bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Vortex shells in square arrays of pinning sites
Authors: Yetis Hakan
Published: November 2010

We investigate the vortex states interacting with a square array of pinning sites in a superconducting sample by using a molecular dynamics approach. An improved potential is used to model the interaction between the vortices and the pinning sites. We found several shell‐type structures depending on the numbers of the vortices and pinning sites. We show that the vorticity increases with increasing of magnetic field and (meta)stable vortex shells occur due to the changes in the vorticity. We deduce that the large pinning sizes are essential to obtain higher order vortex shells. Our results are compared with those obtained from the numerical and experimental studies.
The influence of the silicon/silicon oxide space charge region on excess charge carrier kinetics in silicon
Authors: Moreno E. Martinez , Kunst M.
Published: November 2010

Excess charge carrier kinetics in p‐doped crystalline silicon (Si) wafers covered by SiO2 films is investigated by transient photoconductance and surface photovoltage measurements. This makes it possible to distinguish between excess charge carriers collected in the Si/SiO2 heterojunction and those in the Si volume. The decay of the photoconductance signal in the millisecond time range could be unambiguously attributed to excess charge carriers stored in the space charge region. The decay of these charge carriers appears to be independent of the volume lifetime. The difference between the behaviours in Si/SiO2 and Si/SiNx is discussed.
The cognitive neuropsychiatry of delusional belief
Authors: Langdon Robyn
Published: November 2010

According to the ‘two‐factor’ cognitive‐neuropsychiatric approach to delusional belief, two factors, in combination, explain the generation and maintenance of monothematic delusions. The first factor varies from delusion to delusion and explains why a patient generates a particular implausible thought in the first place. The second factor explains why a patient fails to reject the implausible thought as belief. This two‐factor approach began with a ‘two‐deficit’ account of bizarre monothematic delusions, according to which bizarre delusions are generated when a (first‐factor) deficit of basic sensory/affective processing fundamentally distorts perceived reality. Deficits of this type are discussed and contrasted with motivated attentional biases in more mundane delusions. To better specify the second factor, I contrast ‘explanationist’ and ‘endorsement’ approaches to the role of aberrant experience in delusion formation and propose a ‘received‐reflective’ spectrum. At one pole of this spectrum are purely received delusions, which arise fully formed and fully (mis)believed in consciousness as the (mis)perceived reality. At the other pole are purely reflective delusions, which arise after reflection upon a vague and disquieting experience, and for which the crystallization of delusional conviction is more gradual. Most delusions lie in between, a mix of received ‘delusional seed’ and reflective elaboration. Underpinning all monothematic delusions, wherever they might lie on this spectrum may be a form of ‘doxastic inhibitory failure’—a difficulty with inhibiting a belief to reason about it as if it might not be true. I conclude by considering how this account might apply to polythematic delusions. WIREs Cogni Sci 2011 2 449–460 DOI: 10.1002/wcs.121

This article is categorized under:

Psychology > Brain Function and Dysfunction
Ageing and maximal physical performance
Authors: Suominen Harri
Published: November 2010

Elite master athletes with long-term devotion to physical training offer an economical means of investigating the effects of ageing and habitual exercise on maximal physical performance. Ideally, individuals with optimised living habits throughout their lives could serve as a human model of ‘primary’ or ‘inherent’ ageing, where age-related changes are not confounded by sedentary life-style and associated chronic diseases. A limitation of this approach is the selection bias as those with inherently high physical capacity and good health participate in competitive sports. The age-related decrements remain obvious, but the record performances of master athletes competing in running and jumping events are preserved at an extraordinary high level until old age. Similarly, underlying capacities such as muscle strength, power and endurance remain far above the age norms, thus providing superior functional reserves for activities of daily living. Nevertheless, even the best records may overestimate the age decrements. It is obvious that the older champions have never trained and performed as well as the current younger athletes, and that the performance of individual athletes retaining or increasing their training volume and intensity show smaller decrements over the years. The plasticity of individual development is preserved in later life thus making it possible, at least for some time, to modify the age-associated decline in the different aspects of maximal physical performance.
Growing up and apart: Gender divergences in a Chicagoland elementary school
Authors: Cameron Richard
Published: November 2010

A characteristic of children's social orders is gender segregation. When children can choose, girls play more with girls and boys with boys. This begins around age three and peaks in later childhood. If children separate into same-gender groups, their interactions across the gender line will not be as frequent as those with members of the same sex. Following on Bloomfield's assertion (1933:46) that “density of communication” results in the “most important differences of speech” within a community, I predict that differences will increasingly emerge between girls and boys. I test this using two sociolinguistic variables, (dh) and (ing), in the English spoken by children in an elementary school. The prediction is supported. Results contribute to research into language socialization and the acquisition of gendered linguistic expression.
Zou Receives 2010 F. L. Scarf Award
Authors: Anonymous
Published: November 2010

Shasha Zou has been awarded the F. L. Scarf Award, given annually to a recent Ph.D. recipient for outstanding dissertation research that contributes directly to solar planetary sciences. Zou's dissertation is entitled “Evolution of high latitude ionospheric convection associated with substorms: Multiple radar observations.” She is scheduled to present an invited talk in the Multipoint Perspective on the Auroral Acceleration Region and M‐I Coupling session (SM10) during the 2010 AGU Fall Meeting, held 13–17 December in San Francisco, Calif. Huang will be formally presented with the award at the Space Physics and Aeronomy section dinner on 14 December 2010.
2010 Sunanda and Santimay Basu Early Career Award to Huang
Authors: Anonymous
Published: November 2010

