bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Relationships among beech bark disease, climate, radial growth response and mortality of American beech in northern Maine, USA
Authors: Kasson M. T. , Livingston W. H.
Published: November 2011

A majority of beech forests across Maine first experienced beech bark disease (BBD) from 1935 to 1960 when sap feeding by an introduced beech scale insect, Cryptococcus fagisuga, allowed lethal fungal infections primarily by Neonectria ditissima and/or Neonectria faginata. Beech stands along the Maine–Quebec border in northern Maine were excluded from this initial killing phase presumably due to cold winter temperatures that inhibited scale survival. However, a sharp increase in beech mortality after 2002 occurred in previously uninfected border stands and stands long affected by BBD. Beech mortality averaged 50% across northern Maine during 2003–2006. To identify plausible stresses that could explain the mortality, a dendropathological study was conducted from 2005 to 2006 in northern Maine that quantified temporal and spatial relationships between possible stressors with beech mortality and growth decline. Nineteen sets of high‐ and low‐mortality plots were located randomly across four bioregions. Increment cores were taken from both beech trees (n = 565) and associated tree species (n = 450). A growth change index of increments was used to evaluate beech responses to biotic and climatic stresses. A prolonged period of relatively mild winters without temperatures lethal to scale insect (<−34°C) from 2000 to 2004 coupled with low August–October precipitation from 2000 to 2003 may have provided ideal conditions initiating a widespread scale epidemic. A major drought period from 1999 to 2002 coincided with growth decline and a significant increase in beech mortality across all regions included in this study. Neonectria was found infecting weakened trees across the region. Drought, beech scale and Neonectria are plausible explanations for the episode of high beech mortality in northern Maine. This is the first report of a major killing phase of beech within the BBD ‘aftermath’ forests.
An Immanentist Approach to the Urban
Authors: Karaman Ozan
Published: November 2011

Abstract:  This paper is a critical engagement with immanentist approaches to cities. Geographers approaching the urban through an immanentist lens—primarily inspired by Gilles Deleuze's work—have called into question transcendent determination, namely the determination of material reality by an external and ontologically distinct substance. This has been an implicit assumption in approaches that reduce contemporary urban developments to “effects of globalization” or “impacts of neoliberalism”. I identify two major shortcomings within the recent immanentist critique: first, their rejection of the notion of a structure in toto, and second, their noticeable silence on Louis Althusser despite his unique contribution to the question of complex causality and his shared trajectories with and influence on Deleuze. By using illustrations from the ongoing urban renewal program in Istanbul, I speculate on the ways in which an Althusserian notion of “immanent structure” could contribute to a better understanding of cities as multiplicities.
The Institutional Context of an ‘Empirical Law’: The Wage Curve under Different Regimes of Collective Bargaining
Authors: Blien Uwe , Dauth Wolfgang , Schank Thorsten , Schnabel Claus
Published: November 2011

The wage curve postulates that the wage level is a decreasing function of the regional unemployment rate. In testing this hypothesis, most studies have not taken into account that differences in the institutional framework may have an impact on the existence (or the slope) of a wage curve. Using a large‐scale linked employer–employee dataset for Western Germany, this article provides a first direct test of the relevance of different bargaining regimes (and of works councils) for the existence of a wage curve. In pooled regressions for the period 1998 to 2006, as well as in worker‐level or plant‐level fixed‐effects estimations, we obtain evidence for a wage curve for plants with a collective bargaining agreement at firm level. The point estimates for this group of plants are close to the −0.1 elasticity of wages with respect to unemployment postulated by Blanchflower and Oswald. In this regime, we also find that works councils dampen the adjustment of wages to the regional unemployment situation. In the other regimes of plants that either do not make use of collective contracts or apply sectoral agreements, we do not find a wage curve.
FDI Policies in China and India: Evidence from Firm Surveys
Authors: Huang Yasheng , Tang Heiwai
Published: November 2011

This paper builds on the idea that economic reforms in China were designed to attract foreign direct investment (FDI), while the opposite happened in India. We empirically examine how these different reform approaches affect foreign‐invested enterprises’ (FIE) and domestic firms’ perceptions about the host country’s business environment. Using World Bank survey data, we find that FIEs in India perceive more obstacles to business operations and development relative to domestic firms, especially on issues related to government regulations and legal institutions. On the contrary, FIEs in China find government officials more helpful in promoting business development and perceive legal and financial constraints similar to their domestic counterparts. These differences in perceptions between firm ownership types are consistent with the underlying diverging approaches of FDI policies adopted by the two largest developing nations.
Measuring Relationships between Personality, Knowledge, and Performance using Single‐response Situational Judgment Tests
Authors: Crook Amy E. , Beier Margaret E. , Cox Cody B. , Kell Harrison J. , Hanks Ashley Rittmayer , Motowidlo Stephan J.
Published: November 2011

We report two studies that investigate single‐response situational judgment tests (SJTs) as measures of job knowledge. Study 1 examines relationships between job knowledge measured by a single‐response SJT, personality, and performance for museum tour guides. Study 2 extends Study 1's findings with a sample of volunteers using a single‐response SJT about volunteerism. In both studies, personality was related to knowledge, and knowledge predicted performance. In Study 2, knowledge accounted for incremental variance in performance beyond personality, but personality added no incremental variance beyond knowledge. Results suggest that knowledge of effective behavior and knowledge of ineffective behavior are separate constructs. These studies demonstrate the validity of single‐response SJTs and provide evidence that knowing what to do and what not to do are separate domains.
Test of a Model Linking Applicant Résumé Information and Hiring Recommendations
Authors: Chen Chien‐Cheng , Huang Yin‐Mei , Lee Mei‐I.
Published: November 2011

