bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Functional Alterations in Brain Activation and Deactivation in Mild Cognitive Impairment in Response to a Graded Working Memory Challenge
Authors: Kochan N.A. , Breakspear M. , Slavin M.J. , Valenzuela M. , McCraw S. , Brodaty H. , Sachdev P.S.
Published: January 2011

Aim: To investigate dynamic changes in functional brain activity in mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in response to a graded working memory (WM) challenge with increasing memory load. Methods: In an event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study, 35 MCI and 22 cognitively normal subjects performed a visuospatial associative WM task with 3 load levels. Potential performance differences were controlled for by individually calibrating the number of items presented at each load. Results: An interaction between group and WM load was observed during stimulus encoding. At lower loads, greater activity in the right anterior cingulate and right precuneus was observed in MCI subjects. As the load increased to higher levels, reduced activation in these regions and greater deactivation in the posterior cingulate-medial precuneus were observed in MCI compared to control subjects. Stronger expression of load-related patterns of activation and deactivation in MCI subjects was associated with greater clinical severity and a more abnormal pattern of performance variability. Conclusion: Patterns of overactivation, underactivation and deactivation during successful encoding in MCI subjects were dependent on WM load. This type of graded cognitive challenge may operate like a ‘memory stress test’ in MCI and may be a useful biomarker of disease at the predementia stage.
Citation Measures in Stereotactic Radiosurgery: Publication across a Discipline
Authors: Kondziolka Douglas
Published: January 2011

Objective: It is possible to judge the impact of scientific research by the number of citations a publication has received. We identified the most cited works in the field of stereotactic radiosurgery to study the evolution of this field from the perspective of publication. Methods: A Web of Science search was performed for articles that included the word ‘radiosurgery’ in the title. We studied the reports with >100 citations. Results: A total of 5,532 published works were available for study between 1951 and 2010. Eighty-five articles had ≧100 citations, and these were published in 19 separate journals. The majority were published in the International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology and Physics, the Journal of Neurosurgery and Neurosurgery. The most common topics included brain metastasis management (n = 20), arteriovenous malformations (n = 17), vestibular schwannomas (n = 9), technologies (n = 9), meningiomas (n = 8) and dose response/radiobiology (n = 6). Fifty-seven percent of the articles were published in the last 10 years. Conclusions: The first radiosurgery report by Leksell (1951) initiated the field. The 1980s were a period of new technology development followed in the 1990s by introductory articles on specific indications that consisted mainly of retrospective case series. More sophisticated higher level evidence reports were published in the last decade. The most significant works in radiosurgery include initial technology descriptions, multicenter studies with large numbers of patients, randomized clinical trials and reports that provide dose prescription guidelines.
Recurrence Risk after Noncardioembolic Mild Ischemic Stroke in a Japanese Population
Authors: Kono Yuji , Yamada Sumio , Kamisaka Kenta , Araki Amane , Fujioka Yusuke , Yasui Keizo , Hasegawa Yasuhiro , Koike Yasuo
Published: January 2011

Background and Purpose: This study aimed to identify the recurrence rate and risk factors or clinical variables predictive of vascular events after mild ischemic stroke (IS). Methods: From December 2006 to September 2007, patients with acute IS with a modified Rankin Scale of 0∼1 were consecutively enrolled in this study. Variables including sex, family history of vascular disease, age, height, weight, stroke subtype, blood pressure, lipid profile, fasting glucose, HbA1c, smoking, alcohol consumption, exercise habits, waist circumference, ankle-brachial pressure index, salt intake and physical activity were assessed. The primary outcome was stroke recurrence or other vascular events such as myocardial infarction, angina pectoris, and peripheral artery disease. Survival curves were calculated by Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, and hazard ratios for recurrence were determined by univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression models. Results: A total of 102 mild IS patients (78 men and 24 women, mean age 64 years) were successfully followed for 3 years. Of those 102 patients, 25 (24.5%) had stroke recurrence, and 4 (3.9%) had a coronary event. Among the variables studied, abnormal ankle-brachial pressure index, metabolic syndrome, stroke subtypes, salt intake and poor lifestyle management were significant independent predictors of stroke recurrence or cardiovascular events. Conclusions: In mild IS patients within 3 years after onset, not only pathophysiological factors but also lifestyle factors can aid in the identification of patients at high risk for recurrence.
Prevalence of Essential Tremor in Araihazar, Bangladesh: A Population-Based Study
Authors: Louis Elan D. , Hafeman Danella , Parvez Faruque , Alcalay Roy N. , Islam Tariqul , Siddique Abu Baker , Patwary Tajul Islam , Melkonian Stephanie , Argos Maria , Levy Diane , Ahsan Habibul
Published: January 2011

