bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Pediatric Exercise Stress Laryngoscopy following Laryngotracheoplasty: A Comparative Review
Authors: Sidell Douglas R. , Balakrishnan Karthik , Hart Catherine K. , Willging J. Paul , Knecht Sandra K. , de Alarcon Alessandro
Published: March 2014

Objective

Exercise‐induced airway obstruction in pediatric patients is a unique phenomenon with multiple potential etiologies. An accurate diagnosis can be challenging to establish in pediatric patients because they are frequently asymptomatic at rest. Exercise stress laryngoscopy (ESL) is a modality by which pediatric patients can be evaluated under physiologic conditions that produce their symptoms. The purpose of this study was to demonstrate (1) the diagnostic effectiveness of pediatric ESL and (2) the ability of ESL to guide treatment for “normal” and post–airway reconstruction patients with exercise intolerance.

Study Design

Case series with chart review.

Setting

Tertiary care children's hospital.

Subjects and Methods

Patients undergoing ESL for exercise intolerance were reviewed. Demographics, surgical history, examination findings, and management recommendations were extracted.

Results

Thirty‐seven patients (average age, 13.5 years; range, 5‐21 years) were included. There were 14 male and 23 female patients. Airway abnormalities became evident in 56% of patients. Of these, 24% had focal supraglottic collapse, 43% had evidence of paradoxical vocal fold motion, 24% had combined supraglottic and glottic dysfunction, and 9% had distal airway abnormalities. Overall, 18 patients had changes in management after ESL. Twelve patients in this review had histories of laryngotracheoplasty with equivocal findings on operative bronchoscopy. Of these patients, 10 (83%) received focal diagnoses after ESL.

Conclusion

ESL is a contemporary modality by which complex patients with undiagnosed exercise intolerance can be effectively evaluated. ESL can be an important tool used to guide treatment in pediatric patients with exercise‐induced dyspnea after airway reconstruction.
The contribution of rural businesses to community resilience
Authors: Steiner Artur , Atterton Jane
Published: March 2014

This paper explores the role of private sector enterprises in building the resilience of rural Scotland. In addition, the paper seeks to identify changes in rural enterprise activities and their impact on rural life. The paper is based on quantitative secondary data analysis and two qualitative case studies. These demonstrate how rural enterprises contribute to economic and social development in rural communities and the wider resilience of rural locations. Analysis of the secondary data highlights an increasing contribution by private sector enterprises to overall employment in rural Scotland. The data verify the importance of SMEs and, in particular, micro businesses in rural job creation. They also show the role of rural businesses in increasing the diversification of the local economy and therefore in building wider rural community resilience. The results identify changing employment patterns in rural areas (such as an increasing level of self-employment, part-time and home working and multiple job holding) which might be associated with the capacity to adapt to dynamic changes in the socio-economic environment. Finally, qualitative findings help to further understand how private sector enterprises contribute to the social and environmental resilience of rural Scotland by identifying the role they play in enhancing the quality of life of those living in rural locations. Consequently, the paper makes a substantial and original contribution to existing knowledge and debate on resilience. It uses current data on the characteristics of rural private sector enterprises to identify their economic, social and environmental importance in building the resilience of rural places and their communities.
Amphetamine sensitisation and memory in healthy human volunteers: A functional magnetic resonance imaging study
Authors: O’Daly Owen G , Joyce Daniel , Tracy Derek K , Stephan Klaas E , Murray Robin M , Shergill Sukhwinder
Published: March 2014

Amphetamine sensitisation (AS) is an established animal model of the hypersensitivity to psychostimulants seen in patients with schizophrenia. AS also models the dysregulation of mesolimbic dopamine signalling which has been implicated in the development of psychotic symptoms. Recent data suggest that the enhanced excitability of mesolimbic dopamine neurons in AS is driven by a hyperactivity of hippocampal (subiculum) neurons, consistent with a strong association between hippocampal dysfunction and schizophrenia. While AS can be modelled in human volunteers, its functional consequences on dopaminoceptive brain regions (i.e. striatum and hippocampus) remains unclear. Here we describe the effects of a sensitising dosage pattern of dextroamphetamine on the neural correlates of motor sequence learning in healthy volunteers, within a randomised, double-blind, parallel-groups design. Behaviourally, sensitisation was characterised by enhanced subjective responses to amphetamine but did not change performance (i.e. learning rate) during an explicit sequence learning task. In contrast, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) measurements showed that repeated intermittent amphetamine exposure was associated with increased blood-oxygen-level dependent (BOLD) signal within the medial temporal lobe (MTL) (subiculum/entorhinal cortex) and midbrain, in the vicinity of the substantia nigra/ventral tegmental area (SN/VTA) during sequence encoding. Importantly, MTL hyperactivity correlated with the sensitisation of amphetamine-induced attentiveness. The MTL-midbrain hyperactivity reported here mirrors observations in sensitised rodents and is consistent with contemporary models of schizophrenia and behavioural sensitisation. These findings of meso-hippocampal hyperactivity during AS thus link pathophysiological concepts of dopamine dysregulation to cognitive models of psychosis.
Two Forms of Blindness in the Social Unconscious as Expressed in Literary Texts
Authors: Raufman Ravit , Weinberg Haim
Published: March 2014

