bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Aminosalicylates and Other Anti-Inflammatory Compounds for Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Authors: Barbara Giovanni , Stanghellini Vincenzo , Cremon Cesare , De Giorgio Roberto , Fronzoni Lucia , Serra Mauro , Corinaldesi Roberto
Published: March 2010

Growing evidence suggests that gastrointestinal immune activation may affect intestinal function and sensory perception, which contribute to symptom generation in patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). The identification of higher counts of immunocytes (e.g. T cells and mast cells), mucosal and systemic immune activation, and increased mucosal permeability in patients with IBS has stimulated interest in the potential development of therapeutic approaches aimed at targeting the immune system and inflammation. Although an initial attempt in a pilot trial with steroids in patients with post-infective IBS failed, there has been renewed interest for mast cell stabilizers and the therapeutic potential of aminosalicylates. A recent randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot trial assessed the effect of mesalazine on intestinal immune cells and symptom perception in patients with IBS. Mesalazine markedly reduced mucosal immune cells and mast cells in particular, compared to placebo. In addition, mesalazine significantly improved general well-being. Mesalazine may enhance epithelial barrier function, and preliminary data suggest that it may alter faecal bacterial profiles in IBS patients. Nevertheless, the exact mechanism through which this drug affects immune activation in the intestine of patients with IBS remains unknown. There is a need for further studies to prove the efficacy of mesalazine for IBS. Further studies aimed at assessing the role of aminosalicylates and other approaches with potential anti-inflammatory activity, including probiotics, non-absorbable antibiotics, histamine receptor antagonists and protease inhibitors on IBS symptoms or pathophysiology are now warranted.
Circulating Very-Low-Density Lipoprotein Characteristics Resulting from Fatty Liver in an Insulin Resistance Rat Model
Authors: Zago V. , Lucero D. , Macri E.V. , Cacciagiú L. , Gamba C.A. , Miksztowicz V. , Berg G. , Wikinski R. , Friedman S. , Schreier L.
Published: March 2010

The close association between nonalcoholic fatty liver and insulin resistance is now widely recognized. While the former is characterized by excessive intrahepatic triglyceride accumulation, the latter induces overproduction of very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) particles. It has not been well elucidated whether these apparently opposite mechanisms impact on VLDL characteristics or not. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the VLDL secretion and features resulting from insulin resistance and fatty liver in rats fed a sucrose-rich diet (SRD, i.e. addition of sucrose to drinking water during 12 weeks). No differences in calorie intake were observed in comparison to controls. Both groups showed similar weight gains throughout the treatment period. However, SRD rats showed an increased proportion of body fat as assessed by X-ray absorptiometry, increased visceral obesity, liver weight and fat accumulation in the liver (p < 0.04). Histological study revealed moderate micro- and macrovesicular steatosis. Fasting insulin, triglyceride and free fatty acid (FFA) levels increased while VLDLs decreased in SRD rats (p < 0.05). The chemical composition of VLDLs of SRD rats showed a higher percentage of triglycerides, and the VLDL triglyceride/protein ratio, an estimator of lipoprotein size, suggests that VLDL particles of SRD rats are larger than those of controls (p < 0.0005). FFA levels correlated with VLDL triglycerides (r = 0.49, p = 0.03) and liver fat content correlated with plasma triglycerides (r = 0.65), VLDL triglycerides (r = 0.55) and triglyceride/protein ratio (r = 0.52, p < 0.02). The VLDL secretion rate assay showed an increase in SRD rats (p < 0.02), confirming an overproduction despite liver fat accumulation. Our findings are consistent with an insulin resistance development model in which hepatic lipid content would constitute an important determinant of a triglyceride-rich, large-particle VLDL secretion; both features would increase its atherogenic potential.
The Significance of Microembolic Signals and New Cerebral Infarcts on the Progression of Neurological Deficit in Acute Stroke Patients with Large Artery Stenosis
Authors: Hao Q. , Leung W.H. , Leung C. , Mok C.T. , Leung H. , Soo Y. , Chen X.Y. , Lam W. , Wong K.S.
Published: March 2010

Background: Early neurological deterioration is common in the acute phase after stroke. We sought to investigate the correlation between the progression of microembolic signal (MES), ischemic infarcts and the neurological deficits in the acute phase of stroke patients with large artery occlusive disease. Methods: Transient ischemic attack or stroke patients with relevant significant large artery stenosis (≧50% diameter reduction) and admitted within 7 days of the symptom onset were recruited in this study. MES, infarcts on diffusion-weighted imaging and National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score were assessed on days 1 and 7 of recruitment. Results: Among 67 patients, 50.7% (34 of 67) had MES on day 1. Presence of MES correlated with both a higher number of infarcts (p = 0.006) and the incidence of multiple infarcts (χ2 test, p = 0.002), but not with the NIHSS score. On day 7, MES was detected in 25.4% of the patients (17 of 67), 11.8% of them (2 of 17) displayed new or extended infarct on DWI (p = 0.14) and 29.4% (5 of 17) showed neurological improvement (p = 0.039). Among the patients with positive MES at baseline, NIHSS reduction was positively correlated with disappearance of MES on day 7 (MES disappearance vs. persistence group, 2.05 vs. 0.73, p = 0.023). Conclusions: Neither the disappearance of MES nor the changes in NIHSS score correlated with the progression of infarct. Disappearance of MES indicated better neurological improvement in the acute phase.
The C677T Polymorphism of the Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase Gene Is Associated with Idiopathic Ischemic Stroke in the Young Mexican-Mestizo Population
Authors: Isordia-Salas Irma , Barinagarrementería-Aldatz Fernando , Leaños-Miranda Alfredo , Borrayo-Sánchez Gabriela , Vela-Ojeda Jorge , García-Chávez Jaime , Ibarra-González Isabel , Majluf-Cruz Abraham
Published: March 2010

