bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Clinical Pharmacokinetics of Meropenem and Biapenem in Bile and Dosing Considerations for Biliary Tract Infections Based on Site-Specific Pharmacodynamic Target Attainment
Authors: Ikawa Kazuro , Nakashima Akira , Morikawa Norifumi , Ikeda Kayo , Murakami Yoshiaki , Ohge Hiroki , Derendorf Hartmut , Sueda Taijiro
Published: September 2011

The present study investigated the pharmacokinetics of meropenem and biapenem in bile and estimated their pharmacodynamic target attainment at the site. Meropenem (0.5 g) or biapenem (0.3 g) was administered to surgery patients (
n
= 8 for each drug). Venous blood samples and hepatobiliary tract bile samples were obtained at the end of infusion (0.5 h) and for up to 5 h thereafter. Drug concentrations in plasma and bile were analyzed pharmacokinetically and used for a Monte Carlo simulation to predict the probability of attaining the pharmacodynamic target (40% of the time above the MIC). Both drugs penetrated similarly into bile, with mean bile/plasma ratios of 0.24 to 0.25 (maximum drug concentration) and 0.30 to 0.38 (area under the drug concentration-time curve). The usual regimens of meropenem (0.5 g every 8 h [q8h]) and biapenem (0.3 g q8h) (0.5-h infusions) achieved similar target attainment probabilities in bile (≥90%) against
Escherichia coli
,
Klebsiella pneumoniae
, and
Enterobacter cloacae
isolates. However, against
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
isolates, meropenem at 1 g q8h and biapenem at 0.6 g q8h were required for values of 80.7% and 71.9%, respectively. The biliary pharmacodynamic-based breakpoint (the highest MIC at which the target attainment probability in bile was ≥90%) was 1 mg/liter for 0.5 g q8h and 2 mg/liter for 1 g q8h for meropenem and 0.5 mg/liter for 0.3 g q8h and 1 mg/liter for 0.6 g q8h for biapenem. These results help to define the clinical pharmacokinetics of the two carbapenems in bile while also helping to rationalize and optimize the dosing regimens for biliary tract infections based on site-specific pharmacodynamic target attainment.
Quantifying the Impact of Nevirapine-Based Prophylaxis Strategies To Prevent Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV-1: a Combined Pharmacokinetic, Pharmacodynamic, and Viral Dynamic Analysis To Predict Clinical Outcomes
Authors: Frank M. , von Kleist M. , Kunz A. , Harms G. , Schütte C. , Kloft C.
Published: September 2011

Single-dose nevirapine (sd-NVP) and extended NVP prophylaxis are widely used in resource-constrained settings to prevent vertical HIV-1 transmission. We assessed the pharmacokinetics of sd-NVP in 62 HIV-1-positive pregnant Ugandan woman and their newborns who were receiving sd-NVP prophylaxis to prevent mother-to-child HIV-1 transmission. Based on these data, we developed a mathematical model system to quantify the impact of different sd-NVP regimens at delivery and of extended infant NVP prophylaxis (6, 14, 21, 26, 52, 78, and 102 weeks) on the 2-year risk of HIV-1 transmission and development of drug resistance in mothers and their breast-fed infants. Pharmacokinetic parameter estimates and model-predicted HIV-1 transmission rates were very consistent with other studies. Predicted 2-year HIV-1 transmission risks were 35.8% without prophylaxis, 31.6% for newborn sd-NVP, 19.1% for maternal sd-NVP, and 19.7% for maternal/newborn sd-NVP. Maternal sd-NVP reduced newborn infection predominately by transplacental exchange, providing protective NVP concentrations to the newborn at delivery, rather than by maternal viral load reduction. Drug resistance was frequently selected in HIV-1-positive mothers after maternal sd-NVP. Extended newborn NVP prophylaxis further decreased HIV-1 transmission risks, but an overall decline in cost-effectiveness for increasing durations of newborn prophylaxis was indicated. The total number of infections with resistant virus in newborns was not increased by extended newborn NVP prophylaxis. The developed mathematical modeling framework successfully predicted the risk of HIV-1 transmission and resistance development and can be adapted to other drugs/drug combinations toa prioriassess their potential in reducing vertical HIV-1 transmission and resistance spread.
Interleukin-10 Alters Effector Functions of Multiple Genes Induced by Borrelia burgdorferi in Macrophages To Regulate Lyme Disease Inflammation
Authors: Gautam Aarti , Dixit Saurabh , Philipp Mario T. , Singh Shree R. , Morici Lisa A. , Kaushal Deepak , Dennis Vida A.
Published: September 2011

