bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Heat Shock Proteins in Association with Heat Tolerance in Grasses
Authors: Xu Yan , Zhan Chenyang , Huang Bingru
Published: February 2011

The grass family Poaceae includes annual species cultivated as major grain crops and perennial species cultivated as forage or turf grasses. Heat stress is a primary factor limiting growth and productivity of cool-season grass species and is becoming a more significant problem in the context of global warming. Plants have developed various mechanisms in heat-stress adaptation, including changes in protein metabolism such as the induction of heat shock proteins (HSPs). This paper summarizes the structure and function of major HSPs, recent research progress on the association of HSPs with grass tolerance to heat stress, and incorporation of HSPs in heat-tolerant grass breeding.
Dépistage de la phénylcétonurie
Authors: Bodamer Olaf A.
Published: February 2011

Robert Guthrie (1916–1995) est à l’origine du dépistage néonatal de la phénylcétonurie (PCU): il a développé un test d’inhibition bactérienne pour l’analyse semi-quantitative de la phénylalanine, qui fut le premier test adapté pour une analyse rapide. De plus, il a introduit le papier filtre comme moyen de transport du sang séché, technique encore utilisée aujourd’hui. Réalisant le potentiel d’un diagnostic précoce et le fait qu’un régime pauvre en phénylalanine prévient les séquelles neurologiques des PCU non traitées, Robert Guthrie est devenu le premier et le plus grand défenseur du dépistage néonatal de la PCU. Après le premier programme de dépistage néonatal de la PCU réalisé à Buffalo, dans l’état de New York aux états-Unis dans les années 1960, d’autres programmes de dépistage néonatal ont été mis en place à travers le monde dans les années 1960 et 1970. Depuis, le dépistage néonatal a été reconnu comme une mesure importante de santé publique, et la plupart des pays ont mis en place un programme de dépistage néonatal pour la PCU et pour d’autres troubles innés du métabolisme. Depuis les premiers programmes, il a été admis que le diagnostic précoce de la PCU et la mise en place d’un régime pauvre en phénylalanine permettent de préserver des fonctions neurologiques normales – en opposition au retard mental sévère observé chez les patients non traités. Aujourd’hui les laboratoires dosent la phénylalanine par des tests photométriques ou la spectrométrie de masse en tandem plutôt que les tests d’inhibition bactérienne. Ceci a conduit à une augmentation des cas d’hyperphénylalaninémie modérée permanente, la plupart ne nécessitant pas de régime alimentaire. Toute détection d’un taux élevé de phénylalanine chez un nouveau-né doit être suivie par un deuxième test analysant à nouveau la phénylalaninémie et la tyrosinémie. La confirmation d’un taux élevé de phénylalanine associé à un taux faible ou normal de tyrosine nécessite l’analyse des ptérines urinaires et de l’activité de la dihydroptérine réductase dans les globules rouges pour exclure toute erreur innée du métabolisme de la bioptérine. Chez tous les nouveau-nés présentant un taux sanguin de phénylalanine supérieur à 6 mg/dl, un test de charge en tétrahydrobioptérine doit être réalisé et un régime alimentaire doit être débuté. Le seuil à partir duquel le régime alimentaire est mis en place varie entre les états-Unis, le Royaume-Uni et l’Europe continentale.
Drug Release and Skin Penetration from Solid Lipid Nanoparticles and a Base Cream: A Systematic Approach from a Comparison of Three Glucocorticoids
Authors: Schlupp P. , Blaschke T. , Kramer K.D. , Höltje H.-D. , Mehnert W. , Schäfer-Korting M.
Published: February 2011

Solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) can enhance drug penetration into the skin, yet the mechanism of the improved transport is not known in full. To unravel the influence of the drug-particle interaction on penetration enhancement, 3 glucocorticoids (GCs), prednisolone (PD), the diester prednicarbate (PC) and the monoester betamethasone 17-valerate (BMV), varying in structure and lipophilicity, were loaded onto SLNs. Theoretical permeability coefficients (cm/s) of the agents rank BMV (–6.38) ≧ PC (–6.57) > PD (–7.30). GC-particle interaction, drug release and skin penetration were investigated including a conventional oil-in-water cream for reference. Both with SLN and cream, PD release was clearly superior to PC release which exceeded BMV release. With the cream, the rank order did not change when studying skin penetration, and skin penetration is thus predominantly influenced by drug release. Yet, the penetration profile for the GCs loaded onto SLNs completely changed, and differences between the steroids were almost lost. Thus, SLNs influence skin penetration by an intrinsic mechanism linked to a specific interaction of the drug-carrier complex and the skin surface, which becomes possible by the lipid nature and nanosize of the carrier and appears not to be derived by testing drug release. Interestingly, PC and PD uptake from SLN even resulted in epidermal targeting. Thus, SLNs are not only able to improve skin penetration of topically applied drugs, but may also be of particular interest when specifically aiming to influence epidermal dysfunction.
Fast Sigmoidal Networks via Spiking Neurons
Authors: Maass Wolfgang
Published: February 2011

We show that networks of relatively realistic mathematical models for biological neurons in principle can simulate arbitrary feedforward sigmoidal neural nets in a way that has previously not been considered. This new approach is based on temporal coding by single spikes (respectively by the timing of synchronous firing in pools of neurons) rather than on the traditional interpretation of analog variables in terms of firing rates. The resulting new simulation is substantially faster and hence more consistent with experimental results about the maximal speed of information processing in cortical neural systems.

