bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Role of Pulse Oximetry in Examining Newborns for Congenital Heart Disease
Authors: Mahle William T. , Newburger Jane W. , Matherne G. Paul , Smith Frank C. , Hoke Tracey R. , Koppel Robert , Gidding Samuel S. , Beekman Robert H. , Grosse Scott D.
Published: July 2009

Background—

The purpose of this statement is to address the state of evidence on the routine use of pulse oximetry in newborns to detect critical congenital heart disease (CCHD).

Methods and Results—

A writing group appointed by the American Heart Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics reviewed the available literature addressing current detection methods for CCHD, burden of missed and/or delayed diagnosis of CCHD, rationale of oximetry screening, and clinical studies of oximetry in otherwise asymptomatic newborns. MEDLINE database searches from 1966 to 2008 were done for English-language papers using the following search terms: congenital heart disease, pulse oximetry, physical examination, murmur, echocardiography, fetal echocardiography, and newborn screening. The reference lists of identified papers were also searched. Published abstracts from major pediatric scientific meetings in 2006 to 2008 were also reviewed. The American Heart Association classification of recommendations and levels of evidence for practice guidelines were used. In an analysis of pooled studies of oximetry assessment performed after 24 hours of life, the estimated sensitivity for detecting CCHD was 69.6%, and the positive predictive value was 47.0%; however, sensitivity varied dramatically among studies from 0% to 100%. False-positive screens that required further evaluation occurred in only 0.035% of infants screened after 24 hours.

Conclusions—

Currently, CCHD is not detected in some newborns until after their hospital discharge, which results in significant morbidity and occasional mortality. Furthermore, routine pulse oximetry performed on asymptomatic newborns after 24 hours of life, but before hospital discharge, may detect CCHD. Routine pulse oximetry performed after 24 hours in hospitals that have on-site pediatric cardiovascular services incurs very low cost and risk of harm. Future studies in larger populations and across a broad range of newborn delivery systems are needed to determine whether this practice should become standard of care in the routine assessment of the neonate.
Regulation of Proliferation and Membrane Potential by Chloride Currents in Rat Pulmonary Artery Smooth Muscle Cells
Authors: Liang Wenbin , Ray Julie Basu , He Jeff Z. , Backx Peter H. , Ward Michael E.
Published: July 2009

Pulmonary artery smooth muscle cell (PASMC) proliferation contributes to increased pulmonary vascular resistance and pulmonary hypertension. Because proliferation depends on membrane potential (V
m
) and because V
m
is, in part, determined by Cl
−
currents (I
Cl
), we examined the effects of I
Cl
inhibition with 4,4`-diisothiocyanatostilbene-2,2`-disulfonic acid (DIDS) on cultured rat PASMCs. DIDS (30 μmol/L) reduced cell numbers, decreased 5-bromodeoxyuridine incorporation and delayed cell cycle progression. I
Cl
inhibition with 5-Nitro-2-(3-phenylpropylamino) benzoic acid (100 μmol/L) also reduced cell numbers of cultured rat PASMCs. To test the possible involvement of I
Cl
in the regulation of PASMC proliferation, we measured V
m
and I
Cl
in both cultured (proliferating) and acutely dissociated (nonproliferating) rat PASMCs. V
m
(−39.3±1.4 mV) was close to the equilibrium potential of Cl
−
(−39 mV) in proliferating PASMCs but differed from equilibrium potential of Cl
−
in acutely dissociated cells (−45.3±0.9 mV). DIDS and substitution of extracellular Cl
−
with I
−
induced V
m
hyperpolarization in proliferating but not nonproliferating PASMCs. Consistent with V
m
recordings, DIDS-sensitive baseline and swelling-activated (Ca
2+
-independent) I
Cl
s, recorded with low Ca
2+
(<1 nmol/L) pipette solutions, were ≈5-fold greater in proliferating than in nonproliferating PASMCs. By contrast, Ca
2+
-activated I
Cl
did not differ between proliferating and nonproliferating PASMCs. Ca
2+
-independent I
Cl
s were also increased in proliferating PASMCs acutely dissociated from rats exposed to hypoxia (10% O
2
; 7 days). These findings are consistent with the conclusion that I
Cl
s regulate proliferation of PASMCs and suggest that selective I
Cl
inhibition may be useful in treating pulmonary hypertension.
Mitochondria-Targeted Antioxidant MitoQ
10
Improves Endothelial Function and Attenuates Cardiac Hypertrophy
Authors: Graham Delyth , Huynh Ngan N. , Hamilton Carlene A. , Beattie Elisabeth , Smith Robin A.J. , Cochemé Helena M. , Murphy Michael P. , Dominiczak Anna F.
Published: July 2009

