bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evidence of Structure-Specific Teamwork Requirements and Implications for Team Design
Authors: Lafond Daniel , Jobidon Marie-Eve , Aubé Caroline , Tremblay Sébastien
Published: March 2011

This article reports an experiment using the C3Fire microworld—a functional simulation of command and control in a complex and dynamic environment—in which 24 three-person teams were organized according to either a functional or multifunctional allocation of roles. We proposed a quantitative approach for estimating teamwork requirements and comparing them across team structures. Two multiple linear regression models were derived from the experimental data, one for each team structure. Both models provided excellent fits to the data. The regression coefficients revealed key similarities and some major differences across team structures. The two most important predictors were monitoring effectiveness and coordination effectiveness regardless of team structure. Communication frequency was a positive predictor of performance in the functional structure but a negative predictor in the multifunctional structure. In regard to communication content, the proportion of goal-oriented communications was found to be a positive predictor of team performance in functional teams and a weak negative predictor of team performance in multifunctional teams. Mental load was a useful predictor in functional teams but not in multifunctional teams. Results show that this method is useful for estimating teamwork requirements and support the claim that teamwork requirements can vary as a function of team structure.
“It’s Not Conflict, It’s Differences of Opinion”
Authors: Kerwin Shannon , Doherty Alison , Harman Alanna
Published: March 2011

To properly manage conflict, the mechanisms of the complex conflict process must be understood. Building on existing research, the purpose of this study was to develop a better understanding of the conflict process by examining nonprofit board member experiences with task, process, and relationship conflict, identifying latent conditions that influence the likelihood of these conflict types, and exploring the impact of conflict within nonprofit boards. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 20 provincial sport organization (PSO) board members. The findings revealed that board members downplayed conflict because of its negative connotation. Furthermore, task, process, and relationship conflict were each described according to continuums of intensity ranging from respectful and professional discussion to heated and rigorous debate. The intensity of each type of conflict was perceived to be influenced by specific latent conditions and to influence both group and individual outcomes. These findings highlight the complex nature of intragroup conflict in this setting and demonstrate the need to identify intensity when examining task, process, and relationship conflict. Implications for research and practice are presented.
Teaching the IMRaD Genre: Sentence Combining and Pattern Practice Revisited
Authors: Wolfe Joanna , Britt Cynthia , Poe Alexander Kara
Published: March 2011

The authors describe two pedagogical strategies—rhetorical sentence combining and rhetorical pattern practice—that blend once-popular teaching techniques with rhetorical decision making. A literature review identified studies that associated linguistic and rhetorical knowledge with success in engineering writing; this information was used to create exercises teaching technical communication students to write Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion (IMRaD) reports. Two pilot studies report promising results: Preliminary findings suggest that students who were taught this method wrote essays that were perceived as significantly higher in quality than those written by students in a control section. At the same time, however, the pilot studies point to some challenges and shortcomings of exercise-oriented pedagogies.
Achievement, affiliation, and power: Motive profiles for artificial agents
Authors: Merrick Kathryn E , Shafi Kamran
Published: March 2011

Computational models of motivation are tools that artificial agents can use to identify, prioritize, select and adapt the goals they will pursue autonomously. Previous research has focused on developing computational models of motivation that permit artificial agents to exhibit characteristics such as adaptive exploration, problem-finding behavior, competence-seeking behavior, and creativity. This permits self-motivated agents to identify novel or interesting goals not specifically programmed by system engineers, or adapt in complex or uncertain environments where it is difficult for system engineers to identify all possible goals in advance. However, existing computational models of motivation cover only a small subset of psychological motivation theories. There remains potential to draw on other psychological motivation theories to create artificial agents with new behavioral characteristics. This includes agents that can strive for standards of excellence, both internal and external; agents that can proactively socialize and build relationships with others; and agents that can exert their influence to gain control of resources. With these objectives in mind, this article expands our ‘‘motivation toolbox’’ with three new computational models of motivation for achievement, affiliation, and power motivation. The models are designed such that they can be used in isolation or together, embedded in an artificial ‘‘motive profile.’’ To validate the new models of motivation, three experiments are presented that compare the goal-selecting behavior of artificial agents with different motive profiles with that of humans with corresponding motive profiles. Results show that agents with different motive profiles exhibit different goal-selection characteristics, and that these various characteristics are statistically similar to behavioral trends observed experimentally in humans. The article concludes by discussing areas for the future development of each motivation model and the future roles and applications of agents with different motive profiles.
Class-Wide Function-Related Intervention Teams: Effects of Group Contingency Programs in Urban Classrooms
Authors: Kamps Debra , Wills Howard P. , Heitzman-Powell Linda , Laylin Jeff , Szoke Carolyn , Petrillo Tai , Culey Amy
Published: March 2011

