bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Limits of Teacher Education Reforms: School Subjects, Alchemies, and an Alternative Possibility
Authors: Popkewitz Thomas
Published: November 2010

Contemporary U.S. schools and professional reforms call for teachers to have greater disciplinary and pedagogical knowledge for teaching school subjects. Reform efforts leave unexamined the rules and standards of “reason” that historically order school subjects. The notion of alchemy provides an analytic “tool” to consider the processes of translation from disciplinary knowledge to teaching practices. It is argued that the intellectual tools of school pedagogies have little to do with the disciplinary fields. The psychological strategies for defining school subjects historically are strategies of governing who the child is and should be. There is an ironic quality to this alchemy of schooling subjects. Efforts to increase student participation may narrow the possibilities of reflection and action. An alternative style for thinking about the translation of disciplinary fields into the curriculum and “methods” of school subjects is discussed, drawing on studies of science, technology, and mathematics.
Community Cohesion and Social Inclusion
Authors: Gaffikin Frank , Morrissey Mike
Published: November 2010

In a global context of an emphasis on identity politics and a ‘cultural turn’ in social analysis, deep concern has been expressed about multiethnic Britain becoming a broken society with many ‘sleepwalking’ into segregation and separatism. Given the close correspondence between areas of acute ethnic segregation and those of multiple deprivation, intercommunal tensions have included disputes about the equitable allocation of scarce urban resources across ethnicity. This creates the possibility that urban programmes may inadvertently accentuate intercommunal tension and confound efforts to synchronise cohesion and inclusion agendas. Following recent debates about the implications of increased diversity, influenced by arguments that multiculturalism has encouraged ‘parallel lives’, an emergent policy framework emphasises more proactive integration to promote ‘common belonging’. Criticism of this agenda includes its confusion between community and social cohesion, and its disproportionate focus on cultural aspects such as identity formation and recognition, relative to structural issues of income and class. In exploring this contested terrain in Britain, the article suggests that the longer-term debate about segregation, deprivation and community differentials in Northern Ireland can offer useful insight for Britain’s policy discourse.
Reduced self-expansion in current romance and interest in relationship alternatives
Authors: VanderDrift Laura E. , Lewandowski Gary W. , Agnew Christopher R.
Published: November 2010

Two studies examined the process by which romantic relationship partners who report lower self-expansion in their relationship come to show greater interest in their alternatives. We tested predictions based on the alternatives literature in which lacking relationship-derived self-expansion would lead to failures of motivational bias (i.e., devaluing attractive alternatives) and perceptual bias (i.e., failing to notice attractive alternatives) to influence perceptions of alternatives. We conducted two cross-sectional studies, one designed to test failure of the motivational bias and one the perceptual bias. Results supported the predictions, indicating that both biases fail to operate in individuals whose current romantic relationship provides insufficient self-expansion. We discuss implications for relationship outcomes, as well as for the theoretical understanding of alternatives.
Examining How Media Coverage Impacts the Regulatory Notice and Comment Process
Authors: Cavazos David E. , Rutherford Matthew A.
Published: November 2010

This study examines how media coverage impacts the interaction between industries and regulatory agencies in the United States. We examine Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) rulemaking and airline industry comments during 71 notice and comment periods between 1996 and 2005. This study’s findings shed light on how external forces such as media coverage create conditions in which organized industry interests can impact regulatory outcomes. Specifically, this study’s findings suggest that the amount of media coverage received by the FAA is associated with the level of firm participation in the notice and comment process. In addition, the results indicate that greater media scrutiny is associated with longer comment periods as well as an increased likelihood of proposed rules being modified.
Effect of Compatibilizer on Mechanical, Morphological, and Thermal Properties of Chemimechanical Pulp-reinforced PP Composites
Authors: Zabihzadeh S. M. , Ebrahimi G. , Enayati A. A.
Published: November 2010

Mechanical, morphological, and thermal properties of injection molded, chemimechanical pulp (CMP)-reinforced polypropylene (PP) composites were investigated as a function of different concentrations of maleic anhydride-grafted PP. It was found that tensile strength and failure strain and the notched impact strength increased progressively with increasing compatibilizer content, whereas the addition of any concentration of compatibilizer did not alter the tensile modulus. Scanning electron microscopy — micrographs of tensile fracture surfaces of composites with 2% compatibilizer indicated very little fiber pullout and many fractured fibers. The thermal stability of pure PP was found to be higher than that of CMP-reinforced PP composites. With addition of compatibilizer, the thermal stability of the composites was slightly increased. The activation energy was determined to describe the energy consumption of the initiation of the thermal degradation process. The activation energy of the composites was found to depend on the dispersion and interfacial adhesion of CMP and PP matrix.
Spring Forest Qigong and Chronic Pain
Authors: Coleman Jane F.
Published: November 2010

