bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Attachment Anxiety Uniquely Predicts Regret Proneness in Close Relationship Contexts
Authors: Joel Samantha , MacDonald Geoff , Plaks Jason E.
Published: September 2011

Although regret plays a central role in decision making, few studies have explored the nature of regret in close relationships. The authors hypothesized that anxiously attached individuals, who are hypersensitive to relationship threat and prone to ambivalence in close relationships, would be particularly likely to experience regret over relationship-related decisions. Study 1 examined the relative abilities of attachment anxiety and neuroticism to predict regret proneness. Entered as simultaneous predictors, neuroticism was the only significant predictor of general regret proneness, but attachment anxiety was the only significant predictor of interpersonal regret proneness. In Study 2, participants were randomly assigned to read regrettable relational versus nonrelational scenarios. Once again, neuroticism predicted regret in the nonrelational conditions, whereas attachment anxiety predicted regret in the relational conditions. Not only may these findings help explain anxiously attached individuals’ uncertain relational decision-making patterns, but they also highlight an important distinction between attachment anxiety and neuroticism.
Characteristics of pncA mutations in multidrug-resistant tuberculosis in Taiwan
Authors: Chiu Yu-Chi , Huang Shiang-Fen , Yu Kwok-Woon , Lee Yu-Chin , Feng Jia-Yih , Su Wei-Juin
Published: September 2011

Background

Pyrazinamide (PZA) is an important first-line drug in multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDRTB) treatment. However, the unreliable results obtained from traditional susceptibility testing limits its usefulness in clinical settings. The detection of pncA gene mutations is a potential surrogate of PZA susceptibility testing, especially in MDRTB isolates. The impact of genotypes of M. tuberculosis in pncA gene mutations also remains to be clarified.

Methods

MDRTB isolates were collected from six hospitals in Taiwan from January 2007 to December 2009. pncA gene sequencing, pyrazinamidase activity testing, and spoligotyping were performed on all of the isolates. PZA susceptibility was determined by the BACTEC MGIT 960 PZA method. The sensitivity and specificity of pncA gene analysis were estimated based on the results of PZA susceptibility testing.

Results

A total of 66 MDRTB isolates, including 37 Beijing and 29 non-Beijing strains, were included for analysis. Among these isolates, 36 (54.5%) were PZA-resistant and 30 (45.5%) were PZA-susceptible. The PZA-resistant isolates were more likely to have concomitant resistance to ethambutol and streptomycin. Thirty-seven mutation types out of 30 isolates were identified in the pncA gene, and most of them were point mutations. The sensitivities of pncA gene sequencing for PZA susceptibility in overall isolates, Beijing and non-Beijing strains were 80.6%, 76.2%, and 86.7% respectively, and the specificities were 96.7%, 93.8%, and 100% respectively.

Conclusions

More than half of the MDRTB isolates in this study are PZA-resistant. Analysis of pncA gene mutations helped to identify PZA-susceptible MDRTB isolates, especially in non-Beijing strains.
Cigarette smoke extract upregulates heme oxygenase-1 via PKC/NADPH oxidase/ROS/PDGFR/PI3K/Akt pathway in mouse brain endothelial cells
Authors: Shih Ruey-Horng , Cheng Shin-Ei , Hsiao Li-Der , Kou Yu Ru , Yang Chuen-Mao
Published: September 2011

Background

In the brain, the inducible form of heme oxygenase (HO-1) has been recently demonstrated to exacerbate early brain injury produced by intracerebral hemorrhagic stroke which incident rate has been correlated with cigarette smoking previously. Interestingly, cigarette smoke (CS) or chemicals present in CS have been shown to induce HO-1 expression in various cell types, including cerebral endothelial cells. However, the mechanisms underlying CS modulating HO-1 protein expression are not completely understood in the brain vessels.

Objective

The aim of the present study was to investigate the mechanisms underlying CS modulating HO-1 protein expression in cerebral endothelial cells.

Methods

Cultured cerebral endothelial cells (bEnd.3) were used to investigate whether a particulate phase of cigarette smoke extract (PPCSE) regulates HO-1 expression and to investigate the molecular mechanisms involved in HO-1 expression in bEnd.3 cells.

Results

We demonstrated that PPCSE (30 μg/ml) significantly induced HO-1 protein expression and its enzymatic activity in bEnd.3 cells determined by western blotting and bilirubin formation, respectively. PPCSE-induced HO-1 expression was mediated through phosphatidylcholine phospholipase C (PC-PLC), PKCδ, and PI3K/Akt which were observed by pretreatment with their respective pharmacological inhibitors or transfection with dominant negative mutants of PKCδ and Akt. ROS scavenger (N-acetyl-L-cysteine, NAC) blocked the PPCSE-induced ROS generation and HO-1 expression. Pretreatment with selective inhibitors of PKCδ (rottlerin) and NADPH oxidase [diphenyleneiodonium chloride (DPI) and apocynin (APO)] attenuated the PPCSE-induced NADPH oxidase activity, ROS generation, and HO-1 expression. In addition, we found that PPCSE induced PI3K/Akt activation via NADPH oxidase/ROS-dependent PDGFR phosphorylation.

