bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Surviving failures in bandwidth-constrained datacenters
Authors: Bodík Peter , Menache Ishai , Chowdhury Mosharaf , Mani Pradeepkumar , Maltz David A. , Stoica Ion
Published: September 2012

Datacenter networks have been designed to tolerate failures of network equipment and provide sufficient bandwidth. In practice, however, failures and maintenance of networking and power equipment often make tens to thousands of servers unavailable, and network congestion can increase service latency. Unfortunately, there exists an inherent tradeoff between achieving high fault tolerance and reducing bandwidth usage in network core; spreading servers across fault domains improves fault tolerance, but requires additional bandwidth, while deploying servers together reduces bandwidth usage, but also decreases fault tolerance. We present a detailed analysis of a large-scale Web application and its communication patterns. Based on that, we propose and evaluate a novel optimization framework that achieves both high fault tolerance and significantly reduces bandwidth usage in the network core by exploiting the skewness in the observed communication patterns.
Mirror mirror on the ceiling
Authors: Zhou Xia , Zhang Zengbin , Zhu Yibo , Li Yubo , Kumar Saipriya , Vahdat Amin , Zhao Ben Y. , Zheng Haitao
Published: September 2012

Modern data centers are massive, and support a range of distributed applications across potentially hundreds of server racks. As their utilization and bandwidth needs continue to grow, traditional methods of augmenting bandwidth have proven complex and costly in time and resources. Recent measurements show that data center traffic is often limited by congestion loss caused by short traffic bursts. Thus an attractive alternative to adding physical bandwidth is to augment wired links with wireless links in the 60 GHz band.

We address two limitations with current 60 GHz wireless proposals. First, 60 GHz wireless links are limited by line-of-sight, and can be blocked by even small obstacles. Second, even beamforming links leak power, and potential interference will severely limit concurrent transmissions in dense data centers. We propose and evaluate a new wireless primitive for data centers, 3D
beamforming
, where 60 GHz signals bounce off data center ceilings, thus establishing indirect line-of-sight between any two racks in a data center. We build a small 3D beamforming testbed to demonstrate its ability to address both link blockage and link interference, thus improving link range and number of concurrent transmissions in the data center. In addition, we propose a simple link scheduler and use traffic simulations to show that these 3D links significantly expand wireless capacity compared to their 2D counterparts.
Making use of all the networks around us
Authors: Yap Kok-Kiong , Huang Te-Yuan , Kobayashi Masayoshi , Yiakoumis Yiannis , McKeown Nick , Katti Sachin , Parulkar Guru
Published: September 2012

Poor connectivity is common when we use wireless networks on the go. A natural way to tackle the problem is to take advantage of the multiple network interfaces on our mobile devices, and use all the networks around us. Using multiple networks at a time makes makes possible faster connections, seamless connectivity and potentially lower usage charges. The goal of this paper is to explore how to make use of all the networks with today's technology. Specifically, we prototyped a solution on an Android phone. Using our prototype, we demonstrate the benefits (and difficulties) of using multiple networks at the same time.
Understanding the characteristics of cellular data traffic
Authors: Zhang Ying , Årvidsson Ake
Published: September 2012

Because of rapidly growing subscriber populations, advances in cellular communication technology, increasingly capable user terminals, and the expanding range of mobile applications, cellular networks have experienced a significant increase in data traffic, the dominant part of which is carried by the http protocol. Understanding the characteristics of this traffic is important for network design, traffic modeling, resource planning and network control. In this study we present a comprehensive characterization study of mobile http-based traffic using packet level traces collected in a large cellular network. We analyze the traffic using metrics at packet level, flow level and session level. For each metric, we conduct a comparison between traffic from different applications, as well as comparison to traffic in a wired network. Finally, we discuss the implications of our findings for better resource utilization in cellular infrastructures.
Veriflow
Authors: Khurshid Ahmed , Zhou Wenxuan , Caesar Matthew , Godfrey P. Brighten
Published: September 2012

Networks are complex and prone to bugs. Existing tools that check configuration files and data-plane state operate offline at timescales of seconds to hours, and cannot detect or prevent bugs as they arise.

Is it possible to
check network-wide invariants in real time
, as the network state evolves? The key challenge here is to achieve extremely low latency during the checks so that network performance is not affected. In this paper, we present a preliminary design, VeriFlow, which suggests that this goal is achievable. VeriFlow is a layer between a software-defined networking controller and network devices that checks for network-wide invariant violations dynamically as each forwarding rule is inserted. Based on an implementation using a Mininet OpenFlow network and Route Views trace data, we find that VeriFlow can perform rigorous checking within hundreds of microseconds per rule insertion.
The controller placement problem
Authors: Heller Brandon , Sherwood Rob , McKeown Nick
Published: September 2012

