

Aims: Higher rates of psychiatric morbidity among non-participants may lead to biased estimates of prevalence and incidence in epidemiological studies of psychiatric disorders. We had a unique opportunity to explore psychiatric morbidity and non-participation in a large epidemiological survey including questionnaires and a clinical examination. Methods: Members of the Northern Finland 1966 Birth Cohort were included in the study. In phase I, a postal questionnaire was mailed to all those with a known address in 1997 (N=11,540). In phase II, all subjects living in northern Finland or the Helsinki area (N=8463) were invited to a clinical examination. In phase III, clinical examination participants were given a questionnaire with psychological subscales to be filled in at home and returned by mail. The data on hospital-treated psychiatric disorders were obtained from the Finnish Hospital Discharge Register. Educational level was obtained from Statistics Finland. Results: The participation rates were 76%, 71% and 61% in phases I, II and III, respectively. Subjects with any psychiatric disorder participated less actively than those without any psychiatric disorder in all phases, in both genders and at all educational levels. Participation was not found to vary across specific disorders. Gender or education did not explain the association of psychiatric disorders with participation. Conclusions: Owing to non-participation, the true prevalence of psychiatric disorders may be higher than the prevalence estimated from epidemiological field surveys.
Re-imagining the narratable subject
Authors: Tamboukou Maria
Published: July 2008

In this article I problematize sequence as a necessary condition for defining and making sense of narratives and argue that it is to the consideration of process that the interest in narrative research should shift. Process as an organizing plane focuses not on what stories are but on what they do and how their meaning is ceaselessly deferred, breaching the narratological conventions of coherence and closure. Drawing on my work with Gwen John's letters, I trace three methodological movements in narrative analytics: a) creating an archive of stories as multiplicities of meanings, b) following the emergence of the narratable subject, and c) making narrative connections in the political project of re-imagining the subject of feminism.
Masculinities and narrating the past: experiences of researching white men who refused to serve in the apartheid army
Authors: Conway Daniel
Published: July 2008

This article reflexively analyses the construction of identity and the representation of the past in qualitative interviews with white men who refused to serve in the apartheid-era South African Defence Force (SADF). The contribution that white male objectors made to the anti-apartheid struggle occupies an ambivalent and increasingly forgotten aspect of South African liberation history. In a reflexive research story, I argue that the gendered, sexual and raced subjectivities of the researcher and researched are central to the joint construction of meaning in the interview and in the creation of self-narratives. The article also analyses how the narratives of white men's involvement in resisting apartheid are defined by their perceived position and wider power struggles in contemporary South Africa.
Re-reading as a methodology: the case of Boer Women's testimonies
Authors: Dampier Helen
Published: July 2008

Re-reading as a methodology is often invoked in literary and historical work, but seldom specifically delineated. The substantive focus herein concerns Boer women's testimonies of the 1899—1902 South African War, in particular testimonies of the British military scorched earth policy of forced removals and concentration camps. The methodology of re-reading such texts against each other is explored so as to `re-read the record' of the Mafeking concentration camp, using a set of unpublished testimonies. Re-reading reveals tensions and disjunctures in these testimonies, and highlights the pervasiveness of established, rehearsed narrative structures which characterize in effect all women's testimonies of the concentration camps of the South African War. The processes of re-reading are examined as a methodology which interrogates a particular text's context of production, and, crucially, the context of reading and the ways in which this shapes readerly responses to the text.
Masculinity and the Body: How African American and White Men Experience Cancer Screening Exams Involving the Rectum
Authors: Winterich Julie A. , Quandt Sara A. , Grzywacz Joseph G. , Clark Peter E. , Miller David P. , Acuña Joshua , Arcury Thomas A.
Published: July 2008

Past research on prostate and colorectal cancer disparities finds that barriers to screening, such as embarrassment and offensiveness, are often reported. Yet none of this literature investigates why. This study uses masculinity and health theory to examine how men experience two common screenings: digital rectal exams (DREs) and colonoscopies. In-depth interviews were conducted with 64 African American and White men from diverse backgrounds, aged 40 to 64, from North Carolina. Regardless of race or education, men experienced DREs more negatively than colonoscopies because penetration with a finger was associated with a gay sexual act. Some men disliked colonoscopies, however, because they associated any penetration as an affront to their masculinity. Because beliefs did not differ by race, future research should focus on structural issues to examine why disparities persist with prostate and colorectal cancer. Recommendations are provided for educational programs and physicians to improve men’s experiences with exams that involve the rectum.
Treatment of Painful Accessory Navicular: A Modification to Simple Excision
Authors: Micheli Lyle J. , Nielson Jason H. , Ascani Claudio , Matanky Bryan K. , Gerbino Peter G.
Published: July 2008

