bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Bullying
Authors: Taylor Donald M.
Published: September 2011

This article examines intervention strategies music teachers can implement to combat bullying. Students enrolled in music ensembles may experience outsider status within the school community at large, thus contributing to heightened vulnerability and victimization. Likewise, individuals who defy gender role expectations through instrument choice may be at an even greater risk. Suggestions for diminishing instrument gender associations are provided along with collaboration strategies to combat bullying in the overall community.
Fostering a Lifelong Love of Music
Authors: Green Susan K. , Hale Connie L.
Published: September 2011

Music educators can nurture students’ lifelong musical involvement, both as consumers and as participants. Orienting musical instructional practices around classroom elements suggested by achievement goal theory can foster lifelong musical connections. Practices related to using meaningful and challenging tasks, evaluations that decrease emphasis on competition and emphasize effort and enjoyment, and allowing students to participate in decision making are advocated and described.
Neighborhood-preserving cross correlation for automated visual inspection of fine-structured textile fabrics
Authors: Tolba A. S.
Published: September 2011

The automated visual inspection of homogeneous flat surface products is a challenging task that needs fast and accurate algorithms for defect detection and classification in real time. Multi-directional and Multi-scale approaches, such as Gabor Filter Banks and Wavelets, have high computational cost in addition to their average performance in defect characterization. This paper presents a novel implementation of a neighborhood-preserving approach for the fast and accurate inspection of fine-structured industrial products using a new neighborhood-preserving cross-correlation feature vector. The fast and noise immune Probabilistic Neural Network (PNN) classifier has been found to be very suitable for defect detection in homogeneous non-patterned surfaces with acceptable slight variations, such as textile fabrics. A defect detection accuracy of 99.87% has been achieved with 99.29% recall/sensitivity and 99.91% specificity. The discriminant power shows how well the PNN classifier discriminates between normal and abnormal surfaces. The experimental results show that the proposed system outperforms the Gabor function-based techniques.
Utilizing polypropylene fibers to improve physical and mechanical properties of concrete
Authors: Bagherzadeh Roohollah , Sadeghi Abdol-Hossein , Latifi Masoud
Published: September 2011

The influence of polypropylene fibers has been studied in different proportioning and fiber aspect ratios to improve physical and mechanical properties of fiber-reinforced concretes. Fibers are used in two different lengths (12 mm and 19 mm) and proportions (0.1% and 0.3%) in concrete mixture design. Hardened concrete properties, such as 7- and 28-day compressive strength, splitting tensile strength, flexural strength, water and air absorption, and restrained shrinkage cracking were evaluated.

No statistically significant effects were observed for polypropylene fibers on the compressive strength of concrete, while toughness indexes, splitting tensile and flexural strength and durability parameters showed an increase in the presence of polypropylene fibers. Increased fiber availability (fiber aspect ratio) in the concrete matrix, in addition to the ability of longer polypropylene fibers to bridge on the micro cracks, are suggested as the reasons for the enhancement in mechanical properties. Finally, crack width in fiber-reinforced concrete is calculated analytically with fiber property variables (fiber type, length, diameter and proportion). Results are compared with experimental values and concluded that with an increase in fiber length and/or decrease in fiber diameter crack width, decrease significantly.
An examination of the relationship of sample size and mean length of utterance for children with developmental language impairment
Authors: Casby Michael W
Published: September 2011

Mean length of utterance (MLU) is a frequently used measure of the expressive language of young children. The suggested conventional, contemporary, clinical practice is to calculate it from a language sample of a minimum of 50 to100 contiguous intelligible utterances. This practice places considerable strain on professionals working with young children with language disorders, for it is often impractical to devote the time needed to collect, transcribe, and analyse the recommended number of utterances. This research investigated the consistency of MLU calculated across language samples of different sizes for the same children. Transcripts of expressive language samples of research participants with developmental language impairment were analysed, with MLU being calculated on samples of varying sizes. The language samples ranged from 10 to 150 utterances. Measures of statistical differences and consistency of MLU across the various language samples were examined. Results demonstrate that, on the whole, one can reliably and efficiently determine MLU on much smaller language samples than that typically recommended, although, not surprisingly, there may be notable individual differences attesting to the vicissitudes of MLU.
Collaborative implementation: Working together when using graphic symbols
Authors: Greenstock Louise , Wright Jannet
Published: September 2011

