bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Synthesis, Characterization andIn VitroAntibacterial Studies of Organotin(IV) Complexes with 2-Hydroxyacetophenone-2-methylphenylthiosemicarbazone ()
Authors: Salam M. A. , Affan M. A. , Saha Ramkrishna , Ahmad Fasihuddin B. , Sam Norrihan
Published: April 2012

Five new organotin(IV) complexes of 2-hydroxyacetophenone-2-methylphenylthiosemicarbazone [H2dampt, (1)] with formula [(dampt)] (where , (2); , (3); , (4);2, (5);2, (6)) have been synthesized by direct reaction of H2dampt (1) with organotin(IV) chloride(s) in absolute methanol. The ligand (1) and its organotin(IV) complexes (2–6) were characterized by CHN analyses, molar conductivity, UV-Vis, FT-IR,1H,13C, and119Sn NMR spectral studies. H2dampt (1) is newly synthesized and has been structurally characterized by X-ray crystallography. Spectroscopic data suggested that H2dampt (1) is coordinated to the tin(IV) atom through the thiolate-S, azomethine-N, and phenoxide-O atoms; the coordination number of tin is five. Thein vitroantibacterial activity has been evaluated againstStaphylococcus aureus, Enterobacter aerogenes, Escherichia coli, andSalmonella typhi. The screening results have shown that the organotin(IV) complexes (2–6) have better antibacterial activities and have potential as drugs. Furthermore, it has been shown that diphenyltin(IV) derivative (6) exhibits significantly better activity than the other organotin(IV) derivatives (2–5).
Comparison of Goal-Directed Hemodynamic Optimization Using Pulmonary Artery Catheter and Transpulmonary Thermodilution in Combined Valve Repair: A Randomized Clinical Trial
Authors: Lenkin Andrey I. , Kirov Mikhail Y. , Kuzkov Vsevolod V. , Paromov Konstantin V. , Smetkin Alexey A. , Lie Mons , Bjertnæs Lars J.
Published: April 2012

Our aim was to compare the effects of goal-directed therapy guided either by pulmonary artery catheter (PAC) or by transpulmonary thermodilution (TTD) combined with monitoring of oxygen transport on perioperative hemodynamics and outcome after complex elective valve surgery.Measurements and Main Results. Forty patients were randomized into two equal groups: a PAC group and a TTD group. In the PAC group, therapy was guided by mean arterial pressure (MAP), cardiac index (CI) and pulmonary artery occlusion pressure (PAOP), whereas in the TTD group we additionally used global end-diastolic volume index (GEDVI), extravascular lung water index (EVLWI), and oxygen delivery index (DO2I). We observed a gradual increase in GEDVI, whereas EVLWI and PAOP decreased by 20–30% postoperatively (P<0.05). The TTD group received 20% more fluid accompanied by increased stroke volume index and DO2I by 15–20% compared to the PAC group (P<0.05). Duration of mechanical ventilation was increased by 5.2 hrs in the PAC group (P=0.04).Conclusions. As compared to the PAC-guided algorithm, goal-directed therapy based on transpulmonary thermodilution and oxygen transport increases the volume of fluid therapy, improves hemodynamics and DO2I, and reduces the duration of respiratory support after complex valve surgery.
Epidemiological Study of Glucose-6-phosphate Dehydrogenase Deficiency in Scheduled Caste Population of India
Authors: Rai Vandana , Kumar Pradeep
Published: April 2012

The aim of the present study was to determine the glucose-6-phostphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency in scheduled caste (SC) population of eastern Uttar Pradesh, India. After taking clearance certificate from the Institutional Ethics Committee, blood samples were collected from total 200 healthy individuals belonging to scheduled caste. G6PD deficiency analysis was done by methemoglobin test according to the method of Brewer et al. (1962). Out of 200 samples, 20 individuals were glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficient and 22 samples were heterozygous that is, carriers. The percentage of G6PD deficient (Gd+/+) and G6PD carrier (Gd+/Gd−) phenotypes were 10% and 11%, respectively. The frequency of mutant allele (Gd−) was observed 0.172. Early detection and prevention is the key strategy for successful management and control of this genetic disease.
A Conceptual Framework in the Study of Neuropsychological Development in Epidemiological Studies
Authors: Forns J. , Aranbarri A. , Grellier J. , Julvez J. , Vrijheid M. , Sunyer J.
Published: April 2012

Background: A wide range of neuropsychological development outcomes in children are currently measured in a large number of birth cohort and child cohort studies. Methods: We summarized neuropsychological development assessment protocols from a number of birth cohort studies, reviews and specific books on child neuropsychology into a unifying conceptual framework. Results: We suggest that neuropsychological development can be differentiated into two levels, i.e. functional and clinical. The functional level includes the skills, abilities, capacities and knowledge acquired during maturation of the brain as a result of the development of neural networks. It can be further divided into cognitive, psychomotor and social-emotional development subdomains. The clinical level includes the assessment of neurodevelopmental disorders or the presence of symptoms (subclinical symptomatology) of these disorders in populations under investigation in environmental epidemiology studies. Conclusions: Through explicit recognition of these levels of outcomes, and in using this framework, epidemiologists will be better able to design research through the informed selection of individual levels of outcomes. The framework also serves to standardize disparate terminologies across this field and allows for pooling of epidemiological data on neuropsychological endpoints where essentially similar levels of outcomes have been analyzed using different tests.
Capture-Recapture as a Potentially Useful Procedure for Assessing Prevalence of Multiple Sclerosis: Methodologic Exercise Using Portuguese Data
Authors: de Sá J. , Alcalde-Cabero E. , Almazán-Isla J. , Sempere A. , de Pedro-Cuesta J.
Published: April 2012