The article discusses aspects of blindness in the social unconscious as reflected in two literary products: fairy tale and short story. The discussion includes analysing the texts themselves and the analysis of a group’s reaction to such text. This examination helps in learning about both the somatic and metaphoric level of the social unconscious. Focusing on a group of Israeli participants, this article presents the functions of blindness in dealing with the aftermath of collective trauma and guilt in the Israeli social unconscious.
Study of Areca-Reinforced Phenol Formaldehyde Composites
Authors: Swamy R. P. , Kumar G. C. Mohan , Vrushabhendrappa Y. , Joseph Vince
Published: March 2014

In this paper, mechanical properties of the fibers extracted from the areca fruit are determined and compared with the other known natural fiber coir. Further these Areca fibers were chemically treated and the effect of this treatment on fiber strength is studied. Areca fiber composite laminates were prepared using Phenol Formaldehyde with randomly distributed fibers. Composite laminates were prepared with different proportions of phenol formaldehyde and fibers. Other tests like adhesion tensile test, moisture absorption test, and biodegradable test of areca-reinforced phenol formaldehyde composite laminates were conducted and reported.
Partial Replacement of Silica by Rice Husk Powder in Polystyrene–Styrene Butadiene Rubber Blends
Authors: Zurina M. , Ismail H. , Bakar A. A.
Published: March 2014

The effects of partial replacement of silica by rice husk powder on the processing, mechanical properties, effect of thermo-oxidative aging, water absorption and morphology of polystyrene (PS)–styrene butadiene rubber (SBR) blend were investigated. The composites were prepared in a Brabender Plasticorder PLE 331 with rotor speed of 50 rpm at 170 C for 10 min. Rice husk powder was hybridized with silica in order to achieve superior mechanical performance. Hybrid composites of silica and rice husk powder show that, with an increase in weight ratio of silica in the hybrid filler composites of PS–SBR, the tensile strength, Young’s modulus and impact strength increased up to a certain level and there was no significant difference in elongation at break. Effect of thermo-oxidative aging and water absorption also reduced with the increase in silica weight ratio. From SEM analysis it shows that increase in the silica loading in the hybrid filler causes smaller agglomerate sizes and better distribution in the composite. This also led to improve the properties of the composite apart from the reinforcement comfort by silica.
Maximizing ESY Services: Teaching Pre-Service Teachers to Assess Communication Skills and Implement Picture Exchange With Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder and Developmental Disabilities
Authors: Hill Doris Adams , Flores Margaret M. , Kearley Regina F.
Published: March 2014

The authors supervised and trained pre-service teachers while conducting extended school year (ESY) services for pre-kindergarten and elementary students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and other developmental disabilities (DD). Each classroom was responsible for conducting communication assessments and developing interventions focused on increasing functional communication. One intervention, the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS™), was taught to three pre-service teachers and staff who implemented PECS™ with four students who lacked functional communication skills. The teachers were mentored as they implemented the appropriate level of PECS™ and developed communication books for the students to use in school, home, and other settings.
Linking forest cover, soil erosion and mire hydrology to late-Holocene human activity and climate in NW Spain
Authors: Silva-Sánchez Noemí , Martínez Cortizas Antonio , López-Merino Lourdes
Published: March 2014

Forest clearance is one of the main drivers of soil erosion and hydrological changes in mires, although climate may also play a significant role. Because of the wide range of factors involved, understanding these complex links requires long-term multi-proxy approaches and research on the best proxies to focus. A peat core from NW Spain (Cruz do Bocelo mire), spanning the last ~3000 years, has been studied at high resolution by physical (density and loss on ignition (LOI)), geochemical (elemental composition) and palynological (pollen and non-pollen palynomorphs) analyses. Proxies related to mineral matter fluxes from the catchment (lithogenic tracers, Glomus and Entorrhiza), rainfall (Bromine), mire hydrology (HdV-18), human pressure ( Cerealia-type, nitrophilous taxa and coprophilous fungi) and forest cover (mesophilous tree taxa) were the most useful to reconstruct the evolution of the mire and its catchment. Forest clearance for farming was one of the main drivers of environmental change from at least the local Iron Age (~2685 cal. yr BP) onwards. The most intense phase of deforestation occurred during Roman and Germanic times and the late Middle Ages. During these phases, the entire catchment was affected, resulting in enhanced soil erosion and severe hydrological modifications of the mire. Climate, especially rainfall, may have also accelerated these processes during wetter periods. However, it is noteworthy that the hydrology of the mire seems to have been insensitive to rainfall variations when mesophilous forest dominated. Abrupt changes were only detected once intense forest clearance commenced during the Iron Age/Roman transition (~2190 cal. yr BP) phase, which represented a tipping point in catchment’s ability to buffer impacts. Overall, our findings highlight the importance of studying ecosystems’ long-term trajectories and catchment-wide processes when implementing mire habitat protection measures.
Healthcare information on YouTube: A systematic review
Authors: Madathil Kapil Chalil , Rivera-Rodriguez A Joy , Greenstein Joel S , Gramopadhye Anand K
Published: March 2014

