bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Assessing karyotype precision by microarray-based comparative genomic hybridization in the myelodysplastic/myeloproliferative syndromes
Authors: Slovak Marilyn L , Smith David D , Bedell Victoria , Hsu Ya-Hsuan , O'Donnell Margaret , Forman Stephen J , Gaal Karl , McDaniel Lisa , Schultz Roger , Ballif Blake C , Shaffer Lisa G
Published: November 2010

Background

Recent genome-wide microarray-based research investigations have revealed a high frequency of submicroscopic copy number alterations (CNAs) in the myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), suggesting microarray-based comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH) has the potential to detect new clinically relevant genomic markers in a diagnostic laboratory.

Results

We performed an exploratory study on 30 cases of MDS, myeloproliferative neoplasia (MPN) or evolving acute myeloid leukemia (AML) (% bone marrow blasts ≤ 30%, range 0-30%, median, 8%) by aCGH, using a genome-wide bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) microarray. The sample data were compared to corresponding cytogenetics, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), and clinical-pathological findings. Previously unidentified imbalances, in particular those considered submicroscopic aberrations (< 10 Mb), were confirmed by FISH analysis. CNAs identified by aCGH were concordant with the cytogenetic/FISH results in 25/30 (83%) of the samples tested. aCGH revealed new CNAs in 14/30 (47%) patients, including 28 submicroscopic or hidden aberrations verified by FISH studies. Cryptic 344-kb RUNX1 deletions were found in three patients at time of AML transformation. Other hidden CNAs involved 3q26.2/EVI1, 5q22/APC, 5q32/TCERG1,12p13.1/EMP1, 12q21.3/KITLG, and 17q11.2/NF1. Gains of CCND2/12p13.32 were detected in two patients. aCGH failed to detect a balanced translocation (n = 1) and low-level clonality (n = 4) in five karyotypically aberrant samples, revealing clinically important assay limitations.

Conclusions

The detection of previously known and unknown genomic alterations suggests that aCGH has considerable promise for identification of both recurring microscopic and submicroscopic genomic imbalances that contribute to myeloid disease pathogenesis and progression. These findings suggest that development of higher-resolution microarray platforms could improve karyotyping in clinical practice.
New diagnostics for tuberculosis: fulfilling patient needs first
Authors: Lemaire Jean‐François , Casenghi Martina
Published: November 2010

Background

An effective tuberculosis (TB) control programme requires early diagnosis and immediate initiation of treatment. Any delays in diagnosing TB not only impair a patient's prognosis, but also increase the risks of transmitting the disease within the community. Unfortunately, the most recent TB diagnostic tools still depend on high‐infrastructure laboratories, making them poorly adapted for use in resource‐limited settings. Additionally, existing tests show poor performance in diagnosing TB in children, people living with HIV/AIDS, and extrapulmonary forms of the disease. As a consequence, TB patients are still to date left with either fair access to poor diagnostics or poor access to fair diagnostics.

Discussion

This article discusses recent efforts to identify the minimal test specifications for a new TB point‐of‐care diagnostic test through an approach based on medical and patient needs. As a first step, survey interviews with field practitioners were designed in order to identify the top‐priority medical needs in resource‐limited settings concerning new TB diagnostics. Subsequently, an expert meeting convening field practitioners, laboratory experts, diagnostic test developers and researchers was held with the objective of defining the minimal test specifications for a new TB point‐of‐care test that would meet the identified medical needs. Finally, gaps in, as well as potential solutions for, enabling the development of adequate, patient needs‐driven, low‐cost new TB diagnostic tests specifically designed for vulnerable populations are discussed.

Any new TB point‐of‐care diagnostic test should be designed to meet minimal specifications satisfying the most urgent medical needs in resource‐poor settings. The major gaps for developing a new TB point‐of‐care test include identification of new biomarkers, simplification of technological platforms, development of adequate and accessible specimen banks, and identification and definition of reference standards for diagnosis of childhood TB. Innovative research and development funding ensuring de‐linkage of research and development costs from the price of the new product, such as a prize fund mechanism, could help focus these efforts towards the delivery of a much‐needed point‐of‐care diagnostic test for TB.
Sexual behaviour does not reflect HIV‐1 prevalence differences: a comparison study of Zimbabwe and Tanzania
Authors: Mapingure Munyaradzi P , Msuya Sia , Kurewa Nyaradzai E , Munjoma Marshal W , Sam Noel , Chirenje Mike Z , Rusakaniko Simbarashe , Saugstad Letten F , de Vlas Sake J , Stray‐Pedersen Babill
Published: November 2010

Background

Substantial heterogeneity in HIV prevalence has been observed within sub‐Saharan Africa. It is not clear which factors can explain these differences. Our aim was to identify risk factors that could explain the large differences in HIV‐1 prevalence among pregnant women in Harare, Zimbabwe, and Moshi, Tanzania.

Methods

Cross‐sectional data from a two‐centre study that enrolled pregnant women in Harare (N = 691) and Moshi (N = 2654) was used. Consenting women were interviewed about their socio‐demographic background and sexual behaviour, and tested for presence of sexually transmitted infections and reproductive tract infections. Prevalence distribution of risk factors for HIV acquisition and spread were compared between the two areas.