Mitochondria are a major site of reactive oxygen species production, which may contribute to the development of cardiovascular disease. Protecting mitochondria from oxidative damage should be an effective therapeutic strategy; however, conventional antioxidants are ineffective, because they cannot penetrate the mitochondria. This study investigated the role of mitochondrial oxidative stress during development of hypertension in the stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rat, using the mitochondria-targeted antioxidant, MitoQ
10
. Eight-week–old male stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats were treated with MitoQ
10
(500 μmol/L; n=16), control compound decyltriphenylphosphonium (decylTPP; 500 μmol/L; n=8), or vehicle (n=9) in drinking water for 8 weeks. Systolic blood pressure was significantly reduced by ≈25 mm Hg over the 8-week MitoQ
10
treatment period compared with decylTPP (F=5.94;
P
=0.029) or untreated controls (F=65.6;
P
=0.0001). MitoQ
10
treatment significantly improved thoracic aorta NO bioavailability (1.16±0.03 g/g;
P
=0.002, area under the curve) compared with both untreated controls (0.68±0.02 g/g) and decylTPP-treated rats (0.60±0.06 g/g). Cardiac hypertrophy was significantly reduced by MitoQ
10
treatment compared with untreated control and decylTPP treatment (MitoQ
10
: 4.01±0.05 mg/g; control: 4.42±0.11 mg/g; and decylTPP: 4.40±0.09 mg/g; ANOVA
P
=0.002). Total MitoQ
10
content was measured in liver, heart, carotid artery, and kidney harvested from MitoQ
10
-treated rats by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. All of the organs analyzed demonstrated detectable levels of MitoQ
10
, with comparable accumulation in vascular and cardiac tissues. Administration of the mitochondria-targeted antioxidant MitoQ
10
protects against the development of hypertension, improves endothelial function, and reduces cardiac hypertrophy in young stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats. MitoQ
10
provides a novel approach to attenuate mitochondrial-specific oxidative damage with the potential to become a new therapeutic intervention in human cardiovascular disease.
Intensifying Therapy for Hypertension Despite Suboptimal Adherence
Authors: Rose Adam J. , Berlowitz Dan R. , Manze Meredith , Orner Michelle B. , Kressin Nancy R.
Published: July 2009

More intensive management can improve control blood pressure (BP) in hypertensive patients. However, many would posit that treatment intensification (TI) is not beneficial in the face of suboptimal adherence. We investigated whether the effect of TI on BP varies by adherence. We enrolled 819 patients with hypertension, managed in primary care at an academically-affiliated inner-city hospital. We used the following formula to characterize TI: (visits with a medication change−visits with elevated BP)/total visits. Adherence was characterized using electronic monitoring devices (“MEMS caps”). Patients who returned their MEMS caps (671) were divided into quartiles of adherence, whereas patients who did not return their MEMS caps (148) had “missing” adherence. We examined the relationship between TI and the final systolic blood pressure (SBP), controlling for patient-level covariates. In the entire sample, each additional therapy increase per 10 visits predicted a 2.0 mm Hg decrease in final SBP (
P
<0.001). After stratifying by adherence, in the “best” adherence quartile each therapy increase predicted a 2.1-mm Hg decrease in final SBP, followed by 1.8 for the “next-best” adherence quartile, 2.3 in the third quartile, and 2.4 in the “worst” adherence quartile. The effect size for patients with “missing” adherence was 1.6 mm Hg. The differences between the group with “best” adherence and the other 4 groups were not statistically significant. In this observational study, treatment intensification was associated with similar BP improvement regardless of the patient’s level of adherence. A randomized trial could further examine optimal management of patients with suboptimal adherence.
Dipeptidyl Peptidase-IV Inhibitor Use Associated With Increased Risk of ACE Inhibitor-Associated Angioedema
Authors: Brown Nancy J. , Byiers Stuart , Carr David , Maldonado Mario , Warner Barbara Ann
Published: July 2009

Dipeptidyl peptidase-IV (DPP-IV) inhibitors decrease degradation of the incretins. DPP-IV inhibitors also decrease degradation of peptides, such as substance P, that may be involved in the pathogenesis of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor-associated angioedema. This study tested the hypothesis that DPP-IV inhibition affects risk of clinical angioedema, by comparing the incidence of angioedema in patients treated with the DPP-IV inhibitor vildagliptin versus those treated with comparator in Phase III randomized clinical trials. Prospectively defined angioedema-related events were adjudicated in a blinded fashion by an internal medicine adjudication committee and expert reviewer. Concurrent ACE inhibitor or angiotensin receptor blocker exposure was ascertained from case report forms. Study drug exposure was ascertained from unblinded data from phase III studies. Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals comparing angioedema risk in vildagliptin-treated and comparator-treated patients were calculated for the overall population and for patients taking ACE inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers, using both an analysis of pooled data and a meta-analysis (Peto method). Overall, there was no association between vildagliptin use and angioedema. Among individuals taking an ACE inhibitor, however, vildagliptin use was associated with an increased risk of angioedema (14 confirmed cases among 2754 vildagliptin users versus 1 case among 1819 comparator users: odds ratio 4.57 [95% confidence interval 1.57 to 13.28]) in the meta-analysis. Vildagliptin use may be associated with increased risk of angioedema among patients taking ACE inhibitors, although absolute risk is small. Physicians confronted with angioedema in a patient taking an ACE inhibitor and DPP-IV inhibitor should consider this possible drug–drug interaction.
Critical Role of Apoptosis Signal-Regulating Kinase 1 in Aldosterone/Salt-Induced Cardiac Inflammation and Fibrosis
Authors: Nakamura Taishi , Kataoka Keiichiro , Fukuda Masaya , Nako Hisato , Tokutomi Yoshiko , Dong Yi-Fei , Ichijo Hidenori , Ogawa Hisao , Kim-Mitsuyama Shokei
Published: July 2009

