bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Left Ventricular Longitudinal Function Assessed by Speckle Tracking Ultrasound from a Single Apical Imaging Plane
Authors: Bagger Thomas , Sloth Erik , Jakobsen Carl-Johan
Published: April 2012

Background. Transthoracic ultrasonography of the heart is valuable in monitoring and treatment of critically ill patients. Speckle tracking ultrasound (STU) has proven valid in estimating left ventricular systolic deformation. The aims of the study were to compare conventional and automated STU and to determine whether left ventricular systolic deformation could be estimated from one single imaging plane.Methods. 2D-echocardiography cine-loops were obtained from 20 patients for off-line speckle tracking analysis, consisting of manually tracing of the endocardial border (conventional method) or automatically drawn boundaries (automated method).Results. We found a bias of 0,6 (95% CI −2.2−3.3) for global peak systolic strain comparing the automated and the conventional method. Comparing global peak systolic strain of apical 4-chamber cine-loops with averaged Global Peak Strain obtained from apical 4, 2 and long axis cine-loops, showed a bias of 0.1 (95% CI −3.9−4.0). The agreement between subcostal 4-chamber and apical 4-chamber global peak systolic strain was 4.4 (95% CI −3.7−12.5).Conclusion. We found good agreement between the conventional and the automated method. STU applied to single apical 4-chamber cine-loops is in excellent agreement with overall averaged global peak systolic strain, while subcostal 4-chamber cine-loops proved less compliant with speckle tracking ultrasound.
Mechanical Description of a Hyper-Redundant Robot Joint Mechanism Used for a Design of a Biomimetic Robotic Fish
Authors: Afolayan M. O. , Yawas D. S. , Folayan C. O. , Aku S. Y.
Published: April 2012

A biologically inspired robot in the form of fish (mackerel) model using rubber (as the biomimetic material) for its hyper-redundant joint is presented in this paper. Computerized simulation of the most critical part of the model (the peduncle) shows that the rubber joints will be able to take up the stress that will be created. Furthermore, the frequency-induced softening of the rubber used was found to be critical if the joints are going to oscillate at frequency above 25 Hz. The robotic fish was able to attain a speed of 0.985 m/s while the tail beats at a maximum of 1.7 Hz when tested inside water. Furthermore, a minimum turning radius of 0.8 m (approximately 2 times the fish body length) was achieved.
Mice Expressing Activated PI3K Rapidly Develop Advanced Colon Cancer
Authors: Leystra Alyssa A. , Deming Dustin A. , Zahm Christopher D. , Farhoud Mohammed , Olson Terrah J. Paul , Hadac Jamie N. , Nettekoven Laura A. , Albrecht Dawn M. , Clipson Linda , Sullivan Ruth , Washington Mary Kay , Torrealba Jose R. , Weichert Jamey P. , Halberg Richard B.
Published: April 2012

Aberrations in the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) signaling pathway play a key role in the pathogenesis of numerous cancers by altering cellular growth, metabolism, proliferation, and apoptosis. Mutations in the catalytic domain of PI3K that generate a dominantly active kinase are commonly found in human colorectal cancers and have been thought to drive tumor progression but not initiation. However, the effects of constitutively activated PI3K upon the intestinal mucosa have not been previously studied in animal models. Here, we show that the expression of a dominantly active form of the PI3K protein in the mouse intestine results in hyperplasia and advanced neoplasia. Mice expressing constitutively active PI3K in the epithelial cells of the distal small bowel and colon rapidly developed invasive adenocarcinomas in the colon that spread into the mesentery and adjacent organs. The histologic characteristics of these tumors were strikingly similar to invasive mucinous colon cancers in humans. Interestingly, these tumors formed without a benign polypoid intermediary, consistent with the lack of aberrant WNT signaling observed. Together, our findings indicate a noncanonical mechanism of colon tumor initiation that is mediated through activation of PI3K. This unique model has the potential to further our understanding of human disease and facilitate the development of therapeutics through pharmacologic screening and biomarker identification. Cancer Res; 72(12); 2931–6. ©2012 AACR.
Can a National Lung Cancer Screening Program in Combination with Smoking Cessation Policies Cause an Early Decrease in Tobacco Deaths in Italy?
Authors: Carreras Giulia , Gorini Giuseppe , Paci Eugenio
Published: April 2012

Objective is to predict smoking attributable deaths (SAD) for lung cancer and all causes in Italy, 2015 to 2040, assuming a yet unimplemented tobacco control policies (TCP) and a national, low-dose, lung cancer, computed tomography (CT) annual screening program (CT screen).

A dynamic model describing the evolution of smoking habits was developed to estimate quit rates, 1986 to 2009, and to predict SAD under different scenarios: keeping the status quo; raising cigarette taxes by 20%; implementing cessation treatment policies (funding treatment, setting up an active quitline, promoting counseling among health professionals); introducing a three-round annual CT screen for current and former heavy smokers aged 55 to 74, 70% compliance, 20% lung cancer mortality reduction; combining all the above-mentioned measures.

