bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
La crise de foie : une affection française ?
Authors: Pouchelle Marie-Christine
Published: November 2010

La persistance des représentations humorales où le foie joue un rôle dominant ne suffit pas à expliquer la fortune de la crise de foie chez les Français et surtout les Françaises. Construit au xixe siècle par la médecine, le syndrome connut son âge d’or des années 1920 aux années 1950. Depuis, progressivement abandonné par nos médecins, il continue d’appartenir aux savoirs communs, de donner forme à un certain nombre de malaises et de susciter l’ironie des Anglo-Saxons. La crise de foie appartient à une vaste nébuleuse de représentations et de comportements pas seulement médicaux, où s’entrecroisent les registres alimentaires, émotionnels, religieux, sexuels, vestimentaires, climatiques, coloniaux, nationaux, ainsi que ceux du pouvoir et de l’émancipation féminine.
Une pointe ou deux ?
Authors: Dias Nélia
Published: November 2010

Destiné à mesurer le degré de finesse de la sensation sur les différentes parties du corps, le compas de Weber était largement utilisé dans les recherches médicales et physiologiques avant d’être détourné aux fins de l’anthropologie. Pour quelles raisons les anthropologues de la seconde moitié du xixe siècle ont-ils entrepris de mesurer, à l’aide du compas, la discrimination tactile et de déterminer quantitativement les rapports entre le stimulus et la sensation ? Cet article examine les recherches expérimentales portant sur la sensibilité tactile des peuples non occidentaux menées par Hyades dans le cadre de la mission scientifique du cap Horn et par McDougall lors de la Cambridge Anthropological Expedition au détroit de Torres. Il cherche à éclairer pourquoi les variations de l’expérience sensorielle ont constitué, à un moment précis de l’histoire de l’anthropologie, un problème théorique.
Le Diable chez les Grecs à l’époque contemporaine : cosmologie ou rhétorique ?*
Authors: Stewart Charles
Published: November 2010

Si le Diable est bel et bien un personnage du christianisme orthodoxe, l’attitude populaire envers Satan, en Grèce, ne saurait se résumer à une simple « croyance ». Certaines personnes instrumentalisent l’idée du Diable pour duper leurs co-villageois ; d’autres sont sceptiques à son sujet ; beaucoup s’attachent à évaluer les histoires dans lesquelles le Diable figure pour savoir ce qui pourrait s’y cacher ; et presque tout le monde a un usage métaphorique du Diable dans le langage de tous les jours – en premier lieu pour jurer. Reprenant un mot proposé par Roland Barthes, le Diable en Grèce peut ainsi être considéré comme une « amphibologie », c’est-à-dire tout à la fois un personnage sérieux de la cosmologie et un simple élément rhétorique. Cette tension créative, ainsi que l’incertitude qu’elle engendre, font du Diable une forme culturelle essentielle dans la Grèce d’aujourd’hui.
Le Diable en son royaume
Authors: Bouysse-Cassagne Thérèse
Published: November 2010

Dans les Andes, le Diable fut l’un des principaux acteurs d’une évangélisation qui postulait a priori la convergence des cultes indiens idolâtres et des intentions démoniaques. L’invasion des images du Diable ouvrait un champ nouveau à un imaginaire andin plus perméable aux formes et aux êtres fantastiques des peintures qu’il ne l’était au dogme. Ces images réinterprétées perdurent jusqu’à aujourd’hui chez les mineurs dont les rites initiatiques sont de véritables pactes avec le Diable.
Construire l’esprit du dauphin
Authors: Servais Véronique
Published: November 2010

Est comparée ici la manière dont l’« esprit » du dauphin est construit dans six contextes interactionnels distingués par le degré de participation (au sens ethnographique du terme) qu’ils impliquent de la part des êtres humains, et éventuellement des dauphins : l’étude du cerveau, l’étude des capacités sensorielles, les recherches sur la cognition, l’observation naturaliste, le discours des delphinariums et la rencontre en pleine mer. En vertu de ces comparaisons, il est avancé que l’attribution d’un « esprit » au dauphin dépend étroitement du degré de parenté reconnu entre les hommes et les animaux, et que celui-ci est lui-même fonction de la capacité des humains à se laisser « affecter » par les animaux.
Les enfants et la pensée animale
Authors: Solomon Gregg , Zaitchik Deborah
Published: November 2010

La majeure partie de ce que les enfants pensent de la pensée animale est un reflet de leurs théories intuitives et de leurs capacités de raisonnement précoces. Même les très jeunes enfants peuvent raisonner en termes de psychologie naïve. De plus, il est avancé que les enfants ont la possibilité de penser les humains – les prototypes mêmes des êtres qui pensent et se comportent – comme une entité unique. Il a été également prouvé  que les enfants, à l’instar des adultes, raisonnent au sujet des espèces naturelles comme possédant des « essences » uniques qui font d’elles ce qu’elles sont, avec leurs caractéristiques propres. Même après que les enfants ont construit une théorie biologique naïve et en sont venus à considérer les humains comme une espèce animale parmi d’autres, ils ne perdent jamais entièrement ce sens intuitif naïf précoce selon lequel les humains forment une espèce ontologique à part, dotée d’une pensée supérieure, vue comme un caractère essentiel de leur « humanité » . Ils sont, par conséquent, réticents à attribuer de tels traits essentiellement humains – comme la capacité de faire semblant ou d’imaginer – à d’autres animaux.
Ultra-Low-Dose Naloxone or Naltrexone to Improve Opioid Analgesia: The History, the Mystery and a Novel Approach
Authors: Burns Lindsay H. , Wang Hoau-Yan
Published: November 2010