Background: Essential tremor (ET) is one of the most common neurological diseases. Few prevalence studies have been conducted in South Asia, and none in Bangladesh, one of the most populated countries in the world. We estimated the prevalence of ET in a population-based study in Araihazar, Bangladesh. Methods: As part of an in-person evaluation in a health outcomes study, each study participant produced 2 handwriting samples, from which ET diagnoses were assigned by 2 independent movement disorder neurologists. Results: The crude prevalence of ET (age ≧18 years) was 19/1,229 [1.5%, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.0–2.4], and was similar in men and women. The crude prevalence was 2.5% in participants aged ≧40 years and was one half that (1.3%) among younger participants (<40 years), although the difference did not reach statistical significance (p = 0.18). The age-adjusted prevalence (United States 2000 census) was 2.0% (95% CI = 1.2–2.8). Conclusion: The crude prevalence of ET in Araihazar, Bangladesh, was 1.5%. There is 1 other population-based study in a developing country (Turkey) which, like ours, did not restrict enrollment to middle-aged or elderly individuals and did not rely on screening questionnaires; the crude prevalence in the 2 studies is very similar.
French Relative Qui
Authors: Sportiche Dominique
Published: January 2011

Starting from Kayne's (1976) motivation for the existence of the French que/qui rule based on the complementizer system of French relative clauses, I show that French in fact has a double paradigm of wh-elements, a weak one and a strong one, much like what is found in the (strong/weak) pronominal system. Although only French is discussed here in any detail, such a split seems to have much wider relevance, in other Romance languages, in some Germanic and Scandinavian languages, and beyond (Wolof). This split in turn shows that the que/qui rule (and its cognates) should be looked at differently—in particular, that they should be uncoupled from constraints on subject extraction.
Human-Sled Dog Relations: What Can We Learn from the Stories and Experiences of Mushers?
Authors: Kuhl Gail
Published: January 2011

In this qualitative study, the elements and quality of musher-sled dog relationships were investigated. In-depth interviews with a narrative design were conducted with eight mushers from northern Minnesota and northwestern Ontario. The mushers were asked to contribute ideas by sharing stories and experiences of working with dogs, as well as art or photographs. While all the participants had their own ideas about musher-sled dog relationships, six themes emerged. The mushers stated the importance of getting to know the dogs, their respect for their sled dogs’ abilities, the idea of a two-way communication that takes place, the importance of trust, the notion of partnership, and what can be learned through working with sled dogs. This study supports other research suggesting that humans and animals engage in interspecies relationships and that these can be quality relationships with multiple elements. The importance of researching and teaching about dogs as subjects is discussed, as well as the significance of humans having direct experience with other animals.
Cruel Intimacies and Risky Relationships: Accounting for Suffering in Industrial Livestock Production
Authors: Purcell Natalie
Published: January 2011

This article investigates the hypothesis that greater human-livestock intimacy can deter cruelty and mitigate suffering in the industrial production of animals for human consumption. The history of industrial agriculture in North America is one of increasingly utilitarian, profit-based, and technologically mediated relationships between humans and the animals they raise and kill for food. Under what circumstances is the physical and emotional distance between producers, consumers, and consumed animals an impetus toward uncaring and irresponsible relationships? Do even intimate interspecies encounters in livestock production involve cruelty and suffering? This article addresses these questions and evaluates reform options by attending to both the localized arrangements and systemic structures of industrial livestock production. Finally, it proposes a risk-mapping strategy to assess the plausibility of caring intimacies in livestock production.
Oceanic Internal-Wave Field: Theory of Scale-Invariant Spectra
Authors: Lvov Yuri V. , Polzin Kurt L. , Tabak Esteban G. , Yokoyama Naoto
Published: January 2011

Steady scale-invariant solutions of a kinetic equation describing the statistics of oceanic internal gravity waves based on wave turbulence theory are investigated. It is shown in the nonrotating scale-invariant limit that the collision integral in the kinetic equation diverges for almost all spectral power-law exponents. These divergences come from resonant interactions with the smallest horizontal wavenumbers and/or the largest horizontal wavenumbers with extreme scale separations.

A small domain is identified in which the scale-invariant collision integral converges and numerically find a convergent power-law solution. This numerical solution is close to the Garrett–Munk spectrum. Power-law exponents that potentially permit a balance between the infrared and ultraviolet divergences are investigated. The balanced exponents are generalizations of an exact solution of the scale-invariant kinetic equation, the Pelinovsky–Raevsky spectrum. A small but finite Coriolis parameter representing the effects of rotation is introduced into the kinetic equation to determine solutions over the divergent part of the domain using rigorous asymptotic arguments. This gives rise to the induced diffusion regime.

