bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Anomalous coronary origin: the challenge in preventing exercise-related sudden cardiac death
Authors: Edwards C P , Yavari A , Sheppard M N , Sharma S
Published: April 2010

The sudden cardiac death (SCD) of a young athlete is a catastrophic event, particularly in the absence of prodromal warning symptoms. Anomalous coronary origin (ACO) is a well-described cause of cardiac symptoms and SCD, but the diagnosis is usually missed by conventional non-invasive investigations designed to identify myocardial ischaemia. SCD is preventable by correction of the anomaly. A tragic case of a promising young athlete who had underlying ACO and who presented with prodromal symptoms with multiple “negative” investigations is described to highlight the typical clinical features and outline the difficulties encountered in accurate premortem diagnosis.
Subclinical thyroid disorders: significance and clinical impact
Authors: Razvi Salman , Weaver Jolanta U , Pearce Simon H S
Published: April 2010

Subclinical thyroid diseases are defined by abnormal serum thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) levels associated with normal thyroid hormone concentrations. The diagnosis of these conditions depends on defining the ‘normal’ euthyroid TSH range; in this review, arguments for and against lowering the upper limit of TSH are summarised. Although, subclinical hypothyroidism and subclinical hyperthyroidism are frequently encountered, their long-term consequences are debated due to conflicting results from many observational studies. The causes, effects and outcomes of treatment of both subclinical diseases are described, and the direction of future research in these conditions is outlined.
External quality assessment scheme for parasite serology; a review of the scheme design and performance
Authors: Collier S , Manser M , Chiodini P L
Published: April 2010

Background

An external quality assessment (EQA) scheme for parasite serology was introduced in April 2005 as a tool to measure how well laboratories were performing in parasite serodiagnosis.

Aim and Methods

To review the scheme design and performance from its beginning until January 2008.

Results

The numbers of participating laboratories gradually increased during the review period and was 28 in January 2008. The results showed that the standard of reporting was extremely high and there was an encouraging trend towards improvement in the overall percentage of correct reports. The most common error made was the returning of false negative results forStrongyloidesantibodies.

Conclusion

It is hoped that this scheme will lead to a more standardised approach to the serological diagnosis of parasitic infection.
Ureases as a target for the treatment of gastric and urinary infections
Authors: Follmer C
Published: April 2010

Urease is known to be a major contributor to pathologies induced byHelicobacter pyloriandProteusspecies. InHpylori, urease allows the bacteria to survive in an acidic gastric environment during colonisation, playing an important role in the pathogenesis of gastric and peptic ulcers. Ureolytic activity also results in the production of ammonia in close proximity to the gastric epithelium, causing cell damage and inflammation. In the case ofProteusspecies (notablyProteus mirabilis) infection, stones are formed due to the presence of ammonia and carbon dioxide released by urease action. In addition, the ammonia released is able to damage the glycosaminoglycan layer, which protects the urothelial surface against bacterial infection. In this context, the administration of urease inhibitors may be an effective therapy for urease-dependent pathogenic bacteria. This is a review of the role of ureases inH pyloriandProteusspecies infections, focussing on the biochemical and clinical aspects of the most promising and/or potent urease inhibitors for the treatment of gastric and urinary tract infections.
Spindle cell melanocytic lesions: part II—an approach to intradermal proliferations and horizontally oriented lesions
Authors: Sade Shachar , Al Habeeb Ayman , Ghazarian Danny
Published: April 2010

Melanocytic lesions show great morphological diversity in their architecture and the cytomorphological appearance of their composite cells. Whereas functional melanocytes show a dendritic cytomorphology and territorial isolation, lesional nevomelanocytes and melanoma cells typically show epithelioid, spindled or mixed cytomorphologies, and a range of architectural arrangements. Spindling is common to melanocytic lesions, and may either be a characteristic feature or a divergent appearance. The presence of spindle cells may mask the melanocytic nature of a lesion, and is often disconcerting, either due to its infrequent appearance in a particular lesion or its interpretation as a dedifferentiated phenotype. Spindle cell melanocytic lesions follow the full spectrum of potential biological outcomes, and difficulty may be experienced judging the nature of a lesion due to a lack of consistently reliable features to predict biological behaviour. Over time, recognition of numerous histomorphological features that may portend a more aggressive lesion have been identified; however, the translation of these features into a diagnostic entity requires a gestalt approach. Although most spindle cell melanocytic lesions may reliably be resolved through this standard approach, problem areas do exist for the surgical pathologist or dermatopathologist. With this review (part II of II), we complete our discussion of spindle cell melanocytic lesions, in order to: (1) model a systematic approach to such lesions; and (2) provide familiarity with those melanocytic lesions which either typically or occasionally display a spindled cytomorphology.
Salmon Stock Identification Using a Microanalytic Technique to Measure Elements Present in the Freshwater Growth Region of Scales
Authors: Lapi Louis A. , Mulligan T. J.
Published: April 2010

Scanning electron microscopy combined with energy dispersive X-ray analysis was used to measure the chemical composition of the freshwater growth region of salmonid scales. Adult sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) scales from three lakes on the west coast of Vancouver Island were analyzed and the data were subjected to multivariate statistical analysis. The fish from the three lakes were found to be chemically distinct, enabling 63% of the fish to be correctly classified to their lake of origin. This stock identification technique can differentiate populations, allows reduced sample size, and requires no handling of juvenile fish.Key words: stock identification, salmon. X-ray analysis, scanning electron microscopy, multivariate analysis
Comparison of Ozone and Chlorine Toxicity to the Developmental Stages of Striped Bass, Morone saxatilis
Authors: Hall Jr. Lenwood W. , Burton Dennis T. , Richardson Leonard B.
Published: April 2010