Teachers, speech and language therapists, teaching assistants and nursery nurses are required to work together in a range of contexts in Foundation Stage (FS) school settings in the UK. In some cases these groups of practitioners are mutually involved in the implementation of a strategy or intervention and in the use of a particular tool or resource with children in these settings. The use of graphic symbols with children in the FS of education is increasingly common in mainstream and special school settings and is an activity that may involve any combination of practitioners in these professional groups. Graphic symbols are used with a wide range of children for a diverse range of purposes. A study was conducted in which the experiences of teachers, speech and language therapists, teaching assistants and nursery nurses using graphic symbols in FS school settings were explored. Practitioners in each of these groups working in the East Midlands region of the UK were interviewed about their experiences of using graphic symbols. The findings of this study encompassed a thematic framework and theoretical model depicting the patterns and themes emerging in the practitioners’ accounts. The proposed theoretical model suggests that practitioners are influenced by their unique professional reasoning processes, as well as the ways they perceive their own professional role and the roles of others. This article introduces the proposed theoretical model reflecting the factors influencing the collaborative implementation of graphic symbols in these FS school settings. Implications for collaborative practice in schools are considered.
Low Range of Ankle Dorsiflexion Predisposes for Patellar Tendinopathy in Junior Elite Basketball Players
Authors: Backman Ludvig J. , Danielson Patrik
Published: September 2011

Background: Patellar tendinopathy (PT) is one of the most common reasons for sport-induced pain of the knee. Low ankle dorsiflexion range might predispose for PT because of load-bearing compensation in the patellar tendon.

Purpose: The purpose of this 1-year prospective study was to analyze if a low ankle dorsiflexion range increases the risk of developing PT for basketball players.

Study Design: Cohort study (prognosis); Level of evidence, 2.

Methods: Ninety junior elite basketball players were examined for different characteristics and potential risk factors for PT, including ankle dorsiflexion range in the dominant and nondominant leg. Data were collected over a 1-year period and follow-up, including reexamination, was made at the end of the year.

Results: Seventy-five players met the inclusion criteria. At the follow-up, 12 players (16.0%) had developed unilateral PT. These players were found to have had a significantly lower mean ankle dorsiflexion range at baseline than the healthy players, with a mean difference of −4.7° ( P = .038) for the dominant limb and −5.1° ( P = .024) for the nondominant limb. Complementary statistical analysis showed that players with dorsiflexion range less than 36.5° had a risk of 18.5% to 29.4% of developing PT within a year, as compared with 1.8% to 2.1% for players with dorsiflexion range greater than 36.5°. Limbs with a history of 2 or more ankle sprains had a slightly less mean ankle dorsiflexion range compared to those with 0 or 1 sprain (mean difference, −1.5° to −2.5°), although this was only statistically significant for nondominant legs.

Conclusion: This study clearly shows that low ankle dorsiflexion range is a risk factor for developing PT in basketball players. In the studied material, an ankle dorsiflexion range of 36.5° was found to be the most appropriate cutoff point for prognostic screening. This might be useful information in identifying at-risk individuals in basketball teams and enabling preventive actions. A history of ankle sprains might contribute to reduced ankle dorsiflexion range.
FRP-confined circular columns subjected to eccentric loading
Authors: Csuka Bernát , Kollár László P.
Published: September 2011

In this article, a new model for eccentrically loaded FRP-confined circular concrete columns is presented. The cross-section is built up by 2D finite elements (where the variation of the stresses and strains is 3D), and the concrete modeled by a confinement-sensitive (non-associated) material law. The numerical solution of this model showed agreement with the experimental results available in the literature. It is shown that the maximum axial stresses in the cross-section – despite of the big differences in the radial- and hoop confinement stresses – are about the same for concentric and eccentric loadings. It is also shown that the recommended stress–strain curves available in the literature may lead to non-conservative results for eccentric loading, and – based on our numerical calculations – new stress–strain curves are recommended.
Modified joint connectivity approach for identification of topological characteristics of planar kinematic chains
Authors: Bedi G S , Sanyal S
Published: September 2011

In a kinematic chain, the links are connected to each other through joints. The connectivity of a joint indicates the number of joints to which it is connected. The connectivity level of a joint indicates the distance by which it is separated from the adjacent joints. The concept of joint connectivity and its application to detect isomorphism among kinematic chains and their inversions has been already reported by authors. The method utilizes the connectivity of joints at different levels to detect isomorphism and inversions among planar kinematic chains. The method is applied to eight-, nine-, and ten-link planar kinematic chains. The results so obtained are in agreement with those available in the literature. In this study, the method is further improved by incorporating the type of joint to make it more effective for the detection of isomorphism and distinct inversions. A joint connectivity table completely representing the kinematic chain is proposed. The application of the method is extended for the determination of additional topological characteristics of chains such as categorization of kinematic chains and selection of preferred frame, input and output links for function and path generation. The concept of ‘Motion Transfer Ability’ is introduced and utilized to develop numerical measures for comparing and categorizing the chains at the synthesis stage of mechanism design for a specific application. The method was successfully tested on planar kinematic chains with single and multiple degrees of freedom and the results for eight- and nine-link kinematic chains are appended.
Interceptor hydrodynamic analysis for handling trim control problems in the high-speed crafts
Authors: Ghassemi H , Mansouri M , Zaferanlouei S
Published: September 2011

