bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Studies on the Renal Circulation and Renal Function in Mitral Valvular Disease
Authors: WERKÖ LARS , VARNAUSKAS EDVARDAS , ELIASCH HARALD , EK JAN , BUCHT HÄRJE , THOMASSON BENGT , BERGSTRÖM JONAS
Published: June 2012

In 31 patients with mitral stenosis of varying severity the effect of light, steady exercise during 15 to 17 minutes on renal function and renal circulation has been studied during heart catheterization. The results have been compared with the values obtained at rest in 72 patients with mitral stenosis. Exercise produced a decrease in clearance of para-aminohippurate and sodium excretion and an increase in renal resistance, changes not produced in normal individuals. Cardiac output and pulmonary pressures increased. In patients with right heart failure exercise produced increased pressures but no increase in cardiac output, and only slight changes in clearance but increase in renal resistance and renal venous pressure.
A New Electrocardiographic Pattern Observed in Cerebrovascular Accidents
Authors: BURCH G. E. , MEYERS ROBERT , ABILDSKOV J. A.
Published: June 2012

An electrocardiographic pattern was encountered in patients with cerebrovascular accidents which consisted primarily of T waves of large amplitude and duration. Large U waves were often present which may fuse in part or entirely within the T wave. Because of the presence and fusion of the T and U waves, the prolonged Q-T interval associated with the pattern was most probably a Q-U interval.
Frontal Plane Studies of Homogeneous Torso Models
Authors: FRANK ERNEST , KAY CALVIN F.
Published: June 2012

The accuracy of currently used vector methods of analysis of frontal-plane electrocardiograms and the behavior of the Wilson central-terminal voltage are investigated experimentally by means of an accurate unipolar voltage technic, using human torso models filled with a homogeneous conducting fluid in which is immersed a heart dipole. The errors entailed in the determination of the manifest heart vector from torso surface voltages by means of Einthoven's vector projection methods are found to be very sizable and strongly dependent upon the position of the heart dipole which is placed at various points within the heart volume in this investigation. Einthoven's angle α is found to depart from the actual heart-vector angle by –7 degrees to +41 degrees, at the instant when the manifest heart vector is a maximum, and the amplitude and shape of frontal-plane vector loops and limb leads are found to be considerably distorted, in many cases, as compared with the actual heart-dipole behavior. The Wilson central-terminal voltage is found to depart from its ideal value of zero by approximately 15 to 40 per cent of the maximum value of the manifest heart vector as seen in the frontal plane, in typical cases, and by more than 200 per cent in extreme cases. It is shown that the component of the dipole perpendicular to the frontal plane is not negligible in influencing the limb-electrode potentials. The results are found to be consistent within 10 per cent or better for a male and female torso differing widely in proportions and contour, except for an increase in the female torso voltages arising from its smaller physical dimensions. The results are presented principally in terms of the QRS complex, but the geometric triangle representation is given as are numerical coefficients which describe torso surface voltages.
Skeletal muscle blood flow. A possible link between insulin resistance and blood pressure.
Authors: Baron A D , Brechtel-Hook G , Johnson A , Hardin D
Published: June 2012

Insulin resistance has recently been found to be a common feature of essential hypertension. We have tested the hypothesis that reduced skeletal muscle blood flow in response to insulin may at least partially account for the wide range of insulin sensitivity observed in normotensive subjects. To this end, we studied 19 lean (body mass index < or = 27) subjects exhibiting basal mean arterial pressures ranging from 58 to 110 mm Hg. All subjects were normotensive with the exception of one. Each subject was studied at baseline and during a hyperinsulinemic (600 milliunits/m2 per minute) euglycemic clamp to quantitate insulin sensitivity. Mean arterial pressure was monitored invasively, and both leg (muscle) blood flow and cardiac output were measured by indicator dilution techniques, allowing the determination of both systemic and leg (or muscle) vascular resistance. In response to hyperinsulinemia, both cardiac output and leg blood flow increased approximately 37% and 80% (p < 0.01), respectively. Rates of insulin-mediated glucose uptake were inversely correlated with the baseline mean arterial pressure (r = -0.62, p < 0.01). The individual increment in leg blood flow above baseline in response to insulin was inversely proportional to the height of the baseline mean arterial pressure (r = -0.59, p < 0.01). Mean arterial pressure and insulin-mediated glucose uptake were not correlated with either age or body fat content.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Atrial natriuretic peptide blunts the cellular effects of cyclosporine in smooth muscle.
Authors: Bokemeyer D , Kramer H J , Meyer-Lehnert H
Published: June 2012

