bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
G Protein–Coupled Receptor Kinase-5 Attenuates Atherosclerosis by Regulating Receptor Tyrosine Kinases and 7-Transmembrane Receptors
Authors: Wu Jiao-Hui , Zhang Lisheng , Fanaroff Alexander C. , Cai Xinjiang , Sharma Krishn C. , Brian Leigh , Exum Sabrina T. , Shenoy Sudha K. , Peppel Karsten , Freedman Neil J.
Published: November 2011

Objective—

G protein–coupled receptor kinase-5 (GRK5) is a widely expressed Ser/Thr kinase that regulates several atherogenic receptors and may activate or inhibit nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB). This study sought to determine whether and by what mechanisms GRK5 affects atherosclerosis.

Methods and Results—

Grk5
−/−
/
Apoe
−/−
mice developed 50% greater aortic atherosclerosis than
Apoe
−/−
mice and demonstrated greater proliferation of macrophages and smooth muscle cells (SMCs) in atherosclerotic lesions. In
Apoe
−/−
mice, carotid interposition grafts from
Grk5
−/−
mice demonstrated greater upregulation of cell adhesion molecules than grafts from wild-type mice and, subsequently, more atherosclerosis. By comparing
Grk5
−/−
with wild-type cells, we found that GRK5 desensitized 2 key atherogenic receptor tyrosine kinases: the platelet-derived growth factor receptor-β in SMCs, by augmenting ubiquitination/degradation; and the colony-stimulating factor-1 receptor (CSF-1R) in macrophages, by reducing CSF-1-induced tyrosyl phosphorylation. GRK5 activity in monocytes also reduced migration promoted by the 7-transmembrane receptor for monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 CC chemokine receptor-2. Whereas GRK5 diminished NF-κB-dependent gene expression in SMCs and endothelial cells, it had no effect on NF-κB activity in macrophages.

Conclusion—

GRK5 attenuates atherosclerosis through multiple cell type-specific mechanisms, including reduction of SMC and endothelial cell NF-κB activity and desensitization of receptor-specific signaling through the monocyte CC chemokine receptor-2, macrophage CSF-1R, and the SMC platelet-derived growth factor receptor-β.
Dominant-Negative Control of cAMP-Dependent I
Ks
Upregulation in Human Long-QT Syndrome Type 1
Authors: Heijman Jordi , Spätjens Roel L.H.M.G. , Seyen Sandrine R.M. , Lentink Viola , Kuijpers Helma J.H. , Boulet Inge R. , de Windt Leon J. , David Miren , Volders Paul G.A.
Published: November 2011

Rationale:

The mutation A341V in the S6 transmembrane segment of
KCNQ1
, the α-subunit of the slowly activating delayed-rectifier K
+
(I
Ks
) channel, predisposes to a severe long-QT1 syndrome with sympathetic-triggered ventricular tachyarrhythmias and sudden cardiac death.

Objective:

Several genetic risk modifiers have been identified in A341V patients, but the molecular mechanisms underlying the pronounced repolarization phenotype, particularly during β-adrenergic receptor stimulation, remain unclear. We aimed to elucidate these mechanisms and provide new insights into control of cAMP-dependent modulation of I
Ks
.

Methods and Results:

We characterized the effects of A341V on the I
Ks
macromolecular channel complex in transfected Chinese hamster ovary cells and found a dominant-negative suppression of cAMP-dependent Yotiao-mediated I
Ks
upregulation on top of a dominant-negative reduction in basal current. Phosphomimetic substitution of the N-terminal position S27 with aspartic acid rescued this loss of upregulation. Western blot analysis showed reduced phosphorylation of
KCNQ1
at S27, even for heterozygous A341V, suggesting that phosphorylation defects in some (mutant)
KCNQ1
subunits can completely suppress I
Ks
upregulation. Functional analyses of heterozygous
KCNQ1
WT:G589D and heterozygous
KCNQ1
WT:S27A, a phosphorylation-inert substitution, also showed such suppression. Immunoprecipitation of Yotiao with
KCNQ1
-A341V (in the presence of
KCNE1
) was not different from wild-type.

Conclusions:

Our results indicate the involvement of the
KCNQ1
-S6 region at/or around A341 in cAMP-dependent stimulation of I
Ks
, a process that is under strong dominant-negative control, suggesting that tetrameric
KCNQ1
phosphorylation is required. Specific long-QT1 mutations, including heterozygous A341V, disable this regulation.
Physician Procedure Volume and Complications of Cardioverter-Defibrillator Implantation
Authors: Freeman James V. , Wang Yongfei , Curtis Jeptha P. , Heidenreich Paul A. , Hlatky Mark A.
Published: November 2011

Background—

The outcomes of procedures are often better when they are performed by more experienced physicians. We assessed whether the rate of complications after implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) placement varied with the volume of procedures a physician performed.

