bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Lack of Association of Common Allelic Variants in the Thyroglobulin Gene with Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis in Young Subjects with Type 1 Diabetes
Authors: Kotnik Primoz , Debeljak Marusa , Avbelj Magdalena , Hovnik Tinka , Ursic Bratina Natasa , Krzisnik Ciril , Battelino Tadej
Published: March 2010

Background/Aim: Four SNPs (E10SNP24, E10SNP158, E12SNP, E33SNP) in the Tg gene are suspected to be involved in the development of autoimmune thyroid diseases. The aim of the study was to determine whether these variants play a role in the development of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis in young subjects with type 1 diabetes, in whom autoimmune thyroid diseases are significantly more common than in the general population. Subjects and Methods: Seventy-six subjects with type 1 diabetes and Hashimoto’s thyroiditis and 110 subjects with only type 1 diabetes were studied. Hashimoto’s thyroiditis was determined according to the clinical, biochemical and ultrasonographic criteria. SNPs were determined by the TaqMan SNP method. Results: In young subjects with type 1 diabetes, no association between any of the tested SNPs or their combinations and Hashimoto‘s thyroiditis was found. Conclusions: This is the first study to investigate the association of SNPs located inside the coding region of the Tg gene with the development of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis in subjects with type 1 diabetes. The lack of an association is in concordance with a study where marker Tgms2, located inside intron 27, was not associated with joint susceptibility for autoimmune thyroid disease and type 1 diabetes.
Synergistic Effect of Parathyroid Hormone and Growth Hormone on Trabecular and Cortical Bone Formation in Hypophysectomized Rats
Authors: Guevarra Maria Sarah N. , Yeh James K. , Castro Magana Mariano , Aloia John F.
Published: March 2010

Background/Aims: Growth hormone (GH) deficiency in pediatric patients results in short stature and osteopenia. We postulated that the GH and parathyroid hormone (PTH) combination would result in improvement in bone growth and bone formation. Methods: Forty hypophysectomized female rats at age 8 weeks were divided into hypophysectomy (HX), HX + PTH (62.5 µg/kg, s.c. daily), HX + GH (3.33 mg/kg, s.c. daily), and HX + PTH + GH for a 4-week study. Results: GH increased body weight, bone growth, bone mineral content (BMC) and bone mineral density (BMD), whereas PTH increased BMC and BMD without a significant effect on bone size. GH increased both periosteal and endocortical bone formation and cortical size, while PTH increased only endocortical bone formation. GH mitigated the trabecular bone loss by increasing bone formation, while PTH increased bone mass by increasing bone formation and suppressing osteoclast number per bone area. The result of combined intervention shows an increase in trabecular, periosteal and endocortical bone formation and suppression of bone resorption resulting in a synergistic effect on increasing trabecular and cortical bone volume and BMD. Conclusion: The combination treatment of PTH and GH increases bone growth, bone formation, decreases bone resorption and has a synergistic effect on increasing bone density and bone mass.
Relative Bioavailability of Two Drug Products of Somatropin Obtained from Either the Milk of Transgenic Cows or Bacterial Culture
Authors: Farías J. , Feleder E. , González E. , Halabe K. , Criscuolo M.E. , Bergadá I. , Diez R.A.
Published: March 2010

Background: Our objective was to assess the relative bioavailability of the first somatropin produced in transgenic cloned cows that carry the human growth hormone (GH) gene (Biohormon®) and somatropin produced in Escherichia coli culture (HHT®), the procedure most frequently used for the commercial production of the hormone. Methods: Upon approval by an independent ethics committee and the National Regulatory Agency of Argentina, we compared the time-concentration profiles of somatropin in 24 healthy volunteers, in a randomized, 2-period, 2-sequence crossover design after inhibition of endogenous GH secretion with lanreotide, a long-acting somastostatin analogue. After the subcutaneous administration of 1.33 mg of each formulation, serum somatropin was analyzed by chemiluminescent immunoassay and IGF-I by immunoradiometric assay. Safety was assessed by clinical and laboratory parameters. Pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated with Win Nonlin® 5.2 using a non-compartmental model and bioequivalence was assessed. Results: The test/reference ratios of AUC, AUClast and Cmax were 106.4 (90% CI = 100.2–112.9), 105.3 (90% CI = 99.1–111.8) and 105.49 (90% CI = 92.6–120.1), respectively. No serious adverse events were reported and no GH antibodies were detected. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that a single dose of Biohormon, the first product with somatropin obtained from milk of transgenic mammals, is bioequivalent to the reference product HHT according to standard criteria.
Effectiveness of rhGH Treatment on Adult Height in GH-Deficient Childhood Survivors of Medulloblastoma
Authors: Ciaccio M. , Gil S. , Guercio G. , Vaiani E. , Alderete D. , Palladino M. , Warman D.M. , Rivarola M.A. , Belgorosky A.
Published: March 2010