The effect of cyclosporine A to enhance vasoconstrictor-induced calcium (Ca2+) mobilization in vascular smooth muscle cells may contribute to important side effects in cyclosporine therapy such as hypertension and nephrotoxicity. On the other hand, atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) is known to diminish vasoconstrictor-stimulated Ca2+ mobilization. The present study, therefore, examined the interaction of cyclosporine and ANP on Ca2+ kinetics in cultured rat vascular smooth muscle cells. Intracellular free calcium concentrations ([Ca2+]i) were measured using fura-2. 45Ca2+ was used to estimate Ca2+ efflux and cellular Ca2+ influx. Preincubation of the cells with cyclosporine (10 micrograms/ml) for 12 minutes lowered basal [Ca2+]i from 48 +/- 4 to 28 +/- 3 nM (p < 0.01). However, in the presence of cyclosporine, the angiotensin II (10(-8) M)-stimulated rise of [Ca2+]i was increased from 296 +/- 22 to 460 +/- 47 nM (p < 0.001). ANP (5 x 10(-9) M) blocked the Ca2+ mobilization by angiotensin II (71 +/- 7 versus 69 +/- 7 nM, NS) and also completely inhibited the effect of angiotensin II in the presence of cyclosporine (77 +/- 5 versus 78 +/- 5 nM, NS). Basal efflux as well as angiotensin II-stimulated 45Ca2+ efflux were not altered by preincubation with cyclosporine, indicating that the effect of cyclosporine on [Ca2+]i was not due to an inhibition of 45Ca2+ efflux.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Vascular smooth muscle cell calcium fluxes. Regulation by angiotensin II and lipoproteins.
Authors: Orlov S , Resink T J , Bernhardt J , Ferracin F , Buhler F R
Published: June 2012

This study examined 45Ca uptake, 45Ca efflux, and the distribution of exchangeable 45Ca in confluent, quiescent cultures of aortic smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) from normotensive Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats and spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs). These parameters were investigated under basal conditions and after addition of angiotensin II (Ang II) and low (LDL) and high (HDL) density lipoproteins. Basal 45Ca uptake was approximately 50% greater in VSMCs from SHRs (p < 0.005 versus WKY). Calcium antagonists (diltiazem or nifedipine) abolished this difference. The 45Ca uptake response to Ang II was approximately twofold greater in SHR than in WKY VSMCs (p < 0.05), and Ang II-induced increments of 45Ca uptake were weakly inhibited (by approximately 15-25%) by calcium antagonists. Lipoproteins also stimulated 45Ca uptake in VSMCs, and the apparent affinity of this process was approximately fivefold greater for LDL than for HDL. Calcium antagonists did not inhibit either LDL- or HDL-induced 45Ca uptake. SHR and WKY VSMCs did not differ with respect to 45Ca uptake induced by either LDL or HDL. The initial size of the slowly exchangeable pool of intracellular Ca2+ was approximately 35% greater in SHR VSMCs (p < 0.05 versus WKY). Ang II-induced mobilization of intracellular calcium (measured as the decrease in 45Ca content of the slowly exchangeable pool) was threefold greater in SHR VSMCs (p < 0.005 versus WKY). LDL and HDL marginally stimulated 45Ca efflux from this pool (< or = 20% above control) and to comparable extents in both SHR and WKY VSMCs.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Mild hypovolemic stress alters autonomic modulation of heart rate.
Authors: Triedman J K , Cohen R J , Saul J P
Published: June 2012

In response to changes in central venous volume, changes in vagal efferent cardiac outflow have been demonstrated in animals but not in humans. In this study, frequency domains analysis was used to quantify modulation of heart rate by respiration and blood pressure in normal human adults undergoing mild central hypovolemic stress induced by blood donation and postural change. In supine subjects, blood donation caused no change in mean heart rate, pulse pressure, or in the variance of heart rate or blood pressure. There were small decreases in mean and systolic blood pressure. A significant decrease in vagal modulation of heart rate was seen in the 0.12-0.5-Hz frequency band, as measured by the change in the relation of lung volume to heart rate in this frequency band (-4.49 beats per minute [pbm] per liter [1], p < 0.001). Comparison of supine and tilt positions revealed marked changes in heart rate and blood pressure means and variances consistent with more pronounced decreases in intracardiac filling pressures and unloading of the arterial baroreceptors. A further progressive decrease in the vagal modulation of heart rate by lung volume was observed in the 0.12-0.5-Hz band, with a near-linear response of magnitude of respiratory sinus arrhythmia over a range of estimated central venous volume. Transfer function analysis can detect changes in autonomic response to mild degrees of central hypovolemia, which are insufficient to cause changes in mean heart rate or heart rate variance. This represents evidence for modulation of heart rate control by cardiopulmonary baroreceptors. A near-linear relation between magnitude of respiratory sinus arrhythmia and central venous volume suggests that this may have clinical relevance in patient monitoring.
Contractures and increase in internal longitudianl resistance of cow ventricular muscle induced by hypoxia.
Authors: Wojtczak J
Published: June 2012

This study was performed to determine whether hypoxia in glucose-free solutions can increase the electrical resistance of intercellular junctions in ventricular muscle. Internal longitudinal resistance (Ri), mechanical tension, and transmembrane action potentials were measured simultaneously in cow ventricular trabeculae. The mean control value of Ri was 265 +/- 38 omegacm (mean +/- SE) at 34 degrees C. After 1 hour of hypoxia in glucose-free Tyrode's solution, it had increased by 300 +/- 41% (n = 11, P less than 0.001). The rise in Ri was closely related to the increase in resting tension (contracture). These effects were more pronounced during a second exposure to hypoxia and were potentiated by application of epinephrine, by increasing extracellular calcium concentration, and by increasing frequency of stimulation. Addition of glucose (50 mM) provided some protection against hypoxia. It is inferred that the increase in Ri is entirely due to the increase in the resistance of intercellular junctions (electrical uncoupling). Intracellular calcium may be responsible for both the contracture and the uncoupling.
The Frontal Assessment Battery as a Tool for Evaluation of Frontal Lobe Dysfunction in Patients With Parkinson Disease
Authors: Cohen Oren S. , Vakil Eli , Tanne David , Molshatzki Noa , Nitsan Zeev , Hassin-Baer Sharon
Published: June 2012

