bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Use of Diagnostic Decision Support Systems in Medical Education
Authors: McGowan J. J. , Berner E. S.
Published: April 2010

Background: Diagnostic decision support systems are designed to assist physicians with making diagnoses. This article illustrates some of the issues that will be faced as diagnostic decision support systems become used in medical education.

Objectives: The objectives of this article are to examine 1) the skills that are needed to properly use these programs as part of the students’ clinical experiences; 2) the changes that will be necessary in our curricula once these programs are more extensively utilized, including the implications of using these systems as an educational resource or simulation tool, and 3) the research issues that arise when these systems become an established part of our educational programs.

Methods: This is a critical analysis of the literature on diagnostic decision support systems and medical education.

Results: To optimally use diagnostic decision support programs, students will need grounding in the basic knowledge and skills that have always been necessary to become a physician, such as the ability to accurately gather and interpret clinical information from the patient. In addition, students will need specific skills in 1) selecting appropriate system vocabulary and functions, and 2) applying the diagnostic system’s suggestions to their particular patient.

Conclusions: When computer-based decision support systems are incorporated in medical education, they will likely lead to changes in the traditional medical curriculum. Research will be needed on how use of these programs changes the students’ knowledge, problem-solving and information-seeking skills.
Automating Individualized Coaching and Authentic Role-play Practice for Brief Intervention Training
Authors: Saker R. , Amano K. , Hayes-Roth B.
Published: April 2010

Objectives: Brief intervention helps to reduce alcohol abuse, but there is a need for accessible, cost-effective training of clinicians. This study evaluated STAR Workshop, a web-based training system that automates efficacious techniques for individualized coaching and authentic role-play practice.

Methods: We compared STAR Workshop to a web-based, self-guided e-book and a no-treatment control, for training the Engage for Change (E4C) brief intervention protocol. Subjects were medical and nursing students. Brief written skill probes tested subjects’ performance of individual protocol steps, in different clinical scenarios, at three test times: pre-training, post-training, and post-delay (two weeks). Subjects also did live phone interviews with a standardized patient, post-delay.

Results: STAR subjects performed significantly better than both other groups. They showed significantly greater improvement from pre-training probes to post-training and post-delay probes. They scored significantly higher on post-delay phone interviews.

Conclusion: STAR Workshop appears to be an accessible, cost-effective approach for training students to use the E4C protocol for brief intervention in alcohol abuse. It may also be useful for training other clinical interviewing protocols.
MedSkills: a Learning Environment for Evidence-based Medical Skills
Authors: Nyssen M. , Buyl R.
Published: April 2010

Objectives: EBP (evidence-based practice) is becoming the standard paradigm in modern healthcare. Therefore different healthcare providers have the need for easily accessible evidence-based information. The Internet creates new opportunities to fill the gaps in education that are experienced by healthcare workers. Contributing to solutions and filling in the needs in the above-mentioned scope, the University of Brussels initiated a European project called MedSkills in 2004.

Methods: MedSkills’ main goal was to create a copyright-free reference work containing valuable evidence-based information on medical skills for all levels of healthcare professionals (paramedics, nurses and physicians, teachers of medical skills and students).

Results: We succeeded in designing and creating a framework to suit the requirements of different users, in ‘cellular’, ‘organ’, ‘body’ and ‘best treatment’ content maps. A wiki tool was installed to allow the project to be built and in order to maintain itself.

Conclusions: This multi-professional and international initiative, unique in its kind aims at contributing to a gold standard for European healthcare, via the creation of a freely available, consistent and updatable evidence-based teaching environment.
Purification of Mouse Bone Marrow-Derived Stem Cells Promotes Ex Vivo Neuronal Differentiation
Authors: Jamous Mohammad , Al-Zoubi Adeeb , Khabaz Mohamad Nidal , Khaledi Rana , Khateeb Mohammad Al , Al-Zoubi Zaid
Published: April 2010

The main objective of this study is to test the potential of specific populations of mouse bone marrow-derived stem cells (BMSCs) to differentiate into the neuronal cell lineage. Bone marrow of 33 mice was aspirated under general anesthesia. The collected marrows were analyzed for cell counts, compositions, and percentages of different stem cell types. We used the Midi MACS magnetic separator to purify specific populations of stem cells from the aspirated bone marrow. Cells were analyzed using flow cytometry. We assessed the presence of stem cell antigen-1 (Sca-1+) and prominin-1+ cells in the cellular fraction that was depleted of lineage-committed cells (lineage-). Both purified and nonpurified cells were cultured ex vivo using specific growth media with factors that drive the cells to differentiate into the neuroglial cell types. Cells were then analyzed by flow cytometry for expression of specific neuronal markers. Our results showed that there was an increase of Sca-1+ and prominin-1+ cells in the lineage- fraction over the unpurified BM. After lineage depletion, the percentages of Sca-1+ and prominin-1+ cells increased from 4.9% and 2.6%, up to 76.1% and 59%, respectively. Unpurified mouse BM differentiated into fibroblasts, whereas Sca-1+ cells were able to generate astrocytes. Interestingly, purified prominin-1+ cells were able to generate neuronal cells. Purification of adult bone marrow-derived stem cells enhances their potentiality for differentiating into specific neuronal cell lineages.
Death of Axotomized Retinal Ganglion Cells Delayed after Intraoptic Nerve Transplantation of Olfactory Ensheathing Cells in Adult Rats
Authors: Wu Ming-Mei , Fan De-Gang , Tadmori Iman , Yang Hao , Furman Maya , Jiao Xi-Ying , Young Wise , Sun Dongming , You Si-Wei
Published: April 2010

