bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Impact of Coronary Plaque Morphology Assessed by Optical Coherence Tomography on Cardiac Troponin Elevation in Patients With Elective Stent Implantation
Authors: Lee Tetsumin , Yonetsu Taishi , Koura Kenji , Hishikari Keiichi , Murai Tadashi , Iwai Toshiyuki , Takagi Takamitsu , Iesaka Yoshito , Fujiwara Hideomi , Isobe Mitsuaki , Kakuta Tsunekazu
Published: July 2011

Background—

Mild elevations of cardiac troponin frequently occur after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), and patients with elevated post-PCI biomarkers have a worse prognosis. We used optical coherence tomography (OCT) to study the relationship between pre-PCI plaque morphology and post-PCI cardiac troponin I elevations.

Methods and Results—

One hundred thirty-one patients with normal pre-PCI cardiac troponin I levels underwent OCT before nonemergency stent implantation. Clinical and OCT findings were compared between patients with (n=31, 23.7%) and without (n=100, 76.3%) post-PCI cardiac troponin I of >3×upper reference limit (post-PCI myocardial infarction [MI]). After PCI, long-term follow-up data were collected. Post-PCI MI was associated with angiographic lesion length, type B2/C lesions, presence of thin-cap fibroatheroma, and fibrous cap thickness. In multivariable analysis, presence of thin-cap fibroatheroma (odds ratio, 10.47; 95% confidence interval, 3.74 to 29.28;
P
<0.001) and type B2/C lesions (odds ratio, 3.74; 95% confidence interval, 1.41 to 9.92;
P
=0.008) were predictors of post-PCI MI. At a median follow-up of 12 months, cardiac event-free survival was significantly worse in patients with post-PCI MI (log-rank test χ
2
=8.9;
P
=0.003). Cox proportional hazards analysis showed that post-PCI MI (hazard ratio, 3.67; 95% confidence interval, 1.39 to 9.65;
P
=0.009) and ejection fraction (hazard ratio, 0.96; 95% confidence interval, 0.92 to 0.99;
P
=0.029) were independent predictors of adverse cardiovascular events during follow-up.

Conclusions—

Type B2/C lesions and the presence of OCT-defined thin-cap fibroatheroma can predict post-PCI MI in patients treated with elective stent implantation, who may require adjunctive therapy after otherwise successful PCI.
Moist Dynamics of Severe Monsoons over South Asia: Role of the Tropical SST*
Authors: Pillai Prasanth A. , Annamalai H.
Published: July 2011

Diagnostics from observations and multicentury integrations of a coupled model [Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory (GFDL) coupled model version 2.1 (CM2.1)] indicate that about 65% of the severe monsoons (rainfall > 1.5 standard deviations of its long-term mean) over South Asia are associated with sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies over the equatorial Pacific during the developing phase of ENSO, and another 30% are associated with SST variations over the tropical Indo-Pacific warm pool. The present research aims to identify the moist processes that initiate the dryness (wetness) and provide a precursor for rainfall anomalies over South Asia in spring during El Niño (La Niña). The hypothesis in this paper, based on CM2.1 composites, is that at low levels El Niño–forced equatorial easterly wind anomalies over the Indian Ocean, resulting from Ekman pumping, promote anticyclonic vorticity over the northern Indian Ocean, whose poleward flank advects dry air from northern latitudes to South Asia. This is tested by performing ensemble simulations with the atmospheric component of CM2.1 (AM2.1) and applying moisture and moist static energy budgets.

During El Niño, AM2.1 solutions capture the anticyclonic vorticity formation over the northern Indian Ocean 20–25 days earlier than organized negative rainfall anomalies over South Asia, and the advection of climatological air of lower moisture content by these anomalous winds initiates the dryness over South Asia from April onward. This long lead time embodied in this precursor signal can be exploited for predicting severe monsoons. During ENSO neutral conditions, the amplitude of regional SST anomalies during spring is insufficient to produce such a precursor signal.

The dominance of the term warrants monitoring the three-dimensional moisture distribution for better understanding, modeling, and predicting of severe monsoons.
The Mechanical Energies of the Global Atmosphere in El Niño and La Niña Years
Authors: Li Liming , Jiang Xun , Chahine Moustafa T. , Wang Jingqian , Yung Yuk. L.
Published: July 2011

Two meteorological reanalysis datasets are analyzed to determine the mechanical energies of the global atmosphere in the El Niño and La Niña years. The general consistency of the mean energy components between the two datasets reveals ~1%–3% increase and ~2%–3% decrease in the mean energies in the El Niño years and La Niña years, respectively. These analyses further reveal that the tropospheric temperature responds to the sea surface temperature anomaly with a time lag of two months, which leads to the varying mean atmospheric energies in the El Niño and La Niña years.
On the Suitability of GCM Runoff Fields for River Discharge Modeling: A Case Study Using Model Output from HadGEM2 and ECHAM5
Authors: Weiland F. C. Sperna , van Beek L. P. H. , Kwadijk J. C. J. , Bierkens M. F. P.
Published: July 2011