Kaiming Huang has been awarded the Sunanda and Santimay Basu Early Career Award in Sun‐Earth Systems Science. The award recognizes an individual scientist from a developing nation for making outstanding contributions to research in Sun‐Earth systems science that further the understanding of both plasma physical processes and their applications for the benefit of society. Huang's thesis is entitled “Numerical studies on wave‐wave and wave‐mean flow interaction for gravity waves.” He is scheduled to present an invited talk in the Frontiers in Aeronomy session (SA12) during the 2010 AGU Fall Meeting, held 13–17 December in San Francisco, Calif. Huang will be formally presented with the award at the Space Physics and Aeronomy section dinner on 14 December 2010.
Parentheses Are (Are Not) for References and Clarification (Saving Space)
Authors: Robock Alan
Published: November 2010

If you do not understand the title of this article, then join the crowd. I am writing to urge authors, editors, and reviewers to join a movement to stomp out the practice of using parentheses to indicate the opposite of an idea or to intersperse multiple values in a sentence with the idea of saving space. In this electronic age, we have plenty of space. Making a journal article a few words longer for clarity and to avoid confusion is well worth the expense in extra bits of storage.
Comment on “Mount St. Helens: A 30‐Year Legacy of Volcanism”
Authors: Fougere Paul F.
Published: November 2010

I read with great interest “Mount St. Helens: A 30‐year legacy of volcanism,” by J. W. Vallance et al., the feature in the 11 May 2010 issue of Eos (91(19), 169–170). This well‐written article is about the volcano itself and ash and aircraft incidents but not about far‐field effects such as traveling ionospheric disturbances (disturbances in the ionosphere that act like traveling waves) that were caused by the explosion.

I have a personal interest in the 1980 Mount St. Helens volcanic eruption. At that time I was working as a physicist at the U.S. Air Force Geophysics Laboratory (AFGL) at Hanscom Air Force Base, in Massachusetts. AFGL had a magnetometer array located across the United States, from which I and other scientists at Hanscom observed perturbations in the Earth's magnetic field, which we related directly to the explosion. These perturbations were observed at stations as far away from Mount St. Helens as Mount Clemens, Mich., 3122 kilometers distant. We were able to measure the velocity of the resulting disturbance at about 316 meters per second, in reasonable agreement with velocities of the pressure wave (from 305 to 309 meters per second) that was observed on microbarometers by the Japan Meteorological Agency.
Development of the Australian‐Antarctic depth anomaly
Authors: Whittaker Joanne M. , Müller R. Dietmar , Gurnis Michael
Published: November 2010

The oceanic Australian‐Antarctic Discordance (AAD) contains two unusual features: (1) N–S trending anomalously deep bathymetries and (2) rough basement morphologies in young (<∼20 Ma) crust between 120°E and 128°E. Models generally attribute AAD formation to underlying cold and/or depleted upper mantle, but no model adequately accounts for all the anomalous attributes. We quantify anomalous basement roughness and basement depths utilizing new seismic reflection data, in combination with all available geophysical and geological observations. We find that the interaction of negative dynamic topography and crustal thickness variations results in the observed complex patterns of residual basement depths. Downwelling, caused by a sinking Mesozoic slab, is the most likely cause of the broad N–S trending residual depth anomalies, while overprinting by westward flowing, buoyant Pacific mantle resulted in the distinctive V‐shaped eastern boundary of the AAD. The particularly large residual depths proximal to the Australian and Antarctic margins may be due to negative dynamic topography combined with thinned oceanic crust caused by ultraslow (<10 mm/yr) half‐spreading rates and sampling of depleted subduction wedge contaminated mantle. Only oceanic basement aged <20 Ma is anomalously rough, a result of sampling of cool/depleted upper mantle material. Although oceanic crust older than 43 Ma may have sampled depleted mantle, the resulting oceanic basement is not anomalously rough likely because a melt volume controlled threshold of accretion‐related roughness had already been reached due to ultraslow spreading rates. Our analysis reveals that the enigmatic roughness of the Diamantina Zone is mainly related to >45° spreading obliquities.
Detecting coupled collective motions in protein by independent subspace analysis
Authors: Sakuraba Shun , Joti Yasumasa , Kitao Akio
Published: November 2010

Protein dynamics evolves in a high-dimensional space, comprising aharmonic, strongly correlated motional modes. Such correlation often plays an important role in analyzing protein function. In order to identify significantly correlated collective motions, here we employ independent subspace analysis based on the subspace joint approximate diagonalization of eigenmatrices algorithm for the analysis of molecular dynamics (MD) simulation trajectories. From the 100 ns MD simulation of T4 lysozyme, we extract several independent subspaces in each of which collective modes are significantly correlated, and identify the other modes as independent. This method successfully detects the modes along which long-tailed non-Gaussian probability distributions are obtained. Based on the time cross-correlation analysis, we identified a series of events among domain motions and more localized motions in the protein, indicating the connection between the functionally relevant phenomena which have been independently revealed by experiments.
Enhancement of spontaneous emission rate and reduction in amplified spontaneous emission threshold in electrodeposited three-dimensional ZnO photonic crystal
Authors: Zhong Yongchun , Yue Zhounan , Wong George K. L. , Xi Yan Yan , Hsu Yuk Fan , Djurišić Aleksandra B. , Dong Jian-Wen , Chen Wen-Jie , Wong Kam Sing
Published: November 2010