Conclusions

Taken together, these results suggested that PPCSE-induced HO-1 expression is mediated by a PC-PLC/PKCδ/NADPH oxidase-dependent PDGFR/PI3K/Akt pathway in bEnd.3 cells.
Randomized Trial of Tamoxifen Versus Combined Tamoxifen and Octreotide LAR Therapy in the Adjuvant Treatment of Early-Stage Breast Cancer in Postmenopausal Women: NCIC CTG MA.14
Authors: Pritchard Kathleen I. , Shepherd Lois E. , Chapman Judith-Anne W. , Norris Brian D. , Cantin Jacques , Goss Paul E. , Dent Susan F. , Walde David , Vandenberg Ted A. , Findlay Brian , O'Reilly Susan E. , Wilson Carolyn F. , Han Lei , Piura Ettie , Whelan Timothy J. , Pollak Michael N.
Published: September 2011

Purpose

Somatostatin analogs act directly on breast cancer cells and indirectly on insulin and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) levels. This trial was undertaken to assess whether octreotide would lower insulin and IGF-1 levels and reduce risk of breast cancer recurrence.

Patients and Methods

The NCIC CTG MA.14 (NCIC Clinical Trials Group MA.14) trial randomly assigned postmenopausal women to 5 years of tamoxifen 20 mg daily (TAM) or TAM plus 2 years of octreotide 90 mg depot intramuscular injections monthly (TAM-OCT) as adjuvant therapy. The primary end point was event-free survival (EFS). Secondary end points were relapse-free survival (RFS), overall survival (OS), toxicity, and effects of treatment on IGF physiology.

Results

Among 667 women with a median follow-up of 7.9 years, 220 events occurred—108 with TAM-OCT and 112 with TAM. Adjusted hazard ratios (HRs; TAM-OCT to TAM) were 0.93 for EFS (95% CI, 0.71 to 1.22; P = .62), 0.84 for RFS (95% CI, 0.59 to 1.18; P = .31), and 0.97 for OS (95% CI, 0.69 to 1.37; P = .86). Among patients with normal baseline gallbladder imaging, cholecystectomy was required in 23.0% of those receiving TAM-OCT but in only 1.4% of those receiving TAM (P < .001). At 4 months, TAM-OCT had significantly (P < .001) lowered IGF-1, IGF binding protein 3, and C-peptide levels. Older age (P = .02), tumor size (P = .001), nodal status (P = .01), high C-peptide levels (P < .001), and higher body mass index (BMI) in models excluding C-peptide (P < .001) were associated with poorer EFS in multivariate analysis.

Conclusion

Octreotide-related changes in circulating IGF-1 and C-peptide levels were statistically significant. Octreotide did not add significant clinical benefit. High C-peptide levels (surrogate for insulin secretion rate) and high BMI were associated with poor outcome.
Reconsidering Anti-Semitism and White Slavery in Contemporary Historical Fiction About Argentina
Authors: Solomon Claire
Published: September 2011

In Argentina, a multimedia boom in historical fictions about the so-called Jewish White Slave Trade of the early twentieth century in Buenos Aires has created a consensus about a particular set of events that deviates in consistent ways from the available evidence. In this essay I show how the literary consensus about the history of white slavery emerges as a consistent set of narrative tropes; then I discuss how in several contemporary historical novels the admixture of history and fiction seems to allow anti-Semitism to be both omnipresent and depoliticized — simultaneously minimized in Argentine political history and dramatized as the hobby of eccentric fictional sociopaths. Furthermore, Jews are split into “good” and “bad” elements, with the unmanageable part cast out through collaboration between “good” Jews and gentiles so as to consolidate a Jewish-Argentine identity. I then consider how the portrayal of anti-Semitism in the novels resonates with cultural debates about historical anti-Semitism — particularly the contested anti-Semitism of the right-wing dictatorship that governed Argentina from 1976 to 1983. Specifically, I suggest that the “splitting” of Jews that occurs in these novels, together with the view that anti-Semitism only exists “outside” the state, make possible the mutual legitimization of a continuous Jewish-Argentine subject and a continuous Argentine state. Finally, I show how contemporary literature, by breaking radically with both the cultural consensus about white slavery and its univocal narrative of anti-Semitism, can actually help to theorize a different affective relationship to history.
Using District Magnitude to Regulate Political Party Competition
Authors: Rae Douglas W
Published: September 2011

This is an essay about the use of districting systems to regulate electoral outcomes and the evolution of party systems. By changing the number of seats from each district, a balance can be struck between the often conflicting goals of minority representation and defractionalization. Defractionalization is the process of forming broad-based governing majorities. Special attention is given to the electoral systems of Italy, Spain, and the United States. In the case of the United States, the author recommends a proportional representation system that mixes high-magnitude districts that encourage minority representation and low-magnitude districts that promote defractionalization.
Retrospectives: The Ethology of Homo Economicus
Authors: Persky Joseph
Published: September 2011

Early critics of John Stuart Mill attacked him for creating a monomaniacal economic man concerned only with the accumulation of money. In fact, Mill's construct possessed a considerably richer psychology including desires for leisure, luxury, and sexual relations. This psychology played a central role in Mill's analysis of alternative institutional regimes. Mill also considered the social origins, or ‘ethology,’ of preference structures. Mill's framework provides a useful reference point for ongoing work in comparative economics and feminist economics. In particular, Mill's emphasis on psychological parsimony needs careful reconsideration by advocates of enriching the motives of economic man.
Tackling the European Migration Problem
Authors: Zimmermann Klaus F
Published: September 2011

