bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
On the Role of Coastal Troughs in the Circulation of Warm Circumpolar Deep Water on Antarctic Shelves
Authors: St-Laurent Pierre , Klinck John M. , Dinniman Michael S.
Published: October 2012

Oceanic exchanges across the continental shelves of Antarctica play an important role in biological systems and the mass balance of ice sheets. The focus of this study is on the mechanisms responsible for the circulation of warm Circumpolar Deep Water (CDW) within troughs running perpendicular to the continental shelf. This is examined using process-oriented numerical experiments with an eddy-resolving (1 km) 3D ocean model that includes a static and thermodynamically active ice shelf. Three mechanisms that create a significant onshore flow within the trough are identified: 1) a deep onshore flow driven by the melt of the ice shelf, 2) interaction between the longshore mean flow and the trough, and 3) interaction between a Rossby wave along the shelf break and the trough. In each case the onshore flow is sufficient to maintain the warm temperatures underneath the ice shelf and basal melt rates of O(1 m yr−1). The third mechanism in particular reproduces several features revealed by moorings from Marguerite Trough (Bellingshausen Sea): the temperature maximum at middepth, a stronger intrusion on the downstream edge of the trough, and the appearance of warm anticyclonic anomalies every week. Sensitivity experiments highlight the need to properly resolve the small baroclinic radii of these regions (5 km on the shelf)—simulations at 3-km resolution cannot reproduce mechanism 3 and the associated heat transport.
Sleep disturbance, personality and the onset of depression and anxiety: Prospective cohort study
Authors: Batterham Philip J , Glozier Nicholas , Christensen Helen
Published: October 2012

Objective:

Previous studies have shown associations between sleep disturbance and the onset of depression and anxiety. However, this relationship may reflect an underlying vulnerability, such as temperament or cognitive style, which accounts for an association between the two. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between sleep disturbance and the onset of a mental disorder after a 4-year follow-up, and whether this was accounted for by ruminative style and neuroticism.

Method:

The nine-item Patient Health Questionnaire was used to assess the criteria for major depression, generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and panic disorder (PD) in a community cohort of 3636 young and middle-aged Australian adults, free of any disorder at baseline, over a 4-year period. Sleep disturbance was based on a factor derived from the sleep items of the Goldberg Depression and Anxiety Scales. The associations between baseline sleep disturbance and a new episode of the assessed disorders were estimated and the impact of temperament and cognitive style on these associations was evaluated.

Results:

Self-reported sleep disturbance was significantly associated with an onset of major depressive disorder [MDD; odds ratio (OR) = 1.33, p = 0.006], GAD (OR = 1.37, p < 0.001) and PD (OR = 1.62, p < 0.001) after 4 years. However, the relationship for MDD was attenuated to nonsignificance (OR = 1.19, p = 0.116) after adjusting for neuroticism (measured by the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire-Revised) and rumination (measured by the adapted Ruminative Style scale).

Conclusions:

These data suggest that the often-observed association between sleep disturbance and depression onset may be linked to an underlying ruminative style and/or neuroticism. However, the fact that the effect of sleep disturbance on PD and GAD onset was not accounted for by personality factors is a novel finding and suggests a potential role of early identification in selective preventive interventions.
The impact of depression heterogeneity on cognitive control in major depressive disorder
Authors: Quinn Candice R , Harris Anthony , Felmingham Kim , Boyce Philip , Kemp Andrew
Published: October 2012

Objective:

Depressed patients display a variety of deficits in neuropsychological function, and contradictory findings in the literature may be due to disorder heterogeneity. The aim of this study was to examine the impact of severity, subtype and symptoms on cognitive control.

Methods:

Neuropsychological function across a range of cognitive control tasks was examined in melancholic ( n = 65) and non-melancholic depressed patients ( n = 59) relative to controls ( n = 124). The relationship between subtype (melancholia vs non-melancholia) and anxiety was also examined.

Results:

Melancholia was characterised by attention and working memory deficits typically associated with the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, while non-melancholia was characterised by verbal memory recall deficits indicative of left frontal lobe and medial temporal lobe function. The severity of anxious arousal and psychomotor disturbance contributed to cognitive impairment more than the severity of depression symptoms and anxious apprehension.

Conclusions:

Findings highlight a differential impact of depression subtype and severity, and suggest that anxious arousal and psychomotor disturbance may contribute to poorer performance on neuropsychological tasks associated with dorsolateral prefrontal cortex function.
Curvature tailoring of unsymmetric laminates with an initial curvature
Authors: Ryu Junghyun , Kong Jung-Pyo , Kim Seung-Won , Koh Je-Sung , Cho Kyu-Jin , Cho Maenghyo
Published: October 2012

An unsymmetric laminated composite having bi-stability is interesting as a morphing structure because it can sustain large deformation without energy supply and the deformed state is stable. Especially, inducing different curvature values at each stable state is important for the practical application of unsymmetric laminates. In this study, we propose a method for tailoring the curvature of unsymmetric cross-ply laminates by curing the composite on a curved tool plate. The results show that the final normal curvature tensor of unsymmetric laminates is the summation of the tool plate curvature tensor and the normal curvature tensor of the laminates.
Effects of carbon nanotubes addition on the composition and mechanical properties of AlMgB14 ceramics
Authors: Liu W , Miao Y , Pan RL , Zhang J , Zhang TM , Mao SH
Published: October 2012

