bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Local Delivery of Gene Vectors From Bare-Metal Stents by Use of a Biodegradable Synthetic Complex Inhibits In-Stent Restenosis in Rat Carotid Arteries
Authors: Fishbein Ilia , Alferiev Ivan , Bakay Marina , Stachelek Stanley J. , Sobolewski Peter , Lai Meizan , Choi Hoon , Chen I. -W. , Levy Robert J.
Published: April 2008

Background—

Local drug delivery from polymer-coated stents has demonstrated efficacy for preventing in-stent restenosis; however, both the inflammatory effects of polymer coatings and concerns about late outcomes of drug-eluting stent use indicate the need to investigate innovative approaches, such as combining localized gene therapy with stent angioplasty. Thus, we investigated the hypothesis that adenoviral vectors (Ad) could be delivered from the bare-metal surfaces of stents with a synthetic complex for reversible vector binding.

Methods and Results—

We synthesized the 3 components of a gene vector binding complex: (1) A polyallylamine bisphosphonate with latent thiol groups (PABT), (2) a polyethyleneimine (PEI) with pyridyldithio groups for amplification of attachment sites [PEI(PDT)], and (3) a bifunctional (amine- and thiol-reactive) cross-linker with a labile ester bond (HL). HL-modified Ad attached to PABT/PEI(PDT)-treated steel surfaces demonstrated both sustained release in vitro over 30 days and localized green fluorescent protein expression in rat arterial smooth muscle cell cultures, which were not sensitive to either inhibition by neutralizing anti-Ad antibodies or inactivation after storage at 37°C. In rat carotid studies, deployment of steel stents configured with PABT/PEI(PDT)/HL-tethered adenoviral vectors demonstrated both site-specific arterial Ad
GFP
expression and adenovirus-luciferase transgene activity per optical imaging. Rat carotid stent delivery of adenovirus encoding inducible nitric oxide synthase resulted in significant inhibition of restenosis.

Conclusions—

Reversible immobilization of adenovirus vectors on the bare-metal surfaces of endovascular stents via a synthetic complex represents an efficient, tunable method for sustained release of gene vectors to the vasculature.
Increased High-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Predicts the Pioglitazone-Mediated Reduction of Carotid Intima-Media Thickness Progression in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus
Authors: Davidson Michael , Meyer Peter M. , Haffner Steven , Feinstein Steven , D’Agostino Ralph , Kondos George T. , Perez Alfonso , Chen Zhen , Mazzone Theodore
Published: April 2008

Background—

Measurement of carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) has been validated as a measure of atherosclerosis and as a predictor of future cardiovascular events. Compared with glimepiride, pioglitazone has been shown to slow the progression of atherosclerosis measured by CIMT in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Methods and Results—

We evaluated individual cardiovascular risk factors as predictors of the change in CIMT produced by pioglitazone treatment by determining whether their addition to a baseline model resulted in loss of significance for the treatment effect on CIMT. Pioglitazone treatment led to improvement in levels of multiple cardiovascular risk markers, including high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, apolipoprotein B, apolipoprotein A1, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, triglyceride, insulin, and free fatty acid. At 24 weeks, there were significant differences in HDL cholesterol, triglyceride, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, insulin, body mass index, hip circumference, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein between the pioglitazone and glimepiride treatment groups. After adjustment for 24-week on-treatment values of cardiovascular risk factors, only inclusion of the changes in HDL cholesterol and insulin significantly impacted the magnitude and significance of the treatment effect on CIMT. Furthermore, irrespective of treatment assignment, increased HDL cholesterol at 24 weeks was a significant predictor of reduced CIMT progression at 72 weeks.

Conclusions—

The beneficial effect of pioglitazone on HDL cholesterol at 24 weeks predicted its beneficial effect for reducing CIMT progression at 72 weeks. Changes in HDL cholesterol at 24 weeks, irrespective of treatment, predicted less progression of CIMT at 72 weeks. These results suggest that suppression of atherosclerosis with pioglitazone therapy is linked to its ability to raise HDL cholesterol.
The Collecting Duct Is the Major Source of Prorenin in Diabetes
Authors: Kang Jung J. , Toma Ildikó , Sipos Arnold , Meer Elliott J. , Vargas Sarah L. , Peti-Peterdi János
Published: April 2008

