bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Climate Protection Law in the European Union—Emergence of a New Regulatory System
Authors: Epiney Astrid
Published: April 2012

“Climate Protection Law” has been developed during the last approximately 15 years on an international, supranational and regional level. In the European Union the trading scheme of greenhouse gas allowances—introduced by Directive 2003/87—is to be considered a central element of the European Union’s climate protection policy. Despite of the creation of the EU emission trading scheme already in 2003 the scheme raises a range of legal questions which have not been really clarified yet. Against this background, the following contribution will discuss—on the basis of a summary of the legal bases and the development of emission trading in the EU—some selected legal questions concerning design, interpretation and application of the Directive 2003/87. Additionally, the question of whether the emission trading scheme as provided by Directive 2003/87 could serve as a model for air protection respectively emission reduction of other air pollutants and / or as a model for a trans-regional or even global emission trading scheme will be discussed.
Influence of ENSO on Pacific Decadal Variability: An Analysis Based on the NCEP Climate Forecast System
Authors: Wang Hui , Kumar Arun , Wang Wanqiu , Xue Yan
Published: March 2012

The influence of El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) on Pacific decadal variability (PDV) is investigated by comparing two 500-yr simulations with the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) Climate Forecast System coupled model. One simulation is a no-ENSO run, in which model daily sea surface temperature (SST) in the tropical Pacific Ocean is relaxed to the observed climatology. The other simulation is a fully coupled run and retains ENSO variability. The PDV considered in this study is the first two empirical orthogonal functions of monthly SST anomalies in the North Pacific: the Pacific decadal oscillation (PDO) and the North Pacific Gyre Oscillation (NPGO). The PDO in the no-ENSO run can be clearly identified. Without ENSO, the PDO displays relatively higher variance at the decadal time scale and no spectral peak at the interannual time scale. In the ENSO run, the PDO variability increases slightly. ENSO not only enhances the variability of the PDO at the interannual time scale, but also shifts the PDO to longer time scales—both consistent with observations. ENSO modulates the Aleutian low and associated surface wind over the North Pacific. The latter, in turn, helps establish a more persistent PDO in the ENSO run. The results also indicate a PDO modulation of global ENSO impacts and the linearity in the superposition of the ENSO-forced and PDO-related atmospheric anomalies. Compared to observations, the NPGO in both simulations lacks power at the time scale longer than 30 yr. On the decadal time scale, the variability of the NPGO is weaker in the ENSO run than in the no-ENSO run.
Adjoint-Based Estimation of Eddy-Induced Tracer Mixing Parameters in the Global Ocean
Authors: Liu Chuanyu , Köhl Armin , Stammer Detlef
Published: April 2012

Using the German Estimating the Circulation and Climate of the Ocean (GECCO) synthesis framework, four separate eddy tracer mixing coefficients are adjusted jointly with external forcing fields, such as to reduce a global misfit between the model simulations and ocean observations over a single 10-yr period and weighted by uncertainties. The suite of the adjusted eddy tracer mixing coefficients includes the vertical diffusivity kz, the along-isopycnal surface diffusivity kredi, the isopycnal layer thickness diffusivity kgm, and the along-iso-thickness advection coefficient kgmskew. Large and geographically varying adjustments are found in all four parameters, which all together lead to an additional 10% reduction of the total cost function, as compared to using only surface flux parameters. However, their relative contribution to the cost reduction varies from 1% to 50% among the four coefficients, with the adjusted kgm contributing most. Regionally, the estimated kgm ranges from less than −800 to about 2500 m2 s−1. Largest adjustments in kgm reside in the vicinity of large isopycnal slopes and support a mixing length hypothesis; they also likewise support the hypothesis of a critical layer enhancement and high potential density gradient suppression. In a few occasions, resulting negative net kgm values can be found in the core of main currents, suggesting the potential for an inverse energy cascade transfer there. Large adjustments of kredi and kgmskew are found in the vicinity of isopycnal slopes. The adjustments of kz in the tropical thermoclines suggest deficiencies of the mixed layer parameterization.
Studies of the New Immigration
Authors: DiPietro Stephanie M. , Bursik Robert J.
Published: March 2012

After a prolonged period during which studies of immigration and crime virtually disappeared from the literature, the topic has reemerged as a central theme of contemporary criminology. However, unlike the classic immigration studies that appeared in the first half of the twentieth century, most modern studies combine the various countries of origin into broad pan-ethnic groupings (such as Hispanic/Latino or Asian) that implicitly assume that criminological dynamics are relatively homogeneous within these aggregations despite the important social, cultural, and historical differences that are subsumed. This article utilizes data from the Children of Immigrants Longitudinal Study to illustrate the systematic within-category variation that such approaches can mask.
Seeing Immigrants
Authors: Winders Jamie
Published: March 2012