Methods and Results—

We studied 356 515 initial ICD implantations in the National Cardiovascular Data Registry–ICD Registry, performed by 4011 physicians in 1463 hospitals. We examined the relationship between physician annual ICD implantation volume and in-hospital complications, using hierarchical logistic regression to adjust for patient characteristics, implanting physician certification, hospital characteristics, hospital annual procedure volume, and the clustering of patients within hospitals and by physician. We repeated this analysis for ICD subtypes: single chamber, dual chamber, and biventricular. There were 10 994 patients (3.1%) with a complication after ICD implantation, and 1375 died (0.39%). The complication rate decreased with increasing physician procedure volume from 4.6% in the lowest quartile to 2.9% in the highest quartile (
P
<0.0001), and the mortality rate decreased from 0.72% to 0.36% (
P
<0.0001). The inverse relationship between physician procedure volume and complications remained significant after adjusting for patient, physician, and hospital characteristics (OR 1.55 for complications in lowest-volume quartile compared with highest; 95% confidence interval, 1.34–1.79;
P
<0.0001). This inverse relationship was independent of physician specialty and of hospital volume, was consistent across ICD subtypes, and was also evident for in-hospital mortality.

Conclusion—

Physicians who implant more ICDs have lower rates of procedural complications and in-hospital mortality, independent of hospital procedure volume, physician specialty, and ICD type.
Staging Resistance in Bil'in: The Performance of Violence in a Palestinian Village
Authors: Jawad Rania
Published: November 2011

Weekly confrontation between Palestinian villagers and the Israeli army in Bil'in is a ritual played out with such consistency and deliberation one cannot but note the performance on both sides. A closer look reveals a politics of oppression and a strategy of resistance that extend far beyond the massive concrete wall being built between them.
Feeling without Seeing? Engagement of Ventral, but Not Dorsal, Amygdala during Unaware Exposure to Emotional Faces
Authors: Lerner Yulia , Singer Neomi , Gonen Tal , Weintraub Yonatan , Cohen Oded , Rubin Nava , Ungerleider Leslie G. , Hendler Talma
Published: November 2011

The ability to selectively perceive items in the environment may be modulated by the emotional content of those items. The neural mechanism that underlies the privileged processing of emotionally salient content is poorly understood. Here, using fMRI, we investigated this issue via a binocular rivalry procedure when face stimuli depicting fearful or neutral expressions competed for awareness with a house. Results revealed an interesting dissociation in the amygdala during rivalry condition: Whereas its dorsal component exhibited dominant activation to aware fearful faces, a ventral component was more active during the suppression of fearful faces. Moreover, during rivalry, the dorsal and ventral components of the amygdala were coupled with segregated cortical activations in the brainstem and medial PFC, respectively. In summary, this study points to a differential involvement of two clusters within the amygdala and their connected networks in naturally occurring perceptual biases of emotional content in faces.
Motor Simulation during Action Word Processing in Neurosurgical Patients
Authors: Tomasino Barbara , Ceschia Martina , Fabbro Franco , Skrap Miran
Published: November 2011

The role that human motor areas play in linguistic processing is the subject of a stimulating debate. Data from nine neurosurgical patients with selective lesions of the precentral and postcentral sulcus could provide a direct answer as to whether motor area activation is necessary for action word processing. Action-related verbs (face-, hand-, and feet-related verbs plus neutral verbs) silently read were processed for (i) motor imagery by vividness ratings and (ii) frequency ratings. Although no stimulus- or task-dependent modulation was found in the RTs of healthy controls, patients showed a task × stimulus interaction resulting in a stimulus-dependent somatotopic pattern of RTs for the imagery task. A lesion affecting a part of the cortex that represents a body part also led to slower RTs during the creation of mental images for verbs describing actions involving that same body part. By contrast, no category-related differences were seen in the frequency judgment task. This task-related dissociation suggests that the sensorimotor area is critically involved in processing action verbs only when subjects are simulating the corresponding movement. These findings have important implications for the ongoing discussion regarding the involvement of the sensorimotor cortex in linguistic processing.
Twenty-First-Century Arctic Climate Change in CCSM4
Authors: Vavrus Stephen J. , Holland Marika M. , Jahn Alexandra , Bailey David A. , Blazey Benjamin A.
Published: November 2011

The authors summarize the twenty-first-century Arctic climate simulated by NCAR’s Community Climate System Model, version 4 (CCSM4). Under a strong radiative forcing scenario, the model simulates a much warmer, wetter, cloudier, and stormier Arctic climate with considerably less sea ice and a fresher Arctic Ocean. The high correlation among the variables composing these changes—temperature, precipitation, cloudiness, sea level pressure (SLP), and ice concentration—suggests that their close coupling collectively represents a fingerprint of Arctic climate change. Although the projected changes in CCSM4 are generally consistent with those in other GCMs, several noteworthy features are identified. Despite more global warming in CCSM4, Arctic changes are generally less than under comparable greenhouse forcing in CCSM3, as represented by Arctic amplification (16% weaker) and the date of a seasonally ice-free Arctic Ocean (20 years later). Autumn is the season of the most pronounced Arctic climate change among all the primary variables. The changes are very similar across the five ensemble members, although SLP displays the largest internal variability. The SLP response exhibits a significant trend toward stronger extreme Arctic cyclones, implying greater wave activity that would promote coastal erosion. Based on a commonly used definition of the Arctic (the area encompassing the 10°C July air temperature isotherm), the region shrinks by about 40% during the twenty-first century, in conjunction with a nearly 10-K warming trend poleward of 70°N. Despite this pronounced long-term warming, CCSM4 simulates a hiatus in the secular Arctic climate trends during a decade-long stretch in the 2040s and to a lesser extent in the 2090s. These pauses occur despite averaging over five ensemble members and are remarkable because they happen under the most extreme greenhouse-forcing scenario and in the most climatically sensitive region of the world.
General condition of hikikomori (prolonged social withdrawal) in Japan: Psychiatric diagnosis and outcome in mental health welfare centres
Authors: Kondo Naoji , Sakai Motohiro , Kuroda Yasukazu , Kiyota Yoshikazu , Kitabata Yuji , Kurosawa Mie
Published: November 2011