The representation of hydrological processes in land surface schemes (LSSs) has recently been improved. In this study, the usability of GCM runoff for river discharge modeling is evaluated by validating the mean, timing, and amplitude of the modeled annual discharge cycles against observations. River discharge was calculated for six large rivers using runoff, precipitation, and actual evaporation from the GCMs ECHAM5 and Hadley Centre Global Environmental Model version 2 (HadGEM2). Four methods were applied: 1) accumulation of GCM runoff, 2) routing of GCM runoff, 3) routing of GCM runoff combined with temporal storage of subsurface runoff, and 4) offline hydrological modeling with the global distributed hydrological model PCRaster Global Water Balance (PCR-GLOBWB) using meteorological data from the GCMs as forcing. The quality of discharge generated by all four methods is highly influenced by the quality of the GCM data. In small catchments, the methods that include runoff routing perform equally well, although offline modeling with PRC-GLOBWB outperforms the other methods for ECHAM5 data. For larger catchments, routing introduces realistic travel times, decreased day-to-day variability, and it reduces extremes. Complexity of the LSS of both GCMs is comparable to the complexity of the hydrological model. However, in HadGEM2 the absence of subgrid variability for saturated hydraulic conductivity results in a large subsurface runoff flux and a low seasonal variability in the annual discharge cycle. The analysis of these two GCMs shows that when LSSs are tuned to reproduce realistic water partitioning at the grid scale and a routing scheme is also included, discharge variability and change derived from GCM runoff could be as useful as changes derived from runoff obtained from offline simulations using large-scale hydrological models.
Predictability of Evapotranspiration Patterns Using Remotely Sensed Vegetation Dynamics during the North American Monsoon
Authors: Tang Qiuhong , Vivoni Enrique R. , Muñoz-Arriola Francisco , Lettenmaier Dennis P.
Published: July 2011

The links between vegetation, evapotranspiration (ET), and soil moisture (SM) are prominent in western Mexico—a region characterized by an abrupt increase in rainfall and ecosystem greenup during the North American monsoon (NAM). Most regional-scale land surface models use climatological vegetation and are therefore unable to capture fully the spatiotemporal changes in these linkages. Interannually varying and climatological leaf area index (LAI) were prescribed, both inferred from the space-borne Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), as the source of vegetation parameter inputs to the Variable Infiltration Capacity (VIC) model applied over the NAM region for 2001–08. Results at two eddy covariance tower sites for three summer periods were compared and evaluated. Results show that both vegetation greening onset and dormancy dates vary substantially from year to year with a range of more than half a month. The model using climatological LAI tends to predict lower (higher) ET than the model using observed LAI when vegetation greening occurs earlier (later) than the mean greening date. These discrepancies were especially large during approximately two weeks at the beginning of the monsoon. The effect of LAI on ET estimates was about 10% in the Sierra Madre Occidental and 30% in the continental interior. VIC-estimated ET based on interannually varying LAI had high interannual variability at the greening onset and dormancy periods corresponding to the vegetation dynamics. The greening onset date was highly related to ET early in the monsoon season, indicating the potential usefulness of LAI anomalies for predicting early season ET.
On-Site Calibration for High Precision Measurements of Water Vapor Isotope Ratios Using Off-Axis Cavity-Enhanced Absorption Spectroscopy
Authors: Rambo Joshua , Lai Chun-Ta , Farlin James , Schroeder Matt , Bible Ken
Published: July 2011

Stable isotope ratio measurements of atmospheric water vapor (δ18Ov and δ2Hv) are scarce relative to those in precipitation. This limitation is rapidly changing due to advances in absorption spectroscopy technology and the development of automatically calibrated field-deployable instrument systems. These systems allow high throughput, in situ monitoring of the temporal variability in δ18Ov and δ2Hv. This paper presents a robust calibration procedure for reliable, high-precision δ18Ov and δ2Hv measurements at less than hourly intervals in this study. The method described here was developed and tested using a coupled system consisting of a commercial water vapor isotopic source device and a commercial water vapor isotope analyzer [Los Gatos Research (LGR) model WVIA-24] based on the off-axis integrated cavity output spectroscopy (off-axis ICOS) technique. The isotope analyzer shows a time-dependent response that varies with water vapor mixing ratio, suggesting the need of regular (hourly) calibration achievable by a single reference water source evaluated at a range of mixing ratios. By using a three-point calibration procedure with a range of user-specified water vapor mixing ratios, the authors were able to produce hourly δ18Ov and δ2Hv measurements with an overall accuracy (±0.2‰ for δ18O, ±0.5‰ for δ2H) and precision (±0.3‰ for δ18O, ±3.0‰ for δ2H) in the laboratory. The calibration procedure reliably produced data that were consistent with those collected by the conventional cryogenic method in an old-growth forest.
Assessment of the Impact of Observations on Analyses Derived from Observing System Experiments
Authors: Lupu Cristina , Gauthier Pierre , Laroche Stéphane
Published: July 2011

