bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Model Bias Reduction and the Limits of Oceanic Decadal Predictability: Importance of the Deep Ocean
Authors: Sévellec Florian , Fedorov Alexey V.
Published: December 2012

Ocean general circulation models (GCMs), as part of comprehensive climate models, are extensively used for experimental decadal climate prediction. Understanding the limits of decadal ocean predictability is critical for making progress in these efforts. However, when forced with observed fields at the surface, ocean models develop biases in temperature and salinity. Here, the authors ask two complementary questions related to both decadal prediction and model bias: 1) Can the bias be temporarily reduced and the prediction improved by perturbing the initial conditions? 2) How fast will such initial perturbations grow? To answer these questions, the authors use a realistic ocean GCM and compute temperature and salinity perturbations that reduce the model bias most efficiently during a given time interval. The authors find that to reduce this bias, especially pronounced in the upper ocean above 1000 m, initial perturbations should be imposed in the deep ocean (specifically, in the Southern Ocean). Over 14 yr, a 0.1-K perturbation in the deep ocean can induce a temperature anomaly of several kelvins in the upper ocean, partially reducing the bias. A corollary of these results is that small initialization errors in the deep ocean can produce large errors in the upper-ocean temperature on decadal time scales, which can be interpreted as a decadal predictability barrier associated with ocean dynamics. To study the mechanisms of the perturbation growth, the authors formulate an idealized model describing temperature anomalies in the Southern Ocean. The results indicate that the strong mean meridional temperature gradient in this region enhances the sensitivity of the upper ocean to deep-ocean perturbations through nonnormal dynamics generating pronounced stationary-wave patterns.
Identity, policy ideas, and Asian diplomacy: Japan’s response to the rise of China
Authors: Yoshimatsu Hidetaka
Published: December 2012

This article examines Japan’s diplomatic efforts to retain regional influences in evolving regional environments represented by the Chinese ascendancy. It regards identity as a key variable that constitutes the base for Japan’s policy ideas, and examines the formation, application and limitations of specific policy ideas that derived from Japan’s identity in the political and economic domains. The main argument of this article is three-fold. First, the Japanese government formulated specific policy ideas – value-oriented diplomacy and Japan-tailored standards – on the basis of identities as a democratic nation and a mature market economy. Second, the Japanese government incorporated such policy ideas into diplomatic strategies and sought to realize them mainly through the creation of cooperative institutions. Third, domestic political instability and the limited validity of policy ideas constitute serious constraints on arresting further decline in Japan’s influence in Asia.
CUX1 is a haploinsufficient tumor suppressor gene on chromosome 7 frequently inactivated in acute myeloid leukemia
Authors: McNerney Megan E. , Brown Christopher D. , Wang Xiaoyue , Bartom Elizabeth T. , Karmakar Subhradip , Bandlamudi Chaitanya , Yu Shan , Ko Jinkyung , Sandall Barry P. , Stricker Thomas , Anastasi John , Grossman Robert L. , Cunningham John M. , Le Beau Michelle M. , White Kevin P.
Published: December 2012

Key Points

CUX1 is a transcription factor encoded on a region of chromosome 7 that is frequently deleted in high-risk acute myeloid leukemia. Haploinsufficiency of CUX1/cut promotes hematopoietic overgrowth in both Drosophila melanogaster and human xenograft mouse models in vivo.
Phase 1 trial of IL-15 trans presentation blockade using humanized Mik-Beta-1 mAb in patients with T-cell large granular lymphocytic leukemia
Authors: Waldmann Thomas A. , Conlon Kevin C. , Stewart Donn M. , Worthy TatYana A. , Janik John E. , Fleisher Thomas A. , Albert Paul S. , Figg William D. , Spencer Shawn D. , Raffeld Mark , Decker Jean R. , Goldman Carolyn K. , Bryant Bonita R. , Petrus Michael N. , Creekmore Stephen P. , Morris John C.
Published: December 2012

In the present study, Hu-Mikβ1, a humanized mAb directed at the shared IL-2/IL-15Rβ subunit (CD122) was evaluated in patients with T-cell large granular lymphocytic (T-LGL) leukemia. Hu-Mikβ1 blocked the trans presentation of IL-15 to T cells expressing IL-2/IL-15Rβ and the common γ-chain (CD132), but did not block IL-15 action in cells that expressed the heterotrimeric IL-15 receptor in cis. There was no significant toxicity associated with Hu-Mikβ1 administration in patients with T-LGL leukemia, but no major clinical responses were observed. One patient who had previously received murine Mikβ1 developed a measurable Ab response to the infused Ab. Nevertheless, the safety profile of this first in-human study of the humanized mAb to IL-2/IL-15Rβ (CD122) supports its evaluation in disorders such as refractory celiac disease, in which IL-15 and its receptor have been proposed to play a critical role in the pathogenesis and maintenance of disease activity. The protocol is registered with www.clinicaltrials.gov as number NCT 00076180.
Reduced CYP2D6 function is associated with gefitinib-induced rash in patients with non-small cell lung cancer
Authors: Suzumura Tomohiro , Kimura Tatsuo , Kudoh Shinzoh , Umekawa Kanako , Nagata Misato , Matsuura Kuniomi , Tanaka Hidenori , Mitsuoka Shigeki , Yoshimura Naruo , Kira Yukimi , Nakai Toshiyuki , Hirata Kazuto
Published: December 2012

Background

Rash, liver dysfunction, and diarrhea are known major adverse events associated with erlotinib and gefitinib. However, clinical trials with gefitinib have reported different proportions of adverse events compared to trials with erlotinib. In an in vitro study, cytochrome P450 (CYP) 2D6 was shown to be involved in the metabolism of gefitinib but not erlotinib. It has been hypothesized that CYP2D6 phenotypes may be implicated in different adverse events associated with gefitinib and erlotinib therapies.

