bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Impact of 2004 Tsunami in the Islands of Indian Ocean: Lessons Learned
Authors: Ramalanjaona Georges
Published: May 2011

Tsunami of 2004, caused by a 9.0 magnitude earthquake, is the most devastating tsunami in modern times, affecting 18 countries in Southeast Asia and Southern Africa, killing more than 250,000 people in a single day, and leaving more than 1.7 million homeless. However, less reported, albeit real, is its impact in the islands of the Indian Ocean more than 1,000 miles away from its epicenter. This is the first peer-reviewed paper on the 2004 tsunami events specifically in the eleven nations bordering the Indian Ocean, as they constitute a region at risk, due to the presence of tectonic interactive plate, absence of a tsunami warning system in the Indian Ocean, and lack established communication network providing timely information to that region. Our paper has a dual objective: the first objective is to report the 2004 tsunami event in relation to the 11 nations bordering the Indian Ocean. The second one is to elaborate on lessons learned from it from national, regional, and international disaster management programs to prevent such devastating consequences of tsunami from occurring again in the future.
Cardiac Angiosarcoma-Associated Membranoproliferative Glomerulonephropathy
Authors: Shahani Lokesh , Beckmann Michael , Vallurupalli Srikanth
Published: May 2011

Primary cardiac angiosarcoma is a rare cardiac tumor. The initial clinical course is often asymptomatic, and metastatic disease is present in a majority of affected patients at diagnosis. We present a patient who presented with a hemorrhagic pericardial effusion. No malignant cells were evident on cytological examination. He subsequently developed membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis requiring hemodialysis. Metastatic cardiac angiosarcoma was diagnosed 5 months later. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of paraneoplastic membranoproliferative glomerulopathy associated with cardiac angiosarcoma.
Erythropoietin Induces Lymph Node Lymphangiogenesis and Lymph Node Tumor Metastasis
Authors: Lee Ae Sin , Kim Duk Hoon , Lee Jung Eun , Jung Yu Jin , Kang Kyung Pyo , Lee Sik , Park Sung Kwang , Kwak Jae Yong , Lee Sang Yong , Lim Suk Tae , Sung Mi Jung , Yoon Suk Ran , Kim Won
Published: May 2011

Cancer therapy often produces anemia, which is treated with erthropoietin (EPO) to stimulate erythrocyte production. However, concerns have recently arisen that EPO treatment may promote later tumor metastasis and mortality. The mechanisms underlying such effects are unknown, but it is clear that EPO has pleiotropic effects in cell types other than hematopoietic cells. In this study, we investigated how EPO affects lymphangiogenesis and lymph node tumor metastasis in mouse models of breast cancer and melanoma. In these models, EPO increased lymph node lymphangiogenesis and lymph node tumor metastasis in a manner associated with increased migration, capillary-like tube formation, and dose- and time-dependent proliferation of human lymphatic endothelial cells. EPO increased sprouting of these cells in a thoracic duct lymphatic ring assay. These effects were abrogated by cotreatment with specific inhibitors of phosphoinositide 3-kinase or mitogen-activated protein kinase, under conditions in which EPO increased Akt and extracellular signal–regulated kinase 1/2 phosphorylation. Intraperitoneal administration of EPO stimulated peritoneal lymphangiogenesis, and systemic treatment of EPO increased infiltration of CD11b+ macrophages in tumor-draining lymph nodes. Finally, EPO increased VEGF-C expression in lymph node–derived CD11b+ macrophages as well as in bone marrow–derived macrophages in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Our results establish that EPO exerts a powerful lymphangiogenic function and can drive both lymph node lymphangiogenesis and nodal metastasis in tumor-bearing animals. Cancer Res; 71(13); 4506–17. ©2011 AACR.
Pharmacodynamic Evaluation of the Target Efficacy of SB939, an Oral HDAC Inhibitor with Selectivity for Tumor Tissue
Authors: Novotny-Diermayr Veronica , Sausgruber Nina , Loh Yung Kiang , Pasha Mohammed Khalid , Jayaraman Ramesh , Hentze Hannes , Yong Wei-Peng , Goh Boon-Cher , Toh Han-Chong , Ethirajulu Kantharaj , Zhu Joy , Wood Jeanette Marjorie
Published: May 2011

SB939 is an oral histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor currently in phase II clinical trials potently inhibiting class I, II, and IV HDACs with favorable pharmacokinetic properties, resulting in tumor tissue accumulation. To show target efficacy, a Western blot assay measuring histone H3 acetylation (acH3) relative to a loading control was developed, validated on cancer cell lines, peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), and in animal tumor models. Exposure of cells to 60 nmol/L (22 ng/mL) SB939 for 24 hours was sufficient to detect an acH3 signal in 25 μg of protein lysate. AcH3 levels of liver, spleen, PBMCs, bone marrow and tumor were measured in BALB/c mice, HCT-116 xenografted BALB/c nude mice, or in SCID mice orthotopically engrafted with AML (HL-60) after oral treatment with SB939. AcH3 could only be detected after treatment. In all tissues, the highest signal detected was at the 3-hour time point on day 1. On day 15, the signal decreased in normal tissues but increased in cancerous tissues and became detectable in the bone marrow of leukemic mice. In all tissues, acH3 correlated with SB939 dose levels (r2 = 0.76–0.94). When applied to PBMCs from 30 patients with advanced solid malignancies in a phase I clinical trial, a dose-dependent (10–80 mg) increase in relative acH3 was observed 3-hour postdose on day 1, correlating with Cmax and AUC of SB939 concentrations in plasma (r = 0.97, P = 0.014). Our data show that the favorable pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties of SB939 are translated from preclinical models to patients. Mol Cancer Ther; 10(7); 1207–17. ©2011 AACR.
Oral Administration of Bacterial Lysates Attenuates Experimental Food Allergy
Authors: Ahrens Birgit , Quarcoo David , Buhner Sabine , Matricardi Paolo M. , Hamelmann Eckard
Published: May 2011

