bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Development of the Japanese version of the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory™ Brain Tumor Module
Authors: Sato Iori , Higuchi Akiko , Yanagisawa Takaaki , Mukasa Akitake , Ida Kohmei , Sawamura Yutaka , Sugiyama Kazuhiko , Saito Nobuhito , Kumabe Toshihiro , Terasaki Mizuhiko , Nishikawa Ryo , Ishida Yasushi , Kamibeppu Kiyoko
Published: April 2010

Background

The Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory™ (PedsQL™) is a widely-used modular instrument for measuring health-related quality of life in children aged 2 to 18 years. The PedsQL™ Brain Tumor Module is comprised of six scales: Cognitive Problems, Pain and Hurt, Movement and Balance, Procedural Anxiety, Nausea, and Worry. In the present study, we developed the Japanese version of the PedsQL™ Brain Tumor Module and investigated its feasibility, reliability, and validity among Japanese children and their parents.

Methods

Translation equivalence and content validity were verified using the standard back-translation method and cognitive debriefing tests. Participants were recruited from 6 hospitals in Japan and the Children's Cancer Association of Japan, and questionnaires were completed by 137 children with brain tumors and 166 parents. Feasibility of the questionnaire was determined based on the amount of time required to complete the form and the percentage of missing values. Internal consistency was assessed using Cronbach's coefficient alpha. Test-retest reliability was assessed by retesting 22 children and 27 parents. Factorial validity was verified by exploratory factor analyses. Known-groups validity was described with regard to whole brain irradiation, developmental impairment, infratentorial tumors, paresis, and concurrent chemotherapy. Convergent and discriminant validity were determined using Generic Core Scales and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for children.

Results

Internal consistency was relatively high for all scales (Cronbach's coefficient alpha > 0.70) except the Pain and Hurt scale for the child-report, and sufficient test-retest reliability was demonstrated for all scales (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.45-0.95). Factorial validity was supported through exploratory factor analysis (factor-item correlation = 0.33-0.96 for children, 0.55-1.00 for parents). Evaluation of known-groups validity confirmed that the Cognitive Problems scale was sensitive for developmental impairment, the Movement and Balance scale for infratentorial tumors or paresis, and the Nausea scale for a patient currently undergoing chemotherapy. Convergent and discriminant validity with the PedsQL™ Generic Core Scales and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for children were acceptable.

Conclusions

The Japanese version of the PedsQL™ Brain Tumor Module is suitable for assessing health-related quality of life in children with brain tumors in clinical trials and research studies.
Polarized light based scheme to monitor column performance in a continuous foam fractionation column
Authors: Swamy Janakiraman N , Crofcheck Czarena L , Mengüç MP
Published: April 2010

Background

A polarized light scattering technique was used to monitor the performance of a continuously operated foam fractionation process. The S
11 and S
12 parameters, elements of the light scattering matrix, combined together (S
11
+S
12) have been correlated with the bubble size and liquid content for the case of a freely draining foam. The performance of a foam fractionation column is known to have a strong dependence on the bubble size distribution and liquid hold up in foam. In this study the enrichment is used as a metric, representative of foam properties and column performance, and correlated to the S
11
+S
12 parameter.

Results

Three different superficial gas velocities (6.9, 7.5, and 10.6 cm/min) and four different pH values (4.8, 5.5, 6.5, and 7.5) are tested for the foam fractionation of a dilute solution of bovine serum albumin (0.1 mg/ml). As a result, at scattering angle of 125° the magnitude of S
11
+S
12 is higher as the pH increases. When the bubble sizes are small with a larger liquid content, the foam is strongly back scattering resulting in lower values of S
11
+S
12 (at 125°) at pH = 4.8. The light scattering data and the enrichment values are measured over a period of 90 minutes and correlated using a linear model. The predictive power of the model was found to be statistically significant.

Conclusion

The time average S
11
+S
12 shows a direct proportionality with the enrichment value, indicating that polarized light should be a valuable technique for monitoring foam fractionation columns. Additional knowledge of the nature of dependence between foam properties and S
11
+S
12 combined with models relating the enrichment to the bubble size and liquid hold up is needed to develop an accurate diagnostics tool for monitoring enrichment utilizing S
11
+S
12 measurements.
Ion transport regulation by P2Y receptors, protein kinase C and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase within the semicircular canal duct epithelium
Authors: Pondugula Satyanarayana R , Raveendran Nithya N , Marcus Daniel C
Published: April 2010

Background

The ionic composition of the luminal fluid in the vestibular labyrinth is maintained within tight limits by the many types of epithelial cells bounding the lumen. Regulatory mechanisms include systemic, paracrine and autocrine hormones along with their associated intracellular signal pathways. The epithelium lining the semicircular canal duct (SCCD) is a tissue that is known to absorb sodium and calcium and to secrete chloride.

Findings

Transport function was assessed by measurements of short circuit current (I

sc
) and gene transcript expression was evaluated by microarray. Neither ATP nor UTP (100 microM) on the apical side of the epithelium had any effect on I

sc
. By contrast, basolateral ATP transiently increased I

sc
and transepithelial resistance dropped significantly after basolateral ATP and UTP. P2Y2 was the sole UTP-sensitive purinergic receptor expressed. I

sc
was reduced by 42%, 50% and 63% after knockdown of α-ENaC, stimulation of PKC and inhibition of PI3-K, while the latter two increased the transepithelial resistance. PKCdelta, PKCgamma and PI3-K were found to be expressed.

