bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
No-Cook Process for Ethanol Production Using Indian Broken Rice and Pearl Millet
Authors: Gohel Vipul , Duan Gang
Published: January 2012

No-cook process using granular starch hydrolyzing enzyme (GSHE) was evaluated for Indian broken rice and pearl millet. One-factor-at-a-time optimization method was used in ethanol production to identify optimum concentration of GSHE, under yeast fermentation conditions using broken rice and pearl millet as fermentation feedstocks. An acid fungal protease at a concentration of 0.2 kg per metric ton of grain was used along with various dosages of GSHE under yeast fermentation conditions to degrade the grain proteins into free amino nitrogen for yeast growth. To measure the efficacy of GSHE to hydrolyze no-cook broken rice and pearl millet, the chemical composition, fermentation efficiency, and ethanol recovery were determined. In both feedstocks, fermentation efficiency and ethanol recovery obtained through single-step no-cook process were higher than conventional multistep high-temperature process, currently considered the ideal industrial process. Furthermore, the no-cook process can directly impact energy consumption through steam saving and reducing the water cooling capacity needs, compared to conventional high-temperature process.
Loss of TGF-β Responsiveness in Prostate Stromal Cells Alters Chemokine Levels and Facilitates the Development of Mixed Osteoblastic/Osteolytic Bone Lesions
Authors: Li Xiaohong , Sterling Julie A. , Fan Kang-Hsien , Vessella Robert L. , Shyr Yu , Hayward Simon W. , Matrisian Lynn M. , Bhowmick Neil A.
Published: January 2012

Loss of TGF-β type II receptor (TβRII, encoded by Tgfbr2) expression in the prostate stroma contributes to prostate cancer initiation, progression, and invasion. We evaluated whether TβRII loss also affected prostate cancer bone metastatic growth. Immunohistologic analysis revealed that TβRII expression was lost in cancer-associated fibroblasts in human prostate cancer bone metastatic tissues. We recapitulated the human situation with a conditional stromal Tgfbr2 knockout (Tgfbr2-KO) mouse model. Conditioned media from primary cultured Tgfbr2-KO or control Tgfbr2-flox prostatic fibroblasts (koPFCM or wtPFCM, respectively) were applied to C4-2B prostate cancer cells before grafting the cells tibially. We found that koPFCM promoted prostate cancer cell growth in the bone and development of early mixed osteoblastic/osteolytic bone lesions. Furthermore, the koPFCM promoted greater C4-2B adhesion to type-I collagen, the major component of bone matrix, compared to wtPFCM-treated C4-2B. Cytokine antibody array analysis revealed that koPFCM had more than two-fold elevation in granulocyte colony-stimulating factor and CXCL1, CXCL16, and CXCL5 expression relative to wtPFCM. Interestingly, neutralizing antibodies of CXCL16 or CXCL1 were able to reduce koPFCM-associated C4-2B type-I collagen adhesion to that comparable with wtPFCM-mediated adhesion. Collectively, our data indicate that loss of TGF-β responsiveness in prostatic fibroblasts results in upregulation of CXCL16 and CXCL1 and that these paracrine signals increase prostate cancer cell adhesion in the bone matrix. These microenvironment changes at the primary tumor site can mediate early establishment of prostate cancer cells in the bone and support subsequent tumor development at the metastatic site. Mol Cancer Res; 10(4); 494–503. ©2012 AACR.
Peculiarities in Cases of Spina Bifida Cystica Managed Recently in South-East Nigeria: Could Antimalarial Drugs Be a Major but Unrecognized Etiologic Factor
Authors: Emejulu Jude-Kennedy C. , Okwaraoha Blaise Ogedi
Published: January 2012

Background: Spina bifida is a long-known disease arising from the incomplete fusion of the caudal neuropore in the first month of intrauterine life. It is thought to have a multifactorial etiology, the most important of which is folic acid deficiency. In evaluating its etiology, the role of antifolate agents like antimalarial drugs is rarely given a strong mention. Methods/Patients: This is a 44-month prospective study of consecutive cases of spina bifida cystica presenting to the Neurosurgery Unit of Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, Nnewi, South-East Nigeria. Data collection was with a structured proforma from presentation, and collation done with Microsoft Excel broadsheet and data analysis with SPSS and χ2 test. Results: A total of 41 cases of spina bifida were attended to within the period, with 92.7% cases of spina bifida cystica. Most presented by >12–24 months, with a consistent history of maternal ingestion of antimalarial drugs during the first trimester of pregnancy. Conclusion: Spina bifida cystica was diagnosed mostly in children whose mothers ingested antimalarial drugs during the first trimester of gestation. There may be a need to critically evaluate the contribution of antimalarial drugs to the etiopathogenesis of this malformation and develop safer antimalarial treatment in pregnancy.
The Arcuate Nucleus of the C57BL/6J Mouse Hindbrain Is a Displaced Part of the Inferior Olive
Authors: Fu Yu Hong , Watson Charles
Published: January 2012