Background: Modulating early immune response by application of bacteria and their by-products has been suggested as a preventive strategy against the development of allergic diseases. In light of this, the aim of the study was to test the effects of oral administration of bacterial lysates (BL) in a rat model of food allergy. Methods: BL or PBS were administered orally to neonatal Brown Norway rats up to an age of 42 days. Additionally, animals were sensitized 3 times (days 35, 40 and 45) intraperitoneally with ovalbumin (OVA). On days 60 and 61, rats were locally challenged with OVA by gavage feeding. Results: Detection of increased allergen-specific Ig serum levels and proliferative responses of spleen mononuclear cells confirmed systemic sensitization. In serum of animals that received BL in addition to OVA sensitization, the levels of allergen-specific IgE and IgG were significantly reduced compared to animals which were not exposed to BL. Allergen-stimulated lymphocytes from spleen and mesenteric lymph nodes of BL-treated animals showed a significantly elevated cytokine production of IL-10. To assess local functional changes of the intestinal barrier we measured the intestinal permeability, which was increased in OVA-sensitized and challenged animals compared to nonsensitized controls, yet significantly reduced in sensitized animals which received BL. Conclusion: These data suggest that local administration of BL (pathogen-associated molecular patterns) in the intestine exhibits immuno-modulating effects. Furthermore, pathophysiological features of food allergy, such as the loss of gut mucosal integrity, might be reduced by the treatment with BL.
Optimizing Clinical Care in Patients with Advanced Soft Tissue Sarcoma: A Phase II Study of a New Schedule of High-Dose Continuous Infusion Ifosfamide and Doxorubicin Combination
Authors: De Pas T. , Rosati G. , Spitaleri G. , Boni C. , Tucci A. , Frustaci S. , Scalamogna R. , Radice D. , Boselli S. , Toffalorio F. , Catania C. , Noberasco C. , Delmonte A. , Vecchio F. , de Braud F.
Published: May 2011

Background: Ifosfamide and doxorubicin combination is an active regimen for patients with advanced soft tissue sarcomas (STS) but is burdened by high toxicity. A phase II trial was designed to assess the activity of continuous infusion ifosfamide and doxorubicin combination. Patients and Methods: Thirty-four chemotherapy-naive patients with advanced STS were treated with ifosfamide (13 g/m2/12 days as continuous infusion) and doxorubicin (75 mg/m2 on day 8) every 28 days with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor. Results: The major toxicity was hematological: grade 3/4 neutropenia, anemia and thrombocytopenia occurred in 63, 30 and 12% of patients, respectively. The disease control rate was 68% and the median time to progression was 7.1 months. Among leiomyosarcomas, 2 partial responses and 4 stable diseases were observed. Conclusions: Our study confirms that the ifosfamide and doxorubicin combination has a very low non-hematological toxicity profile. This regimen attained a high disease control rate with moderate activity. Further investigation into leiomyosarcoma is warranted.
Severe Myoclonic Epilepsy in Infancy – Adult Phenotype with Bradykinesia, Hypomimia, and Perseverative Behavior: Report of Five Cases
Authors: Martin P. , Rautenstrauβ B. , Abicht A. , Fahrbach J. , Koster S.
Published: May 2011

Dravet syndrome or severe myoclonic epilepsy in infancy (SMEI) is an epileptic syndrome characterised by refractory epilepsy and intellectual disability, typically presenting with febrile and afebrile generalised and unilateral clonic/tonic-clonic seizures in the first year of life and other types of seizures appearing later in the course of the disease. Five adult patients with SMEI and SCN1A mutations are reported, in which motor and behavioural abnormalities were outstanding symptoms. Bradykinesia, responding with latency, slow speaking with a thin voice, midface hypomimia and perseveration were distinctive features in all cases. These symptoms may be fit to define the adult phenotype of SMEI beyond seizure/epilepsy criteria. The motor and behavioural symptoms are discussed in the context of a possibly underlying frontal lobe/mesofrontal and cerebellar dysfunction.
CDH3-Related Syndromes: Report on a New Mutation and Overview of the Genotype-Phenotype Correlations
Authors: Basel-Vanagaite L. , Pasmanik-Chor M. , Lurie R. , Yeheskel A. , Kjaer K.W.
Published: May 2011