Background: Frontal-type cognitive deficits are common in patients with Parkinson disease (PD). The Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB) was developed to assess frontal lobe functions. However, many studies found that it also correlated with a variety of other general neuropsychological tests. Objectives: To evaluate whether the FAB has an added value over the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and other bedside neuropsychological tests in reflecting cognitive deficits in patients with PD. Methods: Seventy-two consecutive patients with PD underwent cognitive assessment including the FAB, the MMSE, and a variety of other neuropsychological tests. Correlations were examined using the Spearman’s r. Results: Highly significant correlations were found between the total FAB score and tests of attention, executive functions, and memory. To evaluate the contribution of the FAB beyond that of the MMSE, partial correlation was used. Analyses revealed that the FAB still correlated with most of the tests. Dividing the patients according to the median MMSE score revealed that the high correlation between the FAB and the MMSE was preserved in the low MMSE group, while in the high MMSE group the correlation was relatively low. In the high MMSE group, the FAB correlated with 11 tests compared to the MMSE that correlated with one ( P < .001), while in the low MMSE group the number of correlations was 13 versus 7, respectively ( P = .05). Conclusions: In our sample of patients with PD, the FAB correlated with dysfunction in a variety of cognitive domains including attention, memory, and executive functions. The FAB has an added value over the MMSE, particularly among nondemented patients, an advantage that can be used in clinical practice.
The Effect of Ischemic Cholinergic Damage on Cognition in Patients With Subcortical Vascular Cognitive Impairment
Authors: Kim Sook Hui , Kang Hyun Seok , Kim Hee Jin , Moon Yeonsil , Ryu Hui Jin , Kim Min Young , Han Seol-Heui
Published: June 2012

Prior research has shown that the total amount of white matter ischemia had no significant correlation with cognitive deficits. We compared the association of white matter hyperintensities (WMHs) of total as well as cholinergic pathways with clinical dementia severity and investigated whether cholinergic ischemic burden had an independent predictive value with respect to cognitive decline in subcortical vascular cognitive impairment (SVCI). Forty-eight patients underwent detailed neuropsychological tests and brain magnetic resonance imaging. Quantification of WMH in the total white matter and in cholinergic pathways was achieved using the visual Scheltens scale and Cholinergic Pathway HyperIntensity Scale (CHIPS), respectively. We explored the association between WMH scores and clinical dementia rating scale (CDR). To assess the relation between WMH and cognitive scores, multiple linear regression analysis was used. The CHIPS score was higher in subcortical vascular dementia compared to subcortical vascular MCI, while this difference was not found with the total TMHs (TWMH) score. The TWMH score had a positive correlation with CHIPS, however only CHIPS scores positively correlated with sum of box scores of CDR scale (CDR SB; ρ = .474, P = .001). Higher CHIPS scores were associated with lower performance on the semantic word fluency test (β = −.447, P = .036), whereas the TWMH scores had no independent predictive value with respect to cognitive impairment, after controlling for CHIPS score. Our data confirmed the association of ischemic damage within cholinergic pathways with dementia severity, independent of TWMH in SVCI. In addition, this cholinergic deficit is clinically relevant to cognitive deterioration, especially with frontal dysfunction.
Psychosocial Interventions for Depression and Anxiety in Parkinson's Disease
Authors: Yang Sarah , Sajatovic Martha , Walter Benjamin L.
Published: June 2012

Background: Depression has been estimated to affect 1 in 3 individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD) and can lead to worse health outcomes and decreased quality of life. Anxiety further complicates PD outcomes. Pharmacologic treatments of depression and anxiety can have negative side effects in patients with PD, including exacerbation of PD symptoms. There is a critical need for alternative treatment approaches that address depression and anxiety among patients with PD. Psychosocial or behavioral approaches are known to be effective for depression generally, but only a handful of studies have examined the role of psychosocial treatments of patients with depression in PD. Objective: The aim of this article was to review published psychosocial treatment studies of depression and anxiety in patients with PD. Methods: The PubMed database was searched for articles published in English before April 2011 using the terms Parkinson’s disease, depression, anxiety, psychotherapy, cognitive therapy, behavioral treatment, behavioral therapy, nonpharmacologic treatment, psychoeducation, education, psychosocial treatment, and stress management. Articles included were prospective clinical trials utilizing specific depression or anxiety assessments as primary or secondary outcomes in patients with PD. Results: Nine reports derived from 8 separate studies fit the inclusion criteria and were included in this review. All studies were published between 1997 and 2011, and all but 3 had small sample sizes (<40 patients). Interventions included cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), psychodrama, education, and behavior therapy as well as multidisciplinary rehabilitation. Cognitive behavioral therapy was the most studied and was shown to decrease depressive and anxiety symptoms in patients with PD. Other individual and group therapies may improve depression and anxiety in patients with PD, but the general paucity of studies and study methods limit the interpretation of these results. Conclusions: There have been few studies on psychosocial treatments that specifically assess change in depression and anxiety among patients with PD. While results for CBT and other modes of therapy are promising for acute management of depression and anxiety, longer term effects after treatment have been variable. There is a need for additional studies on psychosocial interventions in people with PD.
Comparison of 2 Dementia Screeners, the Test Your Memory Test and the Mini-Mental State Examination, in a Primary Care Setting
Authors: van Schalkwyk Gerrit , Botha Hugo , Seedat Soraya
Published: June 2012

