bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
“If you're going to educate 'em, you've got to entertain 'em too”: An Examination of Representation and Ethnography in Grass and People of the Wind
Authors: Malek Amy
Published: April 2011

In an attempt to surpass the genre of travelogue, three Americans—Merian C. Cooper, Ernest B. Schoedsack, and Marguerite Harrison—traveled to southwestern Iran to film the biannual migration of the Bakhtiari tribes and their flocks from winter to summer pastures. In Grass: A Nation's Battle for Life (1925), Schoedsack's exquisite framing of long shots captured the vast movement of an estimated 50,000 people and 500,000 animals in desert caravans, grassy plains, icy river crossings and snowy mountain vistas. The technical requirements of Grass alone suggest its importance in early ethnographic and documentary film, but problematic elements, such as its flimsily contrived storyline and melodramatic and essentializing intertitles, have presented problems for its perceived importance in ethnographic film history and as a representation of Iran. In 1976, Anthony Howarth (with consulting anthropologist David M. Brooks and narrator James Mason) filmed People of the Wind, again following the Bakhtiari tribes along their migration, and employed cinematography emphasizing the great color and sounds of the movement of people en masse. This paper uses theoretical frameworks from visual anthropology and film theory to complicate the reading of these films, first by placing Grass within the context of the intentions and ideological imperatives of its filmmakers. This paper complicates the reading of both films, arguing that despite the fifty years of filmmaking between them, Grass and People of the Wind are actually limited in quite similar ways.
Challenged Media Participation of Diasporas: Iranian Productions on Public Access TV Channels in Germany
Authors: Horz Christine
Published: April 2011

This paper analyses Iranian television production on Public Access TV channels in Germany. It is based on a broader study with qualitative interviews, hermeneutic content analysis of 40 hours of aired TV programs and a ?dense description? of the production background. Iranian immigrants were amongst the most active mother-tongue TV producers on local Public Access Channels (so called ?Open Channels?) since these were first launched in 1984. These non-commercial channels aim to make alternative themes and voices heard in the local public. However, the 9/11 attacks led to increased difficulties of access for immigrants from the Middle East, such as limited airtime and the obligation to translate programs. These measures diminished dramatically the opportunities to present Iranian TV shows on Open Channels. From the perspective of Communication Studies, this paper aims to analyse the intentions and strategies of Iranian immigrant media participation, but also the difficulties of access to the public sphere in Germany.
Extremely weak interpolation in 𝐻^{∞}
Authors: Hartmann Andreas
Published: April 2011

Given a sequence of points in the unit disk, a well known result due to Carleson states that if given any point of the sequence it is possible to interpolate the value one in that point and zero in all the other points of the sequence, with uniform control of the norm in the Hardy space of bounded analytic functions on the disk, then the sequence is an interpolating sequence (i.e. every bounded sequence of values can be interpolated by functions in the Hardy space). It turns out that such a result holds in other spaces. In this short paper we would like to show that for a given sequence it is sufficient to find just one function suitably interpolating zeros as well as ones to deduce interpolation in the Hardy space. The result has an interesting interpretation in the context of model spaces.
Efficient algorithms for tandem copy number variation reconstruction in repeat-rich regions
Authors: He Dan , Hormozdiari Farhad , Furlotte Nicholas , Eskin Eleazar
Published: April 2011

Motivation: Structural variations and in particular copy number variations (CNVs) have dramatic effects of disease and traits. Technologies for identifying CNVs have been an active area of research for over 10 years. The current generation of high-throughput sequencing techniques presents new opportunities for identification of CNVs. Methods that utilize these technologies map sequencing reads to a reference genome and look for signatures which might indicate the presence of a CNV. These methods work well when CNVs lie within unique genomic regions. However, the problem of CNV identification and reconstruction becomes much more challenging when CNVs are in repeat-rich regions, due to the multiple mapping positions of the reads.

Results: In this study, we propose an efficient algorithm to handle these multi-mapping reads such that the CNVs can be reconstructed with high accuracy even for repeat-rich regions. To our knowledge, this is the first attempt to both identify and reconstruct CNVs in repeat-rich regions. Our experiments show that our method is not only computationally efficient but also accurate.

Contact:  eeskin@cs.ucla.edu
Systems biology model repository for macrophage pathway simulation
Authors: Nagasaki Masao , Saito Ayumu , Fujita André , Tremmel Georg , Ueno Kazuko , Ikeda Emi , Jeong Euna , Miyano Satoru
Published: April 2011

Summary: The Macrophage Pathway Knowledgebase (MACPAK) is a computational system that allows biomedical researchers to query and study the dynamic behaviors of macrophage molecular pathways. It integrates the knowledge of 230 reviews that were carefully checked by specialists for their accuracy and then converted to 230 dynamic mathematical pathway models. MACPAK comprises a total of 24 009 entities and 12 774 processes and is described in the Cell System Markup Language (CSML), an XML format that runs on the Cell Illustrator platform and can be visualized with a customized Cytoscape for further analysis.

Availability: MACPAK can be accessed via an interactive web site at http://macpak.csml.org. The CSML pathway models are available under the Creative Commons license.

