bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Graduate Studies as Part of a Career Path for Saskatchewan Pharmacy Students
Authors: Taylor Jeffrey G. , Szmukier Zuzanna
Published: June 2013

Undergraduate pharmacy students at the University of Saskatchewan were surveyed to assess their interest in graduate training and the potential factors influencing the decision to pursue further studies. Approximately 275 copies of the survey were distributed to students across all four years of the undergraduate pharmacy program, with 191 questionnaires completed and returned (response rate of 69.5%). Nearly 90% of respondents were satisfied with their decision to study pharmacy, although many were looking forward to completing their education. Approximately two-thirds had not considered graduate studies in a pharmacy-related field. Several reasons for this were given by each student, with the time required for further study being the main drawback. Desire for patient contact and to practice as a pharmacist were also common reasons, suggesting that students may assume undertaking graduate studies automatically leads to laboratory work. Responding students tended to overestimate program costs and saw less demand for pharmacists with advanced training.
Promoting Cardiovascular Health among Older Adults: A Pilot Study with Community Pharmacists
Authors: Pora Virginia V. , Farrell Barbara , Dolovich Lisa , Kaczorowski Janusz , Chambers Larry
Published: June 2013

This project enabled us to develop procedures for organizing and running successful pharmacy blood pressure sessions. The knowledge gained from this pilot was used in the multicentred Community Health Awareness Program (CHAP).

Running blood pressure sessions in community pharmacies and using a multidisciplinary approach, including volunteer health educators and support from public health, was a feasible way to raise awareness of cardiovascular health among the older adults who participated in our project.

This pilot project included pharmacist involvement at several stages, from the planning of the blood pressure sessions and development of the documentation forms, to participation in the pilot and feedback after project completion. With its multidisciplinary approach, the pilot showed that it is feasible for a community pharmacist to be involved in research projects that can benefit patient care and enhance their professional roles.
Implementing and Assessing the Benefits and Feasibility of a “Safe Sampling” Pilot Project
Authors: Gene Lana , Nguyen Anne , Kanji Zahra
Published: June 2013

Background:

“Traditional” medication sampling occurs when pharmaceutical companies promote products by providing free samples to physicians, who then pass these on to patients. Limitations of this type of sampling include no pharmacist involvement, limited documentation on patients' medication profiles, limited inventory control in physicians' offices, and lack of patient-specific labeling. We present an improved method called “safe sampling” to mitigate these limitations.

Objective:

To implement a safe sampling pilot project and to assess its benefits and feasibility from the perspectives of patients, pharmacists, and pharmaceutical company employees.

Methods:

Physicians provided rabeprazole vouchers to patients in lieu of samples. Patients redeemed the vouchers at the pharmacy for a complimentary seven-day supply. The pharmacist processed the voucher like a prescription. Patients, pharmacists, and pharmaceutical company employees were surveyed after the intervention.

Results:

The pharmacy received 59 vouchers, which were redeemed by 43 patients and issued by 7 physicians (September 2004—January 2005). The pharmacy filled all vouchers. Of the 42 patients who completed the questionnaires, up to 95% agreed with the various benefits of safe sampling. All pharmacists ( n = 5) and pharmaceutical company employees ( n = 2) agreed that safe sampling was in the patient's best interest and was feasible to implement. Recommendations to enhance safe sampling included involving more than one pharmacy, dispensing medication from existing pharmacy inventory, using online billing, and determining who will pay for safe sampling.

Conclusion:

All participants acknowledged the benefits of safe sampling. Survey results suggest that pharmaceutical companies may not be willing to absorb the medication cost and/or professional fee involved in dispensing medication samples through pharmacies. Currently, pharmaceutical companies are paying for sample medications and their packaging and distribution. We suggest transferring these funds to the pharmacist's professional fee and sample medication costs. Our surveys suggest that safe sampling is beneficial to patients and is feasible to implement in community practice once the logistics of reimbursement are addressed. Safe sampling provides the groundwork for the creation of a safer, more sustainable method of medication sampling. Additional studies involving a larger patient population, more complex drugs, and a wider selection of pharmacies are needed to further quantify the benefits of safe sampling.
Living MedsCheck
Authors: Grindrod Kelly , Sanghera Niki , Rahmaan Israa , Roy Meghna , Tritt Michael
Published: June 2013

Objective:

To share the experiences of graduating students as they learn to deliver a new medication review service in community pharmacies in Ontario, Canada.

Practice description:

Four graduating pharmacy students volunteered in different community pharmacies to learn how to navigate a new provincial program called MedsCheck, which pays pharmacists to do medication reviews. Each student selected his or her own practice site, including 2 independent community pharmacies, a grocery store chain pharmacy and a hospital outpatient pharmacy.

Practice innovation:

To help the students learn to deliver the new MedsCheck services, a faculty mentor met with them on a weekly basis. To reflect on doing MedsChecks in the “real world” and to elicit feedback from the online community, each student blogged about his or her experiences.

Results:

All 4 students felt that peer mentoring improved their ability to deliver MedsCheck services. They also identified a number of barriers to delivering the MedsChecks and helped each other try to overcome the barriers.

