bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
College Students With and Without ADHD
Authors: Advokat Claire , Lane Sean M. , Luo Chunqiao
Published: August 2010

Objective: To examine the relationship between ADHD medications, study habits, and academic achievement of ADHD-diagnosed undergraduates. Method: A total of 92 students with a self-reported ADHD diagnosis and a current prescription for ADHD medication were compared with 143 control students in a survey of academic performance. Results: Most ADHD students took stimulant medication and said the drugs helped them, yet believed they were worse than other students at planning and completing assignments and avoiding distractions. Although most study habits of ADHD students did not differ from controls, their high school and college GPA (grade point average), and ACT scores were significantly lower, and they withdrew from significantly more classes than did control students. Interestingly, preliminary data suggested that good study habits alone, even without stimulants, could overcome the achievement disparity of ADHD students. Conclusion: As previously shown for children and adolescents, stimulant medications alone did not eliminate the academic achievement deficit of ADHD undergraduates.
Prevalence of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Associated Features Among Children in France
Authors: Lecendreux Michel , Konofal Eric , Faraone Stephen V.
Published: August 2010

Background: Earlier studies point to the prevalence of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) to be similar around the world. There is, however, a wide variety in estimates. The prevalence of ADHD in youth has never been examined in France. Method: Starting with 18 million telephone numbers, 7,912 numbers are randomly selected. Among the 4,186 eligible families, 1,012 (24.2%) are successfully recruited. A telephone interview is administered to all families about a child in the 6 to 12 age range. It covered family living situation, school performance, symptoms of ADHD, conduct disorder (CD), and oppositional-defiant disorder (ODD), and other features of ADHD. Results: The prevalence of ADHD in France is between 3.5% and 5.6%. The population prevalence of treatment for ADHD is 3.5%. ADHD youth are more likely to be men than women, and, compared to non-ADHD children, ADHD children are more likely to have CD and ODD. Having ADHD is associated with a family history of the disorder. The ADHD youth are more likely to have had learning difficulties, to have repeated a grade, and to be functioning academically below grade level. Conclusions: The epidemiology of ADHD in French children is similar to the epidemiology of ADHD in other countries. The disorder occurs in between 3.5% to 5.6% of youth and is more common among boys than among girls. The authors replicate the well-known association of ADHD with CD, ODD, and indices of school failure. The impact of ADHD symptoms on school performance highlights the importance of screening for such symptoms in schools.
Socialization in Open Source Software Projects: A Growth Mixture Modeling Approach
Authors: Qureshi Israr , Fang Yulin
Published: August 2010

The success of open source software (OSS) projects depends heavily on the voluntary participation of a large number of developers. To remain sustainable, it is vital for an OSS project community to maintain a critical mass of core developers. Yet, only a small number of participants (identified here as ‘‘joiners’’) can successfully socialize themselves into the core developer group. Despite the importance of joiners’ socialization behavior, quantitative longitudinal research in this area is lacking. This exploratory study examines joiners’ temporal socialization trajectories and their impacts on joiners’ status progression. Guided by social resource theory and using the growth mixture modeling (GMM) approach to study 133 joiners in 40 OSS projects, the authors found that these joiners differed in both their initial levels and their growth trajectories of socialization and identified four distinct classes of joiner socialization behavior. They also found that these distinct latent classes of joiners varied in their status progression within their communities. The implications for research and practice are correspondingly discussed.
The private is political: Women and family in intellectual Islam
Authors: McLarney Ellen
Published: August 2010

In Hiba Ra’uf’s Woman and Political Work, she argues that the family is the basic political unit of the Islamic community or nation (the umma). Her thesis is both feminist and Islamist, as she argues that the ‘private is political’. By drawing analogies between family and umma, family and caliphate, the personal and the political, the private and public, Ra’uf seeks to dismantle the oppositions of secular society, to challenge the division of society into discrete spheres. This entails an implicit challenge to the secular state, but effected through the politics of the family. An Islamic family, she argues, is a powerful site for the transformation of socio-political institutions; a politics of the microcosmic with macrocosmic ramifications, effected through the very embodiment and practice of an Islamic ethos at a grassroots, capillary level. However, though Ra’uf contests liberal secularism’s division of spheres with feminist and Islamist critical methods, she reproduces some of its fundamental assumptions about the nature of the family: as the domain of religion, in opposition to the secular state; as rooting community, in opposition to the individualism of the citizen; as an ethics grounded in affect; and as an essentially feminine world. In making the family the sphere of Islamic politics, Ra’uf re-enacts secularism’s division of spheres, sacralizing the affective bonds of intimate relations and making the family the domain of religion. Furthermore, by emphasizing the family as the domain of women’s political work, she reinscribes the family as a feminine sphere, so that woman’s vocation is familial, as is her ethical disposition.
The Impact of Adversity in Childhood on Outcomes in Adulthood
Authors: Davidson Gavin , Devaney John , Spratt Trevor
Published: August 2010

• Summary: Current UK Government policy is concerned with the possible connections between childhood adversity, social exclusion and negative outcomes in adulthood. Understanding the impact of adverse childhood experiences on outcomes in adulthood is therefore key to informing effective policy and practice. In this article, the research on the impact of childhood adversity on outcomes in adulthood is reviewed in the broad categories of: mental health and social functioning; physical health; offending; service use; and economic impact. The literature on resilience that focuses on those who experience adversity, but do not have associated negative outcomes is also briefly considered. The strengths and limitations of the range of research methods used are then examined.