Methods

The frequency of each adverse event was evaluated during the period in which the patients received gefitinib or erlotinib therapy. CYP2D6 phenotypes were determined by analysis of CYP2D6 genotypes using real-time polymerase chain reaction techniques, which can detect single-nucleotide polymorphisms. The CYP2D6 phenotypes were categorized into 2 groups according to functional or reduced metabolic levels. In addition, we evaluated the odds ratio (OR) of the adverse events associated with each factor, including CYP2D6 activities and treatment types.

Results

A total of 232 patients received gefitinib therapy, and 86 received erlotinib therapy. Reduced function of CYP2D6 was associated with an increased risk of rash of grade 2 or more (OR, 0.44; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.21–0.94; *p = 0.03), but not diarrhea ≥ grade 2 (OR, 0.49; 95% CI, 0.17–1.51; *p = 0.20) or liver dysfunction ≥ grade 2 (OR, 1.08; 95% CI, 0.52–2.34; *p = 0.84) in the gefitinib cohort. No associations were observed between any adverse events in the erlotinib cohort and CYP2D6 phenotypes (rash: OR, 1.77; 95% CI, 0.54–6.41; *p = 0.35/diarrhea: OR, 1.08; 95% CI, 0.21–7.43; *p = 0.93/liver dysfunction: OR, 0.93; 95% CI, 0.20–5.07; *p = 0.93).

Conclusions

The frequency of rash was significantly higher in patients with reduced CYP2D6 activity who treated with gefitinib compared to patients with functional CYP2D6. CYP2D6 phenotypes are a risk factor for the development of rash in response to gefitinib therapy.
Ethanol extract of Gleditsia sinensis thorn suppresses angiogenesis in vitro and in vivo
Authors: Yi Jin-Mu , Park Jong-Shik , Oh Se-Mi , Lee Jun , Kim Jinhee , Oh Dal-Seok , Bang Ok-Sun , Kim No Soo
Published: December 2012

Background

Gleditsia sinensisthorns have been widely used in traditional Korean medicine for the treatment of several diseases, including obesity, thrombosis, and tumor-related diseases. The aim of the study is to determine the antiangiogenic effect ofGleditsia sinensisthornsin vitroandin vivoin a bid to evaluate its potential as an anticancer drug.

Methods

Ethanol extract ofGleditsia sinensisthorns (EEGS) were prepared and used forin vitroandin vivoassays.In vitroantiangiogenic effect of EEGS was determined in HUVEC primary cells by cell migration and tube formation assays.In vivoantiangiogenic effect of EEGS was determined by measuring vessel formation and vascular endothelial cells migrating into the implanted matrigels in nude mice. The angiogenesis-related proteins of which expression levels were altered by EEGS were identified by proteomic analysis.

Results

EEGS exerted a dose-dependent antiproliferative effect on HUVEC cells without significant cytotoxicity. Angiogenic properties, such as cell migration and tube formation, were significantly inhibited by EEGS in a dose-dependent manner. New vessel formation was also suppressed by EEGS, as determined by the directedin vivoangiogenesis assays in nude mice. EEGS reduced the expression of proangiogenic proteins, endothelin 1 and matrix metallopeptidase 2, in HUVEC cells.

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that EEGS can inhibit angiogenesis by down-regulating proangiogenic proteins, and therefore it should be considered as a potential anticancer drug targeting tumor-derived angiogenesis.
Identification and characterization of alternative exon usage linked glioblastoma multiforme survival
Authors: Sadeque Ahmed , Serão Nicola VL , Southey Bruce R , Delfino Kristin R , Rodriguez-Zas Sandra L
Published: December 2012

Background

Alternative exon usage (AEU) is an important component of gene regulation. Exon expression platforms allow the detection of associations between AEU and phenotypes such as cancer. Numerous studies have identified associations between gene expression and the brain cancer glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). The few consistent gene expression biomarkers of GBM that have been reported may be due to the limited consideration of AEU and the analytical approaches used. The objectives of this study were to develop a model that accounts for the variations in expression present between the exons within a gene and to identify AEU biomarkers of GBM survival.

Methods

The expression of exons corresponding to 25,403 genes was related to the survival of 250 individuals diagnosed with GBM in a training data set. Genes exhibiting AEU in the training data set were confirmed in an independent validation data set of 78 patients. A hierarchical mixed model that allows the consideration of covariation between exons within a gene and of the effect of the epidemiological characteristics of the patients was developed to identify associations between exon expression and patient survival. This general model describes all three possible scenarios: multi-exon genes with and without AEU, and single-exon genes.