Conclusions

These observations demonstrate that ion transport by the SCCD is regulated by P2Y2 purinergic receptors on the basolateral membrane that may respond to systemic or local agonists, such as ATP and/or UTP. The sodium absorption from endolymph mediated by ENaC in SCCD is regulated by signal pathways that include the kinases PKC and PI3-K. These three newly-identified regulatory components may prove to be valuable drug targets in the control of pathologic vestibular conditions involving dysfunction of transport homeostasis in the ear, such as Meniere's disease.
Effects of childhood body size on breast cancer tumour characteristics
Authors: Li Jingmei , Humphreys Keith , Eriksson Louise , Czene Kamila , Liu Jianjun , Hall Per
Published: April 2010

Introduction

Although a role of childhood body size in postmenopausal breast cancer risk has been established, less is known about its influence on tumour characteristics.

Methods

We studied the relationships between childhood body size and tumour characteristics in a Swedish population-based case-control study consisting of 2,818 breast cancer cases and 3,111 controls. Our classification of childhood body size was derived from a nine-level somatotype. Relative risks were estimated by odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals, derived from fitting unconditional logistic regression models. Association between somatotype at age 7 and tumour characteristics were evaluated in a case-only analysis where P values for heterogeneity were obtained by performing one degree of freedom trend tests.

Results

A large somatotype at age 7 was found to be associated with decreased postmenopausal breast cancer risk. Although strongly associated with other risk factors such as age of menarche, adult body mass index and mammographic density, somatotype at age 7 remained a significant protective factor (odds ratio (OR) comparing large to lean somatotype at age 7 = 0.73, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.58-0.91, P trend = 0.004) after adjustment. The significant protective effect was observed within all subgroups defined by estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) status, with a stronger effect for ER-negative (0.40, 95% CI = 0.21-0.75, P trend = 0.002), than for ER-positive (0.80, 95% CI = 0.62-1.05, P trend = 0.062), tumours (P heterogeneity = 0.046). Somatotype at age 7 was not associated with tumour size, histology, grade or the presence or absence of metastatic nodes.

Conclusions

Greater body size at age 7 is associated with a decreased risk of postmenopausal breast cancer, and the associated protective effect is stronger for the ER-negative breast cancer subtype than for the ER-positive subtype.
Calmodulin-Dependent Kinase II Mediates Vascular Smooth Muscle Cell Proliferation and Is Potentiated by Extracellular Signal Regulated Kinase
Authors: Cipolletta E. , Monaco S. , Maione A. S. , Vitiello L. , Campiglia P. , Pastore L. , Franchini C. , Novellino E. , Limongelli V. , Bayer K. U. , Means A. R. , Rossi G. , Trimarco B. , Iaccarino G. , Illario M.
Published: April 2010

Vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) proliferation contributes to vascular remodeling in atherosclerosis and hypertension. Calcium-dependent signaling through calcium/calmodulin-dependent kinase II (CaMKII) and ERK1/2 activation plays an important role in the regulation of VSMC proliferation by agents such as α-adrenergic receptor agonists. Nevertheless, how the CaMKII and ERK pathways interact in VSMCs has yet to be characterized. The aim of the present study was to clarify this interaction in response to α1-adrenergic receptor-mediated VSMC proliferation. We discovered that phenylephrine stimulation resulted in complex formation between CaMKII and ERK in a manner that facilitated phosphorylation of both protein kinases. To assess the effects of CaMKII/ERK association on VSMC proliferation, we inhibited endogenous CaMKII either pharmacologically or by adenoviral-mediated gene transfer of a kinase-inactive CaMKII mutant. Inhibition of CaMKII activation but not CaMKII autonomous activity significantly decreased formation of the CaMKII/ERK complex. On the contrary, the expression of constitutively active CaMKII enhanced VSMC growth and CaMKII/ERK association. In addressing the mechanism of this effect, we found that CaMKII could not directly phosphorylate ERK but instead enhanced Raf1 activation. By contrast, ERK interaction with CaMKII facilitated CaMKII phosphorylation and promoted its nuclear localization. Our results reveal a critical role for CaMKII in VSMC proliferation and imply that CaMKII facilitates assembly of the Raf/MEK/ERK complex and that ERK enhances CaMKII activation and influences its subcellular localization.
Cardiac Neural Regulation Oscillates with the Estrous Cycle in Freely Moving Female Rats: The Role of Endogenous Estrogens
Authors: Kuo Terry B. J. , Lai C. T. , Hsu Fu-Chun , Tseng Yi-Jhan , Li Jia-Yi , Shieh Kun R. , Tsai Shih-Chih , Yang Cheryl C. H.
Published: April 2010