Interleukin-10 (IL-10) modulates inflammatory responses elicitedin vitroandin vivobyBorrelia burgdorferi, the Lyme disease spirochete. How IL-10 modulates these inflammatory responses still remains elusive. We hypothesize that IL-10 inhibits effector functions of multiple genes induced byB. burgdorferiin macrophages to control concomitantly elicited inflammation. Because macrophages are essential in the initiation of inflammation, we used mouse J774 macrophages and liveB. burgdorferispirochetes as the model target cell and stimulant, respectively. First, we employed transcriptome profiling to identify genes that were induced by stimulation of cells with live spirochetes and that were perturbed by addition of IL-10 to spirochete cultures. Spirochetes significantly induced upregulation of 347 genes at both the 4-h and 24-h time points. IL-10 inhibited the expression levels, respectively, of 53 and 65 of the 4-h and 24-h genes, and potentiated, respectively, at 4 h and 24 h, 65 and 50 genes. Prominent among the novel identified IL-10-inhibited genes also validated by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) were Toll-like receptor 1 (TLR1), TLR2, IRAK3, TRAF1, IRG1, PTGS2, MMP9, IFI44, IFIT1, and CD40. Proteome analysis using a multiplex enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) revealed the IL-10 modulation/and or potentiation of RANTES/CCL5, macrophage inflammatory protein 2 (MIP-2)/CXCL2, IP-10/CXCL10, MIP-1α/CCL3, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF)/CSF3, CXCL1, CXCL5, CCL2, CCL4, IL-6, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), IL-1α, IL-1β, gamma interferon (IFN-γ), and IL-9. Similar results were obtained using sonicated spirochetes or lipoprotein as stimulants. Our data show that IL-10 alters effectors induced byB. burgdorferiin macrophages to control concomitantly elicited inflammatory responses. Moreover, for the first time, this study provides global insight into potential mechanisms used by IL-10 to control Lyme disease inflammation.
Mycobacterium tuberculosis Hip1 Dampens Macrophage Proinflammatory Responses by Limiting Toll-Like Receptor 2 Activation
Authors: Madan-Lala Ranjna , Peixoto Katia Vitorello , Re Fabio , Rengarajan Jyothi
Published: September 2011

Mycobacterium tuberculosisis a highly successful human pathogen that evades host innate immunity by interfering with macrophage functions. In addition to avoiding macrophage microbicidal activities,M. tuberculosistriggers secretion of proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines in macrophages. The levels of proinflammatory cytokines induced by clinicalM. tuberculosisisolates are thought to play an important role in determining tuberculosis disease progression and severity, but the mechanisms by whichM. tuberculosismodulates the magnitude of inflammatory responses remain unclear. Here we show thatM. tuberculosisrestricts robust macrophage activation and dampens proinflammatory responses through the cell envelope-associated serine hydrolase Hip1 (hydrolaseimportant forpathogenesis1). By transcriptionally profiling macrophages infected with either wild-type orhip1mutant bacteria, we found that thehip1mutant induced earlier and significantly higher levels of several proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines. We show that increased activation of Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2)- and MyD88-dependent signaling pathways mediates the enhanced cytokine secretion induced by thehip1mutant. Thus, Hip1 restricts the onset and magnitude of proinflammatory cytokines by limiting TLR2-dependent activation. We also show that Hip1 dampens TLR2-independent activation of the inflammasome and limits secretion of interleukin-18 (IL-18). Dampening of TLR2 signaling does not require viableM. tuberculosisor phagocytosis but does require Hip1 catalytic activity. We propose thatM. tuberculosisrestricts proinflammatory responses by masking cell surface interactions between TLR2 agonists onM. tuberculosisand TLR2 on macrophages. This strategy may allowM. tuberculosisto evade early detection by host immunity, delay the onset of adaptive immune responses, and accelerate disease progression.
Exercise during pregnancy improves maternal glucose screen at 24–28 weeks: a randomised controlled trial
Authors: Barakat Ruben , Cordero Yaiza , Coteron Javier , Luaces Maria , Montejo Rocio
Published: September 2011

Objective

The influence of an exercise programme performed by healthy pregnant women on maternal glucose tolerance was studied.

Study design

A physical activity (PA, land/aquatic activities) programme during the entire pregnancy (three sessions per week) was conducted by a qualified instructor. 83 healthy pregnant women were randomly assigned to either an exercise group (EG, n=40) or a control (CG, n=43) group. 50 g maternal glucose screen (MGS), maternal weight gain and several pregnancy outcomes were recorded.

Results

Significant differences were found between study groups on the 50 g MGS. Values corresponding to the EG (103.8±20.4 mg/dl) were better than those of the CG (126.9±29.5 mg/dl), p=0.000. In addition, no differences in maternal weight gain and no cases of gestational diabetes in EG versus 3 in CG (7%) (p>0.05) were found.

Conclusion

A moderate PA programme performed during pregnancy improves levels of maternal glucose tolerance.
LIGHT GAUGINO PROBLEM IN DIRECT GAUGE MEDIATION
Authors: OOKOUCHI YUTAKA
Published: September 2011

It has been known that in a wide class of direct gauge mediation models, the gaugino masses vanish at leading order in SUSY breaking. Recently, this phenomenon is understood in connection with the global structure of vacua in O'Raifeartaigh-type models. We review recent developments on this topic.
Recommending Adaptive Changes for Framework Evolution
Authors: Dagenais Barthélémy , Robillard Martin P.
Published: September 2011

In the course of a framework’s evolution, changes ranging from a simple refactoring to a complete rearchitecture can break client programs. Finding suitable replacements for framework elements that were accessed by a client program and deleted as part of the framework’s evolution can be a challenging task. We present a recommendation system, SemDiff, that suggests adaptations to client programs by analyzing how a framework was adapted to its own changes. In a study of the evolution of one open source framework and three client programs, our approach recommended relevant adaptive changes with a high level of precision. In a second study of the evolution of two frameworks, we found that related change detection approaches were better at discovering systematic changes and that SemDiff was complementary to these approaches by detecting non-trivial changes such as when a functionality is imported from an external library.
Three-coloring triangle-free planar graphs in linear time
Authors: Dvořák Zdeněk , Kawarabayashi Ken-Ichi , Thomas Robin
Published: September 2011

Grötzsch's theorem states that every triangle-free planar graph is 3-colorable, and several relatively simple proofs of this fact were provided by Thomassen and other authors. It is easy to convert these proofs into quadratic-time algorithms to find a 3-coloring, but it is not clear how to find such a coloring in linear time (Kowalik used a nontrivial data structure to construct anO(nlogn) algorithm).