In this study, the effects of hydrodynamic interceptors on fast crafts are investigated to find their optimum geometrical characteristics based on numerical methods. Interceptors are vertical blades installed symmetrically at the aft of the craft. They are designed either fixed or variable. In variable mode, interceptors’ heights are adjusted by various mechanisms. They also cause changes in pressure disruption around the craft and especially at the end of the hull. The pressure variations have an effect on draft height and lifting forces which directly results in a better control of trim. Using the computational fluid dynamics, the pressure distribution around the hull and its effects on trim are computed and then discussed. The Reynolds Average Navier–Stokes equations are also applied to model the flow around the fixed flat and wedge craft with an interceptor at different heights. The model is analysed based on finite volume method and SIMPLE algorithm using dynamic mesh. The results show that the interceptor causes an intense pressure rate in its contact point. It also decreases the wet surface of the craft and drag forces coefficient. At last, they lead to a better control of trim. The height of interceptor has an important effect on its efficiency and it should be selected according to the speed of the craft.
Forward kinematics analysis of offset 6-RR

C

RR parallel manipulators
Authors: Dalvand M M , Shirinzadeh B
Published: September 2011

A methodology for the numerical solution of the forward kinematics problem of 6-RRCRR parallel manipulators with orthogonal non-intersecting RR-joint configuration is presented in this article. The inverse and forward kinematics solutions of such robots compared with that of parallel robots with orthogonal intersecting RR-joint or universal joint configurations are much more complicated due to the existence of dependent joint variables. The constraints of RR-joints are analysed and the numerical algorithm for the forward kinematics solution is assessed. Numerical results for the solution of the forward kinematics of 6-RRCRR parallel robot under study are provided to confirm the accuracy and efficiency of the procedure.
Modification for scroll wrap height of a scroll compressor
Authors: Jianguo Q
Published: September 2011

In order to obtain better axial hermetic seal of scroll compression chambers and hence a better performance for a scroll compressor, two modification methods for scroll wrap height are proposed based on the axial deformation of the scroll wrap. First, the design modification, which allows the scroll wrap height and its dimensional tolerances to be designed based on the axial deformation of scroll wrap in the basic shaft system, is suitable for mass production of scroll compressors. Second, the special modification, which allows the scroll wrap height to be modified based on the axial deformation of scroll wrap after its manufacturing, can be used for single-piece production of scroll compressor or for the scroll compressors available. A special modification was conducted for a scroll compressor, in which the orbiting scroll wrap was modified based on the simulation results of its axial deformation. According to the tests conducted later, the performance of the scroll compressor with modified scroll wrap can significantly be improved without deteriorating its original manufacturing precision.
Flow characteristics above a forest using light detection and ranging measurement data
Authors: Shannak B , Träumner K , Wieser A , Corsmeier U , Kottmeier Ch
Published: September 2011

New wind velocity measurement method using a light detection and ranging instrument was conducted. Based on the presented experimental data, the airflow characteristics above a forest were investigated: wind velocity distribution, friction (shear) wind velocity, roughness length, stream lines, drag force, and depth of the boundary layer. The results demonstrated that windward the forest, the boundary layer is shifted and sloped above the forest. Thereby, the fluid streamlines cannot abruptly change direction, as a consequence flat wind velocity profiles, wavy inflected wind velocity profiles, eddies, and flow recirculation were developed; hence, flow separation at a forest ratio x/ h of 2, flow contraction at x/ h of 12, and flow expansion at x/ h of 22 appeared. The shear wind velocity was about 1/10 of the mean wind velocity and the roughness length 1/15 of the forest height. Within a boundary layer depth of about 130 m, the drag force of the forest was 1300 times greater than that of the grass. Behind the forest, the air flow expands and eddies were developed at x/ h of about 7. Passing through the agriculture area and the forest, the physical parameters (turbulent kinetic energy, friction wind velocity, drag force, and depth of the boundary layer) are increasing at the point of roughness increase. To decrease such parameters and to avoid energy and friction losses and damage to trees due to divergence, convergence, separation, and recirculation of airflow, the sharp edge of the forest should be rounded in the range x/ h up to 2. A curved cutting of the front area of the forest may allow to decrease the slope of the boundary layer and the streamlines before, above, and behind the forest and hence lead to a quasi-steady and stable flow with less turbulence, momentum, heat, and mass transfer between the canopy and the atmosphere.
Piezoelectric energy harvesting for autonomous sensors network on safety-improved railway vehicles
Authors: De Pasquale G , Somà A , Fraccarollo F
Published: September 2011

Mechanical vibrations of railway vehicles were converted to electric power by means of a piezoelectric energy harvester, a rectification circuit, and a storage battery. The power harvested is used to supply one node of a sensor network for the structural monitoring and safety improvement on railway vehicles. The dynamic dimensioning of the piezoelectric generator is presented, for the mechanical and electric viewpoints; the resonance tuning is described and the experimental validation of the performances of the node is provided. The tests were conducted on a scaled railway bogie, which is able to simulate the real working conditions of a train. The efficiency and the duty cycle of the autonomous sensing platform are measured.
Numerical investigation of high-pressure turbine blade tip flows: analysis of aerodynamics
Authors: Vass P , Arts T
Published: September 2011