The derivation of the kinetic equation is based on an assumption of weak nonlinearity. Dominance of the nonlocal interactions puts the self-consistency of the kinetic equation at risk. However, these weakly nonlinear stationary states are consistent with much of the observational evidence.
Tropical–Extratropical Teleconnections in Boreal Summer: Observed Interannual Variability*
Authors: Ding Qinghua , Wang Bin , Wallace John M. , Branstator Grant
Published: January 2011

Maximum covariance analysis is performed on the fields of boreal summer, tropical rainfall, and Northern Hemisphere (NH) 200-hPa height for the 62-yr period of record of 1948–2009. The leading mode, which appears preferentially in summers preceding the peak phases of the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) cycle, involves a circumglobal teleconnection (CGT) pattern in the NH extratropical 200-hPa height field observed in association with Indian monsoon rainfall anomalies. The second mode, which tends to occur in summers following ENSO peak phases, involves a western Pacific–North America (WPNA) teleconnection pattern in the height field observed in association with western North Pacific summer monsoon rainfall anomalies. The CGT pattern is primarily a zonally oriented wave train along the westerly waveguide, while the WPNA pattern is a wave train emanating from the western Pacific monsoon trough and following a great circle. The CGT is accompanied by a pronounced tropical–extratropical seesaw in the zonally symmetric geopotential height and temperature fields, and the WPNA is observed in association with hemispherically uniform anomalies. These ENSO-related features modulate surface air temperature in both the tropics and extratropics. ENSO also affects the wave structure of the CGT and WPNA indirectly, by modulating the strengths of the Indian and western North Pacific monsoons. Linear barotropic mechanisms, including energy propagation and barotropic instability of the basic-state flow, also act to shape and maintain the CGT. The implications of these findings for seasonal prediction of the NH extratropical circulation are discussed.
The Relationship between Land–Ocean Surface Temperature Contrast and Radiative Forcing
Authors: Lambert F. Hugo , Webb Mark J. , Joshi Manoj M.
Published: January 2011

Previous work has demonstrated that observed and modeled climates show a near-time-invariant ratio of mean land to mean ocean surface temperature change under transient and equilibrium global warming. This study confirms this in a range of atmospheric models coupled to perturbed sea surface temperatures (SSTs), slab (thermodynamics only) oceans, and a fully coupled ocean. Away from equilibrium, it is found that the atmospheric processes that maintain the ratio cause a land-to-ocean heat transport anomaly that can be approximated using a two-box energy balance model. When climate is forced by increasing atmospheric CO2 concentration, the heat transport anomaly moves heat from land to ocean, constraining the land to warm in step with the ocean surface, despite the small heat capacity of the land. The heat transport anomaly is strongly related to the top-of-atmosphere radiative flux imbalance, and hence it tends to a small value as equilibrium is approached. In contrast, when climate is forced by prescribing changes in SSTs, the heat transport anomaly replaces “missing” radiative forcing over land by moving heat from ocean to land, warming the land surface. The heat transport anomaly remains substantial in steady state. These results are consistent with earlier studies that found that both land and ocean surface temperature changes may be approximated as local responses to global mean radiative forcing. The modeled heat transport anomaly has large impacts on surface heat fluxes but small impacts on precipitation, circulation, and cloud radiative forcing compared with the impacts of surface temperature change. No substantial nonlinearities are found in these atmospheric variables when the effects of forcing and surface temperature change are added.
CCR5 Mediates Pro-osteoclastic and Osteoclastogenic Leukocyte Chemoattraction
Authors: Ferreira S.B. , Repeke C.E. , Raimundo F.M. , Nunes I.S. , Avila-Campos M.J. , Ferreira B.R. , Santana da Silva J. , Campanelli A.P. , Garlet G.P.
Published: January 2011

Periodontal disease (PD) progression involves the selective leukocyte infiltration into periodontium, supposedly mediated by the chemokine/chemokine receptor system. In this study, we investigated the role of chemokine receptor CCR5 in the immunoregulation of experimental PD in C57BL/6 (WT) and CCR5KO mice. Aggregatibacter actinomycetem comitans infection triggered the chemoattraction of distinct CCR5+ leukocyte subpopulations (determined by flow cytometry): CCR5+F4/80+ leukocytes, which co-express CD14 , CCR2, TNF-α, and IL-1β, indicative of activated macrophages; and CCR5+CD4+ cells, which co-express CXCR3, IFN-γ, and RANKL, indicative of Th1 lymphocytes, therefore comprising pro-osteoclastic and osteoclastogenic cell subsets, respectively. CCR5KO mice presented a lower PD severity (lower inflammation and alveolar bone loss) when compared with the WT strain, since the migration of F4/80+, TNF-α+, CD4+, and RANKL+ cells specifically decreased due to the lack of CCR5. Also, ELISA analysis demonstrated that the production of TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, IFN-γ, and RANKL in periodontal tissues was significantly decreased in the CCR5KO strain. The periodontal bacterial load and antimicrobial patterns were unaltered in CCR5KO mice. Our results demonstrate that the chemokine receptor is involved in the migration of distinct leukocyte subpopulations throughout experimental PD, being a potential target for therapeutic intervention in PD.
The Conditional Effects of Race and Politics on Social Control
Authors: Stucky Thomas D.
Published: January 2011