Background: Capture-recapture methods (CRMs) are well established in epidemiologic surveillance and considered useful for the task of correcting for case-finding limitations in multiple sclerosis (MS) prevalence surveys. To date, however, CRMs have been exclusively applied to crude prevalence figures. This study therefore sought to explore an age-specific application of this method to an urban Portuguese population of 229,342. Methods: We used a CRM to correct for the age-specific prevalence of MS obtained from two data sources, i.e. general practitioners in three primary-care districts and a neurology unit at the referral hospital. The corrected figures were adjusted for age using the European standard population as reference. Results: When applied to 95 MS patients, the CRM impact was highest at ages 50–59 years, with a 110% increase in cases where the corrected prevalence was highest, i.e. 181.8 (95% CI 75.7–287.9) per 100,000, and lowest, nil, at ages ≥70 years, with an unchanged corrected prevalence of 13.8. The crude prevalence of 41.4 per 100,000 increased by 36% to 56.20 per 100,000 when it was CRM- and age-adjusted. Source independence was poor. Conclusions: CRMs can be differentially applied to MS counts. Valid comparisons may require simultaneous adjustment for age and other variables, such as diagnostic delay and diagnostic criteria. CRM applications to crude figures and dependent sources should be approached with caution.
Prevalence of Neuropsychiatric Symptoms across the Declining Memory Continuum: An Observational Study in a Memory Clinic Setting
Authors: Zhang Meiyan , Wang Huali , Li Tao , Yu Xin
Published: April 2012

Aims: The study aimed to compare the frequency of neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) across the declining memory continuum, from normal aging, subjective cognitive impairment (SCI), and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) to Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and to explore the clinical correlates of NPS. Method: In a memory clinic, 157 subjects (46 mild AD patients, 38 MCI individuals, 24 SCI subjects, and 49 normal controls) completed the neurobehavioral assessments with the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI). The clinical significance of each NPI domain was defined as an item score ≥4. Result: Clinically significant depression was more common in the SCI than in the normal control group (p < 0.05). The frequency of NPS was significantly greater in the mild AD group compared to other groups. Clinically significant apathy and aberrant motor behavior were more common among the AD group than the MCI group (p < 0.05). The MMSE score (OR 4.84, 95% CI 1.92–12.16, p = 0.001) and apathy (OR 12.73, 95% CI 1.48–109.68, p = 0.021) significantly determined the diagnostic status as MCI or mild AD. Conclusion: Across the declining memory continuum, the frequency of NPS was highest among mild AD patients. Depression, apathy, and aberrant motor behavior deserve more attention. Presence of apathy might be an independent determinant for mild AD.
Comparison of Chemotherapeutic Treatment Outcomes of Advanced Extrapulmonary Neuroendocrine Carcinomas and Advanced Small-Cell Lung Carcinoma
Authors: Terashima T. , Morizane C. , Hiraoka N. , Tsuda H. , Tamura T. , Shimada Y. , Kaneko S. , Kushima R. , Ueno H. , Kondo S. , Ikeda M. , Okusaka T.
Published: April 2012

Background: The chemotherapy for small-cell lung carcinoma (SCLC) has been adopted for advanced extrapulmonary neuroendocrine carcinomas (EP-NECs). The aim of this study was to clarify the efficacy of standard SCLC regimens when used to treat EP-NECs and to compare the outcome with that for SCLC. Methods: We reviewed the medical records of 136 patients (41 with EP-NEC and 95 with SCLC) who were treated using a platinum-containing regimen for advanced disease between January 2000 and October 2008 at our hospital. Results: The primary site of the EP-NEC was the gastrointestinal tract in 18 patients (GI tract group); the liver, biliary tract or pancreas in 16 patients (HBP group), and other sites in 7 patients (‘others’ group). The response rate in the SCLC patients was 77.8%, and the response rate in the EP-NEC patients was 30.8% (37.5% in the GI tract group, 12.5% in the HBP group, and 57.1% in the ‘others’ group). The median survival time for the SCLC patients was 13.6 months, while that for the EP-NEC patients was 9.2 months (14.9 months in the GI tract group, 7.8 months in the HBP group, and 8.9 months in the ‘others’ group). A multivariate analysis demonstrated that a poor performance status, liver involvement, and the treatment regimen were independent unfavorable prognostic factors. Conclusion: The response rate and prognosis of the patients with advanced EP-NECs were worse than those of the patients with SCLC in this study. The Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status, liver involvement, and treatment regimen had a larger impact on the prognosis than the primary tumor site, as demonstrated by multivariate analysis.
Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor–Induced Neovascularization Rescues Cardiac Function But Not Adverse Remodeling at Advanced Ischemic Heart Disease
Authors: Gordon Oren , Gilon Dan , He Zhiheng , May Dalit , Lazarus Alon , Oppenheim Amit , Keshet Eli
Published: April 2012

Objective—

Proangiogenic therapy is a promising avenue for the treatment for chronic heart failure and a potentially powerful modality for reversing adverse cardiac remodeling. There is a concern, however, that adverse remodeling might enter an irreversible stage, and become refractory to treatments. The present study aims to determine whether neovascularization therapy is feasible at end stage heart failure and its capacity to reverse adverse cardiac remodeling during progressive disease stages.

