bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Development of a Drug Screening Platform Based on Engineered Heart Tissue
Authors: Hansen Arne , Eder Alexandra , Bönstrup Marlene , Flato Marianne , Mewe Marco , Schaaf Sebastian , Aksehirlioglu Bülent , Schwörer Alexander , Uebeler June , Eschenhagen Thomas
Published: May 2010

Rationale
:

Tissue engineering may provide advanced in vitro models for drug testing and, in combination with recent induced pluripotent stem cell technology, disease modeling, but available techniques are unsuitable for higher throughput.

Objective
:

Here, we present a new miniaturized and automated method based on engineered heart tissue (EHT).

Methods and Results
:

Neonatal rat heart cells are mixed with fibrinogen/Matrigel plus thrombin and pipetted into rectangular casting molds in which two flexible silicone posts are positioned from above. Contractile activity is monitored video-optically by a camera and evaluated by a custom-made software program. Fibrin-based mini-EHTs (FBMEs) (150 μL, 600 000 cells) were transferred from molds to a standard 24-well plate two hours after casting. Over time FBMEs condensed from a 12×3×3 mm gel to a muscle strip of 8 mm length and, depending on conditions, 0.2 to 1.3 mm diameter. After 8 to 10 days, FBMEs started to rhythmically deflect the posts. Post properties and the extent of post deflection allowed calculation of rate, force (0.1 to 0.3 mN), and kinetics which was validated in organ baths experiments. FBMEs exhibited a well-developed, longitudinally aligned actinin-positive cardiac muscle network and lectin-positive vascular structures interspersed homogeneously throughout the construct. Analysis of a large series of FBME (n=192) revealed high yield and reproducibility and stability for weeks. Chromanol, quinidine, and erythromycin exerted concentration-dependent increases in relaxation time, doxorubicin decreases in contractile force.

Conclusions
:

We developed a simple technique to construct large series of EHT and automatically evaluate contractile activity. The method shall be useful for drug screening and disease modeling.
CD146 Short Isoform Increases the Proangiogenic Potential of Endothelial Progenitor Cells In Vitro and In Vivo
Authors: Kebir Abdeldjalil , Harhouri Karim , Guillet Benjamin , Liu Jia Wei , Foucault-Bertaud Alexandrine , Lamy Edouard , Kaspi Elise , Elganfoud Nadia , Vely Frédéric , Sabatier Florence , Sampol José , Pisano Pascale , Kruithof Egbert K.O. , Bardin Nathalie , Dignat-George Françoise , Blot-Chabaud Marcel
Published: May 2010

Rationale
:

CD146, a transmembrane immunoglobulin mainly expressed at the intercellular junction of endothelial cells, is involved in cell-cell cohesion, paracellular permeability, monocyte transmigration and angiogenesis. CD146 exists as 2 isoforms, short (sh) and long (lg), but which isoform is involved remains undefined.

Objective
:

The recently described role of CD146 in angiogenesis prompted us to investigate which isoform was involved in this process in human late endothelial progenitors (EPCs), with the objective of increasing their proangiogenic potential.

Methods and Results
:

Immunofluorescence experiments showed that, in subconfluent EPCs, shCD146 was localized in the nucleus and at the migrating edges of the membrane, whereas lgCD146 was intracellular. In confluent cells, shCD146 was redistributed at the apical membrane and lgCD146 was directed toward the junction. In contrast to lgCD146, shCD146 was overexpressed in EPCs as compared to mature endothelial cells and upregulated by vascular endothelial growth factor and SDF-1 (stromal cell–derived factor 1). Study of the properties of both isoforms in vitro provided evidence that shCD146 was involved in EPC adhesion to activated endothelium, migration, and proliferation, with a paracrine secretion of interleukin-8 or angiopoietin 2, whereas lgCD146 was implicated in stabilization of capillary-like structures in Matrigel and transendothelial permeability. In an animal model of hindlimb ischemia, transplantation of shCD146-modified EPCs selectively promoted both EPC engraftment and blood flow.

Conclusions
:

Altogether, these findings establish that CD146 isoforms display distinct functions in vessels regeneration. Selective improvement of therapeutic angiogenesis by shCD146 overexpression suggests a potential interest of shCD146-transduced EPCs for the treatment of peripheral ischemic disease.
Therapeutic Targeting of Mitochondrial Superoxide in Hypertension
Authors: Dikalova Anna E. , Bikineyeva Alfiya T. , Budzyn Klaudia , Nazarewicz Rafal R. , McCann Louise , Lewis William , Harrison David G. , Dikalov Sergey I.
Published: May 2010

Rationale
:

Superoxide (

) has been implicated in the pathogenesis of many human diseases including hypertension; however, commonly used antioxidants have proven ineffective in clinical trials. It is possible that these agents are not adequately delivered to the subcellular sites of superoxide production.

Objective
:

Because the mitochondria are important sources of reactive oxygen species, we postulated that mitochondrial targeting of superoxide scavenging would have therapeutic benefit.