Background: GH deficiency (GHD) and spine irradiation (SI) have been implicated in the mechanism of reduced adult height (AH) in childhood survivors of medulloblastoma. However, growth dynamics after tumor diagnosis and the effectiveness of rhGH on AH in comparison with rhGH-untreated survivors have not been reported. Aim: To follow height (H) SDS (HSDS) since tumor diagnosis and the effect of rhGH in GHD patients, comparing with GH-untreated GHD patients. Methods: 14 patients received rhGH treatment until AH (medulloblastoma GH-treated group, MGHGr). 19 patients refused rhGH therapy (GH-untreated control medulloblastoma group, MCGr). Standing H and sitting H (SitH) were measured. Results: In MGHGr, mean ± SD HSDS decreased from 0.09 ± 0.63 at tumor diagnosis to –1.38 ± 0.91 at diagnosis of GHD, and to –1.90 ± 0.72 at the onset of rhGH, p < 0.01, but it remained unchanged during rhGH (AH –2.12 ± 0.55). MCGr HSDS (–0.25 ± 0.88) was not different from MGHGr at tumor diagnosis, but it was –3.40 ± 0.88 at AH, significantly lower than in MGHGr, p = 0.001. SitH SDS at AH (–4.56 ± 0.82) was significantly lower than at the onset of rhGH (–2.86 ± 0.75), p = 0.003, and it was not different from MCGr (–4.85 ± 1.77). Conclusions: rhGH treatment improves AH in GH-deficient childhood medulloblastoma survivors but not spinal growth.
An Extensive Comparison of Quantitative Trait Loci Mapping Methods
Authors: Kleensang A. , Franke D. , Alcaïs A. , Abel L. , Müller-Myhsok B. , Ziegler A.
Published: March 2010

Background: The choices of study design and statistical approach for mapping a quantitative trait (QT) are of great importance. Larger sibships and a study design based upon phenotypically extreme siblings can be expected to have a greater statistical power. On the other hand, selected samples and/or deviation from normality can influence the robustness and power. Unfortunately, the effects of violation of multivariate normality assumptions and/or selected samples are only known for a limited number of methods. Some recommendations are available in the literature, but an extensive comparison of robustness and power under several different conditions is lacking. Methods: We compared eight freely available and commonly applied QT mapping methods in a Monte-Carlo simulation study under 36 different models and study designs (three genetic models, three selection schemes, two family structures and the possible effect of deviation from normality). Results: Empirical type I error fractions and empirical power are presented and explained as a whole and for each method separately, followed by a thorough discussion. Conclusions: The results from this extensive comparison could serve as a valuable source for the choice of the study design and the statistical approach for mapping a QT.
Using Both Cases and Controls for Testing Hardy-Weinberg Proportions in a Genetic Association Study
Authors: Wang Jian , Shete Sanjay
Published: March 2010

Objectives: Assessment of the Hardy-Weinberg proportion (HWP) in controls has been widely used as a quality control measure in case-control association studies. However, when the disease being studied is common, controls might not represent the general population, which could result in inaccurate HWP test results. Such results could lead investigators to discard important single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that could potentially be causal. In this paper, we showed the inappropriateness of the HWP test in controls and proposed a mixture HWP (mHWP) exact test using a mixture sample that mimics the general population. Methods: The mHWP exact test estimates HWP in a mixture sample that is a combination of both cases and controls proportional to the prevalence of disease. We implemented a re-sampling procedure to construct mixture samples and then obtained the empirical p value of HWP in the general population. Simulation studies were performed to investigate the performance of the proposed mHWP exact test. The method was also applied to a genetic association study of obesity. Results: The results showed that the mHWP exact test is more likely than either the traditional HWP method in controls or the likelihood-based approach to keep causal SNPs for further analysis when the disease is more common. Conclusion: The mHWP exact test using a mixture sample is a better HWP test for case-control genetic association studies than the traditional HWP in controls or the likelihood-based approach, and it will improve our ability to keep causal SNPs in the case-control genetic association studies.
Gene Deletion Screen for Cardiomyopathy in Adult
Drosophila
Identifies a New Notch Ligand
Authors: Kim Il-Man , Wolf Matthew J. , Rockman Howard A.
Published: March 2010

Rationale
:

Drosophila
has been recognized as a model to study human cardiac diseases.

Objective
:

Despite these findings, and the wealth of tools that are available to the fly community, forward genetic screens for adult heart phenotypes have been rarely performed because of the difficulty in accurately measuring cardiac function in adult
Drosophila
.

Methods and Results
:

Using optical coherence tomography to obtain real-time analysis of cardiac function in awake
Drosophila
, we performed a genomic deficiency screen in adult flies. Based on multiple complementary approaches, we identified
CG31665
as a novel gene causing dilated cardiomyopathy.
CG31665
, which we name weary (
wry
), has structural similarities to members of the Notch family. Using cell aggregation assays and γ-secretase inhibitors we show that Wry is a novel Notch ligand that can mediate cellular adhesion with Notch expressing cells and transactivates Notch to promote signaling and nuclear transcription. Importantly, Wry lacks a DSL (Delta-Serrate-Lag) domain that is common feature to the other
Drosophila
Notch ligands. We further show that Notch signaling is critically important for the maintenance of normal heart function of the adult fly.

Conclusions
:

In conclusion, we identify a previously unknown Notch ligand in
Drosophila
that when deleted causes cardiomyopathy. Our study suggests that Notch signaling components may be a therapeutic target for dilated cardiomyopathy.
Complement Regulator CD59 Protects Against Angiotensin II–Induced Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms in Mice
Authors: Wu Gongxiong , Chen Ting , Shahsafaei Aliakbar , Hu Weiguo , Bronson Roderick T. , Shi Guo-Ping , Halperin Jose A. , Aktas Huseyin , Qin Xuebin
Published: March 2010

Background—

Complement system, an innate immunity, has been well documented to play a critical role in many inflammatory diseases. However, the role of complement in the pathogenesis of abdominal aortic aneurysm, which is considered an immune and inflammatory disease, remains obscure.