The CT screen brought a 3.0% constant annual reduction in lung cancer SAD and decreased or postponed all-cause SAD by 1.7% annually (a half due to respiratory diseases), relative to the status quo scenario. The effect was noticeable after few years from its introduction. TCP showed a steadily strengthening effect starting from 5 to 10 years after implementation. The lung cancer and all-cause SAD under cessation treatment policies, for instance, were reduced by 8.4% and 12.0% in 2030, respectively, and by 16.1% and 20.0% in 2040. TCP gave a greater effect than CT screen in reducing all-cause SAD because cessation brought about a reduction in smoking-related SAD other than lung cancer and respiratory diseases.

Combining TCP and CT screen could bring about an early decrease in lung cancer and respiratory disease SAD due to CT screen, followed by a more substantial drop in all-cause SAD in subsequent decades due to TCP. Cancer Prev Res; 5(6); 874–82. ©2012 AACR.
Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy Predicts Lymph Node Metastasis in Early Gastric Cancer: A Retrospective Analysis
Authors: Dong Li-Feng , Wang Lin-Bo , Shen Jian-Guo , Xu Chao-Yang
Published: April 2012

Background/Aims: Minimally invasive treatments have emerged as the frontline therapy for patients with early gastric cancer (EGC). However, some cT1N0 patients with EGC may have lymph node metastasis because of inadequate evaluation. This study aimed to investigate the diagnostic accuracy of sentinel lymph node (SLN) and tried to find out feasible criteria for SLN-guided minimally invasive surgery for EGC. Methods: A solitary metastasis lymph node was taken as SLN, the features of lymph node metastasis were analyzed retrospectively in 255 patients with EGC, and the result was then compared with a SLN biopsy in 23 patients with EGC. Results: Depth of invasion and tumor size were independent risk factors for lymph node metastasis in EGC. The lymph node metastasis rate for mucosal carcinoma with a diameter <4 cm was 2.5%, and it was 13.3% when the diameter was ≥4 cm (p = 0.040). For submucosal carcinoma, it was 25.4% when the tumor diameter was <3 cm and 50.5% when the diameter was ≥3 cm (p = 0.003). The accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of SLN biopsy in EGC was 100%, respectively. The distribution characteristics of SLN were consistent with those of lymph node metastasis in EGC. Conclusions: SLN-guided minimally invasive surgery could be safely performed in EGC according to feasible criteria.
Aging and Diets Regulate the Rat Anterior Pituitary and Hypothalamic Transcriptome
Authors: Bédard Karine , Bédard Julie , Rocheleau Ghislain , Ferland Guylaine , Gaudreau Pierrette
Published: April 2012

Dietary interventions involving caloric restriction represent a powerful strategy to prevent or delay age-related deteriorations and diseases. Their beneficial effects have been observed in several tissues and species. This microarray study investigated the effects of aging, long-term moderate caloric restriction (LTMCR) and long-term dietary soy on the regulation of gene expression in the anterior pituitary and hypothalamus of 20-month-old Sprague-Dawley rats. In both tissues, aging regulated genes mainly involved in cell defense and repair mechanisms related to apoptosis, DNA repair, cellular stress, inflammatory and immune response. In the aging pituitary, the highest upregulated gene was the regenerating islet-derived 3β (5.77-fold), coding for a secretory protein involved in acute stress and inflammation. A protective effect of LTMCR on age-related change of gene expression was observed for 35 pituitary genes. In addition, beneficial effects of LTMCR in the pituitary were observed on new regulated genes mainly involved in cell death and cell stress response. In the hypothalamus, the effects of LTMCR on age-related changes were modest. Finally, changing the quality of dietary protein (20% casein for soy) had a low impact on the regulation of mRNA levels in both tissues. Genes associated with the somatotroph function were also differentially expressed in the aging pituitary. Interestingly, LTMCR prevented the effect of aging on insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-3 gene. Altogether, this study proposes novel pituitary and hypothalamic molecular targets and signaling pathways to help in understanding the mechanisms involved in aging processes and LTMCR.
Atrial Fibrillation Inducibility in the Absence of Structural Heart Disease or Clinical Atrial Fibrillation
Authors: Kumar Saurabh , Kalman Jonathan M. , Sutherland Fiona , Spence Steven J. , Finch Sue , Sparks Paul B.
Published: April 2012

Background—

Inducibility of atrial fibrillation (AF) after pulmonary vein isolation has been used to guide additional left atrial ablation in paroxysmal AF. The sensitivity and specificity of AF induction in this setting remains uncertain. We examined the incidence and characteristics of inducible AF in patients without structural heart disease or clinical AF and the effect of different induction protocols on AF inducibility.

Methods and Results—

In 44 patients with supraventricular tachycardia with no history of AF or risk factors for AF, atrial refractoriness and conduction were measured, followed by AF induction attempts (10/patient). Each induction was performed after a waiting time that exceeded twice the duration of induced AF from the preceding induction. AF ≥1 minute was considered inducible, and ≥5 minutes as sustained. Burst pacing (at 200 ms for 10 seconds) was compared to decremental pacing (from 200 ms to shortest cycle length, resulting in 1:1 atrial capture for 10 seconds). After 10 inductions, AF was inducible in 49.5%, and sustained in 29.5% of patients. The incidence of both inducible and sustained AF increased with each induction. Apart from male gender, no clinical or electrophysiological features were associated with sustained AF. Decremental pacing was associated with a higher incidence of sustained AF (41.2% versus 14.8%,
P
=0.049), longer duration of AF (
P
=0.006), and shorter mean AF cycle length (
P
<0.001) compared with burst pacing.

