bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of treadmill training on functional recovery following peripheral nerve injury in rats
Authors: Boeltz Tiffany , Ireland Meredith , Mathis Kristin , Nicolini Jennifer , Poplavski Karen , Rose Samuel J. , Wilson Erin , English Arthur W.
Published: March 2013

Exercise, in the form of moderate daily treadmill training following nerve transection and repair leads to enhanced axon regeneration, but its effect on functional recovery is less well known. Female rats were exercised by walking continuously, at a slow speed (10 m/min), for 1 h/day on a level treadmill, beginning 3 days after unilateral transection and surgical repair of the sciatic nerve, and conducted 5 days/wk for 2 wk. In Trained rats, both direct muscle responses to tibial nerve stimulation and H reflexes in soleus reappeared earlier and increased in amplitude more rapidly over time than in Untrained rats. The efficacy of the restored H reflex was greater in Trained rats than in Untrained controls. The reinnervated tibialis anterior and soleus were coactivated during treadmill locomotion in Untrained rats. In Trained animals, the pattern of activation of soleus, but not tibialis anterior, was not significantly different from that found in Intact rats. The overall length of the hindlimb during level and up- and downslope locomotion was conserved after nerve injury in both groups. This conservation was achieved by changes in limb orientation. Limb length was conserved effectively in all rats during downslope walking but only in Trained rats during level and upslope walking. Moderate daily exercise applied immediately after sciatic nerve transection is sufficient to promote axon regeneration, to restore muscle reflexes, and to improve the ability of rats to cope with different biomechanical demands of slope walking.
Metachronous Occurrence of Triple Malignancies of Kidneys, Prostate, and Breast. A Case Report and Review of The Literature
Authors: Zargar-Shoshtari Mohammad Ali , Saffari Hossein , Moslemi Mohammad Kazem
Published: March 2013

Multiple consecutive cancers involving different organs in a male individual are presented.Case Presentation. Herein, we present a rare case of primary right renal cell carcinoma (RCC), in which two different organ malignancies of prostate and breast were occurred consecutively. After proper treatment of each organ tumor, the patient experienced metachronous occurrence of its final tumor in his remained left kidney as left side RCC.Discussions. Multiple primary cancers are defined as occurrence of two or more malignancies, synchronous or metachronous, in different organs without any relation to each other. For primary and secondary tumors of the male genitourinary system, the most common occurrence was tumors of bladder and prostate followed by tumors of the kidney. Our case was a rare presentation of consecutive occurrence of multiple organ tumors: right side RCC, adenocarcinoma of prostate, and ductal cell carcinoma of the left breast, followed by left side RCC.Conclusions. In any case of primary malignancy of any organ, not only primary tumor recurrence but also tumoral growth of other nonrelated organs should be evaluated, especially in high risk patients or patients with positive familial history.
Substrains of Inbred Mice Differ in Their Physical Activity as a Behavior
Authors: Coletti Dario , Berardi Emanuele , Aulino Paola , Rossi Eleonora , Moresi Viviana , Li Zhenlin , Adamo Sergio
Published: March 2013

Recent studies strengthen the belief that physical activity as a behavior has a genetic basis. Screening wheel‐running behavior in inbred mouse strains highlighted differences among strains, showing that even very limited genetic differences deeply affect mouse behavior. We extended this observation to substrains of the same inbred mouse strain, that is, BALB/c mice. We found that only a minority of the population of one of these substrains, the BALB/c J, performs spontaneous physical activity. In addition, the runners of this substrain cover a significantly smaller distance than the average runners of two other substrains, namely, the BALB/c ByJ and the BALB/c AnNCrl. The latter shows a striking level of voluntary activity, with the average distance run/day reaching up to about 12 kilometers. These runners are not outstanders, but they represent the majority of the population, with important scientific and economic fallouts to be taken into account during experimental planning. Spontaneous activity persists in pathological conditions, such as cancer‐associated cachexia. This important amount of physical activity results in a minor muscle adaptation to endurance exercise over a three‐week period; indeed, only a nonsignificant increase in NADH transferase+ fibers occurs in this time frame.
The Monoid Consisting of Kuratowski Operations
Authors: Plewik Szymon , Walczyńska Marta
Published: March 2013

The paper fills gaps in knowledge about Kuratowski operations which are already in the literature. The Cayley table for these operations has been drawn up. Techniques, using only paper and pencil, to point out all semigroups and its isomorphism types are applied. Some results apply only to topology, and one cannot bring them out, using only properties of the complement and a closure-like operation. The arguments are by systematic study of possibilities.
An Adaptive Control Method for Ros-Drill Cellular Microinjector with Low-Resolution Encoder
Authors: Zhang Zhenyu , Olgac Nejat
Published: March 2013

