bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Anti‐atherogenic effect of chromium picolinate in streptozotocin‐induced experimental diabetes (在链脲霉素诱导的实验性糖尿病中吡啶甲酸铬的抗动脉粥样硬化作用)
Authors: SUNDARAM Bhuvaneshwari , SINGHAL Kirti , SANDHIR Rajat
Published: May 2012

Background:  Several studies have implicated changes in the levels of trace elements in diabetes. Chromium is one such element that seems to potentiate insulin action, thereby regulating carbohydrate and lipid metabolism. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of chromium supplementation as chromium picolinate on the lipid profile of streptozotocin (STZ)‐induced diabetic rats.

Methods:  Rats were rendered diabetic by a single injection of STZ (50 mg/kg, i.p.). Chromium picolinate (1 mg/kg per day, p.o.) was administered to rats for a period of 4 weeks. At the end of the treatment period, plasma total lipids, triglycerides, total cholesterol and lipoprotein levels were determined, as was hepatic glucose‐6‐phosphate dehydrogenase activity.

Results:  Total plasma lipids increased significantly in diabetic rats and this increase was ameliorated by chromium treatment for 4 weeks. Elevated total lipids in diabetic rats were due to increased plasma triglyceride and cholesterol levels. Chromium supplementation lowered plasma triglyceride and cholesterol levels to near normal. Chromium treatment also normalized low‐density lipoprotein–cholesterol (LDL‐C) and very low‐density lipoprotein–cholesterol levels and improved the total cholesterol:high‐density lipoprotein–cholesterol (HDL‐C) and HDL‐C:LDL‐C ratios, suggesting an anti‐atherogenic effect. In addition to improving the plasma lipid profile, chromium supplementation normalized liver glucose‐6‐phosphate dehydrogenase activity in diabetic rats.

Conclusions:  These results provide evidence that chromium picolinate effectively attenuates the dyslipidemia associated with diabetes and thus can be used as an adjuvant therapy in the treatment of diabetes and its associated complications.
Mapping the Process: An Exemplar of Using Situational Analysis in a Grounded Theory Study
Authors: Khaw Lyndal
Published: May 2012

An emerging offshoot of traditional grounded theory methods is situational analysis. This article presents an exemplar of conducting situational analysis within a grounded theory study that focuses on the perceptions of changing family boundaries in the process of leaving an abusive partner. Specifically, I used situational maps to supplement open coding and adapted situational mapping techniques to develop a family‐level theory of the process of leaving. The practical and theoretical utility of situational analysis to supplement traditional grounded theory methods is immense, which makes the method highly adaptable to fit the needs of various qualitative research endeavors.
Video‐assisted thoracoscopic surgery versus posterolateral thoracotomy lobectomy: A more patient‐friendly approach on postoperative pain, pulmonary function and shoulder function
Authors: Pu Qiang , Ma Lin , Mei Jiandong , Zhu Yunke , Che Guowei , Lin Yidan , Wu Zhu , Wang Yun , Kou Yingli , Liu Lunxu
Published: May 2012

We evaluated the physiological benefits following video‐assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) lobectomy or posterolateral thoracotomy (PLT) lobectomy for lung cancer patients. One hundred and three patients were included in this study, who underwent either a VATS approach (n= 51) or a PLT approach (n= 52) lobectomy for clinical stage I lung cancer. Pain scores were measured preoperatively and on postoperative day (POD) one, three, seven, 30, and 90, by using a visual analog scale. Pulmonary function and shoulder function were measured preoperatively and on POD seven, 30 and 90 by using a portable spirometer and by the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) standardized shoulder assessment form, respectively. Postoperative pain was experienced less in the VATS group than in the PLT group on POD one, three, seven, 30, and 90 (P= 0.060, 0.055, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000, respectively). Analgesic requirements were significantly less in the VATS group than in the PLT group during hospital stay (90.2 ± 60.8 mg vs. 119.2 ± 70.8 mg, P= 0.028). The pain score returned to the preoperative reference level on POD seven in the VATS group, but not until POD 30 in the PLT group. The recovery of forced vital capacity (FVC) was statistically better in the VATS group on POD seven, postoperative month (POM) one, and POM three (P= 0.000, 0.000, 0.002, respectively). The recovery of forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) was better in the VATS group, but the differences were not significant. The shoulder function in the VATS group was significantly well preserved on POD seven, 30 and 90, compared with the PLT group. Lobectomy by the VATS approach generates less pain, and preserves better pulmonary function and shoulder function in the early postoperative phase.
Study of Vancomycin Resistance in Faecal Enterococci from Healthy Humans and Dogs in Spain a Decade after the Avoparcin Ban in Europe
Authors: López M. , Tenorio C. , Torres C.
Published: May 2012

