bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cooccupancy of the Outer Vestibule of Voltage-Gated Sodium Channels by μ-Conotoxin KIIIA and Saxitoxin or Tetrodotoxin
Authors: Zhang Min-Min , Gruszczynski Pawel , Walewska Aleksandra , Bulaj Grzegorz , Olivera Baldomero M. , Yoshikami Doju
Published: April 2010

The guanidinium alkaloids tetrodotoxin (TTX) and saxitoxin (STX) are classic ligands of voltage-gated sodium channels (VGSCs). Like TTX and STX, μ-conotoxin peptides are pore blockers but with greater VGSC subtype selectivity. μ-Conotoxin KIIIA blocks the neuronal subtype NaV1.2 with nanomolar affinity and we recently discovered that KIIIA and its mutant with one fewer positive charge, KIIIA[K7A], could act synergistically with TTX in a ternary peptide·TTX·NaV complex. In the complex, the peptide appeared to trap TTX in its normal binding site such that TTX could not readily dissociate from the channel until the peptide had done so; in turn, the presence of TTX accelerated the rate at which peptide dissociated from the channel. In the present study we examined the inhibition of NaV1.2, exogenously expressed in Xenopus oocytes, by STX (a divalent cation) and its sulfated congener GTX2/3 (with a net +1 charge). Each could form a ternary complex with KIIIA and NaV1.2, as previously found with TTX (a monovalent cation), but only when STX or GTX2/3 was added before KIIIA. The KIIIA·alkaloid·NaV complex was considerably less stable with STX than with either GTX2/3 or TTX. In contrast, ternary KIIIA[K7A]·alkaloid·NaV complexes could be formed with either order of ligand addition and were about equally stable with STX, GTX2/3, or TTX. The most parsimonious interpretation of the overall results is that the alkaloid and peptide are closely apposed in the ternary complex. The demonstration that two interacting ligands (“syntoxins”) occupy adjacent sites raises the possibility of evolving a much more sophisticated neuropharmacology of VGSCs.
Behavioral Characteristics, Associative Learning Capabilities, and Dynamic Association Mapping in an Animal Model of Cerebellar Degeneration
Authors: Porras-García Elena , Sánchez-Campusano Raudel , Martínez-Vargas David , Domínguez-del-Toro Eduardo , Cendelín Jan , Vožeh František , Delgado-García José M.
Published: April 2010

Young adult heterozygous Lurcher mice constitute an excellent model for studying the role of the cerebellar cortex in motor performance—including the acquisition of new motor abilities—because of the early postnatal degeneration of almost all of their Purkinje and granular cells. Wild-type and Lurcher mice were classically conditioned for eyelid responses using a delay paradigm with or without an electrolytic lesion in the interpositus nucleus. Although the late component of electrically evoked blink reflexes was smaller in amplitude and had a longer latency in Lurcher mice than that in controls, the two groups of animals presented similar acquisition curves for eyeblink conditioning. The lesion of the interpositus nucleus affected both groups of animals equally for the generation of reflex and conditioned eyelid responses. Furthermore, we recorded the multiunitary activity at the red and interpositus nuclei during the same type of associative learning. In both nuclei, the neural firing activity lagged the beginning of the conditioned response (determined by orbicularis oculi muscle response). Although red nucleus neurons and muscle activities presented a clear functional coupling (strong correlation and low asymmetry) across conditioning, the coupling between interpositus neurons and either red nucleus neurons or muscle activities was slightly significant (weak correlation and high asymmetry). Lurcher mice presented a nonlinear coupling (high asymmetry) between red nucleus neurons and muscle activities, with an evident compensatory adjustment in the correlation of firing between interpositus and red nuclei neurons (a coupling with low asymmetry), aimed probably at compensating the absence of cerebellar cortical neurons.
Stoichiometry ofN-Methyl-d-Aspartate Receptors Within the Suprachiasmatic Nucleus
Authors: Clark J. P. , Kofuji P.
Published: April 2010

The circadian pacemaker within the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) confers daily rhythms to bodily functions. In nature, the circadian clock will adopt a 24-h period by synchronizing to the solar light/dark cycle. This light entrainment process is mediated, in part, at glutamatergic synapses formed between retinal ganglion afferents and SCN neurons. N-methyl-d-aspartate receptors (NMDARs) located on SCN neurons gate light-induced phase resetting. Despite their importance in circadian physiology, little is known about their functional stoichiometry. We investigated the NR2-subunit composition with whole cell recordings of SCN neurons within the murine hypothalamic brain slice using a combination of subtype-selective NMDAR antagonists and voltage-clamp protocols. We found that extracellular magnesium ([Mg]o) strongly blocks SCN NMDARs exhibiting affinities and voltage sensitivities associated with NR2A and NR2B subunits. These NMDAR currents were inhibited strongly by NR2B-selective antagonists, Ro 25-6981 (3.5 μM, 55.0 ± 9.0% block; mean ± SE) and ifenprodil (10 μM, 55.8 ± 3.0% block). The current remaining showed decreased [Mg]oaffinities reminiscent of NR2C and NR2D subunits but was highly sensitive to [Zn]o, a potent NR2A blocker, showing a ∼44.2 ± 1.1% maximal inhibition at saturating concentrations with an IC50of 7.8 ± 1.1 nM. Considering the selectivity, efficacy, and potency of the drugs used in combination with [Mg]o-block characteristics of the NMDAR, our data show that both diheteromeric NR2B NMDARs and triheteromeric NR2A NMDARs (paired with an NR2C or NR2D subunits) account for the vast majority of the NMDAR current within the SCN.
Seed Bank Variation under Contrasting Site Quality Conditions in Mixed Oak Forests of Southeastern Ohio, USA
Authors: Small Christine J. , McCarthy Brian C.
Published: April 2010