Background and Purpose: Previous studies have demonstrated that a common polymorphism in the gene encoding 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) is associated with an increased risk for stroke. However, this relation remains controversial. Our aim was to investigate the possible association between the C677T polymorphism in the MTHFR gene and idiopathic ischemic stroke in the young Mexican-Mestizo population. Methods: One hundred seventy-eight patients <45 years with idiopathic ischemic stroke and 183 controls were tested for the C677T polymorphism in the MTHFR gene. Causes of primary thrombophilia as well as classical risk factors for atherothrombotic disease were also evaluated. Results: There was a significant difference in the genotype distribution between patients and controls (p = 0.01), but the allele frequency was similar in both groups (p = 0.09). The univariate analysis identified the T allele as a risk factor for ischemic stroke (TT and CT carriers), as compared with homozygous for C allele (p = 0.01). Hypertension and smoking prevalences were significantly higher in the group of patients. Also the T allele was significantly associated with large-vessel ischemic stroke. The postoral methionine load homocysteine levels were higher in patients with ischemic stroke versus controls (p < 0.001). There was a low prevalence of primary thrombophilia markers. Conclusions: The T allele from the C677T polymorphism of the MTHFR gene represents an independent risk factor for idiopathic ischemic stroke at young age in the Mexican-Mestizo population. Also, hypertension and smoking were independent risk factors in our study population. Primary thrombophilic risk factors were not associated with ischemic stroke in our population.
Heparin and Tranexamic Acid Therapy May Be Effective in Treatment-Resistant Chronic Urticaria with Elevated D-Dimer: A Pilot Study
Authors: Asero Riccardo , Tedeschi Alberto , Cugno Massimo
Published: March 2010

Background: Chronic urticaria (CU) patients often present activation of the coagulation cascade and fibrinolysis whose markers correlate with disease severity. Aim: We evaluated whether CU patients with elevated plasma D-dimer have a poor response to antihistamines, and anticoagulation and inhibition of fibrinolysis may be beneficial in these patients. Methods: Sixty-eight consecutive patients with CU were prescribed cetirizine 10 mg daily for 2 weeks; plasma D-dimer was measured. Non-responders were given cetirizine 30 mg daily for 1 week and subsequently, in case of failure, systemic steroids. Patients with persistent uncontrolled CU and elevated D-dimer plasma levels were offered subcutaneous nadroparin 11,400 IU once a day and oral tranexamic acid 1 g three times a day for 2 weeks. Results: D-dimer levels were elevated in 14/68 (20.6%) patients (range 306–7,317 ng/ml; normal values <278 ng/ml) and were associated with a more severe disease. Twelve of 14 patients with elevated D-dimer levels did not respond to antihistamine treatment (p = 0.0001). On the whole, 14 patients reported a poor or absent response to cetirizine 10 mg daily and only 1 of these responded satisfactorily to cetirizine 30 mg daily. Eight patients with elevated D-dimer and whose disease was not satisfactorily controlled by prednisone received nadroparin and tranexamic acid. A marked improvement of symptoms was observed in 5/8 cases. Conclusion: Our findings indicate that CU patients with elevated D-dimer often present a more severe disease with reduced response to antihistamines. Based on this short pilot study, some of these patients may benefit from treatment with nadroparin and tranexamic acid.
GATA-4 Is an Angiogenic Survival Factor of the Infarcted Heart
Authors: Rysä Jaana , Tenhunen Olli , Serpi Raisa , Soini Ylermi , Nemer Mona , Leskinen Hanna , Ruskoaho Heikki
Published: March 2010

Background—

Recent data suggest that GATA-4 is an antiapoptotic factor required for adaptive responses and a key regulator of hypertrophy and hypertrophy-associated genes in the heart. As a leading cause of chronic heart failure, reversal of postinfarction left ventricular remodeling represents an important target for therapeutic interventions. Here, we studied the role of GATA-4 as a mediator of postinfarction remodeling in rats.

Methods and Results—

Myocardial infarction, caused by ligating the left anterior descending coronary artery, significantly decreased the DNA binding activity of GATA-4 at day 1, whereas at 2 weeks the GATA-4 DNA binding was significantly upregulated. To determine the functional role of GATA-4, peri-infarct intramyocardial delivery of adenoviral vector expressing GATA-4 was done before left anterior descending coronary artery ligation. Hearts treated with GATA-4 gene transfer exhibited significantly increased ejection fraction and fractional shortening. Accordingly, infarct size was significantly reduced. To determine the cardioprotective mechanisms of GATA-4, myocardial angiogenesis, rate of apoptosis, c-kit+ cardiac stemlike cells, and genes regulated by GATA-4 were studied. The number of capillaries and stemlike cells was significantly increased, and decreased apoptosis was observed.

