bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Update on Abatacept: A Selective Costimulation Modulator for Rheumatoid Arthritis
Authors: Bruce Susan P , Boyce Eric G
Published: July 2007

Objective:

To review and update the pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, safety, precautions, efficacy, and use of abatacept for rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Data Sources:

Studies and abstracts were identified through MEDLINE, International Pharmaceutical Abstracts, Cochrane databases, and Science Citation Index (1990–April 2007). Key search terms included abatacept, CTLA4–Ig, and BMS 1888667. Information available only in abstract form was retrieved from national and international rheumatology associations. Additional data were obtained from the manufacturer.

Study Selection and Data Extraction:

All available animal and human studies describing the pharmacology of abatacept and human studies describing the pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, efficacy, safety, adverse events, and precautions of abatacept were included.

Data Synthesis:

Abatacept significantly improves the signs and symptoms of moderate-to-severe RA in patients who experienced an Inadequate response to methotrexate or antitumor necrosis factor-α inhibitors. By month 12, approximately 50% of patients achieved remission (defined as a disease activity score <2.6) that was maintained until at least 24 months of therapy. The most common adverse events include headache, upper respiratory tract infections, nausea, and nasopharyngitis. Rare but serious adverse events include serious infections and malignancy.

Conclusions:

Abatacept has documented efficacy and safety in patients with inadequate responses to methotrexate and antitumor necrosis factor agents in both short- and long-term studies. Additional clinical trial and postmarketing evidence is necessary to understand the long-term safety, efficacy, economics, and rote of abatacept in clinical practice.
Behavioral Influences of Proximal Alarms
Authors: Gilson Richard D. , Mouloua Mustapha , Graft Amy S. , McDonald Daniel P.
Published: July 2007

Confidence in and responses to an unreliable test alarm were studied in the presence of nearby unspecified alarms. The test alarm's reliability rate was represented as averaging "true" only 50% or 60% of the time. Confidence or response rates ranged proportionately from 23% to 97% with the number of active alarms within 5, 6, 7, or 9 annunciator arrays. Adjacent alarms resulted in confidence estimates that were higher (by about 10%) than those with the same number of active alarms spaced up to 3 positions away. Simultaneously activated alarms resulted in a more than 20% increase in "true" responses compared with the same number of alarms offset in time by up to 32 s, regardless of which came first. Active alarms "known" to be functionally related to, or independent of, the test alarm substantially raised or lowered responding but did not completely overcome prior effects. These findings indicate that presumptions that operators' responses are not influenced by nearby alarms, regardless of their function, may be unwarranted. Applications of this research include suggestions to improve responding and training recommendations.
The Twilight Envelope: A User-Centered Approach to Describing Roadway Illumination at Night
Authors: Andre Jeffrey , Owens D. Alfred
Published: July 2007

Visual recognition functions, such as acuity and contrast sensitivity, deteriorate rapidly over the declining luminances found during civil twilight. Thus civil twilight, a critical part of the transition between daylight and darkness, represents lighting conditions that may be useful to describe artificial illumination. Automotive headlamps project a three-dimensional beam that ranges from illumination levels comparable to daylight at the vehicle to the dark limit of civil twilight (3.3 lx) at some distance ahead. This twilight envelope is characterized as a distance beyond which foveal visual functions are severely impaired, and thus it provides a general, functional description of the useful extent of the headlamp beam. This user-centered approach to describing illumination is useful for characterizing visibility when driving at night or in other artificially lit environments. This paper discusses the twilight envelope approach and its application to intervehicle variations in headlamp systems. Actual or potential applications of this research include user-centered description of artificial illumination and driver/pedestrian safety education
Speech-Based Interaction with In-Vehicle Computers: The Effect of Speech-Based E-Mail on Drivers' Attention to the Roadway
Authors: Lee John D. , Caven Brent , Haake Steven , Brown Timothy L.
Published: July 2007

As computer applications for cars emerge, a speech-based interface offers an appealing alternative to the visually demanding direct manipulation interface. However, speech-based systems may pose cognitive demands that could undermine driving safety. This study used a car-following task to evaluate how a speechbased e-mail system affects drivers' response to the periodic braking of a lead vehicle. The study included 24 drivers between the ages of 18 and 24 years. A baseline condition with no e-mail system was compared with a simple and a complex e-mail system in both simple and complex driving environments. The results show a 30% (310 ms) increase in reaction time when the speech-based system is used. Subjective workload ratings and probe questions also indicate that speechbased interaction introduces a significant cognitive load, which was highest for the complex e-mail system. These data show that a speech-based interface is not a panacea that eliminates the potential distraction of in-vehicle computers. Actual or potential applications of this research include design of in-vehicle information systems and evaluation of their contributions to driver distraction.
Attentional Filtering in the Design of Electronic Map Displays: A Comparison of Color Coding, Intensity Coding, and Decluttering Techniques
Authors: Yeh Michelle , Wickens Christopher D.
Published: July 2007