As a consequence we can show that networks of noisy spiking neurons are “universal approximators” in the sense that they can approximate with regard to temporal coding any given continuous function of several variables. This result holds for a fairly large class of schemes for coding analog variables by firing times of spiking neurons.

This new proposal for the possible organization of computations in networks of spiking neurons systems has some interesting consequences for the type of learning rules that would be needed to explain the self-organization of such networks.

Finally, the fast and noise-robust implementation of sigmoidal neural nets by temporal coding points to possible new ways of implementing feedforward and recurrent sigmoidal neural nets with pulse stream VLSI.
Finding Richness in Conflict and Context: The Shimmer and Shadow of Dialectics
Authors: Toporek Rebecca L.
Published: February 2011

Dialectics provide a framework for deeper understanding of complex constructs and processes and allow for consideration of dynamic range of movement. Context, however, is needed to more deeply understand and use a framework of dialectics. Environment, identity, and developmental processes are suggested as important contextual factors. The metaphor of a river is used to illustrate movement within dialectics and potential consequences. The movement within the dialectic process, like a river, is influenced by multiple forces, often conflicting and sometimes in crisis. Recommendations for research, practice, and training that attend to context, language, and dialectics are discussed.
Comparing Construct Definition in the Angoff and Objective Standard Setting Models
Authors: Stone Gregory Ethan , Koskey Kristin L. K. , Sondergeld Toni A.
Published: February 2011

Typical validation studies on standard setting models, most notably the Angoff and modified Angoff models, have ignored construct development, a critical aspect associated with all conceptualizations of measurement processes. Stone compared the Angoff and objective standard setting (OSS) models and found that Angoff failed to define a legitimate and stable construct. The present study replicates and expands this work by presenting results from a 5-year investigation of both models, using two different approaches (equating and annual standard setting) within two testing settings (health care and education). The results support the original conclusion that although the OSS model demonstrates effective construct development, the Angoff approach appears random and lacking in clarity. Implications for creating meaningful and valid standards are discussed.
Performance of Irradiated and Crosslinked Ethylene Vinyl Acetate/Waste Tire Dust Blend
Authors: Anis Sakinah Z.A. , Ratnam C.T. , Luqman Chuah A. , Yaw T.C.S.
Published: February 2011

The effect of irradiation on a 90/10 ethylene vinyl acetate/waste tire dust (EVA/WTD) blend was studied in the presence of 4 phr trimethylolpropane triacrylate (TMPTA) or tripropyleneglycol diacrylate (TPGDA). The blend was irradiated using a 3.0-MeV electron beam machine at 0, 50, 100, 150, and 200 kGy irradiation doses. The properties studied include gel content, tensile properties, hardness, morphology, and dynamic mechanical properties. The result revealed that the increment in irradiation doses will increase the percentage of gel content. The gel content further increased with the introduction of TMPTA and TPGDA. This is attributed to the increase in crosslink density. Tensile properties of EVA/WTD blend increase with the introduction of irradiation except for elongation at break. The tensile-fractured surface of EVA/WTD blends showed ductile type of failure upon irradiation of the blends in the presence of crosslinking agent. One glass transition temperature obtained from dynamic mechanical analysis for 90/10 EVA/WTD blend after irradiation indicates that compatibility between EVA and WTD phases increased.
Effect of Elastomer on Flame Retardancy, Thermal Degradation, and Mechanical Properties of Intumescent Flame-Retardant Polyethylene
Authors: Sheng Li  , Bin Li
Published: February 2011

Ethylene—acrylic ester—maleic anhydride (EAEM), as a compatibilizer, has been used to modify a new halogen-free flame retardant linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) in this article. Intumescent flame retardants (IFRs) consist of a charring—foaming agent (CFA), ammonium polyphosphate (APP), organic montmorillonite (OMMT) and an antidripping agent. Based on limiting oxygen index values and UL-94 ratings, the IFRs show the effective flame retardancy in the blend of LLDPE and EAEM. Comparative study on the thermal degradation of the composites demonstrates that the IFRs can reduce initial temperature ( Tinitial) of thermal degradation of the composites, and make the main thermal degradation peak move to the high temperature. CONE results reveal that the IFRs can form a char layer on the surface of the composites and clearly change the decomposition behavior of the IFR-LLDPE/ EAEM composites. Whether OMMT is contained or not in the IFRs, the IFRs show a little effect on reducing tensile strength of the composites. This result is proved by well dispersion of IFRs in the blend observed from scanning electron microscopic images. EAEM is also beneficial for improving the flame retardancy and mechanical properties of the composites.
The Effect of Research and Development (R&D) Inputs and Outputs on the Relation between the Uncertainty of Future Operating Performance and R&D Expenditures
Authors: Pandit Shail , Wasley Charles E. , Zach Tzachi
Published: February 2011