A fortress Europe immigration policy is currently observed throughout the European Union. The European migration problem seems to be that, in the face of high and persistent unemployment rates, additional immigration implies further unemployment. This might not be true if immigration helps to erode institutional constraints and enhances labor market flexibility, a point that is seen of particular virtue in the European setting. The paper also argues that past European migration, although limited, has been positive for the labor markets, and there are only few alternative policy options in the future.
The Case for Randomized Field Trials in Economic and Policy Research
Authors: Burtless Gary
Published: September 2011

Social experiments have been used in research since the 1960s, yet the technique of controlled experimentation still arouses controversy among social scientists. The crucial element that distinguishes a controlled experiment from other forms of research is random assignment of treatment to the observational units of study. Because treatment differences in the sample occur as a result of random chance, the effects of the treatment on behavior can be measured with high reliability. This paper examines the advantages and disadvantages of experiments in comparison with other research techniques and describes the circumstances where randomized trials should be preferred over other methods.
The Stories We Tell: A Reconsideration of AS / AD Analysis
Authors: Colander David
Published: September 2011

This paper explains that the AS/AD model as currently presented in the tests is seriously flawed. It does not fulfill the minimum requirement of a model: logical consistency. Its component parts are derived from models that reflect different, and inconsistent, models of the economy. Moreover, the appropriate disequilibrium adjustment story that appropriately accompanies it is inconsistent with observed reality. In this alternative model, Keynesian adjustment occurs through shifting AS/AD curves along institutionally determined price level vectors rather than through movements along the AS/AD curves.
Income Inequality and Trade: How to Think, What to Conclude
Authors: Richardson J. David
Published: September 2011

Recent econometric work and growing analytical consensus suggest that exogenous international market pressures are a contributing factor to trends in U.S. wage/earnings inequality. Trade accounts for a share of these inequality trends close to or somewhat greater than its 10-15 percent share of economic activity, especially over medium-term horizons and dependent on precise definition. Trade is neither a trivial influence nor a dominant one. Evidence exists that its influence has declined slightly in the past decade, however. Rapid technological growth in exportable sectors seems more important.
Women in the Economics Profession
Authors: Kahn Shulamit
Published: September 2011

This article discusses evidence from recent literature on gender literature on gender differences among Ph.D. economists. It finds many gender similarities in accomplishments, including undergraduate grades, publication rates (ceteris paribus), and labor market commitment. It finds no evidence of disadvantages for women in admissions to Ph.D. programs or in nonacademic salaries. Yet gender differences remain, ceteris paribus, in GRE scores, attrition from Ph.D programs, non-tenure-track academic jobs, academic salaries, and academic promotion rates. The paper suggests that trends toward increasing percentage of females may be peaking, particularly given recent drops in female undergraduate economics majors.
Inside the Black Box: The Credit Channel of Monetary Policy Transmission
Authors: Bernanke Ben S , Gertler Mark
Published: September 2011

The ‘credit channel’ theory of monetary policy transmission holds that informational frictions in credit markets worsen during tight-money periods. The resulting increase in the external finance premium--the difference in cost between internal and external funds--enhances the effects of monetary policy on the real economy. The authors document the responses of GDP and its components to monetary policy shocks and describe how the credit channel helps explain the facts. They discuss two main components of this mechanism, the balance sheet and bank lending channels. The authors argue that forecasting exercises using credit aggregates are not valid tests of this theory.
Alterations in intramuscular water movement associated with mechanical changes in human skeletal muscle fibers: an evaluation using magnetic resonance diffusion-weighted imaging and B-mode ultrasonography
Authors: Yanagisawa Osamu , Kurihara Toshiyuki , Fukubayashi Toru
Published: September 2011

Background

Intramuscular water movement is expected to be affected by the mechanical changes of the muscle fibers. However, the effect of changes in fiber length (FL) and pennation angle (PA) on the water movement has not been sufficiently investigated in human skeletal muscles.

Purpose

To determine the relationship between intramuscular water movement and the mechanical changes in human muscle fibers.

Material and Methods

Axial magnetic resonance diffusion-weighted images of the right leg (eight men) were taken using a 1.5-Tesla device with the ankle joint maximally dorsiflexed and maximally plantar flexed. The apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values of both the dorsiflexors (the superficial and deep parts of the tibialis anterior) and the plantar flexors (medial gastrocnemius and soleus) were calculated along three orthogonal axes (S-I: superior-to-inferior, A-P: anterior-to-posterior, and R-L: right-to-left). FL and PA of both muscle groups were also calculated from longitudinal B-mode ultrasound images with the ankle joint maximally dorsiflexed and plantar flexed.

Results

There was a significant increase in the ADC in superficial ( P < 0.05) and deeP ( P < 0.05) parts of the dorsiflexors in the S-I direction when the ankle was plantar flexed and in the A-P and R-L directions when the ankle was dorsiflexed ( P < 0.05). The plantar flexors showed significantly elevated ADC in the S-I direction when the ankle was dorsiflexed ( P < 0.05), and in the A-P and R-L directions when the ankle was plantar flexed ( P < 0.05). The dorsiflexors also showed significantly increased PA and decreased FL values when the ankle was dorsiflexed ( P < 0.05). The plantar flexors displayed similar morphological changes when the ankle was plantar flexed ( P < 0.05).