Combining opioid agonists with ultra-low (typically pg-ng/kg) doses of the opioid antagonists naloxone or naltrexone can enhance analgesic efficacy and decrease certain side effects. Such combinations have also been shown to decrease tolerance, dependence and addictive potential in animals. We now know that ultra-low-dose naloxone/naltrexone effects occur by preventing a G protein coupling switch (Gi/o to Gs) of the mu opioid receptor (MOR) that occurs briefly after acute administration or persistently after chronic administration of opioids. The picomolar binding site for naloxone or naltrexone in these effects is on the scaffolding protein filamin A (FLNA), rather than on opioid receptors. Interestingly, a second, nanomolar binding site on FLNA may disrupt the benefits of binding the picomolar site, perhaps explaining why ultra-low-dose naloxone/naltrexone effects vanish at just slightly higher doses. A novel analgesic drug candidate aims to avoid this issue by binding only the high-affinity FLNA site, while simultaneously activating MOR. Binding this single site on FLNA also provides anti-inflammatory activity.
Mobilization and transport of coarse woody debris to the oceans triggered by an extreme tropical storm
Authors: West A. J. , Lin C.-W. , Lin T.-C. , Hilton R. G. , Liu S.-H. , Chang C.-T. , Lin K.-C. , Galy A. , Sparkes R. B. , Hovius N.
Published: November 2010

A significant consequence of Typhoon Morakot in August 2009 was the production of vast volumes of driftwood in Pacific Asia. We have quantified the flux of this coarse woody debris (CWD) to the oceans from typhoon‐triggered landslides in Taiwan, where Morakot made landfall, by combining remote sensing (using FORMOSAT‐2 imagery and aerial photography), analysis of forest biomass, and field observations. A total of 3.8–8.4 Tg CWD was transported to the oceans, carrying 1.8–4.0 Tg of organic carbon. In addition to the local effects on the marine and coastal environment from such a highly concentrated flux of carbon and nutrients, storm‐driven mobilization of CWD may represent a significant, if infrequent, transfer of terrestrial biomass to the oceans. If the frequency of relatively rare, extreme storms such as Morakot increases in a changing climate, this transport mechanism may play an important role in feedbacks between global climate, storm intensity, and carbon cycling.
Feedback between dust particles and atmospheric processes over West Africa during dust episodes in March 2006 and June 2007
Authors: Stanelle T. , Vogel B. , Vogel H. , Bäumer D. , Kottmeier C.
Published: November 2010

Abstract. We used the comprehensive model system COSMO-ART to quantify the impact of mineral dust on the radiative fluxes, the temperature and the feedback between dust particles and their emissions. We simulated two dust storms over West Africa in March 2006 and in June 2007. Simulations with and without coupling of the actual dust concentration with the radiative fluxes and the thermodynamics were carried out for each case. The model results for the 2006 case were compared with observations of the AMMA campaign. At the surface the shortwave radiative effect of mineral dust can be described by a linear relation between the changes in net surface radiation and the aerosol optical depth (AOD). For an AOD at 450 nm of 1 the average shortwave radiation reduction amounts −140 W m−2 during noon. The longwave radiative effect of mineral dust is nonlinear, with an average increase of +70 W m−2 for an AOD (450 nm) of 1. At the top of the atmosphere the effect of the dust layer with an AOD of 1 on radiative fluxes is not as significant as at the surface. It is slightly positive for the shortwave and approximately 26 W m−2 for the longwave radiation. The height range and the extension of the dust layer determine the effect of dust particles on the 2 m temperature. When the dust layer is attached to the surface and lasts for several days it leads to an increase of the surface temperature even during daytime. In case of an elevated dust layer there is a decrease in 2 m temperature of up to 4 K during noon. It is shown, that the temperature changes caused by mineral dust may result in horizontal temperature gradients which also modify near surface winds. Since surface wind thresholds decide the uptake of dust from the surface, a feedback on total emission fluxes is established. The coupled model provides an increase in the total emission fluxes of dust particles by about 16% during the dust storm in March 2006 and 25% during the dust episode in June 2007.
Context-awareness for heterogeneous access management
Authors: Mannweiler C. , Klein A. , Schneider J. , Schotten H. D.
Published: November 2010

Abstract. The increasing availability of both static and dynamic context information has steadily been driving the development of context-aware communication systems. Adapting system behavior according to current context of the network, the user, and the terminal can yield significant end-to-end performance improvements. In this paper, we present a concept for how to use context information, in particular location information and movement prediction, for Heterogeneous Access Management (HAM). In a first step, we outline the functional architecture of a distributed and extensible context management system (CMS) that defines the roles, tasks, and interfaces of all modules within such a system for large-scale context acquisition and dissemination. In a second step, we depict how the available context information can be exploited for optimizing terminal handover decisions to be made in a multi-RAT (radio access technology) environment. In addition, the utilized method for predicting terminal location as well as the objective functions used for evaluating and comparing system performance are described. Finally, we present preliminary simulation results demonstrating that HAM systems that include current and future terminal context information in the handover decision process clearly outperform conventional systems.
Internal solitary waves: propagation, deformation and disintegration
Authors: Grimshaw R. , Pelinovsky E. , Talipova T. , Kurkina O.
Published: November 2010