Both estrogens levels and sleep/wakefulness states have been separately reported to affect cardiac autonomic regulation. In this study, we examined the integrated effects of the estrous and sleep cycles on cardiac autonomic activity in freely moving adult female rats. Cardiac autonomic activities were measured by analyzing the power spectrum of heart rate variability. High-frequency power (HF) and low-frequency power to HF ratio are closely correlated with cardiac parasympathetic and sympathetic activity, respectively. Ten days after electrodes were implanted, electroencephalogram, electromyogram, and electrocardiogram were recorded 6 h daily for 12 consecutive days to cover at least two estrous cycles. Estrous-cycle stages were determined using vaginal smears. Sleep cycle-related heart rate variability parameter oscillations were seen in all rats. However, the estrous cyclicity and estrous-cycle-related changes were only observed in the control rats and not in ovariectomized or the estrogen receptor antagonist, tamoxifen, treatment rats. A significantly higher HF was observed in estrous rats compared with diestrous rats or ovariectomized rats no matter whether the rats were asleep or awake. However, a significantly low-frequency power to HF ratio was only observed in quiet sleep (QS) during estrus. All these differences disappeared after treatment with tamoxifen. Our results suggest that estrous-cycle-related changes in cardiac neural regulations can be mainly attributed to endogenous estrogens, and these effects are most obviously manifest during QS. Estrous rats during QS would be equivalent to the late follicular phase of the women menstrual cycle and involve strong vagal tone but weak sympathetic activity.
Intracellular Nicotinamide Phosphoribosyltransferase Protects against Hepatocyte Apoptosis and Is Down-Regulated in Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
Authors: Dahl Tuva B. , Haukeland John Willy , Yndestad Arne , Ranheim Trine , Gladhaug Ivar P. , Damås Jan K. , Haaland Terese , Løberg Else Marit , Arntsen Borghild , Birkeland Kåre , Bjøro Kristian , Ulven Stine M. , Konopski Zbigniew , Nebb Hilde I. , Aukrust Pål , Halvorsen Bente
Published: April 2010

Context: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common liver disease in Western and non-Western countries, but its pathogenesis is not fully understood.

Objective: Based on the role of nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (NAMPT) in fat and glucose metabolism and cell survival, we hypothesized a role for NAMPT/visfatin in the pathogenesis of NAFLD-related disease.

Design and Setting: We conducted clinical studies at a referral medical center in well-characterized NAFLD patients (n = 58) and healthy controls (n = 27). In addition we performed experimental in vitro studies in hepatocytes.

Main Outcome Measures: We examined 1) the hepatic and systemic expression of NAMPT/visfatin in patients with NAFLD and control subjects, 2) the hepatic regulation of NAMPT/visfatin, and 3) the effect of NAMPT/visfatin on hepatocyte apoptosis.

Results: Our main findings were as follows. 1) Patients with NAFLD had decreased NAMPT/visfatin expression both systemically in serum and within the hepatic tissue, with no difference between simple steatosis and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. 2) By studying the hepatic regulation of NAMPT/visfatin in wild-type and peroxisome proliferators-activated receptor (PPAR)α−/− mice as well as in hepatocytes, we showed that PPARα activation and glucose may be involved in the down-regulation of hepatic NAMPT/visfatin expression in NAFLD. 4) Within the liver, NAMPT/visfatin was located to hepatocytes, and our in vitro studies showed that NAMPT/visfatin exerts antiapoptotic effects in these cells, involving enzymatic synthesis of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide.

Conclusion: Based on these findings, we suggest a role for decreased NAMPT/visfatin levels in hepatocyte apoptosis in NAFLD-related disease.
Symmetry breaking and polarization of the C. elegans zygote by the polarity protein PAR-2
Authors: Zonies Seth , Motegi Fumio , Hao Yingsong , Seydoux Geraldine
Published: April 2010

Polarization of the C. elegans zygote is initiated by ECT-2-dependent cortical flows, which mobilize the anterior PAR proteins (PAR-3, PAR-6 and PKC-3) away from the future posterior end of the embryo marked by the sperm centrosome. Here, we demonstrate the existence of a second, parallel and redundant pathway that can polarize the zygote in the absence of ECT-2-dependent cortical flows. This second pathway depends on the polarity protein PAR-2. We show that PAR-2 localizes to the cortex nearest the sperm centrosome even in the absence of cortical flows. Once on the cortex, PAR-2 antagonizes PAR-3-dependent recruitment of myosin, creating myosin flows that transport the anterior PAR complex away from PAR-2 in a positive-feedback loop. We propose that polarity in the C. elegans zygote is initiated by redundant ECT-2- and PAR-2-dependent mechanisms that lower PAR-3 levels locally, triggering a positive-feedback loop that polarizes the entire cortex.
Genomic cis-regulatory networks in the early Ciona intestinalis embryo
Authors: Kubo Atsushi , Suzuki Nobuhiro , Yuan Xuyang , Nakai Kenta , Satoh Nori , Imai Kaoru S. , Satou Yutaka
Published: April 2010

Precise spatiotemporal gene expression during animal development is achieved through gene regulatory networks, in which sequence-specific transcription factors (TFs) bind to cis-regulatory elements of target genes. Although numerous cis-regulatory elements have been identified in a variety of systems, their global architecture in the gene networks that regulate animal development is not well understood. Here, we determined the structure of the core networks at the cis-regulatory level in early embryos of the chordate Ciona intestinalis by chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) of 11 TFs. The regulatory systems of the 11 TF genes examined were tightly interconnected with one another. By combining analysis of the ChIP data with the results of previous comprehensive analyses of expression profiles and knockdown of regulatory genes, we found that most of the previously determined interactions are direct. We focused on cis-regulatory networks responsible for the Ciona mesodermal tissues by examining how the networks specify these tissues at the level of their cis-regulatory architecture. We also found many interactions that had not been predicted by simple gene knockdown experiments, and we showed that a significant fraction of TF-DNA interactions make major contributions to the regulatory control of target gene expression.
Biogenesis of GPI-anchored proteins is essential for surface expression of sodium channels in zebrafish Rohon-Beard neurons to respond to mechanosensory stimulation
Authors: Nakano Yuri , Fujita Morihisa , Ogino Kazutoyo , Saint-Amant Louis , Kinoshita Taroh , Oda Yoichi , Hirata Hiromi
Published: April 2010