Purpose: Research completed in Asia on various forms of qigong over time has repeatedly linked the practice to positive health outcomes. To demonstrate that Spring Forest Qigong (SFQ) knowledge is easily accessible, promotes self-efficacy, and has measurable health benefits, a pilot study on SFQ and chronic pain was designed. Design: This mixed-methods study oriented 122 subjects to Level 1 SFQ. Method: Participants were required to complete four symptom surveys (including the Visual Analog Scale), attend three group meetings (beginning, middle, end of study), practice SFQ for 30 minutes per day for 8 weeks, and keep a practice record. Findings: Pearson correlation coefficients were computed pairwise between the symptom surveys. Pearson’s chi-square tests were used to assess the association of these variables between the four survey time points, with statistical significance assessed at α =.05. The hypothesis was statistically supported. The active exercise and the meditation aspects of SFQ are effective self-care modalities for persons with perceived chronic physical pain and/or emotional distress. Conclusions : Subjects ( n = 86) demonstrated significant improvement both statistically and anecdotally during the study period. Clinical relevance : Findings indicate that health care providers could promote this promising evidenced-based modality for adults to actualize heath promotion practices.
Size, Complexity, and Organizational Variation: A Comparative Approach
Authors: Feinman Gary M.
Published: November 2010

In 1963, Melvin Ember illustrated the overarching cross-cultural relationship between societal scale (specifically, maximal community size) and hierarchical complexity. Yet this study (and subsequent ones) found much less regularity in the size-complexity relationship when focused down on human groupings of less extensive/narrower size ranges. Here, it is argued that this lack of a more precise fit requires the consideration of a third key parameter, different modes of integration or interpersonal connectivity. Comparative findings (both synchronic and diachronic) are marshaled to make the case that integrative differences mediate the overarching relationship between demographic size and political complexity. It is proposed that when they are small, groups that operate more collectively often dampen the emergence of decision-making hierarchies; alternatively large, more collective, or democratic formations may necessitate greater administrative or hierarchical political complexity per capita than is found in more autocratic groups of comparable size.
Pedophilia: An Evaluation of Diagnostic and Risk Prediction Methods
Authors: Wilson Robin J. , Abracen Jeffrey , Looman Jan , Picheca Janice E. , Ferguson Meaghan
Published: November 2010

One hundred thirty child sexual abusers were diagnosed using each of following four methods: (a) phallometric testing, (b) strict application of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed., text revision [DSM-IV-TR]) criteria, (c) Rapid Risk Assessment of Sex Offender Recidivism (RRASOR) scores, and (d) “expert” diagnoses rendered by a seasoned clinician. Comparative utility and intermethod consistency of these methods are reported, along with recidivism data indicating predictive validity for risk management. Results suggest that inconsistency exists in diagnosing pedophilia, leading to diminished accuracy in risk assessment. Although the RRASOR and DSM-IV-TR methods were significantly correlated with expert ratings, RRASOR and DSM-IV-TR were unrelated to each other. Deviant arousal was not associated with any of the other methods. Only the expert ratings and RRASOR scores were predictive of sexual recidivism. Logistic regression analyses showed that expert diagnosis did not add to prediction of sexual offence recidivism over and above RRASOR alone. Findings are discussed within a context of encouragement of clinical consistency and evidence-based practice regarding treatment and risk management of those who sexually abuse children.
Cooperation with the corporation? CNN and the hegemonic cooptation of citizen journalism through iReport.com
Authors: Kperogi Farooq A.
Published: November 2010

The literature on online citizen journalism tends to construe user-generated citizen media as inherently counter-hegemonic, as the emerging, as yet unformed but nonetheless virile antithesis to the traditional media. This article argues that while the vigorous profusion of web-based citizen media has the potential to inaugurate an era of dynamic expansion of the deliberative space and even serve as a counterfoil to the suffocating dominance of the discursive space by the traditional, mainstream media, we are now witnessing a trend toward the aggressive cooptation of these citizen media by corporate media hegemons. To demonstrate this, I study ‘iReport.com,’ a YouTube-type, user-generated citizen news site launched by the Cable News Network (CNN). I argue that the trend toward corporate-sponsored citizen media may, in the final analysis, blur the distinction between citizen and mainstream journalism.
Targeting neuropilin-1 in human leukemia and lymphoma
Authors: Karjalainen Katja , Jaalouk Diana E. , Bueso-Ramos Carlos E. , Zurita Amado J. , Kuniyasu Akihiko , Eckhardt Bedrich L. , Marini Frank C. , Lichtiger Benjamin , O'Brien Susan , Kantarjian Hagop M. , Cortes Jorge E. , Koivunen Erkki , Arap Wadih , Pasqualini Renata
Published: November 2010

Targeted drug delivery offers an opportunity for the development of safer and more effective therapies for the treatment of cancer. In this study, we sought to identify short, cell-internalizing peptide ligands that could serve as directive agents for specific drug delivery in hematologic malignancies. By screening of human leukemia cells with a combinatorial phage display peptide library, we isolated a peptide motif, sequence Phe-Phe/Tyr-Any-Leu-Arg-Ser (FF/YXLRS), which bound to different leukemia cell lines and to patient-derived bone marrow samples. The motif was internalized through a receptor-mediated pathway, and we next identified the corresponding receptor as the transmembrane glycoprotein neuropilin-1 (NRP-1). Moreover, we observed a potent anti-leukemia cell effect when the targeting motif was synthesized in tandem to the pro-apoptotic sequence D(KLAKLAK)2. Finally, our results confirmed increased expression of NRP-1 in representative human leukemia and lymphoma cell lines and in a panel of bone marrow specimens obtained from patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia or acute myelogenous leukemia compared with normal bone marrow. These results indicate that NRP-1 could potentially be used as a target for ligand-directed therapy in human leukemias and lymphomas and that the prototype CGFYWLRSC-GG-D(KLAKLAK)2 is a promising drug candidate in this setting.
The association of the Clock 3111 T/C SNP with lipids and lipoproteins including small dense low-density lipoprotein: results from the Mima study
Authors: Tsuzaki Kokoro , Kotani Kazuhiko , Sano Yoshiko , Fujiwara Shinji , Takahashi Kaoru , Sakane Naoki
Published: November 2010

