bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Insulin in the ventral tegmental area reduces hedonic feeding and suppresses dopamine concentration via increased reuptake
Authors: Mebel Dmitry. M. , Wong Jovi. C. Y. , Dong Yifei. J. , Borgland Stephanie. L.
Published: June 2012

Mesolimbic dopamine (DA) signaling has been implicated in the incentive, reinforcing and motivational aspects of food intake. Insulin receptors are expressed on dopaminergic neurons of the ventral tegmental area (VTA), and insulin may act in the VTA to suppress feeding. However, the neural mechanisms underlying insulin effects in the VTA are poorly understood. Here, we measured the effects of insulin on evoked DA concentration in the VTA using fast‐scan cyclic voltammetry. Insulin concentration‐dependently reduced evoked somatodendritic DA in the VTA, requiring activation of phosphoinositol 3‐kinase and mTOR signaling. Insulin depression of somatodendritic DA was abolished in the presence of a selective DA transporter (DAT) inhibitor, GBR 12909, as well as in VTA slices of DAT knockout mice, suggesting that insulin upregulated the number or function of DAT to reduce DA concentration. Finally, insulin administered to the VTA depressed sated feeding of sweetened high‐fat food. Taken together, these results indicate that insulin depresses DA concentration in the VTA via increased reuptake of DA through DAT. Insulin‐mediated decrease of DA in the VTA may suppress salience of food once satiety is reached.
Delivery interaction between co‐infused medications: an in vitro modeling study of microinfusion
Authors: Tsao Amy C. , Lovich Mark A. , Parker Michael J. , Zheng Hui , Peterfreund Robert A.
Published: June 2012

Objective:  To test the hypothesis that steady‐state drug delivery by continuous infusion is predictably affected by a second drug infusion in the same lumen.

Background:  Clinicians commonly administer two drugs by continuous infusion through one central venous catheter lumen (co‐infusion). To limit fluid delivery, low flow rate carriers transport concentrated drug solutions; a method called microinfusion. How microinfusion delivery of one drug is affected by a second drug infusion has not been explored.

Methods:  Two water‐soluble dyes, tartrazine and erioglaucine, infused at 3 ml·h−1, modeled drug delivery through a four stopcock linear manifold and catheter lumen. A pump drove a carrier fluid (10 ml·h−1). After tartrazine reached steady‐state delivery, erioglaucine entered downstream or upstream of the tartrazine infusion. Quantitative spectrophotometry measured dye delivery.

Results:  Starting erioglaucine’s infusion upstream of tartrazine’s entry caused a transient tartrazine bolus (duration 10 min, peak drug delivery 20% higher than target levels). Starting erioglaucine’s infusion downstream produced a similar amplitude, briefer, bolus. Stopping the erioglaucine infusion caused a transient reduction in tartrazine delivery. Measured delivery profiles were comparable to prediction models.

Conclusions:  We confirmed the hypothesis that delivery of one infused drug is transiently affected by starting or stopping a second drug infusion in the same line. The magnitude of the changes can be estimated quantitatively. The clinical impact depends on the drugs being co‐infused and patient sensitivity, but could be clinically important; the findings have safety implications for infused medication delivery to critically ill or anesthetized children. We recommend minimizing infusion system dead volumes, connecting the most essential infusion(s) to the main fluid pathway as close as possible to the patient, and recognizing the potential for unintended alterations in delivery when multiple drugs co‐infuse.
Diversity of cyanobacterial biomarker genes from the stromatolites of Shark Bay, Western Australia
Authors: Garby Tamsyn J. , Walter Malcolm R. , Larkum Anthony W.D. , Neilan Brett A.
Published: June 2012

Families of closely related chemical compounds, which are relatively resistant to degradation, are often used as biomarkers to help trace the evolutionary history of early groups of organisms and the environments in which they lived. Biomarkers derived from hopanoid variations are particularly useful in determining bacterial community compositions. 2‐Methylhopananoids have been thought to be diagnostic for cyanobacteria, and 2‐methylhopanes in the geological record are taken as evidence for the presence of cyanobacteria‐containing communities at the time of sediment deposition. Recently, however, doubt has been cast on the validity of 2‐methylhopanes as cyanobacterial biomarkers, since non‐cyanobacterial species have been shown to produce significant amounts of 2‐methylhopanoids. This study examines the diversity of hpnP, the hopanoid biosynthesis gene coding for the enzyme that methylates hopanoids at the C2 position. Genomic DNA isolated from stromatolite‐associated pustular and smooth microbial mat samples from Shark Bay, Western Australia, was analysed for bacterial diversity, and used to construct an hpnP clone library. A total of 117 partial hpnP clones were sequenced, representing 12 operational taxonomic units (OTUs). Phylogenetic analysis showed that 11 of these OTUs, representing 115 sequences, cluster within the cyanobacterial clade. We conclude that the dominant types of microorganisms with the detected capability of producing 2‐methylhopanoids within pustular and smooth microbial mats in Shark Bay are cyanobacteria.
A simple method for estimating MSY from catch and resilience
Authors: Martell Steven , Froese Rainer
Published: June 2012