One hundred and 26 faecal samples from healthy dogs (2009) and 157 faecal samples from healthy humans (2007) from La Rioja region (Spain) were tested to know the carriage of vancomycin‐resistant enterococci (VRE). VRE with intrinsic resistance (vanC) were found in 12% of healthy dogs and humans (29 Enterococcus gallinarum and four Enterococcus casseliflavus). Nevertheless, VRE with acquired mechanism of resistance were not detected among these samples. Four Enterococcus faecalis isolates with vancomycin MIC of 8‐16 mg L−1 were recovered in human samples, but no single organism with known mechanism of acquired resistance could be identified. These 37 VRE isolates (33 E. gallinarum/E. casseliflavus and four E. faecalis) of dog and human origin were further characterized (PCR detection of antibiotic resistance, virulence and bacteriocin genes). High prevalence of tetracycline resistance was identified (70%), especially among dog isolates harbouring tet(M) ± tet(L) genes; erythromycin resistance was also higher among isolates from dogs and they harboured the erm(B) gene, associated with erm(A) gene in one case. Virulence genes were only identified among E. faecalis isolates of human origin (agg, cpd and/or gelE) and never among E. gallinarum/E. casseliflavus of human or dog origin. Five E. gallinarum isolates of dog and three E. faecalis of human origin expressed bacteriocin activity; among them, only one E. faecalis presented activity against Listeria monocytogenes. The bacteriocin structural gene ef1097 was identified in 3 bacteriocin‐producing E. faecalis isolates, associated with ent1071 in one of them.
Effect of Xiongbing compound on the pharmacokinetics and brain targeting of tetramethylpyrazine
Authors: Wang Li-Sheng , Shi Zong-Feng , Zhang Ying-Feng , Guo Qi , Huang Yu-Wei , Zhou Li-Ling
Published: May 2012

Objectives

To investigate the effect of the Xiongbing compound (XBC) on the pharmacokinetics and brain targeting of tetramethylpyrazine (TMP).

Methods

Three microemulsions containing the same TMP concentration were prepared. XBC microemulsions were made from Rhizoma ligustric Chuanxiong extracts, borneol and TMP. TMP microemulsions were made with TMP only. Borneol microemulsions contained borneol and TMP. Microdialysis with high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used to measure the concentration of TMP in the blood and striatum after intravenous (i.v.) or intragastric (i.g.) administration of the three different microemulsions.

Key findings

The pharmacokinetics of free TMP concentration in the blood and the striatum fit a first-order rate, open two-compartment model after intravenous and intragastric microemulsion administration. The maximal concentration (Cmax) and area under curve (AUC) values in the XBC microemulsion i.v. group were significantly higher than that in the TMP microemulsion and borneol microemulsion i.v. groups. After XBC microemulsion i.g. administration, the t1/2, mean residence time (MRT) and AUC of TMP in both plasma and brain tissues were greater than those with TMP microemulsion and borneol microemulsion administration. The relative brain targeting efficiency of TMP for the XBC microemulsion i.v and i.g. groups relative to the TMP microemulsion and borneol microemulsion groups were greater than 1.

Conclusion

XBC microemulsion can enhance TMP oral bioavailability, brain targeting and tissue distribution, mainly through a synergistic action of Rhizoma ligustric Chuanxiong extracts and borneol.
Model uncertainty and multimodel inference in reliability estimation within a longitudinal framework
Authors: Alonso Ariel , Laenen Annouschka
Published: May 2012

Laenen, Alonso, and Molenberghs (2007) and Laenen, Alonso, Molenberghs, and Vangeneugden (2009) proposed a method to assess the reliability of rating scales in a longitudinal context. The methodology is based on hierarchical linear models, and reliability coefficients are derived from the corresponding covariance matrices. However, finding a good parsimonious model to describe complex longitudinal data is a challenging task. Frequently, several models fit the data equally well, raising the problem of model selection uncertainty. When model uncertainty is high one may resort to model averaging, where inferences are based not on one but on an entire set of models. We explored the use of different model building strategies, including model averaging, in reliability estimation. We found that the approach introduced by Laenen et al. (2007, 2009) combined with some of these strategies may yield meaningful results in the presence of high model selection uncertainty and when all models are misspecified, in so far as some of them manage to capture the most salient features of the data. Nonetheless, when all models omit prominent regularities in the data, misleading results may be obtained. The main ideas are further illustrated on a case study in which the reliability of the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale is estimated. Importantly, the ambit of model selection uncertainty and model averaging transcends the specific setting studied in the paper and may be of interest in other areas of psychometrics.
Did We Interpret the Same Thing?
Authors: Falan Sharie L. , Han Bernard T.
Published: May 2012

PURPOSE:  Motivated by the potential application of "similarity theory" in nursing communication, the primary objectives of this paper are (a) to seek an in‐depth understanding of how nurses identify like concepts when comparing two similar but different images, and (b) to pinpoint the thinking process nurses use to determine "similarity" as a pretest of a framework that is meant to improve nursing communication for better patients' care.

METHODS:  A think‐aloud approach is used to elicit both written and verbal responses from six participants, who are medical‐surgical registered nurses with an associate degree, by comparing two specifically designed images for similarity determination. Data collected from participants include responses about four levels of similarities, a similarity rating using a 1–10 Likert‐type scale, and a most meaningful concept shared by the image pair.

FINDINGS:  Collected data indicate noticeable variability in the level and quality of details, which in turn demonstrates inconsistencies. The findings from analyzing the collected think‐aloud responses indicate that the proposed framework of thinking process was undertaken by at least three participants (i.e., 50%) before they reached the similarity rating and a meaningful concept. This study shows how misunderstandings in interpretation can occur simply because nurses used different similarity approaches. Anomalies are also found in the collected data (i.e., think‐aloud responses). Possible causes and explanations are given, along with suggestions for further investigation and validation of the proposed framework.