The arcuate nucleus is a prominent cell group in the human hindbrain, characterized by its position on the pial surface of the pyramid. It is considered to be a precerebellar nucleus and has been implicated in the pathology of several disorders of respiration. An arcuate nucleus has not been convincingly demonstrated in other mammals, but we have found a similarly positioned nucleus in the C57BL/6J mouse. The mouse arcuate nucleus consists of a variable group of neurons lying on the pial surface of the pyramid. The nucleus is continuous with the ventrolateral part of the principal nucleus of the inferior olive and both groups are calbindin positive. At first we thought that this mouse nucleus was homologous with the human arcuate nucleus, but we have discovered that the neurons of the human nucleus are calbindin negative, and are therefore not olivary in nature. We have compared the mouse arcuate neurons with those of the inferior olive in terms of molecular markers and cerebellar projection. The neurons of the arcuate nucleus and of the inferior olive share three major characteristics: they both contain neurons utilizing glutamate, serotonin or acetylcholine as neurotransmitters; they both project to the contralateral cerebellum, and they both express a number of genes not present in the major mossy fiber issuing precerebellar nuclei. Most importantly, both cell groups express calbindin in an area of the ventral hindbrain almost completely devoid of calbindin-positive cells. We conclude that the neurons of the hindbrain mouse arcuate nucleus are a displaced part of the inferior olive, possibly separated by the caudal growth of the pyramidal tract during development. The arcuate nucleus reported in the C57BL/6J mouse can therefore be regarded as a subgroup of the rostral inferior olive, closely allied with the ventral tier of the principal nucleus.
LEOPARD Syndrome Caused by Tyr279Cys Mutation in the PTPN11 Gene
Authors: Martínez-Quintana E. , Rodríguez-González F.
Published: January 2012

LEOPARD syndrome (LS) is an acronym consisting of lentigines, electrocardiographic abnormalities, ocular hypertelorism, pulmonary valve stenosis, abnormal genitalia, retardation of growth and deafness. However, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, the most frequent cause of sudden cardiac death in young people, is the most common cardiovascular manifestation in LS patients and the major determinant of mortality and morbidity. In approximately 85% of the patients with a definite diagnosis of LS, a missense mutation is found in the protein-tyrosine phosphatase non-receptor type 11 (PTPN11) gene located on chromosome 12q24.1. We report the case of an asymptomatic 17-year-old male with a missense mutation (c.836A>G) in exon 7 (Tyr279Cys) of the PTPN11 gene and a non-obstructive asymmetric anteroseptal hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
Circulation
Editors' Picks
Authors:   The Editors
Published: January 2012

The following articles are being highlighted as part of
Circulation's
Topic Review series. This series will summarize the most important manuscripts, as selected by the editors, published in
Circulation
and the
Circulation
subspecialty journals. The studies included in this article represent the most read manuscripts published on the topic of biomarkers in 2010 and 2011.
THE EXPOSURE OF AZEF, A MODERN "JUDAS": FACTS AND LEGENDS
Authors: GEIFMAN ANNA
Published: January 2012

 Summary

Many intricate details about the Azef affair remain unclear, but until new evidence is found, it is possible to challenge at least one currently accepted legend associated with it, namely, the revolutionaries' claim that Lopukhin helped them to expose Azef out of an altruistic love of truth. There are serious reasons to believe that the radicals used coercion to force the former director of the Police Department to supply them with evidence against Azef. This immediately transforms Lopukhin from an ally of the radicals into their victim, and demonstrates once again that any new evaluation of the events surrounding the Azef affair must not rely solely upon the version presented by Burtsev and the SRs, even in seemingly insignificant details.68

The shock of the master spy's exposure was so tremendous that the PSR never fully recovered from the terrible wound the Azef affair inflicted upon it. Indeed, this wound proved mortal for the party's Combat Organization, and drastically reduced the terrorist activities of the revolutionary camp in general. With terror discredited as a revolutionary tool and the combatants demoralized, never again did the PSR possess adequate strength to mount political assassinations against the leading statesmen of autocratic Russia—assassinations that could have drastically altered the course of Russian history.
Treatment-Related Changes in Psychopathy Features and Behavior in Adolescent Offenders
Authors: Caldwell Michael F. , McCormick David , Wolfe Joanne , Umstead Deborah
Published: January 2012

The impact of changes in psychopathy characteristics on institutional behavior was assessed in 127 incarcerated delinquent males who were treated in a specialized intensive treatment program. Participants were administered the self-report version of the Antisocial Processes Screening Device (APSD) on admission to the program and every 90 days through treatment. Changes in all APSD scales predicted improvement in institutional behavior and treatment involvement. For the 77 youth who had at least three administrations, repeated-measures analysis of variance showed significant changes in APSD total, Callous/Unemotional, Narcissism, and Impulsivity scores. For 127 youth who had at least two administrations and daily behavioral ratings, changes in each scale predicted improved institutional behavior and treatment compliance.
Severity and Frequency of Reactive and Instrumental Violent Offending
Authors: Tapscott Jennifer L. , Hancock Megan , Hoaken Peter N. S.
Published: January 2012