Results

The prevalence of HIV‐1 among pregnant women was 26% in Zimbabwe and 7% in Tanzania. The HIV prevalence in both countries rises constantly with age up to the 25‐30 year age group. After that, it continues to rise among Zimbabwean women, while it drops for Tanzanian women. Risky sexual behaviour was more prominent among Tanzanians than Zimbabweans. Mobility and such infections as HSV‐2, trichomoniasis and bacterial vaginosis were more prevalent among Zimbabweans than Tanzanians. Reported male partner circumcision rates between the two countries were widely different, but the effect of male circumcision on HIV prevalence was not apparent within the populations.

Conclusions

The higher HIV‐1 prevalence among pregnant women in Zimbabwe compared with Tanzania cannot be explained by differences in risky sexual behaviour: all risk factors tested for in our study were higher for Tanzania than Zimbabwe. Non‐sexual transmission of HIV might have played an important role in variation of HIV prevalence. Male circumcision rates and mobility could contribute to the rate and extent of spread of HIV in the two countries.
Predictive value of procalcitonin decrease in patients with severe sepsis: a prospective observational study
Authors: Karlsson Sari , Heikkinen Milja , Pettilä Ville , Alila Seija , Väisänen Sari , Pulkki Kari , Kolho Elina , Ruokonen Esko ,   the Finnsepsis Study Group
Published: November 2010

Introduction

This prospective study investigated the predictive value of procalcitonin (PCT) for survival in 242 adult patients with severe sepsis and septic shock treated in intensive care.

Methods

PCT was analyzed from blood samples of all patients at baseline, and 155 patients 72 hours later.

Results

The median PCT serum concentration on day 0 was 5.0 ng/ml (interquartile range (IQR) 1.0 and 20.1 ng/ml) and 1.3 ng/ml (IQR 0.5 and 5.8 ng/ml) 72 hours later. Hospital mortality was 25.6% (62/242). Median PCT concentrations in patients with community-acquired infections were higher than with nosocomial infections (P = 0.001). Blood cultures were positive in 28.5% of patients (n = 69), and severe sepsis with positive blood cultures was associated with higher PCT levels than with negative cultures (P = < 0.001). Patients with septic shock had higher PCT concentrations than patients without (P = 0.02). PCT concentrations did not differ between hospital survivors and nonsurvivors (P = 0.64 and P = 0.99, respectively), but mortality was lower in patients whose PCT concentration decreased > 50% (by 72 hours) compared to those with a < 50% decrease (12.2% vs. 29.8%, P = 0.007).

Conclusions

PCT concentrations were higher in more severe forms of severe sepsis, but a substantial concentration decrease was more important for survival than absolute values.
Population-Based Risks of CNS Tumors in Survivors of Childhood Cancer: The British Childhood Cancer Survivor Study
Authors: Taylor Aliki J. , Little Mark P. , Winter David L. , Sugden Elaine , Ellison David W. , Stiller Charles A. , Stovall Marilyn , Frobisher Clare , Lancashire Emma R. , Reulen Raoul C. , Hawkins Michael M.
Published: November 2010

Purpose

CNS tumors are the most common second primary neoplasm (SPN) observed after childhood cancer in Britain, but the relationship of risk to doses of previous radiotherapy and chemotherapy is uncertain.

Methods

The British Childhood Cancer Survivor Study is a national, population-based, cohort study of 17,980 individuals surviving at least 5 years after diagnosis of childhood cancer. Linkage to national, population-based cancer registries identified 247 SPNs of the CNS. Cohort and nested case-control studies were undertaken.

Results

There were 137 meningiomas, 73 gliomas, and 37 other CNS neoplasms included in the analysis. The risk of meningioma increased strongly, linearly, and independently with each of dose of radiation to meningeal tissue and dose of intrathecal methotrexate. Those whose meningeal tissue received 0.01 to 9.99, 10.00 to 19.99, 20.00 to 29.99, 30.00 to 39.99 and ≥ 40 Gy had risks that were two-fold, eight-fold, 52-fold, 568-fold, and 479-fold, respectively, the risks experienced by those whose meningeal tissue was unexposed. The risk of meningioma among individuals receiving 1 to 39,40 to 69, and at least 70 mg/m2 of intrathecal methotrexate was 15-fold, 11-fold, and 36-fold, respectively, the risk experienced by those unexposed. The standardized incidence ratio for gliomas was 10.8 (95% CI, 8.5 to 13.6). The risk of glioma/primitive neuroectodermal tumors increased linearly with dose of radiation, and those who had CNS tissue exposed to at least 40 Gy experienced a risk four-fold that experienced by those who had CNS tissue unexposed.

Conclusion

The largest-ever study, to our knowledge, of CNS tumors in survivors of childhood cancer indicates that the risk of meningioma increases rapidly with increased dose of radiation to meningeal tissue and with increased dose of intrathecal methotrexate.
Routine Preventive Care and Cancer Surveillance in Long-Term Survivors of Colorectal Cancer: Results From National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project Protocol LTS-01
Authors: Kunitake Hiroko , Zheng Ping , Yothers Greg , Land Stephanie R. , Fehrenbacher Louis , Giguere Jeffrey K. , Wickerham Lawrence , Ganz Patricia A. , Ko Clifford Y.
Published: November 2010

Purpose

National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project (NSABP) protocol LTS-01 examines routine preventive care and cancer surveillance in long-term colorectal cancer (CRC) survivors previously treated in NSABP adjuvant trials.