Seed bank composition was sampled in 192–2.5 m2quadrats, established in six regenerating clearcut (∼7 years) and six second-growth (∼125 years) mixed-oak forest stands in southeastern Ohio. Seed bank and aboveground composition diverged markedly (Sørensen's coefficient <10%), emphasizing the importance of fast-growing, early-successional germinants to early ecosystem recovery. Seed richness was significantly (P<.01) higher in clearcut stands, suggesting declining richness with stand age. Richness estimations 28%–60% higher than observed values demonstrated high seed bank heterogeneity, emphasizing the need for intensive sampling to assess temperate forest seed bank variation. Site quality (topographic aspect) strongly influenced seed bank composition, with greater importance of early-successional trees, thicket-forming shrubs, and nonnative species on mesic sites. Thus, forest seed banks are likely to play an important, site-dependent role in shaping competitive environments for commercially important timber species after harvesting and soil disturbance and have the potential for marked influence on postharvest forest development.
Development of a New Type of Incisal Table for Prosthetic Articulators
Authors: Tasora Alessandro , Simeone Piero
Published: April 2010

This study illustrates the effectiveness of an advanced incisal table surface, featuring adjustable curvature, in the sake of more accurate articulator kinematics in anterior teeth reconstruction. Prosthetic articulators, used by dental technicians in reconstructive dentistry, are adjustable instruments that simulate the motion of mastication between dental casts: usually, the forward motion (protrusion) of the mandible is guided by sliding a pin over a flat table in order to recreate those movements when incisal teeth are missing. However, such protrusion is an approximation of the exact motion, since flat incisal tables have a limited set of adjustments. Customized software has been developed in order to simulate the kinematics of articulators in three-dimensional space: animations and measures of the envelope of teeth profiles show the unfeasibility of reconstructing with good approximation the profile of incisive teeth, when a simple ‘flat’ incisal table is used. A new incisal table with an adjustable curvature has been proposed, simulated, and built, and computer simulations demonstrated the superior precision of the new design when compared to a conventional articulator which uses a flat incisal table.
Application of Recursive Least Square Algorithm on Estimation of Vehicle Sideslip Angle and Road Friction
Authors: Ding Nenggen , Taheri Saied
Published: April 2010

A recursive least square (RLS) algorithm for estimation of vehicle sideslip angle and road friction coefficient is proposed. The algorithm uses the information from sensors onboard vehicle and control inputs from the control logic and is intended to provide the essential information for active safety systems such as active steering, direct yaw moment control, or their combination. Based on a simple two‐degree‐of‐freedom (DOF) vehicle model, the algorithm minimizes the squared errors between estimated lateral acceleration and yaw acceleration of the vehicle and their measured values. The algorithm also utilizes available control inputs such as active steering angle and wheel brake torques. The proposed algorithm is evaluated using an 8‐DOF full vehicle simulation model including all essential nonlinearities and an integrated active front steering and direct yaw moment control on dry and slippery roads.
Paraoxon Attenuates Vascular Smooth Muscle Contraction through Inhibiting Ca2+Influx in the Rabbit Thoracic Aorta
Authors: Zhou Shouhong , Liu Liying , Yang Xuhong , Wu Shujin , Chen Gengrong
Published: April 2010

We investigated the effect of paraoxon on vascular contractility using organ baths in thoracic aortic rings of rabbits and examined the effect of paraoxon on calcium homeostasis using a whole-cell patch-clamp technique in isolated aortic smooth muscle cells of rabbits. The findings show that administration of paraoxon (30 μM) attenuated thoracic aorta contraction induced by phenylephrine (1 μM) and/or a highK+environment (80 mM) in both the presence and absence of thoracic aortic endothelium. This inhibitory effect of paraoxon on vasoconstrictor-induced contraction was abolished in the absence of extracellularCa2+, or in the presence of theCa2+channel inhibitor, verapamil. But atropine had little effect on the inhibitory effect of paraoxon on phenylephrine-induced contraction. Paraoxon also attenuated vascular smooth muscle contraction induced by the cumulative addition of CaCl2and attenuated an increase of intracellularCa2+concentration induced byK+in vascular smooth muscle cells. Moreover, paraoxon (30 μM) inhibited significantly L-type calcium current in isolated aortic smooth muscle cells of rabbits. In conclusion, our results demonstrate that paraoxon attenuates vasoconstrictor-induced contraction through inhibitingCa2+influx in the rabbits thoracic aorta.
Necessary and Sufficient Conditions for Schur Geometrical Convexity of the Four‐Parameter Homogeneous Means
Authors: Yang Zhen-Hang
Published: April 2010

