bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
SEMI-STATIC HEDGING OF BARRIER OPTIONS UNDER POISSON JUMPS
Authors: CARR PETER
Published: May 2011

We show that the payoff to barrier options can be replicated when the underlying price process is driven by the difference of two independent Poisson processes. The replicating strategy employs simple semi-static positions in co-terminal standard options. We note that classical dynamic replication using just the underlying asset and a riskless asset is not possible in this context. When the underlying of the barrier option has no carrying cost, we show that the same semi-static trading strategy continues to replicate even when the two jump arrival rates are generalized into positive even functions of distance to the barrier and when the clock speed is randomized into a positive continuous independent process. Since the even function and the positive process need no further specification, our replicating strategies are also semi-robust. Finally, we show that previous results obtained for continuous processes arise as limits of our analysis.
WAVELET OPTIMIZED VALUATION OF FINANCIAL DERIVATIVES
Authors: CARTON DE WIART B. , DEMPSTER M. A. H.
Published: May 2011

We introduce a simple but efficient PDE method that makes use of interpolation wavelets for their advantages in compression and interpolation in order to define a sparse computational domain. It uses finite difference filters for approximate differentiation, which provide us with a simple and sparse stiffness matrix for the discrete system. Since the method only uses a nodal basis, the application of non-constant terms, boundary conditions and free-boundary conditions is straightforward. We give empirical results for financial products from the equity and fixed income markets in 1, 2 and 3 dimensions and show a speed-up factor between 2 and 4 with no significant reduction of precision.
THE DIFFUSION COEFFICIENT FOR PIECEWISE EXPANDING MAPS OF THE INTERVAL WITH METASTABLE STATES
Authors: DOLGOPYAT DMITRY , WRIGHT PAUL
Published: May 2011

Consider a piecewise smooth expanding map of the interval possessing several invariant subintervals and the same number of ergodic absolutely continuous invariant probability measures (ACIMs). After this system is perturbed to make the subintervals lose their invariance in such a way that there is a unique ACIM, we show how to approximate the diffusion coefficient for an observable of bounded variation by the diffusion coefficient of a related continuous time Markov chain.
NEURO — GENETIC APPROACH TO CLASSIFICATION OF CARDIAC ARRYTHMIAS
Authors: SEKKAL MANSOURIA , CHIKH MOHAMMED AMINE
Published: May 2011

The premature ventricular contraction (PVC) is a cardiac arrhythmia which is widely encountered in the cardiologic field. It can be detected using the electrocardiogram signal parameters. In general the use of multilayered feed forward neural networks has been hampered by the lack of a training algorithm which reliably finds a nearly globally optimal set of weights. Genetic algorithms are a class of optimization procedures which are good at exploring a large and complex space in an intelligent way to find values close to the global optimum. This paper deals with designing a neural network classifier of PVC beats whose weights are genetically evolved using a genetic algorithm. We developed two classifiers. First, the Classical neural classifier (CNC) was trained by the back-propagation (BP) method. Second neuro-genetic classifier (NGC) was trained by genetic algorithm technique. Performance and accuracy of the two techniques are presented and compared. Our results illustrate the improvements gained by using a genetic algorithm rather than BP. We use the medical database (MIT-BIH) to validate our results.
ROOM TEMPERATURE FERROMAGNETISM IN PURE AND Cu DOPED ZnO NANORODS: ROLE OF COPPER OR DEFECTS
Authors: KUMAR SHALENDRA , KOO B. H. , LEE C. G. , GAUTAM SANJEEV , CHAE K. H. , SHARMA S. K. , KNOBEL M.
Published: May 2011

We report structural, magnetic and electronic structure studies of pure and Cu doped ZnO nanorods with the aim to understand the origin of ferromagnetism. A structural study indicates that all the samples exhibit single phase nature and rules out the formation of secondary phase. NEXAFS measurements reveal that Cu ions exist in Cu 2+ state. Magnetic hysteresis loop measurements reflect that the pure and Cu doped ZnO nanorods exhibit room temperature ferromagnetism. The increase in the intensity of green emission in photoluminescence study indicates that defects density increases with Cu doping.
RAPID AND COST EFFECTIVE SYNTHESIS OF ZnO NANORODS USING MICROWAVE IRRADIATION TECHNIQUE
Authors: AHMED FAHEEM , KUMAR SHALENDRA , ARSHI NISHAT , ANWAR M. S. , KOO BON HEUN , LEE CHAN GYU
Published: May 2011

ZnO nanorods assembled in flower shaped morphology have been successfully synthesized using low power microwave irradiation in a very short duration. The diameter and length of the rods were within 150–190 nm (tip diameter ~15 nm) and 2 μm, respectively, with an aspect ratio of 20–22. The synthesized nanorods were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), Fourier transform infrared microscopy (FT-IR), photoluminescence (PL) and magnetization measurements. The XRD and FT-IR results indicate that ZnO nanorods have the pure wurtzite structure with lattice parameters a and c of 3.254 and 5.197 Å, respectively. The selected area electron diffraction (SAED) pattern reveals that the ZnO nanorods are single crystal in nature and grow along [001] plane. Room-temperature PL spectrum of the as-grown ZnO nanorods shows a near-band-edge (NBE) emission peak and defect induced emissions. Magnetization measurements indicate that ZnO nanorods exhibit room temperature ferromagnetism with remanent magnetization (M r ) and coercivity (H c ) about 2.92 × 10-4 (emu/g) and 29.75 Oe , respectively, which may be due to the presence of defects in the ZnO nanorods.
Differential effects of glucocorticoids on energy homeostasis in Syrian hamsters
Authors: Solomon Matia B. , Sakai Randall R. , Woods Stephen C. , Foster Michelle T.
Published: May 2011