The purpose of the study was to determine the effectiveness of the Class- Wide Function-related Intervention Teams (CW-FIT) program, a group contingency intervention for whole classes, and for students with disruptive behaviors who are at risk for emotional/behavioral disorders (EBD). The CW-FIT program includes four elements designed from empirical studies on the assessment and treatment of problem behavior: (a) teaching socially appropriate communicative skills to access attention or brief escape; (b) extinction of or eliminating potential reinforcement (attention, escape) for problem behavior; (c) strengthening alternative or replacement behaviors, that is, differential reinforcement at individual levels within the context of peer groups with shared group contingencies; and (d) self-management for program maintenance. Procedures were designed to fit within a School-wide Positive Behavior Support framework as Tier II interventions. The CW-FIT implementation was completed in six classes drawn from three schools with 107 students and 8 target students with EBD risks. Results showed clinically important improvements. Group on-task data improved during CW-FIT over baseline levels. For target EBD risk students, results included decreased disruptive behaviors and increased on-task behavior during CW-FIT. Implications for teachers and practitioners are discussed; improved student behavior translates to important levels of increased instruction time in urban classrooms.
John Stuart Mill and Auguste Comte: A trans-cultural comparative epistemology of the social sciences
Authors: Robbins Derek
Published: March 2011

The paper begins by outlining the approaches to the development of a philosophy of social science in the work of Bourdieu, Passeron, and Habermas. The discussion of the positions of Comte and Mill which follows is an historical case-study of the tensions between competing stances adopted in the 1960s — between the tendency to formulate a logic of the social sciences and the tendency to ground a philosophy of social science in ontology or in the socio-political conditions of its production. The method adopted to compare the contributions to the philosophy of social science made by Comte and Mill displays sympathy with Bourdieu’s inclination to analyse the social conditions for the genesis of theory. The paper first considers comparatively the contexts in France and England for the emergence of social science and philosophy about social science. It then examines separately the developments of the projects of Comte and Mill before turning to an articulation of the contrasts between their positions, focusing on aspects of their correspondence as subsequently published and introduced by Lévy-Bruhl. The purpose of the paper is to raise the general question whether international intellectual exchange in relation to the analysis of society can occur within a universal discourse possessing a priori validity or through socio-cultural exchanges which assist the construction of universality through the mutual recognition of difference.
Max Weber and the spirit of resentment: The Nietzsche legacy
Authors: Turner Bryan S.
Published: March 2011

This article considers three aspects of the sociology of resentment. Firstly I describe Nietzsche’s relationship to Max Weber. Secondly this article outlines Weber’s account of resentment as the driving force behind religious beliefs as a theodicy, specifically an ideology of disprivileged social groups. Whereas the dominant class seeks legitimacy for its position in society, disprivileged groups seek compensation. While the dominant pity such subordinate groups, the disprivileged resent their superiors. Thirdly, the article concludes with a preliminary elaboration of a theory of social status, competitive relationships and resentment. The hypothesis is that in modern societies the fluidity of social structures, the apparent absence of any clear relationship between success and worth, and the propinquity and visibility of competitive social groups have an inflationary effect on resentment. This hypothesis leads to a question that is largely beyond the scope of this discussion about the conditions under which individualized resentment evolves into collective rage. These developments are briefly sketched out by reference to the credit crisis, the Moral Majority and Tea Party populism in the United States.
Association between ACE polymorphism and risk of IgA nephropathy: A meta-analysis
Authors: Qin Yuan-Han , Zhou Tian-Biao , Su Li-Na , Lei Feng-Ying , Huang Wei-Fang , Zhao Yan-Jun
Published: March 2011

Background and objective: The effect of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) gene insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism on risk or progression of immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN) is still debated.Therefore, a meta-analysis was performed to evaluate the association of ACE gene polymorphism with IgAN in different ethnic groups.

Method: A predefined search strategy was performed to collect data from electronic databases.

Results: Twenty articles were identified for the analysis of the relationship between ACE polymorphism and IgAN risk, including 11 in Asians and nine in Caucasians. There was a markedly positive association between the D allele or DD genotype and IgAN risk in Asians (OR = 1.27, p = 0.006; OR = 1.83, p < 0.0001). However, a link between D allele or DD genotype and IgAN risk was not found in Caucasians (OR = 1.04, p = 0.46; OR = 1.13, p = 0.12). Ten investigations were included for analysis of the association of ACE polymorphism with IgAN progression, including six in Asians and four in Caucasians. These data did not support a link between the ACE D allele or DD genotype and IgAN progression in Asians and Caucasians (Asians: D: OR = 1.03, p = 0.80; DD: OR = 1.43, p = 0.16; Caucasians: D: OR = 1.29, p = 0.22; DD: OR = 1.31, p = 0.17).