Conclusion

Water diffusion is affected by structural changes in the long axis of the muscle fibers, namely the changes in PA and FL.
Laughing all the way to freedom?: Contemporary stand-up comedy and democracy in South Africa
Authors: Seirlis Julia Katherine
Published: September 2011

Stand-up comedy raises questions about the quality of and limits to democracy in post-apartheid South Africa. It does so by telling a before democracy and after apartheid story in the mushrooming of comedians and comedy venues and in the generational differences between comedians and their approaches to comedy since 1994. This before-and-after story marks out boundaries between the old puritanical strictures and censorship of the National Party's apartheid and the new possibilities for freedom and enjoyment in a democracy riddled with profound social and political problems of extreme violence and poverty — and run by the ANC, a ruling party with a strong sense of entitlement to State power.
Goffman's Interaction Order at the Margins: Stigma, Role, and Normalization in the Outreach Encounter
Authors: Smith Robin James
Published: September 2011

This article considers Goffman's conceptualization of interaction order at the margins of society in encounters between urban welfare workers and their clients. Observations from these encounters demonstrate practices relating to the situated management of stigma and identity, and the accomplishment of role within these service encounters. A reading of Goffman's theoretical contribution lies in revealing how social actors and social structures are realized in situ within the constraints of the interaction order sui generis. The article discusses three aspects of the outreach encounter, namely, (1) the accomplishment of role and motive, (2) the sequential phases of the outreach encounter, and (3) “the normalization ritual,” and introduces the concept of willful disattention.
Global Health Education for Pediatric Residents: A National Survey
Authors: Anspacher Melanie , Frintner Mary Pat , Denno Donna , Pak-Gorstein Suzinne , Olness Karen , Spector Jonathan , O'Callahan Cliff
Published: September 2011

OBJECTIVE:

To assess exposure to global health (GH) training, future plans to work or volunteer abroad, and the importance of GH training in program selection among graduating pediatric residents.

METHODS:

A national, random sample of graduating pediatric residents was surveyed in the 2008 American Academy of Pediatrics' Annual Graduating Residents Survey. Questions specific to GH training were included.

RESULTS:

The adjusted survey response rate was 59% (546 of 927); 534 residents from 170 programs responded to at least 1 GH question. GH training was an essential/very important factor in selecting a residency program for 22% of the respondents, and 21% reported participating in GH training during residency. In multivariate analyses, participation in GH training was associated with being single (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 1.90 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.10–3.27]), graduating from a US medical school (aOR: 2.45 [95% CI: 1.14–5.28]), lower educational debt (aOR: 2.63 [95% CI: 1.54–4.49]), and training at a larger program (aOR: 2.73 [95% CI: 1.47–5.06]). One-third of respondents reported definite/very likely plans to work/volunteer in a developing country after residency; these respondents were more likely to be single (aOR: 1.82 [95% CI: 1.14–2.92]) and international medical school graduates (aOR: 2.10 [95% CI: 1.19–3.73]). Fewer than 50% of respondents received education in the majority of topics considered essential to GH training.

CONCLUSIONS:

GH-training opportunities are important to pediatric residents when selecting a program, and many are graduating with intentions to volunteer/work in a developing country after residency. The low exposure to GH topics among a broad cross-section of pediatric residents suggests that additional work is needed to adequately prepare pediatricians for work in GH after residency.
Risk Factors for Neurotoxicity in Newborns With Severe Neonatal Hyperbilirubinemia
Authors: Gamaleldin Rasha , Iskander Iman , Seoud Iman , Aboraya Hanan , Aravkin Aleksandr , Sampson Paul D. , Wennberg Richard P.
Published: September 2011

OBJECTIVE:

To evaluate the importance of total serum bilirubin (TSB) and neurotoxicity risk factors in predicting acute bilirubin encephalopathy (ABE) at admission or posttreatment bilirubin encephalopathy (BE) in infants with severe hyperbilirubinemia.

METHODS:

We analyzed the interaction of TSB and risk factors as determinants of ABE and BE in 249 newborns admitted with a TSB level of ≥25 mg/dL (427 μmol/L) to Cairo University Children's Hospital during a 12-month period.

RESULTS:

Admission TSB values ranged from 25 to 76.4 mg/dL. Forty-four newborns had moderate or severe ABE at admission; 35 of 249 infants (14%) had evidence of BE at the time of discharge or death. Rh incompatibility (odds ratio [OR]: 48.6) and sepsis (OR: 20.6) greatly increased the risk for ABE/BE, but TSB levels correlated poorly with the presence or absence of ABE or BE in these patients. The OR for ABO incompatibility with anemia (1.8) was not statistically significant. Low admission weight (OR: 0.83 per 100 g) increased the risk for BE, especially when other risk factors were present. The threshold TSB level that identified 90% of infants with ABE/BE was 25.4 mg/dL when neurotoxicity risk factors were present. In contrast, neurotoxicity was first observed at a TSB level of >31.5 mg/dL in 111 infants without risk factors.