Methods and Results—

Here, we evaluated the pathogenic roles of complement membrane attack complex and CD59, a key regulator that inhibits the membrane attack complex, in the development of abdominal aortic aneurysm. We demonstrated that in the angiotensin II–induced abdominal aortic aneurysm model, deficiency of the membrane attack complex regulator CD59 in
ApoE
-null mice (
mCd59ab
−/−
/ApoE
−/−
) accelerated the disease development, whereas transgenic overexpression of human CD59 (
hCD59
ICAM-2+/−
/ApoE
−/−
) in this model attenuated the progression of abdominal aortic aneurysm. The severity of aneurysm among these 3 groups positively correlates with C9 deposition, and/or the activities of MMP2 and MMP9, and/or the levels of phosphorylated c-Jun, c-Fos, IKK-α/β, and p65. Furthermore, we demonstrated that the membrane attack complex directly induced gene expression of matrix metalloproteinase-2 and -9 in vitro, which required activation of the activator protein-1 and nuclear factor-κB signaling pathways.

Conclusion—

Together, these results defined the protective role of CD59 and shed light on the important pathogenic role of the membrane attack complex in abdominal aortic aneurysm.
Modeled Economic Evaluation of Alternative Strategies to Reduce Sudden Cardiac Death Among Children Treated for Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
Authors: Denchev Peter , Kaltman Jonathan R. , Schoenbaum Michael , Vitiello Benedetto
Published: March 2010

Background—

Stimulants are widely used to treat children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder and may increase the risk for sudden cardiac death (SCD). We examined the cost-effectiveness of pretreatment screening with ECG for reducing SCD risk in children diagnosed with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder who are candidates for stimulant medication.

Method and Results—

We constructed a state-transition Markov model with 10 annual cycles spanning 7 to 17 years of age. Taking a societal perspective, we compared the cost-effectiveness of 3 screening strategies: (1) performing a history and physical examination with cardiology referral if abnormal (current standard of care); (2) performing a history and physical examination plus ECG after negative history and physical examination, with cardiology referral if either is abnormal; and (3) performing a history and physical examination plus ECG, with cardiology referral only if ECG is abnormal. Children identified with SCD-associated cardiac abnormalities would be restricted from stimulants and from playing competitive sports. The expected incremental cost-effectiveness over strategy 1 was $39 300 and $27 200 per quality-adjusted life-year for strategies 2 and 3, respectively. Monte Carlo simulation found that the chance of incremental cost-effectiveness was 55% for strategy 2 and 71% for strategy 3 (willingness to pay ≤$50 000 per quality-adjusted life-year). Both strategies 2 and 3 would avert 13 SCDs per 400 000 children seeking stimulant treatment for ADHD, for a cost of $1.6 million per life for strategy 2 and $1.2 million per life for strategy 3.

Conclusions—

Relative to current practice, adding ECG screening to history and physical examination pretreatment screening for children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder has borderline cost-effectiveness for preventing SCD. Relative cost-effectiveness may be improved by basing cardiology referral on ECG alone. Benefits of ECG screening arise primarily by restricting children identified with SCD risk from competitive sports.
Implications of Recently Published Trials of Blood Pressure–Lowering Drugs in Hypertensive or High-Risk Patients
Authors: Staessen Jan A. , Richart Tom , Wang Zengwu , Thijs Lutgarde
Published: March 2010

We reviewed 6 recent outcome trials of blood pressure (BP)–lowering drugs in 74 524 randomized hypertensive or high-risk patients. Over interpretation of nonsignificant or marginal probability values in large trials with overlapping end points, exclusion of patients not tolerating or not adhering to experimental treatments, labeling nonsignificant treatment effects as modest, and insufficient information on the quality of the BP measurements or on the BP changes early after randomization raise concern. From a clinical viewpoint, results should not be extrapolated to patients with characteristics dissimilar from those randomized. The benefit beyond BP lowering in cardiovascular prevention is tiny. Dual inhibition of the renin system should only be used in patients at high risk, in whom all drug combinations have been tried and who cannot be controlled by a single renin system inhibitor. Current evidence does not support BP lowering in normotensive patients or the use of renin system inhibitors for prevention of stroke recurrence. Because angiotensin-receptor blockers might offer less protection against myocardial infarction than angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, the latter should remain the preferred renin system inhibitor for cardiovascular prevention in angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor-tolerant patients. In 2 trials, in which new-onset diabetes was a predefined end point, 1000 patients had to be treated for 1 year with an angiotensin-receptor blocker instead of placebo to prevent just 2 cases. From a design viewpoint, the time has come to revise the concept of large simple trials and to pursue research questions that serve patient interests more than showing noninferiority or highlight the ancillary qualities of marketable antihypertensive drugs.
Pharmacologically Induced Thoracic and Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms in Mice
Authors: Kanematsu Yasuhisa , Kanematsu Miyuki , Kurihara Chie , Tsou Tsung-Ling , Nuki Yoshitsugu , Liang Elena I. , Makino Hiroshi , Hashimoto Tomoki
Published: March 2010