Conclusion:

MedsCheck is a new service in Ontario and is not easily implemented in the current pharmacy model of practice. Peer mentoring is a helpful way to share successes and overcome barriers to delivery. Can Pharm J 2013;146:33-38.
Women in pharmacy
Authors: Janzen Donica , Fitzpatrick Kerry , Jensen Karen , Suveges Linda
Published: June 2013

Background:

Women have historically been attracted to pharmacy because it is widely perceived as a profession that offers them an opportunity to combine a professional career with a family. Women now make up the majority of practising pharmacists in Canada, yet the literature demonstrates disparities such as gender segregation and underrepresentation of women in senior positions. This study was intended to identify the attitudes and beliefs of pharmacy students about women’s issues in pharmacy and raise awareness of these issues.

Methods:

First- and fourth-year University of Saskatchewan pharmacy students were invited to share their overall impressions of the status of female pharmacists and the impact of women on the pharmacy profession through an online questionnaire.

Results:

Of the 60 respondents, the majority disagreed that there is segregation of men and women in pharmacy. More fourth-year students than first-year students recognized the underrepresentation of women in pharmacy management. Many students believed the number of women in pharmacy would have no negative impact on the profession. Forty students (67.8%) agreed that it is important to maintain a significant proportion of men in pharmacy.

Conclusion:

Most pharmacy students in this study do not recognize gender disparities present in pharmacy or the impact the disproportionate number of women could have on the profession. Can Pharm J 2013;146:109-116.
Spirited Away: Conceptualizing a Film-Based Case Study through Comparative Narratives of Japanese Ecological and Environmental Discourses
Authors: Lim Tai Wei
Published: June 2013

This article discusses interpretations of environmental themes in the film Spirited Away (2011) directed by Miyazaki Hayao, including views that do not agree with any environment-related reading of the film’s contents. In analyzing this diversity of views obtained through fieldwork and secondary sources, the discussions involve interpretations of the characters and symbolisms related to the physical settings found in the animated feature. This includes: correlations with the Japanese economic fast-growth period in the Showa period from the 1960s onwards; contrasts between characters that are representations of pollution versus traditional symbols of nature; the inter-related ideas of consumption and waste; the delicate co-existence between nature and humans; traditional conceptions of nature; spirituality and interpretations of the environment; human–nature interactions; ideas about state and non-state stakeholders in Japanese society; the impact of economic production; changes in community bonds with development, etc. The methodology is based on textual analysis and interpretive work of scholarly arguments about ideas related to the environment in Japan. A second methodology is based on oral interviews with instructors and scholarly experts within the intellectual community who have experience in teaching or writing materials related to this topical matter. The concluding section discusses reception of the film and the way audiences cognitively react to and interact with the film’s contents to arrive at their own understanding (or rejection) of its environmental themes.
Neuronally-expressed Sarm1 regulates expression of inflammatory and antiviral cytokines in brains
Authors: Lin Chia-Wen , Liu Hsin-Yu , Chen Chiung-Ya , Hsueh Yi-Ping
Published: June 2013

Sarm1 is the fifth Toll/IL-1 receptor (TIR) domain-containing adaptor protein identified to regulate TLR downstream signaling. Unlike the other TIR domain-containing adaptor proteins, Sarm1 is predominantly expressed in the brain. Our previous study indicated that Sarm1 regulates dendritic growth, axonal extension and neuronal polarity. Here, we investigated whether Sarm1 is involved in innate immunity in the brain. First, regional and cell-type distribution of Sarm1 in mouse brains was revealed using double immunostaining. Sarm1 was widely distributed in different regions of brains, including the cerebral cortex, hippocampus, amygdala, cerebellum and midbrain. Moreover, Sarm1 is present in both projection and inhibitory neurons, but, interestingly, not in microglial cells—the main immune cells in the brain. These results suggest that Sarm1 is unlikely to regulate microglial activity in a cell-autonomous manner. However, compared with wild type littermates, the RNA expression levels of several inflammatory and antiviral cytokines were altered in the embryonic and adult brains of Sarm1 knockdown transgenic mice. These data imply that Sarm1 influences cytokine expression in neurons. In conclusion, our findings suggest that Sarm1 regulates the innate immune responses of the central nervous system through regulating the inflammatory and anti-virus cytokines produced by neurons.
Repeated exposure to intra-amniotic LPS partially protects against adverse effects of intravenous LPS in preterm lambs
Authors: Gisslen Tate , Hillman Noah H , Musk Gabrielle C , Kemp Matthew W , Kramer Boris W , Senthamaraikannan Paranthaman , Newnham John P , Jobe Alan H , Kallapur Suhas G
Published: June 2013

