bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Browse by chunks
Authors: Sang Jitao , Xu Changsheng
Published: November 2011

The overwhelming amount of Web videos returned from search engines makes effective browsing and search a challenging task. Rather than conventional ranked list, it becomes necessary to organize the retrieved videos in alternative ways. In this article, we explore the issue of topic mining and organizing of the retrieved web videos in semantic clusters. We present a framework for clustering-based video retrieval and build a visualization user interface. A hierarchical topic structure is exploited to encode the characteristics of the retrieved video collection and a semi-supervised hierarchical topic model is proposed to guide the topic hierarchy discovery. Carefully designed experiments on web-scale video dataset collected from video sharing websites validate the proposed method and demonstrate that clustering-based video retrieval is practical to facilitate users for effective browsing.
A Novel Approach to Predict the Likelihood of Specific Ovarian Tumor Pathology Based on Serum CA-125: A Multicenter Observational Study
Authors: Van Calster Ben , Valentin Lil , Van Holsbeke Caroline , Zhang Jing , Jurkovic Davor , Lissoni Andrea Alberto , Testa Antonia Carla , Czekierdowski Artur , Fischerová Daniela , Domali Ekaterini , Van de Putte Gregg , Vergote Ignace , Van Huffel Sabine , Bourne Tom , Timmerman Dirk
Published: November 2011

Background: The CA-125 tumor marker has limitations when used to distinguish between benign and malignant ovarian masses. We therefore establish likelihood curves of six subgroups of ovarian pathology based on CA-125 and menopausal status.

Methods: This cross-sectional study conducted by the International Ovarian Tumor Analysis group involved 3,511 patients presenting with a persistent adnexal mass that underwent surgical intervention. CA-125 distributions for six tumor subgroups (endometriomas and abscesses, other benign tumors, borderline tumors, stage I invasive cancers, stage II–IV invasive cancers, and metastatic tumors) were estimated using kernel density estimation with stratification for menopausal status. Likelihood curves for the tumor subgroups were derived from the distributions.

Results: Endometriomas and abscesses were the only benign pathologies with median CA-125 levels above 20 U/mL (43 and 45, respectively). Borderline and invasive stage I tumors had relatively low median CA-125 levels (29 and 81 U/mL, respectively). The CA-125 distributions of stage II–IV invasive cancers and benign tumors other than endometriomas or abscesses were well separated; the distributions of the other subgroups overlapped substantially. This held for premenopausal and postmenopausal patients. Likelihood curves and reference tables comprehensibly show how subgroup likelihoods change with CA-125 and menopausal status.

Conclusions and Impact: Our results confirm the limited clinical value of CA-125 for preoperative discrimination between benign and malignant ovarian pathology. We have shown that CA-125 may be used in a different way. By using likelihood reference tables, we believe clinicians will be better able to interpret preoperative serum CA-125 results in patients with adnexal masses. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 20(11); 2420–8. ©2011 AACR.
A Genome-Wide Survey over the ChIP-On-Chip Identified Androgen Receptor-Binding Genomic Regions Identifies a Novel Prostate Cancer Susceptibility Locus at 12q13.13
Authors: Feng Junjie , Sun Jielin , Kim Seong-Tae , Lu Yizhen , Wang Zhong , Zhang Zheng , Gronberg Henrik , Isaacs William B. , Zheng S. Lilly , Xu Jianfeng
Published: November 2011

Background: The molecular mechanisms for the genome-wide association studies (GWAS)-identified prostate cancer (PCa) risk-associated single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) remain largely unexplained. One recent finding that the PCa risk SNPs are enriched in genomic regions containing androgen receptor (AR)-binding sites has suggested altered AR signaling as a potentially important mechanism.

Methods: To explore novel associations by leveraging this knowledge, we utilized a meta-analysis previously done over SNPs harbored in ChIP-on-chip identified AR-binding genomic regions using the GWAS data from the Johns Hopkins Hospital (JHH) and the Cancer Genetic Markers of Susceptibility (CGEMS) study, and subsequently evaluated the top associations in a third population from the CAncer of the Prostate in Sweden (CAPS) study.

Results: One SNP (rs4919743: G>A), located at the KRT8 locus at 12q13.13 which encodes a keratin protein (K8) long used as a prostate epithelial malignancy marker and implicated in the tumorigenesis of several cancer types, was identified to be associated with PCa risk. The frequency of its minor “A” allele was consistently higher in PCa cases than in controls in all three study populations, with a combined OR of 1.22 (95% CI: 1.13–1.32) and an overall P value of 4.50 × 10−7 (Bonferroni corrected, P = 0.006).

Conclusion: We have identified a novel genetic locus that is associated with PCa risk.

Impact: This study illustrated the great potential of prior biological knowledge in facilitating the search for novel disease-associated genetic loci. This finding warrants further replication in other studies. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 20(11); 2396–403. ©2011 AACR.
HPV and HPV Vaccine Education Intervention: Effects on Parents, Healthcare Staff, and School Staff
Authors: Reiter Paul L. , Stubbs Brenda , Panozzo Catherine A. , Whitesell Dianne , Brewer Noel T.
Published: November 2011

Background: Increasing knowledge about human papillomavirus (HPV) and HPV vaccine is a potentially important way to increase vaccination rates, yet few education interventions have addressed these topics. We report the results of an education intervention targeting three key groups who have contact with adolescent females.