Methods and Results—

Using a conditional transgenic mouse system for generating escalating levels of myocardium-specific vascular deficit and resultant stepwise development of heart remodeling, we show that left ventricular dilatation and fibrosis precede ventricular hypertrophy, but that interstitial fibrosis is progressive and eventually results in heart failure. Vascular endothelial growth factor–mediated neovascularization was efficient even at the end stage of disease, and rescued compromised contractile function. Remarkably, remodeling was also fully reversed by neovascularization during early and late stages. Adverse remodeling could not be rescued, however, at the end stage of the disease, thus defining a point of no return and indentifying a critical level of fibrosis as the key determinant to be considered in intended reversal.

Conclusion—

The study supports the notion of a restricted golden time for remodeling reversal but not for vascular endothelial growth factor–induced neovascularization, which is feasible even during advanced disease stages.
Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress Is Involved in Cardiac Damage and Vascular Endothelial Dysfunction in Hypertensive Mice
Authors: Kassan Modar , Galán Maria , Partyka Megan , Saifudeen Zubaida , Henrion Daniel , Trebak Mohamed , Matrougui Khalid
Published: April 2012

Objective—

Cardiac damage and vascular dysfunction are major causes of morbidity and mortality in hypertension. In the present study, we explored the beneficial therapeutic effect of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress inhibition on cardiac damage and vascular dysfunction in hypertension.

Methods and Results—

Mice were infused with angiotensin II (400 ng/kg per minute) with or without ER stress inhibitors (taurine-conjugated ursodeoxycholic acid and 4-phenylbutyric acid) for 2 weeks. Mice infused with angiotensin II displayed an increase in blood pressure, cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis associated with enhanced collagen I content, transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) activity, and ER stress markers, which were blunted after ER stress inhibition. Hypertension induced ER stress in aorta and mesenteric resistance arteries (MRA), enhanced TGF-β1 activity in aorta but not in MRA, and reduced endothelial NO synthase phosphorylation and endothelium-dependent relaxation (EDR) in aorta and MRA. The inhibition of ER stress significantly reduced TGF-β1 activity, enhanced endothelial NO synthase phosphorylation, and improved EDR. The inhibition of TGF-β1 pathway improved EDR in aorta but not in MRA, whereas the reduction in reactive oxygen species levels ameliorated EDR in MRA only. Infusion of tunicamycin in control mice induced ER stress in aorta and MRA, and reduced EDR by a TGF-β1–dependent mechanism in aorta and reactive oxygen species–dependent mechanism in MRA.

Conclusion—

ER stress inhibition reduces cardiac damage and improves vascular function in hypertension. Therefore, ER stress could be a potential target for cardiovascular diseases.
Tumor Necrosis Factor-α–Mediated Downregulation of the Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator Drives Pathological Sphingosine-1-Phosphate Signaling in a Mouse Model of Heart Failure
Authors: Meissner Anja , Yang Jingli , Kroetsch Jeffrey T. , Sauvé Meghan , Dax Hendrik , Momen Abdul , Noyan-Ashraf M. Hossein , Heximer Scott , Husain Mansoor , Lidington Darcy , Bolz Steffen-Sebastian
Published: April 2012

Background—

Sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) signaling is a central regulator of resistance artery tone. Therefore, S1P levels need to be tightly controlled through the delicate interplay of its generating enzyme sphingosine kinase 1 and its functional antagonist S1P phosphohydrolase-1. The intracellular localization of S1P phosphohydrolase-1 necessitates the import of extracellular S1P into the intracellular compartment before its degradation. The present investigation proposes that the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator transports extracellular S1P and hence modulates microvascular S1P signaling in health and disease.

Methods and Results—

In cultured murine vascular smooth muscle cells in vitro and isolated murine mesenteric and posterior cerebral resistance arteries ex vivo, the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (1) is critical for S1P uptake; (2) modulates S1P-dependent responses; and (3) is downregulated in vitro and in vivo by tumor necrosis factor-α, with significant functional consequences for S1P signaling and vascular tone. In heart failure, tumor necrosis factor-α downregulates the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator across several organs, including the heart, lung, and brain, suggesting that it is a fundamental mechanism with implications for systemic S1P effects.