Patients and Methods

Long-term CRC survivors (≥ 5 years) from five completed NSABP trials (Protocols C-05, C-06, C-07, R-02, and R-03) at 60 study sites were recruited and surveyed using preventive health care items from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS). A 3:1 comparison cohort case-matched by age, sex, race, and education was created from the 2005 NHIS. Contingency tables and multivariate models were used to compare cohorts and determine predictors of preventive care and cancer surveillance.

Results

A total of 708 patients in protocol LTS-01 (681 patients with colon cancer, 27 patients with rectal cancer) completed the interview: 57.1% male, mean age 66.2 years (standard deviation = 10.6), median survival 8 years. Patients in the LTS-01 protocol were more likely to have a usual source of health care (97.7% v 93.8%, P < .0001), have received a flu shot in the past 12 months (67.5% v 44.3%, P < .0001), and have undergone cancer screening by Pap smear (67.3% v 54.8%, P < .0001), mammogram (80.4% v 70.7%, P < .0001), and prostate-specific antigen test (84.5% v 74.5%, P < .0001) than patients in the NHIS cohort. For CRC surveillance, 96.5% of patients in protocol LTS-01 had a colonoscopy, 88.2% had a carcinoembryonic antigen test, and 66.4% had a computed tomography scan in the previous 5 years. Health insurance was the best predictor of cancer screening for all three methods (odds ratio = 2.6 to 4.5). No factor was uniformly associated with CRC surveillance.

Conclusion

This select population of long-term CRC survivors who participated in clinical trials achieved better routine preventive care and cancer screening than the general population and high rates of cancer surveillance.
Supporting Communication and Decision Making in Finnish Intensive Care with Language Technology
Authors: Suominen Hanna J. , Salakoski Tapio I.
Published: November 2010

A fluent flow of health information is critical for health communication and decision making. However, the flow is fragmented by the large amount of textual records and their specific jargon. This creates risks for both patient safety and cost‐effective health services. Language technology for the automated processing of textual health records is emerging. In this paper, we describe method development for building topical overviews in Finnish intensive care. Our topical search methods are based on supervised multi‐label classification and regression, as well as supervised and unsupervised multi‐class classification. Our linguistic analysis methods are based on rule‐based and statistical parsing, as well as tailoring of a commercial morphological analyser. According to our experimental results, the supervised methods generalise for multiple topics and human annotators, and the unsupervised method enables an ad hoc information search. Tailored linguistic analysis improves performance in the experiments and, in addition, improves text comprehensibility for health professionals and laypeople. In conclusion, the performance of our methods is promising for real‐life applications.
Applications of Temporal Reasoning to Intensive Care Units
Authors: Juarez J. M. , Campos M. , Morales A. , Palma J. , Marin R.
Published: November 2010

Intensive Care Units (ICUs) are hospital departments that focus on the evolution of patients. In this scenario, the temporal dimension plays an essential role in understanding the state of the patients from their temporal information. The development of methods for the acquisition, modelling, reasoning and knowledge discovery of temporal information is, therefore, useful to exploit the large amount of temporal data recorded daily in the ICU. During the past decades, some subfields of Artificial Intelligence have been devoted to the study of temporal models and techniques to solve generic problems and towards their practical applications in the medical domain. The main goal of this paper is to present our view of some aspects of practical problems of temporal reasoning in the ICU field, and to describe our practical experience in the field in the last decade. This paper provides a non‐exhaustive review of some of the efforts made in the field and our particular contributions in the development of temporal reasoning methods to partially solve some of these problems. The results are a set of software tools that help physicians to better understand the patient′s temporal evolution.
Interoperable Medical Instrument Networking and Access System with Security Considerations for Critical Care
Authors: Gurkan Deniz , Merchant Fatima
Published: November 2010

The recent influx of electronic medical records in the health care field, coupled with the need of providing continuous care to patients in the critical care environment, has driven the need for interoperability of medical devices. Open standards are needed to support flexible processes and interoperability of medical devices, especially in intensive care units. In this paper, we present an interoperable networking and access architecture based on the CAN protocol. Predictability of the delay of medical data reports is a desirable attribute that can be realized using a tightly‐coupled system architecture. Our simulations on network architecture demonstrate that a bounded delay for event reports offers predictability. In addition, we address security issues related to the storage of electronic medical records. We present a set of open source tools and tests to identify the security breaches, and appropriate measures that can be implemented to be compliant with the HIPAA rules.
Airborne Contamination Control through Directed Airflow in the Exam Room: A Pilot Study Using a Membrane Diffuser
Authors: Pati Debajyoti , Pietrzak Michael P. , Duthu David , Lei Ting-Kwo George , Vincent David , Franklin Tom , Harvey Thomas E. , Ransdell Troy
Published: November 2010

Airborne infections have been documented as a major source of hospital acquired infection ‐ one of the major concerns in healthcare delivery. An important factor contributing to airborne infection is cross contamination through air particulate dispersion as affected by the ventilation system design. Clean room technology (with membrane ceiling) has been successfully used in technology and pharmaceutical industries to control airborne contamination. This study examined the performance of membrane ceiling technology in controlling air particulate dispersion in a mock‐up exam room. It included both performance tests in a mock‐up room and a simulation study of six different ventilation system designs using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analysis. Findings suggest that a membrane diffuser directed airflow ventilation strategy occupying approximately 20% to 30% of the ceiling surface and placed over the patient in a contemporary sized exam room provides a less turbulent airflow pattern and less mixing of the air between the patient and others in the room.
Serum zinc-α2-glycoprotein concentrations in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
Authors: Yilmaz Yusuf , Yonal Oya , Eren Fatih , Kurt Ramazan , Celikel Cigdem Ataizi , Ozdogan Osman , Imeryuz Nese , Kalayci Cem , Avsar Erol
Published: November 2010

Background: Evidence suggests that zinc-α2-glycoprotein (ZAG) might serve as a biomarker for human metabolic alterations. We measured serum ZAG in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), a hepatic manifestation of the metabolic syndrome, and examined its association with clinical, biochemical, and histological phenotypes.