Contact:  masao@hgc.jp
VIZ-GRAIL: visualizing functional connections across disease loci
Authors: Raychaudhuri Soumya
Published: April 2011

Motivation: As disease loci are rapidly discovered, an emerging challenge is to identify common pathways and biological functionality across loci. Such pathways might point to potential disease mechanisms. One strategy is to look for functionally related or interacting genes across genetic loci. Previously, we defined a statistical strategy, Gene Relationships Across Implicated Loci (GRAIL), to identify whether pair-wise gene relationships defined using PubMed text similarity are enriched across loci. Here, we have implemented VIZ-GRAIL, a software tool to display those relationships and to depict the underlying biological patterns.

Results: Our tool can seamlessly interact with the GRAIL web site to obtain the results of analyses and create easy to read visual displays. To most clearly display results, VIZ-GRAIL arranges genes and genetic loci to minimize intersecting pair-wise gene connections. VIZ-GRAIL can be easily applied to other types of functional connections, beyond those from GRAIL. This method should help investigators appreciate the presence of potentially important common functions across loci.

Availability: The GRAIL algorithm is implemented online at http://www.broadinstitute.org/mpg/grail/grail.php. VIZ-GRAIL source-code is at http://www.broadinstitute.org/mpg/grail/vizgrail.html.

Contact:  soumya@broadinstitute.org

Supplementary Information:  Supplementary methods and data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Signaling gateway molecule pages—a data model perspective
Authors: Dinasarapu Ashok Reddy , Saunders Brian , Ozerlat Iley , Azam Kenan , Subramaniam Shankar
Published: April 2011

Summary: The Signaling Gateway Molecule Pages (SGMP) database provides highly structured data on proteins which exist in different functional states participating in signal transduction pathways. A molecule page starts with a state of a native protein, without any modification and/or interactions. New states are formed with every post-translational modification or interaction with one or more proteins, small molecules or class molecules and with each change in cellular location. State transitions are caused by a combination of one or more modifications, interactions and translocations which then might be associated with one or more biological processes. In a characterized biological state, a molecule can function as one of several entities or their combinations, including channel, receptor, enzyme, transcription factor and transporter. We have also exported SGMP data to the Biological Pathway Exchange (BioPAX) and Systems Biology Markup Language (SBML) as well as in our custom XML.

Availability: SGMP is available at www.signaling-gateway.org/molecule.

Contact:  shankar@ucsd.edu

Supplementary information:  Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Rgtsp: a generalized top scoring pairs package for class prediction
Authors: Popovici Vlad , Budinská Eva , Delorenzi Mauro
Published: April 2011

Summary: A top scoring pair (TSP) classifier consists of a pair of variables whose relative ordering can be used for accurately predicting the class label of a sample. This classification rule has the advantage of being easily interpretable and more robust against technical variations in data, as those due to different microarray platforms. Here we describe a parallel implementation of this classifier which significantly reduces the training time, and a number of extensions, including a multi-class approach, which has the potential of improving the classification performance.

Availability and Implementation: Full C++ source code and R package Rgtsp are freely available from http://lausanne.isb-sib.ch/~vpopovic/research/. The implementation relies on existing OpenMP libraries.

Contact:  vlad.popovici@isb-sib.ch
A reference dataset for the analyses of membrane protein secondary structures and transmembrane residues
using circular dichroism spectroscopy
Authors: Abdul-Gader Ali , Miles Andrew John , Wallace B. A.
Published: April 2011

Motivation: Empirical analyses of protein secondary structures based on circular dichroism (CD) and synchrotron radiation circular dichroism (SRCD) spectroscopic data rely on the availability of reference datasets comprised of spectra of relevant proteins, whose crystal structures have been determined. Datasets comprised of only soluble proteins have not proven suitable for analysing the spectra of membrane proteins.

Results: A new reference dataset, MP180, has been created containing the spectra of 30 membrane proteins encompassing the secondary structure and fold space covered by all known membrane protein structures. In addition a mixed soluble and membrane protein dataset, SMP180, has been created, which includes 98 soluble protein spectra (SP) plus the MP180 spectra. Calculations of both membrane and soluble protein secondary structures using SMP180 are significantly improved with respect to those produced, using soluble protein-only datasets. The SMP180 dataset also enables determination of the percentage of transmembrane residues, thus enhancing the information previously obtainable from CD spectroscopy.

Availability and Implementation: Reference dataset online at the DichroWeb analysis server (http://dichroweb.cryst.bbk.ac.uk);individual protein spectra in the Protein Circular Dichroism Data Bank (http://pcddb.cryst.bbk.ac.uk).

Contact:  b.wallace@mail.cryst.bbk.ac.uk

Supplementary information:  Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
FR-HIT, a very fast program to recruit metagenomic reads to homologous reference genomes
Authors: Niu Beifang , Zhu Zhengwei , Fu Limin , Wu Sitao , Li Weizhong
Published: April 2011

Summary: Fragment recruitment, a process of aligning sequencing reads to reference genomes, is a crucial step in metagenomic data analysis. The available sequence alignment programs are either slow or insufficient for recruiting metagenomic reads. We implemented an efficient algorithm, FR-HIT, for fragment recruitment. We applied FR-HIT and several other tools including BLASTN, MegaBLAST, BLAT, LAST, SSAHA2, SOAP2, BWA and BWA-SW to recruit four metagenomic datasets from different type of sequencers. On average, FR-HIT and BLASTN recruited significantly more reads than other programs, while FR-HIT is about two orders of magnitude faster than BLASTN. FR-HIT is slower than the fastest SOAP2, BWA and BWA-SW, but it recruited 1–5 times more reads.