In addition to the juxtaglomerular apparatus, renin is also synthesized in renal tubular epithelium, including the collecting duct (CD). Angiotensin (Ang) II differentially regulates the synthesis of juxtaglomerular (inhibition) and CD (stimulation) renin. Because diabetes mellitus, a disease with high intrarenal renin-Ang system and Ang II activity, is characterized by high prorenin levels, we hypothesized that the CD is the major source of prorenin in diabetes. Renin granular content was visualized using in vivo multiphoton microscopy of the kidney in diabetic Munich-Wistar rats. Diabetes caused a 3.5-fold increase in CD renin, in contrast to less pronounced juxtaglomerular changes. Ang II type 1 receptor blockade with Olmesartan reduced CD renin to control levels but significantly increased juxtaglomerular renin. Using a fluorogenic renin assay, the prorenin component of CD renin content was measured by assessing the difference in enzymatic activity of medullary homogenates before and after trypsin activation of prorenin. Trypsinization caused no change in control renin activity but a 5-fold increase in diabetes. Studies on a CD cell line (M1) showed a 22-fold increase in renin activity after trypsinization and a further 35-fold increase with Ang II treatment. Therefore, prorenin significantly contributes to baseline CD renin. Diabetes, possibly via Ang II, greatly stimulates CD prorenin and causes hyperplasia of renin-producing connecting segments. These novel findings suggest that, in a rat model of diabetes, prorenin content and release from the CD may be more important than the juxtaglomerular apparatus in contrast to the existing paradigm.
Operational Multiple-Doppler Wind Retrieval Inferred from Long-Range Radial Velocity Measurements
Authors: Bousquet Olivier , Tabary Pierre , Parent du Châtelet Jacques
Published: April 2008

The recent deployment of an innovative triple pulse rise time (PRT) scheme within the French operational radar network allows for the simultaneous collection of reflectivity and radial velocity measurements up to a range of 250 km with no ambiguity. This achievement brings new perspectives in terms of operational exploitation of Doppler measurements including the capability to consistently perform multiple-Doppler wind synthesis in a fully operational framework. Using real and simulated Doppler observations, the authors show that the 3D wind fields retrieved in that framework can definitely be relied upon to achieve a consistent and detailed mapping of the airflow structure in various precipitation regimes despite radar baselines averaging ∼180 km and very limited scanning strategies. This achievement could be easily transposed to other operational networks and represents a remarkable opportunity to add further value to operational Doppler velocity measurements.
A Probabilistic Analysis of the Dynamics and Predictability of Tropical Cyclogenesis
Authors: Sippel Jason A. , Zhang Fuqing
Published: April 2008

Using methods unique for tropical cyclone studies in peer-reviewed literature, this study examines the dynamics and predictability of a nondeveloping tropical disturbance in the Gulf of Mexico during the 2004 hurricane season. Short-range ensemble forecasts are performed with a mesoscale model at low resolution with parameterized moist convection and at high resolution with explicit convection. Taking advantage of discrepancies between ensemble members, statistical correlation is used to elucidate why some ensemble members strengthen the disturbance into a tropical cyclone or hurricane and others do not.

It is found that the two most important factors in the initial conditions for genesis in this case are the presence of deep moisture and high CAPE. These factors combine to yield more active initial convection and a quick spinup during the first 6–12 h. Because these factors result in quicker genesis in some ensemble members than others, they are also the primary source for spread early in the ensemble. Discrepancies after 12 h are amplified by differences in convection that are related to fluxes of sensible and latent heat. Eventually the wind-induced surface heat exchange mechanism results in even larger ensemble spread.
On the Computation of the Mountain Torque from Gridded Global Datasets
Authors: Huang Huei-Ping , Weickmann Klaus M.
Published: April 2008

This note evaluates the numerical schemes used for computing the axial component of the mountain torque from gridded global surface pressure and topography datasets. It is shown that the two formulas of the mountain torque based on (i) an integral of the product of the surface pressure and the gradient of topography, and (ii) an integral of the product of the topography and the surface pressure gradient, should produce identical results if a centered even-ordered finite-difference scheme or the spectral method is used to evaluate the integrand. Noncentered finite-difference schemes are not recommended not only because they produce extremely large errors but also because they produce different results for the two formulas. When compared with the benchmark calculation using the spectral method, it is found that the centered fourth-order finite-difference scheme is an efficient and generally accurate approximation for practical applications. Using the data from NCEP–NCAR reanalysis, the finite-difference schemes generally underestimate the global mountain torque compared to the benchmark. This negative error is interpreted as due to the asymmetry in the distribution of surface pressure and in the steepness of the topography between the western and eastern slopes of the mountains.
The Benefits of Multianalysis and Poor Man’s Ensembles
Authors: Bowler Neill E. , Arribas Alberto , Mylne Kenneth R.
Published: April 2008

A new approach to probabilistic forecasting is proposed, based on the generation of an ensemble of equally likely analyses of the current state of the atmosphere. The rationale behind this approach is to mimic a poor man’s ensemble, which combines the deterministic forecasts from national meteorological services around the world. The multianalysis ensemble aims to generate a series of forecasts that are both as skillful as each other and the control forecast. This produces an ensemble mean forecast that is superior not only to the ensemble members, but to the control forecast in the short range even for slowly varying parameters, such as 500-hPa height. This is something that it is not possible with traditional ensemble methods, which perturb a central analysis.