The necessary and sufficient conditions for Schur geometrical convexity of the four‐parameter means are given. This gives a unified treatment for Schur geometrical convexity of Stolarsky and Gini means.
The Transcriptional Coregulator RIP140 Represses E2F1 Activity and Discriminates Breast Cancer Subtypes
Authors: Docquier Aurélie , Harmand Pierre-Olivier , Fritsch Samuel , Chanrion Maïa , Darbon Jean-Marie , Cavaillès Vincent
Published: April 2010

Purpose: Receptor-interacting protein of 140 kDa (RIP140) is a transcriptional cofactor for nuclear receptors involved in reproduction and energy homeostasis. Our aim was to investigate its role in the regulation of E2F1 activity and target genes both in breast cancer cell lines and in tumor biopsies.

Experimental Design: Glutathione S-transferase pull-down assays, coimmunoprecipitation experiments, and chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis were used to evidence interaction between RIP140 and E2F1. The effects of RIP140 expression on E2F1 activity were determined using transient transfection and quantification of E2F target mRNAs by quantitative real-time PCR. The effect on cell cycle was assessed by fluorescence-activated cell sorting analysis on cells overexpressing green fluorescent protein–tagged RIP140. A tumor microarray data set was used to investigate the expression of RIP140 and E2F1 target genes in 170 breast cancer patients.

Results: We first evidenced the complex interaction between RIP140 and E2F1 and showed that RIP140 represses E2F1 transactivation on various transiently transfected E2F target promoters and inhibits the expression of several E2F1 target genes (such as CCNE1 and CCNB2). In agreement with a role for RIP140 in the control of E2F activity, we show that increasing RIP140 levels results in a reduction in the proportion of cells in S phase in various human cell lines. Finally, analysis of human breast cancers shows that low RIP140 mRNA expression was associated with high E2F1 target gene levels and basal-like tumors.

Conclusion: This study shows that RIP140 is a regulator of the E2F pathway, which discriminates luminal- and basal-like tumors, emphasizing the importance of these regulations for a clinical cancer phenotype. Clin Cancer Res; 16(11); 2959–70. ©2010 AACR.
Near IR Heptamethine Cyanine Dye–Mediated Cancer Imaging
Authors: Yang Xiaojian , Shi Chunmeng , Tong Rong , Qian Weiping , Zhau Haiyen E. , Wang Ruoxiang , Zhu Guodong , Cheng Jianjun , Yang Vincent W. , Cheng Tianmin , Henary Maged , Strekowski Lucjan , Chung Leland W.K.
Published: April 2010

Purpose: Near-IR fluorescence imaging has great potential for noninvasive in vivo imaging of tumors. In this study, we show the preferential uptake and retention of two hepatamethine cyanine dyes, IR-783 and MHI-148, in tumor cells and tissues.

Experimental Design: IR-783 and MHI-148 were investigated for their ability to accumulate in human cancer cells, tumor xenografts, and spontaneous mouse tumors in transgenic animals. Time- and concentration-dependent dye uptake and retention in normal and cancer cells and tissues were compared, and subcellular localization of the dyes and mechanisms of the dye uptake and retention in tumor cells were evaluated using organelle-specific tracking dyes and bromosulfophthalein, a competitive inhibitor of organic anion transporting peptides. These dyes were used to detect human cancer metastases in a mouse model and differentiate cancer cells from normal cells in blood.

Results: These near-IR hepatamethine cyanine dyes were retained in cancer cells but not normal cells, in tumor xenografts, and in spontaneous tumors in transgenic mice. They can be used to detect cancer metastasis and cancer cells in blood with a high degree of sensitivity. The dyes were found to concentrate in the mitochondria and lysosomes of cancer cells, probably through organic anion transporting peptides, because the dye uptake and retention in cancer cells can be blocked completely by bromosulfophthalein. These dyes, when injected to mice, did not cause systemic toxicity.

Conclusions: These two heptamethine cyanine dyes are promising imaging agents for human cancers and can be further exploited to improve cancer detection, prognosis, and treatment. Clin Cancer Res; 16(10); 2833–44. ©2010 AACR.
The Moral-Conventional Distinction in Mature Moral Competence
Authors: Huebner Bryce , Lee James , Hauser Marc
Published: April 2010

Developmental psychologists have long argued that the capacity to distinguish moral and conventional transgressions develops across cultures and emerges early in life. Children reliably treat moral transgressions as more wrong, more punishable, independent of structures of authority, and universally applicable. However, previous studies have not yet examined the role of these features in mature moral cognition. Using a battery of adult-appropriate cases (including vehicular and sexual assault, reckless behavior, and violations of etiquette and social contracts) we demonstrate that these features also distinguish moral from conventional transgressions in mature moral cognition. Each hypothesized moral transgressions was treated as strongly and clearly immoral. However, our data suggest that although the majority of hypothesized conventional transgressions also form an obvious cluster, social conventions seem to lie along a continuum that stretches from mere matters of personal preference (e.g., getting tattoos or wearing black shoes with a brown belt) to transgressions that are treated as matters for legitimate social sanction (e.g., violating traffic laws or not paying your taxes). We use these findings to discuss issues of universality, domain-specificity, and the importance of using a wellstudied set of moral scenarios to examine clinical populations and the underlying neural architecture of moral cognition.
Searching for Happiness Across Cultures
Authors: Damjanovic Ljubica , Roberson Debi , Athanasopoulos Panos , Kasai Chise , Dyson Matthew
Published: April 2010