Consistent with the uncertainty of research and development’s future benefits, prior accounting studies hypothesize and find a positive relation between research and development (R&D) and the variability of future earnings. However, prior research has assumed constant marginal productivity of R&D in the cross section. We relax this assumption and advance the accounting literature on the informational role of R&D by studying how measures of innovation outputs, namely patent counts and patent citations, which proxy for the economic value of innovation, are related to firms’ future performance. We predict and find that firms’ future operating performance is positively related to the quality of their patents and that this relation is stronger for more productive and innovative firms. We also predict and find that the volatility of future operating performance is negatively related to patent quality and that the relation is stronger for firms with higher R&D expenditures and larger patent portfolios. Overall, firms that have R&D that is more productive exhibit higher and less volatile future operating performance. One contribution of our study is that it demonstrates that the relation between R&D expense (i.e., inputs) and future operating performance is better understood by incorporating information about the productivity’ (i.e., outputs) of a firm’s R&D outlays in the form of patent counts and citations.
Possible selves as a source of motivation for musicians
Authors: Schnare Ben , MacIntyre Peter , Doucette Jesslyn
Published: February 2011

Music can be a core element of the sense of self. Integration of the future, possible musical self within the self-concept helps to account for the enormous investment of time and energy necessary to become a musician. In this qualitative study, we explore the motivational dimensions of the possible musical self. Possible selves exist in multiple domains with both positive and negative elements. Respondents from a diverse, snowball sample ( N = 204) of musicians completed an online survey describing their hoped for, expected and feared musical selves. Coding of the responses identified major themes. The ‘hoped for’ selves yielded four main themes among 171 responses: improvement, social connection, success and enjoyment. The ‘feared’ selves yielded a total of five main themes among 160 responses: being a poor musician, injury/illness, financial difficulty, lack of knowledge and lack of social connection/recognition. The ‘expected’ selves yielded only one additional category, negative expectations. The balance or tension between the positive and negative elements of possible selves is analysed to produce a composite description of the possible musical self. Limitations of the study and links between the present results and possible selves theory are discussed.
Sexualized Images of Children on the Internet
Authors: Quayle Ethel , Jones Terry
Published: February 2011

Despite an increase in research on child abuse images and sex offender risk, we still lack specific data about the characteristics of the children found within these images. Such data would assist us with understanding the exploitation of children through abusive images and the choice of images by offenders. We accessed sexualized child images submitted to the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP) in the United Kingdom. In 1998, CEOP developed a database (ChildBase) of child abuse images gathered from police seizures across the United Kingdom. This database is continually updated and is operationally used to identify victims. We randomly selected 10% of the 247,950 images, submitted during 2005-2009, and sorted them into the following categories: gender, age, and ethnic group (White, Asian, Black, and Hispanic/Latino). Codes ( n = 24,550) were analyzed using frequencies and crosstabulations in relation to gender, age, and racial group. The odds of the abuse images being female versus male were about 4 to 1, and the odds of the images being of White children versus non-White children were about 10 to 1 (9.805). There was a significant gender difference in age distribution of all the children within the images. The limitations of this study are also discussed along with possible implications and recommendations for future research.
Ethnic inclusion and economic growth
Authors: Birnir Jóhanna Kristín , Waguespack David M.
Published: February 2011

Is ethnic social diversity relevant to cross-national variation in economic development, or is the inclusion or exclusion of said groups in political decision-making the more salient factor? We argue that deleterious policy effects resulting in diminished economic growth are caused by exclusion of mobilized ethnic groups from the policy process and not just ethnic social diversity per se. Conversely, a positive impact of ethnicity as more groups are included in the policy process with increasing access to cabinet is due, first, to the fact that a population finding its preferences represented in the policy process likely supports implementation of resultant policy. Second, the policy quality likely improves with greater variety in input. Third, a greater number of included ethnic groups in cabinet increases the number of ethnic partisan veto players in the policy process — thereby generating increased policy stability in the long term. We test this idea first on long-run growth in democracy and, second, on annual indicators of growth. We find that increasing ethnic social fragmentation still negatively impacts on the economy. However, cabinet diversity offsets some of these negative effects as it improves growth of GDP per capita.
What’s in a name? Ethnic party identity and democratic development in post-communist politics
Authors: Ishiyama John , Breuning Marijke
Published: February 2011

There has been surprisingly little literature differentiating between different kinds of ethnic parties. Most works tend to treat all ethnic parties as if they are basically the same. Although, to be sure, there have been some notable works attempting to differentiate types of ethnic parties, they tend to emphasize the territorial or political demands made by ethnic parties to distinguish the different types rather than the parties’ organizational identity. In this article, rather than examine what they demand, we distinguish them by their organizational identities, or how they present themselves to an electorate — in particular via the names they adopt. We argue that parties portraying themselves as representative of a particular group and including that group in the party’s name are different from parties that portray themselves in non-ethnic ways (by not including the group in its name). In particular, the latter not only attract different kinds of supporters, but are more likely to bring their supporters into greater acceptance of democracy, and hence more likely to promote democratic consolidation than parties that portray themselves more exclusively.
Cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia improves attentional function in fibromyalgia syndrome: A pilot, randomized controlled trial
Authors: Miró E. , Lupiáñez J. , Martínez M.P. , Sánchez A.I. , Díaz-Piedra C. , Guzmán M.A. , Buela-Casal G.
Published: February 2011