A common practice in forensic research is to distinguish between reactive and instrumental violence, but recent critics have asserted that these subtypes of violence are not orthogonal and that this distinction has outlived its usefulness. To test the validity of the reactive–instrumental distinction, the authors reviewed the official files of 71 violent male offenders to determine the frequency and severity of reactive and instrumental violent offending. Overall, 79% of violent offenses could be categorized as purely instrumental or purely reactive, and as hypothesized, reactive violent offenses were more severe than instrumental violent offenses. Both parametric and nonparametric correlation analyses indicated that the frequency of instrumental violent offending was negatively related to the frequency of reactive violent offending. These findings support the reactive–instrumental distinction. Implications pertaining to offender specialization, the general theory of crime, and specialized rehabilitation programs are discussed.
Toward an Integrated Theory of Probation
Authors: Schwalbe Craig S.
Published: January 2012

Efforts to strengthen probation programs are often hampered by the lack of a normative theory for probation practice. This study sought to generate a theory of probation practice from the perspective of officers who currently supervise delinquent juveniles on probation. A grounded theory approach was employed with 31 officers who participated in semistructured interviews about their probation practices. Results of the study were synthesized into a comprehensive framework for probation called the participation process model of probation. The participation process model describes change mechanisms that are hypothesized by officers to link their use of specific tactics and strategies with two long-term objectives: risk/need reduction and accountability. Key change mechanisms include youth participation/cooperation, relationship strength, parental support, and motivational processes. The participation process model provides a framework to guide future research and program development.
‘We’re a very normal family’: Representing the mundane in Channel 4’s The Family
Authors: Holohan Siobhan
Published: January 2012

In 1974 Paul Watson’s The Family pioneered the ‘fly-on-the-wall’ technique to build a picture of family life that also exposed inequalities contained in British society. Today, film-maker Jonathan Smith, has updated this format using technologies usually found in reality programming to focus on the mundane practices of family life, in Channel 4’s The Family (2008). However, instead of the meta-narratives of class, race and gender divisions, displayed in the 1970s documentary, today’s version appears to have been stripped of politics. In this article I argue it is problematic that family representation is solely concerned with the minutiae of everyday life. Arguing that The Family simply became another form of display for the participants of a reality documentary, I consider the possibility that we have seen the end of the sociological imagination in factual film-making and attempt to find responses to this dilemma in current social theory.
At the origin of a global industry: The TV format trade as an Anglo-American invention
Authors: Chalaby Jean K.
Published: January 2012

Many of today’s popular TV programmes are formats that are adapted for local audiences as they travel from country to country. It is an industry that was transformed in the late 1990s by four ‘super-formats’ ( Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, Survivor, Big Brother and Idols) and that is today worth an estimated €3.1 billion per year. This article focuses on the evolution that explains the emergence of these super-formats in the late 1990s. It traces the origins of the trade, uncovers the world’s first deals and identifies the first TV formats that aired in the UK, France, Spain and Italy. It shows that the two key principles of the TV format trade were established by the early 1950s and argues that the TV format trade is an Anglo-American invention because the first format licences of US shows were acquired by British broadcasters. The second part explains those factors that led to the emergence of the super-formats and argues that the truly pivotal decade was the 1990s. This is the time when the forces that unleashed the super-formats gathered speed, when the format trade expanded beyond game shows and embraced emerging genres that have since become the bedrock of the TV industry, when British TV production companies emerged as leading format creators and producers, and when the world’s two format powerhouses formed.
The institutionalization of YouTube: From user-generated content to professionally generated content
Authors: Kim Jin
Published: January 2012

This article explores the institutionalization of YouTube: its transformation from user-generated content (UGC) – oriented as a virtual village – into a professionally generated content (PGC) video site, especially after being purchased by Google. YouTube has influenced the traditional media environment, but at the same time this new medium imitates the rules of the old media, including legally managed distribution of broadcasting content and smooth links between content and commercials. YouTube constitutes an evolution of the present media milieu, rather than a revolution. On the other hand, the dominance of mainstream media is, to a degree, still compromised in UGC culture. The emancipatory dimension of UGC media (e.g. as democratic, creative outlet with high accessibility and online library potential) is discussed in the conclusion, not losing sight of the technological-economic limitations placed on its continuing promise.
Cancer Prevention Mediated by Caffeic Acid Phenethyl Ester Involves Cyp2b1/2 Modulation in Hepatocarcinogenesis
Authors: Beltrán-Ramírez Olga , Pérez Roberto Macías , Sierra-Santoyo Adolfo , Villa-Treviño Saúl
Published: January 2012

Studies of cancer chemoprevention with caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) in the resistant hepatocyte model of hepatocarcinogenesis have shown the participation of CYP drug metabolizing enzymes. To prevent neoplastic and preneoplasic lesions, we must specifically identify which CYP activities are modified in the mechanism of action of CAPE. Male Fischer-344 rats were pretreated with CAPE twelve hours before administration of diethylnitrosamine (DEN) and were sacrificed twelve hours after CAPE and twelve hours, twenty-four hours, twenty-four days, and twelve months after DEN. Other rats were treated with the CYP inhibitors α-naphthoflavone or SKF525A and sacrificed twenty-four hours and twenty-four days after DEN. Microsomes were obtained from livers to quantify protein using Western blot. Diethylnitrosamine metabolism was measured based on nitrite formation and liver histology using GGT histochemistry. Caffeic acid phenethyl ester diminished the protein levels of CYP1A2 and CYP2B1/2. The inhibition of CYP2B1/2 prevented the appearance of preneoplastic lesions. Microsomal assays demonstrated that CAPE interfered with DEN activation diminishing nitrites similar to SKF525A and probably mediated by CYP2B1/2 inhibition. A single dose of CAPE before DEN treatment reduced the appearance of tumors by 43%. These results confirmed that CAPE is a promising agent to confer chemoprotection in liver cancer and should be considered for human therapies.
Respiratory Disturbances in Rett Syndrome
Authors: Hagebeuk Eveline E. O. , Bijlmer Rob P. G. M. , Koelman Johannes H. T. M. , Poll-The Bwee Tien
Published: January 2012

