bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Meeting Seniors' Information Needs: Using Computer Technology
Authors: Campbell Robert James
Published: January 2008

This article discusses the design and development of a program to integrate computer technology into two Nurse Wellness Centers located in low-income minority high-rise facilities. The goal of the program is to teach residents how to use the computers and the Internet to locate health information and to take a more active role in their own health care. Previous research shows that low-income seniors have had limited access to a personal computer and the Internet, therefore creating a digital divide between those individuals having Internet access and those who do not. By teaching minority seniors how to locate Internet-based health information, it is hoped that they will seek more information regarding their health conditions, proposed treatments, and current medications. This article describes the training format, barriers to implementation, and initial qualitative findings.
The Effects of a Targeted Intervention to Reduce Problem Behaviors
Authors: Todd Anne W. , Campbell Amy L. , Meyer Gwen G. , Horner Robert H.
Published: January 2008

Behavior support in schools is increasingly viewed as a three-tier prevention effort in which universal interventions are used for primary prevention, targeted interventions are used for secondary prevention, and intensive interventions are used for tertiary prevention. A growing body of research has demonstrated the effectiveness of targeted interventions in decreasing the frequency of problem behaviors. The Check In—Check Out Program (CICO) is becoming a recognized targeted intervention. The present study examines if there is a functional relation between the implementation of CICO and a reduction in problem behaviors. Results indicate that implementation of CICO with four elementary school—age boys was functionally related to a reduction in problem behavior. Clinical and conceptual implications of these results, methodological limitations, and future research directions are reviewed.
Implementing Visually Cued Imitation Training With Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders and Developmental Delays
Authors: Ganz Jennifer B. , Bourgeois Bethany C. , Flores Margaret M. , Campos B. Adriana
Published: January 2008

Clearly, imitation is linked to a variety of skill areas. As a result, children with autism and developmental delays are less likely than their typical peers to perform well in many areas of development, including play and speech. The purpose of this study was to determine if a simple, teacher-friendly strategy could be implemented that would affect peer imitation skills in children with autism spectrum and developmental disorders. A single-subject multiple baseline design was applied across four participants to determine the impact of a multicomponent visually cued imitation strategy. Results indicated that participants' imitation skills increased and reliance on physical prompts decreased. The results are discussed in terms of the amount of imitation that occurred, the level of prompts used, and the activities engaged in.
Technical Adequacy of the Functional Assessment Checklist: Teachers and Staff (FACTS) FBA Interview Measure
Authors: McIntosh Kent , Borgmeier Chris , Anderson Cynthia M. , Horner Robert H. , Rodriguez Billie Jo , Tobin Tary J.
Published: January 2008

With the recent increase in the use of functional behavior assessment (FBA) in school settings, there has been an emphasis in practice on the development and use of effective, efficient methods of conducting FBAs, particularly indirect assessment tools such as interviews. There are both benefits and drawbacks to these tools, and their technical adequacy is often unknown. This article presents a framework for assessing the measurement properties of FBA interview tools and uses this framework to assess evidence for reliability and validity of one interview tool, the Functional Assessment Checklist: Teachers and Staff (FACTS; March et al., 2000). Results derived from 10 research studies using the FACTS indicate strong evidence of test—retest reliability and interobserver agreement, moderate to strong evidence of convergent validity with direct observation and functional analysis procedures, strong evidence of treatment utility, and strong evidence of social validity. Results are discussed in terms of future validation research for FBA methods and tools.
Molecular evolution of the cytochrome c oxidase subunit 5 A gene in primates
Authors: Uddin Monica , Opazo Juan C , Wildman Derek E , Sherwood Chet C , Hof Patrick R , Goodman Morris , Grossman Lawrence I
Published: January 2008

Background

Many electron transport chain (ETC) genes show accelerated rates of nonsynonymous nucleotide substitutions in anthropoid primate lineages, yet in non-anthropoid lineages the ETC proteins are typically highly conserved. Here, we test the hypothesis that COX5A, the ETC gene that encodes cytochrome c oxidase subunit 5A, shows a pattern of anthropoid-specific adaptive evolution, and investigate the distribution of this protein in catarrhine brains.

Results

In a dataset comprising 29 vertebrate taxa, including representatives from all major groups of primates, there is nearly 100% conservation of the COX5A amino acid sequence among extant, non-anthropoid placental mammals. The most recent common ancestor of these species lived about 100 million years (MY) ago. In contrast, anthropoid primates show markedly elevated rates of nonsynonymous evolution. In particular, branch site tests identify five positively selected codons in anthropoids, and ancestral reconstructions infer that substitutions in these codons occurred predominantly on stem lineages (anthropoid, ape and New World monkey) and on the human terminal branch. Examination of catarrhine brain samples by immunohistochemistry characterizes for the first time COX5A protein distribution in the primate neocortex, and suggests that the protein is most abundant in the mitochondria of large-size projection neurons. Real time quantitative PCR supports previous microarray results showing COX5A is expressed in cerebral cortical tissue at a higher level in human than in chimpanzee or gorilla.