Availability:  http://weizhongli-lab.org/frhit.

Contact:  liwz@sdsc.edu

Supplementary information:  Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Mcheza: a workbench to detect selection using dominant markers
Authors: Antao Tiago , Beaumont Mark A.
Published: April 2011

Motivation: Dominant markers (DArTs and AFLPs) are commonly used for genetic analysis in the fields of evolutionary genetics, ecology and conservation of genetic resources. The recent prominence of these markers has coincided with renewed interest in detecting the effects of local selection and adaptation at the level of the genome.

Results: We present Mcheza, an application for detecting loci under selection based on a well-evaluated FST-outlier method. The application allows robust estimates to be made of model parameters (e.g. genome-wide average, neutral FST), provides data import and export functions, iterative contour smoothing and generation of graphics in an easy to use graphical user interface with a computation engine that supports multicore processors for enhanced performance. Mcheza also provides functionality to mitigate common analytical errors when scanning for loci under selection.

Availability: Mcheza is freely available under GPL version 3 from http://popgen.eu/soft/mcheza.

Contact:  tra@popgen.eu
A graphical interface for the FoldX forcefield
Authors: Van Durme Joost , Delgado Javier , Stricher Francois , Serrano Luis , Schymkowitz Joost , Rousseau Frederic
Published: April 2011

Summary: A graphical user interface for the FoldX protein design program has been developed as a plugin for the YASARA molecular graphics suite. The most prominent FoldX commands such as free energy difference upon mutagenesis and interaction energy calculations can now be run entirely via a windowed menu system and the results are immediately shown on screen.

Availability and Implementation: The plugin is written in Python and is freely available for download at http://foldxyasara.switchlab.org/ and supported on Linux, MacOSX and MS Windows.

Contact:  frederic.rousseau@switch.vib-vub.be; joost.schymkowitz@switch.vib-vub.be; luis.serrano@crg.es
Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Risk Factors for Falls, Fear of Falling, and Falls Efficacy in a Cohort of Middle-Aged African Americans
Authors: Andresen Elena M. , Wolinsky Fredric D. , Miller J. Philip , Wilson Margaret-Mary G. , Malmstrom Theodore K. , Miller Douglas K.
Published: April 2011

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to cross-sectionally and longitudinally identify risk factors for falls, fear of falling, and falls efficacy in late-middle-aged African Americans. Design and Methods: We performed in-home assessments on a probability sample of 998 African Americans and conducted two annual follow-up interviews. Multiple logistic regression modeled the associations with falls (any fall or injurious fall) during 2 years prior to the baseline interview, and baseline fear of falling and falls efficacy with 2-year prospective risks for falling and fear of falling. Results: The most consistent association for all outcomes was depressive symptoms. Age was associated with increased risk of prior and prospective falls. Lower-body functional limitations were associated with prior falls, baseline fear of falling, and low falls efficacy, whereas low ability with one-leg stands prospectively predicted fear of falling. The greatest prospective risk for incident falls was having had a prior fall (odds ratio = 2.51), and the greatest prospective risk for fear of falling was having been afraid of falling at baseline (odds ratio = 8.14). Implications: Falls, fear of falling, and low falls efficacy are important issues for late-middle-aged as well as older persons. Interventions should focus on younger adults and attend especially to lower-body function and depressive symptoms as well as building self-efficacy for safe exercise, dealing with falls risks, and managing falls themselves.
Transportation and Aging: A Research Agenda for Advancing Safe Mobility
Authors: Dickerson Anne E. , Molnar Lisa J. , Eby David W. , Adler Geri , Bédard Michel , Berg-Weger Marla , Classen Sherrilene , Foley Daniel , Horowitz Amy , Kerschner Helen , Page Oliver , Silverstein Nina M. , Staplin Loren , Trujillo Leonard
Published: April 2011

Purpose:  We review what we currently know about older driver safety and mobility, and we highlight important research needs in a number of key areas that hold promise for achieving the safety and mobility goals for the aging baby boomers and future generations of older drivers. Design and Methods:Through the use of a framework for transportation and safe mobility, we describe key areas of screening and assessment, remediation and rehabilitation, vehicle design and modification, technological advancements, roadway design, transitioning to nondriving, and alternative transportation to meet the goals of crash prevention and mobility maintenance for older adults.  Results: Four cross-cutting themes emerged from this review: safe transportation for older adults is important; older adults have a variety of needs, abilities, and resources; research to help meet the transportation needs of older adults may be of benefit to persons with disabilities; and transportation issues concerning older adults are multifaceted. Implications: Safe mobility is essential to continued engagement in civic, social, and community life, and to the human interactions necessary for health, well-being, and quality of life. When safe driving is no longer possible for older adults, safe and practicable alternative transportation must be available. Furthermore, older adults are individuals; they have specific needs, abilities, and resources. Not all older adults will have difficulty meeting their transportation needs and no single transportation solution will work for all people. Research and countermeasures intended to help meet the transportation needs of older adults will likely also benefit younger users of the transportation system, particularly those with disabilities. The issues surrounding the maintenance of safe transportation for older adults will require an interdisciplinary research approach if we are to make significant progress in the next decade as the baby boomers begin to reach age 70.
Falling Through the Social Safety Net: Food Stamp Use and Nonuse Among Older Impoverished Americans
Authors: Fuller-Thomson Esme , Redmond Melissa
Published: April 2011