Toxicity of ozone-produced oxidants (OPO) to striped bass, Morone saxatilis, eggs, larvae, and fingerlings was determined under continuous-flow conditions. Eggs, tested in both fresh and estuarine water, were found to be significantly (P < 0.001) more sensitive to OPO in freshwater. The higher sensitivity found for striped bass eggs in freshwater suggests that ozone could have a more pronounced effect if discharged in freshwater industrial or municipal wastewaters located in the vicinity of a striped bass spawning area. The ozone data collected in this study were compared with previously published chlorine toxicity data for each striped bass life stage. The toxicity of chlorine and ozone was found to be similar with striped bass eggs and larvae in estuarine water. LC50's for fingerlings were 0.20 mg/L OPO at 6 h and 0.08 mg/L OPO at 96 h.Key words: ozone, oxidants, chlorine, striped bass, Morone saxatilis; wastewaters
Which Witch is Which? A Study of the Stock Structure of Witch Flounder (Glyptocephalus cynoglossus) in the Newfoundland Region
Authors: Fairbairn D. J.
Published: April 2010

Genetic variability at two protein loci (phosphoglucomutase and superoxide dismutase) was assessed both within and among three major management areas for witch flounder (Glyptocephalus cynoglossus) in the Newfoundland region. The genetic analysis revealed population subdivision within each of the major management areas, giving a total of six subpopulations or stocks. These genetically defined stocks also differed with respect to population structure, time of spawning, individual growth rate, and temperature and depth of capture. These results suggest that witch flounder in the Newfoundland region exist in relatively small, independent subpopulations with little inter-stock migration. This population structure is at odds with current practices of managing witch flounder as large homogeneous stock units.Key words: witch flounder, stock discrimination, biochemical genetics, phosphoglucomutase, superoxide dismutase, electrophoresis
A Probability Transition Matrix Model for Yield Estimation in Fisheries with Highly Variable Recruitment
Authors: Getz Wayne M. , Swartzman Gordon L.
Published: April 2010

This paper addresses the problem of estimating the yield variability that is encountered when managing a fishery that exhibits high recruitment variability. A model is developed that combines elements of a discrete time, age-structured matrix model, a Beverton–Holt continuous time harvest yield model, and a stock–recruitment Markov probability transition matrix model. The model calculates the mean and variance of the stock levels and fishery yields associated with given fishing effort levels, and this type of information can be used to examine the response of the fishery to the implementation of various management strategies. The model is used to contrast the effects of recruitment variability in three fisheries, viz. the South African anchovy (Engraulis capensis) purse-seine fishery, the southern New England yellowtail flounder (Limanda ferruginea) trawl fishery, and the Georges Bank haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus) fishery.Key words: stochastic population dynamics, fisheries yield estimation model, variable recruitment, anchovy, yellowtail flounder, haddock
Measuring Nutrient Spiralling in Streams
Authors: Newbold J. Denis , Elwood Jerry W. , O'Neill Robert V. , Winkle Webster Van
Published: April 2010

Nutrient cycling in streams involves some downstream transport before the cycle is completed. Thus, the path traveled by a nutrient atom in passing through the cycle can be visualized as a spiral. As an index of the spiralling process, we introduce spiralling length, defined as the average distance associated with one complete cycle of a nutrient atom. This index provides a measure of the utilization of nutrients relative to the available supply from upstream. Using 32P as a tracer, we estimated a spiralling length of 193 m for phosphorus in a small woodland stream.Key words: downstream transport, nutrient cycling, phosphorus, spiralling, stream
ON CHARACTERIZATIONS OF RANDERS NORMS IN A MINKOWSKI SPACE
Authors: MO XIAOHUAN , HUANG LIBING
Published: April 2010

Let V be a vector space with Minkowski norm F. We find a geometric quantity on (V, F) which characterizes the Randers norm. We also give a different proof of the Matsumoto–Hōjō' theorem.
RELATIVE ENTROPY FOR ABELIAN SUBALGEBRAS
Authors: OKAYASU RUI
Published: April 2010

For finite dimensional abelian subalgebras of a finite von Neumann algebra, we obtain the value of conditional relative entropy defined by Choda. We also consider the modified invariant defined by Pimsner and Popa.
A NON-EXISTENCE THEOREM FOR MORSE TYPE HOLOMORPHIC FOLIATIONS OF CODIMENSION ONE TRANSVERSE TO SPHERES
Authors: ITO TOSHIKAZU , SCARDUA BRUNO
Published: April 2010

We prove that a Morse type codimension one holomorphic foliation is not transverse to a sphere in the complex affine space. Also we characterize the variety of contacts of a linear foliation with concentric spheres.
SYNCHRONIZATION OF ONE-DIMENSIONAL STOCHASTICALLY COUPLED CELLULAR AUTOMATA
Authors: MROWINSKI MACIEJ J. , KOSINSKI ROBERT A.
Published: April 2010