In this article, the AlMgB14–carbon Nanotubes (CNT) composites were synthesized by means of the mechanical alloying (MA) and field activated and pressure assisted in-situ synthesis (FAPAS). The microstructure and component of the synthesized metallic ceramics were observed and determined using the X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Further investigations on the mechanical properties of the composites showed that adding CNTs could not only increase the hardness of AlMgB14, but also improve the fracture toughness. It was found that the addition of 0.5% CNTs could achieve the best reinforcing and toughening effect. The microstructure analysis on the composites with an addition of 0.5% CNTs revealed the mechanism for such effects, i.e., the addition of CNTs could refine the grain, promote the formation of network microstructure, and confine the crack deflection along the interface between the CNTs and AlMgB14. Furthermore, the high quality, uniform dispersion, integrity and compatibility with matrix of the CNTs were the main factors that improved the fracture toughness of AlMgB14-CNTs composites dramatically.
Acoustic Emission Analysis of Tooth-Composite Interfacial Debonding
Authors: Cho N.Y. , Ferracane J.L. , Lee I.B.
Published: October 2012

This study detected tooth-composite interfacial debonding during composite restoration by means of acoustic emission (AE) analysis and investigated the effects of composite properties and adhesives on AE characteristics. The polymerization shrinkage, peak shrinkage rate, flexural modulus, and shrinkage stress of a methacrylate-based universal hybrid, a flowable, and a silorane-based composite were measured. Class I cavities on 49 extracted premolars were restored with 1 of the 3 composites and 1 of the following adhesives: 2 etch-and-rinse adhesives, 2 self-etch adhesives, and an adhesive for the silorane-based composite. AE analysis was done for 2,000 sec during light-curing. The silorane-based composite exhibited the lowest shrinkage (rate), the longest time to peak shrinkage rate, the lowest shrinkage stress, and the fewest AE events. AE events were detected immediately after the beginning of light-curing in most composite-adhesive combinations, but not until 40 sec after light-curing began for the silorane-based composite. AE events were concentrated at the initial stage of curing in self-etch adhesives compared with etch-and-rinse adhesives. Reducing the shrinkage (rate) of composites resulted in reduced shrinkage stress and less debonding, as evidenced by fewer AE events. AE is an effective technique for monitoring, in real time, the debonding kinetics at the tooth-composite interface.
Panel Conditioning in Longitudinal Social Science Surveys
Authors: Warren John Robert , Halpern-Manners Andrew
Published: October 2012

Social scientists usually assume that the attitudes, behaviors, and statuses of respondents to longitudinal surveys are not altered by the act of measuring them. If this assumption is false—or even if the quality of survey participants’ responses change because of measurement—then social scientists risk mischaracterizing the existence, magnitude, and correlates of changes across survey waves in respondents’ characteristics. In this article, we make the case that social scientists ought to worry more about panel conditioning biases. We also describe and demonstrate empirical strategies for estimating the magnitude of such biases in longitudinal surveys, and we provide illustrative empirical results that are germane to social science research. We end by outlining a research agenda that would generate specific information about the nature and degree of panel conditioning in specific longitudinal surveys as well as a broader understanding of the circumstances in which panel conditioning is most likely to occur.
Distinguishing Between Cross- and Cluster-Level Mediation Processes in the Cluster Randomized Trial
Authors: Pituch Keenan A. , Stapleton Laura M.
Published: October 2012

For the cluster randomized trial, the treatment, implemented at the cluster level, may be hypothesized to impact a final outcome of interest via a mediating variable, with the mediator and outcome being measured typically at the participant level. Two opposing views—one that allows the mediation process to flow through a participant-level mediator and one that does not—have been presented in the literature. We integrate these perspectives and argue that it is the theoretical model and the nature of the mediating variable that determines whether the treatment effect may be mediated by a participant-level or only a cluster-level mediator in this design. An accompanying simulation study shows that when the mediation process is unnecessarily restricted to the cluster level, the power to detect the presence of mediation is substantially reduced.
Teaching Focus Group Interviewing
Authors: George Molly
Published: October 2012

Focus group interviewing is widely used by academic and applied researchers. Given the popularity and strengths of this method, it is surprising how rarely focus group interviewing is taught in the undergraduate classroom and how few resources exist to support instructors who wish to train students to use this technique. This article fills the gap in the teaching and learning literature in sociology by addressing focus group research. I describe how to integrate a complete research project with student-led focus groups into a single semester course. I outline the various stages involved in the research process and then consider how this approach enhances three specific areas: learning, teaching, and scholarship. The effectiveness of the focus group project was assessed through a one-group pretest-posttest survey of the student-researchers’ experiences. I conclude with a reflection on the practical limitations as well as the considerable advantages of training students to conduct focus group research.
An exploration of the attitudes and strategic responses of sole-proprietor micro-enterprises in adopting information and communication technology
Authors: Jones Paul , Simmons Geoff , Packham Gary , Beynon-Davies Paul , Pickernell David
Published: October 2012