Conclusions—

We identify the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator as a critical regulatory site for S1P signaling; its tumor necrosis factor-α–dependent downregulation in heart failure underlies an enhancement in microvascular tone. This molecular mechanism potentially represents a novel and highly strategic therapeutic target for cardiovascular conditions involving inflammation.
A General Theory of Climate Denial
Authors: Jacques Peter J.
Published: April 2012

The question at hand is, “Why is there a social counter-movement that rejects climate change?” This article begins by first naming this counter-movement “climate denial” and working through the various apparent options by specifically looking at the scholarship on Holocaust denial for insight. Through this insight, we can understand the counter-movement as a reactionary force working to sow confusion for ideological reasons that promote a specific privilege. At the same time, privilege is also protected by the presentation of climate change science as a binary position of “acknowledgement or rejection” that itself promotes privilege and dysfunction across the intersection of science and society. In the end, at least one answer to the question “why denial?” appears to be “because it is serious and threatening” and this, at least partially, explains the existence of this counter-movement.
Minimalist C/case
Authors: Sigurðsson Halldór Ármann
Published: April 2012

This article discusses A-licensing and case from a minimalist perspective, pursuing the idea that argument NPs cyclically enter a number of A-relations, rather than just a single one, resulting in event licensing, case licensing, and φ-licensing. While argument case commonly reflects Voice-v relations, canonical A-movement is driven by higher elements, either in the C-T system or in a superordinate v-system (in ECM constructions). In addition, there is a distinction to be drawn between the triggering of A-movement, by for example C, and the licensing of the landing site, by for instance T, C-probing leading to tucking-in into Spec,T. Much of the evidence presented comes from quirky case constructions in Icelandic and from ECM and raising constructions in Icelandic and English. It is argued that T in ECM constructions inherits φ-licensing from the matrix vφ, regardless of the case properties of vφ.
Remapping Arab Narrative and Sexual Desire in Salwā al-Naʿīmī’s Burhān al-ʿasal (The Proof of the Honey)
Authors: Al-Samman Hanadi
Published: April 2012

Abstract

The return to the pre-modern tradition of erotic literature in The Proof of the Honey is a deliberate act of unearthing the archives to reclaim the lost corporal memory of the Arabs, and to locate narrative, sexual, and diasporic desires on the Arab world’s cultural map. More than simply an escape from censorship, listening to the archives reflects a rejection of Western theoretical and literary frameworks. In the process of such an endeavor, the author makes a concerted effort to go beyond the fragmentation, the contestation, and the binaries of postcolonial and feminist articulations, and to shun the West’s prescribed role for the native informant. As the Arabic language and libido are resurrected, so is the belief in a more autonomous and secure Arab self.
False But Significant: The Development of Falsity in Religious Cognition in Light of the Holism of the Mental
Authors: Levy Gabriel
Published: April 2012

Abstract

I elaborate the idea first proposed by Hans Penner that religious language is patently false in a rereading of Donald Davidson’s essay, “What Metaphors Mean.” I explore a Davidsonian paradigm concerning the semantics of superhuman agents. Religious language is meaningful because it is patently false or trivially true. Patency entails a breakdown at the surface that runs counter to the normative meaning of words. Since no special form of cognition or semantics is necessary to account for religious language, following Nancy Frankenberry’s argument about how metaphor and religious language are used, I explore the possibility that false reasoning is a kind of costly signal. Finally I suggest that literacy alters this matrix because it focuses attention on the literal instantiation of sentences in the form of inscriptions, thus exaggerating the role of false reasoning in relation to religion.
Review of Frederick Gaiser’s book, Healing in the Bible
Authors: Clarke Clifton
Published: April 2012

Frederick Gaiser’s book Healing in the Bible is very instructive when read from an ‘ordinary reader’ perspective. The reviewer especially commends Gaiser on his ‘hermeneutic of appreciation’ and his maintaining of biblical scholarship without succumbing to western enlightenment presuppositions and thereby undermining the biblical worldview. The reviewer also welcomes the post-modern structure of the book which relies on healing narratives and case studies. However, the need for a more in-depth discussion of the author’s theological methods and the lack of a unifying thesis are possible weaknesses. The reviewer explores the various themes in the book through an African indigenous and Pentecostal lens. The reviewer specifically addresses beliefs regarding healing, sickness, exorcism and the demonic, healing and curing, and healing and symbolism. Ultimately, this book is highly recommended not only for seminaries, Bible colleges, and churches in the Global North, but especially those in the Global South.
Si los exogrupos son solidarios, entonces son humanos. El efecto de un contexto prosocial en la infrahumanización
Authors: Delgado Naira , Betancor Verónica , Rodríguez-Pérez Armando , Ariño Eva
Published: April 2012

Los estudios sobre infrahumanización muestran que hay una sólida tendencia a privar a los exogrupos de la capacidad de experimentar emociones secundarias en comparación con las emociones primarias. Estos resultados han sido apoyados en diferentes investigaciones, sin embargo, aún desconocemos si existen condiciones en las que se atenúe esta tendencia. El objetivo de este estudio es doble. Por un lado, determinar si la contextualización del exogrupo en un escenario de solidaridad hacia otro grupo da lugar a una representación más humana del mismo y, por otro, verificar si se atenúa la infrahumanización. Para ello se construyeron tres relatos. En el primero se hacía una descripción de las costumbres de un exogrupo, los alemanes, destacando su laboriosidad y simpatía. En el segundo se les describía acogiendo a refugiados de la guerra de los Balcanes. Finalmente, se presentaba un texto referido a la solidaridad en general sin alusión específica a los alemanes. En un experimento diseñado en dos fases, los participantes debían primero atribuir sentimientos y emociones al exogrupo y, a continuación, responder a una tarea de decisión léxica que registraba la fuerza de asociación de los sentimientos con el endogrupo y el exogrupo. Los resultados muestran que los escenarios de solidaridad intergrupal contribuyen a humanizar la representación del exogrupo y a reducir la tendencia a infrahumanizarlo.
Un perfil psicosocial de adolescentes agresores y víctimas en la escuela: análisis de las diferencias de género
Authors: Povedano Amapola , Estévez Estefanía , Martínez Belén , Monreal María-Carmen
Published: April 2012