Methods: We conducted HPV education intervention sessions during 2008 and 2009 in Guilford County, North Carolina. Parents (n = 376), healthcare staff (n = 118), and school staff (n = 456) attended the one-time sessions and completed self-administered surveys. Analyses used mixed regression models to examine the intervention's effects on participants' self-rated HPV knowledge, objectively assessed HPV and HPV vaccine knowledge, and beliefs about HPV vaccine.

Results: Participants had relatively low levels of objectively assessed HPV and HPV vaccine knowledge prior to the intervention. The education intervention increased self-rated HPV knowledge among all three key groups (all P < 0.001), and objectively assessed knowledge about many aspects of HPV and HPV vaccine among healthcare and school staff members (all P < 0.05). Following the intervention, more than 90% of school staff members believed HPV and HPV vaccine education is worthwhile for school personnel and that middle schools are an appropriate venue for this education. Most parents (97%) and school staff members (85%) indicated they would be supportive of school-based vaccination clinics.

Conclusions: Our education intervention greatly increased HPV and HPV vaccine knowledge among groups influential to the HPV vaccination behaviors of adolescent females.

Impact: Education interventions represent a simple yet potentially effective strategy for increasing HPV vaccination and garnering stronger support for school-based vaccination clinics. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 20(11); 2354–61. ©2011 AACR.
International Trends in Liver Cancer Incidence Rates
Authors: Center Melissa M. , Jemal Ahmedin
Published: November 2011

Background: Several previous studies have documented region or country-specific liver cancer incidence trends around the world. However, no study has systematically examined the international pattern using the most recently updated incidence data from the International Agency for Research on Cancer.

Methods: We examined recent trends in liver cancer incidence rates from 1993 to 2002 by joinpoint analysis for 32 cancer registries worldwide, using Cancer Incidence in Five Continents. We also examined the male to female rate ratios for these and four additional registries, based on the 1998–2002 incidence data.

Results: Liver cancer incidence rates for both men and women statistically significantly increased from 1993 to 2002 for 8 of 32 cancer registries considered in the analysis. Increases were largely confined to economically developed countries of Western Europe, North America, and Oceania. In contrast, rates decreased in both men and women in 5 registries including 3 in Asia. Despite this, the incidence rates in Asian countries are twice as high as those in Africa and more than four times as high as rates in North America. Male to female rate ratios varied from 0.9 in sub-Saharan African and South American registries to 5.0 in France and Egypt.

Conclusions: Liver cancer incidence rates continue to increase in some low-risk parts of the world whereas they are decreasing in some of the highest risk countries in Asia. Etiologic studies are required to further elucidate factors contributing to the divergent liver cancer incidence trends worldwide.

Impact: Our description of international liver cancer incidence trends may stimulate further etiologic studies. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 20(11); 2362–8. ©2011 AACR.
Joint Effects of Alcohol Consumption and Polymorphisms in Alcohol and Oxidative Stress Metabolism Genes on Risk of Head and Neck Cancer
Authors: Hakenewerth Anne M. , Millikan Robert C. , Rusyn Ivan , Herring Amy H. , North Kari E. , Barnholtz-Sloan Jill S. , Funkhouser William F. , Weissler Mark C. , Olshan Andrew F.
Published: November 2011

Background: Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in alcohol metabolism genes are associated with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) and may influence cancer risk in conjunction with alcohol. Genetic variation in the oxidative stress pathway may impact the carcinogenic effect of reactive oxygen species produced by ethanol metabolism. We hypothesized that alcohol interacts with these pathways to affect SCCHN incidence.

Methods: Interview and genotyping data for 64 SNPs were obtained from 2,552 European- and African-American subjects (1,227 cases and 1,325 controls) from the Carolina Head and Neck Cancer Epidemiology Study, a population-based case–control study of SCCHN conducted in North Carolina from 2002 to 2006. We estimated ORs and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for SNPs and haplotypes, adjusting for age, sex, race, and duration of cigarette smoking. P values were adjusted for multiple testing using Bonferroni correction.

Results: Two SNPs were associated with SCCHN risk: ADH1B rs1229984 A allele (OR = 0.7; 95% CI, 0.6–0.9) and ALDH2 rs2238151 C allele (OR = 1.2; 95% CI, 1.1–1.4). Three were associated with subsite tumors: ADH1B rs17028834 C allele (larynx, OR = 1.5; 95% CI, 1.1–2.0), SOD2 rs4342445 A allele (oral cavity, OR = 1.3; 95% CI, 1.1–1.6), and SOD2 rs5746134 T allele (hypopharynx, OR = 2.1; 95% CI, 1.2–3.7). Four SNPs in alcohol metabolism genes interacted additively with alcohol consumption: ALDH2 rs2238151, ADH1B rs1159918, ADH7 rs1154460, and CYP2E1 rs2249695. No alcohol interactions were found for oxidative stress SNPs.

