bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
STRUCTURAL MODEL FOR DETERMINING ENTERPRISE GROUP'S INTEGRATED LINES OF CREDIT
Authors: CHEN LIN , ZHOU ZONGFANG , PENG YI , KOU GANG
Published: April 2011

A line of credit is one of the most flexible financing tools for companies. Banks give companies lines of credit to strengthen their profitability and competitive ability. On the other hand, companies draw the lines of credit that will increase banks' credit risk. It is very difficult for banks to determine the lines of credit for an enterprise group. Based on principle of credit risk evaluation and structural model, this paper first defines bank's tolerable default risk and lines of credit, and then analyzes integrated lines of credit of parent and subsidiary companies. The results of this research indicate that the lines of credit of single company is related to its asset value growth, and integrated lines of credit of an enterprise group is also related to member's asset value growth and the associated relationships. Furthermore, this study shows that the integrated lines of credit of an enterprise group can be determined by the weighted sum of member's lines of credit and the computational formula of weight. This study provides a quantitative analysis tool to ascertain the enterprise group's integrated lines of credit and analyze how the associated relationships affect the integrated lines of credit.
OPTIMAL TIMING AND EQUILIBRIUM PRICE FOR SOE PROPERTY RIGHTS TRANSFER UNDER IMPERFECT INFORMATION
Authors: CHEN ZHUMING , ZHANG SHUNMING
Published: April 2011

This paper develops a model of pricing for state-owned enterprise (SOE) property rights transfer in a dynamic economic environment. We incorporate competition and imperfect information in the model, and determine the equilibrium selling price and optimal timing of takeovers by solving a real options exercise game between bidders and a target. The main conclusions are consistent with real-world experience. The model generates new results as the equilibrium transfer price and the optimal timing relate to industry, the target, the transfer costs, the expected synergies, the re-divestiture option, and the transfer markets' microstructure. The more the bidders' expected synergy effects, the faster the acquisitions. The expected synergy effects differ among various bidders, and auction is the only way to reflect the synergy effects correctly. An active market for corporate control will be helpful for the transfer of SOE property rights. The model's applications include pricing M&A, venture capital, and IPOs.
TABU PROGRAMMING: A NEW PROBLEM SOLVER THROUGH ADAPTIVE MEMORY PROGRAMMING OVER TREE DATA STRUCTURES
Authors: HEDAR ABDEL-RAHMAN , MABROUK EMAD , FUKUSHIMA MASAO
Published: April 2011

Since the first appearance of the Genetic Programming (GP) algorithm, extensive theoretical and application studies on it have been conducted. Nowadays, the GP algorithm is considered one of the most important tools in Artificial Intelligence (AI). Nevertheless, several questions have been raised about the complexity of the GP algorithm and the disruption effect of the crossover and mutation operators. In this paper, the Tabu Programming (TP) algorithm is proposed to employ the search strategy of the classical Tabu Search algorithm with the tree data structure. Moreover, the TP algorithm exploits a set of local search procedures over a tree space in order to mitigate the drawbacks of the crossover and mutation operators. Extensive numerical experiments are performed to study the performance of the proposed algorithm for a set of benchmark problems. The results of those experiments show that the TP algorithm compares favorably to recent versions of the GP algorithm in terms of computational efforts and the rate of success. Finally, we present a comprehensive framework called Meta-Heuristics Programming (MHP) as general machine learning tools.
First-Principles Calculation on Initial Stage of Oxidation of Si (110)-(1 × 1) Surface
Authors: Nagasawa Takahiro , Sueoka Koji
Published: April 2011

The initial stage of oxidation of an Si (110)-(1 × 1) surface was analyzed by using the first-principles calculation. Two calculation cells with different surface areas were prepared. In these cells, O atoms were located at the Si–Si bonds in the first layer (A-bonds) and at the Si–Si bonds between the first and second layers (B-bonds). We found that (i) the most stable site of one O atom was the A-bond, and (ii) an O (A-bond) –Si–O (A-bond) was the most stable for two O atoms with a coverage ratio of while an O (A-bond) –Si–O (B-bond) was the most stable for . The stability of O (A-bond) –Si–Si–O (A-bond) was less than the structures obtained in (ii). The other calculations showed that the unoxidized A-bonds should be left when a coverage ratio of is close to 1. These simulations suggest that the O atoms will form clusters in the initial stage of oxidation, and the preferential oxidation will change from the A-bonds to the B-bonds up to the formation of 1 monolayer (ML) oxide. The results obtained here support the reported experimental results.
Trypanosoma congolenseInfections: Induced Nitric Oxide Inhibits Parasite Growth In Vivo
Authors: Lu Wenfa , Wei Guojian , Pan Wanling , Tabel Henry
Published: April 2011