El presente estudio tiene como objetivo analizar un perfil psicosocial de adolescentes agresores, víctimas, agresores/víctimas y estudiantes no implicados, considerando las diferencias de género. El perfil psicosocial del adolescente se define en el presente estudio de acuerdo con los siguientes indicadores de ajuste: autoestima general, satisfacción con la vida, sintomatología depresiva, reputación ideal no conformista e implicación en la comunidad. Los participantes del estudio fueron 1884 estudiantes españoles (52% chicos y 48% chicas) con un rango de edad comprendido entre los 11 y los 17 años (M = 13.7, DT = 1.4). Los resultados del análisis de varianza señalan que los adolescentes implicados como agresores/víctimas muestran el perfil psicosocial menos adaptativo y los alumnos no implicados el perfil más saludable de los cuatro grupos analizados. Además, se encontraron diferencias significativas entre chicos y chicas dentro del perfil psicosocial de agresor, víctima y no implicado. Sin embargo, los adolescentes clasificados como agresores/víctimas no muestran diferencias significativas entre los géneros en ninguna de las variables analizadas. Se discuten las implicaciones prácticas de estos resultados.
Anthropocentrism and ecocentrism in potential technology-based entrepreneurs
Authors: López Jorge , García Juan , Cano Carlos-Jesús , Casado María-del-Pilar
Published: April 2012

This study aims to characterize the profile of potential technology-based entrepreneurs (PTBE) in terms of their environmental values, given that one would expect to observe differences in their pattern of ecological values in comparison with people who do not aspire to set up a technology-based enterprise. On a sample of 191 students from the University of Almería (34.5%o men, 65.5%o women, age range: 18–50, M = 23, SD = 6) an electronic questionnaire was carried out, containing a scale of ecocentric environmental values, anthropocentric environmental values, sociodemographic items and items aimed at classifying the participants as PTBE. The results show that there are no statistically significant differences with regard to ecocentrism, but that there are in relation to anthropocentrism in accordance with the entrepreneurial profile. These results indicate that PTBE tend to be more anthropocentric individuals than the non-entrepreneurial population and general purpose entrepreneurs.
Special Issue: Urban environments and Sustainability
Authors: Hidalgo M. Carmen
Published: April 2012

A selection of papers presented at the XI Congress of Environmental Psychology (Almería, February 2011) is published in this special issue. The Congress focused on two issues: Urban Environments and Sustainability. But rather than claiming a division between them, most of the research, including the papers presented here, views these two areas as overlapping and complementing one another. Moreover, the articles selected for this issue, although they may differ in terms of topics and methodologies, all contribute to and provide solutions from the field of Environmental Psychology in order to improve human welfare by analyzing the relationship of people with their surrounding environment (natural/urban), which is one of the primary objectives of the discipline (Gifford, 2002).
Environmental care and place attachment: Perspectives for sustainability in schools
Authors: Longhinotti-Felippe Maíra , Kuhnen Ariane
Published: April 2012

The growing interest in research about place attachment, or emotional bonds formed with places, derives from the acknowledgement of the role that these bonds can play in defining personal identity and establishing a sense of belonging to places that encourages pro-environmental behaviors. Situated in this subject field, this work studied the relation between place attachment and environmental care traces. Using instruments of direct observation and environmental assessment, the study observed the conservation status of a school environment in Florianópolis (Brazil). Additionally, the study related conservation status to the attachment to specific sectors of the school by self-administered questionnaire in a collective situation filled out by 508 students. The results showed positive and statistically significant correlations between place attachment and environmental conservation status, as well as statistically significant differences among different types of environments regarding each of these variables.
Enthalpy Transfer across the Air–Water Interface in High Winds Including Spray
Authors: Jeong Dahai , Haus Brian K. , Donelan Mark A.
Published: April 2012

Controlled experiments were conducted in the Air–Sea Interaction Saltwater Tank (ASIST) at the University of Miami to investigate air–sea moist enthalpy transfer rates under various wind speeds (range of 0.6–39 m s−1 scaled to equivalent 10-m neutral winds) and water–air temperature differences (range of 1.3°–9.2°C). An indirect calorimetric (heat content budget) measurement technique yielded accurate determinations of moist enthalpy flux over the full range of wind speeds. These winds included conditions with significant spray generation, the concentrations of which were of the same order as field observations. The moist enthalpy exchange coefficient so measured included a contribution from cooled reentrant spray and therefore serves as an upper limit for the interfacial transfer of enthalpy. An unknown quantity of spray was also observed to exit the tank without evaporating. By invoking an air volume enthalpy budget it was determined that the potential contribution of this exiting spray over an unbounded water volume was up to 28%. These two limits bound the total enthalpy transfer coefficient including spray-mediated transfers.
Evaluation of Hydrometeor Phase and Ice Properties in Cloud-Resolving Model Simulations of Tropical Deep Convection Using Radiance and Polarization Measurements
Authors: van Diedenhoven Bastiaan , Fridlind Ann M. , Ackerman Andrew S. , Cairns Brian
Published: April 2012