Hypotrichosis with juvenile macular dystrophy (HJMD) and ectodermal dysplasia, ectrodactyly and macular dystrophy (EEM) are both caused by mutations in the CDH3 gene. In this report, we describe a family with EEM syndrome caused by a novel CDH3 gene mutation and review the mutation spectrum and limb abnormalities in both EEM and HJMD. A protein structure model showing the localization of different mutations causing both syndromes is presented. The CDH3 gene was sequenced and investigation of the mutations performed using a protein structure model. The conservation score was calculated by ConSurf. We identified a novel CDH3 gene mutation, p.G277V, which resides in a conserved residue located on a β-strand in the second cadherin domain. Review of the data on previously published mutations showed intra-familial and inter-familial variations in the severity of the limb abnormalities. Syndactyly was the most consistent clinical finding present in all the patients regardless of mutation type. The results of our study point to a phenotypic continuum between HJMD and EEM. It is important for genetic counseling to keep in mind the possible clinical/phenotypic overlap between these 2 syndromes and to be aware of the possible risk of limb abnormalities in future pregnancies in families with HJMD syndrome. CDH3 gene mutation screening is recommended in patients with both these syndromes as part of the work-up in order to offer appropriate genetic counseling.
Suspicion of Drug-Drug Interaction between High-Dose Methotrexate and Proton Pump Inhibitors: A Case Report – Should the Practice Be Changed?
Authors: Ranchon F. , Vantard N. , Gouraud A. , Schwiertz V. , Franchon E. , Pham B.N. , Vial T. , You B. , Bouafia F. , Salles G. , Rioufol C.
Published: May 2011

We report a case of a potential drug-drug interaction in a woman treated by a first injection of high-dose methotrexate for a T-lymphoblastic lymphoma. Valaciclovir, fluoxetine and pantoprazole were given concomitantly. A methotrexate overdosage was shown at 36 h after infusion associated with a severe renal failure. Alkaline hyperhydration, folinic acid and carboxypeptidase G2 were given. Prescription analyses by pharmacists and literature research have permitted us to suggest that a drug-drug interaction between methotrexate and proton pump inhibitors (PPI) was responsible for this renal failure. Several mechanisms of interaction were suggested and might be related to the inhibition of renal methotrexate transporters by PPI, an increase in the methotrexate efflux to the blood by an upregulation of multidrug resistance protein 3 by PPI or genetic polymorphisms. This case shows that pharmacists can help physicians to optimize patient treatment: they consensually decided on the systematic discontinuation of PPI or a switch to ranitidine when patients were treated by high-dose methotrexate.
FOXD1 Duplication Causes Branchial Defects and Interacts with the TFAP2A Gene Implicated in the Branchio-Oculo-Facial Syndrome in Causing Eye Effects in Zebrafish
Authors: Balikova I. , Devriendt K. , Fryns J.-P. , Vermeesch J.R.
Published: May 2011

Branchio-oculo-facial syndrome (BOFS) is a rare disorder characterized by maldevelopment of the first and second branchial arches, skin defects, facial dysmorphism, auricular, ophthalmological and oral abnormalities. A high clinical variability has been reported. Recently, mutations in TFAP2A were found to underlie this condition. A small duplication on 5q13 was detected in 2 family members with mild BOFS features. Molecular cytogenetic delineation of the duplication demonstrated that only 7 genes are affected: LOC100289045, RGNEF, UTP15, ANKRA2, FUNDC2P1, BTF3 and FOXD1. The latter is expressed in the developing branchial arches and involved in cranio-facial development. Zebrafish embryos with combined inhibition of the expression of foxd1l and tfap2a show optic axis defects. We identified a novel locus associated with a mild BOFS-like phenotype. The functional in vivo experiments suggest an interaction between FOXD1 and TFAP2A.
Comparison of Cisplatin-5-Fluorouracil-Folinic Acid versus Modified Docetaxel-Cisplatin-5-Fluorouracil Regimens in the First-Line Treatment of Metastatic Gastric Cancer
Authors: Kos F. Tugba , Uncu Dogan , Özdemir Nuriye , Budakoglu Burcin , Odabaş Hatice , Abali Hüseyin , Oksuzoglu Berna , Aksoy Sercan , Zengin Nurullah
Published: May 2011

Objective: Prognosis of metastatic gastric cancer is poor and median survival is between 3 and 5 months. Response rates of combination chemotherapy with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and cisplatin in first-line treatment have been found to be 20–25% in the English literature. It has been demonstrated that adding docetaxel to combination chemotherapy improved time to progression and overall survival. However, the toxicity rates of the docetaxel-cisplatin-5-FU protocol were high. In our study we compared efficacy and toxicity of cisplatin-5-FU-folinic acid (CFF) and modified docetaxel-cisplatin-5-FU (mDCF) regimens in the first-line treatment of metastatic gastric cancer. Patients and Methods: Between June 2004 and October 2008, 70 patients with previously untreated metastatic gastric cancer treated with CFF (n = 30) and mDCF (n = 40) were retrospectively evaluated in the study. Survival and toxicity data were compared. Results: Median age of the patients was 53 years (range 23–69). Forty-eight percent of the patients were male and 75.7% had an ECOG performance status of 0–1. Prognostic factors including age, ECOG performance status, histopathological grade, and number and sites of metastases were similar between the groups. Objective response rates (complete and partial response) were higher in the mDCF group (30.0 vs. 13.3%, p = 0.19). While toxicity was acceptable in both groups, the most common grade 3–4 toxicities were anemia in 3.3 and 5.0%, neutropenia in 20 and 7.5%, febrile neutropenia in 6.7 and 5.0%, and diarrhea in 3.3 and 5.0% in the CFF and mDCF groups, respectively. Median follow-up was 10.3 (1.5–59.6) months. During that period 90 and 97.5% of the patients were dead in the CFF and mDCF groups, respectively. Median time to progression was 4.4 (95% CI 1.8–7.0) and 6.2 months (95% CI 5.6–6.8) (p = 0.85), median overall survival was 6.5 (95% CI 1.8–11.2) and 8.7 months (95% CI 6.7–10.7) (p = 0.88) in the CFF and mDCF groups, respectively. Conclusion: The mDCF regimen has been found to be more favorable than the CFF regimen with an acceptable toxicity profile in the first-line treatment of metastatic gastric cancer.
Elevated Plasma Homocysteine Is Associated with Increased Brain Atrophy Rates in Older Subjects with Mild Hypertension
Authors: Narayan Sunil K. , Firbank Michael J. , Saxby Brian K. , Stansby Gerard , Hansrani Monica , O’Brien John T. , Ford Gary A.
Published: May 2011