Background

The clock molecule plays major roles in circadian rhythmicity and regulating lipid and glucose metabolism in peripheral organs. Disruption of the circadian rhythm can lead to cardiometabolic disorders. The existence of small dense low-density lipoprotein (sdLDL) in the circulation, an abnormality of lipid metabolism, in part associated with lifestyle, is also one of risk parameters for cardiometabolic disorders. The 3111 T/C single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of the Clock gene has been reported to be associated with lifestyle including morning/evening preference. We investigated whether the Clock 3111 T/C SNP may affect lipids and lipoproteins including sdLDL.

Methods

In 365 community-dwelling subjects (170 men and 195 women, mean age 63 ± 14 years), the 3111 T/C SNP was genotyped using a fluorescent allele-specific DNA primer assay system. The levels of sdLDL were measured with the electrophoretic separation of lipoproteins employing the Lipoprint system.

Results

The frequency of the Clock 3111 C allele was 0.14. The area of sdLDL did not differ between the subjects with obesity and those without. In carriers of T/T homozygotes, the area of sdLDL was significantly higher compared with carriers of the C allele (T/C or C/C) (1.7 ± 3.4 vs. 0.8 ± 1.9%; p < 0.05). A multiple regression analysis showed that the area of sdLDL was significantly and negatively correlated with the Clock 3111 T/C SNP (β = -0.114, p < 0.05), independently of age, sex, body mass index, and exercise habits.

Conclusion

Our findings indicated that the Clock 3111 T/C SNP might be associated with the existence of sdLDL.
Population-based study of ovarian cancer in Côte d'Or: prognostic factors and trends in relative survival rates over the last 20 years
Authors: Hamidou Zeinab , Causeret Sylvain , Dabakuyo Tienhan S , Gentil Julie , Arnould Laurent , Roignot Patrick , Altwegg Thierry , Poillot Marie-Laure , Bonnetain Franck , Arveux Patrick
Published: November 2010

Background

The aim of this population-based study was to assess independent prognostic factors in ovarian cancer using relative survival (RS) and to investigate changes in RS rates from 1982 to 2005.

Methods

Data on 748 patients with ovarian cancer were provided by the Côte d'Or gynaecologic cancer registry. The RS was estimated using a generalized linear model with a Poisson error structure. Relative survival and its 95% confidence interval (CI) were described at the following specific time points 1, 3 and 5 years. The effect of prognostic factors on survival was assessed with multivariate analyses of RS.

Results

The median follow-up was 12 years. The RS rates at 1, 3 and 5 years were 81%, 55% and 44%, respectively. As compared with the period 1982-1989, an improvement in survival was found for the period 1998-2005: HR = 0.52[0.40-0.67]. Women who lived in urban areas had better RS: HR = 0.82[0.67-0.99]. Patients with epithelial types of ovarian cancer other than mucinous or endometrioid cancer had worse RS than those with serous histology. Age ≥ 70 years was associated with lower survival.

Conclusions

Period of diagnosis, stage at diagnosis, histology, place of residence and age were independent prognostic factors for survival in ovarian cancer. An improvement in the survival rate was observed after 1998 but a significant improvement was limited to advanced stage cancers.
In Vitro inhibitory activity of Alpinia katsumadai extracts against influenza virus infection and hemagglutination
Authors: Kwon Hyung-Jun , Kim Ha-Hyun , Yoon So Young , Ryu Young Bae , Chang Jong Sun , Cho Kyoung-Oh , Rho Mun-Chual , Park Su-Jin , Lee Woo Song
Published: November 2010

Background

Alpinia katsumadai (AK) extracts and fractions were tested for in vitro antiviral activities against influenza virus type A, specially human A/PR/8/34 (H1N1) and avian A/Chicken/Korea/MS96/96 (H9N2), by means of time-of-addition experiments; pre-treatment, simultaneous treatment, and post treatment.