Dementia is an important cause of morbidity but is often neglected in primary care settings. This relates, in part, to perceived difficulties with diagnosis and the need to focus on more pressing physical complaints. Screening provides a potential first-step solution. Existing screening measures are regarded as either too time consuming or insufficiently sensitive and specific. The Test Your Memory (TYM) questionnaire was recently developed in response to this problem. Its utility as a cognitive screener has not been assessed in primary care settings. In this study, we measured and compared the performance of an adapted English as well as Afrikaans translation of the self-administered TYM to the Mini-Mental State Examination, the current accepted standard screening instrument for dementia, in 100 older primary care patients in South Africa. We found a strong positive correlation of total scores between the measures, with a higher internal consistency for the TYM. The TYM was also easily self-administered. Our results, in conjunction with previous validation findings and diagnostic accuracy for the TYM, suggest that it has clinical utility and potential as a cognitive screener in this context.
Building European social dialogue: The experience of the education sector
Authors: Poissonneau David , Nolda Charles
Published: June 2012

From their personal experience in the European organizations of trade unions and employers in the education sector, the authors discuss the process which resulted in the creation of a Sectoral Dialogue Committee.
A review of analogues of alkaline alteration with regard to long-term barrier performance
Authors: Savage D.
Published: June 2012

Cement and concrete will be used as fracture grouts, shotcrete, tunnel and borehole seals, and as matrices for waste encapsulationinter aliain geological repositories for radioactive wastes. Alteration of the host rock and/or swelling clay in waste package buffers and tunnel backfills by hyperalkaline solutions from cement/concrete may be deleterious to system performance through changes in the physicochemical properties of these barrier materials.

Analogue systems (and timescales) relevant to the understanding of the alkaline disturbed zone include: industrial analogues, such as alkaline flooding of hydrocarbon reservoirs (up to 30 y), cement-aggregate reactions (up to 100 y) and the Tournemire tunnel (up to 125 y); and natural analogues, including the hyperalkaline springs at Maqarin, Jordan (more than 100,000 y), saline, alkaline lakes (more than 1,000,000 y) and certain fracture fillings in granites (more than 1,000,000 y).

These systems show that alkaline alteration can be observed for thousands of years over distance scales of hundreds of metres under extreme conditions of hydraulic gradients in fractured rocks (Maqarin), but may be limited to a few centimetres over tens to a hundred years in mudstone (Tournemire). Important reaction mechanisms for retardation of alkaline fluids include: fluid mixing (alkaline oil floods, Maqarin), ion exchange (alkaline oil floods, Tournemire) and kinetic mineral dissolution-precipitation reactions (all systems studied). Qualitative and quantitative kinetic data for mineral reactions are available from cement aggregate reactions and the Searles Lake analogue, respectively. Short-term alteration observed in cement-aggregates is characterized by calcium silicate hydrate (C-S-H) minerals and incipient zeolite formation, whereas evidence from the Tournemire tunnel shows the growth of K-feldspar after relatively short time intervals (tens to a hundred years). There is a tendency for alkaline alteration to result in porosity decreases, but locally, porosity may be enhanced (e.g. near-injection well interactions in alkaline oil floods, or at fracture margins at Maqarin, Jordan). Data from industrial and natural analogues may thus supply some key data for bridging time and space scales between laboratory andin situexperiments on one hand and the requirements for safety assessment on the other.
Research and development for geological disposal of higher activity wastes: the role and expectations of the Environment Agency
Authors: Cailes C. R. , Barraclough I. , Smith R. E. , Thomson G.
Published: June 2012

The Environment Agency is the environmental regulator for the nuclear industry in England and Wales. We aim to ensure that any future Geological Disposal Facility (GDF) will meet our standards for protecting people and the environment during development, operation and following closure. We shall only grant an environmental permit for such a facility if the GDF developer submits an Environmental Safety Case (ESC) to the Environment Agency demonstrating that the proposed GDF will meet our standards. The ESC should be based on sound science and supported by appropriate research and development. The Environment Agency undertakes its own research programme to inform its regulatory decisions.
Sorption of Tc(IV) to some geological materials with reference to radioactive waste disposal
Authors: Hallam R. J. , Evans N. D. M. , Jain S. L.
Published: June 2012

One of the most important isotopes to be considered for disposal in the proposed UK Geological Disposal Facility (GDF) for higher-activity radioactive wastes will be99Tc, due to its long half-life, high fission yield and ability to migrate through the geosphere as the pertechnetate ion. Much of the Tc is likely to be in the lower Tc(IV) oxidation state due to the low Eh in the near field. Batch Tc(IV) sorption experiments have been performed from pH 3–13, using95mTc as a spike, in the presence of quartz, hematite, goethite, plagioclase feldspar, sand and shale. Solutions containing Tc(IV) were prepared at trace concentrations to avoid precipitation of TcO2. Values for the partition coefficient (Rd) were found to range from ∽4 up to ∽2 × 104cm3g–1. Rdwas heavily dependent on pH in all cases, with the highest values being found in the circumneutral area. These data will inform the performance assessment for the near-field behaviour of technetium in the UK's planned higher-activity wastes GDF. Surface complexation modelling has been performed, fitting the data using both monodentate and bidentate binding models.
Microbiological influences on fracture surfaces of intact mudstone and the implications for geological disposal of radioactive waste
Authors: Harrison H. , Wagner D. , Yoshikawa H. , West J. M. , Milodowski A. E. , Sasaki Y. , Turner G. , Lacinska A. , Holyoake S. , Harrington J. , Noy D. , Coombs P. , Bateman K. , Aoki K.
Published: June 2012