A novel control methodology which uses a low-resolution encoder is presented for a cellular microinjection technology called the Ros-Drill (rotationally oscillating drill). It is developed primarily for ICSI (intracytoplasmic sperm injection) operations, with the objective of generating a desired oscillatory motion at the tip of a micro glass pipette. It is an inexpensive setup, which creates high-frequency (higher than 500 Hz) and small-amplitude (around 0.2 deg) rotational oscillations at the tip of an injection pipette. These rotational oscillations enable the pipette to drill into cell membranes with minimum biological damage. Such a motion control procedure presents no particular difficulty when it uses sufficiently precise motion sensors. However, size, costs, and accessibility of technology to the hardware components severely constrain the sensory capabilities. Consequently, the control mission and the trajectory tracking are adversely affected. This paper presents two contributions: (a) a dedicated novel adaptive feedback control method to achieve a satisfactory trajectory tracking capability. We demonstrate via experiments that the tracking of the harmonic rotational motion is achieved with desirable fidelity; (b) some important analytical features and related observations associated with the controlled harmonic motion which is created by the low-resolution feedback control structure.
Neural Network Dynamics without Minimizing Energy
Authors: Shih Mau-Hsiang , Tsai Feng-Sheng
Published: March 2013

Content-addressable memory (CAM) has been described by collective dynamics of neural networks and computing with attractors (equilibrium states). Studies of such neural network systems are typically based on the aspect of energy minimization. However, when the complexity and the dimension of neural network systems go up, the use of energy functions might have its own limitations to study CAM. Recently, we have proposed the decirculation process in neural network dynamics, suggesting a step toward the reshaping of network structure and the control of neural dynamics without minimizing energy. Armed with the decirculation process, a sort of decirculating maps and its structural properties are built here, dedicated to showing that circulation breaking taking place in the connections among many assemblies of neurons can collaborate harmoniously toward the completion of network structure that generates CAM.
A Fast and High-Accuracy Compass Alignment Method to SINS with Azimuth Axis Rotation
Authors: Liu Xixiang , Xu Xiaosu , Liu Yiting , Wang Lihui
Published: March 2013

Azimuth axis rotating modulation was introduced to improve the alignment accuracy of strapdown inertial navigation system (SINS) through compass algorithm, in which the limit accuracy was determined by equivalent sensor errors in the eastern and northern direction. In this modulation, horizontal sensor errors were modulated into zero mean periodic variables. Furthermore, two methods were introduced to ensure alignment accuracy and speed: (1) shortened rotating cycle and redesigned compass parameters were selected to eliminate or ease the amplification to low-frequency senor error inputs in compass loop caused by rotation and (2) a data repeated calculation method was designed to shorten prolonged alignment time caused by the above redesigned parameters. Based on a certain SINS, turntable test proves that alignment accuracy and time were significantly improved and slightly shortened in comparison with the classical compass alignment.
Postoperative Cervical Haematoma Complicated by Ipsilateral Carotid Thrombosis and Aphasia after Anterior Cervical Fusion: A Case Report
Authors: Chin Kingsley R. , Seale Jason , Butron Veronica , Cumming Vanessa
Published: March 2013

Hematoma alone is the most common vascular complication reported after anterior cervical decompression and fusion (ACDF). We present this case to report the occurrence of postoperative cervical hematoma complicated by ipsilateral carotid thrombosis and aphasia after an uncomplicated C4–6 ACDF. This is a case of a 65-year-old woman who underwent revision fusions of the C4-5 and C6-7 levels complicated by postoperative cervical hematoma and carotid thrombosis. The patient's history, clinical examination, imaging findings, and treatment are reported. The revision fusions were performed and deemed routine. Approximately eight hours later 200 mL of blood was evacuated from a postoperative cervical hematoma. The patient became unresponsive and disoriented a few hours after evacuating the hematoma. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging of the brain were normal, but magnetic resonance angiography demonstrated total occlusion of the left carotid artery. Thrombectomy was performed and the patient was discharged without residual deficits. At the latest followup she is fully functional and asymptomatic in her neck. We suggest, after evacuating a cervical hematoma, an evaluation of the carotids be made with MRA or cerebral angiography, as this may demonstrate a clot before the patient develops symptoms.
Experimental Investigations on the Induced Anisotropy of Mechanical Properties in Polycarbonate Films
Authors: Wibbeke Andrea , Schöeppner Volker , Mahnken Rolf
Published: March 2013

The prime aim of this paper is to investigate, with the help of experiments, the induced anisotropy of mechanical properties in polycarbonate films. It is known that a molecular orientation in polymer materials occurs through cold-forming. In this study, cold forming is performed at room temperature on a tensile testing machine. The polycarbonate films are examined in two phases. In the first phase, the specimen is loaded, while the prestrain is varied, and in the second, it is loaded, while the material direction is varied. The main findings are that the prestrain has virtually no influence on the anisotropy and that the material direction does exert a major influence. Furthermore, this paper summarizes comparisons of anisotropic characteristic data, maximum stresses, elasticity moduli and failure strain.
Anaplastic Medullary Ependymoma Presenting as Subarachnoid Hemorrhage
Authors: Nicastro Nicolas , Schnider Armin , Leemann Béatrice
Published: March 2013

A-41-year old man presented with violent thunderclap headache and a bilateral proprioceptive sensibility deficit of the upper limbs. Cerebral CT scan and MRI were negative. Lumbar puncture confirmed subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), but cerebral angiography was negative. Three months later, the patient presented with paraparesis, and a thorough work-up revealed a diffuse, anaplastic extramedullary C7-D10 ependymoma with meningeal carcinomatosis considered the source of hemorrhage. The patient went through a D5-D8 laminectomy, temozolomide chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. The situation remained stable for a few months. In this paper, we would like to emphasize that spinal masses should be considered in cases of SAH with negative diagnostic findings for aneurysms or arteriovenous malformation.
Assessment of Pulmonary Artery Pulsatility by Multidetector Computed Tomography in Patients Affected by Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and Pulmonary Hypertension: Preliminary Data
Authors: D'Agostino Anna Grazia , Valerio Giuseppe , Bracciale Pierluigi , Valerio Fabio
Published: March 2013