Histologic chorioamnionitis, frequently associated with preterm births and adverse outcomes, results in prolonged exposure of preterm fetuses to infectious agents and pro-inflammatory mediators, such as LPS. Endotoxin tolerance-type effects were demonstrated in fetal sheep following repetitive systemic or intra-amniotic (i.a.) exposures to LPS, suggesting that i.a. LPS exposure would cause endotoxin tolerance to a postnatal systemic dose of LPS in preterm sheep. In this study, randomized pregnant ewes received either two i.a. injections of LPS or saline prior to preterm delivery. Following operative delivery, the lambs were treated with surfactant, ventilated, and randomized to receive either i.v. LPS or saline at 30 min of age. Physiologic variables and indicators of systemic and lung inflammation were measured. Intravenous LPS decreased blood neutrophils and platelets values following i.a. saline compared to that after i.a. LPS. Intra-amniotic LPS prevented blood pressure from decreasing following the i.v. LPS, but also caused an increased oxygen index. Intra-amniotic LPS did not cause endotoxin tolerance as assessed by cytokine expression in the liver, lung or plasma, but increased myeloperoxidase-positive cells in the lung. The different compartments of exposure to LPS (i.a. vs i.v.) are unique to the fetal to newborn transition. Intra-amniotic LPS incompletely tolerized fetal lambs to postnatal i.v. LPS.
Current Emotion Research in Developmental Psychology
Authors: Camras Linda A. , Shuster Michael M.
Published: June 2013

Emotion theories based on research with adults must be able to accommodate developmental data if they are to be deemed satisfactory accounts of human emotion. Inspired in part by theory and research on adult emotion, developmentalists have investigated emotion-related processes including affect elicitation, internal and overtly observable emotion responding, emotion regulation, and understanding emotion in others. Many developmental studies parallel investigations conducted with adults. In this article, we review current theories of emotional development as well as research related to the several aspects of emotion designated above. Beyond providing an overview of the field, we hope to encourage greater cross-fertilization and research collaboration between developmental psychologists and scholars who focus on adult emotion.
Premenstrual syndrome
Authors: Shanmugaratnam Shiva , Shanmugaratnam Hari , Parisaei Miss Maryam
Published: June 2013

Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is characterised by cyclical physical, behavioural and psychological symptoms occurring during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle (the time between ovulation and the onset of menstruation). The symptoms disappear or significantly regress by the end of menstruation. Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) is a more severe variant of premenstrual syndrome. PMS is common and severe symptoms can have detrimental effects on a woman's quality of life. GPs play a key role in the diagnosis and management of these conditions. This article aims to provide an overview of the current evidence and guidelines for recognising and managing PMS in general practice.
Deafness
Authors: O'brien Victoria
Published: June 2013

Hearing loss is common. There are more than 10 million people in the UK with some form of hearing loss, making up one-in-six of the population. Of these, 3.7 million are of working age (16–64 years) and 6.3 million are of retirement age (65 years or greater). Therefore, it should be no surprise that the average GP will see at least four patients with hearing loss every day. However, many GPs still feel under-equipped to manage patients with hearing loss and many patients with hearing loss report receiving a reduced quality of consultation as a result.
“I Went to a Fight the Other Night and a Hockey Game Broke Out”
Authors: Goldschmied Nadav , Espindola Samantha
Published: June 2013

Background:

The current study explored the relationship between fighting behavior and passage of time, across games and seasons, in an attempt to assess if violent behavior in hockey is impulsive or intentional.

Hypothesis:

Before engaging in fighting behavior, players assess the utility of their actions and thus will fight less when the game is on the line (third period) and when champions are crowned (postseason).

Methods:

An archival exploration utilizing open access databases from multiple Internet sources.

Results:

During the 2010-2011 National Hockey League (NHL) season, players were significantly less likely to be involved in a fight as the game was coming to a close than in its early stages. In addition, data from the past 10 NHL seasons showed that players were significantly more violent in preseason games than during the regular season. They were also least likely to be involved in a fight during the postseason.

Conclusion:

The converging evidence suggests that players take into account the penalties associated with fighting and are less likely to engage in violence when the stakes are high, such as at the end of a game or a season. This implies, in turn, that major acts of aggression in the league are more likely to be calculated rather than impulsive. The findings suggest that a more punitive system should diminish fighting behavior markedly.
Diagnosing the Dress of the Queen’s Train-Bearers at the Coronation of George III
Authors: Chrisman-Campbell Kimberly
Published: June 2013

One of the treasures of the Helen Larson Historic Fashion Collection at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (FIDM) Museum in Los Angeles is an eighteenth-century bodice whose history is as tantalizing as its beauty. Documents sold with the bodice at Christie’s in 1973 indicate that it was worn at the coronation of King George III (1738–1820) in 1761 by Lady Mary Douglas (1736–1816), a train-bearer to Queen Charlotte (1744–1818). This unusually well-preserved and well-documented ceremonial costume provides a rare glimpse of sartorial splendour at the Georgian court. Historical and technical analyses of the object reveal that formal court dress played an important aesthetic, economic, and political role in eighteenth-century England.
Modernity Through the Lens: The Westernization of Thai Women’s Court Dress
Authors: Leventon Melissa , Gluckman Dale Carolyn
Published: June 2013