We design a linear-time algorithm to find a 3-coloring of a given triangle-free planar graph. The algorithm avoids using any complex data structures, which makes it easy to implement. As a by-product, we give a yet simpler proof of Grötzsch's theorem.
Tight bounds and a fast FPT algorithm for directed Max-Leaf Spanning Tree
Authors: Bonsma Paul , Dorn Frederic
Published: September 2011

An out-tree
T
of a directed graph
D
is a rooted tree subgraph with all arcs directed outwards from the root. An out-branching is a spanning out-tree. By ℓ(
D
) and ℓ

s

(
D
), we denote the maximum number of leaves over all out-trees and out-branchings of
D
, respectively.

We give fixed parameter tractable algorithms for deciding whether ℓ

s

(
D
) ≥
k
and whether ℓ(
D
) ≥
k
for a digraph
D
on
n
vertices, both with time complexity 2

O
(
k
log
k
)

·
n

O
(1)

. This answers an open question whether the problem for out-branchings is in FPT, and improves on the previous complexity of 2

O
(
k
log
2
k
)

·
n

O
(1)

in the case of out-trees.

To obtain the complexity bound in the case of out-branchings, we prove that when all arcs of
D
are part of at least one out-branching, ℓ

s

(
D
) ≥ ℓ(
D
)/3. The second bound we prove in this article states that for strongly connected digraphs
D
with minimum in-degree 3, ℓ

s

(
D
) ≥ Θ(√
n
), where previously ℓ

s

(
D
) ≥ Θ(3√
n
) was the best known bound. This bound is tight, and also holds for the larger class of digraphs with minimum in-degree 3 in which every arc is part of at least one out-branching.
An improved approximation algorithm for resource allocation
Authors: Calinescu Gruia , Chakrabarti Amit , Karloff Howard , Rabani Yuval
Published: September 2011

We study the problem of finding a most profitable subset of
n
given tasks, each with a given start and finish time as well as profit and resource requirement, that at no time exceeds the quantity
B
of available resource. We show that this NP-hard Resource Allocation problem can be (1/2 − ε)-approximated in randomized polynomial time, which improves upon earlier approximation results.
A new upper bound 2.5545 on 2D Online Bin Packing
Authors: Han Xin , Chin Francis Y. L. , Ting Hing-Fung , Zhang Guochuan , Zhang Yong
Published: September 2011

The 2D Online Bin Packing is a fundamental problem in Computer Science and the determination of its asymptotic competitive ratio has research attention. In a long series of papers, the lower bound of this ratio has been improved from 1.808, 1.856 to 1.907 and its upper bound reduced from 3.25, 3.0625, 2.8596, 2.7834 to 2.66013. In this article, we rewrite the upper bound record to 2.5545. Our idea for the improvement is as follows.

In 2002, Seiden and van Stee [Seiden and van Stee 2003] proposed an elegant algorithm called
H
⊗
C
, comprised of the
Harmonic algorithm
H
and the
Improved Harmonic algorithm
C
, for the two-dimensional online bin packing problem and proved that the algorithm has an asymptotic competitive ratio of at most 2.66013. Since the best known online algorithm for one-dimensional bin packing is the
Super Harmonic algorithm
[Seiden 2002], a natural question to ask is: could a better upper bound be achieved by using the Super Harmonic algorithm instead of the Improved Harmonic algorithm? However, as mentioned in Seiden and van Stee [2003], the previous analysis framework does not work. In this article, we give a positive answer for this question. A new upper bound of 2.5545 is obtained for 2-dimensional online bin packing. The main idea is to develop new weighting functions for the Super Harmonic algorithm and propose new techniques to bound the total weight in a rectangular bin.
Carry propagation in multiplication by constants
Authors: Izsak Alexander , Pippenger Nicholas
Published: September 2011

Suppose that a random
n
-bit number
V
is multiplied by an odd constant
M
≥ 3, by adding shifted versions of the number
V
corresponding to the 1s in the binary representation of the constant
M
. Suppose further that the additions are performed by carry-save adders until the number of summands is reduced to two, at which time the final addition is performed by a carry-propagate adder. We show that in this situation the distribution of the length of the longest carry-propagation chain in the final addition is the same (up to terms tending to 0 as
n
→ ∞) as when two independent
n
-bit numbers are added, and in particular the mean and variance are the same (again up to terms tending to 0). This result applies to all possible orders of performing the carry-save additions.
Behavior-based adaptive call predictor
Authors: Phithakkitnukoon Santi , Dantu Ram , Claxton Rob , Eagle Nathan
Published: September 2011