Conclusions: The D allele or DD genotype is associated with IgAN risk in Asian, but not in Caucasian populations; there was no significant association between the D allele or DD gene and IgAN progression for Asians and Caucasians.
From comfort zone to contact zone Lessons from a Belfast writing centre
Authors: Shine Cain Kathleen
Published: March 2011

American writing center director Kathleen Shine Cain analyzes the transformative experience of spending a year in a Belfast writing centre, resulting in a renewed appreciation of cross-national and cross-cultural partnerships. Although American writing center theory and pedagogy have informed the development of centers in Europe, Asia, and Africa, those centers have developed practices reflective of their unique academic and national cultures. Perhaps even more significantly, dialogue among centers throughout the world has resulted in an opportunity for writing centers in the United States to reinvigorate themselves, to interrogate both their practices and the theories underpinning those practices — and to appreciate more fully their responsibility in dismantling oppressive institutional practices.
Using Enquiry-Based Learning methods to teach Finnegans Wake to undergraduates
Authors: Manista Frank C. , Gillespie Michael Patrick
Published: March 2011

Many readers dismiss James Joyce’s final novel as impossible to wade through, with its multilingual puns, songs, jokes, portmanteau words, allusions, scientific references, myths and legends. Given the kinetic elements of any reading experience, features particularly evident in Finnegans Wake, reading inevitably becomes synonymous with interpretation. To that end, this article focuses on the use of Enquiry-Based Learning, or EBL, by one upper-division English literature module, as an opportune methodology with which to encourage students to explore the myriad possible readings which the Wake could support. Joyce created by invention, by collection, and by accident, all of which underscore the value of working together. Particularly because EBL moves away from traditional styles of lecturing and into the realm of deeper, autonomous learning, fostered by collaboration above individual ownership, and motivation above accumulation, it works well with the fluid and amazingly complex and associative constructs inherent in Joyce’s text.
Breast Cancer in HIV-Infected Patients: A Retrospective Single-Institution Study
Authors: Ruiz Marco , Davis Heidi
Published: March 2011

Background: Breast cancer in HIV-positive patients has been reported in some retrospective studies and outcomes are mixed. This paper reviews the experience of an urban HIV outpatient clinic serving with patients infected with HIV infection. Methods: A retrospective study from 2002-2010 was conducted on a total of 2,060 patients with HIV (1361 M, 699 F) who were evaluated and treated in the HIV Outpatient Program clinic at the Medical Center of Louisiana in New Orleans as of March 2010. Results: A total of 5 patients were identified. Their average age was 45.6, and 100% were African American. Their average CD4 counts before and after diagnosis of breast cancer were 333 cells/mm3 and 353.3 cells/mL, respectively. The average number of years with HIV infection was 8.8. The average body mass index (BMI) was 24.8. Eighty (80%) were intraductal carcinoma and 20% were inflammatory cancers. The average survival time for all patients was 5.2 years. Discussion: The frequency of breast cancer in our population is low. We did not find any relationship among immunosuppression, obesity, and development of breast cancer. More studies are needed to elucidate the impact of HIV infection in the biology of breast cancer.
The HIV Virologic Outcomes of Different Interventions Among Treatment-Experienced Patients With 2 Consecutive Detectable Low-Level Viremia
Authors: Pham Tri , Alrabaa Sally , Somboonwit Charurut , Le Hung  , Montero Jose
Published: March 2011

Background: Approaches to treatment-experienced HIV-infected patients with persistent low-level viremia are limited by current commercial resistance genotyping assays when the viral load (VL) is <500 copies/mL. The best intervention to achieve virologic suppression in this population is unclear. Methods: This is a case control retrospective chart review study of 149 HIV-infected patients with a VL of 50 to 1000 copies/mL. Patients were in either regimen unchanged group or intervention group (intensification of regimen or switch without guidance from resistance testing). End point was VL < 100 copies/mL. Results: At 6 months post change, 30.8% of patients with intervention versus 36.6% with no intervention achieved a complete virologic suppression. There were no statistically significant differences between these 2 groups (P = .254). The majority of patients without regimen change eventually progressed to complete virologic failure. Conclusion: Patients with persistent low levels of viremia are likely to progress to have virologic failure. This supports the adoption of a more proactive approach to treatment and more sensitive technique to identify drug resistance.
‘It’s something that I manage but it is not who I am’: reflections on internalized stigma in individuals with bipolar disorder
Authors: Michalak Erin , Livingston James D , Hole Rachelle , Suto Melinda , Hale Sandra , Haddock Candace
Published: March 2011

Bipolar disorder (BD) is a complex chronic condition associated with substantial costs, both at a personal and societal level. Growing research indicates that experiences with stigma may play a significant role in contributing to the distress, disability, and poor quality of life (QoL) often experienced in people with BD. Here, we present a sub-set of findings from a qualitative study of self-management strategies utilized by high functioning Canadian individuals with BD. Specifically, we describe a theme relating to participants’ experiences and understandings of internalized stigma. Descriptive qualitative methods were used including purposeful sampling and thematic analysis. High functioning individuals with BD type I or II (N = 32) completed quantitative scales to assess symptoms, functioning and QoL, and participated in an individual interview or focus group to discuss the self-management strategies that they use to maintain or regain wellness. Thematic analysis identified several themes, including one relating to internalized stigma. Within this, four additional themes were identified: stigma expectations and experiences, sense of self/identity, judicious disclosure, and moving beyond internalised stigma. One of the more unique aspects of the study is that it involves a participant sample that is managing well with their illness, which differs from the norm in biomedical research that typically focuses on pathology, problems and dysfunction.
Moderators of chronic disease self-management programs: who benefits?
Authors: Ritter Philip L , Lee Jonathan , Lorig Kate
Published: March 2011

Background: The Stanford University Chronic Disease Self-Management Program (CDSMP) has resulted in moderate beneficial outcomes in randomized controlled trials. A study of a modified CDSMP in England suggested that younger participants, those with lower initial self-efficacy and those with greater depression benefited most from the program.