Conclusions and Impact: Previously unreported associations of SNPs in ALDH2, CYP2E1, GPX2, SOD1, and SOD2 with SCCHN and subsite tumors provide evidence that alterations in alcohol and oxidative stress pathways influence SCCHN carcinogenesis and warrant further investigation. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 20(11); 2438–49. ©2011 AACR.
Antitumor Activity of NVP-BKM120—A Selective Pan Class I PI3 Kinase Inhibitor Showed Differential Forms of Cell Death Based on p53 Status of Glioma Cells
Authors: Koul Dimpy , Fu Jun , Shen Ruijun , LaFortune Tiffany A. , Wang Shuzhen , Tiao Ningyi , Kim Yong-Wan , Liu Juinn-Lin , Ramnarian Deepti , Yuan Ying , Garcia-Echevrria Carlos , Maira Sauveur-Michel , Yung W.K. Alfred
Published: November 2011

Purpose: The aim of this study was to show preclinical efficacy and clinical development potential of NVP-BKM120, a selective pan class I phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI3K) inhibitor in human glioblastoma (GBM) cells in vitro and in vivo.

Experimental Design: The effect of NVP-BKM120 on cellular growth was assessed by CellTiter-Blue assay. Flow cytometric analyses were carried out to measure the cell-cycle, apoptosis, and mitotic index. Mitotic catastrophe was detected by immunofluorescence. The efficacy of NVP-BKM120 was tested using intracranial U87 glioma model.

Results: We tested the biologic effects of a selective PI3K inhibitor NVP-BKM120 in a set of glioma cell lines. NVP-BKM120 treatment for 72 hours resulted in a dose-dependent growth inhibition and effectively blocked the PI3K/Akt signaling cascade. Although we found no obvious relationship between the cell line's sensitivity to NVP-BKM120 and the phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) statuses, we did observe a differential sensitivity pattern with respect to p53 status, with glioma cells containing wild-type p53 more sensitive than cells with mutated or deleted p53. NVP-BKM120 showed differential forms of cell death on the basis of p53 status of the cells with p53 wild-type cells undergoing apoptotic cell death and p53 mutant/deleted cells having a mitotic catastrophe cell death. NVP-BKM120 mediates mitotic catastrophe mainly through Aurora B kinase. Knockdown of p53 in p53 wild-type U87 glioma cells displayed microtubule misalignment, multiple centrosomes, and mitotic catastrophe cell death. Parallel to the assessment of the compound in in vitro settings, in vivo efficacy studies using an intracranial U87 tumor model showed an increased median survival from 26 days (control cohort) to 38 and 48 days (treated cohorts).

Conclusion: Our present findings establish that NVP-BKM120 inhibits the PI3K signaling pathways, leading to different forms of cell death on the basis of p53 statuses. Further studies are warranted to determine if NVP-BKM120 has potential as a glioma treatment. Clin Cancer Res; 18(1); 184–95. ©2011 AACR.
Antitumor Activity of Sustained N-Myc Reduction in Rhabdomyosarcomas and Transcriptional Block by Antigene Therapy
Authors: Tonelli Roberto , McIntyre Alan , Camerin Consuelo , Walters Zoë S. , Di Leo Korinne , Selfe Joanna , Purgato Stefania , Missiaglia Edoardo , Tortori Andrea , Renshaw Jane , Astolfi Annalisa , Taylor Kathryn R. , Serravalle Salvatore , Bishop Ryan , Nanni Cristina , Valentijn Linda J. , Faccini Andrea , Leuschner Ivo , Formica Serena , Reis-Filho Jorge S. , Ambrosini Valentina , Thway Khin , Franzoni Monica , Summersgill Brenda , Marchelli Rosangela , Hrelia Patrizia , Cantelli-Forti Giorgio , Fanti Stefano , Corradini Roberto , Pession Andrea , Shipley Janet
Published: November 2011

Purpose: Rhabdomyosarcomas are a major cause of cancer death in children, described with MYCN amplification and, in the alveolar subtype, transcription driven by the PAX3-FOXO1 fusion protein. Our aim was to determine the prevalence of N-Myc protein expression and the potential therapeutic effects of reducing expression in rhabdomyosarcomas, including use of an antigene strategy that inhibits transcription.

Experimental Design: Protein expression was assessed by immunohistochemistry. MYCN expression was reduced in representative cell lines by RNA interference and an antigene peptide nucleic acid (PNA) oligonucleotide conjugated to a nuclear localization signal peptide. Associated gene expression changes, cell viability, and apoptosis were analyzed in vitro. As a paradigm for antigene therapy, the effects of systemic treatment of mice with rhabdomyosarcoma cell line xenografts were determined.

Results: High N-Myc levels were significantly associated with genomic amplification, presence of the PAX3/7-FOXO1 fusion genes, and proliferative capacity. Sustained reduction of N-Myc levels in all rhabdomyosarcoma cell lines that express the protein decreased cell proliferation and increased apoptosis. Positive feedback was shown to regulate PAX3-FOXO1 and N-Myc levels in the alveolar subtype that critically decrease PAX3-FOXO1 levels on reducing N-Myc. Pharmacologic systemic administration of the antigene PNA can eliminate alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma xenografts in mice, without relapse or toxicity.