Photography came to Thailand in the mid-nineteenth century and was adopted first by King Mongkut (Rama IV, r. 1851–1868) and subsequently by his son King Chulalongkorn (Rama V, r. 1868–1910). Earlier reigns had forbidden the creation of images of the king. However, King Mongkut, eager to demonstrate that Siam was a modern state on the world stage, willingly sat for daguerreotype portraits modelled after those of European royalty. These were distributed to foreign visitors to the Thai court and sent as gifts to Western heads of state. King Chulalongkorn, who became an enthusiastic patron of photography and an accomplished amateur photographer himself, commissioned countless portraits of himself and his family, especially the women and children of the court. By the end of his reign, portraits of members of the royal family, especially the women, became routine. These portraits offer an unmatched record of the dress of an otherwise invisible population and served as inspiration for Thailand’s reigning queen in her development of modern court dress. This essay, the first of its kind in English, attempts to chart the changes in court attire from c. 1860–1930, as it gradually evolved from fully Thai to fully Western.
Uneasy Heads: Difficulties with Royal Hats
Authors: Hughes Clair
Published: June 2013

This article looks at two hundred years of British royal hats. We think of royal heads as crowned, though they are almost invariably hatted, and crowns haunt royal hats even when they are materially absent. It is unthinkable that the present Queen might preside at an official occasion bareheaded. Hats have had strong hierarchic, economic and social implications and, even if no longer mandatory, a hat is still a dramatic personal signature. For British royalty, whose image is public property, headgear must suggest not only style and glamour but also dignity of office. Royal men reached for military headgear to convey authority but, in time, this became camouflage. Queens, initially lacking impressive hats, appeared uncertain. But from the early twentieth century, as the monarchy became increasingly feminized, royal women, seeking a path between the imperatives of fashion and historical continuity, created memorable personal images — sometimes idiosyncratic, often enchanting — to which the hat was a final, distinctive flourish.
Increased number and altered phenotype of lymphatic vessels in peripheral lung compartments of patients with COPD
Authors: Mori Michiko , Andersson Cecilia K , Graham Gerard J , Löfdahl Claes-Göran , Erjefält Jonas S
Published: June 2013

Background

De novo lymphatic vessel formation has recently been observed in lungs of patients with moderate chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, the distribution of lymphatic vessel changes among the anatomical compartments of diseased lungs is unknown. Furthermore, information regarding the nature of lymphatic vessel alterations across different stages of COPD is missing. This study performs a detailed morphometric characterization of lymphatic vessels in major peripheral lung compartments of patients with different severities of COPD and investigates the lymphatic expression of molecules involved in immune cell trafficking.

Methods

Peripheral lung resection samples obtained from patients with mild (GOLD stage I), moderate-severe (GOLD stage II-III), and very severe (GOLD stage IV) COPD were investigated for podoplanin-immunopositive lymphatic vessels in distinct peripheral lung compartments: bronchioles, pulmonary blood vessels and alveolar walls. Control subjects with normal lung function were divided into never smokers and smokers. Lymphatics were analysed by multiple morphological parameters, as well as for their expression of CCL21 and the chemokine scavenger receptor D6.

Results

The number of lymphatics increased by 133% in the alveolar parenchyma in patients with advanced COPD compared with never-smoking controls (p < 0.05). In patchy fibrotic lesions the number of alveolar lymphatics increased 20-fold from non-fibrotic parenchyma in the same COPD patients. The absolute number of lymphatics per bronchiole and artery was increased in advanced COPD, but numbers were not different after normalization to tissue area. Increased numbers of CCL21- and D6-positive lymphatics were observed in the alveolar parenchyma in advanced COPD compared with controls (p < 0.01). Lymphatic vessels also displayed increased mean levels of immunoreactivity for CCL21 in the wall of bronchioles (p < 0.01) and bronchiole-associated arteries (p < 0.05), as well as the alveolar parenchyma (p < 0.001) in patients with advanced COPD compared with never-smoking controls. A similar increase in lymphatic D6 immunoreactivity was observed in bronchioles (p < 0.05) and alveolar parenchyma (p < 0.01).

Conclusions

This study shows that severe stages of COPD is associated with increased numbers of alveolar lymphatic vessels and a change in lymphatic vessel phenotype in major peripheral lung compartments. This novel histopathological feature is suggested to have important implications for distal lung immune cell traffic in advanced COPD.
Using concept mapping to explore why patients become lost to follow up from an antiretroviral therapy program in the Zomba District of Malawi
Authors: Rachlis Beth , Ahmad Farah , van Lettow Monique , Muula Adamson S , Semba Medson , Cole Donald C
Published: June 2013

Background

Retention in antiretroviral therapy (ART) programmes remains a challenge in many settings including Malawi, in part due to high numbers of losses to follow-up. Concept Mapping (CM), a mix-method participatory approach, was used to explore why patients on ART are lost to follow-up (LTFU) by identifying: 1) factors that influence patient losses to follow-up and 2) barriers to effective and efficient tracing in Zomba, Malawi.

Methods

CM sessions (brainstorming, sorting and rating, interpretation) were conducted in urban and rural settings in Zomba, Malawi. Participants included ART patients, ART providers, Health Surveillance Assistants, and health managers from the Zomba District Health Office. In brainstorming, participants generated statements in response to “A specific reason why an individual on ART becomes lost to follow-up is…” Participants then sorted and rated the consolidated list of brainstormed items. Analysis included inductive qualitative methods for grouping of data and quantitative cluster identification to produce visual maps which were then interpreted by participants.

