bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effectiveness of the Targeted Hepatitis B Vaccination Program in Greenland
Authors: Børresen Malene L. , Koch Anders , Biggar Robert J. , Ladefoged Karin , Melbye Mads , Wohlfahrt Jan , Krause Tyra Grove
Published: September 2011

Objectives. To evaluate the effectiveness of the hepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccination program in Greenland, which targets children born to mothers who are positive for HBV surface antigen (HBsAg), we determined vaccination coverage, levels of postvaccination antibodies, and frequency of breakthrough infections in at-risk children.

Methods. We conducted a population-based retrospective cohort study with data from nationwide registries. We identified all children born to HBsAg-positive mothers from 1992 to 2007 and collected data on their HBV vaccination status. In 2008 to 2010, we tested the children for HBV core antibody, HBsAg, and anti-HBsAg antibody (HBsAb).

Results. Of 4050 pregnant women, 3.2% were HBsAg positive. Of 207 children born to these women, 20% received no vaccinations, and only 58% received at least 3 vaccinations. At follow-up, HBsAb levels in vaccinated children were much lower than expected, and 8 (6%) of 140 at-risk children had breakthrough infections, with 4 chronically infected (persistently HBsAg positive).

Conclusions. The prevention program targeting children at risk for HBV in Greenland is ineffective. HBV vaccination should be included in the universal childhood vaccination program, and postvaccination HBsAb levels should be monitored.
Police Training to Align Law Enforcement and HIV Prevention: Preliminary Evidence From the Field
Authors: Beletsky Leo , Agrawal Alpna , Moreau Bruce , Kumar Pratima , Weiss-Laxer Nomi , Heimer Robert
Published: September 2011

Having identified gaps in implementation of Rhode Island's syringe access law and police occupational safety education, public health and police professionals developed police training to boost legal knowledge, improve syringe access attitudes, and address needlestick injuries. Baseline data (94 officers) confirmed anxiety about needlestick injuries, poor legal knowledge, and occupational risk overestimation. Before training, respondents believed that syringe access promotes drug use (51%), increases likelihood of police needlestick injuries (58%), and fails to reduce epidemics (38%). Pretraining to posttraining evaluation suggested significant shifts in legal and occupational safety knowledge; changes in attitudes toward syringe access were promising. Training that combines occupational safety with syringe access content can help align law enforcement with public health goals. Additional research is needed to assess street-level effect and to inform intervention tailoring.
Effect of Intensity and Type of Physical Activity on Mortality: Results From the Whitehall II Cohort Study
Authors: Sabia Séverine , Dugravot Aline , Kivimaki Mika , Brunner Eric , Shipley Martin J. , Singh-Manoux Archana
Published: September 2011

Objectives. We examined the association of intensity and type of physical activity with mortality.

Methods. We assessed the duration of physical activity by intensity level and type in 7456 men and women from the Whitehall II Study by questionnaire in 1997–1999 (mean ±SD age = 55.9 ±6.0 years) and 5 years later. All-cause mortality was assessed until April 2009.

Results. A total of 317 participants died during the mean follow-up of 9.6 years (SD = 2.7). Reporting at least 1 hour per week of moderate activity was associated with a 33% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 14%, 45%) lower risk of mortality compared with less than 1 hour. For all physical activity types examined, except housework, a duration of physical activity greater than 0 (≥ 3.5 hours for walking) was associated with lower mortality in age-adjusted analyses, but only the associations with sports (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.71; 95% CI = 0.56, 0.91) and do-it-yourself activity (HR = 0.68; 95% CI = 0.53, 0.98) remained in fully adjusted analyses.

Conclusions. It is important to consider both intensity and type of physical activity when examining associations with mortality.
National Trends in Mental Health Disability, 1997–2009
Authors: Mojtabai Ramin
Published: September 2011

Objectives. I assessed recent trends in mental health disability in the US nonelderly adult population in the context of trends in physical disabilities and psychological distress.

Methods. Using data for 312 364 adults aged 18 to 64 years from the US National Health Interview Survey, 1997 to 2009, I examined time trends in self-reported disability attributed to mental health conditions, disability attributed to other chronic problems, and significant psychological distress (measured by using the K6 instrument).

Results. The prevalence of self-reported mental health disability increased from 2.0% of the nonelderly adult population in the first 3 years (1997 to 1999) to 2.7% in the last 3 years (2007 to 2009), corresponding to an increase of almost 2 million disabled adults. Disability attributed to other chronic conditions decreased and significant psychological distress did not change appreciably. Change in self-reported mental health disability was more pronounced in adults who also reported disability attributed to other chronic conditions or significant psychological distress but who had no mental health contacts in the past year.

Conclusions. These findings highlight the need for improved access to mental health services in the community and for better integration of these services with primary care.
Studies With Staggered Starts: Multiple Baseline Designs and Group-Randomized Trials
Authors: Rhoda Dale A. , Murray David M. , Andridge Rebecca R. , Pennell Michael L. , Hade Erinn M.
Published: September 2011

Objectives. Multiple baseline designs (MBDs) have been suggested as alternatives to group-randomized trials (GRT). We reviewed structural features of MBDs and considered their potential effectiveness in public health research. We also reviewed the effect of staggered starts on statistical power.

