bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Nitric Oxide Involvement in TNF-α and IL-1β-Mediated Changes in Human Mesangial Cell MMP-9 and TIMP-1
Authors: Nee Larine , O’Connell Séin , Nolan Stephen , Ryan Michael P. , McMorrow Tara
Published: September 2008

Background: Mesangial cells are known to secrete metalloproteinases (MMPs) and tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs) that are capable of disrupting the glomerular basement membrane (GBM). Disruption of the GBM appears to be an important mechanism in the renal disease process, however little is known about the mechanisms involved. Therefore we examined the potential role of nitric oxide (NO) in the regulation of MMP-9 and TIMP-1 by tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) using the human mesangial cell line (HMCL). Methods: The HMCL was treated with various concentrations of cytokines and NO inhibitors. Activity of MMP-9 was examined by gelatin zymography and TIMP-1 expression was analysed by Western blotting. NO production was measured using the Greiss assay. Results: In this study, stimulation of HMCL cells with TNF-α or IL-1β, alone or in combination, led to a substantial increase in NO production, which was shown to result from an increase in the expression of the inducible form of NOS (iNOS). Treatment of cells with the specific iNOS inhibitor L- potentiated the increase in MMP-9 production induced by TNF-α, but prevented the suppression of TIMP-1 production observed following cytokine treatment. The NO donor, sodium nitroprusside, also stimulated a substantial increase in NO production in HMCL cells, which was associated with a reduction in basal and TNF-α-stimulated MMP-9 and a potentiation of the cytokine-induced decrease in TIMP-1. Conclusions: Our study provides convincing evidence of a modulatory role for NO on cytokine-induced MMP-9 and TIMP-1 production in human mesangial cells.
Syx, a RhoA Guanine Exchange Factor, Is Essential for Angiogenesis In Vivo
Authors: Garnaas Maija K. , Moodie Karen L. , Liu Miao-liang , Samant Ganesh V. , Li Keguo , Marx Ruth , Baraban Jay M. , Horowitz Arie , Ramchandran Ramani
Published: September 2008

Rho GTPases play an important and versatile role in several biological processes. In this study, we identified the zebrafish ortholog of the mammalian Rho A guanine exchange factor, synectin-binding guanine exchange factor (Syx), and determined its in vivo function in the zebrafish and the mouse. We found that
Syx
is expressed specifically in the vasculature of these organisms. Loss-of-function studies in the zebrafish and mouse point to a specific role for Syx in angiogenic sprouting in the developing vascular bed. Importantly, vasculogenesis and angioblast differentiation steps were unaffected in
syx
knockdown zebrafish embryos, and the vascular sprouting defects were partially rescued by the mouse ortholog.
Syx
knockdown in vitro impairs vascular endothelial growth factor-A–induced endothelial cell migration and angiogenesis. We have also uncovered a potential mechanism of endothelial sprout guidance in which angiomotin, a component of endothelial cell junctions, plays an additive role with Syx in directing endothelial sprouts. These results identify Syx as an essential contributor to angiogenesis in vivo.
Hemizygous Deficiency of Krüppel-Like Factor 2 Augments Experimental Atherosclerosis
Authors: Atkins G. Brandon , Wang Yunmei , Mahabeleshwar Ganapati H. , Shi Hong , Gao Huiyun , Kawanami Daiji , Natesan Viswanath , Lin Zhiyong , Simon Daniel I. , Jain Mukesh K.
Published: September 2008

Krüppel-like factor (KLF)2 is a central regulator of endothelial and monocyte/macrophage gene expression and function in vitro. Although the composite effects of KLF2 in these 2 cell types predict that it likely inhibits vascular inflammation, the role of KLF2 in this process in vivo is uncharacterized. In this study, we provide evidence that hemizygous deficiency of KLF2 increased diet-induced atherosclerosis in apolipoprotein E–deficient mice. Our studies highlight an important role for KLF2 in primary macrophage foam cell formation via the potential regulation of the key lipid binding protein adipocyte protein 2/fatty acid–binding protein 4. These novel observations establish that KLF2 is an atheroprotective factor.
Time Course of Evoked-potential Changes in Different Forms of Anomia in Aphasia
Authors: Laganaro Marina , Morand Stéphanie , Schnider Armin
Published: September 2008

Impaired word production after brain damage can be due to impairment at lexical–semantic or at lexical–phonological levels of word encoding. These processes are thought to involve different brain regions and to have different time courses. The present study investigated the time course of electrophysiological correlates of anomia in 16 aphasic speakers, divided in two subgroups according to their anomic pattern (8 with lexical–semantic impairment and 8 with lexical–phonological impairment), in comparison to 16 healthy control subjects performing the same picture naming task. Differences in amplitudes and in topographic maps between groups were differently distributed when the whole heterogeneous group of aphasic patients was compared to the control group and when the two more homogeneous subgroups of anomic patients were analyzed. The entire aphasic group expressed different waveforms and topographic patterns than the control group starting about 100 msec after picture presentation. When two subgroups of aphasic patients are considered according to the underlying cognitive impairment, early event-related potential (ERP) abnormalities (100–250 msec) appeared only in the lexical–semantic subgroup, whereas later ERP abnormalities (300–450 msec) occurred only in the lexical–phonological subgroup. These results indicate that the time windows of ERP abnormalities vary depending on the underlying anomic impairment. Moreover, the findings give support to current hypotheses on the time course of processes involved in word production during picture naming.
Neural Correlates of Stimulus Reportability
Authors: Hulme Oliver J. , Friston Karl F. , Zeki Semir
Published: September 2008