The significance of the potential impacts of microbial activity on the transport properties of host rocks for geological repositories is an area of active research. Most recent work has focused on granitic environments. This paper describes pilot studies investigating changes in transport properties that are produced by microbial activity in sedimentary rock environments in northern Japan. For the first time, these short experiments (39 days maximum) have shown that the denitrifying bacteria, Pseudomonas denitrificans, can survive and thrive when injected into flow-through column experiments containing fractured diatomaceous mudstone and synthetic groundwater under pressurized conditions. Although there were few significant changes in the fluid chemistry, changes in the permeability of the biotic column, which can be explained by the observed biofilm formation, were quantitatively monitored. These same methodologies could also be adapted to obtain information from cores originating from a variety of geological environments including oil reservoirs, aquifers and toxic waste disposal sites to provide an understanding of the impact of microbial activity on the transport of a range of solutes, such as groundwater contaminants and gases (e.g. injected carbon dioxide).
Potassium-bearing clinopyroxene: a review of experimental, crystal chemical and thermodynamic data with petrological applications
Authors: Safonov O. G. , Bindi L. , Vinograd V. L.
Published: June 2012

Available experimental data on chemical composition and crystal structure of K-bearing clinopyroxenes are compiled together with the results of atomistic simulations and thermodynamic calculations of mineral equilibria. It is shown that the limited solubility of K2O in clinopyroxene from crustal rocks cannot be ascribed to the strong non-ideality of mixing between diopside (CaMgSi2O6) and K-jadeite (KAlSi2O6) components. The more likely reason is the instability of the potassic endmember with respect to other K-bearing phases. As the volume effects of typical K-jadeite-forming reactions are negative, the incorporation of K in the clinopyroxene structure becomes less difficult at higher pressure. Atomistic simulations predict that the thermodynamic mixing properties of diopside-K-jadeite solid-solutions at high temperature approach those of a regular mixture with a relatively small positive excess enthalpy. The standard enthalpy of formation(ΔfH° =—2932.7 kJ/mol), the standard volume(V° =6.479 J mol–1bar–1) and the isothermal bulk modulus(K0=145 GPa) of K-jadeite were calculated from first principles, and the standard entropy(S°= 141.24 J mol–1K–1) and thermal-expansion coefficient (α = 3.3 x 1CP–5K–1) of the K-jadeite endmember were estimated using quasi-harmonic lattice-dynamic calculations based on a force-field model. The estimated thermodynamic data are used to compute compositions of K-bearing clinopyroxenes in diverse mineral assemblages within a wideP-Tinterval. The review substantiates the conclusion that clinopyroxene can serve as an effective container for K at upper-mantle conditions.
A secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) re-evaluation of B and Li isotopic compositions of Cu-bearing elbaite from three global localities
Authors: Ludwig T. , Marschall H. R. , Pogge von Strandmann P. A. E. , Shabaga B. M. , Fayek M. , Hawthorne F. C.
Published: June 2012

Cu-bearing elbaite from Paraíba (Brazil) is a highly-prized gem tourmaline. Specimens of similar quality from localities in Mozambique and Nigeria are being sold, and reliable provenance tools are required to distinguish specimens from the original locality from ‘Paraíba-type’ tourmaline from Africa. Here we present Li and B isotope analyses of Cu-bearing elbaite from all three localities and demonstrate the suitability of these isotope systems as a provenance tool. Isotopic profiles across chemically zoned grains revealed homogenous B and Li isotopic compositions, demonstrating a strong advantage of their application as a provenance tool as opposed to major, minor or trace element signatures.

Li and B isotopes of all investigated samples of Cu-bearing elbaites from the three localities are within the range of previously published granitic and pegmatitic tourmaline. Anomalous isotope compositions published previously for these samples are corrected by our results.
Maternal smoking and the retinoid pathway in the developing lung
Authors: Manoli Sara E , Smith Lacey A , Vyhlidal Carrie A , An Chang Hyeok , Porrata Yolanda , Cardoso Wellington V , Baron Rebecca M , Haley Kathleen J
Published: June 2012

Background

Maternal smoking is a risk factor for pediatric lung disease, including asthma. Animal models suggest that maternal smoking causes defective alveolarization in the offspring. Retinoic acid signaling modulates both lung development and postnatal immune function. Thus, abnormalities in this pathway could mediate maternal smoking effects. We tested whether maternal smoking disrupts retinoic acid pathway expression and functioning in a murine model.