This article analyses longitudinal case-based research exploring the attitudes and strategic responses of micro-enterprise owners in adopting information and communication technology (ICT). In so doing, it contributes to the limited literature on micro-enterprise ICT adoption, with a particular focus on sole proprietors. It provides a basis for widening the theoretical base of the literature pertaining to ICT adoption on two levels. First, a framework is developed which integrates the findings to illustrate the relationships between attitudes towards ICT adoption, endogenous and exogenous influencers of these attitudes and subsequent strategic response in ICT adoption. Second, building upon this framework the article reveals the unique challenges, opportunities and implications of ICT adoption for sole-proprietor micro-enterprises.
The Politics of Precarity
Authors: Lee Ching Kwan , Kofman Yelizavetta
Published: October 2012

Drawing on experiences in the global south and western Europe, this commentary identifies 3 focal points of precarity politics that a singular focus on the United States may have eclipsed: (a) In the global south, precariousness at work creates a crisis not just of job-quality but also of social reproduction; (b) precarious employment is often an integral part of the development strategies of states and international financial institutions, rather than the natural corporate response to global market competition; and (c) popular movements have insinuated alternative imaginations of work, rights, and life. These developments serve as the point of departure for any national, regional, or global policy deliberation.
Investigation on atomic oxygen erosion resistance of self-assembly film at the interphase of carbon fiber composites
Authors: Jinmei He , Nan Zheng , Zhenming Ye , Yudong Huang
Published: October 2012

This paper proposes a new method based on molecular self-assembly on carbon fiber surface in order to improve atomic oxygen erosion resistance for the interface of carbon fiber/epoxy composites. The self-assembly films were characterized by surface-enhanced Raman scattering and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopies. The results indicated that two aromatic thiols indeed chemisorbed onto the Au-plated carbon fiber surfaces in the form of thiolate species via the strong S-Au coordination bond and well-organized with a flat orientation structure. From interfacial shear strength data and atomic force microscopy observation, it is noticed that, after carbon fiber surfaces were assembled with 4-hydroxythiophenol and 4-aminothiolphenol, the atomic oxygen erosion resistance were better than that of untreated and Au-plated carbon fiber/epoxy micro-composites, especially, the micro-composites modified by 4-aminothiolphenol. It will be an effective solution to the two major issues of enhancement of interfacial bonding force and interfacial atomic oxygen erosion resistance.
Community Development Districts
Authors: Scutelnicu Gina , Ganapati Sukumar
Published: October 2012

Community Development Districts (CDDs) are multipurpose, independent special districts, which are empowered to finance and manage infrastructure services in Florida. Since their authorization through a state statute in 1980, the CDDs have grown across many counties in the state. This article presents exploratory research evaluating the role of CDDs in financing and managing infrastructure services. CDDs finance infrastructure through tax-free bonds, which are paid by property owners. The arrangement is beneficial for city/county governments since infrastructure is not financed through general obligation bonds. Managerially, however, CDDs pose accountability problems, since developers rather than residents control them during their initial stage of existence.
Synthesis and characterization of high-quality polyaniline nanofibres
Authors: Abdolahi Ahmad , Hamzah Esah , Ibrahim Zaharah , Hashim Shahrir
Published: October 2012

This article aims to study the synthesis of high-quality polyaniline (PANI) nanofibres through simple interfacial polymerization method in the presence of different acids. Ammonium persulphate, chloroform and different acids were used as oxidant, organic solvent and dopant, respectively. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques were used to characterize the PANI nanofibres. FESEM results show different morphologies of PANI particles were produced from the various acid mixtures. FT-IR and XRD results confirmed the formation of PANI particles. XRD results show that PANI nanofibre is partially in crystalline nature.
Is the Danish model still a sacred cow? Danish trade unions and European integration
Authors: Knudsen Herman , Lind Jens
Published: October 2012

The aim of this article is to describe and explain how Danish trade unions have reacted to European integration since 1973 when Denmark joined the EEC. The authors have earlier conceptualized the orientation of Danish unions towards the European scene rather as foot-dragging and building on the defence of the ‘Danish model’, a model that has been cherished and guarded as a sacred cow. In this article we ask whether this is still the case after the changes that have taken place on the European and the Danish scene during the past decade. The answer is that it is. The article has two sections. In the first section we identify and describe the central features of Danish trade unionism and the Danish industrial relations system (the ‘Danish model’). In the second section we address the attitudes and policies pursued by Danish unions during different phases of European integration.
Piezo-driven self-healing by electrochemical phenomena
Authors: Soroushian Parviz , Nassar Roz-Ud-Din , Balachandra Anagi M
Published: October 2012