Satellite measurements are used to evaluate the glaciation, particle shape, and effective radius in cloud-resolving model simulations of tropical deep convection. Multidirectional polarized reflectances constrain the ice crystal geometry and the thermodynamic phase of the cloud tops, which in turn are used to calculate near-infrared reflectances so as to constrain the simulated ice effective radius, thereby avoiding inconsistencies between retrieval algorithms and model simulations. Liquid index values derived from Polarization and Directionality of the Earth’s Reflectances (POLDER) measurements indicate only ice-topped clouds at brightness temperatures (BTs) lower than −40°C, only liquid clouds at BT > −20°C, and both phases occurring at temperatures in between. Liquid index values calculated from model simulations generally reveal too many ice-topped clouds at BT > −20°C. The model assumption of platelike ice crystals with an aspect ratio of 0.7 is found consistent with POLDER measurements for BT < −40°C when very rough ice crystals are assumed, leading to an asymmetry parameter of 0.74, whereas measurements indicate more extreme aspect ratios of ~0.15 at higher temperatures, yielding an asymmetry parameter of 0.84. MODIS-retrieved ice effective radii are found to be 18–28 μm at BT < −40°C, but biased low by about 5 μm owing primarily to the assumption of pristine crystals in the retrieval. Simulated 2.13-μm reflectances at BT < −40°C are found to be about 0.05–0.1 too large compared to measurements, suggesting that model-simulated effective radii are 7–15 μm too small. Two simulations with contrasting ice nucleation schemes showed little difference in simulated effective radii at BT < −40°C, indicating that homogeneous nucleation is dominating in the simulations. Changes around −40°C in satellite observations suggest a change in cloud-top ice shape and/or size in natural deep convection possibly related to a change in the freezing mechanism.
The 1960s Drought and the Subsequent Shift to a Wetter Climate in the Catskill Mountains Region of the New York City Watershed*
Authors: Seager Richard , Pederson Neil , Kushnir Yochanan , Nakamura Jennifer , Jurburg Stephanie
Published: April 2012

The precipitation history over the last century in the Catskill Mountains region that supplies water to New York City is studied. A severe drought occurred in the early to mid-1960s followed by a wet period that continues. Interannual variability of precipitation in the region is related to patterns of atmospheric circulation variability in the midlatitude east Pacific–North America–west Atlantic sector with no link to the tropics. Associated SST variations in the Atlantic are consistent with being forced by the anomalous atmospheric flow rather than being causal. In winter and spring the 1960s drought was associated with a low pressure anomaly over the midlatitude North Atlantic Ocean and northerly subsiding flow over the greater Catskills region that would likely suppress precipitation. The cold SSTs offshore during the drought are consistent with atmospheric forcing of the ocean. The subsequent wet period was associated with high pressure anomalies over the Atlantic Ocean and ascending southerly flow over eastern North America favoring increased precipitation and a strengthening of the Northern Hemisphere storm track. Neither the drought nor the subsequent pluvial are simulated in sea surface temperature–forced atmosphere GCMs. The long-term wetting is also not simulated as a response to changes in radiative forcing by coupled models. It is concluded that past precipitation variability in the region, including the drought and pluvial, were most likely caused by internal atmospheric variability. Such events are unpredictable and a drought like the 1960s one could return while the long-term wetting trend need not continue—conclusions that have implications for management of New York City’s water resources.
Application of Artificial Neural Networks on North Atlantic Tropical Cyclogenesis Potential Index in Climate Change
Authors: Yip Zheng Ki , Yau M. K.
Published: April 2012

A methodology using artificial neural networks is presented to project twenty-first-century changes in North Atlantic tropical cyclone (TC) genesis potential (GP) in a five-model ensemble of global climate models. Two types of neural networks—the self-organizing maps (SOMs) and the forward-feeding back-propagating neural networks (FBNNs)—were employed. This methodology is demonstrated to be a robust alternative to using GCM output directly for tropical cyclone projections, which generally require high-resolution simulations. By attributing the projected changes to the related environmental variables, Emanuel’s revised genesis potential index is used to measure the GP. Changes are identified in the first (P1) and second (P2) half of the twenty-first century. The early and late summer GP decreases in both the P1 and P2 periods over most of the eastern half of the basin and increases off the East Coast of the United States and the north coast of Venezuela during P1. The peak summer GP over the region of frequent TC genesis is projected to decrease more substantially in P1 than in P2. Vertical wind shear (850–200 hPa), temperature (600 hPa), and potential intensity are the most important controls of TC genesis in the North Atlantic basin (NAB) under the changing climate.
Labeling and Cumulative Disadvantage
Authors: Lopes Giza , Krohn Marvin D. , Lizotte Alan J. , Schmidt Nicole M. , Vásquez Bob Edward , Bernburg Jón Gunnar
Published: April 2012

Research in labeling theory has been revived recently, particularly in relation to the effect of labeling on critical noncriminal outcomes that potentially exacerbate involvement in crime. This study partakes in that revitalization by examining direct and indirect effects of police intervention in the lives of adolescents who were followed into their 30s. The authors find that early police intervention is indirectly related to drug use at the ages of 29 to 31, as well as unemployment and welfare receipt. Given that such effects were found some 15 years after the labeling event, on criminal and noncriminal outcomes, and after controlling for intraindividual factors, the authors conclude that the labeling perspective is still relevant within a developmental framework.
A successful percutaneous closure of ventricular septal defect following septal myectomy in patients with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy
Authors: Kilicgedik A , Karabay CY , Aung SM , Guler A , Kalayci A , Tasar O , Kirma C
Published: April 2012