Numerous studies of the determinants of formal social control of Blacks focus on racial threat arguments, which contain implicit or explicit political elements. Using insights from research on politics and social control more generally, this article argues that the relationship between variation in the racial composition of a city and social control of minorities will be conditional on characteristics of the local political system. Hypotheses are tested using pooled cross-sectional time-series data on 100 large U.S. cities in 1970, 1980, and 1990. Contrary to expectations, Black violent crime arrest rates are curvilinearly negatively associated with larger percentages of Black residents. As predicted, the relationship between the percentage of Black residents and Black violent crime arrest rates is conditional on city political system characteristics (elected mayors, district council elections, and partisan ballots), the race of the mayor, and the percentage of city council members who are Black.
Leadership Practices of School Counselors and Counseling Program Implementation
Authors: Mason Erin
Published: January 2011

Leadership is recently touted as a necessary skill for school counselors and as a means of aligning their work more intentionally with school improvement goals. By using leadership practices, school counselors can implement a program that addresses the academic, career, and personal-social needs of all students. This article outlines a large-scale study examining the relationship between school counseling program implementation and school counselor leadership practices. Implications and recommendations for school administrators are also discussed.
Effectiveness of community-based ambulation training for walking function of post-stroke hemiparesis: a randomized controlled pilot trial
Authors: Park Hyun-Ju , Oh Duck-Won , Kim Suhn-Yeop , Choi Jong-Duk
Published: January 2011

Objective: To investigate the effect of community-based ambulation training on walking function of patients with post-stroke hemiparesis.

Design: Randomized, single-blind, controlled pilot study.

Setting: Inpatient rehabilitation hospital.

Subjects: Twenty-five subjects were randomly assigned to either the experimental group or the control group, with 13 and 12 subjects, respectively.

Interventions: All subjects received a routine physical therapy. The subjects in the experimental group also received community-based ambulation training, which was performed for an hour, once a day, three times a week for a four-week period.

Main measures: Ten-metre walk test, 6-minute walk test, community walk test, walking ability questionnaire and activities-specific balance confidence scale before and after the intervention.

Results: The change values of the 10-m walk test (0.21 ± 0.12 m/s versus 0.07 ± 0.10 m/s), community walk test (−13.61 ± 10.31 minutes versus −3.27 ± 11.99 minutes), walking ability questionnaire (6.15 ± 3.60 score versus 2.75 ± 2.38 score) and activities-specific balance confidence scale (17.45 ± 11.55 score versus 2.55 ± 10.14 score) were significantly higher in the experimental group than in the control group ( P < 0.05). At post-test, the 10-m walk test was significantly higher in the experimental group than in the control group (0.72 ± 0.24 m/s versus 0.50 ± 0.23 m/s) ( P < 0.05). In the experimental group, there were significant differences for all variables between pre-test and post-test ( P < 0.01), whereas the subjects of the control group showed a significant difference in only the walking ability questionnaire ( P < 0.01).

Conclusions: The findings demonstrate that community-based ambulation training can be helpful in improving walking ability of patients with post-stroke hemiparesis and may be used as a practical adjunct to routine rehabilitation therapy.
Varieties of Uncertainty in Health Care
Authors: Han Paul K. J. , Klein William M. P. , Arora Neeraj K.
Published: January 2011

Uncertainty is a pervasive and important problem that has attracted increasing attention in health care, given the growing emphasis on evidence-based medicine, shared decision making, and patient-centered care. However, our understanding of this problem is limited, in part because of the absence of a unified, coherent concept of uncertainty. There are multiple meanings and varieties of uncertainty in health care that are not often distinguished or acknowledged although each may have unique effects or warrant different courses of action. The literature on uncertainty in health care is thus fragmented, and existing insights have been incompletely translated to clinical practice. This article addresses this problem by synthesizing diverse theoretical and empirical literature from the fields of communication, decision science, engineering, health services research, and psychology and developing a new integrative conceptual taxonomy of uncertainty. A 3-dimensional taxonomy is proposed that characterizes uncertainty in health care according to its fundamental sources, issues, and locus. It is shown how this new taxonomy facilitates an organized approach to the problem of uncertainty in health care by clarifying its nature and prognosis and suggesting appropriate strategies for its analysis and management.
Pathogenesis of a Bovine Enterovirus-1 Isolate in Experimentally Infected Calves
Authors: Blas-Machado U. , Saliki J. T. , Sánchez S. , Brown C. C. , Zhang J. , Keys D. , Woolums A. , Harvey S. B.
Published: January 2011

The pathogenesis and virulence of Bovine enterovirus-1 (BEV-1) in cattle is largely unknown. Reports concerning its virulence suggest that there might be an association between BEV-1 infections and a range of diseases in cattle that vary from respiratory to enteric to reproductive disease and infertility. In the current study, the pathogenesis associated with acute infection of BEV-1 in calves experimentally inoculated with the Oklahoma isolate of BEV-1 was described. Although interpretation of the study was limited by lack of an effective control group, results suggest that an association between inoculation of BEV-1, virus localization, and the potential development of lesions in the brain and heart probably exists. In the experiment, BEV-1 virus localized to the terminal ileum, ileocecal and cecocolonic junctions, spiral colon, and ileocecal lymph nodes; BEV-1 virus was detected in the cytoplasm of enterocytes, lamina propria macrophages, endothelium, neurons of the submucosal and myenteric plexi, and lymphocytes of the submucosal lymphoid tissue. Although no clinical signs were noted following acute infection, BEV-1 was localized in the cerebellar white matter of a calf with encephalitis and in the heart of another calf with coronary arteritis. The current study suggests that the BEV-1 isolate is infectious to young calves and that BEV-1 potentially can have a similar pathogenesis to that observed in natural or experimental enterovirus infections in other species.
Diagnostic Exercise: Severe Bilaterally Symmetrical Alopecia in a Horse
Authors: Kim D. Y. , Johnson P. J. , Senter D.
Published: January 2011