Wild-type (WT) C57BL/6 mice infected intraperitoneally with5×106Trypanosoma congolensesurvive for more than 30 days. C57BL/6 mice deficient in inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS−/−) and infected with 103or5×106parasites do not control the parasitemia and survive for only14±7or6.8±0.1days, respectively. Bloodstream trypanosomes of iNOS−/−mice infected with5×106  T. congolensehad a significantly higher ratio of organisms in the S+G2+M phases of the cell cycle than trypanosomes in WT mice. We have reported that IgM anti-VSG-mediated phagocytosis ofT. congolenseby macrophages inhibits nitric oxide (NO) synthesis via CR3 (CD11b/CD18). Here, we show that during the first parasitemia, but not at later stages of infection,T. congolense-infected CD11b−/−mice produce more NO and have a significantly lower parasitemia than infected WT mice. We conclude that induced NO contributes to the control of parasitemia by inhibiting the growth of the trypanosomes.
Variation in Students' Conceptions of Self-Assessment and Standards
Authors: Tan Heng Kiat Kelvin , Teo Chua Tee , Ng Chee Shen
Published: April 2011

This paper reports the results of a phenomenographic study on the different ways that secondary students understood and utilized student self-assessment and how various ego types could affect the accuracy of self-assessment. The study sought to contribute to the growing literature which recognizes the critical role that students play in assessment processes, and in particular the different roles that they assume in student self-assessment. The results of the study provide insights into how different students experience self-assessment by articulating the variation in the perception and purposes of assessing one's own learning. This variation is depicted as a hierarchy of logically related students' conceptions of self-assessment.
DC-Electrical Properties of TlGaTe2 Single Crystals under Hydrostatic Pressure
Authors: Mustafaeva Solmaz N. , Gasymov Shafag G. , Kerimova Elmira M. , Asadov MirSalim M.
Published: April 2011

The effect of hydrostatic pressure (up to 0.82 GPa) on the electric properties of chain TlGaTe2 single crystals has been investigated in the temperature range 77–296 K. It has been shown that pressure leads to a considerable increase of conductivity (σ⊥) across the chains of TlGaTe2 single crystals. Parameters of localized states in the band gap of TlGaTe2 single crystal according to the low-temperature electrical measurements were obtained at various pressures.
Role of Sensory Stimulation in Amelioration of Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Authors: Daulatzai Mak Adam
Published: April 2011

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), characterized by recurrent upper airway (UA) collapse during sleep, is associated with significant morbidity and disorders. Polysomnogram is employed in the evaluation of OSA and apnea-hypopnea number per hour reflects severity. For normal breathing, it is essential that the collapsible UA is patent. However, obstruction of the UA is quite common in adults and infants. Normally, important reflex mechanisms defend against the UA collapse. The muscle activity of UA dilators, including the genioglossus, tensor palatini (TP), and pharyngeal constrictors, is due to the integrated mechanism of afferent sensory input to motor function. Snoring is harsh breathing to prevent UA obstruction. Unfortunately, snoring vibrations, pharyngeal suction collapse, negative pressure, and hypoxia cause pathological perturbations including dysfunctional UA afferent sensory activity. The current paper posits that peripheral sensory stimulation paradigm, which has been shown to be efficacious in improving several neurological conditions, could be an important therapeutic strategy in OSA also.
Primary Droop Current-Sharing Control of the Parallel DC/DC Converters System considering Output Cable Resistance
Authors: Wang J. B.
Published: April 2011

This paper presents a primary droop current-sharing controller that can integrate into voltage feedback controller and, thus, provides a low-cost and simple solution for parallel DC/DC converters system. From the equivalent small-signal model, a two-port network was adapted to describe the output and control variables for designing voltage and droop current-sharing loops. From the analysis results, the designed primary droop current-sharing controller will not affect the original voltage loop gain profile to let the DC/DC converter preserve desire control performance. After designing a stable DC/DC converter with primary droop current-sharing control, the stability of the interconnected parallel DC/DC converters system was studied. When the cable resistance is reduced, when the cable resistance is reduced, the interconnected system might be unstable. Finally, some simulation and experimental results demonstrated the effectiveness of the proposed controller in a prototype parallel DC/DC converters system.
Clinical Feature of Men Who Benefit from Dose Escalation of Naftopidil for Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms: A Prospective Study
Authors: Mizusawa Takaki , Hara Noboru , Obara Kenji , Isahaya Etsuko , Nakagawa Yuki , Takahashi Kota
Published: April 2011

Objectives. To examine the feature of men who benefit from dose escalation of naftopidil for lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTSs).Methods. Based on the IPSS, men reporting LUTS were prospectively studied using 50 mg/day of naftopidil for the first 4 weeks; satisfied patients continued its 50 mg/day (), and those reporting unsatisfactory improvement received its 75 mg/day () for the next 4 weeks.Results. The 75 mg group showed improvement in the total IPSS and QOL score in a dose-dependent manner (at 4 weeks: , at 4 weeks versus 8 weeks: ). In the 50 mg group, both scores reduced at 4 weeks, thereafter unchanged. The baseline slow stream score alone was higher in the 75 mg group (). The rate of change in the QOL score during the initial 4 weeks (ΔQOL) and Δnocturia was smaller in the 75 mg group ().Conclusions. Men with high slow stream score and unsatisfactory improvement in nocturia may benefit from dose escalation of naftopidil.
RhizomucorandScedosporiumInfection Post Hematopoietic Stem-Cell Transplant
Authors: Marques Dânia Sofia , Pinho Vaz Carlos , Branca Rosa , Campilho Fernando , Lamelas Catarina , Afonso Luis Pedro , Jacome Manuel , Breda Eduardo , Monteiro Eurico , Campos Júnior António
Published: April 2011