CONCLUSIONS:

Newborns without risk factors for neurotoxicity have a higher tolerance for hyperbilirubinemia than recognized in management guidelines. The risk for BE in hemolytic disease varies with etiology. The great variation in response to TSB indicates that biological factors other than TSB values are important in the pathogenesis of BE.
“‘An effort to decide’: More Research into Kubrick’s Music Choices for 2001: A Space Odyssey”
Authors: McQuiston Kate
Published: September 2011

This article supplies new information about Stanley Kubrick’s musical decision-making process on 2001: A Space Odyssey. This article draws on correspondence, anecdotal evidence, and legal documents housed in the Stanley Kubrick Archive, as well as the scholarly literature, to contribute new details to the timeline and nature of Kubrick’s provisional employment of Alex North and his selection process and pursuit of pre-existing works by György Ligeti. In addition, the article illuminates Kubrick’s ongoing search for the right music by listening to music – and having others listening to music with the film in mind, and his pursuit through legal channels, of recordings of pieces he wanted to use. In these efforts, he was guided by a desire to find works that would both fit the film and help generate profit.
A simplified approach for the design of infiltration trenches
Authors: Campisano A. , Creaco E. , Modica C.
Published: September 2011

The use of infiltration trenches has proven to be useful to reduce runoff in urban surfaces. The design of these structures is based on the continuity equation taking into account inflow, outflow and detention water volumes. Basic procedures evaluate entering flow rates and relative volumes directly as a function of rain event characteristics, without taking into account rain-runoff processes occurring in the watershed. An improved simplified procedure, based on the kinematic model for the description of rain-runoff processes, has been developed here using a dimensionless approach. The procedure and the relative applicative design graphs are presented and discussed.
Operation of a full-scale pumped flow biofilm reactor (PFBR) under two aeration regimes
Authors: O'Reilly E. , Rodgers M. , Clifford E.
Published: September 2011

A novel technology suitable for centralised and decentralised wastewater treatment has been developed, extensively tested at laboratory-scale, and trialled at a number of sites for populations ranging from 15 to 400 population equivalents (PE). The two-reactor-tank pumped flow biofilm reactor (PFBR) is characterised by: (i) its simple construction; (ii) its ease of operation and maintenance; (iii) low operating costs; (iv) low sludge production; and (v) comprising no moving parts or compressors, other than hydraulic pumps. By operating the system in a sequencing batch biofilm reactor (SBBR) mode, the following treatment can be achieved: 5-day biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5), chemical oxygen demand (COD) and total suspended solids (TSS) reduction; nitrification and denitrification. During a 100-day full-scale plant study treating municipal wastewater and operating at 165 PE and 200 PE (Experiments 1 and 2, respectively), maximum average removals of 94% BOD5, 86% TSS and 80% ammonium-nitrogen (NH4-N) were achieved. During the latter part of Experiment 2, effluent concentrations averaged: 14 mg BOD5/l; 32 mg CODfiltered/l; 14 mg TSS/l; 4.4 mg NH4-N/l; and 4.0 mg NO3-N/l (nitrate-nitrogen). The average energy consumption was 0.46–0.63 kWh/m3treated or 1.25–1.76 kWh/kg BOD5 removed. No maintenance was required during these experiments. The PFBR technology offers a low energy, minimal maintenance technology for the treatment of municipal wastewater.
Exploring the potential synergistic effects of chemical disinfectants and UV on the inactivation of free-living bacteria and treatment of biofilms in a pilot-scale system
Authors: Vankerckhoven E. , Verbessem B. , Crauwels S. , Declerck P. , Muylaert K. , Willems K. A. , Rediers H.
Published: September 2011

The main objective of this study is to explore possible synergistic or additive effects of combinations of chemical disinfectants (sodium hypochlorite, peracetic acid, hydrogen peroxide, chlorine dioxide) and UV in their efficacy in inactivating free-living bacteria and removing biofilms. In contrast to most studies, this study examines disinfection of municipal water in a pilot-scale system using a mixed bacterial suspension, which enables a better simulation of the conditions encountered in actual industrial environments. It was shown that the combination of either hypochlorite, hydrogen peroxide, peracetic acid, or chlorine dioxide with UV yielded additive effects on the inactivation of free-living bacteria. Actual synergy was observed for the combination of UV and 5 ppm hydrogen peroxide. Regarding biofilm treatment, additive effects were observed using the combination of hydrogen peroxide and UV. The promising results obtained in this study indicate that the combination of UV and chemical disinfectants can considerably reduce the amount of chemicals required for the effective disinfection and treatment of biofilms.
Microalgae growth for nutrient recovery from sludge liquor and production of renewable bioenergy
Authors: Rusten Bjorn , Sahu Ashish K.
Published: September 2011

Proof-of-concept has been demonstrated for a process that will utilize nutrients from sludge liquor, natural light, and CO2 from biogas to grow microalgae at wastewater treatment plants. This process will reduce the impact of returning side-streams to the head of the plant. The produced algae will be fed to anaerobic digesters for increased biogas production. Dewatering of anaerobically digested sludge in centrifuges produces reject water with extremely low transmittance of light. A pre-treatment procedure was developed that improved light transmittance for reject water from the FREVAR, Norway, wastewater treatment plant from 0.1% T to 77% T (670 nm, 1 cm path). Chlorella sp. microalgae were found to be suitable for growth in this pre-treated reject water. Typical nitrogen removal was 80–90 g N/kg TSS of produced microalgae. The microalgae were successfully harvested by chemically assisted flocculation followed by straining through a 33 μm sieve cloth, achieving up to 99% recovery. Harvested algae were anaerobically co-digested with wastewater sludge. The specific methane gas production (mL CH4/g VS fed) for the algae varied from less than 65% to 90% of the specific methane gas production for the wastewater sludge, depending on digester temperature, retention time and pre-treatment of the algae biomass.
Psychologists' Experiences of Grief after Client Suicide: A Qualitative Study
Authors: Darden Allison J. , Rutter Philip A.
Published: September 2011