Abstract. In coastal seas and straits, the interaction of barotropic tidal currents with the continental shelf, seamounts or sills is often observed to generate large-amplitude, horizontally propagating internal solitary waves. Typically these waves occur in regions of variable bottom topography, with the consequence that they are often modeled by nonlinear evolution equations of the Korteweg-de Vries type with variable coefficients. We shall review how these models are used to describe the propagation, deformation and disintegration of internal solitary waves as they propagate over the continental shelf and slope.
Evaluation of Compliance with the EGS Guidelines in Spain, Using Achievable Benchmarks of Care (ABC®) methodology: The IMCA Study
Authors: Castejón-Cervero Miguel A. , Jiménez-Parras Rafael , Fernandez-Arias Isabel , Teus-Guezala Miguel A. ,   IMCA Study Group
Published: November 2010

Purpose

TO evaluate compliance with diagnostic and therapeutic recommendations of the European Glaucoma Society (EGS) for the management of glaucoma in Spain, as determined using the Achievable Benchmarks of Care approach.

Methods

A panel of 3 experts extracted quality and process-of-care indicators from the EGS guidelines. Investigators from all over the country, representative of Spanish ophthalmologists, were invited to participate in the study, completing a questionnaire on quality indicators (pertaining to the center) and process-of-care indicators (pertaining to all patients) for the first, diagnostic visit (retrospective) and the study visit.

Results

A total of 495 Spanish ophthalmologists included 5,060 patients with glaucoma or intraocular hypertension. The treatment was initiated with monotherapy in 88.5% of the patients. Overall, the percentage compliance with diagnostic examinations was 84.6% for intraocular pressure measurement, 96.3% for optic nerve head evaluation, 76.6% for visual field evaluation, 29.5% for central corneal thickness evaluation, and 49.3% at the study visit. The benchmark performance was close to 100% for most examinations. Only 32.8% of the centres had a written protocol for the management of the patients with glaucoma, and in these centers the recommendations of the EGS were followed in a higher proportion (p<0.0001) than in the rest.

Conclusions

The use of local protocols for the management of glaucoma seems to enhance compliance. Benchmark performance was close to 100% in most indicators, suggesting that EGS recommendations are attainable in Spain. The overall performance suggests that certain diagnostic procedures are, in practice, not as widely used as recommended.
General Pathophysiology of Macular Edema
Authors: Scholl Stefan , Augustin Albert , Loewenstein Anat , Rizzo Stanislao , Kuppermann Baruch D.
Published: November 2010

Macular edema represents a common final pathway for many ocular diseases. Related ocular disorders include diabetic retinopathy, vascular occlusions, postsurgical situations, and uveitic diseases. The key pathophysiologic process is a breakdown of the blood-retinal barrier, normally preventing water movement in the retina, thus allowing fluid to accumulate in the retinal tissue via special water fluxes. Inflammatory processes and an increase in vascular permeability play a central role. Different mechanisms, complicated by ischemic conditions, interact in a complex network. Key factors are angiotensin II, prostaglandins, and the vascular endothelial growth factor. The various pathogenetic mechanisms and their contribution to the edema process are described in detail in this article.
Statistical confidence measures for genome maps: application to the validation of genome assemblies
Authors: Servin Bertrand , de Givry Simon , Faraut Thomas
Published: November 2010

Motivation: Genome maps are imperative to address the genetic basis of the biology of an organism. While a growing number of genomes are being sequenced providing the ultimate genome maps—this being done at an even faster pace now using new generation sequencers—the process of constructing intermediate maps to build and validate a genome assembly remains an important component for producing complete genome sequences. However, current mapping approach lack statistical confidence measures necessary to identify precisely relevant inconsistencies between a genome map and an assembly.

Results: We propose new methods to derive statistical measures of confidence on genome maps using a comparative model for radiation hybrid data. We describe algorithms allowing to (i) sample from a distribution of maps and (ii) exploit this distribution to construct robust maps. We provide an example of application of these methods on a dog dataset that demonstrates the interest of our approach.

Availability: Methods are implemented in two freely available softwares: Carthagene (http://www.inra.fr/mia/T/CarthaGene/) and a companion software (metamap, available at: http://snp.toulouse.inra.fr/~servin/index.cgi/Metamap)

Contact:  Bertrand.Servin@toulouse.inra.fr

Supplementary information:  Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Automated construction and testing of multi-locus gene–gene associations
Authors: Abo Ryan , Knight Stacey , Thomas Alun , Camp Nicola J.
Published: November 2010

Summary: It has been argued that the missing heritability in common diseases may be in part due to rare variants and gene–gene effects. Haplotype analyses provide more power for rare variants and joint analyses across genes can address multi-gene effects. Currently, methods are lacking to perform joint multi-locus association analyses across more than one gene/region. Here, we present a haplotype-mining gene–gene analysis method, which considers multi-locus data for two genes/regions simultaneously. This approach extends our single region haplotype-mining algorithm, hapConstructor, to two genes/regions. It allows construction of multi-locus SNP sets at both genes and tests joint gene–gene effects and interactions between single variants or haplotype combinations. A Monte Carlo framework is used to provide statistical significance assessment of the joint and interaction statistics, thus the method can also be used with related individuals. This tool provides a flexible data-mining approach to identifying gene–gene effects that otherwise is currently unavailable.