Intraorbital transection of the optic nerve (ON) always induces ultimate apoptosis of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) and consequently irreversible defects of vision function. It was demonstrated that transplanted olfactory ensheathing cells (OECs) in partially injured spinal cord have a distant in vivo neuroprotective effect on descending cortical and brain stem neurons. However, this study gave no answers to the question whether OECs can protect the central sensitive neurons with a closer axonal injury because different neurons respond variously to similar axonal injury and the distance between the neuronal soma and axonal injury site has a definite effect on the severity of neuronal response and apoptosis. In the present study, we investigated the effect of transplanted OECs on RGCs after intraorbital ON transection in adult rats. Green fluorescent protein (GFP)-OECs were injected into the ocular stumps of transected ON and a significantly higher number of surviving RGCs was found together with a consistent marked increase in the mRNA and protein levels of BDNF in the ON stump and retina in the OEC-treated group at 7 days, but not 2 and 14 days, time point when compared to the control group. Our findings suggest that OEC transplantation induces the expression of BDNF in the ocular ON stump and retina and delays the death of axotomized RGCs at a certain survival period.
Bolete diversity in two relict forests of the Mexican beech (Fagus grandifolia var. mexicana; Fagaceae)
Authors: Rodríguez‐Ramírez Ernesto Ch. , Moreno Claudia E.
Published: April 2010

The current distribution of the endangered Mexican beech [Fagus grandifolia var. mexicana (Martinez) Little] is restricted to relict isolated populations in small remnants of montane cloud forest in northeastern Mexico, and little is known about its associated biota. We sampled bolete diversity in two of these monospecific forests in the state of Hidalgo, Mexico. We compared alpha diversity, including species richness and ensemble structure, and analyzed beta diversity (dissimilarity in species composition) between forests. We found 26 bolete species, five of which are probably new. Species diversity and evenness were similar between forests. Beta diversity was low, and the similarities of bolete samples from within and between forests were not significantly different. These results support the idea that the two forests share a single bolete ensemble with a common history. In contrast, cumulative species richness differed between the forests, implying that factors other than the mere presence of the host species have contributed to shaping the biodiversity of ectomycorrhizal fungi in relict Mexican beech forests.
Population dynamics ofEmpetrum hermaphroditum(Ericaceae) on a subarctic sand dune: Evidence of rapid colonization through efficient sexual reproduction
Authors: Boudreau Stéphane , Ropars Pascale , Harper Karen Amanda
Published: April 2010

The importance of sexual reproduction for clonal plant species has long been underestimated, perhaps as a consequence of the difficulty in identifying individuals, preventing the study of their population dynamics. Such is the case forEmpetrum hermaphroditum, an ericaceous species, which dominates the ground vegetation of subarctic ecosystems. Despite abundant seed production, seedlings are rarely observed. Therefore, prevalent seedling recruitment on a subarctic dune system provided an opportunity to study the population dynamics and spatial pattern of the colonization phase of this species. We established a 6‐ha grid on the dune systems that extended from the shoreline to the fixed dunes and mapped and measured allE. hermaphroditumindividuals in the grid. Moreover, we sampled 112 individuals just outside the grid to identify any allometric relationship between the size and age of the individuals, which allowed us to reconstruct population expansion. The overall size structure suggests that the population is still expanding. In the last 50 yr,E. hermaphroditumadvanced more than 200 m in the dune system. Expansion started in the 1960s simultaneously at different distances from the shoreline. Colonization did not proceed gradually from the fixed dune toward the shoreline but instead individuals established earlier in the troughs between the dunes, with an increasingly clumped spatial pattern as the population filled in with time.
La eficiencia a escala industrial de un modelo termodinámico para eliminar el azufre en los aceros calmados con aluminio utilizando escorias del sistema CaO-MgO-Al2O3-SiO2.
Authors: Nita P. S. , Butnariu I. , Constantin N.
Published: April 2010

En este trabajo se presentan los resultados de algunos ensayos de desulfuración en cuchara, llevados a cabo a escala industrial, para aceros con bajo contenido en carbono, de baja aleación y calmados con aluminio, utilizando escorias basicás y corriente de argón. Las principales variables del tratamiento se han establecido sobre la base de un modelo termodinámico que incluye parámetros como la capacitad de captación de azufre por las escorias, la basicidad óptica de los óxidos y de las escorias , las actividades de los óxidos en las escorias y las actividades de los elementos en el acero liquido. Los contenidos de azufre al final de tratamiento están cerca de los valores predichos por el modelo. Los bajos niveles de azufre alcanzados en el proceso, facilitan el posterior tratamiento con calcio para modificar las inclusiones. Se presenta, finalmente, una evaluación de los efectos derivados de la reoxidación del fundido sobre los principales indicadores que muestran la eficiencia del tratamiento de desulfuración aplicado.
Efecto de la biopelícula en la corrosión de aceros inoxidables
Authors: Bethencourt M. , García de Lomas J. , Corzo A. , Villahermosa D. , Matres V.
Published: April 2010