Purpose:  Older adults are less likely than any other age group to use the federal Food Stamp Program. The personal and social costs of elderly diet insufficiency include disease exacerbation, depression, and increased hospitalization. In order to improve targeting and outreach efforts, this study identifies the characteristics of eligible older Americans who are not receiving food stamps and assesses the validity of the Andersen behavioral model for predicting impoverished older adults food stamp use.  Design and Methods:  We conducted a secondary analysis of the 2003 American Community Survey, which is a nationally representative survey with a response rate of 96.7%. We restricted our study subsample to the 14,724 impoverished American citizens who were aged 65 years and older. We used bivariate and logistic regression analyses to compare the 2,796 food stamp recipients with the 11,928 nonrecipients.  Results:  One in five impoverished older American citizens had received foods stamps in the preceding year. Female respondents, renters, younger respondents, disabled individuals, and those who received Supplemental Security Income or welfare were more likely to receive food stamps. The pseudo-R-square value indicated that the Andersen Behavioral Model explained 28% of the model's variability.  Implications:  Improved targeting is needed to enhance older adults' participation rates. Mobile and satellite food stamp offices in lower income neighborhoods and other innovative outreach programs that collaborate with community partners could also improve access. With the vast majority of impoverished older adults not receiving food stamps, strategies such as these are extremely important to rectify this situation among the most vulnerable group of older Americans.
Squirrel monkeys' response to inequitable outcomes indicates a behavioural convergence within the primates
Authors: Talbot Catherine F. , Freeman Hani D. , Williams Lawrence E. , Brosnan Sarah F.
Published: April 2011

Although several primates respond negatively to inequity, it is unknown whether this results from homology or convergent processes. Behaviours shared within a taxonomic group are often assumed to be homologous, yet this distinction is important for a better understanding of the function of the behaviour. Previous hypotheses have linked cooperation and inequity responses. Supporting this, all species in which inequity responses have been documented are cooperative. In this study, we tested this hypothesis by investigating the response to inequity in squirrel monkeys, which share a phylogenetic family with capuchin monkeys, but do not cooperate extensively. Subjects exchanged tokens to receive food rewards in conditions in which the level of effort required and reward received varied. Squirrel monkeys did not respond negatively to inequity. However, the monkeys were sensitive to the variation present in the task; male subjects showed a contrast effect and, as in previous studies, subjects were more sensitive to differences in reward in the context of a task than when rewards were given for free. Taken with other results, these results support the hypothesis that a negative response to inequity evolved convergently in primates, probably as a mechanism for evaluating outcomes relative to one's partners in cooperative species.
Influence of birth rates and transmission rates on the global seasonality of rotavirus incidence
Authors: Pitzer Virginia E. , Viboud Cécile , Lopman Ben A. , Patel Manish M. , Parashar Umesh D. , Grenfell Bryan T.
Published: April 2011

Rotavirus is a major cause of mortality in developing countries, and yet the dynamics of rotavirus in such settings are poorly understood. Rotavirus is typically less seasonal in the tropics, although recent observational studies have challenged the universality of this pattern. While numerous studies have examined the association between environmental factors and rotavirus incidence, here we explore the role of intrinsic factors. By fitting a mathematical model of rotavirus transmission dynamics to published age distributions of cases from 15 countries, we obtain estimates of local transmission rates. Model-predicted patterns of seasonal incidence based solely on differences in birth rates and transmission rates are significantly correlated with those observed (Spearman's
ρ
= 0.65,
p
< 0.05). We then examine seasonal patterns of rotavirus predicted across a range of different birth rates and transmission rates and explore how vaccination may impact these patterns. Our results suggest that the relative lack of rotavirus seasonality observed in many tropical countries may be due to the high birth rates and transmission rates typical of developing countries rather than being driven primarily by environmental conditions. While vaccination is expected to decrease the overall burden of disease, it may increase the degree of seasonal variation in the incidence of rotavirus in some settings.
Effect of reverse flow on the pattern of wall shear stress near arterial branches
Authors: Kazakidi A. , Plata A. M. , Sherwin S. J. , Weinberg P. D.
Published: April 2011

