bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Sonographic Diagnosis of Arterioportal Fistula
Authors: Alkim Canan , Alkim Huseyin , Gurkaynak Gonul , Temucin Gulay
Published: January 2011

Aim. We aimed to identify and describe characteristic and diagnostic ultrasonographic features of arterioportal fistula cases. Patients. In this case series we describe 3 patients with arterioportal fistula. By depending on shared sonographic features of these patients we describe a “sonographic pattern” for the sonographic diagnosis of arterioportal fistula. Conclusion. In summary; both of the artery and vein related with fistula were wider than normal and seen as adjacent anechoic circles, there was an aneurismatic dilation on vein which has turbulent flow within it, the communication between the artery and aneurism can be seen sonographically, both of the vessels have arterial flow, filling of the vein was retrograde and other branches of the artery and vein unrelated with aneurism were all normal in dimension.
An Application of Dynamic Programming Principle in Corporate International Optimal Investment and Consumption Choice Problem
Authors: Huang Zongyuan , Wu Zhen
Published: January 2011

This paper is concerned with a kind of corporate international optimal portfolio and consumption
choice problems, in which the investor can invest her or his wealth either in a domestic bond
(bank account) or in an oversea real project with production. The bank pays a lower interest rate
for deposit and takes a higher rate for any loan. First, we show that Bellman′s dynamic programming
principle still holds in our setting; second, in terms of the foregoing principle, we obtain
the investor′s optimal portfolio proportion for a general maximizing expected utility problem and
give the corresponding economic analysis; third, for the special but nontrivial Constant Relative
Risk Aversion (CRRA) case, we get the investors optimal investment and consumption solution;
last but not least, we give some numerical simulation results to illustrate the influence of volatility
parameters on the optimal investment strategy.
Particle Size Control of Y2O3:Eu3+Prepared via a Coconut Water-Assisted Sol-Gel Method
Authors: de Andrade Gomes Maria , Ernesto Giroldo Valerio Mário , Soares Macedo Zélia
Published: January 2011

Eu3+-doped Y2O3nanoparticles were produced through proteic sol-gel technique, and the adjustment of pH was tested in order to control the particle size of the powders. A strong correlation between the initial pH and the temperature of crystallization was observed, allowing the production of particles with controlled diameter from 4 nm to 50 nm. The samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, optical microscopy and photoluminescence spectroscopy in both absorption and emission modes. A blue shift of the excitation peak corresponding to energy transfer from Y2O3host to Eu3+ions was observed, as the particle size was reduced from 50 to 4 nm. The suppression of a charge transfer band also resulted from the reduction of the particle size. The emission spectrum of the Y2O3:Eu3+with particles of 50 nm was found to be similar to that of bulk material whereas 4 nm particles presented broadened emission peaks with lower intensities.
TP53 Mutations in Nonsmall Cell Lung Cancer
Authors: Mogi Akira , Kuwano Hiroyuki
Published: January 2011

The tumor suppressor gene TP53 is frequently mutated in human cancers. Abnormality of the TP53 gene is one of the most significant events in lung cancers and plays an important role in the tumorigenesis of lung epithelial cells. Human lung cancers are classified into two major types, small cell lung cancer (SCLC) and nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The latter accounts for approximately 80% of all primary lung cancers, and the incidence of NSCLC is increasing yearly. Most clinical studies suggest that NSCLC with TP53 alterations carries a worse prognosis and may be relatively more resistant to chemotherapy and radiation. A deep understanding of the role of TP53 in lung carcinogenesis may lead to a more reasonably targeted clinical approach, which should be exploited to enhance the survival rates of patients with lung cancer. This paper will focus on the role of TP53 in the molecular pathogenesis, epidemiology, and therapeutic strategies of TP53 mutation in NSCLC.
Impact of oxLDL on Cholesterol-Rich Membrane Rafts
Authors: Levitan Irena , Shentu Tzu-Pin
Published: January 2011

Numerous studies have demonstrated that cholesterol-rich membrane rafts play critical roles in multiple cellular functions. However, the impact of the lipoproteins on the structure, integrity and cholesterol composition of these domains is not well understood. This paper focuses on oxidized low-density lipoproteins (oxLDLs) that are strongly implicated in the development of the cardiovascular disease and whose impact on membrane cholesterol and on membrane rafts has been highly controversial. More specifically, we discuss three major criteria for the impact of oxLDL on membrane rafts: distribution of different membrane raft markers, changes in membrane cholesterol composition, and changes in lipid packing of different membrane domains. We also propose a model to reconcile the controversy regarding the relationship between oxLDL, membrane cholesterol, and the integrity of cholesterol-rich membrane domains.
Isolated Splenic Hydatid Disease
Authors: Dilli Alper , Tatar Idil Güneş , Ayaz Umit Yasar , Hekimoglu Baki
Published: January 2011

Hydatid disease (HD) continues to be a significant health problem in areas where animal husbandry is common but no proper veterinary control exists. The involvement of the spleen in HD is rare, and isolated splenic involvement is even less common. In this case report, we present isolated splenic HD in a 26-year-old female with complaint of abdominal pain, and we discuss some of the clinical aspects of HD. Evaluation of the patient with ultrasonography, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging revealed the presence of an isolated splenic HD as a multivesicular cystic mass located near splenic hilus, measuring12×11 cm. No other organ or system involvement could be demonstrated.
A Model of Temperature-Dependent Young's Modulus for Ultrahigh Temperature Ceramics
Authors: Li Weiguo , Wang Ruzhuan , Li Dingyu , Fang Daining
Published: January 2011