Design: Using data from previous CDSMP programs in English and Spanish, we examined whether there were statistically significant interactions between baseline statuses (demographic, disease and health status variables) and randomization (intervention or usual-care control) in estimating 6-month changes in health status (health distress, activity limitation/role function, self-efficacy and self-reported general health). If an interaction was found, post hoc examinations of the relationships between the baseline variables and outcomes determined the directions of the relationships.

Results: Six moderating variables were found in the original English-language CDSMP and three in the Spanish program. Each moderator was specific to only one outcome within only one of the two studies.

Conclusion: There were no consistent moderating effects across four outcomes and two programs and little evidence to suggest that any groups should be targeted for program recruitment. The CDSMP appears to remain useful to a wide range of people with chronic illness.
Does nursing research impact on policy? A case study of health visiting research and UK health policy
Authors: Bunn Frances , Kendall Sally
Published: March 2011

The aim of this study was to critically examine the impact of nursing research on the development of health care policy using UK health visiting research as an example. We used established methods to evaluate research impact. This included a documentary review of over 30 policy documents, citation analyses on 19 papers and interviews with health visiting researchers. Although there were examples of policy documents being informed by health visiting research it was not always clear what role research had played in the development of recommendations. Information from researchers provided examples of local, national and international impact, although the extent to which papers may have impacted upon policy was less clear from the citation analyses. Many of the UK studies cited in policy documents were qualitative, observational or reflexive and a lack of evaluative research, in particular randomised controlled trials and other controlled evaluations, may limit the impact of health visiting research on health care policy in the UK. There is evidence that health visiting research has influenced health care policy but this has been limited and there is a need for more research to underpin and inform the role of the health visitor.
Under pressure: Women who plead guilty to crimes they have not committed
Authors: Jones Stephen
Published: March 2011

There is now a great deal of research evidence which shows that people admit to crimes they have not committed, whether in the form of a plea bargain or a false confession. This article considers whether there are any gender-specific factors which make it particularly likely that women will make such admissions. Evidence is gathered from interviews with 50 sentenced adult women in an English prison as well as from the existing literature. It is found that women are indeed subject to a variety of pressures — ranging from coercion and threats to family responsibilities — which make them more compliant to the suggestions of police and prosecutors. Consideration is given to whether procedural changes in the criminal justice system (such as the introduction of the ‘gender equality duty’) are likely to improve the situation. It is concluded that, despite the risk of infantilizing women, changes specific to them have a greater chance of being implemented.
Medial Column Rodding Facilitated by Transitional Osteochondral Graft
Authors: Cook Jeremy , Cook Emily , Basile Philip
Published: March 2011

This is a case report using a new technique designed to allow passage of a screw through a joint while simultaneously preserving the joint cartilage. A 58-year-old woman with diabetes with midfoot Charcot neuro-arthropathy underwent reconstruction, which included a medial column rodding. A headless 8.0-mm screw was inserted into the first metatarsal head coursing along the entire medial column after temporary removal of a portion of the osteochondral surface. This allowed the screw to be positioned perpendicular to the medial column joints. Serial radiographs were collected to evaluate alignment, stability, and osteochondral graft incorporation. The patient showed preservation of joint motion and function with complete osteochondral graft incorporation without evidence of joint degeneration or pain after 45 months of follow-up. This is the first study to present the use of a local osteochondral graft to allow passage of a large diameter screw in the foot. Although graft incorporation was complete, the situation regarding joint preservation remains unclear, but midterm follow-up shows promise.

