bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Total and Regional Fat and Serum Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors in Lean and Obese Children and Adolescents
Authors: Teixeira Pedro J. , Sardinha Luis B. , Going Scott B. , Lohman Timothy G.
Published: April 2008

Objective: This study was conducted to evaluate the association of total and central adiposity with serum cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors in lean and obese Portuguese children and adolescents.

Research Methods and Procedures: A total of 87 girls (13.2 ± 1.6 years old, 29.9 ± 6.4% body fat [mean ± SD]) and 72 boys (13.2 ± 1.6 years old, 20.8 ± 9.9% body fat) volunteered for the study. Whole‐body composition and fat distribution, from DXA and anthropometry, and serum lipids, lipoproteins, and apolipoproteins were evaluated.

Results: The sum of three trunk skinfolds (STS) was highly correlated with total trunk fat mass measured by DXA (p < 0.001). Body mass index, DXA‐measured percentage of body fat, trunk fat mass, STS, and the waist‐to‐height ratio were generally found to be associated with triacylglycerol, the ratio of total cholesterol (TC) to high density lipoprotein‐cholesterol (HDL‐C), low density lipoprotein‐cholesterol (LDL‐C), and apolipoprotein B levels, (significant age‐adjusted r between 0.16 and 0.27, p < 0.05). Body mass index, STS, and the waist circumference were also associated with HDL‐C (p < 0.05), whereas no body composition variable significantly correlated with TC or apolipoproteins A‐I. The STS was significantly correlated with HDL‐C (p < 0.01), TC/HDL‐C (p < 0.05), and apolipoproteins A‐I (p < 0.05) independently of whole‐body fatness. Obese subjects (n = 73) had higher TC, LDL‐C, TC/HDL‐C, and apolipoprotein B than did non‐obese subjects (n = 86), and significant associations between central adiposity and some lipid variables (triacylglycerol and HDL‐C) were found in obese children and adolescents that were not present in leaner individuals.

Discussion: DXA‐ and anthropometry‐based whole‐body and central fat measures are associated with serum CVD risk factors in Portuguese boys and girls. Obese children and adolescents have a poorer lipid profile than do their leaner counterparts. Trunk skinfolds, which are easy to obtain even in large samples, predict CVD risk factors to the same extent as DXA‐based variables, in some cases, independently of total fatness.
Body Morph Assessment: Preliminary Report on the Development of a Computerized Measure of Body Image
Authors: Stewart Tiffany M. , Williamson Donald A. , Smeets Monique A. M. , Greenway Frank L.
Published: April 2008

STEWART, TIFFANY M., DONALD A. WILLIAMSON, MONIQUE A. M. SMEETS, AND FRANK L. GREENWAY. Body morph assessment: preliminary report on the development of a computerized measure of body image.

Objective: To develop a prototype of the Body Morph Assessment (BMA), and to test the reliability and validity of this new measure of body image. The BMA is a realistic and relatively simple procedure that uses computer morphing for the assessment of body image. For the purposes of this preliminary study, a prototype of the BMA was developed for usage with white women ranging from very thin to obese.

Research Methods and Procedures: A total of 72 subjects participated in tests of reliability, content, and convergent validity of the BMA.

Results: The reliability and validity of the BMA was supported by the results of this study. In a test of convergent validity, the measures of current, ideal, and reasonable body size were positively correlated with their equivalents from a similar body image assessment procedure. In addition, reliability coefficients were found to be satisfactory for all variables. Participants found the human figural stimuli to be realistic.

Discussion: These preliminary findings support the reliability and validity of the BMA with white women. Given these positive findings, we plan to extend the procedure to males and to other racial and ethnic groups.
Estimation of Energy Expenditure from Physical Activity Measures: Determinants of Accuracy
Authors: Irwin Melinda L. , Ainsworth Barbara E. , Conway Joan M.
Published: April 2008

Objective: To describe the determinants, specifically age, body mass index, percentage of body fat, and physical activity (PA) level, associated with over‐ and underestimation of energy expenditure (EE) using PA records and the Stanford Seven‐Day Physical Activity Recall (7DR) compared with doubly labeled water (DLW).

Research Methods and Procedures: We collected PA measures on 24 males eating a controlled diet designed to maintain body weight, and we determined EE from DLW and estimated EE from PA records and 7DR.

Results: Absolute differences in the estimation of EE between DLW and PA assessment methods were greater for the 7DR (30.6 ± 9.9%) than PA records (7.9 ± 3.2%). In PA records, overestimation of EE was greater with older age and higher body fatness; EE was overestimated by 16.7% among men 50 years and older compared with only 5.3% among men <40 years of age. For percentage of body fat, EE was overestimated by 19.7% among men with a percentage of body fat ≥30% compared with only 5.6% among men with a percentage of body fat <25%. A trend for less overestimation of EE with higher levels of PA (measured by DLW/basal metabolic rate [BMR]) also was observed in the PA records. In the 7DR, the estimates of EE varied widely and no trends were observed by age, percentage of body fat, and PA levels.

Discussion: Estimation of EE from the 7DR is considerably more variable than from PA records. Factors related to age and percentage of body fat influenced the accuracy of estimated EE in the PA record. Additional studies are needed to understand factors related to accurate reporting of PA behaviors, which are used to estimate EE in free‐living adults.
Leptin Does Not Play a Major Role in Platelet Aggregation in Obesity and Leptin Deficiency
Authors: Ozata Metin , Avcu Ferit , Durmus Ozlem , Yilmaz Ilker , Ozdemir I. Caglayan , Yalcin Atilla
Published: April 2008

Objective: A recent study suggested that high concentrations of leptin enhance platelet aggregations. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate whether platelet aggregation is altered in patients with leptin gene mutations compared with obese subjects or controls.