This pilot, randomized controlled trial analyzed the effects of a cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT, n = 20) for insomnia vs a sleep hygiene (SH, n = 20) program on the three attentional networks (alertness, orienting, and executive function) and other additional outcome measures (sleep, pain, depression, anxiety, and daily functioning) of fibromyalgia patients. The CBT group showed significant improvement in alertness ( F(1, 28) = 11.84, p = .0018), executive functioning ( F(1, 28) = 15.76, p = .00059), sleep quality ( F(1, 38) = 6.33, p = .016), and a trend to improvement in daily functioning ( p > .06), as compared with the SH group. The improvement in executive functioning was significantly related to the changes in sleep (r = 0.40, p = .026). A CBT for insomnia represents a useful intervention in fibromyalgia patients not only regarding sleep disturbance but also attentional dysfunction and probably daily functioning.
Melperone in treatment-refractory schizophrenia: a case series
Authors: Whiskey Eromona , Vavrova Marta , Gaughran Fiona , Taylor David
Published: February 2011

Objective: Clozapine is the treatment of choice in refractory schizophrenia, but a substantial proportion of patients experience inadequate response or tolerate the drug poorly. Melperone has been suggested as a possible alternative in such patients. This case series examines the efficacy of melperone in refractory schizophrenia. Method: All patients prescribed melperone at the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust were identified using a pharmacy database. The main outcome was to determine the proportion of patients discharged on melperone. Results: Three of 21 patients were discharged on melperone. The primary reason for discontinuation was lack of efficacy. Conclusion: Melperone may be an option in a very few patients with refractory schizophrenia, but it should not be considered as an alternative to clozapine.
Association of Diurnal Patterns in Salivary Cortisol with All-Cause and Cardiovascular Mortality: Findings from the Whitehall II Study
Authors: Kumari Meena , Shipley Martin , Stafford Mai , Kivimaki Mika
Published: February 2011

Context:

Evidence for the association of cortisol with mortality or disease events is mixed, possibly due to a failure to consider diurnal cortisol patterns.

Objective:

Our objective was to examine the association of diurnal cortisol patterns throughout the day with cardiovascular and noncardiovascular mortality in a community-dwelling population.

Design:

This was a prospective cohort study among 4047 civil servants, the Whitehall II study, United Kingdom. We measured diurnal cortisol patterns in 2002–2004 from six saliva samples obtained over the course of a normal weekday: at waking, +30 min, +2.5 h, +8 h, +12 h, and bedtime. Participants were subsequently followed for all-cause and cause-specific mortality until January 2010.

Participants:

Participants included 4047 men and women aged 61 yr on average at baseline.

Outcomes:

We assessed all-cause, cardiovascular, and noncardiovascular death.

Results:

There were 139 deaths, 32 of which were deaths due to cardiovascular disease, during a mean follow-up period of 6.1 yr. Flatter slopes in cortisol decline across the day were associated with increased risk of all-cause mortality (hazard ratio for 1 sd reduction in slope steepness 1.30; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.09–1.55). This excess mortality risk was mainly driven by an increased risk of cardiovascular deaths (hazard ratio = 1.87; 95% confidence interval = 1.32–2.64). The association with cardiovascular deaths was independent of a wide range of covariates measured at the time of cortisol assessment. There was no association between morning cortisol, the cortisol awakening response, and mortality outcomes.

Conclusions:

These findings demonstrate, for the first time, the relationship between a flatter slope in cortisol levels across the day and an increased risk of cardiovascular disease mortality in a nonclinical population.
The Genetics of Bone Loss: Challenges and Prospects
Authors: Mitchell Braxton D. , Yerges-Armstrong Laura M.
Published: February 2011

Context:

A strong genetic influence on bone mineral density has been long established, and modern genotyping technologies have generated a flurry of new discoveries about the genetic determinants of bone mineral density (BMD) measured at a single time point. However, much less is known about the genetics of age-related bone loss. Identifying bone loss-related genes may provide new routes for therapeutic intervention and osteoporosis prevention.

Evidence Acquisition:

A review of published peer-reviewed literature on the genetics of bone loss was performed. Relevant studies were summarized, most of which were drawn from the period 1990–2010.

Evidence Synthesis:

Although bone loss is a challenging phenotype, available evidence supports a substantial genetic contribution. Some of the genes identified from recent genome-wide association studies of cross-sectional BMD are attractive candidate genes for bone loss, most notably genes in the nuclear factor κB and estrogen endocrine pathways. New insights into the biology of skeletal development and regulation of bone turnover have inspired new hypotheses about genetic regulation of bone loss and may provide new directions for identifying genes associated with bone loss.