Conclusion—

These results indicate that the reversal of reduced GATA-4 activity prevents adverse postinfarction remodeling through myocardial angiogenesis, antiapoptosis, and stem cell recruitment. GATA-4–based gene transfer may represent a novel, efficient therapeutic approach for heart failure.
Osteopontin Expression in Cardiomyocytes Induces Dilated Cardiomyopathy
Authors: Renault Marie-Ange , Robbesyn Fanny , Réant Patricia , Douin Victorine , Daret Danièle , Allières Cécile , Belloc Isabelle , Couffinhal Thierry , Arnal Jean-François , Klingel Karin , Desgranges Claude , Dos Santos Pierre , Charpentier Flavien , Gadeau Alain-Pierre
Published: March 2010

Background—

Inflammatory processes play a critical role in myocarditis, dilated cardiomyopathy, and heart failure. The expression of the inflammatory chemokine osteopontin (OPN) is dramatically increased in cardiomyocytes and inflammatory cells during myocarditis and heart failure in human and animals. However, its role in the development of heart diseases is not known.

Methods and Results—

To understand whether OPN is involved in cardiomyopathies, we generated a transgenic mouse (MHC-OPN) that specifically overexpresses OPN in cardiomyocytes with cardiac-specific promoter-directed OPN expression. Young MHC-OPN mice were phenotypically indistinguishable from their control littermates, but most of them died prematurely with a half-life of 12 weeks of age. Electrocardiography revealed conduction defects. Echocardiography showed left ventricular dilation and systolic dysfunction. Histological analysis revealed cardiomyocyte loss, severe fibrosis, and inflammatory cell infiltration. Most of these inflammatory cells were activated T cells with Th1 polarization and cytotoxic activity. Autoantibodies against OPN, cardiac myosin, or troponin I, were not found in the serum of MHC-OPN mice.

Conclusions—

These data show that OPN expression in the heart induces in vivo T-cell recruitment and activation leading to chronic myocarditis, the consequence of which is myocyte destruction and hence, dilated cardiomyopathy. Thus, OPN might therefore constitute a potential therapeutic target to limit heart failure.
S
-Nitrosylation in Cardiovascular Signaling
Authors: Lima Brian , Forrester Michael T. , Hess Douglas T. , Stamler Jonathan S.
Published: March 2010

Abstract
:

Well over 2 decades have passed since the endothelium-derived relaxation factor was reported to be the gaseous molecule nitric oxide (NO). Although soluble guanylyl cyclase (which generates cyclic guanosine monophosphate, cGMP) was the first identified receptor for NO, it has become increasingly clear that NO exerts a ubiquitous influence in a cGMP-independent manner. In particular, many, if not most, effects of NO are mediated by
S
-nitrosylation, the covalent modification of a protein cysteine thiol by an NO group to generate an
S
-nitrosothiol (SNO). Moreover, within the current framework of NO biology, endothelium-derived relaxation factor activity (ie, G protein–coupled receptor–mediated, or shear-induced endothelium-derived NO bioactivity) is understood to involve a central role for SNOs, acting both as second messengers and signal effectors. Furthermore, essential roles for
S
-nitrosylation have been implicated in virtually all major functions of NO in the cardiovascular system. Here, we review the basic biochemistry of
S
-nitrosylation (and denitrosylation), discuss the role of
S
-nitrosylation in the vascular and cardiac functions of NO, and identify current and potential clinical applications.
The Cardiomyocyte Circadian Clock
Authors: Durgan David J. , Young Martin E.
Published: March 2010

Abstract
:

Circadian misalignment has been implicated in the development of obesity, diabetes mellitus, and cardiovascular disease. Time-of-day–dependent synchronization of organisms with their environment is mediated by circadian clocks. This cell autonomous mechanism has been identified within all cardiovascular-relevant cell types, including cardiomyocytes. Recent molecular- and genetic-based studies suggest that the cardiomyocyte circadian clock influences multiple myocardial processes, including transcription, signaling, growth, metabolism, and contractile function. Following an appreciation of its physiological roles, the cardiomyocyte circadian clock has recently been linked to the pathogenesis of heart disease in response to adverse stresses, such as ischemia/reperfusion, in animal models. The purpose of this review is therefore to highlight recent advances regarding the roles of the cardiomyocyte circadian clock in both myocardial physiology and pathophysiology (ie, health and disease).
The Magnitude Representation of Small and Large Symbolic Numbers in the Left and Right Hemisphere: An Event-related fMRI Study
Authors: Notebaert Karolien , Nelis Sabine , Reynvoet Bert
Published: March 2010

Numbers are known to be processed along the left and right intraparietal sulcus. The present study investigated hemispheric differences between the magnitude representation of small and large symbolic numbers. To this purpose, an fMRI adaptation paradigm was used, where the continuous presentation of a habituation number was interrupted by an occasional deviant number. The results presented a distance-dependent increase of activation: larger ratios of habituation and deviant number caused a larger recovery of activation. Similar activation patterns were observed for small and large symbolic numbers, which is in line with the idea of a more coarse magnitude representation for large numbers. Interestingly, this pattern of activation was only observed in the left parietal cortex, supporting the recently proposed idea of Ansari [Ansari, D. Does the parietal cortex distinguish between “10”, “Ten,” and Ten Dots? Neuron, 53, 165–167, 2007] that the left parietal cortex is specialized in the processing of encultured symbolically presented numbers.
Stepped Pools, Stone Vessels, and other Identity Markers of “Complex Common Judaism”
Authors: Miller Stuart S.
Published: March 2010