Conclusions—

Inducible and sustained AF is common in patients in the absence of structural heart disease or clinical AF, and its incidence varies according to gender, method of induction, and number of inductions. There is a direct relationship between AF persistence and number of inductions, which has not reached a plateau after 10 inductions.
Gap Junctions and Connexin Hemichannels Underpin Hemostasis and Thrombosis
Authors: Vaiyapuri Sakthivel , Jones Chris I. , Sasikumar Parvathy , Moraes Leonardo A. , Munger Stephanie J. , Wright Joy R. , Ali Marfoua S. , Sage Tanya , Kaiser William J. , Tucker Katherine L. , Stain Christopher J. , Bye Alexander P. , Jones Sarah , Oviedo-Orta Ernesto , Simon Alexander M. , Mahaut-Smith Martyn P. , Gibbins Jonathan M.
Published: April 2012

Background—

Connexins are a widespread family of membrane proteins that assemble into hexameric hemichannels, also known as connexons. Connexons regulate membrane permeability in individual cells or couple between adjacent cells to form gap junctions and thereby provide a pathway for regulated intercellular communication. We have examined the role of connexins in platelets, blood cells that circulate in isolation but on tissue injury adhere to each other and the vessel wall to prevent blood loss and to facilitate wound repair.

Methods and Results—

We report the presence of connexins in platelets, notably connexin37, and that the formation of gap junctions within platelet thrombi is required for the control of clot retraction. Inhibition of connexin function modulated a range of platelet functional responses before platelet-platelet contact and reduced laser-induced thrombosis in vivo in mice. Deletion of the
Cx37
gene (
Gja4
) in transgenic mice reduced platelet aggregation, fibrinogen binding, granule secretion, and clot retraction, indicating an important role for connexin37 hemichannels and gap junctions in platelet thrombus function.

Conclusions—

Together, these data demonstrate that platelet gap junctions and hemichannels underpin the control of hemostasis and thrombosis and represent potential therapeutic targets.
Why Not the Whole World? Ethical Dilemmas of Immigration Policy
Authors: Zolberg Aristide R.
Published: April 2012

The title of this article is inspired by a question raised by Herman Melville in the face of the first American “immigration crisis” occasioned by the Irish potato famine of the 1840s. On this basis, this article discusses arguments on behalf of “open borders.” Although under present world circumstances this is not realistic, this stance remains vital for a normative discussion of immigration policies.
Theory of Mind and Self-Concept
Authors: Ahn Sunghee , Miller Scott A.
Published: April 2012

Preschool participants from Korea ( N = 56, mean age = 5 years, 4 months) and the United States ( N = 56, mean age = 5 years, 1 month) responded to tasks assessing self-concept and understanding of false belief. Korean children scored higher on the self-dimension of Traditionalism and lower on the dimension of Social Potency than did American children, a finding in accord with the hypothesis that the Korean culture fosters a relatively interdependent conception of the self. Korean children also outperformed American children on the measure of false belief. In contrast to previous research with Western samples, the nature of the false belief problem (inanimate object, voluntary person movement, involuntary person movement) did not significantly affect performance in either culture. Finally, variations in self-concept showed some but limited relations to false belief performance; in general, relatively interdependent self-responses were predictive of good false belief performance.
(Dis)Empowering Homeless People
Authors: Steffen Charles G.
Published: April 2012

This article examines the occupation of Atlanta’s Imperial Hotel by homeless people in the summer of 1990. This dramatic event represented the apogee of homeless empowerment in Atlanta during the last thirty years. It allows us to examine a “poor people’s movement” that wielded the power of disruption to put the issue of affordable housing on the agenda of the city’s governing regime. The Imperial takeover also provides an opportunity to consider the short-term factors that momentarily opened a space for such disruptive action and the long-term restructurings that ultimately disaggregated and disempowered homeless people.
Viewing and Walking
Authors: Rydén Göran
Published: April 2012

During the eighteenth century, London became the largest city in Europe and attracted many foreign visitors, and the task here is to analyze a set of Swedish travelers. Sweden was a predominately rural country, but urban development was an integrated aspect of its mercantilist policy; towns were the outcome of an active state promoting trade. With such an intellectual background, the Swedes going to Britain viewed London accordingly, as seen from above. However, these visitors also walked the streets of the British capital and saw an everyday life different from their Swedish setting. The aim of this article is to analyze the relationship between these two ways of approaching London.
Historic Preservation’s Urban Renewal Roots
Authors: Ryberg Stephanie R.
Published: April 2012