Most experiments on the “neural correlates of consciousness” employ stimulus reportability as an operational definition of what is consciously perceived. The interpretation of such experiments therefore depends critically on understanding the neural basis of stimulus reportability. Using a high volume of fMRI data, we investigated the neural correlates of stimulus reportability using a partial report object detection paradigm. Subjects were presented with a random array of circularly arranged disc-stimuli and were cued, after variable delays (following stimulus offset), to report the presence or absence of a disc at the cued location, using variable motor actions. By uncoupling stimulus processing, decision, and motor response, we were able to use signal detection theory to deconstruct the neural basis of stimulus reportability. We show that retinotopically specific responses in the early visual cortex correlate with stimulus processing but not decision or report; a network of parietal/temporal regions correlates with decisions but not stimulus presence, whereas classical motor regions correlate with report. These findings provide a basic framework for understanding the neural basis of stimulus reportability without the theoretical burden of presupposing a relationship between reportability and consciousness.
Yukatek Maya Children's Attributions of Belief to Natural and Non-natural Entities
Authors: Knight Nicola
Published: September 2008

A sample of Yukatek Maya children was tested on their capacity to attribute false beliefs to a variety of stimuli, both natural (human and non-human animal) and non-natural (Catholic God and local religious figures). Children's capacity to correctly infer that humans have limited perceptual access, and are, therefore, not likely to know what is inside a container if the contents have been surreptitiously replaced, is shown to have significant consequences. Children who passed the test with the human stimulus showed a nuanced capacity to attribute similar or dissimilar knowledge to other natural and non-natural entities, consistently with these entities' cultural representations. In contrast, those who failed the test with the human stimulus tended to attribute similar beliefs to all natural and non-natural entity stimuli.
Religious Solidarity: The Hand Grenade Experiment
Authors: Bulbulia Joseph , Mahoney Andrew
Published: September 2008

We describe the results of an experiment testing for the presence of strong altruism among Christians in New Zealand. The study examined anonymous participant generosity to cohort. We found that in modified dictator games, anonymous Christians in New Zealand gave significantly more to Canadian Christians than anonymous New Zealand citizens gave to their fellow citizens. The gifting opportunities occurred after anonymous benefactors observed recipients willingly undertake costly acts of group commitment. We found that mean gifting after witnessing a fellow group member metaphorically "fall on a hand grenade" to punish a member of an out-group was almost four times greater in the Christian group than it was in the New Zealand control. Our data support the hypothesis that religious altruism (here, anonymously rewarding the costly punishment of a religious out-grouper) exists and is especially strong among Christians in New Zealand. The data also weakly support a multi-level selection hypothesis for the evolution of religious altruism.
Distribution of Tropospheric Water Vapor in Clear and Cloudy Conditions from Microwave Radiometric Profiling
Authors: Iassamen Alia , Sauvageot Henri , Jeannin Nicolas , Ameur Soltane
Published: September 2008

A dataset gathered over 369 days in various midlatitude sites with a 12-frequency microwave radiometric profiler is used to analyze the statistical distribution of tropospheric water vapor content (WVC) in clear and cloudy conditions. The WVC distribution inside intervals of temperature is analyzed. WVC is found to be well fitted by a Weibull distribution. The two Weibull parameters, the scale (λ) and shape (k), are temperature (T) dependent; k is almost constant, around 2.6, for clear conditions. For cloudy conditions, at T < −10°C, k is close to 2.6. For T > −10°C, k displays a maximum in such a way that skewness, which is positive in most conditions, reverses to negative in a temperature region approximately centered around 0°C (i.e., at a level where the occurrence of cumulus clouds is high). Analytical λ(T) and k(T) relations are proposed. The WVC spatial distribution can thus be described as a function of T. The mean WVC vertical profiles for clear and cloudy conditions are well described by a function of temperature of the same form as the Clausius–Clapeyron equation. The WVCcloudy/WVCclear ratio is shown to be a linear function of temperature. The vertically integrated WV (IWV) is found to follow a Weibull distribution. The IWV Weibull distribution parameters retrieved from the microwave radiometric profiler agree very well with the ones calculated from the 15-yr ECMWF reanalysis (ERA-15) meteorological database. The radiometric retrievals compare fairly well to the corresponding values calculated from an operational radiosonde sounding dataset.
Global Circulation in an Axially Symmetric Shallow Water Model Forced by Equinoctial Differential Heating
Authors: Adam Ori , Paldor Nathan
Published: September 2008

