bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
First‐principles study of structural and elastic properties of the tetragonal ferroelectric perovskite Pb(Zr0.50Ti0.50)O3
Authors: Marton P. , Elsässer C.
Published: March 2011

Structural and elastic properties of Pb(Zr0.50Ti0.50)O3 are determined in the tetragonal ferroelectric phase using first‐principles density functional theory in the local‐density approximation. Three ordered arrangements of PZT are considered and compared with a homogeneously disordered model of PZT treated in the virtual‐crystal approximation. The ground states of some of these model PZT structures are found to be monoclinic; others, including the energetically most stable structure, are tetragonal.
Protective Effect of Components Isolated from Lindera erythrocarpa against Oxidative Stress‐induced Apoptosis of H9c2 Cardiomyocytes
Authors: Kim Jeong Ah , Jung Yi‐Sook , Kim Mi‐Young , Yang Seo Young , Lee Sohyun , Kim Young Ho
Published: March 2011

Eight compounds were isolated from the methanol fraction of Lindera erythrocarpa and assessed for their ability to protect H9c2 cardiomyocytes against oxidative stress‐induced cell death. Three of the compounds significantly reduced the release of lactate dehydrogenase from H9c2 cardiomyocytes treated with buthionine‐[S,R]‐sulfoximine and reduced the uptake of propidium iodide by these cells. These effects were concentration‐dependent. The three inhibitory compounds were identified as (−)‐epicatechin, avicularin and quercitrin by spectroscopic techniques including one‐ and two‐dimensional NMR and mass spectroscopy. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Correlations of control variables in variational data assimilation
Authors: Katz D. , Lawless A. S. , Nichols N. K. , Cullen M. J. P. , Bannister R. N.
Published: March 2011

Variational data assimilation systems for numerical weather prediction rely on a transformation of model variables to a set of control variables that are assumed to be uncorrelated. Most implementations of this transformation are based on the assumption that the balanced part of the flow can be represented by the vorticity. However, this assumption is likely to break down in dynamical regimes characterized by low Burger number. It has recently been proposed that a variable transformation based on potential vorticity should lead to control variables that are uncorrelated over a wider range of regimes. In this paper we test the assumption that a transform based on vorticity and one based on potential vorticity produce an uncorrelated set of control variables. Using a shallow‐water model we calculate the correlations between the transformed variables in the different methods. We show that the control variables resulting from a vorticity‐based transformation may retain large correlations in some dynamical regimes, whereas a potential vorticity‐based transformation successfully produces a set of uncorrelated control variables. Calculations of spatial correlations show that the benefit of the potential vorticity transformation is linked to its ability to capture more accurately the balanced component of the flow. Copyright © 2011 Royal Meteorological Society and British Crown Copyright, the Met Office
Contour extraction of glomeruli by using genetic algorithm for edge patching
Authors: Zhang Jun , Hu Jinglu , Zhu Hong
Published: March 2011

Glomeruli extraction is a vital step in computer‐aided diagnosis systems of kidney disease. Since there are not only glomeruli but also other tissues in an image, when detecting the edges of glomeruli, lot of noises caused by other tissues will be detected at the same time. These noises cause discontinuous edges of glomeruli when some operation, such as labeling, is applied to denoise. According to this characteristic, this article proposes a contour extraction method based on genetic algorithm (GA) for edge patching. First, a Canny operator is applied to obtain the edges of glomeruli with noises. Then labeling and other operations such as dilation, thinning and cross‐point deletion are applied to markedly remove the noises. After the above operations, GA is finally used to search for optimal patching segments to join the discontinuous edges together and a closed curve with highest fitness would be able to form the contour of glomeruli. Experimental results show that the proposed method performs well for the renal biopsy images. © 2011 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Teaching “trans issues”: An intersectional and systems‐based approach
Authors: Boucher Michel J.
Published: March 2011

The author advocates teaching trans issues from an intersectional systems‐based perspective. This framework helps students to understand that “trans issues” are about more than individual identity, body modification, and a need for tolerance. This perspective can also help to move “trans issues” out of its current position as a “special topic” within the margins of a few select disciplines.
Biomass for energy: a dream come true… or a nightmare?
Authors: Azar Christian
Published: March 2011

Bioenergy can come to play a significant role in the global energy system and perhaps account for one fifth of global energy supply in 50 years in response to ambitions to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. But bioenergy is complicated. There are both traditional and modern forms. In this article, I will exclusively look at modern forms, i.e., biomass for electricity, transport and heat, and process heat (not traditional forms used for cooking in developing countries). Furthermore, there are both ‘good’ and ‘bad’ kinds, expensive and inexpensive technologies, bioenergy systems that lead to massive carbon dioxide emissions and systems that are carbon neutral, and even ones that remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere while delivering energy. There is concern that certain bioenergy forms will, in response to increasing carbon prices, become so attractive that food prices increase significantly, that poor people are evicted from their lands, and that rainforest and other sensitive ecosystem are destroyed in order to pave the way for bioenergy plantations. This article offers a survey of these risks, and the policy instruments intended to deal with the challenges. WIREs Clim Change 2011 2 309–323 DOI: 10.1002/wcc.109

This article is categorized under:

The Carbon Economy and Climate Mitigation > Decarbonizing Energy and/or Reducing Demand
Does Total Mesorectal Excision Require a Learning Curve? Analysis from the Database of a Single Surgeon’s Experience
Authors: Oh Seung Yeop , Kim Young Bae , Paek Ok Joo , Suh Kwang Wook
Published: March 2011

Background

The procedure of total mesorectal excision (TME) is the gold standard in the treatment of rectal cancer. However, quality control of TME is still under debate. The present study was conducted to determine whether TME requires a learning curve to allow the surgeon to grasp the necessary technical expertise.