Results

AEU associated with GBM survival was identified on 2477 genes (P-value < 5.0E-04 or FDR-adjusted P-value < 0.05). G-protein coupled receptor 98 (Gpr98) and epidermal growth factor (Egf) were among the genes exhibiting AEU with 30 and 9 exons associated with GBM survival, respectively. Pathways enriched among the AEU genes included focal adhesion, ECM-receptor interaction, ABC transporters and pathways in cancer. In addition, 24 multi-exon genes without AEU and 8 single-exon genes were associated with GBM survival (FDR-adjusted P-value < 0.05).

Conclusions

The inferred patterns of AEU were consistent with in silico AS models. The hierarchical model used offered a flexible and simple way to interpret and identify associations between survival that accommodates multi-exon genes with or without AEU and single exon genes. Our results indicate that differential expression of AEU could be used as biomarker for GBM and potentially other cancers.
The Suppressed in the Modern Urbanscape: Cultural Difference and Film in Singapore
Authors: Wee C. J. W.-L.
Published: December 2012

The Singapore People's Action Party (PAP) state's adapted Euro-US modernist impulses were reflected not in high cultural achievements but in building construction. Since independence, the PAP has revamped Singapore's colonial downtown into a conceptually empty postnational space filled with decontextualized buildings designed by famous foreign architects. While this uniformly high-rise environment and urban development is common among the high-economic-growth East and Southeast Asia countries since the 1980s, one difference in Singapore's urbanism is a utopian belief that once existed in the advanced West — that rational design will make rational societies without superfluousness. The commercial downtown and successful public housing jointly become the embodiment of a uniform urban space of physical perfectibility.

An important part of the emergence of Singapore contemporary art practices has been the exploration in 1990s independent film of the suppressed nonelite subjectivities in public housing. Some filmmakers took public housing to be a space separate from the commercial downtown, and they suggested that this space represents an ambivalent site of modernity in its relationship to increasingly elitist capitalist development—they constitute a geography that indicates sociocultural difference. The filmmakers, in attempting to map an urban space capable of yielding knowledge of nonelite people, also attempt to delineate the interiority of a major part of Singapore's city space, given that 80 percent of the population lives in public housing. The films inscribe city space by depicting the ordinary and the potentially tragic cultural meanings that are emitted from this place. They represent an interest in depictions of class, though not in class-based politics. Such films also mark the imaginative disappearance of a colonial “tropical” city for an urban world now thoroughly modernized.

The representative films undertaking explorations of class and the urban environment that form the focus of this article are Eric Khoo's Mee Pok Man (1995), Kelvin Tong and Jasmine Ng's Eating Air: A Motorcycle Kungfu Love Story (1999), and Royston Tan's 15 (2002). The filmmakers accept the “arrival” of the extended public-housing cityscape as a fait accompli and an iconic marker of Singaporean identity. However, they also look at public housing as locales where utopian impulses foster dystopic places that possess diverse cultures under erasure or suppression, and in which there is no past, only endlessly present space. Critical independent film, like much of the contemporary film since the 1980s, displays dissatisfaction with the stifling enclosure of a quasi-authoritarian late modernity, and from which a thematized break is longed for. This essay examines the similar and contrasting means by which three filmmakers present the city-state as a palimpsest of suppressed urban cultures.
The Hydrogen Economy — Global Solution, or Pie in the Sky?
Authors: Flood Wilson
Published: December 2012

The purpose of this article is to examine some aspects of the “hydrogen economy”. Using a variety of empirical data, I conclude that, while using hydrogen for transport and for generating electricity is technically feasible, the cost and additional infrastructure implications mean that widespread use of this element for energy is unlikely for the foreseeable future.
Innovation in Energy: Expressions of a Crisis, and Some Ways Forward
Authors: Woudhuysen James
Published: December 2012

Using academic, journalistic and statistical sources, this paper situates energy innovation in historical context before describing the current sclerosis of Western energy R&D. It explores how rising energy prices denote weak innovation, and how society's emphasis on green technologies, green subsidies and green jobs has effectively supplanted a rounded programme of innovation. The paper refuses to prefer one source of energy to another, suggesting that this is to ignore the potential for technological change. It treats the rebound effect as positive, delves into the limitations of energy efficiency, and gives even shorter shrift to energy conservation. The paper shows how energy innovation has become synonymous with risk, reviews failure in energy innovation, and attacks innovations around smart meters and the behaviour of energy users. We conclude by briefly inspecting the relationship between finance and energy innovation, and, throughout, suggest elements of a new political approach to the latter.
Extrapolation Method for System Reliability Assessment: A New Scheme
Authors: Qin Jianjun , Nishijima Kazuyoshi , Faber Michael Havbro
Published: December 2012