This article analyzes the intersection of historic preservation and city planning in post-WWII Philadelphia. Using over forty-five area plans, the city’s 1960 Comprehensive Plan, and contemporary media reports, the article explores the relationship between the Philadelphia City Planning Commission and the Philadelphia Historical Commission, the first citywide preservation commission in the United States. The article debunks the conventional wisdom that midcentury clearance and redevelopment strategies galvanized the historic preservation movement. Rather, the Philadelphia case demonstrates that the preservation community adopted a narrow definition of “historic,” while a rehabilitation ethic permeated the Planning Commission’s conservative approach to renewal, ultimately resulting in the retention of existing buildings, the integration of older fabric with modern infill, and the implicit preservation of much of the city’s residential built environment.
Interactions at the Elder-Organization Interface
Authors: Richardson Margaret , Zorn Theodore E.
Published: April 2012

Optimizing opportunities for elders’ participation is a central tenet of active aging policies. This article reports on a qualitative study that examined elders’ interactions with a range of organizations, using a combination of diaries and focus groups, to identify factors that enabled or constrained elders’ participation. Three organizational practices and three elder practices were identified as key influences on positive interactions. Where elders perceived they were seen, listened to, and helped in an appropriate manner, or where they were able to negotiate for these outcomes, their participation was enabled and they enjoyed a sense of satisfaction and well-being. Where elders perceived they or their needs were overlooked, their voices silenced, and appropriate assistance denied them, or they were unable to intervene to change these conditions, their participation was constrained and a sense of dissatisfaction resulted. The findings point to positive interactions as the shared responsibility of elders and organizational representatives.
Orchestrating life skills: The effect of increased school-based music classes on children’s social competence and self-esteem
Authors: Rickard Nikki S. , Appelman Peter , James Richard , Murphy Fintan , Gill Anneliese , Bambrick Caroline
Published: April 2012

Music training has been found to produce a range of cognitive benefits for young children, although well-controlled evaluation of the effects on psychosocial functioning has been limited. In this study participants were recruited from two grade levels (prep/grade 1, N = 210; grade 3, N = 149), and were allocated to a music education condition, or a control condition which continued to receive their usual curriculum. In the treatment condition, Kodaly music classes were introduced into the younger cohort’s curriculum, while the older cohort received additional instrumental classes which were predominantly strings-based. Results indicated that school-based music classes prevented a decline in global self-esteem measures experienced by the control group in both the younger and older cohorts, and in general and academic self-esteem for the older cohort. Preliminary data also suggest that a similarly engaging, arts-based activity (juggling) may confer similar benefits for older children’s self-esteem. While difficulties inherent in performing experimental research within schools prevent strong conclusions, the data imply that increasing the frequency and quality of arts-based activities can be beneficial for the self-esteem of primary school-aged children.
Visual cortex excitability and plasticity associated with remission from chronic to episodic migraine
Authors: Chen Wei-Ta , Wang Shuu-Jiun , Fuh Jong-Ling , Ko Yu-Chieh , Lee Yi-Chung , Hämäläinen Matti S , Lin Yung-Yang
Published: April 2012

Objective: Previous magnetoencephalographic (MEG) studies showed different P100m (where ‘m’ denotes the magnetic counterpart of P100 in conventional visual evoked potentials) responses between episodic migraine (EM) and chronic migraine (CM) interictally. This study investigated the changes of visual P100m in CM patients who remitted to EM from CM after treatment.

Methods: At baseline, 25 patients with CM were studied interictally. For each patient, 30 sequential blocks of 50 P100m responses were obtained by MEG. Sub-averaged amplitudes at blocks 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30 were further compared with that at block 1 to assess response habituation or potentiation (i.e. significant decrease or increase at either block vs block 1). The same study was repeated in those patients who remitted from CM to EM after topiramate treatment.

Results: In total, 10 CM patients remitted to EM after treatment. In the follow-up study of these patients during the interictal stage, the P100m at block 1 decreased in amplitude from 53.6 ± 6.6 nAm before remission to 43.0 ± 5.1 nAm ( p = 0.028), and the responses at subsequent blocks switched from habituation (amplitude block 30 < block 1 before remission, p = 0.011) to potentiation (block 2 > block 1, p = 0.028).

Conclusion: The pattern of P100m responses to consecutive stimulation changes with the transition from CM to EM. Visual cortex plasticity might be a potential biomarker reflecting clinical remission of CM.
Process parameters appraisal of fabricating ceramic parts based on stereolithography using the Taguchi method
Authors: Chen Zhangwei , Li Dichen , Zhou Weizhao
Published: April 2012

In this work, the influences of stereolithography parameters (laser scanning speed, sliced layer thickness, laser spot compensation, etc.) and sintering schemes, consisting of sintering temperature, heating rate and holding time on the performance of green and final ceramic parts, have been investigated experimentally with the Taguchi method. In the stereolithography process, laser spot compensation was found to be the principal factor influencing the shrinkage of green samples. Optimum stereolithography parameters were obtained: hatch spacing 0.15 mm; laser scanning speed 1400 mm/s; sliced layer thickness 0.15 mm; and laser spot compensation 0.35 mm. A freeze-drying method was applied to minimize the drying shrinkage and avoid damages during the dehydration process of green samples. The optimum sintering scheme was also determined: heating rate 150 °C/h, sintering temperature 1200 °C and holding time 2 h. A bending strength of at least 10 MPa and open porosity of 35% were reached, making the ceramics adequate to produce investment casting molds.
Mapping the shadow carceral state: Toward an institutionally capacious approach to punishment
Authors: Beckett Katherine , Murakawa Naomi
Published: April 2012