The molecular mechanism underlying aldosterone/salt-induced cardiovascular injury remains to be defined. This work was undertaken to determine the role of apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 (ASK1) in the mechanism underlying aldosterone-induced cardiac injury in vivo. We compared the in vivo effects of 4 weeks of aldosterone/salt treatment on wild-type and ASK1-deficient mice. Aldosterone infusion plus high salt intake in wild-type mice significantly increased blood pressure and urinary albumin excretion and decreased plasma potassium concentrations, and these effects of aldosterone/salt were not affected by ASK1 deficiency. Thus, ASK1 seems to play a minor role in aldosterone-induced hypertension and renal injury. ASK1 deficiency also failed to affect aldosterone-induced cardiac hypertrophy. However, ASK1 deficiency markedly ameliorated aldosterone-induced cardiac injury, eg, the enhancement of cardiac macrophage infiltration, monocyte chemotactic protein 1 expression, interstitial fibrosis, perivascular fibrosis, and transforming growth factor-β1 and collagen type I expressions. Thus, ASK1 participates in aldosterone-induced cardiac inflammation and fibrosis. Furthermore, the enhancement of NADPH oxidase–mediated cardiac oxidative stress caused by aldosterone infusion was markedly lessened by ASK1 deficiency, which was associated with the significant amelioration by ASK1 deficiency of aldosterone-induced cardiac Nox2 upregulation. Furthermore, aldosterone/salt treatment significantly enhanced cardiac expression of the angiotensin-converting enzyme and angiotensin II type 1 receptor in wild-type mice, whereas the enhancement of these proteins by aldosterone/salt was abolished by ASK1 deficiency. Our results demonstrate that ASK1 is implicated in aldosterone/salt-induced cardiac inflammation and fibrosis through the enhancement of NADPH oxidase-mediated oxidative stress and the upregulation of the cardiac renin-angiotensin system.
Nocturia, Nocturnal Activity, and Nondipping
Authors: Agarwal Rajiv , Light Robert P. , Bills Jennifer E. , Hummel Lindsey A.
Published: July 2009

Patients with chronic kidney disease have less than expected decline in blood pressure during sleep (nondipping) and commonly experience the vexing symptom of nocturia. To better understand the relationship among nocturia, nighttime physical activity, and nondipping, we studied 98 patients with chronic kidney disease on 2 occasions, 1 month apart, with 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring and simultaneous activity monitoring with wrist actigraphy. Patients with nocturia had greater actigraphically recorded nighttime physical activity compared to those with no nocturia. The drop in activity from wake to sleep was reduced to a similar extent whether the patients had nocturia once or twice, but patients who had nocturia ≥3 times had the least reduction from wake to sleep activity (
P
<0.001 versus those with less degrees of nocturia). Those with nocturia had a lesser drop in systolic ambulatory blood pressure during sleep compared with those without nocturia. The average fall in sleep systolic blood pressure was 9.8 mm Hg (95% CI: 8.0 to 11.6 mm Hg) in those without nocturia compared with 3.4 mm Hg (95% CI: 2.7 to 4.1 mm Hg) in those with any severity of nocturia (
P
<0.001 for difference). Nondipping in patients with nocturia was mediated by nighttime physical activity. These differences were independent of estimated glomerular filtration rate, albuminuria, or use of diuretics. Thus, nocturia, which may reflect impaired renal tubular function, is associated with nondipping in patients with chronic kidney disease and appears to be mediated by increased nocturnal activity. Whether nocturia itself or the resulting nondipping associated with nocturia is of prognostic importance for cardiorenal events in patients with chronic kidney disease should be tested in future studies.
The Waning of U.S. Hegemony—Myth or Reality? A Review Essay
Authors: Layne Christopher
Published: July 2009

Over the next two decades, international politics will be shaped by whether the international system remains unipolar or is transformed into a multipolar system. Can the United States sustain its primacy? Or will the emergence of new great powers reorder the distribution of power in the international system? If U.S. power is waning, will power transition dynamics result in security competitions and an increased possibility of war? In particular, what are the implications of China's rapid ascent to great power status? If the United States is unable to preserve its hegemonic role, what will happen to the security and economic frameworks that it took the lead in creating after the end of World War II and that have provided the foundation for the international order ever since? In a world no longer defined by U.S. hegemony, what would become of globalization and the open international economic system that the United established after World War II and expanded after the Cold War ended? This essay reviews five publications that grapple with these questions: Stephen G. Brooks and William C. Wohlforth, World Out of Balance: International Relations and the Challenge of American Primacy; Parag Khanna, The Second World: Empires and Influence in the New Global Order; Kishore Mahbubani, The New Asian Hemisphere: The Irresistible Shift of Global Power to the East; National Intelligence Council, Global Trends 2025: A Transformed World; and Fareed Zakaria, The Post-American World.
Spreading Temptation: Proliferation and Peaceful Nuclear Cooperation Agreements
Authors: Fuhrmann Matthew
Published: July 2009