Predicting future calls can be the next advanced feature of the next-generation telecommunication networks as the service providers are looking to offer new services to their customers. Call prediction can be useful to many applications such as planning daily schedules, avoiding unwanted communications (e.g. voice spam), and resource planning in call centers. Predicting calls is a very challenging task. We believe that this is an emerging area of research in ambient intelligence where the electronic devices are sensitive and responsive to people's needs and behavior. In particular, we believe that the results of this research will lead to higher productivity and quality of life. In this article, we present a Call Predictor (CP) that offers two new advanced features for the next-generation phones namely “Incoming Call Forecast” and “Intelligent Address Book.” For the Incoming Call Forecast, the CP makes the next-24-hour incoming call prediction based on recent caller's behavior and reciprocity. For the Intelligent Address Book, the CP generates a list of most likely contacts/numbers to be dialed at any given time based on the user's behavior and reciprocity. The CP consists of two major components: Probability Estimator (PE) and Trend Detector (TD). The PE computes the probability of receiving/initiating a call based on the caller/user's calling behavior and reciprocity. We show that the recent trend of the caller/user's calling pattern has higher correlation to the future pattern than the pattern derived from the entire historical data. The TD detects the recent trend of the caller/user's calling pattern and computes the adequacy of historical data in terms of reversed time (time that runs towards the past) based on a trace distance. The recent behavior detection mechanism allows CP to adapt its computation in response to the new calling behaviors. Therefore, CP is adaptive to the recent behavior. For our analysis, we use the real-life call logs of 94 mobile phone users over nine months, which were collected by the Reality Mining Project group at MIT. The performance of the CP is validated for two months based on seven months of training data. The experimental results show that the CP performs reasonably well as an incoming call predictor (Incoming Call Forecast) with false positive rate of 8%, false negative rate of 1%, and error rate of 9%, and as an outgoing call predictor (Intelligent Address Book) with the accuracy of 70% when the list has five entries. The functionality of the CP can be useful in assisting its user in carrying out everyday life activities such as scheduling daily plans by using the Incoming Call Forecast, and saving time from searching for the phone number in a typically lengthy contact book by using the Intelligent Address Book. Furthermore, we describe other useful applications of CP besides its own aforementioned features including Call Firewall and Call Reminder.
An adaptive and predictive approach for autonomic multirate multicast networks
Authors: Xiong Naixue , Vasilakos Athanasios V. , Yang Laurence T. , Hossain Ekram
Published: September 2011

Autonomic communications aim at easing the burden of managing complex and dynamic networks, and designing adaptive, self-turning and self-stabilizing networks to provide much needed flexibility and functional scalability. With the ever-increasing number of multicast applications made recently, considerable efforts have been focused on the design of adaptive flow control schemes for autonomic multicast services. The main difficulties in designing an adaptive flow controller for autonomic multicast service are caused by heterogeneous multicast receivers, especially those with large propagation delays, since the feedback arriving at the source is somewhat outdated and can be harmful to the control operations.

To tackle the preceding problem, this article describes a novel, adaptive, and autonomic multicast scheme, the so-called Proportional, Integrative, Derivative plus Neural Network (PIDNN) predictive technique, which consists of two components: the Proportional Integrative plus Derivative (PID) controller and the Back Propagation BP Neural Network (BPNN). In this integrated scheme, the PID controllers are located at the next upstream main branch nodes of the multicast receivers, and have explicit rate algorithms to regulate the receiving rates of the receivers; while the BPNN is located at the multicast source, and predicts the available bandwidth of those longer delay receivers to compute the expected rates of the longer delay receivers. The ultimate sending rate of the multicast source is the maximum of the aforesaid receiving rates that can be accommodated by its participating branches. This network-assisted property is different from the existing control schemes, in that the PIDNN controller can release the irresponsiveness of a multicast flow caused by those long propagation delays from the receivers. By using BPNN, this active scheme makes the control more responsive to the receivers with longer propagation delay. Thus the rate adaptation can be performed in a timely manner, for the sender to respond to network congestion quickly. We analyze the theoretical aspects of the proposed algorithm, show how the control mechanism can be used to design a controller to support multirate multicast transmission based on feedback of explicit rates, and verify this matching using simulations. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed PIDNN controller avoids overflow of multicast traffic, and performs better than the existing scheme PNN [Tan et al. 2005] and the multicast schemes based on control theory. Moreover, it also performs well in the sense that it achieves high link utilization, quick response, good scalability, high unitary throughput, intra-session fairness and inter-session fairness.
Metabolic Signatures Imaged in Cancer-Induced Cachexia
Authors: Penet Marie-France , Gadiya Mayur M. , Krishnamachary Balaji , Nimmagadda Sridhar , Pomper Martin G. , Artemov Dmitri , Bhujwalla Zaver M.
Published: September 2011