Conclusions:

Although recent genome-wide association and candidate gene studies have begun to identify genes that influence BMD, efforts to identify susceptibility genes specific for bone loss have proceeded more slowly. Nevertheless, clues are beginning to emerge on where to look, and as population studies accumulate, there is hope that important bone loss susceptibility genes will soon be identified.
The Media and the Public Sphere in Contemporary China
Authors: Liu Qing , McCormick Barrett
Published: February 2011

This paper examines how market-oriented reforms to media are changing the public sphere in contemporary China with particular concern for how the commercialization of media may impact the prospects for democracy. While the authors find “public sphere” a problematic concept, they nonetheless find it useful for both normative and empirical analysis, particularly when that analysis is sensitive to China's specific historical and institutional context. The study shows that the commercialization of media in China as elsewhere has created a seemingly apolitical consumption-oriented discourse. However, the authors argue that in contrast to liberal capitalist societies, where commercial culture tends to devalue the existing democracy, in China commercial culture replaces a Leninist public sphere in which individuals were compelled to participate in a relatively monolithic official discourse. While the party-state continues to closely supervise the public sphere, the introduction of markets, the relative diversification of media producers, and the increasing volume of media introduce a degree of dynamism and unpredictability. Seeing important change but recognizing limits, the authors label the new public sphere “pluralistic.” Even while the party-state maintains its restrictive management, the commercialized public sphere nonetheless allows citizens more choices than they used to have. The authors conclude that this “pluralistic” public sphere by no means guarantees a transformation to democracy, but it does at least marginally improve the prospects for democratic change.
Trans-systemic Society and Regional Perspective in Chinese Studies
Authors: Hui Wang
Published: February 2011

This essay proposes to establish a connection between the concept of “trans-systemic society” and the concept of “region” mainly for two reasons. On the one hand, the idea of region, which is distinct both from nation-state and from ethnicity, and which is based on a special human geography and culture, is uniquely hybrid, fluid, and integrated. Thus, it affords us a perspective that transcends nationalism with which to reinterpret China and its historical evolution. On the other hand, the idea of trans-systemic society shows a society composed of different ethnic groups or nationalities, religions, and even civilizations, which is also intertwined with the concept of trans-societal system. For example, the tributary system in Chinese history is not only a mode of contact in a trans-systemic society but also a form of network in the trans-societal system. It links various political communities within a broader region. Therefore, revisiting the idea of region, especially the idea of ethnic region, through the lens of trans-systemic society and trans-societal system, is crucial to addressing such questions as “How do we understand China?” or “What is China?”
A Tudor medical group portrait
Authors: Thomas Duncan P
Published: February 2011

The famous painting by Hans Holbein, celebrating the 1540 union of the Barbers and the Surgeons to form the Company of Barber-Surgeons, is well known. The work commemorates a milestone in the history of English surgery, but it is also important in another context. Group portraits of professionals were virtually unknown in England at this time, in contrast to portrayals of royalty or aristocratic families. This seems to be the earliest depiction of a group of eminent medical men with the King; the Holbein painting is unique in this respect.
Vincenz Alexander Bochdalek (1801–83)
Authors: Kachlik David , Cech Pavel
Published: February 2011

Vincenz Alexander Bochdalek was a skilful and modest anatomist and pathologist who studied and worked at Charles-Ferdinand University in Prague from the 1820s to the early 1870s. He was born on 11 February 1801 in Skřipov (Austrian Silesia). In 1833 he defended his Thesis (A Guide to the Practical Dissection of the Human Brain), from the Faculty of Medicine in Prague. He worked there from 1831 as an Assistant at the Department of Anatomy and from 1837 as the first Pathological Prosector ever in the General Hospital in Prague. In 1840 he was promoted to the Associate Professorship of Pathological Anatomy and in 1845 was appointed Professor of General, Comparative and Surgical Anatomy and Head of the Department of Anatomy. His life's work contributed substantially to the birth and rise of the so-called ‘Prague medical school’. He was elected Dean of the Medical Faculty thrice. He retired in 1871 and died on 3 February 1883 in Litoměřice (Leitmeritz, Bohemia). His name is forever connected with anatomical and pathological structures, especially the lumbocostal triangle in the posterior part of the diaphragm (Bochdalek Foramen) and the hernia at the same site (Bochdalek Hernia).
The Knud Krabbe (1885–1961)–Henry Alsop Riley (1887–1966) letters (1929–59): transatlantic friendship fostered by the International Neurological Congresses
Authors: Louis Elan D
Published: February 2011

The correspondence between Dr Knud Krabbe in Denmark and Dr Henry Alsop Riley in the USA, archived at Columbia University, provides valuable insight into the friendship that arose between these two early leaders in neurology who lived on opposite sides of the Atlantic. Comprised of 15 surviving letters, the correspondence began in 1929 but primarily spanned the period from 1954 to 1959 and during that time showed a very familiar tone between the two men. Their correspondence is not only about work but the range of topics evidences the warmth that evolved between the two men. Their friendship likely originated at the International Neurological Congresses (INCs), which occurred every four years. This paper serves to bring this correspondence, previously not well known, into the historical literature and includes personal and biographical information. It shows how the INCs, on a human level, resulted in links between the vanguards of neurology in different countries, thus helping to foster the development of neurology as an independent medical discipline during the 20th century.
Organizations as Fonts of Entrepreneurship
Authors: Sørensen Jesper B. , Fassiotto Magali A.
Published: February 2011