We determined using serial MR imaging whether raised plasma homocysteine levels are associated with increased brain atrophy, white matter lesion (WML) progression or incidence of silent brain infarcts (SBIs) in older hypertensive subjects. Brain atrophy rates (0.58 ± 0.48% per year, mean ± SD) were significantly correlated with homocysteine (β = 0.46, p = 0.001 homocysteine; β = 0.44, p = 0.007 homocysteine/folate/B12 models) but not with folate or B12 levels. Progression of WML (0.08 ± 0.16%) was not associated with homocysteine level (B = 0.01, p = 0.29). New SBIs were uncommon. In older hypertensive individuals, plasma homocysteine levels are associated with increased rates of whole-brain atrophy but not WML progression.
Unmasking of a Recessive SCARF2 Mutation by a 22q11.12 de novo Deletion in a Patient with Van den Ende-Gupta Syndrome
Authors: Bedeschi M.F. , Colombo L. , Mari F. , Hofmann K. , Rauch A. , Gentilin B. , Renieri A. , Clerici D.
Published: May 2011

Van den Ende-Gupta syndrome (VDEGS) is a congenital condition characterized by craniofacial and skeletal manifestations, specifically blepharophimosis, malar and maxillary hypoplasia, distinctive nose, arachnocamptodactyly, and long slender bones of the hands and feet. To date, only 24 patients have been described. It is generally thought that the syndrome is transmitted by an autosomal recessive mode of inheritance, although evidence for genetic heterogeneity has recently been presented. We report on a girl followed from birth up to 3 years of life with a set of peculiar minor anomalies, arachnocamptodactyly of hands and feet, characteristic of VDEGS in association with a 22q11.12 deletion. Recently, the VDEGS gene was mapped to the DiGeorge syndrome region on 22q11.2, and homozygous mutations in the SCARF2 gene were identified. We now report the first patient with VDEGS due to compound heterozygosity for the common 22q11.2 microdeletion and a hemizygous SCARF2 splice site mutation.
Refinement of the Region for Split Hand/Foot Malformation 5 on 2q31.1
Authors: Theisen A. , Rosenfeld J.A. , Shane K. , McBride K.L. , Atkin J.F. , Gaba C. , Hoo J. , Kurczynski T.W. , Schnur R.E. , Coffey L.B. , Zackai E.H. , Schimmenti L. , Friedman N. , Zabukovec M. , Ball S. , Pagon R. , Lucas A. , Brasington C.K. , Spence J.E. , Sparks S. , Banks V. , Smith W. , Friedberg T. , Wyatt P.R. , Aust M. , Tervo R. , Crowley A. , Skidmore D. , Lamb A.N. , Ravnan B. , Sahoo T. , Schultz R. , Torchia B.S. , Sgro M. , Chitayat D. , Shaffer L.G.
Published: May 2011

Background: Deletions that encompass 2q31.1 have been proposed as a microdeletion syndrome with common clinical features, including intellectual disability/developmental delay, microcephaly, cleft palate, growth delay, and hand/foot anomalies. In addition, several genes within this region have been proposed as candidates for split hand-foot malformation 5 (SHFM5). Methods: To delineate the genotype-phenotype correlation between deletions of this region, we identified 14 individuals with deletions at 2q31.1 detected by microarray analysis for physical and developmental disabilities. Results: All subjects for whom detailed clinical records were available had neurological deficits of varying degree. Seven subjects with deletions encompassing the HOXD cluster had hand/foot anomalies of varying severity, including syndactyly, brachydactyly, and ectrodactyly. Of 7 subjects with deletions proximal to the HOXD cluster, 5 of which encompassed DLX1/DLX2, none had clinically significant hand/foot anomalies. In contrast to previous reports, the individuals in our study did not display a characteristic gestalt of dysmorphic facial features. Conclusion: The absence of hand/foot anomalies in any of the individuals with deletions of DLX1/DLX2 but not the HOXD cluster supports the hypothesis that haploinsufficiency of the HOXD cluster, rather than DLX1/DLX2, accounts for the skeletal abnormalities in subjects with 2q31.1 microdeletions.
Impact of Polymer Formulations on Neointimal Proliferation After Zotarolimus-Eluting Stent With Different Polymers
Authors: Waseda Katsuhisa , Ako Junya , Yamasaki Masao , Koizumi Tomomi , Sakurai Ryota , Hongo Yoichiro , Koo Bon-Kwon , Ormiston John , Worthley Stephen G. , Whitbourn Robert J. , Walters Darren L. , Meredith Ian T. , Fitzgerald Peter J. , Honda Yasuhiro
Published: May 2011

Background—

Polymer formulation may affect the efficacy of drug-eluting stents. Resolute, Endeavor, and ZoMaxx are zotarolimus-eluting stents with different stent platforms and different polymer coatings and have been tested in clinical trials. The aim of this analysis was to compare the efficacy of zotarolimus-eluting stents with different polymers.