In zebrafish, Rohon-Beard (RB) neurons are primary sensory neurons present during the embryonic and early larval stages. At 2 days post-fertilization (dpf), wild-type zebrafish embryos respond to mechanosensory stimulation and swim away from the stimuli, whereas mi310 mutants are insensitive to touch. During ~2-4 dpf, wild-type RB neurons undergo programmed cell death, which is caused by sodium current-mediated electrical activity, whereas mutant RB cells survive past 4 dpf, suggesting a defect of sodium currents in the mutants. Indeed, electrophysiological recordings demonstrated the generation of action potentials in wild-type RB neurons, whereas mutant RB cells failed to fire owing to the reduction of voltage-gated sodium currents. Labeling of dissociated RB neurons with an antibody against voltage-gated sodium channels revealed that sodium channels are expressed at the cell surface in wild-type, but not mutant, RB neurons. Finally, in mi310 mutants, we identified a mis-sense mutation in pigu, a subunit of GPI (glycosylphosphatidylinositol) transamidase, which is essential for membrane anchoring of GPI-anchored proteins. Taken together, biogenesis of GPI-anchored proteins is necessary for cell surface expression of sodium channels and thus for firings of RB neurons, which enable zebrafish embryos to respond to mechanosensory stimulation.
Phosphorylation of paxillin at threonine 538 by PKCδ regulates LFA1-mediated adhesion of lymphoid cells
Authors: Romanova Larisa Y. , Holmes Gibran , Bahte Svenja K. , Kovalchuk Alexander L. , Nelson Patrick J. , Ward Yvona , Gueler Faikah , Mushinski J. Frederic
Published: April 2010

We investigated the PKCδ-mediated phosphorylation of paxillin within its LIM4 domain and the involvement of this phosphorylation in activation of LFA-1 integrins of the Baf3 pro-B lymphocytic cell line. Using phosphorylated-threonine-specific antibodies, phosphorylated amino acid analysis and paxillin phosphorylation mutants, we demonstrated that TPA, the pharmacological analog of the endogenous second messenger diacyl glycerol, stimulates paxillin phosphorylation at threonine 538 (T538). The TPA-responsive PKC isoform PKCδ directly binds paxillin in a yeast two-hybrid assay and phosphorylates paxillin at T538 in vitro and also co-immunoprecipitates with paxillin and mediates phosphorylation of this residue in vivo. Recombinant wild-type paxillin, its phospho-inhibitory T538A or phospho-mimetic T538E mutants were expressed in the cells simultaneously with siRNA silencing of the endogenous paxillin. These experiments suggest that phosphorylation of paxillin T538 contributes to dissolution of the actin cytoskeleton, redistribution of LFA-1 integrins and an increase in their affinity. We also show that phosphorylation of T538 is involved in the activation of LFA-1 integrins by TPA.
Preparation and Structures of Lanthanoid Germanides, PrGe3.36, NdGe3.25, and TmGe3 with Double Square Ge-Mesh Structures
Authors: Fukuoka Hiroshi , Yoshikawa Mayumi , Baba Kazuya , Yamanaka Shoji
Published: April 2010

A series of lanthanoid trigermanides of Pr, Nd, and Tm has been prepared by high-pressure (3–5 GPa) and high-temperature (1200 °C) reactions. TmGe3 crystallizes in an orthorhombic unit cell (Cmcm, No. 63) with a = 3.990(1) Å, b = 20.488(5) Å, c = 3.8794(8) Å, and V = 317.2(1) Å3. It is isotypic with the DyGe3 structure composed of Ge zig-zag chains and Tm situated between double square Ge-meshes. PrGe3.36 crystallizes in an orthorhombic unit cell (Cmmm, No. 65) with a = 4.062(4) Å, b = 21.43(3) Å, c = 4.212(6) Å, and V = 366.6(8) Å3. The structure is principally the same to the DyGe3 structure but contains an additional Ge site. The site is partially occupied, and is situated on the square mesh. Each Ge atom in the site is coordinated by five Ge atoms in the chain and in the mesh. NdGe3.25 is isotypic with PrGe3.36 and has lattice constants of a = 4.073(1) Å, b = 20.961(6) Å, c = 4.254(1) Å, and V = 363.2(2) Å3. The magnetic susceptibilities of PrGe3.36 and NdGe3.25 follow the Curie–Weiss law with the effective magnetic moments μeff = 3.60 and 3.57 μB, respectively, implying the oxidation states of Pr and Nd are 3+.
Subtraction method for determination of N-terminal connective tissue growth factor
Authors: Miyazaki Osamu , Kurashita Syunsuke , Fukamachi Isamu , Endo Koki , Ng Poh-Sing , Takehara Kazuhiko
Published: April 2010

Background

Connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) may be a potential marker of fibrosis. However, platelet-derived CTGF may be released into the plasma by platelet activation during or after blood collection, thereby interfering with accurate determination of the true plasma CTGF level. Plasma CTGF exists as the N-terminal CTGF fragment (N-fragment), composed of modules 1 and 2, whereas platelet CTGF exists as full-length CTGF (full-length), composed of modules 1–4. We perceived the need to develop a method for distinguishing between the N-fragment and full-length CTGF levels, so that the true plasma and serum CTGF (N-fragment) levels could be accurately determined.