Conclusion

Taken together, these results suggest that both protein structural and gene regulatory changes contributed to COX5A evolution during humankind's ancestry. Furthermore, these findings are consistent with the hypothesis that adaptations in ETC genes contributed to the emergence of the energetically expensive anthropoid neocortex.
Complications and safety aspects of kyphoplasty for osteoporotic vertebral fractures: a prospective follow-up study in 102 consecutive patients
Authors: Robinson Yohan , Tschöke Sven Kevin , Stahel Philip F , Kayser Ralph , Heyde Christoph E
Published: January 2008

Background

Kyphoplasty represents an established minimal-invasive method for correction and augmentation of osteoporotic vertebral fractures. Reliable data on perioperative and postoperative complications are lacking in the literature. The present study was designed to evaluate the incidence and patterns of perioperative complications in order to determine the safety of this procedure for patients undergoing kyphoplasty.

Patients and Methods

We prospectively enrolled 102 consecutive patients (82 women and 20 men; mean age 69) with 135 operatively treated fractured vertebrae who underwent a kyphoplasty between January 2004 to June 2006. Clinical and radiological follow-up was performed for up 6 months after surgery.

Results

Preoperative pain levels, as determined by the visual analogous scale (VAS) were 7.5 +/- 1.3. Postoperative pain levels were significantly reduced at day 1 after surgery (VAS 2.3 +/- 2.2) and at 6-month follow-up (VAS 1.4 +/- 0.9). Fresh vertebral fractures at adjacent levels were detected radiographically in 8 patients within 6 months. Two patients had a loss of reduction with subsequent sintering of the operated vertebrae and secondary spinal stenosis. Accidental cement extravasation was detected in 7 patients in the intraoperative radiographs. One patient developed a postoperative infected spondylitis at the operated level, which was treated by anterior corporectomy and 360 degrees fusion. Another patient developed a superficial wound infection which required surgical revision. Postoperative bleeding resulting in a subcutaneous haematoma evacuation was seen in one patient.

Conclusion

The data from the present study imply that percutaneous kyphoplasty can be associated with severe intra- and postoperative complications. This minimal-invasive surgical procedure should therefore be performed exclusively by spine surgeons who have the capability of managing perioperative complications.
Anti-inflammatory effect of antidiabetic thiazolidinediones prevents bone resorption rather than cartilage changes in experimental polyarthritis
Authors: Koufany Meriem , Moulin David , Bianchi Arnaud , Muresan Mikhaela , Sebillaud Sylvie , Netter Patrick , Weryha Georges , Jouzeau Jean-Yves
Published: January 2008

Background

Rosiglitazone and pioglitazone are high-affinity peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)-γ agonists with potent anti-diabetic properties and potential anti-inflammatory effects. We compared the ability of a range of oral doses of these thiazolidinediones, including those sufficient to restore insulin sensitization, to inhibit the pathogenesis of adjuvant-induced arthritis (AIA).

Methods

AIA was induced in Lewis rats by a subcutaneous injection of 1 mg of complete Freund's adjuvant. Rats were treated orally for 21 days with pioglitazone 3, 10 or 30 mg/kg/day, rosiglitazone 3 or 10 mg/kg/day, or with vehicle only. The time course of AIA was evaluated by biotelemetry to monitor body temperature and locomotor activity, by clinical score and plethysmographic measurement of hindpaw oedema. At necropsy, RT-PCR analysis was performed on synovium, liver and subcutaneous fat. Changes in cartilage were evaluated by histological examination of ankle joints, radiolabelled sulphate incorporation (proteoglycan synthesis), glycosaminoglycan content (proteoglycan turnover) and aggrecan expression in patellar cartilage. Whole-body bone mineral content was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry.

Results

The highest doses of rosiglitazone (10 mg/kg/day) or pioglitazone (30 mg/kg/day) were required to reduce fever peaks associated with acute or chronic inflammation, respectively, and to decrease arthritis severity. At these doses, thiazolidinediones reduced synovitis and synovial expression of TNF-α, IL-1β and basic fibroblast growth factor without affecting neovascularization or the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor. Thiazolidinediones failed to prevent cartilage lesions and arthritis-induced inhibition of proteoglycan synthesis, aggrecan mRNA level or glycosaminoglycan content in patellar cartilage, but reduced bone erosions and inflammatory bone loss. A trend towards lower urinary levels of deoxipyridinolin was also noted in arthritic rats treated with thiazolidinediones. Rosiglitazone 10 mg/kg/day or pioglitazone 30 mg/kg/day increased the expression of PPAR-γ and adiponectin in adipose tissue, confirming that they were activating PPAR-γ in inflammatory conditions, although an increase in fat mass percentage was observed for the most anti-arthritic dose.

Conclusion

These data emphasize that higher dosages of thiazolidinediones are required for the treatment of arthritis than for restoring insulin sensitivity but that thiazolidinediones prevent inflammatory bone loss despite exposing animals to increased fatness possibly resulting from excessive activation of PPAR-γ.
Impact of invasive fungal infection on outcomes of severe sepsis: a multicenter matched cohort study in critically ill surgical patients
Authors: Xie Guo-Hao , Fang Xiang-Ming , Fang Qiang , Wu Xin-Min , Jin Yu-Hong , Wang Jun-Lu , Guo Qu-Lian , Gu Miao-Ning , Xu Qiu-Ping , Wang Dong-Xin , Yao Shang-Long , Yuan Shi-Ying , Du Zhao-Hui , Sun Yun-Bo , Wang Hai-Hong , Wu Shui-Jing , Cheng Bao-Li
Published: January 2008

Introduction

Fungal infection is increasingly common in critical illness with severe sepsis, but the influence of invasive fungal infection (IFI) on severe sepsis is not well understood. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact that IFI has on the outcomes of critically ill surgical patients with severe sepsis in China by means of matched cohort analysis; we also evaluated the epidemiologic characteristics of IFI in this population.