ZnO photonic crystal (PC) with face-center-cube type structure is fabricated by electrodeposition using holographic lithographically made organic (SU-8) template. Photonic band gap effect (reflection peak and transmission dip in infrared spectral region) is clearly seen. Observation of strong enhancement and blueshift of the emission peak (from 383.8 to 378.8 nm), shortening of the exciton photoluminescence lifetime (from 88 to 34 ps), and reduction in amplified spontaneous emission threshold of ZnO PC compared to that of the reference nonstructured electrodeposited ZnO showed clear evidence of PC structure affecting the ZnO exciton emission.
Effect of metal/substrate interfaces on radio-frequency loss in superconducting coplanar waveguides
Authors: Wisbey David S. , Gao Jiansong , Vissers Michael R. , da Silva Fabio C. S. , Kline Jeffrey S. , Vale Leila , Pappas David P.
Published: November 2010

Microscopic two-level systems (TLSs) are known to contribute to loss in resonant superconducting microwave circuits. This loss increases at low power and temperatures as the TLSs become unsaturated. We find that the loss is dependent on both the substrate-superconductor interface and the roughness of the surfaces. A native, oxide-free interface reduced the loss due to TLSs. However, a rough surface in the CPW gap did not cause more TLS loss, but the overall loss was significantly increased for the roughest surfaces.
Three-amino-acid-loop-extension homeodomain factor Meis3 regulates cell survival via PDK1
Authors: Liu Jiangying , Wang You , Birnbaum Morris J. , Stoffers Doris A.
Published: November 2010

Three-amino-acid-loop-extension (TALE) homeodomain proteins including Meis and Pbx families are generally recognized for their roles in growth and differentiation during vertebrate embryogenesis and tumorigenesis. Whereas genetic studies indicate that Pbx1 regulates the development and function of insulin-producing pancreatic β-cells, the role of Meis family members in β-cells is still unknown. Here we show that Meis3 is abundantly expressed in pancreatic islets and β-cells and that it regulates β-cell survival. We further identify the 3-phosphoinositide–dependent protein kinase 1 (PDK1), a well-known kinase involved in the PI3K–Akt signaling pathway, as a direct Meis3 target, which mediates its role in β-cell survival. This regulatory module appears to function broadly as we also identify Meis3 regulation of cell survival and PDK1 expression in ovarian carcinoma cells, suggesting a unique function for Meis3 beyond the traditional roles for TALE homeodomain factors during embryogenesis.
Ocean acidification compromises recruitment success of the threatened Caribbean coral
Acropora palmata
Authors: Albright Rebecca , Mason Benjamin , Miller Margaret , Langdon Chris
Published: November 2010

Ocean acidification (OA) refers to the ongoing decline in oceanic pH resulting from the uptake of atmospheric CO
2
. Mounting experimental evidence suggests that OA will have negative consequences for a variety of marine organisms. Whereas the effect of OA on the calcification of adult reef corals is increasingly well documented, effects on early life history stages are largely unknown. Coral recruitment, which necessitates successful fertilization, larval settlement, and postsettlement growth and survivorship, is critical to the persistence and resilience of coral reefs. To determine whether OA threatens successful sexual recruitment of reef-building corals, we tested fertilization, settlement, and postsettlement growth of
Acropora palmata
at
p
CO
2
levels that represent average ambient conditions during coral spawning (∼400 μatm) and the range of
p
CO
2
increases that are expected to occur in this century [∼560 μatm (mid-CO
2
) and ∼800 μatm (high-CO
2
)]. Fertilization, settlement, and growth were all negatively impacted by increasing
p
CO
2
, and impairment of fertilization was exacerbated at lower sperm concentrations. The cumulative impact of OA on fertilization and settlement success is an estimated 52% and 73% reduction in the number of larval settlers on the reef under
p
CO
2
conditions projected for the middle and the end of this century, respectively. Additional declines of 39% (mid-CO
2
) and 50% (high-CO
2
) were observed in postsettlement linear extension rates relative to controls. These results suggest that OA has the potential to impact multiple, sequential early life history stages, thereby severely compromising sexual recruitment and the ability of coral reefs to recover from disturbance.
Tetrameric organization of vertebrate centromeric nucleosomes
Authors: Dimitriadis Emilios K. , Weber Christian , Gill Rajbir K. , Diekmann Stephan , Dalal Yamini
Published: November 2010

