bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
STAT3 signaling after traumatic brain injury
Authors: Oliva Anthony A. , Kang Yuan , Sanchez‐Molano Juliana , Furones Concepción , Atkins Coleen M.
Published: December 2011

J. Neurochem. (2012) 120, 710–720.

Astrocytes respond to trauma by stimulating inflammatory signaling. In studies of cerebral ischemia and spinal cord injury, astrocytic signaling is mediated by the cytokine receptor glycoprotein 130 (gp130) and Janus kinase (Jak) which phosphorylates the transcription factor signal transducer and activator of transcription‐3 (STAT3). To determine if STAT3 is activated after traumatic brain injury (TBI), adult male Sprague–Dawley rats received moderate parasagittal fluid‐percussion brain injury or sham surgery, and then the ipsilateral cortex and hippocampus were analyzed at various post‐traumatic time periods for up to 7 days. Western blot analyses indicated that STAT3 phosphorylation significantly increased at 30 min and lasted for 24 h post‐TBI. A significant increase in gp130 and Jak2 phosphorylation was also observed. Confocal microscopy revealed that STAT3 was localized primarily within astrocytic nuclei. At 6 and 24 h post‐TBI, there was also an increased expression of STAT3 pathway‐related genes: suppressor of cytokine signaling 3, nitric oxide synthase 2, colony stimulating factor 2 receptor β, oncostatin M, matrix metalloproteinase 3, cyclin‐dependent kinase inhibitor 1A, CCAAT/enhancer‐binding protein β, interleukin‐2 receptor γ, interleukin‐4 receptor α, and α‐2‐macroglobulin. These results clarify some of the signaling pathways operative in astrocytes after TBI and demonstrate that the gp130‐Jak2‐STAT3 signaling pathway is activated after TBI in astrocytes.
Exposing Operations of Power in Supervisory Relationships
Authors: Markham Laurie , Chiu Jane
Published: December 2011

Through a poststructural lens, we examine how power may show itself in relationships between supervisees and supervisors, producing both helpful and harmful effects. Drawing from our own experiences, as well as conversations with other members of our supervisory group, we demonstrate how privileged discourses around professional status, gender, and race may bring about difficulties including a sense of doubt, worry, inadequacy, and a fear of speaking up. We also illustrate how these difficulties can be addressed in a manner that may lessen their influence, while increasing supervisees’ sense of agency.
Occupational Channels for Mexican Migration: New Destination Formation in a Binational Context
Authors: Sanderson Matthew , Painter II Matthew
Published: December 2011

Abstract

In the 1990s, Mexican immigration dispersed spatially, leading to the emergence of many “new destinations,” in nonmetropolitan areas of the United States. Previous studies constrain the scope of the analysis to the United States, limiting our understanding of how new destinations are formed. We place new destination formation into a binational context and emphasize the role of supply‐side immigration dynamics. We argue that occupations in Mexico provide ready‐made paths, or “channels,” for economic incorporation into the United States and that these channels underlie the formation of many new destinations. Using a unique data set on Mexican migration, we estimate a multivariate model that tests for the presence of occupational channels linking analogous sectors of the U.S. and Mexican economies, focusing especially on the food‐processing sector. The results demonstrate that Mexican migration is strongly channeled along occupational lines. There are occupational channels linking each of the major economic sectors in Mexico and the United States, but the effect of channeling is particularly strong in the food‐processing sector. By empirically identifying the existence of occupational channels, this study uncovers a key explanation of new destination formation in many nonmetropolitan areas.
Implementation of the “loaded implant” model in the rat using a miniaturized setup – description of the method and first results
Authors: Wiskott H. W. Anselm , Bonhote Philippe , Cugnoni Joel , Durual Stéphane , Zacchetti Giovanna , Botsis John , Scherrer Susanne S. , Ammann Patrick
Published: December 2011

Objective

To miniaturize the “loaded implant” model to permit its application to small rodents. In this model, two titanium implants are placed 8 mm apart with their heads protruding from the skin and are forced together by a dedicated actuator. To assess the effect of (i) the post‐implantation healing period and the duration of stimulation and (ii) the intratissular strain level on the microtomographical bone parameters BV/TV, Tb.N., Tb.Th. and BIC.

Materials and methods

Implants, 1 × 8 mm, were machined, inserted into the tibiae of rats and activated. A total of 123 animals were used. In series 1, the implants were left to heal for 2/4 weeks and then loaded to generate intratissular strains of 1125 ± 5% με for 4/8 weeks. Series 2 had their implants loaded to 750, 1500 and 2250 ± 5% με, respectively.

Results

Bone to implant contact increased upon loading. In series 1, no difference was observed regarding the duration of healing or the stimulation period. In series 2, at 750 με, the bone parameters did not differ from baseline. At 1500 με, all four parameters increased. At 2250 με, three of four parameters decreased relative to 1500 με.