Three experiments examined the cultural relativity of emotion recognition using the visual search task. Caucasian-English and Japanese participants were required to search for an angry or happy discrepant face target against an array of competing distractor faces. Both cultural groups performed the task with displays that consisted of Caucasian and Japanese faces in order to investigate the effects of racial congruence on emotion detection performance. Under high perceptual load conditions, both cultural groups detected the happy face more efficiently than the angry face. When perceptual load was reduced such that target detection could be achieved by feature-matching, the English group continued to show a happiness advantage in search performance that was more strongly pronounced for other race faces. Japanese participants showed search time equivalence for happy and angry targets. Experiment 3 encouraged participants to adopt a perceptual based strategy for target detection by removing the term 'emotion' from the instructions. Whilst this manipulation did not alter the happiness advantage displayed by our English group, it reinstated it for our Japanese group, who showed a detection advantage for happiness only for other race faces. The results demonstrate cultural and linguistic modifiers on the perceptual saliency of the emotional signal and provide new converging evidence from cognitive psychology for the interactionist perspective on emotional expression recognition.
Oxygen and the Soul: Children's Conception of Invisible Entities
Authors: Guerrero Silvia , Enesco Ileana , Harris Paul
Published: April 2010

In two studies, children's concepts of various types of ordinarily unobservable entities were examined. Study 1 confirmed earlier findings in showing that children aged 4–9 years are confident of the existence of scientific entities such as germs as well as religious beings such as God. At the same time, both age groups are skeptical of the existence of various mythical beings such as mermaids. In Study 2, older children aged 10–12 years were probed for their concepts of religious as compared to scientific phenomena. Despite considerable confidence in each type, older children differentiated between them, both with respect to their level of confidence and their pattern of justification.
Should More Be Saved? Diversity in Utilitarian Moral Judgment
Authors: Michelin Corinna , Pellizzoni Sandra , Tallandini Maria , Siegal Michael
Published: April 2010

In three experiments involving 104 children and 86 adults we investigated the extent to which harm brought about by physical contact is judged to be worse than harm caused by impersonal, no-contact actions. In Experiment 1, Italian monolingual children aged 4 to 6 were asked to indicate whether they would prioritize saving five persons through contact over saving three persons without contact with both courses of action involving harm to a single victim. A preference for saving more persons did not emerge until the age of 6 years. By contrast, in Experiment 2, children with a Slovenian-Italian linguistic and cultural background judged that to save five with contact was preferable even at the age of 4 and 5 years. In Experiment 3, Slovenian-Italian adults were also significantly more likely than Italian-only speakers to advocate using contact, although in a direct comparison, both groups prioritized saving five over three persons, regardless of the means. Moral diversity is discussed in terms of cultural and linguistic constraints that may serve to mediate the use of considerations of contact in an intuitive moral psychology.
Self-Acceleration in the Parameterization of Orographic Gravity Wave Drag
Authors: Scinocca John F. , Sutherland Bruce R.
Published: April 2010

A new effect related to the evaluation of momentum deposition in conventional parameterizations of orographic gravity wave drag (GWD) is considered. The effect takes the form of an adjustment to the basic-state wind about which steady-state wave solutions are constructed. The adjustment is conservative and follows from wave–mean flow theory associated with wave transience at the leading edge of the wave train, which sets up the steady solution assumed in such parameterizations. This has been referred to as “self-acceleration” and it is shown to induce a systematic lowering of the elevation of momentum deposition, which depends quadratically on the amplitude of the wave. An expression for the leading-order impact of self-acceleration is derived in terms of a reduction of the critical inverse Froude number Fc, which determines the onset of wave breaking for upwardly propagating waves in orographic GWD schemes. In such schemes Fc is a central tuning parameter and typical values are generally smaller than anticipated from conventional wave theory. Here it is suggested that self-acceleration may provide some of the explanation for why such small values of Fc are required. The impact of Fc on present-day climate is illustrated by simulations of the Canadian Middle Atmosphere Model.
A Generalization of the SLEVE Vertical Coordinate
Authors: Leuenberger Daniel , Koller Marcel , Fuhrer Oliver , Schär Christoph
Published: April 2010

Most atmospheric models use terrain-following coordinates, and it is well known that the associated deformation of the computational mesh leads to numerical inaccuracies. In a previous study, the authors proposed a new terrain-following coordinate formulation [the smooth level vertical (SLEVE) coordinate], which yields smooth vertical coordinate levels at mid and upper levels and thereby considerably reduces numerical errors in the simulation of flow past complex topography. In the current paper, a generalization of the SLEVE coordinate is presented by using a modified vertical decay of the topographic signature with height. The new formulation enables an almost uniform thickness of the lowermost computational layers, while preserving the fast transition to smooth levels in the mid and upper atmosphere. This allows for a more consistent and more stable coupling with planetary boundary layer schemes, while retaining the advantages over classic sigma coordinates at upper levels. The generalized SLEVE coordinate is implemented and successfully tested in real-case simulations using an operational nonhydrostatic atmospheric model.
Cultural Differentiation or Self-Exclusion
Authors: Skrobanek Jan , Jobst Solvejg
Published: April 2010