Methods

Records for all admissions to 10 university hospital surgical intensive care units (ICUs) from December 2004 to November 2005 were reviewed. Patients who met criteria for severe sepsis were included. IFI was identified using established criteria based on microbiologic or histological evidence. A matched cohort study was conducted to analyze the relationship between IFI and outcomes of severe sepsis.

Results

A total of 318 patients with severe sepsis were enrolled during the study period, of whom 90 (28.3%) were identified as having IFI. A total of 100 strains of fungi (58% Candida albicans) were isolated from these patients. Independent risk factors for IFI in patients with severe sepsis included mechanical ventilation (>3 days), Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation score, coexisting infection with both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, and urethral catheterization (>3 days). Compared with the control cohort, IFI was associated with increased hospital mortality (P < 0.001), high hospital costs (P = 0.038), and prolonged stay in the ICU (P < 0.001) and hospital (P = 0.020).

Conclusion

IFI is frequent in patients with severe sepsis in surgical ICUs and is associated with excess risk for hospital mortality, longer ICU and hospital stays, and greater consumption of medical resources.
Roles of Clinical Criteria, Computed Tomography Scan, and Adrenal Vein Sampling in Differential Diagnosis of Primary Aldosteronism Subtypes
Authors: Mulatero Paolo , Bertello Chiara , Rossato Denis , Mengozzi Giulio , Milan Alberto , Garrone Corrado , Giraudo Giuseppe , Passarino Giorgio , Garabello Domenica , Verhovez Andrea , Rabbia Franco , Veglio Franco
Published: January 2008

Context: In patients with primary aldosteronism (PA), it is fundamental to distinguish between subtypes that benefit from different therapies. Computed tomography (CT) scans lack sensitivity and specificity and must be followed by adrenal venous sampling (AVS). Because AVS is not widely available, a list of clinical criteria that indicate the presence of an aldosterone-producing adenoma (APA) has been suggested.

Objective and Design: The objective of the study was to test the sensitivity and specificity of the last generation CT scans, test prospectively the usefulness of clinical criteria in the diagnosis of APA, and develop a flow chart to be used when AVS is not easily available.

Setting: Hypertensive patients referred to our hypertension unit were included in our study.

Patients: Seventy-one patients with confirmed PA participated in our study.

Intervention: All patients had a CT scan and underwent AVS.

Main Outcome Measure: Final diagnosis of APA was the main measure.

Results: A total of 44 and 56% of patients were diagnosed as having an APA and a bilateral adrenal hyperplasia (BAH), respectively. Twenty percent of patients with PA displayed hypokalemia. CT scans displayed a sensitivity of 0.87 and a specificity of 0.71. The posture test displayed a lower sensitivity and specificity (0.64 and 0.70, respectively). The distribution grades of hypertension were not significantly different between APA and BAH. Biochemical criteria of high probability of APA displayed a sensitivity of 0.32 and a specificity of 0.95.

Conclusions: This study underlines the central role of AVS in the subtype diagnosis of PA. The use of the clinical criteria to distinguish between APA and BAH did not display a satisfactory diagnostic power.
A Class of Infinite-Dimensional Diffusion Processes with Connection to Population Genetics
Authors: Feng Shui , Wang Feng-Yu
Published: January 2008

Starting from a sequence of independent Wright-Fisher diffusion processes on [0, 1], we construct a class of reversible infinite-dimensional diffusion processes on Δ∞:= {x∈ [0, 1]N: ∑i≥1xi= 1} with GEM distribution as the reversible measure. Log-Sobolev inequalities are established for these diffusions, which lead to the exponential convergence of the corresponding reversible measures in the entropy. Extensions are made to a class of measure-valued processes over an abstract spaceS. This provides a reasonable alternative to the Fleming-Viot process, which does not satisfy the log-Sobolev inequality whenSis infinite as observed by Stannat (2000).
A Gamma Activity Time Process with Noninteger Parameter and Self-Similar Limit
Authors: Finlay Richard , Seneta Eugene
Published: January 2008

We construct a process with gamma increments, which has a given convex autocorrelation function and asymptotically a self-similar limit. This construction validates the use of long-range dependent t and variance-gamma subordinator models for actual financial data as advocated in Heyde and Leonenko (2005) and Finlay and Seneta (2006), in that it allows for noninteger-valued model parameters to occur as found empirically by data fitting.
An Exponential Continuous-Time GARCH Process
Authors: Haug Stephan , Czado Claudia
Published: January 2008

In this paper we introduce an exponential continuous-time GARCH(p, q) process. It is defined in such a way that it is a continuous-time extension of the discrete-time EGARCH(p, q) process. We investigate stationarity, mixing, and moment properties of the new model. An instantaneous leverage effect can be shown for the exponential continuous-time GARCH(p, p) model.
Long-Range Dependence of Markov Chains in Discrete Time on Countable State Space
Authors: Carpio K. J. E. , Daley D. J.
Published: January 2008