Mitosis ensures equal genome segregation in the eukaryotic lineage. This process is facilitated by microtubule attachment to each chromosome via its centromere. In centromeres, canonical histone H3 is replaced in nucleosomes by a centromere-specific histone H3 variant (CENH3), providing the unique epigenetic signature required for microtubule binding. Due to recent findings of alternative CENH3 nucleosomal forms in invertebrate centromeres, it has been debated whether the classical octameric nucleosomal arrangement of two copies of CENH3, H4, H2A, and H2B forms the basis of the vertebrate centromere. To address this question directly, we examined CENH3 [centromere protein A (CENP-A)] nucleosomal organization in human cells, using a combination of nucleosome component analysis, atomic force microscopy (AFM), and immunoelectron microscopy (immuno-EM). We report that native CENP-A nucleosomes contain centromeric alpha satellite DNA, have equimolar amounts of H2A, H2B, CENP-A, and H4, and bind kinetochore proteins. These nucleosomes, when measured by AFM, yield one-half the dimensions of canonical octameric nucleosomes. Using immuno-EM, we find that one copy of CENP-A, H2A, H2B, and H4 coexist in CENP-A nucleosomes, in which internal C-terminal domains are accessible. Our observations indicate that CENP-A nucleosomes are organized as asymmetric heterotypic tetramers, rather than canonical octamers. Such altered nucleosomes form a chromatin fiber with distinct folding characteristics, which we utilize to discriminate tetramers directly within bulk chromatin. We discuss implications of our observations in the context of universal epigenetic and mechanical requirements for functional centromeres.
Lexical gravity across varieties of English
Authors: Gries Stefan Th. , Mukherjee Joybrato
Published: November 2010

In our earlier work on three Asian Englishes and British English, we showed how lexico-syntactic co-occurrence preferences for three argument structure constructions revealed differences between varieties that correlated well with Schneider’s (2003, 2007) model of evolutionary stages. Here, we turn to lexical co-occurrence preferences and investigate if and to what degree n-grams distinguish between different modes and varieties in the same components of the International Corpus of English. Our approach to n-grams differs from previous work in that we neither use raw frequencies nor (problematic) MI-values but the newly proposed measure of lexical gravity (cf. Daudaravičius & Marcinkevičienė 2004), which takes type frequencies into consideration. We show how lexical gravity can be extended to handle n-grams with n ≥ 3 and apply this method to our n-gram data; in addition, we suggest a new concept for describing the tendency of a word to occur in significant n-grams: lexical stickiness.
Historical changes in fishing efficiency in the west coast demersal scalefish fishery, Western Australia: implications for assessment and management
Authors: Marriott Ross J. , Wise Brent , St John Jill
Published: November 2010

Marriott, R. J., Wise, B., and St John, J. 2011. Historical changes in fishing efficiency in the west coast demersal scalefish fishery, Western Australia: implications for assessment and management. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 68: 76–86. The west coast demersal scalefish fishery off the southern part of Western Australia has experienced technological creep over the past 20 years, resulting in improved fishing efficiency. The aim of this study was to obtain quantitative measures of efficiency improvements arising from the historical adoption of several important technologies from the surveys of experienced skippers. Survey results suggest that the relatively rapid adoption of Global Positioning Systems from 1989 to 1991 had a large and overriding effect on fleet-wide fishing efficiency. Additive effects from the fleet-wide adoption of colour sounders and hydraulic reels on effective fishing effort and the catch rates of West Australian dhufish (Glaucosoma hebraicum) and pink snapper (Pagrus auratus) were also demonstrated. Historical logbook data were independently analysed as a secondary check of these findings for three of the surveyed skippers, which identified that GPS adoption had a significant, positive influence on the catch rate for two vessels, but not for the third, highlighting potential variation in this response among skippers. The results have contributed towards improved understanding of the historical dynamics of the fishery and of the factors that have affected, at least in part, historical changes or, in some instances, a lack of change in observed effort and catch rates.
Expression of Xanthomonas campestris pv. vesicatoria Type III Effectors in Yeast Affects Cell Growth and Viability
Authors: Salomon Dor , Dar Daniel , Sreeramulu Shivakumar , Sessa Guido
Published: November 2010

The gram-negative bacterium Xanthomonas campestris pv. vesicatoria is the causal agent of spot disease in tomato and pepper. X. campestris pv. vesicatoria pathogenicity depends on a type III secretion system delivering effector proteins into the host cells. We hypothesized that some X. campestris pv. vesicatoria effectors target conserved eukaryotic cellular processes and examined phenotypes induced by their expression in yeast. Out of 21 effectors tested, 14 inhibited yeast growth in normal or stress conditions. Viability assay revealed that XopB and XopF2 attenuated cell proliferation, while AvrRxo1, XopX, and XopE1 were cytotoxic. Inspection of morphological features and DNA content of yeast cells indicated that cytotoxicity caused by XopX and AvrRxo1 was associated with cell-cycle arrest at G0/1. Interestingly, XopB, XopE1, XopF2, XopX, and AvrRxo1 that inhibited growth in yeast also caused phenotypes, such as chlorosis and cell death, when expressed in either host or nonhost plants. Finally, the ability of several effectors to cause phenotypes in yeast and plants was dependent on their putative catalytic residues or localization motifs. This study supports the use of yeast as a heterologous system for functional analysis of X. campestris pv. vesicatoria type III effectors, and sets the stage for identification of their eukaryotic molecular targets and modes of action.
Occurrence of Grapevine Trunk Disease Caused by Botryosphaeria rhodina in China
Authors: Yan J.-Y. , Li X.-H. , Kong F.-F. , Wang Z.-Y. , Gong L.-Z. , He H.-P.
Published: November 2010

