bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Co‐administration of statins with cytochrome P450 3A4 inhibitors in a UK primary care population
Authors: Bakhai Ameet , Rigney Una , Hollis Samuel , Emmas Cathy
Published: January 2012

Purpose

The co‐administration of cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) inhibitors with simvastatin or atorvastatin (CYP3A4‐metabolised statins) is associated with increased statin exposure and can increase the risk of adverse drug reactions. The aim of this study was to measure the concomitant exposure of patients to CYP3A4‐metabolised statins and CYP3A4 inhibitors in the UK primary care population.

Methods

The co‐administration of statins and CYP3A4 inhibitors during 2008 was examined in the General Practice Research Database, a large nationally representative UK primary care database. All known inhibitors were included with labelled inhibitors identified using the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency Drug Safety Update and UK summary of product characteristics for statins. Exposure was examined in patients overall, patients 65 years and older and those prescribed higher doses of statins.

Results

There were 364 574 patients included in the analyses. Ninety‐three percent of the patients were prescribed CYP3A4‐metabolised statins, most whom received simvastatin (72%) and atorvastatin (24%). Approximately one third (30%) of the patients prescribed a CYP3A4‐metabolised statin had also been prescribed a concomitant CYP3A4 inhibitor during the study period, including 11% prescribed a concomitant labelled inhibitor, with an annualised median days of concomitant use of 173 days, predominantly involving macrolide antibiotics and calcium channel blockers co‐prescriptions. Rates were higher in the subgroup aged 65 and over and in those on high dose statins.

Conclusions

The co‐prescription of CYP3A4‐metabolised statins and CYP3A4 inhibitors is common in UK primary care. This co‐prescription suggests the limited appreciation of potential interactions and Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency safety advice, with the potential to increase likelihood for side effects amongst patients. Strategies to reduce drug interactions with potential adverse effects should be targeted at prescribers and pharmacists. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Effect of dual inhibition of apoptosis and autophagy in prostate cancer
Authors: Saleem Ahamed , Dvorzhinski Dmitri , Santanam Urmila , Mathew Robin , Bray Kevin , Stein Mark , White Eileen , DiPaola Robert S.
Published: January 2012

PURPOSE

Targeting multiple anti‐apoptotic proteins is now possible with the small molecule BH3 domain mimetics such as ABT‐737. Given recent studies demonstrating that autophagy is a resistance mechanism to multiple therapeutic agents in the setting of apoptotic inhibition, we hypothesized that hydroxychloroquine (HCQ), an anti‐malarial drug that inhibits autophagy, will increase cytotoxicity of ABT‐737.

EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN

Cytotoxicity of ABT‐737 and HCQ was assessed in vitro in PC‐3 and LNCaP cells, and in vivo in a xenograft mouse model. The role of autophagy as a resistance mechanism was assessed by siRNA knockdown of the essential autophagy gene beclin1. ROS was measured by flow cytometry, and mitophagy assessed by the mCherry‐Parkin reporter.

RESULTS

Induction of autophagy by ABT‐737 was a mechanism of resistance in prostate cancer cell lines. Therapeutic inhibition of autophagy with HCQ increased cytotoxicity of ABT‐737 both in vitro and in vivo. ABT‐737 induced LC‐3 and decreased p62 expression by immunoblot in cell lines and by immunohistochemistry in tumors in vivo. Assessment of ROS and mitochondria demonstrated that ROS production by ABT‐737 and HCQ was a mechanism of cytotoxicity.

CONCLUSIONS

We demonstrated that autophagy inhibition with HCQ enhances ABT‐737 cytotoxicity in vitro and in vivo, that LC‐3 and p62 represent assessable markers in human tissue for future clinical trials, and that ROS induction is a mechanism of cytotoxicity. These results support a new paradigm of dual targeting of apoptosis and autophagy in future clinical studies. Prostate 72:1374–1381, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Reading Coaches and the Relationship Between Policy and Practice
Authors: Coburn Cynthia E. , Woulfin Sarah L.
Published: January 2012

Many educational policy initiatives use instructional coaching to accomplish their goals. Yet we know little about the role of reading coaches in mediating the relationship between policy and teachers’ classroom practice. In this article, we investigate the role of reading coaches in mediating the relationship between Reading First policy and teachers’ classroom practice. We conducted an in‐depth, longitudinal case study of one urban elementary school in Massachusetts, starting the year before the onset of Reading First and continuing through the first year of its implementation. In our analysis, we focus on seven first‐ and second‐grade teachers, two coaches, and two school administrators. We argue that, although reading coaches were only one of multiple sources from which teachers learned about Reading First policy, teachers were much more likely to make substantial changes in their classroom practice when they learned about the policy message from a coach than from other sources. Coaches influenced teachers by helping them to learn new approaches and to integrate them into their classroom. But, they also did so by pressuring teachers, shaping how they saw and understood Reading First, and by counseling them on which aspects of the policy to focus on and which aspects to ignore. Thus, we present a vision of coaching that goes much beyond its educational roles, to highlight the political roles of the coach as well. We close by drawing implications for research on coaching, policy implementation, and practice.
School Reform in the United States: Frames and Representations
Authors: Shannon Patrick
Published: January 2012