Based upon Bourdieu’s ‘theory of capital’ and Willis’s ‘theory of cultural production’, the article scrutinizes the interrelation between perceived discrimination, self-exclusion and cultural differentiation. The empirical analysis is based on a longitudinal study by the German Youth Institute, which was set up to explore the transition of young Turks from school to vocational training and employment. The data point out that young immigrants who are dealing with experiences of devaluation of their (origin-)specific cultural capital and who are disadvantaged regarding the accessibility of dominant cultural capital bring about a production of a counterculture. They are less likely to exclude themselves in the sense of internalizing the rightness of the dominant culture.
Assessment Practices of Secondary Music Teachers
Authors: Russell Joshua A. , Austin James R.
Published: April 2010

The purpose of this study was to survey assessment and grading practices employed by secondary music teachers throughout the southwestern region of the United States. Three main research questions guided the study: (1) What types of school district frameworks and classroom contexts are secondary music teachers operating within? (2) Which specific assessment and grading practices are employed most commonly by secondary music teachers? (3) Do any contextual or individual difference variables influence secondary music teachers’ assessment and grading practices? Two mailings yielded 352 total usable questionnaires (36%) with a sampling error of +/—5%. Participants reported that their school districts emphasized letter grades and that music course grades were equally weighted with other course grades in calculating student grade point averages and generating credit toward graduation. Yet, music teachers seldom received administrative guidance or altered assessment approaches due to standards-based curriculum adoption. Participants based grades on a combination of achievement and non-achievement criteria, with non-achievement criteria receiving greater weight in determining grades. Although instructional time, number of students taught, and number of concert performances prepared/ given had no substantive relationship with assessment decisions, grading practices were influenced by teaching level and teaching specialization.
Turning to God in the Face of Ostracism: Effects of Social Exclusion on Religiousness
Authors: Aydin Nilüfer , Fischer Peter , Frey Dieter
Published: April 2010

The present research proposes that individuals who are socially excluded can turn to religion to cope with the experience. Empirical studies conducted to test this hypothesis consistently found that socially excluded persons reported (a) significantly higher levels of religious affiliation (Studies 1, 2, and 4) and (b) stronger intentions to engage in religious behaviors (Study 2) than comparable, nonexcluded individuals. Direct support for the stress-buffering function of religiousness was also found, with a religious prime reducing the aggression-eliciting effects of consequent social rejection (Study 5). These effects were observed in both Christian and Muslim samples, revealing that turning to religion can be a powerful coping response when dealing with social rejection. Theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.
Extending the four-category model of adult attachment: An interpersonal model of friendship attachment
Authors: Welch Ronald D. , Houser Melissa E.
Published: April 2010

Relationships among adult friendship attachment styles and levels of hope, self-disclosure, relationship satisfaction, and trust were studied to assess their validity as explanatory factors in friendship attachments in a cross-section of 268 undergraduate students at a small, private university. Significant relationships were found between attachment styles and hope, self-disclosure, and relationship satisfaction. Specifically, securely attached individuals showed significantly more hope, self-disclosure, and relationship satisfaction than individuals with fearful attachment styles. In addition, individuals with fearful attachment styles showed significantly less hope, self-disclosure, and relationship satisfaction than individuals with secure, dismissing, or preoccupied attachment styles.
Caught in the middle: Mothers in stepfamilies
Authors: Weaver Shannon E. , Coleman Marilyn
Published: April 2010

This article presents a grounded theory investigation of the roles women fulfill as mothers in stepfamilies. A key role for these 24 mothers was serving as the link between the stepfather (her husband) and her children. When conflicts arose between children and stepfathers, mothers’ loyalties lay with their children, and they engaged in protective behavior manifested in four ways: defender, gatekeeper, mediator, and interpreter. Influences on these roles include (i) expectations for and perceptions of her family, (ii) her partner’s experiences with families and children, (iii) structural characteristics of stepfamilies, and (iv) beliefs about children’s needs. The performance of protective mother roles has important implications for the integration and development of the stepfamily, familial roles for family members, and women’s general well-being.
Oxygenator change-out times: the value of a written protocol and simulation exercises
Authors: Darling Edward , Searles Bruce
Published: April 2010

A survey by our department revealed that most of the institutions in New England and New York have written protocols for low-volume, high-risk, emergency events but few of these centers formally practice these protocols through simulation. We hypothesized that hands-on experience with medical emergency protocols will significantly improve clinician performance.

Two groups (n = 24 each) of third semester perfusion students with comparable clinical skills were enrolled in this study. The first group was surprised with an emergent oxygenator change-out drill during a simulation exercise, with no prior warning and without the benefit of a written protocol. The second group was asked to develop a written protocol before they were challenged with the change-out drill. Subsequently, both groups were given a week to practice a protocol for emergent change-out before re-testing. The times for all change-out drills were recorded and the groups were compared with a Student’s t-test. A p-value < 0.05 was considered significant.