CONCLUSIONS:  In this study, a communication framework based on similarity theory was proposed to highlight the thinking process of nursing concept development. A think‐aloud pilot study was conducted. Results suggest that similarity theory and the proposed framework can be used to explain how nurses classify and determine similarities, though an in‐depth validation is needed. This framework may guide nurse educators to promote higher levels of thinking when educating students and nurses in the process of extracting quality information during patient care. The limitations of current research have been addressed. Additional research issues and extensions to this study are also provided in order to further improve nursing communication education.
Cross‐Cultural Adaptation of the Quality of Diagnoses, Interventions and Outcomes (Q‐DIO) Instrument into Brazilian Portuguese
Authors: da Costa Linch Graciele Fernanda , Müller‐Staub Maria , Moraes Maria Antonieta , Azzolin Karina , Rabelo Eneida Rejane
Published: May 2012

PURPOSE:  To describe the cross‐cultural adaptation of the Quality of Diagnoses, Interventions and Outcomes instrument into Brazilian Portuguese.

METHOD:  This process entailed translation, synthesis, back‐translation, expert committee review, and pretesting.

FINDINGS:  Six items were altered in the Brazilian version, and the scoring system was changed from a five‐point to a three‐point Likert‐type scale. Pretesting was conducted on a sample of 40 randomly selected nursing records. Overall reliability as measured by Cronbach's alpha was 0.96.

CONCLUSIONS:  Adaptation resulted in a preliminary version of the instrument.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE:  Assessment of the psychometric properties of the instrument in a larger sample of nursing records is required, and such a study is underway.
Software Application That Evaluates the Diagnostic Accuracy of Nursing Students
Authors: Jensen Rodrigo , Silveira Paulo Sérgio Panse , Ortega Neli Regina Siqueira , de Moraes Lopes Maria Helena Baena
Published: May 2012

PURPOSE:  Apply the educational software Fuzzy Kitten with undergraduate Brazilian nursing students.

METHODS:  This software, based on fuzzy logic, generates performance scores that evaluate the ability to identify defining characteristics/risk factors present in clinical cases, relate them with nursing diagnoses, and determine the diagnoses freely or using a decision support model.

FINDINGS:  There were differences in student performance compared to the year of the course. The time to perform the activity did not present a significant relation to the performance. The students' scores in the diagnoses indicated by the model was superior (p= .01).

CONCLUSIONS:  The software was able to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of students.

IMPLICATIONS:  The software enables an objective evaluation of diagnostic accuracy.

OBJETIVO:  Aplicar o software educacional Fuzzy Kitten com graduandos de enfermagem brasileiros.

MÉTODOS:  Este software, baseado em lógica fuzzy, gera escores de desempenho que avaliam a capacidade do aluno em identificar características definidoras/fatores de risco presentes em casos clínicos, relacioná‐las com diagnósticos de enfermagem e determinar diagnósticos de forma livre ou usando um modelo de apoio à decisão.

RESULTADOS:  Houve diferença no desempenho dos alunos em relação ao ano do curso. O tempo para realizar a atividade não apresentou relação com o desempenho. O escore dos alunos foi superior no diagnóstico gerado pelo modelo (p = ,01).

CONCLUSÕES:  O software permitiu avaliar a acurácia diagnóstica dos alunos.

IMPLICAÇÕES:  O software possibilita uma avaliação objetiva da acurácia diagnóstica.
Spectral Formulations for Vortex Induced Vibration Modal Decomposition and Reconstruction
Authors: McNeill S. I.
Published: May 2012

Modal decomposition and reconstruction (MDR) of marine riser vortex induced vibration (VIV) is a technique where vibration is measured using accelerometers and/or angular rate sensors, the modal displacements are solved for and the stress and fatigue damage is reconstructed along the riser. Recent developments have greatly increased the accuracy and reliability of the method. However the computational burden is onerous due to stress time history reconstruction and rainflow cycle counting at every desired location along the riser. In addition, fully synchronous data are required to reconstruct the stress histories. Dirlik’s method for obtaining rainflow damage for Gaussian random stress using only spectral information (four spectral automoments) has proven to be quite accurate with a significant reduction in computational effort. In this paper two spectral formulations of MDR are introduced. The first method is applicable when all the measured data are synchronous. In this method, spectral cross moments of the modal displacements are solved from the spectral cross moments of the measured data using basis vectors consisting of normal mode shapes. The spectral automoments of stress are obtained from the modal displacement cross moments and analytical stress mode shapes. Dirlik’s method is then applied to obtain rainflow damage. The second method is a generalization of the first, where the measured data cross moments are only partially known. This method is applicable when measured data are partially synchronous or asynchronous. A numerical root-finding technique is employed to solve for the modal response cross moments. The method then proceeds in the same manner as the first. The spectral methods are applied to simulated VIV data of a full-scale deepwater riser and to Norwegian Deepwater Program (NDP) scale-model test data on a 38 m long slender riser. Comparisons of reconstructed fatigue damage versus simulated or measured damage indicate that the method is capable of estimating fatigue damage accurately for Gaussian VIV even when data are not fully synchronous. It is also shown that computational cost is greatly reduced.
Assessing the Dynamic Stability of an Offshore Supply Vessel
Authors: Shigunov Vladimir , Moctar Ould el , Schellin Thomas E. , Kaufmann Jan , Stute Rasmus
Published: May 2012