Based on the different sensitivities of material properties to temperature between ultrahigh temperature ceramics (UHTCs) and traditional ceramics, the original empirical formula of temperature-dependent Young's modulus of ceramic materials is unable to describe the temperature dependence of Young's modulus of UHTCs which are used as thermal protection materials. In this paper, a characterization applied to Young's modulus of UHTC materials under high temperature which is revised from the original empirical formula is established. The applicable temperature range of the characterization extends to the higher temperature zone. This study will provide a basis for the characterization for strength and fracture toughness of UHTC materials and provide theoretical bases and technical reserves for the UHTC materials' design and application in the field of spacecraft.
Prediction of Postoperative Recurrence-Free Survival in Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer by Using an Internationally Validated Gene Expression Model
Authors: Mitra Ranjana , Lee Jinseon , Jo Jisuk , Milani Monica , McClintick Jeanette N. , Edenberg Howard J. , Kesler Kenneth A. , Rieger Karen M. , Badve Sunil , Cummings Oscar W. , Mohiuddin Ahmed , Thomas Dafydd G. , Luo Xianghua , Juliar Beth E. , Li Lang , Mesaros Clementina , Blair Ian A. , Srirangam Anjaiah , Kratzke Robert A. , McDonald Clement J. , Kim Jhingook , Potter David A.
Published: January 2011

Purpose: This study was performed to discover prognostic genomic markers associated with postoperative outcome of stage I to III non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) that are reproducible between geographically distant and demographically distinct patient populations.

Experimental Design: American patients (n = 27) were stratified on the basis of recurrence and microarray profiling of their tumors was performed to derive a training set of 44 genes. A larger Korean patient validation cohort (n = 138) was also stratified by recurrence and screened for these genes. Four reproducible genes were identified and used to construct genomic and clinicogenomic Cox models for both cohorts.

Results: Four genomic markers, DBN1 (drebrin 1), CACNB3 (calcium channel beta 3), FLAD1 (PP591; flavin adenine dinucleotide synthetase), and CCND2 (cyclin D2), exhibited highly significant differential expression in recurrent tumors in the training set (P < 0.001). In the validation set, DBN1, FLAD1 (PP591), and CACNB3 were significant by Cox univariate analysis (P ≤ 0.035), whereas only DBN1 was significant by multivariate analysis. Genomic and clinicogenomic models for recurrence-free survival (RFS) were equally effective for risk stratification of stage I to II or I to III patients (all models P < 0.0001). For stage I to II or I to III patients, 5-year RFS of the low- and high-risk patients was approximately 70% versus 30% for both models. The genomic model for overall survival of stage I to III patients was improved by addition of pT and pN stage (P < 0.0013 vs. 0.010).

Conclusion: A 4-gene prognostic model incorporating the multivariate marker DBN1 exhibits potential clinical utility for risk stratification of stage I to III NSCLC patients. Clin Cancer Res; 17(9); 2934–46. ©2011 AACR.
Smac Modulates Chemosensitivity in Head and Neck Cancer Cells through the Mitochondrial Apoptotic Pathway
Authors: Sun Quanhong , Zheng Xingnan , Zhang Lin , Yu Jian
Published: January 2011

Purpose: Overexpression of inhibitors of apoptosis proteins (IAP) contributes to therapeutic resistance. Second mitochondria-derived activator of caspase (Smac) promotes caspase activation by binding to IAPs upon release from the mitochondria. IAP antagonists, also called SMAC mimetics, are promising anticancer agents modeled after this mechanism. We investigated the role and mechanisms of Smac- and Smac mimetic–mediated chemosensitization in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) cells.

Experimental Design: The effects of SMAC knockdown, SMAC overexpression, and a small molecule Smac mimetic on the chemosensitivities of HNSCC cells were determined. The mechanisms of Smac- and Smac mimetic–mediated chemosensitization were investigated by analyzing growth suppression, the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway, caspase activation, and IAP proteins. The therapeutic responses of HNSCC cells with different levels of Smac were compared in xenograft models.

Results:We found that Smac mediates apoptosis induced by several classes of therapeutic agents through the mitochondrial pathway. SMAC knockdown led to impaired caspase activation, mitochondrial membrane depolarization, and release of cytochrome c. A small molecule Smac mimetic, at nanomolar concentrations, significantly sensitized HNSCC cells to gemcitabine-induced apoptosis and restored gemcitabine sensitivity in SMAC knockdown cells, through caspase activation, X-linked IAP dissociation, and mitochondria-associated events, but not the TNF-α pathway. Furthermore, Smac levels modulated the therapeutic response of HNSCC cells to gemcitabine in xenograft models.