Methods and Results
:

In this study, we found that the hormone angiotensin (Ang II) increased endothelial mitochondrial superoxide production. Treatment with the mitochondria-targeted antioxidant mitoTEMPO decreased mitochondrial

, inhibited the total cellular

, reduced cellular NADPH oxidase activity, and restored the level of bioavailable NO. These effects were mimicked by overexpressing the mitochondrial MnSOD (SOD2), whereas SOD2 depletion with small interfering RNA increased both basal and Ang II–stimulated cellular

. Treatment of mice in vivo with mitoTEMPO attenuated hypertension when given at the onset of Ang II infusion and decreased blood pressure by 30 mm Hg following establishment of both Ang II–induced and DOCA salt hypertension, whereas a similar dose of nontargeted TEMPOL was not effective. In vivo, mitoTEMPO decreased vascular

, increased vascular NO production and improved endothelial-dependent relaxation. Interestingly, transgenic mice overexpressing mitochondrial SOD2 demonstrated attenuated Ang II–induced hypertension and vascular oxidative stress similar to mice treated with mitoTEMPO.

Conclusions
:

These studies show that mitochondrial

is important for the development of hypertension and that antioxidant strategies specifically targeting this organelle could have therapeutic benefit in this and possibly other diseases.
Seasonal Predictability of Daily Rainfall Characteristics in Central Northern Chile for Dry-Land Management
Authors: Verbist Koen , Robertson Andrew W. , Cornelis Wim M. , Gabriels Donald
Published: May 2010

The seasonal predictability of daily winter rainfall characteristics relevant to dry-land management was investigated in the Coquimbo region of central northern Chile, with focus on the seasonal rainfall total, daily rainfall frequency, and mean daily rainfall intensity on wet days at the station scale. Three approaches of increasing complexity were tested. First, an index of the simultaneous El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) was regressed onto May–August (MJJA) observed precipitation; this explained 32% of station-averaged rainfall-amount variability, but performed poorly in a forecasting setting. The second approach used retrospective seasonal forecasts made with three general circulation models (GCMs) to produce downscaled seasonal rainfall statistics by means of canonical correlation analysis (CCA). In the third approach, a nonhomogeneous hidden Markov model (nHMM) driven by the GCM’s seasonal forecasts was used to model stochastic daily rainfall sequences. While the CCA is used as a downscaling method for the seasonal rainfall characteristics themselves, the nHMM has the ability to simulate a large ensemble of daily rainfall sequences at each station from which the rainfall statistics were calculated. Similar cross-validated skill estimates were obtained using both the CCA and nHMM, with the highest correlations with observations found for seasonal rainfall amount and rainfall frequency (up to 0.9 at individual stations). These findings were interpreted using analyses of observed rainfall spatial coherence, and by means of synoptic rainfall states derived from the HMM. The downscaled hindcasts were then tailored to meteorological drought prediction, using the standardized precipitation index (SPI) based on seasonal values, the frequency of substantial rainfall days (>15 mm; FREQ15) and the daily accumulated precipitation deficit. Deterministic hindcasts of SPI showed high hit rates, with high ranked probability skill score for probabilistic hindcasts of FREQ15 obtained via the nHMM.
The Three-Dimensional Axisymmetric Wind Field Structure of the Spencer, South Dakota, 1998 Tornado
Authors: Kosiba Karen , Wurman Joshua
Published: May 2010

The three-dimensional axisymmetric wind field structure of the violent Spencer, South Dakota, 1998 tornado was analyzed using the ground-based velocity track display (GBVTD) method. Data from a Doppler on Wheels mobile radar, collected at very close range to the tornado, were used to conduct the GBVTD calculations at a very fine (16 m) resolution. The analysis revealed a two-cell vortex with a very strong axial downdraft throughout the observation period, radial inflow jets preceding intensification and a decrease in inflow preceding weakening, swirl ratio values consistent with observed multiple vortex structure, and other features of the vortex.
Mechanisms of Along-Valley Winds and Heat Exchange over Mountainous Terrain
Authors: Schmidli Juerg , Rotunno Richard
Published: May 2010

The physical mechanisms leading to the formation of diurnal along-valley winds are investigated over idealized three-dimensional topography. The topography used in this study consists of a valley with a horizontal floor enclosed by two isolated mountain ridges on a horizontal plain. A diagnostic equation for the along-valley pressure gradient is developed and used in combination with numerical model simulations to clarify the relative role of various forcing mechanisms such as the valley volume effect, subsidence heating, and surface sensible heat flux effects. The full diurnal cycle is simulated using comprehensive model physics including radiation transfer, land surface processes, and dynamic surface–atmosphere interactions. The authors find that the basic assumption of the valley volume argument of no heat exchange with the free atmosphere seldom holds. Typically, advective and turbulent heat transport reduce the heating of the valley during the day and the cooling of the valley during the night. In addition, dynamically induced valley–plain contrasts in the surface sensible heat flux can play an important role. Nevertheless, the present analysis confirms the importance of the valley volume effect for the formation of the diurnal along-valley winds but also clarifies the role of subsidence heating and the limitations of the valley volume effect argument. In summary, the analysis brings together different ideas of the valley wind into a unified picture.
The Pacific’s Response to Surface Heating in 130 Yr of SST: La Niña–like or El Niño–like?
Authors: Tung Ka-Kit , Zhou Jiansong
Published: May 2010