Self-healing structures mimic the ability of biological structures (e.g. bone) to redistribute their structural mass in response to dynamic service loads and damaging effects. The self-healing features yield enhanced levels of structural efficiency and safety in dynamic service environments. In this study, the piezoelectric effect was used to convert the dynamic mechanical energy applied to the structure into electrical energy that, in turn, was used to drive electrochemical self-healing phenomena within a solid electrolyte. A theoretical framework was developed for self-healing materials, and experiments were conducted to verify the fundamental principles of the approach. The theoretical models confirmed that: (1) the piezoelectric effect can, within the geometric and mechanical constraints of actual structural systems, generate sufficient electric potential and charge (through harvesting the available mechanical energy) to enable electrochemical mass transport within a solid electrolyte; and (2) the redistribution of structural mass in dynamic service environments can occur within viable time frames. The fundamental principles of the new self-healing materials were validated through the demonstration of piezo-induced electrolytic phenomena in solid electrolytes and by verifying the gains in mechanical performance associated with such phenomena.
Control of stationary probability density of nonlinear systems subject to Poisson white noise excitation
Authors: Zhu CX , Zhu WQ
Published: October 2012

An innovative design procedure for controlling a nonlinear system subject to Poisson white noise excitation to target a specified stationary probability density function is proposed based on the approximate generalized Fokker–Planck–Kolmogorov equation of a Poisson-white-noise-excited nonlinear system. First, the technique for deriving the generalized Fokker–Planck–Kolmogorov equation of the Poisson-white-noise-excited nonlinear system is briefly reviewed. Then, the approach for designing the feedback control of nonlinear stochastic systems under Poisson white noise excitations to target a pre-specified stationary probability density function is presented. Finally, an example is given to illustrate the procedure and effectiveness of the proposed control strategy.
The Virtual Patchwork Quilt
Authors: Koelsch Lori E.
Published: October 2012

This article presents an application and expansion of the patchwork quilt metaphor for qualitative research. Building upon work by Saukko, I constructed a virtual quilt out of participant interviews. Participants were interviewed about “unlabeled” sexual experiences. Transcripts were analyzed using the Listening Guide, “sewn” into individual patches, and combined into a larger patchwork. This project is a prototype, and is intended to represent one possibility for presenting and organizing research on the Internet. Although the quilt was developed while researching young women’s sexual experiences, it can be used to study many different content areas.
The Vines That Bind
Authors: Hampton Reg
Published: October 2012

Wine, especially good wine, is something special. It has always been so. But why is good wine so much more than the sum of its parts? Researchers in both the traditional and social sciences have been attempting to answer that question since the first glasses of wine were poured centuries ago. Wine may be history’s most puzzling and most tested beverage. This work employs artistic inquiry in the form of a fictional short story to suggest attempts to define wine are doomed to failure, and that wine’s mystical powers emerge in conversation about it.
Why do young people with CFS/ME feel anxious? A qualitative study
Authors: Fisher Hanne , Crawley Esther
Published: October 2012

Young people with chronic fatigue syndrome or myalagic encephalopathy (CFS/ME) (CFS/ME) experience higher levels of psychological distress than healthy controls and young people with other chronic illnesses, and it was recently demonstrated that 38% of this population scored above the clinical cut-off on the Spence Child Anxiety Scale. Subscales of social and separation anxiety were consistently high across gender and age groups. In this study, we used qualitative methods to help us understand more about these two types of anxiety in young people with CFS/ME. Eleven young people (age 12–18) were interviewed. Interviews were self-directed by the participants and were wide ranging. The transcripts were analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. Five superordinate themes were identified: social loss and adjustment; introduction of uncertainty and unpredictability; the vulnerable self; individual differences; and contributions towards recovery. Many themes were identical to those described in young people coping with other chronic illnesses in adolescence. In addition, young people with CFS/ME describe experiences associated with the perceived illegitimacy of this condition, namely: feeling unable to explain their illness; bullying from peers; disbelief; and distrust from adults around them. This becomes an additional challenge for these young people. Clinicians need to be aware of these problems, and offer appropriate support.
The historical roots of the normative model of journalism
Authors: Nerone John
Published: October 2012

Journalism, understood as the discipline of news, has been defined in many ways. The hegemonic western model of journalism, which has dominated normative discussions for the past century, derives from a set of relationships and practices formed around relatively monopolistic daily newspapers and wire services at the end of the 19th century. This model assumes that news organizations are relatively autonomous from the state and that individual journalists are independent agents engaged in an agonistic relationship to power while representing the people by, among other things, giving expert accounts of affairs of public importance. It assumes that journalists’ capacity for independence is provided by the media organizations that employ them. This model of journalism never described more than a sector of the news environment, especially outside the West. At the end of the 20th century, its usefulness in the West diminished with the erosion of the bottlenecks that had enabled some news organizations to acquire significant autonomous power, and with the rise of a new news environment with new news practices. These changes have opened the possibility of the redefinition of journalism, along with a rethinking of the relationship between journalism and democracy.
Faith and place: constructing Muslim identity in a secular Lutheran society
Authors: Fridolfsson Charlotte , Elander Ingemar
Published: October 2012