The results herein show that the multianalysis ensemble is more skillful than the Met Office’s high-resolution forecast by 4.5% over the first 3 days (on average as measured for RMSE). Similar results are found for different verification scores and various regions of the globe. In contrast, the ensemble mean for the ensemble currently run by the Met Office performs 1.5% worse than the high-resolution forecast (similar results are found for the ECMWF ensemble). It is argued that the multianalysis approach is therefore superior to current ensemble methods. The multianalysis results were achieved with a two-member ensemble: the forecast from a high-resolution model plus a low-resolution perturbed model. It may be possible to achieve greater improvements with a larger ensemble.
Calling and Vocation at Work
Authors: Dik Bryan J. , Duffy Ryan D.
Published: April 2008

The purpose of this article is to initiate an effort to establish the constructs calling and vocation within counseling psychology. First, updated definitions of calling and vocation, developed with an eye toward stimulating research and providing useful practice applications, are proposed. Next, the authors explain how the constructs apply to the domain of human work, review empirical and theoretical work related to calling and vocation and their role in human functioning, and differentiate the terms from each other and related constructs. Finally, directions for basic and applied research on calling and vocation are suggested, and implications for career counseling practice are outlined.
Offense Specialization of Arrestees
Authors: Lo Celia C. , Kim Young S. , Cheng Tyrone C.
Published: April 2008

The data set employed in the present study came from interviews with arrestees conducted between 1999 and 2001 as well as from their official arrest records obtained from jail administrators. A total of 238 arrestees ages 18 to 25 constituted the final sample. Event history analysis examined each arrestee's movement from periods of no arrests to periods including arrests for any of four types of offense; background variables were controlled, and relevant time-varying factors became the explanatory factors. The results show a tendency among these arrestees to specialize, to varying degrees, in violent offenses, drug offenses, miscellaneous offenses, and property offenses. Evidence of versatility is presented. Anticrime measures are also discussed.
Reflections on human rights and professional solidarity
Authors: Hölscher Dorothee , Berhane Solomon Y.
Published: April 2008

English

Using human rights violations in Eritrea as a point of reference, this article reflects on current discourses on human rights and professional solidarity in international social work. The notion of universal human rights is asserted, and the authors call for a more participatory and egalitarian dialogue on human rights within the profession.

French

En s'appuyant sur les violations des droits de la personne en Érythrée, cet article se penche sur les discours actuels du travail social international concernant les droits humains et la solidarité professionnelle. Les auteurs y réaffirment l'universalité des droits de la personne, mais ils réclament un dialogue plus égalitaire et inclusif sur les droits de la personne au sein même de la profession.

Spanish

Utilizando las violaciones de los derechos humanos en Eritrea como punto de referencia, este artículo reflexiona en torno a los discursos actuales sobre derechos humanos y solidaridad profesional en el trabajo social internacional. Se hace valer la noción de los derechos humanos universales, mientras los autores claman por un diálogo más participativo e igualitario sobre los derechos humanos dentro de la profesión.
Women, migration and HIV/AIDS in Kenya
Authors: Mweru Maureen
Published: April 2008

English

This study focused on HIV/AIDS, women and migration in Kenya. Feelings of isolation, high costs of living, pressure to get married, and granting sexual favours to employers increased the likelihood of the women becoming infected. The government needs to tighten regulations protecting migrant workers and set up supportive networks for them.

French

Cette étude aborde la question du VIH-Sida, des femmes et de la migration au Kenya. Le sentiment de solitude, le coût élevé de la vie, la pression envers le mariage et les faveurs sexuelles à l'égard des employeurs, sont autant d'éléments susceptibles d'accroître le taux d'infection des femmes. Il est du devoir du Gouvernement de resserrer les lois pour protéger les travailleurs qui migrent et d'établir des réseaux de soutien à leur intention.

Spanish

Este estudio se centró en VIH/SIDA, mujeres y migración en Kenya. Los sentimientos de aislamiento, los altos costos de vida, la presión para casarse y el conceder favores sexuales a los empleadores incrementaron la probabilidad de que las mujeres resultaran infectadas. El gobierno necesita intensificar las reglamentaciones de protección para las trabajadoras migrantes y establecer redes de apoyo para ellas.
Experiences of AIDS-related bereavement in the USA and South Africa
Authors: Demmer Craig , Burghart Geraldine
Published: April 2008

English

In-depth interviews were conducted with two samples of individuals (one in the US and one in South Africa) to explore their experiences with AIDS-related bereavement. Coping was influenced by similar factors though in different degrees. Thus, it is important that interventions be tailored to address these factors within each context.

French

Ce projet s'appuie sur des entrevues en profondeur qui ont été menées auprès de deux groupes de personnes aux États-Unis et en Afrique du Sud, et qui visaient à explorer leur expérience respective de deuil liée au Sida. Il en résulte que des facteurs similaires ont influencé leur façon de surmonter cette épreuve, dans une mesure toutefois différente. C'est pourquoi il est important que les interventions soient modulées afin de tenir compte de ces facteurs dans chacun des milieux.