Using a modified method of multiple linear regression on instrumented sea surface temperature (SST) in the two longest historical datasets [the Extended Reconstructed SST dataset (ERSST) and the Met Office Hadley Centre Sea Ice and SST dataset (HadISST)], it is found that the response to increased greenhouse forcing is a warm SST in the mid- to eastern Pacific Ocean in the equatorial region in the annual or seasonal mean. The warming is robustly statistically significant at the 95% confidence level. Consistent with this, the smaller radiative heating from solar forcing produces a weak warming also in this region, and the spatial pattern of the response is neither La Niña–like nor El Niño–like. It is noted that previous reports of a cold-tongue (La Niña–like) response to increased greenhouse or to solar-cycle heating were likely caused by contaminations due to the dominant mode of natural response in the equatorial Pacific. The present result has implications on whether the Walker circulation is weakened or strengthened in a warmer climate and on coupled atmosphere–ocean climate model validation.
Upscale Feedback of Tropical Synoptic Variability to Intraseasonal Oscillations through the Nonlinear Rectification of the Surface Latent Heat Flux*
Authors: Zhou Chunhua , Li Tim
Published: May 2010

Analysis of observational data suggests two-way interactions between the tropical intraseasonal oscillation (ISO) and synoptic-scale variability (SSV). On one hand, SSV is strongly modulated by the ISO; that is, a strengthened (weakened) SSV appears during the enhanced (suppressed) ISO phase. The northwest–southeast-oriented synoptic wave train is strengthened and well organized in the northwestern Pacific during the enhanced ISO phase but weakened during the suppressed ISO phase. On the other hand, SSV may exert an upscale feedback to ISO through the nonlinearly rectified surface latent heat flux (LHF). The maximum synoptic contribution exceeds 20%–30% of the total intraseasonal LHF over the tropical Indian Ocean, western Pacific, and northeastern Pacific. The nonlinearly rectified LHF leads the ISO convection and boundary layer specific humidity, and thus it may contribute to the propagation of the ISO in boreal summer through the preconditioning of the surface moisture and moist static energy ahead of the convection.
Time–Frequency Characteristics of Regional Climate over Northeast China and Their Relationships with Atmospheric Circulation Patterns
Authors: Liu Shi , Yang Song , Lian Yi , Zheng Dawei , Wen Min , Tu Gang , Shen Baizhu , Gao Zongting , Wang Donghai
Published: May 2010

The time–frequency characteristics of the variations of temperature and precipitation over the city of Changchun in northeast China and their associations with large-scale atmospheric and oceanic conditions are analyzed. It is found that the variations of the regional climate are characterized by strong semiannual signals. For precipitation, the amplitude of semiannual signal is about half of that of the annual cycle. The relationships of the Changchun temperature and precipitation with local winds and large-scale patterns of atmospheric circulation and sea surface temperature are also strongest on annual and semiannual time scales. These strong semiannual signals are potentially helpful for improving the prediction of the regional climate.

On the annual time scale, the northeast China climate is affected by both the thermal contrast between the Asian continent and the tropical Indo-Pacific Oceans and that between the continent and the extratropical North Pacific. These effects are manifested by the cyclonic (anticyclonic) pattern over the Asian continent (North Pacific) and the strong southerly flow over East Asia and northwestern Pacific associated with increases in temperature and precipitation. On the semiannual time scale, the northeast China climate is mainly related to the large-scale circulation pattern centered over the North Pacific, with its western portion over northeast China, North and South Korea, and Japan. While temperature signals are related to extratropical atmospheric process more apparently, both extratropical and tropical influences are seen in the semiannual variation of precipitation.

There exist strong relationships between Changchun temperature and precipitation and the North Pacific Oscillation (NPO) in the frequency band up to 7 months. Temperature increases and precipitation decreases when NPO is positive. The relationships were weak before 1980 but became stronger afterward, associated with the strengthening of the East Asian trough.
A Real-Time Algorithm for the Correction of Brightband Effects in Radar-Derived QPE
Authors: Zhang Jian , Qi Youcun
Published: May 2010

The bright band (BB) is a layer of enhanced reflectivity due to melting of aggregated snow and ice crystals. The locally high reflectivity causes significant overestimation in radar precipitation estimates if an appropriate correction is not applied. The main objective of the current study is to develop a method that automatically corrects for large errors due to BB effects in a real-time national radar quantitative precipitation estimation (QPE) product. An approach that combines the mean apparent vertical profile of reflectivity (VPR) computed from a volume scan of radar reflectivity observations and an idealized linear VPR model was used for computational efficiency. The methodology was tested for eight events from different regions and seasons in the United States. The VPR correction was found to be effective and robust in reducing overestimation errors in radar-derived QPE, and the corrected radar precipitation fields showed physically continuous distributions. The correction worked consistently well for radars in flat land regions because of the relatively uniform spatial distributions of the BB in those areas. For radars in mountainous regions, the performance of the correction is mixed because of limited radar visibility in addition to large spatial variations of the vertical precipitation structure due to underlying topography.
An Experiment on the Nonbreaking Surface-Wave-Induced Vertical Mixing
Authors: Dai Dejun , Qiao Fangli , Sulisz Wojciech , Han Lei , Babanin Alexander
Published: May 2010