Methods and Results—

Data were obtained from the first-in man trial or first randomized trials of each stent, The Clinical RESpOnse EvaLUation of the MedTronic Endeavor CR ABT-578 Eluting Coronary Stent System in De Novo Native Coronary Artery Lesions (RESOLUTE), Randomized Controlled Trial to Evaluate the Safety and Efficacy of the Medtronic AVE ABT-578 Eluting Driver Coronary Stent in De Novo Native Coronary Artery Lesions (ENDEAVOR II), and ZoMaxx I trials. Follow-up intravascular ultrasound analyses (8 to 9 months of follow-up) were possible in 353 patients (Resolute: 88, Endeavor: 98, ZoMaxx: 82, Driver: 85). Volume index (volume/stent length) was obtained for vessel, stent, lumen, peristent plaque, and neointima. Cross-sectional narrowing was defined as neointimal area divided by stent area (%). Neointima-free frame ratio was calculated as the number of frames without intravascular ultrasound–detectable neointima divided by the total number of frames within the stent. At baseline, vessel, lumen, and peristent plaque volume index were not significantly different among the 4 stent groups. At follow-up, percent neointimal obstruction was significantly lower in Resolute compared with Endeavor, ZoMaxx, and Driver (Resolute: 3.7±4.0, Endeavor: 17.5±10.1, ZoMaxx: 14.6±8.1, Driver: 29.4±17.2%;
P
<0.001). Greater maximum cross-sectional narrowing and higher neointima-free frame ratio, suggesting less neointimal coverage, were observed in Resolute compared with other stent groups. Multiple regression analysis confirmed that the biodurable polymer used in Resolute independently correlated with neointimal suppression among 3 zotarolimus-eluting stents.

Conclusions—

The different polymer formulations significantly affect the relative amount of neointima for zotarolimus-eluting stents.

Clinical Trial Registration—

URL:
http://www.clinicaltrials.gov
. Unique identifier: NCT00248079.
Intravascular Ultrasound Findings of Early Stent Thrombosis After Primary Percutaneous Intervention in Acute Myocardial Infarction
Authors: Choi So-Yeon , Witzenbichler Bernhard , Maehara Akiko , Lansky Alexandra J. , Guagliumi Giulio , Brodie Bruce , Kellett Mirle A. , Dressler Ovidiu , Parise Helen , Mehran Roxana , Dangas George D. , Mintz Gary S. , Stone Gregg W.
Published: May 2011

Background—

Small stent area and residual inflow/outflow disease have been reported as the strongest intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) predictors of early stent thrombosis (ST) in patients with stable angina. IVUS predictors of early ST in patients with acute myocardial infarction have not been studied.

Methods and Results—

In the Harmonizing Outcomes with Revascularization and Stents in Acute Myocardial Infarction (HORIZONS-AMI) study, a formal substudy included poststent and 13-month follow-up IVUS at 36 centers. Twelve patients with baseline IVUS who had definite/probable early ST ≤30 days after enrollment were compared with 389 patients without early ST. Significant residual stenosis was a lumen area <4.0 mm
2
with ≥70% plaque burden ≤10 mm from each stent edge. Significant edge dissection was more than medial dissection with lumen area <4 mm
2
or dissection angle ≥60°. Randomization to bivalirudin (
P
=0.29) or paclitaxel-eluting stent (
P
=0.74) was not related to early ST. Minimum lumen area was smaller in patients with versus without early ST (4.4 mm
2
[3.6, 6.9] versus 6.7 mm
2
[5.3, 8.0], respectively,
P
=0.014). Minimum lumen area <5 mm
2
, significant residual stenosis, significant stent edge dissection, and significant tissue (plaque/thrombus) protrusion (more than the median that narrowed the lumen to <4 mm
2
) were more prevalent in patients with early ST, but significant acute malapposition (more than the median) was not. Overall, 100% of patients with early ST had at least 1 of these significant features: minimum lumen area <5 mm
2
, edge dissection, residual stenosis, or tissue protrusion versus 23% in patients without early ST (
P
<0.01).

Conclusions—

Smaller final lumen area and inflow/outflow disease (residual stenosis or dissection) but not acute malapposition were related to early ST after acute myocardial infarction intervention.

Clinical Trial Registration—

URL:
http://www.clinicaltrials.gov
. Unique identifier: NCT00433966.
Deductive Sort and Climbing Sort: New Methods for Non-Dominated Sorting
Authors: McClymont Kent , Keedwell Ed
Published: May 2011

In recent years an increasing number of real-world many-dimensional optimisation problems have been identified across the spectrum of research fields. Many popular evolutionary algorithms use non-dominance as a measure for selecting solutions for future generations. The process of sorting populations into non-dominated fronts is usually the controlling order of computational complexity and can be expensive for large populations or for a high number of objectives. This paper presents two novel methods for non-dominated sorting: deductive sort and climbing sort. The two new methods are compared to the fast non-dominated sort of NSGA-II and the non-dominated rank sort of the omni-optimizer. The results demonstrate the improved efficiencies of the deductive sort and the reductions in comparisons that can be made when applying inferred dominance relationships defined in this paper.
Climate Literacy as a Foundation for Progress in Predicting and Adapting to the Climate of the Coming Decades
Authors: Clement Amy , Kirtman Ben , Pirani Anna
Published: May 2011

No Abstract available.
The Influence of the Quasi-Biennial Oscillation on the Troposphere in Winter in a Hierarchy of Models. Part II: Perpetual Winter WACCM Runs
Authors: Garfinkel Chaim I. , Hartmann Dennis L.
Published: May 2011