The expansion of the US carceral state has been accompanied by the emergence of what we call the ‘shadow carceral state’. Operating beyond the confines of criminal law and justice institutions, the shadow carceral state expands penal power through institutional annexation and legal hybridity, including: (1) increased civil and administrative pathways to incarceration; (2) the creation of civil ‘alternatives’ to invalidated criminal statutes; and (3) the incorporation of criminal law into administrative legal processes in ways that enhance state carceral power. Although legal doctrine deems civil and administration sanctions to be ‘not-punishment’, we call for a broad understanding of penal power and the carceral state.
‘No longer, but not yet’: Tweens and the mediating of threshold selves through liminal consumption
Authors: Cody Kevina
Published: April 2012

The pervasiveness of children’s consumer culture and the complex intimacy between young consumers’ identities and the marketplace is not a new thesis. However, this article recognizes the significant dearth of both empirical and theoretical accounts of young adolescents’ specific consumption practices as they attempt to mediate the intricacies of their lived experiences and social contexts. This dearth is first explored by detailing the over-emphasis on developmentalism, socialization theory and the sacred/empowered dichotomy. Subsequently, a metaphorical conceptualization of those who are no longer but concurrently not yet – the liminal – is used as a lens of analysis, and a multi-method research approach of diaries, interviews, collages and shopping trips is undertaken. A theory of liminal consumption is explored as a result, highlighting the tangible light and shade, indeterminacy and yet ambition in which these young adolescents’ consumption practices and social contexts are inextricably intertwined.
Anti-consumption as tactical resistance: Anarchists, subculture, and activist strategy
Authors: Portwood-Stacer Laura
Published: April 2012

This article examines practices of anti-consumption deployed by anarchist activists as tactical actions within their overall projects of political and subcultural resistance. Drawing on existing literature on anti-consumers, my own interviews with anti-consumers, and analysis of materials that circulate in support of anti-consumption, I explore both the material and discursive effects of anti-consumption within a specific political subculture. I offer a typology of motivations for anti-consumption among activists, as well as a discussion of how overlaps and conflicts between various motivations complicate assessments of lifestyle-based resistance. I ultimately argue that the analysis I offer can prove helpful to political projects that utilize consumption-based tactics, in the construction and evaluation of effective activist strategies.
The Voluntary Simplicity Movement: A multi-national survey analysis in theoretical context
Authors: Alexander Samuel , Ussher Simon
Published: April 2012

Overconsumption in affluent societies is the root or contributing cause of many of the world’s most pressing problems, including environmental degradation, global poverty, peak oil and consumer malaise. This suggests that any transition to a sustainable and just society will require those who are overconsuming to move to far more materially ‘simple’ lifestyles. The Voluntary Simplicity Movement can be understood broadly as a diverse social movement made up of people who are resisting high consumption lifestyles and who are seeking, in various ways, a lower consumption but higher quality of life alternative. Recently a multi-national online survey was launched for the purpose of gaining empirical insight into this ‘post-consumerist’ social movement, and this study provides the most extensive sociological examination of the movement available. After situating the Voluntary Simplicity Movement in theoretical context, this article presents a foundational analysis of these new survey results.
Evaluation of the wave height used in the design of offshore structures considering the effects of climate change
Authors: Radhika S , Deo MC , Latha G
Published: April 2012

Evaluating the wave height used in the design of offshore structures simply on the basis of observed or hindcast wave heights may be an inadequate approach in light of the potential changes in the climate due to global warming. In this study an attempt is made to estimate the significant wave height with a return period of 100 years at three different locations along the Indian coastline considering the effects of climate change. The future values of wave height are generated by regionalizing or downscaling wind information obtained from a general circulation model run for various scenarios of global warming. The predicted wave heights for the next 30 years are then fitted to Gumbel or Weibull distributions to estimate the significant wave height with a return period of 100 years and these estimates are compared with those obtained from the past 30 years hindcast. In general, it is found that if climate change is considered in the evaluation of design-significant wave heights then a considerable increase in their magnitudes is likely. On the basis that the Weibull distribution provides a statistically more reliable fit to the data then the recommended increase in the 100-year significant wave height is in the range 8–42% for the considered location in the Bay of Bengal and 27–44% and 22–32% for the two considered locations in the Arabian Sea.
Leadership Initiatives to Disseminate the Institute of Medicine’s Future of Nursing Report
Authors: Folan Patricia , Tarraza Marianne DeCain , Delaney Margaret , Fardellone Christine , Leners Colleen , Ross Erin , Fitzpatrick Joyce J.
Published: April 2012

This article discusses the critical role professional nurses will play and the tremendous impact nursing education and leadership development will have on the future of health care, as outlined in the recommendations of the Institute of Medicine’s report, “The future of nursing: Leading change, and advancing health.” Six doctorate of nursing practice students from Case Western Reserve University analyzed the Institute of Medicine (IOM) report and developed projects to disseminate key components to selected organizations. The students developed two primary initiatives. One initiative involved presenting the report to various professional organizations, including a local chapter of an international honor society, a specialty organization, and a health care organization. The second initiative included interviewing several nurse leaders within a large multihospital health system, and a nursing leader in academia to determine (a) the level of awareness about the IOM report and (b) strategies these leaders have implemented or envisioned to address the report recommendations.
Joint Commission Accreditation and Quality Measures in U.S. Nursing Homes
Authors: Wagner Laura M. , McDonald Shawna M. , Castle Nicholas G.
Published: April 2012