Conclusions: Our results establish a critical role of Smac in mediating therapeutic responses of HNSCC cells and provide a strong rationale for combining Smac mimetics with other anticancer agents to treat HNSCC. Clin Cancer Res; 17(8); 2361–72. ©2011 AACR.
Role and Relevance of TrkB Mutations and Expression in Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer
Authors: Harada Taishi , Yatabe Yasushi , Takeshita Masafumi , Koga Takaomi , Yano Tokujiro , Wang Yisong , Giaccone Giuseppe
Published: January 2011

Purpose: TrkB has been involved in poor cancer outcome. TrkB mutations have been reported in non–small cell lung cancer. In this study, we aimed at characterizing the role of three potentially sensitizing TrkB mutations previously reported in lung cancer.

Experimental Design: We characterized three activation loop mutants of TrkB (M713I, R715G, and R734C) in terms of pathway activation/phosphorylation, migration, anchorage-independent growth, and sensitivity to a Trk inhibitor, using NIH3T3 cells and Baf3 cells. We also sequenced the tyrosine kinase domain of TrkB in a large number of lung cancer samples of East-Asian origin and cell lines.

Results: None of the mutants were constitutively active in NIH3T3 transformation and migration assays. M713I and R734C mutants showed low levels of autophosphorylation in comparison with wild-type TrkB. Although R715G showed similar level of autophosphorylation to wild-type TrkB on brain-derived neurotrophic factor stimulation, the mutant was not as competent as wild-type TrkB in supporting interleukin-3–independent growth of Baf3 cells. In addition, the Trk inhibitor AZD6918 inhibited wild-type TrkB-induced cell migration and cell growth, whereas the mutants were relatively resistant to the Trk inhibitor compared with wild-type TrkB. We could not confirm the presence of nonsynonymous mutation in 78 lung cancer samples and 29 cell lines.

Conclusions: Wild-type, but not mutant, TrkB enhances cell migration and transformation. Our study suggests that TrkB mutations should not be used for selection of patients with lung cancer treated with Trk inhibitors. High expression of wild-type TrkB might be beneficial for studies of Trk inhibitors. Clin Cancer Res; 17(9); 2638–45. ©2011 AACR.
Reappraisal of Functional Importance of Coronary Collateral Circulation
Authors: Fujita Masatoshi , Sasayama Shigetake
Published: January 2011

Coronary collateral circulation (CCC) is defined as an alternative blood-conveying circuit to the ischemic myocardium supplied by a jeopardized coronary artery. Accumulating evidence on CCC and its functional role has been derived from basic and clinical studies over several decades. Progress in molecular biology and genetic engineering has enabled us to elucidate the mechanisms of collateral growth on the basis of the development of new experimental models and methods for accurate assessment of CCC. These achievements in basic research have been promptly translated into the clinical setting. Interaction between basic and clinical sciences in the fascinating field of CCC will contribute to the establishment of innovative collateral-promoting therapy for severe coronary artery disease.
Vitamin D Receptor Activation and Left Ventricular Hypertrophy in Advanced Kidney Disease
Authors: Thadhani Ravi , Appelbaum Evan , Chang Yuchiao , Pritchett Yili , Bhan Ishir , Agarwal Rajiv , Zoccali Carmine , Wanner Christoph , Lloyd-Jones Donald , Cannata Jorge , Thompson Taylor , Audhya Paul , Andress Dennis , Zhang Wuyan , Ye Jun , Packham David , Singh Bhupinder , Zehnder Daniel , Manning Warren J. , Pachika Ajay , Solomon Scott D.
Published: January 2011

Background: In chronic kidney disease (CKD), left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) is prevalent and is associated with increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Vitamin D receptor (VDR) activation attenuates LVH progression in animal models. Methods: PRIMO is a multinational, randomized, double-blinded trial with oral paricalcitol in subjects with stages 3–4 CKD, mild-to-moderate LVH and an LV ejection fraction >50%. The primary endpoint is change in the left ventricular mass index (LVMI) compared with placebo after 48 weeks of treatment. The main secondary endpoints are changes in diastolic function parameters. In this paper, we report baseline characteristics from this study. Results: LVMI was 33.0 ± 7.5 g/m2.7 for males and 30.8 ± 7.2 g/m2.7 for females (p = 0.04). LVMI correlated with systolic blood pressure (r = 0.24), urine albumin creatinine ratio (r = 0.39), troponin T (r = 0.29), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (r = 0.25) and plasma levels of B-type brain natriuretic peptide (r = 0.22); all p < 0.01. In multiple linear regression, each remained independently associated with LVMI. The early diastolic velocity of the lateral mitral annulus (E’) was 8.1 ± 2.4 cm/s. E’ was inversely correlated with age in univariate (r = –0.14, p = 0.04) and multivariable (p = 0.02) analysis. Conclusion: Among 227 multinational subjects with stages 3–4 CKD, baseline LVMI correlates with baseline blood pressure, urine albumin creatinine ratio and cardiac biomarkers, and baseline diastolic function correlates with age. This research was funded by Abbott Laboratories; ClinicalTrials.gov No. NCT00497146.
Longitudinal Changes in Cognition in Parkinson’s Disease with and without Dementia
Authors: Johnson David K. , Galvin James E.
Published: January 2011