A 9-year-old Tennessee Walking Horse gelding was presented for diagnosis of the cause of extensive alopecia. Complete hair loss was noted over the head, neck, shoulder, thigh, and proximal limbs, but the trunk, distal limbs, pelvic area, mane, and tail were unaffected. The alopecic areas were visually noninflammatory with no exudate or crust except on the shoulder and along the back, where multifocal patchy areas of alopecia with scales and crust were evident. The horse was slightly pruritic. Microscopically, the hair bulbs, inner and outer root sheaths of inferior segments, and perifollicular regions were infiltrated by small to moderate numbers of small lymphocytes. Similar inflammation was occasionally evident in isthmus follicular walls as well as some apocrine glands. No sebaceous glands were affected. Immunohistochemistry confirmed that the small lymphocytes were CD3+ T lymphocytes. The epidermis from the skin with scale and crusts along the horse’s back exhibited mild to moderate hyperplasia, mild lymphocytic exocytosis, mild eosinophilic dermatitis, and diffuse parakeratosis with numerous budding yeasts, consistent with Malassezia spp. The final disease diagnosis was made as alopecia areata with Malassezia dermatitis. Alopecia areata could be a contributing underlying factor for Malassezia dermatitis.
Latino/a Student Misbehavior and School Punishment
Authors: Peguero Anthony A. , Shekarkhar Zahra
Published: January 2011

Although Latino/as are the fastest growing segment of the U.S. student population, Latino/a youth face a number of educational hurdles, such as disproportionate school punishment. This topic is particularly relevant today in the midst of the current social, political, and economic debate over the influence of Latino/a immigration in the US school system. This study draws from the Educational Longitudinal Study of 2002 and utilizes hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) to analyze the relationships between gender, generational status, misbehavior, and school punishment for 7,250 Latino/a and White students. Findings reveal that Latino/a students, regardless of gender or generational status, are not misbehaving more than White students. For school punitive measures, however, third-generation Latino and Latina students are more likely to be punished. The implications of the disparate school punishment patterns for Latino/a students in the US school system are discussed more generally.
Eurocentrism and the Postcolonial Implications of Skin Color Among Latinos
Authors: Hall Ronald E.
Published: January 2011

Eurocentrism is a worldview of the academic mainstream. It is grounded in a European perspective that manifests as a tendency to interpret and prioritize the world in Western terms, Western values, and Western experiences. Eurocentric frames of reference are pathological as pertains to the psychological well-being of Latinos. Evidence of said pathology is apparent via active litigation and increased rates of depression correlated to skin color for both sexes. Those having darker skin experience significant impact not acknowledged by mainstream social science due to the Eurocentric bias of social science literature. Thus the future viability of social science and the well-being of Latino populations rest on the willingness of its intelligentsia to accommodate and/or acknowledge skin color and other alternative views in their mainstream research and publication of literature.
Investigating Instruction for Improving Revision of Argumentative Essays
Authors: Butler Jodie A. , Britt M. Anne
Published: January 2011

Students are expected to come into the current college classroom already possessing certain skills including the ability to write at the appropriate academic level regardless of discipline and the ability to create well-structured arguments. Research indicates, however, that most students entering college are underprepared in both areas. One strategy that may help students write at a more academic level is teaching students to focus on spending their time on revision. In the current study, we examine two potential sources of difficulty in the revision of argumentative essays: a poorly developed argument schema and a poorly developed global revision task schema. We created and tested the effectiveness of two written tutorials designed to provide college students information to saturate their knowledge base as well as provide them with procedural tasks to complete. We found that without instruction, students focused their revisions on making local wording changes that did not qualitatively improve their essays. An argument tutorial helped students make higher level global changes, include more argument content, and improve the structure of the essay. A global revision tutorial also helped students make more substantive structural changes. Thus, both tutorials helped students improve their revisions, and the tutorials were completed independently by the students successfully.
Professional exposure to urban stressors and effects on urinary metanephrines
Authors: Sancini Angela , Tomei Gianfranco , Ciarrocca Manuela , Pimpinella Benedetta , Samperi Ilaria , Fiaschetti Maria , Scimitto Lara , Tasciotti Zaira , Caciari Tiziana , Tomei Francesco
Published: January 2011