This study examines the association between accreditation and select measures of quality in U.S. nursing homes, both cross-sectionally and over time. Data analyzed in this research originated from a web-based search of The Joint Commission (TJC) accredited facilities and the Nursing Home Compare set of Quality Measures relating to physical restraint use, pain management, urinary catheter use, and pressure sores. Five-Star Nursing Home Quality Rating System information was also used to calculate overall quality measure and health inspection scores. Data were analyzed using negative binomial regression. Comparing quality in the year before accreditation with the 1st year after accreditation, all five Quality Measures and both Five-Star categories demonstrated improvement. In comparing quality after 8 years of accreditation, three of the Quality Measures examined continued to improve. There were no cases where accreditation was associated with decreased quality. These results indicate that TJC accredited nursing homes improve their quality immediately after accreditation but do not continue to improve in all areas over time.
Dynamic aspects during the cylinder grip — flexion sequence of the finger joints analyzed using a sensor glove
Authors: Gülke J. , Gulkin D. , Wachter N. , Knöferl M. , Bartl C. , Mentzel M.
Published: April 2012

The purpose of this study was to assess whether there is a universal pattern of movement of the finger joints while performing a cylinder grip. A sensor glove was used to record the finger joint motion of 48 participants. Our observations showed that when examining the fingers, flexion motion began either at the metacarpophalangeal (MP) or proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joints, with the distal interphalangeal (DIP) joints always last to move ( p = 0.0052). The sequence of the joints at the end of the gripping motion was different than at the beginning. Here, the only statistically significant observation was that the DIP joints fully flexed only once the MP joints had flexed fully. Apart from that, it was completely variable which joint reached its final position first or last. The analysis also revealed that synchronization of four identical joints (i.e. the four PIP joints) was significantly higher than synchronization of the 12 finger joints. Although synchronization was already high at the beginning of the flexion motion, it increased significantly by the time the joints completed their movement.
Beyond blood pressure: evidence for cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, and renal protective effects of renin–angiotensin system blockers
Authors: Verdecchia Paolo , Gentile Giorgio , Angeli Fabio , Reboldi Gianpaolo
Published: April 2012

For patients with hypertension, effective control of blood pressure (BP) reduces cardiovascular (CV), and renal risk. Antihypertensive agents that offer benefits that extend beyond those associated with BP reduction alone, to include tissue protective effects and effects on the vasculature, may be of benefit for many patients with increased CV risk due to comorbidities or prior history of CV events. Renin–angiotensin system (RAS) blockers [angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) and angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs)] are guideline-recognized, highly effective antihypertensive agents that exert their BP-lowering action through different mechanisms at different levels of the RAS. Large-scale clinical studies suggest that small, between-treatment differences in BP lowering do not account for observed outcome differences between RAS blockers and other antihypertensive agents. Analysis of data from seminal clinical studies and meta-analyses identify that, controlling for effects on BP control, RAS blockers may be more effective than calcium channel blockers (CCBs) in reducing risk of myocardial infarction and congestive heart failure; ARBs may be more effective than either ACEIs or β blockers in stroke prevention; CCBs may be more effective than RAS blockers in stroke prevention; and ARBs may be more effective than β blockers in reducing left ventricular hypertrophy. This review considers the rationale and evidence for benefits of RAS blockade beyond BP lowering, and highlights the differences between ARBs and ACEIs, and between agents within these drug classes.
Dynamic impact response characteristics of a helmeted Hybrid III headform using a centric and non-centric impact protocol
Authors: Walsh Evan S , Post Andrew , Rousseau Philippe , Kendall Marshall , Karton Clara , Oeur Anna , Foreman Scott , Hoshizaki Thomas B
Published: April 2012

A linear impactor system was used to apply a condensed version of the University of Ottawa Test Protocol, employing five centric and non-centric impact conditions, to a Hybrid III headform fitted with six certified ice hockey helmets. None of the helmeted conditions exceeded linear acceleration thresholds for traumatic or mild traumatic brain injury; however, five of the six helmets had angular acceleration results that were above the 80% risk of mild traumatic brain injury threshold proposed by Zhang et al. High risk of mild traumatic brain injury was associated with non-centric impact conditions and peak angular accelerations, supporting the need for improved three-dimensional helmet certification standards.
Contrast-Enhanced Micro–Computed Tomography in Evaluation of Spontaneous Repair of Equine Cartilage
Authors: Kulmala K.A.M. , Pulkkinen H.J. , Rieppo L. , Tiitu V. , Kiviranta I. , Brünott A. , Brommer H. , van Weeren R. , Brama P.A.J. , Mikkola M.T. , Korhonen R.K. , Jurvelin J.S. , Töyräs J.
Published: April 2012

Objective:

Contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT) has been introduced for the evaluation of cartilage integrity. Furthermore, CECT enables imaging of the structure and density of subchondral bone. In this laboratory study, we investigate the potential of microCECT to simultaneously image cartilage and subchondral bone for the evaluation of tissue healing.