An accessory tarsal navicular ossicle may produce pain and tenderness despite conservative treatment modalities. This condition causes pain along the medial arch and limitations of activities. This described modification of the Kidner procedure and simple excision technique keeps the tendon insertion intact while restoring some of the normal biomechanical relationships. In addition, this modification has the theoretical advantage of enhancing dynamic support of the longitudinal arch, and by maintaining the continuity of the posterior tibial tendon, a shorter period of immobilization is required. All patients at the most recent follow-up showed improvement, with 11 of 13 patients having excellent results with long-term follow-up.
Retrograde Drilling of Osteochondral Lesions of the Talus
Authors: Hyer Christopher F. , Berlet Gregory C. , Philbin Terrence M. , Lee Thomas H.
Published: July 2008

This study evaluates the use of retrograde drilling in medial osteochondral lesions of the talus (OLTs) with intact articular surfaces. During a 2-year period, 8 consecutive patients underwent surgical treatment for symptomatic posterior medial OLT. All patients underwent arthroscopy of the ankle followed by retrograde drilling of the talar lesion. A novel cannulated system was used to target the lesion, remove the necrotic segment, and then backfill using Grafton gel. The average age of the patients was 36 years old (range, 12-49 years). Follow-up ranged from 8 to 44 months (mean 24 months). One patient was lost to follow-up. Of the remaining 7, outcomes were assessed with a modified American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) ankle/ hindfoot scale and the SF-12 general health survey. Four patients had repeat magnetic resonance imaging scans at 1-year follow-up. The preoperative AOFAS scores from the modified hindfoot scale ranged from 0 to 41 (mean 22). Postoperative scores ranged from 52 to 68 (mean 56), with a mean improvement of 34 points. The SF-12 has 2 components: the physical component score (PCS) and the mental component score (MCS). Mean preoperative and latest follow-up SF-12 PCS scores were 35.8 and 44.0, respectively. Mean preoperative and latest follow-up SF-12 MCS scores were 40.7 and 52.8, respectively. In this limited series, this technique appears to give comparable short-term results to previously described techniques. Use of a cannulated system simplifies the surgical procedure. Overall, this procedure offers decreased operative time and maximizes safety and accuracy with retrograde talar drilling.
Functional analysis of the cytoplasmic domain of the integrin α1 subunit in endothelial cells
Authors: Abair Tristin D. , Bulus Nada , Borza Corina , Sundaramoorthy Munirathinam , Zent Roy , Pozzi Ambra
Published: July 2008

Integrin α1β1, the major collagen type IV receptor, is expressed by endothelial cells and plays a role in both physiologic and pathologic angiogenesis. Because the molecular mechanisms whereby this collagen IV receptor mediates endothelial cell functions are poorly understood, truncation and point mutants of the integrin α1 subunit cytoplasmic tail (amino acids 1137-1151) were generated and expressed into α1-null endothelial cells. We show that α1-null endothelial cells expressing the α1 subunit, which lacks the entire cytoplasmic tail (mutant α1-1136) or expresses all the amino acids up to the highly conserved GFFKR motif (mutant α1-1143), have a similar phenotype to parental α1-null cells. Pro1144 and Leu1145 were shown to be necessary for α1β1-mediated endothelial cell proliferation; Lys1146 for adhesion, migration, and tubulogenesis and Lys1147 for tubulogenesis. Integrin α1β1–dependent endothelial cell proliferation is primarily mediated by ERK activation, whereas migration and tubulogenesis require both p38 MAPK and PI3K/Akt activation. Thus, distinct amino acids distal to the GFFKR motif of the α1 integrin cytoplasmic tail mediate activation of selective downstream signaling pathways and specific endothelial cell functions.
Factor H, membrane cofactor protein, and factor I mutations in patients with hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, and low platelet count syndrome
Authors: Fakhouri Fadi , Jablonski Mathieu , Lepercq Jacques , Blouin Jacques , Benachi Alexandra , Hourmant Maryvonne , Pirson Yves , Dürrbach Antoine , Grünfeld Jean-Pierre , Knebelmann Bertrand , Frémeaux-Bacchi Véronique
Published: July 2008