The Law of the Sea requires that fish stocks are maintained at levels that can produce the maximum sustainable yield (MSY). However, for most fish stocks, no estimates of MSY are currently available. Here, we present a new method for estimating MSY from catch data, resilience of the respective species, and simple assumptions about relative stock sizes at the first and final year of the catch data time series. We compare our results with 146 MSY estimates derived from full stock assessments and find excellent agreement. We present principles for fisheries management of data‐poor stocks, based only on information about catches and MSY.
The implications for aquaculture practice of epigenomic programming of components of the endocrine system of teleostean embryos: lessons learned from mammalian studies
Authors: Li Mao , Leatherland John F
Published: June 2012

Epigenetics is the study of changes in gene expression patterns that occur without any modification of the underlying nucleotide sequence of the DNA. Modifications of the so‐called epigenome include complex transient or permanent chemical changes of the DNA or histone proteins resulting in the suppression or enhancement of gene expression, together with an array of post‐translational events that modify the translational products. Epigenomic programming (EP) of the genome is an essential component of embryonic development in animals from the totipotent fertilized egg to the pluripotent stem cells, stem cell differentiation and final tissue and organ formation. Many of these EP processes are influenced transiently and some permanently by environmental influences. In eutherian mammals, environmentally related EP of embryos is linked to permanent changes in the phenotype of the progeny, some of which have been associated with adult onset metabolic disorders. Moreover, because some of the epigenetic remodelling occurs in both the soma and germ line, the resultant phenotypic characteristics (some of which are linked to disease states) may be heritable. Although far less is known about the effects of environmentally linked EP on the ontogeny of fishes, the available information suggests that the EP processes are similar amongst all vertebrates, and there are clear parallels between fish and mammals that are discussed in this paper. Our perspective takes the well‐established findings in mammals and uses them to proactively extrapolate to the as yet under‐recognized implications of EP for fish biology and for fish production in intensive aquaculture.
The effect of format on performance: Editing text in print versus digital formats
Authors: Eden Sigal , Eshet‐Alkalai Yoram
Published: June 2012

In light of the present‐day proliferation of digital texts and the increase in situations that require active digital text reading in learning, it is becoming increasingly important to shed light on the comparison between print and digital reading under active reading conditions. In this study, the active reading abilities of 93 university students (83% females) were examined. Participants were asked to read, edit, recognize errors and improve the quality of short papers (600 words each) on the topic of environmental awareness, in both print and in digital formats. Surprisingly, and in contrast to many recent reports about print versus digital reading, no significant differences were found between the performances of participants in the two formats. Similarly, no significant differences were found for all categories of text errors as well as for gender. It was found that the digital readers completed their tasks faster than the print readers but their performance was not lower. Results of this study have important implications for the current debate in higher education concerning the use of digital text for learning and for designing, reviewing and editing academic works.
Toward Greater Specificity in Identifying Associations Among Interparental Aggression, Child Emotional Reactivity to Conflict, and Child Problems
Authors: Davies Patrick T. , Cicchetti Dante , Martin Meredith J.
Published: June 2012

This study examined specific forms of emotional reactivity to conflict and temperamental emotionality as explanatory mechanisms in pathways among interparental aggression and child psychological problems. Participants of the multimethod, longitudinal study included 201 two‐year‐old children and their mothers who had experienced elevated violence in the home. Consistent with emotional security theory, autoregressive structural equation model analyses indicated that children’s fearful reactivity to conflict was the only consistent mediator in the associations among interparental aggression and their internalizing and externalizing symptoms 1 year later. Pathways remained significant across maternal and observer ratings of children’s symptoms and with the inclusion of other predictors and mediators, including children’s sad and angry forms of reactivity to conflict, temperamental emotionality, gender, and socioeconomic status.
The Nonobvious Basis of Ownership: Preschool Children Trace the History and Value of Owned Objects
Authors: Gelman Susan A. , Manczak Erika M. , Noles Nicholaus S.
Published: June 2012

For adults, ownership is nonobvious: (a) determining ownership depends more on an object’s history than on perceptual cues, and (b) ownership confers special value on an object (“endowment effect”). This study examined these concepts in preschoolers (2.0–4.4) and adults (n = 112). Participants saw toy sets in which 1 toy was designated as the participant’s and 1 as the researcher’s. Toys were then scrambled and participants were asked to identify their toy and the researcher’s toy. By 3 years of age, participants used object history to determine ownership and identified even undesirable toys as their own. Furthermore, participants at all ages showed an endowment effect (greater liking of items designated as their own). Thus, even 2‐year‐olds appreciate the nonobvious basis of ownership.
Commodification of place, consumption of identity: The sociolinguistic construction of a ‘global village’ in rural China1
Authors: Shuang GAO
Published: June 2012

This paper seeks to contribute to the understanding of place as it relates to globalization and mobility by examining the sociolinguistic construction of a tourism site. A former residential neighborhood, West Street in Yangshuo County, China, was gradually transformed into a so‐called ‘global village’ for domestic tourists partly through appropriating English as one semiotic resource. Positioning this place in the global‐national‐local nexus, this study shows that the promotion of West Street as a ‘global village’ is not only driven by globalization or westernization, but more importantly capitalizes on English as a stylistic resource that indexes the modernist aspirations of the Chinese people. This commodified sense of place is nevertheless negotiated by tourists as they activate and (re‐)work the social meaning of place through their discursive practices. This highlights how place is a social construct, constantly transformed in the process of socio‐historical change, and also mediated by people's conceptualization, imagination and experience.