Observing system experiments (OSEs) are commonly used to quantify the impact of different observation types on forecasts produced by a specific numerical weather prediction system. Recently, methods based on degree of freedom for signal (DFS) have been implemented to diagnose the impact of observations on the analyses. In this paper, the DFS is used as a diagnostic to estimate the amount of information brought by subsets of observations in the context of OSEs. This study is interested in the evaluation of the North American observing networks applied to OSEs performed at the Meteorological Service of Canada for the period of January and February 2007. The relative values of the main observing networks over North America derived from DFS calculations are compared with those from OSEs in which aircraft or radiosonde data have been removed. The results show that removing some observation types from the assimilation system influences the effective weight of the remaining assimilated observations, which may have an increased impact to compensate for the removal of other observations. The response of the remaining observations when a given set of observations is denied is illustrated comparing DFS calculations with the observations’ impact estimated from OSEs.
Impact of the Environmental Low-Level Wind Profile on Ensemble Forecasts of the 4 May 2007 Greensburg, Kansas, Tornadic Storm and Associated Mesocyclones
Authors: Dawson II Daniel T. , Wicker Louis J. , Mansell Edward R. , Tanamachi Robin L.
Published: July 2011

The early tornadic phase of the Greensburg, Kansas, supercell on the evening of 4 May 2007 is simulated using a set of storm-scale (1-km horizontal grid spacing) 30-member ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF) data assimilation and forecast experiments. The Next Generation Weather Radar (NEXRAD) level-II radar data from the Dodge City, Kansas (KDDC), Weather Surveillance Radar-1988 Doppler (WSR-88D) are assimilated into the National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL) Collaborative Model for Multiscale Atmospheric Simulation (COMMAS). The initially horizontally homogeneous environments are initialized from one of three reconstructed soundings representative of the early tornadic phase of the storm, when a low-level jet (LLJ) was intensifying. To isolate the impact of the low-level wind profile, 0–3.5-km AGL wind profiles from Vance Air Force Base, Oklahoma (KVNX), WSR-88D velocity-azimuth display (VAD) analyses at 0130, 0200, and 0230 UTC are used. A sophisticated, double-moment bulk ice microphysics scheme is employed.

For each of the three soundings, ensemble forecast experiments are initiated from EnKF analyses at various times prior to and shortly after the genesis of the Greensburg tornado (0200 UTC). Probabilistic forecasts of the mesocyclone-scale circulation(s) are generated and compared to the observed Greensburg tornado track. Probabilistic measures of significant rotation and observation-space diagnostic statistics are also calculated. It is shown that, in general, the track of the Greensburg tornado is well predicted, and forecasts improve as forecast lead time decreases. Significant variability is also seen across the experiments using different VAD wind profiles. Implications of these results regarding the choice of initial mesoscale environment, as well as for the “Warn-on-Forecast” paradigm for probabilistic numerical prediction of severe thunderstorms and tornadoes, are discussed.
Surface Cold Pools in the Outer Rainbands of Tropical Storm Hanna (2008) Near Landfall
Authors: Eastin Matthew D. , Gardner Tiffany L. , Link M. Christopher , Smith Kelly C.
Published: July 2011

Surface mesonet observations were used to document the structure of prominent cold pools associated with two convective outer rainbands of Tropical Storm Hanna on 5 September 2008. The developing rainbands were located ~400 km north of the storm center as they crossed the Carolina coastline and passed over the mesonet. The combination of moderate CAPE, moderate low-level cross-band vertical shear, and dry midlevel air provided an environment supportive of surface cold pool formation and long-lived quasi-linear convection. Both rainbands exhibited multiple outward-tilting convective cells and discrete line segments centered within a narrow zone of nearly continuous stratiform precipitation.

The mesonet observations provided a unique along- and cross-band perspective of discrete cold pools situated beneath and behind the convection portions of each rainband. Prominent cold pools extended 40–80 km behind the rainband’s leading edge and exhibited maximum potential temperature, mixing ratio, and equivalent potential temperature deficits of 2–4 K, 1–2 g kg−1, and 4–10 K, respectively. In the cross-band direction, convergence of storm-relative inflow along the cold pool leading edge was coincident with a modest high pressure anomaly, while inflow divergence prevailed through the cold pool and rainfall maxima. Several cold pools expanded along-band while being advected downband by the prevailing cyclonic flow. Cold pool wakes were observed more than 50 km behind the rainband leading edge and up to 20 km downband from intense convection. Variations in cold pool intensity were not well correlated with convective intensity, rainfall rate, or the degree of midlevel dryness. Implications of prominent cold pools on tropical cyclone convection, size, and intensity are discussed.
A review of numerical modeling of three-dimensional braided textile composites
Authors: Fang Guodong , Liang Jun
Published: July 2011

Three-dimensional (3D) braided composites with high specific energy absorption behavior and excellent fatigue performances are widely used in structures under cycle or impact load. A comprehensive literature survey is conducted to review the numerical analysis methods of 3D braided composites, including meso-geometry modeling, mesh generation techniques, and progressive damage models. When the 3D braided composites are manufactured during a process cycle, the braid yarn can move and becomes a ‘deviated or imperfect’ architecture. Elaborate meso-geometrical models which directly influence the precision of numerical results can be established by different methods. Different mesh generation techniques of different numerical methods, which manage to discretize the complex geometry models, are provided. An analysis of various models involved in the prediction of damage development and failure of 3D braided composites by using finite element method is presented. This study highlights the importance of recognizing the meso-structure for analyzing mechanical behavior of 3D braided composites.
Quality of Voice Evaluation in Patients Treated by Supracricoid Laryngectomy and Modified Supracricoid Laryngectomy
Authors: Allegra Eugenia , Lombardo Nicola , La Boria Alessandro , Rotundo Giuseppe , Bianco Maria Rita , Barrera Tiziana , Cuccunato Manuela , Garozzo Aldo
Published: July 2011

Objective

To compare quality of voice in patients treated by supracricoid laryngectomy and patients treated by modified supracricoid laryngectomy using the sternohyoid muscle for neoglottis reconstruction.