Hematopoietic stem-cell transplant recipients are at increased risk of developing invasive fungal infections. This is a major cause of morbidity and mortality. We report a case of a 17-year-old male patient diagnosed with severe idiopathic acquired aplastic anemia who developed fungal pneumonitis due toRhizomucor sp.and rhinoencephalitis due toScedosporium apiospermum6 and 8 months after undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic stem-cell transplant from an HLA-matched unrelated donor. Discussion highlights risk factors for invasive fungal infections (i.e., mucormycosis and scedosporiosis), its clinical features, and the factors that must be taken into account to successfully treat them (early diagnosis, correction of predisposing factors, aggressive surgical debridement, and antifungal and adjunctive therapies).
Nanoprodrugs of NSAIDs: Preparation and Characterization of Flufenamic Acid Nanoprodrugs
Authors: Lee Bong-Seop , Yoon Chi Woo , Osipov Arsen , Moghavem Nuriel , Nwachokor Daniel , Amatya Rina , Na Rebekah , Pantoja Joe L. , Pham Michael D. , Black Keith L. , Yu John S.
Published: April 2011

We demonstrated that hydrophobic derivatives of the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID)flufenamic acid (FA), can be formed into stable nanometer-sized prodrugs (nanoprodrugs) that inhibit the growth of glioma cells, suggesting their potential application as anticancer agent. We synthesized highly hydrophobic monomeric and dimeric prodrugs of FA via esterification and prepared nanoprodrugs using spontaneous emulsification mechanism. The nanoprodrugs were in the size range of 120 to 140 nm and physicochemically stable upon long-term storage as aqueous suspension, which is attributed to the strong hydrophobic interaction between prodrug molecules. Importantly, despite the highly hydrophobic nature and water insolubility, nanoprodrugs could be readily activated into the parent drug by porcine liver esterase, presenting a potential new strategy for novel NSAID prodrug design. The nanoprodrug inhibited the growth of U87-MG glioma cells with IC50 of 20 μM, whereas FA showed IC50 of 100 μM, suggesting that more efficient drug delivery was achieved with nanoprodrugs.
Clinical Benefit of Statin Pretreatment in Patients Undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Intervention
Authors: Patti Giuseppe , Cannon Christopher P. , Murphy Sabina A. , Mega Simona , Pasceri Vincenzo , Briguori Carlo , Colombo Antonio , Yun Kyeong Ho , Jeong Myung Ho , Kim Jung-Sun , Choi Donghoon , Bozbas Huseyin , Kinoshita Masayoshi , Fukuda Keiichi , Jia Xin-Wei , Hara Hidehiko , Cay Serkan , Di Sciascio Germano
Published: April 2011

Background—

Previous studies suggested that statin pretreatment reduces cardiac events in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention. However, most data were observational, and single randomized trials included limited numbers of patients.

Methods and Results—

We performed a collaborative meta-analysis using individual patient data from 13 randomized studies in which 3341 patients received either high-dose statin (n=1692) or no statin/low-dose statin (n=1649) before percutaneous coronary intervention, with all patients receiving statin therapy after intervention. Occurrence of periprocedural myocardial infarction, defined as postintervention creatine kinase–MB increase ≥3 times the upper limit of normal, and 30-day major adverse cardiac events (death, myocardial infarction, target-vessel revascularization) was evaluated. Incidence of periprocedural myocardial infarction was 7.0% in the high-dose statin versus 11.9% in the control group, which corresponds to a 44% risk reduction in the active-treatment arm (odds ratio by fixed-effects model 0.56, 95% confidence interval, 0.44 to 0.71,
P
<0.00001). The rate of major adverse cardiac events at 30 days was significantly lower in the high-dose statin group (7.4% versus 12.6%, a 44% risk reduction;
P
<0.00001), and 1-month major adverse cardiac events, excluding periprocedural events, were also reduced (0.6% versus 1.4%;
P
=0.05). The benefit of high-dose statins was realized irrespective of clinical presentation (
P
for interaction=0.43) and was maintained across various subgroups but appeared greater in the subgroup with elevated baseline C-reactive protein levels (n=734; 68% risk reduction for periprocedural myocardial infarction versus 31% in those 1861 patients with normal CRP;
P
for quantitative interaction=0.025).

Conclusions—

High-dose statin pretreatment leads to a significant reduction in periprocedural myocardial infarction and 30-day adverse events in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention. This strategy should be considered in all patients with planned percutaneous coronary intervention.
Novel Role of Rac1/WAVE Signaling Mechanism in Regulation of the Epithelial Na
+
Channel
Authors: Karpushev Alexey V. , Levchenko Vladislav , Ilatovskaya Daria V. , Pavlov Tengis S. , Staruschenko Alexander
Published: April 2011