This article reviews the peer-reviewed literature addressing the healthcare information available on YouTube. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were determined, and the online databases PubMed and Web of Knowledge were searched using the search phrases: (1) YouTube* AND Health* and (2) YouTube* AND Healthcare*. In all, 18 articles were reviewed, with the results suggesting that (1) YouTube is increasingly being used as a platform for disseminating health information; (2) content and frame analysis were the primary techniques employed by researchers to analyze the characteristics of this information; (3) YouTube contains misleading information, primarily anecdotal, that contradicts the reference standards and the probability of a lay user finding such content is relatively high; (4) the retrieval of relevant videos is dependent on the search term used; and (5) videos from government organizations and professional associations contained trustworthy and high-quality information. YouTube is used as a medium for promoting unscientific therapies and drugs that are yet to be approved by the appropriate agencies and has the potential to change the beliefs of patients concerning controversial topics such as vaccinations. This review recognizes the need to design interventions to enable consumers to critically assimilate the information posted on YouTube with more authoritative information sources to make effective healthcare decisions.
Spanish University Business Chairs used to increase the deployment of Action Research in Operations Management: A case study and analysis
Authors: Avella Lucía , Alfaro José A
Published: March 2014

This research identifies Action Research as a methodology that can play an important role in enhancing the contribution of universities to the improvement of business competitiveness through Operations Management research. We propose that a Business Chair, defined as an agreement between a university and a business organization, can be a useful tool in research projects based on Action Research methodology. We analyze a set of Business Chairs in the field of Operations Management in Spanish universities. We draw up a set of research questions aiming to determine the degree to which Action Research methodology is used in the Chairs analyzed, and to define the key factors for the successful implementation of Action Research projects.
Exploration of the effects of peer teaching of research on students in an undergraduate nursing programme
Authors: Thomson Patricia , Smith Annetta , Annesley Sarah
Published: March 2014

The use of peer teaching has been recognised as a valuable teaching and learning strategy in higher education. It has been used in nursing as an adjunct to lectures and to support learning in clinical practice. Despite a developing literature there is limited understanding of its use for teaching about research. This educational project aimed to increase understanding of the effects of peer teaching of research in an undergraduate nursing programme. A convenience sample of 151 third year student ‘learners’ were recruited from three campuses across a School of Nursing, Midwifery and Health in Scotland. Students were asked to complete a questionnaire evaluating nine peer teaching sessions delivered by seven separate peer ‘tutor’ presenters, i.e. honours students (two students repeated their presentations). Five peer ‘tutors’ participated in a focus group to discuss their experience of teaching and personal learning. Results indicated that the student learners’ understanding of research and its relevance to clinical practice had been enhanced. These findings resonated with the peer ‘tutors’ intentions of helping other students to make that connection through the presentation of their work. In conclusion, peer teaching of research helped undergraduate nursing students learn about research and it assisted the peer ‘tutors’ to consolidate their learning, develop teaching skills and confidence.
In situ observation of bainite to austenite transformation of microalloyed high strength steel during simulated welding cycle
Authors: Lei X. W. , Wang H. H. , Wu K. M. , Shirzadi A. A. , Yin Y. Q. , Wu N. C.
Published: March 2014

A confocal scanning laser microscope, equipped with a high temperature stage, was used for in situ observation of the bainite to austenite transformation in a microalloyed high strength steel. Austenite grain growth was observed and measured directly from 1040°C to the peak temperature of 1340°C during the heating process, as well as the subsequent cooling down to 1040°C. The grain growth rate versus temperature was analysed. It was demonstrated that the austenite grains grew up simultaneously by means of grain boundary migration and ‘grain swallowing’ phenomena. The variation in grain growth rate was attributed to the presence of impeding precipitates, e.g. carbonitrides Nb,Ti(C,N). The work also showed that coarsening and/or dissolution of carbonitride precipitates, above a certain temperature, led to a fast grain growth. The in situ observation by confocal scanning laser microscope can provide valuable information on the austenite reformation and final microstructure of weldments.
Analysis of the DNA methylome and transcriptome in granulopoiesis reveals timed changes and dynamic enhancer methylation
Authors: Rönnerblad Michelle , Andersson Robin , Olofsson Tor , Douagi Iyadh , Karimi Mohsen , Lehmann Sören , Hoof Ilka , de Hoon Michiel , Itoh Masayoshi , Nagao-Sato Sayaka , Kawaji Hideya , Lassmann Timo , Carninci Piero , Hayashizaki Yoshihide , Forrest Alistair R. R. , Sandelin Albin , Ekwall Karl , Arner Erik , Lennartsson Andreas
Published: March 2014

Key Points

In granulopoiesis, changes in DNA methylation preferably occur at points of lineage restriction in low CpG areas. DNA methylation is dynamic in enhancer elements and appears to regulate the expression of key transcription factors and neutrophil genes.
A fixed point theorem for preordered complete fuzzy quasi-metric spaces and an application
Authors: Castro-Company Francisco , Romaguera Salvador , Tirado Pedro
Published: March 2014

We obtain a fixed point theorem for a type of generalized contractions on preordered complete fuzzy quasi-metric spaces which is applied to deduce, among other results, a procedure to show in a direct and easy fashion the existence of solution for the recurrence equations that are typically associated to Quicksort and Divide and Conquer algorithms, respectively.