Solutions of an axially symmetric inviscid shallow-water model (SWM) on the earth forced by equinoctial differential heating are constructed using numerical integration of the time-dependent equations and analysis of their steady states. The study also maps the physical initial conditions and parameter values for which the solutions approach steady states at long times, demonstrating strong dependence of the SWM on initial conditions. The model admits states of uniform angular momentum, including superrotation, in the tropics and radiative equilibrium at high latitudes. The asymptotic properties of the subtropical jets and tropical fluxes are explicitly calculated and it is shown that all solutions of the previously studied nearly inviscid theories are particular solutions of the present theory. The model’s results relate the location and intensity of the subtropical jet in the steady states to properties of the SWM on a sphere, such as the conservation of angular momentum. The exact form of the differential heating is secondary in determining these properties and its main role is to transform any initial state to the vicinity of the steady states.

When mass is assumed to be supplied to the fluid from an underlying motionless layer (this model is termed the 1½-SWM), the angular momentum in the tropics is not uniform (so the local Rossby number is smaller than 1), the height of the tropopause is nearly uniform there, the steady states do not depend on the initial conditions, and the zonal velocity vanishes on the equator. Accurate and simple estimates that are determined only by the value of a thermal Rossby number are derived in this case for the location and intensity of the subtropical jet.
Superposition of the Neyman–Scott Rectangular Pulses Model and the Poisson White Noise Model for the Representation of Tropical Rain Rates
Authors: Morrissey Mark L.
Published: September 2008

A point process model for tropical rain rates is developed through the derivation of the third moment expression for a combined point process model. The model is a superposition of a Neyman–Scott rectangular pulse model and a Poisson white noise process model. The model is scalable in the temporal dimension. The derivation of the third moment for this model allows for the inclusion of the skewness parameter, which is necessary to adequately represent rainfall intensity. Analysis of the model fit to tropical tipping-bucket rain gauge data ranging in temporal scale from five min to one day indicates that it can adequately produce synthesized rainfall having the statistical characteristics of rain rate over the range of scales tested. Of special interest is the model’s capability to accurately preserve the probability of extreme tropical rain rates at different scales. In addition to various hydrological applications, the model also has many potential uses in the field of meteorology, such as the study and development of radar rain rate algorithms for the tropics, which need to parameterize attenuation due to heavy rain.
Impact of Cloud Microphysics on the Development of Trailing Stratiform Precipitation in a Simulated Squall Line: Comparison of One- and Two-Moment Schemes
Authors: Morrison H. , Thompson G. , Tatarskii V.
Published: September 2008

A new two-moment cloud microphysics scheme predicting the mixing ratios and number concentrations of five species (i.e., cloud droplets, cloud ice, snow, rain, and graupel) has been implemented into the Weather Research and Forecasting model (WRF). This scheme is used to investigate the formation and evolution of trailing stratiform precipitation in an idealized two-dimensional squall line. Results are compared to those using a one-moment version of the scheme that predicts only the mixing ratios of the species, and diagnoses the number concentrations from the specified size distribution intercept parameter and predicted mixing ratio. The overall structure of the storm is similar using either the one- or two-moment schemes, although there are notable differences. The two-moment (2-M) scheme produces a widespread region of trailing stratiform precipitation within several hours of the storm formation. In contrast, there is negligible trailing stratiform precipitation using the one-moment (1-M) scheme. The primary reason for this difference are reduced rain evaporation rates in 2-M compared to 1-M in the trailing stratiform region, leading directly to greater rain mixing ratios and surface rainfall rates. Second, increased rain evaporation rates in 2-M compared to 1-M in the convective region at midlevels result in weaker convective updraft cells and increased midlevel detrainment and flux of positively buoyant air from the convective into the stratiform region. This flux is in turn associated with a stronger mesoscale updraft in the stratiform region and enhanced ice growth rates. The reduced (increased) rates of rain evaporation in the stratiform (convective) regions in 2-M are associated with differences in the predicted rain size distribution intercept parameter (which was specified as a constant in 1-M) between the two regions. This variability is consistent with surface disdrometer measurements in previous studies that show a rapid decrease of the rain intercept parameter during the transition from convective to stratiform rainfall.
Observations of Bora Events over the Adriatic Sea and Black Sea by Spaceborne Synthetic Aperture Radar
Authors: Alpers Werner , Ivanov Andrei , Horstmann Jochen
Published: September 2008