Methods

Female C57Bl/6 mice with/without mainstream cigarette smoke exposure (3 research cigarettes a day, 5 days a week) were mated to nonsmoking males. Cigarette smoke exposure continued throughout the pregnancy and after parturition. Lung tissue from the offspring was examined by mean linear intercept analysis and by quantitative PCR. Cell culture experiments using the type II cell-like cell line, A549, tested whether lipid-soluble cigarette smoke components affected binding and activation of retinoic acid response elementsin vitro.

Results

Compared to tobacco-naïve mice, juvenile mice with tobacco toxin exposure had significantly (P < 0.05) increased mean linear intercepts, consistent with an alveolarization defect. Tobacco toxin exposure significantly (P < 0.05) decreased mRNA and protein expression of retinoic acid signaling pathway elements, including retinoic acid receptor alpha and retinoic acid receptor beta, with the greatest number of changes observed between postnatal days 3–5. Lipid-soluble cigarette smoke components significantly (P < 0.05) decreased retinoic acid-induced binding and activation of the retinoic acid receptor response element in A549 cells.

Conclusions

A murine model of maternal cigarette smoking causes abnormal alveolarization in association with altered retinoic acid pathway element expression in the offspring. Anin vitrocell culture model shows that lipid-soluble components of cigarette smoke decrease retinoic acid response element activation. It is feasible that disruption of retinoic acid signaling contributes to the pediatric lung dysfunction caused by maternal smoking.
Adopting and implementing nutrition guidelines in recreational facilities: Public and private sector roles. A multiple case study
Authors: Olstad Dana Lee , Raine Kim D , McCargar Linda J
Published: June 2012

Background

Recreational facilities are an important community resource for health promotion because they provide access to affordable physical activities. However, despite their health mandate, many have unhealthy food environments that may paradoxically increase the risk of childhood obesity. The Alberta Nutrition Guidelines for Children and Youth (ANGCY) are government-initiated, voluntary guidelines intended to facilitate children’s access to healthy food and beverage choices in schools, childcare and recreational facilities, however few recreational facilities are using them.

Methods

We used mixed methods within an exploratory multiple case study to examine factors that influenced adoption and implementation of the ANGCY and the nature of the food environment within three cases: an adopter, a semi-adopter and a non-adopter of the ANGCY. Diffusion of Innovations theory provided the theoretical platform for the study. Qualitative data were generated through interviews, observations, and document reviews, and were analysed using directed content analysis. Set theoretic logic was used to identify factors that differentiated adopters from the non-adopter. Quantitative sales data were also collected, and the quality of the food environment was scored using four complementary tools.

Results

The keys to adoption and implementation of nutrition guidelines in recreational facilities related to the managers’ nutrition-related knowledge, beliefs and perceptions, as these shaped his decisions and actions. The manager, however, could not accomplish adoption and implementation alone. Intersectoral linkages with schools and formal, health promoting partnerships with industry were also important for adoption and implementation to occur. The food environment in facilities that had adopted the ANGCY did not appear to be superior to the food environment in facilities that had not adopted the ANGCY.

Conclusions

ANGCY uptake may continue to falter under the current voluntary approach, as the environmental supports for voluntary action are poor. Where ANGCY uptake does occur, changes to the food environment may be relatively minor. Stronger government measures may be needed to require recreational facilities to improve their food environments and to limit availability of unhealthy foods.
Isolation identification and biochemical characterization of a novel halo-tolerant lipase from the metagenome of the marine sponge Haliclona simulans
Authors: Selvin Joseph , Kennedy Jonathan , Lejon David PH , Kiran G Seghal , Dobson Alan DW
Published: June 2012

Background

Lipases (EC 3.1.1.3) catalyze the hydrolysis of triacyl glycerol to glycerol and are involved in the synthesis of both short chain and long chain acylglycerols. They are widely used industrially in various applications, such as baking, laundry detergents and as biocatalysts in alternative energy strategies. Marine ecosystems are known to represent a large reservoir of biodiversity with respect to industrially useful enzymes. However the vast majority of microorganisms within these ecosystems are not readily culturable. Functional metagenomic based approaches provide a solution to this problem by facilitating the identification of novel enzymes such as the halo-tolerant lipase identified in this study from a marine sponge metagenome.

Results

A metagenomic library was constructed from the marine sponge Haliclona simulans in the pCC1fos vector, containing approximately 48,000 fosmid clones. High throughput plate screening on 1% tributyrin agar resulted in the identification of 58 positive lipase clones. Following sequence analysis of the 10 most highly active fosmid clones the pCC1fos53E1 clone was found to contain a putative lipase gene lpc 53E1, encoded by 387 amino acids and with a predicted molecular mass of 41.87 kDa. Sequence analysis of the predicted amino acid sequence of Lpc53E1 revealed that it is a member of the group VIII family of lipases possessing the SXTK motif, related to type C β-lactamases. Heterologous expression of lpc 53E1 in E. coli and the subsequent biochemical characterization of the recombinant protein, showed an enzyme with the highest substrate specificity for long chain fatty acyl esters. Optimal activity was observed with p- nitrophenyl palmitate (C16) at 40°C, in the presence of 5 M NaCl at pH 7; while in addition the recombinant enzyme displayed activity across broad pH (3–12) and temperature (4 -60°C) ranges and high levels of stability in the presence of various solvents at NaCl concentrations as high as 5 M and at temperatures ranging from 10 to 80°C. A maximum lipase activity of 2,700 U/mg was observed with 10 mM p-nitrophenyl palmitate as substrate, in the presence of 5 mM Ca2+ and 5 M NaCl, and a reaction time of 15 min at pH 7 and 40°C; while KM and Vmax values were calculated to be 1.093 mM-1 and 50 μmol/min, respectively.