Mixing induced by nonbreaking surface waves was investigated in a wave tank by measuring the thermal destratification rate of the water column. One experiment without waves and four experiments with waves of amplitudes ranging from 1.0 to 1.5 cm and wavelength from 30 to 75 cm were conducted. Water temperature variations at depths from 4 to 12 cm below the surface were measured. In the layer from 4 to 7 cm, the originally dense isothermal lines disperse soon after the waves are generated, whereas the vertical gradient from 9 to 12 cm is maintained for a relatively long time. The time span, during which the water temperature becomes well mixed, changes from about 20 h for the case with no waves to tens of minutes for the case with waves, and it decreases with increasing wave amplitude and wavelength. A one-dimensional diffusion numerical model with wave-induced mixing parameterization shows consistent results with the measurement. The study demonstrates that the mixing induced by nonbreaking waves may add an important contribution to the vertical mixing process in the upper ocean and suggests a way to parameterize wave-induced mixing in numerical ocean models.
Clear-Sky Mask for the Advanced Clear-Sky Processor for Oceans
Authors: Petrenko B. , Ignatov A. , Kihai Y. , Heidinger A.
Published: May 2010

The Advanced Clear Sky Processor for Oceans (ACSPO) generates clear-sky products, such as SST, clear-sky radiances, and aerosol, from Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR)-like measurements. The ACSPO clear-sky mask (ACSM) identifies clear-sky pixels within the ACSPO products. This paper describes the ACSM structure and compares the performances of ACSM and its predecessor, Clouds from AVHRR Extended Algorithm (CLAVRx). ACSM essentially employs online clear-sky radiative transfer simulations enabled within ACSPO with the Community Radiative Transfer Model (CRTM) in conjunction with numerical weather prediction atmospheric [Global Forecast System (GFS)] and SST [Reynolds daily high-resolution blended SST (DSST)] fields. The baseline ACSM tests verify the accuracy of fitting observed brightness temperatures with CRTM, check retrieved SST for consistency with Reynolds SST, and identify ambient cloudiness at the boundaries of cloudy systems. Residual cloud effects are screened out with several tests, adopted from CLAVRx, and with the SST spatial uniformity test designed to minimize misclassification of sharp SST gradients as clouds. Cross-platform and temporal consistencies of retrieved SSTs are maintained by accounting for SST and brightness temperature biases, estimated within ACSPO online and independently from ACSM. The performance of ACSM is characterized in terms of statistics of deviations of retrieved SST from the DSST. ACSM increases the amount of “clear” pixels by 30% to 40% and improves statistics of retrieved SST compared with CLAVRx. ACSM is also shown to be capable of producing satisfactory statistics of SST anomalies if the reference SST field for the exact date of observations is unavailable at the time of processing.
Consumer Consumption and Advertising Through Sport
Authors: Pegoraro Ann L. , Ayer Steven M. , O'Reilly Norman J.
Published: May 2010

The sport industry benefits greatly from its various media partnerships. Sport as a corporate marketing tool provides increased flexibility, broad reach, and high levels of brand and corporate exposure. Many organizations have recognized this potential of sport as a vehicle for accomplishing many of their marketing-related objectives. In turn, this has resulted in significant growth in the sport industry, in particular in its media consumption both online and offline. The purpose of this research—using the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament as its sample—was to identify how advertisements contained within both the online and television broadcasts contribute to consumer culture and consumption. Content analysis was used to identify specific tactics related to materialism, maximization, regret, social comparison, and anti-materialism within 144 unique advertisements contained within the broadcasts. Findings include the high prevalence of maximization tactics, a significant correlation between length of ad and the use of materialism tactics (i.e., the longer the ad, the higher the frequency of materialism tactics), and a significant correlation between the use of regret and maximization tactics and fear appeals. It is notable that the use of a spokesperson in an advertisement showed no relationship with the five tactics and no difference was found for the use of the five tactics and medium (television or Internet).
A Pedagogical Model for Increasing Race-Related Multicultural Counseling Competency 1ψ7
Authors: Buckley Tamara R. , Foldy Erica Gabrielle
Published: May 2010

With the increasing need for multicultural competence, questions have emerged about the appropriate classroom strategies to cultivate growth in this area. These questions have been further complicated by a growing focus on self-awareness, which has increased the affective demands of and student resistance to the material. This article proposes a pedagogical model to enhance what the authors call race-related multicultural counseling competency, which focuses on race, racism, and racial identity development. The fundamental premise is that two types of safety, psychological safety and identity safety, must be present. The authors further argue that safety requires attention to both course content and teaching processes as well as an incremental learning approach that emphasizes race-related competence as a lifelong developmental process.
Transformational leadership and follower creativity: The moderating effects of identification with leader and organizational climate
Authors: Peng Wang  , Rode Joseph C
Published: May 2010