• Findings: Previous studies have tended to focus on specific forms of adversity, predominantly abuse and neglect, and either: specific populations and specific outcomes; specific populations and general outcomes; or general populations and specific outcomes. This means there may be incomplete understanding of the inputs (the range of adverse experiences in childhood), the processes (how these may affect people) and the outcomes (across domains in adulthood).

• Applications : It is concluded that it is important for social work researchers to engage in the current debate about how to prevent harmful childhood adversity and there is an important gap in the research for more interdisciplinary large-scale general population studies that consider the full range of childhood adversity and associated impacts across time and the possible processes involved.
Child Sexual Abuse, Links to Later Sexual Exploitation/High-Risk Sexual Behavior, and Prevention/Treatment Programs
Authors: Lalor Kevin , McElvaney Rosaleen
Published: August 2010

This paper reviews the literature on the nature and incidence of child sexual abuse, explores the link between child sexual abuse and later sexual exploitation, and reviews the literature on prevention strategies and effective interventions in child sexual abuse services. Our understanding of the international epidemiology of child sexual abuse is considerably greater than it was just 10 years ago, and studies from around the world are examined. Childhood sexual abuse can involve a wide number of psychological sequelae, including low self-esteem, anxiety, and depression. Numerous studies have noted that child sexual abuse victims are vulnerable to later sexual revictimization, as well as the link between child sexual abuse and later engagement in high-risk sexual behaviour. Survivors of child sexual abuse are more likely to have multiple sex partners, become pregnant as teenagers, and experience sexual assault as adults. Various models which attempt to account for this inter-relationship are presented; most invoke mediating variables such as low self-esteem, drug/alcohol use, PTSD and distorted sexual development. Prevention strategies for child sexual abuse are examined including media campaigns, school-based prevention programmes, and therapy with abusers. The results of a number of meta-analyses are examined. However, researchers have identified significant methodological limitations in the extant research literature that impede the making of recommendations for implementing existing therapeutic programmes unreservedly.
Imperial Nursing: Cross-Cultural Challenges for Women in the Health Professions: A Historical Perspective
Authors: Schultheiss Katrin
Published: August 2010

This essay briefly examines some of the cross-cultural challenges that faced nurses in the Philippines, India, and South Africa in the context of 19th and 20th century imperialism. During this time, nurses from colonizing countries served as agents of empire by helping to establish and reinforce American and European control in colonized societies. In doing so, they sought to instill the racial and gender hierarchies of their home countries in the colonial territories. But once these women moved to the colonies, they frequently found their preconceptions about femininity, sexuality, and race challenged in unexpected ways. The history of nursing in the age of empire is a story of good intentions mixed with cultural chauvinism, of professional rigor mixed with condescension, of devotion and generosity shaped and often distorted by ideas of gendered and racial conventions, and of ambitious reform crushed by an inability to think beyond the bounds of imperialism.
A Retrospective Evaluation of Pretreatment and Follow-Up Monitoring of HIV-Infected Adult Patients in a Resource-Poor Setting
Authors: Fawibe Ademola Emmanuel , Olafimihan Kayode O. , Salami Alakija K. , Desalu Olorunfemi O. , Odeigah Louis O.
Published: August 2010

The rapid scale-up of antiretroviral therapy (ART) is associated with the challenges of ensuring that HIV care delivered to clients is of the highest quality. This study was designed to evaluate the pretreatment and 12 month follow-up monitoring of clinical and laboratory profiles of HIV-infected patients at the adult HIV clinic of the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, in Nigeria. It was a retrospective analysis of records of 440 adult patients who were on follow-up visits for 1 or more years. Two hundred two (45.9%) were male and 238 (54.1%) were female. Weight was documented at baseline in 314 (71.4%) and at month 12 of follow-up in 258 (58.6%). Baseline World Health Organization (WHO) clinical stage was documented in 269 (61.1%). Baseline CD4 count, full blood count (FBC), creatinine (Cr), liver function tests (LFT), fasting blood sugar (FBS), and fasting serum lipids (FSL) were documented in 243 (55.6%), 260 (59.1%), 143 (32.5%), 136 (30.9%), 268 (60.9%), and 161 (36.6%), respectively. At 12th month of follow-up visit, the CD4 count, FBC, Cr, LFT, FBS, and FSL were documented in 121 (27.5%), 94 (21.4%), 59 (13.4%), 77 (17.5%), 179 (40.7%), and 95 (21.6%), respectively. This report shows that the pretreatment and the 12th-month follow-up monitoring of HIV-infected adult patients in our center was less than optimal. We recommend periodic self-assessment by care providers to monitor compliance with standards.
Spatial markings: Memory, agency and child sexual abuse
Authors: Reavey Paula
Published: August 2010

In this article, I argue that material locations (spaces) are not simply peripheral to acts of remembering but central to how the ongoing flow of memory and agency is constituted and experienced by individuals in their practice of memorial self-interpretation. This argument, however, can only be accepted when selfhood is treated as a form, a process, as opposed to a determinate substance. Examples from autobiography, psychological research, fiction and film on the topic of child sexual abuse will be used to render visible the ways in which agency within memory is played out across a variety of material locations that leave their mark on memory in particular ways. Furthermore, it is argued that such material locations are always already deeply embedded in a variety of political systems that in turn render subjectivity and agency diverse and multiple.
Is memory a natural kind?
Authors: Michaelian Kourken
Published: August 2010