Methods. We reviewed the MBD literature to identify key structural features, recent suggestions that MBDs be adopted in public health research, and the literature on power in GRTs with staggered starts. We also computed power for MBDs and GRTs.

Results. The features that have contributed to the success of small MBDs in some fields are not likely to translate well to public health research. MBDs can be more powerful than GRTs under some conditions, but those conditions involve assumptions that require careful evaluation in practice.

Conclusions. MBDs will often serve better as a complement of rather than as an alternative to GRTs. GRTs may employ staggered starts for logistical or ethical reasons, but this will always increase their duration and will often increase their cost.
Weqaya: A Population-Wide Cardiovascular Screening Program in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Authors: Hajat Cother , Harrison Oliver , Al Siksek Zaid
Published: September 2011

Objectives. We sought to determine cardiovascular risk factor prevalence rates among adults in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

Methods. We used self-reported indicators, anthropometric measures, and blood tests to screen 50 138 adults aged 18 years or older taking part in a population-wide cardiovascular screening program.

Results. Participants’ mean age was 36.82 years (SD = 14.3); 43% were men. Risk factor prevalence rates were as follows: obesity, 35%; overweight, 32%; central obesity, 55%; diabetes, 18%; prediabetes, 27%; dyslipidemia, 44%; and hypertension, 23.1%. In addition, 26% of men were smokers, compared with 0.8% of women. Age-standardized diabetes and prediabetes rates were 25% and 30%, respectively, and age-standardized rates of obesity and overweight were 41% and 34%.

Conclusions. This population-wide cardiovascular screening program demonstrated a high cardiovascular burden for our small sample in Abu Dhabi. The data form a baseline against which interventions can be implemented and progress monitored as part of the population-wide Abu Dhabi Cardiovascular Disease Program.
Wake Me Up When There's a Crisis: Progress on State Pandemic Influenza Ethics Preparedness
Authors: Thomas James C. , Young Siobhan
Published: September 2011

We assessed the progress since 2005 of state plans for pandemic influenza and found that 7 states had recommended steps to further clarify ethical processes or decisions; 6 states had made some progress but almost exclusively in hospital preparedness. Having a high-level public health leader, such as a health department director, committed to ethics was the key determinant of progress. Some state health departments may be destined to gain an appreciation for ethics through ethical mishaps.
The Nature, Scope, and Development of the Global Tobacco Control Epistemic Community
Authors: Mamudu Hadii M. , Gonzalez MariaElena , Glantz Stanton
Published: September 2011

Over the past 50 years, tobacco control has been transformed from a national to a global issue, becoming institutionalized in the World Health Organization (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, the first international public health treaty negotiated under the auspices of the WHO. The global tobacco control epistemic community, a worldwide network of professionals with a common interpretation of the science in tobacco use and control, has contributed to this transformation. We investigated the development, structure, and function of this community through interviews and archival documents. Professionals in the community are bound by values and consensual knowledge developed after years of contentious debates undergirded their activities. Although these professionals play multiple roles, they recognize that scientific evidence should inform advocacy and policy activities. Public health professionals should continue to strengthen the links between science and advocacy for policy while being vigilant against industry efforts to undermine the scientific evidence on tobacco use and control.
Backward Reachability of Array-based Systems by SMT solving: Termination and Invariant Synthesis
Authors: Ghilardi Silvio , Ranise Silvio
Published: September 2011

The safety of infinite state systems can be checked by a backward reachability procedure. For certain classes of systems, it is possible to prove the termination of the procedure and hence conclude the decidability of the safety problem. Although backward reachability is property-directed, it can unnecessarily explore (large) portions of the state space of a system which are not required to verify the safety property under consideration. To avoid this, invariants can be used to dramatically prune the search space. Indeed, the problem is to guess such appropriate invariants. In this paper, we present a fully declarative and symbolic approach to the mechanization of backward reachability of infinite state systems manipulating arrays by Satisfiability Modulo Theories solving. Theories are used to specify the topology and the data manipulated by the system. We identify sufficient conditions on the theories to ensure the termination of backward reachability and we show the completeness of a method for invariant synthesis (obtained as the dual of backward reachability), again, under suitable hypotheses on the theories. We also present a pragmatic approach to interleave invariant synthesis and backward reachability so that a fix-point for the set of backward reachable states is more easily obtained. Finally, we discuss heuristics that allow us to derive an implementation of the techniques in the model checker MCMT, showing remarkable speed-ups on a significant set of safety problems extracted from a variety of sources.
The complexity of linear-time temporal logic over the class of ordinals
Authors: Demri Stephane , Rabinovich Alexander
Published: September 2011

We consider the temporal logic with since and until modalities. This temporal
logic is expressively equivalent over the class of ordinals to first-order
logic by Kamp's theorem. We show that it has a PSPACE-complete satisfiability
problem over the class of ordinals. Among the consequences of our proof, we
show that given the code of some countable ordinal alpha and a formula, we can
decide in PSPACE whether the formula has a model over alpha. In order to show
these results, we introduce a class of simple ordinal automata, as expressive
as B\"uchi ordinal automata. The PSPACE upper bound for the satisfiability
problem of the temporal logic is obtained through a reduction to the
nonemptiness problem for the simple ordinal automata.
Relating coalgebraic notions of bisimulation
Authors: Staton Sam
Published: September 2011