Cancer-induced cachexia is a complex and poorly understood life-threatening syndrome that is characterized by progressive weight loss due to metabolic alterations, depletion of lipid stores, and severe loss of skeletal muscle protein. Gaining the ability to noninvasively image the presence or onset of cachexia is important to better treat this condition, to improve the design and optimization of therapeutic strategies, and to detect the responses to such treatments. In this study, we employed noninvasive magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging (MRSI) and [18F]fluoro-2-deoxy-d-glucose (18FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) to identify metabolic signatures typical of cachectic tumors, using this information to analyze the types and extents of metabolic changes induced by the onset of cachexia in normal tissues. Cachexia was confirmed by weight loss as well as analyses of muscle tissue and serum. In vivo, cachexia-inducing murine adenocarcinoma (MAC)16 tumors were characterized by higher total choline (tCho) and higher 18FDG uptake than histologically similar noncachectic MAC13 tumors. A profound depletion of the lipid signal was observed in normal tissue of MAC16 tumor–bearing mice but not within the tumor tissue itself. High-resolution 1H magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) confirmed the high tCho level observed in cachectic tumors that occurred because of an increase of free choline and phosphocholine. Higher succinate and lower creatine levels were also detected in cachectic tumors. Taken together, these findings enhance our understanding of the effect of cancer on host organs and tissues as well as promote the development of noninvasive biomarkers for the presence of cachexia and identification of new therapeutic targets. Cancer Res; 71(22); 6948–56. ©2011 AACR.
AGR2 Is a Novel Surface Antigen That Promotes the Dissemination of Pancreatic Cancer Cells through Regulation of Cathepsins B and D
Authors: Dumartin Laurent , Whiteman Hannah J. , Weeks Mark E. , Hariharan Deepak , Dmitrovic Branko , Iacobuzio-Donahue Christine A. , Brentnall Teresa A. , Bronner Mary P. , Feakins Roger M. , Timms John F. , Brennan Caroline , Lemoine Nicholas R. , Crnogorac-Jurcevic Tatjana
Published: September 2011

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains one of the most lethal cancers largely due to disseminated disease at the time of presentation. Here, we investigated the role and mechanism of action of the metastasis-associated protein anterior gradient 2 (AGR2) in the pathogenesis of pancreatic cancer. AGR2 was induced in all sporadic and familial pancreatic intraepithelial precursor lesions (PanIN), PDACs, circulating tumor cells, and metastases studied. Confocal microscopy and flow cytometric analyses indicated that AGR2 localized to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and the external surface of tumor cells. Furthermore, induction of AGR2 in tumor cells regulated the expression of several ER chaperones (PDI, CALU, RCN1), proteins of the ubiquitin-proteasome degradation pathway (HIP2, PSMB2, PSMA3, PSMC3, and PSMB4), and lysosomal proteases [cathepsin B (CTSB) and cathepsin D (CTSD)], in addition to promoting the secretion of the precursor form pro-CTSD. Importantly, the invasiveness of pancreatic cancer cells was proportional to the level of AGR2 expression. Functional downstream targets of the proinvasive activity of AGR2 included CTSB and CTSD in vitro, and AGR2, CTSB, and CTSD were essential for the dissemination of pancreatic cancer cells in vivo. Taken together, the results suggest that AGR2 promotes dissemination of pancreatic cancer and that its cell surface targeting may permit new strategies for early detection as well as therapeutic management. Cancer Res; 71(22); 7091–102. ©2011 AACR.
Periventricular White Matter Injury by Primary Intraventricular Hemorrhage: A Diffusion Tensor Imaging Study
Authors: Yeo Sang Seok , Choi Byung Yeon , Chang Chul Hoon , Jung Young Jin , Ahn Sang Ho , Son Su Min , Byun Woo Mok , Jang Sung Ho
Published: September 2011

Objectives: Intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) in adult stroke patients is known to be an independent risk factor for poor functional outcome. Using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), we attempted to investigate the effect of IVH on the white matter. Methods: We recruited 10 consecutive patients with IVH and 18 age- and sex-matched control subjects. Using a 1.5-T Philips Gyroscan Intera system, DTI data was acquired at an average of 84 days (range: 38–149) after IVH onset. We measured fractional anisotropy (FA) and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values at the fornix, corpus callosum (CC), corona radiata (CR), and posterior limb of the internal capsule (PL). In addition, integrity and fiber number were measured for the fornix. Results: DTI revealed disruption of the fornix in all patients. FA values showed a decrease in the fornix, CC, and CR; in contrast, the ADC value showed an increase in the CC, without changes in the fornix or CR. Fiber number of the fornix also decreased. However, no change was observed in the PL. Conclusions: We found periventricular white matter (fornix, CC, and CR) injury following IVH. We think that this result would be helpful in the establishment of management strategies for patients with IVH.
Mutism and Amnesia following High-Voltage Electrical Injury: Psychogenic Symptomatology Triggered by Organic Dysfunction?
Authors: Mishra Nishant K. , Russmann Heike , Granziera Cristina , Maeder Philippe , Annoni Jean-Marie
Published: September 2011

Background: Mutism and dense retrograde amnesia are found both in organic and dissociative contexts. Moreover, dissociative symptoms may be modulated by right prefrontal activity. A single case, M.R., developed left hemiparesis, mutism and retrograde amnesia after a high-voltage electric shock without evidence of lasting brain lesions. M.R. suddenly recovered from his mutism following a mild brain trauma 2 years later. Methods: M.R.’s neuropsychological pattern and anatomoclinical correlations were studied through (i) language and memory assessment to characterize his deficits, (ii) functional neuroimaging during a standard language paradigm, and (iii) assessment of frontal and left insular connectivity through diffusion tractography imaging and transcranial magnetic stimulation. A control evaluation was repeated after recovery. Findings: M.R. recovered from the left hemiparesis within 90 days of the accident, which indicated a transient right brain impairment. One year later, neurobehavioral, language and memory evaluations strongly suggested a dissociative component in the mutism and retrograde amnesia. Investigations (including MRI, fMRI, diffusion tensor imaging, EEG and r-TMS) were normal. Twenty-seven months after the electrical injury, M.R. had a very mild head injury which was followed by a rapid recovery of speech. However, the retrograde amnesia persisted. Discussion: This case indicates an interaction of both organic and dissociative mechanisms in order to explain the patient’s symptoms. The study also illustrates dissociation in the time course of the two different dissociative symptoms in the same patient.
Reshaping of Vertebrae during Treatment with Neridronate or Pamidronate in Children with Osteogenesis Imperfecta
Authors: Semler O. , Beccard R. , Palmisano D. , Demant A. , Fricke O. , Schoenau E. , Koerber F.
Published: September 2011