Results

In total, 90 individuals brainstormed 371 statements, 64 consolidated statements were sorted (participant n = 46), and rated on importance and feasibility (participant n = 69). A nine-cluster concept map was generated and included both patient- and healthcare-related clusters such as: Stigma and Fears, Beliefs, Acceptance and Knowledge of ART, Access to ART, Poor Documentation, Social and Financial Support Issues, Health Worker Attitudes, Resources Needed for Effective Tracing, and Health Worker Issues Related to Tracing. Strategies to respond to the clusters were generated in Interpretation.

Conclusions

Multiple patient- and healthcare focused factors influence why patients become LTFU. Findings have implications particularly for programs with limited resources struggling with the retention of ART patients.
Special issue on advances in 4G wireless and beyond
Authors: Saxena Navrati , Sengupta Shamik , Wong Kai-Kit , Roy Abhishek
Published: June 2013

4G cellular systems envisions a comprehensive all-IP-based solution, including voice, data, and streamed multimedia at much higher data rates and spectral efficiency. Emerging standards and technologies like LTE and M-WiMAX are actually leading towards this vision. The objective of this special issue is to address specific research research issues and solutions on different aspects of 4G wireless systems and beyond. The total six papers included in this special issue demonstrates research outcomes in different aspects of 4G wireless, like scheduling, resource allocation, cognitive and cooperative communications, multicast services and coverage and planning of small cells. We hope that the research results included in this special issue will serve as an important step for further research and development in 4G wireless communication systems.
Prospective investigation of autism and genotype-phenotype correlations in 22q13 deletion syndrome and SHANK3 deficiency
Authors: Soorya Latha , Kolevzon Alexander , Zweifach Jessica , Lim Teresa , Dobry Yuriy , Schwartz Lily , Frank Yitzchak , Wang A Ting , Cai Guiqing , Parkhomenko Elena , Halpern Danielle , Grodberg David , Angarita Benjamin , Willner Judith P , Yang Amy , Canitano Roberto , Chaplin William , Betancur Catalina , Buxbaum Joseph D
Published: June 2013

Background

22q13 deletion syndrome, also known as Phelan-McDermid syndrome, is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by intellectual disability, hypotonia, delayed or absent speech, and autistic features.SHANK3has been identified as the critical gene in the neurological and behavioral aspects of this syndrome. The phenotype ofSHANK3deficiency has been described primarily from case studies, with limited evaluation of behavioral and cognitive deficits. The present study used a prospective design and inter-disciplinary clinical evaluations to assess patients withSHANK3deficiency, with the goal of providing a comprehensive picture of the medical and behavioral profile of the syndrome.

Methods

A serially ascertained sample of patients withSHANK3deficiency (n = 32) was evaluated by a team of child psychiatrists, neurologists, clinical geneticists, molecular geneticists and psychologists. Patients were evaluated for autism spectrum disorder using the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised and the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule-G.

Results

Thirty participants with 22q13.3 deletions ranging in size from 101 kb to 8.45 Mb and two participants withde novo SHANK3mutations were included. The sample was characterized by high rates of autism spectrum disorder: 27 (84%) met criteria for autism spectrum disorder and 24 (75%) for autistic disorder. Most patients (77%) exhibited severe to profound intellectual disability and only five (19%) used some words spontaneously to communicate. Dysmorphic features, hypotonia, gait disturbance, recurring upper respiratory tract infections, gastroesophageal reflux and seizures were also common. Analysis of genotype-phenotype correlations indicated that larger deletions were associated with increased levels of dysmorphic features, medical comorbidities and social communication impairments related to autism. Analyses of individuals with small deletions or point mutations identified features related toSHANK3haploinsufficiency, including ASD, seizures and abnormal EEG, hypotonia, sleep disturbances, abnormal brain MRI, gastroesophageal reflux, and certain dysmorphic features.

Conclusions

This study supports findings from previous research on the severity of intellectual, motor, and speech impairments seen inSHANK3deficiency, and highlights the prominence of autism spectrum disorder in the syndrome. Limitations of existing evaluation tools are discussed, along with the need for natural history studies to inform clinical monitoring and treatment development inSHANK3deficiency.
Packet charge dynamic in thin polyethylene under high dc voltage
Authors: Gargouri Amal , Boukhris Imed , Belgaroui Ezzeddine , Kallel Ali
Published: June 2013

In this paper, we present a bipolar transport model in low-density polyethylene under high direct-current voltage in order to investigate the charge packet dynamic generated under high injection. These charge packets, observed by our model for the first time, have already been seen in some previous experimental works for a long time. Our model results show that applied electric field and sample thickness play important roles on the apparition of space charge packets.
Identification of pathways directly regulated by SHORT VEGETATIVE PHASE during vegetative and reproductive development in Arabidopsis
Authors: Gregis Veronica , Andrés Fernando , Sessa Alice , Guerra Rosalinda F , Simonini Sara , Mateos Julieta L , Torti Stefano , Zambelli Federico , Prazzoli Gian Marco , Bjerkan Katrine N , Grini Paul E , Pavesi Giulio , Colombo Lucia , Coupland George , Kater Martin M
Published: June 2013

Background

MADS-domain transcription factors play important roles during plant development. The Arabidopsis MADS-box gene SHORT VEGETATIVE PHASE (SVP) is a key regulator of two developmental phases. It functions as a repressor of the floral transition during the vegetative phase and later it contributes to the specification of floral meristems. How these distinct activities are conferred by a single transcription factor is unclear, but interactions with other MADS domain proteins which specify binding to different genomic regions is likely one mechanism.