In a series of experiments color coding, intensity coding, and decluttering were compared in order to assess their potential benefits for accessing information from electronic map displays. Participants viewed electronic battlefield maps containing 5 classes of information discriminable by color or intensity, or, in the decluttering condition, displayed or removed entirely by a key press. Participants were asked questions requiring them to focus on objects within a class (objects presented at the same color or intensity) or to integrate data between objects in different classes (objects presented at different colors and intensities). The results suggested that the benefits of color and intensity coding appear to be in segregating the visual field rather than calling attention to the objects presented at a certain color or intensity. Interactivity proved to be a disadvantage; the time cost of information retrieval outweighed the time benefits of presenting less information on the display or even allowing map users to customize their displays. Potential applications of this research include a cost-benefit analysis for the use of 3 attentional filtering techniques and an attempt to quantitatively measure map complexity.
Effects of Warning Validity and Proximity on Responses to Warnings
Authors: Meyer Joachim
Published: July 2007

The effects of a warning's validity and display characteristics on the responses to binary warnings were studied in a categorization task that resembled the control of a simulated production environment. Students performed a visual signal detection task and were aided by a binary warning indicator. Experimental conditions differed in the validity of the warning and its proximity to the judged stimulus. Participants' performance improved over the course of the experiment, and they partly adjusted their responses to the validity of the warnings but continued to respond to nonvalid warnings throughout the experiment. It was particularly difficult to ignore the nonvalid information when it was integrated with the continuous information. There was evidence for nonoptimal use of the information from the warning system, whether it was valid or not valid. The results indicate a possible distinction between two dimensions of users' trust in warning systems: compliance and reliance. Actual or potential implications of this research include improved warning design based on analysis of system and operator characteristics.
Supporting Decision Making and Action Selection under Time Pressure and Uncertainty: The Case of In-Flight Icing
Authors: Sarter Nadine B. , Schroeder Beth
Published: July 2007

Operators in high-risk domains such as aviation often need to make decisions under time pressure and uncertainty. One way to support them in this task is through the introduction of decision support systems (DSSs). The present study examined the effectiveness of two different DSS implementations: status and command displays. Twenty-seven pilots (9 pilots each in a baseline, status, and command group) flew 20 simulated approaches involving icing encounters. Accuracy of the decision aid (a smart icing system), familiarity with the icing condition, timing of icing onset, and autopilot usage were varied within subjects. Accurate information from either decision aid led to improved handling of the icing encounter. However, when inaccurate information was presented, performance dropped below that of the baseline condition. The cost of inaccurate information was particularly high for command displays and in the case of unfamiliar icing conditions. Our findings suggest that unless perfect reliability of a decision aid can be assumed, status displays may be preferable to command displays in high-risk domains (e.g., space flight, medicine, and process control), as the former yield more robust performance benefits and appear less vulnerable to automation biases.
Retrospective and Prospective Validity of Aircraft Accident Risk Indicators
Authors: Hunter David R.
Published: July 2007

Data from a national survey of pilots were used to examine the validity of measures for the prediction of aviation accidents that had occurred prior to the survey (retrospective analysis) and accidents that occurred after the survey (prospective analysis). Separate retrospective and prospective analyses were conducted, and 45 measures from the survey were found to be associated significantly with accident involvement in the retrospective analysis. However, only 13 of those 45 measures achieved significance in the prospective analysis. Most of the measures found to be significantly related to accident involvement concerned aviation exposure; the remaining measures related to pilots' perceived and actual level of caution. The study is unique in its use of a cohort design for the examination of aircraft accident risk prospectively, and the results suggest the need for caution in the interpretation of retrospective analyses in this research domain. Actual or potential applications of this research include the design of aviation safety programs and the design or interpretation of studies that address indicators of aircraft accident risk.
Why Don't We Move Faster? Parkinson's Disease, Movement Vigor, and Implicit Motivation
Authors: Mazzoni Pietro , Hristova Anna , Krakauer John W.
Published: July 2007

People generally select a similar speed for a given motor task, such as reaching for a cup. One well established determinant of movement time is the speed–accuracy trade-off: movement time increases with the accuracy requirement. A second possible determinant is the energetic cost of making a movement. Parkinson's disease (PD), a condition characterized by generalized movement slowing (bradykinesia), provides the opportunity to directly explore this second possibility. We compared reaching movements of patients with PD with those of control subjects in a speed–accuracy trade-off task comprising conditions of increasing difficulty. Subjects completed as many trials as necessary to make 20 movements within a required speed range (trials to criterion,Nc). Difficulty was reflected in endpoint accuracy andNc. Patients were as accurate as control subjects in all conditions (i.e., PD did not affect the speed–accuracy trade-off). However,Ncwas consistently higher in patients, indicating reluctance to move fast although accuracy was not compromised. Specifically, the dependence ofNcon movement energy cost (slopeSN) was steeper in patients than in control subjects. This difference inSNsuggests that bradykinesia represents an implicit decision not to move fast because of a shift in the cost/benefit ratio of the energy expenditure needed to move at normal speed.SNwas less steep, but statistically significant, in control subjects, which demonstrates a role for energetic cost in the normal control of movement speed. We propose that, analogous to the established role of dopamine in explicit reward-seeking behavior, the dopaminergic projection to the striatum provides a signal for implicit “motor motivation.”
Catecholaminergic Control of Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Signaling in Paraventricular Neuroendocrine NeuronsIn VivoandIn Vitro: A Proposed Role during Glycemic Challenges
Authors: Khan Arshad M. , Ponzio Todd A. , Sanchez-Watts Graciela , Stanley B. Glenn , Hatton Glenn I. , Watts Alan G.
Published: July 2007