Background/Aims: Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) is a hereditary disease causing increased bone fragility. Pamidronate (PAM), which has to be administered as a 3-day course according to the original protocol by Glorieux, is the most frequently used therapy. Other bisphosphonates like neridronate (NER), which can be infused during an outpatient visit, have also proven to be effective. This is the first analysis comparing the effect of PAM and NER using vertebral morphometry. Methods: 28 patients with OI type III and IV were retrospectively analyzed by matched pairs. Results: No differences were detected between patients treated with PAM or NER at the start of therapy: mean age 4.4 years (p = 0.730), mean height 86.8 cm/85.3 cm (p = 0.854), lumbar vertebral area 208.9 mm2/206.0 mm2 (p = 0.555), and in all vertebral indices. After 1 year of treatment (mean 1.16 years; p = 0.854) both groups showed a significant increase in the vertebral area and improved vertebral indices. Again there were no differences between the groups in the vertebral area (p = 0.590). Conclusion: In this study there was no difference between patients treated with PAM or NER regarding vertebral morphometry during the first year of therapy. Because of the possibility of an outpatient setting, NER is convenient for these children.
A prospective cohort study of light transmission platelet aggregometry for bleeding disorders: Is testing native platelet-rich plasma non-inferior to testing platelet count adjusted samples?
Authors: Castilloux Jean , Moffat Karen , Liu Yang , Seecharan Jodi , Pai Menaka , Hayward Catherine
Published: September 2011

Light transmission platelet aggregometry (LTA) is important to diagnose bleeding disorders. Experts recommend testing LTA with native (N) rather than platelet count adjusted (A) platelet-rich plasma (PRP), although it is unclear if this provides non-inferior, or superior, detection of bleeding disorders. Our goal was to determine if LTA with NPRP is noninferior to LTA with APRP for bleeding disorder assessments. A prospective cohort of patients, referred for bleeding disorder testing, and healthy controls, were evaluated by LTA using common agonists, NPRP and APRP (adjusted to 250 x 109 platelets/l). Recruitment continued until 40 controls and 40 patients with definite bleeding disorders were tested. Maximal aggregation (MA) data were assessed for the detection of abnormalities from bleeding disorders (all causes combined to limit bias), using sample-type specific reference intervals. Areas under receiver-operator curves (AUROC) were evaluated using pre-defined criteria (area differences: <0.15 for non-inferiority, >0 for superiority). Forty-four controls and 209 patients were evaluated. Chart reviews for 169 patients indicated 67 had bleeding disorders, 28 from inherited platelet secretion defects. Mean MA differences between NPRP and APRP were small for most agonists (ranges, controls: −3.3 to 5.8; patients: −3.0 to 13.7). With both samples, reduced MA with two or more agonists was associated with a bleeding disorder. AUROC differences between NPRP and APRP were small and indicated that NPRP were noninferior to APRP for detecting bleeding disorders by LTA, whereas APRP met superiority criteria. Our study validates using either NPRP or APRP for LTA assessments of bleeding disorders.
Congenital Heart Defects and Developmental and Other Psychiatric Disorders
Authors: Olsen Morten , Sørensen Henrik Toft , Hjortdal Vibeke E. , Christensen Thomas D. , Pedersen Lars
Published: September 2011

Background—

We examined the risk of psychiatric in-patient admissions and out-patient visits among Danish patients with congenital heart defects (CHD).

Methods and Results—

Using the Danish National Registry of Patients, we identified CHD patients born January 1, 1977, to January 1, 2002. For each patient, we randomly selected 10 population-comparison cohort members from the Danish Civil Registration System, matched by sex and birth year. We computed cumulative risk and hazard ratios (HRs) of time to first psychiatric in-patient admission or out-patient visit identified in the Danish Psychiatric Central Registry and adjusted for parents' educational level and parents' psychiatric morbidity. We identified 6927 CHD patients. At 15 years of age, the cumulative risk of psychiatric admissions or out-patient visits was 5.9% (95% confidence interval [CI], 5.2%–6.6%) among CHD patients. The HRs for CHD patients and comparison cohort members aged 0 to 14 years were 1.8 (95% CI: 1.5–2.1) for males and 2.5 (95% CI: 2.0–3.1) for females. For patients aged 15 to 30 years, the HRs were 1.6 (95% CI: 1.2–2.0) for males and 1.0 (95% CI: 0.8–1.3) for females. Congenital heart defect patients, both with and without invasive therapeutic interventions or extracardiac defects or syndromes, had a higher risk of psychiatric in-patient admissions or out-patient visits than comparison cohort members. After restriction of the comparison cohort to patients with diabetes mellitus or asthma (n=2554), the HR was 1.41 (95% CI: 1.07–1.85) for patients aged 0 to 14 years and 0.70 (95% CI: 0.52–0.94) for patients aged 15 to 30 years.