The interpretation of archaeological finds in light of Talmudic evidence has often resulted in simplistic, “one-to-one” correlations that distort our understanding of “Judaism” in Graeco-Roman Palestine. This is especially true of “stepped pools” and stone vessels which, when seen as markers of Jewish ethnicity, need to be understood with the biblical tradition in mind. Biblical notions of purity and holiness further enable us to appreciate the persistence of ritual purity practices after 70 C.E. The subsequent efforts of the rabbis to regulate such practices, especially those pertaining to sexuality and the household, reflect the tenacity of biblical perceptions of purity and holiness especially among commoners, who had their own understanding of their significance. Once it is realized that the boundaries between Jews were not strictly drawn, material finds can be better assessed, and rabbinic Judaism can be properly understood as having evolved out of a biblically derived, “complex common Judaism.”
Influence of cellulase gene knockdown by dsRNA interference on the development and reproduction of the pine wood nematode, Bursaphelenchus xylophilus
Authors: Cheng Xin-Yue , Dai Su-Ming , Xiao Luo , Xie Bing-Yan
Published: March 2010

Cellulase genes are very important for plant-parasitic nematodes to move and
feed within their host plants. The pine wood nematode, Bursaphelenchus
xylophilus, causes destructive damage by killing pine trees. In this study,
by employing dsRNA interference technology, knockdown of a cellulase gene
(Bx-eng-1) of B. xylophilus was achieved and the biological effects of RNAi
on the nematode were observed. The result showed that, after 24 h soaking,
dsRNA of the Bx-eng-1 gene was effectively delivered into the nematode
causing a post-transcriptional gene silencing and decrease in cellulase
activity. Moreover, the number of F1 generation offspring was reduced
significantly when the dsRNA-treated nematodes were cultured on fungal mats.
We consider that cellulase is important to B. xylophilus because it not only
hydrolyses cellulose of plant cell wall for its parasitism and penetration
in host plants, but also influences its feeding, development and propagation
on fungal mats.
Nematode resistance of rape-radish chromosome addition lines
Authors: Peterka Herbert , Budahn Holger , Zhang Shao Song , Li Jin Bin
Published: March 2010

Oilseed radish is resistant to the beet cyst nematode (Heterodera schachtii
Schmidt), interrupting the life cycle of this sedentary pathogen by blocking
feeding cell development in the root. A complete set of nine disomic
rape-radish chromosome additions, a to i, derived from a susceptible
rapeseed parent as recipient and a resistant radish as chromosome donor, was
assayed for nematode resistance. The addition line d exhibited the
resistance level of the radish parent, confirming previous results that
radish chromosome d carries a dominant gene, Hs1Rph, for nematode
resistance. It was investigated if Hs1Rph is effective against a further
important sedentary parasite, the northern root-knot nematode Meloidogyne
hapla. The set of chromosome addition lines and the parents, rape and
radish, were inoculated with second-stage juveniles (J2) of M. hapla and the
plant reaction was evaluated by counting the number of egg masses per root
system. By contrast to the situation in H. schachtii, the radish parent as
well as addition line d showed no resistance against M. hapla and was even
more susceptible than rape. It was concluded that the resistance gene
Hs1Rph, which inhibits syncytium development of H. schachtii, is ineffective
against M. hapla, a nematode inducing giant cell formation. Most added
radish chromosomes significantly changed the number of egg masses in the
recipient rape towards higher susceptibility. Two chromosomes enhanced the
egg mass number beyond that of the chromosome donor radish. However, one
radish chromosome decreased the egg mass production in the corresponding
addition line below that in rape. This wide range of effects of the
individual radish chromosomes in the rape background indicates a
quantitative inheritance of host suitability to M. hapla and a complex
interaction between the pathogen and radish.
Behavioural quiescence reduces the penetration and toxicity of exogenous compounds in second-stage juveniles of Heterodera glycines
Authors: Schroeder Nathan E. , MacGuidwin Ann E.
Published: March 2010

Inactivity in nematodes is often correlated with survival of adverse
environments. The non-feeding second-stage juvenile (J2) of Heterodera
glycines must survive in a soil environment that may contain numerous
toxins. In this report, we show that quiescent J2 of H. glycines survived
higher concentrations of both ethanol and the plant-derived compound, allyl
isothiocyanate, compared with actively moving nematodes. The mechanism for
this quiescence-mediated resistance was investigated using fluorescein
isothiocyanate (FITC). There was a reduction in the penetration of FITC in
quiescent J2 of H. glycines compared with that in actively moving
non-feeding J2. Furthermore, exposure of quiescent nematodes to octopamine,
an invertebrate neurotransmitter, induced activity and a subsequent increase
in FITC penetration compared with quiescent nematodes exposed to FITC alone.
These data demonstrate that behavioural quiescence is correlated with
exclusion of the compound from the body of the nematode. Finally, the entry
point of FITC into the nematode was examined by the application of a
veterinary cyanoacrylate adhesive to occlude either the cephalic or caudal
openings of the nematodes. Nematodes glued at the anterior end showed a
significant reduction in fluorescence compared with nematodes glued on the
posterior end and non-glued nematodes. Thus, the entry of FITC is primarily
through openings in the cephalic region. This research is the first report
of behavioural quiescence correlated with reduced sensitivity to toxins in a
plant-parasitic nematode, and provides insight into how these important
organisms cope with stress due to exogenous toxins.
Development and functional structure of epiphytic nematode communities on the submerged macrophyte Ceratophyllum demersum in Lake Sakadaš, Kopački Rit, Croatia
Authors: Vidaković Jasna , Palijan Goran
Published: March 2010