Research Methods and Procedures: Four men (one homozygous man and his three heterozygous brothers) carrying a leptin gene mutation; 20 age‐matched, healthy, unrelated men; and 18 age‐matched obese men were enrolled in the study. Adenosine diphosphate (ADP)‐, collagen‐, and epinephrine‐induced platelet aggregation were evaluated in all individuals.

Results: Our results show that patients with the leptin gene mutation (both the homozygous and heterozygous patients) had significantly higher ADP‐induced (78.3 ± 3.4% vs. 57.9 ± 9.3%, p = 0.001), collagen‐induced (78.1 ± 2.9% vs. 56.7 ± 9.3%, p = 0.007), and epinephrine‐induced (76.5 ± 9.2% vs. 59.5 ± 7.70%, p = 0.003) platelet aggregation compared with controls. However, ADP‐, collagen‐, or epinephrine‐induced platelet aggregations were similar to those in obese patients. Platelet aggregation responses to a combination of pretreatment with leptin at concentrations of 20, 50, 100, or 500 ng/mL for 5 minutes and ADP at concentrations of 2 μmol/liter also were evaluated. However, we did not find significant increases in platelet aggregation even at high concentrations of leptin (100 or 500 ng/mL) in leptin‐deficient patients, obese subjects, or controls.

Discussion: Our data show that similar to findings in obese humans, homozygous or heterozygous leptin deficiency is associated with increased platelet aggregation compared with controls, and that higher concentrations of leptin do not increase platelet aggregation.
No Decrease in Free IGF‐I with Increasing Insulin in Obesity‐Related Insulin Resistance
Authors: Ricart Wifredo , Fernández‐Real José‐Manuel
Published: April 2008

Objective: Different facts suggest that the insulin growth factor (IGF)/ insulin growth factor‐binding protein (IGFBP) system may be regulated by factors other than growth hormone. It has been proposed that, in healthy subjects, free IGF‐I plays a role in glucose metabolism. The role of free IGF‐I in glucose homeostasis in insulin resistance is poorly understood. This study was undertaken to evaluate the effects of acute changes in plasma glucose and insulin levels on free IGF‐I and IGFBP‐1 in obese and non‐obese subjects.

Research Methods and Procedures: Nineteen lean and 24 obese subjects were investigated. A frequently sampled intravenous glucose tolerance test was performed. Free IGF‐I and IGFBP‐1 were determined at 0, 19, 22, 50, 100, and 180 minutes.

Results: Basal free IGF‐I levels tended to be higher and IGFBP‐1 lower in obese than in lean subjects. IGFBP‐1 levels inversely correlated with basal insulin concentration. To determine the effects of insulin on the availability of free IGF‐I and IGFBP‐1, changes in their plasma concentrations were measured during a frequently sampled intravenous glucose tolerance test. After insulin administration, a significant suppression of free IGF‐I at 22% was observed in lean subjects. In contrast, plasma‐free IGF‐I levels remained essentially unchanged in the obese group. The differences between both groups were statistically significant at 100 minutes (p < 0.01) and 180 minutes (p < 0.05). Serum IGFBP‐1 was suppressed to a similar extent in both groups.

Discussion: These data suggest that the concentrations of free IGF‐I and IGFBP‐1 are differentially regulated by obesity. Obesity‐related insulin resistance leads to unsuppressed free IGF‐I levels.
Gender Differences in the Relationship between Personality Dimensions and Relative Body Weight
Authors: Faith Myles S. , Flint Jonathan , Fairburn Christopher G. , Goodwin Guy M. , Allison David B.
Published: April 2008

Objective: The relationship between body mass index (BMI: kg/m2) and personality seems to differ for men and women, although these effects may be driven by the extremes of the BMI distribution. It is unclear whether these associations exist for most individuals in the relatively normal range of BMI scores, excluding the thinnest and heaviest extremes in the population. We tested the association of BMI with neuroticism, extraversion, and psychoticism with a trimmed BMI sample.

Research Methods and Procedures: Using a cross‐sectional design, we tested the association of BMI with the aforementioned psychological variables in a British population‐based sample. Participants were 7889 adult men and women (30 to 50 years old) selectively sampled from four counties in west England. Participants reported their height and weight and completed the Eysenck Personality Inventory (EPQ). We tested the association of BMI with the EPQ subscales among individuals with BMI ≥19.16 kg/m2 and ≤37.78 kg/m2, i.e., the approximate 5th and 95th percentiles.

Results: Despite elimination of extreme BMIs, different associations between BMI and EPQ subscales emerged for men and women. Among women, increasing BMI was significantly associated with increased neuroticism and reduced extraversion. Among men, increasing BMI was associated with increased extraversion and psychoticism. In all cases, the magnitude of the association was very small.

Discussion: Increasing BMI was associated with potentially poorer adjustment among women but better adjustment among men. These findings are consistent with recent reports and, taken together, suggest that these patterns are not accounted for solely by the extremes of the BMI distribution.
Is There a Role for Gastric Accommodation and Satiety in Asymptomatic Obese People?
Authors: Kim Doe‐Young , Camilleri Michael , Murray Joseph A. , Stephens Debra A. , Levine James A. , Burton Duane D.
Published: April 2008

Objective: The relationships of gastric accommodation and satiety in moderately obese individuals are unclear. We hypothesized that obese people had increased gastric accommodation and reduced postprandial satiety. The objective of this study was to compare gastric accommodation and satiety between obese and non‐obese asymptomatic subjects.