The current contribution reports on the validation and analysis of three-dimensional computational results of the flow around four distinct high-pressure turbine blade tip geometries (TG1, 2, 3, and 4 hereinafter), taking into account the effect of the entire internal cooling setup inside the blade, at design exit Mach number: M = 0.8, and high exit Reynolds number: Re C = 900 000. Three of the four geometries represent different tip design solutions – TG1: full squealer rim; TG2: single squealer on the suction side; TG3: partial suction and pressure side squealer, and one (TG4) models TG1 in worn condition. This article provides a comparison between the different geometries from the aerodynamic point of view, analyses the losses, and evaluates the distinct design solutions. An assessment of the effect of the uneven rubbing of the blade tip was performed as well.

TG1 was found to be the top performer followed by TG3 and TG2. According to the investigations, the effect of rubbing increased the kinetic loss coefficient by 10–15 per cent.
A two-stage estimation for screening studies using two diagnostic tests with binary disease status verified in test positives only
Authors: Li Feng , Chu Haitao , Nie Lei
Published: September 2011

This article considers the statistical estimation and inference for screening studies in which two binary tests are used for screening with a binary disease status verified only for those subjects with at least one positive test result. The challenge encountered in these studies is the non-identifiability because the disease rate is not identifiable for subjects with negative results from both tests without additional assumptions. Different homogeneous association models have been proposed in the literature to circumvent the non-identifiability problem, which were solved using numerical methods. We propose to formulate the problem as a constrained maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) problem. The MLE has a closed-form in general, which can be solved using a unified two-stage estimation approach. We demonstrate the application of the proposed method on a set of homogeneous association models. The homogeneous association assumptions are generally not testable as all models are saturated. Therefore, we propose an association-ratio plot as a visualization tool for model comparisons. The methods are illustrated through three examples.
Temperature variation effect compensation in impedance-based structural health monitoring using neural networks
Authors: Sepehry N. , Shamshirsaz M. , Abdollahi F.
Published: September 2011

In this article, a new method for temperature compensation on the basis of artificial neural networks (ANNs) in impedance-based structural health monitoring (ISHM) has been introduced. ISHM using piezoelectric wafer active sensors (PWAS) has been extensively developed to provide detection of fault in structure. The principle of this method is based on the electromechanical coupling effect of PWAS materials. Any change in structure leads to changes in mechanical impedance of structure. The electrical impedance of PWAS can sense this change by the electromechanical coupling effect of PWAS. Therefore, the difference in this electrical impedance for undamaged and damaged structures can be considered as a damage index to detect the damage in structure. Since physical and mechanical properties of structure also PWAS materials are temperature dependent, so this electrical impedance of PWAS will be affected by temperature changes. Consequently, the variation in environmental or service temperatures can be detected erroneously as damage in ISHM method. In this article, a new method using ANN based on radial basis function (RBF) has been proposed and developed to compensate the temperature effect on the damage index. A steel plate and gas pipe with bolted joints are considered as two case studies for the performance evaluation of the proposed fault detection methodology. Results confirm that the proposed method using the ANN can be effectively utilized to compensate temperature variation for damage detection in different structures.
Seek and Ye Shall Find
Authors: Sick Brian , Abraham Jean M.
Published: September 2011

Significant investments have been made in developing and disseminating health care provider cost and quality information on the Internet with the expectation that stronger consumer engagement will lead consumers to seek providers who deliver high-quality, low-cost care. However, prior research shows that the awareness and use of such information is low. This study investigates how the information search process may contribute to explaining this result. The analysis reveals that the Web sites most likely to be found by consumers are owned by private companies and provide information based on anecdotal patient experiences. Web sites less likely to be found have government or community-based ownership, are based on administrative data, and contain a mixture of quality, cost, and patient experience information. Searches for information on hospitals reveal more cost and quality information based on administrative data, whereas searches that focus on clinics or physicians are more likely to produce information based on patient narratives.
Exploring the building energy impacts of green roof design decisions – a modeling study of buildings in four distinct climates
Authors: Sailor David J. , Elley Timothy B. , Gibson Max
Published: September 2011

This study explores the complex and interacting physical mechanisms that lead to building energy use implications of green roof design decisions. The EnergyPlus building energy simulation program, complete with an integrated green roof simulation module, was used to analyze the effects of roof surface design on building energy consumption. Simulations were conducted for both black and white membrane control roofs and nine variations of green roofs. The investigation included a total of eight buildings – new office and new multi-family lodging buildings, each in four cities representing diverse climatic conditions: Houston, Texas; New York City, New York; Phoenix, Arizona; and Portland, Oregon. Building energy performance of green roofs was generally found to improve with increasing soil depth and vegetative density. Heating (natural gas) energy savings were greatest for the lodging buildings in the colder climates. Cooling energy (electricity) savings varied for the different building types and cities. In all cases, a baseline green roof resulted in a heating energy cost savings compared to the conventional black membrane roof. In six of the eight buildings, the white roof resulted in lower annual energy cost than the baseline green roof. However, a high vegetative cover green roof was found to outperform the white roof in six of the eight buildings.
Can Uniform Color Color Aggression? Quasi-Experimental Evidence From Professional Ice Hockey
Authors: Webster Gregory D. , Urland Geoffrey R. , Correll Joshua
Published: September 2011