本文从社会语言学角度考察一处旅游景点的建构，旨在增进在全球化和流动时代背景下对‘地域’ (place) 的理解。位于中国阳朔县的西街，通过把英语作为一种符号资源，从一个历史居民街区转变成为所谓的‘地球村’。本研究从全球‐国家‐地方三位连结的框架审视该地域，说明‘地球村’不仅仅是全球化带动下的地方经济发展策略，更重要的是借用了在英语作为一种语言风格资源在中国社会中的作用。然而，这种构建的地域涵义也同时被游客通过不同方式激活和改写。本文提出，地域是社会构建的产物，其涵义随着社会历史的变革，人们对地域的理解，想象和体验，而不断改变。[Chinese]
BASIC RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT IN VERTICAL MARKETS*
Authors: GONZÁLEZ‐MAESTRE MIGUEL , GRANERO LUIS M.
Published: June 2012

This paper considers the role of basic research and development (R&D) investment in vertical markets in which an incumbent owner of a basic technological input faces potential competition. We identify the conditions under which the socially optimal investment in basic research involves entry by new firms. Our main insight is that there is a role for public investment in R&D that appears to have been overlooked in the existing literature. This role draws on the idea that basic R&D adds to the credibility of the threat of the potential development of alternative technologies by reducing their implementation costs.
CORRUPTION AND DEVELOPMENT: EXPLAINING THE EVIDENCE*
Authors: BLACKBURN KEITH
Published: June 2012

This paper presents a theoretical account of some empirical observations about the relationship between public sector corruption and economic development. These observations include both important regularities and notable anomalies which indicate that there is rather more to this relationship than one is often led to believe. The paper brings together some previous work for the purpose of providing a unified account of the issues involved within the context of a single analytical framework. These include the causality between corruption and development, the persistence of corruption and poverty, the diversity of corruption across countries and the differential impact of corruption in different economies.
NO‐ARBITRAGE PRICING UNDER SYSTEMIC RISK: ACCOUNTING FOR CROSS‐OWNERSHIP
Authors: Fischer Tom
Published: June 2012

We generalize Merton’s asset valuation approach to systems of multiple financial firms where cross‐ownership of equities and liabilities is present. The liabilities, which may include debts and derivatives, can be of differing seniority. We derive equations for the prices of equities and recovery claims under no‐arbitrage. An existence result and a uniqueness result are proven. Examples and an algorithm for the simultaneous calculation of all no‐arbitrage prices are provided. A result on capital structure irrelevance for groups of firms regarding externally held claims is discussed, as well as financial leverage and systemic risk caused by cross‐ownership.
ARBITRAGE‐FREE MULTIFACTOR TERM STRUCTURE MODELS: A THEORY BASED ON STOCHASTIC CONTROL
Authors: Gombani Andrea , Runggaldier Wolfgang J.
Published: June 2012

We present an alternative approach to the pricing of bonds and bond derivatives in a multivariate factor model for the term structure of interest rates that is based on the solution of an optimal stochastic control problem. It can also be seen as an alternative to the classical approach of computing forward prices by forward measures and as such can be extended to other situations where traditionally a change of measure is involved based on a change of numeraire. We finally provide explicit formulas for the computation of bond options in a bivariate linear‐quadratic factor model.
THE TWO FUNDAMENTAL THEOREMS OF ASSET PRICING FOR A CLASS OF CONTINUOUS‐TIME FINANCIAL MARKETS
Authors: Lyasoff Andrew
Published: June 2012

The paper is concerned with the first and the second fundamental theorems of asset pricing in the case of nonexploding financial markets, in which the excess‐returns from risky securities represent continuous semimartingales with absolutely continuous predictable characteristics. For such markets, the notions of “arbitrage” and “completeness” are characterized as properties of the distribution law of the excess‐returns. It is shown that any form of arbitrage is tantamount to guaranteed arbitrage, which leads to a somewhat stronger version of the first fundamental theorem. New proofs of the first and the second fundamental theorems, which rely exclusively on methods from stochastic analysis, are established.
PRICING AND SEMIMARTINGALE REPRESENTATIONS OF VULNERABLE CONTINGENT CLAIMS IN REGIME‐SWITCHING MARKETS
Authors: Capponi Agostino , Figueroa‐López José E. , Nisen Jeffrey
Published: June 2012

Using a suitable change of probability measure, we obtain a Poisson series representation for the arbitrage‐free price process of vulnerable contingent claims in a regime‐switching market driven by an underlying continuous‐time Markov process. As a result of this representation, along with a short‐time asymptotic expansion of the claim's price process, we develop an efficient novel method for pricing claims whose payoffs may depend on the full path of the underlying Markov chain. The proposed approach is applied to price not only simple European claims such as defaultable bonds, but also a new type of path‐dependent claims that we term self‐decomposable, as well as the important class of vulnerable call and put options on a stock. We provide a detailed error analysis and illustrate the accuracy and computational complexity of our method on several market traded instruments, such as defaultable bond prices, barrier options, and vulnerable call options. Using again our Poisson series representation, we show differentiability in time of the predefault price function of European vulnerable claims, which enables us to rigorously deduce Feynman‐Kač representations for the predefault pricing function and new semimartingale representations for the price process of the vulnerable claim under both risk‐neutral and objective probability measures.
Lost in transition?
Authors: Brunello Giorgio , Crivellaro Elena , Rocco Lorenzo
Published: June 2012