Spanish

Se realizaron entrevistas en profundidad con dos muestras de individuos (una en los Estados Unidos y una en Sud Africa) para explorar sus experiencias con el sufrimiento relacionado con el SIDA. El enfrentamiento estuvo influenciado por factores similares aunque en diferentes grados. De tal manera, que es importante que las intervenciones se adapten para dirigirse a estos factores dentro de cada contexto.
Population Composition in New Suburban Settlements of the Tallinn Metropolitan Area
Authors: Kährik Anneli , Tammaru Tiit
Published: April 2008

Suburban settlements are in the process of quick change in the major metropolitan areas in central and eastern European transition countries, losing their agricultural character and developing into modern residential areas. New housing construction is the most visible manifestation of those changes. The aim of the current paper is to examine the characteristics of the inhabitants of new suburban settlements in the Tallinn metropolitan area, Estonia. The data are from the Household Panel Survey (2004) and New Residential Areas Survey (2006). The main results of the study indicate that people younger than 35 who are well educated and earn considerably higher than average incomes have the highest odds of living in the new suburban settlements. Having a child increases the probability of living in the newest suburban houses built in the 2000s
Land Acquisition in Transitional Hanoi, Vietnam
Authors: Sun Sheng Han  , Kim Trang Vu
Published: April 2008

This paper examines the institutional changes in Vietnam's urban development that have emerged as the economy has been restructured in a deliberate national policy entitled Doi Moi. The main focus is on the issue of compensation in land acquisition. Data were collected from field reconnaissance surveys, key informant interviews and secondary sources. Findings revealed a clear move towards the establishment of private property rights on land use, illustrated by the changes associated with land law and the dynamic interplays among the main actors in this transition. The government's role in land acquisition has been minimised gradually. A coalition between the government and land developers was discernible in the case studies, often associated with a low compensation rate in land acquisition, which was proposed by the government in favour of the developers but at the expense of individual sitting tenants. At another level, the law enforcement behaviour of local authorities was shaped by considerations of possible rent-seeking and concerns about intervention from higher-level authorities. These attributes of the transitional institutions in urban development will remain in the foreseeable future if Vietnam continues its current Doi Moi policy for rapid economic growth.
Leaving Gateway Metropolitan Areas in the United States: Immigrants and the Housing Market
Authors: Painter Gary , Zhou Yu
Published: April 2008

Immigration is no longer a phenomenon that is simply affecting gateway metropolitan areas in the United States. This analysis demonstrates that large numbers of immigrants are moving to other metropolitan areas and analyses the housing outcomes of households who currently live in the 14 largest emerging gateways. The findings suggest that those households that move from most gateway metropolitan areas have lower homeownership rates than do households that move from within the metropolitan area. Meanwhile, there is little evidence that immigrants do worse than native-born households that migrate within the US. The study also demonstrates that immigrants living in crowded conditions or having multiple workers in the household have higher homeownership rates than similar native-born households, and that younger immigrants are relatively more successful in attaining homeownership than are similar native-born residents.
Strong Reciprocity and the Emergence of Large-Scale Societies
Authors: Dubreuil Benoît
Published: April 2008

The paper defends the idea that strong reciprocity, although it accounts for the existence of deep cooperation among humans, has difficulty explaining why humans lived for most of their history in band-size groups and why the emergence of larger societies was accompanied by increased social differentiation and political centralization. The paper argues that the costs of incurring an altruistic punishment rise in large groups and that the emergence of large-scale societies depends on the creation of institutions that render control of these costs possible through a social division of sanction.
Christianity and Domestic Violence
Authors: Wendt Sarah
Published: April 2008

Research has shown that spiritual and religious identification plays a role in defining women's experiences of violence and therefore that social workers need to acknowledge and create safe spaces to talk about this identification. This article describes a rural Australian study that focused on the impact of a local culture on domestic violence, in which Christianity strongly influenced women's experiences of violence. It is argued that looking at women's experiences of domestic violence through a feminist poststructuralist lens is valuable because it provides a framework for exploring and sensitively challenging oppressive discourses that inform women's identities.
Previous antimalarial therapy in patients diagnosed with lupus nephritis: Influence on outcomes and survival
Authors: Sisó A , Ramos-Casals M , Bové A , Brito-Zerón P , Soria N , Muñoz S , Testi A , Plaza J , Sentís J , Coca A
Published: April 2008

The aim of this study was to analyze the effect of exposure to antimalarial drugs at diagnosis of lupus nephritis on the outcome of the disease, especially renal failure, comorbid processes, and survival. We analyzed a cohort of 206 consecutive patients with biopsy-proven lupus nephritis. Renal biopsies were categorized according to the classification proposed by the ISN/RPS in 2003. Exposure to antimalarial drugs (chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine) was defined as the use of these drugs before the diagnosis of lupus nephritis independent of dose and duration. Fifty-six (27%) patients had received antimalarials before the diagnosis of lupus nephritis. During the follow-up, these patients had a lower frequency of creatinine values >4 mg/dL (2% vs 11%, P = 0.029) and end-stage renal failure (2% vs 11%, P = 0.044) in comparison with those never treated with antimalarials. Patients exposed to antimalarials also had a lower frequency of hypertension (32% vs 50%, P = 0.027), infections (11% vs 29%, P = 0.006), and thrombotic events (5% vs 17%, P = 0.039). Twenty patients (10%) died during the study period. Patients exposed to antimalarials had a lower mortality rate at the end of the follow-up (2% vs 13% for those not exposed to antimalarials, P = 0.029). Multivariate analysis identified thrombosis and infections as statistically significant independent variables. Kaplan–Meier plots showed a lower rate of end-stage renal failure (log rank = 0.04) in patients exposed to antimalarials. In conclusion, exposure to antimalarials before the diagnosis of lupus nephritis was negatively associated with the development of renal failure, hypertension, thrombosis and infection, and with a better survival rate at the end of the follow-up. This, together with other published data, suggests that antimalarials should be considered a mandatory therapeutic option in all patients diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus.
High prevalence of infections in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus and pulmonary haemorrhage
Authors: Rojas-Serrano J , Pedroza J , Regalado J , Robledo J , Reyes E , Sifuentes-Osornio J , Flores-Suárez LF
Published: April 2008