The theory of coalgebras, for an endofunctor on a category, has been proposed
as a general theory of transition systems. We investigate and relate four
generalizations of bisimulation to this setting, providing conditions under
which the four different generalizations coincide. We study transfinite
sequences whose limits are the greatest bisimulations.
Being Van Kampen is a universal property
Authors: Sobocinski Pawel , Heindel Tobias
Published: September 2011

Colimits that satisfy the Van Kampen condition have interesting exactness properties. We show that the elementary presentation of the Van Kampen condition is actually a characterisation of a universal property in the associated bicategory of spans. The main theorem states that Van Kampen cocones are precisely those diagrams in a category that induce bicolimit diagrams in its associated bicategory of spans, provided that the category has pullbacks and enough colimits.
Semantics of Higher-Order Recursion Schemes
Authors: Adamek Jiri , Milius Stefan , Velebil Jiri
Published: September 2011

Higher-order recursion schemes are recursive equations defining new
operations from given ones called "terminals". Every such recursion scheme is
proved to have a least interpreted semantics in every Scott's model of
\lambda-calculus in which the terminals are interpreted as continuous
operations. For the uninterpreted semantics based on infinite \lambda-terms we
follow the idea of Fiore, Plotkin and Turi and work in the category of sets in
context, which are presheaves on the category of finite sets. Fiore et al
showed how to capture the type of variable binding in \lambda-calculus by an
endofunctor H\lambda and they explained simultaneous substitution of
\lambda-terms by proving that the presheaf of \lambda-terms is an initial
H\lambda-monoid. Here we work with the presheaf of rational infinite
\lambda-terms and prove that this is an initial iterative H\lambda-monoid. We
conclude that every guarded higher-order recursion scheme has a unique
uninterpreted solution in this monoid.
Terminating Tableaux for Graded Hybrid Logic with Global Modalities and Role Hierarchies
Authors: Kaminski Mark , Schneider Sigurd , Smolka Gert
Published: September 2011

We present a terminating tableau calculus for graded hybrid logic with global
modalities, reflexivity, transitivity and role hierarchies. Termination of the
system is achieved through pattern-based blocking. Previous approaches to
related logics all rely on chain-based blocking. Besides being conceptually
simple and suitable for efficient implementation, the pattern-based approach
gives us a NExpTime complexity bound for the decision procedure.
From coinductive proofs to exact real arithmetic: theory and applications
Authors: Berger Ulrich
Published: September 2011

Based on a new coinductive characterization of continuous functions we
extract certified programs for exact real number computation from constructive
proofs. The extracted programs construct and combine exact real number
algorithms with respect to the binary signed digit representation of real
numbers. The data type corresponding to the coinductive definition of
continuous functions consists of finitely branching non-wellfounded trees
describing when the algorithm writes and reads digits. We discuss several
examples including the extraction of programs for polynomials up to degree two
and the definite integral of continuous maps.
Towards a Proof Theory of G\"odel Modal Logics
Authors: Metcalfe George , Olivetti Nicola
Published: September 2011

Analytic proof calculi are introduced for box and diamond fragments of basic modal fuzzy logics that combine the Kripke semantics of modal logic K with the many-valued semantics of G\"odel logic. The calculi are used to establish completeness and complexity results for these fragments.
Logical Step-Indexed Logical Relations
Authors: Dreyer Derek , Ahmed Amal , Birkedal Lars
Published: September 2011

Appel and McAllester's "step-indexed" logical relations have proven to be a
simple and effective technique for reasoning about programs in languages with
semantically interesting types, such as general recursive types and general
reference types. However, proofs using step-indexed models typically involve
tedious, error-prone, and proof-obscuring step-index arithmetic, so it is
important to develop clean, high-level, equational proof principles that avoid
mention of step indices. In this paper, we show how to reason about binary
step-indexed logical relations in an abstract and elegant way. Specifically, we
define a logic LSLR, which is inspired by Plotkin and Abadi's logic for
parametricity, but also supports recursively defined relations by means of the
modal "later" operator from Appel, Melli\`es, Richards, and Vouillon's "very
modal model" paper. We encode in LSLR a logical relation for reasoning
relationally about programs in call-by-value System F extended with general
recursive types. Using this logical relation, we derive a set of useful rules
with which we can prove contextual equivalence and approximation results
without counting steps.
TRX: A Formally Verified Parser Interpreter
Authors: Koprowski Adam , Binsztok Henri
Published: September 2011

Parsing is an important problem in computer science and yet surprisingly
little attention has been devoted to its formal verification. In this paper, we
present TRX: a parser interpreter formally developed in the proof assistant
Coq, capable of producing formally correct parsers. We are using parsing
expression grammars (PEGs), a formalism essentially representing recursive
descent parsing, which we consider an attractive alternative to context-free
grammars (CFGs). From this formalization we can extract a parser for an
arbitrary PEG grammar with the warranty of total correctness, i.e., the
resulting parser is terminating and correct with respect to its grammar and the
semantics of PEGs; both properties formally proven in Coq.
First-order query evaluation on structures of bounded degree
Authors: Kazana Wojciech , Segoufin Luc
Published: September 2011