Design:

Osteochondral lesions (Ø = 6 mm) were surgically created in equine intercarpal joints ( n = 7). After spontaneous healing for 12 months, the horses were sacrificed and osteochondral plugs (Ø = 14 mm), including the repair cartilage and adjacent intact tissue, were harvested. The nonfibrillar and fibrillar moduli and the permeability of cartilage were determined using indentation testing. Contrast agent diffusion into the samples was imaged for 36 hours using high-resolution CT. Results from CECT, mechanical testing, and microscopic analyses were compared and correlated.

Results:

The contrast agent diffusion coefficient showed a significant ( P < 0.05) difference between the repair and adjacent intact tissue. MicroCECT revealed altered ( P < 0.05) bone volume fraction, mineral density, and microstructure of subchondral bone at the repair site. The contrast agent diffusion coefficient correlated with the moduli of the nonfibrillar matrix ( R = −0.662, P = 0.010), collagen fibril parallelism index ( R = −0.588, P = 0.035), and glycosaminoglycan content ( R = −0.503, P = 0.067). The repair cartilage was mechanically and structurally different from adjacent intact tissue ( P < 0.05).

Conclusions:

MicroCECT enabled simultaneous quantitative evaluation of subchondral bone and monitoring of cartilage repair, distinguishing quantitatively the repair site from the adjacent intact tissue. As the only technique able to simultaneously image cartilage and determine subchondral bone mineral density and microstructure, CECT has potential clinical value.
Cyclin-A1 represents a new immunogenic targetable antigen expressed in acute myeloid leukemia stem cells with characteristics of a cancer-testis antigen
Authors: Ochsenreither Sebastian , Majeti Ravindra , Schmitt Thomas , Stirewalt Derek , Keilholz Ulrich , Loeb Keith R. , Wood Brent , Choi Yongiae E. , Bleakley Marie , Warren Edus H. , Hudecek Michael , Akatsuka Yoshiki , Weissman Irving L. , Greenberg Philip D.
Published: April 2012

Targeted T-cell therapy is a potentially less toxic strategy than allogeneic stem cell transplantation for providing a cytotoxic antileukemic response to eliminate leukemic stem cells (LSCs) in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). However, this strategy requires identification of leukemia-associated antigens that are immunogenic and exhibit selective high expression in AML LSCs. Using microarray expression analysis of LSCs, hematopoietic cell subpopulations, and peripheral tissues to screen for candidate antigens, cyclin-A1 was identified as a candidate gene. Cyclin-A1 promotes cell proliferation and survival, has been shown to be leukemogenic in mice, is detected in LSCs of more than 50% of AML patients, and is minimally expressed in normal tissues with exception of testis. Using dendritic cells pulsed with a cyclin-A1 peptide library, we generated T cells against several cyclin-A1 oligopeptides. Two HLA A*0201-restricted epitopes were further characterized, and specific CD8 T-cell clones recognized both peptide-pulsed target cells and the HLA A*0201-positive AML line THP-1, which expresses cyclin-A1. Furthermore, cyclin-A1–specific CD8 T cells lysed primary AML cells. Thus, cyclin-A1 is the first prototypic leukemia-testis-antigen to be expressed in AML LSCs. The pro-oncogenic activity, high expression levels, and multitude of immunogenic epitopes make it a viable target for pursuing T cell–based therapy approaches.
Uniqueness of meromorphic functions sharing two values
Authors: Cao Yin-Hong , Zhang Xiao-Bin
Published: April 2012

In this article, we shall study the uniqueness problems on meromorphic functions sharing nonzero finite value or having fixed points. Our results extend the corresponding results of Fang and Hua, Yang and Hua, and Fang and Qiu. MSC 2010: 30D35, 30D30.
The fungal T-2 toxin alters the activation of primary macrophages induced by TLR-agonists resulting in a decrease of the inflammatory response in the pig
Authors: Seeboth Julie , Solinhac Romain , Oswald Isabelle P , Guzylack-Piriou Laurence
Published: April 2012

T-2 toxin is known to be one of the most toxic trichothecene mycotoxins. Exposure to T-2 toxin induces many hematologic and immunotoxic disorders and is involved in immuno-modulation of the innate immune response. The objective of this work was to evaluate the effects of T-2 toxin on the activation of macrophages by different agonists of Toll-like receptors (TLR) using an in vitro model of primary porcine alveolar macrophages (PAM). Cytotoxic effects of T-2 toxin on PAM were first evaluated. An IC50of 19.47 ± 0.9753 nM was determined for the cytotoxicity of T-2 toxin. A working concentration of 3 nM of T-2 toxin was chosen to test the effect of T-2 toxin on TLR activation; this dose was not cytotoxic and did not induce apoptosis as demonstrated by Annexin/PI staining. A pre-exposure of macrophages to 3 nM of T-2 toxin decreased the production of inflammatory mediators (IL-1 beta, TNF-alpha, nitric oxide) in response to LPS and FSL1, TLR4 and TLR2/6 agonists respectively. The decrease of the pro-inflammatory response is associated with a decrease of TLR mRNA expression. By contrast, the activation of TLR7 by ssRNA was not modulated by T-2 toxin pre-treatment. In conclusion, our results suggest that ingestion of low concentrations of T-2 toxin affects the TLR activation by decreasing pattern recognition of pathogens and thus interferes with initiation of inflammatory immune response against bacteria and viruses. Consequently, mycotoxins could increase the susceptibility of humans and animals to infectious diseases.
A comparison of feature selection and classification methods in DNA methylation studies using the Illumina Infinium platform
Authors: Zhuang Joanna , Widschwendter Martin , Teschendorff Andrew E
Published: April 2012