Results

In pre-treatment assay, the AK extracts and AK fractions did not show significant antiviral activity. During the simultaneous treatment assay, one AK extract and five AK fractions designated as AK-1 to AK-3, AK-5, AK-10, and AK-11 showed complete inhibition of virus infectivity against A/PR/8/34 (H1N1) and A/Chicken/Korea/MS96/96 (H9N2). The 50% effective inhibitory concentrations (EC50) of these one AK extracts and five AK fractions with exception of the AK-9 were from 0.8 ± 1.4 to 16.4 ± 4.5 μ g/mL against A/PR/8/34 (H1N1). The two AK extracts and three AK fractions had EC50 values ranging from <0.39 ± 0.4 to 2.3 ± 3.6 μ g/mL against A/Chicken/Korea/MS96/96 (H9N2). By the hemagglutination inhibition (HI) assay, the two AK extracts and five AK fractions completely inhibited viral adsorption onto chicken RBCs at less than 100 μ g/mL against both A/PR/8/34 (H1N1) and A/Chicken/Korea/MS96/96 (H9N2). Interestingly, only AK-3 was found with inhibition for both viral attachment and viral replication after showing extended antiviral activity during the post treatment assay and quantitative real-time PCR.

Conclusions

These results suggest that AK extracts and fractions had strong anti-influenza virus activity that can inhibit viral attachment and/or viral replication, and may be used as viral prophylaxis.
Abnormal iron metabolism in fibroblasts from a patient with the neurodegenerative disease hereditary ferritinopathy
Authors: Barbeito Ana G , Levade Thierry , Delisle Marie B , Ghetti Bernardino , Vidal Ruben
Published: November 2010

Background

Nucleotide duplications in exon 4 of the ferritin light polypeptide (FTL) gene cause the autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disease neuroferritinopathy or hereditary ferritinopathy (HF). Pathologic examination of patients with HF has shown abnormal ferritin and iron accumulation in neurons and glia in the central nervous system (CNS) as well as in cells of other organ systems, including skin fibroblasts. To gain some understanding on the molecular basis of HF, we characterized iron metabolism in primary cultures of human skin fibroblasts from an individual with the FTL c.497_498dupTC mutation.

Results

Compared to normal controls, HF fibroblasts showed abnormal iron metabolism consisting of increased levels of ferritin polypeptides, divalent metal transporter 1, basal iron content and reactive oxygen species, and decreased levels of transferrin receptor-1 and IRE-IRP binding activity.

Conclusions

Our data indicates that HF fibroblasts replicate the abnormal iron metabolism observed in the CNS of patients with HF. We propose that HF fibroblasts are a unique cellular model in which to study the role of abnormal iron metabolism in the pathogenesis of HF without artifacts derived from over-expression or lack of endogenous translational regulatory elements.
Conversion of a molecular classifier obtained by gene expression profiling into a classifier based on real-time PCR: a prognosis predictor for gliomas
Authors: Kawarazaki Satoru , Taniguchi Kazuya , Shirahata Mitsuaki , Kukita Yoji , Kanemoto Manabu , Mikuni Nobuhiro , Hashimoto Nobuo , Miyamoto Susumu , Takahashi Jun A , Kato Kikuya
Published: November 2010

Background

The advent of gene expression profiling was expected to dramatically improve cancer diagnosis. However, despite intensive efforts and several successful examples, the development of profile-based diagnostic systems remains a difficult task. In the present work, we established a method to convert molecular classifiers based on adaptor-tagged competitive PCR (ATAC-PCR) (with a data format that is similar to that of microarrays) into classifiers based on real-time PCR.

Methods

Previously, we constructed a prognosis predictor for glioma using gene expression data obtained by ATAC-PCR, a high-throughput reverse-transcription PCR technique. The analysis of gene expression data obtained by ATAC-PCR is similar to the analysis of data from two-colour microarrays. The prognosis predictor was a linear classifier based on the first principal component (PC1) score, a weighted summation of the expression values of 58 genes. In the present study, we employed the delta-delta Ct method for measurement by real-time PCR. The predictor was converted to a Ct value-based predictor using linear regression.

Results

We selected UBL5 as the reference gene from the group of genes with expression patterns that were most similar to the median expression level from the previous profiling study. The number of diagnostic genes was reduced to 27 without affecting the performance of the prognosis predictor. PC1 scores calculated from the data obtained by real-time PCR showed a high linear correlation (r = 0.94) with those obtained by ATAC-PCR. The correlation for individual gene expression patterns (r = 0.43 to 0.91) was smaller than for PC1 scores, suggesting that errors of measurement were likely cancelled out during the weighted summation of the expression values. The classification of a test set (n = 36) by the new predictor was more accurate than histopathological diagnosis (log rank p-values, 0.023 and 0.137, respectively) for predicting prognosis.

Conclusion

We successfully converted a molecular classifier obtained by ATAC-PCR into a Ct value-based predictor. Our conversion procedure should also be applicable to linear classifiers obtained from microarray data. Because errors in measurement are likely to be cancelled out during the calculation, the conversion of individual gene expression is not an appropriate procedure. The predictor for gliomas is still in the preliminary stages of development and needs analytical clinical validation and clinical utility studies.
XenopusKazrin interacts with ARVCF-catenin, spectrin and p190B RhoGAP, and modulates RhoA activity and epithelial integrity
Authors: Cho Kyucheol , Vaught Travis G. , Ji Hong , Gu Dongmin , Papasakelariou-Yared Catherine , Horstmann Nicola , Jennings Jean Marie , Lee Moonsup , Sevilla Lisa M. , Kloc Malgorzata , Reynolds Albert B. , Watt Fiona M. , Brennan Richard G. , Kowalczyk Andrew P. , McCrea Pierre D.
Published: November 2010