Non-Christian immigrants coming to Sweden encounter a mainly secular society with a strong Lutheran heritage, as physically symbolized by the more than 3500 church towers scattered throughout the country, often in central locations in cities and villages. In this landscape dotted with Christian landmarks, there are few visible physical spaces linked to the identity of Muslim immigrants. The aim of this article is to analyse the religious and cultural significance that Muslim immigrants attach to the presence or absence of mosques in their neighbourhood. Drawing upon a conceptual framework that distinguishes between physical, mental and social space, the analysis focuses on the meaning of place and the identity attached to the mosques. The empirical basis for the study includes interviews with imams complemented by articles and other written materials published in newspapers and on the internet. In the concluding section, we return to and reflect upon our overarching question: the relationship between faith and place in a multi-religious, multi-ethnic society. As illustrated in the article, mosques not only function as internal markers of religious faith but also serve as arenas where links can be developed to Christian and secular parts of Swedish society. Thus, they are important in providing both bonding and bridging capital, thus making it possible to develop a Muslim identity in Sweden.
A new guided wave–based technique for corrosion monitoring in reinforced concrete
Authors: Miller Tri H , Kundu Tribikram , Huang Jiaqiang , Grill Julian Y
Published: October 2012

Guided waves have been used in the past for monitoring corrosion and other damages in plates, rods, pipes, and reinforced concrete structures. Past investigations tried to relate the recorded signal strength to the extent of corrosion or other damage. The main disadvantage of this approach is that the signal strength is also affected by the bonding condition between the sensors and the structure. Over time, this bonding condition is bound to deteriorate, and therefore, one cannot say for sure if the change in the signal strength is due to corrosion or because of the deterioration of the attachment of the sensors to the structure. A new guided wave–based technique is proposed here, which investigates the change in the time of flight of the propagating wave in loaded reinforced concrete structures at various levels of corrosion. Corrosion affects the bonding strength between concrete and reinforcing steel altering the stress level in the reinforcing steel bar in a loaded beam. Since the wave speed is affected by the internal stress, an increase in corrosion level should affect the wave speed in a steel bar and the wave’s time of flight through the bar. The main advantage of the proposed approach is that this result should not be affected by the bonding condition between the sensor and the structure. How delamination at the bar–concrete interface affects the signal strength and the effect of induced corrosion in free bars as well as in bars embedded in the concrete are also investigated.
Female Sexual Abusers’ Cognition
Authors: Gannon Theresa A. , Alleyne Emma K. A.
Published: October 2012

Until recently, the sexual offending literature focused on male perpetrators and neglected to examine the characteristics of female perpetrators. As a result, treatment provision for female sexual abusers has been either nonexistent or inappropriately adapted from programs designed for males. What we do know is that male and female sexual abusers share similarities; however, there remain distinct differences that warrant empirical and theoretical study. The current review systematically examines the literature on offense-supportive cognition in female sexual abusers. The aim of this systematic review is to aid clinical practitioners who work with female sexual abusers by providing an evaluation of current available research regarding implicit theories, rape myth acceptance, violence-supportive cognition, gender stereotypes, beliefs about sex, and empathy. We conclude that further research examining the offense-supportive cognition of female sexual abusers is needed in order to facilitate more effective empirically driven clinical practice.
Revisiting the Protest Paradigm
Authors: Weaver David A. , Scacco Joshua M.
Published: October 2012

The emergence of a national “Tea Party” movement in the United States stimulated much media commentary regarding the movement’s origins, goals, participants, and even temperament. Unlike political movements of the recent past, the Tea Party stands starkly to the right. This study examines nightly cable news coverage of this movement by using key frames associated with the “protest paradigm”—the tendency for media to marginalize movements by drawing attention away from core concerns raised by such movements. We ask whether the protest paradigm can be applied to a right-wing movement and whether such application varies by the ideological leaning of a given source. That is, do cable news channels use frames in ways consistent with their respective ideological hues? We draw on a representative sample of stories regarding the national movement from the most viewed nightly news programs on Fox News, MSNBC, and CNN, with the Associated Press as a reference point. Results show significant differences across sources in issue and marginalization frame use. Although utilization of marginalization frames is popular among ideological channels, traditional news sources are not immune from using these devices.
Intraperitoneal influx of neutrophils in response to IL-33 is mast cell–dependent
Authors: Enoksson Mattias , Möller-Westerberg Christine , Wicher Grzegorz , Fallon Padraic G. , Forsberg-Nilsson Karin , Lunderius-Andersson Carolina , Nilsson Gunnar
Published: October 2012