Research Methods and Procedures: In 13 obese (body mass index [BMI] ≥ 30 kg/m2; mean BMI, 37.0 ± 4.9 kg/m2) and 19 non‐obese control subjects (BMI < 30 kg/m2; mean BMI, 26.2 ± 2.9 kg/m2), we used single photon emission computed tomography to measure fasting and postprandial gastric volumes and expressed the accommodation response as the ratio of postprandial/fasting volumes. The satiety test measured maximum tolerable volume of ingestion of liquid nutrient meal (Ensure) and symptoms 30 minutes after cessation of ingestion.

Results: Total fasting and postprandial gastric volumes and the ratio of postprandial/fasting gastric volume were not different between asymptomatic obese and control subjects. However, the fasting volume of the distal stomach was greater in obese than in control subjects. Maximum tolerable volume of ingested Ensure and aggregate symptom score 30 minutes later were also not different between obese and control subjects.

Discussion: Asymptomatic obese individuals (within the BMI range of 32.6 to 48 kg/m2) did not show either increased postprandial gastric accommodation or reduced satiety. These datasuggest that gastric accommodation is unlikely to provide an important contribution to development of moderate obesity.
Sensitivity and Specificity of Anthropometrics for the Prediction of Diabetes in a Biracial Cohort
Authors: Stevens June , Couper David , Pankow James , Folsom Aaron R. , Duncan Bruce B. , Nieto F. Javier , Jones Daniel , Tyroler Herman A.
Published: April 2008

Objective: To evaluate the ability of body mass index, waist circumference, waist‐to‐hip ratio, and combinations of these variables to discriminate individuals who will develop diabetes in adulthood.

Research Methods and Procedures: Data were from 45‐ to 64‐year‐old men and women who were members of the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities cohort. The analysis sample consisted of 12,814 African American and white participants who were free of diabetes at baseline. Body mass index, waist circumference, waist‐to‐hip ratio, and diabetes incidence (defined as one glucose measure ≥126 mg/dL after fasting for at least 8 hours, one nonfasting glucose measure ≥200 mg/dL, and self‐report of diabetes or report of taking medication for diabetes).

Results: 1515 new cases of diabetes were identified over the 9‐year follow‐up. Areas under receiver operating characteristic curves ranged from 0.66 to 0.73 for single measures. The curves were smooth, with no indication of a threshold. Waist tended to have the highest receiver operating characteristic statistic in all groups, but differences were small.

Discussion: The three anthropometric indices tested were approximately equivalent in their ability to predict diabetes. Sensitivity and specificities differed among ethnic and gender groups.
Quality of Life after Lap‐Band Placement: Influence of Time, Weight Loss, and Comorbidities
Authors: Dixon John B. , Dixon Maureen E. , O'Brien Paul E.
Published: April 2008

Objective: To assess the quality of life (QOL) in severely obese subjects before and after Lap‐Band gastric restrictive surgery and identify factors that may influence change.

Research Methods and Procedures: All patients, over a 3‐year period, attending for preoperative assessment (n = 459) or annual review after surgery (n = 641) have completed the Short Form‐36 (SF‐36) health survey. Eight domain and physical component summary (PCS) and mental component summary (MCS) scores were calculated. Scores were analyzed in groups based on time after surgery and compared with community normal (CN) values. Paired preoperative and 1‐year scores (n = 218) data were used to find predictors of QOL change.

Results: All preoperative mean scores (n = 459) were lower than CN values, with greater impairment in the PCS (36.8 ± 9.5 vs. CN: 51.3 ± 8.3, p < 0.001) than in the MCS (45.7 ± 8.2 vs. CN: 48.8 ± 9.5, p < 0.001) scores. After 1 year, scores were closer to CN scores (PCS: 52.4 ± 8.2 and MCS: 48.4 ± 7.7), and these remained closer for 4 years. Preoperative obesity comorbidity, especially physical disability, was the best predictor of poor preoperative SF‐36 scores and of improvement in scores at 1 year. The percentage of excess weight loss at 1 year (46 ± 16%) was of little predictive value of improved QOL.

Discussion: Severely obese subjects have poor health‐related QOL as measured by the SF‐36 health survey. Lap‐Band surgery for this group has provided a dramatic and sustained improvement in all measures of the SF‐36. Improvement is greater in those with greater preoperative disability, and the extent of weight loss is not a good predictor of improved QOL.
Gly40Ser Polymorphism of the Glucagon Receptor Gene Is Associated with Central Adiposity in Men
Authors: Siani Alfonso , Iacone Roberto , Russo Ornella , Barba Gianvincenzo , Russo Paola , Cappuccio Francesco P. , Galletti Ferruccio , Strazzullo Pasquale
Published: April 2008

Objective: To study the association between the Gly40Ser polymorphism of the glucagon receptor gene (GCG‐R) and central adiposity.

Research Methods and Procedures: Data from 985 working men (The Olivetti Heart Study) examined in 1994 were used in a cross‐sectional design. A complete anthropometry was performed; body mass index and waist circumference were taken as measures of total and central adiposity, respectively. The GCG‐R Gly40Ser polymorphism was characterized. Biochemical variables linked to energy metabolism were measured.