Bora events over the Adriatic Sea and Black Sea are investigated by using synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images acquired by the advanced SAR (ASAR) on board the European satellite Envisat. It is shown that the sea surface roughness patterns associated with bora events, which are captured by SAR, yield information on the finescale structure of the bora wind field that cannot be obtained by other spaceborne instruments. In particular, SAR is capable of resolving 1) bora-induced wind jets and wakes that are organized in bands normal to the coastline, 2) atmospheric gravity waves, and 3) boundaries between the bora wind fields and ambient wind fields. Quantitative information on the sea surface wind field is extracted from the Envisat ASAR images by inferring the wind direction from wind-induced streaks visible on SAR images and by using the C-band wind scatterometer model CMOD_IFR2 to convert normalized cross sections into wind speeds. It is argued that spaceborne SAR images acquired over the east coasts of the Adriatic Sea and the Black Sea are ideal means to validate and improve mesoscale atmospheric models simulating bora events.
Mesoscale Assimilation of Radial Velocities from Doppler Radars in a Preoperational Framework
Authors: Montmerle Thibaut , Faccani Claudia
Published: September 2008

This paper presents the results of a preoperational assimilation of radial velocities from Doppler radars of the French Application Radar la Météorologie InfraSynoptique (ARAMIS) network in the nonhydrostatic model, the Application of Research to Operations at Mesoscale (AROME). For this purpose, an observation operator, which allows the simulation of radial winds from the model variables, is included in the three-dimensional variational data assimilation (3DVAR) system. Several data preprocessing procedures are applied to avoid as much as possible erroneous measurements (e.g., due to dealiasing failures) from entering the minimization process. Quality checks and other screening procedures are discussed. Daily monitoring diagnostics are developed to check the status and the quality of the observations against their simulated counterparts. Innovation biases in amplitude and in direction are studied by comparing observed and simulated velocity–azimuth display (VAD) profiles. Experiments over 1 month are performed. Positive impacts on the analyses and on precipitation forecasts are found. Scores against conventional data show mostly neutral results because of the much-localized impact of radial velocities in space and in time. Significant improvements of low-level divergence analysis and on the resulting forecast are found when specific sampling conditions are met: the closeness of convective systems to radars and the orientation of the low-level horizontal wind gradient with respect to the radar beam. Focus on a frontal rainband case study is performed to illustrate this point.
Administrative reform in China's central government — how much `learning from the West'?
Authors: Christensen Tom , Lisheng Dong , Painter Martin
Published: September 2008

The prevailing interpretation in the scholarly literature is that public sector reform in China during the period of marketization has been driven primarily by internal, contextual factors rather than being under the sway of particular global reform models or theories such as New Public Management. The aim of this article is to move beyond arguing from inference that `Chinese characteristics' continue to be dominant and to inquire into the manner and extent of external influences on central government reform actors. We assume a `multi-causal' model in which both internal and external factors are present. From a survey of the literature on the reforms, we conclude that, while there are some `unique' features, most of the themes (and even the results) of modern Chinese reforms are not unique and have parallels in Western countries. Moreover, aside from the similarities in the content and substance of administrative reforms, the patterns and styles of reform in China and in the West in the past 20 years show marked similarities and parallels. Thus, external reform ideas and influences are being diffused through reform processes. Further empirical and theoretical analysis is required to establish the more specific nature of scanning and dissemination, or other forms of diffusion; the kind of learning that is taking place; and the impact that any imported models or templates actually have on reform proposals and outcomes in particular reform episodes.

Points for practitioners • Whereas many scholars tend to believe the lip service the Chinese leaders pay to the `uniqueness' of China's public sector reforms and their `Chinese characteristics', their leaders have been very eager to `learn from the West'. • Emulation and learning at a global level are key aspects of contemporary public sector innovation and reform, even between jurisdictions that are seemingly very different from each other. • The development of sophisticated mechanisms for scanning and selective learning are key requirements for a rapidly developing public sector such as China's.
Repositioning Documents in Social Research
Authors: Prior Lindsay
Published: September 2008

In matters of social research sociologists and other social scientists have tended to view documents primarily as sources of evidence and as receptacles of inert content.The key strategies for data exploration have consequently been associated with various styles of content or thematic analysis. Even when discourse analysis has been recommended, there has been a marked tendency to deal with records, files, and the like, primarily as containers — things to be read, understood, and categorized. In this article, however, the author seeks to demonstrate that by focussing on the functioning of documents instead of content, sociology can embrace a much wider range of approaches to both data collection and analysis. Indeed, the adoption of such a programme encourages researchers to see documents as active agents in the world, and to view documentation as a key component of dynamic networks rather than as a set of static and immutable `things'.
The Art and Politics of Covert Research
Authors: Calvey David
Published: September 2008

This article discusses the covert research relationship. Specifically, it explores the ethical dimensions of fieldwork with reference to a six-month covert ethnography of `bouncers', in Manchester. Drawing from sociological literatures, the article wishes to raise for scrutiny the management of situated ethics in covert fieldwork which, despite having some increased recognition via debates about risk and danger in fieldwork, remains glossed over. The standard discourse on ethics is abstracted from the actual doing, which is a mediated and contingent set of practices. Traditionally, professional ethics has been centralized around the doctrine of informed consent with covert methodology being frowned upon and effectively marginalized as a type of `last resort methodology'.What I highlight here is the case for covert research in the face of much conventional opposition. I hope the article will open debate and dialogue about its potential role and possible creative future in the social science community.
Acquiring a Sociological Identity
Authors: Li Sarah , Seale Clive
Published: September 2008