Though researchers often refer to memory as if it were a unitary phenomenon, a natural kind, the apparent heterogeneity of the various ‘kinds’ of memory casts doubt on this default view. This article argues, first, that kinds of memory are individuated by memory systems. It argues, second, for a view of the nature of kinds of memory informed by the tri-level hypothesis. If this approach to kinds of memory is right, then memory is not in fact a natural kind.
Stereotype Relevance Moderates Category Activation: Evidence From the Indirect Category Accessibility Task (ICAT)
Authors: Stroessner Steven J. , Haines Elizabeth L. , Sherman Jeffrey W. , Kantrowitz Cara J.
Published: August 2010

The impact of behavioral stereotypicality on category accessibility was examined using a novel method, the Indirect Category Accessibility Task (ICAT). In the ICAT, participants learn to distinguish visual stimuli from two categories based on feedback. In two studies, participants were exposed to images of individuals behaving consistently, inconsistently, or irrelevantly with traditional gender stereotypes. ICAT learning was superior in the stereotype-consistent and stereotype-inconsistent conditions compared to the stereotype-irrelevant conditions. These results demonstrate that category relevance moderates category accessibility. Implications for social categorization and stereotype change models are discussed.
Fracture behaviour of radiolytically oxidised reactor core graphites: A view
Authors: Hodgkins A. , Marrow T. J. , Wootton M. R. , Moskovic R. , Flewitt P. E. J.
Published: August 2010

This paper provides a view on the fracture behaviour of polygranular graphites, used to moderate gas cooled nuclear reactors. Graphite is often cited as a classic example of a brittle material because failure, in tension, is associated with small strains. However, attempts to characterise the fracture behaviour of graphite by linear elastic fracture mechanics methods have been largely unsuccessful. Observations of graphite fracture show that elastic strain energy may be dissipated by the formation of distributed microcracks, and their formation may be responsible for non-linearity in the rising load–displacement curve. Progressive softening behaviour may also be observed in some specimens after the peak load. This type of load–displacement behaviour is a characteristic of quasi-brittle materials. Radiolytic oxidation increases the proportion of porosity within reactor core graphite so that the microstructure becomes increasingly skeletal. Consideration is given to the fracture of radiolytically oxidised graphite to support an argument for quasi-brittle behaviour.
Microstructural study of super Ni laminated composite/1Cr18Ni9Ti steel dissimilar welded joint
Authors: Xia C. Z. , Li Y. J. , Puchkov U. A. , Wang J.
Published: August 2010

Super Ni laminated composite and 1Cr18Ni9Ti stainless steel were welded by the tungsten inert gas process with the Cr25–Ni13 filler alloy. The microstructure, element distribution and phase formation near the fusion zone were evaluated by standard technique. Results indicated the formation of four main regions: the fusion transition region on the 1Cr18Ni9Ti steel side, the fusion transition region on the super Ni laminated composite side, a columnar crystal weld region and the weld centre region. The microstructure on either side of the weld was characterized by strong directionality and changed from columnar austenite to equiaxed austenite in the weld centre. A Ni, Fe and Cr element transition region, about 30 μm wide, was formed at the fusion zone on the super Ni side. The phase formed into welded zone was composed mainly of austenite, δ-Fe, γ-Ni(Cr, Fe) and FeNi intermetallic compounds.
Investigation of primary Al3(Sc, Zr) particles in Al–Sc–Zr alloys
Authors: Song M. , He Y.-H.
Published: August 2010

This paper studied the primary Al3(Sc, Zr) particles formed during solidification in three Al–Sc–Zr alloys with various Zr contents. It has been shown that the primary Al3(Sc, Zr) particles formed during solidification since the Sc and Zr concentrations are above the solid solubility limit in Al matrix. Scanning electron microscopy line scanning results indicated that the distributions of Sc, Zr and Al atoms in the primary Al3(Sc, Zr) particles differ a lot from those in the secondary Al3(Sc, Zr) particles formed during annealing. In the primary Al3(Sc, Zr) particles, both Sc and Zr contents are found from rim to the centre of the particles, with an increasing trend from the rim to the centre, while the Al content drops sharply on the rim of the particle and slightly from the rim to the centre.
Generation of human induced pluripotent stem cells by simple transient transfection of plasmid DNA encoding reprogramming factors
Authors: Si-Tayeb Karim , Noto Fallon K , Sepac Ana , Sedlic Filip , Bosnjak Zeljko J , Lough John W , Duncan Stephen A
Published: August 2010

Background

The use of lentiviruses to reprogram human somatic cells into induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells could limit their therapeutic usefulness due to the integration of viral DNA sequences into the genome of the recipient cell. Recent work has demonstrated that human iPS cells can be generated using episomal plasmids, excisable transposons, adeno or sendai viruses, mRNA, or recombinant proteins. While these approaches offer an advance, the protocols have some drawbacks. Commonly the procedures require either subcloning to identify human iPS cells that are free of exogenous DNA, a knowledge of virology and safe handling procedures, or a detailed understanding of protein biochemistry.