Rett syndrome is characterized by loss of motor and social functions, development of stereotypic hand movements, seizures, and breathing disturbances. This study evaluates the presence of overnight respiratory disturbances. Polysomnography in combination with a questionnaire (the Sleep Disturbance Scale for Children) was performed in 12 Dutch patients with Rett. Respiratory disturbances were present in all, clinically relevant in 10 (apnea hypopnea per hour 1.0-14.5). In 8 children, central apneas were present during the day often with obstructive apneas at night. In 6, obstructive sleep apnea syndrome was diagnosed, in 3 severe, with frequent oxygen desaturations. Significant respiratory complaints were present in 3 patients, all had obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. Of the 12 patients with Rett, 8 (67%) snored, and in 5 obstructive sleep apnea syndrome was present. In children, hypertrophied tonsils and adenoids are a common cause of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome, which may benefit from therapeutic intervention. We recommend performing polysomnography in patients with Rett syndrome and respiratory complaints.
Mondini Dysplasia as a Cause for Recurrent Bacterial Meningitis
Authors: Anandi Shobi , Tullu Milind S. , Bhatia Sonal , Agrawal Mukesh
Published: January 2012

Mondini dysplasia is a rare but an important cause for recurrent pyogenic meningitis in children and requires a high index of clinical suspicion for early diagnosis. We present the case of a 7-year-old boy, who presented with 2 episodes of pyogenic meningitis within a span of 1 month. There was no obvious history of hearing abnormalities, but pure tone audiometry suggested profound mixed hearing loss in the left ear. High-resolution computed tomographic scan and magnetic resonance imaging of temporal bones confirmed the diagnosis of Mondini dysplasia in the left ear. Computed tomographic cisternography failed to demonstrate any obvious cerebrospinal fluid leak. The child was managed conservatively and has been asymptomatic since then. Thus, in our patient, Mondini dysplasia as a cause for recurrent pyogenic meningitis was diagnosed (early) during the second episode of meningitis. The need for an early diagnosis of Mondini dysplasia has been stressed in this report.
Exploration of Age and Sex Differences in Depressive Symptoms and Illness Attitudes for Youth With Epilepsy and Juvenile Rheumatic Disease
Authors: Ryan Jamie L. , Ramsey Rachelle R. , Fedele David A. , Wagner Janelle L. , Smith Gigi , Chaney John M.
Published: January 2012

The aim was to explore the relationship of youth age and sex to depressive symptoms and illness attitudes in youth with epilepsy and juvenile rheumatic disease. Youth with epilepsy or juvenile rheumatic disease between the ages of 7 and 19 years completed measures of depressive symptoms and illness attitudes. A significant 3-way interaction, Disease Group × Sex × Age, was found when predicting depressive symptoms. Post hoc analyses revealed a simple 2-way Disease Group × Age interaction for males and females. Younger males and adolescent females with epilepsy reported greater depressive symptoms than younger males and adolescent females with a juvenile rheumatic disease. Youth with epilepsy reported more negative illness attitudes than youth diagnosed with a juvenile rheumatic disease, but no other main effects or interactions were found. Results suggest early screening of depressive symptoms, with particular attention to younger males and adolescent females with epilepsy.
Evaluation of the formability of a bipolar plate manufactured from aluminum alloy Al 1050 using the rubber pad forming process
Authors: Son Chang-Youl , Jeon Yong-Phil , Kim Yong-Tae , Kang Chung-Gil
Published: January 2012

The rubber pad forming process has been used to fabricate metallic bipolar plates from aluminum 1050 alloy for use in a proton-exchange membrane fuel cell. The plates were fabricated using a 200 ton hydraulic press and the effects of the process parameters of the rubber pad forming process (plate thickness, punch speed, press pressure, rubber thickness and rubber hardness) on the forming depth and thinning were evaluated.
Risk and Reward Are Processed Differently in Decisions Made Under Stress
Authors: Mather Mara , Lighthall Nichole R.
Published: January 2012

Years of research have shown that stress influences cognition. Most of this research has focused on how stress affects memory and the hippocampus. However, stress also affects other regions involved in cognitive and emotional processing, including the prefrontal cortex, striatum, and insula. New research examining the impact of stress on decision processes reveals two consistent findings. First, acute stress enhances selection of previously rewarding outcomes but impairs avoidance of previously negative outcomes, possibly due to stress-induced changes in dopamine in reward-processing brain regions. Second, stress amplifies gender differences in strategies used during risky decisions, as males take more risk and females take less risk under stress. These gender differences in behavior are associated with differences in activity in the insula and dorsal striatum, brain regions involved in computing risk and preparing to take action.
Beyond Comprehension
Authors: Peters Ellen
Published: January 2012