We examined relationships among transformational leadership, employee identification with leader, innovative climate, and employee creativity in a diverse sample of 212 employees and their immediate supervisors from 71 workgroups representing 55 organizations. Results from multi-level linear modeling analyses indicated that transformational leadership was not significantly related with employee creativity, nor were the two way interactions of transformational leadership × identification with leader and transformation leadership × innovative climate. However, the three-way interaction of transformational leadership, employee identification with leader, and innovative climate was associated with employee creativity. We discuss the implications of these findings for practice and theory.
AMPK Attenuates Bupivacaine-induced Neurotoxicity
Authors: Lee S.J. , Shin T.J. , Kang I.S. , Ha J.H. , Lee S.C. , Kim H.J.
Published: May 2010

Bupivacaine has been widely used as a long-acting local anesthetic. However, evidence strongly suggests that bupivacaine causes apoptosis. AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) regulates metabolic homeostasis and mediates cellular protection from stress. We hypothesized that AMPK may be cytoprotective in bupivacaine-treated Schwann cells. To explore this, we applied bupivacaine to the RT4-D6P2T Schwann cell line. The expression of phosphorylated AMPK was compared after bupivacaine treatment. Bupivacaine induced cell death in a time- and dose- [50% lethal dose (LD50) = 316 µM] dependent manner, and increased expression of phosphorylated AMPK after bupivacaine treatment. Bupivacaine-induced cytotoxicity was attenuated by AICAR (an AMPK activator), whereas compound C (an AMPK inhibitor) enhanced it. The cytoprotective effect of AICAR was reversed in the presence of iodotubercidin, an AICAR inhibitor. Our results suggest that the AMPK pathway may protect Schwann cells from bupivacaine-induced cytotoxicity.
Biofilm Formation on Dental Restorative and Implant Materials
Authors: Busscher H.J. , Rinastiti M. , Siswomihardjo W. , van der Mei H.C.
Published: May 2010

Biomaterials for the restoration of oral function are prone to biofilm formation, affecting oral health. Oral bacteria adhere to hydrophobic and hydrophilic surfaces, but due to fluctuating shear, little biofilm accumulates on hydrophobic surfaces in vivo. More biofilm accumulates on rough than on smooth surfaces. Oral biofilms mostly consist of multiple bacterial strains, but Candida species are found on acrylic dentures. Biofilms on gold and amalgam in vivo are thick and fully covering, but barely viable. Biofilms on ceramics are thin and highly viable. Biofilms on composites and glass-ionomer cements cause surface deterioration, which enhances biofilm formation again. Residual monomer release from composites influences biofilm growth in vitro, but effects in vivo are less pronounced, probably due to the large volume of saliva into which compounds are released and its continuous refreshment. Similarly, conflicting results have been reported on effects of fluoride release from glass-ionomer cements. Finally, biomaterial-associated infection of implants and devices elsewhere in the body is compared with oral biofilm formation. Biomaterial modifications to discourage biofilm formation on implants and devices are critically discussed for possible applications in dentistry. It is concluded that, for dental applications, antimicrobial coatings killing bacteria upon contact are more promising than antimicrobial-releasing coatings.
A Multilevel Examination of the Drivers of Firm Multinationality
Authors: Kirca Ahmet H. , Hult G. Tomas M. , Deligonul Seyda , Perryy Morys Z. , Cavusgil S. Tamer
Published: May 2010

Significant research has been devoted to studying the factors that affect firm multinationality. In this study, the authors organize the vast multinationality literature by levels of analysis using a multilevel framework based on the interaction paradigm and conduct a meta-analysis that aggregates the empirical findings from 154 independent samples reported in 145 studies. The cumulative evidence provides strong support for the upper echelons theory that emphasizes the central importance of executives’ characteristics as major determinants of firm multinationality. Moreover, the results indicate that the accumulation of the international experience embedded in human and relational capital is the most significant firm-level factor that affects firm multinationality. The meta-analytic results also reveal that the measurement and sample characteristics of original studies explain the inconsistent findings pertaining to the effects of firm size, firm age, and top management team size on multinationality. On the basis of the meta-analytic findings, several directions for future research are provided.
Moral cognitive processes explaining antisocial behavior in young adolescents
Authors: van der Velden Floor , Brugman Daniel , Boom Jan , Koops Willem
Published: May 2010

This study addresses the longitudinal relationships between three kinds of moral cognitions — self-serving cognitive distortions, moral judgment, perception of community — and antisocial behavior in young adolescents. Aims were to gain insight in direct and indirect relationships, stability, and causality. The sample included 724 students (M age = 14.52, SD =.67) from prevocational secondary schools in the Netherlands. Both self reports and teacher reports were filled out twice, with a time-interval of four months. Students exhibited high rates of aggression, vandalism, and stealing, indicating that they form an at-risk group for antisocial behavior. Positive associations were found between self-serving cognitive distortions and antisocial behavior and between moral judgment and perception of community, while negative associations were found between perception of community and both self-serving cognitive distortions and antisocial behavior. Longitudinal structural equation models established a moderate to high stability of the moral cognitions and antisocial behavior, and indicated that self-reported antisocial behavior primarily preceded self-serving cognitive distortions. Although moderation by sex and ethnicity was established, differences between the groups appeared to be modest. The consequences of these findings for prevention and treatment of antisocial behavior are discussed.
2-Amino-3,8-Dimethylimidazo[4,5-f ]Quinoxaline (MeIQx)–Induced Hepatocarcinogenesis Is Not Enhanced by CYP1A Inducers, Alpha- and Beta-Naphthoflavone
Authors: Suzuki Shugo , Takeshita Kentaro , Doi Yuko , Asamoto Makoto , Takahashi Satoru , Naiki-Ito Aya , Shirai Tomoyuki
Published: May 2010