Network architectures such as Software-Defined Networks (SDNs) move the control logic off packet processing devices and onto external controllers. These network architectures with decoupled control planes open many unanswered questions regarding reliability, scalability, and performance when compared to more traditional purely distributed systems. This paper opens the investigation by focusing on two specific questions: given a topology, how many controllers are needed, and where should they go? To answer these questions, we examine fundamental limits to control plane propagation latency on an upcoming Internet2 production deployment, then expand our scope to over 100 publicly available WAN topologies. As expected, the answers depend on the topology. More surprisingly,
one
controller location is often sufficient to meet existing reaction-time requirements (though certainly not fault tolerance requirements).
Adaptive display power management for OLED displays
Authors: Wee Tan Kiat , Balan Rajesh Krishna
Published: September 2012

Mobile gaming has become increasingly popular in the past few years with the proliferation of smartphones that have the increased CPU, memory, and network (3.5G etc.) capabilities to support a vast range of interesting games. In addition, these phones also have high quality displays, such as Organic Light Emitting Diodes (OLED) displays, that allow the intricate details in games to be shown in vivid detail to end users. Unfortunately, these displays tend to consume a lot of energy - which in turn limits the amount of time that a user can spend actually playing games on these devices. In this paper, we describe a technique that makes use of saliency, with respect to the end user, to reduce the power consumption of OLED displays when they are used for games, by reducing the brightness of game areas that are not of interest currently to the game player. We evaluated our technique with a user study and showed that even for fast-paced shooting games, our solution is able to save a modest amount of power with no impact in the end user gaming experience.
Joint hop-by-hop and receiver-driven interest control protocol for content-centric networks
Authors: Carofiglio Giovanna , Gallo Massimo , Muscariello Luca
Published: September 2012

Content-centric networking (CCN) advocates a new transport model tailored to named-data communication. Three features distinguish CCN transport from the TCP/IP model: unique endpoint at the receiver, pull-based data retrieval in a point to multi-point fashion and in-path caching.

The definition of transport control mechanisms is of fundamental importance within the CCN architectural design and beyond, in the broader scope of information-centric networks. In this work, we propose a joint Hop-by-hop and Receiver-driven Interest Control Protocol (HR-ICP) to regulate user requests (Interests) either at the receiver and at intermediate nodes via Interest shaping. We prove that HR-ICP is stable and converges to an efficient and max-min fair equilibrium. Compared to controlling traffic only at the receiver, HR-ICP accelerates congestion reaction and reduces the loss rate, as we show by means of CCN packet-level simulations. In different network scenarios, we highlight the advantages of our solution in terms of faster convergence to the optimal throughput, robustness against misbehaving receivers and flow protection of delay-sensitive applications.
Access control enforcement delegation for information-centric networking architectures
Authors: Fotiou Nikos , Marias Giannis F. , Polyzos George C.
Published: September 2012

Information is the building block of
Information Centric Networks
(ICNs). Access control policies limit information dissemination to authorized entities only. Defining access control policies in an ICN is a non-trivial task as an information item may exist in multiple copies dispersed in various network locations, including caches and content replication servers. In this paper we propose an access control enforcement delegation scheme which enables the purveyor of an information item to evaluate a request against an access control policy, without having access to the requestor credentials nor to the actual definition of the policy. Such an approach has multiple merits: it enables the interoperability of various stakeholders, it protects user identity and it can set the basis for a privacy preserving mechanism. An implementation of our scheme supports its feasibility.
SCAMPI
Authors: Pitkänen Mikko , Kärkkäinen Teemu , Ott Jörg , Conti Marco , Passarella Andrea , Giordano Silvia , Puccinelli Daniele , Legendre Franck , Trifunovic Sacha , Hummel Karin , May Martin , Hegde Nidhi , Spyropoulos Thrasyvoulos
Published: September 2012

Allowing mobile users to find and access resources available in the surrounding environment opportunistically via their smart devices could enable them to create and use a rich set of services. Such services can go well beyond what is possible for a mobile phone acting alone. In essense, access to diverse resources such as raw computational power, social networking relationships, or sensor readings across a set of different devices calls for distributed task execution. In this paper, we discuss the SCAMPI architecture designed to support distributed task execution in opportunistic pervasive networks. The key elements of the architecture include leveraging human social behavior for efficient opportunistic interaction between a variety of sensors, personal communication devices and resources embedded in the local environment. The SCAMPI architecture abstracts resources as service components following a service-oriented model. This enables composing rich applications that utilize a collection of service components available in the environment.
On cloud-centric network architecture for multi-dimensional mobility
Authors: Kim Kyu-Han , Lee Sung-Ju , Congdon Paul
Published: September 2012

Despite pervasive deployment of wireless networks, maintaining seamless mobile connectivity within a set of local devices and to the remote cloud is still challenging. The crux of this challenge stems from the simultaneous interplay of multiple dimensions of a user's mobility - users frequently move between multiple access networks, mobile devices and unique personas. We identify new trends and challenges in providing rich mobile connectivity to mobile users. We then propose a novel Cloud-centric Architecture for Rich Mobile Experience Networking, called Carmen. Carmen is a distributed system that manages the mobile connectivity of a set of devices belonging to a particular individual, which we call the mobile personal grid (MPG). Carmen enables the MPG to effciently collect context from a mobile user and coordinate key system resources across the MPG and cloud. We present new design principles and functional components of Carmen. In addition, we show our system prototype of Carmen's resource monitoring infrastructure to demonstrate its feasibility and benefits in improving the mobile user's networking experience.
Poultry markets
Authors: Stringhini Gianluca , Egele Manuel , Kruegel Christopher , Vigna Giovanni
Published: September 2012

Since Twitter has emerged as one of the easiest ways of reaching people, companies started using it to advertise their products. However, creating a functional network of followers to whom to promote content is not a straightforward task. On the one side, collecting followers requires time. On the other side, companies need to establish a reputation to motivate users to follow them.