Previous research has shown that résumé information (i.e., including both content and aesthetics) influences recruiters' hiring recommendations. This study extends previous research by proposing and testing a model that examines mediating processes underlying the relationship between résumé information and hiring recommendations in real employment interviews for actual job openings. Results from 62 interviewers of 30 firms partially supported our hypotheses and showed that the three types of recruiters' inferences (i.e., including professional knowledge, interpersonal skills, and general mental ability) from applicants' résumé information mediated the effects of résumé information on hiring recommendations.
Assessing the Climate for Creativity (KEYS): Confirmatory factor analysis and psychometric examination of a Taiwan version
Authors: Tseng Hsu‐Min , Liu Feng‐Chuan
Published: November 2011

Understanding the feasibility of using KEYS to assess the organizational climate for creativity in non‐Western societies is essential for researchers studying cultural influences on workers' perceptions of workplace climates. This study reports on the effectiveness of translating KEYS, using data from 401 employees of 13 different companies in Taiwan. A confirmatory factor analysis was performed and its results indicated a satisfactory fit for a 10‐factor model. However, six items tackling environmental obstacles had low factor loadings (<0.3) and should either be eliminated or amended. The results raise questions regarding the role of cultural influences in international studies that assess creativity climates. Further research into the conceptualization of organizational creativity in Chinese societies is warranted.
William Baldwin and A Mirror for Magistrates
Authors: PINCOMBE MIKE
Published: November 2011

Over the last two decades, the first edition of A Mirror for Magistrates, compiled by William Baldwin in 1559, has been frequently claimed as a radical text composed by a group of poets committed to the promotion of various political liberties in the face of state repression. This essay argues that such claims tend to emphasize the solidarity of the poets at the expense of their individual differences, which, in turn, has led to a fundamental misreading of the part played by Baldwin in the production of the original version of the Mirror. It argues that the evidence of the prose narrative he wrote to explain how the text came into being, whilst not reliable on every point, nevertheless tells a very different story. Baldwin, though compiler, seeks to extricate himself from responsibility for the Mirror, and this is because, far from defying state repression, he yielded to it, representing himself and the others as harmless scholars rather than political radicals. In short, Baldwin depoliticizes A Mirror for Magistrates.
Observations on Capitalism and Government–Society Relations: A Retrospective on Schumpeter’s Capitalism, Socialism, and Democracy
Authors: Shockley Gordon E.
Published: November 2011

Joseph A. Schumpeter, Capitalism, Socialism, and Democracy (New York: Harper & Row, 1950). 431 pp.
Editorial Report on Public Administration Review, 2006–2011: A Global Graduate Seminar, a Privilege, and a Challenge
Authors: Stillman Richard J. , Raadschelders Jos C. N.
Published: November 2011

In this final wrap‐up, PAR’s editor in chief, Richard Stillman, and managing editor, Jos C. N. Raadschelders, summarize the last six years of the journal’s objectives, contents, and accomplishments. The authors broadly discuss their editorial activities, past and present, and candidly and succinctly outline the ongoing challenges facing PAR in the future as the leading global journal for interdisciplinary public administration.
Federalist No. 51: Is the Past Relevant to Today's Collaborative Public Management?
Authors: Bingham Lisa Blomgren , O'Leary Rosemary
Published: November 2011

Federalist No. 51 is another of the most recognizable and important of the Federalist Papers, famously arguing that one first must enable government to control the governed, and then oblige it to control itself. The authors suggest that part of this obligation involves effective collaboration within a system of separate powers. They then ask how this “collaboration imperative” can be exercised in today’s contentious political environment.
Facilitators and Barriers of Independent Decisions by Midwives During Labor and Birth
Authors: Everly Marcee C.
Published: November 2011

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to explore the factors that affect labor management decisions of midwives in hospitals and freestanding birth centers.

Methods: A qualitative study was conducted using one‐on‐one tape recorded interviews of midwives who had experience managing labor and birth in both hospitals and freestanding birth centers. Ten interviews consisting of several open‐ended questions were conducted, coded, and analyzed in a stepwise fashion to identify codes, categories, and themes. Seven participants reviewed the final framework and confirmed credibility and trustworthiness.

Results: Four overall themes were identified: trust birth, the woman, the environment, and the labor team.

Discussion: When making labor management decisions, midwives are affected by their trust in birth, the woman, the health care team, and the birth environment. Midwives report more resistance when making labor management decisions in hospitals. The findings of this study provide insight into both the decision making of midwives and how factors in different environments, in this case hospitals and freestanding birth centers, influence the ability of midwives to make independent labor management decisions.
Evaluation of a Student‐Nurse Doula Program: An Analysis of Doula Interventions and Their Impact on Labor Analgesia and Cesarean Birth
Authors: Paterno Mary T. , Van Zandt Shirley E. , Murphy Jeanne , Jordan Elizabeth T.
Published: November 2011

Introduction: The aim of this study was to describe specific doula interventions, explore differences in doula interventions by attending provider (certified nurse‐midwife vs obstetrician), and examine associations between doula interventions, labor analgesia, and cesarean birth in women receiving doula care from student nurses.

Methods: A secondary analysis of data from the Birth Companions Program at the Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing was conducted using t tests, chi‐square statistics, and logistic regression models.