Since the 1990s, immigrant settlement has expanded beyond gateway cities and transformed the social fabric of a growing number of American cities. In the process, it has raised new questions for urban and migration scholars. This article argues that immigration to new destinations provides an opportunity to sharpen understandings of the relationship between immigration and the urban by exploring it under new conditions. Through a discussion of immigrant settlement in Nashville, Tennessee, it identifies an overlooked precursor to immigrant incorporation—how cities see, or do not see, immigrants within the structure of local government. If immigrants are not institutionally visible to government or nongovernmental organizations, immigrant abilities to make claims to or on the city as urban residents are diminished. Through the combination of trends toward neighborhood-based urban governance and neoliberal streamlining across American cities, immigrants can become institutionally hard to find and, thus, plan for in the city.
Can Immigration Save Small-Town America? Hispanic Boomtowns and the Uneasy Path to Renewal
Authors: Carr Patrick J. , Lichter Daniel T. , Kefalas Maria J.
Published: March 2012

In the often polarized discussions over immigration, the point is sometimes missed that immigration often brings immediate and tangible benefits. Nowhere is this truer than in the hollowing-out parts of America. Many nonmetropolitan counties in America have seen net out-migration for decades. While young people have always left small towns, the loss of this group comes at a time when opportunities for those who stay have been severely reduced. One trend that runs counter to the decline of many nonmetro areas is the influx of immigrants, the majority of Hispanic origin, during the 1990s and 2000s. The authors argue that if immigration is “done right,” it can provide a lifeline to many places that are hollowing out. In this article, the authors outline the complex nature of immigration in rural America and offer two case studies of small towns, one where immigration became a lightning rod for controversy and division and one where the process has occurred with little divisiveness and a great deal of success. The authors conclude with some policy suggestions as to how to better accommodate immigration in rural America.
Crime and Enforcement in Immigrant Neighborhoods
Authors: Davies Garth , Fagan Jeffrey
Published: March 2012

Immigration and crime have received much popular and political attention in the past decade and have been a focus of episodic social attention for much of the history of the United States. Recent policy and legal discourse suggests that the stigmatic link between immigrants and crime has endured, even in the face of evidence to the contrary. This study addresses the relationship between immigration and crime in urban settings, focusing on areal units where immigrants tend to cluster spatially as well as socially. The authors ask whether immigration creates risks or benefits for neighborhoods in terms of lower crime rates. The question is animated in part by a durable claim in criminology that areas with large immigrant populations are burdened by elevated levels of social disorder and crime. In contrast, more recent theory and research suggest that “immigrant neighborhoods” may simply be differentially organized and function in a manner that reduces the incidence of crime. Accordingly, this research investigates whether immigrants are associated with differences in area crime rates. In addition, the authors ask whether there are differences in the effects of immigration on neighborhood crime rates by the racial and ethnic makeup of the foreign-born populations. Finally, the authors examine the effects of immigration on patterns of enforcement.
Motivational and Volitional Variables Associated With Stages of Change for Exercise in Multiple Sclerosis
Authors: Chiu Chung-Yi , Fitzgerald Sandra D. , Strand David M. , Muller Veronica , Brooks Jessica , Chan Fong
Published: March 2012

The main objective of this study was to determine whether motivational and volitional variables identified in the health action process approach (HAPA) model can be used to successfully differentiate people with multiple sclerosis (MS) in different stages of change for exercise and physical activity. Ex-post-facto design using multiple discriminant analysis was used. Participants were 215 individuals with MS. The outcome variable was measured by the Physical Activity Stages of Change Instrument, along with motivational and volitional measures (severity, action self-efficacy, outcome expectancy, risk perception, perceived barriers, intention, maintenance self-efficacy, action and coping planning, and recovery self-efficacy). Participants in the precontemplation, contemplation, and action groups can be maximally separated by two significant canonical discriminant functions, volition and motivation. The action group can be differentiated from other groups based on high group mean (centroid) score on the volition function, and the precontemplation group can be differentiated based on low group means on both the motivation and volition functions. The contemplation group can be differentiated based on high centroid score on the motivation function. Research findings of this study support the concept of stage-matching exercise and physical activity intervention. The HAPA framework can be used to design health promotion behavioral interventions for people with MS in vocational rehabilitation.
LIE Detection by Inducing Cognitive Load
Authors: Walczyk Jeffrey J. , Griffith Diana A. , Yates Rachel , Visconte Shelley R. , Simoneaux Byron , Harris Laura L.
Published: March 2012

Research on the accuracy of eyewitness testimony has expanded dramatically in recent years. Most of it concerns the issue of mistaken identification, not the problem of uncovering deceptive accounts of witnesses, which is the focus of this research. In the literature, a technique for lie detection has been proposed that induces cognitive load on liars by averting their rehearsal of deception: Time Restricted Integrity-Confirmation. The current authors tested it by instructing “witnesses” of actual crime videos to lie or tell the truth to related questions. Each of 145 adults was randomly assigned to a truth telling, an unrehearsed lying, or a rehearsed lying condition. The cognitive cues were response time, answer consistency, eye movements, and pupil dilation. Eye data were gathered with an infrared eye tracker. Truth tellers had the quickest response times and the fewest inconsistencies. Moreover, they generally had more eye movements, suggesting low cognitive loads. Discriminant analyses classified rehearsed liars, unrehearsed liars, and truth tellers up to 69% accurately, with few false positives. Further refinement is warranted.
Relational Versus Collective Identification Within Workgroups
Authors: Zhang Shu , Chen Guoquan , Chen Xiao-Ping , Liu Dong , Johnson Michael D.
Published: March 2012