Six clinical psychologists were interviewed regarding their experiences with client suicide. Interviewee's responses offered the following insights: (a) all their experiences met the criteria for prolonged grief; (b) the respective work settings significantly influenced the clinician's recovery process; and (c) male clinicians (in contrast to female respondents) reported no personal impact from the client's suicide. Finally and surprisingly, all participating psychologists did not question their clinical skills after the suicide, citing rather their understanding of the client's choice to suicide being outside of their control. Implications for clinical training, practice, and research are addressed.
Indicators of Family Resilience after the Death of a Child
Authors: Greeff Abraham P. , Vansteenwegen Alfons , Herbiest Tina
Published: September 2011

The aim of this study was to identify and describe resilience qualities in families after losing a child. Questionnaires, including an open-ended question, were utilized to collect data independently from the parents and siblings of the deceased in 89 Belgian families. The results indicate that family strengths in general, and commitment to the family in particular, helped the families' adaptation after the loss. In addition, the adaptation process after the loss was aided if the family members viewed the crisis as a challenge. Both the siblings and the parents indicated that the extent to which a family experienced support from the community was directly related to family adaptation after the loss. Redefining the situation and utilizing social support from friends and family were underlined as effective family coping strategies. The findings could be used in interventions to promote family resilience, thereby affirming the reparative potential of families.
Teaching about Near-Death Experiences: The Effectiveness of Using the Day I Died
Authors: Holden Janice Miner , Oden Kathy , Kozlowski Kelly , Hayslip Bert
Published: September 2011

In this article, we reviewed results of research on near-death experiences (NDEs) over the past 3 decades and examined the effect of viewing the hour-long 2002 BBC documentary The Day I Died: The Mind, the Brain, and Near-Death Experiences on accurate knowledge about near-death experiences among advanced undergraduates at a southwestern university. In a quasi-experimental research design, the experimental group completed a 20-item questionnaire before and after viewing the documentary ( n = 66; 45 females, 21 males), and the waitlist control group completed the questionnaire as pre- and posttest before viewing the documentary ( n = 39; 36 female, 3 male). The two groups' scores at pretest were not significantly different ( p > .05). Group by occasion repeated measures ANOVA revealed the experimental group's posttest scores moved significantly in the direction of correctness with a large effect size ( p < .001; η2= .56), whereas waitlist control group posttest scores remained similar to pretest scores. We discuss two exceptions to the effectiveness of the documentary and recommendations for educators using it as well as for future research.
Validation of a dissolution method with RP-HPLC analysis for Perindopril erbumine and Indapamide combination tablet
Authors: Jain P.S. , Badreshiya P.R. , Chalikwar S.S. , Todarwal A.A. , Surana S.J.
Published: September 2011

A Dissolution method with high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)
analysis was validated for perindopril erbumine and indapamide in combination
tablet formulation. The method was validated to meet requirements for a
global regulatory filing and this validation included specificity, linearity,
accuracy, precision, range, robustness and solution stability studies. The
dissolution method, which uses USP apparatus 1 with basket rotating at 100
rpm, 1000 ml of phosphate buffer pH 6.8 as the dissolution medium, and
reversed-phased HPLC was carried out at 50?C on a 4.6mm?250mm 5?m cyano
column that contained USP packing L1 with acetonitrile: buffer pH 2.8::40:60
(v/v), as mobile phase. UV detector was set at 225 nm. A method was found to
be selective, linear, accurate and precise in the specified ranges. Intra-day
and inter-day variability for method was <2% RSD. This method was
successfully used for quantification of perindopril erbumine and indapamide
combination tablet formulations.
Activation of Protein Kinase C-ζ in Pancreatic β-Cells In Vivo Improves Glucose Tolerance and Induces β-Cell Expansion via mTOR Activation
Authors: Velazquez-Garcia Silvia , Valle Shelley , Rosa Taylor C. , Takane Karen K. , Demirci Cem , Alvarez-Perez Juan C. , Mellado-Gil Jose M. , Ernst Sara , Scott Donald K. , Vasavada Rupangi C. , Alonso Laura C. , Garcia-Ocaña Adolfo
Published: September 2011

OBJECTIVE

PKC-ζ activation is a key signaling event for growth factor–induced β-cell replication in vitro. However, the effect of direct PKC-ζ activation in the β-cell in vivo is unknown. In this study, we examined the effects of PKC-ζ activation in β-cell expansion and function in vivo in mice and the mechanisms associated with these effects.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

We characterized glucose homeostasis and β-cell phenotype of transgenic (TG) mice with constitutive activation of PKC-ζ in the β-cell. We also analyzed the expression and regulation of signaling pathways, G1/S cell cycle molecules, and β-cell functional markers in TG and wild-type mouse islets.

RESULTS

TG mice displayed increased plasma insulin, improved glucose tolerance, and enhanced insulin secretion with concomitant upregulation of islet insulin and glucokinase expression. In addition, TG mice displayed increased β-cell proliferation, size, and mass compared with wild-type littermates. The increase in β-cell proliferation was associated with upregulation of cyclins D1, D2, D3, and A and downregulation of p21. Phosphorylation of D-cyclins, known to initiate their rapid degradation, was reduced in TG mouse islets. Phosphorylation/inactivation of GSK-3β and phosphorylation/activation of mTOR, critical regulators of D-cyclin expression and β-cell proliferation, were enhanced in TG mouse islets, without changes in Akt phosphorylation status. Rapamycin treatment in vivo eliminated the increases in β-cell proliferation, size, and mass; the upregulation of cyclins Ds and A in TG mice; and the improvement in glucose tolerance—identifying mTOR as a novel downstream mediator of PKC-ζ–induced β-cell replication and expansion in vivo.