Methods: Serum ZAG was determined using ELISA in 90 patients with biopsy-proven NAFLD and 81 controls.

Results: Serum ZAG concentrations did not differ in patients with NAFLD (median 61 μg/mL; interquartile range: 56–73 μg/mL) compared with healthy controls (median 66 μg/mL; interquartile range: 56–78 μg/mL, Mann-Whitney U-test, p=NS). However, among patients with NAFLD serum ZAG concentrations were significantly higher in males and in those with the metabolic syndrome. After stepwise linear regression analysis, serum ZAG concentrations were the only independent predictor of the number of metabolic syndrome components in patients with NAFLD (β=0.22; t=2.001, p<0.05).

Conclusions: In summary, the hypothesis of an association between NAFLD and serum ZAG concentrations is not supported by the present results. However, ZAG remains an interesting molecule for further research in the field of human metabolic disorders.
Warum klingt eine Ohrfeige nass?
Authors: Savchuk Valerij Vladimirovich
Published: November 2010

Der Beitrag behandelt die Rolle der Ohrfeige als kodifiziertes Element im Rahmen der Geschichte des Duells insbesondere in der russischen Kultur und Literatur bis zum Beginn der Oktoberrevolution. Er fragt ferner nach ihrer Funktion in einer stratifizierten Gesellschaft, vor allem in der adeligen Kultur, und untersucht sie in diesem Kontext als expressive Geste und in ihrer Widerspiegelung in der Literatur.
Der mimetische und performative Charakter von Gesten. Perspektiven für eine kultur- und sozialwissenschaftliche Gestenforschung
Authors: Wulf Christoph
Published: November 2010

Vor dem Hintergrund der Forschungen der Berliner Ritualstudie wird in diesem Artikel der performative und mimetische Charakter von Gesten untersucht. Die eng mit Sprache und Imagination verbundenen Gesten werden als Bewegungen des Körpers begriffen. Sie werden als kollektive und individuelle Arten der Darstellung und des Ausdrucks aufgefasst. Sodann werden Gesten als Formen von Erziehung und Bildung untersucht. Es wird gezeigt, dass sie in Erziehung, Bildung und Sozialisation eine weit wichtigere Rolle spielen als dies im Allgemeinen angenommen wird. Schließlich werden Gesten als Mittel und Formen der Sinngebung untersucht.
The Signing System of Mudra in Traditional Indian Dance
Authors: Bagchi Tista
Published: November 2010

Body language involving manual gestures of a highly stylized nature is used in traditional Indian dance forms. Termed Mudras, such gestures are related to but distinct from Mudras in Buddhist and/or Tantric iconography and in Carnatic music of Southern India. The Mudra signs in dance occur in families or classes, which often cut across the basic dichotomy between combined-hand and separate-hand gestures, and which reflect linguistic and sociolinguistic classes of words and signs, such as question expressions and hierarchically differentiated pronouns, used in the domain of language. However, the Mudra signing system is also combined with facial mime or acting illustrative of different feelings such as romantic love, mirth, anger, disgust, fear, and sadness, to yield a richly communicative and dynamic aesthetic in Indian dance forms.
Die verborgenen Kräfte des Körpers und ihre Überlieferung durch Kata. Ein internationaler Workshop zur japanischen Körperkultur
Authors: Hirota Yosuke , Ishida Yasushi , Staudacher Edelinde
Published: November 2010

Dieser Bericht über einen Workshop zur japanischen Körperkultur verdeutlicht an der Demonstration körperlicher Bewegungs- und Übungstechniken ein tradiertes japanisches Prinzip des Körperempfindens und -bewegens (Kata) und seinen kulturellen Stellenwert. Dieser wird dem Traditionsverlust im Zuge der Modernisierung in Japan entgegengesetzt.
The Age of Innocence: A Cautious Defense of Raising the Age of Consent in Canadian Sexual Assault Law
Authors: Benedet Janine
Published: November 2010

In 2008, Canada raised the age of consent to sexual activity with an adult from 14 years of age to 16. Tis change was motivated, in part, by several high-profile cases of Internet "luring" of younger teenagers. Tis article considers whether raising the age of consent has had any benefits. It begins by discussing the history and development of age of consent laws in Canada. Te justification for a statutory age of consent has shifted from one based on the age at which a girl is deemed to be sexually available to one based on her capacity to give a valid consent to sexual activity. Te article examines the arguments made by groups who opposed raising the age of consent, but finds those arguments unconvincing. It concludes by cautiously supporting a higher age of consent. Te higher age limit captures exploitation of young people that was not subject to criminalization in the past. However, a formal age of consent may also normalize exploitative sexual relationships that contain a significant age disparity, where the younger party is only marginally over the age of consent. It is argued that age should be a factor in determining whether a relationship is exploitative even where both parties are over the age of consent. Te fact that both parties in a relationship are over the formal age of consent should not relieve the courts from the responsibility to consider whether there was coercion or an abuse of power or trust.
Researching the Provision of Service to Rape Victims by Specially Trained Police Officers: The Influence of Gender–An Exploratory Study
Authors: Jamel Joanna
Published: November 2010