Paraventricular hypothalamic (PVH) corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) neuroendocrine neurons mount neurosecretory and transcriptional responses to glycemic challenges [intravenous 2-deoxyglucose (2-DG) or insulin]. Although these responses require signals from intact afferents originating from hindbrain CA (catecholaminergic) neurons, the identity of these signals and the mechanisms by which they are transduced by PVH neurons during glycemic challenge remain unclear. Here, we tested whether the prototypical catecholamine, norepinephrine (NE), can reproduce PVH neuroendocrine responses to glycemic challenge. Because these responses include phosphorylation of p44/42 mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases [extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1/2 (ERK1/2)], we also determined whether NE activates ERK1/2 in PVH neurons and, if so, by what mechanism.

We show that systemic insulin and 2-DG, and PVH-targeted NE microinjections, rapidly elevated PVH phospho-ERK1/2 levels. NE increasedCrhand c-fosexpression, together with circulating ACTH/corticosterone. However, because injections also increased c-Fos mRNA in other brain regions, we used hypothalamic slices maintainedin vitroto clarify whether NE activates PVH neurons without contribution of inputs from distal regions. In slices, bath-applied NE triggered robust phospho-ERK1/2 immunoreactivity in PVH (including CRH) neurons, which attenuated markedly in the presence of the α1adrenoceptor antagonist, prazosin, or the MAP kinase kinase (MEK) inhibitor, U0126 (1,4-diamino-2,3-dicyano-1,4-bis[2-aminophenylthio]butadiene). Therefore, at a systems level, local PVH delivery of NE is sufficient to account for hindbrain activation of CRH neuroendocrine neurons during glycemic challenge. At a cellular level, these data provide the first demonstration that MAP kinase signaling cascades (MEK→ERK) are intracellular transducers of noradrenergic signals in CRH neurons, and implicate this transduction mechanism as an important component of central neuroendocrine responses during glycemic challenge.
Role of Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription-3 in Estradiol-Mediated Neuroprotection
Authors: Dziennis Suzan , Jia Taiping , Rønnekleiv Oline K. , Hurn Patricia D. , Alkayed Nabil J.
Published: July 2007

Estradiol is protective in experimental cerebral ischemia, but the precise mechanisms remain unknown. Signal transducer and activator of transcription-3 (STAT3) is a transcription factor that is activated by estrogen, translocates to the nucleus, and induces the transcription of neuroprotective genes, such asbcl-2. We determined whether estradiol increases STAT3 activation in female rat brain after focal cerebral ischemia and whether STAT3 activation contributes to estradiol-mediated neuroprotection against ischemic brain injury. Ovariectomized (OVX) female rats with and without estradiol replacement were subjected to 2 h of middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO), and phosphorylated STAT3 (P-STAT3) and total STAT3 (T-STAT3) were quantified by Western blot analysis at 3 and 22 h of reperfusion. STAT3 activation was colocalized with neuronal and survival markers microtubule-associated protein 2 (MAP2) and Bcl-2 using immunohistochemistry. Infarct size was measured at 22 h after MCAO in estradiol-treated OVX animals in the presence and absence of STAT3 inhibitor cucurbitacin I (JSI-124) using 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride staining. Estradiol increased P-STAT3 in the ischemic cortex cytosolic fraction at 3 h after MCAO without affecting T-STAT3. This was associated with increased P-STAT3 in the nuclear fraction, which remained elevated at 22 h after MCAO. The nuclear P-STAT3 colocalized with MAP2 and Bcl-2 within the peri-infarct zone. The P-STAT3 inhibitor JSI-124 abolished the protective effect of estradiol without affecting infarct size in untreated OVX rats. We conclude that estradiol increases STAT3 phosphorylation in neurons after MCAO and that STAT3 activation plays an important role in estradiol-mediated neuroprotection.
Neurovascular Protection by Ischemic Tolerance: Role of Nitric Oxide and Reactive Oxygen Species
Authors: Kunz Alexander , Park Laibaik , Abe Takato , Gallo Eduardo F. , Anrather Josef , Zhou Ping , Iadecola Costantino
Published: July 2007