Results: In the 648 births in the sample, doulas used approximately 1 more intervention per labor with certified nurse‐midwife clients compared to obstetrician clients. In multivariate analysis, the increase in the total number of interventions provided by doulas was associated with decreased odds of epidural (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 0.92; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.86‐0.98) and cesarean birth (AOR 0.90; 95% CI, 0.85‐0.95). When examined separately, a greater number of physical interventions was associated with decreased odds of epidural (AOR 0.85; 95% CI, 0.78‐0.92) and cesarean birth (AOR 0.80; 95% CI, 0.73‐0.88), but number of emotional/informational interventions was not.

Discussion: Student nurses trained as doulas have the opportunity to provide a variety of interventions for laboring clients. An increase in the number of interventions, especially physical interventions, provided by doulas may decrease the likelihood of epidural use and cesarean birth.
Maternal pre‐pregnant body mass index, maternal weight change and offspring birthweight
Authors: STAMNES KOEPP UNNI METTE , FROST ANDERSEN LENE , DAHL‐JOERGENSEN KNUT , STIGUM HEIN , NASS OYVIND , NYSTAD WENCHE
Published: November 2011

Objective. To estimate the association between maternal pre‐pregnant body mass index (BMI) and maternal weight change during pregnancy and offspring birthweight using the BMI classification developed by World Health Organization (WHO) and adopted by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) in 2009. Design. The Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study (MoBa) is a population‐based pregnancy cohort study conducted by The Norwegian Institute of Public Health. Setting. Women were recruited from all geographic areas of Norway. Population. The study includes 58 383 pregnant women. Methods. Women were enrolled in 2000–2007 by a postal invitation offered to women in Norway at 17–18 weeks of gestation. Linear regression analyses are based on exposure data from two questionnaires during pregnancy and on birthweight data. Main outcome measures. Birthweight. Results. Mean pre‐pregnancy BMI was 24kg/m2 (SD 4.3), mean maternal weight change in the first 30 weeks of gestation was 9.3kg (SD 4.4), mean birthweight was 3675g (SD 487) and mean age 30.3 years. Of the women, 65.2% had a normal pre‐pregnancy weight, 2.9% were underweight, 22.3% overweight, and 9.5% obese (Classes 1–3). Linear regression analyses adjusted for potential confounders showed that offspring birthweight increased with increasing maternal pre‐pregnant BMI, and with increasing maternal weight gain during pregnancy in all six categories of pre‐pregnancy BMI. Women with the highest level of education had the highest offspring birthweight. Conclusion. Offspring birthweight increased with both increasing maternal pre‐pregnant BMI and maternal weight gain during pregnancy in all six categories of maternal pre‐pregnancy BMI.
CCR5 blockade is well tolerated and induces changes in the tissue distribution of CCR5+ and CD25+ T cells in healthy, SIV‐uninfected rhesus macaques
Authors: Taaffe Jessica E. , Bosinger Steven E. , Del Prete Gregory Q. , Else James G. , Ratcliffe Sarah , Ward Christopher D. , Migone Thi , Paiardini Mirko , Silvestri Guido
Published: November 2011

Background  CCR5 is a main co‐receptor for HIV, but also homes lymphocytes to sites of inflammation. We hypothesized that inhibition of CCR5 signaling would reduce HIV‐associated chronic immune activation.

Methods  To test this hypothesis, we administered an antagonistic anti‐CCR5 monoclonal antibody (HGS101) to five uninfected rhesus macaques (RMs) and monitored lymphocyte dynamics in blood and tissue.

Results  CCR5 blockade resulted in decreased levels of CCR5+ T cells in blood and, at later timepoints, in lymph nodes. Additionally, the levels of CD25+ T cells increased in lymph nodes, but decreased in blood, bone marrow, and rectal mucosa. Finally, a profile of gene expression from HGS101‐treated RMs revealed a subtle, but consistent, in vivo signature of CCR5 blockade that suggests a mild immune‐modulatory effect.

Conclusions  Treatment with anti‐CCR5 antibody induces changes in the tissue distribution of CCR5+ and CD25+ T cells that may impact on the overall levels of immune activation during HIV and SIV infection.
Altered redox homeostasis in human diabetes saliva
Authors: Su Haixiang , Velly Ana M. , Salah Mohammad H. , Benarroch Michael , Trifiro Mark , Schipper Hyman M. , Gornitsky Mervyn
Published: November 2011

J Oral Pathol Med (2012) 41: 235–241

Background:  Oxidative stress has been implicated in the pathogenesis of diabetes mellitus (DM). Levels of 8‐hydroxy‐2′‐deoxyguanosine (8‐OHdG), 8‐epi‐prostaglandin‐F2α (8‐epi‐PGF2α), and total protein carbonyls were measured to assess whether DM is associated with altered salivary redox homeostasis.

Methods:  A total of 215 patients with diabetes and 481 healthy controls were recruited from the Department of Endocrinology at the Jewish General Hospital in Montreal. Levels of oxidative biomarkers were assayed using enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in whole unstimulated saliva. Associations of the redox data with exposure to insulin, metformin and dietary control were assessed by logistic regression analyses.

Results:  We observed (i) significantly higher mean levels of 8‐OHdG and protein carbonyls in whole unstimulated saliva of patients with diabetes compared to controls, (ii) higher mean levels of protein carbonyls in type 1 diabetes as well as higher mean levels of 8‐OHdG and protein carbonyls in type 2 diabetes compared to controls, (iii) elevated levels of protein carbonyls in diet‐controlled patients and in patients with diabetes on insulin and metformin, (iv) elevated levels of 8‐OHdG in patients on metformin, and (v) significant associations between subjects with DM and salivary 8‐OHdG and protein carbonyls.