When making decisions, people must frequently take into account numerical information, but not all individuals have the ability to understand and use numbers. Less numerate individuals comprehend less numerical information; but numeracy goes beyond comprehension, relating systematically to psychological mechanisms. In particular, greater numeracy has been associated with reduced susceptibility to framing effects, less influence of nonnumerical information such as mood states, and greater sensitivity to different levels of numerical risk. This greater number sensitivity has been linked with number-related affective reactions reported by the highly numerate. I briefly discuss methods to increase number use in decisions and policy implications of numeracy research.
Missed Opportunities in the Review and Revision of Clinical Study Reports
Authors: Cuppan Gregory P. , Bernhardt Stephen A.
Published: January 2012

Circulating written drafts and conducting roundtable reviews are two important document-development activities in many work sites. Previous studies suggest that review processes are frustrating for participants and have substantial inefficiencies caused by conflicting participant purposes. This article presents two case studies of the document-review practices for clinical study reports from a large pharmaceutical company, paying particular attention to whether review efforts contributed to improvements in document quality. Findings suggest that document review did not lead to demonstrable improvement in report quality. The authors offer recommendations for improving document-review practices.
Choosing the Right Task Analysis Tool
Authors: Adams Anne E. , Rogers Wendy A. , Fisk Arthur D.
Published: January 2012

A variety of task-analytical tools are available to the human factors/ergonomics practitioner, who is challenged to find the right tool for the task at hand and to apply it appropriately. In this article, we compare a number of task analysis methods, including each method’s unique contribution and the expertise required to apply it. We describe how different task analysis methods can build on each other and provide examples to illustrate.
Factor Structure of the Disgust Scale–Revised in an Adolescent Sample
Authors: Kim Eun Ha , Ebesutani Chad , Young John , Olatunji Bunmi O.
Published: January 2012

Although recent research with the Disgust Scale–Revised (DS-R) has contributed to current knowledge regarding the structure of disgust, this line of research has exclusively employed adult samples. The current study extended existing research by examining the factor structure of the DS-R in an adolescent sample ( N = 637). Exploratory factor analysis revealed three factors: Contagion, Mortality, and Contact Disgust. Subsequent to removing three items due to inadequate factor loadings, confirmatory factor analysis provided support for the 3-factor model across gender, grade level, and racial subgroups. Tests of item–intercept invariance also revealed no differences in item means across grade level. However, three and four items were associated with differences across race and gender, respectively. Latent factor means were also found to be invariant across racial groups and grade level, but not across gender. Implications of the DS-R factor structure in this adolescent sample and its domains are discussed.
Evaluation of a Community-Based Sex Offender Treatment Program Using a Good Lives Model Approach
Authors: Harkins Leigh , Flak Vanja E. , Beech Anthony R. , Woodhams Jessica
Published: January 2012

In this study the authors assessed a Good Lives model (GLM) approach to sex offender treatment and compare it to a standard Relapse Prevention program. The comparisons examined (a) attrition rates, (b) treatment change in areas targeted in treatment and achievement of a posttreatment treated profile, and (c) views of offenders and facilitators. There were no differences in the attrition rates or the rates of treatment change between the two programs, indicating that they were equally effective at retaining participants and achieving change on areas targeted within treatment. Both facilitators and program participants reported the Good Lives approach module’s impact in a positive, future-focused manner. In contrast, those who attended the Relapse Prevention module did not report their perceptions and motivations in a manner that was focused on the positives in their future as frequently as those who attended the module with the Good Lives model approach.
Gender Differences Among Children With ADHD on Continuous Performance Tests
Authors: Hasson Ramzi , Fine Jodene Goldenring
Published: January 2012

Objective: Gender differences among children with ADHD are not well understood. The continuous performance test (CPT) is the most frequently used direct measure of inattention and impulsivity. This meta-analysis compared CPT performance between boys and girls with and without ADHD. Method: All peer-reviewed ADHD studies published between 1980 and 2010 that used a CPT and enabled gender comparison were included. Gender differences in commission (impulsivity) and omission (inattention) errors were analyzed. Results: Included studies comprised a sample of 772 boys and 325 girls with ADHD. Findings show that boys were significantly more impulsive than girls, but no difference with inattention was found. Within-gender analysis revealed that the difference among boys with and without ADHD was significantly larger than the difference among girls with and without ADHD. Conclusion: The results indicate that gender is a significant moderating factor in the assessment of core ADHD symptoms when using CPTs.
The Relationship Between ADHD Symptoms, Mood Instability, and Self-Reported Offending
Authors: Gudjonsson Gisli H. , Sigurdsson Jon Fridrik , Adalsteinsson Tomas F. , Young Susan
Published: January 2012