The acquisition of a sociological identity during the process of PhD supervision is reported, drawing on detailed analysis of selected observations of the supervision sessions, written communications and other aspects of interaction over the period of a single case study supervision which involved the authors as participants. The transition from an `applied' identity (in nursing) to a `pure' or `professional' identity in sociology is documented, identifying the precise interactional mechanisms for encouraging and achieving this transition. These include `bracketing' out of common-sense interpretations of behaviour that draw on the old identity and `distancing' from the normative judgements of professionals inhabiting a dispreferred, non-sociological position. Taking place in a context of enthusiastic, directive and insistent exhortation and presenting a particular and somewhat locally determined version of adequate sociological work, the study shows both supervisor and student collaborating in the social construction of a sociologist.
Treating pulmonary hypertension post cardiopulmonary bypass in pigs: milrinone vs. sildenafil analog
Authors: Urdaneta F , Lobato EB , Beaver T , Muehlschlegel JD , Kirby DS , Klodell C , Sidi A
Published: September 2008

Procedures using cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) and aortic cross-clamping are associated with a variable degree of ischemia/reperfusion of the lungs, leading to acute pulmonary hypertension (PHT). The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of the sildenafil analog (UK343-664), a phosphodiesterase type V(PDEV) inhibitor, with milrinone, a PDE type III inhibitor, in a porcine model of acute PHT following CPB. After the pigs were anesthetized, pressure-tipped catheters were placed in the right ventricle and carotid and pulmonary arteries. Cardiac output was measured with an ultrasound probe on the ascending aorta. After heparinization and placement of aortic and right atrial cannulae, non-pulsatile CPB was instituted and cardioplegia administered following aortic cross-clamping. After 30 minutes, the clamp was removed and the animals re-warmed and separated from CPB in sinus rhythm. The animals were randomized to 3 groups, and 16 animals were studied to completion: milrinone (n=5) 50 μg/kg; sildenafil-analog (n=5) 500 μg/kg; and normal saline (NS) (n=6). Hemodynamic data were collected at baseline pre-CPB and, following termination of CPB, at baseline, 5, 10 and 30 minutes after administration of the drug. Pulmonary hypertension was present in all groups following CPB. After administration of the drugs, mean pulmonary artery pressure decreased in all 3 groups; however, only in the sildenafil-analog group did pulmonary vascular resistance(PVR) decrease by 35%, from 820 to 433 dynes · cm · sec-5at 5 minutes (p<0.05), and continued to be decreased at 10 minutes by 26% (P<0.05). Pulmonary selectivity was demonstrated with sildenafil-analog, because there were no similar changes in systemic vascular resistance(SVR) and no significant changes in systemic hemodynamics. Sildenafil-analog, a PDEV inhibitor, shows a promising role for managing the PVR increases that occur following CPB.
Delivery of antegrade cerebral perfusion during descending aortic reconstruction: a case report
Authors: Osborne-Bossert C , Fitzgerald D , Speir A , St Onge J
Published: September 2008

Antegrade cerebral perfusion (ACP) has been demonstrated to be a safe and effective method of providing adequate protection to the brain during hypothermic circulatory arrest. By improving oxygen delivery to the cerebral capillaries, users of this technique have reported fewer temporary neurological deficits in postoperative periods, even after prolonged periods of circulatory arrest. Furthermore, ACP may be delivered with little alteration to the cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) circuit. Surgical correction of a descending aortic aneurysm can provide a challenge when the left subclavian artery is involved. A period of hypothermic circulatory arrest is required to complete the proximal anastamosis of the graft. Access to the cerebral vessels for selective cerebral perfusion is limited during a left thoracotomy approach. A 54-year-old female presented with a computerized tomography (CT) scan of a descending aortic aneurysm, originating at the base of the left subclavian artery. Surgical intervention using CPB via femoral-femoral cannulation was employed. The patient was systemically cooled to 22°C. Selective antegrade cerebral perfusion was administered via cannulation of the left common carotid artery. Antegrade cerebral perfusion lasted 19 minutes, with improved transcranial oximetry readings. The patient was successfully weaned from CPB. The patient was discharged on postoperative day nine with no evident suquelae. It is believed that the application of ACP in this procedure further improved patient outcome.
Is it possible to predict outcome in pulmonary ECMO? Analysis of pre-operative risk factors
Authors: Wagner K , Risnes I , Abdelnoor M , Karlsen HM , Svennevig JL
Published: September 2008