Cerebral ischemic preconditioning or tolerance is a powerful neuroprotective phenomenon by which a sublethal injurious stimulus renders the brain resistant to a subsequent damaging ischemic insult. We used lipopolysaccharide (LPS) as a preconditioning stimulus in a mouse model of middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) to examine whether improvements in cerebrovascular function contribute to the protective effect. Administration of LPS 24 h before MCAO reduced the infarct by 68% and improved ischemic cerebral blood flow (CBF) by 114% in brain areas spared from infarction. In addition, LPS prevented the dysfunction in cerebrovascular regulation induced by MCAO, as demonstrated by normalization of the increase in CBF produced by neural activity, hypercapnia, or by the endothelium-dependent vasodilator acetylcholine. These beneficial effects of LPS were not observed in mice lacking inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) or the nox2 subunit of the superoxide-producing enzyme NADPH oxidase. LPS increased reactive oxygen species and the peroxynitrite marker 3-nitrotyrosine in wild-type mice but not in nox2 nulls. The peroxynitrite decomposition catalyst 5,10,15, 20-tetrakis(4-sulfonatophenyl)porphyrinato iron (III) attenuated LPS-induced nitration and counteracted the beneficial effects of LPS on infarct volume, ischemic CBF, and vascular reactivity. Thus, LPS preserves neurovascular function and ameliorates CBF in regions of the ischemic territory at risk for infarction. This effect is mediated by peroxynitrite formed from iNOS-derived NO and nox2-derived superoxide. The data indicate that preservation of cerebrovascular function is an essential component of ischemic tolerance and suggest that combining neuroprotection and vasoprotection may be a valuable strategy for treating ischemic brain injury.
Phosphorylation of Huntingtin by Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 5 Is Induced by DNA Damage and Regulates Wild-Type and Mutant Huntingtin Toxicity in Neurons
Authors: Anne Sandrine L. , Saudou Frédéric , Humbert Sandrine
Published: July 2007

Huntingtin is an antiapoptotic protein that becomes toxic when its polyglutamine stretch is expanded, resulting in Huntington's disease (HD). Protein context and posttranslational modifications regulate huntingtin toxicity. Identifying signaling pathways that act on huntingtin is, therefore, key to understanding huntingtin function in normal and pathological conditions. We show here that huntingtin is phosphorylated by the cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (Cdk5) at serines 1181 and 1201. Phosphorylation can be induced by DNA damagein vitroandin vivo. The state of huntingtin phosphorylation is a crucial regulator of neuronal cell death. Absence of phosphorylation of huntingtin at serines 1181 and 1201 confers toxic properties to wild-type huntingtin in a p53-dependent manner in striatal neurons and accelerates neuronal death induced by DNA damage. In contrast, phosphorylation at serines 1181 and 1201 protects against polyQ-induced toxicity. Finally, we show in late stages of HD a sustained DNA damage that is associated with a decrease in Cdk5/p35 levels. We propose that wild-type huntingtin is a component of the DNA damage response signal in neurons and that the Cdk5/DNA damage pathway is dysregulated in HD.
Target Interception: Hand–Eye Coordination and Strategies
Authors: Mrotek Leigh A. , Soechting John F.
Published: July 2007

This study was designed to define the characteristics of eye–hand coordination in a task requiring the interception of a moving target. It also assessed the extent to which the motion of the target was predicted and the strategies subjects used to determine when to initiate target interception. Target trajectories were constructed from sums of sines in the horizontal and vertical dimensions. Subjects intercepted these trajectories by moving their index finger along the surface of a display monitor. They were free to initiate the interception at any time, and on successful interception, the target disappeared. Although they were not explicitly instructed to do so, subjects tracked target motion with normal, high-gain smooth-pursuit eye movements right up until the target was intercepted. However, the probability of catch-up saccades was substantially depressed shortly after the onset of manual interception. The initial direction of the finger movement anticipated the motion of the target by ∼150 ms. For any given trajectory, subjects tended to initiate interception at predictable times that depended on the characteristics of the target trajectories [i.e., when the curvature (or angular velocity) of the target was small and when the target was moving toward the finger]. The relative weighting of various parameters that influenced the decision to initiate interception varied from subject to subject and was not accounted for by a model based on the short-range predictability of target motion.
Noninformative Vision Causes Adaptive Changes in Tactile Sensitivity
Authors: Harris Justin A. , Arabzadeh Ehsan , Moore Clinton A. , Clifford Colin W. G.
Published: July 2007

The last few years have witnessed a rapid growth of research investigating how information is integrated across sensory modalities, a process at the core of our everyday perceptual experiences. The present study focuses on the integration of vision and touch and, in particular, how tactile perception is affected by a view of the relevant body part containing no information about the tactile stimulus itself. Previous studies have established that this “noninformative vision” can improve subsequent tactile discrimination (Kennett et al., 2001; Taylor-Clarke et al., 2004a), a finding we confirm in the present study. However, we also report here that noninformative vision impairs the detection of tactile stimuli and the discrimination of near-threshold stimuli. These effects are shown to resemble, and indeed combine additively with, shifts in discrimination and detection thresholds produced by adaptation to suprathreshold tactile stimulation. We conclude that noninformative vision of the body does not simply enhance somatosensory processing, but rather it induces adaptive changes in tactile sensitivity via shifts in gain control operating within a bimodal sensory system. This constitutes a novel means by which vision of the body can alter tactile perception.
Rab5 Mediates an Amyloid Precursor Protein Signaling Pathway That Leads to Apoptosis
Authors: Laifenfeld Daphna , Patzek Lucas J. , McPhie Donna L. , Chen Yuzhi , Levites Yona , Cataldo Anne M. , Neve Rachael L.
Published: July 2007