When {Xn} is an irreducible, stationary, aperiodic Markov chain on the countable state space X = {i, j,…}, the study of long-range dependence of any square integrable functional {Yn} := {yXn} of the chain, for any real-valued function {yi: i ∈ X}, involves in an essential manner the functions Qijn = ∑r=1n(pijr − πj), where pijr = P{Xr = j | X0 = i} is the r-step transition probability for the chain and {πi: i ∈ X} = P{Xn = i} is the stationary distribution for {Xn}. The simplest functional arises when Yn is the indicator sequence for visits to some particular state i, Ini = I{Xn=i} say, in which case limsupn→∞n−1var(Y1 + ∙ ∙ ∙ + Yn) = limsupn→∞n−1 var(Ni(0, n]) = ∞ if and only if the generic return time random variable Tii for the chain to return to state i starting from i has infinite second moment (here, Ni(0, n] denotes the number of visits of Xr to state i in the time epochs {1,…,n}). This condition is equivalent to Qjin → ∞ for one (and then every) state j, or to E(Tjj2) = ∞ for one (and then every) state j, and when it holds, (Qijn / πj) / (Qkkn / πk) → 1 for n → ∞ for any triplet of states i, jk.
Distributions of the Longest Excursions in a Tied Down Simple Random Walk and in a Brownian Bridge
Authors: Lindell Andreas , Holst Lars
Published: January 2008

Expressions for the joint distribution of the longest and second longest excursions as well as the marginal distributions of the three longest excursions in the Brownian bridge are obtained. The method, which primarily makes use of the weak convergence of the random walk to the Brownian motion, principally gives the possibility to obtain any desired joint or marginal distribution. Numerical illustrations of the results are also given.
The Downtime Distribution After a Failure of a System with Multistate Independent Components
Authors: Pievatolo Antonio
Published: January 2008

Aven and Jensen (1999) proposed an approximation to the downtime distribution for arbitrary coherent systems with binary and independent repairable components, where each component follows an alternating renewal process. The approximation is based on a mixture of the duration distributions of the cut sets in the system. We extend this approach to coherent systems composed by multistate independent components, where every component follows a semi-Markov process and where we introduce the concept of a minimal cut set in the multistate setting. We test our proposal on a simple power demand-generation system, by comparing the analytic approximation with simulation results, and we find it is accurate when the system is highly available.
Tail Asymptotics for the Queue Size Distribution in an M/G/1 Retrial Queue
Authors: Kim Jerim , Kim Bara , Ko Sung-Seok
Published: January 2008

We consider an M/G/1 retrial queue, where the service time distribution has a finite exponential moment. We show that the tail of the queue size distribution is asymptotically given by a geometric function multiplied by a power function. The result is obtained by investigating analytic properties of probability generating functions for the queue size and the server state.
Negative Association Does not Imply Log-Concavity of the Rank Sequence
Authors: Markström Klas
Published: January 2008

We present a minimum counterexample to the conjecture that a negatively associated random variable has an ultra-log-concave rank sequence. The rank sequence does not in fact even need to be unimodal.
Localization and diversity of 185/333 proteins from the purple sea urchin – unexpected protein-size range and protein expression in a new coelomocyte type
Authors: Brockton Virginia , Henson John H. , Raftos David A. , Majeske Audrey J. , Kim Young-Ok , Smith L. Courtney
Published: January 2008

The current paradigm proposes that the innate immune systems of invertebrates are much more complex than previously thought. The highly diverse 185/333 gene family in the purple sea urchin encodes a family of closely related proteins of varying length and sequence composition. Subsets of small phagocytes and polygonal cells express 185/333 proteins with localization on the surface of the small phagocytes and within perinuclear vesicles in both cell types. In short-term cultures, coelomocytes form small aggregates that progress to syncytia that are thought to be equivalent to encapsulation in vivo. These aggregates were found to be enriched for 185/333-positive (185/333+) small phagocytes. In response to lipopolysaccharide challenge, coelomocytes transiently increased, including frequencies of both 185/333+ and 185/333-negative (185/333–) small phagocytes and 185/333+ polygonal cells. The 185/333 proteins were present in a broad array of sizes, most of which were larger than that predicted from the cDNAs. Recombinant 185/333 proteins expressed in bacteria and insect cells were also larger than expected, suggesting that the proteins dimerize and multimerize. The diversity of the 185/333 proteins, their expression in response to immune challenge, and their cellular localization suggests this protein family and the small phagocytes have an important immunological role in the sea urchin.
Overexpression of EPHA2 receptor destabilizes adherens junctions via a RhoA-dependent mechanism
Authors: Fang Wei Bin , Ireton Reneé C. , Zhuang Guanglei , Takahashi Takamune , Reynolds Al , Chen Jin
Published: January 2008