Results

Here we report a simple approach that facilitates the reprogramming of human somatic cells using standard techniques to transfect expression plasmids that encode OCT4, NANOG, SOX2, and LIN28 without the need for episomal stability or selection. The resulting human iPS cells are free of DNA integration, express pluripotent markers, and form teratomas in immunodeficient animals. These iPS cells were also able to undergo directed differentiation into hepatocyte-like and cardiac myocyte-like cells in culture.

Conclusions

Simple transient transfection of plasmid DNA encoding reprogramming factors is sufficient to generate human iPS cells from primary fibroblasts that are free of exogenous DNA integrations. This approach is highly accessible and could expand the use of iPS cells in the study of human disease and development.
Using paired-end sequences to optimise parameters for alignment of sequence reads against related genomes
Authors: Ratnakumar Abhirami , McWilliam Sean , Barris Wesley , Dalrymple Brian P
Published: August 2010

Background

The advent of cheap high through-put sequencing methods has facilitated low coverage skims of a large number of organisms. To maximise the utility of the sequences, assembly into contigs and then ordering of those contigs is required. Whilst sequences can be assembled into contigs de novo, using assembled genomes of closely related organisms as a framework can considerably aid the process. However, the preferred search programs and parameters that will optimise the sensitivity and specificity of the alignments between the sequence reads and the framework genome(s) are not necessarily obvious. Here we demonstrate a process that uses paired-end sequence reads to choose an optimal program and alignment parameters.

Results

Unlike two single fragment reads, in paired-end sequence reads, such as BAC-end sequences, the two sequences in the pair have a known positional relationship in the original genome. This provides an additional level of confidence over match scores and e-values in the accuracy of the positional assignment of the reads in the comparative genome. Three commonly used sequence alignment programs: MegaBLAST, Blastz and PatternHunter were used to align a set of ovine BAC-end sequences against the equine genome assembly. A range of different search parameters, with a particular focus on contiguous and discontiguous seeds, were used for each program. The number of reads with a hit and the number of read pairs with hits for the two end sequences in the tail-to-tail paired-end configuration were plotted relative to the theoretical maximum expected curve. Of the programs tested, MegaBLAST with short contiguous seed lengths (word size 8-11) performed best in this particular task. In addition the data also provides estimates of the false positive and false negative rates, which can be used to determine the appropriate values of additional parameters, such as score cut-off, to balance sensitivity and specificity. To determine whether the approach also worked for the alignment of shorter reads, the first 240 bases of each BAC end sequence were also aligned to the equine genome. Again, contiguous MegaBLAST performed the best in optimising the sensitivity and specificity with which sheep BAC end reads map to the equine and bovine genomes.

Conclusions

Paired-end reads, such as BAC-end sequences, provide an efficient mechanism to optimise sequence alignment parameters, for example for comparative genome assemblies, by providing an objective standard to evaluate performance.
Fish oil supplementation reverses the effect of cholesterol on apoptotic gene expression in smooth muscle cells
Authors: Perales Sonia , Alejandre Ma José , Morales Rogelio Palomino , Torres Carolina , Linares Ana
Published: August 2010

Background

Nutritional control of gene regulation guides the transformation of smooth muscle cells (SMC) into foam cells in atherosclerosis. Oxidative stress has been reported in areas of lipid accumulation, activating proliferation genes. Suppression of oxidative stress by antioxidant administration reduces this activation and the progression of lesions. We hypothesized that fish oil consumption may protect against atherosclerotic vascular disease. The study objective was to determine the effects of dietary cholesterol and fish-oil intake on the apoptotic pathways induced by 25-hydroxycholesterol (25-HC) in SMC cultures.

Methods

An in vivo/in vitro cell model was used, culturing SMC isolated from chicks exposed to an atherogenic cholesterol-rich diet with 5% of cholesterol (SMC-Ch) alone or followed by an anti-atherogenic fish oil-rich diet with 10% of menhaden oil (SMC-Ch-FO) and from chicks on standard diet (SMC-C). Cells were exposed to 25-HC, studying apoptosis levels by flow cytometry (Annexin V) and expressions of caspase-3, c-myc, and p53 genes by quantitative real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. Results: Exposure to 25-HC produced apoptosis in all three SMC cultures, which was mediated by increases in caspase-3, c-myc, and p53 gene expression. Changes were more marked in SMC-Ch than in SMC-C, indicating that dietary cholesterol makes SMC more susceptible to 25-HC-mediated apoptosis. Expression of p53 gene was elevated in SMC-Ch-FO. This supports the proposition that endogenous levels of p53 protect SMC against apoptosis and possibly against the development of atherosclerosis. Fish oil attenuated the increase in c-myc levels observed in SMC-C and SMC-Ch, possibly through its influence on the expression of antioxidant genes.

Conclusion

Replacement of a cholesterol-rich diet with a fish oil-rich diet produces some reversal of the cholesterol-induced changes, increasing the resistance of SMC to apoptosis.
Daily physical activity and its contribution to the health-related quality of life of ambulatory individuals with chronic stroke
Authors: Rand Debbie , Eng Janice J , Tang Pei-Fang , Hung Chihya , Jeng Jiann-Shing
Published: August 2010

Background

Participation in daily physical activity (PA) post-stroke has not previously been investigated as a possible explanatory variable of health-related quality of life (HRQL). The aims were 1) to determine the contribution of daily PA to the HRQL of individuals with chronic stroke and 2) to assess the relationship between the functional ability of these individuals to the amount of daily PA.