Objective: To investigate the relative importance of ADHD symptoms, mood instability, and antisocial personality disorder traits in predicting self-reported offending. Method: A total of 295 Icelandic students completed two scales of offending behavior and measures of ADHD symptoms, mood instability, and antisocial personality traits. Results: Self-reported offending from the two independent scales correlated significantly with ADHD symptoms, mood instability, and antisocial personality traits with medium to large effect size. Multiple regressions showed that ADHD symptoms contributed to the two outcome measures beyond that of age and gender with a medium effect size. The ADHD effects were only partly mediated by mood instability and antisocial personality traits for general offending but were almost completely mediated by the more reactive measure of antisocial behavior. Conclusion: ADHD appears to be a potential risk factor for general offending in its own right irrespective of the presence of comorbidity, whereas mood instability is more important with regard to reactive behavior.
Color vision is strongly associated with retinal thinning in multiple sclerosis
Authors: Villoslada Pablo , Cuneo Ami , Gelfand Jeffrey , Hauser Stephen L , Green Ari
Published: January 2012

Objectives:

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) frequently causes injury to the anterior visual pathway (AVP), impairing quality of life due to visual dysfunction. Development of biomarkers in MS is a high priority and both low-contrast visual acuity (LCVA) and time-domain optical coherence tomography (TD-OCT) have been proposed as candidates for this purpose. We sought to assess whether psychophysical assessments of color vision are similarly correlated with structural measures of AVP injury, and therefore augment measures of visual disability in MS.

Methods:

We studied the association between high-contrast visual acuity (HCVA), LCVA, color vision (Hardy–Rand–Rittler plates (HRR) and Lanthony D15 tests) and OCT, using both high-resolution spectral-domain OCT (SD-OCT; Spectralis, Heidelberg Engineering, Germany) and TD-OCT (Stratus, Carl Zeiss, US) in a cohort of 213 MS patients (52 with previous optic neuritis) and 47 matched controls in a cross-sectional study.

Results:

We found that MS patients have impairments in HCVA and LCVA ( p < 0.001) but that they suffer from even more profound abnormalities in color discrimination ( p < 0.0001). We found strong correlation between color vision and SD-OCT measures of retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness (average RNFL, r = 0.594, p < 0.001) and papillomacular bundle thickness ( r = −0.565, p < 0.001). The correlation between OCT scores and functional visual impairments of all types was much stronger for SD-OCT than for TD-OCT.

Conclusion:

Our results indicate that color vision is highly correlated with these OCT scores when compared with traditional measures of visual acuity. Also we found that SD-OCT is superior to TD-OCT for detecting anterior visual pathway damage in MS. This makes both color-visual measures and SD-OCT strong candidate biomarkers of disease progression.
Mockery or fantasy? Transvestite characters, cross-dressing and subaltern sexualities in sketches in French talk shows
Authors: Quemener Nelly
Published: January 2012

For the past 30 years, French comedians have resorted to cross-dressing as a key comic mechanism and have used subaltern sexualities as objects of mockery. In this article, I analyse the extent to which these sketches denaturalize sex–gender binarisms. While cross-dressing by male humorists such as Elie Semoun and Antoine de Caunes results in failed visual imitations of femininity that underpin the binary sex–gender system, the performance of masculinity by female humorists such as Julie Ferrier and Florence Foresti relies on body language, embodiment, gestures and speech that suggest the possibility of blurring the causal chain between sex and gender. Through this analysis, I question the signifying power of gender parodies in a contemporary France dominated by masculine white heterosexual hegemony.
Novel technique to reconstruct instantaneous heavy-duty emissions
Authors: Madireddy M R , Clark N N , Schmid N A
Published: January 2012

Transient vehicle emissions, as measured in test cells or by on-board systems, do not precisely reflect the emissions at the exhaust because the instantaneous emissions are dispersed in time by the sampling and analyser systems. With increasing demand for accurate emission measurements to optimize engine controls and for atmospheric inventory models, research effort has been directed at compensating for measurement distortions by the emissions analyser system. This paper presents a new procedure, known as the modified deconvolution technique, which may be employed for the reconstruction of instantaneous emissions signals. The method was applied to revising mass rates of emissions as a function of speed and acceleration for the case of a transit bus. This revision (or reconstruction) led to a higher range of emissions rates and, for most high-power speed-acceleration bins, the mass emissions rate was increased. For bins with high deceleration, emissions rates were reduced.
Exposure to Multiple Components of a Garden-Based Intervention for Middle School Students Increases Fruit and Vegetable Consumption
Authors: Evans Alexandra , Ranjit Nalini , Rutledge Ronda , Medina Jose , Jennings Rose , Smiley Andrew , Stigler Melissa , Hoelscher Deanna
Published: January 2012