Alzheimer's disease (AD) involves activation of apoptotic pathways that may be regulated through signaling cascades initiated by the amyloid precursor protein (APP). Enlarged endosomes have been observed in postmortem AD brains at very early stages of the disease. We show here that exogenous expression of a familial AD (FAD) mutant of APP or of the APP binding protein APP–BP1 in neurons causes enlargement of early endosomes, increased receptor-mediated endocytosis via a pathway dependent on APP–BP1 binding to APP, and apoptosis. Levels of both APP–BP1 and Rab5 are elevated in early endosomes in cortical embryonic neurons expressing APP(V642I) or APP–BP1, in cultured skin fibroblast cells from Down syndrome subjects, and in postmortem hippocampal tissue of individuals with AD. Indeed, Rab5 was found to bind specifically to APP–BP1, between amino acids 443 and 479. Inhibition of Rab5 or dynamin activity, but not of Eps15 (epidermal growth factor receptor pathway substrate 15) activity, rescued neurons from apoptosis induced by either APP(V642I) or APP–BP1, without affecting levels of intracellular or secreted amyloid-β (Aβ). Induction of Rab5 activity via expression of a constitutively active mutant led to an increase in neuronal apoptosis more than twice that attributable to induction of endosome enlargement via a Rab5-independent mechanism, regardless of Aβ production. Together, these findings suggest that Rab5 activation via an APP/APP–BP1-initiated signaling pathway mediates neuronal apoptosis caused by FAD mutants of APP and that, within this pathway, Rab5 has a specific role in signaling that is distinct from, although not independent of, its role in trafficking.
Maternal Psychological Reaction to Newborn Genetic Screening for Type 1 Diabetes
Authors: Kerruish Nicola J. , Campbell-Stokes Priscilla L. , Gray Andrew , Merriman Tony R. , Robertson Stephen P. , Taylor Barry J.
Published: July 2007

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this work was to describe levels of maternal anxiety, depressive symptoms, and perceptions of infant vulnerability associated with newborn genetic screening for susceptibility to type 1 diabetes.

PATIENTS AND METHODS. Mothers of infants tested at birth for genetic susceptibility to type 1 diabetes as part of a prospective study investigating potential environmental triggers of autoimmunity were recruited to this study. Three mother-infant cohorts were studied: 38 infants at increased genetic risk, 73 at low risk, and 76 who had not undergone testing. The Vulnerable Baby Scale, Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, and state subscale of the State Trait Anxiety Inventory were administered at the 9-week, 4-month, and 1-year postnatal ages. Genetic-risk notification occurred at the 10-week postnatal age. Mothers whose infants had undergone genetic testing were also asked to subjectively rate how much they thought and worried about their child's genetic test result. Statistical analyses were conducted to test for differences in questionnaire scores among the 3 groups.

RESULTS. No difference among the groups was detected in Vulnerable Baby Scale or Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale scores using linear mixed-effects model analysis. Maternal anxiety was paradoxically slightly lower in the increased-risk group shortly after notification of results, but there were no significant differences among the groups by 1 year. Mothers of infants in the high-risk group reported thinking and worrying about their child's test result significantly more than mothers of low-risk infants at both time points after notification of results.

CONCLUSIONS. Newborn genetic screening to identify infants at risk for type 1 diabetes is not associated with elevated levels of maternal anxiety, depressive symptoms, or heightened perceptions of infant vulnerability. However, responses to subjective assessment questions suggest that it is possible that more subtle effects on mothers do occur, and this requires further investigation.
Home Safety in Inner Cities: Prevalence and Feasibility of Home Safety-Product Use in Inner-City Housing
Authors: Stone Kimberly E. , Eastman Emmanuella M. , Gielen Andrea C. , Squires Barbara , Hicks Glenda , Kaplin Dana , Serwint Janet R.
Published: July 2007

OBJECTIVES. Residential injuries cause significant morbidity and mortality in infants and young children. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends initiating injury-prevention counseling during health supervision visits in the first 6 months of life. The objectives of this study were to describe and compare self-reported and observed home safety practices in urban, low-income families who were expecting or had a child <12 months old and to assess the feasibility of using safety products depending on the design and repair of urban homes.

PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS. Women who were pregnant or had an infant <12 months old and who were enrolled in East Baltimore's Healthy Start home-visiting program were eligible for the study. For this pilot project, we used a prospective predesign/postdesign. Maternal self-report and investigator home observations documented the use of working smoke alarms on each level of the home, stair gates or doors blocking the top and bottom of all staircases, adult medication storage in locked cabinets, and the environmental feasibility of safety-product use.

RESULTS. Home safety practices were higher by maternal self-report than by investigator observation. Fifty-five percent of families who reported a working smoke alarm on every level of the home had nonworking or absent smoke alarms noted during investigator observation. Of assessed staircases, 67% could not accommodate a wall-mounted gate at the top of the stairs, and 38% could not accommodate a pressure-mounted gate at the bottom of the stairs. Although most families reported locked storage of medications, 77% had unlocked medication storage documented during home observation.