Levels of Evidence: Therapeutic, Level IV, retrospective case study
The Effect of Learning-Based Distinctive Competencies on Firm Performance: A Study of Spanish Hospitality Firms
Authors: Palacios-Marqués Daniel , Ribeiro-Soriano Domingo , Gil-Pechuán Ignacio
Published: March 2011

In spite of the importance of knowledge assets, few empirical studies have examined how knowledge is generated in organizations and the effect of knowledge management on learning-based competencies. This research studies the effect of introducing knowledge management programs in the development of learning-based distinctive competencies as these factors relate to a firm’s performance. Based on responses from managers at 193 Spanish hospitality firms, the study concludes that the introduction of knowledge management principles and practices promotes creation of learning-based distinctive competencies, which, in conjunction with a knowledge management approach, has a positive causal relationship with firm performance. Learning-based distinctive competencies are essential to this model of organizational success, because the direct relationship between knowledge management and firm performance is not significant. It is worth noting that applying knowledge management practices weighs more heavily in the balance than does adoption of principles. Those practices are orientation towards the development, transfer, and protection of knowledge; continuous learning; an understanding of the organization as a global system; development of an innovative culture; an approach based on people; and competence development and management based on competencies.
Radiologic Assessment of Patellofemoral Pain in the Athlete
Authors: Endo Yoshimi , Stein Beth E. Shubin , Potter Hollis G.
Published: March 2011

Context:

Although disorders of the patellofemoral joint are common in the athlete, their management can be challenging and require a thorough physical examination and radiologic evaluation, including advanced magnetic resonance imaging techniques.

Evidence Acquisition:

Relevant articles were searched under OVID and MEDLINE (1968 to 2010) using the keywords patellofemoral joint, patellofemoral pain or patella and radiography, imaging, or magnetic resonance imaging, and the referenced sources were reviewed for additional articles. The quality and validity of the studies were assessed on the basis of careful analysis of the materials and methods before their inclusion in this article.

Results:

Physical examination and imaging evaluation including standard radiographs are crucial in identifying evidence of malalignment or instability. Magnetic resonance imaging provides valuable information about concomitant soft tissue injuries to the medial stabilizers as well as injuries to the articular cartilage, including chondral shears and osteochondral fractures. Quantitative magnetic resonance imaging assessing the ultrastructure of cartilage has shown high correlation with histology and may be useful for timing surgery.

Conclusions:

Evaluation of patellofemoral disorders is complex and requires a comprehensive assessment. Recent advancements in imaging have made possible a more precise evaluation of the individual anatomy of the patient, addressing issues of malalignment, instability, and underlying cartilage damage.
Effectiveness of Elastic Resistance in Rehabilitation of Patients With Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome
Authors: Page Phil
Published: March 2011

Context:

Patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS) is associated with muscle imbalance at the knee and hip. Therapeutic exercise is effective at reducing pain associated with PFPS.

Objective:

To identify and analyze clinical trials of elastic resistance in patients with PFPS to determine its efficacy.

Data Sources:

PubMed, CINAHL, and PEDro databases were searched for terms relevant to PFPS rehabilitation in patients aged 12 to 40 years.

Study Selection:

Only peer-reviewed clinical trials lasting at least 4 weeks and specifying the use of elastic resistance in their protocols were included.

Data Extraction:

Eight eligible studies were analyzed for design, sample, intervention, outcomes, and clinical application.

Results:

The studies included in this review lacked high-quality design, often using exercise as a “quasi-control” condition. Most studies did not provide specific exercise prescription or progression. Although participants in each study reported significant improvements in pain, deficiencies in scientific design limit the conclusion.

Conclusion:

Elastic resistance exercise may reduce pain and improve function and strength in patients with PFPS.
Rain on My Parade
Authors: MacGregor Jennifer C. D. , Holmes John G.
Published: March 2011

Ample evidence suggests that the behavior of people with low self-esteem (LSEs) can lead to problems in close relationships. To the authors' knowledge, however, no research has investigated the role that perceptions of close others' self-esteem play in undermining beneficial relational processes. In this article, the authors propose that capitalization, a process associated with greater relationship quality, might be hindered by the friends, partners, or family members of LSEs. Across three experiments, the authors show that people are reluctant to disclose their positive experiences (i.e., capitalize) when they believe that the recipient has low self-esteem. Furthermore, the results suggest that people hold back from LSEs largely because they expect the interaction to go poorly for themselves, not because they are concerned about making LSEs feel inferior.
Myopia and the global financial crisis
Authors: Clark Gordon L
Published: March 2011

Many people are unable or unwilling to spend the resources necessary to look beyond the short term and integrate the local with the global. As illustrated by the global financial crisis, the costs of myopia for individual and collective welfare can be far-reaching. In the context of the global financial crisis, I survey the costs of myopia and move on to the experimental evidence on the nature and scope of time/space myopia referencing early work by Kahneman and Tversky. Having put the case for the importance of myopia against those who assume perfection and those who believe human beings are Bayesian by impulse or by training, I consider the interaction between human predilections and the market environment in which decisions must be made. Different levels of behavioural sophistication combined with being embedded in so-called ‘reinforcing’ or ‘regulatory’ environments can give rise to quite different expressions of myopia with implications for the governance of institutions and government policy. Looking forward, it is suggested that whether or not myopia can be in some sense managed will have enormous implications for how we cope with the prospect of increasing global financial market volatility over the coming decades.
Simulation study on horizontal continuous casting process of copper hollow billet under rotating electromagnetic stirring Part 1—model description and primary results
Authors: Li J. , Wang T. , Xu J. , Yan Z. , Sun J. , Xu J. , Cao Z. , Li T.
Published: March 2011