We consider the enumeration problem of first-order queries over structures of
bounded degree. It was shown that this problem is in the Constant-Delaylin
class. An enumeration problem belongs to Constant-Delaylin if for an input of
size n it can be solved by: - an O(n) precomputation phase building an index
structure, - followed by a phase enumerating the answers with no repetition and
a constant delay between two consecutive outputs. In this article we give a
different proof of this result based on Gaifman's locality theorem for
first-order logic. Moreover, the constants we obtain yield a total evaluation
time that is triply exponential in the size of the input formula, matching the
complexity of the best known evaluation algorithms.
CFA2: a Context-Free Approach to Control-Flow Analysis
Authors: Vardoulakis Dimitrios , Shivers Olin
Published: September 2011

In a functional language, the dominant control-flow mechanism is function
call and return. Most higher-order flow analyses, including k-CFA, do not
handle call and return well: they remember only a bounded number of pending
calls because they approximate programs with control-flow graphs. Call/return
mismatch introduces precision-degrading spurious control-flow paths and
increases the analysis time. We describe CFA2, the first flow analysis with
precise call/return matching in the presence of higher-order functions and tail
calls. We formulate CFA2 as an abstract interpretation of programs in
continuation-passing style and describe a sound and complete summarization
algorithm for our abstract semantics. A preliminary evaluation shows that CFA2
gives more accurate data-flow information than 0CFA and 1CFA.
A Modular Type-checking algorithm for Type Theory with Singleton Types and Proof Irrelevance
Authors: Abel Andreas , Coquand Thierry , Pagano Miguel
Published: September 2011

We define a logical framework with singleton types and one universe of small types. We give the semantics using a PER model; it is used for constructing a normalisation-by-evaluation algorithm. We prove completeness and soundness of the algorithm; and get as a corollary the injectivity of type constructors. Then we give the definition of a correct and complete type-checking algorithm for terms in normal form. We extend the results to proof-irrelevant propositions.
Decidable Expansions of Labelled Linear Orderings
Authors: Bes Alexis , Rabinovich Alexander
Published: September 2011

Consider a linear ordering equipped with a finite sequence of monadic
predicates. If the ordering contains an interval of order type \omega or
-\omega, and the monadic second-order theory of the combined structure is
decidable, there exists a non-trivial expansion by a further monadic predicate
that is still decidable.
Automated Synthesis of Tableau Calculi
Authors: Schmidt Renate A. , Tishkovsky Dmitry
Published: September 2011

This paper presents a method for synthesising sound and complete tableau
calculi. Given a specification of the formal semantics of a logic, the method
generates a set of tableau inference rules that can then be used to reason
within the logic. The method guarantees that the generated rules form a
calculus which is sound and constructively complete. If the logic can be shown
to admit finite filtration with respect to a well-defined first-order semantics
then adding a general blocking mechanism provides a terminating tableau
calculus. The process of generating tableau rules can be completely automated
and produces, together with the blocking mechanism, an automated procedure for
generating tableau decision procedures. For illustration we show the
workability of the approach for a description logic with transitive roles and
propositional intuitionistic logic.
A Follow-up Study of Patients with Medically Unexplained Symptoms Referred to a Liaison Psychiatry Service
Authors: Hatcher Simon , Gilmore Kylie , Pinchen Katherine
Published: September 2011

Objective:

The principal objective was to describe general hospital use and mortality in a group of patients with medically unexplained symptoms referred to a liaison psychiatry service.

Method:

Cases were identified from patients with medically unexplained symptoms referred to a liaison psychiatry service between 1998 and 2005. We also identified a control group of patients, matched for age, sex, and date of referral, referred for other reasons to the same service. Follow-up information was obtained from the New Zealand Health Information Service national minimum data set from 1998 to 2006. Finally we compared hospital use in people with medically unexplained symptoms with national data on average length of stay in New Zealand hospitals.

Results:

Over 9 years 153 patients referred for medically unexplained symptoms spent nearly 14,000 days in hospital. They also had statistically significant greater numbers of general hospital admissions and fewer deaths compared to patients referred to liaison psychiatry for other reasons. Patients with medically unexplained symptoms spent 41% spent longer in hospital on each admission (5.5 days) compared to the New Zealand average length of stay in general hospitals (3.9 days). After referral to liaison psychiatry patients who were frequently admitted with medically unexplained symptoms experienced a statistically significant decrease in the number of admissions and length of stay per year.

Conclusions:

Patients referred to a liaison psychiatry service with medically unexplained symptoms use substantial amounts of health service resources. They also have a lower mortality and are admitted to hospital more often than a matched control group.
Schizophrenia: Medical Illness, Mortality, and Aging
Authors: Casey David A. , Rodriguez Mercedes , Northcott Colleen , Vickar Garry , Shihabuddin Lina
Published: September 2011

Objective:

Schizophrenia is a devastating and common psychiatric disorder which is associated with a high degree of medical morbidity and reduced life span in addition to psychosis. In this article, these problems will be discussed in the context of schizophrenia and aging.