Study Design

Case series.

Setting

Teaching hospital.

Subjects and Methods

This study was performed between 2004 and 2008 on 28 consecutive patients affected by T1b‐T2 laryngeal carcinoma. Eleven patients were treated by supracricoid laryngectomy, and 17 patients were treated by modified supracricoid laryngectomy. For each patient, postoperative parameters such as decannulation time, nasogastric feeding tube, and length of hospitalization were noted. Vocal function, Voice Handicap Index scores, and perceptual voice analysis scores on intelligibility, noise, fluency, and voice scale were evaluated.

Results

The postoperative course of the patients treated by modified supracricoid laryngectomy was similar to patients treated by supracricoid laryngectomy. No delay in the length of hospitalization was detected in patients undergoing surgery with the new technique. A significant difference was detected in the nasogastric tube removal time and decannulation time. The data from intelligibility, noise, fluency, and voice scale analyses revealed a better quality of voice in patients treated by modified supracricoid partial laryngectomy with a significant difference in intelligibility, fluency, and voicing. The Voice Handicap Index mean value of physical, functional, and emotional subscales confirmed patients’ perceptions of a minor voice handicap in patients treated by modified supracricoid laryngectomy, with a significant difference on the physical subscale.

Conclusion

Modified supracricoid laryngectomy seems to be a good way to improve quality of voice and quality of life in patients with early laryngeal cancer.
Do current English language development/proficiency standards reflect the English needed for success in school?
Authors: Bailey Alison L. , Huang Becky H.
Published: July 2011

English language development or proficiency (ELD/P) standards promise to play an important role in the instruction and assessment of the language development of English language learner (ELL) pre-K-12 students, but to do so effectively they must convey the progression of student language learning in authentic school contexts for authentic academic purposes. The construct of academic English is defined as the vocabulary, sentence structures, and discourse associated with language used to teach academic content as well as the language used to navigate the school setting more generally. The construct definition is informed by a relatively modest number of empirical studies of textbooks, content assessments, and observations of classroom discourse. The standards of a state with a large ELL population and a large multi-state consortium are then reviewed to illustrate the role of the academic English construct in the standards’ coverage of language modalities or domains, levels of attainment or proficiency, grade spans, and the needs of the large number of young English learners. Recommendations and potential strategies for validating, creating, and augmenting standards that reflect authentic uses of academic language in school settings are also made.
Envisioning Life “On the Outs”
Authors: Abrams Laura S.
Published: July 2011

In this article, the author explores the significance of “exits” for juvenile male offenders who are preparing to leave correctional institutions. The analysis focuses on practical and cognitive exit strategies, anticipated challenges, and future visions based on qualitative interviews with 20 juvenile males (ages 15-17 years) from two correctional facilities in the upper Midwest region of the United States. At the juncture of exit, all of the youth were involved in practical preparation for reentry and shared an emphasis on the theme of “individual responsibility” for their futures. However, the cognitive strategies they used to prepare for exit were strongly differentiated by level of motivation or expressed “openness” to change. Youth who had little motivation to change tended to deny the potential challenges associated with their return to the community, whereas those who expressed a greater openness to change were contemplating how to achieve an alternative, law-abiding future while realistically considering the potential pitfalls of crime temptations. Ambivalence about change was the most common pattern, expressed as a desire to move toward desistance but lacking the internal confidence or sense of social support to achieve such change. From these findings, implications for theory and practice are proposed.
Enacting Identities in the EU–Russia Borderland
Authors: Smith David J. , Burch Stuart
Published: July 2011

Drawing on Rogers Brubaker’s theoretical analyses of “nationness” and nationalism in post-communist Europe, this article examines the dynamics of social identity within the nationally contested setting of the Estonian–Russian borderland. Since 1991, the city of Narva (96% Russophone by population) has customarily been defined (both politically and academically) in binary national terms as a “Russian enclave” within a unitary and “nationalizing” Estonian state. An ethnographic approach to the case, however, gives a rather different perspective, pointing to hybridity rather than nationality as the defining characteristic of identity politics within the city. In what follows, we bring to bear the results of extensive fieldwork carried out in Narva during 2006–2008. We first examine how different identity categories (local, national, meso-regional, and supranational) are being officially inscribed within Narva’s sites of memory. Thereafter, we focus on how these discursive-material articulations of place are implicated within the everyday performance of identity amongst the city’s population. Using the novel methodology of photo elicitation, we examine how residents of Narva appropriate but also subvert the identity categories that elites and outsiders (including ourselves as researchers) would seek to impose on them from above. This study (we argue) is significant for its methodological novelty, as well as in terms of giving a more nuanced understanding of Narva’s situation at a time of continued ethnopolitical contestation within Estonia as a whole.
Before the crisis, in the crisis, and beyond: the upheaval of collective bargaining in Germany
Authors: Lehndorff Steffen
Published: July 2011