CONCLUSIONS. In this sample of urban families, implementation of American Academy of Pediatrics-recommended safety practices is low. The structural design of urban homes may be a significant barrier to home safety-product use. The American Academy of Pediatrics Injury Prevention Program sheets, manufacturers of safety products, and legislators need to address injury-prevention issues unique to urban, low-income families.
A United Kingdom Population-Based Study of Intellectual Capacities in Children With and Without Soiling, Daytime Wetting, and Bed-wetting
Authors: Joinson Carol , Heron Jon , Butler Richard , Von Gontard Alexander , Butler Ursula , Emond Alan , Golding Jean
Published: July 2007

OBJECTIVE. The objective of this study was to examine differences in intellectual capacities between children with and without soiling, daytime wetting, and bed-wetting.

METHODS. This study was based on a population of >6000 children (age range: 7 years 6 months to 9 years 3 months; median: 7 years 6 months) from the United Kingdom–based Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. Data on wetting and soiling were obtained from a questionnaire completed by parents. The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children–Third Edition was administered at a research clinic.

RESULTS. Bed-wetting was associated with lower Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children–Third Edition IQ scores compared with control subjects, particularly performance IQ. This difference remained after exclusion of children with an IQ of <70 and adjustment for gender, stressful life events, and sociodemographic background. There were fewer differences in IQ scores between children with and without soiling or daytime wetting. Co-occurring wetting and soiling were associated with lower IQ scores than isolated soiling, daytime wetting, or bed-wetting, but this was mostly attributable to an overrepresentation of children with an IQ of <70 in the co-occurrence group.

CONCLUSIONS. It is hypothesized that the differences in intellectual capacities between children with and without bed-wetting are associated with maturational deficits of the central nervous system. There was less evidence for differences in intellectual capacities between children with and without soiling and daytime wetting. The central nervous system is involved to a lesser extent in soiling and daytime wetting, because peripheral influences from the bladder and gut play a greater role.
Virtual Terrorism and the Internet E-Learning Options
Authors: Cole David R.
Published: July 2007

E-learning on the Internet is constituted by the options that this global technology gives the user. This article explores these options in terms of the lifestyle choices and decisions that the learner will make about the virtual worlds, textual meanings and cultural groupings that they will find as they learn online. This is a non-linear process that complicates dualistic approaches to e-learning, such as those which propose real/virtual distinctions. It also sets up the notion of virtual terrorism, which is explained in terms of the political forces that have come about due to e-learning. This article uses the philosophy of Gilles Deleuze as a best fit in order to understand the ways in which the e-learning of the Internet options is apparent in contemporary society. Deleuze made a division between unconscious learning and apprenticeship learning, that makes sense in terms of the virtual and cultural worlds that inform the lifestyle choices on the Net. This is because the navigation of virtual worlds involves imaginative processes that are at the same time an education of the senses of the type that the apprentice will receive. Furthermore, in his work with Félix Guattari, he developed the notion of the plane of immanence, which is used to pinpoint the presence of virtual terrorism in e-learning practices.
Metacognition and Lifelong E-Learning: A Contextual and Cyclical Process
Authors: Worrall Lisa , Bell Frances
Published: July 2007

Metacognition is arguably an important conceptualisation within the area of lifelong e-learning, with many theorists and practitioners claiming that it enhances the learning process. However, the lifelong, cyclical and flexible aspects of ‘before’, ‘during’ and ‘after’ metacognitions within lifelong e-learning (inclusive of whether an ‘input’ necessarily leads to a completed ‘output’) seem marginal within current areas of practical and theoretical debate. This article analyses Reeves's (1997) model of web-based learning in the context of the ADAPT project; a study of lifelong learners based in small and medium sized enterprises. The article focuses upon an analysis of this model's view of metacognition, and in the light of the project findings and literature review, aims to put forward an extended and expanded version of the model with reference to lifelong e-learning.
Development of a Clinical Prediction Rule to Identify Patients With Knee Pain and Clinical Evidence of Knee Osteoarthritis Who Demonstrate a Favorable Short-Term Response to Hip Mobilization
Authors: Currier Linda L , Froehlich Paul J , Carow Scott D , McAndrew Ronald K , Cliborne Amy V , Boyles Robert E , Mansfield Liem T , Wainner Robert S
Published: July 2007

Background and Purpose: The primary purpose of this study was to develop a clinical prediction rule (CPR) for identifying patients with knee pain and clinical evidence of knee osteoarthritis (OA) with favorable short-term response to hip mobilizations. The secondary purpose was to determine the predictive validity of individual clinical tests for identifying these same patients.

Subjects and Methods: Sixty subjects with knee OA, aged 51 to 79 years, completed self-report questionnaires, a clinical examination of the hip and knee, and functional tests and were treated with 4 hip mobilizations. Follow-up testing was completed 2 days later. The reference criterion for determining a favorable response was either (1) a decrease of at least 30% on composite Numerical Pain Rating Scale score obtained during functional tests or (2) a Global Rating of Change Scale score of at least 3.