Results: The GCG‐R Gly40Ser variant was present in 37 individuals only in heterozygous form and was significantly associated with anthropometric indices of central adiposity, accounting for age and body mass (odds ratio for waist circumference > 94 cm; 95% confidence interval: 3.14, 1.26 to 7.81), whereas no difference between the two groups was found with regard to biochemical indices of insulin resistance or plasma leptin levels.

Discussion: The Gly40Ser polymorphism of the GCG‐R gene is associated with central adiposity independently from total body mass in men.
Measuring chirality in NMR in the presence of a static electric field
Authors: Walls Jamie D. , Harris Robert A. , Jameson Cynthia J.
Published: April 2008

The scalar Hamiltonian of nuclear spins in the presence of a static electric field supports chirality. However, the eigenvalues of the Hamiltonian are not chiral; hence, chirality is not manifested in the usual NMR experiment. In this work, we show that the magnetization response to certain radio frequency pulse sequences exhibits chirality as well as handedness.
Effect of preionization in Aton-type Hall thruster on low frequency oscillation
Authors: Yu Da-Ren , Wei Li-Qiu , Zhao Zuo-Yang , Han Ke , Yan Guo-Jun
Published: April 2008

It was found through the experiments made with an Aton-type Hall thruster that some of the propellant was ionized in the buffer chamber by “quick electrons.” This ionization is called “preionization” to discriminate it from the ionization in the discharge channel. The effect of preionization on low frequency oscillation was experimentally studied by changing the electric field intensity in the buffer chamber. The relationship between low frequency oscillation and preionization ratio was investigated through numerical simulation using a one-dimensional quasineutrality hydrodynamic model. The results obtained indicate that the amplitude of low frequency oscillation decreases as the preionization ratio increases. It was found through the analysis and numerical simulation of the physical process of low frequency oscillation that the positive feedback of electron density was the main cause of low frequency oscillation. The increase of preionization ratio decreases the amplitude of the feedback variation thereby reducing the amplitude of low frequency oscillation.
Real-time evolution of tunneling magnetoresistance during annealing in CoFeB∕MgO∕CoFeB magnetic tunnel junctions
Authors: Wang W. G. , Ni C. , Rumaiz A. , Wang Y. , Fan X. , Moriyama T. , Cao R. , Wen Q. Y. , Zhang H. W. , Xiao John Q.
Published: April 2008

We report the study of the real-time evolution of tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) in CoFeB∕MgO∕CoFeB junctions during annealing at 380°C. The TMR quickly developed at the early stage of the annealing, with 200% magnetoresistance observed in less than 10min, followed by a slow approach to saturation. This evolution of TMR was correlated with the structural changes, including crystallization of amorphous CoFeB electrodes and improvement of barrier quality during the annealing.
Nitrile and thiocyanate IR probes: Molecular dynamics simulation studies
Authors: Oh Kwang-Im , Choi Jun-Ho , Lee Joo-Hyun , Han Jae-Beom , Lee Hochan , Cho Minhaeng
Published: April 2008

Nitrile- and thiocyanate-derivatized amino acids have been found to be useful IR probes for investigating their local electrostatic environments in proteins. To shed light on the CN stretch frequency shift and spectral lineshape change induced by interactions with hydrogen-bonding solvent molecules, we carried out both classical and quantum mechanical/molecular mechanical (QM/MM) molecular dynamics (MD) simulations for MeCN and MeSCN in water. These QM/MM and conventional force field MD simulation results were found to be inconsistent with the experimental results as well as with the high-level ab initio calculation results of MeCN-water and MeSCN-water potential energies. Thus, a new set of atomic partial charges of MeCN and MeSCN is obtained. By using the MD simulation trajectories and the electrostatic potential model recently developed, the CN and SCN stretching mode frequency trajectories were obtained and used to simulate the IR spectra. The CN frequency blueshifts of MeCN and MeSCN in water are estimated to be 9.0 and 1.9cm−1, respectively, in comparison with those of gas phase values. These values are found to be in reasonable agreement with the experimentally measured IR spectra of MeCN, MeSCN, β-cyano-L-alanine, and cyanylated cysteine in water and other polar solvents.
Profiling of hydrogen in metal-insulator-semiconductor sensors using neutron reflectivity
Authors: Marshall Steve T. , Satija Sushil K. , Vogt Bryan D. , Medlin J. William
Published: April 2008

Although interfacial hydrogen has long been accepted as the species responsible for H2 detection in metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) sensors, direct observation of this species has been elusive. In this work, the use of neutron reflectivity (NR) to quantify the hydrogen concentration in regions of an MIS device is reported. The presence of multiple states at both the metal-insulator interface and within the insulator that may contribute to the hydrogen response is suggested by the scattering length density profiles obtained from NR. This technique provides a great promise for direct study of the detection mechanisms for MIS sensors.
Exploration of the surface director profile in a liquid crystal cell using coupling between the surface plasmon and half-leaky optical guided modes
Authors: Yang Fuzi , Ruan Lizhen , Sambles J. R.
Published: April 2008

The half-leaky guided mode geometry with a thin metal tunnel barrier as one cladding layer is used to explore the distribution of the director very near to the surface in a hybrid aligning nematic liquid crystal cell. From theoretical analysis together with numerical modeling, it is shown how the coupled p-polarized surface plasmon/s-like guided modes excited in the geometry leads to extremely sensitive to the surface director tilt profile near the metal wall—a sensitivity which is even higher than that of the surface plasmon resonance alone. The experimental results have fully confirmed the model predictions.
Intermodulation atomic force microscopy
Authors: Platz Daniel , Tholén Erik A. , Pesen Devrim , Haviland David B.
Published: April 2008