The aim was to assess if computed tomography is able to measure pulmonary artery pulsatility in patients affected by chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and to ascertain whether pulsatility is different in patients with and without pulmonary hypertension and whether it is related to haemodynamics. We selected two groups of patients, the first one with pulmonary hypertension and the second one without. In patient with hypertension, pulmonary artery pressure and resistance were increased with the increased diameters (transverse 36 ± 5 mm and axial 38 ± 4 mm versus 22 ± 3 and 25 ± 5, resp.), the increased cross-sectional area (10 ± 08 versus 4 ± 1 cm2), and the reduced pulsatility (21 ± 7 versus 10% ± 5%). Arterial stretching was decreased in patients with hypertension (10 ± 5 versus 21% ± 7%) and significantly related to pulmonary vascular resistances and pressure. Cardiac output measured by tomography was significantly related to that obtained by Fick method and was not different in the two groups. The diameters allow to identify patients with PH, assuming a cut-off of 28 mm and assuming a pulsatility of right branch of 26% as well. These preliminary observations indicate tomography as a suitable technique, being able to measure the pulsatility and the dimensions of the arteries and the right ventricular functional parameters.
Effect of Serine and Methionine on Electrochemical Behavior of the Corrosion of Mild Steel in Aqueous Solutions
Authors: Rahuma Mohamed N. , EL-Sabbah Mohamed B. , Hamad Imperiyka M.
Published: March 2013

The pitting corrosion behaviour of mild steel in Na2HPO4solutions contains chloride ion as an aggressive ion and serine and methionine as inhibitors were investigated using open-circuit potential (OCP), potentiodynamic polarization measurements, and pitting corrosion current measurements; both inhibitors shift the potential in the positive direction. The corrosion rate of the mild steel was measured in the absence and presence of the inhibitors, and the inhibition efficiency of the amino acids at a concentration of 0.02 M was calculated. The pitting corrosion current shows that increasing concentration of the inhibitor causes a decrease in pitting current density, and inhibition efficiency increases with increasing concentration of the inhibitors. The adsorption of these inhibitors on the mild steel surface obeys Langmuir isotherm, and the calculated adsorption free energy (ΔGads0) for the inhibitors on the mild steel in 0.1 M (Na2HPO4 + NaCl) solutions was found to be (−24.61, −29.34) kJ/mol for serine and methionine, respectively, which reveals strong physical adsorption of the amino acids molecules on the mild steel surface.
Review on the Synthesis and Applications of Fe3O4 Nanomaterials
Authors: Liu Xiaodi , Zhong Zhiguo , Tang Yufeng , Liang Bingyu
Published: March 2013

Recently, Fe3O4 nanomaterials have attracted tremendous attention because of their favorable electric and magnetic properties. Fe3O4 nanostructures with various morphologies have been successfully synthesized and have been used in many fields such as lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs), wastewater treatment, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agents. In this paper, we provide an in‐depth discussion of recent development of Fe3O4 nanomaterials, including their effective synthetic methods and potential applications.
Fuzzy Formation Control and Collision Avoidance for Multiagent Systems
Authors: Chang Yeong-Hwa , Chen Chun-Lin , Chan Wei-Shou , Lin Hung-Wei , Chang Chia-Wen
Published: March 2013

This paper aims to investigate the formation control of leader-follower multiagent systems, where the problem of collision avoidance is considered. Based on the graph-theoretic concepts and locally distributed information, a neural fuzzy formation controller is designed with the capability of online learning. The learning rules of controller parameters can be derived from the gradient descent method. To avoid collisions between neighboring agents, a fuzzy separation controller is proposed such that the local minimum problem can be solved. In order to highlight the advantages of this fuzzy logic based collision-free formation control, both of the static and dynamic leaders are discussed for performance comparisons. Simulation results indicate that the proposed fuzzy formation and separation control can provide better formation responses compared to conventional consensus formation and potential-based collision-avoidance algorithms.
The Localized Energy Distribution of Dark Energy Star Solutions
Authors: Halpern Paul , Pecorino Michael
Published: March 2013

We examine the question of energy localization for an exact solution of Einstein's equations with a scalar field corresponding to the phantom energy interpretation of dark energy. We apply three different energy-momentum complexes, the Einstein, the Papapetrou, and the Møller prescriptions, to the exterior metric and determine the energy distribution for each. Comparing the results, we find that the three prescriptions yield identical energy distributions.
Optimal Planning Target Volume Margins for Elective Pelvic Lymphatic Radiotherapy in High-Risk Prostate Cancer Patients
Authors: Hinton Benjamin K. , Fiveash John B. , Wu Xingen , Dobelbower Michael C. , Kim Robert Y. , Jacob Rojymon
Published: March 2013