Methods

Full-length levels were determined by a sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using two monoclonal antibodies recognizing modules 1 and 4, respectively (M1/4 ELISA). Total CTGF (full-length CTGF plus N-terminal CTGF) levels were determined by a sandwich ELISA using two monoclonal antibodies recognizing modules 1 and 2, respectively (M1/2 ELISA). N-terminal CTGF levels were determined by subtracting the full-length levels from the total CTGF levels.

Results

Both the M1/2 and M1/4 ELISAs showed good analytical performance. When the CTGF levels of plasma and serum collected simultaneously from the same subject were compared, the N-fragment levels determined by the subtraction method were the same, in spite of the fact that full-length CTGF was present in the sample.

Conclusion

N-fragment levels in plasma and serum can be accurately determined by this subtraction method, even if full-length CTGF in platelets is released during or after blood collection.
A screening procedure for primary aldosteronism based on the Diasorin Liaison® automated chemiluminescent immunoassay for direct renin
Authors: Dorrian C A , Toole B J , Alvarez-Madrazo S , Kelly A , Connell J M C , Wallace A M
Published: April 2010

Background

Primary aldosteronism (PA), the most common secondary cause of hypertension, can be screened for using the aldosterone/renin ratio. This ratio is raised in PA and its accuracy depends on the ability to measure plasma renin at extremely low concentrations.

Methods

We compared two different procedures for assessing plasma renin. The conventional method, which measures plasma renin activity (PRA), is technically demanding and laborious, and the Diasorin Liaison® method, which measures plasma renin concentration (PRC), is an automated immunoassay. Results from each method were used to calculate the aldosterone/renin ratio (ARR) and the performance of the Diasorin Liaison® method compared with that of the conventional assay using receiver operator characteristic curves.

Results

The analytical and functional sensitivity of the PRC method were 2.1 and 5 μIU/mL, respectively. Intra- and inter-assay precision were <7.2% and 10.4%, respectively. There was significant (9%) prorenin interference. Samples with PRA > 1.0 ng/mL/h showed significant correlation with PRC ( r = 0.93; P < 0.05; n = 146); however, with PRA < 1.0 ng/mL/h, no significant correlation occurred ( r = 0.14; P < 0.05; n = 79). An aldosterone (pmol/L)/PRC(μIU/mL) ratio of >35, in patients with aldosterone >300 pmol/L, resulted in 100% sensitivity and 93% specificity, when compared with the commonly accepted aldosterone (pmol/L)/PRA (ng/mL/h) ratio of >750, in identifying patients who may suffer from PA.

Conclusion

This study indicates the feasibility of using the automated PRC assay as a replacement for the conventional manual PRA assay in calculating the ARR as a first-line screen for PA.
Cross-reactivity of 12 recombinant insulin preparations in the Beckman Unicel DxI 800 insulin assay
Authors: Glenn Christine , Armston Annie
Published: April 2010

Background

Insulin analogues used in the treatment of insulin-dependent diabetes may result in hypoglycaemia; however, these preparations show variable cross-reactivity in many insulin assays. In order to investigate a suspected insulin overdose, it is therefore essential to characterize the cross-reactivity of these preparations in insulin assays.

Methods

The cross-reactivity of 12 commercial insulin preparations was assessed on the Beckman DxI analyser, by comparison with the insulin calibration curve corresponding to the midpoint of the dose–response curve. This was achieved by manually plotting the relative light units generated by the analyser for each preparation.

Results

All 12 insulin preparations examined showed significant cross-reactivity with the Beckman DxI insulin assay, with 11 of the insulin preparations demonstrating cross-reactivity of 83% or greater. The lowest cross-reactivity was observed with detemir with a value of 47.6%.

Conclusion

When investigating hypoglycaemia it is important to be aware of the cross-reactivity of the recombinant insulin analogues in insulin assays. This study has established the cross-reactivity of 12 preparations in the Beckman DxI insulin assay.
Firms as Incubators of Open-Source Software
Authors: Mehra Amit , Dewan Rajiv , Freimer Marshall
Published: April 2010

Many successful open-source projects have been developed by programmers who were employed by firms but worked on open-source projects on the side because of economic incentives like career improvement benefits. Such side work may be a good thing for the employing firms, too, if they get some strategic value from the open-source software and if the productivity of the programmers on these projects improves through learning-by-doing effects. However, the programmers may work more or less on these projects than what is best for the firms. To manage the programmers' efforts, the firms set appropriate employment policies and incentives. These policies and career concerns then together govern the programmers' effort allocation between the open-source and proprietary projects. We examine this relationship using a variant of the principal/agent model. We derive and characterize optimal employment contracts and show that firms either offer a bonus for only one of the two projects or do not offer any bonuses. However, if attractive alternate employment opportunities are available, they change their strategy and may offer bonuses for both projects simultaneously.
Research Commentary—NeuroIS: The Potential of Cognitive Neuroscience for Information Systems Research
Authors: Dimoka Angelika , Pavlou Paul A. , Davis Fred D.
Published: April 2010

This paper introduces the idea of drawing upon the cognitive neuroscience literature to inform IS research (herein termed “NeuroIS”). Recent advances in cognitive neuroscience are uncovering the neural bases of cognitive, emotional, and social processes, and they offer new insights into the complex interplay between IT and information processing, decision making, and behavior among people, organizations, and markets.