En este trabajo se ha estudiado la influencia de las biopelículas en los procesos de corrosión de diferentes aleaciones de acero inoxidable, situadas durante 4 años en dos puntos de una estación depuradora de aguas residuales. Se caracterizó el microambiente físico-químico en el interior de las biopelículas mediante microelectrodos de O2, H2S y pH, y se cuantificaron las tasas de corrosión a partir del número, diámetro y profundidad de picadura. Los resultados obtenidos muestran un desarrollo más notable de las biopelículas y un número de picaduras significativamente mayor en el canal de salida de desbastes que en el canal de recirculación de fangos. Con base en las características del agua sobrenadante y en las medidas realizadas con microelectrodos, se sugiere que la biopelícula induce la corrosión a través de tres posibles mecanismos: creación de celdas de aireación diferencial, zonas con diferente pH y zonas con elevada producción de sulfuro capaz de reaccionar con iones metálicos.
Resolución espacial en la ablación láser acoplada a la espectrometría de masas con fuente de plasma de acoplamiento inductivo.
Authors: Coedo A. G. , Dorado M. T.
Published: April 2010

La ablación láser como sistema de introducción de muestra a la espectrometría de masas con fuente de plasma de acoplamiento inductivo (LA-ICP-MS) ofrece la posibilidad de conocer la distribución espacial de los elementos. Variando la posición del haz láser sobre la superficie, se obtiene el perfil de la distribución lateral de elementos y, haciendo incidir sucesivos pulsos sobre un punto fijo, se obtiene el perfil de concentraciones en profundidad. Después de optimizar los parámetros operatorios se ha aplicado la técnica a muestras con distintas composiciones tanto en superficie como en profundidad. Con relación a la resolución lateral se ha comprobado que en una longitud similar al diámetro del cráter del haz láser, las señales de los elementos presentes aparecen mezcladas lo que dificulta establecer con precisión la interfase. En cuanto a la resolución en profundidad se establece claramente la influencia de la abundancia natural de los isótopos medidos.
Tratamientos químicos de conversión para la protección de magnesio biodegradable en aplicaciones temporales de reparación ósea
Authors: Carboneras M. , Hernández-Alvarado L. A. , Mireles Y. E. , Hernández L. S. , García-Alonso M. C. , Escudero M. L.
Published: April 2010

El presente estudio se desarrolló para mejorar la resistencia a la corrosión del magnesio puro, modificando su superficie mediante recubrimientos de conversión química. Se generaron capas de carbonato y fluoruro por inmersión en soluciones de NaHCO3 al 9 % y de HF al 48 %, respectivamente. La resistencia a la corrosión de las muestras con recubrimiento se evaluó en comparación con la del sustrato desnudo mediante técnicas electroquímicas en una solución fisiológica (PBS). Los resultados obtenidos han mostrado que el recubrimiento de carbonato no es capaz de proteger de la degradación al sustrato de magnesio. Por el contrario, el recubrimiento de fluoruro ha demostrado aumentar, significativamente, la resistencia a la corrosión del magnesio en medio fisiológico. La alta compacidad y adherencia al sustrato metálico de la capa de MgF2 generada mediante este sencillo tratamiento de conversión química confieren al recubrimiento buenas propiedades protectoras.
CCR2 Plays a Critical Role in Dendritic Cell Maturation: Possible Role of CCL2 and NF-κB
Authors: Jimenez Fabio , Quinones Marlon P. , Martinez Hernan G. , Estrada Carlos A. , Clark Kassandra , Garavito Edgar , Ibarra Jessica , Melby Peter C. , Ahuja Seema S.
Published: April 2010