In this work the authors study synchronization resulting from the asymmetric stochastic coupling between two one-dimensional chaotic cellular automata and provide a simple analytical model to explain this phenomenon. The authors also study synchronization in a more general case, using sets of rules with a different number of states and different values of Langton's parameter λ.
SURFACE MORPHOLOGY OF CHALKBOARD TIPS CAPTURES THE UNIQUENESS OF THE USER'S HAND STROKES
Authors: MONTEROLA CHRISTOPHER , CRISOLOGO IRENE , TUGAFF JERIC , BATAC RENE , LONGJAS ANTHONY
Published: April 2010

Penmanship has a high degree of uniqueness as exemplified by the standard use of hand signature as identifier in contract validations and property ownerships. In this work, we demonstrate that the distinctiveness of one's writing patterns is possibly embedded in the molding of chalk tips. Using conventional photometric stereo method, the three-dimensional surface features of blackboard chalk tips used in Math and Physics lectures are microscopically resolved. Principal component analysis (PCA) and neural networks (NN) are then combined in identifying the chalk user based on the extracted topography. We show that NN approach applied to eight lecturers allow average classification accuracy (Φ NN ) equal to 100% and 71.5 ± 2.7% for the training and test sets, respectively. Test sets are chalks not seen previously by the trained NN and represent 25% or 93 of the 368 chalk samples used. We note that the NN test set prediction is more than five-fold higher than the proportional chance criterion (PCC, Φ PCC = 12.9%), strongly hinting to a high degree of unique correlation between the user's hand strokes and the chalk tip features. The result of NN is also about three-fold better than the standard methods of linear discriminant analysis (LDA, Φ LDA = 27.0 ± 4.2%) or classification and regression trees (CART, Φ CART = 17.3 ± 3.7%). While the procedure discussed is far from becoming a practical biometric tool, our work offers a fundamental perspective to the extent on which the uniqueness of hand strokes of humans can be exhibited.
ASYMPTOTIC VALUES, PREPOLES, AND PERIODIC POINTS
Authors: WHITEHEAD JARED , BAKKER LENNARD
Published: April 2010

The dynamics of map Fα,β(z) = 1/(α + βe-z) are explored for portions of the real parameter plane where no fixed points are present on the real line. Careful tracking of the prepoles of order k and their relationship to asymptotic values yields regions in the parameter plane where attracting or elliptic cycles of period k + 2 are found. When α is fixed, it is shown for k = 0 that except for at most finitely many values of β, the 2-cycles found are indeed attracting. Numerical observations indicate that higher order cycles are also attracting, and the Julia set for two different such cases is depicted.
CAN THE DICE BE FAIR BY DYNAMICS?
Authors: STRZALKO J. , GRABSKI J. , STEFANSKI A. , KAPITANIAK T.
Published: April 2010

We consider the dynamics of the three-dimensional model of the die which can bounce with dissipation on the table. It is shown that for the realistic values of the initial energy the probabilities of the die landing on the face which is the lowest one at the beginning is larger than the probabilities of landing on any other face.
NEW CHARACTERISTIC RELATIONS IN TYPE-II INTERMITTENCY
Authors: DEL RIO EZEQUIEL , ELASKAR SERGIO
Published: April 2010

We study analytically and numerically the reinjection probability density for type-II intermittency. We find a new one-parameter class of reinjection probability density where the classical uniform reinjection is a particular case. We derive a new duration probability density of the laminar phase. New characteristic relations eβ(-1 < β < 0) appear where the exponet β deepens on the reinjection probability distributions. Analytical results are in agreement with the numerical simulations.
β-Adrenergic activation of electrogenic K+and Cl−secretion in guinea pig distal colonic epithelium proceeds via separate cAMP signaling pathways
Authors: Halm Susan T. , Zhang Jin , Halm Dan R.
Published: April 2010

Adrenergic stimulation of isolated guinea pig distal colonic mucosa produced transient Cl−and sustained K+secretion. Transient short-circuit current ( Isc) depended on β2-adrenergic receptors (β2-AdrR), and sustained Iscrelies on a β1-AdrR/β2-AdrR complex. Epinephrine (epi) increased cAMP content with a biphasic time course similar to changes in epi-activated Isc(epiIsc). Inhibition of transmembrane adenylyl cyclases (tmACs) reduced peakepiIscand cAMP to near zero without decreasing sustainedepiIsc, consistent with cAMP from tmAC signaling for only Cl−secretion. Inhibition of soluble adenylyl cyclase (sAC) reduced sustainedepiIscand cAMP to near zero without decreasing peakepiIscor cAMP, consistent with cAMP from sAC signaling for K+secretion. Sensitivity to phosphodiesterase (PDE) inhibitors and peptide YY (PYY) stimulation further supported separate signaling for the two components. PDE3 or PDE4 inhibitors enhanced peakepiIscbut not sustainedepiIsc, consistent with these PDEs as part of the β2-AdrR signaling domain. PYY suppressed peakepiIscin a pertussis toxin (PTx)-sensitive manner, supporting Gαi-dependent inhibition of tmACs producing cAMP for Cl−secretion. Since PYY or PTx did not alter sustainedepiIsc, signaling for K+secretion occurred via a Gαi-independent mechanism. Presence of multiple sAC variants in colonic epithelial cells was supported by domain-specific antibodies. Responses to specific activators and inhibitors suggested that protein kinase A was not involved in activating peak or sustained components ofepiIsc, but the cAMP-dependent guanine nucleotide exchange factor, Epac, may contribute. Thus β-adrenergic activation of electrogenic Cl−and K+secretion, respectively, required tmAC- and sAC-dependent signaling pathways.
Proteinase-activated receptors-1 and 2 induce electrogenic Cl−secretion in the mouse cecum by distinct mechanisms
Authors: Ikehara Osamu , Hayashi Hisayoshi , Watanabe Yuko , Yamamoto Hiroyuki , Mochizuki Tohru , Hoshino Minoru , Suzuki Yuichi
Published: April 2010