EPHA2 receptor tyrosine kinase is overexpressed in several human cancer types and promotes malignancy. However, the mechanisms by which EPHA2 promotes tumor progression are not completely understood. Here we report that overexpression of a wild-type EPHA2, but not a signaling-defective cytoplasmic truncation mutant (ΔC), in human mammary epithelial cells weakens E-cadherin-mediated cell-cell adhesion. Interestingly, the total level of cadherins and the composition of the adherens junction complexes were not affected, nor was the tyrosine phosphorylation of the cadherin complex components changed. By contrast, RhoA GTPase activity was significantly affected by modulating the EPHA2 activity in MCF-10A cells. Treatment with a ROCK kinase inhibitor rescued cell-cell adhesion defects in EPHA2-overexpressing cells, whereas expression of constitutively activated Rho disrupted adherens junctions in ΔC-expressing cells. EPHA2-dependent Rho activation and destabilization of adherens junctions appeared to be regulated via a signaling pathway involving Src kinase, low molecular weight phosphotyrosine phosphatase (LMW-PTP) and p190 RhoGAP. EPHA2 interacted with both Src and LMW-PTP, and the interactions increased in EPHA2-overexpressing cells. In addition, LMW-PTP phosphatase activity was elevated, and this elevation was accompanied by a decrease in tyrosine phosphorylation of p190 RhoGAP and destabilization of cell-cell adhesion. Expression of either a dominant negative LMW-PTP mutant, C12S, or a wild-type p190 RhoGAP rescued adhesion defects in EPHA2-overexpressing cells. Together, these data suggest that EPHA2 promotes tumor malignancy through a mechanism involving RhoA-dependent destabilization of adherens junctions.
STAT1 and STAT3 do not participate in FGF-mediated growth arrest in chondrocytes
Authors: Krejci Pavel , Salazar Lisa , Goodridge Helen S. , Kashiwada Tamara A. , Schibler Matthew J. , Jelinkova Petra , Thompson Leslie Michels , Wilcox William R.
Published: January 2008

Activating mutations in fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 (FGFR3) cause several human skeletal dysplasias as a result of attenuation of cartilage growth. It is believed that FGFR3 inhibits chondrocyte proliferation via activation of signal transducers and activators of transcription (STAT) proteins, although the exact mechanism of both STAT activation and STAT-mediated inhibition of chondrocyte growth is unclear. We show that FGFR3 interacts with STAT1 in cells and is capable of activating phosphorylation of STAT1 in a kinase assay, thus potentially serving as a STAT1 kinase in chondrocytes. However, as demonstrated by western blotting with phosphorylation-specific antibodies, imaging of STAT nuclear translocation, STAT transcription factor assays and STAT luciferase reporter assays, FGF does not activate STAT1 or STAT3 in RCS chondrocytes, which nevertheless respond to a FGF stimulus with potent growth arrest. Moreover, addition of active STAT1 and STAT3 to the FGF signal, by means of cytokine treatment, SRC-mediated STAT activation or expression of constitutively active STAT mutants does not sensitize RCS chondrocytes to FGF-mediated growth arrest. Since FGF-mediated growth arrest is rescued by siRNA-mediated downregulation of the MAP kinase ERK1/2 but not STAT1 or STAT3, our data support a model whereby the ERK arm but not STAT arm of FGF signaling in chondrocytes accounts for the growth arrest phenotype.
Medication Adherence Following Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery: Assessment of Beliefs and Attitudes
Authors: Khanderia Ujjaini , Townsend Kevin A , Erickson Steven R , Vlasnik Jon , Prager Richard L , Eagle Kim A
Published: January 2008

Background:

The medication management of patients following coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery may include antiplatelet agents, β-blockers. angio-tensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, and statins. However, poor adherence is common, and patient attitudes and beliefs ptay a role in adherence.

Objective:

To evaluate the association between self-reported adherence and the beliefs patients have about cardiovascular medicines used after CABG.

Methods:

Adults were surveyed 6–24 months following CABG. The validated Beliefs about Medicines Questionnaire (BMQ) assessed attitudes concerning the Specific Necessity, Specific Concerns, General Harm, and General Overuse of medicines. The validated medication adherence scale assessed self-reported adherence. Analysis included univariate comparison (BMQ scales) and multivariate logistic regression (identification of adherence predictor variables).

Results:

Of 387 patients surveyed, 132 (34%) completed the questionnaire. Nonparticipants were more likely to be female and have undergone 1- or 2-vessel CABG procedures compared with 3- or 4-vessel procedures. Subjects were primarily English-speaking, white, and male. Adherent behavior was reported in 73 of 132 patients (55%). The average period between CABG and the survey was 16 months. Nonadherent patients were in stronger agreement on the General Overuse (p = 0.01) and General Harm (p = 0.04) scales. The adjusted odds of adherent behavior were significantly lower, with an increasing General Overuse score (OR 0.83; 95% CI 0.72 to 0.95; p = 0.007); an annual income of $50,000 to $100,000 relative to less than $20,000 (OR 0.36; 95% CI 0.14 to 0.91; p = 0.031), and a living status of “alone” compared with “with adults and no children” (OR 0.20; 95% CI 0.06 to 0.65; p = 0.007). The odds ratio of self-reported adherence was higher with increasing age (OR 1.05; 95% CI 1.01 to 1.09; p = 0.023).

Conclusions:

In summary, patient beliefs and attitudes regarding medications, along with other social, economic, and demographic factors, help explain differences in self-reported adherence to standard drug therapy following CABG.
Potential Use of Statins to Prevent Atrial Fibrillation After Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery
Authors: Howard Patricia A , Barnes Brian J
Published: January 2008

Objective:

To review the published literature evaluating the effectiveness of statin therapy for preventing postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF) after coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery,

Data Sources:

A MEDLINE search was performed (1950–October 2007) using the search terms statins, HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors, coronary artery bypass graft, cardiac surgery, and atrial fibrillation,

Study Selection and Data Extraction:

All articles published in English describing or evaluating the use of statins in humans to prevent atrial fibrillation (AF) were included. Additional pertinent articles were identified from reference lists.