MSC:47H10, 54H25, 06A06, 68Q25.
Estimation of protein function using template-based alignment of enzyme active sites
Authors: Hanson Brett , Westin Charles , Rosa Mario , Grier Alexander , Osipovitch Mikhail , MacDonald Madolyn L , Dodge Greg , Boli Paule M , Corwin Cyprian W , Kessler Haeja , McKay Talia , Bernstein Herbert J , Craig Paul A
Published: March 2014

Background

The accumulation of protein structural data occurs more rapidly than it can be characterized by traditional laboratory means. This has motivated widespread efforts to predict enzyme function computationally. The most useful/accurate strategies employed to date are based on the detection of motifs in novel structures that correspond to a specific function. Functional residues are critical components of predictively useful motifs. We have implemented a novel method, to complement current approaches, which detects motifs solely on the basis of distance restraints between catalytic residues.

Results

ProMOL is a plugin for the PyMOL molecular graphics environment that can be used to create active site motifs for enzymes. A library of 181 active site motifs has been created with ProMOL, based on definitions published in the Catalytic Site Atlas (CSA). Searches with ProMOL produce better than 50% useful Enzyme Commission (EC) class suggestions for level 1 searches in EC classes 1, 4 and 5, and produce some useful results for other classes. 261 additional motifs automatically translated from Jonathan Barker’s JESS motif set [Bioinformatics 19:1644–1649, 2003] and a set of NMR motifs is under development. Alignments are evaluated by visual superposition, Levenshtein distance and root-mean-square deviation (RMSD) and are reasonably consistent with related search methods.

Conclusion

The ProMOL plugin for PyMOL provides ready access to template-based local alignments. Recent improvements to ProMOL, including the expanded motif library, RMSD calculations and output selection formatting, have greatly increased the program’s usability and speed, and have improved the way that the results are presented.
Prophage-like elements present in Mycobacteriumgenomes
Authors: Fan Xiangyu , Xie Longxiang , Li Wu , Xie Jianping
Published: March 2014

Background

Prophages, integral components of many bacterial genomes, play significant roles in cognate host bacteria, such as virulence, toxin biosynthesis and secretion, fitness cost, genomic variations, and evolution. Many prophages and prophage-like elements present in sequenced bacterial genomes, such as Bifidobacteria, Lactococcus and Streptococcus, have been described. However, information for the prophage of Mycobacterium remains poorly defined.

Results

In this study, based on the search of the complete genome database from GenBank, the Whole Genome Shotgun (WGS) databases, and some published literatures, thirty-three prophages were described in detail. Eleven of them were full-length prophages, and others were prophage-like elements. Eleven prophages were firstly revealed. They were phiMAV_1, phiMAV_2, phiMmcs_1, phiMmcs_2, phiMkms_1, phiMkms_2, phiBN42_1, phiBN44_1, phiMCAN_1, phiMycsm_1, and phiW7S_1. Their genomes and gene contents were firstly analyzed. Furthermore, comparative genomics analyses among mycobacterioprophages showed that full-length prophage phi172_2 belonged to mycobacteriophage Cluster A and the phiMmcs_1, phiMkms_1, phiBN44_1, and phiMCAN_1 shared high homology and could be classified into one group.

Conclusions

To our knowledge, this is the first systematic characterization of mycobacterioprophages, their genomic organization and phylogeny. This information will afford more understanding of the biology of Mycobacterium.
Pulmonary lymphangitic carcinomatosis in liver carcinoma: a rare case report and literature review
Authors: Zhuang Li , Liu Xiangyan , Hu Chen , Zhang Lin , Jiang Guoping , Wu Jian , Zheng Shusen
Published: March 2014

Primary liver carcinoma is the most important malignant disease. The nodular metastatic foci of liver carcinoma are usually found in the lung, adrenal gland or abdomen after resection or transplantation. Pulmonary lymphangitic carcinomatosis (PLC) accounts for approximately 6% to 8% of metastatic cancer in the lung. The occurrence of PLC is extremely rare in liver carcinoma. Herein we report the case of a patient with PLC after liver transplantation due to liver carcinoma. PLC was confirmed by clinical manifestations, imaging studies and cytologic examination of exfoliated cells in the pleural effusion.
Construct validity of the Chelsea critical care physical assessment tool: an observational study of recovery from critical illness
Authors: Corner Evelyn J , Soni Neil , Handy Jonathan M , Brett Stephen J
Published: March 2014

Introduction

Intensive care unit-acquired weakness (ICU-AW) is common in survivors of critical illness, resulting in global weakness and functional deficit. Although ICU-AW is well described subjectively in the literature, the value of objective measures has yet to be established. This project aimed to evaluate the construct validity of the Chelsea Critical Care Physical Assessment tool (CPAx) by analyzing the association between CPAx scores and hospital-discharge location, as a measure of functional outcome.

Methods

The CPAx was integrated into practice as a service-improvement initiative in an 11-bed intensive care unit (ICU). For patients admitted for more than 48 hours, between 10 May 2010 and 13 November 2013, the last CPAx score within 24 hours of step down from the ICU or death was recorded (n = 499). At hospital discharge, patients were separated into seven categories, based on continued rehabilitation and care needs. Descriptive statistics were used to explore the association between ICU discharge CPAx score and hospital-discharge location.