IL-33 is a recently discovered cytokine involved in induction of Th2 responses and functions as an alarmin. Despite numerous recent studies targeting IL-33, its role in vivo is incompletely understood. Here we investigated inflammatory responses to intraperitoneal IL-33 injections in wild-type and mast cell–deficient mice. We found that wild-type mice, but not mast cell–deficient Wsh/Wsh mice, respond to IL-33 treatment with neutrophil infiltration to the peritoneum, whereas other investigated cell types remained unchanged. In Wsh/Wsh mice, the IL-33–induced innate neutrophil response could be rescued by local reconstitution with wild-type but not with T1/ST2−/− mast cells, demonstrating a mast cell–dependent mechanism. Furthermore, we found this mechanism to be partially dependent on mast cell–derived TNF, as we observed reduced neutrophil infiltration in Wsh/Wsh mice reconstituted with TNF−/− bone marrow–derived mast cells compared with those reconstituted with wild-type bone marrow–derived mast cells. In agreement with our in vivo findings, we demonstrate that humanneutrophils migrate toward the supernatant of IL-33–treated human mast cells. Taken together, our findings reveal that IL-33 activates mast cells in vivo to recruit neutrophils, a mechanism dependent on IL-33R expression on peritoneal mast cells. Mast cells activated in vivo by IL-33 probably play an important role in inflammatory reactions.
Combination coating of chitosan and anti-CD34 antibody applied on sirolimus-eluting stents can promote endothelialization while reducing neointimal formation
Authors: Yang Feng , Feng Shi-Chao , Pang Xiang-Jun , Li Wei-Xiao , Bi Yong-Hua , Zhao Qian , Zhang Shi-Xuan , Wang Yang , Feng Bo
Published: October 2012

Background

Circulating endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) capture technology improves endothelialization rates of sirolimus-eluting stents (SES), but the problem of delayed re-endothelialization, as well as endothelial dysfunction, has still not been overcome. Therefore, we investigated whether the combination coating of hyaluronan-chitosan (HC) and anti-CD34 antibody applied on an SES (HCASES) can promote endothelialization, while reducing neointimal formation and inflammation.

Methods

Sirolimus-eluting stents(SES), anti-CD34 antibody stents (GS) and HC-anti-CD34 antibody combined with sirolimus-eluting stents (HCASES) were deployed in 54 normal porcine arteries and harvested for scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and histological analysis. The ratio of endothelial coverage above the stents was evaluated by SEM analysis at 7, 14 and 28 days. The percentage of in-stent stenosis was histologically analyzed at 14 and 28 days.

Results

SEM analysis at 7 days showed that endothelial strut coverage was increased in the HCASES group (68±7%) compared with that in the SES group (31±4%, p=0.02). At 14 days, stent surface endothelialization, evaluated by SEM, showed a significantly higher extent of endothelial coverage above struts in the GS (95 ± 2%) and the HCASES groups (87±4%) compared with that in the SES group (51±6%, p=0.02). Histological examination showed that the percentage of stenosis in the HCASES group was not significantly different to that of the SES and GS groups (both p> 0.05). At 28 days, there was no difference in the rates of endothelial coverage between the HCASES and GS groups. The HCASES group showed less stenosis than that in the GS group (P < 0.05), but it was not significantly different from the SES group (P=0.068).

Conclusions

SEM and histology demonstrated that HCASESs can promote re-endothelialization while enhancing antiproliferative effects.
Analysis of the clinical relevance of antimitochondrial antibodies to the β- and γ-subunits of the F1F0-ATPase in patients with primary biliary cirrhosis
Authors: Nann Dominik , Berg Christoph P , Preuß Beate E , Klein Reinhild
Published: October 2012

Background

In a recent study we showed that in patients with primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) being positive or negative for anti-M2 antibodies reacting with the 2-oxoacid-dehydrogenase complex (ODC) also antibodies to the beta- and gamma-subunits of F1F0-ATPase (anti-β, anti-γ) occur. This is a mitochondrial enzyme but parts are also expressed on plasma membranes of endothelial cells. Here we wanted to analyse in more detail their clinical relevance.

Methods

Fifty-nine untreated and histologically defined PBC patients who had been followed for at least five years were included into the study (51 anti-M2 positive, 8 anti-M2 negative). Twenty-three of them were treated in the follow up with ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA), eight received during a trial methotrexate (MTX). In 13 patients orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) had to be performed. Serum samples before and during therapy were available. Patients were analysed with respect to laboratory parameters, disease activity and histological stages.

Patients’ sera were tested by ELISA for IgG- and IgM-antibodies against the beta- and gamma-subunits which had been recombinant expressed inE.coliand highly purified by electro-elution from SDS-gels after electrophoresis.

Results

Fifty-nine percent of the anti-M2 positive and 50% of the anti-M2 negative PBC patients had anti-β- and/or anti-γ-antibodies. There were no differences between anti-β- and/or anti-γ-antibody positive or negative patients with respect to biochemical parameters, immunoglobulins, histological stages or disease activity. Antibody reactivity significantly decreased during UDCA and MTX-treatment and also after OLT.

Conclusions

Antibodies to the β- and γ-subunits of F1F0-ATPase occur in anti-M2 positive and –negative PBC but do not have any relevance with respect to clinical activity or prognosis. However, in contrast to the anti-M2 antibodies they decrease during UDCA and immunosuppressive therapy.
miR-17-5p targets the p300/CBP-associated factor and modulates androgen receptor transcriptional activity in cultured prostate cancer cells
Authors: Gong Ai-Yu , Eischeid Alex N , Xiao Jing , Zhao Jian , Chen Dongqing , Wang Zhao-Yi , Young Charles YF , Chen Xian-Ming
Published: October 2012

Background

Androgen receptor (AR) signalling is critical to the initiation and progression of prostate cancer (PCa). Transcriptional activity of AR involves chromatin recruitment of co-activators, including the p300/CBP-associated factor (PCAF). Distinct miRNA expression profiles have been identified in PCa cells during the development and progression of the disease. Whether miRNAs regulate PCAF expression in PCa cells to regulate AR transcriptional activity is still unclear.