In the early summer of 2009, grapevine (Vitis vinifera), an important fruit crop in China, declined in most of the vineyards in Hunan, Hubei, and Zhejiang provinces. Characteristic symptoms of Botryosphaeria canker were apparent, including trunk cankers (visible in cross-section), leaf drop, shriveling and drying of fruit clusters, and berry rot (1). To identify the causal pathogen, we tested 126 samples by attempting to culture the pathogen from a small piece of tissue from the canker margin between the necrotic and apparently healthy tissue. Plant tissue was surface sterilized by placing it in 75% ethanol for 1 min and rinsed with sterilized water three times before culturing to potato dextrose agar (PDA) at 28°C. Five days later, the cultures were hyphal-tip purified and then single-spore isolates were used for identification. On the basis of colony characteristics in PDA, these colonies were identified as Botryosphaeria spp. (2). They were grayish white, becoming dark brown with age, and pycnidia were formed after incubation for approximately 9 days. Conidia measured 11 to 15 × 22 to 28 μm. A subset of isolates were used for rDNA ITS (internal transcribed spacer) sequence analysis with primers ITS1 and ITS4 (3). PCR products were separated by electrophoresis and bands were purified (Qiagen Plasmid Mini Kit; Qiagen, Valencia, CA) for sequencing (Sunbiotech Company, Beijing). BLAST searches of three ITS sequences (Accession Nos. GU226851, GU226853, and GU226856) had 100% identity to B. rhodina. EF1-α and β-tubulin sequence analysis gave similar results. Koch's postulates were completed in the laboratory on grape shoots inoculated with two isolates of B. rhodina, originally isolated from plants in the field with symptoms of Botryosphaeria canker. Isolates were incubated on PDA at 25°C for 1 week. Inoculations were made on green shoots of V. vinifera cvs. Muscat Hamburg and Crimson Seedless. Five shoots per cultivar were inoculated per isolate by wounding with a 4-mm cork borer (2 mm deep), placing a colonized agar plug on the wound, and wrapping the wound with Parafilm. Controls were mock inoculated with an agar plug from sterile PDA. Inoculated shoots were incubated in the laboratory in the dark under moist conditions for 10 days at 25°C. Inoculated shoots had necrotic cankers after 10 days and B. rhodina was recovered from each canker margin. The results suggest that some grapevines in China with symptoms of Botryosphaeria canker were indeed infected by B. rhodina. To our knowledge, this is the first report of this pathogen on grapevine in China.

References: (1) J. Luque et al. Mycologia 97:1111, 2005. (2) J. M. Niekerk et al. Mycologia 96:781, 2004. (3) T. J. White et al. Page 315 in: PCR Protocols: A Guide to Methods and Applications. Academic Press, San Diego, 1990.
A Rapid Colorimetric Microtiter Bioassay to Evaluate Fungicide Sensitivity Among Verticillium dahliae Isolates
Authors: Rampersad Sephra N.
Published: November 2010

Management of Verticillium wilt relies on the adoption of integrated control strategies. The effects of long-term chemical use may be negated by the development of fungicide resistance. A rapid colorimetric bioassay was developed to evaluate sensitivity of V. dahliae isolates to differently acting fungicides. This assay capitalizes on the advantages of a 96-well microtiter plate format and the nontoxic cell viability dye, Alamar Blue (AB). Analysis of variance revealed that incubation time, spore density, and media type were important parameters that must be optimized for the AB assay. The effective linear range of the assay was dependent on incubation time and spore density. Survival of 107 spores/ml of each of 10 isolates in the presence of a range of serial dilutions of nine commercial fungicides was assessed. Effective concentrations at 50 and 90% inhibition of growth were calculated for each fungicide. A comparison of the percent growth inhibition for each fungicide at 0.6 mg/ml, as determined by AB and amended-agar assays, revealed a strong positive correlation for six of the fungicides. The optimized AB assay proved to be a rapid and reproducible method of testing the efficacy of fungicides with the option of deriving quantitative or qualitative data.
Health profile differences for menthol and non‐menthol smokers: findings from the national health interview survey
Authors: Mendiondo Marta S. , Alexander Linda A. , Crawford Tim
Published: November 2010

Aims  Although the adverse effects of smoking are well known, limited information exists about the overall health profiles of menthol smokers when compared to their non‐menthol smoking counterparts. Using a well‐known nationally representative survey, this study examines differences between self‐reported health characteristics for menthol and non‐menthol smokers.

Design  Cross‐sectional data from the 2005 National Health Interview Survey and its cancer control supplement were used to analyze responses for current and former smokers (n = 12 004) independently. All analyses were conducted using SAS version 9.2 and SAS callable SUDAAN version 9.0.3. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to model menthol smoking.

Findings  After controlling for sex, age and race, we found that in current smokers the mean number of cigarettes smoked per day is significantly lower for menthol smokers when compared to non‐menthol smokers [odds ratio (OR): 0.99; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.98, 1.00]. Also, we found that former menthol smokers had higher body mass indices (BMIs) (OR: 1.01; 95% CI: 1.00, 1.02) and were more likely to have visited the emergency room due to asthma (OR: 2.30, 95% CI: 1.04, 5.09).