Atherosclerotic lesions have a patchy distribution within arteries that suggests a controlling influence of haemodynamic stresses on their development. The distribution near aortic branches varies with age and species, perhaps reflecting differences in these stresses. Our previous work, which assumed steady flow, revealed a dependence of wall shear stress (WSS) patterns on Reynolds number and side-branch flow rate. Here, we examine effects of pulsatile flow. Flow and WSS patterns were computed by applying high-order unstructured spectral/hp element methods to the Newtonian incompressible Navier–Stokes equations in a geometrically simplified model of an aorto-intercostal junction. The effect of pulsatile but non-reversing side-branch flow was small; the aortic WSS pattern resembled that obtained under steady flow conditions, with high WSS upstream and downstream of the branch. When flow in the side branch or in the aortic near-wall region reversed during part of the cycle, significantly different instantaneous patterns were generated, with low WSS appearing upstream and downstream. Time-averaged WSS was similar to the steady flow case, reflecting the short duration of these events, but patterns of the oscillatory shear index for reversing aortic near-wall flow were profoundly altered. Effects of reverse flow may help explain the different distributions of lesions.
Challenges in geographical information science
Authors: Goodchild Michael F.
Published: April 2011

Geographical information science can be defined as that branch of information science that deals with the geographical domain, or as the set of fundamental scientific questions raised by geographical information and the technologies that collect, manipulate and communicate it. Geographical information can reveal interesting patterns that point in some cases to causal mechanisms. The use of Global Positioning Systems and online services has led to numerous rich sources of real-time data, and to the empowerment of the average citizen as a maker of maps, an empowerment that is especially valuable during emergencies when a dense network of citizens can potentially replace the services of scarce and expensive mapping experts. The concept of Digital Earth was defined more than a decade ago and has since been realized in several virtual-globe services that employ hierarchical data structures to support rapid pan and zoom. Research over the past two decades has led to the identification of a series of fundamental empirical principles that are broadly true of all geographical information, and that provide the basis for the design of geographical databases and analytical methods. Rapid deployment of geographical information technologies raises a series of social issues, including privacy, that are likely to become more threatening in the future. The paper ends with a summary of some of the core challenges and future of geographical information science.
Warming will affect phytoplankton differently: evidence through a mechanistic approach
Authors: Huertas I. Emma , Rouco Mónica , López-Rodas Victoria , Costas Eduardo
Published: April 2011

Although the consequences of global warming in aquatic ecosystems are only beginning to be revealed, a key to forecasting the impact on aquatic communities is an understanding of individual species' vulnerability to increased temperature. Despite their microscopic size, phytoplankton support about half of the global primary production, drive essential biogeochemical cycles and represent the basis of the aquatic food web. At present, it is known that phytoplankton are important targets and, consequently, harbingers of climate change in aquatic systems. Therefore, investigating the capacity of phytoplankton to adapt to the predicted warming has become a relevant issue. However, considering the polyphyletic complexity of the phytoplankton community, different responses to increased temperature are expected. We experimentally tested the effects of warming on 12 species of phytoplankton isolated from a variety of environments by using a mechanistic approach able to assess evolutionary adaptation (the so-called ratchet technique). We found different degrees of tolerance to temperature rises and an interspecific capacity for genetic adaptation. The thermal resistance level reached by each species is discussed in relation to their respective original habitats. Our study additionally provides evidence on the most resistant phytoplankton groups in a future warming scenario.
Hammer-toothed ‘marsupial skinks' from the Australian Cenozoic
Authors: Arena Derrick A. , Archer Michael , Godthelp Henk , Hand Suzanne J. , Hocknull Scott
Published: April 2011

Extinct species of
Malleodectes
gen. nov. from Middle to Late Miocene deposits of the Riversleigh World Heritage Area, northwestern Queensland, Australia are enigmatic, highly specialized, probably snail-eating marsupials. Dentally, they closely resemble a bizarre group of living heterodont, wet forest scincid lizards from Australia (
Cyclodomorphus
) that may well have outcompeted them as snail-eaters when the closed forests of central Australia began to decline. Although there are scincids known from the same Miocene deposits at Riversleigh, these are relatively plesiomorphic, generalized feeders. This appears to be the most striking example known of dental convergence and possible competition between a mammal and a lizard, which in the long run worked out better for the lizards.
The Role of PENNYWISE and POUND-FOOLISH in the Maintenance of the Shoot Apical Meristem in Arabidopsis
Authors: Ung Nolan , Lal Shruti , Smith Harley M.S.
Published: April 2011

Growth of the aerial part of the plant is dependent upon the maintenance of the shoot apical meristem (SAM). A balance between the self-renewing stem cells in the central zone (CZ) and organogenesis in the peripheral zone (PZ) is essential for the integrity, function, and maintenance of the SAM. Understanding how the SAM maintains a balance between stem cell perpetuation and organogenesis is a central question in plant biology. Two related BELL1-like homeodomain proteins, PENNYWISE (PNY) and POUND-FOOLISH (PNF), act to specify floral meristems during reproductive development. However, genetic studies also show that PNY and PNF regulate the maintenance of the SAM. To understand the role of PNY and PNF in meristem maintenance, the expression patterns for genes that specifically localize to the peripheral and central regions of the SAM were examined in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). Results from these experiments indicate that the integrity of the CZ is impaired in pny pnf plants, which alters the balance of stem cell renewal and organogenesis. As a result, pools of CZ cells may be allocated into initiating leaf primordia. Consistent with these results, the integrity of the central region of pny pnf SAMs can be partially restored by increasing the size of the CZ. Interestingly, flower specification is also reestablished by augmenting the size of the SAM in pny pnf plants. Taken together, we propose that PNY and PNF act to restrict organogenesis to the PZ by maintaining a boundary between the CZ and PZ.
Antifungal prophylaxis during treatment for haematological malignancies: are we there yet?
Authors: Rogers Thomas R. , Slavin Monica A. , Donnelly J. Peter
Published: April 2011