Peaceful nuclear cooperation—the transfer of nuclear technology, materials, or know-how from one state to another for peaceful purposes—leads to the spread of nuclear weapons. In particular, countries that receive peaceful nuclear assistance are more likely to initiate weapons programs and successfully develop the bomb, especially when they are also faced with security threats. Statistical analysis based on a new data set of more than 2,000 bilateral civilian nuclear cooperation agreements signed from 1950 to 2000 lends strong support for this argument. Brief case studies of the Indian and Pakistani nuclear weapons programs provide further evidence of the links between peaceful nuclear assistance and proliferation. The finding that supplier countries inadvertently raise the risks of nuclear proliferation poses challenges to the conventional wisdom. Indeed, the relationship between civilian nuclear cooperation and proliferation is surprisingly broad. Even assistance that is often viewed as innocuous, such as training nuclear scientists or providing research or power reactors, increases the likelihood that nuclear weapons will spread. “Proliferation-proof” nuclear assistance does not exist. With a renaissance in nuclear power on the horizon, major suppliers, including the United States, should reconsider their willingness to assist other countries in developing peaceful nuclear programs.
The Limits of Coercive Airpower: NATO's “Victory” in Kosovo Revisited
Authors: Lake Daniel R.
Published: July 2009

Many studies of the 1999 Kosovo crisis argue that although airpower played an important role in forcing President Slobodan Milošević's capitulation, NATO's threat of a ground invasion was critical. Other studies claim that no such threat existed or that it was irrelevant to ending the crisis. Instead, they attribute NATO's success solely to the strategic use of coercive airpower. There is, however, another explanation: the rising dissatisfaction with Milošević's rule among his supporters as the crisis dragged on. Despite NATO's overwhelming strategic superiority, Milošević was able to reject his adversary's terms of surrender until his political position became untenable. This suggests that airpower may have greater limitations as a tool of statecraft than its supporters maintain.
Evidence for Early Morphological Decomposition in Visual Word Recognition
Authors: Solomyak Olla , Marantz Alec
Published: July 2009

We employ a single-trial correlational MEG analysis technique to investigate early processing in the visual recognition of morphologically complex words. Three classes of affixed words were presented in a lexical decision task: free stems (e.g., taxable), bound roots (e.g., tolerable), and unique root words (e.g., vulnerable, the root of which does not appear elsewhere). Analysis was focused on brain responses within 100–200 msec poststimulus onset in the previously identified letter string and visual word-form areas. MEG data were analyzed using cortically constrained minimum-norm estimation. Correlations were computed between activity at functionally defined ROIs and continuous measures of the words' morphological properties. ROIs were identified across subjects on a reference brain and then morphed back onto each individual subject's brain (n = 9). We find evidence of decomposition for both free stems and bound roots at the M170 stage in processing. The M170 response is shown to be sensitive to morphological properties such as affix frequency and the conditional probability of encountering each word given its stem. These morphological properties are contrasted with orthographic form features (letter string frequency, transition probability from one string to the next), which exert effects on earlier stages in processing (∼130 msec). We find that effects of decomposition at the M170 can, in fact, be attributed to morphological properties of complex words, rather than to purely orthographic and form-related properties. Our data support a model of word recognition in which decomposition is attempted, and possibly utilized, for complex words containing bound roots as well as free word-stems.
Prestimulus Subsequent Memory Effects for Auditory and Visual Events
Authors: Otten Leun J. , Quayle Angela H. , Puvaneswaran Bhamini
Published: July 2009

It has been assumed that the effective encoding of information into memory primarily depends on neural activity elicited when an event is initially encountered. Recently, it has been shown that memory formation also relies on neural activity just before an event. The precise role of such activity in memory is currently unknown. Here, we address whether prestimulus activity affects the encoding of auditory and visual events, is set up on a trial-by-trial basis, and varies as a function of the type of recognition judgment an item later receives. Electrical brain activity was recorded from the scalps of 24 healthy young adults while they made semantic judgments on randomly intermixed series of visual and auditory words. Each word was preceded by a cue signaling the modality of the upcoming word. Auditory words were preceded by auditory cues and visual words by visual cues. A recognition memory test with remember/know judgments followed after a delay of about 45 min. As observed previously, a negative-going, frontally distributed modulation just before visual word onset predicted later recollection of the word. Crucially, the same effect was found for auditory words and observed on stay as well as switch trials. These findings emphasize the flexibility and general role of prestimulus activity in memory formation, and support a functional interpretation of the activity in terms of semantic preparation. At least with an unpredictable trial sequence, the activity is set up anew on each trial.
Temporal Integration in Visual Word Recognition
Authors: Forget Joachim , Buiatti Marco , Dehaene Stanislas
Published: July 2009