Using data for Germany and 23 other economies in Eastern and Western Europe, this paper estimates the monetary returns to education acquired under communism more than 10 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall. We show that, in the 2000s, Eastern European workers who completed their education under communism earned in the 2000s similar returns to their education as did workers belonging to the same age cohorts who studied in Western Europe. This might suggest that education under communism is still as valuable as education attained in Western Europe. However, individuals educated under communism are more likely than their Western counterparts to be unemployed, retired or disabled, and therefore to earn lower or zero returns to their education. Moreover, when we allow the returns to pre‐ and post‐secondary education to differ, we find that senior males who have attained only primary or secondary education under communism are penalized in the post‐transition Eastern European labour markets, and that those who have completed post‐secondary education under communism enjoy in these markets higher payoffs to their education than similarly educated Western European individuals who are employed in the West.
Does On‐line Distance Higher Education Pay Off for Adult Learners? The Case of the Open University of Catalonia
Authors: Carnoy Martin , Rabling Brenda Jarillo , Castaño‐Muñoz Jonatan , Montoliu Josep Maria Duart , Sancho‐Vinuesa Teresa
Published: June 2012

The increasing opportunities created for adults by on‐line distance universities raise important issues about the payoff to such education. This study uses a unique set of survey data gathered by the Open University of Catalonia (UOC) in 2009 to estimate the earnings gains of the 2000–2003 cohorts of UOC students in six programmes of study over an average six‐year time frame between entering and one year after leaving their studies. It compares their gains with the earnings gains of comparable full‐time workers in the Spanish labour force by age, education level, and gender. The results show that those who studied in UOC's two‐year second‐cycle degree programmes had positive relative earnings gains but those in three‐year first‐cycle degree programmes did not. The study further discusses why adult learners might nevertheless study toward degrees for which payoffs appear low.
The Gendered Shaping of University Leadership in Australia, South Africa and the United Kingdom
Authors: White Kate , Bagilhole Barbara , Riordan Sarah
Published: June 2012

This article analyses career trajectories into university management in Australia, South Africa and the United Kingdom (UK), skills required to operate effectively and the power of vice‐chancellors (VCs) and their impact on the gendered shaping of university leadership. It is based on qualitative research with 56 male and female senior managers. The research found that the typical career path was modelled on male academic careers. Not surprisingly, in South Africa and the UK the perception of the top university leader was of a man but in Australia, where more women have been VCs, there was no such assumption. Characteristics valued in university leaders in Australia and South Africa were ‘soft’ leadership traits, but in the UK ‘hard’ aggressive and competitive leadership prevailed. VCs are enormously powerful and can shape the gender balance in management teams and thereby potentially broadening leadership styles beyond the predominant transactional model to include transformational leadership.
The Challenges of Attracting Asian Students to Study Higher Education in Hong Kong
Authors: Ng Shun Wing
Published: June 2012

This article reports a commissioned research project on exploring the emerging issues and challenges of attracting Asian students to study in Hong Kong's higher education institutions. Findings reveal the rapidly growing demand for quality transnational education in Asia and the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of exporting Hong Kong's higher education. The challenges include the need to arrive at a consensus on the aims of internationalisation of Hong Kong's higher education, issues related to promotion strategies overseas, as well as problems of social and multi‐cultural inclusion of non‐local students. Drawing on the research findings, the author suggests going beyond the notion of profit‐oriented vision and exploring the real mission of promoting higher education services overseas that contributes to the enhancement of higher education receivers' learning experiences and preparing students to be future leaders in a humane environment.
Inter‐relationships of functional status in cerebral palsy: analyzing gross motor function, manual ability, and communication function classification systems in children
Authors: HIDECKER MARY JO COOLEY , HO NHAN THI , DODGE NANCY , HURVITZ EDWARD A , SLAUGHTER JAIME , WORKINGER MARILYN SEIF , KENT RAY D , ROSENBAUM PETER , LENSKI MADELEINE , MESSAROS BRIDGET M , VANDERBEEK SUZETTE B , DEROOS STEVEN , PANETH NIGEL
Published: June 2012

Aim  To investigate the relationships among the Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS), Manual Ability Classification System (MACS), and Communication Function Classification System (CFCS) in children with cerebral palsy (CP).

Method  Using questionnaires describing each scale, mothers reported GMFCS, MACS, and CFCS levels in 222 children with CP aged from 2 to17 years (94 females, 128 males; mean age 8y, SD 4). Children were referred from pediatric developmental/behavioral, physiatry, and child neurology clinics, in the USA, for a case–control study of the etiology of CP. Pairwise relationships among the three systems were assessed using Spearman’s correlation coefficients (rs), stratifying by age and CP topographical classifications.