Experiments with the Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model (WACCM) are used to understand the influence of the stratospheric tropical quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO) in the troposphere. The zonally symmetric circulation in thermal wind balance with the QBO affects high-frequency eddies throughout the extratropical troposphere. The influence of the QBO is strongest and most robust in the North Pacific near the jet exit region, in agreement with observations. Variability of the stratospheric polar vortex does not appear to explain the effect of the QBO in the troposphere in the model, although it does contribute to the response in the North Atlantic. Anomalies in tropical deep convection associated with the QBO appear to damp, rather than drive, the effect of the QBO in the extratropical troposphere. Rather, the crucial mechanism whereby the QBO modulates the extratropical troposphere appears to be the interaction of tropospheric transient waves with the axisymmetric circulation in thermal wind balance with the QBO. The response to QBO winds of realistic amplitude is stronger for perpetual February radiative conditions and sea surface temperatures than perpetual January conditions, consistent with the observed response in reanalysis data, in a coupled seasonal WACCM integration, and in dry model experiments described in Part I.
Dynamics of the Lower Stratospheric Circulation Response to ENSO
Authors: Simpson Isla R. , Shepherd Theodore G. , Sigmond Michael
Published: May 2011

A robust feature of the observed response to El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is an altered circulation in the lower stratosphere. When sea surface temperatures (SSTs) in the tropical Pacific are warmer there is enhanced upwelling and cooling in the tropical lower stratosphere and downwelling and warming in the midlatitudes, while the opposite is true of cooler SSTs. The midlatitude lower stratospheric response to ENSO is larger in the Southern Hemisphere (SH) than in the Northern Hemisphere (NH).

In this study the dynamical version of the Canadian Middle Atmosphere Model (CMAM) is used to simulate 25 realizations of the atmospheric response to the 1982/83 El Niño and the 1973/74 La Niña. This version of CMAM is a comprehensive high-top general circulation model that does not include interactive chemistry. The observed lower stratospheric response to ENSO is well reproduced by the simulations, allowing them to be used to investigate the mechanisms involved. Both the observed and simulated responses maximize in December–March and so this study focuses on understanding the mechanisms involved in that season.

The response in tropical upwelling is predominantly driven by anomalous transient synoptic-scale wave drag in the SH subtropical lower stratosphere, which is also responsible for the compensating SH midlatitude response. This altered wave drag stems from an altered upward flux of wave activity from the troposphere into the lower stratosphere between 20° and 40°S. The altered flux of wave activity can be divided into two distinct components. In the Pacific, the acceleration of the zonal wind in the subtropics from the warmer tropical SSTs results in a region between the midlatitude and subtropical jets where there is an enhanced source of low phase speed eddies. At other longitudes, an equatorward shift of the midlatitude jet from the extratropical tropospheric response to El Niño results in an enhanced source of waves of higher phase speeds in the subtropics. The altered resolved wave drag is only apparent in the SH and the difference between the two hemispheres can be related to the difference in the climatological jet structures in this season and the projection of the wind anomalies associated with ENSO onto those structures.
Baroclinic Adjustment in an Atmosphere–Ocean Thermally Coupled Model: The Role of the Boundary Layer Processes
Authors: Zhang Yang , Stone Peter H.
Published: May 2011

Baroclinic eddy equilibration and the roles of different boundary layer processes in limiting the baroclinic adjustment are studied using an atmosphere–ocean thermally coupled model. Boundary layer processes not only affect the dynamical constraint of the midlatitude baroclinic eddy equilibration but also are important components in the underlying surface energy budget. The authors' study shows that baroclinic eddies, with the strong mixing of the surface air temperature, compete against the fast boundary layer thermal damping and enhance the meridional variation of surface sensible heat flux, acting to reduce the meridional gradient of the surface temperature. Nevertheless, the requirement of the surface energy balance indicates that strong surface baroclinicity is always maintained in response to the meridionally varying solar radiation. With the strong surface baroclinicity and the boundary layer processes, the homogenized potential vorticity (PV) suggested in the baroclinic adjustment are never observed near the surface or in the boundary layer.

Although different boundary layer processes affect baroclinic eddy equilibration differently with more dynamical feedbacks and time scales included in the coupled system, their influence in limiting the PV homogenization is more uniform compared with the previous uncoupled runs. The boundary layer PV structure is more determined by the strength of the boundary layer damping than the surface baroclinicity. Stronger boundary layer processes always prevent the lower-level PV homogenization more efficiently. Above the boundary layer, a relatively robust PV structure with homogenized PV around 600–800 hPa is obtained in all of the simulations. The detailed mechanisms through which different boundary layer processes affect the equilibration of the coupled system are discussed in this study.
Improved Normalization of the Size Distribution of Atmospheric Particles Retrieved from Aureole Measurements Using the Diffraction Approximation
Authors: DeVore J. G.
Published: May 2011

This paper describes an improvement in the diffraction approximation used to retrieve the size distribution of atmospheric particles from solar aureole radiance measurements. Normalization using total optical thickness based on measurement of the solar disk radiance is replaced with one based on the aureole profile radiance itself. Retrievals involving model calculations for power-law distributions of water droplets show significant improvement using the new algorithm. Tests involving two empirical particle size distributions, one for cirrus and another for aerosols, also show improvement using the new normalization algorithm. Comparisons of the diffraction approximation algorithms with a numerical inversion algorithm found that the accuracy of the latter was higher for two different bimodal aerosol distributions. The role envisioned for the diffraction approximation is in estimating the size distribution of large particles in clouds and especially cirrus.
Content Matters
Authors: Vliegenthart Rens , Walgrave Stefaan
Published: May 2011