The dynamic stability of a typical offshore service vessel operating under stability critical operating conditions was investigated. Excessive roll motions and relative motions at the stern were studied for two loading conditions for ship speeds ranging from zero to the design speed. A linear frequency-domain seakeeping analysis was followed by nonlinear time-domain simulations of ship motions in waves. Based on results from these methods, critical scenarios were selected and simulated using finite-volume solvers of the Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes equations to understand the phenomena related to dynamically unstable ship motions and to confirm the results of the simpler analysis methods. The results revealed the possibility of excessive roll motions and water run-up on deck; countermeasures such as a ship-specific operational guidance are discussed.
Tailoring Electrical Transport Across Grain Boundaries in Polycrystalline Graphene
Authors: Tsen Adam W. , Brown Lola , Levendorf Mark P. , Ghahari Fereshte , Huang Pinshane Y. , Havener Robin W. , Ruiz-Vargas Carlos S. , Muller David A. , Kim Philip , Park Jiwoong
Published: May 2012

Going Up Against the Grain Boundaries

Exfoliated graphene sheets are single crystals that exhibit excellent electronic properties, but their fabrication is too slow for large-scale device fabrication. Growth methods such as chemical vapor deposition are faster, but create polycrystalline graphene sheets that contain grain boundaries that can scatter charge carriers and decrease performance.

Tsen
et al.

(p.
1143
) found that the presence of overlapping domains within polycrystalline graphene samples could increase conductivity of samples by an order of magnitude, allowing them to rival exfoliated samples.
Efficiency in Evolutionary Trade-Offs
Authors: Noor Elad , Milo Ron
Published: May 2012

A key concept in economics and engineering is used to deduce which traits and which tasks that an organism performs are important for fitness.
Where Are the Missing Baryons?
Authors: Bhattacharjee Yudhijit
Published: May 2012

Not only are astronomers unable to pin down dark energy and dark matter, but more than half of the "baryonic matter"—ordinary atoms and ions—remains unaccounted for.
Why Is the Solar System So Bizarre?
Authors: Kerr Richard A.
Published: May 2012

Enigmas such as Mercury's makeup (mostly iron core, with a thin veneer of rock) and Uranus's skewed magnetic field continue to bedevil planetary scientists, and no tidy resolution is in sight.
Molecular Epidemiology of HIV-Associated Tuberculosis in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania: Strain Predominance, Clustering, and Polyclonal Disease
Authors: Adams Lisa V. , Kreiswirth Barry N. , Arbeit Robert D. , Soini Hanna , Mtei Lillian , Matee Mecky , Bakari Muhammad , Lahey Timothy , Wieland-Alter Wendy , Shashkina Elena , Kurepina Natalia , Driscoll Jeffrey R. , Pallangyo Kisali , Horsburgh C. Robert , von Reyn C. Fordham
Published: May 2012

Molecular typing of
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
can be used to elucidate the epidemiology of tuberculosis, including the rates of clustering, the frequency of polyclonal disease, and the distribution of genotypic families. We performed IS
6110
typing and spoligotyping on
M. tuberculosis
strains isolated from HIV-infected subjects at baseline or during follow-up in the DarDar Trial in Tanzania and on selected community isolates. Clustering occurred in 203 (74%) of 275 subjects: 124 (80%) of 155 HIV-infected subjects with baseline isolates, 56 (69%) of 81 HIV-infected subjects with endpoint isolates, and 23 (59%) of 39 community controls. Overall, 113 (41%) subjects had an isolate representing the East Indian “GD” family. The rate of clustering was similar among vaccine and placebo recipients and among subjects with or without cellular immune responses to mycobacterial antigens. Polyclonal disease was detected in 6 (43%) of 14 patients with multiple specimens typed. Most cases of HIV-associated tuberculosis among subjects from this study in Dar es Salaam resulted from recently acquired infection. Polyclonal infection was detected and isolates representing the East Indian GD strain family were the most common.
Recovery of Gram-Negative Bacilli in Stored Endotracheal Aspirates
Authors: Ranke Tarah D. , Strassle Paula , Harris Anthony D. , Zhu Jingkun , Johnson J. Kristie
Published: May 2012

This study assessed the recovery rates of Gram-negative bacilli from stored endotracheal aspirates frozen with and without glycerol. Samples frozen with glycerol showed a significant difference in isolate recovery, 89.7% versus 69.2% (
P
= 0.02). This study demonstrates that it is possible to achieve high recovery rates of potentially pathogenic organisms from endotracheal aspirates when stored with glycerol, thus broadening the scope of active surveillance cultures for both clinical and research purposes.
Influenza A Viruses Control Expression of Proviral Human p53 Isoforms p53β and Δ133p53α
Authors: Terrier Olivier , Marcel Virginie , Cartet Gaëlle , Lane David P. , Lina Bruno , Rosa-Calatrava Manuel , Bourdon Jean-Christophe
Published: May 2012