The structural and functional diversity of epiphytic nematodes associated with the submerged macrophyte species, Ceratophyllum demersum, were investigated from July to September 2004 at three stations in the floodplain lake, Lake Sakadaš, Croatia. At stations I and II, C. demersum was dominant in the macrophyte patches. At station III, Myriophyllum spicatum was the dominant macrophyte species. When analysis of nematode species composition was done by grouping species with decreasing abundance, a community structure was evident on macrophytes that grew in different parts of the lake. When the abundance of nematodes was taken into account, C. demersum, which grew in different parts of the lake, was not associated with a unique nematode functional structure, and different trophic groups of nematodes were dominant at different stations. Eutobrilus nothus was the dominant nematode species for station I and chewers were the dominant functional group. Eutobrilus nothus, Eumonhystera sp. 1 and Eumonhystera filiformis vulgaris group were abundant nematode species for station II and consequently chewers and detritus feeders dominated at different periods of the investigation. Nematodes from station III were characterised by the highest nematode abundance where Chromadorina bioculata was the dominant species, and epistrate feeders were the dominant functional group. A part of our previously published results was reanalysed in this paper to enable comparison of nematode communities established on C. demersum with those developed on M. spicatum. There was no difference in the nematode functional structure between macrophyte species at the same station when the abundance of dominant species was taken into account, i.e., the same trophic structure was established.
A cyst nematode 'species factory' called the Andes
Authors: Grenier Eric , Fournet Sylvain , Petit Eric , Anthoine Géraldine
Published: March 2010

The cyst nematode, Globodera pallida, is a major pest of potato, a plant
native to South America. To investigate its phylogeography, an extensive
sampling survey was conducted in 2002 in Peru and has laid the foundations
of the ancient evolutionary history of this nematode species. We argue that
the uplift of the Andes Mountains has triggered a variety of adaptive biotic
radiations for Solanaceous plant-parasitic nematodes and has represented a
key factor for the evolution and specialisation of Globodera species. We
discuss the consequences of the wide genetic diversity observed in South
American populations on the efficiency and durability of potato resistance
and also the reliability of current molecular identification tools for
quarantine purposes. Finally, we emphasise the need to get a more in-depth
taxonomic characterisation of some of these nematode populations, and to
conduct more extensive sampling in South America, especially south of Lake
Titicaca, in order to understand fully potato cyst nematode evolution and
their adaptation to their host plants.
Phylogenetic relationships, based on SSU rDNA sequences, among the didelphic genera of the family Trichodoridae from Portugal
Authors: Duarte Isabel M. , de Almeida Maria Teresa M. , Brown Derek J.F. , Marques Isabel , Neilson Roy , Decraemer Wilfrida
Published: March 2010

A survey of virus vector trichodorid nematodes was carried out in the central
and northern regions of Portugal. Morphobiometric identification showed the
presence of trichodorid species previously reported from Portugal, except
for Paratrichodorus porosus, which is reported for the first time in
Continental Europe. Small subunit ribosomal DNA (SSU rDNA) sequences of ten
different species occurring in Portugal were obtained and a phylogenetic
analysis based on their alignment was performed to infer relationships among
the different Portuguese trichodorid species and three non-indigenous
populations (Nanidorus minor, P. allius and P. teres). The resulting
phylogenetic tree is in agreement with the currently accepted classification
for Trichodoridae, except for Nanidorus, which clusters together with
Trichodorus species, while the genera Paratrichodorus and Trichodorus appear
as two distinct groups. A better understanding of the generic groupings in
the family Trichodoridae was found. Based on the new molecular analyses we
herein accept Nanidorus as a valid genus.
A Quest for Effective Hygroscopic Cloud Seeding
Authors: Rosenfeld Daniel , Axisa Duncan , Woodley William L. , Lahav Ronen
Published: March 2010