This essay reviews six competing positions on U.S. school reform: a speech from Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan; Diane Ravitch's The Death and Life of the Great American School System; Frederick Hess's The Same Thing Over and Over; Charles Payne's So Much Reform, So Little Change; Anthony Byrk and others’ Organizing School for Improvement; and Valerie Kinloch's Harlem On Our Minds. Read separately, each invites readers to join a social consensus in order to become competent citizens eager to redesign American schools to realize a desired future. Read together, they provide a primer on how our sociological imaginations might help us to recognize the value of dissensus in school reform within a pluralistic democracy.
Automatic conformance checking for migrating software systems to cloud infrastructures and platforms
Authors: Frey Sören , Hasselbring Wilhelm , Schnoor Benjamin
Published: January 2012

The migration of software systems to IaaS (infrastructure as a service)‐ or PaaS (platform as a service)‐based cloud environments enables SaaS providers to benefit from the cloud's merits, such as smoothly scaling up and down existing applications. Our approach, CloudMIG, aims at supporting SaaS providers to perform those migrations. Here, validating the specific constraints that are imposed by a cloud environment constitutes an important early‐phase activity. For example, the access to the file system, number of files, or calls to specific methods may be restricted by cloud providers. Those constraints have to be considered when evaluating the suitability of competing cloud environment candidates. In this paper, we describe CloudMIG's corresponding parts: a generic cloud environment model that incorporates these constraints and appropriate violation detection mechanisms. A software system's conformance can be examined with the assistance of constraint validators. They operate on extracted Knowledge Discovery Meta‐Model‐based system models and can, among others, apply metrics formulated with the Software Metrics Meta‐Model through our metrics execution engine. Additional constraint validators can be plugged into the validation process as needed. In this context, we implemented a prototype and modeled the PaaS environment Google App Engine for Java. We report on a quantitative evaluation regarding the detected constraint violations of five open‐source systems. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Simultaneous measurement of extracellular dopamine and dopamine transporter occupancy by cocaine analogs in squirrel monkeys
Authors: Kimmel Heather L. , Nye Jonathon A. , Voll Ronald , Mun Jiyoung , Stehouwer Jeffrey , Goodman Mark M. , Votaw John R. , Carroll F.I. , Howell Leonard L.
Published: January 2012

Several classes of drugs bind to the dopamine transporter (DAT) with high affinity, but some are weaker positive reinforcers than cocaine, suggesting that affinity for and occupancy of the DAT is not the only determinant of a drug's reinforcing effectiveness. Other factors such as the rate of onset have been positively and strongly correlated with the reinforcing effects of DAT inhibitors in nonhuman primates. In the current studies, we examined the effects of acute systemic administration of cocaine and three cocaine analogs (RTI‐150, RTI‐177, and RTI‐366) on binding to DAT in squirrel monkey brain using positron emission tomography (PET) neuroimaging. During the PET scan, we also measured drug effects on dopamine (DA) levels in the caudate using in vivo microdialysis. In general, our results suggest a lack of concordance between drug occupancy at DAT and changes in DA levels. These studies also indicate that acute cocaine administration decreases the availability of plasma membrane DAT for binding, even after cocaine is no longer blocking DA uptake as evidence by a return to basal DA levels. Synapse, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Establishing Chickasaw plum for wildlife in northwestern Oklahoma
Authors: West Adam , Will Rodney E. , Lorenzi Edward , Guthery Fred S.
Published: January 2012

Chickasaw plum (Prunus angustifolia) provides cover (escape, thermal, nesting, resting) and food (foliage and fruit) for wildlife in the southern Great Plains. Establishing plum may increase abundance of some wildlife species and species diversity on areas deficient in woody cover. To provide recommendations for establishment methods of Chickasaw plum, we tested effects of tillage, planting date, and competition control on survival and growth of bare‐root seedlings (BRS), coppiced transplants (CT), and intact transplants (IT) of Chickasaw plum planted on sandy sites in Woods County, Oklahoma, USA, during 2007–2011. Tillage did not affect survival or growth. After 4 years, BRS had higher survival than CT or IT (83%, 26%, and 18%, respectively). Bare‐root seedlings also outperformed transplants in height and diameter development and coppicing transplants did not have a long‐term negative effect. At the end of 4 years, heights were 70 cm, 55 cm, and 52 cm, while ground line diameters were 14 mm, 9 mm, and 9 mm, for the BRS, IT, and CT propagules, respectively. Based on crown spread and an initial planting density of 60 × 60 cm, stands should be fully established by age 6. Planting in mid‐spring increased survival of CT by >33% compared to late‐winter or early spring planting. Competition control using weed‐barrier cloth increased plum survival by 13%. Overall, BRS performed well, but if seedlings are not available, local transplants can be taken and planted at higher densities to achieve similar results. If using local transplants, we recommend coppicing to increase survival and hasten establishment. © 2012 The Wildlife Society.
FTIR Spectroscopy and Chemometric Class Modeling Techniques for Authentication of Chinese Sesame Oil
Authors: Deng De‐Hua , Xu Lu , Ye Zi‐Hong , Cui Hai‐Feng , Cai Chen‐Bo , Yu Xiao‐Ping
Published: January 2012