The epithelial Na
+
channel (ENaC) is an essential channel responsible for Na
+
reabsorption in the aldosterone-sensitive distal nephron. Consequently, ENaC is a major effector impacting systemic blood volume and pressure. We have shown recently that Rac1 increases ENaC activity, whereas Cdc42 fails to change channel activity. Here we tested whether Rac1 signaling plays a physiological role in modulating ENaC in native tissue and polarized epithelial cells. We found that Rac1 inhibitor NSC23766 markedly decreased ENaC activity in freshly isolated collecting ducts. Knockdown of Rac1 in native principal cells decreased ENaC-mediated sodium reabsorption and the number of channels at the apical plasma membrane. Members of the Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome protein (WASP) family play a central role in the control of the actin cytoskeleton. N-WASP functions downstream of Cdc42, whereas WAVEs are effectors of Rac1 activity. N-WASP and all 3 isoforms of WAVE significantly increased ENaC activity when coexpressed in Chinese hamster ovary cells. However, wiskostatin, an inhibitor of N-WASP, had no effect on ENaC activity. Immunoblotting demonstrated the presence of WAVE1 and WAVE2 and absence of N-WASP and WAVE3 in mpkCCD
c14
and M-1 principal cells. Immunohistochemistry analysis also revealed localization of WAVE1 and WAVE2 but not N-WASP in the cortical collecting duct of Sprague-Dawley rat kidneys. Moreover, patch clamp analysis revealed that Rac1 and WAVE1/2 are parts of the same signaling pathway with respect to activation of ENaC. Thus, our findings suggest that Rac1 is essential for ENaC activity and regulates the channel via WAVE proteins.
Stable Classification of Text Genres
Authors: Petrenz Philipp , Webber Bonnie
Published: April 2011

Every text has at least one topic and at least one genre. Evidence for a text's topic and genre comes, in part, from its lexical and syntactic features—features used in both Automatic Topic Classification and Automatic Genre Classification (AGC). Because an ideal AGC system should be stable in the face of changes in topic distribution, we assess five previously published AGC methods with respect to both performance on the same topic–genre distribution on which they were trained and stability of that performance across changes in topic–genre distribution. Our experiments lead us to conclude that (1) stability in the face of changing topical distributions should be added to the evaluation critera for new approaches to AGC, and (2) Part-of-Speech features should be considered individually when developing a high-performing, stable AGC system for a particular, possibly changing corpus.
Lessons from the World on Effective Teaching and Learning Environments
Authors: Schleicher Andreas
Published: April 2011

Much has been written about the education policies and practices that countries and schools are putting in place. At the other end of the spectrum, accountability systems and assessments such as the Program for International Student Assessment shed light on the results that are achieved. Much less is known, however, about how policies and practices are actually implemented at the frontline in the daily work of teachers and school principals. To find out, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development conducted the Teaching and Learning International Survey in 2007-2008, which surveyed more than 70,000 lower secondary teachers and their school principals in 23 countries, representing a workforce of more than 2 million teachers. The aim was to provide comparative insights into the conditions of teaching and learning at their schools, the leadership in their schools, their preparation and professional development, and the feedback and appraisal that they do—or do not—receive. This article presents key findings from this survey. Naturally, reports from teachers provide only one perspective on what goes on in schools, and that perspective needs to be put in the context of other information sources. However, the perspective of teachers is crucially important because the best policies and practices will only yield results if they are effectively implemented, and the bottom line is that the quality of an education system cannot exceed the quality of its teachers and their work.
General Pedagogical Knowledge of Future Middle School Teachers: On the Complex Ecology of Teacher Education in the United States, Germany, and Taiwan
Authors: König Johannes , Blömeke Sigrid , Paine Lynn , Schmidt William H. , Hsieh Feng-Jui
Published: April 2011

For more than two decades, three components of teacher knowledge have been discussed, namely, content knowledge (CK), pedagogical content knowledge (PCK), and general pedagogical knowledge (GPK). Although there is a growing body of analytic clarification and empirical testing with regard to CK and PCK, especially with a focus on mathematics teachers, hardly any attempt has been made to learn more about teachers’ GPK. In the context of the Teacher Education and Development Study in Mathematics (TEDS-M), Germany, Taiwan, and the United States worked on closing this research gap by conceptualizing a theoretical framework and developing a standardized test of GPK, which was taken by representative samples of future middle school teachers in these countries. Four task-based subdimensions of GPK and three cognitive subdimensions of GPK were distinguished in this test. TEDS-M data are used (a) to test the hypothesis that GPK is not homogenous but multidimensional and (b) to compare the achievement of U.S. future middle school teachers with future middle school teachers from Germany and Taiwan. The data revealed that U.S. future teachers were outperformed by both the other groups. They showed a relative strength in one of the cognitive subdimensions, generating strategies to perform in the classroom, indicating that in particular they had acquired procedural GPK during teacher education.
The Role of Opportunity to Learn in Teacher Preparation: An International Context
Authors: Schmidt William H. , Cogan Leland , Houang Richard
Published: April 2011

This article examines the teacher preparation program learning opportunities afforded future lower secondary mathematics teachers and future elementary teachers who may teach mathematics. Data from U.S. participation in the recent international Teacher Education and Development Study in Mathematics are explored against international profiles to address a critical issue oft cited in the teacher education literature: Given the finite time available, what sort of balance is provided for course work across the areas of mathematics content, mathematics pedagogy, and general pedagogy? Results demonstrated major differences for lower secondary preparation programs in both the types of topics or courses covered and the relative emphasis across the three areas in those countries statistically outperforming the United States in comparison to U.S. programs. Similar but less striking differences were noted among elementary programs. These results should provide important empirical evidence relevant to the ongoing policy dialog concerning identifying the specific content of a quality teacher preparation program.
Assessing the Stages of Change Among African American Women in a Weight Management Program
Authors: Sbrocco Tracy , Osborn Robyn , Clark Robert D. , Hsiao Chiao-Wen , Carter Michele M.
Published: April 2011