The present paper presents a new scheme for probability integral solution for system reliability analysis, which takes basis in the approaches by Naess et al. (2009) and Bucher (2009). The idea is to evaluate the probability integral by extrapolation, based on a sequence of MC approximations of integrals with scaled domains. The performance of this class of approximation depends on the approach applied for the scaling and the functional form utilized for the extrapolation. A scheme for this task is derived here taking basis in the theory of asymptotic solutions to multi-normal probability integrals. The scheme is extended so that it can be applied to cases where the asymptotic property may not be valid and/or the random variables are not normally distributed. The performance of the scheme is investigated by four principal series and parallel systems and some practical examples. The results indicate that the proposed scheme is efficient and adds to generality for this class of approximations for probability integrals.
Reliability-Based Assessment of Design Code Provisions for Circular CFT Stub Columns
Authors: Lu Zhao-Hui , Zhao Yan-Gang , Yu Zhi-Wu , Xu Qing-Yuan
Published: December 2012

This paper presents a probabilistic investigation of design code provisions such as AISC, DL/T and Eurocode 4 for circular CFT stub columns. The study is based on experimental results of 250 axially loaded circular CFT stub columns published in the literature. By comparing experimental results for ultimate loads with code-predicted column resistance, the error of resistance models is analyzed and it is found that it can be described using a normal random variable. Based on the investigations, reliability analyses were performed for the three design codes with/without considering the model error random variables. It is found that the model error is quite relevant for column safety, especially for the case of small load ratios. Consideration of model error resulted in increased reliability of stub columns designed according to AISC code, due to conservative column resistance predicted by the code. While for design codes of DL/T or Eurocode 4, consideration of model error produces a reduction of reliability indexes. Finally, the safety level of code provisions in terms of sufficient and uniform reliability criteria is also evaluated. Results show that the AISC design code provided very conservative results and the scatter of reliability indexes is the smallest. Eurocode 4 provided suitable results in terms of the sufficient criteria. The paper also shows that the reliability indices of columns designed following DL/T are slightly below the target reliability levels of ISO 2394.
A Stable Reliability-Based Optimization via a Decomposing Approach
Authors: Liao Kuo-Wei , Lu Hu-Jhong
Published: December 2012

A stable Reliability-Based Design Optimization (RBDO) algorithm is proposed to produce an optimal design with a desired reliability. The main idea behind the proposed approach is to use a set of deterministic variables, called auxiliary design points, to replace the random parameters. Thus, the reliability analysis in the inner loop of an RBDO problem is relaxed. The auxiliary design points are found through an optimization procedure. The auxiliary design points are updated using the sums of the auxiliary design points and the differences between the mean values of the “pseudo” and actual random parameters in the previous step. The auxiliary design points can force the iteration of deterministic optimization to the vicinity of the probabilistic boundary. Note that in the proposed method, the coupled reliability analysis and deterministic optimization are decomposed to form a weakly coupled system. The stability and accuracy of the proposed method were investigated through linear and nonlinear numerical problems.
Rapid Simulation of Blast Wave Propagation in Built Environments Using Coarse-Grain Simulation
Authors: Flood Ian , Bewick Bryan T , Rauch Emmart
Published: December 2012

The paper discusses the first stage in a study concerned with the development and evaluation of a fast, accurate, and versatile method of simulating blast wave propagation within complex built environments (comprising any configuration of structures such as buildings and blast barriers). Existing methods of modeling the propagation of a blast wave each fail in at least one of the speed, accuracy or versatility requirements. Conventional computational fluid dynamic (CFD) simulations, for example, typically take several days to complete a single run. An alternative, novel method proposed here is to use a simulation approach implemented within a coarse spatial and time framework, where the mesh elements and time steps are orders of magnitude larger than those used in conventional CFD simulations. The approach requires the use of intelligent modeling techniques to capture the behavior of elements at the coarse level. Specifically hybrids of artificial neural networks and multivariate linear predictors are used to capture the characteristic behavior of a blast wave at different locations within a built environment. These can then be assembled to represent the configuration of the actual environment under investigation. The hybrid modules are trained using data generated specifically for the task from CFD simulation runs. The novelty of the approach is in the use of these hybrid modules to learn appropriate driving equations that operate at a coarse level in space and time, and to execute the simulation within a discrete-event (as opposed to continuous) simulation environment. As a proof of concept, this study focuses on one-dimensional simulation modeling. The results demonstrate the feasibility of the approach in terms of its ability to replicate the predictions of CFD simulations very closely and to complete a simulation run orders of magnitude faster than a CFD simulation (within a few seconds as opposed to hours or days).
Knowledge integration in public health: a rapid review using systems thinking
Authors: Riley Barbara , D. Norman Cameron , Best Allan
Published: December 2012

There are tradeoffs in knowledge synthesis – for example, between comprehensiveness and timeliness, between generalisability and policy relevance. The tradeoffs are particularly challenging for public health. A growing international community is grappling with building more relevant and useful knowledge bases, to facilitate use of this knowledge in policy and practice. These questions guided a knowledge synthesis using a novel ‘rapid review’ methodology. The synthesis used complex adaptive systems as a theoretical lens, in collaboration with an international expert panel. Findings strengthen the call for a systems paradigm in public health, extending theoretical propositions to empirical studies of knowledge generation and use.
Physical Activity During School in Urban Minority Kindergarten and First-Grade Students
Authors: Reznik Marina , Wylie-Rosett Judith , Kim Mimi , Ozuah Philip O.
Published: December 2012

OBJECTIVES:

To determine if physical activity (PA) during the school day varied by school, grade level, gender, weight status, and physical education (PE) and recess participation among urban kindergarten and first-grade students.