A mode of atomic force microscopy (AFM) is demonstrated where an oscillating AFM cantilever having linear response is driven with two frequencies in the vicinity of a resonance. New frequencies in the response, known as intermodulation products, are generated when the linearity of the cantilever response is perturbed by the nonlinear tip-surface interaction. A rich structure of the intermodulation products is observed as a function of the probe-surface separation, indicating that it is possible to extract much more detailed information about the tip-surface interaction than is possible with the standard amplitude and phase imaging methods.
The effect of molecular aggregates over the interfacial charge transfer processes on dye sensitized solar cells
Authors: Planells Miquel , Forneli Amparo , Martínez-Ferrero Eugenia , Sánchez-Díaz Antonio , Sarmentero Maria Angeles , Ballester Pablo , Palomares Emilio , O’Regan Brian C.
Published: April 2008

The electron transfer reaction between the photoinjected electrons in the nanocrystalline TiO2 mesoporous sensitized films and the oxidized electrolyte in dye sensitized solar cells (DSSC) plays a major role on the device efficiency. In this communication we show that, although the presence of molecular aggregates on the free base porphyrin DSSC limits the device photocurrent response under illumination, they form an effective hydrophobic barrier against the oxidized electrolyte impeding fast back-electron transfer kinetics. Therefore, their drawback can be overcome by designing dyes with peripheral moieties that prevent the formation of the aggregates and are able to achieve efficiencies as high as 3.2% under full sun.
Dissociative two-photon ionization of N2 in extreme ultraviolet by intense self-amplified spontaneous emission free electron laser light
Authors: Sato Takahiro , Okino Tomoya , Yamanouchi Kaoru , Yagishita Akira , Kannari Fumihiko , Yamakawa Koichi , Midorikawa Katsumi , Nakano Hidetoshi , Yabashi Makina , Nagasono Mitsuru , Ishikawa Tetsuya
Published: April 2008

Dissociative multiple ionization processes of N2 were investigated by irradiating N2 with an intense extreme ultraviolet (XUV) light at 50.3nm generated by a compact self amplified spontaneous emission free electron laser light source. From the analysis of the momentum distribution of N+ ejected through the Coulomb explosion of N2 and by the single-shot correlation between the yields of N2+ and N+, it was confirmed that double ionization of N2 occurred by the two-photon absorption of the XUV light.
Spin-spray deposited multiferroic composite Ni0.23Fe2.77O4∕Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 with strong interface adhesion
Authors: Liu Ming , Obi Ogheneyunume , Lou Jing , Stoute Stephen , Huang Jian Y. , Cai Zhuhua , Ziemer Katherine S. , Sun Nian X.
Published: April 2008

Ni 0.23 Fe 2.77 O 4 (NFO)/Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 (PZT) multiferroic composites were synthesized by spin-spray deposition of NFO film onto PZT at 90°C. Strong interface adhesion between NFO and PZT was observed, which was verified by high resolution transmission electron microscopy indicating excellent wetting between the NFO and PZT, and by the strong magnetoelectric coupling in the NFO/PZT multiferroic composite showing an electric field induced remnant magnetization change of 10%. This strong interface adhesion and low-temperature spin-spray synthesis of multiferroic materials provide an alternative route for novel integrated multiferroic materials and devices.
Conservation of the regulated structure of folded myosin 2 in species separated by at least 600 million years of independent evolution
Authors: Jung Hyun Suk , Burgess Stan A. , Billington Neil , Colegrave Melanie , Patel Hitesh , Chalovich Joseph M. , Chantler Peter D. , Knight Peter J.
Published: April 2008

The myosin 2 family of molecular motors includes isoforms regulated in different ways. Vertebrate smooth-muscle myosin is activated by phosphorylation of the regulatory light chain, whereas scallop striated adductor-muscle myosin is activated by direct calcium binding to its essential light chain. The paired heads of inhibited molecules from myosins regulated by phosphorylation have an asymmetric arrangement with motor–motor interactions. It was unknown whether such interactions were a common motif for inactivation used in other forms of myosin-linked regulation. Using electron microscopy and single-particle image processing, we show that indistinguishable structures are indeed found in myosins and heavy meromyosins isolated from scallop striated adductor muscle and turkey gizzard smooth muscle. The similarities extend beyond the shapes of the heads and interactions between them: In both myosins, the tail folds into three segments, apparently at identical sites; all three segments are in close association outside the head region; and two segments are associated in the same way with one head in the asymmetric arrangement. Thus, these organisms, which have different regulatory mechanisms and diverged from a common ancestor >600 Myr ago, have the same quaternary structure. Conservation across such a large evolutionary distance suggests that this conformation is of fundamental functional importance.
‘An increasingly familiar tragedy’
Authors: Bednarek Monika
Published: April 2008

Evaluation — the function and usage of language to express the speaker’s or writer’s opinion — has only relatively recently become the object of systematic linguistic research, for example in stance or appraisal analysis. This paper proposes an alternative, corpus-based approach to evaluation which assumes that there are at least ten different meaning dimensions (parameters) along which speakers can evaluate aspects of the world. This framework helps to explain the complexity of evaluation, and in particular what is here called evaluative interplay or combination: the expression of more than two evaluative parameters at the same time, which can be realized by evaluative conflation (evaluations signalled by one and the same linguistic item) and evaluative collocation (evaluations signalled by different linguistic items). Both the parameter-based framework and evaluative interplay are illustrated with a number of examples from authentic discourse (mostly from British newspapers).
Rhetoric in advertising: Attitudes towards verbo-pictorial rhetorical figures
Authors: Enschot Renske van , Hoeken Hans , van Mulken Margot
Published: April 2008