The explanation of what has been called the ‘German employment miracle’ has much to do with the broad turn in German collective bargaining towards emergency coalitions at firm level, embedded in a larger environment of ‘crisis corporatism’. To understand this recent move, including its lessons and its limits, and to assess potential changes in the near future, it is useful to take into account the upheaval that took place within the collective bargaining system in the pre-crisis period. This article argues that there are good reasons to believe that very soon German collective bargaining will be at the crossroads again. The choice for unions and works councils will be either to return to traditional mixtures of concession bargaining and bargaining on retrenchment measures, or to revitalize their membership base in pursuit of ‘high road’ deals. A corner-stone for any revitalization strategy will include political pressure for a reformed back-up for collective bargaining by a renewal of statutory collective agreement extension procedures.
Intention recognition promotes the emergence of cooperation
Authors: Han The Anh  , Moniz Pereira Luís , Santos Francisco C
Published: July 2011

Few problems have created the combined interest of so many unrelated areas as the evolution of cooperation. As a result, several mechanisms have been identified to work as catalyzers of cooperative behavior. Yet, these studies, mostly grounded on evolutionary dynamics and game theory, have neglected the important role played by intention recognition in behavioral evolution. Here we address explicitly this issue, characterizing the dynamics emerging from a population of intention recognizers. We derive a Bayesian network model for intention recognition in the context of repeated social dilemmas and evolutionary game theory, by assessing the internal dynamics of trust between intention recognizers and their opponents. Intention recognizers are then able to predict the next move of their opponents based on past direct interactions, which, in turn, enables them to prevail over the most famous strategies of repeated dilemmas of cooperation, even in presence of noise. Overall, our framework offers new insights on the complexity and beauty of behavioral evolution driven by elementary forms of cognition.
Rhabdoid Carcinoma of the Colon: A Distinct Entity With A Very Aggressive Behavior
Authors: Remo Andrea , Zanella Caterina , Molinari Enrico , Talamini Alberto , Tollini Filippo , Piacentini Paolo , Battaglia Paolo , Baritono Elisabetta , Bonetti Andrea , Franco Lanza , Fasolin Antonio , Manfrin Erminia , Vendraminelli Roberto
Published: July 2011

Rhabdoid colon tumors (RCTs) are rare lesions whose existence as an independent distinct entity remains controversial. To date, 6 RCTs have been reported. This study reports a novel case associated with polyposis coli in a 73-year-old woman. Histologically, the neoplasia was heterogeneous consisting of an adenocarcinoma associated with rhabdoid features. In rhabdoid component, an intense expression of MSH2 was noted but MLH1 was negative. A BRAF V600E mutation and no KRAS mutations were identified. The promoter regions of subset of genes highly specific to characterize the CIMP status (NEUROG1, IGF2, RUNX3, SOCS1, including MLH1) were hypermethylated, suggesting the presence of CIMP+ and MSI high tumor. In conclusion, all RCTs have similar clinical features. The presence of polyposis and adenocarcinoma component as well as the expression of mesenchymal marker suggests a sarcomatous dedifferentiation. It is argued that RCT could be a very aggressive entity of colon, which could benefit from new biological colonic treatments.
Two Out of Three Required
Authors: Slevin Finbar , Duncan Patricia , Shenjere Patrick , Leahy Michael , Evans Gareth , Sherlock David
Published: July 2011

A 48-year-old woman presented with chest symptoms. Multiple lesions seen on chest imaging were found to be pulmonary chondromas following surgical resection. Whole body magnetic resonance scan performed to investigate the possibility of Carney triad demonstrated a gastric lesion. This was resected and found to be a gastrointestinal stromal tumor. No evidence of paragangliomata was found on imaging. A diagnosis of incomplete Carney triad was made. Carney triad is a rare multiple neoplastic association of pulmonary chondroma, gastrointestinal stromal tumor, and paraganglioma. At least 2 tumors are required for diagnosis. Most patients are young women. No genetic cause has been identified. Management involves surgical resection of tumors and follow-up for recurrence and investigation for other elements of the triad.
Evaluation of the Indoor Air Quality in Restaurants Before and After a Smoking Ban in Portugal
Authors: Madureira Joana , Mendes Ana , Santos Helder , Vilaça Jorge , Neves Maria Paula , Mayan Olga , Teixeira João Paulo
Published: July 2011

On 14th August 2007, Portugal instituted a smoking ban in most indoor public places. The goal of this work was to quantify the effects of this ban on indoor air quality (IAQ) in Portuguese restaurants. Ten restaurants were investigated before and after the ban and the following indoor parameters measured: respirable suspended particulate matter (RSP), total volatile organic compounds (TVOC), benzene (C6H6), carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), temperature and relative humidity. Results show a statistically significant decrease in RSP and CO concentrations after the ban, as well as for TVOC and benzene concentrations. Additionally, the monitored CO2 concentrations widely exceeded 1800 mgċm−3 (reference for acceptable ventilation rates), suggesting inefficient ventilation of the indoor spaces. This paper provides the first comparison of IAQ in Portugal before and after the introduction of smoke-free law and these results confirm the positive impact of the law in the indoor air that became smoke-free after the legislation. This information should be provided to decision makers as it has significant health implications. This law thus appear to achieve the aim of protecting people from exposure to unwanted pollutants resulting from poor IAQ.
Assessment of Annual Effective Dose Due to the Indoor Radon Exposure in Districts Bagh and Kahuta of the Azad Kashmir, Pakistan
Authors: Rafique Muhammad , Malik Fariha , Matiullah  , Manzoor Najma , Rajput M.U.
Published: July 2011