Results  Correlations among the three functional assessments were strong or moderate. GMFCS levels were highly correlated with MACS levels (rs=0.69) and somewhat less so with CFCS levels (rs=0.47). MACS and CFCS were also moderately correlated (rs=0.54). However, many combinations of functionality were found. Of the 125 possible combinations of the three five‐point systems, 62 were found in these data.

Interpretation  Use of all three classification systems provides a more comprehensive picture of the child’s function in daily life than use of any one alone. This resulting functional profile can inform both clinical and research purposes.
Description of children with cerebral palsy: steps for the future
Authors: CANS CHRISTINE
Published: June 2012

This commentary is on the original article by Hidecker et al. on pages 737‐742 of this issue
The Cult of Theoi: Economic Uncertainty and Religion*
Authors: FRIJTERS PAUL , BARÓN JUAN D.
Published: June 2012

Sacrifices to deities occur in nearly all known religions. In this paper, we report on our attempts to elicit this type of religious behaviour towards ‘Theoi’ in the laboratory. The theory we test is that, when faced with uncertainty, individuals attempt to engage in a reciprocal contract with the source of uncertainty by sacrificing towards it. In our experiments, we create the situation whereby individuals face an uncertain economic payback due to ‘Theoi’ and we allow participants to sacrifice towards this entity. Aggregate sacrifices amongst participants are over 30 per cent of all takings, increase with the level of humanistic labelling of Theoi and decrease when participants share information or when the level of uncertainty is lower. The findings imply that under circumstances of high uncertainty people are willing to sacrifice large portions of their income even when this has no discernible effect on outcomes.
Comparative Effectiveness of Standard versus Patient‐Centered Collaborative Care Interventions for Depression among African Americans in Primary Care Settings: The BRIDGE Study
Authors: Cooper Lisa A. , Ghods Dinoso Bri K. , Ford Daniel E. , Roter Debra L. , Primm Annelle B. , Larson Susan M. , Gill James M. , Noronha Gary J. , Shaya Elias K. , Wang Nae‐Yuh
Published: June 2012

Objective

To compare the effectiveness of standard and patient‐centered, culturally tailored collaborative care (CC) interventions for African American patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) over 12 months of follow‐up.

Data Sources/Study Setting

Twenty‐seven primary care clinicians and 132 African American patients with MDD in urban community‐based practices in Maryland and Delaware.

Study Design

Cluster randomized trial with patient‐level, intent‐to‐treat analyses.

Data Collection/Extraction Methods

Patients completed screener and baseline, 6‐, 12‐, and 18‐month interviews to assess depression severity, mental health functioning, health service utilization, and patient ratings of care.

Principal Findings

Patients in both interventions showed statistically significant improvements over 12 months. Compared with standard, patient‐centered CC patients had similar reductions in depression symptom levels (−2.41 points; 95 percent confidence interval (CI), −7.7, 2.9), improvement in mental health functioning scores (+3.0 points; 95 percent CI, −2.2, 8.3), and odds of rating their clinician as participatory (OR, 1.48, 95 percent CI, 0.53, 4.17). Treatment rates increased among standard (OR = 1.8, 95 percent CI 1.0, 3.2), but not patient‐centered (OR = 1.0, 95 percent CI 0.6, 1.8) CC patients. However, patient‐centered CC patients rated their care manager as more helpful at identifying their concerns (OR, 3.00; 95 percent CI, 1.23, 7.30) and helping them adhere to treatment (OR, 2.60; 95 percent CI, 1.11, 6.08).

Conclusions

Patient‐centered and standard CC approaches to depression care showed similar improvements in clinical outcomes for African Americans with depression; standard CC resulted in higher rates of treatment, and patient‐centered CC resulted in better ratings of care.
A High‐Resolution Analysis of Process Improvement: Use of Quantile Regression for Wait Time
Authors: Choi Dongseok , Hoffman Kim A. , Kim Mi‐Ok , McCarty Dennis
Published: June 2012

Objective

Apply quantile regression for a high‐resolution analysis of changes in wait time to treatment and assess its applicability to quality improvement data compared with least‐squares regression.

Data Source

Addiction treatment programs participating in the Network for the Improvement of Addiction Treatment.

Methods

We used quantile regression to estimate wait time changes at 5, 50, and 95 percent and compared the results with mean trends by least‐squares regression.

Principal Findings

Quantile regression analysis found statistically significant changes in the 5 and 95 percent quantiles of wait time that were not identified using least‐squares regression.

Conclusions

Quantile regression enabled estimating changes specific to different percentiles of the wait time distribution. It provided a high‐resolution analysis that was more sensitive to changes in quantiles of the wait time distributions.
The Importance of a High‐Performance Work Environment in Hospitals
Authors: Weinberg Dana Beth , Avgar Ariel Chanan , Sugrue Noreen M. , Cooney‐Miner Dianne
Published: June 2012

Objective

To examine the benefits of a high‐performance work environment (HPWE) for employees, patients, and hospitals.

Study Setting

Forty‐five adult, medical‐surgical units in nine hospitals in upstate New York.

Study Design

Cross‐sectional study.