This article distinguishes between two types of employee identification developed in organizational workgroups: (1) relational identification, which arises from connections and role relationships with other members in a workgroup, and (2) collective identification, which arises from the shared characteristics of a workgroup as a whole. Using three independent field samples, the authors generated new, context-specific measurements for relational and collective identification using an inductive, multistage approach; established their construct validity; and provided evidence for their differential antecedents and consequences in organizational workgroups. Results indicate that relational and collective identification are distinct constructs and that they are embedded in separate nomological networks.
Relationships Between Child Emotional and Behavioral Symptoms and Caregiver Strain and Parenting Stress
Authors: Vaughan Ellen L. , Feinn Richard , Bernard Stanley , Brereton Maria , Kaufman Joy S.
Published: March 2012

Children with emotional and behavioral disturbance often have difficulties in multiple symptom domains. This study investigates the relationships between child symptoms and caregiver strain and parenting stress among 177 youth and their caregivers participating in a school-based system of care. Youth were grouped by symptom domain and included those with low scores on both internalizing and externalizing symptoms, those with only high internalizing symptoms, those with only high externalizing symptoms, and those with high symptoms levels in both internalizing and externalizing domains. Results revealed significant group differences on measures of caregiver strain and parenting stress. Caregivers of youth with symptoms in both internalizing and externalizing domains reported the highest levels of strain and stress; however, there was some variation in group differences by caregiver outcome. The results of this study emphasize the importance of providing not only services for youth but also support services for their caregivers.
Preoperative Radiotherapy Decreases Lymph Node Yield of Neck Dissections for Head and Neck Cancer
Authors: Johnstone Peter A. S. , Miller Eric D. , Moore Michael G.
Published: March 2012

Objective

Determine if preoperative radiation therapy (RT) decreases the lymph node (LN) yield found at the time of neck dissection.

Study Design

Cross‐sectional analysis of Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database.

Methods

The SEER database was queried for patients presenting between 1998 and 2002 with tonsil, oropharynx, hypopharynx, and laryngeal primary lesions. Tabulation was made by LNs examined, type of neck dissection performed, and timing of RT. Data from 2441 patients were retrieved. Descriptive statistics were used.

Results

One hundred sixty‐one patients with RT preoperatively had a median of 20 LNs sampled (0‐72). In total, 647 patients receiving no RT had a median of 27 LNs examined (0‐88), and 1643 patients receiving RT postoperatively had a median of 29 (0‐89). Mann‐Whitney P =. 02 was derived for RT preoperatively compared with no RT/RT postoperatively.

Conclusion

In the head and neck, preoperative RT contributes to lower neck dissection LN yield.
Geographies of production III
Authors: Coe Neil M.
Published: March 2012

In this final report I offer a review of recent work in labour geography (broadly defined), a blossoming and increasingly mature subfield of economic geography. The review covers three areas: theoretical work on the nature and constitution of labour agency; research into issues of precarity, migration and intermediation in contemporary labour markets; and studies on the geographical strategies employed by the union movement. The report concludes that theorizing worker agency effectively is central to the further development of labour geography.
Inertial Sensor-Based Feedback Can Reduce Key Risk Metrics for Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury During Jump Landings
Authors: Dowling Ariel V. , Favre Julien , Andriacchi Thomas P.
Published: March 2012

Background: The incidence of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury can be decreased through the use of intervention programs. However, the success of these programs is dependent on access to a skilled trainer who provides feedback; as such, these programs would benefit from a simple device with the capacity to provide high-quality feedback.

Hypothesis: Feedback based on kinematic measurements from a simple inertial sensor-based system can be used to modify key ACL injury risk metrics (knee flexion angle, trunk lean, knee abduction moment) during jump landing.

Study Design: Controlled laboratory study.

Methods: Seventeen subjects (7 male) were tested during drop jump tasks. Their movements were measured simultaneously with inertial, optoelectronic, and force platform systems. Feedback provided to the subjects was based only on measurements from the inertial sensor-based system (knee flexion angle, trunk lean, and thigh coronal velocity). The subjects conducted a baseline session (without landing instructions), then a training session (with immediate feedback), and finally an evaluation session (without feedback). The baseline and evaluation sessions were then tested for changes in the key risk metrics.

Results: The subjects increased their knee flexion angle (16.2°) and trunk lean (17.4°) after the training. They also altered their thigh coronal angular velocity by 29.4 deg/s and reduced their knee abduction moment by 0.5 %BW·Ht. There was a significant correlation ( R2 = 0.55) between the change in thigh coronal angular velocity and the change in knee abduction moment.

Conclusion: Subjects reduced key risk metrics for ACL injury after training with the system, suggesting the potential benefit of instrumented feedback for interventional training.