Previous studies have described the role of p53 isoforms, including p53β and Δ133p53α, in the modulation of the activity of full-length p53, which regulates cell fate. In the context of influenza virus infection, an interplay between influenza viruses and p53 has been described, with p53 being involved in the antiviral response. However, the role of physiological p53 isoforms has never been explored in this context. Here, we demonstrate that p53 isoforms play a role in influenza A virus infection by using silencing and transient expression strategies in human lung epithelial cells. In addition, with the help of a panel of different influenza viruses from different subtypes, we also show that infection differentially regulates the expressions of p53β and Δ133p53α. Altogether, our results highlight the role of p53 isoforms in the viral cycle of influenza A viruses, with p53β and Δ133p53α acting as regulators of viral production in a p53-dependent manner.
The Nordic Patient Experiences Questionnaire (NORPEQ): cross-national comparison of data quality, internal consistency and validity in four Nordic countries
Authors: Skudal Kjersti Eeg , Garratt Andrew Malcolm , Eriksson Birgitta , Leinonen Tuija , Simonsen Jan , Bjertnaes Oyvind Andresen
Published: May 2012

Objectives

To evaluate the Nordic Patient Experiences Questionnaire (NORPEQ) for data quality, reliability and validity following surveys of patients in Finland, Norway, Sweden and the Faroe Islands.

Design, methods and participants

The NORPEQ was mailed to 500 patients randomly selected after receiving inpatient treatment in Finland, Norway and Sweden. The NORPEQ was also included in a national survey in Norway and in the Faroe Islands. Dimensionality was assessed using principal component analysis and internal consistency by item-total correlation and Cronbach's α. Construct validity was assessed by correlating NORPEQ scores with variables known to be related to patient experiences.

Setting

Somatic hospitals in Finland, Faroe Islands, Norway and Sweden.

Primary and secondary outcome measures

Item missing, internal consistency reliability and construct validity.

Results

Response rates ranged from 45.8% in Norway to 84% for Sweden. Levels of missing data were low for all items across the surveys. Principal component analysis identified one component with six experiences items. Mean NORPEQ scores ranged from 74 to 79 on the 0–100 scale, where 100 represents the best possible experiences. Cronbach's α ranged from 0.84 in Finland to 0.88 in Sweden.

Conclusions

The NORPEQ is a brief measure of patient experiences that covers important aspects of the healthcare encounter. It shows good evidence of reliability and validity.

Practice implications

The NORPEQ instrument is recommended for cross-national comparisons of healthcare experiences for the four Nordic countries.
Do cormorant colonies affect local fish communities in the Baltic Sea?
Authors: Östman Örjan , Bergenius Mikaela , Boström Maria Kristina , Lunneryd Sven-Gunnar
Published: May 2012

The effects that cormorants have on fish communities have been debated, yet few studies have used the necessary controls and replications to make valid and general assessments. Using both a paired design and time series analysis, we studied associations between colony size of the great cormorant ( Phalacrocorax carbo sinesis ) in the Baltic Sea and local fish community composition. Overall, colony size showed few associations with local fish communities. Most evident was a negative association between colony size and perch ( Perca fluviatilis ) abundances in some areas. But for other species, results were nonsignificant or variable among areas. The Baltic Sea cormorant population has increased over the last decades, and our results suggest that management actions to reduce local cormorant colonies may have a positive effect on local perch abundance. Otherwise, our results predict colony reductions to either have variable or weak effects on adjacent local fish communities.
The excitability of dorsal horn neurons is affected by cerebrospinal fluid from humans with osteoarthritis
Authors: Lu Van B. , Smith Peter A. , Rashiq Saifee
Published: May 2012

Changes in central neural processing are thought to contribute to the development of chronic osteoarthritis pain. This may be reflected as the presence of inflammatory mediators in the cerebral spinal fluid (CSF). We therefore exposed organotypically cultured slices of rat spinal cord to CSF from human subjects with osteoarthritis (OACSF) at a ratio of 1 part CSF in 9 parts culture medium for 5–6 days, and measured changes in neuronal electrophysiological properties by means of whole-cell recording. Although OACSF had no effect on the membrane properties and excitability of neurons in the substantia gelatinosa, synaptic transmission was clearly altered. The frequency of spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic currents (sEPSC) in delay-firing putative excitatory neurons was increased, as was sEPSC amplitude and frequency in tonic-firing inhibitory neurons. These changes could affect sensory processing in the dorsal horn, and may affect the transfer of nociceptive information. Although OACSF also affected inhibitory synaptic transmission (frequency of spontaneous inhibitory synaptic currents; sIPSC), this may have little bearing on sensory processing by substantia gelatinosa neurons, as sEPSC frequency is >3× greater than sIPSC frequency in this predominantly excitatory network. These results support the clinical notion that changes in nociceptive processing at the spinal level contribute to the generation of chronic osteoarthritis pain.
Granule matrix property and rapid “kiss-and-run” exocytosis contribute to the different kinetics of catecholamine release from carotid glomus and adrenal chromaffin cells at matched quantal size
Authors: Wang Nan , Lee Andy K. , Yan Lei , Simpson Michael R. , Tse Amy , Tse Frederick W.
Published: May 2012