CONCLUSIONS

PKC-ζ, through mTOR activation, modifies the expression pattern of β-cell cycle molecules leading to increased β-cell replication and mass with a concomitant enhancement in β-cell function. Approaches to enhance PKC-ζ activity may be of value as a therapeutic strategy for the treatment of diabetes.
Elevated NF-κB Activation Is Conserved in Human Myocytes Cultured From Obese Type 2 Diabetic Patients and Attenuated by AMP-Activated Protein Kinase
Authors: Green Charlotte J. , Pedersen Maria , Pedersen Bente K. , Scheele Camilla
Published: September 2011

OBJECTIVE

To examine whether the inflammatory phenotype found in obese and diabetic individuals is preserved in isolated, cultured myocytes and to assess the effectiveness of pharmacological AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activation upon the attenuation of inflammation in these myocytes.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

Muscle precursor cells were isolated from four age-matched subject groups: 1) nonobese, normal glucose tolerant; 2) obese, normal glucose tolerant; 3) obese, impaired glucose tolerant; and 4) obese, type 2 diabetes (T2D). The level of inflammation (nuclear factor-κB [NF-κB] signaling) and effect of pharmacological AMPK activation was assessed by Western blots, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and radioactive assays (n = 5 for each subject group).

RESULTS

NF-κB-p65 DNA binding activity was significantly elevated in myocytes from obese T2D patients compared with nonobese control subjects. This correlated to a significant increase in tumor necrosis factor-α concentration in cell culture media. In addition, insulin-stimulated glucose uptake was completely suppressed in myocytes from obese impaired glucose tolerant and T2D subjects. It is interesting that activation of AMPK by A769662 attenuated NF-κB-p65 DNA binding activity in obese T2D cells to levels measured in nonobese myocytes; however, this had no effect on insulin sensitivity of the cells.

CONCLUSIONS

This work provides solid evidence that differentiated human muscle precursor cells maintain in vivo phenotypes of inflammation and insulin resistance and that obesity alone may not be sufficient to establish inflammation in these cells. It is important that we demonstrate an anti-inflammatory role for AMPK in these human cells. Despite attenuation of NF-κB activity by AMPK, insulin resistance in obese T2D cells remained, suggesting factors in addition to inflammation may contribute to the insulin resistance phenotype in muscle cells.
Similar VLDL-TG Storage in Visceral and Subcutaneous Fat in Obese and Lean Women
Authors: Søndergaard Esben , Nellemann Birgitte , Sørensen Lars P. , Gormsen Lars C. , Christiansen Jens S. , Ernst Erik , Dueholm Margit , Nielsen Søren
Published: September 2011

OBJECTIVE

Excess visceral fat accumulation is associated with the metabolic disturbances of obesity. Differential lipid redistribution through lipoproteins may affect body fat distribution. This is the first study to investigate VLDL-triglyceride (VLDL-TG) storage in visceral fat.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

Nine upper-body obese (UBO; waist circumference >88 cm) and six lean (waist circumference <80 cm) women scheduled for elective tubal ligation surgery were studied. VLDL-TG storage in visceral, upper-body subcutaneous (UBSQ), and lower-body subcutaneous (LBSQ) fat were measured with [9,10-3H]-triolein–labeled VLDL.

RESULTS

VLDL-TG storage in visceral fat accounted for only ∼0.8% of VLDL-TG turnover in UBO and lean women, respectively. A significantly larger proportion of VLDL-TG turnover was stored in UBSQ (∼5%) and LBSQ (∼4%) fat. The VLDL-TG fractional storage was similar in UBO and lean women for all regional depots. VLDL-TG fractional storage and VLDL-TG concentration were correlated in UBO women in UBSQ fat (r = 0.68, P = 0.04), whereas an inverse association was observed for lean women in visceral (r = −0.89, P = 0.02) and LBSQ (r = −0.87, P = 0.02) fat.

CONCLUSIONS

VLDL-TG storage efficiency is similar in all regional fat depots, and trafficking of VLDL-TG into different adipose tissue depots is similar in UBO and lean women. Postabsorptive VLDL-TG storage is unlikely to be of major importance in the development of preferential upper-body fat distribution in obese women.
Vitamin D, Insulin Secretion, Sensitivity, and Lipids
Authors: Grimnes Guri , Figenschau Yngve , Almås Bjørg , Jorde Rolf
Published: September 2011

OBJECTIVE

Vitamin D deficiency is associated with an unfavorable metabolic profile in observational studies. The intention was to compare insulin sensitivity (the primary end point) and secretion and lipids in subjects with low and high serum 25(OH)D (25-hydroxyvitamin D) levels and to assess the effect of vitamin D supplementation on the same outcomes among the participants with low serum 25(OH)D levels.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

Participants were recruited from a population-based study (the Tromsø Study) based on their serum 25(OH)D measurements. A 3-h hyperglycemic clamp was performed, and the participants with low serum 25(OH)D levels were thereafter randomized to receive capsules of 20,000 IU vitamin D3 or identical-looking placebo twice weekly for 6 months. A final hyperglycemic clamp was then performed.