The current study of the specialist police response to male rape survivors focused on Sexual Offenses Investigative Technique (SOIT) officers to explore whether a differential level of service is influenced by an officer's and/or victim's gender. Data on both police and male and female rape survivors were comparatively analyzed using the qualitative method of thematic analysis. Key issues that emerged included: (1) Rape victims reported a lack of confidence in the judicial system; this was more apparent in male survivors' responses and was one of the factors that informed their decision whether or not to report their victimization. (2) Both male and female rape victims demonstrate a gender preference for female SOIT officers, which reinforces the historical approach within the police force to encourage females to apply for such positions. Tis practice suggests a reliance on gender stereotypes as heuristics to assess the likelihood of the empathy and sensitivity of the SOIT officer's response. (3) Finally, few male rape victims reported their victimization, and those who did frequently experienced a gendered response that was often negative and could delay their recovery process. Recommendations are also made regarding best practice in SOIT officer training.
Judging Children's Credibility–Cracks in the Culture of Disbelief, or Business as Usual?
Authors: Raitt Fiona E.
Published: November 2010

The child complainant of sexual abuse is widely regarded as the paradigmatic vulnerable witness who is most likely to encounter difficulties in giving evidence. Most adversarial jurisdictions have introduced a range of statutory measures designed to protect and support child complainants throughout the legal process and to assist them to give evidence to the best of their ability. Nonetheless, critics claim child complainants still face a culture of disbelief, largely sustained by continuing adversarial practices intended to protect the rights of the accused. Tis accounts for persistent representations of children as tending to fabricate, exaggerate, or imagine the abuse that they allege, despite the recognition of their needs as complainant-witnesses. Such representations indicate a disjuncture between progress in policy and in law reform and the appearance that it is business as usual within the courts. Tis paper explores this disjuncture. It acknowledges that, while the terms for the reception of children's evidence into the courtroom have changed, the repositioning that has occurred has not yet eliminated misgivings toward children's evidence. The lightest of inferences can call up a history of doubt–a powerful reminder of the tenacity of the dynamics of discounting in sexual offenses. Even so, the paper argues that the judicial language used to describe child witnesses is more nuanced and balanced than in previous decades, suggesting a more complex appreciation of the child's capabilities is developing, one which holds the potential for an enhanced accommodation of the conflicting interests surrounding adversarialism and vulnerability.
Judgments of Sexual Assault: The Impact of Complainant Emotional Demeanor, Gender, and Victim Stereotypes
Authors: Schuller Regina A. , McKimmie Blake M. , Masser Barbara M. , Klippenstine Marc A.
Published: November 2010

Te sexual assault victim "who comes to the attention of the authorities has her victimization measured against the current rape mythologies" (R v. Seaboyer, 1991). Tis is particularly troubling given that lay beliefs regarding the crime of sexual assault are at odds with the data documenting the circumstances surrounding actual rape. Research has consistently demonstrated that lay people (hence, jurors) will question the validity of a sexual assault claim and judge the victim more harshly, if the circumstances surrounding the assault and/or the characteristics and actions of the sexual assault complainant do not comport with people's expectations about the event. In this paper we report the results of a juror simulation that examines the impact of victim's postassault emotional demeanor on judgments, in the context of independent manipulations of gender stereotypicality and victim stereotypicality. Results revealed that the complainant's emotional display had a powerful impact on participants' judgments, with the claim viewed as more valid when the complainant was portrayed as tearful/upset as opposed to calm/controlled, but only when the complainant was portrayed as gender stereotypic.
Transgene Expression and Transgene-Induced Silencing in Diploid and Autotetraploid Arabidopsis
Authors: Finn Thomas E , Wang Lei , Smolilo David , Smith Neil A , White Rosemary , Chaudhury Abed , Dennis Elizabeth S , Wang Ming-Bo
Published: November 2010

Previous studies have suggested that transgene expression in plants can be affected by ploidy. Here we show that three different transgenes, a reporter transgene, an antisense transgene, and a hairpin RNA (hpRNA) transgene, are all expressed at a lower level in autotetraploid (4n) than in diploid (2n) Arabidopsis. RNA silencing of two endogenous genes was induced by the antisense and hpRNA transgenes and this silencing is significantly less effective in 4n than in 2n Arabidopsis; furthermore, the reduced silencing in 4n Arabidopsis correlated with reduced accumulation of silencing-inducer RNAs. Methylation analysis both of independent 2n and 4n transgenic lines and of 2n and 4n progeny derived from the same 3n transgenic parent, indicated that transgenes are more methylated in 4n than 2n Arabidopsis. These results suggest that transgenes are transcriptionally repressed in the 4n background, resulting in expression levels lower than in the 2n background. Transgenes designed to silence endogenous genes express lower concentrations of silencing-inducer RNAs in 4n Arabidopsis plants, resulting in less effective silencing of target genes than in 2n Arabidopsis plants.
Semele: A Killer-Male, Rescue-Female System for Suppression and Replacement of Insect Disease Vector Populations
Authors: Marshall John M , Pittman Geoffrey W , Buchman Anna B , Hay Bruce A
Published: November 2010