Conclusion: N-Myc, with its restricted expression in non-fetal tissues, is a therapeutic target to treat rhabdomyosarcomas, and blocking gene transcription using antigene oligonucleotide strategies has therapeutic potential in the treatment of cancer and other diseases that has not been previously realized in vivo. Clin Cancer Res; 18(3); 796–807. ©2011 AACR.
Glucocorticoid Sensitivity in Mood Disorders
Authors: Spijker A.T. , van Rossum E.F.C.
Published: November 2011

In this review, we provide an overview of recent literature on glucocorticoid (GC) sensitivity in mood disorders. Assessing GC sensitivity is often performed by measuring the cortisol awakening rise (CAR), by challenging the hypothalamic-pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis using a dexamethasone suppression test (DST) or a dexamethasone/cortisol-releasing hormone test (DEX/CRH); more recently by measuring cortisol as a retrospective calendar in scalp hair. The main findings in mood disorders are higher mean cortisol levels in hair samples and a higher CAR, showing a hyperactivity of the HPA axis. This is in line with the mild resistance for GCs previously observed in challenge tests during mood episodes. GC sensitivity is partly determined by polymorphisms in the genes encoding receptors and other proteins involved in the regulation of the HPA axis. We shortly discuss the glucocorticoid receptor, as well as the mineralocorticoid receptor, the cortisol-releasing hormone receptor-1, and the glucocorticoid receptor co-chaperone FKBP5. Data clearly indicate genetic changes, along with epigenetic changes which influence the set-point and regulation of the HPA axis. Early trauma, as well as influences in utero, appears to be important. Future research is necessary to further clarify the biological background and consequences of an individual’s cortisol exposure in relation to mood.
Welfare, Temperance and Compulsory Commitment to Care for Persons with Substance Misuse Problems: A Comparative Study of 38 European Countries
Authors: Israelsson Magnus
Published: November 2011

Aims: The study explores the existence and types of law on compulsory commitment to care (CCC) of adult substance misusers in Europe and how such laws are related to variations in demographics, alcohol consumption and epidemiology in misuse of opiates, cocaine, amphetamines, temperance culture heritage, health and welfare expenditure, and involvement and role of the state in welfare distribution. Material and Methods: Legal information on laws on CCC of misusers was obtained primarily through a survey of 38 European countries. Predictors of laws on CCC, and types of such, were analyzed from country descriptors in multivariate models. Results: A majority (74%) of the explored countries have a law concerning CCC. The most common type of CCC law is within criminal justice legislation (45%), but civil CCC is almost as frequent (37%). These two models of CCC legislation are related to differences in cultural heritage and welfare distribution models. Conclusions: Temperance cultures, i.e. countries with a history of a strong temperance movement, and countries with a Beveridgean distribution of welfare, i.e. through the state, tend to favor civil CCC, while countries with a Bismarckian distribution of welfare, i.e. through insurance with less state interference, tend to favor CCC within criminal justice legislation.
Genetic Bases of Stuttering: The State of the Art, 2011
Authors: Kraft Shelly Jo , Yairi Ehud
Published: November 2011

Objective: The literature on the genetics of stuttering is reviewed with special reference to the historical development from psychosocial explanations leading up to current biological research of gene identification. Summary: A gradual progression has been made from the early crude methods of counting percentages of stuttering probands who have relatives who stutter to recent studies using entire genomes of DNA collected from each participant. Despite the shortcomings of some early studies, investigators have accumulated a substantial body of data showing a large presence of familial stuttering. This encouraged more refined research in the form of twin studies. Concordance rates among twins were sufficiently high to lend additional support to the genetic perspective of stuttering. More sophisticated aggregation studies and segregation analyses followed, producing data that matched recognized genetic models, providing the final ‘go ahead’ to proceed from the behavior/statistical genetics into the sphere of biological genetics. Recent linkage and association studies have begun to reveal contributing genes to the disorder. Conclusion: No definitive findings have been made regarding which transmission model, chromosomes, genes, or sex factors are involved in the expression of stuttering in the population at large. Future research and clinical implications are discussed.
m-Calpain Induction in Vascular Endothelial Cells on Human and Mouse Atheromas and Its Roles in VE-Cadherin Disorganization and Atherosclerosis
Authors: Miyazaki Takuro , Taketomi Yoshitaka , Takimoto Masafumi , Lei Xiao-Feng , Arita Shigeko , Kim-Kaneyama Joo-ri , Arata Satoru , Ohata Hisayuki , Ota Hidekazu , Murakami Makoto , Miyazaki Akira
Published: November 2011

Background—

Although dysfunction of VE-cadherin–mediated adherence junctions in vascular endothelial cells (ECs) is thought to be one of the initial steps of atherosclerosis, little is known regarding how VE-cadherin is disrupted during atherogenic development. This study focused on the role of calpain, an intracellular cysteine protease, in the proteolytic disorganization of VE-cadherin and subsequent progression of atherosclerosis.

Methods and Results—

Increased expression of m-calpain was observed in aortic ECs in atherosclerotic lesions in humans and low-density lipoprotein receptor–deficient (
ldlr
−/−
) mice. Furthermore, proteolytic disorganization of VE-cadherin was shown in aortic ECs in
ldlr
−/−
and apolipoprotein E–deficient (
apoE
−/−
) mice. Long-term administration of calpain inhibitors into these mice attenuated atherosclerotic lesion development and proinflammatory responses, as well as VE-cadherin disorganization, without normalization of plasma lipid profiles. Furthermore, in vivo transfection of m-calpain siRNA to
ldlr
−/−
mice prevented disorganization of VE-cadherin and proatherogenic hyperpermeability in aortic ECs. Treatment of cultured ECs with oxidized LDL, lysophosphatidylcholine, or LDL pretreated with secreted phospholipase A
2
led to the induction of m-calpain but not of μ-calpain, thereby eliciting selective m-calpain overactivation. These data suggest that lysophosphatidylcholine-induced m-calpain directly cleaves a juxtamembrane region of VE-cadherin, resulting in dissociation of β-catenin from the VE-cadherin complex, disorganization of adherence junctions, and hyperpermeability in ECs.