The paper reviews the emerging cognitive neuroscience literature to propose a set of seven opportunities that IS researchers can use to inform IS phenomena, namely (1) localizing the neural correlates of IS constructs, (2) capturing hidden mental processes, (3) complementing existing sources of IS data with brain data, (4) identifying antecedents of IS constructs, (5) testing consequences of IS constructs, (6) inferring the temporal ordering among IS constructs, and (7) challenging assumptions and enhancing IS theories.

The paper proposes a framework for exploring the potential of cognitive neuroscience for IS research and offers examples of potentially fertile intersections of cognitive neuroscience and IS research in the domains of design science and human-computer interaction. This is followed by an example NeuroIS study in the context of e-commerce adoption using fMRI, which spawns interesting new insights. The challenges of using functional neuroimaging tools are also discussed. The paper concludes that there is considerable potential for using cognitive neuroscience theories and functional brain imaging tools in IS research to enhance IS theories.
Fixation Time Does Not Affect the Expression of Estrogen Receptor
Authors: Ibarra Julio A. , Rogers Lowell W. , Kyshtoobayeva Ainura , Bloom Kenneth
Published: April 2010

The purpose of this pilot study was to determine the impact of the length of fixation in 10% buffered formalin on the expression of estrogen receptor by immunohistochemical analysis. We studied tissue samples from 10 invasive breast cancer cases after fixation for 1, 3, 6, and 9 to 10 hours. The tissue was processed immediately after fixation, resembling routine practice. Then the 40 blocks were incubated with antiestrogen receptors SP1, 6F11, and 1D5. The stained slides were reviewed and scored.

We found no significant difference in the intensity of the stain or the percentage of cells stained regardless of the time in fixation or the antibody used. Fixation times between 1 and 9 hours in 10% formalin do not seem to have an impact on the expression of estrogen receptor by immunohistochemical analysis, at least in these high-expressing tumors.
Refill Adherence to Oral Hypoglycemic Agents and Glycemic Control in Veterans
Authors: Kim Nancy , Agostini Joseph V , Justice Amy C
Published: April 2010

BACKGROUND:

Although medication nonadherence may contribute to inadequate diabetes control, adherence is not routinely measured. Persistence, the continuous refill of medications, is one metric that could be integrated into clinical care if associated with glycemic control.

OBJECTIVE:

To characterize the association of persistence levels (non-, good, overpersistence) with hemoglobin A1c (A1C) over 1 year in newly medicated diabetics in the Veterans Administration.

METHODS:

Eligible veterans were ≥18 years and first filled a prescription for oral hypoglycemic agents (OHA) between January 1, 2000, and December 31, 2002. The date the OHA was first dispensed was defined as the baseline date. Subjects must have filled at least 1 prescription for any drug, but no diabetes medications, during the 12 months preceding the baseline date. Persistence was measured in days supply of medication over 365 days and defined as non- (<0.80), good (≥0.8-1.10), and over- (>1.10) persistence. The main outcome measure was achieving goal A1C (≤7.0%) after 1 year.

RESULTS:

A total of 56,181 veterans were included. Veterans were male (97%) and white (67%) with comorbid hypertension (58%) and hyperlipidemia (40%). Median age was 63 years, while median baseline A1C was 7.7%. Fifty-two percent of patients had good persistence; 25% were overpersistent. Good persistence was associated with achieving goal A1C (RR 1.07; 95% CI 1.06 to 1.09). The association of overpersistence with the same outcome (RR 0.95; 95% CI 0.94 to 0.97) was lower than good persistence, but higher than nonpersistence (RR 0.93; 95% CI 0.92 to 0.94).

CONCLUSIONS:

Good persistence was associated with glycemic control. Overpersistent patients were common and more likely than nonpersistent patients, but less likely than good persisters to attain goal A1C. Estimating these different strata of persistence may be useful in identifying patients at risk of poor glycemic control.
Crofelemer, a Novel Agent for Treatment of Secretory Diarrhea
Authors: Crutchley Rustin D , Miller Jennifer , Garey Kevin W
Published: April 2010

OBJECTIVE:

To review the chemistry, pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, efficacy, and safety of crofelemer.

DATA SOURCES:

A literature search using the terms SP-303, Provir, and crofelemer was performed with PubMed (up to April 2010), Google Scholar, and selected Ovid bibliography searches. Additional references from the bibliographies of articles included in the search, as well as company and Food and Drug Administration Web sites, were also assessed.

DATA EXTRACTION:

English-language in vitro and clinical studies associated with the safety and efficacy of crofelemer were included.

DATA SYNTHESIS:

Crofelemer is a first-in-class agent that may be useful for different types of secretory diarrhea, since it prevents chloride and fluid secretion into the bowel by directly inhibiting 2 distinct intestinal chloride channels. Crofelemer significantly brought about faster symptom resolution in patients with traveler's diarrhea, along with lower rates of treatment failure compared to placebo-treated patients. In a post hoc analysis, crofelemer compared to placebo also appears to have reduced abnormal stool weight and frequency in patients with AIDS-associated diarrhea. In a third trial, crofelemer did not offer a significant benefit in improving stool consistency after 12 weeks of treatment in patients with diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome. However, a significant increase in pain-free days was noted in female patients. Preliminary studies also show that crofelemer may reduce watery stool output in patients with infectious diarrhea such as cholera. Oral crofelemer seemed to be well tolerated in clinical trials, with adverse effect profiles comparable to those with placebo.