Conclusion:  DM is associated with increased oxidative modification of salivary DNA and proteins. Salivary redox homeostasis is perturbed in DM and may inform on the presence of the disease and efficacy of therapeutic interventions.
Differential expression of canonical and non‐canonical Wnt ligands in ameloblastoma
Authors: Siar Chong Huat , Nagatsuka Hitoshi , Han Phuu Pwint , Buery Rosario Rivera , Tsujigiwa Hidetsugu , Nakano Keisuke , Ng Kok Han , Kawakami Toshiyuki
Published: November 2011

J Oral Pathol Med (2012) 41: 332–339

Background:  Canonical and non‐canonical Wnt signaling pathways modulate diverse cellular processes during embryogenesis and post‐natally. Their deregulations have been implicated in cancer development and progression. Wnt signaling is essential for odontogenesis. The ameloblastoma is an odontogenic epithelial neoplasm of enamel organ origin. Altered expressions of Wnts‐1, ‐2, ‐5a, and ‐10a are detected in this tumor. The activity of other Wnt members remains unclarified.

Materials and Methods:  Canonical (Wnts‐1, ‐2, ‐3, ‐8a, ‐8b, ‐10a, and ‐10b), non‐canonical (Wnts‐4, ‐5a, ‐5b, ‐6, 7a, ‐7b, and ‐11), and indeterminate groups (Wnts‐2b and ‐9b) were examined immunohistochemically in 72 cases of ameloblastoma (19 unicystic [UA], 35 solid/multicystic [SMA], eight desmoplastic [DA], and 10 recurrent [RA]).

Results:  Canonical Wnt proteins (except Wnt‐10b) were heterogeneously expressed in ameloblastoma. Their distribution patterns were distinctive with some overlap. Protein localization was mainly membranous and/or cytoplasmic. Overexpression of Wnt‐1 in most subsets (UA = 19/19; SMA = 35/35; DA = 5/8; RA = 7/10) (P < 0.05), Wnt‐3 in granular cell variant (n = 3/3), and Wnt‐8b in DA (n = 8/8) was key observations. Wnts‐8a and ‐10a demonstrated enhanced expression in tumoral buddings and acanthomatous areas. Non‐canonical and indeterminate Wnts were absent except for limited Wnt‐7b immunoreactivity in UA (n = 1/19) and SMA (n = 1/35). Stromal components expressed variable Wnt positivity.

Conclusion:  Differential expression of Wnt ligands in different ameloblastoma subtypes suggests that the canonical and non‐canonical Wnt pathways are selectively activated or repressed depending on the tumor cell differentiation status. Canonical Wnt pathway is most likely the main transduction pathway while Wnt‐1 might be the key signaling molecule involved in ameloblastoma tumorigenesis.
In vivo investigations on the penetration of various oils and their influence on the skin barrier
Authors: Patzelt A. , Lademann J. , Richter H. , Darvin M. E. , Schanzer S. , Thiede G. , Sterry W. , Vergou T. , Hauser M.
Published: November 2011

Background

The skin represents a potent barrier to the environment, which can be enhanced by the topical application of skin care products, such as oil and oil‐based formulations by moisturizing the skin.

Methods

The aim of this study was the investigation of the penetration behaviour of four vegetable oils and of paraffin oil into the stratum corneum by laser scanning microscopy. In addition, the occlusion capacity of these substances was assessed by transepidermal water loss (TEWL) measurements. Petrolatum served as a positive control for skin occlusion. The study was conducted in vivo and included six healthy volunteers.

Results

Paraffin oil, as well as the vegetable oils, penetrated only into the first upper layers of the stratum corneum. TEWL measurements indicated that the application of the vegetable oils (except jojoba oil) as well as paraffin oil, led to a similar occlusion of the skin surface. The most effective occlusion was found for petrolatum.

Conclusion

For the investigated oils, a deeper penetration than into the first upper layers of the stratum corneum could be excluded. The decreased TEWL values indicate that the application of the oils leads to a semi‐occlusion of the skin surface as it is intended by the use of oils to retain moisture in skin.
Yeast Dynamin Vps1 and Amphiphysin Rvs167 Function Together During Endocytosis
Authors: Smaczynska‐de Rooij Iwona I. , Allwood Ellen G. , Mishra Ritu , Booth Wesley I. , Aghamohammadzadeh Soheil , Goldberg Martin W. , Ayscough Kathryn R.
Published: November 2011

Dynamins are a conserved family of proteins involved in many membrane fusion and fission events. Previously, the dynamin‐related protein Vps1 was shown to localize to endocytic sites, and yeast carrying deletions for genes encoding both the BAR domain protein Rvs167 and Vps1 had a more severe endocytic scission defect than either deletion alone. Vps1 and Rvs167 localize to endocytic sites at the onset of invagination and disassemble concomitant with inward vesicle movement. Rvs167‐GFP localization is reduced in cells lacking vps1 suggesting that Vps1 influences Rvs167 association with the endocytic complex. Unlike classical dynamins, Vps1 does not have a proline–arginine domain that could interact with SH3 domain‐containing proteins. Thus, while Rvs167 has an SH3 domain, it is not clear how an interaction would be mediated. Here, we demonstrate an interaction between Rvs167 SH3 domain and the single type I SH3‐binding motif in Vps1. Mutant Vps1 that cannot bind Rvs167 rescues all membrane fusion/fission functions associated with Vps1 except for endocytic function, demonstrating the specificity and mechanistic importance of the interaction. In vitro, an Rvs161/Rvs167 heterodimer can disassemble Vps1 oligomers. Overall, the data support the idea that Vps1 and the amphiphysins function together to mediate scission during endocytosis in yeast.
Peripheral CD300a+CD8+ T Lymphocytes with a Distinct Cytotoxic Molecular Signature Increase in Pregnant Women with Chronic Chorioamnionitis
Authors: Xu Yi , Tarquini Federica , Romero Roberto , Kim Chong Jai , Tarca Adi L. , Bhatti Gaurav , Lee JoonHo , Sundell I. Birgitta , Mittal Pooja , Kusanovic Juan Pedro , Hassan Sonia S. , Kim Jung‐Sun
Published: November 2011