Clinical Relevance: Interventional training for reducing the risk of ACL injury could be improved with a simple device that provides immediate feedback.
Morphological, mechanical properties and biodegradability of biocomposite thermoplastic starch and polycaprolactone reinforced with sisal fibers
Authors: Campos A , Marconcini JM , Imam SH , Klamczynski A , Ortis WJ , Wood DH , Williams TG , Martins-Franchetti SM , Mattoso LHC
Published: March 2012

The incorporation of fibers as reinforcements in polymer composites has increased due to their renewability, low cost and biodegradability. In this study, sisal fibers were added to a polymer matrix of thermoplastic starch and polycaprolactone, both biodegradable polymers. Sisal fibers (5% and 10%) were extruded in a twin-screw extruder with thermoplastic starch/polycaprolactone (80:20 wt). Films were produced with a single extruder and analyzed by field emission gun scanning electron microscopy, mechanical tests, thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry. The morphology of the composites with 10% sisal fiber content presented an interface of fibers at the surface of the matrix, indicating poor adhesion, lower initial temperatures of thermal degradation, and decreased polycaprolactone crystallinity due to the decrease in lamellar thickness and the increase in crystalline disorder. The results were affected mainly by the lack of adhesion at the interface between the matrix and fibers. The interfacial shear strength between sisal and the matrix may be improved by chemical modification of the fiber surface.
Characteristics Associated with Inpatient Versus Outpatient Status in Older Adults with Bipolar Disorder
Authors: Al Jurdi Rayan K. , Schulberg Herbert C. , Greenberg Rebecca L. , Kunik Mark E. , Gildengers Ariel , Sajatovic Martha , Mulsant Benoit H. , Young Robert C. ,   The GERI-BD Study Group
Published: March 2012

Objectives: This is an exploratory analysis of ambulatory and inpatient services utilization by older persons with type I bipolar disorder experiencing elevated mood. The association between type of treatment setting and the person’s characteristics is explored within a framework that focuses upon predisposing, enhancing, and need characteristics. Method: Baseline assessments were conducted with the first 51 inpatients and 49 outpatients 60 years of age and older, meeting criteria for type I bipolar disorder, manic, hypomanic, or mixed episode enrolled in the geriatric bipolar disorder study (GERI-BD) study. We compared participants recruited from inpatient versus outpatient settings in regard to the patients’ predisposing, enabling, and need characteristics. Results: Being treated in an inpatient rather than an outpatient setting was associated with the predisposing characteristic of being non-Hispanic caucasian (odds ratio [OR]: 0.1; P = .005) and past history of treatment with first-generation antipsychotics (OR: 6.5; P < .001), and the need characteristic reflected in having psychotic symptoms present in the current episode (OR: 126.08; P < .001). Conclusion: Ethnicity, past pharmacologic treatment, and current symptom severity are closely associated with treatment in inpatient settings. Clinicians and researchers should investigate whether closer monitoring of persons with well-validated predisposing and need characteristics can lead to their being treated in less costly but equally effective ambulatory rather than inpatient settings.
Recurrent diffuse alveolar haemorrhage in a patient with systemic lupus erythematosus: long-term benefit of rituximab
Authors: Martínez-Martínez MU , Abud-Mendoza C
Published: March 2012

Diffuse alveolar haemorrhage (DAH) is an uncommon complication of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and recurrences of DAH with remission periods are unusual. We describe a young woman with cachexia as the initial manifestation of SLE who presented posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES), intestinal vasculitis and four episodes of DAH even though she was receiving combined immune suppressive therapy. After treatment with rituximab (RTX) the patient has not presented further episodes of DAH.
Psychiatric manifestations in patients with dysautonomy associated with systemic lupus erythematosus
Authors: Cañas CA , Rincón-Hoyos HG , Izquierdo JH , Bonilla-Abadía F , Arbeláez-Cortés A
Published: March 2012

The psychiatric manifestations of three patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and neuropathic dysautonomic processes are described. All patients had a severe form of SLE with neurological, renal, articular, pulmonary or haematological manifestations. All three have two types of psychiatric manifestations: (1) a chronic and progressive depression and (2) a complex dissociative disorder during the acute episodes of postural hypotension. A provocative test with SPECT with 99mTc-HmPAO to be done during the episode of orthostatic hypotension may contribute to clinical assessment of complex changes in cerebral regional perfusion.
A new self-sensing electronics for piezoelectric resonance sensor
Authors: Suresh K , Uma G , Umapathy M
Published: March 2012

A new self-sensing electronics for a piezoelectric-excited and piezoelectric-sensed cantilever-based resonant sensor is proposed. The self-sensing is achieved by using the positive half cycle of the excitation signal for actuation and sensing during negative half cycle. The proposed self-sensing electronics has been proven effective to track the variation in resonance frequency in a mass-sensitive resonant sensor. The concept is proved by analytical and numerical simulation; experimentation is carried out to test the practicability and applicability of the proposed electronics. The proposed electronics will ease the trend of miniaturizing a piezoelectric-excited/detected resonant sensor as the need for a single piezo for sensing and excitation has increased.
Information effects and mass support for EU policy control
Authors: Clark Nicholas , Hellwig Timothy
Published: March 2012