This investigation was aimed at developing a rapid analysis method for authentication of Chinese sesame oils by FTIR spectrometry and chemometrics. Ninety‐five sesame oil samples were collected from the six main producing areas of China to include most if not all of the significant spectral variations likely to be encountered in future authentic materials. Two class modeling techniques, the soft independent modeling of class analogy (SIMCA) and the partial least squares class model (PLSCM) were investigated and the data preprocessing techniques including smoothing, derivative and standard normal variate (SNV) tests were performed to improve the classification performance. It was demonstrated that SIMCA and PLSCM can detect various adulterated sesame oils doped with 3% or more (w/w) of other cheaper oils, including rapeseed, soybean, palm and peanut oils. First derivative, second derivative and SNV tests significantly enhanced the class models by reducing baseline and background shifts. Smoothing of raw spectra led to inferior identification performance and proved itself to be unsuitable because some of the detailed frequency details were lost during smoothing. The best model performance was obtained with second derivative spectra by SIMCA (sensitivity 0.905 and specificity 0.944) and PLSCM (sensitivity 0.952 and specificity 0.937). Although it is difficult to perform an exhaustive sampling of all types of pure sesame oils and potential adulterations, PLS and SIMCA combined with FTIR spectrometry can detect most of current adulterations of sesame oils on the Chinese market.
Regularity in a one-phase free boundary problem for the fractional Laplacian
Authors: De Silva D. , Roquejoffre J.M.
Published: January 2012

For a one-phase free boundary problem involving a fractional Laplacian, we prove that “flat free boundaries” are

C^{1,\alpha }

. We recover the regularity results of Caffarelli for viscosity solutions of the classical Bernoulli-type free boundary problem with the standard Laplacian.
Leading edge strengthening and the propulsion performance of flexible ray fins
Authors: Shoele Kourosh , Zhu Qiang
Published: January 2012

A numerical model of a ray-reinforced fin is developed to investigate the relation between its structural characteristics and its force generation capacity during flapping motion. In this two-dimensional rendition, the underlying rays are modelled as springs, and the membrane is modelled as a flexible but inextensible plate. The fin kinematics is characterized by its oscillation frequency and the phase difference between different rays (which generates a pitching motion). An immersed boundary method (IBM) is applied to solve the fluid–structure interaction problem. The focus of the current paper is on the effects of ray flexibility, especially the detailed distribution of ray stiffness, upon the capacity of thrust generation. The correlation between thrust generation and features of the surrounding flow (especially the leading edge separation) is also examined. Comparisons are made between a fin with rigid rays, a fin with identical flexible rays, and a fin with flexible rays and strengthened leading edge. It is shown that with flexible rays, the thrust production can be significantly increased, especially in cases when the phase difference between different rays is not optimized. By strengthening the leading edge, a higher propulsion efficiency is observed. This is mostly attributed to the reduction of the effective angle of attack at the leading edge, accompanied by mitigation of leading edge separation and dramatic changes in characteristics of the wake. In addition, the flexibility of the rays causes reorientation of the fluid force so that it tilts more towards the swimming direction and the thrust is thus increased.
Sino-speak: Chinese Exceptionalism and the Politics of History
Authors: Callahan William A.
Published: January 2012

This article examines how recent books by academics and public intellectuals are reshaping the discourse of the rise of China. While earlier trends argued that China was being socialized into the norms of international society, many texts now proclaim that due to its unique civilization, China will follow its own path to modernity. Such books thus look to the past—China's imperial history—for clues to not only China's future, but also the world's future. This discourse, which could be called “Sino-speak,” presents an essentialized Chinese civilization that is culturally determined to rule Asia, if not the world. The article notes that nuanced readings of China's historical relations with its East Asian neighbors provide a critical entry into a more sophisticated analysis of popular declarations of “Chinese exceptionalism.” But it concludes that this critical analysis is largely overwhelmed by the wave of Sino-speak.
Philosophy as a way of life in the world of Islam: Applying Hadot to the study of Mullā Ṣadrā Shīrāzī (d. 1635)
Authors: Rizvi Sajjad H.
Published: January 2012

The work of the late Pierre Hadot has transformed our understanding of the practice of philosophy, especially in the pre-modern world. This article interrogates how we approach the study of later Islamic philosophy, especially the thought of the Safavid sage Mullā Ṣadrā Shīrāzī (d. 1635), and considers whether the method proposed by Hadot is applicable to this intellectual tradition. While there is much to be gained from the application of a cognate hermeneutics of the text, I also suggest that we still do not know enough about the actual practice of philosophy, of philosophical communities in the Safavid period, to consider whether it constitutes a real intellectual and structural continuity with the late antique Neoplatonic past. Nevertheless, the paradigm of approaching philosophy as a way of life propounded by Hadot does seem to be the best way of making sense of philosophy in Safavid Iran.
Increased longevity from viewing retirement positively
Authors: LAKRA DEEPAK C. , NG REUBEN , LEVY BECCA R.
Published: January 2012