Conclusions

(i) The loaded implant model can be miniaturized to the millimeter range; (ii) in the present model, implant activation beyond 4 weeks did not affect the bone parameters; (iii) mechanical stimulation increased bone to implant contact by up to 20%; (iv) the results obtained are consistent with the concept of an anabolic effect from 750 to 1500 με and deleterious effects at strains in the 2250 με range; and (v) strains at 2250 με did not lead to implant dis‐integration.
Cutaneous iontophoretic delivery of CGP69669A, a sialyl Lewisx mimetic, in vitro
Authors: Gratieri Taís , Wagner Beatrice , Kalaria Dhaval , Ernst Beat , Kalia Yogeshvar N.
Published: December 2011

Abstract:  The aim was to investigate the feasibility of using iontophoresis for the cutaneous delivery of the E‐selectin antagonist CGP69669A, a sialyl Lewisx‐glycomimetic with potential activity against inflammatory skin diseases. The effects of current density and formulation on iontophoretic transport were evaluated in porcine and human skin in vitro. Cumulative permeation of CGP69669A increased with current density (69.73 ± 9.51, 113.97 ± 26.80 and 160.44 ± 13.79 μg/cm2 at 0.1, 0.3 and 0.5 mA/cm2, respectively) and drug concentration (37.42 ± 13.13, 78.96 ± 23.13 and 160.44 ± 13.79 μg/cm2, at 1, 3 and 5 mg/ml, respectively). In contrast, passive delivery was negligible. Although permeation from a 2% hydroxyethyl cellulose gel was lower than that from aqueous solution, skin deposition – more relevant for the local treatment of dermatological conditions – was 3‐fold higher. The results demonstrated that although CGP69669A cannot be delivered passively into the skin it is an excellent candidate for transdermal iontophoresis, a technique that is ideally suited to the delivery of glycomimetics.
Measuring the Effect of Fertility Decline on the Maternal Mortality Ratio
Authors: Jain Anrudh K.
Published: December 2011

This article proposes a simple method to decompose the overall decline in the maternal mortality ratio (MMR) observed between 1990 and 2008 into two components: decline attributable to fertility decline and decline attributable to safe motherhood programs. This method—illustrated here for three South Asian countries (India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh)—is aimed at helping to properly assess the impact of safe motherhood initiatives on the MMR. The methodology is also applied to estimate the 2015 MMR level implied by low, medium, and high variants of fertility decline assumed by the United Nations, and thus to assess the contribution of future fertility decline in these countries to the achievement of MDG 5 by 2015. The results show that fertility decline in these countries between 1990 and 2008 has made a substantial contribution to the reduction of the MMR and that continued fertility decline between 2008 and 2015 will contribute to the achievement of MDG 5.
Multipotent Stromal Cell Therapy for Cavernous Nerve Injury-Induced Erectile Dysfunction
Authors: Albersen Maarten , Kendirci Muammer , Van der Aa Frank , Hellstrom Wayne J.G. , Lue Tom F. , Spees Jeffrey L.
Published: December 2011

Introduction

Erectile dysfunction (ED) following radical prostatectomy (RP) is a result of inadvertent damage to the cavernous nerves that run close to the prostate capsula. The mechanisms behind the development of post-RP ED are increasingly recognized and include cavernosal fibrosis and cavernosal smooth muscle apoptosis, resulting from cavernous nerve degeneration due to neuropraxia. In recent years, cell-based therapies have received increasing attention regarding their potential for recovery of erectile function following cavernous nerve injury (CNI). Multipotent stromal cells (MSCs) are an attractive cell source for this application based on their regenerative potential and their clinical applicability.

Aim

To review available evidence on the efficacy and mechanisms of action of MSC application for the treatment of ED, with an emphasis on ED following CNI.

Methods

A nonsystematic review was conducted on the available English literature between 1966 and 2011 on the search engines SciVerse-sciencedirect, SciVerse-scopus, Google Scholar, and PubMed.

Results

MSCs from both bone marrow and adipose tissue have shown beneficial effects in a variety of animal models for ED. While MSC application in chronic disease models such as diabetes, aging, and hyperlipidemia may result in cell engraftment and possibly MSC differentiation, this observation has not been made in the acute CNI rat model. In the latter setting, MSC effects seem to be established by cell recruitment toward the major pelvic ganglion and local paracrine interaction with the host neural tissue.

Conclusions

While the type of model may influence the mechanisms of action of this MSC-based therapy, MSCs generally display efficacy in various animal models for ED. Before translation to the clinic is established, various hurdles need to be overcome.
Clitoral Neuroma After Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting: A Rare but Possible Event
Authors: Abdulcadir Jasmine , Pusztaszeri Marc , Vilarino Raquel , Dubuisson Jean-Bernard , Vlastos Anne-Thérèse
Published: December 2011

Introduction

Female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C), in particular, type III, also called infibulation, can cause various long-term complications. However, posttraumatic neuroma of the clitoris is extremely rare; only one case was previously reported in the literature.

Aim

The aim of this study was to describe the case of a patient presenting a clitoral neuroma post-FGM/C in detail and her successful multidisciplinary treatment.