The aim of the study is to assess whether occupational exposure to urban stressors could cause alterations in urinary metanephrines levels in traffic policemen vs administrative staff of municipal police. A total of 258 subjects were included in the study: 129 traffic policemen exposed to urban stressors (68 males and 61 females) and 129 controls (68 males and 61 females). Urinary metanephrines mean levels were significantly higher in male traffic policemen compared to controls (p < 0.01). No significant differences were in female traffic policemen compared to controls. In the control group, urinary metanephrines mean levels were significantly higher in females compared to males (p < 0.01). There were no significant differences in urinary metanephrines mean levels in female traffic policemen vs male traffic policemen. The increase in urinary metanephrines mean levels observed in male exposed compared to controls could be related to chronic occupational exposure to low doses of chemical, physical and psychosocial urban stressors.
Chelation of cadmium by combining deferasirox and deferiprone in rats
Authors: Jamilaldin Fatemi S. , Amir Shokooh Saljooghi  , Faezeh Dahooee Balooch  , Iranmanesh Marzieh , Mohammad Reza Golbafan
Published: January 2011

The present research aimed to characterize the potential efficiency of two chelators after cadmium administration for 60 days following two dose levels of 20 and 40 mg/kg body weight daily to male rats. However, the hypothesis that the two chelators might be more efficient as combined therapy than as single therapy in removing cadmium from the body was considered. In this way, two known chelators deferasirox and deferiprone (L1) were chosen and tested in the acute rat model. Two chelators were given orally as a single or combined therapy for the period of a week. Cadmium and iron concentrations in various tissues were determined by graphite furnace and flame atomic absorption spectrometry methods, respectively. The combined chelation therapy results show that Deferasirox and L1 are able to remove cadmium ions from the body while iron concentration returned to the normal level and symptoms are also decreased.
Antioxidative effects of curcumin, β-myrcene and 1,8-cineole against 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin-induced oxidative stress in rats liver
Authors: Ciftci Osman , Ozdemir Ilknur , Tanyildizi Sadettin , Yildiz Sedat , Oguzturk Hakan
Published: January 2011

The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of curcumin, β-myrcene (myrcene) and 1,8-cineole (cineole) on antioxidant defense system in rats given a persistent environmental pollutant (2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin, TCDD). Rats (n = 112) were divided randomly into 8 equal groups. One group was kept as control and given corn oil as carrier. TCDD was orally administered at the dose of 2 μg/kg/week. Curcumin, myrcene and cineole were orally administered at the doses of 100 mg/kg/day, 200 mg/kg/day and 100 mg/kg/ day, respectively, by gavages dissolved in corn oil with and without TCDD. The liver samples were taken from half of all rats on day 30 and from the remaining half on day 60 for the determination of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), reduced glutathione (GSH), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and CuZn-SOD levels by spectrophotometric method. The results indicated that although TCDD significantly (p ≤ 0.01) increased formation of TBARS, it caused a significant decline in the levels of GSH, CAT, GSH-Px and CuZn-SOD in rats. In contrast, curcumin, myrcene and cineole significantly increased GSH, CAT, GSH-Px and CuZn-SOD levels but decreased formation of TBARS. Additionally, the antioxidative effects of curcumin, myrcene and cineole were increased at day 60 compared to day 30. In the TCDD groups given curcumin, myrcene and cineole, oxidative stress decreased by time. In conclusion, curcumin, myrcene and cineole showed antioxidant activity and eliminated TCDD-induced oxidative stress in rats in a time-dependent manner.
Modulation of collagen and keratin synthesis in co-cultures of fibroblasts and keratinocytes on hyaluronan-coated polysulfone membranes
Authors: Attia Joan , Bigot Nicolas , Goux Didier , Quang Trong Nguyen  , Boumediene Karim , Pujol Jean Pierre
Published: January 2011

Human epidermal keratinocytes and dermal fibroblasts were co-cultured on polysulfone (PSU) membranes, previously coated or not with hyaluronan (HA), and compared to monocultured keratinocytes and fibroblasts. The purpose was to define the interplay between both cell types and how it is influenced. The co-cultures reduced types I and III collagen levels, indicating that keratinocytes exerted an inhibition on matrix synthesis by fibroblasts. On the other hand, the amounts of keratins 17 and 10 were increased, suggesting that fibroblasts stimulate the production of keratins by keratinocytes. In contrast with naked PSU membranes, HA coatings increased types I and III collagens mRNA (messenger ribonucleic acid) levels, suggesting that HA counteracts the inhibition produced by keratinocytes. Changes were also observed in the expression of metalloproteinases (MMPs) on HA-coated PSU membranes. The presence of keratinocytes increased MMP1 and MMP3 synthesis by fibroblasts whereas HA exerted an inhibitory effect on MMP2 expression that depended on the culture conditions. The TGF-β3 mRNA levels were very high in co-cultures on PSU, whereas TGF-β1 mRNA was rather low; this was amplified on HA-coated membranes. These data provide a deeper insight into the intercellular interactions between dermal fibroblasts and keratinocytes, and their modulation by the culture support of these cells.
Controlling the Unconscious
Authors: Martens Ulla , Ansorge Ulrich , Kiefer Markus
Published: January 2011