Studies of the relationship between retirement and subsequent health, including longevity, have produced mixed findings. One reason may be that these studies have not taken attitudes toward retirement into account. In the current study we examined whether attitudes toward retirement can impact longevity. The cohort consisted of 394 participants who were followed for 23 years. As predicted, participants with positive attitudes toward retirement at the start of the study lived significantly longer than those with negative attitudes toward retirement. The positive attitudes-toward-retirement group had a median survival advantage of 4.9 years. This survival advantage remained after controlling for relevant covariates, including age, functional health, socio-economic status, and whether employed or retired. Our findings suggest that psychological planning for retirement is as important as the more traditional forms of planning.
‘You learn to live with all the things that are wrong with you’: gender and the experience of multiple chronic conditions in later life
Authors: CLARKE LAURA HURD , BENNETT ERICA
Published: January 2012

This article examines how older adults experience the physical and social realities of having multiple chronic conditions in later life. Drawing on data from in-depth interviews with 16 men and 19 women aged 73+ who had between three and 14 chronic conditions, we address the following research questions: (a) What is it like to have multiple chronic conditions in later life? (b) How do older men and women ‘learn to live’ with the physical and social realities of multiple morbidities? (c) How are older adults’ experiences of illness influenced by age and gender norms? Our participants experienced their physical symptoms and the concomitant limitations to their activities to be a source of personal disruption. However, they normalised their illnesses and made social comparisons in order to achieve a sense of biographical flow in distinctly gendered ways. Forthright in their frustration over their loss of autonomy and physicality but resigned and stoic, the men's stories reflected masculine norms of control, invulnerability, physical prowess, self-reliance and toughness. The women were dismayed by their bodies’ altered appearances and concerned about how their illnesses might affect their significant others, thereby responding to feminine norms of selflessness, sensitivity to others and nurturance. We discuss the findings in relation to the competing concepts of biographical disruption and biographical flow, as well as successful ageing discourses.
Re-aligning research into teacher education for CALL and bringing it into the mainstream
Authors: Motteram Gary
Published: January 2012

This paper explores three research projects conducted by the writer and others with a view to demonstrating the importance of effective theory and methodology in the analysis of teaching situations where Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL), teacher practice and teacher education meet. It argues that there is a tendency in the field of teacher education for CALL to make use of what might be considered quite traditional research methodology, often drawing on research traditions not connected to teacher education. In teacher education and CALL, research theory is quite often drawn from the field of Second Language Acquisition (SLA), which despite its connection with CALL, is less relevant to the specific combined demands of researching teacher education for CALL. At the same time we are seeing some moves in recent publications and conference presentations towards the use of sociocultural theories as part of an analysis of CALL teacher practices and teacher education for CALL. In this paper, I argue that this is a positive step in the direction of establishing teacher education for CALL as a more mature field of enquiry. In order to avoid the pitfalls of inappropriate research methodology, the paper then presents an argument for a range of methodologies, chosen on the basis of a fashioning of research instruments (Czarniawska 1998), or a ‘bricolage’ (Levi-Strauss 1962/1966) that enables us – in conjunction with the theory – to explore different teaching situations in an informed and effective way.
Kinematic analysis of a 5-DOF hybrid-driven MR compatible robot for minimally invasive prostatic interventions
Authors: Jiang Shan , Guo Jie , Liu Shen , Liu Jun , Yang Jun
Published: January 2012

This paper introduces the design and kinematic analysis of a 5-DOF (multiple degree of freedom) hybrid-driven MR (Magnetic Resonance) compatible robot for prostate brachytherapy. It can slip the leash of template and rely on the high precise of MR imaging. After a brief introduction on design requirements of MR compatible robot, a description of our robot structure, material selection, hybrid-driven, and control architecture are presented. Secondly, the forward kinematics equations are obtained according to the equivalent diagram of this robot, and the actual workspace can be outlined. This will help the designer to determine whether this robot can be operated in the MR core without intervention with patient. And then, the inverse kinematics equations combined with trajectory planning are used to calculate the actuators movement. This will help the control system to manipulate the robotic accurately. Finally, vision based experiments on phantoms are used to verify the mechanism precision. As the results shown, the needle tip precision of mechanism is 0.9 mm in the general lab environment.
Calibration of wheeled mobile robots with differential drive mechanisms: an experimental approach
Authors: Maddahi Y. , Sepehri N. , Maddahi A. , Abdolmohammadi M.
Published: January 2012

Exact knowledge of the position and proper calibration of robots that move by wheels form an important foundation in mobile robot applications. In this context, a variety of sensory systems and techniques have been developed for accurate positioning of differential drive mobile robots. This paper, first, provides a brief overview of mobile robots positioning techniques and then, presents a new benchmark method capable of calibrating mobile robots with differential drive mechanisms to correct systematic errors. The proposed method is compared with the commonly used University of Michigan Benchmark (UMBmark) odometry method. Two sets of comparisons are conducted on six prototyped robots with differential drives. The first set of tests establishes the workability and accuracy that can be achieved with the new method and compares them with the ones obtained from the UMBmark technique. The second experiment compares the performance of a mobile robot, calibrated with either the UMBmark or the new method, for an unseen path. It is demonstrated that the proposed method of calibration is simple to implement, and leads to accuracy comparable to the UMBmark method. Specifically, while the error corrections in both methods are within ±5% of each other, the proposed method requires single straight line motion for calibration, which is believed to be simpler and less timely to implement than the square path motion required by the UMBmark technique. The method should therefore be considered seriously as a new tool when calibrating differential drive mobile robots.
Robust detection and isolation of failures in satellite attitude sensors and gyro
Authors: Ahmadi Bahar , Namvar Mehrzad
Published: January 2012