Methods

We report the case of a 24-year-old woman originating from Somalia presenting a type III a–b FGM/C who attended our outpatient clinic at the Geneva University Hospitals complaining of primary dysmenorrhea and a post-mutilation painful clitoral mass. The mass was clinically diagnosed as a cyst and surgically removed. Histopathological analysis revealed that it was a posttraumatic neuroma and a foreign body granuloma around the ancient surgical thread. Our patient was also offered a multidisciplinary counseling by a specialized gynecologist on FGM/C, a sexologist, and a reproductive and sexual health counselor.

Results

One month after surgical treatment, the vulvar pain was over.

Conclusions

This is the second case of clitoral neuroma after FGM/C reported and the first with complete clinical, as well as histopathological documentation and multidisciplinary care. Considering the high frequency of clitoral cysts in case of infibulation, clitoral neuroma should be considered in the differential diagnosis. In this case, if symptomatic, the treatment should be surgery, clinical follow-up, and counseling. If necessary, appropriate sexual therapy should be offered too.
Genetic structure and preservation strategies of autochthonous vegetable crop landraces of north‐western Italy
Authors: Portis E. , Baudino M. , Magurno F. , Lanteri S.
Published: December 2011

A number of horticultural crop landraces are still grown in Piedmont (NW Italy), despite the dominance of improved cultivars and hybrids. Conservation strategies, both in anex situand anin situcontext are required to prevent their loss. Here we describe an AFLP‐based assessment of the genetic structure of leek, garlic, celery, red beet, cultivated cardoon, sweet pepper and common bean autochthonous landraces. Each landrace was sampled by selecting 3–5 populations representative of the area of cultivation. The genotypic data showed that the crop's breeding system was less important for determining genetic structure than the selection criteria adopted by the producers, the extent of informal seed exchange among producers and natural selection imposed by the local environmental conditions. The genotypic data identified alleles which were common, some which were restricted to a particular locality and some which were either infrequent or rare. On this basis, the most representative population(s) for each landrace were recognised and targeted for conservation. The landraces in study differed markedly from one another with respect to their genetic structure, and so they may represent an appropriate reference model for the management of crop landraces grown in fragmented areas and at risk of genetic erosion or extinction.
Balkanizing the primate orbitofrontal cortex: distinct subregions for comparing and contrasting values
Authors: Rudebeck Peter H. , Murray Elisabeth A.
Published: December 2011

The primate orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) is often treated as a single entity, but architectonic and connectional neuroanatomy indicate that it has distinguishable parts. Nevertheless, few studies have attempted to dissociate the functions of its subregions. Here we review findings from recent neuropsychological and neurophysiological studies that do so. The lateral OFC seems to be important for learning, representing, and updating specific object–reward associations. The medial OFC seems to be important for value comparisons and choosing among objects on that basis. Rather than viewing this dissociation of function in terms of learning versus choosing, however, we suggest that it reflects the distinction between contrasts and comparisons: differences versus similarities. Making use of high‐dimensional representations that arise from the convergence of several sensory modalities, the lateral OFC encodes contrasts among outcomes. The medial OFC reduces these contrasting representations of value to a single dimension, a common currency, in order to compare alternative choices.
Population coding and neural rhythmicity in the orbitofrontal cortex
Authors: Pennartz Cyriel M.A. , van Wingerden Marijn , Vinck Martin
Published: December 2011

The orbitofrontal cortex has been implicated in the prediction of valuable outcomes based on environmental stimuli. However, it remains unknown how it represents outcome–predictive information at the population level, and how it provides temporal structure to such representations. Here, we pay attention especially to the population coding of probabilistic reward, and to the importance of orbitofrontal theta‐ and gamma‐band rhythmicity in relation to target areas. When rats learned to associate odors to food outcome with variable likelihood, we found single‐cell and population coding of reward probability, but not uncertainty. In related experiments, reward anticipation correlated to firing activity locking to theta‐band oscillations. In contrast, gamma‐band activity was associated with a firing‐rate suppression of neurons that was most active during goal‐directed movement. Orbitofrontal coding of outcome‐relevant parameters appears bound to all relevant temporal phases of behavioral tasks, has a distributed nature, and is temporally structured according to multiple modes of rhythmicity.
Innovate to Survive: The Effect of Technology Competition on Corporate Bankruptcy
Authors: Eisdorfer Assaf , Hsu Po‐Hsuan
Published: December 2011

This paper establishes a strong relation between technology competition and corporate bankruptcy. Using detailed firm‐level patent data, we show that: 1) the capability of firms to innovate predicts future bankruptcies better than the typical measures such as Z‐score and credit rating, 2) technology‐related bankruptcies are less sensitive to the business cycle and industry success, and 3) firms that go bankrupt as a result of technology competition experience larger declines in earnings and stock prices.
The Impact of the Nature of Relationships on Perceived Burdensomeness and Suicide Ideation in a Community Sample of Older Adults
Authors: Jahn Danielle R. , Cukrowicz Kelly C.
Published: December 2011