Citation Xu Y, Tarquini F, Romero R, Kim CJ, Tarca AL, Bhatti G, Lee J, Sundell IB, Mittal P, Kusanovic JP, Hassan SS, Kim J‐S. Peripheral CD300a+CD8+ T lymphocytes with a distinct cytotoxic molecular signature increase in pregnant women with chronic chorioamnionitis. Am J Reprod Immunol 2012; 67: 184–197

Problem  CD300a is an immunomodulatory molecule of the immunoglobulin receptor superfamily expressed in the leukocytes of myeloid and lymphoid lineages. However, its biological function on CD8+ T lymphocytes remains largely unknown. This study was conducted to assess the biological significance of CD300a expression in T lymphocytes and to determine whether its expression in peripheral T lymphocytes changes in pregnant women presenting with antifetal rejection.

Methods of Study  Microarray analysis was performed using total RNA isolated from peripheral CD300a+ and CD300a− T lymphocytes. Flow cytometric analysis of the peripheral blood samples of pregnant women and pathologic examination of the placentas were conducted.

Results  A large number of genes (N = 1245) were differentially expressed between CD300a− and CD300a+ subsets of CD8+ T lymphocytes, which included CCR7, CD244, CX3CR1, GLNY, GZMB, GZMK, IL15, ITGB1, KLRG1, PRF1, and SLAMF7. Gene ontology analysis of differentially expressed genes demonstrated enrichment of biological processes such as immune response, cell death, and signal transduction. CD300a expression in CD8+ T lymphocytes was coupled to a more cytotoxic molecular signature. Of note, the proportion of CD300a+CD8+ T lymphocytes increased in pregnant women with chronic chorioamnionitis (antifetal rejection of the chorioamniotic membranes; P < 0.05).

Conclusion  The findings of this study strongly suggest an increase in systemic T‐lymphocyte‐mediated cytotoxicity in pregnant women with chronic chorioamnionitis as a manifestation of maternal antifetal rejection.
Corticolimbic changes in acetylcholine and cyclic guanosine monophosphate in the Flinders Sensitive Line rat: a genetic model of depression
Authors: Brand Linda , van Zyl Jurgens , Minnaar Estella L. , Viljoen Francois , du Preez Jan L. , Wegener Gregers , Harvey Brian H.
Published: November 2011

Objective: Depression is suggested to involve disturbances in cholinergic as well as glutamatergic pathways, particularly the N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor-mediated release of nitric oxide (NO) and cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP). The aim of this study was to determine whether the Flinders Sensitive Line (FSL) rat, a genetic model of depression, presents with corticolimbic changes in basal acetylcholine (ACh) levels and NO/cGMP signalling.

Methods: Basal levels of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and both basal and l-arginine-stimulated nitric oxide synthase (NOS) formation of l-citrulline were analysed in hippocampus and frontal cortex in FSL and control Flinders resistant line (FRL) rats by fluorometric and electrochemical high-performance liquid chromatography, respectively. In addition, ACh and cGMP levels were analysed by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry and radioimmunoassay, respectively.

Results: Significantly elevated frontal cortical but reduced hippocampal ACh levels were observed in FSL versus FRL rats. Basal cGMP levels were significantly reduced in the frontal cortex, but not hippocampus, of FSL rats without changes in NOx and l-citrulline, suggesting that the reduction of cGMP follows through an NOS-independent mechanism.

Conclusions: These data confirm a bidirectional change in ACh in the frontal cortex and hippocampus of the FSL rat, as well as provide evidence for a frontal cortical ACh-cGMP interaction in the depressive-like behaviour of the FSL rat.
To Lube or Not to Lube: Experiences and Perceptions of Lubricant Use in Women with and Without Dyspareunia
Authors: Sutton Kate S. , Boyer Stéphanie C. , Goldfinger Corrie , Ezer Paulina , Pukall Caroline F.
Published: November 2011

Introduction

There are few studies examining the relationship between lubricant use and sexual functioning, and no studies have examined this relationship in women with dyspareunia. Vaginal dryness is a prevalent complaint among women of all ages. There is an association between vaginal dryness and painful intercourse; therefore, women with dyspareunia represent a particularly relevant sample of women in which to investigate lubricant use.

Aim

The aim of this study was to examine differences between women with and without dyspareunia in self-reported natural lubrication and attitudes toward and use of personal lubricants.

Methods

Respondents completed an online survey including questions on demographics, gynecological/medical history, sexual functioning, and lubricant use and attitudes.

Main Outcome Measures

The main outcome measures used were the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) and questions regarding attitudes toward and use of lubricants.