Methods

The amount of daily PA of forty adults with chronic stroke (mean age 66.5 ± 9.6 years) was monitored using two measures. Accelerometers (Actical) were worn on the hip for three consecutive days in conjunction with a self-report questionnaire [the PA Scale for Individuals with Physical Disabilities (PASIPD)]. The daily physical activity was measured as the mean total accelerometer activity counts/day and the PASIPD scores as the metabolic equivalent (MET) hr/day. HRQL was assessed by the Physical and Mental composite scores of the Medical Outcomes Study Short-Form 36 (SF-36) in addition to the functional ability of the participants. Correlation and regression analyses were performed.

Results

After controlling for the severity of the motor impairment, the amount of daily PA, as assessed by the PASIPD and accelerometers, was found to independently contribute to 10-12% of the variance of the Physical Composite Score of the SF-36. No significant relationship was found between PA and the Mental Composite Score of the SF-36.The functional ability of the participants was found to be correlated to the amount of daily PA (r = 0.33 - 0.67, p < 0.01).

Conclusion

The results suggest that daily PA is associated with better HRQL (as assessed by the Physical composite score of the SF-36) for people living with stroke. Daily PA should be encouraged to potentially increase HRQL. Accelerometers in conjunction with a self-report questionnaire may provide important measures of PA which can be monitored and modified, and potentially influence HRQL.
Safety evaluation of allogeneic umbilical cord blood mononuclear cell therapy for degenerative conditions
Authors: Yang Wan-Zhang , Zhang Yun , Wu Fang , Min Wei-Ping , Minev Boris , Zhang Min , Luo Xiao-Ling , Ramos Famela , Ichim Thomas E , Riordan Neil H , Hu Xiang
Published: August 2010

Background

The current paradigm for cord blood transplantation is that HLA matching and immune suppression are strictly required to prevent graft versus host disease (GVHD). Immunological arguments and historical examples have been made that the use of cord blood for non-hematopoietic activities such as growth factor production, stimulation of angiogenesis, and immune modulation may not require matching or immune suppression.

Methods

114 patients suffering from non-hematopoietic degenerative conditions were treated with non-matched, allogeneic cord blood. Doses of 1-3 × 107 cord blood mononuclear cells per treatment, with 4-5 treatments both intrathecal and intravenously were performed. Adverse events and hematological, immunological, and biochemical parameters were analyzed for safety evaluation.

Results

No serious adverse effects were reported. Hematological, immunological, and biochemical parameters did not deviate from normal ranges as a result of therapy.

Conclusion

The current hematology-based paradigm of need for matching and immune suppression needs to be revisited when cord blood is used for non-hematopoietic regenerative purposes in immune competent recipients.
Genetic and functional analysis of HIV-1 Rev Responsive Element (RRE) sequences from North-India
Authors: Sharma Yogeshwar , Neogi Ujjwal , Sood Vikas , Banerjee Snigdha , Samrat Subodh , Wanchu Ajay , Singh Surjit , Banerjea Akhil C
Published: August 2010

HIV-1 Rev protein regulates the expression of HIV-1 transcripts by binding to a highly structured stem loop structure called the Rev Responsive Element (RRE) present in the genomic and partially spliced RNAs. Genetic variation in this structure is likely to affect binding of Rev protein and ultimately overall gene expression and replication. We characterized RRE sequences from 13 HIV-1 infected individuals from North India which also included two mother-child pairs following vertical transmission. We observed high degree of conservation of sequences, including the 9-nt (CACUAUGGG) long sequence in stem-loop B, required for efficient binding of Rev protein. All of our 13 RRE sequences possessed G to A (position 66) mutation located in the critical branched-stem-loop B which is not present in consensus C or B sequence. We derived a consensus RRE structure which showed interesting changes in the stem-loop structures including the stem-loop B. Mother-Child RRE sequences showed conservation of unique polymorphisms as well as some new mutations in child RRE sequences. Despite these changes, the ability to form multiple essential stem-loop structures required for Rev binding was conserved. RRE RNA derived from one of the samples, VT5, retained the ability to bind Rev protein under in vitro conditions although it showed alternate secondary structure. This is the first study from India describing the structural and possible functional implications due to very unique RRE sequence heterogeneity and its possible role in vertical transmission and gene expression.
Sampling strategies to measure the prevalence of common recurrent infections in longitudinal studies
Authors: Schmidt Wolf-Peter , Genser Bernd , Barreto Mauricio L , Clasen Thomas , Luby Stephen P , Cairncross Sandy , Chalabi Zaid
Published: August 2010

Background

Measuring recurrent infections such as diarrhoea or respiratory infections in epidemiological studies is a methodological challenge. Problems in measuring the incidence of recurrent infections include the episode definition, recall error, and the logistics of close follow up. Longitudinal prevalence (LP), the proportion-of-time-ill estimated by repeated prevalence measurements, is an alternative measure to incidence of recurrent infections. In contrast to incidence which usually requires continuous sampling, LP can be measured at intervals. This study explored how many more participants are needed for infrequent sampling to achieve the same study power as frequent sampling.