Method:

The recent literature was reviewed using Pubmed, Medline, and Google scholar with the search terms “schizophrenia, aging, medical problems.”

Results:

Schizophrenia is associated with significant medical morbidity and mortality. Diabetes and cardiovascular disease, along with smoking and obesity, are over-represented and contribute to reduced quality of life and life span. Schizophrenics often receive poor medical care.

Conclusions:

The impacts of schizophrenia on physical health and successful aging have been underestimated. Psychiatrists and primary care physicians need to address the overlapping medical and psychiatric aspects of the disorder while the medical care system for these patients requires a much higher degree of coordination than is currently available.
The Mind-Body Connection: An Integrated Approach to the Diagnosis of Colonic Trichobezoar
Authors: Kumar Bharat
Published: September 2011

The relationship between trichophagia, the compulsive eating of hair, and trichobezoar, the accumulation of hair within the gastrointestinal tract, illustrates the importance of the mind-body connection. Physicians ought to be cognizant of this association in the evaluation of colonic obstruction as colonic trichobezoars, though uncommon, carry a high mortality rate. Incorporation of the psychiatric and dermatological examinations is a simple way to raise clinical suspicion for the presence of a trichobezoar, and to prompt early and appropriate surgical treatment. Even after resolution, treatment of the underlying trichophagia is highly recommended to prevent future complications.
Corruption and Political Culture in Africa: History, Meaning, and the Problem of Naming
Authors: Ochonu Moses E.
Published: September 2011

The ethical precision prescribed and codified by legal formulations on corruption conflicts with the on-ground difficulty of naming corruption in Africa. African state formations have been grappling with this tension since precolonial times, producing a crisis of naming and description that has mutated along with the nature and dynamics of the African state and its constitutive interests. This paper explores this tension from a transhistorical perspective. Using case studies from Nigeria and examples from Kenya and elsewhere, it examines the historical engagements of Africans, their institutions, and colonial power formations with ethics, morality, and corruption. The paper proceeds from this exploration to polemically intervene in some contemporary discourses and debates on corruption and the state in Africa. It uses the transhistorical analysis of the continuities and ruptures in corruption discourse and praxis to argue that the politics of naming is central to a comprehensive understanding of malfeasance and graft on the continent.
Chinese Investment in Africa
Authors: Klaver Mark , Trebilcock Michael
Published: September 2011

Chinese investment in Africa has increased rapidly over the past two decades. This paper asks how, why, whether it is good or bad, and what Africans can do about it.

On how, the Chinese government actively promotes liberal investment regulations in Africa. It also keeps close contact with major Chinese enterprises investing on the continent.

On why, the motivation behind Chinese investment in Africa is self-interested: China primarily wants Africa’s natural resources. China also seeks to access local markets, and to capitalize on Africa's preferential trade access to the West.

On whether Chinese investment is good or bad for Africa, African economies are growing at unprecedented rates, partly due to Chinese investment. This paper highlights seven reasons Chinese investment contributes to African growth. But it also reveals three drawbacks to Chinese investment in Africa.

On what Africans can do about Chinese investment, Africa can capitalize on it by proactively promulgating a tax code that promotes African development. The tax code's goal should be to use Chinese investment and natural resource revenues to develop Africa’s manufacturing sector through infrastructure, special economic zones, and education.

Thus, this paper maintains that although Chinese investment in Africa is not unambiguously advantageous, it presents major opportunities for African development.
Determining Eligibility for Poverty‐Based Assistance Programs: Comparing the Federally Established Poverty Level with the Self Sufficiency Standard for Pennsylvania
Authors: Mukhopadhyay Åsa , Shingler John M. , Alter Theodore R. , Findeis Jill
Published: September 2011

Because the official U.S. poverty level is too low to adequately assess need for assistance among low income households, assistance agencies set eligibility levels to multiples of the poverty level, such as 125 or 150 percent. The Self Sufficiency Standard provides an alternative measurement that accounts for many characteristics of modern society and geographical differences in cost of living. We use both measures to examine eligibility levels for customers seeking payment arrangements for their utility bill arrearage. Sensitivity analyses reveal that the two methods are in the greatest agreement when the poverty level is adjusted to 185 percent. We conclude that the Standard is a more accurate assessment of poverty and the need for assistance, but is unlikely to be politically feasible. Given this, we see it as a useful tool for determining the appropriate multiple of the official poverty level to use in setting eligibility levels for assistance programs.
Assisting the Working Poor in the USA
Authors: Skidmore Max J.
Published: September 2011

Max J. Skidmore reviews Boosting Paychecks: The Politics of Supporting America's Working Poor, by Daniel P. Gitterman.
Book Review of Rethinking Ecomomic Recovery: A Global Green New Deal
Authors: Lyne Mona M.
Published: September 2011