Conclusions—

Subtype-selective induction of m-calpain in aortic ECs during atherosclerotic progression is associated with proteolytic disorganization of VE-cadherin and proatherogenic hyperpermeability in cells. Thus, a strategy to selectively inhibit m-calpain may be useful for the therapeutic treatment of patients with atherosclerosis.
Interleukin 6 Underlies Angiotensin II–Induced Hypertension and Chronic Renal Damage
Authors: Zhang Weiru , Wang Wei , Yu Hong , Zhang Yujin , Dai Yingbo , Ning Chen , Tao Lijian , Sun Hong , Kellems Rodney E. , Blackburn Michael R. , Xia Yang
Published: November 2011

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a prevalent life-threatening disease frequently associated with hypertension, progression to renal fibrosis, and eventual renal failure. Although the pathogenesis of CKD remains largely unknown, an increased inflammatory response is known to be associated with the disease and has long been speculated to contribute to disease development. However, the causative factors, the exact role of the increased inflammatory cascade in CKD, and the underlying mechanisms for its progression remain unidentified. Here we report that interleukin 6 (IL-6) expression levels were significantly increased in the kidneys collected from CKD patients and further elevated in CKD patients characterized with hypertension. Functionally, we determined that angiotensin II is a causative factor responsible for IL-6 induction in the mouse kidney and that genetic deletion of IL-6 significantly reduced hypertension and key features of CKD, including renal injury and progression to renal fibrosis in angiotensin II–infused mice. Mechanistically, we provide both human and mouse evidence that IL-6 is a key cytokine functioning downstream of angiotensin II signaling to directly induce fibrotic gene expression and preproendothelin 1 mRNA expression in the kidney. Overall, both the mouse and human studies reported here provide evidence that angiotensin II induces IL-6 production in the kidney, and that, in addition to its role in hypertension, increased IL-6 may play an important pathogenic role in CKD by inducing fibrotic gene expression and ET-1 gene expression. These findings immediately suggest that the IL-6 signaling is a novel therapeutic target to manage this devastating disorder affecting millions worldwide.
Caloric Restriction Ameliorates Angiotensin II–Induced Mitochondrial Remodeling and Cardiac Hypertrophy
Authors: Finckenberg Piet , Eriksson Ove , Baumann Marc , Merasto Saara , Lalowski Maciej M. , Levijoki Jouko , Haasio Kristiina , Kytö Ville , Muller Dominik N. , Luft Friedrich C. , Oresic Matej , Mervaala Eero
Published: November 2011

Angiotensin II–induced cardiac damage is associated with oxidative stress-dependent mitochondrial dysfunction. Caloric restriction (CR), a dietary regimen that increases mitochondrial activity and cellular stress resistance, could provide protection. We tested that hypothesis in double transgenic rats harboring human renin and angiotensinogen genes (dTGRs). CR (60% of energy intake for 4 weeks) decreased mortality in dTGRs. CR ameliorated angiotensin II–induced cardiomyocyte hypertrophy, vascular inflammation, cardiac damage and fibrosis, cardiomyocyte apoptosis, and cardiac atrial natriuretic peptide mRNA overexpression. The effects were blood pressure independent and were linked to increased endoplasmic reticulum stress, autophagy, serum adiponectin level, and 5′ AMP-activated protein kinase phosphorylation. CR decreased cardiac p38 phosphorylation, nitrotyrosine expression, and serum insulin-like growth factor 1 levels. Mitochondria from dTGR hearts showed clustered mitochondrial patterns, decreased numbers, and volume fractions but increased trans-sectional areas. All of these effects were reduced in CR dTGRs. Mitochondrial proteomic profiling identified 43 dTGR proteins and 42 Sprague-Dawley proteins, of which 29 proteins were in common in response to CR. We identified 7 proteins in CR dTGRs that were not found in control dTGRs. In contrast, 6 mitochondrial proteins were identified from dTGRs that were not detected in any other group. Gene ontology annotations with the Panther protein classification system revealed downregulation of cytoskeletal proteins and enzyme modulators and upregulation of oxidoreductase activity in dTGRs. CR provides powerful, blood pressure–independent, protection against angiotensin II–induced mitochondrial remodeling and cardiac hypertrophy. The findings support the notion of modulating cardiac bioenergetics to ameliorate angiotensin II–induced cardiovascular complications.
An Application of Univariate and Multivariate Approaches in fMRI to Quantifying the Hemispheric Lateralization of Acoustic and Linguistic Processes
Authors: McGettigan Carolyn , Evans Samuel , Rosen Stuart , Agnew Zarinah K. , Shah Poonam , Scott Sophie K.
Published: November 2011