Background: The longitudinal cognitive course in Parkinson’s disease (PD) with and without dementia remains undefined. We compared cross-sectional models of cognition in PD (both with and without dementia), Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and nondemented aging and followed the participants over time. Method: Previously validated models of cognitive performance in AD and nondemented aging were extended to individuals with PD (with dementia, n = 71; without dementia, n = 47). Confirmatory factor analysis and piecewise regression were used to compare the longitudinal course of participants with PD with 191 cognitively healthy subjects and 115 individuals with autopsy-confirmed AD. Results: A factor analytic model with one general factor and three specific factors (verbal memory, visuospatial memory, working memory) fit demented and nondemented PD. Longitudinal change indicated that individuals with PD with dementia declined significantly more rapidly on visuospatial and verbal memory tasks than AD alone. Cognitive declines across all factors in AD and PD dementia accelerated several years prior to clinical dementia diagnosis. Conclusion: Both specific and global cognitive changes are witnessed in PD and AD. Longitudinal profiles of cognitive decline in PD and AD differed. PD with or without dementia has a core feature of longitudinal decline in visuospatial abilities.
Longevity of Sprint Fidelis Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator Leads and Risk Factors for Failure
Authors: Hauser Robert G. , Maisel William H. , Friedman Paul A. , Kallinen Linda M. , Mugglin Andrew S. , Kumar Kapil , Hodge David O. , Morrison Thomas B. , Hayes David L.
Published: January 2011

Background—

Sprint Fidelis (Fidelis) implantable cardioverter-defibrillator leads are prone to fractures that have caused adverse events, primarily inappropriate shocks, and a few reported deaths. More than 100 000 patients have Fidelis leads. No independent multicenter long-term performance information exists for this lead, and single-center studies suggest that certain patients are at increased risk for Fidelis failure. Our aim was to assess the longevity of Fidelis leads and to evaluate clinical variables and adverse events associated with Fidelis failure. The results were compared with like data for Quattro Secure (Quattro) implantable cardioverter-defibrillator leads implanted at our centers.

Methods and Results—

This 3-center study included adults ≥18 years of age who received Fidelis or Quattro leads for the prevention of sudden cardiac death. From November 2001 to January 2009,1023 Fidelis and 1668 Quattro leads were implanted and followed up. The failure rate for Fidelis leads was 2.81%/y compared with 0.43%/y for Quattro leads (
P
<0.0001). No deaths or injuries occurred as a result of lead failure, but 42% of fractures caused inappropriate shocks. The survival of Fidelis leads at 4 years was 87.0% (95% confidence interval, 83.6 to 90.1) compared with 98.7% (95% confidence interval, 97.9 to 99.4) for Quattro leads (
P
<0.0001). Multivariate predictors of Fidelis failure were younger age (hazard ratio, 0.98; 95% confidence interval, 0.96 to 0.99), female gender (hazard ratio, 0.61; 95% confidence interval, 0.40 to 1.00), and cardiac disease (
P
=0.041).

Conclusions—

Compared with Quattro leads, the survival of Fidelis leads continues to decline, and Fidelis failure is notably higher in younger patients, women, individuals with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, and patients with arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia or channelopathies. These findings have significant implications for the management of patients who have Fidelis leads, and they demonstrate the importance of weighing clinical variables in assessments of implantable cardioverter-defibrillator lead performance.
Safety of Percutaneous Left Atrial Appendage Closure
Authors: Reddy Vivek Y. , Holmes David , Doshi Shephal K. , Neuzil Petr , Kar Saibal
Published: January 2011

Background—

The Watchman Left Atrial Appendage System for Embolic Protection in Patients With AF (PROTECT AF) randomized trial compared left atrial appendage closure against warfarin in atrial fibrillation (AF) patients with CHADS
2
≥1. Although the study met the primary efficacy end point of being noninferior to warfarin therapy for the prevention of stroke/systemic embolism/cardiovascular death, there was a significantly higher risk of complications, predominantly pericardial effusion and procedural stroke related to air embolism. Here, we report the influence of experience on the safety of percutaneous left atrial appendage closure.

Methods and Results—

The study cohort for this analysis included patients in the PROTECT AF trial who underwent attempted device left atrial appendage closure (n=542 patients) and those from a subsequent nonrandomized registry of patients undergoing Watchman implantation (Continued Access Protocol [CAP] Registry; n=460 patients). The safety end point included bleeding- and procedure-related events (pericardial effusion, stroke, device embolization). There was a significant decline in the rate of procedure- or device-related safety events within 7 days of the procedure across the 2 studies, with 7.7% and 3.7% of patients, respectively, experiencing events (
P
=0.007), and between the first and second halves of PROTECT AF and CAP, with 10.0%, 5.5%, and 3.7% of patients, respectively, experiencing events (
P
=0.006). The rate of serious pericardial effusion within 7 days of implantation, which had made up >50% of the safety events in PROTECT AF, was lower in the CAP Registry (5.0% versus 2.2%, respectively;
P
=0.019). There was a similar experience-related improvement in procedure-related stroke (0.9% versus 0%, respectively;
P
=0.039). Finally, the functional impact of these safety events, as defined by significant disability or death, was statistically superior in the Watchman group compared with the warfarin group in PROTECT AF. This remained true whether significance was defined as a change in the modified Rankin score of ≥1, ≥2, or ≥3 (1.8 versus 4.3 events per 100 patient-years; relative risk, 0.43; 95% confidence interval, 0.24 to 0.82; 1.5 versus 3.7 events per 100 patient-years; relative risk, 0.41; 95% confidence interval, 0.22 to 0.82; and 1.4 versus 3.3 events per 100 patient-years; relative risk, 0.43; 95% confidence interval, 0.22 to 0.88, respectively).