We postulated that CCR2-driven activation of the transcription factor NF-κB plays a critical role in dendritic cell (DC) maturation (e.g., migration, costimulation, and IL-12p70 production), necessary for the generation of protective immune responses against the intracellular pathogen Leishmania major. Supporting this notion, we found that CCR2, its ligand CCL2, and NF-κB were required for CCL19 production and adequate Langerhans cell (LC) migration both ex vivo and in vivo. Furthermore, a role for CCR2 in upregulating costimulatory molecules was indicated by the reduced expression of CD80, CD86, and CD40 in Ccr2−/− bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (BMDCs) compared with wild-type (WT) BMDCs. Four lines of evidence suggested that CCR2 plays a critical role in the induction of protective immunity against L. major by regulating IL-12p70 production and migration of DC populations such as LCs. First, compared with WT, Ccr2−/− lymph node cells, splenocytes, BMDCs, and LCs produced lower levels of IL-12p70 following stimulation with LPS/IFN-γ or L. major. Second, a reduced number of LCs carried L. major from the skin to the draining lymph nodes in Ccr2−/− mice compared with WT mice. Third, early treatment with exogenous IL-12 reversed the susceptibility to L. major infection in Ccr2−/− mice. Finally, disruption of IL-12p70 in radioresistant cells, such as LCs, but not in BMDCs resulted in the inability to mount a fully protective immune response in bone marrow chimeric mice. Collectively, our data point to an important role for CCR2-driven activation of NF-κB in the regulation of DC/LC maturation processes that regulate protective immunity against intracellular pathogens.
Persistent Chronic Inflammation and Infection by Chikungunya Arthritogenic Alphavirus in Spite of a Robust Host Immune Response
Authors: Hoarau Jean-Jacques , Jaffar Bandjee Marie-Christine , Krejbich Trotot Pascale , Das Trina , Li-Pat-Yuen Ghislaine , Dassa Bérengère , Denizot Mélanie , Guichard Elsa , Ribera Anne , Henni Tawfiq , Tallet Frank , Moiton Marie Pierre , Gauzère Bernard Alex , Bruniquet Sandrine , Jaffar Bandjee Zaïnoul , Morbidelli Philippe , Martigny Gérard , Jolivet Michel , Gay Frederick , Grandadam Marc , Tolou Hugues , Vieillard Vincent , Debré Patrice , Autran Brigitte , Gasque Philippe
Published: April 2010

Alphaviruses, including Chikungunya virus (CHIKV), produce a transient illness in humans, but severe forms leading to chronic incapacitating arthralgia/arthritis have been reported by mechanisms largely ill-characterized. The pathogenesis of CHIKV was addressed in a prospective cohort study of 49 hospitalized patients from Reunion Island subsequently categorized into two distinct groups at 12 mo postinfection. Comprehensive analyses of the clinical and immunological parameters throughout the disease course were analyzed in either the “recovered” or the “chronic” groups to identify prognostic markers of arthritis-like pathology after CHIKV disease. We found that the chronic group consisted mainly of more elderly patients (>60 y) and with much higher viral loads (up to 1010 viruses per milliliter of blood) during the acute phase. Remarkably, a rapid innate immune antiviral response was demonstrated by robust dendritic/NK/CD4/CD8 cell activation and accompanied by a rather weak Th1/Th2 cytokine response in both groups. Interestingly, the antiviral immune response witnessed by high levels of IFN-α mRNA in PBMCs and circulating IL-12 persisted for months only in the chronic group. CHIKV (RNA and proteins) was found in perivascular synovial macrophages in one chronic patient 18 mo postinfection surrounded by infiltrating NK and T cells (CD4++ but rare cytotoxic CD8). Fibroblast hyperplasia, strong angiogenesis, tissue lesions given the high levels of matrix metalloproteinase 2, and acute cell death [high cleaved poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase staining] were observed in the injured synovial tissue. These observed cellular and molecular events may contribute to chronic arthralgia/arthritis targeted by methotrexate used empirically for effective treatment but with immunosuppressive function in a context of viral persistence.
Targeting Activation-Induced Cytidine Deaminase Overcome Tumor Evasion of Immunotherapy by CTLs
Authors: Liu Jin-Qing , Joshi Pramod S. , Wang Chuansong , El-Omrani Hani Y. , Xiao Yi , Liu Xiuping , Hagan John P. , Liu Chang-Gong , Wu Lai-Chu , Bai Xue-Feng
Published: April 2010

Activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) is an enzyme essential for the generation of Ab diversity in B cells and is considered to be a general gene mutator. In addition, AID expression was also implicated in the pathogenesis of human B cell malignancies and associated with poor prognosis. In this study, we report that small interfering RNA silencing of AID in plasmacytoma dramatically increased its susceptibility to immunotherapy by CTLs. AID silencing did not decrease the mutation frequencies of tumor Ag gene P1A. Gene-array analysis showed dramatically altered expression of a number of genes in AID-silenced plasmacytoma cells, and upregulation of CD200 was shown to be in favor of tumor eradication by CTLs. Taken together, we demonstrate a novel function of AID in tumor evasion of CTL therapy and that targeting AID should be beneficial in the immunotherapy of AID-positive tumors.
A Novel Promiscuous Class of Camelid Single-Domain Antibody Contributes to the Antigen-Binding Repertoire
Authors: Deschacht Nick , De Groeve Kurt , Vincke Cécile , Raes Geert , De Baetselier Patrick , Muyldermans Serge
Published: April 2010