Methods

We performed a retrospective review of patients with rectal cancer who underwent TME with curative intention between August 1998 and December 2003; 195 consecutive patients were enrolled. From the first patient of the cohort, the first 50 patients were categorized into group 1, the next 50 into group 2, the next 50 into group 3, and the final 45 patients into group 4. Local recurrence rates were compared between the four groups.

Results

No significant difference in clinicopathological features was observed between the four groups, except for age, operative time, and grade of mesorectum. The local recurrence (LR) rate decreased from 22.3% in the inadequate TME group (G1) to 9.1% in the adequate TME group (G2–4) (p = 0.035). In multivariate analysis, regional lymph node metastasis, mesorectal grade (incomplete or nearly complete), and early period of learning curve were independent predictors of local recurrence.

Conclusions

Our results suggest that a learning curve is necessary for the development of technical expertise in the performance of TME for treatment of rectal cancer.
Biotherapeutic target or sink: analysis of the macrophage mannose receptor tissue distribution in murine models of lysosomal storage diseases
Authors: Zhang Xin Sheen , Brondyk William , Lydon John T. , Thurberg Beth L. , Piepenhagen Peter A.
Published: March 2011

Lysosomal storage diseases (LSDs) are metabolic disorders caused by enzyme deficiencies that lead to lysosomal accumulation of undegraded substrates. Enzyme replacement therapies (ERT) have been developed as treatments for patients with Gaucher, Niemann‐Pick, Fabry, and Pompe diseases. Depending on the disease, the corresponding therapeutic enzyme is designed to be internalized by diseased cells through receptor‐mediated endocytosis via macrophage mannose receptors (MMR) or mannose‐6‐phosphate receptors (M6PR). Enzymes developed to treat Gaucher and Niemann‐Pick diseases are meant to target MMR‐expressing cells, and in the case of Cerezyme [recombinant human β‐glucocerebrosidase (rhβGC)] for treating Gaucher disease, glycans on the enzyme are modified to increase specificity toward this receptor. Due to heterogeneity in glycosylation on enzymes intended to target the M6PR, however, there may also be some unintended targeting to MMR‐expressing cells, which could act as unwanted sinks. Examples include Fabrazyme [recombinant human α‐galactosidase A (rhαGal)] for treating Fabry disease and Myozyme [recombinant human acid α‐glucosidase (rhGAA)] for treating Pompe disease. It is therefore of great interest to better understand the cell type and tissue distribution of MMR in murine LSD models used to evaluate ERT efficacy and mechanism of action. In this study, we generated affinity‐purified polyclonal antibody against murine MMR and used it to carry out a systematic examination of MMR protein localization in murine models of Gaucher, Niemann‐Pick, Fabry, and Pompe diseases. Using immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence, and confocal microscopy, we examined MMR distribution in liver, spleen, lung, kidney, heart, diaphragm, quadriceps, and triceps in these animal models and compared them with MMR distribution in wild‐type mice.
Regularized Generalized Canonical Correlation Analysis
Authors: Tenenhaus Arthur , Tenenhaus Michel
Published: March 2011

Regularized generalized canonical correlation analysis (RGCCA) is a generalization of regularized canonical correlation analysis to three or more sets of variables. It constitutes a general framework for many multi-block data analysis methods. It combines the power of multi-block data analysis methods (maximization of well identified criteria) and the flexibility of PLS path modeling (the researcher decides which blocks are connected and which are not). Searching for a fixed point of the stationary equations related to RGCCA, a new monotonically convergent algorithm, very similar to the PLS algorithm proposed by Herman Wold, is obtained. Finally, a practical example is discussed.
Anticancer chemotherapeutic agents and testicular dysfunction
Authors: Yamaguchi Kohei , Fujisawa Masato
Published: March 2011

The improvement of the survival rates of various cancer patients has resulted in increased focus on the long‐term complications of treatment. Most anticancer chemotherapeutic agents are gonadotoxic, and sterility is therefore one of the most common complications for cancer survivors. The degree of gonadal dysfunction induced by anticancer chemotherapeutic agents seems to be drug specific and dose related. Following the development of new chemotherapeutic agents that have high benefit‐to‐risk ratios, sufficient sperm can be acquired by collection of ejaculated semen after the treatment in relatively many cases, and assisted reproductive techniques enable conceptions with even severe spermatogenesis dysfunction. However, anticancer chemotherapeutic agents have consistently exhibited the potential to induce permanent azoospermia. Cryopreservation of semen, which is currently the only proven successful option for future fertility preservation in male cancer patients, should certainly be recommended before cancer therapy. However, to date, no established effective methods have shown the capability to protect gonadal function from anticancer treatment in prepubertal cancer patients.
Maternal and adolescent temperament as predictors of maternal affective behavior during mother–adolescent interactions
Authors: Davenport Emily , Yap Marie B.H. , Simmons Julian G. , Sheeber Lisa B. , Allen Nicholas B.
Published: March 2011