Proteinase-activated receptors (PAR1-PAR4) belong to a family of G protein-coupled receptors that are cleaved by proteases. Previous in vitro studies on the mouse large intestine have indicated that PAR1and PAR2were involved in regulating epithelial ion transport, but that their roles were different between the proximal and distal colon. This present study was done to elucidate the roles of PAR1and PAR2in regulating anion secretion in the cecum, another segment of the large intestine. A mucosa-submucosal sheet of the mouse cecum was mounted in Ussing chambers, and the short-circuit current ( Isc) was measured. The addition of a PAR1-activating peptide (SFFLRN-NH2) to the serosal surface increased Isc. This increase in Iscinduced by SFFLRN-NH2was partially suppressed by serosal bumetanide and substantially suppressed by mucosal 5-nitro-2-(3-phenylpropylamino)benzoic acid (NPPB) and by the removal of Cl−from the bathing solution. The Iscincrease was also substantially suppressed by serosal tetrodotoxin (TTX) and neurokinin-1 receptor antagonist L-703,606 and was partially inhibited by serosal atropine and hexamethonium. The addition of a PAR2-activating peptide (SLIGRL-NH2) to the serosal surface also induced an increase in Isc; this increase was partially suppressed by bumetanide and substantially suppressed by NPPB and by the removal of Cl−, but not by TTX. The expression of mRNA for PAR1and PAR2was confirmed in the mucosa as determined by RT-PCR. In conclusion, PAR1and PAR2both induced Cl−secretion in the mouse cecum. This secretion mediated by PAR1probably occurred by activation of the receptor on the submucosal secretomotor neurons, resulting mainly in the release of tachykinins and activation of the neurokinin-1 receptor, and partly in the release of ACh and activation of the muscarinic and nicotinic receptors. On the other hand, PAR2-mediated Cl−secretion probably occurred by activating the receptor on the epithelial cells. A variety of proteases would induce fluid secretion mediated by PAR1and PAR2in the cecum and thereby support bacterial fermentation and participate in mucosal inflammation.
Aortic wave reflection in women and men
Authors: Lieber Ari , Millasseau Sandrine , Bourhis Laurent , Blacher Jacques , Protogerou Athanase , Levy Bernard I. , Safar Michel E.
Published: April 2010

Augmentation index (AIx), a marker of the number of aortic wave reflections (AWRs), is influenced not only by the magnitude of incident and reflected pressure waves but also by the time of return. A new triangulation method has been developed, enabling us to better quantify AWRs and to determine their sex differences, which may relate to body size or pulse pressure (PP) amplification, measured from the brachial PP-to-carotid PP (B/C) ratio. With the use of pulse wave analysis, AWRs were evaluated in 51 women and 72 men treated for hypertension and studied in relationship to age, blood pressure, and pulse wave velocity. When women were compared with men, AIx (expressed in %PP and adjusted to heart rate) was significantly higher, together with a significant decrease of the B/C ratio and an increase of the reflection magnitude and of the amplitude (but not the timing) of the backward pressure wave. The significance of the amplitude difference between men and women was enhanced after an adjustment to heart rate or pulse wave velocity but was abolished after an adjustment to body height or the B/C ratio. In the overall population, AIx and the reflection magnitude index were positively ( r2 = 0.39) and independently associated, after excluding confounding factors such as drug treatment. In conclusion, when compared with men, women treated for hypertension have increased AIx, related to the increased amplitude, and not timing, of backward pressure waves. This finding relates to sex differences in body size and mostly brachial-carotid PP amplification, a parameter highly related to the sex difference of cardiovascular risk.
Muscle contractile activity regulates Sirt3 protein expression in rat skeletal muscles
Authors: Hokari Fumi , Kawasaki Emi , Sakai Atsushi , Koshinaka Keiichi , Sakuma Kunihiro , Kawanaka Kentaro
Published: April 2010

Sirt3, a member of the sirtuin family, is known to control cellular mitochondrial function. Furthermore, because sirtuins require NAD for their deacetylase activity, nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (Nampt), which is a rate-limiting enzyme in the intracellular NAD biosynthetic pathway, influences their activity. We examined the effects of exercise training and normal postural contractile activity on Sirt3 and Nampt protein expression in rat skeletal muscles. Male rats were trained by treadmill running at 20 m/min, 60 min/day, 7 days/wk for 4 wk. This treadmill training program increased the Sirt3 protein expression in the soleus and plantaris muscles by 49% and 41%, respectively ( P < 0.05). Moreover, a 4-wk voluntary wheel-running program also induced 66% and 95% increases in Sirt3 protein in the plantaris and triceps muscles of rats, respectively ( P < 0.05). Treadmill-running and voluntary running training induced no significant changes in Nampt protein expression in skeletal muscles. In resting rats, the soleus muscle, which is recruited during normal postural activity, possessed the greatest expression levels of the Sirt3 and Nampt proteins, followed by the plantaris and triceps muscles. Furthermore, the Sirt3, but not Nampt, protein level was reduced in the soleus muscles from immobilized hindlimbs compared with that shown in the contralateral control muscle. These results demonstrated that 1) Sirt3 protein expression is upregulated by exercise training in skeletal muscles and 2) local postural contractile activity plays an important role in maintaining a high level of Sirt3 protein expression in postural muscle.
History dependence of vital capacity in constricted lungs
Authors: Olson Thomas P. , Wilson Theodore A. , Johnson Bruce D. , Hyatt Robert E.
Published: April 2010