In this paper, a comprehensive three-dimensional mathematical model is built to investigate the effect of rotating electromagnetic stirring on solidification process of copper hollow billet during horizontal continuous casting. The finite element package ANSYS and the commercial finite volume package FLUENT are employed for simulating electromagnetic field and thermal flow field respectively. The Lorenz force and Joule heat are transferred between them with a special data communication method. The model involves the solution of Maxwell equations, Navier—Stokes equations and energy equation for the turbulence characteristics κ and ϵ. The measured magnetic flux density is used for validating the proposed model. The simulated results show that rotating electromagnetic stirring causes a swirling motion in the hollow billet and makes the temperature field uniform. In the present study, the temperature gradient decreases from 748 to 196 K m−1, and the sump depth is reduced from 48·8 to 29·0 mm.
Hump on upper shelf of ductile—brittle transition temperature curve of a plain carbon steel
Authors: Rourke K. , Ebrahim M. , Luo Q. , Wilson E. A.
Published: March 2011

The ductile—brittle transition temperature (DBTT) in a plain carbon steel has been studied in a series of Charpy V notch samples. Both non-standard and standard samples were used in the as drawn, normalised and annealed conditions. In all cases, a hump was recorded on the upper shelf of the DBTT. Examination of fractures in the SEM in the vicinity of the hump showed typical microvoid coalescence. Low temperature fractures showed classical cleavage fractures with river markings. In the normalised and annealed conditions, both yield stress σy and impact transition temperature Tc varied inversely with square root of the ferrite grain size, in agreement with previous workers. However, the points for ‘as drawn’ samples lay off the linear plot. The reasons for this are discussed. The hump on the upper shelf of the DBTT is thought to be associated with dynamic strain aging.
The Subordination of European Finance
Authors: Grahl John
Published: March 2011

European political leaderships have responded to the emergence of global finance with a sustained drive to integrate Europe's own financial systems on the basis of a switch from classical bank credit to tradable securities. In itself, this was a rational response. However, financial integration was pursued at breakneck speed and in disregard of important public goods including economic stability and social justice. Reforms were undertaken in a climate of moral panic, in the false belief that the EU faced a serious problem of external competitiveness. In consequence, Europe's banks and institutional investors were badly exposed to the sub-prime crisis, the Eurozone has been radically disorganized and the EU has had little influence on the evolution of global financial structures and practices.
NAADP links histamine H1 receptors to secretion of von Willebrand factor in human endothelial cells
Authors: Esposito Bianca , Gambara Guido , Lewis Alexander M. , Palombi Fioretta , D'Alessio Alessio , Taylor Lewis X. , Genazzani Armando A. , Ziparo Elio , Galione Antony , Churchill Grant C. , Filippini Antonio
Published: March 2011

A variety of endothelial agonist–induced responses are mediated by rises in intracellular Ca2+, suggesting that different Ca2+ signatures could fine-tune specific inflammatory and thrombotic activities. In search of new intracellular mechanisms modulating endothelial effector functions, we identified nicotinic acid adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NAADP) as a crucial second messenger in histamine-induced Ca2+ release via H1 receptors (H1R). NAADP is a potent intracellular messenger mobilizing Ca2+ from lysosome-like acidic compartments, functionally coupled to the endoplasmic reticulum. Using the human EA.hy926 endothelial cell line and primary human umbilical vein endothelial cells, we show that selective H1R activation increases intracellular NAADP levels and that H1R-induced calcium release involves both acidic organelles and the endoplasmic reticulum. To assess that NAADP links H1R to Ca2+-signaling we used both microinjection of self-inactivating concentrations of NAADP and the specific NAADP receptor antagonist, Ned-19, both of which completely abolished H1R-induced but not thrombin-induced Ca2+ mobilization. Interestingly, H1R-mediated von Willebrand factor (VWF) secretion was completely inhibited by treatment with Ned-19 and by siRNA knockdown of 2-pore channel NAADP receptors, whereas thrombin-induced VWF secretion failed to be affected. These findings demonstrate a novel and specific Ca2+-signaling mechanism activated through H1R in human endothelial cells, which reveals an obligatory role of NAADP in the control of VWF secretion.
The JAK2 46/1 haplotype in Budd-Chiari syndrome and portal vein thrombosis
Authors: Smalberg Jasper H. , Koehler Edith , Murad Sarwa Darwish , Plessier Aurelie , Seijo Susana , Trebicka Jonel , Primignani Massimo , de Maat Moniek P. M. , Garcia-Pagan Juan-Carlos , Valla Dominique C. , Janssen Harry L. A. , Leebeek Frank W. G. ,   for the European Network for Vascular Disorders of the Liver (EN-Vie)
Published: March 2011