Syrian hamsters, like many humans, increase food intake and body adiposity in response to stress. We hypothesized that glucocorticoids (cortisol and corticosterone) mediate these stress-induced effects on energy homeostasis. Because Syrian hamsters are dual secretors of cortisol and corticosterone, differential effects of each glucocorticoid on energy homeostasis were investigated. First, adrenal intact hamsters were injected with varying physiological concentrations of cortisol, corticosterone, or vehicle to emulate our previously published defeat regimens (i.e., 1 injection/day for 5 days). Neither food intake nor body weight was altered following glucocorticoid injections. Therefore, we investigated the effect of sustained glucocorticoid exposure on energy homeostasis. This was accomplished by implanting hamsters with supraphysiological steady-state pellets of cortisol, corticosterone, or cholesterol as a control. Cortisol, but not corticosterone, significantly decreased food intake, body mass, and lean and fat tissue compared with controls. Despite decreases in body mass and adiposity, cortisol significantly increased circulating free fatty acids, triglyceride, cholesterol, and hepatic triglyceride concentrations. Although corticosterone did not induce alterations in any of the aforementioned metabolic end points, Syrian hamsters were responsive to the effects of corticosterone since glucocorticoids both induced thymic involution and decreased adrenal mass. These findings indicate that cortisol is the more potent glucocorticoid in energy homeostasis in Syrian hamsters. However, the data suggest that cortisol alone does not mediate stress-induced increases in food intake or body mass in this species.
Deletion of thebisgene results in a marked increase in the production of corticosterone that is associated with thymic atrophy in mice
Authors: Youn Dong-Ye , Yoon Jung-Sook , Kim Yong Kwan , Yeum Chung Eun , Lee Seong-Beom , Youn Ho-Joong , Tsujimoto Yoshihide , Lee Jeong-Hwa
Published: May 2011

Bis (Bag3) is known to be involved in cell survival, migration, the regulating of chaperones, and protein quality control. We reported recently on the production of bis gene-deleted mice, which show early lethality within 3 wk after birth with a phenotype showing severe malnutrition and shrinkage of the thymus. In this report, we provide evidence to show that an intrinsic problem of adrenal gland is the the primary cause for the severe atrophy of the thymus in bis−/−mice. The bis−/−mice show significantly higher levels of corticosterone, but CRH and ACTH levels were considerably lower than those of wild littermates. The transcription of steroidogenic enzymes was increased in the adrenal glands of bis−/−mice, accompanied by an increase in the thickness of the zona reticularis. An analysis of thymus tissue from bis−/−mice revealed that the severe atrophy of the thymus is due to the specific loss of immature double-positive (CD4+CD8+) cortical thymocytes by apoptosis, as evidenced by immunohistochemical examination and flow cytometric analysis, which were restored by injection of an inhibitor of glucocorticoid synthesis. In vitro cultures of thymocytes with increasing doses of dexamethasone exhibited a similar degree of apoptosis between wild and bis−/−thymocytes. The corticosterone levels from fasted wild littermates were one-half those of bis−/−mice, although serum glucose levels were similar. Thus, the deletion of the bis gene resulted in the intrinsic defect in the adrenal gland, leading to a marked increase in glucocorticoid levels, probably upon starvation stress, which accounts for the massive apoptosis of the thymus.
Decreased aortic diameter and compliance precedes blood pressure increases in postnatal development of elastin-insufficient mice
Authors: Le Victoria P. , Knutsen Russell H. , Mecham Robert P. , Wagenseil Jessica E.
Published: May 2011

Increased arterial stiffness and blood pressure are characteristic of humans and adult mice with reduced elastin levels caused by aging or genetic disease. Direct associations have been shown between increased arterial stiffness and hypertension in humans, but it is not known whether changes in mechanical properties or increased blood pressure occur first. Using genetically modified mice with elastin haploinsufficiency ( Eln+/−), we investigated the temporal relationship between arterial mechanical properties and blood pressure throughout postnatal development. Our results show that some mechanical properties are maintained constant regardless of elastin amounts. The peak diameter compliance for both genotypes occurs near the physiologic pressure at each age, which acts to provide maximum pulse dampening. The stress-strain relationships are similar between genotypes and become nonlinear near the systolic pressure for each age, which serves to limit distension under high pressure. Our results also show that some mechanical properties are affected by reduced elastin levels and that these changes occur before measurable changes in blood pressure. Eln+/− mice have decreased aortic diameter and compliance in ex vivo tests that are significant by postnatal day 7 and increased blood pressure that is not significant until postnatal day 14. This temporal relationship suggests that targeting large arteries to increase diameter or compliance may be an effective treatment for human hypertension.
Regional increase of extracellular potassium leads to electrical instability and reentry occurrence through the spatial heterogeneity of APD restitution
Authors: Sidorov Veniamin Y. , Uzelac Ilija , Wikswo John P.
Published: May 2011