When two displays are presented in close temporal succession at the same location, how does the brain assign them to one versus two conscious percepts? We investigate this issue using a novel reading paradigm in which the odd and even letters of a string are presented alternatively at a variable rate. The results reveal a window of temporal integration during reading, with a nonlinear boundary around ∼80 msec of presentation duration. Below this limit, the oscillating stimulus is easily fused into a single percept, with all characteristics of normal reading. Above this limit, reading times are severely slowed and suffer from a word-length effect. ERPs indicate that, even at the fastest frequency, the oscillating stimulus elicits synchronous oscillations in posterior visual cortices, while late ERP components sensitive to lexical status vanish beyond the fusion threshold. Thus, the fusion/segregation dilemma is not resolved by retinal or subcortical filtering, but at cortical level by at most 300 msec. The results argue against theories of visual word recognition and letter binding that rely on temporal synchrony or other fine temporal codes.
Coercion and Compositionality
Authors: Baggio Giosuè , Choma Travis , van Lambalgen Michiel , Hagoort Peter
Published: July 2009

Research in psycholinguistics and in the cognitive neuroscience of language has suggested that semantic and syntactic processing are associated with different neurophysiologic correlates, such as the N400 and the P600 in the ERPs. However, only a handful of studies have investigated the neural basis of the syntax–semantics interface, and even fewer experiments have dealt with the cases in which semantic composition can proceed independently of the syntax. Here we looked into one such case—complement coercion—using ERPs. We compared sentences such as, “The journalist wrote the article” with “The journalist began the article.” The second sentence seems to involve a silent semantic element, which is expressed in the first sentence by the head of the verb phrase (VP) “wrote the article.” The second type of construction may therefore require the reader to infer or recover from memory a richer event sense of the VP “began the article,” such as began writing the article, and to integrate that into a semantic representation of the sentence. This operation is referred to as “complement coercion.” Consistently with earlier reading time, eye tracking, and MEG studies, we found traces of such additional computations in the ERPs: Coercion gives rise to a long-lasting negative shift, which differs at least in duration from a standard N400 effect. Issues regarding the nature of the computation involved are discussed in the light of a neurocognitive model of language processing and a formal semantic analysis of coercion.
Visual Anticipatory Information Modulates Multisensory Interactions of Artificial Audiovisual Stimuli
Authors: Vroomen Jean , Stekelenburg Jeroen J.
Published: July 2009

The neural activity of speech sound processing (the N1 component of the auditory ERP) can be suppressed if a speech sound is accompanied by concordant lip movements. Here we demonstrate that this audiovisual interaction is neither speech specific nor linked to humanlike actions but can be observed with artificial stimuli if their timing is made predictable. In Experiment 1, a pure tone synchronized with a deformation of a rectangle induced a smaller auditory N1 than auditory-only presentations if the temporal occurrence of this audiovisual event was made predictable by two moving disks that touched the rectangle. Local autoregressive average source estimation indicated that this audiovisual interaction may be related to integrative processing in auditory areas. When the moving disks did not precede the audiovisual stimulus—making the onset unpredictable—there was no N1 reduction. In Experiment 2, the predictability of the leading visual signal was manipulated by introducing a temporal asynchrony between the audiovisual event and the collision of moving disks. Audiovisual events occurred either at the moment, before (too “early”), or after (too “late”) the disks collided on the rectangle. When asynchronies varied from trial to trial—rendering the moving disks unreliable temporal predictors of the audiovisual event—the N1 reduction was abolished. These results demonstrate that the N1 suppression is induced by visual information that both precedes and reliably predicts audiovisual onset, without a necessary link to human action-related neural mechanisms.
Semantic Processing in the Anterior Temporal Lobes: A Meta-analysis of the Functional Neuroimaging Literature
Authors: Visser M. , Jefferies E. , Lambon Ralph M. A.
Published: July 2009

The role of the anterior temporal lobes (ATLs) in semantic cognition is not clear from the current literature. Semantic dementia patients show a progressive and a specific semantic impairment, following bilateral atrophy of the ATLs. Neuroimaging studies of healthy participants, however, do not consistently show ATL activation during semantic tasks. Consequently, several influential theories of semantic memory do not ascribe a central role to the ATLs. We conducted a meta-analysis of 164 functional neuroimaging studies of semantic processing to investigate factors that might contribute to the inconsistency in previous results. Four factors influenced the likelihood of finding ATL activation: (1) the use of PET versus fMRI, reflecting the fact that fMRI but not PET is sensitive to distortion artifacts caused by large variations in magnetic susceptibility in the area of the ATL; (2) a field of view (FOV) of more than 15 cm, thereby ensuring whole-brain coverage; (3) the use of a high baseline task to prevent subtraction of otherwise uncontrolled semantic activation; (4) the inclusion of the ATL as an ROI. The type of stimuli or task did not influence the likelihood of ATL activation, consistent with the view that this region underpins an amodal semantic system. Spoken words, written words, and picture stimuli produced overlapping ATL peaks. On average, these were more inferior for picture-based tasks. We suggest that the specific pattern of ATL activation may be influenced by stimulus type due to variations across this region in the degree of connectivity with modality-specific areas in posterior temporal cortex.
The Function of Words: Distinct Neural Correlates for Words Denoting Differently Manipulable Objects
Authors: Rueschemeyer Shirley-Ann , van Rooij Daan , Lindemann Oliver , Willems Roel M. , Bekkering Harold
Published: July 2009