Measurements of dynamic force-length behavior of maximally activated strips of smooth muscle during oscillatory length changes show that force decreases well below the isometric force during the shortening phase of the oscillation. The magnitude of the decrease depends on the rate of shortening; for slower shortening, the decrease is smaller and force is larger. Modeling of expiratory flow, based on these data, predicts that vital capacity in constricted lungs depends on the rate of expiration. In maximally constricted lungs, forced vital capacity (FVC) is predicted to be 16% smaller than control, and vital capacity for a very slow expiration (SVC), 31% less than control. These predictions were tested by measuring FVC and SVC in constricted normal subjects. In the first group of 9 subjects, four maneuvers were made following the delivery of two doses of methacholine in the order: SVC, FVC, FVC, SVC. In a second group of 11 subjects, two maneuvers were performed at each dose in the order: FVC, SVC. At the highest dose of methacholine, FVC for both trials in group 1 and for the one trial in group 2 were all ∼13% less than control, a slightly smaller decrease than predicted. SVC for the 1st trial in group 1 was 27% less than control, also slightly smaller than predicted. The difference between FVC and SVC for this trial, 13%, was close to the predicted difference of 15%. However, SVC for the 2nd trial in group 1 (preceded by 3 vital capacity maneuvers) and for group 2 (preceded by 1) were no different from FVC. We conclude that vital capacity in constricted lungs depends on the dynamic force-length properties of smooth muscle and that the history dependence of the dynamic properties of smooth muscle is more complicated than has been inferred from oscillatory force-length behavior.
A Phosphodiesterase-5 Inhibitor Vardenafil Enhances Angiogenesis Through a Protein Kinase G–Dependent Hypoxia-Inducible Factor-1/Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Pathway
Authors: Sahara Makoto , Sata Masataka , Morita Toshihiro , Nakajima Toshiaki , Hirata Yasunobu , Nagai Ryozo
Published: April 2010

Objective—

We examined whether phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE5) inhibition can promote ischemia-induced angiogenesis.

Methods and Results—

Unilateral hindlimb ischemia was generated by resecting right femoral artery in wild-type C3H/He mice, treated with either vehicle or a PDE5 inhibitor vardenafil (10 mg/kg per day). Four weeks after surgery, vardenafil significantly enhanced blood flow recovery and augmented capillary collateral formation in ischemic muscle (blood flow ratios of ischemic/nonischemic leg: 0.52±0.17 [vehicle] versus 0.92±0.09 [vardenafil],
P
<0.01). Vardenafil upregulated protein expression of vascular endothelial growth factor and hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1α in ischemic muscle and enhanced mobilization of Sca-1/Flk-1-positive endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) in peripheral blood and bone marrow, contributing to neovascularization. Vardenafil also promoted capillary-like tube formation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells and increased the number of human blood mononuclear cell-derived EPCs in vitro. Furthermore, reporter assays showed that vardenafil and cGMP activated the transactivation activity of HIF-1 under hypoxia. These effects of vardenafil were markedly inhibited by genetic ablation of endothelial nitric oxide synthase, a soluble guanylate cyclase inhibitor, and a protein kinase G inhibitor, respectively.

Conclusion—

Our results suggest that PDE5 inhibition enhances ischemia-induced angiogenesis with mobilization of EPCs through a protein kinase G–dependent HIF-1/vascular endothelial growth factor pathway. PDE5 inhibition may have a therapeutic potential to treat ischemic cardiovascular diseases.
Promotion of CHIP-Mediated p53 Degradation Protects the Heart From Ischemic Injury
Authors: Naito Atsuhiko T. , Okada Sho , Minamino Tohru , Iwanaga Koji , Liu Mei-Lan , Sumida Tomokazu , Nomura Seitaro , Sahara Naruhiko , Mizoroki Tatsuya , Takashima Akihiko , Akazawa Hiroshi , Nagai Toshio , Shiojima Ichiro , Komuro Issei
Published: April 2010

Rationale
:

The number of patients with coronary heart disease, including myocardial infarction, is increasing and novel therapeutic strategy is awaited. Tumor suppressor protein p53 accumulates in the myocardium after myocardial infarction, causes apoptosis of cardiomyocytes, and plays an important role in the progression into heart failure.

Objectives
:

We investigated the molecular mechanisms of p53 accumulation in the heart after myocardial infarction and tested whether anti-p53 approach would be effective against myocardial infarction.