Postoperative ventricular septal defect (post-op VSD) after septal myectomy in patients with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy is a rare and unexpected complication. We report a case of successful percutaneous closure of VSD following septal myectomy and mitral valve replacement in a patient with intrinsic mitral valve disease and severe mitral valve regurgitation together with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy.
Economic, environmental and socio-cultural sustainability of three constructed wetlands in Thailand
Authors: Møller Kasper Anias , Fryd Ole , De Neergaard Andreas , Magid Jakob
Published: April 2012

Constructed wetlands (cws) for wastewater treatment may be part of the answer to the urgent need for a change in the approach to wastewater treatment in developing countries. Although thailand has several cws, there have been no studies of their sustainability. To remedy this, the sustainability of three promising cws in very different settings was assessed. These were located at koh phi phi, a world-renowned international tourist and holiday resort; sakon nakhon, a northeastern provincial capital; and ban pru teaw, a small post-tsunami village on the andaman coast. Key stakeholder interviews, questionnaires and household interview surveys, together with existing data and on-site measurements of the key pollutant content of wastewater were used to evaluate the systems. Results show that major management and treatment problems have emerged in the projects at koh phi phi and ban pru teaw due to the lack of post-construction personnel development and maintenance; but on the other hand, sakon nakhon is the first cw in thailand to obtain iso 9001 certification. The results reveal the importance of the socio-cultural dimension of sustainability; public perception, awareness and knowledge, local expertise and clear roles for institutions could explain the differences in sustainability of the cws. The environmental benefits and the low operation and maintenance costs are also important for sustainability, by justifying the system and avoiding user payments.
The interplay of state, market and society in the socio-spatial transformation of “villages in the city” in Guangzhou
Authors: Lin Yanliu , De Meulder Bruno , Wang Shifu
Published: April 2012

This paper examines the changes in the ways in which villagers have gained access to resources and services over time in what are now “villages in the city” within the city of Guangzhou. It compares and contrasts three periods: the clan-based traditional villages, the commune period and the period since the 1980s (which includes great economic success in many villages). It also discusses how migrants fit within this, as they have come to form a very large part of the population in these “villages in the city” but are largely excluded from state provision and from the benefits accruing to “villagership”.
Participatory enumerations, in situ upgrading and mega events: the 2009 survey in Joe Slovo, Cape Town
Authors: Baptist Carrie , Bolnick Joel
Published: April 2012

This paper describes the survey and enumeration held in Joe Slovo, an informal settlement of about 8,000 inhabitants located along one of the major highways in Cape Town. The residents of Joe Slovo had faced years of uncertainty as the national government was planning to redevelop their settlement as part of its preparations for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. They had also suffered a series of devastating fires and floods. The inhabitants were suspicious of any survey, fearing that this was part of the plan to evict them. This paper describes how these fears were overcome and how an enumeration was planned and implemented – using enumeration teams that included residents and that were tasked with talking to a member of each household in the settlement as well as numbering each shack. The enumeration served to highlight the likely negative impacts of the proposed resettlement, as many residents faced difficulties affording transportation and relied on being able to work nearby. The enumeration also opened up the possibility of in situ redevelopment as the population of Joe Slovo was found to be much smaller than expected. The enumeration process and data were then used to facilitate cluster upgrading and improved sanitation within the settlement.
Urban expansion and the environmental effects of informal settlements on the outskirts of Xalapa city, Veracruz, Mexico
Authors: Benítez Griselda , Pérez-Vázquez Arturo , Nava-Tablada Martha , Equihua Miguel , Álvarez-Palacios José Luis
Published: April 2012

This paper analyzes the dynamics of population growth and urban expansion in the city of Xalapa, Mexico. It focuses on the establishment of informal settlements, which are one of the many threats to forest and farmland conservation (although these settlements are not the only source of the problem). Spatial analysis of growth data (using Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and statistical modelling) showed that by 2007, 90 per cent of the land area in the municipality of Xalapa had already been altered by human activity. Furthermore, informal settlements occupied around 54 per cent of the urban area. The cover of cloud forest, the region’s original ecosystem that is of immense ecological importance and biological wealth, was calculated at only 7.6 per cent (9.3 square kilometres) and this is being threatened by the continued expansion of informal settlements. It appears that, at the time when these informal settlements are being established, a certain environmental logic operates, which in turn makes possible the social logic that sets off the occupation of spaces that are, in principle, not suitable for urbanization. The inadequate income of much of the population and their need for housing, as well as the absence of genuine long-term urban planning and, most importantly, the lack of legally available contiguous land for building, are encouraging the occupation of land not suitable for urban development, including sites at high risk of landslides and flooding. This is also causing natural resource and farmland degradation as well as the deterioration of living conditions within the urban boundary, problems that threaten the city’s sustainability.
Whose Science Do You Believe? Explaining Trust in Sources of Scientific Information About the Environment
Authors: Brewer Paul R. , Ley Barbara L.
Published: April 2012