Data Collection

Surveys were collected from 1,527 unit‐based hospital providers (68.5 percent response rate). Hospitals provided unit turnover and patient data (16,459 discharge records and 2,920 patient surveys).

Principal Findings

HPWE, as perceived by multiple occupational groups on a unit, is significantly associated with desirable work processes, retention indicators, and care quality.

Conclusion

Our findings underscore the potential benefits for providers, patients, and health care organizations of designing work environments that value and support a broad range of employees as having essential contributions to make to the care process and their organizations.
Stem cell therapy for cardiovascular disease: the demise of alchemy and rise of pharmacology
Authors: Jadczyk T , Faulkner A , Madeddu P
Published: June 2012

Regenerative medicine holds great promise as a way of addressing the limitations of current treatments of ischaemic disease. In preclinical models, transplantation of different types of stem cells or progenitor cells results in improved recovery from ischaemia. Furthermore, experimental studies indicate that cell therapy influences a spectrum of processes, including neovascularization and cardiomyogenesis as well as inflammation, apoptosis and interstitial fibrosis. Thus, distinct strategies might be required for specific regenerative needs. Nonetheless, clinical studies have so far investigated a relatively small number of options, focusing mainly on the use of bone marrow‐derived cells. Rapid clinical translation resulted in a number of small clinical trials that do not have sufficient power to address the therapeutic potential of the new approach. Moreover, full exploitation has been hindered so far by the absence of a solid theoretical framework and inadequate development plans. This article reviews the current knowledge on cell therapy and proposes a model theory for interpretation of experimental and clinical outcomes from a pharmacological perspective. Eventually, with an increased association between cell therapy and traditional pharmacotherapy, we will soon need to adopt a unified theory for understanding how the two practices additively interact for a patient's benefit.

LINKED ARTICLES This article is part of a themed section on Regenerative Medicine and Pharmacology: A Look to the Future. To view the other articles in this section visit http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/bph.2013.169.issue‐2
Parameterising Internal Camera Geometry with Focusing Distance
Authors: Sanz‐Ablanedo Enoc , Chandler Jim H. , Wackrow Rene
Published: June 2012

A study on the variation of internal camera geometry (principal distance, principal point position and lens distortion parameters) with different focus distances has been conducted. Results demonstrate that variations of parameters are continuous and predictable, allowing a new way to describe internal camera geometry. The classical constant parameters, c, x

p

, y

p

, K
1
, K
2
, P
1
and P
2
, are replaced by continuous functions, c(γ), x

p

(γ), y

p

(γ), K
1
(γ), K
2
(γ), P
1
(γ) and P
2
(γ), where γ is a variable describing the focus position. Incorporation of γ as a metadata tag (for example, Exif header) of a photograph jointly with a parameterised definition of camera geometry would allow full use of the autofocus camera function; enabling maximum effective depth of field, better match of the plane of focus with the object’s position and higher reliability. Additionally, conducted tests suggest the parameterised definition of internal geometry could help to locate and correct linear dependences between adjusted parameters, potentially improving the precision and accuracy of calibration.
Capturing Sail Shape in A Wind Tunnel Environment
Authors: Smith Martin J. , Paton Jonathan , Morvan Hervé , Kokkas Nikolaos
Published: June 2012

Validation is an important part of computer‐based numerical modelling and can be very difficult to achieve. Comparisons with results from practical trials are often used; in this research, photogrammetry has proved to be an excellent method of creating a benchmark model from experimental results against which the computer generated numerical model can be compared. The wind tunnel experimental environment is challenging with practical limitations imposed by space and airflow capabilities. There are few documented cases where stereo‐photogrammetry has been used in wind tunnel sail modelling and the results from this research have shown it has played a prominent role in validating an innovative method of modelling fluid–structure interaction. This paper presents the photogrammetric work undertaken to validate a fluid–structure interaction (FSI) solution by measuring the shape of a close reaching asymmetric spinnaker in a wind tunnel at The University of Nottingham. There is particular focus on the data capture in the wind tunnel and the photogrammetric analysis.
Reliability and validity of A Quick Test of Cognitive Speed for detecting early‐stage dementia in elderly Japanese
Authors: TAKAHASHI Fumi , AWATA Shuichi , SAKUMA Naoko , INAGAKI Hiroki , IJUIN Mutsuo
Published: June 2012

Aim:  The aim of this study was to evaluate the reliability and validity of A Quick Test of Cognitive Speed (AQT) for detecting early‐stage dementia in the elderly Japanese population.

Methods:  A total of 280 clinical participants (180 with mild Alzheimer's disease, 43 with amnestic mild cognitive impairment, 32 with non‐amnestic mild cognitive impairment and 25 control subjects) and 22 community‐dwelling elderly individuals without dementia were recruited. The Clinical Dementia Rating, the Mini‐Mental State Examination, and AQT were administered to all participants. The Neurobehavioral Cognitive Status Examination was also administered to clinical participants.