The main objective of this study is to describe the presence of infections in patients with pulmonary haemorrhage and systemic lupus erythematosus. Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus and pulmonary haemorrhage were thoroughly evaluated in the first 48 hours with imaging plus bronchoscopy and bronchoalveolar fluid analysis. If needed, videoassisted thoracoscopy and lung biopsy were performed too. In all, search for bacterial, mycobacterial and fungal infections proceeded. Appropriate blood, bronchoalveolar fluid and tissue cultures were taken. Patients were treated with antibiotics and corticosteroids in case of infection. Otherwise, they received initial intravenous methylprednsiolone pulses for 3 days as standard therapy for pulmonary haemorrhage in systemic lupus erythematosus. Additional treatment with immunosuppressives was further decided by the treating physicians. Fourteen events in 13 patients were evaluated. In eight events (57%), an infection was demonstrated. Aetiological agents included Pseudomonas sp. and Aspergillus fumigatus. Four patients died, three of them because of the pulmonary infection and one because of cerebral haemorrhage secondary to severe systemic hypertension, 48 hours after methylprednisolone treatment. Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus and pulmonary haemorrhage have a high prevalence of infections. The influence of pulmonary haemorrhage in the setting of systemic lupus erythematosus needs further study to establish adequate treatment and to reduce the high mortality of this complication.
An update in pulmonary hypertension in systemic lupus erythematosus – do we need to know about it?
Authors: Pope J
Published: April 2008

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a serious form of pulmonary complication that occurs less frequently in lupus than in other connective tissue diseases like scleroderma; however, it is likely that it is under-recognized in lupus. The symptoms of PH in lupus are non-specific (dyspnea, fatigue, impaired exercise tolerance) and can also be caused by other factors such as pleural or pericardial effusions, interstitial lung disease and many more, making it possible to miss the diagnosis. There are several potential causes of PH in lupus including thromboembolic disease, pulmonary vasculitis, and hypoxia and fibrosis from interstitial lung disease. Endothelin-1 is elevated in lupus and may be associated with PAH. In some studies, pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) has been found to be a major cause of mortality in lupus patients. Echocardiograms are a screening tool, but may yield false positives, and a right heart catheterization must be performed to confirm PAH. Early identification is important and can alter the natural history of this dangerous complication of lupus. Treatment of PAH associated with lupus includes standard PAH treatment as well as immunosuppression.
Adolescent onset of lupus results in more aggressive disease and worse outcomes: results of a nested matched case–control study within LUMINA, a multiethnic US cohort (LUMINA LVII)
Authors: Tucker LB , Uribe AG , Fernández M , Vilá LM , McGwin G , Apte M , Fessler BJ , Bastian HM , Reveille JD , Alarcón GS
Published: April 2008

The objective of this study is to examine the clinical features and outcomes of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) whose disease began in adolescence [juvenile-onset SLE (jSLE)] compared with adult-onset patients [adult-onset SLE (aSLE)] from a large multiethnic cohort. Systemic lupus erythematosus patients of African-American, Caucasian, or Hispanic ethnicity and ≥1 year follow-up were studied in two groups: jSLE (diagnosed at ≤18 years); aSLE (diagnosed at 19–50 years; matched for gender and disease duration at enrolment). Sociodemographic data, SLE manifestations, disease activity, damage accrual, SLE-related hospitalizations or emergency room visits, drug utilization, mortality and psychosocial characteristics and quality of life were compared. Data were analysed by univariable and multivariable analyses. Seventy-nine patients were studied (31 jSLE, 48 aSLE); 90% were women. Mean (SD) total disease duration was 6.8 (2.7) years in jSLE and 5.6 (3.3) years in aSLE ( p = 0.077). Mean age at cohort entry was 18.4 (1.8) and 33.9 (9.2) years in jSLE and aSLE respectively. By univariable analysis, jSLE patients were more commonly of African-American descent, were more likely to have renal and neurological involvements, and to accrue renal damage; jSLE patients had lower levels of helplessness and scored higher in the physical component measure of the SF-36 than aSLE patients. Renal involvement [OR = 1.549, 95% CI (1.397–15.856)] and neurological involvement [OR = 1.642, 95% CI (1.689–15.786)] were independently associated with jSLE by multivariable analysis. There was a larger proportion of African-Americans within the jSLE group. After adjusting for ethnicity and follow-up time, jSLE patients experienced more renal and neurological manifestations, with more renal damage. There was a two-fold higher mortality rate in the jSLE group.
Parallelization of the Fvcom Coastal Ocean Model
Authors: Cowles Geoffrey W.
Published: April 2008