The question of hemispheric lateralization of neural processes is one that is pertinent to a range of subdisciplines of cognitive neuroscience. Language is often assumed to be left-lateralized in the human brain, but there has been a long running debate about the underlying reasons for this. We addressed this problem with fMRI by identifying the neural responses to amplitude and spectral modulations in speech and how these interact with speech intelligibility to test previous claims for hemispheric asymmetries in acoustic and linguistic processes in speech perception. We used both univariate and multivariate analyses of the data, which enabled us to both identify the networks involved in processing these acoustic and linguistic factors and to test the significance of any apparent hemispheric asymmetries. We demonstrate bilateral activation of superior temporal cortex in response to speech-derived acoustic modulations in the absence of intelligibility. However, in a contrast of amplitude-modulated and spectrally modulated conditions that differed only in their intelligibility (where one was partially intelligible and the other unintelligible), we show a left dominant pattern of activation in STS, inferior frontal cortex, and insula. Crucially, multivariate pattern analysis showed that there were significant differences between the left and the right hemispheres only in the processing of intelligible speech. This result shows that the left hemisphere dominance in linguistic processing does not arise because of low-level, speech-derived acoustic factors and that multivariate pattern analysis provides a method for unbiased testing of hemispheric asymmetries in processing.
Real Stiffness Augmentation for Haptic Augmented Reality
Authors: Jeon Seokhee
Published: November 2011

Haptic augmented reality (AR) mixes a real environment with computer-generated virtual haptic stimuli, enabling the system to modulate the haptic attributes of a real object to desired values. This paper reports our second study on this functionality, with stiffness as a goal modulation property. Our first study explored the potential of haptic AR by presenting an effective stiffness modulation system for simple 1D interaction. This paper extends the system so that a user can interact with a real object in any 3D exploratory pattern while perceiving its augmented stiffness. We develop a complete set of algorithms for contact detection, deformation estimation, force rendering, and force control. The core part is the deformation estimation where the magnitude and direction of real object deformation are estimated using a contact dynamics model identified in a preprocessing step. All algorithms are designed in a way that maximizes the efficiency and usability of the system while maintaining convincing perceptual quality. In particular, the need for a large amount of preprocessing such as geometry modeling is avoided to improve the usability. The physical performance of each algorithm is thoroughly evaluated with real samples. Each algorithm is experimentally verified to satisfy the physical performance requirements that need to be satisfied to achieve convincing rendering quality. The final perceptual quality of stiffness rendering is assessed in a psychophysical experiment where the difference in the perceived stiffness between augmented and virtual objects is measured. The error is less than the human discriminability of stiffness, demonstrating that our system can provide accurate stiffness modulation with perceptually insignificant errors. The limitations of our AR system are also discussed along with a plan for future work.
Handshake: Realistic Human-Robot Interaction in Haptic Enhanced Virtual Reality
Authors: Wang Zheng , Giannopoulos Elias , Slater Mel , Peer Angelika
Published: November 2011

This paper focuses on the development and evaluation of a haptic enhanced virtual reality system which allows a human user to make physical handshakes with a virtual partner through a haptic interface. Multimodal feedback signals are designed to generate the illusion that a handshake with a robotic arm is a handshake with another human. Advanced controllers of the haptic interface are developed to respond to user behaviors online. Techniques to achieve online behavior generation are presented, such as a hidden-Markov-model approach to human interaction strategy estimation. Human-robot handshake experiments were carried out to evaluate the performance of the system. Two different approaches to haptic rendering were compared in experiments: a controller in basic mode with an embedded curve in the robot that disregards the human partner, and an interactive robot controller for online behavior generation. The two approaches were compared with the ground truth of another human driving the robot via teleoperation instead of the controller implementing a virtual partner. In the evaluation results, the human approach is rated to be most human-like, with the interactive controller following closely behind, followed by the controller in basic mode. This paper mainly concentrates on discussing the development of the haptic rendering algorithm for the handshaking system, its integration with visual and haptic cues, and reports about the results of subjective evaluation experiments that were carried out.
Twenty-third Annual Margaret Mann Phillips Lecture: Pagan Philosophy and Patristics in Erasmus and His Contemporaries
Authors: Kraye Jill
Published: November 2011

As admirers of the classical past, Renaissance humanists were frequently faced with the problem of how to deal with those aspects of ancient culture, such as pagan philosophy, which presented serious challenges to their sincerely held Christian beliefs. In seeking to resolve this longstanding dilemma, many humanists looked to the Church Fathers, who offered them a variety of different approaches to the issue. These ranged from highlighting the compatibility of certain philosophical schools with Christian theology to rejecting the ancient philosophical heritage in part or in its entirety. This article explores the interaction between pagan philosophy and patristics in Renaissance thought, focusing in particular on the role which each played in the intellectual activity of Erasmus and those of his contemporaries who remained within the Catholic fold, and attempting to determine the extent to which the project to restore these two bodies of writing occupied common ground in the humanist program for the recovery of antiquity.
Erasmian Rhetoric of Dialogue and Declamation and the Staging of Persuasion in Antonio Brucioli's Dialogi della morale filosofia
Authors: Leushuis Reinier
Published: November 2011