Most entrepreneurs emanate from established organizations, yet systematic theorizing about the ways in which organizations shape the entrepreneurial process has only recently begun to emerge. We provide a framework for organizing this emerging literature. We focus on four different metaphors in the literature for how organizations matter in the entrepreneurial process and suggest promising avenues for future research.
Risks of Corporate Entrepreneurship: Autonomy and Agency Issues
Authors: Shimizu Katsuhiko (Katsu)
Published: February 2011

Although research on corporate entrepreneurship (CE) has attracted increasing attention, risks of CE are not well examined. In this paper, we examine direct and indirect agency risks associated with providing middle and operational managers with autonomy in the hopes of encouraging CE. The key ideas behind our discussion involve two dilemmas of CE. (1) To solve the risk-averseness problem of middle and operational managers and unleash their entrepreneurial ideas, top management needs to encourage autonomous behaviors, which can also exacerbate a different type of agency problem: opportunistic behaviors. (2) Although the generation of new ideas to explore new strategic directions and/or opportunities is important, the very newness of the ideas make them difficult to evaluate, and thus the selection process may be perceived as unfair by some managers. We propose that (a) stock options, (b) passive monitoring, and (c) perceived procedural justice would attenuate the negative side effects associated with CE, such as opportunistic behaviors and perceived unfairness. Although research in CE often stresses autonomy of middle and operational managers for new idea generation as important, examining the whole process in terms of idea generation, selection, and implementation with respect to potential risks will extend the CE literature.
DOG1 Antibody Is a Highly Sensitive and Specific Marker for Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors in Cytology Cell Blocks
Authors: Hwang Dick G. , Qian Xiaohua , Hornick Jason L.
Published: February 2011

Initial diagnosis of submucosal gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) is often made from material obtained by endoscopic ultrasound–guided fine-needle aspiration (EUS-FNA). Although 95% of GISTs are positive for KIT by immunohistochemical analysis on surgical specimens, we have observed several cases of GIST that were negative for KIT on the cell block but subsequently positive on the surgical resection. DOG1 has been found to be a specific and sensitive marker for GISTs on surgical material. We compared KIT and DOG1 staining in 52 GIST cell blocks and in 44 cell blocks of other intra-abdominal spindle cell neoplasms. We found that DOG1 was the more sensitive marker, with positivity in all 52 GIST cell blocks. KIT was positive in 46 (88%) of the GIST cases, with sensitivity dependent on the FNA method. Both markers were highly specific: KIT was negative in all 44 non-GIST cases, whereas DOG1 showed weak positivity in only 1 leiomyosarcoma.
Expression of Galectin-3, nm-23, and Cyclooxygenase-2 Could Potentially Discriminate Between Benign and Malignant Pheochromocytoma
Authors: Saffar Hiva , Sanii Sanaz , Heshmat Ramin , Haghpanah Vahid , Larijani Bagher , Rajabiani Afsaneh , Azimi Sima , Tavangar Seyed Mohammad
Published: February 2011

Currently, the only reliable indicator of malignancy in pheochromocytoma is the presence of distant metastasis or extensive local invasion; predicting behavior of pheochromocytoma remains challenging. We aimed to correlate the behavior of pheochromocytoma with its expression of nm-23, cyclooxygenase (COX)-2, and galectin-3 (genes used to predict the course of some neoplastic diseases), evaluated immunohistochemically in 55 paraffin blocks of formalin-fixed pheochromocytoma specimens with confirmed behavior.

In 3 (7%) of 44 benign and 7 (64%) of 11 malignant pheochromocytomas, there was negative nm-23 expression (P = .000). COX-2 immunoreactivity was positive in 10 (23%) of benign and 9 (82%) of malignant tumors (P = .000). Galectin-3 was expressed in 5 (11%) of benign and 9 (82%) of malignant pheochromocytomas (P = .000).

Negative nm-23, along with positive COX-2 or galectin-3, predicted malignancy with 100% specificity. Dual negativity for galectin-3 and COX-2, along with nm-23 positivity, indicated benign behavior with 100% sensitivity.

In early pheochromocytoma, evaluation of nm-23, galectin-3, and COX-2 expression could predict the outcome. Larger studies seem necessary to confirm the potential practical value of our findings.
Unbounded Discrepancy in Frobenius Numbers
Authors: Shallit Jeffrey , Stankewicz James
Published: February 2011

Let
Combinatorial Interpretations of Convolutions of the Catalan Numbers
Authors: Tedford Steven J.
Published: February 2011

We reintroduce an interpretation of the
Quadratic Forms and Four Partition Functions Modulo 3
Authors: Lovejoy Jeremy , Osburn Robert
Published: February 2011

Recently, Andrews, Hirschhorn and Sellers have proven congruences modulo 3 for four types of partitions using elementary series manipulations. In this paper, we generalize their congruences using arithmetic properties of certain quadratic forms.
A global stability estimate for the Gel'fand–Calderón inverse problem in two dimensions
Authors: Novikov Roman , Santacesaria Matteo
Published: February 2011