It is well established that, in addition to conventional Abs, camelids (such as Camelus dromedarius and Lama glama) possess unique homodimeric H chain Abs (HCAbs) devoid of L chains. The Ag-binding site of these HCAbs consists of a single variable domain, referred to as VHH. It is widely accepted that these VHHs, with distinct framework-2 imprints evolved within the V(H) clan III-family 3, are exclusively present on HCAbs. In this study, we report the finding of a distinct leader signal sequence linked to variable genes displaying a high degree of homology to the clan II, human VH(4) family that contributes to the HCAb Ag-binding diversity. Although the VHH framework-2 imprints are clearly absent, their VH(4)-D-JH recombination products can be rearranged to the H chains of both classical and HCAbs. This suggests that for these V domains the presence of a L chain to constitute the Ag-binding site is entirely optional. As such, the capacity of this promiscuous VH(4) family to participate in two distinct Ab formats significantly contributes to the breadth of the camelid Ag-binding repertoire. This was illustrated by the isolation of stable, dendritic cell-specific VH(4) single domains from a VH(4)-HCAb phage display library. The high degree of homology with human VH(4) sequences is promising in that it may circumvent the need for “humanization” of such single-domain Abs in therapeutic applications.
Active Infection of Human Blood Monocytes by Chikungunya Virus Triggers an Innate Immune Response
Authors: Her Zhisheng , Malleret Benoit , Chan Monica , Ong Edward K. S. , Wong Siew-Cheng , Kwek Dyan J. C. , Tolou Hugues , Lin Raymond T. P. , Tambyah Paul Anantharajah , Rénia Laurent , Ng Lisa F. P.
Published: April 2010

Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is an alphavirus that causes chronic and incapacitating arthralgia in humans. To date, interactions between the immune system and the different stages of the virus life cycle remain poorly defined. We demonstrated for the first time that CHIKV Ags could be detected in vivo in the monocytes of acutely infected patients. Using in vitro experimental systems, whole blood and purified monocytes, we confirmed that monocytes could be infected and virus growth could be sustained. CHIKV interactions with monocytes, and with other blood leukocytes, induced a robust and rapid innate immune response with the production of specific chemokines and cytokines. In particular, high levels of IFN-α were produced rapidly after CHIKV incubation with monocytes. The identification of monocytes during the early phase of CHIKV infection in vivo is significant as infected monocyte/macrophage cells have been detected in the synovial tissues of chronically CHIKV-infected patients, and these cells may behave as the vehicles for virus dissemination. This may explain the persistence of joint symptoms despite the short duration of viremia. Our results provide a better understanding on the basic mechanisms of infection and early antiviral immune responses and will help in the development of future effective control strategies.
CD8 Locus Nuclear Dynamics during Thymocyte Development
Authors: Ktistaki Eleni , Garefalaki Anna , Williams Adam , Andrews Simon R. , Bell Donald M. , Foster Katie E. , Spilianakis Charalampos G. , Flavell Richard A. , Kosyakova Nadezda , Trifonov Vladmir , Liehr Thomas , Kioussis Dimitris
Published: April 2010

Nuclear architecture and chromatin reorganization have recently been shown to orchestrate gene expression and act as key players in developmental pathways. To investigate how regulatory elements in the mouse CD8 gene locus are arranged in space and in relation to each other, three-dimensional fluorescence in situ hybridization and chromosome conformation capture techniques were employed to monitor the repositioning of the locus in relation to its subchromosomal territory and to identify long-range interactions between the different elements during development. Our data demonstrate that CD8 gene expression in murine lymphocytes is accompanied by the relocation of the locus outside its subchromosomal territory. Similar observations in the CD4 locus point to a rather general phenomenon during T cell development. Furthermore, we show that this relocation of the CD8 gene locus is associated with a clustering of regulatory elements forming a tight active chromatin hub in CD8-expressing cells. In contrast, in nonexpressing cells, the gene remains close to the main body of its chromosomal domain and the regulatory elements appear not to interact with each other.
Correlation of Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology with Histopathology in the Diagnosis of Solitary Thyroid Nodule
Authors: Gupta Manoj , Gupta Savita , Gupta Ved Bhushan
Published: April 2010

Background. Fine needle aspiration cytology is considered the gold standard diagnostic test for the diagnosis of thyroid nodules. Fine needle aspiration cytology is a cost effective procedure that provides specific diagnosis rapidly with minimal complications. Based on the cytology findings, patients can be followed in cases of benign diagnosis and subjected to surgery in cases of malignant diagnosis thereby decreasing the rate of unnecessary surgery. Purpose of the present study was to correlate the fine needle aspiration cytology findings with histopathology of excised specimens.Material and Methods. This was a prospective study conducted on 75 consecutive patients between January 2003 and December 2005. All patients with clinically diagnosed solitary thyroid nodule who were clinically and biochemically euthyroid were included for study. Patients with multinodular goitre and who were hypothyroid or hyperthyroid were excluded from the study.Results. The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, false positive rate, false negative rate, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of FNAC for the diagnosis of neoplastic solitary thyroid nodules were 80%, 86.6%, 13.3%, 20%, 80%, and 86.6%, respectively. Commonest malignancy detected was papillary carcinoma in 12 patients.Conclusions. Fine needle aspiration cytology is a simple, easy to perform, cost effective, and easily repeated procedure for the diagnosis of thyroid cancer. It is recommended as the first line investigation for the diagnosis of solitary thyroid nodule.
Uniqueness of Brownian motion on Sierpiński carpets
Authors: Barlow Martin T. , Bass Richard F. , Kumagai Takashi , Teplyaev Alexander
Published: April 2010

We prove that, up to scalar multiples, there exists only one local regular Dirichlet form on a generalized Sierpinski carpet that is invariant with respect to the local symmetries of the carpet. Consequently for each such fractal the law of Brownian motion is uniquely determined and the Laplacian is well defined.
On nearly radial marginals of high-dimensional probability measures
Authors: Klartag Bo'az
Published: April 2010