Results

Controls scored higher on the lubrication subscale of the FSFI than women with dyspareunia (P < 0.001). Women with dyspareunia reported greater frequency of lubricant use during sexual activity over the last year (P < 0.01). They were also more likely to use lubricant prior to penetration (P < 0.05). The most common use for controls was to enhance sexual experiences. This was also a common answer for women with dyspareunia; however, in this group, the most common reason was to reduce/alleviate pain. Lubricants were rated as less effective among women with dyspareunia vs. controls across all reported reasons for use. Nevertheless, lubricant use was still rated as being moderately effective in alleviating pain for women with dyspareunia.

Conclusions

Women with dyspareunia have more difficulty with natural lubrication; it is consequently not surprising that they reported using lubricant more frequently than control women. Women with dyspareunia reported using lubricants more often than controls to try to prevent or alleviate pain and reported this as being a moderately effective strategy, suggesting that it may be a useful tool for some women with dyspareunia.
Delayed development of the whitefly (Bemisia tabaci) and increased parasitism by Encarsia bimaculata in response to sublethal doses of piperonyl butoxide
Authors: Qian Ming‐Hui , Hu Qiong‐Bo , Ren Shun‐Xiang , Mandour Nasser S. , Qiu Bao‐Li , Stansly P. A.
Published: November 2011

Abstract  Effects of sublethal piperonyl butoxide (PB) on parasitization of Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) by Encarsia bimaculata Heraty et Polaszek (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae) were evaluated both in cage and greenhouse experiments. When first, second and third instar B. tabaci nymphs were treated with PB, all but the first instar were significantly prolonged. Data indicated that sublethal PB could improve E. bimaculata parasitism rates without influencing parasitoid eclosion rates. Prolonged development increased rates of parasitism by E. bimaculata, from 17.6% to 24.7% in cages, presumably by increasing the duration of host exposure. Sublethal PB combined with E. bimaculata as an integrated approach to control B. tabaci was evaluated using life table parameters under greenhouse conditions. Indices of population trend (I) calculated from life tables were estimated at 4.6 for B. tabaci exposed to PB and parasitoids compared to 14.1 with parasitoids alone and 23.5 in untreated controls. The results showed that after PB was sprayed and parasitoids introduced, development of B. tabaci was delayed and the peak of each stage was postponed. The older nymphal stage had highest mortality, primarily due to mortality caused by parasitism by E. bimaculata.
Best practice in fall prevention: roles of informal caregivers, health care providers and the community
Authors: Lach Helen W. , Krampe Jean , Phongphanngam Sutthida
Published: November 2011

lach h.w., krampe j. & phongphanngam s. (2011) Best practice in fall prevention: roles of informal caregivers, health care providers and the community. International Journal of Older People Nursing6, 299–306 doi: 10.1111/j.1748‐3743.2011.00298.x

Falls are an important public health problem for older adults, resulting in significant morbidity and mortality, as well as healthcare costs. Evidence supports the assessment of older adults’ fall risks and implementation of interventions to reduce these risks. Older adults are the key stakeholder in preventing falls, but need the support of their informal caregivers, healthcare providers, and community groups. This article addresses the roles of these additional stakeholders in providing and supporting best practices in fall prevention. Together these stakeholders can assist older adults in self‐management of fall prevention, based on the preferences of the individual, local resources, and available programmes and healthcare services.
Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva: a blueprint for metamorphosis
Authors: Kaplan Frederick S. , Lounev Vitali Y. , Wang Haitao , Pignolo Robert J. , Shore Eileen M.
Published: November 2011

The most important milestone in understanding a genetic disease is the identification of the causative mutation. However, such knowledge is often insufficient to decipher the pathophysiology of the disorder or to effectively treat those affected. Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP) is a rare, disabling, genetic disease of progressive heterotopic endochondral ossification (HEO) enabled by missense mutations that promiscuously and provisionally activate ACVR1/ALK2, a bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) type I receptor, in all affected individuals. While activating mutations of the ACVR1/ALK2 receptor are necessary, disease activity and progression also depend on altered cell and tissue physiology. Recent findings identify inflammatory and immunological factors, vascular‐derived mesenchymal stem cells, and a hypoxic lesional microenvironment that trigger, promote, and enable episodic progression of FOP in the setting of the genetic mutation. Effective therapies for FOP will need to consider these seminal pathophysiologic interactions.
Combinatorial control of ATF4‐dependent gene transcription in osteoblasts
Authors: St‐Arnaud René , Hekmatnejad Bahareh
Published: November 2011

Osteoblast‐specific gene transcription requires interaction between bone cell–specific transcription factors and more widely expressed transcriptional regulators. This is particularly evident for the basic domain‐leucine zipper factor activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4), whose activity can be enhanced or inhibited through interaction with other leucine zipper proteins, intermediate filament proteins, components of the basic transcriptional machinery, nuclear matrix attachment molecules, or ubiquitously expressed transcription factors. We discuss the results supporting the relevance of these interactions and present the first evidence of a functional interaction between ATF4, FIAT (factor‐inhibiting ATF4‐mediated transcription), and αNAC (nascent polypeptide‐associated complex and coactivator alpha), three proteins that have been previously shown to associate using various protein–protein interaction assays.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) rehabilitation at primary health‐care centres – the KOALA project
Authors: Godtfredsen Nina Skavlan , Grann Ove , Larsen Hanne Bormann , Sørensen Tina Brandt , Lavesen Marie , Pors Birthe , Dalsgaard Lone Sander , Kristiansen Luise Cederkvist , Andersen Klaus Kaae , Dollerup Jens
Published: November 2011

Background:  Implementation of pulmonary rehabilitation in primary health care in Denmark is a new challenge in the management of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Objectives:  To assess the feasibility of introducing a nationwide web‐based tool for data recording and quality assurance in the rehabilitation programmes and to evaluate whether patients are referred correctly according to Danish guidelines for community based COPD rehabilitation.