We prove a global logarithmic stability estimate for the Gel'fand–Calderón inverse problem on a two-dimensional domain.
Mushroom Body Output Neurons Encode Odor–Reward Associations
Authors: Strube-Bloss Martin Fritz , Nawrot Martin Paul , Menzel Randolf
Published: February 2011

Neural correlates of learning and memory formation have been reported at different stages of the olfactory pathway in both vertebrates and invertebrates. However, the contribution of different neurons to the formation of a memory trace is little understood. Mushroom bodies (MBs) in the insect brain are higher-order structures involved in integration of olfactory, visual, and mechanosensory information and in memory formation. Here we focus on the ensemble spiking activity of single MB output neurons (ENs) when honeybees learned to associate an odor with reward. A large group of ENs (∼50%) changed their odor response spectra by losing or gaining sensitivity for specific odors. This response switching was dominated by the rewarded stimulus (CS+), which evoked exclusively recruitment. The remaining ENs did not change their qualitative odor spectrum but modulated their tuning strength, again dominated by increased responses to the CS+. While the bees showed a conditioned response (proboscis extension) after a few acquisition trials, no short-term effects were observed in the neuronal activity. In both EN types, associative plastic changes occurred only during retention 3 h after conditioning. Thus, long-term but not short-term memory was reflected by increased EN activity to the CS+. During retention, the EN ensemble separated the CS+ most differently from the CS− and control odors ∼140 ms after stimulus onset. The learned behavioral response appeared ∼330 ms later. It is concluded that after memory consolidation, the ensemble activity of the MB output neurons predicts the meaning of the stimulus (reward) and may provide the prerequisite for the expression of the learned behavior.
Assessing the Role of the Cadherin/Catenin Complex at the Schwann Cell–Axon Interface and in the Initiation of Myelination
Authors: Lewallen Kathryn A. , Shen Yun-An A. , De La Torre Asia R. , Ng Benjamin K. , Meijer Dies , Chan Jonah R.
Published: February 2011

Myelination is dependent on complex reciprocal interactions between the Schwann cell (SC) and axon. Recent evidence suggests that the SC–axon interface represents a membrane specialization essential for myelination; however, the manner in which this polarized-apical domain is generated remains a mystery. The cell adhesion molecule N-cadherin is enriched at the SC–axon interface and colocalizes with the polarity protein Par-3. The asymmetric localization is induced on SC–SC and SC–axon contact. Knockdown of N-cadherin in SCs cocultured with DRG neurons disrupts Par-3 localization and delays the initiation of myelination. However, knockdown or overexpression of neuronal N-cadherin does not influence the distribution of Par-3 or myelination, suggesting that homotypic interactions between SC and axonal N-cadherin are not essential for the events surrounding myelination. To further investigate the role of N-cadherin, mice displaying SC-specific gene ablation of N-cadherin were generated and characterized. Surprisingly, myelination is only slightly delayed, and mice are viable without any detectable myelination defects. β-Catenin, a downstream effector of N-cadherin, colocalizes and coimmunoprecipitates with N-cadherin on the initiation of myelination. To determine whether β-catenin mediates compensation on N-cadherin deletion, SC-specific gene ablation of β-catenin was generated and characterized. Consistent with our hypothesis, myelination is more severely delayed than when manipulating N-cadherin alone, but without any defect to the myelin sheath. Together, our results suggest that N-cadherin interacts with β-catenin in establishing SC polarity and the timely initiation of myelination, but they are nonessential components for the formation and maturation of the myelin sheath.
Investigation of the Neural Control of Cough and Cough Suppression in Humans Using Functional Brain Imaging
Authors: Mazzone Stuart B. , Cole Leonie J. , Ando Ayaka , Egan Gary F. , Farrell Michael J.
Published: February 2011

Excessive coughing is one of the most common reasons for seeking medical advice, yet the available therapies for treating cough disorders are inadequate. Humans can voluntarily cough, choose to suppress their cough, and are acutely aware of an irritation that is present in their airways. This indicates a significant level of behavioral and conscious control over the basic cough reflex pathway. However, very little is known about the neural basis for higher brain regulation of coughing. The aim of the present study was to use functional brain imaging in healthy humans to describe the supramedullary control of cough and cough suppression. Our data show that the brain circuitry activated during coughing in response to capsaicin-evoked airways irritation is not simply a function of voluntarily initiated coughing and the perception of airways irritation. Rather, activations in several brain regions, including the posterior insula and posterior cingulate cortex, define the unique attributes of an evoked cough. Furthermore, the active suppression of irritant-evoked coughing is also associated with a unique pattern of brain activity, including an involvement of the anterior insula, anterior mid-cingulate cortex, and inferior frontal gyrus. These data demonstrate for the first time that evoked cough is not solely a brainstem-mediated reflex response to irritation of the airways, but rather requires active facilitation by cortical regions, and is further regulated by distinct higher order inhibitory processes.
Simple Composition: A Magnetoencephalography Investigation into the Comprehension of Minimal Linguistic Phrases
Authors: Bemis Douglas K. , Pylkkänen Liina
Published: February 2011