Background

The 27k Illumina Infinium Methylation Beadchip is a popular high-throughput technology that allows the methylation state of over 27,000 CpGs to be assayed. While feature selection and classification methods have been comprehensively explored in the context of gene expression data, relatively little is known as to how best to perform feature selection or classification in the context of Illumina Infinium methylation data. Given the rising importance of epigenomics in cancer and other complex genetic diseases, and in view of the upcoming epigenome wide association studies, it is critical to identify the statistical methods that offer improved inference in this novel context.

Results

Using a total of 7 large Illumina Infinium 27k Methylation data sets, encompassing over 1,000 samples from a wide range of tissues, we here provide an evaluation of popular feature selection, dimensional reduction and classification methods on DNA methylation data. Specifically, we evaluate the effects of variance filtering, supervised principal components (SPCA) and the choice of DNA methylation quantification measure on downstream statistical inference. We show that for relatively large sample sizes feature selection using test statistics is similar for M and β-values, but that in the limit of small sample sizes, M-values allow more reliable identification of true positives. We also show that the effect of variance filtering on feature selection is study-specific and dependent on the phenotype of interest and tissue type profiled. Specifically, we find that variance filtering improves the detection of true positives in studies with large effect sizes, but that it may lead to worse performance in studies with smaller yet significant effect sizes. In contrast, supervised principal components improves the statistical power, especially in studies with small effect sizes. We also demonstrate that classification using the Elastic Net and Support Vector Machine (SVM) clearly outperforms competing methods like LASSO and SPCA. Finally, in unsupervised modelling of cancer diagnosis, we find that non-negative matrix factorisation (NMF) clearly outperforms principal components analysis.

Conclusions

Our results highlight the importance of tailoring the feature selection and classification methodology to the sample size and biological context of the DNA methylation study. The Elastic Net emerges as a powerful classification algorithm for large-scale DNA methylation studies, while NMF does well in the unsupervised context. The insights presented here will be useful to any study embarking on large-scale DNA methylation profiling using Illumina Infinium beadarrays.
A framework genetic map for Miscanthus sinensis from RNAseq-based markers shows recent tetraploidy
Authors: Swaminathan Kankshita , Chae Won Byoung , Mitros Therese , Varala Kranthi , Xie Liang , Barling Adam , Glowacka Katarzyna , Hall Megan , Jezowski Stanislaw , Ming Ray , Hudson Matthew , Juvik John A , Rokhsar Daniel S , Moose Stephen P
Published: April 2012

Background

Miscanthus (subtribe Saccharinae, tribe Andropogoneae, family Poaceae) is a genus of temperate perennial C4 grasses whose high biomass production makes it, along with its close relatives sugarcane and sorghum, attractive as a biofuel feedstock. The base chromosome number of Miscanthus (x = 19) is different from that of other Saccharinae and approximately twice that of the related Sorghum bicolor (x = 10), suggesting large-scale duplications may have occurred in recent ancestors of Miscanthus. Owing to the complexity of the Miscanthus genome and the complications of self-incompatibility, a complete genetic map with a high density of markers has not yet been developed.

Results

We used deep transcriptome sequencing (RNAseq) from two M. sinensis accessions to define 1536 single nucleotide variants (SNVs) for a GoldenGate™ genotyping array, and found that simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers defined in sugarcane are often informative in M. sinensis. A total of 658 SNP and 210 SSR markers were validated via segregation in a full sibling F1 mapping population. Using 221 progeny from this mapping population, we constructed a genetic map for M. sinensis that resolves into 19 linkage groups, the haploid chromosome number expected from cytological evidence. Comparative genomic analysis documents a genome-wide duplication in Miscanthus relative to Sorghum bicolor, with subsequent insertional fusion of a pair of chromosomes. The utility of the map is confirmed by the identification of two paralogous C4-pyruvate, phosphate dikinase (C4-PPDK) loci in Miscanthus, at positions syntenic to the single orthologous gene in Sorghum.

Conclusions

The genus Miscanthus experienced an ancestral tetraploidy and chromosome fusion prior to its diversification, but after its divergence from the closely related sugarcane clade. The recent timing of this tetraploidy complicates discovery and mapping of genetic markers for Miscanthus species, since alleles and fixed differences between paralogs are comparable. These difficulties can be overcome by careful analysis of segregation patterns in a mapping population and genotyping of doubled haploids. The genetic map for Miscanthus will be useful in biological discovery and breeding efforts to improve this emerging biofuel crop, and also provide a valuable resource for understanding genomic responses to tetraploidy and chromosome fusion.