The germline JAK2 46/1 haplotype has been associated with the development of JAK2V617F-positive as well as JAK2V617F-negative myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs). In this study we examined the role of the 46/1 haplotype in the etiology and clinical presentation of patients with splanchnic vein thrombosis (SVT), in which MPNs are the most prominent underlying etiological factor. The single-nucleotide polymorphism rs12343867, which tags 46/1, was genotyped in 199 SVT patients. The 46/1 haplotype was overrepresented in JAK2V617F-positive SVT patients compared with controls (P < .01). Prevalence of the 46/1 haplotype in JAK2V617F-negative SVT patients did not differ from prevalence in the controls. However, JAK2V617F-negative SVT patients with a proven MPN also exhibited an increased frequency of the 46/1 haplotype (P = .06). Interestingly, 46/1 was associated with increased erythropoiesis in JAK2V617F-negative SVT patients. We conclude that the 46/1 haplotype is associated with the development of JAK2V617F-positive SVT. In addition, our findings in JAK2V617F-negative SVT patients indicate an important role for the 46/1 haplotype in the etiology and diagnosis of SVT-related MPNs, independent of JAK2V617F, that requires further exploration.
The role of small airways in obstructive airway diseases: Figure 1.
Authors: Burgel P-R.
Published: March 2011

This review article is a summary of a seminar organised by the European Respiratory Society on “The role of small airways in obstructive airway diseases” which was held in October 2010 in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

The aims of the seminar were to identify important questions related to small airways involvement in asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and to discuss future approaches based on current and evolving knowledge. Data obtained by pathological and physiological measurements in small airways and their relevance to clinical manifestations and therapeutics in asthma and COPD were reviewed.

It was concluded that our knowledge on the roles of small airways in asthma and COPD is limited. Studies of large numbers of well-characterised subjects using multiple methods (genetic characterisation, cell biology and physiology, imaging) and integration of the data using mathematical models are suggested to be of interest. The availability of these techniques coupled with our ability to better target inhaled molecules to small airways provide a unique opportunity for a reappraisal of the relevance of small airways in chronic airway diseases.
Update on the roles of distal airways in COPD
Authors: Burgel P-R. , Bourdin A. , Chanez P. , Chabot F. , Chaouat A. , Chinet T. , de Blic J. , Devillier P. , Deschildre A. , Didier A. , Garcia G. , Jebrak G. , Laurent F. , Morel H. , Perez T. , Pilette C. , Roche N. , Tillie-Leblond I. , Verbanck S. , Dusser D.
Published: March 2011

This review is the summary of a workshop on the role of distal airways in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which took place in 2009 in Vence, France.

The evidence showing inflammation and remodelling in distal airways and the possible involvement of these in the pathobiology, physiology, clinical manifestations and natural history of COPD were examined. The usefulness and limitations of physiological tests and imaging techniques for assessing distal airways abnormalities were evaluated.

Ex vivostudies in isolated lungs and invasive measurements of airway resistance in living individuals have revealed that distal airways represent the main site of airflow limitation in COPD. Structural changes in small conducting airways, including increased wall thickness and obstruction by muco-inflammatory exudates, and emphysema (resulting in premature airway closure), were important determinants of airflow limitation. Infiltration of small conducting airways by phagocytes (macrophages and neutrophils), dendritic cells and T and B lymphocytes increased with airflow limitation. Distal airways abnormalities were associated with patient-related outcomes (e.g.dyspnoea and reduced health-related quality of life) and with the natural history of the disease, as reflected by lung function decline and mortality.

These data provide a clear rationale for targeting distal airways in COPD.
PoPoolation DB: a user-friendly web-based database for the retrieval of natural polymorphisms in Drosophila
Authors: Pandey Ram Vinay , Kofler Robert , Orozco-terWengel Pablo , Nolte Viola , Schlötterer Christian
Published: March 2011

Background

The enormous potential of natural variation for the functional characterization of genes has been neglected for a long time. Only since recently, functional geneticists are starting to account for natural variation in their analyses. With the new sequencing technologies it has become feasible to collect sequence information for multiple individuals on a genomic scale. In particular sequencing pooled DNA samples has been shown to provide a cost-effective approach for characterizing variation in natural populations. While a range of software tools have been developed for mapping these reads onto a reference genome and extracting SNPs, linking this information to population genetic estimators and functional information still poses a major challenge to many researchers.

Results

We developed PoPoolation DB a user-friendly integrated database. Popoolation DB links variation in natural populations with functional information, allowing a wide range of researchers to take advantage of population genetic data. PoPoolation DB provides the user with population genetic parameters (Watterson's θ or Tajima's π), Tajima's D, SNPs, allele frequencies and indels in regions of interest. The database can be queried by gene name, chromosomal position, or a user-provided query sequence or GTF file. We anticipate that PoPoolation DB will be a highly versatile tool for functional geneticists as well as evolutionary biologists.