Why do MPs devote attention to some issues while ignoring others? The question of the issue content of parliamentary activities has been neglected in previous research. The authors use longitudinal data on parliamentary questioning in Belgium and Denmark, two similar European democracies. The analyses show that the questioning behavior of MPs is structured according to clear patterns. Opposition parties ask more questions in general. MPs tend to focus on the issues the government parties have put forward as being important. Furthermore, MPs ask more questions about issues the media have paid attention to and about issues their party cares about and identifies with. In their questioning, opposition MPs are more strongly influenced by issue ownership and media coverage. The Belgian and Danish MPs follow largely the same pattern.
The Legitimacy of Political Institutions
Authors: Doyle David
Published: May 2011

Populism is an enduring feature of Latin American electoral democracies. Within the past decade, scholars have witnessed the political ascendancy of populist politicians from both the left and right of the ideological spectrum. This naturally raises the question as to why populism has proven resilient in some Latin American democracies, whereas in others political forces have remained relatively moderate and institutionalized. This article argues that this phenomenon can be explained by varying levels of public trust in the traditional political institutions of liberal democracy across the region. Specifically, where public trust in political institutions is low, voters will be attracted to candidates who portray themselves as radical “outsiders,” crusading against the established political order. This hypothesis is tested on a new data set of 48 presidential elections, across 18 Latin American countries, between the years 1996 and 2008. The statistical results provide strong support for this argument.
Unsuccessful Success? Failed No-Confidence Motions, Competence Signals, and Electoral Support
Authors: Williams Laron K.
Published: May 2011

If no-confidence motions are primarily motivated by bringing down governments, why do only approximately 5% of no-confidence motions in advanced parliamentary democracies from 1960 result in the termination of government? In this project the author addresses this puzzle by developing a formal model of the electoral benefits of no-confidence motions and tests these hypotheses with the use of an original data set. No-confidence motions represent highly visible opportunities for opposition parties to highlight their strength or ability compared to the government in the hopes of improving their vote shares. The author finds support for the signal-based theory on a sample of 20 advanced parliamentary democracies from 1960 to 2008. Although no-confidence motions result in decreases for the government parties, the opposition parties that propose the motion experience boosts in vote share. This relationship is even stronger when the proposing party is an alternative governing possibility—illustrated by the conditioning impacts of the number of parliamentary parties and the opposition party’s ideological extremism. This provides an explanation as to why opposition parties would continue to challenge the government even though the motions are likely to fail.
MLK Boulevard
Authors: Caliendo Guillermo G.
Published: May 2011

This article examines, from a memory studies perspective, the complex interconnections between memory traces and race signification. Material forms of recollection, I contend, can inextricably be connected to racial identity individually and collectively. Once a public space is dedicated, it connects the visual-factual to the sensual-emotional: a landscape-identity nexus. Drawing from the Martin Luther King, Jr. street renaming debate in Muncie, Indiana, this article analyzes how sites of memory influence individual and social constructions of black commemoration. When the Whitely Neighborhood Association requested to rename Broadway Ave. after Martin Luther King, Jr., a city-wide debate sharply divided those in favor from those against the name change. In turning to the above mentioned case, my aim is to illuminate the means and processes by which memory comprises vigorous sites of commemoration and, at the same time, contentious settings of race negotiation, identification, and signification.
How Numbers Bias Preschoolers’ Spatial Search
Authors: Opfer John E. , Furlong Ellen E.
Published: May 2011

Numbers often bias adults’ spatial performance. Because the direction of this bias (left-to-right versus right-to-left) is culture-specific, it has been assumed that spatial-numeric associations develop with reading practice or schooling. The authors tested this assumption by examining spatial-numeric associations in pre-reading preschoolers. Preschoolers were shown two boxes (sample and matching boxes) subdivided into seven verbally numbered “rooms” (e.g., “the four room”). A “winner” card was revealed in the sample box, and children searched for the “winner” in the matching box (located in the same-numbered room). Preschoolers were faster and more accurate when rooms increased numerically from left-to-right versus right-to-left. This advantage was apparently caused by numbers influencing preschoolers’ encoding of spatial locations: Ordering of numbers in the sample box affected preschoolers’ search greatly, whereas ordering of numbers in the matching box did not. The authors conclude that numeric effects on spatial encoding develop far too early to be caused by reading practice or schooling.
Cultural Characteristics Dissociate Magnitude and Ordinal Information Processing
Authors: Shaki Samuel , Gevers Wim
Published: May 2011

The SNARC effect reflects an association between the processing of quantity information and the side of response. A close relationship has been demonstrated between the direction of this association (SNARC effect) and reading direction habit. In the present study, the authors investigated the relationship between processing of magnitude and ordinal information processing. In the first experiment, bilingual Hebrew-English participants judged the ordinal position of letters in both the English (left-to-right) and the Hebrew (right-to-left) alphabet. The observed direction of the SNARC effect was congruent with the direction of reading in both languages. The second experiment explored the same task, but now the instructions emphasized the magnitude meaning of Hebrew letters (e.g., classify the letter as smaller or larger than 5). Contrary to Experiment 1, a regular left-to-right SNARC effect was observed. Finally, in Experiment 3, we demonstrate that this left-to-right-oriented SNARC effect is robustly observed in Hebrew participants if magnitude information is relevant to the task. Relevant interpretations regarding the observed dissociation between magnitude and ordinal processing are discussed.
The Cultural Number Line: A Review of Cultural and Linguistic Influences on the Development of Number Processing
Authors: Göbel Silke M. , Shaki Samuel , Fischer Martin H.
Published: May 2011