Methods:  Participation in the KOALA project has been offered to the municipalities since October 2007. As of October 2010, 62 health‐care centres have been invited to participate. We present summary statistics and correlation analyses of the 1699 patients who have been enrolled so far.

Results:  Thirty‐three municipalities are currently engaged in the KOALA project. Descriptive analyses reveal that 33% of the patients do not meet the criteria for pulmonary rehabilitation in terms of dyspnoea upon exertion at the baseline visit. Furthermore, information on severity of COPD is missing for 18% of the attendants. The majority of the referred patients have moderate COPD, which is in accordance with the intentions of rehabilitation in the community. Statistical analyses show that COPD‐level and grade of dyspnoea are positively correlated and expose significant correlations between both COPD‐level and dyspnoea and 6 minutes walking distance (6MWD), incremental shuttle walk distance (ISWT) and quality of life.

Conclusions:  We conclude that the municipalities in general are interested in the KOALA project as a mean of data recording and sharing and as a quality instrument. Summary statistics show that there is room for improvement in referral and baseline assessments of patients suitable for pulmonary rehabilitation in a community setting.

Please cite this paper as: Godtfredsen NS, Grann O, Larsen HB, Sørensen TB, Lavesen M, Pors B, Dalsgaard LS, Kristiansen LC, Andersen KK and Dollerup J. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) rehabilitation at primary health‐care centres – the KOALA project. Clin Respir J 2012; 6: 186–192.
A study of asthma severity in adult twins
Authors: Thomsen Simon Francis , van der Sluis Sophie , Kyvik Kirsten Ohm , Backer Vibeke
Published: November 2011

Introduction:  The tendency to develop asthma runs in families, but whether the severity of asthma symptoms is inherited is not known.

Objectives:  The aim of this study was to examine whether genetic factors influence the variation in the severity of asthma.

Methods:  Of a sample of 21 133 adult twins from the Danish Twin Registry, a total of 575 subjects (256 intact pairs and 63 single twins) who themselves and/or their co‐twins reported a history of asthma at a questionnaire survey were clinically examined. The severity of asthma symptoms was graded according to a clinical interview, and markers of airway impairment and allergy were measured.

Results:  After adjusting for confounders, genetic factors explained 24% (10%–37%), P = 0.0004, of the variation in overall asthma symptom severity, whereas non‐shared environment accounted for the remaining 76% of the variation. A significant genetic component was also found for the severity of specific asthma symptoms; wheezing 12% (3%–22%), P = 0.007 and shortness of breath 17% (7%–27%), P = 0.0006, but not for chest tightness and cough. Asthma symptom severity correlated weakly with rhinitis severity as well as with objective markers of lung function, airway inflammation, airway responsiveness and allergic sensitization.

Conclusion:  The individual variation in asthma symptom severity is to some degree influenced by genetic factors, but environmental factors explain the main part of the variation. The genetic architectures underlying the severity of asthma symptoms and objectively measured asthma‐related traits, respectively, seem to differ.

Please cite this paper as: Thomsen SF, van der Sluis S, Kyvik KO and Backer V. A study of asthma severity in adult twins. Clin Respir J 2011; DOI:10.1111/j.1752‐699X.2011.00273.x.
The alibi‐generation effect: Alibi‐generation experience influences alibi evaluation
Authors: Olson Elizabeth A. , Wells Gary L.
Published: November 2011

Purpose. Post‐conviction DNA exonerations demonstrate a failure of alibis to protect innocent suspects. We contend one reason alibis are not believed is because evaluators underestimate how difficult it is for an innocent person to generate a convincing alibi. We hypothesized that asking evaluators to first generate an alibi of their own would lead evaluators to consider a suspect's alibi as more believable.

Methods. Participants (N= 147) were randomly assigned to either evaluate a suspect's alibi before generating their own alibi (evaluate‐first) or generate their own alibi before evaluating the suspect's alibi (generate‐first). Participants provided alibis from either 3 days previous or 30 days previous. In Experiment 2, participants (N= 255) were randomly assigned to either generate‐first, evaluate‐first, or read‐experience (in which they read about alibi‐generation difficulty) conditions. Half the participants were primed to think empathetically with Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) subscales, and half were not. All participants evaluated the believability of the suspect's alibi as well as their own alibis.

Results. Across both experiments, participants who generated their own alibi first rated the suspect's alibi as more believable. This alibi‐generation effect overshadowed alibi latency in Experiment 1 and the empathy manipulation in Experiment 2.