It is shown here that hygroscopic seeding requires two orders of magnitude more hygroscopic agent than can be delivered by flare technology for producing raindrop embryos in concentrations to detect by cloud physics aircraft the microphysical signature of rain initiation. An alternative method of finely milled salt powder is shown to be capable of achieving this goal. During field experiments the use of a sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) gas tracer to identify the exact seeded cloud volume and to quantify dilution of the seeding agent showed that the seeding agent dilutes to the order of 10−10 of its released concentration in updrafts at a height of ≥1 km above cloud base. This means that the theoretically expected changes in the cloud drop size distribution (DSD) would not be detectable with a cloud droplet spectrometer in a measurement volume collected during the several seconds that the seeded volume is traversed by an aircraft. The actual measurements failed to identify a clear microphysical seeding signature from the burning of hygroscopic flares within the seeded convective clouds. This uncertainty with respect to hygroscopic flare–seeding experiments prompted an experimental and theoretical search for optimal hygroscopic seeding materials. This search culminated in the production of a salt powder having 2–5-μm-diameter particle sizes that are optimal according to model simulations, and can be distributed from a crop duster aircraft. Such particles act as giant cloud condensation nuclei (GCCN). Any potential broadening of the DSD at cloud base by the competition effect (i.e., when the seeded aerosols compete with the natural ambient aerosols for water vapor) occurs when the seeding agent has not been substantially diluted, and hence affects only a very small cloud volume that dilutes quickly. Therefore, the main expected effect of the GCCN is probably to serve as raindrop embryos. The salt powder–seeding method is more productive by two orders of magnitude than the hygroscopic flares in producing GCCN that can initiate rain in clouds with naturally suppressed warm rain processes, because of a combination of change in the particle size distribution and the greater seeding rate that is practical with the powder. Experimental seeding of salt powder in conjunction with the simultaneous release of an SF6 gas tracer produced strong seeding signatures, indicating that the methodology works as hypothesized. The efficacy of the accelerated warm rain processes in altering rainfall amounts may vary under different conditions, and requires additional research that involves both observations and simulations.
Asymmetry of the Indian Ocean Basinwide SST Anomalies: Roles of ENSO and IOD
Authors: Hong Chi-Cherng , Li Tim , LinHo  , Chen Yin-Chen
Published: March 2010

A basinwide warming (cooling) in the Indian Ocean is observed following the El Niño (La Niña) mature phase, with the amplitude of the warming being significantly larger than the cooling. A composite analysis reveals that the amplitude asymmetry (positive skewness) between the warm and cold Indian Ocean basinwide sea surface temperature anomaly pattern (IOB) appears only when ENSO is concurrent with the Indian Ocean dipole (IOD). The amplitude asymmetry becomes insignificant during the ENSO-only and the IOD-only events.

The physical mechanism for the amplitude asymmetry is investigated by analyzing the mixed layer heat budget based on the Simple Ocean Data Assimilation (SODA) 2.0.2 data. It is found that the positive skewness in the IOD west pole (IODW) is mainly caused by the asymmetry of ocean temperature advection, whereas the positive skewness in the IOD east pole (IODE) is caused by the asymmetry of the surface heat flux anomaly (primarily shortwave radiation) in response to the ENSO remote forcing.

The asymmetry of the mixed layer depth (MLD) between warm and cold events is another factor contributing to the IOB positive skewness. The MLD in IODE during the warm events (27 m) is shallower than that of the cold events (45 m), resulting a larger (smaller) temperature tendency during the warm (cold) events. In contrast, the MLD in IODW during the warm events (44 m) is deeper than that of the cold events (37 m). Because the positive skewness in IODW is caused by the ocean temperature advection and the surface heat flux plays a damping role, a larger (smaller) MLD leads to a weaker (stronger) thermodynamic damping. Thus the asymmetry of MLD in both IODE and IODW favors a greater basinwide warming than cooling.
The role of organizational communication and participation in reducing job insecurity and its negative association with work-related well-being
Authors: Vander Elst Tinne , Baillien Elfi , De Cuyper Nele , De Witte Hans
Published: March 2010

The aim of the present study was to investigate how organizational communication and participation influence job insecurity and its relationship with poor work-related well-being. The results of a cross-sectional study of 3881 employees from 20 organizations in Flanders and Brussels (Belgium) showed that organizational communication and participation were negatively related to job insecurity. Furthermore, with one exception, the interaction terms between job insecurity and either organizational communication or participation did not contribute in explaining variance in the outcome variables (i.e. work engagement and need for recovery).
Utility of OCB
Authors: Nielsen Tjai M. , Bachrach Daniel G. , Sundstrom Eric , Halfhill Terry R.
Published: March 2010

Building on recent developments in resource allocation theory as applied to organizational citizenship behavior (OCB), the authors examine task interdependence as a contingency factor in the utility of group members’ OCBs for group performance. In a lagged field study, members of 46 work groups in six organizations rated their groups’ task interdependence, and group leaders rated groups’ OCBs. After six months, customers rated each group’s performance. OCB correlated positively with the performance of task-interdependent groups but had a neutral to negative association with the performance of task-independent groups. Consistent with this group-level resource allocation framework, the moderating role of task interdependence varied by dimensions of OCB: helping, civic virtue, and sportsmanship. The authors discuss the practical and theoretical implications of decisions about allocating a key resource—time—to OCB in work groups.
The Distal Triceps Tendon Footprint and a Biomechanical Analysis of 3 Repair Techniques
Authors: Yeh Peter C. , Stephens Kelly T. , Solovyova Olga , Obopilwe Elifho , Smart Lawson R. , Mazzocca Augustus D. , Sethi Paul M.
Published: March 2010

Background

Anatomic repair of tendon ruptures is an important goal of surgical treatment. There are limited data on the triceps brachii insertion, footprint, and anatomic reconstruction of the distal triceps tendon.

Hypothesis

An anatomic repair of distal triceps tendon ruptures more closely imitates the preinjury anatomy and may result in a more durable repair.