Is uniform color related to aggressive behavior? Prior research has produced mixed results comparing the effects of black (vs. colored) uniforms on aggressive penalties in the National Hockey League (NHL), and the effect of white (vs. colored) uniforms remains unexamined. Luckily, the NHL has conducted multiple quasi-experiments with uniform (jersey) color over time. To examine the color–aggression link, the authors analyzed the last 25 seasons of NHL penalty-minute data (649 seasons from 30 teams collapsed across 52,098 games). When teams wore black jerseys, they were penalized more than when they did not ( d = 1.19; Study 1). When teams switched to wearing colored jerseys at home games, they were penalized more than when they wore white jerseys at home games ( d = 0.83; Study 2). Collectively, these quasi-experimental findings suggest that black jerseys are associated with more aggression and that white jerseys are associated with less. The authors discuss possible causes for these color-aggression effects.
Shear stress–induced unfolding of VWF accelerates oxidation of key methionine residues in the A1A2A3 region
Authors: Fu Xiaoyun , Chen Junmei , Gallagher Ryan , Zheng Ying , Chung Dominic W. , López José A.
Published: September 2011

VWF is required for platelet adhesion to sites of vessel injury, a process vital for both hemostasis and thrombosis. Enhanced VWF secretion and oxidative stress are both hallmarks of inflammation. We recently showed that the neutrophil oxidant hypochlorous acid (HOCl) inhibits VWF proteolysis by ADAMTS13 by oxidizing VWF methionine 1606 (M1606) in the A2 domain. M1606 was readily oxidized in a substrate peptide, but required urea in multimeric plasma VWF. In the present study, we examined whether shear stress enhances VWF oxidation. With an HOCl-generating system containing myeloperoxidase (MPO) and H2O2, we found that shear stress accelerated M1606 oxidation, with 56% becoming oxidized within 1 hour. Seven other methionine residues in the VWF A1A2A3 region (containing the sites for platelet and collagen binding and ADAMTS13 cleavage) were variably oxidized, one completely. Oxidized methionines accumulated preferentially in the largest VWF multimers. HOCl-oxidized VWF was hyperfunctional, agglutinating platelets at ristocetin concentrations that induced minimal agglutination using unoxidized VWF and binding more of the nanobody AU/VWFa-11, which detects a gain-of-function conformation of the A1 domain. These findings suggest that neutrophil oxidants will both render newly secreted VWF uncleavable and alter the largest plasma VWF forms such that they become hyperfunctional and resistant to proteolysis by ADAMTS13.
Homeobox gene Dlx-2 is implicated in metabolic stress-induced necrosis
Authors: Lee Su Yeon , Jeon Hyun Min , Kim Cho Hee , Ju Min Kyung , Bae Hye Sun , Park Hye Gyeong , Lim Sung-Chul , Han Song Iy , Kang Ho Sung
Published: September 2011

Background

In contrast to tumor-suppressive apoptosis and autophagic cell death, necrosis promotes tumor progression by releasing the pro-inflammatory and tumor-promoting cytokine high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1), and its presence in tumor patients is associated with poor prognosis. Thus, necrosis has important clinical implications in tumor development; however, its molecular mechanism remains poorly understood.

Results

In the present study, we show that Distal-less 2 (Dlx-2), a homeobox gene of the Dlx family that is involved in embryonic development, is induced in cancer cell lines dependently of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in response to glucose deprivation (GD), one of the metabolic stresses occurring in solid tumors. Increased Dlx-2 expression was also detected in the inner regions, which experience metabolic stress, of human tumors and of a multicellular tumor spheroid, an in vitro model of solid tumors. Dlx-2 short hairpin RNA (shRNA) inhibited metabolic stress-induced increase in propidium iodide-positive cell population and HMGB1 and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release, indicating the important role(s) of Dlx-2 in metabolic stress-induced necrosis. Dlx-2 shRNA appeared to exert its anti-necrotic effects by preventing metabolic stress-induced increases in mitochondrial ROS, which are responsible for triggering necrosis.

Conclusions

These results suggest that Dlx-2 may be involved in tumor progression via the regulation of metabolic stress-induced necrosis.
Genetic mutations in non-syndromic deafness patients of uyghur and han chinese ethnicities in xinjiang, China: a comparative study
Authors: Chen Yu , Tudi Mayila , Sun Jie , He Chao , Lu Hong-li , Shang Qing , Jiang Di , Kuyaxi Pilidong , Hu Bin , Zhang Hua
Published: September 2011

Background

The deafness-associated gene mutation profile varies greatly among regions and races. Due to the multi-ethnic coalition of over one thousand years, non-syndromic deafness (NSD) patients of Uyghur ethnicity may exhibit a unique deafness-associated gene mutation spectrum as compared to Han Chinese deaf population.