Background:

The issue of hikikomori (prolonged social withdrawal) among Japanese youth has attracted attention from international experts. In previous research, the unique cultural and social factors of Japanese society have been the focus; however, in order to resolve the problem of hikikomori, individual mental health problems must be included.

Aim:

We examined the psychiatric background of individuals with hikikomori.

Methods:

We recruited 337 individuals with hikikomori; 183 subjects who utilized the centres were designated as the help-seeking group. We examined the multi-axial psychiatric diagnosis based on the DSM-IV-TR, treatment policies and treatment outcomes. We also examined 154 subjects who did not utilize the centers (non-help-seeking group).

Results:

Most of the subjects in the utilization group were classified into one of the diagnostic categories. Forty-nine (33.3%) subjects were diagnosed with schizophrenia, mood disorders or anxiety disorders, and this group needed pharmacotherapy. Other subjects were diagnosed with personality disorders or pervasive developmental disorders, and they mainly needed psycho-social support. The Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) scores of the non-help-seeking group were significantly lower than the GAF scores of those who used treatments.

Conclusion:

Most hikikomori cases can be diagnosed using current diagnostic criteria. Individuals with hikikomori are much worse if they do not seek help.
Parental Wealth and First-time Homeownership: A Cohort Study of Family Background and Young Adults’ Housing Situation in Sweden
Authors: Öst Cecilia Enström
Published: November 2011

This paper investigates whether family background seems to have any influence on first-time homeownership. Recent studies have indicated that it has become more difficult to become established in the housing market and such situations may increase the importance of parental wealth. In this study, parental wealth is estimated as family background information on parents’ homeownership, father’s socioeconomic status and single parenting. Unique cohort data for three birth cohorts suggest that there is a significant cohort effect in young adults’ tenure decision. Furthermore, the results imply that parents’ homeownership has become a more important predictor of the transition to first-time homeownership for those young adults facing increasing problems in the housing market.
Reinforcing Spirals of Negative Affects and Selective Attention to Advertising in a Political Campaign
Authors: Schemer Christian
Published: November 2011

The present study investigates self-reinforcing spirals processes between the negative affect toward asylum seekers and the attention to political advertising in a campaign dealing with the issue of the asylum law restriction. Based on data from a three-wave panel survey, the study found evidence of such reciprocal influences. Specifically, the initial attention to political advertising elicited negative affective reactions, such as fear or anxiety toward asylum seekers in the course of the campaign. At the same time, these affective reactions enhanced people’s attention to subsequent political ads. Not only do the findings indicate the presence of reinforcing spirals processes but also do the data suggest that the spirals process is mainly fueled by cues emanating from the political campaign.
Representations of Culture in Theater of the Oppressed and Participatory Budgeting in Brazil
Authors: Dalla Déa Ariane
Published: November 2011

Critical examination of stories originating in everyday individual experiences of oppression as reenacted in Theater of the Oppressed and as articulated in the speech performances of participatory budgeting meetings shows how the rhetoric of oppression operates either to reproduce or to transform historically established cultural practices. The application of theories of mimesis, performance, representation, experience, and frame analysis helps explain how cultural patterns counter Theater of the Oppressed’s proposals, simply providing a cathartic release, and how public participation in budgetary meetings is effective in producing social change.

Um olhar crítico das experiências individuais com opressão re-encenadas no Teatro do Oprimido e articuladas nas falas de residentes nos distritos do orçamento participativo mostra como as retóricas de opressão opera para reproduzir ou transformar as práticas culturais estabelecidas históricamente. O uso de teorias de mimesis, performance, representação, experiência e analisis de ponto de referência social ajuda em compreender como os padrões culturais agem contra a proposta de transformação social no Teatro do Oprimido, providenciando nada mais que uma liberação catártica, e exemplifica como a participação pública no orçamento do governo é mais eficaz em trazer mudanças sociais.
Paved with Good Intentions
Authors: Sautman Barry
Published: November 2011