Are unconscious processes susceptible to attentional influences? In two subliminal priming experiments, we investigated whether task sets differentially modulate the sensitivity of unconscious processing pathways. We developed a novel procedure for masked semantic priming of words (Experiment 1) and masked visuomotor priming of geometrical shapes (Experiment 2). Before presentation of the masked prime, participants performed an induction task in which they attended to either semantic or perceptual object features designed to activate a semantic or perceptual task set, respectively. Behavioral and electrophysiological effects showed that the induction tasks differentially modulated subliminal priming: Semantic priming, which involves access to conceptual meaning, was found after the semantic induction task but not after the perceptual induction task. Visuomotor priming was observed after the perceptual induction task but not after the semantic induction task. These results demonstrate that unconscious cognition is influenced by attentional control. Unconscious processes in perceptual and semantic processing streams are coordinated congruently with higher-level action goals.
Idealizing Parenthood to Rationalize Parental Investments
Authors: Eibach Richard P. , Mock Steven E.
Published: January 2011

Although raising children has largely negative effects on parents’ emotional well-being, parenthood is often idealized as a uniquely emotionally rewarding role. We tested the hypothesis that belief in myths idealizing parenthood helps parents cope with the dissonance aroused by the high financial cost of raising children. In Study 1, parents endorsed the idealization of parenthood more when only the costs of parenting were made salient than when both the costs of parenting and the long-term benefits of having children were made salient. When dissonant feelings were measured before idealization of parenthood, these feelings mediated the influence of the salient information on idealization of parenthood. In Study 2, participants reported greater enjoyment of the time they spent with their children and intended to spend more leisure time with their children when only parenting costs were made salient than when the long-term benefits of having children were also made salient (or when no costs or benefits of having children were made salient). We discuss the implications of our results for parental-investment theory and for the propagation of myths idealizing parenthood.
What is Palliative Medicine? Motivations and Skills
Authors: Walsh Declan , Aktas Aynur , Hullihen Barbara , Induru Raghava R.
Published: January 2011

Palliative care began in the UK hospice movement in the late 1960s and has rapidly developed in many countries since. In some, it has become a fully recognized specialty with comprehensive training programs and recognized expertise in areas such as pain and symptom control. It is important to examine the formative influences and characteristic clinical expertise in palliative medicine. This article considers some of the conceptual, practical, and administrative challenges that have been faced in an effort to establish palliative medicine as a discrete field of specialized practice from a US perspective. We also comment on current issues in regard to education and research, and development of comprehensive palliative care programs in the United States.
Communities of Practice: Using Blogs to Increase Collaboration
Authors: Byington Teresa A.
Published: January 2011

A community of practice provides a forum for professionals to exchange ideas and discuss concerns related to the profession. Within this forum, technology can eliminate many of the constraints face-to-face communities of practice encounter by providing a convenient and highly interactive environment. A description of how to set up an online community of practice using blogs is described. Blogging can support professional learning by giving teachers a platform for interacting and collaborating with other professionals. The steps for creating a blog are given.
The Early Communication Indicator for Infants and Toddlers
Authors: Greenwood Charles R. , Walker Dale , Buzhardt Jay
Published: January 2011

The Early Communication Indicator (ECI) is a measure relevant to intervention decision making and progress monitoring for infants and toddlers. With increasing recognition of the importance of quality early childhood education and intervention for all children, measurement plays an important role in documenting children’s progress and outcomes of early educational experiences. Screening and progress-monitoring measures used in a response-to-intervention approach require age-based benchmarks for decision-making support. The goal of this study was to create a normative sample of ECI data referenced to children served by Early Head Start, including children with Individualized Family Service Plans (IFSPs). In a large sample of children ( N = 5,883), program staff in 27 Early Head Start programs in two states collected ECI data from 2002 to 2007. Results indicated that children’s ECI total communication growth was conditional on IFSP status but not on gender or home language (English versus Spanish). Children’s patterns of communication on the ECI key skill elements (i.e., gestures, vocalizations, single words, and multiple words) were also conditional on IFSP status. Children with IFSPs had (a) later ages of onset for vocalizations, single words, and multiple words; (b) generally slower growth over time; and (c) significantly lower mean levels in the most advanced key skill: multiple words at 36 months of age. Implications for early childhood researchers and service providers are discussed.
Use of the Long and Short Forms of the Depression in the Medically Ill Questionnaire in a Spanish Population
Authors: Orive Miren , Padierna Jesús A. , Las Hayas Carlota , Vrotsou Kalliopi , Quintana Jose M.
Published: January 2011