The HELLP syndrome, defined by the existence of hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, and low platelet count, is a serious complication of pregnancy-related hypertensive disorders and shares several clinical and biologic features with thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA). Several recent studies have clearly shown that an abnormal control of the complement alternative pathway is a major risk for the occurrence of a peculiar type of TMA involving mainly the kidney. The aim of this study was to screen for complement abnormalities in 11 patients with HELLP syndrome and renal involvement. We identified 4 patients with a mutation in one of the genes coding for proteins involved in the regulation of the alternative pathway of complement. Our results suggest that an abnormal control of the complement alternative pathway is a risk factor for the occurrence of HELLP syndrome.
Longitudinal analysis of heart and liver iron in thalassemia major
Authors: Noetzli Leila J. , Carson Susan M. , Nord Anne S. , Coates Thomas D. , Wood John C.
Published: July 2008

High hepatic iron concentration (HIC) is associated with cardiac iron overload. However, simultaneous measurements of heart and liver iron often demonstrate no significant linear association. We postulated that slower rates of cardiac iron accumulation and clearance could reconcile these differences. To test this hypothesis, we examined the longitudinal evolution of cardiac and liver iron in 38 thalassemia major patients, using previously validated magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques. On cross-sectional evaluation, cardiac iron was uncorrelated with liver iron, similar to previous studies. However, relative changes in heart and liver iron were compared with one another using a metric representing the temporal delay between them. Cardiac iron significantly lagged liver iron changes in almost half of the patients, implying a functional but delayed association. The degree of time lag correlated with initial HIC (r = 0.47, P < .003) and initial cardiac R2* (r = 0.57, P < .001), but not with patient age. Thus, longitudinal analysis confirms a lag in the loading and unloading of cardiac iron with respect to liver iron, and partially explains the weak cross-sectional association between these parameters. These data reconcile several prior studies and provide both mechanical and clinical insight into cardiac iron accumulation.
Mitogenomic evaluation of the historical biogeography of cichlids toward reliable dating of teleostean divergences
Authors: Azuma Yoichiro , Kumazawa Yoshinori , Miya Masaki , Mabuchi Kohji , Nishida Mutsumi
Published: July 2008

Background

Recent advances in DNA sequencing and computation offer the opportunity for reliable estimates of divergence times between organisms based on molecular data. Bayesian estimations of divergence times that do not assume the molecular clock use time constraints at multiple nodes, usually based on the fossil records, as major boundary conditions. However, the fossil records of bony fishes may not adequately provide effective time constraints at multiple nodes. We explored an alternative source of time constraints in teleostean phylogeny by evaluating a biogeographic hypothesis concerning freshwater fishes from the family Cichlidae (Perciformes: Labroidei).

Results

We added new mitogenomic sequence data from six cichlid species and conducted phylogenetic analyses using a large mitogenomic data set. We found a reciprocal monophyly of African and Neotropical cichlids and their sister group relationship to some Malagasy taxa (Ptychochrominae sensu Sparks and Smith). All of these taxa clustered with a Malagasy + Indo/Sri Lankan clade (Etroplinae sensu Sparks and Smith). The results of the phylogenetic analyses and divergence time estimations between continental cichlid clades were much more congruent with Gondwanaland origin and Cretaceous vicariant divergences than with Cenozoic transmarine dispersal between major continents.

Conclusion

We propose to add the biogeographic assumption of cichlid divergences by continental fragmentation as effective time constraints in dating teleostean divergence times. We conducted divergence time estimations among teleosts by incorporating these additional time constraints and achieved a considerable reduction in credibility intervals in the estimated divergence times.
A randomized controlled trial to evaluate self-determination theory for exercise adherence and weight control: rationale and intervention description
Authors: Silva Marlene N , Markland David , Minderico Cláudia S , Vieira Paulo N , Castro Margarida M , Coutinho Sílvia R , Santos Teresa C , Matos Margarida G , Sardinha Luís B , Teixeira Pedro J
Published: July 2008

Background

Research on the motivational model proposed by Self-Determination Theory (SDT) provides theoretically sound insights into reasons why people adopt and maintain exercise and other health behaviors, and allows for a meaningful analysis of the motivational processes involved in behavioral self-regulation. Although obesity is notoriously difficult to reverse and its recidivism is high, adopting and maintaining a physically active lifestyle is arguably the most effective strategy to counteract it in the long-term. The purposes of this study are twofold: i) to describe a 3-year randomized controlled trial (RCT) aimed at testing a novel obesity treatment program based on SDT, and ii) to present the rationale behind SDT's utility in facilitating and explaining health behavior change, especially physical activity/exercise, during obesity treatment.