Older adults die by suicide at very high rates, and previous research indicates that perceived burdensomeness may contribute to deaths by suicide. In this study, the impact of the nature of relationships on perceived burdensomeness and suicide ideation was examined. Results indicated that older adults’ perceptions of burden on younger generations were associated with greater overall perceived burdensomeness and suicide ideation when compared to the older adults’ own or older generations. Thus, clinicians should examine general perceived burdensomeness as well as the types of relationships the older adult perceives himself or herself to be a burden on.
The Association between Bankruptcy and Hospital‐Presenting Attempted Suicide: A Record Linkage Study
Authors: Kidger Judi , Gunnell David , Jarvik Jeffrey G. , Overstreet Karen A. , Hollingworth William
Published: December 2011

The associations between admissions to an emergency department following attempted suicide and personal bankruptcy in the preceding and subsequent 2 years were evaluated. Records from a level 1 trauma center (June 1993‐December 2002) in Seattle, WA, were linked with case files from the local U.S. District Bankruptcy Court (June 1991 onward). Univariable and multivariable logistic regression models were used to examine the risk of bankruptcy in (i) the 2 years after and (ii) the 2 years before a suicide attempt using a violent method, compared to patients admitted for any other reason. After adjusting for several confounders, patients who had attempted suicide were more likely than other patients to experience bankruptcy in the following 2 years (OR = 2.10, 95% CIs: 1.29, 3.42). A somewhat weaker association was seen with bankruptcy in the preceding 2 years (OR = 1.68, 95% CIs 1.06; 2.67). Attempted suicide is therefore associated with bankruptcy in the preceding and following 2 years. Changes to legislation, improved mental health counselling for those in financial difficulty, and provision of financial advice to those admitted to hospital following a suicide attempt may reduce future cases of serious self‐harm and completed suicide.
Testing the time‐for‐speciation effect in the assembly of regional biotas
Authors: Rabosky Daniel L.
Published: December 2011

1. Rates of evolutionary diversification play a fundamental role in the assembly of regional communities, but the relative balance of diversity‐dependent and diversity‐independent rate control remains controversial. Recent studies have reported a significant relationship between the amount of time a geographic region has been occupied and species richness, implying that feedbacks between species interactions and diversification rates may be less important than diversity‐independent mechanisms in generating regional species pools.

2. Previous analyses of the regional age‐diversity relationship have used a range of metrics to quantify the amount of ‘evolutionary time’ that a region has been occupied, but the relative performance of these metrics has not been quantified.

3. Here, I evaluate the performance of the most commonly used methods and data transformations for assessing the regional age‐diversity relationship.

4. I find that process‐based models of diversification are more appropriate than process‐independent models for evaluating the influence of time on species richness. I also demonstrate that time should not be log‐transformed when testing the regional time‐for‐speciation hypothesis, as in some recent studies.

5. Application of this framework to patterns of elevational richness in several recent studies provides support for a logistic model of diversity accumulation within elevational bands and implies that evolutionary age alone cannot fully account for current species richness.

6. These results indicate that process‐based models, in concert with appropriate data transformation, provide a robust foundation for inference on the causes of regional diversity gradients.
Cultural differences in reward allocation: Is collectivism the explanation?
Authors: Hui C. Harry , Triandis Harry C. , Yee Candice
Published: December 2011

This article examines how reward allocation behaviour is influenced by culture (Chinese vs. American), personality differences (psychological individualism vs. collectivism), social relationships (allocation to one's friend vs. colleague at work), and availability of resources (limited vs. unlimited). Subjects made monetary allocation to themselves and to a partner in a hypothetical situation. Two kinds of deviation from proportional allocation were distinguished. They were egalitarianism and generosity. Results showed that subjects tended to be more egalitarian in their allocation when their contribution had been high. As a group, Chinese subjects were more generous (using an allocation rule that was to the partner's advantage) than American subjects, especially when dealing with friends. Furthermore, when there was no limit on the amount of reward to be distributed, Chinese subjects were more egalitarian than the Americans. Finally, the Chinese subjects' egalitarian tendency away from proportional distribution of rewards was curtailed when collectivism was statistically controlled. However, the same statistical procedure did not reduce their tendency toward generosity. The role of collectivism as an explanation for cross‐cultural differences in reward allocation is discussed.
Everyday explanations for personal debt: A network approach
Authors: Lunt Peter K. , Livingstone Sonia M.
Published: December 2011

Personal debt is a growing problem in modern Britain. There are increasing numbers of people with bad debts, leading to increasing bankruptcy and house repossession. As personal debt is frequently discussed, analysed and explained in both the mass media and everyday conversations, questions arise concerning the nature of people's beliefs, understandings and explanations of debt. Two studies are reported which examine social knowledge of debt amongst ordinary people. People's beliefs about the ways in which the causes of debt operate together as a psychosocial system are examined using network analysis. Implications for beliefs about societal and personal causes of debt, for judgements of social and individual control and responsibility, and for attributional approaches to complex belief systems are discussed.
Adolescent health behaviour and similarity‐attraction: Friends share smoking habits (really), but much else besides
Authors: Eiser J. Richard , Morgan Michelle , Gammage Philip , Brooks Neil , Kirby Rachel
Published: December 2011