This study sought to translate, using a back-translation procedure, and evaluate the psychometric characteristics of Depression in the Medically Ill questionnaire (DMI-18) and its short version (DMI-10) in a Spanish population. Patients with somatic disorders ( N = 366) completed the translated DMI-18 and another depression questionnaire. Among these, 167 were also assessed by a mental health professional (gold standard) to test criterion validity. Furthermore, coefficient alpha for both the versions were high (>.90), and convergent validity assessed against the Beck Depression Inventory for Primary Care, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and the Patient Health Questionnaire–9 was satisfactory ( r > .74). Confirmatory factor analysis results supported the one-factor model. When compared with the gold standard, sensitivity and specificity were 93% and 73% for DMI-18 and 87% and 74% for DMI-10, respectively. Thus, both the versions are acceptable measures that can be used by nonpsychiatric professionals to detect affective comorbidities in their patients.
NCDOT Quality Control Methods for Weigh-in-Motion Data
Authors: Ramachandran Aditya N. , Taylor Kent L. , Stone John R. , Sajjadi Soheil S.
Published: January 2011

At hundreds of weigh-in-motion (WIM) stations, state departments of transportation (DOTs) collect WIM data 24/7 to meet federal traffic reporting requirements. The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) collects WIM data using procedures consistent with recommended industry practices to estimate static vehicle axle weights based on dynamic traffic measurements. Data errors and poor quality data are captured regardless of the technology used, and a quality control (QC) process is an important part of all WIM data systems. WIM data must undergo a series of sequential and well-defined QC procedures to ensure that the data meet the federal requirements and new standards for the Mechanistic Empirical Pavement Design Guide (MEPDG) process. This article documents the NCDOT WIM QC procedures. The results of the QC analysis provide reliable data sets for use in developing Levels 1, 2, and 3 traffic data inputs for the North Carolina MEPDG models.
Highway Expansion Effects on Urban Racial Redistribution in the Post—Civil Rights Period
Authors: Guangqing Chi  , Parisi Domenico
Published: January 2011

A limited number of historical case studies document that highway construction produced significant consequences on racial relationships and redistribution in the early and mid-20th century. Howev er, little is known about how the expansion of an existing highway system influences urban racial redistribution after the legal bases for social and env ironmental justice in highway construction were established. This research uses census data for 1970, 1980, 1990, and 2000 to examine the role that highway expansion plays in affecting the redistribution of Blacks and Hispanics at the census tract lev el within the Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis metropolitan area of Wisconsin. The results indicate that the concentration of Blacks and Hispanics in neighborhoods in close proximity to highways that were expanded between 1965 and 1970 increased substantially between 1970 and 2000. Highway expansion promotes Black growth in nearby neighborhoods through its role as an amenity by prov iding easy access to the transportation network. Highway expansion also promotes Hispanic growth but through its role as a disamenity by decreasing housing prices in immediate neighborhoods. The results hav e important policy implications for addressing the issue of racial relationships in urban America.
Measurement of Effectiveness for an Anti-torpedo Combat System Using a Discrete Event Systems Specification-based Underwater Warfare Simulator
Authors: Seo Kyung-Min , Hae Sang Song  , Se Jung Kwon  , Tag Gon Kim
Published: January 2011

Modeling and simulation (M&S) has long played an important role in developing tactics and evaluating the measure of effectiveness (MOE) for the underwater warfare system. In simulation-based acquisition, M&S technology facilitates decisions about future equipment procurements, such as a mobile decoy or a torpedo. In addition, assessment of submarine tactical development, during an engagement against a torpedo, can be conducted using M&S techniques. This paper presents a case study that applies discrete event systems specification-based M&S technology to develop a simulation of an underwater warfare system, specifically, an anti-torpedo combat system, to analyze the MOE of the system. The entity models required for M&S are divided into three sub-models: controller, maneuver, and sensor model. The developed simulation allows us to conduct a statistical evaluation of the overall underwater warfare system under consideration, an assessment of the anti-torpedo countermeasure’s effectiveness, and an assessment of tactics development of the underwater vehicle. Moreover, it can be utilized to support the decision-making process for future equipment procurements. In order to analyze the system effectiveness, we performed extensive combat experiments by varying parameters, such as various tactics and weapon performance. The experimental results show how the factors influence the MOEs of the underwater warfare system.
Perioperative Outcomes of Laparoendoscopic Single-Site Surgery (LESS) Versus Conventional Laparoscopy for Adnexal Disease: A Case—Control Study
Authors: Fagotti Anna , Rossitto Cristiano , Marocco Francesco , Gallotta Valerio , Bottoni Carolina , Scambia Giovanni , Fanfani Francesco
Published: January 2011

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the potential advantages of laparoendoscopic single-site surgery (LESS) approach with respect to conventional laparoscopy. Methods: Thirty LESS patients were matched 2:1 with a previous cohort of 58 patients undergoing conventional laparoscopy for the same type of surgery (controls). Results: Median operative time (38.5 vs 54 minutes; P = .09) and estimated blood loss (20 vs 30 mL; P = .008) were more favorable in patients undergoing LESS treatment compared with those undergoing conventional laparoscopy. Rupture of the cyst was observed in 11 out of 30 cases (36.6%) and 26 of 58 controls (44.8%; P = .46). Median length of stay was 1 day in the cases and 2 in the controls ( P = .03). Conclusions: Decreases in operative time, estimated blood loss, or length of stay should not be considered a benefit attributable to LESS; rather it seems there are no differences between these 2 surgical approaches after an adequate selection of patients.