Since 2004, academics concerned about a prospective fracturing of China’s territory have advanced proposals to phase out ethnic regional autonomy, preferential policies, and other minority rights. Riots in Lhasa, Tibet, in 2008 and Urumqi, Xinjiang, in 2009 gave greater impetus to the proposals, as they moved from academic to wider circles and complaints about preferential policies in criminal justice, family planning, and school admissions grew, with even state recognition of minorities challenged. Yet many minority and some Han intellectuals continue to see the proposals as deleterious to interethnic and minority–state relations and arguments for them based on practices in the United States and India have lacked persuasive power. The state has reacted to this discourse by reemphasizing existing policies, but it has also brought about a “subtle shift” in ethnic policies since 2010, albeit not the shift that proponents of curbing minority rights have sought.
Immigrant China
Authors: Pieke Frank N.
Published: November 2011

This article tackles a new phenomenon that will have profound consequences for the future of the international migration order: international migration to the People’s Republic of China. For decades, China has had large numbers of foreign students, expatriates, returned overseas Chinese, and ethnic Chinese refugees. However, in the past few years, immigration to China has become much more diverse and numerous. Chinese students and scholars abroad return to China in ever greater numbers. Traders and labor migrants from all over the world are attracted by China’s trading opportunities, political stability, and prosperity. Middle-class Koreans, Taiwanese, and Southeast Asians are looking for cheaper living costs and better jobs. European, North American, and Australian university graduates travel to China for employment or to start a business. This article asks to what extent government policy making and the formation of immigrant groups and ethnic relations are informed by unique features of China’s late socialist society and government, or alternatively, to what extent they follow patterns similar to established developed immigrant countries in Asia, Europe, and North America.
Validating score interpretations and uses
Authors: Kane Michael
Published: November 2011

The argument-based approach to validation involves two steps; specification of the proposed interpretations and uses of the test scores as an interpretive argument, and the evaluation of the plausibility of the proposed interpretive argument. More ambitious interpretations and uses tend to involve an extended network of inferences and assumptions and require extensive evidence for their support. Simpler interpretations do not claim much, and therefore, may not require much evidential support. The evaluation of score based decisions generally requires an evaluation of the consequences of the decision rule. In any case, the claims that are being made need to be justified.
Development and validation of Extract the Base: An English Derivational Morphology Test for third through fifth grade monolingual students and Spanish-speaking English language learners
Authors: Goodwin Amanda P. , Huggins A. Corinne , Carlo Maria , Malabonga Valerie , Kenyon Dorry , Louguit Mohammed , August Diane
Published: November 2011

This study describes the development and validation of the Extract the Base test (ETB), which assesses derivational morphological awareness. Scores on this test were validated for 580 monolingual students and 373 Spanish-speaking English language learners (ELLs) in third through fifth grade. As part of the validation of the internal structure, which involved using the Generalized Partial Credit Model for tests with polytomous items, items on this test were shown to provide information about students of different abilities and also discriminate amongst such heterogeneous students. As part of the validation of the test’s relationship to criterion, items were shown to correlate with measures of word identification, reading comprehension, and vocabulary measures. Differences in performances for fluent English students and ELLs, students of varied home language environments, and different grade levels were noted. Additionally, the task was validated using a dichotomous scoring system to provide reliability and validity information using this alternate scoring method.
The contribution of test-takers’ speech content to scores on an English oral proficiency test
Authors: Sato Takanori
Published: November 2011

The content that test-takers attempt to convey is not always included in the construct definition of general English oral proficiency tests, although some English-for-academic-purposes (EAP) speaking tests and most writing tests tend to place great emphasis on the evaluation of the content or ideas in the performance. This study investigated the relative contribution of linguistic criteria and the elaboration of speech content to scores on a test of speaking proficiency. A speaking test was designed and administered to Japanese undergraduates to determine what criteria English teachers associate with general oral proficiency. Nine raters were recruited to rate 30 students’ monologues on three topics, using intuitive judgments of oral proficiency (referred to as Overall communicative effectiveness). Following this, they assigned scores to the monologues using five criteria: Grammatical accuracy, Fluency, Vocabulary range, Pronunciation, and Content elaboration/development. The raters were also asked to provide open-ended written comments on the factors contributing to their intuitive judgments. Statistical analyses of the scores – Rasch measurement, multiple regression, and multivariate generalizability (G) theory analysis – revealed that Content elaboration/development made a substantive contribution to the intuitive judgments and composite score. The present study enriches our understanding of general oral proficiency and the construct definition of proficiency tests.
Evaluating the Relation Between Psychopathy and Affective Empathy
Authors: Lishner David A. , Vitacco Michael J. , Hong Phan Y. , Mosley Jennifer , Miska Kathryn , Stocks Eric L.
Published: November 2011

It is widely believed that impairment in an ability to experience affective empathy for others is a central feature of psychopathy. The authors tested this assumption by covertly manipulating and measuring state experiences of emotional contagion and empathic concern in college undergraduates and male forensic inpatients. Surprisingly, they found little evidence of a negative association between psychopathy and affective empathy in either sample. In those instances in which associations were found, they tended to indicate that higher psychopathy was associated with increased affective empathy. Follow-up analyses also revealed that psychopathy was positively associated with pervasive experiences of sadness, anger, and fear, and negatively associated with pervasive experiences of happiness among nonforensic individuals. This research raises questions about existing conceptualizations of interpersonal affect in psychopathy and offers suggestions for advancing future understanding of the role-played by emotional processes in psychopathy.
The Practice of Positive Criminology
Authors: Ronel Natti , Frid Noa , Timor Uri
Published: November 2011