Methods

Study design, recruitment, inclusion criteria, measurements, and a detailed description of the intervention (general format, goals for the participants, intervention curriculum, and main SDT strategies) are presented. The intervention consists of a 1-year group behavioral program for overweight and moderately obese women, aged 25 to 50 (and pre-menopausal), recruited from the community at large through media advertisement. Participants in the intervention group meet weekly or bi-weekly with a multidisciplinary intervention team (30 2 h sessions in total), and go through a program covering most topics considered critical for successful weight control. These topics and especially their delivery were adapted to comply with SDT and Motivational Interviewing guidelines. Comparison group receive a general health education curriculum. After the program, all subjects are follow-up for a period of 2 years.

Discussion

Results from this RCT will contribute to a better understanding of how motivational characteristics, particularly those related to physical activity/exercise behavioral self-regulation, influence treatment success, while exploring the utility of Self-Determination Theory for promoting health behavior change in the context of obesity.

Trial Registration

Clinical Trials Gov. Identifier NCT00513084
Physicians' perception of childhood asthma in Turkey: more appropriate practice among female physicians
Authors: Soyer Ozge Uysal , Civelek Ersoy , Sekerel Bulent E
Published: July 2008

Background

Low levels of asthma control worldwide point to the possibility of sub-optimal management; therefore, documentation of physicians' perception is critical for future interventions. Our aim was to examine self-reported management abilities of Turkish physicians dealing with children with asthma, document the factors affecting appropriate decisions and compare the results with those of a previous survey.

Methods

Physicians were surveyed via a questionnaire aimed to document self-perceived asthma knowledge and attitudes in asthma management.

Results

The majority of physicians were male (63%) and examined 234 ± 9 patients per week. Infrequent use of objective parameters in asthma diagnosis and attack severity assessment was reported and most preferred nebulized corticosteroids to the systemic form in acute asthma. Even though self-perceived overall asthma knowledge did not differ between genders (p = 0.098), male physicians scored higher than females for inhaled steroids for acute asthma (2.8 ± 0.12 vs 2.17 ± 0.2, respectively, p = 0.007), while female physicians recorded more frequent use of inhaled steroids for chronic asthma (3.72 ± 0.08 vs 3.43 ± 0.07, respectively, p = 0.006). Female physicians' scoring for "symptom control" as the main aim of asthma management was higher than that of their male counterparts (3.88 ± 0.04 vs 3.65 ± 0.06, respectively, p = 0.002).

Conclusion

Although there were some discrepancies between guidelines and clinical practice, most applications of Turkish physicians dealing with children with asthma were appropriate. Interestingly, when scores of female versus male physicians were compared, it can be suggested that female physicians have a more appropriate perception of asthma, indicating a significant contribution of gender-related factors in clinical attitudes and beliefs.
Engineering of xylose reductase and overexpression of xylitol dehydrogenase and xylulokinase improves xylose alcoholic fermentation in the thermotolerant yeast Hansenula polymorpha
Authors: Dmytruk Olena V , Dmytruk Kostyantyn V , Abbas Charles A , Voronovsky Andriy Y , Sibirny Andriy A
Published: July 2008

Background

The thermotolerant methylotrophic yeast Hansenula polymorpha is capable of alcoholic fermentation of xylose at elevated temperatures (45 – 48°C). Such property of this yeast defines it as a good candidate for the development of an efficient process for simultaneous saccharification and fermentation. However, to be economically viable, the main characteristics of xylose fermentation of H. polymorpha have to be improved.

Results

Site-specific mutagenesis of H. polymorpha XYL1 gene encoding xylose reductase was carried out to decrease affinity of this enzyme toward NADPH. The modified version of XYL1 gene under control of the strong constitutive HpGAP promoter was overexpressed on a Δxyl1 background. This resulted in significant increase in the KM for NADPH in the mutated xylose reductase (K341 → R N343 → D), while KM for NADH remained nearly unchanged. The recombinant H. polymorpha strain overexpressing the mutated enzyme together with native xylitol dehydrogenase and xylulokinase on Δxyl1 background was constructed. Xylose consumption, ethanol and xylitol production by the constructed strain were determined for high-temperature xylose fermentation at 48°C. A significant increase in ethanol productivity (up to 7.3 times) was shown in this recombinant strain as compared with the wild type strain. Moreover, the xylitol production by the recombinant strain was reduced considerably to 0.9 mg × (L × h)-1 as compared to 4.2 mg × (L × h)-1 for the wild type strain.