Suppose that

μ

is an absolutely continuous probability measure on

ℝ^n

, for large

n

. Then

μ

has low-dimensional marginals that are approximately spherically-symmetric. More precisely, if

n ≥ (C/ε)^{Cd}

, then there exist

d

-dimensional marginals of

μ

that are

ε

-far from being spherically-symmetric, in an appropriate sense. Here

C > 0

is a universal constant.
Physical significance of the curvature varifold-based description of crack nucleation
Authors: Mariano Paolo Maria
Published: April 2010

The nucleation and/or growth of cracks in elastic-brittle solids has been recently described in [14] in terms of a special class of measures and with a variational technique requiring the minimization of a certain energy over classes of bodies. Here, the physical foundations of the theory and the basic ideas leading to it are described and commented further on. A view on certain possible developments and shifts toward different settings is also given. This article has expository character.
The effectiveness of various predictors of criminal careers
Authors: Osborn S.G. , West D.J.
Published: April 2010

Data accumulated from a long term follow up of a sample of normal boys is utilised to test the value of social background factors as predictors of a delinquency career extending into adult life. Classroom behaviour and criminality in the family are found to be effective predictors.

A search was made for factors that might distinguish between persisting recidivists and those whose conviction careers terminate after the 19th birthday. Apart from having fewer juvenile convictions, “temporary” recidivists were less likely to have come from criminal families or, at age 18, to display the social habits and attitudes typical of the delinquent section of the population.

Assessments of “antisociality”, based upon interview assessments at age 18, proved as predictive of reconvictions as official conviction history or self‐reported delinquency scores. It was concluded that youths' reported social habits are important indicators in the prognosis of a criminal career.

Latecomers to crime, convicted for the first time for offences after the 19th birthday, did not share the early background adversities found among other delinquents, but behavioural deviations were evident among them from an early age.
An analytic approach to work with families
Authors: Box Sally
Published: April 2010

I have attempted in this paper to explore some of the main elements in this approach to work with families, particularly in terms of how the therapists view the sessions with the family and try to respond to what the family brings to them. I have suggested that the therapist pair and the family represent two systems and that it is the task of the therapists to understand and interpret the way the different members of the family are feeling, the underlying preoccupations they share and their characteristic ways of coping with these. For this, they attempt to use their experience of the interactions within the clearly defined boundaries of a session.

I have tried to indicate a little of how the therapists draw upon their own immediate reactions as evidence in the process; and also to convey the importance we attach, in this way of working, to offering the family a way of thinking about difficulties and of approaching them—an approach to life in general, one might say.
EuGène-maize: a web site for maize gene prediction
Authors: Montalent Pierre , Joets Johann
Published: April 2010

Motivation:A large part of the maize B73 genome sequence is now available and emerging sequencing technologies will offer cheap and easy ways to sequence areas of interest from many other maize genotypes. One of the steps required to turn these sequences into valuable information is gene content prediction. To date, there is no publicly available gene predictor specifically trained for maize sequences. To this end, we have chosen to train the EuGène software that can combine several sources of evidence into a consolidated gene model prediction.

Availability:  http://genome.jouy.inra.fr/eugene/cgi-bin/eugene_form.pl

Contact:  joets@moulon.inra.fr

Supplementary information:  Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Novel statistical framework to identify differentially expressed genes allowing transcriptomic background differences
Authors: Ling Zhi-Qiang , Wang Yi , Mukaisho Kenichi , Hattori Takanori , Tatsuta Takeshi , Ge Ming-Hua , Jin Li , Mao Wei-Min , Sugihara Hiroyuki
Published: April 2010

Motivation: Tests of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) from microarray experiments are based on the null hypothesis that genes that are irrelevant to the phenotype/stimulus are expressed equally in the target and control samples. However, this strict hypothesis is not always true, as there can be several transcriptomic background differences between target and control samples, including different cell/tissue types, different cell cycle stages and different biological donors. These differences lead to increased false positives, which have little biological/medical significance.

Result: In this article, we propose a statistical framework to identify DEGs between target and control samples from expression microarray data allowing transcriptomic background differences between these samples by introducing a modified null hypothesis that the gene expression background difference is normally distributed. We use an iterative procedure to perform robust estimation of the null hypothesis and identify DEGs as outliers. We evaluated our method using our own triplicate microarray experiment, followed by validations with reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction (RT–PCR) and on the MicroArray Quality Control dataset. The evaluations suggest that our technique (i) results in less false positive and false negative results, as measured by the degree of agreement with RT–PCR of the same samples, (ii) can be applied to different microarray platforms and results in better reproducibility as measured by the degree of DEG identification concordance both intra- and inter-platforms and (iii) can be applied efficiently with only a few microarray replicates. Based on these evaluations, we propose that this method not only identifies more reliable and biologically/medically significant DEG, but also reduces the power-cost tradeoff problem in the microarray field.