CONCLUSIONS:

Crofelemer possesses a novel mechanism of action that shows promise in treating secretory diarrhea of several etiologies. However, results from further Phase 3 clinical trials are still needed in order to fully evaluate the efficacy and safety of this agent.
Creativity inside and outside prison walls: A journey of inspiration
Authors: Harvey LaResse
Published: April 2010

A comprehensive re-integration process that includes writing, poetry, music and drama may reduce recidivism and produce productive citizens. Creative thinking through such artistic activities can assist anyone beyond prison walls to survive the hustle and bustle of everyday life challenges.
As part of these diverse disciplines of the arts, a person can learn to write a rsum by using creative writing skills, be a leader in their community, conduct a business meeting and, yes, even become famous like actor Charles Dutton from the 1990s' sitcom Roc, who was in prison. An individual
can learn how to use creativity to keep them from returning to prison. I am a part of what The Arts can offer HOPE CHANGE SECOND CHANCES.
Free inside: The music class at Santa Ana Jail
Authors: Fierro Joe
Published: April 2010

This article examines the workings of the music class at the Santa Ana Jail in Santa Ana, California. It gives us insight into a jail system and a music class focused on helping inmates position themselves to become productive members of society. In this article I examine how the facility
encourages inmates' good behaviour and why the music class is a place where students can release their stress as well as have an outlet for their creativity. The music class creates an environment where the students can change their thinking and therefore truly believe that they can do things
differently.
The California arts-in-corrections music programme: A qualitative study
Authors: Brewster Larry
Published: April 2010

The California Arts-in-Corrections (AIC) programme was one of the first prison arts programmes in the nation. In 1983, this author conducted a costbenefit study of the programme and found it to be cost-effective. Twenty-five years later, this article reports the findings of a qualitative
evaluation of the AIC music programme through in-depth interviews with ex-offenders who were students in the programme. The six men interviewed are a diverse group as measured by race, age and crimes committed. They self-reported that AIC taught them a disciplined, focused work ethic, leading
to enhanced self-esteem, and it changed their experience of doing time. Four earn a living through their art, and all self-identify as artists. AIC helped to bridge the racial divide and provided a safe haven in an otherwise hostile environment. In a few cases their art helped them to reconnect
with family.
I'll keep on living after I die: Musical manipulation and transcendence at Louisiana State Penitentiary
Authors: Harbert Benjamin J
Published: April 2010

As the brutal practices of Southern prison farms ended, so too did the African- American work songs at Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola. The work of song, however, continues. Music offers today's inmates important transcendent experiences. Inmates say that music gives them a floating
sensation, freedom, and power. Music facilitates a sense of privacy and re-inhabitation of life before incarceration in the form of musical sanctuary. At the same time, music does work for the institution, both in service of custody and public relations. This article examines the tensions
within these different types of work, focusing on musical expression and introversion of older life-term inmates as they attempt to transcend prison aesthetically and strategically.
Music education in prisons: A historical overview
Authors: Lee Roc
Published: April 2010

The purpose of this article is to examine the history and state of current research in the field of music education in prisons. Music education in prisons has existed since the mid-nineteenth century, but research in the field has been sparse. However, in the past twenty years, there
has been a surge of activity in this field, marking a noticeable shift in the attitude of educators towards this type of research. The awareness of music educators to issues of social justice in recent years has caused a dramatic increase in the research on music in prisons. Hopefully knowledge
of the history of music education in prisons will help to create a stronger foundation for further research.
Reviews
Authors: Schandl Veronika
Published: April 2010

CROSSING TIME AND SPACE: SHAKESPEARE TRANSLATIONS IN PRESENT-DAY EUROPE, CARLA DENTE AND SARA SONCINI (eds.) (2008) Pisa: Edizioni Plus/Pisa University Press, 128 pp., ISBN 978-88-8492-540-4, Paperback, 14
Escape into a different person, escape into a different reality: Despair by Vladimir Nabokov and Rainer Werner Fassbinder
Authors: Mazierska Ewa
Published: April 2010

This article discusses Despair (1978) by Vladimir Nabokov and Rainer Werner Fassbinder's film adaptation as stories of escape. In both works the protagonist, Hermann Hermann, tries to flee into a different identity and ontological order. However, I argue that Nabokov's Hermann
wants to escape from fiction to reality, whilst Fassbinder's protagonist strives to escape from reality into fiction. From this difference I derive some characteristics of the moral positions of Nabokov and Fassbinder.
Killing noir?: The adaptation of Robert Siodmak's The Killers to radio
Authors: Schlotterbeck Jesse
Published: April 2010

Though noir is now remembered as a series of American films from the 1940s and 1950s, it is not as well known that these films were often adapted to lower-budget radio versions on programmes such as the Screen Director's Playhouse and Lux Radio Theater after the films
had been released. This article analyses Robert Siodmak's The Killers (1946) and its radio drama adaptation on the Screen Director's Playhouse in 1948. A close analysis of scenes in both works shows both the potential and the limitations of this radio genre. This radio drama
is sometimes pitifully direct and unconvincing. Yet, other sequences are haunting and intense, fully fitting and realizing the designation of radio noir.
Reviews
Authors: Cutchins Dennis
Published: April 2010