Mona M. Lyne reviews Rethinking Economic Recovery: A Global Green New Deal by Edward B. Barbier. The author examines the power of an extraordinary economic crisis to politically engage the winds of change in the realm of global energy dependence.
Inhibition of Id1 Augments Insulin Secretion and Protects Against High-Fat Diet–Induced Glucose Intolerance
Authors: Åkerfeldt Mia C. , Laybutt D. Ross
Published: September 2011

OBJECTIVE

The molecular mechanisms responsible for pancreatic β-cell dysfunction in type 2 diabetes remain unresolved. Increased expression of the helix-loop-helix protein Id1 has been found in islets of diabetic mice and in vitro models of β-cell dysfunction. Here, we investigated the role of Id1 in insulin secretion and glucose homeostasis.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

Id1 knockout (Id1−/−) and wild-type mice were fed a chow or high-fat diet. Glucose tolerance, insulin tolerance, β-cell mass, insulin secretion, and islet gene expression were assessed. Small interfering RNA (siRNA) was used to silence Id1 in MIN6 cells, and responses to chronic palmitate treatment were assessed.

RESULTS

Id1 −/− mice exhibited an improved response to glucose challenge and were almost completely protected against glucose intolerance induced by high-fat diet. This was associated with increased insulin levels and enhanced insulin release from isolated islets, whereas energy intake, body weight, fat pad weight, β-cell mass, and insulin action were unchanged. Islets from Id1−/− mice displayed reduced stress gene expression and were protected against high-fat diet–induced downregulation of β-cell gene expression (pancreatic duodenal homeobox-1, Beta2, Glut2, pyruvate carboxylase, and Gpr40). In MIN6 cells, siRNA-mediated inhibition of Id1 enhanced insulin secretion after chronic palmitate treatment and protected against palmitate-mediated loss of β-cell gene expression.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings implicate Id1 as a negative regulator of insulin secretion. Id1 expression plays an essential role in the etiology of glucose intolerance, insulin secretory dysfunction, and β-cell dedifferentiation under conditions of increased lipid supply.
Specific Glucose-Induced Control of Insulin Receptor Substrate-2 Expression Is Mediated via Ca2+-Dependent Calcineurin/NFAT Signaling in Primary Pancreatic Islet β-Cells
Authors: Demozay Damien , Tsunekawa Shin , Briaud Isabelle , Shah Ramila , Rhodes Christopher J.
Published: September 2011

OBJECTIVE

Insulin receptor substrate-2 (IRS-2) plays an essential role in pancreatic islet β-cells by promoting growth and survival. IRS-2 turnover is rapid in primary β-cells, but its expression is highly regulated at the transcriptional level, especially by glucose. The aim was to investigate the molecular mechanism on how glucose regulates IRS-2 gene expression in β-cells.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

Rat islets were exposed to inhibitors or subjected to adenoviral vector–mediated gene manipulations and then to glucose-induced IRS-2 expression analyzed by real-time PCR and immunoblotting. Transcription factor nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT) interaction with IRS-2 promoter was analyzed by chromatin immunoprecipitation assay and glucose-induced NFAT translocation by immunohistochemistry.

RESULTS

Glucose-induced IRS-2 expression occurred in pancreatic islet β-cells in vivo but not in liver. Modulating rat islet β-cell Ca2+ influx with nifedipine or depolarization demonstrated that glucose-induced IRS-2 gene expression was dependent on a rise in intracellular calcium concentration derived from extracellular sources. Calcineurin inhibitors (FK506, cyclosporin A, and a peptide calcineurin inhibitor [CAIN]) abolished glucose-induced IRS-2 mRNA and protein levels, whereas expression of a constitutively active calcineurin increased them. Specific inhibition of NFAT with the peptide inhibitor VIVIT prevented a glucose-induced IRS-2 transcription. NFATc1 translocation to the nucleus in response to glucose and association of NFATc1 to conserved NFAT binding sites in the IRS-2 promoter were demonstrated.

CONCLUSIONS

The mechanism behind glucose-induced transcriptional control of IRS-2 gene expression specific to the islet β-cell is mediated by the Ca2+/calcineurin/NFAT pathway. This insight into the IRS-2 regulation could provide novel therapeutic means in type 2 diabetes to maintain an adequate functional mass.
Metformin in Gestational Diabetes: The Offspring Follow-Up (MiG TOFU)
Authors: Rowan Janet A. , Rush Elaine C. , Obolonkin Victor , Battin Malcolm , Wouldes Trecia , Hague William M.
Published: September 2011

OBJECTIVE

In women with gestational diabetes mellitus, who were randomized to metformin or insulin treatment, pregnancy outcomes were similar (Metformin in Gestational diabetes [MiG] trial). Metformin crosses the placenta, so it is important to assess potential effects on growth of the children.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

In Auckland, New Zealand, and Adelaide, Australia, women who had participated in the MiG trial were reviewed when their children were 2 years old. Body composition was measured in 154 and 164 children whose mothers had been randomized to metformin and insulin, respectively. Children were assessed with anthropometry, bioimpedance, and dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA), using standard methods.