Positive criminology is a new term for a perspective associated with theories and models that relate to socially inclusive, positively experienced influences that assist individuals in desisting or refraining from criminal and deviant behavior. A qualitative phenomenological study of prisoners who were in recovery from substance dependency and who participated in a Vipassana course in a rehabilitative prison introduces features of positive criminology. A total of 22 male prisoners participated in a 10-day Vipassana course run by volunteers in prison. Deep interviews were conducted with participants before, immediately after, and 3 to 4 months after the course. The findings describe components of positive criminology that had meaningful impact on the prisoners in rehabilitation: perceived goodness, positive relationship with the prison staff, positive social atmosphere, and overcoming an ordeal. Implications for practice and further research are outlined.
Pharmacist-Managed Antimicrobial Stewardship Program for Patients Discharged From the Emergency Department
Authors: Baker Stephanie N. , Acquisto Nicole M. , Ashley Elizabeth Dodds , Fairbanks Rollin J. , Beamish Suzanne E. , Haas Curtis E.
Published: November 2011

Positive outcomes of antimicrobial stewardship programs in the inpatient setting are well documented, but the benefits for patients not admitted to the hospital remain less clear. This report describes a retrospective case–control study of patients discharged from the emergency department (ED) with subsequent positive cultures conducted to determine whether integrating antimicrobial stewardship responsibilities into practice of the emergency medicine clinical pharmacist (EPh) decreased times to positive culture follow-up, patient or primary care provider (PCP) notification, and appropriateness of antimicrobial therapy. Pre- and post-implementation groups of an EPh-managed antimicrobial stewardship program were compared. Positive cultures were identified in 177 patients, 104 and 73 in pre- and post-implementation groups, respectively. Median time to culture review in the pre-implementation group was 3 days (range 1-15) and 2 days (range 0-4) in the post-implementation group ( P = .0001). There were 74 (71.2%) and 36 (49.3%) positive cultures that required notification in the pre- and post-implementation groups, respectively, and the median time to patient or PCP notification was 3 days (range 1-9) and 2 days (range 0-4) in the 2 groups ( P = .01). No difference was seen in the appropriateness of therapy. In conclusion, EPh involvement reduced time to positive culture review and time to patient or PCP notification when indicated.
The social weaving of a reading atmosphere
Authors: Sequeiros Paula
Published: November 2011

This paper discusses how public library readers in Almeida Garrett, Porto, create a reading atmosphere, focusing on meanings associated with aural conditions. Through a qualitative, single case study, ethnographic and interview techniques were applied. Readers’ actual practices and discourses, through a theoretical sample, and those of managers, staff and architects were analysed; a spatial analysis was conducted within the framework of social inequalities and power relations. The paper proposes the concept of reading atmosphere and suggests that its social production is based on a tacit, informal code of conduct in which some regular readers played an influential role. Some recommendations on service provision are made.
The Impact of Asian American Value Systems on Palliative Care
Authors: Mondia Stephen , Hichenberg Shira , Kerr Erica , Eisenberg Megan , Kissane David W.
Published: November 2011

Background: Clinicians meet people from different ethnic backgrounds, yet need to respond in culturally sensitive ways. This article focuses on Asian American families. Methods: Within a randomized controlled trial of family therapy commenced during palliative care and continued into bereavement, 3 families of Asian American background were examined qualitatively from a cultural perspective by listening to recordings of 26 therapy sessions and reviewing detailed supervision notes compiled by each therapist. Results: A synopsis of each family’s therapy narrative is presented. Prominent themes include family closeness, respect for hierarchy within the family, gender-determined roles, intergenerational tensions, preoccupation with shame and limited emotional expressiveness. Conclusions: Family therapists working with culturally diverse families need to pay thoughtful attention to ethnic issues as they strive to support them during palliative care and bereavement.
Isolating Metamemory Deficits in the Self-Regulated Learning of Adults With ADHD
Authors: Knouse Laura E. , Anastopoulos Arthur D. , Dunlosky John
Published: November 2011

ADHD in adulthood is associated with chronic academic impairments and problems with strategic memory encoding on standardized memory assessments, but little is known about self-regulated learning that might guide intervention. Objective: Examine the contribution of metamemory judgment accuracy and use of learning strategies to self-regulated learning in adults with ADHD, focusing on the use of self-testing. Method: A total of 34 adults with ADHD and 34 matched controls predicted their memory performance and regulated their learning of paired associates. Results: Adults with ADHD were as accurate as controls at predicting memory performance, despite remembering fewer words. By observation and self-report, they were less likely to use self-testing to learn the pairs. Conclusion: Across groups, self-testing was associated with significantly better recall and largely accounted for differences between diagnostic groups. Adults with ADHD often failed to employ a strategy that was associated with improved memory, identifying an intervention target that may improve self-regulated learning.
Innovation trajectories for information visualizations: Comparing treemaps, cone trees, and hyperbolic trees
Authors: Shneiderman Ben , Dunne Cody , Sharma Puneet , Wang Ping
Published: November 2011