Catecholamine-containing small dense core granules (SDCGs, vesicular diameter of ∼100 nm) are prominent in carotid glomus (chemosensory) cells and some neurons, but the release kinetics from individual SDCGs has not been studied in detail. In this study, we compared the amperometric signals from glomus cells with those from adrenal chromaffin cells, which also secrete catecholamine but via large dense core granules (LDCGs, vesicular diameter of ∼200–250 nm). When exocytosis was triggered by whole-cell dialysis (which raised the concentration of intracellular Ca2+([Ca2+]i) to ∼0.5 µmol/L), the proportion of the type of signal that represents a flickering fusion pore was 9-fold higher for glomus cells. Yet, at the same range of quantal size (Q, the total amount of catecholamine that can be released from a granule), the kinetics of every phase of the amperometric spike signals from glomus cells was faster. Our data indicate that the last phenomenon involved at least 2 mechanisms: (i) the granule matrix of glomus cells can supply a higher concentration of free catecholamine during exocytosis; (ii) a modest elevation of [Ca2+]itriggers a form of rapid “kiss-and-run” exocytosis, which is very prevalent among glomus SDCGs and leads to incomplete release of their catecholamine content (and underestimation of their Q value).
A REVIEW OF HIGH PERFORMANCE COMPUTING FOUNDATIONS FOR SCIENTISTS
Authors: GARCÍA-RISUEÑO PABLO , IBÁÑEZ PABLO E.
Published: May 2012

The increase of existing computational capabilities has made simulation emerge as a third discipline of Science, lying midway between experimental and purely theoretical branches [G. Makov, C. Gattinoni and A. D. Vita, Model. Simul. Mater. Sci. Eng.17, 084008 (2009); C. J. Cramer, Essentials of Computational Chemistry: Theories and Models, 2nd edn. (John Wiley & Sons, Chichester, 2002)]. Simulation enables the evaluation of quantities which otherwise would not be accessible, helps to improve experiments and provides new insights on systems which are analyzed [T. C. Germann, K. Kadau and S. Swaminarayan, Concurrency Comput. Pract. Exp.21, 2143 (2009); M. A. L. Marques, X. Lopez, D. Varsano, A. Castro and A. Rubio, Phys. Rev. Lett.90, 258101 (2003); D. E. Shaw, P. Maragakis, K. Lindorff-Larsen, S. Piana, R. O. Dror, M. P. Eastwood, J. A. Bank, J. M. Jumper, J. K. Salmon, Y. Shan and W. Wriggers, Science330, 341 (2010); D. Marx, Chem. Phys. Chem.7, 1848 (2006)]. Knowing the fundamentals of computation can be very useful for scientists, for it can help them to improve the performance of their theoretical models and simulations. This review includes some technical essentials that can be useful to this end, and it is devised as a complement for researchers whose education is focused on scientific issues and not on technological respects. In this document, we attempt to discuss the fundamentals of high performance computing (HPC) [G. Hager and G. Wellein, Introduction to High Performance Computing for Scientists and Engineers, 1st edn. (CRC Press, Taylor & Francis Group, 2011)] in a way which is easy to understand without much previous background. We sketch the way standard computers and supercomputers work, as well as discuss distributed computing and discuss essential aspects to take into account when running scientific calculations in computers.
TAX EVASION DYNAMICS AND ZAKLAN MODEL ON OPINION-DEPENDENT NETWORK
Authors: LIMA F. W. S.
Published: May 2012

Within the context of agent-based Monte-Carlo simulations, we study the problem of the fluctuations of tax evasion in a community of honest citizens and tax evaders by using the version of the nonequilibrium Zaklan model proposed by Lima (2010). The studied evolutionary dynamics of tax evasion are driven by a non-equilibrium majority-vote model of M. J. Oliveira, with the objective to attempt to control the fluctuations of the tax evasion in the observed community in which citizens are localized on the nodes of the Stauffer–Hohnisch–Pittnauer networks.
IMPROVEMENT OF THE RESPONSE TIME FOR ORGANIC PHOTODETECTORS BY USING DISPLACEMENT CURRENT
Authors: LI BO
Published: May 2012

A new method is proposed to improve the response time of organic photodetectors by using displacement current. By inserting a transparent organic dielectric layer between the organic semiconductor active layer and the electrode the displacement current will be produced and replace the conduction current for current propagation, which will overcome the disadvantage of low carrier mobility of organic semiconductors. Under the irradiation of nanosecond pulse laser the rise time and fall time of the organic photodetector based on displacement current decrease 10% and 86%, respectively comparing to the conventional organic photodetector based on conduction current, which indicates the displacement current could renew the operation principle for high-speed organic photodetectors.
PERFECT OPTICAL TRANSPORT AND OPTICAL BAND GAP IN QUASIPERIODIC SUPERLATTICES
Authors: YU XIA , CHEN KE-QIU , ZHANG YAN
Published: May 2012

A three-component quasiperiodic superlattice structures composing of both positive and negative refractive index materials are shown to display resonant transport behavior and optical band gaps. When the structure is composed of nondispersive refractive index material, the number of the resonant transmission peaks increases and the optical band gap becomes broad with the increasing of the medium generation. The band gap covers all the wavelength except for some singular wavelength points when the structure is composed of negative refractive index materials. Moreover, it is found that the spectrum shifts to low frequency for oblique incidence. And with the increasing of the optical thickness, the band gap splits and new perfect transport channels emerge. For a more realistic dispersive negative refractive index material, the transmission coefficients are characterized by a rich transmission profile without symmetry, more wide band gaps and abundance transmissive channels appear.
IMPROVED MEAN-FIELD TRANSFER MATRIX MODEL FOR HYPERCUBIC ISING SYSTEMS
Authors: KAYA TUNCER
Published: May 2012