Methods and Results
:

Through expression screening, we found that CHIP (carboxyl terminus of Hsp70-interacting protein) is an endogenous p53 antagonist in the heart. CHIP suppressed p53 level by ubiquitinating and inducing proteasomal degradation. CHIP transcription was downregulated after hypoxic stress and restoration of CHIP protein level prevented p53 accumulation after hypoxic stress. CHIP overexpression in vivo prevented p53 accumulation and cardiomyocyte apoptosis after myocardial infarction. Promotion of CHIP function by heat shock protein (Hsp)90 inhibitor, 17-allylamino-17-demethoxy geldanamycin (17-AAG), also prevented p53 accumulation and cardiomyocyte apoptosis both in vitro and in vivo. CHIP-mediated p53 degradation was at least one of the cardioprotective effects of 17-AAG.

Conclusions
:

We found that downregulation of CHIP level by hypoxia was responsible for p53 accumulation in the heart after myocardial infarction. Decreasing the amount of p53 prevented myocardial apoptosis and ameliorated ventricular remodeling after myocardial infarction. We conclude that anti-p53 approach would be effective to treat myocardial infarction.
Tbx5 and Bmp Signaling Are Essential for Proepicardium Specification in Zebrafish
Authors: Liu Jiandong , Stainier Didier Y.R.
Published: April 2010

Rationale
:

The proepicardial organ (PE) contributes to the cellular diversity of the developing heart by giving rise to the epicardium as well as vascular smooth muscle cells and fibroblasts. Despite the importance of these cells in cardiac development, function and regeneration, the signals required for the specification of the PE remain largely unexplored.

Objective
:

We aim to identify the signaling molecules and transcription factors that regulate PE specification.

Methods and Results
:

Here, we present the first genetic evidence that bone morphogenetic protein (Bmp) signaling in conjunction with the T-box transcription factor Tbx5a is essential for PE specification in zebrafish. Specifically, Bmp4 from the cardiac region, but not the liver bud, acting through the type I BMP receptor Acvr1l, is required for PE specification. By overexpressing a dominant-negative form of a Bmp receptor at various embryonic stages, we determined when Bmp signaling was required for PE specification. We also found that overexpression of
bmp2b
right before PE specification led to the ectopic expression of PE specific markers including
tbx18
. Furthermore, using loss-of-function approaches, we discovered a previously unappreciated PE specification role for Tbx5a at early somite stages; this role occurs earlier than, and appears to be independent from, the requirement for Bmp signaling in this process.

Conclusion
:

Altogether, these data lead us to propose that Tbx5a confers anterior lateral plate mesodermal cells the competence to respond to Bmp signals and initiate PE development.
Randomized Trial of Treadmill Walking With Body Weight Support to Establish Walking in Subacute Stroke
Authors: Ada Louise , Dean Catherine M. , Morris Meg E. , Simpson Judy M. , Katrak Pesi
Published: April 2010

Background and Purpose—

The main objective of this randomized trial was to determine whether treadmill walking with body weight support was effective at establishing independent walking more often and earlier than current physiotherapy intervention for nonambulatory stroke patients.

Methods—

A randomized trial with concealed allocation, blinded assessment, and intention-to-treat analysis was conducted. One hundred twenty-six stroke patients who were unable to walk were recruited and randomly allocated to an experimental or a control group within 4 weeks of stroke. The experimental group undertook up to 30 minutes per day of treadmill walking with body weight support via an overhead harness whereas the control group undertook up to 30 minutes of overground walking. The primary outcome was the proportion of participants achieving independent walking within 6 months.

Results—

Kaplan–Meier estimates of the proportion of experimental participants who achieved independent walking were 37% compared with 26% of the control group at 1 month, 66% compared with 55% at 2 months, and 71% compared with 60% at 6 months (
P
=0.13). The experimental group walked 2 weeks earlier, with a median time to independent walking of 5 weeks compared to 7 weeks for the control group. In addition, 14% (95% CI, −1–28) more of the experimental group were discharged home.

Conclusions—

Treadmill walking with body weight support is feasible, safe, and tends to result in more people walking independently and earlier after stroke.

Trial Registration—

ClinicalTrial.gov (NCT00167531).
Treating Arteries Instead of Risk Factors
Authors: Spence J. David , Hackam Daniel G.
Published: April 2010

Background and Purpose—

Until recently, atherosclerosis was thought to be inexorably progressive. Beginning in 2001 and implemented in our vascular prevention clinics by 2003, we have been treating arteries rather than risk factors. We studied the proportion of patients with plaque progression vs regression before and after this change in paradigm.

Methods—

Carotid total plaque area was measured by ultrasound at baseline and during follow-up. Before 2003, patients were treated according to consensus guidelines. After 2003, patients with plaque progression were treated more intensively, with the explicit goal of halting plaque progression or achieving regression.

Results—

Four thousand three-hundred seventy-eight patients had serial plaque measurements in a given year between 1997 and 2007; 47% were female. Mean age at time of referral was 60 (SD, 15); this increased steeply (from age 50 to 62 years over the first 5 years) as we focused on stroke prevention. The annual rate of plaque progression increased steeply as the clinic populations aged but then abruptly decreased after implementation of the new approach to therapy. Before 2003, approximately half the patients had plaque progression and ≈25% had regression; by 2005, this had reversed. Changes in plasma lipids show that the differences were attributable to plaque measurement, not simply more intensive therapy for all patients. By 2007, patients with progression had lower levels of low-density lipoprotein than those with regression.