Results

To compare the genome-wide DNA binding profile of SVP during vegetative and reproductive development we performed ChIP-seq analyses. These ChIP-seq data were combined with tiling array expression analysis, induction experiments and qRT-PCR to identify biologically relevant binding sites. In addition, we compared genome-wide target genes of SVP with those published for the MADS domain transcription factors FLC and AP1, which interact with SVP during the vegetative and reproductive phases, respectively.

Conclusions

Our analyses resulted in the identification of pathways that are regulated by SVP including those controlling meristem development during vegetative growth and flower development whereas floral transition pathways and hormonal signaling were regulated predominantly during the vegetative phase. Thus, SVP regulates many developmental pathways, some of which are common to both of its developmental roles whereas others are specific to only one of them.
Patient Preference and Contraindications in Measuring Quality of Care: What Do Administrative Data Miss?
Authors: Ryoo Joan J. , Ordin Diana L. , Antonio Anna Liza M. , Oishi Sabine M. , Gould Michael K. , Asch Steven M. , Malin Jennifer L.
Published: June 2013

Purpose

Prior studies report that half of patients with lung cancer do not receive guideline-concordant care. With data from a national Veterans Health Administration (VHA) study on quality of care, we sought to determine what proportion of patients refused or had a contraindication to recommended lung cancer therapy.

Patients and Methods

Through medical record abstraction, we evaluated adherence to six quality indicators addressing lung cancer–directed therapy for patients diagnosed within the VHA during 2007 and calculated the proportion of patients receiving, refusing, or having contraindications to recommended treatment.

Results

Mean age of the predominantly male population was 67.7 years (standard deviation, 9.4 years), and 15% were black. Adherence to quality indicators ranged from 81% for adjuvant chemotherapy to 98% for curative resection; however, many patients met quality indicator criteria without actually receiving recommended therapy by having a refusal (0% to 14%) or contraindication (1% to 30%) documented. Less than 1% of patients refused palliative chemotherapy. Black patients were more likely to refuse or bear a contraindication to surgery even when controlling for comorbidity; race was not associated with refusals or contraindications to other treatments.

Conclusion

Refusals and contraindications are common and may account for previously demonstrated low rates of recommended lung cancer therapy performance at the VHA. Racial disparities in treatment may be explained, in part, by such factors. These results sound a cautionary note for quality measurement that depends on data that do not reflect patient preference or contraindications in conditions where such considerations are important.
Adrenocortical Carcinoma Is a Lynch Syndrome–Associated Cancer
Authors: Raymond Victoria M. , Everett Jessica N. , Furtado Larissa V. , Gustafson Shanna L. , Jungbluth Chelsy R. , Gruber Stephen B. , Hammer Gary D. , Stoffel Elena M. , Greenson Joel K. , Giordano Thomas J. , Else Tobias
Published: June 2013

Purpose

Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is an endocrine malignancy with a poor prognosis. The association of adult-onset ACC with inherited cancer predisposition syndromes is poorly understood. Our study sought to define the prevalence of Lynch syndrome (LS) among patients with ACC.

Patients and Methods

One hundred fourteen patients with ACC were evaluated in a specialized endocrine oncology clinic and were prospectively offered genetic counseling and clinical genetics risk assessment (group 1). In addition, families with known mismatch repair (MMR) gene mutations that were recorded in the University of Michigan Cancer Genetics Registry were retrospectively reviewed for the presence of ACC (group 2). ACC tumors from patients with LS were tested for microsatellite instability and immunohistochemistry (IHC) to evaluate for MMR deficiency.

Results

Ninety-four (82.5%) of 114 patients with ACC underwent genetic counseling (group 1). Three individuals (3.2%) had family histories suggestive of LS. All three families were found to have MMR gene mutations. Retrospective review of an additional 135 MMR gene–positive probands identified two with ACC (group 2). Four ACC tumors were available (group 1, 3; group 2, 1). All four tumors were microsatellite stable; three had IHC staining patterns consistent with germline mutation status.

Conclusion

The prevalence of LS among patients with ACC is 3.2%, which is comparable to the prevalence of LS in colorectal and endometrial cancer. Patients with ACC and a personal or family history of LS tumors should be strongly considered for genetic risk assessment. IHC screening of all ACC tumors may be an effective strategy for identifying patients with LS.
Sustained Adrenergic Stimulation Is Required for the Nuclear Retention of TORC1 in Male Rat Pinealocytes
Authors: McTague J. , Ferguson M. , Chik C. L. , Ho A. K.
Published: June 2013