ADAPTATION: THE JOURNAL OF LITERATURE ON SCREEN STUDIES, DEBORAH CARTMELL, TIMOTHY CORRIGAN AND IMELDA WHELEHAN (eds.) (2008), VOL. 1, NO. 1 AND NO. 2 Oxford: Oxford University Press, 150 pp., Online ISSN 1755-0645 Print ISSN 1755-0637, (Price: by subscription)
Philosophy, culture, image: Rancire's constructivism
Authors: Roberts John
Published: April 2010

Jacques Rancire's theory of the sensible is an attempt to frame and secure the relationship between politics and aesthetics, art and design on the same surface. Accordingly, the reconstruction of the sensible appearances of the world of the built environment, of the dcor of the sensible,
as Rancire describes it is more than the negation of bourgeois appearances in the name of either a radical aesthetics or a radical politics; it is, rather, the common invention of sensible forms and material structures for a life to come. In this respect Rancire's theory has much in common
with the historic avant-garde. Following the constructivism of Rodchenko and El Lissitsky, representation here is not just the symbolic life of pictures, but the very materiality of things and their relations. Yet Rancire has little time for the active politicization of art, insofar this destroys,
he asserts, the potential democracy of art. This leaves his constructivism in a weakened critical position. This essay explores the hiatuses and limitations of Rancire's cultural theory.
The photographic argument of philosophy
Authors: Sekatskiy Alexander
Published: April 2010

More than 150 years have passed since the invention of photography, and we are still finding it hard to accept that the photographic procedure is not as much about the recording of objects as it is about the recording of a different experience of time. Seen in this way, the photograph
can reveal to us the limitations of our own perception of time and a glimpse of another time scale. This article traces the evolution of the idea of photographic time in philosophy from Plato to St. Augustine, to Bergson.
RIM1α and Interacting Proteins Involved in Presynaptic Plasticity Mediate Prepulse Inhibition and Additional Behaviors Linked to Schizophrenia
Authors: Blundell Jacqueline , Kaeser Pascal S. , Südhof Thomas C. , Powell Craig M.
Published: April 2010

Several presynaptic proteins involved in neurotransmitter release in the CNS have been implicated in schizophrenia in human clinical genetic studies, in postmortem studies, and in studies of putative animal models of schizophrenia. The presynaptic protein RIM1α mediates presynaptic plasticity and cognitive function. We now demonstrate that mice deficient in RIM1α exhibit abnormalities in multiple schizophrenia-relevant behavioral tasks including prepulse inhibition, response to psychotomimetic drugs, and social interaction. These schizophrenia-relevant behavioral findings are relatively selective to RIM1α-deficient mice, as mice bearing mutations in the RIM1α binding partners Rab3A or synaptotagmin 1 only show decreased prepulse inhibition. In addition to RIM1α's involvement in multiple behavioral abnormalities, these data suggest that alterations in presynaptic forms of short-term plasticity are linked to alterations in prepulse inhibition, a measure of sensorimotor gating.
Changes in Membrane Excitability and Potassium Currents in Sensitized Dorsal Horn Neurons of Mice Pups
Authors: Rivera-Arconada Ivan , Lopez-Garcia Jose A.
Published: April 2010

Rationally, an increased intrinsic excitability of dorsal horn neurons could be a factor contributing to alter the gain of the nociceptive system during central sensitization, however direct evidence is scarce. Here we have examined this hypothesis using current and voltage-clamp recordings from dorsal horn neurons in the spinal cordin vitropreparation obtained from mice pups of either sex. Cords were extracted from carrageenan-pretreated and control animals to allow for comparison. Dorsal horn neurons from treated animals showed significantly larger and faster synaptic responses. Synaptic changes started developing shortly after inflammation (1 h) and developed further after a longer-term inflammation (20 h). However, these neurons showed biphasic changes in membrane excitability with an increase shortly after inflammation and a decrease in the longer term. Concomitant changes were observed in transient (IA) and sustained potassium currents (IDR). Prolonged superfusion of naive spinal cords with NMDA led to a decreased neuronal excitability and to increased potassium currents.

Results suggest that excitability plays a role more complex than expected during the process of central sensitization of dorsal horn neurons and that modulation of potassium currents may contribute to shape the changing states of excitability. The decreased excitability observed after long-term inflammation is interpreted as a homeostatic correction to an abnormal state of synaptic activity.
Somatosensory Plasticity and Motor Learning
Authors: Ostry David J. , Darainy Mohammad , Mattar Andrew A. G. , Wong Jeremy , Gribble Paul L.
Published: April 2010

Motor learning is dependent upon plasticity in motor areas of the brain, but does it occur in isolation, or does it also result in changes to sensory systems? We examined changes to somatosensory function that occur in conjunction with motor learning. We found that even after periods of training as brief as 10 min, sensed limb position was altered and the perceptual change persisted for 24 h. The perceptual change was reflected in subsequent movements; limb movements following learning deviated from the prelearning trajectory by an amount that was not different in magnitude and in the same direction as the perceptual shift. Crucially, the perceptual change was dependent upon motor learning. When the limb was displaced passively such that subjects experienced similar kinematics but without learning, no sensory change was observed. The findings indicate that motor learning affects not only motor areas of the brain but changes sensory function as well.