Conclusions  Overall, current menthol and non‐menthol smokers have similar health profiles. However, menthol smokers reported smoking fewer cigarettes per day than their non‐menthol counterparts. While these findings are supportive of other published data, future studies may need to tease out the health‐related significance of smoking fewer menthol cigarettes per day but having similar health outcomes to those who smoke more non‐menthol cigarettes per day. Additionally, our findings suggest that there may be some differences between the former menthol and non‐menthol smoker.
Electrical slow wave activity of the cat stomach: its frequency gradient and the effect of indomethacin
Authors: XUE S. , VALDEZ D. T. , TREMBLAY L. , COLLMAN P. I. , DIAMANT N. E.
Published: November 2010

The present study was performed to establish the intrinsic frequency of the slow waves in different regions of the cat stomach, to define the propagation velocity of the slow wave along the stomach, and to determine whether endogenous prostaglandins can affect the slow wave frequency. In 20 cats, electrical activity was recorded from the anterior wall of the intact stomach in vivo and in vitro, and in vitro after cutting the stomach into 16 pieces to isolate each pair of electrodes. In vivo, slow waves (4.1 ± 0.5 cpm) were seen only from mid corpus to pylorus, the apparent propagation velocity decreasing towards the antrum. In vitro: (a) after cutting, the slow wave frequency increased, to a maximum in 1 h (12 ± 1.8 cpm; range 10.2–17.3), with the highest frequency always in the mid or orad corpus, usually on the greater curvature (GC), (b) with indomethacin (10−5M) the increase in slow wave frequency was prevented or reversed, and there was a frequency gradient with the highest frequency (4.4 ± 1.2 cpm) uniformly located in the most proximal active site on the GC, and (c) slow waves on the GC were more stable, regular and continuous than on the lesser curvature (LC), the difference being most evident in the corpus. The results suggest that the cat stomach behaves as a system of electrically coupled oscillators of different frequencies. The dominant oscillator of highest frequency is situated in the proximal corpus of the GC, with the remainder of the distal stomach entrained at this frequency. All gastric slow wave oscillators can be driven to higher frequencies by endogenous prostaglandins. The decreasing velocity of slow wave propagation distally suggests that oscillator properties and/or coupling among oscillators differs in the cat.
Recovery of gastrointestinal motility from post‐operative ileus in dogs: effects of Leu13‐motilin (KW‐5139) and prostaglandin F2α
Authors: Yokoyama Toshihide , Kitazawa T. , Takasaki K. , Ishii A. , Karasawa A.
Published: November 2010

Abstract Cyclical motor activity of the gastrointestinal tract, normally occurring during the interdigestive period in several mammals, is disrupted in the post‐operative ileus. We determined the recovery from the disappearance of cyclical motor activity, from the stomach to the colon, in dogs after laparotomy with the force transducers. Moreover, we examined the effects of Leu13‐motilin (KW‐5139) and prostaglandin F2a (PGF2a), administered in the early post‐operative period, on the gastrointestinal motility. Following laparotomy, the cyclical motor activity reappeared firstly in the ileum and the colon, then in the jejunum and the duodenum, and finally in the stomach. The reappearance time of the phase III contractions in the stomach was 105.8 ± 10.6 h (n = 4). In the early postoperative period, KW‐5139 (0.5 μg kg−1, i.v.) induced phase‐III‐like contractions, whereas PGF2a (50 μg kg−1, i.v.) induced simultaneously occurring contractions over the whole gastrointestine. The treatment with KW‐5139 (0.5 μg kg−1, i.v.) four times (twice daily on the first and the second post‐operative day) significantly (P < 0.05) shortened the time required to recover the phase III contractions in the stomach (64.2 ± 2.2 h, n = 4), whereas that with PGF2a (50 μg kg−1, i.v.) four times did not (111.3 ± 17.2 h, n = 4). The present results indicate that, after laparotomy, the cyclical motor activity recovers faster in the distal intestine than in the proximal intestine and the stomach, and that KW‐5139, but not PGF2a, shortens the reappearance time of the phase III activity in the stomach.
Efficient control of Leishmania and Strongyloides despite partial suppression of nematode‐induced Th2 response in co‐infected mice
Authors: KOLBAUM J. , RITTER U. , ZIMARA N. , BREWIG N. , ESCHBACH M.‐L. , BRELOER M.
Published: November 2010

Endemic regions for the pathogenic nematode Strongyloides and parasitic protist Leishmania overlap and therefore co‐infections with both parasites frequently occur. As the Th2 and Th1 immune responses necessary to efficiently control Strongyloides and Leishmania infections are known to counterregulate each other, we analysed the outcome of co‐infection in the murine system. Here, we show that Leishmania major‐specific Th1 responses partially suppressed the nematode‐induced Th2 response in co‐infected mice. Despite this modulation, successful expulsion of gut dwelling Strongyloides was not suppressed in mice with pre‐existing or subsequent Leishmania infection. A pre‐existing Strongyloides infection, in contrast, did not interfere with efficient type‐1 responses but even increased pro‐inflammatory cytokine production. Also, control of L. major infections was not affected by pre‐existing nematode infection. Taken together, we provide evidence that simultaneous presence of helminth and protist parasites did not interfere with efficient host defence in our co‐infection model.
Influence of Gibberellin on Activities of Starch Degradative Enzymes and Phosphatase in Verbascum thapsus
Authors: GLIER JAMES H. , CARUSO JOHN L.
Published: November 2010