Methods

We developed a set of four empirical simulation models representing low and high risk settings with short or long episode durations. The model was used to evaluate different sampling strategies with different assumptions on recall period and recall error.

Results

The model identified three major factors that influence sampling strategies: (1) the clustering of episodes in individuals; (2) the duration of episodes; (3) the positive correlation between an individual's disease incidence and episode duration. Intermittent sampling (e.g. 12 times per year) often requires only a slightly larger sample size compared to continuous sampling, especially in cluster-randomized trials. The collection of period prevalence data can lead to highly biased effect estimates if the exposure variable is associated with episode duration. To maximize study power, recall periods of 3 to 7 days may be preferable over shorter periods, even if this leads to inaccuracy in the prevalence estimates.

Conclusion

Choosing the optimal approach to measure recurrent infections in epidemiological studies depends on the setting, the study objectives, study design and budget constraints. Sampling at intervals can contribute to making epidemiological studies and trials more efficient, valid and cost-effective.
Characterization of alphasatellites associated with monopartite begomovirus/betasatellite complexes in Yunnan, China
Authors: Xie Yan , Wu Peijun , Liu Pei , Gong Huanran , Zhou Xueping
Published: August 2010

Background

Alphasatellites are single-stranded molecules that are associated with monopartite begomovirus/betasatellite complexes.

Results

Alphasatellites were identified in begomovirus-infected plant samples in Yunnan, China. All samples that contained alphasatellites also contained betasatellites, but only some samples that contained betasatellites contained alphasatellites. Thirty-three alphasatellites were sequenced, and they ranged from 1360 to 1376 nucleotides. All alphasatellites contain 3 conserved features: a single open reading frame (Rep), a conserved hairpin structure, and an adenine-rich (A-rich) region. On the basis of the phylogenetic tree of the complete nucleotide sequences, the alphasatellites were divided into 3 types with one exception. Type 1 was associated with Tomato yellow leaf curl China virus (TYLCCNV)/Tomato yellow leaf curl China betasatellite (TYLCCNB) complex. Type 2 was associated with Tobacco curly shoot virus (TbCSV)/Tobacco curly shoot betasatellite (TbCSB) complex. Type 3 was associated with TbCSV/Ageratum yellow vein betasatellite (AYVB) complex. Within each type, nucleotide sequence identity ranged from 83.4 to 99.7%, while 63.4-81.3% identity was found between types. Mixed infections of alphasatellites associated with begomovirus/betasatellite complexes were documented.

Conclusions

Our results validate that alphasatellites are only associated with begomovirus/betasatellite complexes. Thirty-three sequenced alphasatellites isolated from Yunnan Province, China were divided into 3 types--each associated with a specific begomovirus/betasatellite complex. Mix-infections of alphasatellite molecules may not be unusual.
Roles of KChIP1 in the regulation of GABA-mediated transmission and behavioral anxiety
Authors: Xia Kun , Xiong Hui , Shin Yeonsook , Wang Danling , Deerinck Tom , Takahashi Hiroto , Ellisman Mark H , Lipton Stuart A , Tong Gang , Descalzi Giannina , Zhang Dongxian , Zhuo Min , Zhang Zhuohua
Published: August 2010

K+ channel interacting protein 1 (KChIP1) is a neuronal calcium sensor (NCS) protein that interacts with multiple intracellular molecules. Its physiological function, however, remains largely unknown. We report that KChIP1 is predominantly expressed at GABAergic synapses of a subset of parvalbumin-positive neurons in the brain. Forced expression of KChIP1 in cultured hippocampal neurons increased the frequency of miniature inhibitory postsynaptic currents (mIPSCs), reduced paired pulse facilitation of autaptic IPSCs, and decreases potassium current density. Furthermore, genetic ablation of KChIP1 potentiated potassium current density in neurons and caused a robust enhancement of anxiety-like behavior in mice. Our study suggests that KChIP1 is a synaptic protein that regulates behavioral anxiety by modulating inhibitory synaptic transmission, and drugs that act on KChIP1 may help to treat patients with mood disorders including anxiety.
Association of sulfotransferase SULT1A1 with breast cancer risk: a meta-analysis of case-control studies with subgroups of ethnic and menopausal statue
Authors: Jiang Yiwei , Zhou Liheng , Yan Tingting , Shen Zhenzhou , Shao Zhimin , Lu Jinsong
Published: August 2010

Background

Sulfotransferase (SULT) plays an important role in the formation of estrogen which is usually conferred as a risk factor for breast cancer. Polymorphism of the SULT1A1 may be closely associated with breast cancer. However, studies on the association between polymorphism and breast cancer have yielded inconsistent results. We performed a meta-analysis including ethnic subgroup and menopausal statue subgroup to investigate the association of SULT1A1 Arg213His polymorphism with breast cancer.

Methods

PubMed, EBSCO and Web of Science databases were searched for the correlative articles up to January 2010 (10362 breast cancer patients and 14250 controls). The risk (odds ratio, OR) was used to estimate the association between SULT1A1 polymorphism and breast cancer risk. All of the data from each study use either fixed-effects or random-effects.