Democracy requires an active and informed citizenry. Citizen engagement is all the more critical in complex environments such as the European Union (EU). This article examines how having an informed public matters for support for European-level policy competencies. Is public skepticism of EU authority shaped by a lack of knowledge, or are attitudes about policy jurisdiction in Europe’s multilevel system unbiased by information? Our analysis of collective opinion in 27 issue areas reveals that, in nearly every case, a paucity of knowledge about the EU reduces popular support for European policy control. Further analyses show that possessing knowledge of Europe’s institutions affects support for EU authority in areas involving cross-border political issues. In contrast, we find no consistent biasing effect on opinions about control over economic issues.
Contested Chinatown: Chinese migrants’ incorporation and the urban space in London and Milan
Authors: Hatziprokopiou Panos , Montagna Nicola
Published: March 2012

This article discusses Chinese migrants’ incorporation in European cities and the relevance of the urban space. In particular, it focuses on the Chinatowns of London and Milan, beginning from two recent cases where their space has been contested. Alongside the different histories and contemporary patterns of Chinese migration and settlement and the varying policies and politics of immigration and integration in Britain and Italy, we bring the urban factor in our analysis. More specifically, we look at the political economy of the urban space and the role of Chinatown in the dynamics of urban restructuring in the two cities. We conclude by summarizing the key dimensions of comparison and by highlighting additional elements that are important in order to understand the multiple processes conditioning Chinese migrants’ incorporation in Europe, the peculiarities of Chinatown as a specific urban locale and the politics of contestation and protest involving immigrants in urban contexts. In that sense, the article examines different layers of explanation and builds a comparative analytical framework that goes beyond the limits of migration studies.
News Media Outreach and Newspaper Coverage of Tobacco Control
Authors: Pederson Linda L. , Nelson David E. , Babb Stephen , London Joel , Promoff Gabbi , Pechacek Terry
Published: March 2012

Introduction.

Little is known about the impact of media outreach on news media coverage of tobacco control.

Methods.

Media outreach data were obtained from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Office on Smoking and Health (CDC/OSH) from 2003 to 2006; one to six types of outreach activities for 50 scientific publications were performed during 35 discrete time periods. The authors analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively 205 newspaper articles generated based on the CDC/OSH scientific publications.

Results.

Media coverage of specific CDC/OSH-related tobacco themes was highest for disparities (100%) and tobacco statistics (98%). More outreach activities increased the likelihood of moderate pickup of the number of themes in newspaper articles (odds ratio = 2.0, 95% confidence interval = 1.5-2.8), but there appeared to be a ceiling effect. Certain types of outreach were more strongly associated with front page and headline coverage.

Conclusions.

The extent and type of outreach were associated with increased newspaper coverage but the relationship is not necessarily straightforward. Additional research is needed to better understand relationships between scientific findings, outreach, and news media coverage of tobacco.
Managing Pain to Prevent Aggression in People With Dementia
Authors: Bradford Andrea , Shrestha Srijana , Snow A. Lynn , Stanley Melinda A. , Wilson Nancy , Hersch Gayle , Kunik Mark E.
Published: March 2012

Aggression is a common form of behavioral disturbance in dementia. Strategies to prevent and treat aggressive behavior are underdeveloped. However, recent work points to several modifiable risk factors that may be targets for intervention. Pain management is an evidence-based, feasible, but potentially underused, strategy that may be incorporated with other behavioral interventions to prevent aggression. In this article, we review areas of overlap in interventions for pain and for behavioral disturbances and describe an intervention concept that may hold promise for older adults with dementia who are at risk of developing aggressive behavior.
Cell Seeding Densities in Autologous Chondrocyte Implantation Techniques for Cartilage Repair
Authors: Foldager Casper Bindzus , Gomoll Andreas H. , Lind Martin , Spector Myron
Published: March 2012

Cartilage repair techniques have been among the most intensively investigated treatments in orthopedics for the past decade, and several different treatment modalities are currently available. Despite the extensive research effort within this field, the generation of hyaline cartilage remains a considerable challenge. There are many parameters attendant to each of the cartilage repair techniques that can affect the amount and types of reparative tissue generated in the cartilage defect, and some of the most fundamental of these parameters have yet to be fully investigated. For procedures in which in vitro–cultured autologous chondrocytes are implanted under a periosteal or synthetic membrane cover, or seeded onto a porous membrane or scaffold, little is known about how the number of cells affects the clinical outcome. Few published clinical studies address the cell seeding density that was employed. The principal objective of this review is to provide an overview of the cell seeding densities used in cell-based treatments currently available in the clinic for cartilage repair. Select preclinical studies that have informed the use of specific cell seeding densities in the clinic are also discussed.
Something Old, Something New
Authors: George Maureen
Published: March 2012