The process involved in relocation of the coactivator, transducer of regulated cAMP-regulated element-binding protein (TORC) to the cytoplasm, unlike its activation, is not well understood. Using cultured pineal cells prepared from male rats, we found that although both α- and β-adrenergic stimulation could cause TORC1 dephosphorylation, only α-adrenergic stimulation was effective in the norepinephrine (NE)-mediated translocation of TORC1 into the nucleus. In contrast, blockade of either the α- or the β-adrenergic receptor after NE stimulation was effective in causing the rephosphorylation and rapid relocation of TORC1 into the cytoplasm. Studies with phosphoprotein phosphatase (PP) inhibitors indicated that although both PP2A and PP2B could dephosphorylate TORC1, only PP2B could cause translocation into the nucleus. However, after NE stimulation, treatment with either PP2A or PP2B inhibitors could cause the rephosphorylation and cytoplasmic relocation of TORC1. These results indicate a requirement of continuous activation of both α- and β-adrenergic receptors as well as PP2A and PP2B activities for the nuclear retention of TORC1 during NE stimulation. Knockdown of salt-inducible kinase 1 (SIK1) had no effect on the phosphorylation or localization of TORC1. Although overexpressing SIK1 could induce TORC1 phosphorylation in the nucleus, it did not reduce TORC1 level in the nucleus, indicating that SIK1-mediated TORC1 phosphorylation may not be sufficient for its relocation into the cytoplasm. Together, these results demonstrate that, in the rat pineal gland, different mechanisms are involved in regulating the nuclear entry and exit of TORC1 and that the SIK1-mediated phosphorylation of TORC1 may not lead to its nuclear exit.
Sequential activation of ETS proteins provides a sustained transcriptional response to EGFR signaling
Authors: Shwartz Arkadi , Yogev Shaul , Schejter Eyal D. , Shilo Ben-Zion
Published: June 2013

How signal transduction, which is dynamic and fluctuating by nature, is converted into a stable trancriptional response, is an unanswered question in developmental biology. Two ETS-domain transcription factors encoded by the pointed (pnt) locus, PntP1 and PntP2, are universal downstream mediators of EGFR-based signaling in Drosophila. Full disruption of pnt function in developing eye imaginal discs reveals a photoreceptor recruitment phenotype, in which only the R8 photoreceptor cell type is specified within ommatidia. Specific disruption of either pntP1 or pntP2 resulted in the same R8-only phenotype, demonstrating that both Pnt isoforms are essential for photoreceptor recruitment. We show that the two Pnt protein forms are activated in a sequential manner within the EGFR signaling pathway: MAPK phosphorylates and activates PntP2, which in turn induces pntP1 transcription. Once expressed, PntP1 is constitutively active and sufficient to induce target genes essential for photoreceptor development. Pulse-chase experiments indicate that PntP1 is stable for several hours in the eye disc. Sequential ETS-protein recruitment therefore allows sustained induction of target genes, beyond the transient activation of EGFR.
Intergenerational Occupational Mobility in Great Britain and the United States Since 1850
Authors: Long Jason , Ferrie Joseph
Published: June 2013

The US tolerates more inequality than Europe and believes its economic mobility is greater than Europe's, though they had roughly equal rates of intergenerational occupational mobility in the late twentieth century. We extend this comparison into the nineteenth century using 10,000 nationally-representative British and US fathers and sons. The US was more mobile than Britain through 1900, so in the experience of those who created the US welfare state in the 1930s, the US had indeed been “exceptional.” The US mobility lead over Britain was erased by the 1950s, as US mobility fell from its nineteenth century levels. (JEL J62, N31, N32, N33, N34)
The Dynamic Effects of Personal and Corporate Income Tax Changes in the United States
Authors: Mertens Karel , Ravn Morten O
Published: June 2013

This paper estimates the dynamic effects of changes in taxes in the United States. We distinguish between changes in personal and corporate income taxes and develop a new narrative account of federal tax liability changes in these two tax components. We develop an estimator which uses narratively identified tax changes as proxies for structural tax shocks and apply it to quarterly post-WWII data. We find that short run output effects of tax shocks are large and that it is important to distinguish between different types of taxes when considering their impact on the labor market and on expenditure components. (JEL E23, E62, H24, H25, H31, H32)
The Gravity of Knowledge
Authors: Keller Wolfgang , Yeaple Stephen Ross
Published: June 2013

We analyze the international operations of multinational firms to measure the spatial barriers to transferring knowledge. We model firms that can transfer bits of knowledge to their foreign affiliates in either embodied (traded intermediates) or disembodied form (direct communication). The model shows how knowledge transfer costs can be inferred from multinationals' operations. We use firm-level data on the trade and sales of US multinationals to confirm the model's predictions. Disembodied knowledge transfer costs not only make the standard multinational firm model consistent with the fact that affiliate sales fall in distance but quantitatively accounts for much of the gravity in multinational activity. (JEL F12, F14, F23, L25, O33)
Using computation to enhance diagnosis and therapy: a novel mutation operator for real-coded adaptive genetic algorithms
Authors: Kanwal Maxinder S , Ramesh Avinash S , Huang Lauren A
Published: June 2013