Conclusion

Recombinant strains of H. polymorpha engineered for improved xylose utilization are described in the present work. These strains show a significant increase in ethanol productivity with simultaneous reduction in the production of xylitol during high-temperature xylose fermentation.
Differentiation of two types of mobilized peripheral blood stem cells by microRNA and cDNA expression analysis
Authors: Jin Ping , Wang Ena , Ren Jiaqiang , Childs Richard , Shin Jeong Won , Khuu Hanh , Marincola Francesco M , Stroncek David F
Published: July 2008

Background

Mobilized-peripheral blood hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) have been used for transplantation, immunotherapy, and cardiovascular regenerative medicine. Agents used for HSC mobilization include G-CSF and the CXCR4 inhibitor AMD3100 (plerixafor). The HSCs cells mobilized by each agent may contain different subtypes and have different functions. To characterize mobilized HSCs used for clinical applications, microRNA (miRNA) profiling and gene expression profiling were used to compare AMD3100-mobilized CD133+ cells from 4 subjects, AMD3100 plus G-CSF-mobilized CD133+ cells from 4 subjects and G-CSF-mobilized CD34+ cells from 5 subjects. The HSCs were compared to peripheral blood leukocytes (PBLs) from 7 subjects.

Results

Hierarchical clustering of miRNAs separated HSCs from PBLs. miRNAs up-regulated in all HSCs included hematopoiesis-associated miRNA; miR-126, miR-10a, miR-221 and miR-17-92 cluster. miRNAs up-regulated in PBLs included miR-142-3p, -218, -21, and -379. Hierarchical clustering analysis of miRNA expression separated the AMD3100-mobilized CD133+ cells from G-CSF-mobilized CD34+ cells. Gene expression analysis of the HSCs naturally segregated samples according to mobilization and isolation protocol and cell differentiation status.

Conclusion

HSCs and PBLs have unique miRNA and gene expression profiles. miRNA and gene expression microarrays maybe useful for assessing differences in HSCs.
The role of apoptosis in early embryonic development of the adenohypophysis in rats
Authors: Weingärtner Jens , Lotz Kristina , Faltermeier Andreas , Driemel Oliver , Kleinheinz Johannes , Gedrange Tomas , Proff Peter
Published: July 2008

Background

Apoptosis is involved in fundamental processes of life, like embryonic development, tissue homeostasis, or immune defense. Defects in apoptosis cause or contribute to developmental malformation, cancer, and degenerative disorders.

Methods

The developing adenohypophysis area of rat fetuses was studied at the embryonic stage 13.5 (gestational day) for apoptotic and proliferative cell activities using histological serial sections.

Results

A high cell proliferation rate was observed throughout the adenohypophysis. In contrast, apoptotic cells visualized by evidence of active caspase-3, were detected only in the basal epithelial cones as an introducing event for fusion and closure of the pharyngeal roof.

Conclusion

We can clearly show an increasing number of apoptotic events only at the basic fusion sides of the adenohypophysis as well as in the opening region of this organ. Apoptotic destruction of epithelial cells at the basal cones of the adenohypophysis begins even before differentiation of the adenohypophyseal cells and their contact with the neurohypophysis. In early stages of development, thus, apoptotic activity of the adenohypophysis is restricted to the basal areas mentioned. In our test animals, the adenohypophysis develops after closure of the anterior neuroporus.
GridCell: a stochastic particle-based biological system simulator
Authors: Boulianne Laurier , Al Assaad Sevin , Dumontier Michel , Gross Warren J
Published: July 2008

Background

Realistic biochemical simulators aim to improve our understanding of many biological processes that would be otherwise very difficult to monitor in experimental studies. Increasingly accurate simulators may provide insights into the regulation of biological processes due to stochastic or spatial effects.

Results

We have developed GridCell as a three-dimensional simulation environment for investigating the behaviour of biochemical networks under a variety of spatial influences including crowding, recruitment and localization. GridCell enables the tracking and characterization of individual particles, leading to insights on the behaviour of low copy number molecules participating in signaling networks. The simulation space is divided into a discrete 3D grid that provides ideal support for particle collisions without distance calculation and particle search. SBML support enables existing networks to be simulated and visualized. The user interface provides intuitive navigation that facilitates insights into species behaviour across spatial and temporal dimensions. We demonstrate the effect of crowing on a Michaelis-Menten system.

Conclusion

GridCell is an effective stochastic particle simulator designed to track the progress of individual particles in a three-dimensional space in which spatial influences such as crowding, co-localization and recruitment may be investigated.