Aortic aneurysms are common among the elderly population. A large majority of aortic aneurysms are located at two distinct aneurysm-prone regions, the abdominal aorta and thoracic aorta involving the ascending aorta. In this study, we combined two factors that are associated with human aortic aneurysms, hypertension and degeneration of elastic lamina, to induce an aortic aneurysm in mice. Roles of hemodynamic conditions in the formation of aortic aneurysms were assessed using two different methods for inducing hypertension and antihypertensive agents. In 9-week–old C57BL/6J male mice, hypertension was induced by angiotensin II or deoxycorticosterone acetate-salt hypertension; degeneration of elastic lamina was induced by infusion of β-aminopropionitrile, a lysyl oxidase inhibitor. Irrespective of the methods for inducing hypertension, mice developed thoracic and abdominal aortic aneurysms (38% to 50% and 30 to 49%, respectively). Aneurysms were found at the two aneurysm-prone regions with site-specific morphological and histological characteristics. Treatment with an antihypertensive agent, amlodipine, normalized blood pressure and dramatically reduced aneurysm formation in the mice that received angiotensin II and β-aminopropionitrile. However, treatment with captopril, an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor, did not affect blood pressure or the incidence of aortic aneurysms in the mice that received deoxycorticosterone acetate-salt and β-aminopropionitrile. In summary, we have shown that a combination of hypertension and pharmacologically induced degeneration of elastic laminas can induce both thoracic and abdominal aortic aneurysms with site-specific characteristics. The aneurysm formation in this model depended on hypertension but not on direct effects of angiotensin II to the vascular wall.
Aortic Stiffness Is Independently Associated With Rate of Renal Function Decline in Chronic Kidney Disease Stages 3 and 4
Authors: Ford Martin L. , Tomlinson Laurie A. , Chapman Thomas P.E. , Rajkumar Chakravarthi , Holt Stephen G.
Published: March 2010

Aortic stiffness and chronic kidney disease are closely linked by shared risk factors and associated increased cardiovascular mortality. At lower levels of renal function, aortic stiffness is independently associated with glomerular filtration rate. However, the longitudinal impact of aortic stiffness on renal function has not been reported previously. A cohort of 133 patients with chronic kidney disease stages 3 and 4 (estimated glomerular filtration rate: 15 to 59 mL/min per 1.73 m
2
) underwent prospective measurement of arterial stiffness parameters and monitoring of renal function. Aortic pulse wave velocity measurement was performed in 120 patients. The mean age was 69±12 years (mean±SD; 103 men, 30 women, and 23.3% diabetic). Mean systolic blood pressure was 155±21 mm Hg, and mean diastolic blood pressure was 83±11 mm Hg. The mean Modification of Diet in Renal Disease estimated glomerular filtration rate was 32±11 mL/min per 1.73 m
2
. Change in renal function was measured using reciprocal creatinine plots and the dichotomous combined end point of ≥25% decline in renal function or start of renal replacement therapy. After stepwise multivariate analysis, aortic pulse wave velocity was independently associated with gradient of reciprocal creatinine plot (
r
=0.46;
P
=0.014). In multivariate analysis of the end point of ≥25% decline in renal function or start of renal replacement therapy, independent predictors were aortic pulse wave velocity (
r
=0.48;
P
=0.002), systolic blood pressure (
r
=0.17;
P
=0.039), and urine protein:creatinine ratio (
r
=0.20;
P
=0.021). We, therefore, conclude that aortic stiffening is independently associated with rate of change in renal function in patients with chronic kidney disease stages 3 and 4.
Female Adult Mouse Cardiomyocytes Are Protected Against Oxidative Stress
Authors: Wang Fangfei , He Quan , Sun Ying , Dai Xiangguo , Yang Xiao-Ping
Published: March 2010

Premenopausal women have less cardiovascular disease and lower cardiovascular morbidity and mortality than men the same age. Our previous studies showed that female mice have lower mortality and better preserved cardiac function after myocardial infarction. However, the precise cellular and molecular mechanisms responsible for such a sex difference are not well established. Using cultured adult mouse cardiomyocytes, we tested the hypothesis that the survival advantage of females stems from activated estrogen receptors and Akt survival signaling pathways. Adult mouse cardiomyocytes were isolated from male and female C57BL/6J mice and treated with hydrogen peroxide (100 μmol/L) for 30 minutes. Cell survival was indicated by rod ratio (rod shaped cells:total cells), cell death by lactate dehydrogenase release, and positive staining of annexin-V (a marker for apoptosis) and propidium iodide (a marker for necrosis). In response to hydrogen peroxide
,
female adult mouse cardiomyocytes exhibited a higher rod ratio, lower lactate dehydrogenase release, and fewer Annexin-V–positive and propidium iodide–positive cells compared with males. Phospho-Akt was greater in females both at baseline and after hydrogen peroxide stimulation. The downstream molecule of Akt, phosphor–GSK-3β (inactivation), was also higher, whereas caspase 3 activity was lower in females in response to hydrogen peroxide. Bcl-2 did not differ between sexes. Estrogen receptor-α was the dominant isoform in females, whereas estrogen receptor-β was low but similar in both sexes. Our findings demonstrate that female adult mouse cardiomyocytes have a greater survival advantage when challenged with oxidative stress–induced cell death. This may be attributable to activation of Akt and inhibition of GSK-3β and caspase 3 through an estrogen receptor-α–mediated mechanism.
Combination Treatment With VELCADE and Low-Dose Tissue Plasminogen Activator Provides Potent Neuroprotection in Aged Rats After Embolic Focal Ischemia
Authors: Zhang Li , Zhang Zheng Gang , Buller Ben , Jiang James , Jiang Yanting , Zhao Danping , Liu Xianshuang , Morris Dan , Chopp Michael
Published: March 2010

Background and Purpose—

Treatment with a selective proteasome inhibitor, VELCADE, in combination with tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) extended the therapeutic window to 6 hours in young rats after stroke. However, stroke is a major cause of death and disability in the elderly. The present study investigated the effect of VELCADE in combination with a low-dose tPA on aged rats after embolic stroke.