Purpose.
High-risk prostate cancer patients often receive radiotherapy (RT) to pelvic lymphatics (PLs). The aim of this study was to determine the safety
margin around clinical target volume for PL (PL-CTV) to construct planning target volume for PL (PL-PTV) and for planning elective PL irradiation.
Methods and Materials.
Six patients who received RT to PL as part of prostate cancer treatment were identified. To determine average daily shifts of PL,
the right and left IVs were contoured at 3 predetermined slices on the daily MV scans and their daily shifts were measured at these 3 levels using a measuring tool.
Results.
A total of 1,932 observations were made. Daily shifts of IV were random in distribution, and the largest observed shift was 13.6 mm in lateral and 15.4 mm
in AP directions. The mean lateral and AP shifts of IV were 2.1 mm (±2.2) and 3.5 mm (±2.7), respectively.
The data suggest that AP and lateral margins of 8.9 mm and 6.5 mm are necessary.
Conclusions.
With daily alignment to the prostate, we recommend an additional PL-CTV to PL-PTV conversion margin of 9 mm (AP) and 7 mm (lateral)
to account for daily displacement of PL relative to the prostate.
C-Reactive Protein Downregulates TRAIL Expression in Human Peripheral Monocytes via an Egr-1–Dependent Pathway
Authors: Secchiero Paola , Rimondi Erika , di Iasio Maria Grazia , Agnoletto Chiara , Melloni Elisabetta , Volpi Ilaria , Zauli Giorgio
Published: March 2013

Purpose: To investigate the potential link between C-reactive protein (CRP), a known biomarker of acute and chronic inflammation, and TRAIL, a cytokine which plays a key role in the immune-surveillance against tumors.

Experimental Design: Primary normal peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) and CD14+ monocytes were exposed to recombinant CRP (1–10 μmol/L). TRAIL expression was analyzed by ELISA and/or by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). In parallel, the potential role of the transcription factor Egr-1 was investigated by analyzing its modulation in response to CRP and by transfection experiments.

Results: In vitro CRP exposure induced downregulation of TRAIL expression, both at the mRNA and protein level, in unfractionated PBMC and in purified CD14+ monocytes. TRAIL downregulation was not due to a specific toxicity or to contaminating lipopolysaccharide (LPS), as shown by the lack of induction of monocyte apoptosis and by the inability of the inhibitor of LPS polymyxin B to interfere with CRP activity. Of note, CRP downregulated TRAIL expression/release in CD14+ monocytes also in response to IFN-α, the most potent inducer of TRAIL. At the molecular level, the downmodulation of TRAIL by CRP was accompanied by a significant increase of Egr-1. Consistently, Egr-1 overexpression reduced the baseline levels of TRAIL mRNA, whereas knocking down Egr-1 counteracted the ability of CRP to downregulate TRAIL.

Conclusions: Our findings suggest that a chronic elevation of CRP, which occurs during systemic inflammation and often in patients with cancer, might contribute to promote cancer development and/or progression by downregulating TRAIL in immune cells. Clin Cancer Res; 19(8); 1949–59. ©2013 AACR.
Greater Physician Involvement Improves Coding Outcomes in Endobronchial Ultrasound-Guided Transbronchial Needle Aspiration Procedures
Authors: Pillai Anilkumar , Medford Andrew R.L.
Published: March 2013

Background: Correct coding is essential for accurate reimbursement for clinical activity. Published data confirm that significant aberrations in coding occur, leading to considerable financial inaccuracies especially in interventional procedures such as endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA). Previous data reported a 15% coding error for EBUS-TBNA in a UK service. Objectives: We hypothesised that greater physician involvement with coders would reduce EBUS-TBNA coding errors and financial disparity. Methods: The study was done as a prospective cohort study in the tertiary EBUS-TBNA service in Bristol. 165 consecutive patients between October 2009 and March 2012 underwent EBUS-TBNA for evaluation of unexplained mediastinal adenopathy on computed tomography. The chief coder was prospectively electronically informed of all procedures and cross-checked on a prospective database and by Trust Informatics. Cost and coding analysis was performed using the 2010-2011 tariffs. Results: All 165 procedures (100%) were coded correctly as verified by Trust Informatics. This compares favourably with the 14.4% coding inaccuracy rate for EBUS-TBNA in a previous UK prospective cohort study [odds ratio 201.1 (1.1-357.5), p = 0.006]. Projected income loss was GBP 40,000 per year in the previous study, compared to a GBP 492,195 income here with no coding-attributable loss in revenue. Conclusions: Greater physician engagement with coders prevents coding errors and financial losses which can be significant especially in interventional specialties. The intervention can be as cheap, quick and simple as a prospective email to the coding team with cross-checks by Trust Informatics and against a procedural database. We suggest that all specialties should engage more with their coders using such a simple intervention to prevent revenue losses.
Treatment of Esophageal Variceal Hemorrhage with Self-Expanding Metal Stents as a Rescue Maneuver in a Swiss Multicentric Cohort
Authors: Fierz Fabienne C. , Kistler Walter , Stenz Volker , Gubler Christoph
Published: March 2013