This study examined maternal and early adolescent temperament dimensions as predictors of maternal emotional behavior during mother–adolescent interactions. The sample comprised 151 early adolescents (aged 11–13) and their mothers (aged 29–57). Adolescent‐ and mother‐reports of adolescent temperament and self‐reports of maternal temperament were collected. Mother–adolescent dyads participated in event‐planning and problem‐solving interactions, which were coded for frequency of aggressive, dysphoric, and positive interpersonal maternal behavior. Analyses indicated that adolescents who are higher in temperamental Negative Affectivity and lower in Effortful Control are generally exposed to more frequent aggressive and less frequent positive interpersonal maternal behavior. Furthermore, mothers lower in Effortful Control engaged in more frequent dysphoric behavior toward their adolescent. Given the associations between parental emotional behavior and the development of adolescent emotion regulation, these findings suggest that temperamental dispositions, particularly of early adolescents, may influence their ongoing socialization of emotion regulation skills, and thus their emotional well being.
Maternal and paternal parenting styles: Unique and combined links to adolescent and early adult delinquency
Authors: Hoeve Machteld , Dubas Judith Semon , Gerris Jan R.M. , van der Laan Peter H. , Smeenk Wilma
Published: March 2011

The present study examines the cross‐sectional and longitudinal associations between fathers’ and mothers’ parenting styles and male and female delinquency using a sample of 330 Dutch families with a mid or late adolescent son or daughter (ages 14–22), followed across two measurement waves with a 5‐year interval. Parenting styles of fathers and mothers were linked to delinquency. A significant parenting style by sex interaction was found: neglectful parenting was related to higher levels of delinquency in males and permissive parenting was linked to delinquency in females. A long term relationship was found between fathers’ neglectful parenting style and delinquency in males. Furthermore, results revealed that levels of delinquency were the lowest in families with at least one authoritative parent and highest in families with two neglectful parents, indicating that the level of delinquency was dependent on the combination of mother's and father's parenting styles.
Distraction from pain and executive functioning: An experimental investigation of the role of inhibition, task switching and working memory
Authors: Verhoeven Katrien , Van Damme Stefaan , Eccleston Christopher , Van Ryckeghem Dimitri M.L. , Legrain Valéry , Crombez Geert
Published: March 2011

Although many studies have investigated the effectiveness of distraction as a method of pain control, the cognitive processes by which attentional re‐direction is achieved, remain unclear. In this study the role of executive functioning abilities (inhibition, task switching and working memory) in the effectiveness of distraction is investigated. We hypothesized that the effectiveness of distraction in terms of pain reduction would be larger in participants with better executive functioning abilities. Ninety‐one undergraduate students first performed executive functioning tasks, and subsequently participated in a cold pressor task (CPT). Participants were randomly assigned to (1) a distraction group, in which an attention‐demanding tone‐detection task was performed during the CPT, or (2) a control group, in which no distraction task was performed. Participants in the distraction group reported significantly less pain during the CPT, but the pain experience was not influenced by executive functioning abilities. However, the performance on the distraction task improved with better inhibition abilities, indicating that inhibition abilities might be important in focussing on a task despite the pain.
Factors determining social distance toward people with depression among community pharmacists
Authors: Liekens S. , Smits T. , Laekeman G. , Foulon V.
Published: March 2011

Objective

The aim of the present study was to measure stigma among community pharmacists regarding patients with depression, using social distance as a proxy measure. Furthermore, factors influencing stigmatization were identified.

Methods

A survey consisting of questions regarding social distance, cognitive attitude components, stereotypical beliefs and behavioural tendencies towards pharmaceutical care for patients with depression was carried out. The survey was completed by 149 community pharmacists with a response rate of 82%. Multiple linear regression analysis was applied to the results of the survey.

Results

Most pharmacists endorsed social distance towards patients with depression. The social distance further increased the more the situation described implied “social closeness”. Age, depression care attitude, the stereotypical belief “danger to others” and the level of involvement pharmacists showed towards patients with depression were found to predict social distance. The present model explains 32.3% of the variance in social distance.

Conclusion

The results showed that community pharmacists have a stigmatizing attitude towards patients with depression. The determinants found to influence these stigmatizing attitudes might be addressed when trying to reduce stigmatization of patients with depression.
The relationship between insight and neurological dysfunction in first-episode psychosis
Authors: Hill M. , Crumlish N. , Whitty P. , Clarke M. , Browne S. , Gervin M. , Kinsella A. , Waddington J.L. , Larkin C. , O’Callaghan E.
Published: March 2011

Purpose

Impaired insight is commonly seen in psychosis and some studies have proposed that is a biologically based deficit. Support for this view comes from the excess of neurological soft signs (NSS) observed in patients with psychoses and their neural correlates which demonstrate a degree of overlap with the regions of interest implicated in neuroimaging studies of insight. The aim was to examine the relationship between NSS and insight in a sample of 241 first-episode psychosis patients.