Serious pulmonary failure may be treated with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) when other treatment has failed. The aim of this study was to analyze pre-operative risk factors of early mortality in patients who underwent either veno-arterial (VA) ECMO or veno-venous (VV) ECMO for pulmonary failure. We studied a total of 26 risk factors in 72 patients with severe pulmonary insufficiency treated with ECMO. All consecutive cases treated at our institution between Sept 1990 and Aug 2007 were included. Univariate analysis and multiple logistic regression analysis were performed on 26 risk factors. The end point was early mortality (any death within 30 days of ECMO treatment). Thirty-six (50%) of the patients died within 30 days of treatment. Age, gender, body mass index(BMI)(adults), cause of pulmonary failure, pre-ECMO treatment with nitric oxide(NO), intra-aortic balloon pump(IABP), and type of ventilation did not significantly influence early mortality. Neither pre-operative blood gas results, oxygenation index or pre-operative PaO2/FiO2 ratio, nor mean ventilator days prior to ECMO gave any indications on early mortality. Liver function did not predict early mortality, but pre-ECMO serum creatinine levels were significantly lower in patients who survived. Treatment with ECMO in patients with severe pulmonary failure may save lives. It is, however, difficult to predict outcome when initiating ECMO. In this analysis, only pre-operative serum creatinine levels correlated with survival. None of the other parameters, including those which were used to select patients for ECMO treatment, could significantly predict the outcome.
An Alternative View on IFLA, Human Rights, and the Social Responsibility of International Librarianship
Authors: Kagan Al
Published: September 2008

The publication of the first book on the development of IFLA's human rights involvement provides an opportunity to stimulate discussion about that history, with particular reference to the Free Access to Information and Freedom of Expression (FAIFE) core activity. Several case studies (South Africa, Turkey, Israel/Palestine, and Cuba) are evaluated, the work of the IFLA Social Responsibilities Discussion Group is noted, and suggestions are made for the more democratic and effective functioning of FAIFE.
Effects of Medial Meniscus Posterior Horn Avulsion and Repair on Tibiofemoral Contact Area and Peak Contact Pressure with Clinical Implications
Authors: Marzo John M. , Gurske-DePerio Jennifer
Published: September 2008

Background

Avulsion of the posterior horn attachment of the medial meniscus can compromise load-bearing ability, produce meniscus extrusion, and result in tibiofemoral joint-space narrowing, articular cartilage damage, and osteoarthritis.

Hypothesis

Avulsion of the posterior horn of the medial meniscus will increase peak contact pressure and decrease contact area in the medial compartment of the knee, and posterior horn repair will restore contact area and peak contact pressures to values of the control knee.

Study Design

Controlled laboratory study.

Methods

Eight fresh-frozen human cadaveric knees had tibiofemoral peak contact pressures and contact area measured in the control state. The posterior horn of the medial meniscus was avulsed from its insertion and knees were retested. The meniscal avulsion was repaired by suture through a transosseous tunnel and the knees were tested a third time.

Results

Avulsion of the posterior horn attachment of the medial meniscus resulted in a significant increase in medial joint peak contact pressure (from 3841 kPa to 5084 kPa) and a significant decrease in contact area (from 594 mm2 to 474 mm2). Repair of the avulsion resulted in restoration of the loading profiles to values equal to the control knee, with values of 3551 kPa for peak pressure and 592 mm2 for contact area.

Conclusion

Posterior horn medial meniscal root avulsion leads to deleterious alteration of the loading profiles of the medial joint compartment and results in loss of hoop stress resistance, meniscus extrusion, abnormal loading of the joint, and early knee medial-compartment degenerative changes.

Clinical Relevance

The repair technique described restores the ability of the medial meniscus to absorb hoop stress and eliminate joint-space narrowing, possibly decreasing the risk of degenerative disease.
Environmental Interventions to Prevent Falls in Community-Dwelling Older People
Authors: Clemson Lindy , Mackenzie Lynette , Ballinger Claire , Close Jacqueline C. T. , Cumming Robert G.
Published: September 2008

Objective: This study seeks to determine the efficacy of environmental interventions in reducing falls in community-dwelling older people. Method: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized trials was performed. Results: Pooled analysis of six trials ( N = 3,298) demonstrated a 21% reduction in falls risk (relative risk [RR] = 0.79; 0.65 to 0.97). Heterogeneity was attributable to the large treatment effect of one trial. Analysis of a subgroup of studies with participants at high risk of falls (four trials, n = 570) demonstrated a clinically significant 39% reduction of falls (RR = 0.61; 0.47 to 0.79), an absolute risk difference of 26% for a number needed to treat four people. Discussion: Home assessment interventions that are comprehensive, are well focused, and incorporate an environmental-fit perspective with adequate follow-up can be successful in reducing falls with significant effects. The highest effects are associated with interventions that are conducted with high-risk groups.
Gender, Social Ties, and Cancer Screening Among Elderly Persons
Authors: McFall Stephanie L. , Davila Marivel
Published: September 2008

Objective: This study examines the association of social ties and cancer screening. Method: Data from the Longitudinal Study on Aging II include 4,419 respondents (70 to 85) who completed Wave 2. The dependent variable is receipt of screening within the past 2 years, measured at Wave 2. Social network variables include marital status, interaction with friends, relatives, and children, and church attendance. Results: Women were higher on most social tie measures, except marriage, and less likely to have mammography than men were to have prostate cancer screening. Also, the decline of screening with age was greater for women. For women, screening was related to contact with friends, relatives, and children but not marital status or church attendance. For men, screening was higher in the married and church attendees, but contact with friends, relatives, and children was not associated with screening. Discussion: Cancer screening interventions that use interpersonal communication channels should target distinct relationships for older women and men.
Efficient sampling approaches to address confounding in database studies
Authors: Hanley James A , Dendukuri Nandini
Published: September 2008