The Finite Volume Coastal Ocean Model (FVCOM) is a publicly available software package for simulation of ocean processes in coastal areas. The unstructured grid approach used in the model is highly advantageous for resolving dynamics in regions with complex shorelines such as estuaries, embayments, and archipelagos. A growing user community and a demand for large-scale, high resolution simulations has driven the need for the implementation of a portable and efficient parallelization of the FVCOM core code. The triangular grid approach used in FVCOM precludes the utilization of schemes used previously in the parallelization of popular structured grid ocean models. This paper describes recent work on a SPMD parallelization of FVCOM. The METIS partitioning libraries are employed to decompose the domain. Parallel operations are programmed with the Message Passing Interface (MPI) standard interface. Updates for flow quantities near the interprocessor domain boundaries are performed using a mixture of halo and flux summation approaches to minimize communication overhead. Evaluation of the implementation efficiency is made on machines comprising several parallel architectures and interconnect types. The implementation is found to scale well on medium-sized (~ 256 processor) clusters. An execution time model is developed to expose bottlenecks and extrapolate the performance of FVCOM to increasingly available large MPP machines. Application to a model of water circulation in the Gulf of Maine shows that the parallelized code greatly increases the capabilities of the original core scheme by extending practical model simulation timescales and spatial resolution.
Teraflops Sustained Performance With Real World Applications
Authors: Tiyyagura S.R. , Adamidis P. , Rabenseifner R. , Lammers P. , Borowski S. , Lippold F. , Svensson F. , Marxen O. , Haberhauer S. , Seitsonen A.P. , Furthmüller J. , Benkert K. , Galle M. , Bönisch T. , Küster U. , Resch M.M.
Published: April 2008

This paper provides a comprehensive performance evaluation of the NEC SX-8 system at the High Performance Computing Center Stuttgart which has been in operation since July 2005. It provides a description of the installed hardware together with its performance for some synthetic benchmarks and five real world applications. All the applications achieved sustained Tflop/s performance. Additionally, the measurements presented show the ability of the system to solve not only large problems with a very high performance, but also medium sized problems with high efficiency using a large number of processors.
Automatic Generation of FFT for Translations of Multipole Expansions in Spherical Harmonics
Authors: Kurzak Jakub , Mirkovic Dragan , Pettitt B. Montgomery , Johnsson S. Lennart
Published: April 2008

The fast multipole method (FMM) is an efficient algorithm for calculating electrostatic interactions in molecular simulations and a promising alternative to Ewald summation methods. Translation of multipole expansion in spherical harmonics is the most important operation of the fast multipole method and the fast Fourier transform (FFT) acceleration of this operation is among the fastest methods of improving its performance. The technique relies on highly optimized implementation of fast Fourier transform routines for the desired expansion sizes, which need to incorporate the knowledge of symmetries and zero elements in the input arrays. Here a method is presented for automatic generation of such, highly optimized, routines.
Fieldnotes in team ethnography: researching complementary schools
Authors: Creese Angela , Bhatt Arvind , Bhojani Nirmala , Martin Peter
Published: April 2008

Ethnography has typically been seen as a singular research journey in which the lone researcher engages in the study of a community. However, increasingly within the social sciences, ethnographic research takes place in teams. This article explores the processes of using fieldnotes to develop team ethnography in a study of Gujarati complementary schools in a diverse English city. Complementary schools are also known as supplementary, heritage and community language schools. They are voluntary, usually run by local communities, and outside the state education sector. The article looks at how fieldnotes are used by researchers to constitute a team, contest interpretations and produce nuanced accounts of complementary schools. For the purpose of this article, a set of fieldnotes has been selected and presented as a case study to illustrate the role fieldnotes played in the team. The article explores their iterative use by the four-member team to settle upon particular research themes. We consider the role fieldnotes played in the team's reaching contested but shared accounts of social and linguistic action in one particular complementary school.
Durkheim's Concept of Anomie and the Abuse at Abu Ghraib
Authors: Mestrovic Stjepan G. , Lorenzo Ronald
Published: April 2008

Durkheim's classical understanding of anomie as a societal condition of dérèglement or derangement is compared and contrasted with the functionalist understanding of anomie as normlessness. Assumptions are examined in the two different versions of anomie regarding culture, norms, agency, the international context, collective consciousness, military law, and other issues pertaining to abuse at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq. Major General Fay's report on the abuse at Abu Ghraib is analyzed in the context of this sociological scrutiny regarding the meanings of anomie. We conclude that Durkheim's understanding of anomie seems to exhibit more fidelity than the Parsonian version to the facts concerning torture and abuse at Abu Ghraib as revealed during courts-martial and in government reports. We examine the implications for both social theory and the US Army of conceptualizing abuse at Abu Ghraib in the context of Durkheim's understanding of anomie.
Natural Language Processing in aid of FlyBase curators
Authors: Karamanis Nikiforos , Seal Ruth , Lewin Ian , McQuilton Peter , Vlachos Andreas , Gasperin Caroline , Drysdale Rachel , Briscoe Ted
Published: April 2008

Background

Despite increasing interest in applying Natural Language Processing (NLP) to biomedical text, whether this technology can facilitate tasks such as database curation remains unclear.