The group without a written protocol (NP) had the longer time (559.7 ± 84.9 sec) while the group with the written protocol (P) performed better (461.8 ± 57.5 sec, p < 0.05). However, both groups achieved significantly better performance following repeated practice (NP = 167.8 ± 34.8; P = 170.9±32.5 sec, p < 0 .05).

While written protocols for emergent events will improve patient care, simulation and practice of emergency protocols is the most significant way to protect our patients. Based on this, we advocate for all perfusion groups to simulate emergency events and practice their crisis protocols.
Impaired weight transfer persists at least four months after hip fracture and rehabilitation
Authors: Nightingale Elizabeth Jean , Sturnieks Daina , Sherrington Catherine , Moseley Anne M , Cameron Ian D , Lord Stephen R
Published: April 2010

Objective: To determine whether choice stepping reaction time performance is impaired in people after hip fracture and whether different aspects of choice stepping performance improve with rehabilitation.

Design: This study includes a secondary analysis of data obtained from participants in a randomized controlled trial of exercise after hip fracture.

Setting: Data were either collected in a hospital rehabilitation unit, research institute or participant homes.

Subjects: The hip fracture group (n = 91) were recruited from three rehabilitation hospitals in metropolitan Sydney. The control group (n = 77) were healthy age-, gender- and dwelling-matched controls, participating in unrelated studies of fall risk factors.

Main measures: Response time, movement time and total time components of the choice stepping reaction time test.

Results: Improvements in choice stepping reaction time were seen in people after hip fracture, during a 16-week rehabilitation period, however performance remained impaired (1808 ± 663 ms), compared with matched controls (1029 ± 255 ms, P<0.001). Further, choice stepping performance was significantly slower when transferring weight onto the affected leg (1271 ± 615 ms), compared with the unaffected leg (1119 ± 499 ms, P<0.001).

Conclusions: Movement deficits are evident for an extended time frame following rehabilitation for hip fracture. The slower response time following the rehabilitation period highlights ongoing difficulties with weight transfer onto the affected leg.
Case series of sixteen patients with nummular headache
Authors: Moon Justin , Ahmed Kamran , Garza Ivan
Published: April 2010

Introduction: Nummular headache is a rare primary headache disorder described by a focal circumscribed area of pain (2–6 cm in diameter). Literature on this disorder is sparse.

Patients and methods: Here, we describe a case series of 16 patients (6 men, 10 women) seen at the Mayo Clinic.

Results: Mean age of onset was 50 years (range, 19–79 years) and mean duration of headache was 7.9 years (range, 0.33–40 years). Location of headache varied and was found to be an average of 3.9 cm in diameter (range, 2–10 cm). Headache was episodic (<15 days/month) in four patients and chronic (>15 days/month) in 12 patients. Attention was paid to therapeutic interventions. Resolution was seen in 38% of patients. Migraine was present in the history of 56% of patients and medication overuse headache was found in 25%.

Conclusions: Our series results support previous findings. In our population, no specific therapy was identified to be effective in more than one patient.
The Effect of Antiepileptic Drugs on Mitochondrial Activity: A Pilot Study
Authors: Berger Itai , Segal Idan , Shmueli Dorit , Saada Ann
Published: April 2010

Mitochondria are probably a target in antiepileptic drug—induced hepatotoxicity accompanied by oxidative stress. Most studies discuss valproic acid. The information regarding other antiepileptic drugs is scarce. Most studies used in vitro methods and animal models. In this study, the authors have investigated the effect of antiepileptic drugs, other than valproic acid, on the oxidative phosphorylation process in children, by measuring mitochondrial adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production and the enzymatic activities of respiratory chain complexes II-IV in peripheral white blood cells. The results demonstrate that several antiepileptic drugs can affect the mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation. The authors have concluded that the effect of antiepileptic drugs on the mitochondria is not limited only to valproic acid, but can affect different mitochondrial pathways and can be performed in humans by relatively simple methods, using small samples of peripheral white blood cells.
Book Review: Food Hypersensitivity: Diagnosing and Managing Food Allergies and Intolerance
Authors: Curtis Caitlin
Published: April 2010

Skypala Isabel Carina Venter (editors). Food Hypersensitivity: Diagnosing and Managing Food Allergies and Intolerance. Oxford, UK: Wiley‐Blackwell; 2009. Restruture page‐count as size[@units=“page”] 384 pp; U.S. $79.99. ISBN 978‐1405170369.
Elimination of Soybean Lipid Emulsion in Parenteral Nutrition and Supplementation With Enteral Fish Oil Improve Cholestasis in Infants With Short Bowel Syndrome
Authors: Rollins Michael D. , Scaife Eric R. , Jackson W. Daniel , Meyers Rebecka L. , Mulroy Cecilia W. , Book Linda S.
Published: April 2010

Background

Parenteral nutrition–associated liver disease (PNALD) is a potentially fatal complication for children with intestinal failure. Fish oil–based lipid emulsions have shown promise for the treatment of PNALD but are not readily available. Six cases are presented in which cholestasis resolved after soybean lipid emulsion (SLE) was removed from parenteral nutrition (PN) and enteral fish oil was given.