Methods

Expression of PCAF was investigated in several PCa cell lines by qRT-PCR, Western blot, and immunocytochemistry. The effects of PCAF expression on AR-regulated transcriptional activity and cell growth in PCa cells were determined by chromatin immunoprecipitation, reporter gene construct analysis, and MTS assay. Targeting of PCAF by miR-17-5p was evaluated using the luciferase reporter assay.

Results

PCAF was upregulated in several PCa cell lines. Upregulation of PCAF promoted AR transcriptional activation and cell growth in cultured PCa cells. Expression of PCAF in PCa cells was associated with the downregulation of miR-17-5p. Targeting of the 3’-untranslated region of PCAF mRNA by miR-17-5p caused translational suppression and RNA degradation, and, consequently, modulation of AR transcriptional activity in PCa cells.

Conclusions

PCAF is upregulated in cultured PCa cells, and upregulation of PCAF is associated with the downregulation of miR-17-5p. Targeting of PCAF by miR-17-5p modulates AR transcriptional activity and cell growth in cultured PCa cells.
What are the effects of having an illness or injury whilst deployed on post deployment mental health? A population based record linkage study of UK Army personnel who have served in Iraq or Afghanistan
Authors: Forbes Harriet J , Jones Norman , Woodhead Charlotte , Greenberg Neil , Harrison Kate , White Sandra , Wessely Simon , Fear Nicola T
Published: October 2012

Background

The negative impact of sustaining an injury on a military deployment on subsequent mental health is well-documented, however, the relationship between having an illness on a military operation and subsequent mental health is unknown.

Methods

Population based study, linking routinely collected data of attendances at emergency departments in military hospitals in Iraq and Afghanistan [Operational Emergency Department Attendance Register (OpEDAR)], with data on 3896 UK Army personnel who participated in a military health study between 2007 and 2009 and deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan between 2003 to 2009.

Results

In total, 13.8% (531/3896) of participants had an event recorded on OpEDAR during deployment; 2.3% (89/3884) were medically evacuated. As expected, those medically evacuated for an injury were at increased risk of post deployment probable PTSD (odds ratio 4.27, 95% confidence interval 1.80-10.12). Less expected was that being medically evacuated for an illness was also associated with a similarly increased risk of probable PTSD (4.39, 1.60-12.07) and common mental disorders (2.79, 1.41-5.51). There was no association between having an OpEDAR event and alcohol misuse. Having an injury caused by hostile action was associated with increased risk of probable PTSD compared to those with a non-hostile injury (3.88, 1.15 to 13.06).

Conclusions

Personnel sustaining illnesses on deployment are just as, if not more, at risk of having subsequent mental health problems as personnel who have sustained an injury. Monitoring of mental health problems should consider those with illnesses as well as physical injuries.
Developing standards for malaria microscopy: external competency assessment for malaria microscopists in the Asia-Pacific
Authors: Ashraf Sania , Kao Angie , Hugo Cecilia , Christophel Eva M , Fatunmbi Bayo , Luchavez Jennifer , Lilley Ken , Bell David
Published: October 2012

Background

Malaria diagnosis has received renewed interest in recent years, associated with the increasing accessibility of accurate diagnosis through the introduction of rapid diagnostic tests and new World Health Organization guidelines recommending parasite-based diagnosis prior to anti-malarial therapy. However, light microscopy, established over 100 years ago and frequently considered the reference standard for clinical diagnosis, has been neglected in control programmes and in the malaria literature and evidence suggests field standards are commonly poor. Microscopy remains the most accessible method for parasite quantitation, for drug efficacy monitoring, and as a reference of assessing other diagnostic tools. This mismatch between quality and need highlights the importance of the establishment of reliable standards and procedures for assessing and assuring quality. This paper describes the development, function and impact of a multi-country microscopy external quality assurance network set up for this purpose in Asia.

Methods

Surveys were used for key informants and past participants for feedback on the quality assurance programme. Competency scores for each country from 14 participating countries were compiled for analyses using paired sample t-tests. In-depth interviews were conducted with key informants including the programme facilitators and national level microscopists.

Results

External assessments and limited retraining through a formalized programme based on a reference slide bank has demonstrated an increase in standards of competence of senior microscopists over a relatively short period of time, at a potentially sustainable cost. The network involved in the programme now exceeds 14 countries in the Asia-Pacific, and the methods are extended to other regions.