Methods—

Male Wistar rats at the age of 18 to 20 months were treated with VELCADE (0.2 mg/kg) alone, a low-dose tPA (5 mg/kg) alone, combination of VELCADE and tPA, or saline 2 hours after embolic middle cerebral artery occlusion. To test the contribution of endothelial nitric oxide synthase to VELCADE-mediated neuroprotection, endothelial nitric oxide synthase knockout and wild-type mice were treated with VELCADE (0.5 mg/kg) 2 hours after embolic stroke.

Results—

Treatment with VELCADE significantly reduced infarct volume, whereas tPA alone did not reduce infarct volume and aggravated blood–brain barrier disruption in aged rats compared with saline-treated rats. However, the combination treatment significantly enhanced the reduction of infarct volume, which was associated with an increase in endothelial nitric oxide synthase activity compared with saline-treated rats. Additionally, the combination treatment promoted thrombolysis and did not increase the incidence of hemorrhage transformation. VELCADE significantly reduced lesion volume in wild-type mice but failed to significantly reduce lesion volume in endothelial nitric oxide synthase knockout mice.

Conclusions—

Treatment with VELCADE exerts a neuroprotective effect in aged rats after stroke. The combination of VELCADE with the low-dose tPA further amplifies the neuroprotective effect. Endothelial nitric oxide synthase at least partly contributes to VELCADE-mediated neuroprotection after stroke.
Momentum Fluxes of Gravity Waves Generated by Variable Froude Number Flow over Three-Dimensional Obstacles
Authors: Eckermann Stephen D. , Lindeman John , Broutman Dave , Ma Jun , Boybeyi Zafer
Published: March 2010

Fully nonlinear mesoscale model simulations are used to investigate the momentum fluxes of gravity waves that emerge at a “far-field” height of 6 km from steady unsheared flow over both an axisymmetric and elliptical obstacle for nondimensional mountain heights ĥm = Fr−1 in the range 0.1–5, where Fr is the surface Froude number. Fourier- and Hilbert-transform diagnostics of model output yield local estimates of phase-averaged momentum flux, while area integrals of momentum flux quantify the amount of surface pressure drag that translates into far-field gravity waves, referred to here as the “wave drag” component. Estimates of surface and wave drag are compared to parameterization predictions and theory. Surface dynamics transition from linear to high-drag (wave breaking) states at critical inverse Froude numbers Frc−1 predicted to within 10% by transform relations. Wave drag peaks at Frc−1 < ĥm ≲ 2, where for the elliptical obstacle both surface and wave drag vacillate owing to cyclical buildup and breakdown of waves. For the axisymmetric obstacle, this occurs only at ĥm = 1.2. At ĥm ≳ 2–3 vacillation abates and normalized pressure drag assumes a common normalized form for both obstacles that varies approximately as ĥm−1.3. Wave drag in this range asymptotes to a constant absolute value that, despite its theoretical shortcomings, is predicted to within 10%–40% by an analytical relation based on linear clipped-obstacle drag for a Sheppard-based prediction of dividing streamline height. Constant wave drag at ĥm ∼ 2–5 arises despite large variations with ĥm in the three-dimensional morphology of the local wave momentum fluxes. Specific implications of these results for the parameterization of subgrid-scale orographic drag in global climate and weather models are discussed.
Chaotic Behaviors in the Response of a Quasigeostrophic Oceanic Double Gyre to Seasonal External Forcing
Authors: Shimokawa Shinya , Matsuura Tomonori
Published: March 2010

In an oceanic double-gyre system, nonlinear oscillations of the ocean under seasonally changing external forcing are investigated using a 1.5-layer quasigeostrophic model and a simple model related to energy balance of the oceanic double gyre. In the experiments, the variable parameter is the amplitude of external seasonal forcing and the Reynolds number is fixed as 39, at which periodic shedding of inertial subgyres occurs. The authors found that entrainment (at 2 times the period of the forcing) and intermittency (on–off type), phenomena that are often seen in nonlinear systems, emerge with increasing amplitude of the forcing. They seem to be related to the generation mechanism and characteristics of long-term (from interannual to decadal) variations in the strong current region of subtropical gyres such as the Kuroshio and its extension region.
Analyzing the Image Warp Forecast Verification Method on Precipitation Fields from the ICP
Authors: Gilleland Eric , Lindström Johan , Lindgren Finn
Published: March 2010