Methods

A retrospective review at a tertiary children's hospital (July 2003 to August 2008) identified 6 infants with intestinal failure requiring PN for >6 months who developed severe hepatic dysfunction that was managed by eliminating SLE and providing enteral fish oil.

Results

Twenty‐three infants with short bowel syndrome requiring prolonged PN developed cholestasis. SLE was removed in 6 of these patients, and 4 of the 6 received enteral fish oil. Standard PN included 2‐3 g/kg/d SLE with total PN calories ranging from 57 to 81 kcal/kg/d at the time of SLE removal. Hyperbilirubinemia resolved after elimination of SLE within 1.8‐5.4 months. Total PN calories required to maintain growth generally did not change.

Conclusions

Temporary elimination of SLE and supplementation with enteral fish oil improved cholestasis in PN‐dependent infants. Further trials are needed to evaluate this management strategy.
The Multidisciplinary Approach to the Care of Patients with Intestinal Failure at a Tertiary Care Facility
Authors: Rhoda Kristen M. , Parekh Neha R. , Lennon Elizabeth , Shay‐Downer Christine , Quintini Christiano , Steiger Ezra , Kirby Donald F.
Published: April 2010

Intestinal failure is a complex disease state for which extensive therapy is often required. Parenteral nutrition is one of these therapies, but with its long‐term use, life‐threatening complications may develop. Intestinal rehabilitation to enhance intestinal absorption and function through diet and medication is another therapy that can be used in hopes of weaning parenteral nutrition and preventing malnutrition. For patients who develop complications from parenteral nutrition and fail intestinal rehabilitation interventions, intestinal transplantation may be the best option. In this review, therapies available for intestinal failure and the use of a multidisciplinary approach to the patient with intestinal failure will be reviewed.
Medical and Nutrition Management of Eosinophilic Esophagitis in Children
Authors: Feuling Mary Beth , Noel Richard J
Published: April 2010

Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE), esophageal inflammation that occurs in the absence of acidification, is characterized by mucosal eosinophilia and epithelial proliferative changes. Depending on the patient's age, EoE may present as a feeding disorder, vomiting, abdominal pain, dysphagia, or food impaction. In the absence of a well‐delineated natural history, case reports suggest that in some individuals with EoE, the disease progresses to esophageal fibrosis and then presumably irreversible esophageal dysfunction. Successful management of EoE in children requires (1) identifying the causative agents for a given patient, (2) implementing effective medical and/or nutrition therapies, and (3) establishing a continuum of long‐term care that delivers the child to adulthood without esophageal dysfunction.
Intimate Partner Violence Perpetration by Court-Ordered Men: Distinctions and Intersections Among Physical Violence, Sexual Violence, Psychological Abuse, and Stalking
Authors: Basile Kathleen C. , Hall Jeffrey E.
Published: April 2010

This study assessed the construct validity of two different measurement models of male partners’ perpetration of physical violence, sexual violence, psychological abuse, and stalking against intimate partners. Data were obtained from a sample of 340 men arrested for physical assault of a female spouse or partner and court ordered into batterer intervention programs. Men were surveyed before starting the intervention. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to compare the construct validity of a four-factor measurement model of intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration to a three-factor measurement model that combined psychological abuse with stalking; overlap in the perpetration of the various forms of IPV was also examined. CFA results supported the superiority of a four-factor measurement model. There were 96.8% of participants who reported perpetration of all four types of violence; most men perpetrated multiple types of violence. Future studies should determine whether there are distinct risk factors associated with each of the four types of IPV perpetration.
Can Resource Dependence and Coercive Isomorphism Explain Nonprofit Organizations’ Compliance With Reporting Standards?
Authors: Verbruggen Sandra , Christiaens Johan , Milis Koen
Published: April 2010

Nonprofit organizations worldwide are confronted with an increasing demand for accountability and improved financial transparency. Financial reporting by nonprofit organizations is no longer an exception; it has become a rule.The usefulness of a financial report to an organization’s stakeholders depends on its quality. The latter is safeguarded by reporting standards as well as the commitment of the organization to fully implement these standards. Although resource dependence and coercive isomorphism have been used in earlier nonprofit organization research, no empirical research has linked these theories to compliance with financial reporting standards. Using a unique setting in which a large number of (very) large Belgian nonprofit organizations are confronted with far-reaching changes in financial reporting regulations, the effect of resource dependence and coercive isomorphism on accounting and financial reporting compliance is documented.
The Discerning Consumer: Is Nonprofit Status a Factor?
Authors: Handy Femida , Seto Stephanie , Wakaruk Amanda , Mersey Brianna , Mejia Ana , Copeland Laura
Published: April 2010

The authors update and extend the research on consumer awareness of an organization’s nonprofit status and test Hansmann’s seminal contract failure theory. They explore consumers’ abilities to identify nonprofits and their levels of trust in nonprofits as compared to for-profits and government organizations as well as their proclivity to patronize nonprofits as direct and indirect consumers. Data from a sample of 1,169 university students reveals that they are more likely to trust as well as volunteer and donate to nonprofits’ than other types of organizations. In purchasing health care and education, they are also more likely to patronize nonprofits. However, most cannot spontaneously identify the status of well known nonprofits, and in this regard they did not differ from the front line staff working for those organizations.
The Narrative Complexity of Our Past
Authors: Randall William L.
Published: April 2010