Conclusions

PoPoolation DB, available at http://www.popoolation.at/pgt, provides an integrated platform for researchers to investigate natural polymorphism and associated functional annotations from UCSC and Flybase genome browsers, population genetic estimators and RNA-seq information.
Gene expression throughout a vertebrate's embryogenesis
Authors: Bozinovic Goran , Sit Tim L , Hinton David E , Oleksiak Marjorie F
Published: March 2011

Background

Describing the patterns of gene expression during embryonic development has broadened our understanding of the processes and patterns that define morphogenesis. Yet gene expression patterns have not been described throughout vertebrate embryogenesis. This study presents statistical analyses of gene expression during all 40 developmental stages in the teleostFundulus heteroclitususing four biological replicates per stage.

Results

Patterns of gene expression for 7,000 genes appear to be important as they recapitulate developmental timing. Among the 45% of genes with significant expression differences between pairs of temporally adjacent stages, significant differences in gene expression vary from as few as five to more than 660. Five adjacent stages have disproportionately more significant changes in gene expression (> 200 genes) relative to other stages: four to eight and eight to sixteen cell stages, onset of circulation, pre and post-hatch, and during complete yolk absorption. The fewest differences among adjacent stages occur during gastrulation. Yet, at stage 16, (pre-mid-gastrulation) the largest number of genes has peak expression. This stage has an over representation of genes in oxidative respiration and protein expression (ribosomes, translational genes and proteases). Unexpectedly, among all ribosomal genes, both strong positive and negative correlations occur. Similar correlated patterns of expression occur among all significant genes.

Conclusions

These data provide statistical support for the temporal dynamics of developmental gene expression during all stages of vertebrate development.
Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) expression in human and murine pancreatic beta-cells affects cell viability and insulin homeostasis
Authors: Garay-Malpartida Humberto M , Mourão Roberta F , Mantovani Marluce , Santos Icaro A , Sogayar Mari C , Goldberg Anna C
Published: March 2011

Background

Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) is widely recognized as an essential element in the triggering of innate immunity, binding pathogen-associated molecules such as Lipopolysaccharide (LPS), and in initiating a cascade of pro-inflammatory events. Evidence for TLR4 expression in non-immune cells, including pancreatic β-cells, has been shown, but, the functional role of TLR4 in the physiology of human pancreatic β-cells is still to be clearly established. We investigated whether TLR4 is present in β-cells purified from freshly isolated human islets and confirmed the results using MIN6 mouse insulinoma cells, by analyzing the effects of TLR4 expression on cell viability and insulin homeostasis.

Results

CD11b positive macrophages were practically absent from isolated human islets obtained from non-diabetic brain-dead donors, and TLR4 mRNA and cell surface expression were restricted to β-cells. A significant loss of cell viability was observed in these β-cells indicating a possible relationship with TLR4 expression. Monitoring gene expression in β-cells exposed for 48h to the prototypical TLR4 ligand LPS showed a concentration-dependent increase in TLR4 and CD14 transcripts and decreased insulin content and secretion. TLR4-positive MIN6 cells were also LPS-responsive, increasing TLR4 and CD14 mRNA levels and decreasing cell viability and insulin content.

Conclusions

Taken together, our data indicate a novel function for TLR4 as a molecule capable of altering homeostasis of pancreatic β-cells.
Genetic modification of alternative respiration in Nicotiana benthamianaaffects basal and salicylic acid-induced resistance to potato virus X
Authors: Lee Wing-Sham , Fu Shih-Feng , Verchot-Lubicz Jeanmarie , Carr John P
Published: March 2011

Background

Salicylic acid (SA) regulates multiple anti-viral mechanisms, including mechanism(s) that may be negatively regulated by the mitochondrial enzyme, alternative oxidase (AOX), the sole component of the alternative respiratory pathway. However, studies of this mechanism can be confounded by SA-mediated induction of RNA-dependent RNA polymerase 1, a component of the antiviral RNA silencing pathway. We made transgenic Nicotiana benthamiana plants in which alternative respiratory pathway capacity was either increased by constitutive expression of AOX, or decreased by expression of a dominant-negative mutant protein (AOX-E). N. benthamiana was used because it is a natural mutant that does not express a functional RNA-dependent RNA polymerase 1.

Results

Antimycin A (an alternative respiratory pathway inducer and also an inducer of resistance to viruses) and SA triggered resistance to tobacco mosaic virus (TMV). Resistance to TMV induced by antimycin A, but not by SA, was inhibited in Aox transgenic plants while SA-induced resistance to this virus appeared to be stronger in Aox-E transgenic plants. These effects, which were limited to directly inoculated leaves, were not affected by the presence or absence of a transgene constitutively expressing a functional RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (MtRDR1). Unexpectedly, Aox-transgenic plants infected with potato virus X (PVX) showed markedly increased susceptibility to systemic disease induction and virus accumulation in inoculated and systemically infected leaves. SA-induced resistance to PVX was compromised in Aox-transgenic plants but plants expressing AOX-E exhibited enhanced SA-induced resistance to this virus.

Conclusions

We conclude that AOX-regulated mechanisms not only play a role in SA-induced resistance but also make an important contribution to basal resistance against certain viruses such as PVX.