The Dialogi della morale filosofia by Antonio Brucioli (1487–1566), a Florentine humanist exiled in Venice, contain significant reworkings of Erasmian material. In the first edition (1526) Brucioli includes a dialogue version of Erasmus' declamation Encomium matrimonii; in the second edition (1537–1538) he recasts the colloquy Coniugium. While critics have discussed Erasmus' influence on Brucioli in the context of religious renewal, this article assesses the influence of Erasmian rhetoric on Brucioli's Dialogi from a literary perspective, namely in connection with early sixteenth-century developments of the dialogue genre in Italy. It argues that several of Brucioli's dialogues reveal an early application in the Italian literary context of Erasmian dialogical and declamatory strategies that exploit the mimetic value of the spoken exchange. Brucioli successfully valorizes these strategies to create a rhetorical “staging of persuasion” for the sake of the propagation of classical moral wisdom. The final part of this article establishes a connection between Brucioli's attempts to create a praxis of speaking on moral philosophy through dialogue and Erasmus' experiments with vivid spoken exchange in the Colloquia's earliest form as Familiarum colloquiorum formulae (1522).
On Orientalism, Self-Consciousness and History
Authors: Hallaq Wael B.
Published: November 2011

In engaging with my work on the early formation of Islamic law, David Powers has in effect reproduced a paradigmatic account that exemplifies the dearth of theory and hermeneutical self-consciousness in the field of legal Orientalism. This article proffers, first and foremost, a prolegomenon to some of the fundamental theoretical issues with which this field has yet to reckon; and, secondarily, a response to the concrete claims that Powers has made.
Differences in the Use of Cheliped Autotomy by the Mud Fiddler Crab Uca Pugnax (Smith, 1870) (Decapoda, Ocypodidae) When Escaping Predation by the Blue Crab Callinectes Sapidus (Rathbun, 1896)
Authors: Mace III M. M. , Curran M. C.
Published: November 2011

Autotomy of limbs has been observed for a variety of organisms and in some taxa has been shown to be an effective strategy for escaping predation. We investigated differences in the use of cheliped autotomy by small and large male fiddler crabs during predation events, and also assessed if autotomy of the major cheliped allowed male fiddler crabs to escape predation more often than females. The blue crab Callinectes sapidus was presented with 5 small and 5 large male mud fiddler crabs Uca pugnax (n = 60), and in a second experiment, 5 male and 5 female U. pugnax were presented to C. sapidus (n = 60). Large U. pugnax autotomized their major cheliped more often and survived compared to small U. pugnax (n = 22 pools, S = 96.5, p < 0.0001), although this difference was not significant when adjusted for the total number of attacks on each size (n = 22 pools, S = 45, p = 0.1467). There was no significant difference (n = 29 pools, S = 30.5, p = 0.4988) between the total number of unsuccessful attacks on male versus female U. pugnax. At least half of the males autotomized their major cheliped in unsuccessful attacks during the first (69%) and second (53%) experiments. The major cheliped of male U. pugnax is a prominent visual stimulus that may have initially attracted C. sapidus to this prey; however, autotomization potentially enabled male fiddler crabs to escape predation in over half of all unsuccessful attacks.
Some Reproductive Aspects of Latreutes Fucorum (Fabricius, 1798) (Decapoda, Hippolytidae) from Bahía De La Ascensión, Quintana Roo, Mexico
Authors: Martínez-Mayén Mario , Román-Contreras Ramiro
Published: November 2011

Latreutes fucorum (Fabricius, 1798) has a distribution that includes the American Atlantic coast from Canada to Brazil and part of the Antilles, as well as the Azores Islands and Cape Verde in the eastern Atlantic; however, there is little published information on the reproduction of this species. The aim of this study is to provide data on some reproductive characteristics of L. fucorum as fecundity, egg volume, sex ratio, and size at sexual maturity (CL50). The shrimps were collected on Thalassia testudinum Banks & Solander ex König meadows in Bahía de la Ascensión, Quintana Roo, Mexico during May 2002 by means of a Coleman-Seagrove sledge net with 800 μm mesh opening. We analysed 1097 specimens, from which was obtained a sex ratio of 1.59 males per female. The size interval of ovigerous females was 1.80 to 3.88 mm cephalothoracic length (CL), and we estimated a size at sexual maturity in the population of 2.55 ± 0.79 mm CL. Average fecundity was 96.25 ± 53.16, with 25 eggs as minimum and a maximum of 323, with a correlation coefficient of 0.72 between cephalothorax length and fecundity. Average egg volume varied from 0.013 mm3 in the first stage of development to 0.025 mm3 in embryos near hatching, which represents an increase of 92.3%. This is the first study about reproductive characteristics of L. fucorum for the Atlantic coast of Mexico.
The Contested Politics of Asian Responses to Indigenous Rights
Authors: He Baogang
Published: November 2011

A growing literature has examined various issues concerning indigenous rights in Asia. Yet the most urgent question is why, how and under what conditions the state recognises it. Why do some countries accept the international call for indigenous right but others reject it? Without the state's recognition, the cause of indigenous peoples and their rights looks dim. This paper examines the politics of the varied Asian responses to the international call for indigenous rights. It discusses reasons and conditions under which states or other actors endorse or deny indigenous people and their rights. The conclusion of the paper raises the issue of human agency in the politics of recognition.
European schools: A subject of International Law Integrated into the European Union
Authors: Gruber Joachim
Published: November 2011