Acute esophageal variceal bleeding in patients with portal hypertension remains a complication with a high mortality today. In cases refractory to standard therapy including endoscopic band ligation and pharmacological therapy, traditionally balloon tamponade has been used as salvage therapy. However, these techniques show several important limitations. Self-expanding metal stents (SEMS) have been proposed as an alternative rescue treatment. The use of variceal stenting in 7 patients with a total of 9 bleeding episodes in three different Swiss hospitals is demonstrated. While immediate bleeding control is achieved in a high percentage of cases, the 5-day and 6-week mortality rate remain high. Mortality is strongly influenced by the severity of the underlying liver disease. Accordingly, our data represent a high-risk patient collective. Thanks to their safety and easy handling, SEMS are an interesting alternative to balloon tamponade as a bridging intervention to definitive therapy including the pre-hospital setting.
Ambient GABA Responsible for Age-Related Changes in Multistable Perception
Authors: Hoshino Osamu
Published: March 2013

Multistable perception is a psychophysical phenomenon in which one unique interpretation alternates spontaneously every few seconds between two or more interpretations of the same sensory input. Well-known examples include the Necker cube and face-vase illusions in vision. Interestingly, young adults generally see more perceptual switches than do elderly people. To understand the underlying neuronal mechanism of age-related multistable perception, we simulated a cortical neural network model that consists of multiple cell assemblies. In the network, a specific population of noncore cells and a common population of core cells form a cell assembly that represents a single object (or event). Every dynamic cell assembly, activated by a given sensory input, involves the common (overlapping) population of core cells. Ambient GABA-mediated intracortical tonic inhibition via extrasynaptic GABAa receptors destabilized the currently appearing dynamic cell assembly and terminated its burst firing. This allowed another dynamic cell assembly to emerge one after the other. Namely, multistable perception took place. Transporters, which were embedded in axon terminal membranes of interneurons, regulated levels of ambient GABA. For elderly people, we assumed a decline in transporter. This decelerated GABA augmentation and resulted in prolonging the durations of burst firing and thus in slowing perceptual switches. We suggest that poor control of ambient GABA levels due to age-related decline in GABA transporter may be responsible for the slowing of perceptual switches in elderly people.
Are Greenhouse Gases Changing ENSO Precursors in the Western North Pacific?*
Authors: Wang Shih-Yu , L'Heureux Michelle , Yoon Jin-Ho
Published: March 2013

Using multiple observational and model datasets, the authors document a strengthening relationship between boreal winter sea surface temperature anomalies (SSTAs) in the western North Pacific (WNP) and the development of the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) in the following year. The increased WNP–ENSO association emerged in the mid-twentieth century and has grown through the present, reaching correlation coefficients as high as ~0.70 in recent decades. Fully coupled climate experiments with the Community Earth System Model, version 1 (CESM1), replicate the WNP–ENSO association and indicate that greenhouse gases (GHGs) are largely responsible for this observed increase. The authors speculate that shifts in the location of the largest positive SST trends between the subtropical and tropical western Pacific impact the low-level circulation in a manner that reinforces the link between the WNP and the development of ENSO. A strengthened GHG-driven relationship with the WNP provides an example of how anthropogenic climate change may directly influence one of the most prominent patterns of natural climate variability, ENSO, and potentially improve the skill of intraseasonal-to-interannual climate prediction.
Climate Change Projections in CESM1(CAM5) Compared to CCSM4
Authors: Meehl Gerald A. , Washington Warren M. , Arblaster Julie M. , Hu Aixue , Teng Haiyan , Kay Jennifer E. , Gettelman Andrew , Lawrence David M. , Sanderson Benjamin M. , Strand Warren G.
Published: March 2013

Future climate change projections for phase 5 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5) are presented for the Community Earth System Model version 1 that includes the Community Atmospheric Model version 5 [CESM1(CAM5)]. These results are compared to the Community Climate System Model, version 4 (CCSM4) and include simulations using the representative concentration pathway (RCP) mitigation scenarios, and extensions for those scenarios beyond 2100 to 2300. Equilibrium climate sensitivity of CESM1(CAM5) is 4.10°C, which is higher than the CCSM4 value of 3.20°C. The transient climate response is 2.33°C, compared to the CCSM4 value of 1.73°C. Thus, even though CESM1(CAM5) includes both the direct and indirect effects of aerosols (CCSM4 had only the direct effect), the overall climate system response including forcing and feedbacks is greater in CESM1(CAM5) compared to CCSM4. The Atlantic Ocean meridional overturning circulation (AMOC) in CESM1(CAM5) weakens considerably in the twenty-first century in all the RCP scenarios, and recovers more slowly in the lower forcing scenarios. The total aerosol optical depth (AOD) changes from ~0.12 in 2006 to ~0.10 in 2100, compared to a preindustrial 1850 value of 0.08, so there is less negative forcing (a net positive forcing) from that source during the twenty-first century. Consequently, the change from 2006 to 2100 in aerosol direct forcing in CESM1(CAM5) contributes to greater twenty-first century warming relative to CCSM4. There is greater Arctic warming and sea ice loss in CESM1(CAM5), with an ice-free summer Arctic occurring by about 2060 in RCP8.5 (2040s in September) as opposed to about 2100 in CCSM4 (2060s in September).
Compulsory Literacy and Numeracy Exit Standards for Senior Secondary Students: The Right Direction for Australia?
Authors: Rice Suzanne , Care Esther , Griffin Patrick
Published: March 2013