Administrative and other population-based databases are widely used in pharmacoepidemiology to study the unintended effects of medications. They allow investigators to study large case series, and they document prescription medication exposure without having to contact individuals or medical charts, or rely on human recall. However, such databases often lack information on potentially important confounding variables. This review describes some of the sampling approaches and accompanying data-analysis methods that can be used to assess, and deal efficiently with, such confounding.
A hierarchical zero-inflated log-normal model for skewed responses
Authors: Ning Li  , Elashoff David A. , Robbins Wendie A. , Lin Xun
Published: September 2008

Although considerable attention has been given to zero-inflated count data, research on zero-inflated lognormal data is limited. In this article, we consider a study to examine human sperm cell DNA damage obtained from single-cell electrophoresis (COMET assay) experiment in which the outcome measures present a typical example of log-normal data with excess zeros. The problem is further complicated by the fact that each study subject has multiple outcomes at each of up to three visits separated by six-week intervals. Previous methods for zero-inflated log-normal data are based on either simple experimental designs, where comparison of means of zero-inflated log-normal data across different experiment groups is of primary interest, or longitudinal measurements, where only one observation is available for each subject at each visit. Their methods cannot be applied when multiple observations per visit are possible and both inter- and intra-subject variations are present. Our zero-inflated model extends the previous methods by incorporating a hierarchical structure using latent random variables to take into account both inter- and intra-subject variations in zero-inflated log-normal data. An EM algorithm has been developed to obtain the Maximum likelihood estimates of the parameters and their standard errors can be estimated by parametric bootstrap. The model is illustrated using the COMET assay data.
Company on the Couch
Authors: Goldman Alan
Published: September 2008

In positioning the “Company on the Couch,” management consultants have increasingly called attention to toxic behavior in dysfunctional organizations. This article addresses how the mismanagement and failure to accurately and timely identify people problems in organizations is in itself a form of toxic leadership. Via two consultations presented in the form of case studies, this article illustrates how complex webs of organizational dysfunction are frequently an outgrowth of mild, unchecked toxicity in the workplace. Recommendations and initiatives are provided to better prepare managers for timely and accurate toxin detection and handling.
Neural-network-driven Fuzzy Reasoning of Dependency Relationships among Product Development Processes
Authors: Huang Hong-Zhong , Gu Ying-Kui , Li Yong-Hua
Published: September 2008

Product development process can be viewed as a set of sub-processes with stronger interrelated dependency relationships. In this article, the quantitative and qualitative dependency measures of serial and parallel product development processes are analyzed. The neural-network-driven fuzzy reasoning mechanism of dependency relationships is developed in the case that there is no sufficient quantitative information or the information is fuzzy and imprecise. In the reasoning mechanism, a three-layer feedforward neural network is used to replace fuzzy evaluation in the fuzzy system. A hybrid learning algorithm that combined unsupervised learning and supervised gradient-descent learning procedures is used to build the fuzzy rules and train membership functions. Results show that the proposed method can improve the reasoning efficiency, reduce the cost and complexity degree of process improvement, and make a fast response to the dynamic development environment.
Racial Threat, Residential Segregation, and the Policy Attitudes of Anglos
Authors: Rocha Rene R. , Espino Rodolfo
Published: September 2008

The impact of racial context on the political behavior of Anglos has been a focus of social science research for well over half a century. We suggest that a shortcoming of earlier work has been the failure to account for the levels of segregation within a community. Relying on data from the Latino National Political Survey, our findings show that Anglo attitudes toward English-language and immigration policies are significantly related to changes in the size of the Latino population conditional on levels of segregation. We also find that Latinos elicit different reactions from Anglos based on their fluency in English and nativity.
Assessing the County-Level Structural Covariates of Police Homicides
Authors: Kaminski Robert J.
Published: September 2008

Largely paralleling research on general homicides, research on the structural covariates of murders of police has been carried out at various levels of areal aggregation. However, although the general homicide research has been extended to counties in the United States, research on murders of police has yet to follow suit. To begin to fill this gap, this study extends research on the structural covariates of police homicides to the county level. Controlling for the number of law enforcement officers at risk, we find that police were more likely to be murdered in economically depressed counties and in counties with larger percentages of African Americans, persons aged 25 to 34, and nonsheriff agencies. Police homicide risk was significantly lower in urbanized counties and in counties located in the Northeast, whereas the South was no riskier than the West or Midwest. Murders of police were unrelated to population mobility, divorce, and levels of violent crime.
Resilience and depression: perspectives from primary care
Authors: Dowrick Christopher , Kokanovic Renata , Hegarty Kelsey , Griffiths Frances , Gunn Jane
Published: September 2008