Availability:  http://bioinformatics.med.utah.edu/Genie/hapConstructor.html

Contact:  ryan.abo@hsc.utah.edu
PLEXY: efficient target prediction for box C/D snoRNAs
Authors: Kehr Stephanie , Bartschat Sebastian , Stadler Peter F. , Tafer Hakim
Published: November 2010

Motivation: Small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs) are an abundant class of non-coding RNAs with a wide variety of cellular functions including chemical modification of RNA, telomere maintanance, pre-rRNA processing and regulatory activities in alternative splicing. The main role of box C/D snoRNAs is to determine the targets for 2′-O-ribose methylation, which is important for rRNA maturation and splicing regulation of some mRNAs. The targets are still unknown, however, for many ‘orphan’ snoRNAs. While a fast and efficient target predictor for box H/ACA snoRNAs is available, no comparable tool exists for box C/D snoRNAs, even though they bind to their targets in a much less complex manner.

Results:  PLEXY is a dynamic programming algorithm that computes thermodynamically optimal interactions of a box C/D snoRNA with a putative target RNA. Implemented as scanner for large input sequences and equipped with filters on the duplex structure, PLEXY is an efficient and reliable tool for the prediction of box C/D snoRNA target sites.

Availability: The perl script PLEXY is freely available at http://www.bioinf.uni-leipzig.de/Software/PLEXY.

Contact:  steffi@bioinf.uni-leipzig.de

Supplementary Information:  Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Monthly Incidence Rates of Abusive Encounters for Canadian Family Physicians by Patients and Their Families
Authors: Miedema Baukje (Bo) , Hamilton Ryan , Tatemichi Sue , Lambert-Lanning Anita , Lemire Francine , Manca Donna , Ramsden Vivian R.
Published: November 2010

Objective. The goal of this study was to examine the monthly incidence rates of abusive encounters for family physicians in Canada.
Methods. A 7-page cross-sectional survey.
Results. Of the entire study sample (N=720), 29% of the physicians reported having experienced an abusive event in the last month by a patient or patient family member. Abusive incidents were classified as minor, major, or severe. Of the physician participants who reported having been abused, all reported having experienced a minor event, 26% a major, and 8% a severe event. Of the physicians who experienced an abusive event, 55% were not aware of any policies to protect them, 76% did not seek help, and 64% did not report the abusive event.
Conclusion. Family physicians are subjected to significant amounts of abuse in their day-to-day practices. Few physicians are aware of workplace policies that could protect them, and fewer report abusive encounters. Physicians would benefit from increased awareness of institutional policies that can protect them against abusive patients and their families and from the development of a national policy.
Similarity Patterns and Stability of Environmental Response in Sunflower Hybrids
Authors: Alba V. , Polignano G. B. , Montemurro C. , Sabetta W. , Bisignano V. , Turi M. , Ravaglia S. , Troccoli A. , Colecchia S. A. , Alba E. , Blanco A.
Published: November 2010

The rationale for the following research was to analyse the response of sunflower hybrids to different sowing dates and to evaluate hybrid response to critical environmental conditions. The data used are from an experiment conducted in a location-year combination over a period of two years (2007–09) in southern Italy. Eleven hybrids were tested following a randomized complete block design with three replications at each location-year combination. Eight agronomic characters including seed oil content were recorded. Classification and ordination procedures were used to investigate hybrid performance in relation to three different sowing dates. Combined analysis of variance showed that hybrids, location-year combination, sowing date and their interactions were highly significant for all characters. Hybrid performances were classified by cluster analysis into groups that were differentiable in terms of means and stability. The first three components accounted for 74%, 82%, and 87% of the total variation for the first, second and third sowing date respectively. Plotting component one against component two along Euclidean axes should therefore provide a reasonable representation of the spatial arrangements of hybrid performances in the original multi-dimensional space. The applied statistical method gives full information on hybrid performances similarity.
Profile of a Serial Killer: Cellular and Molecular Approaches to Study Individual Cytotoxic T‐Cells following Therapeutic Vaccination
Authors: Iancu Emanuela M. , Baumgaertner Petra , Wieckowski Sébastien , Speiser Daniel E. , Rufer Nathalie
Published: November 2010

T‐cell vaccination may prevent or treat cancer and infectious diseases, but further progress is required to increase clinical efficacy. Step‐by‐step improvements of T‐cell vaccination in phase I/II clinical studies combined with very detailed analysis of T‐cell responses at the single cell level are the strategy of choice for the identification of the most promising vaccine candidates for testing in subsequent large‐scale phase III clinical trials. Major aims are to fully identify the most efficient T‐cells in anticancer therapy, to characterize their TCRs, and to pinpoint the mechanisms of T‐cell recruitment and function in well‐defined clinical situations. Here we discuss novel strategies for the assessment of human T‐cell responses, revealing in part unprecedented insight into T‐cell biology and novel structural principles that govern TCR‐pMHC recognition. Together, the described approaches advance our knowledge of T‐cell mediated‐protection from human diseases.
Radial Pressure Pulse and Heart Rate Variability in Heat‐ and Cold‐Stressed Humans
Authors: Huang Chin-Ming , Chang Hsien-Cheh , Kao Shung-Te , Li Tsai-Chung , Wei Ching-Chuan , Chen Chiachung , Liao Yin-Tzu , Chen Fun-Jou
Published: November 2010