Recent research indicates that language processing relies on brain areas dedicated to perception and action. For example, processing words denoting manipulable objects has been shown to activate a fronto-parietal network involved in actual tool use. This is suggested to reflect the knowledge the subject has about how objects are moved and used. However, information about how to use an object may be much more central to the conceptual representation of an object than information about how to move an object. Therefore, there may be much more fine-grained distinctions between objects on the neural level, especially related to the usability of manipulable objects. In the current study, we investigated whether a distinction can be made between words denoting (1) objects that can be picked up to move (e.g., volumetrically manipulable objects: bookend, clock) and (2) objects that must be picked up to use (e.g., functionally manipulable objects: cup, pen). The results show that functionally manipulable words elicit greater levels of activation in the fronto-parietal sensorimotor areas than volumetrically manipulable words. This suggests that indeed a distinction can be made between different types of manipulable objects. Specifically, how an object is used functionally rather than whether an object can be displaced with the hand is reflected in semantic representations in the brain.
“In It for the Long Haul”—
Authors: Freedman Sarah Warshauer , Appleman Deborah
Published: July 2009

This study explores a constellation of factors that contribute to the retention of teachers in high-poverty, urban schools. It focuses on one cohort of the University of California at Berkeley's Multicultural Urban Secondary English Credential and MA Program, analyzing qualitative and quantitative data to track the careers of 26 novice teachers through their 5th year after receiving their credential. The authors reconsider the categories traditionally used to determine whether teachers stay or leave and offer ways to track those who stay or leave high-poverty, urban schools, including the use of a category of “movers” to describe teachers who leave urban classroom teaching yet remain active in urban education. They conclude with a discussion of factors that seem to contribute to teachers staying in high-poverty, urban schools and educational settings. Besides a state scholarship program, these include (a) a sense of mission, which was reinforced and developed by the teacher education program; (b) a disposition for hard work and persistence, which was reinforced and developed by the teacher education program; (c) substantive preparation that included both the practical and the academic and harmony between the two; (d) training in assuming the reflective stance of a teacher researcher; (e) the opportunity, given the high demand for teachers in high-poverty schools, to be able to change schools or districts yet still remain in their chosen profession; and (f) ongoing support from members of the cohort as well as other supportive professional networks across the years.
A Teacher Educator Writes and Shares
Authors: Kaufman Douglas K.
Published: July 2009

A literature review reveals limited information regarding the modeling of authentic writing practices by teacher educators for their students. This study examines the effect of the author's modeling processes as evidenced by education students' assessments of his courses. The author analyzed data using a grounded approach to document their perceptions of the benefits of his in-class writing and sharing of literacy work. Responses revealed perceptions of five primary benefits, underscoring both academic and affective components. Perceived academic benefits included the learning of skills, strategies, and methods that influence a teacher's ability to address intellectual or technical aspects of classroom life. Perceived affective benefits included the enhancement of student motivation and the creation of a respectful, caring, and trustworthy learning community. Together, responses appeared to set the stage for the establishment of a more complex, multifaceted classroom discourse.
Which Characteristics of a Reciprocal Peer Coaching Context Affect Teacher Learning as Perceived by Teachers and Their Students?
Authors: Zwart Rosanne C. , Wubbels Theo , Bergen Theo , Bolhuis Sanneke
Published: July 2009

In the present study, the role of five categories of characteristics of a reciprocal peer coaching context was studied in relation to teacher learning. Both self-reports and student perceptions were used to measure teacher learning. Data were gathered on 28 secondary school teachers (14 coaching dyads). A mixed-method approach was adopted combining quantitative and qualitative data. To study the associations between five categories of characteristics of a peer coaching context (independent variable) and teacher learning (dependent variable), questionnaire results (quantitative data) and digital diaries (qualitative data) were examined. It was found that teachers learn when they are intrinsically motivated to take part in professional development programs; when they feel a certain pressure toward experimenting with new instructional methods; and when they are able to discuss their experiences within a safe, constructive, and trustworthy reciprocal peer coaching environment.
Living Together Apart: Perceived Concealment as a Signal of Exclusion in Marital Relationships
Authors: Finkenauer Catrin , Kerkhof Peter , Righetti Francesca , Branje Susan
Published: July 2009

This article examines how perceiving concealment in close relationships influences marital well-being. It suggests that the perception of concealment from a partner signals separateness from one’s partner and contributes to feelings of perceived partner exclusion. These feelings of exclusion, in turn, should negatively affect relational quality. These predictions are tested in a prospective study among 199 newlywed couples. Results suggest that perceiving concealment reduced marital adjustment and trust and increased conflict over time. Importantly, change in perceived partner exclusion mediated these effects. This article demonstrates that the perception of concealment (a) has deleterious effects on relational well-being in the long run and (b) is harmful in part because it elicits feelings of exclusion.
“Everybody Wants to Pioneer Something Out Here”
Authors: Barnes Barbara A.
Published: July 2009