Methods

In order to characterize nine loci of four deafness-associated genes of Uyghur NSD patients in comparison with Chinese Han deaf population, NSD patients (n = 350) were enrolled, including Uyghur (n = 199) and Han Chinese (n = 151). Following the history taking, blood samples were collected for DNA extraction. DNA microarray was performed on nine loci of four deafness-associated genes, including 35delG, 176-191del16, 235delC, 299-300delAT, 538C > T, 1555A > G, 1494C > T, 2168A > G, and IVS7-2A > G. The samples that showed the absence of both wild and mutant probe signals were tested for further DNA sequencing analysis.

Results

The mutations in the nine loci of prevalent deafness-associated genes were detected in 13.06% of Uyghur NSD patients and 32.45% of Han Chinese patients (P < 0.05), respectively. GJB2 mutation was detected in 9.05% of Uyghur patients and 16.56% of Han Chinese patients (P > 0.05), respectively. 235delC was the hotspot mutation region in NSD patients of the two ethnicities, whereas 35delG was the mutation hotspot in Uyghur patients. 187delG mutation was detected for the first time in Uyghur NSD patients and considered as an unreported pathological variant of GJB2. SLC26A4 mutation was found in 2.01% of Uyghur patients and 14.57% of Han Chinese patients (P < 0.05), respectively. The frequencies of mtDNA 12S rRNA mutation in Uyghur and Han Chinese patients were 2.01% and 2.65% (P > 0.05), respectively. The NSD patients exhibited a low frequency of GJB3 mutation regardless of ethnicity.

Conclusion

Prevalent deafness-associated gene mutations in the nine loci studied were less frequently detected in Uyghur NSD patients than in Han Chinese patients. GJB2 was the most common mutant gene in the two ethnicities, whilst the two ethnicities differed substantially in hotspot mutations. A low-frequency SLC26A4 mutation was detected in Uyghur NSD patients. Uyghur NSD patients differed significantly from Han Chinese patients in gene mutation profile.
An overview of the rare parotid gland cancer
Authors: Ho Kimberley , Lin Helen , Ann David K , Chu Peiguo G , Yen Yun
Published: September 2011

Cancer of the parotid gland is relatively rare, but carries poor prognosis owing to its prevailing distant metastases. In addition to the disease's basic epidemiology and pathology, we review some current discoveries of its tumorigenesis molecular mechanism. Based on published salivary gland cancer clinical trial data, non-surgical antitumor efficacies amongst a range of chemotherapy, radiation, and concurrent therapy regimens are compared. We also present the current development status of novel radiation therapy and targeted therapeutics, focusing on intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) blockages, which are showing promise for improving parotid gland cancer management.
Population pharmacodynamic model of bicarbonate response to acetazolamide in mechanically ventilated chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients
Authors: Heming Nicholas , Faisy Christophe , Urien Saïk
Published: September 2011

Introduction

Acetazolamide is commonly given to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients with metabolic alkalosis. Little is known of the pharmacodynamics of acetazolamide in the critically ill. We undertook the pharmacodynamic modeling of bicarbonate response to acetazolamide in COPD patients under mechanical ventilation.

Methods

This observational, retrospective study included 68 invasively ventilated COPD patients who received one or multiple doses of 250 or 500 mg of acetazolamide during the weaning period. Among the 68 investigated patients, 207 time-serum bicarbonate observations were available for analysis. Population pharmacodynamics was modeled using a nonlinear mixedeffect model. The main covariates of interest were baseline demographic data, Simplified Acute Physiology Score II (SAPS II) at ICU admission, cause of respiratory failure, co-prescription of drugs interfering with the acid-base equilibrium, and serum concentrations of protein, creatinin, potassium and chloride. The effect of acetazolamide on serum bicarbonate levels at different doses and in different clinical conditions was subsequently simulated in silico.

Results

The main covariates interacting with acetazolamide pharmacodynamics were SAPS II at ICU admission (P = 0.01), serum chloride (P < 0.001) and concomitant administration of corticosteroids (P = 0.02). Co-administration of furosemide significantly decreased bicarbonate elimination. Acetazolamide induced a decrease in serum bicarbonate with a dose-response relationship. The amount of acetazolamide inducing 50% of the putative maximum effect was 117 ± 21 mg. According to our model, an acetazolamide dosage > 500 mg twice daily is required to reduce serum bicarbonate concentrations > 5 mmol/L in the presence of high serum chloride levels or coadministration of systemic corticosteroids or furosemide.