Antifungal prophylaxis during treatment for haematological malignancies has been studied for 50 years, yet it has not been wholly effective even when using antifungal drugs that exhibit potent activity in vitro against a broad range of fungal pathogens. Trials have demonstrated that it can reduce the incidence of invasive fungal diseases (IFD) and fungal deaths, but only two studies have had an impact on overall mortality. Furthermore, it has not significantly reduced the need for empirical antifungal therapy. Posaconazole was effective in preventing invasive aspergillosis in two studies of high‐risk patients, and consensus guidelines grade it as a suitable choice for antifungal prophylaxis of invasive mould disease; however, its bioavailability was compromised by vomiting or diarrhoea so that an alternative parenteral antifungal drug was required. A recent trial of voriconazole prophylaxis after allogeneic stem cell transplantation failed to show superiority over fluconazole. With more accurate definitions of IFD, that utilize fungal biomarkers, such as galactomannan, together with computerized tomographic imaging, there is growing interest in a diagnostic‐driven strategy, which could prove to be a more efficacious approach.
Disseminated superficial actinic porokeratosis treated effectively with topical imiquimod 5% cream
Authors: Arun B. , Pearson J. , Chalmers R.
Published: April 2011

A 68-year-old man presented with a 3-year history of asymptomatic red marks on his limbs. On physical examination, he was found to have numerous circular, erythematous macules with a fine peripheral rim of scale on his upper arms and legs. A clinical diagnosis of disseminated superficial actinic porokeratosis (DSAP) was made. On histopathological examination of the lesional skin on the hands, an angulated parakeratotic tier was seen extending up through the epidermis. The patient was offered a trial of topical imiquimod 5% cream. He was instructed to apply it five times weekly for 6 weeks to the right forearm. This produced a dramatic inflammatory response with painful superficial ulceration of the affected skin after 4 weeks. At follow-up a further 4 weeks later, the treated areas were noted to have healed with slight superficial scarring and residual erythema, but no evidence of the original condition. DSAP is a disorder affecting areas exposed to sunlight, appearing mainly on the distal surfaces of the limbs. Treatment of DSAP is often difficult. Therapies such as cryotherapy with liquid nitrogen or use of topical 5-fluorouracil cream are generally either impractical or unsuccessful. Topical imiquimod 5% cream may prove to be a useful treatment option for DSAP. Our limited experience suggests that treatment should be introduced cautiously to avoid excessive inflammation. Further study is needed to confirm whether imiquimod should have a place in the management of DSAP.
Teledermatology: a tool for remote supervision of a general practitioner with special interest in dermatology
Authors: Thind C. K. , Brooker I. , Ormerod A. D.
Published: April 2011

Background. Teledermatology (TD) has been developed as an alternative to face-to-face (FTF) dermatology care in remote areas.

Aim. To assess the feasibility of TD in remote supervision and education of a general practitioner with special interest (GPwSI), to reduce FTF consultations with the consultant dermatologist, and to provide appropriate diagnosis and care. Our secondary aim was to evaluate patient satisfaction with this mode of consultation.

Methods. A TD service in Aberdeen was set up to augment supervision of a remote rural GP training in dermatology. This service was audited over a 2-year period to assess its usefulness in the education of the remote GP.

Results. Prospective data on 230 selected referrals was analysed. Store-and-forward TD provided a high level of patient satisfaction, and was effective in remote supervision and education of a GPwSI in dermatology. FTF consultations with the consultant were avoided in 69% of consultations, and diagnostic agreement was considered high (61%). Educational feedback was given to the GP in 66% of consultations.

Conclusions. TD can supplement infrequent specialist dermatology service in remote areas, as in this case. We conclude that for selected patients, TD was a useful training tool for supervising the GPwSI, and ensuring clinical governance and quality assurance in clinics in a remote rural area. However, this model of care was limited by cost and the inherent limitations of TD.
Effects of a three‐month combined exercise programme on fibroblast growth factor 21 and fetuin‐A levels and arterial stiffness in obese women
Authors: Yang Sae Jeong , Hong Ho Cheol , Choi Hae Yoon , Yoo Hye Jin , Cho Geum Ju , Hwang Teak Geun , Baik Sei Hyun , Choi Dong Seop , Kim Seon Mi , Choi Kyung Mook
Published: April 2011

Objective  We examined the relationship between brachial‐ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) reflecting arterial stiffness and the levels of novel hepatokines fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) and fetuin‐A. In addition, we evaluated the effect of a 3‐month combined aerobic and resistance exercise programme on FGF21 and fetuin‐A levels as well as arterial stiffness in obese women.