Study Design

Descriptive and controlled laboratory studies.

Methods

The triceps tendon footprint was measured in 27 cadaveric elbows, and a distal tendon rupture was created. Elbows were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 repair groups: cruciate repair group, suture anchor group, and anatomic repair group. Biomechanical measurement of load at yield and peak load were measured. Cyclic loading was performed for a total of 1500 cycles and displacement measured.

Results

The average bony footprint of the triceps tendon was 466 mm2. Cyclic loading of tendons from the 3 repair types demonstrated that the anatomic repair produced the least amount of displacement when compared with the other repair types (P < .05). Load at yield and peak load were similar for all repair types (P > .05).

Conclusion

The triceps bony footprint is a large area on the olecranon that should be considered when repairing distal triceps tendon ruptures. Anatomic repair of triceps tendon ruptures demonstrated the most anatomic restoration of distal triceps ruptures and showed statistically significantly less repair-site motion when cyclically loaded.

Clinical Relevance

Anatomic repair better restores preinjury anatomy compared with other types of repairs and demonstrates less repair-site motion, which may play a role in early postoperative management.
Correlations for the Speed of Movement of Persons During Evacuation from a Building
Authors: Jones J.C.
Published: March 2010

The Forum is intended to provide for dialogue and discussion among fire experts, scientists and consultants. Contributions to The Forum will not be refereed in the conventional sense, but will be subject to review by the Editor or a member of the Journal’s Editorial Board relative to appropriateness, clarity, timeliness, and scope of interest. The Editor will be the sole judge of those contributions to be published. Opinions expressed, however, are those of the authors and not of the Editor or Sage Publications, Ltd.
J.-M. G. Itard’s 1825 study: movement and the science of the human mind
Authors: Newman Sara
Published: March 2010

Jean-Marc Gaspard Itard’s 1825 ‘Study of several involuntary functions of the apparatus of movement, gripping, and voice’ discusses 10 individuals with uncontrolled movements but no other significant impairments. Thus, otherwise normal people move in inappropriate ways against their better judgement. Although the study contains the first clinical description of Tourette Syndrome, it has received little attention beyond that notice. Examined in its entirety and in its cultural context, Itard’s study characterizes patients’ movements in terms of the will, propriety, animals and gender. Lacking control over their movements, the individuals are underdeveloped humans. Accordingly, sufferers’ facial expression, bodily movements and unplanned vocalizations render them more animal than human and more deviant than normal, although they are neither insane nor evil.
Hallaran’s circulating swing
Authors: Breathnach Caoimhghín S
Published: March 2010

William Saunders Hallaran ( c.1765—1825) was physician superintendent at the County and City of Cork Lunatic Asylum for 40 years, where he distinguished between mental insanity and organic (systemic) delirium. In treatment he used emetics and purgatives, digitalis and opium, the shower bath and exercise, and argued that patients should be saved from ‘unavoidable sloth’ by mental as well as manual occupation. However, it is as an exponent of the circulating swing, proposed by Erasmus Darwin and used by Joseph Cox, that he is remembered. His best results were achieved, as he recorded in An Enquiry in 1810, by inducing sleep in mania of recent onset, but perhaps his most enduring observation was that some of his patients enjoyed the rotatory experience, and he had enough sense to allow the use of the swing as a mode of amusement.
Combining longitudinal discriminant analysis and partial area under the ROC curve to predict non-response to treatment for hepatitis C virus
Authors: Lukasiewicz Esther , Gorfine Malka , Neumann Avidan U , Freedman Laurence S
Published: March 2010

A longitudinal discriminant analysis is applied to build predictive models based on repeated measurements of serum hepatitis C virus RNA. These models are evaluated through the partial area under the receiver operating curve index (PA index) and, the final selection of the best model is based on cross-validated estimates of the PA index. Models are compared by building 95% bootstrap confidence interval for the difference in PA index between two models. Data from a randomised trial, in which chronic HCV patients were enrolled, are used to illustrate the application of the proposed method to predict treatment outcome.
Can a Science—Humanities Collaboration Be Successful?
Authors: Blythe R.A. , Croft W.
Published: March 2010

Using our interdisciplinary research collaboration as a case study, we discuss the question of whether formal modeling and empirical approaches can be successfully integrated into a single line of research. We argue that to avoid an undesirable disconnect between the two, one needs considerable time and patience for a science—humanities collaboration to bear fruit. In our collaboration and, we believe, in science—humanities collaborations in general, certain shared goals are required for success, including: starting with simple models before moving to more complex models; the importance of continually comparing models with empirical data where possible; and a focus on explaining statistical patterns rather than accounting for single data points individually.
Computer Models of Vocal Tract Evolution: An Overview and Critique
Authors: de Boer Bart , Tecumseh Fitch W.
Published: March 2010

Human speech has been investigated with computer models since the invention of digital computers, and models of the evolution of speech first appeared in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Speech science and computer models have a long shared history because speech is a physical signal and can be modeled accurately. This article gives a brief overview of the use of computer models in the study of the evolution of the vocal tract. We also present a critical case study of one model that has been used to study the vocal abilities of Neanderthals. We argue that this study contains subtle but fatal flaws which invalidate the conclusions drawn from the model, illustrating the dangers of applying computer models outside the area for which they have been developed. Future models need to make use of a broader database of anatomical and physiological data from other animals, especially nonhuman primates, to understand the path leading to modern Homo sapiens.
Normative Misperceptions of Abuse Among Perpetrators of Intimate Partner Violence
Authors: Neighbors Clayton , Walker Denise D. , Mbilinyi Lyungai F. , O'Rourke Allison , Edleson Jeffrey L. , Zegree Joan , Roffman Roger A.
Published: March 2010