Results

Of the 499 patients, 171 (34.3%) returned home with no ongoing rehabilitation or care input; 131 (26.2%) required community support; 28 (5.6%) went to inpatient rehabilitation for <6 weeks; and 25 (5.0%) went to inpatient rehabilitation for >6 weeks; 27 (5.4%) required nursing home level of care; 80 (16.0%) died in the ICU, and 37 (7.4%) died in hospital. A significant difference was found in the median CPAx score between groups (P < 0.0001). Four patients (0.8%) scored full marks (50) on the CPAx, all of whom went home with no ongoing needs; 16 patients (3.2%) scored 0 on the CPAx, all of whom died within 24 hours. A 0.8% ceiling effect and a 3.2% floor effect of the CPAx is found in the ICU. Compliance with completion of the CPAx stabilized at 78% of all ICU admissions.

Conclusion

The CPAx score at ICU discharge has displayed construct validity by crudely discriminating between groups with different functional needs at hospital discharge. The CPAx has a limited floor and ceiling effect in survivors of critical illness. A significant proportion of patients had a requirement for postdischarge care and rehabilitation.
Discriminative histogram taxonomy features for snake species identification
Authors: James Alex Pappachen , Mathews Bincy , Sugathan Sherin , Raveendran Dileep Kumar
Published: March 2014

Background

Incorrect snake identification from the observable visual traits is a major reason for death resulting from snake bites in tropics. So far no automatic classification method has been proposed to distinguish snakes by deciphering the taxonomy features of snake for the two major species of snakes i.e. Elapidae and Viperidae. We identify 38 different taxonomically relevant features to develop the Snake database from 490 sample images of Naja Naja (Spectacled cobra), 193 sample images of Ophiophagus Hannah (King cobra), 88 images of Bungarus caeruleus (Common krait), 304 sample images of Daboia russelii (Russell’s viper), 116 images of Echis carinatus (Saw scaled viper) and 108 images of Hypnale hypnale (Hump Nosed Pit Viper).

Results

Snake identification performances with 13 different types of classifiers and 12 attribute elevator demonstrate that 15 out of 38 taxonomically relevant features are enough for snake identification. Interestingly, these features were almost equally distributed from the logical grouping of top, side and body views of snake images, and the features from the bottom view of snakes had the least role in the snake identification.

Conclusion

We find that only few of the taxonomically relevant snake features are useful in the process of snake identification. These discriminant features are essential to improve the accuracy of snake identification and classification. The presented study indicate that automated snake identification is useful for practical applications such as in medical diagnosis, conservation studies and surveys by interdisciplinary practitioners with little expertise in snake taxonomy.
Nonlinear Response Potential of Real versus Simulated Ground Motions for the 11 March 2011 Tohoku-oki Earthquake
Authors: Goda Katsuichiro , Kurahashi Susumu , Ghofrani Hadi , Atkinson Gail M. , Irikura Kojiro
Published: March 2014

This study compares the nonlinear response potential of generic inelastic single-degree-of-freedom systems subjected to three sets of ground motion records for the 2011 Tohoku main shock. The compared record sets, all for the same sites, are: (1) observed accelerograms at 48 KiK-net strong motion stations; (2) time-histories simulated from the empirical Green's function method; and (3) time-histories simulated using the stochastic finite-fault method (with multiple sub-events). The adopted techniques can capture a realistic source rupture process involving multiple strong motion generation areas in simulations. Statistical analysis of computed peak ductility demands for the three record sets is conducted via cloud and stripe analyses. Results indicate that for the 2011 Tohoku main shock, different record sets produce similar average trends of the inelastic seismic demand curves. This conclusion is applicable to both cloud and stripe approaches and to structural systems with degrading and pinching hysteresis.
The Ability of Thyroid Hormone Receptors to Sense T4 as an Agonist Depends on Receptor Isoform and on Cellular Cofactors
Authors: Schroeder Amy , Jimenez Robyn , Young Briana , Privalsky Martin L.
Published: March 2014

T4 (3,5,3′,5′-tetraiodo-l-thyronine) is classically viewed as a prohormone that must be converted to the T3 (3,5,3′-triiodo-l-thyronine) form for biological activity. We first determined that the ability of reporter genes to respond to T4 and to T3 differed for the different thyroid hormone receptor (TR) isoforms, with TRα1 generally more responsive to T4 than was TRβ1. The response to T4 vs T3 also differed dramatically in different cell types in a manner that could not be attributed to differences in deiodinase activity or in hormone affinity, leading us to examine the role of TR coregulators in this phenomenon. Unexpectedly, several coactivators, such as steroid receptor coactivator-1 (SRC1) and thyroid hormone receptor-associated protein 220 (TRAP220), were recruited to TRα1 nearly equally by T4 as by T3 in vitro, indicating that TRα1 possesses an innate potential to respond efficiently to T4 as an agonist. In contrast, release of corepressors, such as the nuclear receptor coreceptor NCoRω, from TRα1 by T4 was relatively inefficient, requiring considerably higher concentrations of this ligand than did coactivator recruitment. Our results suggest that cells, by altering the repertoire and abundance of corepressors and coactivators expressed, may regulate their ability to respond to T4, raising the possibility that T4 may function directly as a hormone in specific cellular or physiological contexts.
Free Trade Agreements and the Consolidation of Democracy
Authors: Liu Xuepeng , Ornelas Emanuel
Published: March 2014