Reliability of a satellite attitude control system depends on accurate detection of failures in its sensors. This paper presents an observer for robust detection and isolation of a class of failures in satellite attitude sensors. The proposed observer uses measurement of a three-axis gyro together with only one attitude sensor, and generates a residual signal which is sensitive to faults and is simultaneously robust against disturbance and noise. A nonlinear model of satellite kinematics is considered for design of the observer. The structure of the observer is in the form of a delayed continuous-time differential equation ensuring its robustness properties. A realistic simulation is provided to illustrate the performance of the proposed observer in the face of the faults occurring in a magnetometer, as the attitude sensor, and also the faults occurring in the gyro.
NONLINEARITIES IN THE OIL PRICE–OUTPUT RELATIONSHIP
Authors: Kilian Lutz , Vigfusson Robert J.
Published: January 2012

It is customary to suggest that the asymmetry in the transmission of oil price shocks to real output is well established. Much of the empirical work cited as being in support of asymmetry, however, has not directly tested the hypothesis of an asymmetric transmission of oil price innovations. Moreover, many of the papers quantifying these asymmetric responses are based on censored oil price VAR models that have recently been shown to be invalid. Other studies are based on dynamic correlations in the data and do not distinguish between cause and effect. Recently, several new methods of testing and quantifying asymmetric responses of U.S. real economic activity to positive and negative oil price innovations have been developed. We put this literature into perspective, contrast it with more traditional approaches, highlight directions for further research, and reconcile some seemingly conflicting results reported in the literature.
The Use of Neural Networks and Texture Analysis for Rapid Objective Selection of Regions of Interest in Cytoskeletal Images
Authors: Derkacs Amanda D. Felder , Ward Samuel R. , Lieber Richard L.
Published: January 2012

Understanding cytoskeletal dynamics in living tissue is prerequisite to understanding mechanisms of injury, mechanotransduction, and mechanical signaling. Real-time visualization is now possible using transfection with plasmids that encode fluorescent cytoskeletal proteins. Using this approach with the muscle-specific intermediate filament protein desmin, we found that a green fluorescent protein–desmin chimeric protein was unevenly distributed throughout the muscle fiber, resulting in some image areas that were saturated as well as others that lacked any signal. Our goal was to analyze the muscle fiber cytoskeletal network quantitatively in an unbiased fashion. To objectively select areas of the muscle fiber that are suitable for analysis, we devised a method that provides objective classification of regions of images of striated cytoskeletal structures into “usable” and “unusable” categories. This method consists of a combination of spatial analysis of the image using Fourier methods along with a boosted neural network that “decides” on the quality of the image based on previous training. We trained the neural network using the expert opinion of three scientists familiar with these types of images. We found that this method was over 300 times faster than manual classification and that it permitted objective and accurate classification of image regions.
Toward a dynamic concept of the subduction channel at erosive convergent margins with implications for interplate material transfer
Authors: Vannucchi Paola , Sage Françoise , Phipps Morgan Jason , Remitti Francesca , Collot Jean‐Yves
Published: January 2012

Convergent plate boundaries accommodate intraplate displacement within a ∼100–1000 m thick shear zone. Marine geophysicists typically define this zone, the subduction channel (SC), as the sedimentary layer between the downgoing oceanic crust and the base of the upper plate. Geologists and modelers, instead, perceive the SC as a specific type of shear zone. The original theory of SCs was developed when the net accretion of marine sediments to the forearc was thought to typify a convergent margin. While erosive margins were briefly mentioned, their mechanics were not discussed in any detail. We now realize that subduction erosion is taking place at roughly half of the modern subduction margins. Here we review and revise the theory of erosive SCs (1) to unify this concept across disciplines, focusing on the meaning of the channel's boundaries; (2) to redefine the portions of the forearc included in the SC concept; and (3) to better idealize this dynamic system where material supply to the channel, fluid content, and the heterogeneity of deformation all influence the SC's upper and lower boundaries. Migration of the channel boundaries controls the downdip variation of tectonic mechanisms that shape the margin. Within the shallow, <15 km deep part of the SC, a gradual change of physical properties defines three zones; zone 1 of rapid fluid dewatering, zone 2 of overpressure, and zone 3 with metamorphic fluid release. A SC is a dynamic feature with along‐strike and downdip variations caused by changes in channel material, in trapped fluid contents, and in interplate boundary geometry.
Direct numerical simulation of a turbulent wind over a wavy water surface
Authors: Druzhinin O. A. , Troitskaya Y. I. , Zilitinkevich S. S.
Published: January 2012