Conclusions. Alibi‐generation experience seems to change the expectations evaluators have of alibis from criminal suspects. This effect likely emanates from increased awareness that alibis are difficult for innocent people to generate and from the emotional experience of having difficulty generating alibis.
THE DI FRANCESCO–ITZYKSON–GÖTTSCHE CONJECTURES FOR NODE POLYNOMIALS OF ℙ2
Authors: QVILLER NIKOLAY
Published: November 2011

For a smooth, irreducible projective surface S over ℂ, the number of r-nodal curves in an ample linear system [Formula: see text] (where [Formula: see text] is a line bundle on S) can be expressed using the rth Bell polynomial Pr in universal functions ai, 1 ≤ i ≤ r, of (S, [Formula: see text]), which are ℤ-linear polynomials in the four Chern numbers of S and [Formula: see text]. We use this result to establish a proof of the classical shape conjectures of Di Francesco–Itzykson and Göttsche governing node polynomials in the case of ℙ2. We also give a recursive procedure which provides the [Formula: see text]-term of the polynomials ai.
Puerarin Accelerates Peripheral Nerve Regeneration
Authors: Hsiang Shih-Wei , Lee Han-Chung , Tsai Fuu-Jen , Tsai Chin-Chuan , Yao Chun-Hsu , Chen Yueh-Sheng
Published: November 2011

This study investigates the effect of puerarin (PR) on peripheral nerve regeneration in vitro and in vivo. PR at concentrations of 1, 10, and 100 μM significantly promoted survival and outgrowth of cultured Schwann cells, as compared to the controls treated with culture medium only. in vivo study, peripheral nerve regeneration was evaluated across a 15-mm gap in the sciatic nerve of rats using a silicone rubber nerve chamber filled with PR solution. The control group chambers were filled with normal saline only. At the end of eight weeks, animals in the PR groups, especially at a concentration of 1 μM, had a significantly higher density of myelinated axons, greater evoked action potential area, and a larger nerve conductive velocity, as compared to the controls. All experimental results indicate that PR treatment promotes nerve growth and is a promising herbal medicine for recovery of regenerating peripheral nerves.
NON-RIGIDITY OF CYCLIC AUTOMORPHIC ORBITS IN FREE GROUPS
Authors: RAY BRIAN
Published: November 2011

We say a subset Σ ⊆ FN of the free group of rank N is spectrally rigid if whenever T1, T2 ∈ cv N are ℝ-trees in (unprojectivized) outer space for which ‖σ‖T1 = ‖σ‖T2 for every σ ∈ Σ, then T1 = T2 in cv N. The general theory of (non-abelian) actions of groups on ℝ-trees establishes that T ∈ cv N is uniquely determined by its translation length function ‖⋅‖T : FN → ℝ, and consequently that FN itself is spectrally rigid. Results of Smillie and Vogtmann, and of Cohen, Lustig and Steiner establish that no finite Σ is spectrally rigid. Capitalizing on their constructions, we prove that for any Φ ∈ Aut (FN) and g ∈ FN, the set Σ = {Φn(g)}n∈ℤ is not spectrally rigid.
BURSTEIN–MOSS SHIFT IN CdS NANOCRYSTALLITES SYNTHESIZED VIA AQUEOUS PRECIPITATION
Authors: CHAWLA PUJA , LOCHAB S. P. , SINGH NAFA
Published: November 2011

We report here the UV-VIS study of CdS nanoparticles synthesized via Chemical precipitation in aqueous medium, the UV-VIS of CdS in aqueous medium shows an excitonic peak at 230 nm, while that of CdS quantum dots in solid form shows an absorption maximum at 480 nm. This bleaching of band gap may be attributed to Moss–Burstein shift in the absorbance edge.
Modeling of Spray System Operation under Hydrogen and Steam Emissions in NPP Containment during Severe Accident
Authors: Seleznev Vadim E. , Aleshin Vladimir V. , Pryalov Sergey N.
Published: November 2011

The paper describes one of the variants of mathematical models of a fluid dynamics process inside the containment, which occurs in the conditions of operation of spray systems in severe accidents at nuclear power plant. The source of emergency emissions in this case is the leak of the coolant or rupture at full cross‐section of the main circulating pipeline in a reactor building. Leak or rupture characteristics define the localization and the temporal law of functioning of a source of emergency emission (or accrued operating) of warmed up hydrogen and steam in the containment. Operation of this source at the course of analyzed accident models should be described by the assignment of the relevant Dirichlet boundary conditions. Functioning of the passive autocatalytic recombiners of hydrogen is described in the form of the complex Newton boundary conditions.
Detection of Pelvic Inflammatory Disease: Development of an Automated Case-Finding Algorithm Using Administrative Data
Authors: Satterwhite Catherine L. , Yu Onchee , Raebel Marsha A. , Berman Stuart , Howards Penelope P. , Weinstock Hillard , Kleinbaum David , Scholes Delia
Published: November 2011

ICD-9 codes are conventionally used to identify pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) from administrative data for surveillance purposes. This approach may include non-PID cases. To refine PID case identification among women with ICD-9 codes suggestive of PID, a case-finding algorithm was developed using additional variables. Potential PID cases were identified among women aged 15–44 years at Group Health (GH) and Kaiser Permanente Colorado (KPCO) and verified by medical record review. A classification and regression tree analysis was used to develop the algorithm at GH; validation occurred at KPCO. The positive predictive value (PPV) for using ICD-9 codes alone to identify clinical PID cases was 79%. The algorithm identified PID appropriate treatment and age 15–25 years as predictors. Algorithm sensitivity (GH=96.4%;KPCO=90.3%) and PPV (GH=86.9%;KPCO=84.5%) were high, but specificity was poor (GH=45.9%;KPCO=37.0%). In GH, the algorithm offered a practical alternative to medical record review to further improve PID case identification.
Mean Convergence Rate of Derivatives by Lagrange Interpolation on Chebyshev Grids
Authors: Xiulian Wang , Jingrui Ning
Published: November 2011

We consider the rate of mean convergence of derivatives by Lagrange interpolation operators based on the Chebyshev nodes. Some estimates of error of the derivatives approximation in terms of the error of best approximation by polynomials are derived. Our results are sharp.