Availability: Source code and binaries freely available for download at http://comonca.org.cn/fdca/resources/softwares/deg.zip

Contact:  sugihara@belle.shiga-med.ac.jp

Supplementary information:  Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Gastroprotective Properties of Karanjin from Karanja (Pongamia pinnata) Seeds; Role as Antioxidant and H+, K+‐ATPase Inhibitor
Authors: Vismaya  , Belagihally Srikanta M. , Rajashekhar Sindhu , Jayaram Vinay B. , Dharmesh Shylaja M. , Thirumakudalu Sindhu Kanya C.
Published: April 2010

Plant extracts are the most attractive sources of newer drugs and have been shown to produce promising results for the treatment of gastric ulcers. Karanjin, a furano‐flavonoid has been evaluated for anti‐ulcerogenic property by employing adult male albino rats. Karanjin (>95% pure) was administered to these rats in two different concentrations, that is, 10 and 20 mg kg−1 b.w. Ulcers were induced in the experimental animals by swim and ethanol stress. Serum, stomach and liver‐tissue homogenates were assessed for biochemical parameters. Karanjin inhibited 50 and 74% of ulcers induced by swim stress at 10 and 20 mg kg−1 b.w., respectively. Gastric mucin was protected up to 85% in case of swim stress, whereas only 47% mucin recovery was seen in ethanol stress induced ulcers. H+, K+‐ATPase activity, which was increased 2‐fold in ulcer conditions, was normalized by Karanjin in both swim/ethanol stress‐induced ulcer models. Karanjin could inhibit oxidative stress as evidenced by the normalization of lipid peroxidation and antioxidant enzyme (i.e., catalase, peroxidase and superoxide dismutase) levels. Karanjin at concentrations of 20 mg kg−1 b.w., when administered orally for 14 days, did not indicate any lethal effects. There were no significant differences in total protein, serum glutamate pyruvate transaminase, serum glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase and alkaline phosphatase between normal and Karanjin‐treated rats indicating no adverse effect on major organs. During treatment schedule, animals remained as healthy as control animals with normal food and water intake and body weight gain.
Placebo Analgesia, Acupuncture and Sham Surgery
Authors: Liu Tao , Yu Cui-ping
Published: April 2010

Invasive procedures, such as surgery and acupuncture, are likely better than the others in terms of eliciting placebo analgesia. Understanding how invasive procedures can elicit enhanced placebo responses may provide new insights into mechanisms underlying placebo analgesia. In this essay, it is argued that sensory, cognitive and emotional factors are major determinants of the magnitude of placebo analgesia. Sham surgery and acupuncture are good examples of placebo interventions, which generate robust placebo responses through simultaneously manipulating such three factors.
Dioscorea Phytocompounds Enhance Murine Splenocyte Proliferation Ex Vivo and Improve Regeneration of Bone Marrow Cells In Vivo
Authors: Su Pei-Fen , Li Chin-Jin , Hsu Chih-Chien , Benson Spencer , Wang Sheng-Yang , Aravindaram Kandan , Chan Sunney I. , Wu Shih-Hsiung , Yang Feng-Ling , Huang Wen-Ching , Shyur Lie-Fen , Yang Ning-Sun
Published: April 2010

Specific cytokines have been tested clinically for immunotherapy of cancers; however, cytotoxicity has often impaired their usefulness. Consequently, alternative approaches are increasingly desirable. Dioscorea spp. tuber is a widely used traditional Chinese medicinal herb claimed to confer immunostimulatory activity. In this study, we evaluated Dioscorea as an adjuvant therapy for use alongside chemotherapy for cancer. Phytocompounds from Dioscorea tubers were ethanol fractioned and used for ex vivo splenocyte proliferation assay or in vivo force‐feeding of mice pre‐treated with the chemotherapy agent 5‐fluorouracil. Co‐treatment with a 50–75% ethanol‐partitioned fraction of the tuber extract of D. batatas (DsCE‐II) and interleukin (IL)‐2 resulted in a significantly higher rate of murine splenocyte cell proliferation ex vivo than treatment with DsCE‐II or IL‐2 alone. This DsCE‐II fraction, which contains a polysaccharide with a high proportion of β‐1,4‐linkage mannose (≥64%), also promoted the regeneration of specific progenitor cell populations in damaged bone marrow tissues of 5‐fluorouracil‐treated mice. Colony‐forming unit (CFU) analyses demonstrated that the population of CFU‐GM cells, but not CFU‐GEMM or BFU‐E cells, preferentially recovered to ~67% in the bone marrow of immune‐suppressed mice fed with DsCE‐II. DsCE‐II efficacy level was ~85% of that obtained by subcutaneous administration of recombinant G‐CSF proteins (5 μg kg−1) in mice tested in parallel. This study suggests that the DsCE‐II fraction of D. batatas extract may be considered for further development as a dietary supplement for use alongside chemotherapy during cancer treatment.
Integrated change: creating synergy between leader and organizational development
Authors: Guidroz Ashley M. , Luce Karen W. , Denison Daniel R.
Published: April 2010

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to share with organizations a method for integrating organizational culture change and leadership development within one balanced corporate initiative.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper describes the benefits of organizational culture and leadership development, the steps taken to design such a program within a large, global manufacturing organization, and the benefits of the integrated program.

Findings

Integrating organizational culture with leadership development can help create a clear “line of sight” between the individual and the organization and builds broader accountability for the success of organizational change initiatives.