An overview of positive and negative potential effects of the setting of compulsory exit-level standards in literacy and numeracy for students completing their final years of schooling is presented. The overview rests on studies completed primarily outside Australia, reflecting the reality of such practices not having been implemented widely in Australia. Both negative and positive potential effects are discussed, culminating in a summary of the evidence for these. The relevance of implementation of such standards in Australia is considered, particularly in the context of the implementation of the national curriculum. Notwithstanding individual studies, which appear to demonstrate both negative and positive impacts of such standards, the weight of evidence is judged to be insufficient to justify implementation of this approach in Australia.
A Limit to the Application of Learning Hierarchies
Authors: White Richard
Published: March 2013

Two clarifications of Gagné's model of learning hierarchies are discussed. The first is the distinction between the strong hypothesis that there are essential prerequisites in learning and the weak hypothesis that there are helpful precursors in learning; the second is the division of subject matter into general intellectual skills and individual specific facts termed verbalized knowledge. Evidence is presented supporting the strong hypothesis for intellectual skills only.
Signposts for a Critical Educational Policy Analysis
Authors: Prunty John J.
Published: March 2013

This paper criticizes current trends in educational policy analysis, drawing attention to: the vagueness of conceptualization; the inattention to values and ethical issues; the narrow role of the policy analyst; the dominance of functionalist, systems theory perspectives and the technically rational implications for policy making which follow from these; the absence of educational terms of reference; and the failure of policy analysis to ameliorate socio-educational problems. This paper presents an alternative perspective based upon critical social theory, particularly the work of the Frankfurt School and Habermas. This alternative strives to overcome many of the problems associated with traditional approaches, while developing specifically educational criteria for policy analysis constructed with an ethical and political framework of social justice.
Educated but poor: Explaining localized ethnic violence during Indonesia’s democratic transition
Authors: Tadjoeddin Mohammad Zulfan
Published: March 2013

A sudden outbreak of a series of ethnic violence in Indonesia is linked to the country’s critical juncture of embarking on the transition towards democracy and adopting a decentralized polity. While the critical juncture is experienced by the country as a whole, ethnic violence is locally concentrated. This paper looks at the ingredients of the deadly mixture at the district level by examining the grievance and greed explanations of ethnic violence. It conceptualizes and operationalizes across-district measures of relative deprivation. The empirical results show the presence of relative deprivation-related grievance, in the sense of ‘being educated but still poor’. Education raises people’s expectations about earnings and welfare. Failure to realize their expectations leads to a sense of deprivation. The study finds no empirical evidence that the greed of local elites competing for the expected future value of state resources at the local level leads to inter-ethnic violence.
OD-characterization of the automorphism groups of simple "Equation missing" -groups
Authors: Yan Yanxiong , Xu Haijing , Chen Guiyun , He Liguan
Published: March 2013

The degree pattern of a finite group G associated to its prime graph has been introduced in (Moghaddamfar et al. in Algebra Colloq. 12(3):431-442, 2005) and denoted by

D
(
G
)

. The group G is called k-fold OD-characterizable if there exist exactly k non-isomorphic groups H satisfying conditions (1)

|
G
|
=
|
H
|

and (2)

D
(
G
)
=
D
(
H
)

. Moreover, a one-fold OD-characterizable group is simply called OD-characterizable group. In this problem, those groups with connected prime graphs are somewhat much difficult to be solved. In the present paper, we continue this investigation and show that the automorphism groups of simple

K
3

-groups are characterized by their orders and degree patterns. In fact, the automorphism groups of simple

K
3

-groups except

A
6

and

U
4

(
2
)

are OD-characterizable. Moreover,

Aut
(

A
6

)

is fourfold OD-characterizable and

Aut
(

U
4

(
2
)
)

is at least fourfold OD-characterizable.

AMS Subject Classification:20D05.
A heterozygous variant in the human cardiac miR-133 gene, MIR133A2, alters miRNA duplex processing and strand abundance
Authors: Ohanian Monique , Humphreys David T , Anderson Elizabeth , Preiss Thomas , Fatkin Diane
Published: March 2013

Background

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs that post-transcriptionally regulate gene expression. Sequential cleavage of miRNA precursors results in a ~22 nucleotide duplex of which one strand, the mature miRNA, is typically loaded into the RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC) while the passenger strand is degraded. Very little is known about how genetic variation might affect miRNA biogenesis and function.

Results

We re-sequenced theMIR1-1, MIR1-2, MIR133A1,MIR133A2, andMIR133Bgenes, that encode the cardiac-enriched miRNAs, miR-1 and miR-133, in 120 individuals with familial atrial fibrillation and identified 10 variants, including a novel 79T > CMIR133A2substitution. This variant lies within the duplex at the 3′end of the mature strand, miR-133a-3p, and is predicted to prevent base-pairing and weaken thermostability at this site, favoring incorporation of the passenger strand, miR-133a-5p, into RISC. Genomic DNA fragments containing miR-133a-2 precursor sequences with 79T and 79C alleles were transfected into HeLa cells. On Northern blotting the 79T allele showed strong expression of miR-133a-3p with weak expression of miR-133a-5p. In contrast, the 79C allele had no effect on miR-133a-3p but there was a significant increase (mean 3.6-fold) in miR-133a-5p levels. Deep sequencing of small RNA libraries prepared from normal human and murine atria confirmed that nearly all the mature miR-133a was comprised of miR-133a-3p and that levels of miR-133a-5p were very low. A number of isomiRs with variations at 5′and 3′ends were identified for both miR-133a-3p and miR-133a-5p, with 2 predominant miR-133a-3p isomiRs and one predominant miR-133a-5p isomiR. Bioinformatics analyses indicate that the major miR-133a-3p and 5p isomiRs have numerous predicted target mRNAs, only a few of which are in common.