A mean-field method for Ising systems is introduced generalizing the reduced transfer matrix method introduced by Kaya and Arık. The important assumption of the method is that the neighboring spins of a central spin can be replaced by the average magnetization 〈σ〉 of the system. The approximation is same as the previously introduced method. However, the derivative of average magnetization with respect to external magnetic field is defined without further approximation. In addition, the previously introduced model is extended to all hypercubic lattices. The critical coupling strength Kc for hypercubic lattices is evaluated self-consistently. Obviously, this assumption leads to some significant deviation from the exact treatment. However, the model introduced here is an improvement on most self-consistent mean-field-type approximations.
PATTERN-ORIENTED INVERSE SIMULATION FOR ANALYZING SOCIAL PROBLEMS: FAMILY STRATEGIES IN CIVIL SERVICE EXAMINATION IN IMPERIAL CHINA
Authors: YANG CHAO , KURAHASHI SETSUYA , ONO ISAO , TERANO TAKAO
Published: May 2012

This paper proposes an agent-based model to investigate the role of parental relationships and intergenerational reproduction of cultural capital to understand the long-term professional success of an elite family line during the Ming and Qing dynasties in imperial China. We implemented the model by a new method: The pattern-oriented inverse simulation (POIS) method, where multiple patterns observed in an elite family line are employed to guide the model design and test alternative assumptions as family strategies. A genetic algorithm (GA) based inverse technique is applied to fit the simulation outputs with actual data grouped in time intervals as patterns. The simulation results discovered family strategies sustained by the examination systems in imperial China, which relates to important sociological theories on the impact of the intergenerational reproduction of cultural capital within family circles on social inequality in the individual entry in labor and professional markets. The case study also proved that the new methodology of POIS can improve our current practices for systematically exploring simulation parameter space and fit model output with actual data.
Arterial spin labeling blood flow magnetic resonance imaging for evaluation of renal injury
Authors: Liu Yupin P. , Song Rui , Liang Chang hong , Chen Xin , Liu Bo
Published: May 2012

A multitude of evidence suggests that iodinated contrast material causes nephrotoxicity; however, there have been no previous studies that use arterial spin labeling (ASL) blood flow functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to investigate the alterations in effective renal plasma flow between normointensive and hypertensive rats following injection of contrast media. We hypothesized that FAIR-SSFSE arterial spin labeling MRI may enable noninvasive and quantitative assessment of regional renal blood flow abnormalities and correlate with disease severity as assessed by histological methods. Renal blood flow (RBF) values of the cortex and medulla of rat kidneys were obtained from ASL images postprocessed at ADW4.3 workstation 0.3, 24, 48, and 72 h before and after injection of iodinated contrast media (6 ml/kg). The H&E method for morphometric measurements was used to confirm the MRI findings. The RBF values of the outer medulla were lower than those of the cortex and the inner medulla as reported previously. Iodinated contrast media treatment resulted in decreases in RBF in the outer medulla and cortex in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR), but only in the outer medulla in normotensive rats. The iodinated contrast agent significantly decreased the RBF value in the outer medulla and the cortex in SHR compared with normotensive rats after injection of the iodinated contrast media. Histological observations of kidney morphology were also consistent with ASL perfusion changes. These results demonstrate that the RBF value can reflect changes of renal perfusion in the cortex and medulla. ASL-MRI is a feasible and accurate method for evaluating nephrotoxic drugs-induced kidney damage.
Electrophysiological characterization of Grueneberg ganglion olfactory neurons: spontaneous firing, sodium conductance, and hyperpolarization-activated currents
Authors: Liu Cambrian Y. , Xiao Cheng , Fraser Scott E. , Lester Henry A. , Koos David S.
Published: May 2012

Mammals rely on their acute olfactory sense for their survival. The most anterior olfactory subsystem in the nose, the Grueneberg ganglion (GG), plays a role in detecting alarm pheromone, cold, and urinary compounds. GG neurons respond homogeneously to these stimuli with increases in intracellular [Ca2+] or transcription of immediate-early genes. In this electrophysiological study, we used patch-clamp techniques to characterize the membrane properties of GG neurons. Our results offer evidence of functional heterogeneity in the GG. GG neurons fire spontaneously and independently in several stable patterns, including phasic and repetitive single-spike modes of discharge. Whole cell recordings demonstrated two distinct voltage-gated fast-inactivating Na+ currents with different steady-state voltage dependencies and different sensitivities to tetrodotoxin. Hodgkin-Huxley simulations showed that these Na+ currents confer dual mechanisms of action potential generation and contribute to different firing patterns. Additionally, GG neurons exhibited hyperpolarization-activated inward currents that modulated spontaneous firing in vitro. Thus, in GG neurons, the heterogeneity of firing patterns is linked to the unusual repertoire of ionic currents. The membrane properties described here will aid the interpretation of chemosensory function in the GG.
Advancement in the Development of Models for Hepatitis C Research
Authors: Carcamo Wendy C. , Nguyen Cuong Q.
Published: May 2012