Conclusion

We have isolated a novel halo tolerant lipase following a functional screen of a marine sponge fosmid metagenomic library. The activity and stability profile of the recombinant enzyme over a wide range of salinity, pH and temperature; and in the presence of organic solvent and metal ions suggests a utility for this enzyme in a variety of industrial applications.
Intra-coronary administration of tacrolimus markedly attenuates infarct size and preserves heart function in porcine myocardial infarction
Authors: Chua Sarah , Leu Steve , Sheu Jiunn-Jye , Lin Yu-Chun , Chang Li-Teh , Kao Ying-Hsien , Yen Chia-Hung , Tsai Tzu-Hsien , Chen Yung-Lung , Chang Hsueh-Wen , Sun Cheuk-Kwan , Yip Hon-Kan
Published: June 2012

Background

We test the hypothesis that intra-coronary tacrolimus administration can limit infarct size and preserve left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) through ligating left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) in mini-pigs.

Methods

Twelve male mini-pigs were randomized into AMI-saline (MI-only) group and AMI-tacrolimus (MI-Tac) group that received intra-coronary saline (3.0 mL) and tacrolimus (0.5 mg in 2.5 mL saline) injection, respectively, beyond site of ligation 30 minutes after LAD occlusion.

Results

Larger infarct area was noted in MI-only group (p < 0.001). Inflammatory biomarkers at protein [oxidative stress, tumor necrotic factor-α, nuclear factor-κB], gene (matrix metalloproteinase-9, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1), and cellular (CD40+, CD68+ inflammatory cells) levels were remarkably higher in MI-only animals (p < 0.01). Conversely, anti-inflammatory biomarkers at gene level (Interleukin-10), gene and protein level (endothelial nitric oxide synthase), and anti-oxidant biomarkers at both gene and protein levels [heme oxygenase 1, NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase] were lower in MI-only group (p < 0.01). Number of apoptotic nuclei and apoptotic biomarkers expressions at gene and protein levels (Bax, caspase 3) were notably higher, whereas anti-apoptotic biomarkers at gene and protein levels (Bcl-2), LVEF, and fractional shortening were markedly lower in MI-only group (p < 0.001).

Conclusion

Intra-coronary administration of tacrolimus significantly attenuated infarct size and preserved LV function.
Intramedullary spinal cord metastasis from prostate carcinoma: a case report
Authors: Lieberson Robert E , Veeravagu Anand , Eckermann Jan M , Doty James R , Jiang Bowen , Andrews Russell , Chang Steven D
Published: June 2012

Introduction

Although vertebral and epidural metastases are common, intradural metastases and intramedullary spinal cord metastases are rare. The indications for the treatment of intramedullary spinal cord metastases remain controversial. We present the first biopsy-proven case of an intramedullary spinal cord metastasis from adenocarcinoma of the prostate.

Case presentation

Our patient was a 68-year-old right-handed Caucasian man with a Gleason grade 4 + 3 prostate adenocarcinoma who had previously undergone a prostatectomy, androgen blockade and transurethral debulking. He presented with new-onset saddle anesthesia and fecal incontinence. Magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated a spindle-shaped intramedullary lesion of the conus medullaris. Our patient underwent decompression and an excisional biopsy; the lesion’s pathology was consistent with metastatic adenocarcinoma of the prostate. Postoperatively, our patient received CyberKnife® radiosurgery to the resection cavity at a marginal dose of 27Gy to the 85% isodose line. At three months follow-up, our patient remains neurologically stable with no new deficits or lesions.

Conclusions

We review the literature and discuss the indications for surgery and radiosurgery for intramedullary spinal cord metastases. We also report the novel use of stereotactic radiosurgery to sterilize the resection cavity following an excisional biopsy of the metastasis.
Novel human polyomaviruses, Merkel cell polyomavirus and human polyomavirus 9, in Japanese chronic lymphocytic leukemia cases
Authors: Imajoh Masayuki , Hashida Yumiko , Taniguchi Ayuko , Kamioka Mikio , Daibata Masanori
Published: June 2012

Background

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is the rarest adult leukemia in Japan, whereas it is the most common leukemia in the Western world. Recent studies from the United States and Germany suggest a possible etiological association between Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV) and CLL, although no data have been reported from Eastern countries. To increase the volume of relevant data, this study investigated the prevalence and DNA loads of MCPyV and human polyomavirus 9 (HPyV9), another lymphotropic polyomavirus, in Japanese CLL cases.

Findings

We found that 9/27 CLL cases (33.3 %) were positive for MCPyV using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis. The viral DNA loads ranged from 0.000017 to 0.0012 copies per cell. All cases were negative for HPyV9. One MCPyV-positive CLL case was evaluated by mutational analysis of thelarge T(LT) gene, which indicated the presence of wild-type MCPyV without a nucleotide deletion. DNA sequence analysis of the entiresmall T(ST) gene and the partialLTgene revealed that a Japanese MCPyV isolate, designated CLL-JK, had two nucleotide gaps when compared with the reference sequence of the North American isolate MCC350.