Image warping for spatial forecast verification is applied to the test cases employed by the Spatial Forecast Verification Intercomparison Project (ICP), which includes both real and contrived cases. A larger set of cases is also used to investigate aggregating results for summarizing forecast performance over a long record of forecasts. The technique handles the geometric and perturbed cases with nearly exact precision, as would be expected. A statistic, dubbed here the IWS for image warp statistic, is proposed for ranking multiple forecasts and tested on the perturbed cases. IWS rankings for perturbed and real test cases are found to be sensible and physically interpretable. A powerful result of this study is that the image warp can be employed using a relatively sparse, preset regular grid without having to first identify features.
Associations Between Alcohol Drinking and Multiple Risk Factors for Atherosclerosis in Smokers and Nonsmokers
Authors: Wakabayashi Ichiro
Published: March 2010

This study investigated relationships between alcohol intake and multiple risk factors for atherosclerosis in smokers and nonsmokers. Men aged 35 to 54 years (n = 27 005) were divided into 6 groups by ethanol intake. The prevalence of multiple (≥3 or ≥4) risk factors, including obesity, high blood pressure, high total cholesterol, triglyceride and fasting blood glucose, and low high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, was compared among the groups in smokers and nonsmokers. Smokers and nonsmokers showed U- and J-shaped relationships, respectively, between alcohol intake and prevalence of multiple risk factors. Odds ratios of drinkers versus nondrinkers for multiple risk factors were significantly low in very light, light, moderate, and heavy drinkers in smokers and were significantly low in light and moderate drinkers but not in very low and heavy drinkers in nonsmokers. There is a U- or J-shaped relationship between alcohol consumption and multiple risk factors for atherosclerosis, and this relationship is modified by smoking.
Commemorating God and Country in American War Memorials: Symbolic Evolution and Legality
Authors: Mayo James M. , Hoeflich Michael H.
Published: March 2010

Throughout the course of U.S. history, religious symbolism has played a role in memorials. This symbolism reached its height after World War I, and continues today. Since the last half of the 20th-century, legal cases have challenged religious symbolism in memorials on public or government property. The courts have developed legal tests to evaluate the use of this symbolism in war memorials. First, this study used historical analyses to examine how religious symbolism has been explicitly expressed in American war memorials. Second, legal analyses were applied to key cases involving conflicts between church and state, and memorials. Whereas past legal judgments focused on a memorial’s symbols, recent legal judgments included an evaluation of the environmental setting in which such religious symbols and memorials were placed. Thus, memorial designers must consider not only how they introduce symbolism into a memorial’s design, but also how their site designs involve potential religious symbolism.
Edinburgh 2010: Witnessing to Christ in Humility and Hope
Authors: Balia Daryl M.
Published: March 2010

The Edinburgh 2010 project serves as a platform to engage all churches in the centenary celebrations of the World Missionary Conference and rethink their commitment to mission as a consequence. It is inevitable that comparisons will arise but, lest mistakes repeat themselves, it is worth recognising how the missionary era has dramatically changed so that our sense of nostalgia is tempered with a dosage of realism about the present, especially when diversity and decline are often present. Hope for a better future is possible if we better understand what it is that we wish to remember about the past and what exactly we welcome about the present.
Sin’s Wages and God’s Gift in the Divine Economy: Reflections on Romans 7 and the Cleansing of the Temple in John 2:13-17
Authors: Eastman Susan
Published: March 2010

Adapted from a sermon on sin, condemnation and grace preached on March 15, 2009 in Duke Chapel, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina. The Lectionary readings for the day were Romans 7:15-21 and John 2:13-17.
Evasion of boredom: An unexpected spur to leadership?
Authors: Carroll Brigid J , Parker Polly , Inkson Kerr
Published: March 2010

Boredom has been largely omitted from the leadership literature, or dismissed as a problem, incongruent with effective leadership. Our research showed that the boredom discourse of senior managers engaged in a leadership development programme contrasted with their construction of challenge in leadership. In a second study, managers considered boredom to be a characteristic of followers not leaders, antithetical to leadership, and a problem to be solved through leader-initiated change. These managers therefore accepted a prevalent negative discourse on boredom and sought to respond to it not by reflecting on it but by initiating change. The experience and consideration of boredom may provide the impetus for creativity, risk-taking, curiosity and challenge-seeking, and may foster sustained and embedded individual and organizational learning. Attending to a more holistic range of phenomena and living with leadership ‘troughs’ as well as ‘peaks’ may ultimately create a more reflexive, resilient and agile leadership.
Conservation laws for a gauge-variant umbra-Lagrangian in classical mechanics using bond graphs
Authors: Rastogi Vikas , Mukherjee Amalendu
Published: March 2010

In this article, conservation laws (invariants of motion) have been derived from symmetry operations for different energy domains. The formulation has been derived through an extended Noether’s theorem and the bond graphs. An additional time-like variable has been used which is termed an umbra and this notation was appended to all kinds of energies and the Lagrangian itself. We extend Lagrangian—Hamiltonian mechanics to deal with asymmetries in the system, which incorporates dissipative and non-potential fields. The gauge-functions have been used to symmetrize the umbra-Lagrangian of the system. Several new examples have been incorporated to elucidate the concept. The first example presents the complex gauge functions for a radiation thermal system, where a mass of ice is heated by the radiation process. The conservation law for such a system is obtained. In the second example, gauge functions for the system with time-varying stiffness are considered, which clearly expresses the usefulness of the umbra-Lagrangian method. In another example, gauge functions for a control system have been obtained, which shows the applicability of the method in different energy domains.
Irish Secularization and Religious Identities: Evidence of an Emerging New Catholic Habitus
Authors: Andersen Karen
Published: March 2010