A rhetorical figure (for instance the antithesis in “Come in and find out” in a Dutch perfume ad) communicates an advertising message in an artfully divergent way. Two types of rhetorical figures are frequently distinguished, namely schemes (superficial decorations such as rhyme and alliteration) and tropes (meaningful deviations such as metaphors and puns). However, until now little attention has been paid to rhetorical figures that can be found in combinations of text and image (i.e., verbo-pictorial rhetorical figures). In this article, an experiment and interviews are presented on the effects of non-rhetorical figures, verbo-pictorial schemes and verbo-pictorial tropes on attitudes towards advertisements. In the experiment, twelve real-life advertisements (4 per category: non-rhetorical figure, scheme, and trope) were presented to 92 participants. The results show that attitudes towards ads with verbo-pictorial tropes (and advertisements without rhetorical figures) are less favourable than those towards advertisements with verbo-pictorial schemes. This could be explained by the fact that relatively more participants failed to come up with successful interpretations of the ads with these tropes and that attitudes were less favourable towards advertisements that were unsuccessfully interpreted than towards advertisements that were successfully interpreted.
Research Challenges: Research challenges in narrative persuasion
Authors: Green Melanie C.
Published: April 2008

Stories are often associated with entertainment, but they can also be used to convey serious information ranging from company policies to heath advice. Stories “consist of a sequence of thematically and temporally related end. This structure has many advantages, including the fact that individuals easily understand stories and learn from stories starting at a young age. Some psychologists have even argued that thought is fundamentally narrative in form (Schank & Abelson, 1995). This article will describe a theory of how narratives and stories can have persuasive effects – the idea that individuals can become transported into a narrative world, and as a result, integrate story information into their realworld belief structures (Green & Brock, 2000). It will then explore key research questions in narrative persuasion, provide suggestions for the effective use of narrative messages, and highlight issues in using narratives across media (text, audio, film, virtual reality).
Langue et droit
Authors: Bigirimana Jean Baptiste
Published: April 2008

Langue issue de la colonisation, le français s’est imposé depuis un siècle et a fini par occuper une position de domination par rapport au kirundi et aux autres langues en présence au Burundi. Après avoir supplanté le kirundi comme langue du droit, il demeure de facto langue de l’administration et bien d’autres domaines clés concernant la vie d’un Burundi pourtant monolingue lato sensu, et malgré la restriction, voire l’abandon de son statut officiel intervenu depuis les constitutions de 1993 et de 2005. Par souci de respect des lois nationales et des instruments juridiques internationaux, mais aussi dans la foulée de l’universalisation des droits de l’homme, une certaine revendication du droit à la langue maternelle semble émerger, se fondant sur le rôle prépondérant joué par cette dernière dans un réel et durable développement. Cette préoccupation ne va pas sans soulever une évidente contradiction interne aux visées d’une francophonie soucieuse de s’assurer, en principe, du respect à l’égard des langues locales d’Afrique ou d’ailleurs érigées en partenaires, mais que, en pratique, la situation réelle au quotidien, due en l’occurrence à la diglossie kirundi-français pour le cas du Burundi, minimise par le poids culturel et l’aura du français, toujours perçu comme vestige colonial. Il s’ensuit une sorte d’hybridation à la fois linguistique et sociétale, comme une dimension importante dans la reconfiguration du Burundi post-colonial, et que la gestion du multilinguisme, voire de ses implications politiques, doit dorénavant prendre en compte.
On analogy as the motivation for grammaticalization
Authors: Fischer Olga
Published: April 2008

The number of phenomena which are gathered together under the term ‘grammaticalization’ is quite large and in some ways quite diverse. For the different types of grammaticalization similar motivating factors have been suggested, similar principles, clines and hierarchies. Some of Lehmann’s (1982[1995], 1985) parameters, which have long been considered to characterize processes of grammaticalization, are now under attack from various quarters, and indeed the phenomenon of grammaticalization itself has been questioned as an independent mechanism in language change. This paper addresses a number of problems connected with the ‘apparatus’ used in grammaticalization and with the various types of grammaticalization currently distinguished. It will be argued that we get a better grip on what happens in processes of grammaticalization and lexicalization if the process is viewed in terms of an analogical, usage-based grammar, in which a distinction is made between processes taking place on a token-level and those taking place on a type-level. The model involves taking more notice of the form of linguistic signs and of the synchronic grammar system at each stage of the grammaticalization process.
Diffusion-weighted imaging for predicting new compression fractures following percutaneous vertebroplasty
Authors: Sugimoto T. , Tanigawa N. , Ikeda K. , Ohmura N. , Maehara M. , Kariya S. , Kojima H. , Komemushi A. , Ha-Kawa S. K. , Saito Y. , Tajika A. , Kinoshita T. , Sawada S.
Published: April 2008

Background: Percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP) is a technique that structurally stabilizes a fractured vertebral body. However, some patients return to the hospital due to recurrent back pain following PVP, and such pain is sometimes caused by new compression fractures.

Purpose: To investigate whether the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) of adjacent vertebral bodies as assessed by diffusion-weighted imaging before PVP could predict the onset of new compression fractures following PVP.