Conclusion—

As with all interventional procedures, there is a significant improvement in the safety of Watchman left atrial appendage closure with increased operator experience.

Clinical Trial Registration—

URL:
http://clinicaltrials.gov
. Unique identifier: NCT00129545.
Deletion of Cardiomyocyte Mineralocorticoid Receptor Ameliorates Adverse Remodeling After Myocardial Infarction
Authors: Fraccarollo Daniela , Berger Stefan , Galuppo Paolo , Kneitz Susanne , Hein Lutz , Schütz Günther , Frantz Stefan , Ertl Georg , Bauersachs Johann
Published: January 2011

Background—

Mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) blockade improves morbidity and mortality among patients with heart failure; however, the underlying mechanisms are still under investigation. We studied left ventricular remodeling after myocardial infarction in mice with cardiomyocyte-specific inactivation of the MR gene (MR
MLCCre
) that were generated with a conditional MR allele (MR
flox
) in combination with a transgene expressing Cre recombinase under control of the myosin light-chain (MLC2a) gene promoter.

Methods and Results—

Control (MR
flox/flox
, MR
flox/wt
) and MR
MLCCre
mice underwent coronary artery ligation. MR ablation had no detectable baseline effect on cardiac morphology and function. The progressive left ventricular chamber enlargement and functional deterioration in infarcted control mice, detected by echocardiography and conductance catheter analysis during the 8-week observation period, were substantially attenuated in MR
MLCCre
mice. Chronically infarcted MR
MLCCre
mice displayed attenuated pulmonary edema, reduced cardiac hypertrophy, increased capillary density, and reduced accumulation of extracellular matrix proteins in the surviving left ventricular myocardium. Moreover, cardiomyocyte-specific MR ablation prevented the increases in myocardial and mitochondrial O
2
·−
production and upregulation of the NADPH oxidase subunits Nox2 and Nox4. At 7 days, MR
MLCCre
mice exhibited enhanced infarct neovessel formation and collagen structural organization associated with reduced infarct expansion. Mechanistically, cardiomyocytes lacking MR displayed accelerated stress-induced activation and subsequent suppression of nuclear factor-κB and reduced apoptosis early after myocardial infarction.

Conclusion—

Cardiomyocyte-specific MR deficiency improved infarct healing and prevented progressive adverse cardiac remodeling, contractile dysfunction, and molecular alterations in ischemic heart failure, highlighting the importance of cardiomyocyte MR for heart failure development and progression.
GPR30 Expression Is Required for the Mineralocorticoid Receptor–Independent Rapid Vascular Effects of Aldosterone
Authors: Gros Robert , Ding Qingming , Sklar Larry A. , Prossnitz Eric E. , Arterburn Jeffrey B. , Chorazyczewski Jozef , Feldman Ross D.
Published: January 2011

It has been increasingly appreciated that steroids elicit acute vascular effects through rapid, so-called nongenomic signaling pathways. Though aldosterone, for example, has been demonstrated to mediate rapid vascular effects via both mineralocorticoid receptor–dependent and –independent pathways, the mechanism(s) of this mineralocorticoid receptor–independent effect of aldosterone is yet to be determined. For estrogen, its rapid effects have been reported to be, at least in part, mediated via the 7-transmembrane–spanning, G protein–coupled receptor GPR30. Previous studies have demonstrated common response outcomes in response to both aldosterone and estrogen on GPR30 expression, ie, activation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase–dependent contraction and extracellular signal-regulated kinase activation in vascular smooth muscle cells. The present studies were undertaken to test the hypothesis that the rapid response to aldosterone in smooth muscle is dependent on the availability of a GPR30-dependent signaling pathway. These findings not only reconcile differences in the literature for aldosterone response in freshly isolated versus cultured aortic smooth muscle cells but also suggest alternative therapeutic strategies for modulating aldosterone actions on the vasculature in vivo.
Comparison of Changes in Growth Percentiles of US Children on CDC 2000 Growth Charts With Corresponding Changes on WHO 2006 Growth Charts
Authors: Zuguo Mei  , Grummer-Strawn Laurence M.
Published: January 2011

Longitudinal data with 37 964 length and weight measurements from 10 844 children who participated in the California Child Health and Development Study was used to compare the proportion of children aged ≤24 months who crossed major percentile lines on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 2000 growth charts with the percentage who crossed corresponding lines on the World Health Organization (WHO) 2006 growth charts. Percentage of children aged ≤24 months who crossed at least 2 major percentile lines for length-for-age, weight-for-age, and weight-for-length according to CDC 2000 charts were compared with the percentage who did so according to WHO 2006 charts. The results from this analysis suggest that pediatricians who monitor children’s growth on the basis of WHO 2006 growth charts may be more likely to refer children aged <6 months and less likely to refer those aged 6 to 12 months for further evaluation for failure to thrive.
How Distinctive Are Indigenous Ways of Achieving Influence? A Comparative Study of Guanxi, Wasta, Jeitinho, and “Pulling Strings”
Authors: Smith Peter B. , Huang Hai Juan , Harb Charles , Torres Claudio
Published: January 2011