The author identifies major changes since the 1960s that have transformed the role of religion in Irish society. An analysis of Irish data from the 2006 survey “Church and Religion in an Enlarged Europe” reveal that these have culminated in a shift in the religious and spiritual identities of young Irish Catholics aged 18—29. This shift is linked to a decline in the power of the Catholic Church in Ireland within education, social welfare, public policy and the media, and its subsequent demise as the sole arbiter of private morality. Rather than having turned to new spiritual expressions, young Irish Catholics embody a new Catholic habitus. Although they still have a strong cultural attachment to Catholicism they exercise a great deal of autonomy in their religious practices, beliefs and attitudes, and their ways of being religious and spiritual appear less institutionalized than older cohorts.
The Bulgarian Orthodox Church and the “Ethic of Capitalism”
Authors: Kalkandjieva Daniela
Published: March 2010

The author attempts to explore the relationship between Orthodox Christianity and the “ethic of capitalism” in Bulgarian society. According to the author, the notion of Orthodoxy as a source of the economic backwardness of Bulgaria is a complex result of historical, institutional and epistemological factors such as the impact of nineteenth-century socio-economic dynamics on the institutionalization of the Bulgarian Church, the symbiosis of Orthodoxy with Balkan nationalism, the difficulty of distinguishing between the doctrinal and institutional aspects of Orthodoxy, and the post-communist reading of Orthodoxy as a factor in the economic liberalization of Bulgaria. The author considers that in the Bulgarian case the ethic of capitalism was developed under the influence of Western economics rather than under that of Orthodoxy. It also brought about a specific secularization of society that allowed the appropriation of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church for national ends.
Acceptance of Other Religions in the United States: An HLM Analysis of Variability across Congregations
Authors: Smith Buster G.
Published: March 2010

Interactions with people who are different become more common and significant as the world becomes more closely connected, both physically and culturally. One of the ways in which such cultural collisions are most deeply felt is over matters of religion. The author explores the importance of religious traditions in sculpting the attitudes religious people hold toward the validity of alternative faiths. By employing the statistical techniques of hierarchical linear modeling (HLM), the current analysis is able to combine prior explanations of individual-level behavior with the contextual effects of the religious congregation, such as strictness, racial homogeneity, and membership size. This is accomplished with the 2001 United States Congregational Life Survey. Results indicate that all religions have distinct ways of influencing the relationship between socio-demographic characteristics and pluralistic attitudes, but that more particular features of the congregation are only sporadically significant.
Time in Abu’l Faz.l’s Historiography
Authors: Mukhia Harbans
Published: March 2010

History writing in medieval India was predominantly set within the framework of Islam without becoming a branch of theology. The temporal parameters were almost invariably drawn from the hijrī era, which sharply divided time into the age of jahaliyat, ignorance, and one lit up by Islam. It was also primarily centred on the history of the ruling Muslim dynasties whose political lineage was delineated through, and was confined to, the world of Islam. Abu’l Faẓl, courtier, historian and friend of the Mughal emperor Akbar (r. 1556–1605), deploys an alternative conception of historical time which flows uninterrupted from Adam down to Akbar, disengaging history writing from its Islamic axis. Indeed, he is rather contemptuous of the hijrī era. His Akbar Nama projects a worldview premised upon a universal religiosity in lieu of a sectarian religion. This constitutes his ‘rationality’ which connects it to the ethos evolving at the base of Indian society
Empiricism versus connoisseurship: Establishing the appropriacy of texts in tests of academic reading
Authors: Green Anthony , Ünaldi Aylin , Weir Cyril
Published: March 2010

Providers of tests of languages for academic purposes generally claim to provide evidence on the extent to which students are likely to be able to cope with the future demands of reading in specified real-life contexts. Such claims need to be supported by evidence that the texts employed in the test reflect salient features of the texts the test takers will encounter in the target situation as well as demonstrating the comparability of the cognitive processing demands of accompanying test tasks with target reading activities. This paper will focus on the issue of text comparability. For reasons of practicality, evidence relating to text characteristics is generally based on the expert judgement of individual test writers, arrived at through a holistic interpretation of test specifications. However, advances in automated textual analysis and a better understanding of the value of pooled qualitative judgement have now made it feasible to provide more quantitative approaches focusing analytically on a wide range of individual characteristics. This paper will employ these techniques to explore the comparability of texts used in a test of academic reading comprehension and key texts used by first-year undergraduates at a British university. It offers a principled means for test providers and test users to evaluate this aspect of test validity.
Stress Fractures of the Metacarpal Bones in Adolescent Tennis Players
Authors: Balius Ramon , Pedret Carles , Estruch Assun , Hernández Gemma , Ruiz-Cotorro Ángel , Mota Javier
Published: March 2010

Background: There are 12 reported cases of metacarpal stress fractures in athletes, with only 4 of them involving the second metacarpal.

Purpose: The authors describe stress fracture of the second metacarpal bone in teenaged tennis players and the relationship with sport intensity and type of grip used. They also demonstrate that magnetic resonance imaging is the diagnostic study of choice to differentiate this entity from the most common cause of pain in this region of the hand in tennis players—the carpal boss.

Study Design: Case series; Level of evidence, 4.