This research was designed to evaluate the applicability of social norms approaches to interventions with male perpetrators of intimate partner violence (IPV). Participants included 124 nonadjudicated IPV perpetrating men recruited from the general population who completed assessment of their own IPV behaviors via telephone interviews and estimated the prevalence of behaviors in other men. Results indicated that IPV perpetrators consistently overestimated the percentage of men who engaged in IPV and that their estimates were associated with violence toward their partner over the past 90 days. Findings provide preliminary support for incorporating social norms approaches into clinical applications.
Audio-visual piracy: towards a study of the underground networks of cultural globalization
Authors: Mattelart Tristan
Published: March 2010

With the availability of increasingly powerful means of digital reproduction, an extensive literature has developed on the pirating of audio-visual products, films, music and software, which discusses the threat this represents to Western cultural industries. This article seeks to move on from the context within which piracy has mostly been considered since the end of the 1990s — that of illicit downloading in developed countries — and to describe the phenomenon in all its many manifestations, especially in countries of the South and the East. We try here to understand to what extent pirated goods constitute, for millions of consumers in Sub-Saharan Africa, the Maghreb, the Middle East, Asia, Latin America, and also in Central and Eastern Europe and Russia, a major means of access to the products of local, regional and international cultural industries. By doing this, we will shed light on some of the underground channels through which cultural globalization is operating.
Arabic-language television in France
Authors: Ferjani Riadh
Published: March 2010

This article attempts to answer a question: how far can we view the broadcasting of Arabic-language television in France in the context of a tension between the construction of the Other (and the dangerous difference this implies) and the ways in which the Others so constructed are able to negotiate their status as transnational social actors? Since the early 1990s, these television channels have appeared both to extend and to catalyze the contradictions at work in French society. To extend them, in so far as the opinions expressed, as well as the public actions undertaken, in this domain have often borne the mark of an undisguised hostility closely related to the inherited representations of colonialism (intrinsic differences, special cases, etc.), and to catalyze them, because history does not precisely repeat itself; the many different ways in which these channels are received (from indifference to infatuation) by the communities formed by postcolonial immigration call into question those very representations and require us to conceive of a transnationality not confined by place (here versus there).
The receptor tyrosine kinase c-Kit controls IL-33 receptor signaling in mast cells
Authors: Drube Sebastian , Heink Sylvia , Walter Sabine , Löhn Tobias , Grusser Mandy , Gerbaulet Alexander , Berod Luciana , Schons Julia , Dudeck Anne , Freitag Jenny , Grotha Stefan , Reich Daniela , Rudeschko Olga , Norgauer Johannes , Hartmann Karin , Roers Axel , Kamradt Thomas
Published: March 2010

Members of the Toll/interleukin-1 receptor (TIR) family are of importance for host defense and inflammation. Here we report that the TIR-family member interleukin-33R (IL-33R) cross-activates the receptor tyrosine kinase c-Kit in human and murine mast cells. The IL-33R–induced activation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (Erk1/2), protein kinase B (PKB), and Jun NH2-terminal kinase 1 (JNK1) depends on c-Kit and is required to elicit optimal effector functions. Costimulation with the c-Kit ligand stem cell factor (SCF) is necessary for IL-33–induced cytokine production in primary mast cells. The structural basis for this cross-activation is the complex formation between c-Kit, IL-33R, and IL-1R accessory protein (IL-1RAcP). We found that c-Kit and IL-1RAcP interact constitutively and that IL-33R joins this complex upon ligand binding. Our findings support a model in which signals from seemingly disparate receptors are integrated for full cellular responses.
Enumeration of human antigen–specific naive CD8+ T cells reveals conserved precursor frequencies
Authors: Alanio Cécile , Lemaitre Fabrice , Law Helen K. W. , Hasan Milena , Albert Matthew L.
Published: March 2010

The number of antigen-specific naive CD8+ T cells is believed to be important in the shaping of adaptive immune responses, and is predictive for the magnitude of priming responses in mouse models. Because of extremely low precursor frequencies, knowledge about these cells comes from indirect techniques and estimations. Here, we present a strategy based on the combination of tetramer staining, magnetic-bead enrichment, and multiparametric cytometry, which permitted direct detection and analysis of CD8+ T cells reactive for 6 different naive epitopes (MART-126-35, HIV-1 Gag p1777-85, hepatitis C virus [HCV] NS31406-1415, HCV Core132-140, NY-ESO-1157-165, and cytomegalovirus [CMV] pp65495-503). Interestingly, we detected higher than 100-fold differences in precursor frequency across these epitopes (from 0.6 × 10−6 to 1.3 × 10−4), but conserved frequencies among humans. Development of a procedure for direct assessment of T-cell precursor frequency in humans has important implications, with particular relevance to vaccine development and monitoring of tumor and self-reactive T cells.