In common with other p120-catenin subfamily members, Xenopus ARVCF (xARVCF) binds cadherin cytoplasmic domains to enhance cadherin metabolic stability or, when dissociated, modulates Rho-family GTPases. We report here that xARVCF binds and is stabilized by Xenopus KazrinA (xKazrinA), a widely expressed conserved protein that bears little homology to established protein families, and which is known to influence keratinocyte proliferation and differentiation and cytoskeletal activity. Although we found that xKazrinA binds directly to xARVCF, we did not resolve xKazrinA within a larger ternary complex with cadherin, nor did it co-precipitate with core desmosomal components. Instead, screening revealed that xKazrinA binds spectrin, suggesting a potential means by which xKazrinA localizes to cell–cell borders. This was supported by the resolution of a ternary biochemical complex of xARVCF–xKazrinA–xβ2-spectrin and, in vivo, by the finding that ectodermal shedding followed depletion of xKazrin in Xenopus embryos, a phenotype partially rescued with exogenous xARVCF. Cell shedding appeared to be the consequence of RhoA activation, and thereby altered actin organization and cadherin function. Indeed, we also revealed that xKazrinA binds p190B RhoGAP, which was likewise capable of rescuing Kazrin depletion. Finally, xKazrinA was found to associate with δ-catenins and p0071-catenins but not with p120-catenin, suggesting that Kazrin interacts selectively with additional members of the p120-catenin subfamily. Taken together, our study supports the essential role of Kazrin in development, and reveals the biochemical and functional association of KazrinA with ARVCF-catenin, spectrin and p190B RhoGAP.
Disseminated toxoplasmosis: an atypical presentation in an immunocompetent patient
Authors: Neves Elizabeth de Souza , Kropf Andrea , Bueno Wendy Fernandes , Bonna Isabel Cristina Fabregas , Curi André Luis Land , Amendoeira Maria Regina R , Filho Octavio Fernandes
Published: November 2010

Acute acquired toxoplasmosis is considered a self-limited mononucleosis-like disease that rarely requires treatment. We report an unusual severe case of disseminated toxoplasmosis complicated with meningitis and pneumonia in a previously 41-year-old healthy Brazilian man. Toxoplasmosis should be included in the differential diagnosis of acute ferbrile diseases due to the non-specific clinical symptoms and the possibility of severe outcome.
Recent design strategies for polymer solar cell materials
Authors: Bilby David , Kim Bong Gi , Kim Jinsang
Published: November 2010

Recent design tools for tuning the properties of conjugated polymers for efficient polymer solar cells (PSCs) are briefly reviewed. Based on limitations in the solar-to-electric energy conversion process imposed by material properties, recent research has focused on lowering the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) level, reducing the bandgap, and controlling the molecular conformation and donor–acceptor phase separation. Additionally, the stability of PSCs can be improved through molecular design. Finally, a few less-conventional material design strategies for device improvement through polymer–polymer blends and triplet utilization are introduced. Molecular design has been an invaluable tool in controlling these material properties.
Energy-related applications of functional porous metal–organic frameworks
Authors: Ma Shengqian , Meng Le
Published: November 2010

As a new type of functional materials, porous metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) have experienced tremendous development in the past decade. Their amenability to design, together with the functionalizable nanospace inside their frameworks, has afforded them great potential for various applications. In this review, we provide a brief summary of the current status of porous MOFs in energy-related applications, mainly, energy gas storage, CO2 capture, gas separation, catalysis, and fuel cells.
Development of a candidate secondary reference procedure (immunoassay based measurement procedure of higher metrological order) for cardiac troponin I: I. Antibody characterization and preliminary validation
Authors: Noble James E. , Bunk David M. , Christenson Robert H. , Cole Kenneth D. , He Hua-Jun , Katrukha Alexei G. , Panteghini Mauro , Porter Robert A. , Schimmel Heinz , Tate Jillian R. , Wang Lili
Published: November 2010

In this study, the first steps in the development of a secondary reference measurement procedure (RMP) ‘higher metrological order measurement procedure’ to support the cardiac troponin I (cTnI) standardization initiative is described. The RMP should be used to assign values to serum-based secondary reference materials (RMs) without analytical artifacts causing bias. A multiplexed bead-based assay and sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) were used to identify the optimum monoclonal antibody pair (clones 560 and 19C7) for the RMP. Using these antibodies, an ELISA-based procedure was developed to accurately measure the main cTnI forms present in blood. The proposed RMP appears to show no bias when tested on samples containing various troponin complexes, phosphorylated and dephosphorylated forms, and heparin. The candidate assay displayed suitable linearity and sensitivity (limit of detection, 0.052 μg/L) for the measurement of the proposed cTnI secondary RMs. Preliminary comparison data on patient samples with a commercial cTnI assay are also provided to support the suitability of RMP for value assignment to RMs. Full validation and final assessment of the RMP will be performed through transferability and inter-comparison studies.