Two strategies to control mosquito-borne diseases, such as malaria and dengue fever, are reducing mosquito population sizes or replacing populations with disease-refractory varieties. We propose a genetic system, Semele, which may be used for both. Semele consists of two components: a toxin expressed in transgenic males that either kills or renders infertile wild-type female recipients and an antidote expressed in females that protects them from the effects of the toxin. An all-male release results in population suppression because wild-type females that mate with transgenic males produce no offspring. A release that includes transgenic females results in gene drive since females carrying the allele are favored at high population frequencies. We use simple population genetic models to explore the utility of the Semele system. We find that Semele can spread under a wide range of conditions, all of which require a high introduction frequency. This feature is desirable since transgenic insects released accidentally are unlikely to persist, transgenic insects released intentionally can be spatially confined, and the element can be removed from a population through sustained release of wild-type insects. We examine potential barriers to Semele gene drive and suggest molecular tools that could be used to build the Semele system.
Hyperglycemia and Adverse Pregnancy Outcome Study: Neonatal Glycemia
Authors: Metzger Boyd E. , Persson Bengt , Lowe Lynn P. , Dyer Alan R. , Cruickshank J. Kennedy , Deerochanawong Chaicharn , Halliday Henry L. , Hennis Anselm J. , Liley Helen , Ng Pak C. , Coustan Donald R. , Hadden David R. , Hod Moshe , Oats Jeremy J. N. , Trimble Elisabeth R. ,   for the HAPO Study Cooperative Research Group
Published: November 2010

OBJECTIVE:

The goal was to describe the temporal pattern of neonatal plasma glucose levels and associations with maternal glucose levels, cord serum C-peptide levels, and neonatal size and adiposity.

METHODS:

A total of 17 094 mothers and infants were included in the Hyperglycemia and Adverse Pregnancy Outcome Study (15 centers in 9 countries). Mothers underwent a 75-g, 2-hour, oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) at 24 to 32 weeks of gestation. Cord blood and neonatal blood samples were collected. Biochemical neonatal hypoglycemia was defined as glucose levels of <10th percentile (2.2 mmol/L). Clinically identified hypoglycemia was ascertained through medical record review and associations were assessed.

RESULTS:

Plasma glucose concentrations were stable during the first 5 hours after birth. Maternal glucose levels were weakly positively associated with biochemical neonatal hypoglycemia (odds ratios: 1.07–1.14 for 1-SD higher OGTT glucose levels). Frequency of neonatal hypoglycemia was higher with higher cord C-peptide levels (odds ratio: 11.6 for highest versus lowest C-peptide category). Larger and/or fatter infants were more likely to have hypoglycemia (P < .001), and infants with hypoglycemia tended to have a higher frequency of cord C-peptide levels of >90th percentile.

CONCLUSIONS:

Mean neonatal plasma glucose concentrations varied little in the first 5 hours after birth, which suggests normal postnatal adjustment. Biochemical and clinical hypoglycemia were weakly related to maternal OGTT glucose measurements but were strongly associated with elevated cord serum C-peptide levels. Larger and/or fatter infants were more likely to develop hypoglycemia and hyperinsulinemia. These relationships suggest physiologic relationships between maternal glycemia and fetal insulin production.
Iatrogenic Events in Neonates: Beneficial Effects of Prevention Strategies and Continuous Monitoring
Authors: Ligi Isabelle , Millet Véronique , Sartor Catherine , Jouve Elisabeth , Tardieu Sophie , Sambuc Roland , Simeoni Umberto
Published: November 2010

OBJECTIVES:

To assess the impact of continuous incident reporting and subsequent prevention strategies on the incidence of severe iatrogenic events and targeted priorities in admitted neonates.

METHODS:

We performed preintervention (January 1 to September 1, 2005) and postintervention (January 1, 2008, to January 1, 2009) prospective investigations based on continuous incident reporting. Patient-safety initiatives were implemented for a period of 2 years. The main outcome was a reduction in the incidence of severe iatrogenic events. Secondary outcomes were improvements in 5 targeted priorities: catheter-related infections; invasive procedures; unplanned extubations; 10-fold drug infusion-rate errors; and severe cutaneous injuries.

RESULTS:

The first and second study periods included totals of 388 and 645 patients (median gestational ages: 34 and 35 weeks, respectively; P = .015). In the second period the incidence of severe iatrogenic events was significantly reduced from 7.6 to 4.8 per 1000 patient-days (P = .005). Infections related to central catheters decreased significantly from 13.9 to 8.2 per 1000 catheter-days (P < .0001), as did exposure to central catheters, which decreased from 359 to 239 days per 1000 patient-days (P < .0001). Tenfold drug-dosing errors were reduced significantly (P = .022). However, the number of unplanned extubations increased significantly from 5.6 to 15.5 per 1000 ventilation-days (P = .03).

CONCLUSIONS:

Prospective, continuous incident reporting followed by the implementation of prevention strategies are complementary procedures that constitute an effective system to improve the quality of care and patient safety.
Effects of Current Size, Postnatal Growth, and Birth Size on Blood Pressure in Early Childhood
Authors: Hindmarsh Peter C. , Bryan Sinead , Geary Michael P. P. , Cole Tim J.
Published: November 2010

OBJECTIVE:

In a prospective study, we investigated the impact of early growth on blood pressure at 3 years of age.

METHODS:

We measured systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) for 590 children 3 years of age and related measurements to current size and size at birth, 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years of age.