This paper reviews the trajectory of three information visualization innovations: treemaps, cone trees, and hyperbolic trees. These three ideas were first published around the same time in the early 1990s, so we are able to track academic publications, patents, and trade press articles over almost two decades. We describe the early history of each approach, problems with data collection from differing sources, appropriate metrics, and strategies for visualizing these longitudinal data sets. This paper makes two contributions: (1) it offers the information visualization community a history of how certain ideas evolved, influenced others, and were adopted for widespread use and (2) it provides an example of how such scientometric trajectories of innovations can be gathered and visualized. Guidance for designers is offered, but these conjectures may also be useful to researchers, research managers, science policy analysts, and venture capitalists.
When Can I help? A Conceptual Framework for the Prevention of Sexual Violence Through Bystander Intervention
Authors: McMahon Sarah , Banyard Victoria L.
Published: November 2011

The bystander intervention approach is gaining popularity as a means for engaging communities in sexual assault prevention, especially on college campuses. Many bystander programs are teaching community members how to intervene without first assisting them to identify the full range of opportunities when they can intervene. In this article, the authors review the literature on sexual violence bystander intervention and present a conceptual framework that lays out a continuum of bystander opportunities ranging from reactive situations after an assault has occurred, to situations before an assault has occurred (posing high to low risk to victims), as well as proactive situations where no risk to the victim is present. The implications of this typology are discussed in the context of program development, evaluation, and further research.
Turning Points for Perpetrators of Intimate Partner Violence
Authors: Sheehan Kathleen A. , Thakor Sumaiya , Stewart Donna E.
Published: November 2011

Understanding why and how perpetrators of intimate partner violence (IPV) change their behavior is an important goal for both policy development and clinical practice. In this study, the authors investigated the concept of “turning points” for perpetrators of IPV by conducting a systematic review of qualitative studies that investigated the factors, situations, and attitudes that facilitated perpetrators' decisions to change their abusive behavior. Two literature databases were searched and six studies were found that met the inclusion criteria for the systematic review. Most included participants from batterer intervention programs (BIPs). The data indicate that community, group, and individual processes all contribute to perpetrators' turning points and behavioral change. These include identifying key incidents that precede change, taking responsibility for past behavior, learning new skills, and developing relationships within and outside of the BIP. By using a qualitative systematic review, the authors were able to generate a more complete understanding of the catalysts for and process of change in these individuals. Further research, combining quantitative and qualitative approaches, will be helpful in the modification of existing BIPs and the development of new interventions to reduce IPV.
Coincidence Between the Scientific and Folk Uses of the Term “Situation(al) Awareness” in Aviation Incident Reports
Authors: Vaitkunas-Kalita Samantha , Landry Steven J. , Yoo Hyo-Sang
Published: November 2011

A total of 81,378 reports from the Aviation Safety Reporting System were analyzed to determine if discrepancies appear to exist between the folk use of the term situation(al) awareness, as reflected in the use of the term by pilots and controllers when reporting incidents, and the scientific use of the term, as reflected by prior research. In all, 1,151 (1.4%) reports were identified as citing situation(al) awareness in the narrative portion of the records. This represents a surprisingly large discrepancy between the prevalence of the use of the term situational awareness in incidents and what one might expect from the literature. Inconsistencies were also found for the impact of experience on situation awareness. The effects of workload and perceptual conditions were consistent between this and other empirical studies. These findings suggest that differences do exist between the folk use of the term situation(al) awareness and the scientific use, with implications for understanding and measuring situation awareness.
A Naturalistic Study of Insight
Authors: Klein Gary , Jarosz Andrea
Published: November 2011

Although insight is often invoked as a phenomenon of problem solving and innovation, it has rarely been studied in a naturalistic fashion. The purpose of the study reported here was to learn more about insights as they occur in field settings as opposed to controlled laboratory conditions. The authors collected a set of 120 examples of insight taken from cognitive task analysis interviews, media accounts, and other sources and coded each incident using a set of 14 features. The results generated a descriptive model of insight that is different from the findings that emerge from research with puzzle problems. It posits multiple pathways for gaining insights. One pathway is triggered by detecting a contradiction. A second pathway is triggered by a need to break through an impasse. The third pathway gets triggered by seeing a connection.
Risk Factors for Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury
Authors: Smith Helen C. , Vacek Pamela , Johnson Robert J. , Slauterbeck James R. , Hashemi Javad , Shultz Sandra , Beynnon Bruce D.
Published: November 2011

Context: Injuries to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) of the knee are immediately debilitating and can cause long-term consequences, including the early onset of osteoarthritis. It is important to have a comprehensive understanding of all possible risk factors for ACL injury to identify individuals who are at risk for future injuries and to provide an appropriate level of counseling and programs for prevention.

Objective: This review, part 1 of a 2-part series, highlights what is known and still unknown regarding anatomic and neuromuscular risk factors for injury to the ACL from the current peer-reviewed literature.