Conclusions—

Treating arteries without measuring plaque would be like treating hypertension without measuring blood pressure. A clinical trial to test this approach is being designed.
Monetary Policy Under Labour
Authors: Besley Timothy , Sheedy Kevin
Published: April 2010

This paper analyses Labour's record on monetary policy and the record of the MPC which it created. The paper begins by discussing the conceptual framework and institutions behind inflation targeting as it operates in the UK. We then discuss the successes that it enjoyed up to 2007 and debate the lessons that are being learned as a consequence of the experience since then. We then raise some of the formidable challenges that UK monetary policy must now face up to including maintaining the credibility of the inflation targeting regime in the face of greater interdependence between monetary and fiscal policy, and between monetary policy and support to the banking system and financial markets.
LQR-trees: Feedback Motion Planning via Sums-of-Squares Verification
Authors: Tedrake Russ , Manchester Ian R. , Tobenkin Mark , Roberts John W.
Published: April 2010

Advances in the direct computation of Lyapunov functions using convex optimization make it possible to efficiently evaluate regions of attraction for smooth non-linear systems. Here we present a feedback motion-planning algorithm which uses rigorously computed stability regions to build a sparse tree of LQR-stabilized trajectories. The region of attraction of this non-linear feedback policy “probabilistically covers” the entire controllable subset of state space, verifying that all initial conditions that are capable of reaching the goal will reach the goal. We numerically investigate the properties of this systematic non-linear feedback design algorithm on simple non-linear systems, prove the property of probabilistic coverage, and discuss extensions and implementation details of the basic algorithm.
Conversations About Death
Authors: Davis-Berman Jennifer
Published: April 2010

The purpose of the present study was to begin to understand/conceptualize how older adults in three different levels of care think about death. Based on the recommendations of facility administrators, participants were chosen and 17 face-to-face semistructured interviews were conducted with older adults residing in independent, assisted and long-term care settings. Utilizing a qualitative method, this study allowed the respondents to tell their own stories about death. Analysis of the data yielded the following themes that were presented: acceptance of death, talk of the afterlife, impact of living situation and talk of suicide. Respondents talked of acceptance and little fear, mixed notions of the afterlife, the importance of place of residence, and the salience of suicide as an issue. Practice implications for clinicians involved in end-of-life care and study limitations are presented.
Testing Intelligently Includes Double-Checking Wechsler IQ Scores
Authors: Kuentzel Jeffrey G. , Hetterscheidt Lesley A. , Barnett Douglas
Published: April 2010

The rigors of standardized testing make for numerous opportunities for examiner error, including simple computational mistakes in scoring. Although experts recommend that test scoring be double-checked, the extent to which independent double-checking would reduce scoring errors is not known. A double-checking procedure was established at a psychology training clinic in an effort to improve intelligence test scoring accuracy. The authors examined 50 archival protocols to determine the effects of independent double-checking on Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children—Third Edition scores. As expected, these procedures significantly changed IQ scores, increasing their accuracy. Anonymous trainee feedback supported the utility of these efforts and endorsed it as making a useful contribution to professional development. Recommendations for instituting such procedures in training settings are discussed, and a sample checklist to guide double-checking is provided.
Resilience and Impairment: An Exploratory Study of Resilience Factors and Situational Impairment
Authors: Naglieri Jack A. , Goldstein Sam , LeBuffe Paul
Published: April 2010

The purpose of this study was to begin to examine the relationships between social emotional factors related to resilience as measured by the Devereux Student Strengths Assessment (DESSA) and the degree of impairment as reflected in problem behaviors reported by parents according to the Home Situations Questionnaire (HSQ). A second goal was to study the relationships between impairment as measured by the HSQ with intelligence as measured by the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children—Fourth Edition (WISC-IV) and the Cognitive Assessment System (CAS). The participants were 49 children (76% males; all White; aged 6-14 years; mean = 8.9, SD = 2.0), evenly distributed among those diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD) Inattentive, ADHD Combined type, ADHD Not Otherwise Specified, learning disabilities, mild mental retardation, depression, and combined depression and ADHD. The DESSA T score was 38.6, suggesting that this group of referred children were low in social-emotional protective factors. The WISC-IV Full Scale IQ was 96.8, with scores ranging from 87.7 on Processing Speed to 102.5 on Verbal Comprehension, and the CAS Full Scale was 94.5, with scores ranging from 90.9 in Planning to 100.4 in both Simultaneous and Successive processing abilities. Seven of the eight DESSA scales correlated significantly with the HSQ, as did the Social-Emotional Composite ( r = -.53); lower social-emotional competence scores DESSA were associated with higher degrees of impairment in home situations. In contrast, none of the WISC-IV or CAS scales were significantly correlated with the HSQ.
Cortical Gyrification in Autistic and Asperger Disorders: A Preliminary Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study
Authors: Jou Roger J. , Minshew Nancy J. , Keshavan Matcheri S. , Hardan Antonio Y.
Published: April 2010

The validity of Asperger disorder as a distinct syndrome from autism is unclear partly because of the paucity of differentiating neurobiological evidence. Frontal lobe cortical folding between these disorders was compared using the gyrification index. Twenty-three boys underwent structural magnetic resonance imaging: 6 with high-functioning autism, 9 with Asperger disorder, and 8 controls. Using the first coronal slice anterior to the corpus callosum, total and outer cortical contours were traced to calculate the gyrification index. This index was also calculated for superior and inferior regions to examine dorsolateral prefrontal and orbitofrontal cortices, respectively. Analysis of variance revealed differences in the left inferior gyrification index, which was higher in the autism group compared with Asperger and control groups. There were no differences in age, intelligence quotient, and brain volume. These preliminary findings suggest that cortical folding may be abnormally high in the frontal lobe in autism but not Asperger disorder, suggesting distinct frontal lobe neuropathology.
Dissolving Oral Clonazepam Wafers in the Acute Treatment of Prolonged Seizures
Authors: Troester Matthew M. , Hastriter Eric V. , Ng Yu-Tze
Published: April 2010