The heterogeneities of electrophysiological properties of cardiac tissue are the main factors that control both arrhythmia induction and maintenance. Although the local increase of extracellular potassium ([K+]o) due to coronary occlusion is a well-established metabolic response to acute ischemia, the role of local [K+]o heterogeneity in phase 1a arrhythmias has yet to be determined. In this work, we created local [K+]o heterogeneity and investigated its role in fast pacing response and arrhythmia induction. The left marginal vein of a Langendorff-perfused rabbit heart was cannulated and perfused separately with solutions containing 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12 mM of K+. The fluorescence dye was utilized to map the voltage distribution. We tested stimulation rates, starting from 400 ms down to 120 ms, with steps of 5–50 ms. We found that local [K+]o heterogeneity causes action potential (AP) alternans, 2:1 conduction block, and wave breaks. The effect of [K+]o heterogeneity on electrical stability and vulnerability to arrhythmia induction was largest during regional perfusion with 10 mM of K+. We detected three concurrent dynamics: normally propagating activation when excitation waves spread over tissue perfused with normal K+, alternating 2:2 rhythm near the border of [K+]o heterogeneity, and 2:1 aperiodicity when propagation was within the high [K+]o area. [K+]o elevation changed the AP duration (APD) restitution and shifted the restitution curve toward longer diastolic intervals and shorter APD. We conclude that spatial heterogeneity of the APD restitution, created with regional elevation of [K+]o, can lead to AP instability, 2:1 block, and reentry induction.
Fetal programming of pulmonary vascular dysfunction in mice: role of epigenetic mechanisms
Authors: Rexhaj Emrush , Bloch Jonathan , Jayet Pierre-Yves , Rimoldi Stefano F. , Dessen Pierre , Mathieu Caroline , Tolsa Jean-François , Nicod Pascal , Scherrer Urs , Sartori Claudio
Published: May 2011

Insults during the fetal period predispose the offspring to systemic cardiovascular disease, but little is known about the pulmonary circulation and the underlying mechanisms. Maternal undernutrition during pregnancy may represent a model to investigate underlying mechanisms, because it is associated with systemic vascular dysfunction in the offspring in animals and humans. In rats, restrictive diet during pregnancy (RDP) increases oxidative stress in the placenta. Oxygen species are known to induce epigenetic alterations and may cross the placental barrier. We hypothesized that RDP in mice induces pulmonary vascular dysfunction in the offspring that is related to an epigenetic mechanism. To test this hypothesis, we assessed pulmonary vascular function and lung DNA methylation in offspring of RDP and in control mice at the end of a 2-wk exposure to hypoxia. We found that endothelium-dependent pulmonary artery vasodilation in vitro was impaired and hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension and right ventricular hypertrophy in vivo were exaggerated in offspring of RDP. This pulmonary vascular dysfunction was associated with altered lung DNA methylation. Administration of the histone deacetylase inhibitors butyrate and trichostatin A to offspring of RDP normalized pulmonary DNA methylation and vascular function. Finally, administration of the nitroxide Tempol to the mother during RDP prevented vascular dysfunction and dysmethylation in the offspring. These findings demonstrate that in mice undernutrition during gestation induces pulmonary vascular dysfunction in the offspring by an epigenetic mechanism. A similar mechanism may be involved in the fetal programming of vascular dysfunction in humans.
Tyrosine Phosphorylation in the C-Terminal Nuclear Localization and Retention Signal (C-NLS) of the EWS Protein
Authors: Leemann-Zakaryan Ruzanna P. , Pahlich Steffen , Grossenbacher Doris , Gehring Heinz
Published: May 2011

Ewing sarcoma (EWS) proto-oncoprotein, an RNA-binding protein, is involved in DNA recombination and repair, gene expression, RNA processing and transport, as well as cell signalling. Chimeric EWS oncoproteins generated by chromosomal translocations betweenEWSR1and the genes of transcription factors cause malignant tumors. To understand the loss of function by these translocations, the role of the intact EWS protein has to be investigated. The predominantly nuclear localization of the EWS protein via a transportin-1-mediated mechanism is dependent on the recently identified C-NLS (also known as PY-NLS). Among other residues in the C-NLS, Y656 interacts with transportin-1 and is essential for its nuclear localization. Here, we show that Y656 is phosphorylated, which seems to be a critical factor for transportin-1-mediated nuclear import. If Y656 was mutated cytosolic aggregates of the EWS protein, colocalized with transportin-1, were observed, similar to those described with mutants of the closely related FUS/TLS protein that had amino acid substitutions in the PY-NLS causing familial amyothrophic lateral sclerosis.
Odontogenic Fibromyxoma of the Maxilla: A Case Report and Review of the Literature
Authors: Dietrich Eva-Maria , Papaemmanouil Styliani , Koloutsos Giorgos , Antoniades Hlias , Antoniades Konstantinos
Published: May 2011

Fibromyxoma represents a rare benign neoplasm that mostly affects the posterior region of the mandible. Here, we report the case of a 46-year-old male with a swelling of the right maxilla. After proper diagnosis, he was treated with enucleation and curettage of the tumor. The defect was filled with a pedicled buccal fat pad flap. The mesenchymal origin from the dental follicle of the fibromyxoma is the most plausible explanation. Radiological examination with MRI, CT, and conventional radiography contributes to the differential diagnosis from other benign tumors, such as the ameloblastoma. Its management is surgical and comprises enucleation and curettage or en bloc resection. Patients must be monitored for at least two years postoperatively in order to diagnose possible recurrence. According to the literature, the maxilla is a rare location of a fibromyxoma and, to our knowledge, our case is the 30th presented case of a fibromyxoma of the maxilla.
Improvement of Aminopeptidase Activity of Dizinc(II) Complexes by Increasing Substrate Accessibility
Authors: Hossain Md. Jamil , Wada Akinobu , Igarashi Yasuhiro , Aimono Kei-ichiro , Suzuki Keisuke , Tone Katsuya , Sakiyama Hiroshi
Published: May 2011