Smoking habits and related attitudes were assessed in a sample of 4059 11‐ to 16‐year‐olds who also identified their best friends from among their fellow respondents. Subjects' responses were directly collated with those of their friends and indicated a clear covariation of smoking status (controlling for sex and age) as anticipated from previous research in which adolescents have been asked to report on the smoking habits of their friends. Such covariation, however, was not specific to smoking habits, but generalized to related measures of attitude and normative beliefs, alcohol use, health locus of control, school performance, spending habits and socio‐economic status. Similarities on these other attributes were much the same, whether or not friends shared each others' smoking habits. It is concluded that these data argue against a simplistic view of unidirectional ‘peer group influence’ and invite an interpretation of friendship choice based on multiple dimensions of similarity.
On the definition of perfect equity and the prediction of inequity
Authors: Wagstaff Graham F. , Perfect Tim
Published: December 2011

Despite the popularity of the concept of psychological equity as a principle of distributive justice, attempts to accommodate the assumptions of equity theorists within an algebraic formula have been the source of much controversy. In this article shortcomings with existing formulae are discussed, and a ratio equity formula is proposed, together with a supporting rationale. The formula describes ‘perfect equity’ such that it is possible to describe with some precision ‘degrees of inequity’, and a reanalysis of previous empirical data from Harris (1980) is presented as evidence for the practical utility of this formula.
Relative deprivation and ethnic identity
Authors: Petta Gabrielle , Walker Iain
Published: December 2011

Distinctions are made in the theory of relative deprivation (RD) between cognitive and affective components of RD and between egoistic and fraternalistic types of RD. These two distinctions are crossed to produce four kinds of RD. The present study investigated the links between these four kinds of RD and strength of ethnic identity in a sample of Italian immigrants resident in Perth, Western Australia. Although all four kinds of RD were related to ethnic identity, only cognitive fraternalistic RD emerged with a significant beta weight from a regression analysis predicting ethnic identity. Similar results were found when ethnic identity was broken down into attitudinal and behavioural components. Implications are drawn for the construct validity of RD, and for the links between RD theory and social identity theory.
A comparative study of relationship structure
Authors: Hinde Robert A. , Tamplin Alison , Barrett Jane
Published: December 2011

Interactions with another individual (or category of individuals) are affected by past interactions and by expectations of future ones. So far, however, there has been little study of the structure (in terms of the correlations between interactions of different types) of relationships of particular types, or of behaviour with specified categories of others. This paper presents a comparative study of children's interactions in four social contexts—with mother and with sibling at home, and with peers and teachers in preschool. The structures differ in several respects, and the differences reflect the nature of the relationships concerned. While all consisted of groups of positive and negative interactions, the extent of these groups differed between relationships: in general, they were not directly negatively correlated with each other. In some relationships, the partners played equal roles in initiating interactions, while others were more complementary. In some relationships, long sequences of interactions tended to be more positive than short, and in others the reverse was the case. Some behavioural items had different associations in different contexts, indicating the danger of equating behavioural items across contexts.
Group goals and group performance*
Authors: Weldon Elizabeth , Weingart Laurie R.
Published: December 2011

Many studies show that groups can be used to improve group performance, but a comprehensive explanation for this effect has not been proposed. In this paper, we discuss the social and psychological processes and behavioural responses believed to produce the group goal effect. Actions that managers can take to facilitate the effect are also described.
Similarity revisited: A comparison of similarity—attraction versus dissimilarity—repulsion
Authors: Drigotas Stephen M.
Published: December 2011

Byrne, Clore & Worchel's (1966) similarity‐attraction hypothesis and Rosenbaum's (1986a) dissimilarity‐repulsion hypothesis offer very different explanations concerning similarity phenomena (people with similar attitudes become friends, lovers, etc.). Byrne has long maintained that similarity itself leads to greater attraction. Rosenbaum has recently challenged that position and offers evidence that individuals are initially repulsed by dissimilarity, and then seek out similar others. Two studies were designed directly to compare the variability of each hypothesis using a variation of Byrne's phantom other' technique. After filling out an attitude survey, subjects were privately asked to include or exclude similar or dissimilar others (manipulated in surveys supposedly completed by the other subjects in the experiment but actually constructed by the experimenter) for a group activity. Both the inclusion/exclusion decision and the order in which the decisions were made comprised the measure of attraction. Results of both studies indicate that subjects tend initially to include similar others and then exclude dissimilar others, thus supporting a similarity‐attraction hypothesis. Instructions concerning the group activity were also varied across studies, without affecting the pattern of results. The implications of the method and findings for similarity‐attraction research are discussed.
Small Intestinal Intraepithelial Lymphocytes Expressing CD8 and T Cell Receptor γδ Are Involved in Bacterial Clearance during Salmonella enterica Serovar Typhimurium Infection
Authors: Li Zhiyuan , Zhang Cai , Zhou Zhixia , Zhang Jianhua , Zhang Jian , Tian Zhigang
Published: December 2011