A number of websites have emerged to help Twitter users create a large network of followers. These websites promise their subscribers to provide followers in exchange for a fee or limited services free of charge but in exchange for the user's Twitter account credentials. In addition, they offer to spread their clients' promotional messages in the network. In this paper, we study the phenomenon of these
Twitter Account Markets
, and we show how their services are often linked to abusive behavior and compromised Twitter profiles.
An Investigation of Airborne Allergenic Pollen at Different Heights
Authors: Xiao Xiaojun , Fu Aixiang , Xie Xiongjie , Kang Minxiong , Hu Dongsheng , Yang Pingchang , Liu Zhigang
Published: September 2012

Background and Aims: Airborne pollen is an important source of allergens in a number of allergic diseases. Data on the concentrations of pollen at different heights in the air are scarce. The aim of the present study was to investigate different types and numbers of airborne pollen and their seasonal variation at different heights in the urban area of Shenzhen (China) and their associations with meteorological factors. Methods: The concentration of airborne pollen at different heights was monitored with Burkard traps from July 1, 2006, to June 30, 2007, in Shenzhen; the results were analyzed with SAS 9.13 software. Results: In total, 1,095 films (at 3 heights, 365 films at each height) were exposed throughout the year, and 48 families and 85 genera of pollen taxa were identified. The total pollen count was 55,830 grains (25,204 grains at 1.5 m; 16,218 grains at 35 m, and 14,408 grains at 70 m); pollen grains were present in the atmosphere throughout the year, with two peaks of airborne pollen: one peak in February to April and the other in September to November. Conclusions: On the basis of our local investigations, the pollen concentrations and the pollen types in the air decrease gradually with increasing height. The distribution and concentrations of airborne pollen at different heights in the atmosphere were influenced by composite factors such as the season and meteorological factors.
The Electronic Nose in Respiratory Medicine
Authors: Montuschi Paolo , Mores Nadia , Trové Andrea , Mondino Chiara , Barnes Peter J.
Published: September 2012

Several volatile organic compounds have been identified in exhaled breath in healthy subjects and patients with respiratory diseases by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Identification of selective patterns of volatile organic compounds in exhaled breath could be used as a biomarker of inflammatory lung diseases. An electronic nose (e-nose) is an artificial sensor system that generally consists of an array of chemical sensors for detection of volatile organic compound profiles (breathprints) and an algorithm for pattern recognition. E-noses are handheld, portable devices that provide immediate results. E-noses discriminate between patients with respiratory disease, including asthma, COPD and lung cancer, and healthy control subjects, and also among patients with different respiratory diseases. E-nose breathprints are associated with airway inflammation activity. In combination with other ‘omics’ platforms, e-nose technology might contribute to the identification of new surrogate markers of pulmonary inflammation and subphenotypes of patients with respiratory diseases, provide a molecular basis to a personalized pharmacological treatment, and facilitate the development of new drugs.
The Impacts of Population Subdivision on the Viability of Brachyteles hypoxanthus
Authors: Eduardo Anderson A. , Brito Daniel
Published: September 2012

Habitat loss and fragmentation turn continuous large populations into metapopulations of smaller populations, more prone to the negative effects of stochastic processes. We modeled scenarios simulating the subdivision ofBrachyteles hypoxanthuspopulations under different dispersal rates. Results show the existence of a population subdivision threshold, below which subdivision causes the metapopulation structure to collapse. Management should target first the increase in local populations through habitat restoration/protection, and only after populations are sufficiently large, connectivity strategies should take place.
Advances in Osteoimmunology: Pathophysiologic Concepts and Treatment Opportunities
Authors: Rauner Martina , Sipos Wolfgang , Thiele Sylvia , Pietschmann Peter
Published: September 2012

Osteoimmunology is an emerging research area that deals with the mutual interactions between bone and the immune system. Osteoclasts have long been the center of attention in osteoimmunological research due to their hematopoietic origin and strong activation through cytokines. However, also the osteoclast’s opponent – the osteoblast – has recently sought the spotlight, and novel functions of its descendant – the osteocyte – have been unraveled. A considerable number of investigations carried out over the past decade have identified critical proteins with osteoimmune functions including the pro-osteoclastic cytokine receptor activator of NF-ĸB ligand and inhibitors of the pro-osteoblastic Wnt signaling pathway. These discoveries have also led to the development of targeted therapies to counteract not only inflammation-induced bone loss but also postmenopausal osteoporosis and osteoporosis associated with aging.
Educational and Psychological Interventions to Improve Outcomes for Recipients of Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators and Their Families
Authors: Dunbar Sandra B. , Dougherty Cynthia M. , Sears Samuel F. , Carroll Diane L. , Goldstein Nathan E. , Mark Daniel B. , McDaniel George , Pressler Susan J. , Schron Eleanor , Wang Paul , Zeigler Vicki L.
Published: September 2012