Conclusions

Multiple miR-133a isomiRs with potential different mRNA target profiles are present in the atrium in humans and mice. We identified a human 79T > CMIR133A2variant that alters miRNA processing and results in accumulation of the miR-133a-5p strand that is usually degraded.
Beverage consumption and individual-level associations in South Korea
Authors: Han Euna , Kim Tae Hyun , Powell Lisa M
Published: March 2013

Background

Few previous studies investigated consumption distributions of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) over time and individual-level associations in Asia despite the recent interest in SSBs regarding obesity control. This study aimed to provide recent evidence on beverage consumption trends from 2001 to 2009 for overall and subtypes of SSBs and for milk as a comparable healthy beverage in South Korea, as well as associations with individual-level socioeconomic status (SES).

Methods

The Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys from 2001 to 2009 were used. Consumption prevalence and average caloric intake by SSB type were examined. Associations of SES with consumption were assessed in a multivariate logistic regression model (consumption prevalence) and in a multivariate two-part regression model (overall caloric intake adjusting for consumption probability).

Results

SSB consumption prevalence increased to 38%, 69%, 70%, and 50% by 2009 up from 31%, 66%, 63%, and 32% in 2001 among adolescents, young adults, adults, and the elderly, respectively. Miscellaneous SSBs (sports/energy drinks, coffee/tea products, flavored milk, and others) were the most prevalent and their prevalence increased among adults (from 62% to 69%) and the elderly (from 30% to 47%) between 2001 and 2009. Adolescents consumed the most calories from miscellaneous SSBs among all beverage types although its prevalence was lower than regular soda and milk in both 2001 and 2009. Women (top- income group only) and men in higher income groups showed higher odds of consuming total SSBs (OR = 1.18-1.25), soda (OR = 1.18, men only), fruit drinks (OR = 1.18, the top-income only for both genders), and miscellaneous SSBs (OR = 1.1-1.2). Men with higher-education showed higher odds of total SSB consumption (OR = 1.14-1.20), and all subtypes of SSBs (OR = 1.18, 1.29, 1.19 for soda, fruit drinks, and miscellaneous SSBs, respectively for the top-education group only). There were statistically significant but minimal differences in the overall amount of caloric intake from SSBs by individual SES for both genders.

Conclusions

South Korea is following the global nutrition transition toward greater consumption of SSBs. However, unlike other developed countries, SSB consumption prevalence was higher among high-SES individuals, particularly for fruit drinks and miscellaneous SSBs. Further research is needed to build the international evidence base.
Ethnic variation in the activity of lipid desaturases and their relationships with cardiovascular risk factors in control women and an at-risk group with previous gestational diabetes mellitus: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Gray Robert G , Kousta Eleni , McCarthy Mark I , Godsland Ian F , Venkatesan Soundarajan , Anyaoku Victor , Johnston Desmond G
Published: March 2013

Background

Lipid desaturase enzymes mediate the metabolism of fatty acids to long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids and their activities are related to metabolic risk factors for Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) and coronary heart disease (CHD). There are marked ethnic differences in risks of CHD and T2DM but little is known about ethnic differences in desaturase activities.

Methods

Samples from a study of CVD risk in women with previous gestational diabetes were analysed for percentage fatty acids in plasma free fatty acid, triglyceride, cholesterol ester and phospholipid pools for 89 white European, 53 African Caribbean and 56 Asian Indian women. The fatty acid desaturase activities, stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD, calculated separately for C16 and C18 fatty acids), delta 6 desaturase (D6D) and delta 5 desaturase (D5D) were estimated from precursor-to-product ratios and their relationships with adiposity, blood pressure, cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL cholesterol and insulin sensitivity explored. Ethnic differences in desaturase activities independent of ethnic variation in risk factor correlates of desaturase activities were then identified.

Results

There was significant ethnic variation in age, BMI, waist circumference, blood pressure, serum triglycerides and HDL cholesterol concentrations and insulin resistance. Desaturase activities showed significant correlations, independent of ethnicity, with BMI, waist circumference, triglycerides and HDL cholesterol. Independent of ethnic variation in BMI, waist circumference, triglycerides and HDL cholesterol, SCD-16 activity, calculated from each of the four lipid pools measured, was 18–35 percent higher in white Europeans than in African Caribbeans or Asian Indians (all p < 0.001). Similar, though less consistent differences were apparent for SCD-18 activity. Also independently of risk factor variation, but specifically when calculated from the cholesterol ester and phospholipid, pools, D6D activity was significantly lower in Asian Indians, and D5D activity higher in African Caribbeans.