Data Synthesis:

POAF is a common complication following CABG surgery that is associated with significant morbidity. Current preventive strategies include the use of β-blockers and antiarrhythmic drugs such as amiodarono and Sotalol. Accumulating evidence suggests that statins may also reduce the risk of POAF. Numerous studies in nonsurgical cardiovascular patients have found reduced rates of AF with statins. In patients who have undergone CABG, several observational studies have also documented benefit. One randomized controlled trial reported a significant reduction in the risk of POAF and reduced length of hospital stay in patients given preoperative atorvastatin beginning 7 days before surgery. Ongoing research suggests that statins may reduce the risk of AF through pleiotropic effects independent of cholesterol lowering such as reductions in inflammation, oxidative damage, neurohormonal activation, and thrombosis.

Conclusions:

While the current evidence evaluating the use of statins to prevent POAF is encouraging, definitive conclusions cannot be drawn. However, because statins are widely used in cardiac patients for other indications and are not associated with the risks inherent to antiarrhythmic drugs, their value as an adjunct to current preventive strategies (or POAF deserves further study. Additional research is needed to examine the effectiveness of statins in risk-stratified patients undergoing CABG surgery and the impact on patient outcomes and attributed costs.
Characterization of V-defects in InGaN Single Quantum Well Films at the Nanometer Level by High-Spatial-Resolution Cathodoluminescence Spectroscopy
Authors: Yoshikawa M. , Murakami M. , Ishida H. , Harima H.
Published: January 2008

We have developed a new scanning electron microscope (SEM) equipped with a Schottky emission (SE) gun that produces a high probe current at an acceleration voltage of less than 5 kV and a cathodoluminescence (CL) spectroscopic system (SE-SEM-CL) equipped with an SE gun and a newly designed parabolic mirror that has a very short working distance of 9 mm in order to enhance the spatial resolution of CL spectroscopy. We have studied CL spectral variations in the vicinity of V-defects in InGaN single quantum well (SQW) film by measuring its CL spectra at the nanometer level, using our SE-SEM-CL system. It has been found that the peak intensity and peak wavelength of the CL peak around 454 nm assigned to the quantum wells emission of the InGaN SQW layer significantly change in the vicinity of the V-defects. We have considered that the change in the peak wavelength is mainly caused by a change in the In content in the InGaN SQW layer. Our SE-SEM-CL has a spatial resolution of less than 40 nm for the InGaN SQW layer.
Ctip2Controls the Differentiation of Medium Spiny Neurons and the Establishment of the Cellular Architecture of the Striatum
Authors: Arlotta Paola , Molyneaux Bradley J. , Jabaudon Denis , Yoshida Yutaka , Macklis Jeffrey D.
Published: January 2008

Striatal medium spiny neurons (MSN) are critically involved in motor control, and their degeneration is a principal component of Huntington's disease. We find that the transcription factorCtip2(also known asBcl11b) is central to MSN differentiation and striatal development. Within the striatum, it is expressed by all MSN, although it is excluded from essentially all striatal interneurons. In the absence ofCtip2, MSN do not fully differentiate, as demonstrated by dramatically reduced expression of a large number of MSN markers, including DARPP-32, FOXP1, Chrm4, Reelin, MOR1 (μ-opioid receptor 1), glutamate receptor 1, and Plexin-D1. Furthermore, MSN fail to aggregate into patches, resulting in severely disrupted patch-matrix organization within the striatum. Finally, heterotopic cellular aggregates invade theCtip2−/−striatum, suggesting a failure by MSN to repel these cells in the absence ofCtip2. This is associated with abnormal dopaminergic innervation of the mutant striatum and dramatic changes in gene expression, including dysregulation of molecules involved in cellular repulsion. Together, these data indicate thatCtip2is a critical regulator of MSN differentiation, striatal patch development, and the establishment of the cellular architecture of the striatum.
The Representation of Stimulus Orientation in the Early Stages of Somatosensory Processing
Authors: Bensmaia Sliman J. , Denchev Peter V. , Dammann J. Francis , Craig James C. , Hsiao Steven S.
Published: January 2008

At an early stage of processing, a stimulus is represented as a set of contours. In the representation of form, a critical feature of these local contours is their orientation. In the present study, we investigate the representation of orientation at the somatosensory periphery and in primary somatosensory cortex. We record the responses of mechanoreceptive afferents and of neurons in areas 3b and 1 to oriented bars and edges using a variety of stimulus conditions. We find that orientation is not explicitly represented in the responses of single afferents, but a large proportion of orientation detectors (∼50%) can be found in areas 3b and 1. Many neurons in both areas exhibit orientation tuning that is preserved across modes of stimulus presentation (scanned vs indented) and is relatively insensitive to other stimulus parameters, such as amplitude and speed, and to the nature of the stimulus, bar or edge. Orientation-selective neurons tend to be more SA (slowly adapting)-like than RA (rapidly adapting)-like, and the strength of the orientation signal is strongest during the sustained portion of the response to a statically indented bar. The most orientation-selective neurons in SI are comparable in sensitivity with that measured in humans. Finally, responses of SI neurons to bars and edges can be modeled with a high degree of accuracy using Gaussian or Gabor filters. The similarity in the representations of orientation in the visual and somatosensory systems suggests that analogous neural mechanisms mediate early visual and tactile form processing.
Organization and Function of the Blood–Brain Barrier inDrosophila
Authors: Stork Tobias , Engelen Daniel , Krudewig Alice , Silies Marion , Bainton Roland J. , Klämbt Christian
Published: January 2008