This study aims to explore the effects of heat and cold stress on the radial pressure pulse (RPP) and heart rate variability (HRV). The subjects immersed their left hand into 45°C and 7°C water for 2 minutes. Sixty healthy subjects (age 25 ± 4 yr; 29 men and 31 women) were enrolled in this study. All subjects underwent the supine temperature measurements of the bilateral forearms, brachial arterial blood pressure, HRV and RPP with a pulse analyzer in normothermic conditions, and thermal stresses. The power spectral low‐frequency (LF) and high‐frequency (HF) components of HRV decreased in the heat test and increased in the cold test. The heat stress significantly reduced radial augmentation index (AIr) (P < .05), but the cold stress significantly increased AIr (P < .01). The spectral energy of RPP did not show any statistical difference in 0 ~ 10 Hz region under both conditions, but in the region of 10 ~ 50 Hz, there was a significant increase (P < .01) in the heat test and a significant decrease in the cold test (P < .01). The changes in AIr induced by heat and cold stress were significantly negatively correlated with the spectral energy in the region of 10 ~ 50 Hz (SE10−50 Hz) but not in the region of 0 ~ 10 Hz (SE0−10 Hz). The results demonstrated that the SE10−50 Hz, which only possessed a small percentage in total pulse energy, presented more physiological characteristics than the SE0−10 Hz under the thermal stresses.
Antiarrhythmics After Ablation of Atrial Fibrillation (5A Study)
Authors: Leong-Sit Peter , Roux Jean-Francois , Zado Erica , Callans David J. , Garcia Fermin , Lin David , Marchlinski Francis E. , Bala Rupa , Dixit Sanjay , Riley Michael , Hutchinson Mathew D. , Cooper Joshua , Russo Andrea M. , Verdino Ralph , Gerstenfeld Edward P.
Published: November 2010

Background—

We previously demonstrated that treatment with antiarrhythmic drugs (AADs) during the first 6 weeks after atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation reduces the incidence of clinically significant atrial arrhythmias and need for cardioversion or hospitalization for arrhythmia management. Whether early rhythm suppression decreases longer-term arrhythmia recurrence is unknown. We now report the 6-month follow-up data from this study.

Methods and Results—

The Antiarrhythmics After Ablation of Atrial Fibrillation study prospectively randomized patients with paroxysmal AF undergoing ablation to either receive (AAD group) or not receive (no-AAD group) AAD treatment for the first 6 weeks after ablation; all patients received atrioventricular nodal blockers. Physicians were encouraged to stop the AADs after the 6-week treatment period. All patients underwent 4 weeks of transtelephonic monitoring to document asymptomatic AF and an evaluation at 6 weeks and 6 months. A total of 110 patients (71% men) aged 55±9 years were randomized, with 53 to AAD and 57 to no AAD. At 6 months, there was no difference in freedom from AF between the early AAD and no-AAD groups (38/53 [72%] versus 39/57 [68%];
P
=0.84). Lack of early AF recurrence during the initial 6-week period was the only independent predictor of 6-month freedom from AF (64/76 [84%] without early recurrence versus 13/34 [38%] with early recurrence;
P
=0.0001).

Conclusions—

Although short-term use of AADs after AF ablation decreases early recurrence of atrial arrhythmias, early use of AADs does not prevent arrhythmia recurrence at 6 months. Early AF recurrence on or off AADs during the initial 6-week blanking period is a strong independent predictor of long-term AF recurrence.

Clinical Trial Registration—

URL:
http://www.clinicaltrials.gov
. Unique identifier: NCT00408200.
Incidence, Determinants, and Prognostic Implications of True Pleomorphism of Ventricular Tachycardia in Patients With Implantable Cardioverter-Defribillators
Authors: Hadid Claudio , Almendral Jesus , Ortiz Mercedes , Schwab Joerg Otto , Janko Sabine , Mischke Karl , Arribas Fernando , Wolpert Christian , Ricci Renato , Adragao Pedro , Cobo Erik , Navarro Xavier , Quesada Aurelio
Published: November 2010

Background—

The occurrence of monomorphic ventricular tachycardia (M-VT) with >1 QRS morphology during the same episode (pleomorphism [PL]) or in different episodes (multiple morphologies [MM]) has been described through ECG. Implantable cardioverter-defribillator (ICD) electrograms (EGs) provide the opportunity to analyze virtually all spontaneous M-VT episodes. We sought to study the incidence, determinants, and prognostic significance of PL and MM as assessed by ICD-EG in a prospective series of patients with ICDs.

Methods and Results—

Spontaneous episodes of M-VT were analyzed before ICD intervention. PL was defined as >1 ICD-EG morphology, each having ≥6 consecutive identical beats during the same VT episode, and MM as >1 ICD-EG morphology in different M-VT episodes in the same patient. We analyzed 1881 M-VT episodes from 315 patients followed for 17 months. PL and MM occurred in 6% and 19%, respectively, of the total population (16% and 62% of patients with M-VT). Recurrent M-VT as diagnosis for ICD indication predicted PL and MM. Patients with PL more frequently developed MM (85% versus 15%;
P
<0.001) compared to patients without PL. Total mortality (5%) was significantly higher in patients with PL (20%), in patients with MM (11.5%), and in women (12%). In multivariate analysis, only PL (odds ratio, 5.33;
P
=0.009) and female sex (odds ratio, 3.1;
P
=0.038) predicted mortality.