Conclusion—

Congenital heart disease patients with or without invasive therapeutic interventions are at increased risk of developmental and other psychiatric disorders, which seem to develop earlier than in patients with diabetes mellitus or asthma.
The Impact of Land Surface and Atmospheric Initialization on Seasonal Forecasts with CCSM
Authors: Paolino Daniel A. , Kinter James L. , Kirtman Ben P. , Min Dughong , Straus David M.
Published: September 2011

Series of forecast experiments for two seasons investigate the impact of specifying realistic initial states of the land in conjunction with the observed states of the ocean and atmosphere while using the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) Community Climate System Model, version 3 (CCSM3.0). Since direct soil moisture observations adequate for initialization of the land surface do not exist, this study considers proxy data. The authors are able to successfully initialize all components of the CCSM3.0 and produce a good representation of the mean land surface climate in the first season’s forecast. In comparison with a previous set of forecast experiments that had initialized only the observed ocean state, there is firm evidence that this study produces a better representation of the interannual variability of the soil surface. The representation of soil moisture in the fully initialized seasonal forecasts as measured against the reanalysis is improved, due in part to the ability of the CCSM3.0 to persist large-scale anomalies present in the initial soil state. The improvement in the representation of the land surface, in conjunction with the atmospheric initialization, contributes to a skillful seasonal forecast of surface temperature. There is little evidence of an improved forecast of precipitation over land. Results from this study support the use of the CCSM, originally designed for use as a climate model, as a fully initialized seasonal forecast model. The authors suggest that initialization of the land surface state is crucial for skillful seasonal forecasts made with fully coupled models.
Epistemological and Ethical Challenges in Standardized Testing and Collaborative Assessment
Authors: Aschieri Filippo
Published: September 2011

In this article, the author proposes that although treating clients humanistically may appear to be in conflict with the goal of objectivity in clinical assessment, they are not incompatible; and, indeed, as it is shown, the clinical psychologist has a responsibility to hold both goals in mind in order to achieve the most useful and accurate evaluations. Psychological assessment does not have to aim to remain exclusively in the realm of the “hard” sciences. Nor should assessment be relegated to the realm of pure subjectivity. The triangulation of narratives, particularly in collaborative assessment, provides a means of unifying theories, languages, and ways of producing knowledge and of being professionally responsible.
The Hakomi Method
Authors: Bageant Robert
Published: September 2011

Ron Kurtz passed away on January 4, 2010. His legacy is the Hakomi method. The method clearly fits within the tradition of humanistic psychology but has not yet been widely embraced by humanistic psychology. Kurtz’s Hakomi method offers approaches that can be of value to person-centered therapy and further offers a pioneering method of using mindfulness within the therapeutic context, which both predates the current mainstream fascination with therapeutic mindfulness and remains at the forefront of integrating mindfulness practice with psychotherapy. The method, through its impact on the work of some of Kurtz’s senior students, is gaining recognition, including recognition from several well-known neurobiologists. But, both the method and the recognition it is garnering also belong within the humanistic psychology tradition. It is time for humanistic psychology to consider the Hakomi method.
Graphics processing unit based direct simulation Monte Carlo
Authors: Gladkov Denis , Tapia José-Juan , Alberts Samuel , D’Souza Roshan M
Published: September 2011

The direct simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) is a computational method for fluid mechanics simulation in the regime of rarefied gas flow. It is a numerical solution of the Boltzmann equation based on an individual particle basis. Accurate simulations typically require particle numbers in the range of hundreds of thousands to millions. Such large simulations require an inordinate amount of time for processing using serial computing on central processing units (CPUs). In this paper we investigate data-parallel techniques on graphics processing units (GPUs) to execute very large scale DSMC simulations. We have designed and implemented Bird’s method on a three-dimensional simulation domain that includes complex geometry interactions. We also have tested and verified the statistical and theoretical accuracy of our implementation. Our results show substantial performance improvements (nearly two orders of magnitude) over Bird’s serial implementation without loss of accuracy.
Making Muslims Fit for Faiz (God’s Grace): Spiritual and Not-so-spiritual Transactions inside the Islamic Missionary Movement Dawat-e Islami
Authors: Gugler Thomas K.
Published: September 2011

The Islamic missionary movement Dawat-e Islami is headed by the Memon business man and Barelwi scholar Muhammad Ilyas Qadiri Attar and aims to confront the Deobandi-affiliated Tablighi Jamaat in spreading Sunnah, the lifestyle of the Prophet and the Salaf. Since 2008 Dawat-e Islami has used its own TV station—the Madani channel—to advertise Sunnah-centric Sufism and popular piety through Sunnaization: the Islamization of clothing style, speech and behaviour. Fostering lay leadership and missionary journeys, the brotherhood reinforces a more general trend of making Islamic lifestyles market-worthy, i.e. capable of catching attention and attracting demand, thereby standardizing Sunnah, individualizing Islamic mission, and branding Barelwiyat. Its strategies of mobilization are thus described by applying the metaphors of religious economics.
La consommation n’a pas d’odeur … Quelques réflexions sur le religieux en culture de masse
Authors: Haenni Patrick
Published: September 2011

Based on the situation observed in contemporary Arab-Muslim countries, this article analyzes the interactions between religion and mass culture and its consumerist ethos. Although consumer society supports an implicit ideology (individualism, immediacy), consumption practices are also permeable to the influence of the values of the different social configurations in which they are grounded. In its interaction with religion, consumer culture can reveal itself to be a powerful primer for neo-conservative revivals, contradicting the market’s supposed hedonist ethics. This article argues that this may be due to the fact that consumer culture is a double-edged process and that its effect on religion amounts to both a rerouting and a recall of its moral norm, almost unanimously Salafist today.
Religion and the American Celebrity
Authors: Lofton Kathryn
Published: September 2011