Parameterization of the wind‐water‐waves interaction is a key problem of the air‐sea system modeling. Of most importance are water waves with sufficiently large steepness, when nonlinear effects related to the boundary layer separation and vortex generation in the wind flow are well pronounced. Known experimental techniques (contact methods and particle image velocimetry) are not yet able to provide a full, detailed understanding of the wind flow in the viscous sublayer and the buffer region. As an alternative, we consider direct numerical simulations (DNS). In the present paper we discuss numerical algorithm and results of DNS of a turbulent wind flow over a wavy water surface. Waves with maximum steepness of ka = 0.2, wave age 0 < c/u* < 10, and Reynolds number Re = 15,000 are considered. Full, 3‐D Navier‐Stokes equations are solved in curvilinear coordinates in a reference frame moving with the wave phase speed c. DNS results show that an instantaneous velocity field is characterized by the presence of well‐pronounced separation zones in the vicinity of the wave crests whereas the average velocity field is nonseparating. We also perform a comparison of the DNS results with the predictions of a theoretical quasi‐linear model of the wind‐wave interaction.
Hydroxyl radical and NOx production rates, black carbon concentrations and light‐absorbing impurities in snow from field measurements of light penetration and nadir reflectivity of onshore and offshore coastal Alaskan snow
Authors: France J. L. , Reay H. J. , King M. D. , Voisin D. , Jacobi H. W. , Domine F. , Beine H. , Anastasio C. , MacArthur A. , Lee‐Taylor J.
Published: January 2012

Photolytic production rates of NO, NO2 and OH radicals in snow and the total absorption spectrum due to impurities in snowpack have been calculated for the Ocean‐Atmosphere‐Sea‐Ice‐Snowpack (OASIS) campaign during Spring 2009 at Barrow, Alaska. The photolytic production rate and snowpack absorption cross‐sections were calculated from measurements of snowpack stratigraphy, light penetration depths (e‐folding depths), nadir reflectivity (350–700 nm) and UV broadband atmospheric radiation. Maximum NOx fluxes calculated during the campaign owing to combined nitrate and nitrite photolysis were calculated as 72 nmol m−2 h−1 for the inland snowpack and 44 nmol m−2 h−1 for the snow on sea‐ice and snowpack around the Barrow Arctic Research Center (BARC). Depth‐integrated photochemical production rates of OH radicals were calculated giving maximum OH depth‐integrated production rates of ∼160 nmol m−2 h−1 for the inland snowpack and ∼110–120 nmol m−2 h−1 for the snow around BARC and snow on sea‐ice. Light penetration (e‐folding) depths at a wavelength of 400 nm measured for snowpack in the vicinity of Barrow and snow on sea‐ice are ∼9 cm and 14 cm for snow 15 km inland. Fitting scaled HULIS (HUmic‐LIke Substances) and black carbon absorption cross‐sections to the determined snow impurity absorption cross‐sections show a “humic‐like” component to snowpack absorption, with typical concentrations of 1.2–1.5 μgC g−1. Estimates of black carbon concentrations for the four snowpacks are ∼40 to 70 ng g−1 for the terrestrial Arctic snowpacks and ∼90 ng g−1 for snow on sea‐ice.
Surface ozone at a coastal suburban site in 2009 and 2010: Relationships to chemical and meteorological processes
Authors: Martins D. K. , Stauffer R. M. , Thompson A. M. , Knepp T. N. , Pippin M.
Published: January 2012

Air quality and meteorological measurements were conducted at the Chemistry and Physics of the Atmospheric Boundary Layer Experiment (CAPABLE) site during the summers of 2009 and 2010 in Hampton, Virginia. Significant differences in surface ozone mixing ratios were observed between the two years and are correlated with meteorological parameters such as temperature, humidity, and cloud cover. The number of exceedance days for ozone set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency within this region has been decreasing for the past decade, especially in urban areas. There were no exceedance days with respect to ozone in 2009, and there were four exceedance days in 2010. The four highest ozone daily maxima and the two exceedance days observed during the 2010 measurement period were coincident with sea breeze phenomena. In one case, surface ozone increased at a rate of 14.6 ppb h−1 with the passage of a sea breeze front. A comprehensive multilinear regression model as well as an operational forecast was unable to resolve the high ozone observed during sea breeze events. As the number of exceedance days per year within this region continues to decrease, accurately forecasting sea breezes may become more important for the forecasting of pollution events.
Aerosol daytime variations over North and South America derived from multiyear AERONET measurements
Authors: Zhang Yan , Yu Hongbin , Eck Tom F. , Smirnov Alexander , Chin Mian , Remer Lorraine A. , Bian Huisheng , Tan Qian , Levy Robert , Holben Brent N. , Piazzolla Sabino
Published: January 2012