Method

Total scores and subscale scores from three insight measures and two NSS scales were correlated in addition to factors representing overall insight and NSS which we created using principal component analysis.

Results

There were only four significant associations when we controlled for symptoms. “Softer” Condensed Neurological Evaluation (CNE) signs were associated with our overall insight factor (r = 0.19, P = 0.02), with total Birchwood (r = −0.24, P<0.01), and the Birchwood subscales; recognition of mental illness (r = −0.24, P<0.01) and need for treatment (r = −0.18, P = 0.02). Total Neurological Evaluation Scale (NES) and recognition of the achieved effects of medication were also weakly correlated (r = 0.14, P = 0.04).

Conclusion

This study does not support a direct link between neurological dysfunction and insight in psychosis. Our understanding of insight as a concept remains in its infancy.
The validity of self-rated psychotic symptoms in depressed inpatients
Authors: Seemüller F. , Riedel M. , Obermeier M. , Schennach-Wolff R. , Spellmann I. , Meyer S. , Bauer M. , Adli M. , Kronmüller K. , Ising M. , Brieger P. , Laux G. , Bender W. , Heuser I. , Zeiler J. , Gaebel W. , Möller H.-J.
Published: March 2011

Background

Self-ratings of psychotic experiences might be biased by depressive symptoms.

Method

Data from a large naturalistic multicentre trial on depressed inpatients (n = 488) who were assessed on a biweekly basis until discharge were analyzed. Self-rated psychotic symptoms as assessed with the 90-Item Symptom Checklist (SCL-90) were correlated with the SCL-90 total score, the SCL-90 depression score, the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale 21 item (HAMD-21) total score, the Montgomery Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) total score and the clinician-rated paranoid-hallucinatory score of the Association for Methodology and Documentation in Psychiatry (AMDP) scale.

Results

At discharge the SCL-90 psychosis score correlated highest with the SCL-90 depression score (0.78, P<0.001) and with the BDI total score (0.64, P<0.001). Moderate correlations were found for the MADRS (0.34, P<0.001), HAMD (0.37, P<0.001) and AMDP depression score (0.33, P<0.001). Only a weak correlation was found between the SCL-90 psychosis score and the AMDP paranoid-hallucinatory syndrome score (0.15, P<0.001). Linear regression showed that change in self-rated psychotic symptoms over the treatment course was best explained by a change in the SCL-90 depression score (P<0.001). The change in clinician-rated AMDP paranoid-hallucinatory score had lesser influence (P = 0.02).

Conclusions

In depressed patients self-rated psychotic symptoms correlate poorly with clinician-rated psychotic symptoms. Caution is warranted when interpreting results from epidemiological surveys using self-rated psychotic symptom questionnaires as indicators of psychotic symptoms. Depressive symptoms which are highly prevalent in the general population might influence such self-ratings.
Posttranscriptional mechanisms in controlling eukaryotic circadian rhythms
Authors: Zhang Lin , Weng Wenya , Guo Jinhu
Published: March 2011

The circadian clock is essential in almost all living organisms to synchronise biochemical, metabolic, physiological and behavioural cycles to daily changing environmental factors. In a highly conserved fashion, the circadian clock is primarily controlled by multiple positive and negative molecular circuitries that control gene expression. More recently, research in Neurospora and other eukaryotes has uncovered the involvement of additional regulatory components that operate at the posttranslational level to fine tune the circadian system. Though it remains poorly understood, a growing body of evidence has shown that posttranscriptional regulation controls the expression of both circadian oscillator and output gene transcripts at a number of different steps. This regulation is crucial for driving and maintaining robust circadian rhythms. Here we review recent advances in circadian rhythm research at the RNA level.
TRPV1 receptors modulate retinal development
Authors: Leonelli Mauro , Martins Daniel O. , Britto Luiz R.G.
Published: March 2011

We investigated the possible participation of TRPV1 channels in retinal apoptosis and overall development. Retinas from newborn, male albino rats were treated in vitro with capsazepine, a TRPV1 antagonist. The expression of cell cycle markers was not changed after TRPV1 blockade, whereas capsazepine reduced the number of apoptotic cells throughout the retina,increased ERK1/2 and p38 phosphorylation and slightly reduced JNK phosphorylation. The expression of BAD, Bcl‐2, as well as integral and cleaved capsase‐3 were similar in all experimental conditions. Newborn rats were kept for 2 months after receiving high doses of capsazepine. In their retinas, calbindin and parvalbumin protein levels were upregulated, but only the number of amacrine‐like, parvalbumin‐positive cells was increased. The numbers of calretinin, calbindin, ChAT, vimentin, PKC‐alpha and GABA‐positive cells were similar in both conditions. Protein expression of synapsin Ib was also increased in the retinas of capsazepine‐treated rats. Calretinin, vimentin, GFAP, synapsin Ia, synaptophysin and light neurofilament protein levels were not changed when compared to control values.