Results

We found that SULT1A1 Arg213His had no exact effect to increase the risk of breast cancer (OR = 1.07, 95% CI: 0.97-1.17, P = 0.164), but it did increase the risk of breast cancer among postmenopausal women in the dominant model (OR = 1.28, 95%CI: 1.04-1.58, P = 0.019). No similar effect was found among premenopausal breast cancer women (OR = 1.06, 95%CI: 0.88-1.27, P = 0.537). There was a significant increase in breast cancer risk among Asian women (OR = 2.03, 95% CI: 1.00-4.14, P = 0.051) but not Caucasian women in recessive model. There was publication bias among postmenopausal women subgroup (P = 0.002), however by using the trim and fill method, if the publication bias was the only source of the funnel plot asymmetry, it needed two more studies to be symmetrical. The value of Log OR did not change too much after the adjustment and the fail-safe number of missing studies that would bring the P-value changed was 17.

Conclusions

We concluded that the polymorphism of SULT1A1 Arg213His might be one of the high risk factors for breast cancer in Asian women and in postmenopausal women for all races. We should point out that the publication bias among postmenopausal women may partly account for the result, but the conclusion might not affected deeply by the publication bias.
Phase I Trial of the Irreversible EGFR and HER2 Kinase Inhibitor BIBW 2992 in Patients With Advanced Solid Tumors
Authors: Yap Timothy A. , Vidal Laura , Adam Jan , Stephens Peter , Spicer James , Shaw Heather , Ang Jooern , Temple Graham , Bell Susan , Shahidi Mehdi , Uttenreuther-Fischer Martina , Stopfer Peter , Futreal Andrew , Calvert Hilary , de Bono Johann S. , Plummer Ruth
Published: August 2010

Purpose

Preclinical data have demonstrated that BIBW 2992 is a potent irreversible inhibitor of ErbB1 (EGFR/HER1) and mutated ErbB1 receptors including the T790M variant, as well as ErbB2 (HER2). A phase I study of continuous once-daily oral BIBW 2992 was conducted to determine safety, maximum-tolerated dose, pharmacokinetics (PK), food effect, and preliminary antitumor efficacy.

Patients and Methods

Patients with advanced solid tumors were treated. PK evaluation was performed after the first dose and at steady-state.

Results

Fifty-three patients received BIBW 2992 at 10 to 50 mg/d. BIBW 2992 was generally well-tolerated. The most common adverse effects included diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, rash, and fatigue. Dose-limiting toxicities included grade 3 rash (n = 2) and reversible dyspnea secondary to pneumonitis (n = 1). The recommended phase II dose was 50 mg/d. PK was dose proportional with a terminal elimination half-life ranging between 21.3 and 27.7 hours on day 1 and between 22.3 and 67.0 hours on day 27; BIBW 2992 exposure decreased after food intake. Three patients with non–small-cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC; two with in-frame exon 19 mutation deletions) experienced confirmed partial responses (PR) sustained for 24, 18, and 34 months, respectively. Two other patients (esophageal carcinoma and NSCLC) had nonconfirmed PRs. A patient with a PR at 10 mg/d progressed and developed symptomatic brain metastases, which subsequently regressed with an increased dose of 40 mg/d of BIBW 2992. A further seven patients had disease stabilization lasting ≥ 6 months.

Conclusion

Continuous, daily, oral BIBW 2992 is safe and has durable antitumor activity. It is currently being evaluated in phase III trials.
Impact of Common Medications on Serum Total Prostate-Specific Antigen Levels: Analysis of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey
Authors: Chang Steven L. , Harshman Lauren C. , Presti Joseph C.
Published: August 2010

Purpose

Previous studies suggest that some common medications alter prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels. It remains unclear whether these reported medication effects are due to clinicodemographic factors or concurrent use of other medications. We investigated the impact of individual and combinations of common medications on PSA in a large cross-sectional study of the United States population.

Patients and Methods

The study included men ≥ 40 years old without prostate cancer from the 2003 to 2004 and 2005 to 2006 cycles of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Men with recent prostate manipulation, prostatitis, and those on hormone therapy were excluded. Weighted multivariate linear regression was performed on log-transformed total PSA to determine the effect of the 10 most commonly prescribed medication classes, adjusting for potential confounders including demographics, clinical characteristics, physical examination, laboratory studies, and duration of medication use.

Results

In total, 1,864 men met inclusion criteria. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID; P = .03), statin (P = .01), and thiazide diuretic (P = .025) intake was inversely related to PSA levels. Five years of NSAID, statin, and thiazide diuretic use was associated with PSA levels lower by 6%, 13%, and 26%, respectively. The combination of statins and thiazide diuretics showed the greatest reduction in PSA levels: 36% after 5 years. Concurrent calcium channel blocker use minimizes or negates the inverse relationship of statin use and PSA level.

Conclusion

We found that men using NSAIDs, statins, and thiazide diuretics have reduced PSA levels by clinically relevant amounts. The impact of regularly consuming these common medications on prostate cancer screening is unknown.
Measurement of urinary metadrenaline and normetadrenaline by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry for the diagnosis of phaeochromocytoma
Authors: Marrington Rachel , Johnston Jane , Knowles Sarah , Webster Craig
Published: August 2010

Background

Measurement of metadrenalines has been recommended in the investigation of phaeochromocytoma. Urinary assays remain the most common; however, drug interference is still one of the main challenges for analytical systems. We have developed a liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) method for the quantification of total urinary normetadrenaline and total urinary metadrenaline, which does not require extraction procedures prior to analysis.