Material and Methods: 25 patients with osteoporotic compression fractures who underwent PVP were enrolled in this study. ADC was measured for 49 vertebral bodies immediately above and below each vertebral body injected with bone cement before and after PVP. By measuring ADC for each adjacent vertebral body, ADC was compared between vertebral bodies with a new compression fracture within 1 month and those without new compression fractures. In addition, the mean ADC of adjacent vertebral bodies per patient was calculated.

Results: Mean preoperative ADC for the six adjacent vertebral bodies with new compression fractures was 0.55×10−3 mm2/s (range 0.36–1.01×10−3 mm2/s), and for the 43 adjacent vertebral bodies without new compression fractures 0.20×10−3 mm2/s (range 0–0.98×10−3 mm2/s) ( P<0.001). Mean preoperative ADC for the six patients with new compression fractures was 0.55×10−3 mm2/s (range 0.21–1.01×10−3 mm2/s), and that for the 19 patients without new compression fractures 0.17×10−3 mm2/s (range 0.01–0.43×10−3 mm2/s) ( P<0.001).

Conclusion: The ADC of adjacent vertebral bodies as assessed by diffusion-weighted imaging before PVP might be one of the predictors for new compression fractures following PVP.
High-resolution t2-weighted abdominal magnetic resonance imaging using respiratory triggering: impact of butylscopolamine on image quality
Authors: Wagner M. , Klessen C. , Rief M. , Elgeti T. , Taupitz M. , Hamm B. , Asbach P.
Published: April 2008

Background: Respiratory triggering allows the acquisition of high-resolution magnetic resonance (MR) images of the upper abdomen. However, the depiction of organs close to the gastrointestinal tract can be considerably impaired by ghosting artifacts and blurring caused by bowel peristalsis.

Purpose: To evaluate the effect of gastrointestinal motion suppression by intramuscular butylscopolamine administration on the image quality of a respiratory-triggered T2-weighted turbo spin-echo (T2w TSE) sequence of the upper abdomen.

Material and Methods: Images of 46 patients were retrospectively analyzed. Twenty-four patients had received intramuscular injection of 40 mg butylscopolamine immediately before MR imaging. Fourteen of the 24 patients in the butylscopolamine group underwent repeat imaging after a mean of 29 min. Quantitative analysis of the ghosting artifacts was done by measuring signal intensities in regions of interest placed in air anterior to the patient. In addition, image quality was assessed qualitatively by two radiologists by consensus.

Results: Spasmolytic medication with butylscopolamine reduced ghosting artifacts and significantly improved image quality of the respiratory-triggered T2w TSE sequence. The most pronounced effect of butylscopolamine administration on image quality was found for the pancreas and the left hepatic lobe. The rate of examinations with excellent or good depiction of the pancreas and the left hepatic lobe in the group without premedication and in the butylscopolamine group was 55% vs. 96% (pancreatic head), 35% vs. 88% (pancreatic body), 43% vs. 96% (pancreatic tail), and 45% vs. 83% (left hepatic lobe), respectively. Regarding the duration of the effect of intramuscular butylscopolamine, repeat imaging after a mean of 29 min did not result in a significant deterioration of image quality.

Conclusion: Intramuscular butylscopolamine administration significantly improves image quality of respiratory-triggered T2-weighted abdominal MR imaging by persistent reduction of peristaltic artifacts. MR imaging of the liver and pancreas in particular benefits from the suppression of gastrointestinal peristalsis by butylscopolamine.
Assessing doses to interventional radiologists using a personal dosimeter worn over a protective apron
Authors: Stranden E. , Widmark A. , Sekse T.
Published: April 2008

Backround: Interventional radiologists receive significant radiation doses, and it is important to have simple methods for routine monitoring of their exposure.

Purpose: To evaluate the usefulness of a dosimeter worn outside the protective apron for assessments of dose to interventional radiologists.

Material and Methods: Assessments of effective dose versus dose to dosimeters worn outside the protective apron were achieved by phantom measurements. Doses outside and under the apron were assessed by phantom measurements and measurements on eight radiologists wearing two routine dosimeters for a 2-month period during ordinary working conditions. Finger doses for the same radiologists were recorded using thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLD; DXT-RAD Extremity dosimeters).

Results: Typical values for the ratio between effective dose and dosimeter dose were found to be about 0.02 when the radiologist used a thyroid shield and about 0.03 without. The ratio between the dose to the dosimeter under and outside a protective apron was found to be less than 0.04. There was very good correlation between finger dose and dosimeter dose.

Conclusion: A personal dosimeter worn outside a protective apron is a good screening device for dose to the eyes and fingers as well as for effective dose, even though the effective dose is grossly overestimated. Relatively high dose to the fingers and eyes remains undetected by a dosimeter worn under the apron.
Pediatric multidetector computed tomography using tube current modulation and a patient image gallery
Authors: Honnef D. , Mahnken A. H. , Haras G. , Wildberger J. E. , Staatz G. , Das M. , Barker M. , Stanzel S. , Günther R. W. , Hohl C.
Published: April 2008

Background: Dose reduction is crucial in pediatric multidetector computed tomography (MDCT).

Purpose: To perform pediatric 16-slice MDCT using tube current modulations and to adjust prospectively the tube current using a patient image gallery (IG) providing simulated dose-reduced protocols; and to evaluate and compare the image quality of the IG and the clinical MDCT.