METHODS:

Cross-sectional study at 4 Bronx, NY, schools. Student PA was measured by a Yamax Digi-Walker pedometer, an objective and validated measure of PA in children. Each student wore a sealed pedometer during school for 5 consecutive days. Hierarchical models were fit to identify variables predictive of PA.

RESULTS:

A total of 916 had valid pedometer data (53% male, 70% Hispanic, mean age 5.98 years [SD 0.66], 45% overweight). PA varied by school (P < .0001). First-grade students took a significantly greater mean number of steps during school than kindergarten students. Overall, students took an average of 2479.7 (SD 961.8) steps/school day. PA did not differ by BMI status. Students took on average 724 more steps on PE days than on non-PE days and 490 more steps on days with outdoor recess than nonrecess days (P < .05 for both). Fewer than 1% of all students achieved lower cut points for previously published mean range of steps/school day for boys and girls. Multivariable analysis revealed higher grade level, participation in PE class, and outdoor recess as independent predictors of PA.

CONCLUSIONS:

PA levels were low in kindergarten and first-grade students. Future interventions incorporating classroom-based PA and outdoor recess may increase PA in resource-poor urban schools with limited PE facilities.
‘Sing loud, break through the silence’
Authors: Barney Katelyn
Published: December 2012

On 13 February 2008 the Australian Parliament formally apologized to the members of the Stolen Generations. This was a historic moment for reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. Jackie Huggins believes that the Apology ‘generated a sense of hope, healing, forgiveness and unity’ and was the ‘first important steps towards a new national approach to reconciliation’. Music has the potential to capture this hope for reconciliation and a number of Indigenous and non-Indigenous musicians have responded to the Apology through song. This article explores how contemporary music-making intersects with discourses of reconciliation surrounding the Apology and considers the ways music underscores the hope for healing and justice for Indigenous Australians, recognition of colonial history, and relationships and collaboration between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. Drawing on Indigenous and non-Indigenous responses and using examples of songs written since the Apology and interviews with the performers, I explore the ways in which Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australian songwriters have musically expressed their responses to this powerful moment and their attempts to generate awareness and break the silence about the history of the Stolen Generations through the medium of contemporary song.
Flow rate measurement in undamaged multicomponent geosynthetic clay liners
Authors: Barral C. , Touze-Foltz N.
Published: December 2012

ABSTRACT: The objective of the paper is the presentation of a test method to quantify advective flow rates through multicomponent geosynthetic clay liners (GCLs). A procedure was developed, combining measuring devices from EN 14150 for flow rate measurement through geomembranes and a rigid wall permeameter from NF P 84-705 aiming at measuring the flow rates through GCLs. Multicomponent GCLs by structure fall between geomembranes and GCLs. The resulting testing device allows measurement of very small variations of volume with time while applying constant hydraulic pressures. The pressure difference applied on both sides of the multicomponent GCL specimens varied between 25 kPa and 100 kPa, the latter value being equal to that applied across geomembranes in EN 14150, except in one case where the multicomponent liner had a light coating. In this case hydraulic heads of 0.3 and 0.6 m were applied. Four different multicomponent GCLs were tested, from three different manufacturers, in order to determine the ability of the testing equipment to quantify the flow rate through multicomponent GCLs. The flow rate measurement was performed after a hydration phase under a very low hydraulic head and a 10 kPa normal load on the specimens in accordance with NF P 84-705. Details are given of the experimental conditions that might lead to the development of a standard for the measurement of flow rates through multicomponent GCLs. Results obtained tend to show that flow rates are one order of magnitude larger than those usually measured for virgin geomembranes, that is 10–5 m3/(m2 d), except for one of the multicomponent GCLs for which the light coating resulted in larger flow rates, measured with hydraulic heads of 0.3 and 0.6 m. In this case values consistent with previous values from the literature in the range 1.4 × 10–11 m/s to 2.2 × 10–11 m/s were obtained.
The Influence of β‐Tricalcium Phosphate Blocks Containing Extracellular Matrix on Osteogenic Differentiation of Rat Bone Marrow Stromal Cells
Authors: Iwasaki Kazuto , Munemasa Norikazu , Tago Kazuhiro , Nemoto Kenji , Tsujigami Hiroshi , Sugaya Akira , Deguchi Shinji
Published: December 2012

Background: The aim of the present study is to assess the osteogenic differentiation of rat bone marrow stromal cells (RBMCs) in β‐tricalcium phosphate (β‐TCP) blocks containing extracellular matrix (ECM) produced by human alveolar bone periosteal cells (HABPCs).

Methods: HABPCs were cultured in β‐TCP blocks for 1 week (group 1) and 2 weeks (group 2). β‐TCP blocks containing ECM were then created by drying the blocks for 3 days. RBMCs were cultured in the blocks containing ECM for 2 weeks. In the control group, RBMCs were cultured in β‐TCP blocks alone for 2 weeks. HABPCs and RBMCs in the blocks were examined by histologic and immunohistochemical analyses.