We study the relationship between participation in free trade agreements (FTAs) and the sustainability of democracy. Our model shows that FTAs can critically reduce the incentive of authoritarian groups to seek power by destroying protectionist rents, thus making democracies last longer. This gives governments in unstable democracies an extra motive to form FTAs. Hence, greater democratic instability induces governments to boost their FTA commitments. In a dataset with 116 countries over 1960–2007, we find robust support for these predictions. They help to rationalize the rapid simultaneous growth of regionalism and of worldwide democratization since the late 1980s. (JEL D72, F13, F15, O19, O24)
Persistent Liquidity Effects and Long-Run Money Demand
Authors: Alvarez Fernando , Lippi Francesco
Published: March 2014

We present a monetary model with segmented asset markets that implies a persistent fall in interest rates after a once-and-for-all increase in liquidity. The gradual propagation mechanism produced by our model is novel in the literature. We provide an analytical characterization of this mechanism, showing that the magnitude of the liquidity effect on impact, and its persistence, depend on the ratio of two parameters: the long-run interest rate elasticity of money demand and the intertemporal substitution elasticity. The model simultaneously explains the short-run “instability” of money demand estimates as well as the stability of long-run interest-elastic money demand. (JEL E13, E31, E41, E43, E52, E62)
ENSEÑANZA Y APRENDIZAJE DE LA RAZÓN, LA PROPORCIÓN Y LA PROPORCIONALIDAD: UN ESTADO DEL ARTE
Authors: Obando Z Gilberto , Vasco Carlos Eduardo , Arboleda Luis Carlos
Published: March 2014

Razones, proporciones y proporcionalidad constituyen un campo ampliamente investigado en los últimos cincuenta años. Evaluaciones recientes muestran que estos objetos de conocimiento siguen siendo difíciles de aprender para la mayoría de los estudiantes, lo que constituye un certero indicador de la necesidad de hacer mayor investigación didáctica que permita nuevas comprensiones de dicha problemática y, por esa vía, lograr mayores impactos en el sistema educativo. En este artículo se revisan y comentan algunas investigaciones recientes sobre razón, proporción y proporcionalidad. De acuerdo con la perspectiva de análisis, se agrupan en tres momentos: cognitivo, epistémico y semiótico-antropológico. Finalmente, se plantean algunos problemas de investigación a manera de conclusión.
Intra-articular decorin influences the fibrosis genetic expression profile in a rabbit model of joint contracture
Authors: Abdel M. P. , Morrey M. E. , Barlow J. D. , Grill D. E. , Kolbert C. P. , An K. N. , Steinmann S. P. , Morrey B. F. , Sanchez-Sotelo J.
Published: March 2014

Objectives

The goal of this study was to determine whether intra-articular administration of the potentially anti-fibrotic agent decorin influences the expression of genes involved in the fibrotic cascade, and ultimately leads to less contracture, in an animal model.

Methods

A total of 18 rabbits underwent an operation on their right knees to form contractures. Six limbs in group 1 received four intra-articular injections of decorin; six limbs in group 2 received four intra-articular injections of bovine serum albumin (BSA) over eight days; six limbs in group 3 received no injections. The contracted limbs of rabbits in group 1 were biomechanically and genetically compared with the contracted limbs of rabbits in groups 2 and 3, with the use of a calibrated joint measuring device and custom microarray, respectively.

Results

There was no statistical difference in the flexion contracture angles between those limbs that received intra-articular decorin versus those that received intra-articular BSA (66° vs 69°; p = 0.41). Likewise, there was no statistical difference between those limbs that received intra-articular decorin versus those who had no injection (66° vs 72°; p = 0.27). When compared with BSA, decorin led to a statistically significant increase in the mRNA expression of 12 genes (p < 0.01). In addition, there was a statistical change in the mRNA expression of three genes, when compared with those without injection.

Conclusions

In this model, when administered intra-articularly at eight weeks, 2 mg of decorin had no significant effect on joint contractures. However, our genetic analysis revealed a significant alteration in several fibrotic genes. Cite this article: Bone Joint Res 2014;3:82–8.
Characterization of Endoneurial Fibroblast-like Cells from Human and Rat Peripheral Nerves
Authors: Richard Laurence , Védrenne Nicolas , Vallat Jean-Michel , Funalot Benoît
Published: March 2014

Endoneurial fibroblast-like cells (EFLCs) are one of the cell populations present in the peripheral nervous system. The role and immunophenotypic characteristics of EFLCs are not well known and led us to perform a histological and cytological study of EFLCs in normal human and rat peripheral nerves. We found that all EFLCs express CD34, neural/glial antigen 2 (NG2), and prolyl-4-hydrolase-beta. In addition, half of the EFLCs in normal peripheral nerves express platelet-derived growth factor receptor-β (PDGFR-β) and some also express the intermediate filament nestin in vivo (at a lower level than Schwann cells, which express high levels of nestin). Using cell cultures of purified EFLCs, we characterized subpopulations of EFLCs expressing PDGFR-β alone or PDGFR-β and nestin. Experimental nerve lesions in rat resulted in an increase in nestin-positive EFLCs, which returned to normal levels after 8 days. This suggests that some EFLCs could have a different proliferative and/or regenerative potential than others, and these EFLCs may play a role in the initial phase of nerve repair. These “activated” EFLCs share some immunophenotypic similarities with pericytes and Interstitial cells of Cajal, which have progenitor cell potentials. This raises the questions as to whether a proportion of EFLCs have a possible role as endoneurial progenitor cells.
From Pet-Making to High-Tech: Exploring the Dog‘s Role in the Media Environment
Authors: Rose Ellen
Published: March 2014