The expressive power of language lies in its ability to construct an infinite array of ideas out of a finite set of pieces. Surprisingly, few neurolinguistic investigations probe the basic processes that constitute the foundation of this ability, choosing instead to focus on relatively complex combinatorial operations. Contrastingly, in the present work, we investigate the neural circuits underlying simple linguistic composition, such as required by the minimal phrase “red boat.” Using magnetoencephalography, we examined activity in humans generated at the visual presentation of target nouns, such as “boat,” and varied the combinatorial operations induced by its surrounding context. Nouns in minimal compositional contexts (“red boat”) were compared with those appearing in matched non-compositional contexts, such as after an unpronounceable consonant string (“xkq boat”) or within a list (“cup, boat”). Source analysis did not implicate traditional language areas (inferior frontal gyrus, posterior temporal regions) in such basic composition. Instead, we found increased combinatorial-related activity in the left anterior temporal lobe (LATL) and ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC). These regions have been linked previously to syntactic (LATL) and semantic (vmPFC) combinatorial processing in more complex linguistic contexts. Thus, we suggest that these regions play a role in basic syntactic and semantic composition, respectively. Importantly, the temporal ordering of the effects, in which LATL activity (∼225 ms) precedes vmPFC activity (∼400 ms), is consistent with many processing models that posit syntactic composition before semantic composition during the construction of linguistic representations.
Presenilin Is Necessary for Efficient Proteolysis through the Autophagy–Lysosome System in a γ-Secretase-Independent Manner
Authors: Neely Kara M. , Green Kim N. , LaFerla Frank M.
Published: February 2011

Presenilins are ubiquitous, intramembrane proteins that function in Alzheimer's disease (AD) as the catalytic component of the γ-secretase complex. Familial AD mutations in presenilin are known to exacerbate lysosomal pathology. Hence, we sought to elucidate the function endogenous, wild-type presenilins play in autophagy-mediated protein degradation. We report the finding that genetic deletion or knockdown of presenilins alters many autophagy-related proteins demonstrating a buildup of autophagosomes, indicative of dysfunction in the system. Presenilin-deficient cells inefficiently clear long-lived proteins and fail to build up autophagosomes when challenged with lysosomal inhibitors. Our studies further show that γ-secretase inhibitors do not adversely impact autophagy, indicating that the role of presenilins in autophagy is independent of γ-secretase activity. Based on our findings, we conclude that endogenous, wild-type presenilins are necessary for proper protein degradation through the autophagosome–lysosome system by functioning at the lysosomal level. The role of presenilins in autophagy has many implications for its function in neurological diseases such as AD.
Decoding the Content of Delayed Intentions
Authors: Gilbert Sam J.
Published: February 2011

Rostrolateral prefrontal cortex (RLPFC) plays a key role in our ability to postpone the execution of intended behaviors until after another activity has been performed. However, it is poorly understood in computational terms. One crucial question is whether RLPFC represents the content of delayed intentions or plays a nonspecific role. In this human functional magnetic resonance imaging study (n= 32), RLPFC was active while participants stored delayed intentions during a distracting ongoing task. Multivariate analysis showed that the intended cue for future action and the intended behavior could be decoded from distinct posterior brain regions. However, the content of intentions could not be decoded from RLPFC itself. Functional connectivity analysis showed that RLPFC increased its coupling with content-representing regions during intention storage. Furthermore, trials with relatively high RLPFC activity were associated with enhanced decoding. Thus, RLPFC may enable realization of delayed intentions via interactions with posterior brain regions, which represent their content.
Local Tissue Growth Patterns Underlying Normal Fetal Human Brain Gyrification QuantifiedIn Utero
Authors: Rajagopalan Vidya , Scott Julia , Habas Piotr A. , Kim Kio , Corbett-Detig James , Rousseau Francois , Barkovich A. James , Glenn Orit A. , Studholme Colin
Published: February 2011

Existing knowledge of growth patterns in the living fetal human brain is based uponin uteroimaging studies by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and ultrasound, which describe overall growth and provide mainly qualitative findings. However, formation of the complex folded cortical structure of the adult brain requires, in part, differential rates of regional tissue growth. To better understand these local tissue growth patterns, we applied recent advances in fetal MRI motion correction and computational image analysis techniques to 40 normal fetal human brains covering a period of primary sulcal formation (20–28 gestational weeks). Growth patterns were mapped by quantifying tissue locations that were expanding more or less quickly than the overall cerebral growth rate, which reveal increasing structural complexity. We detected increased local relative growth rates in the formation of the precentral and postcentral gyri, right superior temporal gyrus, and opercula, which differentiated between the constant growth rate in underlying cerebral mantle and the accelerating rate in the cortical plate undergoing folding. Analysis focused on the cortical plate revealed greater volume increases in parietal and occipital regions compared to the frontal lobe. Cortical plate growth patterns constrained to narrower age ranges showed that gyrification, reflected by greater growth rates, was more pronounced after 24 gestational weeks. Local hemispheric volume asymmetry was located in the posterior peri-Sylvian area associated with structural lateralization in the mature brain. These maps of fetal brain growth patterns construct a spatially specific baseline of developmental biomarkers with which to correlate abnormal development in the human.