In continuation to our earlier studies concerning generation of the baseline indoor radon data, an indoor radon measurement survey was carried out in the districts Bagh and Kahuta, state of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir. In this context, 150 houses were selected in the aforesaid districts and CN-85-based box-type radon detectors installed in bedroom and living room of each house. The detectors were exposed to indoor radon for 3 months. After etching CN-85 detectors in 6 M NaOH at 70°C for 3 h, the observed track densities were related to the indoor radon concentration using calibration factor of 0.0092 tracks cm−2·h−1 per Bq·m−3. The measured indoor radon concentration ranged from 56 to 124 Bq·m−3 and 61 to 106 Bq·m−3 in the studied areas of districts Bagh and Kahuta, respectively. The mean annual effective dose ranged from 1.42 ± 0.15 to 3.12 ± 0.10 mSv·y−1 with an average of 2.16 ± 0.13 mSv·y−1 in the district Bagh and 1.54 ± 0.14 to 2.68 ± 0.12 mSv·y−1 with an average of 2.17 ± 0.13 mSv·y−1 in the district Kahuta. These values are within the safe limits recommended by the World Heath Organization.
Telling the CAQDAS code: Membership categorization and the accomplishment of ‘coding rules’ in research team talk
Authors: Housley William , Smith Robin James
Published: July 2011

During the course of this article we examine data gathered from two research meetings in which coding issues and data organization are being discussed in relation to the use of the software package Atlas.ti. The meetings were concerned with the organization and coding of semi-structured interviews carried out by three different groups as part of a wider collaborative research project. A number of papers have considered aspects of coding practice in teams or small groups; however, little work exists on the analysis of first order collaborative CAQDAS coding interaction. In doing so, this article re-specifies formal coding and collaboration models through the examination of practical methods of situated interaction and data sense-making in the course of producing social scientific facts and explanation. In this sense, the analysis reveals the way in which the professional argot of social science codes can be understood to rely on everyday methods of sense-making within team based contexts. These methods can be understood to be realized through the fine-detailed ‘granular’ categorical and sequential specifics of talk-in-meetings where matters relating to social scientific reasoning, accountability, stakeholders’ interests, defeasible and defensible reasoning protocols, disciplinary rights and the ‘search for underlying patterns’ are salient features and recognizable and accountable concerns for team members as a routine aspect of doing qualitative social science.
Problem presentation and responses on an online forum for young people who self-harm
Authors: Smithson Janet , Sharkey Siobhan , Hewis Elaine , Jones Ray , Emmens Tobit , Ford Tamsin , Owens Christabel
Published: July 2011

In this article we investigate the nature of problem presentation and responses on an online forum for young people who self-harm. Previous studies have raised concerns about the peer encouragement of self-harming behaviours in online forums, and this analysis considers the nature of peer interaction on a specific forum, ‘ SharpTalk’. This was a research forum which explored the potential of online communities to foster engagement and shared learning between NHS professionals and young people who self-harm. This analysis draws on conversation analysis methods to study problem presentation and responses, and nature of advice given. Analysis highlighted both the tendency to offer advice where it was not asked for, and the mundane ‘safe’ nature of advice. This awareness of how young people interact and provide support online is important for those setting up online interventions to support young people who self-harm.
Gendering desire in speed-dating interactions
Authors: Korobov Neill
Published: July 2011

This study examines how potential romantic partners in speed-dating encounters use gender to both proffer and formulate mate-preferences as a means of establishing affiliation. Drawing on a corpus of 36 speed-dating interactions, a sequential discursive psychological approach was used to analyze how gendered mate-preferences were initially elicited and formulated, as well as the interactional effects of mate-preferences that were designed to appear complicit versus resistant to gender conventionality. The findings reveal that both mate-preference solicitations and formulations were categorically gendered and were treated as incipient or expected, suggesting that gendering mate-preferences is a normative action in first encounters by potential romantic partners. Further, mate-preferences that were marked as conventional rarely promoted an environment of mutual affiliation, whereas mate-preferences that were formulated as resistant to gender-conventionality did tend to function as a preliminary for affective affiliation. The study reveals that the gendering of mate-preferences is a responsive social practice with an interactional design that has relational consequences for the ways potential romantic partners create connection.
‘Use’ is an anagram of ‘sue’: Cultural control, resistance, and the role of copyright in Chinese cyberspace
Authors: Dong Han
Published: July 2011