Significant mortality benefits have been documented in recipients of implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs); however, the psychosocial distress created by the underlying arrhythmia and its potential treatments in patients and family members may be underappreciated by clinical care teams. The disentanglement of cardiac disease and device-related concerns is difficult. The majority of ICD patients and families successfully adjust to the ICD, but optimal care pathways may require additional psychosocial attention to all ICD patients and particularly those experiencing psychosocial distress. This state-of-the-science report was developed on the basis of an analysis and critique of existing science to (1) describe the psychological and quality-of-life outcomes after receipt of an ICD and describe related factors, such as patient characteristics; (2) describe the concerns and educational/informational needs of ICD patients and their family members; (3) outline the evidence that supports interventions for improving educational and psychological outcomes for ICD patients; (4) provide recommendations for clinical approaches for improving patient outcomes; and (5) identify priorities for future research in this area. The ultimate goal of this statement is to improve the precision of identification and care of psychosocial distress in ICD patients to maximize the derived benefit of the ICD.
Clinical and Angiographic Risk Stratification and Differential Impact on Treatment Outcomes in the Bypass Angioplasty Revascularization Investigation 2 Diabetes (BARI 2D) Trial
Authors: Brooks Maria Mori , Chaitman Bernard R. , Nesto Richard W. , Hardison Regina M. , Feit Frederick , Gersh Bernard J. , Krone Ronald J. , Sako Edward Y. , Rogers William J. , Garber Alan J. , King Spencer B. , Davidson Charles J. , Ikeno Fumiaki , Frye Robert L.
Published: September 2012

Background—

The Bypass Angioplasty Revascularization Investigation 2 Diabetes (BARI 2D) trial assigned patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus to prompt coronary revascularization plus intensive medical therapy versus intensive medical therapy alone and reported no significant difference in mortality. Among patients selected for coronary artery bypass graft surgery, prompt coronary revascularization was associated with a significant reduction in death/myocardial infarction/stroke compared with intensive medical therapy. We hypothesized that clinical and angiographic risk stratification would affect the effectiveness of the treatments overall and within revascularization strata.

Methods and Results—

An angiographic risk score was developed from variables assessed at randomization; independent prognostic factors were myocardial jeopardy index, total number of coronary lesions, prior coronary revascularization, and left ventricular ejection fraction. The Framingham Risk Score for patients with coronary disease was used to summarize clinical risk. Cardiovascular event rates were compared by assigned treatment within high-risk and low-risk subgroups. Overall, no outcome differences between the intensive medical therapy and prompt coronary revascularization groups were seen in any risk stratum. The 5-year risk of death/myocardial infarction/stroke was 36.8% for intensive medical therapy compared with 24.8% for prompt coronary revascularization among the 381 coronary artery bypass graft surgery–selected patients in the highest angiographic risk tertile (
P
=0.005); this treatment effect was amplified in patients with both high angiographic and high Framingham risk (47.3% intensive medical therapy versus 27.1% prompt coronary revascularization;
P
=0.010; hazard ratio=2.10;
P
=0.009). Treatment group differences were not significant in other clinical-angiographic risk groups within the coronary artery bypass graft surgery stratum, or in any subgroups within the percutaneous coronary intervention stratum.

Conclusion—

Among patients with diabetes mellitus and stable ischemic heart disease, a strategy of prompt coronary artery bypass graft surgery significantly reduces the rate of death/myocardial infarction MI/stroke in those with extensive coronary artery disease or impaired left ventricular function.

Clinical Trial Registration—

URL:
http://www.clinicaltrials.gov
. Unique identifier: NCT00006305.
Sex-Related Trends in Mortality in Hospitalized Men and Women After Myocardial Infarction Between 1985 and 2008
Authors: Nauta Sjoerd T. , Deckers Jaap W. , van Domburg Ron T. , Akkerhuis K. Martijn
Published: September 2012

Background—

We aimed to study sex-related differences in temporal trends in short- and long-term mortality from 1985 to 2008 in patients hospitalized for acute myocardial infarction.

Methods and Results—

We included a total of 14 434 consecutive patients admitted to our intensive coronary care unit between 1985 and 2008 for myocardial infarction. A total of 4028 patients (28%) were women. Women were more likely to present with a higher risk profile and were equally likely to receive pharmacological and invasive reperfusion therapy compared with men. Women had a higher unadjusted mortality rate at 30 days (odds ratio, 1.3; 95% confidence interval, 1.1–1.5) and during 20 years (hazard ratio, 1.1; 95% confidence interval, 1.0–1.2) of follow-up. After adjustment for baseline characteristics, 30-day mortality was equal (adjusted odds ratio, 1.0; 95% confidence interval, 0.85–1.2) but the hazard for 20-year mortality was lower (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.77; 95% confidence interval, 0.66–0.90) in women compared to men. For 30-day mortality, there was no significant interaction between sex and age, diagnosis, or diabetes mellitus. Survival improved between 1985 and 2008. Temporal mortality reductions between 1985 and 2008 were at least as high in women as in men with myocardial infarction for both 30-day mortality and long-term mortality hazard.