Results: Histology revealed a significantly higher number of HABPCs in the group 2 blocks than in the group 1 blocks. HABPCs produced several bone matrix proteins in the blocks, and these positive reactions in group 2 were significantly higher than in group 1. Both groups showed a significantly higher number of RBMCs than the control group. RBMCs produced osteopontin and osteocalcin in the blocks, and these positive reactions were significantly higher in both test groups than in the control group. The number of osteocalcin‐positive reactions was higher in group 2 than in group 1.

Conclusion: Osteogenic differentiation of RBMCs cultured for 2 weeks in β‐TCP blocks containing ECM was significantly higher than that of cells cultured for 1 week or without ECM.
A 48-month Clinical Evaluation of Fissure Sealants Placed With Different Adhesive Systems
Authors: Karaman E , Yazici AR , Tuncer D , Firat E , Unluer S , Baseren M
Published: December 2012

Aim

To compare the retention rates of a nanofilled occlusal fissure sealant placed with the use of an etch-and-rinse or a self-etch adhesive over 48 months.

Materials and Methods

The authors enrolled 244 teeth, each with no restoration or sealant and no detectable caries, from 16 patients. The sealants were placed with Solobond M two-step etch-and-rinse adhesive or Futurabond NR one-step self-etch adhesive by four previously calibrated dentists using a table of random numbers. After completion of the adhesive application, a nanofilled sealant, Grandio Seal, was applied and light-cured. Two other calibrated examiners, who were unaware of which adhesive had been used, independently evaluated the sealants at baseline and at 12-, 24-, 36-, and 48-month recalls. Each sealant was evaluated in terms of caries formation being present or absent and retention using the following criteria: 1 = completely retained, 2 = partial loss, and 3 = total loss. The Pearson χ2 test was used to evaluate differences in retention rates among the sealants used with different adhesives for each evaluation period.

Results

The retention rates for sealants in the Solobond M group were significantly higher than those in the Futurabond NR group in all periods of evaluation (p<0.05). No statistically significant difference between the retention rates for premolars and molars was found at each evaluation period (p>0.05). There was no new caries formation throughout the 48-month recall period.

Conclusion

Fissure sealants placed with etch-and-rinse adhesive showed better retention rates than those placed with self-etch adhesive.
Psychometric Analysis of Stöber's Social Desirability Scale (SDS—17): An Item Response Theory Perspective
Authors: Tran Ulrich S. , Stieger Stefan , Voracek Martin
Published: December 2012

Stöber's Social Desirability Scale (SDS–17) was examined psychometrically in 5 samples ( N = 2,817) from Austria, Canada, and the USA. Rasch and Mokken scaling analyses attested the SDS–17 is not strictly unidimensional. Age, agreeableness, and conscientiousness were notable positive correlates of SDS–17 scores. There were signs of non-normal score distributions, acquiescence bias, and sex and country differences (higher scores among Austrians than North Americans). Items with higher ratings of social desirability according to previous research were particularly prone to show sex effects. The SDS–17 appears suitable in cross-cultural settings, but may benefit from substituting its true-false response format with a rating-scale format. A formative-indicators view regarding the social desirability construct and the SDS–17 is discussed.
Adaptation and Psychometric Properties of the Student Career Construction Inventory for a Portuguese Sample: Formative and Reflective Constructs
Authors: Rocha Magda , Guimarães Maria Isabel
Published: December 2012

The adaptation of the Student Career Construction Inventory was carried out with a Portuguese sample of 356 first-year Economics, Management, Psychology, Nursing, Nutrition Sciences, Bio-engineering, and Biosciences students (244 women, 112 men; M age = 19.4, SD = 4.4) in the Catholic University of Portugal, Porto. Confirmatory factorial analysis supported the prior structure of the reflective models, with acceptable fit indexes. Internal consistency coefficients for the scales were poor to acceptable (.51 to .89). The formative nature of career adaptability was supported in a complex model identified by structural relations for which the fit indexes were weak but acceptable for a preliminary study.
Effects of Subliminal Affective Priming on Helping Behavior Using the Foot-in-the-Door Technique
Authors: Skandrani-Marzouki Inès , Marzouki Yousri , Joule Robert-Vincent
Published: December 2012

Two experiments examined the effect of subliminal affective priming on compliance using the foot-in-the-door (FITD) paradigm. Prior to the target request, participants were exposed to subliminal emotional expressions. FITD (presence vs absence of initial request) was crossed with Priming (positive, negative, neutral, and absence of prime-blank screen) in a between-subjects design. 180 students volunteered as participants ( M = 22 years). 20 participants (10 females) were assigned to each of eight experimental conditions plus the control condition that neither involved the initial request nor the priming experiment. Participants were asked to judge whether target sentences were relevant or not for road safety instruction. In Experiment 1, emotional valence of prime stimuli affected both endorsement rate and time devoted to the target request but not participants' attitude. Affective priming effects did not interact significantly with the FITD effect. In Experiment 2, in 180 more students, the attitude measure was replaced by an implicit recognition task. Results showed that regardless of priming condition, in the absence of FITD, participants recognized target sentences better than in the presence of FITD. Conversely, in the presence of the FITD, participants recognized more accurately previously seen sentences that were primed by positive emotions relative to other priming conditions. The latter result suggests that the presence of the FITD involves a significant amount of cognitive resources so that only stimuli emotionally relevant to the task's goal (i.e., positive) tend to be processed. Together, these results could explain how, contrary to helping behavior, compliant behavior that has no direct association with the prime stimuli was not easily influenced by the affective subliminal priming.
Relationships between the Nevada Brief Cognitive Assessment Instrument and the St. Louis University Mental Status Examination in the Assessment of Disability Applicants
Authors: Brown David H. , Lawson Lauren E. , McDaniel William F. , Wildman Robert W.
Published: December 2012