Conclusions

Significant ethnic differences exist in desaturase activities, independently of ethnic variation in other risk factors. These characteristics did not accord with higher risk of T2DM among African Caribbeans and Asian Indians nor with lower risk of CHD among African Caribbeans but did accord with the higher risk of CHD in Asian Indians.
Micronutrients-fortified rapeseed oil improves hepatic lipid accumulation and oxidative stress in rats fed a high-fat diet
Authors: Xu Jiqu , Zhou Xiaoqi , Gao Hui , Chen Chang , Deng Qianchun , Huang Qingde , Ma Jing , Wan Zhengyang , Yang Jin’e , Huang Fenghong
Published: March 2013

Intake of high-fat diet is associated with increased fatty livers. Hepatic lipid accumulation and oxidative stress are key pathophysiological mechanisms in this disease. Micronutrients polyphenols, tocopherols and phytosterols in rapeseed exert potential benefit to hepatoprotection, but most of these micronutrients are removed by the traditional refining process. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether rapeseed oil fortified with these micronutrients can decrease hepatic lipid accumulation and oxidative stress induced by high-fat diet. Sprague–Dawley rats received rodent diet contained 20% fat whose source was refined rapeseed oil (RRO) or fortified RRO with low, middle and high quantities of these micronutrients for 10 weeks. Intake of RRO caused a remarkable hepatic steatosis. Micronutrients supplementation was effective in reducing steatosis as well as total triglyceride and total cholesterol contents in liver. These micronutrients also significantly increased hepatic antioxidant defense capacities, as evaluated by the significant elevation in the activities of SOD and GPx as well as the level of GSH, and the significant decline in lipid peroxidation. These findings suggest that rapeseed oil fortified with micronutrients polyphenols, tocopherols and phytosterols may contribute to prevent fatty livers such as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease by ameliorating hepatic lipid accumulation and oxidative stress.
Variability between laboratories performing coagulation tests with identical platforms: a nationwide evaluation study
Authors: Nagler Michael , Bachmann Lucas M , Alberio Lorenzo , Angelillo-Scherrer Anne , Asmis Lars M , Korte Wolfgang , Mendez Adriana , Reber Guido , Stricker Hans , Tsakiris Dimitrios A , Wuillemin Walter A
Published: March 2013

Background

While the assessment of analytical precision within medical laboratories has received much attention in scientific enquiry, the degree of as well as the sources causing variation between them remains incompletely understood. In this study, we quantified the variance components when performing coagulation tests with identical analytical platforms in different laboratories and computed intraclass correlations coefficients (ICC) for each coagulation test.

Methods

Data from eight laboratories measuring fibrinogen twice in twenty healthy subjects with one out of 3 different platforms and single measurements of prothrombin time (PT), and coagulation factors II, V, VII, VIII, IX, X, XI and XIII were analysed. By platform, the variance components of (i) the subjects, (ii) the laboratory and the technician and (iii) the total variance were obtained for fibrinogen as well as (i) and (iii) for the remaining factors using ANOVA.

Results

The variability for fibrinogen measurements within a laboratory ranged from 0.02 to 0.04, the variability between laboratories ranged from 0.006 to 0.097. The ICC for fibrinogen ranged from 0.37 to 0.66 and from 0.19 to 0.80 for PT between the platforms. For the remaining factors the ICC’s ranged from 0.04 (FII) to 0.93 (FVIII).

Conclusions

Variance components that could be attributed to technicians or laboratory procedures were substantial, led to disappointingly low intraclass correlation coefficients for several factors and were pronounced for some of the platforms. Our findings call for sustained efforts to raise the level of standardization of structures and procedures involved in the quantification of coagulation factors.
No Evidence for the Development of Acute Analgesic Tolerance during and Hyperalgesia after Prolonged Remifentanil Administration in Mice
Authors: Ishii Hideaki , Petrenko Andrey B , Kohno Tatsuro , Baba Hiroshi
Published: March 2013

Background

Acute opioid tolerance (AOT) and opioid-induced hyperalgesia (OIH) are undesirable effects of opioids that have been reported in both animals and humans. However, the development of AOT and OIH in cases of potent, short-acting μ-opioid receptor agonist remifentanil administration remains controversial. It has been suggested that the emergence of AOT and OIH by remifentanil could be dose and infusion duration dependent, i.e., low dose and short infusions may lead to negative results. In this study, we determined whether AOT and OIH could be elicited by prolonged, continuous administration of remifentanil at maximally tolerable doses in C57BL/6 mice.

Results

The analgesic effects of continuously administered remifentanil [by short (1 h) and prolonged (4 h) intraperitoneal infusions] were studied. These experiments involved repeated measurements of thermal thresholds during remifentanil administration. Therefore, particular attention was paid to prevent cumulative tissue injury, which could mimic pronociceptive effects of remifentanil. To exclude the possibility of pseudoAOT during infusion, we used brief cooling of all ipsilateral hindpaws that exhibited analgesic response. Thermal thresholds remained steadily elevated over a 1-h period during continuous administration at infusion rates of 120, 180, and 240 mg/kg/h, which indicated no AOT development. To exclude the possibility of pseudoOIH after infusion, intact contralateral hindpaws were used for all postinfusion threshold measurements. Thermal thresholds at each infusion rate returned to the baseline values within 15 min after the termination of the administration. They did not decrease below the baseline values during 1 h following infusion, which indicated no OIH development. Similar threshold dynamics were also observed for thermal and mechanical testing modalities in animals infused at 120 mg/kg/h for 4 h as well as in animals with rapidly attained and maintained maximum analgesia for 3 h.

Conclusions

These results suggest that neither intra-infusion AOT nor postinfusion OIH develops in mice receiving continuous remifentanil when the possibility of cumulative tissue injury mimicking AOT or OIH is carefully avoided.