The purpose of this article is to broaden the media ecology perspective by considering the role of another creature, the dog, within the media environment. It is argued that the dog does not exist outside the media environment but is in fact a vital part its ecology. Its roles are formative (the dog’s presence in prehistoric human communities was arguably a precondition for the emergence of media and technology), compensatory (the dog’s presence helps us tolerate life in technological society), and moral (the dog communicates information about who we are as ethical beings that becomes vital in a society increasingly dominated by amoral technological imperatives). An acknowledgment of the dog’s roles is offered as a necessary step toward a truly ecological understanding of the nature and quality of interactions—both human and non-human—within the media environment.
The Computational Mind and the Digitized Society: A Question of Rules
Authors: Olson David R.
Published: March 2014

Information technology has allowed us to organize and coordinate actions to a degree unimaginable even a few decades ago—think of the man on the moon program— and to understand the rational workings of the human mind—think of Chomsky’s account of language as the product of rules and representations. I examine both of these ventures in terms of the increasing rationality of thought and action and the increasing rationality of social organization—the attempt to make both subject to explicit rules. I begin by commenting briefly on five domains where rules have a conspicuous place before advancing my arguments connecting rules, whether psychological or social, and literacy.
Las dos grandes revoluciones del Caribe, Haití y Cuba: ¿ejemplos o escarmientos?
Authors: Pantojas García Emilio
Published: March 2014

¿Por qué las dos grandes revoluciones del Caribe, Haití y Cuba, fueron condenadas al ostracismo por sus contemporáneos y se presentan en el discurso de la historia popular como escarmientos, más que como gestas ejemplares? Estas y otras preguntas relacionadas se contestan examinando tres aristas de argumentación: la revolución como momento crítico de transición, la sustentabilidad económica como reto central de las revoluciones y la revolución como utopía frente a la ontología del Caribe como región subordinada.
Spontaneous twin gestation in each horn of uterus didelphys complicated with unilateral preterm labor
Authors: Ozyuncu Ozgur , Turgal Mert , Yazicioglu Aslihan , Ozek Aykut
Published: March 2014

Uterus didelphys is one of the developmental malformations of the mullerian ducts because of non-fusion in the midline resulting in two separate uteri. Simultaneous twin gestation with each fetus in a separate horn of uterus didelphys is an extremely rare entity. Herein, we report a case with spontaneous gestations in each uterine cavity in which the course of pregnancy of the right horn was complicated by preterm labor.
Fetal presentation of Klippel-Trénaunay-Weber syndrome with massive pleural effusion and ascites
Authors: Araki Naoto , Yamada Takahiro , Morikawa Mamoru , Akimoto Takuma , Cho Kazutoshi , Minakami Hisanori
Published: March 2014

Background: Although fetuses with Klippel-Trénaunay-Weber syndrome (KTS) show various morphological abnormalities on imaging studies, fetal presentation with hydrops fetalis is relatively uncommon in KTS.

Case: A 28-year-old Japanese woman who had previously given birth to a healthy infant was referred to us at gestational week (GW) 22 due to huge pleural effusion and ascites. The possibility of fetal pulmonary hypoplasia prompted us to place bilateral thoracoamniotic shunts at GW 23 after extensive discussion with both parents. The bilateral shunts were effective in preventing recurrence of pleural effusion. However, ascites gradually increased and clinical signs of fetal cardiac failure necessitated cesarean section at GW 34. A male infant, weighing 4252 g at birth and 2860 g after removal of ascites, survived to the neonatal period and did not require oxygen after postnatal day 63. The infant left hospital on day 103 with a diagnosis of KTS.

Conclusion: Fetuses with KTS may present with massive pleural effusion and ascites. Thoracoamniotic shunting may be effective in such hydropic fetuses with KTS.
Electrical Behavior of Probertite by Dielectric Spectroscopy
Authors: Okutan M. , Yalçın Z. , İçelli O. , Ay F. , Boncukçuoğlu R. , Artun O. , Delipınar D.
Published: March 2014

In this work of the material investigation, electrical parameters, which are real part and imaginary part of modulus, dielectric constant, dissipation factor, and conductivity, in the bulk pellet of probertite sample is presented. Electrical properties were investigated via temperature and frequency dependent dielectric spectroscopy. Real and imaginary part of dielectric parameter properties of the probertite were measured at frequencies from 100 to 15M Hz in the temperature range of 25 to 150 °C. Temperature dependence of the real part of the dielectric constant suggests that these compounds exhibit strong electromagnetic absorption and broadband electrical behavior.
Serum sex hormone-binding globulin and testosterone in relation to cardiovascular disease risk factors in young men: a population-based study
Authors: Canoy D , Barber T M , Pouta A , Hartikainen A L , McCarthy M I , Franks S , Järvelin M R , Tapanainen J S , Ruokonen A , Huhtaniemi I T , Martikainen H
Published: March 2014

Objective

Reduced sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) concentration predicts insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes, but its association with cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk is unclear. We examined the association between SHBG and cardiovascular risk factors, independently of total testosterone (TT), in young men.