Methods  Forty nondiabetic, obese women (body mass index = 27·6 ± 2·4 kg/m2) were included in the study and were compared before and after a 3‐month exercise programme, which was composed of 45 min of aerobic exercise at an intensity of 60–75% of the age‐predicted maximum heart rate (300 kcal/session) and 20 min of resistance training (100 kcal/session) five times a week. All exercise sessions were supervised by a professional exercise physiologist.

Results  At baseline, baPWV levels were correlated with age, body mass index (BMI), systolic blood pressure (SBP), high density lipoprotein cholesterol, fasting glucose and serum FGF21 levels. In a multiple stepwise regression analysis using baPWV as a dependent variable, baPWV levels were associated with age, BMI, SBP, FGF21 and fetuin‐A levels (R2 = 0·744). After the exercise programme, BMI, waist circumference, SBP, diastolic blood pressure and triglyceride levels were significantly decreased. Moreover, baPWV values were significantly improved (P < 0·001) along with modest decrease in FGF21 levels (P = 0·043). However, fetuin‐A levels were not changed significantly (P = 0·202).

Conclusions  A 3‐month combined exercise programme decreases the FGF21 levels as well as arterial stiffness in obese Korean women.
Achievement of a median door‐to‐balloon time of less than 90 minutes by implementation of organizational changes in the ‘Emergency Department to Cath Lab’ pathway: a 5‐year analysis
Authors: Comelli Ivan , Vignali Luigi , Rolli Angelo , Lippi Giuseppe , Cervellin Gianfranco
Published: April 2011

Rationale  At present, most patients presenting directly to emergency departments (EDs) do not meet the recommended door‐to‐balloon goal of less than 90 minutes for ST‐elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients. Until the year 2005, the goal of less than 90 minutes door‐to‐balloon time has been rarely achieved in our hospital (i.e. 17% of all cases).

Method  Some organizational changes – including immediate involvement of the cardiologist in ED – were established to improve our performance. To evaluate the results of these changes, we have measured the intervals pain‐to‐door, door‐to‐electrocardiogram (ECG) and ECG‐to‐balloon for all the consecutive STEMI patients (n = 206) observed in our hospital during three sample months (May to July) of the years 2005 to 2009. We have then calculated the times door‐to‐balloon and pain‐to‐balloon (total ischemic time).

Results  We have demonstrated that the door‐to‐balloon time has been progressively reduced to less than 90 minutes in 73% of patients. Only 4.5% of all patients still have a door‐to‐balloon time greater than 150 minutes (17% in 2005). It is also notable the 60% reduction (from 330 to 140 minutes) of the pain‐to‐door time, the so‐called ‘out of hospital avoidable delay’, was achieved by a sensitization campaign directed to the whole population of the province.

Conclusion  Taken together, all these organizational changes have allowed to reduce the total ischemic time from 465 minutes in year 2005 to 232 minutes in year 2009, thereby demonstrating the effectiveness of our intervention.
Testing the factor structure of the Family Quality of Life Survey – 2006
Authors: Isaacs B. , Wang M. , Samuel P. , Ajuwon P. , Baum N. , Edwards M. , Rillotta F.
Published: April 2011

Background  Although the Family Quality of Life Survey – 2006 (FQOLS‐2006) is being used in research, there is little evidence to support its hypothesised domain structure. The purpose of this study was to test the domain structure of the survey using confirmatory factor analysis.

Method  Samples from Australia, Canada, Nigeria and the USA were analysed using structural equation modelling. The data from Australia, Canada and the USA were combined on the assumption that these countries are similar, at least to some degree, in economic development, language and culture. The Nigerian data were analysed on its own. The analysis was undertaken in two phases. First, the hypothesis that each of nine domains of the FQOLS‐2006 is a unidimensional construct that can reliably measure the dimensions Importance, Stability, Opportunities, Attainment, Stability and Satisfaction was tested. Second, the hypothesis that family quality of life (FQoL) is a single latent construct represented by the nine domains measured in the FQOLS‐2006 was tested.

Results  In the first phase of the analysis, the Importance dimension was dropped because of skewness and lack of variance. The Stability dimension did not fit well within the individual domain model in both the Nigerian and the combined three countries' data. When Importance and Stability were excluded, the individual domain models showede good or acceptable fit when error variances of some dimensions were allowed to correlate. In the second phase of the analysis, the overall model, FQoL, represented by the nine domains of the FQOLS‐2006 showed good fit in both data sets.

Conclusions  The conceptual model of the FQOLS‐2006 was supported with some qualifications. Each domain on the survey can be reliably measured by four dimensions Opportunities, Initiative, Attainment and Satisfaction. The dimensions of Importance and Stability, however, did not fit. Data reported on these dimensions from past and current studies should be interpreted with caution. The construct of FQoL is also reliably measured by the domains of the FQOLS‐2006. Further research into the psychometric properties of the survey, particularly from a cross‐cultural perspective, is needed.
Quality outcomes in group home dementia care for adults with intellectual disabilities
Authors: Janicki M. P.
Published: April 2011

Background  Dementia, as a public health challenge, is a phenomenon vexing many care organisations providing specialised residential and family supports for older adults with intellectual disabilities. With increasing survivorship to ages when risk is greatest, expectations are that many more adults in service will present with cognitive decline and diagnosed dementia as they grow older. As persons with dementia present with new needs, there is often a call for a reorientation of services. With respect to residential supports, agencies may need to adapt current methods of care, with particular attention to providing care in small group homes. However, dementia‐related care also must be quality care and applicable standards need to be met.