The objective of this study was to assess the relationship between stage of change (SOC) and behavioral outcomes among African American women entering obesity treatment in two settings. Fifty-five overweight/obese (body mass index = 26.50-48.13), but otherwise healthy African American women, 23 to 56 years old, attended a 13-week weight loss–treatment program that took place at churches ( n = 36) or a university ( n = 19). Participants were weighed, completed SOC measures, and had a physical fitness test at pre- and posttreatment. Pretreatment measures of SOC placed 47% of the participants as actors, 31% as contemplators, and 22% as maintainers. Of the 45 women who reported posttreatment SOC, 7% regressed, 44% did not change, and 31% progressed in SOC. Pretreatment SOC predicted posttreatment weight loss in the church setting but not in the university setting. At churches, contemplators lost more weight than actors and maintainers. The church may be a more conducive setting for weight change behaviors for African American women who are categorized as contemplators in the SOC model.
BMI Trajectories During the Transition to Older Adulthood: Persistent, Widening, or Diminishing Disparities by Ethnicity and Education?
Authors: Walsemann Katrina M. , Ailshire Jennifer A.
Published: April 2011

Previous research has produced inconsistent results on whether education and ethnic disparities in body mass index (BMI) persist, widen, or diminish over time. The authors investigate how education and ethnicity, independently and conditionally, influence BMI trajectories during the transition to older adulthood. Employing random coefficient modeling, the authors analyzed eight biennial waves of data (1992-2006) from the Health and Retirement Study, a nationally representative longitudinal study of individuals born between 1931 and 1941. After adjusting for health behaviors and health status, education and ethnic disparities in BMI persisted for most groups, but narrowed between high-educated White men and both low-educated Hispanic men and high-educated Black men. As such, the findings generally support the persistent inequality interpretation. Therefore, even though interventions targeted at earlier points in the life course may be effective in reducing BMI disparities in later life, social and health policies directed at reducing obesity among older adults is also warranted.
Views on death and dying among health care workers in an Indian cancer care hospice: Balancing individual and collective perspectives
Authors: Loiselle Carmen G , Sterling Michelle M
Published: April 2011

In providing palliative and end-of-life care, professional and lay hospice workers alike attend to patient and family needs to encourage a dignified death. However, there are few comparative inquiries documenting how differential workplace preparation affects the processes and outcomes related to being confronted to death and dying. This qualitative study explores and compares these experiences among a diverse sample of health workers ( N = 25) in a grassroots cancer care hospice in Bangalore, India. Our findings underscore how personal views, socio-economic status, beliefs and values, occupational experience, and workplace interventions interact to shape ‘worldviews’ about death and dying. Whereas health workers report conflicting feelings of relief and sadness when confronted with the death of their patients, these mixed emotions are often lessened through open dialogue among newly trained and more experienced health workers. Moreover, experienced hospice workers wished to ensure that less experienced ones are provided with the necessary workplace support to lessen psychological ‘hardening’ that may occur with repeated exposure to death. In dealing with the diverse needs of hospice workers, both individual and collective needs must be considered to ensure an optimal workplace climate. Future work should study how hospice workers’ views on death and dying evolve with time and experience.
Understanding the Health Needs of Incarcerated Men Living With HIV/AIDS: A Primary Health Care Approach
Authors: Culbert Gabriel John
Published: April 2011

Nearly 20% of American men with HIV/AIDS pass through a correctional facility each year. As these men pass through the criminal justice system, discontinuation of health care access and nonadherence to prescribed treatments often occur. Men who are not engaged in health care during and after incarceration are at risk for treatment interruption and disease progression. Correctional facilities are therefore important sites for secondary prevention of HIV/AIDS. Unprecedented scientific attention and resources are currently directed at detecting and treating HIV in the criminal justice system. To support these efforts to increase health care access, we must have a better understanding of the cultural and situational factors that structure opportunities for secondary prevention during incarceration and during the transition from correctional facilities back into the community. This article presents a timely review of the literature on the health needs of incarcerated men living with HIV/AIDS. The author uses the primary health care framework to describe the movement of HIV-positive men through the criminal justice system as a series of strategic opportunities to initiate and establish a process of care. The author concludes that although we understand many of the challenges of providing care to men who become incarcerated, and have evidence of effective health-promoting services, we are only beginning to understand how to make health care services accessible and acceptable to HIV-positive male inmates, and we have not yet used some proven HIV prevention tools.
Motivation-based intervention to promote colonoscopy screening: An integration of a fear management model and motivational interviewing
Authors: Pengchit Watcharaporn , Walters Scott T. , Simmons Rebecca G. , Kohlmann Wendy , Burt Randall W. , Schwartz Marc D. , Kinney Anita Y.
Published: April 2011