Conclusions—

The fact that adjusted mortality rates for men and women treated for myocardial infarction in an intensive coronary care unit were similar and declined markedly over a 24-year period suggests that both sexes benefit from the evidence-based therapies that have been developed and implemented during this time period.
Phosphoinositide 3-Kinase γ Protects Against Catecholamine-Induced Ventricular Arrhythmia Through Protein Kinase A–Mediated Regulation of Distinct Phosphodiesterases
Authors: Ghigo Alessandra , Perino Alessia , Mehel Hind , Zahradníková Alexandra , Morello Fulvio , Leroy Jérôme , Nikolaev Viacheslav O. , Damilano Federico , Cimino James , De Luca Elisa , Richter Wito , Westenbroek Ruth , Catterall William A. , Zhang Jin , Yan Chen , Conti Marco , Gomez Ana Maria , Vandecasteele Grégoire , Hirsch Emilio , Fischmeister Rodolphe
Published: September 2012

Background—

Phosphoinositide 3-kinase γ (PI3Kγ) signaling engaged by β-adrenergic receptors is pivotal in the regulation of myocardial contractility and remodeling. However, the role of PI3Kγ in catecholamine-induced arrhythmia is currently unknown.

Methods and Results—

Mice lacking PI3Kγ (PI3Kγ
−/−
) showed runs of premature ventricular contractions on adrenergic stimulation that could be rescued by a selective β
2
-adrenergic receptor blocker and developed sustained ventricular tachycardia after transverse aortic constriction. Consistently, fluorescence resonance energy transfer probes revealed abnormal cAMP accumulation after β
2
-adrenergic receptor activation in PI3Kγ
−/−
cardiomyocytes that depended on the loss of the scaffold but not of the catalytic activity of PI3Kγ. Downstream from β-adrenergic receptors, PI3Kγ was found to participate in multiprotein complexes linking protein kinase A to the activation of phosphodiesterase (PDE) 3A, PDE4A, and PDE4B but not of PDE4D. These PI3Kγ-regulated PDEs lowered cAMP and limited protein kinase A–mediated phosphorylation of L-type calcium channel (Ca
v
1.2) and phospholamban. In PI3Kγ
−/−
cardiomyocytes, Ca
v
1.2 and phospholamban were hyperphosphorylated, leading to increased Ca
2+
spark occurrence and amplitude on adrenergic stimulation. Furthermore, PI3Kγ
−/−
cardiomyocytes showed spontaneous Ca
2+
release events and developed arrhythmic calcium transients.

Conclusions—

PI3Kγ coordinates the coincident signaling of the major cardiac PDE3 and PDE4 isoforms, thus orchestrating a feedback loop that prevents calcium-dependent ventricular arrhythmia.
Calpain-1 Regulation of Matrix Metalloproteinase 2 Activity in Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells Facilitates Age-Associated Aortic Wall Calcification and Fibrosis
Authors: Jiang Liqun , Zhang Jing , Monticone Robert E. , Telljohann Richard , Wu James , Wang Mingyi , Lakatta Edward G.
Published: September 2012

Age-associated central arterial wall stiffness is linked to extracellular matrix remodeling, including fibrosis and vascular calcification. Angiotensin II induces both matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP2) and calpain-1 expression and activity in the arterial wall. However, the role of calpain-1 in MMP2 activation and extracellular matrix remodeling remains unknown. Dual histo-immunolabeling demonstrates colocalization of calpain-1 and MMP2 within old rat vascular smooth muscle cells. Overexpression of calpain-1 induces MMP2 transcripts, protein levels, and activity, in part, by increasing the ratio of membrane type 1 MMPs to tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases 2. These effects of calpain-1 overexpression-induced MMP2 activation are linked to increased collagen I and III production and vascular calcification. In addition, overexpression of calpain-1 also induces transforming growth factor-β1/Smad signaling, elastin degradation, alkaline phosphatase activation, and total calcium content but reduces the expression of calcification inhibitors, osteopontin, and osteonectin, in cultured vascular smooth muscle cells in vitro and in carotid artery rings ex vivo. Furthermore, both calpain-1 and collagen II increase with aging within human aortic intima. Interestingly, in aged human aortic wall, both calpain-1 and collagen II are highly expressed in artherosclerotic plaque areas compared with grossly normal areas. Cross-talk of 2 proteases, calpain-1 and MMP2, leads to secretion of active MMP2, which modulates extracellular matrix remodeling via enhancing collagen production and facilitating vascular calcification. These results establish calpain-1 as a novel molecular candidate to retard age-associated extracellular matrix remodeling and its attendant risk for hypertension and atherosclerosis.
Decrease of Intracellular Chloride Concentration Promotes Endothelial Cell Inflammation by Activating Nuclear Factor-κB Pathway
Authors: Yang Hui , Huang Lin-Yan , Zeng De-Yi , Huang Er-Wen , Liang Si-Jia , Tang Yong-Bo , Su Ying-Xue , Tao Jing , Shang Fei , Wu Qian-Qian , Xiong Li-Xiong , Lv Xiao-Fei , Liu Jie , Guan Yong-Yuan , Zhou Jia-Guo
Published: September 2012