RESULTS

The 52 participants with high serum 25(OH)D levels (85.6 ± 13.5 nmol/L [mean ± SD]) had significantly higher insulin sensitivity index (ISI) and lower HbA1c and triglycerides (TGs) than the 108 participants with low serum 25(OH)D (40.3 ± 12.8 nmol/L), but the differences in ISI and TGs were not significant after adjustments. After supplementation, serum 25(OH)D was 142.7 ± 25.7 and 42.9 ± 17.3 nmol/L in 49 of 51 completing participants randomized to vitamin D and 45 of 53 randomized to placebo, respectively. At the end of the study, there were no statistically significant differences in the outcome variables between the two groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Vitamin D supplementation to apparently healthy subjects with insufficient serum 25(OH)D levels does not improve insulin sensitivity or secretion or serum lipid profile.
Relation of Serum Uric Acid Level And Essential Hypertension Among Patients Without Metabolic Syndrome
Authors: Kashem MA , Hossain MZ , Ayaz KMF , Alam MB , Khan MH , Alam ABMM , Azad KAK , Karim ME
Published: September 2011

Objective: To find out and asses the association between hyperuricaemia and hypertension. Methods: A case control study conducted in hypertension clinic, medicine and cardiac outpatient department of DMCH from December 2009 to November 2010 to evaluate association of hyperuricaemia and essential hypertension. A total of 51 hypertensive subjects aged 30 years and above were included as cases with same number of age & sex matched normotensive subjects as control after excluding metabolic syndrome, renal impairment, clinical evidence of liver disease, IBD, malignant diseases, vascular diseases or history of taking relevant drugs by taking detailed history and thorough physical examination and appropriate laboratory investigations. Serum uric acid was measured in all study patients. Results: The mean serum uric acid level was 5.8 ± 1.5 mg/dl vs 4.5 ± 1.2 mg/dl in case and control patients respectively. A total of 13 (25.4%) patients in cases and 5 (9.8%) patients in control had hyperuricaemia (Odds Ratio 3.15, p <0.05). So, the number of hyperuricaemic person & mean serum uric acid level were significantly higher in hypertensive Cases, as Compared to Those of Healthy Normotensive Control. Keywords: Essential hypertension; Serum Uric Acid; Hyperuricaemia DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jdmc.v20i1.8563 J Dhaka Med Coll. 2011; 20(1) : 5-8
Complement Synthesis in the Diseased Kidney and its Role in Renal Damage
Authors: Khatun M , Nurunnabi ASM , Ara S , Rahman M
Published: September 2011

Renal biopsy tissues were taken from 142 suspected glomerulonephritic patients who were admitted into the Department of Nephrology of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), Dhaka and Combined Military Hospital (CMH), Dhaka Cantonment, Dhaka. The tissues were processed for both Light Microscopy (LM) and Direct Immunofluorescence (DIF) studies. The study was done in the Department of Anatomy, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), Dhaka and Armed Forces Institute of Pathology (AFIP), Dhaka Cantonment, Dhaka, from March to December 1999. Seven histopathological types of glomerulonephritis were identified with LM and another one type i.e. IgA Nephropathy was identified exclusively by using DIF. Diffuse immunofluorescence positivity was found in 44.36% cases. C3 components were found in all cases irrespective of the histopathological type of glomerulonephritis. Immune complex deposits were observed in immunofluorescence both in the mesangium and the glomerular basement membrane (GBM) with more generalized and less scattered distributions. Immunoglobulins (Ig) were tested for IgG, IgA and IgM. IgG was found the most common (74.60%) among immune complex deposits. Notable LM features include proliferation of mesangial cells, expansion of mesangial matrix, thickening of GBM, infiltration of glomerular macrophages, platelets and neutrophil and crescent formation. The presence of IgG in the mesangium of the kidney of the glomerulonephritic patient suggests a role of IgG in the inflammatory process. There is also evidence that C3 is synthesized within the glomeruli of the patients with glomerulonephritis. Finding the role of the complement components in pathogenesis of glomerulonephritis, a keen observation is needed to determine the extent of local complement synthesis and their involvement in tissue injury process. Key words: Complement synthesis; immune complex; glomerulonephritis; renal biopsy. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jdmc.v20i1.8566 J Dhaka Med Coll. 2011; 20(1) : 15-19
Morphometric Study of the Postmortem Human Spleen
Authors: Rayhan KA , Ara S , Nurunnabi ASM , Kishwara S , Noor M
Published: September 2011

Context: The spleen is the largest lymphoid organ in the human body. The morphology of spleen is affected by number of disorders, e.g. abnormalities of the cells, which populate within the spleen or disturbance of its storage function. Therefore, the size of the spleen can be regarded as an indicator of the disease process. Study design: Cross-sectional, descriptive type of study. Place and period of study: Department of Anatomy, Dhaka Medical College, Dhaka, from August 2005 to June 2006. Materials: The present study was performed on 70 postmortem human spleens collected from unclaimed dead bodies which were under autopsy examination in the Department of Forensic Medicine of Dhaka Medical College, Dhaka. Methods: The samples were divided into six different age groups i.e. group A (0–19 years), B (20–29 years), C (30–39 years), D (40–49 years), E (50–59 years) and F (>60 years). The length, breadth and thickness of the spleen were measured. The number of the notch in its upper and lower poles was observed. The presence of any accessory spleen was also observed in situ. Results: The length, breadth and thickness of the spleen were found to have no significant changes with advancing age. Notches were present on the upper border of spleen in 88.57% of samples and lower border of the spleen in 27.14% of samples. Accessory spleen was found in 24.28% of cases. Key words: Human spleen; length; breadth; thickness; splenic notch; accessory spleen. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jdmc.v20i1.8569 J Dhaka Med Coll. 2011; 20(1) :32-36