The function of a complex nervous system depends on an intricate interplay between neuronal and glial cell types. One of the many functions of glial cells is to provide an efficient insulation of the nervous system and thereby allowing a fine tuned homeostasis of ions and other small molecules. Here, we present a detailed cellular analysis of the glial cell complement constituting the blood–brain barrier inDrosophila. Using electron microscopic analysis and single cell-labeling experiments, we characterize different glial cell layers at the surface of the nervous system, the perineurial glial layer, the subperineurial glial layer, the wrapping glial cell layer, and a thick layer of extracellular matrix, the neural lamella. To test the functional roles of these sheaths we performed a series of dye penetration experiments in the nervous systems of wild-type and mutant embryos. Comparing the kinetics of uptake of different sized fluorescently labeled dyes in different mutants allowed to conclude that most of the barrier function is mediated by the septate junctions formed by the subperineurial cells, whereas the perineurial glial cell layer and the neural lamella contribute to barrier selectivity against much larger particles (i.e., the size of proteins). We further compare the requirements of different septate junction components for the integrity of the blood–brain barrier and provide evidence that two of the six Claudin-like proteins found inDrosophilaare needed for normal blood–brain barrier function.
Intrinsic Mechanisms for Adaptive Gain Rescaling in Barrel Cortex
Authors: Díaz-Quesada Marta , Maravall Miguel
Published: January 2008

Barrel cortex neuronal responses adapt to changes in the statistics of complex whisker stimuli. This form of adaptation involves an adjustment in the input–output tuning functions of the neurons, such that their gain rescales depending on the range of the current stimulus distribution. Similar phenomena have been observed in other sensory systems, suggesting that adaptive adjustment of responses to ongoing stimulus statistics is an important principle of sensory function. In other systems, adaptation and gain rescaling can depend on intrinsic properties; however, in barrel cortex, whether intrinsic mechanisms can contribute to adaptation to stimulus statistics is unknown. To examine this, we performed whole-cell patch-clamp recordings of pyramidal cells in acute slices while injecting stochastic current stimuli. We induced changes in statistical context by switching across stimulus distributions. The firing rates of neurons adapted in response to changes in stimulus statistics. Adaptation depended on the form of the changes in stimulus distribution:in vivo-like adaptation occurred only for rectified stimuli that maintained neurons in a persistent state of net depolarization. Under these conditions, neurons rescaled the gain of their input–output functions according to the scale of the stimulus distribution, as observedin vivo. This stimulus-specific adaptation was caused by intrinsic properties and correlated strongly with the amplitude of calcium-dependent slow afterhyperpolarizations. Our results suggest that widely expressed intrinsic mechanisms participate in barrel cortex adaptation but that their recruitment is highly stimulus specific.
A Broader View of Musical Exoticism
Authors: LOCKE RALPH P.
Published: January 2008

Most previous writings on musical exoticism reflect the unspoken assumption that a work is perceived by the listener as exotic only if it incorporates distinctively foreign or otherwise highly unusual elements of musical style. This “Exotic Style Only” Paradigm often proves revelatory, especially for purely instrumental works. In operas and other musicodramatic works set in exotic locales, by contrast, music is heard within a narrative “frame” that shapes the listener's response. Yet the existing literature on “the exotic in music” tends to restrict its attention to those few scenes or passages (in such works) that “sound non-Western.” It also tends to leave unmentioned the many Baroque-era operas and dramatic oratorios that focus on despicable Eastern tyrants.

The present article proposes an “All the Music in Full Context” Paradigm to help make sense of a variety of exotic portrayals that are strikingly diverse in message and means: 1) Les Indes galantes (Rameau's application of standard musico-rhetorical devices to manipulative and anti-colonialist speeches by the Peruvian leader Huascar); 2) Belshazzar (Handel's vivid musical setting of the passage in which the cruel, cowardly Eastern despot seeks oblivion in drink); 3) Bizet's Carmen (the Card Scene, which is notably free of Hispanic or other local color yet, through rigidly recurring devices in voice and orchestra, indelibly limns Carmen's Gypsy fatalism); and 4) three prominent dramatic moments, two of them rarely discussed, in Puccini's Madama Butterfly. In each case, the full range of artistic components—including musical devices that lie within or outside the traditional exotic vocabulary—enriches our understanding of how diversely, powerfully, sometimes disturbingly the exoticizing process can function in genres that combine music with dramatic representation.
“Backwards and backwards ever”: Charles Kingsley's Racial-Historical Allegory and the Liberal Anglican Revisioning of Britain
Authors: Walker Stanwood S.
Published: January 2008