Biomarkers, or “markers,” are used to measure an aspect of the biology or physiology of health and clinical disease. In the case of asthma, the most desirable biomarkers measure airflow obstruction caused by inflammation. Although many biomarkers have been proposed to assist in the diagnosis of asthma and to indicate the degree of disease severity or responsiveness to treatment, few are noninvasive, inexpensive, or measure clinically important aspects of disease activity. Currently, spirometry is the only established biomarker used to confirm the diagnosis and determine lung health. However, the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute’s Expert Panel characterizes other biomarkers of particular interest in asthma. This review will compare and contrast spirometry (something old) with one of the newly proposed biomarkers–fractional exhaled nitric acid (something new)–with respect to what aspects of asthma they propose to measure, what they do measure, and what sources of systematic and random error arise in the measurement of these variables.
Preparation and properties evaluation of nonisocyanate condensation polyurethanes based on phenol sulfonic and hydroxybenzoic acids
Authors: Bakar M , Białkowska A
Published: March 2012

The present work investigates the preparation of nonisocyanate polyurethane through condensation of oligomeric hard segments produced by using phenol sulfonic and hydroxybenzoic acids and soft segments obtained by transesterification reaction of polyoxypropylene glycol with ethyl urethane. Obtained nonisocyanate polyurethane films with different hard segments content were tested for their mechanical, physical and thermal properties. Polyurethane films containing p-hydroxybenzoic acid exhibited enhanced tensile strength and water resistance. The tensile strength increased by approximately 230% and water resistance by 35% with the addition of 30% p-hydroxybenzoic acid. Differential scanning calorimetry analysis confirmed the formation of segmented structures within the prepared condensation nonisocyanate polyurethane-based films. Moreover, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy results analysis confirmed the chemical structure of condensation polyurethanes with characteristic groups of typical conventional polyurethanes.
Nanocomposite films with enhanced radiometric properties for greenhouse covering applications
Authors: Espejo Cayetano , Arribas Alejandro , Monzó Fuensanta , Díez Pedro Pablo
Published: March 2012

Nanocomposite films for covering applications were developed. Mechanical, radiometric and ultraviolet stability properties of the films were characterized. Nanocomposites were obtained by incorporating nanoadditives to a thermoplastic polymer matrix by melt-mixing in a corotating twin screw extruder. Three common polymers in cover applications were used as matrix: low-density polyethylene, linear low-density polyethylene and ethylene–butyl acrylate. Three different nanoparticles were used as fillers (2 wt%): titanium dioxide (rutile), silicon oxide and zinc oxide. All nanocomposites were processed in a blown film extrusion line, producing 200 µm thick films. The mechanical properties of the nanocomposite films were found to be slightly different than those of the neat films, whereby the optical and radiothermal properties changed dramatically. Titania nanocomposite containing films had high ultraviolet shielding, however, significantly reduced transparency. Zinc oxide introduced high ultraviolet-shielding capability preserving transparency. High infrared efficiency has been found in silica nanocomposite films, exhibiting efficiency values greater than 79%, and an increment greater than 100% for linear low-density polyethylene and low-density polyethylene nanocomposite films. The extent of ultraviolet degradation of the films was determined by elongation at break tests. Zinc oxide/low-density polyethylene film underwent less degradation than neat low-density polyethylene film after photoaging. Thus, zinc oxide–filled polymer nanocomposite films are suitable for transparent ultraviolet-shielding applications and present low degradation rates. Silica incorporation highly improves polyethylene infrared efficiency, rendering a low-cost high-thermicity transparent film.
STI571 reduces TRAIL-induced apoptosis in colon cancer cells: c-Abl activation by the death receptor leads to stress kinase-dependent cell death
Authors: Huang Duen-Yi , Chao Yee , Tai Ming-Hui , Yu Yang-Hao , Lin Wan-Wan
Published: March 2012

Background

In an effort to achieve better cancer therapies, we elucidated the combination cancer therapy of STI571 (an inhibitor of Bcr-Abl and clinically used for chronic myelogenous leukemia) and TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL, a developing antitumor agent) in leukemia, colon, and prostate cancer cells.

Methods

Colon cancer (HCT116, SW480), prostate cancer (PC3, LNCaP) and leukemia (K562) cells were treated with STI571 and TRAIL. Cell viability was determined by MTT assay and sub-G1 appearance. Protein expression and kinase phosphorylation were determined by Western blotting. c-Abl and p73 activities were inhibited by target-specific small interfering (si)RNA. In vitro kinase assay of c-Abl was conducted using CRK as a substrate.

Results

We found that STI571 exerts opposite effects on the antitumor activity of TRAIL. It enhanced cytotoxicity in TRAIL-treated K562 leukemia cells and reduced TRAIL-induced apoptosis in HCT116 and SW480 colon cancer cells, while having no effect on PC3 and LNCaP cells. In colon and prostate cancer cells, TRAIL caused c-Abl cleavage to the active form via a caspase pathway. Interestingly, JNK and p38 MAPK inhibitors effectively blocked TRAIL-induced toxicity in the colon, but not in prostate cancer cells. Next, we found that STI571 could attenuate TRAIL-induced c-Abl, JNK and p38 activation in HCT116 cells. In addition, siRNA targeting knockdown of c-Abl and p73 also reduced TRAIL-induced cytotoxicity, rendering HCT116 cells less responsive to stress kinase activation, and masking the cytoprotective effect of STI571.