RESULTS

The children were similar for baseline maternal characteristics and pregnancy outcomes. In the metformin group, compared with the insulin group, children had larger mid-upper arm circumferences (17.2 ± 1.5 vs. 16.7 ± 1.5 cm; P = 0.002) and subscapular (6.3 ± 1.9 vs. 6.0 ± 1.7 mm; P = 0.02) and biceps skinfolds (6.03 ± 1.9 vs. 5.6 ± 1.7 mm; P = 0.04). Total fat mass and percentage body fat assessed by bioimpedance (n = 221) and DEXA (n = 114) were not different.

CONCLUSIONS

Children exposed to metformin had larger measures of subcutaneous fat, but overall body fat was the same as in children whose mothers were treated with insulin alone. Further follow-up is required to examine whether these findings persist into later life and whether children exposed to metformin will develop less visceral fat and be more insulin sensitive. If so, this would have significant implications for the current pandemic of diabetes.
Trust as a Determinant of Entrepreneurs' Preference to Remain Tenants in Turkish Business Incubators
Authors: Aşcigil Semra F. , Magner Nace R. , Temel Elif Karabulut
Published: September 2011

Relations of two types of trust by entrepreneurs with the entrepreneurs' preference to remain an incubator tenant were examined using questionnaire data from 67 owners of companies in 6 Turkish incubators. As hypothesized, trust in incubator management had a positive and unique relation with preference to remain an incubator tenant. However, trust in other incubator tenants did not show the hypothesized positive and unique relation with preference to remain a tenant; the results indicated the relation is negative.
Role Ambiguity as a Moderator of Occupational Self-Efficacy and Job Satisfaction
Authors: Smith Amy , Fuqua Dale , Choi Namok , Newman Jody
Published: September 2011

Role ambiguity was examined as a moderator of occupational self-efficacy and job satisfaction on the basis of the data obtained from 280 employees of U.S. housing finance agencies in four states. The interaction effect was found to be small but significant. The practical implications of role ambiguity at different levels of occupational self-efficacy were discussed. The value of reducing role ambiguity is higher for those who have low self-efficacy The theoretical implications of the findings support the inclusion of dispositional and situational interactions in research regarding job satisfaction.
Familiarity and Environmental Representations of a City: A Self-Report Study
Authors: Piccardi L. , Risetti M. , Nori R.
Published: September 2011

“Sense of direction” is usually assessed by self-report. Several internal factors contribute to proficiency in navigation: spatial cognitive style, respondent's sex, and familiarity with the environment; however, questionnaires assessing sense of direction do not include all these factors. In a recent study, Nori and Piccardi reported that environmental familiarity was crucial for topographical orientation. Regardless of a person's spatial cognitive style (i.e., landmark, route, or survey), the greater their familiarity with the environment, the better their performance. In this study, a questionnaire was used, the Familiarity and Spatial Cognitive Style Scale, to measure 208 women's sense of direction and knowledge of their city of residence. Analysis showed that Spatial Cognitive Style predicted sense of direction but not town knowledge. By contrast, familiarity played a crucial role in both areas, confirming the importance of having a tool to assess this factor.
Eating-Related Intrusive Thoughts Inventory: Exploring the Dimensionality of Eating Disorder Symptoms
Authors: Perpiñtá Conxa , Roncero María , Belloch Amparo , Sánchez-Reales Sergio
Published: September 2011

The aims of this study were, first, to examine the structure and validity of the Eating-related Intrusive Thoughts Inventory (INPIAS), a self-report questionnaire designed to assess eating disorders related to intrusive thoughts (EDITs), and second, to explore the existence of a continuum ranging from normal to abnormal thought intrusions related to eating, weight, and shape. Participants were 574 (408 women) nonclinical community individuals. Analyses revealed that EDITs can be clustered into three sets: appearance-dieting, need to exercise, and thoughts-impulses related to eating disorders. EDITs' consequences showed a two-factor structure: emotional consequences/personal meaning and thought-action fusion responsibility; and four factors of strategies: “anxiety,” suppression, obsessive-compulsive rituals, and distraction. The sample was then divided according to reported restrained eating. The High dietary restraint group reported a higher frequency of EDITs, whereas differences in the other factors were mediated by depression, anxiety, and obsessionality. The results suggest that eating disorder-related cognitions are experienced by nonclinical individuals, and distributed on a continuum.
Meehl's “Crud” Factor, Subjective Wellbeing, and Religiosity: A Critique
Authors: Cummins Robert A.
Published: September 2011

Researchers in the area of subjective wellbeing are now building on a body of research that spans more than three decades and includes many thousands of articles. It is time to move from exploratory studies to those based on accumulated psychometric understanding and theory. Two aspects of the article by Abdel-Khalek (2011) warrant attention from this perspective: the choice of scale and the issue of shared variance.
Different Attitudes toward Humor between Chinese and American Students: Evidence from the Implicit Association Test
Authors: Jiang Feng , Yue Xiao Dong , Lu Su
Published: September 2011