A new dizinc(II) complex, [Zn2(bhmp)(MeCO2)2]BPh4 [(bhmp)−: 2,6-bis[bis(2-hydroxyethyl)aminomethyl]-4-methylphenolate anion], performs aminopeptidase activity to hydrolyze L-leucine-p-nitroanilide. As compared with a related dizinc(II) complex [Zn2(bomp)(MeCO2)2]BPh4 [(bomp)−: 2,6-bis[bis(2-methoxyethyl)aminomethyl]-4-methylphenolate anion], the activity of the present bhmp complex was about 80 times greater than that of the bomp complex. This is mainly because the substrate accessibility was improved by changing the terminal methoxy groups to hydroxyl groups.
Surface TLR2 and TLR4 Expression on Mature Rat Mast Cells Can Be Affected by Some Bacterial Components and Proinflammatory Cytokines
Authors: Pietrzak Anna , Wierzbicki Maciej , Wiktorska Magdalena , Brzezińska-Błaszczyk Ewa
Published: May 2011

The aim of our study was to determine whether some bacterial components as well as some proinflammatory cytokines can affect surface mast cell levels. By the use of flow cytometry technique, we documented that freshly isolated mature rat peritoneal mast cells do express surface TLR2 and TLR4 protein, but not CD14 molecules, and respond to stimulation with TLR2 and TLR4 ligands by cysteinyl leukotriene generation. The level of TLR2 protein is modulated by PGN and CCL5 treatment, but not by LPS, LAM, TNF, or IL-6. Surface mast cell TLR4 expression is affected by LPS, LAM, IL-6, and CCL5. Considering that TLR-mediated activation conditions not only engaged these cells in antibacterial defense and development of inflammation but also might influence allergic processes, our observations that surface TLR2 and TLR4 expression can be regulated both bacterial components and proinflammatory cytokines seem to be very intriguing and importance.
Prenatal Maternal Stress and Physical Abuse among Homeless Women and Infant Health Outcomes in the United States
Authors: Merrill Ray M. , Richards Rickelle , Sloan Arielle
Published: May 2011

Background. This study examines whether the relationship between maternal stress or abuse situations and infant birth weight differs between homeless and non-homeless women.
Methods. Analyses are based on data from the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS), 2002–2007.
Results. Homeless women were significantly more likely to experience stressful life events, abusive situations, and poor maternal health than non-homeless women during pregnancy. Birth weight among infants of homeless women was, on average, 17.4 grams lighter than for infants of non-homeless women, after adjusting for maternal age, race, ethnicity, region, education, and marital status. The impact of maternal health, stress, and abuse variables on pregnancy and infant birth weight significantly interacted with homeless status. For example, vaginal bleeding, nausea, kidney/bladder infection, and failure to receive early prenatal care had significantly larger negative impacts on birth weight among homeless women than non-homeless women. Infant birth weight was consistently lower among homeless women, more so when maternal stress and abuse were involved, across all classifications of their prepregnancy weight.
Conclusion. Stress and abusive situations among pregnant women have a negative influence on pregnancy-related conditions and infant birth weight. However, this negative influence is even more pronounced among homeless women.
Genetic Algorithm for Combinatorial Path Planning: The Subtour Problem
Authors: Giardini Giovanni , Kalmár-Nagy Tamás
Published: May 2011

The purpose of this paper is to present a combinatorial planner for autonomous systems. The approach is demonstrated
on the so‐called subtour problem, a variant of the classical traveling salesman problem (TSP): given a set of n possible goals/targets, the optimal strategy is sought that connects k ≤ n goals. The proposed solution method is a Genetic Algorithm coupled with a heuristic local search. To validate the approach, the method has been benchmarked against TSPs and subtour problems with known optimal solutions. Numerical experiments demonstrate the success
of the approach.
Bifurcation of Gradient Mappings Possessing the Palais‐Smale Condition
Authors: Tonkes Elliot
Published: May 2011

This paper considers bifurcation at the principal eigenvalue of a class of gradient operators which possess the Palais‐Smale condition. The existence of the bifurcation branch and the asymptotic nature of the bifurcation is verified by using the compactness in the Palais Smale condition and the order of the nonlinearity in the operator. The main result is applied to estimate the asyptotic behaviour of solutions to a class of semilinear elliptic equations with a critical Sobolev exponent.
Del Pezzo Singularities and SUSY Breaking
Authors: Malyshev Dmitry
Published: May 2011

An analytic construction of compact Calabi-Yau manifolds with del Pezzo singularities is found. We present complete intersection CY manifolds for all del Pezzo singularities and study the complex deformations of these singularities. An example of the quintic CY manifold with del Pezzo 6 singularity and some number of conifold singularities is studied in detail. The possibilities for the ‘‘geometric’’ and ISS mechanisms of dynamical SUSY breaking are discussed. As an example, we construct the ISS vacuum for the del Pezzo 6 singularity.
Efficient Load-Aware Channel Allocation in Wireless Access Networks
Authors: Athanasiou George , Broustis Ioannis , Tassiulas Leandros
Published: May 2011