This article analyzes a controversy that emerged when the first Eco-Challenge® race was held in southern Utah in 1995 and sparked resistance from environmentalists who saw it as overly commercial, likely to inundate the region with tourists, and damage lands and wildlife. In an analysis of the controversy, I argue that the problem was partially rooted in notions of “wilderness” as naturally empty, and as nationally symbolic. Though stake-holders disagreed on “correct” uses of the land, they all imagined the desert as an empty space of freedom and equality, which, mirrored 1990s understandings of markets as free and level-playing fields. Adventure sport thus presented a logical environment for making the citizen bodies demanded by 1990s neoliberal cultures: flexible, free, and constantly self-improving. But “wilderness” is made in symbolic material ways that reflect cultural exigencies as much as physical characteristics of place. Though such constructions efface human and nonhuman histories, I ask whether wilderness adventure can be imagined through more historical complexity.
Histological and Radiographic Evaluations of Demineralized Bone Matrix and Coralline Hydroxyapatite in the Rabbit Tibia
Authors: Zhukauskas Rasa , Dodds Robert A. , Hartill Caroline , Arola Travis , Cobb Ronald R. , Fox Casey
Published: July 2009

Complex fractures resulting in bone loss or impaired fracture healing remain problematic in trauma and orthopedic surgeries. Many bone graft substitutes have been developed and are commercially available. These products differ in their osteoconductive and osteoinductive properties. Differential enhancement of these properties may optimize the performance of these products for various orthopedic and craniofacial applications. The use of bone graft substitutes offers the ability to lessen the possible morbidity of the harvest site in autografts. The objective of the present study was to compare the ability of two bone graft substitutes, BioSet® RT, an allograft demineralized bone matrix formulation, and ProOsteon® 500R, a coralline hydroxyapatite, in a rabbit critical tibial defect model. BioSet® RT and ProOsteon® 500R were implanted into a unicortical proximal metaphyseal tibial defect and evaluated for new bone formation. Samples were analyzed radiographically and histologically at 1 day, 6 weeks, 12 weeks, and 24 weeks post surgery. Both materials were biocompatible and demonstrated significant bone growth and remodeling. At 12 weeks, the BioSet ® RT implanted sites demonstrated significantly more defect closure and bone remodeling as determined by radiographic analyses with 10 out of 14 defects being completely healed versus 1 out of 14 being completely healed in the ProOsteon® 500R implanted sites. At 24 weeks, both materials demonstrated complete closure of the defect as determined histologically. There were no statistical differences in radiographic scores between the two implanted materials. However, there was an observable trend that the BioSet® RT material generated higher histological and radiographic scores, although not statistically significant. This study provides evidence that both BioSet® RT and ProOsteon® 500R are biocompatible and able to induce new bone formation as measured in this rabbit model. In addition, this in vivo study demonstrates the ability of BioSet ® RT to induce new bone formation in a shorter timeframe than ProOsteon ® 500R.
Judging the Effectiveness of a Sustainable School
Authors: Scott William
Published: July 2009

This essay explores a central question for all those involved in education and sustainability (ESD): What are you really most interested in: educational or social outcomes—what learners learn, or what they do? Although this is hardly a new question, the paper argues that it is one that needs to be emphasised at this time when we see a tightening focus on modifying behaviours, and the conscription of educational institutions and programmes to these ends. The essay takes the promotion of Fairtrade, a contemporary view on how ESD might be conceptualised, and a recent report from the English schools inspectorate, to explore where an appropriate balance might be struck between these. The essay argues that, although both educational and social outcomes are important, when it comes to making judgements about school effectiveness, this needs to be tightly focused on what young people are learning rather than on, say, the amount of energy they have saved or waste they have recycled.
Road to Ahmedabad
Authors: Hopkins Charles
Published: July 2009

In his speech at the inaugural session of the 4th International Conference on Environmental Education, Ahmedabad, India, in November 2007, Charles Hopkins, one of the ‘founding fathers’ of environmental education (EE) at the 1st International Conference on Environmental Education in Tbilisi, Georgia, in 1977, reflected on how EE has progressed over the past three decades. When the International Environmental Education Programme (IEEP) was born in the 1970s, pollution and the emerging scarcity of resources were the paramount issues, but those issues have now faded in the face of global poverty, climate change and economic issues. However, the architects of the early EE documents, including the well-crafted Tbilisi Declaration, envisioned many aspects of EE—including poverty eradication, cultural pre-servation and social justice—that are relevant today. Looking back, it is interesting to observe how environmental educators themselves have risen to the broad dreams of the Tbilisi Declaration writers.
Appropedia as a Tool for Service Learning in Sustainable Development
Authors: Pearce Joshua M.
Published: July 2009