Mental status examinations of individuals applying for disability are most often authorized as “2-hour” evaluations and are to include a complete clinical and employment history, assessment of neurocognitive functions, an estimate of general level of intelligence, psychological and social adjustment, functional abilities, and a complete multipage report of the results. In the interest of meeting these demands we have been using the Nevada Brief Cognitive Assessment Instrument (NBCAI) to rapidly estimate verbal intelligence, and we have adopted the Saint Louis University Mental Status Examination (SLUMS) to investigate neurocognitive functions. Areas of correspondence and differences between these screens are presented along with an explanation of why execution of both screens could be useful in addressing psychological questions concerning disability. The two instruments failed to correlate significantly in a group of patients undergoing pre-surgical evaluation likely because this sample was more highly educated and more homogeneous than the sample of disability referrals. For example, although the ages of the samples were close (disability sample mean and standard deviation age: 43.88 and 11.35 years; pre-surgical sample mean and standard deviation age: 46.14 and 2.84 years), they differed considerably in level of education (disability sample mean and standard deviation: 11.03 and 2.15; pre-surgical mean and standard deviation: 15.22 and 2.84). The pre-surgical group had mean performances close to the ceiling levels of both instruments.
Relationship of Social Problem-Solving Ability with Interpersonal Relationships: A Prospective Study among Japanese Women and Men
Authors: Sumi Katsunori
Published: December 2012

The present study of a Japanese sample used a prospective approach to examine the relationship between self-rated social problem-solving ability and quality of interpersonal relationships. The Japanese versions of the Problem-Solving Self-Efficacy Scale, Problem-Solving Skills Scale, and the Interpersonal Relationship Inventory short form were administered to 139 female and 148 male Japanese college students, who participated in two sessions separated by 6 wk. (Time 1 and Time 2). Partial correlations controlling for scores on the interpersonal relationship scales at Time 1 indicated that self-ratings of social problem-solving ability were correlated with aspects of interpersonal relationships assessed at Time 2, and this relationship was stronger for men (five of six correlations were significant) than for women (two of six correlations were significant).
Milestones in the Health Renaissance of BPKIHS
Authors: Badhu BP
Published: December 2012

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/hren.v10i3.7128 Health Renaissance; September-December 2012; Vol 10 (No.3);166-167
Feasibility, safety and benefit of no drip after cholecystectomy: a prespective observational study
Authors: Shah JN , Maharjan SB , Shah S , Manadhar K , Shrestha S , Shrestha A , Piya R , Basnet NB
Published: December 2012

Background: traditionally intravenous fluid is continued after cholecystectomy till resumption of oral intake. This practice seems unnecessary given the fast recovery following uncomplicated cholecystectomy. Objective: To observe feasibility, safety and benefit of no drip after cholecystectomy. Methods: After ethical approval, one hundred cholecystectomy patients were prospectively enrolled in the study. Complicated gall stones were excluded. In consultation with anesthetists, intravenous fluid was calculated based on body weight, maintenance etc. and infused till completion of surgery. Drip was discontinued. Patients were shifted out of operation room with IV lock. Nurses, family members and patients were detailed about this change in practice. Patients were monitored as per our existing standard practice. Anesthetists compulsorily signed out patients to the ward. After 4 hours of surgery patients were encouraged to start oral fluid. Data on fluid requirement, post operative complications and satisfaction of patients were analyzed. Results: One hundred cholecystectomy patients were studied. Average age was 39.8 years, weight 57 kg. Female were 85. Elective cases were 86 and acute 14. Average surgery time was 66 minutes and fluid required was 1313 ml. Open cholecystectomy was 71, laparoscopic 28 and 1-conversion. One laparoscopic patient was reopened due to bleeding. Four patients required drip, 2 for low blood pressure, 1 for vomiting and 1 for low oral intake. There was no mortality in this series. All concerned welcomed this change in practice. Conclusion: discontinuing intravenous drip after uncomplicated cholecystectomy is safe, and well accepted by all concerned. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/hren.v10i3.7133 Health Renaissance; September-December 2012; Vol 10 (No.3);187-191
Future doctors of Nepal: a study of the attributes
Authors: Shakya DR , Maskey R
Published: December 2012