Colorectal cancer (CRC) screening rates have been low despite effectiveness of screening in reducing CRC mortality. This article outlines the theoretical background and development of an innovative, telephone-based risk communication designed to promote screening among individuals at increased risk for familial CRC. This ongoing intervention integrates the Extended Parallel Process Model of fear management and the motivational interviewing counselling style. Tailoring and implementation intentions are incorporated. The primary outcome is self-reported colonoscopy within nine months following intervention. If proven effective, the remote intervention could be broadly disseminated to individuals at increased familial CRC risk, especially those in geographically underserved areas.
Fungal Flora at Solid Waste Storage Centres and Their Potential Allergenic Effects on the Workers
Authors: İşsever Halim , Özyıldırım Bedia , İnce Nurhan , İnce Haluk , Bayraktarlı Recep , Gelincik Aslı , Özşeker Ferhan , Erelel Mustafa , Büyüköztürk Suna , Güngör Günay Yılmaz
Published: April 2011

Purpose: The aim of this study was to find out the fungal flora at solid waste storage centres and its potential allergenic effects on the workers.

Methods: Air samples from 10 solid waste storage centres were collected and plates were incubated for up to 14 days. The isolated fungi were identified by standard methods. In total, 599 solid waste sanitation workers who worked in those areas were questioned about nasoconjunctival and skin allergic symptoms and then underwent skin prick tests with different mould extracts.

Results: Aspergillus sp., Cladosporium sp., Rhizopus sp., Penicillium sp., Alternaria sp. and Trichoderma sp. were isolated in all areas, Aspergillus being the most abundant mould followed by others. According to skin prick tests, positivity to Aspergillus fumigatuswas found to be in the first order by 10.68%. There was a significant correlation between the nasal and conjunctival symptoms and skin test positivity to house dust mites (p = 0.002, p = 0.03). Skin complaints were correlated with skin test positivity to Penicillium notatum ( p = 0.04).

Conclusion: Our findings showed that the workers of solid waste storage centres are under a moderate risk of becoming sensitised to some mould species, especially to Aspergillus sp. The environmental measurements and periodical medical check-ups must be taken into account in solid waste storage centres in order to assess the health risks.
Public opinion and policy output in the European Union: A lost relationship
Authors: Toshkov Dimiter
Published: April 2011

The European Union (EU) is assumed to suffer from a democratic deficit. It is often posited that in the EU there is only a weak and indirect connection between public preferences and policy change. This article investigates empirically whether any relationship exists between public support for European integration and EU policy output (1973—2008). Using a new indicator of policy output — the volume of important legislation produced in a semester — I discover a surprising relationship between public support and legislative production. Employing vector autoregression (VAR), I demonstrate that public EU support Granger-causes legislative output but not vice versa, and that the relationship is strong up to the middle of the 1990s but non-existent afterwards. The effect is robust to the inclusion of indicators of the state of the economy and government preferences. In addition, I discover that the average level of EU support in the Council of Ministers follows unemployment levels with a four-year delay.
Chronic graft-versus-host disease: long-term results from a randomized trial on graft-versus-host disease prophylaxis with or without anti–T-cell globulin ATG-Fresenius
Authors: Socié Gérard , Schmoor Claudia , Bethge Wolfgang A. , Ottinger Hellmut D. , Stelljes Matthias , Zander Axel R. , Volin Liisa , Ruutu Tapani , Heim Dominik A. , Schwerdtfeger Rainer , Kolbe Karin , Mayer Jiri , Maertens Johan A. , Linkesch Werner , Holler Ernst , Koza Vladimir , Bornhäuser Martin , Einsele Hermann , Kolb Hans-Jochem , Bertz Hartmut , Egger Matthias , Grishina Olga , Finke Jürgen ,   for the ATG-Fresenius Trial Group
Published: April 2011

Previous randomized graft-versus-host disease (GVHD)-prophylaxis trials have failed to demonstrate reduced incidence and severity of chronic GVHD (cGVHD). Here we reanalyzed and updated a randomized phase 3 trial comparing standard GVHD prophylaxis with or without pretransplantation ATG-Fresenius (ATG-F) in 201 adult patients receiving myeloablative conditioning before transplantation from unrelated donors. The cumulative incidence of extensive cGVHD after 3 years was 12.2% in the ATG-F group versus 45.0% in the control group (P < .0001). The 3-year cumulative incidence of relapse and of nonrelapse mortality was 32.6% and 19.4% in the ATG-F group and 28.2% and 33.5% in the control group (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.21, P = .47, and HR = 0.68, P = .18), respectively. This nonsignificant reduction in nonrelapse mortality without increased relapse risk led to an overall survival rate after 3 years of 55.2% in the ATG-F group and 43.3% in the control group (HR = 0.84, P = .39, nonsignificant). The HR for receiving immunosuppressive therapy (IST) was 0.31 after ATG-F (P < .0001), and the 3-year probability of survival free of IST was 52.9% and 16.9% in the ATG-F versus control, respectively. The addition of ATG-F to standard cyclosporine, methotrexate GVHD prophylaxis lowers the incidence and severity of cGVHD, and the risk of receiving IST without raising the relapse rate. ATG-F prophylaxis reduces cGVHD morbidity.
Rice-Map: a new-generation rice genome browser
Authors: Wang Jun , Kong Lei , Zhao Shuqi , Zhang He , Tang Liang , Li Zhe , Gu Xiaocheng , Luo Jingchu , Gao Ge
Published: April 2011

Background

The concurrent release of rice genome sequences for two subspecies (Oryza sativa L. ssp. japonica and Oryza sativa L. ssp. indica) facilitates rice studies at the whole genome level. Since the advent of high-throughput analysis, huge amounts of functional genomics data have been delivered rapidly, making an integrated online genome browser indispensable for scientists to visualize and analyze these data. Based on next-generation web technologies and high-throughput experimental data, we have developed Rice-Map, a novel genome browser for researchers to navigate, analyze and annotate rice genome interactively.