This study analyzes the daytime variation of aerosol with seasonal distinction by using multiyear measurements from 54 of the Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) sites over North America, South America, and islands in surrounding oceans. The analysis shows a wide range of daytime variability of aerosol optical depth (AOD) and Ångström exponent depending on location and season. Possible reasons for daytime variations are given. The largest AOD daytime variation range at 440 nm, up to 75%, occurs in Mexico City, with maximum AOD in the afternoon. Large AOD daytime variations are also observed in the polluted mid‐Atlantic United States and West Coast with maximum AOD occurring in the afternoon in the mid‐Atlantic United States, but in the morning in the West Coast. In South American sites during the biomass burning season (August to October), maximum AOD generally occurs in the afternoon. But the daytime variation becomes smaller when sites are influenced more by long‐range transported smoke than by local burning. Islands show minimum AOD in the morning and maximum AOD in the afternoon. The diverse patterns of aerosol daytime variation suggest that geostationary satellite measurements would be invaluable for characterizing aerosol temporal variations on regional and continental scales. In particular, simultaneous measurements of aerosols and aerosol precursors from a geostationary satellite would greatly aid in understanding the evolution of aerosol as determined by emissions, chemical transformations, and transport processes.
Common Variants in the CD36 Gene Are Associated With Oral Fat Perception, Fat Preferences, and Obesity in African Americans
Authors: Keller Kathleen L. , Liang Lisa C.H. , Sakimura Johannah , May Daniel , van Belle Christopher , Breen Cameron , Driggin Elissa , Tepper Beverly J. , Lanzano Patricia C. , Deng Liyong , Chung Wendy K.
Published: January 2012

Animal studies show that CD36, a fatty acid translocase, is involved in fat detection and preference, but these findings have not been reported in humans. The objective of this study was to determine whether human genetic variation in 5 common CD36 polymorphisms is associated with oral fat perception of Italian salad dressings, self‐reported acceptance of high‐fat foods and obesity in African‐American adults (n = 317). Ratings of perceived oiliness, fat content, and creaminess were assessed on a 170‐mm visual analogue scale (VAS) in response to salad dressings that were 5%, 35%, and 55% fat‐by‐weight content. Acceptance of added fats and oils and high‐fat foods was self‐reported and anthropometric measures were taken in the laboratory. DNA was isolated from saliva and genotyped at 5 CD36 polymorphisms. Three polymorphisms, rs1761667, rs3840546, and rs1527483 were associated with the outcomes. Participants with the A/A genotype at rs1761667 reported greater perceived creaminess, regardless of the fat concentration of the salad dressings (P < 0.01) and higher mean acceptance of added fats and oils (P = 0.02) compared to those with other genotypes at this site. Individuals who had C/T or T/T genotypes at rs1527483 also perceived greater fat content in the salad dressings, independent of fat concentration (P = 0.03). BMI and waist circumference were higher in participants who were homozygous for a deletion (D/D) at rs3840546, compared to I/D or D/D individuals (P < 0.001), but only 2 D/D individuals were tested, so this finding needs replication. This is the first study to demonstrate an association between common variants in CD36 and fat ingestive behaviors in humans.
24‐h Core Temperature in Obese and Lean Men and Women
Authors: Hoffmann Mindy E. , Rodriguez Sarah M. , Zeiss Dinah M. , Wachsberg Kelley N. , Kushner Robert F. , Landsberg Lewis , Linsenmeier Robert A.
Published: January 2012

Maintenance of core temperature is a major component of 24‐h energy expenditure, and its dysregulation could contribute to the pathophysiology of obesity. The relationship among temperature, sex, and BMI, however, has not been fully elucidated in humans. This study investigated core temperature in obese and lean individuals at rest, during 20‐min exercise, during sleep, and after food consumption. Twelve lean (18.5–24.9 kg/m2) and twelve obese (30.0–39.9 kg/m2) healthy participants, ages 25–40 years old, were admitted overnight in a clinical research unit. Females were measured in the follicular menstrual phase. Core temperature was measured every minute for 24 h using the CorTemp system, a pill‐sized sensor that measures core temperature while in the gastrointestinal tract and delivers the measurement via a radio signal to an external recorder. Core temperature did not differ significantly between the obese and lean individuals at rest, postmeals, during exercise, or during sleep (P > 0.5), but core temperature averaged over the entire study was significantly higher (0.1–0.2°C) in the obese (P = 0.023). Each individual's temperature varied considerably during the study, but at all times, and across the entire study, women were ∼0.4°C warmer than men (P < 0.0001). These data indicate that obesity is not associated with a lower core temperature but that women have a higher core temperature than men at rest, during sleep, during exercise, and after meals.
Postmenopausal Sex Hormones in Relation to Body Fat Distribution
Authors: Liedtke Stefanie , Schmidt Martina E. , Vrieling Alina , Lukanova Annekatrin , Becker Susen , Kaaks Rudolf , Zaineddin Aida K. , Buck Katharina , Benner Axel , Chang‐Claude Jenny , Steindorf Karen
Published: January 2012