The role of copyright in cultural control and resistance in Chinese cyberspace is an under-researched topic. This article studies the copyright controversy of an online video in 2006, as well as the dynamics and features of a social mobilization triggered by the video. It argues that Chinese copyright law has very stringent limitations on ‘fair use’, the use of copyrighted works for public or non-market interest and purposes. Under specific technological and regulatory environments, video-sharing as a new media form showed unique power in resisting cultural control in China, yet it is faced with restraints from a pro-control system of copyright. With the rise of capitalist interests and proprietary control mechanisms in Chinese communications sectors, intellectual property is coming to the core of cultural resistance and repression in China.
Language and cultural identity in the new configuration of the US Latino TV industry
Authors: Piñón Juan , Rojas Viviana
Published: July 2011

The gained visibility of US Latina/os as the largest social minority has resulted in the explosive growth of new media institutions within the television industry targeting Latina/ os as never seen before. Even though Spanish-language television corporations are growing and are consolidating their presence in the television landscape, the enthusiasm for the Hispanic market has opened the door for new players, such as new Spanish- and English-language Latino television networks and the incursion of mainstream and global television corporations. In this article we analyze and categorize the new configurations of the Latino-oriented television industry where language and Latina/o identity are a key source of symbolic capital for the national, regional and global players investing in this industry.
Individual Differences in Developmental Plasticity May Result From Stochastic Sampling
Authors: Frankenhuis Willem E. , Panchanathan Karthik
Published: July 2011

The ability to adjust developmental trajectories based on experience is widespread in nature, including in humans. This plasticity is often adaptive, tailoring individuals to their local environment. However, it is less clear why some individuals are more sensitive to environmental influences than others. Explanations include differences in genes and differences in prior experiences. In this article, we present a novel hypothesis in the latter category. In some developmental domains, individuals must learn about the state of their environment before adapting accordingly. Because sampling environmental cues is a stochastic process, some individuals may receive a homogeneous sample, resulting in a confident estimate about the state of the world—these individuals specialize early. Other individuals may receive a heterogeneous, uninformative set of cues—those individuals will keep sampling. As a consequence, individual variation in plasticity may result from different degrees of confidence about the state of the environment. After developing the hypothesis, we conclude by discussing three empirical predictions.
Self-Talk and Sports Performance
Authors: Hatzigeorgiadis Antonis , Zourbanos Nikos , Galanis Evangelos , Theodorakis Yiannis
Published: July 2011

Based on the premise that what people think influences their actions, self-talk strategies have been developed to direct and facilitate human performance. In this article, we present a meta-analytic review of the effects of self-talk interventions on task performance in sport and possible factors that may moderate the effectiveness of self-talk. A total of 32 studies yielding 62 effect sizes were included in the final meta-analytic pool. The analysis revealed a positive moderate effect size (ES = .48). The moderator analyses showed that self-talk interventions were more effective for tasks involving relatively fine, compared with relatively gross, motor demands, and for novel, compared with well-learned, tasks. Instructional self-talk was more effective for fine tasks than was motivational self-talk; moreover, instructional self-talk was more effective for fine tasks rather than gross tasks. Finally, interventions including self-talk training were more effective than those not including self-talk training. The results of this study establish the effectiveness of self-talk in sport, encourage the use of self-talk as a strategy to facilitate learning and enhance performance, and provide new research directions.
Positions in the Mirror Are Closer Than They Appear
Authors: Glenberg Arthur M.
Published: July 2011

When contributions to the Mirror Neuron Forum (Gallese, Gernsbacher, Heyes, Hickock, & Iacoboni, 2011, this issue) are viewed optimistically, it is clear that progress is being made in understanding whether and how the human mirror neuron system supports psychological processes as diverse as action understanding, speech perception, and social cognition. Nonetheless, further progress requires not just more data, but also theoretical and methodological advances.
Identification of Flt3+CD150− myeloid progenitors in adult mouse bone marrow that harbor T lymphoid developmental potential
Authors: Chi Anthony W. S. , Chavez Alejandro , Xu Lanwei , Weber Brittany N. , Shestova Olga , Schaffer Andras , Wertheim Gerald , Pear Warren S. , Izon David , Bhandoola Avinash
Published: July 2011

Common myeloid progenitors (CMPs) were first identified as progenitors that were restricted to myeloid and erythroid lineages. However, it was recently demonstrated that expression of both lymphoid- and myeloid-related genes could be detected in myeloid progenitors. Furthermore, these progenitors were able to give rise to T and B lymphocytes, in addition to myeloid cells. Yet, it was not known whether these progenitors were multipotent at the clonogenic level or there existed heterogeneity within these progenitors with different lineage potential. Here we report that previously defined CMPs possess T-lineage potential, and that this is exclusively found in the Flt3+CD150– subset of CMPs at the clonal level. In contrast, we did not detect B-lineage potential in CMP subsets. Therefore, these Flt3+CD150– myeloid progenitors were T/myeloid potent. Yet, Flt3+CD150– myeloid progenitors are not likely to efficiently traffic to the thymus and contribute to thymopoiesis under normal conditions because of the lack of CCR7 and CCR9 expression. Interestingly, both Flt3+CD150– and Flt3–CD150– myeloid progenitors are susceptible to Notch1-mediated T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL). Hence, gain-of-function Notch1 mutations occurring in developing myeloid progenitors, in addition to known T-lineage progenitors, could lead to T-ALL oncogenesis.
Stomatin-deficient cryohydrocytosis results from mutations in SLC2A1: a novel form of GLUT1 deficiency syndrome
Authors: Flatt Joanna F. , Guizouarn Hélène , Burton Nicholas M. , Borgese Franck , Tomlinson Richard J. , Forsyth Robert J. , Baldwin Stephen A. , Levinson Bari E. , Quittet Philippe , Aguilar-Martinez Patricia , Delaunay Jean , Stewart Gordon W. , Bruce Lesley J.
Published: July 2011