The intestinal immune system is crucial for the maintenance of mucosal homeostasis and has evolved under the dual pressure of protecting the host from pathogenic infection and coexisting with the dense and diverse commensal organisms in the lumen. Intestinal intraepithelial lymphocytes (iIELs) are the first element of the host T cell compartment available to respond to oral infection by pathogens. This study demonstrated that oral infection bySalmonella entericaserovar Typhimurium promoted the expansion of iIELs, particularly CD8+TCRγδ+IELs, enhanced expression of NKG2D on iIELs, increased expression of MULT1, and decreased expression of Qa-1 by intestinal epithelial cells (IECs), leading to activation of, particularly, CD8+TCRγδ+iIELs and cytolytic activity againstS. Typhimurium-infected IECs. Blockade of NKG2D recognition or depletion of TCRγδ+cells using a depleting monoclonal antibody significantly attenuated the clearance ofS. Typhimuriumin the intestine and other tissues. This study suggests that iIELs, particularly CD8+TCRγδ+iIELs, play important roles in the detection of pathogenic bacteria and eradication of infected epithelial cells and, thus, provide protection against invading pathogens. These data further our understanding of the mechanisms by which the immune system of the intestinal mucosa discriminates between pathogenic and commensal organisms.
Development and Evaluation of an Ovine Antibody-Based Platform for Treatment of Clostridium difficile Infection
Authors: Roberts April , McGlashan Joanna , Al-Abdulla Ibrahim , Ling Roger , Denton Harriet , Green Steve , Coxon Ruth , Landon John , Shone Clifford
Published: December 2011

Treatment of
Clostridium difficile
is a major problem as a hospital-associated infection which can cause severe, recurrent diarrhea. The currently available antibiotics are not effective in all cases and alternative treatments are required. In the present study, an ovine antibody-based platform for passive immunotherapy of
C. difficile
infection is described. Antibodies with high toxin-neutralizing titers were generated against
C. difficile
toxins A and B and were shown to neutralize three sequence variants of these toxins (toxinotypes) which are prevalent in human
C. difficile
infection. Passive immunization of hamsters with a mixture of toxin A and B antibodies protected them from a challenge with
C. difficile
spores in a dose-dependent manner. Antibodies to both toxins A and B were required for protection. The administration of toxin A and B antibodies up to 24 h postchallenge was found to reduce significantly the onset of
C. difficile
infection compared to nonimmunized controls. Protection from infection was also demonstrated with key disease isolates (ribotypes 027 and 078), which are members of the hypervirulent
C. difficile
clade. The ribotype 027 and 078 strains also have the capacity to produce an active binary toxin and these data suggest that neutralization of this toxin is unnecessary for the management of infection induced by these strains. In summary, the data suggest that ovine toxin A and B antibodies may be effective in the treatment of
C. difficile
infection; their potential use for the management of severe, fulminant cases is discussed.
Acupuncture for Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy (Cipn): A Pilot Study Using Neurography
Authors: Schroeder Sven , Meyer-Hamme Gesa , Epplée Susanne
Published: December 2011

Objectives

Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) can produce severe neurological deficits and neuropathic pain and is a potential reason for terminating or suspending chemotherapy treatments. Specific and effective curative treatments are lacking.

Methods

A pilot study was conducted to evaluate the therapeutic effect of acupuncture on CIPN as measured by changes in nerve conduction studies (NCS) in six patients treated with acupuncture for 10 weeks in addition to best medical care and five control patients who received the best medical care but no specific treatment for CIPN.

Results

In five of the six patients treated with acupuncture, NCS improved after treatment. In the control group, three of five patients did not show any difference in NCS, one patient improved and one showed impaired NCS.

Conclusion

The data suggest that acupuncture has a positive effect on CIPN. The encouraging results of this pilot study justify a randomised controlled trial of acupuncture in CIPN on the basis of NCS.
THERMAL FIELD THEORY IN A WIRE: APPLICATIONS OF THERMAL FIELD THEORY METHODS TO THE PROPAGATION OF PHOTONS IN A ONE-DIMENSIONAL PLASMA
Authors: NIEVES JOSÉ F.
Published: December 2011

The Thermal Field Theory methods are applied to calculate the dispersion relation of the photon propagating modes in a strictly one-dimensional (1D) ideal plasma. The electrons are treated as a gas of particles that are confined to a 1D tube or wire, but are otherwise free to move, without reference to the electronic wave functions in the coordinates that are transverse to the idealized wire, or relying on any features of the electronic structure. The relevant photon dynamical variable is an effective field in which the two space coordinates that are transverse to the wire are collapsed. The appropriate expression for the photon free-field propagator in such a medium is obtained, the one-loop photon self-energy is calculated and the (longitudinal) dispersion relations are determined and studied in some detail. Analytic formulas for the dispersion relations are given for the case of a degenerate electron gas, and the results differ from the long-wavelength formula that is quoted in the literature for the strictly 1D plasma. The dispersion relations obtained resemble the linear form that is expected in realistic quasi-1D plasma systems for the entire range of the momentum, and which have been observed in this kind of system in recent experiments.
ALMOST FACTORIZABLE LOCALLY INVERSE SEMIGROUPS
Authors: SZENDREI MÁRIA B.
Published: December 2011