Recent evidence suggested that ClC-3 channel/antiporter is involved in regulation of nuclear factor (NF)-κB activation. However, the mechanism explaining how ClC-3 modulates NF-κB signaling is not well understood. We hypothesized that ClC-3-dependent alteration of intracellular chloride concentration ([Cl
−
]
i
) underlies the effect of ClC-3 on NF-κB activity in endothelial cells. Here, we found that reduction of [Cl
−
]
i
increased tumor necrosis factor-α (TNFα)-induced expression of intercellular adhesion molecule 1 and vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 and adhesion of monocytes to endothelial cells (
P<
0.05; n=6). In Cl
−
reduced solutions, TNFα-evoked IκB kinase complex β and inhibitors of κBα phosphorylation, inhibitors of κBα degradation, and NF-κB nuclear translocation were enhanced. In addition, TNFα and interleukin 1β could activate an outward rectifying Cl
−
current in human umbilical vein endothelial cells and mouse aortic endothelial cells. Knockdown or genetic deletion of ClC-3 inhibited or abolished this Cl
−
conductance. Moreover, Cl
−
channel blockers, ClC-3 knockdown or knockout remarkably reduced TNFα-induced intercellular adhesion molecule 1 and vascular cell adhesion molecule 1expression, monocytes to endothelial cell adhesion, and NF-κB activation (
P<
0.01; n=6). Furthermore, TNFα-induced vascular inflammation and neutrophil infiltration into the lung and liver were obviously attenuated in ClC-3 knockout mice (
P<
0.01; n=7). Our results demonstrated that decrease of [Cl
−
]
i
induced by ClC-3-dependent Cl
−
efflux promotes NF-κB activation and thus potentiates TNFα-induced vascular inflammation, suggesting that inhibition of ClC-3-dependent Cl
−
current or modification of intracellular Cl
−
content may be a novel therapeutic approach for inflammatory diseases.
Effects of Parental Hypertension on Longitudinal Trends in Blood Pressure and Plasma Metabolic Profile
Authors: Mitsumata Kaneto , Saitoh Shigeyuki , Ohnishi Hirofumi , Akasaka Hiroshi , Miura Tetsuji
Published: September 2012

The mechanism underlying the association of parental hypertension with cardiovascular events in offspring remains unclear. In this study, the effects of parental hypertension on longitudinal trends of blood pressure and metabolic parameters were examined by mixed-effects model analysis. From 1977 to 2006, 5198 subjects participated in the Tanno-Sobetsu Study, and we selected 2607 subjects (1095 men and 1512 women) for whom data on parental history of hypertension were available. In both men and women with and without parental hypertension, systolic blood pressure and fasting blood glucose levels consistently increased from the third to eighth decades of life, whereas diastolic blood pressure and serum triglyceride levels followed biphasic (inverted U shape) time courses during that period. However, the relationships between the parameters and age were significantly shifted upward (by ≈5.3 mm Hg in systolic blood pressure, 2.8 mm Hg in diastolic blood pressure, 0.30 mmol/L in blood glucose, and 0.09 mmol/L in triglyceride) in the group with parental hypertension compared with those in the group without parental hypertension. Both paternal and maternal histories of hypertension were determinants of systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure, and there was no significant interaction between the sides of parental history. There were no significant effects of parental hypertension on age-dependent or body mass index-dependent changes in serum low-density lipoprotein cholesterol or high-density lipoprotein cholesterol level. The present results indicate that parental hypertension has an age-independent impact on elevation of blood pressure, plasma glucose, and triglyceride levels, which may underlie the reported increase in cardiovascular events by family history of hypertension.
Impact of Age on the Importance of Systolic and Diastolic Blood Pressures for Stroke Risk
Authors: Vishram Julie K.K. , Borglykke Anders , Andreasen Anne H. , Jeppesen Jørgen , Ibsen Hans , Jørgensen Torben , Broda Grazyna , Palmieri Luigi , Giampaoli Simona , Donfrancesco Chiara , Kee Frank , Mancia Giuseppe , Cesana Giancarlo , Kuulasmaa Kari , Sans Susana , Olsen Michael H.
Published: September 2012