Interaction of more than two chemicals from foods is a very important factor for carcinogenic risk assessment and management. 2-Amino-3,8-dimethylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoxaline (MeIQx), one of the most abundant carcinogenic heterocyclic amines in cooked foods, is speculated to be a human liver carcinogen. MeIQx is metabolically activated by CYP1A2 and then N-acetyltransferase (NAT), findings that suggest that its carcinogenic potential might be enhanced by simultaneous exposure to chemical(s) inducing CYP1A2. Therefore, we here investigated the effects of alpha- and beta-naphthoflavone as CYP1A2 inducers on MeIQx-induced rat hepatocarcinogenesis in a medium-term rat liver bioassay. Unexpectedly, no modifying influence of naphthoflavones on MeIQx-induced hepatocarcinogenesis was demonstrated with reference to glutathione S-transferase placental form (GST-P) positive foci in the liver, although up-regulation of CYP1A2 was detected on Western blot analysis. Activity of NAT was not affected. In MeIQx-treated rats, CYP1A expression was mainly detected in zone 3 of the liver where GST-P positive foci were preferentially located, while naphthoflavones alone or combinations of naphthoflavones and MeIQx induced CYP1A expression in zone 1. This difference in intralobular distribution of CYP1A might be related to the fact that MeIQx hepatocarcinogenesis was not modified by the two CYP1A inducers.
Age-related Susceptibility to Induction of Osteochondral and Vascular Lesions by Semicarbazide Hydrochloride in Rats
Authors: Takahashi Miwa , Yoshida Midori , Inoue Kaoru , Morikawa Tomomi , Nishikawa Akiyoshi
Published: May 2010

To compare the susceptibility to toxicity of semicarbazide hydrochloride (SEM-HCl) between young and adult rats, 3- and 20-week-old female SD rats were given a diet containing SEM-HCl at 0, 500, or 1,000 ppm and 0 or 1,000 ppm, respectively, for 4 weeks. Half of the animals were then maintained on basal diet for a further 2 weeks as recovery groups. Only in young rats was deformation of the knee joints as well as thorax and tail observed at 500 and 1,000 ppm. Histopathologically, severe osteochondral lesions, such as disarrangement and thickening of the epiphyseal cartilage and deformation of articular cartilage, were observed, but the severity of these lesions became reduced during the recovery period. In adult rats, osteochondral lesions were relatively mild. Fissures in the cartilage matrix of the tibia were characteristic of adult rats, and in these, reduction of severity was not obvious in the recovery group. In the thoracic aorta, the appearance of elastic laminae was altered only in young rats in both the 4-week treatment and recovery groups. These results suggest that growing animals are more susceptible to toxicity of SEM-HCl than adults are. Effects and the induced lesions link to the developing stage of the target organs.
Incidences and Range of Spontaneous Findings in Control Cynomolgus Monkeys (Macaca fascicularis) Used in Toxicity Studies
Authors: Chamanza Ronnie , Marxfeld Heike A. , Blanco Ana I. , Naylor Stuart W. , Bradley Alys E.
Published: May 2010

The authors performed a retrospective study to determine the incidences and range of spontaneous pathology findings in control cynomolgus monkeys. Data were collected from 570 monkeys (285 animals per sex), aged twelve to thirty-six months, from sixty regulatory studies evaluated at our laboratory between 2003 and 2009. The most common finding overall was lymphoplasmacytic infiltrates observed in the following incidence: liver (60.7%), kidneys (28.8%), heart (25.8%), salivary glands (21.2%), and stomach (12.1%). Inflammation also commonly occurred in the heart, kidneys, lungs, and stomach. The most common degenerative changes were localized fatty change in the liver, myocardial degeneration, and mineralization and pigment deposits in various tissues. Parathyroid, thyroid, and pituitary cysts; ectopic thymus in the parathyroid or thyroid gland; accessory spleen within the pancreas; and adrenohepatic fusion were among the most common congenital findings. Some incidental findings bearing similarities to drug-induced lesions were also encountered in various organs. It is hoped that the results presented here and elsewhere could form the groundwork for the creation of a reliable database of incidental pathology findings in laboratory nonhuman primates.
Giant Mitochondria in Pancreatic Acinar Cells of Alloxan-Induced Diabetic Rats
Authors: Sano Tomoya , Ozaki Kiyokazu , Matsuura Tetsuro , Narama Isao
Published: May 2010