Conclusions

This study provides the first evidence that MCPyV is present in a subset of Japanese CLL cases with low viral DNA loads. MCPyV and HPyV9 are unlikely to contribute directly to the development of CLL in the majority of Japanese cases. MCPyV isolated from the Japanese CLL cases may constitute an Asian group and its pathogenicity needs to be clarified in future studies.
Nineteenth-Century Fortunes of Musical Formalism
Authors: Rothfarb Lee
Published: June 2012

German-speaking aestheticians of the nineteenth century followed various paths of inquiry stimulated by Kant’s Critique of Judgment. One path leads in a formalist direction, through Johann Friedrich Herbart and Robert Zimmermann; the other leads in an empathist direction, from Johann Gottfried Herder’s rejection of Kant through Hegel, Friedrich Theodor and Robert Vischer, Karl Köstlin, and Johannes Volkelt. Eduard Hanslick, in arriving at his own destination, travels some distance on both paths, collecting along the way, on the one hand, Kant’s rigorous focus on the phenomenon and purposive form, eschewing “charms and emotions”; and on the other hand, Hegel’s focus on art’s spirituality, its “ideal content,” in characterizing the specifically musical, which for Hanslick embodies a “full share of ideality.” Clustered ideologically around Kant, Hegel, and Hanslick in closer or more distant orbit are the aforementioned authors whose writings chronicle the fortunes of formalism in the 1800s.
Selective Trials: A Principal-Agent Approach to Randomized Controlled Experiments
Authors: Chassang Sylvain , Padró i Miquel Gerard , Snowberg Erik
Published: June 2012

We study the design of randomized controlled experiments when outcomes are significantly affected by experimental subjects' unobserved effort expenditure. While standard randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are internally consistent, the unobservability of effort compromises external validity. We approach trial design as a principal-agent problem and show that natural extensions of RCTs—which we call selective trials—can help improve external validity. In particular, selective trials can disentangle the effects of treatment, effort, and the interaction of treatment and effort. Moreover, they can help identify when treatment effects are affected by erroneous beliefs and inappropriate effort expenditure.(JEL C90, D82)
The Enduring Impact of the American Dust Bowl: Short- and Long-Run Adjustments to Environmental Catastrophe
Authors: Hornbeck Richard
Published: June 2012

The 1930s American Dust Bowl was an environmental catastrophe that greatly eroded sections of the Plains. The Dust Bowl is estimated to have immediately, substantially, and persistently reduced agricultural land values and revenues in more-eroded counties relative to less-eroded counties. During the Depression and through at least the 1950s, there was limited relative adjustment of farmland away from activities that became relatively less productive in more-eroded areas. Agricultural adjustments recovered less than 25 percent of the initial difference in agricultural costs for more-eroded counties. The economy adjusted predominantly through large relative population declines in more-eroded counties, both during the 1930s and through the 1950s. (JEL N32, N52, Q15, Q18, Q54)
The Origins of Ethnolinguistic Diversity
Authors: Michalopoulos Stelios
Published: June 2012

This study explores the determinants of ethnolinguistic diversity within as well as across countries, shedding light on its geographic origins. The empirical analysis conducted across countries, virtual countries, and pairs of contiguous regions establishes that geographic variability, captured by variation in regional land quality and elevation, is a fundamental determinant of contemporary linguistic diversity. The findings are consistent with the proposed hypothesis that differences in land endowments gave rise to location-specific human capital, leading to the formation of localized ethnicities. (JEL J15, J24, Z13)
Do Matching Frictions Explain Unemployment? Not in Bad Times
Authors: Michaillat Pascal
Published: June 2012

This paper proposes a search-and-matching model of unemployment in which jobs are rationed: the labor market does not clear in the absence of matching frictions. This job shortage arises in an economic equilibrium from the combination of some wage rigidity and diminishing marginal returns to labor. In recessions, job rationing is acute, driving the rise in unemployment, whereas matching frictions contribute little to unemployment. Intuitively in recessions, jobs are lacking, the labor market is slack, and recruiting is easy and inexpensive, so matching frictions do not matter much. In a calibrated model, cyclical fluctuations in the composition of unemployment are large.
Semantic Epistemology: A Brief Response to Devitt
Authors: Machery Edouard
Published: June 2012

In this article, I argue that philosophers' intuitions about reference are not more reliable than lay people's and that intuitions about the reference of proper names and uses of proper names provide equally good evidence for theories of reference.
The Interactional Work of Repeated Talk between a Teacher and a Child with Autism
Authors: Korkiakangas Terhi Kirsi , Rae John P. , Dickerson Paul
Published: June 2012

Repeating something that another speaker has just said is an important resource in everyday interaction. For example, repetition can be used to acknowledge or to repair prior talk. Although repetitions produced by individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) have been extensively researched, only a few studies have examined in detail how these individuals respond to repetitions produced by another speaker. The present report examines a naturally occurring dyadic conversation between a teacher and a 10-year-old girl with autism, video-recorded in a school in Finland. Conversation Analysis (CA) is used to analyse sequences of talk in which the child responds to repetitions produced by her teacher. We show how the child orients to the timing and prosodic features of the repetitions and responds selectively to either acknowledge or repair the teacher's talk. We discuss how CA can contribute to a better understanding of the use of repeated talk in autism.