Design

Observational, cross-sectional study.

Setting

General community.

Participants

The study included 2716 men aged 31 years in the Northern Finland Birth Cohort in 1996 with clinical examination data and fasting blood samples.

Outcome variables

Blood pressure (BP), lipids and C-reactive protein (CRP) as biological CVD risk markers.

Results

SHBG concentration was significantly and inversely related to systolic and diastolic BP, triglycerides and CRP, but positively to HDL cholesterol after adjusting for insulin, BMI, waist circumference, smoking, education and physical activity (allP<0.05). These linearly graded associations persisted with additional adjustment for TT. SHBG was significantly associated with total cholesterol only with adjustment for covariates and TT (P<0.05). The direction and magnitude of associations between TT and risk factors were variable, but further adjustment for insulin, adiposity and SHBG showed positive associations between TT and BP, total and LDL-cholesterol and triglycerides and an inverse association with CRP (allP<0.05), but its relation with HDL-cholesterol was no longer significant.

Conclusions

In this cohort of young adult men, higher SHBG concentration was associated with a more favourable CVD risk profile, independently of TT. SHBG concentration modified the associations of TT with CVD risk factors.
A Novel Cell Death Gene Acts to Repair Patterning Defects in Drosophila melanogaster
Authors: Tanaka Kentaro M , Takahashi Aya , Fuse Naoyuki , Takano-Shimizu-Kouno Toshiyuki
Published: March 2014

Cell death is a mechanism utilized by organisms to eliminate excess cells during development. Here, we describe a novel regulator of caspase-independent cell death, Mabiki (Mabi), that is involved in the repair of the head patterning defects caused by extra copies of bicoid in Drosophila melanogaster. Mabiki functions together with caspase-dependent cell death mechanisms to provide robustness during development.
Exenatide improves type 2 diabetes concomitant with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
Authors: Fan Hui , Pan QingRong , Xu Yuan , Yang XinChun
Published: March 2014

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of exenatide on blood glucose, body weight and hepatic enzymes in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and concomitant non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). SUBJECTS AND METHODS: One hundred and seventeen patients with T2DM and NAFLD were randomly divided into exenatide group and metformin group. Patients were treated with exenatide and metformin, respectively, for 12 weeks. RESULTS: After 12 weeks of treatment, body weight, body mass index (BMI), waist-to-hip ratio, HbA1c, FPG, 2-h PPG, ALT, AST, γ-GT, and hs-CRP were significantly reduced, and the AST/ALT ratio and adiponectin were markedly increased in both groups. BMI, waist-to-hip ratio, 2-h PPG, ALT, AST, γ-GT, and hs-CRP were markedly lower, and AST/ALT ratio and adiponectin in the exenatide group were dramatically higher than in the metformin group. CONCLUSION: Compared with metformin, exenatide is better to control blood glucose, reduces body weight and improves hepatic enzymes, attenuating NAFLD in patients with T2DM concomitant with NAFLD.
Rastreio de síndrome poliglandular autoimune em uma população de pacientes com diabetes melito tipo 1
Authors: Gouveia Sofia , Gomes Leonor , Ribeiro Cristina , Carrilho Francisco
Published: March 2014

OBJETIVO: Caracterizar uma população de pacientes com diabetes melito tipo 1 (DMT1) relativamente à presença de outras entidades autoimunes que permitam estabelecer o diagnóstico de síndrome poliglandular autoimune (SPGA). SUJEITOS E MÉTODOS: Incluímos 151 pacientes com DMT1. Analisamos os seguintes parâmetros clínicos: gênero, idade atual, duração da doença, antecedentes pessoais de patologia autoimune e antecedentes familiares de diabetes melito. Submetemos cada doente a um estudo laboratorial com o objetivo de detectar a presença de marcadores imunológicos para a tireoidite, insuficiência adrenocortical, gastrite e doença celíaca, e eventual disfunção associada. RESULTADOS: Coorte com 51,7% homens, idade média atual de 33,4 ± 13 anos e duração da doença de 14,4 ± 9,6 anos. Antecedentes pessoais de autoimunidade presentes em 2% da amostra e história familiar de diabetes melito em 31,1%. A frequência de marcadores imunológicos foi de 24% para a tireoidite, 9,4% para a insuficiência adrenocortical, 17,2% para a gastrite e 2% para a doença celíaca. Foi diagnosticada SPGA em 25,2% dos pacientes. O risco de SPGA e tireoidite autoimune foi superior em mulheres. A duração da doença correlacionou-se diretamente com a presença de autoanticorpos gástricos e inversamente com a positividade dos anticorpos anti-ilhota, antiglutamato descarboxilase e antitirosina fosfatase. Constatou-se a existência de uma associação entre os marcadores imunológicos da tireoidite e gastrite, bem como entre a doença celíaca e insuficiência adrenocortical. CONCLUSÃO: Atendendo à frequência e ao prognóstico inerente à SPGA, a necessidade de realizar rastreio em pacientes com DMT1 é enfatizada. O diagnóstico atempado de outras doenças autoimunes permitirá individualizar o tratamento e seguimento do doente.