Given that trust plays a key role in the communication of scientific information about the environment to the public, this study examines what explains trust in specific sources of such information. In doing so, it analyzes whether—and, if so, how—political ideology, support for environmental regulation, religiosity, trust in people, and trust in government predict trust in scientists, the Environmental Protection Agency, environmental organizations, news media, and science media. It also examines whether trust in scientists is associated with trust in the other sources in light of how each of the latter draws on the credibility of the former.
Protective Effects of Rosuvastatin in Experimental Renal Failure Rats via Improved Endothelial Function
Authors: Liu Yong-zhen , Liu Min , Zhang Yi-ming , Kang Li , Chen Ping-zhi , Wang Ze-feng , Feng Yuan , Zheng Jun-hua
Published: April 2012

Rosuvastatin is a statin (3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme-A [HMG-CoA] reductase inhibitor) that also serves as an endothelial dysfunction salvager in many disease models. Endothelial dysfunction is assumed to play a pivotal role in the process of chronic renal failure. The authors tested rosuvastatin on a rat model of renal failure with hypertension. Renal failure was induced by 5/6 nephrectomy (Nx). Fisher rats were divided into four groups: sham ( n = 10), sham + rosuvastatin ( n = 10), Nx ( n = 9), and Nx + rosuvastatin ( n =10). After 4 weeks, the authors determined renal function, lipid profile, and urine albumin excretion, investigated small renal arteries for endothelium function in response to acetylcholine by perfused juxtamedullary nephron technique, and detected intrarenal inflammatory cytokine expression by real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. 5/6 Nx significantly increased blood urea nitrogen, serum creatinine, and systolic/diastolic blood pressure, and severe albuminuria developed. The deterioration of renal function, hypertension, and albuminuria were almost normalized by rosuvastatin therapy; in addition, rosuvastatin prevented intrarenal inflammatory cytokine expression and the impaired response to acetylcholine of the renal endothelium. Microscopically, rosuvastatin significantly inhibited the development of progressing renal fibrosis, preserved glomerular structure and tubular integrity, and significantly reduced the degree of tubular atrophy and interstitial fibrosis. In conclusion, HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor rosuvastatin can ameliorate markers of endothelium dysfunction and offers a significant protective effect against the development of renal failure caused by 5/6 Nx in rats. Rosuvastatin might, therefore, represent a novel therapeutic agent for chronic kidney disease.
The effect of using mitigation devices on request compliance in Persian and American English
Authors: Abdolrezapour Parisa , Eslami-Rasekh Abbass
Published: April 2012

Strategies used in requestive speech act and their effects on compliance have been the focus of a number of studies. Previous research, however, has dealt mainly with perceptive data elicited from one of the interlocutors involved in the use of mitigation. A sociolinguistic study could explore the perception of both the requestor and the requestee with respect to using such strategies. This article aims to study the possible correlation between request compliance and the use of mitigation devices. The question is what observable effects using mitigators have both on the requestor’s judgment of compliance and on prohibiting the requestee from rejecting the request. Four role-play interactions followed by stimulated recall procedures were used to collect the required data. The results obtained from the analysis of data revealed that, in similar situations, American requestors are comparably more certain than Iranians that the addressee would comply with their requests using fewer mitigation devices; while, as far as the requestees are concerned, Americans are more influenced by the use of mitigation devices on the part of requestors than Iranians.
Blockade of XBP1 splicing by inhibition of IRE1α is a promising therapeutic option in multiple myeloma
Authors: Mimura Naoya , Fulciniti Mariateresa , Gorgun Gullu , Tai Yu-Tzu , Cirstea Diana , Santo Loredana , Hu Yiguo , Fabre Claire , Minami Jiro , Ohguchi Hiroto , Kiziltepe Tanyel , Ikeda Hiroshi , Kawano Yutaka , French Maureen , Blumenthal Martina , Tam Victor , Kertesz Nathalie L. , Malyankar Uriel M. , Hokenson Mark , Pham Tuan , Zeng Qingping , Patterson John B. , Richardson Paul G. , Munshi Nikhil C. , Anderson Kenneth C.
Published: April 2012

Multiple myeloma (MM) cells are characterized by high protein synthesis resulting in chronic endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, which is adaptively managed by the unfolded protein response. Inositol-requiring enzyme 1α (IRE1α) is activated to splice X-box binding protein 1 (XBP1) mRNA, thereby increasing XBP1s protein, which in turn regulates genes responsible for protein folding and degradation during the unfolded protein response. In this study, we examined whether IRE1α-XBP1 pathway is a potential therapeutic target in MM using a small-molecule IRE1α endoribonuclease domain inhibitor MKC-3946. MKC-3946 triggered modest growth inhibition in MM cell lines, without toxicity in normal mononuclear cells. Importantly, it significantly enhanced cytotoxicity induced by bortezomib or 17-AAG, even in the presence of bone marrow stromal cells or exogenous IL-6. Both bortezomib and 17-AAG induced ER stress, evidenced by induction of XBP1s, which was blocked by MKC-3946. Apoptosis induced by these agents was enhanced by MKC-3946, associated with increased CHOP. Finally, MKC-3946 inhibited XBP1 splicing in a model of ER stress in vivo, associated with significant growth inhibition of MM cells. Taken together, our results demonstrate that blockade of XBP1 splicing by inhibition of IRE1α endoribonuclease domain is a potential therapeutic option in MM.