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a pandemic disease affecting an estimated 180 million individuals worldwide and infecting each year another~3-4 million people making HCV a global public health issue. HCV is the main cause for chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. In the United States, HCV-related chronic liver disease is a leading cause of liver transplantation. Despite significant improvements in antiviral drugs, only~50% of treated patients with HCV have viral clearance after treatment. Showing unique species specificity, HCV has a narrow range of potential hosts infecting only chimpanzees and humans. For decades, the chimpanzee model has been the only and instrumental primate for studying HCV infection; however, availability, economic, and ethical issues make the chimpanzee an unsuitable animal model today. Thus, significant research has been devoted to explore different models that are suitable in studying the biology of the virus and application in the clinical research for developing efficient and tolerable treatments for patients. This review focuses on experimental models that have been developed to date and their findings related to HCV.
Implicit Methods for Equilibrium Problems on Hadamard Manifolds
Authors: Noor Muhammad Aslam , Zainab Saira , Yao Yonghong
Published: May 2012

We use the auxiliary principle technique to suggest and analyze an implicit method for solving the equilibrium problems on Hadamard manifolds. The convergence of this new implicit method requires only the speudomonotonicity, which is a weaker condition than monotonicity. Some special cases are also considered.
Composite Tracking Control for Generalized Practical Synchronization of Duffing‐Holmes Systems with Parameter Mismatching, Unknown External Excitation, Plant Uncertainties, and Uncertain Deadzone Nonlinearities
Authors: Sun Yeong-Jeu
Published: May 2012

The generalized practical synchronization (GPS) of uncertain Duffing‐Holmes chaotic systems with parameter mismatching, unknown external excitation, plant uncertainties, and uncertain deadzone nonlinearities is investigated. Based on the composite control approach, a tracking control is derived to realize the GPS for the uncertain Duffing‐Holmes chaotic systems with parameter mismatching, unknown external excitation, plant uncertainties, and uncertain deadzone nonlinearities. Besides, the guaranteed exponential decay rate, convergence radius, and desired scaling factor can be prespecified. Finally, numerical simulations are provided to illustrate the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed GPS scheme.
Higher‐Order Weakly Generalized Epiderivatives and Applications to Optimality Conditions
Authors: Wang Qilin , Yu Guolin
Published: May 2012

The notions of higher‐order weakly generalized contingent epiderivative and higher‐order weakly generalized adjacent epiderivative for set‐valued maps are proposed. By virtue of the higher‐order weakly generalized contingent (adjacent) epiderivatives, both necessary and sufficient optimality conditions are obtained for Henig efficient solutions to a set‐valued optimization problem whose constraint set is determined by a set‐valued map. The imposed assumptions are relaxed in comparison with those of recent results in the literature. Examples are provided to show some advantages of our notions and results.
Women, Work and Policy Settings in Australia in 2011
Authors: Baird Marian , Williamson Sue , Heron Alexandra
Published: May 2012

Women’s work continues to be an important part of the national debate. We argue that although the focus in 2011 was on policy consolidation rather than new initiatives, a policy platform relating to women, work and family has been set in Australia. A shift to recognizing the implications of policy for men’s work and care roles is also discernible. The year 2011 was the 100th anniversary of the first International Women’s Day but, while celebrated around Australia, gender inequities remain. Coming onto the agenda with greater force in 2011 were the gender-related issues of an ageing workforce, growing elder care needs and sexual harassment. This article reviews selected gender statistics and then moves to the matters that were prominent in 2011: mature workers, care, pay equity, women in the defence forces, and legislative reform relating to sex discrimination, the Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Act 1999 and paid parental leave.
Transnational Political Echolocation
Authors: Gómez-Quintero Juan David , Marcuello-Servós Chaime
Published: May 2012

This article analyses a particular case of interactions between “Southern” and “Northern” nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). It considers a sample of Colombian social movements and organizations concerned with victims of Colombian armed conflicts as well as some Spanish NGOs working in Colombia. Specifically, it considers relationships, communication processes, and organizational patterns, and identifies an emergent practice of “transnational political echolocation” understood in terms of mobilizing and grievance strategies within a transnational arena shaped by information and communication technologies.
Taking Baudrillard to the Fair
Authors: Nordin Astrid H. M.
Published: May 2012

Scholars have recently paid increasing attention to China’s “mega events” as a form of image management striving to influence future world order. In this article, the author examines China’s recent world fair, Expo 2010 Shanghai China, and argues that we need to move beyond the reading of mega events as simple representation and ideology and read it also as simulation and simulacra. Reading the Chinese world fair as a simulacrum of world order can provide different ways of relating “the West” to its “other country” China. The author examines this relation through asking what it means to be the fair: Where is the world fair? When is the world fair? Who is the world fair? Reading the world/fair as simulacrum disrupts the fair’s notions of inside and outside, now and then, subject and object to the point where these terms are no longer workable.
The Informal Economy in South Africa: Debates, Issues and Policies
Authors: Valodia Imraan , Devey Richard
Published: May 2012

The idea of dualism in the South African economy, characterised by a ‘first’ and ‘second’ economy, has come to dominate government thinking in recent years. Using the panel component of the Labour Force Survey (LFS), we explore linkages between the formal and informal economy. Our analysis suggests that there is a high level of interaction between formal and informal work at the lower end of the labour market. At the household level too, access to stable employment in the formal economy is associated with higher levels of earning in the informal economy. Our findings have implications for poverty analysis in South Africa. Policy which views poverty as being located outside the mainstream of the economy—in the so-called ‘second economy’—is misleading.

JEL Classifications: O17, O55