Methods: Seven adolescent tennis players (mean age, 16.5 years; 6 female, 1 male) with dorsal hand pain produced by playing tennis were examined by radiographs and initial magnetic resonance imaging. In 2 cases, bone scintigraphy was performed. In the first 2 cases, the presumptive diagnosis was a carpal boss, but with this experience, the diagnostic evaluation of the last 5 cases was oriented toward a stress reaction at this level. Radiologic follow-up was performed. The authors also evaluated the grip type used by each tennis player.

Results: Clinical evaluation and imaging studies resulted in a diagnosis of stress injury of the second metatarsal in 6 of 7 cases, with the seventh case involving the third metacarpal. Initial imaging was positive in 3 cases, revealing an increased signal in the marrow without hairline crack and cortical thickening of the shaft or simply an increased signal in the marrow. In all cases, there was a history of recent increase in the sport training load. Six of the 7 tennis players were using a semi-Western or Western grip.

Conclusion: Stress fractures of the second metacarpal are characteristic of adolescent tennis players and are associated with an increased intensity of tennis play and may be associated with use of the semi-Western or Western grip. Magnetic resonance imaging is the most useful tool for obtaining a definitive diagnosis.
Digitized parody: The politics of egao in contemporary China
Authors: Haomin Gong  , Xin Yang
Published: March 2010

This article investigates egao—technology-enabled online parody in contemporary China. Egao is a site where issues of power struggle, class reconsolidation, social stratification, (online) community formation, and cultural intervention, along with the transformative power of digital technologies, intersect. Through an analysis of Hu Ge’s “The Bloody Case of a Steamed Bun,” we argue that egao provides an alternative locus of power, permitting the transgression of existing social and cultural hierarchies. Satiric and ludicrous in nature, egao playfully subverts a range of authoritative discourses and provides a vehicle for both comic criticism and emotional catharsis. As an individualized form of expression of the new digital generation, it also offers insight into the collective attitudes of the new class of netizens.
Strategic development of UK academic library websites: A survey of East Midlands university libraries
Authors: Manuel Sue , Dearnley James , Walton Graham
Published: March 2010

The strategic development of an academic library website is an ongoing process. The methods available to libraries in their efforts to understand the use of their website are also changing. A pilot survey of a group of UK academic libraries provided an insight into the approaches and methods adopted by this group. The study also revealed some of the issues these libraries faced in maintaining a website capable of satisfying the needs of its users. This group of libraries demonstrated that practical measures to develop their sites are being taken. However, in some cases a library’s ability to develop its site was constrained by institutional procedures and processes. Lessons learnt from this pilot will be implemented in a national survey of UK academic libraries.
Cross-Validating a Bidimensional Mathematics Anxiety Scale
Authors: Haiyan Bai
Published: March 2010

The psychometric properties of a 14-item bidimensional Mathematics Anxiety Scale—Revised (MAS-R) were empirically cross-validated with two independent samples consisting of 647 secondary school students. An exploratory factor analysis on the scale yielded strong construct validity with a clear two-factor structure. The results from a confirmatory factor analysis indicated an excellent model-fit (χ 2 = 98.32, df = 62; normed fit index = .92, comparative fit index = .97; root mean square error of approximation = .04). The internal consistency (.85), test—retest reliability (.71), interfactor correlation (.26, p < .001), and positive discrimination power indicated that MAS-R is a psychometrically reliable and valid instrument for measuring mathematics anxiety. Math anxiety, as measured by MAS-R, correlated negatively with student achievement scores ( r = -.38), suggesting that MAS-R may be a useful tool for classroom teachers and other educational personnel tasked with identifying students at risk of reduced math achievement because of anxiety.
Sepsis-Induced Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation With Features of Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura: A Fatal Fulminant Syndrome
Authors: Zhaoyue Wang  , Ziqiang Yu  , Jian Su  , Lijuan Cao  , Xiaojuan Zhao  , Changgeng Ruan
Published: March 2010

Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) and thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) are different disease states, while ADAMTS13 deficiency could occur in sepsis-induced DIC. We report 2 patients who had septic DIC with features of idiopathic TTP characterized by low ADAMTS13 activity and positive ADAMTS13 inhibitor. They had a specific fulminant course and fatal outcome, which might represent a new specific syndrome.
Replacement of Phe274 With Conserved Residue Tyr274 for Reactive Center Loop Expulsion in Antithrombin
Authors: Duhan Urmila
Published: March 2010

Background: The reactive center loop (RCL) of native antithrombin is partially inserted in the main serpin body. It must be fully exposed for optimal inhibitory function. Objective: To test the hypothesis that P14-s2B interaction affects loop insertion in antithrombin. By mutating Phe274 to Tyr274, the objective was to introduce P14-s2B interaction in antithrombin. Methods: Site-directed mutagenesis and affinity chromatography were used to obtain purified recombinant protein. Antithrombin’s ability to form sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)-stable complex with thrombin, stoichiometry of thrombin inhibition, second-order rate constant for thrombin and factor Xa (fXa) inhibition (M-1 s-1), and heparin dissociation constant (KD; tryptophan fluorescence emission spectra) were determined. Results and Conclusion: A marginal, but inconclusive, difference between the wild type and the mutant was observed. The result highlights the variable effect of P14-s2B interaction in different serpins. Alternate hypothesis for achieving loop expulsion is proposed.