Method

Total urinary normetadrenaline and total urinary metadrenaline were individually quantified by electrospray ionization in the multiple-reaction monitoring mode. Deuterated internal standards were used and an acid hydrolysis step was used to convert conjugated metabolites into free metadrenalines. Chromatographic separation was achieved using a Phenomenex Luna 3 μ PFP column followed by analysis on an API 3200 LC–MS/MS.

Results

Linearity was exhibited across the calibration range for both normetadrenaline ( r = 1, P < 0.0001) and metadrenaline ( r = 1, P < 0.0001) with the limit of quantification of 0.05 and 0.02 μmol/L, respectively. Intra-assay imprecision for both normetadrenaline and metadrenaline was less than 5.5% with % coefficient of variations of less than 4%. Inter-assay imprecision was less than 13%. Neither noradrenaline or adrenaline interfere with the assay as determined by the spiking of samples with high concentrations of noradrenaline or adrenaline ( P > 0.05). Acceptable analytical performance was seen with comparison to a high-performance liquid chromatography method and on External Quality Assessment returns.

Conclusions

An analytically simple and sensitive method has been developed and evaluated for the analysis of total urinary normetadrenaline and total urinary metadrenaline which is now in routine use.
Pyrolytic carbons from acid/base-treated rice husk as lithium-insertion anode materials
Authors: Fey George Ting-Kuo , Cho Yung-Da , Chen Chung-Lai , Lin Yu-Yen , Kumar T. Prem , Chan Shih-Hung
Published: August 2010

The effects of hydrochloric acid and sodium hydroxide as leachants on the lithium-insertion properties of pyrolytic carbons prepared from rice husk are presented. All the disordered carbonaceous products had interlayer spacings (d002) of more than 3.7 Å, with values decreasing with an increase in the concentration of the leachant. The values of the H/C ratio and the R-parameter, the reciprocal of which is a measure of the number of non-parallel single layers of carbon, also diminished with an increase in the concentration of NaOH. An increase in the alkali concentration was found to improve the porosity of the carbons, as evidenced by the Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area data. An interaction of these factors determines the observed capacities of the carbon products. The highest insertion and deinsertion capacities were observed with the carbon obtained from rice husk treated with 0.3 M NaOH, the values being 819 and 463 mAh/g, respectively.
Distribution of Small Integrin-binding Ligand, N-linked Glycoproteins (SIBLING) in the Articular Cartilage of the Rat Femoral Head
Authors: Sun Yao , Ma Su , Zhou Jin , Yamoah Albert K. , Feng Jian Q. , Hinton Robert J. , Qin Chunlin
Published: August 2010

The small integrin-binding ligand, N-linked glycoprotein (SIBLING) family is closely related to osteogenesis. Until recently, little was known about their existence in articular cartilage. In this study, we systematically evaluated the presence and distribution of four SIBLING family members in rat femoral head cartilage: dentin matrix protein 1 (DMP1), bone sialoprotein (BSP), osteopontin (OPN), and dentin sialophosphoprotein (DSPP). First, non-collagenous proteins were extracted and then separated by ion-exchange chromatography. Next, the protein extracts eluted by chromatography were analyzed by Stains-all staining and Western immunoblotting. IHC was used to assess the distribution of these four SIBLING family members in the femoral head cartilage. Both approaches showed that all the four SIBLING family members are expressed in the femoral head cartilage. IHC showed that SIBLING members are distributed in various locations throughout the articular cartilage. The NH2-terminal fragments of DMP1, BSP, and OPN are present in the cells and in the extracellular matrix, whereas the COOH-terminal fragment of DMP1 and the NH2-terminal fragment of DSPP are primarily intracellularly localized in the chondrocytes. The presence of the SIBLING family members in the rat femoral head cartilage suggests that they may play important roles in chondrogenesis.
Transfer of myxovirus-protein-A mRNA assay for interferon-β bioactivity measurement in multiple sclerosis patients to routine laboratory practice. A 4-year experience
Authors: Zanotti Cinzia , Ghidini Claudia , Lamorgese Cinzia , Caimi Luigi , Capra Ruggero , Imberti Luisa
Published: August 2010

Background: As new biomarkers are validated and their significance in the natural history of specific diseases is established, these technologies can be rapidly transferred to clinical application. Since it has been shown that a single post-interferon-β (IFNβ) injection measurement of myxovirus-protein-A (MxA) mRNA correlates with IFNβ bioactivity in IFNβ treated patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), we had previously validated an assay for its quantification.

Methods: We introduced a real-time PCR relative quantification assay into routine clinical practice and measured MxA mRNA expression in 564 samples from 500 unselected IFNβ treated MS patients over a 4-year period.

Results: We confirmed that the assay is reproducible over time, and found that the percentage of patients lacking MxA mRNA induction is comparable to that described in studies performed worldwide after patient selection by pre-screening for the presence of anti-IFNβ antibodies.

Conclusions: In view of its simplicity and reproducibility, this MxA assay is an alternative to anti-IFNβ antibody determinations for use in routine clinical practice.

Clin Chem Lab Med 2010;48:1235–8.