Description

More than one hundred annotation tracks (81 for japonica and 82 for indica) have been compiled and loaded into Rice-Map. These pre-computed annotations cover gene models, transcript evidences, expression profiling, epigenetic modifications, inter-species and intra-species homologies, genetic markers and other genomic features. In addition to these pre-computed tracks, registered users can interactively add comments and research notes to Rice-Map as User-Defined Annotation entries. By smoothly scrolling, dragging and zooming, users can browse various genomic features simultaneously at multiple scales. On-the-fly analysis for selected entries could be performed through dedicated bioinformatic analysis platforms such as WebLab and Galaxy. Furthermore, a BioMart-powered data warehouse "Rice Mart" is offered for advanced users to fetch bulk datasets based on complex criteria.

Conclusions

Rice-Map delivers abundant up-to-date japonica and indica annotations, providing a valuable resource for both computational and bench biologists. Rice-Map is publicly accessible at http://www.ricemap.org/, with all data available for free downloading.
RS-SNP: a random-set method for genome-wide association studies
Authors: D'Addabbo Annarita , Palmieri Orazio , Latiano Anna , Annese Vito , Mukherjee Sayan , Ancona Nicola
Published: April 2011

Background

The typical objective of Genome-wide association (GWA) studies is to identify single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and corresponding genes with the strongest evidence of association (the 'most-significant SNPs/genes' approach). Borrowing ideas from micro-array data analysis, we propose a new method, named RS-SNP, for detecting sets of genes enriched in SNPs moderately associated to the phenotype. RS-SNP assesses whether the number of significant SNPs, with p-value P ≤ α, belonging to a given SNP set "Equation missing" is statistically significant. The rationale of proposed method is that two kinds of null hypotheses are taken into account simultaneously. In the first null model the genotype and the phenotype are assumed to be independent random variables and the null distribution is the probability of the number of significant SNPs in "Equation missing" greater than observed by chance. The second null model assumes the number of significant SNPs in "Equation missing" depends on the size of "Equation missing" and not on the identity of the SNPs in "Equation missing". Statistical significance is assessed using non-parametric permutation tests.

Results

We applied RS-SNP to the Crohn's disease (CD) data set collected by the Wellcome Trust Case Control Consortium (WTCCC) and compared the results with GENGEN, an approach recently proposed in literature. The enrichment analysis using RS-SNP and the set of pathways contained in the MSigDB C2 CP pathway collection highlighted 86 pathways rich in SNPs weakly associated to CD. Of these, 47 were also indicated to be significant by GENGEN. Similar results were obtained using the MSigDB C5 pathway collection. Many of the pathways found to be enriched by RS-SNP have a well-known connection to CD and often with inflammatory diseases.

Conclusions

The proposed method is a valuable alternative to other techniques for enrichment analysis of SNP sets. It is well founded from a theoretical and statistical perspective. Moreover, the experimental comparison with GENGEN highlights that it is more robust with respect to false positive findings.
Analysis of BAC-end sequences (BESs) and development of BES-SSR markers for genetic mapping and hybrid purity assessment in pigeonpea (Cajanus spp.)
Authors: Bohra Abhishek , Dubey Anuja , Saxena Rachit K , Penmetsa R Varma , Poornima KN , Kumar Naresh , Farmer Andrew D , Srivani Gudipati , Upadhyaya Hari D , Gothalwal Ragini , Ramesh S , Singh Dhiraj , Saxena Kulbhushan , Kishor PB Kavi , Singh Nagendra K , Town Christopher D , May Gregory D , Cook Douglas R , Varshney Rajeev K
Published: April 2011

Background

Pigeonpea [Cajanus cajan(L.) Millsp.] is an important legume crop of rainfed agriculture. Despite of concerted research efforts directed to pigeonpea improvement, stagnated productivity of pigeonpea during last several decades may be accounted to prevalence of various biotic and abiotic constraints and the situation is exacerbated by availability of inadequate genomic resources to undertake any molecular breeding programme for accelerated crop improvement. With the objective of enhancing genomic resources for pigeonpea, this study reports for the first time, large scale development of SSR markers from BAC-end sequences and their subsequent use for genetic mapping and hybridity testing in pigeonpea.