Conclusions

This study identified several covariates that influenced acetazolamide pharmacodynamics and could allow a better individualization of acetazolamide dosing when treating COPD patients with metabolic alkalosis.
Mutation discovery in mice by whole exome sequencing
Authors: Fairfield Heather , Gilbert Griffith J , Barter Mary , Corrigan Rebecca R , Curtain Michelle , Ding Yueming , D'Ascenzo Mark , Gerhardt Daniel J , He Chao , Huang Wenhui , Richmond Todd , Rowe Lucy , Probst Frank J , Bergstrom David E , Murray Stephen A , Bult Carol , Richardson Joel , Kile Benjamin T , Gut Ivo , Hager Jorg , Sigurdsson Snaevar , Mauceli Evan , Di Palma Federica , Lindblad-Toh Kerstin , Cunningham Michael L , Cox Timothy C , Justice Monica J , Spector Mona S , Lowe Scott W , Albert Thomas , Donahue Leah Rae , Jeddeloh Jeffrey , Shendure Jay , Reinholdt Laura G
Published: September 2011

We report the development and optimization of reagents for in-solution, hybridization-based capture of the mouse exome. By validating this approach in a multiple inbred strains and in novel mutant strains, we show that whole exome sequencing is a robust approach for discovery of putative mutations, irrespective of strain background. We found strong candidate mutations for the majority of mutant exomes sequenced, including new models of orofacial clefting, urogenital dysmorphology, kyphosis and autoimmune hepatitis.
Revised Reference Curves for Bone Mineral Content and Areal Bone Mineral Density According to Age and Sex for Black and Non-Black Children: Results of the Bone Mineral Density in Childhood Study
Authors: Zemel Babette S. , Kalkwarf Heidi J. , Gilsanz Vicente , Lappe Joan M. , Oberfield Sharon , Shepherd John A. , Frederick Margaret M. , Huang Xiangke , Lu Ming , Mahboubi Soroosh , Hangartner Thomas , Winer Karen K.
Published: September 2011

Context:

Deficits in bone acquisition during growth may increase fracture risk. Assessment of bone health during childhood requires appropriate reference values relative to age, sex, and population ancestry to identify bone deficits.

Objective:

The objective of this study was to provide revised and extended reference curves for bone mineral content (BMC) and areal bone mineral density (aBMD) in children.

Design:

The Bone Mineral Density in Childhood Study was a multicenter longitudinal study with annual assessments for up to 7 yr.

Setting:

The study was conducted at five clinical centers in the United States.

Participants:

Two thousand fourteen healthy children (992 males, 22% African-Americans) aged 5–23 yr participated in the study.

Intervention:

There were no interventions.

Main Outcome Measures:

Reference percentiles for BMC and aBMD of the total body, lumbar spine, hip, and forearm were obtained using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry for Black and non-Black children. Adjustment factors for height status were also calculated.

Results:

Extended reference curves for BMC and aBMD of the total body, total body less head, lumbar spine, total hip, femoral neck, and forearm for ages 5–20 yr were constructed relative to sex and age for Black and non-Black children. Curves are similar to those previously published for 7–17 year olds. BMC and aBMD values were greater for Black vs. non-Black children at all measurement sites.

Conclusions:

We provide here dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry reference data on a well-characterized cohort of 2012 children and adolescents. These reference curves provide the most robust reference values for the assessment and monitoring of bone health in children and adolescents in the literature to date.
The Bar and the Board
Authors: Abelove Henry
Published: September 2011

In this brief memoir, the author describes his first meeting with Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick when they discussed Anthony Trollope's fiction; a later meeting, when they discussed some early writings on gay history; the author's initial reaction to the publication of Between Men: English Literature and Male Homosocial Desire; and one other meeting, when the author and Sedgwick discussed James Merrill's poetry and also cruising. Finally, the author quotes and contextualizes a passage evidently about himself from one of Sedgwick's poems.
Immersion in Legacy
Authors: Welbon Yvonne
Published: September 2011

While considering the French historian Pierre Nora's statement that “modern memory is, above all, archival,” this essay introduces an experimental archive project focused on gathering social-organizing stories of nonconforming black women who began their work in and prior to the 1980s. The archivists, the filmmaker Julia Wallace, and the poet-writer-scholar Alexis Pauline Gumbs, collect stories as they travel across America in a mobile home, committing to what Nora sees as “the obsession with the archive that marks our age.”
An Archive of Intimacies
Authors: Harvey David Oscar
Published: September 2011

In the following interview, renowned writer and cultural activist Sarah Schulman discusses her role as the cofounder and coordinator (with Jim Hubbard) of the ACT UP Oral History Project. The Oral History project, which is ongoing, creates a vibrant archive of numerous filmed and transcribed interviews with surviving members of the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power, New York. Schulman's discussion of her project reveals the patchwork of individual identities, political priorities, and talents that contributed to the significant successes of ACT UP as an agent of social change while also revealing the affective dimensions of constituting and maintaining an archive.
The Epistemology of Ethnography
Authors: Weiss Margot
Published: September 2011