This study investigates age-related shifts in the relative importance of systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) blood pressures as predictors of stroke and whether these relations are influenced by other cardiovascular risk factors. Using 34 European cohorts from the MOnica, Risk, Genetics, Archiving, and Monograph (MORGAM) Project with baseline between 1982 and 1997, 68 551 subjects aged 19 to 78 years, without cardiovascular disease and not receiving antihypertensive treatment, were included. During a mean of 13.2 years of follow-up, stroke incidence was 2.8%. Stroke risk was analyzed using hazard ratios per 10-mm Hg/5-mm Hg increase in SBP/DBP by multivariate-adjusted Cox regressions, including SBP and DBP simultaneously. Because of nonlinearity, DBP was analyzed separately for DBP ≥71 mm Hg and DBP <71 mm Hg. Stroke risk was associated positively with SBP and DBP ≥71 mm Hg (SBP/DBP ≥71 mm Hg; hazard ratios: 1.15/1.06 [95% CI: 1.12–1.18/1.03–1.09]) and negatively with DBP <71 mm Hg (0.88[0.79–0.98]). The hazard ratio for DBP decreased with age (
P
<0.001) and was not influenced by other cardiovascular risk factors. Taking into account the age×DBP interaction, both SBP and DBP ≥71 mm Hg were significantly associated with stroke risk until age 62 years, but in subjects older than 46 years the superiority of SBP for stroke risk exceeded that of DBP ≥71 mm Hg and remained significant until age 78 years. DBP <71 mm Hg became significant at age 50 years with an inverse relation to stroke risk. In Europeans, stroke risk should be assessed by both SBP and DBP until age 62 years with increased focus on SBP from age 47 years. From age 62 years, emphasis should be on SBP without neglecting the potential harm of very low DBP.
A Call to Integrate Religious Communities Into Practice
Authors: Ahluwalia Muninder K. , Alimchandani Anjali
Published: September 2012

Sikhs, an ethnic and religious minority group in the United States, have seen a significant shift in their social location since 9/11. They have experienced harassment and violence beyond race and ethnicity to the visible markers of the religion (e.g., turbans). In this article, we address how counseling psychology is uniquely positioned to work with Sikhs given these circumstances. We provide an overview of Sikh Americans, including specific experiences that may affect treatment such as race-based traumatic injury, identification as a part of a visible religious minority group, and the impact of historic community-level trauma. We discuss recommendations for practitioners working with Sikhs, recognizing how community-level interventions play an integral role and how institutions may serve as valuable allies and resources for practitioners to help better meet the Sikhs’ psychological needs in a culturally competent manner.
Sexual Health and Well-Being After Cancer
Authors: Syme Maggie L. , Mona Linda R. , Cameron Rebecca P.
Published: September 2012

Sexual quality of life after cancer is an integral component of well-being for many survivors. However, the experience of cancer presents significant challenges to sexual health and well-being, often requiring survivors to negotiate the many physical, psychological, social/relational, and cultural factors that impact psychosexual functioning. By embracing a sex-positive approach to conceptualization, assessment, and treatment, psychologists can better serve the unique psychosexual needs of survivors and assist in enhancing sexual and intimate expression that promotes adaptation and flexibility. This article will (a) present a positive conceptualization of sexual health and well-being for cancer survivors and (b) discuss culturally competent treatment strategies to promote the sexual health and well-being of cancer survivors.
Public management reform and citizen perceptions of the UK health system
Authors: Grosso Ashley L. , Van Ryzin Gregg G.
Published: September 2012

The United Kingdom (UK) instituted a performance framework for the National Health Service (NHS) in the late 1990s that, inspired by the New Public Management (NPM), employed performance measurement and management in an effort to improve the quality of health services to citizens, in addition to realizing efficiency goals. Using data from the 1996 and 2002 Eurobarometer and a difference in differences analytical approach, we evaluate the impacts of these performance reforms by comparing the UK to other European Union countries in terms of overall citizen satisfaction with the health care system and perceptions of how well the health care system performs. In general, our results suggest that citizen satisfaction and performance perceptions in the UK were more favorable after the reforms than what would have occurred, absent the implementation of the reforms. The estimated improvement in satisfaction and perceived performance is both statistically and substantively significant, and thus provides evidence that the UK’s NPM-inspired performance framework did accomplish at least some of its goals.

Points for practitioners

The New Public Management and performance measurement movements in public administration have called for a focus on customer service and citizen satisfaction. We evaluate the effects of performance-focused reforms in the health care system in the UK over time in comparison to other EU countries. Our results suggest that the quality and customer-focused aspects of New Public Management that were applied through the UK’s health system reforms seem to have improved citizen satisfaction with health care and perceived performance of the health system. Practitioners’ efforts to measure, report, and improve quality may have noticeable effects on citizens’ attitudes.
Of alternating waves and shifting shores: the configuration of reform values in the US federal bureaucracy
Authors: Park Sung Min , Joaquin M. Ernita
Published: September 2012

Scholars have noted that United States federal government reforms come in waves ( Barley and Kunda, 1992 ; Kettl, 2002 ; Light, 1998 ), often accompanied by values that alternate between rational and normative conceptions of public administration and service. The idea of alternation also suggests the importance of time in gauging the effect of new reforms when previous reforms have accumulated from the past (see Pollitt, 2008 ). Time is a necessary variable in implementing reforms; time is crucial to know if reform values have taken hold. Extending Paul Light’s (1998) reform waves metaphor, we investigate here whether two predominant management philosophies have influenced and reconfigured the shoreline of values found among federal agencies over a particular period of time. Using empirical methods, we examine how the values of New Public Management and its humanist (post-NPM) counterpart have settled and taken hold among US federal agencies. We followed three lines of inquiry: determining the existence of reform values in the bureaucracy, examining the prevalence of different sets of values, and investigating whether ‘crowding out’ of values occurred, that is, whether there was a detectable shift in the distribution of values as a new wave came on top of others. Our analysis yields evidence for the predominance of certain NPM and post-NPM values and indicates that bureaucracy concurrently holds what may be regarded as competing values side-by-side. Implications for research and future reforms are suggested in the final section of the article.