Results

PaperBrowser is the first NLP-powered interface that was developed under a user-centered approach to improve the way in which FlyBase curators navigate an article. In this paper, we first discuss how observing curators at work informed the design and evaluation of PaperBrowser. Then, we present how we appraise PaperBrowser's navigational functionalities in a user-based study using a text highlighting task and evaluation criteria of Human-Computer Interaction. Our results show that PaperBrowser reduces the amount of interactions between two highlighting events and therefore improves navigational efficiency by about 58% compared to the navigational mechanism that was previously available to the curators. Moreover, PaperBrowser is shown to provide curators with enhanced navigational utility by over 74% irrespective of the different ways in which they highlight text in the article.

Conclusion

We show that state-of-the-art performance in certain NLP tasks such as Named Entity Recognition and Anaphora Resolution can be combined with the navigational functionalities of PaperBrowser to support curation quite successfully.
Whole genome comparative studies between chicken and turkey and their implications for avian genome evolution
Authors: Griffin Darren K , Robertson Lindsay B , Tempest Helen G , Vignal Alain , Fillon Valérie , Crooijmans Richard PMA , Groenen Martien AM , Deryusheva Svetlana , Gaginskaya Elena , Carré Wilfrid , Waddington David , Talbot Richard , Völker Martin , Masabanda Julio S , Burt Dave W
Published: April 2008

Background

Comparative genomics is a powerful means of establishing inter-specific relationships between gene function/location and allows insight into genomic rearrangements, conservation and evolutionary phylogeny. The availability of the complete sequence of the chicken genome has initiated the development of detailed genomic information in other birds including turkey, an agriculturally important species where mapping has hitherto focused on linkage with limited physical information. No molecular study has yet examined conservation of avian microchromosomes, nor differences in copy number variants (CNVs) between birds.

Results

We present a detailed comparative cytogenetic map between chicken and turkey based on reciprocal chromosome painting and mapping of 338 chicken BACs to turkey metaphases. Two inter-chromosomal changes (both involving centromeres) and three pericentric inversions have been identified between chicken and turkey; and array CGH identified 16 inter-specific CNVs.

Conclusion

This is the first study to combine the modalities of zoo-FISH and array CGH between different avian species. The first insight into the conservation of microchromosomes, the first comparative cytogenetic map of any bird and the first appraisal of CNVs between birds is provided. Results suggest that avian genomes have remained relatively stable during evolution compared to mammalian equivalents.
Evidence for neuroprotective properties of human umbilical cord blood cells after neuronal hypoxia in vitro
Authors: Hau Susann , Reich Doreen M , Scholz Markus , Naumann Wilfried , Emmrich Frank , Kamprad Manja , Boltze Johannes
Published: April 2008

Background

One of the most promising options for treatment of stroke using adult stem cells are human umbilical cord blood (HUCB) cells that were already approved for therapeutic efficacy in vivo. However, complexity of animal models has thus far limited the understanding of beneficial cellular mechanisms. To address the influence of HUCB cells on neuronal tissue after stroke we established and employed a human in vitro model of neuronal hypoxia using fully differentiated vulnerable SH-SY5Y cells. These cells were incubated under an oxygen-reduced atmosphere (O2< 1%) for 48 hours. Subsequently, HUCB mononuclear cells (MNC) were added to post-hypoxic neuronal cultures. These cultures were characterized regarding to the development of apoptosis and necrosis over three days. Based on this we investigated the therapeutic influence of HUCB MNC on the progression of apoptotic cell death. The impact of HUCB cells and hypoxia on secretion of neuroprotective and inflammatory cytokines, chemokines and expression of adhesion molecules was proved.

Results

Hypoxic cultivation of neurons initially induced a rate of 26% ± 13% of apoptosis. Hypoxia also caused an enhanced expression of Caspase-3 and cleaved poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP). Necrosis was only detected in low amounts. Within the next three days rate of apoptosis in untreated hypoxic cultures cumulated to 85% ± 11% (p ≤ 0.001). Specific cytokine (VEGF) patterns also suggest anti-apoptotic strategies of neuronal cells. Remarkably, the administration of MNC showed a noticeable reduction of apoptosis rates to levels of normoxic control cultures (7% ± 3%; p ≤ 0.001). In parallel, clustering of administered MNC next to axons and somata of neuronal cells was observed. Furthermore, MNC caused a pronounced increase of chemokines (CCL5; CCL3 and CXCL10).