Material and Methods: 30 examinations (thorax, n=15; abdomen, n=8; pelvis, n=7) in 20 patients (nine male, age 8.05±7.33 years, weight 29.8±24.02 kg) were performed according to an IG on a 16-slice MDCT with additional use of online tube current modulation (CARE Dose). Three radiologists visually assessed image quality from the IG and actual 16-slice MDCT scans. For objective analysis, image noise was determined.

Results: Statistical analysis showed moderate concordance in objective (K =0.68–0.78) and subjective (K =0.33–0.64) image assessment between the IG and clinical 16-slice MDCT scans. Depending on the weight group and clinical question, no or only minor dose reductions in the chest, but moderate to considerable reductions in the abdominal/pelvic 16-slice MDCT scans compared to previously used pediatric protocols were achieved. Extra dose reduction was achieved due to additional use of CARE Dose depending on age group and scan region (mean 8.6–23.9%).

Conclusion: The IG enabled us to prospectively reduce the tube current and adapt the required image quality to the clinical question. Additional dose reduction was achieved with application of CARE Dose; nevertheless, the images are comparable to the simulated images of the IG.
TL1A–DR3 interaction regulates Th17 cell function and Th17-mediated autoimmune disease
Authors: Pappu Bhanu P. , Borodovsky Anna , Zheng Timothy S. , Yang Xuexian , Wu Ping , Dong Xingwen , Weng Shawn , Browning Beth , Scott Martin L. , Ma Li , Su Lihe , Tian Qiang , Schneider Pascal , Flavell Richard A. , Dong Chen , Burkly Linda C.
Published: April 2008

T helper type 17 (Th17) cells play an important pathogenic function in autoimmune diseases; their regulation, however, is not well understood. We show that the expression of a tumor necrosis factor receptor family member, death receptor 3 (DR3; also known as TNFRSF25), is selectively elevated in Th17 cells, and that TL1A, its cognate ligand, can promote the proliferation of effector Th17 cells. To further investigate the role of the TL1A–DR3 pathway in Th17 regulation, we generated a TL1A-deficient mouse and found that TL1A−/− dendritic cells exhibited a reduced capacity in supporting Th17 differentiation and proliferation. Consistent with these data, TL1A−/− animals displayed decreased clinical severity in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). Finally, we demonstrated that during EAE disease progression, TL1A was required for the optimal differentiation as well as effector function of Th17 cells. These observations thus establish an important role of the TL1A–DR3 pathway in promoting Th17 cell function and Th17-mediated autoimmune disease.
Bmi1 regulates memory CD4 T cell survival via repression of the Noxa gene
Authors: Yamashita Masakatsu , Kuwahara Makoto , Suzuki Akane , Hirahara Kiyoshi , Shinnaksu Ryo , Hosokawa Hiroyuki , Hasegawa Akihiro , Motohashi Shinichiro , Iwama Atsushi , Nakayama Toshinori
Published: April 2008

The maintenance of memory T cells is central to the establishment of immunological memory, although molecular details of the process are poorly understood. In the absence of the polycomb group (PcG) gene Bmi1, the number of memory CD4+ T helper (Th)1/Th2 cells was reduced significantly. Enhanced cell death of Bmi1−/− memory Th2 cells was observed both in vivo and in vitro. Among various proapoptotic genes that are regulated by Bmi1, the expression of proapoptotic BH3-only protein Noxa was increased in Bmi1−/− effector Th1/Th2 cells. The generation of memory Th2 cells was restored by the deletion of Noxa, but not by Ink4a and Arf. Direct binding of Bmi1 to the Noxa gene locus was accompanied by histone H3-K27 methylation. The recruitment of other PcG gene products and Dnmt1 to the Noxa gene was highly dependent on the expression of Bmi1. In addition, Bmi1 was required for DNA CpG methylation of the Noxa gene. Moreover, memory Th2-dependent airway inflammation was attenuated substantially in the absence of Bmi1. Thus, Bmi1 controls memory CD4+ Th1/Th2 cell survival and function through the direct repression of the Noxa gene.
Translation of ASH1 mRNA is repressed by Puf6p–Fun12p/eIF5B interaction and released by CK2 phosphorylation
Authors: Deng Yingfeng , Singer Robert H. , Gu Wei
Published: April 2008

Translational repression during mRNA transport is essential for spatial restriction of protein production. In the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisae, silencing of ASH1 mRNA before it is localized to the bud cortex in late anaphase is critical for asymmetric segregation of Ash1p to the daughter cell nucleus. Puf6p, an ASH1 mRNA-binding protein, has been implicated in this process as a translational repressor, but the underlying mechanism is unknown. Here, we used yeast extract-based in vitro translation assays, which recapitulate translation and phosphorylation, to characterize the mechanism of Puf6p-mediated translational regulation. We report that Puf6p interferes with the conversion of the 48S complex to the 80S complex during initiation, and this repression by Puf6p is mediated through the general translation factor eIF5B (Fun12p in S. cerevisiae). Puf6p interacts with Fun12p via the PUF domain, and this interaction is RNA-dependent and essential for translational repression by Puf6p. This repression is relieved by phosphorylation of the N-terminal region of Puf6p mediated by protein kinase CK2 (casein kinase II). Inhibition of phosphorylation at Ser31, Ser34, and Ser35 of Puf6p increases its translational repression and results in ASH1 mRNA delocalization. Our results indicate that Puf6p suppresses the translation initiation of ASH1 mRNA via interaction with Fun12p during its transport, and this repression can be released by CK2 phosphorylation in the N-terminal region of Puf6p when the mRNA reaches the bud tip.