Results

A set of 88,860 BAC (bacterial artificial chromosome)-end sequences (BESs) were generated after constructing two BAC libraries by usingHindIII (34,560 clones) andBamHI (34,560 clones) restriction enzymes. Clustering based on sequence identity of BESs yielded a set of >52K non-redundant sequences, comprising 35 Mbp or >4% of the pigeonpea genome. These sequences were analyzed to develop annotation lists and subdivide the BESs into genome fractions (e.g., genes, retroelements, transpons and non-annotated sequences). Parallel analysis of BESs for microsatellites or simple sequence repeats (SSRs) identified 18,149 SSRs, from which a set of 6,212 SSRs were selected for further analysis. A total of 3,072 novel SSR primer pairs were synthesized and tested for length polymorphism on a set of 22 parental genotypes of 13 mapping populations segregating for traits of interest. In total, we identified 842 polymorphic SSR markers that will have utility in pigeonpea improvement. Based on these markers, thefirstSSR-based genetic map comprising of 239 loci was developed for this previously uncharacterized genome. Utility of developed SSR markers was also demonstrated by identifying a set of 42 markers each for two hybrids (ICPH 2671 and ICPH 2438) for genetic purity assessment in commercial hybrid breeding programme.

Conclusion

In summary, while BAC libraries and BESs should be useful for genomics studies, BES-SSR markers, and the genetic map should be very useful for linking the genetic map with a future physical map as well as for molecular breeding in pigeonpea.
Aging enhances serum cytokine response but not task-induced grip strength declines in a rat model of work-related musculoskeletal disorders
Authors: Xin Dong L , Harris Michelle Y , Wade Christine K , Amin Mamta , Barr Ann E , Barbe Mary F
Published: April 2011

Background

We previously reported early tissue injury, increased serum and tissue inflammatory cytokines and decreased grip in young rats performing a moderate demand repetitive task. The tissue cytokine response was transient, the serum response and decreased grip were still evident by 8 weeks. Thus, here, we examined their levels at 12 weeks in young rats. Since aging is known to enhance serum cytokine levels, we also examined aged rats.

Methods

Aged and young rats, 14 mo and 2.5 mo of age at onset, respectfully, were trained 15 min/day for 4 weeks, and then performed a high repetition, low force (HRLF) reaching and grasping task for 2 hours/day, for 12 weeks. Serum was assayed for 6 cytokines: IL-1alpha, IL-6, IFN-gamma, TNF-alpha, MIP2, IL-10. Grip strength was assayed, since we have previously shown an inverse correlation between grip strength and serum inflammatory cytokines. Results were compared to naïve (grip), and normal, food-restricted and trained-only controls.

Results

Serum cytokines were higher overall in aged than young rats, with increases in IL-1alpha, IFN-gamma and IL-6 in aged Trained and 12-week HRLF rats, compared to young Trained and HRLF rats (p < 0.05 and p < 0.001, respectively, each). IL-6 was also increased in aged 12-week HRLF versus aged normal controls (p < 0.05). Serum IFN-gamma and MIP2 levels were also increased in young 6-week HRLF rats, but no cytokines were above baseline levels in young 12-week HRLF rats. Grip strength declined in both young and aged 12-week HRLF rats, compared to naïve and normal controls (p < 0.05 each), but these declines correlated only with IL-6 levels in aged rats (r = -0.39).

Conclusion

Aging enhanced a serum cytokine response in general, a response that was even greater with repetitive task performance. Grip strength was adversely affected by task performance in both age groups, but was apparently influenced by factors other than serum cytokine levels in young rats.
Excitonic effects on the second-order nonlinear optical properties of semi-spherical quantum dots
Authors: Flórez Jefferson , Camacho Ángela
Published: April 2011

We study the excitonic effects on the second-order nonlinear optical properties of semi-spherical quantum dots considering, on the same footing, the confinement potential of the electron-hole pair and the Coulomb interaction between them. The exciton is confined in a semi-spherical geometry by means of a three-dimensional semi-parabolic potential. We calculate the optical rectification and second harmonic generation coefficients for two different values of the confinement frequency based on the numerically computed energies and wavefunctions of the exciton. We present the results as a function of the incident photon energy for GaAs/AlGaAs quantum dots ranging from few nanometers to tens of nanometers. We find that the second-order nonlinear coefficients exhibit not only a blue-shift of the order of meV but also a change of intensity compared with the results obtained ignoring the Coulomb interaction in the so-called strong-confinement limit.
A supervised visual model for finding regions of interest in basal cell carcinoma images
Authors: Gutiérrez Ricardo , Gómez Francisco , Roa-Peña Lucía , Romero Eduardo
Published: April 2011

This paper introduces a supervised learning method for finding diagnostic regions of interest in histopathological images. The method is based on the cognitive process of visual selection of relevant regions that arises during a pathologist's image examination. The proposed strategy emulates the interaction of the visual cortex areasV1,V2 andV4, being theV1 cortex responsible for assigning local levels of relevance to visual inputs while theV2 cortex gathers together these small regions according to some weights modulated by theV4 cortex, which stores some learned rules. This novel strategy can be considered as a complex mix of "bottom-up" and "top-down" mechanisms, integrated by calculating a unique index inside each region. The method was evaluated on a set of 338 images in which an expert pathologist had drawn the Regions of Interest. The proposed method outperforms two state-of-the-art methods devised to determine Regions of Interest (RoIs) in natural images. The quality gain with respect to an adaptated Itti's model which found RoIs was 3.6dBin average, while with respect to the Achanta's proposal was 4.9dB.