We introduce a notion of almost factorizability within the class of all locally inverse semigroups by requiring a property of order ideals, and we prove that the almost factorizable locally inverse semigroups are just the homomorphic images of Pastijn products of normal bands by completely simple semigroups.
THE EMERGENCE OF INNOVATION-BASED WIRELESS CLUSTERS: QUALITY AND TIMING MATTER
Authors: NIEMINEN JORMA
Published: December 2011

This study compares the emergence of four wireless clusters in the 1970s and 1980s. Two of them, Calgary in Canada and Finland, initially pursued rather similar service innovations for not very different markets but with very different outcomes, which raises the question why. One major reason that emerges from the reviewed extant research on cluster emergence and innovation diffusion concerns the differences in timing and quality of the initial innovations, affecting their respective perceived diffusion attributes, and market growth and extent. The initial innovation in Finland was well received, diffused rapidly and eventually globally, and led to a positive spiral spurring the industry on to take a global lead. In the case of Calgary, however, it was un-competitive in the broader international market, forcing the anchor firm to adapt and reorient. The study analyses and compares the characteristics of the respective initial innovations and their impact on the outcome, and concludes with a discussion and some propositions on cluster emergence. Enhanced understanding of nascent clusters, especially regarding the role of globally attractive initial innovations and their diffusion quality and timing, should provide value for both scholars and practitioners.
Ontogeny and Astogeny of the Graptolite Genus
Appendispinograptus
(Li and Li, 1985)
Authors: Loxton J. , Melchin M. J. , Mitchell C. E. , Senior S. J. H.
Published: December 2011

Graptolites of the genus
Appendispinograptus
feature prominently in Late Ordovician biostratigraphy and studies of biodiversity. Well-documented, but enigmatic, secondary structures extend along the basal spines in mature specimens of three of the four common late Katian species of the genus
: A. supernus, A. longispinus
, and
A. venustus
. Using SEM imaging of isolated, three-dimensional specimens of
A. supernus
, we provide a detailed description of its early growth, as well as confirm that its secondary structures are composed of hollow tubes extending from the sicular and thecal apertures (‘parasiculae’ and ‘parathecae’, respectively). We also describe a collection of Canadian (northern Yukon) appendispinograptids that possess a large heart-shaped, sheet-like basal structure. Detailed comparison (width, thecal length and thecal inclination) with immature specimens from our collection, as well as collections from Russia, China, and Nevada, identifies these specimens as
A. leptothecalis
, a species not previously known to exhibit any secondary spine modification. The observation of spine modification in
A. leptothecalis
allows previously unclassified specimens from China, Siberia, and Nevada to be assigned to this species, clarifying our understanding of appendispinograptid biogeography and diversity. However, these structures are difficult to explain functionally. Unlike structures found in other
Appendispinograptus
species, those in
A. leptothecalis
decrease usable thecal space, shift drag proximally, and provide no obvious feeding advantage.
Beyond search
Authors: Hong Richang , Tang Jinhui , Tan Hung-Khoon , Ngo Chong-Wah , Yan Shuicheng , Chua Tat-Seng
Published: December 2011

The explosive growth of Web videos brings out the challenge of how to efficiently browse hundreds or even thousands of videos at a glance. Given an event-driven query, social media Web sites usually return a large number of videos that are diverse and noisy in a ranking list. Exploring such results will be time-consuming and thus degrades user experience. This article presents a novel scheme that is able to summarize the content of video search results by mining and threading “key” shots, such that users can get an overview of main content of these videos at a glance. The proposed framework mainly comprises four stages. First, given an event query, a set of Web videos is collected associated with their ranking order and tags. Second, key-shots are established and ranked based on near-duplicate keyframe detection and they are threaded in a chronological order. Third, we analyze the tags associated with key-shots. Irrelevant tags are filtered out via a
representativeness
and
descriptiveness
analysis, whereas the remaining tags are propagated among key-shots by random walk. Finally, summarization is formulated as an optimization framework that compromises relevance of key-shots and user-defined skimming ratio. We provide two types of summarization: video skimming and visual-textual storyboard. We conduct user studies on twenty event queries for over hundred hours of videos crawled from YouTube. The evaluation demonstrates the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed solution.
Traffic prediction and QoS transmission of real-time live VBR videos in WLANs
Authors: Kuo Wen-Kuang , Wu Kuo-Wei
Published: December 2011

As the demand for broadband multimedia wireless services is increasing, improving quality of service (QoS) of the widely deployed IEEE 802.11 wireless LANs (WLANs) has become crucial. To support the QoS required by a wide range of applications, the IEEE 802.11 working group has defined a new standard—the IEEE 802.11e. Substantial studies have been performed on traffic scheduling for variable bit rate (VBR) video transport over 802.11e WLANs. However, within those studies, relatively little attention has been devoted to the QoS transmission of real-time live VBR videos. In this paper, we present a novel traffic scheduling algorithm for IEEE 802.11e that aims at achieving high channel utilization while still guaranteeing QoS requirements for real-time live VBR videos. The novel characteristic of this algorithm, compared to published literatures, is that it predicts the bandwidth requirements for future traffic using a novel traffic predictor designed to provide simple yet accurate online prediction. Analyses using real life MPEG video traces indicate that the proposed traffic predictor significantly outperforms previously published technique with respect to the prediction error. The proposed traffic predictor can also be used independently to estimate any MPEG traffic. The performance of the proposed traffic scheduling algorithm is also investigated by comparing several existing scheduling algorithms. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed traffic scheduling algorithm surpasses other mechanisms in terms of channel utilization, buffer usage, video quality and packet loss rate.
Looking at Secondary Teacher Preparation Through the Lens of Computer Science
Authors: Armoni Michal
Published: December 2011