Dense deployments of hybrid WLANs result in high levels of interference and low end-user throughput. Many frequency allocation mechanisms for WLANs have been proposed by a large body of previous studies. However, none of these mechanisms considers the load that is carried by APs in terms of channel conditions, number of affiliated users as well as communication-load, in conjunction. In this paper, we propose LAC, a load-aware channel allocation scheme for WLANs, which considers all the above performance determinant factors. LAC incorporates anairtime costmetric into its channel scanning process, in order to capture the effects of these factors and select the channel that will provide approximately maximum long-term throughput. We evaluate LAC through extensive OPNET simulations, for many different traffic scenarios. Our simulations demonstrate that LAC outperforms other frequency allocation policies for WLANs in terms of total network throughput by up to 135%.
Combination of Farnesyltransferase and Akt Inhibitors Is Synergistic in Breast Cancer Cells and Causes Significant Breast Tumor Regression in ErbB2 Transgenic Mice
Authors: Balasis Maria E. , Forinash Kara D. , Chen Y. Ann , Fulp William J. , Coppola Domenico , Hamilton Andrew D. , Cheng Jin Q. , Sebti Saïd M.
Published: May 2011

The Akt activation inhibitor triciribine and the farnesyltransferase inhibitor tipifarnib have modest to little activity in clinical trials when used as single agents. In this article, preclinical data show that the combination is more effective than single agents both in cultured cells and in vivo. Combination index data analysis shows that this combination is highly synergistic at inhibiting anchorage-dependent growth of breast cancer cells. This synergistic interaction is also observed with structurally unrelated inhibitors of Akt (MK-2206) and farnesyltransferase (FTI-2153). The triciribine/tipifarnib synergistic effects are seen with several cancer cell lines including those from breast, leukemia, multiple myeloma and lung tumors with different genetic alterations such as K-Ras, B-Raf, PI3K (phosphoinositide 3-kinase), p53 and pRb mutations, PTEN, pRB and Ink4a deletions, and ErbB receptor overexpression. Furthermore, the combination is synergistic at inhibiting anchorage-independent growth and at inducing apoptosis in breast cancer cells. The combination is also more effective at inhibiting the Akt/mTOR/S6 kinase pathway. In an ErbB2-driven breast tumor transgenic mouse model, the combination, but not single agent, treatment with triciribine and tipifarnib induces significant breast tumor regression. Our findings warrant further investigation of the combination of farnesyltransferase and Akt inhibitors. Clin Cancer Res; 17(9); 2852–62. ©2011 AACR.
Effect of Fiber Diameter on the Spreading, Proliferation and Differentiation of Chondrocytes on Electrospun Chitosan Matrices
Authors: Noriega Sandra E. , Hasanova Gulnara I. , Schneider Min Jeong , Larsen Gustavo F. , Subramanian Anuradha
Published: May 2011

Tissue-engineered neocartilage with appropriate biomechanical properties holds promise not only for graft applications but also as a model system for controlled studies of chondrogenesis. Our objective in the present research study is to better understand the impact of fiber diameter on the cellular activity of chondrocytes cultured on nanofibrous matrices. By using the electrospinning process, fibrous scaffolds with fiber diameters ranging from 300 nm to 1 µm were prepared and the physicomechanical properties of the scaffolds were characterized. Bovine articular chondrocytes were then seeded and maintained on the scaffolds for 7 and 14 days in culture. An upregulation in the gene expression of collagen II was noted with decreasing fiber diameters. For cells that were cultured on scaffolds with a mean fiber diameter of 300 nm, a 2-fold higher ratio of collagen II/collagen I was noted when compared to cells cultured on sponge-like scaffolds prepared by freeze drying and lyophilization. Integrin (α5, αv, β1) gene expression was also observed to be influenced by matrix morphology. Our combined results suggest that matrix geometry can regulate and promote the retention of the chondrocyte genotype.
Long-Term Outcome of Percutaneous Transluminal Septal Myocardial Ablation in Hypertrophic Obstructive Cardiomyopathy
Authors: Jensen Morten Kvistholm , Almaas Vibeke Marie , Jacobsson Linda , Hansen Peter Riis , Havndrup Ole , Aakhus Svend , Svane Bertil , Hansen Thomas Fritz , Køber Lars , Endresen Knut , Eriksson Maria J. , Jørgensen Erik , Amlie Jan Peder , Gadler Fredrik , Bundgaard Henning
Published: May 2011

Background—

Single-center reports on percutaneous transluminal septal myocardial ablation (PTSMA) in patients with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy have shown considerable differences in outcome.

Methods and Results—

We report the long-term outcome of 313 PTSMA procedures performed in 279 patients with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy aged 59±14 years from 1999 to 2010 in 4 Scandinavian centers. Sixty-nine percent of patients had ≥1 comorbidity at baseline. The median (interquartile range) of left ventricular outflow tract gradient at rest was reduced from 58 mm Hg (34 to 89 mm Hg) at baseline to 12 mm Hg (8 to 24 mm Hg) at 1-year (
P
<0.001) and during Valsalva maneuver from 93 mm Hg (70 to 140 mm Hg) to 21 mm Hg (11 to 42 mm Hg) (
P
<0.001). The proportion of patients with syncope was reduced from 18% to 2% (
P
<0.001), and the proportion in New York Heart Association class III/IV was reduced from 94% to 21% (
P
<0.001). All treatment effects remained stable during the follow-up. New York Heart Association class III/IV at the most recent follow-up (2.9±2.6 years) was associated with diabetes mellitus (
P
=0.03), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (
P
=0.02), and valve disease unrelated to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (
P
<0.01). In-hospital mortality was 0.3%. The 1-, 5- and 10-year survival rates were 97%, 87%, and 67%, respectively (
P
=0.06 versus an age- and sex-matched background population) in all patients and 99%, 94%, and 88%, respectively (
P
=0.12) in patients aged <60 years (48±9 years, n=141). Age (hazard ratio, 1.07; 95% CI, 1.03 to 1.1) was the only predictor of survival.