Resilience refers to the capacity for successful adaptation or change in the face of adversity. This concept has rarely been applied to the study of distress and depression. We propose two key elements of resilience — ordinary magic and personal medicine — which enable people to survive and flourish despite current experience of emotional distress. We investigate the extent to which these elements are considered important by a sample of 100 people, drawn from a longitudinal study of the management of depression in primary care in Victoria, Australia. We also assess how respondents rate personal resilience in comparison with help received from professional sources. Our data are obtained from semi-structured telephone interviews, and analysed inductively through refinement of our theoretical framework. We find substantial evidence of resilience both in terms of ordinary magic — drawing on existing social support and affectional bonds; and in terms of personal medicine — building on personal strengths and expanding positive emotions. There is a strong preference for personal over professional approaches to dealing with mental health problems. We conclude that personal resilience is important in the minds of our respondents, and that these elements should be actively considered in future research involving people with experience of mental health problems.
Prox1 physically and functionally interacts with COUP-TFII to specify lymphatic endothelial cell fate
Authors: Lee Sunju , Kang Jinjoo , Yoo Jaehyuk , Ganesan Sathish K. , Cook Sarah C. , Aguilar Berenice , Ramu Swapnika , Lee Juneyong , Hong Young-Kwon
Published: September 2008

Specification of endothelial cell (EC) fate during vascular development is controlled by distinct key regulators. While Notch plays an essential role in induction of arterial phenotypes, COUP-TFII is required to maintain the venous EC identity. Homeodomain transcription factor Prox1 functions to reprogram venous ECs to lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs). Here, we report that the venous EC fate regulator COUP-TFII is expressed in LECs throughout development and physically interacts with Prox1 to form a stable complex in various cell types including LECs. We found that COUP-TFII functions as a coregulator of Prox1 to control several lineage-specific genes including VEGFR-3, FGFR-3, and neuropilin-1 and is required along with Prox1 to maintain LEC phenotype. Together, we propose that the physical and functional interactions of the 2 proteins constitute an essential part in the program specifying LEC fate and may provide the molecular basis for the hypothesis of venous EC identity being the prerequisite for LEC specification.
Distinct roles of helper T-cell subsets in a systemic autoimmune disease
Authors: Hoyer Katrina K. , Kuswanto Wilson F. , Gallo Eugenio , Abbas Abul K.
Published: September 2008

Imbalance of T-helper cell (Th) differentiation and subsequent cytokine dysregulation is implicated in inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. In particular, 2 cytokines produced by different Th cell populations, interferon-γ (IFN-γ) and interleukin-17 (IL-17), have been shown to play a critical role in autoimmunity. We have examined the roles of these cytokines in a mouse model of systemic autoimmunity resulting from the deletion of IL-2 in which autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA) is a prominent feature. We demonstrate that, in IL-2–knockout (KO) BALB/c mice, elimination of the Th1 cytokine, IFN-γ, delays the development of AIHA. Further, CD4+ T cells from IL-2/IFN-γ–KO mice produce elevated levels of IL-17 compared with wild-type (WT) and IL-2–KO, and these mice eventually develop intestinal inflammation. In contrast, elimination of the Th17 cytokine, IL-17, from IL-2–KO mice fails to suppress early acute AIHA development. These results suggest that in a systemic autoimmune disease with multiple manifestations, Th1 cells drive the early autoantibody response and IL-17–producing cells may be responsible for the more chronic tissue inflammation.
The Amot/Patj/Syx signaling complex spatially controls RhoA GTPase activity in migrating endothelial cells
Authors: Ernkvist Mira , Persson Nathalie Luna , Audebert Stéphane , Lecine Patrick , Sinha Indranil , Liu Miaoliang , Schlueter Marc , Horowitz Arie , Aase Karin , Weide Thomas , Borg Jean-Paul , Majumdar Arindam , Holmgren Lars
Published: September 2008

Controlled regulation of Rho GTPase activity is an essential component mediating growth factor–stimulated migration. We have previously shown that angiomotin (Amot), a membrane-associated scaffold protein, plays a critical role during vascular patterning and endothelial migration during embryogenesis. However, the signaling pathways by which Amot controls directional migration are not known. Here we have used peptide pull-down and yeast 2-hybrid (Y2H) screening to identify proteins that interact with the C-terminal PDZ-binding motifs of Amot and its related proteins AmotL1 and 2. We report that Amot and its related proteins bind to the RhoA GTPase exchange factor (RhoGEF) protein Syx. We show that Amot forms a ternary complex together with Patj (or its paralogue Mupp1) and Syx. Using FRET analysis, we provide evidence that Amot controls targeting of RhoA activity to lamellipodia in vitro. We also report that, similar to Amot, morpholino knockdown of Syx in zebrafish results in inhibition of migration of intersegmental arteries. Taken together, our results indicate that the directional migration of capillaries in the embryo is governed by the Amot:Patj/Mupp1:Syx signaling that controls local GTPase activity.