Our results indicate that TRPV1 channels play a role in the control of the early apoptosis that occur during retinal development, which might be dependent on MAPK signaling. Moreover, it seems that TRPV1 function might be important for neuronal and synaptic maturation in the retina.
Ontogenetic profile of ecto‐5′‐nucleotidase in rat brain synaptic plasma membranes
Authors: Stanojević Ivana , Bjelobaba Ivana , Nedeljković Nadežda , Drakulić Dunja , Petrović Snježana , Stojiljković Mirjana , Horvat Anica
Published: March 2011

Ecto‐5′‐nucleotidase (CD73; EC 3.1.3.5, e‐5NT) is regarded as the key enzyme in the extracellular formation of adenosine, which acts as a neuromodulator and important trophic and homeostatic factor in the brain. In the present study, we have investigated e‐5NT activity, kinetic properties concerning AMP hydrolysis and the enzyme protein abundance in the purified synaptic plasma membrane (SPM) preparations isolated from whole female rat brain at different ages. We observed pronounced increase in AMP hydrolyzing activity in SPM during maturation, with greatest increment between juvenile (15‐day‐old) and pre‐pubertal (30‐day‐old) rats. Immunodetection of e‐5NT protein in the SPM displayed the reverse pattern of expression, with the maximum relative abundance at juvenile and minimum relative abundance in the adult stage. Negative correlation between the enzyme activity and the enzyme protein abundance in the SPM indicates that e‐5NT has additional roles in the synaptic compartment during postnatal brain development, other than those related to AMP hydrolysis. Determination of kinetic parameters, Km and Vmax, suggested that the increase in the enzyme activity with maturation was entirely due to the increase in the enzyme catalytic efficiency (Vmax/Km). Finally, double immunofluorescence staining against e‐5NT and presynaptic membrane marker syntaxin provided first direct evidence for the existence of this ecto‐enzyme in the presynaptic compartment. The results of the study suggest that e‐5NT may be a part of general scheme of brain development and synapse maturation and provide rationale for the previously reported inconsistencies between enzyme immunohistochemical and biochemical studies concerning localization of e‐5NT in the brain.
Comparative study of dexamethasone and ondansetron for prophylaxis of postoperative nausea and vomiting in laparoscopic gynecologic surgery
Authors: D'souza Nita , Swami Mohan , Bhagwat Shama
Published: March 2011

Objective

To compare intravenous dexamethasone and ondansetron for the prophylaxis of postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV), a main complaint that affects almost 40%–75% of patients undergoing laparoscopic gynecologic surgery.

Methods

In a prospective study, 93 women were divided into 3 groups receiving 4 mg of dexamethasone, 8 mg of dexamethasone, or 4 mg of ondansetron. PONV score was used for assessment during the first 24 hours after surgery.

Results

The incidence of PONV during the 24‐hour postoperative period was highest in the ondansetron group (61%). In the first 3 hours, the incidence of PONV in the ondansetron group was also higher: 51.6% as compared with 22.6% and 36.6% in the dexamethasone 4 mg and 8 mg groups, respectively. The overall incidence of PONV was highest in the first 3 hours as compared with later time periods, and there was a linear trend in decreasing PONV among the groups (P = 0.017). In the dexamethasone 4 mg group, the request for a rescue antiemetic was significantly lower: 0% as compared with 6.7% and 16.1% in the dexamethasone 8 mg and ondansetron 4 mg groups, respectively.

Conclusion

Dexamethasone was found to be an efficacious and cost‐effective drug for the prophylaxis of PONV.
Intracranial atherosclerosis as a contributing factor to Alzheimer's disease dementia
Authors: Roher Alex E. , Tyas Suzanne L. , Maarouf Chera L. , Daugs Ian D. , Kokjohn Tyler A. , Emmerling Mark R. , Garami Zsolt , Belohlavek Marek , Sabbagh Marwan N. , Sue Lucia I. , Beach Thomas G.
Published: March 2011

Background

A substantial body of evidence collected from epidemiologic, correlative, and experimental studies strongly associates atherosclerotic vascular disease (AVD) with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Depending on the precise interrelationship between AVD and AD, systematic application of interventions used to maintain vascular health and function as a component of standard AD therapy offers the prospect of mitigating the presently inexorable course of dementia. To assess this hypothesis, it is vital to rigorously establish the measures of AVD that are most strongly associated with an AD diagnosis.

Methods

A precise neuropathological diagnosis was established for all subjects, using a battery of genetic, clinical, and histological methods. The severity of atherosclerosis in the circle of Willis was quantified by direct digitized measurement of arterial occlusion in postmortem specimens and was compared between AD and nondemented control groups by calculating a corresponding index of occlusion.

Results

Atherosclerotic occlusion of the circle of Willis arteries was more extensive in the AD group than in the nondemented control group. Statistically significant differences were also observed between control and AD groups with regard to Braak stage, total plaque score, total neurofibrillary tangle score, total white matter rarefaction score, brain weight, Mini‐Mental State Examination scores, and apolipoprotein E allelic frequencies.