Method  Reviewed were relevant policy and practice organisational guidelines and applied research literature addressing components of care and service provision that are critical to quality care and that were consistent with professional practice.

Results  Examined were the nuances and contributing factors of quality dementia care and it was proposed that quality of care criteria need to be universally applicable and serve as a framework for adapting extant residential environments and make them ‘dementia‐capable’.

Conclusions  It is proposed that efforts to evaluate dementia‐related care provision with respect to quality need to consider quality of care provision components such as (1) clinically relevant early and periodic assessment; (2) functional modifications in the living setting; (3) constructive staff education and functionality for stage‐adapted care; and (4) flexible long‐term services provision that recognises and plans for progression of decline and loss of function.
Hepatitis C and autoimmunity: a therapeutic challenge
Authors: Böckle B. C. , Baltaci M. , Ratzinger G. , Graziadei I. , Vogel W. , Sepp N. T.
Published: April 2011

Abstract.  Böckle BC, Baltaci M, Ratzinger G, Graziadei I, Vogel W, Sepp NT (Innsbruck Medical University, Anichstrasse, Innsbruck, Austria). Hepatitis C and autoimmunity: a therapeutic challenge (Case Report). J Intern Med 2012; 271: 104–106.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection causes not only acute and chronic liver disease, but also extrahepatic symptoms. To our knowledge, this is the first case report of a patient who developed simultaneously subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus and a small CD20+ B‐cell clone because of chronic HCV infection and relapse after standard of care therapy (pegylated interferon plus ribavirin). Treatment with rituximab, a chimeric anti‐CD20 monoclonal antibody, was successful.
Mu‐opioid receptor A118G polymorphism in healthy volunteers affects hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis adrenocorticotropic hormone stress response to metyrapone
Authors: Ducat Elizabeth , Ray Brenda , Bart Gavin , Umemura Yoshie , Varon Jack , Ho Ann , Kreek Mary Jeanne
Published: April 2011

The mu‐opioid receptor encoded by the gene OPRM1 plays a primary role in opiate, alcohol, cocaine and nicotine addiction. Studies using opioid antagonists demonstrate that the mu‐opioid receptor (MOP‐r) also mediates the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis stress response. A common polymorphism in exon one of the MOP‐r gene, A118G, has been shown to significantly alter receptor function and MOP‐r gene expression; therefore, this variant likely affects HPA‐axis responsivity. In the current study, we have investigated whether the presence of the 118AG variant genotype affects HPA axis responsivity to the stressor metyrapone, which transiently blocks glucocorticoid production in the adrenal cortex. Forty‐eight normal and healthy volunteers (32 men, 16 women) were studied, among whom nine men and seven women had the 118AG genotype. The 118G allele blunted the adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) response to metyrapone. Although there was no difference in basal levels of ACTH, subjects with the 118AG genotype had a more modest rise and resultant significantly lower ACTH levels than those with the prototype 118AA at the 8‐hour time point (P < 0.02). We found no significant difference between genders. These findings suggest a relatively greater tonic inhibition at hypothalamic–pituitary sites through the mu‐opioid receptor and relatively less cyclical glucocorticoid inhibition in subjects with the 118G allele.
Different alcohol exposures induce selective alterations on the expression of dynorphin and nociceptin systems related genes in rat brain
Authors: D'Addario Claudio , Caputi Francesca F. , Rimondini Roberto , Gandolfi Ottavio , Del Borrello Elia , Candeletti Sanzio , Romualdi Patrizia
Published: April 2011

Molecular mechanisms of adaptive transformations caused by alcohol exposure on opioid dynorphin and nociceptin systems have been investigated in the rat brain. Alcohol was intragastrically administered to rats to resemble human drinking with several hours of exposure: water or alcohol (20% in water) at a dose of 1.5 g/kg three times daily for 1 or 5 days. The development of tolerance and dependence were recorded daily. Brains were dissected 30 minutes (1‐ and 5‐day groups) or 1, 3 or 7 days after the last administration for the three other 5‐day groups (groups under withdrawal). Specific alterations in opioid genes expression were ascertained. In the amygdala, an up‐regulation of prodynorphin and pronociceptin was observed in the 1‐day group; moreover, pronociceptin and the kappa opioid receptor mRNAs in the 5‐day group and both peptide precursors in the 1‐day withdrawal group were also up‐regulated. In the prefrontal cortex, an increase in prodynorhin expression in the 1‐day group was detected. These data indicate a relevant role of the dynorphinergic system in the negative hedonic states associated with multiple alcohol exposure. The pattern of alterations observed for the nociceptin system appears to be consistent with its role of functional antagonism towards the actions of ethanol associated with other opioid peptides. Our findings could help to the understanding of how alcohol differentially affects the opioid systems in the brain and also suggest the dynorphin and nociceptin systems as possible targets for the treatment and/or prevention of alcohol dependence.