Gibberellic acid was applied near the shoot apical region of rosettes of Verbascum thapsus, a biennial weed, over a 6‐week period. Starch content and the activities of α‐amylase, β‐amylase, glucan phosphorylase and acid and alkaline phosphatase were determined for roots of the rosettes for 5 of the 6 weeks of gibberellin treatment. Starch content decreased during the first week of treatment, and it continued to drop until the third week, at which time virtually no starch remained. There was a concomitant increase in activities of the starch degradative enzymes, all of which reached their respective peaks of activities by the end of the second week of hormonal treatment. The peaks of these enzymatic activities occurred approximately 1 week before appearance of the first morphological signs of bolting. Alkaline phosphatase showed an early response to applied gibberellin, and its peak of activity coincided with early signs of bolting.
The Fate of 1,2‐14C‐(Chloroethyl) Phosphonic Acid (Ethephon) in Olive (Olea europea)
Authors: EPSTEIN EPHRAIM , KLEIN ISAAC , LAVEE SHIMON
Published: November 2010

The translocation and metabolism of ethephon at pH 7.0 and its effect on abscission of olive fruit, were studied in attached and detached fruits. In detached olives, the lowest fruit removal force values were achieved when the fruits were treated at their proximal cavity and kept under humid conditions. Following application of 14C‐ethephon to the proximal cavity 63% of the label was absorbed within 4 h; evolution of 14C‐ethylene proceeded at a slow rate, mainly from 14C‐ethephon remaining on the olive surface, totaling 37% of the applied ethephon in 20 days. 14C‐ethephon disappeared rapidly after its application to olive on the tree. More 14C‐ethephon could be extracted from olives on the trees after distal application than after proximal application.

Since the response of detached olives to treatments with ethephon was similar to that of attached olives in regard to fruit removal force reduction, the former can be used for the study of many aspects of ethephon and ethylene metabolism in olives.

In our study no ethephon metabolites other than 14C‐ethylene could be detected after 14C‐ethephon application to attached or detached olive fruits.
Clinical effects of topical pimecrolimus in a patient with Fox–Fordyce disease
Authors: Milcic Danijela , Nikolic Milos
Published: November 2010

Fox–Fordyce disease (FFD) is characterized by a pruritic eruption of skin‐coloured or yellowish papules in areas rich in apocrine glands. The histology comprises dilatation of follicular infundibula with hyperkeratosis, acanthosis, and spongiosis of the infundibular epithelium with perifollicular infiltration of lymphocytes and foamy histiocytes. We treated a 12‐year‐old girl with FFD with topical pimecrolimus for 12 weeks, this resulted in a complete clearance of lesions. After the therapy, the patient was followed for an additional 19 months without signs of relapse. The effects of pimecrolimus in FFD might imply that an inflammatory process inducing secondary reactive hyperkeratosis could be involved in the pathogenesis of FFD.
Using participatory research to challenge the status quo for women’s cardiovascular health
Authors: Young Lynne , Wharf Higgins Joan
Published: November 2010

YOUNG L, and WHARF HIGGINS J.Nursing Inquiry2010;17: 346–358 Using participatory research to challenge the status quo for women’s cardiovascular health

Cardiovascular health research has been dominated by medical and patriarchal paradigms, minimizing a broader perspective of causes of disease. Socioeconomic status as a risk for cardiovascular disease is well established by research, yet these findings have had little influence. Participatory research (PR) that frames mixed method research has potential to bring contextualized clinically relevant findings into program planning and policy‐making arenas toward developing meaningful health and social policies relevant to primary prevention. In this article we provide an overview of a PR program that included two quantitative and one qualitative studies and then we discuss lessons learned. The PR process we found was empowering for lone mothers, and transformative for lone mothers and researchers. Further, PR as an approach to research opened spaces in practice and policy‐making arenas to raise upstream issues relevant to the health of low income lone mothers. We conclude that while PR is an effective approach to social determinants research, as a time‐intensive endeavor, and one that does not easily align with research tradition, researchers must consider the strengths and drawbacks of PR when planning to implement such an approach.
Temperature‐dependent global gene expression in the Antarctic archaeon Methanococcoides burtonii
Authors: Campanaro S. , Williams T. J. , Burg D. W. , De Francisci D. , Treu L. , Lauro F. M. , Cavicchioli R.
Published: November 2010

Methanococcoides burtonii is a member of the Archaea that was isolated from Ace Lake in Antarctica and is a valuable model for studying cold adaptation. Low temperature transcriptional regulation of global gene expression, and the arrangement of transcriptional units in cold‐adapted archaea has not been studied. We developed a microarray for determing which genes are expressed in operons, and which are differentially expressed at low (4°C) or high (23°C) temperature. Approximately 55% of genes were found to be arranged in operons that range in length from 2 to 23 genes, and mRNA abundance tended to increase with operon length. Analysing microarray data previously obtained by others for Halobacterium salinarum revealed a similar correlation between operon length and mRNA abundance, suggesting that operons may play a similar role more broadly in the Archaea. More than 500 genes were differentially expressed at levels up to ∼24‐fold. A notable feature was the upregulation of genes involved in maintaining RNA in a state suitable for translation in the cold. Comparison between microarray experiments and results previously obtained using proteomics indicates that transcriptional regulation (rather than translation) is primarily responsible for controlling gene expression in M. burtonii. In addition, certain genes (e.g. involved in ribosome structure and methanogenesis) appear to be regulated post‐transcriptionally. This is one of few experimental studies describing the genome‐wide distribution and regulation of operons in archaea.
Management of intraoperative splenic injury during laparoscopic urological surgery
Authors: Chung Benjamin I. , Desai Mihir M. , Gill Inderbir S.
Published: November 2010

Study Type – Therapy (case series)

Level of Evidence 4

What’s known on the subject? and What does the study add?