Conclusions—

In this multicenter study, the in-hospital mortality after PTSMA was low despite considerable comorbidities. The hemodynamic and symptomatic effects were sustained long term. The long-term symptomatic outcome was associated with baseline comorbidities. The 10-year survival rate was comparable to that in an age- and sex-matched background population, and age was the only predictor of survival.
Large eggs and ploidy of green frog populations in Central Europe
Authors: Berger Leszek , Pabijan Maciej , Rybacki Mariusz , Czarniewska Elzbieta
Published: May 2011

Green frogs of Central Europe consist of three taxa: Pelophylax ridibundus, P. lessonae and their natural hybridogenetic hybrid, P. esculentus, which forms as a rule mixed populations with its parental species. We examined 659 095 eggs from P. ridibundus (48 females), P. lessonae (133 females) and P. esculentus (170 females) originating from 39 populations in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Poland. Some females of each taxon laid eggs that fell into discrete size classes (small, medium and large). Large eggs were mostly diploid gametes from which triploids developed. They were found in P. esculentus (25 233 large eggs in 152 spawns), P. lessonae (81 in 10 spawns) and P. ridibundus (7 in 3 spawns). The main purpose of the paper was to demonstrate that the numbers of large eggs were clearly associated with triploid P. esculentus frogs. In pure hybrid (esculentus) populations large eggs comprised between 2.44-40.96% of all ova, while triploid adult frogs constituted between 13.9-73.2% of all individuals, in mixed ridibundus-esculentus populations the large eggs and triploid frogs ranged between 0.85-36.6% and 9.2-56.2%, respectively. However, in mixed lessonae-esculentus populations large eggs comprised only 1.74% of the spawns, whereas triploid frogs represented 2.1% of the adults in the population.
Effects of miniature transponders on physiological stress, locomotor activity, growth and survival in small lizards
Authors: Paquet Matthieu , Galliard Jean-François Le , Perret Samuel , Pantelic Zorica
Published: May 2011

The marking of small animals for long-term ecological studies requires unambiguous and permanent techniques that cause minimal harm. Toe-clipping is frequently used to identify small lizards in the field, but it has been suggested that passive integrated transponders (PIT tags) should be preferred. Here, we evaluate the costs and benefits of new miniature PIT tags to mark the common lizard (Zootoca vivipara). Our protocol enables permanent marking of lizards as small as 1.3 grams with maximal implantation success in the abdominal cavity. Tag injection caused no observable increase in plasma corticosterone levels over five days and no negative effects on long-term growth and survival. However, tag injection had negative effects on locomotor activity during at least 7 days, possibly implying pain. Continuous research to improve tag implantation is needed because negative effects may be caused by anaesthesia and injection rather the tag retention itself. This study demonstrates the utility of combining physiological, behavioural and life history measurements to assess marking stress and pain in animals.
Elevated temperature clears chytrid fungus infections from tadpoles of the midwife toad, Alytes obstetricans
Authors: Schmidt Benedikt , Küpfer Eliane , Geiger Corina , Wolf Sarah , Schär Sämi
Published: May 2011

The amphibian chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) is sensitive to high temperature. Hence, exposing amphibians to high temperature may be a method to clear Bd infection. However, the effect of exposure to elevated temperature has never been tested in larval stages or temperate species. We experimentally exposed tadpoles of the toad Alytes obstetricans to low, medium and high temperatures and found that most, but not all, tadpoles lost the infection when exposed to temperatures higher than 2°C for 5 days. Thus, exposure to elevated temperatures can be used to treat tadpoles against Bd infection.
Preliminary survey on genetic variation within the Pygmy Algyroides, Algyroides fitzingeri, across Corsica and Sardinia
Authors: Perera Ana , Harris D. James , Salvi Daniele , Carretero Miguel , Bologna Marco
Published: May 2011

Algyroides fitzingeri is a Corso-Sardinian endemic lizard belonging to a relictual genus within the Lacertini radiation. In recent phylogeographic studies of Corso-Sardinian endemic lizards incongruent patterns are emerging. We investigated the mitochondrial genetic variation of A. fitzingeri across Corsica and Sardinia to obtain a preliminary portrait of its phylogeographic history. This species showed some polymorphism, but with low genetic differentiation between populations, that probably originated during the Pleistocene. Corsican populations are closely related to those from North Sardinia and are likely to have originated from them, given the higher diversity and deeper phylogeographic structure observed in Sardinia than in Corsica. While the phylogeographic structure of A. fitzingeri in Corsica is surprisingly shallow when compared with other co-distributed lizards, in Sardinia a common pattern apparently emerges. Further research is needed to confirm the hypotheses here presented and to provide a conclusive assessment of the phylogeography of this species.
Description of four new Asaccus Dixon and Anderson, 1973 (Reptilia: Phyllodactylidae) from Iran and Turkey
Authors: Ahmadzadeh Faraham , Avcı Aziz , Torki Farhang , Ilgaz Çetin , Kumlutaş Yusuf
Published: May 2011