Conclusions

Our results, combined with a consideration of the multifaceted effects of impaired cerebral circulation, suggest an immediate need for prospective clinical trials to assess the efficacy of AD prevention using antiatherosclerotic agents.
If money does not make you happy, consider time
Authors: Aaker Jennifer L. , Rudd Melanie , Mogilner Cassie
Published: March 2011

Although a substantial amount of research has examined the link between money and happiness, far less has examined the link between time and happiness. This paper argues, however, that time plays a critical role in understanding happiness, and it complements the money‐spending happiness principles in Dunn, Gilbert, and Wilson (2011) by offering five time‐spending happiness principles: 1) spend time with the right people; 2) spend time on the right activities; 3) enjoy the experience without spending the time; 4) expand your time; and 5) be aware that happiness changes over time.
Happiness and thrift: When (spending) less is (hedonically) more
Authors: Chancellor Joseph , Lyubomirsky Sonja
Published: March 2011

The authors respond to Dunn, Gilbert, and Wilson (2011) and offer additional ideas about how to apply the virtue of thrift to obtain greater affective benefit from spending less. Materialism and over‐consumption is damaging for the individual, the economy, and the environment. Over consumption is understandable in light of hedonic adaptation, where the happiness arising from a positive change erodes via two key pathways: diminishing positive emotions and rising aspirations. In the U.S., hedonic adaptation encourages overspending and indebtedness. The practice of thrift is the wise and efficient use of resources, and there are many thrifty proponents and adherents throughout history ‐‐including Socrates, King Solomon, Confucius, Benjamin Franklin, and today, Warren Buffett. Studies suggest that individuals would spend less and derive more hedonic benefit by eliminating distressing debts, stretching positive experiences through appreciation and savoring, recycling positive experiences via variety and reminiscing, renting instead of buying, and resolutely focusing on intrinsic goals over extrinsic ones. With a strong financial foundation and the skills to make the most of positive changes, more Americans would be able to thrive financially and emotionally in challenging economic times, while contributing less to the perilous circumstances that led to these challenging times in the first place.
A 500 yr speleothem-derived reconstruction of late autumn–winter precipitation, northeast Turkey
Authors: Jex Catherine N. , Baker Andy , Eden Jonathan M. , Eastwood Warren J. , Fairchild Ian J. , Leng Melanie J. , Thomas Louise , Sloane Hilary J.
Published: March 2011

A verified instrumental calibration of annually resolved δ18O for a stalagmite from Gümüşhane in northeast Turkey is presented and cross-validated using a ‘leave-one-out’ technique. The amount of late autumn to winter precipitation is negatively correlated with stalagmite δ18O between AD 1938 and 2004. The observed relationship is extrapolated back to ~ AD 1500 leading to the first long winter precipitation reconstruction for this region. Modern day October to January precipitation is linked to pressure fields in Western Russia. Anomalously lower reconstructed rainfall is recorded in AD 1540–1560 at which time higher pressure over the Caspian Sea region is inferred.
Transnational Radicals: Labour Dissent and Political Activism in Detroit and Turin (1950–1970)
Authors: Pizzolato Nicola
Published: March 2011

This article investigates the entangled histories of radicals in Detroit and Turin who challenged capitalism in ways that departed from “orthodox” Marxism. Starting from the 1950s, small but influential groups of labour radicals, such as Correspondence in Detroit and Quaderni Rossi in Turin, circulated ideas that questioned the Fordist system in a drastic way. These radicals saw the car factories as laboratories for a possible “autonomist” working-class activity that could take over industrial production and overhaul the societal system. They criticized the usefulness of the unions and urged workers to develop their own forms of collective organization. These links were rekindled during the intense working-class mobilization of the late 1960s, when younger radicals would also engage in a dialogue across national boundaries that influenced each other's interpretation of the local context. These transnational connections, well-known to contemporaries but ignored by historians, show how American events and debates were influenced by, and impinged on, distant countries, and how local activists imagined their political identity as encompassing struggles occurring elsewhere.
Starving Strikers and the Limits of the “Humanitarian Discovery of Hunger” in Late Victorian Britain
Authors: Croll Andy
Published: March 2011

By the late nineteenth century, the hungry increasingly found themselves constructed as objects of compassion. However, there were real limits to the “humanitarian discovery of hunger”. Not every famished body was understood as deserving of sympathy. Compassionate citizens were particularly troubled by the mass distress that often accompanied lengthy strikes. How should they respond to such hunger? A study of newspaper representations of strike-induced hunger reveals that a gendered discourse evolved which repeatedly concentrated attention on the starving “innocents”: the wives and children of male strikers. The discourse was apparently apolitical but, in truth, it was nothing of the sort. It adjudged the “innocents” worthy recipients of food aid, whilst frequently ignoring the hunger of the striking male and denying him support. Labour leaders had to choose their words carefully if they were to get his suffering recognized.
Parasite-insect interactions: reciprocal manipulation
Authors: Hurd Hilary , Lane Richard
Published: March 2011