Conclusions—

In a prospective series of patients with ICDs, mostly indicated for secondary prevention, both PL and MM of VT, as judged by ICD-EG, were not uncommon and were strongly associated. Female sex and the development of PL VT were the only independent predictors of mortality.
Association of Chronic Kidney Disease With Atrial Fibrillation Among Adults in the United States
Authors: Baber Usman , Howard Virginia J. , Halperin Jonathan L. , Soliman Elsayed Z. , Zhang Xiao , McClellan William , Warnock David G. , Muntner Paul
Published: November 2010

Background—

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is common among patients with end-stage renal disease, but few data are available on its prevalence among adults with chronic kidney disease (CKD) of lesser severity.

Methods and Results—

We evaluated the association of CKD with ECG-detected AF among 26 917 participants in the REasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study, a population-based cohort of African-American and white US adults ≥45 years of age. Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was calculated using the abbreviated Modification of Diet in Renal Disease study equation and albuminuria was defined as a urinary albumin to creatinine ratio ≥30 mg/g. Participants were categorized by renal function: no CKD (eGFR ≥60 mL/min/1.73 m
2
without albuminuria, n=21 081), stage 1 to 2 CKD (eGFR ≥60 mL/min/1.73 m
2
with albuminuria n=2938), stage 3 CKD (eGFR 30 to 59 mL/min/1.73 m
2
, n=2683) and stage 4 to 5 CKD (eGFR <30 mL/min/1.73 m
2
, n=215). The prevalence of AF among participants without CKD, and with stage 1 to 2, stage 3, and stage 4 to 5 CKD was 1.0%, 2.8%, 2.7% and 4.2%, respectively. Compared with participants without CKD, the age-, race-, and sex-adjusted odds ratios for prevalent AF were 2.67 (95% confidence interval, 2.04 to 3.48), 1.68 (95% confidence interval, 1.26 to 2.24) and 3.52 (95% confidence interval, 1.73 to 7.15) among those with stage 1 to 2, stage 3, and stage 4 to 5 CKD. The association between CKD and prevalent AF remained statistically significant after further multivariable adjustment and was consistent across numerous subgroups.

Conclusions—

Regardless of severity, CKD is associated with an increased prevalence of AF among US adults.
When the Department of Defense Writes the Rules: A History of Changes to Policy Instructions Governing the Stars and Stripes Newspaper
Authors: Elmore Cindy
Published: November 2010

This study examines the original language and revisions to two Department of Defense policies governing the Stars and Stripes, a unique American newspaper serving overseas military members and families. At times, some of those changes have increased Pentagon oversight and stripped freedoms from the journalists or the newspaper, which is intended to provide reliable news and original reporting to the troops. Despite the newspaper’s journalistic successes, the review finds that regular independent oversight is needed to protect the editorial freedoms of the newspaper.
A Brief Culturally Tailored Intervention for Puerto Ricans With Type 2 Diabetes
Authors: Osborn Chandra Y. , Amico K.R. , Cruz Noemi , O'Connell Ann A. , Perez-Escamilla Rafael , Kalichman Seth C. , Wolf Scott A. , Fisher Jeffrey D.
Published: November 2010

The information—motivation—behavioral skills (IMB) model of health behavior change informed the design of a brief, culturally tailored diabetes self-care intervention for Puerto Ricans with type 2 diabetes. Participants ( n = 118) were recruited from an outpatient, primary care clinic at an urban hospital in the northeast United States. ANCOVA models evaluated intervention effects on food label reading, diet adherence, physical activity, and glycemic control (HbA1c). At follow-up, the intervention group was reading food labels and adhering to diet recommendations significantly more than the control group. Although the mean HbA1c values decreased in both groups (Intervention: 0.48% vs. Control: 0.27% absolute decrease), only the intervention group showed a significant improvement from baseline to follow-up ( p < .008), corroborating improvements in diabetes self-care behaviors. Findings support the use of the IMB model to culturally tailor diabetes interventions and to enhance patients’ knowledge, motivation, and behavior skills needed for self-care.
Developing Mutational Identity Theory: Evolution, Multiplicity, Embodiment, and Agency
Authors: Zingsheim Jason
Published: November 2010

This article extends poststructuralist theories of the self, expanding the discursive possibilities for (re)creating identities. Building on intersectionality, crystallized selves, and identity as assemblage, mutational identity theory works to increase the available discursive resources for conceptualizing identity as kinetic, diffuse, embodied, and contextual. Developed through a cultural analysis of contemporary mutants, mutational identity theory consists of a four-part framework— evolution, multiplicity, embodiment, and agency. Traversing multiple lines of flight and articulation, mutational identity faces the paradox of the self as generative and symptomatic of the radically contextual nature of existence within the (post) modern-day conjuncture.
An Autoethnography of a Hacceity: A-Wo/man-to-Eat-Androgen
Authors: Kaufmann Jodi
Published: November 2010

In poststructural autoethnography, there is a tension between a desire to write the self and a knowing that there is no stable self to write. A few have recently attempted to theoretically and empirically work through this tension (De Freitas & Paton; Gannon; Jackson & Mazzei; Phillips, Harris, Larson, & higgins; Reinertsen). In this article, I attempt to represent a nonsubjectified “self,” relying on the construct of hacceity (Deleuze & Guattari). Writing a hacceity is an ethical move. In consciously refusing to represent a humanist self, this project seeks to think, constitute, and represent “me” differently in order that “I” may come to live differently, for how I conceive myself directly functions in how I live in this world. Specifically, this autoethnography, wherein “auto” is understood as a desubjectified individuation, will represent hacceities of wo/man in assemblages of anabolic—androgenic steroids.
Black Kids’ (B.K.) Stories: Ta(l)king (About) Race Outside of the Classroom
Authors: Boylorn Robin M.
Published: November 2010