One new Asaccus from the Anatolian plateau and three new Asaccus from the Iranian plateau are described as follows. (1) Asaccus barani sp. nov.: diagnosed by strongly heterogeneous dorsal tubercles; (2) Asaccus iranicus sp. nov.: diagnosed by small body size and digits (forelimbs) parallel joint to palm; (3) Asaccus tangestanensis sp. nov.: by having enlarged trihedral tubercles all over the dorsal body; (4) Asaccus zagrosicus sp. nov.: secondary postmentals are not in contact with lowerlabials (100% of specimens). Other important data on the new Asaccus are given in detail in the text.
Foraging movements by the ambush-foraging striped plateau lizard (Sceloporus virgatus) vary between sexes and with air temperature, but not with distance to an immobile observer or time of day
Authors: Cooper, Jr. William
Published: May 2011

Lizard foraging activity is assessed quantitatively by measuring various aspects of activity including number of movements per minute (MPM), proportion of time spent moving (PTM), average speed over an observation period (AS), and speed while moving (MS). With some exceptions, single estimates are given without considering possible effects of environmental variables such as air temperature and time of day. Effects of distance between lizard and observer during observation, the standing distance, have not been studied previously. I measured foraging movements in a phrynosomatid ambush forager, Sceloporus virgatus, early in the breeding season to examine possible effects of sex, air temperature, time of day, and standing distance. Males had higher values of all four foraging movement variables than females. The major cause of this difference is presumably greater socially motivated movement by males, which have much larger home ranges than females. Decreased female foraging probably contributed to the difference because gravid and possibly late vitellogenic females reduce feeding and might become less mobile to reduce the likelihood of being detected by predators when a heavy clutch reduces running speed. Time of day and standing distance did not affect foraging movements. MPM, PTM, and AS decreased as temperature increased, but these effects were small. All pairs of MPM, PTM, and AS were positively correlated, but MS was correlated only with AS, and weakly. I discuss reasons for intraspecific and interspecific correlations among movement variables.
Body size and age structure of Pelophylax ridibundus populations from two different altitudes in Turkey
Authors: Kutrup Bilal , Olgun Kurtuluş , özdemir Nurhayat , üzüm Nazan , Gül Serkan
Published: May 2011

We estimated differences in body size and age structure of two populations of Pelophylax ridibundus living at different altitudes in Turkey, one from Dörtyol (6 m a.s.l.) and the other from Karagöl (1480 m a.s.l.). Their age structure was determined by skeletochronology performed on the LAGs (lines of arrested growth) of the phalanges. While ages ranged from 2 to 8 years for males and from 2 to 7 years for females in Karagöl, in Dörtyol the ages ranged from 4 to 11 years for males, and 3 to 7 years for females. Sexual size dimorphism was only found in the Dörtyol population. Larger females tend to be found in hotter climates (Dörtyol) but reach maturity later (3-4 years) than the highland population (2 years). A significant relationship between age and snout-vent length (SVL) was found for both sexes and populations with the exception of females in Dörtyol.
The circular tail-straddling walk of the clouded salamander, Aneides ferreus: a deviation from the highly conserved linear tail-straddling walk of the Plethodontidae
Authors: Sapp Jerod , Kiemnec-Tyburczy Karen
Published: May 2011

The family Plethodontidae is the most species-rich group of salamanders and although courtship observations are rather rare for some genera, behaviors are reported to be stereotyped across members of the whole family. In detail, courtship is characterized by a distinct behavior called linear tail-straddling walk, in which the female follows the male as he moves forward in a straight line. To better understand courtship behaviour in the Plethodontidae, we report here a description of the courtship behaviour of the clouded salamander (Aneides ferreus [Cope]), which deviates from the more common pattern. Our observations of over 20 complete courtships show that A. ferreus courtship is distinct from typical plethodontid patterns in three notable ways: (1) a novel, circular tail-straddling walk precedes the typical plethodontid linear tail-straddling walk, (2) the duration of courtship is much longer than in other plethodontids, and (3) females exhibit behaviours atypical of most plethodontid females. We discuss the possible evolutionary and ecological implications of these differences, some of which may have evolved in response to habitats where space for social interactions is limited.
First fossil representative of the salamander crown-group from a Gondwanan continent:Pleurodeles cf. waltl from the Quaternary of Morocco
Authors: Stoetzel Emmanuelle , Bailon Salvador , Rage Jean-Claude
Published: May 2011

No fossil belonging to the Caudata crown-group has been hitherto described from a former Gondwanan continent. We report the first known extinct member of the caudate crown-clade from Africa, i.e. a Gondwanan territory. It belongs to the Recent genus Pleurodeles (Salamandridae) and is referred to as Pleurodeles cf. waltl. The fossils come from the Pleistocene of Morocco. They show that Pleurodeles (likely P. waltl) has been present in Africa for at least two million years and that anthropogenic dispersal is not the cause of its presence in this continent.
'The Body of Christ, the Spirit of Communion': Re-Visioning Pentecostal Ecclesiology in Conversation with Robert Jenson
Authors: Green Chris
Published: May 2011

This paper seeks to bring pentecostal theology into dialogue with the work of Robert W. Jenson, provoking a conversation that not only serves the broader ecumenical discourse, but also contributes to the project of 're-visioning Pentecostal spirituality'. Focusing on several critical issues, the paper explores ways pentecostal theologians and practitioners might benefit from Jenson's contributions as they work to articulate a genuinely pentecostal account of the church's nature and purposes, her ministries, and institutions.
'Can I Get a Witness': The Myth of Pentecostal Orality and the Process of Traditioning in the Psalms
Authors: Ellington Scott
Published: May 2011