This essay explores methodological dilemmas in queer anthropology by reviewing three recent queer ethnographies: Mary Gray's Out in the Country: Youth, Media, and Queer Visibility in Rural America; Mark Padilla's Caribbean Pleasure Industry: Tourism, Sexuality, and AIDS in the Dominican Republic; and Gloria Wekker's The Politics of Passion: Women's Sexual Culture in the Afro-Surinamese Diaspora. The essay aims to illuminate the epistemology of queer studies more broadly by focusing on a key paradox of ethnographic method: the binary of theory and data that is simultaneously made and unmade in ethnographic research and writing. In a newly transnational queer studies, ethnography has become a source of knowledge of non-Western, local, or cross-cultural sexual practices and formations. Each of the three ethnographies under review makes an important intervention in transnational queer studies: linking local sexual practice to global capital flows, disrupting static notions of self and sexual subjectivity, and showing the mobile and active processes of queer community production. By critically examining their use of method—not only anthropology's hallmark method of participant observation but also its methods of interpretation, of writing and analysis—the essay queries the epistemological ground of our desires for sexual knowledge (data) that might exceed queer studies' theoretical categories.
Visibility and Its Discontents
Authors: Heller Dana
Published: September 2011

This review essay considers three recent publications that collectively demonstrate developments in queer television studies. According to the author, these works provide circumspect progress narratives, tempered by awareness that LGBTQ visibility does not exist in any historical congruity with LGBTQ social and political realities. Taken together, these publications suggest that LGBTQ studies and television studies can make odd bedmates, as scholars negotiate between queer theory's postidentity politics and a marked nostalgia for a politics of visibility—the emboldening, visceral pleasures of watching and seeing queers on TV, and believing that it matters.
Topical treatment with the opioid antagonist naltrexone facilitates closure of full-thickness wounds in diabetic rats
Authors: McLaughlin Patricia J , Pothering Christian A , Immonen Jessica A , Zagon Ian S
Published: September 2011

A major problem associated with diabetes is the complication of chronic non-healing wounds that can lead to the formation of debilitating ulcers, and can progress to more serious problems including amputation. There is no fully effective prevention of these complications, constituting an unmet medical need to understand the pathophysiology and treatment of wound healing in diabetes. This study determined whether blockade of opioid receptors from opioid peptides, known to inhibit cell proliferation and be overexpressed in diabetes, by topical application of the opioid antagonist naltrexone (NTX) reverses delays in wound closure. Rats with streptozotocin-induced type 1 diabetes (T1D) received topical applications of NTX (10−4–10−6 mol/L) or vehicle in a variety of carriers; DNA synthesis was evaluated 12 h later. DNA synthesis in the epithelium of T1D rats was significantly reduced from normal animals. Both systemic and topical application of NTX increased DNA synthesis (up to 2-fold higher) within 12 h of administration. In a second study, diabetic and normal rats received full-thickness cutaneous wounds and were treated three times daily with either 10−5 mol/L NTX or vehicle in topical carriers. Wound sizes were analyzed, and BrdU (5-bromo-2′-deoxyuridine) labeling in the skin was evaluated to determine DNA synthesis. Application of NTX in a variety of carriers to rats with full-thickness wounds resulted in significantly smaller wound areas relative to T1D animals receiving vehicle, and comparable to that of normal rats. Wound contraction in T1D animals was 50% of that in normal rats, with NTX-treated wounds restoring wound contraction to that of normal cohorts. DNA synthesis was also enhanced in NTX-treated T1D animals compared with T1D vehicle controls. These data suggest that topical application of NTX is a non-toxic and efficacious facilitator for healing full thickness wounds in T1D, with wound contraction serving as a particular target of NTX action.
Wied Rini II—A Five Year Wind Survey at Malta
Authors: Farrugia Robert N. , Sant Tonio
Published: September 2011

This paper presents detailed results from a wind monitoring assessment on the Mediterranean island of Malta. The islands depend almost entirely on imported oil for their electrical power generation infrastructure. There is increasing interest in the potential offered by renewable resources and associated technologies to supplement the electricity generation infrastructure and to meet the country's renewable energy targets. A number of sites have been identified for possible wind generation project development; including one in an area known as Wied Rini, in the vicinity of the village of Bahrija on the main island of Malta. Wind measurements conducted by the Institute for Sustainable Energy of the University of Malta have, to date amassed a number of years' worth of wind data at this location. Wind characteristics, especially those from the topmost monitoring level, are of particular importance as they are taken at a height above the ground that has not been surpassed locally until quite recently. Salient parameters such as wind speeds at two designated levels above the ground, average power density, wind speed frequency of occurrence, wind direction and other information should be useful when quantifying the potential for wind power generation in this Mediterranean Island context. A comparison with concurrent NCEP/NCAR reanalysis datasets coming from two points in the vicinity of the Maltese archipelago is also presented as a means of substantiating some of the results.