Approximate processing of numerosities is a universal and preverbal skill, while exact number processing above 4 involves the use of culturally acquired number words and symbols. The authors first review core concepts of numerical cognition, including number representation in the brain and the influential view that numbers are associated with space along a “mental number line.” Then, they discuss how cultural influences, such as reading direction, finger counting, and the transparency of the number word system, can influence the representation and processing of numbers. Spatial mapping of numbers emerges as a universal cognitive strategy. The authors trace the impact of cultural factors on the development of number skills and conclude that a cross-cultural perspective can reveal important constraints on numerical cognition.
Induced Migration of Dental Pulp Stem Cells for in vivo Pulp Regeneration
Authors: Suzuki T. , Lee C.H. , Chen M. , Zhao W. , Fu S.Y. , Qi J.J. , Chotkowski G. , Eisig S.B. , Wong A. , Mao J.J.
Published: May 2011

Dental pulp has intrinsic capacity for self-repair. However, it is not clear whether dental pulp cells can be recruited endogenously for regenerating pulp tissues, including mineralizing into dentin. This work is based on a hypothesis that dental pulp stem/progenitor cells can be induced to migrate by chemotactic cytokines and act as endogenous cell sources for regeneration and mineralization. Dental stem cells (DSCs) were isolated from adult human tooth pulp and seeded on the surfaces of 3D collagen gel cylinders that were incubated in chemically defined media with stromal-derived factor-1α (SDF1), basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), or bone morphogenetic protein-7 (BMP7). Significantly more cells were recruited into collagen gel by SDF1 or bFGF than without cytokines in 7 days, whereas BMP7 had little effect on cell recruitment. BMP7, however, was highly effective, equally to dexamethasone, in orchestrating mineralization of cultured DSCs. Cell membrane receptors for SDF1, bFGF, and BMP7 were up-regulated in treated DSCs. Upon in vivo delivery, bFGF induced re-cellularization and re-vascularization in endodontically treated human teeth implanted into the dorsum of rats. Thus, endogenous dental pulp cells, including stem/progenitor cells, may be recruited and subsequently differentiated by chemotaxis of selective cytokines in the regeneration of dental pulp.
Nanoleakage Distribution at Adhesive-Dentin Interfaces in 3D
Authors: Coutinho E. , Cardoso M.V. , Fernandes C.P. , Neves A.A. , Gouvea C.V.D. , Van Landuyt K.L. , De Munck J. , Van Meerbeek B.
Published: May 2011

In spite of its role in the degradation of tooth-biomaterial interfaces, reports on nanoleakage are largely inconsistent. The aim of this work was to assess nanoleakage patterns qualitatively and quantitatively in 3D, to determine the influence of direction, position, and inclination of the field-of-view. Therefore, we applied a gold-standard 3-step etch-and-rinse adhesive to bur-cut dentin surfaces, after which interface samples were sectioned, infiltrated with an ammoniacal silver-nitrate solution, and embedded by common TEM procedures. High-resolution 3D models of interfaces were then generated by FIB and electron tomography, following strict conditions determined by Monte Carlo simulations. Inverted images in FIB tomography disclosed morphological characteristics analogous to those revealed by TEM. Quantitative analysis revealed large variations in silver-nitrate uptake between 2D image projections in different directions. Furthermore, silver-nitrate fractions in individual 2D image projections were seldom related to the total 3D volumetric fraction. Electron tomography showed that inclination also affected the morphology of silver-nitrate patterns. In conclusion, conventional nanoleakage evaluation is heavily influenced by direction, position, and inclination of the field-of-view, and thus may contain artifacts.
Finn Brudevold: Discovery of Acidulated Phosphate Fluoride in Caries Prevention
Authors: Newbrun E.
Published: May 2011

Finn Brudevold was a distinguished leader in dental research, recipient of many honors, and a Past President of IADR. This article traces his scientific career and focuses on his discovery and development of acidulated phosphate fluoride (APF) for practical use in caries prevention. Brudevold noticed that the low pH of stannous fluoride was very effective in getting fluoride into enamel in vitro. He hypothesized that an acidulated preparation that included phosphate to minimize enamel dissolution by a common ion effect would permit faster exchange of hydroxyls with fluoride. The clinical efficacy of APF is compared with other methods of professionally applied topical fluoride agents.
Applying the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in an Irish Context
Authors: O’Sullivan Sara
Published: May 2011

This article reports on an Irish study that examines the teaching of large, introductory-level sociology courses at a research-intensive university. The study’s aim was to ameliorate some of the problems associated with large classes by applying key lessons from the U.S. literature to an Irish setting. Overall, the initiative was successful; attendance improved, student evaluations were positive, and the numbers of students continuing with sociology increased. The study illustrates that these lessons can be applied successfully in countries with a broadly similar sociology curriculum and suggests that there is scope to extend what Howard (2010) calls “the teaching and learning movement in sociology” beyond the United States. The results indicate that simple changes lead to gains in student learning. There is therefore a value in sociologists exploring the transferability of other techniques that may be applicable to the Irish classroom.