The purpose of the study was to investigate the cultural specificity of guanxi, wasta, and jeitinho, each of which has been identified as an indigenous process of informal influence. Students in Brazil, China, Lebanon, and the United Kingdom were presented with three scenarios derived from each of the nations sampled. They rated the extent to which each scenario was representative of the locally indigenous process, the typicality for their culture of the events portrayed in the scenarios, and the extent to which these interpersonal exchanges were perceived positively. While each type of scenario was perceived as representative and typical in its culture of origin, each was also perceived as somewhat typical by respondents in additional locations. Informal influence processes may vary between cultures more in frequency than in quality. Rated scenario positivity was significantly predicted by respondents’ values. The United Kingdom–based process of “pulling strings” was rated as typical in all locations and was more positively evaluated than the other influence processes by all respondents. It is concluded that in addition to the pragmatic value of these concepts locally, their comparative testing can contribute to the development of culture-general models of social influence processes.
Cross-Cultural Dimensions of Meaning in the Evaluation of Events in World History?
Authors: Liu James H. , Paez Dario , Hanke Katja , Rosa Alberto , Hilton Denis J. , Sibley Chris G. , Cabecinhas Rosa , Zaromb Franklin , Garber Ilya E. , Leong Chan-Hoong , Moloney Gail , Valchev Velichko , Gastardo-Conaco Cecilia , Huang Li-Li , Quek Ai-Hwa , Techio Elza , Sen Ragini , van Osch Yvette , Muluk Hamdi , Wagner Wolfgang , Wang Feixue , Khan Sammyh S. , Licata Laurent , Klein Olivier , László János , Fülöp Márta , Cheung Jacky Chau-kiu , Yue Xiaodong , Youssef Samia Ben , Kim Uichol , Park Youngshin , Puch-Bouwman Jen , Hassall Katayoun , Adair John , Unik Lauren , Spini Dario , Henchoz Karine , Böhm Gisela , Selart Marcus , Erb Hans-Peter , Thoben Deborah Felicitas , Leone Giovanna , Mastrovito Tiziana , Atsumi Tomohide , Suwa Ko-ichi
Published: January 2011

The universality versus culture specificity of quantitative evaluations (negative-positive) of 40 events in world history was addressed using World History Survey data collected from 5,800 university students in 30 countries/societies. Multidimensional scaling using generalized procrustean analysis indicated poor fit of data from the 30 countries to an overall mean configuration, indicating lack of universal agreement as to the associational meaning of events in world history. Hierarchical cluster analysis identified one Western and two non-Western country clusters for which adequate multidimensional fit was obtained after item deletions. A two-dimensional solution for the three country clusters was identified, where the primary dimension was historical calamities versus progress and a weak second dimension was modernity versus resistance to modernity. Factor analysis further reduced the item inventory to identify a single concept with structural equivalence across cultures, Historical Calamities, which included man-made and natural, intentional and unintentional, predominantly violent but also nonviolent calamities. Less robust factors were tentatively named as Historical Progress and Historical Resistance to Oppression. Historical Calamities and Historical Progress were at the individual level both significant and independent predictors of willingness to fight for one’s country in a hierarchical linear model that also identified significant country-level variation in these relationships. Consensus around calamity but disagreement as to what constitutes historical progress is discussed in relation to the political culture of nations and lay perceptions of history as catastrophe.
Affective Information in Context and Judgment of Facial Expression
Authors: Ito Kenichi , Masuda Takahiko , Hioki Koichi
Published: January 2011

Previous research in cultural psychology suggests that North Americans are less likely than their East Asian counterparts to be sensitive to contextual information. By contrast, much evidence suggests that even North Americans’ judgments are highly influenced by affective priming information, the effect of which can be seen as another type of contextual cue. However, the magnitude of such a priming effect has not been comprehensively tested in a cross-cultural context. Taking advantage of the methodology of the affective priming paradigm, we conducted two studies, in which we manipulated (a) the timing of priming information (simultaneous vs. sequential) and (b) the type of affective information (background landscape vs. background human figures), in which European Canadians and Japanese judged target faces that showed either happy or sad facial expressions in the focal area of the scene. The results in general indicate that a similar degree of contextual effect occurs in members of both cultures. The issue of generalization of cross-cultural findings and the necessity of overarching more than one research paradigm are discussed.
Empirical Modelling of Regional House Prices and the Ripple Effect
Authors: Lee Chien-Chiang , Chien Mei-Se
Published: January 2011

This paper investigates the stationarity properties and long-run relationship of Taiwan’s regional house prices from 1993Q1 to 2009Q2. It applies the recent unit-root test of the panel seemingly unrelated regressions augmented Dickey–Fuller (SURADF) test developed by Breuer et al. The empirical results illustrate that Taiwan’s regional house prices are a mixture of stationary and non-stationary processes, showing that the stationarity properties of these prices are dependent on the structure and properties of the various regions. Secondly, the findings of the cointegration test provide substantive evidence for a long-run relationship among all regions except Taipei City, implying a diffusion of regional house prices among each regional market except Taipei City. Finally, the results of the weak exogeneity test indicate that uni-directional causality relationships exist for three regions—Taipei County, Taoyuan-Hsinchu and Tainan-Kaohsiung—towards Taichung. The regional house price efficiently diffuses itself among these regions, caused by a much smaller public housing sector and the pre-sale system in Taiwan.
International Migration, Housing Demand and Access to Homeownership in the UK
Authors: Nygaard Christian
Published: January 2011