The fields of molecular biology and neurobiology have advanced rapidly over the last two decades. These advances have resulted in the development of large proteomic and genetic databases that need to be searched for the prediction, early detection and treatment of neuropathologies and other genetic disorders. This need, in turn, has pushed the development of novel computational algorithms that are critical for searching genetic databases. One successful approach has been to use artificial intelligence and pattern recognition algorithms, such as neural networks and optimization algorithms (e.g. genetic algorithms). The focus of this paper is on optimizing the design of genetic algorithms by using an adaptive mutation rate based on the fitness function of passing generations. We propose a novel pseudo-derivative based mutation rate operator designed to allow a genetic algorithm to escape local optima and successfully continue to the global optimum. Once proven successful, this algorithm can be implemented to solve real problems in neurology and bioinformatics. As a first step towards this goal, we tested our algorithm on two 3-dimensional surfaces with multiple local optima, but only one global optimum, as well as on the N-queens problem, an applied problem in which the function that maps the curve is implicit. For all tests, the adaptive mutation rate allowed the genetic algorithm to find the global optimal solution, performing significantly better than other search methods, including genetic algorithms that implement fixed mutation rates.
METHODICAL APPROACH TO FORMATION OF AN EFFECTIVE PORTFOLIO OF INNOVATIVE AND INVESTMENT PROJECTS IN THE CONDITIONS OF RESOURCE RESTRICTIONS
Authors: Мыльник Владимир , Mylnik Vladimir , Зубеева Елена , Zubeeva Elena
Published: June 2013

This article is devoted to the development of the methodological approach to the formation of an effective portfolio of innovative-investment projects at the industrial enterprise in the conditions of resource constraints. In the article the main goals, objectives,

algorithm of formation of a portfolio are described, as well as methodological framework for the analysis of socio-economic and synergetic effects.
STELLAR MODEL OF DECISION MAKING© IN THE MANAGEMENT OF INNOVATION
Authors: Асмолова Марина , Asmolova Marina
Published: June 2013

The author developed a stellar model of decision making which helps a head of company to organize the process of thinking, open innovation opportunities for business development, effectively allocate internal resources and concentrate on achieving a leading position in view of changes in the external situation. Stellar model includes such elements as expectations, form, results, concept, action (image of the company), structure, operations, information and materials, motivation, management (internal content of the company), and also considers the environment. The author gives an algorithm of work with a model starting with collection of information ending making a decision.
MARKETING INFORMATION SYSTEMS: GENESIS, EVOLUTION AND CURRENT STATE
Authors: Рожков Илья , Rozhkov Ilya
Published: June 2013

The article deals with the historical background and develop ment stages of the methodology of marketing information systems. It investigates the use of modern information technology in marketing. Also the article summarizes the characteristics of information and marketing centers, industry marketing information systems, geographic marketing information systems, marketing automation, customer relationship management systems, interactive voice services, technologies for monitoring social networks.
Diagnostic inconsistency of faecal immunochemical tests for haemoglobin in population screening of colorectal cancer
Authors: Huang Yanqin , Ge Weiting , London Viktoriya , Li Qilong , Cai Shanrong , Zhang Suzhan , Zheng Shu
Published: June 2013

Background:There is currently very little data available on the consistency of quantitative and qualitative faecal immunochemical test (FIT) for colorectal cancer screening.

Methods:A representative random population (n=1889, 40–74 year olds) in Jiashan, China was invited for FIT screening in 2012. Faecal samples were collected by a single specimen collection device and simultaneously tested by a quantitative FIT (OC-SENSOR, OC) and two qualitative FITs (FIT A and FIT B with intrinsic positive haemoglobin cut-off concentrations of 20 μg Hb/g faeces and 40 μg Hb/g faeces, respectively). The observational criteria for a positive result of the qualitative FIT were set according to the density of the colour appearing in the test strip. The results produced by the quantitative and qualitative FIT for each sample were compared. κ coefficient was used to measure consistency.

Results:A total of 1368 (72.4%) individuals returned faecal samples. Both FIT A and FIT B precisely identified all faecal samples with haemoglobin concentration above 100 μg Hb/g faeces, but the overall consistency was poor for OC & FIT A (κ=0.32, 95% CI 0.20–0.44) and was moderate for OC & FIT B (κ=0.74, 95% CI 0.64–0.85). A more favourable consistency (κ=0.64, 95% CI 0.57–0.72) was achieved when a different positive criterion was employed for FIT A.

Conclusions:The diagnostic inconsistency between quantitative and qualitative FITs mainly exists in the faecal samples with low haemoglobin concentrations. Refining the criterion for a positive result may be a feasible way to improve the accuracy of qualitative FIT.
Experimental and finite element study of the effect of temperature and moisture on the tangential tensile strength and fracture behavior in timber logs
Authors: Larsen Finn , Ormarsson Sigurdur
Published: June 2013

Timber is normally dried by kiln drying, in the course of which moisture-induced stresses and fractures can occur. Cracks occur primarily in the radial direction due to tangential tensile strength (TSt) that exceeds the strength of the material. The present article reports on experiments and numerical simulations by finite element modeling (FEM) concerning the TSt and fracture behavior of Norway spruce under various climatic conditions. Thin log disc specimens were studied to simplify the description of the moisture flow in the samples. The specimens designed for TS were acclimatized to a moisture content (MC) of 18% before TSt tests at 20°C, 60°C, and 90°C were carried out. The maximum stress results of the disc simulations by FEM were compared with the experimental strength results at the same temperature levels. There is a rather good agreement between the results of modeling and experiments. The results also illustrate the strong decrease of TSt with increasing temperature at a constant MC level.