Numerous studies have demonstrated that university students are capable of contributing to sustainable development while improving their academic skills. Unfortunately for many institutions, the expense of sending large cohorts of students on international service learning trips is prohibitive. Yet, students remain enthusiastic and well equipped to assist in sustainable development. This article reports on two pedagogical experiments in service learning that overcame this challenge by providing solutions to sustainable development problems using Appropedia.org, the site for collaborative solutions in sustainability, poverty reduction and international development. The course successfully used Appropedia (1) as a forum for students who were geographically dispersed, (2) for a whole-class writing collaboration, (3) to coordinate a sustainability-focussed outreach campaign to retrofit stop lights in communities throughout Pennsylvania and (4) to review class material with application to technologies for sustainable development.
Curriculum Change in Universities
Authors: Harpe Barbara de la , Thomas Ian
Published: July 2009

Many universities have begun to introduce curriculum innovation and change to facilitate the curricular integration of generic skills underlying education for sustainable development (ESD). However, the literature and research in the area to date show few successful examples of comprehensive large-scale curriculum change. From the literature on curriculum change in universities, we identify the conditions that have been reported to facilitate such change. We then report on two surveys that explored academic perceptions of the conditions that influence curriculum change, one of a sample of Australian academics and the other of a sample of international academics involved with ESD. We discuss the survey findings and outline implications for those attempting to introduce ESD curriculum change at universities.
Illness Awareness in Hospice: Application of a Semi-Structured Interview
Authors: Andruccioli Jessica , Montesi Alessandra , Di Leo Silvia , Sarti Donatella , Turci Paola , Pittureri Cristina , Monterubbianesi Maria Cristina , Parma Tiziana , Raffaeli William
Published: July 2009

This study describes the results of a semi-structured interview to assess the illness awareness of cancer patients in Hospice. The results of this study are based on the interviews made in Rimini and Savignano sul Rubicone Hospices (n = 51). Psychologists evaluated illness awareness of the participants interviewed independently from the code system that is provided for the interview. According to the psychologists, 18 patients (35%) were aware, 11 patients (22%) were unaware, and 22 patients (43%) were aware with defense mechanisms. According to the code system of the interview, the results were the following: 18 patients (35%) were aware, 2 patients (4%) were unaware, and 29 patients (57%) were aware with defense mechanisms. Two participants had to be reassessed because of inconsistency in some factors. In conclusion, the data analysis underlined that the congruence of the 2 assessment methods was found in 33 of the 51 patients examined (65%) and that the degree of concordance was rather low (κ = .46; 95% CI = 0.24-0.68).
Modeling and Robust Control of Horizontal Vibrations for High-speed Elevator
Authors: Yonghui Feng  , Jianwu Zhang  , Yane Zhao
Published: July 2009

Modeling and robust controller design of horizontal vibrations for high-speed elevators are presented in this paper. Based on the theory of rigid body dynamics, the model of the horizontal vibrations about the elevator cage is developed. The motion of the elevator cage is resolved into translation and rotation round the mass center of the cage. Taking account of the characteristics of nonlinearity, parameter uncertainties and external disturbances of the elevator cage, robust controller is designed using Lyapunov’s method. To simplify the controller design, the position controller and the attitude controller are designed based on the translation model and the rotation model, respectively. Placement, velocity and acceleration feedback and the Lyapunov method are used to design the position controller; input/output feedback linearization approach, pole placement and the Lyapunov method are used to design the attitude controller. Simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed controller.
Lost in laterality: interpreting ‘‘preferred side of the head during mobile phone use and risk of brain tumour’’ associations
Authors: Schüz Joachim
Published: July 2009

Due to the highly localized exposure from mobile phones, the preferred side of the head during their use is important information when investigating a possible link with brain tumour risk, but at the same time, error and bias hamper the assessment of this information in case-control studies. Current studies provide evidence of reporting bias insofar as cases appear to over-report the side of the head where the tumour occurred as the one that they preferred in the past when using mobile phones. More refined methods of analysis among only cases or prospective studies with an assessment of the laterality of mobile phone use before the diagnosis of disease are needed to evaluate whether associations seen in some studies are entirely due to reporting bias or a mixture of reporting bias and a causal effect.
Cross-national comparisons of non-harmonized indicators may lead to more confusion than clarification
Authors: Ekholm Ola , Brønnum-Hansen Henrik
Published: July 2009

Aims: A newly published study showed that the life expectancy for Danes was below the European Union (EU) average. Furthermore, the study showed that healthy life years (HLYs) at 50 years of age were much higher in Denmark than in the other EU countries in 2005. However, the results of this study should be interpreted with caution. Methods: The analyses regarding HLYs were based on the global long-term activity limitation index as a measure of disability and were included in the EU Survey on Income and Living Condition (EU-SILC). In Denmark two response categories were used to asses long-term activity limitation (yes; no) compared to three levels in all other countries (severely limited; limited but not severely; none). In addition, the wording of the question in Denmark makes cross-national comparisons even more inadequate. The questions and the response categories were revised in the Danish SILC-2008. Results: A comparison of the previous and the revised indicator shows that the estimated number of HLYs at 50 years of age is approximately three years lower for both men and women in 2008 than in 2005. Furthermore, in Denmark data was collected via telephone interviews or postal questionnaires. However, in almost all other countries data was collected via face-to-face interviews. It is well known that the mode of data collection may affect response distributions. Conclusions: Results based on non-harmonized indicators should always be interpreted cautiously to avoid policy-makers and others reaching erroneous conclusions.