Being overweight or obese increases the risk of postmenopausal breast cancer. A potential reason may be the frequently observed positive association of BMI with endogenous sex hormones and its negative association with sex hormone‐binding globulin (SHBG). The purpose of this study was to investigate whether a woman's body fat distribution shows a BMI‐independent association with these breast cancer‐related biomarkers. Performing cross‐sectional analyses among 1,180 postmenopausal women, we assessed whether associations of surrogates for an abdominal (waist circumference; waist‐to‐hip ratio, WHR) and gluteofemoral (hip circumference) fat distribution with estrone, total and free estradiol, androstenedione, total and free testosterone, and SHBG changed after adjustment for, or stratification by, BMI. All anthropometric measures were positively associated with estrogens and free testosterone, and negatively with SHBG. After adjustment for BMI, associations of free estradiol, free testosterone, and SHBG with both waist circumference and WHR remained significant, but all initially significant associations with hip circumference were abolished. In stratified analyses, waist circumference and WHR correlated with free estradiol, free testosterone, and SHBG in women with a BMI < 30 kg/m2 but not in women with a BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2. The latter suggests that in obese women, a possibly unique effect of abdominal fat on these biomarkers may be masked by the already large amount of overall body fat. On the whole, our results indicate that waist circumference and WHR, but not hip circumference, are associated with SHBG and SHBG‐related sex hormones (free estradiol and free testosterone) independently of BMI.
Phosphate is not an absolute requirement for the inhibitory effects of cyclosporin A or cyclophilin D deletion on mitochondrial permeability transition
Authors: McGee Allison M. , Baines Christopher P.
Published: January 2012

CypD (cyclophilin D) has been established as a critical regulator of the MPT (mitochondrial permeability transition) pore, and pharmacological or genetic inhibition of CypD attenuates MPT in numerous systems. However, it has recently been suggested that the inhibitory effects of CypD inhibition only manifest when Pi (inorganic phosphate) is present, and that inhibition is lost when Pi is replaced by Asi (inorganic arsenate) or Vi (inorganic vanadate). To test this, liver mitochondria were isolated from wild-type and CypD-deficient (Ppif−/−) mice and then incubated in buffer containing Pi, Asi or Vi. MPT was induced under both energized and de-energized conditions by the addition of Ca2+, and the resultant mitochondrial swelling was measured spectrophotometrically. For pharmacological inhibition of CypD, wild-type mitochondria were pre-incubated with CsA (cyclosporin A) before the addition of Ca2+. In energized and de-energized mitochondria, Ca2+ induced MPT regardless of the anion present, although the magnitude differed between Pi, Asi and Vi. However, in all cases, pre-treatment with CsA significantly inhibited MPT. Moreover, these effects were independent of mouse strain, organ type and rodent species. Similarly, attenuation of Ca2+-induced MPT in the Ppif−/− mitochondria was still observed irrespective of whether Pi, Asi or Vi was present. We conclude that the pharmacological and genetic inhibition of CypD is still able to attenuate MPT even in the absence of Pi.
Moving to Mainstream Preschool
Authors: Clem Becky
Published: January 2012

Children with hearing loss have a world of opportunities available to them because of marvelous advances in hearing technology, including super-powered digital hearing aids, cochlear implants, wireless FM systems, infrared classroom technology for sound field, and the bone-anchored hearing aid (BAHA). These advances, along with the ability to identify children with hearing loss soon after birth and fit them quickly with hearing technology, have changed the face of intervention and education. It is important for clinicians to start listening and spoken language (LSL) intervention very early, because babies' brains' neural pathways have increased sensitivity to sound before age 3 years. When children with hearing loss learn to speak through listening, they may stay on a normal path to speech and language development (Cole & Flexer, 2007). Now, children with hearing loss who learn to listen and speak typically develop regional accents, clear speech production, the ability to grasp idioms and jokes, and competent conversational skills. The purpose of this article is to describe the processes that are typical as a child with hearing loss transitions from services provided by professionals at an outpatient cochlear implant center to services provided in school settings.
Objective Assessment of Hearing in Children: Update on Procedures and Protocols
Authors: Hall James W. , Bantwal Anuradha R.
Published: January 2012

Early identification and diagnosis of hearing loss in infants and young children is the first step toward appropriate and effective intervention and is critical for optimal communicative and psychosocial development. Limitations of behavioral assessment techniques in pediatric populations necessitate the use of an objective test battery to enable complete and accurate assessment of auditory function. Since the introduction of the cross-check principle 35 years ago, the pediatric diagnostic test battery has expanded to include, in addition to behavioral audiometry, acoustic immittance measures, otoacoustic emissions, and multiple auditory evoked responses (auditory brainstem response, auditory steady state response, and electrocochleography). We offer a concise description of a modern evidence-based audiological test battery that permits early and accurate diagnosis of auditory dysfunction.
Production of small starch granules by expression of a tandem-repeat of a family 20 starch-binding domain (SBD3-SBD5) in an amylose-free potato genetic background
Authors: Nazarian-Firouzabadi Farhad , Trindade Luisa M. , Visser Richard G. F.
Published: January 2012

Starch exists typically as semicrystalline granules of varying size. Granule size plays an important role for many industrial starch applications. Microbial non-catalytic starch binding domains (SBD) exhibit an affinity for starch granules on their own. Three different constructs were introduced in the amylose-free potato cultivar (Solanum tuberosum L. cv. amf) to investigate whether it is possible to produce smaller starch granules by an engineered, high-affinity, tandem-repeats of a family 20 starch-binding domain (SBD3, SBD4 and SBD5). A significant reduction in the size of starch granule was achieved in transgenic potato plants. Furthermore, it was shown that the SBDn expression can affect physical processes underlying granule assembly and the poorly understood granule formation. Expression of multiple linked SBDs resulted in amalgamated starch granules that consisted of many smaller granules. No significant alterations were observed with regard to rheological properties of starch granules.