Results:  The intraclass correlation coefficient for the test–retest reliability of colour‐form naming time on AQT was 0.88 (95% CI, 0.74–0.95, P < 0.001). AQT colour‐form naming time was significantly correlated with the Clinical Dementia Rating, the total score on the Mini‐Mental State Examination, and the total score on the Neurobehavioral Cognitive Status Examination and most of its subscales. AQT colour‐form naming time was significantly longer in elderly individuals with mild Alzheimer's disease, amnestic mild cognitive impairment, and non‐amnestic mild cognitive impairment than in control subjects. The receiver operating characteristic curve analysis indicated that AQT colour‐form naming time significantly distinguished subjects with early‐stage dementia (mild Alzheimer's disease, amnestic mild cognitive impairment, and non‐amnestic mild cognitive impairment) from controls. The area under the curve was estimated to be 0.88 (95%CI = 0.82–0.95). A cut‐off of 71/72 seconds yielded the best sensitivity/specificity trade‐off: sensitivity = 85% and specificity = 76%.

Conclusions:  AQT is a useful brief screening tool for detecting early‐stage dementia in elderly Japanese individuals.
New visual rating system for medial temporal lobe atrophy: a simple diagnostic tool for routine examinations
Authors: KANEKO Tomoki , KANEKO Kikuko , MATSUSHITA Mina , KADOYA Masumi , IHARA Nobumaro , RYOKAWA Akiko , OGIHARA Tomomi , INUZUKA Shin , UEDA Hitoshi
Published: June 2012

Aim:  We estimated the usefulness of our new scale to rate medial temporal atrophy with short inversion time inversion recovery images.

Methods:  Alzheimer's disease (AD) subjects (n= 34) and non‐demented subjects (n= 19) were recruited for this study. First, coronal short inversion time inversion recovery images were scanned vertical to the long axis of hippocampus. Next, the single image in which peduncles appeared widest was adopted for estimation. The parahippocampal cerebrospinal fluid space was divided into three parts: the outer, upper and inner parts. The hippocampus was defined as a structure being of equal intensity to grey matter. Two radiologists compared each part of the parahippocampal cerebrospinal fluid space with the hippocampus and rated them on a 0–3 scale. Interrater and intrarater kappa statistics and sensitivity/specificity for the diagnosis of AD were calculated using the scores of the right, left and both sides combined.

Results:  There were no significant differences between AD and ND subjects with regards to sex. AD subjects had lower Mini‐Mental State Examination scores and were older than non‐demented subjects. Interrater and intrarater kappa statistics were 0.52–0.68 and 0.76–0.83, respectively. Sensitivity was 88.2% using the scores of both sides.

Conclusions:  Interrater and intrarater agreements were fair to good and good to excellent, respectively. Our new visual rating method detected medial temporal atrophy in AD patients at a highly sensitive rate. As such, we conclude that this visual rating scale is useful for judging medial temporal atrophy simply and objectively in clinical use, and it is helpful in establishing an AD diagnosis.
Research on neurodegenerative diseases using induced pluripotent stem cells
Authors: IMAMURA Keiko , INOUE Haruhisa
Published: June 2012

Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) are derived from somatic cells. These somatic cells have had their gene expression experimentally reprogrammed to an embryonic stem cell‐like pluripotent state, gaining the capacity to differentiate various cell types in the three embryonic germ layers. Thus, iPSC technology makes it possible to obtain neuronal cells from any human cells. iPSC can be generated from various kinds of somatic cells and from patients with neurodegenerative diseases. Disease modelling using iPSC technology would elucidate the pathogenesis of such diseases and contribute to related drug discoveries. In this review, we discuss the recent advances in iPSC technology as well as its potential applications.
Changes in activity patterns after the oral administration of brotizolam in institutionalized elderly patients with dementia
Authors: LIAO Xiao Yan , YAMAKAWA Miyae , SUTO Shunji , SHIGENOBU Kazue , MAKIMOTO Kiyoko
Published: June 2012

Background:  Little is known about the side effects of sedative‐hypnotic agents in elderly dementia patients with sleep disorders. The present study describes activity pattern changes after a single dose of brotizolam in elderly patients with dementia.

Methods:  We conducted retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data from a case series at Asakayama Hospital (Osaka, Japan) between September 2008 and September 2009. Around‐the‐clock movements of dementia patients who were administered a single dose of brotizolam were recorded by the integrated circuit tag monitoring system during a 4‐week baseline and 7‐day peri‐administration period. Diurnal and nocturnal activity levels and the onset times of the least‐active and most‐active phases were then measured.

Results:  Seven patients (four men, three women; age range 59–85 years) were analyzed. All seven patients had disturbed activity patterns during the peri‐administration period. Compared with the pre‐administration period, the incidence of reversed rest‐activity pattern increased significantly in the post‐administration period, as measured by the distance moved per hour (P < 0.000). Patients with advanced stages of dementia had prolonged and delayed activity responses.