Clin Chem Lab Med 2010;48:1603–10.
An appraisal of statistical procedures used in derivation of reference intervals
Authors: Ichihara Kiyoshi , Boyd James C.
Published: November 2010

When conducting studies to derive reference intervals (RIs), various statistical procedures are commonly applied at each step, from the planning stages to final computation of RIs. Determination of the necessary sample size is an important consideration, and evaluation of at least 400 individuals in each subgroup has been recommended to establish reliable common RIs in multicenter studies. Multiple regression analysis allows identification of the most important factors contributing to variation in test results, while accounting for possible confounding relationships among these factors. Of the various approaches proposed for judging the necessity of partitioning reference values, nested analysis of variance (ANOVA) is the likely method of choice owing to its ability to handle multiple groups and being able to adjust for multiple factors. Box-Cox power transformation often has been used to transform data to a Gaussian distribution for parametric computation of RIs. However, this transformation occasionally fails. Therefore, the non-parametric method based on determination of the 2.5 and 97.5 percentiles following sorting of the data, has been recommended for general use. The performance of the Box-Cox transformation can be improved by introducing an additional parameter representing the origin of transformation. In simulations, the confidence intervals (CIs) of reference limits (RLs) calculated by the parametric method were narrower than those calculated by the non-parametric approach. However, the margin of difference was rather small owing to additional variability in parametrically-determined RLs introduced by estimation of parameters for the Box-Cox transformation. The parametric calculation method may have an advantage over the non-parametric method in allowing identification and exclusion of extreme values during RI computation.

Clin Chem Lab Med 2010;48:1537–51.
An outline for a vocabulary of nominal properties and examinations – basic and general concepts and associated terms
Authors: Nordin Gunnar , Dybkaer René , Forsum Urban , Fuentes-Arderiu Xavier , Schadow Gunther , Pontet Françoise
Published: November 2010

Scientists of disciplines in clinical laboratory sciences have long recognized the need for a common language for efficient and safe request of investigations, reporting of results, and communication of experience and scientific achievements. Widening the scope, most scientific disciplines, not only clinical laboratory sciences, rely to some extent on various nominal examinations, in addition to measurements. The ‘International vocabulary of metrology – Basic and general concepts and associated terms’ (VIM) is designed for metrology, science of measurement. The aim of the proposed vocabulary is to suggest definitions and explanations of concepts and terms related to nominal properties, i.e., properties that can be compared for identity with other properties of the same kind-of-property, but that have no magnitude.

Clin Chem Lab Med 2010;48:1553–66.
Modulation of Brain Activity after Learning Predicts Long-Term Memory for Words
Authors: Hultén Annika , Laaksonen Hannu , Vihla Minna , Laine Matti , Salmelin Riitta
Published: November 2010

The acquisition and maintenance of new language information, such as picking up new words, is a critical human ability that is needed throughout the life span. Most likely you learned the word “blog” quite recently as an adult, whereas the word “kipe,” which in the 1970s denoted stealing, now seems unfamiliar. Brain mechanisms underlying the long-term maintenance of new words have remained unknown, albeit they could provide important clues to the considerable individual differences in the ability to remember words. After successful training of a set of novel object names we tracked, over a period of 10 months, the maintenance of this new vocabulary in 10 human participants by repeated behavioral tests and magnetoencephalography measurements of overt picture naming. When naming-related activation in the left frontal and temporal cortex was enhanced 1 week after training, compared with the level at the end of training, the individual retained a good command of the new vocabulary at 10 months; vice versa, individuals with reduced activation at 1 week posttraining were less successful in recalling the names at 10 months. This finding suggests an individual neural marker for memory, in the context of language. Learning is not over when the acquisition phase has been successfully completed: neural events during the access to recently established word representations appear to be important for the long-term outcome of learning.
Flotillin-Mediated Endocytic Events Dictate Cell Type-Specific Responses to Semaphorin 3A
Authors: Carcea Ioana , Ma'ayan Avi , Mesias Roxana , Sepulveda Bryan , Salton Stephen R. , Benson Deanna L.
Published: November 2010

Cortical efferents growing in the same environment diverge early in development. The expression of particular transcription factors dictates the trajectories taken, presumably by regulating responsiveness to guidance cues via cellular mechanisms that are not yet known. Here, we show that cortical neurons that are dissociated and grown in culture maintain their cell type-specific identities defined by the expression of transcription factors. Using this model system, we sought to identify and characterize mechanisms that are recruited to produce cell type-specific responses to Semaphorin 3A (Sema3A), a guidance cue that would be presented similarly to cortical axonsin vivo. Axons from presumptive corticofugal neurons lacking the transcription factor Satb2 and expressing Ctip2 or Tbr1 respond far more robustly to Sema3A than those from presumptive callosal neurons expressing Satb2. Both populations of axons express similar levels of Sema3A receptors (neuropilin-1, cell adhesion molecule L1, and plexinA4), but significantly, axons from neurons lacking Satb2 internalize more Sema3A, and they do so via a raft-mediated endocytic pathway. We used anin silicoapproach to identify the endocytosis effector flotillin-1 as a Sema3A signaling candidate. We tested the contributions of flotillin-1 to Sema3A endocytosis and signaling, and show that raft-mediated Sema3A endocytosis is defined by and depends on the recruitment of flotillin-1, which mediates LIM domain kinase activation and regulates axon responsiveness to Sema3A in presumptive corticofugal axons.
Low-Intensity Electrical Stimulation Affects Network Dynamics by Modulating Population Rate and Spike Timing
Authors: Reato Davide , Rahman Asif , Bikson Marom , Parra Lucas C.
Published: November 2010