This was a study of the microscopic, ultrastructural, immunohistochemical, and enzyme cytochemical features of giant eosinophilic granules encountered in pancreatic acinar cells of alloxan-induced diabetic rats. Seven male F344 rats with diabetes induced by a single i.v. dose of alloxan were sacrificed after twenty-five weeks of treatment. Histologically, the pancreatic acini were diffusely atrophied, and the islets showed marked atrophy or had disappeared, and giant eosinophilic granules and small vacuoles were observed in almost all acinar cells. The eosinophilic granules showed negative reactions for periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) and acid phosphatase, as well as fat stains such as Nile blue, Oil red O, and Sudan III. Ultrastructurally, the giant eosinophilic granules were huge structures surrounded by a double membrane containing many irregular cristae. A large amount of small lipid droplets was also apparent in the basal area of the acinar cells. Immunohistochemical analysis of prohibitin, a kind of protein located in the mitochondrial inner membrane, was partially positive in the marginal area of some giant eosinophilic granules, but negative for the central area. The enzyme activity for succinic dehydrogenase (SDH), one of the mitochondrial enzymes, showed a localizing pattern similar to that of prohibitin. These findings confirmed that the giant eosinophilic granules in the exocrine pancreas of alloxan-induced diabetic rats were giant mitochondria.
Forced marriage among men: An unrecognized problem
Authors: Samad Yunas
Published: May 2010

Forced marriage is generally viewed as a clash between culture and gender and the fact that men are also victims, in a small number of cases, escapes attention of policy makers and activists. While the overall approach to forced marriage has helped men as well they, however, have remained below the radar of public concern. A problem particular to men is their unwillingness to articulate in public forums their predicament as questions of masculinity are then raised. Ultimately men will have to break the silence, organize and mobilize collectively if they wish to see specific policies that target men.
National Action Plans for Social Inclusion and A8 migrants: The case of the Roma in Scotland
Authors: Poole Lynne
Published: May 2010

This paper examines the ongoing social exclusion and marginalization of Roma migrants living in Scotland in a context of European Union enlargement eastwards and the development of National Action Plans for Social Inclusion at the level of national and regional government which have as their stated aim the extension of opportunity and social justice to all citizens of Europe. It argues that so long as primary legislation dictates that A8 migrants will have ‘no recourse to public funds’, Roma families will continue to be excluded from mainstream society and prevented from making a sustained and valued contribution to public life. Moreover, the evidence suggests that this structural barrier to inclusion, coupled with racism, discrimination and exploitation at the local level, work to hinder regional policy makers and local service providers where they are working to meet the welfare needs of one of the most excluded sections of their community and facilitate wider community cohesion.
Lone motherhood, welfare reform and active citizen subjectivity
Authors: Pulkingham Jane , Fuller Sylvia , Kershaw Paul
Published: May 2010

Welfare-to-work policies have become a central priority of governments in Canada, the US, the UK, Australia and Scandinavia. Drawing on multiple in-depth interviews generated as part of a longitudinal qualitative study, we explore how welfare is imbricated in lone mothers’ subjectivity and citizenship. We consider women’s everyday claims-making activities as we interrogate three dimensions of welfare reform in British Columbia, Canada: (i) the employment imperative underlying active citizen subjectivity and the way this plays out in terms of gender, race and class-based occupational streaming; (ii) the coerciveness of gendered norms instantiated in such streaming; and (iii) the resulting practices of stratified reproduction. Following in the tradition of critical poverty studies, our research focuses on claims-making activities to challenge prevailing public policy practice that risks positioning impoverished lone mothers ‘under erasure’, invisible as mothers or moral citizens, and visible only as low waged worker citizens.
Invisible men: Social reactions to male sexual coercion - bringing men and masculinities into community safety and public policy
Authors: Cowburn Malcolm
Published: May 2010

This paper considers three social reactions to the sexual violence of men, moral panics, risk assessments and denial. The first of these responses occurs primarily in the media, risk assessments are primarily the preserve of forensic professionals. Both of these areas construct male sexual violence in such a way that ignores issues related to the gendered nature of sexual violence. This paper reviews dominant forms of knowledge in relation to sex offenders and suggests that by ignoring men and masculinities, strategies for developing community safety are flawed. The paper concludes by suggesting a wider approach to community safety that incorporates education and a critical perspective on dominant ways of being male as a key part of preventing and reducing male sexual coercion.
Review Article: ‘It is with deep regret that I find it necessary to tell my story’: Child abuse in industrial schools in Ireland
Authors: Garrett Paul Michael
Published: May 2010

Two recent books, published in the Republic of Ireland, highlight the abuse perpetrated against economically and socially marginalized children, in industrial schools, in the period following partial independence from Britain in the early 1920s. Peter Tyrrell’s autobiographical account, published in 2006, is freshly relevant following the publication of the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse (2009). A book by the journalist Bruce Arnold, although flawed, also contains important messages for critical social policy analysis in the Republic and beyond.
A Review and Meta-Analysis of Utility Values for Lung Cancer
Authors: Sturza Julie
Published: May 2010