Although cross-cultural research indicates that Chinese people demonstrate less humor than do Americans, little research addresses the reasons. This cross-cultural difference may be largely due to different implicit attitudes toward humor held by Chinese and Americans, deeply rooted in the two cultural traditions. Both self-report evaluation and the Implicit Association Test (IAT) were used to compare Chinese and American attitudes toward humor. Although 60 Chinese undergraduate students showed no significant difference from 33 American exchange students in explicit attitudes toward humor, the former associated humor more frequently with unpleasant adjectives and seriousness with pleasant adjectives on the IAT; the opposite pattern was found for the American group. This indicated a negative implicit attitude toward humor among the Chinese students.
Sex Differences in Sympathy for Attempted Suicides
Authors: Gunn John F. , Lester David
Published: September 2011

In a sample of 115 undergraduates, women expressed more sympathy for hypothetical attempted suicides than did men, but not more empathy or agreement with the actions. A history of considering suicide was not associated with judgments about attempting suicide.
IGFBP-2 expression, angiogenesis and pseudopalisades in glioblastoma
Authors: Pažanin Leo , Vučić Majda , Čupić Hrvoje , Plavec Davor , Krušlin Božo
Published: September 2011

Glioblastoma is the most frequent, the most malignant and the best vascularised primary brain tumor. Substantial evidence suggests that IGFBP-2 (insulin-like growth factor binding protein) may play a significant role in the development and progression of various types of cancer, including the anaplastic progression of astroglial tumors. The correlation of IGFBP-2 and VEGF over-expression in diffuse gliomas and strong IGFBP-2 immunostaining and co-expression with VEGF in the cells of pseudopalisading necrosis suggests the induction of IGFBP-2 expression by hypoxia and/or possible involvement of its protein product in angiogenesis. The aim of this study was to analyze the expression of IGFBP-2 and the relationship between the IGFBP-2 expression, extent of bizarre angiogenesis and the presence of pseudopalisades. The prognostic impact of these variables was estimated, as well. Our results revealed that most glioblastoma (75%) express IGFBP2 and that IGFBP2 expression was associated with the presence of pseudopalisading necrosis as well as extensive bizarre angiogenesis. IGFBP-2 immunoreactivity in more than 5% of tumor cells and the presence of pseudopalisading necrosis were prognostically significant in univariate analysis (p=0.034) while in multivariate analysis only a patient’s age and the presence of pseudopalisades remained statistically significant (p=0.004). The results of our study showed the association of IGFBP-2 expression in glioblastoma with pseudopalisades and bizarre angiogenesis thus confirming on morphological grounds presumed induction of this gene under hypoxic conditions and its possible role in angiogenesis.
Development of prefrontal layer III pyramidal neurons in infants with Down syndrome
Authors: Vukšić Mario , Petanjek Zdravko , Kostović Ivica
Published: September 2011

We quantitatively analyzed the dendritic and dendritic spine development on basal and oblique dendrites of large layer IIIc pyramidal neurons of the prospective prefrontal area 9 in the brains of three infants with Down syndrome (DS) and five age-matched-controls over the period from 32 weeks postconception to the 7th postnatal month. By using Neurolucida 3.1 software on rapid Golgi impregnated slices, 9–10 neurons were three-dimensionally reconstructed. There were no significant differences in the pattern of the dendritic and spine development between the basal and apical oblique dendrites. The DS subjects did not depart significantly from the developmental curve of the control subjects. Our data showed that large and significant segment outgrowth, in parallel with dendritic elongation occurred during a limited period of time, between 36 weeks postconception and the first postnatal month. Dendritic spines appeared at the time of birth and their density continued to increase up to the age of 7 months. During the first postnatal month long thin spines and filopodia-like protrusions predominated, but the spines later changed their morphology to a more mature form. No differences in the spine morphology were qualitatively observed between the DS infants and the age matched controls. This data suggests that intensive formation of cortical circuitry occurs on large layer IIIc pyramidal neurons during perinatal period and is not disturbed in DS infants. Consequently, this could be a biological potential to mitigate psychomotor impairment in DS patient.
Non-invasive protein analysis in the first dysferlinopathy Croatian families
Authors: Milić Astrid , Malnar Martina , Canki-Klain Nina
Published: September 2011

Mutations in human dysferlin (DYSF) gene cause both limb girdle muscular dystrophy type 2B (LGMD2B) and Miyoshi myopathy (MM), also named dysferlinopathy. They are autosomal recessive muscular dystrophies characterized by degeneration and weakness of proximal and/or distal limb girdle muscles caused by partial or complete absence of a sarcolemmal protein dysferlin. The size and large mutational spectrum of DYSF impose a multistep diagnosis strategy before gene analysis. Here we report the first three patients from two unrelated Croatian families in which diagnosis of dysferlinopathy was suggested on the basis of clinical picture, family history and linkage analysis. In order to confirm the presumed diagnosis, we performed a blood-based assay in which dysferlin expression is screened in blood monocytes. All three tested patients showed complete absence of dysferlin expression, giving strong evidence of dysferlinopathy that was recently confirmed by mutation analysis. In conclusion, we would suggest the presented diagnostic strategy as a reliable and non-invasive method to be used as an alternative to muscle tissue protein analysis in routine diagnostics of dysferlinopathies, prior to the more complex and demanding search for causative DYSF mutations. This non-aggressive approach seems especially useful in situation in which multiplex Western blot (WB) analysis of different muscular dystrophy proteins on muscle sample is not available.