In the course of normal aging, memory suffers losses in effectiveness, which, for many, spark anxiety about the onset of dementia. Against the background of Daniel Schacter’s (2001) overview of “the seven sins of memory,” this paper proposes that the line between “normal” and “dementing” is less definite than we may think. Indeed, when the narrative complexity of memory—i.e., autobiographical memory—is taken into account, such sins are not merely necessary evils but outright advantages, essential to the capacity of memory to equip us with a sense of self that is capable of coping with the challenges of later life, if not vital to the development of “wisdom.” As an incipiently literary work, the text of memory is characterized by an assortment of inadequacies-cum-qualities which, like Schacter’s “sins,” enable it to carry out its all-important mission: namely, sponginess, impulsiveness, and blurriness; tangledness, backwardness, and deceptiveness; compressibleness, moodiness, and malleableness.
Cavitary lung lesions in systemic lupus: an unusual presentation
Authors: Torok N. , Abu Malouh A. , Kasmani R. , Abusamieh M.
Published: April 2010

Lupus is a multisystem disease with varied clinical manifestations. Cavitary lung lesions in lupus could be secondary to infections, embolism, or underlying vasculitis. We report a man who presented with lung cavitations and was diagnosed as lupus, secondary antiphospholipid syndrome, and plasma cell dyscrasia. The lesions resolved after the initiation of immunosuppressive therapy. All the previous case reports have been reviewed and the possible mechanisms underlying this association are discussed.
Cognitive Performance Enhancement: Misuse or Self-Treatment?
Authors: Peterkin Alexander L. , Crone Catherine C. , Sheridan Michael J. , Wise Thomas N.
Published: April 2010

Objective: This cross-sectional survey study examines the link between ADHD medication misuse and a positive screen for adult ADHD symptoms. Method: Surveys from 184 college student volunteers in Northern Virginia are collected and analyzed. Results: A total of 71% of ADHD stimulant misusers screen positive for ADHD symptoms. Misusers are 7 times more likely to be symptomatic for ADHD than those who do not misuse. Also, 87% of misusers indicate that they do so for academic reasons, and 76% believe that the misuse of the ADHD stimulants improve their grades. Conclusion: ADHD stimulant misuse in college students is found to be strongly linked to having symptoms of adult ADHD. The desire for cognitive performance enhancement in college students may be a form of self-treatment for undiagnosed ADHD. College students need more accessibility to medical diagnosis and treatment of adult ADHD to reduce the incidence of misuse in the future.
Motivational adequacy and educational faith
Authors: Weithman Paul
Published: April 2010

Justice is often thought to require that students receive educations that are, in some important sense, equal. I lay out, and raise questions about, an argument that seems to support this conclusion. The questions I raise about the argument suggest that what justice requires is not equality, but adequacy, of education. More specifically, I contend that justice demands that education be motivationally adequate. It must position students to appreciate and be moved by the intrinsic interest of the subjects they are studying and by the extrinsic rewards that come with age-appropriate mastery of them. I then argue that, if an education is to satisfy this condition, students must have reasonable faith that the educational system and society’s distributive scheme satisfy robust standards of fairness.
Methodological Innovation in Studying Abortion in Developing Countries: A ‘‘Narrative’’ Quantitative Survey in Madhya Pradesh, India
Authors: Edmeades Jeffrey , Nyblade Laura , Malhotra Anju , MacQuarrie Kerry , Parasuraman Sulabha , Walia Sunayana
Published: April 2010

This article describes the development and implementation of a mixed methods data collection method designed to provide high-quality data on the circumstances surrounding abortion in Madhya Pradesh, India. Data collection took place between 2000 and 2002, beginning with a qualitative phase and culminating in a large-scale, representative survey. The survey itself melded a unique narrative interviewing technique with quantitative survey techniques and collected information on 11,341 individual pregnancies from 2,444 women, with a 97% response rate. Abortion rates calculated using these data are found to be roughly five times higher than the National Family Health Survey-2, a comparable sample using more traditional interviewing techniques, suggesting that this approach reduces the underreporting of abortion while providing the contextual information often lacking in survey data.
In vivo labeling with 2H2O reveals a human neutrophil lifespan of 5.4 days
Authors: Pillay Janesh , den Braber Ineke , Vrisekoop Nienke , Kwast Lydia M. , de Boer Rob J. , Borghans José A. M. , Tesselaar Kiki , Koenderman Leo
Published: April 2010

Neutrophils are essential effector cells of the innate immune response and are indispensable for host defense. Apart from their antimicrobial functions, neutrophils inform and shape subsequent immunity. This immune modulatory functionality might however be considered limited because of their generally accepted short lifespan (< 1 day). In contrast to the previously reported short lifespans acquired by ex vivo labeling or manipulation, we show that in vivo labeling in humans with the use of 2H2O under homeostatic conditions showed an average circulatory neutrophil lifespan of 5.4 days. This lifespan is at least 10 times longer than previously reported and might lead to reappraisal of novel neutrophil functions in health and disease.