Objectives. (1) To measure the effects of different levels of exposure to a multiple-component garden-based intervention on middle school students’ fruit and vegetable (F&V) consumption and related variables and (2) to determine the separate effects of each of the intervention components on F&V consumption. Design. Unequal treatment–control posttest only. Setting. Five middle schools in ethnically diverse communities. Participants. Two hundred and forty-six adolescents (59% Hispanic; 70% low-income). Intervention. The Sprouting Healthy Kids intervention consists of six components: (1) in-class lessons, (2) after-school gardening program, (3) farm-to-school, (4) farmers’ visits to schools, (5) taste testing, (6) field trips to farms. Outcome measures. F&V consumption; motivation for eating F&V; self-efficacy for eating F&V; F&V preference; preference for unhealthy foods; knowledge. Analysis. Linear regression models controlling for gender, ethnicity/race, and income. Results. Compared with students who were exposed to less than two intervention components, students who were exposed to two or more components scored significantly higher on F&V intake, self-efficacy, and knowledge and lower on preference for unhealthy foods ( p < .05). The farmers’ visits, taste testing, and cafeteria components had the largest effect sizes but were not significant. Conclusions and implications. Interventions targeting adolescent F&V behavior change should include multiple components such as farmers’ visits to the school and taste testing.
Assessing the Relative Importance of Inputs to a Production Function
Authors: Deli Daniel
Published: January 2012

Since the publication of Michael Lewis's book, Moneyball, there has been a commonly held belief that getting on-base percentage (OBP) is more important in run production than hitting for power slugging percentage (SLG). Implicit in that conclusion is an assumption that OBP and SLG are drawn from similar distributions. The author finds, however, that they are drawn from meaningfully different distributions. Controlling for those differences, the author finds no evidence that OBP is more important in run production than SLG. In fact, the author finds that from 1980 to 2007 SLG was more important in run production than OBP.
Bayesian inference with overlapping data: methodology for reliability estimation of multi-state on-demand systems
Authors: Jacksonn C , Mosleh A
Published: January 2012

A Bayesian system reliability analysis methodology for multiple overlapping higher level data sets within complex multi-state on-demand systems is presented in this paper. Data sets are overlapping if they are drawn from the same process at the same time, with reliability data from sensors attached to a system being a prime example. Treating overlapping data as non-overlapping loses or incorrectly infers information. The approach generated in this paper is able to incorporate overlapping data from multi-state on-demand systems with a detailed understanding of the system logic represented using fault trees, reliability block diagrams or another equivalent representation. Structure functions of the system at relevant sensor locations (developed from the system logic) in terms of component states are used in conjunction with the probability of all possible system states (or all possible state vectors) to generate the likelihood function of overlapping evidence. This forms the basis of the likelihood function used in the Bayesian analysis of the overlapping data sets.
Evaluation of regional and whole gut motility using the wireless motility capsule: relevance in clinical practice
Authors: Tran Khoa , Brun Rita , Kuo Braden
Published: January 2012

The wireless motility capsule (WMC) is an ambulatory noninvasive and nonradioactive diagnostic sensor that continuously samples intraluminal pH, temperature, and pressure as it moves through the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. This review summarizes the data obtained in clinical trials with the WMC and discusses its role in clinical practice. The United States Food and Drug Administration has approved the SmartPill GI monitoring system for the evaluation of gastric emptying time in patients with suspected gastroparesis, the evaluation of colonic transit time in patients with suspected chronic constipation, and for the characterization of pressure profiles from the antrum and duodenum. Clinical studies have shown that WMC-measured GI transit times can distinguish patients with motility abnormalities similarly to conventional testing. However, the WMC offers the advantage of providing a full GI-tract profile, enabling the detection of multiregional GI transit abnormalities in patients with suspected upper or lower GI dysmotility. The WMC also characterizes pressure profiles of the GI tract and impaired pressure profile limits are reported for the antrum and duodenum. In comparison with manometry, interpretations of pressure measurements obtained by the WMC are limited by an inability to detect a peristaltic pressure wave front, and further investigation is required to develop clinical applications. Clinical studies with the WMC indicated that it should be considered for the evaluation of regional and whole gut transit time in patients with suspected upper or lower dysmotility, particularly if there are concerns about multiregional dysmotility.
Efficacy and safety of lenalidomide in patients with myelodysplastic syndrome with chromosome 5q deletion
Authors: Duong Vu H. , Komrokji Rami S. , List Alan F.
Published: January 2012

Myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) with del(5q) is a unique hematopoietic stem cell disease that typically follows an indolent course and demonstrates particular sensitivity to lenalidomide, a second-generation immunomodulatory agent. Early trials demonstrated rapid and durable responses leading to US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval in 2005. Definitive confirmatory evidence from a large phase III trial was recently published. Other recent advances include a better understanding of the pathogenesis of disease including haplodeficiency of several candidate genes, and elucidation of the lenalidomide-specific effect on two phosphatases ultimately leading to p53 degradation in the erythroid progenitors and cell cycle arrest in earlier myeloid progenitors. In this review, we describe the pathogenesis of MDS with del(5q), summarize the major clinical studies establishing the activity of lenalidomide in this population, discuss commonly encountered adverse events, and shed light on practical uses of this agent in the clinic.
Mesenchymal stromal cells orchestrate follicular lymphoma cell niche through the CCL2-dependent recruitment and polarization of monocytes
Authors: Guilloton Fabien , Caron Gersende , Ménard Cédric , Pangault Céline , Amé-Thomas Patricia , Dulong Joëlle , De Vos John , Rossille Delphine , Henry Catherine , Lamy Thierry , Fouquet Olivier , Fest Thierry , Tarte Karin
Published: January 2012