It is probably a truism to say that what seems to be a single organism is, in fact, an assemblage of organisms – for there can hardly be an individual living outside a specialized laboratory that does not have commensals or parasites living within. The insects, the most diverse and numerous group of organisms on earth are no exception, and with micro- and macro-parasites from a wide range of taxa generate a remarkable range of interspecific associations. In some cases the insect is the sole host, in others it is an intermediate host or vector. It is the latter relationship which attracts much attention when insects and arachnids transmit infectious agents to humans, their animals or crops. Knowledge of the parasites of insects provides us with an opportunity to develop novel control methods for pests. Despite the diverse and widespread nature of insect infections, their impact on human well-being and the opportunity they give us to understand the complexity of the natural world, the subject remains a surprisingly neglected field. In this volume we endeavour to draw the veil from the 'black-box' approach to the insect stages of parasite life cycles to reveal some of the complexities of these relationships and how they are currently being analysed.
Modulation of immune responses to parasitoids by polydnaviruses
Authors: Beckage N. E.
Published: March 2011

Parasitoids are parasites that invariably kill their host. Polydnaviruses are injected by parasitoid wasps into the body cavity of their insect host and cause immunosuppression, allowing the parasitoid to develop in the absence of encapsulation. One of the targets of the polydnaviruses are the haemocytes of the host, which undergo significant changes in response to entry of the virus. In some systems, haemocyte apoptosis is induced, or haemocyte clumping may be seen; in others, the cells round up and fail to adhere to a substrate. Effects on haemocytes may be transitory or permanent (cell death). Various polydnavirus gene products have been identified that interfere with normal haemocyte function. Phenoloxidase activity also is inhibited during parasitism, and the effect is inducible by polydnavirus. In some systems, venom components may act synergistically with polydnavirus in mediating the virally-induced effects on the host immune system. Polydnaviruses are powerful influences on the host immune system, which serve to permit successful development of the parasitoid without triggering the host immune response.
The evolution of parasite manipulation of host behaviour: a theoretical analysis
Authors: Poulin R.
Published: March 2011

Parasite-induced modifications of host behaviour are known from a wide range of host-parasite associations. In many cases, these behavioural changes are thought to be adaptive and. benefit the parasite by increasing its probability of successful transmission. However, in many cases, energy spent on host manipulation will not be available for other functions, such as growth. These trade-offs suggest that in the absence of other constraints, natural selection will optimize, and not maximize, the influence of parasites on host behaviour. This argument is developed and expanded into theoretical considerations of the evolution of host behaviour manipulation by parasites. Among populations of the same parasite species or among closely-related species, the optimal investment into manipulation, or optimal manipulative effort (ME*), of individual parasites is predicted to increase as (1) typical infrapopulation size decreases, (2) prevalence increases, (3) the longevity of the infected host, or of the parasite in its host, decreases, (4) passive transmission rates decrease, and (5) parasite fecundity decreases. This evolutionary analysis indicates that ecological and life history variables may have played an important role in the evolution of manipulation of host behaviour by parasites.
The playful is political: The metapragmatics of internet rape-joke arguments
Authors: Kramer Elise
Published: March 2011

Rape jokes are a contentious topic on the internet; arguments over whether “rape is funny” unfold in a diverse range of forums, but they generally take the same predictable form. In this article, I analyze the text of a variety of disputes on American websites over the funniness of rape jokes. I show not only that both sides of these arguments are premised on the same underlying assumptions about the ways that humor and language function, but more importantly that these shared assumptions make it possible for rape humor (and humor more generally) to carry social and political valence—and that in order to understand the significance of the debate over rape jokes, we need to understand the identity work that people are doing when they tell rape jokes, laugh at them, or frown and shake their heads. (Humor, language ideologies, rape, joking)*
Relative linguistic homogeneity in a new society: The case of Iceland
Authors: Leonard Stephen Pax
Published: March 2011

The language of a speech community can only act as an identity marker for all of its speakers if linguistic norms are widely shared and if a minimal number of language varieties are spoken. This article examines briefly how a linguistic norm came to serve the whole of Iceland and how a situation of relative linguistic homogeneity was maintained for centuries. Sociolinguistic theory tells us that the speech community that we can reconstruct for early Iceland should lead to the establishment and maintenance oflocalnorms. However, Iceland, arguably monodialectal, was certainly characterized by long-term linguistic homogeneity and remained a society where nucleated settlements barely formed over a thousand-year period. Scholars have argued that a mixture of dialects leveled shortly after the settlement of Iceland in the ninth century (Settlement). Studies show that dialect leveling requires dialect mixing, the convergence of people on one place, and sustained linguistic contact between the speakers. The settlement pattern of Iceland is indicative of population divergence (not convergence) and there is limited evidence ofsustainedcontact. It is therefore proposed that the dialect leveling might be linked instead with significant population movements and social upheaval in mainland Scandinavia in the immediate pre-Viking period. The variety of Norse that was taken westward across the Atlantic might itself already have been the result of several earlier stages of mixing and koineization. It is only by combining linguistic, historical, and archaeological knowledge that this problem of how one linguistic norm came to serve the whole of Iceland can be understood.
The comparison of the elements for the homogenizing charged particle irradiation
Authors: Li J.H. , Ren X.Y.
Published: March 2011