Though Pentecostalism has traditionally been characterized as oral and narrative in nature, such forces as the adoption of evangelical theology and hermeneutical practices, the socio-economic prospering of western Pentecostals, and a distancing from the root stories and traditions of early Pentecostalism have resulted in a favoring of proof-texting and propositional thinking over biblical narrative and personal testimony. An exploration of the Psalms points to a close relationship between lament and testimony, as well as between worship and testimony. Also, testimony in the Psalter is trans-generational, as the current generation is frequently called upon to testify to those who will follow.
Translating Pentecostal Testimony into Interreligious Dialogue
Authors: Richie Tony
Published: May 2011

The author argues that the current escalation of interfaith conflict, frequently leading to violence, presents an urgent demand for responsible entry into interreligious dialogue by Pentecostals. However, Pentecostal participation in dialogue must be in a manner faithful to the movement's firmly established beliefs and values. This essay describes Pentecostalism's traditional practice of Spirit-enlivened testimony as a model with familiarity and specificity for Pentecostal adherents that may be effective for broader contexts beyond the movement itself. Testimony, therefore, supplies maturing Pentecostalism, mindful of the dilemma threatening global and local stability and security, with a paradigm for a distinctive approach to interreligious dialogue, a paradigm that is both consistent with Pentecostal heritage and that creatively meets contemporary needs.
Estimating the Position of Simulated Phosphenes Using a Tactile Guide
Authors: Fan Jin , Wang Jing , Ren Qiushi , Lu Yanyu , Zhao Ying , Chai Xinyu , Zhou Chunaqing , Tao Chen
Published: May 2011

A visual prosthesis provides usable visual information to the patient in the form of phosphenes, that is, punctate photic sensations seen after electrical stimulation. Stimulation via different electrodes results in phosphenes in different positions within the visual field. Simulation studies can provide data on the possible limitations of prosthetic stimulation. We used a head mounted screen to monocularly present constant or flickering light spots of different sizes, or luminance to normally sighted subjects. Subjects were asked to judge the location of the spots using a polar coordinate tactile guide; positioning average error and dispersion were analyzed. With the increase of eccentricity, the positioning average error and dispersion were also increased. The performances under large, stable and high luminance conditions were better than that under small, flickering and low luminance conditions, respectively. Repeated training sessions were shown to significantly improve the positioning performance.
Using the Nominal Response Model to Evaluate Response Category Discrimination in the PROMIS Emotional Distress Item Pools
Authors: Preston Kathleen , Reise Steven , Li Cai  , Hays Ron D.
Published: May 2011

The authors used a nominal response item response theory model to estimate category boundary discrimination (CBD) parameters for items drawn from the Emotional Distress item pools (Depression, Anxiety, and Anger) developed in the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information Systems (PROMIS) project. For polytomous items with ordered response categories, CBD parameters index the degree to which a particular dichotomous distinction (e.g., a response in category two vs. one) discriminates trait levels. Findings indicated that 25 of the 86 PROMIS items displayed statistically significant (p ≤ .05) within-item variation in CBD parameters as judged by a Wald test. The most common finding was that the CBD parameter for the first (never vs. rarely) and last (sometimes vs. often/always) response distinction were higher than the CBD parameters for the remaining distinction (rarely vs. sometimes). The implications of significant CBD variation for model choice, scale analysis, and for scoring individual differences are reviewed.
Comparative racisms: What anti-racists can learn from Latin America
Authors: Warren Jonathan , Sue Christina A.
Published: May 2011

There has been extensive debate about the putative imperial dimensions of critical race studies in Latin America. The concern is that US racial discourses, identities and anti-racist strategies are being incorrectly applied to, if not forced upon, Latin America. Those who disagree with this position, including ourselves, argue that it is legitimate to take insights and understandings gleaned in the USA as tools for understanding and challenging racism in Latin America. However, we also believe that the exchange of ideas regarding effective anti-racist strategies should flow in both directions. Therefore, in this article we change the direction of the traditional dialogue by discussing ways in which research in Latin America can inform the theoretical foundation of antiracism in other countries, such as the USA. Specifically, we discuss the implications of current strategies of race mixing, minimization of racial consciousness, colorblindness, multiculturalism and racism literacy for current theories of anti-racism.
Pater familias and homo nationalis: Understanding nationalism in the case of Turkey
Authors: Özkırımlı Umut , Uyan-Semerci Pınar
Published: May 2011

The aim of this article is to question, on the basis of the findings of a public opinion survey conducted by the authors in February 2006, the commonsense belief in the recent rise of nationalism in Turkey. Building on a conceptual and theoretical framework that rejects the view of nationalism as a conjunctural force that waxes and wanes in particular historical moments, the article will explore how nationalism is understood by the ‘people on the street’ in order to make sense of what we would describe as the ‘continual’ appeal of nationalism in Turkey. In this context, we will argue that the ‘tidal wave approach’ to nationalism, which treats it as a force hitting on particular occasions, or as a temporary aberration, does scant justice to the pervasiveness of nationalism in contemporary societies, western or non-western, including Turkey. Drawing on Hannah Arendt’s concept of ‘family man’, we will explore the role of family in the production and reproduction of nationalism in Turkey with a view to showing the extent to which nationalism is embedded in the fabric of society, delimiting the boundaries of responsibility and providing a template that lays down the standards of morality.