Since the mid 1980s, the UK has experienced a prolonged period of net international migration with debate as to its impact on economic benefits and costs. A third of projected new households in the next 15–20 years are expected to come from net migration. This article examines international migration and housing demand in light of the conventional understanding of British housing markets and the extent to which there are differences in demand and access to homeownership across international migrant groups. Demographic and socioeconomic factors as well as length of residence are found to be significant determinants of homeownership. However, there are also differences in homeownership attainment that may be related to ethno-cultural differences or unobserved wealth effects and mortgage market institutional factors. The role of socioeconomic factors has implications for skills-based migration to the UK if a policy concern is house price pressure and migration.
Violence, Drug Markets and Racial Composition
Authors: Lum Cynthia
Published: January 2011

Places in which there is a strong spatial connection between violence and drug activity can often evoke particular stereotypes. They are believed to be places marked by high levels of social disorganisation, unemployment, disorder and racial heterogeneity. Yet scholars have argued that the spatial relationship between drug market activity and violence is more complicated and that other factors may explain this geographical connection. In the first article of this two-part series, different types of spatial analysis were employed to describe crime concentrations of drugs and violence. Evidence was found that challenges the notion that places with drug activity are inevitably more violent. This second paper examines what factors predict these variations in drug–violence spatial patterns in Seattle when derived using different spatial methods. The findings indicate that racial composition, disorder and unemployment may not be as salient as once believed in predicting places that are violent drug markets.
Spatial Capability for Understanding Gendered Mobility for Korean Christian Immigrant Women in Los Angeles
Authors: Shin HaeRan
Published: January 2011

This paper suggests a new concept, ‘spatial capability’, for understanding how women’s freedom of mobility is systematically constrained. Based on the capability approach, it demonstrates that women’s adaptive daily culture causes individual agents voluntarily to limit their mobility. Through the orally expressed experiences of 42 married Korean immigrant women in Los Angeles, this research effectively argues how the marginalisation of the subjects in the migration decision, along with their limited daily mobility, constitutes their spatial capability. It also shows that their daily culture, including their gender roles and their Christianity, enhances their constraints by adapting the limits and ultimately becomes the limitation itself. Gendered mobility should be approached in terms of potential freedom and accompanied by a consideration of the dialectic relationship that exists between the social constraints and the individual agents.
The virtue of incivility: Confucian communitarianism beyond docility
Authors: Kim Sungmoon
Published: January 2011

This article argues that in order to make Confucian communitarianism a viable political vision, namely, Civil Confucianism, its emphasis on civility must be balanced with what I call ‘Confucian incivility’, a set of Confucian social practices that temporarily upset the existing social relations and yet that, ironically, help those relations become more enduring and viable. The central argument is that ‘Confucian civility’ encompasses both social-harmonizing civilities that buttress the moral foundation of the Confucian social order and some incivilities that upset that foundation, albeit temporarily, in order to revise and thereby revitalize it. The article presents Confucian civility as both deferentially remonstrative and respectfully corrective (in the familial relations) and uncompromising and even intractable (in the political relations). It concludes by examining the implications of the virtue of Confucian incivility for constructing a less conservative and more socio-politically vibrant version of Confucian communitarianism than the prevailing suggestions of it.
Welcoming dogs: Levinas and ‘the animal’ question
Authors: Plant Bob
Published: January 2011

According to Levinas, the history of western philosophy has routinely ‘assimilated every Other into the Same’. More concretely stated, philosophers have neglected the ethical significance of other human beings in their vulnerable, embodied singularity. What is striking about Levinas’ recasting of ethics as ‘first philosophy’ is his own relative disregard for non-human animals. In this article I will do two interrelated things: (1) situate Levinas’ (at least partial) exclusion of the non-human animal in the context of his markedly bleak conception of ‘the state of nature’, and (2) drawing on Orwell, Wittgenstein and Gaita, argue that, despite his more positive evaluation of animality (specifically a dog named Bobby), Levinas is guided by a number of anthropomorphic prejudices; not least that the epithet ‘the animal’ can be used in the general singular.
Adorno, Hegel and the concrete universal
Authors: Baumann Charlotte
Published: January 2011

The core argument of this article is that Adorno adopts the distinction between an abstract and a concrete universal from Hegel and criticizes Hegel, on that basis, as abstract. The first two parts of the article outline that both thinkers take the abstract universal to be the form of a false type of knowledge and society, and the concrete universal to be a positive aim. However, as the third part argues, Adorno rejects how the concrete universal is understood in Hegel’s philosophy and formulates a different conception of it. The fourth part questions if Adorno manages to overcome the problems he identifies in Hegel or whether they are inherent to the programme of dialectics both endorse.
Social justice: Defending Rawls’ theory of justice against Honneth’s objections
Authors: Bankovsky Miriam
Published: January 2011