Particle beams with uniform and well-confined intensity distributions are desirable in some high power beam applications to prolong the target lifetime or to improve the beam utilization. Three kinds of elements had been proposed for the beam homogenizing, such as octupole, pole-piece magnet, and step-like nonlinear magnets. In this paper, the new type of elements called heteromorphic quadrupole and focus sextupole are proposed. The Gaussian-like multiparticle beam redistribution by the octupole, heteromophic quadrupole, step-like nonlinear magnets, and focus sextupole has been simulated by the POISSON and LEADS code. The best redistribution result is obtained by the focus sextupole, and one of the solutions of redistributing beam with big halo can be that of using the focus sextupole and the heteromorphic quadrupole.
Kα radiation from low charge chlorine heated by an ion beam for cold dense plasma diagnostics
Authors: Kawamura Tohru , Horioka Kazuhiko , Koike Fumihiro
Published: March 2011

Kα radiation from low charge chlorine is examined for cold dense plasma diagnostics. A relativistic atomic structure calculation shows that the transition energies of Kα lines are slightly shifted to a higher-energy side according to the degree of M-shell ionization. Total spectral shift from Cl+ Kα lines up to those with a fully stripped M-shell is about 10 eV. With an assumption that collisional-radiative-equilibrium is valid, spectral calculations were carried out for a C2H3Cl-plasma heated by an ion beam, and clear deformation among spectral line-shapes is found in the range of the electron temperatures of ≤~ 30 eV. Contribution to the composite spectra of Kα lines with an excited electron in the outer-shell is also briefly discussed. Cl-Kα lines with M-shell electrons can be expected to give us distinct understandings for energy deposition by an ion beam in cold dense plasma.
Revealing of hydrodynamic and electrostatic factors in the center-of-mass velocity of an expanding plasma generated by pulsed laser ablation
Authors: Krása J. , Lorusso A. , Nassisi V. , Velardi L. , Velyhan A.
Published: March 2011

Time-of-flight spectra of C, Fe, and Si ions produced with the use of a KrF excimer laser have been analyzed. Ion currents were collected by Faraday cups and their responses were analyzed using a detector signal function. This function was derived from shifted Maxwell-Boltzmann velocity distribution, in order to uncover the contribution of partial currents of all the ionized species constituting the expanding plasma plume. The deconvolution method allowed to estimate parameters of the plasma, such as the ion temperature and the center-of-mass velocities of expanding ionized species. Furthermore, the linear charge-state dependence of the center-of-mass velocity has revealed the contribution of hydrodynamic and electrostatic forces to the expansion velocity of the plasma. The nearly isotropic distribution of the center-of-mass velocity indicates that the shape of the plasma plume is determined mainly by the angular distribution of the ionization degree of ions.
Iterated distributive laws
Authors: CHENG EUGENIA
Published: March 2011

We give a framework for combining n monads on the same category via distributive laws satisfying Yang–Baxter equations, extending the classical result of Beck which combines two monads via one distributive law. We show that this corresponds to iterating n-times the process of taking the 2-category of monads in a 2-category, extending the result of Street characterising distributive laws. We show that this framework can be used to construct the free strict n-category monad on n-dimensional globular sets; we first construct for each i a monad for composition along bounding i-cells, and then we show that the interchange laws define distributive laws between these monads, satisfying the necessary Yang–Baxter equations.
Participation of the 39-kDa glycoprotein (gp39) of the vitelline envelope ofBufo arenarumeggs in sperm–egg interaction
Authors: Barrera Daniel , Llanos Ricardo J. , Miceli Dora C.
Published: March 2011

The acquisition of egg fertilizability inBufo arenarumtakes place during the oviductal transit and during this process the extracellular coelomic envelope (CE) of the eggs is converted into the vitelline envelope (VE). It has been stated that one of the necessary events leading to a fertilizable state is the proteolytic cleavage of CE glycoproteins in the oviductal pars recta by oviductin, a serine protease. Consequently, there is a marked increase in the relative quantity of glycoproteins with 39 (gp39) and 42 kDa (gp42) in the VE. In the present study, sperm–VE binding assays using heat-solubilized biotin-conjugated VE glycoproteins revealed that both gp39 and gp42 have sperm binding capacity. According to this result, our study was focused on gp39, a glycoprotein that we have previously reported as a homologue of mammalian ZPC. For this purpose, rabbit polyclonal antibodies against gp39 were generated at our laboratory. The specificity of the antibodies was confirmed with western blot of VE glycoproteins separated on SDS-PAGE. Immunohistochemical and immunoelectron studies showed gp39 distributed throughout the width of the VE. In addition, immunofluorescence assays probed that gp39 bound to the sperm head. Finally, as an approach to elucidate the possible involvement of gp39 in fertilization, inhibition assays showed that pretreatment of eggs with antibodies against gp39 generated a significant decrease in the fertilization rate. Therefore, our findings suggest that gp39, which is modified by oviductal action, participates as a VE glycoprotein ligand for sperm inBufo arenarumfertilization.