Teaching computer science (CS) in high schools, rather than just programming or even computer literacy, is important as a means of introducing students to the true nature of CS, and enhancing their problem-solving skills. Since teachers are the key to the success of any high school educational initiative, any discussion of high school programs must consider the teachers, and specifically the teacher preparation needed to make the implementation of such programs possible. However, there is scant research on CS teacher education, probably because CS is a relatively young discipline. Very few of the publications in the area of CS teacher preparation are research-based. Most are descriptive papers, including recommendations for specific programs or courses. The purpose of this survey is to import from what is already known in other disciplines in this context. We therefore examine the body of research on teacher education in other disciplines, especially in mathematics and science, to shed light on important challenges for CS teacher education and draw some initial conclusions regarding CS teacher preparation programs.
Algorithm 913
Authors: Van Gijzen Martin B. , Sonneveld Peter
Published: December 2011

The IDR(s) method that is proposed in Sonneveld and van Gijzen [2008] is a very efficient limited memory method for solving large nonsymmetric systems of linear equations. IDR(s) is based on the induced dimension reduction theorem, that provides a way to construct subsequent residuals that lie in a sequence of shrinking subspaces. The IDR(s) algorithm that is given in Sonneveld and van Gijzen [2008] is a direct translation of the theorem into an algorithm. This translation is not unique. This article derives a new IDR(s) variant, that imposes (one-sided) biorthogonalization conditions on the iteration vectors. The resulting method has lower overhead in vector operations than the original IDR(s) algorithms. In exact arithmetic, both algorithms give the same residual at every (s+ 1)-st step, but the intermediate residuals and also the numerical properties differ. We show through numerical experiments that the new variant is more stable and more accurate than the original IDR(s) algorithm, and that it outperforms other state-of-the-art techniques for realistic test problems.
IdleChat
Authors: Raghavendra Ramya , Kaminsky Michael , Papagiannaki Konstantina , Seshan Srinivasan , Belding Elizabeth
Published: December 2011

Residential broadband links are characterized by low and variable upload capacity and large latencies, leading to poor video performance. Aggregating multiple backhaul links using 802.11 Access Points has been considered as a solution to increasing the backhaul capacity limit. In this paper, we revisit the problem of backhaul aggregation in the context of interactive applications. We present the IdleChat architecture that uses wireless connectivity to aggregate idle broadband connectivity in a neighborhood to overcome the limits of individual asymmetric broadband uplinks. In contrast to prior work, IdleChat aggregates in a traffic-aware manner, focussing specifically on low-latency, real-time link aggregation in support of interactive applications such as video chat. IdleChat schedules packets in a deadline-aware manner to improve interactivity. We evaluate IdleChat both in an experimental testbed in our lab and in a residential deployment. Our results show that use of IdleChat in existing deployments can improve video SNR by up to a factor of 10 db in the presence of a single neighboring AP. This results in video quality improvement from a MOS score of bad to excellent.
ACM WiSec 2011 poster and demo session
Authors: Kargl Frank , Papadimitratos Panos
Published: December 2011

This edited article of MC2R features abstracts of posters and demos that were shown at the ACM Wireless Security Conference (ACM WiSec 2011).
Benefits and barriers of user evaluation in software engineering research
Authors: Buse Raymond P.L. , Sadowski Caitlin , Weimer Westley
Published: December 2011

In this paper, we identify trends about, benefits from, and barriers to performing user evaluations in software engineering research. From a corpus of over 3,000 papers spanning ten years, we report on various subtypes of user evaluations (e.g., coding tasks vs. questionnaires) and relate user evaluations to paper topics (e.g., debugging vs. technology transfer). We identify the external measures of impact, such as best paper awards and citation counts, that are correlated with the presence of user evaluations. We complement this with a survey of over 100 researchers from over 40 different universities and labs in which we identify a set of perceived barriers to performing user evaluations.
Uncontrolled Epistaxis Secondary to Traumatic Pseudoaneurysm of the Maxillary Artery
Authors: Adil Eelam , Setabutr Dhave , Carr Michele M.
Published: December 2011

We describe a rare case of traumatic pseudoaneurysm of the maxillary artery following a fall. The patient presented with epistaxis that could not be controlled with anterior and posterior nasal packing. She was urgently taken to the angiography suite for evaluation and ultimately underwent embolization of a left maxillary artery pseudoaneurysm with 500–700 micron Contour PVA followed by coiling with two 3 mm Tornado coils. Bleeding subsided after embolization, and the patient suffered no neurologic sequelae.