This article argues that Honneth’s ‘plural conception of justice’, founded on a theory of recognition, does not succeed in distancing itself from Rawls’ liberal theory of justice. The article develops its argument by evaluating three major objections to Rawls’ liberalism raised by Honneth in his recent articles on justice: namely, first, that the parties responsible for choosing principles of justice are too individualistic and their practical reasoning too instrumentalist; second, that by taking as its ‘object-domain’ the negative liberty of persons, Rawls’ theory fails to promote the actual realization of liberty; and finally, that Rawls’ method of principle justification undermines the ‘priority’ of its Kantian ‘formality’ by presupposing a substantive commitment to a conception of individual good. Arguing that Honneth’s interpretation of Rawls’ theory contains important errors, the article concludes that both theories share the basic intention of securing for all citizens the material and institutional conditions for the actualization of otherwise merely formal liberties or, in Honneth’s terms, mutual self-realization.
Citizens’ trust in public and political institutions in Nepal
Authors: Askvik Steinar , Jamil Ishtiaq , Tek Nath Dhakal
Published: January 2011

This article examines patterns of popular trust in political and public institutions in Nepal. We ask to what extent such trust is linked, on one hand, to citizens’ social and political identities, and on the other hand, to citizens’ perceptions of institutional performance. Our findings demonstrate that trust in public institutions varies extensively. Trust is high for a number of professional institutions, such as schools and hospitals. It is also quite high for local government institutions. Trust in the parliament and the government is much lower. Furthermore, the analysis reveals a weak relationship between institutional trust and identity variables. Demographic and social characteristics of participants, such as caste, and religious and political affiliations, have little significance in explaining the level of citizens’ trust in political and public institutions. Such trust primarily depends upon how citizens assess the performance of these institutions. Hence, patterns of institutional trust depend on how participants evaluate the current macro-political situation in Nepal, whether recent political changes are judged to have gone in the right direction. In a more general and comparative perspective our findings from Nepal fit with a performance-based theory of institutional trust, while, to a large extent, they disconfirm identity-based explanations.
Hope beyond (redundant) hope: how chaplains work with dying patients
Authors: Nolan Steve
Published: January 2011

Using Grounded Theory, this study examines the experience of 19 palliative care chaplains in counselling dying people. Taking a broad-based definition of counselling, and using unstructured individual interviews and group work, the study aimed to understand how palliative care chaplains work with patients at the point when it has been decided to cease active treatment, the point where they risk losing hope and falling into despair. Analysing the data using code-based theory building software, the author identified four organic moments in the chaplain–patient relationship, each moment being a discernable development in the chaplain’s being- with the patient: ‘evocative presence’; ‘accompanying presence’; ‘comforting presence’; and ‘hopeful presence’. The author represents the four moments as a theory of ‘chaplain as hopeful presence’, and offers a description of the way in which the quality of presence can facilitate patients to develop ‘a hopeful manner’ in which hope is reconfigured into an attribute of being. The author concludes (with Levinas) that chaplains and other palliative care staff should be aware that simply being- with an other can, in itself, be hope fostering.
Visual-inertial navigation, mapping and localization: A scalable real-time causal approach
Authors: Jones Eagle S. , Soatto Stefano
Published: January 2011

We describe a model to estimate motion from monocular visual and inertial measurements. We analyze the model and characterize the conditions under which its state is observable, and its parameters are identifiable. These include the unknown gravity vector, and the unknown transformation between the camera coordinate frame and the inertial unit. We show that it is possible to estimate both state and parameters as part of an on-line procedure, but only provided that the motion sequence is ‘rich enough’, a condition that we characterize explicitly. We then describe an efficient implementation of a filter to estimate the state and parameters of this model, including gravity and camera-to-inertial calibration. It runs in real-time on an embedded platform. We report experiments of continuous operation, without failures, re-initialization, or re-calibration, on paths of length up to 30 km. We also describe an integrated approach to ‘loop-closure’, that is the recognition of previously seen locations and the topological re-adjustment of the traveled path. It represents visual features relative to the global orientation reference provided by the gravity vector estimated by the filter, and relative to the scale provided by their known position within the map; these features are organized into ‘locations’ defined by visibility constraints, represented in a topological graph, where loop-closure can be performed without the need to re-compute past trajectories or perform bundle adjustment. The software infrastructure as well as the embedded platform is described in detail in a previous technical report.
The annotated laser data set for navigation in urban areas
Authors: Yang Shao-Wen , Wang Chieh-Chih , Thorpe Charles
Published: January 2011

In this paper, we present a challenging data set for use in a variety of mobile robotic navigation tasks. Based on the data set that we released previously, we further extend its capability by annotating the laser range data. Apart from the laser range data, the dead-reckoning trajectory and the tri-camera imagery, the true segmentation differentiating between objects and the true moving object detection (MOD) discriminating moving objects are also annotated. The data set is intended for extensive evaluation of localization, mapping and MOD by providing highly accurate relative pose, object segmentation and MOD. All data are synchronized, carefully annotated and formatted in space-delimited plaintext format. We also provide an interactive web interface to facilitate the access to the data and the annotations.