Conclusion

We established an in vitro model of neuronal hypoxia that affords the possibility to investigate both, apoptotic neuronal cell death and neuroprotective therapies. Here we employed the therapeutic model to study neuroprotective properties of HUCB cells.

We hypothesize that the neuroprotective effect of MNC was due to anti-apoptotic mechanisms related to direct cell-cell contacts with injured neuronal cells and distinct changes in neuroprotective, inflammatory cytokines as well as to the upregulation of chemokines within the co-cultures.
Electronic health records in outpatient clinics: Perspectives of third year medical students
Authors: Rouf Emran , Chumley Heidi S , Dobbie Alison E
Published: April 2008

Background

United States academic medical centers are increasingly incorporating electronic health records (EHR) into teaching settings. We report third year medical students' attitudes towards clinical learning using the electronic health record in ambulatory primary care clinics.

Methods

In academic year 2005–06, 60 third year students were invited to complete a questionnaire after finishing the required Ambulatory Medicine/Family Medicine clerkship. The authors elicited themes for the questionnaire by asking a focus group of third year students how using the EHR had impacted their learning. Five themes emerged: organization of information, access to online resources, prompts from the EHR, personal performance (charting and presenting), and communication with patients and preceptors. The authors added a sixth theme: impact on student and patient follow-up. The authors created a 21-item questionnaire, based on these themes that used a 5-point Likert scale from "Strongly Agree" to "Strongly Disagree". The authors emailed an electronic survey link to each consenting student immediately following their clerkship experience in Ambulatory Medicine/Family Medicine.

Results

33 of 53 consenting students (62%) returned completed questionnaires. Most students liked the EHR's ability to organize information, with 70% of students responding that essential information was easier to find electronically. Only 36% and 33% of students reported accessing online patient information or clinical guidelines more often when using the EHR than when using paper charts. Most students (72%) reported asking more history questions due to EHR prompts, and 39% ordered more clinical preventive services. Most students (69%) reported that the EHR improved their documentation. 39% of students responded that they received more feedback on their EHR notes compared to paper chart notes. Only 64% of students were satisfied with the doctor-patient communication with the EHR, and 48% stated they spent less time looking at the patient.

Conclusion

Third year medical students reported generally positive attitudes towards using the EHR in the ambulatory setting. They reported receiving more feedback on their electronic charts than on paper charts. However, students reported significant concerns about the potential impact of the EHR on their ability to conduct the doctor-patient encounter.
Merger of Ayurveda and Tissue Culture-Based Functional Genomics: Inspirations from Systems Biology
Authors: Deocaris Custer C , Widodo Nashi , Wadhwa Renu , Kaul Sunil C
Published: April 2008

Ayurveda is one of the ancient systems of health care of Indian origin. Roughly translated into "Knowledge of life", it is based on the use of natural herbs and herb products for therapeutic measures to boost physical, mental, social and spiritual harmony and improve quality of life. Although sheltered with long history and high trust, ayurveda principles have not entered laboratories and only a handful of studies have identified pure components and molecular pathways for its life-enhancing effects. In the post-genomic era, genome-wide functional screenings for targets for diseases is the most recent and practical approach. We illustrate here the merger of ayurveda and functional genomics in a systems biology scenario that reveals the pathway analysis of crude and active components and inspire ayurveda practice for health benefits, disease prevention and therapeutics.
Genome-wide screening of the genes required for tolerance to vanillin, which is a potential inhibitor of bioethanol fermentation, in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Authors: Endo Ayako , Nakamura Toshihide , Ando Akira , Tokuyasu Ken , Shima Jun
Published: April 2008

Background

Lignocellulosic materials are abundant and among the most important potential sources for bioethanol production. Although the pretreatment of lignocellulose is necessary for efficient saccharification and fermentation, numerous by-products, including furan derivatives, weak acids, and phenolic compounds, are generated in the pretreatment step. Many of these components inhibit the growth and fermentation of yeast. In particular, vanillin is one of the most effective inhibitors in lignocellulose hydrolysates because it inhibits fermentation at very low concentrations. To identify the genes required for tolerance to vanillin, we screened a set of diploid yeast deletion mutants, which are powerful tools for clarifying the function of particular genes.

Results

Seventy-six deletion mutants were identified as vanillin-sensitive mutants. The numerous deleted genes in the vanillin-sensitive mutants were classified under the functional categories for 'chromatin remodeling' and 'vesicle transport', suggesting that these functions are important for vanillin tolerance. The cross-sensitivity of the vanillin-sensitive mutants to furan derivatives, weak acids, and phenolic compounds was also examined. Genes for ergosterol biosynthesis were required for tolerance to all inhibitory compounds tested, suggesting that ergosterol is a key component of tolerance to various inhibitors.

Conclusion

Our analysis predicts that vanillin tolerance in Saccharomyces cerevisiae is affected by various complicated processes that take place on both the molecular and the cellular level. In addition, the ergosterol biosynthetic process is important for achieving a tolerance to various inhibitors. Our findings provide a biotechnological basis for the molecular engineering as well as for screening of more robust yeast strains that may potentially be useful in bioethanol fermentation.