Conclusions

While the impact on national programmes varies, it has translated in some instances into a strengthening of national microscopy standards and offers a possibility both for supporting revival of national microcopy programmes, and for the development of globally recognized standards of competency needed both for patient management and field research.
A new mechanism of action of sulodexide in diabetic nephropathy: inhibits heparanase-1 and prevents FGF-2-induced renal epithelial-mesenchymal transition
Authors: Masola Valentina , Onisto Maurizio , Zaza Gianluigi , Lupo Antonio , Gambaro Giovanni
Published: October 2012

Background

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition of tubular cells is a widely recognized mechanism that sustains interstitial fibrosis in diabetic nephropathy (DN). The signaling of FGF-2, a growth factor involved in this mechanism, is regulated by glycosaminoglycans. Heparanase-1, an endoglycosidase that cleaves heparan sulfate, is implicated in the pathogenesis of diabetic nephropathy and is necessary to FGF-2 for the induction of tubular cells transition. Well known Heparanase-1 inhibitors are heparin(s) and sulodexide, a low-molecular weight heparin – dermatan sulphate blend, which is effective in the treatment of DN.

Methods

We have investigated the inhibition by sulodexide and its components of Heparanase-1 by an ELISA assay. We have analyzed its effect on the epithelial-mesenchymal transition of tubular cells by real time gene expression analysis, zymography and migration assay.

Results

Results show that sulodexide is an effective heparanase-1 inhibitor, exclusively in virtue to the heparin component, with an IC50 of 5 μg/ml. In FGF-2 treated tubular cells, sulodexide also prevents the over-expression of the mesenchymal markers αSMA, vimentin and fibronectin and the motility increase, i.e. the epithelial-mesenchymal transition of tubular cells. Moreover, sulodexide prevents FGF-2 induced heparanase-1 and MMP9 increase switching off the autocrine loop that FGF-2 activates to support its signal.

Conclusions

The findings highlight the capacity of sulodexide to inhibit heparanase-1 and to control tubular fibrosis triggered by epithelial-mesenchymal transition. In conclusion, these sulodexide activities support the value of this agent in controlling the progression of nephropathy to renal failure.
Quantitative study of GaAs nanowires catalyzed by Au film of different thicknesses
Authors: Xu Hong-yi , Guo Ya-nan , Sun Wen , Liao Zhi-ming , Burgess Timothy , Lu Hao-feng , Gao Qiang , Tan Hark Hoe , Jagadish Chennupati , Zou Jin
Published: October 2012

In this letter, we quantitatively investigated epitaxial GaAs nanowires catalyzed by thin Au films of different thicknesses on GaAs (111)B substrates in a metal-organic chemical vapor deposition reactor. Prior to nanowire growth, the de-wetting of Au thin films to form Au nanoparticles on GaAs (111)B in AsH3 ambient at different temperatures is investigated. It is found that with increasing film thickness, the size of the Au nanoparticles increases while the density of the nanoparticles reduces. Furthermore, higher annealing temperature produces larger Au nanoparticles for a fixed film thickness. As expected, the diameters and densities of the as-grown GaAs nanowires catalyzed by these thin Au films reflect these trends.
The synthesis of nitrogen/sulfur co-doped TiO2 nanocrystals with a high specific surface area and a high percentage of {001} facets and their enhanced visible-light photocatalytic performance
Authors: Shi Wenjing , Yang Weiyi , Li Qi , Gao Shian , Shang Panju , Shang Jian Ku
Published: October 2012

Nitrogen/sulfur co-doped anatase TiO2 nanocrystals with a high specific surface area and a high percentage of {001} facets were synthesized by a solvent-thermal process followed by the calcination with thiourea at an optimum heat treatment temperature. Under current experimental conditions, the optimum heat treatment temperature was found at 300°C, which successfully introduced nitrogen and sulfur dopants into the anatase lattice to replace a small portion of oxygen atoms while preserving the geometry of these anatase TiO2 nanocrystals to maintain a high percentage of {001} facets. These nitrogen/sulfur co-doped anatase TiO2 nanocrystals demonstrated a largely enhanced light absorption in the whole visible-light range and exhibited much higher photocatalytic performance than both P25 TiO2 nanoparticles and anatase TiO2 nanocrystals with a high percentage of {001} facets under visible-light illumination.
QoS-aware fuzzy rule-based vertical handoff decision algorithm incorporating a new evaluation model for wireless heterogeneous networks
Authors: Vasu Kantubukta , Maheshwari Sumit , Mahapatra Sudipta , Kumar Cheruvu Siva
Published: October 2012

Next generation networks are envisioned to be heterogeneous in nature with an increase in demand towards ubiquitous services in wireless networks. As various networks have widely different characteristics, it is difficult to maintain the quality of service (QoS) after executing a handoff from one network to another network. Maintaining the QoS, based on applications, during the handoff in an heterogeneous networks needs an intelligent handoff decision mechanism. This article proposes a QoS-aware fuzzy rule-based vertical handoff mechanism that makes a multi-criteria-based decision, found to be effective for meeting the requirements of different applications in a heterogeneous networking environment. The QoS parameters considered are available bandwidth, end-to-end delay, jitter, and bit error rate. A new evaluation model is proposed using a non-birth–death Markov chain, in which the states correspond to the available networks. Simulation results show that compared to other vertical handoff algorithms, the proposed algorithm gives better performance for different traffic classes.