The hereditary stomatocytoses are a series of dominantly inherited hemolytic anemias in which the permeability of the erythrocyte membrane to monovalent cations is pathologically increased. The causative mutations for some forms of hereditary stomatocytosis have been found in the transporter protein genes, RHAG and SLC4A1. Glucose transporter 1 (glut1) deficiency syndromes (glut1DSs) result from mutations in SLC2A1, encoding glut1. Glut1 is the main glucose transporter in the mammalian blood-brain barrier, and glut1DSs are manifested by an array of neurologic symptoms. We have previously reported 2 cases of stomatin-deficient cryohydrocytosis (sdCHC), a rare form of stomatocytosis associated with a cold-induced cation leak, hemolytic anemia, and hepatosplenomegaly but also with cataracts, seizures, mental retardation, and movement disorder. We now show that sdCHC is associated with mutations in SLC2A1 that cause both loss of glucose transport and a cation leak, as shown by expression studies in Xenopus oocytes. On the basis of a 3-dimensional model of glut1, we propose potential mechanisms underlying the phenotypes of the 2 mutations found. We investigated the loss of stomatin during erythropoiesis and find this occurs during reticulocyte maturation and involves endocytosis. The molecular basis of the glut1DS, paroxysmal exercise-induced dyskinesia, and sdCHC phenotypes are compared and discussed.
Efficient differentiation and function of human macrophages in humanized CSF-1 mice
Authors: Rathinam Chozhavendan , Poueymirou William T. , Rojas Jose , Murphy Andrew J. , Valenzuela David M. , Yancopoulos George D. , Rongvaux Anthony , Eynon Elizabeth E. , Manz Markus G. , Flavell Richard A.
Published: July 2011

Humanized mouse models are useful tools to understand pathophysiology and to develop therapies for human diseases. While significant progress has been made in generating immunocompromised mice with a human hematopoietic system, there are still several shortcomings, one of which is poor human myelopoiesis. Here, we report that human CSF-1 knockin mice show augmented frequencies and functions of human myeloid cells. Insertion of human CSF1 into the corresponding mouse locus of Balb/c Rag2−/− γc−/− mice through VELOCIGENE technology resulted in faithful expression of human CSF-1 in these mice both qualitatively and quantitatively. Intra-hepatic transfer of human fetal liver derived hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (CD34+) in humanized CSF-1 (CSF1h/h) newborn mice resulted in more efficient differentiation and enhanced frequencies of human monocytes/macrophages in the bone marrow, spleens, peripheral blood, lungs, liver and peritoneal cavity. Human monocytes/macrophages obtained from the humanized CSF-1 mice show augmented functional properties including migration, phagocytosis, activation and responses to LPS. Thus, humanized mice engineered to express human cytokines will significantly help to overcome the current technical challenges in the field. In addition, humanized CSF-1 mice will be a valuable experimental model to study human myeloid cell biology.
Successful transfer of alloreactive haploidentical KIR ligand-mismatched natural killer cells after infusion in elderly high risk acute myeloid leukemia patients
Authors: Curti Antonio , Ruggeri Loredana , D'Addio Alessandra , Bontadini Andrea , Dan Elisa , Motta Maria Rosa , Trabanelli Sara , Giudice Valeria , Urbani Elena , Martinelli Giovanni , Paolini Stefania , Fruet Fiorenza , Isidori Alessandro , Parisi Sarah , Bandini Giuseppe , Baccarani Michele , Velardi Andrea , Lemoli Roberto M.
Published: July 2011

Thirteen patients with acute myeloid leukemia, 5 with active disease, 2 in molecular relapse, and 6 in morphologic complete remission (CR; median age, 62 years; range, 53-73 years) received highly purified CD56+CD3− natural killer (NK) cells from haploidentical killer immunoglobulin-like receptor–ligand mismatched donors after fludarabine/cyclophosphamide immunosuppressive chemotherapy, followed by IL-2. The median number of infused NK cells was 2.74 × 106/Kg. T cells were < 105/Kg. No NK cell–related toxicity, including GVHD, was observed. One of the 5 patients with active disease achieved transient CR, whereas 4 of 5 patients had no clinical benefit. Both patients in molecular relapse achieved CR that lasted for 9 and 4 months, respectively. Three of 6 patients in CR are disease free after 34, 32, and 18 months. After infusion, donor NK cells were found in the peripheral blood of all evaluable patients (peak value on day 10). They were also detected in BM in some cases. Donor-versus-recipient alloreactive NK cells were shown in vivo by the detection of donor-derived NK clones that killed recipient's targets. Adoptively transferred NK cells were alloreactive against recipient's cells, including leukemia. In conclusion, infusion of purified NK cells is feasible in elderly patients with high-risk acute myeloid leukemia. This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrial.gov as NCT00799799.