Points for practitioners

Practicing public administration requires constantly navigating reform pressures that espouse different, sometimes opposing, value sets. NPM and post-NPM reforms differed in their emphasis on applying rationalistic and humanistic values to the work of government. Based on federal workforce surveys, NPM values appeared ascendant from the reinvention period till the end of the Bush administration, when a more humanist outlook began to emerge. Bureaucratic values are dynamic and change could go faster with network structures. Following previous research, this study suggests that a ‘layering’ of reform occurs; the strongest values are held intact even as newer philosophies of organization and management are introduced. Results suggest that government professionals can adhere to differing values, but further study is required to see how those values actually influence their work.
The New Public Management reform of state-funded social service nonprofit organizations and the changing politics of welfare in Hong Kong
Authors: Lee Eliza W.Y.
Published: September 2012

What are the political impact and significance of New Public Management (NPM) reform on social service nonprofit organizations (NPOs) in Hong Kong? Social service NPOs have a long history as a significant part of Hong Kong’s ‘welfare mix’, not only in their role as state agents in the provision of service, but also because of their political and societal roles in affecting social policy making during the colonial era. The exercise of such agencies under an authoritarian setting was made possible through a governance regime historically formed under the peculiar situation of the old politics of welfare. The NPM reform and the associated governance regime change is a significant part of the new politics of welfare that has arisen with the dissolution of the old social pact. It facilitates the transition of the governance regime from strategic partnership to executive dominance, which maximizes the flexibility of the state in containing social spending and maneuvering the new distributive politics arising from the increasing societal demand for social care.

Points for practitioners

The NPM reform of social service NPOs is closely tied to the change in the welfare system and has significant impact on the environment within which these NPOs operate. The impact and significance of reform is also affected by the characteristics of the political system and the preexisting relationship between the state and the nonprofit sector. Social service NPOs assume multiple roles as state agents, political agents, and societal agents. In Hong Kong, NPM reform unfavorably affects the space for NPOs to exercise their societal agency. The fierce competition for resources also stifles the development of newer organizations.
Integrity management and the public service ethos in the UK: patchwork quilt or threadbare blanket?
Authors: Heywood Paul M.
Published: September 2012

This article focuses on integrity management in contemporary UK public life. Despite traditionally high standards of integrity in the public service, it has recently been argued that the UK’s approach resembles a patchwork quilt of poorly defined institutional roles, questionable independence, and contested notions of how best to disseminate and uphold ethical practice. The article traces how the British public service ethos (PSE), which places emphasis on informal codes of conduct and moral integrity, has evolved within broader systemic changes to the style of public service delivery. It is argued that pressures to decentralize public service delivery sit in tension with, and feed into, piecemeal attempts to centralize and codify integrity management. This dynamic is presented in terms of the tension between compliance-based and values-based approaches to integrity management. The article is structured in three parts. The first traces the evolution of the British public service ethos in order to situate integrity management in both its institutional and structural context. The second addresses recent academic debates and recommendations from key bodies such as the Committee on Standards in Public Life (CSPL) and the House of Commons Public Administration Select Committee (PASC). It is shown how recommendations to create independent statutory bodies of ethical oversight have not been fully implemented. The third part seeks to place the UK experience within a broader context. In doing so, the article reflects on ways in which we can understand the concept and application of integrity management within and beyond the UK experience.

Point for practitioners

The article discusses the tensions between values-based and compliance-based approaches to integrity management in the United Kingdom. It seeks to explore how the former is closely linked to the existence and reproduction of what has been termed a ‘public service ethos'. As that ethos has been challenged by reforms associated with New Public Management, a series of scandals in the public sector has given rise to the adoption of more compliance-based responses. The key challenge for those designing approaches to integrity management is to reconcile the core values which underpin the public service ethos with accountability mechanisms that can be assessed on the basis of measurable performance indicators.
Towards a Sociological Understanding of Social Media: Theorizing Twitter
Authors: Murthy Dhiraj
Published: September 2012

This article presents the first steps towards a sociological understanding of emergent social media. This article uses Twitter, the most popular social media website, as its focus. Recently, the social media site has been prominently associated with social movements in Libya, Egypt, Tunisia, and Algeria. Rather than rush to breathlessly describe its novel role in shaping contemporary social movements, this article takes a step back and considers Twitter in historical and broad sociological terms. This article is not intended to provide empirical evidence or a fully formed theoretical understanding of Twitter, but rather to provide a selected literature review and a set of directions for sociologists. The article makes connections specifically to Erving Goffman’s interactionist work, not only to make the claim that some existing sociological theory can be used to think critically about Twitter, but also to provide some initial thoughts on how such theoretical innovations can be developed.