One approach to talking about race and racism in the classroom is to promote dialogic communication through open-ended dialogue and autoethnographic storytelling. In an effort to understand and consider how the lived experiences of race and racism are communicated and reflected on outside of the classroom, the author initiated a focus group with Black students from a race class to reflect about their experiences in the classroom. By following a pedagogical strategy of engaging students once classes are over, this article seeks to initiate and continue conversations about race and racism inside and outside of college classrooms.
Hypothesis: Soluble Aβ Oligomers in Association with Redox‐Active Metal Ions Are the Optimal Generators of Reactive Oxygen Species in Alzheimer′s Disease
Authors: Tabner Brian J. , Mayes Jennifer , Allsop David
Published: November 2010

Considerable evidence points to oxidative stress in the brain as an important event in the early stages of Alzheimer′s disease (AD). The transition metal ions of Cu, Fe, and Zn are all enriched in the amyloid cores of senile plaques in AD. Those of Cu and Fe are redox active and bind to Aβin vitro. When bound, they can facilitate the reduction of oxygen to hydrogen peroxide, and of the latter to the hydroxyl radical. This radical is very aggressive and can cause considerable oxidative damage. Recent research favours the involvement of small, soluble oligomers as the aggregating species responsible for Aβ neurotoxicity. We propose that the generation of reactive oxygen species (i.e., hydrogen peroxide and hydroxyl radicals) by these oligomers, in association with redox‐active metal ions, is a key molecular mechanism underlying the pathogenesis of AD and some other neurodegenerative disorders.
The passive transfer of immunoglobulin G serum antibodies from patients with longstanding Complex Regional Pain Syndrome
Authors: Goebell Andreas , Leitel Maria I. , Yangl Li , Deaconl Robert , Cendanl Cruz M. , Fox‐Lewisl Andrew , Vincentl Angela
Published: November 2010

Background: The aetiology of Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) is unknown. Recent evidence suggests that there may be autoantibodies directed against peripheral nerves, but it is unclear whether such autoantibodies are merely biomarkers or whether they cause or contribute to the underlying pathology. The transfer of disease after injection of a patient's serum or IgG fraction into mice (‘passive transfer’) is the classic way to demonstrate a functional role of autoantibodies.

Aims: Based on previous preliminary results, we wished to investigate whether the transfer of IgG antibodies affected mouse behaviour or produced signs of CRPS.

Methods: We injected purified serum‐IgG from 12 patients and 12 controls into groups of 6–10 mice (∼17 mg/mouse intraperitoneally) on 2 consecutive days and looked for any evidence for altered behaviour or signs of CRPS. The observer, blinded as to test or control group, measured behaviour in the open field, stimulus‐evoked pain and motor coordination, and inspected limbs for autonomic CRPS signs.

Results: Stimulus‐evoked pain and autonomic signs were not detected, but CRPS‐IgG induced significant depression of rearing behaviour (17.9 rears/3 min (n =84) vs. 22.1 rears/3 min (n =83), p =0.0004), confirming previous observations in a single case study. Moreover, motor impairment, one of the four cardinal signs of CRPS, was evident in the three CRPS‐IgG injected groups tested with a sensitive rota‐rod protocol (p <0.0001 vs. control‐IgG injected groups).

Conclusions: These results lend support to a pathophysiological role for IgG autoantibodies in CRPS.
Metabolomic changes in autopsy‐confirmed Alzheimer's disease
Authors: Kaddurah‐Daouk Rima , Rozen Steve , Matson Wayne , Han Xianlin , Hulette Christine M. , Burke James R. , Doraiswamy P. Murali , Welsh‐Bohmer Kathleen A.
Published: November 2010

Background

Metabolomics, the global science of biochemistry, provides powerful tools to map perturbations in the metabolic network and enables simultaneous quantification of several metabolites to identify metabolic perturbances that might provide insights into disease.

Methods

In this pilot study, we took a targeted electrochemistry‐based metabolomics approach where liquid chromatography followed by coulometric array detection enables quantification of over 30 metabolites within key neurotransmitter pathways (dopamine and serotonin) and pathways involved in oxidative stress.

Results

Using samples from postmortem ventricular cerebrospinal fluid (15 Alzheimer's disease [AD] and 15 nondemented subjects with autopsy‐confirmed diagnoses) and by using regression models, correlations, Wilcoxon rank‐sum tests, and t‐tests we identified alterations in tyrosine, tryptophan, purine, and tocopherol pathways in patients with AD. Reductions in norepinephrine and its related metabolites were also seen, consistent with previously published data.

Conclusions

These data support further investigation of metabolomics in larger samples of clinical AD as well as in those with preclinical disease for use as biomarkers.
Differential effects of chromatin regulators and transcription factors on gene regulation: a nucleosomal perspective
Authors: Dong Dong , Shao Xiaojian , Zhang Zhaolei
Published: November 2010

Motivation: Chromatin regulators (CR) and transcription factors (TF) are important trans-acting factors regulating transcription process, and many efforts have been devoted to understand their underlying mechanisms in gene regulation. However, the influences of CR and TF regulation effects on nucleosomes during transcription are still minimally understood, and it remains to be determined the extent to which CR and TF regulatory effect shape the organization of nucleosomes in the genome. In this article we attempted to address this problem and examine the patterns of CR and TF regulation effects from the nucleosome perspective.