Though widely attested to, Charles Kingsley's influence on Victorian views about race, history, and definitions of the British nation has been subjected to few detailed analyses. The analyses that have been advanced, moreover, fail to take into account a major source for Kingsley's thinking on these subjects: the theocentric and thoroughly racialized historicism of the Liberal Anglicans, who contributed importantly to mid-century debates about race, history, and the nation. This paper examines how Kingsley's appropriation of the Liberal Anglican historical thesis, in particular in the form given it by Christian Socialist leading light F. D. Maurice, inflected his attempts to redefine the British racial-national collective as part of his effort to provide an imagined resolution to present woes during the first half of the 1850s. Focusing on Kingsley's novels of that period, Alton Locke (1850), Hypatia (1853), and Westward Ho! (1855), the paper argues that the success of this endeavor was contingent on Kingsley's ability to formulate a suitable narrative vehicle for his Maurician thesis. His turn to the remote past in Hypatia, the paper argues, was instrumental in enabling him to create such a vehicle, which I term racial-historical allegory, and which he carries over to Westward Ho! The conflicted uses to which history is put in the latter novel, however, causes the racial-historical allegorical form to be steadily eclipsed over the course of the novel, though paradoxically, the paper concludes, the various ambivalences and insconsistencies with which Kingsley's thought and writings are so patently rife actually constituted some of their apparent strengths in his own day (or were at least inseparable from those strengths).
Esfenvalerate-induced case-abandonment in the larvae of the caddisfly (Brachycentrus americanus)
Authors: Johnson Katherine R , Jepson Paul C , Jenkins Jeffrey J
Published: January 2008

Field-collected Brachycentrus americanus Banks (Trichoptera: Brachycentridae) larvae were used to investigate the relationship between esfenvalerate exposure and case-abandonment response, determine larval ability to construct a new case, and measure the change in predation risk to insects in rebuilt cases. We evaluated case-abandonment following four environmentally relevant esfenvalerate exposures, 0.05, 0.1, 0.2, and 0.4 μg/L; 48-h exposures to 0.2 and 0.4 μg/L (nominal) esfenvalerate both resulted in over 60% of larvae abandoning cases and were statistically indistinguishable. Propensity to engage in building behaviors was significantly diminished in 0.2 and 0.4 μg/L esfenvalerate-exposed insects that had abandoned cases, with less than 20% of exposed insects producing cases. Cases built by intoxicated larvae were characterized by a disorganized composition, and required half the pressure to crush versus cases built by nonexposed larvae. Pre-exposing case-building material to 1 μg/L esfenvalerate also reduced the physical strength of rebuilt cases. Larvae inhabiting weaker rebuilt cases and larvae without cases were significantly more susceptible to predation by second year Hesperoperla pacifica Banks (Plecoptera: Perlidae) stonefly nymphs than those in original cases. Overall, we concluded that small behavioral responses can have profound consequences for survival of species and reveal susceptible stages in life-cycles that can be overlooked by conventional approaches to ecological risk assessment.
Estimating bioconcentration factors, lethal concentrations and critical body residues of metals in the mollusks Perna viridis and Mytilus edulis using ion characteristics
Authors: van Kolck Maurits , Huijbregts Mark A.J , Veltman Karin , Hendriks A. Jan
Published: January 2008

Quantitative structure–activity relationships (QSARs) for metal bioconcentration factors (BCF) and median acute lethal water concentrations (LC50) were developed for two species of mollusks, Perna viridis and Mytilus edulis. These endpoints were related to four metal ion characteristics, the covalent index (χ2mr) (r represents the ion radius in Å), the softness index (σp), the hydrolysis constant (Koh) and the ionic index (Z2/r). The BCF and LC50 were significantly correlated to χ2mr. The coefficients of determination r2 for the relationships with other metal descriptors were much lower. Critical body residue (CBR) QSARs were derived by multiplying the χ2mr-based BCF and LC50 regressions. The CBRs were independent of the covalent index χ2mr, as BCF and LC50 scaled to χ2mr with slope that had opposite signs. Comparison of the estimated CBRs with independent empirical values confirmed the predicted trends, but substantial deviations were noted too.
Molecular cloning of estrogen receptors from fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas) and bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus) fish: Limited piscine variation in estrogen receptor–mediated reporter gene transactivation by xenoestrogens
Authors: Sumida Kayo , Saito Koichi
Published: January 2008

Estrogen receptors (ERs) play essential roles in estrogen function. Because they may be targets of environmental chemicals, concern exists that exposure to some anthropogenic agents may result in disruption of endocrine systems in human and wildlife populations. Various kinds of ERs have been reported, and a number of in vitro assays have been established to test hormone-like activity of chemicals. In the present study, cDNAs encoding ERs from fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas) and bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus) fish, which are useful for environmental monitoring, were cloned and sequenced. Four complete, full-length ERα and ERβ cDNA sequences could be derived, with an ATG start site and a TGA termination signal included in each. Fathead minnow ERα has 602 amino acid residues, bluegill ERα1 has 582, bluegill ERα2 has 506, and bluegill ERβ has 554. When the cDNAs were inserted into the pRc/RSV vector and transfected into HeLa cells (derived from cervical cancer cells) with a reporter plasmid, the encoding proteins were confirmed to be functional through interaction of the receptor–ligand complex with the estrogen-responsive element (ERE). Here, we report the analysis of piscine differences in ER-dependent transactivation with some chemicals using reporter gene assays. In agonist assays, fold-induction of luciferase activity significantly varied among ERs, but responsiveness to each chemical demonstrated certain similarities. These reporter gene assays appear to be very useful for estimating adverse effects of chemicals, including hormone-like or antihormone-like activity, in fish.