Background: Despite increasing number of medical schools, there is a limited data about medical students from Nepal. Information about their characteristics and profile will help devise necessary policies and strategies. Objective: To study social, demographic, economic, geographic, educational and psychological attributes of MBBS students. Methodology: From the list of MBBS students of all years/semesters of BPKIHS (2009), every 5th students were enrolled to include 20% of all. After informed written consent, relevant information was collected from the subject by direct interview and recorded in a priory-prepared semi-structured proforma. The investigator MD-psychiatrist clinically assessed their personality traits. Results: A total of 104 MBBS students were enrolled. Majority were male (76, 69%) and single (102, 98%). Average age was 23 years. Most (79, 76%) came from nuclear family, with family’s better education and employment status. Only fewer (18, 17%) were from rural set-ups. Average distance from the institute was 17 hours of road travel. Though many had local supports of relatives and friends, some expressed lack of support. A variety of creative and extracurricular activities were reported. Besides major clinical subjects, other specialties are also the choice for many future Nepali doctors. Among the personality clusters, many had anxious and anancastic (OC) traits. Conclusion: Majority of MBBS students are male, from urban areas, nuclear family with good economic and educational background. They have a range of recreational extracurricular activities and specialties for future career. Many reported anxious and anancastic traits. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/hren.v10i3.7134 Health Renaissance; September-December 2012; Vol 10 (No.3);192-197
Making the best use of all resources: developing a health promotion intervention in rural Nepal
Authors: V Teijlingen E , Simkhada P , Stephens J , Simkhada B , Rogers SW , Sharma S
Published: December 2012

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/hren.v10i3.7141 Health Renaissance; September-December 2012; Vol 10 (No.3);229-235
Waiting to Know the Future: A SLEUTH Model Forecast of Urban Growth with Real Data
Authors: Manca Germana , Clarke Keith C.
Published: December 2012

What is the true value of simulation modelling to urban growth? This article assesses the validity of an integrated approach, based on the SLEUTH Model and land-use planning theory, as used to create an eight-year forecast in 1998. With actual data on the extent of urbanization in 2006 now available, the authors find that the 1998 forecasts were accurate. The case study is located in Macomer, an inland municipality of Sardinia, Italy, an island in the central Mediterranean Sea. Noting that data collection is an essential first step of planning, the authors assess Macomer's land-use history, geography, economy, and demographics as context for more integrated and holistic planning than has been undertaken in the region to date. The 1998 calibration and prediction of the Urban Growth Model, a component of SLEUTH, simulated Macomer's urban growth for the following eight years and has been reviewed and statistically validated. With detailed geographical results, the authors confirm that the 1998 simulation closely reflects real urban growth as of 2006. This finding is particularly notable because urban growth in Sardinia has been slow, and a higher level of accuracy in urban planning is necessary to achieve stronger predictive capability.
Potential of Waste Water Use for Jatropha Cultivation in Arid Environments
Authors: Rajaona Arisoa , Sutterer Nele , Asch Folkard
Published: December 2012

Water is crucial for socio-economic development and healthy ecosystems. With the actual population growth and in view of future water scarcity, development calls for improved sectorial allocation of groundwater and surface water for domestic, agricultural and industrial use. Instead of intensifying the pressure on water resources, leading to conflicts among users and excessive pressure on the environment, sewage effluents, after pre-treatment, provide an alternative nutrient-rich water source for agriculture in the vicinity of cities. Water scarcity often occurs in arid and semiarid regions affected by droughts and large climate variability and where the choice of crop to be grown is limited by the environmental factors. Jatropha has been introduced as a potential renewable energy resource since it is claimed to be drought resistant and can be grown on marginal sites. Sewage effluents provide a source for water and nutrients for cultivating jatropha, a combined plant production/effluent treatment system. Nevertheless, use of sewage effluents for irrigation in arid climates carries the risk of salinization. Thus, potential irrigation with sewage effluents needs to consider both the water requirement of the crop and those needed for controlling salinity build-up in the top soil. Using data from a case study in Southern Morocco, irrigation requirements were calculated using CROPWAT 8.0. We present here crop evapotranspiration during the growing period, required irrigation, the resulting nutrient input and the related risk of salinization from the irrigation of jatropha with sewage effluent.
Historical Consumption of Heating Natural Gas and Thermal Monitoring of a Multifamily High-Rise Building in a Temperate/Cold Climate in Argentina
Authors: Filippín Celina , Larsen Silvana
Published: December 2012

This paper analyzes the historical consumption of natural gas in a multifamily high-rise building and the monitored winter thermal behavior of an apartment sample. The building is located in the center of Argentina (latitude: 36º27’S; longitude: 64º27’W), where the climate is a cold temperate with an absolute minimum temperature that may reach −10 °C. The building has two blocks, North and South. The building’s annual gas consumption and its variability between 1996 and 2008 are shown. The South block consumed 78% more gas, a situation expected due to lower solar resource availability and greater vulnerability regarding strong and cold SW winds. Indoor temperatures monitored during 2009 in four apartments are described. The outdoor minimum temperature reached −5 °C, with solar irradiance around 500 W/m2 at midday. Results showed that the average indoor temperatures were 20.1, 20.6, 24.0 and 22.1 °C. The highest consumption value corresponded to the apartment exposed to SW cold winds. Compared to the rest of the building, the apartment on the top floor consumes 59% more energy than the average for the gas consumed throughout the year. The authors assume that the energy potentials of intervention are different, and not necessarily all the apartments should have the same technological response.