Conclusions

All together we demonstrate a novel mediator role of p73 in activating the stress kinases p38 and JNK in the classical apoptotic pathway of TRAIL. TRAIL via caspase-dependent action can sequentially activate c-Abl, p73, and stress kinases, which contribute to apoptosis in colon cancer cells. Through the inhibition of c-Abl-mediated apoptotic p73 signaling, STI571 reduces the antitumor activity of TRAIL in colon cancer cells. Our results raise additional concerns when developing combination cancer therapy with TRAIL and STI571 in the future.
The burden of antenatal heart disease in South Africa: a systematic review
Authors: Watkins David A , Sebitloane Motshedisi , Engel Mark E , Mayosi Bongani M
Published: March 2012

Background

Maternal mortality in South Africa is rising, and heart conditions currently account for 41 per cent of indirect causes of deaths. Little is known about the burden of heart disease in pregnant South Africans.

Methods

We systematically reviewed the contemporary epidemiology and peripartum outcomes of heart disease in South African women attending antenatal care. Searches were performed in PubMed, ISI Web of Science, the EBSCO Africa-Wide database, the South African Union Catalogue, and the Current and Completed Research database (South Africa). References of included articles were also hand-searched. Studies reporting epidemiologic data on antenatal heart disease in South Africa were included. Data on morbidity and mortality were also collected.

Results

Seven studies were included in the systematic review. The prevalence of heart disease ranged from 123 to 943 per 100,000 deliveries, with a median prevalence of 616 per 100,000. Rheumatic valvular lesions were the commonest abnormalities, although cardiomyopathies were disproportionately high in comparison with other developing countries. Peripartum case-fatality rates were as high as 9.5 per cent in areas with limited access to care. The most frequent complications were pulmonary oedema, thromboembolism, and major bleeding with warfarin use. Perinatal mortality ranged from 8.9 to 23.8 per cent, whilst mitral lesions were associated with low birth weight. Meta-analysis could not be performed due to clinical and statistical heterogeneity of the included studies.

Conclusion

Approximately 0.6 per cent of pregnant South Africans have pre-existing cardiac abnormalities, with rheumatic lesions being the commonest. Maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality continue to be very high. We conclude this review by summarising limitations of the current literature and recommending standard reporting criteria for future reports.
Expression TGM2 and BNIP3 have prognostic significance in laryngeal cancer patients receiving surgery and postoperative radiotherapy: A retrospective study
Authors: Jin Ting , Lin Huan-Xin , Lin Hui , Guo Li-Bing , Ge Nan , Cai Xiu-Yu , Sun Rui , Chen Wen-Kuan , Li Qiu-Li , Hu Wei-Han
Published: March 2012

Background

This study was designed to determine the pattern and correlation between expression of the HIF-1α transcriptional targets TGM2 and BNIP3 in laryngeal cancer, and investigate the association of BNIP3 and TGM2 with clinical outcome in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) patients receiving postoperative radiotherapy.

Methods

Immunostaining with antibodies specific to BNIP3 and TGM2 was performed in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded specimens from 148 laryngeal SCC patients. BNIP3 and TGM2 expression was scored as high or low, based on the number of tumor cells stained and the staining intensity. All patients received postoperative radiotherapy. Patient follow up and clinicopathological data were compared using the Chi-squared test, univariate and multivariate analyses, and survival curves were generated using the Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test.

Results

The 3, 5 and 10-year overall survival rates (OS) for all patients were 77.7%, 71.6%, 56.4%, respectively. Primary tumor site, T stage, overall stage, lymph-node metastasis, BNIP3 expression and TGM2 expression were significant prognostic factors for OS in univariate analysis. Negative cervical lymph nodes, high BNIP3 expression and low TGM2 expression were independent prognostic factors of improved OS in multivariate analysis. BNIP3 expression correlates with TGM2 expression in laryngeal SCC (P = 0.012).

Conclusions

This study indicates that lymph-node metastasis, BNIP3 expression and TGM2 expression are independent prognostic factors in laryngeal SCC patients receiving postoperative radiotherapy. Further studies are required to investigate how BNIP3 and/or TGM2 influence the prognosis of laryngeal SCC patients treated with postoperative radiotherapy, and to determine how TGM2 and BNIP3 expression are regulated.
Successful mobilization using a combination of plerixafor and G-CSF in pediatric patients who failed previous chemomobilization with G-CSF alone and possible complications of the treatment
Authors: Hong Kyung Taek , Kang Hyoung Jin , Kim Nam Hee , Kim Min Sun , Lee Ji Won , Kim Hyery , Park Kyung Duk , Shin Hee Young , Ahn Hyo Seop
Published: March 2012

Peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) mobilization, which uses plerixafor (AMD 3100), a newly developed specific inhibitor of the CXCR4 receptor, in combination with granulocyte-colony stimulating factor(G-CSF), has been shown to enhance the stem cell mobilization in adult patients, but pediatric data are scarce. We documented our experience with this drug in 6 Korean pediatric patients who had failed in chemomobilization, using G-CSF, alone. All patients were mobilized CD34+ cells (median, 11.08 × 106/kg: range, 6.34-28.97 × 106/kg) successfully within 2 to 3 cycles of apheresis, without complications. A total of 7 autologous transplantations were performed, including 1 tandem transplantation. However, 2 patients with brain tumors showed severe pulmonary complications, including spontaneous pneumomediastinum. This is the first study of PBSC mobilization with plerixafor in Asian pediatric patients. Furthermore our study suggests that mobilization with plerixafor may be effective in Korean pediatric patients, who have previously been heavily treated and have failed PBSC mobilization with classical chemomobilization, using G-CSF. However, further studies are needed to examine the possible complications of autologous transplantation, using a mobilized plerixafor product in children.
A decade plus of translation: what do we understand?
Authors: Wang Xiangdong , Marincola Francesco M
Published: March 2012

It has been more than a decade that the term “Translational” (medicine, Research, Science) has trickled through the minds of academics, clinicians, business persons, regulators, policy makers, patients and their families, patient advocates, politicians and the public. Although the term means different things for different stake holders, it reflect and eagerness to see a fruitful outcome of the resources invested in biotechnology to benefit primarily the patients but also provide financial return for those who invested. Skeptics remain who feel the concept if abused by those attempting to deviate funds for basic or clinical research to a new domain performing similar tasks under a different egida. In reality, translational sciences are not different in scope any from previous efforts to focus the goals of research toward the relevant object of helping the disabled. The difference is that, in recent decades, awareness has risen about the difficulties of reaching this goal. In particular, it has become clear that the difficulties are not limited to scientific challenges, but to a myriad of hurdles that make testing and licensing of novel concepts unnecessarily burdensome. Moreover, it was recognized that the infrastructure to support clinical research is frequently outdated and inappropriate. The biggest hurdle, however, remains the cost and the length of clinical testing that could prolong of decades the application of even the most successful treatments. As for any expanding field, a plethora of journals has appeared with “Translational” in their title. This is a positive sign of the growth in interest for the field and the need to respond to a need for editorial boards competent in the challenges of judging clinical testing. In this editorial, we will discuss the meaning of translational medicine, its goals and needs; we will summarize the remaining challenges and will provide a personal overview of the strategies that remain to be implemented.
Role of MMPs in orchestrating inflammatory response in human monocytes via a TREM-1-PI3K-NF-κB pathway
Authors: Gómez-Piña Vanesa , Martínez Eriel , Fernández-Ruíz Irene , del Fresno Carlos , Soares-Schanoski Alessandra , Jurado Teresa , Siliceo María , Toledano Victor , Fernández-Palomares Rosa , García-Rio Francisco , Arnalich Francisco , Biswas Subhra K , López-Collazo Eduardo
Published: March 2012

The MMPs constitute a family of endopeptidases that can cleavage extracellular proteins. They are involved in a number of events; some of these include inflammatory processes. One of its targets is the TREM-1, which has emerged as an important modulator of innate immune responses in mammals. This transmembrane glycoprotein possesses an Ig-like ectodomain readily shed by MMPs to generate sTREM-1. Whereas membrane-anchored TREM-1 amplifies inflammatory responses, sTREM-1 exhibits anti-inflammatory properties. Here we show that sustained cell surface expression of TREM-1 in human monocytes, through metalloproteinase inhibition, counteracts the well-characterized down-regulation of several proinflammatory cytokines during the ET time-frame, also known as M2 or alternative activation. In addition to the cytokines profile, other features of the ET phenotype were underdeveloped when TREM-1 was stabilized at the cell surface. These events were mediated by the signal transducers PI3Ks and Syk. We also show that sTREM-1 counteracts the proinflammatory response obtained by membrane TREM-1 stabilization but failed to induce ET on naïve human monocytes. As the sustained TREM-1 expression at the cell surface suffices to block the progress of a refractory state in human monocytes, our data indicate that TREM-1 and MMPs orchestrate an “adaptive” form of innate immunity by modulating the human monocytes response to endotoxin.
On the Supposed Inconceivability of Absent Qualia Functional Duplicates—a Reply to Tye
Authors: Van Gulick Robert
Published: March 2012

In “Absent Qualia and the Mind-Body Problem,” Michael Tye (2006) presents an argument by which he claims to show the inconceivability of beings that are functionally equivalent to phenomenally conscious beings but lack any qualia. On that basis, he concludes that qualia can be fully defined in functional terms. The argument does not suffice to establish the claimed results. In particular it does not show that such absent qualia cases are inconceivable. Tye’s argument relies on a principle P according to which the exchange of isomorphic states between functionally equivalent systems will preserve their equivalence. If they were functionally equivalent before the exchange, they will also be so after. Consideration of the contextual nature of realization shows that Principle P is not a general truth as Tye claims, and his argument against the possibility of absent qualia thus fails.