Klonopin (clonazepam; Genentech Inc, South San Francisco, California) oral wafers are benzodiazepines with anticonvulsive and anxiolytic properties. Our institution has been prescribing clonazepam wafers for acute treatment of prolonged seizures for years. Patients’ size determined dosing at 0.25, 0.5, 1, or 2 mg wafers. We proceeded to obtain evidence for efficacy. Hospital Institutional Review Board approval was obtained for anonymous patient survey. All children who had been prescribed clonazepam wafers over a 6-year period at our institution were mailed detailed questionnaires. Three hundred eighty-one questionnaires were mailed with 88 replies but only 56 with meaningful data. Average age was 12.1 years. There were 31 males. Efficacy was defined as stopping seizure within 10 minutes, >50% of the time. Thirty-eight of the 56 (68%) patients met this criterion. From these 38 patients, 19 (50%) had seizures stop within 1 minute. Overall results were comparable to Diastat (rectal diazepam; Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Aliso Viejo, California). Clonazepam wafers are an effective acute therapy for prolonged seizures.
Siliceous microfossils as late-Quaternary paleo-environmental indicators at Braamhoek wetland, South Africa
Authors: Finné Martin , Norström Elin , Risberg Jan , Scott Louis
Published: April 2010

A peat-sequence covering the last 16 ka (16 000 cal. yr BP) from Braamhoek wetland, eastern South Africa, was analysed in terms of phytolith and diatom composition. The fossil peat was rich in phytoliths, while diatoms were less prominent, probably as a result of degradation during wetland plant growth associated with silica uptake. With this study we present the first continuous phytolith and diatom record from South Africa covering the Late Pleistocene and Holocene period. The phytolith assemblages indicate a clear dominance of C3-grasses within the wetland throughout the sequence. The fossil diatom record infer changes in past moisture conditions. Unlike the modern wetland, which is dominated by benthic and aerophilic diatoms, the Late Pleistocene—early Holocene wetland favoured growth of planktonic species. Abundance of planktonic diatoms suggests three main phases when water depth was deeper than today; at c.13.6 ka, 11.3 ka and 10.4—10.0 ka. These indications of past fluctuations in humidity mostly provide confirmation of previously published indications of pollen, charcoal fragments and isotopes in the same core, but the siliceous microfossil data also help to refine the paleo-environmental interpretation of the sequence.
Multiproxy paleoecological reconstruction of prehistoric land-use history in the western region of the lower Río Verde Valley, Oaxaca, Mexico
Authors: Goman Michelle , Joyce Arthur , Mueller Raymond , Paschyn Larissa
Published: April 2010

Paleoecological archives from three paleomeander sites and one archeological feature located in the lower Río Verde Valley, Oaxaca, Mexico, are used to develop a spatial understanding of the patterns of prehistoric agricultural land use over the last ~3000 years. Multiproxy paleoecological data at each site (i.e. magnetic susceptibility, micro- and macroscopic charcoal, pollen and stable carbon isotopes) provide a history of land use. By examining the spatial differences in agricultural indicators at all the sites through time, augmented with our understanding of changes in demography and settlement patterns determined through the archeological record, we are able to reconstruct the complex human/land interactions in the western portion of the valley.
Effect of glutathione on the cadmium chelation of EDTA in a patient with cadmium intoxication
Authors: Gil Hyo-wook , Kang Eun-jung , Lee Kwon-hyun , Yang Jong-oh , Lee Eun-young , Hong Sae-yong
Published: April 2010

In order to evaluate the efficiency and renal protective effects of glutathione during Ca++-EDTA chelation therapy for chronic cadmium intoxication, we measured the renal excretion of cadmium, β2-microglobulin, proteinuria, and hematuria during intravenous administration of glutathione with Ca++-EDTA in a 54-year-old patient with chronic cadmium intoxication. We administered 500 mg of Ca++-EDTA and 50 mg/kg of glutathione alone or in 1 L of normal saline over the next 24 hours and repeated this over 12 consecutive days. During the first 3 days, the basal levels (only saline administration) were determined; during the second 3 days, Ca++-EDTA only was administered, for the third sequence of 3 days, Ca++-EDTA with glutathione was provided, and for the last 3 days, glutathione alone was given. One month later, the same protocol was repeated. There were six blood and urine samples to analyze in each group. The blood cadmium level was higher when the EDTA was infused together with glutathione (7.44 ± 0.73 µg/L, p < 0.01) compared to the basal level of 4.6 ± 0.44 µg/L. Also, the renal cadmium excretion was significantly higher in the EDTA with glutathione group than in the basal group (23.4 ± 15.81 µg/g creatinine vs 89.23 ± 58.52 µg/g creatinine, p < 0.01). There was no difference in the protein/creatinine and β2-microglobulin/creatinine ratio in the urine (p > 0.05) among the groups. Furthermore, microhematuria and proteinuria did not develop over the observation period of 6 months. These results suggest that glutathione administration with EDTA might be an effective treatment modality for patients with cadmium intoxication.