Conclusions:  Findings showed changes in activity levels and reversed active/resting phases after a single dose of brotizolam in elderly patients with dementia. Use of brotizolam in elderly patients with dementia, especially in advanced stages, calls for closer attention and longer observation periods.
Molecular imaging of dementia
Authors: MORI Takaaki , MAEDA Jun , SHIMADA Hitoshi , HIGUCHI Makoto , SHINOTOH Hitoshi , UENO Shu‐ichi , SUHARA Tetsuya
Published: June 2012

Diagnosis and treatment strategies for dementia are based on the sensitive and specific detection of the incipient neuropathological characteristics, combined with emerging treatments that counteract molecular processes in its pathogenesis. Positron emission tomography (PET) is used for diverse clinical and basic studies on dementia with a wide range of radiotracers. Approaches to visualize amyloid deposition in human brains non‐invasively with PET depend on imaging agents reacting with amyloid fibrils. The most widely used tracer is [11C]‐6‐OH‐BTA‐1, also known as Pittsburgh Compound‐B, which has a high affinity to amyloid β peptide (Aβ) aggregates. Some 18F‐labeled amyloid ligands with a longer radioactive half‐life have also been developed for broader clinical applications. In addition, there have been demonstrated advantages of tracers with high specific radioactivity in the sensitive detection of amyloid, which have indicated the significance of Aβ‐N3‐pyroglutamate as a new diagnostic and therapeutic target. Furthermore, beneficial outcomes of Aβ and tau immunization in humans and mouse models have highlighted crucial roles of immunocompetent glia in the protection of neurons against amyloid toxicities. The utility of PET with a radioligand for translocator protein as a biomarker for tau‐triggered toxicity, and as a complement to amyloid and tau imaging for diagnostic assessment of tauopathies with and without Aβ pathologies, has also been demonstrated. Meanwhile, brain cholinergic function can be estimated by measuring acetylcholinesterase activity in the brain with PET and radiolabeled acetylcholine analogues. It has been reported that patients with early Parkinson's disease exhibit a reduction in acetylcholinesterase activity in the cerebral cortex, and this decline is more profound in patients with Parkinson's disease with dementia and dementia with Lewy bodies than in patients with Parkinson's disease without dementia. The Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative was a multicentre research project conducted over 6 years that studied changes in cognition, brain structure, and biomarkers in healthy elderly controls and subjects with mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease. An international workgroup of the National Institute on Aging‐Alzheimer's Association has suggested that Alzheimer's disease would be optimally treated before significant cognitive impairment, defined as a ‘presymptomatic’ or ‘preclinical’ stage. Therefore, PET will be of technical importance for both clinical and basic research aimed at prodromal pathologies of Alzheimer's disease.
Multicentre population‐based dementia prevalence survey in Japan: a preliminary report
Authors: IKEJIMA Chiaki , HISANAGA Akito , MEGURO Kenichi , YAMADA Tatsuo , OUMA Shinji , KAWAMURO Yu , HYOUKI Kazushi , NAKASHIMA Kenji , WADA Kenji , YAMADA Shigeto , WATANABE Itaru , KAKUMA Tatsuyuki , AOYAMA Yoshiko , MIZUKAMI Katsuyoshi , ASADA Takashi
Published: June 2012

Community‐based surveys were performed in seven rural areas in Japan to investigate the prevalence of dementia and illnesses causing dementia. A total of 5431 elderly subjects were selected based on census data from 1 October 2009. In total, 3394 participants were examined (participation rate: 62.5%), and 768 dementia cases and 529 mild cognitive impairment cases were identified. Of the illnesses causing dementia, Alzheimer's disease was the most frequent (67.4%), followed by vascular dementia (18.9%), dementia with Lewy body disease (4.6%), mixed dementia (4.2%) and other illnesses. The prevalence of dementia according to 5‐year age strata between 65 and 99 years was 5.8–77.7% among the participants. The prevalence of dementia in this study was higher than in previous reports in Japan and other countries. To verify the upward trend of dementia prevalence and its background factors, we have scheduled surveys for three other urban areas in 2011–2012.
Role of geriatric hospitals for dementia care in the community
Authors: HATTORI Hideyuki
Published: June 2012

In dementia care, behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia and physical illness in patients with dementia impose a marked care burden and require medical intervention. Therefore, it is important for patients and their families to select appropriate medical institutions and facilities with nursing units specializing in the care of behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia, such as geriatric hospitals, which are required to deal with various aspects of dementia. Geriatric hospitals should offer two treatment approaches: a care unit for patients with behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia or dementia with physical illness, and a multidisciplinary team approach involving physicians, nurses, psychologists, and social workers who provide coping strategies for dementia patients.
Intervention for several behavioural disorders in Alzheimer's‐type dementia
Authors: OGAWA Noriyuki , HOSOMI Jun , KOURA Seigo , OSHIKAWA Takeshi , TATEISHI Nobuyasu , TANAKA Mutuhide , KAMIJYO Kenzi , TANIGAWA Yoshihiro
Published: June 2012

In Alzheimer's‐type dementia, significant nerve cell degeneration is seen in the medial temporal lobe, including the hippocampal region, and in the temporoparietal association area. As symptoms progress, impairments in various behaviours begin to occur in daily life. In particular, higher brain dysfunction, including parietal association area dysfunction, are major impediments to providing care or rehabilitation. Herein, we explain behavioural disorders stemming from higher brain dysfunction and discuss the methodology in providing specific care and appropriate rehabilitation. To provide appropriate rehabilitation, it is important to properly assess the causes of behavioural disorder by organizing the characteristics of symptoms, the person and the environment.