Accumulating evidence indicates that infiltrating stromal cells contribute directly and indirectly to tumor growth in a wide range of cancers. In follicular lymphoma (FL), malignant B cells are found admixed with heterogeneous lymphoid-like stromal cells within invaded lymph nodes and BM. In addition, mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) support in vitro FL B-cell survival, in particular after their engagement toward lymphoid differentiation. We show here that BM-MSCs obtained from patients with FL (FL-MSCs) display a specific gene expression profile compared with MSCs obtained from healthy age-matched donors (HD-MSCs). This FL-MSC signature is significantly enriched for genes associated with a lymphoid-like commitment. Interestingly, CCL2 could be detected at a high level within the FL-cell niche, is up-regulated in HD-MSCs by coculture with malignant B cells, and is overexpressed by FL-MSCs, in agreement with their capacity to recruit monocytes more efficiently than HD-MSCs. Moreover, FL-MSCs and macrophages cooperate to sustain malignant B-cell growth, whereas FL-MSCs drive monocyte differentiation toward a proangiogenic and lipopolysaccharide-unresponsive phenotype close to that of tumor-associated macrophages. Altogether, these results highlight the complex role of FL stromal cells that promote direct tumor B-cell growth and orchestrate FL-cell niche, thus emerging as a potential therapeutic target in this disease.
Rantes/Ccl5 influences hematopoietic stem cell subtypes and causes myeloid skewing
Authors: Ergen Aysegul V. , Boles Nathan C. , Goodell Margaret A.
Published: January 2012

HSCs undergo dramatic changes with aging. An increase in absolute numbers of HSCs along with a functional deficit in reconstitution potential and a shift toward production of myeloid cells are the hallmarks of murine hematopoietic aging. Here, we show that high levels of the inflammatory cytokine Rantes are found in the aging stem cell milieu. Forced overproduction of Rantes by retroviral expression in BM progenitors resulted in a deficit of T-cell output, and brief ex vivo exposure of HSCs to Rantes resulted in a decrease in T-cell progeny concomitant with an increase in myeloid progenitors. In contrast, Rantes knockout (KO) animals exhibit a decrease in myeloid-biased HSCs and myeloid progenitors and an increase in T cells and lymphoid-biased HSCs. KO HSCs retained their HSC subtype distribution and they produced more lymphoid-biased HSCs in transplantations. Rantes deficiency also resulted in a decreased mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) activity in KLS cells. In a heterochronic transplantation setting, we further show that aged HSCs placed in a young environment generate less myeloid cells. These data establish a critical role for environmental factors in the establishment of the aged-associated myeloid skewing phenotype, which may contribute to age-associated immune deficiency.
TranscriptomeBrowser 3.0: introducing a new compendium of molecular interactions and a new visualization tool for the study of gene regulatory networks
Authors: Lepoivre Cyrille , Bergon Aurélie , Lopez Fabrice , Perumal Narayanan B , Nguyen Catherine , Imbert Jean , Puthier Denis
Published: January 2012

Background

Deciphering gene regulatory networks by in silico approaches is a crucial step in the study of the molecular perturbations that occur in diseases. The development of regulatory maps is a tedious process requiring the comprehensive integration of various evidences scattered over biological databases. Thus, the research community would greatly benefit from having a unified database storing known and predicted molecular interactions. Furthermore, given the intrinsic complexity of the data, the development of new tools offering integrated and meaningful visualizations of molecular interactions is necessary to help users drawing new hypotheses without being overwhelmed by the density of the subsequent graph.

Results

We extend the previously developed TranscriptomeBrowser database with a set of tables containing 1,594,978 human and mouse molecular interactions. The database includes: (i) predicted regulatory interactions (computed by scanning vertebrate alignments with a set of 1,213 position weight matrices), (ii) potential regulatory interactions inferred from systematic analysis of ChIP-seq experiments, (iii) regulatory interactions curated from the literature, (iv) predicted post-transcriptional regulation by micro-RNA, (v) protein kinase-substrate interactions and (vi) physical protein-protein interactions. In order to easily retrieve and efficiently analyze these interactions, we developed In-teractomeBrowser, a graph-based knowledge browser that comes as a plug-in for Transcriptome-Browser. The first objective of InteractomeBrowser is to provide a user-friendly tool to get new insight into any gene list by providing a context-specific display of putative regulatory and physical interactions. To achieve this, InteractomeBrowser relies on a "cell compartments-based layout" that makes use of a subset of the Gene Ontology to map gene products onto relevant cell compartments. This layout is particularly powerful for visual integration of heterogeneous biological information and is a productive avenue in generating new hypotheses. The second objective of InteractomeBrowser is to fill the gap between interaction databases and dynamic modeling. It is thus compatible with the network analysis software Cytoscape and with the Gene Interaction Network simulation software (GINsim). We provide examples underlying the benefits of this visualization tool for large gene set analysis related to thymocyte differentiation.

Conclusions

The InteractomeBrowser plugin is a powerful tool to get quick access to a knowledge database that includes both predicted and validated molecular interactions. InteractomeBrowser is available through the TranscriptomeBrowser framework and can be found at: http://tagc.univ-mrs.fr/tbrowser/. Our database is updated on a regular basis.