Data Sources: Studies were identified from MEDLINE (1951–March 2011) using the MeSH terms anterior cruciate ligament, knee injury, and risk factors. The bibliographies of relevant articles and reviews were cross-referenced to complete the search.

Study Selection: Prognostic studies that utilized the case-control and prospective cohort study designs to evaluate risk factors for ACL injury were included in this review.

Results: A total of 50 case-control and prospective cohort articles were included in the review, and 30 of these studies focused on neuromuscular and anatomic risk factors.

Conclusions: Several anatomic and neuromuscular risk factors are associated with increased risk of suffering ACL injury—such as female sex and specific measures of bony geometry of the knee joint, including decreased intercondylar femoral notch size, decreased depth of concavity of the medial tibial plateau, increased slope of the tibial plateaus, and increased anterior-posterior knee laxity. These risk factors most likely act in combination to influence the risk of ACL injury; however, multivariate risk models that consider all the aforementioned risk factors in combination have not been established to explore this interaction.
Emotion Appraisal Dimensions can be Inferred From Vocal Expressions
Authors: Laukka Petri , Elfenbein Hillary Anger
Published: November 2011

Vocal expressions are thought to convey information about speakers' emotional states but may also reflect the antecedent cognitive appraisal processes that produced the emotions. We investigated the perception of emotion-eliciting situations on the basis of vocal expressions. Professional actors vocally portrayed different emotions by enacting emotion-eliciting situations. Judges then rated these expressions with respect to the emotion-eliciting situation described in terms of appraisal dimensions (i.e., novelty, intrinsic pleasantness, goal conduciveness, urgency, power, self- and other responsibility, and norm compatibility), achieving good agreement. The perceived appraisal profiles for the different emotions were generally in accord with predictions based on appraisal theory. The appraisal ratings also correlated with a variety of acoustic measures related to pitch, intensity, voice quality, and temporal characteristics. Results suggest that several aspects of emotion-eliciting situations can be inferred reliably and validly from vocal expressions which, thus, may carry information about the cognitive representation of events.
Molecular dynamics investigation of temperature dependent structural and fracture properties of amorphous silicon nitride
Authors: Liao N B , Xue W , Zhang M
Published: November 2011

Silicon nitride presents good mechanical properties and thermal stability at high temperature. As the experiments have limitations in the micro-/nanoscale characterisation of structural and fracture properties at high temperatures, atomistic simulation is the proper way to investigate the mechanism of this unique feature. In the present paper, the structural and fracture properties of amorphous silicon nitride (a-Si3N4) were studied at temperatures up to 1500 K. The simulation results consist of experiments on radial distribution function, temperature dependent yield stress and Young's modulus. Based on the structural and mechanical results of α-Si3N4 at different temperatures, the structure–property correlations were discussed.
Associated risk factors for silent cerebral infarcts in sickle cell anemia: low baseline hemoglobin, sex, and relative high systolic blood pressure
Authors: DeBaun Michael R. , Sarnaik Sharada A. , Rodeghier Mark J. , Minniti Caterina P. , Howard Thomas H. , Iyer Rathi V. , Inusa Baba , Telfer Paul T. , Kirby-Allen Melanie , Quinn Charles T. , Bernaudin Françoise , Airewele Gladstone , Woods Gerald M. , Panepinto Julie Ann , Fuh Beng , Kwiatkowski Janet K. , King Allison A. , Rhodes Melissa M. , Thompson Alexis A. , Heiny Mark E. , Redding-Lallinger Rupa C. , Kirkham Fenella J. , Sabio Hernan , Gonzalez Corina E. , Saccente Suzanne L. , Kalinyak Karen A. , Strouse John J. , Fixler Jason M. , Gordon Mae O. , Miller J. Phillip , Noetzel Michael J. , Ichord Rebecca N. , Casella James F.
Published: November 2011

The most common form of neurologic injury in sickle cell anemia (SCA) is silent cerebral infarction (SCI). In the Silent Cerebral Infarct Multi-Center Clinical Trial, we sought to identify risk factors associated with SCI. In this cross-sectional study, we evaluated the clinical history and baseline laboratory values and performed magnetic resonance imaging of the brain in participants with SCA (HbSS or HbSβ° thalassemia) between the ages of 5 and 15 years with no history of overt stroke or seizures. Neuroradiology and neurology committees adjudicated the presence of SCI. SCIs were diagnosed in 30.8% (251 of 814) participants who completed all evaluations and had valid data on all prespecified demographic and clinical covariates. The mean age of the participants was 9.1 years, with 413 males (50.7%). In a multivariable logistic regression analysis, lower baseline hemoglobin concentration (P < .001), higher baseline systolic blood pressure (P = .018), and male sex (P = .030) were statistically significantly associated with an increased risk of an SCI. Hemoglobin concentration and systolic blood pressure are risk factors for SCI in children with SCA and may be therapeutic targets for decreasing the risk of SCI. This study is registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT00072761.
Phenotypic and functional heterogeneity of human NK cells developing after umbilical cord blood transplantation: a role for human cytomegalovirus?
Authors: Della Chiesa Mariella , Falco Michela , Podestà Marina , Locatelli Franco , Moretta Lorenzo , Frassoni Francesco , Moretta Alessandro
Published: November 2011