Results: The CPR developed in this study comprised 5 variables: (1) hip or groin pain or paresthesia, (2) anterior thigh pain, (3) passive knee flexion less than 122 degrees, (4) passive hip medial (internal) rotation less than 17 degrees, and (5) pain with hip distraction. Based on the pretest probability of success (68%), the presence of one variable had a positive likelihood ratio of 5.1 and increased the probability of a successful response to 92% at 48-hour follow-up. If 2 variables were present, the positive likelihood ratio was 12.9 and the probability of success increased to 97%.

Discussion and Conclusion: The results suggest that the CPR developed in this study could improve clinicians’ decision making and efficiency in examining and treating patients with knee OA.
Use of Demographic and Quantitative Admissions Data to Predict Academic Difficulty Among Professional Physical Therapist Students
Authors: Utzman Ralph R , Riddle Daniel L , Jewell Dianne V
Published: July 2007

Background and Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine whether admissions data could be used to estimate physical therapist students' risk for academic difficulty.

Subjects: A nationally representative sample of 20 physical therapist education programs provided data on 3,582 students.

Methods: Programs provided data regarding student demographic characteristics, undergraduate grade point average (uGPA), quantitative and verbal Graduate Record Examination scores (qGRE, vGRE), and academic difficulty. Data were analyzed using logistic regression. Rules for predicting risk of academic difficulty were developed.

Results: A prediction rule that included uGPA, vGRE, qGRE, age, and race or ethnicity was developed from the entire sample. Prediction rules for individual programs showed large variation.

Discussion and Conclusion: Undergraduate grade point average, GRE scores, age, and race or ethnicity can be useful for estimating student academic risk. Programs should calculate their own estimates of student risk. Academic programs should use risk estimates in combination with other data to recruit, admit, and retain students.
Effect of Task Practice Order on Motor Skill Learning in Adults With Parkinson Disease: A Pilot Study
Authors: Lin Chien-Ho (Janice) , Sullivan Katherine J , Wu Allan D , Kantak Shailesh , Winstein Carolee J
Published: July 2007

Background and Purpose: Random practice of motor tasks has been shown to enhance motor learning. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of task practice order (random, blocked) on motor learning in adults with Parkinson disease (PD).

Subjects: Twenty adults with mild PD and 20 age-matched adults (controls) participated in the study.

Methods: Participants in both groups (PD and control) practiced 3 movement tasks with either a blocked or a random practice order. This 2 participant group × 2 practice order design resulted in 4 experimental groups. The Trail Making Test was administered to all participants to determine task-switching capability. Motor performance on the arm movement tasks was quantified on the basis of the root-mean-square error difference between the goal movement task and each participant's response.

Results: The task-switching capability of the control group was superior to that of the PD group. For acquisition, in general, participants in the control group performed with significantly less error than participants in the PD group. For retention, participants in the control group who practiced with a random order performed more accurately than participants in the control group who practiced with a blocked order. However, for the PD group, the findings were reversed; participants who practiced with a blocked order performed more accurately than participants who practiced with a random order. These findings resulted in a group × practice order interaction.

Discussion and Conclusion: These pilot study data suggest that, contrary to the findings for age-matched control learners, for learners with mild PD, a blocked practice order may be better than a random practice order for motor learning.
Sex Differences in Career Expectations of Physical Therapist Students
Authors: Johanson Marie A
Published: July 2007

Background and Purpose: There are some sex differences in the career activities of physical therapists. The purpose of this study was to determine whether these sex differences are reflected in the career expectations of physical therapist students.

Subjects: Participants were 919 physical therapist students.

Methods: Faculty at 34 physical therapist education programs distributed questionnaires to 1,172 of their students. The 919 returned questionnaires generated a response rate of 78.4%. Sex differences in career expectations were statistically analyzed with logistic regression.

Results: Men showed statistically significantly higher odds than women of expecting to own a private practice, to become a faculty member, to become a physical therapist manager or administrator, to publish articles in professional journals, and to have a higher income in the first year of employment.

Discussion and Conclusion: At the outset of physical therapist education, there are sex differences in the career expectations of physical therapist students.
Revisiting Constraint-Induced Movement Therapy: Are We Too Smitten With the Mitten? Is All Nonuse “Learned”? and Other Quandaries
Authors: Wolf Steven L
Published: July 2007

Constraint-induced movement therapy (CIMT) has gained considerable popularity as a valuable treatment for a hemiparetic upper extremity. This approach is compatible with the emerging notion that task-oriented or functionally oriented retraining of the impaired limb provides evidence to support its utility. This article first provides a historical perspective on the development of CIMT. An overview model of how learned nonuse of the hemiparetic limb occurs and can be overcome with CIMT is discussed, and then a more detailed model that incorporates critical issues requiring considerably more basic and applied scientific exploration is described. Among the issues considered are the extent to which hemiparetic limb nonuse and subsequent modes of delivery to overcome it are governed by structure-function deficits rather than being attributable primarily to behavioral phenomena; the relative importance of the intensity of training; the need to better balance unimanual and bimanual upper-extremity task practice; the role of psychosocial and cultural factors in fostering patient compliance; the optimization of modes of delivery; and the reevaluation of the constellation of components contributing to successful outcomes with this treatment. Finally, the strengths, uncertainties, and limitations associated with CIMT are examined.
Strong Carbon‐Nanotube–Polymer Bonding by Microwave Irradiation
Authors: Wang C. Y. , Chen T. H. , Chang S. C. , Cheng S. Y. , Chin T. S.
Published: July 2007