The European Schools were established on the basis of the Statute of the European School of 12 April 1957 and the Protocol of 13 April 1962 on the setting up of the European Schools with reference to the Statute of the European School. The Statute of 12 April 1957 and the Protocol thereto of 13 April 1962 were cancelled and replaced by the Convention of 21 June 1994 defining the Statute of the European Schools. The author describes the application by the courts of these agreements. He further explains the convergence process of the European Schools in the European Union.
From the 'not yet' to the 'now and the not yet': Charismatic Kingdom Theology 1960-2010
Authors: Scotland Nigel
Published: November 2011

This article examines recent developments in charismatic theologies of the kingdom indicating the ways in which the focus has changed from an imminent futuristic spiritualised kingdom in the 1960s to a kingdom which is now largely held to be both present and future with an emphasis on social concern and philanthropy.
Temperature, Precipitation, and Lightning Modification in the Vicinity of the Athabasca Oil Sands
Authors: Brown Daniel M. , Reuter Gerhard W. , Flesch Thomas K.
Published: November 2011

The Athabasca oil sands development in northeast Alberta, Canada, has disturbed more than 500 km2 of boreal forest through surface mining and tailings ponds development. In this paper, the authors compare the time series of temperatures and precipitation measured over oil sands and non–oil sands locations from 1994 to 2010. In addition, they analyzed the distribution of lightning strikes from 1999 to 2010. The oil sands development has not affected the number of lightning strikes or precipitation amounts but has affected the temperature regime. Over the past 17 years, the summer overnight minimum temperatures near the oil sands have increased by about 1.2°C compared to the regional average. The authors speculate that this is caused by a combination of the industrial addition of waste heat to the atmosphere above the oil sands and changing the surface type from boreal forest to open pit mines with tailings ponds.
Changes in Stratospheric Temperatures and Their Implications for Changes in the Brewer–Dobson Circulation, 1979–2005
Authors: Young Paul J. , Rosenlof Karen H. , Solomon Susan , Sherwood Steven C. , Fu Qiang , Lamarque Jean-François
Published: November 2011

Seasonally and vertically resolved changes in the strength of the Brewer–Dobson circulation (BDC) were inferred using temperatures measured by the Microwave Sounding Unit (MSU), Stratospheric Sounding Unit (SSU), and radiosondes.

Linear trends in an empirically derived “BDC index” (extratropical minus tropical temperatures), over 1979–2005, were found to be consistent with a significant strengthening of the Northern Hemisphere (NH) branch of the BDC during December throughout the depth of the stratosphere. Trends in the same index suggest a significant strengthening of the Southern Hemisphere branch of the BDC during August through to the midstratosphere, as well as a significant weakening during March in the NH lower stratosphere. Such trends, however, are only significant if it is assumed that interannual variability due to the BDC can be removed by regression of the tropics against the extratropics and vice versa (i.e., exploiting the out-of-phase nature of tropical and extratropical temperatures as demonstrated by previous studies of temperature and the BDC).

The possibility that the apparent lower-stratosphere BDC December strengthening and March weakening could point to a change in the seasonal cycle of the circulation is also explored. The differences between a 1979–91 average and 1995–2005 average tropical temperature seasonal cycle in lower-stratospheric MSU data show an apparent shift in the minimum from February to January, consistent with a change in the timing of the maximum wave driving. Additionally, the importance of decadal variability in shaping the overall trends is highlighted, in particular for the suggested March BDC weakening, which may now be strengthening from a minimum in the 1990s.
Tainted love: From dirty work to abject labour in Soho’s sex shops
Authors: Tyler Melissa
Published: November 2011

This article is based on ethnographic research carried out in sex shops – retail premises selling sex toys, clothing and accessories, as well as sexually explicit books and films – located in London’s Soho. Drawing on the concept of ‘dirty work’, it explores not only the ways in which the various taints associated with dirty work – physical, social and moral – are lived and experienced, but also the allure of this particular type of work for those who perform it, and particularly of Soho as a work place. In doing so, the article extends the study of dirty work by drawing attention to two related themes that emerged from the research – first, the performance of what might be termed ‘abject labour’; that is, work that invokes a simultaneous attraction and repulsion for those who undertake it, and second, the significance of location and place in understanding the lived experience of work and the meanings with which particular types of work are imbued. The discussion concludes by arguing that teasing out the inter-relationship between these two themes – of simultaneity (of repulsion and desire) and setting – enables us to better understand interconnections between the meanings attached to particular types of work, and the specific locations in which they take place.
The Consequences of Victimization on Political Identities
Authors: Balcells Laia
Published: November 2011

This article explores the impact of war-related traumatic experiences on political identities and political behavior by exploring different pieces of empirical evidence from the Spanish Civil War (1936–39), the Franco dictatorship (1939–75), and its aftermath. On one hand, the author analyzes semistructured interviews of survivors of the civil war and the dictatorship; on the other hand, she assesses data from a specialized survey implemented on a representative sample of the Spanish population. The analyses broadly suggest that, controlling for family leanings during the civil war, victimization experiences during the civil war and the subsequent dictatorship lead to the rejection of the perpetrators’ identities along the political cleavage that was salient during the war (i.e., left–right). The survey analysis also indicates that (1) although grudges related to severe wartime violations are transmitted through generations, moderate wartime violations do not have such a long-term political impact; (2) the political effects of victimization do not increase with proximity to the traumatic events (i.e., age); and (3) victimization experiences do not have a significant impact on identities along cleavages that were not salient during the war (i.e., center–periphery).