Natural killer (NK) cells play a crucial role in early immunity after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation because they are the first lymphocyte subset recovering after the allograft. In this study, we analyzed the development of NK cells after intrabone umbilical cord blood (CB) transplantation in 18 adult patients with hematologic malignancies. Our data indicate that, also in this transplantation setting, NK cells are the first lymphoid population detectable in peripheral blood. However, different patterns of NK-cell development could be identified. Indeed, in a group of patients, a relevant fraction of NK cells expressed a mature phenotype characterized by the KIR+NKG2A− signature 3-6 months after transplantation. In other patients, most NK cells maintained an immature phenotype even after 12 months. A possible role for cytomegalovirus in the promotion of NK-cell development was suggested by the observation that a more rapid NK-cell maturation together with expansion of NKG2C+ NK cells was confined to patients experiencing cytomegalovirus reactivation. In a fraction of these patients, an aberrant and hyporesponsive CD56−CD16+p75/AIRM1− NK-cell subset (mostly KIR+NKG2A−) reminiscent of that described in patients with viremic HIV was detected. Our data support the concept that cytomegalovirus infection may drive NK-cell development after umbilical CB transplantation.
In vivo imaging visualizes discoid platelet aggregations without endothelium disruption and implicates contribution of inflammatory cytokine and integrin signaling
Authors: Nishimura Satoshi , Manabe Ichiro , Nagasaki Mika , Kakuta Shigeru , Iwakura Yoichiro , Takayama Naoya , Ooehara Jun , Otsu Makoto , Kamiya Akihide , Petrich Brian G. , Urano Tetsumei , Kadono Takafumi , Sato Shinichi , Aiba Atsu , Yamashita Hiroshi , Sugiura Seiryo , Kadowaki Takashi , Nakauchi Hiromitsu , Eto Koji , Nagai Ryozo
Published: November 2011

The mechanism by which thrombotic vessel occlusion occurs independently of plaque development or endothelial cell (EC) disruption remains unclear, largely because of an inability to visualize the formation of thrombus, especially at the single-platelet level in real time. Here we demonstrate that rapidly developing thrombi composed of discoid platelets can be induced in the mesenteric capillaries, arterioles, and large-sized arteries of living mice, enabling characterization of the kinetics of thrombosis initiation and the multicellular interrelationships during thrombus development. Platelet aggregation without EC disruption was triggered by reactive oxygen species (ROS) photochemically induced by moderate power laser irradiation. The inflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IL-1 could be key components of the EC response, acting through regulation of VWF mobilization to the cell surface. Thrombus formation was then initiated by the binding of platelet GPIbα to endothelial VWF in our model, and this effect was inhibited by the ROS scavenger N-acetylcysteine. Actin linker talin-dependent activation of alphaIIb-beta3 integrin or Rac1 in platelets was required for late-phase thrombus stability. Our novel imaging technology illustrates the molecular mechanism underlying inflammation-based thrombus formation by discoid platelets on undisrupted ECs and suggests control of ROS could be a useful therapeutic target for the prevention of thrombotic diseases.
Simultaneous cell growth and ethanol production from cellulose by an engineered yeast consortium displaying a functional mini-cellulosome
Authors: Goyal Garima , Tsai Shen-Long , Madan Bhawna , DaSilva Nancy A , Chen Wilfred
Published: November 2011

Background

The recalcitrant nature of cellulosic materials and the high cost of enzymes required for efficient hydrolysis are the major impeding steps to their practical usage for ethanol production. Ideally, a recombinant microorganism, possessing the capability to utilize cellulose for simultaneous growth and ethanol production, is of great interest. We have reported recently the use of a yeast consortium for the functional presentation of a mini-cellulosome structure onto the yeast surface by exploiting the specific interaction of different cohesin-dockerin pairs. In this study, we engineered a yeast consortium capable of displaying a functional mini-cellulosome for the simultaneous growth and ethanol production on phosphoric acid swollen cellulose (PASC).

Results

A yeast consortium composed of four different populations was engineered to display a functional mini-cellulosome containing an endoglucanase, an exoglucanase and a β-glucosidase. The resulting consortium was demonstrated to utilize PASC for growth and ethanol production. The final ethanol production of 1.25 g/L corresponded to 87% of the theoretical value and was 3-fold higher than a similar yeast consortium secreting only the three cellulases. Quantitative PCR was used to enumerate the dynamics of each individual yeast population for the two consortia. Results indicated that the slight difference in cell growth cannot explain the 3-fold increase in PASC hydrolysis and ethanol production. Instead, the substantial increase in ethanol production is consistent with the reported synergistic effect on cellulose hydrolysis using the displayed mini-cellulosome.

Conclusions

This report represents a significant step towards the goal of cellulosic ethanol production. This engineered yeast consortium displaying a functional mini-cellulosome demonstrated not only the ability to grow on the released sugars from PASC but also a 3-fold higher ethanol production than a similar yeast consortium secreting only the three cellulases. The use of more complex cellulosomal structures may further improve the overall efficiency for ethanol production.