Practical implications

Integrated culture and leadership programs can be designed within any environment. This case study serves as an example to provide readers with ideas for how to create and implement similar programs in other organizations.

Originality/value

Kotter stresses the need for leadership in organizational change, however, few case studies have been published in this area that articulate how leadership and organizational development can be successfully integrated.
Service differentiation
Authors: Andreassen Tor W. , Lanseng Even J.
Published: April 2010

Purpose

Service‐dominant logic of marketing claims that employees' knowledge and skills are the firm's only sustainable advantage. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the importance of branding in attracting the right employees.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper employs the image congruency hypothesis and social norms from consumer behavior. To test the hypotheses empirically, it uses a scenario‐based survey of respondents recruited from job‐seeking graduate students.

Findings

Based on data sampled and analyzed, it finds that both image congruency between prospective employee and preferred employer and social norm weigh in when job seekers decide on the preferred employer.

Research limitations/implications

The paper tests the model only on first‐time job seekers. This group may have greater desire to find a job than employed job seekers do. However, it believes that image congruency and social norm will impact the latter group's attitudes regarding employer.

Practical implications

For managers who need to differentiate their market offering the findings illuminate the importance of branding and brand building not only in the consumer market but also in the labor market. It is all about attracting the right customers and moreover, the right employees to serve them.

Originality/value

To the knowledge, this is the first study in the field of employer branding that uses the image congruency hypothesis to study branding in the labor market, thereby linking branding to organizational behavior.
China's policies on foreign‐invested travel agencies upon its entry to the WTO
Authors: Xu Jing , Zhang Hanqin , Wu Jiajia
Published: April 2010

Purpose

Based on the commitments made when it joined the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2001, China began to allow the establishment of foreign‐invested travel agencies. During this transition period, China promulgated travel service‐related policies and paid a great deal of attention to this specific business market. This paper aims to analyze the said tourism policies and provide suggestions to foreign investors for their future business activities in this promising market.

Design/methodology/approach

The study uses both primary and secondary data to specify China's policies on foreign‐invested travel agencies upon its accession to the WTO and discuss foreign investors' entry modes and operating strategies for joining the market. Hall's model is employed to examine the policy‐making process, including policy demands, policy decisions, policy outputs, and policy impacts.

Findings

Some foreign investment‐related tourism policies were implemented ahead of the schedule to which China committed upon its entry to the WTO. The tight nature of the policies implemented meant that only 25 foreign‐invested agencies had survived in China by August 2007. Industry professionals recruited for this study commented that the nature and pattern of FDI in this market has been successfully framed by the policies adopted.

Practical implications

The entry modes that foreign investors in China's travel service market should adopt and the detailed operating strategies they should use are discussed.

Originality/value

The paper can be seen as a successful and enlightening attempt to pave the way for future researchers to engage in further discussions about FDI in tourism in a political environment, particularly in developing countries.
Can followers overcome pioneers? The role of superior alignable differences in consumer evaluation of brand extensions
Authors: Liang Beichen , Cherian Joseph , Fu Wei
Published: April 2010

Purpose

This paper seeks to examine whether the follower extensions with superior alignable differences can overcome the pioneer extensions with regard to brands.

Design/methodology/approach

Three laboratory experiments were conducted to test hypotheses.

Findings

Findings suggest that the effect of superior alignable differences on consumer evaluations of followers vs pioneers is moderated by two factors – the perceived fit between the parent brand and extensions, and order of market entry. High fit followers with superior alignable differences easily overcome pioneers; however, such alignable differences do not help low fit followers to overcome pioneers. Although the low fit followers with better quality and superior alignable differences can overcome the low fit pioneer, they cannot overcome the high fit pioneer.

Research limitations/implications

The limitation of the study is that it does not explore how low fit followers can overcome high fit pioneers.

Practical implications

Managers can better determine whether and how to introduce brand extensions as a pioneer or follower.

Originality/value

The originality and value lie in first examining whether follower extensions can overcome pioneer extensions.
Legal institution building and economic development in China
Authors: Li Weigang , Chen Jixiang , Wu Dongying
Published: April 2010

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the role of legal institution building during the process of China's economic miracle of past three decades.

Design/methodology/approach

To engage with the issue, the paper builds on historical research and comparable approaches which explore the interactions of legal institution building and economic reforms in China.

Findings

Legal institution building is not only a passive factor that can make up market failures in developing countries. Studies on China case find that legal institution building in China has often been taken as a tool to realize the ruling party's political commitment of economic development.

Research limitations/implications

The paper takes only one country – China as the case to explore the interactions of legal institution building and economic development. Owing to most China's peculiar characteristics, more cases should be studied in order to examine a much clearer result, which might shed lights on the current reforms of a lot of developing countries.

Practical implications

The argument of the paper, that legal institution building can be employed as an active tool to drive economic development if designed properly, broadens policy pools for developing countries that are in a strive to fight against poverty reduction.

Originality/value

The paper opens a new arena to re‐examine the role of legal building for economic development in developing countries. Also, it develops a unique perspective to explore the myth of China's economic miracle.