In American culture, is the celebrity a divine figure, or just another commodity in the marketplace? The author maps a series of strategies for the study of celebrities within the study of religion and America, focusing on the concomitant production of Britney Spears as a religious figure, a religious sacrifice, and a consumer product.
Measurements of seed coat fragments in cotton fibers and fabrics
Authors: Bel Patricia Damian , Xu Bugao
Published: September 2011

Seed coat fragments (SCFs) are the parts of a seed coat that have been broken from the surface of either mature or immature seeds during mechanical processing. SCFs can cause spinning problems and fabric defects, which ultimately cause financial losses to the cotton industry. The objective of this study was to develop and evaluate an image-analysis tool that detects SCFs on fabrics and compares various methods of detection of SCFs in fiber and fabric. The first part of this paper looks at 12 international cottons (a broad range of cottons from distinctly different regions). The version called AFISPro is used in these studies. The SCFs in these fibers were measured by hand sorting, the Shirley Analyzer and the Advanced Fiber Information System (AFIS). The SCFs in the fabrics (made from the same cottons) were measured by hand counting and an automated image-analysis system (Autorate). The Autorate SCF fabric data had a high correlation with the hand-counting SCF fabric data. The same 12 international cotton samples and an additional 12 international cottons were used for the AFISPro studies, since AFISPro is much faster than hand sorting. Comparison of the fiber and fabric data showed a promising relationship between the AFIS SCF measurement and the SCF fabric data.
Is the world unfinished? On interactions between science and theology in the concepts of nature, time and the future
Authors: Moltmann Jürgen
Published: September 2011

This paper is the text of Professor Moltmann’s 2011 Boyle lecture. In it he explores interactions between theology and the sciences. It proceeds from the Cappadocian insight that the world is ‘readable’ both in ‘the Book of Books’ and in the ‘book of nature’. The empirical concept of nature corresponds to the theological concept of creation, between which there is no contradiction. This leads to a reflection on the nature of time, and in particular the differences between times ‘past’ and ‘future’, the former fixed, the latter open. The lecture concludes by reflecting that, in eschatological perspective, nature presents itself as a being with a history open to the future.
A response to Professor Moltmann
Authors: Torrance Alan J.
Published: September 2011

This paper is a response to Professor Moltmann’s 2011 Boyle Lecture ‘Is the world unfinished? On interactions between science and theology in the concepts of nature, time and the future’ ( Theology, November 2011). I discuss three issues. First, I take up the question of the relation of science and theology, arguing that though they may share an interest in nature neither is hermeneutically neutral, which has serious implications. Second, I raise cautiously the question of how we may provide an account of time that makes sense of the reality of the past? Third, I ask whether Professor Moltmann’s use of spatial language to describe God’s self-limitation in the incarnation is to be understood as being literal or metaphorical?
Identity and Agency
Authors: Reed Sarah J. , Miller Robin Lin , Timm Tina
Published: September 2011

Young sexual minority women disproportionately experience pregnancy, repeat pregnancy, and become parents, when compared with their heterosexual peers. Black sexual minority women who are socioeconomically disadvantaged are a part of three demographic groups likely to experience adolescent pregnancy. A paucity of research has examined why these young women become pregnant. The authors begin to address this gap by examining the meaning of pregnancy from young women’s perspective. Modified grounded theory was used to analyze data from interviews with 14 young Black sexual minority women, aged 16–24. Pregnancies, intentional and unintentional, were common among the participants and within their sexual minority community. Pregnancy affirmed sexual identity and same-sex relationships as well as garnered sexual and reproductive agency. Participants’ pregnancy experiences contradicted the belief that young women sought or valued pregnancy because it provided access to heterosexual privilege. Although the main functions of intentional pregnancies did not differ drastically from those of young heterosexual women, we argue that these young women’s pregnancy and parenting desires may be magnified because of the particular realities they face as sexual minority women. Further, we situate our analysis within the context of a Black cultural environment and argue that pregnancy and motherhood may be adaptive subsistence strategies for women who are largely socially devalued.
A comparative study on static and dynamic responses of FRP composite and steel suspension bridges
Authors: Adanur Suleyman , Mosallam Ayman S. , Shinozuka Masanobu , Gumusel Levent
Published: September 2011

Fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) composites offer many attractive and unique features for existing and new bridges. Among these features are light weight, high stiffness-to-weight and strength-to-weight ratios, damping capabilities, and high resistance to environmental degradation when properly designed and installed. This article presents a pilot numerical study aiming at evaluating the feasibility of using FRP composites in suspension bridge applications. This was accomplished by comparing the response of two identical long-span suspension bridges, one constructed from FRP composite and the other made of steel under static and dynamic loadings using FEM. The numerical results indicated that the responses of the two bridges are different and that the response values obtained for the steel bridge are relatively large compared to the composite bridge. Despite different mode sequences of the two bridge models, the dynamic analysis results indicated that both bridge models have similar mode shapes. As a result of lower self-weight of the FRP composite bridge model, the frequencies of the FRP composite bridge model are larger than those of the steel bridge model.