RESULTS:

SBP was related positively to weight at 3 and 2 years and, after adjustment for current size, negatively to weight at birth and 6 months but not at 1 or 2 years. No effect was observed for DBP. A family history of hypertension was associated with higher maternal blood pressure, greater weight, and gestational hypertension (P = .05). Mothers with a history of gestational hypertension had higher SBP and DBP values (P < .001). In multivariate linear regression analyses, SBP was influenced positively by weight at 3 years and family history of hypertension and negatively by weight at 6 months. None of the factors was associated with DBP.

CONCLUSIONS:

For 3-year-old children, current weight was a determinant of SBP and postnatal growth to 6 months of age was more predictive than birth weight. A family history of hypertension is important in determining maternal blood pressure. These observations suggest a window in which postnatal growth might be modified.
Youth Motorcycle-Related Brain Injury by State Helmet Law Type: United States, 2005–2007
Authors: Weiss Harold , Agimi Yll , Steiner Claudia
Published: November 2010

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES:

Twenty-seven states have youth-specific helmet laws even though such laws have been shown to decrease helmet use and increase youth mortality compared with all-age (universal) laws. Our goal was to quantify the impact of age-specific helmet laws on youth under age 20 hospitalized with traumatic brain injury (TBI).

METHODS:

Our cross-sectional ecological group analysis compared TBI proportions among US states with different helmet laws. We examined the following null hypothesis: If age-specific helmet laws are as effective as universal laws, there will be no difference in the proportion of hospitalized young motorcycle riders with TBI in the respective states. The data are derived from the 2005 to 2007 State Inpatient Databases of the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project. We examined data for 17 states with universal laws, 6 states with laws for ages <21, and 12 states with laws for children younger than 18 (9287 motorcycle injury discharges).

RESULTS:

In states with a <21 law, serious TBI among youth was 38% higher than in universal-law states. Motorcycle riders aged 12 to 17 in 18 helmet-law states had a higher proportion of serious/severe TBI and higher average Abbreviated Injury Scores for head-region injuries than riders from universal-law states.

CONCLUSIONS:

States with youth-specific laws had an increased risk of TBI that required hospitalization, serious and severe TBI, TBI-related disability, and in-hospital death among the youth they are supposed to protect. The only method known to keep motorcycle-helmet use high among youth is to adopt or maintain universal helmet laws.
Educational Outreach to Reduce Immunization Pain in Office Settings
Authors: Schechter Neil L. , Bernstein Bruce A. , Zempsky William T. , Bright Nancy S. , Willard Alice K.
Published: November 2010

OBJECTIVE:

The goal was to examine the impact of a teaching module on immunization pain reduction practices in pediatric offices 1 and 6 months after the intervention.

METHODS:

Fourteen practices were selected randomly to receive a 1-hour teaching session on immunization pain reduction techniques, and 13 completed the study. Before the intervention, telephone interviews were conducted with parents concerning their children's recent immunization experiences. At 1 and 6 months after the intervention, parents of children who had recent immunizations were interviewed by using the same questionnaires. Clinicians also were surveyed at baseline and at 6 months.

RESULTS:

A total of 839 telephone interviews and 92 clinician surveys were included. Significant changes from baseline were identified at 1 and 6 months after the intervention. At 1 month, parents were more likely to report receiving information (P = .04), using strategies to reduce pain (P < .01), learning something new (P < .01), using a ShotBlocker (P < .01), using sucrose (P < .01), and having higher levels of satisfaction (P = .015). At 6 months, all rates remained significantly higher than baseline findings (all P < .01) except for satisfaction. Clinician surveys revealed significant increases in the use of longer needles, sucrose, pinwheels, focused breathing, and ShotBlockers at 6 months.

CONCLUSIONS:

A 1-hour teaching session had measurable effects on the use of pain-reducing strategies at 1 and 6 months after the intervention. This research supports the hypothesis that small-group teaching sessions at the site of care can be associated with changes in practice behaviors.
Experiences with multiplex nested PCR and fluorescent antibody tests in the diagnosis of herpes simplex virus type 1 and 2 acute central nervous system infections
Authors: Mihály Ilona , Kolozsi Tímea , Liptai Zoltán , Lukács Adrienn , Molnár Péter , Budai József , Prinz Géza , Ábrahám Anita , Palánszky Miklósné , Dóczy Józsefné
Published: November 2010