Results: Our results show that the CR and TF regulatory effects exhibit different paradigms of transcriptional control in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We grouped yeast genes into two categories, ‘CR-sensitive’ genes and ‘TF-sensitive’ genes, based on how their expression profiles change upon deletion of CRs or TFs. We found that genes in these two groups have very different patterns of nucleosome organization. The promoters of CR-sensitive genes tend to have higher nucleosome occupancy, whereas the promoters of TF-sensitive genes are depleted of nucleosomes. Furthermore, the nucleosome profiles of CR-sensitive genes tend to show more dynamic characteristics than TF-sensitive genes. These results reveal that the nucleosome organizations of yeast genes have a strong impact on their mode of regulation, and there are differential regulation effects on nucleosomes between CRs and TFs.

Availability:  http://www.utoronto.ca/zhanglab/papers/bioinfo_2010/

Contact:  zhaolei.zhang@utoronto.ca

Supplementary information:  Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Hoeflea anabaenae sp. nov., an epiphytic symbiont that attaches to the heterocysts of a strain of Anabaena
Authors: Stevenson Bradley S. , Suflita Michael T. , Stamps Blake W. , Moore Edward R. B. , Johnson Crystal N. , Lawson Paul A.
Published: November 2010

The heterotrophic, epiphytic, symbiotic bacterial strain WH2KTwas previously isolated from a two-member culture in which it was attached to the heterocysts of a strain ofAnabaena(SSM-00). Analysis of its 16S rRNA gene sequence demonstrated that the symbiont was most closely related to the type strain ofHoeflea marina(96.9 % similarity), which belongs to the familyPhyllobacteriaceaewithin the orderRhizobialesof the classAlphaproteobacteria. A polyphasic taxonomic study was performed on strain WH2KT, which consisted of irregular rods (2–5 µm long, 0.2 µm wide) that appeared to be narrower at one pole. Optimal growth was obtained in complex media with 15 g sea salts l−1, at 18–34 °C (30 °C optimum) and at pH 6.0–8.0 (optimum pH 6.5). Unknown growth requirements were provided by small amounts of yeast extract but not by standard vitamin and trace metal solutions. Of the substrates tested, WH2KTwas able to utilize only acetate, pyruvate, malate and fumarate. Growth was observed only under aerobic and microaerobic conditions, and nitrate was not reduced. No photosynthetic pigments were detected under any of the growth conditions tested. The predominant fatty acids were a summed feature that comprises C18 : 1ω7c, C18 : 1ω9t, C18 : 1ω12tor any combination of these (64.0 %) and an unidentified fatty acid of equivalent chain length 17.603 (13.5 %). The polar lipid profile consisted of diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylmonomethylethanolamine, phosphatidylcholine, phosphoglycolipid, unknown lipids and an unidentified aminolipid. The only respiratory ubiquinone detected was Q-10. The DNA G+C content of the strain was 58.1 mol%. The organism can form a site-specific attached symbiotic relationship with a species ofAnabaena. Based on phylogenetic and phenotypic evidence, it is proposed that strain WH2KTbe classified within a novel species of the genusHoeflea, for which the nameHoeflea anabaenaesp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is WH2KT( = CCUG 56626T = NRRL B-59520T).
Electrochemical hydrogenation and corrosion studies of Ti‐48Al‐2Cr‐2Nb alloy in acidic solution
Authors: Arockiasamy Antonyraj , Eliezer Dan , Wang Paul T. , Horstemeyer M.F. , King Roger L.
Published: November 2010

Purpose

The aim of this paper is to investigate the effect of cathodic charging and corrosion behavior of Ti‐48Al‐2Cr‐2Nb alloy in hydrochloric acid solutions.

Design/methodology/approach

TiAl alloy specimens of thickness 0.5 mm were cathodically charged in 0.1 M HCl solution at room temperature. The prominent current densities selected for this investigation were 25 and 50 mA cm−2 for durations of 24‐120 h. The change in weight of the specimen after charging was measured by a microbalance with an accuracy of ±1 μg.

Findings

The nature of the specimen surfaces was characterized by X‐ray diffraction (XRD), auger electron spectroscopy (AES) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) equipped with energy dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy (EDS). XRD revealed the phase transformation from microcrystalline to nano‐crystalline, particularly after high charging times (120 h) and high current density (50 mA cm−2). AES and EDS further assessed the compositional fluctuations on both cathodically charged and potentiodynamically polarized specimens. Surface corrosion leading to the generation of microcracks throughout the surface region was observed by SEM. Cathodic charging and the polarization process were responsible for embrittlement and pitting. Decreases in both weight and Vickers hardness values with an increase in charging time revealed that surface erosion depended strongly upon charging density.

Originality/value

The results presented in this work shed light on the role of alloying elements the passive behavior and their implications on their stability in hydrochloric acid environments.
Breaking the barriers: the role of support companies in making open source a reality
Authors: Dimant Nick
Published: November 2010

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to look at how the library sector might benefit from open source, from the point of view of the current vendor/owner of Koha, an open source library management system.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is based on the author's experience in the library systems market.

Findings

The paper finds that increasing numbers of libraries are migrating from the major proprietary vendors to both Evergreen and Koha.

Originality/value

The vendor viewpoint supplies the value of this paper.