The vigorous response of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) to microwave irradiation, leading to the release of a large amount of heat, is used to locally melt a plastic matrix adjacent to the nanotubes within a period of seconds. This results in the intercalation of the MWNTs into the polymer matrix at room temperature without any physical damage to the polymer. The so‐called “microwave welding” approach creates a new paradigm for the formation of very strong MWNT–polymer bonds without the use of any adhesive, and represents a significant step forward for the fabrication of functional nanotube composites. Here, we demonstrate the implications of the anisotropic alignment of MWNTs in polymers, patterned conductors/resistors for soft electronics, and high‐strength composites, where the MWNTs are ‘soldered' to flexible polymer substrates.
Synthesis and Pharmacological Investigation of 3‐Subsituted‐amino‐2‐methylsulfanyl‐5,6,7,8‐tetrahydro‐3H‐benzo[4,5]thieno[2,3‐d]pyrimidin‐4‐ones as Analgesic and Anti‐Inflammatory Agents
Authors: Alagarsamy V. , Solomon V. Raja , Deepa G. , Parthiban P. , Anjana G. V.
Published: July 2007

In the present work, design, synthesis, and pharmacological evaluation of the analgesic, anti‐inflammatory, and ulcerogenic‐index activities of new 3‐subsituted‐amino‐2‐methylsulfanyl‐5,6,7,8‐tetrahydro‐3H‐benzo[4,5]thieno[2,3‐d]pyrimidin‐4‐ones, structurally planed by exploiting a clear concept of bio‐isosterism, are reported. All compounds exhibited significant analgesic and anti‐inflammatory activity. Compounds A1, A3 showed higher analgesic activity and more potent anti‐inflammatory activity than that of the reference compound diclofenac sodium. Interestingly, the test compounds showed only mild ulcerogenic potential when compared to that of acetylsalicylic acid.
The use of CdTe quantum dot fluorescent microspheres in fluoro‐immunoassays and a microfluidic chip system
Authors: Ma Qiang , Wang Xinyan , Li Yabing , Su Xingguang , Jin Qinhan
Published: July 2007

Polystyrene fluorescent microspheres prepared by deposition of CdTe quantum dots (QDs) are used in an immunoassay in this study. CdTe QDs/polyelectrolyte multilayers on the surface of polystyrene microspheres have been formed by layer‐by‐layer self‐assembly via electrostatic interactions. As a model antigen, rabbit IgG has been bound to the outermost layer of the fluorescent microspheres. The immunoreaction between fluorescent microspheres/rabbit IgG and the corresponding antibody was confirmed by change of the fluorescence spectrum and competitive immunoassay. This approach allowed detection of the antigen (rabbit IgG) in the range 1–500 mg/L, based on the change in the fluorescence intensity of the reporter (fluorescent microspheres/rabbit IgG). A novel microfluidic chip device with a laser‐induced fluorescence system was established and used for the detection of fluorescent microspheres in this study. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Bioluminescence characteristics of a tropical terrestrial fungus (Basidiomycetes)
Authors: Deheyn Dimitri D. , Latz Michael I.
Published: July 2007

Freshly collected samples of luminous mycelium of a terrestrial fungus from Panama were investigated for their bioluminescence characteristics. Taxonomic identification of fungal species could not be determined because of the lack of fruiting bodies. Fluorescence excited by 380 nm illumination had an emission spectrum with a main peak at 480 nm and additional chlorophyll peaks related to the wood substrate. Bioluminescence appeared as a continuous glow that did not show any diel variation. The light production was sensitive to temperature and decreased with temperatures higher or lower than ambient. Bioluminescence intensity was sensitive to hydration, increasing by a factor of 400 immediately after exposure to water and increasing by a factor of 1 million after several hours. This increase may have occurred through dilution of superoxide dismutase, which is a suppressive factor of bioluminescence in fungus tissue. The mycelium typically transports nutritive substances back to the fruiting body. The function of luminescent mycelium may be to increase the intensity of light from the fungus and more effectively attract nocturnal insects and other animals that serve as disseminating vectors for fungal spores. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Luminescence studies on RbI:Tb3+ crystals
Authors: Manimozhi P. K. , Muralidharan G.
Published: July 2007

Optical absorption, photoluminescence, thermoluminescence (TL) and photostimulated luminescence (PSL) studies on RbI:Tb3+ crystals irradiated with γ‐rays is reported. Photoluminescence of these crystals exhibits characteristic Tb3+ emissions, due to transitions from the 5D3 and 5D4 levels to various levels of the 7F septet. On F‐bleaching the γ‐irradiated crystals, Z3 centres are observed. The TL glow curve indicates a two‐step thermal annihilation process for the radiatively created defects. The presence of the characteristic emissions due to terbium ions in the photostimulation at the F‐band, and TL emissions under both glow peaks, confirm the participation of Tb ions in the defect production and recombination processes. Trap parameters for the TL process are calculated and presented. The low temperature glow peak is attributable to Z3 centres. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.