A herpes simplex vírus-1/2 által okozott kórképek kiemelkedő szerepet játszanak a heveny központi idegrendszeri fertőzések között, súlyosságuk, gyakoriságuk és antivirális szerrel történő kezelhetőségük miatt, ezért diagnosztikájuk is kiemelt fontosságú.Célkitűzés:A polimeráz láncreakció (PCR) és az IgM-IgA-IgG-IFT diagnosztikus célú alkalmazásának vizsgálata heveny központi idegrendszeri fertőzések kóreredetének kiderítésében.Módszer:A házilagos kivitelezésű multiplex nested PCR- és a fluoreszcens jelzésű IgM-, IgA-, IgG-antitest-vizsgálat. Az eredmények kiértékelése 396, heveny központi idegrendszeri fertőzésben szenvedő beteg (1 napostól a 81 évesig) 474 liquorának és 555 szérumának vizsgálata alapján történt 2003. január 1. és 2009. december 31. között.Eredmények:A vizsgált betegek 21%-ában (82 beteg) sikerült igazolni a HSV-1/2 kóroki szerepét. Az igazolt fertőzések évi átlaga 12 volt. Huszonhat betegben mindkét módszerrel (32%), 41 betegben csak PCR-rel (50%), 15 betegben csak antitestválasz-vizsgálattal (18%) történt a HSV-1/2 kóreredet igazolása (p<0,0001). A liquorok 35%-ában a HSV-1/2-DNS a 30. mintavételi napon túl vett mintából is kimutatható maradt, ezek mindegyike kétéves kor alatti betegekből származott.Következtetések:1. A PCR alkalmazásával jelentősen megnőtt a virológiailag igazolt herpeszes eredetű heveny központi idegrendszeri fertőzések száma. 2. A HSV-1/2-specifikus antitestválasz-vizsgálat PCR birtokában sem hagyható el a csak antitestválasszal diagnosztizált esetek miatt. 3. A HSV-1/2-DNS a betegek jelentős hányadában tartósan kimutatható marad a liquorban az antivirális kezelés ellenére, különösen korai életkorban. 4. A korai liquor-PCR-vizsgálat eredménytelensége vagy álpozitív eredmény gyanúja esetén a PCR-teszt ismétlése ajánlott újabb mintából. 5. A PCR alkalmazását, az eredmények korrekt értelmezését a klinikusok és a virológusok közötti összehangolt együttműködéssel lehet eredményesen megvalósítani. Orv. Hetil., 2010,46,1896–1903.
Humorous Self Disclosures as Resistance to Socially Imposed Gender Roles
Authors: Cortés-Conde Florencia , Boxer Diana
Published: November 2010

Th is article examines the function of humorous Self Disclosures (SD) as a pragmatic means for women to grapple with their possible identities in modern society. In analyzing instances of SD, made freely in ordinary conversation and which place the speaker in a vulnerable position, we aim to observe identity stances situated between the personal and the social. The data show how humorous self disclosures co-constructed in talk-in-interaction build a shared history and display this history to others in talk. Th rough this sort of conversational exchange, female interlocutors develop relational (fluid) identities within particular constellations of interaction. Th e humorous frame through which the SDs are realized allows for resistance and exploration of roles imposed by the larger society, in particular gender roles. While, in the observed interactions, participants question hegemonic views of women as passive and victims, they also disclose contradictory practices questioning these women’s commitment to that resistance. Data for this study derive from two groups of professional women in distinct speech communities and languages.
‘You never been on a ride like this befo’
Authors: Williams Justin
Published: November 2010

Since the 1920s, multiple historically specific factors led to the automobile-saturated environment of Los Angeles, contributing to a car-dependent lifestyle for most of its inhabitants. With car travel as its primary mode of mobility, and as a hub of numerous cultural industries throughout the twentieth century, the city has been the breeding ground for a number of car cultures, including hot rods, custom cars, and lowriders in addition to the large output of films and music recordings produced. In rap music of the early 1990s, producer/rapper Dr. Dre’s (Andre Romelle Young) creation of a style labelled ‘G-funk’, according to him, was created and mixed specifically for listening in car stereo systems. This article provides one case study of music’s intersections with geography, both the influence of urban geography on music production and the geography of particular listening spaces. As borrowing is central to hip-hop’s ethos, Dr. Dre’s production reflects how musical materials become re-used for a new space, updated and customized for the automotive listening experience.
Gigographies
Authors: Laing Dave
Published: November 2010

Using an approach pioneered by the literary scholar Franco Moretti, this article maps popular music performance sites in order to understand the links between performers and their audiences and between music and its geographical, social, economic and cultural environments. Three case studies are provided. The first compares three genre-scenes in the Manchester region in the 1960s—dance bands, beat music and folk clubs. The second case study examines the itineraries of four national tours of Great Britain in 2008. The final example is the international touring career of Elton John between 1970 and 2006.
Nowhere man
Authors: Graves-Brown Paul
Published: November 2010

Music is not a physical thing, but an event and an action, and since modern urban and posturban ‘places’ are fragmented, topological and often virtual, the attempt to monumentalize popular music seems misguided. The monumental sense of place is based on concepts of tenure and ownership that are challenged by the fluidity of modern urban life. Rapid transport and the media of instant communication have created a non-Euclidean sense of place, and the development of recording and other audio media over the last 130 years has been integral to this process, emphasizing time axis manipulation over the fixity of location. This paper does not seek to refute the connection between music and place, but rather to see both making and listening to music as involving a dynamic construction of place which is necessitated by the ephemeral, kinetic nature of music itself.
Resource notes
Authors: Weertman Ditmer
Published: November 2010

Description of the Music Information Centre, The Netherlands.
Early warnings of regime shifts in spatial dynamics using the discrete Fourier transform
Authors: Carpenter S. R. , Brock W. A.
Published: November 2010

In ecosystems with spatial dispersion of nutrients, organic matter, or organisms, dispersal may dampen variability that could provide an early warning of regime shifts. The discrete Fourier transform (DFT) of spatial pattern rescales system dynamics into spatial frequencies where early warnings may be sharpened. We analyzed four spatial ecological models with the DFT. Different models represented single species in discrete and continuous time, and two different prey‐harvester systems. In all four systems, the DFT of transient data exhibited substantial increases prior to the critical transitions. The DFT adds to the arsenal of early warning indicators for spatially structured ecosystems. In addition it provides information about the spatial frequencies where destabilization first begins.