The exact incidence of splenic injury during laparoscopic urologic procedures is not known; however, it is an uncommon occurrence. Also, the optimal treatment algorithm is not well delineated and the efficacy of successfully treating minor injuries to the spleen without resorting to splenectomy is not well described in the urologic literature.

This study outlines the rate of splenic injury during a variety of laparoscopic urologic procedures and we outline a treatment algorithm that has been successfully employed in the management of these patients, which in all cases, did not lead to splenectomy. An important point is also that multiple adjunctive hemostatic measures should be used when a splenic injury is recognized and that a thorough search should ensue when suspicion of an occult splenic injury exists, as an unrecognized splenic injury may lead to severe post operative haemorrhagic complications.

OBJECTIVE

• To evaluate incidence, risk factors for, and management of intraoperative splenic injury in our laparoscopic patient cohort.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

• All patients undergoing laparoscopic urological upper tract procedures at two institutions between January 2001 and April 2006 and January 2000 and December 2008, respectively, were retrospectively examined for complications.

• From these patients, those with intraoperative splenic injuries were selected and examined.

• Possible factors predisposing patients to splenic injury were evaluated and the management plan for each patient was analysed to identify optimal treatment efficacy.

RESULTS

• Of 2620 patients undergoing upper tract urological laparoscopic surgery, 14 patients (0.5%) sustained splenic injury and underwent left‐sided surgery, 13 via a transperitoneal approach.

• In 12 of the 14 patients, the splenic injury was recognized intraoperatively and all were effectively managed laparoscopically with a combination of argon beam coagulation, biological haemostatic agent FloSealTM (Baxter, Deerfield, IL, USA), and bio‐absorbable Surgicel® (Johnson and Johnson, Somerville, NJ, USA); none of these patients required splenectomy or developed any postoperative complications.

• In two patients, the splenic injury was not recognized intraoperatively; both patients presented with delayed haemorrhage necessitating open splenectomy in each instance.

CONCLUSIONS

• Splenic injuries are uncommon during laparoscopic urological surgery, but when a significant splenic injury occurs, it can be effectively managed laparoscopically, using conservative measures, without need for splenectomy.

• If the splenic injury is not recognized intraoperatively, delayed haemorrhage is likely to occur necessitating emergent re‐exploration and splenectomy.

• Prompt and accurate intraoperative diagnosis of splenic injury is critical for achieving a good outcome.
Patient perception of nursing service quality; an applied model of Donabedian’s structure‐process‐outcome approach theory
Authors: Kobayashi Hideyuki , Takemura Yukie , Kanda Katsuya
Published: November 2010

Scand J Caring Sci; 2011; 25; 419–425 Patient perception of nursing service quality; an applied model of Donabedian’s structure‐process‐outcome approach theory

Background: Nursing is a labour‐intensive field, and an extensive amount of latent information exists to aid in evaluating the quality of nursing service, with patients’ experiences, the primary focus of such evaluations. To effect further improvement in nursing as well as medical care, Donabedian’s structure‐process‐outcome approach has been applied.

Aims: To classify and confirm patients’ specific experiences with regard to nursing service based on Donabedian’s structure‐process‐outcomes model for improving the quality of nursing care.

Methods: Items were compiled from existing scales and assigned to structure, process or outcomes in Donabedian’s model through discussion among expert nurses and pilot data collection. With regard to comfort, surroundings were classified as structure (e.g. accessibility to nurses, disturbance); with regard to patient–practitioner interaction, patient participation was classified as a process (e.g. expertise and skill, patient decision‐making); and with regard to changes in patients, satisfaction was classified as an outcome (e.g. information support, overall satisfaction). Patient inquiry was carried out using the finalized questionnaire at general wards in Japanese hospitals in 2005–2006. Reliability and validity were tested using psychometric methods.

Results: Data from 1,810 patients (mean age: 59.7 years; mean length of stay: 23.7 days) were analysed. Internal consistency reliability was supported (α = 0.69–0.96), with factor analysis items of structure aggregated to one factor and overall satisfaction under outcome aggregated to one. The remaining items of outcome and process were distributed together in two factors. Inter‐scale correlation (r = 0.442–0.807) supported the construct validity of each structure‐process‐outcome approach. All structure items were represented as negative‐worded examples, as they dealt with basic conditions under Japanese universal health care system, and were regarded as representative related to concepts of dissatisfaction and no dissatisfaction.

Conclusion: Patients’ experiences with nursing service were confirmed using Donabedian’s approach and can therefore be applied to improve quality of nursing practice by practitioners, managers and policy makers.