Clinical effects of transcranial electrical stimulation with weak currents are remarkable considering the low amplitude of the electric fields acting on the brain. Elucidating the processes by which small currents affect ongoing brain activity is of paramount importance for the rational design of noninvasive electrotherapeutic strategies and to determine the relevance of endogenous fields. We propose that in active neuronal networks, weak electrical fields induce small but coherent changes in the firing rate and timing of neuronal populations that can be magnified by dynamic network activity. Specifically, we show that carbachol-induced gamma oscillations (25–35 Hz) in rat hippocampal slices have an inherent rate-limiting dynamic and timing precision that govern susceptibility to low-frequency weak electric fields (<50 Hz; <10 V/m). This leads to a range of nonlinear responses, including the following: (1) asymmetric power modulation by DC fields resulting from balanced excitation and inhibition; (2) symmetric power modulation by lower frequency AC fields with a net-zero change in firing rate; and (3) half-harmonic oscillations for higher frequency AC fields resulting from increased spike timing precision. These underlying mechanisms were elucidated by slice experiments and a parsimonious computational network model of single-compartment spiking neurons responding to electric field stimulation with small incremental polarization. Intracellular recordings confirmed model predictions on neuronal timing and rate changes, as well as spike phase-entrainment resonance at 0.2 V/m. Finally, our data and mechanistic framework provide a functional role for endogenous electric fields, specifically illustrating that modulation of gamma oscillations during theta-modulated gamma activity can result from field effects alone.
A Neuronal Population Measure of Attention Predicts Behavioral Performance on Individual Trials
Authors: Cohen Marlene R. , Maunsell John H. R.
Published: November 2010

Visual attention improves perception for an attended location or feature and also modulates the responses of sensory neurons. In laboratory studies, the sensory stimuli and task instructions are held constant within an attentional condition, but despite experimenters' best efforts, attention likely varies from moment to moment. Because most previous studies have focused on single neurons, it has been impossible to use neuronal responses to identify attentional fluctuations and determine whether these are associated with changes in behavior. We show that an instantaneous measure of attention based on the responses of a modest number of neurons in area V4 of the rhesus monkey (Macaca mulatta) can reliably predict large changes in an animal's ability to perform a difficult psychophysical task. Unexpectedly, this measure shows that the amount of attention allocated at any moment to locations in opposite hemifields is uncorrelated, suggesting that animals allocate attention to each stimulus independently rather than moving their attentional focus from one location to another.
Dendritic Sodium Channels Regulate Network Integration in Globus Pallidus Neurons: A Modeling Study
Authors: Edgerton Jeremy R. , Hanson Jesse E. , Günay Cengiz , Jaeger Dieter
Published: November 2010

The globus pallidus (GP) predominantly contains GABAergic projection neurons that occupy a central position in the indirect pathway of the basal ganglia. They have long dendrites that can extend through one-half the diameter of the GP in rats, potentially enabling convergence and interaction between segregated basal ganglia circuits. Because of the length and fine diameter of GP dendrites, however, it is unclear how much influence distal synapses have on spiking activity. Dendritic expression of fast voltage-dependent Na+channels (NaF channels) can enhance the importance of distal excitatory synapses by allowing for dendritic spike initiation and by subthreshold boosting of EPSPs. Antibody labeling has demonstrated the presence of NaF channel proteins in GP dendrites, but the quantitative expression density of the channels remains unknown. We built a series of nine GP neuron models that differed only in their dendritic NaF channel expression level to assess the functional impact of this parameter. The models were all similar in their basic electrophysiological features; however, higher expression levels of dendritic NaF channels increased the relative effectiveness of distal inputs for both excitatory and inhibitory synapses, broadening the effective extent of the dendritic tree. Higher dendritic NaF channel expression also made the neurons more resistant to tonic inhibition and highly sensitive to clustered synchronous excitation. The dendritic NaF channel expression pattern may therefore be a critical determinant of convergence for both the striatopallidal and subthalamopallidal projections, while also dictating which spatiotemporal input patterns are most effective at driving GP neuron output.
Repeated Swim Impairs Serotonin Clearance via a Corticosterone-Sensitive Mechanism: Organic Cation Transporter 3, the Smoking Gun
Authors: Baganz Nicole , Horton Rebecca , Martin Kathryn , Holmes Andrew , Daws Lynette C.
Published: November 2010

Activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is associated with increased extracellular serotonin (5-HT) in limbic brain regions. The mechanism through which this occurs remains unclear. One way could be via HPA axis-dependent impairment of serotonin transporter (SERT) function, the high-affinity uptake mechanism for 5-HT. Consistent with this idea, we found that 5-HT clearance rate in hippocampus was dramatically reduced in mice exposed to repeated swim, a stimulus known to activate the HPA axis. However, this phenomenon also occurred in mice lacking SERT, ruling out SERT as a mechanism. The organic cation transporter 3 (OCT3) is emerging as an important regulator of brain 5-HT. Moreover, corticosterone, which is released upon HPA axis activation, blocks 5-HT uptake by OCT3. Repeated swim produced a persistent elevation in plasma corticosterone, and, consistent with prolonged blockade by corticosterone, we found that OCT3 expression and function were reduced in these mice. Importantly, this effect of repeated swim to reduce 5-HT clearance rate was corticosterone dependent, as evidenced by its absence in adrenalectomized mice, in which plasma corticosterone levels were essentially undetectable. Behaviorally, mice subjected to repeated swim spent less time immobile in the tail suspension test than control mice, but responded similarly to SERT- and norepinephrine transporter-selective antidepressants. Together, these results show that reduced 5-HT clearance following HPA axis activation is likely mediated, at least in part, by the corticosterone-sensitive OCT3, and that drugs developed to selectively target OCT3 (unlike corticosterone) may be candidates for the development of novel antidepressant medications.
Ringing Ears: The Neuroscience of Tinnitus: Figure 1.
Authors: Roberts Larry E. , Eggermont Jos J. , Caspary Donald M. , Shore Susan E. , Melcher Jennifer R. , Kaltenbach James A.
Published: November 2010

Tinnitus is a phantom sound (ringing of the ears) that affects quality of life for millions around the world and is associated in most cases with hearing impairment. This symposium will consider evidence that deafferentation of tonotopically organized central auditory structures leads to increased neuron spontaneous firing rates and neural synchrony in the hearing loss region. This region covers the frequency spectrum of tinnitus sounds, which are optimally suppressed following exposure to band-limited noise covering the same frequencies. Cross-modal compensations in subcortical structures may contribute to tinnitus and its modulation by jaw-clenching and eye movements. Yet many older individuals with impaired hearing do not have tinnitus, possibly because age-related changes in inhibitory circuits are better preserved. A brain network involving limbic and other nonauditory regions is active in tinnitus and may be driven when spectrotemporal information conveyed by the damaged ear does not match that predicted by central auditory processing.
Morphine Induces AMPA Receptor Internalization in Primary Hippocampal Neurons via Calcineurin-Dependent Dephosphorylation of GluR1 Subunits
Authors: Kam Angel Y. F. , Liao Dezhi , Loh Horace H. , Law Ping-Yee
Published: November 2010

Chronic morphine treatment resulting in the alteration of postsynaptic levels of AMPA receptors, thereby modulating synaptic strength, has been reported. However, the mechanism underlying such drug-induced synaptic modification has not been resolved. By monitoring the GluR1 trafficking in primary hippocampal neurons using the pHluorin-GluR1 imaging and biotinylation studies, we observed that prolonged morphine exposure significantly induced loss of synaptic and extrasynaptic GluR1 by internalization. The morphine-induced GluR1 endocytosis was independent of neural network activities or NMDA receptor activities, as neither blocking the sodium channels with tetrodotoxin nor NMDA receptors withdl-APV altered the effects of morphine. Instead, morphine-induced GluR1 endocytosis is attributed to a change in the phosphorylation state of the GluR1 at Ser845as morphine significantly decreased the dephosphorylation of GluR1 at this site. Such changes in Ser845phosphorylation required morphine-induced activation of calcineurin, based on the observations that a calcineurin inhibitor, FK506, completely abrogated the dephosphorylation, and morphine treatment led to an increase in calcineurin enzymatic activity, even in the presence ofdl-APV. Importantly, pretreatment with FK506 and overexpression of the GluR1 mutants, S845D (phospho-mimic) or S845A (phospho-blocking) attenuated the morphine-induced GluR1 endocytosis. Therefore, the calcineurin-mediated GluR1-S845 dephosphorylation is critical for the morphine-induced changes in the postsynaptic AMPA receptor level. Together, these findings reveal a novel molecular mechanism for opioid-induced neuronal adaptation and/or synaptic impairment.
Physiological responses and production of 'Syrah' vines as a function of training systems
Authors: Favero Ana Carolina , Amorim Daniel Angelucci de , Mota Renata Vieira da , Souza Claudia Rita de , Regina Murillo de Albuquerque
Published: November 2010

Plant architecture and its interaction with agricultural practices and environmental constraints is determinant for grapevine canopy structure, which is related to carbon assimilation, bud fertility and fruit quality. In this context, this study evaluated the performance of field-grown 'Syrah' grapevines conducted by two management systems: Vertical Shoot Position (VSP) or a modified Geneva Double Curtain (GDC), in Pirapora, state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, during the winters of 2007 and 2008. The evaluations of leaf area, water relations and net CO2 assimilation were made at the end of the ripening period. Yield per vine and per hectare were estimated and mean berry weight and diameter, total soluble solids, pH and titratable acidity were evaluated during berry ripening. The grapevines trained in VSP had higher water status as compared to GDC, shown by differences in pre-dawn leaf water potential (ψpd) and stem water potential (ψstem). However, the CO2 assimilation was similar in both training systems. Fruit exposure was higher in VSP than in GDC, which contributed to increasing berry temperature. At harvest, the berries in GDC reached values near to 23 ºBrix whereas berries in VSP showed values near 21 ºBrix.