Background. Published utility estimates for lung cancer are plentiful and vary greatly. The reason for this variability is unclear, but may result from differences in the methods used to elicit each utility. Purpose. To identify a set of pooled lung cancer utility estimates reflective of the available literature and determine which methodological factors significantly influence the value of lung cancer utility. Data Sources. Searches of PubMed, the NHS Economic Evaluation Database, and the Cost Effectiveness Analysis Registry from the Center for the Evaluation of Value and Risk in Health. Study Selection. English-language studies were included if they presented at least one previously unpublished lung cancer utility value, noted the elicitation technique and utility value provider. Data Extraction and Analysis. Two trained readers independently reviewed each article and extracted information for analysis. A hierarchical linear model (HLM) was used to perform a meta-regression with cancer stage, lower bound of scale, upper bound of scale, respondent, elicitation method, and lung cancer subtype as explanatory variables. Data Synthesis. Twenty-three articles containing 223 unique utility values were included. Lung cancer stage and subtype, the upper bound label of the utility scale, and respondent identity were significant predictors of utility (P < 0.05), while the lower bound label of utility scale was not. The HLM provided a set of pooled utility values for metastatic (0.57), mixed or nonspecified stage (0.77), and nonmetastatic lung cancer (0.87 )—for the case of standard gamble as method, patients as respondents, non-small-cell lung cancer and scale labeled death to perfect health. Conclusion. Methodological factors significantly affect lung cancer utilities; therefore, analysts should avoid direct comparisons of lung cancer utility values elicited with dissimilar methods.
Guiding the Search for Native-like Protein Conformations with an Ab-initio Tree-based Exploration
Authors: Shehu Amarda , Olson Brian
Published: May 2010

In this paper we propose a robotics-inspired method to enhance sampling of native-like conformations when employing only aminoacid sequence information for a protein at hand. Computing such conformations, essential to associating structural and functional information with gene sequences, is challenging due to the high-dimensionality and the rugged energy surface of the protein conformational space. The contribution of this paper is a novel two-layered method to enhance the sampling of geometrically distinct low-energy conformations at a coarse-grained level of detail. The method grows a tree in conformational space reconciling two goals: (i) guiding the tree towards lower energies; and (ii) not oversampling geometrically similar conformations. Discretizations of the energy surface and a low-dimensional projection space are employed to select more often for expansion low-energy conformations in under-explored regions of the conformational space. The tree is expanded with low-energy conformations through a Metropolis Monte Carlo framework that uses a move set of physical fragment configurations. Testing on sequences of eight small-to-medium structurally diverse proteins shows that the method rapidly samples native-like conformations in a few hours on a single CPU. Analysis shows that computed conformations are good candidates for further detailed energetic refinements by larger studies in protein engineering and design.
Hypomyelination Associated With Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus Type 2 Infection in a Longhorn Calf
Authors: Porter B. F. , Ridpath J. F. , Calise D. V. , Payne H. R. , Janke J. J. , Baxter D. G. , Edwards J. F.
Published: May 2010

A newborn Longhorn heifer calf presented with generalized tremors, muscle fasciculations, ataxia, and nystagmus. At necropsy, no gross central nervous system lesions were observed. Histologically, the brain and spinal cord had mild to moderate diffuse microgliosis and astrocytosis, minimal nonsuppurative encephalitis, and decreased myelin staining. Ultrastructural examination revealed thinning and absence of myelin sheaths. Various cell types were immunohistochemically positive for bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV). Noncytopathogenic BVDV was isolated from the brain and identified as BVDV type 2 by phylogenetic analysis. BVDV-induced hypomyelination is rare and analogous to lesions in neonates infected with border disease and classical swine fever viruses. This is the first documented case of hypomyelination in a calf specifically attributed to BVDV type 2 and the first description of the ultrastructural appearance of BVDV-induced hypomyelination.
Race/Ethnicity and Perceptions of Safety Among a National Sample of Americans
Authors: Jordan Kareem L. , Gabbidon Shaun L.
Published: May 2010

This article examined the role of race/ethnicity on the perceptions of safety among a diverse sample of Americans. Using a recent Gallup poll, it was revealed that Blacks and Hispanics were less likely than Whites to be satisfied with their safety from harm and violence. The multivariate analyses also found that more educated individuals and those with higher incomes were more likely to be satisfied with their level of safety. Other significant factors included political ideology, church attendance, and region. Split sample logistic regression models found additional significant differences by race/ ethnicity. The implications of the research also are discussed.
Outcomes of Preterm Neonates With Frontal Horn Cysts: A Retrospective Study
Authors: Trawber Rory , Rao Shripada , Srinivasjois Ravisha , Thonell Sven , Nagarajan Lakshmi , French Noel , Jacoby Peter , McMichael Judy
Published: May 2010

Isolated paraventricular frontal horn cysts are sometimes encountered on cranial ultrasound examinations of preterm neonates. The etiology and clinical significance of these lesions are unclear. The authors aimed to identify antenatal/intrapartum risk factors associated with the occurrence of these cysts and to assess developmental outcomes of preterm neonates with isolated frontal horn cysts. A retrospective cohort study with matched control design was used. A total of 28 cases were matched for gestation with 56 controls. No antenatal/intrapartum factors were associated with these cysts. At corrected age of 1 year, there was no difference in the mean general quotient between cases and controls (97.75 ± 17.28 vs 94.94 ± 9.86; P = .410). In all, 1 case and no controls had a diagnosis of cerebral palsy and 1 case and 3 controls had general quotients less than 80. The authors conclude that isolated paraventricular frontal horn cysts are benign, with no effect on neurodevelopment.